Starsky and Hutch (1975) s02e10 Episode Script
30 - Vendetta (a.k.a. The Monster)
Tommy? Tommy? You here? Tommy, no! Oh.
What happened to our crowd? Suppose they just ran off someplace.
Oh, I thought they'd never leave.
Still two hours before you have to go to work.
Well, what are we gonna do? Are we gonna talk away the time, or are we gonna get this stuff together and go back to my apartment? Hey, Hutch! What? You've got a 10-40.
A what? A 10-40.
Isn't that what you always get when we're in the middle of a good time? No, sweetheart.
That's what you get for waiting too long.
We didn't even get to pour the wine.
We didn't even get the cork out.
Don't tell me, Starsk.
I see the end of a beautiful day.
You got it.
Dobey wants us in early.
He's got another body beaten to death.
Like the others? This one's a kid.
How old? Seventeen.
Yeah, well, that's the way it was.
Found him laying in an empty warehouse two days before we got him.
Name's Jimmy Shannon.
He was arrested a couple of times for petty theft.
"Heavy blunt instrument.
Head, shoulders and legs broken.
" Sound familiar? Sounds like an epidemic.
Three in 30 days.
This guy gets around.
No wallet, huh? No, nothing.
'64 J.
F.
K.
What's that worth now? A dollar? Hotel Bremen.
Arty Solkin's blood bucket.
Captain of the bells.
Wonder how many guys he's got working for him now? Probably one less than he had two days ago.
Thank you.
Tommy? Tommy? Can you hear me? It's me.
Arty.
Come on, kid.
Pull it in.
I just made a score.
Tommy? You hear me? Nice to see you up and around.
What time is it? Wednesday.
Want to go to work? I just made a score.
Fifty bucks apiece for each of us.
You want it? What kind of work? Your kind of work.
Strawberries and whipped cream.
Only this time, we only have to bust his legs.
When? Tonight.
Any time.
Hmm? Hey, here.
Eat something.
You look like a ghost.
You're not still mad at me, are you? We can live with it.
All right.
What a terrific place to spend your last days.
Jimmy Shannon.
What do you know about him? Who? Jimmy Shannon.
Oh, you mean Jingo.
All right.
Jingo.
What's to know? Ain't seen him in a couple of days.
What happened? He all right? America's answer to Fagin around? Huh? Arty Solkin.
Oh, Arty.
Yeah.
He's upstairs.
You wanna talk to him? We'll talk to him in Shannon's room.
Get him there.
Please.
Elevator.
Solkin.
What do you want? Couple of cops.
They wanna talk to me in Jimmy's room.
Don't go to pieces.
I'll see you later.
Beautiful.
I'll get the bureau.
Hi, Arty.
You just pulled me off a good job.
What do you want? Jimmy Shannon.
Died like a man in the pursuit of happiness.
What do you mean? He's dead? What kind of happiness, Arty? Come on, Arty.
Pull yourself together.
You know what Jimmy said just before he died? He said, "Tell Arty not to worry.
" Don't do your numbers on me, all right? What do you want? Something else besides Jimmy Shannon's last known address.
He's got a mother in Cleveland.
What else do you want? How about the name of the guy who beat him to death, huh? Is that how he got it? Yeah, that's how we got it, Arty.
And you know something else? That's the third time this month.
Now, you wouldn't know anybody who'd do something like that, would you? Me? What do you mean? You crazy? What did we get on you last time, Arty? Contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
Aiding and abetting.
What else? Forget the history, right? We forget nothing, Arty.
Nothing.
Fagin, faigeleh.
What's the differences? You're vermin.
You got no right to talk to me that way.
What's the matter, scum? I hurt your feelings? You know something? You make me sick.
Right from that rancid black grease you wear in your hair down to your two-tone shoes.
You're trying to get me mad so I'll take a punch at you, and then you'll run me in.
Oh, heaven forbid, Arty.
You don't think we'd do something like that, do you, huh? Hey? Hey, look.
All we want is a shortlist of Jimmy Shannon's last known associates.
You know, like someone who gets their kicks, maybe, from beating other people.
I told you, I don't know anyone like that.
No, huh? Now, if, uh, you're done with me, I got some work to do.
Get out of here.
I can't take you out anymore, Hutch.
You keep insulting my friends.
Starsky, he knows who did it.
Yeah, well, if he doesn't, I got a feeling he knows where to look.
Is there anything else in here? Not the way I can see it.
We still working? Yeah.
Leave it on, all right? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
We're still working.
Only this time, I think we've got two jobs.
Two? Part one is a guy named Eckworth.
Lloyd Herman Eckworth.
Owns a nightclub.
Uh, we break his legs and put him up in a wheelchair where everybody can see him.
Part two is a blond cop Named Hutchinson.
But him, we do different.
Ah, sir, sir.
Please, uh, could you spare some small change? I need a drink very bad, honest to God.
Yeah, yeah, sure.
You're a prince.
Yeah, sure.
You're wonderful.
Bless you, sir.
Excuse me, sir.
Pardon me.
Do you have change of a dollar, huh? Please? No.
Aw.
Is he dead? No.
You sure? Yeah, I'm sure.
Well, blond-cop time.
Here's the man himself.
"Arthur Fingal Solkin.
Four counts.
"Contributing to the delinquency of a minor " Make that four minors.
Fifteen, 15, 16 and 17.
"Aiding and abetting the runaway status of " Et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.
That's it.
Your friend and mine, Arty Solkin.
Housemother at the Hotel Bremen.
Some kids have all the luck, huh? Okay.
But how do we hang him with the beating murders? Jimmy Shannon was one of Fagin Arty's artful dodgers.
That still doesn't cut any ice.
The first of the two priors was a The second was a 48-year-old man, a pimp named Billy Chartreuse.
What does he have in common with a? With a 17-year-old named Jimmy Shannon? Broken legs.
And maybe, if we're right, Arty Solkin.
Maybe.
I'm tired.
Want to get a hamburger? Are you kidding? No, I'm not.
See you tomorrow.
Well, how'd you like to eat alone? It really doesn't make me any difference.
See you in the morning.
Hello, plants.
Nice neighbourhood.
Leave a note? Oh, you're a scream.
Look, why don't you get yourself something to eat.
I got some great new goodies in my icebox.
Oh, that's a good idea.
Thanks.
So, what did he look like? Tall, short, fat, skinny? Did you get an m.
o.
? I didn't get that close.
Oh.
Well, maybe next time.
Either your eating habits have changed drastically or you've got some very sick people mad at you.
You know the one thing that bothers me? You're out of ketchup? Whoever put the rat in that icebox has got a way through my front door.
Any ideas? Not a clue.
Hutch? You and Starsky get over to Midtown Memorial Hospital.
See the owner of The Home Plate nightclub.
Name's Lloyd Eckworth.
Lloyd Herman Eckworth? Used to play with the Yankees, then the Chi Sox? Why don't you ask him.
Somebody broke his legs last night.
Was it done by our same friend? We suspect, with one exception.
Eckworth's alive to talk about it.
Better get on it, will you? Wait a minute, wait a minute.
Lloyd Herman Eckworth? Yeah, utility infielder.
Came up with the Yankees in, uh, '49.
Traded to the Chi Sox in '54.
I used to collect baseball trading cards.
Lifetime batting average:247.
Yeah.
Wait, wait.
Wait a minute.
How do you know that? Some things you never forget.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Look, look.
I've already talked to the doctor.
Honey, he says He says if I'm careful Yeah.
Yeah? Oh, no.
Hold on, Janet.
Now what is it? Detectives Hutchinson and Starsky.
We'd like to talk to you, Mr.
Eckworth.
Look, I've already given my statement three times.
I know.
We'd like to hear it again.
But there's nothing to tell.
Janet.
Come on For crying out loud Janet, pick me up in 30 minutes, or I'm taking a cab.
Then I'll take an ambulance if I have to.
I'm getting out of here today.
Here.
Mr.
Eckworth? You want me to tell the story.
I walked out of my club, into the garage.
There was this bum asking for money.
I give him a buck.
He tells me, "God bless you.
" I turn around, whack.
I'm looking at this ghost swinging a sawed-off baseball bat into my face.
That's it? That's it.
An inside-the-park home run.
What? An inside-the-park home run.
I saw you hit one when I was 9 years old, against Fellan.
You were playing the White Sox.
You remember that? Sure, I remember that.
It was the second half of a double-header.
Hotter than hell out.
I drank so many sodas I almost got sick.
No kidding.
Yeah, that was some ball game.
That was some hit.
You damn near ran that third baseman right down.
The guy that hit you, you remember him? The guy that hit me? With the baseball bat.
Yeah.
He looked like, uh, Stan the Man.
You know, a young Musial when he first come up.
Only his eyes were all screwy, like what he was doing to me was all in a day's work.
Like building a house, cooking hamburgers.
You know, it didn't mean nothing to him, what he was doing to me.
Mr.
Eckworth, can you think of any reason why somebody would want to do this to you? No.
I've been thinking Then again, the screwballs running around these days, who needs a reason for anything anymore? If someone's bothering you, we could help.
No, there's no one bothering me.
Okay.
Thank you.
Sure.
Mr.
Eckworth, if there's anything at all, we'd appreciate a call.
Sure.
Oh, there is one more thing.
Your lifetime batting average.
.
247, why? Just wondering.
Something doesn't make sense, Starsk.
Aw, that's what you say about all our busted-leg cases.
Oh, come on, I'm serious.
All right.
Someone set himself up in business with a baseball bat, right? Okay.
Now, whether Eckworth can think of a reason or not, he was just a cash and carry tap on the legs.
We can probably say the same thing about Billy Chartreuse and that laundry dealer.
But who'd wanna pay a nickel for Jimmy Shannon? You get a feeling you're in for a run of bad luck? What are you talking about? Hey! Those are my brand-new recaps.
You know what I paid for these, Starsk? Probably more than the whole car's worth.
Yeah, well, at least I don't drive around in a striped tomato you gotta tune up every time you drive around a block.
Yeah, well, with this hunk of squash, I imagine every 50 to 70,000 miles is okay.
Watch it.
Don't get excited.
It's only flat on the bottom.
It's okay.
Come on.
Come on.
God.
Come on.
It's okay.
All right, when did this start? It started last night, captain.
Somebody put a rat in my cold cuts.
Hey.
That's what burns my fuse out.
How come I don't hear about these things before the bombs go off? You were telling us about Lloyd Eckworth, cap.
I thought that was more important.
Would you open that, please? My pleasure.
No, you didn't.
You wanted a private party.
And rule number one in this precinct is, no, absolutely, flat out, no private parties.
Do you hear me? Talk to Starsky.
He ate the rat.
All right, Hutchinson.
Do you have any idea who started this? I wish I did, captain.
What's scary is to try to think back over six years on the force and try to remember all the weirdoes you've alienated.
If you think six years is something, wait till you get 26 years in.
Yeah.
By the way, you guys had a call from Eckworth.
Says he remembers something about the bum who asked him for money wearing a pair of two-tone shoes.
Grease in your hair and worms in your toes.
Would you mind interpreting that? Arty Solkin.
Where's my jacket? I thought you had it on.
Arty Solkin.
What room? Hey, come on.
The guy's up all night.
He's sleeping now, all right? That's all right.
We don't mind.
Nice guys, you are.
Keep your hands off the phone.
We're gonna surprise him.
Arty.
What? Thanks.
Hi, Arty.
Say, this is a nice-looking place you got here.
Too bad you don't got a couple of kitty-cats.
Can the birdseed.
What do you want? Well, straight out, we'd like to apologise.
We're sorry we stepped on your rosebush.
I told you, can the birdseed.
What do you want? Don't be like that, Arty.
We got a whole new can of worms.
Like where were you and your shiny wingtip shoes last night, huh? Let's go.
Don't you guys ever get tired of bothering me? It's no bother, Arty.
Besides we love you.
All right, Bob.
Take one step forward.
Still can't keep your raincoat buttoned up, huh? All right, give us a quarter turn to the right.
You're doing fine, Bob.
Now, give us a half turn to the right.
There's not one face up there that you vaguely recognise? All right, give us a quarter turn to the right, Bob.
Okay, step back.
Next man.
Arthur Solkin.
It's been a while since we've seen you, Arty.
Still got all your little pack rats stealing for you? You never proved anything ever on me.
Okay, Arty, why don't you just give us a cute little profile.
No.
I'm afraid not.
L I just can't remember the guy's face.
Quarter turn to the right, Arty.
You remember a pair of two-tone shoes, but you can't remember the face of the man who set you up? Yeah, I guess that's it.
Quarter turn to the right, Arty.
What does it say for us? Just a bum.
Give him some money.
That's easy.
But don't look him in the face.
Might recognise a human being if you do that.
Quarter turn to the right, Arty.
Sorry, I I can't help you.
Come on.
Let's get out of here.
Okay, step back.
Is that it? Get them out of here, Mike.
All right, you heard the man.
Let's boogie.
You get the feeling that Eckworth's not telling us all he knows? You know, when I was 9 years old and I saw that guy hit that inside-the-park home run Yeah.
I thought he was about the greatest man that ever lived.
Arty? Arty, they told me the cops took you away.
They can never prove nothing on me.
You're glad to see me, aren't you, kid? We got work to do.
She's pretty.
Yeah.
He never should have arrested me today.
He should have known.
I'm a kind of guy that does his homework.
Her name is Abby.
The blond cop's blond girlfriend.
He has the tuna.
I have the pastrami.
Waitress.
You want something to drink? Yeah, iced tea, please.
Iced tea and milk, please.
You don't want some mustard? Uh, no.
You sure? No.
Not hungry.
Okay, so the guy couldn't identify a suspect.
Maybe he wasn't the right guy.
Abby, we've got the right guy.
Solkin's involved in those murders.
Wanna know something? Here's Huggy.
What? I don't care.
I want you to catch that crazy who's blowing up your car and putting rats in your refrigerator.
We will, sweetheart.
We will.
What's happening? What'd you hear about Jimmy Shannon? He died a perfectly natural death in a warehouse frequented by his own best friends.
I'll have dinner ready by 7.
Eckworth? Lloyd Eckworth? Nothing special.
Hutch.
I'll be there, sweetheart.
Word is, Eckworth made the mistake of refusing a partnership offer somebody made him.
Happens all the time.
Well, that explains a lot.
Like what? Like all those sudden lapses of memory.
Promise? What? Hutch.
Abby, I promise.
I'll be there.
I'll be there for dinner.
We just have one more guy to see.
Hey, Billy.
Sit down.
What do you guys want? Well, Billy, we'd like a little information about Arty Solkin.
Hey, I'm clean.
I ain't got nothing to do with him anymore.
Oh, we know that.
That's why we're talking to you.
But you used to run with Arty, right? Yeah, but that was before the spook.
The spook? Spook.
Name's Tommy something.
And let me tell you, this is one crazy dude.
I mean, all he does is lay on his bed all day long, looking up at the light bulb in the ceiling.
Interesting, huh? Do you think this guy could kill anyone? It's all right, Billy.
Well, one night, we was sniffing and drinking a little red wine, right? And, uh, Tommy told me that he killed his whole family someplace back in Indiana.
You believe him? I moved out the next day.
Arty Solkin.
Get him down here.
He ain't here right now.
How about his friend Tommy? He's with Arty.
I don't know where they went.
What's his room number? How about the key, huh? It's always open.
Guess who's working nights.
Oh, I'll get the bureau.
Nothing.
Empty.
What does this spook wear on Sunday? Nothing.
Empty.
Starsk.
I guess he wasn't lying to Billy Ryan, was he? Let's get out of here.
I know that, Donna.
But even cops have a personal life.
With Hutch? All I know is I'm gonna talk to him about it tonight.
Yeah, I'll let you know.
Gotta go.
Bye-bye.
Be smarter just to kill her, wouldn't it? I don't want you to kill her.
I want that blond cop down in the street, looking up at me.
Maybe I'll throw him a quarter.
Maybe I'll walk on him.
Go on.
Enjoy yourself.
I just got this from R&I.
Indiana's had an APB out on Marlowe for the last six months.
Killed his whole family.
What's he doing on my phone? Trying to explain to his girlfriend why he's an hour late for dinner.
Line's still busy.
She's probably talking to her girlfriend.
You say this Marlowe kid stares at a light bulb all day? What's happening with him? Maybe he's just going through his brain with a blowtorch, trying to burn out old memories.
Dobey here.
Meanwhile, we got enough here to bring in Arty Solkin and break his little heart over a chair.
Hutch.
Somebody's hurt Abby.
Hey.
She's all right.
She's alive.
She'll be all right.
What? Hey, look, I don't want to blow you guys out What? Come on, easy, easy.
He broke her up pretty bad.
Did he rape her? Well, it looks like he tried.
I don't think he made it.
Abby.
Abby.
Abby.
Oh, Hutch.
Oh, Hutch, I'm sorry.
Abby.
Don't be sorry.
It's my fault.
Hutch.
Easy, easy, easy.
What do we got? Anything? Well, from the junk on the floor, we got this.
A piece of material.
She must have ripped his pocket out.
Wanna see it? No.
From the hold she had on it, they could hardly get it out of her hand.
Shouldn't have let her come up here not after what happened the other night.
Yeah, don't do that to yourself.
Hey, you remember what Jimmy Shannon had on him? Huh? J.
F.
K.
, '64.
Look.
Abby grabbed his pocket and pulled this out.
'64 J.
F.
K.
Arty Solkin has a jar full of those.
Come on.
Tommy.
Go on.
Get some rest.
Give me the phone.
What? Give me the phone! Hey! Now, sit down and shut up! I'd do what the man says.
What do you think you're doing here? John Fitzgerald Kennedy, '64.
My girl ripped it out of his pocket.
Arty, I'm going upstairs now.
And I'm gonna give your boyfriend a shock treatment.
And then I'm coming down here, and I'm gonna talk to you.
So put some coffee on and pour us a drink.
Arty.
Tell me about Jimmy.
An Irish kid from Cleveland.
Seventeen going on 100.
What happened? Tommy killed them.
I didn't kill them.
Arty? Arty, I can't What are you mad about? What are you mad about? I didn't kill her.
I swear to God, I didn't kill her.
I swear to God.
I did exactly like you said.
I didn't touch her.
Look.
Honest, Arty.
Honest.
Don't be mad at me.
Don't be mad at me.
You're all I got.
Wait a minute.
I want to show you something.
Look, look.
I brought the picture back for you.
Look.
Look, I brought the picture for you.
I brought it for you.
I thought you'd like it.
I could take it back.
Arty, I could take Look.
No.
Don't go away.
Don't go away.
Arty? I'm here.
I'm not going anywhere.
I didn't mean to make you mad.
I could bring the picture back somehow.
No, you keep it.
It's all right.
Arty? What? I'm scared.
I can't see.
Hutch, there's something I have to tell you.
Ah! Absolutely.
But first you gotta taste some of this great wine.
I got some of that, uh, Norwegian cheese.
Your favourite.
Isn't it a beautiful day? Hutch, it's important.
I'm sorry, Abby.
What is it? Hey, isn't that your brother? Mm-hm.
What's he doing here? I didn't invite him.
I'm going home, Hutch.
What? Home? Why? I have to.
I was really scared.
I guess I never thought about dying before.
Hey! There you are.
We've been looking all over for you.
It's not easy hauling this junk around, you know.
Hey, come on.
Pick a card, any card.
Starsky, what's that? My baseball trading cards.
I dug them out last night.
Will you pick a card? Come on.
Well, what am I supposed to do? Read the card.
Read the name on the card.
It's Minnie Minoso.
Saturnino Orestes.
That was his real name.
Saturnino Orestes.
His nickname was Minnie Minoso.
Started out with Cleveland in '49.
He switched on and off with the Chi Sox till '61.
Finished out his career in '62 with the Cleveland Indians.
Batted.
303 for a lifetime average.
Starsky.
Hmm? Starsky.
She's going away.
I know that.
What do you mean, you know that? She told me.
Doesn't mean she doesn't love you.
SDI Media
What happened to our crowd? Suppose they just ran off someplace.
Oh, I thought they'd never leave.
Still two hours before you have to go to work.
Well, what are we gonna do? Are we gonna talk away the time, or are we gonna get this stuff together and go back to my apartment? Hey, Hutch! What? You've got a 10-40.
A what? A 10-40.
Isn't that what you always get when we're in the middle of a good time? No, sweetheart.
That's what you get for waiting too long.
We didn't even get to pour the wine.
We didn't even get the cork out.
Don't tell me, Starsk.
I see the end of a beautiful day.
You got it.
Dobey wants us in early.
He's got another body beaten to death.
Like the others? This one's a kid.
How old? Seventeen.
Yeah, well, that's the way it was.
Found him laying in an empty warehouse two days before we got him.
Name's Jimmy Shannon.
He was arrested a couple of times for petty theft.
"Heavy blunt instrument.
Head, shoulders and legs broken.
" Sound familiar? Sounds like an epidemic.
Three in 30 days.
This guy gets around.
No wallet, huh? No, nothing.
'64 J.
F.
K.
What's that worth now? A dollar? Hotel Bremen.
Arty Solkin's blood bucket.
Captain of the bells.
Wonder how many guys he's got working for him now? Probably one less than he had two days ago.
Thank you.
Tommy? Tommy? Can you hear me? It's me.
Arty.
Come on, kid.
Pull it in.
I just made a score.
Tommy? You hear me? Nice to see you up and around.
What time is it? Wednesday.
Want to go to work? I just made a score.
Fifty bucks apiece for each of us.
You want it? What kind of work? Your kind of work.
Strawberries and whipped cream.
Only this time, we only have to bust his legs.
When? Tonight.
Any time.
Hmm? Hey, here.
Eat something.
You look like a ghost.
You're not still mad at me, are you? We can live with it.
All right.
What a terrific place to spend your last days.
Jimmy Shannon.
What do you know about him? Who? Jimmy Shannon.
Oh, you mean Jingo.
All right.
Jingo.
What's to know? Ain't seen him in a couple of days.
What happened? He all right? America's answer to Fagin around? Huh? Arty Solkin.
Oh, Arty.
Yeah.
He's upstairs.
You wanna talk to him? We'll talk to him in Shannon's room.
Get him there.
Please.
Elevator.
Solkin.
What do you want? Couple of cops.
They wanna talk to me in Jimmy's room.
Don't go to pieces.
I'll see you later.
Beautiful.
I'll get the bureau.
Hi, Arty.
You just pulled me off a good job.
What do you want? Jimmy Shannon.
Died like a man in the pursuit of happiness.
What do you mean? He's dead? What kind of happiness, Arty? Come on, Arty.
Pull yourself together.
You know what Jimmy said just before he died? He said, "Tell Arty not to worry.
" Don't do your numbers on me, all right? What do you want? Something else besides Jimmy Shannon's last known address.
He's got a mother in Cleveland.
What else do you want? How about the name of the guy who beat him to death, huh? Is that how he got it? Yeah, that's how we got it, Arty.
And you know something else? That's the third time this month.
Now, you wouldn't know anybody who'd do something like that, would you? Me? What do you mean? You crazy? What did we get on you last time, Arty? Contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
Aiding and abetting.
What else? Forget the history, right? We forget nothing, Arty.
Nothing.
Fagin, faigeleh.
What's the differences? You're vermin.
You got no right to talk to me that way.
What's the matter, scum? I hurt your feelings? You know something? You make me sick.
Right from that rancid black grease you wear in your hair down to your two-tone shoes.
You're trying to get me mad so I'll take a punch at you, and then you'll run me in.
Oh, heaven forbid, Arty.
You don't think we'd do something like that, do you, huh? Hey? Hey, look.
All we want is a shortlist of Jimmy Shannon's last known associates.
You know, like someone who gets their kicks, maybe, from beating other people.
I told you, I don't know anyone like that.
No, huh? Now, if, uh, you're done with me, I got some work to do.
Get out of here.
I can't take you out anymore, Hutch.
You keep insulting my friends.
Starsky, he knows who did it.
Yeah, well, if he doesn't, I got a feeling he knows where to look.
Is there anything else in here? Not the way I can see it.
We still working? Yeah.
Leave it on, all right? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
We're still working.
Only this time, I think we've got two jobs.
Two? Part one is a guy named Eckworth.
Lloyd Herman Eckworth.
Owns a nightclub.
Uh, we break his legs and put him up in a wheelchair where everybody can see him.
Part two is a blond cop Named Hutchinson.
But him, we do different.
Ah, sir, sir.
Please, uh, could you spare some small change? I need a drink very bad, honest to God.
Yeah, yeah, sure.
You're a prince.
Yeah, sure.
You're wonderful.
Bless you, sir.
Excuse me, sir.
Pardon me.
Do you have change of a dollar, huh? Please? No.
Aw.
Is he dead? No.
You sure? Yeah, I'm sure.
Well, blond-cop time.
Here's the man himself.
"Arthur Fingal Solkin.
Four counts.
"Contributing to the delinquency of a minor " Make that four minors.
Fifteen, 15, 16 and 17.
"Aiding and abetting the runaway status of " Et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.
That's it.
Your friend and mine, Arty Solkin.
Housemother at the Hotel Bremen.
Some kids have all the luck, huh? Okay.
But how do we hang him with the beating murders? Jimmy Shannon was one of Fagin Arty's artful dodgers.
That still doesn't cut any ice.
The first of the two priors was a The second was a 48-year-old man, a pimp named Billy Chartreuse.
What does he have in common with a? With a 17-year-old named Jimmy Shannon? Broken legs.
And maybe, if we're right, Arty Solkin.
Maybe.
I'm tired.
Want to get a hamburger? Are you kidding? No, I'm not.
See you tomorrow.
Well, how'd you like to eat alone? It really doesn't make me any difference.
See you in the morning.
Hello, plants.
Nice neighbourhood.
Leave a note? Oh, you're a scream.
Look, why don't you get yourself something to eat.
I got some great new goodies in my icebox.
Oh, that's a good idea.
Thanks.
So, what did he look like? Tall, short, fat, skinny? Did you get an m.
o.
? I didn't get that close.
Oh.
Well, maybe next time.
Either your eating habits have changed drastically or you've got some very sick people mad at you.
You know the one thing that bothers me? You're out of ketchup? Whoever put the rat in that icebox has got a way through my front door.
Any ideas? Not a clue.
Hutch? You and Starsky get over to Midtown Memorial Hospital.
See the owner of The Home Plate nightclub.
Name's Lloyd Eckworth.
Lloyd Herman Eckworth? Used to play with the Yankees, then the Chi Sox? Why don't you ask him.
Somebody broke his legs last night.
Was it done by our same friend? We suspect, with one exception.
Eckworth's alive to talk about it.
Better get on it, will you? Wait a minute, wait a minute.
Lloyd Herman Eckworth? Yeah, utility infielder.
Came up with the Yankees in, uh, '49.
Traded to the Chi Sox in '54.
I used to collect baseball trading cards.
Lifetime batting average:247.
Yeah.
Wait, wait.
Wait a minute.
How do you know that? Some things you never forget.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Look, look.
I've already talked to the doctor.
Honey, he says He says if I'm careful Yeah.
Yeah? Oh, no.
Hold on, Janet.
Now what is it? Detectives Hutchinson and Starsky.
We'd like to talk to you, Mr.
Eckworth.
Look, I've already given my statement three times.
I know.
We'd like to hear it again.
But there's nothing to tell.
Janet.
Come on For crying out loud Janet, pick me up in 30 minutes, or I'm taking a cab.
Then I'll take an ambulance if I have to.
I'm getting out of here today.
Here.
Mr.
Eckworth? You want me to tell the story.
I walked out of my club, into the garage.
There was this bum asking for money.
I give him a buck.
He tells me, "God bless you.
" I turn around, whack.
I'm looking at this ghost swinging a sawed-off baseball bat into my face.
That's it? That's it.
An inside-the-park home run.
What? An inside-the-park home run.
I saw you hit one when I was 9 years old, against Fellan.
You were playing the White Sox.
You remember that? Sure, I remember that.
It was the second half of a double-header.
Hotter than hell out.
I drank so many sodas I almost got sick.
No kidding.
Yeah, that was some ball game.
That was some hit.
You damn near ran that third baseman right down.
The guy that hit you, you remember him? The guy that hit me? With the baseball bat.
Yeah.
He looked like, uh, Stan the Man.
You know, a young Musial when he first come up.
Only his eyes were all screwy, like what he was doing to me was all in a day's work.
Like building a house, cooking hamburgers.
You know, it didn't mean nothing to him, what he was doing to me.
Mr.
Eckworth, can you think of any reason why somebody would want to do this to you? No.
I've been thinking Then again, the screwballs running around these days, who needs a reason for anything anymore? If someone's bothering you, we could help.
No, there's no one bothering me.
Okay.
Thank you.
Sure.
Mr.
Eckworth, if there's anything at all, we'd appreciate a call.
Sure.
Oh, there is one more thing.
Your lifetime batting average.
.
247, why? Just wondering.
Something doesn't make sense, Starsk.
Aw, that's what you say about all our busted-leg cases.
Oh, come on, I'm serious.
All right.
Someone set himself up in business with a baseball bat, right? Okay.
Now, whether Eckworth can think of a reason or not, he was just a cash and carry tap on the legs.
We can probably say the same thing about Billy Chartreuse and that laundry dealer.
But who'd wanna pay a nickel for Jimmy Shannon? You get a feeling you're in for a run of bad luck? What are you talking about? Hey! Those are my brand-new recaps.
You know what I paid for these, Starsk? Probably more than the whole car's worth.
Yeah, well, at least I don't drive around in a striped tomato you gotta tune up every time you drive around a block.
Yeah, well, with this hunk of squash, I imagine every 50 to 70,000 miles is okay.
Watch it.
Don't get excited.
It's only flat on the bottom.
It's okay.
Come on.
Come on.
God.
Come on.
It's okay.
All right, when did this start? It started last night, captain.
Somebody put a rat in my cold cuts.
Hey.
That's what burns my fuse out.
How come I don't hear about these things before the bombs go off? You were telling us about Lloyd Eckworth, cap.
I thought that was more important.
Would you open that, please? My pleasure.
No, you didn't.
You wanted a private party.
And rule number one in this precinct is, no, absolutely, flat out, no private parties.
Do you hear me? Talk to Starsky.
He ate the rat.
All right, Hutchinson.
Do you have any idea who started this? I wish I did, captain.
What's scary is to try to think back over six years on the force and try to remember all the weirdoes you've alienated.
If you think six years is something, wait till you get 26 years in.
Yeah.
By the way, you guys had a call from Eckworth.
Says he remembers something about the bum who asked him for money wearing a pair of two-tone shoes.
Grease in your hair and worms in your toes.
Would you mind interpreting that? Arty Solkin.
Where's my jacket? I thought you had it on.
Arty Solkin.
What room? Hey, come on.
The guy's up all night.
He's sleeping now, all right? That's all right.
We don't mind.
Nice guys, you are.
Keep your hands off the phone.
We're gonna surprise him.
Arty.
What? Thanks.
Hi, Arty.
Say, this is a nice-looking place you got here.
Too bad you don't got a couple of kitty-cats.
Can the birdseed.
What do you want? Well, straight out, we'd like to apologise.
We're sorry we stepped on your rosebush.
I told you, can the birdseed.
What do you want? Don't be like that, Arty.
We got a whole new can of worms.
Like where were you and your shiny wingtip shoes last night, huh? Let's go.
Don't you guys ever get tired of bothering me? It's no bother, Arty.
Besides we love you.
All right, Bob.
Take one step forward.
Still can't keep your raincoat buttoned up, huh? All right, give us a quarter turn to the right.
You're doing fine, Bob.
Now, give us a half turn to the right.
There's not one face up there that you vaguely recognise? All right, give us a quarter turn to the right, Bob.
Okay, step back.
Next man.
Arthur Solkin.
It's been a while since we've seen you, Arty.
Still got all your little pack rats stealing for you? You never proved anything ever on me.
Okay, Arty, why don't you just give us a cute little profile.
No.
I'm afraid not.
L I just can't remember the guy's face.
Quarter turn to the right, Arty.
You remember a pair of two-tone shoes, but you can't remember the face of the man who set you up? Yeah, I guess that's it.
Quarter turn to the right, Arty.
What does it say for us? Just a bum.
Give him some money.
That's easy.
But don't look him in the face.
Might recognise a human being if you do that.
Quarter turn to the right, Arty.
Sorry, I I can't help you.
Come on.
Let's get out of here.
Okay, step back.
Is that it? Get them out of here, Mike.
All right, you heard the man.
Let's boogie.
You get the feeling that Eckworth's not telling us all he knows? You know, when I was 9 years old and I saw that guy hit that inside-the-park home run Yeah.
I thought he was about the greatest man that ever lived.
Arty? Arty, they told me the cops took you away.
They can never prove nothing on me.
You're glad to see me, aren't you, kid? We got work to do.
She's pretty.
Yeah.
He never should have arrested me today.
He should have known.
I'm a kind of guy that does his homework.
Her name is Abby.
The blond cop's blond girlfriend.
He has the tuna.
I have the pastrami.
Waitress.
You want something to drink? Yeah, iced tea, please.
Iced tea and milk, please.
You don't want some mustard? Uh, no.
You sure? No.
Not hungry.
Okay, so the guy couldn't identify a suspect.
Maybe he wasn't the right guy.
Abby, we've got the right guy.
Solkin's involved in those murders.
Wanna know something? Here's Huggy.
What? I don't care.
I want you to catch that crazy who's blowing up your car and putting rats in your refrigerator.
We will, sweetheart.
We will.
What's happening? What'd you hear about Jimmy Shannon? He died a perfectly natural death in a warehouse frequented by his own best friends.
I'll have dinner ready by 7.
Eckworth? Lloyd Eckworth? Nothing special.
Hutch.
I'll be there, sweetheart.
Word is, Eckworth made the mistake of refusing a partnership offer somebody made him.
Happens all the time.
Well, that explains a lot.
Like what? Like all those sudden lapses of memory.
Promise? What? Hutch.
Abby, I promise.
I'll be there.
I'll be there for dinner.
We just have one more guy to see.
Hey, Billy.
Sit down.
What do you guys want? Well, Billy, we'd like a little information about Arty Solkin.
Hey, I'm clean.
I ain't got nothing to do with him anymore.
Oh, we know that.
That's why we're talking to you.
But you used to run with Arty, right? Yeah, but that was before the spook.
The spook? Spook.
Name's Tommy something.
And let me tell you, this is one crazy dude.
I mean, all he does is lay on his bed all day long, looking up at the light bulb in the ceiling.
Interesting, huh? Do you think this guy could kill anyone? It's all right, Billy.
Well, one night, we was sniffing and drinking a little red wine, right? And, uh, Tommy told me that he killed his whole family someplace back in Indiana.
You believe him? I moved out the next day.
Arty Solkin.
Get him down here.
He ain't here right now.
How about his friend Tommy? He's with Arty.
I don't know where they went.
What's his room number? How about the key, huh? It's always open.
Guess who's working nights.
Oh, I'll get the bureau.
Nothing.
Empty.
What does this spook wear on Sunday? Nothing.
Empty.
Starsk.
I guess he wasn't lying to Billy Ryan, was he? Let's get out of here.
I know that, Donna.
But even cops have a personal life.
With Hutch? All I know is I'm gonna talk to him about it tonight.
Yeah, I'll let you know.
Gotta go.
Bye-bye.
Be smarter just to kill her, wouldn't it? I don't want you to kill her.
I want that blond cop down in the street, looking up at me.
Maybe I'll throw him a quarter.
Maybe I'll walk on him.
Go on.
Enjoy yourself.
I just got this from R&I.
Indiana's had an APB out on Marlowe for the last six months.
Killed his whole family.
What's he doing on my phone? Trying to explain to his girlfriend why he's an hour late for dinner.
Line's still busy.
She's probably talking to her girlfriend.
You say this Marlowe kid stares at a light bulb all day? What's happening with him? Maybe he's just going through his brain with a blowtorch, trying to burn out old memories.
Dobey here.
Meanwhile, we got enough here to bring in Arty Solkin and break his little heart over a chair.
Hutch.
Somebody's hurt Abby.
Hey.
She's all right.
She's alive.
She'll be all right.
What? Hey, look, I don't want to blow you guys out What? Come on, easy, easy.
He broke her up pretty bad.
Did he rape her? Well, it looks like he tried.
I don't think he made it.
Abby.
Abby.
Abby.
Oh, Hutch.
Oh, Hutch, I'm sorry.
Abby.
Don't be sorry.
It's my fault.
Hutch.
Easy, easy, easy.
What do we got? Anything? Well, from the junk on the floor, we got this.
A piece of material.
She must have ripped his pocket out.
Wanna see it? No.
From the hold she had on it, they could hardly get it out of her hand.
Shouldn't have let her come up here not after what happened the other night.
Yeah, don't do that to yourself.
Hey, you remember what Jimmy Shannon had on him? Huh? J.
F.
K.
, '64.
Look.
Abby grabbed his pocket and pulled this out.
'64 J.
F.
K.
Arty Solkin has a jar full of those.
Come on.
Tommy.
Go on.
Get some rest.
Give me the phone.
What? Give me the phone! Hey! Now, sit down and shut up! I'd do what the man says.
What do you think you're doing here? John Fitzgerald Kennedy, '64.
My girl ripped it out of his pocket.
Arty, I'm going upstairs now.
And I'm gonna give your boyfriend a shock treatment.
And then I'm coming down here, and I'm gonna talk to you.
So put some coffee on and pour us a drink.
Arty.
Tell me about Jimmy.
An Irish kid from Cleveland.
Seventeen going on 100.
What happened? Tommy killed them.
I didn't kill them.
Arty? Arty, I can't What are you mad about? What are you mad about? I didn't kill her.
I swear to God, I didn't kill her.
I swear to God.
I did exactly like you said.
I didn't touch her.
Look.
Honest, Arty.
Honest.
Don't be mad at me.
Don't be mad at me.
You're all I got.
Wait a minute.
I want to show you something.
Look, look.
I brought the picture back for you.
Look.
Look, I brought the picture for you.
I brought it for you.
I thought you'd like it.
I could take it back.
Arty, I could take Look.
No.
Don't go away.
Don't go away.
Arty? I'm here.
I'm not going anywhere.
I didn't mean to make you mad.
I could bring the picture back somehow.
No, you keep it.
It's all right.
Arty? What? I'm scared.
I can't see.
Hutch, there's something I have to tell you.
Ah! Absolutely.
But first you gotta taste some of this great wine.
I got some of that, uh, Norwegian cheese.
Your favourite.
Isn't it a beautiful day? Hutch, it's important.
I'm sorry, Abby.
What is it? Hey, isn't that your brother? Mm-hm.
What's he doing here? I didn't invite him.
I'm going home, Hutch.
What? Home? Why? I have to.
I was really scared.
I guess I never thought about dying before.
Hey! There you are.
We've been looking all over for you.
It's not easy hauling this junk around, you know.
Hey, come on.
Pick a card, any card.
Starsky, what's that? My baseball trading cards.
I dug them out last night.
Will you pick a card? Come on.
Well, what am I supposed to do? Read the card.
Read the name on the card.
It's Minnie Minoso.
Saturnino Orestes.
That was his real name.
Saturnino Orestes.
His nickname was Minnie Minoso.
Started out with Cleveland in '49.
He switched on and off with the Chi Sox till '61.
Finished out his career in '62 with the Cleveland Indians.
Batted.
303 for a lifetime average.
Starsky.
Hmm? Starsky.
She's going away.
I know that.
What do you mean, you know that? She told me.
Doesn't mean she doesn't love you.
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