Homicide: Life on the Street s03e05 Episode Script

Gee! Munch.
What brings you here? My machine broke.
Ah, abandoned by technology.
Welcome to the club.
Did you bring your own soap? I always forget it.
Then I buy these teeny boxes, that cost me twice as much as the jumbo size you got.
You bring the paper.
I'm impressed by the preparation you go through.
See, that's my problem in life.
That's what I lack.
Planning.
Foresightedness.
I live for the moment.
Once the moment passes, I'm unprepared for the next moment.
- Munch! - Yes, sir? What day is today? - Sunday.
- What is the significance of Sunday? Socioeconomic, religious or Sunday is a day of rest, repose, quietude.
Get my drift? May I see the real estate section? Please? Thank you.
I like to read the real estate section.
Where we live, to a great extent, determines who we are.
Just by buying property, I could change the perception of who I am.
Munch the condo dude.
Living high in Rolling Hills with a shiny new four-wheeler.
Why would a guy need a four-wheeler in the city? I mean I hate Sundays.
I've had a headache since Monday.
Maybe you got a brain tumour.
- Been policed? - Yes.
- What's the name? - Mine or hers? - Hers.
- Audrey Resnick, widow.
- Forced entry? - He'd have to be desperate.
She's 72.
You think that's funny? Only a moron would think that's funny.
She has a headache.
Whoever killed her knew her.
- Who called? - Mrs Millicent Harding.
Let's ID this kid.
Every wednesday, Millicent and the deceased took the bus and had strawberry pie at Housners.
Today, when Audrey wasn't at the bus stop, Millicent came looking.
She's beaten pretty badly.
Give a hand here.
Anybody see or hear anything? We're still canvassing.
Oh! What is it, kay? Tongue's been cut out.
Cut out and stuffed back in her mouth.
Even by local standards that's repulsive.
I used to know a girl named Millicent.
Millicent walsh.
She married Eddie Sharper.
I wonder if they're still married.
How could someone do that to anyone? I bet their marriage is just chugging right along.
Hey, Felton, look.
- What? - Smell.
What do you smell? Crap.
That's what you smell.
Noxious fumes.
The stench of decay - urban decay.
The city.
You can have it.
I'm out of here.
I'm due some vacation.
I deserve some vacation.
Kay, we got a case.
Find Lewis.
Find Pembleton.
They took vacation.
Kay! Hey, hey! What did I do with the key? I'm your partner.
What's wrong? Wrong? I'll tell you what's wrong.
I wanna go someplace.
Someplace where you can look out and see sunlight and clear green ocean and wild ducks flying over the marshes.
A place where people don't cut out each other's tongues and stuff 'em down each other's throats.
Home, Beau.
That's where I'm going.
Home.
The circus is falling Down on its knees The big top is crumbling down It's raining in Baltimore 50 miles east where you should be No one's around I need a phone call I need a raincoat I need a big love I need a phone call These train conversations Are passing me by And I don't have nothing to say You get what you pay for But I just had no intention Give you a hand? - Get a job, why don't you? - Howard, how you doing? - How are you? - Good.
Seeing you, better! Hey, Josh! Hey, little brother, how you doing? All right.
Hey, kay.
Where's Daddy? - He doesn't go out any more.
- What are you talking about? - He stopped.
- When? A few months ago.
He wanted more time to watch Sally Jesse Raphael.
- Kay.
- Chick.
- You look lost.
- Lost? Wrong turn.
No map.
Dark side of Miller time.
I haven't seen you in ages and you don't say hi.
Just some wise-ass remark? Hi.
Oh! - You wanted to see me, Gee? - Frank, come in.
You're looking good, Frank.
- Strong and taut.
- Thanks.
I would say you're at your fighting peak.
Able to take on anything.
- I'm not gonna do it.
- Do what? - Whatever you're setting me up for.
- Sit down.
No.
Whatever it is, I'm not doing it.
- Frank, as a favour.
- No.
As a personal favour for me.
What? I want you to partner up temporarily, with one of your fellow colleagues.
Who? - Hey, Frank.
Get the lead out.
- No, please! It's only temporary.
Come on, Frank! Oh! Look out! Here we go! You know, Dad, we talk every other Sunday.
When I ask, "what's new?" Retiring is what I'm looking for.
He ain't retiring.
He's regrouping.
Jim, Molly, behave yourselves.
You OK? You sick? I'm not dying, kay.
You'd know it.
When I go, I'll have everyone sitting weeping and wailing.
Chick's right.
You look tired.
- Thanks.
- Sit down.
I said she looked lost.
It's that business you're in - homicide - always shooting people.
It's not a business, Dad.
I catch people who shoot people.
- Does he ever take those things off? - Never.
- I'm gonna go visit Mom.
- I'll go too.
OK.
- Why did Daddy really quit? - He's old, kay.
People stop working at a certain age.
They like to relax.
He discovered about $75,000 of dry rot in the Miranda Lee.
Then the IRS came after him.
A small matter of unpaid taxes.
They sold her for kindling.
Sold the boat? What's going on here, Chick? Well, kay, truth is, our catches are getting smaller.
Costs are going up.
We're being regulated to death.
The aggravation would've buried your dad way too soon.
- How is Liz? - Liz? - Liz moved to Richmond.
- You're kidding? - She left you? - She got a job as a travel agent.
- What happened? - Kinda like wesley's boat, I discovered the dry rot, and the marriage was over.
- You seeing anyone these days? - Yeah, sort of.
In between crime scenes and court briefs.
When I get to be at home, I like to just be home.
Multiple bruises to the neck and left shoulder.
Audrey Resnick was beaten to death.
- And the tongue? - Here it is.
What I wanna know is why did the killer cut it out? Look how clean the slice is.
Whoever did this, didn't cut the tongue.
They chopped it as an afterthought.
What about sexual assault? She's clean.
No semen.
No vaginal bruising.
I'll have a report sent up in the morning.
Thanks, Lisa.
Did she live with her grandson? Yeah, I got a patrol car watching the house.
I wanna close this one.
This is my first murder in a long time.
Three days ago, you put down the Griswold case.
That was a killing.
Don't get subtle on me, Felton.
Hey, Griswold had a rap sheet two-feet long, full of rapes and assaults and other dark deeds.
His death, like his life, was meaningless.
Mrs Audrey Resnick was a sweet, innocent old lady, who died violently in what should've been the safety of her own home.
That's a loss of life, Frank.
That's murder.
Stupid me.
I didn't know there are now two kinds of homicides.
I didn't know cops decided whose life was valuable.
Whose life is worth venging.
A little old lady is brutally beaten by someone.
Her tongue is cut out and stuffed back in her mouth.
How can you not be outraged? I am, Felton.
I'm outraged about that woman whose car got jacked and she was dragged to her death.
I'm outraged about the girl who got shot in the head.
I'm also outraged by the murder of Kenny Griswold - a meaningless little smoke hound.
Cos where I come from, every life has meaning.
Even yours, Felton.
Even yours.
Are we rich, Haskett? Try poverty stricken.
Barely enough to cover expenses.
Want a pension plan? Just getting by is not poverty stricken.
Chick.
Gentlemen, drop your sails.
Hello, Chick.
Boys.
Hell! Unless I'm mistaken, those are devil catchers I see.
Aren't they? Dr Bradley? You know devil catchers destroy the oyster bars.
- Gonna have to return your catch.
- Don't! Damn you! Get out! Got him.
Come on, let's finish.
Know where Mrs Resnick's grandson is? He's always taking off.
Days at a time.
Audrey used to worry but Artie eventually comes back.
Could he have gone to see his parents? He was living with Audrey cos they threw him out.
Tough love.
So, Artie has a discipline problem? Discipline problems.
Drug problems.
Girl problems.
Dental problems.
You should see his teeth.
Audrey spent a fortune on them.
She did everything for that boy.
Now he goes and does this.
Like what, Mrs Harding? Killing her.
Are you saying that Artie killed his grandmother? I have absolutely no doubt.
Let's head to Artie's high school.
Talk to his teachers, the other students.
- We should also see his dentist.
- Why? Teeth, tongue, there might be a connection.
- Maybe we should see his proctologist.
- Felton, got a present for you.
What you got, Sally? Well, I'm no hotshot homicide dick, but my guess is it's a murder weapon.
I'll go over to DC.
Talk to the president.
Man to man.
And tell him what? There is no justice? He knows already.
Tell him to get this country back on track.
Get rid of income tax.
Then what? No more night games, put cigarette ads back on TV.
Damn straight.
Bad luck, Chick.
Real sorry.
Yes! Look at the scuzzbucket, sitting there like regular people.
Excuse me, can I get a beer? - Who is he? - Dr Bradley.
He's a scientist.
An environmentalist.
Gets a kick out of throwing oysters overboard.
Let me ask you something, doctor, what are you getting out of busting our butts? - Where's your profit? - It was your choice to break the law.
"It was your choice to break the law.
" This bar used to be full most nights.
Guys work hard.
Come in.
Relax and tell stories.
Now they can't afford a lousy beer.
- That's not my fault.
- Whose damn fault is it? My father was a fisherman, up in Maine.
I'm a waterman like you.
I don't wanna see it disappear any more than you do.
But you've got to realise the oyster is practically an endangered species.
We're the endangered species, not the frigging oyster! Chick, let it go.
You better steer to starboard, pal.
- Come on.
- Stay out of this, kay.
You can lighten up and be a tough guy.
Bradley's got a nerve coming to our bar.
Him and his "I've got it all figured out" look.
All he's saying is if you destroy the oyster bars, you're gonna destroy yourselves.
over 100 skipjacks in the bay.
Now I'm gonna be obsolete soon.
Like the Apache warrior.
I'll have to be a waiter.
No.
I can use a computer.
I can get a job in a rent-a-car place.
- Why did you leave me? - I didn't.
I left this town.
Ever think what would have happened if you'd stayed? No.
Ever think what might have been with you and me? Sometimes.
Late at night when I can't sleep.
Yeah.
Stay.
Oh, Chick.
What's the latest on Resnick? Artie hasn't been in school the past two days.
Any record of violence? He's peaceful when he's there.
He's not there that often.
I asked his principal if he thought Artie was capable of the crime.
He said, "They're all capable.
" What are you reading, Frank? An anatomy book.
The tongue is key.
Got us a deal on a TV for our new bar.
Remote.
- No.
- What? - No TV in the bar.
- Why not? All that chatter and salesmanship just imposes itself on thought.
We need to have a bar where a man can come to think.
What about sports? Monday-night football.
Play-offs.
World Series.
What about the Super Bowl? Why would anybody frequent a bar without sports? Come on, Munch.
Punched in Artie's sheet on the computer.
He's a bad boy.
Larceny, assault and battery.
Gunfight cos his father wouldn't share drug profits.
- "Child is father of the man.
" - Have you been reading again, Stan? The best news is the fingerprints on the butcher knife match Artie's.
That's it.
So he did it.
He killed his grandmother.
Now all we have to do is find him.
Well, let's go find him.
What about a jukebox? What happened to a bar where you talk to the bartender, you get depressed and you go home and puke? - It's outdated, Munch.
- Yeah.
Laugh.
- I got a great idea.
- What? We bring sports into the bar Oh, please.
Let's get knock hockey.
- What is knock hockey? - A stupid game you guys would love.
When did you guys last read a book? Huh? - What brings you here? - I need to see kay, wesley.
- Sure.
Come on in.
- Oh, good.
Sorry to drag you out of bed, kay, but I could use professional assistance.
Looks like Dr Bradley.
Gonna need an autopsy.
We'll have to send him over to Fullerton.
Lacerations to the head, the back, the neck, throat.
He was sliced nearly 20 times.
We're looking for a sharp object.
Most likely some kind of knife.
A witness would be nice.
Two would be a godsend.
That's the back door to the Island View.
- Uh-huh.
- Better talk to Eddie.
Now, kay, could you head up the investigation? Oh, no, Harlan.
It's not my territory.
You haven't had a murder in six years.
That was a clear-cut domestic dispute.
Old Mr Garfield down there.
Mason Lane blew his wife away because she broke the TV during a NBA play-off game.
I don't know where to start with this.
'Tom and Harriet Banks are the lucky winners 'of this past weekend super-lottery draw.
'The pair claimed their $11 million prize this morning 'and face the media.
' - Hiya, kay.
- Hi, Chris.
Can I come in? Sure.
Come on in.
Is Ellen home? She's working.
Waiting on tables.
Tips aren't bad.
We're behind on the rent.
Behind on everything.
- Chick! - Morning.
Did you hear about Bradley? - Yeah, I heard.
- Poor bastard.
Yeah, he was cut from stem to stern.
- My guess is with an oyster knife.
- Really? Timothy, turn that down.
My head feels like the inside of an oyster.
Remember when we went up on the roof of Chick's house, had a few beers and fell off? - Rolled right off.
Laughing all the way.
- I remember.
Sure.
What happened after Chick and I left last night? Not much.
We drank some more.
Did Bradley stay? Er for a while, then he left.
- What time? - Are you interrogating us? - What time? - You are.
You're interrogating us! Chris, what time did Bradley leave? I don't know 12:30 or so? Nothing happened.
That's what you're saying? Nothing happened.
Chick, Josh and I drank some more.
We went home.
- You went back? - Yeah.
Did Bradley leave before or after Chick got back? - After.
- Eddie drink a lot last night? - Eddie's on the wagon.
- I asked him.
- Chris, the toast.
- Ah! It's stuck.
It's always sticking.
Argh! - How drunk was he? - Who? - Haskett, how drunk was he? - I was too drunk to notice.
Did Eddie or Chris get into an argument with Bradley? - You don't quit, do you? - No.
Nobody got into a fight.
Bradley was killed by marauding seagulls? They will find something.
Fingerprints, a weapon, a witness, something.
They almost always do.
These guys aren't smart enough or lucky enough to be the ones that get away.
Eddie and his baseball bat.
It's all bluster.
Haskett's a puppy dog.
We're oystermen for Christ's sake! Not Mafioso.
Cops have instincts, Chick.
Natural instincts.
Hmm? Maybe not all cops, but I do.
I have very good instincts about these kinds of things.
- My instincts say that Haskett did it.
- You're nuts.
- And maybe someone helped.
- Oh, kay! I can tell by the wounds that one person did all the stabbing.
I don't know whether somebody held Bradley while he was stabbed.
What has happened to you? Is this what you learned in Baltimore? Not to trust the people you love? What I learned in Baltimore is people get murdered for all kinds of reasons.
A dead body is still stone cold.
And because my temporary partner is so thorough, I know everything about the tongue.
There are fissured tongues and furred tongues.
Sore tongues and geographical tongues, Tongues with glossitis, ulcers and tumours.
- Felton.
- Just a minute, Frank.
The tongue is not just used for speech.
It is essential for eating and digestion.
People eat tongue.
They say it's a delicacy.
Did you know you couldn't swallow your food without your tongue? I didn't know that.
That is a fact, my young friend.
There are many fascinating aspects to our friend, the tongue.
What, Frank? I got a location where Artie Resnick hangs, so if you're done being adorable, do you wanna check it out? Anything you want, Frank.
I don't know how you partner with him.
I live to make him happy.
Hey, Bayliss.
Attention, gentlemen.
Yo, meatheads! Hey! OK, any of you seen Artie Resnick? No? No? You guys mind if we play with you? - What? - I'm thinking this is a sort of PAL gig.
Pick up, man.
Come on, baby.
Score! I'm from New York City! You got it.
You're on the pole.
Get off me.
Get off! Foul.
Take the ball in.
- It was a foul.
- So what? You touched the pole.
- Bring the ball in.
- Bring it up.
Where you going? Where you going? Who has seen Artie Resnick? You're on the pole.
- That's out of bounds.
- It's not, man.
You're lucky I didn't slam one on you.
'Think I was gonna use his name 'so they could zero in on him? - 'Calling all cars.
- 'Who's screwing with this radio? ' - Hey, kay.
What do you need? - Coffee.
About last night.
I wasn't around when they found that body.
We'd already closed.
Business has been so bad, we take to closing early.
Last night, a dead body was found Before that body became dead, it was in here.
Remember? - What do you want from me? - After Chick and I left, what happened? - Nothing.
- There was a fight.
I don't tolerate fights in my establishment.
OK, fine, a verbal argument.
Do you tolerate them? Did Bradley argue with someone? Everybody argues.
Me and my wife argue.
- I get to where I don't notice.
- You've always been a bad liar, Eddie.
Haskett got into it with Bradley.
OK, you happy now? But it was just words.
Bradley left way before Haskett.
Haskett was here with me and Chick till I closed.
Who else was here? Your brother, Josh.
- No potatoes for me.
- Why? - I don't feel like potatoes.
- You on some kind of diet? I'm not on a diet.
I just don't want potatoes.
Well, I heard on "Regis and kathie Lee" that people like yourself who diet unnecessarily, risk injury to their health.
OK, give me the potatoes.
What's the matter? Your walkman broken? - No.
Why? - You're not listening to music.
- My head hurts.
- He's hung over.
Take an aspirin before you sleep.
I did take an aspirin.
Three.
Maybe you got a brain tumour.
Kay, that was a terrible thing to say.
My God, that was morbid.
You've gotten morbid.
It has something to do with your pickin' and pryin' over those bodies.
That's what I do, Dad.
Pick and pry among the dead.
Did you talk to Bradley at the bar? No.
Why would I talk to him? How about when you pulled the plug out of the jukebox? It's what Eddie said.
Bradley's by the jukebox.
You pull the plug.
Bradley kept playing Sting.
"Every Little Thing.
" Three times in a row.
Pass the bread.
- You and he got in an argument? - I just pulled out the plug.
I cussed.
He cussed.
Then I went out to puke.
After that, Bradley left the bar.
Pass the gravy, please.
- I thought you were on a diet.
- I'm not on a diet.
Did you see Bradley come out of the bar? I don't know.
- Chris or Eddie come out after him? - I don't know.
If you know anything, Josh, tell it.
I was walking around.
Kinda clearing my head back behind the old Island View Inn.
I saw him.
He was stabbing the guy.
He was hurting real bad.
He was screaming.
- Bradley? - Haskett.
- Chris? - He was hurting bad.
- Was Haskett with anyone else? - No.
He was all alone.
What relationship did they have? They were friends.
Whoa! - Where do you find it? - In the back seat.
- We found this in the car.
- So what? Big deal.
An oyster knife.
I'm an oysterman.
Remember? Look what you're doing to the kids.
You're terrifying them.
Chick, do something, man.
Help me.
What's this, Chris? - I thought I told you to wash that.
- Sorry.
I was late home from work.
That's all you had to do.
Wash one damn shirt! One damn shirt! That's your job, to wash my shirts.
Can't you even do your damn job? That's all you had to do.
Wash one damn shirt! One damn shirt! I'm sorry.
- You're not bad, you know? - Not bad? At basketball.
You're not too bad.
You mean for a white guy? Forget it, OK? Do you play a lot? - What? - Basketball.
You in a league? No.
I don't play much basketball.
Actually, hockey's my game.
You play hockey! - Black guys don't play hockey? - Not on this continent.
Here's our new best friend.
Artie! Artie! How's it going, Artie? - OK.
- How's your grandmother, Artie? You got a cigarette? - You live with your grandma, right? - Yeah.
Have you been home recently? Say in the last few days? Yeah.
Did you kill her, Artie? Yeah.
You're confessing? I guess.
We'd like you to come with us down to the office.
OK.
- Artie? - Yeah? - Why did you kill her? - I don't know.
- You must have had a reason.
- Not really.
She got on my nerves.
- Why did you cut her tongue out? - She was always talking.
Lose the cigarette, Artie.
Talk to Josh before you leave.
He's feeling pretty bad.
- Where is he? - Out back.
- I'm glad it wasn't Chick.
- You thought it was Chick? Well, the thought crossed my mind, God forgive me.
Hey, Daddy, do you miss going out on the boat? I'm too busy to think about it.
I never thought there was so much to do doing nothing.
Well you better finish your packing.
Kay I know I don't talk much about the way I feel.
That doesn't mean I don't feel anything.
I feel a lot.
Maybe Maybe too much.
I love you, kay.
I'm proud of what you do.
Thank you.
Hey, Josheroo.
What? OK? I'm busy.
I gotta go.
Goodbye.
Chris Haskett killed a man.
- He's my friend.
- I know.
- That doesn't make what he did right.
- He's an oysterman.
Chick? - You going? - I gotta get back.
You know, work.
Right.
- Well, it was good seeing you, kay.
- It was, seeing you.
I'm sorry if I behaved badly.
I can't help it sometimes, being aggressive.
I'm a cop.
That's what I do.
That's who I am.
I been thinking about what you said about your instincts.
You always had good instincts, and a good reason for everything you did.
Like getting out of this town.
You knew.
If you'd stayed, you just would have got stuck like me.
- I'd leave if I knew what to do.
- No.
You belong here.
I don't.
That's all.
I don't know why.
Like I said, good instincts.
Well, see you, kay.
I gotta go get the boat ready.
- Chick, you were my first true love.
- Mine too.
That's a big deal in a man's life.
Come down some weekend.
We'll go to the ballet.
Ballet! Who the hell wants to see the ballet? Besides, there's no ballet in Baltimore.
Really? Then we'll have to think of something else.
And I get no answers And I don't get no change It's raining in Baltimore, baby But everything else is the same There's things I remember And things I forget I miss you I guess that I should Three thousand five hundred miles away what would you change if you could? I need a phone call Maybe I should buy a new car I can always hear a freight train Baby if I listen real hard And I wish I wish it was a small world Detective Howard graces us with her presence.
- Nice tan.
- I like yours too, Meldrick.
Oh, salvation! I'm free of Felton.
Free! - Hey, kay, how was the vacation? - Don't ask.
Hey, Stanley, you lost a little weight? Me? Maybe.
I don't know.
What do you think? Absolutely.
A few pounds, anyway.
You're delirious.
- Hey, remember me? - Kay, how are things? Good.
Fine.
So? So, what? - So you had a restful vacation? - Mmm.
- Feeling good? Everything's right? - Yeah.
Sure.
Good.
Pick it up, then.
Howard, homicide.
I really need a raincoat