T.J. Hooker (1982) s03e16 Episode Script

(upbeat music) (mysterious music) - Corrigan's snitch is really nervous.
- I told him we'd protect his name as best we can.
- Maybe we ought to call it off.
- You and the DA's office have been playing tag with Frank Dio for years.
Now we can put him away.
- I'd feel a lot better if I could've questioned the witness before this bust goes down.
- He's not your usual sleezy snitch.
- Oscar made a few mistakes, served his time.
That's why he's working with Corrigan to make up for what he did.
- In a few minutes, we'll hand a cold-blooded killer over to you, along with a witness who'll have enough names, dates and places to put him on ice forever.
- Hey Oscar, cool it man.
You're shakin' like a junkie.
- I'll be okay.
- Gotta calm down.
Dio's sharp.
He'll get hinky if he reads you're nervous.
- Yeah, yeah, don't worry.
Look, I'll make it work.
But I gotta meet with you later, Jim.
Tell ya 'bout something I picked up from Dio.
It's dynamite.
- He's sitting center about halfway down.
- Okay, Romano, you and Stacy cover the rear exits.
Jim, you take the lobby.
Phil, you stay in the car.
- Hooker, come on, this is my case.
- This isn't the may gong della, pal.
You're stuck behind lines now.
(slow jazzy music) - What's your problem, Oscar? - No problem, Frank.
No problem.
Just being careful, like you said.
- Tell me who the mark is, give me the money and it's done.
- Well, uh, there's this guy.
Big guy, see? He's a guy I know that's on the southside.
Mean, ya know? So, you gotta be careful.
- What's going on, Oscar? The hell are you so jumpy about? (gunshot) - Hold it, Dio.
- Police officer, everybody stay where you are.
Oscar.
Oscar.
Oh come on, man, hang on.
Don't die on me.
(film reeling) - Hold it Frank.
You got no place to go.
(police sirens ringing) - I'm clean Hooker.
Squeaky clean.
- You're dirt, Dio, and you're head of the garbage sheet.
- Once you've got cop, you've got bologna on a stick.
- Hooker, our witness.
He's dead.
- Oscar Barr is still gonna bury you.
Killing him is gonna put you away for murder one.
- First, you've got no weapon.
Second, I wanna call my lawyer.
- I'll give ya a dime, 'cause whether we find the gun or not, you're still gonna need him.
Take him.
- Hands on your head.
- Damn, I knew it was wrong.
We were asking too much of him.
- Not we, me.
I called the shots on this one.
- Yeah, you sure did.
- Did he have any relatives? - Sister.
- I'll break the news to her myself.
- No.
I'll take care of it.
You've been enough already.
(somber music) - Nobody in the audience saw the shooting, Hooker, you've got no eyewits and probably no case.
- Wrong, I'm gonna book him for murder.
- Did you see Dio fire the gun? - No I didn't but I saw him run from where Oscar was shot.
- Yeah, you know what he's gonna say? He's gonna claim he was running because he was afraid that somebody was trying to shoot him too.
- Hey, I know he did it.
I saw him with an object in his hand, which he threw away, which had to be a gun.
- Can you swear it was the gun? That's not gonna stand up unless you can produce the weapon! - No, I can't! But you can hold him for another 72 hours.
- What are you gonna accomplish in 72 hours? - I'm gonna get out there and start digging and keep on digging until I find enough to put Dio away for good! - You visional vice is Angie Quine is still tricking on the boulevard.
- I'll ask him to ease up on the boulevard for the next couple of days.
We wouldn't want him to scare Angie into hiding.
- Dio's ex-girlfriend? If she's your angle, you're wasting your time.
- She could nail Dio's butt to a cell, Mr.
Parker.
She knows more about him than Oscar Barr did.
- Forget it, she's a clam.
We've been trying to get her to cooperate for months.
- Yeah, but this is the first time Dio's had a date with a grand jury and maybe I can get Angie to see that she has a responsibility to put him away.
- A prostitute with a public conscience? Come on, spare me Hooker.
- Hustling is what she does, not what she is.
- Phil, believe me, this girl is different from all the other girls on the street.
- I still don't like it.
- Hey, Phil.
We waded through too many rice patties together.
Don't be afraid of getting your feet wet on this one.
- You are talking Nam.
I'm talking here and now.
This is a different kind of war.
- Yeah, but it's still a war.
And we can win this battle if we get the support we need.
- (laughs) I don't believe you.
What do you want me to do? - Make sure we stay assigned to the DA's office for the next few days and keep Dio in custody.
- I'll give it a try.
- Thanks Phil.
We'll get out on the street and start looking for Angie.
Jim, we got a second shot at nailing Dio.
- We should have just let Oscar Barr testify and not used him as a decoy.
- Jim, your contact was the only way we had of getting Dio to service.
It was the only way and you know it.
- Maybe.
And maybe if Oscar wasn't so easy to lean on, we would've found another way.
(mysterious music) - Corrigan, I thought Oscar was with you.
Is something wrong? - I need to talk to you, Lorraine.
- Okay, come in.
What's wrong? - It was a shooting.
Oscar, he was shot.
He didn't make it.
- Oh God.
You're telling me that you got my brother killed.
Damn it! That sweet little guy.
Why didn't you just leave him alone? - Lorraine, Lorraine.
I'd give anything if it hadn't happened.
- Don't tell me that! He was working for you.
Doing what you asked him to.
And he was scared to death.
But no, you kept pushing.
Pushing his duty button.
- I didn't kill him.
Frank Dio did! Lorraine, listen to me.
You're not hurting alone.
I cared about Oscar too.
- Well, put that on his tombstone! - I deserve anything you wanna say to me, but Oscar died trying to take a killer off the streets.
- Do you think I care about that? - Oscar did! Look, I know the pain you're going through right now.
But Oscar was really involved and tried to bring Dio down.
He said he had to tell me something.
There was dynamite.
Lorraine, do you know what that was? - Get out! - Lorraine, think about Oscar! - I am thinking about him.
He's cold and dead in the morgue.
Now you get out.
Get out! (sobbing) (horn honking) - Lucy.
- Go bye bye Hooker.
I gotta be careful who I'm seen with.
- My partner, Vince Romano.
- Pleased to meet you, Miss.
- Don't get too friendly, junior.
It could cost ya.
- You don't get nothin' for free in this life, junior.
- Ain't that the truth? Like the time I let ya dump your purse before the vice boy said hello? - Here it comes, the payback.
- I'm looking for Angie Quine.
- Come on Hooker, give me a break.
- Sounds like he already did.
- Hooker, if it wasn't for Angie, I'd be in Calvary cemetery today.
You can't expect me to turn her in.
- You'd be doing her a favor.
I'm trying to find Angie before Frank Dio's boys get to her.
I don't want to bust her.
I'm trying to keep her alive.
Come on! - The Excelsior.
Room 520.
- Thank you Lucy.
Consider your account paid in full.
- You don't work vice anymore, Hooker.
So, to what do I owe the displeasure? - Got a court order with your name on it, Angie.
Grand jury wants a few hours of your time.
- Oh yeah? What about? - We busted Frank Dio.
When the jury hears what you know about him, they'll indict him.
- He'll be wearing prison gray for the rest of his life.
- Over my dead and severely mangled body, which is what'll happen if I say word one about Dio.
- We're not here to debate it.
We'll go over to your place, pick up some things.
You're gonna be sequestered for a few days.
- You can force me to go to the Grand Jury, Hooker.
But there's no way you're gonna make me talk.
(upbeat music) Hooker, my little sister's inside.
Doesn't know what I do for a living.
- Is there anyone else that can take care of your sister? - She's gonna have to come with me.
- I don't think that's a good idea, Angie.
- What about Stacy - Call her.
See if she'd mind having a guest for a few days.
- We can't hit her while she's with the cops.
- She's gonna be with the cops from now until she testifies.
Frank wants her dead, she's dead.
- Mary? - Angie, you're home early! - Yeah.
- What's wrong? - Nothin's wrong.
This is Sergeant Hooker.
- How do you do? Pleasure to meet you.
- What's he doing here? - Your sister has a special job to do for the police department.
- Sounds scary.
- Nothing to worry about sweetheart.
It's just that you're gonna have to stay with someone while I'm gone.
- A friend of mine.
Police woman.
She'll be by to pick you up soon.
- Come on Mary, we can pack together.
- Corrigan and Stacy are on the way.
- Okay, you stay with Mary until they get here.
(ominous music) Get down.
(gunshots) (chanting) - Let's try one more time.
On the night of December 12, you and Dio left for Reno's with Sal Lucci, who was found one hour later executed.
- All I remember about that night, the pasta was too al dente.
- I told you we'd get nothing from this lady.
- Angie.
Angie, that's no way to make friends.
- I don't need a friend.
- You're wrong.
- Only one I ever needed was my father.
Nobody special, just a watchman at the tuna cannery.
Understand me, Hooker? He's the only one.
- I'm trying to make you use your head before Dio blows it off.
- If I testify, he'll kill me for sure! - He'll kill ya either way! He's already proven that.
Your only chance is to help the grand jury put him away.
You know I'm right.
(sighs) - I hate it.
But you're right.
- Then you'll testify? - Yeah.
- Alright Angie.
Gotta put you some place where you'll be safe.
- If I have a choice, I'll take Barbados.
(slow jazzy music) Well, as dumps go, this place is world class.
- You'll be safe, that's what's important.
- I'll lead a story on the desk clerk to keep him happy.
- Try laying a bottle of Ripple on him, keep him happier.
(chuckles) - You gotta protect me, Hooker.
I'm scared.
You were right, I've got reasons to live even if my life doesn't look like much.
- You know what your problem is? You don't belong on the streets.
I get around, I see things, talk to people.
Like that kid you got into emergency detox when she OD'ed.
- So what? Anybody'd do that.
- No, not just anybody.
And you're smart too.
You knew enough to get your kid sister out of a bad home.
How come you can do so much good for other people, but not for yourself? Who was the man who messed up your life, Angie? - What's that, an educated guess? It was a doctor.
Told me he'd send me to nursing school, marry me as soon as he divorced his wife.
Taught me to hate doctors almost as much as I hate cops.
- Well, by the time we get you in front of a grand jury, you'll learn to love us.
- I'm going bananas trying to figure who tipped Dio's man.
Maybe the vice guy Stacy talked to let it slip.
Be better than finding out Dio has a connection in the department.
- We gotta cover all our bets.
I've asked Corrigan to pull Frank Dio's file, see if any interesting names show up on his record.
And Angie is staying here until we find out.
- Not without insulin, I don't.
- What insulin? - I'm a diabetic, like my father.
I've got an insulin kit with me and enough for one more shot.
I'll need another one in six hours.
- I'll go pick some up.
I'll be back before then.
(ominous music) - You can put your stuff in the bedroom there.
- Right there? - Here you go.
- Poor kid.
She's still pretty upset about her sister.
- Look, we all tried to assure her Hooker would protect Angie.
After watching two goons try to gun down her sister, who could blame Mary for being more than a little upset? - You're right.
Who could've done it, Jim? Spilled to Dio and set up a hit on Angie.
- They were pros, that's for sure.
At least this time no one got killed.
- You've gotta stop blaming yourself for Oscar.
- His sister was right.
I led him to the slaughter.
- Jim, you're being too hard on yourself.
- Am I? Ya know, snitches are what gives the street cop the edge.
Without them, the bad guys take the high ground.
- Oscar knew the risks.
He could've backed out any time.
- He wouldn't do that.
He wanted to help us.
It was up to me to keep him safe.
I just shouldn't have listened to Hooker.
- I can't believe you've got the guts to face me again.
And if you think that paying for Oscar's funeral changes anything, forget it.
- That's not why I did it.
- Conscience money, but I couldn't afford to do it myself, so why not? We said it all last time.
What do you want now? - What I asked you before.
Anything Oscar may have known about Dio? - Go ask Oscar.
- Look Lorraine, there are more people involved in this besides you and me.
There's a girl who's willing to talk to the grand jury, tell 'em enough to put Dio away.
But Dio's men already tried to hit her once.
Now I'm worried about keeping her alive.
- I told you, I don't know anything.
- I think ya might.
Now come on, Lorraine.
- I don't know.
I mean, I don't know if it means anything.
- Well come on, tell me.
- After Oscar talked to Dio on the phone, before he went to meet him, he told me Dio was braggin' he had a marker.
A marker he was maybe gonna call in after 20 years.
- 20 years? Dio was a kid 20 years ago.
- I know.
Doesn't make sense.
- Oh, it does if you're a syndicate.
Marker's good any time, but who could owe Frank Dio from that long ago? - That's all Oscar said.
(somber music) - Thanks Lorraine.
For trying.
- Take a ride on the Reading Railroad.
If you pass GO, collect $200.
Now I own all of 'em.
- You're gonna lead me to drink.
You want a Cola? (phone ringing) - No thanks.
- Hello? - You okay? - Yeah, where are you? - A place even the roaches avoid.
Put Mary on, Angie wants to talk to her.
- Okay, Mary.
- Hello, Angie? - How ya doin' kid? - Fine, but I'm worried about you.
- Listen, I told ya there's nothing to worry about.
I'm in good hands.
Mary, listen to me.
I want you to stick close to that police woman, okay? She's gonna take care of you.
- Are you sure you're all right? - Listen baby, I gotta go, okay? I love you.
- Love you too.
Stacy, I changed my mind.
Could I have that cola? - Coming right up.
(buzzing) - Frontier Hotel.
Hello? Frontier Hotel.
(ominous music) - Dio's sheet reads like a phone directory.
He's been busted with a lot of heavy dudes.
- Willy Fram, dead.
Sam Ratch is still in Clinton.
This looks like a scrap book of all my best callers.
Tony Domico, busted twice with Dio for robbery when they were juvenile defenders.
Spent seven months in county camp and we never hear of him again.
- Maybe he cleaned up his act.
- Here's a possible, Eddie Gates.
Connected, couple of juvie arrests with Dio.
Hey Jim, Stacy says you picked up the funeral tab for Oscar Barr.
Romano and I wanna kick in.
- My snitch, Hooker, my responsibility.
But I appreciate the gesture.
- Did ya get anything from his sister? - Nothing that made any sense, just something about a 20-year-old marker that Dio was about to call in.
- I know how all this is eating at ya.
- What's been eating at me is having to work with your friend, Parker, who treats cops like lackeys.
- He pushes hard but it's all to get the job done.
- I'll take your word for it.
Somebody ought to give him some personality lessons.
- Hooker, wait a second.
What's going on? I just heard you pulled Angie out.
- Yeah, well she's stashed where Dio's hoods can't get a second crack.
- Huh, where can she be safer than right here at the precinct? - Lot of places if I'm right about Dio having a contact in the department.
- I still think you're off base on that.
Where are you holding her? - I'd like to play that close to the vest.
- I can understand that, but she's outta my authority.
I still gotta be able to tell the DA where his witness is.
- Frontier Hotel, but don't tell 'em unless he asks.
- You bet.
(TV talking) - The guy in the mustache takes the blonde on a cruise to Acapulco.
I've seen it before.
- Maybe there's something else on.
I'll get the TV listing.
- Okay.
(slow music playing) (TV talking) - [Dispatcher.]
Four out of 30, four out of 30.
Contact Officer Sheridan on a landline.
- Four outta 30, roger.
(phone ringing) - Hello? - [Hooker.]
Stac, what's up? - Mary's gone, she snuck out on me.
I searched the building and put out an APB on her.
- Damn.
- I'm sorry, Hooker.
- Search the neighborhood.
I'll call the hotel and see if Angie has any idea where she might be headed.
- Okay.
(ominous music) (knocking) - Who is it? - [Mary.]
It's me, Mary.
Angie, are you in there? - What are you doing here? - I was worried about you.
- How did you get away from Stacy? - It wasn't her fault.
I snuck out.
- I'll let her know.
- (sigh) Got the blinds drawn.
- There's an opening there.
Soon as we see something move, we blow her away.
- Angie, what's going on? Why are you staying in this place? - Well, I just happen to have some information that the police want.
- What kind of information? - Mary, get away from the window.
(gunshots) Stay down! (gunshots) Oh, my eyes.
(gunshots) - Are you all right? - Yeah, glass in my eyes, I can't see.
- Cover me.
(intense music) (police sirens blaring) - Hey Hooker, above you! (gunshots) - Call for backup! Seal off the alley! - Four Adam 16, officer needs help.
Frontier Hotel, shots being fired.
Use caution.
Sniper on rooftop.
- Keep this over your eyes and whatever you do, don't rub 'em.
- Yeah.
- You'll be safe if you stay here with the police, okay? - Angie! - Shh, you can't.
You can't, I'll come back for you just as soon as I can, okay? - Where you goin' Angie? What the hell are you doin'? - Lock the door behind me.
(ominous music) (gun firing) - I counted six, maggot.
Ya haven't got any more.
It's a long way down to the street.
Ya haven't got a chance.
(intense music) How'd you find her? - A voice on the phone.
- A voice belonging to Frank Dio.
- What's a Frank Dio? - We have to find Angie.
Do you know where she went Mary? - Angie didn't say where she was going.
- Are you sure, honey? - I'll take Mary back to my place.
Just wanted to make sure you were okay.
- Thanks.
- This is how you protect a witness? Looks like a shooting gallery in here.
- Hey, we were getting shot at too, Parker.
- Take it easy, Jim.
- We're trying to make your case for you, you come around here complaining after the smoke clears? - Don't talk to me like that.
- Hey guys, we're all on the same side.
- Yeah, but it looks like our side's taking all the casualties.
- You got a man with combat fatigue, Hooker.
He doesn't belong on the streets.
- We're all a little uptight.
It's the second time Dio's men have found us.
- Talk about uptight.
Wait 'til the DA finds out we've lost another witness.
- We'll get Angie back.
And when we do, she'll talk.
- I need hard evidence.
All Angie'll give ya is bologna on a stick.
(ominous music) - Dispatch said you were here.
You're not gonna like what I just heard.
Parker turned Dio loose.
- That figures.
Parker's the leak.
- Your buddy from Nam? - Yeah, I took my partners down with me.
- What's Parker's tie to Dio? - Parker, alias Tommy Domico, ran with Dio when they were kids.
After he served county camp time in his teens, he changed his names and unlisted.
- Hey, wait a minute.
That's what Oscar Barr was trying to tell his sister.
Dio's 20-year-old marker.
He's had his hooks into Parker all this time.
- Junior, you go with Jim.
Take up some insulin.
Angie's gonna need it within the hour if we can find her.
- Where you headed? - I have an outside chance to stop Dio.
Meet me at Stacy's.
(dinging) - Hooker.
What's goin' on? - Those are my friends out there.
They could've been killed.
- What are you talking about? - I'm talkin' about the sleeze who's tipped off Dio to every one of our moves, a sleeze named Tony Domico.
- Oh Hooker, Hooker, please please, let me explain.
- My partner.
My friends, they were in jeopardy because I trusted you.
- I'm your friend too.
Who pulled you outta the shell hole in the Delta? - You saved me, I saved you.
That's what war is all about! - Doesn't it count for something? - Yeah, it counts for something! It counts for this.
Listen you, your career is already down the tubes.
You don't call Dio and his dogs off of Angie, you're going down with them.
Accessory to murder one.
- I can't Hooker, I can't, I can't.
Please believe me.
It's outta my hands.
- Then you better pray that we find her before they do.
(ominous music) - Angie didn't say where she was going.
- Think Mary.
- Was there any place she would go to be alone or where she'd feel safe? - I don't know, honest.
- I got Angie's insulin.
She's already overdue.
- Corrigan's out looking for Lucy to see if she knows where Angie went, but we have run out of time.
- Wait! Angie said, where she was going, she would get the insulin she needs.
- That could be any hospital or doctor.
- Or her father.
Angie said he was a diabetic too.
- Her father, where does he live? - I don't know.
But I know where he works.
Tuna cannery, it's worth a shot.
(intense music) - Hey! You, take a hike.
- What do you want from me? - Where's Angie? - How should I know? - Maybe Sal can help you remember.
(intense music) - Angie? - Hooker.
(gasping) I'm sorry.
I got scared.
- What about your father? And the insulin? - He isn't here.
Is Mary okay? - She's fine, it's you we're worried about.
- Mary's all that matters.
She's my daughter, Hooker, not my sister.
She's my whole life.
- You never told her.
- Hooker, if anything happens to me, you gotta promise me, you'll take care of my baby and keep my secrets.
Promise me, Hooker.
Promise me.
- I promise ya, Angie.
But you're gonna make it.
Mary needs you.
I'll get the insulin.
- Looking for this, Hooker? (guns clicking) I'm gonna leave it in your car.
All ya have to do is come and get it.
Before it goes up in smoke.
(explosion) (somber music) - What the hell is going on out there? - Dio and his men just blew up our car.
They got us surrounded.
- What about the insulin? - It was in the car.
- How long do you figure before they rush us? - I don't think they will.
Dio knows about Angie's diabetes.
All he has to do is wait until we try to get her outta here.
- Great.
To get past that army out there, we're gonna need a tank.
- I think I just found one.
Come here, give me a hand.
- [Dispatch.]
Four Adams 16, four adams 16.
Female assaulted at 16 McGlover at Club Cupid.
See the man, ambulance en route.
Your call is code two.
- Four adams 16, roger.
Everybody get back please.
Come on, get back.
Get back.
Lucy.
What happened? - I couldn't help it.
They were gonna kill me.
Dio and a man looking for Angie.
- What'd you tell them? - The cannery.
She used to go there to see her father.
- There's an ambulance coming.
(police siren blaring) - That should do it.
- Come on honey, there we go.
You guys stay low.
It's gonna be a rough ride.
(police sirens blaring) (gunshots firing) - Nail them.
- Get her to a hospital.
(groaning) It's over Frankie.
Your future is worth bologna on a stick.
(calm music) - She's a very lucky lady.
One more hour and she could've been in a diabetic coma, maybe even dead.
- It cost ya Angie, but your testimony is gonna convict Dio on all counts.
- Well, that's something.
- I'll be talking to a federal marshal.
They can get you into a witness program.
Give you a new identity.
A chance at a fresh start with Mary.
- I have been thinkin'.
Maybe I should find a good foster home for Mary.
Get out of her life before she finds out what I really am.
- I don't believe what I'm hearing.
Is this the girl that stood up to Dio? I thought you were a fighter.
- Do you mind just once not kicking tail when you don't see it my way? - I'll tell you what I do see.
You and Mary love each other, need each other.
- What she needs is a good, straight life.
- Well then, give it to her! Get into the witness program, learn to be a nurse.
Turn your life around.
- Really think I can do it? - Hey Angie, one thing you gotta know about me.
I may not always be right, but I'm never wrong.
(laughing) (slow music) - She's a tough lady.
- She's always been tough.
And you're right, Romano.
She's on her way to being a lady.
(upbeat intense music)