T.J. Hooker (1982) s04e02 Episode Script

(theme music) (mysterious music) - Hold on, hold on, there she is.
This is the one I told you about before.
Ain't she pretty.
She got a little friend for you too bud.
- We never took on two girls before.
- What's wrong, don't you feel man enough to handle it? Heads I go first, tails you.
- There ain't no tails on a two headed coin Fiker.
- Oh really, tell me about it.
Right I want you to bring it around the block and get this show on the road alright? (mysterious music) - Your turn to play taxi to juvenile hall.
- In you go sugar.
- Took a call for you down at the precinct from this professor friend of yours.
- Oh Linda? - Yeah, she said, just tell him that I think it's going to happen.
- Oh it sounds exciting.
- It's not what you think, she's talking about a teaching job.
- Alright.
- I thought you already taught a couple of college courses? - They're expanding the department, asked me how I'd feel about a full time position.
- Corrigan couldn't be serious about this could he? - I don't whether it's the lady or the job he more serious about.
- What if I blow it? - You won't if you remember the rules.
Don't take any jazz about them inspecting the merchandise first.
Get the money upfront.
- Hello ladies.
Listen my friend and I were wondering if maybe you'd like to perhaps get in the back of the van and have a nice evening with us, just the four of us, what do you say? - No thank you.
Two more rules, make sure the guy's not a creep and never go with more than one guy at a time.
- Hey, you know we're known for being generous.
And we're sweet and charming and we're great guys, look at my friend, he's beautiful.
Isn't he gorgeous, smile, smile, come on.
Look at him, he's beautiful.
- Betsy you know how broke I am, I could really use the bread.
- Alright look, she who hesitates is lost.
Come on.
- I remember him, he's okay.
Come on, okay.
- It's okay, alright let's open the back of the van alright.
Come on, come on, come on, that's it, that's it.
- Okay so what kind of party you want? - I don't know, let's talk about it.
- I can't imagine Corrigan or anyone wanting to toss their badge in for a black board and eraser.
- Give yourself time Junior, you'd be surprised what looks tempting at a few more years on the street.
- Yeah? - Yeah.
- See the gun ladies? See the barrel? I want you to take a nice good look.
You know baby, I happen to find you very pretty.
I do, I really do, I bet your mother really liked you.
- Please don't.
- Such a cute little baby.
Those pretty blue eyes.
- Don't.
- Leave me alone.
See the rope, see the nice hook, see it dangling? - Stop, stop it! - Don't you move, don't you move! - Let go of me! - Hold onto her! (tires squeal) - Hooker? - Let's check it out.
(sirens wail) - Stop it please! - Go, go go go! (sirens wail) - 4-Adam-30 in pursuit of brown 70 Ford van, heading west on Cotillion and 21st.
(horn honks) - Get the hell out of here, go! (tires squeal) - Stop it! (tires squeal) (sirens wail) - [Betsy.]
Help! - Hooker there' somebody in there.
- [Betsy.]
Help me! (dramatic music) - Lori, Lori! - Romano there's another one in here! - Lori, Lori! - Stay here! (dramatic music) - Lori.
(drmatic music) - She's dead.
- Lori, Lori.
(cries) - The Boulevard Strangler.
(cries) - [TJ.]
Betsy, I'm gonna need your help to catch that scum that killed your friend.
- She wasn't my friend.
She was just someone I knew.
- We have to notify her parents.
- They wouldn't care.
If they had she wouldn't have been here.
Oh just let me go home.
- Officer Romano's gone to call your mom, when she gets here you'll be released.
What about your friend's mother? I'm gonna have to call her too.
- Name's Lori Spencer.
She came down a couple days ago from Washington State.
It's all I know.
I shouldn't have let her get in that van with those creeps.
She didn't know the angles yet.
- And you do? - I can take care of myself.
I wouldn't have gotten into that van with those creeps.
- Did you know them? - No, Lori said she did but how could she? They were crazy.
Nuts.
- Besty, baby are you alright? - Mom I'm okay.
I just want to go home.
- Mrs Campbell we'd like Betsy to come back tomorrow morning to talk to Lieutenant O'Brien, head of a special task force.
We want her to make an official statement, go through the mug books and work with a composite artist.
- What on earth for? - She was the witness to a murder.
The fourth in a string of killings.
- The Boulevard Strangler? Oh my God when your father finds out.
- You tell her father to take it easy and you do whatever is necessary to keep her off the streets and safe at home.
- I try but it's so hard.
- You try harder.
The killer's know that she can recognize them.
- Come on Betsy.
I don't know how much longer we can put up with this kind of behavior.
Your father is going to be furious when he finds out and I'll tell you one thing young lady I am not going to take this from you any longer.
(horn honks) (funky music) - Morning Mrs Reynolds.
- Oh hi Betsy.
- Did my mother's rent cheque come in the mail yet? - Yes it did and she sent me the sweetest note telling me how much she appreciates me looking out for you.
- Oh well it's easy being on my own when I know you're around just in case I need something.
- Sweetheart you're no trouble whatever.
Now run along, study hard in school you hear! - [Betsy.]
Thanks Mrs Reynolds.
- And the rest of you will be assigned to the Boulevard Strangler task force under Lieutenant O'Brien.
For the first time, thanks to an eyewitness, we have our first real description.
We know we're looking for two suspects, not one.
Number one is in his early 20s.
About 5'9, 135, muscular, tanned, black eyes, medium-short brown curly hair, no distinguishing marks.
And the other is 5'10 to 6'0 feet, 165, somewhat bushy auburn hair, brown eyes, he was last seen wearing a red vest with an eagle on the back.
- Has this ID gotten any kind of make on the van? - Stolen.
We should have a composite drawing of the suspects later today.
Corrigan, you, Sykes, Jesup, distribute the suspect descriptions on the boulevard and in the bus terminals.
Our victims were all new to the city and came in by bus.
Sheridan, Gardner, Marino, you'll be the new arrivals at the bus stations.
See who hits on you.
Our victims were all underage runaways working the streets.
We've done our best to turn these girls around, we've got to do better for we're gonna keep them alive.
Hit the streets.
- Background profiles on each of those kids are all the same, runaways most of them from bad homes.
- I'll never get used to hearing that story, kids being abused and sexually assaulted, it's no wonder they run away.
- Those girls are four of one of the million kids that do the same thing every year and we're damn near useless when it comes to doing something about it.
- We're gonna do something about it.
- Hooker, could you clue me in? - What are you talking about? - Our key witness Betsy Campbell, she's a no show.
- Did you call the number her mother put on the juvenile release form? - And checked the address, either she made 'em up or we need better maps.
They're both phony.
- I still have the number Betsy gave me to call her mother last night.
- Look I'm buried, could you guys check it out? - We're on it.
- Look look, I'm sorry I won't be able to meet with the Dean today.
But there's been a break in the case we're working.
- His lady professor? - Yes.
- I'll try to get over at the end of watch.
Okay sweetheart, thanks for calling, bye bye.
I think they want me.
- 12 years of police work, you're gonna throw it all away? - Stace I'm just one slightly used cop out on the street.
- I think you're one good cop who makes a difference.
- Hooker in a classroom I can teach an army of cops to go out there and make a difference.
- That's not the point, what is it you want? To stand at a chalk board or jockey a squad car? - Hooker Betsy's phone number doesn't come back to a residence.
- Shady Lady Lingerie? - I can't wait to check it out.
(dramatic music) - Here we go, here we go.
- Ouch, would you take it easy.
- Hey look my man, if I can go to all the trouble of getting you some new bandages I think you can live through getting them on.
- How long we gonna live after the cops find us? Now they got a girl who knows exactly what we look like.
- Joseph, when you gonna have faith in me? Huh, haven't I always kept you out of trouble? Come on look at me, haven't I kept you out of trouble?! Even that first time when I looked the other way for you.
You don't remember that do yah? - Well that was different, that was a little grifting in the bus station.
You said nobody would ever find out, you said it'd be just for kicks.
- Hasn't it been like I said? I tell you what you do, you sit there and you let me take care of the girl who saw us alright.
(dramatic music) - There's gotta be a mix up Hooker, Betsy and her family couldn't possibly live here.
- Well if they do they must get some interesting company.
(bell rings) - Excuse me we're looking for a Mrs Edde Campbell.
- You must have the wrong address.
- This is no times to play games Mrs Campbell.
Where's Betsy, you didn't bring her to the precinct this morning.
- I couldn't, I had to open the shop.
- Betsy's home telephone number keeps coming back to the shop.
- Oh I can explain that, I have call forwarding and I give out the shop number but at night it rings at home.
- Is that where she is now, at home? - I'm not sure.
- Well what does it take to make you sure? A coffin with your kid in it? Look don't you think that a 15 year old girl's mother should know where she is.
- Look, I'm not Betsy's mother.
- What? - I'm an actress, Betsy hired me to play like I'm her mother sometimes.
You can't expect me to keep tabs on her too you know.
- You've got to be kidding.
- No I'm not.
Look I'm Edde Wright, the last time I worked was about a year ago and it was a dog food commercial.
My unemployment insurance ran out and hey come on, it's a job you know.
- Well if you're not Betsy's mother where's her real mother? Her family? - How should I know, the kid wandered in here one day looking for a job and she ended up hiring me to play her mother.
But the strangler thing, she really saw the killers.
- And she could be in deep trouble.
Where does she live? - Guys if I knew I'd tell you.
The kid only calls me when she's got a bit number for me to do.
Last night it was for you.
Time before that though I did a bit at her high school PTA meeting.
- What PTA, what high school? - Lincoln High School.
Oh you should have seen me.
- Look Edde, Betsy shows up call me.
No matter how much she pays you.
(dramatic music) - Excuse me, are you Mr Fiker, the depot supervisor? - That's right, what can I do for yah? - The guards said you could approve posting these MO bulletins.
- Well let's take a look here.
Hmm, who are you looking for? - This girl ID two men with the Strangler MO.
The descriptions at the bottom of the page.
- And she's what, she's missing? - Yeah.
- Golly, well you know, of course I haven't seen these guys around here but if you'd like I'd be more than happy to post them around the terminal.
- We could use all the help we can get.
- Absolutely.
- I appreciate it.
- Alright, good day sir.
- Thank you.
(dramatic music) - You know maybe I can understand where Corrigan's coming from about teaching.
- Well there are worse things in the world then passing the torch, if that's what you're cut out to do.
- Yeah, I have one teacher I guess I'll never forget.
An old timer you know.
- Yeah who? - You.
- [Coach.]
I want to see nice long strokes, come on! That's right get your back into it.
Pull all the way through, good.
Don't bend those knees.
- How well do you know Betsy Mrs McKenzie? - Oh she's a teachers dream, straight A student.
My husband and I have had her over for dinner.
You know she has the makings of a champion free styler and I'm hoping she can attend our summers swimming camp.
With her parents permission of course.
- Then you've met her parents? - Only her mother, seemed like a nice lady.
Is Betsy in some kind of trouble? - She's in danger Mrs McKenzie.
They office said that we could find her here in this class.
- That's right, she was just here.
The bell doesn't ring yet for 20 minutes.
There was no reason for Betsy to leave.
- Yes there was.
- Now what? - Back to the office to get her home address I hope, thank you very much.
- Thanks.
(intense music) - No I haven't seen the child since this morning and nobody but nobody get's in this building without Spike or me knowing about it.
(dog groans) Isn't he something? You'd be surprised at how quite it's gone down in this neighborhood since I got that dog.
- He's a regular four legged neighborhood watch huh? - How 'bout that.
- That's great.
- Mrs Reynolds, do you think it's strange that girl Betsy's age would live here all alone? - Yes her mother and I talked about that.
- You met her mother? - On the phone.
She said this would teach Betsy to take care of herself.
'Course she paid me a little extra each month to keep an eye on her.
- Hooker, swimming trophies.
- Two different names.
Betsy Campbell, Betsy Morgan.
- You think Betsy Morgan for Fresno California and Betsy Campbell from Lincoln High just might be? - One and the same.
Come on.
Mrs Reynolds.
- Yes? - Please get in touch with me if Betsy comes back.
- Alrighty.
- Thank you ma'am.
Hey Spike, keep up the good work.
Good dog.
- Call O'Brien, have him throw some men around this area and Edde's shop and have Stacy check with Fresno PD, see if they have a runaway report on a Betsy Morgan.
- I don't get it Hooker, why would a girl go to all the trouble to set up a make believe mother, being a model student, if she's gonna be a street walker? - Good question, let's hope we find her in time to get an answer.
(dramatic music) - Burn it Joseph.
- Why? Did the girl tell them about it? About us? - Some, not enough.
Luckily for us our little birds just like all the rest.
She can't stand cages.
Cops don't have her, she got away from them.
- Where is she? - Doesn't matter 'cause when she leaves she's gonna leave exactly way she came in, on the bus.
When we spot her.
(dramatic music) - Betsy what are you doing in here? There's a cop out there.
- Tell me something new.
I sicked Sissy on him, she'll keep him occupied.
Edde, I need help, I got to leave town.
Can you loan me some money? - Baby you can't just run away like that.
- I can't stay here, my whole life's blown.
School, work, everything, I've got to cut out.
- And leave those cops stranded with those psycho stranglers, Betsy I covered for you with that cop Hooker about your past and all but I am really worried now because he said you could be hurt.
- They'll send me home, make me Betsy Morgan again.
Edde, I told you how it was, what went on in my house, what a creep he was, what he did to me.
- Honey I know but.
- I'm just getting ahead, I can't let those cops destroy the rest of my life.
Now are you gonna help me or aren't you? (dramatic music) - Any luck? - No we've been checking everyone that contacted Stacy and the other policewoman at the station and five blocks in every direction but it looks slim.
- I called Fresno, there's no record of a runaway named Betsy Morgan, we're tracing her family through the school swimming medal.
- Been any sign of her on the street? - We've hit every halfway house and teen prostitute counseling center in the city.
- How is the psychiatric work up of the killers coming? - The FBI is pitching in but there's a dozen ways to look at it.
They seem to be leaning towards a Bianchi-Buono type profile.
- That fits half the mass murders in history, breed of Caine.
- What? - Scum who've crossed over from stealing property to stealing lives without giving it a second thought.
- Hooker you're not making my day any easier you know.
- Hey Pete, we'll keep the heat on, I don't want to find that girl in a ditch somewhere anymore then you do.
- Right.
- Hooker, those are teaching contracts Jim's reading.
Can't you talk to him? We can't afford to lose him.
- We or you Stace? - How 'bout all of us? - This lady professor is really lobbying you to take the offer isn't she.
- Are you gonna sign those contracts? - Pay's good.
I won't be sidestepping bullets and Linda feels I'd head the department somewhere down the line.
But there are a lot of other factors to consider.
Not the least of which is my partner over here.
- Line two Hooker, it's the woman who plays Betsy's mother.
- Hooker.
- Sergeant, Betsy came by here asking for money so she could leave the city and I decided to call you instead.
- Where can I find her? - Waiting for me to bring the money to the bus station.
Sergeant, don't tell on me okay.
- Not a word Edde.
Let's go.
(dramatic music) - Okay go.
(dramatic music) - Hey, don't you think it's about time we get reacquainted? (shouts) (dramatic music) - Hooker, there, it's Betsy.
(dramatic music) (tires squeal) - Stay here.
(dramatic music) (tires squeal) - Your partner, who is he? You may be dying, don't take this to the grave with yah! Who is your partner?! Tell me! (somber music) (typewriter clicks) - Hooker, FBI sent us a tentative make on our John Doe.
Names Joe Rask, alias Joey Rascal, Joseph Rask.
- He's a small time grifter out of Chicago.
Been in and out of prison for heisting package from air, train and bus depots.
Spent time in a state mental hospital too.
- What about the car they were in? - Glued together junkyard parts, had inactive plates, stolen tags.
SID's running a make on it now.
- We still don't know where he lived or what he did in our city, except for killing teenage girls.
- Right, do it now! I just pulled the plug on the command post effort.
building to building search, what happened to our strangler? Disappeared like a ghost in a snow storm.
- Damn.
- Fresno report came in on Betsy, Betsy Morgan grew up in Fresno, she was considered a problem student in school.
- With a father who molested her and a mother was weak kneed to stop him.
- Betsy's been through hell Hooker, how can we send her back to these people? - The detectives got the composites for the printers, I hear you did a bang up job on them.
- And for my trouble I get a free meal ticket in juvie hall huh? - Is that what Betsy Morgan wants? - I'm not going back.
And if you send me I'm not gonna stay.
- What are you gonna do, hit the streets again? End up an over the hill 20 year old with a $100 a day habit and a pimp who kicks you out in the cold when you don't make your quota? - You can stop the scare tactics Sergeant.
I survived 12 years with the leach I had to call my daddy, nothing could be worse.
- Dead can be worse.
- We all end up in the dirt sooner or later anyway.
- Hey, stop it.
You don't believe that anymore then we do.
If you did you wouldn't have friends like Edde, Mrs Reynolds and your coach Mrs McKenzie.
And us too, we care for you too.
So don't tell me you want to throw your life out the window.
- Help me.
Please help me.
I don't want to go back to them.
(hip hop music) - We couldn't be so lucky.
- Could be a half dozen of those vests floating around this city.
- And then again there could be only one.
(hip hop music) - Hey, up against the wall.
- Hey man I ain't done nothing wrong.
- Then why'd you make us break a sweat? - I didn't want to be paying no fine because homebody and the beans and bacon joint turned me in again.
- For break dancing? - Yeah that's right.
Man when those city fathers going to stop outlawing creativity? - Maybe when they can eat their beans and bacon without their stomach keeping time with your feet.
That's nice.
Where'd you get it? - You like it? Some kind of class huh? - You steal it, buy it, gift from an admirer? - What you coming down on me with? - This vest was seen on a murder suspect.
You want to tell it downtown, lets go.
- Hey look man, I ain't no thief.
Hey you can have it.
- Thanks.
Still gonna have to know where it came from.
- I saw this guy put it in the incinerator behind his shop.
The fire wasn't lit so while he was gone I snatched it out.
And I did like what I saw you know.
- Did he look anything like this? - Yeah that's the dude, no questions about it.
- The shop, where is it? - It's that way, over there.
- Move down there a couple of blocks, give the bacon lovers a break.
(hip hop music) - Betsy, the judge and child welfare people talked it over, you're not going back to Fresno.
- Who you gonna stick me with, a couple of old folks who need a slave to do housework? - Not gray yet I hope.
- You'd take me? - Yeah, until we find some nice people who'll care about you as much as we do.
Come with me, I got to get changed.
- Mr Fiker isn't it, from the bus station? - That's right.
- What can I do for you? - You know that little girl you were looking for? I thought I'd come by and let you know that one of my people said they spotted her near the station.
- Oh we already picked her up, she's safe and sound.
- Looks like I came down for nothing huh? - I don't call being a concerned citizen nothing.
Thank you.
- Your welcome.
(dramatic music) - That's quite a trick, if we could just make problems disappear like that.
- Sometimes you can.
(dramatic music) - Morgan.
Hooker called in, he thinks he found that red vest we've been looking for.
Hey could you go and pick up the strangler composites at the print shop? - Sure.
- And deliver them out to that address.
- Okay.
- Hooker's going to be serving a search warrant.
- Okay I'm on my way Lieutenant.
(dramatic music) - No indication of any kind of partner, business or otherwise.
- This luggage, all tagged from major bus depots.
- Including our bus station.
- Great racquet, fence your own merchandise.
- Well here you go.
- Oh so you're finally going to get that mashugana huh? - You know this man? - Yeah, he comes in here to see the little guy that runs this place.
- Did you notice anything special about him? Ever hear him talking about where he lives? - No no, but maybe you think that this motor bikers red vest is special enough.
Or maybe it's the magic with his hands.
- He wore this vest? - [Old Man.]
Yeah.
- Magic with his hands.
Did he ever come round here looking like this, wearing a blue blazer maybe? - Yeah, yeah in the daytime always like that.
- Jim? - His name is Fiker, he works in customer service at the bus depot.
Does slight of hand, he came by the precinct to report someone seeing Betsy at the bus station.
- Maybe he was looking for her instead? - He was there about the same time Stacy was taking Betsy to her place.
- Let's roll.
(dramatic music) Call dispatch! Have them landline Stacy! Warn her! (dramatic music) - You really can afford to live here on what a cop makes? - Well I'm not rolling in riches but a cop can get by.
- I guess I expected someplace like I'm used to, cramped, cruddy.
- Is that what you've had up until now? - I figured I was lucky to have that.
- Betsy you don't have to depend on luck, you can make your own.
If you keep going to school and stay off the boulevard.
I'm sorry I won't lecture.
(knock on door) Yes? - Hi there.
- Stacy it's him! - You and I have some unfinished business, you understand? (dramatic music) - [Dispatch.]
30 we get no answer at Officer Sheridan's phone number.
- Keep trying dispatch, our approximate ETA is three minutes.
- [Dispatch.]
Roger 30.
- Yeah is that tight enough? I hope so.
(phone rings) You know baby you caused me a lot of problems.
Remember this? (phone rings) (dramatic music) - Go Betsy! - Later for you.
(dramatic music) (sirens wail) (dramatic music) - Stacy! - Fiker's after Betsy outside.
- Go I'll take care of her.
- The roof! (dramatic music) - She's got to be around here somewhere.
(dramatic music) - Come here pretty baby.
(screams) - Stop! Leave me alone! Let me go! (dramatic music) (screams) - Fiker! - Hooker! (screams) (dramatic music) Let me get the rope.
Grab on.
You alright? - Yeah.
(dramatic music) - Grab this guy! - It's okay Betsy, he'll never hurt you again.
(soft music) - Your contracts are floating away.
Want me to fish 'em out? - Let 'em sink.
(soft music) (shouts) - Alright, go Betsy go! Go go! Come on Betsy! - Think McKenzie's proud or what? - How proud her mom is they ought to be.
- Come on Betsy take that turn, let's go! Go Betsy! Come on baby let's go! - Come on Betsy! - Come on Betsy! Come on Betsy! - [Announcer.]
And the winner is Betsy Morgan! (crowd cheers and claps) - What'd you think? - Looked like another straight A to me.
- More like a dream come true, giving Betsy a foster home.
My husband and I intend to make it permanent as soon as the court allows.
- I got something for you.
- How could I ever repay you for this? - You already have.
Now maybe you can win another one of those, say at the next National meet huh? - Yeah! (upbeat music) (theme music) (bright music)