T.J. Hooker (1982) s04e06 Episode Script

(exciting rock music) (ominous music) (mechanical whirring) (car rumbling) (ominous music) (car door clicking) (car door thudding) - I bought the fire juice, but first I see green.
- We agreed on $10,000, Tavelli.
Five now, five when the job's done.
- Hey, you got any more at home like this? I know if did I'd be OOT.
Out of town, like in Tahiti.
Hey, man, you got no dream? - My dream is to see this man dead.
- These'll do it.
You hired me for my specialty, because you wanted to see your mark go out in pain.
The glass breaks, the mix hits the air, and whomp! You get what you paid for.
(smooth jazz music) - I'm tellin' ya, Hooker, Maggie's different.
(T.
J.
chuckling) She's special.
- They all are.
- Oh, no, no, no, I mean it, really.
- I know you do.
It was the same way with Fran and me when I was a rookie.
- That's exactly what I mean.
(intense music) I told Maggie about that idea I had of going to law school, dig out what's behind the law, become a better cop, and she was real supportive.
It's kind of a nice feeling.
- I knew she had a head on her shoulders from her academy grades.
(intense music) Sounds like true love, Junior.
(intense music) - So what's with the frown? You against me havin' a personal relationship for a change? - It's that guy climbing up our tailpipe.
(intense music) - What the hell? (explosion blasting) (fire crackling) (tires squealing) (car revving) (fire crackling) (fire crackling) (thudding) Hooker, get the other one! (cars revving) (tires squealing) (tires squealing) (metal clanking) (explosion firing) (car screeching) - Get us outta here! (tires squealing) (metal clashing) (metal clashing) (cars screeching) (metal scraping) (brakes screeching) - I'll slow down, you bail out-- - You stay, I stay, partner! (brakes screeching) (cars thudding) (brakes screeching) (cars thudding) (tires squealing) (cars revving) (metal crashing) (cars revving) (tires squealing) (car revving) (loud rumbling) (fire crackling) (splashing) Ah, oh, my eyes! Oh, my eyes! My eyes, my eyes! (intense music) (Vince groaning) Oh, the pain! (intense music) I can't see.
Hooker, I can't see! (fire crackling) (intense music) (splashing) (intense music) (soft intense music) - Stacy and Corrigan notified Maggie.
I'll go check and see if she's here, yet.
- No, I don't wanna see her, Hooker.
- I know you're scared and confused, but talking to her might do some good.
- Later, not when I'm feeling what I feel now.
- How much later? - What is this, an interrogation? I don't wanna see her now, and that's it! - Alright, alright.
I'll go stop her before she comes in.
I know you're gonna come through this.
You're gonna be okay.
- Why now, when everything in my life has started coming together? Why now? - It's not gonna be like that! Now, put that through your head! You're gonna be okay! (sighing) - Hang tight, kid.
- Lieutenant, do you have a minute? - Sure! (elevator bell ringing) - [Maggie.]
How's Vince? - His face isn't burned, but his eyes, they're scratched, corneas ulcerated.
They're gonna have to heal themselves.
- How long before they know? - 'Bout 48 hours.
- [Woman.]
Dr.
Henzo to surgery, please, Dr.
Henzo-- - He's gonna need some time.
In a couple of hours the anesthetic'll wear off and the pain will be unbearable.
- [Woman.]
Dr.
Kline, telephone, please, Dr.
Kline.
- I feel, um, empty, lost, I've never been this scared in my whole life.
- I could tell you to push it out of your mind, kid, or keep the faith, but none of that would compute right now, would it? - (sighing) Lieutenant, you were chasing a guy across a roof, took a bullet, fell-- - And woke up staring at the ceiling of a hospital ward, feeling everything you're feeling right now.
- I'm not sure that I can handle it.
- You don't know what you have to, yet, but you do have to fight, and that starts right now.
You're challenged, and no matter how this turns out, that's the way you have to think.
Challenged, never handicapped.
Ah, here's your ride! (wheels squeaking) - You telling me there weren't times in the middle of the night, you didn't feel that it wasn't worth the fight? - Of course there were times, but that was the biggest challenge of all, battling to do what I'm doing now, instead of holding a tin cup on some street corner.
(clattering) (grunting) (clattering) That's right, kid, fight it.
(sighing) (wheels rattling) - [Woman.]
Dr.
Mallick in Emergency, please, Dr.
Mallick.
- I told Romano to get outta the car.
I gave him an order.
- You also taught him to back up his partner.
- You didn't start the fire, Hooker.
- Then, we're gonna find out who did! (somber music) (smooth jazz music) (mechanical whirring) (car door thudding) (smooth jazz music) - I got the assignment to third at roll call.
Thanks, Hooker.
- Don't thank me, I'm temporarily out of a partner.
- Corrigan and I talked to the doctor.
Last night was very painful for Vince.
It was a little better this morning.
This afternoon he gets another treatment.
The next 48 hours are up to him.
- Well, believe me, we're all praying for him.
Where's Corrigan? - Sorting out the IOD reports for the hospital.
- Divers already got the plates, car was stolen a week ago.
- Forensic isolated the catalyst in that fire bomb, xynophene.
We should be able to track retail sales.
- May not have to.
Stilson's Chemical Retail Outlet.
Xynophene, customer, Robert Smith.
- A phony.
- Pick up Corrigan.
Get a search warrant.
Let's roll, partner! (upbeat rock music) - [Maggie.]
I did a workup on the guy that runs this place.
His name is Larry Marcetti.
- [T.
J.
.]
Criminal record? - Illegal manufacturing of PCP, illegal sales, controlled substances, illegal possession of prohibited chemicals, and eight outstanding misdemeanor warrants, should we need any leverage.
- You're very thorough, Maggie.
(car doors squeaking) (car doors thudding) - Vince once told me, in order to have you notice me I had to do more than flutter my baby green eyes.
- Oh, he did? - Mm.
- You got the search warrant? - Let's do it.
(car rumbling) (ominous music) - Jim.
Hey, you.
- What can I do for you officers? - You're the boss? - It's all mine.
- We're tracking some xynophene and the real name to your customer, a Robert Smith.
- Wait a minute, there must be some mistake, here.
(slapping) What is this? - A search warrant, and we're gonna dig every piece of trash business you do in this place until you realize there's no mistake.
- Score one for our side! What we got here is the recipe and makings of a nice batch of PCP.
- And we've only just begun.
- What're you cops getting at, here? - You, spaceball.
(thudding) That's a whole lotta misery we just kept off the streets, but that's not why I'm here.
I got a partner in a hospital who may be blind for life, 'cause you sold another kind of chemical to another kind of creep.
I want you to think long and hard, put a real name to this before I lose my cool and shake it outta ya.
(sighing) - It's Tavelli, Mickey Tavelli.
I used to know him a long time ago, only I didn't figure he was gonna do no cop with that stuff.
- Where do we find him? - Man, I'm not sure.
He used to work at some kind of power plant.
He's a very technical guy.
I'm not sure where it is.
- Well, I've got a nice, dark cell for you to sit in while you think long and hard.
(intense music) (car revving) - The source for the joy juice is dried up and there's no question that the cops know I'm their man.
- I paid ya, and ya blew it.
I made a promise to a friend, and I'm gonna keep it.
- Um, this friend, is that where the bread is comin' from? - In a way, my friend is dead and Hooker's responsible, and I'm gonna see that he pays the hard way! - Well, if he's dead, I mean, who's to know? Just take the money and blow! (chuckling) Now, if you need a travel-- - Hey, just gimme the money back! I'll take care of Hooker myself! - Now, hold on, a minute, just hold on.
You ain't got it, I mean up here, to do Hooker the way you want him done.
Now, I said I'd burn him for you, and I will.
He found my source.
So I found a new way to give him the kind of pain you're lookin' for.
Now, when this is ready, I'll turn your cop into a cinder.
(dramatic music) (somber jazz music) - Well, at least the doctor was upfront with me when he said the cornea wasn't responding.
- Most of the pain's gone, I mean, that's gotta be a good sign! - Yeah, that's what I thought till the doctor hedged the question.
- Vince, I want you to know-- - Maggie.
- No matter what happens-- - Maggie, I'm just startin' to sort this thing out in my mind, making some decisions.
I'd rather not get into you and me until I know the final verdict.
Either way, there'll be a lot to talk about.
- Vince-- - Maggie, please.
- Sure, sure thing.
(soft intense music) (door clicking) (soft intense music) (sighing) (intense music) - [Vince Voiceover.]
And Maggie Paine fades back for the pass (Maggie whooping) intercepted by Romano.
Can he get by? - [Maggie.]
No! - [Vince.]
Hoo, hoo! - [Maggie.]
Whoa! (Vince laughing) You creep! - Fakes her out! There, she's hitting on, oh, ooh! Down at the goal line! (both giggling) Tell me something.
How come I like hanging out with you? - Because I teach you something about police work? (both laughing) - That for sure is not it.
- I forgot, you already know it all.
- Oh, right, yeah.
Hey, hey! - Yeah.
- I'll show ya what I know.
Come here, come here.
- No, oh my god.
(both panting) - No, I think I know what it is.
- What? - You make me feel good.
- Me too.
(enchanting music) (intense music) (loud thudding) (dramatic music) (elevator bell ringing) - He knows how we all feel, Maggie.
That's what counts.
Did you get the RNI return on Mickey Tavelli, yet? - He has a half a dozen priors for arson, assault and robbery.
One of our better citizen types.
- State employment has him working at a place called Imperial Power Company at this address.
I checked, Tavelli was fired two weeks ago.
- Well, let's talk to some of the people he worked with.
Maybe we can smoke out a lead or two.
- Stacy and I can follow up his prior addresses.
- I don't know whether these suspects wanted me or Romano, or any cop that happened along.
The bottom line is, the word goes out a cop is down and that just doesn't happen! (intense jazz music) - I dug a little further back into Tavelli's file.
It goes way back into his juvenile days.
- What'd ya turn? - Not much, his mother split, his father was a long-distance moving man, never home, but when Tavelli retired, he ended up living with his father.
- Father still around? - Spent most of his time managing one of those long term storage units, but when he died, Tavelli ended up working for Imperial Power.
- Excuse me.
- Yeah, Tavelli, he was good at the technical stuff, but worthless when it came to putting in a good day's work so I had to let him go.
- Do you have any idea where we can find him? - Uh, he hung out at a bar over on commerce and sixth.
Might try there.
Tavelli, he's in some kind of deep trouble, huh? - Yeah, you might say that.
("I Wanna Be Loved by You" by Marilyn Monroe) I couldn't aspire To anything higher Than to fill with desire To make you Ba-doop-a-doop doop-de-dum (blowing breath) I wanna be loved by you Just you And nobody else but you I wanna be loved by you Ba-doo-de-dee-dee-dee-dee-deedlm Boop-boop-be-Doo (gasping) (audience applauding) (distant laughing) (door thudding) - Hello, Celeste.
- Hooker! Takin' in a little culture on your coffee break? - I'm looking for Mickey Tavelli.
- What's a nice girl like you doing with a clod like Hooker? - Talk to me, Celeste.
- Touchy, touchy! Did you borrow someone's sensitivity? You know, he was born without it, honey, along with a few other things.
- Like a sense of humor-- - Hooker! (thudding) - You know all the regulars that come into this place.
Tavelli spent half his life here.
Where do I find him? Talk to me, Celeste.
- Hooker.
- Now! - She's a, she's a-- - If you think you're confused, you should be in my heels! - Tavelli put a torch to my car, blinded my partner.
I want him! - Okay, okay.
I don't know Mickey that well.
He liked the way I danced.
Gave me a few of his paintings.
- They're not very good.
- He learned to do them in prison.
Some cons are better than others.
- Never mind the art critique, you were gonna tell us where to find him.
- He said this was in his own back yard.
That's all I know, I swear! I'm not lying to you, Hooker.
- I think you just got whole the truth and nothing but the truth, Hooker.
- Mind if I take your Van Gogh? - Take it, already.
- You'll get your reward in heaven.
(intense music) (sultry jazz music) (soft intense music) (light switch clicking) (soft intense music) - [Harold.]
Now, Vince, take it slow.
It'll take a few seconds before you adjust and focus, but everything'll be okay, alright? - Promises, promises, Doc.
(blinds squeaking) (soft intense music) Maggie.
- Yes? - (sighing) Isn't that new lipstick you're wearing? (All giggling) - You had us worried.
- Hey, speak for yourself.
- (gasping) I'm sorry, guys, you all look terrific! - I knew Romano was too tough for that little fire put him away.
- Yeah, about that fire, Hooker.
- There's one suspect we're still hunting, a Mickey Tavelli.
My guess is he's a for-hire type, and the one that threw the chemical cocktail at us, he's footing the bills.
We're working on all of it.
- Not without me, you're not! - Uh, uh, oh, not so fast! We still have a couple of routine tests to run before we release you.
It'll only take a couple of hours.
Look, we'll work on that right now, okay? - I feel like celebrating.
- Yeah.
- Terrific, why don't we meet at Sherry's at the end of watch, and then barbecue some ribs at my place? - I like that.
- Hey, I want you to know we're checkin' everything, Vince.
O'Brien has the boy scouts out takin' landscape photographs and RNI's diggin' out anybody alive who's ever threatened Hooker.
- Hey, I was in that car, too, and I've been threatened.
- We're talkin' fire-bombers, not unrequited females.
- Hooker! (all laughing) You want Maggie to have the wrong idea about me? - Don't worry, I already know it all.
(door thudding) Vince! (Vince chuckling) (sighing) (door thudding) (phone dinging) (tapping phone keys) - Lieutenant O'Brien, please.
(sighing) (upbeat disco music) (cars revving) - The other guy couldn't be this Frank Hayden who has a mark on ya? He was blasted tryin' to rip a safe.
- What about this one, Lou Elder? Seems to me, I remember him sounding off about getting even when you busted him.
- Elder, isn't he the one you wrote that letter on recommending against parole? - Yeah, Elder was a good candidate, but a month or so back, Elder died of a heart attack in Quentin.
(indistinct chattering) Alright, enough is enough.
We've put a lid on our celebration long enough.
- I'd volunteer to pick up the charcoal for the barbecue, but, my car is in the shop.
- Well, my roommate borrowed mine, or I'd drive you.
- Oh, okay.
- Wait, wait, wait, take mine.
- Ay, ay, my partner, my car.
Alright, guys, what's it gonna be, chicken or ribs? - Oh, I love chicken, I want chicken.
- You want chicken.
- Oh, no, no, no, no, no.
No chicken, I had enough chicken in the hospital.
(truck revving) - I forgot my purse, I'll be right back.
- Alright, I'll pick you up out front.
- Okay.
(car door clicking) (car door thudding) (ignition revving) (explosion blasting) (thudding) (explosion blasting) (metal crashing) (metal thudding) (fire crackling) (metal thudding) - Maggie.
Maggie! (somber music) (rain pattering) (thunder rumbling) Goodbye, Maggie.
(somber music) - I talked to the captain.
You're okay for the week off.
- The last few days have been enough.
The walls are startin' to come in on me.
- You gotta give it time.
- Yeah, I gotta even the score.
I gotta see that animal in my sights and pull the trigger.
I gotta see him dead.
That's what I've gotta (thunder rumbling) - It hurts, compadre, I know.
- The night it happened, I lay in bed remembering the first time I saw Maggie.
She was so pretty.
She was doing Cardiac Hill, right up there at the front of her class.
There I was, chuggin' up the last third of my morning workout.
She came right past and slapped me on the rear-end.
I couldn't believe it.
(chuckling) "Nice, firm rear," she says.
"How come ya don't run better, Romano?" Maggie was chasin' me, Hooker, and I didn't slow up.
- You caught her.
- No.
- She couldn't sleep worrying about you! - No, I never came out and said it to her, Hooker.
I never said, (sighing) "I love you, Maggie.
" (soft music) (thunder rumbling) (soft music) (rain pattering) (holsters rattling) (intense music) - What're you doing here? I thought I told you to take some time off.
- I told you, I didn't need the time.
- What do you need, revenge? - What if I do? - I'm the target.
It's my fight, that's clear now.
- I lost, too, Hooker.
- But, you're not out to catch the suspect, you're out to kill him.
- Oh, come on, you know it's just a matter of how you make out the report.
- Is that what you're planning to get out of law school, or is that just ignorance I'm hearing? - It's what I feel.
I'm just being honest! - Well, you forget that anger in your belly, or I'll put you back on the bench until this is over.
- Hey, Hooker, we Have to start looking.
These are the explorer scout landscape photos that get closest to that painting you took from Celeste.
- If Tavelli was a better artist, we could narrow them down even closer.
- The general locations are on the back of each picture.
- We'll divide them up, take five hard looks a piece.
- Listen, you guys turn anything hot, we get a call, right? - Let's roll.
- Don't stonewall me, Stacy.
- I won't, just as long as it's a cop I'm talking to.
(dramatic music) (upbeat rock music) - Allendale, shooting south towards Industry.
Northgate, west towards Bemire.
Overland, west-- - Bemire! Isn't there a self-storage place off of Bemire and Ranch Road? - Yeah, so? - Maggie turned something about Tavelli's father.
He managed one of those self-storage places before he died.
- Not a bad place to make bombs and incendiary devices, either.
- It's a lead from Maggie, Junior.
It's gotta be good.
(intense rock music) Look familiar? (intense rock music) - That's it.
- For starters, let's try the one where the truck is parked.
(intense rock music) (intense music) (car door thudding) (intense music) Tavelli! (intense music) (car revving) (intense rock music) Hold it! (car revving) Damn it, I said hold it! (intense rock music) (car door thudding) (car revving) (driving rock music) (crashing) (car revving) (intense music) (car door thudding) - Tavelli in person.
You wanna run away so bad, you wanna run away? Go ahead and run.
Put it in gear, dirt bag, run! - You're crazy! What's goin' on, here? - I said do it! - Hey! (pistol clicking) That was a mistake.
I don't want a partner who makes those kinds of mistakes.
Turn around.
You're through, Romano.
(dramatic music) Who paid you, Tavelli? - You got a real mistake of fact going here.
- Those $100 bills we found stashed in your shop were no mistake.
The identifying taggants on the explosion that killed a fine cop were traced to you, were no mistake.
And when they strap you into the green room and you take your first deep breath of cyanide gas, you'll know for damn sure that I was dealing with a full deck of facts.
- Maybe we can make a deal, huh? - So you can walk on anything you tell me? No way.
- Come on, you want the main man, don't you? I mean you told me yourself, you knew I was just a hired hand! - No deal! I'll find him, one way or another, you'll both suck gas together! - Aw, come on, man, don't talk like that! - I'm talking cop killer, maggot.
Cop killers don't make deals.
Now, you've been Mirandized.
You got something to tell me, or ya haven't.
- You gotta promise me something! - I'll promise you something.
Find this man a cell.
- I don't wanna die.
I don't wanna die! - You shoulda thought of that before you snuffed out the life of a police officer! - No, wait a minute, wait a minute.
His name was Duggan.
Walt Duggan! - Whoa.
- Come here.
- Uh, he paid me and he fingered you.
- How'd he find you to make the contract? - We used to work together at Imperial Power, but I dunno where he lives! - Why's he tryin' to kill Hooker? - I don't know, man! - Come on.
- Come on, wait a minute! Wait a minute, wait a minute! It was something about a dead friend of his you sent up.
I don't know who, I never asked.
- [T.
J.
.]
What else? - That's it, man, that's all I know about the dude.
Wait a minute! Look, you're gonna tell the court I helped, huh? I mean, you're gonna do that, aren't ya? - Right, along with the recommendation that they give you a chance to hear the pill drop.
Book him, murder one.
- Hey, come on, come on! I helped you, Hooker, you gotta tell 'em that! You gotta tell 'em, Hooker! You tell 'em, Hooker! - You get a return on those $100 bills that we dug at Tavelli's storage area? - Federal teletype just came in.
They connect to a robbery of Golden West on Spring Street back in 1977.
- (snapping fingers) Score.
That was my case.
Lou Elder was a suspect that we sent to Quentin behind him.
- Elder, the con you said died in prison? - Right.
Jim, wire a cue for a show and tell on any cons that may have shared a cell with a former con named Lou Elder.
Put the name of Walt Duggan at the head of the list.
- You got it.
(easy blues rock music) - So you want a piece? (car door slamming) Who you gonna send to heaven? - It make a difference who? I can pay.
- Makes no difference at all, you're absolutely right.
Got somethin' special in today, my friend! Think you're really gonna like it.
This is a 44 caliber auto-mag.
You can blow a hole in a man big enough to slam-dunk a basketball.
Whoever you got in mind for the other end of that cannon won't know what hit him.
(gun firing) (clattering) - I was too close to the edge.
I know that now.
And I overlooked the fact that it's you who's under the gun.
I'm sorry.
- Is that an apology, or a way of getting back into the case? - Lou Elder's cellmate, past five years.
Only his name's not Walt Duggan, it's Willie Duncan.
He was paroled six months ago.
- His parole date was the same one Elder was counting on, before he was denied.
- Five years in a four by six cell, together.
People can get closer than a family.
- Clever, kept Willie Duncan clean with the law while Walt Duggan ran around killing cops.
- His parole officer gave me his address.
- He quit his job at the power plant and broke parole.
You think he'd still be at that address? - It's all we got.
- I want back in, Hooker.
What do you say? (intense jazz music) - Police, open up! (thudding) (intense music) When Duncan's jacket comes in, start looking for known associates, places he could be, people he might know.
(intense music) - Duncan's parole officer said he's from back east, Jersey.
He was picked up on a 211 the first day he hit town.
(gunshots firing) (glass shattering) (intense music) - Gone.
- Man, he's usin' the cannon.
- How do we find this guy, where do we look? - He waited for us.
He'll be waiting again.
I just have to figure out where, next time.
(intense music) (soft somber music) - I came up with a Freddy Lemay, did county time with Duncan out here.
I'm running it down right now.
- Hooker, New Jersey State Police on line two.
- Homer, how'd you do? Where? (paper rustling) Cousin? They were busted together? Well, there might be something to it.
Especially if he's waiting for me.
Thanks, Homer.
(phone clicking) How ya doing on Freddy Lemay? - Still checking.
- Keep at it, I got a couple of things I gotta do.
- Yeah, operator, a listing for a party named Duncan, Paul.
(door clicking) (door thudding) (door clicking) (intense music) (phone clicking) (phone distantly ringing) (intense music) (motorcycle revving) (cars revving) - Just like I figured, Pauly, just a matter of time.
(intense music) He came alone, just like I figured.
(intense music) (exciting rock music) (tires squealing) (cars revving) (car horn blaring) (police siren wailing) (tires screeching) (exciting rock music) (police siren wailing) (cars revving) (tires screeching) (police siren wailing) - Okay, Willie, where ya taking me? (tires squealing) (metal clattering) (exciting rock music) (tires screeching) (metal clattering) (police siren wailing) (exciting rock music) (gunshots firing) - So, you got a big gun, too, huh, Hooker? Well it aint gonna help! (intense music) - Give it up, Willie! Either way this goes, you lose, you can bet on it! - Don't matter, Hooker! Nothin' matters, long as you're dead! (intense music) - What's your beef with me? - [Willie.]
You destroyed Lou! It wasn't bad enough you locked him up! - Lou Elder is dead! - [Willie.]
He's all I had! He's dead 'cause of you, and your lousy letter! We were gonna get parole together! - He didn't have it coming, Duncan! Bank guard shot, money still stashed! - [Willie.]
You killed the only person I ever cared about! - Then, we're even, slime ball! (intense music) - Hooker! (gunshot firing) (thudding) (tires screeching) (exciting music) (thudding) (clattering) (intense music) (groaning) - Hooker! - Hold on to me! - I was wrong! (intense music) (soft dramatic music) (all grunting) (T.
J.
sighing) (soft dramatic music) (somber music) (tender music) (phone clicking) (tapping phone keys) (tender music) - Hi, Pumpkin.
Yes, it's your daddy, calling to see how you are.
I'm still living here, but I'll be moving soon.
No, no, no, nothing's wrong, I'm just calling to talk to my girl.
Camping? Yeah, you go on that trip.
You do what there is to do.
'Course, see ya don't let anything pass you by.
What's that? I love you too, honey, a whole bunch.
(tender music) (exciting rock music) (Columbia Pictures jingle)