T.J. Hooker (1982) s05e15 Episode Script

(rock music) (crowd cheering) - All right, Stacy, right over the plate! Right here! Don't make it easy for me.
- Come on, Stacy, strike him out! (crowd boos) - Hey! Over here.
From over here to over there! - Ready? - It's good, Lynn.
Having you home.
- I wish it felt like home, Dad.
It's been 10 years, you know.
- Is it that? Or is it Gloria? - I guess it's both.
She is closer to my age than she is yours, you know.
- She's my wife.
You're just going to have to accept her as that.
(crowd cheering in distance) - Come on, over the plate! (grunts) (crowd calling out) - Do you always bring Pinch here for his runs? - Yeah, Gloria insists.
She doesn't like the yard messed up.
Lynn, you're just gonna have to deal with Gloria.
Come on, now.
Do it for me.
She's my wife.
She's kept me happy for these 10 years.
- Yes and you've also kept me in boarding school in Europe in those 10 years.
- Hey.
I'm sorry, but I thought it was best that way.
Someday.
Someday you'll understand.
- Strike him out, he can't hit that ball! - There it goes! Come on, over the plate! - He can't hit it! (crowd cheers loudly) - Hey, excuse me, but pal, could you get that ball for me please? Right there.
Good pitch! - Hey, Pinch! Pinch, hey! Go get it boy! Go get it! (loud cheering from the game) (silenced gunshots) - Daddy! (Pinch barks) Daddy are you all right? Daddy! Answer me, please! Help, somebody please! Daddy! Help! Help, my father's been shot! Somebody help my father! Help me, please! (Pinch growls) (silenced gunshot) Daddy! That way! - Jim, Stacy! You stay here.
Call for an ambulance, quickly! (pulsing music) (tires screeching) (engine gunning) - Your mother's on the way up, Miss Paterno.
Would you feel up to answering any questions? - I've got one for you.
How could a man just walk up and shoot my father with a park full of policemen? - Well, of course, the man couldn't know that, could he? The question is: Who would want to shoot your father? - Does he have any enemies you know of? - Look, I've only been in this country for about 3 days.
I've been away in Europe for 10 years.
I don't know anything.
- Did you see the man who shot your father? - Mm-hmm.
- Would you recognize him if you saw him again? - Yes.
I'll never forget his face.
- Was there anything else about him? Anything out of the ordinary? - His eyes.
- What about his eyes? - They were weird, you know? Wild, like a fanatic's.
It's frightening.
- When your father's out of surgery would you be willing to work with a police artist to make a sketch of that man's face? - Yes, of course.
- I'm Gloria Paterno.
How is my husband? How bad is it? - He's alive, Mrs.
Paterno.
He's in surgery now, the doctors say his chances are good.
- His room is down the hall.
I'll take you there if you'd like.
- Thank you, I'll find it myself.
- Just one big happy family.
- I'll check with the lieutenant.
I'll be right back.
(military percussion) - What the hell good's all the training, Faulkner? People For a Decent World trains you for three weeks to take this scum out and you blew it.
It's all over the radio, Paterno's alive, he's gonna make it.
- It was the dog! How many times do I have to tell you? - When you speak to me, you say "sir," you got that? - All right.
Sir.
- Get me the big field kit.
I'm gonna need a needle and some sutures.
- Yes, sir! - Look, being in the hospital will just make it easier to get to him.
I'll finish him.
- Let me spell it out for you, Faulkner.
You had your chance.
Now I've got to take out Paterno myself.
Meanwhile, this great country of ours is going down the sewer.
- Yeah, yeah, I read the propaganda.
- Truth isn't propaganda.
Now, this is a military organization.
We're on a mission for the world to try to rid it of the scum that's trying to bring it down! And that means discipline.
- Sir! - You'd better hold him.
- Sir, we've got some chloroform, maybe-- - No.
I don't think we'll need it.
I think Faulkner can handle this like a real soldier.
- Damn right I can.
Go ahead.
Sir.
- Hooker! They said I'd find you here.
Sure glad I caught you.
- What does that mean, Kahane? - Oh, it's just a figure of speech.
Your boss is talking to my boss.
I understand you're interested in Ross Paterno.
- The FBI have a file on him? - Sure, we do.
Used to be very big in organized crime in Florida and New York.
He retired last year and invested all his money in legit business operations.
Turned into a solid citizen.
He's cooperating with us, Hooker.
- That's why you're interested in him.
- Yeah, he's been a real goldmine.
Names, dates, scams.
We wanna keep him alive, but we put one of our people in there to guard him, we run the risk of exposing him to some of his old contacts.
- You want me to take the job? - You got it.
- I'll check it out.
- Now, your captain's already said it was okay.
Thanks a lot, Hooker.
- Yes, Captain.
We hope to have a composite of the suspect in the next few hours.
All right, I'll tell him.
No luck on the car or the APB.
No dog bite treatments reported.
Also, the captain-- - He wants me to put a guard on Paterno, I know.
Jim, try the suspect M.
O.
file on the computer, see what you come up with.
- Check me.
The victim is attacked in an isolated environment doing some routine activity, gunned assailant escapes by car, two shots, weapon used: - That's it.
- Are those the bullets they removed from Paterno? - One shattered in the bone, the other's intact.
But we've got to find the gun before we can make a match.
- What about Paterno? - A hood.
Chummy with the FBI.
They want to keep him alive.
Jim, stay on the suspect.
I need Stacy with me.
- I'm on it.
- I gotta feeling about this one.
- What kind of feeling? - It was Paterno's daughter's impression of the suspect, the way she saw him.
A fanatic.
- You think he'll try again? - We can bet on it.
Stacy, how would you like to play nurse for a couple of days? - Stacy Sheridan, R.
N.
Sounds good.
- I'll set it up right away.
Here's what I want you to do.
(elevator chimes) (funky music) - I'm here to see Diane.
- I was told that you wanted to see the Dragon Lady herself, Hooker.
- Do you ever get tired of being told you're a beautiful lamb? - Not by you and you look pretty good yourself.
- Well looking is all I have time for these days.
- That's a pity.
I can remember other times.
What else can I do for you, Hooker? - What are your business associates saying about Ross Paterno these days? - Ross Paterno? Oh, him.
Somebody shot him, right? Why would somebody want to do that? - Is that my answer? - Yeah, why would somebody want to do that? He's out of business, washed up.
- No outstanding contracts? - Have I ever lied to you, baby? - No, baby, you never have.
- You look good behind that wheel.
- You think so? - Oh, yeah, very good.
I can make you a deal that you won't wanna turn down.
What do you say? - It's a little racy for my taste, Diane.
But thank you.
(military percussion) (gun cocking) - Hut! One, two, three, hut! One, two, three, hut! - How's it going with Paterno? - Just like you planned.
An officer is outside his door and Nurse Sheridan is prowling the whole floor.
- Well, don't underestimate this guy.
He's a killer.
So keep alert.
And if anything happens outside the ordinary, you call me, understand? - You got it.
Oh, and Hooker, your friend from the FBI, Kahane, has been around, asking me questions.
- Yeah, what'd you tell him? - I told him no.
- Okay, Stacy, talk to you later.
- This is interesting.
- What do you say, Lou? - Hey.
- The M.
O.
of the Paterno shooting has similarities to nine other shootings in the last six months and matches right down the line with four of them.
- [Hooker.]
A trade rep from the Mideast, shot to death while alone at a friend's estate.
A well-known defense attorney shot to death while horseback riding alone.
- Paul Needham, a radio talk show host, shot while swimming alone in Malibu, currently recuperating in Florida.
- And this next one survived, too.
- Christine Shankman, better known in the hardcore movie trade as Holly Day.
Shot while jogging alone in the street.
Recovering.
- A foreign lobbyist, a controversial lawyer, well-known radio personality, a porno star.
- Yeah, and don't forget Paterno, a retired racketeer.
Question is, what do they all have in common? - Maybe nothing.
Except in the mind of a fanatic.
(phone rings) - Corrigan.
Yeah.
For you.
- Yeah.
Oh.
All right, thank you.
- Problem? - Lynn Paterno didn't show up for a meeting with our sketch artist.
- I wonder why she changed her mind.
You think somebody got to her? - That's what I'm gonna find out.
See if you can get addresses for those two survivors.
(wistful music) - Whoa.
I know why you're here, Sergeant.
You're wasting your time.
- It's a beautiful horse.
Saddlebred, isn't it? - Yes.
- You said you'd never forget what the man looked like who shot at your father.
- I was wrong, okay? - I don't think you've had much practice lying, Miss Paterno.
- I really don't care what you think.
You don't even know me at all.
- No, I don't.
But I think you're right when you say the suspect is a fanatic.
I think he's gonna try and kill your father again.
That's why I've set up what protection I could inside the hospital.
- Do the policemen always do that with retired gangsters? - You've been out of the country a long time.
You didn't know about your father's background? - No.
My stepmother completed my education last night.
He was into gambling, drugs, the works.
- But you don't want him dead.
- No.
I just don't want anything to do with this.
Or him.
Not now, anyway.
I just want to go away.
And I'm going to, just as soon as he's out of danger.
- I don't think he'll ever be out of danger.
The man who shot your father, he's probably killed at least two other people.
- My father lied to me all of my life.
He boarded me out.
Something he'd never think of doing to one of his horses.
I'm sorry.
- Well, I'm on your side, Miss Paterno.
Right up to the point where your emotions become more important than other people's lives.
I'm sorry, too.
Not for you.
For them.
(wistful music) - [Dispatch.]
Four Adam Thirty, there's a call from Officer Corrigan on TAC-2.
- Thirty, roger.
Hooker.
What do you got, Jim? - An address on Christine Shankman.
Her answering service says she's at a dance audition, Bellflower Building, Taylor and third street.
- Good work.
Meet you there in 20 minutes.
- Roger.
What did you find out about Lynn Paterno? - That sometimes, water is thicker than blood.
(funky music) - Hold it! Take five, that was great, everyone.
You found the body! And after I hid it so well, too.
- The body we're looking for goes by the name of Christine Shankman.
We understand she's auditioning here and alive and well.
- Well, you'll frighten her to death, costumed like that, but I'll see what I can do for you.
- Christine, front and center.
You're official downtown fan club has arrived to idolize you.
Look, but don't touch, fellas.
I plan on making her a star, but only if she stays pure.
- So, you wanted to talk to me? - We'd like to ask you some questions.
- About what? - Let's star with Ross Paterno.
Maybe he financed some of the movies you starred in.
- So that's it.
Well, I never heard of Whoever he is.
And anyway I got out of that business.
That's the truth.
- Is that why you were shot? - You know about that? - Uh-huh.
- Yeah.
This is a lot safer.
Nobody tries to kill me anymore.
- Is that why you think you were shot? Because you were in a porno movie? - I know it.
Look, I never said anything at the time.
I was scared that he'd find me again if I opened my mouth.
But the man who shot me, he yelled terrible things at me.
- Like what? - He said that I didn't deserve to live.
That I was a slut.
That women like me have to be killed.
I mean, the guy was a crazy man.
He said I was ruining the country.
Can you imagine that? - What'd he look like? - Oh, it all happened so fast.
And then there was this terrible pain.
Oh, I'm sorry, I All I remember were his eyes.
They were wild.
Like an animal's.
Glaring at me.
- Like a fanatic? - Yeah.
That's the word.
Like a fanatic.
- It fits.
Same impression of the eyes as Lynn Paterno.
Looks like you're right, Hooker, we're dealing with a kook.
- The only thing is, we don't have a face.
- [Dispatch.]
Four Adam Thirty, call waiting on TAC-2 from Officer Sheridan.
- Go ahead, Stacy.
- Hooker, an intern was found unconscious about five minutes ago.
His scrub suit is missing.
- This may be it.
We're on our way.
(creepy music) (pulsing music) - Fire! Somebody help! (silenced gunshots) (door rattling) (glass breaking) (crash) (crash) (door slamming) (tires screeching) (sirens blaring) - This is Four Adam Thirty in pursuit of a temp 180 suspect in a white Dodge Dart heading North on Webster.
(sirens blaring) (tires screeching) (crashing) (brakes screeching) - You're Sergeant Hooker, right? I understand you saved my life.
Something about a decoy room and a dummy.
- And it worked.
Whoever wants you, Paterno, wants you so bad he's willing to risk his own neck coming into the hospital to make a try.
Any idea who that might be? - No, I don't.
I'm sorry.
- Yeah.
Your daughter's sorry, too.
She saw the killer face to face.
She won't help us.
- Yeah, I know.
My wife told me.
Lynn is angry and she's hurt.
That's my fault.
But she'll get over it in time.
- Time may be running out.
For your daughter, too.
Did you ever think of that? - Now, what the hell does that mean? - Your daughter saw the killer close up.
That means the killer saw her, too.
Sooner or later he's going to realize that she's the only one who can identify him.
Now, if she puts that memory down on paper in a sketch that we'll make public, he won't have much motive left to kill her, will he? - You've got a point, Sergeant.
I'll try talking to her.
- Good.
The doctor tells me that you're checking out of the hospital against his advice.
- That's right.
I have my own doctors and I, uh I'll be a lot safer at home than I am here.
Your little decoy trick might not work twice in a row.
But I owe you.
- I'm not in the business of doing favors.
But, I could use your help to play a long shot.
(laughs) - I'm glad I did my business on the East Coast, you know.
You might have forced me into the furniture business or something.
What have you got in mind? - The media knows who you are now.
That means the newspaper people and the TV people will be waiting at your home.
I want you to put on a little show for them.
- Have you refused police protection, sir? (reporters asking questions) - Give me a break, will you all right? I wanna make a statement.
You want to know if I'm going to hide, if I'm afraid.
Well the answer's no.
This punk with a gun shows up again, I'm going to take it away from him and shove it down his throat.
- That's brave talk, Mr.
Paterno, but the fact is you're lucky to be alive, sir.
- Hey, we're all lucky to be alive, honey.
- That'll be enough for today, thank you.
- Is this a gang situation? Do you know or suspect who it is who's trying to kill you? - All I know is, he's a first class jerk.
And if he shows up again, I'll get my wife on him and then he'll be in real trouble.
- That's almost an invitation for him to try again, isn't it, sir? - He's not gonna try it again.
This has got to be some kind of a nut.
He can't shoot straight, he gets lost in hospitals, right? That's all I have to say.
Have a good day, folks.
Come on.
- Thank you.
- Thank you.
- For God's sake, Ross, what are you trying to do? - Don't worry about it, honey.
I know exactly what I'm doing.
- Not a bad performance.
- Yeah, why do I get the feeling it was rehearsed? - What? It sounded off the top to me.
- [Stacy.]
You're holding out on us, right? - Not anymore.
You think it'll work? - If you mean bring that kook back for a third try, I'd say yeah.
If he watches TV or reads the papers, he's gonna have a lot of ego problems, oh yeah.
- That's the whole idea.
I want a couple of plainclothesmen on Paterno's grounds.
You two stay loose and take the watch with me tonight.
In the meantime, I'm gonna follow up with Paul Needham.
- I was Paul's engineer.
I couldn't believe it when he got shot.
- Have you thought any more about the callers? - Yeah, there was one.
Yeah, this is it.
Seems like half the people who called into the show wanted to kill Paul.
That's what you get when you speak your mind.
- What's so special about this tape? - Well, when you mentioned that there were several other people who got shot after Paul, I remembered this particular show.
The guy talks about lawyers, criminals, I think he even mentions degenerates.
- That sounds right, let's hear it.
- [Paul On Recording.]
You're on with Paul Needham.
- [Caller.]
I've got something to say to you.
You got the guts to listen for a change? - [Paul.]
Hey, stay tuned, folks.
This man's got something to say.
Keep it clean, pal.
- [Caller.]
You're the one who needs cleaning up, Needham.
All your cracks about the U.
S.
Constitution, encouraging your shyster friends to keep criminals out of jail, doing your thing for the degenerate, tearing down the American way of life! - [Paul.]
That's a hell of a shopping list.
Tell me, is there anybody you like? - [Caller.]
I love this country, mister.
We're organizing out here to fight people like you and I mean in the trenches.
- [Paul.]
What's the name of your club? The KKK or the Nazi Party? - [Caller.]
Get your laughing in now, you slime.
But you'll hear about us one of these days.
Remember the PFDW, funny man.
You're the enemy.
You're on our list, starting right now.
Keep watching over your shoulder you-- (bleeps) - What do you think? - I think you got the right tape.
What do the initials PFDW mean to you? - I was hoping you'd know.
- I don't.
But I think I know where to find out.
Thanks.
- Don't you ever take a day off, Hooker? - Sorry to bother you at home, Kahane, but this is important.
What does the acronym PFDW mean to you? It's probably connected to some anarchists out there.
I know you people keep files on things like that.
- PFDW? What do you think I do, carry the files around in my head? Wait a minute, I got it.
People For a Decent World.
But you're on the wrong track if you're trying to connect that bunch into Paterno.
- How do you know? - We checked them out.
They're just survivalists with a lot of patriotic rhetoric.
They go in real big for that military type training and saluting, but that's it.
No ex-cons, no criminal activities.
- Have they got a head man? - Yeah, yeah.
A guy named Mitoski.
Ex-serviceman, likes to be called "sir.
" I think he was a gunnery sergeant.
They rent that old place on the lagoon north of town.
- I know the place.
Thanks.
- You went against orders.
You just had to try it again on your own, right, Faulkner? You sneaked off last night and fouled up worse than you did the first time.
Well? You got an answer for me? For these men? - I'm sorry, sir.
No excuse, sir.
- Do you know what you did? You've made us a laughing stock.
Have you seen the TV news? Have you read the papers? Slimeball hood like that gets headlines and makes us look like fools! Like jerks! - It's me he's talking about.
- Wrong, soldier! You're one of us.
Paterno's laughing at People For a Decent World and everything we stand for.
Well, tonight we shut him up.
He's played into our hands by going home.
Tonight, we shut his mouth for good.
- Are you talking about a search & destroy raid, sir? - That's right.
Only we won't have to search very far.
We know where he is.
Now this is what you've been trained for.
Tonight, we declare war.
(car engine approaching) - Sir.
- This is private property, mister.
- I can see that.
I'm looking for an outfit called the People For a Decent World.
- And where'd you hear about it? - On the street.
You guys got an awesome reputation.
This is the place, right? Come on, I want to sign up.
You must be Mitoski.
- Well, this is PFDW headquarters, but we're not signing any new recruits right now.
We're reorganizing.
- Oh.
- You come back and see us in about a month.
- Hey, what do they say about us on the street? - Well, they say that you guys are gun freaks.
That you stand for everything that they're against.
Look, um, I've put a little time in, in 'Nam.
I think I know where you're coming from.
- Get back, Faulkner.
And where might that be? - Are you kidding? You stand for that flag over there.
I think you see the garbage coming down and you want to do something about it.
- Nah, you've got us all wrong, mister.
We do a little drilling, some target shooting and that's it.
Now, if you're interested in that, you come back in about a month, like I said.
- Yes, sir.
I just might do that.
(military percussion) - I've spent 30 years in the military, judging every kind of man.
That's a dangerous one.
He may be a cop.
But either way, after tonight this place won't be safe.
Get your gear together.
We're moving out of here & we won't be back.
- That's good.
That right there.
The artist is about done.
Surprised to see me here, Hooker? - Yeah, you could say that.
- What you said to me, I deserved it.
I think it's about time I grew up.
I just wanted you to know that.
- Well, I appreciate that.
How's it going with your father? - Well, we're talking.
It's a start.
- You've been out of touch.
- Yeah, how'd it go at the radio station? - Well, I thought I picked up on something.
I did.
I saw this guy an hour ago.
Make some copies.
Come on, keep TAC-2 open, I'll explain later.
(military percussion) - Cops! Let's get the hell outta here! (sirens blaring) - Get out! Where's Mitoski? The other guy, Faulkner? - Gone.
- Where? - Idaho.
Yeah, Idaho.
- Lieutenant's got an APB out, he's running an airport check and he gave me a backup unit that can help cover the perimeter of the Paterno grounds.
I want us all in place by midnight.
- Mitoski's probably holed up in the desert somewhere, eating nuts and berries.
- You got information we haven't, Stacy? - In any case, Paterno put his life on the line and I want to back him up.
- All I meant was Mitoski just might wait us out, make his move a week or a month from now.
- He won't.
- Why not? - Because he's a fanatic.
(military percussion) - You take care of the phone lines - What about me? - You stick with me.
- Mitoski, when we go in there, I want Paterno myself.
- Now, you listen up, mister.
This is a unit operation.
I want no cowboys and no heroes.
We go strictly by the drill.
Our purpose now is not to be seen.
We meet back here as soon as possible.
Let's move it! (suspenseful music) - Hi, Hooker! - Hiya, kid.
- What's he doing here? - We, uh, had a little talk on the phone before dinner and I invited him over.
- There's gonna be some trouble, isn't there? - There always is when you cooperate with the police.
- We have some business to take care of.
Lynn, Gloria, excuse us.
I'm sorry.
Take this.
- Do you think they'll come tonight? - Something in here tells me they will.
I've got my people in place outside.
They came in unmarked cars.
- Something else on your mind, Hooker? - Yeah.
Why don't you take you and your family some place safe? - Hey, come on, Hooker.
You know what I've been all my life.
For me there's no such place.
- I think we could find you one for the night.
- I like it here.
Anything else? - Well, at the very least, why didn't you get your wife and your daughter out of here? - I tried.
No sale.
- All right.
Can I use your phone? Have them lock themselves in an upstairs bedroom.
I'll request an additional unit to look a-- The line is cut.
They're here.
- Hooker.
Watch yourself.
- Did you cut the phone line? - Got it.
- All right.
Now spread out and keep to the shadows.
There may be guards, so use your knife or your garrote if possible.
- What if it's not possible? - The first sound of gunfire, converge on Paterno.
Our primary objective is to kill him, is that understood? - Understood.
- All right, let's go.
(tense music) - Go around the side.
(gun cocks) - Faulkner! (gunshots) (glass shattering) - Police! - Hold it! (gunshots) - Mitoski! (gunshots) (tense music) (car door slamming) (sirens blaring) - Four Adam Thirty, leaving location in pursuit of a green Impala driving South on Hill towards the industrial area.
(tires screeching) (sirens blaring) (engine gunning) (crashing) - Come on, get out! Come on! (explosions) - All this to save some slimy hood's life? - Reverse the rules, fellow.
Remember we'd have done the same for you.
It's the American way.
(fire crackling) (wistful music) (horse neighing) - You look real good.
- Hey, thanks! Thanks for coming out! - Well, your message said you wanted to say goodbye, I thought I'd turn up in person.
I mean, after all, Europe isn't around the corner.
- Oh, I'm not going to Europe.
But I'm not gonna stay here either.
I decided I wanted to get to know my dad on my own terms, not on his.
- What are your terms? - Just to judge for myself the man he says he's gonna be, not the man that he was.
And that's gonna take a little time and a little space.
You understand.
- I sure do.
I hope he can live in peace now.
- Maybe he can.
Maybe we all can.
- Well, take care of yourself.
- Thanks, Hooker.
- And that beautiful horse.
- You bet.
- You know, it's a battle to live in peace.
Don't you ever surrender.
(engine starting) (upbeat music)