Homicide: Life on the Street s05e19 Episode Script

- Looks like he took it well.
- Took what well? I don't know.
Whatever it is that killed him.
Joseph Agboye.
Passport issued in Lagos, Nigeria.
Left Amsterdam on Wednesday, entered the country yesterday.
- Found dead in Baltimore this morning.
- No blood, no trauma, no forced entry.
Wallet, money and jewellery are still on, or about, his person.
- Any guesses, Munch? - Ah airline food.
Undetermined causes.
Let the morgue rats figure it out.
- Excuse me, I heard that.
- I meant it in a complimentary way.
Oh, of course you did.
So what have I missed? Man travels halfway around the world, dies in a $20 motel room in America, unknown and unmourned.
Don't you ever think of anything positive to say? Hey, if he's not murdered, it's not my problem.
Well, well, well.
We seem to have a new record for swallowed contraband.
of what seem to be pure heroin.
- That's half a kilo at least.
- Easy.
When I was doing my residency, this guy tried to cross the Canadian border with 42 of these in his belly.
But 77, that pretty much takes the trophy.
- You rang? - This is Ray Borders with Customs.
Borders from Customs? Ha-ha! Lewis, Homicide.
My partner, Mike Kellerman.
And this is Joseph Agboye, found dead at a Washington Boulevard motel today.
- That's Munch's case.
See you.
- Well, now it's yours, mine and ours.
Mr Agboye swallowed half a kilo of latex-wrapped heroin in Amsterdam.
That's before catching a flight to Baltimore.
- Then what? - Then a condom broke.
- I hate when that happens.
- I hear ya.
- An overdose? - A racehorse wouldn't last a minute.
So why you calling us? This looks like a job for Narcotics.
Right, but this is a heroin shipment destined for the drug organisation of one Luther Mahoney.
- Are you with us? - We'll follow you to the end of the earth.
- Bye, Doc.
- See you later.
- Munch, pick up on line one.
- Who is it? - An inmate from Jessup, for Bolander.
- What are you telling me for? Momentarily lapse of insanity.
I guess you want me to handle it, I'll handle it.
Munch speaking.
Naomi.
I need you to pull an old file for me, from '87.
Last name is DeLeon, first name is Laszlo, otherwise known as "Punchy".
He's doing ten years for murdering Sam Noonan.
It's one of Bolander's old cases come back to haunt me.
Thanks.
OK.
Terrific.
- You need a hand, Frank? - I need a bigger locker.
- You bring your dirty wash to work? - This is clean, Kay.
This is all fresh.
- It was before I dropped it on the floor.
- I won't ask.
No, it's OK.
Yes, I own a washer.
I own a drier.
I know how to do my laundry.
I just don't have the time.
I dropped these off three weeks ago.
The lady said she'd donate everything if I didn't pick it up, so any other questions? Have you finished the report on the Rader case? The No, not yet.
Well, I need it on my desk by the end of the day.
OK.
The last three years, Joseph Agboye's made four runs annual to this country, entering either the Washington or Baltimore airports.
Agboye made a call to a payphone at a used car lot on the West Side.
This lot is owned by one Antonio Brookdale.
Brookdale's been a lieutenant in Mahoney's organisation for two years.
The lot was purchased as a front for money laundering.
Mahoney's quarterly shipment.
- What do we do with it? - We use an undercover agent.
We bring the heroin to Brookdale at the car lot, then we arrest him.
Get Brookdale to roll over on Mahoney.
Get one of Luther's lieutenants to roll over on him? - We're gonna try.
- Well, you're gonna fail.
How can you be so sure? As fast as you build a case against this guy, he's gonna tear it down.
He'll torture witnesses.
I mean, look, he'll kill witnesses.
At best, you'll end up with a case against Antonio Brookdale.
- At worst, with a closed car lot.
- As usual, you underestimate me.
Even if you can make a drug conspiracy case, it's six to twelve months of work.
I don't have any problem taking the time to do a case right.
We've had a wire in Mahoney's phones for three months.
- Three months? - What'd you hear? It's like you said.
I'm afraid the taps haven't given us much of anything.
Look, Luther Mahoney is killing people.
On my shift, I've got nine open murders tied to the man.
Other shifts have four.
- What are you suggesting, Al? - Send in the undercover.
Give Mahoney a half a kilo of baking soda and see what happens.
Give Luther a bad package, and wait? If nothing happens then you bust Brookdale for attempted possession.
But if you sell Mahoney baking soda, something's gonna happen.
My office isn't gonna be comfortable distributing heroin.
Even if it is fake.
Not another six months with Mahoney on the street.
- What's the worst that can happen? - Half a kilo of dope that isn't dope? Angry gangsters, angry addicts? The worst is beyond my ability to comprehend it.
I want Luther Mahoney.
You gotta admit, if we pull this off, we're gonna rock Luther's world.
- Rader case? - Yes, prosecution report.
The daughter, is that Billie spelled with a Y or an l-E? - L-E.
- L-E.
Oh, like Billie Holiday? - Yeah, like Billie Holiday.
- Hey, Tim.
- You should have taken that call, Kay.
- Oh, yeah? Guy on the other end, Laszlo DeLeon, "Punchy".
Stanley put him away in '87.
He's got info on an old murder case, the body's whereabouts, and who done it.
- He'll hand me the whole shebang.
- Oh, yeah, what's the catch? None, just another case in black under my name, which could've been yours.
You forget, Munch, they're all mine, red and black.
- Besides - Besides what? I'll be willing to bet today's lunch tab that Punchy DeLeon wants something.
Is everything a competition with you? This is a closed case.
Be happy for me.
What are you gonna say to Mahoney's people? They're expecting Agboye.
Agboye's too sick to complete the delivery.
After swallowing so many eggs, it's not too hard to believe.
Well, you do look Nigerian.
I'm from Ohio.
Spent the last ten years in the DEA Field Office in Detroit.
- What's the capital of Nigeria? - Lagos.
What's the capital of Ohio? good old Arm & Hammer baking soda.
A bit of morphine base, in case they try to run a chemical quick test on it.
Mr Mahoney, the package is in.
Not bad, huh? Sorry to keep you waiting.
Can I get you anything? Coffee? How about some Scotch? Bring us a bottle of Johnnie Walker.
- What do you want, Mr DeLeon? - Punchy! - What do you want? - I never said I wanted anything.
- I've got information.
- About a murder? A murder.
And since you drove out here to see me, I assume you're interested.
I wanna make sure we have an understanding.
You tell me where the body's buried and who put it there, and you don't want anything, no private cell, no parole hearing? I checked.
You stabbed Sam Noonan, you're doing 10 to 15 for manslaughter.
But I get out today.
- Did you ever go to Pimlico? - For pleasure, just once.
Then you know that moment.
When you lose three weeks' pay and you want to jump off a tall building? Not that moment.
The moment when the gun goes off.
Pow! And the thoroughbreds fly out of the gate.
Freedom! That's what I wanna feel when I get out of this hellhole.
I wanna give you the low-down on this murder, so I can have my clean start.
- You got a pen? - Yeah, I got a pen.
In October of 1987, a man by the name of Jimmy "The Shirt" Pugliese was shot twice in the head and buried under the parking lot of Pimlico.
- Under the parking lot? - Section C.
How do I know this is for real? Pugliese.
P-U-G-L-l-E-S-E.
- And the killer is - Find the body, and the rest will follow.
- See you at the track.
- Pow? Pow! 'Antonio, someone's coming.
' - 'Who is it? ' - 'I dunno.
Don't recognise the man.
' Go check this out.
- Who the hell are you? - D'Bo.
- The what? - D'Bo! - Whatever.
Where is Joseph at? - Ah, he's very sick.
Bad stomach.
Yeah.
Shipment this large, he probably gonna be eating light for a while.
How's it look? What you waiting for, a tip? You good, get out.
See ya.
Sucker.
- What's up? - 'It's good news.
'I'm talking to my broker.
He said that one company you told me about ' 'Yeah, I know it.
' 'He thinks they went public.
'He thinks we should buy low and sell high.
' All right, then.
That's something.
We'd been listening to them talk about the stock market.
Now you know.
Mahoney and his people aren't really pricing the Dow 30.
Still, there's nothing we can take into court.
Wait.
Luther's gonna be a little less cautious once the bottom falls out.
Munch, why do you do this to me? The guy came clean.
I'm just telling you what he said.
- You think he's telling you the truth? - Punchy DeLeon has no reason to lie.
Besides, this is our job.
We hear about a body, we gotta at least take a look.
I hope you've got a shovel! D'you know what it'll cost to dig up a parking lot? Not the whole lot.
Section C.
Is there a missing-persons report on Pugliese? No, but I did pull the guy's arrest record, which ended abruptly in October of '87, the same month my source says the guy got shot.
All right, call Bolander.
Find out what he remembers about Punchy DeLeon.
If I'm gonna talk to Barnfather, I want to make sure we are not being bulldozed.
I wanna know we're gonna strike gold.
- California, here we come.
- Call Stanley.
- Hello, Stan? It's John.
- 'Who? ' John Munch! - You sure you got the right parking lot? - Shut up, Brodie.
- Why couldn't this be Africa? Or Egypt? - What? My whole life, you know, I wanted to go work for National Geographic.
Go along on a archaeological expedition.
It'd've been cool to shoot over Mary Leakey's shoulder when she unearthed Australopithecus.
- I wanna see bones! - We're not done here yet, Gee.
You haven't found the body? What did Stanley say about Punchy DeLeon? - Punchy was a stand-up guy.
- Go on.
He was working another angle on the Noonan murder and DeLeon confessed.
Stan thinks we can trust DeLeon.
- Go on.
- As much as we can trust any of 'em.
That's the part you didn't tell me.
This is Bolander, the crankiest man on the planet.
- No, he's not the crankiest man.
I am.
- How can I forget? The only thing you're digging up is a bigger hole in the annual budget.
Cut it out! Find Punchy DeLeon.
Get an explanation to why our goldmine dried up.
I'll be barricading myself in the office, hiding from the bosses.
All done in section C, Detective.
Any place else you want us to dig? Yeah, right here, six feet.
Cover me over.
Unmarked grave.
I've finished the report on the Rader case.
Wanna put a signature on here? Great.
We worked well together on that case, in my opinion.
Yeah.
We sure did.
- So what do you think? - About what? About us.
About working together.
About being partners again.
Is that what you want? Because from what you said a few weeks ago, you weren't so hot on us partnering up together.
- I changed my mind.
- Oh.
So, are we partners or are we not partners? Sure Frank.
OK.
I just watched eight races, downed 12 ounces of Johnnie Walker, two crabcakes and won $1,600.
You missed a heck of a day, Detective.
- I was busy.
- Digging for Jimmy? Wasting my time.
There was no Jimmy "The Shirt" Pugliese buried there.
You're sure you checked section C? I I specifically told you, section C.
- Bastards must have moved the body! - Which bastards are they, Mr DeLeon? - Who killed Pugliese? - The truth? I don't know who killed him.
I think I've got a done deal, the victim and the shooter.
Now I have nothing.
You will soon, just bear with me.
Forget about it.
Whoever this Pugliese is, wherever he is, I say let him lie.
- I can't do that.
- Sure you can.
- What do you care if I find him or not? - Jimmy was my mentor.
We met here at Pimlico when I was an Jimmy comes up to me and whispers in my ear, "Put it on Cherokee Wonder.
"' The odds against Cherokee were 11-1.
I bought Frances an engagement ring with the money I made that day.
Jimmy lived a month after I left for Jessup.
Before I get on with my life, I wanna give my friend a proper funeral.
You'll help me do that, Detective, won't you? - Hey.
- Hey.
- Your coat, hat.
Let's go.
- Where to? DEA wire tap.
I told Borders.
He and Kellerman'll relieve us in the morning.
Hold on, we got time.
- Maybe, maybe not.
- Afraid we'll miss the fireworks? If Luther gets on the line, I wanna be listening.
Come on, Luther's only had his package three hours.
It's gonna be midnight before them double-star bags hit the boulevard.
Right, and another two hours before Mahoney hears back from the slingers.
The stuff won't start happening until the early am, but we need to be there anyway, just in case.
- Just in case? - Right, come on.
Just in case? You and me, surveilling in the moonlight, glowing in the dark, huh? Headsets on, listening for the calm before the storm.
And what a storm it be.
If you want to open your hole Just put your head down and go Step beside the piece Of the circumstance Got to wash away The taste of evidence Wash it away Evidence Evidence Evidence Got a taste of evidence I didn't feel a thing It didn't mean a thing Look in the eye and testify I didn't feel a thing Why should I get the sergeant's exam? Sergeants don't make overtime.
Right, I see what you're saying.
Ahem! - We can come back.
- No, we just Right! Of course! Absolutely! - What? No, no, no! Be for real! - Cupcake? - What? - Cupcake? - No, no.
Thank you.
- Honey bun? Not unless you got one with Mother Teresa on it.
- Mother Teresa? - That coffee shop in Tennessee.
- You never watch the news? - Here, Prince Charming.
Thanks.
Here you go.
- Any phone traffic? - Not a call.
You kids are relieved anyway.
Mahoney's home phone.
Mmm hello? Hello.
- Luther, that stock is way down! - What you talking about? 'It was on the billboard at Antonio you checked it right? You checked the stock before you bought it? - Yeah, I gave it the quick test! - What am I always telling you? 'Man, Luther, this stuff's always been the best, every time it comes in.
" Let me ask you something else.
- You think me a fool? - Nah, man! Yes, you do! You think you're pulling a fast one on country-ass Luther, right? Come on, Luther, it ain't even about that! Who do you love most in this world, Antonio? Huh? - What do you mean? - I'm asking you who it is that you love most in this world? - My mum! - 'That's nice.
" I swear to God, if you messed up my stock purchase, I will drop both your black asses in the same shallow grave.
Luther, man, I'm telling you this stuff is stepped on by someone! I'm on the phone! Listen to him! Listen to him! He's wetting his pants! Wait.
This one's outgoing.
- 'Yes? ' - 'Nathan? What going on? ' - 'What are you talking about? ' - 'My stuff ain't right! ' You trying to whore me, or what? This is awful.
Luther's been cheated.
- Poor guy.
- Cheers! - To Joseph Agboye.
- Agboye! God! Gee, Luther Mahoney is one unhappy drug dealer.
- He's showing the strain, huh? - Like never before.
He's panicky.
Yeah, he's using the phone.
We caught him on the wire taps talking about drugs.
Luther can't figure out if they sold him garbage, or his lieutenants are scamming him.
And he sold half his bad package wholesale to some other drug organisations.
Half the East Side dealers are looking for a cash refund.
What's next for poor Luther? We know he wants a face-to-face with Brookdale and the Nigerians.
But Brookdale's scared of Luther.
He wants a meeting in a public spot.
- Druid Hill Park, reservoir, high noon.
- We have that covered? The feds got a surveillance set up in a high-rise across the park.
- We bring Brodie, get it all on tape.
- Good.
Bayliss, line one.
All right.
Yeah, Bayliss.
No.
No, I can't.
Because I'm at work, that's why.
OK.
I'll be right there.
Hey, Munch? Have a conscience.
- How's it going, Munch? - I don't need your smug "I told you so.
"' - I came over to offer my help, but hey - Wait, wait.
I'm sorry, Kay.
- I can't find Pugliese.
- That's your victim, right? Yes.
But whoever killed him left no trace of him behind.
You got nothin'? No one in the state of Maryland knows what became of him.
- You called Woodlawn? - The FBI? Talk to someone in Organised Crime.
Come on, this is Baltimore, not the south side of Chicago, Kay.
DeLeon and Pugliese aren't mobsters, they're wannabes.
- The feds will laugh at my face.
- Doesn't everybody? Hey! You think I'm some kind of clown? You sayin' I'm funny? I'm here to amuse you? I make you laugh? Huh? Huh? You got videotape in the camera, right? That's insulting.
I'm a professional.
I got tape in the camera.
- 64-30? - 'Go ahead.
" - You got a line of sight? - 'No.
" But if we move in any closer, it'll be too obvious.
How about it, 64-20? - 64-20.
Yeah, it's the same on this side.
- 'That's too bad.
" You people in the high-rise will have to be the eyes.
'We'll tell you what we see.
" Ah, Homicide, Pembleton.
Uh-huh.
Right.
On our way.
- You seen Bayliss? - No, Frank.
- Naomi, you seen Bayliss? - He left a while ago.
- Say where he was goin'? - No.
Sarge, I got some good news and some bad news.
I don't wanna hear about Pugliese.
You chose to ignore my advice.
You're wrong.
I called over to Woodlawn.
I spoke to an agent Frolich.
They were working a money-laundering case in Aberdeen.
He was a side player.
- They lost him in '84.
Case went sour.
- The good news is? Agent Frolich kept a file out on one of Pugliese's old girlfriends, Dorothy Fallon, 38, she lives in Catonsville.
- You're gonna go see her? - On my way.
At least you've got some groceries now.
All right? I'm goin'.
Goin' back to work.
Goodbye.
How do you like your eggs? Huh? OK, Luther's early.
No sign of the others.
- Dorothy Fallon? - I'm Dorothy, yeah.
Homicide.
I was hoping to talk to you about Jimmy Pugliese.
- I understand you knew each other.
- Homicide? That's for dead people.
- I know it was a long time ago - Come inside, Dorothy! But, Jimmy, he said Jimmy? Are you Jimmy Pugliese? - Get off my porch.
- Punchy said you were dead.
- I don't know any Punchy.
- I just wanna talk to you.
- Come back when you've got a warrant.
- I just want to Pow.
I told you to come back when you've got a warr Hello, Jimmy.
- Come on, grab the ball.
- You can get it.
You can catch it.
'OK, here we go.
'There's a black Sedan.
'Looks like Antonio Brookdale.
And he's alone.
'And right on time.
'This must be the Nigerians.
Looks like three of them, in a white Lexus.
'Yes.
The gang's all here.
" - Talk to me! - What you looking at, man? I'm the one talking! Tell me what I wanna hear! - He is right there.
- Talk to me, man! What's up? - What my people sent you was good.
- It was garbage.
When it gets to Hong Kong, it's good.
When it goes to Amsterdam, it's good.
- When it comes here to you, it's good.
- The package was all cut, Luther.
- Why didn't you test it? - I gave it the quick test.
This stuff had always been right before.
That's what I'm saying! If it wasn't good, you'd test it, get it back to the courier.
If it was garbage, you could have sent it back.
But you didn't.
- You're a lying fool.
- I ain't lying Shut up! Shut the hell up! You have no idea what it takes to do what I've done! You can't even begin to see the effort, the will, in bringing package after package of that stuff and putting it on the corners, and squeezing out every last dollar! - Man, I - I'm the man! Shut up! Shut the hell up! - They're getting into it.
- 'Luther looks stressed.
" Do you know where heroin comes from, Antonio? Do you? From the Triangle! From from Burma! That's halfway around the planet, a world away! - Where the hell do you come from? - Say what? - Where do you come from, Antonio? - Park Heights.
I had to go halfway around the planet for my package.
But I can go to Park Heights, and get three more just like you tomorrow.
This ain't right.
- Give me my money.
- The hell with you! I've been with you from the jump, man.
You gonna whore me like this? I don't need this.
I'm out, man.
Ain't got time for all this.
Piece.
- A gun! - Luther's got a gun! Go! Go! Yo! Turn around! Turn around and die like a man, you bitch! - Your mum is next.
- No! No! Mummy, Mummy! Hands in the air! - Officer! Over here! Over here! - Mummy! '64-40.
Shots fired at Druid Hill Park south entrance.
Two down.
- 'Request two ambos.
" - '64-40, ten-four.
" 'AIso requesting a lookout to all districts in connection with the double shooting.
'Seeking a black 1997 Ford Explorer with Maryland plates.
'Suspect is believed to be armed.
" - Get off of me! - Meldrick! Where are you going? - Meldrick.
- Get off! - Meldrick, where are you going? - Come on! First Punchy says that Pugliese is dead.
So we dig up the parking lot at Pimlico, no Pugliese.
Then Punchy begs me to find Pugliese.
Pugliese is not dead.
Then I go back to Pimlico, no Punchy - Munch - What? I just Please, I wanna ask you a question.
- What? - Do we have a homicide here or not? I dunno.
You have to help me, Kay.
- OK.
Is Punchy DeLeon alive? - Yes.
- Is Pugliese alive? - Yes! Then there is no murder.
Relax, forget the entire incident.
- But how can I - I said, drop it! I will talk to Gee.
The whole fiasco never even happened.
- Hallelujah! Thank you, Sarge.
- Mm.
- Munch, Dorothy Fallon's here for you.
- Jimmy's gone.
- He's what? - He left with Punchy, Punchy DeLeon.
You gotta find him.
Please! You stay here, I'll call you as soon as we find something out.
- Where are you goin'? - Pimlico parking lot, section C! I'm glad you showed up, Detective.
I just wanted to thank you.
Is Jimmy where I think he is? He wasn't an easy man to find.
I couldn't have done this without you.
I played the horse to your jockey.
You rode me to the finish line.
I did, but don't be so hard on yourself.
It was all done in the name of justice.
- Justice? - Pugliese killed Sam Noonan.
I'm not gonna believe any more of your lies, Punchy.
You killed Noonan.
That's what we wanted everyone to think, but that's not the way it was.
Jimmy caught Sam pilfering funds and stabbed him in the throat.
I went to Bolander and confessed.
We had an agreement.
I take the rap for Jimmy.
- Jimmy'd provide for my wife and kid.
- You did ten years for him? I wasn't in there ten days before Pugliese dropped out of the picture.
Frances was left with no one to provide for her and Punchy Junior.
She was my whole life.
I love horses, but Frances and the kid, they were the reason I agreed to take the rap.
Once Pugliese broke his word, Frances went to work for Amici's, waiting tables.
She held on for 3 years.
I love Frances, but she wasn't a strong woman.
One day, she told me she just couldn't make it on her own any more.
She married one of the maître d's.
She's living up in Wilmington now.
You know I gotta take you in.
Ten years is a long time, Detective.
A decade of my life locked up for a murder I didn't commit.
Now I have committed a murder, but I've served my time.
That's gotta count for something, don't it? A black 1997 Ford Explorer? Yeah, nothing like it so far.
- Anybody down the garage entrance? - There's a garage? - 'Can I help you? ' - Police.
Open up.
- 'Police? ' - Homicide! Open the damn gate! 'Could you bring some identification? ' No problem! Get away from the safe, Luther! I said get away from the safe! - Ah? See, I'm not playing around now.
- Lewis I'm a good cop, Luther.
I'm a honest cop.
- I've got standards.
- I'm not armed.
- Never beat on a man half your size.
- I'm surrendering.
Never put an ass-whooping on a man unless he got it coming.
- Detective - I'll be beating on you for a while.
- You're crazy.
- Let me ask you something.
No, no, let me tell you something.
I've been a cop for a long time.
The drugs out there, we ain't gonna win that.
There's 100 open-air drug markets in this city, and there's 50,000 drug fiends out there.
And we are taking on human desire with lawyers, and jailhouses and lock-ups, and you and I both know that human desire is kicking us in the ass.
So what I need to know - why couldn't you be happy with just the packages? If it were just slinging drugs, me and you wouldn't be here, would we? But the bodies What about the bodies, Luther? What is up with them? What is up with them? - Seen Lewis from Homicide? - The black guy with the hat? - That's him.
- He's watchin' the garage.
You got half the corners in East Baltimore! You shoot a man for chasing your boys from in front of his place of business! You care more about your ghosts than your money! Now my question to you, where the hell do you carry it? - You want some more? Come on, man! - Bitch! Bitch! Back up! You a good cop now, huh? Huh?! You a good cop? - You're just another ghost.
- Drop it! I'm aiming right at your head, Luther.
Drop the gun! Drop it! Drop it now.
What you gonna do, Detective? Read me my rights? You have the right to remain silent Hey, Luther? Before you die on me I wanna let you know something, yeah? We switched your dope.
Anyone got a problem? No.
Terri? Get an ambulance, and call the duty officer.
It's a police-involved shooting.
What happened? What happened? Luther put a gun on my partner so I lit him up.
Clean shooting, Gee.
- As simple as that? - Yeah.
It's that simple.
Meldrick, you OK with this? You wanna talk it through? Put a shooting team on it, Gee.
We'll give them my report.
- Mike, you wanna talk with someone? - No.
I'm good.
Evidence Evidence Evidence I got him, I got him! Gotta taste for evidence Well, I didn't feel a thing It didn't mean a thing Look in the eye and testify I didn't feel a thing I didn't feel a thing It didn't mean a thing Look in the eye and testify I didn't feel a thing