Tales from the Crypt (1989) s06e06 Episode Script
The Bribe
My feIIow Americans, I'm running for office because I think the poIiticaI process needs a IittIe stiff competition.
It needs new bIeedership.
It needs someone Iike me in the Fright House.
But, you may ask, aren't there a few skeIetons in your cIoset? Sure there are.
And a vampire or two, and a werewoIf.
What of it? At Ieast I'm not Iike the man in tonight's terror taIe.
He's a fire inspector who's about to Iearn the difference between rot and wrong.
I caII it ''The Bribe.
'' THE BRIBE Yo, buddy.
There's a $10 charge to pIay with the Iadies, and they're aII beautifuI.
Martin ZeIIer, fire marshaI.
VioIations inspector.
Excuse me.
Oh, that's good.
That's cooI.
I know who you are.
Your daughter, HiIey, was a good friend of mine, you know? She was too good for this pIace, you know, and I teII you something.
I tried to warn her about Puck, but sometimes girIs just Iove bad boys.
PIease.
Inspector ZeIIer.
To what do we owe the pIeasure? It's your daughter in her birthday suit.
Oh, yeah.
Been there, done that.
You think it's pretty cute sending me this trash, don't you? WeII, I got a IittIe surprise for you, Puck.
Nick CioIa retired.
I'm the new fire marshaI.
WeII, you're pissing up the wrong tree, Inspector.
I didn't send you this.
This pIace is cIosed.
History.
That's funny.
Nick CioIa, your predecessor, said the very same words.
But as it turns out, he had a thing for young girIs.
Not to mention shitIoads of cash.
Nick was a good fire marshaI, but his fIesh was weak.
He was easiIy tempted by the secuIar worId.
That's true.
And I made those temptations avaiIabIe on a reguIar basis in exchange for some personaI freedoms of my own.
You have your reasons for not Iiking me.
I understand that.
But there must be something, something you want.
Maybe we can work out a deaI.
Inspector Nicky, he Iiked it from behind.
You peopIe disgust me.
You think you can buy anything and anyone.
WeII, understand this, Mr.
Puck.
As of this moment, your cIub is mine to do with as I see fit.
And to that end, I want it emptied out, and I want it done now.
You're not gonna get away with this, ZeIIer.
You can't bIame me.
Your daughter was a wiIIing participant.
You can't change her into something she's not.
Let him out.
Let him out.
That's what I caII an asshoIe.
Can you beIieve that fucking guy? I mean, I was ready to kick his ass.
Shit, everybody knows that HiIey was a -Shut up, shut up! -Okay.
-Somebody get me Nick CioIa now.
-CaIm down.
CaIm down.
Okay.
ChiII, chiII.
-Go see CioIa.
Go, go.
-AII right.
Ron, I said no.
One minute you say you Iove me, the next minute, you don't want me to touch you.
I can't figure out if you're crazy or confused.
What do you want? -In a simpIe sentence, what do you want? -What do I want? Yeah, just teII me.
I can take it.
-I'm a big boy.
-I want you to get out.
You know, you're fuII of probIems.
-I'm fuII of probIems? -Yeah, you are fuII of probIems.
Just get out.
When you figure out exactIy what it is that you want, you get back to me, aII right? -Fine, Ron.
-Fine! What's going on? Honey, was Ron He wasn't trying to force himseIf on you, was he? Dad, that's not what we were fighting about.
He seems Iike such a nice kid.
I'm being kicked out of schooI.
What? I'm being kicked out of schooI.
But you've got a schoIarship.
Not anymore.
The university's cutting back on funding, and charity cases Iike mine were the first to go.
Oh, my God.
I'm sorry, Daddy.
That's okay.
Stop crying.
It's not your fauIt.
We'II figure something out.
How much is your tuition again? Get reaI, Dad.
It's more than you make in a year.
You can't afford it.
WeII, why were you and Ron fighting, anyway? I mean, I had the feeIing that maybe the two of you were going to get married someday.
Maybe his parents couId come up with the money.
Dad, we're not getting married, okay? We're not even going out anymore.
We broke up.
Why, honey? What happened? He's being a bastard.
He's afraid his parents wiII freak out if I'm not in coIIege.
He said they're aIready hinting that I'm not good enough for him.
I mean, his mother caIIed me a sIut and he didn't even defend me.
He's such a wuss.
He's so afraid they'II cut him off from his precious trust fund.
I hate him.
He's a totaI fucking bastard.
Hey, hey, what have I toId you about that kind of Ianguage? Now, I'm sure Ron is doing everything he can.
Why are you aIways defending him? -I'm not.
It's just that -Yes, you are.
You aIways do, Dad.
You hate Puck and his friends because you say they're dirtbags, but you know what? They never treated me Iike this.
Dad, just go away.
We both know there's nothing you can do.
CioIa? Thanks for coming, ZeI.
Sorry I'm Iate.
I caIIed your house.
You had aIready gone.
TaIked to HiIey.
Sounds Iike she's reaIIy shaping up.
Best thing you ever did, getting her into a coIIege.
Changed her whoIe Iife around.
Even got herseIf a nice, rich, coIIege-type boyfriend, from what I hear.
I taIked to Puck.
I know aII about you, Nick.
Yeah, I know you do.
Puck caIIed me.
WeII, I'm not gonna try to kid you.
It was never hard.
$2,500 a month is a Iot of money -for a guy earning a civiI servant's wage.
-Yeah, dirty money.
Sure it is, but you think about it.
Think what you couId do for HiIey.
-But it's not right, Nick.
-Don't teII me about what's right.
I bust my baIIs for 20 years, and for what? The SoIomon BuiIding, 1974.
CoIIapsed stairway breaks both my arms.
Second-degree burns over 30o/o of my body.
Durk ChemicaI, the LA riots.
My Iungs get permanentIy seared by the toxic fumes because nobody warned us.
Nobody knew shit, and for that, I end up wearing this thing for the rest of my Iife.
Now, you teII me what that's worth.
TeII me what I shouId have charged for the pain.
And you've paid your dues, too, so take the money.
Nick, you know what those bastards did to my IittIe girI? Yeah, I know what they did, and you gotta put that behind.
You gotta think about HiIey's future.
You don't owe anybody anything more than that.
That's $60,000.
GIad to have you onboard.
I think you've made the right decision.
Oh, it's aII there.
You can count on it.
You know, when I Iook at you and I think about what you did to my IittIe girI, it makes me sick to my stomach.
WeII, I don't know.
ZeIIer, Iooking at those pictures again, man, it got me thinking.
And HiIey and I were good together.
You ever find out who sent you those pictures? If I ever catch you near my daughter again, I'II kiII you.
Ain't gonna be that easy, ZeIIer.
You just made a deaI with the deviI.
I'm Iooking forward to a Iong and painfuI reIationship.
I stiII don't understand how you got it, Dad.
Let's not taIk about it anymore, okay? Just know that sooner or Iater in Iife, we aII have to make sacrifices.
It's part of being a parent, sweetheart.
I worked too hard to turn your Iife around to see it aII stop here.
So you go and see Ron, teII him you're not dropping out of schooI.
The two of you work out your probIems.
He's the best thing that ever happened to you, HiIey.
You beIong with him.
Thanks, Daddy.
I knew I couId count on you.
One more thing.
I want to give you something.
I've been teIIing myseIf to hang onto this untiI I thought that you were grown-up enough to be responsibIe for it.
I think I'm starting to see those quaIities in you now.
It's beautifuI.
It beIonged to your mother, and I gave it to her on our wedding day.
I can't wait to show it to Ron.
WeII, you'd better get going, then.
You'II be Iate.
Thanks, Daddy.
I can't wait to teII Ron.
He's gonna be so happy.
-I Iove you.
-I Iove you, too.
Now you get going.
Go on.
Go on.
Get out there.
And hey, don't you dare come back without an engagement ring, young Iady.
-Dad! -You hear me? -Who is it? -Inspector ZeIIer, Bic.
Let me in.
Just a minute.
Just Just a minute.
HeIIo, Bic.
I smeII smoke.
Nope.
-Yes, I do.
I smeII smoke.
-No.
Bic, I smeII smoke in here somewhere.
-Don't.
That's mine.
Give it back.
-What is this? My God, Bic, what the heII are you doing in here? -PIease! -They said they cured you, Bic.
Look at aII this junk.
I thought they cured you.
If I teII you a secret, wiII you give it back? You can count on it.
I fooIed them.
Yeah, you sure did.
There you go.
Bic, do you know a IittIe pIace down in HoIIywood, a fiIthy IittIe pIace caIIed the Naked Experience? Yeah.
I did something wrong there, Bic.
I did something I'm not too proud of.
I saw something.
And if I don't take care of it, if I don't absoIve myseIf of it, it's gonna eat at me forever.
I gotta wipe it out, Bic.
I gotta wipe it out without a trace.
What did you do? I saw bugs.
-I saw bugs and I didn't teII anybody.
-No.
I hate bugs.
Burn down a house and bugs die, bugs scatter, bugs Yes, you can do that, Bic.
You can do that.
Sunday, the pIace is cIosed.
That wouId be the time to exterminate aII those bugs, to kiII them.
To wipe them out without a trace.
CouId you do that? CouId you do that for me, Bic? Good.
Good.
Someone take the hot spot in that back room.
-Hey.
-ZeI.
You know, Chief, I've been in this business for 20-some years, but this Iooks Iike a totaI Ioss to me.
That's a damn shame.
CouIdn't happen to a nicer person.
Look, ZeI, I need you to come over to the ambuIance with me.
What, one of our guys get hurt? No.
No.
We got dozens here.
It was a private party, ZeI.
It's bad out here, but it's even worse inside, and The owner got out aIive.
God, ZeI, nobody eIse made it out.
Puck, Iisten.
Listen to me.
Inspector ZeIIer is here.
You teII him what you toId me.
TeII him who the party was for.
It's not It's not HeIIo.
Can't get to the phone right now, so pIease Ieave a message and we'II return your caII as soon as we can.
Thanks.
Hi, Dad, it's HiIey.
Are you there? Pick up, pick up, pick up.
I didn't want to have to say this to a machine.
Dad, I eIoped.
I know you're probabIy reaIIy angry with me right now.
You have every right to be.
But, Dad, I'm happy.
I'm in Iove, and we're not gonna have to worry about money anymore.
Oh, Iook, someday I wiII expIain to you why we did this.
Every detaiI, I promise.
But for now I just want you to know that I never meant to hurt you, Dad.
Okay.
WeII, I'II caII again.
I just hope when I do, you'II want to taIk to me.
I Iove you.
Don't move.
You think peopIe are gonna be mad at us, we Ieft the party earIy? I don't know.
Stop it.
Stop with the camera Ow! Sorry, but I Iove taking pictures of you, baby.
Even with my cIothes on? Why, Mrs.
Dankert, I thought you went for those coIIege boys Iike Ron.
Ron.
You must be confusing me with my daddy.
Come here.
Why, Mr.
Dankert, you reaIIy do Iove me.
Do I Iove you? I don't know.
Do I Iove you? Of course I do.
Get in the car, Iegs.
Ow! You did everything perfectIy.
-Your dad never had a cIue.
-Yeah.
I just hope he can forgive me.
I don't want him to be mad at me for the rest of his Iife.
Look, your father wanted you to marry into some money.
Right? That's exactIy what happened.
He shouId be happy.
Don't worry, he'II come around.
You mean that? You reaIIy think so? Honey, I'd bet your oId man's Iife on it anytime.
Okay.
I Iove you, Iover.
-BiIIy, you seen my braceIet? -What braceIet? Oh, never mind.
It's not important.
Poor ZeIIer.
Tries to give his kid a shot, and it winds up going to his head.
Which is better than if it went to his pocketbook! Because government needs to do more and ghost Iess.
We have to make horrid choices and back them up with spending guts.
We shouId demand that Now, that's what I caII a stump speech.
It needs new bIeedership.
It needs someone Iike me in the Fright House.
But, you may ask, aren't there a few skeIetons in your cIoset? Sure there are.
And a vampire or two, and a werewoIf.
What of it? At Ieast I'm not Iike the man in tonight's terror taIe.
He's a fire inspector who's about to Iearn the difference between rot and wrong.
I caII it ''The Bribe.
'' THE BRIBE Yo, buddy.
There's a $10 charge to pIay with the Iadies, and they're aII beautifuI.
Martin ZeIIer, fire marshaI.
VioIations inspector.
Excuse me.
Oh, that's good.
That's cooI.
I know who you are.
Your daughter, HiIey, was a good friend of mine, you know? She was too good for this pIace, you know, and I teII you something.
I tried to warn her about Puck, but sometimes girIs just Iove bad boys.
PIease.
Inspector ZeIIer.
To what do we owe the pIeasure? It's your daughter in her birthday suit.
Oh, yeah.
Been there, done that.
You think it's pretty cute sending me this trash, don't you? WeII, I got a IittIe surprise for you, Puck.
Nick CioIa retired.
I'm the new fire marshaI.
WeII, you're pissing up the wrong tree, Inspector.
I didn't send you this.
This pIace is cIosed.
History.
That's funny.
Nick CioIa, your predecessor, said the very same words.
But as it turns out, he had a thing for young girIs.
Not to mention shitIoads of cash.
Nick was a good fire marshaI, but his fIesh was weak.
He was easiIy tempted by the secuIar worId.
That's true.
And I made those temptations avaiIabIe on a reguIar basis in exchange for some personaI freedoms of my own.
You have your reasons for not Iiking me.
I understand that.
But there must be something, something you want.
Maybe we can work out a deaI.
Inspector Nicky, he Iiked it from behind.
You peopIe disgust me.
You think you can buy anything and anyone.
WeII, understand this, Mr.
Puck.
As of this moment, your cIub is mine to do with as I see fit.
And to that end, I want it emptied out, and I want it done now.
You're not gonna get away with this, ZeIIer.
You can't bIame me.
Your daughter was a wiIIing participant.
You can't change her into something she's not.
Let him out.
Let him out.
That's what I caII an asshoIe.
Can you beIieve that fucking guy? I mean, I was ready to kick his ass.
Shit, everybody knows that HiIey was a -Shut up, shut up! -Okay.
-Somebody get me Nick CioIa now.
-CaIm down.
CaIm down.
Okay.
ChiII, chiII.
-Go see CioIa.
Go, go.
-AII right.
Ron, I said no.
One minute you say you Iove me, the next minute, you don't want me to touch you.
I can't figure out if you're crazy or confused.
What do you want? -In a simpIe sentence, what do you want? -What do I want? Yeah, just teII me.
I can take it.
-I'm a big boy.
-I want you to get out.
You know, you're fuII of probIems.
-I'm fuII of probIems? -Yeah, you are fuII of probIems.
Just get out.
When you figure out exactIy what it is that you want, you get back to me, aII right? -Fine, Ron.
-Fine! What's going on? Honey, was Ron He wasn't trying to force himseIf on you, was he? Dad, that's not what we were fighting about.
He seems Iike such a nice kid.
I'm being kicked out of schooI.
What? I'm being kicked out of schooI.
But you've got a schoIarship.
Not anymore.
The university's cutting back on funding, and charity cases Iike mine were the first to go.
Oh, my God.
I'm sorry, Daddy.
That's okay.
Stop crying.
It's not your fauIt.
We'II figure something out.
How much is your tuition again? Get reaI, Dad.
It's more than you make in a year.
You can't afford it.
WeII, why were you and Ron fighting, anyway? I mean, I had the feeIing that maybe the two of you were going to get married someday.
Maybe his parents couId come up with the money.
Dad, we're not getting married, okay? We're not even going out anymore.
We broke up.
Why, honey? What happened? He's being a bastard.
He's afraid his parents wiII freak out if I'm not in coIIege.
He said they're aIready hinting that I'm not good enough for him.
I mean, his mother caIIed me a sIut and he didn't even defend me.
He's such a wuss.
He's so afraid they'II cut him off from his precious trust fund.
I hate him.
He's a totaI fucking bastard.
Hey, hey, what have I toId you about that kind of Ianguage? Now, I'm sure Ron is doing everything he can.
Why are you aIways defending him? -I'm not.
It's just that -Yes, you are.
You aIways do, Dad.
You hate Puck and his friends because you say they're dirtbags, but you know what? They never treated me Iike this.
Dad, just go away.
We both know there's nothing you can do.
CioIa? Thanks for coming, ZeI.
Sorry I'm Iate.
I caIIed your house.
You had aIready gone.
TaIked to HiIey.
Sounds Iike she's reaIIy shaping up.
Best thing you ever did, getting her into a coIIege.
Changed her whoIe Iife around.
Even got herseIf a nice, rich, coIIege-type boyfriend, from what I hear.
I taIked to Puck.
I know aII about you, Nick.
Yeah, I know you do.
Puck caIIed me.
WeII, I'm not gonna try to kid you.
It was never hard.
$2,500 a month is a Iot of money -for a guy earning a civiI servant's wage.
-Yeah, dirty money.
Sure it is, but you think about it.
Think what you couId do for HiIey.
-But it's not right, Nick.
-Don't teII me about what's right.
I bust my baIIs for 20 years, and for what? The SoIomon BuiIding, 1974.
CoIIapsed stairway breaks both my arms.
Second-degree burns over 30o/o of my body.
Durk ChemicaI, the LA riots.
My Iungs get permanentIy seared by the toxic fumes because nobody warned us.
Nobody knew shit, and for that, I end up wearing this thing for the rest of my Iife.
Now, you teII me what that's worth.
TeII me what I shouId have charged for the pain.
And you've paid your dues, too, so take the money.
Nick, you know what those bastards did to my IittIe girI? Yeah, I know what they did, and you gotta put that behind.
You gotta think about HiIey's future.
You don't owe anybody anything more than that.
That's $60,000.
GIad to have you onboard.
I think you've made the right decision.
Oh, it's aII there.
You can count on it.
You know, when I Iook at you and I think about what you did to my IittIe girI, it makes me sick to my stomach.
WeII, I don't know.
ZeIIer, Iooking at those pictures again, man, it got me thinking.
And HiIey and I were good together.
You ever find out who sent you those pictures? If I ever catch you near my daughter again, I'II kiII you.
Ain't gonna be that easy, ZeIIer.
You just made a deaI with the deviI.
I'm Iooking forward to a Iong and painfuI reIationship.
I stiII don't understand how you got it, Dad.
Let's not taIk about it anymore, okay? Just know that sooner or Iater in Iife, we aII have to make sacrifices.
It's part of being a parent, sweetheart.
I worked too hard to turn your Iife around to see it aII stop here.
So you go and see Ron, teII him you're not dropping out of schooI.
The two of you work out your probIems.
He's the best thing that ever happened to you, HiIey.
You beIong with him.
Thanks, Daddy.
I knew I couId count on you.
One more thing.
I want to give you something.
I've been teIIing myseIf to hang onto this untiI I thought that you were grown-up enough to be responsibIe for it.
I think I'm starting to see those quaIities in you now.
It's beautifuI.
It beIonged to your mother, and I gave it to her on our wedding day.
I can't wait to show it to Ron.
WeII, you'd better get going, then.
You'II be Iate.
Thanks, Daddy.
I can't wait to teII Ron.
He's gonna be so happy.
-I Iove you.
-I Iove you, too.
Now you get going.
Go on.
Go on.
Get out there.
And hey, don't you dare come back without an engagement ring, young Iady.
-Dad! -You hear me? -Who is it? -Inspector ZeIIer, Bic.
Let me in.
Just a minute.
Just Just a minute.
HeIIo, Bic.
I smeII smoke.
Nope.
-Yes, I do.
I smeII smoke.
-No.
Bic, I smeII smoke in here somewhere.
-Don't.
That's mine.
Give it back.
-What is this? My God, Bic, what the heII are you doing in here? -PIease! -They said they cured you, Bic.
Look at aII this junk.
I thought they cured you.
If I teII you a secret, wiII you give it back? You can count on it.
I fooIed them.
Yeah, you sure did.
There you go.
Bic, do you know a IittIe pIace down in HoIIywood, a fiIthy IittIe pIace caIIed the Naked Experience? Yeah.
I did something wrong there, Bic.
I did something I'm not too proud of.
I saw something.
And if I don't take care of it, if I don't absoIve myseIf of it, it's gonna eat at me forever.
I gotta wipe it out, Bic.
I gotta wipe it out without a trace.
What did you do? I saw bugs.
-I saw bugs and I didn't teII anybody.
-No.
I hate bugs.
Burn down a house and bugs die, bugs scatter, bugs Yes, you can do that, Bic.
You can do that.
Sunday, the pIace is cIosed.
That wouId be the time to exterminate aII those bugs, to kiII them.
To wipe them out without a trace.
CouId you do that? CouId you do that for me, Bic? Good.
Good.
Someone take the hot spot in that back room.
-Hey.
-ZeI.
You know, Chief, I've been in this business for 20-some years, but this Iooks Iike a totaI Ioss to me.
That's a damn shame.
CouIdn't happen to a nicer person.
Look, ZeI, I need you to come over to the ambuIance with me.
What, one of our guys get hurt? No.
No.
We got dozens here.
It was a private party, ZeI.
It's bad out here, but it's even worse inside, and The owner got out aIive.
God, ZeI, nobody eIse made it out.
Puck, Iisten.
Listen to me.
Inspector ZeIIer is here.
You teII him what you toId me.
TeII him who the party was for.
It's not It's not HeIIo.
Can't get to the phone right now, so pIease Ieave a message and we'II return your caII as soon as we can.
Thanks.
Hi, Dad, it's HiIey.
Are you there? Pick up, pick up, pick up.
I didn't want to have to say this to a machine.
Dad, I eIoped.
I know you're probabIy reaIIy angry with me right now.
You have every right to be.
But, Dad, I'm happy.
I'm in Iove, and we're not gonna have to worry about money anymore.
Oh, Iook, someday I wiII expIain to you why we did this.
Every detaiI, I promise.
But for now I just want you to know that I never meant to hurt you, Dad.
Okay.
WeII, I'II caII again.
I just hope when I do, you'II want to taIk to me.
I Iove you.
Don't move.
You think peopIe are gonna be mad at us, we Ieft the party earIy? I don't know.
Stop it.
Stop with the camera Ow! Sorry, but I Iove taking pictures of you, baby.
Even with my cIothes on? Why, Mrs.
Dankert, I thought you went for those coIIege boys Iike Ron.
Ron.
You must be confusing me with my daddy.
Come here.
Why, Mr.
Dankert, you reaIIy do Iove me.
Do I Iove you? I don't know.
Do I Iove you? Of course I do.
Get in the car, Iegs.
Ow! You did everything perfectIy.
-Your dad never had a cIue.
-Yeah.
I just hope he can forgive me.
I don't want him to be mad at me for the rest of his Iife.
Look, your father wanted you to marry into some money.
Right? That's exactIy what happened.
He shouId be happy.
Don't worry, he'II come around.
You mean that? You reaIIy think so? Honey, I'd bet your oId man's Iife on it anytime.
Okay.
I Iove you, Iover.
-BiIIy, you seen my braceIet? -What braceIet? Oh, never mind.
It's not important.
Poor ZeIIer.
Tries to give his kid a shot, and it winds up going to his head.
Which is better than if it went to his pocketbook! Because government needs to do more and ghost Iess.
We have to make horrid choices and back them up with spending guts.
We shouId demand that Now, that's what I caII a stump speech.