T.J. Hooker (1982) s04e15 Episode Script

(upbeat music) (smooth jazz music) - [Vince.]
You're about as talkative as a brick wall this morning.
Something bugging you? - (laughs) I'm sorry, Junior.
I didn't know the sound of my voice was so soothing to you.
- Look, I know that you and Lt.
Merrit don't exactly get along, and it's eating at you that we're on standby for his narco operation, but maybe you oughta be a tad more diplomatic when you deal with him and his troops.
I mean, I hear he's got heavy pull downtown.
- Ah, Merrit's just a little to anxious to climb the department ladder for my money.
- Yeah, he's got a pound of ambition, that's for sure.
- Well there's nothing wrong with ambition if you don't leave footprints on people on your way to getting where you're going.
- Merrit's detectives are going after some hot Vegas money, huh? - Yeah, Vice picked up word that a player's coming in from Vegas to set up a dope for a cash exchange out of a condo that's a front for a call-girl operation.
(radio beeps) - [Control On Radio.]
4 Adam 30, meet Lt.
Merrit, Administrative Narcotics, at the predesignated Code 5 location regarding the Vegas narcotics suspect.
Code 2.
- Tell 'em we're on it.
- That's a roger, control.
- 4 Adam 16, rolling back up to 30.
(suspenseful music) (dramatic music on TV) - Cigarette? (tires screeching on TV) (tires screeching on TV) (knocking) - Miss April sends coffee.
- Thank you, put it on the balcony.
- Oh.
- [Man On TV.]
Why don't you look where you're goin'? - [Man On TV.]
Take it easy.
- [Man On TV.]
Take it easy? Look at my car! I just got a new paint job, 200 bucks! I ought to drag you-- (suspenseful music) - So when is this deal supposed to go down? - As soon as the buyer shows.
Anything yet, Lt.
Merrit? We're in position outside April DeMarco's condo.
- Nothing so far.
- Is that Garris? - That's the room the Vegas dealer's supposed to be in? - [T.
J.
On Radio.]
Heads up, Lt.
Merrit.
Possible money man just arrived.
He's wearing a light sport coat.
He's carrying a leather attache case.
Looks like our buyer.
(elevator dings) (knocking) - Merrit here.
Our player with money just showed.
We're taking up positions.
(dramatic music) All units stand by.
- Roger.
- 10 keys, 800 thou.
- Going in.
Police! Freeze! (upbeat music) - No, no, I'm pregnant! I, no, oh, no.
(crying) Oh, my baby, my baby.
No, oh.
- Hooker, he's coming your way.
He's got a hostage.
- Set, Merrit.
- Nothing, oh, no.
- Hold it! - I won't tell anyone.
- Police! - No, I, no.
Oh, oh.
(car engine starts) (tires squeal) - Corrigan, coming at you with a hostage.
(tires squeal) (tires squeal) (tires screeching) (tires screeching) (siren wailing) (tires screeching) - Oh, oh, oh, my baby.
I, oh, I.
(tires squeal) (engine revs and tires squeal) - Put the phone down.
Put it down, April! - Sure.
Sure thing.
How can I help you gentleman? - We just busted one of your girls down the hall, and you're looking at prison if you're part of the drug deal that just went down.
(smooth jazz music) - Right this way, right this way.
Could you open up for us please? - What's goin' on? - Just hold on.
- Amelia.
(speaking foreign language) - Si.
(speaking foreign language) - Wait, wait.
What's going on here? What are you telling her? - That you know that law, that you can help her.
- What? - That you know the law-- - I heard what you, look, hey, I just started studying.
- Hey, Romano, we don't have time for you to get a degree.
You see, Amelia's husband entered this country illegally and forced her to go along.
- So she's in this country illegally.
- Right.
(crying) Oh, hey, I, I'm sorry, (speaking foreign language).
It's the law.
- Listen, listen, her husband was killed in a car accident.
She got a job, maid's job, at April DeMarco's.
Then we raided the place.
I mean, she's asking for our help.
- (sighs) Did Narcotics notify Immigration? - Yeah, but if they deport her now she doesn't even have enough money to cover the medical cost of having the baby.
- So you wanna find a way to have her stick around long enough to have the kid here.
- Right.
- And that would make her baby a US citizen.
- Si, a citizen, US citizen.
- Oh, boy, hm-hmm.
- You sent for me, Lieutenant? - Yeah, I did, Hooker.
Come on in.
We just finished tossing April DeMarco's condo.
She put together quite an operation the last six months.
- Yeah, so you told me, when you asked for backup for the raid.
- Yeah.
Well one of the ways that April found to come up with a few extra bucks was to make videocassettes of her wealthy tricks with her girls.
- Blackmail, you mean.
- Uh-huh.
Names, dates, sexual preference.
The girls got carried away with all that happy electronic gear.
Started videotaping everything.
Right off the bat, came up with this.
(clears throat) Now April we all seem to know.
- I have a lucky number.
- The blonde's name is Karen Wilkins.
She's a stand-up prosty down from Reno.
- It means I pay cops, one cop really.
And you girls don't go to jail.
- [Karen.]
A vice cop on your payroll? - He doesn't work vice anymore, but he has friends all over.
I know who Vice is looking for, where, and how.
- Sounds good, but a little too familiar.
Then Vice breaks down my door, and I got six months to do my nails and write tons of letters.
What's the lucky number? - One-one-five.
It's his badge number.
- [Karen.]
Hey.
- Well, that's a lie.
- She gave that girl my badge number so she could convince her that she could work here without getting busted.
- Uh-uh, Hooker.
We ran the entire tape.
She names the motel that you live in, the car you drive.
- You're kidding.
- That your ex-wife and kid live outta town, and a whole lot more.
- Come on.
- How does she know that, Hooker.
- Lieutenant! You're asking Hooker to tell you what goes on in somebody else's mind.
In a court of law-- - We're not in a court of law, Romano! And we don't need any clubhouse lawyers in here.
So as I said, Hooker, uh, you have any answers? - No, I don't have any information on that.
But I'll tell you it's all part of the same lie.
Did you question her? - Yeah, but I haven't been able to get a word out of her if it's any consolation to you.
- No, it's no consolation.
What kind of questions did you ask her? - I don't have any choice.
Look, I'm acting under direct orders from your chief! Now until this is resolved one way or the other, you're assigned to your place of residence during duty hours.
Now you're not suspended.
You don't have to give up your gun or your badge.
- That's enough.
I know the drill as well as you do.
- Hey, Hooker.
I'm really sorry.
- Yeah.
Well, there's gonna be a hell of a lot more people sorry before this is over.
- Romano.
Internal Affairs would like to see you in the morning.
- Well it looks like Internal Affairs couldn't wait, right, Fallon? - Just getting started, Hooker.
Nothing interesting in your locker so far.
You know, I'm kinda glad we got your case.
You're always the white knight.
I never did believe in white knights.
- Right.
Well you have a chance to put another notch on your gun belt, right, Fallon? Another cop, fired or jailed.
No wonder you were so eager.
- You're taking this very personal, Hooker.
This man is taking this very personal.
- How is this not-- - This is not personal! I guess they haven't tied you into the dope they found in the place.
- Watch what you say.
- Maybe we can help tie you into that, too.
But for right now, we wanna take you over to your place and search it.
- What if I say no? - Oh, you're through saying no, hotshot! And if you refuse to accede, you'll be suspended for failure to cooperate! - Look, you can own me from nine o'clock tomorrow morning but right now I'm leaving.
- No, no, we own you from here on in, Hooker.
Until you hit the bricks without a badge or the joint without a prayer.
Oof! - Come on, come on, come on! - Hey, Hooker, come on.
Come on.
- All right, Hooker.
You just put another nail in the coffin.
(dramatic music) - They're gonna hang you.
They shredded me.
- They got some help building the gallows.
And it gets better.
I got a call.
The DA's office is arraigning me this afternoon.
Five counts, bribery, corruption.
- This is turning into a nightmare.
You've gotta do something to help yourself.
- I gotta get some air.
I'm going to Las Vegas.
- But they're gonna arraign you.
- 15 minutes in court and they'll O.
R.
me.
And April's getting out on bail in a couple hours.
I'm gonna meet her tonight.
- Hey, Hooker.
Isn't meeting her in Vegas gonna make matters worse for you? - It can't be helped.
- I hope you know what you're doing.
- I gotta get going.
- Hooker.
They're saying if you knew about prostitution at April's place, maybe you knew about narcotics deals there, too.
- I thought they might say something like that.
I'll see if I can call you.
- There's Romano.
You get a chance to talk to Hooker? - (sighs) Just for a minute before he went into IA.
- I called him at home last night.
He said he was sorry to cause a lot of problems for us but it couldn't be helped.
- April's coming out on bail and he's meeting her in Vegas.
- The DA agreed to a smaller bail, because, uh, she's cooperating.
- You mean she's talking? - She told the DA that Hooker was taking $500 a week from her in bribe money, that she's known him for years, and that she was first intimate with him when she was 19.
(upbeat music) (knocking) (suspenseful music) - How's New York, Mr.
Castle? - New York's fine.
What's the latest on Hooker and April? - She's back in Vegas.
Hooker's on his way.
Paper's right here.
- Wow.
- Hooker's digging his own grave.
- It looks that way.
He's known April a long time.
He helped her when she first got busted.
They've kept in touch ever since.
- You figure she'll be waiting for him a the airport? - Why not? We'll find out.
If Hooker is washed up, if he's looking at jail, the Syndicate can use him.
Otherwise we bury Hooker and April.
(smooth jazz music) - I tried to call your room and tell you that the raid had to go down then.
But your line was busy.
It worked out all right, though.
- It did? They wrecked my place and your narcotics squad thinks they're gonna put me away for 100 years.
That's the way you planned it? - Government planned it.
With my help.
Castle's moving back into California.
He tried it once before, but we bloodied his nose for him.
I was working Administrative Narcotics and your dad was working Vegas PD Narcotics at the same time.
- Suppose I said I wanted out? - Just like that? - You mean what about my dad? In my whole childhood I saw my father a grand total of one, maybe two years.
The rest was phone calls and post cards.
Is that any reason to get killed by the Mob? - Well, I don't know.
Most of his life he was a pretty damn good cop.
- You're a terrific cop, Hooker.
I'm not anxious to die with you either.
(dramatic music) (car engine starts) - I wanna know if anybody follows him.
Don't do anything but keep track.
Okay? Get started.
(upbeat music) - Tough time for you to come back home.
- When was there an easy time? What exactly comes next? - Well I spend as much time as necessary to convince Castle and the Mob that I'm a bad cop.
Drinking and gambling and writing checks that bounce.
- As, and anything that I can do to contribute to that effect you'd appreciate.
- That's the general idea.
- I don't find it that tough playing your girlfriend, but I was always good at role-playing.
- I think you're too tough on yourself.
- I know how you felt about my father.
I figure I gain some good will just by being his daughter.
I guess, you know how I got into hooking, but you never turned your back on me.
- Well, April, I've seen you rolling around in a custom Mercedes, when you couldn't finance a jailhouse phone call.
And you never whined or complained or blamed somebody else.
I found that admirable.
- Thanks, Hooker.
(upbeat music) (smooth jazz music and crowd murmuring) - Okay, guess who's on it again.
Oh, my hand is hot, here we go! - [Man.]
Hey! - All right and it's seven! (people cheering) I'll try it again, pay up, let's go, let's go.
All right, ready, and here we go.
Oh! - Oh! (upbeat music) (people murmuring) - Come over here.
What number, love? - Hmm, play red.
(cheering) (smooth jazz music) (upbeat music) - I'll be here for a while.
This is their joint.
- I'll be at home.
Good luck.
- I don't need luck, I got you.
- [April.]
Hmm.
(smooth jazz music) - Place your bets, ladies and gentlemen.
Place your bets please.
Place your bets.
- Plays? - 25,000 plays, Mr.
Hooker.
Cards, please.
Turning for the players.
A natural nine.
There will be no more cards.
Turning for the bank.
A natural eight.
The players win with a nine over eight.
Mr.
Hooker wins and is the new banker.
- He's got 50,000 bucks in front of him now.
- What'd he start with? - Chicken feed, 400 or 500.
But he handles himself very well, Mr.
Castle.
He's taken a meal a the table and he's started to watch his drinking.
He's cool.
- He was always cool for a cop, I'll give him that.
- He looks like he's having a good time.
- His luck won't hold.
I thought I told you to keep outta sight.
- Hey, I can't live in a hotel room.
Look, I've got an obligation to you, Mr.
Castle.
Hooker and his narco cop buddies grabbed our dope.
- Take it slowly, Jack.
I just gotta find out for sure why he's out here in Vegas.
- Place your bets, ladies and gentlemen.
Place your bets please.
Bets please, ladies and gentlemen, place your bets.
Card please.
(motorcycle approaching) - [Merrit.]
I met with Hooker tonight and I gave him a kilo of heroin.
He asked me to tell you that he's going undercover in Vegas.
- You mean that whole business in this office was to establish Hooker as a corrupt cop? - Of course.
In the eyes of the department and the media.
But I guess he felt he'd put you people through enough already.
- Aw, hell.
He caught that plane knowing that I wasn't sure about him anymore.
- That's the way you go undercover, Vince.
You tell nobody.
And if something goes wrong, nobody in high places ever heard of you.
- Are you saying if Hooker got killed in Vegas he'd go out as a bad cop, dirty? - Maybe not quite that definite, but there'd always be a question mark behind his name.
- He's too good a cop for that.
- On the other hand, if he pulls it off, he's a hero.
I guess we'd better get outta here.
- Jim.
I've been thinkin' about that Mexican girl's case.
I got a coupla my buddies in law classes who are INS agents.
I'll check with them, let you know what I find out.
- You better make lightning strike soon, buddy.
Immigration people called to check on poor Amelia today and she thinks they're lookin' to ship her home any minute.
(smooth jazz music) - [T.
J.
.]
I love your house.
It's too bad you haven't had a chance to spend much time here.
- [April.]
I know, it's good to be home.
(car approaching) - Get back in the house.
(suspenseful music) - You go quietly now, hotshot, and we'll give the girl a pass.
What's your game, Hooker? You gonna tell us, or do we get rough? - [T.
J.
.]
Back off.
- [Sheehan.]
You know writing bad checks isn't that smart.
- [T.
J.
.]
One bad check, that's all.
Before that I was winning.
- [Sheehan.]
And then you lost big.
You owe us money, friend.
On your knees.
Come on, what are you up to? - I'll make the check good.
- Forget about the check now, Hooker.
Who are you working with? - If it's the FBI, they wrote you off, Hooker.
They're nowhere around! Is it the FBI? (gun clicks and men laughing) (grunts) - [Sheehan.]
Oh! (upbeat music) (grunting) - Ah! (punch landing) Ah! Ooh! - Tell Tommy Castle here's some of his dope.
Tell him T.
J.
Hooker sends his regards! (suspenseful music) - That's my dope, or at least part of it.
- He was out here.
I put the .
38 on him, and there was no one around to help him.
- He's crazy.
- Maybe he's crazy, maybe he's not.
Hell, I was wrong about him 10 years ago and I can't afford to be wrong about him again.
Let's go.
(door opens and closes) (tender music) (laughing) - God, Hooker, I thought they'd killed you.
- They bought it.
The sting is in.
- Oh, hah-hah.
Hooker, I was scared as hell for you out there.
Is this thing gonna be over soon? - I don't know.
Castle may be getting the okay from the other Syndicate family members before he approaches me.
- Look, why don't you take this just in case.
It belonged to Dad.
He gave it to me before he died.
- Thank you, April.
Beautiful country.
Must've been great growing up here.
- Not bad.
I was a good kid back then.
Very quiet.
- You, quiet? - (laughs) Well, okay, I was medium quiet.
You know, there was the good and the bad.
It was good that I was a cop's daughter and my mother a showgirl.
It was bad that she could never talk the cop into marrying her.
Come on, let's go back, I'll get you breakfast.
- All I want is a cup of black coffee.
- Well, that's breakfast in Vegas.
(laughs) - Hodges, FBI.
He's here to go over the rest of the scam we're running on Castle.
- [Stacy.]
What's that? - It's the Bill of Rights in Spanish.
Right, Amelia? - Si, yes, for my son.
(Jim chuckles) - Your son, huh? - Si, mi hijo.
Gracias para todo.
- Hey, I just talked to my friends in the INS.
They are going to arrange a hearing in the federal commissioner's office and Amelia can't be deported before the hearing.
- Terrific.
What are you gonna tell 'im at the hearing? - I got the hearing, didn't I? - Yeah, but what are you gonna tell 'im? - By the time we get there I'll think of something.
Trust me.
- Look, Mr.
Hodges, Hooker and I are dealing with cold, bad people.
We'll only be in Vegas a few days, but I have to live out the rest of my life somewhere.
- Now, the Mob is primarily interested in Hooker.
- You weren't here when they came after him.
Look, when you people came to me six months ago and you told me that you had finally connected the death of my father with Castle I didn't ask a lot of questions.
- And the Government appreciates that.
- Oh, terrific, and you guys can't keep giving me bits and pieces.
I want the whole story.
- All right.
me half a million dollars to help the Mob set up a narcotics empire in Southern California.
He was willing to buy me, buy the Government, buy the Vegas PD-- - And that's when you came to my dad.
- That's right.
You're dad and I set up a narcotics conspiracy case that sent Castle to the federal pen.
- Now Castle is on parole from that conviction now.
When Hooker arrests him for trying to bribe a police officer Federal Parole will violate him.
He'll go back to prison for 40 years.
- When this thing is over I want another name and another identity.
- What about another life? - (chuckles) Yeah, why not? (suspenseful music) - Place your bets please, ladies and gentlemen.
Place your bets.
Place your bets please, ladies and gentlemen.
Cards please.
Turning for the players.
Players have a natural nine.
No more cards.
Turning for the bank.
Bank has a natural eight.
The players win with a nine over eight.
Sorry, Mr.
Hooker.
Lose again.
(phone ringing) - Coming, Hooker.
Hold your horses.
Hello.
- Hi.
Still waiting for them to make their move.
You all right? - Just a little nervous, wondering when you're coming home.
- Don't plan a big dinner.
- Well I thought maybe we'd (gasps).
- April.
- Ah.
- April.
Yesterday wasn't enough fun for you? - Castle wants to talk to you.
- I wanna talk to him.
- I'm sure you do.
Let's go.
(upbeat music) - Long time since our last meeting.
(suspenseful music) - Now he's clean, Mr.
Castle.
- Get him outta here.
- What are you talking about copper, I-- - Anything you have to say to me, anything I have to say to you is between the two of us.
- All right, beat it.
What do you really want? I know you came to Vegas to see me.
- You go that all wrong.
I came here to see April.
- I don't believe that.
That you could care about a cheap prostitute that I first turned out myself.
- What have you done with April? - What makes you think I've got her? - You give me your word here and now that nothing happens to her or so help me your life is over.
I'll kill you myself! - You be straight with me and I'll be straight with you.
What do you want? - The Mob is coming back to California in narcotics.
- You're a washed-up cop, maybe goin' to jail.
How can you help me? - I've got contacts.
I can help you with information on the Oriental and Hispanic drug dealers.
I can help you take over statewide.
- What do you want out of it? - A quarter, 25%.
- Impossible.
A tenth maybe, and I couldn't even agree to it myself.
I don't even know if the families will believe that you can do it.
- What'll it take to convince them? - That you still have the contacts in the department.
In the narcotics and organized crime bureaus.
- I've got 'em.
I'm got 'em all.
I have a way of getting nine more keys of your heroin back to you.
- I don't believe it.
- I gave you one to prove that I could do it.
If we go to California, I can make a deal for all of it.
- Okay, me and you have a deal.
We'll do it tomorrow.
Come on.
(suspenseful music) jaw, threw me on a plane.
It's not gonna happen again.
When this is over, I keep my promise.
But she stays here in Vegas, and you stay in Vegas, too.
And if you don't deliver like you said, nobody'll ever want to go to bed with her again.
Not for money.
Not for anything.
Now the deal goes down tomorrow in Nevada, not California.
- All right.
I'll deliver.
Here in Vegas.
(smooth jazz music) - [Jim.]
And? - And the law says the INS will not enforce departure until two months of the birth of the child.
- You mean if Amelia's seven months along she's home free? Hey, could you let us in please? - And they also won't enforce departure until two months after she has the kid.
- That sounds good.
So what's the next step? - Okay, establish the date, hi, Amelia, that she got pregnant, where, and by whom.
- Amelia (speaking foreign language).
- Ah.
(speaking foreign language) (gasps) Oh.
- You gonna be all right? - Hey, hey, I think she's gonna be fine.
(Amelia exhales and Jim chuckles) (phone rings) - Hello? Are you still in Vegas? - Yeah, I am, and I'm gonna need you to fly up here.
Lt.
Merrit will arrange emergency time off for you.
- Okay.
How are you? - I'm fine, but I don't have much time.
Flight 116 gets in here at noon.
Lt.
Merrit will give you a piece of luggage.
He'll also give you a location and brief you on what I need.
- This whole thing is going down in Vegas.
- That's right, and I need you and Jim and Vince.
- Okay, you got it.
- Tell Lt.
Merrit that everything is going as planned, but I had to surrender my gun and badge when I was arraigned.
I'll need a gun up here, just in case.
- See you soon.
- [T.
J.
On Phone.]
Hang tough.
- Bye.
(suspenseful music) (tense music) - Mr.
Castle's received an okay from his people.
There's 100,000 in here for running expenses.
Everything you asked for? - Where's April? - When we get the heroin and verify its contents, Mr.
Castle turns her loose.
- Castle and me, we had a deal.
You understand that? Now I'm going in there to pick up the package.
When I come out, April better be waiting for me.
(airplane engine whining) We're close.
Hand this case over to Castle and his people and we have the elements of a bribery and narcotics conspiracy.
- Okay.
Well, I'll help you get April out alive.
- I'm countin' on ya.
I get her clear, we make the bust.
- He wants the girl now.
- Don't rip me off.
- No way, copper.
(upbeat music) (automatic weapon firing) (guns firing and bullets ricocheting) (engine revving and tires squealing) - [Jim.]
All right, cuff those guys.
- [Vince.]
Do I gotta cuff 'em? - [Jim.]
Put your hands behind your heads.
- [Vince.]
Do it! (tires squealing) (tires squealing and engine revving) (tires squealing) (engines revving) - Okay, Hooker, you had your way too long.
But before we're through I'm gonna ground you into the dirt myself.
(engine revving) (tires screeching) (gun firing and bullets ricocheting) - Freeze! (breathing heavily) You wanted it all, didn't you, Castle? - You can't stand up, you're goin' down, Hooker.
- You hired a hit man to run over April's father.
When her mother died, you made a prostitute out of her daughter.
- She wanted it.
It was easy for her.
- No! You fed her booze and pills until she didn't know what she was doing.
It was all part of your revenge.
- So what? You wanted to destroy me.
- I have destroyed you.
(dramatic music) Move.
Move! Move! Come on! Move it! Move, move, move! - Hey, Hooker, you finally decided to come back to work, huh? How's April.
- Oh, she's gonna be fine.
I spent a lot of time with her and her doctor before I flew down last night.
Where's Jim and Vince? - They had an order to bring Amelia into court today.
I think they just left, but they'll be back soon.
- Who's Amelia? - I forgot you were away while everything's been happening.
- Welcome back, Hooker.
We, uh, all wanted to be here for the occasion.
- Good.
Fallon, I still feel bad about that punch.
- Hell, I still feel pain in my jaw now and then where it landed.
Congratulations on a terrific job.
- Hey, Hooker.
You have no idea what we all went through.
- Yes, I do, and I'm sorry there was only one way to get the job done.
- You and Jim are back from court already? - Matter of fact we never got there.
Amelia wasn't just seven-months pregnant.
You guys got a minute? - Who is Amelia? (baby crying) Oh.
- Not my first delivery either (laughs).
- [Vince.]
What are you gonna call him, Amelia? - James Vincent Rodriguez.
(laughing) - We did it, huh? - It was beautiful.
(baby crying) - This really is a welcome back, Hooker.
(tender music) - So you're Amelia.
(baby screeches) (laughing) What do ya say, fella? Hmm? (upbeat music)