Homicide: Life on the Street s04e01 Episode Script

Fire, Part 1

- I don't think it's funny.
- You don't? No I don't.
There's a national convention of policemen, law enforcement officers and a hundred New York City cops run amok in the hotel mooning tourists and squirting each other with fire extinguishers.
A hundred New York City cops and two homicide detectives from Baltimore.
Felton in nothing but party hat and holster.
And Bolander running from the bellhops with his pants around his ankles.
You don't think that's funny? Wish I'd been there.
Why? Get suspended for 22 weeks like Beau and Stan? a number like 22 weeks? Who else? Bosses.
Now, look at that smoke.
- Old American Brewery's on fire.
- That's not the American Brewery.
John, I worked that neighbourhood as a uniform.
I know Clifton Park like I know the menu at Jimmy's.
It's not the American Brewery.
It's the R and M Box warehouse on the corner of Gay Street.
You're out of your mind.
It's the American Brewery.
We got a body.
You'd better call Homicide.
Think there's anything left of the body? Not much left of the building.
I really hate these arson homicides.
No witnesses or physical evidence.
- Look on the upside.
- Don't see an upside.
I'm the primary.
We don't close this case, Gee will cast his doleful accusing glances in my direction not yours.
- Homicide.
- Body's inside.
Detective Kellerman said not to disturb the scene till you showed up.
Detective who? Mike Kellerman, Arson.
- Tim Bayliss, Frank Pembleton.
- What do we got? - Shish-kebab.
- What? - Son of a bitch charred to bones.
- Find any ID? - Jewellery, wallet? - No.
- All we found was a sleeping bag.
- A sleeping bag? - Called ME? - Scheiner's on his way.
- Well, who phoned 911? - Her.
Being very cooperative, didn't see anyone before the fire, but she wants to make me pancakes.
- Really? - You wanna see the body? You guys comin' in? - Yeah, we're comin' in.
- Then grab some gear.
How d'you know this entire ceiling's not gonna crash down? - I don't.
- You don't? I'm pretty sure it won't but there's no absolutes in life only in vodka.
So, er you can tell just by looking at it, huh? It's a good point.
Argh! Hey! Come on! That's outstanding, yeah, beautiful.
Yup.
That will definitely hold.
And I had a big breakfast.
What was the deceased doin' here? Employee, night watchman? What? The warehouse's been abandoned for months.
He's probably homeless.
Used this place to sleep.
Or whoever killed him wanted it to look that way.
You guys from Homicide like to see conspiracy behind every body but whoever this was, a man or a hell of a big-boned woman, was in the wrong place, wrong time.
It's arson not murder.
Even if killed accidentally, he is dead by someone else's hand.
Makes this a murder investigation which begins with the cause of death.
Take a look, detective.
It's pretty clear how he died.
Could have been dead before the fire but I'm just a conspiracy theorist.
Do what you gotta.
I'm gonna go find the arsonist.
- Who is your lieutenant? Huh? - Fellas! We're all looking for the same guy.
Arson homicide.
Department policy, we coordinate the investigation.
- Terrific.
Department policy.
- I don't wanna work with you either.
I'll take the case, call you when I get everything wrapped up.
You are not taking this case.
OK, then.
Partner.
- Hey, Scheiner.
- Can't see a damn thing.
Come on round here.
I still can't see a damn thing.
You're through? - Yeah.
- Bag him.
- You don't know who set the fire? - I don't know who set the fire.
- What kind of an informant are you? - Informants are supposed to be paid.
- I pay you.
- Not lately.
- You know I'm good for it.
- Not if you don't pay.
Zithead, I'm a cop, I make no money.
Nothing.
You think being a stool pigeon's a lucrative profession? I can't afford freebies.
I ran a check on the warehouse.
Matthew Roland owns that warehouse.
He's been trying to unload the place for months.
This is definitely a professional job.
Now, who's the torch? - I don't know.
- But you could find out.
Well, I'm very busy.
Zithead, you and me have a relationship.
We're gonna be working together in the future.
You gotta take the long view.
I dunno why I let you All right.
I'll ask around.
- Thank you.
- Don't thank me.
Pay me.
Definitely a male.
- No evidence of strangulation? - No.
- No bullet wounds? - None.
Smoke inhalation.
Soot in the trachea and larynx.
- Alive when the fire was set.
- Probably.
I told all of this to Detective Kellerman.
- Kellerman's already been here? - Yup.
- What about evidence of drugs? - Inconclusive.
So what was the cause of death? Well, in absolute certainty, I can't tell you.
You can't tell us? Don't look at me like that.
It happens.
Any way we can find out who this guy is? We can match up dental records, if someone reported him missing.
And if no one has? - Yeah, well, thanks a lot, Scheiner.
- Stop by any time.
- Wanna know the cause of death? - What? Being barbecued.
Died with the dignity of a marshmallow on a stick.
Think it's classier getting shot in the head? - If I had to choose.
Yeah.
- No one gets to choose.
If you're on Death Row in Maryland you get to choose.
It's multiple choice, not an essay question.
Last two decisions you make.
How you wanna be killed, what you wanna eat.
How you wanna be killed, what you wanna eat.
Hear what that guy from the Midwest wanted? - What? - SpaghettiOs.
- SpaghettiOs? - Yeah.
And the worst thing is, they gave him the wrong kind of canned spaghetti.
It wasn't SpaghettiOs.
He complains but they go through with the execution anyway.
So this poor guy, he has to die and he never gets the one privilege that he might reasonably expect.
And what's that? A cold can of SpaghettiOs.
You get it? - Stealing again, Megan? - Who me? Thought all you brass upstairs got cappuccinos and croissants.
- I'll take squad room sludge any day.
- Right.
Besides, I missed you, Al.
Bull.
You just wanna find out about the body in the warehouse fire.
That too.
Well, no ID yet on the body, no leads on the killer.
- I've faith in you.
- We need more than faith.
We need manpower.
I've twice as many cases and I'm three detectives short.
The budget isn't any more flexible than last year.
Bend, stretch the budget, or those names in red will keep piling up.
OK.
All right, I'll tell you what uh Find someone you want transferred in.
- I'll go talk to Barnfather.
- I'm gonna hold you to that.
Don't wanna partner with you either! - What d'you ask me for? - I suggested.
- Fine.
- Fine.
Haven't closed a case in months.
- Well, you haven't exactly been - Lewis! For the time being, you're both riding solo.
Gee, that ain't fair.
I've been ridin' solo longer than anyone.
- No one wants to work with you.
- Enough.
Gotta get our clearance rate up.
If I go in for a performance evaluation with these numbers I'll be laughed out, just before they tell me I'm being replaced.
- They're not gonna replace you, Gee.
- I should be so blessed.
I can't help.
A missing person isn't missing for 24 hours.
- That's not police policy.
- It's my policy.
Up to my ears here.
What if someone calls in before this twenty-four hour period? - I tell them to call back.
- Tell anybody that this morning? - Yeah.
- Who was it? I didn't file a report.
It had not been twenty-four hours.
I already told all this to Kellerman.
- Man, that guy Kellerman moves fast.
- I don't like you, Gaffney.
I know you don't like me, but I got a body I need to identify.
Somebody out there knows who this body is.
This is not about you and me but I can make it about you and me.
Come back in twenty-four hours.
- You're in classic form.
- Gaffney's an idiot, man.
Hey, I'm onto something, I'll see you guys later.
Think Kellerman's an idiot too? No, I don't.
I just want him to stay out of my way.
Al has two detectives on suspension.
He needs replacements.
If he ran a tighter ship, he wouldn't.
Bolander and Felton are grown men.
- What's Al to do? Zip their flies? - Captain Russert? - What? - Your signature.
Giardello gives his detectives too much freedom with overtime, paperwork, procedure.
I ran my ship the same way.
I've never been enthusiastic about Giardello's style.
- You thinking of replacing Giardello? - He doesn't make my life easier.
Want to be his champion? You be responsible for his screw-up's.
He'll screw up, if he doesn't get replacements.
Quid pro quo.
I find the money for more detectives.
- What do I get? - The gratitude of your subordinates.
No, I want good news about the clearance rate.
I want this arson murder solved.
I wanna read my paper and not see a snotty article criticising the way I run this division.
I want you to make my life easier.
- Kay, where have you been? - None of your business.
That a reflex action or do you really not want me to know? Gettin' an application.
I'm taking the sergeant's exam.
- You, a sergeant? - What's that supposed to mean? Well, I just wouldn't have thought you want to make sergeant.
Why wouldn't I? I just wouldn't have thought it.
Think I don't have the stuff to make it? Cos I menstruate? - Kay, please.
- So, what? Tell me.
We're detectives.
That makes us labour, equal in rank.
You come along with a hankering for management, that could throw the whole squad room.
It upsets the delicate balance of power.
- Where you going? - Take a leak, do you mind? Yes.
We should examine if your need to take this exam is a perverse reaction to Felton being suspended, Detective.
- You lookin' for somebody? - I look lost, huh? - Yeah.
- Hate that look.
Had it since birth.
- So, who? - Who what? - Who are you looking for? - Oh, Pembleton or Bayliss.
- Preferably Bayliss.
- Coffee room.
- Thanks.
- You're welcome.
Matthew Roland burned down his own warehouse.
- Who? - Matthew Roland.
I remember that name from the mayor's security detail.
Big campaign fundraiser.
Owns a huge chunk of commercial property in uh Clifton Park, Federal Hill, has tenements in West Baltimore - This guy's a real slum bag landlord.
- Yup, that's him.
One of his tenements burned down, Roland used the insurance to put up townhouses.
He triples his property value.
All he had to do was burn out tenants.
- Did you prove anything? - Still working on the case.
So you think that Roland's back at it.
One of his companies is listed as the owner of that warehouse.
I ran a financial profile.
He's been trying to unload the property for months.
He gets tired of waiting, hires a torch, collects the insurance money.
- And you prove that, how? - Can't yet, gotta find the arsonist.
Get him to wear a wire, get a confession.
- I don't know.
- What? Seems so neat, so easy.
Arson for hire's not one of your more complex crimes.
- Neither is homicide.
- I say we follow up on Roland.
- I say we wait.
- Why? Find out our guy was killed by the mafia? Anybody interested in talking to a young lady about that fire? - Who? - Uniform brought her in.
Lisa DeNardi.
She snuck past the barricade, crept on in the warehouse and they caught her pokin' around in the rubble.
Guess they are interested.
- Are you gonna tell my parents? - No, you're not under arrest.
Why did the cops bring me here? Why are you looking like I'm a criminal.
Why were you in the warehouse? I wasn't doing anything wrong.
I wanna go home.
OK, you can go home.
Three detectives bullying me I'd wanna be leaving too.
We're just uh hoping you could help us.
- We need your help.
- What do you mean? The fire, someone set it on purpose.
We're trying to catch who did it.
- I was looking for Mark.
- Mark? My boyfriend, Mark Landry.
You were supposed to meet in the warehouse? We meet there sometimes, at night.
To be alone.
We keep a sleeping bag there.
Last night I couldn't leave the house.
My dad stayed up late.
So you went there thinking that Mark was waiting for you? But when I got there the building was burning.
- Was the fire department there yet? - No.
I was so late, I figured Mark gave up.
Went home.
And when he didn't come to school, I went back to the warehouse but it was all burned.
He got burned in the fire, didn't he? He's dead, isn't he? I know you found a body, I saw it on the news.
- We don't know who it was for sure.
- Oh, God.
If it was your boyfriend who died, can you think of any reason someone would want to kill him? Kill him? No.
Anyone know you met? - Somebody killed Mark? - Can I see you outside? - What are you doin'? - Finding out if the kid was murdered.
We should be concentrating on what she saw.
- Maybe she saw who set the fire.
- Come here.
You were wrong about the victim, doesn't help your credibility with me.
Now you want to choose the line of questioning? I have a potential eyewitness being distracted by questions off the point.
What is the point? Matthew Roland hired somebody to burn down that warehouse.
- You're too pigheaded to see it.
- Matthew Roland didn't - Detective Kellerman! - Lieutenant.
- The girl tell us anything? - May be her boyfriend who was killed.
Oh, God.
Just got off the phone with your boss, Lieutenant Lafferty.
We haven't worked this close in a long time.
Terry Lafferty.
Good man.
We were in the academy together.
We always got along.
Well, I think it's because each of us respects the other.
When you have respect you have consideration and cooperation.
You have teamwork.
Now I want a positive I D on this body, I want this case closed.
Do you understand me, Pembleton? Dog-gah.
Damn! - What'd you do to the car? - What'd I do? - Yeah.
- I didn't do nothing.
The thing just died on me.
I can't get the thing started.
- Argh! - Check the gas? Check the gas? Everybody got to take a shot at me today? Is that it? Aw, come on, let's go.
Let's get outta here.
I gotta wait for the tow truck.
What? I'm not waiting on the tow truck.
Let's go.
I gotta wait.
This piece of junk is my responsibility.
Something happens to it, who're they going to blame? Me.
I can't afford more automotive mishaps.
Gee's gonna make me ride a bus! I ain't got no car, no partner.
You'd partner with me, wouldn't you, Frank? I just told Mark Landry's family their sixteen-year-old boy wouldn't be home.
Told them it had to be a closed casket because their son is uh burned beyond recognition.
Yeah, well, kids die sometimes.
It ain't right, but kids die.
- Or they get their eyes glued shut.
- Eyes glued shut? In Detroit some guy glued his daughter's eyes shut cos he had an argument with his wife.
- Nah.
- Yeah.
He's mad at his wife so he glues his daughter's eyes shut.
Now what would bring a man to do that? Well, the guy's whacked, Frank.
He's brain-dead.
No, he's just a guy.
A regular guy.
He came home, argued with his wife, went into his daughter's room, looked for the glue, found the glue, unscrewed the top and squeezed glue in his daughter's eyes.
Just another dad at the end of a bad day.
No, no.
Meldrick, I would never partner with you again.
I don't want the responsibility.
Here's your tow truck, man.
Let's get outta here.
- God, Anne, you smell great.
- Would you get away from me? - You still smokin' menthols? - I quit six months ago.
- You want your graph results? - What's taking you so long? Two more minutes.
Happen to have a pack left around? - Thought you quit too.
- I did.
Even if I had, I wouldn't give it you.
Would you go bug Ballistics? - Detective.
- Annie.
I'll be right back.
We got a positive ID on the body.
It was Mark Landry.
- Got any leads on a homicide motive? - No, Frank is still making calls.
- You two been partners a while? - Yeah, a while.
- You get along with him? - He's a great detective.
Enough said.
You got a cigarette? - No, I quit two years ago.
- Yeah? - Yeah.
- Me too.
Two days ago.
So what has the lab got? We compressed a floorboard from the warehouse, extracted liquid, waiting to find out if it's kerosene, gasoline.
- See if the guy has a pattern? - Link it to other arsons.
If I can find which arsonist did it, maybe I can track it to Roland.
- You wanna guess? - Well, let's see.
We're in Baltimore.
Home of the inventive criminal mind.
- I dunno, kerosene? - Mm.
Better.
- Gasoline? - Uh-huh.
Narrows it down! Not a lot of people have access to gasoline.
We should talk to Matthew Roland.
We don't have anything concrete.
Rather wait.
Maybe if we talk to him, we'll get something.
You guys are really relentless.
Pembleton, line 3.
One second.
Homicide.
Detective Pembleton.
You know about the fire? There's a gasoline can in a dumpster on Gay Street.
- Where exactly? - Behind Lee's Liquor Store.
- OK.
What's your name? - It sucks a kid died in that fire.
Come on, you're not gonna hang up? There must be some kinda way outta here.
Said the joker to the thief There's too much confusion I can't get no relief Businessmen, they drink my wine Plowmen dig my earth None of them along the line Know what any of it is worth Hey Hey No reason to get excited The thief he kindly spoke There are many here among us Who feel that life is but a joke He died in my warehouse.
I feel a certain responsibility.
Did you feel a certain responsibility when you burned out those tenants? That fire was arson.
Set the exact same way as the warehouse.
Maybe we can't get you today but trust me, you are gonna go down.
You are gonna go down.
Rene, get me City Hall, please.
Go ahead.
I don't care what the hell you do.
- What were you doin' in there? - Trying to get a rise out of him.
A guy like Roland, you can't go in like gangbusters.
- You should have followed my lead.
- Oh.
- You quit smoking two years ago? - Yup.
- How'd do it? - I tried the patch, it didn't work.
So went on nicotine gum, vitamin therapy, herbs, acupuncture, acupressure, stress management, bio feedback, meditation, yoga.
- And then finally hypnosis.
- And that's what worked? Hypnosis? No.
- So how'd you quit? - Sheer willpower.
- Oh, man.
That's rough.
- Tell me about it.
- Detective Kellerman.
- Hey, Russert.
Wait, Captain Russert.
- Never congratulated you.
- Save it.
What were you doing in Roland's office? He's my prime suspect.
I got a call from Colonel Barnfather who got a call from the Deputy Commissioner who got a call.
- Follow my point? - Roland's guilty.
Not of setting the warehouse fire.
Department of Property Acquisitions was in negotiation to purchase the Gay Street property.
- There's no record of that.
- Nothing official.
But there are preliminary memos on the deal.
- I checked.
- I checked thoroughly.
From here on, stay away from Roland.
At least regarding this case.
Well, if it's not arson for profit, then what? Revenge arson? Who notified the fire department? Some woman who lives across the street, Veronica Velez who phoned me three times this afternoon.
Well, maybe's she's the arsonist.
I talked to her.
Women don't set these kind of fires.
Wait a minute.
You know I'm not sure if that's a sexist remark or not.
She could have set the fire and then phoned it in.
It's been known to happen.
Telling me I should re-interview her? I'm telling you I don't want any more calls from City Hall.
- Hey, Meldrick, have you seen Frank? - He's YOUR partner.
Yeah, so everyone keeps reminding me.
Hey, Tim.
I know that when we partnered temporarily, we hit a few bumps.
- We got in a crash.
- But you'd partner with me again? Uh I'd rather partner with Munch.
Hey, Bayliss.
Ever think about taking the sergeant's exam? Yeah, sure, I thought about it.
Why do you ask? No reason.
Never asked me had I thought about takin' the sergeant's exam.
- Ever thought about taking the exam? - No.
- That's why.
- Bayliss, where have you been? - I called in.
- Come on.
- What's happenin'? - Come on.
- Shouldn't we get Kellerman? - No! Come on! You get a call, leads you to a gasoline can off of which you get fingerprints which belong to a Mr Calvin Jones who just happens to be in the Printrak thanks to being arrested six times.
You know this Jones guy gets around.
Maybe he's our killer.
How you doin'? Detective Pembleton.
Baltimore City Homicide.
Are you uh Calvin Jones? - Me? No.
- Hey! Frank, come on.
- Hey, come on! - Argh! Freeze! Freeze! FREEZE! - OK, man.
- Go oh! - You OK? - It's my back.
It went out.
- What the hell are you doin' anyway? - What's it look like? Turn over! - Argh, my back.
- Are you Calvin Jones? So what if I am? - Do you own a gasoline can? - Not a crime.
Mr Jones.
A gasoline can with your prints on it was found in close proximity to an arson fire that killed a sixteen-year-old boy.
- Can you tell us how it got there? - I can, but I'm not going to.
- All right.
That's it.
- Argh! I know my rights, man.
- It's not him.
- You're sure? Gasoline can was in his truck taken from the driveway.
We've a stolen vehicle report.
The truck's not yet been recovered.
- What about his record? - Six priors in the last year.
Nothing, disturbing the peace, some verbal assault, no convictions.
Yeah, looks like Jones' alibi is gonna check out.
He was at Gamblers Anonymous at the United Methodist church at Towson from 5:00 to 8:30 the morning of the fire.
No history of arson, no connections to Roland.
- So, gentlemen, why did he run? - He says he likes being arrested.
Anyone been to the high school the victim attended? I sent some uniforms to interview his classmates, teachers.
Nothing.
Maybe it's time you went down there, Frank.
Start asking tough questions.
Right.
Right.
Meanwhile, talk to Lisa DeNardi's father.
Maybe he found out his daughter was boffin' Landry, decided to stop it.
- Yeah, OK, but I dunno - What? What happened there? Jones takes off, we're supposed to chase, you freeze.
- Won't happen again.
- You froze up.
That worm sprints and you hesitate.
I know just for a second, but still - Want a new partner? - No.
That's not what this is about.
What is this about? Is it so inconceivable that I might be concerned about you? That I care what goes on with you? Not just cos we're partners, but cos we're human beings? No, no.
That's not inconceivable.
- OK.
Well, come here.
So talk to me.
- I'm not I've got interviews to do.
- Come on.
- Can't stand around talking to you.
Detective Kellerman.
I knew you'd be back.
- How could I resist? Called 3 times.
- Yes, I did.
Did you remember something about this morning? Yes.
- Are you gonna tell me what that is? - Only if you come inside.
OK.
I'm inside.
When I first talked to you I thought you were with the fire department.
Well, I'm just a cop.
It's not quite as glamorous.
Oh, really? What time did you say you called 911, Miss Velez? - Call me Veronica.
- OK, Veronica.
- 5 a.
m.
- 5 a.
M? See the fire start out of this or your bedroom window? This one.
I was walking around.
I have trouble sleeping.
Yeah? Me too.
Tell me why you have trouble sleeping.
Er Anxiety, you know, terrible eating habits, being alone.
Maybe you shouldn't sleep alone.
So what about you? I can't sleep because it's too damn hot.
Don't know anything about the fire, do you? No.
So tell you what if you put your robe back on, I won't arrest you for obstruction.
And if you do think of anything, feel free to give me a call.
I I think you know the number.
- So Mark was in your history class? - He was a wonderful kid.
Not a straight A student, but he worked hard.
A rarity these days.
Can you think of any reason why someone would want to kill him? - No.
He was never in trouble.
- Not that you were aware of.
I'm pretty aware of what students are up to.
Were you aware Mark met his girlfriend every night in an abandoned warehouse to have sex? Maybe you should talk to his friends.
- Was he involved with drugs? - Not Mark.
Straight as they come.
Was Mark involved with drugs? Not Mark.
He was as straight as they come.
Mark belong to a gang? Did he uh run with the rough crowd? Nah.
Ain't no way.
He wasn't into that.
- Fight? - No.
- Problems with his girlfriend? - Treated Lisa like a princess.
Wish he was my boyfriend.
- Belong to a gang, rough crowd? - No.
- Wouldn't tell me if you knew? - No.
- Belong to a gang, rough crowd? - He wasn't in to all of that.
- If he were, you wouldn't tell me.
- That's cold.
I'm not lying.
- You're not lying? - No.
So Mark was a 16-year-old who never got into trouble, never smoked a joint, was kind to his girlfriend and didn't have an enemy in the world, a genuine good boy.
- That so hard to believe? - Frankly, yeah.
Man, you've been a cop for too long.
Where you going? - Oh, Kay! - What? - Watch out! - What you talkin' about? Talking about me taking the sergeant's exam.
- You gonna take the sergeant's exam? - Yeah.
Got the application here.
I wanna tell you something.
I'm gonna kick your fanny.
That's OK.
I'm all for a little friendly competition.
That's exactly what you're gonna get.
Are you prepared to put your money where your ego is? - What do you mean? - A little friendly competition.
A little friendly wager? Uh How much we talkin' about? I don't know.
Say a hundred each.
- A hundred? - Yeah.
It's a bet.
- Taking any more action on that? - Well, I don't see why not, huh? - I'll put a hundred down on Kay.
- Hey, thanks, Gee.
- I'd like a slice of that pizza pie.
- The more the merrier, right, John? - Absolutely.
- 20, 40, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74 - OK, we know you can count.
- On Howard.
Thanks, Mel.
This is great.
Frank.
Have any luck at the high school? No.
Dead end number 407.
- What about you? - Mr DeNardi has an airtight alibi.
His snoring was keeping Mrs DeNardi awake.
Tim, about this afternoon when I froze.
Mary's pregnant.
Found out yesterday.
Wow.
Frank.
Hey-hey.
That's wonderful.
Congratulations.
That's That's really great news.
- I mean that's great news, right? - Yeah! - Yeah.
- Yeah, you tried so hard.
- And waited so long and - Yeah.
- You're the only one I told.
- Really? - Don't tell anybody else.
OK? - Oh, no, no, of course not.
I won't.
Why didn't you let me know about that gasoline can? An anonymous tip, followed it up, led nowhere We'll put a trace on if he calls again.
I wanna see the can.
Well, you wanna see the can, go to Evidence Control.
Well, who the hell was it who called? An anonymous tip is just that.
Anonymous.
You guys getting anywhere on the homicide motive? No.
Mark Landry is a sweet sixteen-year-old.
Nobody wanted him dead.
What about arson? No.
It wasn't Roland, he was in negotiations to sell that warehouse.
So who exactly are we going after now? - I don't know.
- You don't know? We may be dealing with a multiple fire setter.
Someone with a psychological motive.
- A personal relationship with fire.
- A personal relationship? Fire's a living thing.
It eats, it breathes air, it can be killed.
Something about that power draws people in.
Not me.
I hate fire.
Especially this fire.
Al? What are you doing in my chair? You know it used to be my chair too.
You know, I never realised how comfortable this chair is.
The soft well-worn leather.
You know, my desk upstairs, the chair is all metal.
It's very cold.
It's covered with this big vinyl stuff.
- You wanted to be a captain.
- Yeah, did I? So how close are we to this arson homicide? Pembleton's on his game and Kellerman, he's pretty sharp.
- Yeah.
- It's just a matter of time.
- I don't think we have much time.
- What does that mean? Why did you send Stan and Beau to that policeman's convention? Why? Well, six months ago Stan was shot in the head.
That could have affected his state of mind.
Beau was shot too.
Wait.
I thought sending them to that convention would be good therapy.
How was I to know they were going to turn it into "Dumb and Dumber"? Beau's wife took the kids, he was vulnerable.
Wait! I'm not responsible for Beau's behaviour after he left his wife.
- What's that supposed to mean? - Good idea having an affair with him? - So you knew? - I knew.
Everybody knew.
Oh I don't really want to talk about this now.
- Well, I don't want any details.
- Don't change the subject! - You brought it up.
- I came to talk about something else.
If you knew what was going on - Excuse me.
- What? Lieutenant Lafferty's on line 3, he says it's urgent.
Giardello.
I'll send some men over.
Another arson.
A warehouse on Chester Street is burning.
- Same pour pattern as on Gay Street.
- Flammable liquid with trailers? - Yeah.
- Was there anyone inside? We saw a body we but can't get to it.
Well, I guess you were right, Pembleton.
Landry's death was a premeditated homicide.
This may come as a shock to you, Kellerman, but I don't always like being right.

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