Homicide: Life on the Street s05e04 Episode Script

Can't you hear the thunder, someone stole my watch I sold a quart of blood and bought a half a pint of scotch Some one tell those Chinamen on Telegraph Canyon Road When you're on the bill with the spoon there ain't no time to unload So bye-bye baby, baby bye-bye Droopy stranger Ionely dreamer toy puppy and the prado We're laughin' as they piled into Olmos' El Dorado Jesus whispered eeny meeny meeny miny mo They're too proud to duck their heads that's why they bring it down so low So bye-bye baby, baby bye-bye Who's up? Thank you.
Probable OD in the Eastern District.
- What else is new? - That's 20 in three days.
All at once everyone in Baltimore forgets how to shoot dope? I had four OD runs yesterday.
That's four single-page reports with dead people's names, who won't appear on the Board.
I'm gettin' nostalgic for an old-fashioned whodunit homicide.
OK, where is it? Give it up for Dr Munch.
Come on, pal? - What are you looking for? - Fresh track marks.
Why? What's the difference? If I find fresh track marks, then I know it was an OD and I can confidently walk away.
There you go.
The guy was a southpaw.
Worse thing could happen is I assume it's an OD and then the ME calls and says it was a strangulation or a beating.
Then it's a murder where I didn't hold the crime scene or interview any witnesses.
My first partner in Homicide taught me that.
Stan the Man.
He never missed a trick.
My second partner was so thorough it could make your teeth hurt.
My partners gone, finished.
Stick a fork in 'em.
I lose partners faster than any other cop.
And marriages? Three of them, each one shorter than the last.
Three wives? Maybe this guy isn't as dumb as he looks.
It didn't end well for the guy, but at least he knew where he stood.
Buenos dias.
Where you been? - Why, what do you mean? - I came lookin' for you last night.
- Didn't see your boat, didn't see you.
- That's cos I'm in a new marina.
- I got a new boat.
- Yeah? Yeah, traded up to an Ocean Sports Fisherman.
It's old but in mint condition.
I'll make some money on taking people out in the bay to chase rockfish.
Hey, hey, hey, Mikey's livin' large.
- It's starting to look ugly.
- Why, what's up? Gaffney's got a suit from Internal in Gee's office.
- Someone's in the jackpot.
- It ain't me.
I ain't done nothin' lately.
Hey, where you going, Sarge? Cavalier with a ping in it has gotta go to the Fallsway garage.
- Well, let me do that.
- You wanna go? Fine by me.
Come on, let's go.
I'm I'm off the street.
I know, for cases, but this here is just a ride.
N-not to worry.
L-I have a very full day.
Er another in a series of trips to the hospital for another in a series of check-ups, followed by another trip to the gun range to fire off another box or two.
When is that firearms exam? Tomorrow morning.
You'd think I'd get tested on something that matters.
Like typing 30 words a minute? Kellerman, I'd like to see you in my office, please.
What's this about? A target letter from the US Attorney's Office.
- We received it early this morning.
- A target letter? You are under investigation by a Federal Grand Jury looking into corrupt practices within the Department.
Corrupt practices? Is it about that crap from when I was in Arson? Before you say anything further, let me advise you of your rights.
You cannot be compelled to give any statement in this matter.
Detective O'Neill here is simply keeping the departmental file.
The actual investigation is in the hands of the FBI and the Federal Prosecutor.
My advice, kid? Go talk to the Union Lawyer.
I didn't do anything.
Until this is resolved, you'll be assigned administrative duties.
- Wait, Captain, I didn't do any - This is a Federal Grand Jury.
It is out of our hands.
What? How did you know it was about Arson? This has gotta be about the Rolands, Matthew and his son, Mitch.
Bigtime players with lots of residential and commercial property, only their twist on free enterprise is to burn what they can't sell for a profit.
- You were workin' them? - I was all over them.
But the best I could manage was to charge one of their torchers.
I hate to say it, but they are out of my league.
And they wanted to put you on the pad? They offered me a grand a month to play cold with them and their fires.
They didn't need to buy me, but offered just the same.
- And you refused? - Of course.
Someone outside is saying otherwise.
I guess the Rolands got jammed up on something and now they're naming cops to get out.
Mount up, partner.
We got a shooting, - Take Howard on the call.
- Howard? W-what? I said take Howard.
If you take me off the street now, everyone is gonna think the Feds have a case against me.
The target paper makes it official.
You're suspected of police corruption.
- So I'm off the street? - Yes.
Guilty until proven innocent, huh? The doctor gave me your new prescription.
There you go.
Oh, no, this this can wait.
We're here.
We may as well fill your new prescription at the pharmacy.
What is Dr Dread giving me? Well, let's see.
Lo-sar-tan.
New, better.
Better side effects? They all have possible side effects.
Instead of a new prescription, we need a new doctor.
One who will tell you what you want to hear? Yes.
Someone who won't make you take any medication? Yes.
You have been taking your medicine, right? Of course.
Tell me you've been taking your medicine.
Er Frank, if you don't take your medicine, you could have another stroke.
I know.
This is not just something you're just gonna dismiss, cos otherwise, I will check you back into this hospital.
Look look look at me.
I'm fine.
- Don't I look fine? - No.
Tell me the tale.
Meet a man in search of an obit, Quentin Reed.
Quentin Reed? - Bojack Reed.
- One and the same.
I thought Bojack was still at Jessup doin' 30 for conspiracy to distribute.
Yeah.
Our Parole Commissioners at work.
Mr Reed came home a year ago.
Set up shop on some Eastside corners, a lot of corners.
He was selling so much he was giving Luther Mahoney a run for his money.
Luther Mahoney? Bojack was takin' business from Luther.
That's the word anyhow.
So we got a blood trail half a block long, some 3.
80 casings - .
45.
- .
45.
And Bojack Reed, lookin' a couple pints low.
- And the witness.
- What witness? The one who went downtown with the other detective.
- What detective? - Stivers, Narcotics.
I'm looking for Stivers.
I'm gonna smack him.
Take your best shot, pal.
Terri Stivers? Lewis, Homicide.
You're a woman.
You Homicide guys, always pickin' up on small details.
Where is my witness? My murder, my witness.
- Your witness? He's my informant! - He saw my murder.
He didn't.
I took him to the crime scene to show him Bojack Reed was dead.
What, for laughs? He wasn't about to snitch out a player as fierce as ol' Bojack, so I figured if he saw that the wicked witch was dead, he'd help make a case against Bojack's lieutenants.
- They're putting the bad package out! - What are they lacin' it with? Scopolamine.
It will break your brain if it doesn't blow your heart out.
Look around.
Nine more today.
Yesterday, we had six, the day before, five.
They're stacked up like commuter flights over Atlanta.
So who capped Bojack? Luther Mahoney.
- You know this? - So says my informant.
If I got a shot at Luther, you need to give me that witness.
You can talk to my informant, but he's still mine.
I don't want him named as a witness until I get to lock up Bojack's crew.
- Fair enough.
- Know somethin'? - What? - You go by the bullet or the blade.
A cop works the murder, you get a shot at being avenged.
You go by the blast, you're just gone.
Hey.
Brodie, Pancho to my Cisco, Mutt to my Jeff.
Have a seat, my trusted roomie.
Yeah, well, actually, I need to talk to you about that.
- I think I should move out.
- Move out? Why? Well, you know, er We're just two different kind of people.
You were evicted from that hovel, you've been sleeping here, I took you in, I fed you, I raised you from a pup.
- I'm not saying you're a bad guy.
- You looked in the cabinet.
- No, I didn't.
- You looked, didn't you? - Hey, guys.
What's up? - What's up? Brodie's on the street again, homeless, alone, hopeless.
Need a place to stay? - Why, you you offering? - Yeah.
- What the hell.
- Really? Hey, great.
Thanks.
I'm gonna pick my stuff up from your place later.
What? What, did I do something wrong? - Mike.
- Hey, Bob.
- How's Homicide? - It's OK.
How's Arson? - Same old thing.
You know.
- Yeah, I know.
You the rat? What? Are you the rat? Oh, you, too, huh? We had you figured for the rat.
We don't know who's telling the FBI what.
The important thing is not to panic.
Whatever they've got can be knocked down in court or if we have to, dealt away in a plea agreement.
A plea agreement? I'm not saying we're there yet.
I'm thinking ahead.
- Think on this I didn't do it.
- What do you mean? I didn't take anything from Roland or anyone else.
You serious? Then why did the Feds hit you with a target letter? Ask them.
Down the road, we will.
Until then, don't talk to anyone.
Look, I already laid it all out for my Lieutenant.
Are you out of your mind? Al Giardello works for the Police Department.
He doesn't work for you.
He won't save you if this Department wants you to go down.
- Why would they want that? - The US Attorney thinks you're corrupt.
They've let the Department know it.
This is lawyer-to-client advice Shut your mouth.
Not one word to anyone, not your supervisor and not even your partner.
Vernon.
- You got a fiend's sweet tooth, huh? - Sugar's a drug, too.
Sugar keeps the snake away for a while, when you can't hook up with a blast.
I'm feelin' better already.
OK, Vernon.
Tell this detective what you told me about Bojack and Luther Mahoney.
Bojack had his people on the corners around Ashland and Wolfe, sellin' this white bag package he called "Diamond In The Raw".
- So Luther was losing business.
- Yeah.
But that's not what got Bojack aced.
There's enough profit out there for everybody.
Luther got mad when Bojack put out a package in Double-Star bags.
Mahoney uses Double-Stars.
Bojack was tellin' people Mahoney was serving up poison, trying to push them over to his own product.
Didn't work like he thought, though.
The fiends, they started chasin' the poison.
A true-test dope fiend hears that a package is knockin' other addicts off their ass, he runs right towards the stuff.
He's thinkin' it's the righteous high only he can handle.
- So Luther aced Bojack? - He put the contract on the street.
A boy I know named Carlton Phipps did the deed.
Carlton Phipps.
So this Carlton, he whacks Bojack for three large.
Mahoney paid him that night.
- How do you know? - Carlton showed me the cash.
He ain't never had three grand in his life before.
He couldn't help but show it to me.
- Where does this Carlton hang his hat? - Hold on.
- What do you mean? - We're getting ahead of ourselves.
To get the bad package off the street, I need Bojack's stash house.
That means search warrants, that means Vernon's my probable cause.
- I got a murder here? - How long you think he'll last outside? Once he's been named as a witness in your murder? All right.
I'll tell you what.
You get me an address for Phipps, and I'll try to work my case without naming your boy.
Vernon? Tell my friend here where he can find Carlton Phipps.
the door with the tags on it.
Hey! One for the road? I'd do less damage firin' speedballs.
Got that right.
Carlton? Carlton Phipps? Police, open up.
I see somebody in there on the sofa.
That's not a good sign.
Luther Mahoney's killed him.
Damn, he's good at this.
Hey, there you are.
Vernon give you the information you need for the search warrant? I think so.
I need to get a judge to sign off.
But I'd say by sunset, Bojack's crew will be in lockdown.
Yeah, maybe.
Where's Vernon at now? - He's still in the Box, sleeping.
- So much for the sugar buzz, huh? He's getting sick, actually.
He needs a dose.
- We can't cut him loose now.
- Why, what's up? Carlton Phipps is dead.
No forced entry.
Gunshot wound to the back of the head, .
45 left in plain view.
Let me guess.
The gun matches to the killing of Bojack.
Luther Mahoney just handed you a closed case.
You'll have to let me name your informant.
No, only his statement will tie Mahoney into my murder.
If you name him, he'll be dead as soon as he steps back into the mix.
Well, maybe he don't step back.
Oh, four on the whistle, centre mass.
That looks good, Frank.
You look sure, you know that? Every day you're lookin' a little more sure.
Keep your hand on the grip.
Watch the slide.
The slide.
The slide.
You're not taking your medicine, are you? I'm a detective, Frank.
I'm a keen observer of the human condition.
I pick up on the subtlest clues.
I react to the slightest suggestion.
In short, I deduct.
- Who told you? - Brodie.
You gotta take your pills, Frank.
If you don't take your pills, your head is gonna blow up.
What I got is is a firearms exam tomorrow morning at 9:00am.
L-I pass, I'm a detective.
I fail I'm office furniture.
Vernon, Vernon, Vernon.
We got to talk.
Can't talk about nothin' till I get right.
I need some help here.
Vernon, look.
Here, how about another Dinky Dog? Oh, man.
Please.
I know you can see that I'm beyond that now.
There ain't a Dinky big enough to settle me, less I get a blast.
Vernon, we're cops, man.
We can't go to the vending machines and snatch you up a couple of vials.
I know that.
You gotta put me back on the street.
I'm about to do a raid on Bojack's stash house using the info you gave me.
Yeah.
Your boy, Carlton, is dead.
Mahoney got to him already.
So the street is not the best place for you right now.
You're gonna put my name on a warrant for Luther Mahoney? Well, you're all I got so far, brother.
Then you ain't got jack.
I'm gone.
Wait, hold on, Vernon.
You ain't goin' nowhere.
Hold on, man.
Hold on! Now, listen.
I got an idea here, all right? - Be quick, man.
I'm ill.
- Yeah, you're ill.
You smell funky, too.
Come on.
I know you got to do what you got to do, right? But we need to keep you alive, so we can do our thing.
You gonna put me on witness protection? Vernon, we're not the Feds, and you ain't giving us John Gotti.
All right? See, here in Baltimore City, we don't have the money to change people's names and ship their narrow behinds off to Omaha, understand? - So what you saying? - What I'm saying is I'm gonna cut you loose to get high, OK? Hey, hey, hey.
But you got to cop your drugs on the Westside.
Don't go east, or home, don't visit people you know.
Be back here in one hour.
And Vernon when you get back here, this is where you live.
All right? You got cable? Yeah.
Hi.
You said I could er Oh, yeah.
Come on in.
Come on.
Good, good, good.
Is this all you have here? I got some more stuff in the car, but I could get it later.
Oh.
I'll just put this stuff down here.
Good.
OK, well, this here is the sofa, and the sofa just kinda folds out, and er and this is where you'll be staying and that's that's my bedroom and that's where I sleep.
- Oh, great.
Thanks.
- OK? Bojack's the second house in.
The door's probably reinforced.
We'll use the maul from the get-go.
- OK.
- Let's do it.
Hey, wait.
Remember, I go in first.
You're just along for the ride.
You're the man, ma'am.
OK.
Police, don't move! - Watchin' TV, huh? - Yeah.
I'm watching "Mighty Mouse".
- Oh, "Mighty Mouse".
- Yeah.
Yeah.
You want to watch somethin' else? Well, there's a retrospective on Frederick Wiseman on cable.
Police, nobody moves! Freeze, you.
What're you doing? Shut up, shut up! They're showing "Titicut Follies".
It's a work he did on an insane asylum in Massachusetts.
It's genius.
Give me my lawyer, now! Get off me, you understand me? Let go! He doesn't even put film in his camera for the first few weeks.
Only when his subjects forget that the camera's there, does he begin to really capture reality.
- He doesn't put film in his camera? - That's brilliant when you think about it.
- "Mighty Mouse".
- OK.
Fine.
So you want to work through the shift change, maybe do somethin' with Luther Mahoney.
Well, I got nothin' better planned for tonight.
What? A fine looking woman like you? - Nobody waiting at home for you? - Well, no.
- And you? I heard you were married.
- Married with lawn chairs.
- Well, good for you.
- Yeah, good for me.
- A little late to be sorting files, huh? - I don't feel much like goin' home.
Say Mikey, um I heard through the grapevine what's up, and I just want you to know that I would've said somethin' earlier, but I got caught up with this murder, so It's OK.
I don't care what everybody's saying.
I believe you.
Well, including myself, that makes two of us.
- This too shall pass.
- Oh, wax biblical, why don't you? Oh, hey, Mikey.
Did you meet Terri Stivers, Narcotics? - See you later.
- Uh-huh.
- Hi, Terri.
- Sir Michael.
Wait a second.
What's this about? Ah, never mind.
What's goin' on? We're gonna take another shot at Luther Mahoney.
- I like him for both my murders.
- Luther did your killings? Not personally, but once again, he is the man behind the curtain.
- So what's your plan? - We're gonna work with what we got.
I'm gonna type up an arrest warrant based on Vernon's statement, then we'll hunt down Luther Mahoney and rattle him around in the Box.
No need to hunt.
Luther and me got a history.
- Yeah, me, too.
- But do you have his pager? - He'll call you back? - He always does.
He's polite that way.
So what's up with you and Luther? Meldrick and I caught the bodies in that Eastside drug war last winter.
Mahoney played us like chumps, and he let us know he was playing us.
- So it's personal.
- Yeah, it's way personal.
- Hey, where's Vernon? - Who? The snitch we got stashed in the Aquarium.
- I don't know.
- He's been gone two hours.
Anybody call Luther Mahoney? Luther, hey.
Terri Stivers.
How you been? Is she slick? Yeah.
How's business? No, I didn't say what business, did I? I'm just making conversation.
Listen, can you come down to Headquarters? I'm working on those overdose cases, trying to get that nasty stuff off the corners.
Yeah.
Great, thank you.
He'll be here tomorrow morning at nine.
Come here a second.
- What, man? - Come here.
If you're going after Luther, let me work the Box.
I've got as much right to Luther as anybody.
- Gee's got you in the office.
- Fine, the Box is in the office.
Mikey, I can't let you roll with me when you're - What? When I'm dirty? Huh? - Mike.
I mean, Luther is mine.
I want a shot at him.
You're askin' me to jeopardise an investigation her and I got going on.
You're gonna put us in the jackpot with Barnfather.
That's right, I'm asking you partner.
I can't do that, Mikey.
At the sound of the first whistle, you will commence your exercise.
At the sound of the second whistle, you will cease the exercise.
Any shots fired after the second whistle will not accrue to your score.
Check your weapons.
What's the deal? Luther Mahoney, you are charged with conspiracy in the murder of Quentin Reed, aka Bojack Reed.
When an attractive young lady calls in the middle of the evening, requesting assistance, there are certain expectations.
Well, you know, Luther, how it is.
Sometimes the magic's there, sometimes it ain't.
- Wanna talk about the bad package? - Oh, we can talk about that, too.
Of course, if you're charging me, I have the right to shut up.
Yes, you do.
- And the right to counsel.
- And that, too.
- See, I know this game.
- So play.
You're so sharp.
Step up to the plate.
You know, we did a raid on Ashland Bojack's stash.
Ah, the late Mr Reed.
We had a nice long run before he fell.
- You find any of that poison? - We did.
Not all of it, but enough to convince us that the bad bags were from his crew.
- Oh, that they were.
- But he was pointin' the finger at you.
Are you suggesting a motive? Well, you have, say, your theoretical drug slinger.
He's marketing a viable product, proper purity, proper cut, until some no-name, know-nothin', old-school, just-outta-Jessup knucklehead starts messin' around with his home chemistry set, and he starts killin' off the customers quick.
As opposed to killing them slow.
Even if this drug slinger, this theoretical drug slinger was a reasonable man, this guy might be compelled to act.
You know, your case makes sense.
- I like it.
- I like it, too.
Except I don't sling bags, and I didn't kill Bojack Reed.
- Then who did? - A guy named Carlton Phipps.
- No, he's dead, too.
- You know, I heard that.
Huh.
You see, our problem is that er we have no way of connecting Carlton Phipps with the murder of Bojack Reed.
Well, see, I worked that case.
I talked to Carlton's people.
You know what they told me? They said he was despondent, he may even have taken his own life.
He killed himself? He shot himself in the back of the head? Who are you fooling? He was murdered.
His people came back on him.
The gun was right on the table in fr Let me ask you this.
How do you know where Carlton caught that bullet? And how in the hell do you know what was on the table in front of the man? The word was all over about what happened to Carlton.
Oh, Luther, Luther.
You just fell for the oldest trick we got, baby.
- I want a lawyer.
- I bet you do.
- You've got no shot at Luther Mahoney.
- You're a broken record! If I could even fool a Grand Jury, a sitting jury would tear me apart.
We didn't release the location of the wound or the recovery of the weapon to the media.
How did he know if he wasn't in that room? How does anyone know anything on the street? People talk.
- That's smoke.
- I know.
But it's thick enough to hide behind.
Was the door to Phipps' house locked? No.
So, before the police arrived, anyone could have accessed the crime scene.
What about Vernon's statement? Great, a heroin hound who swears a dead man told him he was paid $3000 to do a murder.
At the courthouse, we call that hearsay.
- So you're gonna cut Luther loose? - You never had him on the hook.
We put Vernon Troy's name in the warrant.
We identified him, and now Luther Mahoney is back on the street? - Where's Troy now? - He's around.
You better get word to him.
I gotta go.
I'm having lunch with my fiancée, and because of you, I'm late.
Vernon still in the wind? I haven't seen him since last night.
He's probably sleepin' it off, huh? - Has Kellerman talked to anyone? - Not me.
Grand Jury's at the Federal Courthouse.
They're lookin' some guys in CID.
Arson Unit, I heard.
I don't see Kellerman doing anything wrong.
He'd say something to Lewis.
I mean, he talks to Lewis, right? I hear he's talking to FOP lawyers.
If he's talking to them, his ass is grass.
Remember when Lewis dented that Cavalier? This is worse than a car accident.
- Hey, Mike.
- Hi.
- What are you talking about? - Oh, nothing really.
- Nothing? - Nothing important.
Well, go on.
Talk about nothin' some more.
Football.
The Ravens make you forget Ameche and Unitas, huh? I got a line on tickets for them, cheap.
I saw them play last Sunday.
We should go, cos they looked good.
You didn't qualify? L-l-I hit the targets every time.
My my my aim was true.
- Your reloads? - Yeah.
Yeah.
Um, the the reloads um The um The the guy, he he he says um fire fire six on his signal and then go to our pri primary pouch for uh a-a-a new magazine, er l-l-I hear the whistle, um l-I fire off six six rounds, and um l-I I can't re can't remember what a a-a magazine is.
I mean, l-l-I I think the word uh, ma magazine.
"Time" is a magazine, er "Playboy" is a magazine.
I g l-I get I get hung up on the word.
L-l-I hear the whistle.
Uh uh again, he he he says he says, "Get off the ra get off the range.
" I l-l-I was l-l-I was four short of passing.
Fo fo four short, yeah Close doesn't count for jack.
You fail, it might as well have been 20 or 30 points.
L-l-I gotta get back on on on the street.
L-l-I need I need to be out, wor working cases.
And how do you do that? You You you do it.
You p you pull so some strings.
What strings? The gun has nothing to do with the job.
Frank.
You think I'm happy about this? I've got Russert on indefinite leave.
You and Kellerman are on desk duty.
Bolander retired.
Felton, I don't know where he is, and I've got too much red on that Board.
I'm I'm I'm l-l-I I'm not I'm not gonna beg.
You can get me back out on the street! I expected more from you.
And I expected more from you.
Crest fallen sidekick in an old café Never slept with a dream Before he had to go away There's a bell in the tower Uncle Ray bought a round Don't worry about the army In the cold, cold ground Cold, cold ground Shaken, not stirred.
There you go.
- So what now? - Whatcha mean? Luther Mahoney.
Well, I'll just keep workin' on him.
That's the answer? Yeah, that's the answer to everything.
Police work, marriage, happiness, friendship, life.
- You're working on your marriage? - Yes, ma'am.
I surely am.
Let me know if you take a little time off.
There's a ribbon in the willow There's a tyre swing rope And a briar patch of berries Takin' over the slope The cat'll sleep in the mailbox And we'll never go to town Till we bury every dream In the cold, cold ground One shot through the head.
OK, guys.
Roll him, please.
Oh, no.
You know this guy? He's our informant in the Mahoney case, Vernon Troy.
- Vernon took one for the team, huh? - Rah-rah-rah.
Gimme a Winchester rifle And a whole box of shells Blow the roof off the goat barn Let it roll down the hill The piano is firewood Times Square is a dream I find we'll lay down together In the cold, cold ground In the cold, cold ground Cold, cold ground In the cold, cold ground Call the cops on the Breedloves Bring a Bible and a rope And a whole box of rebel And a bar of soap Make a pile of trunk tyres And burn 'em all down Bring a dollar with you baby In the cold, cold ground In the cold, cold ground In the cold, cold ground In the cold, cold ground Take a weathervane rooster Throw rocks at his head Stop talking to the neighbours Till we all go dead Beware of my temper And the dog that I've found Break all the windows In the cold, cold ground In the cold, cold ground In the cold, cold ground In the cold, cold ground