NYC 22 (2012) s01e05 Episode Script
Self-Cleaning Oven
Last night someone tried to decapitate the Frederick Douglass statue at 110th with a hacksaw, was chased, caught, and ass-kicked by some locals.
Was the perp black or white? At this point, he's mainly purple.
His current address is Harlem Meer Hospital, showtime's at 7:00 and 11:00.
Next item, Fred Wheeler A.
K.
A.
King Crack, was paroled from Comstock Penitentiary last week after 20 years incarceration and unfortunately has returned to the hood.
When I was a kid, I remember my dad saying that between mayhem and dope, this guy had more bodies on him than the angel of death.
Guy would wiggle five fingers on 111th, and five people would die on 145th.
Ladies and gentleman, let's restrain from mythologizing, okay? Good morning.
I'm Sergeant Jack Crown from Vice.
Today some of you all will be participating in a good old-fashioned raid, a sweep of the Crouching Tiger massage parlor on Central Park North, both pross and johns.
Crouching Tiger.
It used to be called the Happy Organ.
Check both lists to see if you're in on the sweep.
- I've never been in a brothel.
- Me neither.
It's a lot like a whorehouse.
Footpost 43.
Hey, Sarge? I might have to be in court later today.
One of my first assignments at the Herald was doing a profile on Harlem in the post-Fred Wheeler years.
- Is that a fact? - Yeah.
The guy had an iron grip up here, all kinds of turf warring went on after he went upstate, sort of like the breakup of Yugoslavia or something.
Really? Yeah, his only real competition was a stone killer But he had nowhere near the same amount territory.
Yeah, and yet, Otis the Mortician proved the smarter.
He never went to jail, and he's still in the game.
Fred Wheeler, you know what his favorite method of offing the competition was? Well, he was a history buff.
There were a few.
Oh, my.
Danny Dean hisself.
Hey, Fred.
Looks like you lost a few pounds in there.
One third my body weight.
Got Hep C from the infirmary after a shanking.
Where you living? Somewhere temporary.
Back in the '80s, you had that, uh, sweet floor-through at the Graham Towers.
This a cop nowadays? No, I'm the new mascot for the Mets.
Petey the Patrolman.
So, do I got to be worrying about you now, Fred? I look like anybody you need to worry about anymore? Y'all have a good day now, all right.
I'm assigning you as my driver for this tour.
Why is that? I want to keep my hands free today.
I'll be right back.
Uh Listen, first the Fat Boys break up Now every day I wake up Somebody got something to say Where's the love? Look scrapper, I got nephews to look after I'm not looking at you dudes, I'm looking past ya Ain't no love in the heart of the city I said, "Where's the love?" Ain't no love in the heart of town Holla at me Ain't no love In the heart of the city Where's the love.
Toney.
I want you with me today.
For what? I've got something to do.
I could use a uniform along.
My introduction to Fred? As a rookie, I was assigned to, uh, safeguard a crime scene in a restaurant.
Fred had stuffed six of his rivals in a pizza oven, and then, uh, turned up the jukebox to drown out their screams.
I called in sick for the next two days.
So did my partner.
So, you know, what's his deal with you? In '92, when I was in Narcotics, we got a tip that there was serious weight in Fred's apartment.
I got a warrant, hit the place, and found a duffel with ten keys of coke in it.
He claims the dope was planted by his mistress, Cissy Williams, and supplied by me.
Well, could somebody else have, uh, you know, planted it? I don't know, and I don't care.
- Now drive.
- Where to? Check on Cissy Williams.
Fred, I know what you're thinking.
Tell me what I'm thinking.
I swear by my child's life I heard you went and had yourself a kid.
Boy, right? Gerald? Gerard? Goes to Lutheran on 117th.
Plays soccer.
Soccer.
What are you thinking? I thought you said you knew what I was thinking.
I'd like to know that, too.
Ain't this something? I come in here feeling a little cloudy in my chest; lo and behold, who's the triage nurse? My old squeeze, Cissy.
Get your ass up out of that chair and vanish.
You want to hear lo and behold part two? No sooner than I say hello, Danny Dean makes the scene.
The two of you together in a heartbeat, just like 20 years ago.
You know, I went to that triangle park on St.
Nick to see some of my old crew.
You should've seen them, canes, wheelchairs.
One dude was off to his hypertension support group, can you believe that? I'm feeling better already.
You one hell of a nurse, Cissy.
I'll see you around, huh? Since this is the first time we're partnered up, is there anything I should know about how you work? I don't know, just that I've completely lost the ability to differentiate between normal and abnormal, expected and unexpected.
On the other hand What the hell is all this? Guy gives me some nonsense about curbside delivery.
Now I got to get all this back to my crib before Officers, could you guard this? I'd ask the brothers in the bodega to help me out, but right now, we are in direct competition for the bath tissue market.
Harvey, you remember me? Yeah, I escaped from you at the hospital a while back.
Mm-hmm.
Look, I tell you what, I will sell you this whole kabibble of hygiene for $500.
Hey! And you can sell it for four dollars a jumbo-pack.
Cost to you is one dollar.
That is, uh, three dollar profit per.
Where did they come from? Factory rejects.
Defective toilet paper? One ply.
Hey, drop it! Oh, man, this is too painful to watch.
I'm gonna drown my sorrows in some bad Yemeni coffee.
He threatened my child.
How? He said his name.
Does the boy have any other family? My ex lives in Bridgeport.
I'll get him on the bus this afternoon.
How about yourself? I ain't running from him.
You know I've had a real bad life for the most part.
Now I can finally hold my head up.
I ain't giving that up even if he kills me.
Hey, nobody's getting killed, okay? If you want, I'll put a cop with you for awhile.
Not a cop.
Fred could always buy himself a cop.
He doesn't look like he could buy himself a cup of coffee.
Desmond over there, we're seeing each other.
He's all the cover I'll need.
Oh, all right.
You still got all my numbers? Yeah.
All right.
Danny? You be careful out there with him, too.
Hey, there, honey.
Can you get the boss lady for me? Are you kidding me? It's that time of year, Trace.
Gentlemen! Everybody up, everybody dressed.
Ladies, you know the drill.
I was just visiting.
I was just visiting.
Pat them down, cuff them up.
I was in the right place But it must have been the wrong time I'd have said the right things But I must have used the wrong line I been on the right trip But I must have used the wrong car My head is in a bad place And I wonder what it's good for I been in the right place But it must have been the wrong time My head was in a bad place But I'm having such a good time I've been running Trying to get hung up in my mind Ooh Got to give myself a good talking to this time Please, I got a babysitter.
Maybe you should switch jobs with her.
You got anything in your pockets might stick me? Come again? Check his mouth.
He's got drugs in there.
Say, ahh.
Yoda put me on to that.
Said if a collar's not talking, it's because he's got something in his mouth.
It's for my migraines, I swear.
Mm-hmm.
Someone's been doing their homework.
I got to tell you, he's been teaching me a lot of stuff these past few weeks.
What's your story? I just came in for a back rub.
I got desiccated discs.
I kind of actually look forward to seeing him every day.
I mean, you know, to learn.
Is that a fact? Felix? You told me you worked on Wall Street! You told me you owned a shoe store! Hey, Felix, you got anything in a triple wide pump? It was an undercover operation.
Undercover brother.
Aw Whoa, Lady Godiva.
Where am I? I can't think of a comeback line clever enough.
These men had me blindfolded for days.
I don't even know what language they were speaking.
Where are your clothes? I don't have any.
They took them.
The two men speaking a foreign language? Did someone tell you we give a cash prize for the best story? Because it's not true.
Go find him something to wear.
Okay, sir, here, just Otis Clark.
I heard he was still a player.
Last of his kind around here, him and Fred.
The wars those two I had back then made these streets look carpet-bombed.
Why do you think Fred will show up here? Well 'cause look at all the young guns around here.
Otis Clark is the only game in town that Fred could relate to.
And Fred, he don't like being poor.
Speak of the devil.
Come on.
These officers with you? They will be, no doubt.
Fresh out of jail, and you have the nerve to show up here? What if I was to say I was grievous sorry for all those people you lost back when we was clashing? Your two young brothers.
I had 20 years to think on it.
Big D and Clarence did their share of hellishness.
Each of them would've killed you dead in a heartbeat, if they'd got the chance.
Hell, neither of us were doves.
Nonetheless, I'm here to apologize from my heart for their deaths.
That's all I got to say.
Fred.
We're both gray-haired men now.
How about we just take the years that God left for us? I'd be lying if I said I wasn't hoping your heart would move you in that direction.
Guess where I'm hanging my hat now? That rat hole, The New Ebony.
Can you believe that? That just about brought a tear to my eye.
Y'all gonna toss me here or down at the precinct? Whoa! Whoa! Oh.
What did they do, move Harlem somewhere? He's clean.
Oh, no, no, no.
You got to look harder.
You just done violated yourself, Fred.
Tell me when to start acting all outraged and whatnot.
You know, this young officer look, uh oddly familiar.
So you were kept here? No, somewhere else.
I-I have no idea where.
They had me so drugged, I-I could've been on the moon.
At some point they must've transported me here.
They took my wallet, my credit cards, bank cards No wallet then no I.
D.
I may not have any I.
D.
, but I certainly know who I am.
Brandon Ken.
Port Washington, New York.
What's in your hand? My hand? Oh, this.
One of the men was wearing it when they were feeding me.
It fell off of him.
I took it.
I can't believe I'm still holding this.
Here.
Fred, let me hip you to something.
Crack's whack.
Most people around here shooting insulin instead of smack, and you, my friend, are being watched through a telescope 24/7.
So, if you have the slightest notion of hooking up with Otis Clark Know your history, boy.
Otis no friend of mine.
Is that why you two looked like you were ready to make a baby back there? Man needs to make his peace in this life.
So you gonna violate me with that little flake knife or is this just some kind of warning to behave? You keep your distance from Otis Clark.
And you don't even daydream about going anywhere near Danny Dean or Cissy Williams.
One hiccup Sending you back is as easy as this.
Get him out of here.
You said I look familiar? I had an uncle that worked for you.
Po Boy Toney, right? He was a good worker.
Stole a woman from me though.
Never could abide a thief.
He was my mother's brother.
You had him killed when I was four years old.
Left him dead in front of our house, in the street like he was garbage.
My mother's never been the same.
Now nephew's wearing the blue.
That, in my equivalency class upstate they call that irony.
You bump into this vet cop, that vet cop and they all talk about getting you violated, busted, and re-busted-- blah, blah, blah-- but if I ever get the excuse, and I mean ever, old man or not I will just shoot you.
I don't get it.
Why would Otis hook up with Fred? He's broker than broke.
What's in it for Otis? I'm surprised Fred went out of his way to even tell Otis where he was living.
I thought he'd have more pride than that.
What the hell is he up to? Maybe nothing.
No, no, no.
An old lion's still a lion, and the most dangerous kind at that.
You okay, partner? Hmm? Me? Oh, yeah, yeah.
I'm good, I'm good.
Just got to get out in front of this.
So, okay.
What are you thinking? There's this guy in Otis' organization, Billy Herman, he runs one of his uptown funeral homes.
He also does some of his dirty work, but likes to play on both sides of the fence so he can stay unincarcerated.
I know Billy.
You want me to shake his tree? No.
I'll do it.
I'm married, you know? Wow.
Imagine that.
To a wonderful man.
Jimmy and I got married the first day the law allowed for it.
I feel sick to my stomach.
That would be the guilt.
No, it's the drugs.
Something those men most likely put in the food.
Been sober for 16 years.
You go to meetings? I run them.
One in a church out in Port Washington, the other at Harlem Meer Hospital.
So the Harlem Meer, is that what brings you to this neck of the woods? Well, that and the fact that I teach history at City.
You know everyone in here now has a story more believable than mine.
That would be the abduction by men speaking an unknown language, who drugged you, and then later deposited you naked in a house of prostitution.
Yeah.
Who on earth with half a brain would make up crap like that? Hey.
Harvey, pardon the pun, but it looks like you're getting wiped out.
Yours for 250.
The thing about Harvey is two minutes after I first met him in holding, he looked me in the eyes and told me me and my boyfriend were in trouble.
Harvey's a die-hard con artist, but damn if he didn't read me like a comic book.
He reminds me of one of my uncles back home.
He had a million scams, but if one of them ever went smoothly I think he'd have had a heart attack.
Are you sick? Read this for me, please.
Says you just won $10,000.
Is this the precinct for Harlem Meer Hospital and City College? Yes, it is.
Then I need to file a missing persons report with you.
Okay, who's missing? My partner.
Business? Life.
Name's Brandon Ken.
And he hasn't been home in two days.
I wish I had someone like that.
Are you kidding me? Girl as smoking hot as you, you don't have, like Wait, I did not I did not mean that in any offensive or aggressive I am in no way hitting on you.
You must have to beat the chicks off with a club.
Is that guy a collar? Well, actually Then get him the hell out of here.
What's wrong with you? We're married, Brandon and I, you get that? We're adopting a child.
Do you have any idea how absurd this all is? At worst he'll probably receive a desk appearance ticket, pay a fine, and be home tomorrow.
At worst? What about innocence? You want to do something for yourself? Call your credit cards, check your bank account, see if anything's amiss.
Let us know.
Billy works for Otis-- why would he talk to us? I'll give him a reason.
Billy.
Get off of me, man! I'm claustrophobic! Why you running from us, Billy? Huh? Something between Otis and Fred? With who? I don't know.
Please! Boss, is this, I mean, this is legal, right? I heard that they were all huggy and teary.
Had to be crocodile tears.
Let me out of here! Whose crocodile tears? What?! Whose crocodile tears?! Who?! Get me a get me a hammer and some nails, Harper.
Seriously? Whose crocodile tears? Or I swear to God Otis been waiting 20 years to kill Fred! I don't know what you all talking about them hugging and making up, but he's been clocking Fred's parole for a year, getting ready to settle up for his brothers! Please! Let me out! I'll tell you, for someone who's claustrophobic, you're in the wrong line of work, you know.
So what now, warn Fred or scare Otis? Neither.
Neither? Th-That guy just basically I don't know what I expected to hear in there.
Something about a prison dope connection, but not that.
And he gave it up too easy.
That was easy.
Maybe Billy wants us jamming up Otis, you know, take hi, or, uh, maybe Fred got to him.
See, the thing about a snitch is, they work you as much as you work them.
Okay, so, what now? We, uh We take a breath and I think this through.
This language you say they were speaking? It sounded Middle Eastern or East European.
I don't think I've ever heard it before.
Any particular words that stand out for you? No.
Uh, wait.
Selena? Zelena? They'd say it when they fed me, but that couldn't be right; they sure weren't Hispanic.
What were they feeding you? Some kind of pork and cabbage stew.
Stunk up the whole place.
And they called it selena? I think so.
All I could tell you is, that's when they would say the word.
Do you know how pissed we're gonna be if you're making all this up? What are you doing? Searching "world cuisine.
" Now "pork and cabbage.
" Mexican? German? Look here.
"Zelena menestra"? Croatian.
Check this out.
Yeah, yeah, I believe so Ring a bell? The bell has been rung.
Hey, brother, what's up? For the wife, man.
She's gonna love you.
Baby, she's gonna love you.
What are you doing? Cognac? Hey, I'm spreading the wealth.
Are you crazy? Advertising you won money in this neighborhood? How'd you get it so fast? I borrowed five grand from the hamburger man against the ticket.
The loan shark on 117th? Yeah.
Lottery folks don't pay off for two weeks.
You know this is suicide by Santa Claus.
Oh Young people, you got to have a little more faith in folks.
You know that, right? Look, look, I wish I had something else to offer you besides cognac, but all else I got in here is cigars, but I tell you what, toilet paper.
Consider it a gift.
Hey.
Here you go.
Hey, sister.
Here, I got some perfume for you.
We're cleaned out.
Every card charged to the max.
Okay.
Okay.
Hang on.
Come with me.
Brandon Ken-- this is the john that was abducted by aliens? Croatians.
Brandon is not a john.
All right, I've got all your information, I'll forward it to the Fraud Squad, let them run with it.
Meanwhile, maybe you should cancel the cards for starters.
What brilliant advice.
What the hell are you bringing me this crap for? Go process your collars.
I got a haircut.
We have a report of shots fired in the New Ebony Hotel, All units respond.
That's where Fred's staying.
Let's go.
It's bad.
Otis Clark.
It's not what you expected, is it? What? All morning I've been watching the gears turn, and I couldn't figure out what was going on, except that Fred has got you good and scared for something that happened, like, 20 years ago.
Billy tells you that Otis is going to kill Fred, and you give me some song and dance about snitches, but what you're really thinking is "let the oven clean itself," right? Otis goes after Fred, Fred goes to the morgue, and you and Cissy Williams can stop looking over your shoulder the rest of your lives.
All you really got to do is nothing.
Let nature takes its own psychopathic course.
Except Fred is not in the morgue.
We have to find him before he finds Cissy.
What happened? Guy blindsided me in the men's room.
What guy? Told you I got blindsided.
Where's Cissy? She ain't out at her desk? Maybe she's on a break.
This is 2-2 Sergeant.
There's been abduction at Harlem Meer Hospital.
Victim: Cissy William; suspect: Fred Wheeler.
Cissy, open up.
Cissy, it's me, Danny.
Police! Get down! Get down! Move! What'd I do?! What'd I do?! Get down! Move! Wait! Wait! Wait! Hey, that's her son.
That's her son.
What's going on? Where's my mother? So So, he snatches Cissy, and then what? What's he thinking? I don't know, but he's got nowhere to go, no way to get out of this.
No, earlier I heard him talking about how he's spending time visiting his old haunts.
How none of them are left, everything's changed.
But the buildings are still there.
I'm just saying, you say he's got nowhere else to go except maybe into the past.
Yeah, I know four or five Fred Wheeler landmarks.
Want to split them up? So you hear about this guy we picked up during the sweep? Yeah, it's the prize winner.
Everybody's talking about his story.
Not the detectives.
So how's it going on your side of the street? Sucks.
I hate booking pross.
Everybody's got such a hard luck story.
Mm-hmm.
No one dreams of growing up to be a hooker.
I got three of them freaking out about having their kids taken away.
I got two from upstate, one from Europe somewhere.
Where in Europe? Um, I didn't ask, but it was an accent I never heard before.
Can I see the arrest report? Mm.
Hey, she's Croatian.
I understand you're in a jam.
Will they take my child? Not if you can have the arrest voided.
How can I do that? Do you have family here? No, just some cousins.
What are their names? Their names? Baldovin and Martinus.
You ever seen this before? I'll make a deal.
I want my son.
If you were gonna ask me about my love life, what would you ask? I wouldn't.
Are you that uncurious? More like, that embarrassed to ask such questions.
I wish somebody would.
Sometimes I feel like I've got nobody to talk Stop the thieving thieves! They yoked me! Got my lottery money! Stop them! Go! Stop him! No! No! No! Come on! Wait.
I know these two.
Hey, they work for the hamburger man.
The loan shark you borrowed from? Yeah, he ain't above robbing his own customers from time to time, especially when he knows they got some of his money on them.
He probably didn't know I know them.
I was in Rikers with this ugly one, and in Central Booking once with that even uglier one.
Now I'm supposed to pay him back?! 'Cause you know the hamburger man don't care.
We'll just have to make him care.
Come on.
They find men that look like family types, respectable.
They use chloroform and a van, then the take them back to their apartment in the Bronx, feed them roofies, and keep them as long as they can to milk all their credit cards.
Then, they take them to Crouching Tiger so stoned they can hardly remember.
What's your part in this? To help to slip the guy inside, to remove his clothes and convince that we slept together.
Hope is that the family man will be too confused and embarrassed to complain to the cops.
Your cousins-- write down their address.
I'm sorry.
You two say something? Not me.
Nope.
This was one of Fred's crack factories.
Cooking and bagging.
See, he had it in a storefront instead of an apartment.
He was that brazen.
Looks closed.
Yeah, but the gate's unlocked.
Hey, boss Call it in.
Call it in.
Katrina Florists, Possible hostage situation.
Mr.
Danny Dean! See what happens when you barge in on somebody in their former place of business? You got Cissy in there, Fred? Indeed I do.
Why don't you come in and join us? Fact, I insist.
So does Cissy.
Stay here.
Stay here? What? You're going in? I know what I'm doing.
Yeah, I do, too.
You're gonna get him one way or the other.
Ah! Now we can have us a real party.
What the hell is he thinking? I think he's gonna kill him.
Some things happened today.
And you don't understand them.
No matter what you think you know.
All right, we got ten seconds to make a choice.
We either cover our own asses, or maybe save Dean's.
I'm on board.
Yeah, I'm in.
I'm with the officer who called in the 10-13 at Katrina Florists.
Slow it down while I check and advise.
Do not enter.
I repeat: do not enter.
Saw a guy giving a historical gangster tour of Harlem this morning.
He said my name.
Know what that means? I'm history.
Let her go, Fred.
You know who's in history books? Dead people.
If a joker like Otis Clark could still be in the game after all these years, can you imagine where I'd be right now if it wasn't for you two? Fred, you don't need her.
You have me.
Otis has always been something of a simpleton.
All's I had to do was tell him where I was coopin', sit back wait for him to show up.
Fred, Fred, listen to me.
Let Cissy go.
This is about you and me; it always has been.
Well that's so and not so.
Let me ask you what is this place? What place? This? This is, uh this is Harlem.
Nah, this ain't Harlem.
Harlem is where I'm feared.
Well, I fear you, Fred.
I fear you.
And look at Cissy there; she's shaking like a leaf.
You know I was gonna pay you and Cissy and Otis all back in my own sweet time once I got back on top, but the minute I got off that bus, I realized I was never gonna be nothin' no more around here but a broke-ass ghost sitting with a bunch of diabetics, talking about "back in the day.
" So what am I supposed to do now? Get a job? Nah.
Nah, nah, nah, nah.
Nothing left for me to do but settle my scores and call it a day.
Oh, my Commandos.
Pull that trigger, there ain't gonna be enough of you left to fill an ashtray.
So I kill you, they kill me? Or I give up go back to jail the rest of my life.
Jail is still alive.
First few years inside, I was Fred Wheeler.
After that, there were so many new kingpins coming in that I just became some old guy with a hairnet serving stew to animals with a fraction of my intelligence.
That ain't alive.
Uh-uh, no, no.
So young nephew, you know what happens to Miss Cissy when you pull that trigger? Nobody's pulling any triggers, Fred.
Nobody.
Terry Harper, Toney, nobody! You got me? Your call, partner.
Look.
Look.
I want a confession.
Y'all set me up back then.
Tell it.
Tell it! Fred, I swear I didn't do anything.
She didn't do a damn thing-- it was me, it was all me.
You did so many horrific deeds; you got away with all of it.
Somebody had to balance the scales.
So here I am, okay? Here I am.
You got no truck with her.
Let me ask you something.
What the hell is SoHa? SoHa? It's a It's an abbreviation.
It means South Harlem.
You know, like SoHo.
What the hell is SoHo?! No! It's okay.
It's okay.
Come on.
Come on.
Which one are you, Baldovin or Martinus? - What is it you're doing? - Let's go.
What is this? Lunchtime's over.
There's no meds or dope or anything.
Bedroom's clear.
No wallets or credit cards.
Hey, Detective.
No wallets or Does this count as evidence? Danny.
Danny.
Danny.
Your rooks are good at keeping their stories straight, right? What they heard and what they didn't.
We'll find out.
Four dollars.
No, I think it's on the house.
Say what? You know what else is on the house? The five grand loan to Harvey.
Where do you come off getting in my business? See, Harvey here, he I.
D.
'd the two goons that you sent to rob him.
Now, we got him not to press charges, but they will give you up in a heartbeat, and then your business really would be selling burgers.
That is, after you get out of jail.
My ticket! I ain't never borrowing money from this man again.
Well, may you both have long and fruitful careers.
I don't know, what did you say earlier? You taught history? There are days that sounds pretty appealing to me.
I'm gonna stick with the long, fruitful cop thing.
How do we get out of here? Where you going? Home.
Nah, let me buy you a drink.
I can't.
You can.
Come on.
Cissy-- you you would've died for her today? When she first met Fred, she was 18, she was coming out of her sixth foster home.
When she went upstate, she fell down a crack hole.
When she was 21, she was a whore.
When she was 25, she cleaned up.
Went to nursing school at 28, and then she never looked back, so yeah, I would've I would've gone the extra mile for her.
Is it true what you said to Fred about setting him up like that? Say what you think you need to say to survive the situation.
That's not answering my question.
So, self-cleaning oven-- you still believe that? I don't know.
That's what it looked like to me.
I didn't tell Otis to go after Fred.
Yeah, but you didn't stop him, either.
You believe in evil? I do.
Do you believe in public executions? I don't.
I think the safest thing I can say to you is "I'll see you tomorrow.
" Boss.
Just checking in on you.
Was the perp black or white? At this point, he's mainly purple.
His current address is Harlem Meer Hospital, showtime's at 7:00 and 11:00.
Next item, Fred Wheeler A.
K.
A.
King Crack, was paroled from Comstock Penitentiary last week after 20 years incarceration and unfortunately has returned to the hood.
When I was a kid, I remember my dad saying that between mayhem and dope, this guy had more bodies on him than the angel of death.
Guy would wiggle five fingers on 111th, and five people would die on 145th.
Ladies and gentleman, let's restrain from mythologizing, okay? Good morning.
I'm Sergeant Jack Crown from Vice.
Today some of you all will be participating in a good old-fashioned raid, a sweep of the Crouching Tiger massage parlor on Central Park North, both pross and johns.
Crouching Tiger.
It used to be called the Happy Organ.
Check both lists to see if you're in on the sweep.
- I've never been in a brothel.
- Me neither.
It's a lot like a whorehouse.
Footpost 43.
Hey, Sarge? I might have to be in court later today.
One of my first assignments at the Herald was doing a profile on Harlem in the post-Fred Wheeler years.
- Is that a fact? - Yeah.
The guy had an iron grip up here, all kinds of turf warring went on after he went upstate, sort of like the breakup of Yugoslavia or something.
Really? Yeah, his only real competition was a stone killer But he had nowhere near the same amount territory.
Yeah, and yet, Otis the Mortician proved the smarter.
He never went to jail, and he's still in the game.
Fred Wheeler, you know what his favorite method of offing the competition was? Well, he was a history buff.
There were a few.
Oh, my.
Danny Dean hisself.
Hey, Fred.
Looks like you lost a few pounds in there.
One third my body weight.
Got Hep C from the infirmary after a shanking.
Where you living? Somewhere temporary.
Back in the '80s, you had that, uh, sweet floor-through at the Graham Towers.
This a cop nowadays? No, I'm the new mascot for the Mets.
Petey the Patrolman.
So, do I got to be worrying about you now, Fred? I look like anybody you need to worry about anymore? Y'all have a good day now, all right.
I'm assigning you as my driver for this tour.
Why is that? I want to keep my hands free today.
I'll be right back.
Uh Listen, first the Fat Boys break up Now every day I wake up Somebody got something to say Where's the love? Look scrapper, I got nephews to look after I'm not looking at you dudes, I'm looking past ya Ain't no love in the heart of the city I said, "Where's the love?" Ain't no love in the heart of town Holla at me Ain't no love In the heart of the city Where's the love.
Toney.
I want you with me today.
For what? I've got something to do.
I could use a uniform along.
My introduction to Fred? As a rookie, I was assigned to, uh, safeguard a crime scene in a restaurant.
Fred had stuffed six of his rivals in a pizza oven, and then, uh, turned up the jukebox to drown out their screams.
I called in sick for the next two days.
So did my partner.
So, you know, what's his deal with you? In '92, when I was in Narcotics, we got a tip that there was serious weight in Fred's apartment.
I got a warrant, hit the place, and found a duffel with ten keys of coke in it.
He claims the dope was planted by his mistress, Cissy Williams, and supplied by me.
Well, could somebody else have, uh, you know, planted it? I don't know, and I don't care.
- Now drive.
- Where to? Check on Cissy Williams.
Fred, I know what you're thinking.
Tell me what I'm thinking.
I swear by my child's life I heard you went and had yourself a kid.
Boy, right? Gerald? Gerard? Goes to Lutheran on 117th.
Plays soccer.
Soccer.
What are you thinking? I thought you said you knew what I was thinking.
I'd like to know that, too.
Ain't this something? I come in here feeling a little cloudy in my chest; lo and behold, who's the triage nurse? My old squeeze, Cissy.
Get your ass up out of that chair and vanish.
You want to hear lo and behold part two? No sooner than I say hello, Danny Dean makes the scene.
The two of you together in a heartbeat, just like 20 years ago.
You know, I went to that triangle park on St.
Nick to see some of my old crew.
You should've seen them, canes, wheelchairs.
One dude was off to his hypertension support group, can you believe that? I'm feeling better already.
You one hell of a nurse, Cissy.
I'll see you around, huh? Since this is the first time we're partnered up, is there anything I should know about how you work? I don't know, just that I've completely lost the ability to differentiate between normal and abnormal, expected and unexpected.
On the other hand What the hell is all this? Guy gives me some nonsense about curbside delivery.
Now I got to get all this back to my crib before Officers, could you guard this? I'd ask the brothers in the bodega to help me out, but right now, we are in direct competition for the bath tissue market.
Harvey, you remember me? Yeah, I escaped from you at the hospital a while back.
Mm-hmm.
Look, I tell you what, I will sell you this whole kabibble of hygiene for $500.
Hey! And you can sell it for four dollars a jumbo-pack.
Cost to you is one dollar.
That is, uh, three dollar profit per.
Where did they come from? Factory rejects.
Defective toilet paper? One ply.
Hey, drop it! Oh, man, this is too painful to watch.
I'm gonna drown my sorrows in some bad Yemeni coffee.
He threatened my child.
How? He said his name.
Does the boy have any other family? My ex lives in Bridgeport.
I'll get him on the bus this afternoon.
How about yourself? I ain't running from him.
You know I've had a real bad life for the most part.
Now I can finally hold my head up.
I ain't giving that up even if he kills me.
Hey, nobody's getting killed, okay? If you want, I'll put a cop with you for awhile.
Not a cop.
Fred could always buy himself a cop.
He doesn't look like he could buy himself a cup of coffee.
Desmond over there, we're seeing each other.
He's all the cover I'll need.
Oh, all right.
You still got all my numbers? Yeah.
All right.
Danny? You be careful out there with him, too.
Hey, there, honey.
Can you get the boss lady for me? Are you kidding me? It's that time of year, Trace.
Gentlemen! Everybody up, everybody dressed.
Ladies, you know the drill.
I was just visiting.
I was just visiting.
Pat them down, cuff them up.
I was in the right place But it must have been the wrong time I'd have said the right things But I must have used the wrong line I been on the right trip But I must have used the wrong car My head is in a bad place And I wonder what it's good for I been in the right place But it must have been the wrong time My head was in a bad place But I'm having such a good time I've been running Trying to get hung up in my mind Ooh Got to give myself a good talking to this time Please, I got a babysitter.
Maybe you should switch jobs with her.
You got anything in your pockets might stick me? Come again? Check his mouth.
He's got drugs in there.
Say, ahh.
Yoda put me on to that.
Said if a collar's not talking, it's because he's got something in his mouth.
It's for my migraines, I swear.
Mm-hmm.
Someone's been doing their homework.
I got to tell you, he's been teaching me a lot of stuff these past few weeks.
What's your story? I just came in for a back rub.
I got desiccated discs.
I kind of actually look forward to seeing him every day.
I mean, you know, to learn.
Is that a fact? Felix? You told me you worked on Wall Street! You told me you owned a shoe store! Hey, Felix, you got anything in a triple wide pump? It was an undercover operation.
Undercover brother.
Aw Whoa, Lady Godiva.
Where am I? I can't think of a comeback line clever enough.
These men had me blindfolded for days.
I don't even know what language they were speaking.
Where are your clothes? I don't have any.
They took them.
The two men speaking a foreign language? Did someone tell you we give a cash prize for the best story? Because it's not true.
Go find him something to wear.
Okay, sir, here, just Otis Clark.
I heard he was still a player.
Last of his kind around here, him and Fred.
The wars those two I had back then made these streets look carpet-bombed.
Why do you think Fred will show up here? Well 'cause look at all the young guns around here.
Otis Clark is the only game in town that Fred could relate to.
And Fred, he don't like being poor.
Speak of the devil.
Come on.
These officers with you? They will be, no doubt.
Fresh out of jail, and you have the nerve to show up here? What if I was to say I was grievous sorry for all those people you lost back when we was clashing? Your two young brothers.
I had 20 years to think on it.
Big D and Clarence did their share of hellishness.
Each of them would've killed you dead in a heartbeat, if they'd got the chance.
Hell, neither of us were doves.
Nonetheless, I'm here to apologize from my heart for their deaths.
That's all I got to say.
Fred.
We're both gray-haired men now.
How about we just take the years that God left for us? I'd be lying if I said I wasn't hoping your heart would move you in that direction.
Guess where I'm hanging my hat now? That rat hole, The New Ebony.
Can you believe that? That just about brought a tear to my eye.
Y'all gonna toss me here or down at the precinct? Whoa! Whoa! Oh.
What did they do, move Harlem somewhere? He's clean.
Oh, no, no, no.
You got to look harder.
You just done violated yourself, Fred.
Tell me when to start acting all outraged and whatnot.
You know, this young officer look, uh oddly familiar.
So you were kept here? No, somewhere else.
I-I have no idea where.
They had me so drugged, I-I could've been on the moon.
At some point they must've transported me here.
They took my wallet, my credit cards, bank cards No wallet then no I.
D.
I may not have any I.
D.
, but I certainly know who I am.
Brandon Ken.
Port Washington, New York.
What's in your hand? My hand? Oh, this.
One of the men was wearing it when they were feeding me.
It fell off of him.
I took it.
I can't believe I'm still holding this.
Here.
Fred, let me hip you to something.
Crack's whack.
Most people around here shooting insulin instead of smack, and you, my friend, are being watched through a telescope 24/7.
So, if you have the slightest notion of hooking up with Otis Clark Know your history, boy.
Otis no friend of mine.
Is that why you two looked like you were ready to make a baby back there? Man needs to make his peace in this life.
So you gonna violate me with that little flake knife or is this just some kind of warning to behave? You keep your distance from Otis Clark.
And you don't even daydream about going anywhere near Danny Dean or Cissy Williams.
One hiccup Sending you back is as easy as this.
Get him out of here.
You said I look familiar? I had an uncle that worked for you.
Po Boy Toney, right? He was a good worker.
Stole a woman from me though.
Never could abide a thief.
He was my mother's brother.
You had him killed when I was four years old.
Left him dead in front of our house, in the street like he was garbage.
My mother's never been the same.
Now nephew's wearing the blue.
That, in my equivalency class upstate they call that irony.
You bump into this vet cop, that vet cop and they all talk about getting you violated, busted, and re-busted-- blah, blah, blah-- but if I ever get the excuse, and I mean ever, old man or not I will just shoot you.
I don't get it.
Why would Otis hook up with Fred? He's broker than broke.
What's in it for Otis? I'm surprised Fred went out of his way to even tell Otis where he was living.
I thought he'd have more pride than that.
What the hell is he up to? Maybe nothing.
No, no, no.
An old lion's still a lion, and the most dangerous kind at that.
You okay, partner? Hmm? Me? Oh, yeah, yeah.
I'm good, I'm good.
Just got to get out in front of this.
So, okay.
What are you thinking? There's this guy in Otis' organization, Billy Herman, he runs one of his uptown funeral homes.
He also does some of his dirty work, but likes to play on both sides of the fence so he can stay unincarcerated.
I know Billy.
You want me to shake his tree? No.
I'll do it.
I'm married, you know? Wow.
Imagine that.
To a wonderful man.
Jimmy and I got married the first day the law allowed for it.
I feel sick to my stomach.
That would be the guilt.
No, it's the drugs.
Something those men most likely put in the food.
Been sober for 16 years.
You go to meetings? I run them.
One in a church out in Port Washington, the other at Harlem Meer Hospital.
So the Harlem Meer, is that what brings you to this neck of the woods? Well, that and the fact that I teach history at City.
You know everyone in here now has a story more believable than mine.
That would be the abduction by men speaking an unknown language, who drugged you, and then later deposited you naked in a house of prostitution.
Yeah.
Who on earth with half a brain would make up crap like that? Hey.
Harvey, pardon the pun, but it looks like you're getting wiped out.
Yours for 250.
The thing about Harvey is two minutes after I first met him in holding, he looked me in the eyes and told me me and my boyfriend were in trouble.
Harvey's a die-hard con artist, but damn if he didn't read me like a comic book.
He reminds me of one of my uncles back home.
He had a million scams, but if one of them ever went smoothly I think he'd have had a heart attack.
Are you sick? Read this for me, please.
Says you just won $10,000.
Is this the precinct for Harlem Meer Hospital and City College? Yes, it is.
Then I need to file a missing persons report with you.
Okay, who's missing? My partner.
Business? Life.
Name's Brandon Ken.
And he hasn't been home in two days.
I wish I had someone like that.
Are you kidding me? Girl as smoking hot as you, you don't have, like Wait, I did not I did not mean that in any offensive or aggressive I am in no way hitting on you.
You must have to beat the chicks off with a club.
Is that guy a collar? Well, actually Then get him the hell out of here.
What's wrong with you? We're married, Brandon and I, you get that? We're adopting a child.
Do you have any idea how absurd this all is? At worst he'll probably receive a desk appearance ticket, pay a fine, and be home tomorrow.
At worst? What about innocence? You want to do something for yourself? Call your credit cards, check your bank account, see if anything's amiss.
Let us know.
Billy works for Otis-- why would he talk to us? I'll give him a reason.
Billy.
Get off of me, man! I'm claustrophobic! Why you running from us, Billy? Huh? Something between Otis and Fred? With who? I don't know.
Please! Boss, is this, I mean, this is legal, right? I heard that they were all huggy and teary.
Had to be crocodile tears.
Let me out of here! Whose crocodile tears? What?! Whose crocodile tears?! Who?! Get me a get me a hammer and some nails, Harper.
Seriously? Whose crocodile tears? Or I swear to God Otis been waiting 20 years to kill Fred! I don't know what you all talking about them hugging and making up, but he's been clocking Fred's parole for a year, getting ready to settle up for his brothers! Please! Let me out! I'll tell you, for someone who's claustrophobic, you're in the wrong line of work, you know.
So what now, warn Fred or scare Otis? Neither.
Neither? Th-That guy just basically I don't know what I expected to hear in there.
Something about a prison dope connection, but not that.
And he gave it up too easy.
That was easy.
Maybe Billy wants us jamming up Otis, you know, take hi, or, uh, maybe Fred got to him.
See, the thing about a snitch is, they work you as much as you work them.
Okay, so, what now? We, uh We take a breath and I think this through.
This language you say they were speaking? It sounded Middle Eastern or East European.
I don't think I've ever heard it before.
Any particular words that stand out for you? No.
Uh, wait.
Selena? Zelena? They'd say it when they fed me, but that couldn't be right; they sure weren't Hispanic.
What were they feeding you? Some kind of pork and cabbage stew.
Stunk up the whole place.
And they called it selena? I think so.
All I could tell you is, that's when they would say the word.
Do you know how pissed we're gonna be if you're making all this up? What are you doing? Searching "world cuisine.
" Now "pork and cabbage.
" Mexican? German? Look here.
"Zelena menestra"? Croatian.
Check this out.
Yeah, yeah, I believe so Ring a bell? The bell has been rung.
Hey, brother, what's up? For the wife, man.
She's gonna love you.
Baby, she's gonna love you.
What are you doing? Cognac? Hey, I'm spreading the wealth.
Are you crazy? Advertising you won money in this neighborhood? How'd you get it so fast? I borrowed five grand from the hamburger man against the ticket.
The loan shark on 117th? Yeah.
Lottery folks don't pay off for two weeks.
You know this is suicide by Santa Claus.
Oh Young people, you got to have a little more faith in folks.
You know that, right? Look, look, I wish I had something else to offer you besides cognac, but all else I got in here is cigars, but I tell you what, toilet paper.
Consider it a gift.
Hey.
Here you go.
Hey, sister.
Here, I got some perfume for you.
We're cleaned out.
Every card charged to the max.
Okay.
Okay.
Hang on.
Come with me.
Brandon Ken-- this is the john that was abducted by aliens? Croatians.
Brandon is not a john.
All right, I've got all your information, I'll forward it to the Fraud Squad, let them run with it.
Meanwhile, maybe you should cancel the cards for starters.
What brilliant advice.
What the hell are you bringing me this crap for? Go process your collars.
I got a haircut.
We have a report of shots fired in the New Ebony Hotel, All units respond.
That's where Fred's staying.
Let's go.
It's bad.
Otis Clark.
It's not what you expected, is it? What? All morning I've been watching the gears turn, and I couldn't figure out what was going on, except that Fred has got you good and scared for something that happened, like, 20 years ago.
Billy tells you that Otis is going to kill Fred, and you give me some song and dance about snitches, but what you're really thinking is "let the oven clean itself," right? Otis goes after Fred, Fred goes to the morgue, and you and Cissy Williams can stop looking over your shoulder the rest of your lives.
All you really got to do is nothing.
Let nature takes its own psychopathic course.
Except Fred is not in the morgue.
We have to find him before he finds Cissy.
What happened? Guy blindsided me in the men's room.
What guy? Told you I got blindsided.
Where's Cissy? She ain't out at her desk? Maybe she's on a break.
This is 2-2 Sergeant.
There's been abduction at Harlem Meer Hospital.
Victim: Cissy William; suspect: Fred Wheeler.
Cissy, open up.
Cissy, it's me, Danny.
Police! Get down! Get down! Move! What'd I do?! What'd I do?! Get down! Move! Wait! Wait! Wait! Hey, that's her son.
That's her son.
What's going on? Where's my mother? So So, he snatches Cissy, and then what? What's he thinking? I don't know, but he's got nowhere to go, no way to get out of this.
No, earlier I heard him talking about how he's spending time visiting his old haunts.
How none of them are left, everything's changed.
But the buildings are still there.
I'm just saying, you say he's got nowhere else to go except maybe into the past.
Yeah, I know four or five Fred Wheeler landmarks.
Want to split them up? So you hear about this guy we picked up during the sweep? Yeah, it's the prize winner.
Everybody's talking about his story.
Not the detectives.
So how's it going on your side of the street? Sucks.
I hate booking pross.
Everybody's got such a hard luck story.
Mm-hmm.
No one dreams of growing up to be a hooker.
I got three of them freaking out about having their kids taken away.
I got two from upstate, one from Europe somewhere.
Where in Europe? Um, I didn't ask, but it was an accent I never heard before.
Can I see the arrest report? Mm.
Hey, she's Croatian.
I understand you're in a jam.
Will they take my child? Not if you can have the arrest voided.
How can I do that? Do you have family here? No, just some cousins.
What are their names? Their names? Baldovin and Martinus.
You ever seen this before? I'll make a deal.
I want my son.
If you were gonna ask me about my love life, what would you ask? I wouldn't.
Are you that uncurious? More like, that embarrassed to ask such questions.
I wish somebody would.
Sometimes I feel like I've got nobody to talk Stop the thieving thieves! They yoked me! Got my lottery money! Stop them! Go! Stop him! No! No! No! Come on! Wait.
I know these two.
Hey, they work for the hamburger man.
The loan shark you borrowed from? Yeah, he ain't above robbing his own customers from time to time, especially when he knows they got some of his money on them.
He probably didn't know I know them.
I was in Rikers with this ugly one, and in Central Booking once with that even uglier one.
Now I'm supposed to pay him back?! 'Cause you know the hamburger man don't care.
We'll just have to make him care.
Come on.
They find men that look like family types, respectable.
They use chloroform and a van, then the take them back to their apartment in the Bronx, feed them roofies, and keep them as long as they can to milk all their credit cards.
Then, they take them to Crouching Tiger so stoned they can hardly remember.
What's your part in this? To help to slip the guy inside, to remove his clothes and convince that we slept together.
Hope is that the family man will be too confused and embarrassed to complain to the cops.
Your cousins-- write down their address.
I'm sorry.
You two say something? Not me.
Nope.
This was one of Fred's crack factories.
Cooking and bagging.
See, he had it in a storefront instead of an apartment.
He was that brazen.
Looks closed.
Yeah, but the gate's unlocked.
Hey, boss Call it in.
Call it in.
Katrina Florists, Possible hostage situation.
Mr.
Danny Dean! See what happens when you barge in on somebody in their former place of business? You got Cissy in there, Fred? Indeed I do.
Why don't you come in and join us? Fact, I insist.
So does Cissy.
Stay here.
Stay here? What? You're going in? I know what I'm doing.
Yeah, I do, too.
You're gonna get him one way or the other.
Ah! Now we can have us a real party.
What the hell is he thinking? I think he's gonna kill him.
Some things happened today.
And you don't understand them.
No matter what you think you know.
All right, we got ten seconds to make a choice.
We either cover our own asses, or maybe save Dean's.
I'm on board.
Yeah, I'm in.
I'm with the officer who called in the 10-13 at Katrina Florists.
Slow it down while I check and advise.
Do not enter.
I repeat: do not enter.
Saw a guy giving a historical gangster tour of Harlem this morning.
He said my name.
Know what that means? I'm history.
Let her go, Fred.
You know who's in history books? Dead people.
If a joker like Otis Clark could still be in the game after all these years, can you imagine where I'd be right now if it wasn't for you two? Fred, you don't need her.
You have me.
Otis has always been something of a simpleton.
All's I had to do was tell him where I was coopin', sit back wait for him to show up.
Fred, Fred, listen to me.
Let Cissy go.
This is about you and me; it always has been.
Well that's so and not so.
Let me ask you what is this place? What place? This? This is, uh this is Harlem.
Nah, this ain't Harlem.
Harlem is where I'm feared.
Well, I fear you, Fred.
I fear you.
And look at Cissy there; she's shaking like a leaf.
You know I was gonna pay you and Cissy and Otis all back in my own sweet time once I got back on top, but the minute I got off that bus, I realized I was never gonna be nothin' no more around here but a broke-ass ghost sitting with a bunch of diabetics, talking about "back in the day.
" So what am I supposed to do now? Get a job? Nah.
Nah, nah, nah, nah.
Nothing left for me to do but settle my scores and call it a day.
Oh, my Commandos.
Pull that trigger, there ain't gonna be enough of you left to fill an ashtray.
So I kill you, they kill me? Or I give up go back to jail the rest of my life.
Jail is still alive.
First few years inside, I was Fred Wheeler.
After that, there were so many new kingpins coming in that I just became some old guy with a hairnet serving stew to animals with a fraction of my intelligence.
That ain't alive.
Uh-uh, no, no.
So young nephew, you know what happens to Miss Cissy when you pull that trigger? Nobody's pulling any triggers, Fred.
Nobody.
Terry Harper, Toney, nobody! You got me? Your call, partner.
Look.
Look.
I want a confession.
Y'all set me up back then.
Tell it.
Tell it! Fred, I swear I didn't do anything.
She didn't do a damn thing-- it was me, it was all me.
You did so many horrific deeds; you got away with all of it.
Somebody had to balance the scales.
So here I am, okay? Here I am.
You got no truck with her.
Let me ask you something.
What the hell is SoHa? SoHa? It's a It's an abbreviation.
It means South Harlem.
You know, like SoHo.
What the hell is SoHo?! No! It's okay.
It's okay.
Come on.
Come on.
Which one are you, Baldovin or Martinus? - What is it you're doing? - Let's go.
What is this? Lunchtime's over.
There's no meds or dope or anything.
Bedroom's clear.
No wallets or credit cards.
Hey, Detective.
No wallets or Does this count as evidence? Danny.
Danny.
Danny.
Your rooks are good at keeping their stories straight, right? What they heard and what they didn't.
We'll find out.
Four dollars.
No, I think it's on the house.
Say what? You know what else is on the house? The five grand loan to Harvey.
Where do you come off getting in my business? See, Harvey here, he I.
D.
'd the two goons that you sent to rob him.
Now, we got him not to press charges, but they will give you up in a heartbeat, and then your business really would be selling burgers.
That is, after you get out of jail.
My ticket! I ain't never borrowing money from this man again.
Well, may you both have long and fruitful careers.
I don't know, what did you say earlier? You taught history? There are days that sounds pretty appealing to me.
I'm gonna stick with the long, fruitful cop thing.
How do we get out of here? Where you going? Home.
Nah, let me buy you a drink.
I can't.
You can.
Come on.
Cissy-- you you would've died for her today? When she first met Fred, she was 18, she was coming out of her sixth foster home.
When she went upstate, she fell down a crack hole.
When she was 21, she was a whore.
When she was 25, she cleaned up.
Went to nursing school at 28, and then she never looked back, so yeah, I would've I would've gone the extra mile for her.
Is it true what you said to Fred about setting him up like that? Say what you think you need to say to survive the situation.
That's not answering my question.
So, self-cleaning oven-- you still believe that? I don't know.
That's what it looked like to me.
I didn't tell Otis to go after Fred.
Yeah, but you didn't stop him, either.
You believe in evil? I do.
Do you believe in public executions? I don't.
I think the safest thing I can say to you is "I'll see you tomorrow.
" Boss.
Just checking in on you.