T.J. Hooker (1982) s03e09 Episode Script

Matter of Passion

(spirited theme music) (pleasant music) (waves crashing) - Beautiful morning, isn't it? - Terrific! - [Man.]
Morning.
(dramatic music) - Call the police, report a dead body.
- Is she dead? - I'm afraid so.
You were here, did you see anything? - No, nothing.
- You live around here? - I rent a little cottage down the beach.
LCPD, you a policeman? - Yeah.
Would you mind helping me look around? To see if she left anything on the sand that might tell us who she is.
- Yes, of course.
(somber music) - [T.
J.
.]
Lew, anything on the girl yet? - How long since you pulled her out of the drink, five hours? Give me a break, Hooker.
I got a couple of other things going here.
- Don't you have an ID on her yet? - No, Hooker, I do not have an ID.
- What about her personal affects? - I called down to the morgue, and the ME says there's nothing with her name on it.
- You called him, you didn't go down? You may have a homicide.
- Look, Hooker, even if we had the manpower and 48-hour days, we'd still end up with unidentified bodies.
- Maybe so.
But the girl I found is not going to be one of them.
When I carried her out of the tide pool, her hand somehow closed around my arm.
As if she were reaching out to me, even in death.
I'm gonna run with this one, Lew.
- Be my guest.
Keep in touch.
- You find out who the girl was, Hooker? - Yeah, Jane Doe.
- That only makes it worse, not to take your own name with you.
- Lew Jensen's got a caseload that won't quit.
This one's on the bottom of the stack.
I'm gonna follow through on it.
- What can we do to help? - Check missing persons reports at all precincts.
If you come up dry, put out inquiries statewide.
- Stace and I will get right on it.
- Let's go, Junior.
- Where to? - The morgue.
(knocks) - Afternoon, Hooker, Romano.
- How are you doing? - The new 533i, I'm gonna spring for it.
What do ya think? - It's sharp.
We're here about the Jane Doe that was brought in this morning.
- I just finished the preliminary.
- What did you find? - Homicide.
No water in the lungs.
She was hit on the back of the head, died before she ever got dumped in the ocean.
- How can you be sure it's homicide? Couldn't she have slipped and hit her head on a rock? - No way.
The wound to the skull is unique and symmetrical.
Serrations are identical size and spacing.
Nature doesn't fashion things that evenly.
- What kind of instrument would make that kind of wound? - Haven't the slightest.
- Let's see the girl's personal affects.
- Help yourself.
Oh, and I'm getting the transparent liftoff roof panel.
Did I tell you that? - No.
- I was telling somebody that.
- Lipstick, key Looks like a personal phone book.
- Funny thing about these little black books, nobody ever puts their own name in it.
- [Vince.]
The other entries might give us a lead.
- Tell Lathrop I'm taking the little black book and the key.
I'll sign a receipt.
(somber music) (spirited music) - I don't get it, Hooker.
Hasn't Jensen already scoured the scene? - Well, Jensen was supposed to have scoured the scene, but with his caseload, he might've missed something.
It never hurts to take a second look.
Remember that when you go for your gold shield.
- Hooker, catch that.
You were right about Jensen.
I think I see something he left out of his report.
- Hi, Hooker, you're back.
- So are you.
- What about the girl? Did you find out who she was? - I'm working on it.
- You know, I have a feeling I saw her before.
Maybe even took her picture.
- Why would you have done that? - For one of my paintings.
You see, when I do a beach scene, the people aren't going to stay in place until I finish.
So, I take a number of photographs from different angles, and I'll work from one of the photographs.
- When you're finished, what do you do with these photographs? - Toss them in a box.
- I want to see those pictures.
- Well, sure, but it could take hours.
I have a few years worth.
- It's very important.
- I know it is.
Why don't you let me do the looking? Then, you come by, say about eight? And by then, if there is a photo, I'll have found it.
- I'll be there.
- Eight o'clock.
Maybe you should bring a bottle of wine.
- Maybe I will.
We're supposed to be taking a second look.
Let's get to it, shall we? - He's at it again.
- There are only names and phone numbers in the book.
He's got the phone company matching addresses and numbers.
- But until they come through, all he can do is call.
- Right.
- I've seen it happen before.
Sometimes, a cop gets caught up in a case.
Sometimes, too caught up for his own good.
- Come on, Corrigan, Hooker gets caught up in every case.
- Yeah, well, maybe you're right.
- Well, thanks, and if you recall anyone you know who looks like the girl I described, please contact me at the Academy Precinct.
Thank you.
Digging up these pictures was enough.
I didn't expect you to make enlargements.
- Gave me a chance to use my new equipment.
Here you go.
What do you think? - Well, I've thought about her, what she must have looked like when she was alive.
This is the way I saw her.
- I meant what do you think about the prints? But I don't blame you for looking at her instead.
There's a sweetness, a freshness about her.
- Innocence.
Vulnerable.
The prints, first quality.
- (laughs) That's more like it.
I forgive you, now come on.
How about opening that gorgeous bottle of wine you brought? I have cheeses you've never even heard of to compliment it.
Well, at least I've never heard of 'em.
- You have a special touch.
- I think there are a lot of special things I could do for you, Hooker.
(dramatic music) (country music) - Hello, Andrea, this is Sergeant Hooker of the police department.
I'm trying to find the identity of a murder victim and your name is in her personal phone book.
- Really? Not many girls have my name in their personal phone book.
- Perhaps if I give you her description it might help you recognize her.
She had brown hair, blue eyes, five foot six, 112 pounds.
- Well, except for the hair, you're describing me right down to my little old toes.
Now, who is this, and who gave you my phone number? - This is no put on, and if you could help me, I'd appreciate it.
- Oh, I'm sure I can help you, Sergeant, but not with your phone book.
- I'll keep that in mind, thank you very much.
- Hooker.
How's it going? - About 20 calls so far.
Some have answers, and the rest can't Or won't put a name to the description.
- Why don't you take a break, partner? - Yeah, I need some more silver.
Could I have some change, please? - How long are you gonna keep calling tonight? - 'Til they start hanging up.
- How many names are in that book? - 80, 85.
- Give me some of those numbers.
- Ah, thank you, partner.
There's only one phone.
Maybe tomorrow.
Thank you.
You know, if someone found my personal telephone book and called 20 people in it, it's hard to believe that no one would recognize my description.
- You know, Corrigan, maybe you're right.
Maybe Hooker is getting too caught up.
(phone ringing) - Yes? - Is this, uh, Grant? - Who is this? How did you get my private number? - This Sergeant Hooker of the LCPD.
I'm attempting to identify a young lady, and your number is in a personal phone book that was in her possession.
- I see.
Can you describe her? - About 20, five foot six, 112 pounds, brown hair, blue eyes.
- I'm afraid that doesn't ring a bell, Sargeant.
And I have no idea how the young woman got my number.
- Well, unfortunately, she can't tell us, she's in the morgue.
And, uh, if you happen to remember her, please contact me at the Academy Precinct.
By the way, uh, Grant is the only name that's written here.
Is that your first or your last name? - You'll have to excuse me, Sergeant.
Goodnight.
(phone disconnects) - You get something? - I'm not sure.
This guy wasn't very happy to hear from me.
- Well, if anything does come to mind, please give us a call at the Academy Precinct.
That does it.
- The last call.
We worked our way through the girl's black book.
- No one seems to know your Jane Doe.
- But we have this from the phone company.
Full names and addresses that match up with each of the numbers.
- What about the key that we found on the girl's affects? - Nothing unusual.
Had it's ID checked, and they said it's cut from a standard door key blank.
- Hey, look at this.
The man that hung up on me.
I was asking if Grant was his first or last name.
Now, I know why he hung up on me.
His name is Grant Chandler.
- The Grant Chandler? - You mean Daddy Warbucks? - President of Independent Pacific Bank.
- A man with a reputation to protect.
- Sounds more promising that most of the others we called.
River View Tennis Club, Del Rey Cleaners, the track, the tobacco shop.
- The names in the little black book.
Too many of them have to do with a man's business.
- Then, why would she be carrying the book? - Maybe to do things for the man in her life.
A husband, an employer, a boyfriend, maybe even her father.
Junior.
- Anxious to talk to Mr.
Grant Chandler? - You could say that.
You could definitely say that.
- Let me see those numbers.
- We never finished our phone call last night, Mr.
Chandler.
- Really? What can I do for you? - The girl I mentioned.
The one I found dead on the beach.
20, five foot six, brown hair, blue eyes.
- Still doesn't ring any bells.
- No recollection of her, and yet somehow, she got your private, unlisted number and jotted it down in her book.
- I don't care that this girl had my private number or how she got it.
The point is, and let me repeat, I never knew her.
I never even knew of her.
- I hear you, Mr.
Chandler.
But I'm having a little trouble believing you.
I'm convinced you knew her.
And I think you may even know how she ended up dead in a tide pool on the beach.
- Now, you can think what you like, but your opinion is offensive.
So, let me put you on notice.
I have some very powerful friends in this city.
- What was she to you, Chandler? Did you meet her someplace and try and hit on her? Did you have an affair with her? Did she learn something about you that you didn't want known? - (laughs) I don't have to listen to another word of this.
Get out of my office.
- You knew her, I know you knew her.
- Would you like me to call security and have you forcibly removed? - Yeah, you do that, and I'll make so much heat, you'll see it on the five o'clock news.
Would that suit you? - I wasn't aware that our police force pursued its hazy suspicions with such aggression.
- It doesn't.
The department isn't even interested in this case.
It's just another Jane Doe.
No, this is personal, Chandler.
So, I'll be seeing you again.
And keep on seeing you and digging until I learn who the lady was, what happened to her, and where you fit into the picture.
You can count on it.
(dramatic music) - I've had a very unpleasant visit with that police officer who phoned me last night.
- Hooker? - That's right.
And he has to be dealt with, and quickly.
Before he can cause irreparable damage.
- Serious business, sir Killing a cop.
- The threat he poses is infinitely more serious.
- Then, we'll ice him.
(spirited, dramatic music) (intense music) (rifle fires) (tires screeching) (guns firing) (gun fires) (glass shatters) (tires squealing) (intense music) (gasps) - Hooker, what's going on? - I think it's over.
But you'd better get back to your room.
- Why would anyone do this? - They were looking for me and for something else.
- Officer-Involved Shooting Team is taking a long time with Hooker.
- Does he have any idea who the perpetrators were? - No, but he's sure they're connected to his Jane Doe.
- They had to be looking for the little black book.
There isn't anything else in Hooker's room worth stealing.
- What do you have there, Romano? - Hooker's artist friend came through with a photo of Jane Doe when she was alive.
- Wow.
Now that I see what this girl looked like, I could understand Hooker's hangup.
She was beautiful.
- Well, hangup or no hangup, Hooker's push to find who she was and what happened to her is rattling somebody's cage.
- And I'm gonna keep on rattling the cage until I shake the killer loose.
- What about the banker, Chandler? Romano says you went nose to nose with him yesterday.
- Chandler is definitely tied to her, he just won't admit it.
- Which puts him at the top of your list of candidates.
- Until we have something more to go on, we're going to have to work around Chandler.
- By dropping in on everyone listed in the little black book? - That's the ticket.
- We took half the names.
Is there anything else you need? - Half is more than enough.
Let's roll.
(dramatic music) - Two of you, and you couldn't handle one of him.
You not only didn't take him out, you didn't bring back that phone book! - Mr.
Chandler, this guy Hooker turned out to be one tough cop.
- You're supposed to be a professional, Riker.
We had a business arrangement.
You bring me dirty drug money, I launder it.
And you take care of all the obstacles along the way! Like Hooker! Now, I want that cop out of my life! - He will be after today.
We'll blow him to hell and back.
(beeping) (dramatic music) - [Vince.]
Well, that takes care of another number in her little black book.
- [T.
J.
.]
We keep searching, Junior, until we find all the answers.
(dramatic music) (beeping) - None of these people seem to have seen or heard of your Jane Doe.
- Well, maybe they haven't.
- What are you saying, maybe none of these people that we're talking to ever saw her? - Maybe they just talked to her on the phone.
- How do you figure that? - Well, think of the people we've contacted.
The health club that's really a high-priced massage parlor, top dollar call girls.
Sounds to me like she'd contact them only to make an appointment for someone else.
- Like you figured, a man.
- A man.
A man like Grant Chandler.
He's my pick for the part.
- So, who do we talk to now? Hooker? - Hm? - [Vince.]
You with me? - Oh, sorry.
I was waiting for the other shoe to drop.
- What shoe? - Well, they tossed my place looking for the black book.
They shoot at me.
And I'm still here, and I've still got the black book, so - I see what you mean.
- Get ahold of Stacy and Corrigan on the tag channel, see if they've had better luck with their list than we've had with ours.
(radio static beeping) (beeping) (radio static beeping) - Seems to be a loose connection on the radio.
(radio static buzzing) - There's a pattern to that static.
- What pattern? (rhythmic radio static beeping) - One I've heard before.
For an electromagnetic detonator.
- You mean there a detonator in this car? - And where's there a detonator, there's usually a bomb.
(beeping) (siren blaring) (intense music) (beeping) (tires squealing) (siren blaring) (tires screeching) (intense music) (exploding) - Damn, that was close.
- 'Cause we're getting close.
We're making somebody very nervous.
(theme music) - [Vince.]
We got here as soon as we could, what's up? - We got lucky.
The cleaners knew your Jane Doe.
Recognized her the moment we showed them her picture.
- Did they have a name? - Susan Fairchild.
- Susan Fairchild.
Pretty name.
Susan.
- Looks like she lived alone.
The cleaners said the only things she's ever left with them were her own.
- Well, what does that do to your theory that she was carrying the little black book to take care of things for some man? - It doesn't change it, look, Del Rey Cleaners in pencil.
- Almost all the others are in ink.
- Then, the ones in ink had to do with some man's business, and the few that are in pencil are probably Susan's personal numbers.
- Did the cleaners have an address on Susan? - Yeah, about four blocks from here, 6750 Esplanade.
- Thanks, guys, for your help.
(dramatic music) (tires squealing) (dramatic music) - What a tragedy, this is terrible.
Susan was so nice.
Goodness and sweetness just surrounded her, you know? - Yes, sir, we know.
- All right, thank you very much.
We'll lock up when we're done.
- Thank you.
- Okay.
- [Vince.]
The key from Susan's personal affects? - Yeah.
Well, it doesn't fit.
- I wonder whose door it does fit.
(wind chime tinkling) Eerie.
You can almost feel her.
(wind chime tinkling) Look at this.
- [T.
J.
.]
Eddie Beal, County Jail.
- Gotta be a friend of Susan's if they're corresponding.
- Yeah.
(dramatic music) Eddie Beal.
I'm Sargeant Hooker.
I read your rap sheet.
You're in for possession.
- That's a phony rap.
What's it to you, anyway? - [T.
J.
.]
Try me.
- I was setup, that's it.
- Yeah, who set you up? - A guy named Roy Downing.
- Let's hear the story.
- This guy named Downing, he hired me to run some errands.
And the first day out, he gives me this package to deliver downtown.
So, I'm driving downtown, and all of a sudden, these cops pull me over, say they've got this lead that I'm carrying cocaine.
- That's what was in the package when you were busted? - Yeah.
- What about Downing? - He claimed he never saw me before.
Are you going to do anything about it? - I might.
But first, I'd like to talk to you about a friend of yours, Susan Fairchild.
- Sue? Is Sue in trouble? Man, if she is, that's gonna tear it the rest of the way with her folks.
- Go on.
- Maybe it doesn't matter.
Those blue-nosed bible thumpers.
They wrote her off back when we left Iowa together.
Said I'd lured her into the ways of sin.
But we were just friends.
Just two kids from the same town who couldn't take anymore and got out, that's all.
- How can I get in touch with Susan's parents? - What for? Something happened to Sue, didn't it? - Eddie, I'm sorry.
She's dead.
- What? Dead? - [Men.]
One, two, three, four! One, two, three, four! - [Stacy.]
How'd they take the news, Hooker? - Eddie Beal was right about Susan's parents.
They said as far as they were concerned, Susan was already dead from the moment she turned her back on their ways and their beliefs and left town.
They're not even gonna claim her body for burial.
- Then, she'll end up in Potter's Field.
- It's just not right.
- It's not gonna be that way, if I have anything to do with it.
How are you guys doing on your half of the list? - Moving through it, but so far nothing else has shaken up.
- I'd like to help Eddie Beal.
- You think he was telling the truth about being setup? - I'm certain of it.
Run a make on Roy Downing.
We'll find time to visit him.
I've gotta drive down to the beach to see Alice.
(pleasant music) Hi.
- Come to buy a painting, Sargeant? - Come to tell you we identified the girl.
Your photograph did it.
- Terrific.
Does that mean you owe me one? - I owe you one.
- You could buy me lunch.
There's a great little French restaurant right down the street.
- Hey, it's the least I could do.
When did you do that? - A month, two months ago.
- That jacket.
I've seen one like it before.
You told me that you photograph these scenes before you paint 'em.
Do you happen to have that photo, maybe buried in one of those boxes of yours? - Yes, but it's not buried.
When I paint a picture from a photo, that photo goes in a file.
I could put my hands right on it.
- Would you, please? - Right now? What about lunch? - What about dinner instead? How about tonight? - Now, that's an offer I can't refuse.
Give me half a minute to get my things together, and we'll go find that photo.
Here it is, Hooker, but you can't make out the faces.
- Can you blow this up? - Dancing after dinner tonight? - That's blackmail, but I'm easy.
- Good.
I can blow it up then.
(dramatic music) - [T.
J.
.]
Just who I thought it'd be.
- Do you know him? - I know him.
Do you know him? - Not exactly.
He owns a big house about a half a mile from here.
Don't know his name though.
He's hardly ever on the beach.
- I'll get a search warrant.
- You can't miss the house, it's at the end of the road on the cliffs overlooking the beach.
Hey, I'll be ready at eight.
(tense music) (knocking) (dog barking) (tense music) (dog barking) (tense music) (ominous music) - What took you so long? I've been waiting for you.
Relax.
If I wanted to waste ya, I had the chance.
- What stopped you? - I need you, alive.
The gun.
Throw it.
- Where do you fit in? - I work for a guy named Jack Riker.
He works for Chandler.
Riker gave me the job of getting rid of Susan's body.
- And you planted the black book and the key on her body so it'd lead back to Chandler.
- Chandler pretended he was gonna make Susan his personal secretary so he put her up here in the cabana.
What he really wanted was to get next to her.
He even told Riker to get her hometown out of the way.
- Eddie Beal.
You framed Eddie Beal on a possession charge.
You're Roy Downing.
- You're pretty smart, Hooker.
But it doesn't matter.
After I say what I have to say, I'm gone.
- You must have cared for Susan a great deal.
- I did.
She was beautiful and kind.
And we used to talk.
I loved her eyes.
They were clean and sparkling, just like her.
- Why did Chandler kill her? - She found out he was laundering money for a couple of drug rings.
I guess she was gonna blow the whistle on him.
- Listen, Downing.
- Stay there.
- It's gonna be hard to make a case against a man as powerful as Chandler without your testimony.
- That's your problem, not mine.
- I'm gonna make it your problem.
You walk, Susan's killer walks.
- Now, look You can pick up Chandler and Riker at the Corona Yacht and Health Club.
They'll be there at four o'clock.
That's all I want to have to do with it.
- You went to a lot of trouble to get me here so that a girl like A girl like Susan wouldn't have her life cut short without the person responsible for it paying the consequences.
- Do you know what you're asking me to do, Hooker? - What do you think Susan would want? Do you think she'd want you to help? I can tell you she would.
Roy, I need you.
(dramatic music) (tires squealing) - Just how dangerous are these guys? - No telling what Chandler will do when he knows he's cornered.
- Does he carry a gun? - I don't know.
- What about Riker? - That I'd bet on.
You two cover the sides, we're going in.
(car engine starts) (tense music) Hold it, Chandler! (tense music) (woman screams) (tense music) Chandler, give it up! (sirens blaring) You're under arrest for murder! - No way, Hooker! (siren blaring) - Your man, Downing, told us everything! He's gonna testify in court! Give it up! - Give it up, Chandler! (tense music) (thudding and grunting) (dramatic music) (car engine starts) (siren blares) (tires squealing) (tense music) (splashing) (siren blaring) (tires screeching) - Four-Adam-30, request helicopter at Admiralty Way and 14th.
(helicopter blades whirring) (tense music) (gun fires) (gun firing) Make another pass! He's only got one more round in that gun.
Don't worry, he missed with the others, didn't he? (tense music) (gun fires) (tense music) Put me down on the deck! (tense music) (tense music) (thudding) You had it all, Chandler! And you wanted more and more.
And you didn't care what it took to get it.
(dramatic music) (birds tweeting) - Too bad Susan's friend, Eddie Beal, couldn't be here.
- We tried our best to get him released in time.
The County Jail couldn't get the papers processed soon enough.
- Maybe it's all for the best.
Eddie can remember her the way he knew her.
The sweetness, the beauty he remembered.
- Well, at least we're here.
- Right.
Hooker, we may not be her family, but at least somebody cared.
Something tells me that matters.
- I'd like to think you're right.
- Shouldn't somebody say something? - Hooker? (birds tweeting) - Susan, I never knew you.
My loss.
Perhaps you were too innocent, too beautiful to survive, I don't know.
It's wrong.
It's all wrong.
I want you know you won't be forgotten.
- Taking care of Susan like this, Hooker, seeing that's she's put to rest properly, it's really very thoughtful, very kind.
- I'll settle for decent, what she deserved.
(birds tweeting) (spirited theme music)
Previous EpisodeNext Episode