04x21 - Backup 1L-20

[bunniefuu]

One-Adam-12, One-Adam-12,

a 211 in progress.

One-Adam-12, handle code 3.

♪♪

One-Adam-12, One-Adam-12,

back up 1L20

near the corner of
Reese and Ellmore.

Possible 459 there now. Code 2.

One-Adam-12, Roger.

Funny thing about sergeants.

If you don't watch
them constantly,

they seem to get into trouble.

You know it.

Hey, thanks for backing me up.

The way it turned out,
I didn't need any help.

You know, it was
a pretty good bust

if I do say so myself.

It's like I've been
telling you guys.

You keep your eyes open,

and you look for things
just a little out of place.

And then follow your instincts.

What was he doing, Mac?

Running down the
street, a TV under his arm

with half the neighborhood
after him yelling "Thief"?

No, I spotted a broken window

at one of the front
apartments as I was driving by.

I came back to take a look.

I found this guy
with a pillowcase.

When he saw me, he threw
a vase at me and took off.

Sounds exciting.

Okay.

We've got an apartment
with a broken window.

Now one of you better
stay here and secure it

until the manager shows up.

The other can help
me transport this guy.

Yeah, well, I'll
stick around here.

Now, Malloy, would
you step in the car

and keep our boy company?

He was breaking
into apartment 1C.

You better seal it off.

The owner isn't home, but I
wouldn't want him coming back

and smudging any prints
till we dust the place.

We'll need the
prints for evidence.

Oh, Mac, nice bust.

Well, you know it and I know it,

but Malloy will never admit it.

Big, tough cops.

You guys never get put
on the hot seat, do you?

You ought to try it sometime.

Then maybe you wouldn't kick
people around the way you do.

It's like I said,

it's too bad you guys never
get put on the hot seat.

That isn't the way
they tell it, Pete.

That's the way it
happened, Stan.

She came out from
between two cars

and was in front of us before
Mac could hit the brakes.

The only problem is there
are three witnesses over there

who all saw the same thing.

They say the woman
was in the crosswalk

when Mac ran her down.

All three of them say

in their opinion
he was speeding.

Listen, Pete. I don't like
this any better than you do.

Yeah, I know you don't.

Are you going to get
Lamson's statement?

Yeah, he's next.

I'll be over in a minute.

Uh, why don't you
ask your buddy?

You know, wise up.

He says he'll tell it
any way we want.

How considerate.

All we have to
do is tell the court

we violated his
Constitutional rights

when we arrested him.

What have you got to lose?

It'll help me. It'll help you.

It's perfect all around.

Why don't you just
tell what you saw?

Well, there's no
percentage in that, pal.

She dove out from
between two cars.

Now, how is that
going to happen?

But if you guys
don't fall in line

and tell it to the court,

you know, that you violated
my rights or something,

then I'm going
to have to tell it

like those other
witnesses over there.

This little old lady came
tottering across the street

in the crosswalk, and
the sergeant hit her.

In fact, it looked to me

like he might have sped
up a little bit, you know.

Of course, I wouldn't
know too much about that.

I was sitting in the back seat,

but it sure sounded to me

like he tromped on it just
a little before he hit her.

You're really something.

Yeah, well, I don't dig the idea of
getting thrown back in the joint, either.

So you and the sergeant
can take your choice.

No deal.

How about you? Last chance.

No.

You guys are really a couple
of Boy Scouts, aren't you?

Okay, Mr. Lamson, I'd like to get a
statement from you about the accident.

Say, I'm kind of
glad you asked that

because in my opinion,
this is disgraceful.

You know, the old lady
getting hit in the crosswalk.

Now, how is a guy going to
have any respect for the police

with things like that
happening, huh?

I want to call my lawyer.

All right, you'll
get the chance.

Hey, do you want me to
give him your name, Sarge?

You know, he's pretty good.

He got me out of
two or three jams.

According to this,

the woman's name
is Norma Hosteller.

She's still unconscious.

The hospital went
through her purse,

and they found
some identification.

No address, no license.

Nothing with a name.

Wish I had been with you.

Well, that would've put
you just where Pete is now,

under suspicion of changing
his story to protect his sergeant.

You know, if they ever found out

what a cold-hearted
character you really are,

they'd know I'd
never protect you.

Yeah, I guess you're right.

You know, I've been
trying to figure out

why all those witnesses would've
said she was in the crosswalk.

They have nothing to gain.

Why say something
that wasn't true?

Maybe it was their
angle of vision.

You know, I thought of that,

but they were all looking at it

from different spots
on the sidewalk.

Now, this guy Lamon.

He was standing over
by the shoeshine stand.

Mrs. Rossetter
was by the mailbox.

And the other guy,
the salesman...

Forester.

Yeah, he was near the corner.

They're all
independent witnesses.

They have no axe to grind.

It's going to be a
tough rap to b*at.

Well, from now on it's in
the hands of the investigators.

I think that you guys
better go back to work.

Too bad Lamson won't change
the story and tell the truth.

Not much chance of that.
He's having too good a laugh.

Hey, Pete, all you can ever
do is play the game straight.

From then on it's just a matter
of the kind of breaks you get.

Yeah.

Hey, what about su1c1de?

I'm sure the
investigators will check out

the possibility of su1c1de.

How about 7? Are
you hungry as usual?

Okay.

One-Adam-12 requesting
code 7 at Hess and Norton.

One-Adam-12, continue patrol

and go to the station. Code 2.

One-Adam-12, Roger.

The investigators
are already on it.

The quicker this gets
cleared up, the better.

- Officer Malloy?
- Yes, sir.

I'm Sergeant McCall. I think
you know Sergeant Powers.

We're from Internal
Affairs. Sit down.

Normally, this
kind of a situation

would be handled
by traffic investigation,

but according to
several of the statements

made by witnesses
to the accident,

Sergeant MacDonald was speeding

and careless in the
handling of his police vehicle.

Because of the
charges of misconduct,

Internal Affairs is conducting
a separate investigation.

One of the statements
even alleges

he ran the woman
down intentionally.

Of course, we'll consider the
source of all the statements

before we reach a conclusion.

However, there's one
thing that puzzles us.

What's that?

How your account can
be so much in conflict

with the statements
of the witnesses.

I told what I saw.

You and Sergeant MacDonald
are pretty good friends.

Isn't that true?

Yes.

You two go back a long ways.

- Probably had some good times.
- That's right.

Seems the least you could
do is help your friend out.

- Would you?
- Well, that's not the issue.

I couldn't agree with
you more, Sergeant,

so why don't you get on to
something more relevant?

All right. Are you
saying that you're right

and these other
people are wrong?

I'm a trained observer,
and they're not.

All right, we'll forget that.

Have you ever met any
of these witnesses before?

- No.
- Is it your opinion

that they're lying to
get you into trouble?

I have no idea why
they said what they did.

If you falsify your statement,

you could be
fired off the force.

Beyond that, if
this goes to trial

and you testify in court and
it's proved that you're lying,

then you could be
criminally prosecuted.

You know that, don't you?

Of course I know that.

Unless you feel I'm
incredibly stupid or naive,

I would think you'd weigh
that along with my report.

I have more to lose than
your independent witnesses.

Well, do you have a feeling
that there might be a conspiracy

between these people aimed at
you and Sergeant MacDonald?

It's possible, I suppose.

But a little remote,
don't you think?

Yes.

And then there's Lamson.

Now, he couldn't possibly be
in on a conspiracy of that nature

because it was you that brought
him to the scene of the accident.

He couldn't possible have
planned to be in that car.

As a matter of fact, that's the last
place he would've wanted to be,

yet his story coincides with the
stories of the other witnesses.

He's lying. He offered
to tell what he really saw

if Mac or I would admit to
violating his Constitutional rights.

That's right here in
a separate statement,

but Mr. Lamson
denies that allegation.

Well, now that doesn't really surprise
either one of us, does it, Sergeant?

In fact, Mr. Lamson state that you and
Sergeant MacDonald solicited his help,

that you approached him and
asked him to change his statement

in return for certain favors.

He says he refused.

Look, I know you think
Mac is good for this,

and I know you think
I'm covering for him.

But the way we told it is
exactly the way it happened.

Okay, Malloy, let's
take it from the top.

Now, you were in the
backseat of MacDonald's car

transporting Mr. Lamson,
a suspect and a burglar.

You want to take it from there?

How'd it go?

Rough.

Yeah. Me, too.

You know, Pete,

it's beginning to feel

like I'm really going
to get on with this.

Don't give up yet.

Oh, I'm not giving up.

It's just that I'm running out

of plausible alternatives.

Here's another dead end.

What's that?

Well, I ran a check
on Mrs. Hosteller.

I don't know what I
was hoping to find,

but all I came up
with was a big nothing.

Yeah.

She's so clean, she squeaks.

Yeah. Not even a traffic ticket.

It's kind of strange,
isn't it, Pete?

You go along, doing
things by the book,

trying to be the best
kind of a cop you can.

Something like this pops up.

All of a sudden,
you're dog meat.

Well, how else would
you have him play it?

Yeah. I, uh,

I guess I'm beginning
to sound a little sour.

I didn't mean that.

It's just that this
thing is so screwy.

I keep thinking that once
we hold it up to the light,

it'll just lose its
shape and disappear.

But, uh...

just the... the opposite
seems to be happening.

Something's going
to turn up, Mac.

You got to believe
in the system.

If I get stuck with this,

you're going to take
some heavy heat.

Yeah. Well, I
can put up with it.

Yeah. I guess you can.

But, Pete,

I don't mind telling you,

for the first time,
I'm really scared.

Buzz me through.

I, uh, guess you're here

to make a deal for
your buddy, huh?

Well, maybe I can help him out,

if you'll help me.

If I was on fire, Mr. Lamson,

I wouldn't let you throw water.

Yeah, I'll bet.

But you know what they say
about witnesses, you know...

No two see the same thing.

- Yeah.
- Except in this case.

That's a tough break, you know.

Mm-hmm. You know a
woman named Mrs. Quillen?

Yeah, I know Mrs. Quillen.

She's the manager of
my apartment building.

So what?

She just called.

Evidently, she saw some people

taking some things
out of your apartment.

What?

What are you
standing out here for?

Go out and arrest them.

You calling the cops?

No, but that's my stuff!
That's my own stuff!

Nobody's got no right
to bust into my apartment

and boost my stuff.

Now get out and arrest
those bum creeps!

I just wanted to make sure

that you didn't give
anybody permission

to take anything out
of your apartment.

Nobody's got no permission!
Now get going, will you?

Mrs. Quillen said they took
the stuff into their apartment.

It's on the south
side, ground floor.

Apartment 1E.

Open up!

All right, hold it!

Where'd you come from?

Turn around and put your
hands on top of your head.

Pete, out back!

Hey, what are you guys
doing robbing my apartment?

Why not, man?
Most of that stuff's hot.

You being in jail,
we didn't figure

you'd pop up and catch us.

Yeah, but I got friends in here.

Ain't that right, Reed?

What's going on?

I've been relieved of duty.

I'm clearing out for a while.

You can't do that.

He hasn't had his Board
of Rights hearing yet.

Mrs. Hosteller d*ed, Pete.

MacDonald's Board
of Rights hearing

will be continued,

pending criminal
proceedings for manslaughter.

The DA just filed
in the complaint.

Arraignment's set
for next Monday.

Hey, don't let it eat at you.

You've been down
for the last two days.

Something keeps bothering me.

I can't figure out what it is.

Put us code 6 at the site
of the accident, will you?

Pete, IAD wouldn't want
you hanging around there.

Yeah, I know. I just want
to take another look at it.

There has to be some reason

all those people saw something

that just didn't happen.

This is One-Adam-12.

Show us code 6 at Allen and 3rd.

One-Adam-12, Roger.

A shoeshine attendant.

What?

Right after the
accident happened,

there was an old guy
standing in the shoeshine stand.

He must have seen the accident.

We never got his statement.

He couldn't have missed it,

not if he was turned this way.

Let's go see if we can
find out who he was.

Could I help you, officers?

Can you tell us who operates

the shoeshine stand out front?

Yeah. Billy Fuller.

He isn't there, though.

When did you see him last?

It was a couple of days ago.

This is the first time
since I've been on the job

that he's missed a day.

You said a couple of days ago.

Could you be specific?

It was, uh, Wednesday, I think.

Yeah, that was it.

It was the same day

because I remember
that was the day

that the poor lady was
hit by the police car.

I mean...

Well, it was an accident, huh?

Does this have anything
to do with the accident?

Yes, ma'am.

Are you sure Mr. Fuller was here

the morning of the accident?

Positive.

That was the last
time I saw him.

That's kind of
strange, isn't it?

I suppose you ran Billy Fuller.

We couldn't resist
the temptation.

He's got a package,
mostly for bookmaking.

One petty theft conviction.

He spent time in County
on three separate occasions,

but we don't have a
current address on him.

Okay, here's one for you.

When Mrs. Hosteller d*ed,

we didn't have enough
I.D. to guarantee her identity,

so we printed her and
sent it to Sacramento.

I got a readout
about an hour ago.

Mrs. Norma Hosteller was
really Florence Madison.

- And she's got a record.
- Right.

For bunco. She was a jumper.

Apparently, she
had a trick back,

so she went through life

falling down stairs
and in front of cars.

Then she'd hit the
insurance company

for heavy liability suits.

Doesn't that clear Mac?

Well, it helps,

but it doesn't get
him off the hook.

Just because this woman
had this kind of a history

doesn't mean on this occasion

it wasn't as the witnesses said.

Now, we have to assume

that Mrs. Madison
didn't intend to check out

when she was hit by Mac,

so it could have
been an accident.

And then we have those
three independent witnesses

and Lamson, who claims
she was in the crosswalk.

What are you going to do next?

I figure our best bet is to
stake out this guy Fuller,

see if he is involved.

If I turn his pad, maybe
you guys will come over

and take a look at him,

just to make sure
he's the one you saw

in the shoeshine stand.

Don't worry. We'll be available.

I, uh, kind of
figured you would.

Hey, how about 7?

Yeah, if you want to.

Okay.

One-Adam-12 requesting
code 7 at Norris and 5th.

One-Adam-12, continue patrol

and meet 1Y50 on tact 2.

One-Adam-12, Roger.

One-Adam-12 to Y50, go.

This is Sergeant Powers.

I think I've got this
Fuller guy located.

It's a little house
on Northside,

number 2575.

Maybe you could swing
by here and take a look.

I'm parked down the street.

You got a deal, Sarge.

It's the house with
the picket fence.

Where's McCall?

He's covering the
other end of the street.

From here on, we just wait.

Somebody's just
pulled up in front.

Looks like one of the witnesses

showed up after all.
You see him, men?

Yeah. Let him go inside.

I've got Reed and
Malloy with me.

We'll sit tight for a while
and see what develops.

Roger.

You got good timing, Malloy.

Just lucky.

Looks like you're going
to be in on this after all.

sh*ts fired inside.

Hold down the front.
We're on our way.

McCall!

- Drop it!
- Come on!

Okay, okay! Don't
sh**t, don't sh**t!

Get out of there! Get your
hands on top of your head!

Yeah, sure. Anything you say.

Get 'em up!

Hands on top of
your head. Let's go.

This bum's trying to k*ll me.

But... Wait.

Look, if I didn't have
the g*n in the desk there,

I'd have been cold meat by now.

Take him outside
and give him his rights.

Come on.

Look, I don't want
to talk to no lawyer,

but I ain't about to take no
rap for attempted m*rder.

That guy was trying to k*ll me.

According to him, you were
doing a little blackmailing.

Well, you see,

they hadn't counted on me
being in the shoeshine stand

and seeing the accident.

See, I was opening up the place,

and I seen the old lady
jump in front of that police car.

That's when Lamon spotted me,

and he says he'll
make it worth my while

if I dummied up,

so I... I played
along, that's all.

And when Mrs. Hosteller d*ed,

you decided to squeeze
him a little tighter, huh?

Well, I didn't set up
the con. They did!

And when it soured up,

I figured it was worth
a couple of extra bucks.

I didn't figure on that
bum trying to rub me out.

So the whole thing
was part of a con game.

Mrs. Hosteller...

Or Mrs. Madison,
if you prefer...

Arranged to have the
witnesses on the corner,

but she didn't
count on Billy Fuller

being at his stand.

He opened the shutter

just in time to
see the accident.

They tried to pay him
off to keep him quiet.

Detectives picked up the
other witnesses last night.

If Malloy hadn't remembered

somebody was in
that shoeshine stand,

you might be out of
work right now, Mac.

I don't know. If they fired me,

who'd clean up after
Reed and Malloy?

I would have still had a job.

Yeah. Making license plates.

Look, I'm still the
sergeant around here.

Have you finished your report?

Yeah. Here.

Well, look, this is really nice.

We could sit around
here and talk indefinitely,

but as I recall, you guys
are on the day watch.

That means you've got
about two hours left to work.

Aren't you going
to give us a chance

to get something to eat first?

Get a move on. Get back to work,

and let's see you earn
your pay for a change.

Kind of inconsiderate, isn't he?

Mm-hmm. Right back in form.

Hey. One more thing.

Thanks.