(male narrator) Tonight on "Spenser, For Hire.."
Hold it! Get down!
[g*nsh*t]
Are you okay?
Six foot, two inches of blue twisted steel.
You can't hurt blue twisted steel.
I'll be right over.
Why did you send your son and a two-bit hood
like Eddie Blake to kidnap Lowington's daughter?
A man offered me a job I couldn't take.
Evil man.
Don't you let this Spenser make a jackass out of you.
You're gonna have him. Let's go.
[screaming]
[theme music]
[dramatic music]
[indistinct chattering]
He's rad.
[laughing]
[screaming]
[screaming]
Hold it!
[g*nshots]
[screaming]
[engine revving]
[indistinct]
[music continues]
[music continues]
[horn honking]
Hey! Hey! Will you watch.. Watch it.
[rattling]
Hey, look out..
[music continues]
Look out!
[siren blaring]
[music continues]
(man on radio) 'Acknowledge if you require backup.'
(male #) 'Don't even move!'
[instrumental music]
(Spenser) You know, there's something about wearing a tie.
Whenever I put one on to go to work
it usually turns out to be work I wish I weren't doing.
But it isn't easy to say no to someone
as influential as Mathew Lowington.
The director of the Boston Festival Orchestra.
"Take care of my daughter," he said. "No problem," I said.
I didn't know what to say now.
[opera music]
Bravo, Sandra, bravo.
- You have it now. - Thank you, maestro.
Remember, with Brown's, it is intimacy.
'It's always intimacy.'
Well, I think we're ready.
- Mr. Lowington. - Yes?
Spenser, what is it? What happened?
[instrumental music]
You'd think a guy would know when to quit.
Well, I might not be the best bodyguard in Boston
but I definitely wasn't the brightest.
I couldn't quit this job because I'd just been fired.
But I couldn't quit anyway.
I never can.
[music continues]
[telephone ringing]
Hello.
You look terrific.
You're right, I do.
I bet you smell terrific too.
I'm beginning to smell something myself.
Something spoiled, like our evening.
I got hired to protect a girl
whose father received a kidnap thr*at, right?
- Right. - 'I didn't do it.'
'What?'
I think our house seats to the symphony
are a thing in the past.
Are you okay?
I'm six foot, two inches of blue twisted steel.
You can't hurt blue twisted steel.
I'll be right over.
'Not a good idea, Sus. I gotta work.'
Spenser?
I love you, Sus.
I love you too.
[sighs]
Hey, Spenser. Too bad about your chauffeur's job.
What's the cost for body work on a custom limo these days, huh?
That's what makes you such an outstanding law enforcement
officer, Frank, your unerring pursuit of the facts
that have a real bearing on the case. Where's Quirk?
Oh, you're the big PI, why don't you take a look around?
Maybe you'll come up with some clues.
That's good, Frank. Now you don't have to sign it.
Everybody will know who typed it.
If I want any help from you, I'll ask.
You know what I mean, Spenser.
And then by nothing if so, we'll berate his biased manners.
Berate, ha ha. Berate. What kind of word is berate?
It means revealed, you have to read something besides the walls
in the men's room to build a vocabulary, Frank.
Yeah, now, what you gonna learn about me from my manners
I can learn about you from the walls in the men's room.
I don't need none of your Shakespeare quotations.
Actually, the line was written by a relative in .
Oh, yeah, that's right. Quirk mentioned something about that.
Spenser, the poet, wrote about a fairy queen.
Faerie queen, F-A-E-R-I-E.
It's old English
for a supernatural being with magical powers.
Oh, yeah, well, maybe he could give you some advice
on how to square your screw-up with Matthew Lowington.
Sounds to me that could take some magical powers.
- "Stolen plates, Eddie Blake." - Hey!
"Gets caught taking bribe from Joe Broz."
- 'Ah!' - You give me that!
Look, I-I don't care how tight you are with Quirk, Spenser.
You got no right to waltz right in there and read his mail.
- Thanks for the lead, Frank. - Lead? What lead?
What did you get out of here? Hey, Spenser, hey, you..
'You wanna talk about manners?'
'Well, you just berate yourself real good, buddy.'
That was a first class derail.
(male announcer) 'Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome..
Joe Broz had more juice than anyone dealing off
the bottom of the deck in Boston.
Numbers, prostitution, loan sharking.
You name it, Joe Broz was the man behind it.
Broz was right where I knew he'd be.
Whenever the Sox were on a winning streak.
They were losing, that was another story.
Broz doesn't care much for losing.
- Everything okay, pop? - Yeah.
[chuckles] Still don't get rained out.
Can't be chasing a pennant, Joe.
- Hey, Spenser. - Tony.
Hey, don't I usually see you here with your younger son?
- What's his name? - You mean, Jimmy?
Jimmy, yeah. Jimmy. Big game tonight. Where's Jimmy?
Yeah, who knows? He had a date.
Hmm, with Cathy Lowington?
Is that suppose to mean somethin' to me or what?
Does Mathew Lowington mean anything to you?
He's a conductor or whatever.
I knew you're a man I'd call to, Joe.
What I don't know is why you'd send your son and a two-bit hood
like Eddie Blake over to Brookline Girls Academy
to kidnap Lowington's daughter?
Listen, you smart-mouthed punk. I don't know what your game is.
But mine isn't kidnapping little girls
of rich daddies, you understand?
I got a good look at him, Joe.
When Blake was puttin' the girl in the back of the van
Jimmy was driving, actually to tell you the truth
I didn't recognize him till I got the make on Blake.
Eddie Blake don't work for me anymore, Spenser.
He don't work for anybody anymore.
I had to k*ll him today. Jimmy got away.
You got a big mouth, Spenser.
You're not gonna hurt me, are you, Tony?
Shut up, Anthony.
Who else knows what you're tellin' me about?
Nobody.
And who you're working for?
Well, I was working for Lowington
but he canned me after Jimmy got away with his daughter.
I guess you can say I am working for her now.
So what do you get out of it?
Somethin' you won't understand, Tony, a little self-respect.
Spenser, I don't like my family taking insults.
I don't like your family, Joe.
But you'll cut a deal with us, right, Spenser?
Just tell me where Jimmy is. All I want is the girl.
Then you can have your own little talk with Jimmy.
I can't tell you where Jimmy is 'cause I don't know where he is.
Brookline's in plaid skirt, right?
(Spenser) 'Yeah, uniform.'
Jimmy's got a thing for a plaid skirt.
I don't know what her name is.
Why would Jimmy kidnap his own girl?
And what's he doin' with a deadbeat like Eddie Blake?
Spenser, you better not be messing with me.
'Cause if you mess with me, or my family
'I'm gonna plant your big feet in concrete'
and I'm gonna make you an anchor on my boat.
- Do you get my drift? - I just want the girl.
And your word that I don't have to trip over Anthony.
and his two playmates who I'm lookin' for.
Is an APB out on this girl?
And the FBI is in tomorrow.
It's alphabet time, Joe.
You've got hours, Spenser.
I'll let you know when I have the girl.
- You trust him? - Stop talkin', stupid.
Get on him..
...and stay on him.
I got what I came to get.
The kid in the van was Jimmy Broz.
I still didn't know what the hell was goin' on
but I knew one thing for sure.
Joe Broz wasn't going to let me out of his sight
until he had his son back.
Time to steal home.
You can't go in there. Oh, hi, Spenser.
Hey, you can't go in there. It's only for the press.
Come on.
[dramatic music]
Thanks, Brian.
Don't you let this Spenser make a jackass out of you
you understand, Anthony?
I won't, pop.
After he finds Jimmy, you can have him.
I spent the night in Smithville with Susan
and was headed back over the Mystic River Bridge
into Boston by :.
I knew Joe Broz would have his boys sitting on my place.
I still didn't know what was going on
with Joe's youngest son, but I did know Joe.
I know myself as a pretty good guy for most situations.
But sometimes, it's better to make sure
you know others just as well.
[instrumental music]
By o'clock, I grabbed a cup of coffee and an English muffin
at a drive-through, and I was ready for the first
Saturday morning tour of Old Ironsides.
On behalf of the commanding officer, myself, the crew
the United States Navy, I'd like to thank you all
for coming aboard today.
The USS Constitution was first launched in ..
Tony Broz wasn't right about much in life but I figured
he was right about his kid brother and the plaid skirt.
And I figured the best place for me to learn more about
Cathy Lowington and Jimmy Broz was from another plaid skirt
who wore different uniform on weekends.
I had only driven Cathy for ten days but I had seen her
with Elaine Hebner on everyone of them.
Including the moment before Jimmy Broz hit the campus.
...when she fought against, um..
- Against, um.. - The Guerriere.
- 'An English battleship.' - Yes, thank you.
'Uh, she was condemned in and ordered destroyed.'
'But a poet wrote, um, he wrote..'
"Oh, better that her shattered hulk should sink
beneath the wave." Oliver Wendell Holmes.
Yes.
Oh, I'm sorry. I'm not feeling very well.
Um, and The Constitution, is the oldest warship
afloat in any of the world's navies
and you're all welcome aboard right now.
Thank you for your interest and your attention.
- Just.. - Thank you.
- Thanks a lot. - Thanks.
Sorry, I didn't mean to throw you.
What do you want?
You know, when I was , uh, I had a friend.
Oh, his name was Jack Fenwick and he, uh..
Well, he and I knew more about each other than our parents
ever knew about either one of us.
I have to lead another tour, Mr. Spenser.
Oh, not until o'clock.
- I don't wanna talk to you. - Why not?
- You k*lled that man. - He would have k*lled me.
Nothing would have happened if you hadn't tied to stop it.
I'm a licensed private investigator.
I was just doing my job.
Look, I don't wanna talk to you.
Mr. Lowington fired me. He thinks I didn't do enough.
You seem to think I was doing too much.
- Please, you scare me. - You scare me.
You're loyal, and that's good.
You're innocent, and that's okay.
You're ignorant, and that's dangerous.
- Ignorant? - Yes.
There's a law against kidnapping. Jimmy Broz broke it.
The police and the FBI are both looking for Cathy.
'Jimmy's father's looking for him.'
'And when the police find out it was Jimmy who was driving
the van, they're gonna be looking for him too.
And the FBI.
That's a lot of firepower to hold off
when you're years old.
Look, I can't talk to you.
Elaine, I'm here because whatever they're doing
I think they can't handle it alone.
- You work for Cathy's father. - Not anymore.
Nobody's paying me anything. Not to talk you, or anybody else.
Then why are you?
Why don't you just leave them alone?
Physics.
Your school records says you were, uh
honors in it last semester.
What goes up must come down, remember?
Cathy and Jimmy are gonna need somebody
with 'em when this all comes down.
Can you handle that by yourself?
[piano music]
Jimmy, we have to go back.
- No. - It's wrong. It's all wrong.
No, Cath, it's not as wrong as going back.
Besides I can't go back to my father.
Oh, why does it have to be so hard?
It's not gonna be hard anymore, Cath.
I promise.
[car approaching]
'What is it?'
It's that bodyguard your father hired.
Jimmy.
'No, Jimmy, don't! Jimmy!'
- Jimmy, don't. - Damn it.
'Jimmy, just put it back.'
'Please.'
'Jimmy, you can't fight him.'
Back door, Jimmy.
You're not gonna need that.
Hello, Cathy.
- Elaine. - 'Elaine is your friend.'
- So am I. - 'You work for Mr. Lowington.'
Not anymore. I just wanna talk to Cathy now.
She's not going back.
- Why the charade, Jimmy? Why? - Just butt out.
I had to k*ll him and I'm entitled to some answers.
- Just leave us alone. - I can't do that.
Jimmy!
[grunting]
Look, I don't wanna break your arm, Jimmy.
I told your father he could discipline you himself.
Don't hurt him, please.
I didn't come up here to hurt you, Jimmy. Don't make me.
Just don't make her go back.
I won't.
You wanna be together.
Your father doesn't approve of his father.
'You think that's something new?'
'You ever heard of the Montagues and the Capulets?'
'"Romeo And Juliet?"' But it can work out.
I don't know how I'm gonna figure out k*lling Eddie Blake
but I'm gonna work on it. I can soften up your father.
'I could talk to Cathy's father.'
You don't understand. She's not going back to him.
- Jim. - He's her father.
Will you just stop it? Stop it!
No, Cath, I'm not gonna protect him anymore.
If somebody has to pay, it's gonna be him.
No, you promised.
Cathy!
Cathy!
[instrumental music]
I swore I'd never tell, but he's gonna pay.
Who's gonna pay?
You think we just come up here to play House, don't you?
You think that we just can't keep our hands off
of each other, can't wait to get between the sheets
or climb in the back seat of a car.
'Well, that's not the way it is, man.'
It isn't me. It's him.
'That slimy bastard's the one'
'who can't keep his hands off of her.'
He's the one who makes her have sex with him.
Her own father.
[music continues]
[instrumental music]
From the first day I met her, I'd never had a moment
I wasn't glad to see Susan Silverman.
This was different. This time it wasn't for me.
It was for a girl who needed a woman to confide in.
Part of the passion I always had for Susan
was rooted in her compassion.
[music continues]
I trusted her to be there for Cathy
in a way that nobody else was.
And I knew that Cathy could trust her too.
[instrumental music]
By the time I got to Matthew Lowington's home
on Louisburg Square, I had cooled out enough
to remind myself the kids' accusation could be a cover-up.
Another game of some kind.
And to notice the two men
who had Lowington's place staked out.
One of them was Tony Broz.
[dramatic music]
[knock on door]
- Spenser. - Ah!
I didn't think you were with us anymore--
Doris, well, not officially. Listen, don't bother.
- I know my way, alright? - Whoa.
You want me to reschedule Albert Hall too?
The whole tour if we have to.
- Who is Marshall Van Buren? - Philadelphia..
[knock on door]
- What is it, Mr. Spenser? - I found Cathy.
- Is she alright? - Physically.
She's a little beaten up emotionally.
- Where is she? - I can't tell you.
- What? - I promised her.
Promised her? What the hell are you talking about?
We have to talk, Mr. Lowington.
- Alone. - Excuse me, Mr. Lowington.
My name is John Killano, We haven't met, but..
If you know anything about where Mr. Lowington's daughter is
'we wanna hear about that right now, friend.'
'You see, nothin' else, just that.'
Just where she is and how we get her back.
New York, right?
Nice suit.
- Where is my daughter? - 'Hiding from you.'
I know you're a confidential secretary, Martha, but what
we're about to get into wasn't meant to for your ears.
You want me to call someone, Mr. Lowington? The police?
No, he doesn't.
- Listen, friend. - I'm not your friend.
We don't have to be enemies, but I'm not your friend.
Alone.
It's alright, Martha.
You want me to take him apart, Mr. Lowington?
I wanna know where my daughter is.
Okay.
If you assure he's bought and paid for.
She's with a child guidance counselor
who said she tried to help Cathy understand
why you forced yourself on her sexually.
[grunting]
[crashing]
- What do you want? - The truth.
So do I.
What kind of extortion is this?
Are you accusing me of molesting my own daughter?
No, sir, I'm not.
She is.
I don't believe you.
I don't believe you've even seen her.
Okay, maybe her mother will talk to me.
Her mother is dead.
I know that's what you told me.
She d*ed when Cathy was four years old.
Cathy's sure she saw her when she was nine.
- Yes, I know that story. - Then you know I've seen Cathy.
[groaning]
- He could need a doctor. - Good God, man. Listen to me.
She's a highly emotional girl.
A troubled girl.
Look.
'Look at all this.'
She's a prodigy.
'She has great genius.'
Gifts few people can even imagine
and I've cultivated those gifts.
I've helped her to refine them, to polish them.
'so that she can give them to the world.'
Next Sunday is her formal debut.
'That's what she's running away from, not me.'
And I can understand that.
Although I cannot understand why she would invent
such a monstrous fabrication to support what she's done.
One of you is lying to me.
At the moment, I intend to believe your daughter.
[instrumental music]
[dramatic music]
The competition Lowington imported from New York
wasn't any slouch. I got tagged pretty good.
And what I really wanted to do was to curl up
and lick my wounds for a while.
But it didn't look like I was going to get the chance.
Let's go.
[tires screeching]
(Mathew) 'I'm gonna give you an address.'
It's where he's going.
I want you to be there first.
Yes, sir.
[dramatic music]
[phone ringing]
- 'Hello?' - This is Mathew Lowington.
(male #) 'Yes.'
- 'Do you remember me?' - 'Yes.'
(Mathew) 'I've got some work for you.'
[instrumental music]
I didn't know what Lowington's next move would be
but I had some work to do that I didn't need help with.
So I decided that it was time to ditch Tony Broz.
[tires screeching]
[music continues]
[music continues]
[music continues]
[screaming]
I got a ..
[piano music]
- Thank you for coming. - Long time.
- 'Yes.' - What kind of work?
- Same as before. - I don't do that work anymore.
- There are three of them. - I don't think so.
You see that briefcase?
'Open it.'
[music continues]
If that's not enough, there will be more.
Why?
'There is great pain in my life..'
...and in my daughter's.
These people are the cancers causing that pain.
'Count it.'
I don't have to count it.
Who are they?
[dramatic music]
Being a super sleuth is mostly legwork.
Missing persons always leave a paper trail.
Cathy Lowington's birth certificate listed
her mother's maiden name as Margaret Chandler.
Social Security records showed the only thing
that d*ed was the name.
She had changed that to Edie James.
[music continues]
IRS records are confidential, of course
but they showed Edie James have been paying taxes
for the past years. Profession, singer.
Last place of employment.
A dive in Peabody called The Blue Horn.
[piano music]
♪ My life a wreck you're making ♪
♪ You know I'm yours for just the taking ♪
♪ I'd gladly surrender ♪
♪ Myself to you ♪
♪ Body and soul ♪♪
[clapping]
, Libby Holman.
(Edie) 'Who is it?'
My name is Spenser.
[dramatic music]
(Edie) What can I do for you, Mr. Spenser?
(Spenser) I'm a friend of Cathy Lowington's.
What do you want?
I wanna know why you wanted her to think her mother was dead.
Her mother did die.
[g*nsh*t]
Easy, Spenser.
Hawk?
Maybe you ought to take the party somewhere else
while I clean up.
There's an all-night diner two blocks down.
I'll call Quirk. Come on, come on.
I didn't have any choice.
Well, leaving was a choice.
He was rich and powerful.
He...threatened to k*ll me if I..
...tried to take Cathy away from him.
Excuse me.
Man offered me a job I couldn't take.
- You knew somebody else would. - Already had.
Wanted me to do him too... and her.
Evil man.
- Lowington. - Worked for him before.
Eight years ago.
Just coffee.
- Evil. - Well, I guess I owe you.
- You'd do the same. - More or less.
- No matter, you'd be there. - 'Yeah.'
Then you don't owe me nothing.
- You gonna hang in? - Plannin' on it.
He works with you?
He's a friend.
Matthew sent someone to k*ll us both?
Yeah.
I wanna see her.
There's something that she needs to know.
Especially now.
What's that?
She isn't his child.
Her real father's name was David Stone.
'He played trumpet in Matthew's orchestra.'
Matthew found out.
He threatened to k*ll me and David if..
'...I didn't sign the custody papers.'
What happened to David Stone?
We stayed together. He was never the same.
But Matthew was too rich and powerful to fight.
'We were living in Atlantic City.'
'Cathy was nine years old.'
'We came up to Boston, and we went to her school'
and we saw her, and I couldn't even tell her I was her mother.
But I think she knew.
David knew he couldn't live with his guilt anymore
and he called Matthew.
'He went to meet him.'
I never saw him again.
And I..
Will she see me?
I think so.
[instrumental music]
- You alright? - That work I did before?
He said somebody was trying to k*ll him.
A horn player from Atlantic City.
[instrumental music]
Oh, my God.
She's so beautiful.
Oh, my baby. My baby.
[sobbing]
[dramatic music]
Like father, like son?
Yeah, right.
Premeditated, not getting around that.
Jimmy, you can't change what happened to Cathy.
- I'll feel better. - She won't feel better.
What do you know about how she feels?
How I feel?
What do you think? I skipped years old?
Why don't you just shut up, huh?
Just shut the hell up and leave me alone.
You know, Winston Churchill once said
"You can measure a man's character
by the choice he makes under pressure."
What's that got to do with me?
You're under a lot of pressure.
You're about to make a choice you're gonna have to
live with the rest of your life.
You know, when I was years old
I had a girlfriend I would have k*lled for.
When I turned and a half, I was sure glad I hadn't.
She married an electrical engineer from Cheyenne, Wyoming.
I think her eyes were blue.
[laughing]
Jimmy, I'm not gonna tell you what to do
but just remember this, you're not just your father's son.
You're not just a guy that Cathy loves.
You're something independent from all that.
Don't ever give up who you are for anybody.
Ever.
Spenser?
I'm sorry you had to sh**t Eddie.
Yeah.
'Hey.'
'Here.'
- Do you have any kids? - No.
Too bad.
(Cathy) I don't wanna talk about it anymore.
(Edie) But, Cathy..
[sighs] ...I don't know what to say.
I thought you'd be safe.
You'd have what I couldn't give you.
Please. Let's just be together.
That won't do it, Cathy.
You have to face him.
Oh, he r*ped her.
It wasn't r*pe. It was something more insidious than that.
- 'It was seduction.' - I hate him. I hate myself.
I know, and I know you feel guilty
but, Cathy, you have to realize it's your father who's sick.
Not you. You were a victim of his illness.
Remember what I told you? You didn't do anything wrong.
Nothing.
'I'm going to file a report with The Department'
'of Social Services. They have people who can help you.'
But, Cathy, you're the only one
who can make things right for you.
[instrumental music]
[knock on door]
What now?
(Spenser) 'Mr. Lowington?'
Cathy, are you alright?
No.
Tell me what happened?
It's over, Lowington.
- Cathy. - 'Daddy.'
Yes, daddy, you were that..
...but never my father.
I did what I had to do.
To provide you with what you deserved.
Did I deserve what you did to me?
Cathy, I can't explain.
We need to be alone.
- Not today. - Not ever.
Cathy.
I don't think she wants you to touch her.
I know I don't want you to touch her.
[sobbing] Forgive me..
...please.
[sobbing] Daddy.
I'm sorry.
I'm so sorry.
Maybe someday that will be enough.
It isn't now.
Just know...
...everything I did for you..
...with you, ...came from love.
- I love her. - No.
Love is a gift.
Not an obsession.
You played "Pygmalion" with her.
'A baby who depended on you, a child that trusted you.'
'A young girl who couldn't refuse you.'
Don't tell her now that what you did
had anything to do with love.
What do you want me to do?
Get help..
...for me..
...for you.
Yes.
- 'Let me live with my mother.' - 'Yes.'
Don't try and see me until I tell you
that I'm ready for that.
My baby.
- My beautiful, beautiful-- - Goodbye, daddy.
You know I could have just walked away from Miss Lowington.
There will be people working with Cathy.
There gonna be some people looking you up.
'She won't press any formal charges right now.'
You can thank her by not doing anything stupid.
[piano music]
[music continues]
[audience cheering and applauding]
[theme music]