07x21 - Mask for a Charade

[bunniefuu]

Hey, why are we going home
so early, Nicky?

I've got a date
to go lean on a client.

Aw, lean on him tomorrow.

Mm-mm, tonight.

He's behind three months.

It's the red one
on the right, kid.

Oh, okay, Nicky.
Yeah.

I really, really love you.
Oh, come on.

Love you.
Oh...

Save it.
I love you.

Save it for later. Come on.

Mind if we come in, Al?

I wouldn't have it
any other way.

What are you drinking?

This isn't a social call.

Somebody just gave it
to Nick Briscoe.

Well, there'll be dancing
in the streets.

You been out tonight, Al?

No. Why?

Your raincoat's wet.

Oh, uh, took Tige for a walk.

Do you mind, Sergeant?

Mind what?

Art, what the hell's going on?

Al...

a witness picked up the license
number on the m*rder car.

It's your number.

Mine?

Well, so, some excited dope
made a mistake. What's that?

Where's your car, Al?

In the garage.

Joe Mannix.

Art Malcolm, Joe.

We just picked up
Sergeant Reardon.

Al Reardon? For what?

Suspicion of m*rder.

m*rder?!

But he's asking for you, Joe.

Not a lawyer, just you.

I'm on my way, Art.

Well, I don't understand
any of this.

It's-It's like some kind
of a nightmare.

Why don't you let me get you
a lawyer?

I don't need a lawyer, Joe.

I need a friend
that will believe my story.

That's why I called you.

Yeah, now, you, uh, say you were
at home all night alone?

Yeah, I...

I am mostly since...
since Mary left me.

Did you know this loan shark?
What was his name?

Briscoe. Nick Briscoe.

Did you know him?

Of course I knew him.
I busted him last year.

I had two witnesses
willing to swear

he was charging them
ten percent interest per week.

Did you get a conviction?

The witnesses backed off.

Briscoe got to 'em.

Al, uh...

how do you explain
the damage to your car?

I can't explain it, Joe!

I can't explain any of this!

I just know I didn't do it!

Come on, file out
to the end of the line.

Come on, move it.

Move it, come on.

Miss Layton?

You step over next
to Lieutenant Malcolm, please.

Sit right down, Miss Layton.

Don't identify anyone
until you've had a chance

to look at all the suspects.

And if you recognize anyone,
don't hesitate.

All right, Charlie.

All right, first man
step forward here.

Profile.

Step back.

Second man, forward.

Profile.

Step back.
Third man, forward.

Profile.

Step back.

Fourth man, forward.

Face front.

Now profile.

Step back.
Fifth man.

Profile.

Step back.

The third man from the left
looks something

like the man I saw,
but I really can't be sure.

I-I thought
it was just a hit-and-run.

I-I didn't look for...
at his face.

I was... I was looking
for his license number.

I really can't be sure.

But you can swear
that you got the license number?

Yes, I can swear to that.

Sergeant, may I leave now??
I can just make the last show.

Show?

Club Tempe.
Miss Layton's a singer.

Well, maybe
I'll stop by some night.

I hope you will.

Thank you, Miss Layton.

Miss Dobbs?

Will you step over there,
please?

Have a seat, Miss Dobbs.

Don't identify anyone
until you've had a chance

to examine each suspect,

and if you recognize anyone,
don't hesitate.

Charlie?

First man, forward.

Profile.

The one in the middle.

Number three.

Third man forward.

You positive?

Look, he wasn't more
than ten feet away

when he stuck that cannon out
like right at me.

I'll never forget that face.

Of course, I'm positive.

All right.
Thank you, Miss Dobbs.

Mr. Hicks?

Will you step over there?

Sit right down, Dennis.

Don't identify anyone until
you've seen all of the suspects,

and if you recognize anyone,

don't hesitate.
All right, Charlie.

Ah, you don't have to go
through all of 'em.

It's the guy in the center.

Number Three?

Third man, forward.

No doubt about it.

All right, thank you.

All right, let's file out.
Come on, move it.

Well...

What do you think, Art?

What do you mean,
what do I think?

You heard him.
What do you think?

Annie!

Good morning, child.

Oh, now, don't tell me

you're having trouble
at your bar again, Duchess?

Ah, Joseph, dear boy.

How many times must I tell you
that title was passed on

to the other side
of the Pemberton family?

No, Joseph.

Actually, I come bearing sad
tidings about a mutual friend.

Al Reardon?

The DA has an informer
that says

that Al was in debt
to his victim--

That, uh, usurer, Nick Briscoe.

Come on, Duchess.
If Al needed money,

he could have borrowed it
from the Police Credit Union.

$ , , Joseph?

He was into Briscoe
for that much?

I have it from
an impeccable source, dear boy.

Yeah. They'll figure
Al paid off the debt with a g*n.

I With his first hello

I He gave a meaning
to this empty world of mine!

I There'd never be
another love, another time

I He came into my life
and made the living fine J

I He fills my heart ?

with very special things I

I With angels' songs

I With wild imaginings J

I He fills my soul I

Irish, rocks.

I With so much love

I That anywhere I go J

I'm never lonely!

I With him along,
who could be lonely? ;

I I reach for his hand

J It's always there

I How long does it last? J

I Can love be measured
by the hours in a day? ?

I I have no answers now J

I But this much I can say §

I I know I'll need him
ill the stars all burn away I

I And he'll be there. ♪

I'm glad
you made it here so soon.

Yeah, I really enjoyed
that song.

Thank you.

But I must admit, I had
an ulterior motive in coming.

Oh?

Have you given any more thought
to what happened last night?

Well, I didn't get to sleep till

about : this morning,
thinking about it.

Helen, you said you couldn't

swear that Sergeant Reardon
was the man.

No.

Could you swear he wasn't?

I couldn't swear to that either.

Joe, that man, he looks
just like Sergeant Reardon.

So the m*rder*r returned
to the scene of the crime.

That's right.

And the very next night, yet.

Yeah, okay, so it's
a little far-fetched,

but these bumps I got
diving for my life aren't.

So, you've made some enemies
along the way.

Yeah, well,
he wasn't one of them.

Now, Helen Layton
said he could have been

the driver of that m*rder car.

Would she swear to that?

Well, maybe if she got
to see him again.

Will you put out an APB on him?

Sure. Nobody hopes she's right
more than I do.

Okay. Now, can I see Reardon?

He was released an hour ago.

The judge allowed bail?

Joe, he's got a perfect
-year record.

How much was the bail?

$ , .

Well, where do you think
I got the money?

My buddies passed the hat.

Al, word's around
that you were

into Nick Briscoe for Gs.

Oh, sure I was.

That's why I drive
that old clunker.

That's why I moved
into this palace.

Now, Tige, you eat all of that,
or you don't get any dessert.

Oh, Joe, I was framed.

Can't you see that?

Who'd frame you, Al?

Well, I finally figured it out.

Ellis Varko.

The syndicate money man?

Right.

Varko's in jail.

I know. I put him there.

Revenge?

Revenge, hell!

He wants me to say
I made an illegal search.

That way, the court
will throw his whole case out.

Varko asked you to say that?

I just got a phone call.

No name.
Just a voice.

Uh-huh. When?

The day after I busted Varko.

And of course,
you told Art Malcolm?

Well, that's where I blew it.

I- wrote it off
as a crank call.

Now it's too late.

It sounds like a...
a phony alibi.

Okay?

Okay, Al.

Yeah, see ya.

Mannix.

Joe, that parking attendant,
Dennis Hicks,

well, Annie just called.

And she says he's across
the street at Bill's Bar,

throwing money around
like confetti.

Thanks, Peggy.

You can have her, all right?

Dennis, girls.

Well, I hear, uh, you've
really been throwing

the green stuff around, Dennis.

Yeah, well, I had
a long-sh*t come home.

Uh-huh.

Who was the jockey? Ellis Varko?

I don't know any Ellis Varko.

Well, you ought to take
some of your winnings

and invest in a TV set.

Varko's case is on the tube
every night.

Well, I-I know he's some kind
of gangster they got for having

stolen bonds or something.

What's that to me?

to life, maybe.

I don't dig.

That's the penalty for perjury
in a capital case.

Now do you understand, Dennis?

Listen, Mannix...

you better lay off me,
or I'm going to have

to call the DA's Office
and tell them

you're trying to intimidate me.

Why don't you jump
right on that, Dennis?

Hey, kid, take off.

Hey, Mister!

You, uh, you know those two?

Well, they were in here a week
ago, with a big private party.

Uh, the host
was that racketeer...

Frankie West.

That's it, Frankie West.

Hello, Frankie.
How'd you get in here?

By parachute.

Two of your trained apes
just jumped me, Frankie.

I want to know why.

If they were my men,
it was a mistake.

No mistake, Frankie.
They were pulling me

off that lying witness of yours,
Dennis Hicks.

I think you need a drink.

You're behind Reardon's frame,
aren't you, Frankie?

Why would I be?

Because you're Varko's
vice president

in charge of the dirty work,
that's why.

You've got a lot of imagination.

I think you ought
to be a writer.

All right, Frankie.

But you listen to me.

The next time you
set your apes on me,

I'll come back here
and bust up this zoo.

And that includes the trainer.

Art.

Joe, are you crazy, running
around terrorizing witnesses?

So, little Dennis
went running to the teacher.

He went to the DA,
who blew his stack!

Now butt out of this case!

Hey, Art, a cop's been framed.

Framed, my foot!

We have an informer named
Aaron Coolie who saw Al Reardon

taking money
from that loan shark.

Oh, come on, Art.
You going to take the word

of a stoolie against
one of your own officers?

We gave him a polygraph test,
and he got an "A."

Now, stop running around making
a damn fool out of yourself!

Joe, I have leveled with you!

Like hell you have! You've been
using me for a patsy!

Now, I tell you I haven't!

Oh, how do you explain Coolie
passing the lie detector test?

Well, I-I can't explain it!

You can't explain anything, and
I'm beginning to understand why!

Come on, Joe, you're getting
my dog all excited.

Oh, swell. Your dog is excited.

Joe, I did not k*ll
Nick Briscoe!

Hello!

Uh... yeah.

It's your secretary.

Yeah, Peggy!

Joe, I found out
where Aaron Coolie's living.

It's at that old hotel
at Griswald and Third.

Coolie!

What do you want, Mannix?
Coolie,

you told Lieutenant Malcolm
you saw Sergeant Reardon

taking money from Nick Briscoe.

Where was that?

Look, I passed
the lie detector test.

I know. Where was it?

In a bar, over on Canal Street.

How close to them were you?

Oh, I was...

From about here to...
those trash cans over there.

Coolie, just how good
is your vision?

What do you mean?

I mean, are you willing
to take an eye test?

I saw what I saw.

Now, leave me alone, Mannix.

The DA's going
to love you for this.

He stepped into the line
of fire, Art.

I think I was the target.

Whose target?

Ellis Varko.

Varko? Now, look, Joe...

Art, Varko is behind
Reardon's frame.

Varko is facing a long stretch

for the possession
of stolen bonds.

Exactly.

He probably thinks framing Al
will help get him off.

How?

Why don't you let me
talk to Varko?

Maybe I can find out.

Sergeant Reardon?

What's a Sergeant Reardon?

The cop that developed
the lead that put you

where you are, Varko.

So pin a medal on him.

Or a bribe?

You tried to reach him to get
him to say that his search

was illegal so that the case
against you'd be quashed.

Not a bad idea.

I'll pass it on to my attorneys.

Reardon didn't mention
that to me, Joe.

Al figured it was a crank call.

So maybe Mr. Varko here figured
that a m*rder rap that would

discredit the cop's testimony
was the next best thing.

May I go back to my cozy little
cell now, Lieutenant?

At my age,
the most indispensable thing

is an afternoon nap.

Especially when I'm facing a
long, tiresome flight.

A Senate Investigating Committee

requires Mr. Varko's presence
in Washington on Tuesday.

You satisfied?

Art, uh, you must know

where I can reach Nick Briscoe's
girlfriend.

Jenny Dobbs?

Lay off, Joe.

You're in enough trouble
with the DA's Office already.

Morning, Sergeant.

Frankie.

What are you doing
in this part of town?

Just out for the ride.

Sorry to hear
about your problem, Sergeant.

Nice dog you got there.

Now, who's going
to take care of him

while you're in the slammer,
your wife?

Forgot.

She's no longer around, is she?

What do you know about my wife?

What would you say, Sergeant,
if I told you

that somebody could solve
all of your problems

with a snap of the fingers?

Tell me about it.

Some other time, maybe.

I I believe in love, Alfie

I Without true love,
we just exist, Alfie ;

you've missed J

I You're nothing, Alfie!

I When you walk,
let your heart lead the way

I And you'll find love

I Any day, Alfie.!

That's all right.

I'll fix the charts so you can
repeat the chorus, Miss Layton.

Thank you, Freddie.

Hi. How's it going?

Uh, it could go
a lot better, maybe,

if I could locate Jenny Dobbs.

Well, you should have been here
last night.

She was here?

As a matter of fact,
we had a long chat.

You know, she's scared to death

about testifying
against Sergeant Reardon.

Did you get her new address?

Yes, Joe, but I promised her
I wouldn't tell anybody.

Helen, we're not playing games.

Sergeant Reardon's life
might depend on my locating her.

Okay, but I'd better
take you there.

I'll have to explain to her.

Who's there?

It's me, Jenny.

Yeah, wait a second.

You told him?

It's very important, Jenny.

He just wants
to ask a few simple questions.

Wait. Wait a minute.

Come in.

Come... come in.

Come in.

What kind of questions?

Who picked up the tab
for this pad? Ellis Varko?

That's some simple question.

Joe...

Or was it Frankie West?

Look, you get out of here.

You get out of here,
or I'll call the DA's Office.

The number is - .

... ...

- ...

... Ow.

...

Planning a trip,
were you, Jenny?

Well, well, well...

Get your dirty hands off those!

What are they?

Candid sh*ts of Al Reardon.

They must have had a man
with a camera

following him around for days.

I don't understand.

Jenny never saw Sergeant Reardon
in her life.

They gave her those photos

so she could pick him out of
the lineup, didn't they, Jenny?

I need a drink.

It's a good idea, Jenny.

There won't be any
where you're going.

I want immunity...
and a suspended sentence.

People doing worse get it
nowadays.

From the top, Jenny.

Well... they told us

some guy was going to lower
the boom on Nick Briscoe.

And they told us
to say afterward

the guy was Sergeant Reardon.

Who's "us"?

Me and Dennis Hicks.

You know, the parking kid.

Look, we didn't know
they'd k*ll Nick.

I mean, you know,
we thought they'd-they'd just,

like, work him over
a little bit.

I loved Nick.

He... He understood me.

That didn't stop you from lying
about his m*rder.

Well, gosh,
they paid me a thousand bucks

and gave me this place.

You keep talking about "they."”
Who's "they"?

I don't know.
Just some voice on the phone.

Told me what to do,

and the money was delivered.

And what about Aaron Coolie?

How'd he pass
the lie detector test?

The way I heard it,

the guy taking money from Nick
wasn't the sergeant.

It was just some lookalike.

The whole thing was a put-on

to make Coolie think

Al was into my Nick
for a big hunk of change.

That's all I know.

Jenny?

Let's all have a little drink.

How much do they know?

Not they. Me.
She's a friend of Jenny's.

She was trying to hold out
Jenny's address on me.

Let's go.
You, too, lady.

Okay.

No, not you.

And you don't leave
this apartment

until you hear from us.

You understand?

Start digging.

Hold it.
It's too sandy here.

Check the other side
of the lake.

No. No!

Please.
Get up.

I said get up!
No! ]

Joe!

You okay?

Yeah, except
for a concussion, I'm fine.

Well?

Thanks, Lieutenant.

I've grown kind of fond
of this old hunk of tin.

Yeah, well, you're back
on your regular duty as of now.

That's all, Sergeant.

Yeah.

Oh, Sergeant?

One more thing.

We love ya!

Oh.

You had me scared
half to death.

Welcome back, Al.

Thanks, Joe.

I guess you know how sorry
we are about all this.

Just forget it. Just think
of the satisfaction

I'm going to get from watching
Frankie West join his boss

in the slammer.

Uh-oh. What?

Well, there's no way we're going

to tie Frankie West
and Varko to all this.

They pulled the strings,
but they covered it up %.

Well, I guess I can't expect
the whole store, huh?

But you sure saved my neck,
and that's one I owe you.

At least a drink.
You want to pay up now?

Right now? Sure.

Okay. Uh, have
a good weekend, Art.

Hi, Peggy.
What are you doing here so late?

We have a guest.

Hi, Duchess.

Well, dear boy.

Peggy's told me

they pinned Sergeant Reardon's
badge back on.

That's right.

And the donkey's tail
on you, ho doubt.

Are you saying
this was all a set-up?

It seems the good Sergeant has
pulled the wool

over our eyes, Joseph.

I suspect he was in debt
to that usurer.

You see,
he's been keeping a woman.

Al?

I don't believe it.

Unfortunately, child,
there's evidence.

Documentary evidence,

which unaccountably came
into my possession this morning.

What is it, Joe?

Photostats of canceled checks

signed by Al Reardon
to a Mildred Hawthorne.

Ah, is it any wonder
Alfred's poor wife left him?

Do you know
this, uh, Mildred Hawthorne?

All I have is an address
in the Valley.

Mountain View.

Joe?

Whatever it's worth,
according to the calendar,

every one of these checks
is dated on a Sunday.

Tomorrow's Sunday.

Hello, Mary.

I brought you your favorites.

Would you take them?

How've you been?

The doctor said
that you were able

to dress yourself
this week, Mary.

That's wonderful.

Tige's just fine.

Except he misses you.

Whenever I take him for a walk,

he looks in the face
of every woman going by,

hoping it'll be you.

Can't you say something, Mary?

Just one word.

Just... say my name, Mary.

Can you just-just say my name?

I had a doll once.

The stuffing fell out.

Well, you might as well sit down
and enjoy the sunshine,

old buddy, while you're here.

No, thanks, Al. I...

I don't want to disturb her.

You could fire off a g*n,
it wouldn't disturb her.

She's in another world.

Why didn't you tell me, Al?

Mary wouldn't want anybody to
know she's in this condition.

Who's Mildred Hawthorne?

The cashier here.

I make the checks payable
directly to her.

It was... it was more discreet.

The tab must be
something fierce.

It's brutal.

But I'm not tossing my Mary
into some charity snake pit.

You did borrow money from
Nick Briscoe, didn't you, Al?

Well, where else was |
going to get the money

after my insurance ran out?

I thought he'd keep
his mouth shut.

Apparently, he didn't.

I guess not.

He probably told Varko.

And Varko figured
that Nick Briscoe

would make the perfect
centerpiece for a frame.

You proved that, Joe.

But you didn't
level with me, Al.

About everything
except the loan.

They could boot me off the force
for borrowing from a loan shark.

Who fed Jenny Dobbs
that story about the lookalike?

I don't know.

Somebody had to have a reason.

Joe, a favor?

Let sleeping dogs lie.

I need my job.

Okay, Al.

Consider the case closed.

Have a nice visit
with the little woman, Al?

Get out.

You don't want to talk
like that, Sergeant.

And after I just saved
your neck.

Joe Mannix saved my neck.

Mannix? That bird dog?

He just sniffed out the clues
that I handed him.

What did you say?

That's right.

We shoveled them right
into his lap.

Don't you get it, Al?

We wanted you cleared.

Why?

Well now, you'd hardly
be much good to me

in the slammer, would you, Al?

So you fed Jenny Dobbs
that story about the lookalike?

Who else?

Like I said, you're no good
to me in the slammer.

But you did too good
a job, Frankie.

Now neither you nor anybody else
has got anything on me.

No?

You recognize the signature?

Copies of the .O.U.'s

you gave Nick Briscoe.

Proving you broke
departmental regulations

by borrowing from a loan shark.

Proving that you, uh,
lied about them

during a m*rder investigation.

Now how would you like me to
turn them over to the DA, Al?

What do you want?

Let Varko escape.

Not a chance.

Think about it, Al.

Anyway, I'm in no position...

Come on, don't you try
to con me.

You know you're assigned to
escort him

to the airport tomorrow.

I want you to give him this.

Now, they'll say he got
the drop on you.

Who knows where he got it?

Somebody in stir, maybe.

You've got no choice, Al.

You play, or it's
the ash can for you.

And the snake pit
for the little woman.

Thanks, Vivian.

Bye-bye.

Joe, I just found out something.

Helen Layton is represented
by a talent agency

by the name
of Inter-World Artists.

So?

So, Inter-World Artists
is a subsidiary

of Varko Enterprises.

Joe!

Joe!

Al's frame was a put-on,
wasn't it?

And I was the sucker
that was supposed to buy it.

Look, I don't know what
you're talking about.

That phony kidnapping by those
two hoods was the climax.

I was supposed to escape
without a g*n in my hand.

And you took care of that.

Look, I only threw the g*n away

to keep the man you were
fighting with from getting it.

You threw it away
so I wouldn't get it.

Now, who gave you
those orders, Varko?

Oh, please, Joe.

You answer me.

No, not Varko.

Frankie West.

Why? Was he helping Varko?

Helping him?

He's going to k*ll him.

Why?

The syndicate thinks
that Varko is too old

and sick to stand a prison term,

and they're afraid
he's going to talk.

And just where does
Sergeant Reardon fit into this?

Frankie has the .O.U.'s
that Reardon gave to Briscoe.

And he's blackmailed Reardon
into slipping a g*n to Varko.

Only, what Reardon
doesn't know is

that Varko is going
to k*ll him with it.

And you know what's funny?

Varko doesn't know it,

but then they're going
to k*ll him

with Reardon's g*n.

Leaving Frankie West
smelling like roses.

And the head
of the organization.

Just when is this all
supposed to take place?

Maybe it's happening right now.

When you hit the field,
head for the north end.

Did you have to clobber him
so hard?

Relax.

He's breathing, isn't he?

Thanks for the ride, Sergeant.

Freeze!

You all right, old buddy?

I'll be all right.

They had me between a rock
and a hard place, Joe.

No excuse, huh?

Do you have to ask, Al?

It's worse than you think.

I slipped him a g*n.

I know.

But I took the b*ll*ts
out first.

At least there's enough cop left
in me for that.

Well, I'm gonna forget
all about that g*n, Al.

You'd do that for an old buddy?

Let's just say, uh...
for an old buddy's wife.