01x14 - Die Before They Wake

[bunniefuu]

All right. What did you
get invited to here, Crocker?

An O.D. Victim,
no identification.

What's with the glasses?

Eye strain.
Hey, look.

Why does a TV camera crew
show up, uh, for an unidentified
O.D. Victim?

I already asked
the funny little man
with the camera,

and the funny little man
with the camera says that
nobody told him anything,

but if we want to know
that we should tune in tonight
to see Daniel Pope.

Hey. I don't mind the whole city
getting their police information
from a TV commentator,

but I thought we had
the inside track.

Wally, I want all the footage I can get
on the scene where she was found.

And I also want a blowup
and a freeze-frame on her face.

Good identifying picture, hmm?

And have the art department
do up a card on her name.

That's right, Wally.
We can't protect her anymore.

The name is Trudy Stein.

Got it? S-T-E-l-N.

We'll use it tonight
on the 10:00.

Dan, if somebody...
Uh,

scientific breakthrough.

I discovered how to get
ice-cold tomato juice...

from a very warm tomato.

All right, Dan.
Very unscientific worry.

Mm-hmm?
Now, what if somebody knows
that Trudy Stein talked to you,

and that somebody
is uptight enough to...

- Hello.
- Now, look, I can't tell you who this is,
but, uh, I can tell you a lot about Trudy Stein.

- She's dead. You know that.
- Look, I'm not gonna talk
on the phone about anything.

- You just meet me.
It's gonna be worth it.
- Who is this?

- And what's it gonna cost?
- Look, I lived with her.

I mean, is that good enough?
And this is for her, for free.

All right.
Where do you want to meet?

Really?

Of course I know it.

Okay?
Yeah, yeah, okay.

Right on the money.
Yeah. Look, Bert, he's trouble.

I mean, you ever say that I called him,
I'm gonna call you a liar.
Hey, Audrey, listen.

You ever say you called him,
you're never gonna get
any of this stuff again.

You know what I mean?

- That's compliments of the house.
- Thanks.

Enjoy it, okay?
Yeah.

Okay.
Hey, we're not fightin; are we?

How come you don't
come round anymore?

Oh, I'd like to, Aud.
Really, you know.

But I don't have the time.
You know what I mean?

But I'll see you around.
And stay loose.

I'll, uh... I'll see you in church.

Yeah.

I hope you've all enjoyed
your tour today.

And for those of you
who haven't seen the Statue of Liberty,

you're in for a real treat.

Hey, mister.
Yeah.

Uh, you can't go in there.
The tour left.

Unless you found something
that looks like a badge in
your breakfast cereal this morning,

bug off.

Hey, wait a minute, will ya?
Do me a favor.

Say hello to, uh, Trudy Stein
when you run into her.

Daniel Pope's fearless investigation...

has come to a deadly end...

in the morgue...

beside the unfortunate Trudy Stein,

who only a few
short hours ago... d*ed.

A victim of m*rder or a mistake.

Of an overdose of dr*gs.

All right,
get those people back.
Get 'em all downstairs.

We're gonna need them
for questioning.

Saperstein.
Lieutenant.

No comment.
Uh, "No comment"
has usually meant, uh,

"No progress so far
in this whole sordid affair."

Is that still the status,
Lieutenant?

If you TVvigilantes
wouldn't run off thinking...

you're Batman and Robin,
this wouldn't have happened.

Trudy Stein has indicated
that she was afraid to discuss...

this ring of addiction
and prostitution with the police.

Do you know of any reason
why she should fear the police?

What's your name?
Wally Brodski.

I don't see a girl with
needle marks on one arm and a...
an appointment book in the other...

pouring her heart and soul out
to the police, do you?

Then you're no closer to cracking
this narcotics call-girl ring...

than you were six months ago
when Daniel Pope first brought it
to the public eye.

So you won't think
I'm stealing my pension, okay?

If your friend Danny Pope
was out doing my job,

then I promise you
I'll finish it for him, okay?

And you can take book on that.

Thank you, Lieutenant.
That was Lieutenant Kojak.

All right. What is this?
A typing class?

All right. I'll give you
a weather report.
The temperatures are rising.

I owe you a dime, fatso.
Hmm.

Forget it. We're even.

Crocker.

Nobody saw anything.

I see. People go to
a museum to observe.

And what do they observe?

Nobody saw anything.

One of the guards thought he had
a heart att*ck and wasted five minutes
trying to locate the oxygen.

Then they saw the blood.
There you are.

Just the way you like it, grouchy.

- You owe me a dime.
- Thanks a lot, curly.

Me, grouchy?

Well, they must have used a sil*ncer.

The slugs came from a.38,
and there was no sign of the g*n.

I spoke with Pope's widow
on the phone.
Her name's Cheryl.

She said her husband
went out to meet some woman...

who called with information
on Trudy Stein's death.

- What's the M.E. Report on her?
- She O.D.'d all right,
but not at that hotel.

The examination shows
that she d*ed at 6:00 in the morning.

The room was empty
until some guy checked in
a little after 8:00.

He must have dragged her up there,
maybe pretending that she passed out.

What guy?
Well, half the business
in that hotel, Lieutenant,

comes from prostitutes.

They stay clean
by making the guys check in.

The clerk gets
all the faces mixed up.

Except that he did recognize
the corpse from previous visits.

Hmm.
She had no
identification at all.

Well, she must have d*ed
somewhere else...
maybe her apartment.

Well,

somebody doesn't want us to know
too much about Trudy Stein.

But we're gonna disappoint them,
aren't we, Crocker?

You know, I'm a lucky man.

I have a television set in my office,

or I wouldn't know
what's going on in this district at all.

- You're all over the tube.
- Am I, uh, cute?

Very cute. You made
the corpse look like a hero.

Wally Brodski,
filling in for his dead buddy,

says Pope was using the Stein girl
as an informant for weeks.

But the report on my desk
has her listed as a simple O.D.
Only 30 hours ago.

Now why are we always
so many points behind, Theo?

Come on, Frank.
I didn't know we were in a ball game.

No, you come on.
The chief wants an answer.

Well, Daniel Pope couldn't have known
more about Trudy Stein than we do.

Otherwise he wouldn't have got himself
totaled trying to find out.

- What did he know?
- That somebody's been supplying
a whole sorority of prostitutes...

with discount H.

It's an easy business.
No sales force necessary, right?

You hook a girl, and then
you make her a concubine.

That's a nice word, huh?
That's high-class for "working girl."
Eliminates the middleman.

You know,
we've been trying for months
to put a handle on this.

Look, I hear the TV prints on Trudy Stein
are better than our morgue sh*ts.

See if you can't get a couple of copies.
Right.

Hey, what shape
was Pope's wife in?

Emotional but rational...
and angry.

All these years.
It never gets any easier.

Now, look, Brodski,

I don't want you to think
that I'm stealing my pension, okay?

So, if your friend Daniel Pope was out
doing myjob, I promise you this.

I'll finish it for him, okay?

And you can make book on it.
Thank you, Lieutenant.

- Bert!
- That was Lieutenant Kojak,
ladies and gentlemen,

who has advised us...
Did you hear that?

What?
Somebody sh*t Daniel Pope.

Crazy fool!

Yeah. I heard earlier.
I'm celebrating.

Somebody mind telling a girl
what's going on?

Ah.

Go take a bath.
I already had one.

So take another one.
Keep America beautiful.

Do it.

The police are gonna dig in now,
start to get rough.

Daniel Pope was the only one
who was getting rough,

you know, offering rewards
and blasting it all the time
over the TV.

Ah, he was like a sports reporter.
Yeah.

The girls laughed at it.

Yeah, well, Trudy Stein
wasn't laughing.
She was talking.

You know, nothing quiets down
a bunch of antsy broads...

like having a stiff carted off
to the morgue every once in a while.

Believe me, I know
what it's like on the streets.

That's how I earn my 50%.

I don't know, Bert.

Listen, whoever chopped him down,
they did us a favor.

I mean, it could have been
anybody in the rackets, you know.

I mean, Pope had a lot of enemies.

She is starting to get on my nerves.

- Is she hooked?
- Are you kidding?

Like a mackerel.

A brunette would be nice for a change.
No gumchewers, please.

Sure. Your capital
and my contacts,

everything comes true.

Cheryl Pope?
Yes.

I'm Lieutenant Kojak,
New York Police Department.

May I come in?

Thank you.

I'm sincerely sorry
about your husband.

Everybody calls.

Everybody says they're sorry.

They try.

Doesn't seem to help much though.

Well, you have a family.
Can't you call someone?

Oh, well. They gave up
on their little girl a long time ago.

I guess I could...

Oh, I just don't know.
Look, I, uh...

I could come back another time.

But every day we let pass
is an advantage to the man
who k*lled your husband.

No.

No, go ahead.

Talk to me.

Tell me something that'll make
some sense out of all this because,

so help me, if you don't,
I don't know what I'm gonna do.

What do you know about Trudy Stein?

Trudy Stein.

I know all about Trudy Stein.

She was a fun girl once, I'll bet.

And then somebody said to her
one day, uh... just for kicks...

"Come fly with me. Fun City."

So she took a trip.

Then she took a second trip.

And all of a sudden
the whole world was...

just one long gray tunnel.

And you keep running,

and you keep tripping,

and there's no way out.

Mm-hmm.

Well,

that arm looks
pretty clean to me.

Yeah.

But you've always got
those little freckles to show that
you had the fight with the monkey.

- What happened?
- Dan happened.

He fell in love with me.

Somewhere.

I can't even remember
where it was now.

I didn't even know
who he was for a long time.

He sat beside me on that bed,

and he held my arms down
so I couldn't tear my hair out.

I had a man.

God, I need him.

Is that why he went after this
with such a vengeance?

Yeah. I guess so.

Oh. Who am I trying to kid?

Yeah. That's why he did it.

And if it hadn't been for me,
he'd still be alive.

Hey. You know,
he went to an awful lot of trouble.

And I'm sure he wouldn't
want to hear you talk this way.

What did he find out
from Trudy Stein?

Well,

somebody out there
has a beautiful merry-go-round
going for themselves.

You get a couple of hundred girls
hooked on horse,

and then all the ticket-taker has to do
is walk around and pick up the money.

What did Trudy Stein find out that
got her thrown off the merry-go-round?
Do you know?

She told Dan that the price
had gone up.

You don't know
how much I need him.

I didn't even know
how I needed him.

It's like being on withdrawal
without him.

It's like cold turkey.
Well,

it's a lot better
than that long gray tunnel
you were talking about.

And if you don't think so,
I think you ought to bite your tongue.

Lieutenant,

what have you got that my husband
didn't have last week?

Or last month?

Because we're gonna
finish this job for him.

Well, all we've got is two b*ll*ts.

It shows us, at least,
he was going in the right direction.

But I don't want you playing around
in Needle Park all by yourself.

And I've got a lot of ground
to cover fast.

And I don't want to be
slowed down by somebody l...

Well, somebody I like very much.

Okay?

Trudy Stein didn't live in limbo.

Somebody knew she was talking,

somebody knew she was trouble,
and somebody k*lled her.

Now, I want every prost*tute,

every call girl, every streetwalker
in the borough...

shown that photograph, okay?

You can be cozy,
you can be tough,

but I want you to get a make
on Trudy Stein.

All right. Get cracking.

Crocker.
Right.

I want you to take a look
at the work-sheet book.

See who's available
to tail Cheryl Pope...

around the clock
for a couple of days anyway.

You afraid somebody's after her too?
Well, not unless she goes out
to finish her husband's job.

You ought to see her arm.
You know, it's like an old dartboard.

She's been off it for 18 months,
and I'd hate to see her slip up.

You think we can use her?

Are you kiddin'? There are
seven million people out there...

think we're the ones who knocked off
their favorite TV crime buster.

That's all we need.
You know, the widow's funeral
the same week.

Well, I'll be. Cheryl.
Hi.

- Sy, right?
- Right.

- You'll forgive me
if I thought you were dead.
- Hey, man. I was.

- Boo!

The pretty lady's drinks are on me.

Remember me? Danny Boy.

Come on.
Cheryl, right?

Hey.

- Coast off.
- Sure.

Her drinks are on me though.
You got that?

If she says. Not if you say.

I won't be far, Cheryl.

Scotch.

Sure.

No, Spence, please.
I can't!

Bert.
Hey, all right.
Wait a minute.

Come on. Come on.
Come on.
No, I won't do it!

Yes, you will.

Love me, love my friends.

You'll likeJake.

He's kind and generous.

Clean her up.

Yeah, all right.
Come on, come on, come on.

He can't make me do it.
What does he think I am?

Hey. That's just temporary, you know?

It's like a...
It's like a favor for a friend, huh?

Come on, now.
He took it all away.

I need a fix bad, Bert.

Please.
Hey, it ain't that easy, you know.

Stuff costs money.

You see, now, it's like Spence said.

I mean, Jake's very generous,
you know.

So you're nice to him,
and he's nice to you,
and everybody's nice to everybody, huh?

Come on. Go on. Get upstairs.
Get yourself together. Come on.

Come on.

Bert.

Yeah.

Yeah?
What are we having, a recession?

Huh?
What kind of a gross is this
for a week?

I lowered the price
to the girls a little bit.
Just for a couple of weeks, you know.

I mean, you gotta
keep them satisfied, you know.

I thought you said heroin
was in short supply this month.

I thought you said we could clean up
with what we had on hand.

Hey, come on, Spence.
We're doing fine.

I got my eyes open
for you, you know.

Something sweet to replace
last week's playmate out there.

I mean, man does not live
by bread alone. Right?

I know what
you're in this for, Spence.
You want a new broad every week.

Bert'll come through for you.
Never fear. Everything's beautiful.

Don't worry about a thing.

Oh, hello there, Kojak.

Who loves ya, Grace?

Hey.

You still play good.

Your ears are bad.

And this piano came over
on the ark.

And my arthritis is k*lling me.
Mm-hmm.

You're always going to Florida.
What happened?

What's Florida need
with another retired madam?

Dreams, Kojak.

Just dreams.

Trudy Stein.

- She won't have those anymore.
- Is that why you called me over?
Because ofTrudy Stein?

She came here to sing
a year or two ago.

Terrible voice.

I wouldn't have turned her out,
but people laughed.

And that wasn't no fun...
not for her.

Well, nobody's laughing now,
and nobody's talking.

Hey, can you help me, Gracie?
Well, she'd been here,

but she was trying to break out.

And I never stop a girl
from trying to break out.

Was she a user when she
was coming in here?

Not at first,

but then she started
hanging around
with some strung out little chick...

with long sleeves
and dilated pupils.

Any idea who
her spaced-out friend was?

Audrey Norris.

Hmm.

Audrey Norris.

Uh, 6318 Maywood,
Apartment 1210.

That's the last one we have on her.

Lieutenant, uh,

Cheryl Pope's report card
looked good for the past two days...

until tonight.

Looks like she's getting ready
to take a dive.

You, uh...

You like it here?

Come on. Let's go inside.
I want to talk to you.

There's one shipment
got through us.

So, uh, you miss this, right?

I don't know. I guess I just
came in here to find out.

How did you find me?

Well, you see, I was on my way
to the coast, and I just happened in.

- Hmm.
- Hey, look, honey.

The cops could bust
a joint like this any minute.

You shouldn't be unprepared
for a shakedown.

- Would you like to search me?
- Ohh. Yes, I would.

But I think you'd better
search yourself.

- Trust me.
- Mm-hmm.

Did your husband ever mention
an Audrey Norris?

- No. Why?
- Did Trudy Stein ever mention
that name, as far as you know?

Not that I remember.
Who is she?

Well, I don't know.
But I'm gonna find out.

Hey, look, uh,

can I give you a ride home?

I couldn't stand those four walls.

Mm-hmm.

Um, you shouldn't lose
your seat at the bar.

So long, kid.

Danny Boy.

Hey, you know where
I could find Audrey Norris?

Little Aud?
I know where she's at.

I dropped some stuff off
at her pad once.

How about yourself?

Why not?

Five bags, Danny Boy?
Mm-hmm.

And, uh, Audrey's address.

I need a place to crash.

Twenty-five more.
The price is up.

And, uh, cool it.

Somebody's tailing you.
Did you know that?

Just be cool.

Now, uh, you follow me
out back in five,

and I'll show you
how to shake 'em.

Just like a malt.

I'm getting too old
for this stuff.

Audrey, it's me.

Yeah, sure.

Ooh.

It's the fuzz, honey.

Uh, South Manhattan.

Well, thanks for asking me in.

- Where's Trudy?
- Hey, you can't come in here.

- Well, you just asked me.
- Huh?

- You forgot.
- What do you want?

Well, Audrey,
I could tell you,

you know,
and... you'd forget.

Who loves ya?

You'd forget it all
by the time you came down.
Come on. Stay out of there.

I came to pick up Trudy's things.
Ain't part of these hers?

I don't know any Trudy.
Now come on. Get out of here.

Um, I was told that, uh,

Trudy Stein lived here.

You were told wrong.
I don't have to split rent.

You don't like me?
Bust me.

Of course I like ya.
But, uh, we're all full up.

Well, let's see, Audrey.
I estimate you're flying
about 42,000 feet.

Ohh. Could you come down
for a quick landing and talk to me?

Don't know what you're talking about.

Hey, get lost, huh?

Or sit and watch.

I mean, who cares?

No, I don't want her
picked up or touched.

Ah, she'll come down,
walk around, make a call.

We lost Cheryl Pope?

Nah, somebody must have
helped her.

Yeah, I'm coming right down.

Ah. Policeman's ball, right?

Who loves ya?

Oh, wow.

What time is it?

Oh, Bert.

Wait a minute. Coming.

Oh, uh, what do you want?
Uh, Sally Prescott.

Um, Trudy said if I ever
blew into town,
I could, uh, flop over here.

It's cool. It's... It's cool.

Okay. Come on in.
Thanks.

Um, have you got a kit?

I didn't dare bring mine
on the plane.

I need a fix. Bad.

Hey, don't worry.
I got my own stuff.

Yeah?

Go help yourself.
On the dresser.

Where on the dresser?

Right there in that glass dish.

You got everything?

Yeah.

Everything a girl could want.

Oh, Dan.

Where are you?

So this is Audrey Norris.

You ought to see her now.
Zero glamour.

Those are stills she made
from a movie, uh, five years ago.
Hmm.

You know, if you made films like this
five years ago you could get locked up.

Some people did.
Briefly. Performers.

The people behind True Art Films
got off with fines.

Bert Podis, production associate.

Frank Pulliam, cameraman.
Seth Williams, editor.

Spencer Galen.

- Lillian Asher. Who are they?
- Lillian Asher did casting.
She's a madam now in Vegas.

Galen was the odd one of the batch.
Ivy League, you know.

His mother's Lorraine Galen,
heir to some manufacturing fortune.
They say he put up all the money.

Hmm. Uptown kid
looking for laughs, huh?

- That sort of thing, I suppose.
- Stavros has Audrey Norris's
apartment staked out,

but on this, uh, Cheryl Pope,
we got nothing yet.

She didn't show up
at her pad last night.

All right. Try the hotels
around the bar, okay?

- Maybe she's poking holes
in her arms again.
- All right.

But if we pick her up on dr*gs,
we won't book her till you talk to her.

So,

Spencer Galen is financing
blue movies, right?

Think he'd like the look of my legs?

With black stockings
and a mask?

Hey, you're too young for that.

Bert, I'm worried.
That Kojak, he knew that
Trudy lived with me.

Yeah, well, so what.
They can't bust you for that.
She's dead and gone.

I mean, two weeks,
nobody even know she ever existed.

Listen, when does this,
uh, new chick show up?

- You on the bridge now?
- Yeah.

Yeah, well, she should
be there any minute.

Well, is she, uh... Is she...
What... Tall with, uh, dark hair
and a short little fur coat?

Yeah, yeah, yeah.
That's her. Listen,

you don't forget
my 200 bucks referral fee.

Uh, give me a frank.

Hi.
Hi.

I'm Audrey's friend.
You're, uh...

- Sally.
- Sally, yeah.

- And you must be Bert.
- Yeah.

- Hi, Bert.
- Hi, Sally.

- So, I understand
you're from Miami, huh?
- Mm-hmm.

Well, how'd we get so lucky?
I got tired of the geriatrics ward.

You know,
the shuffleboard b*at.
Ah.

- You want a hot dog?
- Mm-mmm.

Huh. Well, you, uh... you shouldn't
have to, uh, look for work, you know.

Oh, I don't.

I, uh, also got tired of
running around town,

looking for a nickel bag
when I needed one.

I hear you deliver.

Twenty-four hour service.

Hey, you know,
I got a friend
I think you should meet.

He's a real, uh...
a real kind of uptown type.

Bert, any friend of yours
is a friend of mine.

You can imagine
my embarrassment, Lieutenant.

You know, it's refreshing.
I don't meet too many people nowadays
who embarrass that easily.

Well, I certainly do.
I can assure you.

Of course, I can't keep track
of all my investments.

In fact, I'd... I'd forgotten
that I'd agreed to finance a film.

Oh, I see. Two dry martinis,
and someone talks you into
making these, uh...

these French postcards
that move, hmm?

Something like that, I'm afraid.

Naturally, when I found out
what kind of film it was,
I was horrified.

Hmm. And arrested.
Naughty, naughty.

Mother still doesn't know.

I hope you're not gonna
stir this whole thing up again.

Mother.

The grande dame.

Very starchy about things like that.

Well, I can assure you
that mother...

will never hear it from my lips.

Word of honor, Lieutenant.

I had no idea those people
were involved in that...

lewd, lascivious type of endeavor.

Hmm. Splendid.

I'm worried, Frank... a lot.

About Pope's widow.

Yeah, well, worry about
the chief too.

Gonna have to tell him something
pretty soon... even if it's a lie.

Yeah, well, tell him I just booked him
into an X-rated movie.
Hey.

I'm serious.
You know, I got a job too.

The newspapers, the TV boys,

they all say we're dragging our heels
on Pope's death because
he was one up on us.

Well, they wouldn't print
my answer to that anyway,
so why bother?

Here it is, Lieutenant.
Bert Podis, possession, five years ago.

They couldn't make anything stick.

Look at this.
The feds were in on it.

Big narc bust that turned sour.

Tell Crocker to get in here.
Yes, sir.

If you're onto something, Theo,
I want to know about it.

Look, Mac. I'm playing with string.

You know, this is the first time...

I've been able to tie anything together
with girls and narcotics
all in one package.

If you're gonna blast it now,
you know what's gonna happen?
You're gonna break the string.

Here. Bert Podis.
This is five years old.
Update it.

Give me a clue.
Uh, animal, vegetable, mineral?

Animal.

What are you cooking here, Sally?

Man, I haven't been
behind a bar in about two years.

And I'm just going a little crazy.

Now...

Ah. My one magic ingredient,

and we both
turn into Frankenstein.

Well, we can do
better than that, my dear.

Whoo-hoo.

Excuse me.

This could have been
a beautiful evening, Bert,

but now I've got this Kojak
churning up my stomach.

Why is he asking about
that old beef after all this time?

Oh, they question half of New York
every six months,
afraid they're missing something.

Don't worry about it.
That maniac who sh*t Pope...

That's what
stirred all this up again.
It's good for morale, Spence.

I mean, uh, the girls are afraid to
talk to a gum-ball machine.

Believe me, it doesn't hurt
every once in a while
to have a funeral...

just to make people glad
to be alive.

- You know what I mean?
- I disagree.

Completely.

Hey, listen. Why don't you worry
about the bookkeeping and let
me worry about the troops, huh?

Hey. Speaking of troops,
what do you think?

Did old Bert do right by ya?

Very interesting.

Rather a challenge.
I like that.

- What do you know about her?
- Good goods, good goods.

And when you get tired of her,
she's still got two habits...
both profitable.

Only one of which
I'm interested in right now.

I think you're gonna
like it here, Sally.
Mm-hmm?

I knew I should have
brought my toothbrush.

There's two pounds.
And it's 85% cut.

Still 15 a bang.

Bert, that's...
The price is high.
Somebody's gonna squawk.

So tell 'em it'll come down
after the next shipment.
What have you got for me?

7,500.

Best three days we ever had.

Yeah, you're telling me
I don't know my business, huh?

Bert. Phone.

Not bad.

Hello.
Hello, Bert.

Listen, this is Audrey.
I'm... I'm worried about this new girl.

Well, don't worry.
My friend is entranced.

I'll leave your 200 here
at the bar... at the Light.

Listen, Bert. I mean,
if you were hooked for real,

would you leave
five packets of stuff
with a head like me?

- Maybe she had more.
- I don't think so.
She said she got it from Danny Boy.

- Listen. You better
get hold of him real quick.
- Yeah, yeah. He's right here.

I got him with me now.

Now, look. You just sit there
and enjoy yourself. All right?

I'll check this out.

All right. Okay.

Car 723.
Verification on 54th Street
on one Cheryl Pope.

- That's a negative.
- Been a lot of women in my life
that I wish would disappear.

Cheryl Pope is not one of them.
Well, we're still trying.
We got two men looking.

On Bert Podis... his car registration
shows an address
listed at 670 East 23rd Street.

Which is about 400 yards
out into the river.

Dead end on him for awhile.
Yeah? When do we get to
the good news?

Well, there's no news
on Audrey Norris.

Saperstein was on stakeout.
He just got here.

Says that the other girl left,
but, uh, Audrey hasn't budged.

What other girl?
She was all alone when I left her.

I don't know.
I guess somebody dropped in
before he got on duty.

Gomez relieved him
a couple hours ago.

Saperstein!
Yes, Lieutenant?

About 5 foot 9, brunette, good-looking,
maybe wearing a little coat.

Yeah, that was the girl, Lieutenant.
She went out yesterday afternoon.

Cheryl Pope.

What the hell is she doing?

Are you going someplace, Audrey?

What are you doing here?
The door was open.

Well, you just can't
come into someone's place.

Well, lookee here.
I don't know how that got there.
You put it there.

Mm-hmm. Well, I don't care
how they got there. Look at that.
The sweet packin' of Manhattan Satin.

Look. Look close enough, huh?

Where's your roommate?
I don't have any roommate.

Mm-hmm. Are you looking?
Ain't that sweet?

Ain't that nice? Pretty soon it's gonna be
dancing around in your head.
Get your hands off.

Yeah? They'll wrap you with a blanket
to keep you from ripping your eyes out!
You're hurting me!

Hey, kid. You don't know
what hurt is yet.

Wait till your stomach starts playing
a number on your belly button.
Ah, shut up.

Yeah. And you'll be looking for this.
"Where is it?"

You know, little white lies
full of broken promises.

They'll get me out.
Oh, yeah?

Mm-hmm.
You want to take that chance?

You're garbage to them.

They're gonna let you rot
before they even admit they know ya.

Okay.

All right. Take a chance.
Come on.

No. Wait a minute.

Hey, Audrey.

Don't you understand?

It's not you I want.

It's her. Where is she?

Seth Williams,

Galen, Bert Podis.

He's gonna k*ll me.

They're k*lling you now!
Can't you feel it?

I want protection!
I want protection!

Hey, honey.
I know you don't believe it,
but that's why I'm here.

Where is she?

I don't know.
Bert fixed her up right off.

His partner, I think.

Uh, some guy uptown.

'Cause, uh, Bert was always
going uptown, you know.

Uh, on the East Side
somewhere.

Mm-hmm.
You think, baby.

Bert... Bert called me
once and, uh,

uh, he was looking out a window,

and there was a bridge
and a lot of cars.

Spencer Galen.

- That name mean anything to you?
- Is he very rich or something?

He was...
until just now.

Who loves ya?

What the hell is this?

This is Cheryl Pope.
Mrs. Daniel Pope.
It was in the papers.

Are you crazy?
You brought her here!

- Yeah, well now I'm gonna
take her out of here, horizontal.
- Oh-ho!

Little men make
the biggest mistakes.

What, are you gonna use
the same g*n you used
to k*ll my husband?

What?
You sh*t Daniel Pope?

Come on, Spence.
I told you I didn't. This is
no time to stop trusting me.

Oh, really, Podis?

Is that why you've been jacking up
the prices on nickel bags,
and he doesn't know anything about it?

'Cause that's what
you've been doing, isn't it?

- What's he tell you he's been charging?
- I don't know what you're talking about.

Well, Danny Boy
charged me 15 bucks.

And he apologized.

He said the price
hadjust gone up.
Since when?

Danny Boy's trying to rip her off.
What are you looking at me for?

Trudy Stein said the price
went up last month.
And she was really bugged.

She wanted to get even,
so she called up my husband,

and she told him all about
the whole filthy racket.

You k*lled her because
you've been greedy, Bert.

And because if she started
to talk, I'd find out.

Okay! Okay! I mean,
somebody had to do it, you know.

Look, all you do
is pay the bills around here.
You're in it for the girls!

'Cause every time you put
one of them on the street,
you rub your mother's nose in the dirt.

But I have to face the heat.
I have to run the stuff around,

and I have to take all the risk,
and all I get outta it is the money!

I know you.

You'll be broke in six months.

You'll be looking for financing again.
Well, don't come to me.

Well, you're the one
who likes the dirty work, Bert.

Go ahead. Do it to her.
Because you're the one
who's going up for m*rder if she talks.

Oh, do what he says!
Do what mama's boy says!

'Cause mama's boy
calls the sh*ts, doesn't he?

Yeah. I don't trust mama's boy
when the going gets tough.

I mean, they throw you
in that interrogation room,

and you're gonna sing
your alma mater,
I'm gonna buy death row.

I take care of this problem
easy on the street.

Real easy, Spence.

No!

Hey!

Come on.

All right, now, lady.
You're coming out of here with me.

You're all I got
to make a deal with. Let's go.

Stay back.

He's going to the garage.
Get out front and block the exit.

Let her go, Podis. Police.

I swear I'll k*ll her, Kojak!
Now you let us out of here!

I'll make a deal. I'll give you a chance
to get away on your own,
and I'll give you a head start.

Come on. I swear I'll k*ll her!

Come here!

Don't forget to leave
your insurance company's
name on the windshield, right?

You damaged the guy's fender.

Cheryl.

How would you like to
put 'em on personally?

Well, Galen will pull through.

He'll just have to change
his way of living.

Lieutenant... Excuse me.
Look at the shoes he wears.

Six more boxes
just like them upstairs.

With these shoes you can walk
six feet off the ground.
All right. Pack 'em up.

I think Galen was
the front man with the money.

Podis was robbing him blind.
He handled all the dope.

The ladies were Galen's specialty.

Here.
What's this?

Well, you didn't leave
anything for me to do.

It's all over, isn't it, Lieutenant?

It's never over.
Ah, maybe we slowed down
the merry-go-round a little bit.

Then some creep comes along
and starts it all up again.

Then why bother?

I don't know.

Maybe some good kid gets a chance
to jump off that slow merry-go-round.

I mean, look at you.
I mean, two weeks,
leaning on nobody,

there you are standing
nice and straight.

You know something?
I asked you one time
to search yourself, and I think you did.

And I also think you...
you liked what you saw.

And, kiddo, there's no high
better than that.

Hey, it's my last one.

Come on.
I'll take you home.