02x15 - Loser Takes All

[bunniefuu]

[Kojak's theme playing]

[PHONE RINGING].

- Hello?

- Yeah.

- What's the matter?

- That man's crazy, Mr. Waverly.

I tell you, he's crazy.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

[MUSIC PLAYING]

[MUSIC PLAYING]

[MUSIC PLAYING]

[MUSIC PLAYING]

- Welcome back to Fun City, lover.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

- Where's your husband?

[MUSIC PLAYING]

- Waverly is playing
poker at the Monarch Hotel.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

It'll last for days.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

[MUSIC PLAYING]

[MUSIC PLAYING]

[MUSIC PLAYING]

[MUSIC PLAYING].

[MUSIC PLAYING]

[MUSIC PLAYING]

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[MUSIC PLAYING]

[MUSIC PLAYING]

[MUSIC PLAYING]

[MUSIC PLAYING].

- All right, baby.
You're sent for me and I'm here.

Now, what do you got?

- You want to talk business now?

- That's what I'm here for.

- My find is free as usual,
plus 10% of the action. Agreed?

- Sounds reasonable. Just clue me in.

- Well, four months ago, a dude
came to me in bad need of a loan.


opened up in the morning.

Otherwise, it was into
the can for embezzling.

- What's the collateral?

- His weekly take-home, plus the
evidence that could send him up.

I own him, lover.

I own him body and soul,
and I'll sell him to you.

- For $2,000?

- Plus 10%.

- Of what?

- Diamonds, lover.

Diamonds by the gross.

[LAUGHTER]

[MUSIC]

[INDISTINCT ARGUING]

[MUSIC]

- Hey, man, what you
picking on me for, man?

Aw, man!

- Let's go!

- I got busted.

- My hat.

- Can I get my hat, man?

- Yeah, come on.

- Wow! Some way to do a brother.

Feel like I've been stepped on
by an elephant in a Tarzan movie.

- [CHUCKLES]

- Well, I had to make
it look good, didn't I?

You want the word passed
around that you a stoolie, Benny?

- A publicity like that can shave
years off your life expectancy.

- Hey, baby, don't call me no stoolie.

I'm an anonymous source
of reliable information.

- Oh, love that.

Anonymous source, yeah, baby.

In the meantime, Benny, can you tell
me why an expensive piece of manpower

like myself should be
shuffling you around, huh?

- It's heavy, lieutenant.
I mean, like millions, maybe.

- Millions? Millions of what?

- Diamonds.

- Is that it? Diamonds?

- That's what the man said.

- What else did the man say? Huh?

What? Where? Who's gonna make the hit?
Is that all incidental?

- No, but that's all he had for me.

I mean, that's something, isn't it?

- Post-nasal drip, that's
something too, isn't it?

But who needs it?

- Well, look, when he has
more, I'll tap him for more.

I mean, nobody's bleeding that I can see.

- I'm bleeding. I gotta know when.

- I'll see him later on today.

I'm gonna meet him in the
garage on the east side today.

[traffic humming]

- Here you go, Benny.

Let's see, I figure about...

- 36.50.

- What?

- Yes, a player kicks in that window.

In the blue and white jobs,
you want somebody off.

That's what I'd do, baby, if
you'd wrap those around my feet.

- Man, I'm futuristic, but you'd never
get me up in one of them numbers.

I'd get terminal nerves, please.

- Hey, are you ready for this?

- Everything but the
aroma, put it out, would you?

How you fix for breath?

- What do you need?

- Give me about 20 balloons.

[radio chatter]

Then maybe you gotta get
yourself some training wheels, huh?

You flow with those things, you'll
be in the hospital for six weeks, yeah.

- Hey, I'm used to heights.

My daddy was a cat burglar.

- Tell me about it.

[laughing]

Get yourself a parachute.

[dramatic music]



[dramatic music].



[laughing]

[dramatic music]

- Mr. Nuff, go right in.

Miss Paul is waiting for you.

[footsteps]

[footsteps]

Oh, I didn't realize Mrs. Thomas was busy.

I'll just wait outside.

Mr. Neff, there's no need to do that.

Come on inside and sit down.

I'd like some explanation.

Who are you?

Mrs. Thomas has sold me your note.

She can't do that.

Oh, yes, she can.

She has.

But there's no need to sweat it, Mr. Neff.

Your secret is safe with me.

That is, providing you play it my way.

Oh, you mean you have my note,
so now you're gonna Jack up my ante.

Is that what you mean?

[laughing]

You have remarkable insight, Mr. Neff.

Now, you listen very carefully to me.

I'm paying you as serious rates as it is.

Now, I made a mistake.

All right.

I'm running to live with
that, but there's a limit.

Now, look, I brought my current payment.

Here it is.

Now, this is in the exact
amount that we agreed upon.

That's it.

That's all.

I'm not gonna pay you another dime more.

Do you understand me?

I'm not gonna be taken
by some cheap blackmailer.

Don't get up and don't move.

Not going to get any more, huh?

Blackmailer.

Now, that's a word you
shouldn't use, Mr. Neff.

So you're a thief and a very bad one.

It's all in the file right here.

Now, I'm gonna give you a chance
to get this file back in one big lump.

One big lump.

I can't.

I can't make the payments now.

It's no money, just information.

What do you mean, information?

You work for a jewelry firm, don't you?

Yeah.

It's one of the biggest.

Oh, no.

No, no, wait a minute.

Now, look, you want me to set them
up so that you can hit them, you mean?

No, I can't do that.

I just have to give your
employer this file, then.

Let us both be realistic, Mr. Neff.

There you are.

Are you all right?

Here.

Your check and your wallet.

You know, the courier's
coming in every week

from Tel Aviv and
Amsterdam with cut stones.

That's diamonds, Mr. Neff.

Diamonds.

That's what I want.

A million dollars' worth.

Nothing less.

So as soon as you hear of a shipment
like that, you know where to reach me, huh?

I hope a shipment like
that comes in very soon.

[MUSIC PLAYING].

[DOOR OPENING]

[metal clanking]



[MUSIC PLAYING]



[MUSIC PLAYING]



[MUSIC PLAYING].

[MUSIC PLAYING]

[MUSIC PLAYING]

[MUSIC PLAYING]

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[MUSIC PLAYING]

[MUSIC PLAYING]

Thomas.

Waverly Thomas.

How come you're following me, huh?

What do you want from me
that you haven't already taken?

Just wanted to talk to you.

Before you talk to, uh, who?

Who are you expecting, Waverly?

Nobody.

What are you going to talk about, me?

Or maybe you're going to
talk about some diamonds.

You know, you sent somebody
to the airport to turn me around.

That troubled me.

Made me wonder, how far
were you prepared to go?

Not just how far are you
prepared to go, Waverly.

You'll find out.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

[MUSIC PLAYING]

[dramatic music].

[dramatic music]



[dramatic music]

[footsteps]

[footsteps]



[sighing]



[footsteps]



[footsteps]

[groaning]

[footsteps]

[thudding]

[groaning].

- Benny, help me.

- Hey man, you're hit bad.

Look, I better split and get some help.

- No Benny.

[dramatic music]

You gotta tell Kojak.

The diamond ice.

- Hey, hey, just let go, huh?

Look, I already tipped him.

Let go, you're gonna get me k*lled.

- Hagar, John Michael Hagar.

Inside job.

He's gonna hit a courier.

[gasping]

- Let go, damn it.

[groaning]

- Brisbane, this is Weavers.

Lieutenant in?

- Yeah.

- Lieutenant, you got Gill on line one.

[phone ringing]

- Uh-huh.

- You heard from Benny Marshall?

- Not yet.

- Well, don't hold your breath.

Remember those platform
shoes we bought him?

Well, I'm holding one of
them in my hot little hand.

- The man to go is underneath a DOA.

- Well, how'd you know it was Benny's?

- How, Lieutenant?

How many cats you know got
the guts to wear a number like that?

- Okay, who's the DOA?

- Waverly Thomas, between the
shoulder blades with a Howard suit.

No known witnesses.

All the gory details will be in my report.

- Yes, and you'll have all those gory
details on my desk when I get back, right?

- When I hear you, I hear you.

Where you headed?

- Oh, somebody has
to notify the next of kin.

[people chattering]

[phone ringing]

- Yes?

- Hager, this is Neff.

- Listen, there's gonna
be a shipment tomorrow.

I don't know too much about
it yet, but it's gonna be big.

- It's gonna be tomorrow, so I'll get
back to you when I know all the details.

- You do that, Mr. Neff.

You do that.

[dramatic music].

[dramatic music]

[dramatic music]

[dramatic music]

[dramatic music].

- You gonna lay some paper on me, Theo?

Is that what you come here for?

- Yeah, baby, do I look
like a process server?

[laughing]

Where's your old man, Paula?

Is he home?

- No.

Why?

Seen some kind of trouble?

- Hey, look, kid, things
like this never come easy.

We found a body in an East Side garage,
and my man claims that it's Waverly.

- No.

- I'm sorry, Paula.

Yeah...

What happened?

I don't know.

Maybe he
got involved in a stick-up

and he got gunned
down trying to run away.

There was no reason
for him to be over there.

How about a freelance job?

No, why should he? I take good care of him.

I know that.

He was running an errand for you?

My husband didn't run errands for nobody.
Not even me.

I...
I don't suppose you'll understand this.

But what was between Waverly
and me had nothing to do with sex.

True. There were times for
us, way back in the beginning.

But we lost that part of it.
Just because we lost that

part of it does not signify
I didn't love that man.

I owe him my life.

He gave it back to
me when I wasn't even sure I wanted it.

There were other men. I won't deny that.

But they didn't mean any
more to me than a coffee break.

Waverly knew it. He accepted it.

Mm-hmm.

Hey, look, Paula, who are you
trying to convince? Me or yourself?

What are you saying?

These other men you're
talking about, maybe

they weren't satisfied
with the coffee break.

Maybe they figured
Waverly's out of the way.

Who knows? They
can upgrade their status.

Get out of here. Get out!

Hey, Paula, I know how you feel.

I'll find out who did it. And when I do...

Hey, kid, don't go thinking foolish things.

I'm looking. I have to come down to the
morgue to make an official identification.

I'm sorry.

[music].

[MUSIC PLAYING]

Michael.

Oh, Michael.

[SOBBING]

I heard it.

Lynn and I have let it
all out of your system.

[SOBBING]

[MUSIC PLAYING].

He-- he's up there at 305.

He checked in late last night.

The desk clerk read him from a photograph.

You told us to sit on him, and
that's what we've been doing.

Hey, Lieutenant, can we get going now?

I got a moment's for an hour.

Shalom.







Hey, Lieutenant, guess who?

I'll be back in a little while.

Hey, Benny.

[GRUNTING]

Come on, man.

[GRUNTING]

Easy, Benny, easy, man.

Don't fight it.

Let's go see the Lieutenant, Benny.

I ain't going nowhere.

I'm just going down to sleep.

Let's go see the General.

Come on, let's go down here.

Hey, man, what's up?

You didn't call last night.

That's what's up.

Last night?

Last night, I-- last night I didn't call
you because I didn't have nothing to peddle.

Huh?

What's the matter?

Well, my source dried up on me.

Dried up on you?

It wouldn't be because he's dead, would it?

Who?

What?

Waverly Thomas.

I guess you never heard of him, did you?

Waverly Thomas.

Danny Thomas?

I heard of him.

[LAUGHING]

Danny Thomas?

You creep.

Sit down.

Those production numbers
we blew you to, what happened?

You going to break them in out of town?

Man, them kicks ain't for wearing.

They're for show.

Oh, you're going to get your show.

You're going to get yourself 12 jurors.

You're going to get yourself
a medley of court reporters.

You're going to get yourself
a packed audience, Benny.

And you know why?

Everybody loves a good homicide.

Hey, man, don't do me that way.

Look, I didn't off that brother.

That's the gospel truth, man.

Look, I heard a sh*t.

By the time I got to Waverly,
he was already down.

So you just left him to lay there, right?

He was dead.

And what was your shoe
doing underneath him?

It wasn't.

He had a hole in my shoe.

Oh, I see.

A dying man just snatched at your shoe.

Oh, OK, he was nearly dead.

I mean, he was bleeding pretty bad.

Oh, so he snatched for you?

Hey, Benny, you must have had
something pretty important to say.

Come on, man.

Hey, why don't you unload?

It wasn't but a few words.

Something about a diamond
heist, and it being an inside job,

and that it was going
to knock over a courier.

He was?

Who was?

Hagar.

But I don't remember his first name.

Hagar.

They set off a couple of rockets?

Not from my part of the bus.

Uh-huh.

Did Waverly tell you when this
job was supposed to take off?

Uh-uh.

[PHONE RINGING]

Yeah.

All right, it's this afternoon.

It's 827, 2 PM, Mideast
Airlines, flight 306.

Now, the guy's carrying a
million four and cut stones.

His name is Corn Bluff.

Have you made the necessary arrangements?

Right.

He's expecting the
Bateman limousine service.

So just wear some identification.

Bateman limousine service.

Beautiful.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

We got a name.

We got a face.

We got a scorecard.

Yeah, Michael Hagar.

Six arrests, no convictions.

A little cutie pie, Mr. Hagar.

You know who it is.

He's got a big job
every two or three years.

Then it's back to Jamaica
and soak up the sunshine.

'66, an art gallery in Philly.

'69, payroll heist at Beantown.

Two years ago, Union City Savings and Loan.

And now he's ours.

The subject is diamonds, and I want him.

Any idea when he intends to score?

No.

Only that he's hitting a courier, and
he's got an inside finger man someplace.

An inside where?

Courier, not jewelry on set stones.

So chances are they're coming
in from outside the country, right?

What else but here?

This is the jewelry center of America, huh?

What are we talking about, Captain?


Street, two square blocks.

Now, how many dealers do
you figure we got in that area?

I guess 400 or 500.

And it could be any one of them.

Well, that's a lot of dealers to watch.

We just knew when.

Could flood that area with plain
clothes, bottle up the streets.

Assuming that's where it's coming from.

Well, where else?

Well, look at it this way.

Couriers arriving almost daily, right?

Where are they most vulnerable?

From the time they step out of a cab to the
time they deliver their diamonds, right?

They're open to almost
any kind of a mugging.

Knowing that makes for
more alertness on the airport.

And you figure what's going to happen
before the courier reaches Midtown?

Somewhere between
the airport and Manhattan.

You know what?

You've got a problem.

Hmm, sure, tell me about it.

Coffee!

Sugar, right? Sweet?

So do you.

[ music playing ].

Okay, Curly, what do you got on Hager?

Tracked him down. He's been staying
after Sherry under the name of Garra.

That's an anagram for Hager.

Said Ben's staying?

Yeah, checked out about an hour ago.

The accommodations clerk arranged a seat
for him on the 5 o'clock flight to Jamaica.

Daily 1 o'clock, that means it's coming
off within the next couple of hours.

Crocker, contact traffic
controller Kennedy.

Find out what's doing from
Holland and from Israel.

What else you got?

Well, he was paying 65 a day, but he
sure wasn't getting his money's worth.

He only slept there one night.

He was using the room
mostly to change his clothes.

Conclusion?

He's gone abroad.

You sweet-talking fool.

No doubt about it, Baldy,
you got away with words.

Netherlands flight touched
down three hours ago,

but there's an Israeli
jetliner doing it, too.

Let's go.

[MUSIC PLAYING].

Hold it there!



I'm all right. I'm all right.
Go ahead. I'll get him.

[Music].

[Music].

[Music].

Hey, guy.

Police.

[g*nsh*t]

[Screaming]

Hey, watch out. Watch out.

Call an ambulance.
Tell them the police officer's been sh*t.

[Music].

Let's go.

Step back, folks.

Get out of the way. Get out of the way.

[Music].

[Music].

Freeze.

Look, a man gets sh*t.

He's entitled to wake up to
something better than that.

You seen the nurses in this hospital?

Believe me, I'm better. How are you?

You tell me, Dr. Zorba.

Well...

these could have been lilies.

You got one monster of a chest pain, right?

Well, that'll pass.

You've lost some blood,
but they're putting it back.

How about the slug?

A 38.

An identical twin to the b*llet
that ached Waverly Thomas.

And the courier?

Courier's alive and well.

He's recovering nicely, but he
took a very bad blow to the head.

His recall of the incident is pretty vague.

We got a pretty good
idea who the inside man is.

When we questioned the employees,
Mr. Neff was playing hide and seek.

Must have heard about the sh**ting.

Panicked and headed for points west.

We got a federal warrant out on him.

How about Mr. Hagar?

Anything on his whereabouts?

Better than that.

We've got him in the slammer.

Picked him up just as he was
about to board the Jamaica flight.

Came along quietly.

We're holding a line up down at the office.

You got him, but no diamonds, right?

Yeah, but how did you know?

He mailed them at the airport.

I'll send somebody out there,
find out when the next pickup is.

Theo, it's too late.

Maybe now.

I'll get in touch with the post office,
find out when the next selection comes.

Theo, they already did it.

Yesterday.

Theo, you've been out 18 hours.

All right, Hagar.

Here, put these on.

Over here.

A little early for Halloween, isn't it?

Yeah, a little early.

Ready with that line up.

All right, let's put it together.

We're almost ready.

Just a little bit.

Say, brother, you want to
stay in the vehicle, then?

Yeah.

All right, what's buzzing, cousin?

Well, we got four
witnesses, the courier

included, who feel they
might be able to ID Hagar.

And what the hell might
I ask are you doing here?

Come on, will you, Frank?

You think I'd be here if the police searched
you and didn't think I was all right?

You were sh*t, Theo.

My hero.

Come on, I've hurt myself
worth opening a can of soup.

The regulations don't say
anything about degrees.

Now, it's 30 days mandatory, Theo.

There's nothing I can do about it.

Did the regulations say
anything about you briefing me?

Or do I have to refer to Walter Cronkite?

Next.

That doesn't look too promising.

Hagar's got an attorney
standing by with the writ.

Unless we get a positive
ID from at least two of those

witnesses, we're going
to have to cut him loose.

Cut him loose?

What about that?

We can't produce the w*apon.

We can't link the suspect with Neff.

And as far as the diamonds are
concerned, by your own testimony,

you said they're on their way
out of the country right now.

I'm out the limo.

Stolen car.

Forensic tore it apart.

Not one print we can hang his name on.

Theo, go home.

You've got 30 days.

Go home somewhere.

Rest.

Enjoy.

How do we do?

Well, two of them picked
Starbrow's, one picked Saperstein.

And Kornbluth, that's the diamond
courier, he passed on all of them.

So what do I do now, Captain?

Well, what can you do?

Hand Hagar his hat and bid him bye-bye.

Well, what was that?

Go home and enjoy, wasn't it?

They've been keeping bus car, Frank.

That's one dead, one wounded.

A million in penny cash
for Hagar's piggy bank.

Yeah, go home and enjoy.

Bye-bye.





[MUSIC PLAYING].

[MUSIC PLAYING].

[MUSIC PLAYING].

[MUSIC PLAYING]

[gentle music]

[Music].

[dramatic music]

- Yeah, thanks Jojo.

Anytime, Mr. Kojak.

- Theo.

- Too busy?

- No, no, of course not.

I heard about your trouble.

Really shook me up.

I mean, it's really too close.

He said, "Wanna take something for it?"

- Oh, yeah.

- You know, I just can't picture
something like this happening to you.

- What am I, invincible?

I'm just luckier than Waverly.

- You know, until something
reminds me,

I still got it in my head, he's gonna
walk right in that door.

- When's the funeral?

- Tomorrow.

Yeah.

Could we please change the subject?

- Well, I'll try.

Let's talk about Michael Hager.

- Who's he?

- He's the fox that gave me that.

And somewhere in the back of my mind,

I think he's the guy who
knocked off your husband.

- No, no, I don't know him.

Why would he k*ll Waverly?

- Well...

Michael Hagar had a caper going.

A bundle worth over a million.

The reason is that only he knew.

Waverly didn't want it to succeed, so he
found a way to feed me the information.

Unfortunately, it was
given to us drop by drop.

Hager got wind of it, and
he knocked off your husband.

That's before the next installment
could get there to go between.

- Theo.

Theo...

come on.

Now listen, you know Waverly.

You knew Waverly.

You know he was quiet,
gentle, hard little guy, right?

So what would he know about some big time
dude pulling off million dollar capers?

- And if he did, what
possible reason would he have

for trying to pass the
information along to you?

- Me, poor, I don't know.

I was hoping you could supply the answers.

- Well, I can't.

- You have any means of
nailing your husband's k*ller?

- No, I told you, I don't
know any Michael Hager.

And what's more, I don't buy
the trash you just laid on me.

I just don't believe it.

[sighs]

- Well, it's too bad.

Because in just a little over an hour,

Mr. Hager's gonna board
a 707 heading for Jamaica,

and there's not a damn
thing I can do to stop him.

[somber music]

- If I could help out,
don't you think I would?

- Yeah.

[somber music]

That's what I like to believe.

- Then believe it.

- Yeah, baby.

[somber music]

- Yes, madam?

- Bring the car around and hurry.

[somber music]

- Hey, Chief Lieutenant Kojak.

- That's right.

- My name's Tanner,
I'm a friend of Waverly's.

Can I ride a ways with you?

- Get in.

[dramatic music]

- Kennedy Airport.

[dramatic music]

- No, Jojo, I don't want you involved.

This is for me to do.

[dramatic music]

[car engine revving]

- He had no calling to do that to Waverly.

I don't care what Waverly
was up to, he had no call.

- What no call?

- At Michael Hagar.

I tried to turn him back at the
airport like Waverly asked me.

You know, I've done my best.

He just wouldn't turn.

- Why would Waverly want to turn him back?

And what's Hager to Waverly?

- It wasn't what he was to Waverly, but
it was what he was to Waverly's missus.

You know, it's not, nobody
did really except Waverly.

The other dude, Miss Paula,
messed around with you.

You know, he just took
her in stride, or at least

he pretend to, but Hager
was a little bit different.

It was something about
him that spooked Waverly,

spooked him into
believing that Miss Paula

would take it out of her
head to run away with him.

That would k*ll him, that
would k*ll him, Sherrilyn.

He did the only thing he
could do, he got him k*lled.

Ain't that something to lose either way?

[siren blaring]

- If you knew all this, why'd you
wait so long to come forward?

- 'Cause I'm scared.

I'm scared to open my mouth,
he'd do me like he done Waverly.

I am still scared.

I was hoping somebody else
would put the finger on him.

I was hoping you'd back him on your own.

What's the siren for?

Why we going in such a hurry?

- Back to the pool hall, baby.

- You gonna tell Miss Paula
that was me that blabbed?

Jojo will cut me off with flesh, babe.

- Right now, I'm not thinking about you.

I just got finished telling Paula
that it was Hager Iced, her husband,

and that she's been cozy with him without
suspecting that's her husband's k*ller.

Well, you know the lady's
data, what's she gonna do, huh?

[dramatic music]

[siren blaring]

- Hey, where you going?

- Where's Paula?

- She's not here.

- Oh, where'd she go?

- She didn't say.

- Hey, Subbery, let me have 2691599.

- This is Lieutenant
Kojak, Gil Weaver, please.

Hey, Gil, you grab Crocker.

Get out to TWA Kennedy.

As fast as you can,
red light it all the way.

[dramatic music]

[siren blaring]

[dramatic music]

[siren blaring]

[dramatic music]

[siren blaring]

[dramatic music]

[siren blaring]

[dramatic music]

[siren blaring]

- American Airlines Flight 76,
now boarding from Washington.

[dramatic music].

- American Airlines
Flight 258, now arriving.

- Any sign of Hager?

- We just got here.

- Maybe he's checked in
already, if not, hadn't paged.

See, that's gate 27.

Maybe he's traveling light.

If so, we go directly to
the embarkation area.

Come on.

- Michael!

[dramatic music]

[dramatic music]

- I found out who k*lled Waverly.

I guess you know what
I've got to do about it.

- Paula, you're making a mistake.

- Yes, I've made many
mistakes, but this isn't one of them.

[g*n f*ring]

[dramatic music]

[dramatic music]

- He's gone.

[dramatic music]

- Theo, I had to do it.

- It was an easy way.

- Was that?

[dramatic music]

- Not for me.

[dramatic music].

[dramatic music].

[dramatic music].

[dramatic music]

[Music].