04x18 - Targets Without a Badge: Part 1

[bunniefuu]

Did you see that bald
man in the front row?

Oh, the one with the gold tooth?

Every time he smiled,
I thought I'd go blind.

Oh, thank goodness
that show's over.

My feet are k*lling me.

Don't get too comfortable.
We've got a date.

Terrific. With Mario or Jimmy?

With Los Angeles.
We gotta make that run.

Oh, let's party first.

We're expected in Los
Angeles by 10 in the morning.

Come on, let's boogie.

So what if we make it by 12?

What's the big deal?

The man called and said by 10.

You wanna explain to him
about being two hours late?

Not a chance.

Who's gonna be
pregnant this run?

Well, I've always
wanted a little girl. Heh.

Be my guest, mama.

Well, you said
you wanted a girl.

Okay.

Pick a card.

I don't wanna pick a card.

There's nothing to
see out there but dust.

Please pick a card.

Starsky, this is a
stakeout for dope runners.

This is not an amateur hour.

Why don't you just
read your magazine.

I already have, four times.

Everything from Babe
Ruth to Studio 54.

Well, read it again. Will
you please pick a card?

I feel like I've been
trapped for five hours

with a dying lounge act.

Well, I could put on a skirt.

Pick a card.

Okay. Ahem. I shuffle the cards.

Your card is...

Your card is...

the jack of hearts.

Dream on, chump.

You picked the wrong card.

Maybe you're just not
dealing with a full deck.

True. You know what I mean? Sad.

But true. Yeah.

Oh. Start your
motor, magic hands.

I see 'em coming.

This is Zebra Three to the zoo.

Our mule train just
passed checkpoint nine.

I've seen parking lots more
scenic than this highway.

Well, I would have taken
the coastal route, darling,

but this is the only
way from Vegas.

Wanna to do a run-by
and check out mama?

I can dig it.

Oh, look.

Oh. A peace sign.

Oh, I haven't seen that
since Nixon resigned.

Oh. Hmm, they are kinda cute.

Yeah. In a funky kind of way.

Amazing, the power I
have over women. Heh-heh!

Yeah. How's mama
looking? Positively glowing.

The baby's gotta be 20
pounds if it's an ounce.

Good. Zebra Three
to headquarters.

Load is secure and
moving to checkpoint town.

We'll leave 'em
off at that location.

We'll leave 'em
to Thompson Five.

Starsky, the truck!

What? Aaah!

You all right, huh?

- You're all right, huh?
- You okay?

Whoop. Whoops.

Oh, my, my.

There goes mama's pride and joy.
- Cops.

I was wrong.

They're not funky,
they're tacky.

Well, at least we got the dope.

Yeah. But we just blew
some great connections.

Well, write it off to a
premature delivery.

Ladies.

After you.

Well, if it isn't the ghetto's
answer to Gadabout Gaddis.

Hey, you ain't exactly
Robert Redford, you know.

Doing some fishing?

Yeah.

What you got?

Well, I got this friend.
A friend in need.

Got a case he wants
to work off, right?

You got it.

So the guy's crying
about doing some time.

What's he got to trade?

Righteous info.

The brother's
got an inside track

on a very big caper.

Can you talk to him?

Where is he?

Just follow the
drums to the drummer.

Whew! Pure
Caucasian soul, Lionel.

Hey, I wanna thank you, man,
for turning me on to this spot.

It's really cool here.

Hey, you make them things
sing wherever you are, my brother.

Hey, he's bad, ain't he?

Yeah.

Uh, ahem.

Word is, uh, you
two can be trusted.

Depends.

It's a two-way street.

I can dig that.

Well, uh,

I think I'll trip on
down by the seashore

and pick up some
seashells or something.

Huggy says you
wanna make a deal.

He's telling it like it is.

Okay, we'll tell
it to you straight.

We don't make any promises.

I hear you.

There's this judge.

A federal judge.

And he's dealing.

Federal judge, huh?

You know those two
chicks you popped?

Well, they're both working
as runners for the judge.

So how do you fit into this act?

Judge wants their case fixed.

And he's willing to lay
out 10 G's for a grease job.

You're the middle man
who's supposed to pay us

to get the case kicked.

He wants it buried
and forgotten.

Let's say you turn the judge
and we take it from there.

The best we could
do, and I mean,

maybe could do...

is to get you a suspended
sentence on your case.

And that's not
gonna go down easy

with a federal judge involved.

The only thing I know
that goes down easy

is bad booze.

A federal judge?

This better be good.

It's good all right, captain.

Based on the stash those
two girls were carrying,

this guy's no nickel-and-dimer.

And Lionel here is
gonna help us set him up.

Yeah. But, uh...

I don't wanna go
out front as a witness.

Look, Lionel, that's gonna put
us in kind of a tenuous position

with the DA in
dealing on your case.

You know, he... He's gonna
want a winning hand going in,

or he's not gonna
wanna play at all.

Especially when there's
a federal judge involved.

I guess, uh...

I don't have any
other choice then, do I?

There is an out.

If there's no other way, we can
invoke the informant privilege.

Refuse to give you up.

You could do that?

And then I wouldn't
have to testify? Uh-uh.

Yeah, but if we
refuse to identify you,

the case could get
booted out of court.

And Judge McClellan
would walk out a free man.

Which...

would blow any deal I could
possibly make with the DA.

Man...

if I was in Vegas right now...

I bet I'd be losing
money on a pay toilet.

And they brought Daniel

and they cast him
into the den of the lions.

How's that sound on
your little machine?

Did you get a look at him?

No.

He's probably one of those
perverted tunnel waterers.

You know something, Starsky?

I'll bet when you were small,

you were one of those kids
who used to go to the library

and tear out the last
page of the mystery.

Good evening.

I'll take your word for it.

I trust you had no difficulty
in locating this place.

No. I have a
number of associates

who live in places like this.

Um, are we doing business,

or are you just passing through?

I was assured by the individual
who gave me your name

that, uh, you were
more than capable

of helping me solve my problem.

Quote, "Lionel can talk
a canary out of a tree."

Um, it's an understatement
of my abilities.

Well, then I can be
assured that my problem

is in the right hands.

Ain't no doubt about it.

Look, man,

you want the job done,

I gotta have the terms
and conditions out front.

I have your address.

You will receive correspondence
concerning specific details.

That ain't good enough, man.

That's the way it's going to be.

I'm not about to conduct
this arrangement in a manner

that would leave me
wide open, so to speak.

Do you understand
what I'm saying?

Yeah, sure, you're
asking him to dance

or you won't pay him a dime.

If you have any questions,

call this number
and leave a message.

I'll get back to you.

We will not meet again.

It will make for a
healthier relationship.

Do you understand?

Good night.

We will not meet again.

It will make for a
healthier relationship.

Well, Mr. DA, how's
that for a demo tape?

Well, this guy's very slick.

Well, first off, I find
that hard to believe.

Well, maybe you'd like to
listen to those tapes again.

That guy's so crooked he
has to screw his shorts on.

No, listen, no.

What I'm saying is I
just find it incredible

to think of Judge McClellan
as a common felon.

But I love it.

Well, counselor, you
may cross-examine.

Big question:

Your informant, he will testify,

won't he?

Starsky, you remember
the Claxton case, don't you?

Sleepy Regan? STARSKY: Hm?

That coke freak who
used to snitch for us.

Oh, yeah.

Slipped on a banana
peel day before trial.

Fell on a kitchen Kn*fe.

Yeah, freak accident.

Autopsy said that he
only fell on it six times.

Oh, remember Rupert Jones?

Still in the
hospital. Hey, guys.

Unluckiest guy I
ever met, that Rupert.

Two days before his testimony
was due on the Simmons case,

a 23-inch television set
falls out of the third floor

of the Belmont hotel,
hits him right in the head.

Okay. You know?

Okay, listen, I am
well aware of the risks.

But the question remains,
your snitch will testify?

Yeah, sure, he'll
testify. If you insist.

Okay. We just have to
be clean as a hound's tooth

if we're gonna get a
conviction on Judge McClellan.

Which means if your
guy doesn't show in court,

we're all gonna be sucking wind.

Court? Supposed to be
in court 10 minutes ago.

Where's...? I... My
briefcase? Right there.

Okay. So you guys
keep me informed.

And as soon as you can, you
get your informant in to see me

and we'll make a deal.

Counselor.

Cap. Hey, you two.

You may be able
to fool Clayburn,

but I can see right through
your little smoke screen.

You don't have any intention
of putting Rigger on the stand.

Well...

actually, no.

But if we say that to
the DA, he tells us...

I'll tell you the same
thing myself. He's right.

Without Rigger, this case
isn't worth a doggone thing.

Not necessarily, captain.

If we can nail the judge's
dope connections on our own...

If we can lay off a
strong enough dope case

against the judge,

then the DA can take this
thing all the way through prelims

based on our testimony

and the kind of evidence
that we can supply

and Rigger will not
have to take the stand

until we get this to court.

By then the heat
will be so built up

it won't make any difference
whether we produce him or not.

Then McClellan will
have to be unseated.

He won't have time
to go to the bathroom,

much less worry about
who put the finger on him.

It's as simple as pie.

Wup, wup. Jamie,
what in the world?

She says she lives here.

We picked her up at the corner

trying to help an old
lady cross the street.

She did a bang up job.

The only problem was the lady
didn't wanna cross the street.

This is Theodore Bear,
huh? Do you like her?

I'm sorry, I-I don't
know what to say,

"Thank you," or, "Who are you?"

You're welcome.
I'm Ken Hutchinson.

Dave Starsky.

You're Lionel's friends.
Hey, come on in.

He's in the darkroom helping
me develop some new prints.

Here you go, sweetheart.

You know, I'm not
really a neglectful mother.

It's just that, well, Jamie
was in the front yard

playing in her sandbox, and...

Honey, why don't
you go wash up now.

It's almost time for lunch.

Okay, Mama. Thank
you for the ride.

Thank you for the ride.

These are really nice.

You like?

Yeah, you've got a good eye.

Thank you.

Mardean, where'd you put the...?

Hey, guys. How you doing?

What's up?

Well, we were just
sort of in the area.

Um, sweetheart, do you mind, uh,

maybe making us some sandwiches?

Sure. I'd be glad to.

Thanks again, guys.

Thank you.

I was just helping her
out a little here. Yeah.

I'm afraid I'm not
much of a developer.

Um, it came in the morning mail.

You didn't handle it, did you?

You mean did I read it?

No, I handled it just like
you said. Very carefully.

Maybe we got lucky.

Maybe there's a couple
of latent prints on that.

Did you call the number
the judge gave you?

Yeah, I called it.

But, uh, I got an
answering machine.

The dude's really
covering his tracks.

What's it say?

Well, essentially it
spells out the payoff.

It's 3000 to you for
setting up the play.

Plus 2500 bucks
worth of Quaaludes.

There's a bonus when
the evil deed is done.

Makes me kind of wish
I was doing it for real.

Oh, I'm just joking,
man. Just joking.

How much do you guys
get for the grease job?

Seven grand.

Two up front.

You know something, Starsk.

If the judge is willing to
pay Lionel a bonus in dope,

maybe that's our in.

You mean, a show of good faith?

Make us look dirty as hell.

Hey, you guys are
running in overdrive.

What are you talking about?

We get the up-front
payment in dope.

Coke.

Can you dig it?

Cocaine?

They gotta be crazy.

Well, hear this, man.

Uh, these cops you wanna
hire to spring your mules,

their names are
Starsky and Hutch.

And, uh, they're bad, man.

Real bad.

They say, uh, either
you play their game,

or pick up your
marbles and pack it in.

We'll call you
back in 20 minutes.

Give me a number.

It's uh...

It's a little hard to
read here. It's, uh...

555-5341.

Twenty minutes.

We're on. Two ounces
of coke, up front.

Well, all right now.

It's going down.

Gotcha.

And they're moving
towards the elevator.

You have the right to remain
silent, but if you do that,

it might be permanent.

That's a pretty
funny line for a pig.

You oughta hear him at parties.

Now, Nancy, where's
the discovery motion

on the Matthews case?

Uh, Nancy, you must
have this by mistake.

It's a state's arrest warrant.

There's no mistake, McClellan.

What's the meaning of this?

It means take another look
at the name on that warrant.

You're under arrest, sir.

You have the right to remain
silent. If you give that up,

anything you say can and will be

used against you
in a court of law.

You have the
right to an attorney

and to have an attorney
present during questioning.

Now, Officer Hutchinson,
you did testify that the first time

you saw the defendant,
that... That you and your partner

observed him getting
off the intercity bus.

Is that correct?

I said that I...

Objection.

The witness can only
testify to what he saw,

not what his partner saw.

Sustained.

Well, then, officer,

you did testify that
you saw the defendant

getting off a bus, correct?

I'm sorry, I think you
misunderstood. What I said was...

Your Honor, may
the record reflect

the witness is being evasive.

Let me answer the question.

Your Honor, the question
is an ambiguous one

and needs a clarification
from the witness.

All the objections

with the exception regarding
clarification are overruled.

You may qualify your answer.

Yes, sir. Ma'am. I'm sorry.

I previously stated

that I observed a man
exiting an intercity bus.

Bus number 3045

at a bus stop at the corner
of Fourth and Mape Streets.

And that man... And that
man's... That... That man...

The description of that
man matches the defendant.

Oh, oh. Oh, then...
Then, uh, wait.

Y-you cannot say
w-with a positive certainty

that the man who exited
that bus was the defendant.

I just... CLAYBURN:
Your Honor...

the question has been
asked and answered.

I am merely trying to ascertain

i-if there is some question,

or, uh, some doubt
in the witness's mind

that, uh, the man
who exited that bus

could've been someone
other than Judge McClellan.

Objection. There's
been no foundation laid.

All right, Mr. Gesslin, you'll
have to rephrase your question.

We'll withdraw the
question at this time.

Very well. You may continue.

Thank you, Your Honor.

Now, Officer Hutchinson,

uh, you testified that, uh,
you received information

from a, uh, quote

"known reliable
informant" unquote

which prompted your
investigation. That's right.

Well, would you
reveal to this courtroom

that informant's name?

Your Honor, I respectfully
decline to disclose

the identity of my informant.

You what? Your Honor, what...?

He says that he
receives information

from some so-called,
uh, special informant,

and yet refuses to disclose
the informant's identity.

Now, this is ludicrous.

Now please ask the witness
to answer the question.

Mr. Hutchinson,

Mr. Gesslin's
question is reasonable

in view of the foundation
of the testimony.

Ask your question
again, counselor.

Please, Officer Hutchinson,
reveal to this court

the informant's name.

Your Honor, I
respectfully decline.

He is in contempt... I
have legal precedence.

That's nonsense.

I'll determine that, counselor.

Such as?

Your Honor, I'm citing

Evidence Code 1041:

In order to preserve
the informant's safety

from possible retribution

and his usefulness
to law enforcement.

Well, in view of this,

the defense moves for disclosure

of the informant's identity,
citing People v. Garcia,

People v. Castille
and People v. Williams.

Mr. Clayburn, would the
people care to be heard?

Uh, yes. Yes, Your Honor, uh...

There has been no
pretrial discovery motion.

Oh, look, the name of
the participating informant

must be revealed.

He's a material witness.

Your Honor, may I have a
moment to confer with the witness?

You know, what I'd
like to understand

is why in the hell you
didn't bother to tell me.

Well, we didn't think
you would've gone for it.

You got that right.

Now, either we identify Rigger
or the case goes out the window.

That's it, isn't it?

It's open.

Just so's everybody's
acquainted,

this is, uh, Deputy
Chief Reasonor,

Deputy DA Clayburn and of
course the two investigating officers,

Starsky and Hutchinson, sir.

Let's just get right to
the heart of this thing.

I talked with Captain Dobey.

What I squeezed out of him,

what I just saw and
heard in that courtroom

is a far cry from this
department's policy

of vigilant law enforcement.

Now, simply put...

the department is not about
to have this case dismissed

just because you two don't
wanna put your informant out front

when he's already
agreed to do so.

Look.

You're jeopardizing our position

with the district
attorney's office.

This department is gotta
come out of this thing

with egg all over its face.

Our informant's in the middle.

If his name comes up in court,
that man's life is in danger.

I understand that, officer.
- Yeah.

Every possible
measure will be taken.

We'll give him maximum security.

Like we did with Rupert Jones?

Like we did with the
late Johnny Bates?

Hold it. Hold it.

This is not up for debate.

You will reveal that informant.

Plus, you will see to it that
he's available for testimony

when that time comes.

Now, is that... Is
that clear to you two?

And if we don't?

You will be
subjecting yourselves

to disciplinary action.

Real simple.

Okay.

We hear you.

But I got something
to say before I shut up.

Since we're being forced
to put our informant up front,

who takes the responsibility
when he turns up dead?

Yeah?

You're never gonna live to see

the insides of that courtroom.

Think about it.

How could I be such a chump?

I knew it.

I knew this thing was too big.

I should've known that
I'd get hung out to dry.

I mean, all this talk

about letting the case slide
if it come to me testifying.

It was nothing but a
lot of shuck and jive.

Uh, look,

did the guy say anything else?

He gave me the
death sentence, man.

What else did he need to say?

Did you recognize his voice?

No.

I mean, look here,

this dude McClellan
knows a lot of people.

And they all got
heavy-duty contacts.

Me?

Well, I'm as good as dead,

and you know it.

Look. Get the spoons.

Mardean and Jamie,
they in the house?

No.

I may be dumb,
but I ain't stupid.

I packed them up and I sent
them off to Mardean's sister's.

Okay. Is there anything you
wanna get out of the house?

Just me. Why?

Because we're gonna
put you in a place

where we can keep an eye on you.

If they wanna get to me,

they can.

Look,

we got you into this thing,

we're gonna get you out.

You just gotta trust us.

I'm trusting you.

Both of you.

With my life.

Dobey.

Fine, send her in.

Thank you for seeing
me, Captain Dobey.

I asked for Starsky or Hutch,
but I was told they weren't in.

They're with your
husband right now.

I'm Mardean Rigger.

I know, Mrs. Rigger.

Won't you have a seat?

Thank you.

Good.

Lionel doesn't
even know I'm here.

He sent me to my sister's
a couple of days ago.

Well, that seems like a
nice place to be right now.

Jamie's there, and I'm...
I'm supposed to drive there

as soon as I leave here.

It's just that I had to
talk to someone who...

I'm sorry, captain,
it's just that I'm scared.

I understand.

Do you really?

Do you have any idea what
my husband is going through?

He made a choice
for a better life.

Now we don't know if he's
gonna have any life at all.

We're doing everything
we can to ensure his safety.

Believe me.

How can I?

Lionel promised us that
we wouldn't have to testify...

and we believed that.

They promised him his
name wouldn't be revealed,

and he believed that.

Well, now, conditions
were such in the courtroom

that, uh, it was determined...

You sound like a police manual.

I'm talking about
my husband's life,

and you're talking about

conditions in the
courtroom were such that.

Captain Dobey, I came here
to plead with you, to beg you,

to do whatever you can to
guarantee my husband's life.

Can you do that?

I can only tell you I'm going
to do everything in my power

to protect him.

Until conditions are such that.

I wish there was something more

I could tell you, Mrs. Rigger.

I really do.

So do I.

Ms. Rigger.

Go see your
sister. Visit with her.

Stay there.

We'll be in touch.

I tell my daughter to
look for love in this world.

Sometimes that gets
awful tough, you know?

Lionel, how many
times I gotta tell you,

stay away from the window.

Come on.

Man, I'm going
stir-crazy in here.

I've been cooped up in
this dump for a week now.

Relax. Sit down
and watch television.

It's a good movie.

The Indians win for a change.

I don't like Westerns,
and I hate TV.

That's very un-American, Lionel.

Here.

Read a magazine.

Having a little car
trouble there, eh? Yeah.

Well, you better, uh, pull your
feet back. I'm gonna pull out.

Right.

Sorry about that.

Cheer up, Lionel.

Chow's on.

Stay put, right where you are.

Hey. Hey. Hey!

Come on, Hutch. Come on.

Hey. Are you okay?

Hey, come on now.

It's me, huh? Huh?

Yeah. Yeah. You sure?

Yeah, I guess so. I guess so.

It's my car!

Forget your car. My car!

Your car's all right
for crying out loud.

You're lucky you're here.

Hello, pigeon. Let's
see if you can fly.

Step back.

Can we go up like this?

Uh-huh.

Come on.

Hang on, Jamie,
you're on your own now.

If you're looking for any
more snitches, I'm fresh out.

Hey, Huggy, you
know why we're here.

Why? To apologize, to
say how sorry you are?

Huggy...

Hey, look, don't
come on me, man.

I don't wanna hear it.

I wish I never introduced
you to the man.

It's my fault. I'm to blame.

But you promised him.

You used him and then
you backstabbed him.

You know what you
guys are? You're users.

You don't give a damn about
people. You just use them.

You just want what
you can get out of them.

Just to make that bust,
play the game, pop the man.

Whatever it takes to win.

Huggy... There was a man k*lled

this morning.

A nobody as far as
you're concerned.

He was just a
loser. Just a snitch.

But he was one
of my best friends.

And he's dead because
you let him down.

There ain't nothing you can
say or do to change that fact.

Uncle Huggy.

Huh, did you have fun
on the swing, darling?

It was all right, Uncle Huggy.

You're the
policemen, aren't you?

The ones who made
my daddy go away.

I thought you were his friends.

So did we, sweetheart.

Hey!

Polluting the ocean?

It's against the law.

I thought you were
going to the movies.

I changed my mind.

What was that you were saying?

About what?

Something about...

something being against the law.

That?

Pollution.

Definite violation.

Well, partner...

the way I see it, this old badge

has polluted me
just about enough.

Really?

Mind if I join you?

Why don't you have a
little coffee with your sugar.

Gotta get something for a buck.

Four bits for a cup of coffee.

We're amongst the unemployed.

Well, it's not my fault
you said you'd buy.

Last time at these prices.

Careful, you're gonna
wake up with diabetes.

What time did Clayburn
say he was gonna be here?

Uh, he said 4:30.

I thought attorneys are
supposed to be on time. He's late.

Oh, you noticed, huh?

Well, he said it was
something important, right?

Yeah. So?

So all the more reason.

What the hell is that?

Aren't you glad we
turned in our g*ns?

Tickled to death.

Next: Part two, "Targets
Without a Badge."