07x10 - Credit Risk

[bunniefuu]

FEMALE DISPATCHER ON RADIO: One-Adam-. One-Adam-, a in progress.

One-Adam-, handle code .

[SIREN WAILING]

Mr. Reed?

I can see you now.

Take a chair and make yourself comfortable.

Now then. What seems to be your problem?

It looks like you people have given me a bad credit rating.

I'm sorry to hear that.

I'm sure you are. But that doesn't do me much good.

The department store my wife has shopped in for two years turned down her charge card.

The only thing I've been able to find out is that you people say I'm a bad credit risk.

Mr. Reed, it's not just that we say.

There's obviously something in your credit background that's put a red flag on your file.

Somebody put the red flag on it, and can take it off.

You have a point but we do everything we can to prevent mistakes.

Our whole operation is computerized.

Then your computers made a mistake!

That's possible. Computers aren't infallible.

Mr. Reed, we're merely an intelligence service.

We can't advise anybody not to give you credit.

We can only report our findings to our clients.

People program computers and make mistakes.

I wanna know what you're going to do about this.

We'll follow our standard procedure, and double check the information.

[SCOFFS] Your information is wrong!

I'll need something in writing, details of your problem, things like that.

I'm here, right now!

I need it in writing, Mr. Reed.

That's the policy. You write us a letter, we'll review your file and get back to you

in three or four days.

You're going to move faster than that. If you don't call my house by this afternoon,

you'll be talking to attorney! You got it?

What's bugging you?

Plastic. The whole world's made out of plastic.

What else is new?

One Adam-, day mid-watch, clear.

FEMALE DISPATCHER: One Adam-, roger.

Remember I told you the other day the washing machine went out?

Yeah.

Well, Jean went to the store to order a new one.

They were very polite but they refused to take the order.

So what's the big deal? Get one someplace else.

Why do I have to go someplace else?

All of a sudden I'm a bad risk, and nobody wants to tell me why!

Wait a minute, isn't there something that says they got to tell you?

Yeah. I've already been to the place that does the credit investigations.

What did they say?

I'm supposed to write them a letter.

FEMALE DISPATCHER: One Adam-, One Adam-,

see the woman. Traffic accident, hit and run.

Banducci's Department Store, in the parking lot.

One Adam-, roger.

Over here!

I have never been so upset. Look what she did to my car! Just look at it!

Are you the lady who called the police?

Yes! Just look what she did to my fender!

May I see your license, please?

Oh...

Yes. Right here.

Exactly how did it happen, Mrs. Dwight?

Well, I was about to open the door, and just as I put the key in the lock,

this car came along and just hit me! I couldn't believe it!

What kind of car was it?

Oh, I'm so bad at that kind of thing! I really don't know.

It was beige and I think I got the license number. It looked like IUK.

I'll see if I can get a make on it.

Did you get a look at the driver?

Oh, yes! She looked straight at me when she drove away. Just ignoring the whole thing,

as if, as if it didn't matter. She was white,

about going on , but you'd never get her to admit it.

Color of hair?

Sort of a reddish brown.

One Adam-, requesting wants, warrants and DMV on Ida Union King.

FEMALE DISPATCHER: Roger One Adam-. Stand by.

My husband's going to be furious. It's the annoyance and aggravation.

Now we'll have to get the adjuster down, then get estimates,

then do without the car while it's being fixed.

FEMALE DISPATCHER: One Adam-, Ida Union King, a Buick Sedan.

Registered to Allan Tomley, Melrose Place. No wants or warrants.

One Adam-, roger.

I guess that does it for now, Mrs. Dwight. We'll do what we can.

Don't you want me to go to headquarters with you, or something.

That won't be necessary. A follow-up investigator will contact you.

Thank you. I just hate to go home and tell my husband what happened.

Registered owner lives over on Melrose Place.

What do you say we take a run over there?

One Adam-. Show us on follow up to Melrose Place, traffic hit and run.

You know what really got to me?

His attitude. Like there was something wrong with me.

Maybe you just forgot to pay the bill.

No way. I checked.

Looks like we might have our pigeon.

Is anything wrong, officers?

-This your car, ma'am? -Yes, why?

It's registered in the name of Allan Tomley.

I'm Mrs. Tomley. Will you please tell me what's going on?

We have reason to believe this car was involved in a hit and run accident.

It couldn't have been! I just got home a little while ago!

Yes, ma'am. Could I look at your driver's license, please.

That's ridiculous! I didn't hit anyone! And if I did, I would have stopped!

Mind telling us where you were, Mrs. Tomley?

At Banducci's. But I didn't hit anybody.

There's a dent in your front fender.

I didn't even know that was there. Somebody must have hit me!

Officer, I've never had a real accident in my life! And certainly not a hit and run!

I'm sorry ma'am. We'll file our report and a follow-up investigator will contact you.

But I didn't do anything.

You know any good lawyers?

Look, if you need any help, just let me know.

That's not the point, Pete. It's the principle that ticks me off.

I can always get the money for the machine.

You want to stop by LeRoy's and have a beer with us?

Thanks. But I have to see a man about my reputation.

Anything happening?

Yeah, he called Jean and said he had some information.

It's probably all straightened out by now.

I'm glad you could come by, Mr. Reed.

I broke a rule or two but I ran a check on your record.

I'm afraid it isn't good news.

Your files show a consistent record of non-payment of bills, delinquent payments...

I've never missed a payment in my life.

That's not what our computers say.

I don't care what your computer says.

I'm sorry, Mr. Reed. I can only tell you what the facts are.

What facts?

I mean, where does this information come from that you put in your computers?

Our investigators talk to local shopkeepers, neighbors, friends.

Oh? And suppose one of my neighbors doesn't like me?

He says I'm a deadbeat. Does that go into the computer too?

Oh, no. We know how important this information is.

We check it very thoroughly.

I like to think that we have a staff of experienced and competent investigators.

How many investigations does each of your men check out per day?

They stay busy if that's what you mean.

That's not what I mean, I want to know how long they spent checking me out!

I could look it up, but my experience is we spend as much time as it takes,

whether a day, or a week, or whatever.

We like to think we're more than just competent, Mr. Reed.

And if you make mistakes?

We correct them.

When?

When we discover them.

In the meantime, what happens to the rest of my charge accounts?

Tell you what I'll do. I'll sit on this case, and release no further information

on you until I've personally looked at the source material. How's that?

How long is that going to take?

With any luck, I can have a copy of the information for you sometime tomorrow.

I'm sorry. That's the best I can do.

Okay. I'll wait till tomorrow before I have my attorney call you.

I get the feeling things didn't go so well last night.

Talking to those people is like talking to a machine.

FEMALE DISPATCHER: One Adam-, One Adam-,

see the man. report. Cedar Hill.

One Adam-, roger.

-Hi, Mr. Gatlin. -GATLIN: Hi, Reed, Malloy.

What's this about a burglary?

Come on, I'll show you.

I just discovered it a little while ago.

It used to be the basement, but I just converted it into a storeroom.

Anything missing?

Yeah, some camping gear. I'll have to take an inventory to find out exactly what.

Thief would have to be pretty small to get through there.

I'm pretty sure I know who did it.

Couple of new kids moved into the neighborhood not long ago.

They've had their noses pressed against my front window since they got here.

What makes you think it was them?

Oh, just the way they looked at the stuff.

Like it was all they could do to keep their hands off.

You know where they live?

I haven't had a chance to find out yet.

Can you describe them?

Oh, one's maybe , the other .

Both blonde. Jeans, dirty tennis shoes, usual thing.

Okay, we'll check the neighborhood.

Let us know what's missing as soon as you can.

Malloy. I don't want to make a big thing of this. I mean, they look like nice kids.

If you can get the stuff back, I'd just as soon forget the whole thing.

Okay. You take your inventory and we'll drop back later to finish the report.

Okay, thanks.

-You been to the station? -No.

Your wife called. She said, some guy named Carruthers had some information for you.

He a snitch?

You might call him that. Thanks, Woods.

Carruthers. He's the credit guy, isn't he?

Yeah.

At least you're getting some action.

I didn't expect to hear from him.

-You mind taking Seven now? -Why not?

There's a hamburger joint right around the corner from the place.

I can grab a bite when I'm through.

You know, they keep talking about doing away with money all together.

Just having one great big credit card. Feed everything into some giant computer.

-Might work. -[SCOFFS]

Not for me. Machines might be efficient. But they don't feel anything.

FEMALE: DISPATCHER: One Adam-, One Adam-,

see the man, holding two juvenile runaways.

Tujunga off-ramp. Ventura Freeway. Code two.

One Adam-, roger.

I hope I did the right thing.

Where'd you find them?

I don't usually pick up hitchhikers,

but they were trying to thumb a ride on the freeway.

I was afraid they might get hurt.

They're a little too young to go off camping alone.

They said they were heading for Montana.

Where you guys headed?

Montana.

Montana, huh? That's a long trip. Folks know you're going?

We left 'em a note.

Don't you think you should've said good-bye?

We were afraid they wouldn't let us go.

You runnin' away from home?

No, sir. We're running away to home.

You from Montana?

Looks like you're pretty well outfitted.

We found all the stuff in a cellar.

What's your name, son?

Billy Ray Roberts. This here's my kid brother, Tommy.

Well, Billy Ray, how'd you and Tommy like to take a ride in our patrol car?

You going to take us back, ain't you?

Yeah.

GATLIN: Hey, Malloy!

We caught your criminals.

That was fast!

Some criminals.

They were on their way to Montana.

Trying to go back home.

How do you know?

I just talked to their mother. She came by here looking for them. She's worried sick.

Nice lady.

The father got transferred down here.

The kids aren't used to being closed in by so many buildings.

Well, it doesn't look like they damaged anything.

I'd just as soon drop it. Make like it never happened.

If it's okay with you guys, I'll just take 'em on home.

I don't know if it's right for them to think they're getting away with it altogether.

They won't. I'm going to put 'em to work helping around the store

to pay for breaking the window,

and their parents told me they'll be grounded for a month.

Well, let's move your property in, then take 'em home, talk to their folks.

Okay.

-Did you ever do that? -Run away from home?

You do crazy things sometimes when you're a kid.

Some people on our street used to raise golden retrievers.

There was one I fell in love with, but no way I could ever afford him.

So one night I climbed over the fence to get him.

And I got caught.

They call the cops?

No. They took me home and told my dad what happened.

I didn't do much fence climbing after that.

If he was anything like my dad, I wouldn't have either.

FEMALE: DISPATCHER:All units in the vicinity. One X-ray-, a in progress.

North Burbank Boulevard. One X-ray-, handle Code Three.

Let's back him up.

One Adam-, will back up One X-ray- at North Burbank Boulevard.

FEMALE DISPATCHER: One Adam-, roger.

Police Officer! Freeze! Drop it! Now!

Hey, wait a minute!

On the ground! Face down! Hands over your head! Move!

Listen, you got it all wrong! I'm not the one! The guy who did it went over the fence!

MALLOY: Let's go.

Who you guys got? Owner here said there was only one, and this is him.

We caught him running down Lankershim.

That's what I been trying to tell you! I'm the manager here.

I was chasing the crook! Isn't that right?

That's right, he's the manager.

I'm really sorry about that.

That's okay.

As it was, you took a pretty big chance.

Where's Reed?

Making a phone call.

You know that guy we nailed on the liquor store job?

-Yeah? -Turns out it was his third today.

He was all over town!

Know how much he collected?

How much?

$.. Just about paid for his gas.

[CHUCKLES]

-I still may hire a lawyer. -Carruthers?

Yeah. He was right about James Reed having lousy credit.

Except that it was James G. Not James A.

Oh.

Somebody hits a G instead of an A and they put me through the wringer.

[SCOFFS]

Competent investigators. They don't even have competent typists.

I didn't know there were that many Reeds. There's a whole alphabet of them.

Can I take a look at your notebook?

That lady whose car was hit yesterday. She wasn't all that sure.

Hey, come on, the suspect admits she was there.

Plus, an eye witness gives you a description that fits like a glove and a license number.

-Yeah. -You think she was lying?

No, but she could've made a mistake. People do that, you know.

Well, if she did, the investigators will catch it.

In the meantime, nobody's sweating but Mrs. Tomley.

A beige Plymouth, Ida Union King.

A hunch, okay?

One Adam-, requesting DMV on Ida Queen King.

FEMALE DISPATCHER: One Adam-, standby.

One Adam-, Ida Queen King is a Volkswagen registered to Harold Corning.

Fulton. No wants, no warrants.

One Adam-, roger. Request a DMV on Ida Ocean King.

FEMALE DISPATCHER: One Adam-, standby.

You going to run the entire alphabet?

One Adam-, Ida Ocean King is a Ford Sedan registered to Iris Cooley,

South Benson, Apartment . No wants, no warrants.

One Adam-, roger. You want to check her out?

Sure, why not?

MALLOY: I'll check it out.

[REED SPEAKING ON RADIO]

[DOORBELL CHIMING]

-COOLEY: Who is it? -Police, Miss Cooley. May we talk to you?

What's the problem?

We understand you may have been involved in a hit-and-run accident this morning.

[SIGHS]

Wouldn't you know it!

Were you involved, Miss Cooley?

I barely touched her!

But you did leave the scene of an accident.

There was no accident! So I scraped some paint off her fender!

What's she doing, claiming whiplash? That's the in thing, isn't it? Whiplash!

She wasn't even in the car!

We'll include all that in our report, Miss Cooley.

Then what happens?

A follow up investigator will contact you.

All we do is file the report, the rest is up to the courts.

See? That's why I didn't stop! I didn't want any fuss!

Now I've got to go through the whole thing, right?

The insurance rates go up, I get sued, my license may be suspended,

and you wonder why I took off! That's why!

Until you took off, Miss Cooley,

all you had was a minor accident, no muss, no fuss.

Leaving the scene made it hit and run.

You're lucky nobody was hurt. Then you'd be charged with a felony.

Thanks for letting me know.

May we see your driver's license?

I'll get it. Wait right here.

You get the feeling that lady isn't too happy to see us?

I know one who will be.