05x15 - Bright Flashes

[bunniefuu]

'Good evening,
ladies and gentlemen'

'and welcome to the fourth
Annual Race of the Rookies.'

'Remember, these are
first-year drivers'

'on the western sprint
car race circuit.'

'Some of this evening's
contestants include'

'Randall Finley from
Sarasota, California.'

'And representing Los Angeles,
Mr. Frank Poncherello.'

Okay, the important
thing to remember

is not to press, alright?

You got four cars ahead of you

and ten laps to pass them.

- You hear me?
- 10-4.

This is a beginner's
race, so watch out

for the guys behind you.

Thanks, Harlan.
I needed that.

Hey, Jon, why
am I doing this?

Because it was something
you always wanted to do.

- Remember?
- Ah.

'Introducing
the official starter'

'for tonight's ten-lap sprint
car event for novice drivers'

'representing
the Zephyr Battery Corporation'

'former great
motion picture star'

'Wayne Cato..'

'...and his famous
horse, Zephyr.'

'Zephyr Batteries.'

'They spell horsepower!'

Hey, Jon?

Remember me?

Oh, yeah, sorry.

I was daydreaming
about something

Ialways wanted to do.

Okay, gentlemen,
let's get 'em started.

Light it up now.

You realize we're
about to commit

our very first
criminal act?

It's a matter
of interpretation.

I suppose.

How do you feel,
tensed up? I do.

Of course.
It's to be expected.

It's interesting.
I didn't think I would be.

You're on a rooftop in
the middle of the night.

A totally
alien environment.

You're about to become
a social outcast.

You're cold.
You're hungry.

Your apprehension is
totally understandable.

'Alright, driving out
there is car number 85'

'it's Frank Poncherello'

'making his move
into second place.'

'Yes, the order now
is Lucky Edwards'

'Frank Poncherello,
and J.C. Freedad.

Hey, we got
a hard charger out there!

It's Ponch. What do you think?

Hope he doesn't forget
I borrowed that car.

Wow, look at him go!

I'm afraid to watch.

'Frank Poncherello
in car number 85'

'appears to be driving
into first place.'

'And they're coming
down the stretch.'

'It's car number 17,
followed by car number..'

I just hope this
stupid thing works.

It'll work. It's a question
of beam diameter expansion.

How good were our calculations?

That's what we're
here to determine.

It's a full house tonight.

It kind of makes a person wonder
how much they got in the till.

File that thought
for future reference.

Check.

'Frank Poncherello
continuing to drive hard.'

'Car number 85 has taken'

'the lead from Lucky Edwards.'

'Yes, it's now car 85..'

- Come on, Ponch!
- Come on, Ponch!

'15, Lucky Edwards'

'and car number 18,
J.C. Freedad.'

'Continuing to drive
hard on the course'

'it's car number 85,
Frank Poncherello..'

Okay, it's in the bag.
I'll see you later.

- We got two more laps to go.
- Where you off to?

Uh, I'm going to go over here
and shake hands with Wayne Cato.

The cowboy?
What for?

Boyhood idol. Excuse me. Later.

Here he comes.

'But the lead'

'continues to go to Poncherello'

'in car number 85.'

'He's lightning..'

Okay. Zap him.

'Oh, a terrible crash'

'on the back straight.'

'Car number 85,
Frank Poncherello.'

'The yellow flag is up.'

'Ladies and gentlemen,
this race'

'will be stopped immediately.'

'The ambulance will come out.'

'The race is stopped.'

'Frank Poncherello
appears to be'

'alright out there,
ladies and gentlemen.'

An excellent test,
wouldn't you say?

Hey, you okay?

You tell me.

I'm still
in one piece?

Yeah. What happened?
How did you lose it?

I don't know.

I saw this
bright flash

and then
the lights went out.

And they're still out.

From what I've seen by my
examination and the slit lamp

there's, uh, slight
edema of the cornea

but I can assure you
it's not permanent.

Close your eyes.

Do you see anything?

Yes. I see
flashes of light.

Okay. Open your eyes.

Any pain?

No.

Things are starting
to clear up.

Good.

Your eyesight should
be back to normal

in a matter of hours.

Sprint cars, huh?

You ever consider taking
up a less violent hobby?

Hmm, I tell
you what, doc.

You get me a Formula
One car to drive

and I'll never get
in a sprint car again.

Hallucinating. He's been
doing a lot of that lately.

Hey, what's the verdict?

I've got only one thing to say.

Thank goodness for roll cages.

See that?
How many fingers?

Four. And if you move your
thumb, I'll read your palm.

Well, cancel
the Seeing Eye dog.

'Before my vision returned'

I was afraid
I'd had a stroke

but the doctor
says I'm okay.

Good. I'd hate to lose you.

I'm short-handed already.

Thanks, Joe. It
means a lot to me.

You know, the guy I feel
sorry for is Baricza's friend

the guy he borrowed the car
from. I mean, you should see it.

Nice guy, though.
Didn't cry very long at all.

Hey, Ponch, I heard
about your bright flashes.

Ah, here it comes.

Well, when they turn hot
and cold, you got a problem

and I'll tell you
what it's called.

Ah, never mind.

This is escort day.

Does that give you
a bright flash?

Right, pick up
the cashier at the DMV

and take her right down
to the bank. I'm on my way.

You gentlemen have a minute?

Uh, that depends. What for?

Well, I've been
giving a lot of thought

to what happened last
night at the track.

I'll admit it
sounds a little wild

but from the evidence
it appears to me

that a stream of
compressed photons

more commonly known as--

Yeah, well, excuse me, Harlan.

- Uh, captain's waiting for me.
- Sure.

Well, as I was saying,
it appears to me

that a stream of
compressed photons--

Sorry, Harlan.
We got to run.

Yeah, it's noon.
We're late for breakfast.

All I was going to say was
a stream of compressed photons

more commonly known..

There it is.

Pretty as the day I bought
it, wouldn't you say?

Must be at least
a dozen times

you've used that old car
as security on a loan.

After today,
never again, I hope.

Your chauffeur would
make a nice hood ornament.

- 'Who is she?'
- 'A friend of mine.'

The daughter I never had.

Uh, your deal with Zephyr
Batteries, is it all set?

Signed, sealed,
and delivered.

I'll be in the bucks
again before you know it.

You sure picked the right name
for that old horse of yours.

I'll say that for you.

Well, it's the smartest
thing I ever done.

Hey, here.

Have yourself some
fun, old friend.

"Antique car race?"

Next weekend.

Sponsored by
Zephyr Batteries

God bless them.

We're either a little too
early or a little too late.

Trust me. We're
right on schedule.

Hey, folks, get yourself
a starter and a Zephyr Battery

and you'll never
have to do this.

Advance the spark, honey.

Here comes the bread.

Get going.

Pardon me, ladies.

- Ah! Oh!
- Ow!

Ah!

Ah!

Ah!

You weren't hit.
Why didn't you grab the guy?

I was more concerned
about the ladies.

Did anybody get a good
look at the thief?

A license plate number?

Partial license plate
number? Anything?

Wayne. You saw the man.

You saw the car.

What did they look like?

I'm sorry. I was busy.

This is incredible.
Just incredible. What happened?

I just lost $10,000.
That's what happened.

My guess is that the bandit
used a low-powered laser beam

to blind us momentarily.

A laser beam? That's ridiculous.

You got any better ideas?

I'm about 90% sure
I owe you an apology.

- Oh?
- About the bright flashes.

Hey, isn't that
Wayne Cato in the backseat?

Is he a friend of yours?

In a way, yes.

Well, if I were you, uh..

...I wouldn't be
bragging about it.

'I never realized
how few people'

use cash anymore
to pay their bills.

It's un-American
to pay cash.

But then again,
how would you know?

You never have any cash

and you never pay your bills.

That's true.
What about the checks?

Uh, destroy 'em.
You got a match?

Go ahead.
Do the honors.

Seems a shame,
doesn't it?

Relax. It's only money.

You haven't said
ten words all morning.

What happened yesterday?

Did Zephyr Batteries
tear up your contract?

I got a lot on my mind.
Now, don't bug me, Jim.

You got bombed last night.

First time in years. How come?

I was alone.
Didn't like the company.

Do the battery people
know about the horse?

It's none of their business.

You know how people
feel about animals.

When it gets out
that old Zephyr here

is not a hundred percent

a lot of folks might think

the old boy is being abused.

It'll be the last
commercials you ever make.

Look, I'm
the first to admit

that I should have
been listening yesterday

when Harlan tried
to tell us something.

Oh, it's not
the first time either.

If some crackpot out there

is using a laser
to commit a crime

I want it stopped
before it spreads.

'Harlan.'

On the assumption
that you and Ponch

know little or nothing
about lasers

I've arranged
for a demonstration

'just to show you what,
uh, you're up against.'

You're expected
at that address.

In addition, I've arranged for
an expert to address the watch.

By week's end,
you all should be

fairly knowledgeable
about laser.

I can't stand it.
Let's get out of here.

- You coming, Bonnie?
- No, thanks.

I've had my
demonstration.

Was it something I said?

Sensational.
I love it.

I give it four bells.

Yeah, I feel like I've
just taken a meteor shower.

Scan, please.

We use a low-powered laser in
light shows such as this one.

You can deflect the beam
with your hand, for example

and suffer no ill effects.

You could, however

become disoriented

or even momentarily blinded

should the beam strike
you directly in the face

'especially if you
weren't expecting it.'

You can say
that again.

Oh, excuse me.

Good morning. Laser Images.

Uh, yes, sir. He's right here.

- Officer Baker?
- 'Yes, sir?'

Your sergeant.

Thank you.

- Yeah, sarge.
- Wayne Cato called.

- Do you know who he is?
- Yeah.

Bonnie's reluctant witness.
What's on his mind?

He said he had some information.

Now, Bonnie is
busy in court today

so why don't you
and Ponch take over?

Sure. Why don't you,
um, give me the address?

Uh, it's number three,
Hillcrest Road West.

'Now, if it's anything
important, call in.'

'I'll put it on
the air. Bye, Jon.'

Alright. Talk to you later.

- 'Something wrong?'
- Yeah.

My boyhood idol.
He wants to talk now.

That's Zephyr.

I've seen him in
a hundred movies.

I've wanted to ride him
since I was ten years old.

I wonder who
the girl is.

'I wouldn't know.'

I thought you said
this guy was out of work.

I guess it all depends on what
kind of work you're out of.

Oh, howdy, fellas.
You just missed him.

- You talking about Mr. Cato?
- The studio called.

He had to make
a quick trip into town.

Asked me
to give you this.

What is it?

Beats the heck out of me.

Okay. Thank you.

- Wayne?
- Yeah.

Thirty years, that's the first
time I ever lied for you.

Why'd you have me do it?

Since when do you go
around hiding from cops?

Well, I couldn't
face them, Jim.

Well, why, for
heaven's sake?

Didn't Lisa
tell you?

Tell me what?

Yesterday, at the bank

I auditioned for a new role.

The part of
a frightened old man.

It's going to take
some getting used to.

This description could
apply to a million guys, Jon.

And you realize how many tan
vans there are in this town?

Yeah, well, that partial license
number may be a breakthrough.

I wonder why your hero
didn't stick around

and give this
information to Bonnie.

That's a good question.

Okay, that's
a $150 even

less your bill from
last week, right?

I think that comes
to about...20 bucks.

'Okay.'

Whew! Not bad. Not a bad haul.

'All units, a 2-11 just
occurred at the liquor store'

'at Victory and Santa Croix.'

'Suspect vehicle, a green van'

'last seen westbound
on Victory at Sepulveda.'

'Units responding, identify.'

LA 15, 7 David
responding from 2 away.

'10-4.'

We got company.

He's still with us.
I can't lose him.

Okay, okay. Keep going.

I'll try to give him a blast.

Let him have it, man!
What are you waiting for?

Jeb, can you hear me, man?

Jeb, can you hear me?

'Say something.'

'Anything, man.'

Buzz off.

Oh, and to think I
was worried about you.

You're going to be alright.

You just hang in there.

How's he doing?

Oh, he's going to be fine.

Alright, good. I'll
follow the ambulance.

Look, I got a make on
that partial license number

and I figured you
guys would want it.

Oh, you got that right.

It belongs to a college
kid by the name

of Richard Foster.

He's a senior at
West States College.

He lives a block off-campus,
and that's his address.

Uh, you tell Turner Jon and I
will be by later to see him.

- Okay.
- Alright.

Are you
Richard Foster?

Yes, sir.
What's the problem?

I don't see your van around,
Richard. Where is it?

Oh, man.
I knew it. I..

It was only
a matter of time.

What was a matter
of time, Rich?

Well, my van.

Twice in the last month

somebody's borrowed my van

without permission.

You know, guys from school

you know, know I
won't report them.

Well, so, w-w-what's happened?
Someone's wrecked it now.

Yeah. Is that what
you're trying to tell me?

Did you say that?
I didn't say that.

You're under arrest,
Mr. Foster.

Under arrest for what?

Suspicion of grand larceny
and as*ault on a police officer.

How's that for starters?

Ah, come on.
You can't be serious.

'You have the right
to remain silent.'

'Anything you say
can and will be used'

'against you in a court of law.'

'You have the right to speak to'

'an attorney
before questioning.'

'If you cannot
afford an attorney'

'the court will
appoint one for you.'

Do you understand your rights
as I have explained them?

Look, I'm no dummy.
I'm also not a thief.

If you'll check with
the school, you'll see

I'm very well thought of there.

Not that I expect that
to make an impression.

Ever see this
guy before?

I can't be certain.
It might be him.

'It might not be.'

Turn around and put
your hands on your head.

Oh, boy.

Now take a good look, old-timer

and tell them that
you never saw me before.

That's your man, alright.
I'd know him anyplace.

You're lying, man. I was
nowhere near that bank!

Easy, mister. You're in
enough trouble already.

I'm telling you, if you
were 20 years younger--

Get him out of here.

This way, Jack.

I'm not gonna
forget this.

- I'm warning you.
- Come on.

Uh, witnesses from the liquor
store ought to be here shortly.

In the meantime, why
don't you take Mr. Cato

across the hall and give
him a cup of coffee?

- Okay.
- Thanks.

Mm-hmm.

Yeah, half the suspects
we bring in here

especially the guilty ones,
thr*aten the eyewitnesses

so if I was you, I
wouldn't worry about it.

You know, I made
movies for 30 years.

Most of that time,
I done my own stunts

took the falls,
had the bones broken

got in my share of honest
to goodness knuckle-dusters..

So why should I get cold
chills all of a sudden

when some punk kid
threatens to punch me out?

Well, maybe
you're wising up.

You know, senior citizens
are known to do that.

Yeah, well, this morning,
this senior citizen

was so ashamed of himself
he couldn't face you guys.

Ah, come on. Maybe you're being
a little too hard on yourself.

I mean, what happened
in there today

was reality,
not make-believe.

As for yesterday, I mean, if
you would have chased that kid

like you think you should have,
you could have been sh*t.

That's a possibility.

Well, thanks,
but your alibis

on my behalf
don't help one bit.

What about the girl
that was driving your car?

Could she identify
the suspect?

Name's Lisa Taylor.
We're having dinner tonight.

Feel free to drop
by and ask her.

Excuse me. Jon? We're ready.

Yeah. I'll be
right with you.

Before I go, will the kid
be released on bail?

Probably be home
before you are.

Until later then?

Looking forward to it.

- Thanks a lot.
- You bet.

Jon, this is
Scotty Peterson. Jon Baker.

- Mr. Peterson.
- My pleasure.

Scotty here knows
everything there is to know

about lasers.
Right, Scotty?

Everything? Well, I wouldn't
say that. Not hardly.

Scotty is a teaching assistant
at West States Institute

and he volunteered
at no charge

to come here and talk
to us about lasers.

Hey, Jon? I'll catch up
with you later, okay?

Yeah, right.

Does the name Richard Foster
mean anything to you?

Foster?

No. I don't
believe it does.

Okay.

All lasers have certain

features in common.

You have your laser medium

in this case, a gas.

You have, uh, the resonator
and your power pack.

Your supermarket price scanner,
for example, is a laser.

The floor you're
sitting on was probably

leveled by
a laser beam.

'I could cite dozens
of commercial uses'

'from, uh, construction
work to the operating room'

from, uh, metal welding
to cloth cutting.

Any questions?

We happen to know that
a laser can blind a person

at least temporarily.

What do you suggest
for a countermeasure?

These.

See? They're dark glasses.

Guaranteed to protect your eyes.

See? They work.

At first I thought it
was a great idea, right?

Mingling with the police,
divert suspicion.

My big mistake was saying that
I'd never heard of you before.

Do you really think
they connected us?

Oh, come on. When I saw you in
that station, I almost fainted.

If those cops
didn't pick up on that

they're dumber
than I think they are.

Well, so what? You got
a lousy memory for faces.

It's still that cowboy's
word against mine.

But if we split now,
i-i-it's like a confession.

What about the people
in the liquor store?

- Did anybody identify you?
- No. No. Not a soul.

As far as the liquor store
is concerned, I'm home free.

Okay. Now, look.

I'm going straight from
the raceway to the airport.

What?

Well, you can do
what you want to.

That's great. That's great.

I'm broke, my van
is in some canyon

off Mulholland Drive,
and now my partner

wants to leave me
here holding the bag.

Yeah, some choice I got.

Nice of you to see it my way.

Where'd you get this crate?

'Oh, I borrowed it.'

Getting the plane
tickets wiped us out.

I've come
to a belated conclusion.

What's that?

This life of crime isn't all

it's cracked up to be.

We're still learning our trade.

Be patient.

Yeah.

No way I was mistaken.

They recognized one another.
I'm sure of it.

Didn't Harlan know our suspect
was from the same school?

Harlan didn't even
know we hada suspect.

I say we run over there
first thing in the morning

and ask around.
What do you think?

I have a day off
tomorrow. So do you.

That's what I said.

Bonnieought to run over there

first thing in the morning

and ask around.

I don't know why you insisted
on being late for dinner.

Because we weren't
invited for dinner.

Hi. Jon and Frank, right?

Uh, uh, he's Jon. I'm Frank.

I'm Lisa Taylor.
I heard your car.

I thought it might be Wayne's.
My dinner's getting cold.

Mr. Cato isn't home?

He called me hours ago,
told me to expect you

and I haven't heard
a word from him since.

Maybe that's him now.

It better be
if he wants to eat.

Hey, everybody.

Should have taken him to
a drunk farm, but I'm all heart.

That's twice
in two days now.

It's getting to be
a habit with you, isn't it?

Nag, nag, nag.

You want to shed a little
light on this, mister?

Be glad to.

About an hour ago,
Mr. Cato here

rang my front doorbell
and threatened to punch me out

if I didn't confess to a crime
that I never committed.

It's lucky for him
I don't fight drunks.

Well, I was wrong.
I apologize.

Now all you have to do is
convince the Mounties here.

Looked his name up
in the phone book.

Figured I'd get
the truth out of him

if I had to knockit out of him.

I gather Mr. Foster had
to do some fast talking.

Yup.

Hey, Jon, you
want to give a hand

to a senior citizen?

You're never going to believe
the first words he said to me.

"Prepare to defend yourself."

- Yeah. How did you know?
- I saw the movie.

Come on, cowboy.

Let's get you
in the house.

Would you give me
a little hand here?

Oh, yeah.
Here we go.

- I'll be alright.
- Easy.

- There you go.
- Thank you. Thank you.

Oh, you're a good guy. Good guy.

Thanks for bringing him home.

No problem, man.
Glad to do it.

First movie star I ever met.
What the heck, huh?

So you're off the hook, huh?

Is that how you see it?

Yes, sir. That's
exactly how I see it.

Goodnight, Mr. Foster.

I don't see why you...
why you did it.

I mean, you must have
known the kid could

have whipped you
without half-trying.

You think so, huh?

Yeah, well, sober, you
might have had half a chance

but then I would
have had to come back

and arrest you
for as*ault.

Is that why you got drunk
before you went to see the kid?

Pretty smart guy.

I asked you
the question.

Figure if I was drunk

kid would try
to take me.

Fooled me, though.

Talked me
plumb out of it.

So you wanted to have
a fight and you went

to a lot of trouble
to promote one. Why?

I was looking for somethin'..

...something that got
misplaced the other day

in front of that bank.

Your big screen reputation?

Your, um, macho self-image?

Where I come from,
it's called self-respect.

Along about now,
I could use a little.

You mean, the cowboy
doesn't live here?

I thought this
was his place.

For the past several
years my parents

have been
leasing the house.

They're in
Europe right now.

I stable Wayne's horse
for him, that's all.

Well, his horse and that
old car he's so attached to.

You think a lot
of him, don't you?

The man,
not the horse.

I grew up watching
his old movies on TV.

When I met him, it was like
running into an old friend.

I think
the world of him.

He's closer to me
than my own father.

Well, lady,
in my book

that makes him
a lucky guy.

Thank you.

We'll do some
follow-up, of course

but any case we would
have had against Foster

is thrown out the window.
I hope you realize that.

Please, Jon. Not now.

Ice for the hothead and coffee
will be up in a minute.

Ah, is she a love, I ask you.

Hey, Jon, I'm racing again
at Ascot, and so are you.

What are you talking about?

You tell him, Lisa.

Well, Wayne will be in no shape

to operate a kiddie
car tomorrow

much less that antique
monstrosity of his

so I've arranged for a new
team to ride in the race.

Meet with your approval?

See how she pushes me around?

But I love it.

Ah. Cost you a kiss.

So, how long has
he been this way?

A couple of years now.
Best kept secret in town.

That is too bad. Tell Wayne
I'll look him up after the race.

Richard Foster's one
of our brightest students.

He carries
a B-plus grade average.

His counselor rates his
conduct on campus as exemplary.

Well, if he's our man,
it's his conduct off-campus

that needs looking into.

Well, I have a note
here that indicates

Mr. Foster left
town last night

to attend the funeral
of a relative.

If Mr. Foster left town,
what he did was jump bail.

This is incredible.

Well, I don't
know what to say.

How many classes
of Mr. Peterson's

did Richard attend?

Two.

No, three.

Three hours weekly.

Can I assume they
were acquainted?

Oh, of course.

In fact, Richard and Scotty,
as he prefers to be called

are close friends.

May I speak with
Scotty, please?

Well, I'm afraid
that's impossible.

There's a note here
that he left this morning

for a two-week sabbatical
in the High Sierras.

'Good afternoon,
ladies and gentlemen.'

'We are pleased to welcome
you to our third annual..'

You're, uh, sure that's
the way you want it?

If you need me, I'll be
in the backseat with Lisa.

Ponch, uh, the rules
are as follows.

"Mechanics will
make all repairs.

"After one lap,
drivers will stop.

"Mechanics will
replace the fan belt.

After lap two.."

- Hey, wait a minute.
- Is there a problem?

Yeah. You be
the mechanic.

I'll drive.

Uh. No way.
You crank her up.

'So would the drivers and crews'

'please take your
starting positions?'

'The cars are on
the starting grid'

'and the engines are running.'

'The flag is up
and about to drop.'

'And there they go!'

'And the 1921 Peugeot'

'being driven by Gregory Holmes'

'has taken an early lead'

'followed closely
by the Studebaker'

'being driven by Jon Baker.'

'The cars are
nearing turn two now'

'and are approaching
an amazing speed'

'of 17 miles an hour.'

'And the leaders have
finished their first lap.'

'As you know, the rules
for this event require..'

I wonder what
that's all about.

Better check it out.

I've had just about all
I'm going to take from you!

- What happened?
- They robbed the box office.

'Holy mackerel.'

Move it, you idiots!

Go around! We're being chased!

- Give him a blast!
- I am. Nothing's happening.

Stop this thing.

I know why I couldn't hit you,
but what about the horse?

Why couldn't I blind him?

Simple.

He's already blind.

You're crazy.
You know that?

You ought to have
your head examined.

Why? Because sometimes old
ways are better than new?

Because the horse
is blind, Jon.

I'm aware of that.

Sometimes, if
an animal's got confidence

in his rider, it don't
make any difference.

Great. Nowyou tell me.

Well, your secret's
out, old friend

but after today,
anybody who says

you're not a hundred percent

has got me to fight.

That item you
lost the other day

I get the impression
that you found it.

You mean it shows?

How about you?

You get that
fan belt changed?

Oh, wait a minute.

You mean thisbelt?