Lady Luck Cagney and Lacey

She's new in town. An artist, yeah?

-Yeah.

-She's coming home to a run-down tenement - in Tribeca, naturally.

-Why "naturally"?

-Not a tenement. A loft.

-A loft.

I said "naturally" because Tribeca's the location for the strangler case.

-Oh, yeah. Right, right. OK, go on.

-Thank you.

Anyway, he forces his way inside and tries to strangle her.

But doesn't. She's too tough.

-Why don't YOU tell the story?

-No.

SOMEBODY please tell the story.

She fights him off. She throws turpentine in his face.

The old turp routine!

It isn't funny, Coleman.

-We've got a witness.

-Jennifer fought the guy off.

-"Jennifer"?! What about Bon-Bon?

-I gotta go.

-What about the paperwork?

-I'll do it tomorrow.

Hey, what's with the toolbox?

He's installing a lock in Jennifer's loft. Our Victor?

-What do you think? The third guy?

-The fat one, three days' growth?

-Yeah. Maybe his statement will fly.

-If we can keep him out of the bars.

-Can you kinda step on it?

-What's wrong?

-I've got ballet tickets.

Well, I'm going as quick as I can.

Why don't we do lights and sirens?

-You're not serious?

-Well, then, cut off a couple of cabs.

-You're the world's slowest driver.

-We'll get there.

-It's 4.30.

-I've got to put this thing together by 7 o'clock.

-YOUR face? Five minutes, you're gorgeous.

-Please!

Uh-oh.

So much for Swan Lake.

-Do you know what set her off?

-When I walked in, there she was.

-Has she got personal problems?

-No, nothing.

-Financial difficulties?

-You're kidding. She's Vice-President.

-How old is she? Is she married?

-42. Her husband's a stockbroker. Handsome, nice.

-Arthur. They seem happy.

-Kids?

-Two.

-Why would a woman who has everything want to jump off a building?

-Please, back away.

-Give us some room.

Do you wanna take a shot at it? I'll call Emergency Service.

-No lights, no sirens.

-Uh-huh.

(Mary Beth!)

Mary...

Mary?

Mary Cole, I'm Mary Lacey.

I'm a police detective.

Could I sit here?

I always hated that - two Marys.

When I was in fifth grade,

my teacher used to call Mary Calzone "Mary One". Guess who was "Mary Two"?

Anyway, so, um...I'm a cop now.

There's not a lot of us called Mary in the Police Department, I'll tell you that.

Do you ever get that problem? You know, if you're lost in the sauce?

Back and forth. Back and forth.

So I say, "Can I sit down?"

And...I looked down 20 storeys, Harv.

Me and my mouth, the only thing between her and the street.

So I told her about Mary One and...

Mary Beth, what happened?

What happened? I don't know.

One minute she's standing there and the next minute I put out my hand and she grabs on.

And then...we're in the room.

And...she's crying. I'm telling her everything's gonna be OK, and it's better already.

Oh, I tell you, Harv.

I looked out the window. We were so high, Harv. I don't wanna talk about it.

Oh?

The sink needs a new washer.

That's all you've got to say?

Christine called. She told me everything!

Very funny(!)

She sent over champagne. It's in the fridge. You are terrific.

-You are fantastic, and what you did was great.

-Isn't she sweet?

Let's drink some champagne.

-Who are you calling?

-The hospital.

-Oh, you're a social worker now?

-Honey...

-What you did was wonderful, but you're not on city time any more.

-We're going out to dinner.

-Have you never heard that Chinese proverb?

If you save somebody's life, you're responsible for them for ever.

-You're not Chinese. We're going to Luigi's.

-Pizza?! I said fancy!

We'll get anchovies.

Sorry I'm late. The champagne was perfect.

-What does the daily activity report hold for us?

-Not much.

-How many drunks did they round up last night?

-Nothing.

-Let me see.

Let me see it.

"Escapee from Bellvue. Female Caucasian, aged 42, committed for attempted suicide. Mary Cole."

Sorry.

Mary Beth, maybe the woman has problems nobody can solve.

Who tries to commit suicide when they've just had their hair done?

-Rich people. We're due in court.

-We'll make it.

-Only if

-I

-drive.

-I think we should follow up on her.

-There's no crime involved. Leave her alone.

Human robot cops. Case closed.

-What do you want?

-I wanna know what's wrong with her.

-After court.

-Eighteen minutes.

-I bet you 2 they continue it again.

-You're on.

-Thank you.

-I hate it when you're right.

-Why didn't you turn up Eighth?

-It's a nice day. Let's take a drive.

-Where?

-Well, if we happen to be near Mary Cole's apartment...

-Which you happened to memorise.

-I have a very good memory.

Could you at least drive faster?

-I am sorry, but I am unable to help. The lady of the house left before I came to work here.

-Left, Miss?

Yes. She and her husband are... How do you say? ..Separated.

-Where did she go?

-I do not know. Monsieur Cole doesn't confide in me.

-May we see him?

-He is out. Leave a card.

Mrs Cole - she calls, or something? She must see the kids.

-She doesn't speak with the children.

-Mail? Where do you send her mail?

It is not memorised, Madame.

-Try and be helpful.

-S'il vous plait, Mademoiselle.

-Ah, vous parlez Francais?

-Un petit peu.

Bon. J'ai a recu une lettre.

-(Big shot.)

-C'est pour Madame.

-Merci mille fois.

-No, it can't be.

What's a company vice-president doing in a dump like this?

This is a very confusing woman.

Mrs Cole?

Mary? It's Mary Lacey.

Christine.

Look here.

-She must have a habit.

-Blackmail?

-Dope makes sense. The husband threw her out.

-So who trashed the place?

-Say she's selling. All the profits go up her nose, her supplier gets mad.

-So she hides out from that?

But if it's blackmail, she could be hiding to protect the children.

-What can a blackmailer have on her?

-She's an accountant. Embezzlement?

-Not bad.

-I liked it.

-You're making me dizzy.

Why complicate things? A woman moves from a mansion to a rat-hole, which gets ransacked. Who had the address?

-Nobody at her work knew.

-Her husband. Possible domestic violence. Talk to him.

Yes, sir.

-It's all set up. They're bringing them into the line-up room.

-I'm ready.

-Sure?

-This is big-time for a girl from Charlottesville, Virginia.

-Let's get it over with, then.

-I'll be all right. Honest.

Hormones. Looks like love to me.

With Isbecki, bet on hormones.

She's an addict, all right.

My wife is a compulsive gambler. We owe the bank 40,000.

She's in debt to bookies and loan sharks for God knows how much.

The last time I heard, it was 47,000.

I wish I knew how to handle it.

I've been to gambling therapy groups,

but Mary wouldn't go.

She'd never admit she had a problem,

not even when the bank threatened to foreclose on our house.

I took away her credit cards. I transferred assets into my name.

I tried...everything.

I'm sorry, sir. You said that you asked your wife to leave.

It was more that I wouldn't take her back unless she agreed to therapy.

Her only chance of getting better was to admit she had a problem.

For that to happen, she would probably have to hit bottom.

I thought - hoped -

that kicking her out would scare her into quitting.

She stole the kids' college fund,

and blew it at the crap table.

The last few months, we haven't even talked.

Loan sharking is the world's second oldest profession.

-You need money? They loan money.

-For a price.

-Only 6%...per day.

Borrow a grand, in eight days you owe a grand and a half.

-So you borrow money to pay interest on the money.

-How do they get out?

Fear. A strong motivator.

loan sharks are backed by a group of investors that are not exactly known for their patience and forbearance.

If you're late, they make you a friendly visit once - tops, twice.

After that, they show you the bottom of the East River, permanently.

-Can you give us a list of sharks?

-I can give you a list of 350 known sharks and 500 part-timers.

I'd like to narrow it to the kind that handle 47,000 in action.

They put those off on someone bigger, who puts those off on somebody else.

-Please, Al, we need some expertise here.

-Expertise? Excuse me.

The Ma and Pa grocery store could be a loan shark. The dry-cleaners on the corner, a loan shark.

You might as well pick the telephone directory.

Any page.

-Thanks for the advice, Martinez.

-Advice? I'll give you advice.

Mary Cole has been warned.

Find her - fast.

If you don't, she won't be worth finding.

-You gotta use some imagination here.

-You mean about the play-money?

It's not play-money. It's all you got. You lose it, you're broke.

Doesn't matter whether it's dollars or matchsticks, it's what you got.

When it's gone, that's it. You got 20 grand.

How much are you gonna bet?

Ten dollars.

Big spender(!)

-Harv?

-Hmm?

-When you go to the track, how much are you willing to lose before you...?

-I thought I was supposed to be helping here.

-Yeah, but...

-No buts.

-Do I ever write a cheque for cash? Is there ever a problem about paying the rent?

-Don't get defensive, Harv.

You were going to set me up alongside your junkie gambler. There's a difference.

I'm interested in the difference. What is the big attraction? Hit me.

-You're messing with the economy of the United States.

-I hate your conspiracy theories.

Do you think there would be a school system in New York if it weren't for the lottery?

Millions of dollars change hands and then get laundered so they never get taxed.

Who are you kidding here?

-Want one?

-No. I wanna understand Mary Cole.

-And find out how much I gamble.

-You are not under investigation.

I was only asking, you know, so that I could get some insight.

You're bust!

How's this for insight? Anybody who is into the goons for 40-50 grand, that person is history.

History.

INAUDIBLE

I called the phone company. They'll get back to us in ten minutes.

-I couldn't stay in that room. Do you believe those guys? And they say women gossip!

-Yeah.

What about the new hot couple?

Jennifer and Isbecki. Improvement on Bon-Bon. Who would go out with a woman named Bon-Bon?

-Coleman made a book. I bet on two months.

-It's none of our business.

Mary Beth, don't do that to me! You love gossip. You go to your beauty parlour, and what do you read?

-Movie magazines.

-The Penal Code.

-The Penal Code?

-Some of us have to study for the sergeant's exam.

All right. You go to the store and stand in an incredibly long line. What do you do?

I stand there.

I balance my chequebook. I talk to people.

You're just not admitting to it. There is not one person who doesn't read trashy newspapers in a store.

-I don't.

-Johnny Carson's divorce?

-That cute young doctor that Mary Tyler Moore married?

-Uh?

-Liz Taylor?

-She broke up with that guy. Did you see how skinny she got?

-We've got work, Christine.

I liked Liz better as a brunette.

PHONE RINGS

-Hiya, Cookie.

-Officer Christine!

-Detective Christine.

-Congratulations. Forgive me if I did not send flowers.

My first vice bust. Cookie the Bookie, meet Detective Lacey.

-How do you do?

-The pleasure's mine.

-Why don't you answer the phone?

Wrong number.

-We heard you moved to Las Vegas.

-The climate was not convivial to my constitution.

-Seen Mary Cole?

-Who?

-Mary Cole. Your name was in her apartment.

Better there than on a bathroom wall!

-Her apartment was ransacked.

-Please, I am not the ransacking type.

You booked her bets. She has debts of 50,000.

Do I look like the 50-grand type?

-Who IS the 50-grand type?

-Seeing as how I would not like to be deprived of my life,

I plead ignorance to such matters.

Detective Lacey, 14th Squad. What may I do for you?

-Such rude people. They hung up on me.

-You're under arrest, Cookie.

Far what infraction am I being served this injustice, por favore?

Why don't we start with bookmaking? All these names and figures.

-Your Christmas shopping list(?)

-Charitable donations.

-What charity is this? "The Bears, plus 8."

Why is your partner persecuting me?

She never learned how to ask nice.

Please, Mr Cookie, help us find Mary Cole.

Come here.

There's a dive on 5th Street near Avenue Eight where they let you play on the cuff.

Thank you.

-PHONE RINGS

-It's for you.

Hello? Ma! It's my mother!

-Give her my love.

-Hello, yeah.

-5th Street Social And Athletic Club.

-Cookie says it's a dive, small-time.

-They still let her play.

-Would they trash her apartment?

-No, that was the loan shark.

-Who?

Nobody knows. Martinez in Public Morals says it could be anybody.

-You find Mary Cole. Then what?

-We save her life.

-You offer 24-hour protection?

Sir, if we put her under protective custody, she can name names.

Maybe we can make some arrests here.

-Maybe we find out who the people at the top are.

-I see. I think you are dreaming.

-Please, are you saying we have to give up?

-No.

Little fish would be nice, rough guys would be VERY nice, Mr Big would make my day.

But I will settle for Mary Cole safe and sound,

which is why I waste my valuable time begging for money for you two, and signing forms in quadruplicate.

-100, courtesy NYPD. Go have a good time.

-Thank you, sir.

-We couldn't get in the door with 100.

-You said it was small-time.

All right. 200, OK?

-Don't spend it all in one place.

-No, sir.

Lacey, you watch. Cagney, you play.

Cagney, it wouldn't hurt if you won.

-Can I keep a percentage, a little off the top?

-Get outta here!

Thank you.

< Here we go. Place your bets.

One hundred.

I always bet my husband's birthday first, for luck.

Oh, whaddya know?

And now 22.

That's our anniversary.

Can I bet more than one number?

-Mary been in today?

-< Mary who?

-Mary Cole.

Don't know her. You want a hit?

Hot date with Jennifer tonight? You two are a real item.

-Come on, man, leave me alone.

-Where are you taking her?

-Around.

Around(!) Rangers game? Probably.

There's this new place in Little Italy. Romantic, candlelight...

Isbecki's idea of fine dining is all you can eat, 4.95.

-Will you guys knock it off, huh?

-What have we here? An art show?

"Kinetic sculpture. The application of paper clips in conceptual art."

-A breakthrough in post-modernist expression.

-Yeah, like you.

Touchy, touchy.

Twenty-one.

Oh, no kidding?!

I win again, huh?

This must be my lucky night. Boy, I wish Mary was here.

That wheel is hot.

Excuse me.

You wanna buy me a drink, Doris?

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

-What'll it be, ladies?

-Two Scotches.

-Tom Collins, please.

-She's buying.

-Listen, give me another fifty bucks, OK?

-Oh, sure.

-Thank you.

-What did you get on your friend?

-Nothing. Gamblers are not the friendliest people.

-How about you?

-I got a loan shark who works a place. Get this - a dry-cleaning store.

-You are amazing. We'll hit him in the morning.

-First thing.

You're the only one who's winning.

-Try number 11. That's Michael's birthday. I won 36 on that one.

-I'm playing blackjack.

-21, huh?

I keep getting 22.

-If she doesn't show in a half-hour we'll call it a night.

-OK.

Chris, can you explain to me about the zero and the double zero?

SCREAMING

Stop it! Stop it!

Thank you.

We'll need her statement, and yours.

Later.

Better if we get it now.

Can't you see she's real upset?

All right. We'll be at the precinct.

Thanks.

Hey, don't worry. I'll get you through this as quick as possible.

Hey...

Hey, come on. It's all over.

He's not gonna bother you any more.

Don't!

I just wanted to hold you.

I'm sorry.

I just don't want to be touched right now.

-Are you Simmons?

-Yes. What can I do for you, ladies?

-Detectives Cagney and Lacey, 14th Squad.

-Oh, well, nice to meet you.

-At Simmons there's always a discount for New York's finest.

-Oh, yeah?

-Do you give discounts to customers from the 5th Street Social And Athletic Club?

-Never heard of it.

I can get this spot out for you.

Cut it out. You're a loan shark.

You have a client called Mary Cole who's into you for about 50,000.

All we want to know is where we can find her.

I really wish I could help you.

Firstly, I'm not a loan shark. Secondly, I've never heard of this woman.

Thirdly, if I had 50,000, would I be sweating my life away in a dump like this?

-We're not stupid.

-If she was into you for 5,000, maybe you'd sell it to someone.

-You girls have been watching too many cops and robber movies.

-Don't get flip, mister.

-Look around here. I'm a dry-cleaner!

-Mr Simmons, my partner is getting impatient. I'll lay it on the line.

-Someone sent goons after Mary Cole. We wanna know who.

-In the first place, I am NOT a loan shark.

In the second place, I don't know anything about your friend.

I don't know any goons. I'm a dry-cleaner.

Well, I hope that you know somebody who knows somebody who knows these goons, because we're coming back.

If anything happens to Mary Cole, you'll be opening a branch on Rikers Island.

-He's a shark?

-I got his name at the blackjack table.

-How did you do?

-We covered our expenses.

-Covered your expenses?

You're in profit! Way to go, Cagney!

-Well, actually...

-You should have seen her, sir. Nothing but 21s.

It was...nothing, Lieutenant.

Nothing? You saved the taxpayer 200.

-Thank you, Lieutenant.

-This shark, we can pull him in, lean on him.

-Excuse me, Lieutenant. We've got a Jane Doe behind a building on Chambers Street.

-Description?

The body's not in perfect condition.

It may not be her.

-Do you want it?

-We'll take it, sir.

-Do you know who you're looking for?

-Yes, we can make a visual ID.

-The body was found in this garbage dumpster.

-How bad is it?

-Nothing you wanna look at before breakfast.

I gotta say, this one's not too bad.

Really, it's not too bad, as long as you know what you're looking for.

Thank you.

Well?

Her name is Mary Cole.

C-O-L-E.

You OK?

Yeah.

Hey, come on, Victor. It's not the end of the world.

She just...

Excuse me.

What's wrong with Isbecki? Someone steal his Barry Manilow records?

Did I say something wrong? Jennifer went back to Virginia.

I don't even know what I said to her on that ledge.

But when she came in the room, I thought she wanted to be alive.

-She didn't kill herself. She was murdered.

-If you save somebody's life, you're responsible for them.

Nobody forced her to gamble. Nobody forced her to live in a rat-hole and borrow money from loan sharks.

-There's not a damn thing you could have done about it.

-I should have gone to see her in the hospital.

-I could have followed up faster on something. I don't know what I said to her.

-I remember what you said.

You told her she was human, and I'm saying that to you.

And you told her to think about her husband and kids.

Yeah, right.

I wanna do something, Christine.

-I wanna go to her funeral.

-I don't do funerals.

-You don't have to go.

Fine. Thank you.

-Hey, Chris, give me the keys.

-What for?

-I'm driving.

-Mary Beth, is your head together here?

-Just get in the car.

Get out of the way! Get out of my way! Move!

-Hey, what are you doing?

-She's dead, bozo.

-I don't know the lady.

-I got nothing to with her.

-Yeah?

-No.

-I have never seen my partner this upset. It's murder now - a capital offence.

-And somebody's gonna pay.

-I didn't do anything!

-Tell us who did.

-How should I know? I'm not a shark.

-Shut your mouth! I don't care!

-I don't care!

-You'll put me out of business.

-You already are, courtesy of the NYPD.

-I don't know anything.

-Huh?

-It's all done with contacts.

-I don't know anybody big.

-Give us a contact.

-I can't. You saw what happened to Mary.

-You knew her!

-Get my lawyer!

-No need. We'll just spread the word that he named names.

-Yeah.

-Yeah, but I...

You know what they're gonna do to me!

-We protect witnesses.

-He doesn't want to be a witness.

-Too bad.

I, uh...

The only name I know is the name I deal with. That's all.

Fine. We'll take it, one name at a time.

Go ahead.

Yeah, go ahead.

30-45 minutes, tops. I'm sorry. We got tied up on a case here.

OK, what, 53rd and Lex? Yeah, all right, I'll see you then. Bye.

-We can finish that in the morning.

-You go ahead. I'm almost finished.

-Are you sure?

-Uh-huh.

We're gonna find him, Mary Beth.

-We give Martinez the name and they start putting some heat on people.

-Yeah.

Well, I'll see you in the morning.

Goodnight, Chris.

Goodnight, Victor.

What's on your mind, Victor?

-I just wanted to tell you I heard you got a lead on the Mary Cole homicide. Nice going.

-Thank you.

Is there something on your mind?

Nah.

I heard about your friend. I'm sorry.

-How did you hear about it?

-It's a small precinct.

Yeah.

She'll come back for the trial.

Who knows? Maybe...

Yeah.

I never met anybody like her before.

She was delicate,

like a...

Just delicate.

Well, I guess it was too much for her.

I tried to tell her there were good things in the city, too.

I tried to protect her.

I even installed a dead-bolt lock on her door.

I never even touched her, Lacey.

I think you're wrong.

Subtitles by John Macdonald, BBC 1994