Old Debts Cagney and Lacey

What do you think?

-Pretty sharp.

-State of the art. And it's on sale, too.

-You don't have any place for lawn furniture.

-I got a patio.

-It's a fire escape, Victor.

-I entertain there all the time.

-Course.

-I want all detectives in my office right away. >

Mm. Figures. Five minutes to quitting time.

This patio furniture's only on sale till six today.

Life goes on with or without patio furniture.

Somebody close the door.

I just got off the phone with the deputy commissioner's office.

Keith Edsin. He's being paroled into the 14th.

We're protecting him until he's relocated out of state.

Starting tomorrow, you're on 12-hour shifts.

Tomorrow, sir?

He's being released early. The press and public don't know.

Cagney, Lacey, you got the first shift.

Monty and Kazak, you're next, and so on. Here's the roster.

-Any questions?

-Yes.

Keith Edsin murdered a police officer - in cold blood!

-Why are they letting him out?

-His parole board recommended it.

That's a joke. Man does 8½ years for murder!

Paroling Edsin makes us all targets out there.

There's not a cop who's thrilled about this. We pulled the detail, and I want him to live through it.

Any more questions?

Corwen Arms Hotel, Broadway and 72nd, suite 906.

All right, chuck out. Night duties coming in.

That's just great! You blow away a cop and you get eight years!

-We gotta baby-sit with him.

-It's a job.

-And it stinks.

-I signed the petition protesting his parole.

-We've had worse.

-It's only 12 hours.

-In a hotel room. With a cop killer!

-Then we come home like every other day.

-I don't like it either. We'll survive.

-Lacey.

-Yeah?

Calls from De Vega in vice and Harvey in Queens. He wants you to pick up a dozen eggs and a six pack.

And, Cagney, you got a call from your father. He has reservations at La Principessa on 49th street.

-Principessa. That's a little pricey for Charlie.

-It says Charlie Cagney. Dinner at eight. Don't be late.

Maybe he had a good day at the track.

So how was dinner with your dad?

-He didn't show.

-Why not?

-It was Dory.

-McKenna?

-A practical joke. It's hard to explain.

-Ah-ha.

-Mary Beth, do not "ah-ha" me.

-Ah-ha.

He made up a story to get me there and then during dessert he leaves. He pencilled me in for one hour.

-Can you believe that?

-Yes, I can.

-I don't understand him.

-Ah-ha.

He'd said we shouldn't see each other because it was complicated, then he invites me out,

and apologises for what happened weeks ago, then takes off!

-Ah-ha.

-In the interim there'd been no phone calls, no explanations... There are NO parking spaces!

-Well, Christine, I already told you my opinion.

-Many times.

There's a space right up there.

-It's a hydrant. We'll get a ticket.

-I don't care.

-Neither does he.

-CAR SCREECHES

Hey, buddy.

You wanna move it?

Or you wanna ticket?

CAR SCREECHES

-I'm glad to see you. You're 20 minutes late.

-Sorry to keep you waiting.

-We parked in Brooklyn.

-Where's Edsin?

-He felt drudgy, so he's taking a shower.

-Oh.

-Any other doors?

-Just one in the bedroom.

-Dumbwaiter?

-It's locked off.

-Have fun. He's a piece of work.

-We didn't expect the Prince Of Wales!

-Then you won't be disappointed.

Where are you guys going?

I'm Detective Lacey, this is Detective Cagney. We're your bodyguards for the next 12 hours.

-This is a joke, right?

-No.

-We're on our way out. Our job is just to GET you here.

-No, no, no.

-I'm not agreeing to this. Women cops?

-Sign this and he's all yours.

I don't believe this. You might as well put a bullet through me.

Have fun, ladies.

Bye.

Mr Edsin, we'd like to get things clear. We didn't volunteer for this.

And for the next 12 hours, you stay away from the windows, the doors, and the telephone.

You behave yourself. Understand?

I'm not in prison any more.

-I don't have to take orders from anybody.

-Stay out of my face...

-Especially a couple of broads.

He's a pretty brave guy. Wasn't it your understanding, Detective Lacey, that this man is a target

for every cop in New York City?

It doesn't seem to worry him.

Mmm.

What we got this shade here for? Let's get some light in the room.

-Keep that shade down.

-Is he worried somebody's there?

-Maybe he's shy.

-You know what I'm worried about.

-What was I talking about before...?

-Is it clear what's expected?

-Right.

Mr Edsin, is it clear what's expected?

WEATHER REPORT ON TV

So...

What are you reading?

A book.

Uh.

Wanna read me the good parts?

Edsin, you touch me...

..you're going to hold the record for New York's shortest parole.

Harv, did the orthodontist tell YOU that he doesn't have to wear his retainer every day or did Harv Jr?

Then make him wear them.

Yeah.

Yeah, me, too.

Kiss the boys for me.

Yeah.

So you got a couple of boys?

-What does your husband do? Is he a cop, too?

-I'm not gonna discuss my family with you.

Sure. What do I care?

-Blondie, why don't you put some coffee on?

-We're not stewardesses.

-PHONE RINGS

-Don't touch it.

Yeah.

What is this? This is a sad commentary on your social life.

Creep.

He say dirty things? What'd he say?

-PHONE RINGS

-Yeah.

Keep it up, I'll have the line traced and you'll be in trouble.

-Take the phone off the hook or do you like to hear that?

-Enough.

Don't waste your energy, Mary Beth.

The phone will stay on the hook because we have to be able to hear from the precinct.

-So why don't we have some quiet time now?

-Why don't we have some quiet time now? Quiet time?

Put a cork in it, Edsin.

O-oh!

Thanks. I'll take this.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

-Oh, you want me to massage that for you?

-HEY!

-Ow!

-Give it a rest.

I mean it. I'm good at that. It's what I used to do. I'm a licensed masseur. I got 25 bucks an hour.

-Armed robbery was just a hobby, huh?

-EDSIN LAUGHS FALSELY

-PHONE RINGS

-There's mental health plans for this type of thing.

-You don't have to hyperventilate over the phone.

-Mary Beth!

-What? What's the matter?

(Cockroach.)

You are worse than my kids.

I'll get it for you.

I'll get it.

-I gotta get over this.

-Right.

-This'll do it.

-PHONE RINGS

-Don't answer the phone.

Knock it off, you pervert.

-I know if...

-Edsin!

EXPLOSION

-You OK?

-Yeah.

Oh, my Lord.

-You refused to discuss your family?

-Yes.

-Then you got the first phone call?

-Right.

-What did he say?

-He was a breather.

-What'd you say?

-I never opened the shade. I threatened to open it.

-We wanted to get some control over the guy.

-Are you saying the minute they left, you lost control?

-What did you tell him?

-I told him, um, that I'd have the line traced.

-And you didn't?

-No, sir.

I thought he was a kid.

Or...a pervert, you know. It happens all the time.

-How much time elapsed between the calls?

-Uh...

How preoccupied were you with the cockroach?

Not enough to compromise the security of the room.

Oh?

How long were you in the bathroom before you became so distressed that you had to discuss it?

Get off the cockroach.

-The cockroach didn't kill him. Lacey did not kill him. I did not kill him.

-No-one's accusing you,

-but obviously somebody was able to get to him.

-Stop! Nobody got to him.

There was an explosive charge in the phone. Did you expect me to disassemble the phone system?

If you had, we wouldn't be going through this now.

Tell me, you didn't happen to sign the petition protesting Edsin's release, did you?

Yeah, I did.

Way to go, girls. It saves us spending 12 hours with that scuzz.

Hey, come on.

For a job well done.

-SHOUTS:

-For a job well done?

Wasn't us. It came by special message.

Ah-ha!

Look. We got congratulations from half the police department.

I haven't run into a cop yet who isn't happy. Every cop on 8th Avenue was buying my dad drinks.

Daniels wants to see us.

-Figures.

-How did the investigation go?

-I've had more pleasant evenings.

-They're just doing their job.

-So were we.

-I know.

They wanna see you downtown. Deputy commissioner's office.

-I can't go dressed like this.

-Does it matter?

-Yes. You should change too.

-Do we have to dress for this?

You just gotta be there 11 o'clock.

We already told IAD every single thing that happened.

This isn't about the facts.

Well, we've received champagne from our fellow officers, Daniels in PR wants to see us,

the deputy commissioner has requested our presence downtown.

Anything else, lieutenant?

-They wanna see you in legal.

-Legal?

It's a talk. Possible wrongful death suit.

Wrongful death suit? From whom?

Edsin's family.

He had a family?

-I don't care if we're on the case or not, I wanna stay with this.

-One paper spelled our name right.

Ernie, how much longer?

-20 minutes.

-That's what you said 20 minutes ago.

This paper's only got one column on it.

-It says it was a pipe bomb.

-Which we know it wasn't. Speculating.

This one says it was explosives, probably plastic.

Mm. Which could be nicely moulded into a telephone receiver.

Maybe this paper's got a direct line to the DA's office.

We work next to the DA guys and we get our information from a paper!

Maybe we should call them.

The DA's office isn't going to give us anything. We're still suspects.

When they clear us, which they will, Edsin died on our shift and it'll be in our files forever.

-You're worried that it looks bad in your file?

-Yes!

Edsin's dead. Don't know if I'd bring him back if I could. Sorry, Mary Beth.

You can worry about police vigilantism, but I want to get the guy who made us look like idiots.

-What do we have?

-Look at this here.

-4.36 - what are you doing? Rebuilding the motor?

-Hey!

-I'm working as fast as I can.

-I should have done it.

-20 minutes.

We have two days before we're back on a full caseload. Come on!

-Plastique. It's used in the military and for construction.

-Yes.

That guy has to have some inside information. He knew about the early release date, the hotel room,

-he got by everybody completely unnoticed.

-Has to be a cop.

Which means everybody'll be treading lightly.

-The cop - what's his name? Holgate.

-What do we have on him?

He has an alibi. He was on duty at the time - signed in, signed out.

Could be another cop.

It'd have to be someone with enough connections to get the information. Could be anybody, couldn't it?

Cagney, Lacey.

-Are you finished?

-30 minutes.

What do you expect? It's the police department.

-Hi.

-Hi.

-Got any messages?

-Yeah.

C-L-O... A couple for Lacey.

Nothing for you.

Something on your mind, Christine?

God, he is selfish!

-Who?

-I'm involved in something that could ruin my entire career and do you think he phones me?

-Oh.

-What else is new?

-You're right.

-What?

-YOU ARE right.

He wasn't always like this, Mary Beth. He's scared. Well, so AM I!

I decided it was OK, all the...

because he's so funny.

He makes me laugh. Honest, he does and he's...

Well, forgive me, but, uh, he's just wonderful to me in bed.

Sounds OK to me.

And I thought, uh...

well, it would be OK just to not want any more, because if I wanted any more, I would get hurt.

Damn it, I'm...

I am hurt, so...

Come on. What do you say we, uh, we go out and get a little dinner? Get a little silly? Huh?

I'm tired.

You sure?

I'm going to take a bubble bath and read a dirty book.

-Wanna kick your locker some more?

-Yes, I think I will.

-Go ahead.

-No, that's fine.

PHONE RINGS

Hello. Dory.

No, I would not be interested in buying life insurance.

Thank you.

-How you doing?

-Fine.

-Is that the Duffy file?

-Yeah.

35 years old when Edsin killed him.

You should see the collars he'd made. The most interesting thing - look here. Look who trained him.

Paul, come on.

-Look, we need help here.

-As far as I'm concerned, the case is closed.

Closed? Wait a second!

The man who murdered a kid you trained gets blown up and that means to you the case is closed?

-What do you wanna know?

-OK.

You knew Duffy pretty well. Who would want to avenge his death?

-How many cops are on the force?

-Hit the mark a little closer? Family?

The funeral was the last time I saw the family.

His wife was so distraught she couldn't accept the flag.

-The kid had to take it.

-Are they still in the city?

I heard the wife died two or three years later. And the son - how does a kid handle a situation like that?

Trouble in school. Floating from here and there.

I think he's still in New York.

What about his partner, Holgate? From Duffy's record it looked like they were quite a team.

They had their futures in front of them. Holgate was older. He was gonna go for sergeant's exam.

-Why didn't he?

-He broke. Something inside him snapped that night and he was never the same.

One day he's a terrific cop, the next day, he's a station attendant.

A station attendant?

That's like a janitor.

Only you get to keep the uniform.

One cop was shot that night... Two cops died.

Thank you.

-Think it's a wild-goose chase?

-His office is in the basement. That's where Mike Petrovich's is.

-Who's Mike Petrovich?

-The station attendant at the 14th. You know him. Tanks up the cars.

-Oh, yeah.

Oh, so this is where all the old war horses go.

-Mary Beth, I do not want to see this in my future.

-It's not so bad.

If you can't hack it any more, it's a place to go every day.

Better than the phone company'll do for you.

Excuse me. Officer Holgate?

Yeah. What can I do for you?

-Detective Cagney and Detective Lacey.

-From the DA's office again?

No. We're from the 14th squad. We were on duty when Edsin was killed.

I heard that was not a pretty sight.

No, sir.

Looks like I've become the prime suspect.

-You WERE Duffy's partner.

-Yeah, that's right. I'll tell you what I told the DA's office.

I was angry about Edsin's release, so I wrote a few letters.

I tried to talk to the commissioner. They still let him out.

Eight-and-a-half years for killing?

It's a sham.

-Did you wanna see Edsin dead?

-Do you like each other? Do you work well together?

-Yeah.

Well, Timmy and I, we were the best.

We were good friends.

The night that he died, we stopped off at the liquor store.

Timmy was trying to quit smoking, but he folded.

We walked in there together.

The guy was kidding me. I was trying to make him feel as bad as I could.

Anyway...I heard a voice behind us.

We turned around. There was this guy with a 45. He's pointed right at Timmy's head.

He took Timmy's gun, then he took mine.

I'm never going to forget the look on Edsin's face.

He raised my gun up there to Timmy's head. And BANG...!

..he pulled the trigger.

He enjoyed it.

What would you do...

if somebody did that to her?

Officer Holgate, I'm sorry. I have to ask you this.

Did you kill Keith Edsin?

No.

-Where were you when he was murdered?

-I was right here on duty.

You can check the blotter.

It was a day like any other day. I...

took the subway to work, did eight hours and then took the subway home.

I didn't cry when I heard, you know.

Any law against me having a grudge against the murderer of my father?

Looks like business is good.

A lot of this is junk.

I gotta save everything for the spare parts, but I get by.

-I got a contract with a cab company.

-Oh, yeah?

-Potholes are tough on radios.

-Yeah. Ours is on the fritz all the time. Where were you that morning?

I went upstate. I went camping. OK?

-Alone?

-Like I told the detectives yesterday, alone.

-Not much of an alibi.

-When I left I didn't think I needed one.

You in the habit of closing up your business and taking off camping?

Look, I knew Edsin was out and I didn't want to be in the same city with him.

Yeah. How did you know that?

Why's that important?

Because the release date was unannounced.

You wanna go downtown and answer that?

Look...

My father's old partner stays in touch.

I saw him that morning.

We talked.

I didn't kill him.

I'd like to help you ladies out, but if the DA found out I'd talked to you, I could be in big trouble.

-We didn't have anything to do with it.

-Doesn't matter. I'm not allowed to talk to anybody NOT on the case.

Sorry.

Come on, Chris. We're wasting our time here.

You must know a lot about people, and bombs.

-Christine.

-Gimme a break, will you?

I read about the plastique in the newspapers.

He must have used a very small blasting cap.

It's no bigger than a matchstick. It was very popular in Vietnam.

You discover that from the debris?

You think you're the only ones that do detective work?

The whole thing has been deductive logic.

I probably shouldn't tell you this, but...

-I figured out how that bomb that got Edsin was detonated.

-Really?

Yeah.

Let me guess. Radio control device just like on model airplanes.

Whoa! More like a garage door opener.

-And you figured it out?

-Course, that led to the BIG thing.

-Isn't this terrific?

-Mm-hm.

It told us that whoever set it off had to be within a one-block radius.

-I don't believe it.

-What do you mean?

That IS what you were angling for, isn't it?

Thank you.

What have we got we can use?

We got three hotel employees who swear they saw nobody but uniforms in the room. I'd say we got a cop.

-Yeah. Holgate.

-Or someone who's posing as a cop.

-HORNS BEEP AND CAR SCREECHES

-Might be Duffy's kid?

-I don't know.

I don't believe this!

-The police shield is on the window. They can't read!

-I am not going to Brudinski and having this voided.

-He likes you.

-I stood him up. I'd rather pay the two bucks.

-50 bucks.

I should apologise.

KNOCK ON THE DOOR

Hi.

My group meeting was a couple of blocks away. I thought I'd stop by.

-You alone?

-Harry's in the bathroom.

-SHE LAUGHS

-I'm alone. Come in.

-Can I get you anything?

-Sorry I didn't call.

It's OK. Coffee?

I meant about Edsin. It must be rough.

We're handling it.

Chris, I think...

You still make that fancy Colombian coffee?

Yeah.

I wasn't sure I was going to see you again.

Yeah?

Dory, why do we keep doing this to each other?

I'm doing it because...

..I don't know why I'm doing it. OK.

I told you the other night that we could take it slow.

-I said...

-Christine.

I'm, uh...

I don't know.

I'm different.

Terrific.

So am I.

When I was using, I was high on coke...

I was speeded up all the time and I was excited, exciting...

and on top of things.

It used to be great between us,

and I keep...keep thinking... What if it's not the same?

-This is crazy.

-I know.

-Cocaine does not make sex better, it makes it worse.

I'm not talking about better or worse, just different.

I always felt that without that between us, I mean, without the sex...

-..I wouldn't know how to keep you around.

-Damn it.

I loved you making love to me...

But more than the sex, what I loved is what we had afterwards.

I loved the tenderness, and afterwards is when the barriers were broken down,

and afterwards is when we really touched each other.

-It's...

-I can't help it. I don't know any other way to get there.

Would you hold me?

Please hold me.

PHONE RINGS

'Please leave a message and I'll get back to you.

'Hey, Cagney, do everybody a big favour. Forget about Edsin. Best police work you ever did.'

-Who is it? WHO IS IT?

-DIALLING TONE

We bought you lunch. Isbecki's idea.

-Yeah. I'm paying.

-I can tell.

Is this because of Edsin?

No. It's because...we realise what you've been going through and we haven't been the most supportive.

What he's trying to say is Edsin wasn't your fault. It could have happened to anybody.

Thank you for lunch.

Like I said, it was my idea.

You want a vanilla shake, a chocolate...? Vanilla.

-This was sweet of you, but not necessary...

-Christine, they wanted to help out. Let's be gracious.

-Still have that line to the DA's office? We need something.

-Like?

-The personnel files on Holgate.

Bingo. What do you say?

-HORN BEEPS

-Hey, watch it here.

No go.

Well, it doesn't make sense.

Those calls came for over an hour. How is it nobody saw anyone in the only phone booth in this block?

-Let's say it was Holgate.

-OK.

-He took the subway that day.

-Yeah.

-He'd have gotten out that entrance, crossed, and used that phone.

Wait a second.

Duffy said that Holgate came to see him that morning. Think about it.

-Holgate starts in the Bronx, then goes to Brooklyn to see Duffy, then comes to work in Manhattan.

-So?

So, in order to do that you have to get on an IMD, then transfer to an IRT, then switch to a local BMT

-to make it to the 22nd precinct.

-What a start.

-Unless he drove.

And if he drove, all he had to do is go down the East River Drive, over the Brooklyn Bridge.

If he drove, he lied to us.

-You got a dime?

-My pleasure.

OK, thank you, Tim. We appreciate your help.

-Duffy's kid said Holgate had his car.

-He could have gone into 22nd Precinct a couple of times,

-made those phone calls quick, nobody would have missed him.

-Prove it.

-We're gonna put this together.

Oh, no!

-No!

-It's another one for Brudinski.

-I don't want to see him. He wants to go out with me. He flirts.

-Which you never do?

-Never.

-What do you call that thigh business?

That's called in the line of duty.

Uh-huh?

-HORN BEEPS

-You got the spot. Give it a rest!

Mary Beth. Holgate had to make it back and forth fast - what are the chances he got a parking spot?

Brudinski?

Brudinski.

Put yourself in my place.

I mean, it's not easy being single.

I'm sure...haven't you just sometimes had it right up to here?

With that one more date?

One more time you have to be affable, charming...

You have to smile.

So...

That is why I never called and cancelled our date.

I just couldn't face it that night. I couldn't even talk to you.

Am I supposed to feel better?

Yes. She's trying. You have to understand that sometimes people have their limitations

and you wouldn't hang us up cos she doesn't have manners.

All right. I'll do it. For you.

-Oh... What we need is a list of all of the ticketed vehicles on those streets on the tenth.

-Is that all?

And a cross reference to the owners.

Oh, why didn't you tell me it was something easy? I only have to run three different programmes.

-Ask him.

-I cannot.

-Ask him, Christine, and ask him nice.

Say please.

Excuse me.

I wondered if... Could you take care of these, please?

We'd really appreciate it, Stanley.

It's Doug.

Doug.

Well, thank you, Doug.

The ticket places Holgate's car within the vicinity of the hotel a half hour before Edsin was killed.

He could have had the ticket thwarted, but he paid it.

And according to his personnel file, he has military experience in demolitions.

Let me understand this. You ran a parking ticket through the DNV?

And you cut into computer time without a signed priority form?

You get hold of his personnel file? All this without clearance from me?

-We were not officially on the case...

-Forget that! I just wanna know how you managed to do it all!

-Oh, well, sir. There's a Doug Brudinski over at...

-Hold it.

Maybe it's better that I don't know.

How do we handle this, lieutenant?

I'll call his commanding officer,

and you two are going to have to go down and make the collar.

Yes, sir.

Yes, sir.

What do you think the IAD guys feel like?

-We're going to have to bring in another cop.

-Some I know look like they get a kick out of it.

I can't believe it.

He's one of us.

Maybe he'll be glad it's over.

Huh?

Maybe.

-I don't want him handcuffed in the squad room.

-No, sir. We'll walk him out the back entrance.

Officer Holgate.

GUNSHOT

Subtitles by Ailsa Macaulay BBC Broadcast 2003