A Safe Place Cagney and Lacey

MUSIC DROWNS OUT SPEECH

No, Dr Stanley, not since you called this morning.

Yes, Dr Stanley.

Mm-hmm.

We still have the number at the University and the lab.

Physics Department, right.

Right, right.

Goodbye, Dr Stanley.

Two days since his car was broken into

and he can't understand why the thief isn't public enemy number one.

I hate these pandy andy cases.

Christine, what do you think of this here?

Fixer upper in Floral Park.

Super clean, four bedrooms.

Quote, "needs a woman's loving touch to turn this house into a home,"

unquote.

-What do you think?

-"Fixer upper"?

I think that's real estate for "falling apart".

160,000?

Hey, you get what you pay for, Mary Beth.

That's what I was hoping.

PHONE RINGS

Detective Lacey, Fourteenth Squad.

Oh, hello, Mrs Jacoby. Yes, this is perfect timing.

Yeah. I was just looking through the latest listings.

Fresh Meadows?

Oh, we do know the neighbourhood, yes. Yes, I...

Ah, Victor, this is a second honeymoon.

Cagney, what do you think?

-Second honeymoon?

-Yeah.

-Paradise Island in the Bahamas is very romantic.

-Mmm.

Scuba-diving ain't bad either.

I bet you're a water sign.

Excuse me?

Your sign. Scorpio, Pisces, Cancer, right?

Victor, you sound like a throwback to those singles bars in the '70s.

I bet she's a Scorpio.

-They always get real cranky when they don't...

-I'm an Aries, OK?

Aries? You're kidding.

You know, my younger sister is an Aries and wonders

if she's a reincarnation of Anne Boleyn.

So when is your birthday, Cagney?

When's yours, Newman?

February 3rd, 1958.

-1958...?

-Aquarius. Aquarius, they are always...

Oh, you are depressing, Newman.

So, you have a birthday coming up pretty soon, huh?

Yeah, Cagney, when is your birthday?

-Exactly.

-Maybe I'll send you some flowers, Cagney.

Be still, my heart.

This won't make the front page but considering how slow the week

-has been, I guess it's better than nothing, right?

-Who's offering?

What you got, Sergeant?

A 61-head paper, courtesy of the 40th Precinct.

They're holding a suspect who was found with the goods.

What do you know? Dr Stanley got lucky.

Yeah, the suspect didn't. He's in the emergency room at Sisters of Hope.

It's a nice name for a hospital, it's kind of uplifting, you know?

Now, we give pursuit and this cowboy tries to outrun us.

Now, we're really travelling when

Mario Andretti here fails to make a corner.

He wraps himself around a telephone pole, knocks himself out.

The guy sitting next to him - a white male -

jumps out of the passenger side and takes off like a bird.

A white male who takes off

-like a bird, did you get...?

-19-20, medium build, 5ft 8",

light hair cut in a shag, real snappy dresser.

Two preppy - not my style.

"Very yuppie." The store owner told us.

-Hey, isn't everybody?

-Thank you, Officer.

Ah, Marshall G. Owens. Sorry, Sarge, your suspect is unconscious

and currently undergoing medical testing.

Now, Dr Giordano told us he'd let us know as soon as soon as he is

available for interrogation.

Well, until he lets US know, do we have an idea on the suspect's...

Jimmy Wilkins, aged 18, occupation - student.

We found a university ID card.

-Stolen goods in the car?

-Six car stereos sent to the clerk,

one small metal suitcase sent to the police lab with the DD45A

for analysis.

Well, thank you very much, Officer Owens.

We aim to please, ma'am.

Mm-hmm, thank you.

-Got something, huh?

-Yeah, where the hell do they get these rookies?

No, I'm talking about the kid running out on his friend.

When his buddy is hurt and all.

Makes you wonder why he took out of there so fast.

His buddy's probably got a yellow sheet six feet long.

Just doesn't want to get nailed again, I guess.

So, tonight Mrs Jacoby's taking us to see this four-bedroom,

two-and-a-half bath, at Fresh Meadows.

Which is really Flushing,

but she says Fresh Meadows is more desirable.

Did you ever hear that?

Uh-uh.

Oh.

Well, she says the owners are very motivated.

Can't sell the sucker, huh?

She didn't say that exactly.

They just lowered the price?

10,000, which is good for us, we figured.

You know, for such a terrific house,

how come they're having a hard time unloading it?

You got to think about that.

Mary Beth...

..think I'm getting crow's feet?

You?

Of course not.

No, I mean right here.

-Under my eye, see?

-Let me see.

Those are laugh lines.

I hate it when you're kind.

You're cheerful tonight.

I don't know why I bought this, I hate mauve.

I think you look very snazzy... except for the wrinkles.

What do you think?

Younger?

Thought you only wore those when you go to bed at night.

The more I wear them, the better my bite.

Ah, Christine, I always thought your bite was fine.

It's your bark that needs a little work.

Almost funny, Mary Beth.

Almost.

This is one of the loveliest options of the house.

The all-purpose finish basement.

Solid, linoleum floor. There's even a little guest bathroom.

Oh, look. It's a marble sink, look.

And, there is plenty of room for Harvey to build a patio

in the backyard without hurting the maple tree, so that we can

barbecue in the summer.

Like at Brian's house.

Well, not exactly like Brian's house because there's no pool.

But there is a bathtub and a shower,

and I'm not talking about a shower over the bath,

I'm talking about a separate stall shower with these tiles,

Christine, that are...

And wait till you see...

the breakfast nook.

Ha-ha.

Well, I don't know, Mary Beth.

This sounds like Fresh Meadows' answer to the Palace of Versailles.

Yeah.

So, are you and Harvey going to make an offer, or not?

We already did. Ah!

-Oh, that's great!

-Wait, they still might not accept.

I mean, they could say no, or they could make a counteroffer,

which they may do because we came in under what they were asking.

On the other hand, like Mrs Jacoby says, these owners

-are very motivated.

-Motivated, yeah.

We've got kind of an unusual situation here.

We understand that Mr Wilkins is still

in a very serious condition, Doctor.

Yes, well, more serious than we thought.

He has regained consciousness?

Briefly, but he went out again about an hour ago.

I went over the lab tests with pathology to make sure

we didn't make any mistake.

They say there's no chance of an error.

The nurse said that he has a cerebral haemorrhage.

Inoperable, yes.

That's small-time compared to this baby.

Wilkins has plutonium in his bloodstream.

Sir?

The man's radioactive.

I'd sure like to know how he got that way.

We can't talk in there, I can't disturb my colleagues.

Oh, Dr Stanley, I can understand why they'd be disturbed.

Hearing about the burglary, my partner means.

Did you find my suitcase?

Yes, we did. The thieves had broken into it and those papers -

your Bible papers that you were so concerned about it - they're gone.

But guess what the pathologist did find

when he examined that suitcase of yours in the lab?

It's contaminated with plutonium.

So is the kid who stole it.

Dr Stanley, you neglected to tell us you were transporting plutonium.

I put it in a regulation type B lead phial.

-I took every precaution.

-There are federal statutes, Doctor,

controlling the transportation of hazardous materials.

Have you any idea the kind of red tape I'd have to put up with

to get government clearance?

I am already behind schedule and I can't afford that.

I'm up for my grant renewal.

I don't care if you're up for a Nobel prize, there is

missing plutonium somewhere out there because of you.

How the hell am I supposed to know that my car is

going to get broken into?

Five minutes is all I left it.

Five minutes.

The man is a physicist, you think he would have known better.

Week is picking up.

Oh, gee, I guess it is.

-Looks like someone beat me to it, Sergeant.

-I bet they're from David.

-Oh, isn't that lovely?

-"Happy birthday, love Brian"?

-Kiss off, Newman.

-That's sweet. Who is Brian?

Some guy who likes to throw his money around to impress women.

-Who needs them?

-Come on, Cagney, what's he got that I don't?

Probably wears wing tip shoes.

Sure he's not married,

and just keeping a sweet-looking blonde on the sly?

Hey, that's no way to be talking about Christine's big brother.

Brian is your big brother?!

-Excuse me, Victor.

-Tough for single girls, huh?

-Have you tried computer dating services, Cagney?

-Out of my face, OK?

I love the heat of a woman's anger, don't you, Victor?

Chris, I didn't mean to say anything before.

That's OK.

Are you and David celebrating tonight?

-Brian is always early.

-Actually, my birthday isn't till Thursday.

Are you and David celebrating Thursday night?

No, Mary Beth, we are not.

David doesn't know it's my birthday.

And that's fine.

Oh, Christine, I know you're shy about your birthday, but I...

I'm not shy about it, I just... think it's silly to make

a big deal out of something that's really not that big a deal.

You are sounding like you're over the hill

because you're going to be 39 years old.

I am not over the hill.

On the other hand,

I am up high enough where I'm getting a pretty good view.

You're thinking very old-fashioned here, Christine, you know that?

All the magazine articles say that a woman does not

even start her prime until she's 40 years old.

And all those glamorous actresses say exactly the same thing,

and take a look at them.

Laugh lines only.

Linda Evans is 43 years old, already.

-That is four years older than you...

-All right, Mary Beth.

-..and I heard Joan Collins was 68...

-All right, Mary Beth.

Take a look at Lena Horne.

I mean, the thing I love about birthdays is that it's a

kind of a once a year time when your whole life passes before your eyes.

That's what they say about people who are drowning.

And Agent Hornby would like to assist us in every way possible.

Any plutonium theft, of course, falls under federal jurisdiction.

Normally, we work in conjunction with NEST.

NEST?

Nuclear Emergency Search Team.

Ah.

But, according to the documentation that you brought back

certifying the small amount of plutonium missing,

I think we can handle this among ourselves, don't you?

-No doubt in my mind.

-We'll do our best, sir.

Good, good.

We'd like to take advantage

of the expertise of the local police department.

No question you have information sources we don't.

Can't argue with that.

As Lieutenant Samuels knows, we like to maintain a very low profile.

I prefer to work behind-the-scenes.

-As discreetly as possible.

-We know that, Agent Hornby.

We've all worked with federal agents before.

Sir, exactly how are you going to assist us, sir?

I will observe and analyse your investigation, making pertinent

suggestions when necessary.

What you're saying is you want us to be your beard.

That's one way of looking at it, Sergeant, um...

Cagney.

Of course.

I won't forget that again.

Think we all understand each other here.

Now...

CLEARS THROAT

Presuming these thieves didn't know what they had...

Excuse me, sir, but we figure they must have.

From the papers that Dr Stanley said were in the suitcase.

Why else would Wilkins' partner take the time to grab the phial?

He was being chased by two cops.

Then you'd better find his accomplice and determine

what he intended to do with it.

Pertinent suggestions - give me a break.

Christine, he might turn out to be very helpful here.

How many cases have we had like this?

So it's missing plutonium, so what? It's the same procedures.

Can't let him intimidate you, Mary Beth.

Ah-ha.

Detective Lacey, Fourteenth.

Yes, Dr Giordano.

He's conscious but he's still in critical condition.

You're going to have to make it brief.

The plutonium made his condition a lot worse?

No, not yet anyway. It moves a lot slower than that.

But with the kind of dosage he had, the plutonium will catch up

with him, all right.

-Is it fatal?

-We're talking lung cancer - first anyway.

Maybe bone cancer, too.

First, his weight will drop, then he'll start coughing blood.

Do you have any idea how he contracted this plutonium?

-He snorted it.

-Dear Lord.

Silvery white powder, he said.

I guess he was already coked up when he tried it.

The ultimate high, huh?

His family's in here with him now.

MACHINE BEEPS

Now we know who we're looking for - one Dan Gorham.

Dropout student and aspiring plutonium dealer.

Oh, I don't know, Christine, about Gorham selling this stuff.

From what that kid said about Gorham, he would've sold anything.

They were on their way to meet friends when the car crash.

The shape Wilkins is in, I don't think he's lying.

Figure that kid.

Parents are uptown people, they care about their son,

I mean, anybody could see that.

What makes a boy with everything start breaking into cars?

-Easy money.

-Easy money? What do you mean?

The privileges he was born with... And he threw it away.

He didn't care.

I hate it when people don't care.

Dan Gorham's brother says he and you used to be roommates...

I already spoke to radiation control.

..not since last semester...

They told me that the Nuclear Regulatory Commissions...

..I see, thank you very much.

Yes, I do understand it's after hours, but if you could...

Hello?

You have anything on Gorham?

Like the parents said, they didn't know many of his friends.

Old girlfriend says he started

running around with a different crowd,

-thought maybe he was dealing dope.

-Nope, just plutonium.

-Bigger profits.

-We don't know that.

We don't know a damn thing, Mary Beth.

How am I supposed to find out how this guy can sell this stuff if

government agencies won't give me a straight answer?

What about that person from the Department of Health

who said they'd call you back?

Oh, yeah, get this - all I have to do is fill out a 49

with my superiors and then I can submit my questions in writing.

And after I do that, they'll get back to us.

I wish we were talking drugs.

Dealers, sources, at least we'd know where to start.

Well, burning the midnight oil tonight, Detectives?

Hiya, Lynn.

I see that reporters can't keep decent hours either.

Certainly not when we're trying to get a line

on how some small-time thief got himself contaminated with plutonium.

Contaminated with what?

Come on, Cagney.

I've got very reliable sources.

I understand the plutonium is still missing.

Detective Lacey,

if there's missing plutonium out there,

the people in the city need to know about it.

Lynn, you know better than to ask us

to comment on an ongoing investigation.

I'm talking about more than some poor guy like Wilkins who

happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time

and gets himself exposed to the stuff.

Do you have any idea what you've got?

Look, I'm quoting here,

"There is a shortage of plutonium available for the construction

"of nuclear warheads."

That tells me there's quite a buyer's market out there.

You got your major powers.

You've got your terrorists.

You've got your enterprising extortionists.

Maybe a crazy college kid with a genius IQ.

Think you've been watching too many James Bond movies, Sutter.

Do you know how much plutonium ends up being unaccounted for every year?

-I'm sure you're going to tell us.

-I wish I could.

I'm a hotshot reporter with a major metropolitan newspaper

and I can't get the facts. Nobody is talking.

Now, this stuff ends up somewhere.

I'd sure like to know where, wouldn't you?

Great, Sutter.

Why don't you go on and save the world and just let us do our job?

From the doctor told me about radiation,

Wilkins was lucky he didn't make it.

What are you talking about?

He died.

An hour ago.

Why the hell weren't we notified?

Well, maybe you should get permission from the

federal authorities to check it out, Sergeant.

From what I hear, there the ones running your case so far.

Agent Hornby, we did not give any information to the press.

So where did the leak come from?

You and your partner both listed plutonium contamination

on the original 61.

So, obviously the press has an informant on the NYPD payroll.

I'd like to know your source to make that assumption.

-Then where did the leak come from?

-The hospital?

The press knew about Wilkins' death before we did, for crying out loud.

I don't have time for conjecture, I'm looking for results.

You want results? Good idea.

Why don't you use some of that federal clout of yours

to get us into the Nuclear Regulatory Commission?

And I thought you had everything under control, Sergeant. I guess not.

I'll get us an appointment this afternoon.

Lieutenant, please impress upon your detectives

the requirements of the agency - no problems, no publicity.

Otherwise we'll have to re-examine our cooperation with the NYPD.

Agent Hornby,

let me impress upon you that my detectives know how to do their job.

You told him, Lieutenant.

Isn't there some place you got to go, Sergeant?

If people would just inform themselves,

they wouldn't be nearly so intimidated by nuclear technology.

That's exactly what we're trying to do.

You were telling us about the plutonium 238, Mrs Delicath.

In simple terms, it's primarily used to power satellites.

In simple terms, what would be the market for this kind of plutonium?

Beats me.

It's not weapons grade. All it's good for is research.

-Not nuclear research?

-Not in this country.

Other countries, then?

Not officially.

How about unofficially?

The way my people work is,

we like to focus on the immediate facts of this case.

Let's not get into some long-term speculation.

I would like to hear what Mrs Delicath has to say, sir.

Look, it's no secret, there are a number of foreign nations

eager to expand their knowledge of nuclear technology.

Build their own bomb, you mean?

Mm, stands to reason they'd be in the market for any plutonium

they could buy.

By the time they find out it isn't weapons-grade,

it's too late for a refund.

We're going off in a direction that's very unlikely.

But the plutonium 238 itself is harmless?

I wouldn't say that.

Accidents could happen if the wrong people got hold of it.

The wrong people?

Terrorists.

Well, even this kind of plutonium could be added to a standard

TNT bomb to engineer some sort of radioactive fallout.

All sorts of possibilities for demented minds.

We really don't have time for this kind of speculation.

You come in here taking my time, Agent Hornby.

I'm not going to sugar-coat the facts to make them go down easier.

Pounding the pavement with Hornby breathing down our neck

and not a damn thing to show for it.

Let's go over it again.

And then he blames us, saying the publicity on Wilkins' death

is driving Gorham into the woodwork.

Hell, it should be driving him to a hospital to find out

whether or not he was contaminated.

Well, Wilkins said he was the only one that snorted the stuff.

Quote, "Gorham started to touch the phial

"but he changed his mind and went and washed his hands," unquote.

See, that's what I'm talking about.

He knew enough to be scared.

What he doesn't know is how much of that stuff he's been exposed to.

So, if he thinks that Wilkins died because of the contamination,

then he should be trying to get help.

Tomorrow, we start checking emergency rooms.

Yeah, tomorrow.

FAIRGROUND MUSIC PLAYS

I brought you here for the best fish and chips in Coney Island,

not corn dogs.

-It's my party.

-Ha-ha-ha.

Do you know how many times you asked me to bring you here

on your birthday when you were a kid?

A lot.

After, we'll go to Maurie's and shoot a few games of pool,

-just like the old days.

-Maurie's?

-Mm-hmm.

I didn't know that was open anymore.

Are you kidding? Maurie's, where I taught you to shoot pool?

Come on, it hasn't been that many years.

It seems like it sometimes.

Rough week at work?

It's not an easy case.

Can't Samuels give you some backup?

The backup I have I'd like to get rid of.

It's not so simple anymore.

-Want to take a walk?

-Yeah, yeah, sure.

It's not like the good old days, Charlie.

When you used to bring me down here.

No, honey, it wasn't simple then, either.

You were just a kid, that's all, you didn't know any better.

Now that you're grown up, it's a whole different world.

Yeah.

It sure feels that way.

Hey, happy birthday, baby.

-Thanks, Charlie.

-Ha-ha.

MUSIC PLAYS

-Are you ready?

-Yeah.

Here we are, ha-ha-ha.

I don't believe it, when did they put this thing in here?

Oh, you must be disappointed, Chris.

I don't know, Charlie.

You always said we should keep up with the times.

Tell you what, I'll challenge you to a game of Pacman.

Hey, that's my birthday girl. You're on.

What the hell is Pacman?

I'll show you.

I'm going to go and check on the baby.

Honey, she just got to sleep.

I want to be sure she didn't kick her blankets off. I'll be very...

-Sweetheart.

-..quiet.

Hey, Mike, I said 'bed' ten minutes ago.

Harvey, TV time's over.

-It was a lousy programme anyway.

-Don't be a hard case, Harvey.

Goodnight, sweetheart.

So peaceful.

It's amazing how she can shut the whole world out.

-Goodnight, Mom.

-Goodnight, sweetheart.

Hey!

Want to say goodnight to your mother?

What, just because you're 16 you're too big to kiss me goodnight?

-Goodnight, Mom.

-Come here.

Goodnight.

I thought that once we found a house

he'd start feeling happier about moving.

Before it was only talk - now he knows it's for real.

It's going to be hard for him, Harvey.

Having to transfer schools and making new friends.

Mary Beth, I went to four different schools. Each time I made it work.

Harvey will too.

-Honey...

-Yeah?

-You're always reading those news magazines.

-Hmm?

I don't know anybody that pays more attention to that stuff than you do.

Harvey, before I started working on this case I'm working on,

do you remember ever reading anything about there being

plutonium missing?

What do you mean by missing?

What do you mean, what do I mean by missing?

Gone. Lost.

Not there for bed-check when they lock up at night.

Yeah, I think I might have heard of something like that before.

You MIGHT have?

Does that make you a little nervous, Harvey?

Mary Beth, it doesn't do any good to think about that kind of stuff.

I wish I didn't have to think about some of the things

I heard about today, but that doesn't make it go away.

Mary Beth...

..the government and the scientists - they are the ones

running the show.

People like you and me - we don't have a thing to say about it.

Harvey, you don't really believe that?

Do you know how lucky we are to keep the genie in the bottle this long?

They can't do it forever though.

Well, what the heck does that mean?

You and I are making a new home for our family.

I'm planning on a future.

Mary Beth, we are all sitting ducks. If somebody presses the wrong button.

It is a fact of life, just like babies being born,

you just got to learn to live with it.

The way it was, soldiers fought the wars,

today, everybody is a target.

Men, women, kids - it doesn't matter.

The big balloon goes up - it's all over.

Well, that's terrific, Harvey.

With a big balloon out there,

why do we bother getting up tomorrow morning?!

You're going to wake up the baby.

We may as well give up right now.

Will you calm down about this?

The way you tell it, we might as well put our hands over our head,

bend over and kiss our tales goodbye!

Go in there and tell that to your brand-new baby daughter.

BABY CRIES

I told you.

BABY SCREAMS

I am telling you, this is our best shot.

We've combed every emergency room from the Bowery

to Washington Heights and there's nobody that comes close

to Gorham's description.

-We still have the West Side to cover, sir.

-Not on my time.

Ladies, it isn't working.

So what, we go back and show Gorham's picture

to every panhandler on 42nd Street?

Your reliable informants, Sergeant, let's see how reliable they are.

Our informants do not know the street value of plutonium.

Hell, they don't even know what plutonium is.

I'm not interested in a wild goose chase here.

You're not interested in anything!

Sergeant, if your local resources keep coming up dry,

then maybe it's time to take a new approach with a new team.

Do you love it? We do all the legwork

and he takes the credit with the brass in Washington.

-No-one's taking credit for anything until we find Gorham.

-Yes, sir.

With the publicity on Wilkins' death, I was sure he would...

Publicity on Wilkin's...?

You know, Cagney, that's where we've gone wrong.

It should be targeted at Gorham.

If he didn't care about his buddy then Gorham might come crawling

out of the woodwork if he thought he was the one that was contaminated?

Well, I think it is our duty to alert Gorham

that he should definitely seek medical attention!

The six o'clock news and every newspaper - as soon as possible.

-What did I start here?

-What?! Lieutenant!

What, using the press to smoke out a perp?!

You said - we do, we've done it before.

Yeah.

Not when the federal authorities have instructed us

to keep a low profile.

Mary Beth, Hornby has been using the 14th like errand boys.

Coming in here, running us around, telling us what to do...

Cagney, come on, you're a professional.

When are you finally going to learn that

you've got to work with the powers that be?

Well, Lieutenant, you said.

-He could steal this from us any time he wanted.

-Yeah.

Yeah, he can do that.

Sir, I think that Lynn Sutter may be interested in helping us here.

-You think so, huh?

-Yes, sir.

Hornby's worried about a press leak.

I'll give him a press leak.

555 2424, sir.

What time do you have?

Six minutes later than the last time you asked me.

That late edition came out three hours ago.

And what do you want to do? You want to notify all the

ERs and clinics in all the five boroughs again?

Why don't you go on home? I'll call you if something comes in.

No, I told Harvey it'd be a late night when he called.

-He sounded so anxious, that's all.

-So go home!

This case is as important to me as it is to you, Sergeant.

It's silly for the two of us to be sitting around here

waiting like this.

So you go home!

You are so stubborn.

Look who's talking.

Tell you what...

..I'll flip a coin.

-Heads - I stay, tails - you stay, all right?

-All right.

You win!

-Does that mean I stay?

-No, it means you go.

-Christine...

-Mary Beth, Harvey's waiting.

This is your sergeant speaking!

I think the fix was in.

Nobody said life was fair, Mary Beth.

Hi.

Congratulations, Mrs Lacey.

Let me be the first to welcome you to your new residence

in Fresh Meadows.

We got the house?

I made them an offer they couldn't refuse.

-Oh, Harvey, I can't believe it.

-Oh, baby.

I can't believe it.

-Our own house?!

-Our own house.

Oh, you know what Mrs Jacoby calls it?

She calls it, "an investment in our future."

Our future, Mary Beth.

Here's to our future.

SHE WEEPS

You know the first thing I'm going to build, Mary Beth?

I'm going to build a backyard barbecue and then,

then I'm going to build a tree house for Michael.

And then I'm going to build a sandbox for Alice.

How's Harvey Jr dealing with the news?

Not terrific.

In fact, I think he would probably be glad to see his mother right now.

Break your eardrums wearing that thing.

I'll survive.

You'll survive starting a new school, too.

Harvey, we're not going to be that far away.

You can invite your old friends over any time you like.

It's not the same!

Mom, I don't care about a new house.

I don't care if I have to share my room with Michael.

-Why do we have to move?

-Because we want something better.

Yeah.

And what if you and Dad hate the neighbours?

What if the house starts falling apart?

-What if...? I just...

-Sweetie,

sometimes when you want something very badly, you have to take risks.

And you don't know if everything

is going to turn out to be the way you want.

And that's the scary thing - you don't know.

But you can't let that stop you.

I think that if you want something badly enough you have to try things.

And hope, and trust that they turn out to be all right.

PHONE RINGS

It's not going to be all right, I know it.

Hey, I know that everything does not have a happy ending.

But I think we have to believe in it anyways.

How else could we go on,

if we don't believe that everything is going to be OK?

KNOCK ON THE DOOR

I'm sorry to interrupt - Chris said it's urgent.

Thanks.

It's our family, Harvey.

We have too much at stake for any one of us to let the other one down.

It's going to be a big change.

But to make it work, we all have to commit to it, Harve.

You're in this too.

It's up to you too.

Be strong, baby.

Yeah, did you get anything?

People's Free Clinic on West 23rd Street, Mary Beth.

A 19-year-old fitting Dan Gorham's description is currently

undergoing lab tests for plutonium poisoning.

I'm having uniforms bring him in.

You'd better call Hornby.

Chris... I heard.

-I love you.

-Love you.

SIRENS IN DISTANCE

I'm not saying anything until I get the results of those lab tests.

Hey, I touched that damn phial too, you know.

But you didn't snort the plutonium.

According to the doctor, you're safe enough.

Where is he?

You're welcome to another body search, lady.

You think you're real smart, don't you, Gorham?

A lot smarter than the other punks we get in here, right?

Cos you got a couple of semesters of college under your belt?

Cos your parents have some fancy address in Scarsdale?

I bet they're real proud of their son, the thief.

Yeah, thief is one thing. But he runs out on his pal.

Danny boy here didn't care.

He's got the plutonium.

You can get a lot more money for that

than you can fencing car stereos right, kid?

And that way he didn't have to split the profits

with poor dumb Jimmy.

Yeah, that was real convenient that car crash wiping out your buddy.

-No wonder you left him there to die.

-Hey, I couldn't help him.

Did you try?

You ever think about what plutonium can be used for?

How many people can be hurt?

One person died already, he can't wait to be responsible for more.

I thought you were a lot smarter than this, Gorham.

Stealing plutonium is a federal offence unless,

of course, you like the idea of sitting on your butt

for the next 20 years in a federal penitentiary.

What's in it for me?

Less time, maybe.

That's not enough.

You help us...

..we'll let you know what we can do for you.

I already sold it.

Who did you sell it to?

A guy a buddy of mine set me up with.

He said he could move it to some overseas contacts.

-Where did you set up the deal?

-The guy's office.

-Queens.

-Where in Queens?

-There ain't been nobody in this place in over six months.

-Looks it.

Told you this place was a dump.

Look, this is where I met the guy, I swear it.

Damn thing.

Brand-new set and the law stiffs me.

Can't trust nobody nowadays.

CARS BEEP

We think that Gorham is telling the truth, sir.

He is too smart to lead us down the garden path when

his tail's on the line.

So the landlord is lying?

Maybe, maybe not.

The man Gorham met could have been a former tenant.

Could have been a friend of a tenant with a key.

Forensics has already dusted for prints, Lieutenant.

They must've come up with something.

I've already ordered the results on to Washington.

We've done all we can here, Lieutenant.

WE?

My people are prepared to assume full authority on this.

You can't do that!

-Cagney...

-What?

Cagney, please.

Hornby, I think our detectives have got a handle on this now.

Damn right, we do.

What the hell are you talking about? This case gets more out of control

by the minute.

Thanks to the NYPD, last night the Gorham case was a headline story

on every newscast in the city.

Hornby, in my judgment that was the right decision.

Worked, didn't it?

A delicate case like this requires sensitivity and discretion.

There is certain information the public can't deal with.

What information is that, Agent Hornby?

I think there is something else bothering Agent Hornby.

Like the fact that the plutonium is still missing.

That's going to be embarrassing, isn't it?

Thank you, Lieutenant, for your cooperation in this case.

I assure you it will remain high on our priority list.

So, how long before somebody sells that plutonium

to the highest bidder?

Detective Lacey, this really isn't your problem.

It isn't my problem?

Dan Gorham fenced that poison 28 blocks from my home.

What the hell do you mean it's not my problem?

This is exactly the kind of attitude that breeds overreaction.

Getting emotional like this...

Well, somebody better get emotional

cos we're talking people's lives here!

I assure you, Detective.

This will be handled by experts in these kinds of cases.

They'll keep it under control.

Now, if you'll just step aside and let us get on with our work.

I don't believe you, Hornby. Not anymore.

You're not going a damn thing about it, but I am.

I'm going to do something about it!

-Lacey...

-I apologise, Lieutenant, I'm sorry.

But there's craziness out there and nobody is doing

anything about it because somebody else is supposed to be in charge!

We'll monitor this case as best we can,

I promise you that we're not going to forget it.

I'm not only talking about this case, sir.

PHONE RINGS

I don't know what I'm going to do...

but I'm going to find out.

I'm going to find out what to do.

Er, excuse me for interrupting, Lieutenant.

There's a parcel over here for Sergeant Cagney.

Oh, I'll get it later, Coleman.

Erm, it requires your signature, Cagney.

Excuse me.

-Sergeant Christine Cagney?

-Oh, yes.

Detectives Newman, Isbecki, Petrie, Corassa, Sergeant Coleman

asked that I give you the following message...

You'd better sit down for this one, Sarge.

Happy birthday, baby!

I'm your...Mr wonderful.

# A cowboy in love On the trail of life

# In my parked car, Under the stars... #

-This was your idea, right?

-Isbecki even wrote the lyrics.

# Happy birthday to you. #

Ah, happy birthday.

ALL: Happy birthday.

-It's called an agave plant.

-Ah.

AKA, a sanctuary plant.

I first saw them when Harvey took me and the boys

to the botanical gardens a couple of weeks ago.

And the special thing about this plant

is that it blooms only once in 20 years.

Well, something to look forward to.

Thank you.

I'll get you something grand, you know,

for next year, for the big 4-0.

But, anyways, for now,

here's to your 39th birthday - long may she wave.

She already wove, Mary Beth.

Huh?

This is my 40th.

Oh, no, Christine.

I distinctively remember last year when I took you to

that Chinese restaurant.

Some place between the egg rolls and the pork you told me

you were 38.

-I lied.

-You lied?

Well, it was a white lie.

There wasn't really much point, I was just sort of...kidding around.

For one year?

It's not like you said you were 29.

Or 35 even.

For one year, you lied?

What? I didn't lie.

It wasn't a lie.

It was an omission.

Besides, at my age, every year counts.

Yeah, I guess so.

So what are you coming clean now for?

I don't know. It's a sign of maturity, I guess.

-Ha-ha-ha.

-Ha-ha-ha.

40, huh?

Those do make you look younger.

Yeah?

Well, like you said, Mary Beth, I'm in my prime.

Probably should start acting like it, huh?

Thank you.

I don't know, Mary Beth.

Saturdays are going by faster than they used to.

Huh?

Well, when I was a kid I hated going to school on my birthday.

So I'd count ahead to see which years

my birthday would land on a Saturday.

7th, 14th, 21st...

And, um...next one coming up will be my 42nd.

Not so far away.

I like Saturdays.

Must make more of them.

Me too.

-Here's to your new house, Mary Beth.

-Yeah.

And to...more Saturdays,

Christine.