Filial Duty Cagney and Lacey

SIREN WAILS

Some time last night. I'll be able to give you more details

after I do the autopsy, assuming I live that long.

-I beg your pardon?

-Breakfast.

-What?

-I didn't have any.

And they expect me to look at a dozen fresh ones

and a few not so fresh ones before lunch.

Do you know what that's like?

Oh. Nussbaum, excuse me, about the victim...

OK, boys, we're done. You can take it downtown.

Early wake-up. Short-staffed.

I'll be lucky if I get a candy bar between corpses.

You've got my sympathy, Nussbaum, all right,

but I'm trying to conduct an investigation here.

Oh, sure, that's easy for you. You probably had breakfast.

-Would you give me a break?

-You want a break?

Try eating liverwurst when you're cutting a jumper.

-Nussbaum, please, probable cause of death?

-No.

Well, the woman was found with an electrical cord tied around her neck.

Now, would it be safe to assume strangulation?

I'll try to have a preliminary report for you by tomorrow morning,

-but I can't promise.

-Tomorrow? No.

-No. You can get it for me by this afternoon.

-This afternoon?

All right, all right, I'll do what I can.

Say, do you know that deli downstairs?

-Are their bagels any good?

-I wouldn't know.

If I put a move on, I might be able to grab some lox and cream cheese

-before my first slice.

-Bon appetit.

-Thanks.

-Did you get anything?

-Victim is Mrs Caitlin O'Connell.

She's Mrs Kelly's mother. She was home alone last evening.

It looks like the perpetrator came up the fire escape

-and in the window.

-Anything missing?

-Only from the bedroom.

About 300 in cash and a gold necklace that was around her neck.

-Any other members of the family?

-Yeah, they have a son, Frank Jr.

He went to school already but the uniforms are going to pick him up.

Mr and Mrs Kelly, I realise how difficult this has been for you

but we do have some more information that we must get from each of you.

SHE SOBS

-Know what it sounds like? Sounds like Newman's cat burglar.

-Possibly.

It's a very similar MO, Christine.

It could've been someone who knew them.

-It could've been some other burglar.

-Well, it could've been Santa Claus.

All I'm saying is it sounds like Newman's cat burglar.

And all I'm saying is that if Newman's cat burglar committed

every burglary that Newman tries to pin on him,

the man could've retired years ago.

-You know, you're very competitive with this man.

-I am not.

I'm simply not willing to turn over a case to some cocksure rookie

who thinks he knows it all

because you're tired and cranky and ready to go on clerical duty.

Oh, don't start that again.

I will stay on the streets as long as I want to

and it has nothing to do with your competition with Newman.

Fine, I will wait for the forensics report, I will wait to talk to

uniforms regarding their interviews with the neighbours, and when I have

-all the facts, I will then make a reasoned assumption.

-Fine.

I agree with you 100%, Christine.

All I'm saying is it sounds like Newman's cat burglar.

It's only three blocks from one of his hits.

The one you're least sure he did.

Everything follows his pattern - entering from a fire escape,

a rear apartment one floor down from the roof.

The hours he works, limiting to cash and jewellery.

Anybody else would have taken the TV set.

It's obviously the same guy. Now, I caught the original 61.

I put together the pattern. Now I should catch the homicide.

-Only none of the others had a homicide.

-There's always a first time.

He probably didn't even know about the old lady.

-She couldn't have gone out much.

-When he saw her, he just panicked.

-What about the cold chisel?

-Exactly! The man always uses a cold chisel.

I checked the window. The instrument used was smaller than a cold chisel.

I have called Forensics and Forensics' report will confirm,

as soon as it arrives, the man used a screwdriver.

-Maybe he lost the chisel.

-SHE LAUGHS

Well, I've got one other concern and I'm going to have to be blunt.

-I've never had a situation like this before. Lacey?

-Yes, sir.

You know and I know that we basically have three days on a

homicide. After that, the solve rate drops down to garbage.

-Are you sure you're up for this?

-I'm fine, sir. Thank you, sir.

All right, Sergeant Cagney, you're second whip. It's up to you.

-Make whatever decision you feel is appropriate.

-Thank you, Lieutenant.

Gentlemen, after you.

Preliminary interview with neighbours in the building

-indicate no-one saw or heard anything unusual.

-Wait, wait a second.

-Where are you?

-Neighbours in the building.

Preliminary interview with neighbours in the building

indicate no-one saw or heard anything unusual.

The forensics report indicates a...

A what? What does that say? Indicates a what?

-Burglar. B-U-R-G-L-A-R.

-Right.

Got to learn to read your own handwriting, Christine.

The forensics report indicates a burglar who fits no pattern known

to the department at this time.

-Christine...

-Mary Beth, please don't argue with me.

This is not Newman's cat burglar. This is a different person.

This I know.

I was gonna ask who's gonna do the DD-5s when I go on leave.

-I type.

-Cagney.

Yeah, I know. But who's gonna interpret your handwriting?

We've got the ME's report. OK...

What is this? The major part of the autopsy is miss...

-Well, where is page two?

-I'm about to find out.

Oh, forget it, Christine. That's Civil Service.

They go home at normal hours, unlike some people I could name.

Mary Beth, if we don't finish the paperwork now,

we can't go back out on the streets tomorrow to find the perp.

There's no answer.

How are we going to do the DD-5s without an autopsy report?

Exactly, Christine. Good night.

-Why didn't you tell me Charlie was sick?

-Well, he's not.

-It's just a cough.

-He see a doctor?

-I've been pushing.

But you know Charlie and how he feels about doctors.

He promised me he'd take it easy so I said I'd bring him in dinner tonight.

-Oh, that's thoughtful, Christine.

-Oh, hold on a sec.

Well, it's not really thoughtful. It's just Charlie.

Actually, it's a tradition. Chinese spare ribs.

When I was a kid, that was Charlie's version of chicken soup.

He said it would cure anything.

-Want a bite?

-Are you kidding?

-OK.

Anyway, he said if ever I had a bad day at school

or I'd fight with my mother, Charlie would buy me Chinese spare ribs

-and it always put a smile on my face.

-Yeah? I'll have to remember that.

SPORT PLAYING ON TV

KNOCKING

-Hey! It's the most beautiful cop in New York.

-Hey, Pop.

-What took you so long?

-I bought Chinese.

Your very favourite - spare ribs.

-Uh-uh, not on your life. We are going out to eat.

-Charlie!

-You said you were going to take it easy.

-I am all right.

I am taking my sergeant officer daughter

-out for a night on the town.

-HE COUGHS

-No. You sound awful.

-How about one for the road?

Charlie, I don't think that booze is a really good idea.

-It pulls you down.

-Oh, no. Oh, no, wrong, wrong.

Whoa, whoa, no. Booze is the best thing in the world for a cold.

That's what my sainted Irish Grandmother used to say

-all the time.

-I'll bet she did. Excuse me, Pop.

We're staying home. We're gonna put our feet up.

We're gonna have spare ribs. We're gonna watch TV.

You know what's on? Isbecki told me. Red River.

Hey, now, listen, Christine. Don't you baby me.

Remember, I'm the guy who used to change your diapers.

Oh, now, that's attractive, Pop.

Please, I just want you to take care of yourself.

-Look, you're all hot.

-Christine, I'm fine.

Now, I am gonna go out and have a good time

with a terrific woman who happens to love me.

Now, what could be better for me than that?

Staying in and having a good time with a terrific woman who loves you.

-Here's your terrific purse. Let's go.

-Charlie...

-Come on, come on, come on.

-This is a lousy idea.

You listen to your old man.

I am telling you I feel like a million dollars.

I don't think that'll be going with us, Charlie.

-All right, all right.

-I have your jacket.

-You are four years old. That is it, four.

-Mm-hm.

Where did you get the drink?

Drop that now. GLASS SHATTERS

By about the fourth bar,

now Charlie's really starting to give it to me in front of everybody.

He drops to his knees and he pulls one of these, "Father, dear Father,

"come home with me now." This is in front of everyone.

Of course, his friends think this is hysterical

and I'm standing there feeling like an idiot.

-You were taking care of your Dad, that's all.

-Uh-huh.

Finally poured him into bed about 2am then put me into bed at 3.00.

-Oh, Chris.

-Doctor.

-Oh, hi, you needed to see me, Sergeant?

Yeah, Doctor, we got a problem.

The autopsy report you send us yesterday...

Do you mind if we walk while we talk?

-If I don't get my sugar fix soon, I'm going to keel over.

-Fine, fine.

Anyway, the autopsy report that you sent us yesterday...

-Now, which one was that?

-Mrs Caitlin O'Connell, an elderly woman.

-She was strangled.

-Right. That's why you look familiar.

-I saw you at the scene.

-Yesterday morning. Right.

OK, anyway, the autopsy report you sent us

yesterday had page two missing from it.

Your office don't know what happened to it.

Apparently the one in your file has the same page missing.

And the tape is in transit so they can't guarantee when we'll get it.

So we're wondering if you remembered any salient points of the autopsy.

No. Oh, shoot. They're out of Jim Jams?

No? Doctor, the woman, she's 78 years old,

she couldn't have weighed more than 100 pounds. It was just yesterday.

Do you know how many people die in New York City in any 24-hour period?

And how many I have to open up?

Lady, I just cut them and tell the tape about what I see.

And then I do it again and again.

And I do my damnedest not to remember what I just saw.

I don't know any other way to do this job.

OK, have either of you got a dime?

The Hotsy Totsy bar costs ten cents more than a Jim Jam

and I don't have the right change.

-Oh, sure.

-Oh, great.

Do you believe that man?

He ate that candy bar with his surgical gloves still on.

Trying to block the scene from my memory, Christine. Thank you.

-Who's Anthony Carpelli?

-Certainly knew you. He said it was urgent.

You had any recent opportunity to transmit diseases, Cagney?

Funny man, Coleman. Ha-ha. Don't give up your day job.

-Oh, hey, watch it here.

-Watch yourself.

-I'm sorry about that.

We have a date with our cat burglar

and your killer out on Staten Island.

-Want to wish us luck?

-Not particularly.

I love you too, sweetheart. Oh, excuse me, Sergeant Sweetheart.

He mouths off one more time I'm going to write him up!

Don't you love it?

The 126 out on Staten Island just picked up this guy for speeding last

-night.

-No kidding. And it looks like Newman's cat burglar?

Well, they found some burglary tools

and a diamond tie tack that matches the hot sheet.

-So, that's good.

-Cagney, Anthony Carpelli.

Yeah, it's good. It's terrific. Only now we may have to hear

-about it for the next month.

-Yes, it's Sergeant Cagney.

This guy definitely has an overgrown ego problem.

Yes, how do you do, Mr Carpelli? Mm-hm.

What? When?

Well, what happened?

All right, er, thank you.

I'll, um... Thank you.

What?

That was Charlie's super. They just took Charlie to the hospital.

-I've got to go.

-I'll go with you.

HE MUTTERS

-Hiya, Pop.

-Oh, hey. Hey, Chrissie.

-Hi.

-What's the matter?

-Can you believe this?

This the only way you can find a pretty nurse?

Jeez, I hate places like this.

Shh. I know. I do too. But you won't be in here very long.

-Hey, did you talk to the doctor?

-No, not yet.

He says he doesn't know when I'll get out of here.

Well, they all say that, Pop. Even for hangnails.

-Don't make me laugh.

-OK. HE COUGHS

-Oh.

-He's just trying to scare you

into taking better care of yourself, Pop.

-He's doing a hell of a job.

-HE COUGHS

Come on, Charlie. I know you.

You're going to be running this place in a couple of days,

giving them flak about the meals, huh?

Chasing after the nurses. They're gonna throw you out.

HE LAUGHS WEAKLY

-How much do you want to bet?

-What?

-20 bucks?

-I'll collect when I pick you up next week.

-Yeah. OK, 20 bucks.

We got the pneumonia early. I put him on antibiotics

and breathing treatments around the clock.

We should know something in 48 hours.

-But he's going to be OK.

-This time, probably.

Your father isn't a young man, Miss Cagney.

Pneumonia is hard on anyone, regardless of age.

-And his condition makes it worse.

-What condition?

First of all, there's nutritional deterioration.

He hasn't been eating well, probably because of the cough.

He's anaemic, there's been some damage to his lungs from smoking.

Wait a minute, Doctor, my father gave up smoking four years ago.

You don't heal as well at his age.

And you are aware he's an alcoholic?

I know he drinks.

From what I've seen, I'd say Mr Cagney's an alcoholic,

and almost certainly in the first stages of cirrhosis.

When he's up to it, I'd like to run some more tests on him.

Doctor, I don't understand what it is you're trying to tell me.

-How sick is my father?

-It's very hard to give you an exact answer.

What...

Your father...your father has a lifetime of bad habits

catching up with him. In the long run,

he could be in for some serious health problems. Does he live alone?

Sooner or later, that may have to change.

Your father may eventually get to a point where

he can't care for himself any more.

He may be a doctor, Mary Beth, but he doesn't know beans about Charlie.

My father is not a statistic. He's as tough as they come.

-He'll be fine, Christine.

-I know that.

-What do you think I've been telling you?

-Why are you in such a hurry for?

-I want to get back to the Kelly apartment.

-What for?

Cos there's something going on there I don't like. I don't know what.

I want to look through Mrs O'Connell's room again.

-You don't have to do that now.

-What else are we going to do?

-We don't have anything else...

-Call the Lieutenant.

I'm sure he'll give you the rest of the afternoon off.

I don't want the rest of the afternoon off.

You could stay here, sit with Charlie.

There's nothing I can do for Charlie.

He just needs to get rest, that's all.

Hi. I'm Sergeant Cagney. This is Detective Lacey.

-We were you here yesterday.

-I remember.

-Oh, could we come in, please?

-My parents aren't here.

Oh, that's OK, Frank. We just want to look around again.

My parents had to go do the stuff for the...you know, the funeral.

-We're sorry about your grandmother.

-Yeah.

Excuse me a minute.

-So, you OK?

-Yeah.

It's... I don't know.

It's hard, huh?

-All the neighbours say your grandmother was a nice lady.

-Yeah.

-So you sleep out here, huh?

-Ever since Granny moved in.

My husband and I were considering getting one of these foldaway sofas.

Are they comfortable? I mean, it's kind of a thin mattress.

Yeah, you get used to it, I guess.

It's just that my parents won't let me play my tapes.

They say it's too loud.

Well, you could get those little earphones. My son has those.

It's not the same.

-You figure it out yet?

-Something.

Something's not right here. I just don't know what it is.

-MAN:

-You can't park there, buddy.

-Hey.

-You must have had a more interesting floor than I did.

The only thing I got we didn't get yesterday was a Mrs Filaman.

She's one door down from the Kellys.

She said that they were always fighting.

We got that yesterday from the neighbour upstairs.

All the time, she said. Enough so that the husband left for a while.

About the mother-in-law too. Could be something.

Mary Beth, how can you not expect them to be at each other's throats?

How would you like to live like that? You're not a person, you're a nurse.

That poor little kid gets thrown out of his room, he sleeps

on the living room couch, he has no privacy.

The only time you can be alone in that place is

if you have to go to the can, unless you walk out and you stay out.

-I tell you, it's no way to live.

-Does Brian know about your Dad yet?

Where in the hell did that come from?

Well, your father is sick. I think his son would like to know.

I'm working on a murder case here

and you're worried about my brother in California?

Tell you, Mary Beth, you're the best. The best.

-Besides, Charlie is not that sick.

-He's in the hospital, Christine.

Yeah, well, I got a 20 bet that says

he's going to be out by the end of the week.

Airplane from California takes five hours.

You could dial there in 11 digits.

-Fine, I will ask Charlie if he would like me to call Brian.

-When?

When I see him.

Hey, Cagney, did you hear the news?

They got a full confession from that cat burglar that got picked up last

-night.

-Half an hour before your homicide came down.

Congratulations. You were right about it being a separate case.

All right! Thanks, guys. SHE LAUGHS

Same guy, huh? Huh?

I'm going to make that arrogant punk eat such crow.

Oh, come on, Christine, he's just doing his job.

I can't help it. It's too good to pass up.

-So, Newman.

-Sergeant Cagney.

-I've been looking for you.

-Oh, I'll bet you have.

Ready to admit that I was right about the cat burglar, huh?

Well, it couldn't have happened to a better cop.

-Cagney, I salute you.

-See?

-What?

You had it pegged right from the start.

Every time I think I'm getting this down, it takes one of you old-timers

with all your years on the jail beat to come along and show me the ropes.

Thank you, Sergeant. I really mean that.

-Newman! Come on back here. You're not going to get away with that.

-Hey.

-Oh, he took all the fun out of it.

-I got page two.

You want to look at it?

She was smothered, probably with a pillow while she was sleeping.

-Burglar smothered her, huh?

-No, I don't think so, Lieutenant.

There was an electrical cord tied around her neck

indicating that she'd been strangled.

Now, what kind of a burglar would go in, smother some poor old woman

and then tie a cord around her neck pretending he'd strangled her.

On top of that, sir, Mrs O'Connell was bedridden completely.

-She couldn't have gotten out of bed.

-The family never mentioned she was bedridden.

If it hadn't been in the ME's report, we wouldn't have known.

Also, we have a report from a neighbour saying the husband

and the wife fought all the time over her mother.

-Mr Kelly walked out on the marriage for a time.

-Yeah.

There wasn't much money either. As a matter of fact,

Mrs Kelly quit her secretarial job to nurse the mother

which gave them less money, so they hardly ever went out.

It was like living in a hospital ward.

-I see where you're going. So you don't think there was any burglar at all?

-Want the clincher?

The television. They left her watching television.

Now you lost me.

Frank Kelly said when he came back at the end of the evening, he went in to check on her

and he said he couldn't see any electrical cord around her neck because there was no light.

But if the television was on, there was light.

And if it was off, who turned it off?

Not a burglar. He would've wanted the noise.

-And the old woman didn't do it. She was bedridden.

-Remote control?

No, they had a 12-year-old portable set. No remote control.

So either the set was on or Frank Kelly is lying

about the electrical cord.

Which doesn't make sense either since she was smothered.

Or somebody else went in, not a burglar, and turned the set off.

-The only likely people were...

-The Kellys. Hm?

-Domestic violence.

-Yes, sir. It's someone in the family.

Mr and Mrs Kelly.

We were at the funeral home. The viewing.

Oh, we picked a bad time. I'm sorry.

-Can we come in?

-Do you have to?

Well, sir, we could come back tomorrow

but if we could tie up these loose ends here today,

then maybe we wouldn't have to bother you anymore.

-Mostly for the paperwork.

-I understand.

-Excuse me.

-Certainly.

Frank, can you take the coats in the bedroom, OK?

-Would you like some coffee?

-No. No, thank you.

No, don't put yourself to any trouble.

You're the one that should be taken care of now.

-You've been through a lot.

-Yeah, it's been pretty tough around here.

Tough? Taking care of your mother then losing her like that.

-That's got to be a shock.

-It'll take some time.

Still, ma'am, and I hope you don't take this wrong,

-but in some ways it has to be a relief too.

-What are you saying?

Well, she was a very sick woman.

-You know, very frail, confined to her bed.

-After the stroke.

So I could imagine what that's like.

I mean, the doctors are big heroes, right?

With their tubes and medicines, machines.

I mean, I wonder sometimes

if they're really doing anybody a favour.

Sometimes you'd think maybe it'd be kinder just to let them go.

-That's true. It wasn't any great blessing to keep her alive.

-Uh-huh.

Must have been quite a strain for you.

I understand you and Mrs Kelly separated for a while.

That's right.

Did it have anything to do with her mother-in-law living here?

There was no problem. Frank and my mother got along fine.

So why'd you leave?

You've got no right to butt in to our personal business like this.

Oh, we're sorry, Mr Kelly,

but sometimes questions like these are necessary.

We separated for personal reasons

but it had nothing to do with Megen's mother.

-But you said it was tough.

-Yeah.

Mr Kelly, there was one thing that I don't understand, sir.

-Your mother-in-law was confined to her bed.

-That's right.

And, er, the burglar stole money from her pocketbook?

If she never left the apartment,

what was she doing with 300 in her pocketbook?

And why would she wear a gold necklace in bed?

POP MUSIC PLAYING

My mother found it difficult to deal with her helplessness.

She was always such a strong woman, always caring for everyone.

It was our way of humouring her.

Mr Kelly, you told me when you looked in on your mother-in-law,

the television set was turned off.

Mrs Kelly has told my partner here that the television set was left on

so Mrs O'Connell would have something to look at while you were all gone.

So who turned the television back off again?

Frankie, I told you not to play that music.

-Why are you asking us all this?

-Maybe I was mistaken.

Why was there an electrical cord tied around your mother's neck

when she'd already been smothered?

We're not answering any more of your questions until we have a lawyer.

I'm telling you, the man murdered his wife's mother

and she's not willing to admit it.

Either she's trying to protect him for some reason or she's afraid.

-I don't know.

-Yeah, but that's a hunch, Cagney.

-You're asking me to go out on a limb.

-Hey, you owe us one, Feldberg.

Matter of fact, you owe is a couple of them.

All I'm asking is permission to bring them in as material witnesses.

All? That's all?

If I can get hold of the wife, I think I can break her.

She just needs pushing, she needs reminding that this man has murdered her mother.

Oh, I see. Oh, that's terrific.

So I'm supposed to go up in front of a judge...

At least convince her she doesn't have to be afraid.

And I'm supposed to say that we want to bring someone in

so that we can browbeat her into implicating her husband.

I don't know what else to do. Do you?

-What if she did it?

-No, everything points to the husband.

Look, look, this is all circumstantial. It won't fly.

Now, if you wouldn't mind clearing out of my office,

I have a date with a very tall, beautiful, blonde lady

whom I am meeting in 45 minutes for drinks at the Plaza,

and if I am lucky, we may never leave the hotel.

Feldberg, that's wonderful, really, and I do know that a successful

seduction is probably an historic occasion in your life.

Mr Feldberg, this is not a fishing expedition.

-My partner has a pretty good idea here.

-Oh, well, well, good for her.

-An historic occasion in her life.

-Ah, je...

Look, Feldberg, I'll can the smart mouth if you will, all right?

I really think I can pull this off.

Otherwise, Frank Kelly walks.

-Funeral's tomorrow?

-Yes, sir, in the morning.

You know, if they challenge this in court,

-we don't have a chance in the world.

-Hey, you got a better idea, I'm open.

OK, OK, maybe I could get this by Judge Medavoy.

Let them bury the old lady. Pick them up afterwards.

-Great. When can we pick up the papers?

-Depends on the blonde.

-See you at 8:00.

-I could get lucky.

-See you at 7:00.

This kind of performance reflects well on the whole squad.

Tying those burglaries into the guy that the 126 got

out on Staten Island,

that was a good piece of solid investigative work.

And even though they're getting the collar,

it's something I'm not going to forget.

Thank you, boss, but it really wasn't all that special.

-Come on, now, no need to be modest.

-Thanks, Lieutenant.

Actually, there were one or two tricky moments.

This guy, he kept claiming some other dude sold him the tie tack.

-Got any antacids?

-Huh?

I think I'm going to be sick.

Oh, let it go, Christine. He did good work. He deserves some credit.

-What are you doing?

-I'm going home.

We got some other angles we haven't worked on yet, Mary Beth.

We haven't done the theatre...

-We got off shift 17 minutes ago.

-Yeah...

I know this is hard for you to believe

but it's been a very long day and I do have another life.

It's called a family.

I got one husband, two children and another one on the way.

And as I remember, you also have a family.

He happens to be in the hospital.

-Leave it go for tonight, OK?

-Mary Beth...

It'll all still be here in the morning, Christine,

and I don't want to discuss it. Good night.

Say hi to Charlie for me.

-Cagney, I heard you were having some problems.

-Beg your pardon?

With your case. I was just wondering if you needed any help.

-Because I'm free now.

-Oh, thank you, Newman.

Unofficially of course, cos when I break this case,

I'll still let you have your collar, Sergeant.

Oh, well, thank you, Detective.

Tell you what, why don't you let me check back with you

when hell freezes over.

Excuse me, please.

SHE GASPS

-Oh...

-I'm sorry.

-What time is it?

-HE SIGHS

-Dinner's ready.

-Oh. Huh.

-Sorry. Want to go back to sleep?

-No.

-I was only resting my eyes.

-HE LAUGHS

That looks good.

I thought you weren't gonna be working these long hours anymore.

-What happened to clerical duty?

-Oh, God, I hate clerical duty.

Paperwork up to my eyebrows and typing my fingers down to nubs.

I became a cop in the first place so I wouldn't have to type.

-Yeah, cos it paid 50 more than a secretary's job.

-That too.

Mm-hm. Now, with clerical work, you get off your feet, be home at 5:00,

get yourself some decent sleep.

-Soon, OK?

-Mm-hm.

-I don't feel right about doing that to Chris now.

-Chris?

She can take care of herself. I want you to eat your green beans.

No, she can't right now, Harv. Not with her dad in the hospital.

This case we're on is making her crazy.

-I thought it only made you crazy.

-That too.

She just hides it better.

I mean, a case like this,

a helpless old lady getting murdered...

..makes you start to think weird stuff.

Charlie's going to be OK.

Yeah, sure. For now. But he's sick, you know. Not getting any younger.

And part of Christine is still her daddy's little girl.

She wants to believe he's going to be healthy forever, live forever.

-Scares her to see him like this.

-Did she say that?

You know Christine. What do you think?

I think I'm gonna get you some salad. You don't eat enough greens.

I hate green food.

I take it you're feeling better.

-Huh?

-Feeling better?

-HE LAUGHS

-That came from Newman.

He came by to see me this afternoon. Thought it might cheer me up.

-Detective Newman?

-Yeah.

Tommy Lafferty brought him down to Flannery's a while back.

We played a couple of rounds of pool.

-That Newman, he was a sharp kid.

-Yeah. He thinks so.

Yeah.

Hey, uh... Oh, thanks.

Hey, I hear you've got a tough homicide on your hands.

Oh, Pop, I don't want to talk about my work.

Oh, since when, huh?

Old lady, huh? Probably somebody in the family offed her.

-You got a motive yet?

-No, we don't know yet.

Oh, come on, Chrissy, don't do that to me.

Newman told me all about it.

She's bedridden, family's going to hell.

So one of them killed her. What's the matter,

didn't you think I'd be able to take hearing about that?

No, Pop, it's just I know you have so much on your mind.

-I didn't want to bother you...

-Oh, that's the biggest bunch of garbage I ever heard.

People think you're old,

first thing that happens they start treating you different.

Even the ones that ought to know better do it.

I am not going to go like that, do you hear me?

-Chrissy, Chrissy...

-Please just take it easy.

-I want you to promise me something.

-Charlie...

I don't want to ruin your life and have you end up hating me.

I don't hate you, Pop.

Chrissy, before it goes too far, before it comes to that...

..hand me my gun and let me end it myself.

Charlie, I don't want you talking this way.

With a little dignity, do you understand?

Daddy, you're just overreacting.

-The doctor says that you're going to be all right.

-Yeah.

Yeah, for now. And then...then what happens, huh?

-Then...

-HE COUGHS

Just go back to sleep, Pop, huh?

Oh, Chrissy.

We are confident with all who have died in Christ

she will be raised to life on the last day

and live with Christ forever.

We thank you for all the blessings you gave her in this life

to show your fatherly care for all of us,

and the fellowship which is ours with the saints and Jesus Christ.

Lord hear our prayer. Welcome our sister to paradise

and help us to comfort each other with the assurance of our faith

until we all meet in Christ to be with you and our sister forever.

We ask this through Christ our Lord, amen.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

-I got the papers. We're taking them in.

-Good.

-What are you doing?

-Meditation. It's good for the baby.

How's Charlie?

He's fine. Newman came by and saw him, though.

Brought him one of those dirty magazines. Huh? Do you love that?

-So what's been going on?

-Nothing.

Really? How could you tell?

I don't have to watch any more

to know what those people are doing over there.

-They're burying somebody they loved.

-They're burying somebody they killed.

-They're grieving like you and I would.

-Yeah, or they're faking it.

-Maybe.

-One of them killed that old lady.

-Maybe. I don't know.

-Well, I do.

I can't believe you're this detached.

Maybe I am. And maybe you're too involved.

I understand why you are, Christine. I do, but I gotta pull back.

Yesterday I thought that I could stick it out,

but today I don't know.

And look at us, staking out a funeral.

My clients have refused to answer your questions.

-Cos it would incriminate them?

-No, because the constitution says they can.

They don't need any more reason than that.

So I believe the next step is for you to release them.

With a material witness warrant,

we can hold the Kellys for as long as we want to.

Or as long as the judge allows, which'll be about 10 seconds.

You are hounding these unfortunate people who have lost a loved mother

on the basis of nothing more than circumstantial evidence

because you are either too lazy or too incompetent...

Mr Jeffries, you are out of line, sir.

-I believe this might be of interest to some reporters I know.

-Now, you hold on just one minute.

We think Mr Kelly murdered his mother-in-law

-and intimidated his wife into silence.

-No...

Sergeant Cagney, this is unconstitutional.

I am merely trying to let the woman know that we are offering her

-protection.

-You cannot talk to my client.

-I'm talking to you.

He killed her mother and I'm trying to find out why she's protecting him.

-He didn't.

-Mrs Kelly.

-He didn't do it.

-There were fights. It was awful with her there.

-Mrs Kelly...

But he didn't kill her! It wasn't him!

Well, if it wasn't him then you tell me who did it.

Mrs Kelly, please, listen to me. These people are not your friends.

My husband is a good, good man. Better than you'll ever know.

Can't you just leave him alone?

I'm going to file for a writ of habeas corpus.

If my clients are not released today,

I shall institute a wrongful arrest suit against you

and the City of New York.

SHE SOBS

You saw how those two people were with each other.

That man did not kill his wife's mother.

You know what you're saying, don't you,

if it wasn't him and it wasn't Mrs Kelly?

Mary Beth, I'm talking to you.

I ought to take my vitamin. I forgot it the last two days.

It was a member of the family otherwise they wouldn't be covering up.

There was only one other person in the house besides the Kellys and that old woman. Mary Beth.

Oh, gee, why don't they ever fix this thing right?

I'm talking to you.

-How's a person supposed to take pills without water, huh?

-Slow down.

I know you don't want to look at this.

I don't think it's pretty either. That's not going to make it go away.

-You going to listen to me or not?

-He's 12 years old.

You know how miserable that kid was after the grandmother moved in?

He was thrown out of his room, his parents fight like cats and dogs

and the father walks out on them for a while.

Now, you heard Frank Kelly yesterday.

How many times do you think that kid heard how much better off

-his grandmother would be dead?

-Oh, my God.

-Well?

That kid never went to movies, Mary Beth. He was left there alone.

He went into the grandmother's bedroom with a pillow.

He's 12 years old.

He murders his grandmother to get his room back?

-That's sick! It makes me sick.

-And maybe that isn't the reason.

Maybe he did it to put her out of her misery.

Maybe he did it to...

..cos he thought everybody would be better off if she died in her sleep.

I don't know.

But I do know and I know you know too

that he's only one who could've done it, so I'm calling Feldberg.

Chris, wait. I...I told Harvey last night.

I was going to hang in for you, but I can't.

-I'm going on therapy.

-Mary Beth, let's talk about that later, all right?

I don't want to talk about it. I made up my mind.

I thought I could separate myself from the work...

And I can't do it. Not while I'm on the street.

If it's getting to me, Christine, it's getting to my baby too.

I care about you and I care about the work.

But I got to keep a balance. You know what I mean?

Do you understand me?

Chris...

Yeah, I understand.

OK.

OK.

You want to call Feldberg?

In a minute. The kid's not going to go anywhere.

I'm just going to go sit down a second. Sorry.

I won't let you down, Charlie.

I promise.

HE COUGHS

Yes, operator?

I'd like to place a person-to-person call to

Mr Brian Cagney in Los Angeles.