Original subtitles

This has an unusually delicate bouquet. I didn't know you were a connoisseur.

You never tried to find out, did you?

As you may suspect, I'm about to propose a toast to our guest of honor, ex

-Lieutenant Milstein, now Captain Milstein, the finest of San Francisco's

Well, I had a kind of a different toast in mind, you know.

If it wasn't for that rascal, I'd still be riding around in a prattle car.

May I propose a toast with your kind permission to Bob?

Nope, you're outranked. Too bad Barbara's in here.

Yeah, well, she's got them set tomorrow. She, you know, had to hit the books

tonight. But I'm sure that she's with us in spirit.

Hey, Bar.

You want me to tell you what you're thinking?

You're thinking, I'd really like to get stoned, and I can't, right?

I guess the stuff just isn't very good, huh?

What, the grass?

No, the grass is really good.

You know what the trouble is?

It's you.

You're really hassling yourself about something.

Don't worry about it. A few more hits and you'll start listening.

Hey, what time is it, huh?

Twenty to eleven.

I think I better go home.

You should see the letter he wrote to the board.

Made me sound like a cross between Sherlock Holmes and Dick Tracy.

And then just to make sure, he spent a couple of weekends giving me some

instructions for the oral test. I didn't know that.

I did it because in spite of everything, Milt deserved promotion.

What do you mean, in spite of everything?

For one thing, he talks too much.

Come on, let's get to the food. Tomorrow night's back to Chile.

a good driver.

Careful driver.

I taught him myself.

The thing I don't understand is what she was doing out in the first place.

How about I don't know what I'll do. I'm taking these emails.

Why don't you have some coffee?

I couldn't even hold a cup.

Captain Sons?

Yeah, that's me.

I'm Dr. Burroughs.

Your daughter's going to be all right.

She's a lucky girl under the circumstances. Very lucky.

A couple of broken ribs, a few cuts and bruises, that's all.

Oh, God.

We'd like to keep her here for a few days.

It's just precautionary.

We don't expect anything.

Can I see her?

For a few minutes.

Got it.

I don't know if I'm the one to tell you this.

They found nothing in the car or in her person.

But from her eyes,

I'd guess marijuana.

I see.

Milt, you've never been one to jump to conclusions.

Don't do it now.

Honey? Dad, I'm sorry about the car.

Well, never mind about the car. How are you? How are you feeling? A bunch of

pain?

Not too bad.

Well, that's good.

That's fine.

Dr. Burroughs, her symptoms.

Could it have been shock or something else?

What I'm driving at is, are you sure about marijuana?

Well, I'd need a lab analysis to be sure.

I've seen so many kids like this.

Of course.

Well, if you'll excuse me. I'd be very grateful if you could stay around for a

few minutes.

Barbara, where did you go tonight?

Just out with some friends.

Some friends from school?

I mean, girlfriends or boyfriends?

Barbara?

Yes, some friends from school.

Boys and girls.

What did you do? Have some kind of a little party?

Sort of.

I thought you had some important homework to do tonight.

That's what you told me.

Dad, please.

No.

I had something very important that I wanted to celebrate tonight.

And I wanted you there to share it with me.

But you thought it would be more fun sitting around smoking pot, didn't you?

Because that's where you were, right?

At a nice, friendly neighborhood pot party.

Not now, please. Not now, Dad. Yes, now.

You almost killed yourself tonight.

And I want to know who's responsible, besides you. I want to know where you

the stuff.

Who was it?

Answer me right now, Barbara. You don't understand. You just don't understand.

Look, you can explain all that to me later. Right now, I want to know where

got the stuff.

What's his name?

Barbara, if you don't tell me... What?

What are you going to do? Are you going to come after me with a rubber hose?

Sweetheart, listen, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it that way.

I think your daughter could use some rest.

Well, sure, Doc.

Listen, baby, I'll be back.

Oh, I got a night watch starting in about 20 minutes.

We'll drop you.

Thanks.

You go on. I think I'll stay and finish my coffee. I'll catch a taxi.

I'll see you in the morning.

It's been hot and heavy there for a while.

I suppose you heard some of it.

Do you think there's too much on it?

That's not for me to say, Milt.

I couldn't help myself.

It's turned straight like old Milt Stein.

Factor of middle class values under the Philistines.

Straight out of a painting by Grant Wood.

That's the way I seen you.

I think in our society there's need for everybody, Mel.

You know, funny thing, Bob, I'm really not all that square.

I've even got an open mind on marijuana.

They should make it legal.

You believe that?

Well, I know one thing. Legal or not, they better keep it out of the hands of

the kids.

Don't peddle liquor to 16 -year -olds. They're too young to handle it.

And the scum who sell toxic kids at 16 or 14 or 12...

One of them nearly killed my daughter, Bob.

You think I've been rough on her?

You wait till I get my hands on him.

Well, she probably got it from some kid at school who was probably too young.

Oh, no, no, I don't want him. I want the supplier.

Source!

And when I get him, believe me, I am going to crucify him!

You look like Little Beaver.

You betcha, Red Rider.

How do you feel?

They've got me all doped up, but I can't sleep.

I guess everybody in the whole hospital heard us.

Just everybody on the ground floor.

He came in here.

The way he looked.

I mean, I was feeling sorry for him.

He was so kind.

So, so solicitous, you know.

I mean, I thought he might, well, not forgive me. I mean, that's asking too

much.

But just try to understand me.

Then he started.

Oh, you know the rest.

Eve, did you ever smoke grass?

I mean, when you were my age?

No.

This boy I met, his folks were out of town for a couple of days.

He asked me to this party.

I knew they were going to smoke dope.

And if I didn't?

So I went out and I bought a little bit.

Just enough for a few joints, you know.

Sort of bring your own grass party.

Yeah, I wanted all the kids to think I was real cool.

Barbara, where'd you buy it from?

Some kid I know.

I'm not going to tell you his name.

I've already made enough trouble tonight.

Well, whoever it is, he's already in trouble.

Maybe not deep, not yet.

Maybe we could get him out of it.

But he could get in deeper.

I don't know where you heard him. Sergeant.

It's not true.

I wouldn't know what this stuff looks like.

At least one person says you do, Pete.

I suspect we could round up a few more if we tried.

Okay. Tighter.

I'll make it tighter than that. Here.

Does that feel about right?

Yeah. Another thing we could do is place you under surveillance. We could have

you watch day and night. And you wouldn't see a thing? Probably not. Not

anymore. It would be pretty disconcerting.

That should be about right.

You might be in a car with a chick some night, and all of a sudden there's a

police spotlight shining in your eyes.

Or it's just possible we could get a search warrant going to your home. Your

parents might have a few questions. Why don't you leave me alone?

I'd like nothing better than to leave you alone, Pete.

I think you'll stay clean from now on.

And believe it or not, I don't want to mess up your life.

I will leave you alone when you give me the name of your supplier.

There is none.

How many times do I have to tell you?

Look, I'm not going to say anything else.

You can't make me. I know that.

My father's got a lawyer. Okay, okay.

I guess it's a standoff for now. Except that I'm still holding most of the

cards.

I'll see you, Pete.

Or if I don't, someone will.

Just in case.

It's my number.

Gave him food for thought.

You probably scared him out of business.

Imagine there's only a dozen other kids waiting to take his place.

Any call?

Yeah, the commissioner wants us to have lunch with you tomorrow, and they want

you to speak at a seminar at the School of Criminology in Berkeley.

All right. What's going on in the hallway, kid? It's not a thing. They

dropped off a woman they followed.

Assault with a deadly weapon.

Burglary, burglary, stabbing on power.

I got it.

Robbery, burglary, robbery.

Chief Hineside's office.

Barroom brawl.

Speaking. Just another fun night in the big city by the bay.

That brawl was kind of interesting. They had this nude painting hanging over the

bar. Somebody pulled it off and hit somebody else over the head with it.

know him.

Ruined the canvas.

No, we're on it.

That should do it.

Another part of our cultural heritage gone.

Goodbye. Bill, I don't think he had any... Pete gave me the name of

his contact.

Marty Beale.

Marty Beale. Yeah, he's an acquaintance.

Frank here tells me that they know all about him down in Narco, how he

Tells everything from pot to pills. Goes down to Mexico ever so often, stocks

up, then has the stuff smuggled across the border.

That kid's working for him in a dozen high schools, junior highs, probably an

elementary or two. And he's out on the street right now.

Unless he's down in old Mexico.

And we had him busted lots of times. Take a look.

The only thing ever stuck was a possession charge, and that only got him

on the wrist.

Well, didn't that Pete Jordan kid admit that Bill was his supplier?

You know better than that, Milt.

The Jordans boy probably wouldn't say so in court, and even if he did, it

wouldn't carry any weight. If he admits to committing a crime, that kills his

credibility as a witness.

Anybody fresh out of law school will have Bill out on the street in one hour.

Do you mean to tell me that you can't catch him making a sale?

I could, if I had a team of officers out there working around the clock.

Well? Milt, do you know how many people we got working in Narco?

Would you believe it if I told you there are more guys out there pushing the

hard stuff than I got people looking for them?

Wait, you can't spare one man. Just one.

I mean, just long enough to set up a buy.

Milt, I've spared several already.

No good. Bill is a pro. He can spot a narc a mile off. Even if the cop was a

babe dressed in diapers. Now, we'll get him eventually.

Eventually.

Look, I want that scum and I want him right now.

You guys can't catch him. Maybe I can.

Hey, yeah, is he in there? Tell him Captain Stein.

Milt, whatever you're planning to do, if you think I was going to beat him up,

don't think that that idea didn't cross my mind. But what I really want... Oh,

yeah, Chief.

Oh, you heard about that, huh? Yeah, well, that's what I'm calling about.

Listen,

I can bring her home from the hospital tomorrow, and I got a little vacation

time coming.

I thought if it wouldn't inconvenience anybody, I... Yes, sir?

Yes, sir. I can arrange that.

Oh, all right. Thank you, Chief.

Thanks.

Can I borrow this?

Sure.

I'll bring it back to you.

And Marty Beale's head on a platter.

How beautiful.

Thank you. Thank you very, very much. Of course, I don't know what my dad would

say about this.

He probably thinks it's decadent or maybe even depraved.

How are you getting on with him now?

I don't know.

I think I've seen him twice.

He brought me home from the hospital.

He's off.

On a crusade.

All day and all night.

I know.

Well, it's probably just as well anyway. I mean that I don't see him.

Can I fix you something? How about a sandwich?

Oh, don't bother.

No, no, it's no bother. I was making one for myself right now. All right. Okay.

Barb.

I've had my job now for... Well, for several years.

I've gotten to know a lot of policemen.

Some good, some bad.

Your father's one of the best.

Well, I'm sure he does his job quite well.

He does.

But sometimes it rubs off on him.

Have you ever thought much about the world he works in?

Most of the people that he deals with are of three types.

Those who commit crime.

Those who want to make the criminals pay.

And the victims.

Hardly anybody else exists outside that circle.

And he's been dealing in this world for five, six, sometimes seven days a week

for 20 years.

A whole world made up of three types of people.

So now he's worried about me becoming criminal or something, huh?

Oh, Barbara.

I'm sure he never thought that.

But since you're not a policeman, there's only one thing left.

Well, that's a pretty narrow view. Don't you think so?

It comes with the job.

And what does the chief think about this? Does he think that way, too? No,

been able to fight it off.

But maybe your father hasn't.

That doesn't make him any less good.

So now he's worried about me becoming a victim, huh?

Barbara, he's seen too many of them.

Which gives him a right to keep me on a leash?

If that leash is too tight, then you break loose. I tried that the other

And it didn't work, did it?

I think you knew before you started that it wouldn't.

Next time, you break loose in a different direction. And do you think

going to work any better? I don't know.

All I know is that he is going to try to hang on.

And you can't mistake that for cruelty.

His outlook may be distorted. You call it narrow.

But that's the way he is.

That is the way his life has made him.

Whatever he does, you have got to understand that he does it out of love.

You've got to give him that much.

Milt, it's more than a crusade. It's become an obsession.

Oh, Bob, Bob, it's a free country. I'm entitled to one. And you're killing

yourself in the process. Take a look in the mirror. I don't think you've slept

more than three hours a night in the past two weeks.

I appreciate your concern about my health.

But I got a job to do.

And I'm not going to get any sleep until I get that job done.

You're calling me in here as if keeping me from doing it.

So if you will excuse me.

I'll see you, Mark.

Take care, Milt.

Come in.

Excuse me, Chief.

Sheriff Milt was up here, so I thought I'd deliver the news in person.

You might be interested in it yourself.

Milt?

Got Morty Bill.

You got him in jail?

Possession with intent to sale.

If it'll warrant out for him, picked him up an hour ago, coming in from Mexico.

Think it'll stick this time, Milt.

Well, I guess you'll be able to sleep tonight.

Oh, yeah, you bet I will. I'll sleep like a baby tonight.

The only thing I'm sorry about is that your men got him instead of me.

Come on downstairs when you got a minute and I'll fill you in on details.

When I got a minute?

I got nothing but minutes now. I got nothing but time in the world. Hey, I'll

see you down there.

See you, Chief. See you, Mark.

Well, in the finest tradition of the San Francisco Police Department, justice

has been served.

I'm not so sure, Mark.

Yeah, I guess there is a matter of convicting him.

If he's guilty.

It's not exactly a masterpiece in detective work. As a matter of fact, it

nothing more than luck. Pure, dumb luck, with a little help from Mr.

Columbo here.

Here, Chief, right in here.

This is where it was.

One kilo taped to the underside of the sink.

Which conveniently sprung a leak.

Right here.

Fitting came loose.

You should see the damage it did downstairs.

The whole bathroom's full of plastic.

The downstairs tenant called you.

Called me?

She let out a scream. I thought there was a man in her room.

That'll be the day when there's a man in Miss Capaletta's room.

Anyway, I came in here. The whole place looked like a damaged bus or something.

I turned off the water and I looked under the sink to see if I could fix it,

know? Then I saw the stuff.

Did you have any idea what it was?

Well, I could make a pretty good guess, let me tell you. I mean, you get to know

a thing or two about your tenants.

Well, the rest you know.

After this, it didn't take any trouble to get a warrant.

Well, thank you, Mr. Columbo. You're welcome.

Uh, you want I should go now?

We'll lock the door when we leave.

Uh, you, uh, turn this little knob here.

Your directions are very clear, Mr. Columbo.

Well, it's too pat.

That's what Beale said.

Normally, I'd be inclined to discount what Mr. Beale said.

In this case, I agree with him.

A rank amateur wouldn't go off to Mexico and leave a kilo of marijuana in his

flat, and Beale's no amateur.

And there's a matter of the pipe fitting that just happened to work loose.

And the water that just happened to be running.

What do you think, Frank?

Same as you do. Sure it's a frame.

The only way Bill's lawyer can prove it, though, is to find the guy who planted

the stuff.

I don't think that's going to happen. You're not going to look into it

Don't get me wrong, Chief. If I thought an innocent man was framed, I'd drop

everything else, have the whole division work their tails off until they found

out who did it, even if it took forever.

But Bill isn't exactly pure in heart, is he?

The man who planted the stuff, I wonder if he's pure in heart.

I'm ready to go if you are.

You'll remember how to lock the door.

I think I can even go back to school next Monday.

Hey, good.

I mean, you might as well let me help you wash it, seeing as how I wrecked it.

Yeah, well, seems like they fixed it up pretty good here.

What? There you go.

You know, I haven't been able to see as much of you lately as I'd like to,

Barbara. Maybe now.

You mean now that your vacation's over?

Yeah.

Say, listen, if you feel up to it, How would you like to go out tomorrow night

with your old dad?

Just you and me.

I mean, if you'd like to.

I'd like it.

Wonderful.

That's great.

Yeah, you know, it'd probably do you wonders to get away from my cooking for

while anyway.

I haven't had a decent meal since you... Well, since you got hurt.

Here, now, tell me, what would it be?

Italian, Chinese, Hungarian?

How about Chinese?

Chinese it is.

We'll just have dinner and talk.

Who knows?

Maybe... Maybe I might get to know... my little girl a little

better.

Maybe we could talk about you, too, part of the time, huh?

So I could get to know my dad?

It doesn't have to be, Milt.

I mean, you're not sure, not completely.

That's right.

And it's my job to be sure.

That's the next step.

Why you?

Why do you have to get involved?

You could turn it over to the commissioner, let him take it from

appreciate your wanting to get me off the hook, but I'm already involved.

I've been involved with Milkstein ever since he joined the department.

And he's one of your best friends. That's all the more reason... All the

reason why I've got to know.

In this case, I've got to find out for myself.

All right, let's get to work.

Ed, I want you and Eve to pick up a couple of photographs of Milk. Find out

Milk has ever been in Beale's building.

All right.

Where'd he get the grass?

If you were a cop...

Where would you get it?

The narcotics truck.

Nine.

Ten. Eleven.

Twelve. It's all there.

Check. Garcia.

F .R.

Preliminary hearing tomorrow morning.

Two kilos.

Twelve loose cigarettes.

You'd say Garcia.

Right. Initials F .R.

What's off, Garcia?

Johnson L .K.

Now, forget him.

Just a few loose sticks.

Well, that's it, except for Monty Beale and his stuff's right there.

Well, it was a gallant try.

At least we eliminated one.

What is it?

Beale gets his stuff from Mexico.

Most dealers around here do.

Everything I've seen from there is wrapped in blue cellophane, invariably.

Shaped like a brick, invariably.

It's almost a trademark.

Does it look blue to you?

Doesn't look like a brick, either. I'd say it was a loaf.

Whatever the case, it doesn't come from Mexico.

Kansas, maybe.

Nebraska.

That's how they package it there.

Well, obviously, you can seal these packages, and then you can lock up.

Mark, will you get a hold of Frank Riley for me?

Our jobs would be a lot easier, at least the physical part of it.

You've lost me.

Well, as soon as Milt arranged to buy, trying to find the man he got it from

would be like trying to find a flea on a sheepdog, right?

Right.

Lieutenant, hold on.

Frank, my inside.

I want the names of every pot dealer you know who gets his stuff from the

Midwest.

That's all, huh?

I'll be over for it in five minutes.

That flea just hopped on a little white rat.

Have you ever seen this man before?

Right, he's a policeman.

I know, I never saw him.

The look says otherwise.

So it is your landlady.

She said he came to see you last Tuesday night.

Late. Well, my landlady's wrong.

And she's a bit wacko, okay?

Thank you.

What's that? Is that it?

For now.

Imagine that was no problem at all, not for someone who worked burglary for

three years.

Unfortunately for your sake, you never worked out of narcotics. If you had, you

wouldn't have bought the wrong stuff from the wrong man.

You're right.

And you admit it. Yes, I admit it.

In this room.

Yeah, for a deal.

I also serve justice.

Now, you're a student of life's little ironies. Maybe you don't think that I

serve justice.

No, I don't.

Well, what am I supposed to do?

Let him run loose on the streets, peddling narcotics to kids in nursery

He does peddle drugs.

You know that?

I quote from his file.

Quote.

Subject was observed... That's enough, Mills. I want to see Beale put away just

as much as you do, but we're not vigilantes.

This city was built by vigilantes.

We've replaced them with police officers and courts of law.

I think we have a reason to be grateful for that.

Two weeks.

A police department hampered it every step of the way, and you know that

than anybody.

Judges who bleed so much for the criminals that they haven't got time to

about the victims.

Now, you put those two together, and you've got scum out on the street like

Marty Beale, laughing at us because we can't touch him, not legally.

Now, if that's the way it's got to be, maybe it's time we brought the good 90s

back.

You'd do all you could to get rid of them.

Who knows about this?

Besides you, that I planted the stuff.

Ed? Eve?

Mark? At all?

I know what you're going to say, Mr. Now, listen, I'm not going to beg for

myself. I don't think that you could make anything stick against me anyway.

But I want you to consider something, that if you go to the commissioner or

city attorney, The first thing they're going to do is spring meal.

And you're going to turn an animal loose on the streets.

And you may never have a chance to catch him again.

What are you going to do?

Hey, I just woke up.

Saw the lights were still on.

What is it? Two?

Three o 'clock?

After three.

Finest of San Francisco's finest.

That's what he was, Mark.

Still is.

You want some coffee?

Oh, no thanks.

Well, I... I better go back to bed.

I wish you'd... I wish you'd stay up if you don't mind.

I don't know.

I was afraid you might.

You saved my life once.

Did I ever tell you that?

We were in homicide.

12, 13 years ago.

went berserk one night, shot his wife.

A couple of their neighbors barricaded himself in his house.

I thought I'd talked him into giving himself up. I was wrong.

So, as I went toward him, he fired at me and milk came out of nowhere and

deflected the gun.

Took the bullet in his foot.

Once he and I went five whole days without sleep trying to crack a case.

I got most of the credit for it.

He did most of the legwork.

Even though he was so dead tired that he kept walking to doors.

Well, at least you got a sergeant's stripes on you.

Maybe I can't use that coffee.

Okay.

I see you weren't sleeping either.

Take off your coat before you catch pneumonia.

Oh, no, I'm not going to stay long.

I have a taxi waiting downstairs.

My father didn't want to beg for himself.

I heard everything he talked about.

So I came to beg for him.

You know what he did?

Yes, I've known him for a few days.

He told you?

No.

The night that he bought the marijuana, I came home with it.

It was very late. He must have thought I was asleep.

But I saw him hide it away in the back of the closet.

Did you mention that to him?

We weren't talking very much then.

And I really didn't think it was any of my business, you know, until I heard

that Beale was arrested.

And then I looked in the back of the closet and wasn't there anymore.

It just all came together.

If you tell what you know, what will happen to my dad?

He'll probably lose his badge.

And jail. Will he have to go to jail?

It's possible.

He did it for me, you know.

I know.

I mean, it was wrong. It was very stupid. But he did do it for me.

Please.

Please don't say anything.

Look, in a year, he can retire even less than a year and ten months.

And if you take off all the sick leave that's doing... Father, I'm sorry.

Please.

Please.

You'll never know how sorry I am. He thinks of you as his best friend and you

wouldn't do that for him?

I can't.

If he doesn't tell the truth, then I'll have to.

Otherwise, I'd be betraying everything he believes in.

I'd be betraying everything he believes in.

Oh, man.

You know, that sounds so smug.

So damn self -righteous.

Do you know I once accused my own father of that? I once asked him if he thought

he was playing God.

But no, sir.

You're the one who's playing God now.

Yes, you are.

Barbara. No, don't touch me.

Just leave me alone. Leave me alone.

I'll go get her. No.

All I can say to her.

Without making things worse.

I didn't realize Milt was so close to retirement.

Doesn't really make any difference, does it?

Yeah.

I'll make that coffee now.

Please.

And after that, if it's...

Anywhere at all.

Sure, send him in.

Bob?

I tried to call you at home.

Well, I just came down to pack. No sense in letting somebody else do it.

I talked to the DA.

Suspended sentence, I guess, huh?

Not much to look forward to, is it?

Oh, Bob.

That barber coming down to see you last night.

I had nothing to do with that.

I know that, Milt.

He came home. I heard her come in.

She told me about it. I guess she said some things that, well, it's okay.

She's a good kid, isn't she?

In that respect, you're a very lucky man.

Oh, but, Marty Beale, if I had it to do over again, Bob,

I would do the very same thing.

Sorry, Chief.

No problem.

They just sprung Marty Beale.

I bet he'll be back doing his thing by the end of the week.

Sooner than that.

It infuriates me to go through all this and to see him get off scot -free.

Not for long, Eve.

We're gonna nail Beale.

I owe that to Mill.