Original subtitles

Everything was just marvelous, Rosita.

Maravillosa. Muchas gracias.

De nada.

I like making. Are you sure you won't take some of it home?

No, gracias.

Oh, my guess.

Um, I'll be right back.

Uno momento.

Well, right on time.

As I recall, you threatened to serve only bread and water if we were one

late. I didn't intend to miss the curtain.

Is that Mexican food I smell?

Yes, it is indeed. Now you sit down and relax, and I'll be back in just one

minute. Oh, wow.

He's going to kick himself for not being able to make it tonight.

Um, 20, right?

I'll see you next Tuesday.

Mark, there's a key.

Oh, Rosita, I would like you to meet somebody.

My bar.

This is nothing.

This encanted all right.

Chief, you've been talking about finding somebody to do some day work over at

headquarters. But Rosita is great, and she's a fantastic cook, as you soon will

find out.

Lo siento, señorita.

Voy a llegar tarde y no habrá quien me lleve.

Ah. Looks like she took to you right away.

I didn't understand what she said.

She said she was afraid she'd miss her ride.

Yes, the agency does pick her up.

Well, dinner will be ready in just one minute. Excuse me.

She sure was a police badge?

Mm -hmm.

That's what she said.

When's she supposed to go back?

Tuesday. Next Tuesday.

Well, just say she's got the proof. We'll send a legal in her place. All

I'll be at the office, okay? Okay.

Oh, Rosita.

Uh, don't worry. Everything's gonna be all right. No ting -a -meas, huh?

You won't have to go back to work here again, all right?

If any of you got paid in cash, you better let me know. Tell them.

I told them in the bus.

Make sure you sign that just the way it's made up.

You must have quite a scare.

But you got nothing to worry about. We'll take care of everything.

Pedro, por favor, dile si puede darme un poco más dinero.

Teresa necesita medicina.

Pero tú sabes que ellos no hacen eso.

Por favor, Teresa está peor. Doesn't she understand? We'll see that she works

somewhere else.

What she was saying is she needs more than five dollars.

Her sister is sick and they need medicine. Man, it doesn't take them long

forget, does it?

You tell her that's what we agreed on. Five dollars. There's nothing extra for

uncles, aunts or sisters. We're not running a charity.

Lo siento, Rosita, pero el señor Stoner dice que no.

You heard. No.

Now what's wrong? She left her purse over where she worked.

Well, go pick it up sometime tomorrow. You or Graham. Just don't make a big

out of it.

We better get going.

It's going to take us 40 minutes to get there and the traffic is heavy.

Poor girl. She left in such a hurry, she forgot her purse.

Well, you have a phone number?

Well, she doesn't have a phone. What's the name of the agency?

Uh, Bay City's Employment Agency.

But they'll be closed by now.

Should be an address on her immigration card.

Well, go ahead and open it. Your motive's honorable.

Here it is.

Uh, 112 Geary.

Word six.

Hey, I can drop it off on the way home. Oh, no, no. I think I'd rather get it to

her now.

What about the theater?

Oh, well, the curtain probably won't go up on time anyway.

You two go ahead, and I'll meet you there. Cold, hard -hearted cop.

We've got to find a way to thaw her out.

I'll go along with you.

But the tickets have to be picked up at 8 o 'clock.

I'm on my way.

I may be a little old -fashioned, but a lady should always be escorted to the

theater.

Un poco de sopa.

No tengo ganas de comer.

Déjame en paz.

Pobrecita.

Solo un poco, Teresa.

Quiero que me obedezcas.

Mr. Graham?

Yeah. We're looking for Rosita Rojas.

Oh, uh, you want a domestic?

Well, no, she worked for me today, and she left her purse.

I want to return it to her. Wait a minute.

You're the, uh... Miss Belding.

This is Chief Robert Ironside.

Of course.

Now I remember the name.

By golly, Chief, I should have recognized you right off the bat. Come

thought that Rosita's home address would be on her work permit, but... Well, you

see, most of the girls move around so much, it's easier for them to use this

one. But, hey, that's real nice of you to bring her purse. I'll see she gets it

first thing in the morning.

Well, I have a feeling she might like it tonight.

Excuse me, Mr. Graham, but Miss Belding might rest a little easier, I think, if

she could talk to Rosita herself.

Where could I find her?

Well, like I said, these girls, you never know where they're going to be

So I just put out the word and they find me, you see.

Forgive me, but as her employer, don't you have some sort of record?

Oh, no, Chief.

I'm just an agent.

I don't employ.

See, Bay City sends me the small jobs, day workers.

They don't bother that stuff.

And I take a percentage and provide transportation to and from a collection

point, you see.

Why don't you let her go till morning? She's registered.

Immigration can find her for you.

Oh, wait a minute.

Just a minute, Chief. There might be one fellow who can help us tonight.

Excuse me a second.

Let me see.

There's a guy I call sometimes when I need extra girls, you know.

Hello? It's Ross Graham.

Helping hand. Who's this?

Okay, Ross. What's up?

One of my customers here found a purse and she wants to return it to one of my

girls, Rosita Rojas.

You mean the lady cop? She's there?

Right. Now, what I want to do is find Rosita so that my customer here can

her purse to her. Bring it?

Here? Tonight?

Yeah. Okay, but you better get here before the cop.

We need the van.

We'll have them ready and waiting for you.

Yeah.

I know the house. Oh, yes, you can find it easy.

Hey, that's a break, pal.

Thanks a lot.

Hey, great.

We lucked out.

The house is on Montrose, 276, right near 4th Avenue.

You've been very helpful, Mr. Graham.

My pleasure, Chief.

You tell her what to say to the cop, unless she wants to get arrested and

back home.

Girls outside, everybody into the van. That lady cop brought her boss along.

you ever hear of a man named Ironside?

Ironside? Hey, when was the last time you saw a doctor? Doc Turner this

afternoon. What, that drunk druggist?

Call welfare and get a doctor. Okay, as soon as we get these cops on our hair.

Cruise around for a half hour and call me.

Hey, what's the problem now? Nothing.

He's a disgrace.

Acts like he's not one of us. He does nothing to help. You have a place to

sleep, you have food to eat, and you're making money. Now, come on, come on,

come on. Come on, you talk later.

Vamanos, vamanos, come on.

Rosita? Miss Belling, I brought your purse.

I better say, she doesn't speak much English.

We can handle it, thank you.

Okay. Well, if you need me.

Yes, senor.

Rosita, where is Teresa?

Okay now.

Se siente mejor.

Oh, ¿dónde está?

En el trabajo, señor.

Está trabajando de noche.

Hay una buena posición.

Teresa found a nighttime job.

She felt well enough to go to work tonight.

Rosita, I want you to come with us.

Please, you come with us.

No, no quiero ir.

Please,

go.

Yeah. I guess she was glad to see you, huh?

Where does Teresa work?

The sister?

I don't know. I just manage the building. Doesn't she know?

No. She doesn't remember the name of her sister's doctor.

Some of them go to clinics. Different doctors there all the time.

How many other girls live in this house, Mr. Stoner?

What?

Mexican girls, Central American girls. How many live here?

We have 18 right now. They like to stick together, you know.

Any of them around?

Not now. They're mostly live -in housekeepers. They stay here only on the

off. What about Mr. Graham?

Wouldn't he know our Teresa works? Who?

Oh, the helping hand guy. Could be.

You want me to look him up? He's probably in the phone book. Thank you.

bother. We have telephone books in my office.

What's the matter with him? They've been through this before.

Shut him up.

Santeria. Santeria.

Are the cops gone?

Okay.

Have a doctor there.

I got a basket case in my hands.

Send me the duty officer, please.

That's the technique.

First they make people like Rosie to think the streets are paved with gold in

the U .S.

Once they've gotten them here, they count on muscle. This is Chief Ironside.

have a problem of jurisdiction and I need the immigration's help.

Yes? Illegal alien.

I told you to get a doctor. Ross, it's too late. Dead is dead.

Get her in the van.

I'll get the other girls.

Thank

you, girls.

Rosita!

Sergeant Vermeer, Demigration. Oh, yeah, please, come in.

I'm, uh, Sagan, and this is Officer Delvey. How do you do?

How do you do?

Well, it looks like you ran into a whole operation, huh?

And a girl in trouble.

Coffee? Oh, thank you.

Anybody watching that house? Oh, yeah, Sergeant Brown's down there now.

How many, um, are there standing by there?

Well, ma 'am, uh, there's too much smuggling going around. It's hard to

track of.

See, once they're over the border, most illegals are on their own. Then you have

these gangs that offer so -called guarantees.

Phony papers, housing, jobs.

They traffic mostly with young, distant women.

It's a slave trade.

Thank you for coming, Sergeant Ramirez.

I'd like you to see Judge Homer Thompson.

He'll issue warrants to check on visas and permits.

Good. I'll be there around midnight.

Hurrah, girls.

Rosita and Teresa.

If you don't find them both, that'll give me grounds to move. Chief, I think

it's the girl.

Rosita? Ayúdeme.

Ayúdeme. Tiene que haber muerto.

Right, they're dead. They're after Rosita.

Rosita, tell me your telephone number.

Pronto. Cuatro, siete, cuatro.

Three, nine, nine, eight.

Espérame ahí.

Rosita? Rosita!

This is a police emergency. I want the location of a public phone.

No.

Sorry, sir, we were a little late. A stabbing victim, unconscious.

Nobody saw it happen, and people heard the woman shout.

Came, took a look, and found this.

His name is Floyd Stoner.

Mark, call Ed. He's to move in on that house.

For a possible murder suspect.

Rosita Rojas.

Any people hear the screams?

From the gas station across the street.

Then what, a fight?

No, sir, nothing.

Did you find the weapon?

Yeah, it's a knife. I have it.

All right, send a man with a donor.

A piece of metal clears his throat. I want to be informed.

These were in his pocket.

Eleven checks made out to Mexican women, all endorsed.

One is mine, to Rosita.

All right.

You don't think Rosita willfully stamped him, do you?

Officially, I do.

Makes it legal for Ed to search.

Sergeant, I don't think Stoner was alone.

Rosita said, Los, there, Dineen.

I see them coming.

At least two people left this car.

Ross Graham.

I'll run a make on the car.

All right, Sergeant. This is to be completely photographed before it's

We have a fugitive on foot.

Girl, Rosita, possibly someone named Ross Graham.

Put out a pickup on him. Cock, 35, blue, brown, about 160.

That's cool.

The house is empty. All cleared out. I have that. Thank you.

The car belongs to Floyd's donor. Same address.

Anything else?

How does Graham transport his girls?

I don't know.

Design side. Look for a truck or a van registered to a Ross, Graham, or to an

agency called the Helping Hand.

Or to Stoner, or anyone residing near that Montrose address.

Apprehend it, but be careful.

It may be transporting a dozen abducted women.

Anyway, do you have the back roads covered?

Please do.

Maybe we're wrong about Graham's van.

CHP can't find it.

No golf in the hospital?

Stoner is still unconscious.

What did the druggist have?

A hangover and a sloppy ledger. I copied Teresa's prescriptions. Simple

sedatives and several refills of epinephrine from several doctors.

Asthma?

If she were acute, they knew it.

I find those doctors.

See it.

Sergeant, anything left?

No, there's a sledge up across the street.

They don't know anything, or at least they're not talking.

Maybe this is something. Lettuce from Livermore, Fresno.

Yeah, there's something.

Why, they're not on the highway.

Farm, vineyard.

Probably a part of their network.

I'll check them.

Chief. I'd like to talk to those people across the street.

Why not?

They might be more willing to speak to a woman.

Go on.

Let me show you the top.

I don't employ the women. I rent them the space and equipment.

And different buyers come to discuss.

The women get paid by the items.

The buyers pay, not me.

Mrs. Sturgeon, would you please turn off the machines?

This lady wants to talk to you.

My name is Officer Belding.

I'm with the police.

Look, these people here are all legal. They're Americans like anybody else.

Oh, I know that.

And they have the same civil rights.

This isn't a roundup.

I am not with immigration.

I am here to ask you to help me save the life of Rosita Rojas.

And maybe the lives of all the girls across the street.

They've disappeared.

And they could be sacrificed.

They don't know what you're talking about.

We have reason to believe there was an attempt made on Rosita's life last

What happened to her?

Where is she now?

Somebody knows.

To anyone who can give me any answer, I guarantee full protection.

Together, we are stronger than they are.

Mil gracias.

Thank you, Mrs. Church.

patrol found Graham's van.

Where? Near Livermore. What about the girls?

They don't know yet.

Some kids scuba diving.

Found the van at the bottom of a lake.

At least we know the other girls are still all right.

I'd like you two to check it out.

Yes, sir.

What? I think it's about one block west and then three or four north of the

house where the girls live.

Now, what is?

Where would you go if you were Rosita in a strange city? You don't speak the

language and you're frightened.

Now, where would you go?

Rosita Rollins.

Don't you police have anything better to do than to hound a poor girl who's

already exploited by these people? Our primary interest is not the legality of

her entry into this country, Father. She needs protective custody.

But she needs you first, Father.

You two aren't real orthodox, are you?

Have you seen her?

No. Which means you know her. I know most of the girls on Montrose Street.

full of trouble.

Trouble keeps me in business.

Same here, Father.

You said protective custody.

Rosita knows more than her exploiters want her to tell.

She ran away when her sister died.

How do you know all this?

She phoned.

The call was never completed, though. They apparently spotted her. She had to

get away.

You think she's hiding somewhere?

Yes, probably in a neighborhood where Spanish is spoken.

Then why hasn't she tried to call you?

We can't be sure.

We found one of the gang near the phone booth she used.

He'd been stabbed.

Now, if she did it, she might be afraid he's dead, might be afraid she'll be

blamed. She talked to you, Father.

Don't forget the seal of the confessional.

Of course.

If she comes here, we're hopeful you'll persuade her to get in touch with us.

The men who are after her are not the type to confess, Father, to you or to

I've been looking all over for you.

Have you found me?

You know you're supposed to be searching for Rosita?

You still on the loose?

What do you mean, you don't know? You're sitting around the bar?

I've been trying for the battery all day long.

Didn't you hear the news?

What news?

They found your van.

Well, they couldn't. Not yet.

It was on TV.

I figured I'd get off the streets, that's all.

But they couldn't. It's under 40 feet of water.

That's why the kids like you there.

Scuba divers.

Said they were practicing deep dive when they saw it.

A federal.

You remember.

What about Teresa?

It wasn't my fault. Well, it wasn't mine either. No, but I told him to get a

doctor. You heard me. I said get a doctor. Look, look, look.

You're not getting me mixed up in it.

Compadre, you're already mixed up in it.

I find girls for you.

I help you track them around.

I translate.

I take orders.

That's all. And this is one of them. How do you think that's going to look in

court? Your own people.

Okay, okay. What do you want from me? I want you to just remember that Teresa

was dead before she was put in my van.

Huh? I remember. I remember.

Get back in the street.

Go back to Barry. If anybody can find Rosita before the cops do, you can.

And while you're there, amigos, take a good look around.

Remember how good the life is now.

Better what it was before.

Hey.

No. Well, she screamed.

Remember seeing the knife flash in his hand?

Remember his running? It's all there.

It's like a Chinese puzzle.

Wouldn't the second man have tried to stop her? She's insisting now that she

confused when she spoke to me on the phone.

That there was only Floyd Stoner.

Maybe she didn't see anyone else.

Well, it's late.

Mark, you won't mind sleeping on the couch, will you? No, I won't.

I have these transcribed Spanish -English first thing in the morning

Judge Thompson and David Hiddick in the DA's office.

Don't you have to book the girl?

DA knows I have her, and we've asked Judge Thompson for the earliest possible

hearing on her custody.

I'm going to petition to keep her here until we find out how big this mess

really is.

I've talked to Ed Brown.

They searched two Livermore farms, two more to go.

Yes, attorney, we'll go along with the DA. He's sending a lot of copies.

The helping hand is registered to Stoner and Graham together.

All they own are the sewing machines and a couple of vehicles, including the

van.

And by the way, Rosita's papers are forgery.

I'll look these over on the way to court.

We're due in 20 minutes.

What about Rosita?

She's not required to appear.

How'd you work that out?

The DA helped.

The hearing's informal, and we haven't filed criminal charges yet.

I didn't want to expose her to Judge Thompson with a question of the second

unanswered.

Well, I think that's everything.

She's our inside office.

This is the officer building.

What's her name?

Yes. Pedro Reyes?

Yes, I have it. Thank you. Thank you very much.

That was one of the girls at the sweatshop.

She thinks we should question a man named Pedro Reyes.

He works for the Helping Hand.

Did she say where to find him?

Oh, she doesn't know.

But he drops by the shop once in a while.

All right, Mark.

See what you can get on him. I'll drop you off at the quiet house first.

Do you know a man named Pedro Reyes?

¿Conoces a Pedro Reyes?

No, señor.

That's incredibly sad.

But, Robert, she's an illegal alien, and I can't make my own special

interpretation to the immigration laws.

Listen to what I'm asking. I'm appearing on a specific local criminal matter.

Abduction, unlawful detention, extortion, and possible homicide.

The coroner says she died of asthma complicated by pneumonia.

Now, what's your line on homicide?

To establish that her condition was acute, that the gang was aware of it,

that her abduction contributed directly to her death.

Mr. Hillier, I take it the district attorney's in action on this? Yes, sir.

was treated at county medical, and we know which doctors prescribed for her.

However, the court's aware that welfare agencies are forbidden by law to name

illegal aliens for us, so it's touching. What about Floyd Stone or multiple stab

wounds, a fractured skull?

His condition doesn't argue he assaulted Rosita.

Well, a hard fall would explain the fracture and concussion, Your Honor.

What of the knife? With no fingerprints.

Now, which is more logical?

That she took it away from him, used it, wiped it clean, or that she carried it

herself, saw him coming, and ran from the booth to avenge her sister's death?

What was the second man doing?

Was there a second man?

Now, she denies it. Why would she lie?

To protect a friend, Your Honor.

A moral commitment, however misguided and foolish.

So the culprit becomes the martyr.

At the moment, before the law, she's a culprit only in that she's here

illegally.

And perhaps helps to encourage the false impression that all Mexicans, American

-born or otherwise, are somehow wetbacks.

Aren't you forgetting a few things?

That no taxes are paid by illegal aliens.

that most of what they make is sent out of the country? Your Honor, Rosita was

earning up to $20 a day and was only allowed to keep $20 a week. Now, how

could she afford to send home?

I am offering to act as amicus curiae here, to keep Rosita with me, because

the best way to safeguard a priceless source of eyewitness testimony and

positive identifications.

Illegal entry is a legislative war. This battle won't win or lose it.

But Rosita can do.

is to help us get the pack of animals that preyed on her.

David, he makes some sense.

If the court insists, we'll enter a noli prosequi on the current courts.

All right, Robert, you can have the girl.

I profoundly hope we're steering the proper course.

I think we'll know before the day is out.

Hello, Mark.

Chief, there is more than one paper raised on this town.

Good. You can tell me about all of them.

Your Honor.

Thank you, David.

Well, I think we can eliminate one person who he has.

He's a very strong occupation on the station in Virginia.

Might be the one.

That would explain Rosita.

Remember where she was born?

Sonora, isn't it?

Cabarca, to be exact.

This Pedro Red was born in Caborca.

No me llena su explicación, Rosita.

Y la situación se pone peor.

Chief Ironside's office?

Oh, I'm sorry, he's not here. This is Officer Belding.

Yes, Doctor.

He died.

When?

¿Ha muerto?

Sí, lo siento.

No, he's at the courthouse now.

I'll call him over there, and if he has any questions, he can call you right

back.

Thank you, doctor.

Sentence 1691, please. This is a police emergency.

This is Officer Belding.

Rosita, ¿qué está haciendo?

Somos sus amigos.

¿Qué no entiende?

Téngase.

Come with us.

Let's go.

Well, didn't she tell you that?

I saw the priest driving her to your place. You were looking for her? But I

a few minutes too late.

For what?

To help her or to kill her?

Rosita insists that there is no witness, and she knows she needs one or she'll

be charged with murder.

Now, why would she protect someone who's tried to keep her in virtual slavery?

I think Rosita's lying.

I think you were there, Pedro.

You don't know what you're talking about.

In spite of everything, Rosita's happier here. They all are.

Teresa. I could not stop what happened to Teresa.

I don't give the orders. I take them.

Were you taking orders the night Stoner was stabbed?

Stoner was going to kill Rosita. He was attacking her with a knife. Didn't you

try to stop him?

I was not there. There were fingerprints in Stoner's car. Yours among others.

No. You either saw Rosita stab Stoner or you did it yourself.

I was not there.

What kind of man is it, I wonder, who can watch a little girl grow up and

she's out of her childhood see her sold into bondage, watch her sister die, and

then let her face a charge of murder and do nothing, nothing to help? What kind

of man?

A man born in a straw bed on the floor of a shack.

Whose Christ included the miserable dear to find enough to eat and still went

hungry.

A man who thought he would come to the land of plenty to be somebody.

And never starve again no matter what he had to do.

A man who made it across the border.

Legally.

Only to discover that in most people's eyes he still was a nobody.

Without skills.

Without education.

You are lucky you have no legs, man.

You don't have to walk on your knees.

That's the difference between us, Pedro.

You have a choice.

Well, how is Rosita?

She wants to see Father Arturo.

She'd like to go to confession.

That's funny.

That's just what I was going to suggest.

She's there.

You won't get hurt.

Come on, let's go.

Hey.

Never know who you'll meet in turn, do you?

I told you, Officer Belding.

It felt like a real good day for getting prayers answered.

Back off, Larry.

Off!

I will shoot.

You believe me.

I wish you good luck.

Bedrock!

Bedrock!

Better you tell them.

You tell them the girl was dead when they put her in my van.

I already told them, Rosen.

And I also told them where they can find the other girl.

Everything. You conned me.

That's a picture.

Now it's time for you to put your gun away.

You'll share in the responsibility for Teresa's death, for the abduction of the

girls, for the smuggling of human beings.

Now, I strongly suggest you keep it just at that.

He killed Stoner, but in defense of Rosita.

When they read the sentence, you fire on sight.

I'll be standing up.

I will never get on my knees again.

Except maybe in a place like this.

Maybe.