All language subtitles for Lou Grant s03e24 Hazard

Hello, I'm calling from the trip.

I'd like to confirm a quote. How much
money was involved?

It was over a thousand dollars.

Was it over ten thousand dollars?

Excuse me.

Huh? Excuse me, mister. Your left rear
tire looks a little low.

Oh, yeah?

They're radios. They're supposed to be
low.

Yeah, well, your left rear looks lower
than the rest.

Oh.

I'll check it out.

Thanks. Okay.

You okay?

I couldn't stop.

There's a lady in the car. I got to her.
I couldn't stop.

Oh, my dad's going to kill me. Listen,
you've got to sit down right now.

I banged up my hand.

I'm okay.

Yeah, sure. Sure you're okay.

Wait, where's the lady in the car? I got
to her.

Listen, don't you worry about anybody
right now. Sit down. Sit down. Sit down.

There you go.

Sit down. Sit down.

Okay. Here you go, son.

Here you go.

Put this over that so we can get all
over you there.

Close your hands. Close your hands.

Do you want to sit in Charlie's job?

Mondays, I'm not all that interested
even in my job.

You know, they're talking about David
Marcus as the managing editor of the

future. Yeah, I see. That's why he was
brought back from Washington.

Well, they like him upstairs, and he
must be a sharp guy.

Word is that by the time he left D .C.,
he'd figured out how the streets ran.

You're bleeding.

Oh, yeah, that's the kids. That's not
mine.

You got in a fight with a kid?

Why? Not that I haven't been tempted
myself.

I wasn't fighting.

This poor kid took a spill on a
motorbike right in the middle of

I helped him until the ambulance came.

You okay?

Sure. Just a little rattled like me.

Morning, guys.

All right, Johnny.

Hey, didn't we all just get shooed out
about generating unnecessary paperwork?

I'm doing my share. I'm not talking
about you. I'm talking about

It takes them six pages to tell me that
they're dropping an ad from Sunday.

Take a peek at that. As if I care that
Rough Rider Vehicles Incorporated is

unhappy with their advertising agency.

Rough Rider Motorcycles? Yeah.

Well, this is about a motorcycle.

That's the same model the kid was
riding.

There's no stopping her now.

There was no stopping that kid either.

Charlie, can I keep this memo?

That and the rest of this mail.

Rossi!

me the same question again, off the
record.

Okay.

Why did the manufacturers of the Rough
Rider 90 drop your agency?

Because the Rough Rider 90 is a stiff.

How do you mean?

The body is cold, and everyone's
wondering if they look good in black.

You mean it doesn't sell well?

Yep. And they're trying to blame the ad
campaign for their own bad piece of

machinery.

But the Model 90 is sold in the hundreds
of thousands.

But never as much as they wanted.

Take a look at the demographics.

You'll understand why.

The Rough Rider 90 is purchased by
people who never owned a motorbike

They tend to be young, real young, like
under 25.

And when you ask them what they want
most in a vehicle, they say fun.

I see.

Their second priority is sharp colors.

Not your most sophisticated market.

Believe me, if we had a decent product,
we could send sales through the roof.

But ask anyone who knows about bikes.

The Model 90 is a bust.

That's Don Humphries. He's in charge of
testing.

We're representing together.

Circulation editor is Don's brother,
Brent. He also represents us at the

shows. Doesn't mind all the backslapping
and the bull. Yeah.

You know the first staff job I ever had
was in a motorcycle magazine?

I wasn't old enough to get a license to
test the bike that made me editor.

Boy, it looks like you guys are really
making a go of it. Yeah, circulation is

400 ,000.

No kidding.

Bigger than a trip, right?

I'll have to check the figures.

Well, I'm doing a story on Rough Rider
Bikes.

Really?

We've heard some bad things about them.

You go to the Swiss to find out what
time it is.

You go to Vienna for schlag.

Rough Rider Bikes are the best
engineered, best tool.

Most durable.

You're not writing this down?

Oh, well, frankly, I'm a little
surprised.

This is two -wheel magazine talk.

Roughrider 1200 is on the path to
reliability, acceleration, and safety.

What about the Roughrider 90?

Who cares about the Roughrider 90?

Well, that's the motorcycle I'm looking
into.

It's not a motorcycle. That's two wheels
in a food processor.

It's a 200 ,000 up on the road.

One of them's a hazard.

90's a joke.

Has your magazine ever tested it?

Why should we test it?

None of our readers are going to be
interested in a 90cc machine.

The only reason I know anything about it
is because my girlfriend made the

mistake of buying one I keep having to
fix it for her.

I love her, but she won't listen to me.

Yeah, what exactly is wrong with it?

You got the rest of the day?

I'll show you.

Come on.

Frank Topper's on a parole mark.

I was fast.

He probably hasn't even had a chance to
finish writing his book.

Did he get ten years?

Yeah, he got five years for bribery and
five for conspiracy.

But he got to serve them both at the
same time.

Any reaction from the administration?

Yeah, the Secretary of State wasn't
quite sure if he could place his name.

What was he under Secretary of State
for?

Bribery. State Department's been lucky,
though. He hasn't said a word since he's

been indicted. Must have been all those
years of diplomacy.

I've got a feeling it's all those offers
from book publishers.

Talbot's been a Lompoc. I'm sending
Billy Newman up there tonight.

Hey, hold it, Lou.

Frank Talbot's the national figure. It's
our story.

His family's in L .A. Yeah, but his
heart's in Georgetown.

Now, I can get Kendrick up to Lompoc by
six.

What is the problem, Lou?

Dave's been in L .A. for three months,
and you haven't broken him in. He still

thinks there's such a thing as a
national story.

What are you talking about?

We're all pulling for you, Dave. Hang in
there. Come on. The Talbot story is

clearly Metro. It isn't even close.

What do you say, Charlie?

It's Lou's story.

Ah, just because he has a bigger bar.

Can we move on here?

What have you got for us down the line?

Well, Lou and I were talking about
sharing a story, believe it or not, on

transit.

Our guys will do five cities and Lou
will do L .A.

What cities?

New York, Washington, Philadelphia, San
Francisco, Chicago.

Forget it. We're not going to have
another breastfeeding about this city's

dependence on the automobile.

Well, I wasn't planning on
breastfeeding. I was just going to

I'm not so sure all those cities you
mentioned have such terrific mass

anyway. Last time I was in New York, you
couldn't get a bus or a cab.

Well, as a matter of fact, Charles, the
New York City record is one of the best

as far as mass transit is concerned.

You know, they have good buses and a lot
of cabs in Manhattan, and there's

always the subway system.

I don't want another hand -wringer on
transportation.

It bores me. It bores our readers.

Sheldon, period.

That's it, gentlemen.

When are you going to get Steve Martin?

Hi. You went after him on that story?

I didn't go after him.

Looked like the guy?

The guy's fine.

What's up, Lou?

You know any good places to eat in
Lompoc?

Are you kidding? No.

Then you better have dinner before you
go up.

What? I'm sending you up there to watch
Frank Talbot get sprung tomorrow

morning.

Okay.

Get to the prison before 4 .30. They'll
probably want to sneak him out without

the press. You know what he looks like?

Sure. He'll be the only one leaving
prison in a swallowtail coat and mug.

Lou.

It's looking good, Lou. It's looking
good. What'd you find out? Got it right

here in my pocket. What is it?

This is what's wrong with the Rough
Rider 90. This is what made your friend

flying. It's a piece of the braking
system.

Sometimes it works, and sometimes it
doesn't.

Lou Grant will continue in a moment here
on A &E.

Oh, thanks, man.

Mickey Peterson separated.

Oh, yeah?

No fooling. Yeah.

Sweet girl.

Do you know her?

No, he was with the sheriff's
department.

How long do you usually wait?

What?

Before you pounce. How long do you wait?

Pounce? I don't pounce, Lou. I feel just
as bad as anyone when a marriage

doesn't work out.

Sure. Especially if the husband's in law
enforcement.

It doesn't hurt to wait until the
paperwork goes through.

Exactly.

No, really, I have a rule against dating
people I work with. It's past policy.

Uh -huh.

What about Billy?

Marcy Lockman?

Heidi Breger.

This is a fairly recent rule.

Oh.

Well, it's a rough lesson to learn, I
can tell you.

I remember going out for a little nooner
with this gal back at the bureau.

It was my first year in Washington.

You're married.

Oh, yeah. That's why we slipped out at
lunch.

Anyhow, I leave the desk, the phone
number, the hotel that I'm going to be

Because being the indispensable bureau
chief, I figure, you know, in case the

Potomac catch is on fire, I want them to
be able to get a hold of me.

My wife calls the desk.

They give her the number.

Till this day, I don't know if that guy
did it on purpose or not.

I'll tell you something.

Sally was worth it.

Sally Dunlop?

Sweet.

Sally Dunlop.

I assigned her to Washington.

Really?

Well, I owe you one.

Charlie doesn't think it's funny.

Right, Charlie?

The faithful husband, he thinks that all
of this is in bad taste.

That's right.

So you go into the escapades when they
come to town, Luke?

No, why?

Change the subject.

Oh.

I don't know.

Slade, I better get going.

Good night,

Charlie. Good night, guys.

It's been fun.

Good night, Charlie.

Nobody can accuse me of kissing up to
the boss.

Lou, I'm dead -handed. Who do you know
in Detroit?

Ruffrider take quartered out of here.

I've already talked to them. Ruffrider
denies there's any trouble. I need a

contact in the industry.

Fosse, I'd be going back 20 years.
Believe me, this is a last resort.

Let me look.

Yeah.

Mike Adams.

What a sweet guy.

That's S -O -N, huh? What's the number?

He used to do my taxes.

Oh.

Yeah.

Bill Cuthbertson.

Look at his name in here. He's been dead
three years.

You could have scratched it out were you
thinking about it.

Right. God forbid I should waste my time
looking at a dead pal's name now and

then.

You know who you need?

Rita Donnelly. Double N, double L. She
was second string automobile editor.

What's the number?

She was married to a guy who worked in
the line at GM.

We all figured she'd hook up with an Ivy
League management type, and she finds

herself a chassis pounder.

I hope they made a go of it.

Lou, I couldn't care less who Rita
Donnelly married and whether they made a

of it.

You should.

He's your contact.

What's his name?

Rossi. I hope you're not coming on this
being easy. I don't know his name. All

I've got is a home phone.

From 20 years ago.

Give or take.

And Donnelly was their maiden name.

Let me have it.

Klondike. 5 -2 -6 -3 -9.

Detroit area code is... 3 -1 -3. I got
it. I got it.

I don't get it, Billy.

I mean, why is it that when reporters
get 100 miles away from their editors,

they turn in stories that sound like
something out of Steinbeck?

Listen, I gave you the best I had.

You were supposed to be doing a simple
little story on a career diplomat

out of jail. You did 500 words on the
weather alone.

What about quotes?

You think I would have given you weather
if I had a halfway decent quote?

I never talked to Talbot. I didn't even
see him.

His publisher had him in the limo before
I could get my umbrella closed and my

notebook open.

Didn't you get anything from the
publisher before Talbot came out?

Oh, yeah, yeah. We had a nice little pre
-dawn chat.

He was in the limo and I was angled deep
in mud.

He cracked the window open and turned on
the stereo long enough to tell me that

Talbot had finished his book but the
press wouldn't be getting anything on it

until it was out.

Uh -huh.

Well, I hope you're not going to get all
bent out of shape if we don't use this.

Oh, no. Come on, Art. That's the
wonderful thing about me.

You and Lucan send me on these dumb
thanks for assignments in the rain and

muck, and I don't get all bent out of
shape.

I appreciate it.

I figured you'd want to know this.

You did the right thing, Betty. I'm
grateful.

When I ran a tape on his last month in
Washington, I couldn't believe it.

So I went over the entire year.

These expenses are rigged like a three
-mastered scooter. Just hold it for a

second, Betty.

I want to hear his side of the story.
Maybe there's some kind of mistake.

Listen, Charlie.

You work in accounting. You see it all.

That smile of his doesn't fool me one
bit.

I'd like not to hear any office gossip
about this. Okay. I mean it.

This is between you and me.

And him?

And him.

Find me David Marcus.

Can you count for these trips?

Can you tell me who you saw all those
times that you were in Roanoke,

Do you want me to say there's a source?

Who is this stringer named Laura who got
80 bucks a week?

And how come nobody else at the Bureau
remembers her?

Don't you and the guys in accounting
have any real work to do? I mean, why me

for Pete's sake?

Because nobody else on this paper
supplements his income with phony travel

expenses.

Everyone in every bureau does a little
of this sort of thing. I mean, what are

we supposed to do on the kind of money
we make?

David, listen.

Are you having money troubles these
days?

Because it's possible we could work out
some kind of an advance on your salary

for the next couple of weeks.

The only kind of money trouble I'm
having is you. I mean, you're haranguing

over dimes.

Thousands of dollars.

It's not your money, Charlie. Why don't
you loosen your grip on it?

David.

I've got respect for you as an editor.

You're a bright guy, and I wish you
luck.

But you can't work here anymore.

I don't believe it.

Now, you know I do first -rate work.

You do.

But we have rules around here about
stealing.

Well, how am I supposed to get another
job with you telling everybody that I'm

thief?

Listen, if you use me as a reference,
I'll tell them why you were let go.

But I'm not going to tell anyone else.

And this conversation is just between
you and me.

Sure. Are you having fun here?

Look, David, I know that we've never
really hit it off.

But that doesn't make this any easier.

Please, spare me, will you?

You want to update your phone book? It's
Rita Donnelly's new number.

Rita Donnelly Whitaker. Whitaker.

That's right.

Arnie Whitaker.

I'm not through. Rita Donnelly Whitaker
Schweikert.

Oh, what happened?

Divorce? Yep, 72.

She sends her love. So does the night
switchboard operator at the free press.

Miss Bayline.

Uh -huh. The automotive writers didn't
know Rita Donnelly, and personnel didn't

either, but they knew who would.

Miss Bayline. She's still there, huh?

Uh -huh. And from Bayline, I got to
Donnelly. And from Donnelly, I got to

Whitaker, her ex. And from Whitaker,
who's still on the line at GM and also

sends his love, I got the name of a guy
who works for Rough Rider. Good.

Who lives in L .A. Better.

And who won't meet with me.

You're kidding.

Says he doesn't know me from Adam. But
he will meet with his old friend,

Whitaker's first wife's former
colleague.

Me.

Here's the number. Lou, don't blow this
for me.

I'm talking because I'm 46 years old and
I've been working for Rough Rider since

I was 19.

And when someone mentions the 90cc bike,
my damn stomach gets sour just like

that. Why's that?

Did it just now.

Excuse me, what were you saying?

Why do you feel that way about the 90cc?

Because we made mistakes.

I made a mistake. The entire ever
-loving design team made a mistake and

won't let us fix it.

What mistake?

Oh, the brake system.

We designed the thing backwards.

And you didn't catch it?

Well, the target date was June of 77.

We had to be tooled by January 1st.

So that gave us three months for testing
and for design.

Well, by the time we finished testing
the braking system and we knew something

was wrong, we were already in
production.

And you didn't read tool?

I tried.

I sent a flock of memos. I cornered it
up for management at parties.

I danced with the president's wife and
whispered warnings in her ear.

Did nobody listen?

Oh, they listened.

Then they figured out how much it would
cost to recall 200 ,000 bikes and

correct the problem.

Yes.

Well, roughly at $82 a bike, $16
million.

The payoff on the insurance for
accidents caused by the bike is cheaper,

$5 million tops.

Money -wise, it wasn't even close.

So instead of fixing it, the company
decided it could handle a few people

getting injured.

Or killed.

Killed?

Oh, yeah.

Fourteen deaths last year. The company
projects about 20 this year.

I've got the memos and the intestinal
tract to prove it.

There are memos.

Oh, everything Rough Rider does is in a
memo.

Listen, Lou, I've given the company my
best shot.

They won't fix the bike.

I'm ready to take the memo to the press.

We'll protect your anonymity.

I know I'm taking a chance.

That's why there's one more stipulation.

What's that?

I want $4 ,000 in cash.

Blue Grant will continue in a moment
here on A &E.

Well, here's my number.

Lunch, dinner, you name it.

I'm afraid not. Oh, don't be so final.
How about a maybe?

You know, you're a darling, persistent
girl.

But no.

You're a darling, persistent girl, but
no.

If you're going to insist on taking the
initiative, you better get used to the

rejection. Highly.

What was the attraction there?

The beard?

The story.

That's Frank Talbot.

No fooling.

I didn't recognize him. He grew the
beard in jail.

So he looked like a writer. I love it.
No, he got eczema. They wouldn't let him

shave.

What's he doing in the building?

Don't think I didn't ask him. He said,
you'll see.

I thought maybe I better check around.

Go ahead.

Of course, the guy is probably just
starting up home delivery again.

Probably.

This engineer wants payment for his
information.

$4 ,000.

He's not a stick -up artist. He's even
kind of a decent guy.

Hoping to make some fast money off
youngsters maimed on motorcycles.

I've given this a lot of thought.

And it looks like this might be the only
way for us to get the story.

Then we won't get the story.

How can you defend this man?

Don't put words in my mouth. I beg your
pardon. I thought you were on his side.

I'm not the guy's agent. I don't like
paying somebody for something like this.

Right. But if that's what it takes to
get it, then we're not doing anything

illegal, and for $4 ,000 we break a
national story and save a life or two,

I say we spend it. I don't care if he
wants 50 cents.

There's an important principle operating
here.

The Tribune does not pay its sources
ever.

I will not become subject to charges of
checkbook journalism once that precedent

is set.

There's no end to it. Am I right?

You may be.

Oh, Mr.

Grant. I can't tell you the number of
times you've said to me the right

is usually the tough decision.

I hope you'll forgive the pleasure I
feel in suggesting that now it's your

to bite the bullet.

Not a penny for saucers.

Hey. Can we meet later today on that
transportation series?

Not unless you want to hire me as a
consultant.

I don't work here anymore.

You're kidding.

Charlie fired me this morning.

Why?

I'm sorry. It's really none of my
business. It's just hard to imagine

letting you go.

That's a nice thing to hear, Lou.

Especially right now.

I'm sorry you're leaving.

And I'm sorry I'm leaving, too, before I
figured out how to get along with his

nibs. Seems we got off to a wrong start
and never set it straight.

That's what I really regret.

Me, too. Charlie's a hell of a guy.

I'll have to take your word for that.

So long, Lou.

So long, Dave. Keep in touch. Really.

Would you not hover over me, please?
Isn't it enough I did your interview?

My God, you screwed it up. What did you
say to the guy? I did not screw up your

interview. I've got it all on tape. Come
in my office.

The company has known for years how
dangerous the bike was.

They decided a recall wasn't cost
efficient.

Oh, wow.

Kramer has offered to give us all the
memos laying it all out.

Oh, Lou, that's so terrific.

Hold it, Rossi.

He wants to be paid $4 ,000.

I met with Mrs. Pinch on about it, and
she says no.

So we'll have to work the story another
way.

What other way?

Develop another source.

There may not be another source. Lou,
you know what I went through to get

Kramer. I now know more people in
Detroit than I do in L .A.

Now, I'm not going back to square one on
this, Lou.

Kramer is too valuable to give up on.
He's got those memos, and he's going to

give them to me.

Look, there's no way the Trib can pay
you for that memo.

Sure you can. No, no. It's company
policy. It comes right from the top.

Now, I've come here today to assure you
anonymity if you give us that memo.

I once went to jail for protecting a
source. My word is a guarantee of your

safety. I'm proud to know you, but I
need that money.

Now, listen. I know you realize the
importance of the Rough Rider story.

We're just trying to keep people safe.
We're trying to keep them alive here.

can't put a price tag on something like
that. Sure I can.

You may not like me for it, but I sure
as hell can. Now, look.

I've got four kids and they all have
daddy's crooked teeth. I've got first

second mortgages.

I've got a vacation loan from three
summers ago. And I've got an employer

doesn't like me complaining about
safety.

They're trying to find a way to
terminate me, Mr. Rossi.

And when that memo goes public, they're
going to do their best to track it back

down to me.

Listen, you're going to get plenty from
this Rough Rider story. All I want is

enough to make sure my family doesn't
suffer because daddy blows the whistle.

This is not negotiable.

I'll come up with the money.

Totally arbitrary.

Totally crazy. Well, what kind of
service did they give him?

I heard too weak.

I guess they didn't want to appear
suspiciously decent.

Hi, Lou.

Hi. Hi. Did you hear about David?

Yeah, what's up?

Why didn't he fight him? Because he's a
decent guy.

These same guys can fight getting fired.
How long would you stay around a place

where you're constantly hassling?

Bad choice.

Who thinks hassling's half the fun?

I just think David saw that Charlie was
a little bit threatened by... Yeah, a

lot threatened.

That he had no future here.

You think that was it? Oh, what else
could it be?

David gave the National Desk a boost
from the moment he got here.

We don't know the kind of work he was
doing.

When a guy like that gets fired, you
gotta wonder which one of us is gonna

Charlie the wrong way next.

Oh, come on.

Has anyone asked Charlie what happened?

Before we jump to the conclusion that
he's out to get everyone.

Why don't we ask the guy?

Here he comes.

He's all yours, Lou.

Ben, you and I have got to be with
Sawyer when we're done here.

Okay.

Okay, are we ready to go?

Charlie, there's a lot of interest in
the David Marcus thing.

We were wondering if you would like to
run down the pertinent facts for us.

Clear the air.

No, I wouldn't. The pertinent facts are
nobody's damn business.

Oh.

What do you got for national art?

Lou Grant will continue in a moment here
on A &E.

Don't you care?

Is that it?

Don't you care how badly everyone is
reacting to Dave Marker's getting fired?

I don't care how people react.

Do I have to tell you about morale?

Hope not.

It's really important, Charlie.

and there wasn't much of it in that room
just now. I'm doing my best to defend

you, but you're not making it easy.

That's a blowover.

Don't you know what it looks like?

Everybody figured Dave Marcus was in
line for your job, and you can him. I

want to know the real reason.

What makes you think you have more of a
right to know than anyone else around

here? I hired Marcus, and I fired him,
and everything else is gossip.

And you ought to keep your nose out of
it.

Hey, it's a lot harder for me to ask you
for money than it is for you to listen.

Now, let me make it easier for you.

You want more than 50 bucks. I don't
have it. I'm cash poor.

I'm short $3 ,600.

What kind of trouble are you in?

No, not any trouble. It's job related.

Hey, animal.

Want to buy my stereo system?

You don't have a stereo system.

Sure I do. What do you think I play my
records on?

I'm not sure you can call something with
a speaker in its lid a stereo system.

Well, what am I supposed to do? I don't
have a whole lot of stuff to sell. The

bank wants something like 21 % interest,
which, believe me, I plan on

investigating as soon as I finish this
story.

There's got to be a way to come up with
the money without going to the bank.

Why don't you have a bank sale?

Hey, animal, I'll tell you something.

There's one thing about bankers.

At least they take you seriously.

Aw.

These are copies.

I want to hang on to the originals.

Copies are fine. Copies are perfect.

Listen, these are all originals.
Fifties. I figured twenties would be too

That's fine. Thanks.

I told you the paper would give in.

Listen, this is going to break very big.
And there are going to be a lot of

congratulations going around. And I just
want you to know that I'm not going to

forget who really deserves all the
attention.

It's a gutty thing you're doing here.

No, no.

Yeah, Paul.

This is a brave decision.

Don't play it up, Rossi.

I'm just a guy with a sour stomach.
Leave the dough.

You find out what Frank Doe was doing
here the other day?

Well, I'm working on it.

He wasn't placing an ad. He wasn't being
interviewed for the book review.

I checked the tour manifest.

He wasn't on it.

And I have it on good authority that he
doesn't have a girlfriend in the

building. How do you know that?

Lou, it's my business to know.

Or at least to know people who know.

You got sources?

Here at the trip?

Well, one source is plenty if it's good
enough.

Boy,

have I been out of touch.

Ross's story on the motorcycle.

What about it? Well, it made the wires
here and I never even saw it in the

You didn't see it because it isn't
written yet.

I got it. I got it.

It's worth all our stewing and sweating
over.

These memos lay everything out, just
like Kramer promised.

Good work, Rossi. Yeah.

Yeah.

I'm going to be paying off my loan for
three years, but it's worth every

stinking percentage point of interest.

This is one story we copyright.

You work this up for today?

Sure. This will write like a dream.

Rossi.

Congratulations, Lou. We got him. We got
him. I want to fill you in, but I've

got to try to pull everything together
in 50 minutes.

You get first read, I promise. Lossie,
listen.

The story's already out.

Kramer gave it to Channel 6, too. Now
the wires have it. We don't have an

exclusive.

No. What?

The story's out.

I just came from Kramer. We had a deal.

It looks like you made two deals.

It's a tough break.

Yeah.

Still gotta write it, right?

Right.

They had memos, everything.

Everything.

Boy.

21 % interest?

For three years.

Plus, you know, he helps out his dad
every month.

The guy's really strapped.

Well, what was he doing paying all the
stores anyway?

You never bought anybody lunch? Or
coffee and donuts?

I'm sure.

Well, this is coffee and donuts on sort
of a grand scale, sort of a cosmic

scale.

Poor Rossi.

I wonder what we can do for him.

I mean, it's not like we can collect old
clothes for him.

Why are you so dressed up?

You want me to cover Talbot's press
conference today, right?

Talbot? Yeah, Talbot.

This publisher is celebrating the first
printing of Moral Lapse, my years in

government service.

Champagne and canapes, so I figured I'd
better get dressed up.

Someone sent you across the street to
cover that.

You don't have to. It's going to be here
on the eighth floor.

Here? Why?

Because the troop has got $70 ,000 worth
of serialization rights.

We're going to have Moral Lapse in our
paper all next month.

The lights from those television people
have made the boardroom unbearable.

Who's covering this for us?

No one.

Really?

Well, I suppose it's not the most
important thing happening in the city

I never can remember with champagne.

It's dry, dry. It was brute dry.

What's going on here, Miss Pigeon?

Oh, I'm sorry.

If you need my undivided attention,
maybe we should get together tomorrow.

Did the Tribune pay for Frank Talbot's
memoirs?

Through the nose, but we had exclusive
rights in Southern California.

I thought we were opposed to checkbook
journalism.

What happened to not one penny to
sources?

Oh, I'm not paying a sort.

Why are we spending $70 ,000 on the
memoirs of a criminal?

Oh, Mr. Grant, please.

Frank Talbot wrote a book.

The Tribune is serializing it. It's an
entirely different issue than buying

news. Because Talbot went to Harvard?

Because you don't have to clean up his
prose or pay him off in small bills?

When Frank Talbot was an undersecretary
of state, he refused to talk to the

press. When he was arrested and charged,
he refused to talk to the press.

During his trial, throughout his jail
term, he never said a word. And why

he? Why should he give away anything?

When he knew people would be willing to
pay for it when he wrote his book.

They're not separate issues, Mrs.
Pinchon.

We either pay people for news or we
don't.

There's no getting out of this contract,
you know.

Not without taking a $70 ,000 bath.

I guess not.

Will you not try to morally railroad me,
please?

I don't think we're doing anything
wrong.

We pay reporters for writing, don't we?

In a sense, Frank Talbot is writing for
the Tribune.

We're paying him because he's a writer,
not because he's news.

But would he be a writer if he weren't
news?

Lou Grant will continue in a moment here
on A &E.

Sounds in season.

Well, you'll let Lou sign you at
anything, won't you?

No, I was just saying that there's all
this beautiful fresh salmon in the

market, and I did an impulsive thing,
and I bought a huge slab of this stuff,

and I'll never be able to eat all of it.

So, um, why don't you come over tonight?
I'll broil some, and you can help me

eat it.

Sure, that'll be great. Want me to bring
some wine?

No, no, you don't have to bring
anything.

Sure, great.

Okay, great.

Hello?

Excuse me, Lou.

Betty, how you doing?

Fine, except you've been ducking me.

Are you kidding? I'm nuts about you guys
and accounting.

Don't give me that.

I'm not even nuts about the guys and
accounting.

Look, we've got this new expense account
for him.

And I'd like to go over it with you so
that when you report his crab, you'll be

able to set him straight.

Betty, listen, why don't you wait till
Donovan gets back from lunch? Explain it

to him.

How do you think I feel with people
always complaining when I come around?

How would you like it if what you did
depressed people?

It does.

I know exactly how you feel.

Show me the new form.

And then I'll read you something
depressing from the wire.

It's fairly straightforward, really.
Just calls for a superior's verification

each expense.

Oh, come on. Why is this?

You think we've got a bunch of petty
thieves around here?

One thief who's not so petty.

And he isn't around here anymore.

You mean who?

Who? I can't tell you who.

But he was an editor and a smooth
talker.

And you've got to wonder what his
parents taught him about right and

Marcus.

Butter wouldn't melt in my mouth.

Sure, and throw out all the old forms.

I'm going.

Where?

Rough Riders called a press conference.
They want to answer charges on the 90s.

Good.

My heart isn't in this one.

Don't let me be able to tell.

Ladies and gentlemen, we're aware of
your deadline problems and assure you

you'll be able to file on time.

Today's presentation may lean a bit to
the technical side, but I think you'll

agree that the only way for us to
demonstrate the safety of the Rough

is with hard scientific data.

A proud company's reputation for
excellence is on the line.

That is why I've asked our design
engineers to join us today. Now, these

men behind all our Rough Rider models.

These are our best and brightest, the
real experts.

And they'd like to tell you something
about safety.

So let's start with one of our senior
members, Paul Kramer.

I'm Paul Kramer.

I've worked at Rough Rider for 27 years,
18 of them in design and research.

I'd like to run down for you.

The testing which was done on the Rough
Rider 90 before the model went on to the

market.

The first area of testing, once you've
assembled a prototype, is under normal

driving conditions.

Joe Ruffy? The Rough Rider test track,
which is... I'm Ed Gutel. We spoke on

phone briefly last week. I'm sorry,
didn't mean something, man. Well, of

you didn't let me know what you were
sitting on.

Listen, Joe, uh...

We know your source is one of these men.

And my guess is it's either Kramer or
Stewart.

Of course, that means the one of them
that I suspect is totally innocent.

I feel terrible about it, but I suspect
them both.

Mr.

Rossi. Handling, rideability,
acceleration, and

safety.

Joe, you know what I think?

I think whoever gave you those memos
promised you an exclusive and didn't

through. The way I see it, once Channel
6 got the story, the deal was off.

You don't owe him anything.

I'm aware of the needs of a print
journalist like you. You guys have

deadlines than the electronic people,
and I can accommodate you.

Yeah, sure.

Troy, I can be a big help to you on this
story, but it's really important to me

to know who helped you out.

Laboratory testing

of each separate aspect of the machine
is also going on.

The transmission, steering mechanism.

Yeah, who is this?

I saw you talking to Butel.

Kramer? You know who it is.

I swear I'd like to pop you one.

You got your story and then you go
straight to Butel. What kind of a deal

give you?

Hold it.

Kramer, you burned me.

I think you're greedy.

I think your principles are more than a
little lopsided in the direction of self

-interest. And you knew just how to work
me, which is probably the real reason

why I'm shaking right now.

But we had a deal.

And just because you cheated me doesn't
mean I get to cheat you.

You mean Butel doesn't know?

Butel's never going to know from me.

Joe, I appreciate it. You're really...
I'm going to hang up, Kramer.

Okay?

I'm hanging up.

Yeah, Mom, I just...

Good morning, Lee.

Where are you parked?

The lot was full this morning. I'm all
the way down Spring Street.

I'll give you a lift.

Thanks.

No. No.

Better let me bum a ride from Charlie.
My car's cleaner.

But you I don't owe an apology to.

Good night. Good night, Lou.

Good night, Harry.

Rossi.

Yeah? Would you like asparagus?

Yeah. It's in season now.

Uh -huh.

I thought some in the market looked so
good I bought about two pounds. I'd

be able to finish it. So why don't I
throw a couple of steaks on the fire?

So do you think you owe me an apology?

What?

You led me to believe you'd done this
jerky thing and I'm busy trying to

out how to be a good friend in spite of
it all.

All you had to do was tell me you
weren't a jerk and I wouldn't have to

What? I found out why you fired Dave
Marcus, no thanks to you.

Oh.

Could you have told me about it,
Charlie?

For Pete's sake, you didn't have to go
through that alone.

Yes, I did.

That was between Marcus and me.

Don't worry.

That's why they pay me the big bucks.

Because it's so cold up at these high
out.

Give me a ride to my car.

Okay.

I finished the press conference story,
Lou. Good.

How you doing, Joe?

Oh, I'm okay.

I'd rather have learned this lesson on
paper than reality, but I'm okay. I

the lid's on, you know.

Everything's under control.

I'll get by.

I'm glad to hear it.

Two of you will owe me 50 bucks at the
end of the month.

Born into a powerful political family,
he grew up in the public spotlight.

Go behind the headlines and meet John F.
Kennedy Jr.

tonight on Biography.

Now, when a young girl falls victim to
gunfire, does her family have anything

be thankful for?

Find out on Police Story, next on A &E.