Original subtitles

The car's on the hot sheet, and there's a recently fired shotgun underneath the

passenger seat.

He was a pig.

He had loan sharking, narcotics, bookmaking, prostitution. Look, I know

in mourning, so I'll get right to the point. Who killed your boss?

It was too low to kick and too wet to step on.

This is a murder case, a homicide.

My murder case.

And he raped her.

I don't know.

Help! Help! Help!

Welcome to our Monte Vista birthday celebration.

And let me introduce you to the man who makes all this wonderful world possible,

Mr. Max Santiago.

Once again, we gather to celebrate our community on the day that

Monte Vista became a part of the city of Los Angeles.

God forgive me.

All of a sudden, Max looks like somebody jerked him from behind, and down he

went. No, I didn't hear any shots.

Matter of fact, I don't believe anybody did.

But when Max fell, I realized what had happened.

I looked around.

It took a while, but finally I noticed something.

See that building up there?

Yeah. See that open window?

And I know this never would like the back of my hand every inch of it.

And those windows have been shut tight ever since that building was condemned.

Thank you, Father.

Thank you very much.

Excuse me.

I think I found out where the shots came from. Come on.

Thanks, folks, very much.

No fingerprints, no powder marks.

No shells laying around the floor. Apparently this guy had some sort of

wrapped around his feet. What else did he leave us, Reuben?

Two drops of 40 -weight, tracks from a bike.

The imprints on the floor say ripstop nylon.

Sleeping bag, so he may have spent the night.

Down the steps.

Out the door, seven or eight seconds, lost in traffic.

The evidence indicates that this hit was planned weeks, maybe even months before

the fiesta, but definitely based on the celebration.

The thing was practically surgical.

I mean, the guy didn't leave anything except for tire tracks.

Although we did find two hairs that may or may not have come from the hitman's

head. And apparently he had some sort of cloth or sacking on his boots.

Shoe size seemed to be somewhere between a nine and a twelve.

So it takes a hitman a few minutes to do what OCID couldn't do in ten years.

Well, you weren't trying to kill him, Dan. You were just trying to put him in

the slam. Sometimes that takes a little longer, you know.

What's it going to be, Captain? I still say OCID should handle this case.

What's the decision?

Well, the Organized Crime Intelligence Division will assist.

Hunter and McCall will lead the team in charge.

It's a homicide case, Sergeant.

Homicide will deal with it. But don't worry, there'll be plenty of opportunity

for you to help out.

Captain, this was an organized crime execution.

Santiago had everything within 20 miles under tight organized control.

He had loan sharking, narcotics, bookmaking, prostitution. Hell, you name

you couldn't open up an ice cream parlor without an okay from Santiago.

This is an OCID case, sir.

Father, how do you feel about this?

Well, look, Charlie, we're going to need a lot of help from everybody,

certainly. And most of all, Dan.

Maybe you can tell us the names of some people on the inside. Perhaps there was

somebody that thought that Santiago was expendable. There are three guys who fit

that description, McCall, and I know all three of them. That's the point I'm

trying to make here. It's a homicide case, Bolton, period.

Now, if you'll all excuse me, I've got some work to do here.

I'm here in the morning, so I'll get right to the point. Who killed your

Look, our organized crime detail has three suspects on their list. I'm

with all three of them.

So, me being a much more open -minded guy, I have an idea that would benefit

if you talked to me.

We gave statements.

Why don't you read them?

Oh, I read them. You were standing right next to Max when he got gunned down,

all right.

The interesting thing I found is that when the shooting started, you guys

pull your guns. I don't own a gun.

Neither does Miguel here or Paco. Now, why are you here? Well, you see, any

someone like Max Santiago gets gunned down, we have a tendency to look real

close at the beneficiaries.

Max was a man of commerce, a business genius who took real good care of us.

We had jobs, good, high -paid jobs, which we don't have no more.

High -paying jobs? Well, you say so. You see, Max was the wealthy one, not you

guys. He was paying you out of petty cash.

Now, look, let's talk women.

Did Max scorn anybody lately?

Max was seeing my sister.

He loved her very much.

Well, where can I find her?

At home.

She's still crying.

And if you bother her... What? What are you going to do about it?

You know, you guys don't seem to get it, do you?

I'm paid to find the guy who killed Max Santiago.

And if you guys don't talk to me, I'm going to start to wonder why.

Maybe we want to find him first, you think of it?

Oh, I thought about that.

And then I thought, maybe one of them, no, maybe all three of them, hired a

killer, huh?

What is your name?

Sergeant. Well, Sergeant, I manage this restaurant for Max.

My good friend Miguel here ran Max's motels. And Paco here took care of the

liquor stores. Who owns it now?

La señora Santiago, Max's mother. He left her everything he owned.

And we're hoping that she won't sell so that we get to keep our jobs. But we

don't.

I don't think she's going to be able to sell the prostitution, the bookmaking,

the loan sharking. You're insulting the memory of a dead friend.

I'm not going to allow that. And you're asking questions without reading us our

legal rights.

You look, fellas, like I told you from the very beginning. This is a friendly

visit. I'll read you your rights when I come back to arrest one of you or all of

you for murder.

Hey. Did you fill it up?

A lot of excitement around here yesterday, huh?

You mean the fiesta or the shooting?

I guess both.

Were you there?

Everybody in Monte Vista goes to the fiesta.

Did you know that guy? You know, the man that got killed at Santiago?

You live in this neighborhood, you knew Max Santiago.

I lived here all my life.

You better get that gauge checked. This is almost full.

Yeah, I know.

Sergeant McCall, homicide.

You're Jonathan Pruitt, right?

Jack, please. Only my mom calls me Jonathan.

Jack, sorry.

Our computer gave us 11 names of Montevista residents who'd had trouble

Santiago in the past, and you just happened to be number seven.

There was assault and battery charge filed against you by Santiago himself.

Oh, my God. I had completely forgotten about that.

Yeah, yeah.

Yeah, I beat him up pretty good.

Took a few shots myself.

Well, that was 10 or 12 years ago.

I'm not a suspect.

We're just checking out all the names the computer kicked out.

Charges were dropped, right?

Sergeant, I would love to be able to stand here and talk to you for the rest

the afternoon, but I've got a Dodge van over there in intensive care.

I've got three more jobs behind that.

I close at 7, then I get on my motorcycle and I ride down to a little

called Las Flautas, where they make the best enchiladas con chili verde in the

whole city.

Why don't you join me?

I'll tell you everything that you never wanted to know about Maximilian

Santiago.

Dutch? No.

Mexican.

Seven o 'clock.

Yeah, okay, seven's fine.

They're asking the wrong person.

I don't know nothing about Max's business, and I don't know who killed

Except it wasn't my brother.

That much I know for sure.

Well, maybe you know something that might be able to help me.

Help you?

Yeah, you know, help me find Max's killer.

I don't give a diddly squat to kill Max.

How long were you and Max together?

I don't know.

Two years?

Two years.

Is there anything at all about Max you'd like to tell me at this time?

He was a pig.

He was a pig. Yeah, anything else?

No.

He didn't talk to me. He just... Shut up!

I told you not to mess with my sister.

Yeah, you did.

You got no business in here with her alone.

She's a juvenile.

How old are you, Lupe?

Seventeen.

He lied to me, man. He said she was crying.

You got a permit for that?

Huh?

be the worst drunk of my life.

Any special reason why?

I was at 10th high school reunion.

A bunch of guys trying to outdo each other in the macho department.

Now, Max had graduated just a year before we did, so we decided we'd go

his place and finish up the celebration.

And for some reason, he thought that we were disturbing his customers and asked

us to leave.

Oh, I can't imagine why.

Well...

I threw the first punch, I admit it.

And he went to the hospital and I went to the drunk tank.

Somebody dropped the charges, right?

I went over the next day. I apologized.

He accepted.

That's the end of the story.

Nice of him to let you off the hook, huh?

Max never did anything nice in his life.

If that means you don't like him too much.

Well, I'll admit I thought he was hurt.

Reynoso. What is that?

Reynoso is something that's too low to kick and too wet to step on.

Other than that, he was a great guy.

I came back from Vietnam. There were bars on my mom's window.

And my kid brother had been busted for possession.

You blame Santiago?

Yeah, I do.

Any uniformed cop in this neighborhood would tell you Santiago took over Monte

Vista at the end of the Vietnam War, and he turned it into a place where you

could get anything you wanted, from a $10 bag of rock to a teenage girl for

And a feeling that way makes me a suspect.

You got about a thousand other people out there who feel exactly the same.

You were right, you know, these are great.

Oh, I think.

Yeah, but I don't think I should eat for another week after this now.

And you have to let me pick up the check, okay? No, no, no. You couldn't

it even if you wanted to. The chef is my mother -in -law.

That's funny. I thought you were single.

I wonder why.

Well, my wife died about ten months ago.

Oh, I'm sorry.

What's your status? Are you married? Are you single?

I guess you could say we have something in common.

My husband died.

He was...

Killed about five years ago.

He was detoxing.

Sorry.

You have any children?

No. You?

No. Not for want of trying.

Alina was a good Catholic girl.

The match on the tire treads wasn't even close, Charlie. What about Santiago's

people? Well, they were nothing but hired hands. Santiago's death just made

problems for them.

You know, there's some political pressure building on this case.

The chief is leaning toward me dumping this case on OCID. Yeah, well, give it

OCID if you think they can do a better job, but I doubt it.

That's why I'm leaving you two on it. You're very smart.

What makes you think that Paco and Miguel didn't kill Max?

He treated them like dirt.

Yeah, they may be stupid, but they're not that stupid. They depended on Max.

Maybe everything will turn out okay.

I don't think so.

Max getting killed was the worst thing that could have happened to any of us.

Miguel, what the hell are you doing?

Yeah,

the guys who pulled this cape for Charlie are a pair of real geniuses.

Footprints, two eyewitnesses.

And the license plate number.

Are you sure your witness has made an idea that he'll stand up in court?

Yep.

Well, where are the witnesses now?

At home.

They'll be in any time we want them.

Yeah.

He's right here.

McCall. Yeah.

What do you got? The witness got the license plate wrong, but not so wrong we

couldn't find the car.

Where is it? It's abandoned down at a corner at 12th and Seville.

Car's on the hot sheet and there's a recently fired shotgun underneath the

passenger seat. Run all prints against Miguel Ortiz and Paco Rivera.

Good. Well, I'll either be in the car or at Max Santiago's restaurant.

Uncle, do you remember anybody inviting this dude to sit with us? Hey, where's

Guerrero? If I knew, I wouldn't be telling you.

Hey, hey, hey, Miguel, Miguel, calmate.

I mean, the man's just trying to do his job.

Get up to it, man.

Reese will be here later.

Now, uh, he's a little late. 40 minutes late, so we ordered.

Well, 40 minutes late, not 25, not 45 minutes late. What are you guys doing

watching the clock?

Hey, we don't have to talk to you.

No, no, no, you don't, so I'll talk to you.

Your friend Guerrero is dead, as a doornail.

Dead. Remember somebody killed him or what?

Luis was killed?

Like Max?

No, no, no, not like Max.

He was killed by amateurs.

We have the car and the gun.

Yeah, Luis was a friend.

All right, he will be missed.

Remember, we're next.

Remember, we need police protection.

No need to ask.

Are you Sergeant Hunter?

Yeah, I am. There's a phone call for you at the end of the bar. Thanks, honey.

Thanks very much.

Go. They were smart enough to wipe off the car and the gun, but we still got a

nice, clean Ortiz print from the cartridges they left behind.

Is Ortiz there? Yeah, they're here.

Wait a minute. They left. I'll let them get away. I've got to call you back.

You didn't pay your bill, mister.

This is L -56.

Go ahead, L -56. I'm in pursuit of two 187 suspects proceeding eastbound on

Salamanca Boulevard at the 600 block.

Vehicle is a late model Oldsmobile, blue over white. L -56 out.

Look carefully.

Do you recognize any of these men?

The one in the middle.

Which one was he?

He fired a gun.

That's fine, honey. You did just fine.

Next group, please.

I have a word with you outside for a minute.

Sure.

Just relax, please. I'll be right back.

Yeah?

Do you want to tell me about that in there?

What, the lineup? Yeah, the lineup.

Hey, Hunter, why don't you just cool it, huh?

I knew where to find those two guys, and you didn't. I booked them in at 5 a .m.

this morning, and I picked up the two kids before they left for school.

Why didn't you call me?

Hey, roused you out of bed at 5 a .m.? It's done all the time.

Hunter, you know the pressure that's building up on this case. Yeah? Yeah,

Commander Kane's demanding action, and so is Devane.

So I moved too fast here? Hey, I'm sorry about that.

Let me just tell you one thing.

A homicide.

My murder case.

You should have called me, Dan.

Look, we pretty well know that Rivera and Ortiz murdered Guerrero, right?

Where do you think that puts us in relationship to the Santiago killing?

Case is closed. You're crazy.

Guerrero contracts a hit on Santiago.

Rivera and Ortiz waste Guerrero.

You guys got a hit guy out there someplace you'll probably never find?

The pressure's off. You know something? You're full of it.

Yeah, but the pressure's off. Let's get this over with.

Okay, guys.

Is there anybody in this group?

The second one.

Can I see him from the side?

Sure.

Okay, everybody.

Half turn to the right, please.

Yeah, the second one. He's the driver.

So Rivera drove and Ortiz did the firing.

We've got double eyewitness confirmation plus fingerprint evidence.

This is good work, Sergeant.

Thanks.

So, on the Santiago case, we've got an outstanding suspect, a hitman. But with

Guerrero dead, the case is a very cold one, right? No, it is not a cold case.

Hey, Hunter, if you're ticked off about me jumping... Yeah, I am ticked off

about that, Dan.

And just because you got the two idiots that killed Guerrero, that doesn't mean

you can forget about Santiago.

What do you think, it takes some kind of genius to hire a hitman?

Guerrero was smart enough to know one thing. If anything ever happened to Max,

they'd all be washing cars for a living.

Captain, we checked Guerrero's bank balance. He had $4 ,900 with no large

withdrawals in the last year. Now, come on.

These two killings are worlds apart.

I mean, we're talking about entirely different leagues here. So what? You

hitman, you're going to get a professional job.

Well, thank you very much.

Ortiz and Rivera say that Guerrero hired the hit on Max. Now, why should we

believe them? The DA's not going to buy it either. I don't think the pressure's

off.

Look, I'm not trying to shut you down on the Santiago case.

But Fulton's theory here makes sense to me.

Those three flunkies had it made. Guerrero knew that. Well, those other

obviously didn't think so. Those other two dips didn't think, period.

Oh, Father.

It's been a while.

Yes, it has.

Remember, you used to take us altar boys up here for pigments.

We still do.

Let's walk, Jack.

I suggested the park because I thought you'd refuse to meet me at the church.

Father, I would have been happy to meet you at the church.

What's on your mind?

Max Santiago.

You killed him, Jack.

And I feel responsible, of course.

Why?

Because I told you what he did to Elena.

All you told me was that Elena hadn't been unfaithful to me.

That she'd been raped. You didn't tell me, Michael.

You found out to us, Santiago.

Was it from Miguel Ortiz's sister?

Even if I knew there was Max Santiago, that doesn't prove that I killed him.

You killed him, Jack.

And for the sake of your immortal soul, I want you to go to the police.

Father, you're quick to judge other people, but what about what you did?

You repeated to me something that you learned in the confessional. Elena came

me and asked my blessing for an abortion. That is not a confession.

And Elena telling me that Santiago had raped her and she was pregnant, that is

also not a confession.

She had committed no sin.

And I had every right to tell you after Elena died what she told me.

Why didn't you tell me before she killed herself?

The only reason I told you at all is because I saw your face when the autopsy

showed she was pregnant.

I didn't want you to go through the rest of your life believing she'd been

unfaithful to you.

And so I did tell you, to my eternal regret, because now you've committed a

and calculated murder.

And then Miguel Ortiz and Paco Rivera have committed another.

And God only knows where it'll all stop. I'm not going to the police, Father.

And neither are you.

Elena told you, you told me, and that's where it's going to end.

So you could escape judgment?

You're a priest, Father, not a cop.

I just wish things were as simple as that, Jack.

Oh, well, if they're not, they sure as hell ought to be.

What's your source on this, Forty? I don't believe that you asked me that,

Hunter. What is my source?

How reliable is your information?

It is a consensus of opinion, my friend.

Nobody who knows how the world spins believes that it was a business hit.

A jealous husband?

Or the father or brother of some child that Santiago peddled to a Bel Air

customer? I mean, that is how the cognoscente of crime views the act.

Sporty, I want to thank you for your time. Sergeant McCall would like to

you. The pleasure was non -existent.

Once again, I have the forces of truth, justice, and the American way.

Sergeant Hunter?

Oh, uh, Lupe Ortiz. This is Miguel's sister, Lupe. This is Sergeant McCall.

I need to talk to you.

Mm -hmm.

Lupe is only 17 years of age, so we will be needing a chaperone. Would you like

to join us in the interrogation room?

I'm worried about what will happen to my brother.

He had nothing to do with killing Max.

He didn't.

I think a man named Jack Pruitt killed Max.

Do you have anything that might prove that?

No.

But just over a year ago, his wife Elena came to see Max.

to get us okay so her mother could open up a little restaurant.

Max wanted Elena real bad, starting in high school, because she was beautiful

and didn't like him.

And there she was in his office above his restaurant, asking for a favor.

Max said...

Sure, Lena's mother could open up a restaurant.

And then he tried to kiss her.

And she slapped him.

And he raped her.

Were you there when this happened?

Yes.

And Max did this in front of you.

Yes. Lupe, Max Santiago's record shows no sign of any rape charges.

Elena told me not to tell nobody.

She said if her husband found out, he would kill Max.

And he did.

Did you tell Jack Pruitt about the rape?

I didn't tell nobody.

Jack must have figured it out. I don't know.

I'm going to take a little ride downtown.

I'll get back in touch with you. Lupe, just relax. We know your brother Miguel

did not kill Max Santiago, okay?

I'll talk to you later.

Yeah? Jack Pruitt?

Right.

Sergeant Hunter, Metropolitan Police.

I was wondering if I might have a word with you about last Sunday's shooting.

Sure, sure. Come on in.

Thanks.

Sit down back here.

Have a seat.

Can I get you something?

I've got a warm beer somewhere, I think.

No, I'm fine. Thanks, Jack. I just need a little bit of your time is all.

I understand you had a nice little conversation with my partner, Sergeant

McCall, Monday?

Oh, yeah, yeah.

Nice lady.

Yeah, very nice.

She was mentioning that you and your wife were unable to have children.

I don't remember her telling me that.

Did she read you your rights?

No. We just had a friendly conversation.

Well, you do know that you have the right to remain silent. If you give up

right, anything you say can be used against you in a court of law. You also

the right to have an attorney present. Do you understand that, Jack?

Yeah, sure. I just don't know where you're getting at.

Ten months ago, your wife committed suicide. I believe it was a sleeping

overdose.

Yeah, that's right.

And the autopsy report showed that she was three months pregnant.

Was there a... Was there a suicide note, Jack?

No.

Have you been talking to Father Cusack about this?

See, my wife told Father Cusack that she had been raped.

And after she...

Took her own life.

Father Cusack told me about it.

But he didn't tell me who... who'd done it.

So you didn't answer my question. Did Father Cusack tell you this? No, he

didn't, Jack. I haven't talked to Father Cusack.

I'm glad of that.

He and I were very, very close for a long time.

So I take it I'm a suspect in the murder of Max Andy, huh?

Yes, you are.

Do you think I should get an attorney?

Yes, I do.

Well, it's going to be a long drive back to the station.

Could I use your bathroom?

Yeah, sure.

Just down the hall.

Well, thanks a lot, Jack. You better get going.

If you need to get a hold of me for any reason, reach me at that number.

I thought you were going to arrest me.

Oh, should I?

No.

No, not in my opinion.

I think the district attorney might agree with you at this point in time.

I still suggest you get yourself an attorney.

Hey, Reuben.

Do me a favor, will ya?

Check these hairs against the one we saw at the crime scene.

Sure, honey.

Where'd you get this hair?

Why?

It's a perfect match, that's why.

Oh, I went back to the scene of the crime and looked around a little bit

and found a couple of hairs.

Thanks.

Hi. You awake?

Well, I am now.

What time is it anyway?

I need to talk to you. Are you alone?

Yes, I am.

What's going on?

I'll be there in 15 minutes.

All we have is two hairs.

No motive.

We can't even prove he knew Santiago raped his wife.

So what are you trying to say?

Look, do you want to forget that you found the evidence of Pruitt in the room

the shots came from?

Well, that's just my point.

We don't have enough evidence to convict this guy.

The captain is going to say that we have probable cause to arrest Pruitt, and

that's our job.

Even if we both want to look the other way.

Well, it certainly wouldn't be the first time two cops look the other way.

Yeah, but I don't know how much longer I could keep being a cop if I did that.

Hunter, look, maybe you and I think that Pruitt did society a favor here by just

bucking the system, by taking matters into his own hands, but the bottom line

if you and I look the other way, then we're no better than he is.

Look, I know that.

I do know that.

Okay?

I'm just tired of seeing Pruitt suffer.

I'm just tired of it. I think he's suffered enough.

Get any sleep last night?

No.

Doesn't it look like it?

Yeah.

I didn't sleep too well myself.

So did you come to a decision based on what we were talking about into the wee

hours in the morning? Yes, I did.

We're both still here.

We certainly are.

I have decided that I'm going...

You got someplace we could talk in private?

I haven't had much peace of mind these past few days.

Or sleep, either.

This morning at 6 o 'clock, there was a knocking on my door.

It was Father Cusack.

Came by to have a little chat about my immortal soul.

I guess he's been looking out for it ever since he baptized me.

I talked to him about your visit yesterday.

And how I had the feeling that you knew that I... Anyway,

I wound up making my first confession since before Alina died.

And afterward, I felt peace.

I felt real peace.

The first time since I decided that I was going to kill... Jack, just a

Now, you recall yesterday, I read you the rights of your home. Recall that?

Now, you do have the right to have an attorney present.

Yeah. I suggest you do that right now.

You can use my phone.

Thanks.

Yeah, I guess I better do that.

Yeah, it's really a coincidence seeing Mike Snow here today, isn't it?

How did you happen to get hooked up with Jack Prude, anyway?

Well, if I didn't know it was illegal, I swear you referred him to me.

How do you think it's going to go?

What have you got?

A lot of evidence, Mike. A lot of hard evidence.

And we can get more.

I know you, too. I don't doubt that.

But don't bother, because I'm going for a dim -cap defense.

If I can't prove diminished capacity after what that poor man went through,

wife raped, made pregnant by a creep like Santiago, and then taking her own

because of it, if I can't win this case on diminished capacity, I'm going to

join the enemy and run for district attorney.

Good luck.

Well, here goes another close case.

Hey, you know, when we were inside there, you were...

You were going to tell me something right when Pruitt came in. What was

Uh -huh.

Yeah, I couldn't quit either.

Hunter, where did you get this pie?

Out of your closet.