Original subtitles

Do you, Angela, take this man to be your husband and have him to hold

from this day forward for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer,

in sickness and in health?

Are you sure about this fellow?

I mean, I've known him for years. We didn't think he'd ever get married.

And his mother, she comes with the deal. You realize that?

Okay, then.

Love, honor, and cherish forsaking all others till death do you part.

I do.

The ring, please.

I now pronounce you

husband and wife.

Another free man bites the dust.

Yep.

Always cry at weddings.

You're not crying.

Keep it inside, town. Don't want to upset the troops.

AJ.

Yeah, you almost had a fumble on the handoff there.

Hey, come on. We scored.

No, no. AJ, the bride and groom score.

Best man goes home after the ceremony.

Who's Liz? Anybody seen her?

She likes to be here for the throwing of the, whatchamacallit. She never catches

it, but she likes to see it.

Great catch.

Uh -huh.

You know what the rest of my day is going to be like? Oh, yeah.

Excuse me while I get a head start on some invasive tactics. Bob and Weave,

and Weave, stay away from the right.

Rick, you met Mrs. Kaplan? Yes, hi, Mrs. Kaplan. Oh, hi.

Isn't it a lovely wedding? Yes, ma 'am, it sure is. Maybe it'll give you some

ideas. Yes, Rick, when are you and A .J. going to settle down?

Probably makes you feel like settlement in a bottle.

Rick just hasn't met the right girl yet. Really?

Have you ever met my daughter Brenda? Yes.

Oh. I'm not going to be able to make it.

I've got a wedding, a friend of my wife's.

I can't. I can't just leave her here.

She's already asking questions.

I'm not trying to stall. I just need a little more time, that's all.

Tomorrow.

I promise.

The only thing that charges need is a decent pass brush, don't you think?

I'm thinking about a honeymoon in South France.

That works for me. When I can afford a honeymoon in South France, we'll get

married. Well, money shouldn't come between us. I mean, especially since I

so much of it.

That's why it keeps coming between us.

So, just because your male, macho ego won't allow you to share in my good

fortune, I got a way for a honeymoon in France?

Listen, I heard Escondido is beautiful this time of the year. You can find her

anywhere.

So as I was saying, if the charges pick up... Well, these flowers could wind up

on your grave.

Hefty, hefty.

Swedish meatballs always taste better at weddings.

Where else are they served, Swedish meatballs?

But I know what you mean. It's sort of like hot dogs at the ballpark, right?

Yeah, like that.

Hi, Rick Simon.

Hi.

Not D. Rick Simon.

Well, that kind of depends on what you've heard.

Oh. Probably all lies. Oh, I see.

Unless it's good, then it's definitely all lies.

I don't think your mother would lie.

I've known Cecilia for years.

We served on the same committee for the library fund drive.

She's always talking about her sons, private detectives.

What, that she told me about you?

No, in all this time she hasn't told me about you.

Mom, Mom, I don't know if you can leave yet.

Yeah, I guess so, honey.

Chris, come here.

I'd like you to meet Mr. Simon.

Hey, Chris.

Well, it was a pleasure meeting you, Mrs. Brooks.

Thanks.

Don't eat too many.

I love

you.

I just called.

I know that it would be a very difficult time for you.

Here he is.

You didn't tell me you'd met a prospective client at the wedding.

I didn't know I had.

Hi. Hi.

I hope you don't mind my coming in like this. I started thinking after we

talked. Not at all.

What's the problem?

Mrs. Brooks thinks that her husband would be having an affair with another

woman.

Bill's been working late.

Sometimes he doesn't come home at all.

Well, that could be anything.

I've also picked up the phone extension and heard him talking with another

woman.

But it's not just that. It's how he is with me.

We've handled quite a lot of these investigations, Mrs. Brooks.

Things aren't always what they seem.

Sometimes they are, but in this case, let's hope you're wrong.

Yeah, there is one suggestion that we do always make in a case like this, and

that is go home and think about it.

Make up your mind.

Sometimes a client decides it's better not to know at all.

Well, that won't be necessary.

I've made up my mind, and if it's true, I intend to leave him.

Funny. Yesterday a wedding and today a divorce.

Does it ever bother you?

I mean, you know that you and I chronicle the fall of human

Okay, you're talking about our bread and butter here.

Hey, look, all's fair in love and basketball. Both games need referee.

It's depressing.

I'm not depressed.

You and I have seen lying.

cheating, deceit, and that's just the way.

Look at the Krellmans.

Right on.

Married 30 years.

And one day, Bud goes to the dry cleaners, picks up some little

it's all over.

Now, if that wasn't a solid marriage, what is? Bud and A .D. Krellman stayed

together for 30 years just to spite each other.

You can find a little happiness if the dry cleaner's more power to him. Bet you

can't name me one successful marriage.

I can name ten.

Ten?

Every year the national tattletale comes out with its Hollywood's ten best

marriages list. I bet none of them ever won two years in a row.

Actually, one of the actors did win twice.

Two different wives, of course.

Someone we know.

You're going to make this tough, huh?

All right.

How about Frank and Christine?

They're in counseling.

All right.

John and Beverly.

You didn't hear? Hear what?

Beverly cleaned out their joint bank account and disappeared with the kids

Tuesday.

Okay, unqualified success, Larry and Suzanne.

Just got married yesterday.

And they said it wasn't the last. All right, you made your point. It's real

tough to make a marriage work these days. That's what I told Liz.

Is that what we're talking about here?

The marriage vows got her all upset.

She doesn't think I'm ever going to marry her. Yeah?

What do you think?

I think he's leaving I can see that he's leaving

Separate cars.

Neutral meeting place.

Dark glasses.

I don't pattern.

Better.

Well,

she

looks like an expensive habit.

It could turn out to be more expensive than you think.

Good bottle of wine.

Nice candlelight dinner.

A little illicit romance.

What,

we got a little trouble in paradise?

What did he say, your lover's quarrel? I guess so.

No,

no, no, no, no.

You've got it all backwards. First you get the guy to marry you, then you

Well, it's always that.

I guess the fight took the edge off the evening.

How sad for them both.

We followed her to an art gallery in La Jolla.

The place was closed, but she had a key, so I guess she works here.

You know anybody who works in an art gallery?

No.

Went back to the construction office. Your husband was there.

I suppose he took a cab.

A man with two mistresses.

A woman and a job. Not much time for the wife and son.

St. Christopher to his grandparents at night.

Black? Yeah.

AJ will have the photos out of the lab in a couple of hours, but stuff we got

today is not the kind of hard evidence you can take into court.

You mean I need photographs of them together in the act?

That's the way it's usually done, yeah.

It's up to you if you want to take it that far.

I don't want to ever have to see the pictures. Is that possible?

Yeah.

I better go.

Oh, talk to me.

Could you just stay and talk to me? I just don't want to be alone.

Look, I know your husband. I said he wouldn't be home until late. Bill hasn't

been home before 11 in over a year.

He just waits till he thinks I'm asleep so he doesn't have to face me.

I think you know how you're going to react when you find out for sure.

I mean, your mind plays it over so many times, you know, you're tired of hearing

it.

But it's one more time, right?

I really didn't think I'd fall apart.

It's okay.

It's okay.

It's okay. Carl, your client.

No, no.

Just the human ones.

Well, there really hasn't been a marriage in so long.

I've just been hanging in there for Christopher's sake, you know. And Bill

really isn't a very good father, you know.

If I stay here, I probably will be.

I don't understand this. We've never had trouble like this in our neighborhood.

Well, these weren't kids. These guys were older.

Ah! Ooh, that's cold.

It's good, though.

Hello?

Bill, where are you?

Well, I need you here.

Because somebody just smashed all the windows in my car, and I'm frightened.

When are you...

Great.

Out of town for several days. No explanation, no nothing.

What?

It's just the bad boys outside and your husband calling.

Odd timing.

You don't think Bill saw you following him, do you? No, no, not a chance.

Must have been vandal things.

It doesn't make any sense. I mean, the power wagon's okay.

None of the other cars on the block were hurt.

I'm just glad you were here.

Yeah, me too.

Oh, that feels good.

Revel scars.

Yeah, well, I've been pretty well mapped and carried.

No, come on, Liz.

Darling,

we've always been able to talk.

Well, why can't we come to some sort of arrangement? I mean, something like... I

don't know.

Getting engaged to be engaged.

We could... Hello?

You know, A .J., when we moved into this neighborhood, I told you we could count

on some bum wandering in off the street.

He's on the run. He's got an irate anchorwoman after him. I wouldn't say

too angry.

She just called me every hour on the hour all night long.

Didn't say a word, just hung up.

Well, then, how do you know it was... Ah.

What's the matter with you?

Oh, I just had a minor disagreement last night with some guys who were trying to

remodel Carol Brooks' car.

The car got hurt worse than I did.

Doesn't sound like your average divorce case.

No. No, something just doesn't feel right about it.

What are we missing?

Do you think the husband has anything to do with it?

Well, turn that around.

Maybe this has got something to do with him.

Someone trying to scare him?

These guys were pretty scary.

About half an hour later, Brooks called home, said he was leaving town on a

business trip.

That's scared.

Excuse me.

Okay, you got it, fellas.

Bill Brooks around?

No, he's out of town for a couple of days.

Out of town? What, are you kidding?

I'm the foreman. I don't kid.

All right, well, I'm Andy Simon. I'm with Grand Republic Insurance, and Bill

I were supposed to get together today to discuss his proposal for the new Grand

Republic Towers.

I'm sorry to hear that. It must have slipped his mind.

Slipped his mind.

The Twin Towers of Grand Republic, signature of the San Diego skyline, just

slipped his mind.

I'm sure he tried to contact you.

Well, I'll tell you what. Why don't you do Mr. Brooks a favor and tell me how I

can get in touch with him?

Wish I could.

Talked to the boss this morning, said he couldn't be reached.

What the hell happened here?

Found it like this this morning.

Probably one of those damn street gangs who hang around here at night.

So the working assumption is that he is hiding from someone somewhere for some

unknown reason.

We're making a lot of progress here.

I still think the girlfriend's hiding him out someplace.

Hi, Mom.

Hi, honey.

We got to start somewhere.

Might as well be her art gallery, speaking of which... Ta -da!

I found them behind the chicken wire in my garage.

I took a couple of messages for you.

Oh, yeah?

From Carol Brooks.

Ah. Anything urgent?

No. She just said, call her whenever you can.

She's a client, Mom.

Yes.

Ah, original Marlowe's. Told you they'd be worth saving.

along with a four -foot box of rubber bands, your collection of chewing gums

from around the world, and a dead turtle which is still in my garage.

The turtle died?

Boy, he just wandered in there about 20, 25 years ago.

Been looking for him.

Oh, hi, Marlo.

Hey, no, come on, get off of there. Maybe he just wants to reach out to you.

Come on, Marlo. Good boy, good boy.

Yes, we've done some... Very beautiful restorations of oil paintings.

Custom framing, of course.

Why don't you come in and let me take a look at it?

My name is Samantha Blake.

May I help you?

Oh, my.

No, just browsing.

Isn't it lovely?

It's a steal at 10 ,000.

I'll say.

Lady, lady, lady, I am thanking you so much. In all of my life, I will never be

able to thank you enough.

Anatole's life is your life. I don't understand.

Ah, America, it's wonderful to be here.

My country, it is of thee, sweet land of Libertine. You got a beer?

Who are you, and what are you talking about? I am sending you paintings from

Bulgaria. You are sending from Bulgaria for me. Come, America. America, my

country, it is of thee.

There is no mistake. You see, I am sending you everything.

These I go on the boat on the way over.

You see, these are much better than paintings I sent from Bucharia.

It's a rough voyage.

Yes, I can see that.

Mr... Anatole.

Mr. Anatole. No, no, no, no. Not Mr. Anatole. Simply Anatole.

I am not the one who sent for you.

What? I am not the one who sent for you.

My name is Samantha Blair.

Yes.

That is the name on the telegraph. Well, then it's going to be enough.

How many Samantha Blakes could there be?

Hey.

Oh, hey, these are nice. You are liking this?

Oh, very much. You buy direct from Anatole, I'm giving you wholesale price.

For real?

Absolutely. You betcha you got yourself a deal, hotshot lady. I am thanking you

so much from the bottom of my heart. Yes, thank you.

Bye.

Hey, Chris.

Who's winning?

The North.

Again, huh?

You know, I got a whole collection of soldiers in my house.

Oh, yeah. I don't play with them too much anymore. You want them?

Sure.

Honey, why don't you go outside and play for a while? Mr. Simon and I have some

business to discuss.

I'll bring him by tomorrow, okay?

I must have fought the Battle of Gettysburg a hundred times a day.

The way I did it, we always won.

Listen, Carol, we, uh... We don't think your husband's having an affair, after

all.

What?

No.

He's in serious trouble.

What kind of trouble?

The, uh, the woman in the pictures is a loan shark.

And Bill owes her almost a million dollars.

At an interest rate of about 10 % a week.

That kind of money has got to be tied to some serious crime syndicate.

Last night's date must have been his last -ditch effort to...

extend the loan.

Well, the construction on the building's been delayed several times.

Yeah, well, I...

I think the bad boys last night must have been delivering a past due notice.

Well, can you help him? Can you get him out of this?

Maybe.

If we get to him before they do, if he's willing to cooperate with the police.

Try, okay?

Yeah.

Rick, it doesn't matter if he's having an affair.

Marriage is over now, I know that.

Carol, I don't want to break up a family.

We're not a family.

I told you that.

Bill's never needed us.

Look at this!

He's involved in organized crime and I didn't have the first notion!

You're falling in love right now.

I didn't want any of this to happen.

You want me to let you out, Thug? Forget it.

I'm so happy now.

I'm falling in love with you, Rick.

And if you can stand there and tell me...

Tell me honestly that you don't feel anything for me. It's still not going to

save my marriage.

And you might be real sorry for the rest of your sad lonely nights.

Been meeting with Don Diablo behind my back. We were out of lighter fluid.

Besides,

Don's not a bad listener.

Yeah, I get a little noisy in the morning.

Of course, I'm holding a story or two myself in my time.

You love her, A .J.? Then do it.

If I don't, I'll lose her.

Then do it.

Strange advice coming from the old prospector.

Yeah, well, I've kind of been contemplating the same thing myself.

You what? Who?

Carol Brooks.

No.

She's a client.

She's a married client.

That's breaking all the rules.

I'll drink to that.

Carol Brooks, huh?

Yep.

Probably a monkey's uncle.

I certainly hope not.

You know what this means, don't you?

Yeah, I think so.

You just leave the same person every night?

It'll be all right. Tomorrow I'll move over a little bit. It'll work.

It means community property, insurance policies, sharing the bathroom.

It means you'll have to move.

Al, I've only been sticking around here because you need looking after. When you

hit you up with Liz, I won't have to do that anymore.

You're right.

I'll do it.

I'll do it.

I'll propose to Liz.

You know, if we time this right, we could have a double wedding.

Mom's heart would never stand the strain. That's true.

Well, here's to all the girls we leave behind.

Something I can do for you, sport?

Is Liz here?

Yeah, but she's just getting out of the shower and we're in sort of a hurry.

Well, I'm in sort of a hurry myself. You want to tell her that A .J. Simon is

here and would like to talk to her?

You're not selling magazines, are you? Look, fella. Okay, sport, just take it

easy. Just take it easy. I'll tell her.

I'm afraid she doesn't want to see you.

She doesn't want to see me?

That's the way I heard it.

I'll wait.

Look, sport, you're embarrassing her. You're embarrassing me.

But most of all, you're embarrassing yourself.

You had your chance, now it's mine.

So why don't you be a good sport, sport, and just go on home?

Tell her I'll call...

Thanks, Bruno.

Oh, yeah, that's exactly what I needed.

Uh... No, I wouldn't feel right about that, Bruno.

No, see, A .J.'s very attached to that sweater.

Well, see, my mom knitted that sweater for him.

Oh, sure, she'd love to.

Oh, yeah.

Knitting's her favorite pastime.

Okay, Bruno.

Yeah.

All right.

Thanks again.

Bye.

I never knitted A .J. a sweater. I hate to knit.

Yeah, well, you got to understand how it is with Bruno, Mom. You can't give up

anything too easily. Otherwise, he feels cheated.

Dad was prepared to give him A .J.'s sweater before I started.

Oh, I'm sure A .J. will appreciate that.

Is he here?

No, he just went out for a small errand.

Good. I wanted to talk to you alone.

A mother's intuition.

I know what I'm doing, Mom.

How serious is it?

Serious.

For her, too?

I've known for some time that the marriage was in trouble.

Marriage is over.

It's never over till it's over.

Thank you, Yogi Berra.

Be careful, honey.

Didn't see her, huh?

Not at home?

I'll... I'll call her later.

Where am I driving to?

Oh, it's a motel in Granville. Got it from Bruno.

There was one call yesterday and then another one this morning. Only two toll

calls to the construction office in the last two days. Got to be Brooks.

Bruno take much in trade?

Nah. Nothing important.

Good.

Last time I talked to him, he tried to bargain me out of my best cashmere

sweater.

We're not the only ones who have a friend in this bum company.

Get in!

Brooks, get in!

Come on, we work for your wife. Get in the car.

Go.

An affair?

I wish it were that simple.

When we fell behind scheduling the construction, it looked like we were

lose everything.

The banknotes were due.

It was either bankruptcy or Samantha.

Unfortunately, I chose Samantha.

I knew as soon as the building was done, I could pay her back.

Well, then why the sudden pressure to pay up?

Because once you take their money, they want more than your interest.

They want your soul.

She was pressuring me to replace my contractors with some of her friends.

And I presume that her friends' reputation for quality work was somewhat

questionable.

Substantive materials, cutting corners, ignoring building codes. I couldn't

stand there and watch people going into my building. My building!

And never know for sure if they were safe.

So I told Samantha the answer was no.

I need you now.

Wasn't sure you'd come.

Don't be silly.

He needs me, Rick, for the first time.

I'll be all right.

I know you will.

I mean, we can still be friends, you know.

I want to be back in your arms after five minutes, just like I do now.

I'm not exactly sure how to do this.

Just say goodbye.

to do a job. It's all over.

Rick.

Thank you.

Mr.

Brooks?

Thanks.

We're in business.

I know.

Just a question.

I'll talk to you later, okay?

Somebody told you I was here? We've been keeping an eye on this place while

you've been away.

Just to take our investment.

We have nothing to talk about, Samantha.

Bill, you're making this a lot harder than it needs to be.

Look, I have to answer to people, too. You can understand that. Look,

Bill, we want to go ahead with our contact.

I know your feelings about that.

We're willing to make a good -faced gesture, say a presented point off the

And if I don't agree?

You'll never finish this building.

I can live with that.

We'll be on.

I don't think it counts.

Don't give me much choice.

What do you want me to do?

That's what I like to hear.

It makes it so much easier.

He's wearing a wire.

That made it.

You have the right to remain silent.

Everything seems to be under control here.

Dinner waiting on the table.

Happy ending at the Brooks house?

One husband signed and sealed.

I'm sorry.

Yeah.

So am I.

Well, aren't you going to say it?

Say what?

It's all for the best. You'll get over it.

No. I'll drink to that.

What are you drinking to?

The error of our ways.

Which one?

I finally talked to Liz.

She turned me down.

You dialed the right number and everything?

Yeah.

She said she didn't believe me.

She said she didn't believe I was ready to make a lifelong commitment to her.

Uh -huh.

Maybe she's right.

Yeah.

She'll get over it.

No.

No, she broke it off permanently.

It's all for the best. You'll get over it.

I'll drink to that.

Well,

look at it this way, A .J.

Still got me.

I'm trying to get it.

Hello.

This is Rick.

Margie.

Margie!

Margie. The yoga instructor from the health club down Mission Bay. Hello,

Margie. I could use a good yoga instructor tonight.

Love to.

I could use a bad yoga instructor tonight.

No problem. Got the perfect guy for you. Yeah, yeah, my brother. You remember

short guy, good looking?

Your cousin Annabelle from Albuquerque.

Sounds interesting.

Yeah. She's not the chunky one, is she?