Original subtitles

tonight on Spencer for hire.

Man's name's Al, but hidden from New Jersey. Is that you, Albert?

I think we should talk. It's between you and me. You get this over an attorney.

Pretend I would not shoot an unarmed kid.

I just can't help wondering what would have happened yesterday

if you hadn't been carrying a gun. I'm gonna take away your license, Mr.

and then I'm going to put you in jail. Get a ram us.

When I was a kid, I remember wishing that summer would never end.

I just wanted more of those long, lazy days,

where nothing was more important than sleepy.

Unless it was playing. Like most kids I'd lived to play.

Baseball, football, any sport, anytime.

I always thought playing was good for the soul.

We are young? I almost got it.

Yeah, let me help. Okay, but don't drop it.

My dad'll kill me with the things I've been messing with it. What about bullets?

It's all we need. Come on, we haven't got much time.

Okay.

May we shine?

We're in this together.

Will you stop worrying? It'll be fun, just like it was before.

Those summers were over now and while I still like to play,

I like to watch others play even more, like the Patriots.

I had two on the 40 and a great-looking fan to go with.

All right, I'm late. I got a last minute

call. Good, nice. Too nice.

I'm trying to sliver my beer. I never know what to wear to a football game.

I think I should've worn something to repel hot dog mustard and pickle relish. Yeah.

Hey, it's my turn. All right, but you only get two shots.

OK, we can't afford to waste anymore bullets. OK.

Watch where you're pointing it. Come on. I know what I'm doing.

Watch me.

BAM!

Some cowboy.

So who called? Debsterfront. It'll just take a second.

He said somebody's up to message for me.

If they have a copy, never mind. I'll get it myself. Hey, Eddie.

You still driving that old clunk of Spencer? Clunker.

That old clunker still be running long after your pistons quit, buddy. Ah, no way.

You need a valve job soon. Next thing that goes is a cover. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

So how's the Mrs? You don't believe me? Yeah, I believe it.

It just makes me depressed knowing you're usually right about these things.

I'm planning to trip to Miami this winter. Good.

This guy gave me a 50. Told me to make sure you get it.

Said he's a good friend to you. Big tipper, bad spiller. Huh?

He spelt it with a C instead of an S. So what'd my friend look like?

Uh, he's about five four out of town at Jersey, maybe. Cheap cologne, dead roses.

I don't want to look at four. Look at her right away.

I'm kidding, you're kidding me. Come on on. Ah!

Get down, get down, Get down! Get down.

Get down now. He's still alive.

What the hell is going on? Get down here.

Get out. Get to the little little side.

Get the hell out.

God, he shot. He didn't shoot anybody. I was just leaving over some hell.

All of them, buddy.

BOOM!

Help somebody!

Get here!

Okay.

It's okay. You're okay.

Please, stop.

They're all crazy.

Look, I know a gun jack when I see one like him.

I think there was a war zone over here. What are you saying? He's the blame?

All I know is he was doing all the shooting.

Bang, bang, bang. Like it was a Chinese New Year's something.

Yeah. Oh, God.

I'm almost shook up.

People like him should not be allowed to carry a gun. People like them.

He may have a license to carry, but that does not give him a license to kill him.

Yeah, look, thanks very much for your statement.

And if we need it anymore, we'll give you a call, all right?

I'll take care of it. We're able to talk to his wife.

Frank and I told her that we talked to a downtown.

I couldn't tell her how it happened. Because you don't know.

I know he wasn't the target and I was, and I couldn' t tell her that.

You sure you'll be alright?

Give it a call.

I'm sorry.

That's all my...

I wish you. It's a touch on her. Nice.

about the kids good. There wasn't any. I saw it.

And we spent so we had a whole team going over that junk pile for over an hour.

They didn't find anything. Frank, I know what I saw. So did that cabbie.

He saw you shooting anything to move you. Well, he was wrong. And you, right?

Where's the gun?

I'll find it.

Do that, but first I'll ask you for your... What?

Ballistics report. We got a crime here.

Lieutenant, I would not shoot an unarmed kid. I'm talking about it, his death.

Now look at my sir. I'm in

command of Robert.

I hate homicide for the next two weeks I've been charged.

So don't give me a hard man.

much like the eyes anyway.

with time.

I swear on my mother's grave Spencer is not a reckless shooter.

There's been some problems inside. I didn't think it was. What I hear Spencer is OK.

I mean all the loud and make mistakes on distress.

Well I understand that sir but Spencer's not the kind of friend

that you could right now.

Well we know he was just the innocent victim in a homicide.

If he lives, if he lives

in somebody. If he dies. Well?

As wait and see. You take care of this. Buy the book, Sergeant. That's all we do.

Back up.

Lieutenant, Lieutenant, look, maybe I'm not the guy who did the job.

I mean, Spencer, we'd go a long way back. So, he's like you're in charge.

Everybody gets a fair here.

The Spencer is guilty of crime.

I want you to leave.

known Eddie for over a dozen years. And it hurt like hell to tell his widow

that somehow I was responsible, but I was.

Like I was responsible for shooting Harry Fontaine,

I still had to face his family and say I did it. That would hurt even more.

Can you tell me the condition of the front panel?

Friday in a couple hours ago, the gunshot was.

still critical. Are you a friend of the family?

I'm not exactly, are they here? The mother is, I think, waiting upstairs.

Yeah, watch the rope.

Sorry, I'm about your son.

Thank you. This is my neighbor, Mr. Reed. Mr. Reid. Are you at the school?

No, no, I'm not.

I'm a Spencer. Do you say Spencer? That's wrong. Yes.

This is not there.

Not easy, alright?

I'm the man who shot you some.

It's probably detective. There was a violence in the streets for shooting,

and he gave change. I just shoot. I read the police remind us killed by shots

that were fired at me. Why don't

you know how I thought about what happened?

What did happen? Why

would you shoot Harry? Well, I had a gun.

I don't know why, but he aimed at me. That was never any gun found, at least.

You were not at the scene, all right? You weren't there.

I wanted to talk to you about it.

No, I don't think so. There's no reason to.

Please, about the gun. It's just pencil my son has never owned a gun.

He's only 14.

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The blind man had no chance. He's dead for you got there.

Drums say there was a contract on him, and you thought you might want to know.

Might assuage your guilt.

Oh

I have no idea, but I will ask the screen.

Thanks.

Uh...

No good you thinking about that boy?

What if it ain't gonna go on?

What if the world was flat?

Maybe it is.

Maybe I shall ever listen to you.

If Hawk was right and the world was flat, I wasn't a whole lot of trouble.

But doubts are more cruel than the worst of truths.

And when the sun rose, I doubted no more. We tried not to.

It's all the truth I know I saw it again. Even

though I doubt it for a minute,

it didn't just walk away. Somebody took it. Remember hearing footsteps.

Well, maybe the shooter took it.

Anyway, what does it matter? What do

you mean? What does it matters?

You find the gun. Spencer, I know how you feel. How? How do I feel?

Maybe we just shouldn't talk about this. Come on, I want to hear it.

I want an audience on your mind.

well

I know you.

and you shot a kid and it's tearing apart.

I don't mean to be cruel, but I just don't say

you can rationalize what happened last night.

Even if the boy was carrying a gun.

It doesn't change the fact that he's a child.

Yeah, come on.

I've already said too much. Let's just say we agree to disagree. Oh, come on.

I want to hear it. The whole anti-gun campaign. Damn it, Spencer. I believe in it.

So do I. Part of it. Anyway, the part that says that kids shouldn't have guns.

But the part where the man can't defend himself, I don't buy it. All right.

Let's not quarrel, OK? Well, is that what we're doing quarrel?

And I thought we're having a nice quiet conversation

about an insensitive guy who thinks he has to have a gun to stay alive?

I didn't say that.

I just can't help wondering what would have happened yesterday.

if you hadn't been carrying a gun.

Thank you.

Spencer!

Great mood, huh? Hey, hey, come on, don't jump all over the messenger.

Lieutenant just wanted me to call you and tell you he

wants to see you down at the courthouse.

I thought you could know the... the idea he's thinking about filing charges.

Could be manslaughter of the boy Daz. Who's putting on the pressure? Who knows?

There's also going to be a police commission here to pull your gun for me.

That strongly advised you to get this over an attorney.

I'll have to hold on to your gun.

It's a long investigation, so over.

Sorry. Sorry. I thought you just liked me, guys.

You're not the best I've seen. You're NOT the worst.

Someone took a shot at you, and you did what you thought was best. Maybe it wasn't.

But I can't fault you.

Keep your hands together.

What was that kid doing there anyway?

What you're gonna blow at Spencer? It likes me. He likes it like a sore tooth.

You know enough pain he's gonna yank you. Sorry, there's almost poetic.

Look, do me a favor. I know it.

Hawks said there was a contract on Eddie and me, both.

Eddie's been giving me information since I was on the forest.

Can you look into the old files? No, not look into it. How's the kid?

Let me go there now. Find out. Give a look. Watch your back.

The blistics report came back on the 357 Magneham Shelley dug out at Eddie.

Came from the same gun used in two other killings, one of Miami, one in New York.

This guy's a real pro.

Nice.

Right. The Fontana Kid, right? Good memory. How is it?

Yeah, you never did say whether you were relative or not. You're right, I didn't.

He's still in enhancing. But like I told that other kid, no visitors yet.

What other kid? He'd went upstairs just a minute ago.

Okay.

Bye.

You were asking about Harry Fontana, you were

finna hit? Yes, sir. Sort of.

Do you know Mrs. Fontana? Well, yeah, sort of. Name a sponsor. And they meet you.

What's yours? To me. To me, Reed. Me and Harry are going to school together.

Oh, yeah. Bill Reed's son. Harry's neighbor. You guys best friends? Not exactly.

There's a bunch of us that hang around together. Yeah. But you play together, right?

Yeah. Like yesterday?

Sir? Jimmy, do you know what Harry was doing in the warehouse? No, sir.

Would you tell me if you didn't know?

Well sure.

What do you mean? Were you with him, Jimmy? No, sir, I wasn't. I have to go.

It's okay if you worry. You don't just play around. Look, I was in there.

I went to a movie. Jimmy, did you take the gun?

Look, i don't have to answer your question. Please, Jimmy. Stay away from me.

You're the one that hurt Harry, and now you're trying to blame me.

Thank you.

Man's name's Albert, hidden from New Jersey. Then as a ghost, these glasses. Right.

Half blind hitman. Don't be fooled by his looks. He's as good as he's bad.

Sounds like you know him quite well. We met on the dance floor once. No hired him?

Negative. Anything else? Like shoot people in the back and he won't quit.

Well, I'm not gonna quit either.

Well, i'm glad to see you not showing any undue remorse about that child.

Never happened to you. Never stayed around and found out.

That's not what I asked you. Aimful, Spencer. Got to be perfect.

Can't say you screwed up like other folks, huh? But it can happen.

What did you do about it? Nothing. Thinking too much may make you lose your edge.

Edge, everything.

Yes, I would very much like to talk to her just to...

Yes, it's personal, very personal. I know it's business hours.

Can you hang on one second? Do not hang on.

I'll be with you in a second. Come on in.

Yes, just tell the silverman that I would very much like to see her tonight.

Thank you, Miss Teaching Assistant Person.

I want to talk to her. You want to talked to me?

I start to wonder if anybody is listening in this world. Well, listen to this.

Stay away from my son!

Before we start trading punches, you want to some juice or some milk or something?

What is it with you, Mr. Spencer? You got a kick out of hurting kids, huh?

Do you think it seems like a real nice boy? Must be very proud of him. Yes, I am.

But he doesn't always tell the truth. Even to you. Oh, that is sick. You are sick.

You're trying to shift this guilt trip that you're on under somebody else.

I just asked him a few questions. It was hardly the third degree.

You're threatened to take him to the police station. He came home scared to death.

I'm frightened of him.

Well, actually, you frighten me.

I am frightened to think that a man like you can go around

intimidating people, never get punished for it,

because you have some sort of special private cop privilege.

Well, I'm gonna stop you.

You got friends downtown with Klopp, do you? No.

No, I'm just a little guy, thinks he has a right to complain.

to take away your license and then I'm going to see you in jail.

Three.

What do you do for a living?

I am the tax accountant. Why? You believe in the law of supply and demand,

the open marketplace, the rules of free enterprise? What's the point?

Well, the point is there are rules in my business, too.

They usually have to do with obeying the law, and I do because I believe in them.

Just for the record, I don't believe in hurting young children, either.

But you've had violence around you all your life, haven't you?

Combat Ward Beauty.

undercover police work, professional prize fighter.

And now this, tell you the truth. I think you're a public menace.

Now maybe that's because I don't know people like you. The people I know.

You see, they don't carry guns.

I hope to God that you won't be able to for much longer either.

And I wanted to blame the weather for my depression, and I couldn't.

being a menace to public safety was not making me happy.

I tried to think positively, look on the bright side, nothing worked.

Till Susan called and invited me over to her place.

I've been looking forward to seeing you. All right.

inside the room already.

to educate her, falls a victim to the same fallacy

as the woman who marries a man to reform him.

That guy died 150 years ago. I wouldn't listen to him.

I wanted to apologize.

but I couldn't find the words.

I still can't. Because you were right now, it was wrong.

about what? Whatever you said. I said some awful thing. I deserved it.

What did you say? I don't remember. There you have it. Actually, I can't forget.

At least how I felt. I don' know what it is about guns that makes my blood run out.

What do they do to people, sirs?

Yes, accepting you is accepting them.

I knew that when I came back, but God, I hate them. And I can't live without them.

So what are we going to do?

Well, we

can't get a divorce, we know it married. No. I can change.

It's start carrying a Billy Club.

When the bad guys start carrying bully clubs.

It only leaves one thing to do.

What's that?

Well, the quote, right young woman I know.

On this point at least we could agree to disagree. Get on with our life.

I'll turn to that.

You know, a year ago I would have hated myself for accepting a compromise.

Now it seems like the natural thing to do.

Hmm.

The hearing to revoke my gun permit was scheduled

in the beautiful old county courthouse downtown.

I thought it was a good omen, but if there was ever justice done, it was done here.

When I was a police officer and came here to testify,

I never doubted I'd be given a fair hearing.

Is there anything else you'd like to say, Mrs. Fontana?

I guess not, except I think the public should be protected from accidents like this.

There should be more laws so that people

couldn't carry guns or maybe even have them.

I know how you feel but of course the laws we

have do permitted under the Constitution.

Mr. Reid.

My quarrel is not with the law but with the abuse of the law.

I think that Mr. Spencer is clearly unable to

distinguish when it is proper to discharge

a firearm in a public place and when it does not.

I'm not a lawyer and I have no personal grudge against Mr. Spencer.

As you say, Mr. Reed, you're not an attorney.

And while I respect your opinion, I have a problem.

The evidence before me does not support your testimony.

Officer Belson has sworn in the fact that Mr.

Spencer's weapon was discharged only three times.

The two shots he fired before entering the building did not.

According to other witnesses, endanger anyone, except perhaps the missing assailant.

But I've seen you in action before Spencer.

And you're always walking the edge with me.

Some PI specialized into force cases or insurance fraud, but you expensive.

always involved in the heavy action. Not by choice.

If it were, I might have come to another conclusion here today.

as it is from all evidence before me.

I find no sufficient cause to revoke your license to carry a gun.

I saw it all.

This isn't over.

Congratulations. I knew they wouldn't take you as a wild man.

Thanks for your good words. Oh, you're a lunch. You owe me a real expensive lunch.

Look, I've been through the files. Even though you had a case a couple years ago,

involving a dead, called girl, an 80-tiped-junk who owned

the Pandapalas over at the South End, I miss the Thomas Flarrity. Flarrty?

Yeah, servant 10 to 20, but still higher in hitters.

We know that from the boys in organized crime.

Anyway, one of these hitters, a guy named Albert,

the priest gave a perfect description of them.

Did Flarrady know about you and Susan?

If Flarity didn't know, he had ways to find out,

and money enough to send the very best.

But I figured this hitter had two strikes against him.

One, I knew about him, and two, so did Hawk.

A man who couldn't abide by his cowardly approach to killing people.

Well.

I've got the lives of an urban feline. It was Albert. I missed him, though.

Witness, say you had a chance to take a shot, didn't do it.

That's not a smart way to stay alive, now is it? What else do you hear?

Tommy Flaredy.

Sounds like you and Belson are drinking from the same trough. You got us confused.

Do you offer you any protection? Yeah, I said no. Fool's word. Why?

This is my neighborhood. He's a stranger. You got nothing to worry about, didn't I?

Want me to worry? OK, I'll worry, but I'll do it my own way. How's that?

Well, I thought I'd go home and take a shower,

but I haven't been a good man and wait for the jerk to show up. Brilliant.

waiting was the worst part.

And my mind's eye, all I could see was the boy I shot, holding the gun.

I had to think of something else.

What was missing?

I tried to concentrate on every detail I could remember.

I remembered hearing the first gunshot and seeing any fall.

I'm covering Susan with two more shots with fire.

Then I saw someone with a gun. Remember firing two rounds of the man.

Bang, bang, bang! It was a Chinese New Year's or something.

How many shots did he say? How many shot were actually fired?

Because these kind of questions have drove me crazy.

I could think of only one guy who might have the answers.

It was lunchtime and as the spatcher told me where he might be.

Hey, look, I don't want any trouble. Look, take it easy.

I just want to ask you a couple of questions. You still got that gun on here.

Look, I need to know how many shots you really think you heard that day.

Come on, how should I know? I don' t want to. This is important, Jack.

Total maybe a dozen or something. A dozen. How long will

you park there?

You're Eddie's just a couple minutes. I dropped this ferrole around the corner.

That's when I heard the shooting. Yeah, from where? Why from where, from you?

No, no. I only five, three times. Where the rest of you doesn't come from?

I don't know. Maybe the building is something.

I don' know. Wait, wait, wait. We're getting somewhere now.

You think you maybe heard shots coming from a building? Before you saw me, right?

Right. Look, I gotta go. How long before? I don''t know. Maybe five minutes.

I dropped the sky off around the corner. I wasn't paying any attention.

I was taking my coffee break. All right. This fair you had.

Was he, uh, short and thin, more glasses? Right. Thanks. How'd you know?

And the final tally was always the little clues that finally paid off.

Small, forgotten pieces of evidence that floated around in someone's memory

until you asked the right question.

In this case, it was Lieutenant Grayson who asked it.

What was Harry Fontana doing here anyway?

If he hadn't asked, I wouldn't have found him.

All right, final is worth its weight in gold.

Living with the truth was far different than knowing it.

I wanted to hit someone, make somebody pay for the angrily right thoughts.

Unfortunately, it would only be a matter of time for I knew I was being followed.

In fact, it was closer than I thought.

Is that you, Albert?

It is indeed.

Spencer, I think we should talk. Right now, it's fine with me.

Anywhere you want.

But you don't like to face your opponents, do you, Albert?

Maybe I should just turn my back to the window.

Tomorrow morning, six o'clock, the university boat house, and Spencer.

And days gone by, a duel was an honorable challenge, honorably accepted.

I yearn for the good old days. I would have even settled for seconds

if this were between gentlemen, but I doubted Albert would settle for a glove slant,

and I knew he wouldn't play fair.

Robert? Spencer.

Right on time.

I haven't got all day.

What do you want to talk about?

A deal.

I'm listening.

What do you say we talk face to face?

Now what do we do?

I'll give you the medal hired me.

In exchange.

Stay alive.

You pay me double what he did.

$50,000. What is that for a large hole in your head?

We could end it that way.

Sounds fatal.

It is.

Have a nice day!

And I don't do that. Could be more. Now!

Now what?

I noticed this is a stupid question, but we're not going after him, are we?

Kill!

And then against me was over.

seemed to matter. Albert was only the catalyst in the drama being played out.

The true villain was about to be discovered.

Hello Jimmy.

What are you doing here?

I'm going for the truth.

Here it is, almost forgot I had, has been fired in years, right?

Are you sure of that? Of course. I never touch it. How about you, Jimmy?

No, all right. All right, Spencer, what's the point of all this?

Mind if I borrow this for a while? Why?

I'd like to run a blistics check to see if the bullets

from this gun is nice and this is like I found. Dad, you can't let him.

He's got no right to go. I don't understand. You want to tell him, Jimmy?

Found this tin can.

From now on.

And this slug from your gun in the warehouse where Harry was shot.

That's impossible. Is it? What do you think? You know what I think?

I think you were with Harry. Target practicing with your father's gun.

It's not true. No, what's not truth? That you didn't take your fatherís gun?

That you did not fire it? That you weren't there with Harry in the warehouse?

None of it. I think you took the gun and left Harry there and ran away.

God make him stop. Spencer, that's enough.

He's answered your question. Stop torturing him. You don't have any proof.

He didn't even bother to clean the gun. He is only a kid.

He's old enough to tell the truth.

But I can see you're going to absolve your son of all of this, right? You.

Poor little Jimmy, sorry. So everything's okay. All's forgiven.

Meanwhile, Harry's lying in a hospital dying because Jimmy gave him the gun.

And you were allowed to happen.

It's your gun! And I told him never to touch it. Which made it even more appealing.

Did you ever teach him how dangerous it is? They're very responsible for it.

Oh, stop it! I am not going to take responsibility for this. You might see that.

I can see you're not going to take any responsibility in either his Jimmy.

But I promise you this is blamed to go around.

for everyone.

Some you're gonna have to live with Jimmy.

So I'm going to have to live with.

I came for.

Very fun, Tenon. Age 14. Died at 204 in the morning. And a gunshot wound.

The funeral service is a requirement.

I wasn't invited.

Okay.

I couldn't be anywhere else.

I needed to grieve as much as anyone. So who was responsible?

Was it the gun that Susan said? Or the parent? Or the child?

I would never know except for my part in it.

You let it go now, Spencer.

Whatever it is you holdin', you let it go. Boy, it's dead. That's the way it is.

Your partners is over.

I was right in my head.

But in my heart I knew something else that I had killed a child.

And it would be a long time before the pain in her would go away. Not now.

Later.

and some quiet place.

I would lay down my gun and grieve for the child who would never grow old.

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