Original subtitles

Get out of here with that!

What's the charge?

Interference with a police officer.

Do you realize this is all on tape?

Shut that off!

One more suspect will not come to trial,

thanks to this officer's brand of frontier justice.

You're not going to drop this vendetta, are you, Raul?

It's not a vendetta.

You know, sometimes a soft approach can work.

Are you a complete idiot?

Captain, we're going to make Ricardo eat his words.

Ugh!

You know exactly what I'm saying here.

You are completely 100% predictable.

You are!

For breakfast this morning, you had a banana

protein smoothie, skim milk...

What is that stuff you put in it?

Raw dates and some of that powder stuff.

That's what you had, right?

So that makes you a genius, right?

I have that every day for breakfast.

I know that you have that every day for breakfast.

That's what I'm saying.

You're completely predictable.

I'm not predictable.

I'm consistent.

There's a big difference here.

Oh, consiste... I see.

Oh, that's fine.

Right.

Consistency is applying values on an everyday basis

that you really do care about, which is discipline.

What value do you find in banana smoothies?

I value banana smoothies.

That's all you need to know.

All units, 211 in progress...

American Jewelry Exchange... Wilshire and Euclid.

Shots fired.

Possible homicide.

Suspects vacating north-bound, in unidentified vehicle.

Respond... code 3.

L56 responding.

What do you think?

I think it was them.

Let's move.

Don't lose them.

Get that camera up here.

L56 in high-speed pursuit of suspect...

Yellow Camaro.

California license plate... Peter Victor X-ray 349.

L56... two suspects, mid-20s...

One Latino, one Caucasian.

Request backup... south-bound, Flower at 12th Street.

L56 out.

Ogh!

Did you get him firing that weapon?

Great.

Hey, move the van!

Get out of here with that!

Wally, stay tight on the victim, Wally.

I got the chase.

Why don't you go call an ambulance?

This is L56.

All available units on the lookout for a homicide

suspect...

Male Latino in a yellow Camaro.

Dispatcher has the license plate number.

Suspect was last seen heading north on Wilson near... uh...

Olympic Boulevard.

L56 out.

He's alive... sort of.

Shut that off.

He doesn't take orders from you.

This is a public event.

And we're covering the news.

You know what that is?

I'll tell you something... You're under arrest.

What the hell are you doing?

What's the charge?

Interference with a police officer.

You realize this is all on tape?

Shut that off.

We... we got enough.

I'll bet you $10,000 it doesn't get on the air.

Move it.

Relax, will you?

I told the truth.

And so did you.

So what's the problem?

Yeah, and God's on our side.

And cheaters never prosper.

OK, sergeants, the shooting team's been over the reports.

And the preliminary finding is, you're in the clear.

Well, what took them so long, Bern?

There was no gun found, Hunter.

So there was some doubt, OK?

Bernie, we both know the bad guys had weapons.

The shooter dropped the gun in the car.

Obviously, the team found that to be the case.

See?

IA hasn't dulled his brain one bit, has it, Bernie?

I wouldn't be so sure of yourself, Hunter.

Wyler's not around here to back you guys up anymore.

Now, look.

Wyler is not out in West Covina or anything.

He's downtown behind a desk, with Deputy Chief on it.

Mm-hm.

There's a guy in that office over there

with a sign that says Captain, who's been

reading our reports about you.

Well, speaking of Captain...

Captain Devane wants to see you in his office.

Quick... the reporter you busted is on the tube.

There was blood on the streets of the downtown gold mart area

today.

But our story is not about the victims but the predator...

LA Metro Police Homicide Sergeant Rick Hunter.

KXRX cameras were on the scene today

as Sergeant Hunter opened fire on a speeding vehicle

in an area where a robbery had just taken place.

We learned that Sergeant Hunter did not know whether he was

shooting at the robbers or at innocent citizens

merely violating the speed law.

It was a judgment call.

He's made them before.

His service file lists seven officer-involved shootings.

One case involved a 15-year-old boy.

That boy died.

Today's victim isn't expected to live either.

One more suspect will not come to trial,

thanks to this officer's brand of frontier justice.

We'll be following this story with special reports all week.

Back to you, John.

Just what we need...

Any idea why the hatchet job, Sergeant?

Yeah, I arrested the jerk on a 148 PC, that's why.

You picked the most popular reporter and the biggest

station in the city...

I didn't pick him!

To bus for interference?

Come on, the guy cost us a murder 1 suspect.

He's a belligerent jerk.

He's guilty.

Guilty of a misdemeanor... For god's sake.

And his lawyer was waiting with the bail money

when they brought him in.

Now, I want you to go down there and talk to Mercado.

Tell him you're dropping the charges.

Cool him out.

We don't need this kind of PR.

Captain, the guy is a public nuisance.

He.

Did a U-turn right in the middle of the road.

- Yeah. - He ignored our sirens.

He blocked him in.

What are you talking about?

Would you excuse us?

I'd like to talk to Sergeant Hunter alone.

- Oh, no. - Fine.

Oh.

Look, Charlie, let me just tell you...

Look Charlie... nothing!

This guy's got you in a vise.

And he's starting to squeeze.

And he's not making my life any easier either.

So look, go just help him see it from your point-of-view.

Oh, come on.

And do it now.

You know, this is really ridiculous.

This is getting blown out of proportion.

But you know something?

I don't want to make your life miserable.

So I'm going to go down and see him.

I'm going to walk over to his office.

And I'm going to talk to this guy,

because I know that's the only way you can

reason with somebody who does his yapping

to a television camera, OK?

- OK. - I'm going to do it.

Thank you.

Yeah.

That's the KXRX news up to now.

Thanks for being with us.

That's a wrap.

Raul, great job.

Thanks, boss.

Switchboard's lit up like Christmas.

Pro con?

Well, we won't know till morning.

But they watched, didn't they?

This isn't about ratings at all!

Five months ago, Hunter shot and killed a 15-year-old kid!

The guy think's he's Wild Bill Hickok.

Do I need to remind you, you're

attacking a member of the most important powerful institution

in this city?

I'm not attacking the Metro PD...

Just Hunter.

I don't know.

It's... it's not how they think, Raul.

They protect their own.

Maybe you better ease off on this one, huh?

The guy's a trigger-happy psycho, right?

He's an embarrassment to the Metro PD.

Look, the police commissioner will probably give us

an award for this one, Ralph.

Probably is not good enough, Raul.

You be certain on this one, on every single move you make.

Tony... Tony?

Tony, listen.

Sh... shut up.

You've watched this thing about 50 times already.

That's right.

I want to be damn sure they can't make me out on that tape.

And they can't.

Well, good... then we got no problems.

The hell we don't.

Him and me were eyeball-to-eyeball.

I remember his face.

He remembers mine.

Um... um...

Uh-oh, look who's here.

Good morning, Mr. Mercado.

Uh, do you mind if we go in your office and have a couple words?

If it's all right with you, we can talk right here.

OK, I just want you know I came by to tell

you that I dropped the charges.

- Just like that? - Yeah.

Well, what happened?

You change your mind about my interference?

No, no, no.

The 10 seconds your van cost me prevented me

from apprehending the suspect.

Oh, really?

Well, if you're so sure, why don't you

reinstate the charges.

And we'll let a jury decide that.

Well, that would take up an awful lot of time, wouldn't it?

I mean, don't you have things to do?

I mean, I've got better things to do.

And I can't do those things if my face

is on the television set.

You know what I did yesterday when I made bail?

I checked your record.

And if doing your thing means wasting more civilians,

well, then I hope you never get out.

You're not going to drop this vendetta, are you?

It's not a vendetta, it's a public service.

And I'm not going to drop it, Hunter.

You know, over 1 million people see you every night...

Listen to your every word.

I don't have that advantage.

All I have is my badge.

And I intend to use that badge to its fullest.

Your life better be squeaky clean, pal...

I mean, squeaky clean.

You're turn.

Went that bad, huh?

That bad.

That's why you got a partner.

Want me to go in and give it a shot?

If you can get this guy to budge,

I'll buy you an ice-cream cone.

An ice-cream cone?

What about dinner? - No, no dinner.

It's not worth a dinner.

It's only worth an ice-cream cone.

All right, you got a deal.

You know, sometimes the soft approach could work.

Is that a fact.

Yeah, Hunter was predictable.

You used half-truths and innuendos to make him sound

like some kind of an animal!

There wasn't one word in my story that was not true.

No, every word you used was half true.

You remember that 15-year-old boy you talked about?

He fired five shots while Hunter tried to talk

him into dropping his gun.

That is when I came on the scene.

The kid turned his gun on me.

He aimed.

And that is the first time that Hunter used

his gun... the very first time.

And if he hadn't, I would be dead.

And that, Mr. Mercado, is the whole truth.

You're his partner.

I don't expect you to be objective.

Are you a complete idiot?

Are you deaf?

Don't you hear what I'm saying?

What has objective got to do with anything?

I just told you exactly what happened.

If you're so interested in the damn facts,

put that on the air.

3, 2...

Raul Mercado is with us now for a special report.

Raul...

If our special report had a title, it would be "Whitewash."

Last night, police investigators cleared Sergeant Rick Hunter

in the shooting of a young Echo Park man alleged

to be a robbery suspect.

Hunter claims the suspect shot at him first.

But footage I taped on the scene contradicts that claim.

And the police are unable to produce any witnesses

to confirm Hunter's statement.

Add to that this...

No gun was found on or near the victim's bleeding body.

We must consider the possibility of a cover-up.

Sergeant Hunter came to me and tried to persuade

me to drop this investigation.

I had a tape recorder running in my office.

I'd like to share a portion of that tape with you.

I intend to use my badge to its fullest.

Your life better be squeaky clean, pal.

I mean, squeaky clean.

Suppression, intimidation... both are

consistent with Hunter's style.

I decided to air this conversation

in spite of his threat.

You be the judge.

Back to you, John.

Captain, we're going to make Mercado eat his words.

Donald Soames, the guy who got thrown

out of the car... this is a list of all of his known associates.

We're going to find out who his partner was.

And we're going to shut Mercado up with facts.

That could take weeks!

This whole department is on public trial.

You ought to be concentrating on turning up a witness

that saw Soames shoot at you.

If you can do that, Mercado's campaign's history.

Bertie Terwilliger's got his IA boys looking for a witness.

We're going to work hard to push for a conviction on Soames.

Soames is dead.

He died 20 minutes ago.

The call just came in.

Man, sure got the boys and the nails out for you, Hunter.

What are you doing here, Sporty.

Slumming?

Bad arrest... one of your peers thought that I was involved

in a distasteful gambling operation, at which

I was merely a spectator.

In Las Vegas, they call the spectators pit-bosses.

He sure is some funny dude, ain't he?

Hey... uh... McCall... um...

What's this I hear about you all needing a witness?

Nothing, Sporty.

Get off my desk!

See, you two have one fundamental problem.

See, the kind of witnesses you looking for...

They don't like you, which is why you ain't finding any.

They ain't going to come forward to clear no cops.

Unless they have some sort of peer group persuasion,

is that it?

Sporty, the kind of witnesses you provide, we don't want.

They wouldn't even know what kind of car it was.

What kind of car was it?

Get out of here, Sporty!

All right... all right.

But tell me one thing, would you be grateful

if I was to produce a genuine witness for you?

You would, wouldn't you?

The operational word here being "grateful," you dig?

Grateful, huh?

I'll be grateful.

You better get us an eye-witness.

And he better be a good one, because you

have to answer to me.

Eh... eh, ma...

This is my hat, man!

You...

So you got a date or something?

Date?

What do you mean? - Just what I said.

You got a date?

You looked at your watch four times in the last five minutes.

You know exactly why I've been looking at my watch.

It's because that guy starts polluting

the air in five minutes.

- I'll take a doggie bag. - No, you're not.

You're going to stay here.

And you're going to watch this guy with me.

I'm not going to ruin a wonderful meal.

Oh, come on.

Why do you think I made such a wonderful meal?

You're trying to come on to me?

Ah, well, there.

It's out.

Listen, if I watch this guy, I might

destroy your television set. You watch him.

Call me in the morning.

Give me a report.

Hunter, come on.

Where are you going?

I'm going to go home, unless you've got

something better for us to do.

Well, not on a full stomach...

No.

By the way, the Jell-O Romanov was exquisite... really.

I mean that.

Raul Mercado is with us now

- for a special report. - John...

Raul...

Welcome to our third in a series of special reports

on LA Metro Police Sergeant Rick Hunter.

He is a distinguished expert marksman.

Tonight we'll be reviewing three of his seven

officer-involved shootings.

I can't watch you either.

My god, what happened in here?

What are you doing here?

I had to talk to you.

I told you to stay away for a few days.

I told you not to even call.

Somebody is after me, Jenny...

A cop.

And he could be tailing me right now.

What if he finds you here?

I'll call you in a few days.

Yeah.

OK.

I'd like to speak to Sergeant Rick Hunter, please.

How long ago did he leave?

No, no message.

Thanks.

Breaking and entering, burglary, vandalism,

malicious mischief, destruction of property...

Am I leaving anything out?

No, Mr. Mercado, that about covers it, if your complaints

are accurate.

Accurate... I went by Raul's house this morning.

He's not exaggerating.

It was brutal.

We'll send a team down there.

We'll check for prints, question the neighbors.

They'll do a thorough job.

You'll find zip, Captain Devane.

The guy that did it knows enough about evidence

not to leave any.

It sounds like you know who it was.

Doesn't everybody?

Let's just say, we hope that your investigation

will include an interrogation of Sergeant Hunter.

We will gather whatever evidence there is

and follow it wherever it leads.

Captain Devane, I don't mean to imply...

You came damn close to accusing

us of dereliction of duty.

Now, you back off!

Fine, you just be aware that we're considering a lawsuit.

Any comment, Hunter?

Yeah, thank you.

Where were you when all this was going on?

I was at McCall's house having dinner.

Then I went home.

What time did you leave her place?

Just about the time the 6 o'clock news started.

Oh, so you had plenty of time to trash Mercado's place

before you came home, huh?

Oh, yeah.

Sporty James Enterprises...

Mr. James?

Just a minute.

I'll see if he's in his office.

Are you into Sergeant Hunter?

I'm always into Sergeant Hunter!

Is this my friend Hunter?

Star of the TV screen?

You know, I shouldn't be talking to you, dude.

You are Mr. Un-pop-u-lar!

Listen, relax for a minute.

I want you to do me a favor.

I want you to find somebody for me.

Mama said there'd be days like this.

What is the individual's name?

Melendez... Anthony Melendez... Specializes in jewelry stores.

Mm, I never heard of the gentleman.

But that is no problem...

No problem at all.

Good afternoon.

I'm looking for Tony Melendez.

Oh, you're that detective from TV!

The hunter, right?

That's me.

That's me... yeah.

Does he live here?

He's not here.

Um... I have not seen him for a week.

I heard his mama's sick.

Oh, his mother's sick.

I'm sorry... yeah.

She probably lives in Texas, right?

Texas?

Yeah, that's right... Or maybe Chicago.

Could I look at his room?

No, this is America, Sergeant.

His room is his castle.

We have rights here.

Yeah, you sure do, honey.

So do I. I can go downstairs and get into my car

and drive down to the office and get a warrant

and come back and look at his place and yours.

Well, he went to Texas all right, didn't he?

I'm surprised he didn't take the lamp.

How come you're not telling me the truth.

Perdon?

Oh, come on.

Your English is as good as mine.

You mean to tell me, you live right down the hall

from the guy...

Didn't hear him or see him leave?

I leave my tenants alone.

His rent is paid up to the 15th.

What was your name again?

La Senora Maria Mercedes Fuentes.

Miss Fuentes, I don't suppose it

would do any good to ask for a forwarding address, would it?

Close the door when you're finished.

This is L56.

Patch me through to Metro Headquarters, please...

Sergeant McCall.

Homicide... McCall.

Where are you?

I'm at Commonwealth and Avenue 57.

I need a ride... fast.

OK, I'll be there in 10 minutes.

Don't use your own car.

Why?

Don't ask me any questions.

Just get here.

Do not bring your own car.

You got it?

It's an emergency, all right, Vaughn?

Well, what about your own car?

It's got a transmission problem.

Give me a break, will you? Come on.

Let's go!

Well, this one's just out of the body shop.

So you got to promise me, please, not to let...

Not to let Hunter get near it, touch it,

see it, feel it... anything. - Nothing.

OK.

McCall, where the hell are you?

York and Avenue 56...

I'm 2 away.

Cut it in half and get here quick!

I take it your reputation preceded you.

Very funny...

I'm sending Raul Mercado the bill.

Great... he'll put it on the air and accuse you

of wasting taxpayers' money.

God... oh!

Oh, I can't stand it!

McCall, I thought we were friends.

You promised me! - Vaughn... look.

What can I say?

It was a mob scene down there.

What?

Dollar Day at the produce market?

Vaughn, relax.

We'll wash it.

Oh, no!

Oh, no!

Oh!

Oh, Vaughn, look.

Don't worry about all.

All it needs is a windshield, a front end, a rear end,

a top, a bottom, a motor, transmission,

differential, and wheels. We'll be all right.

I know what it is.

I must've done something really bad along the line.

And you're my punishment.

Vaughn, think of me as a challenge.

Don't eat that, Hunter.

Even though police authorities have seen fit to clear Sergeant

Rick Hunter in the Donald Soames shooting,

it seems the general populace has had about enough of the man

they call...

The hunter.

Some Los Angeles residents took matters into their own hands

today, pelting Sergeant Hunter's car

with cans, bottles, garbage...

Dispensing a kind of kangaroo justice of their own.

- You? - Here's your chance.

You want to try again?

Come on.

Go on.

Get in there.

What the hell's going on?

Like you don't know?

No, I don't know.

Where were you at 8:26 tonight?

I went for a ride to think about you.

Look, there's nobody in here but you and me.

You want to get real? - Yeah, let's get real.

You're under arrest for assault and battery.

How about that?

And I'm charging you with attempted murder.

How do you like that?

Sit down right over there.

Get off me.

So at 8:26, someone tried to kill you.

Is that it?

That's right, Hunter.

You took five shots at me.

Let me tell you something, Mercado.

If I had shot at you five times, you'd be dead five times.

Well, I know that, if you were trying to kill me that is.

Well, I must have hit you harder than I thought.

You were a distinguished expert marksman.

It took a hell of a shot to get as close as you did

and still miss.

You tried to put the fear of god in me, didn't you?

Well, let me tell you something, Wyatt, it didn't work.

Did you report this assault on your life?

I tried that when you trashed my house.

You saw where that got me.

Now, wait a minute.

Assault on your life puts you in a position to get some help.

And if I was in your shoes, I'd get all the help I could.

You know, if I didn't know you so well,

I'd probably buy that line.

You don't know me.

I know every last detail there is to know about you.

I don't like you.

A lot of people don't like you.

A lot of those people would probably like to see you dead.

Now, if I were in your shoes, I'd

take all the help I could got.

And you're just the guy to give it to me?

Get out of here.

Get out of here.

Move!

Good night.

Well, what do you know?

For once, Raul Mercado's reporting was accurate.

Somebody did take a shot at him.

Got another one over here.

Well, they haven't been here very long.

No, they haven't.

You know, I gotta hand it to you.

You're trying to save his neck, while he's trying to tighten

up the noose around yours.

I'm kind of proud of you.

Just routine, ma'am.

What do you say we hit the streets for more witnesses?

Sure, as long as I get the side of the street

with the donut shop.

Yeah, well, don't dunk your donuts so soon.

I'm going to go talk to Mr. news over there.

If he takes off without me, tail him.

Did I really write this?

Yes, you did.

Well, well... saving us the trouble of finding you?

No, Raul, I was investigating an attempted murder...

Yours.

These two slugs tell me two things.

Number one... someone did try to kill you.

And number two... it wasn't me.

If this is some sort of a con job, Hunter,

you're the greatest since Willie Sutton.

No, Willie Sutton was a bank robber, Raul.

You see these two slugs? They're 9 millimeter.

I use a .44.

Judging by the trajectory against that wall,

the shooter was aiming right at your head...

Not a very big target, even in your case.

What you're tell me is redundant, Hunter.

I was there.

You know, over the years, you must

have gathered up an awful lot of enemies, besides myself.

Why don't you let me look through your files?

Lisa...

Yes.

Take Hunter to my office.

Show him the Hate file.

Right this way.

Jenny, I got to see you, now.

Same place.

I'll be there in 20 minutes.

What the hell are you doing, Lisa?

Well, she's cooperating in a police

investigation, Mr. Driscoll.

Does Raul know what you're doing here?

He told me to do it, sir.

Somebody took a shot at your ace reporter last night.

Didn't he tell you?

Yeah, I told him to file a complaint.

Well, he did, in his own peculiar way.

I'm looking through his hate file here.

With his permission?

Oh, with his blessing.

Inhuman exploitation

of these undocumented workers.

Al Tyne was indicted by the grand jury,

shortly after my first...

Yeah, Al Tyne...

That's a possibility.

And caused the deaths of 17 innocent people,

many of them children...

Donald Zachary Lyman.

It wasn't him?

How do you know?

People who kill kids don't do very well in prison.

This guy got his head broke.

Next.

This is Patrick Green.

He will now serve 6 to 10 years in the Chino prison.

Ol' Raul's done some pretty decent work.

I forgot it was his investigation

that turned him up.

He's not a candidate.

He's doing 6 to 10 in Chino.

When was his trial? '84, right?

Right, in May and June.

Lisa, thank you very much.

You've been a terrific help.

Hi.

What happened to your face?

I'm OK.

- Are you sure? - I'm OK, Jenny.

I'm all right.

What?

Look, I think we'd better cool it for a while...

Stop seeing each other.

Why?

When I went after that homicide cop,

I opened up a can I can't shut.

Last night, somebody took a shot at me.

- What?! - Five shots.

What?

Who?

That policeman?

I don't know.

At first, I thought... But now, I'm not sure.

It doesn't matter who it was.

I can't put your life in danger.

And I can't risk Hunter finding out about us.

Raul, are you sure that this isn't just some way

of telling me it's over?

No, Jenny... no.

It's not.

I swear it.

When it's safe, I'll call you.

I'll get this straightened out soon.

I promise.

But we've got to leave.

You go first.

OK.

California 1 Charles Albert 420...

I need a fast response.

Yeah, you got it.

Oh, Dede, Hunter got a call from a Mr. Arnold James,

asking for a meeting at Le Rouge at 12:30.

You know the guy?

Yeah, and if you see Hunter before I do,

tell him to meet me there, all right?

Sporty, this had better be important.

I'm telling you.

Look, would I trouble you fine officers

if it wasn't important.

Save the crap, Sporty. What have you got?

Slow down!

Slow down.

Smell the roses.

Oh, here, have one of these tasty morsels.

You know, I used to step on these things every morning

on my porch. And he eats them.

Figure that out.

Get to the point, Sporty.

Hey, I steered you two good people straight

to the man's door, did I not?

Don't blame me if he wasn't just sitting there... you

know... waiting for you to call.

Melendez' must have heard you coming.

You think I'm collecting on both ends or something?

Oh!

Never mind.

You still want him, I presume?

No, we're willing to forgive and forget.

Yeah, we want him!

OK, because rumor has it that he

would be interested in seeing you underground, Hunter.

He's going to have to stand in line, Sporty.

Man, you... you're bad.

You know that?

Look, one of my colleagues brought it to my attention

that he is holed up right now at a certain address

on South.

Well, and I take it you're going to give us that address,

yeah?

Give?

How much?

How much?

Look, I thought you and me were friends.

What's the price, Sporty.

Hey, man, this is Sporty James you're dealing with.

You know my style.

Money don't mean nothing to me at all.

I like to accumulate favors.

That's right.

I do you this favor.

You do me another favor later on down the line.

You dig?

Careful, Arnold.

Or maybe two favors...

Because this be one unsavory individual.

Look, Sporty, I can't guarantee you any favors.

However, if this thing works out, we won't forget him,

will we?

Hey, that's all I wanted to hear, babe.

Mickey...

Mickey, come on, baby.

Open up the door.

Come on, honey.

Open up.

I talked to Father Cleary.

He has forgiven both of us.

Now, open up the door, baby.

Come on.

Ain't no Mickey here, lady.

Get out of here.

Come on, now.

I recognize your voice.

Don't you try to play games with me.

I'm going to stand out here till Reagan's third inaugural.

Now, open up the darn door.

Ain't no Mickey here, lady.

Now, get out of here!

Come on, baby.

Open up!

Score one for the good guys.

He talked to his lawyer.

He's copping a plea, after putting the killing

on his dead partner, of course.

What about trashing Mercado's condo

and the attempt on his life?

Did he admit to that?

Says he knows nothing about it.

And I believe him.

Hunter, this just came in for you.

Coming?

Where we going?

I heard about the arrest you made today.

And I heard the guy admitted Soames fired at you.

How about that?

The camera can lie by omission.

Does it sound to you he's trying to apologize?

Yeah, but I think he ought to try a little harder.

Me, too.

Look, I don't know if I can repair the damage.

But do me a favor.

Watch the news tonight.

What are you doing tonight?

Want to watch the news?

Well, a little pizza, a little Chianti...

I might be persuaded... yeah.

Let's talk about Patrick Green.

The gambler?

What about him?

Does he hate you enough to try and kill you?

He might, but not from prison.

Guess again.

He was paroled three days before your apartment was ransacked.

My god...

I thought they gave him 6 to 10 years.

In this state, that makes you eligible for parole

after 3 years.

You ought to do a piece on the parole system.

Look, I got to go meet my crew.

My copy for tonight just changed again.

Don't miss the newscast.

We won't.

Is there anything you want me to know?

I had Mercado on unofficial surveillance until lunchtime.

Should have stayed with him.

You had another job to do, remember?

You can't save them all.

Look, I don't want to add insult to injury,

but Driscoll, that station manager,

called Captain Devane's office.

He says, if you're not in custody for murder by 6:00,

he's going on air to call for your arrest.

Driscoll is out of his mind.

Mercado was going on the air tonight to apologize to Hunter.

Does anybody else know that?

He said you were hanging around the station all day...

Made a lot of noise about motive and opportunity.

Did someone tell him where to stick it?

No... no, I'm afraid they didn't.

In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if you were called

back to Division any minute.

So if you two have any leads at all on this thing,

I suggest you get going on it... like, now.

Does it say anywhere in my file that I'm stupid?

You did time, didn't you?

Well, yeah.

Quite a risk for the business I'm in.

That doesn't make me stupid.

Look, cut the seminar.

I want to know what you've been doing

every day for the last week.

You want to talk to somebody?

Talk to my parole officer.

Talk to my girlfriend.

Talk to my wife.

I'm a rehabilitated citizen.

Get in.

The last thing I'm going to do is

go after some news jock whose name I can't even remember.

It's Mercado.

Mercado's the name...

M-E-R-C-A-D-O.

OK... OK.

What are you? his brother?

We'll be talking to you and your parole officer again.

Well, nice talking to you, Sarge.

He didn't do it.

Still ought to check him out, you know.

Look, he didn't do it. You know it.

And I know it.

I got an idea.

This is L56.

Patch me through to Don Raymond.

This is OK.

Raymond?

Hi, did you get a read on that license plate yet?

Yeah, it came in about an hour ago.

You must have been away from your unit.

Uh... car's registered to Driscoll Interior Designs,

3421 Paradise Way in Glendale.

Driscoll?

Yes?

Mrs. Driscoll,

there's some police officers here.

They want to talk to you.

Do you want to see them?

Mrs. Driscoll?

Uh... se...

Send them in.

ASSISTANT: Yes, ma'am.

I followed Raul today.

I saw him meet you.

Yes... uh...

Well, he was... he was going to help me with a friend.

Do one... what... What do they call that?

Give him a plug on the news, you know?

I saw you both in the restaurant.

And I watched you talking.

And what I saw does not fit with what you just said.

I don't know what you mean.

Raul Mercado was murdered.

How long has your husband known about you and Raul?

Oh god...

Two minutes to air, everybody.

Uh, Mr. Driscoll, your wife's on line 3.

Tell her I'm on the air in about 2 minutes, OK?

She says, it's urgent. I think you better take it.

We can vamp till you're ready.

What is it, Jenn?

Covering all of Southern California,

this is KXRX Action News at 6:00.

Good evening.

It's a sad day for those of us here at KXRX

and for all of Los Angeles.

Sitting in tonight for Raul Mercado

is our station manager, Ralph Driscoll.

Today at 4:00 PM, an explosion took the life

of KXRX News's Raul Mercado.

His death was not accidental.

Raul Mercado was murdered and for good reason.

This man who presented himself to this community

as a man of integrity and honor was committing adultery

and had been committing adultery for over a year.

That is why he was killed by a man who had befriended him

and made possible his career...

Had loved him and was betrayed by him.

We're off the air.

Gone to commercial.

You won't need hand-cuffs.

Put him away.