Original subtitles

Cars on the hot sheet, and there's

a recently fired shotgun underneath the passenger seat.

He was a pig.

Hey!

He had loan sharking narcotics,

bookmaking prostitution.

Look, I know you're in mourning,

so I'll get right to the point.

Who killed your boss?

It's too low to kick and too wet to step on.

This is a murder case, a homicide...

My murder case.

And he raped her.

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to our Monta

Vista birthday celebration.

And let me introduce you to the man who made all

this wonderful world possible...

Mr. Max Santiago.

Friends, supporters... Once again,

we gather to celebrate our community

on the day that Monta Vista became a part

of the city of Los Angeles.

But today... today is more than a birthday party and honor

of our beautiful community.

Today, we also celebrate our citizens.

Tuesday, got to do our part to make Monta Vista a place

we are proud to call home.

This one's for you, Elena.

God forgive me.

Do not do anything.

Don't do anything.

Are you sure you didn't hear anything, like a firecracker

or maybe a car backfiring?

Oh, nope.

All of a sudden, Max looked like somebody

him from behind, and down he went.

No, I didn't hear any shots.

As a 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.

You see that building up there?

Yeah.

You see that open window?

I know this neighborhood 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.

Thanks, folks, very much.

No fingerprints, no powder marks.

No shells laying around the floor.

Apparently this guy has some sort of cloth

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 rip stop 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 had some sort of cloth or sacking

on his boots.

Shoe size seemed to be somewhere between a 9 or a 12.

So it takes a hitman a few minutes

to do what OCID do in 10 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 it.

You couldn't open up an ice cream parlor

without an OK from Santiago.

This is an OCID case, sir.

Hunter, 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.

Hi, fellas.

Look, I know you're in mourning, so I'll get right to the point.

Who killed your boss?

Look, our organized crime detail has

three suspects on their list.

I'm sitting with all three of them.

So me being a much more open-minded guy,

I have an idea that'll benefit you if you talk to me.

We gave statements.

Why didn't you read them? - Oh, I read them.

You were standing right next to Max when he got gunned down.

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

you guys didn't pull your guns.

I don't own a gun.

Neither does Miguel here or Paco.

Now why are you here?

Well, you see, any time someone like Max Santiago

gets gunned down, we have a tendency to look

real close to beneficiaries.

Max was a man of commerce.

A business genius who took real good care of us.

We had jobs... good, high-paying jobs,

which we don't have no more.

High-paying job?

Well, if you say so.

You see, Max was a 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 that?

Oh, I thought about that, and then

I thought maybe one of them... No, maybe all three of them...

Hired the killer, yeah?

What is your name, man?

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?

That's Seniora 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 know.

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.

Hey, look, fellas, like I told you in 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.

Adios.

Hi.

Could 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 Monta Vista goes to the fiesta.

Did you know that guy?

You know, the man that got killed, that Santiago?

If you live in this neighborhood,

you knew Max Santiago.

I live here all my life.

You better get that gauge checked.

This is almost full.

Yeah, I know.

Sergeant McCall, homicide.

No, heh, you're Jonathan Prewitt, right?

Jack, please.

Only my mom calls me Jonathan.

Jack, sorry.

Our computer gave us 11 names in Monta Vista residents

who'd had trouble with Santiago in the past,

and you just happened to be number seven.

That 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.

I took a few shots myself, but that was 10 or 12 years ago.

I... I'm not a suspect.

I was 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 of the afternoon,

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

I got three more jobs behind that.

I close at 7:00, then I get on my motorcycle

and I ride down to a little place called Las Floucas, where

they make the best enchiladas con

chille 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.

7 o'clock.

Yeah, OK, 7:00 is fine.

You're asking the wrong person.

I don't know nothing about Max's business

and I don't know who killed him, 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 diddly squat who killed Max.

How long were you and Max together?

I don't know.

Two years?

Two years.

Um, is there anything at all about Max

you'd like to tell me at this time?

He was a pig.

Mm-hmm, pig.

Yeah, anything else?

No, he didn't talk to me.

He...

Hey!

I told you not to mess with my sister.

Yeah, you did.

You got no business in here with her alone.

She's a.

How old are you, Lupe?

17.

You lied to me, man.

You said she was crying.

You got a permit for that, huh?

Guys, thanks.

I had to be the worst drunk of my life.

Any special reason why?

I was at tenth high school reunion.

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 go over to his place

and finish up the celebration.

And for some reason, he thought that we

were disturbing his customers and asked us to leave.

Ooh, 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.

They 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, um, let you off the hook, huh?

Max never did anything nice in his life.

Guess that means you didn't like him too much.

Well, I'll admit, I thought he was a

And what is that?

A is something that's too low

to kick and too wet to step on.

But 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.

And you blamed Santiago?

Yeah, I do.

Any uniformed cop in this neighborhood would tell you

Santiago took over Monta 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 sex,

and if feeling that way makes me a suspect,

you got about 1,000 other people out there

who feel exactly the same.

You were right, you know, this was great.

Oh, I know.

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, OK?

No, no, no, you couldn't pay for it even if you wanted to.

The chef is my mother-in-law.

It's funny, I, uh I thought you were single.

Wonder why?

Well, my wife died 10 months ago.

Oh, I'm sorry.

What's your status?

Are you married, you single?

I guess you could say we have something in common.

My husband died.

He was killed about five years ago.

He was a police officer.

I'm sorry.

You have any children?

No, you?

No, not for want of trying.

Elena was a good Catholic girl.

The match on the tire treads wasn't even close to it.

What about Santiago's people?

Oh, they were nothing but hired hands.

Santiago's death just made more problems with them.

You know, there's some political pressure

building on this case.

The chief is leaning towards me dumping this case on OCID.

Yeah, well, give it to OCID if you think they can do

a better job, but I doubt it.

That's why I'm leaving you two on it.

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.

That depended on Max.

I'm sorry.

And so did I, yeah?

Well, maybe everything will turn out OK.

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?

You have the guys who pulled this caper, Charlie?

A pair of real geniuses.

Footprints, two eyewitnesses, and a license plate number.

Are you sure your witnesses made an ID

that will stand up in court?

Yep.

Where the witness is now?

At home.

They'll be in anytime you want them.

Yeah?

He's right here.

McCall. - Oh.

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 the corner at 12th and Seville.

Cars 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.

Paco, do you remember anybody inviting

this dude to sit with us?

Hey, where's Guerrero?

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

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

And Reese will be here later.

Now, um, he's a little late.

40 minutes late, so we ordered.

Oh, 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.

You mean somebody killed him or what?

He was killed... like Max?

No, no, no, not like Max.

He was killed by amateurs.

We have the car and the gun.

Hey, Reese was a friend.

He will be missed.

Maybe 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.

Don't go away.

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 let them get away.

I got to call you back.

You didn't pay your bill, mister.

This is L56.

Go ahead, L56.

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.

L56 out.

10-4, L56.

Now, kids, look carefully.

Do you recognize any of these men?

The one in the middle.

Which one was he?

He fired the gun.

That's fine, honey.

You did just fine.

Next group, please.

Can I have a word with you outside for a minute, Dan?

Sure.

Just relax, kids.

I'll be right back.

Yeah?

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 5:00 AM this morning,

and I picked up the two kids before I left for school.

Why didn't you call me?

Hey, rushed you out of bed at 5:00 AM?

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 move too fast for you?

Hey, I'm sorry about that.

Let me just say one thing.

This is a murder case, a homicide.

My murder case.

You should've called me down.

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.

Yeah?

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.

OK, guys.

Is there anybody in this group?

The second one.

Can I see him from the side?

Sure.

OK, 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 hit man.

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 leads here.

So what?

You hire a 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 Bolton's theory here makes sense to me.

Charlie, those three flunkies had it made.

Guerrero knew that.

Well, those other two tips obviously didn't think so.

Those other two dips didn't think, period.

Hello, Father.

It's been awhile.

Yes, it has.

Remember you used to take us, the altar

boys, up here for pickings.

We still do.

Let's walk, Jack.

I suggested the park because I felt you refused

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 it was Santiago.

Was it from Miguel Ortiz's sister.

Even if I knew there was Max Santiago,

that doesn't prove that killed him.

You killed him, Jack, and for the sake of your mortal 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 to me and asked by 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.

So I did tell you, to my eternal regret,

because now you've committed a cold and calculated murder.

And then Miguel Ortiz and Paco Rivera have committed another.

God only knows where it will all stop.

I'm not going to the police father and neither are you.

Elena told you, you told me, and that's what'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, Sporty?

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

or some child of Santiago peddled to a Bel Air customer.

I mean, that is how the cognoscenti of crime

views the act.

Sporty, I want to thank you for your time.

Sergeant McCall would like to thank you.

The pleasure was non-existent.

Once again, I have the forces of truth,

justice, and the American way.

LUPE; Sergeant Hunter?

Well, uh, Lupe Ortiz.

This is Miguel's sister, Lupe.

This is Sergeant McCall.

I need to talk to you.

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 Prewitt killed Max.

You have anything that might prove that?

No, but just over a year ago, his wife, Elena,

came to see Max to get his OK 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 surely, his mother could open up a restaurant.

And, uh... 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 Prewitt about the rape?

I didn't tell nobody.

I'm... 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, OK?

I'll talk to you later.

Yeah?

Jack Prewitt?

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.

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, 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 that right, anything you say

can be used against you in a court of law.

You also have the right to have an attorney present,

you understand that, Jack?

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

10 months ago, your wife committed suicide.

I believe it was a sleeping pill overdose?

Yeah, that's right.

And the autopsy report showed that she

was three months pregnant?

Right.

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'd 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 Santiago.

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.

Can I use your bathroom?

Yeah, sure.

It's down the hall.

Thanks.

Well, thanks a lot, Jack.

You better get going.

If you need to get a hold of me for any reason,

you can reach me at that number.

I thought you were going to arrest me.

Should I?

No.

No, not in my opinion.

I think the district attorney might agree with you

that at this point in time.

I still suggest you get yourself an attorney.

Hey, Reuben?

Do me a favor, would you?

Check these hairs against the one

we found at the crime scene. - Sure, Hunter.

Where'd you get this hair?

Why?

It's a perfect match.

That's why.

Oh, uh, I went back to the scene of the crime

and looked around a little bit more and found a couple hairs.

Thanks.

- Hello? - 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 that put Prewitt in the room

the shots came from?

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 Prewitt, 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 is if you and I look the other way,

then we're no better than he is.

Look, I know that.

I do know that, OK?

I'm just tired of seeing Prewitt suffer.

I'm just tired of it.

I think he's suffered enough.

Hi.

Hi.

Get any sleep last night?

No.

Does 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 of the morning? - Yes, I did.

We're both still here.

We certainly are.

I have decided that I'm going...

Have you got someplace we could talk in private?

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

Much 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.

I had the feeling you knew that I...

Anyway, I wound up making my first confession

since before Elena died, and afterward I felt peace.

I felt real peace.

First time since I decided that I was going to kill...

Jack, just a second.

Now you recall yesterday I read you your rights at 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.

You know, it's really a coincidence seeing

Mike Snow here today, isn't it?

How did you, uh, happen to get hooked up with Jack Prewitt

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.

Knowing you two, 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...

His wife raped, made pregnant by a creep like Santiago,

and then taking her own life 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, there goes another closed case.

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

You were going to tell me something

right when Prewitt came in.

What was that?

Mm-hmm.

Yeah, I couldn't quit either.

Hunter, where'd you get this tie?

Out of your closet.