Original subtitles

-Liquid cyanide was poured in a manhole somewhere

near the area, mixed with acid that was already

in the sewer and the result was cyanide

gas, odorless, colorless.

-Poor kid didn't know what hit him.

-The da is not willing to prosecute

until we can prove intent.

-If you allow us to treat this is a homicide,

we'll prove it to you.

-It's our stuff.

The cops think they can trace it back to us.

Can they?

-What was the truck doing driving

through a residential area?

-Whoever's responsible for this boy's death

is going to go to prison for second degree murder.

-Smooth move.

-I been working on it.

Hey you want to come over for dinner tonight?

-I can't.

The teacher said she might give us a pop quiz tomorrow.

-Bring your books and we can play some Nintendo afterwards.

-Cool.

-Cyanide gas, huh?

-Yeah.

Toxic waste forces says that liquid cyanide was poured

in a man hole somewhere near the area.

Mixed with acid that was already in the sewer and the result

was cyanide gas, odorless, colorless.

-Poor kid, didn't know what hit him.

-Yeah.

There's Frankie.

Frankie Mason.

Head of the toxic waste strike force.

This is my partner, sergeant hunter.

-Hello.

-Miss Mason, how are you?

Any idea how this happened?

-Some jerk tried to save a lot of money

by dumping cyanide in the streets

instead of going to a hazardous waste site.

-Any idea who?

-No.

But we've got a good lead.

-Yeah, she's right.

One of the guys found this glove in an area about six blocks

over from where we think the cyanide was dumped.

-We found traces of cyanide on it

and on the street around the manhole cover.

-Oh good.

I'll run the inside of this glove for prints.

-Unfortunately, this isn't a homicide.

You guys can't really get involved.

You know that.

-She's right.

-I know that.

We'll run it for you anyway.

-I like your style.

Jimmy!

Jimmy!

Jimmy!

That's my boy's bike.

That's his bike.

-Listen to me.

I'm a police officer.

That's my boy's bike.

-I know, but please listen to me.

Step over here now.

There's been an accident.

-God, yes.

-Mrs. Morgan.

Take this.

You'll feel better.

-Thank you.

-We're very sorry about your son.

-I know you'll do everything you can to find out who did this.

-Mrs. Morgan.

We're with homicide.

Your son's death will be investigated

by the toxic waste task force.

-I don't understand.

-What she means is, we will not be treating this as a homicide.

-But he, it's, it's not like he was riding his bike in front

of a bus or he fell or something.

Someone poisoned him with, with cyanide.

He was murdered.

It's murder.

-Hey, I'd love to prosecute one of these midnight dumpers,

believe me.

Want to know why we don't in cases like this?

We can never prove intent.

-Well, let me tell you something.

If some screwball decided to put bomb in a school yard,

we could prove intent all right.

That's exactly what this is, a toxic time bomb.

And it went off.

-I know that.

But I have to deal with reality.

There's just no legal precedent connecting

toxic dumping with homicide.

-Well I think it's about time we established one.

-Sergeant, a few years ago a case landed on my desk.

Product liability.

Gross negligence.

A mother of three young children died.

I tried to make a criminal case out of it.

In fact, I became a little obsessed with it.

In the end, the judge threw it out, with a reprimand.

Now I didn't mind that so much.

But the look on the husband's face, on the children's faces...

For them, the law had just flat out failed.

And it was my fault for trying to stretch it.

-So what are you saying?

We don't even try it?

-Hunter, I'm saying it's a case for the civil courts.

I'm sorry.

I wish it wasn't.

But it is.

-He's right, you know.

The da is not willing to prosecute

until we can prove intent.

-If you allow us to treat this as a homicide,

we'll prove intent.

-Look, captain, whoever dumped the cyanide

is going to do it again.

-I think you're way out of line on this one.

-Look, Charlie.

Just gives us a couple of days.

-A couple of days, huh?

-All right.

I guess everyone needs at least one impossible case.

Keeps you humble.

But I think you two are pushing rocks

up the hill with your noses on this one.

-Hydrochloric acid is basically harmless and fairly common

in the city sewers.

But when you mix it with liquid cyanide you get cyanide gas.

And that gas killed little Jimmy Morgan.

-Listen, I think you should know this.

We're now treating use case as a homicide.

-Oh, hunter, if you could find the people who did this

and get the da's office to charge them with homicide,

it would pave the way for other das to take a shot.

-Hi.

-Hi.

You were right.

There were latent prints inside that rubber glove.

Ncic traced them to a Larry Taylor

and Mr. Taylor is currently working

at lender chemical company.

-This is William 56.

Currently code 6 at lender chemical company.

May I help you?

-I'm sergeant hunter, LAPD.

Is Mr. Lender in?

-No.

I'm afraid he's not.

He's in Washington, DC.

-Do you know when he'll be back?

-Tomorrow.

Is there something that I can do to help?

-Yeah, perhaps so.

Uh, where can I find Larry Taylor?

Mr. Taylor?

-Yeah.

-Sergeant hunter, LAPD.

Investigating illegal dumping of toxic materials

into an la city sewer.

Young boy was killed last night.

-Damn.

That's awful.

So, you're checking with all the chemical companies, is that it?

-Well, not exactly.

You see, we found a glove near the site.

It has your fingerprints on the inside.

-A glove?

-Yes.

Must have been one I lost two or three weeks ago.

Fell off the back of the truck.

Where'd you find it?

Right near the manhole where you dumped the liquid cyanide.

-That's a bunch of bunk.

Everything I do is strictly by the book.

-Where does this company dump it's cyanide?

-All the cyanide we use is processed legally

at the Nelson disposal in chino.

-Legally, huh?

-Yeah.

-We'll see about that.

The boy was identified

as 12-year-old Jenny Morgan of northridge.

He was pronounced dead on arrival

at a local emergency hospital...

-Honey.

He was overcome...

-Back from the wars.

-How are you?

-Great.

Just great.

We got the government contract.

-Nice.

I'll tell you, things keep going like we're

going to have the best year ever.

What's wrong?

-Oh, there was just something very upsetting on the news.

A 12-year-old boy died of cyanide poisoning.

Somebody dumped it in the sewers.

-Oh, god, that's terrible.

-You know, I wish you didn't have to work with it.

It's so dangerous.

What if there was an accident at the plant?

-Julia, I've told you a thousand times.

All our waste is processed.

-Costs a lot of money, but we do it just so something like this

won't happen.

-The mother of that poor child, if you had seen her face.

-That's what you get for watching the late news.

It just depresses you.

Hey.

I've got a terrific idea.

I was thinking on the plane.

Why don't you and I go up to the cabin this weekend.

-Hm.

-Do a little fishing.

-You'll fish.

I'll watch.

And you have to clean what you catch.

-Fine.

-Hm.

-It's so late.

-I bet you ten to one it's the night foreman.

I'm home, what, five minutes?

Hello?

-Ben, it's Larry.

You see the 11 o'clock news about that kid?

-Yeah, heard something about it, why?

-Well, that's our stuff, Ben.

-Really?

-Yeah, really.

The cops have been out to the plant.

They think they can trace it back to us.

-Can they?

-I don't know.

Look, there's nothing we can do about it now.

I'll talk to you in the morning.

-Is something wrong?

-No, no.

It's just a power shortage at the plant.

They're working on it now.

It'll be done in a couple hours.

-I'm sorry.

-It happens.

Hey, you're just who I'm looking for.

Lender's secretary called.

Said that he would like to meet with us.

If it's convenient.

-How long have you known Larry Taylor?

-Larry?

Oh, ever since I founded the company.

Actually we go back farther than that.

He served under me in the military.

That's why, after all these years,

I just don't see how it's possible Larry would

have dumped cyanide in the sewers.

We both have the same feelings about corporate responsibility.

-How do you explain the glove?

-Well, you yourself said that it found

less than two miles from the plant.

It probably did just fall off the truck.

-Well, wait a minute, Mr. Lender.

-What was the truck doing driving

through a residential area?

-He's was probably looking for the shortest route.

-Well, I don't buy that.

-Look, sergeant, I'm just as concerned

about this as you are.

Remember, it was me who called you.

-Yeah, after Larry Taylor called you.

-Of course he did.

He was upset about your suspicions, and so am I.

-Dianne, do you want to come in here for a second, please.

The point is I'm willing to open my books

to you right now, today.

Dianne, would you make copies of all the transactions between us

and Nelson disposals and given them to the officers.

-Certainly.

-Thank you very much.

-You're welcome.

-Look, Mr. Lender, Larry Taylor may be saying one thing

and doing another.

If you suspect he may be cutting corners for personal gain,

I suggest you tell us right now.

-Let me tell you something.

I've known Larry a very long time.

And I'll stand behind him because I honestly

believe he wouldn't do something like this.

-Lender's records are pretty straightforward.

He can account for every ounce of liquid cyanide

he's disposed of.

-You believe him?

-Please.

If I believed every document I got from the chemical

companies, we wouldn't catch anyone for dumping.

It's just that I'd be more skeptical if it wasn't

Nelson disposal handling his waste.

-What do you mean?

-Howard Nelson runs the most reputable firm in the state.

He's a decent guy.

Not the kind to be involved in something like this.

-Then you don't think I should check him out.

-Check him.

-Howard Nelson?

-That's right.

-Sergeant hunter, la homicide.

-Oh, yeah.

Your office called.

-A little off the beaten track for you, isn't it?

-Well, a little bit.

I'm investigating a homicide that occurred in Los Angeles.

A little boy, Jimmy Morgan.

Was killed from cyanide gas.

-Yeah, I read about it.

It was terrible.

What can I do for you?

-I understand you handle all the toxic waste

disposal for lender chemical.

-Yeah, I have for more than five years now.

-Would it be all right if I took a look at their records?

-You think that Ben lender had something

to do with this thing?

-It's a possibility.

-I don't understand.

I mean, we handle the disposal of all their cyanide.

If there was anything unusual, we'd know about it.

-What do you know about Larry Taylor?

-Well, he delivers all of lender's waste products

out there, but I barely know him.

-I see.

-This paperwork only covers the last 12 months.

I can get the rest for you on microfilm if you need it.

-Yeah, I'd greatly appreciate it.

Thank you.

-The toxic task force people usually

investigate these incidents.

-Yes, they usually do.

But whoever's responsible for this boy's death

is going to go to prison for second degree murder.

-It's about time!

-Calm down, Howard.

It's not the end of the world.

-Don't tell me to calm down.

That cop knows this moron dumped the cyanide in the sewer.

-Watch your mouth.

-That was never the deal.

He was supposed to be dumping it out in the mojave desert.

-Listen up now, Howard.

They put the squeeze on Larry.

Nobody ever expected anything like this to happen.

-The boy's dead, Ben.

Don't you understand?

-God knows, we're all sorry about what happened to the boy.

But we have to go on.

Nothing anybody can do is ever going to bring that kid back.

-Well, it's not going to happen again.

-What does that mean?

-It means I'm out.

Find someone else to cover for you.

-It's not that simple, Howard.

-I did what you want.

I covered for you with that cop.

But that's it.

-It's not enough.

Look, I just landed a government contract.

It means we're all going to make a lot of money.

But I can't do it for the price I paid without you.

Look, Larry's not going to dump in the sewers anymore.

We're going to find something else to do.

Howard, don't let me down.

-I'm sorry, Ben.

-You're sorry.

Well, I'll tell you, you'd have been a lot sorrier

if I'd let your company slide into bankruptcy.

I saved your butt.

Now you're going to hang me.

We're going on, Howard.

We're going to be careful.

But we are going on.

-You could be dead wrong about lender on this one.

What do you got, a glove?

-Yeah, with Taylor's fingerprints on the inside.

-There are still people out in the street killing each other.

I am having a tough time justifying

the man hours on this one.

-Just a second now.

McCall is doing an in depth background

check on Nelson disposal as we speak.

-Sergeant hunter?

-Oh, miss.

Morgan.

Yeah, come on in.

This is our captain, Charles devane.

This is miss Morgan.

Jimmy's mother.

-How do you do.

-I was very sorry to hear about your son.

-Thank you.

I realize that you're very busy.

But I just spoke to Mr. Rios in the district attorney's office.

And he told me how difficult it was

going to be to prove anything.

-Well, it's, it's a very complicated case unfortunately.

-I wanted to tell you how grateful

I am that you're pursuing this.

Something like this should never happen again.

If one child's life can be spared... thank you very much.

-Miss Morgan, we're going to do everything we possibly can.

-Thank you.

Thank you.

I'll let you get back to work.

-Thanks for coming down.

-Thank you.

-Keep digging.

-Hey, I've been looking for you.

-What's up?

-I've been going over public records trying to figure who's

behind this dummy corporation called majestic investors.

They bought into Nelson disposal at 51%.

And that's when Nelson was deep in the red.

-Well, who owns majestic?

-This is the part I like.

The chief operations officer is listed as a Julia fitzgibbons.

Fitzgibbons is the maiden name of lender's wife.

-Mrs. Lender?

-Yes?

I'm sergeant hunter, la homicide.

I was wondering if I might be able to have

a word with you and your husband.

-Of course.

-Thank you.

-What is this about?

-It's about your company, Nelson disposal.

-I have no idea what you're talking about.

-Well, majestic owns 50 percent of Nelson disposal.

-Majestic?

-Yes, your company.

-Excuse me.

If you want to know about majestic,

I suggest you talk to me.

-Excuse me.

-Yes, sure.

-You know, Mr. Lender, the one thing I still don't understand

is why did you buy into Nelson disposal

through a dummy corporation anyway?

Why didn't you just buy into it through lender chemical?

-What are you implying?

-Why did you have to disguise it?

-Disguise?

Look, sergeant, if my competitors

knew I was doing business with that company,

Nelson would have lost all the contracts.

It would have been a conflict of interest.

Look, you got any more questions to ask me,

I'll meet you in your office with my attorney.

-I want to thank you for your time.

Thank you, Mrs. Lender.

I'll let myself out.

-What's this about majestic investors?

-It's not important.

-Then why was he here?

-Well, they're just doing their job.

He's probably checking with every chemical company

in Los Angeles.

I just happen to be on his list.

Hey.

Look at me.

You don't really think I'm involved

with something like that, do you?

-No.

No, of course not.

-Hunter.

Ben lender can own or purchase any company

he wants under another name.

-I understand that.

But this guy's guilty.

-You can't confuse circumstances with the hard facts

I need to prove it in court.

-Rios, wait a minute.

What do you think I'm going to do, give you a bad case?

-Look, I feel the same way you do.

But you've got to come up with a strong enough case for me

to justify giving it priority.

There are pressures here that you don't know about.

-And there's a mother who deserves

to have an answer for her son's death.

-You are some piece of work.

-What do you want me to do?

-If I prove intent, will you prosecute

Ben lender for second degree murder?

-Find me that evidence.

-Get that thing out of here.

-What?

-I'm not doing business with you any more.

-What are you, nuts?

-Move it.

-Hey.

-Tell lender to find another dump site.

-Yeah, I'll tell him.

I'll tell him he can't dump on his own property.

-It's still half mine and I run this operation.

-You having a problem, Mr. Nelson?

-Nah, there's no problem.

I'll tell Mr. Lender what you said.

-Move it now.

-Guy is squirrely, Ben.

-I'm worried.

-Take it easy.

In a few days, this whole thing will blow over

and Nelson will calm down.

-And what if he goes to the cops?

-He wouldn't do that.

Well, I'm going to have a private little conversation

with him, just to make sure.

-You leave him alone.

Don't you understand he's got the same problem we have?

-What he's got is a guilty conscience.

-If he talks, he goes to prison too.

So forget it.

Besides, he's got a son he adores.

He wouldn't do that.

Now get out of here.

I've got a customer coming.

-Right.

Yes, I understand.

Ok, thank you.

Bye, bye.

-What's up?

I've been talking to some of lender's competitors.

Every one of them says that lender

has been a real problem for them in the past year.

The guy has underbid all of them on government contracts.

And some of the managers have come out

flat and said that they don't know

how this man can bid so low.

-Well, I know how he's doing it.

He's cutting corners.

-Which allows him to get the big contracts.

Which means he's producing more toxic waste.

-Absolutely.

-How much toxic waste do you think he's dumping illegally?

-Well, I couldn't tell you exactly.

But it's enough to pose a major hazard to the community

and lender has to know that.

-Would you be willing to testify to that?

-Oh, I would look forward to it.

-Ok, look, what I've got to find out now

is much toxic waste he's given to Nelson

and how much he's putting down the sewers.

-Yeah, but for that, you need documentation.

-You think he's keeping two sets of books?

-Possible, but how are you going to find those books?

-That's my problem.

-Hello.

Hello, short stuff.

Ok, so you're big stuff.

What's up?

Of course I haven't forgotten about your ball game

on Saturday.

I wouldn't miss it for anything.

Look, tell your mom I'll pick you up at 9 o'clock sharp, ok?

You know I love you, don't you, Blake?

I love you very much.

So long, slugger.

-Hunter.

Homicide.

Listen, I've got some information for you

on this illegal dumping case.

And the little boy.

-Yeah.

Who's this?

-Hello?

Hello.

-I don't believe this.

This isn't happening.

-He was on the phone to a cop.

-How could you?

-Your friend, Howard, was going to sell us out.

-You don't know that.

-Well, now I know he won't.

Don't worry, Ben.

Don't worry.

-Shut up.

-Get your hands off me.

-Get out of my sight.

-Why won't you tell me?

-I told you, I have a meeting hit the plant.

-At nine o'clock at night?

-The foreman called.

Something came up.

-When?

When did he call?

No, that is not good enough.

-Well it was always good enough for you before.

Since when are you worried about my work?

All you ever cared about was whether or not

the money kept rolling it.

Now I've got to go.

-I want to know the truth about why you used my name

on that dummy corporation to buy part

of Howard Nelson's company.

Was it so that you could dump cyanide in this sewers?

-I told you it was for tax reasons.

-You tell me what you think I want to hear.

But right now I want to know the truth, Ben.

Are you responsible for that child's death?

-I never expected it to happen.

It was just a freak accident.

-Oh, my god.

-Julia.

If I could have died instead of that kid,

believe me I would have.

-You did this?

For what?

To save money?

-I did it to keep the company from going under.

I wanted to keep it alive.

How do you think I made payments on this house?

How do you think I paid for every single thing you've got,

your clothes, your car, all your constant trips to Europe.

-Now, now it's my fault?

-I didn't expect this to happen.

-What are you going to do?

-I could go to this sergeant hunter.

Tell him everything.

I'd go to jail.

Lose every single thing we've got.

Julia, I would do this I would this if you would forgive me.

-No, I don't want that.

Oh, Ben.

-I love you.

I have to go.

-Hi.

-What is it?

-You said you would tell her.

-I know.

You think you would tell her when you come back

from Washington and you're back.

-Dianne, this isn't the right time.

-Isn't it? Well you know what?

I don't think there's going to be a right time.

-Wait, wait, wait a second.

Just wait a second, please.

Listen to me.

Just listen.

First of all, I've got a lot of major problems in the business.

I can't just go to Julie and tell her

I'm leaving her without, without lawyers and things.

I want you to have the best of everything

and I can't do that if the company goes belly up.

-Why didn't you tell me were having problems?

-Because I didn't want you to worry.

I know the kind of stress you've been under.

Pretending at work.

Meeting in secret.

Besides, I think you're wonderful.

Come on, let's eat.

-Oh, Ben.

-All right.

So this guy lender's cheating on his wife.

Or maybe he's just looking for some shoulder to cry on.

How does this help us?

-Captain, there's a case building here somehow.

-I think she's right.

-All right.

So what about you?

What have you got on Howard Nelson?

-Well, I tried his house.

He's not home.

His secretary said he hasn't shown up for work this morning.

-Sounds like he got cold feet.

-Yeah, well look, I'm going to drive back out there.

I got some people to talk to.

-I haven't seen Howard all day.

I'm a little worried.

He's usually the first one here in the morning and the last one

to leave.

-When's the last time you saw him?

-About quitting time.

He was still in his office.

-Was his car here this morning?

-No.

-Tell me what's all this out here?

-Once the toxic waste has been treated, we Bury it in that pit

out there.

-We found Nelson's car about five blocks away from here

outside a local bar.

No sign of Nelson.

-Sergeant hunter.

I think we got something.

-Just go through the whole list and afterwards, I'll

talk to you about how far we should go.

Sergeant hunter.

-Mr. Lender.

I have an arrest warrant for Larry Taylor

for the murder of Howard Nelson.

-Howard?

Dead?

-We found his fingerprints on the murder

weapon buried with the body.

-It couldn't have been Larry.

I can't believe this.

-Well, I think you can.

-Wait, if you think I had anything

to do with Nelson's death, you're crazy.

-We'll see what Taylor says about it.

-Taylor!

Hold it right there.

Hold it right there, Taylor, freeze.

Taylor.

-Guess you heard.

I know.

Lender walked.

Sorry.

-Lender claims that Howard Nelson and Larry Taylor were

responsible for all of the dumping.

-Yeah, I know and rios went for it, right?

Well, he and the toxic waste people

went through the paperwork at lender's office

and they didn't find anything.

-Look, you know the score.

-Without hard documentation that lender knew what was going on,

rios still can't prove intent.

-Now, you know, Larry Taylor was our only shot

at nailing lender. - Yeah, I know.

And he's dead.

So now what do we do?

-There's nothing more we can do.

-It's over.

-Ben.

-Julia.

You shouldn't be here right now.

-I heard what happened.

-I had nothing to do with the death

of either one of those men.

-I know.

If, if only you haven't dumped that poison.

-We just have to live with it.

-Can you really do that, Ben?

-What do you suggest?

-Maybe you have to go to the police.

- That's crazy. - Tell them everything.

Just explain the circumstances.

-They'd put me away for twenty years.

They tried.

They can't.

They have no proof.

Because Howard and Larry are dead.

My going to prison isn't going to bring them back.

You'd be alone.

-Ben, I got the papers from the bank.

You... oh, uh, hello, Mrs. Lender.

-Julia.

Go home.

We'll talk about this later.

-What's the matter?

-This woman is going to Bury her son today.

The bastard responsible for his death

is going to get away free.

-I know.

-If we could only nail lender for the murder of that boy.

Maybe the next guy decides to dump toxic waste in the city

sewer would think twice about it.

At least miss Morgan would have that.

Now what am I going to tell her?

-Why don't you just tell her that?

Come on.

Let's go.

-Mrs. Morgan I just wanted to say how sorry I am.

-What's Mrs. Lender doing here?

-I don't know.

Kind of peculiar, don't you think?

-I just read about what happened and I wanted...

I wanted to say how badly I feel for your loss.

-I'll go talk to her.

I'll be right back.

Mrs. Lender.

Somewhat surprised to see you here today.

-I read about it.

I just felt badly and I wanted to attend.

You know, your husband's responsible for that boy's

death, don't you?

-I have to go.

-Are you're going to the funerals of all

your husband's victims, Mrs. Lender?

-What do you want?

-I want your help.

Now, there have got to be records that explain exactly

what's going on at lender chemical.

-Whatever Ben is, he is my husband, and I love him.

And he loves me.

-Are you sure about that?

-You ok?

-Yeah.

I'm fine.

Kind of a low thing I did to Mrs. Lender.

-Probably would've found out about the affair anyway.

-Sergeant hunter.

-What the hell?

What's going on here?

-I have a warrant for your arrest

for second degree murder.

-That's nonsense.

-We have the evidence, Mr. Lender.

-That's impossible.

-Your wife gave us the key to a safe deposit box.

Inside it we found your real set of books.

We also found $500,000 in cash.

That's the money Howard Nelson kicked back to you.

-You ought to feel real good about yourself, Mr. Lender.

You're about to make history in California criminal law.