Original subtitles

Have you seen Theo?

Yeah. He dropped by for a night cap about three in the morning,

with a nurse.

Amy something.

Then he asked me if he could, uh...

work out of my back office for a couple of days.

So the department figures Theo shot the wrong man.

They've taken him off the case.

Ah, I was calling your apartment for hours Last night.

The phone was off the hook.

I was otherwise occupied, Frank.

Let's say I was finishing my physical.

OK, what kind of help can I get from you? Off the record.

Not too much.

Williamson wants this killer for himself.

He'll report any unauthorised co-operation with you.

You can bank on it.

However...

What's this?

Blow ups. The student film,

of every person who stripped that car we found the first victim in.

Oh, the kid who stole the radio.

They did get a picture of this face.

You've got a lead, you bring it to us.

We can work a lot faster than you.

Of course. Just hand it over to Lieutenant Williamson.

You intend to Leave this killer on the street one second longer than necessary?

Hey, Ray. You up in there?

Yeah, just a sec.

Come on out. Give us a help on the garden downstairs.

Great gear. That shot wasn't right.

If it had been a street fight, I'd have killed him.

Have a good time last night?

$30,000 worth of marijuana in four months.

Not bad, huh?

Better than trying another robbery.

If I had $30,000, I wouldn't buy a little health club.

What would you do, Ray?

I'd buy a boat.

I'd call those people in Newport.

I'd sail straight out to sea.

And I'd wait for a storm.

I'd get so seasick I'd wanna die.

And I would. No pain.

Burial at sea.

Nice and neat.

Cover package deals.

Why, Ray?

I'd get to start all over again.

New body, new life. New parents.

Everything.

I've got a lot of better dreams than that.

Let me know if you ever want to borrow a few.

The sweet smell of recess.

Look, I'm looking for this dude.

And I'm not looking to bust his chops.

Wouldn't scare my parents if you did.

Harold Woods, right? Yeah, that's him.

What's he up to now?

He don't come around much anymore. We give him too much heat.

One of them guys, always got his hand up. Teacher, teacher.

Where's he playing hooky?

Try his uncle's garage, down Halston Street, near La Villette,

The heat, baby, and lucky for you, I'm on vacation.

Here. Get yourself down to the corner store,

and buy yourself some lemon ice. It's better for you.

Quade, excuse me.

Hey, what's the hassle, man? No hassle.

You're a good boxer, Quade. We've been following you.

We simply think you ought to be fighting in Vegas next month against Ramone Yura.

20,000, guaranteed.

I got a shot at Irish Foley in January here.

Foley? Foley's rated number zilch.

Come on, we can move you faster. You can move faster.

We wanna sign you, Quade.

I'm already signed, man, with De vane.

Our interests are very persistent. They won't take no for an answer.

Tell your interests to drop dead, then.

Maybe we can talk De Vane into dropping you.

De Vane treated me good when others couldn't care less.

Now, if I start going back on a friend, I ain't gonna be champion of nothing.

If you lean on him, I'll take you both on barehanded, you understand?

He said drop dead.

In some ways, then, Mr Quade is not that promising.

As a boxer, sure, but for any other purposes, I doubt it.

In short, possibly never a champion.

But never a Loser. What about Blaine?

From his prison record, that's all we've got so far.

Fought the guards, tried to escape.

Finally conformed.

Achieved success as a boxer.

Yesterday, whatever passes for this man's dreams, Quade destroyed them.

How do you think Blaine would respond if we asked him to kill Quade?

How you doing, Harold?

Persevering.

Persevering, huh? Me too.

Truant officer, right? Oh, no.

I don't care about you going to school.

I'm interested in a radio you stole the other day from a car on Bleecker Street.

I didn't steal anything. Oh?

Zapadoo.

I wasn't stealing. I was just salvaging. Recycling.

well, I want that radio, Harold.

Man, I been looking for a good radio for six months.

And I been Looking for a particular murderer for eight years.

I think maybe that radio can help me find him. My radio. You serious?

How?

The radio, Harold.

Didn't steal one thing that wasn't already dumped on the street.

You wanna see how it's gonna look?

What you think?

I think you're a real pioneer of the asphalt frontier.

I bet you don't think I'm gonna make it run, do you?

Don't you be so sure. Where's the radio?

Did you touch any buttons or reset any of the stations? No.

50 Bucks?!

And here. When you put this jigsaw puzzle together, you find some piece is missing,

I want you to call me at that address if I'm still there.

And I make sure you get first crack at everything abandoned at the police garage.

Thank you, Harold.

And you have inquiries out to all the cities on missing persons,

the age of the first victim, just because she had no cavities?

Yes.

It's a pretty big fishing expedition.

Where's the captain?

He's in his office with the lieutenant.

Kojak?

OK, Frank, follow me, all right?

We found this girl in the trunk of an abandoned car.

We don't know where the car came from, New York, Atlanta.

And it would be very helpful to know, wouldn't it?

Take this broadcasting magazine. Of course.

Excuse me.

Do you mind knocking? This is my office.

I'm sorry. I wouldn't want to miss anything.

If the lieutenant has any suggestions...

I ain't gonna have to miss anything, Williamson.

No. This radio came from the abandoned car, right?

So we push the buttons...

What do we get?

In the Greater New York area...

That station, as we know, goes all the way up to Boston,

down to Washington. Next.

Ah, that's a weak one.

What's that? About 870 on the dial, Frank?

870. Now, let's see.

875 is the closest. That's Hartford, Connecticut,

OK.

Meeting for the first time on neutral ground,

that brought the fans to their feet here in Fenway Park.

That's Fenway Park, Boston.

Boston, New York and Hartford, Connecticut.

And they'll be pleased to serve you,

so visit any of the five to place your dry cleaners.

Two in downtown Providence...

OK, Providence, Rhode Island.

And now...

.number one in the Greater...area.

Where? Hold it.

..in helicopter 99,

and the latest traffic and weather report from WPRI in Providence.

Providence twice.

And right in the middle of all the other stations. Hey, Frank...

If this guy set the buttons according to stations he wanted,

then that car's from Providence, Rhode Island. There's no doubt about it.

That's brilliant. Yeah, brilliant.

Anyway, here's Crocker's list of inmates

recently released from jail.

They went up about eight years ago.

Home addresses and/or addresses of next of kin.

Hartford...

Providence, Rhode Island.

Ray Blaine. Entered prison November 4th 1969. Released three weeks ago.

“Address of next of kin: Mr Howard Blaine.

3245 Portman Road, Providence, Rhode Island."

I don't see another one from Providence.

I'll have the photos printed up on Blaine immediately. Put out an alarm.

This isn't a case. It's just a lead.

If you bring him in for questioning before you can hold him,

then this guy's gonna take off as soon as you release him.

I haven't made the mistakes on this case.

Yeah, brilliant.

Yes, sir. Rizzo's on his way with the mugshots, and his arrest...

I just spoke to Dan Amora. Blaine was

middleweight champion up there for the past two years.

He told everybody he was coming to New York to make it as a pro.

There's two or three gyms that specialise in training pro fighters.

De Vane's, Midtown and Blake's on 14th Street. That's correct.

Here's his mugshot from eight years ago.

And there's his shots when he got out of Dannemora two weeks ago.

Here's his police record.

He was sent up for robbing a Cameramart,

got busted October the 17th 1969,

following an anonymous phone call to detectives

on the safe and Loft detail.

A warrant was issued on his premises at the YMCA on 23rd Street... The Y.

.warranted and searched in his presence.

Detectives Lorraine an Bedlar

recovered eight 35mm cameras as reported stolen

from the Cameramart premises the night of October the 11th.

Blaine was arrested the 17th.

Lieutenant, the photos of Ray Blaine.

Marie says a Miss Patten is waiting.

...but he kept getting into trouble.

Finally got released exactly nine days ago.

That's one week before we found that girl's body in the trunk of that car.

We're getting close. I'm calling the chief of detectives.

Theo, what do you think about Blaine?

I think if you pick him up on nothing more than you've got right now,

some smart legal aid lawyer could have him back out on the street like that.

And then if he disappears, where are you?

And that barmaid, Sheila, the waitress I went with in 69.

If I could find her, Frank, show her this photo of Blaine,

and she recognised him, we'd have a witness who saw him

with the last victim in 69 the night she was killed.

Now, that starts to be heavy evidence, Frank.

Irene was no help in remembering Sheila's last name?

I had trouble remembering my own last name with her.

Now, there was one very odd...

I gotta deal with Williamson. Talk to you later.

Frank, wait a m...

Frankly, I think if we find Blaine,

we should first put him under surveillance.

Back us up with some more evidence.

The chief of detectives agrees with me.

He said pick him up fast, get him off the streets,

search his premises, check his alibis for the time of the killings.

It's as simple as one, two, three. What can go wrong? Nothing.

Hm... At three o'clock this morning, it was a nurse.

At three o'clock this afternoon, it was the Duchess of 5th Avenue.

Oh, it sure isn't sick leave you're on, is it?

Who is she? Anyone I should know?

You're looking at one Irene van Patten.

Worth about $30 million and double that in fabrics, and a brief...

Eight years ago, she was very briefly

the fiancee of yours truly.

Did you goof, right?

This for her? Mm-hm. You got it.

I came by to apologise.

I don't Like who I was yesterday.

I was selfish, insecure...

Irene, you were never insecure.

You told me everything about yourself the first week I knew you.

Confessions. Honest, interesting.

Because of you, Theo.

You were strong.

It's a rare man that a woman dares admit that much to,

past affairs, disappointments, fantasies.

You were a lover I didn't have to lie to.

It seemed a good start for a perfect marriage.

And then I got jealous.

A man that secure,

I wondered was it because he was having other affairs behind my back?

So I hired a private detective and had you followed.

Oh.

So that's why you called me a liar.

Because I told you that Sheila was only a witness.

I knew you slept with her the one night,

after we'd seen her in that bar.

I will continue my affection for you by denying it.

Don't dismiss her so easily, Theo.

Anyhow, when knowing about Sheila didn't actually hurt me all that much,

I knew that it was your job that really scared me,

that I couldn't compete with.

So the vanishing act...

For eight years, I worried that I'd made the wrong decision.

I wish I knew myself.

Well, I do now after yesterday.

Oh?

For eight years, you wouldn't see me on a personal basis,

but when you needed me for your police work,

then you came to me.

I would have been second, just as I was yesterday.

I know that now.

I'm sorry.

I'm not. I'm glad to be off the hook.

Theo, I dearly hope that we can be friends.

Always.

Irene, let me ask you a very important question. Yes.

This private detective you put on me...

...you still have his records?

Probably.

I'm sure that Sheila's last name must be in it.

I think I killed the wrong man in 1969.

I gotta go find Sheila,

so she can try to make an identification on a new suspect.

Hey.

So maybe I'm not ready to fight yet, but could you give me a job?

Sparring partner? No.

I've learned new moves. I'll stay in shape. No.

why not?

Quade is in the locker room now.

You can go in and apologise to him for taking those cheap punches yesterday.

What cheap punches?

What do I owe him that for?

You don't. Those are my orders, that's all.

who do you think you are, giving me...

OK.

Ray, we saw your fight the other day.

Could we talk to you downstairs?

Can we make it later? I've got something I've got to do first, OK?

I'm waiting for him to make that move from left to right.

When he makes his move from Left to right,

just give him that right hook. Do you know what I mean?

How you doing?

Yesterday, I come out of those clenches, you know?

If I hit you with any cheap shots, I'm really sorry about it, OK?

Yeah, well, why you come crying to me?

No, I'm not crying to nobody.

We just want to get George to give him steady work sparring.

with me?

Listen, man, the only way you can work me up into a sweat

is hitting me below the belt. You understand?

OK, I guess I'll have to hit you there, then.

That was a cheap shot yesterday. Cheap shot.

I don't like being poked Like that.

Come on, guys! Knock it off!

Knock it off!

Come on. Get up.

Cuff him.

I'll be down as soon as I can.

Hey, don't worry, Ray.

What's he being charged with?

Homicide.

We got a suspect on a homicide. He's wanted for interrogation.

His name is Raymond Blaine. You got to give me a lawyer.

George Martin, Mr Blaine. Legal aid. we'll look out for your interests.

Get a bench warrant. Search his premises. Yes, sir.

Get him up to the interrogation room. Let's go.

Clothesline killer. If I get him off, I'm famous.

You get him not to answer these questions,

it's gonna take days to prove we've got the right man.

I think the city deserves to know that as soon as possible.

Raymond Howard Blaine, age 30. Correct?

Is that correct, Ray?

Arrested October 17th 1969 on charges of robbery. Correct?

Come on. Give him an answer, Ray.

That's correct.

I'm looking for your occupancy records for the summer of 69 through October.

They've got to be downstairs somewhere

along with your worn out Gideon Bibles.

You want the actual registration forms or would a List do?

That'd be perfect.

Yeah, 1969.

I come down here from Providence, Looking for work.

I was staying at the Y, 23rd Street,

You were living at the Y on 23rd?

Fred Toner, the man we thought was the killer.

That's where Kojak shot him.

At that same Y, October the 16th.

And on October the 17th, Blaine gets arrested there for robbery.

That's got to tie in together somehow.

1969 is Kojak's problem.

I'm worried about this week's murder.

Lieutenant, until you can pull rank on me,

I give the orders, you take them.

We get him to talk more about 1969. Is that understood?

What's this all about, anyhow?

Well, I was here in the summer of 69,

Looking for the owner of a knife we found nearby.

What's that big guy's name on duty, then?

Bibberman, yeah, that was his name.

In 1969, you were living at the Y. Is that right? OK, so...

Where were you the day before who were arrested? The 16th. You remember?

Yeah. Yeah.

That's when the Mets won the series.

I was watching in the lobby all day.

Hey, come on, Mets. Let's go! Let's go! Let's go!

Come on! McNally out of there! Come on, baby!

The Mets lead Baltimore three games to one.

The Mets are going down today, Ray. Didn't I tell you that was gonna happen?

Don't worry about it, Fred. They'll come back. Yeah? OK.

..a one game deficit.

Here comes the pitch and it's wide.

Give us the change

One of the rooms on the sixth floor.

That's where I saw this knife myself a couple of weeks ago,

in the bureau. I was looking at that design on the corner.

Fred Toner's room. That's whose room it was. Fred Toner.

Fred. ..just hit a home run...

He asked you a question. Answer him.

Did you ever know a man named Fred Toner,

who also lived at the Y in 1969.

No, I've never heard of him.

If they search your room they'll find those cameras you swiped last week.

I'm a three time loser. No way I'll Let them pick me up.

Hey, what happened to my knife? What knife?

It was in the pocket of the pea jacket you borrowed last week. I must have lost it.

Where were you on the NIGHT of October the 11th 19697

I robbed that camera store, I already told you. You've got the record.

Forget about 69. Where the hell were you two nights ago,

between nine and midnight?!

Yeah!

Captain, I've got a lawyer out here, Novak, the sharpie. I knew him from before,

and three witnesses who'll swear they were with Blaine when the hooker was murdered.

I just got back from searching Blaine's room, captain.

He's staying with that couple there, and the room's clean.

No knives, no ropes, bloody clothes, nothing.

We painted the walls, new rugs, lights, everything.

Yeah. Different.

Toner, stop! Police!

What happened?

Somebody shot somebody.

Is that the right window?

Sure, Blaine.

That's where I saw him. Right here.

Ray Blaine. Room 622.

Fred Toner. Room 620.

Blaine is the murderer. Toner is the burglar.

And somehow, we managed to get the two exactly switched around.

You understand, Frank.

Toner's knife. Toner's pea coat,

Blaine must have borrowed or stolen from his room.

Even the rope from Toner's room too.

When Toner gets killed for the murders that Blaine really committed,

Blaine heaves a huge sigh of relief,

and just to make sure that nobody thought that he did it...

...he takes the rap for the robbery that Toner pulled.

Because he knew Toner robbed the camera store the same night he killed Gayle Ryan. Right.

Who figures he'll do three to six months.

Cheap price to pay for a perfect alibi.

So that's it, Frank. Blaine is really the clothesline killer.

Toner just a chronic thief,

who would rather have a shootout than go away for 20 years.

And I've got more, Frank.

Irene, she read me a report from a private investigator

who was checking on Sheila, the barmaid, in 1969.

She was enrolling at CCNY. I just called them.

She graduated four years ago,

now works at PS41. Name, Semanowski.

Anyway, I'm gonna show her a photo of Blaine.

If she identifies him as the man who walked out

with her girlfriend that night, then you pick him up.

And Frank, I think we got him, finally.

One problem. What's that?

Williamson gets your job! No, what is it?

We brought Blaine in three hours ago.

Picked him up at De Vane's Gym, then searched the room where he's staying. Found nothing.

Thanks to a very well-connected lawyer and three responsible friends,

who played poker with him on the same nights of both murders,

Ray Blaine walked out of here 15 minutes ago, a free man.

You were right. We've got a weak case. We moved too fast.

We're checking back on him with the Providence police.

However, at the moment, this case is still open.

He's killed five women.

And there's no way he's gonna walk away free, do you understand?

I don't care about the witnesses at a poker game.

It's fake, and you know it and I know it.

I still can nail him for Gayle Ryan in 1969,

and that's the case I'm gonna get him for yet.

Lieutenant, I order you... Order me?!

Frank, I'm on vacation!

And how's it go? Having a wonderful time and wish you were here. P.S. I love you.

Thank you for helping him. Thank you very much.

Yeah, thanks a lot. I appreciate it.

I'll be up in a minute. OK.

Get in, Ray.

Ray, your friends helped because they're sure in their hearts

you couldn't be guilty.

I helped because I'm sure you are.

$20,000. A retainer for your services,

I don't understand.

I was going to test you with Quade, but there's no need,

now that I've learned so much more about you.

You'll have a new name, identity, be well protected,

Live far from here, wherever you wish.

There will be only a few from time to time.

Their names may or may not be familiar,

but you will never know them personally.

I don't understand.

Of course you do, Ray.

You know there was that fierce tribe in ancient Turkey,

called the Assassins.

They prided themselves on their profession.

And Like the best of mistresses, they have

shaped the course of man's history more than kings...

...as you might...

...in some small way.

No. No.

I couldn't.

I'm too religious.

Every time I've done it... Done what, Ray?

Killed!

I've gone to a priest, I've tried to confess.

And you have failed with them, Ray.

But you see, you have just confessed, finally,

haven't you?

An end to the guilt.

That's the real prize I offer you.

Feel better?

A car will meet you at the corner of 9th and 57th Street in one hour.

Now, bring as little of your past as necessary.

Keep the gun, Ray.

You'll feel better with it.

Oh, I know, I never been down that road before and... argh!

Oh! You tell me, Sheila,

what did Richard do to deserve staying at the classroom?

Stayed with his mother.

That makes a bunch of lucky people.

Listen, I'm getting too old for this stuff.

Why don't I take off my jacket?

Richard?

why don't you wait in the hall,

and you tell Mommy when Daddy's coming, OK?

Thank you.

His father's a civics teacher, He's very opposed to weapons.

We treat them rather unkindly in our family.

I understand and I'm sorry.

Now, how can I help?

OK...

I want to show you a group of pictures.

Now, you tell me if there's a face that's familiar.

Please, I don't want to go back eight years.

Sheila, there's a man out there and I gotta pick him up,

because God knows who he's gonna kill next,

or where or why.

It's him. The one in the bar,

with your girlfriend in 69?

Ray Blaine.

Sheila, would you do it again in a line-up?

Hey, look.

Um... I'm sorry to be coming back into your life,

but I'm gonna get out as quickly as possible, all right?

Theo.

Theo, did you ever get married?

Uh, no. That's kind of too bad.

Yeah, well, look, I'll keep my eyes a little bit wider open this time. You never know.

If you need help in this case, I'll be right there.

Thanks.

1,000 for your 500.

Is that fair, Rudy?

Yeah, sure.

And thanks, Rudy.

And thank you.

{

Police!

I thought they were through searching here

the first time they came. No.

What's the problem?

Please... You got to hide me.

I'll be right there!

Hey, cool it. Ray's not here.

Where is he?

You've got a warrant? Let's see it.

He's already killed five women,

not very different than her.

Now, you want to help or not?

Well?!

What's down here? A room.

Any other way out?

There's two windows under the aluminium foil,

down at the other end of the room.

Call the police.

Call the police!

He has a gun. Careful.

Thanks.

Blaine!

Police!

Crocker identified the victim a little while ago as C C Green.

She was listed in Delaney, Texas as missing,

which has the most highly fluorinated water in the state.

Crocker's a good man.

That doesn't help you find out where Blaine got this money.

The commissioner is waiting for you at headquarters,

so you can meet the press with him.

Now?

We do expect some kind of cooperation with public relations, Lieutenant.

Now, just a minute.

So when's the last time you killed a man?

Lieutenant, get back to your squad. That's an order.

Now, sir, can I be of help?

No, I don't think so.

Yes, sir. He's dead.

Apparently just some policeman doing his job.

An unfortunate piece of luck for all of us, that's all.

Mr Blaine was quite a find himself.

A natural. He was the sort we could have used in Cuba years ago,

and certainly on that union problem next month.

Yes, sir.

And tell them I'm quite disappointed myself.

That's $30 more than what it is.

Hey! Alright! Lieutenant!

Beautiful. Beautiful!

Nice going, Lieutenant. Alright!

Congratulations, Lieutenant.

Way to go.

Well, congratulations.

You mean it?

I learned a few things.

Lieutenant, it's for the others.

Here, you guys.

Here I go.

Drinks are on me. Cheers.

Salute!

Where's the fireplace?

Yeah!