I'm Erica Bain. And as you know, I walk the city.
I bitch and moan about it. I walk and watch and listen...
... a witness to all the beauty and ugliness...
... that is disappearing from our beloved city.
Last week took me to the gray depths of the East River...
... where Dimitri Panchenko swims his morning laps...
... like he has every morning since the 1960s.
Today I walked by the acres of scaffolding outside what used to be the Plaza Hotel...
... and I thought about Eloise.
Remember Kay Thompson's Eloise?
Eloise who lived in the Plaza Hotel...
... with her dog Weenie and her parents, who were always away...
... and her English nanny who had eight hairpins made out of bones.
That Eloise. The adored brat of my childhood. A little punk kid...
Sid Vicious, spewing beer from his teeth in the Chelsea Hotel.
Andy Warhol, his sunglasses...
Edgar Allan Poe, freeing live monkeys from the crates of a crumbling schooner...
... on the oily slips of South Street.
Stories of a city...
... that is disappearing before our eyes. Its people swept over...
So, what will be left of those stories?
Are we going to have to construct an imaginary city to house our memories?
Because when you love something, every time a bit of it goes...
... you lose a piece of yourself.
So where's Eloise going to sleep tonight? Can you hear her ghost...
... wandering around the collapsing corridors of her beloved Plaza...
... trying to find her nanny's room...
... calling out to the construction workers...
...in a voice that nobody hears:
"Has anyone seen my turtle, Skipperdee?"
This is Erica Bain, and you've been listening to Street Walk on WNKW.
- And this is 90. 1, WNKW. - All right.
- See you next week. - Have a good one, Erica.
Hey, I'm out of here.
Did Eloise really mean that much to you?
Oh, come on, Carol. Weren't you ever a little girl?
Not the kind of little girl that remembers the name of her turtle.
Anyway, good show.
Look, Bravo called again about that TV spot.
You know what? I'm...
I'm not a face. I'm just a voice.
The shows are on the website. People can download them for free.
- Yeah, exactly. - Maybe.
Bye.
- Hello? - Hey.
- Hello. - What are you wearing?
Green scrubs, tied at the waist, very sexy V-neck.
- Short-sleeved little number. - How about the sexy green hat?
- Still got that? - In my hand.
You like it more than the others, less than the others or the same?
Oh, yeah. I'm at the place...
...and I wanna make sure you're still okay with the cream and the orange.
Yeah, cream and orange.
Actually, it's not cream. It's vanilla. But that's fine.
It's not cream. It's vanilla.
- Who cares? Let's go get married tonight. - Your mother cares.
Trust me, she wants invitations.
Yeah, these are good. Thanks.
Hey, listen. For tonight, if you meet me at Nicole's art thing...
... you don't have to talk to anyone but me.
- Maybe. - Come on.
- I've got a game, haven't I? - You're not coming?
- Look, I've gotta go. - What?
I do love you.
Yeah. I love you too.
- Hi. - Hi. Oh, you're James.
- I'm Erica. I'm Nicole's friend. - Hi.
These are good. They're really cool. I love them.
The Laundromat is in a town in Jersey where Diane Arbus used to do her laundry.
- Oh, yeah? - Oh, that gun store is down in Chinatown.
Berenice Abbott shot it in the '30s.
It's really evocative, you know?
Kind of quiet. I like that. It doesn't make too much noise.
Thanks.
Bring more drinks, less shrimp. More.
Where you going? You're leaving?
- No, no. I'm staying. I'm staying. - Oh, my God, you're such a bad liar.
I know, but I try.
You have to convince him to come to one of these things.
He can't avoid us forever. Oh, my God.
- What are you doing here? - Don't you love this woman?
I could take her or leave her. You guys...
...this, when it starts, it's disgusting.
- We have to go. - You're too happy.
- Say goodbye. - Bye.
- I hate you. - I love you.
I really... I hate you so much.
Oh, God. It's so pretty out.
Tell you what. I'll get him. You sit here. Okay?
No, let me get him.
- Okay. Will you get me my jacket too? - Fine.
Here. Take this.
Thanks.
Hey.
Oh, I can open my own door.
Thank you.
Good boy. Good boy.
- Hi, puppy! - Here.
Are you gonna be that crabby when you get older?
I am older. And I'm way meaner.
Look, she gave me an apple. Here, baby.
- So she is human. - That was too big a bite.
That was too big a bite. I didn't say you could eat the whole thing.
You know what?
I could get about maybe five days and we could go to the place with the water and...
...find good food and lots of sleeping.
Yes, I concur.
Here, boy. Good boy.
Good boy.
Don't give it to him. Throw it.
- I wasn't mucking about, you know. - What about?
Why can't we go down to city hall tonight?
- Because it's closed. - Tomorrow, then.
David, you have a family. I don't, you know?
- You're not marrying my family. - Well, I am, kind of.
I mean, I hope I am.
Your mom is so sweet and she just... She wants the whole deal, you know?
She wants the invitations...
...and the band playing and the minister.
I don't know. Maybe I do too, you know? Because...
...it's not like I'm gonna do this twice.
You're not?
No, I'm not.
That's the nicest thing you ever said to me.
Where's Curtis?
Oi, Curtis!
Come on, boy.
Come on, pup! Did he go up there?
- He's not in there, is he? - Come on!
Curtis?
Hey!
- There he is. - Curtis.
- Come on, boy. - Curtis, come on.
Hey, Curtis?
- Hey. - Curtis.
Hey.
- What's up, boy? - What's wrong, sweetheart?
Hey.
Man, don't you know there's a fucking leash law?
Yeah, don't you fucking know better?
Yeah. I'm sorry. Thanks for finding him.
It's... It's all good, bro. It's all good.
But...
...I get a reward or something?
Our gratitude. Now give him to me.
Come on, man. You know gratitude ain't worth shit around here.
- You're hurting him! - Give me the dog.
No, I don't think so. See, I kind of like this dog.
I think he's a keeper. A keeper.
Smile, baby.
- You are a cunt. - Fuck you, bitch!
Come on, motherfucker. That's what I thought, you stupid pussy.
- Look... - Go.
I haven't got much money. You can have what I've got.
Give me your watch, give me your ring. Let's go, I ain't got all day.
Hurry the fuck up, princess.
- Let's go. Hurry up! - Give him the shit.
- Get the fuck over here. - Fuck!
- David! - I fucking missed it!
Where you going?
- Action! - Think you're fucking with me?!
You just made my day!
Popped your motherfucking cherry!
Let's even shit out.
Ready for your close-up, cunt?!
Heads up!
Hollywood!
Think you're fucking with me?!
You ain't got nothing to say now, fool!
- David. - Oh, how cute. Lovebirds.
- A chickenhead and a faggot. - Say "cheese," bitch!
This is the emergency room.
- Did you get any sleep? - No. Where's Murrow?
We're looking for him.
She was dead on arrival and her fingerprints are all over the gun.
- Where? - Bedroom.
Daughter called 911.
Thanks. I wanna see her.
- So he's laughing again. - Yeah.
Listen, the kid's in a waiting room with ACS. I'll meet you over there.
We need your signature right here.
Where is she?
- Can I talk to her? - You can try.
Hey, sweetie.
Can I have a word with you?
We're just gonna be right here. All right.
You like lollipops?
Pick one.
That was the one I was gonna pick.
You know, sweetie...
...something you should know. Your mommy, she was really worried about you.
And if she could, she would tell you that you can trust me.
Did your stepfather hurt your mommy?
Sean? Sean!
Okay. Okay, step back!
- I want my daughter! - Get back!
All right! All right.
You don't have the right.
- I do... - At a time like this, I need to see her.
No, you don't. I do have the right.
- She is my daughter. - No, she is your stepdaughter.
And you know how this whole thing works.
You done been through this a thousand times. You hire your lawyers...
...and you do your thing. But right now, we're gonna do ours.
- I'm gonna take a walk. You deal with him. - Yeah, I got it.
That was Dr. Sterling. Okay, bye-bye.
It's a hell of a thing.
- Yup. - I heard her show once.
Erica?
Erica, can you hear me?
Erica?
You had the service?
They didn't know when you were going to wake up...
...if you were going to wake up.
You were gone for three weeks.
We had to let him go. We had to.
I wanna see him again.
- He's gone. - I wanna see him again!
He's gone, honey.
He would have been happy that you lived.
Nurse Bench, you have a call on one-four. Nurse Bench.
I don't know. All the faces are starting to blur together. l...
I just can't tell anymore, you know?
You gotta help us here. We need something from you, anything.
Let's start over again.
He hit your boyfriend with the pipe. Once, twice, three times?
We know how tough it can be...
...to go back there... - Do you, huh?
Look, Miss Bain, we're on your side.
Yeah.
I know that.
You're the good guys.
So how come it doesn't feel like that?
Please leave a message for David and Erica after the beep.
Hey, it's me. Call me at the gallery.
I'll take you out. Go to dinner, a movie.
Let's go for a walk. Anything, okay?
Ma'am, can I help you?
Detective O'Connor and Detective Pitney, please.
Pitney and O'Connor are out. Can anyone else help you?
Well...
...you know, I wanted to check on my case.
I've been calling and we've been playing phone tag...
...and I thought that if I came down... - Okay.
What kind of case did you have?
My boyfriend was beaten to death.
Oh, I'm sorry. Do you have a complaint report number?
- No, I don't know it. - And what was his name?
David Kirmani.
K-l-R-M-A-N-I.
It might be under Erica Bain.
About how long ago did it happen?
June 11 th.
Okay. I realize how difficult this can be...
...but if you'd please be patient and have a seat over there...
...an officer will be down shortly to help you.
Okay.
I realize how difficult it can be...
...but if you'd please be patient and have a seat over there...
...an officer will be down shortly to help you.
- Wanna get something to eat? - What's up, guys?
- Hey. - You saw the game last night?
Man.
Could I help you?
Yeah. I wanna buy a gun.
License?
Oh, yeah, of course. I need a license, yeah.
Once you get one, fill out this form, and we'll notify you in 30 days.
I need to get something now.
Sorry. That's illegal.
Hey!
I won't survive 30 days.
Hey.
- What happened to you? - Me? Nothing.
A thousand dollars.
A thousand dollars?
Okay, but I need to learn how to use it.
No shit. Follow me.
Wait right here.
In here.
It's a Kahr K9. Check to see if it's loaded.
How do I do that?
The chamber. Pull the slide back.
It's got internal safety so you don't shoot yourself. Loads from the handle.
All right.
You pay me now, it's yours.
I'll throw in the bullets.
Yeah, I'll take it.
Got it, got it, got it.
You shouldn't smoke. It'll kill you.
I don't care.
There's plenty of ways to die.
But you have to figure out a way to live.
Now, that's hard.
Look at you, all sophisticated.
- You shouldn't be working this late. - I had a client dinner.
Hey, can I get a dirty martini for the lady?
You said this was business, Sean.
It is.
Eighty-six that.
Okay, l... I need a favor from you.
You...
- You heard about that Murrow thing, right? - His wife killed herself.
Oh, come on. Women don't shoot themselves in the face.
At least in my experience.
Where do they shoot themselves, in your experience?
The heart.
Jackie, I been...
...chasing after this asshole for three straight years.
And right when his wife was ready to turn state's evidence on him...
...instead of blowing the lid off of him, she blows off her own head.
- Come on. - You don't let go, do you?
So what can I do?
Well, she has a daughter. Had a daughter.
And...
...her daughter knows something.
But now he's asked for custody of her and then he's gonna get it.
- Is he the father? - No, no. He's her stepfather.
- And you want her made a ward of court. - Yes.
She knows something and she's not safe with him.
Look, all I'm asking you to do is just act on her behalf.
Please.
Sean, I'm your ex-wife.
Conflict of interest.
And besides, I don't do pro bono.
You used to.
Yeah, well, I grew up.
When did you get out?!
- You won't let me see my kids? - You can't be here! Court order!
- I'm calling 911! - lf I can't see them, you won't see them!
Try seeing them now.
It's my money too.
I can hear you breathing.
No.
- Squad central. - Notify upon arrival.
- Damn. - We're a 10-84 at 110 and Lenox.
10-4. Eighty-five to patrol supervisor on the scene.
- 10-4. - Looks like the circus made it to town.
Any IDs?
Victim's a 30-year-old Vietnamese female. Ida Combs.
- Where's the other body? - This way.
Got a 39-year-old, Sandy Combs. White male.
Looks like he was a roadie for Aerosmith. I don't think those guys have a dental plan.
Guy had a rap sheet longer than my dick.
So in other words, no priors.
Easy.
So we got us a Sandy Combs and an Ida Combs. What does that tell us?
They're married. I'm way ahead of you, pal.
- Yeah, that's one way of ending it. - You know, what's wrong with divorce?
Everything.
Divorce sucks.
Okay, so tell me.
Well, she took three in the torso with a.38.
Then somebody smoked him with a 9 mm automatic. Don't ask me who, though.
And we found these casings.
Three casings. Looks like there's a partial print on one, but it's smudged.
Anybody check surveillance?
That monitor's working, but the machine's empty.
Machine's working.
- But where's the tape? - Don't know.
And why didn't he take the money?
They chickened out, got scared?
We got three casings, only one hit. How about that?
Maybe he's farsighted, crappy shooter. Who knows?
Or he never fired a gun before.
It is...
... astonishing...
... numbing, to find...
... that inside you there is a stranger.
One that has your...
... arms...
... your legs...
... your eyes.
A sleepless, restless stranger...
... who keeps walking...
... keeps eating...
... keeps...
... living.
New York, like any metropolis...
New York, like any metropolis, is an organism that changes, mutates.
Building sprout-like chromosomes on the DNA of its streets.
New York, like any metropolis...
... is an organism that changes, mutates.
Building sprout-like chromosomes on the DNA of its streets.
Look, I've got... I've got two shows that are almost finished.
They're already mixed. All they need is an intro and an outro, which I could do live.
I've got six shows in various stages.
I've got all these stories in my files. You know, new stuff, better stuff.
And I know what I'm doing, and you know that I know what I'm doing.
Erica. You've been through so much.
You need more time before you put yourself out there.
- Don't make me beg. - I don't mean to.
But we have a public and I'm not sure you're ready for it yet.
You telling me I can't work because of what happened?
I did not say that.
Look...
...I just need to keep living.
You know, I don't wanna...
I don't wanna disappear.
- station WNKW, located at 90. 1 on the FM dial.
Up next is Street Walk.
Let's now join Erica Bain in our WNKW studios.
Okay, Erica. Three, two, one, you're on.
This is Erica Bain, and I walk the city.
New York...
...like any metropolis, is an organism...
Okay. Is there anything we can cut to?
Music, prerecord, anything?
Give me a minute, Carol.
New York...
...like any metropolis...
...is...
Oh, shit.
New York...
...the safest big city in the world.
But it is horrible...
...to fear the place you once loved.
And to see a street corner you knew so well...
...and be afraid of its shadow.
To see familiar steps, be unable to climb them.
I never understood how people lived with fear.
Women afraid to walk home alone...
...people afraid of...
...white powder in their mailbox...
...darkness and night.
People afraid of people.
I always believed that fear belonged to other people.
Weaker people.
It never touched me.
And then it did.
And when it touches you, you know...
...that it's been there all along...
...waiting beneath the surfaces of everything you loved.
And your skin crawls...
...and your heart sickens...
...and you look at the person you once were walking down that street...
...and you wonder, will you...?
Will you ever be her again?
Talk to me.
Look at this motherfucker right here.
Hey, what sounds you got up in there, dog?
This motherfucker think I'm playing, man.
Don't nobody talk in New York no more? I asked you a motherfucking question!
I said, what are you listening to, you fucking faggot?!
- Radiohead, man. - Radiohead?
Leave him alone, man!
Man, shut the fuck up!
Little man, you ain't know your pop sucked dick?
He's good at it too. Now, you wanna grow up to be like that punk ass?
That's a nice watch. How old are you?
- Get your ass out of here. - Tell your mom I said "What's up?"
Yo, little man, holler at me, I'll show you how to be a G.
Hey, yo, thanks for the iPod, man.
This shit is nice, man. This is all me right here.
- I'm keeping this joint. - You kidding me, right?
This is cool.
Oh, shit.
- Yo, yo, yo, I got this, I got this. - Bitch, is you crazy?
This is too easy, man.
So...
...you gonna give me some Radiohead too?
You ever been fucked by a knife?
I should have walked out of that train.
I could've just shown them the gun, and they wouldn't have hurt me.
Why don't my hands shake?
Why doesn't somebody stop me?
I swear they like Oreos.
Homicide, this is Vitale.
There you go, you're doing the tricks again.
Upside down. No, come on up. Gotta come to the top. There you go, baby.
Okay, thank you.
We've got two confirmed shot on a subway from Brooklyn.
Church Street, lower Manhattan. Everyone's arguing whose jurisdiction.
- That makes it ours. - All right, fellas, let's go.
We got two dead bodies inside the subway car, and no eyewitnesses.
Of course not. Did you check with BCI?
Yeah, I got this printout.
- They here yet? - Yes, sir.
- And I'll get them to you. - Morning, fellas.
Christ on a cracker.
Well, I hope this is their stop.
Got Radiohead, U2, Dixie Chicks.
- No Wu-Tang? - I don't think this is his.
Money in his pocket.
Looks like a 9 mm automatic.
- Like from the other night? - Yeah.
Check it against Brass Catchers, see if it matches.
Hey, you.
- just go inside. I came out here for a smoke. I just wanna go back in.
You're giving me a hard time. You let my friends in.
They both had cash, so neither one of them was robbed. And they had priors.
A shitload of them.
The guy at Sandy's, he had priors.
I know, but that was domestic.
No, but he wasn't robbed.
Or something.
- I mean, what are we missing? - I wish I knew.
Now, look. You got a small guy sitting.
These two punks come at him with a knife and, you know...
...he shoots the first one without getting out of his seat.
Right. Go on, I'm with you.
It's like maybe Mr. Average Joe just decided, "I'm not gonna take it anymore.
And I'm gonna take matters into my own hands."
The kind of guy you wouldn't even notice.
Well, if that's true, he's getting better.
Yeah. Every bullet hit home.
- Detective! - Hey, detective!
- Detective! - Any leads, detective? Please.
- Come on, step back! - What about the bodies, detective?
It's a new... It's a new investigation.
We haven't talked to anybody yet, no.
It's a brand-new investigation.
- Any suspects? - No, we're not... I'm sorry, but we're not...
Any leads? How many?
Detective!
Hey.
Excuse me, don't I know you?
- No, I don't think we've met. - Wait a minute. I know you.
- No. You haven't. l... - What's your name?
My name's Erica Bain. I do a radio show.
I don't know if you'd be interested in doing an interview. I'd love to...
I'm sorry. We're not talking to the media now.
I'm not that kind of media. It would be about you.
My life's not that interesting.
- Yeah, but the work you do is. - No, thank you.
So...
... you gonna give me some Radiohead too?
You ever been fucked by a knife?
How the hell did this get out so quick?
Who knows? Coroner hates you, people fucking technicians. Who knows?
"Bloodbath."
You ever listen to NKW?
- What is that, like hip-hop? - No.
Remember a couple of months ago...
...this girl and her boyfriend, they got jacked in Central Park?
- No. Which ones? - Well, anyway, she has this radio show.
- Right. - She shows up at the subway last night...
...and guess who she wants to interview? - Me?
What, you? You should totally do it. Remember that Bernie Goetz thing?
Hey, is Carter in?
Reporters calling in the night. Reporters eat that shit up.
No, well, she's not that kind of reporter. Yeah, well, have him call me.
What is she? Like a DJ or something?
- No, she's just interesting, you know. - Interesting?
Have him call me at my desk. It's Mercer.
What's she want with you? Give her my number.
What's her precise street address?
You know what I want?
I want everyone in the market that night...
...everyone on the subway, outside. Everybody, I need them all brought in.
Somebody has to have seen this guy.
I need you to get the registration off of this iPod.
- See who it belongs to. - I'm on it.
You've been avoiding me.
- No, I haven't. - Yeah.
You've been avoiding the full glare of my disapproval.
Yeah, well, it was... The show sucked and everybody hated it. I'm sorry.
Well, we don't normally do silence on WNKW.
You almost managed a full minute.
Well, I think I did an okay recovery, so...
You got 11 more steps, do you? Are they all gonna be on the air?
I thought we were better than some AM confessional...
...but people are responding.
I was wrong. I'm big enough to admit it, so keep it up.