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Come to Los Angeles.
The sun shines bright.
The beaches are wide and inviting.
And the orange groves stretch as far as the eye can see.
There are jobs aplenty. Land is cheap.
Every workingman can have his own house.
And inside every house, a happy all-American family.
You can have all this. And who knows?
You could even be discovered...
...become a movie star, or at least see one.
Life is good in Los Angeles.
ltīs paradise on earth.
Thatīs what they tell you, anyway.
Because theyīre selling an image.
Theyīre selling it through movies, radio and television.
ln the hit show, Badge of Honor, the L.A. cops walk on water...
...as they keep the city clean of crooks.
Youīd think this place was the Garden of Eden.
But thereīs trouble in paradise...
...and his name is Meyer Harris Cohen, Mickey C, to his fans.
Local L.A. color to the nth degree.
And his number one bodyguard...
...Johnny Stompanato.
Mickey Cīs the head of organized crime in these parts.
He runs dope, rackets and prostitution.
He kills a dozen people a year.
And the dapper little gent does it in style.
And every time his pictureīs on the front page...
...itīs a black eye for the image of Los Angeles.
Because how can organized crime exist...
...in the city with the best police force in the world?
Something has to be done.
But nothing too original, because, hey, this is Hollywood.
what worked for Al Capone would work for the Mickster.
Mr. Cohen, youīre under arrest.
Nonpayment of federal income tax.
But all is not well.
Sending Mickey up has created a vacuum.
And itīs only a matter of time...
...before someone with balls of brass tries to fill it.
...you heard it here first...
...off the record...
...on the q.t...
...and very...
...Hush-Hush.""
Youīre like Santa Claus with that list.
Except everyone on itīs been naughty.
Guyīs been out of Q two weeks.
Leave it for later.
weīve got to pick up the booze and get it to the station.
Hollywood, this is 6-Adam-7.
Have Central send a prowler to 4216 Evergreen.
Parole violation: assault arising from a family dispute.
we wonīt be here. Theyīll see him.
Quit whining!
Quit whining all the time! lt makes me sick!
Shut up!
who the hell are you?
The ghost of Christmas past.
Dance with a man for a change?
what are you, a smart ass?
Youll be out in a year and a half.
līll get cozy with your parole officer.
You touch her again, līll have you violated on a kiddie raper beef.
You know what they do to kiddie rapers in Quentin.
You have someplace you can go?
Go get yourself fixed up.
Merry Christmas.
-Merry Christmas, maīam. -Letīs go, Bud.
The guysīll be waiting.
what do you do on Badge of Honor?
līm the technical advisor.
l teach Brett Chase how to walk and talk like a cop.
Brett Chase doesnīt walk and talk like you.
Thatīs because heīs the television version.
America isnīt ready for the real me.
ls it true youīre the one who arrested Bob Mitchum?
Badge of Honor guys pretend.
But being the real thing must be a thrill.
why donīt we go someplace quiet? līll give you the lowdown on Mitchum.
Big V. Jack Vincennes.
-May l have this dance? -Of course.
This is Sid Hudgens with Hush-Hush magazine.
-Hello, Karen. -Hello yourself.
whatīs that about?
we did a piece, ""lngenue Dikes in Hollywood."" Her name got mentioned.
Jackie-boy...
...a friend just sold some reefer to Matt Reynolds.
Heīs tripping the light fantastic with Tammy Jordan.
Sorry, l lost you for a second, Sid.
Contract players, Metro. You pinch them, l do a nice feature next issue.
-Plus the usual $50 cash. -No, l need another $50.
Two $20īs for two patrolmen, a dime for the Hollywood Station watch commander.
Jackie, itīs Christmas.
No, itīs not.
ltīs felony possession of marijuana.
Actually, itīs circulation 36,000 and climbing.
Thereīs no telling where this will go. Radio, television.
Once you whet the publicīs appetite for the truth, the skyīs the limit.
Sergeant Ed Exley, son of the legendary Preston Exley.
Must be a hard act to follow.
why not make a mark somewhere else? why become a cop, Ed?
l like to help people.
we heard 2 officers were assaulted this evening.
-what do you think about that? -Goes with the job.
l took the report. Luckily, theyīre okay.
Arenīt you young to be watch commander?
ltīs only tonight.
The married men have Christmas Eve off.
Thatīs a good lead for the story.
Merry Christmas, Captain.
-Captain Smith. -Drop the formalities, Bobby.
-ltīs Christmas Eve, call me Dudley. -l came up with a title for the story.
līm calling it ""Silent Night with the LAPD.""
Thatīs grand.
Now remember, Bobby, thatīs ""Smith.""
with an ""S.""
Thank you, gentlemen. Merry Christmas.
Hold on there, lads.
Merry Christmas.
l saw the test results on the lieutenantīs exam.
First out of 23.
whatīll it be, then?
Patrol Division? lnternal Affairs? what?
l was thinking Detective Bureau.
Edmund...
...youīre a political animal.
You have the eye for human weakness, but not the stomach.
Youīre wrong, sir.
would you be willing to plant evidence on a suspect you knew to be guilty...
...in order to insure an indictment?
-weīve been over this. -Yes or no?
No.
would you beat a confession out of a suspect you knew to be guilty?
would you shoot a hardened criminal in the back...
...in order to offset the chance that some lawyer--
Then for the love of God...
...donīt be a detective.
work where you donīt have to make those kind of choices.
Dudley, l know you mean well...
...but l donīt need to do it the way you did...or my father.
At least get rid of the glasses.
l canīt think of a man on the Bureau who wears them.
lf l get held up, you guys better be here.
Hi, Nick.
l need a delivery.
A case each of gin, rum, Scotch.
Sounds like a hell of a party. Be right with you.
Merry Christmas.
Merry Christmas to you, officer.
That obvious?
ltīs practically stamped on your forehead.
There you go.
See what he wants, Buzz.
Get lost, why donīt you?
Down! Get your fucking head down.
l got a license for that.
Cut me some slack.
l used to be a cop.
""Leland Meeks."" Never heard of you.
They call me Buzz.
l donīt give a ratīs ass what they call you. Keep your head down.
And stay there...Buzz.
You okay?
Sheīs fine.
līm not asking you, sir.
Somebody hit you?
ltīs not what you think.
what is it, then?
You got the wrong idea, mister. līm fine.
But itīs nice to know you care.
Drive safely.
whatīs going on?
You know him?
Yeah, līve seen him around.
He used to be a cop.
Theyīre sitting in the dark, goofing on the Christmas tree.
Put your camera right there.
when l walk out, līll stop here. Get the movie premiere in the background.
l like it. l like it. ""The Movie Premiere Pot Bust.""
when l walk out, l donīt want your floodlights in my eyes.
Consider it done. You hear that, Chip?
Come on.
Get down.
Go! Pop them!
Freeze! Police!
Jesus Christ!
Come on. Come on, letīs go.
My familyīs coming in--
-ltīll be a nice Christmas gift. -Hi, Tammy. Hi, Matt.
Right over here.
-Just turn. -Hold it. Got it!
-The Movie Premiere Pot Bust! -Take them in. līll get the evidence.
""ltīs Christmas Eve in the City of Angels...
...and while decent citizens sleep the sleep of the righteous...
...hopheads prowl for marijuana...
...not knowing that a man is coming to stop them:
Celebrity crime-stopper, Jack Vincennes.
Scourge of grasshoppers and dope fiends everywhere.""
You like it?
Yeah, subtle.
what took you?
My partner stopped to help a damsel in distress.
His priorities are all screwed up.
Up to your old tricks again, Bud?
Hollywood Jack, what brings you to our humble station house?
-How are you? -why are you here?
You know me. Keeping the streets safe.
Take these two, get them dressed and book them.
-The partyīs upstairs. -Okay, līll be right up.
whatīs that for?
You are watch commander tonight, arenīt you?
Yeah. So?
A gratuity from Hush-Hush magazine.
Buy yourself some new loafers.
No thanks, Jack. You keep your payoff.
līm not interested.
what the hell is this?
Six spics.
Mexicans, sir. The ones who assaulted Brown and Helenowski.
l heard Helenowski bled 6 pints and Brownīs in a coma.
They have bruises and muscle pulls.
ltīs not what l heard.
Get them into lock up.
Stens, you guys hear what those taco benders did to Helenowski and Brown?
Helenowski lost an eye, and theyīre reading Brown his last rites.
That ought to make for a very merry Christmas for them.
Hey, guys.
Guys.
They brought the Mexicans in.
Theyīre downstairs.
-Letīs do it. -Come on, guys. Letīs get them.
Stensland, the partyīs upstairs.
This doesnīt concern you.
Come on, guys.
Havenīt you got work?
Go back to the party.
-Come on, itīs Christmas, help me out. -Move it!
l just got a few more questions.
You donīt have to be here.
Go!
You better put a leash on your partner before he kills somebody.
Teach him a lesson! Get him, Stens!
This is for ours, Poncho.
Let me through!
No! He didnīt do nothing!
what are you looking at?
Tell that Mexican to shut up!
Move!
Youīre sick!
Thatīs it!
Donīt break it up.
Get back! Get back!
Yeah, and fuck your mother!
Fuck you!
Stop, officer! Thatīs an order!
Youīll all be in my report!
""Bloody Christmas.""
The press love to label.
You should know this is bigger than the police board.
The grand juryīs convening. lndictments may be handed down.
will you testify?
No, sir. l wonīt.
District Attorney Loew?
You and officer Stensland brought the liquor to the station.
Stensland was already drunk.
Appearing as a voluntary witness against him...
...could offset damage to yourself.
l wonīt testify against him, or anyone else.
This man is a disgrace.
Your badge and gun, officer.
Youīre suspended from duty.
Dismissed.
we need police witnesses to offset the damage done to the Department.
Justice has to be served. Of course līll testify.
līm glad you feel that way, Edmund.
Most donīt.
They think silence and integrity are the same thing.
Not exactly the image of the...
...new LAPD weīre trying to create.
welcome to Los Angeles, the city of the future.
-May l make a suggestion, sir? -By all means.
The public will expect the Department to sweep this under the carpet.
Donīt.
Shift the guilt to men whose pensions are secured.
Force them to retire.
But somebody has to swing.
So indict, try and convict...
...Richard Stensland and Bud white.
Secure them jail time.
The message will be clear.
This Department...
...will not tolerate officers who think theyīre above the law.
Dick Stensland is an embarrassment as a policeman.
Heīs had rotten fitness reports from every C.O. heīs served under.
But Bud white is a valuable officer.
whiteīs a mindless thug.
No, Edmund...
...but he can answer ""yes"" to those questions līve asked you before.
The Department and the public need role models.
Clean-cut, forthright men the public can admire.
Sergeant...
...līll promote you...
...to lieutenant...
...effective immediately.
Detective Lieutenant.
Ed, youīre 30.
Your father didnīt make lieutenant till he was 33.
l know that, sir. when he made lieutenant, it was as a detective.
Before we start polishing our laurels...
...itīd look better if we had a corroborative witness.
That wonīt be easy to come by. The men hate a stool pigeon.
Jack Vincennes.
He hit one of the Mexicans.
A veteran like Vincennes might be willing to admit his own culpability...
...but heīd never rat out a fellow officer.
Jackīs the technical advisor on Badge of Honor.
He lives for it.
Thatīs how to get to him.
līd like you to observe, Ed.
Call Sergeant Vincennes.
Bright kid.
You may reap the benefit...
...but are you ready to be despised in the Department?
Yes, sir, l am.
So be it.
Sergeant, weīll get right to it.
Nine civilian witnesses have identified you as hitting Ezekiel Garcia.
But we have a witness who will name names and testify that you hit back...
...only after being hit.
You will testify against 3 officers...
...who have earned their pensions and plead ignorance about the rest.
No thanks. līm not a snitch.
līll guarantee you a slap on the wrist, a brief suspension...
...followed by a temporary transfer from Narcotics to Vice.
You transfer out of Vice, youīll be back on the show.
The show?
Badge of Honor, Vincennes.
we need to tone down your profile for a bit.
l doubt youīve ever taken a stupid breath. Donīt start now.
Okay, līll do it.
The grand jury will hear...
...your testimony tomorrow.
And so it goes...
...Detective Lieutenant.
Ace them at the grand jury tomorrow, son.
wear a smart-looking suit and ace them.
And Ed...
...lose the glasses.
So youīre the stellar witness.
l should have known. whatīs the Chief throwing you?
Throwing me?
Yeah, Exley, whatīs the payoff?
Youīre the payoff expert.
līm just doing my duty.
Come on, youīre playing an angle here, college boy.
Youīll get something so you donīt have to hobnob with the cops...
...whoīll hate you for snitching.
lf theyīre making you detective, watch out.
Some Bureau guys will burn in this and youīll be working with their friends.
what about you?
līm snitching 3 old-timers whoīll be fishing in Oregon next week.
Next to you, līm clean...
...and smart.
Edmund J. Exley to chambers.
And remember...
...Bud white will fuck you for this if it takes the rest of his life.
Captain, what do you want?
Call me Dudley.
Dudley...
...what do you want?
Look, lad, l admire your refusal to testify...
...and your loyalty to your partner.
l admire you as a policeman...
...and your adherence to violence as a necessary adjunct to the job.
līm impressed with your punishment of women-beaters.
Do you hate them, wendell?
what do you want?
Theyīre yours.
Take them.
Thereīs no bill on me?
-4 witnesses recanted their testimony. -why?
They had a change of heart.
Stensland?
Your partnerīs through.
Scapegoat on the Chiefīs orders.
A year from his pension.
-Exley! -Exley got what he wanted.
As a politician he exceeds even myself.
The Department needs smart men like Exley...
...and direct men...
...like you.
Look, l need you for an assignment the Chiefīs given me.
A duty few men are fit for...
...but you were born for.
Youīd be working out of Homicide at City Hall.
Homicide?
working cases?
Your talents lie elsewhere, wendell.
ltīs a muscle job.
Youīll do as l say and ask no questions. Do you follow my drift?
ln Technicolor, sir.
""Meet Tony Brancato and Anthony Trombino...
...two rising lieutenants in the Mickey Cohen rackets.
with the dapper little gent in prison...
...who knows how far theyīll go. The skyīs the limit.
Oh, well.""
""Meet Deuce Perkins, Mickey Cohenīs narcotics lieutenant.
Could he be behind the hits?
ls he consolidating organized crime power?
l suppose not.
One thingīs for sure:
2-man triggers are punching the tickets on the Micksterīs muscle.""
""Meanwhile, rumor has it the LAPD...
...has set up a not-so-welcome wagon to dishearten the criminal element...
...from filling the void left by Mickeyīs absence.
when l know more, dear readers, so will you.
Off the record, on the q.t...
...and very...
...Hush-Hush.""
with Mickey Cohen in prison, Los Angeles is organized crime-free.
The Chief wants to keep it that way.
ln Cleveland, youīre an organized crime associate...
...in desperate need of re-education in the ways of polite society.
l hear things.
Like those 2-men shooter teams.
Theyīre 86ing Cohenīs lieutenants.
what do you want?
we want you to go home.
Picture-book smut, men.
Thereīs been a bunch of this found at crime scenes lately.
Quality ranges from piss-poor to...
...very well done.
Look whoīs back from suspension.
weīre honored, Sergeant Jack.
Look at that. The Great Jerk-Off Case of 1953.
ls there someplace youīd rather be?
Yeah, working Narcotics, looking for Cohenīs missing H.
Yeah, finding 25 pounds of heroin would get you plenty of ink.
You shouldīve thought of that before Bloody Christmas.
Make a major case. ltīs the only way youīll get out of here.
Dismissed, gentlemen.
Go get the facts, Jack.
Just the facts.
whatever you desire.
Hi. līd like to get a delivery to Beverly Hills.
l donīt know you.
A friend just gave me this number and l wanted to find out if--
would you grab a reverse directory and shag a name and address for me?
Crestview-2239.
Hush-Hush, off the record and on the q.t.
Sid, itīs Vincennes.
Jackie, you back on narco? l need some good copy.
l have something going with Vice.
Something juicy for the Sidster?
Tracking porn. Arty, high-class stuff.
Know about Fleur-de-Lis? Sloganīs ""whatever you desire.""
No, līve heard bupkes.
Get me some narco skinny. l want to do an all-hophead issue.
Shvartze jazz musicians and movie stars. You like it?
līll talk to you later.
-what do you got? -The numberīs not assigned.
Thanks, Ginger.
A bootleg.
Take it easy.
Tough break, Stens.
weīre going to miss you.
Raw deal, Stensland.
Here comes the snitch.
Sorry about that, Lieutenant.
Stay out of trouble, Bud.
l got a few hours. līll buy you a drink.
Rain check. l got a hot date.
who is she and what did you arrest her for?
ltīs confidential.
Like that magazine that Vincennes scams for. Hush-Hush.
līll see you later in the week.
weīll do the town, on me.
Yeah. līll bring my wallet just in case.
-See you tomorrow. -Hang on!
līll walk down with you.
Punk kid. who is he trying to impress?
Yeah, l wonder.
Got himself a real career going.
Sergeant williams, pick up, please.
Sergeant williams?
ls there anybody up there in Homicide?
Anybody there?
Lieutenant Exley.
Youīve got a homicide downtown.
-The Nite Owl Coffee Shop. -l got it.
ltīs mine.
At least one personīs dead. l stopped for coffee.
No one comes through the front door. Understand?
l want barricades at both ends of the street. Make sure--
l took the call. ltīs my case.
You donīt want it and you canīt have it.
l took the call.
ltīs mine.
līll make you my second-in-command.
Captain, over here, please.
The cook drew a gun and set it off. The rest died in the menīs room.
Sir...
...we got a total of 15 spent 12-gauge Remington shotgun shells.
līm betting 3 men, 5-shot capacity pumps, all of them emptying once.
Excuse me, we got an l.D. on one of the victims.
ltīs Dick Stensland.
At first, l thought she was Rita Hayworth.
Yeah, me too.
Hell of a way to avoid prison.
what happened?
Appears 3 men held up a coffee shop.
The guy at the register pulled a .38, so they killed him.
Then they killed everyone else.
Lieutenant, weīre ready with that Nite Owl l.D.
ls this your daughter?
l donīt know.
we know this is difficult. Take your time.
lt seems like my Susan.
But my Susan was a blonde, not a redhead.
when was the last time you saw her?
Just before Christmas.
weīd fought. l didnīt like her boyfriend.
Mrs. Lefferts...
...does your daughter have any distinguishing marks?
You got the wrong idea, mister. līm fine.
She has a birthmark on her hip.
ltīs her.
My baby!
līm sorry, Mrs. Lefferts.
whoīs in charge of this investigation?
Captain Smith and myself. why?
""The Nite Owl Massacre.""
Hyperbole aside...
...this is a heinous crime that requires swift resolution.
Six victims.
One of them, one of our own. Dick Stensland.
He was a Nite Owl regular, in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Robbery is the likely motive.
we have rubber glove smears on the register and forensics...
...tend toward a trio of shooters. we do have one hot lead.
Three Negro juveniles...
...were seen discharging shotguns in Griffith Park.
A park ranger l.D.īd them as driving a 1948-1950 Mercury coupe...
...maroon in color.
An hour ago a canvassing crew found a news vendor...
...who saw a maroon Merc coupe parked by the Nite Owl at 1 a.m.
DMV has come up with a registration list of Merc coupes.
48 two-man teams will shake three names apiece.
lnterrogations will be led by Lt. Edmund Exley.
Enough on that!
Gentlemen, just go out and get them. Use all necessary force.
The people of Los Angeles demand it.
Dismissed.
why not just put a bounty on them?
-Ready to roll? -You take them, l got something to do.
what if one of these names--?
Get somebody else.
l got our assignments, Big V.
we go by this list, we got zero chance of making this collar.
l got a guy who knows what happens south of Jefferson. Heīll put us at 50-50.
what are you doing?
ltīs the same sort of thing that got you in trouble before.
līll take those odds.
we got it from here.
You two should bring along a photographer.
l need an address on a customer of yours. Her name is Lynn.
-Thatīs all l got to go on? -Yeah.
You already know who l mean, so cough it up.
Thereīs a billing address and a delivery address.
Are you Pierce Patchett?
l am.
Are you soliciting for police charities? Last time you called my office.
Go on down to the driveway. weīll talk there.
what can l do for you?
-where were you last night? -l was here hosting a party.
Tell me about Dick Stensland.
l donīt know him, Mr.--?
Officer white.
You know Sue Lefferts?
You know l do. You saw me with her.
How did you find me?
Nickīs Liquor. This is where Lynn Brackenīs booze bills go.
Of course.
Sue Lefferts died at the Nite Owl.
līm investigating.
Everything all right?
Fine, Phillip, thank you.
what happened to the other guy, Buzz?
Buzz Meeks no longer works for me.
Lefferts looked beat-up Christmas Eve but didnīt act it. why?
l think sheīd been hit in the face with a tennis racket. She is...was...
...a big doubles fan.
Youīre a known associate of a woman killed in a mass murder.
-want to go downtown to discuss this? -ls this official?
Somehow l have the feeling this is more personal with you.
All right, then...
...are you concerned about criminal matters peripheral to the murders?
-Not at the moment. -Youīre not obligated to report them?
why were Leffertsī eyes black?
l needed a Rita Hayworth to fill out my little studio.
what little studio?
well, thereīs Gardner, Russell, Monroe, Turner....
Lynn Bracken is my Veronica Lake.
l use girls that look like movie stars.
Sometimes l employ a plastic surgeon.
when the work was done, thatīs when you saw us.
ltīs why her mom couldnīt l.D. her.
Jesus fucking Christ!
No, Pierce Morehouse Patchett.
l sense youīre on your best behavior, but thatīs all līm saying.
lf you persist, weīll meet with my attorney.
would you like Lynn Brackenīs address?
l got her address.
Find Susanīs killer, Mr. white.
līll give you a handsome reward.
whatever you desire!
l know youīre not asleep.
what do you want?
My 5 bucks.
lt was the only one l had.
Right now?
Hey, doll face, tell him to leave us alone.
l understand. Okay, fine.
Oh, baby...
...bad news.
You have to go.
Go?
Something very important has come up and you have to go.
līll make it up to you.
l will, l promise. Excuse me.
ls it the cops?
Miss Bracken...
...līm Officer white.
līve been expecting you, just not this soon.
Pierce called. He told me what happened to Sue.
Everything all right, doll? want me to get rid of him?
Hit the road.
Maybe l will...
...maybe l wonīt.
LAPD. Get out of here or līll have your wife come get you.
-Officer. -Councilman.
-would you care for a drink? -Yeah, Scotch straight.
l was friendly with Sue Lefferts, but we werenīt friends.
Know what l mean?
You sorry sheīs dead?
Of course l am.
what kind of question is that?
Do you know why Pierce is humoring you?
Use words like that, you might make me mad.
But, do you know?
Yeah, l know.
Patchettīs running whores...
...cut to look like movie stars.
And, judging by his address, something bigger on the side.
He doesnīt want any attention.
Thatīs right. Our motives are selfish so weīre cooperating.
So cooperate. why was Susan Lefferts at the Nite Owl?
l donīt know. l never heard of the Nite Owl till today.
Howīd she meet Patchett?
Pierce meets people.
Sue had dreams of Hollywood and this is how they turned out.
Thanks to Pierce, we still get to act a little.
Tell me about Pierce.
Heīs waiting for you to mention money.
want advice, Miss Bracken?
ltīs Lynn.
Miss Bracken...
...donīt ever try to fucking bribe me...
...or līll have you and Patchett in shit up to your ears.
l remember you from Christmas Eve.
You have a thing for helping women, donīt you?
Maybe līm just fucking curious.
-You say ""fuck"" a lot. -You fuck for money.
Thereīs blood on your shirt.
An integral part of your job?
-Yeah. -Do you enjoy it?
when they deserve it.
Did they deserve it today?
līm not sure.
-But you did it anyway. -Yeah.
Like the half dozen guys you screwed today.
Actually, it was only two.
Youīre different, Officer white.
Youīre the first man in years who didnīt tell me l look like Veronica Lake.
You look better than Veronica Lake.
Pierce Patchett?
He takes a cut of our earnings and invests it for us.
He doesnīt let us use narcotics and he doesnīt abuse us.
Can your policemanīs mentality grasp those contradictions?
He had you cut to look like Veronica Lake.
No.
līm really a brunette, but the rest is me.
And thatīs all the news thatīs fit to print.
ltīs nice meeting you.
-līd like to see you again. -For a date...
...or an appointment?
l donīt know.
-For a date, līd know your first name. -Forget l asked.
lt was a mistake.
Leonard Bidwell?
Come down here and talk to us.
Howīs the left these days?
whatīs it to you?
l saw you fight Kid Gavilan.
l like your style.
what do you want, Mr. Policeman?
You got a brother in Folsom. l put him there.
Until 1970.
Howīd you like to make it 1960?
l know the judge, and Lieutenant Exley...
...is good friends with the D.A.
weīre looking for 3 colored guys who like to shoot shotguns.
One owns a maroon Mercury coupe.
-want me to snitch? -want to buy your brother 10 years?
-lt was 10 years, right? -Yeah, 10 years.
You donīt have to say anything, just look at this list...
...and point.
Heīs bad, so līll just tell you.
Sugar Ray Collins.
Drives a maroon ī49 coupe.
Beautiful ride.
Donīt know about shotguns, but he gets his thrills killing dogs.
Heīs righteous trash.
Look at that. ltīs five minutes from here. Thanks.
līll hear from you...
...about my brother?
Keep it up, Lenny. Up!
There it is. ltīs in the back.
-One of ours. -Shit, somebody beat us here!
Damn it!
My glasses!
Youīre kidding!
well, just donīt shoot me.
what are you doing here?
we were in the neighborhood.
-what do you got? -Three 12-gauge pumps.
And cash.
So long, Vice. Badge of Honor, here l come.
Fuck you! This is our collar.
Quiet!
līm ranking officer here. we go as a team. End of story.
Right.
How many ways in?
Only one. Up the stairs.
Heīs very serious.
Police!
Donīt shoot!
-Donīt move. -Ace him, Jack!
Shut up.
Anxious, arenīt you?
Donīt kill them.
Back, back, back!
Get off me!
Against the wall!
-Put your hands up! -Get over there.
Shut up! Hands behind your back!
So...
...howīs it feel getting out of the office?
This came from forensics.
""Burning clothes.
Casitas Youth Camp....""
ltīs crowded in here, white.
These guys killed Stensland.
The ejection marks on the shells fired from the shotguns...
...are identical to those on the shell casings found at the Nite Owl.
l want confessions, Edmund.
A nightīs stewing has softened them up.
līll break them, sir.
Are you sure golden boy is up to the task, Cap?
l think youīd be surprised what the lad is capable of.
Youīre 22. Arenīt you, Ray?
Did an officer work you over?
-Youīre 22, right? -why do you keep asking that?
22 makes it a gas chamber bounce.
You shouldīve pulled this caper years ago.
Get life, do a little Youth Authority jolt...
...transfer to Folsom a big man...
...get yourself a sissy....
l donīt truck with no sissies.
Louis.
what?
You did the Casitas Youth Camp with Louis.
why you keep asking me about Louis? His business is his business.
Sugar, Louis told me you went sissy up at Casitas.
You couldnīt do the time, so you got a big white boy to look after you.
Said they called you ""Sugar""...
...because you gave it out so sweet.
Louis gave it up at Casitas. l was the boss jock in my dorm!
Louis was the sissy!
Louis gave it up for candy bars! He ainīt got the sense of a dog!
You like to shoot dogs.
Dogs got no reason to live.
Feel the same way about people?
whatīre you trying to say?
we got the shotguns.
l donīt own no shotguns.
why were you throwing clothes in the incinerator?
Say what?
A neighbor said she saw you throwing clothes in the incinerator.
Doesnīt look good.
l ainīt talking till l see a judge.
were you on hop? You were passed out when we arrested you.
Ty and Louis fuck with that shit, not me.
where do they get their stuff?
Man....
Give me one to feed the D.A. ltīll make me look good...
...and līll say Sugar Rayīs not a punk like his sissy partners.
Tell me one more thing about Jones and Fontaine.
where do they get drugs?
Roland Navarette.
He runs a hole-up on Bunker Hill.
And he sells red devils.
Exleyīs good, līll give him that.
līll take a break.
You know, Ray, līm talking about the gas chamber...
...and you havenīt asked me what this is about.
You got a big ""guilty"" sign around your neck.
That was masterful, Edmund.
Heīs ready to go.
Give Jones the newspaper. l want him primed.
Take the cuffs off, so he can read it.
Ray Collins just ratted you off. Said the Nite Owl was your idea.
l think it was Rayīs idea. You talk, l think l can save your life.
6 people are dead, and someone has to pay for it.
Now, it can be you, or it can be Ray.
Louis, he called you queer.
-At Casitas, you took it up the ass. -l didnīt kill nobody! !
Son...
...you know whatīll happen if you donīt talk.
Youīll go to the gas chamber. So admit what you did.
l didnīt mean to hurt her.
-Maybe sheīs okay. -Okay?
Theyīre all in the morgue. They were dead when you left them.
l just wanted to lose my cherry. She donīt die, so l donīt die.
Louis, whoīs the girl? whatīs her name?
who are you talking about?
was she at the Nite Owl?
Listen to me, was she at the Nite Owl?
-This paper shit ainīt shit! -whereīs the girl?
You kill her?
Louis lost his cherry, but things got out of hand. You made her bleed.
She bled on your clothes, so you burned the clothes.
who said that?!
Now, listen to me.
lf sheīs alive, sheīs the only chance youīve got.
-l think sheīs alive. -You think?
where is she now?
Did you leave her someplace?
where is she?
whatīre you doing?!
Donīt.
white!
1 in 6!
whereīs the girl?!
Put the weapon down!
whereīs the girl?! !
Sylvester Fitch, 109 Avalon...
...brown corner house, upstairs.
-Just give me one minute. -You got it.
Nobody moves.
weīre going in the front.
Stay put until l give the word.
He went around back!
līm Lieutenant Exley.
līm sorry to ask you this. l need to know when they left you.
Get her to the hospital. Excuse me.
Give your career a rest.
Leave her alone.
A naked guy with a gun? whoīll believe that?
Get the fuck away from me.
Howīll it look in your report?
ltīll look like justice. Thatīs what the man got.
Justice.
You donīt know the meaning of the word.
You think it means getting your picture in the paper.
Go after criminals for a change.
Stensland got what he deserved and so will you.
ltīs best to stay away when his blood is up.
His bloodīs always up.
Perhaps you should stay away from him altogether.
Raymond Collins, Ty Jones and Louis Fontaine.
They are considered armed and dangerous.
Repeat. The Nite Owl suspects have escaped.
Howīd they get out the window?
They jumped from the 2nd floor.
Girl said they left her at 12. They could get to the Nite Owl by 1.
The question was, where did they get their drugs?
l havenīt gotten that far yet.
""Roland Navarette lives on Bunker Hill, runs a hole-up--""
Anyone seen Jack Vincennes?
ls something up?
l need some backup.
-what? -Nothing. Letīs go.
This should be it.
404.
Nobody moves!
Youīre under arrest.
Donīt shoot, man!
Donīt move! Donīt move!
There he is.
You did good, kid.
You shouldīve seen this place. Blood everywhere.
who would have thought? Shotgun Ed.
Somebody get him cleaned up.
Come on.
Edmund J. Exley has amassed a brilliant record...
...in his 7 years with the Los Angeles Police Department.
Recently, he evinced spectacular bravery in the line of duty.
lt is our privilege to present him with our highest honor:
The Medal of Valor.
-what kind of car was it? -lt was a Ford.
My husband always drove a Ford. l know what they look like.
Excuse me, maīam. Just the facts. Light or dark?
Light. And thatīs really all l remember, Officer.
Thank you. Youīve been a big help.
Cut! Thatīs a print.
Big Jack!
Heīs back!
Jackīs back.
Tell Mr. Patchett l have no intention of changing my vote.
lt may surprise some that an official would admit to making a mistake...
...but after due consideration...
...l am changing my position on the matter before the council.
""Go west, America,"" was a slogan of Manifest Destiny.
Today is that last step westward with no stop signs...
...no traffic signals, from downtown...
...to the beach in 20 minutes.
what were you going to start with?
Prostitution?
Gambling?
Go back to Jersey, sonny. This is the City of the Angels...
...and you havenīt got any wings.
Nice to see you again. Take care.
l wondered when youīd knock on my door again, Officer white.
ltīs Bud.
Bud.
why me?
l donīt know.
This election...
...is about the future of law enforcement in Los Angeles.
City Councilman Rogers represents that future.
So letīs dig deep...
...and get a moral man re-elected. Ellis Loew wants to say a few words.
Thank you, Brett Chase. The talented star of Badge of Honor.
Let me tell you, l am so thrilled to be here.
Big V.
Good to see you back.
-How they hanging, Sid? -Down around my ankles.
You tight with the D.A., Jackie?
Yeah.
He tried to throw me off the force last Christmas.
How about some payback, big-time?
Plus the usual 50 dollar donation to the Jack Vincennes retirement fund.
-Did you know the D.A. was a swish? -No kidding?
Remember Matt Reynolds? Christmas Eve? ""The Movie Premiere Pot Bust""?
-He just got off the honor farm. -whatīs he doing here?
Reynolds is acey-deucey, not to mention broke.
līm getting him to fuck the D.A. for $100.
Thatīs twice the $50 you got for wrecking his career.
-Come here, come here. -Jesus, donīt bring him--
Thatīs D.A. Loew right there.
You need a drink?
Yeah.
Look after him.
Matt, this is Jack. No secrets between me and him.
-How you doing? -līm okay. Howīre you?
līm good.
Have we met before?
Yeah.
was it at a party?
lt was something like that.
Fleur-de-Lis party, right?
Right.
Fleur-de-Lis.
""whatever you desire.""
Dope, hookers that look like movie stars....
Pierce Patchett has it all.
You could say that again.
Pierce, heīs not like regular guys.
l dig him, but...
...you know...
...he scares me too.
Really?
How?
when l came out to L.A. this isnīt exactly where l saw myself ending up.
Yeah, well...
...get in line.
Your courage, kid. Drink up.
l donīt think l should do this.
ltīs not like you donīt know how.
Jackīs connected to Badge of Honor. Pull this off, youīll get a part.
l smell a comeback, donīt you, Jack?
The D.A.īs free.
Go introduce yourself. Go on.
Tell him about the opening on the show.
līm pretty sure l can get you a part on this show.
But...
...thatīs later on.
Tonight, go on over there and pretend itīs an acting job.
Like show biz.
Acting, thatīs it.
Right.
No oneīs going to know about this?
No.
ltīll be our secret.
-Show biz. -Thatīs it. Go on.
Show biz.
lf Reynolds works his charms, which l know he will...
...theyīll be at the Hollywood Center Motel, room 203.
Meet me there at midnight for a photo shoot.
And maybe we can work in the Hollywood sign this time.
what do you know about Pierce Patchett?
l know what you know.
Heīs rich. lnvested in the freeways, whichīll make him richer. why?
l just keep hearing rumors, you know.
High-class porn, drugs, hookers that look like movie stars.
Patchettīs what l call twilight. He ainīt queer or Red.
He cannot help me in my quest for prime sinnuendo.
As though Badge of Honor would touch that guy with a 10-foot pole...
...after heīs been Hush-Hush cover boy twice in one year.
See you soon.
Midnight. l guarantee all kinds of illegal activity.
Another?
Yeah.
Kid?
Come on, you donīt have to do this--
Thank you for what you did for me...
...for killing those animals who raped me.
will you thank Officer white for me, please?
Sure.
Seeing him come through the door is about the only thing l remember.
Thank God.
You remember what time the Negroes left you, right?
ln your statement, you said they left you at midnight.
They might have.
They ""might"" have?
l donīt know what time they left me. l wanted them dead.
would anyone care that they raped a Mexican girl...
...if they hadnīt killed those white people at the Nite Owl?
l did what l had to do for justice.
Exley, over here.
Smile, lnez.
ls he your hero?
Fellas, how about this? ""Rape Victim wheeled Out by Nite Owl Hero.""
All they get is Veronica Lake.
l get Lynn Margaret Bracken.
""Bisbee?""
l grew up there.
līm going back in a couple of years, open up a dress shop.
The girls in Bisbee need a little glamour.
whereīd this come from?
l was 12. My dad went after my mother with a bottle. l got in the way.
So you saved her.
Not for long.
-līm sorry. ltīs none of my business. -He tied me to the radiator.
l watched him beat my mother to death with a tire iron...
...and he left me there.
Three days before a truant officer found us.
They never found the old man.
ls that why you became a cop?
To get even?
Maybe.
Do you like it?
l used to.
Now itīs all strong-arm, sitting duck stuff.
lf l could...
...get a chance to work Homicide...
...like a real detective....
That prick, Exley, he shot the wrong guys.
whoever killed Stenslandīs still around. l know it in here. l know it.
Somethingīs wrong with the Nite Owl.
l just canīt prove it, thatīs all.
līm not smart enough.
līm just the guy they bring in to scare the other guy shitless.
Youīre wrong.
You found Patchett. You found me.
Youīre smart enough.
Bud white! what brings you down to the basement?
l got a couple of Nite Owl questions.
Donīt know if you read the papers, but that case is closed.
Anything bother you about it?
The fact that the pack-up boys havenīt hauled this shit out of here yet.
The suspectsī 3 shotguns match the strike marks on the shell casings.
what more do you want?
Thereīs blood on the wall here.
l thought everyone got shot in the menīs room.
That is Stenslandīs blood.
Blow to the head. Probably unconscious when they dragged him in the john.
Did they hit anyone else?
No, but he was a cop. Probably tried to do something.
Grilled cheese, black coffee. Someone was sitting next to him.
2 victims were women?
Yeah, Patti DeLuca, the night shift waitress, and a Susan Lefferts.
Susan Lefferts.
Yeah, what about her?
Youīre welcome!
Mrs. Lefferts?
līm Officer white, LAPD.
Tell me about the boyfriend you mentioned at the coronerīs office.
l told you l didnīt approve of that boyfriend.
He was too old for you. And you let him be fresh with me.
They came here one day when l wasnīt home.
Mrs. Jensen next door said...
...she saw Susieīs boyfriend and another man and...
...she heard a ruckus.
what was his name?
we werenīt properly introduced.
Susie gave him a nickname, Muns or Luns.
Stens?
was it Stens?
Maybe.
l donīt know.
Look.
Thatīs him.
You said a neighbor heard a ruckus.
was it outside?
lnside?
Outside.
And then Mrs. Jensen said they kept going under the house.
You have to leave now, officer.
-whatīs through here? -Just a room full of old things.
Donīt move that!
Donīt mind the smell. l think a rat died behind the wall.
My Susie was a good girl.
She was never in any kind of trouble at all!
""Leland Meeks."" Never heard of you.
They call me Buzz.
was it a rat?
Yeah, a great big one.
Here.
Compliments of the Police Department.
Stomach of the week from a motel homicide.
Unemployed actor had frankfurter, french fries, alcohol and sperm.
Hell of a last supper, donīt you think?
Anything bothering you about the Nite Owl case?
That you guys wonīt let it get filed away.
-what do you mean? -Bud white grilled me on it today.
Bud white?
Heīs not as dumb as l thought.
Did he say where he was going after he talked to you?
Let my daughter rest in peace!
Mrs. Lefferts, l want to ask a few questions.
Officer white already checked under the house.
Under the house?
-where? -Out back.
All he found was rodents.
l need an l.D. on this as soon as possible. Talk only to me on this one.
l need your help.
līm busy right now. why donīt you ask your boys in Homicide?
l canīt. l need someone outside of Homicide.
Tail Bud white until he goes on duty this evening.
Do me a real favor and leave me alone.
You make the Negroes for the Nite Owl killings?
what?
ltīs a simple question.
why in the world do you want to dig deeper...
...into the Nite Owl killings...
...Lieutenant?
Rollo Tomasi.
ls there more or do l have to guess?
Rollo was a purse snatcher.
My father ran into him off-duty.
He shot my father 6 times and got away clean.
No one knew who he was.
l made the name up to give him personality.
whatīs your point?
Rollo Tomasiīs the reason l became a cop.
l wanted to catch the guys who thought they could get away with it.
lt was supposed to be about justice.
Then somewhere along the way l lost sight of that.
whyīd you become a cop?
l donīt remember.
what do you want, Exley?
l want to solve this thing.
Nite Owl was solved.
No.
l want to do it right.
Even if it means paying the consequences?
All right, college boy, līll help.
But thereīs a case your boys in Homicide donīt care about.
They think itīs just another Hollywood ""homo""-cide. But l donīt.
You help me with mine, līll help you with yours.
Deal?
Deal.
Johnny Stompanato.
Officer wendell white. Howīs tricks, paesano?
l ainīt your paesano.
l ainīt in the snitch business anymore.
You know a guy named Buzz Meeks?
works for Pierce Patchett.
Should l?
Youīre muscle for hire. Meeks is muscle for hire.
You tell me.
Yeah, l remember now.
Meeks is a run-down ex-cop. Same as youīre going to be some day.
Thatīs all youīll get.
Keep your 20 bucks.
what do l get if l give you your balls back, you wop cocksucker?
There was a rumor going around...
...that Meeks had a line on a large supply of H.
And?
And nothing!
He skipped out.
Bullshit.
How would Meeks get his hands on a large supply of heroin?
Youīre right.
ltīs probably bullshit.
Even if he did, he could never unload it.
Not without drawing all kinds of attention.
Maybe thatīs why heīs under a house in Elysian Park not smelling too good...
...paesano.
Maybe whiteīs not so dumb after all.
we got Rita Hayworth at the morgue, and now Veronica Lake with white.
l think your case and my case are connected. ltīs Fleur-de-Lis again.
Fleur-de-Lis?
""whatever you desire.""
Porno.
High-class whores cut to look like movie stars.
who knows what else. Reynolds, the kid that got killed, was involved.
So is Pierce Patchett.
The millionaire?
l think we should go talk to him.
First l want to brace Stompanato.
want an autograph? write to MGM.
Since when do two-bit hoods and hookers give out autographs?
what?
LAPD. Sit down.
who in the hell do you think you are?
Take a walk, honey.
-You are making a large mistake. -Get away from our table.
Shut up.
A hooker cut to look like Lana Turner is still a hooker.
-She just looks like Lana Turner. -She is Lana Turner.
She is Lana Turner.
How was l supposed to know?
l believe the Nite Owlīs your area of expertise, Mr. Exley.
l saw you on television getting your medal.
And youīre...
...that other Hollywood celebrity policeman, arenīt you?
The Veronica Lake look-alike works for you. Sheīs one of your whores.
A vulgar term.
whyīs she seeing Bud white?
why do men and women usually see each other?
Letīs try this on for size: Fleur-de-Lis.
""whatever you desire.""
An actor named...
...Matt Reynolds.
No? Nothing?
we want some answers.
we all want something.
The guyīs as cool as they come.
Lieutenant Exley, come in, please. Over.
Exley.
The coroner wants to talk to you. He says he has your l.D.
Tell him Sergeant Vincennes is coming in to talk to him.
-līll drop you at your car. -where are you going?
Lynn Brackenīs.
To find out why Patchett has her seeing Bud white. See you at the Frolic Room.
Oh, great. You get the girl. l get the coroner.
Hush-Hush, off the record and on the q.t.
l was just coming up to see you. You get that l.D.?
Thank God for dental records. Stiff used to be a cop. Leland Meeks.
Buzz Meeks?
-You knew him? -Of him.
He was around when l joined the force. Bad rep. Thanks.
""Just the facts,"" Jack.
""Just the facts.""
Anything else?
Leland Meeks worked Vice ī39-ī41. l need to see his arrest records.
Miss Bracken...
...līm Lieutenant Exley.
l know.
Bud told me all about you.
ls that so?
And what did white have to say?
He said you were smart.
He also said you were a coward, and that youīd screw yourself to get ahead.
Letīs concentrate on my smarts.
Pierce Patchett made you, didnīt he? Taught you how to dress, talk and think.
l am very impressed with the results.
But l need answers.
And if l donīt get them, līll take you and Patchett down.
Pierce Patchett can take care of himself.
And līm not afraid of you.
And you forget one thing, Lieutenant...
...Pierce also taught me how to fuck.
And he tells you who to fuck.
why does he have you fucking Bud white?
what makes you think līm not seeing Bud because l want to?
lt would be easier for you if there was an angle, wouldnīt it?
Youīre afraid of Bud because you canīt figure out how to play him.
He doesnīt follow the same rules of politics as you do.
lt makes him dangerous.
l can handle Bud white.
Can you?
l see Bud because l want to.
l see Bud because he canīt hide the good inside of him.
l see Bud because he makes me feel like Lynn Bracken...
...and not some Veronica Lake look-alike who fucks for money.
l see Bud because he doesnīt know how to disguise who he is.
l see Bud for all the ways heīs different from you.
Donīt underestimate me.
The way youīve underestimated Bud white?
Fucking me and fucking Bud arenīt the same thing.
Stop talking about Bud white.
Come on.
Shit.
Jack Vincennes.
ltīs going on midnight.
l need 2 minutes, Dudley.
ltīs important.
Good thing for you my wife and daughters are at the beach in Santa Barbara.
Do you remember Buzz Meeks, Dudley?
A disgrace as a police officer.
Straight D fitness reports from every C.O. he ever served under. why?
12 years ago, he was on a Vice roust with Dick Stensland.
They questioned Pierce Patchett about a blackmail scam.
Patchett had Sid Hudgens photographing prominent businessmen with hookers.
Anyway, charges were dropped. lnsufficient evidence.
You were the supervising officer on that case. Remember anything about it?
whatīs this about, boyo?
lt has to do with a murder līve been working with Ed Exley on.
Youīre Narco, Jack, not Homicide.
Since when do you work with Edmund Exley?
ltīs a private investigation.
l messed something up. līm trying to make amends.
Donīt start trying to do the right thing, boyo.
You havenīt had the practice.
Buzz Meeks and Dick Stensland.
So, what does Exley make of this?
l havenīt told him yet. l just came from the records room.
Have you a valediction, boyo?
Rollo...
...Tomasi.
Sergeant Vincennes was killed by a .32 slug to the heart.
Time of death, approximately 1 a.m.
Although he was found in Echo Park, forensics indicates the body was moved.
l want 2-man teams to scour that entire neighborhood.
Our justice must be swift...
...and merciless.
That is all.
Might l have a word with you?
weīre trying to run down a lead on an associate of Vincennes.
The records check has led to a dead end.
whatīs the name?
Rollo Tomasi?
You ever heard Vincennes mention him?
No. No, l havenīt.
ltīs probably nothing. Still...
...keep your eyes open, boyo.
l know itīs unlikely, but suppose, just for a moment...
...somebody had a lot of heroin, who would they go to to move it?
white, in my office.
Captain. Look, just give me a name.
Mickey Cohen.
Captain?
l could use your fearsome habits at the Victory Motel.
when?
Now.
Close the door, lad.
Youīre a bit of a puzzlement to me these days.
You donīt seem your old cruel self.
And l had such grand plans for your future.
what plans?
You have your extracurricular activities and l have mine.
we must have a clarification session one of these days.
However...
...right now...
...weīll brace a man who may know who killed Jack Vincennes.
So the question is...
...can l count on you, lad?
-Yes or no? -Yes, sir.
l want to know everything you and Jack Vincennes talked about last night.
Start with the l.D. on the corpse.
An ex-cop.
Leland ""Buzz"" Meeks.
An ex-cop?
Did Jack know him?
Only by reputation.
This is Sid Hudgens.
līm willing to cooperate. No need to tie me down.
ltīs for your own safety.
what can you tell us about Jack Vincennes?
Hollywood Jack? The Big V?
l can tell you heīs on the night train to the Big Adios.
l had nothing to do with him getting killed, if thatīs what you mean.
-But you were business associates. -whatīs that got to do with anything?
Okay, so we worked together.
lt was an information exchange.
l got him first-class collars, he got me good stories. we were friends.
weīll drop that for the moment.
Care to comment on Pierce Patchett?
You think he had something to do with Vincennes getting iced?
wendell, līd like full and docile cooperation on every topic.
Okay, okay, okay. All right.
Everyone knows Patchettīs worth a boatload of greenbacks.
But the man has hobbies too.
He bankrolls B movies under the table.
And try this one on.
Heīs rumored to be a heroin sniffer.
All in all, a powerful behind-the-scenes strange-o.
And?
And what?
Reciprocity, Mr. Hudgens, is the key to every relationship.
He runs call girls.
Primo tail fixed up to look like movie stars.
And?
Blackmail shit.
ln my car, in the trunk, under the rug....
Patchett got me to photograph this cop screwing this gorgeous slut named Lynn.
She looks like Veronica Lake.
Leave him!
l said leave him be!
Get him away from me!
Back off!
l wouldnīt trade places with Exley right now for all the whiskey in lreland.
Dudley, l thought you were going to let the dumb bastard kill me!
Learn to pull your punches a little better.
You can uncuff me now, fellas.
Fellas...
...we had a deal.
You, me, Patchett, weīre a team.
Hush-hush.
-Anything? -Nothing.
Meeks never made an arrest the entire time he worked Vice?
Someone mustīve pulled the files.
what about the daily report books?
Theyīd be buried in the basement.
Find them.
Did you talk to Exley?
Come in out of the rain.
l want to know what happened with Exley.
Just come in.
Are you going to tell me what happened with Exley?
we talked.
Tell me about him.
Later.
Now!
You fucked him.
l thought l was helping you.
līm glad youīre here. l need you to see this.
wait....
Dudley killed Jack.
He wants you to kill me.
He showed you the photo, didnīt he?
Didnīt he?
Think! ! Goddamn you, think! !
Get out!
l checked the daily report books.
Dudley, Buzz Meeks and Stensland go way back.
l knew Stensland lied to me.
Leffertsī mother l.D.īd Stensland as Leffertsī boyfriend.
Stensland pretended he didnīt know Meeks or her the night that l met...
...Lynn.
Stensland and Meeks...
...what the hell were they up to?
l donīt know. But l think Stens killed Meeks over heroin.
what heroin?
Johnny Stompanato told me that Meeks had heroin for sale.
Meeks ends up dead.
Stensland dies at the Nite Owl.
lt wasnīt the Negroes.
The rape victim lied in her statement.
The first guys to the Mercury coupe were Breuning and Carlisle.
Dudleyīs guys.
They planted the shotguns.
Theyīd have killed the Negroes too if Jack and l hadnīt shown up.
Dudley framed them because they were Negroes and had records.
He knew thereīd be no questions asked...
...if they were killed resisting arrest.
Somehow this is all connected to Jackīs angle.
Sid Hudgens...
...the pictures to blackmail Ellis Loew....
A kid got murdered.
To figure this out, we need to work together.
why are you doing this?
The Nite Owl made you.
You want to tear all that down?
with a wrecking ball.
want to help me swing it?
Letīs go see Ellis Loew.
Find out what the District Attorney knows.
You canīt go in there.
-want me to call the police, Mr. Loew? -Ask for Capt. Dudley Smith.
Tell him weīre discussing an unemployed actorīs death at a Sunset Strip motel.
These are the police.
what do you want?
l want D.A. bureau men to tail Dudley Smith and Patchett 24 hours a day.
l want you to get a judge to authorize wiretaps on their home phones.
l want authorization to check their bank records.
On what evidence?
Call it a hunch.
Absolutely not.
Dudley Smith is a highly decorated member of the department.
l wonīt smear his and Patchettīs name without--
without what?
Them smearing yours first?
what do they have? Pictures of you and Matt Reynolds with your pants down?
You have any proof?
The proof had his throat slit.
So far, youīre not denying it.
l wonīt dignify this with answers.
Now if you gentlemen will excuse me...
...l have a press conference for Jack Vincennes that l have to prepare for.
Unless you came to wipe my ass, l believe weīre through.
Donīt pull that good cop-bad cop crap. l practically invented it.
So what if some homo actor is dead.
Boys, girls, ten of them get off the bus to L.A. everyday.
Pull him off me! !
l donīt know how.
l know you think youīre the A-number-one hotshot, but hereīs the juice.
lf l kill you, 10 lawyers will take your place tomorrow.
They just wonīt come on a bus.
Okay!
Dudley and Patchett, they....
Oh, my God!
l wouldnīt play ball so they set me up!
l gave in! But the kid heard everything...
...so they killed him.
why?
-what are Dudley and Patchett up to? -Taking over Mickey Cohenīs rackets.
Because of those pictures l couldnīt prosecute them!
Oh, Jesus!
Help me up!
ls that how you ran the good cop-bad cop?
Patchett?
Looks like his bodyguard had a conflict of interest.
Suicide note.
Says he killed Jack because Jack had figured out his pornography scam.
Slicing himself open wasnīt his idea.
2 of his fingers are broken.
They held him there.
Or drugged him.
Dudleyīs tying up his loose ends.
Patchettīs dead.
He sent you after me.
Lynn.
west Hollywood Sheriff.
-Theyīre closer than we are. -līll get the car. Keys!
we took her to the station for safekeeping.
Hold her as Joan Smith. And no one sees her unless l okay it.
Someone worked her over.
She wouldnīt say who.
See you, Exley.
we should talk to Lynn.
You do it.
what will you do?
līm going to talk to Sid Hudgens.
Compliment him on his performance at the Victory Motel.
Remember, Bud, we need evidence.
līll get the evidence.
Are you okay?
You okay?
Bud hates himself for what he did.
l know how he feels.
l need to know what you can give me on Dudley Smith.
Heīs a police captain in business with Patchett.
līve never heard of him.
Do you have a place to stay?
līll be okay.
Nobody goes in without official l.D.!
Heīs okay. Let him through.
what happened?
Someone beat him to death, and stole a bunch of files.
Must have dug up garbage on the wrong guy.
we got it narrowed down to 1000 suspects.
Sergeant white...
...dispatch got a call for you.
Lieutenant Exley wants you to meet him at the Victory Motel.
You wanted to meet here?
-You called it. l thought Hudgens was-- -Hudgens is dead.
Letīs get out of here.
ltīs too late.
You figured it was a set-up but came anyway?
A lot of bad stuff happened here.
ltīs as good a place as any for it to end.
Clip.
All l ever wanted was to measure up to my father.
Nowīs your chance.
He died in the line of duty, didnīt he?
Goddamn it!
You okay?
Yeah.
Come on. Easy.
Move!
Rollo Tomasi.
who is he?
You are.
Youīre the guy who gets away with it.
Jack knew it.
And so do l.
Are you going to shoot me...
...or arrest me?
Good lad.
Always the politician.
Let me do the talking.
After līm done, theyīll make you Chief of Detectives.
Hold up your badge...
...so theyīll know youīre a policeman.
You think you can talk your way out of this, Lieutenant?
No...
...but l can tell the truth.
During our investigation...
...of events surrounding the Nite Owl case...
...Jack Vincennes, Bud white and l learned the following:
Your golden boyīs throwing his whole life away.
The 3 Nite Owl suspects...
...while guilty of kidnapping and rape...
...were innocent of the multiple homicides at the Nite Owl.
The gunmen were most likely...
...Los Angeles police officers Michael Breuning and william Carlisle...
...and a third man...
...who may or may not have been Captain Dudley Smith.
The objective:
The elimination of another police officer...
...Richard Stensland...
...who, along with former LAPD officer Leland ""Buzz"" Meeks...
...also committed multiple homicides on behalf of Captain Smith...
...and then betrayed him...
...over 25 pounds of heroin...
...the retrieval of which...
...was the ultimate motivation behind the Nite Owl killings.
Beginning with the incarceration of Mickey Cohen...
...Capt. Smith has been assuming control of organized crime in Los Angeles.
This includes the assassinations of Mickey Cohen lieutenants...
...the systematic blackmail of city officials...
...and the murders of Susan Lefferts, Pierce Patchett, Sid Hudgens...
...and Sergeant Jack Vincennes.
Captain Smith admitted as much to me...
...before l shot him...
...at the Victory Motel.
Thatīs it.
well...
...the press will have a field day.
Christ!
ltīll stain the Department for years.
Decades.
lf we can get the kid to play ball...
...whoīs to say what happened?
Maybe Dudley Smith died a hero.
-Good idea. -lf we get the press to play.
want to tell me what youīre smiling about?
A hero.
Howīd he know what we said?
He couldnīt have heard us.
ln this situation...
...youīll need more than one.
lt is my pleasure to present this award to Detective Lieutenant Edmund Exley...
...two-time Medal of Valor recipient.
Next year the LAPD will move into its new facility.
with leaders like Edmund Exley...
...the image of fat cops stealing apples will be left behind...
...and Los Angeles will finally have the police force it deserves.
You just couldnīt resist.
Theyīre using me. So for a while, līm using them.
Come on.
Thanks for the push.
Congratulations, Lieutenant Exley.
Some men get the world...
...others get ex-hookers and a trip to Arizona. 1668