What's this? Spring cleaning in December?
Oh, I'm just, you know, straightening up.
Oh, you got a wash and a wax too.
What did you do, take it to Jiffy's over on Franklin?
- Huh? No, I didn't. I did it myself. - No, you didn't.
I've seen your wax job. You took this to Jiffy's, didn't you?
Just tired of driving around in a garbage can, that's all.
- Is that a crime? - No.
I fixed it so Santa would stay after hours.
You'll have the whole store to yourself.
- You spoil our girls. - It's Christmas.
- Miss Rizzo. - Savino family.
- Merry Christmas! - Waiting for your father?
This is our first Christmas together in years,
so I'm surprising him with a steak dinner at the Hickory Room.
- It's his favorite. - Here he is now.
- Merry Christmas, sweetheart - Merry Christmas, Dad.
I have a surprise for you.
- You do? - Yeah.
- Miss Desmond. - Not Miss Desmond for long.
We're gonna be family.
- Oh, my God. - Can you believe it?
- I'm getting married. - No, I can't.
- Congratulations. - Thank you.
Listen, I'm gonna hit the sheets, but you gonna talk to the contractor, pal,
- set things right? - Yeah, in about 20 minutes.
Terrific. Sweetheart, let's go, babe.
Okay, kids, you're gonna have a great time. Come on.
Come on, girls.
I had no idea he was coming into town with Diane Desmond.
- You mean Diane Rizzo? - Heh-heh.
Merry Christmas. Welcome to the Savoy.
- Have a great night, Mia. - You too.
Heh.
Jack?
You told me I should ask you out when you're not at work,
and it doesn't look like you're working.
So...
Gentlemen, I'm ahead of schedule on almost every casino I'm building you.
Those renovations should have been done already.
What you don't understand about the construction...
What you don't understand is we know all the tricks, Mr. Merrick.
- Hell, we invented them. - Our billing's been more than fair.
One more word,
you're gonna find yourself in that foundation you're pouring.
Okay, all right, Nicky, take a breath. Take a breath.
Look, Del, we don't mind you padding your bottom line,
because you're the only builder in the city who can handle jobs this size.
But pigs get fat and hogs get slaughtered.
- You know what I'm saying? - Actually, no, I don't.
You're charging us twice for the same materials
by making it look like there were two different shipments.
Not to mention, my estimate on the Tumbleweed is 30 percent over.
We haven't even broken ground yet. Now, this nonsense is over.
Honestly, I don't know how long I can keep Nicky Tomisano on a leash.
I didn't know that it was going on here, Vincent.
- My apologies. - Good.
- Okay.
All right, all this business is put to bed.
In the spirit of Christmas, except for Berman here.
You kidding me? I need to cut costs more than anybody.
You guys got one day of opening presents.
I got eight nights I gotta worry about. Come on, it's too much.
Ha-ha-ha. All right. Drinks at my place, come on.
I can't believe a Chicago girl's gonna say this,
but I might actually like honky-tonk music.
- Yeah? - Mm-hm.
Well, then, you should do more than just listen to it.
- I'm not much of a dancer. - That's all right.
My mama taught me a step or two.
Get that cement going! Need that foundation done.
Got it.
- It's jammed. - Dump it.
Pete! Over here!
My God. That's Del Merrick.
Sheriff Lamb, deputies,
this is Ginny Merrick, Del Merrick's wife.
I'm sorry about your loss, ma'am.
Del is supposed to be honored by the Rotary Club this afternoon.
Do you think they'll cancel it?
Son, why don't you take Mrs. Merrick and get her a drink of water.
- Right this way, ma'am. - Come on.
- Let's get you something to drink. - Poor thing.
She doesn't even know if she's coming or going.
- What do we got here, counselor? - Dead body cased in cement.
If it's not a mob hit, I don't know what is.
Excuse me, sheriff.
Mr. Merrick had a dispute with some clients just yesterday.
- Well, who are you? - Pete Holm.
I've managed day-to-day for Merrick for over 20 years.
A half-dozen businessmen came here, angry over billing.
Nicky Tomisano, Moe Berman, Vincent Savino.
They threatened his life.
- What's the problem? - Vincent, thank goodness you're here.
- Can you believe this? - Believe what?
It's green. It clashes with my eyes.
Look, we have an entertainment director
who deals with this type of thing. Talk to him.
Vincent,
please, I have other concerns about my show
that I can't discuss with anyone but you.
- A moment with my employer, please? - Yes, ma'am.
And take this awful thing with you.
I'm having trouble concentrating at work.
I see you, I want you, but I can't have you.
It's a distraction, and it can be easily rectified.
If you find you can't work at the Savoy,
you're welcome to seek employment elsewhere.
I remember a time when you weren't so formal.
I remember a Christmas in Havana when the best present I got
- didn't come gift-wrapped. - Enough.
I'm not gonna make this mistake again.
Next time you have a problem, talk to your fiancé.
- Jack? - Yeah?
You making heads or tails of Merrick's business records?
No.
My business sense is kind of limited to buying feed or selling steed.
Keep looking.
If he was killed over money, it's gonna be in these papers.
What's this I hear we can't have a Christmas Eve party?
Don't blame me. Blame CCCR 11.19.
- What the hell is CCCR? - Clark County Code and Regulation.
And section 11.19 says that it is against regulations
to have alcohol-induced carousing in any mayor's,
treasurer's, or sheriff's office.
- I don't want carousing, I want a party. - Mm-mm.
Pop? Why'd you put this fascist in charge?
Because she's the toughest one here.
Well, Mr. Savino. Merry Christmas.
You pulled my construction permit.
Tumbleweed expansion isn't even out of the ground yet.
I'm a public servant, I'm hereto help.
So maybe while I'm trying to grease the wheels for you over there
at the city planner's office, maybe you can tell me
about the trouble you and your pals were having with Del Merrick?
Oh, that's what this is about.
The truth is, none of those guys did it.
We just worked out things with Merrick last night.
- After you threatened him. - Persuaded him.
We need the guy. He runs the jobs, and we can't fall behind.
Trust me, his death is an inconvenience I don't want right now.
So instead of harassing me, why don't you look into the crimes at my joint?
Yeah, I've had break-ins.
Last week I lost $10,000 worth of merchandise from my storage room.
I got a tip for you. Get a stronger door.
Nobody touched the door. There was no sign of forced entry.
I figured it was an inside job, so I couldn't use my guys
because they'd get made.
Dixon.
I want you to go with Mr. Savino,
and I want you to check into these burglaries.
Pulling me off a murder for some break-in licks?
We're not in the "what Dixon wants" business.
The sign outside says "sheriff's station."
- You gotten other deputies. - And your number's up. Let's go.
Mind telling me what the hell I'm supposed to do about this?
I can take care of that for you.
You guys are worse than Chicago politicians. You know that?
He'!
I find out you've been holding out on me on this Merrick business,
this pencil has an eraser.
Merry Christmas.
Sheriff, it's the coroner. He says there's something you need to see.
When I finally got all the cement off him,
I found three blunt-trauma wounds in the back of his head.
- You saying he was beaten to death? - Nope, beating didn't take.
- So they choked him out. - Not what you'd call a professional hit.
Mob theory's getting weaker by the minute.
When I took his shirt off, I found this:
Pattern looks like it was made by a serrated knife.
- How old? - A few months or so.
There she is. Cover him up.
Hello, Mrs. Merrick.
This is Dr. Ferguson. He's our county coroner.
Mrs. Merrick. Go ahead.
Ma'am, this wound right here, do you know how he got it?
On a construction site in Arizona. Crane swung wide and caught him.
You sure?
Well, yes, he called me every day from the hospital room in Phoenix.
He didn't want me to worry.
That's enough.
Did you ever hear of a serrated crane hook?
That wound was not caused by any construction accident.
Mm-mm.
Somebody tried to kill him before.
You find something?
Looking through your incident reports,
the storage room burglaries are taking place during shift changes
when there ain't a lot of people around there.
It's gotta be an employee pulling the heist,
- because they'd know the schedule. - Pretty sharp deduction.
What do you want to do about it?
I think I should go undercover as a waiter.
We want the thief to rob again,
and he ain't gonna do that if a badge is hanging around.
Well, I doubt anyone would recognize you as the law,
seeing as though that your dad seems to like to keep you in the background.
Hell, half the people in this town don't even know you're a deputy.
Sometimes I don't think my dad knows I'm a deputy.
Tell you what, let's get you a uniform.
What are we looking for again?
Anything from around the time that Merrick
- got that little love tap on his chest. - Got it.
Work-card applications, all approved except for the three on top.
One was federal.
"Work-card application for Diane Desmond rejected
on federal narcotics charges."
- Well, that's pretty serious. - Mm-hm.
All right, Yvonne, call Savoy, let them know
that Miss Desmond's no longer welcome to work in a casino in our city.
- Thank you. - Mm-hm.
Hmm. Listen to this: "Merrick, you have destroyed my life
and that of my family. Death is all you deserve."
The rest is pretty damn colorful.
Signed, "Hiroshi Watanabe."
- He signed it? - Not only that,
but he sent it from Southwestern Nevada State.
Let's go to school.
Mr. Watanabe? I'm Sheriff Ralph Lamb.
I wanna talk to you about Del Merrick.
- What about him? - Well, he was murdered, for starters.
Hey!
He's stronger than he looks.
- Look, I didn't kill him... - You got him?
- Watch his feet. - I didn't kill Merrick.
We got a letter where you said you wanted him dead.
I wrote that letter because Del Merrick killed my daughter.
My family and I were relocated to a camp built by Merrick.
Government contract for Japanese-American internment camps.
We lost our home. Our savings.
And then our daughter...
She got double pneumonia.
She was 9.
For years, all I thought about was Merrick.
Revenge.
Then, one day I see in the paper he's building somewhere close by.
I found him working late on site.
Hook a knife, slashed his chest.
As I stood over him, after thinking about it for years...
I couldn't do it.
So you ran away until you built up enough courage
- to come back and finish the job. - No.
I drove him to the hospital.
As he bled, I told him what he'd done to my family.
I saw the realization on his face.
I visited him at the hospital.
Eventually, we forgave each other for everything.
Then his wife picked him up, and I never saw him again.
Hold on there.
His wife said he was in Arizona.
No, his wife picked him up at Las Vegas Hospital.
Pretty, red hair.
Ginny Merrick doesn't have red hair.
What do you mean she can't sing?
Sheriff's office was firm, no work card, period.
This is all a mistake.
I was arrested a while ago in the Miami airport
with a few feel-good pills from my doctor back in Havana.
- You got a record? - No, baby. No conviction.
Some desk jockey fed must've seen the arrest paperwork
and flagged my card, I'll have my lawyer take care of it.
You gotta be kidding me.
I got Roy Rogers and Howdy Doody telling me my girl can't sing in our club!
What do you got there, sweetheart?
Um...
Some music manager keeps pushing these acts for the Savoy.
"Honky Tonk Favorites."
Over my dead body. We've got Diane Desmond here!
I'm not gonna allow some ranch hands to keep her off my stage.
And I swear to you, Vinny, if these damn Lamb boys
don't get out of our business, I just might do something about it.
Scotch and soda, please?
I'm sorry, but there's no carousing in the station, remember?
Why are you so hell-bent on a Christmas party anyway?
Aren't you a little old for that?
Christmas in my house is, um, kind of subdued.
Lost my mom around the holidays, so...
I'm sorry. I didn't know that.
Did you just say sorry?
My goodness, it is a Christmas miracle.
Mia Rizzo, please.
- Do you know when she'll be available? - Refile that, would you?
You know if she got a package I sent her?
All right, thank you.
Just got off the phone with Pete Holm. He has no knowledge of a mistress.
Well, we gotta find her.
Mistress equals motive, jealous husband equals suspect.
Call Reece's Jewelers. Man with a mistress buys jewelry.
Man with Merrick's money buys it at Reece's.
Find out where he had it sent, you'll find your redhead.
Now, that is a good idea.
This the place?
This is the address the jewelers gave me.
See? If we were back at the ranch,
we'd be having a nice lunch right about now.
- Freeze! - Aah!
No! Don't kill me! Don't kill me!
- Please! - Grab her leg!
I'll double whatever Nicky's paying you.
Relax, lady. We're the law.
- Who's this Nicky? - Nicky Tomisano.
- The mobster? - I'm his wife.
He killed Del. I know I'm next.
Yeah, give me a Gino on the Giants and the points.
Give a G on the Bears, giving.
Get me a nickel on the Packers, under.
I have fantastic news, baby.
I'll call you back with the rest.
- I'm working over here. - Sorry.
Just thought you'd like to know that I'm all set vocally
and legally to sing my heart out for the Savoy.
- Already? - I just talked to my lawyer.
He said it's done like a TV dinner.
I'm gonna go talk to wardrobe about my dress.
I love you.
Excuse me, sir. Stop! Sheriff's department!
Son of a bitch.
Merrick sleeps with your wife, Merrick winds up dead.
Should I book the courtroom?
Ha. I wish I had the pleasure of killing that bastard.
Oh, I've known about him nailing that puttana for months.
But I didn't touch him.
Your devoted wife thinks you did.
What my wife doesn't know could fill a warehouse.
Look, the guys I do business with, they like things on a schedule.
Now, I take out the guy in charge of all construction in Vegas,
I'd be laying in a grave right next to him in five minutes.
I thought it was Nicky. I couldn't see through the door.
Yet you still almost hit us.
All I wanted was someone who was sweet to me.
Well, turns out Del wasn't that sweet after all.
After he got his chestnut, I visited him every day.
Rub lotion on his bed sores.
But within a few weeks of getting his chest cut,
he left me for that woman from the hospital.
What woman?
Candy striper told me her name was Amy Seger.
"Amy Seger, aggravated assault, narcotics use."
Oh, "narcotics sales."
Hardly the kind of person you'd find with a respected businessman.
Hardly the kind of person you'd find here.
Jesus, he's my friend
I said, can't nobody do me like Jesus
Can't nobody do me like Jesus
Excuse me, ma'am. I'm looking for Amy Seger.
Can't nobody touch me like Jesus
So, what'd you find about our singer and her work-card situation?
You're not gonna be happy.
Every time I speak to you I'm not happy.
- What'd you find out? - I talked to a guy I know in D.C.
She's working with the feds.
Diane's a crazy broad, but she'd never turn.
Drug charges can turn a girl like a top.
Especially one with a Hollywood career to protect.
She's dirty, Vincent.
You sure about this? Your info's good?
How else does she get international narcotics charges
to go away in one day with one call?
What do you think she's doing in Vegas?
Do the math.
She's hereto get info to take you down.
To take you all down.
When I met Del, he was suffering very deeply,
so the Lord brought me to him.
Miss Seger, uh, I have to ask this.
You have a string of felony narcotic convictions,
so I can't help but wonder...
How does a junkie become a preacher?
My father used to play coronet for all the big bandleaders in town.
He used to shoot junk after the show,
then before the show, and then before breakfast.
Mama used to put a little dope in my baby bottles.
Keep me quiet.
Did everything I could to get by. One night, I let a man pay me.
Wasn't the first time, mind you,
but this fella knocked me around pretty good.
And as I lay there on the ground, I prayed to God to let me live.
Which was strange, actually, given how many times
I prayed for him to let me die.
But this time when I called out, he answered me.
Is that how it happened for Merrick too?
- He got stabbed, then he got saved? - You could say that.
It took almost dying for Del to be born again.
But Del Merrick was building casinos in the desert
He was turning God's country into the devil's playground.
And he hated himself for it.
When Del was a boy, he had tuberculosis. Nearly killed him.
That's why he came to Vegas, for the climate.
Back then, the desert saved Del's life.
Now it was Del's turn to save the desert
How was he gonna do that?
By shutting his business within the year and devoting his life to God.
After he built one last project, that is.
- What was that? - A church.
Our church.
Um... Well, we thank you for your time.
Our doors are always open, sheriff.
You think she had anything to do with Del's murder?
I doubt it.
If what she said was true, he was about to give her everything.
Del's business partner couldn't have been too pleased about that.
His business partner?
What about his wife?
Found your traitor.
- What? - Your thief.
Caught him in the act. Well, sort of.
Bad news, he got away. Good news, he left his calling card.
Now, that's too new to be an employee's,
so I thought maybe you had a locksmith down there recently.
Couple weeks ago. Loading bay doors kept jamming.
- But I don't know the guy's name... - Denny Younger.
That's him, right there.
So you picked him up already?
To be honest, I think he was just glad it was us who picked him up, not you.
Nice work.
You must have been top of your class at the police academy, huh?
No. I started work at the ranch day after I graduated high school.
Give me a minute, will you?
Yes, of course, ma'am...
Now I got a key for you.
- Whose suite is this? - Tonight? Yours.
Are you kidding me?
From up here, everything looks a lot different.
The way you see things always depends on where you're looking from.
Thanks, but, um, I can't accept.
Sheriff doesn't look too kindly on taking personal gifts
in return for public service.
And it's Christmas Eve, you probably wanna be with your family, I guess.
Yeah, well, thanks anyway. Really.
Thank you, deputy.
Tell you what,
why don't you spend a little time here, enjoy the view from on high.
- Can I offer you a drink, sheriff? - No, thank you, ma'am.
- You have a beautiful home. - Thank you.
We enjoy it. I mean, I do.
Takes some getting used to, doesn't it? Going from a "we" to an
I'm afraid I've never been very fond of change, so... Please.
I imagine it would be difficult for you to give all this up.
Excuse me?
Well, if Del was gonna give all of his money to Amy Seger and her church,
you couldn't afford to stay in this place, could you?
No formal decision had been made with regard to Del's money
and that preacher woman.
So you knew about Del's plans?
I did.
- And did you approve? - No.
What were you planning on doing about it?
She wasn't the first woman to capture Del's attentions during our marriage.
I figured he'd grow tired of her soon enough.
Why's that?
Because that's how it always happened, sheriff.
- You got a minute? - Of course.
Mr. Holm. 10 Dew.
- You all right? - Lifetime of manual labor
taking its toll.
What can you tell me about Amy Seger?
- That two-bit conjurer? - You think she's a fraud?
I do. Del didn't.
Because she says that he planned to shutter Merrick Construction
and put all his money into building her a church.
- That true? - Well, that's what he said,
but Del said a lot of things.
Man, though, you spend two decades building another man's business
only to see him give it all up one day on a whim?
I mean, if that were me, that'd really chap my hide.
Oh, there's a lot of work for a builder in Vegas.
Del needed me more than I needed him.
Still, his name on the sign and all. Not yours.
Well, who cares about signs? I mean, he put my name on the business.
Twenty percent of it, anyway.
Well, I better get back to work.
Want to get my guys done in time for Christmas Eve with their families.
Mia Rizzo called.
Said she wants you to meet her later to discuss some work-card issues.
Thank you, deputy.
Work-card issues?
Christmas Eve?
Got a minute?
I thought we talked about this.
Getting involved with a mob boss's daughter is a bad idea, if you ask me.
Didn't ask you.
He'!
Holm tell you anything?
Far as I'm concerned, he might as well have confessed to killing Del Merrick.
He confirmed Del's plans to dissolve the business
and build Amy Seger her church.
That doesn't mean he killed the guy.
Holm devoted his life to another man's business,
only to see him just give it all up because he felt like it.
Yeah, but if Del Merrick gave everything he had to Amy Seger,
Ginny Merrick, she's the one that would've lost everything.
Holm, he just gets himself another job, big deal.
Are you kidding me?
The guy plays second fiddle for decades.
One day, Merrick meets Amy Seger,
next day, he just turns his back on it all.
Everything that he and Holm built. Their life's work.
- I don't see it. - Well, I guess you wouldn't.
We still talking about the case?
I might know a thing or two about devoting your life to something,
only to see the man in charge give it all up overnight.
While you're strutting your badge up and down Fremont Street,
who do you think's running your ranch?
Don't you throw that in my face, Hoss.
- Just like I did when you were away. - I was at war!
Yeah, and while you were over there, I was here,
keeping your business afloat, raising your son and burying your wife.
I guess you're right, Jack.
I missed it all.
- Johnny here? - No.
Just you and me.
I knew you'd come eventually.
Wanna dance?
Oh, God, I missed you.
Tell me what you want.
I want you to get the hell out of here.
- What? I don't understand. - Don't play dumb.
- I know about you and the FBI. - Vincent...
Just because you're not wearing a wire does not mean you're not a rat.
You've got until morning.
Then I never wanna see you again,
and if I ever do, I swear to God it'll be the last time.
When questioned, the suspect, Mr. Holm,
revealed that he owned 20 percent of Merrick Construction.
Which would have been worthless
once Del put all the company's resources into Amy Seger's church.
Exactly. In addition to suspect's documented financial...
You still on Pete Holm? Waste of time.
In addition to his financial motive,
the suspect appeared to have sustained a hand injury
- consistent with... - Hold on.
You didn't say anything about Pete Holm having a hand injury.
When I tried to shake hands with him today, he winced.
So I'm thinking he hurt himself trying to choke out Del Merrick.
But I don't wanna waste your time, sheriff. It'll be in my report
Ginny Merrick had a bandage on her hand today too.
You think maybe they were in on this together?
That's a lot of weight for one person to stuff into a cement mixer.
Well, not to mention they've got those sharp blades
- in there to agitate the cement. - Yeah.
And Ginny's injury was on which hand?
- Left. - And we know Mr. Holm
had an injury on his right.
- I'm Holm, you're Ginny. - Right.
- This is the cement mixer. - Right.
And we stuff him in.
This is exactly why I left my last job.
That's absurd.
I would never do anything to hurt Del.
Just the thought of him in that godforsaken machine,
- all beaten and bloody... - Just stop right there.
Mrs. Merrick, you're right.
Del's body was both beaten and bloody underneath all that debris,
and the only people that could have known that are me,
my brother, the coroner, and Del's killer.
Or killers.
So I'm gonna have to ask you both to place your hands on the desk
- in front of you where I can see them. - Nice work.
Seems cement-mixer blades are sharper than I thought.
- Seems that way. - This is all your fault.
If you don't shut your mouth, Ginny, I swear to God...
Don't tell me you've gone and found religion too.
Will you two shut up? It's Christmas.
- Fred, Tom, get in here. - Yes, sir.
Put these two in a holding cell.
- I'll take care of that. - Huh?
You got someplace to be, don't you?
Ralph.
Merry Christmas.
You too.
What do you say, Miss Sanchez?
- Dixon Lamb, you are a naughty boy. - Yes, I am.
Very naughty.
Why are you so bossy? Huh?
- Why are you so bossy? - Because you love it.
Now, you go get me some ice right now.
Yes, ma'am.
- What are you doing here? - Nothing.
- You? - Nothing.
- I'm so glad you called. - Jack.
What's wrong?
This.
Us. We're wrong.
Really? That's how you feel?
It's what I know.
Please don't call me. Don't send me presents.
- We can't see each other anymore. - Damn it.
I knew I should have gotten you Patsy Cline.
- Ladies always like Patsy Cline. - I loved the record.
With my family and your family, it's just too dangerous.
- I'm not scared of your father. - You should be.
If he knew about us...
This is not gonna work.
The other night, when you were in my arms,
and we were out there on that dance floor,
that wasn't working for you?
Because I gotta be honest, it was working for me.
Jack, don't make this harder.
- You sure this is what you want? - It doesn't matter what I want.
It matters to me.
- I baked you some Christmas cookies. - Really?
- Thank you. - Don't thank me till you've tried them.
Home Ec was never my strongest subject.
Fortunately.
Well, I'm glad you came by, because I got you something too.
- For me? - For you.
Horse shampoo.
You shouldn't have.
Well, Doc Sawyer said it was the best there is.
- Thanks. - You're welcome.
I'm meeting a few friends for a drink at the Gemini. Care to join?
Well, I got a lot of paperwork, so can't.
Well, we'll be there for a while, if you change your mind.
I hate the thought of you being all alone on Christmas Eve.
I won't be alone.
Heck, I got two murderers locked up in the hoosegow.
Merry Christmas, Ralph.
Merry Christmas, Katherine.
- Thank you. - Yeah.
I came as fast as I could. What the hell is go...?
It's a shame about her. A real shame.
Once a junkie, always a junkie.
Right?
- Thank you, Mommy! - Oh, my goodness.