Losing Streak

transcript by Sarah Spearey

The Torino: Night

(A night shot of the city.)

Hutch: This is Zebra Three request code seven at Dody’s, 12^th and Willow.

Starsky: They make terrific hamburgers.

(Starsky and Hutch are sat in the Torino eating hamburgers.)

Hutch: You know, Starsk you were right about these hamburgers. They are terrific.

Starsky: Yeah. (Looks uncomfortable.)

Hutch: You all right?

Starsky: Yeah, I’m fine.

Hutch: It’s that tooth again, isn’t it?

Starsky: You know something? You oughta be a detec- (Winces)

Hutch: No, no, no; don’t open your mouth.

Starsky: Why?

Hutch: You talk, you let the cold air in. It aggravates the cavity.

Starsky: Oh.

GW’s Jazz Club: Night

(A board advertises a pianist called Toby playing at the club, but he’s sat listening to Vic Rankin play instead. Outside, a car pulls up and Gareth White, the owner of the club enters. He’s not pleased to see Vic play)

Waitress: Good evening, Mr. White. (A man approaches him)

Foote: Good evening, Mr. White.

White: What’s Vic Rankin doing here?

Foote: He said he had to see you. Well, Toby asked him to sit in for a couple of numbers. People seem to like him so I let him play.

White: Get rid of him. (Walks off)

Foote: Mr. White. It might not be that easy. He’s pretty wound up, I think he wants that money.

White: I said, get rid of him. (White leaves and Vic Rankin finishes off his number. There’s a round of applause.)

Toby: How about that! Out of sight! Hey, man, you’re still the greatest.

Vic: Thanks, Toby, thanks.

Toby: You got time to give us another?

Vic: No, no, I’d like to, but I gotta see your boss about something. (Leaves. Toby sits at the piano)

Toby: Well, how do you follow that, huh? Guess I’ll lay down a couple of yards of ‘Autumn leaves’ for you. I hate to see good liquor go to waste. (Finishes off Vic’s drink.)

(Vic Rankin enters White’s office where Foote is pouring himself a drink)

Vic: Where’s White?

Foote: Sorry, Vic, I’m afraid Mr. White ain’t gonna have the time to see you tonight after all, so go home huh?

Vic: Look, he’s gonna have to make time. He owes me $2000. (Foote hits him in the stomach)

Foote: Take a hint, Vic, get out of here while all your fingers are still in one piece. (Grabs his fingers)

Vic: Look, I worked for him for five weeks. He never paid me. I need that money.

Foote: I don’t want to tell it to you again. (Bends his fingers back)

Vic: All right, all right, all right. (Let’s go. He leaves and White enters from another door)

White: Next time don’t wait for me to tell you. I don’t want that bum around here.

Foote: Okay. Mr. White, can you come out a minute and have a talk to Murray.

White: Foote, I have other things to do. Can’t you handle it?

Foote: Well, it’s the cash register. The tapes, they’re all messed up again.

White: All right, I’ll be out.

Foote: Okay. (Leaves. White puts his briefcase in a draw and locks it up. Outside Vic is waiting. White leaves his office and turns off the light. Vic gets in through the window, once in he takes a peak outside and then searches the room. He forces open the top draw with a letter opener and looks inside the briefcase to find it full of money. He shuts it and opens it again, taking what he’s owed)

The Torino: Night

Dispatch: Zebra Three, come in, please.

Hutch: Zebra Three here, over. Have your pickle? (Takes Starsky’s pickle)

Dispatch: Investigate a woman screaming at 211 South Barclay Street. Possible assault in progress.

Hutch: 10-4, we will respond. You all right to drive?

Starsky: Yeah, I’m fine. (Starts the engine and takes a bite from his burger, but its hurts.)

Hutch: Now, Starsky, (takes his burger) you know sooner or later you’re gonna have to do business with the tooth fairy. (Takes a bite from Starsky’s burger.)

211 South Barclay Street: Night

(A woman is thrown onto the couch by Foote)

Mrs. Rankin: How many times do I have to tell you? I don’t know where he is.

Foote: I tried to warn your husband, Mrs. Rankin.

Lemke: No money in there. (They hear a siren)

Foote: Let’s get out of here. (Pulls her up by her dressing gown) I better not find out you’re lying to me, Mrs. Rankin. Have a good day. (Throws her down.)

(The Torino pulls up outside, Foote and his accomplice sees them and runs. Starsky and Hutch get out and run after them. The two get in there car and drive away just as Starsky and Hutch catch up)

Hutch: 259PCE.

Starsky: No, B.

Hutch: E

Starsky: B.

Hutch: It’s E. (Walks back through the fence)

Starsky: It’s B.

(They go inside to talk to Mrs. Rankin)

Hutch: Vic Rankin. I used to buy all his records when I was in high school. Are you related? (He’s looking at a record by a younger Vic Rankin.)

Mrs. Rankin: He is what the world laughingly calls my husband. (She’s tidying up)

Starsky: Excuse me, Mrs. Rankin, here you go. (Hands her some records) Excuse me, have you got any whiskey?

Mrs. Rankin: That’s refreshing a cop who drinks on duty. (Goes to the kitchen.)

Starsky: No, you don’t understand. I got a toothache. (Hands him the whiskey.)

Mrs. Rankin: Shucks.

Hutch: Okay, Mrs. Rankin. What happened to your husband?

Mrs. Rankin: Well, at the risk of shocking you Detective Hutchinson the truth of the matter is that your high school hero is trying to kill himself. But he doesn’t have the guts to do it all at once so he just does it an inch at a time. Because my husband is a compulsive gambler and he just fell off the wagon so to speak a couple of days ago. (Gets upset and looks out the window)

Hutch: So he’s in some kind of trouble, huh? And that’s what this is all about.

Mrs. Rankin: When Vic is gambling he’s always in some sort of trouble. Tonight, they say he stole $2000.

Hutch: Who’s ‘they’?

Mrs. Rankin: Gill White, he-he’s got a jazz club called the GW’s and Vic played there I don’t know about six months ago but he never got paid for it. So apparently he just broke into White’s office tonight and took what he thought he had coming.

Starsky: Mrs. Rankin, Vic worked for White six months ago. How come he waited this long to collect his money?

Mrs. Rankin: Why else? He heard about a big poker game tonight and he needed a stake and he had to steal that money.

GW’s Jazz Club: Night.

(Toby is playing a set as Starsky and Hutch enter the club. A waitress approaches them)

Olivia: Hi, I’m Olivia. Anything I can do for you?

Hutch: Yeah, we’d like to see Mr. White. (Shows her his badge)

Olivia: I’ll see if he’s in. (Turns to Starsky) Did anyway ever tell you you’re as cute as a teddy bear? (Pinches his check) Follow me. (She walks off)

Starsky: Can’t help it. (They follow her to White’s office while Toby continues to play)

Olivia: Mr. White says he’ll be happy to see you now.

Starsky: Oh, thank you. (They enter his office)

Hutch: Mr. White?

White: Gentlemen. Olivia tells me you’re cops. (Starsky shows White his badge)

Starsky: That’s right.

White: Is there some sort of beef?

Hutch: Well, we thought you could tell us. We just came from Evelyn Rankin’s apartment

White: Oh, yeah. I’m sorry about that. I heard my boys got a little rough. I was just gonna phone her and apologise

Starsky: That’s it? You have a lady and her apartment all busted up and you’re just gonna apologise.

White: She file a complaint? If it’ll make you feel any better, I’ll offer to pay for damages.

Hutch: What about the $2000 stolen from you tonight? If you want to file a complaint, we’re police officers.

White: No, there’s no need for that. I’m afraid tempers got pretty hot earlier on.

Starsky: Wait a minute. You telling us that Rankin didn’t steal any money?

White: That’s right. Not a nickel. Let’s just say what happened tonight was a disagreement among old friends.

Starsky: How quaint.

White: If that’s all, gentlemen, I have…

Hutch: Yeah, that’s all, thanks a lot. (They leave the office. Two old ladies pass them.)

Starsky: Man, that is weird.

Hutch: It is?

Starsky: No. (Points to the office)

Hutch: Oh, yeah.

Starsky: Well?

Hutch: Well, what?

Starsky: Well, what do you wanna do?

Hutch: Well, there can’t be that many big poker games in town.

Starsky: Oh.

(Foote watches Starsky and Hutch leave the club and is handed a phone)

Foote: Yes, Mr. White?

White: Those two guys who just left are cops. You and Lemke hit the streets. I don’t care what it cost, you have to find Rankin before they do and put him away. This time for good.

Foote: Yes, Mr. White. (Hangs up)

The Streets: Night.

(The Torino drives down the dark streets)

Hutch: Poker’s sure getting popular. That’s the third big game and still no Rankin.

The Poker Hideout: Night

(Rankin is sat around the table with other gamblers)

Vic: I need chips.

Banker: That’s what I’m here for.

Vic: A thousand. (Hands over the money and gets his chips.) I call.

Baldy: I call and I raise you another 500.

Banker: I’m out

Gambler 1: Too much for me.

Gambler: 2: Pass.

Baldy: Five hundred more to you Rankin. What’s the matter? You got a bad memory.

Vic: No, what the hell’s that supposed to mean.

Baldy: Can’t you remember you got an ace buried.

Banker: We oughta bury him. This stuff he’s been giving us all night is counterfeit.

Vic: What are you talking about?

Banker: The creeps a rip-off artist.

Vic: Now, what a minute, I didn’t- (Baldy and Gambler 2 pull him up, but he fights them off. Gambler 1 knocks him down, but Vic pushes him off. Gambler 1 has a gun and he fights with Vic for it. Gambler 2 comes to help and the gun accidentally goes off shooting Gambler 1.)

Banker: I think he’s killed him. (Vic drops the gun and runs)

Some time later: Night

(Starsky, Hutch and the paramedics have arrived. They wheel Gambler 1 away, alive on a stretcher. Starsky’s sat on a stool with a bottle of whiskey and they’re talking to the banker)

Starsky: You’re sure it was Rankin?

Banker: Yeah.

Hutch: He’s still alive. (Starsky takes a shot and washes it around his tooth)

Starsky: Okay. Who started this whole fight?

Banker: Rankin, all the way. We caught him playing with queer.

Hutch: With who? Oh, counterfeit.

Banker: Yeah. (Starsky and Hutch kneel down to check out the money) He bought in with counterfeit 20’s. Yeah, you see for yourselves. That was his. (Starsky and Hutch inspect the money)

Hutch: Its’ pretty good paper, Starsk. About how much money was here?

Banker: Oh, it’s all his. It’s exactly $2000.

Hutch: Would you excuse us for a minute, please?

Banker: Certainly.

Hutch: Starsky. You remember that flyer sent around by the treasury department?

Starsky: Oh yeah. They said there was a rumble that somebody was- (The banker is loitering behind them) Somebody was gonna dump about million in cash on the streets.

Hutch: Right. Suddenly a lot of things are starting to make sense. (The Banker is eavesdropping.) Listen, would you excuse us for a minute

Banker: Yes. (Walks off)

Hutch: Like why White would send over a couple of thugs to Rankin’s apartment to look for money that he told us was never stolen?

Starsky: Are you starting to get a bad feeling? (The Banker walks in front of them)

Banker: Oh, this is private.

Starsky: Good. (Walks around them) If Rankin got the money from White then he can put White in prison which means White has a good reason to kill him. (Hutch notices the banker still listening, but they’re done)

White’s Office: Day

(White’s packing up his briefcase. There’s a knock on the door.)

White: Who is it?

Foote: It’s me, Foote.

White: Come in. (Foote enters.)

Foote: We covered the streets. Now, Rankin doesn’t have that many friends. If he turns up, we’ll find him.

White: The people in St. Louis are very unhappy with us letting that $2000 get out before they were ready.

Foote: We’ll get Rankin, Mr. White. You can count on this. (White closes his briefcase)

White: I have to get this to a safe place. After that, I’ll be back here. Oh, Foote, don’t make me wait too long to hear from you. (Leaves)

211 South Barclay Street: Night

(Starsky and Hutch are back at Mrs. Rankin’s place)

Mrs. Rankin: You know, that is really funny. I mean, Vic is in trouble and you two hotshots come in here asking for help.

Hutch: Look, lady, we don’t have a lot of time. So we just thought that maybe as his loyal, loving wife you might care whether he was killed or not. (Slaps him)

Mrs. Rankin: Now, don’t you ever talk to me about loyalty again. And don’t come in here with any cheap shots like that not until you have lived with him for 12 years. Not until you have pulled him up out of the gutter and nursed him back to health because he has stolen somebody’s money to gamble with.

Starsky: Look, Mrs. Rankin, I don’t think you quite understand the situation. Now, if we are right, Mr. White is going to try to kill your husband.

Mrs. Rankin: Then let it be over with. Because I can’t-I can’t pick up the pieces not anymore. Twelve years is long enough to ride any losing streak.

Hutch: Mrs. Rankin, where would he go? Does he have any friends?

Mrs. Rankin: You have not been listening to anything I have said to you have you. He does not have anymore friends. They are all gone. (Phones rings) Hello?

Vic: Evelyn, it’s me.

Mrs. Rankin: Oh, Vic, where are you?

Vic: I’m in trouble honey.

Mrs. Rankin: I know. The police are here and they say that you shot a man.

Vic: The police? Don’t tell them anything.

Mrs. Rankin: No, Vic, listen, you have to give yourself up because the man you shot is going to be all right, but you’re in danger. Vic? (Hutch takes the phone)

Hutch: Hello, Vic? This is Detective Hutchinson. We want to help you. (Vic hangs up)

Starsky: Oh, no.

Hutch: Mrs. Rankin?

Mrs. Rankin: He sounded so scared.

Hutch: Yes. Mrs. Rankin there has got to be somebody that he would go to.

Mrs. Rankin: Belinda Williams.

Hutch: Belinda Williams? She used to sing with Vic a few years ago.

Starsky: Do you have any idea where we might find this Belinda Williams.

Mrs. Rankin: I don’t know, but Vic might because oh, about seven or eight years ago she got pretty heavy into drugs and she doesn’t sing anymore. I guess she just makes her living anyway she can.

Hutch: Starsk, this is Belinda. (Show’s Starsky a picture)

Belinda’s House: Day

(Belinda Williams lies in bed wrapped up in a duvet, rocking back and forth. There’s a knock on the door)

Vic: Belinda?

Belinda: Who is it?

Vic: Belinda, it’s me, Vic. Vic Rankin.

Belinda: Oh.

Vic: Belinda?

Belinda: Okay, okay, I’m coming. (She gets out of bed, puts on her robe and answers the door. Vic enters and goes straight for the window. He looks out and then returns to Belinda) Well, what are you looking at? What’d you expect?

Vic: Nothing. You look fine, Belinda. (Pause) How did we end up like this? Belinda, look, I’m in trouble. I need a place to hide.

Belinda: Still trying to fill an inside straight, huh?

Vic: I shot a man. The police are after me. I just need a place to rest and think. I haven’t slept all night.

Belinda: Sure. It’s not much, but you’re welcome it to.

Vic: Thanks.

Belinda: Sure. (Vic sits on the bed.) Vic, I’m kinda strung out. You wouldn’t have any bread on you, would you?

Vic: No, I’m all tapped out. (He lies down on the bed and Belinda stares at a pack of GW matches with a phone number)

Ziggy’s Jazz Cave: Day

(The band on stage are playing ‘Fly me to the moon’. Huggy is sat at a table with Starsky and Hutch. Starsky’s playing with a little dental kit)

Huggy: Funny money? No, I haven’t heard a whisper.

Starsky: Could be important Huggy.

Huggy: What are you gonna do when you find all that bogus bread? Buy yourself a dental clinic? (Hutch laughs)

Starsky: You’re hilarious. Anyone ever tell you that?

Huggy: My cousin Elijah, he always used to say: “Be true to your teeth and they’ll never be false to you.” (A girl with orange curl hair enters with a dog) Hey, this lovely could be your connection to Belinda Williams. (She approaches) Hey, Orange.

Orange: Huggy Bear, I heard you wanted to see me.

Huggy: Yeah, I’d like you to meet a couple of friends. Starsky.

Starsky: Hi

Orange: Hi. (Starsky stands)

Starsky: Sorry

Huggy: Hutch:

Orange: How do you do?

Hutch: Hi.

Orange: This is my dog, Sandy.

Huggy: Hey, love I’d like to ask you a question.

Orange: All right, bye. (They move away)

Hutch: I didn’t know Little Orphan Annie was still around.

Starsky: Yeah, she’s developed. (Huggy comes back)

Huggy: Rooming house, over near the docks. 211 Farrington.

Hutch: Thanks.

Starsky: Thanks Hug.

Huggy: See you later. (They get up and go)

Belinda’s House: Day

(Vic is asleep on the bed. Belinda’s sat on a chair, she picks up the phone and dials the number on the match box. White answers the phone)

White: Hello.

Belinda: Mr. White?

White: Yes.

Belinda: This is Belinda Williams. I talked to your man Foote, last night. He said he’d give me $100 for Vic Rankin.

Some Time Later: Day

(Belinda paces her apartment while Vic continues to sleep. Outside a car pulls up. Foote and Lemke hurry out and enter the building. Belinda hears a siren and looks out the window to see the Torino pull up)

Hutch: Here it is. (Vic wakes up and looks out the window)

Vic: You turned me in!

Belinda: It’s not what you think. I needed a fix. (Vic runs for the door as Foote comes up the stairs. He shoots Vic in the arm. He locks the door and Foote and Lemke shoot it.

Vic: How do you get out of here?

Belinda: There’s no other way-

Vic: There’s another way out of here, isn’t there!

Belinda: No, no!

(Starsky and Hutch appear at the stairs.)

Starsky: Hold it! Police! (Lemke drops his gun and Foote runs)

Lemke: Don’t shoot. Don’t shoot. (He tackles Hutch when he gets up the stairs, but Hutch beats him against the wall and takes off after Foote)

Starsky: That was foolish.

(Meanwhile Vic jumps out the window, smearing blood on the wall. Foote jumps down off a ledge and follows. Hutch is behind him, but he loses him. He goes back inside. In Belinda’s apartment Starsky’s on the phone)

Starsky: Yeah, Detective Starsky here. Yeah, I want a black-and-white at 211 Farrington Street. Yes, right away. (Hangs up. Hutch enters)

Hutch: I lost him.

Starsky: Meet the Queen of the May. (Picks up the matches)

Hutch: Who’s the goon?

Starsky: That was Ernie Lemke. Three guesses where he works.

Hutch: Garth White’s Jazz Club.

Starsky: You got it. (Hands Hutch the matches) I wonder who told White’s people Rankin was here.

Hutch: You needed a fix pretty bad, huh, Belinda?

Belinda: What would you know about it? (His looks says a lot)

Hutch: Well, I know that you were a friend of Vic Rankin’s and that, probably, he came here for some help.

Belinda: So what? What’s Vic to me? He’s just some guy who used to play the piano. I could have gotten $100 for him.

Starsky: You have any idea where he might have run to?

Belinda: No. He couldn’t have gotten far. He’s wounded. (Hutch sits down on the bed)

Hutch: How badly?

Belinda: I don’t know. I don’t know. Look, I didn’t wanna sell him, but I mean, what else could I do, you know? Now that he’s gone, what am I gonna do?

Starsky: That’s a good question. (Hutch stands up and hands her some money)

Hutch: Go on, Belinda. Die a little.

(They leave and she stares at the money, trembling. Outside, Starsky and Hutch head back to the car)

Hutch: You know, with Lemke working at the Jazz Club I’d say that gives up reasonable cause to search the place, don’t you?

Starsky: Yeah, maybe we’ll find his curly-headed friend. If we get lucky, maybe we’ll find something else too. (They get in the Torino)

GW’s Jazz Club: Day

(The Torino pulls up outside the club, passing White’s car. They get out)

Starsky: Get the sneaky feeling friend White is here. (They enter the club. Inside there’s only a cleaning, vacuuming the carpet. Hutch shows him his badge)

Hutch: Take a break, huh?

White: Hey, he works slow enough as it is. (Starsky’s behind the bar) What do you think you’re doing? You guys got a warrant?

Starsky: We don’t need a warrant. We’re looking for an armed and dangerous felon known to frequent this joint. (Starsky looks inside a bottle)

White: And you think he’s hiding in there?

Starsky: Well, you never can tell about these criminal types. Damn clever, some of them.

White: All right, wise guys. I’m easy to live with. What’s the problem?

Hutch: A pint sized goon named Ernie Lemke.

White: Oh, you’re looking for little Ernie?

Starsky: Oh, we’ve got little Ernie. The guy we’re looking for is the curly head who runs with him. (Hutch enters White’s office.)

White: Hey, hey, that’s my private office. You got no business in there, (Starsky knocks over some bottles)

Starsky: You never can be too sure you know. (White enters his office to find Hutch searching it.)

Hutch: You know, if we’d had our way we’d have busted in here the other night after that card game was over. I’d have laid odds, we’d still have had a pretty good chance of finding that counterfeit money around here.

White: Well, I don’t know what you’re talking about.

Hutch: Oh, I’m sure you don’t. (Continues searching) Anymore than you know anything about Lemke and his pal trying to kill Vic Rankin.

White: They tried to kill Rankin?

Starsky: Worse than that. They missed.

White: Well, I assure you I had nothing to do with that. I know that Rankin has owed Lemke some money but I had no idea it would come to this.

Starsky: You know something. When you lie, the hairs on the back of your neck curly up.

Hutch: You sweat, White. Because after we’ve got Rankin, we’re coming back for you. (They leave)

The Torino: Day

(The Torino is parked down an alley, within view of White’s car. She’s still trying to fix his tooth)

Hutch: Well, so much for this terrific idea, huh? You’d have thought he’d move by now.

Starsky: Well, maybe he has. Such a thing as a telephone, you know.

Hutch: Oh, yeah. Yeah, but who’s White gonna call. Lemke’s in jail and his curly-headed friends on the run.

Starsky: Maybe his curly-headed friend will call White and when he does, White will make a move, probably to meet him. Clever, huh?

Hutch: Yeah.

Starsky: Bet you’re dying to know how I figured that one out. (Starsky sighs at his dental kit)

Hutch: Starsk, why don’t you give it up, huh? Tooth isn’t gonna fix itself.

Starsky: I don’t know, stranger things have happened.

Hutch: No, they