Pariah (transcribed by Sarah Spearey)

Hutch’s house: Day

The Torino parks outside the house, Starsky gets out and enters the front of the house.

(Cut to Hutch getting out of a steamed up shower, whistling to himself. There’s a brief know)

Hutch: Come in. (A women enters)

Molly: Hi

Hutch: Hi yourself. (They kiss)

Molly: Thought you might want to know your partners here. (She smiles, leaving a dripping wet Hutch)

(Cut to the kitchen where Starsky has his head in the fridge. He takes out a bottle of milk and puts it on the top. He puts it back in and replaces it with a bottle of black liquid. He closes the door and we see he has a slice of pizza in his mouth. He reaches for a bottle opener and sits on the kitchen sidebar and opens his drink.

In the living room the woman is shat brushing her hair as Hutch emerges from the bathroom, without a top.

Hutch: Hi.

Molly: Hi.

(Hutch goes into the kitchen with some wine glasses, He puts them on the draining board)

Hutch: That’s a great breakfast. (He opens the fridge to get out some milk) Root beer and cold pizza.

Starsky: It’s an all American breakfast. (Hutch puts some milk in the blender) Just for the autopsy record what do you mash up in there every morning.

Hutch: Goat’s milk. (Starts putting in the ingredients) A little blackstrap molasses, sea kelp, lecithin, a little desiccated liver and of course a good sprinkling of your trace elements and vitamins.

Starsky: Of course.

Hutch: You know something Starsky you oughta get into something like this. Make a new man out of ya.

Starsky: Yeah, that’s what you keep telling me. I’m still holding together pretty good.

Hutch: I don’t know. You’ve been looking kind of peaked lately. (Starts the blender without the lid on, which startles Starsky.)

(Hutch walks back to the woman and gives her a kiss while Starsky watches. Hutch goes into the bathroom.)

Molly: You never did say why you left the party so early last night.

Starsky: Well, somehow it seemed like the proper thing to do at the time.

Molly: Time, oh my gosh. I’ve got to be at the airport in less than an hour. (Goes up to Starsky) Look, tell your partner I’ll see him next trip and it wasn’t at all like those other girls said.

Starsky: Other girls?

Molly: Yes, they’ve got it all wrong. It’s your friend Starsky who’s dynamite.

Starsky: No, I’m Starsky, he’s Hu…

Molly: Oh, well, I guess that explains everything. (Pats his arm and leaves)

Starsky: (Looks unhappy)

(Hutch comes out of the bathroom pulling on a top, walks passed Starsky shaking his head and goes back to his shake)

Hutch: Molly leave?

Starsky: Yeah.

Hutch: Did she say anything?

Starsky: No, just that she’d see ya next time. (Hutch pours himself a glass, goes to drink it)

Starsky: Hey, you mind.

Hutch: No (hands it to Starsky. Sniffs it first and then downs it with a disgusted face)

Molly (enters) Did I say it right?

Hutch: Perfect. He drank the whole thing.

Starsky: Do you ever get the feeling it’s going to be one of those days?

(Cut to Starsky and Hutch from behind in the Torino with the siren blaring. There’s a gunshot heard just as they pull up outside a liquor store, where a Black and White is waiting. A policeman is down. Hutch gets out with a rifle.)

(Inside the liquor store to masked men are firing while the owner is tided up)

(Outside, Starsky fires back, a woman screams and hutch hides behind the black and white. Starsky fires again while Hutch drags the wounded officer behind the car.)

Hutch: How you doing? (He puts pressure on the shoulder wound and presses the guys hand to it)

(Starsky continues firing. He mimes something to Hutch. He tries to fire, but is fired at, he ducks. He gets up and fires a shot, Starsky rounds the back of the Torino and runs down the alley, while the robbers go out the back)

Starsky: Get back, Get back.

(Starsky comes around and stops)

Starsky: Police, freeze (Fires two shots in the air. One stops, brings his weapon down, but is shot first. Starsky flips him over before going after the other. A crowd with Hutch gathers around the robber, a policeman checks the robber’s pulse. Starsky comes back)

Starsky: I lost the other guy.

Cop: He’s dead.

Starsky: (To a policeman) He’s 5 foot 10 about 165 pounds. Blue pants and a black shirt. Put it on the air.

Hutch: (Hands his rifle to the officer) Get an ambulance down here.

Cop: Hey, he’s just a kid. You killed a kid.

Mr. Tiding: It’s Lonnie. He killed Lonnie Craig. (The man is pulled away) The boy was trying to surrender I saw him. He had his arms up.

Mrs. Craig: (Coming through the crowd) Lonnie? Lonnie. (Crouches by her son) Lonnie. No, no, oh, no. (Cries) Oh, sweet Jesus, don’t let him be dead.

Mr. Tiding: He was trying to surrender, Eunice. He was trying to surrender and that cop just shot him down.

(Starsky just stares at the mother crying over her child.)

Dobey’s office.

IA: There was no other action you could have taken? You had to shoot?

Starsky:(Sat on the arm of the chair) Yes, I had to shoot. How many times do I have to tell ya? There was a crowd of innocent bystanders behind me. If that kid had pulled the trigger anyone of them could have been killed.

(Dobey enters holding a file, he sits down at his desk)

IA: How’s it going?

Dobey: How do you think it’s going? Rumbling in the street, pressure from the press. Starsky I received this memo from the chiefs office. “Captain Dobey due to the sensitive natural of today’s incident and to ensure that all the facts of the tragic shooting will be brought before the general public the department as decided to open a coroner’s inquest to all the media including the live television.

(Silence)

Hutch: What you’re doing is throwing him to the wolves.

IA: What we’re doing is trying to keep this incident from exploding.

Hutch: You want me to read him is rights?

Dobey: Detective Hutchinson.

Starsky: Hey, hold it, hold it. I think maybe they’re right Hutch. The sooner this thing’s out in the open the better. Besides, if throwing me to the wolves it what it takes let them do it. I don’t go down so easy.

IA: Captain Dobey, I would like you with me when I read this to the press. (Dobey gets up) I’ll be in touch if I need anything else. (They both leave)

(Silence, Hutch moves to sit on the desk)

Hutch: What they’re doing to you stinks.

Starsky: Yeah. (Sits in the chair, leaning back) Oh God Hutch. He was 16 years old.

Hutch: He was also an armed felon…who was about to blow your head off.

Starsky: Yeah, I know that. And I did what they tell you to do when I pulled the trigger. That doesn’t change the fact that a 16 year old kid ain’t never gonna grow up.

Courthouse – Day

(Starsky sits in his suit and tie. He looks behind him at Hutch who flaps his tie to make him smile. Starsky turns back. On the other side Mrs. Craig sits down with another man. Dobey enters the court and sits next to Starsky. Hutch leans forwards)

Hutch: We heard you got a lead on the other suspect.

Dobey: Yeah, we got a possible. A young white boy, 22, with four priors. Name’s Joseph Tramaine. (Looks at the photo) He was a fry cook near the dead boy’s house. Seems like this Lonnie Craig was a loner and Tramaine was his only friend.

Hutch: And now he’s missing, huh?

(The judge strikes his gavel.)

(Cut to a lady in the witness box)

Witness: The sirens and everything around us it was pretty loud. I could hardly hear myself think.

IA: But did you hear, or see Detective Starsky try to shout any sort of warning t the fleeing gunman.

Witness: Yes, yes I guess I did.

IA: And what did Detective Starsky shout.

Witness: I think ‘Police. Stop’ It was something like that. (Starsky looks over at a sad Mrs. Craig.)

Judge: Next witness please.

(Mr. Tidings sits in the witness chair)

IA: Now, we’ve established through the testimony of others that Detective Starsky first shouted a warning and then he fired a warning shot. Now, Mr. Tidings. What happened next?

Mr. Tidings: I don’t really know anything about any warning shot. I saw one hold-up man running and the other one, Lonnie…

(Cut to a man drinking beer, watching the court case in his apartment.)

…he stopped and turned around with his hands up.

IA: Mr. Tidings, in your opinion…

(Back in the court room)

…was the decedent at that time attempting to surrender?

(A look around at everyone’s face)

Mr. Tidings: I thought so at the time. But now it’s hard to say. I guess I made a mistake. (Looks at Mrs. Craig, who’s on the verge of crying) Eunice, I’m sorry. I’m sorry. But that’s what everybody was yelling at the time. Lonnie wasn’t trying to surrender he was bringing the gun down. I think he was going to shoot that policeman. I’m sorry.

(A shot of Hutch, Dobey and Starsky, all with a solemn face)

(Cut to Prodlum in his apartment on the phone)

Prodlum: You cops think you’re pretty smart, don’t ya.

(Cut to the dispatch office)

Cop: Who is this? (Clicks fingers to guy at the desk) Would you identify yourself, please?

(Cut back to Prodlum’s apartment)

Prodlum: Oh, you pigs are going to get to know me. If you let Starsky off for murdering Lonnie you’re going to get to know me real good.

(Cut to the station)

Cop: Well, if you’re referring to the coroner’s inquest, sir, we have no way of knowing what the verdict will be.

(Cut to Prodlum)

Prodlum: Verdict? It’s a whitewash. Now, I’m warning you cops if you let Starsky off for killing Lonnie you people are gonna pay and pay bad.

Courthouse: Day

(The judge bangs his gavel)

Judge: As you know, this is a coroner’s inquest and not a court of law.

(Cut to a black and white TV. Prodlum watches)

Judge: There is no question in my mind that I can only give one verdict in this case.

(Back to the courthouse.)

Judge: That the death of Lonnie Malcolm Craig was a death at the hands of another, other than by accident. However, in view of the evidence and the concerns I feel it is my duty to add the following recommendation it this verdict: “The killing took place as an act of self-defence and Detective Starsky in no way overstepped the bounds of reasonable force. On the contrary, Detective Starsky’s concern’s for not only the innocent bystanders but also the armed hold-up men themselves have proved commendable.” (The gavel strikes)

(Hutch looks at Starsky, but neither looks too happy)

(Cut to Prodlum’s apartment, where he takes out a rifle from his cupboard, sits down and loads it.)

The Pits: Day

(Huggy, Hutch and Starsky sit around, Hutch and Huggy drinking tea while Starsky sips on a beer can. Huggy looks at a photo of Tramaine)

Huggy: I’ll se that it gets around but I don’t know what good it’s gonna do you.

Starsky: Why’s that?

Huggy: Trouble with you white folks is, you all look alike. (Hutch smiles, Huggy giggles)

Starsky: (Serious) Huggy, it’s important.

Hutch: My partner here isn’t in much of a laughing mood today.

Huggy: I see. Well, how about another round? Or can I interest you in one of my rare, fresh rolls?

Starsky: Maybe some other time (Stands up with Hutch)

Huggy: Hey, Starsky a lot of people watched TV today and it took guts for you to do through what you did so don’t go spilling them for someone who isn’t worth it.

Starsky: Huggy, if a 16-year-old kid ain’t worth it, who is? (Hutch and Starsky leave)

Mrs. Craig’s house: Day.

(Mourners are gathered around the house, chatting. Music is coming from inside the house. The Torino pulls up just down the street. Hutch and Starsky get out. Starsky heads for the house, leaving Hutch to stand by the car. He walks up to path with everyone watching. Mr. Tidings meets him at the house)

Mr. Tidings: What do you want here?

Starsky: Help.

Mrs. Craig: (From inside the house) Stewart, who is it? (Mrs. Craig comes out and slowly walks up to Starsky)

Starsky: I had to come to see you Mrs. Craig to tell you how sorry I am that it had to happen. I’ve seen your son’s file. I know up until a year ago he hadn’t been in any trouble. I figure someone had to get to him. Somebody had to put that gun into his hands. I want to get that someone, but I’m going to need your help to do it.

Mr. Tidings: That’s going to make you sleep better?

Starsky: I want to find him for me. I want to find him for you. But most of all, I want to find him for the next Lonnie. (Takes mug shot from his pocket) This is a picture of the man we believe was involved with Lonnie. His name’s Tramaine he’s 22 years old and we understand that he’d become friend with Lonnie. Good friends.

Mrs. Craig: Detective Starsky I know what my boy had become. A mother loves her child and cares for her child and mourns for her child. But a mother knows what her son is. At least this mother knows. (She takes the picture, others come over to look. Hutch watches from the hood of the Torino. Starsky shakes hands with Mrs. Craig. Then offers his hands to Mr. Tidings who takes it. Starsky walks back to Hutch, who meets him and they have a little sideways hug.)

Hutch: Good folks, huh?

Starsky: Yeap.

Hutch: Anything?

Starsky: They know a lot about Tramaine. His cousin tried to break up the friendship with Lonnie about a month ago.

Hutch: Well, it’s a beginning.

Starsky: Yeap. His cousin gave me a list of half a dozen places Tramaine hangs around.

Hutch: Well, let’s get on it. This guy’s caused a lot of pain for a lot of people.

Starsky: (Softly) Yeah.

Hutch: Want to start her up?

Starsky: Hm?

Hutch: Runs better that way. (Hutch smiles)

Starsky: Oh. (Starsky starts the car)

(Cut to Prudholm on a roof with a rifle aimed at two uniformed officers exiting a supply store)

Tinker: Can’t understand it. Nobody here called a cop.

Officer: Check dispatch to see if they made a mistake on the address. (One goes over to the car, while Prudholm is still taking aim. He fires, Tinker spins around and falls. Prudholm puts down the gun with a note saying “For Starsky #1” Then wipes away his prints.)

Dobey’s office: Day

(A tape is playing)

Prudholm: Verdict? It’s a whitewash. Now, I’m warning you cops if you let Starsky go for killing Lonnie you people are gonna pay and pay bad.

(Dobey is sat behind his desk, leans forwards to turn the tape player off. Starsky and Hutch are sat the other side)

Dobey: That call came in while the coroner’s inquest was still in progress. The next one was 20 minutes later after officer Tinker had been gunner down going out on that phoney 459. (Plays tape)

Prudholm: That blue coat I shot this afternoon was only the beginning. Cops like Starsky are a cancer, they eat up and destroy people like Lonnie and…And now you’re going to have to pay. Starsky you pig I know you’re listening. (Starsky closes his eyes and pinches his nose) Killing you is too easy. First you have to pay my price. You’ve got until tomorrow morning to turn in your badge and resign. I want to read about it Starsky. I want to read about it in tomorrow morning’s paper. If I don’t another screw is going to be burned and then another and another and another until finally it’s you and I blow you into a thousand pieces.

(Long pause)

Starsky: And that’s why Dan Tinker, a cop I didn’t even know got wasted.

Dobey: We’ve sent both copies of these tapes over o the linguistics department of the university. According to their narrow transcription of phonetics we’re dealing with an ex-con (Hutch starts writing it down) White, somewhere in his 50’s originally from Atlantic seaboard. Massachusetts. Rhode Island.

Starsky: That lets out Tramaine. He doesn’t even fit that description. (Gets up)

Hutch: No, it doesn’t. It only means that Tramaine didn’t make the call, but whoever made the call seems to know Lonnie, so maybe he knew Tramaine too.

Dobey: That’s our best guess. Now, the first edition of the morning paper hits the streets at 6:30. That gives us eleven hours to get that killer.

Starsky: There’s another way. I can always resign.

Dobey: No way. The police department can’t start giving into terrorists. I don’t care what their demands.

Starsky: Well, there’s liable to be a lot of cops wives who are gonna think differently about that.

Dobey: Every officer going on duty will be apprised of the situation and warned to take extra caution.

Starsky: (Angry) And what if we don’t catch ‘em? How many more cops are gonna get blown away because of me.

Hutch: None. Starsky this guy running around out there has a screw loose. That’s not your fault. Now, we’ve got a lead. He’s a white male ex-con in his 50’s who knew Lonnie.

Dobey: I suggest instead of sitting in my office talking about it and resigning you get your cans out there on the streets and nail this turkey. (Hutch gets up)

Starsky: Okay. (Hutch opens the door for Starsky who walks there, not seeing Hutch turn to Dobey)

Hutch: (Whispers) Thanks.

Huggy Bears: Night

(People are milling around, Huggy, Starsky and Hutch are huddle near the kitchen)

Huggy: Seems like your friend Tramaine has been making a few enemies.

Starsky: Why’s that?

Huggy: Well, Several…(Woman walks between them) Several unnamed persons say he’s been seen at drinking establishments sipping beer and eating chocolate candy bars waiting for some chick with a fat purse to come along, head for the john. He’d wait, let her put her purse down pop in, grab the purse and run like crazy.

Hutch: That guy with Lonnie and the liquor store he got away with $200.

Starsky: And only 24 hours later he’s ripping off ladies purses? Huggy, you said he’s sitting in the bar, eating chocolates?

Huggy: Lots of chocolate.

Hutch: Chocolate. (Woman walks back through) Chocolate and a constant flow of cash. I think our friend Tramaine might be a junkie.

Starsky: There’s only one way to find out.

Hutch: Cecil

Starsky: Cecil.

Cut to Cecil, tall man with greasy hair stood at a bathroom mirror)

Hutch: (From outside) Cecil! Open up! Police!

(Cecil grabs a small bag and flushes it down the toilet. Starsky and Hutch come through the front door. They head into the bathroom when they hear coughing. Cecil is sat on the toilet seat.)

Cecil: Hi, guys. (Hutch pulls him off and throws him to Starsky while he checks the toilet bowl.)What’s the matter? I ain’t done nothing.

Hutch: What do you think, Starsk?

Starsky: Flush him with it. (Throws him roughly for Hutch)

Cecil: Come on, you guys gotta be kidding. (Hutch holds his head near the bowl.)

Hutch: That’s one last chance.

Cecil: Come on.

Starsky: (Holds up a picture) Him. Name’s Tramaine. (Silence, grabs Cecil’s jaw.)

Cecil: What do you want to know?

Hutch: Everything.

Cecil: He’s a wise guy. A punk you thinks he can quit whenever he wants to.

Starsky: How much does he shoot in a day?

Cecil: Hundred and a quarter, hundred and a half depending on the going price.

Hutch: Where do we find him?

Cecil: He’s living with a chick, 308 Sycamore.

(Cut to 308 Sycamore.)

Starsky: (Off screen) Tramaine.

(Hutch kicks in the door. Tramaine jumps out the nearest window into a pile of boxes. Starsky runs for the window)

Hutch: I got the front. (Starsky jumps out the window and runs after Tramaine. A ed truck blocks the end of the alley Tramaine just exits.)

Starsky: Get that out of the here. (It starts reversing.) Come on, (Climbs over) Get out of here. He runs into Hutch coming the opposite way) You see him?

Hutch: No.

Starsky: (Angry) we lost him. He was our only connection.

Hutch: Maybe not.

Starsky: Why, huh?

Hutch: Did you get a good look at him?

Starsky: Yeah, no, I don’t know.

Hutch: He was starting to hurt. He’ll have to score soon.

Starsky: Narco can’t watch every pusher on the street, you know that.

Hutch: What time is it? It’s 1:30. That gives us five hours before the early edition hits the streets and as strung out as that guy looked, there’s a chance he might have to come out into the open to make a connection.

Starsky: Yeah, well tempus fugit.

Hutch: What?

Starsky: Time flies.

Hutch: Oh, come on, let’s go.

The Streets: Day.

(The early edition hits the streets in a bundle. Prudholm picks up a copy and looks over the front page and looks inside. He screws it up.)

(Fade to a petrol station, a black and white pulls up. A policeman gets out and goes over to a man working on his car.)

Jack Forest: Got a report a baby was left in your restroom.

Mechanic: First I heard about it.

Jack Forest: I’d better check. (Goes into the restroom, comes out goes into the next one. There’s an explosion from the room.)

(Cut to the coroners scraping down a body wrapped in a sheet.)

Dobey: I heard from the station about 10 minutes ago. (Starsky and Hutch are at the door to the restroom) Your friend called again. He said this was number two. That’s Jack Forest. (To the coroner’s) All right, get him out.

(They begin wheeling the body away)

Starsky: Hey, let me give you a hand.

Policeman: Haven’t you helped enough. (Walks away)

Prodholm’s place: Day

Radio: On the local front of this morning’s news a policeman was killed early this morning when a mysterious bomb blast rocked an all night gas station. Police spokesman had no comment as to who might have set the explosion off or why the bomb might have been placed there. Identification of the dead officer is being withheld until notification of next of kin.

Prudholm: (Turns off the radio) So you want to play game, huh?

Dobey’s office: Day

(Dobey’s sorting through some files at his filing cabinet. He sits at his desk as Starsky enters)

Dobey: Starsky: (Slams a piece of paper on his desk) What’s this supposed to be?

Starsky: My resignation. Just like the man ordered and if you don’t give it to the press, I will.

Dobey: Over my dead body.

Starsky: Hey, how many more cops gotta die before I’m supposed to become expendable.

Dobey: Every man that takes the oath knows he’s a potential target. That goes with the territory and we are not, repeat not going to turn the streets of this city over to some two-bit punk. And more important than that official department policy’s going to be for the time being not to acknowledge the treats or killings.

Starsky: That’s great. (Turns to leave)

Dobey: Starsky! I know how I’d feel if this were happening to me, but you got to hold on. (Starsky slowly leaves.)

(In the corridor Hutch is giving money to two uniformed policemen. Starsky walks up Hutch)

Starsky: What’s going on?

Bill: We’re taking up a collection to help out Jack Forest’s wife and kids.

Starsky: (Takes out his wallet) How much do you got?

Lee: Keep it.

Starsky: What?

Lee: Jack’s family doesn’t need any of your conscience money.

Hutch: Where do you get off with that garbage?

Lee: Stay out of it, Hutchinson. (Hutch pins him up against the wall, Starsky barely tries to stop, while the policeman makes an attempt.)

Bill: Hutch, Hutch, Hutch.

Lee: What you gonna do, Hutch, punch me out? If I hang around this prescient long enough your pal’s going to get me killed.

Hutch: You know something, Lee? If you used your brain as well as you do your mouth you might understand what’s going on here.

(Lee leaves)

Bill: Hey, he didn’t mean what he said. He and Jack Forest went through the academy together. (Walks away)

Hutch: You still a cop?

Starsky: Yeah, I’m still a cop.

Dobey: Hey, you two. Tramaine’s been spotted at a market on Fourth and Main. (Starsky and Hutch hurry off.)

(Cut to the streets, the Torino races down the streets and stops outside a market. They get out and talk to two policemen at the door. They enter. And begin looking around. Tramaine is pushing along a trolley. A policeman sees him)

Uniformed officer: Over here!

(Tramaine runs, pulls out a basket of fruit which the officers trips over. He runs down the fruit aisle, he stops when he sees Starsky. Hutch comes out from behind. Tramaine doesn’t see and runs right into him. Hutch slams him down onto the tomatoes. He gets out the handcuffs.)

(Cut to the interrogation room, Tramaine is smoking a cigarette.)

Tramaine: How can I tell you something I don’t know?

Hutch: You know. You and Lonnie Craig where friends. (Hutch walks around the table and gives Starsky and little pat on the belly.) You had to spend a lot of time together, teaching him how to hold a gun…the right things to say in a liquor store hold-up, all the important things in life.

Tramaine: What are you gonna do? Charge me with contributing to the delinquency of a minor. (Starsky grabs him and pushes him against the wall, roughly. Hutch pulls him away. They stare at each other, and Starsky clams down. Hutch shoves him back on to the chair and sits down)

I’m gonna give you about 30 seconds, Tramaine. Then I’m gonna turn around and walk out of this room. After that, what happens is between you my highly excitable partner here and him. (Points to the ceiling) We want an ex-con, white male…

Tramaine: Somewhere in his mid fifties. You told me and I told you, I don’t know him.

Hutch: But Lonnie did.

Tramaine: He probably did. That could be anyone of a hundred guys.

Starsky: What are you talking about? Lonnie was a loner.

Tramaine: (Laughs a little) A loner? That’ll come as a shock to his customers.

Starsky: (stunned) His customers?

Tramaine: Lonnie was a runner. He was running numbers in the district. Maybe this guy was one of his customers. If he was, I don’t know him. You guys know that. Nobody knows a runner’s customers except the runner himself. That’s how he protects them from getting busted. But you cops.

Starsky: You tell me, we’ve been looking for this trash to get the answer, now we find him and we still don’t know.

(Tramaine reaches for a cigarette pack, Hutch chucks it at him. The phone goes, Hutch answers it.)

Hutch: (Hangs up) It’s him again. (Starsky runs out, Hutch follows, but points to Tramaine as he leaves) Stay with him.

(They run down to the dispatch office, Starsky takes the phone.)

Prudholm: You heard me the first time. You guys aren’t taking me seriously. (Cut to Prodholm’s place, who’s on the phone.) All that bull about not knowing who set off that gas station (back to the station) or who knocked off that cop.

Starsky: Oh, we know who you are, you sucker. You two-bit, pervert, psycho. You don’t got the guts to come down here and face me.

Prudholm: Starsky.

Starsky: What’s the matter punk, you lose your nerve?

Prudholm: You’re a dead man, Starsky.

Starsky: Only if you can make me that way. You’re the one who wants to cut all the bull. All right, you’re after me, you got me, sucker. You name the time and the place and I’ll be there, alone.

Prudholm: Oh, you’d like that, wouldn’t you? Only we’re not playing be your rules, Starsky. Not this time. This time it’s my rules. And my rule books says when you’re going to get it, the right time and the right place. Only I want your resignation first. You got one hour wise guy. One hour, and I want to see it on TV or this time, it isn’t going to be cop who gets burned. This time it’s going to be a cops family, (Dobey is also listening in) wife and kiddies, maybe an old granny too. Be seeing you, hero. (Hangs up just as Starsky is going to talk. They uniform guy shakes his head)

Officer: He didn’t stay on long enough to trace it. (Starsky taps the phone against his head with a look of frustration while Hutch squeezes his shoulder for support. Close up of the tape)

Dobey’s office: Day

(Hutch is eating something.)

Hutch: There’s something there. I feel it. (He plays the recording from earlier.)

Prudholm: Cops like Starsky are a cancer. They eat up and destroy people like Lonnie and…And now you’re going to have to pay.

(Hutch stops the tape and rewinds.)

Hutch: Listen.

Prudholm: …a cancer. They eat up and destroy people like Lonnie and…And now you’re gonna…

Hutch: There. Did you heart hat pause? He said, “Lonnie and…And now…” and just before he said and now it sounded like he was going to say a name, another name. Someone else that he thinks Starsky has destroyed.

Hutch: Exactly. (Leans into Dobey) And to do what this guy has done that somebody would have to have been somebody…somebody very close to him. Like a wife or a son or…

Dobey: Someone Lonnie Craig reminds him off.

Hutch: Two years ago, McKinley High School. (Starsky jumps for the phone)

Dobey: What have you got?

Starsky: Give me R&I.

Hutch: Do you remember our first assignment out of uniform was working undercover for Narco at McKinley High School.

Dobey: Yeah some 19 year-old got busted for dealing.

Starsky: Yeah, this is Detective Starsky. I want files on two men, both named Prudholm. The first is Gary Vincent Prudholm, deceased. He was stabbed to death in a city jail about two years ago. The other one is his father…I don’t know his name.

Hutch: Ex-con.

Starsky: Ex-con, age somewhere in his fifties. No, don’t send them over, we’re coming right down. I remember the kid, but what’s the old man got to do with it?

(Hangs up, runs for the door with Hutch and Dobey following) He’d just gotten out of state prison a few days before, 15 years hard time.

Hutch: The kid had been busted six times before for dealing.

Starsky: Would probably have gotten off a couple of years, but never had the chance. He hadn’t been in jail for 36 hours, he was killed in a knife fight.

Dobey: Old man blames you for it.

Starsky: That’s about the size of it.

Bill: Hope this is what you’re looking for.

(Looks through the file, finding a photo of Prudholm.)

Starsky: Yep, that’s what we’re looking for.

Bill: Hey, Starsky, it may not seem like it, but most of the guys are behind you.

Starsky: Thanks.

Hutch: Hey, Bill, will you call Parole and get a current address on this guy.

Starsky: Come on. (They both head out,)

Prudholm’s House – Day

(Starsky and Hutch burst through the door with weapon’s drawn, they do a search, but it’s apparent no one’s there.)

Starsky: (Picks up some papers) Hutch. (Throws them away. Goes into the kitchen to search.)

Cut to Prudholm walking down the street with a grocery bag. He sees the Torino parked out side his place. He turns and walks away.)

(Inside, Hutch is check out the fold away bed. They look in cupboards and the oven, Hutch finds a box of rifles shells.)

Hutch: Starsky.

Starsky: Huh?

Hutch: I think I got something. (Show’s him the bullets.) It’s the same calibre that killed Dan Tinker.

Starsky: (Takes the bullets.) Why couldn’t he have been here? (Throws the bullets angrily away and hits the lamp and generally kicks things.)

Hutch: Well, you got it out of your system, now what do you want to do? (The phone rings.)

Starsky: (Answers) Hello?

Prudholm: Starsky, you just ran out of time. The next time you hear from me, one cop is going to be minus a family.

Starsky: You’ll never make it, Prudholm. Ten minutes from now, your face going to be smeared all over every TV screen and newspaper in the city.

Prudholm: (Pauses) You’re not going to stop me now.

Starsky: I don’t have to You’re dead, Prudholm, you’re dead and I’m still walking around. I’m the guy you’re really after, and my offer still stands. You name the time and place and I’ll be there alone. What’s the matter, Prudholm? I can’t hear you.

Prudholm: How do I know you’ll come alone?

Starsky: Because I’d love to burn a bum like you and I don’t need any help to do it. Just like I didn’t need any help to take that punk kid of yours.

Prudholm: The old zoo in ten minutes.

Starsky: I’ll be there. (About to hang up)

Prudholm: Starsky, I’m warning you. If I as much as smell another cop I’m wasting a family, car load of kiddies and all. Even if they kill me before I get you, that’s okay too. Because you’re going to have to live with that dead family on your head for the rest of your life. (Hangs up. Starts to leave)

Hutch: (Stops him at the door) Where’s the meeting.

Starsky: He said alone.

Hutch: There’s no way. I won’t allow it and neither will Dobey.

Starsky: We don’t have a choice. (Tries to get by)

Hutch: (Pushes him back) You’re walking into suicide.

Starsky: He says if he even smells another cop he’s gonna waste a whole car load of kids. (Pushes passed and runs out the door, Hutch behind him. Starsky goes up to his car door and Hutch goes to the opposite one. They look at each other over the roof. Starsky nods and gets in. Hutch watches him leave. Hutch runs op to two uniformed officers.)

Hutch: Hey, Dobey wants you guys staked out inside until you’re relieved. Move it, move it. (He climbs over the black and white, gets in and drives off.)

(Cut to the Torino driving through the gates of the old zoo. The black and white stops just around the corner, Hutch runs up the slope. Starsky drives down the deserted paths and comes to a stop near an empty enclosure. He pauses and then slowly gets out of the car. Meanwhile Hutch runs on. Starsky takes his gun out, takes the safety off and slowly walks down a path. He stops, looks around and tucks his gun into his jeans. He inspects each enclosure he comes across, then takes his gun out again.)

Starsky: Prudholm!

(Hutch hears the yell and runs in it’s direction. Starsky walks by another enclosure, not seeing Prudholm stood with a rifle above it. Prudholm runs for higher ground. He take aim at Starsky, but doesn’t see Hutch coming up behind.)

Hutch: Starsky look out!

(Prudholm fires, but Starsky flips out of the way. Prudholm turns to fire at Hutch, but he dives out of the way. Prudholm runs off. Both Starsky and Hutch head after him with their weapons drawn. Prudholm runs down a path, which leads to another going down where Starsky is running up. Prudholm sees and fires, but Starsky ducks. Starsky fires back and hits Prudholm. He runs round and aims at Prudholm.)

Prudholm: Come on, hero, shoot me. (Starsky walks over, slowly) What’s the matter, am I too old for you? You only kill kids? Come on I’m the one who wasted your pig friends. (He reaches for the rifle, but Starsky stand on it. Hutch joins them.) What do you want me to do, turn my back on you? (Starsky pulls back the hammer and aims and Prudholm’s head.)

Hutch: Starsky. (Starsky lowers his gun. Hutch puts his gun away and picks up the rifle.

Starsky: Read him his rights, Hutch. (Hutch gives Starsky the rifle and takes out his handcuffs.)

Epilogue.

Hutch’s place: Day

Molly: What is in there?

Hutch: Oh, he wouldn’t tell me. (Hutch and Molly are sat on the sofa, while Starsky and a girl are in the kitchen.)

Starsky: I obtained this, my cynical friends, from Lonnie’s mother. I stopped in to see how she was doing and she told me she had one of these every day. Knowing your interest in nutritional matters I had her whip up a batch for you to try. See Hutch, the problem with you is you have the notion that something’s gotta taste rotten in order of it to make you feel good. (Comes over with four glasses of white stuff) Well, that will win you a masochist’s medal, but it’s not in fact true. And this is going to make you see the light.

(All four click glasses and take a sip)

Molly: Banana. I can taste banana.

Starsky: Terrific, huh?

Molly: What else is in there?

Hutch: Yeah, what is in here? I could start my day with one of these every day.

Starsky: Well, there’s organic banana, like you said and then there’s natural lemon juice and some unrefined raw sugar and about six jiggers of dark rum. It’s called a daiquiri, Hutch.

(Hutch and Molly laugh while Starsky kisses the unknown girl)

The end.

_________________________

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