[27th
precinct]
[no people are visible anywhere; Dief runs back &
forth, barks... raised voices echo through the
halls]
Voices: Day in,
day out....nothing against the....unfair....when our lives
are on the line....our jobs must be protected....
[bullpen]
[phones ring,
unanswered; Fraser finds everyone crammed into break
room... Kowalski sees Fraser and gives him nose/thumb
salute]
Welsh:
Organized labor in all it’s glory. What do you
think?
Fraser: It
seems rather disorganized to me. I keep hearing the word
“strike.”
Welsh: Strike?
No, no. You see, strike would be illegal. What you do is
you cram fifty guys into one room, and you figure out
who’s going to be the first to come down with the flu.
Cough, cough. Well, what do you know. They all have the
flu now. The Blue Flu. So, what appears to be a strike is
not actually a strike at all. It’s just fifty guys who
can’t wait to get home and shake hands with the
unemployed. [points
to ringing
phone]
Would you mind, please?
Fraser: I’d be
honored.
Welsh:
[answering
phone]
Detective’s division.
Fraser:
[answering
phone]
Squad room.
Welsh:
Yes.
Fraser: Uh,
yes, sir. You’ll have to, uh, you’ll have to calm down.
And can you tell me your name please?....Henry. Uh, Henry.
Do you have a last name, Henry?....No, I’m not trying to
be
inquisitive.
[break room; strike
meeting]
Huey: This
offer is insulting!
Crowd of cops:
Yeah!
Huey: They’re
laughing at us!
Crowd:
Yeah!
Huey: We
deserve respect!
Crowd:
Yeah!
Dewey:
I am not a police
officer! I am a man!
[sudden silence as
they all give him a ‘look’]
[Kowalski wanders
out into the squad room]
Fraser: Henry,
don’t you see? You’re creating an impossible situation for
yourself. You can’t be expected to know everything....No,
I think you should sit down with your wife. I think you
should talk to her, and I think you should listen to
her.... No, no, no, no, no, no, Henry, I’m not suggesting
that your wife is always right, but in this case, she may
well be....Yes....Well, yes, I do believe that a
three-sixteenths ratchet head wrench is exactly what’s
called for....Yes, I am Canadian....It’s my pleasure, and
uh, thank you kindly.
[hangs up]
Ray: What do
you think you’re doing?
Fraser: People
are calling for help.
Ray: But you
don’t work here, Fraser. We do. We’ll handle it. Come on,
am-scray. [picks up
phone]
Chicago PD, Area Seven, Detective Division.
[enter Janet
Morse]
Janet:
Hi.
Francesca:
Hi.
Janet: You work
here?
Francesca:
Yeah. One of the very few.
Janet: Yeah.
I’m, uh, Janet Morse. I’m in from, uh, Montana, and,
uh--
[three kids enter:
Annie, Robbie, Suzanne Morse]
Annie:
Guys!
Janet: Hey,
hey, hey. I told you guys to wait in the truck.
Robbie!
Ray:
[on
phone]
Your name, sir? Bob.
[holds phone away
from his ear; pauses, stalling]
Robbie:
[voice]
Let’s see what’s in this room.
Ray:
[on
phone]
Hmm. How do you spell that?
Janet: Honey,
Annie, can you tell your sister not to be scared,
please?
Annie: Well,
there’s nothing to be scared about, until the swamp
monster eats your head.
Suzanne:
Mommy!
Janet: Thanks a
lot. Sorry about this.
Robbie: No way,
a Mountie!
Francesca:
They’re pretty cute, actually.
Janet: Yeah,
if you’re into pain. Um, Annie, honey, would you go and
get your brother for me? Sweetheart, please?
Robbie:
[now wearing
Fraser’s
Stetson]
They got a candy machine!
[kids
exit]
Janet:
[to
Frannie]
Ah, just give me a sec, will you? Sorry.
[to
children]
Kids, kids, hey, hey,
hey!
[break
room]
Huey: Now,
you’ve got to do what you think is right.
Janet:
[pushing her way
through the
crowd]
Sorry, excuse me.
Huey: But if
you happen to wake up tomorrow--
Janet: I’m
sorry, sorry. Excuse me.
Huey:
--feeling not so good, feel free to call in and exercise
your right--
[Janet drops her gun]
Huey
: Gun!
Voices: Gun!
Freeze!
[every cop in the
room draws on Janet; she freezes]
Janet: Hi,
guys. A little touchy today?
Suzanne: Mommy,
I want to go back to the truck
Janet: Okay,
hon.
Robbie: Mom,
can I have 50 cents for the candy machine?
Janet: In a
minute, sweetheart. Momma’s a little busy right now.
Fraser:
[picking up Janet’s
gun]
Gentlemen, please. I’m sure she has a legitimate reason
for having this weapon.
Francesca:
Excuse me. Want to get the gun out of my face? You can all
relax with the gun action. What are you, Arnold
Schwartzenegger? She does have a legitimate reason. She’s
a bounty hunter.
Voices: Oh. Oh,
great.
Janet: Anybody
got a problem with that?
[the cops relax, and
Janet & Fraser share a
look]
[bullpen]
[Janet hands out gum
to each kid]
Janet
: Okay, I’m just going to be a minute, okay? So everybody
don’t move a muscle and be good, right? Okay?
Francesca: So
this is all the paperwork?
Janet: Yeah.
Uh, it’s uh Bradley Torrance.
[kids run
off]
Charges for felony weapons possession, skipped out on
25,000 dollars bail.
[Kowalski is
comparing her gun to
his] I’m
in the employ of Hector J. Jones, bail bondsman, Billing,
Montana. And so you’ve got a copy of everything, including
the registration for my gun.
Francesca:
Guns.
Janet:
Yeah.
Ray:
Guns.
Janet: Just a
few.
Ray: Bounty
hunter? You’re a bounty hunter? As in, uh, Wanted Dead Or
Alive?
Janet: Dead or
alive, seriously injured, whatever.
[takes her gun back]
[to kids]
Okay, give me back the gum. You know, we had a deal here.
Where’s your sister? Annie?
Annie: Over
here.
Janet:
Sweetheart, can you just help me out here with the kids
for a minute?
Annie: Hey.
You’re the mother.
Janet: I know
that I’m the mother--
[gesticulating
(still holding the gun)]
Fraser:
[taking her
gun]
Sorry. It’s just that firearms accounted for 39,595
American deaths last year, 1,441 of them were
accidental.
Janet: And less
than half of one percent involved licensed professionals,
and there were circumstances in each of those cases.
Fraser: True
enough.
Janet: But, uh,
thanks. [they share
a look]
Ray: Fraser,
can I have a word with you?
Fraser: Excuse
me.
Francesca: So
this is really cool. Have you always been a bounty
hunter?
Janet: Nah. You
know, I started out in construction, and then I, uh,
worked the rigs for a while, and then I did a little bit
of trick riding in the rodeo...
Ray: Those kids
are immature.
Fraser: Well,
they’re children, Ray.
[Robbie and Suzanne
are playing with a chair, banging it against the wall,
which is causing a fan above Annie to wobble
precariously]
Francesca:
Trick riding. Wow, that must have...been...
Janet: It’s
hard on your back.
Francesca:
Yeah.
Janet: And you
know, it’s-it’s murder on the kids. These-the-the
hours.
Francesca:
Right.
Janet: They’re
just, uh...grueling. So I thought, bounty hunting. You
know, the money’s good, you can set your own hours, get a
little time off to spend with the kids.
[the fan falls...
Fraser dives for it & misses as Janet catches
it]
Janet: Got it,
thanks.
Fraser: Good.
[Fraser cracks
neck]
Ray: Good
catch.
Janet: Thanks.
You know, could you, uh, run a quick plate for me before I
go?
Ray: You-you
want me to run a plate?
Janet: Yeah.
Could you run a plate?
Ray: You mean,
like a dinner plate?
Janet: Is he
really a cop?
Fraser: Yes,
actually, he is. Unfortunately you’ve-you’ve stepped into
the middle of labor unrest.
Janet: Blue
Flu.
Ray: Yeah,
we’re all sick. Very sick. And as you can see, our hands
are full. Very full.
Janet: And so
you can’t run a plate for me.
Ray: No.
Janet: That’s
great. That’s-that’s really great. I really appreciate
the, uh, professional support here, and the, uh... Forget
it, just forget it. It’s okay. I’m fine. I can do it
myself. Come on, kids. Let’s go. We’re out of here. Annie,
come on honey, a little smile on your face, please? A
little cooperation? Come on.
Fraser: Ma’am.
Ma’am?
Janet:
What?
Fraser: Your
weapon.
Janet:
[near
tears]
Damn it.
Fraser: Are you
all right?
Janet: Yeah, I
just-I’m not getting enough sleep.
[exits]
[Kowalski plays an
electronic game that involves a ball dangling from a
string]
Ray : Triple!
[Fraser turns away, clearly perturbed]
Ray
: What? Look, I can’t break ranks on this.
Fraser:
Understood.
Ray: No, I
can’t. Look, Fraser, I can’t!
Fraser: I heard
you, Ray. I understand.
[exits]
[Janet’s
truck]
[Fraser holds Suzanne and Robbie, who are trying to
fight]
Janet: I don’t
need the help, you know. I like working alone.
Fraser: Well,
actually, I’m not a licensed peace officer in this
jurisdiction.
Janet: You’re
not?
Fraser: No, I’m
afraid not.
Janet: Well
then what the hell good are ya?
Fraser: Well, I
thought perhaps I could help look after your
children.
Robbie:
[trying to get to
Suzanne]
Yah, yah, yah.
Suzanne:
Ace!
Janet: Well,
yeah, okay. You could do that.
Fraser:
Done.
Janet: I’m
just going to warn you though, if you’re going to be
hanging around, I got a bit of a temper.
Fraser: Well,
people say the same thing about me.
Janet:
Really?
Fraser:
No.
Janet: Kind of
a long way from home, aren’t you?
Fraser: As are
you.
Janet: Yeah. As
am I.
Suzanne: You’re
sitting on Toad.
Fraser: Am I?
Oh, dear. [retrieves
the toy]
Oop, oop. So I am. Ribbit.
Suzanne:
Thanks.
Fraser: Did I
hurt him?
Suzanne: You
can’t hurt him. He’s stuffed.
Robbie:
Bozo!
Janet:
Robbie!
Fraser: Well,
he does have a point.
[Dief tries to bite the stuffed toad]
Fraser
: Dief, do you mind?
[a blue El Camino
follows the truck...]
[bar; Janet talks to a woman, while kids & Fraser wait
in the
truck]
Robbie: My mom
makes friends really easy.
Fraser: Well,
that’s an important ability to have in life.
Annie: She does
it just so she can find stuff out.
Fraser: Well,
that’s important, too.
Suzanne:
Bozo!
Robbie: You’re
a bozo.
Suzanne:
[points at
Fraser]
He’s a bozo.
Fraser: You
know something? I think we’re all bozos.
Janet: Okay, I
got you some mints. So before you start hollering that
they’re not up to the Holiday Inn standard, I just want
you to know that they were all they had.
Fraser: Thank
you kindly.
Janet: Well,
that was the fugitive’s girlfriend. Ex-girlfriend,
actually. Knew her in Montana.
Fraser: Has he
contacted her here?
Janet: Mm-hmm.
Got an address.
Fraser: Well,
before we visit him, I wonder if I could make one
suggestion. A potential baby-sitter.
[27th
precinct; interrogation room]
Robbie: So they
sit right there, the criminals? They sit right
there?
Ray: Yeah, and
then we ask them questions. Like, uh... If somebody got
whacked, we go, “You whack that guy?”
Annie: And if
they don’t cooperate? Do you yell at them?
Ray: Yell at
them? Uh, yeah, sometimes.
Annie: You
must have kids.
Ray: In here,
not that often.
Annie: No, I
mean you. You got kids?
Ray: Oh, me?
[laughs
nervously]
No. I mean, I wanted kids but my wife didn’t so--
Robbie:
[has swiped
Kowalski’s handcuffs]
Say you
caught a bad guy. Say you caught a bad guy. Say you caught
him, and he’s a bad guy. So you take your handcuffs and
you put them on the bad guy’s wrists?
[fastens cuff to
Kowalski’s right wrist]
Ray: Yeah. Like
that, right. [Robbie
tries to fasten the other side of the handcuffs to the
table leg]
Nah.
[laughing]
No, no, no, no, no.
[stands & tries
to keep the handcuffs away from Robbie]
Robbie: Okay.
And then you get the bad guy. And then you get him in the
corner? [cornering
Kowalski]
Ray: Yeah,
sometimes we do that.
[clicking
noise]
Robbie: And
then you lock the bad guy up.
Ray:
[now locked to a
pipe] Yes,
we do that once in a while, but then we let him go, so...
Hey kids, keys!
[kids leave him
there]
Hey, that’s not buddies. I hate
you.
[motel; outside room #113]
Janet
: Nobody home.
Fraser: No
one’s answering.
Janet: Oh, we’d
hear him breathing if he were in there?
Fraser: True
enough. Maybe we can find a manager who will let us
in.
Janet: Well, we
could do that, sure, but
[kicks in door]
why bother him?
[inside motel room; Janet sloppily
searches]
Fraser: How
long have you been doing this kind of work?
Janet: Not
long. Why do you ask?
Fraser: You
seem to have a natural aptitude for it.
Janet: Well, I
grew up in Montana.
[Fraser examines,
then licks a pair of boots as Janet
talks]
And, uh, my dad was taking me hunting with him by the time
I was three. You know, I got to tell you, that there is
not a lot of difference between bear hunting and hunting
bail jumpers.
Fraser: I
suppose not. Although I find the scent trail is much more
useful with bear.
Janet: Well,
that’s true. And the scat’s more informative.
Fraser: Oh,
scat in the city, well, it’s virtually useless.
Janet:
Especially in the winter.
Fraser: Yeah, I
know. Well, everything’s...
[they share another
look] Uh,
how much do you know about this man that you’re hunting?
[scrapes mud from
boot onto his handkerchief]
Janet:
Enough.
Fraser: Is he
dangerous?
Janet: Not
particularly. [finds
envelope]
Three hundred bucks.
[pockets
money]
Fraser: Are you
planning on taking that?
Janet: You have
a problem with that.
Fraser: Well,
ordinarily, yes. I have a problem with theft.
Janet: Well,
sure. But, uh, this is evidence.
Fraser:
Oh.
Janet: Of the
fact that he has three hundred dollars. I don’t usually do
this, but it just means the kids and I won’t have to spend
another night in the truck.
Fraser: I
understand.
[outside the motel
room; Janet sees a man (Torrance) approaching... she pulls
gun]
Janet: Hold it,
sweetheart!
Torrance: Hey.
Don’t shoot.
Janet: Ride’s
over.
Torrance: We-we
can cut some sort of a deal, right?
[El Camino appears
and a thug (Lopez) shoots from it]
Fraser: Down!
[pulls Janet down
with him]
[Torrance
runs]
Janet:
Shouldn’t we do something?
[Fraser is frozen next to her, looking into her
eyes]
Fraser:
What?
Janet: About
the bad guys?
Fraser: Oh,
right, the bad guys!
[Torrance gets into
a car, but Lopez points his shotgun through the
window]
Lopez : Get out of there.
[Fraser disarms
Lopez]
Janet:
Torrance!
[Torrance pulls away; Janet jumps into car with Torrance
& struggles with him, passenger door hanging
open]
Torrance:
Janet, get out of here!
Janet: You
rotten scumbag!
Torrance:
You’re going to get us killed!
[Fraser runs
alongside El Camino and grabs Lopez’s shotgun, hanging on;
the cars flee, side by side... Torrance is amazed to see
Fraser hanging off of the El Camino]
Janet: I
oughtta to blow your head off.
Torrance: Let
go!
[Janet (holding her
pistol), then Fraser (holding the shotgun), both get
hurled from the moving cars & roll to a stop, as the
cars speed off]
Janet: Sorry,
my fault.
Fraser: No, I
think that was my fault.
Janet: No, I-I
couldn’t get a grip on that wheel.
Fraser: Well, I
was holding his shotgun.
Janet: Yeah,
but I could have spun him out.
Fraser: I could
have blown out his tires.
[27th
precinct; Kowalski has the shotgun (wrapped in
plastic)]
Ray: This is
not some penny-ante hood, here. This smells like the real
deal. So I’m thinking maybe there’s something you forgot
to tell us.
Janet: Oh, I
didn’t realize you were working on the case. But, you
know, since you
asked? No.
Nothing I forgot to tell you. It’s Bradley Torrance.
Small-time slimeball chiseler, pure and simple.
Ray: Small-time
guy with big-time guns chasing him.
Janet: I don’t
know. Maybe it was mistaken identity.
Fraser: Well,
that seems unlikely, given the probability that the men in
question followed us to Torrance.
Janet &
Ray: What? [they
look at each other]
Fraser: Well,
I noticed them behind us a couple of times when you were
driving.
Janet: You
might-you might have mentioned that.
Fraser: Well, I
assumed you were aware of them.
Janet: Yeah,
maybe I was and maybe I wasn’t, but you know those
assumptions can be dangerous.
Fraser: You
know, you’re quite right. I-I stand corrected.
Janet: No, no,
no, no. I-I-I should have noticed.
Fraser: Well,
no, as soon as I saw--
Ray: Listen to
you two. You need professional help.
Fraser:
Psychiatric?
Ray: No, cop
help.
Janet: Well,
hey, I tried.
Ray: Yeah, but
I told you, we’re in the middle of something here.
Janet: Yeah, so
you keep saying.
Ray: Look, I
don’t like hairbags shooting up the city any more than you
do.
Welsh: Excuse
me. With all due respect to your collective illness. You
think I might be able to find a detective who will work on
an actual crime?
Ray: Keep it
real, man. Francesca? Can you get this shotgun up to
forensics, see if you can get some prints or something off
it?
Francesca: I’m
on the phone.
Ray: I know
you’re on the phone. After you get off the phone? Hey,
hey, hey.
Got the description of the shooters. I want that out to
all the beat cars. Make copies of that, okay?
Dewey: Oh, we
got plenty of cases at our desks already which deserve our
unfocused, undivided attention.
Huey: Hey, no
jumping the lines.
Ray: Look, I’m
going to have to deal with this later, okay?
Janet: Yeah,
sure. Well, that’s fine.
Fraser: I’m
sorry.
Janet: No,
you’ve been a terrific help. I should go. Okay, come on,
kids, saddle up. Let’s go find ourselves a motel!
[checks
pockets] I
don’t believe it.
Fraser:
What?
Janet: It’s
gone. That scumbag took it. The three hundred bucks. He
took it.
Suzanne: Mommy,
I’m tired.
Janet: Okay
hon, come on. [near
tears] Can
you recommend a good parking garage? Preferably one that
doesn’t get too much morning sun?
[consulate]
Janet: Let’s
go.
Fraser:
Constable Turnbull?
Robbie:
Wow!
Turnbull: Ah,
sir.
Fraser: Ah,
Constable, this is Janet Morse These are her children:
Annie, Robbie, Sue.
Turnbull:
Hello.
Fraser: And
they will be sleeping here tonight.
Turnbull:
Oh.
Robbie: I want
to sleep up there.
[rushes toward
stairs]
Janet: Hey,
hey, hey, hey!
Turnbull:
No-no-no-no-no. It’s just that, ah, nobody can sleep up
there. It’s the Queen’s bedroom.
Annie: The
Queen sleeps here?
Turnbull: Oh,
she could. Whenever she’s, uh
[blocks
stairway] in Chicago, um, the regal suite will always
be ready for her.
Robbie: But
she’s never actually slept there.
Turnbull:
No.
Annie: Princess
Di?
Turnbull:
No.
Suzanne:
Fergie?
Turnbull:
No.
Robbie: Has
anyone slept there?
Turnbull: Oh,
yes indeedy-doo. The chairman of the beef marketing board,
huh?
Fraser: I have
some bedding in the, uh--
Turnbull : Oh, Bobby Orr slept here once. And k.d. lang. But not at the same time, for obvious reasons.
[Fraser’s
office]
Janet: You live
here?
Fraser: Yes.
Well, until I find something more permanent, which I
imagine will be pretty much--
Janet: Like
this?
Fraser: Yes, I
suppose so.
Janet: Well,
you don’t need much.
Fraser:
No.
Janet: It’s
very peaceful.
[something
breaks]
Turnbull:
[voice]
Hey you kids, come here! Ow! That
smarts!
Janet: Excuse
me.
Turnbull:
[voice]
That’s quite a smack for someone your
size.
Janet: Suzanne!
[exits]
Annie:
[voice]
Uh oh, here comes Mom. Now you’re going
to get it.
Robert Fraser:
[voice]
Minute of your time, son?
[Fraser enters
closet]
Robert Fraser:
I don’t know. They said that apple wood lasts longer,
gives off a pleasant aroma. And that may well be true, but
I’ll tell you this much, son. It’s damn difficult to get
that stuff to burn.
Fraser: What do
you want, Dad?
Robert Fraser:
Interesting woman.
Fraser: Yes,
she is.
Robert Fraser:
Nice kids.
Fraser:
[laughs]
Um. What are you trying to suggest?
Robert Fraser:
Oh, I’m not suggesting anything, son. It’s just that
lately I’ve been thinking a lot about grandchildren.
Fraser:
Grandchildren.
Robert Fraser:
Yeah. Well, you know. I’m getting on.
Fraser: Getting
on? You’re dead.
Robert Fraser:
Yes, I am! And in death, I’m learning to appreciate the
importance of family. All of those great times we had
together, you know.
Fraser: Dad,
Mom and I saw you about once every sixteen weeks, and
sometimes then you slept out with the dogs.
Robert Fraser:
And there was always a good reason, son. No, no. My mind
is hearkening back to those special times. You know, all
those...all those great family dinners.
[sets record
playing]
Fraser: We
never had family dinners.
[stops
record]
Robert Fraser:
Well, God willing, someone will die before Christmas and
I’ll have them around for dinner. Maybe your cousins,
Douglas and Dwayne. They were always fun. In the meantime,
make a close appraisal of this girl, Janet. She’d be good
for you. She’s sturdy.
Fraser:
Sturdy.
Robert Fraser:
Yeah.
Fraser: Great
advice, Dad. Really. Top-drawer. Thank you.
Robert Fraser:
That’s all right, son. Door’s always ajar.
[consulate
lobby]
Turnbull:
[carrying kids down
staircase]
Now, I thought we discussed this. Absolutely no going
upstairs!
Fraser:
Constable, have you seen Ms. Morse?
Turnbull: Um,
she’s uh--
Fraser: All
right, listen. Just continue doing what you’re doing for,
uh, well, just... continue doing it.
Turnbull: Oh,
but sir--
Fraser: Good
man.
[exits]
Turnbull:
[sighs
heavily]
Okay, I’ve got an idea. I’m going to read you a classic
story. Gulliver’s Travels. It’s a story about a man
who travels around the world having adventures.
Robbie: Like
our dad?
Turnbull: Is
your dad a giant?
[thump]
Ow!!
Kids: Come on!
[they race
upstairs; Turnbull soon follows]
[Kowalski’s
car]
Fraser: I found
this on a boot in his closet. I believe the mixture to be
composed of mud, rubbing alcohol, straw, and horse sweat.
[puts it under
Kowalski’s nose]
Ray: Aw! I find
that all very interesting, Fraser.
Fraser: Well,
my conclusion is that it comes from a nearby
stables. Now,
Janet, or Ms. Morse, was with me when I found it, so I
believe that she will be at the stables even as we
speak.
Ray: You
overstand my position on this, Fraser. I
cannot
break ranks on this!
Fraser: No, no,
no, no. I understand this completely. So what I was hoping
was that we could explore the possibility of pay duty as
say, a supplement to your income. It’s my understanding
that it’s a common practice for many police officers to
lend their services in areas, say, such as crowd control,
or additional security.
Ray: Yeah,
well, but--
Fraser: Right.
So how much would it cost me to hire you to accompany
me?
Ray: To the
stables.
Fraser:
Correct.
Ray:
Fifty.
Fraser:
Forty.
Ray:
Thirty.
Fraser:
Twenty.
Ray:
Done.
[consulate]
Turnbull:
Lilliputians. Lilliputians are little tiny people that
make Gulliver looked like a giant.
Suzanne: Like
you?
Turnbull: Well,
I suppose I am kind of tall.
Suzanne:
[whispers]
(He’s a real bozo.)
Robbie: (Yeah.
I’ve got an idea. Just do what I say. Okay?)
Suzanne:
(Okay.)
Annie:
(Whatever.)
Turnbull:
What?
[stables]
[Janet turns corner
& bumps into Fraser]
Janet
:
[gasps]
Jesus!
Fraser:
Sorry.
Janet: Oh. Kids
okay?
Fraser: Yeah,
they’re fine.
Janet: Oh,
good. Sorry to duck out like that.
Fraser: Oh,
it’s all right.
Ray: Look, I
don’t mean to interrupt, but is he here?
Janet: Yeah,
head groom said she hired a new guy about four months ago.
Different name, but it sounds like him.
Fraser:
Torrance! We’re here to help.
Ray: Stop!
Chicago PD!
[Torrance gets in a
car & peels away; Fraser must leap over it to avoid
getting hit]
Ray: Some
people you just can’t help.
[consulate]
[Fraser & Janet looking in on kids (and Dief) asleep
on the
floor]
Fraser: You
have beautiful children.
Janet: They’re
rats. But you know, when you see them like this, you
remember why you really wanted them.
Fraser: You’re
lucky.
Janet: Yeah, I
am. You know it’s-it’s really nice of you to do
this.
Fraser: Oh,
it’s my pleasure.
Janet: You mean
that?
Fraser:
Yes.
[walking toward Fraser’s office]
Janet: You miss
home.
Fraser: Yes.
You?
Janet: Oh, yes.
You got a place?
Fraser: Mm-hmm.
Fortitude Bay. It’s a four-day hike in from Chilkoot Pass.
It’s very peaceful. Well, once you get past the lava
springs and the polecats and the poisonous tundra beetles.
You?
Janet: Yeah.
Yeah, I do. I’ve a--
Fraser: Here
let me, I’ll move this.
Janet: I’ve got
a cabin just by a waterfall. Outside Whitefish? Yeah,
built it myself.
[Janet begins to
take off her holsters &
guns] It’s
a pretty little place but, I don’t know, I don’t get up
much there anymore, and--
Fraser: It’s
very easy to become disconnected.
Janet: That’s
right. It is. You know, these problems come crowding in
and, and everything’s racing, and I get to the point I
just feel like I’m never going to feel that peace and
comfort again.
[stretching]
Ahh.
Fraser: You
might feel a little more comfortable without the ankle
holster.
Janet: Oh,
right. I forgot about that one. I don’t know. It’s
just...it’s just hard sometimes, holding this whole thing
together.
Fraser: I’m
sure it is.
Janet: It’s
sort of lonely and uh... Oh, I don’t know why I’m telling
you all this. I just... I just feel like I can trust you.
Can I trust you?
Fraser:
Yes.
Janet: Can I
trust you to kiss me?
Fraser: I,
uh... [bends toward
her]
Robert Fraser:
Resist.
Fraser: I
can’t.
Janet: You’re
right. No, you’re right.
Fraser: No.
No, I didn’t mean--
Janet: No, I’ve
got those three kids in the other room. I’ve got this
husband I got to settle up with. I just feel like I know
you.
Fraser: I
know.
[they share another
look, before Janet exits]
Fraser: Well,
thanks a lot.
Robert Fraser:
Look at that face. Like a young cadet who just snuck a
radio-ologist into the dorm.
Fraser: What
are you talking about?
Robert Fraser:
Well don’t get all stroppy. It was long before I met your
mother.
Fraser: What is
wrong with you?!
Robert Fraser:
Some people are vulnerable. Their force is at a low ebb.
You know, it’s not right to take advantage of people in
such a position.
Fraser: Oh,
you’re right. I-I behaved improperly.
Robert Fraser:
Not you. Her, son. You don’t want to rush into these
things.
Fraser: What
kind of thing?
Robert Fraser:
You’re building a house. Do you want to start with the
roof? No. You start with the foundation, one brick on
another brick, then the floor, then some walls, a couple
of windows...gabled something would be nice, and an oriel
or two, bit of stained glass. Then you think about the
roof.
Fraser: By any
chance do they have any psychiatrists in the afterworld? I
mean, someone who could help you?
Robert Fraser:
Let’s face it, son. You need somebody, and I think this
Janet has got a lot to recommend her. She’s bright,
capable, and above all, she’s sturdy. But you got to take
it one step at a time. And all this house stuff that I’ve
been building up to? She could be your foundation.
Fraser: Do you
mind?
Janet:
[coming
back]
Yeah, I’m sorry. I’m, uh, I’m going to sleep in the- in
the other room with the kids on the floor.
Fraser: No, no,
no, no, no. Please, you sleep here, and I’ll, uh, I’ll
make other arrangements.
Janet: No, I
can’t, I--
Fraser:
Please.
Janet: You’re
sure?
Fraser:
Okay.
Janet:
Okay.
Fraser: Good
night.
Janet: Good
night.
[Music: “Unloved” by Jann Arden. Montage of shared ‘moments’ between Janet & Fraser; they’re just about to kiss, and then--]
Thatcher
: Fraser.
Fraser!
[consulate hallway]
[Fraser wakes up and gets immediately to his feet; stands at attention in his longjohns]
Fraser
: Good morning, sir.
Thatcher:
What’s going on?
[Janet comes out of
Fraser’s office]
Janet
: Morning.
Fraser:
Morning.
Janet:
Toothpaste? [Fraser
points
upward]
Great.
[exits]
Fraser: Uh,
your, um--
Thatcher:
Office.
Fraser: Right.
Oh, dear.
[Thatcher’s
office]
Thatcher: Tell
me something, Constable. Are we running a five-star
hotel?
Fraser: No,
sir.
Thatcher: A
fly-by-night motel?
Fraser:
No.
Thatcher: Is it
a drop-in center?
Fraser: No,
sir.
Thatcher: An
orphanage?
Fraser:
No.
Thatcher:
Perhaps, then, it’s a bordello.
Fraser: No,
sir!
Thatcher: So in
conclusion, this is not a place where travelers sleep, nor
is it a daycare center, and it is most definitely not an
institution where you would bring wayward women to satisfy
animal needs and unmentionable underwear.
Fraser: Do you
mean “desires,” sir?
Thatcher:
That’s what I said.
Fraser: So you
did, yes.
Thatcher: Good.
I’m glad we agree. I await your full report with bated
breath.
[pause]
Thatcher : Dismissed.
[Fraser exits]
[Thatcher walks around her desk to find Turnbull bound and
gagged (with an open book on his
chest)]
Turnbull:
Mmm-hmm-hmm!
Thatcher:
Fraser!
[Fraser returns, surprised; Thatcher kneels down &
removes tape from Turnbull’s
mouth]
Turnbull:
[laughs]
Oh, those kids, sir. What a hoot!
[27th
precinct]
Francesca: We
got lucky. The prints on the shotgun match the fingers of
this guy.
Fraser: That’s
the shooter.
Francesca: His
name is Harvey “The Nail” Lopez, and he works out of
Denver for some mob man.
Ray: Mob
guy.
Francesca: Guy.
Man. Dude. You
gonna to split a hair over this? The Nail’s from Denver,
and he works for Lester “The Bull” Rivers. Where do they
dream up these names, or do they look through some big
book to find them?
Ray: They got a
big book. [Frannie
gives him a
look] Uh,
long-term bad guy, suspected in three homicides. Hard-core
pro.
Fraser: And
what’s the connection between Bradley Torrance and
organized crime?
Ray: Ask her.
She’s the one who’s looking for him.
Janet: For
bail-jumping, not for a major crime.
Ray: Oh, and
you just happened to have a couple of hit men, trailing
behind you in a car.
Janet: So what
are you implying?
Ray: I suppose
you didn’t know that this Torrance is on the run with a
bag full of mob money.
Janet:
Bradley?
Ray: Bradley.
Organized crime squad in Denver says that, uh, he ripped
them off for a couple of mil. Say there’s a contract out
on him. I suppose these guys are here to fill it. Maybe
with a little help.
Janet: So you
think I’m working with them?
Ray: Well, they
just couldn’t waltz in here and get the police to help
them, now, could they?
Janet: No,
Mother Theresa couldn’t walk in here and get any
help!
Ray: Cause she
can’t walk, for one!
Fraser: All
right, all right. Excuse me. I think we should concentrate
on trying to find Bradley Torrance. Now we know that he’s
got two contract killers after him. There will undoubtedly
be additional bounty hunters. He can’t return to his motel
room because the police on the street are looking for
him.
Janet: Well, if
there were any police on the street.
Fraser: Well,
what would he do in this situation?
Janet: He’d
find a woman to help him.
Ray: Wait, more
bounty hunters?
[street; three rough-looking guys look at a map, deciding on a plan... they take off (one on a chopper, one in a Humvee, and one in a huge Blazer)]
[bar]
Girlfriend
(Helen): Look, I haven’t seen him for days.
Janet: Aw, come
on, Helen, we’re just trying to help.
Helen: Like I
should really believe that.
Janet: I know I
shouldn’t have said I was his sister, but--
[three bounty
hunters enter bar]
Ray: Whoa,
whoa, whoa. Gentlemen! Chicago PD.
Bounty Hunter 1
(Blazer): We’re the bounty hunters. We want Bradley
Torrance.
Janet: Yeah?
Well, get in line.
Bounty Hunter 2
(Humvee): [spots
Torrance in back of
bar]
There! Get him!
[Torrance runs for his car outside... Bounty Hunter 3
points shotgun through the car
window]
Bounty Hunter 3
(Chopper): It’s all over!
Bounty Hunter
2: You’re going back to Big Sky Country.
Bounty Hunter
1: Hey, I saw him first!
Bounty Hunter
2: He’s mine.
Bounty Hunter
3: He belongs to me!
Janet:
[shoots into
air] He’s
mine. I laid claim to this stake long before you boys even
heard his name.
Bounty Hunter
3: You think so?
Janet: I know
so. January 13th, 1986. South Ridgeway Baptist
Church, 11:35 a.m. I married this schmuck. He’s
mine.
[bar]
Torrance: Well,
here we are. Who would have thought it would come to
this?
Janet: My
mother, my sister, most of my girlfriends...
Helen: Why
didn’t you tell me you had a wife?
Bounty Hunter
3: You lied to your woman?
Bounty Hunter
2: Can’t build a relationship on mistrust, man.
Ray: I guess
you didn’t think was important to tell us he was your
husband.
Janet: You
know, I don’t get any help from the cops if I tell them
I’m after a deadbeat husband. Especially not my own
deadbeat husband.
[to
Fraser]
But I, um, I should have told you.
Bounty Hunter
1: Why, you got something going with Hat Boy,
here?
Janet: Hey.
What’s it to ya?
Bounty Hunter
1: Well, I’m a student of human nature.
Torrance: What
is a Mountie doing here, anyway?
Ray: His name
is Constable Benton Fraser. He first came to Chicago on
the trail of the killers of his father, and for reasons
that do not need explaining at this juncture, he has
remained a lesion--
Fraser: Uh,
liaison, Ray. Attached as liaison with the Canadian
consulate. You know, it may be possible that your husband
had a reason for leaving.
Helen: Yeah,
he’s a pig.
Fraser: Well,
apart from that. A different reason.
Torrance:
Right. What would that be?
Fraser: I’m
referring to the killers who are pursuing you. It might be
that he didn’t want to lead them to his family.
Bounty Hunter
2: That takes guts.
Torrance: Ha.
Didn’t think of that, did you? A lot of guys would have
led armed men to their families. Not me. If that’s a
crime, I’m guilty.
Bounty Hunter
1: Hey, give the guy a chance.
Janet: Yeah,
yeah, yeah. He left six months ago.
Ray: Excuse me,
excuse me. I hate to break up a love connection but we got
the matter of an outstanding warrant. So I think I’m going
to take our little friend down to the station and sort it
out.
Torrance: No,
this is all a big mistake!
Ray: It usually
is!
Torrance: Wait,
no, I’m serious. It was just my stupid--
Janet: Yeah,
well that much I could believe.
Ray:
[to bounty
hunters]
Hey, you fart-hammers pull those weapons in Chicago, you
can say good-bye to ‘em, okay?
Torrance:
Listen, I-I was playing the horses. I wound up owing
Lester Rivers around fifty grand. So he says-he says he’s
going to forget the whole thing if I just run this little
errand for him.
Fraser: Excuse
me. [sniffs
Torrance’s fingers]
Torrance:
What-what are you doing?
Fraser:
Nothing. No, I’m sorry. Please, carry on.
Torrance: I
thought you were going to kiss it. He wasn’t going to kiss
it, was he?
Ray: You’re
lucky he didn’t lick it.
[outside]
Torrance: So
anyway, I go. I pick up this package from these two very
nasty-looking guys to take back to Lester and I open the
package. Well, did you ever see two million dollars? Huh?
Well, I’m looking at it, it’s all green and beautiful and
I’m thinking this is the last chance I got to do anything
for us, you know, for the kids. So-so I lie low for a few
days. And then I hear there’s like this contract out on
me. And I figure maybe this hasn’t been the best move that
I ever made. So I go, I buy a couple of guns from this guy
that I know and they bust me for that. Look, I bail myself
out, and I run.
Fraser: To
protect the children.
Torrance:
Right, right. To protect them. And Janet. Look, you don’t
know what it’s like for me. You earning the money all the
time. What it does to my self-respect.
Janet: Oh. So
what you’re saying is, you’re not really a
deadbeat.
You’re just really, really stupid.
Torrance:
Right.
Ray: Touching.
Get in the car.
Fraser: Look
out!
[thugs in El Camino
drive up, shooting; cops duck and Torrance runs. Music:
“You’re Everywhere” by Blue Rodeo.]
Ray: Hey!
Chicago PD!
Rivers: Come
here!
Torrance:
Lester.
Rivers: Get in!
Get in the car! Go!
[Torrance jumps/is
pulled into car; El Camino drives off; bounty hunters
follow]
Janet: Damn it!
Damn, damn, damn. You just let him get away!
Ray: I didn’t
let him. You let
him get away!
Janet: You are
some crackerjack cop!
Ray: Hey, hey.
Your
husband!
Fraser: Excuse
me. I think the question we should be asking ourselves is,
where did they take him? Now, judging from the amount of
mud and manure under his fingernails, my guess is that
they’ve taken--
Janet:
Stables.
Fraser:
Correct. Ray, shall we?
Ray: Yeah. You
realize, of course, that this is going to cost you.
Another...fifty.
Fraser:
Forty.
Ray:
Thirty.
Fraser:
Twenty.
Ray:
Done.
Janet: You pay
this guy?
Fraser:
Canadian funds.
[Kowalski’s car; they stop for a light and watch the bounty hunters pass, going the wrong way]
[stables]
Torrance:
[digging a
hole] I
don’t know why this has to be so big. It’s only a bag. I
mean, you could bury a body--
Rivers: Just do
it, okay?
Torrance:
Lester, I’m giving back the money. You said if I give back
the money, you were going to let me live.
Rivers:
Dig!
[middle of nowhere –
Dead End road]
Bounty Hunter
2: I thought you knew where we were going?
Bounty Hunter
1: What are we going to do now?
Bounty Hunter
2: What the hell?
Bounty Hunter
3: Don’t give me that.
Bounty Hunter
2: Who thought you were right in the first
place? Wanna
go? Come on,
right here!
[they
scuffle]
[stables]
Ray: I’ll call
for backup. [dials
cell
phone]
Vecchio....Uh, it’s an emergency at the racetrack. I need
backup....Don’t put-- Don’t put me on hold!
Fraser: I think
it’s advisable that we wait for Ray.
Janet: Yeah.
That strike ought to be over in a month or so.
Fraser: I have
no arrest authority here.
Janet: I
do.
[Fraser and Janet
enter barn]
Janet: Hold
it!
Rivers: You
want him dead? Or alive? Drop the gun!
Torrance: Don’t
do it, Jan. They’ll kill you.
Janet: That was
really unselfish of you, Bradley.
Torrance: Thank
you.
Rivers: Okay,
so he’s a nice guy. I’m still going to kill him.
[Janet tosses down
her gun]
Torrance:
Thanks. You shouldn’t have done that, but thanks.
Janet: Yeah,
well, I did it for the kids.
Rivers: Shut
up! Toss me that bag. Give me that bag. Get it up here.
Watch it.
[Kowalski sneaks up
and tackles thug]
Janet:
Down!
Fraser: Good
work, Ray. I’ll get the other one.
Ray:
Down!
Janet: Watch
this one real good for me, okay? He’s worth twelve hundred
bucks.
Ray: Kiss the
dirt! Kiss the
dirt! Get down
there. I don’t want to see
you.
[Rivers runs off and tackles a guy for his motorcycle;
Fraser chases him on
foot]
Janet: Fraser!
Fraser!
[she rides a horse,
leads another; Fraser leaps into the saddle, and they
chase Rivers over the grounds... Fraser leaps off horse
& tackles Rivers]
Fraser: Good
riding.
Janet: You,
too.
Fraser: Oh,
thank you. Thank you kindly. Oh, I thought I sort of
drifted to the left a little, there.
Janet: No, no,
not at all. You know, actually I was crowding you a
little.
Fraser: Oh, no.
No. It’s, uh, I’m very inexperienced.
Janet: Really?
Well, you have a wonderful natural aptitude.
Fraser: You
think so?
Janet: Yes,
yes. You ever thought of, uh, riding trick in a
rodeo?
Fraser
: No, no. Although you know, now that you mention it, I
was once involved in something that resembled trick riding
on a renegade bison on the main street of Vegreville, a
town that’s noted for its enormous painted egg. Oh, my
hat. [retrieves
Stetson]
You see, the
bison...
[27th
precinct]
[Torrance spins in a
desk chair, playing with kids & Dief]
Robbie: Faster,
faster, faster.
Annie: I can’t
go faster.
Welsh:
Constable.
Fraser:
Leftenant.
Welsh: Glad to
see you were able to shake that nagging flu, Ray.
[drops files on his
desk]
Ray: No one’s
happier to be back at work than me, sir.
[gives nose/thumb
salute]
Fraser:
They’re nice kids. I hope their father doesn’t have to go
to jail.
Ray: Yeah.
Working out a deal to testify against, uh, Lester Rivers.
Immunity, witness protection, the whole eight
yards.
Fraser : Well, that’s good.
Janet
:
[quietly]
Bradley, you know, you do something
stupid like this again, and I’m going to punch a hole in
your back and pull your spine through and beat you over
the head with it.
Torrance: That
sounds fair, Janet.
Janet:
Yeah.
[corridor]
Janet: So
anyway, I’m going to work out some arrangement with
Bradley.
Fraser:
Ah.
Janet: Oh, no,
nothing like that, no. I mean, he can come and stay on the
weekends or something, but... I’ve got this shed that I’m
going to make into a bunkhouse and, you know, he can stay
out there.
It’s not like he’s a great dad, cause, I mean, hell, he’s
not even a good dad, but you know, the kids need to see
him so I-- You know, what can you do? You just--
Fraser: I
understand.
Janet: Well,
anyway, I just wanted to say, you know, thanks for all
your help, and uh...
Fraser
: It was my pleasure.
Janet: Oh, you
were great.
Fraser: Thank
you.
Janet: Well.
So, bye.
Fraser:
Okay.
[they walk away from
each other]
Fraser: Hey,
you know something?
[they come back
face to face]
Fraser: You can
trust me.
Janet: Yeah, I
know.
[they
kiss]
Janet: See ya.
[exits]
Robert Fraser:
A man always feels better when he’s done his duty.
Fraser:
[near
tears]
Dad, when you were alone out there without Mom, did you
ever feel lonely?
Robert Fraser:
Oh, every second, son. Every second.
Fraser: That’s
what I thought.
Ray: Hey,
buddy, let’s get something to eat.
[stops, noticing
Fraser hasn’t
followed]
Uh, I know you’re a little short of cash, but, uh, I’m
flush, so I’m buying. Look, it’ll be all right.
[puts arm around
Fraser as they walk around
corner]
End