Ricochet Page #3

nine months.

I mean,

what do you expect?

Well, it's never

like this on TV.

On TV, it's always over

in one hour, you know?

And in the end,

Columbo will say,

"Excuse me, one more thing,

Dr. Schmendrick,

"but I know you killed

your wife with a meat grinder

and then fed her

to the goldfish."

Ah, yeah, except

they never show the trial,

you know,

when the perpetrator walks.

Yeah, I almost had

a heart attack

when Kiley asked

for a mistrial.

Yeah?

Yeah, next time

I won't be so lucky.

There's not going to be

a next time, Nick.

That would suggest I didn't find

the missing witness.

I'm going to find

the missing witness.

Maybe I should get out there

with you on the streets.

I still got

a lot of contacts.

You want to help?

Get some sleep.

Stop trying

to be superman.

You mean Lieutenant Columbo,

don't you?

Good night, Larry.

Good night.

[engine starts]

[helicopter whirring]

[doorbell rings]

(woman)

Who is it?

It's one tired and lonely

assistant district attorney

who's had a lousy day.

There better be a gorgeous woman

in a tight-fitting nightgown

in there.

Here she is.

Well, she's gorgeous.

Mm-hmm.

Oh, give me a kiss.

Give me a kiss.

Wanna help me do

some work, baby?

Hmm?

A little drool

there on the lip.

[chuckles]

(man)

Okay, when two white men

in this prison

have a grudge,

they settle it

like true Aryan warriors:

one-on-one

in hand-to-hand.

You think you're too good

for us, Blake.

Well, we'rgiving you

that chance.

Now, grab your weapon,

and may

the best Aryan win!

[all cheering and chattering]

[weapons clanging]

[suspenseful music]

[glass shatters]

clang!

Come on,

kick his ass.

Let's go!

Come on, Chewalski!

[pipe hissing]

[grunting]

[panting]

[grunts]

[screaming in pain]

[weapon clangs]

(man)

There's still

more than 50 of us

in here with you,

Blake.

What's your point?

A man needs friends

to make a life here.

I'm not interested

in life here.

Well, that

can be arranged.

You a**hole,

I'm talking about life

outside.

How about it,

brother?

[chuckles]

You were this amazing

occidental samurai.

I mean--I mean, Christ,

these guys are pussies.

but you, you're--

you're the true Aryan.

You're bleeding.

No, f***

the nurse Nancy sh*t.

You want to do something

for me?

[paper tears]

Clean this up,

and save it.

(man)

So how do you figure

we get out of here, Blake?

(Blake)

You've got friends

on the outside.

I got money

on the outside.

[speaking indistinctly]

[eerie music]

(Nick)

We've gotten to know each other

pretty well

over these last few months,

and maybe--maybe we're getting

a little tired

of each other, huh?

Tired of seeing

the faces in this courtroom

instead of the faces

of our families and friends,

tired of having to listen

to descriptions of degradation

and torture and murder.

We want it to end,

don't we?

[claps]

Wipe the slate clean?

[screaming wildly]

[laughs]

We just want to run out.

We want to get out.

I mean, isn't that

what we really feel?

We want to get out.

[man laughs]

Be quiet.

We want to breathe

clean air.

We want to see

the blue sky.

[inhales and exhales deeply]

We just want to feel

decent again.

I can understand that.

Believe me,

I feel the same way myself,

because the horror

in this room

can make us

take a shortcut

just to get out

into the sunlight again.

And that's

what Roger Dwayne Felso wants.

That's what his defense attorney

is betting on:

our frustration, our exhaustion,

our--our weariness,

because it just might make

you 12 people rush to judgment

and compromise on the charges

against his client.

And believe me,

while you're in the jury room,

he's going to come to me.

He's going to try

and get me to compromise,

to cut a deal.

That's why I need you

to be strong.

I need you to stay

in that cramped little room

with the lousy coffee

and the terrible take-out food

until you reach a verdict

of guilty

on each and every count,

because that's

the only verdict

that's going to make

Roger Dwayne Felso pay

for the nine--

you count 'em--

nine lives

that he just snuffed out.

And that's the only verdict

that's going

to let you and me sleep.

[paper crinkles]

Your Honor,

the prosecution...

rests.

[crowd chattering]

[shutters clicking]

(Larry)

Thank you very much.

Let the man through,

huh?

You did it, man.

I was able to get up

in front of a jury

and talk my ass off.

You were the one

that found the missing witness.

Well, that's true.

Thank you.

I think it's time

to talk about your future.

I promised Connie I'd see her

once a month before the wedding.

Tomorrow?

Our place for dinner?

Perfect.

(Nick)

Future, huh?

Well, tonight,

I'm going to go home,

kiss my little girl,

make love to my wife,

get up in the morning,

eat some oat bran,

maybe lock up

some more bad guys.

I mean it's time you started

thinking about networking.

Yeah, we already got

cable.

Listen, smart-ass,

I'm talking about what--

I know what you're

talking about.

You're talking about

the goddamn city machine.

You're talking about

greasing palms,

lining pockets,

kissing babies.

Forget about it,

Farris.

No way am I going anywhere near

those smoke-filled rooms.

I'm a prosecutor,

not a politician.

[chuckles]

[woman over TV]

Days of glory behind them,

some people feel the towers

have become an eyesore,

a dangerous jumble

of rusting steel

and broken glass.

t L.A. Assistant District

Attorney Nicholas Styles

has a different idea.

Together with

City Councilman U.B. Farris,

Styles has announced plans

for a children's center

to be built at the base

of the restored towers.

Already, local

and state authorities...

[muffled speech]

[suspenseful music]

(man #1)

Dental records,

the old switcheroo.

(man #2)

You can go back to the ER.

Try not to fall down

anymore.

Don't worry, Doctor.

I'm taking ery precaution.

The towers represented

the dreams and aspirations--

I've got things

to live for.

(Reverend Styles)

I the name of the Father

and of the Son

and of the Holy Ghost,

I baptize thee,

Monica Allison Styles.

[kiss]

[chuckles]

[throat clears]

[tapping]

[baby crying]

[whispers]

I gotta go, baby.

There's a meeting

at the bank

about the community

youth center.

How about this

community youth?

(man)

You're not going

to leave tread marks

in my church again,

are you, son?

You're misinformed,

Dad.

Jewish people do guilt,

not us.

I gotta go.

Still love me?

Yes.

[kiss]

[machine beeping]

(man)

This boy I know

from West Hollywood

says the parole officer

out there

is a real pushover.

Maybe I can get a job

and work longer hours,

get a really nice

place.

And when you get out--

I mean, you're

Earl Talbott Blake,

and I'm not going

to let you live

in some kind of dump.

(man)

Hey, hey, you got a bus

to catch, honey.

Or you planning

on staying here?

Blake, I gotta go.

(man)

Let's go.

But I'll see you.

Blake, I gotta go.

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