"So I don't know." "I mean, I know how his folks feel about it, but I told him to change his major." "What do you think?" "It depends on what he wants." "Well, he better want me." " He seems to." " Yeah, but he's into so many things." "I mean, there really isn't any time, you know?" "There isn't enough time to be sure." "Well, why don't you get a place together next semester?" "Well, listen to the fem." "And what would your father do if you made that scene?" "Mike?" "Oh, he'd be cool about it." "Once I convinced him it was more than just a sex thing." " And how would you do that?" " Talk." " He listens?" " Sure." "When he's through shouting." "Well, I don't know." "That doesn't sound much like the father that drives all the way across the bay to meet a bus in Oakland just so he can spend an extra half-hour with his daughter." "Well, that's different." "How?" "That's love." "Come on, let us take you home from here." "No, no." "You go ahead." "I can use the extra time to think." "I might not have much when I get with Mom." " Not after I lay it all on her, anyway." " Okay." "But listen, if she's not there, or if she is and it gets to be a hassle or anything, just give us a call." " There will be plenty of tuna casserole." " Thanks." " Jeannie." "Here." " Hey, Mike." "Hi." "Oh, let me take a look at you, sweetheart." "Hi." "Sometimes I forget how lucky I am." "Oh, hold your praise, kind sir." "I think I blew a couple of finals." "Well, a couple of finals, I'm not gonna worry about." "If you'd ended up looking like me instead of your mother, we would have had big problems, wouldn't we, huh?" "What about your roommate?" "Isn't she coming?" "Oh, she had some things she wanted to work out." "Wanted to be alone before she got home." "And pick a place." "We're gonna put on the feedbag." "Super." "Listen, I heard about this little spot up on Potrero Hill." " Specializes in home cooking." " No, sir." "This is something special." "Get in." "We're gonna celebrate tonight." "Now, you said pick, I picked." " Are you sure?" " Of course I'm sure." "And I told Val we'd wait for her to call, in case she wants to join us." " Okay?" " Okay." "Main depot, Miss." "San Francisco." "Wake up, Miss." "End of the line." "What happened?" " I burned my finger." " Trigger finger?" "The one I type my reports with." " Out." "Out until everything is ready." " Smells so good." "Stop snooping around, now." "Come on." " You said something about wine." " In the refridge." "Chilled, huh?" "Must be white." "White must be fish or fowl." "Everybody in this family's gotta be a detective." "Scampi?" "Will you take the wine and get out?" "Lobster thermidor." "King crab Duglere?" "Sure, I'm gonna compete with the best restaurants on the wharf." "When was the last time you had anything but tuna casserole around here?" "Yeah, well, when was the last time the chef got a complaint, huh?" "Riesling." "Perfect." "And chilled glasses." " This third one for Val?" " I thought she was coming." "Well, she didn't call." "I guess everything's all right." "All right." "You got what you need?" "Send me the prints as soon as possible, will you?" "Anybody know who she is?" "Name's Valerie Mercer." "Lives three blocks from here." "Born February 10, 1954." "An Aquarian." "All right, get her downtown, have prints taken on the knife." "What do you figure, somebody held her from behind," " planted that in her from back there?" " I don't know, maybe." "Nobody saw this?" "Nobody we can find." "What about the driver?" "He's in the lounge." "His name's Lediker." "Herman Lediker." "I don't know." "I had..." "You know, about half a load pulling out of Phoenix, I guess." "I think she was with me for most of the haul, but, you know, I couldn't swear to it, you know?" "Was she alone?" " No." "There was another girl." " Did they get on together?" "Yeah." "Yeah." "You know, I think so." "I couldn't swear to that either." "They were together later, say from Needles on." "So they probably got on together." "My God, she's just a kid, you know?" " Did you see this girl get off?" " Yeah." "Yeah, in Oakland." "I remember that for sure because she thanked me." "Seemed like a-- You know, a real nice kid." "Now, did you notice Miss Mercer after the girl got off?" "No." "You know, you drive these big bruisers, you just keep your eye on the road, not who's riding with you." "Yeah." "How many passengers did you have when you arrived?" "Oh, six, seven tops." "Did you catch any names, faces?" "Anything?" "No, you know, this ain't no champagne flight with reservations." "People get on, you see hands and tickets, they get off, you see backsides." "Yeah." "So the only other passenger you remember is this other girl, right?" "Yeah." "You wanna give me a description of her, please?" "Well, she didn't look like no killer." "Was she young, old, light-haired, dark-haired, what?" "Oh, about 18, 19." "College girl." "Dark hair, blue eyes, no real knockout, except when she smiled." "She had a real nice smile." "Wait a minute." "Did you say this girl got on in Phoenix?" "Yeah, I think so." "Now, isn't Arizona State right near there?" "Yeah, it's in the suburbs, in Tempe." "Come on, Mike." "You're not really gonna get uptight about it, are you?" "No, no, I'm not uptight." "I just didn't think it was something you were interested in." " Not a woman's field, you mean?" " Well, yes." "No, no." "I just" " Look." "There's no reason a woman couldn't build bridges and buildings like a man, I guess." "It's not just building things." "It's planning." "Environmental architecture." "You know, master plans for communities." "Cities, even." "I guess we can always use a lot of planning, couldn't we?" " You hate it." " No." " You do." " No, I don't." "If you can get to like my tuna casserole," "I guess I can get to like the idea of you being an architect." "I'll get it." "Could be Val." "Hello?" "Oh, hi, Steve." "How are you?" "Okay, okay." "You?" "Fine." "I thought you might be dropping by this evening." "No, not tonight, Jeannie." " Well, how about tomorrow?" " Here, let me have that phone." "Come on." "Architecture, okay." "Dating a cop, nix." " Ten-four, Steve." " Never mind" "Ten-four." "What's this 10-4 routine?" "Did you hear that 10-4?" "Yeah, what's up?" " Is Jeannie off the line?" " Yeah." "What is it?" "Okay, Norm, just stay there, let me know what happens, right?" "Right." "Steve." "Lab's been working all night." "Dusted the entire bus, came up with at least 50 good prints." " What about the driver?" "Get his name?" " Yeah." "Lediker." " Did you talk to him again?" " Nothing yet." "Nothing." " I wanna see him." " Right." "Got the bus in impound," "I called the Dean of Women, some of Valerie's teachers, they said the same thing Jeannie did." " No enemies." " Had to be one." "Could've been a freak trying to pick her up." " Does Jeannie remember anything?" " No." "That was one call I didn't wanna make." "When the driver gave the description and Mrs. Mercer said Valerie was coming home from the same school, knew it had to be Jeannie." "Good thing you called when you did." "We went over to the Mercers' right away." "Jeannie stayed the night with them." "Valerie's brother's coming home this morning." "Just wish we had a motive." "That's the toughest." "I want him." "I don't care how tough it is." "That's him." "You're sure, sweetheart?" "He's the one." "Leonard Cord." " You know him?" " Yeah." "I nailed him when he was 18." "That would make him about, oh," "I'd say, 30 now." "So I suppose some parole board decided all he owed society was 12 lousy years." "Paroled felons have to register when they come into a town." "Yeah." "Leonard C. Cord." "C is for Collier." "Did he register?" "I'll wait." "I'm here." "What's the address?" "Well, now, wait a minute." "That's too far uptown for this creep." "Okay, thanks." "Wanna make a house call?" "Mike?" "What did you arrest him for?" "Well, I don't remember." "It's been 12 years." "It's on his rap sheet." "And since when does Iron Mike remember a name and a face and forget the charge?" "Now, you just forget it, sweetheart." "I wanna know." " Now, what difference does it make?" " I wanna know, Mike." "Rape and murder." "You got a number on the unit?" "202." "Who is it?" "Police." "Open up." "Afternoon." " Sergeant." " Good afternoon." "Spread." "You know the magic word is "please"?" "Just "please."" "Get his jacket." "Been a long time, sergeant." "Long enough to learn the harmonica?" "No, I learned that when I was a kid." "Hard to believe you were ever a kid." "You've seen my rap sheet, sergeant." "Goes all the way back to when I was 12." " Twelve's a kid." " So now you're a comedian." "You like the bright lights and center stage, huh?" "I got just the spot for you." "All right, feet behind the black line." "The gentleman with the hat on, would you take it off, please?" "Don't think you were wearing it before." "Thank you." "Can you pick him from out of the line?" "The man in the middle." "I couldn't miss that smirk." "Get the bus driver." "How can you be so sure?" "Because he was almost as close to me as you are." " I told you before." " Where was that?" "At the streetcar stop." "Well, what about the bus from school?" "Well, sure." "There too." "But the make you gave me came from what you saw at the streetcar stop." "Mike, what's the difference?" "He was on the bus, he was on the streetcar." "The murder was on the bus, not on the streetcar." "If you can't raise your hand in court and swear to a positive identification, we've got nothing." "Now, can you swear?" "Well, I can certainly say he was wearing that mackinaw." "Jeannie, baby." "A defense attorney would beat our brains out with that kind of evidence." "I know it was the same man." "So do I." "But knowing and proving are two different ball games." "Don't worry." "We'll see what the bus driver comes up with." "I wanna do what's right, lieutenant." "You know that." "I certainly do." "You just take your time." "I think I spotted him." "I'm not really sure." "But I'm sort of almost positive." "Good." "Who?" "I'm not absolutely certain." "Mr. Lediker." "The last guy on the right." "He's been on the police force the last six years." "That must be a real bummer." "Get your murder case all roped and tied" "Just stow it." "Right." "Your playground, sergeant." "Lieutenant." "That's the magic word, Cord." "Lieutenant." "Congratulations." " Give him your jacket." " Yes, sir." "Whatever's right, sir." " Where did you board the bus?" " Bus?" " I was supposed to be on a bus?" " That's right." "Phoenix to San Francisco." "Came into town at 7:20 last night." "No." "Somebody gave you a bum steer, sergeant." "Where were you yesterday morning?" "Denver, Colorado." "The Mile-High City." "Mike, boarding pass, Denver to San Francisco." "Flight 103." "Arrived right on the button, 3:40 in the afternoon." "You can check with one of the stewardesses." "She'll remember me." "Name's Patty." " Why Denver?" " Why not Denver?" "Okay." " Where did you go from the airport?" " Right to where you found me." "Nice pad, huh?" "Not bad for a guy that you said would never see the streets again." "This your harmonica?" "That's right, Jack." "Who is Valerie Mercer?" "She's a dead chick." "She got snuffed on the bus, papers say." "Hey, is that the bus, that 7:20 from Phoenix," " is that the one you're talking about?" " You were on that bus." "Who, me, sir?" "No, sir." "Oh, yes." "You were playing the harmonica on that bus." "Same song you were playing on the streetcar." "What, you mean to tell me there's some dude on that bus with a harmonica like mine?" "He was playing the same hymn?" ""Amazing Grace"?" " Ain't that something." "Small world." " What were you doing on the streetcar?" "Soaking up the sights, sergeant." "It's been a long time." "It's been 12 years." "Well, I guess that ought to do it, huh?" "Okay if I pick up my stuff?" "I want you in town where I can find you." "Oh, sure, sure." "Because you and I both know where you were last night." "You killed that girl on the bus." "And this time, I'm gonna slam that door behind you for good." "Mike." "Grabbed those with a telephoto." "Pretty chick." "She's got great legs." "Mike!" "Lee." "Lee!" " Give me a hand." "Give me a hand." " Mike." "Easy, Mike." "Easy." "Take it easy, now." "You gonna tell me there's anything in the criminal code about taking photos in Arizona?" "Or playing a harmonica on a streetcar?" " Book him." "Book him." " What for?" " For vagrancy." " Not on that either, sergeant." "Receipt, $2,800." "Marina Hill Condominium." "He's buying it." "Now, I don't have to quote Civil Code 899 to you, do I, sergeant, huh?" "Unprovoked attack on a citizen by the constabulary, the police?" " You wanna file, file." " Mike." "Mike." "Twenty-six years on the force with a clean record, the worst they'd do is give you a little suspension without pay." "And that's not nearly enough." "Not when you're evening up for 12 years of stir time." "You so much as lay an eye on my daughter, and I tell you" "Lay an eyeball on your daughter?" "I'll do better than that." "I'll drop by your house tonight with some photos of your little girl that'll just turn on this whole squadron." " Don't you put a hand on her." " He's trying to bait you." "Why don't you get out of here?" "Get out of here before I let him loose." "Go." "Come on, punk, split." "I'll just leave these photos with you, if you like." "I'll just take one just so I'll be sure I'll be able to recognize her." " Mike." " No, Mike." "Mike, please don't." "Stop it." "Let me go." "Please." "Let me go." "Quint and Gerhard signed up, it's a 24-hour trail on Cord." " What about coverage on Jeannie?" " Got six guys working." " Well, keep on the warden." " Right." "What's happening?" "Yeah, all right." "Thank you." "Thank you very much." "All right." "All right, A, he is buying the condominium," " B, forget about the vagrancy." " How so?" "Well, his father died while Cord was in prison." " Insurance gave him 10 big ones." " Ten thousand?" "He also got 2,600 when he got out, built up a lot of points in Q." "He never spent a cent, played real good poker and he peddled cigarettes." "Oh, one other thing." "Cord bought a used car." "Paid cash for it." "Make and license is on your desk." "Steve, Cord has more bread than you and me put together." " Legit?" " So far." "Couldn't get the warden." "Talked to the doctor, though." "Cord was having trouble with his throat." "Doctor told him he had to have his tonsils taken out," "Cord wouldn't let them touch him." "Yeah, Stone." " Brice, what do you got?" " Ten-twenty from Haseejian." " Mike's daughter's at the main library." " Doing what?" "Running microfilm of old newspapers." "Yeah, I'm still here, Charlie." "Look, Cord's prints have to be on that bus." "Well, you keep that crew camped there until they come up with something." " Microfilm?" " Maybe she's doing a report." "Well, Norm didn't say." "Beal called in from the airport." "The boarding pass is legit." "The stewardess remembered him." "Said he was a real first-class jerk." "Even remembered the green plaid jacket." "What about Phoenix?" "He spent ten days there last month." "Registered with Phoenix P.D. No static." "Yeah, Stone." "Go ahead." "What kind of doctor?" "Okay, stick with him." "Lessing." "Cord's following through on that tonsil thing." "He just left an ear, nose and throat specialist." "Let me lay something on you." "Cord arrives from Denver like he said, right?" "Makes sure everybody sees him." "Then he picks up a cab, he goes down to San Jose or Salinas" " and picks up the bus from there." " No, a cab could be traced." " He'd hitchhike." " But do you buy any of it?" "What choice do I have?" "Go ahead, try it." "Steve, get those mug shots to every ticket peddler on the route." "Right." " Where you going?" " Home." " I'm getting Jeannie out of town." " What happened?" "Lessing and Lockner got burned." " I put in a new team." " Cord recognized them, huh?" "Larson and Gleason." " Who?" " Law firm." "Tough and smart." " What, Cord hired them?" " Yeah." "Olsen's gonna chew me up and spit me out." "Psychological warfare." "You can't bust a guy for threatening, you can't kick him out of town." "Can't make a move on him." "No matter what he's got on his mind, he's had years to iron out rough spots." "Listen, I finally got hold of the warden at Q." "Now, Cord spent all his free time in the library." "Legal, medical books, psychiatry, you name it." "I'm scared." "There are a thousand ways he can get to Jeannie." " He can pick his spot." " No, it's you he's after." "Get you off the force, for openers." "Then he can deal with you one on one." "Oh, no." "He had his chance to get me when I decked him." " It's not Jeannie, Mike." " I tell you, it is." " You saw his calling card." " What, Valerie Mercer?" "That's right, Valerie Mercer." "Why would he kill that poor kid?" "Because he wants more." "I tell you, it's Jeannie." "It's Jeannie he wants." " Are these the ones, sweetheart?" " Yeah." "It's gonna be the safest place, you watch." "About a hundred miles down the coast." "Cap's been retired from the force about a year now, left town." "And there's no way Cord's gonna put it together." "You just keep the doors locked and don't drink any of Cap's coffee." "Mike, I went to the library." "Went through the newspaper morgue." "I looked up Leonard Cord's crime." "Mike, it was awful." "You just forget that you read anything." "What he did to the girl with a knife." "How can there be people like that?" "Now, listen to me, sweetheart." "Nothing, nothing in this world means more to me than you and your safety." "I'm gonna stop him." "Sit down." "If you see him or think you see him, scream." " Just a tape." " Then he was here." "Don't move." "Jeannie's room." "How did he do it?" "It had to be when Jeannie went out." "When we were out getting flowers for the Mercer girl." "Didn't you check the house when you got back?" "Well, we were out looking for Cord, not that thing." "Hello?" "Hello?" " Who is this?" " Hey, you're sounding good." "Such a pretty voice, pretty face, such a great bod." "Leave us alone." "Hey, I dig your place, baby." "That bed's so soft." "Yeah, I tried it out." "Stop it." "It's soft like you." "It still reads like harassment." "You had to know that Cord's attorneys would contact the DA's office and they'd fire this right down my throat." "Okay, okay, okay." "Is it a formal complaint?" "Not yet, no." "But this is me to you, Mike, and it is formal." "I can bleed with you on this thing, and believe me, I do, Mike." "But you can't steamroll this guy." "He put a knife through Valerie Mercer." "Jeannie is next on the list." "We suspect that." "But these lawyers have built this thing into a case of police persecution." "Brutality." "You're lucky that punk hasn't pressed on that assault thing." "That was a bush play, Mike." "Bush." "Are you telling me officially that I better go by the book?" "I'd burn the book if there was a single shred of evidence." "You've got one body already." "Do you want another one?" " I want more than a harmonica." " Okay, then you've got it." "Take it." "If I have a choice between that and Jeannie's life, I don't have a choice." "Excuse me, Rudy." "I talked to the dispatcher down at the bus station." "On weekend arrivals like Valerie's, there's a lot of regular passengers," " you know, commuters." " You got something?" "I got the bus driver working overtime." "Did you take the tail off of Cord?" "Well, I couldn't do anything else." "Yeah." "Yeah." "Well, listen." "I think I got the flu." "So I'm gonna lay low for a couple days." "Well, that's too bad." "Listen, if you happen to go out on the street, you know, get a prescription filled or something, and you see Cord, would you give us a blast, let us know?" "Yeah." " Listen, you gonna talk to Lediker?" " Yeah." "Thanks, buddy boy." "Lediker." "Oh, hi, lieutenant." "I understand you got something on those commuters." "Well, I've been thinking." "And?" "After the dumb thing I did at the lineup" "I don't care if you make a fool of yourself six times a week and twice on Sundays, you just spit it out, my friend." "Well, there's this old lady and her grandson." "See, I pick them up in Salinas about every other Friday." " Got a name?" " No." "She's a Mexican lady, doesn't speak any English." " The kid does all the talking." " Well, what do you know about them?" "Well, the kid's father is up here undergoing some kind of therapy." "And every other week they come up here and spend some time with him?" "Yeah." "I remember, they get off here and then they walk." "Now, they can't have much bread, because the kid told me once they stay in some motel here around the terminal." "I hope that's been some kind of help." "I can't tell you how much." "Thanks a lot." "Hey, well, any time you need some help." "Señora Valdez, the manager gave me your name." "Oh, excuse me, but habla inglés, por favor?" "Your grandson, is he here?" " Is he here?" " Roberto?" "Sí, Roberto." "To translate." "Oh, ice cream." "Ice cream, sí, sí." " He's coming here quick?" "Right away?" " Sí, señor." "Hi." "My name's Cord." " Dr. Anton's patient." " Oh, yes, Mr. Cord." "Let's see." " I believe you're checking into-- - 201." "Yes." "Workup's all ready." "Tonsillectomy." "You're a bit early, though." "Nothing like a good night's sleep if you're gonna get your throat cut." "If you'll just fill out these forms, please." "Yes, ma'am." "Sure, I remember him." " You're sure this is the man?" " Yeah." "He played a harmonica." "Now, look close." "Are you sure that's the man that played the harmonica?" "Sure." "It was a good one too." "I got a plastic one for Christmas once, but it broke." "Son, this is important, very important." "Where was he sitting on the bus?" " In the back." " All the time?" "No." "Not when he quit playing." "When was that?" "When he moved up behind the girl." "The girl, was she a beautiful blond, about 18 or 19?" "Yeah." "I think he was trying to hustle her." " What?" " You know, pick her up." "I see it lots of times on the bus." "And then he was sitting there, right there with her?" "Yeah." "Roberto, English." "English, please." "Grandma remembers too." "That's when she made me stop looking." "When he put his arm around her neck." "Yeah, Healy." "Yeah, Mike." "Go." "I'm at the Star Motel, 1300 block on Bay." "Room 31." "I need a stenographer and somebody that speaks Spanish." "Yeah, Vega's here." "I'll bring him." "Good." "Anybody hear about Keller?" " Nothing for the last couple hours." " Okay, then move it." "Put out an APB on Cord." "Leonard Cord." "Right." "Well, I'm glad you could make it." " We're a little understaffed, Mr. Cord." " And overpriced." "Those should give you a good night's sleep." "You know, I think we could've done better, you know?" "If there's anything else..." "There won't be." "Now, the man you saw on the bus was playing a harmonica?" "Hello?" "Yeah." "Yeah, okay." "Steve just called in from a box phone." "Wants you to meet him at the Legion of Honor." "Cord?" "Hey, Stone." "Guess who's in the spotlight now, eh?" "Right where I've wanted you for the past 12 years." "You really thought I was after your little girl, didn't you?" "No way, Cord." "Oh, there's a way." "There's a good way." "I had a long time to think it all out." "Guess whose gun's gonna blast your guts away, Stone." "And guess whose gun's gonna blast him." "Right." "Two uptight cops blast each other in the dark by mistake." "I got witnesses, Cord, who saw you on that bus from Phoenix." "I don't care." "Ain't got no witnesses the way she died." "There ain't gonna be no eyewitnesses here either." "Oh, they'll know, Cord." "But that's what makes it so good, Stone, is that they'll know." "But they can't prove." "I can prove." "I's in the hospital tonight, Stone, sleeping, waiting to get my tonsils ripped out tomorrow." "It'll be two whole days before they even ask me any questions." "Go on, Stone, pull it." "I don't wanna go back." "It's just not worth it, Stone." "Pull it." "Give me a break." "I'm gonna kill you." "Stone, someday I'm gonna kill you." "Pull it!" "Stone..." "Pull it." "Call an ambulance." "Are you hurt, buddy boy?" " I don't know what happened." " You're okay?" " I walked right into it." " That's all right." "He had 12 years to rig it, you had two seconds to react." " Look at me." "You're okay, now?" " Yeah, yeah." " All right, give me a dime." " A dime?" "Yeah, that's what it takes." "I gotta call my daughter." "She's gonna want to know if you're all right." " Come on." " Jeannie." " See you, Steve." " Bye-bye." " Hold it." " I got it." "Okay." " Bye-bye, Daddy." " Bye-bye, sweetheart." " What's the matter?" " Nothing, nothing." "What?" "Nothing." "Daddy." "The first time she's called me that in..."