01x02 - The King of the Night

[bunniefuu]

No more
g*n on this guy.

He's flyin' high now.

Going over the homes here,
where coming up the chimneys

are the wishes
for a safer place,

a brighter day, and
a brand-new mayor.

And where are you headed, fella?

Floating by our heroes, heading
into the Pecker residence,

where the congressman's
catching sh*t

for taking pictures of his d*ck.

This city needs a dedicated
director of social services.

Desperately needs. Totally, hon.

So I'm trying to do my serious
job with your stupid name.

People with needs in
this city rely on me,

and I might lose my job now

because of your childish
impulsiveness, Chris.

You don't like my last name?

'Cause you said
when we first met

you thought it was strong.

Yeah, right.

It was an artistic nude.

Hello, Mrs. Pecker.
Hello, Mrs. Pecker.

Carpenter K. Smith was gonna
was gonna make this city

a gentler place.

But Smith's been
missing nine hours now.

Detective Johnson.
Detective Mills.

Sissy Smith.

We're here about your father.

Went out for a
pack of cigarettes?

It's going on nine hours
now. Nothing? No word?

Nothing.

Where's your brother?

We were expecting him.

He was here with
your father earlier.

We both were.

So where's your brother now?

Studio 254.

Disco on 254th.

Thedisco.

He knew we were coming, and he
knows your father's missing,

and he's at a disco?

He's "Disco" Donovan Smith.

He's the King of the Night.

Whoa. Oh-kay.

What is going...
What is the situation here?

Well, it's against the law
to not have pants, right?

That's right.

I needed money, man, for pants

so I could stop committing
the crime of not having pants.

And what
happened to your pants?

Time was up on 'em.

On what?

On my rented pants.

How's your head? I'm cool, cop.

Where are you from?

Mississippi.

Spell it.

M-I-S-P-S-M-M-M-M...

Are you done?

Sure.

You spelled...

You just pretty much
said a bunch of M's.

It's like you ate
something delicious, man,

and then you said,
"Mmm," and then we said,

"Can you spell that?" and
then you spelled "that"

but you didn't
spell "Mississippi."

I'm okay.

Just never really
went to school.

Never knew Dad.

Grandmom raised me.

Taught me letters by
scratching them onto my back.

But she died before we got to...

I only know 17
letters out of 108.

There's 26.

You got priors?

Some.

For lettin' men forget
themselves in my arms

for a while... And
sometimes women,

but not often and
not for a long time.

Also not men for a long time.

Johnson: You ever
as*ault anyone before?

I'm not a hard
person. It's just...

Just what?

It's just gettin' hard
out here in Ultra City.

All right. Get out of here.

Hang on.

What are you doing?

That's just gonna make
another naked guy.

Why are you wearing
two pairs of pants?

In case of a
situation like this.

You were prepared for this?

Yeah.

You, like, imagined
this happening,

and then you prepared for
it by wearing two pants?

Yeah. Let's get to Studio 254.

What else are you prepared for?

What?

You're prepared to deal
with a nude purse snatcher.

What else are you prepared
for, Little Field?

Are you prepared for
other weird scenarios?

I'm prepared for
all scenarios...

Weird and normal
and all of them.

Respect. Yeah, yeah.

Respect. Yeah, yeah.

Man, get the
out of here.

You got about as much
edge as a basketball.

Lady, you look like you should
be hosting a cooking show

for giants.

Not tonight.

I need to see Rodrigo Smalls.

It's about a Little
Grace.

Big Mama about Little
Grace for Rodrigo Smalls.

Let her in.

So, has the, uh,
evening gone the way we hoped?

Exactly the way we hoped.

You see this "King of
the Night" somewhere?

Oh. Nice.

That's got to be him.

One. Two.

One, two, three, cuatro.

Donovan Smith.

That's right. The
King of the Night.

We need to ask you some
questions about your father.

I'm dancing.

Well, stop dancing.

Doesn't work like that, darling.

I'm the King of the Night.

I dance until the
music stops, okay?

Or... Or what?

Or dance me down, cop.

What does that mean?

Dance in the area
where I'm dancing

and dance better than me.

And then I'll be, like,
a little embarrassed

or, like, unsure of myself.

And then I'll go sit down

and pretend like I
wanted to stop anyway.

You know, dance me down.

You're gonna try?

Yeah. I was prepared for this.

For what?

To dance a guy down

so you ask him questions
about his missing father?

Yeah. I started dancing
lessons when I was 7

in case this happened.

Man. You're an intense cop.

What do you think you're doing?

Dancing you down.

Whoa!

Yeah? That's not cool.

Look, get away from me.

I'm tired
now, everyone.

She didn't take your money.

Well, I gave her something,

and she was supposed to come
back with something else.

And she hasn't.

Those men knocked her
down a fire escape

and took it from her.

Well, I've known those
guys a very long time, Mom.

Very long. And never a problem.

Never a promise unkept.
Never a troubled moment, Mom.

Men of their word.

I don't know Little
Grace all that well.

She has some time to wise
up and return it, though.

Not long, but she has some time.

She doesn't have it.

Bye, Mom.

Well, I don't know
where he is, so...

You were there when
your father left,

left his apartment.

Last he was seen,

said he was going out
for a pack of cigarettes.

Donovan: That's right.

Anything else?

Nothing else, cop.

You don't seem all
that concerned, kid.

A good man's
missing.Huh. Yeah, right.

You have something to add?

I told you. I got nothing.

He said he was going out
for a pack of cigarettes,

and he never came back.

Oh, but you did forget to
ask me one thing... cops.

You forgot to ask
me if he smokes.

'Cause he doesn't.

Huge story breaking
tonight. Trish McSapphire!

The Academy
Award-winning actress?

You got it! I'm gonna celebrate.

I'm gonna buy some bubble
gum in Central Park, man.

Guy's alone and
buys a pack of cigarettes.

Mills: But doesn't smoke.

Is that his limo waiting?

The driver said he
had the night off.

So who's driving?

Hey, Street Hustler
Boy. Need your flop?

Uh, yeah.

I guess I only have four bucks.

I sold some other guy's pants,

but I only got
four bucks for 'em.

I'm seven shy tonight.

Shh.

Thank you, Sister.

Did you see that Congress d*uche

took another
picture of his d*ck?

No, I didn't see that.

Every marriage has
its storms to weather,

so we'll weather this
storm... Together.

Thank you, Donella.

Uh, America has always
had a place in its heart

for second chances.

It's what makes this country...

I was just kidding.

Sorry. Yeah. I was just kidding.

I-I amleaving him.

Uh...

Nice one.

Homey found a snack.

Suicide, maybe.

There's no g*n.

You need a g*n to
make a b*llet hole.

And there's nothing around here.

Homicide, Mills.

"For a
gentler Ultra City"?

Yeah. Well, not
gonna happen now.

I want to track Smith's
limousine or closed circuit.

Maybe I can pick up a trail

from when he left the
bodega with the cigarettes.

Maybe I can pick him up
here and there in the city,

learn what some of
his night was like.

I got to make breakfast for
Trevor and my lady Space b*tch.

I'll see you in a few hours.
I'll get into it with you.

Morning. Anything
on closed circuit?

Lots.

Got eight people
here of interest.

Eight people of
interest here? Already?

Man, Mills.

I thought you said
there were eight.

Mills: Yeah, Johnson, I did.

I count seven.

Gail, you're a material
witness and possible suspect

in the m*rder of
Carpenter K. Smith.

There's closed-circuit
footage of you in his limo,

a conversation on
Lex before I arrived

in the hours before his death.

I'm sorry. Join the others.

State your names, please.

Street Hustler Boy.

I mean your name,
Street Hustler Boy...

The one you were born with.

Terrence "Terry" Smith.

Donovan Smith... A.k.a.
the King of the Night.

Sissy Smith.

Trish McSapphire.

Not your stage name,
please. Your real name.

Paula Smith.

Bernice Mary-Elizabeth... Smith.

Donella Pecker.

Your name before
you were married?

Donella Ramirez.

Mm. Your name before
you were adopted?

Donella Smith.

Brittany S-Smith.

Sergeant Gail Johnson.

And what is your
maiden name, Gail?

Smith.

You're all Smiths.

Everyone Carpenter K. Smith
visited and spoke with

in the few hours before he was
shot in the side of the head,

you're all named Smith.

How about that? All of you.

Your DNA swabs are back.

You processed DNA swabs already?

Yeah, Johnson, I did.

All but yours, Gail.
So here's what we know.

And, Gail, I got a hunch
this is true of you, too.

You're all sons or daughters
of Ultra City's wealthiest man,

Carpenter K. Smith.

Maybe you knew that. Maybe
you didn't. I don't know.

But you're all heirs to
his considerable wealth,

and we've learned you're
the last eight people.

Carpenter Smith was with

the mysterious few hours
before his homicide...

Each of you...

That he encountered and
spoke with each of you

in those hours, his last.

So I'm gonna find out over
time what you talked about.

Scotch. Lime.

An Ultra
City homicide detective

was among the eight suspects

detained in the moidah
of Carpenter K. Smith.

It's 7:00 a.m., and
you're watching WUCTV,

Channel 11 Action News.

Our top story... Last night's
moidah of Carpenter K. Smith!

You can keep the
change, old-timer.

And so will I.

This morning,
Ultra City mourns the loss

of maybe its last good man.

Could this be the spark
that sets the city on fire,

or will justice come before all
hell breaks loose around here?

That's the prison ferry
from Ruckers Island.

You forgot about me, didn't you?

Sorry I missed that
middle part there.

I-I have another job.

A lot of us double
it up around here

to get those ends to meet.

You get it.

Anyway, that's a freedom-day
suit on this guy.

One size.

There's a reason they
give you a suit...

A fresh-start suit rather than,
say, a fresh-start T-shirt

or fresh-start shorts...

When they let you out of prison.

A suit... attire in which
you are wed, stand trial,

man airplanes, govern,
or lay your mom to rest.

A grace note. Suits.

And I think it's bitchin' they
give them out on freedom day,

'cause that gives a
guy a chance, right?

A little bit.

There he goes, into the
smoke, back into Ultra City,

the Most Dangerous
Man in the World.

Good luck, bud.

You know who else wears
suits? Homicide cops.

'Cause the work's dead serious.