Post by owlcroft on Jun 16, 2014 18:53:46 GMT -5
Another one of Hardcastle's old cases is in the news. This time it's Randy Hopke, a guy who was sentenced to four years for the vicious beating of his girlfriend. Mark made his acquaintance in San Quentin and can vouch for the fact that he was a model prisoner. Now the conviction has been overturned on the grounds that Hopke's lawyer was mentally incompetent.
All this comes in the middle of a slightly rocky patch at Gull's Way. Hardcastle is being interviewed for what looks like a puff piece on his endeavors as a champion of criminal justice. Mark's getting short shrift and no time in the limelight.
After the TV crew packs up and leaves, Mark and Milt have some words on the subject of Hopke's guilt or innocence. Mark staunchly defends the man; the judge insists that he was guilty as charged.
Both men set off independently to make their cases. Hardcastle starts with the victim, Hopke's ex-girlfriend Valerie, now working as a waitress at a health food restaurant. She wants no part of a reopened investigation, saying she's too afraid.
Mark heads off to Hopke's mom's house, where he encounters Randy. His offer to investigate matters and prevent a retrial is met coolly by his old friend. When Mark insists it's no trouble at all, things heat up a little. Randy finally gut punches Mark to emphasize that he isn't in favor of having the case revisited.
Back at Gull's Way Mark lies low, taking an unusual interest in begonias. When Hardcastle shows up, equally empty-handed but not as banged up, Mark offers to call things square and drop the matter. The judge, whose witness can only pour hot chai on him if she gets annoyed, isn't willing to settle for a draw. Mark gets peeved again and heads out to try another tack.
This time both men end up, by separate tacks, at Alfac Industries, a security firm that employed Hopke before his arrest. Mark thinks he's got a clear field, having gained entry using a fake Air Force ID and now requesting Hopke's personnel file, but Hardcastle, (whose identity as a faux-reverend didn't require any fancy paperwork) got there first.
Mark intercepts and absconds with the file. Milt hustles to catch up with him in the parking lot. Words are exchanged. Mark now knows Hopke was supposedly installing a security system at a diamond exchange at the time of the assault on Valerie. He takes off, losing Hardcastle, who then enlists Frank and the LAPD to help track down his elusive former partner.
In the meantime, the secretary at Alfac is an apparent Hopke admirer. She puts in a call to him, describing the man who requested his file.
Mark's next stop is the diamond exchange, where he learns there was a $250,000 heist (and the murder of the manager) shortly after the security system was installed. Hopke was lucky to not be a suspect on account of he was purportedly beating up his girlfriend at the time of the robbery.
Departing the exchange, Mark finds he's being pursued by Hopke. Hardcastle has also gotten an APB report on Mark's location. His arrival interferes with the chase, but Mark is run off the road and Hopke escapes. Mark loses his temper with the only guy left at the scene, Hardcastle, who leaves him to wait for the tow truck.
Mark finally gets back to Gulls Way, Coyote in tow. He's still mad, but this quickly subsides to an admission that Hopke is no angel. From Hardcastle's side comes the admission that Randy really wasn't guilty as charged. More likely Valerie was a willing accomplice in a plan to provide an alibi for the murder and diamond heist. Mark agrees, and wishes the judge luck on the rest of his investigation. He'll stay home with the begonias.
No such luck. Hardcastle says he needs his partner. The Lone Ranger doesn't go after the bad guys without Tonto.
Their next stop is the motel where Valerie's alledged attack occurred. A quick review of the facts with the desk clerk seems to back up the original timetable, but Mark's visit to a service station across the street uncovers an attentive car buff who remembers Hopke's arrival time differently.
Armed with this info, the guys head back to see Valerie. This time Mark goes in alone, pretending to be a detective. He tells her the case is being reopened. After he leaves, she skedaddles. The guys pursue. She leads them to Hopke, and the two suspects depart hurriedly. Their destination is the bus terminal, where they retrieve a duffle bag full of diamonds from a locker.
When Milt and Mark close in, Hopke pulls out a gun and starts shooting, then he and Valerie commandeer a bus. Mark follows suit. After a not-so-high speed chase, Mark finally runs Hopke off the road. Randy and Valerie are taken into custody.
In the epilogue, the TV crew returns to Gull's Way and this time Milt steps aside to let Mark handle the PR details of their latest adventure. Alas, the reporter is more interested in the low-down about the judge's four other cases of that have been overturned because of the same defense lawyer. Mark is pleased to hand this interview back to Hardcastle.
Written by Lawrence Hertzog Premiered Dec.16,1985
All this comes in the middle of a slightly rocky patch at Gull's Way. Hardcastle is being interviewed for what looks like a puff piece on his endeavors as a champion of criminal justice. Mark's getting short shrift and no time in the limelight.
After the TV crew packs up and leaves, Mark and Milt have some words on the subject of Hopke's guilt or innocence. Mark staunchly defends the man; the judge insists that he was guilty as charged.
Both men set off independently to make their cases. Hardcastle starts with the victim, Hopke's ex-girlfriend Valerie, now working as a waitress at a health food restaurant. She wants no part of a reopened investigation, saying she's too afraid.
Mark heads off to Hopke's mom's house, where he encounters Randy. His offer to investigate matters and prevent a retrial is met coolly by his old friend. When Mark insists it's no trouble at all, things heat up a little. Randy finally gut punches Mark to emphasize that he isn't in favor of having the case revisited.
Back at Gull's Way Mark lies low, taking an unusual interest in begonias. When Hardcastle shows up, equally empty-handed but not as banged up, Mark offers to call things square and drop the matter. The judge, whose witness can only pour hot chai on him if she gets annoyed, isn't willing to settle for a draw. Mark gets peeved again and heads out to try another tack.
This time both men end up, by separate tacks, at Alfac Industries, a security firm that employed Hopke before his arrest. Mark thinks he's got a clear field, having gained entry using a fake Air Force ID and now requesting Hopke's personnel file, but Hardcastle, (whose identity as a faux-reverend didn't require any fancy paperwork) got there first.
Mark intercepts and absconds with the file. Milt hustles to catch up with him in the parking lot. Words are exchanged. Mark now knows Hopke was supposedly installing a security system at a diamond exchange at the time of the assault on Valerie. He takes off, losing Hardcastle, who then enlists Frank and the LAPD to help track down his elusive former partner.
In the meantime, the secretary at Alfac is an apparent Hopke admirer. She puts in a call to him, describing the man who requested his file.
Mark's next stop is the diamond exchange, where he learns there was a $250,000 heist (and the murder of the manager) shortly after the security system was installed. Hopke was lucky to not be a suspect on account of he was purportedly beating up his girlfriend at the time of the robbery.
Departing the exchange, Mark finds he's being pursued by Hopke. Hardcastle has also gotten an APB report on Mark's location. His arrival interferes with the chase, but Mark is run off the road and Hopke escapes. Mark loses his temper with the only guy left at the scene, Hardcastle, who leaves him to wait for the tow truck.
Mark finally gets back to Gulls Way, Coyote in tow. He's still mad, but this quickly subsides to an admission that Hopke is no angel. From Hardcastle's side comes the admission that Randy really wasn't guilty as charged. More likely Valerie was a willing accomplice in a plan to provide an alibi for the murder and diamond heist. Mark agrees, and wishes the judge luck on the rest of his investigation. He'll stay home with the begonias.
No such luck. Hardcastle says he needs his partner. The Lone Ranger doesn't go after the bad guys without Tonto.
Their next stop is the motel where Valerie's alledged attack occurred. A quick review of the facts with the desk clerk seems to back up the original timetable, but Mark's visit to a service station across the street uncovers an attentive car buff who remembers Hopke's arrival time differently.
Armed with this info, the guys head back to see Valerie. This time Mark goes in alone, pretending to be a detective. He tells her the case is being reopened. After he leaves, she skedaddles. The guys pursue. She leads them to Hopke, and the two suspects depart hurriedly. Their destination is the bus terminal, where they retrieve a duffle bag full of diamonds from a locker.
When Milt and Mark close in, Hopke pulls out a gun and starts shooting, then he and Valerie commandeer a bus. Mark follows suit. After a not-so-high speed chase, Mark finally runs Hopke off the road. Randy and Valerie are taken into custody.
In the epilogue, the TV crew returns to Gull's Way and this time Milt steps aside to let Mark handle the PR details of their latest adventure. Alas, the reporter is more interested in the low-down about the judge's four other cases of that have been overturned because of the same defense lawyer. Mark is pleased to hand this interview back to Hardcastle.
Written by Lawrence Hertzog Premiered Dec.16,1985
