[Billy Squier singing "The Stroke"]
♪ Now, everybody ♪
♪ Have you heard ♪
♪ If you're in the game ♪
♪ Then the stroke's the word ♪
♪Don't take no rhythm ♪
♪ Don't take no style ♪
♪ Got a thirst for killing ♪
♪ Grab your vial yeah ♪
♪ Whoo ♪
♪ Put your right hand out ♪
Hey, got any glazed in there, Donna?
You got any fries with that shake, baby?
That's funny, Bruce.
I just heard a guy say that..
...to your mother at the drive-thru window.
Oh, yeah?
Alright, listen up.
♪ Both far and wide ♪
End of the month, fellas. Crunch time.
Gotta move some serious steel
before the new inventory arrives.
Top man on the board..
...gets a fat bonus, $1,500 cash.
'Bottom fish? You don't sell a car this weekend..'
[blows raspberry] ...hit the bricks.
Or you can get out now.
♪ You got your number down ♪
'It's simple, men.'
Get...them... in...the car.
Get 'em to, to smell it.
Then you get 'em to drive it.
Then you get 'em to buy it!
The feel of the wheel..
[mimics engine revving]
...seals the deal!
The feel of the wheel.
Rice burners got us beat on price and mileage, Mickey.
Yeah, we're busting our humps out there
but we're losing loyal customers
'with these new, uh, K-cars.'
The cars?
The cars don't lose customers.
Lousy salesman do!
[laughs]
You think guys walk on this lot
because they're thinking about mileage?
Guys walk on this lot
because they wanna buy American.
'To give us their money.'
And you know what you do?
You take it, damn it!
Take it!
People want cars to project an image.
Cars to make 'em... look younger or more powerful.
'Men want cars that women just wanna..'
[grunts]
...get into.
[chuckles]
Ain't that right, Donna?
Yeah, but I would have never got knocked up at 17
in some K-car.
It ain't go no curves, no back seat.
Never take no for an answer!
'Someone says they're just looking?'
You tell 'em that's how you met your wife.
What-what if they say they have to check with the wife?
Then you tell 'em to go get their pants back!
You get 'em in a box and you close these bastards!
And if you can't do it, then you find someone who can!
But you do not... and I repeat..
...you do not let them walk out that door!
- Are we clear? - Yeah.
- Are we clear? - Yeah!
Shall we go sell some cars? Let's go sell some cars.
[cheering]
Mickey! Mickey! Mickey! Can I talk to you a sec?
The phones aren't gonna answer themselves, sweetheart.
I know, it's just, um, things are real tight for me right now.
- Oh, looking for an advance? - Just for this week.
- But I'm ready to take on more. - That's great.
I'll tell you, why don't you start by, uh..
...cleaning this mess up right here?
Look at it, pigsty right here. Look.
♪ Stroke me stroke me ♪
♪ Say you're a winner ♪
[John] 'Classic car buff trolling for parts found more'
than he bargained for in the trunk of this old beater.
Adult female?
Looks like blunt force trauma to the skull.
'The tire iron was in the trunk.'
It's a '73 Eldorado.
Guy probably wanted the taillights.
Donna D'Amico, age 22, went missing back in '81.
Anyone notify next of kin?
[John] 'We're trying to locate her mother'
'who filed the missing persons report.'
The car don't belong to her. The keys don't fit.
And the VIN number plate's gone.
A '73.
Cars had confidential VIN numbers that far back?
Should be buried in there somewhere.
It's probably on the frame or under the engine block.
Whoever dumped her knew what they were doing.
The fat slob at the gate said
they don't inspect cars at intake.
The place should advertise to criminals
Dump-Jobs-R-Us.
Let's tow the car. Let the Auto Squad
take it apart in the garage.
[Scotty] 'What is it?'
A scrap of paper with some names and some numbers.
Still make out the ballpoint.
"Lester, 1200 bucks."
Somebody she owed money?
The address at the top's faded out.
See if QD can pull it up?
I'll run the name Lester against titles
on '73 Eldorados.
Donna's mother passed away eight years ago.
Only surviving next of kin is her daughter, Marisa.
How old was she back in '81
when her mom disappeared?
Five.
I'll handle the notification.
It was a good thing we got to her before the crusher.
[rattling]
[theme music]
Donna D'Amico, 22-year-old single mom took the bus
to Steed Motors where she worked as a greeter.
Boss says she left at 7:00 P.M. the day she disappeared.
Never returned to pick up her daughter from the sitter.
Witness statements back in '81?
Nothing indicating foul play. Like she vanished.
Only after she emptied her bank account, 400 bucks.
Any guys in the picture?
No husband, no degree..
bad credit, crap job with limited prospects.
[Will] 'Assigned figured she skipped town'
ditched the kid and a miserable situation.
[Nick] 'Wouldn't be the first.'
We got any other friends or family?
[Will] 'Friend Paula coming in.'
She was sitting the kid the night she disappeared.
- What about the daughter? - Marisa D'Amico.
She's not returning our phone calls. Rush is hunting her down.
Checked registrations on all '73 Eldorados.
No hits on the name Lester.
Check the dealership. See if there ever was a guy
that name worked on that lot.
I hate car salesman.
You could use a new ride.
What's wrong with my car?
Nothing, if you like being single.
- Excuse me, is that Marisa? - Mm-hmm.
Marisa? Lily Rush.
I've called before about your mother.
My mother walked out when I was five.
We just found her body.
Where?
In the trunk of a car out in Elmwood.
Might explain what happened to her.
Can't say it's a real shock. given her choice in men.
Anyone in particular?
I was referring to the loser
who knocked her up in high school.
Your dad.
Got to be around to earn that title.
- Never even met him. - Who'd you grow up with?
Grandmother raised me... who wasn't expecting to.
'Reminded me constantly.'
I know you were young, but if there's
'anything you can remember about your mom'
'what she was involved in..'
Only thing I remember was we never had any money
'or a place of our own.'
The name Lester mean something to you?
No.
Did she leave anything behind, personal effects?
Sorry, all I know is the police said
she cleaned out her bank account.
Couldn't get away fast enough.
You think of anything, let me know.
Always knew something must have happened.
Donna never would have just taken off.
She loved that kid.
You were babysitting Marisa the night she disappeared?
'We were good friends in high school.'
Dodged a baby bullet myself.
'Figured I'd help her out whenever I could.'
Any guys she was involved with at the time?
Dating was a hassle for her, the kid and all.
She was really struggling to make it on her own.
Any idea why she emptied her bank account
before she disappeared?
No, but it couldn't have been much.
Donna didn't have two nickels.
She owe anybody? Someone named Lester?
Wasn't like her. She hated to borrow.
Was a real blow when she had to move back in with her mom.
I wouldn't wish that woman on anyone.
You worked with her at the dealership?
Helped her get the job as a greeter.
Quit 'cause I couldn't stand it anymore.
Bunch of sexist sharks.
No idea why she wanted to swim in that tank.
♪ Crack that whip ♪
[phone ringing]
Steed Motors. I'll transfer you to Service. Hold.
Hi, Mommy.
Aw, geez, Paula, I totally forgot. Hi, boo!
I gotta run, Donna. I told you I got a date tonight.
Yeah, I just gotta close out. Just a few things.
Donna, hold all my calls, will you, doll?
'Clear my next appointment.'
'Tell Mickey the fleet sales can wait.'
I want to make sure we get Mr. Callahan here
all squared away tonight.
Certainly, sir.
Now, George, if I can get him to throw in the floor mats
with the rustproofing, do we have a deal?
'Come on, Frank. I stole that guy's trade-in.'
The deal should have been two-pounder, easy.
Would you lower your voice, please?
You got a problem, take it up with Mickey.
Please, sir, wait. Sir, please.
Someone has misplaced Mr. Hathaway's keys
to the Chevy Nova.
I'll get right on that, Sanil. Perhaps Mr. Hathaway would like
to take one of our vehicles home tonight, huh?
Tell you what, sir. Take the car home.
'Bring it back tomorrow, huh?'
- Donna. - Yeah.
Stay late tonight?
Yeah, you know, about that, Mickey.
I've been busting my hump around here.
We all appreciate your hump, babe.
Just give me a chance, alright? Let me sell a car.
Who's gonna do your job, sweetheart, hmm?
You know that Lincoln Mark trade that came in yesterday?
I know someone right now I could flip it to.
Alright, we'll see.
What about tonight?
Hey, you want your shot?
Pay your dues.
I gotta stay late.
Can you drop Marisa off at my mom's, please?
Alright, alright.
Bye, baby.
Single mom, no degree, what are you gonna do?
We found Donna's body in the trunk of a '73 Eldorado.
'You know anybody who drove that kind of car?'
No, but I wouldn't know a K-car from a Corolla.
'That was Donna's thing.'
She could tell the car a guy drove
by the shoes he wore.
Lot of late nights at the dealer?
Maybe too many.
I know it was really hard on little Marisa.
But her mom did the best that she could.
Boss, Auto Squad found a VIN number on that Eldorado.
Tracked the DMV records on the owner.
Marshall Brooks. We got him?
He died a couple years ago
but he traded in the Caddy to Steed Motors
the week before Donna disappeared.
What's was the name of that sales manager
who gave a statement back in '81?
'It was Mickey Thompson'
today the proud owner of Steed Motors.
Thank you.
You boys let me know when the Philly PD
is ready to upgrade.
I'll get you into something with real punch.
'New Charger, 0 to 60 in five seconds.'
'Volume deal, below invoice.'
Brass gets the new cars.
We drive the beaters till the wheels fall off.
Personally, I prefer the American classics
like the '73 Eldorado we found Donna D'Amico's body in.
That's a shame.
That gal was a real pistol.
You gave a statement, said, uh
she left work at 7 o'clock that night.
Sounds right.
Failed to mention it was in the trunk of the Caddy
headed for the salvage yard.
Title traced back to this lot
when you were sales manager, Mickey.
Lot of cars come through, guys.
The beaters go in one door and out the next.
Sold off for parts.
But before or after you stripped the VIN number?
[chuckles] Hey, hold your horses.
Now, who's the owner that traded that car in?
Marshall Brooks.
No, I don't remember the car, but I remember him.
Repeat customer. One of Bruce's clients.
- Bruce? - Bruce Donnelly.
Must have taken the Caddy off trade.
Lot of cash slipped away on used cars back then.
You're saying this guy dumped the Caddy?
Well, if it was a clunker
he could have had it stripped for parts and sent to salvage.
And this Bruce had a problem with Donna?
Not when she was getting him coffee.
Donna was a go-getter.
Hey, you wanna play with the boys..
[chuckles]
...you gotta roll with the punches.
[Blue Oyster Cult's singing "Burnin' For You"]
Yo, Donna.
I just talked to the Tower.
He sees you've been working your tail off.
I told him you could have the next up.
Come on. Mickey went for that?
Yo, Mickey.
Yeah, give it to the green pea.
'Guy's looking for his daughter.'
'I sold him a car two years ago.'
'He's a whale.'
I thought Sanil had next up.
Sanil couldn't close a door with two hands and an arm.
Look, you work this right
this could be worth a pound or maybe two.
I know everything about that car, inside out.
Get him on the hook.
You tell him to follow you inside.
Don't even turn around, alright?
Go on. Go make me proud.
Thanks, Bruce.
Show time.
Come inside?
So the guy wants to know if we'll take a check, full amount.
Damn! I knew that guy was a laydown.
How about that? Didn't even have to get him in the box.
That's gotta be some kind of a record
writing the check on the hood of a car.
Don't I still have to get him inside? Sign paperwork?
Yeah, why don't you get him to wallpaper the showroom
with his checks while you're at it?
I thought Bruce sold him a car.
Every schmuck on the lot sold that flake a car.
Every month for the past five years.
What are you guys talking about?
The guys a major hoople.
He just likes talking to car salesmen.
[all laughing]
Oh, you think that's funny, Bruce?
Oh, you can't handle it, why don't you go back inside
and answer the phone, sweetheart?
Alright. I think I'll call your wife first
tell her about all the female customers
'you've been test-driving, huh?'
- You wouldn't dare. - Wouldn't I?
[laughs]
Salesman should never mess where he eats.
Especially with the lady who transfers his calls.
Bruce and Donna had a thing?
'Thing or fling.'
Bruce was a dog.
He always had women calling the office.
Donna ever get to tell on his wife?
All I know is that he took two weeks
after she disappeared.
Bruce was a closer. He never took a vacation.
- You never told the cops? - 'He was still married.'
And at the time, my top salesman.
Is he still selling cars?
'Last I heard, up the street.'
German luxury sedans, so screw him.
[Kat] 'Excuse me.'
- Do you have an appointment? - Don't need one, Bruce.
Excuse me. I thought you were customers.
[Will] 'We can tell.'
[Kat] 'Here about a car.'
Remember this one? '73 Eldorado?
Can't say I do.
[Will] 'You took it as a trade-in from Marshall Brooks'
back when you worked at Steed Motors.
Long time ago. Maybe I did.
We found Donna D'Amico's body stuffed in the trunk.
'Greeter girl you had a thing with before she disappeared?'
I knew Donna. But we definitely didn't have a thing.
Your old boss, Mickey, says different.
Then he's mistaken.
He's also a jealous schmuck. Nothing more than a piker.
You can tell him I said that.
Told us you were the last one to handle that Cadillac.
That's a crock. Look, I sold cars.
I didn't process trade-ins.
And I had no problem with Donna.
Way we heard it, she screwed up your marriage pretty good.
I screwed up my marriage.
All four of 'em. Didn't need any help with that.
Truth is, I tried to help Donna.
'Nobody was moving American back then.'
'Gas prices..'
...the economy in the toilet.
But she saw something none of those other jokers
on the line did.
[The Pretenders singing "Brass in Pocket"]
♪ I got brass in pocket ♪
Come on. The guy's a tire-kicker. Look at him.
What? 'Cause he's a Puerto Rican?
He won't even come inside. He hates all the new models.
- Deadbeat. - Yeah, it's a waste of time.
Well, get rid of him before Mickey sees.
He's on the warpath today.
Just let the parts manager go this morning.
Your kidding. Why?
'Because the parts keep disappearing, that's why.'
Blaming him for the break-in last month?
Hey, just get the chiseler off the lot, alright?
Mickey called.
Actually, Donna, you're up. For real.
Mickey said you can't do any worse than Sanil.
♪ Gonna make you make you ♪
This is no place for a lady.
You like that car, sir?
I don't know about these K-cars.
It's a lot of money for all that plastic.
What's this leatherette thing?
I can't say that I blame you.
Let me show you something else.
See, I, myself, I prefer a car
with a little more meat on its bones
you know what I mean?
- This is a used car. - And it's priced right.
I mean, forget those little four-bangers.
What I like is a big V-8.
Some real power under the hood.
It's a big car.
[Donna] 'You look like the kind of man that can handle it.'
'I mean, look at these lines.'
That is real leather inside. Power everything.
Curves and chrome.
I mean, I think I lost my virginity
'in the back of one of these babies, you know?'
- I'm Donna. - Esteban.
[Donna] 'You wanna talk price?'
Follow me.
♪ Ooh, oh ♪
She sold that sled for a pound over Blue Book.
Nobody was moving the used stuff back then.
And she was smart.
Those American cars are classics now.
Nothing after 1980 is.
That break-in you mentioned.
Anybody ever find out who did it?
Nope.
- Cops interviewed everybody. - Inside job?
That car lot, everybody was working some kind of scam.
[Scotty] 'I dug up the old burglary report.'
The break-in happened a month prior to Donna's disappearance.
They killed the guard dogs?
Yeah. Threw poisoned meat over the fence.
Stole two grand worth of parts.
- Insurance cover it? - Yeah.
The lock on the gate wasn't even broken.
Trying to track down the insurance investigator.
Inside job, Donna could have got caught up in the mix somehow.
Well, whoever did it had to know
where to flip stolen auto parts.
The salesman, Oscar Anderson, called in the burglary.
And was questioned extensively.
Well, history's about to repeat itself.
QD recovered the address on the Lester receipt
in Donna's jacket.
Receipt?
A business address?
[John] '482 Ridge Avenue. Today, it's a Wawa.'
But back in '81, it was a Goodwill.
Marisa D'Amico came by, dropped that off.
'Said you asked for it.'
'Personal effects from her mother.'
I guess she thinks about her more than she let on.
Now, all you would need to do
to collect your luxury spa vacation getaway prize
'Mrs. Hanover, is attend a brief presentation'
'upon your arrival at our Las Vegas resort.'
'Thankyou.'
Bye-bye.
Once a salesman, always a salesman, huh, Oscar?
Oh, I just do this to keep me young.
There's nothing quite like the rush from a good sale.
You remember Donna D'Amico?
I remember the day the police came
said she'd gone missing.
Yup. Left that little girl behind.
It's just awful.
You see her the night before?
No, I had a big day on the board.
Took the boys out for drinks.
There was a burglary earlier that month.
- You called it in? - I was first one on the lot.
Had to prep a car for a customer.
- You think Donna was involved? - Do you?
Well, I know people were desperate.
'You see, after the oil crisis'
we were selling an inferior product.
Hell, the government had to bail out Chrysler.
What does that got to do with Donna?
A lot of guys were struggling just to feed their families
and then Mickey lets this lady start selling cars.
Created some resentment.
The day she went on the board
the timing could not have been worse.
We gotta squeeze more out of every deal.
Get 'em in the box.
Work the four square.
Price, down payment, monthly, trade-in.
And you hammer away.
Start high, you wear 'em down.
You confuse them!
'When they're ready to give up'
you call in a closer.
It's not working, Mickey.
They don't like the cars.
What'd you say?
He means they can't trust us
when they don't trust the product.
I-I took a guy on a test drive.
I cranked up the window, and the handle broke.
You want to sell? They you do whatever it takes!
Cold canvass! Work the phones!
No shown appointments, no more ups.
- I'm trying, Mickey. - No.
No, what you're doing
is that you're failing, my friend, okay?
I mean, the coffee girl could sell cars better than you!
Yeah, because you let her take my last up!
- Whoa! I didn't take anything. - Shut your mouth, woman.
'Haven't you done enough already?'
I only closed that deal 'cause you couldn't.
You couldn't close a window, Hoover.
I've carried you long enough.
You know what? Why don't you..
...why don't you try selling vacuum cleaners?
[Queen singing "Another One Bites the Dust"]
Mickey, Mickey... please..
♪ Are you happy? Are you satisfied? ♪
I-I-I need this job.
Now you need a new one.
Why are you still here? Go on, hit the bricks.
♪ Another one bites the dust ♪
I told her not to worry. It wasn't her fault.
But Sanil felt otherwise?
I guess I never thought he'd hurt her.
[Nick] 'So Donna got promoted, Sanil got canned.'
[Oscar] 'It's either in the blood or it's not.'
Some guys just can't close.
Hmm.
[Sanil] '1979, I came here with nothing.'
Tried to sell cars to make a living.
- Chrysler. - Perfect timing.
Nobody wanted to buy American anymore..
...especially from me.
Donna D'Amico sold cars.
I understand you had a big problem with that.
It wasn't personal.
We were all struggling.
- I realize that now. - You were humiliated.
They fired you and you blamed her.
No, I went to night school
to learn computers. Programming.
1981... Now, that was perfect timing.
You ever see Donna again after they let you go?
Day when I came back to get my last check.
I hated that place.
You didn't bleed the customer dry
somebody else would do it for you.
Esteban, what are you doing here?
I can't afford the car you sold me.
What do you mean? We went over the numbers, it's a good deal.
But then they called me to come back in.
Told me there was a problem with my trade-in.
Problem?
The man said it was worth less than what you told me.
That I owe more money.
Who called you, the finance department?
With this loan, I can afford to make my payments and make rent.
Please, por favor, could you do something?
Yeah, just, uh... just give me a minute, okay?
What is this, Frank?
Uh, floor mats, dealer prep fee..
'24% on his loan..'
Hey, I did my job.
Mickey, come on, you got to do something for this guy.
'The bank's gonna repo his car that he needs to get to his job'
'and it's going to wreck his credit.'
You, uh.. You sign for this?
That your name right there?
You, uh, looking for a good buy, huh?
Well... good-bye.
You own it, buddy.
Welcome to America.
If they didn't get you on the front end
F and I got you on the way out.
Donna told him she would never
send a customer in to him blind again.
[Will] 'Big profits on used cars.'
So Donna started cutting Frank out of the loop?
[Sanil] 'Sure, he figured it out.'
I could think of a lot of names for Frank.
But stupid... isn't one of them.
Donna's compact, baby bracelet from the hospital
phone bills.
It looks like the grandmother swept it into a box
after Donna disappeared.
Kind of sad.
All she has left of her mom.
Christmas card from the dealership.
Doesn't say who sent it, but the address is handwritten.
Nothing else with the name Lester.
Are Donna's keys in there?
There's uh..
...grandmother's apartment..
...car..
...and then there's this one.
[Nick] 'Kind of looks like it fits one of those old steamer trunks.'
[typing]
Huh!
Finally found your Lester.
Thanks for bringing that stuff in.
I'm sorry. It's all I had.
Your grandmother by any chance own a piano, Marisa?
A piano? No.
Why?
This is a key to a piano.
The one your mother put a down payment on..
...the day before she was murdered.
I don't get it.
A Lester piano.
The reason your mom cleaned out her bank account.
She bought a piano?
[Marisa] 'She said we didn't have any room for it.'
She was looking for a new place.
I remember her telling me that.
I just wanted it to be true.
[playing piano]
Let's do it again.
We can't, boo. I have to be at work.
I want a piano, a real one..
...to play at home.
Well, maybe someday..
...when we find a place for it.
Grandma doesn't have enough space.
And that is another reason why mommy has to go to work now.
I don't like it when you got to work.
I don't either, you know, but..
everybody's got a job they gotta do.
Do you like your job, Mommy?
I like that I found something that I'm good at.
You know, it's real important in life
that you find something that you're good at.
She always had to go away.
I used to think she went to work..
...to get away from me.
I know what it's like to have a parent walk out on you
as a kid, Marisa.
But that's not what your mother did.
Now, I'm gonna find out whoever took her away from you.
I was in mortgages until the sub prime thing blew up.
Never thought I'd find another business
that would tank as bad as American cars, but I did.
Cars, caskets, still dinging them on the way out, huh, Frank?
Your line of work
should the bereaved ever need a referral.
You were the numbers guy at Steed Motors
back in the '80s?
The numbers stunk. That's why I got out.
See, and we thought it was 'cause of that burglary in '81.
You saying I robbed the place?
Well, probably made the boss money
on that insurance claim. Win-win.
Donna figure it out, too?
All those calls of yours she transferred?
That what this is about, Donna D'Amico?
She cut you out.
Kept you from screwing the customers on the back end.
She didn't get it.
Customers have all the power.
They can leave any time.
Our job was no different than yours.
Come again?
Get 'em in the box, get as much as you can
get 'em to sign before they walk out the door.
Do I look like a salesman to you, Frank?
You do what you have to do.
Befriend, persuade, control, lie.
But once they sign..
...they're gonna pay for it for years.
Oh, Donna got it, Frank.
She just did it her way.
It just turned out to be bad for your business.
Donna figured out how the real money was made on the lot.
And that put her in direct conflict
with someone a lot more dangerous than me.
Who the hell do you think you are?
Telling customers not to buy add-ons or financing.
Why, so you can rape my customers
on the back end, Frank?
You don't know when to quit.
Hey, she's right, Frank.
All you young sharks are destroying our business.
You rip a customer's head off on a deal, they never come back.
Stay out of this, Oscar.
Kills all our referrals, all our repeat business.
You don't sell a man one car.
You sell him a dozen cars over a lifetime.
That's a profession, damn it.
Go blow a sale, you old bag of wind.
Why would I help you, Frank?
You're selling cars out from under me.
What are you talking about?
I had a guy on the hook the other day
selling a '72 Chevelle only to find out
it had already been sold.
That wasn't my call. That car was promised to the wholesaler.
For a song. I know the Blue Book on that car.
I could have sold it for twice that.
Talk to the Tower.
Who, Mickey?
Why would we dump a good car for that much less?
If you know what's good for you, lady..
...you talk to your boss before selling another used car.
Donna figured out the sales manager
was giving the best trade-ins
to the wholesaler for peanuts.
Mickey? Why would he do that?
Kickbacks. He was lining his pockets.
Screwing over the dealership owner
and Donna knew it.
But you signed her timecard.
Said Donna left at 7:00 that night.
Mickey had me do that for everybody.
I closed a deal that night.
She was there at least till 10:00.
He had you take care of that old Cadillac too, Frank?
Me? No.
Mickey decided what happened to every trade-in.
Whether it went to the lot, wholesaler..
...or the salvage yard.
[chuckles] Got me in the box, Detective?
Yep.
Well, I've done this to thousands of customers.
Unlike those schmucks, I know I can walk anytime.
Yeah, you made quite a living ripping people off.
People always think they're getting ripped off.
Look, you're trying to get the best deal
I'm trying to make a living.
I just don't like to lose.
Talking about you ripping off your boss off..
...the dealership owner.
Stole so much you became one yourself.
Bunch of twaddle.
The smart owner knows every guy on the lot
is working some kind of scam.
Too bad Donna figured out your big used car scam.
'She didn't leave at 7 o'clock like you said.'
'She stuck around to confront you.'
You got nothing.
One of your old lackeys clued us in as to how you worked
the break-in, the inside job, insurance fraud.
Sounds like I need better lackeys.
Willing to testify that you sent
that '73 Caddy to the salvage yard.
'With Donna's body in the trunk.'
[Nick] 'The only thing we care about here is the homicide, Mick.'
Who told you this nonsense?
Frank?
Let's see..
[clears throat]
The price for homicide is life.
Plus fees, which..
...you'll be paying on the inside.
'Now your down payment so far, is zero.'
What do you want your monthly payment to be?
Unless of course, you're offering a trade-in?
Do you have anything to trade, Mick?
'Except a bunch of bull?'
See..
I'm willing to go to bat for you
but you gotta give something up.
You gotta...you gotta meet me in the middle.
My boss..
[chuckles] ...he's gonna hammer me on this one.
So this is your best offer.
'I don't think it's gonna get this deal done.'
I liked Donna.
Gotta hand it to her. She was a hell of a salesman.
In some ways, too good.
- 'At selling cars?' - Used cars.
She had an eye for it.
She knew what a car was really worth.
Like the ones you sent back to the wholesalers for kickbacks?
Couldn't let her kill the golden goose.
So I offered her a deal.
I know what you're doing, Mickey.
You know just enough to get yourself in trouble.
Close the door.
Me? You're the one stealing this place blind.
You're screwing over the owner.
The owner thinks I'm a hero
'cause I make him a lot of money.
You?
Well, he doesn't even know your name, sweetheart.
All I wanted was a chance to sell, you know.
A chance to prove myself.
Yeah, yeah, and you got that. Thanks to me.
Huh? Congratulations.
You got your bonus.
Fair and square.
Tops on the board, profit-wise.
And there's plenty more where that came from.
You know, Oscar was right.
We keep doing business like this
and there ain't gonna be any business left.
Oscar? Why you listening to Oscar for?
He hasn't sold a car in months.
What do you mean? I thought you took him off the board
to handle fleet sales.
Oscar couldn't handle a yard sale.
'Would've fired him a long time ago'
but I felt bad for the old guy.
Let him wash cars to earn his keep around here.
I earned this.
For me and for 'Riss.
- Sure, kid. - Yeah.
Hey, hey.. But in the future?
You check with me before you sell a trade-in.
Never came back.
Thought she took the money and ran.
Tell me about this Oscar, the has-been.
Tough racket, selling cars. Game just passed him by.
Was he there the night that Donna disappeared?
Every night.
He had a lot of cars to wash.
Even let the old guy lock up.
They pulled DMV records on an Oscar Anderson.
Found his name registered to a 1971 Cadillac Eldorado.
'71? Donna's body was found in the trunk of a '73.
Right, a salvage yard beater.
But the models share a lot of the same parts
and those require upkeep. You know, seats, wheels
'bumpers, you name it.'
It's possible Oscar was taking parts off the beater
for a '71 Caddy.
Yeah, didn't know he was gonna need it
that night to hide a body.
Power locks, power steering, power roof.
It's a car ahead of its time.
Won it back in '71.
'Top man on the board.'
'Nine out of 12 months.'
- A real classic. - Oh, yeah.
Bet you Donna could appreciate a car like this.
She turned out to be a pretty shrewd sales gal.
'Got to admit that.'
Kind of a shame how it ended for you there, Oscar.
'At the dealership.'
Oh, I had my cold spells.
'But I'll tell you this.'
When I was on a roll, there was nobody hotter.
Mickey told us you hadn't sold a car in months.
You lied to us, Oscar.
[Rush] 'Said you were out celebrating some sale.'
Boozing with the boys the night Donna disappeared.
Well, that's ridiculous.
I don't remember if it was that exact night.
You should, 'cause you were there on the lot.
Out back washing cars.
You were the next Hoover.
One step away from hawking vacuum cleaners.
- Magazines, telemarketing-- - Now, wait just a damn minute.
I had a run of bad luck is all.
But my customers always came back to me.
You were done, Oscar.
Doing chores for Mickey.
Locking up, taking the beaters to salvage.
Yeah, like that '73 Caddy.
And when you stripped the VIN number off
'probably some parts, too.'
'71 never had an egg-crate style grill.
It's 'cause it's from a '73.
Oh, come on.
We take this car apart we're gonna find
more parts from that '73?
- You can't do that. - You got careless, Oscar.
You dumped the body, but you took the parts.
Stole her money, and left her to rot in that junkyard.
But, hey, you sent Donna's family a Christmas card.
Marisa saved it. It's got your handwriting on it.
Did you really think that would make up for killing her mother?
I didn't kill that woman. And I did not steal her bonus.
What bonus, Oscar?
How'd you know she got a bonus, Oscar?
You just told me.
'No, we said you took her money.'
Now how'd you know about the bonus she got that night?
Now hold on a minute. Just wait a second.
I'm trying to explain. I... I want to..
[exhales sharply]
It wasn't me that changed.
You know, it... it was the business.
You give me a quality car
bet your ass, I could still close 'em.
Sure you could.
We can work something out here, right?
We...we can work something out?
Yeah, we can work something out.
Just a spell of bad luck, that's all it was.
If I could have just broken through..
I'd have been right back on top of that board.
Hey, Oscar.
Oh, hey, Donna.
Just prepping a car for an appointment tomorrow.
It's good to see you still get repeat business.
Well, it's the only way.
You build a reputation
it's about repeats and referrals.
Matter of time, I'm back on a roll bucking for that bonus.
Hey, who won it this time, by the way?
I sold another car today, Oscar.
- I got the bonus. - What?
- Really? - Yeah.
I..
That's great, kid! Congratulations!
Yeah.
So how'd you close that baby?
You know, I just knew what the guy wanted.
And I let the sale come to me.
Like you say.
Get a real charge out of it, too.
Oh, don't I know it.
That feeling never gets old.
You see this car here, came on the lot today?
- 'Yeah, the Impala.' - Yeah.
Back in '72, I must have sold 20 of these babies
the minute they hit the lot.
Still a good car.
People just don't, uh..
...hold on to them anymore.
Harold Bloom. Look at that.
Yeah, that's his trade-in.
That's the guy I sold the car to today.
I know Harold.
I sold him this car.
- You sold him this car? - This Impala?
Harold's my client!
You know what I had to do to make this sale?
- Look, he just came in. - He didn't ask for you.
- Why the hell not? - I don't know.
Look, I feel terrible. I am so sorry.
I'll split the commission with you.
I don't want your charity!
You know, it's just, it's not right.
It's not how you do business.
I feel horrible.
- You don't have to do this. - Do what?
You don't have to wash cars for Mickey
'you know, you could do something else.'
How dare you?
You know, I'm not some vacuum cleaner salesman.
Who do you think you're talking to?
I was selling cars when you were in diapers.
I have been a closer since before you were born!
[grunts]
[panting]
[Journey singing "Who's Cryin' Now?"]
♪ It's been a mystery ♪
♪ And still they try to see ♪
♪ Why somethin' good can hurt so bad ♪
♪ Caught on a one-way streets ♪
♪ The taste of bittersweet ♪
♪ Love will survive somehow some way ♪
♪ One love feeds the fire ♪
♪ One heart burns desire ♪
♪ Wonder who's cryin' now ♪
♪ Two hearts born to run ♪
♪ Who'll be the lonely one ♪
♪ Wonder who's cryin' now ♪
♪ Only so many tears you can cry ♪
♪ 'Til the heartache is over ♪
♪ And now you can say your love ♪
♪ Will never die ♪
♪ Whoooooa-oh-whoa ♪
♪ Whoooa-oh ♪
♪ One love feeds the fire ♪
♪ One heart burns desire ♪
♪ Wonder who's cryin' now ♪
♪ Two hearts born to run ♪
♪ Who'll be the lonely one ♪
♪ Wonder who's cryin' now ♪
[theme music]