[ Dog barking, siren wailing in distance ]
[ Mid-tempo music plays ]
♪
Narrator: No more gun 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 shit
for taking pictures of his dick.
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.
[ Bell chimes ]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.
♪
[ Indistinct conversations, siren wailing in distance ]
[ Down-tempo music plays ]
♪
[ Sobs, sighs ]
♪
[ Blows nose ]
♪
[ Dramatic music plays ]
♪
[ Screams ]
♪
[ Footsteps thudding ]
♪
Whoa. Oh-kay.
Mills: What is going -- What is the situation here?
Well, it's against the law to not have pants, right?
Johnson: That's right.
I needed money, man, for pants
so I could stop committing the crime of not having pants.
Mills: 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...
[ Breathing heavily ]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 assault anyone before?
[ Light switch clicks ]
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.[ Zipper opens ]
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.
♪ Action
♪ Star system filled with wishes ♪
♪ Crashin' ocean of messages
♪
♪ Static attraction
♪
♪ The universal wishing well
♪ Of all you wish to see and feel ♪
[ Indistinct conversations, footsteps thudding ]
Respect. Yeah, yeah.
[ Mid-tempo music playing ]
[ Music continues in distance ]
Respect. Yeah, yeah.
♪
[ Footsteps thudding ]
Man, get the [bleep] 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. [ Chuckles ]
Not tonight.
I need to see Rodrigo Smalls.
It's about a Little Grace.[ Static hisses ]
Big Mama about Little Grace for Rodrigo Smalls.
[ Suspenseful music plays ]
♪
Man: Let her in.[ Static hisses ]
♪
[ Sighs ] So, has the, uh, evening gone the way we hoped?
Exactly the way we hoped.
You see this "King of the Night" somewhere?
[ Crowd cheering ]
Oh. Nice.
That's got to be him.
[ Crowd cheering, clapping rhythmically ]
Donovan: One. Two.
One, two, three, cuatro.
[ Mid-tempo disco plays ]
♪
[ Crowd cheering, applauding ]
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.
[ Music continues ]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.
[ Crowd cheering, applauding ]
What do you think you're doing?
Dancing you down.
Crowd: Whoa!
Yeah? That's not cool.
[ Crowd cheering, applauding ]
♪
Look, get away from me.
♪
[ Yawns ] I'm tired now, everyone.
[ Crowd shouting, applauding, footsteps thudding ]
[ Applause stops ]
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.[ Suspenseful music plays ]
Bye, Mom.
[ Down-tempo music plays ]
♪
[ Footsteps thudding ]
♪
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.
[ Footsteps departing ]
[ Door opens, closes ]
Huge story breaking tonight. Trish McSapphire!
Man: The Academy Award-winning actress?
You got it! I'm gonna celebrate.
I'm gonna buy some bubble gum in Central Park, man.
[ Air hissing, bubble pops ]
[ Motor whirring ]
[ Mid-tempo music plays ]
♪
Johnson: 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?
♪
[ Door opens, closes ]
[ Down-tempo music plays ]
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 douche
took another picture of his dick?
[ Sighs ] 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.[ Feedback squeals ]
[ Camera shutters clicking ]Sorry. Yeah. I was just kidding.
I-I amleaving him.
[ Crowd murmuring ]
Uh...
[ Down-tempo music plays ]
Nice one.
[ Zipper closes ]
♪
[ Gasps ]
Homey found a snack.
♪
[ Siren wailing ]
[ Motor whirring ]
[ Mid-tempo music plays ]
Suicide, maybe.
There's no gun.
You need a gun to make a bullet hole.
And there's nothing around here.
Homicide, Mills.
Johnson: "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 Bitch.
I'll see you in a few hours. I'll get into it with you.
[ Mid-tempo music plays ]
♪
[ Suspenseful music plays ]
[ Vehicles passing in distance ]
[ Light switch clicks ]
[ Siren wailing in distance ]
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 murder 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.
[ Down-tempo music plays ]
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: Trish McSapphire.
Not your stage name, please. Your real name.
Paula Smith.
Bernice Mary-Elizabeth... Smith.
Donella: Donella Pecker.
Your name before you were married?
Donella Ramirez.
Mm. Your name before you were adopted?
Donella Smith.
Brittany S-Smith.
♪
Johnson: Sergeant Gail Johnson.
And what is your maiden name, Gail?
Smith.
You're all Smiths.
[ Mid-tempo music plays ]
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.
[ Dramatic music plays ]
[ Indistinct conversations ]
♪
Scotch. Lime.[ Theme music plays ]
Newscaster: 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.[ Music continues ]
Newscaster: 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?
[ Birds crying ]
That's the prison ferry from Ruckers Island.
[ Horn blows ]
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.[ Down-tempo music plays ]
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.
[ "Bound" plays ]
♪ I wake with a locomotion
♪ Like the break of a row of waves ♪
♪ On a rolling ocean
♪
♪ I'm bound hour upon hour, man ♪
♪ Then and now and after, I am
♪
♪ Bound