Convicted felon Victor Helms is paroled after six years in prison; when he gets out, he
sees his oldest friend Danny Newton waiting for him in a car with 70's pop music blaring from
the speakers. Victor tells Danny to drive to 2013 Fountain Street, where Frank Pembleton
lives. Victor takes one look at him and declares that today is the last day of Frank's life.
Six years ago Helms had installed a bad gas heater in a family's home; the heater exploded,
killing the family. Pembleton was the primary on that case and had arrested Helms for murder; Helms explains to Danny that he is going to kill Frank Pembleton because the man had
singlehandedly ruined his life. The two tail Frank to the stationhouse, where Victor goes
inside, hoping to get an angle on Pembleton's daily life. Pembleton and Bayliss suddenly
grab a case; they walk by Helms, Frank not recognizing him. Victor and Danny follow the
detectives to a fortuneteller's shop, where Frank and Tim discover that the fortuneteller,
Zelda Peters, has had her head cut off; both the head and the murder weapon are missing from
the scene. Victor and Danny walk around to the alley in back of the shop, where Danny sees a
bloody knife in a cardboard box and the woman's head behind a mattress. Victor takes the
knife and head back to Danny's house despite his friend's protests. He puts the head in the
refrigerator and declares that he has found his angle; he is going to mess with Pembleton's
mind before killing him.
Pembleton and Bayliss take a trip downtown to the morgue, where they find out that it
probably took 10 to 12 tries from a rusty, dull knife to cut off Sister Zelda's head. Bolander shows up and hands Pembleton a photograph of the knife, very recently sent to
police headquarters and the Baltimore Sun. Back at police HQ, the squad tosses around
theories as to why Peters' head was hacked, when Frank suddenly runs off somewhere.
Danny and Victor visit Victor Jr., who is not very pleased to see his dad; here it is learned
that Victor's wife had committed suicide following his incarceration and that Victor's son
blamed his father for it. The two get back on Frank's trail and see him buying
flowers, then heading to a hotel. They're surprised to see that the woman Frank meets in
the hotel is none other than his own wife.
Frank then rushes over to a clinic, where he meets with a reproductive specialist. Victor follows and is amused to find that Frank has a low sperm count. Victor and Danny
try to purchase a gun, but Victor argues that the tax is too high; the two guys leave
the shop empty-handed. Later at night, Victor breaks into the Pembleton house and turns
on a single stove burner. Frank finds it and tells Mary that she left a burner running;
Mary denies ever leaving it on. The next day arrives and Victor is furious that the
Sun didn't print his photograph; this time, he take a picture of the head and sends it to the same two parties.
This time Victor and Danny tail Mary Pembleton; Victor "runs into" Mary at the marketplace
and introduces himself as Det. Arnold Chalk of the arson unit, a friend of Frank. Small
talk is made before Victor lets her know that the couple were trying to have a baby; Mary,
knowing that her husband would never say anything to anyone about their trying to conceive,
is more than a little rattled by Victor's comment.
Frank and Mary go to dinner later that night; Victor spies on them from across the street. By this time Danny is really worried; he has never seen Victor so obsessive. Frank tells Mary that he'll keep a police squad car outside their house after hearing about her strange encounter with Victor. Frank suddenly gets beeped; he and Bayliss go to the Captain James restaurant, where they arrest Gary McClintock for the murder of Zelda Peters.
Frank is finishing up the investigation in the squadroom when he gets a call from a distressed
Mary; Frank rushes home and finds that all the burners are on this time. A message by Victor on the answering machine tells Pembleton to meet him alone at 16 Brentwood Street-
the very house where Helms had installed the screwy gas heater. Frank shows up and searches
the house very carefully, when he sees a table lit by many candles; on the table is a bag with
Peters' head on it. Victor suddenly comes out of nowhere and puts a knife to Frank's throat. He had come alone too; Danny had refused to go with him. Victor tells Frank that he had
ruined his life and that he had to die for it. Just when Frank thinks that his time
had come, Victor breaks down and starts crying, saying that he can't do it. Tim later tells
Frank that he is lucky to be alive; Frank replies that it wasn't luck. God had reached
down, he says, and graced a fool with wisdom.
Starring
Daniel Baldwin Det. Beau Felton
Ned Beatty Det. Stanley Bolander
Richard Belzer Det. John Munch
Andre Braugher Det. Frank Pembleton
Isabella Hofmann Capt. Megan Russert
Clark Johnson Det. Meldrick Lewis
Yaphet Kotto Lt. Al Giardello
Melissa Leo Det. Kay Howard
Kyle Secor Det. Tim Bayliss
Guest Starring
Bruno Kirby Victor Helms
Richard Edson Danny Newton
Ami Brabson Mary Whelan-Pembleton
With
Tyler Buckalew Victor Helms, Jr.
Carlos Juan Gonzales Proprietor
Herb Levinson Dr. Lausanne
Ralph Tabakin Dr. Scheiner
Sharon Ziman Naomi
Music heard in The Gas Man
Blondie Heart of Glass
Blondie Call Me
Chic I Want Your Love
Earth Wind & Fire Boogie Wonderland
Electric Light Orchestra Sweet Talkin' Woman
Gloria Gaynor I Will Survive
The Bee Gees Tragedy
The Spinners Workin' My Way Back to You
The Spinners Forgive Me Girl
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