A truck full of cocaine disguised as a computer shipment rolls into a dark Baltimore
alley; a nearby Blazer flashes its headlights on and off as a sort of signal. Four
men exit the Blazer; one of them proceeds to put several bullets in the truck driver's
head. The men then open up the back of the truck and steal the drugs.
It is morning now; Muhammed Corson, a 20-year old drug dealer, still works his section
of the street for just a little more money, when an assassin approaches from his blind
spot; he turns around just in time to see the gun aimed at his face. Kellerman and
Lewis are called out to investigate Corson's murder, when they are suddenly told by the
dispatcher to go to another crime scene that seems to be related to Corson. Kellerman
and Lewis are called inside a house, where three members of the Mathias family- father
Calvin, mother Marta, and son Yancy, all dealers- lie dead, killed execution-style with duct tape over
their mouths; black wrapped grams of coke are found on the living room table. It comes to
light that the Mathias also had a young daughter by the name of Richelle; Kellerman and Lewis
search in a frenzy, but manage to find Richelle safe and sound in an upstairs closet.
Any Jennings, Richelle's godmother, comes downtown to pick Richelle up; Kellerman
unnecessarily asks for Jennings' day phone number and is called a "dog" by Lewis for his
trouble. Giardello looks at all the red ink piling up on Kellerman's part of the board
and makes a colorful speech to Kellerman that only thinly disguises his desire to have
the case solved quickly. Kellerman and Lewis go out on a sting with narcotics detectives
Castleman and Andrade, who tell them that the execution style and black wrapped grams are
a trademark of drug lord Alonzo "Drack" Fortunado, and that results might be achieved
if they could jack up some people at Bar None, a tavern which Drack frequents.
Dealers are jacked up but give up nothing except for the name of another bar Drack
likes; Kellerman and Lewis take a trip to The Bank and intercept Drack, who angers
Kellerman with his cool attitude. Drack is brought down into the Box, where he reveals
himself to be quite sharp: he had graduated high school a track star with a 3.1 GPA but
found the riches of being a dealer too much to give up. When Kellerman threatens him
with a holding cell for the night, Drack gives up a competing dealer named Luther Mahoney
as the real instigator of the sudden rash of Kellerman's drug killings.
Forrest Pindell, the man who killed the truck driver, is offed himself by an unknown
assailant who blasts Pindell's head with a shotgun while Pindell is sitting in his
Blazer. Kellerman and Lewis realize the importance of having this case closed when Giardello
actually takes the time to visit the crime scene. Back at the squadroom, Kellerman is
notified of the just-discovered trucker's body, which bumps the total of red names to six;
Kellerman, overwhelmed by the thought of investigating six drug murders, tries to relieve
the stress by pumping some iron, but instead has a tender moment in the weight room with
Amy Jennings. Kellerman later explains to Lewis that Jennings had come simply to request
their presence in a candlelight vigil to be held in front of the stationhouse, and
confirms that he has feelings for her as well. The two visit Luther Mahoney at his youth
center, who proves to be slippery; he denies all involvement in drug-dealing. When
asked how he can afford to buy a youth center, among many other things, Mahoney merely
replies that he's smart.
Using a tip from a prisoner who overheard someone talking about the case, Kellerman,
Lewis, Pembleton and Bayliss stakeout Drack's address. Drack returns home and starts
running when he sees the cops; Kellerman and Lewis chase him. Mike rushes after Drack, who
disappears, then suddenly shows up behind him; Kellerman whirls around and tries to fire,
but his gun malfunctions. Drack knocks Kellerman down and tells him in no uncertain terms
that he had nothing to do with the murders, and that Luther Mahoney is their man.
The next day arrives and Andrade and Castleman have a surprise for Lewis; the murder
weapon and a man who readily confesses to the killings. Kellerman realizes that Mahoney
had forced the man to give himself up in order to keep his hands clean. Night falls and
citizens and policemen, including several homicide detectives, converge in front of the
stationhouse for the candlelight vigil; Drack is there as well. "Amazing Grace" is sung; as
the song comes to an end, Drack is shot in the head by an assassin who is arrested at the
scene. Kellerman tries to save Drack, but fails. Luther Mahoney, a participant
in the vigil, steps over to Drack's body, says "what a waste," then walks off into the night.
Note: Det. Robert Castleman makes a return appearance in Blood Ties, Part 3, in which the details of his dirty little life are exposed. |
Starring
Richard Belzer Det. John Munch
Andre Braugher Det. Frank Pembleton
Reed Diamond Det. Mike Kellerman
Isabella Hofmann Det. Megan Russert
Clark Johnson Det. Meldrick Lewis
Yaphet Kotto Lt. Al Giardello
Melissa Leo Sgt. Kay Howard
Kyle Secor Det. Tim Bayliss
Guest Starring
Kevin Thigpen Alonzo "Drack" Fortunado
Ingrid Rogers Amy Jennings
Erik Todd Dellums Luther Mahoney
Sean Akil Wingate Forrest Pindell
With
Granville Adams Ofcr. Westby
Saverio Guerra Deano Hoover
Arthur Eric Hunter Mr. Flemming
Lance Lewman Det. Robert Castleman
Louis B. Murray Det. Andrade
Music heard in The Damage Done
Dawn Penn You Don't Love Me (No, No, No)
Garbage Vow
|
|
