my name is tom van allen .  or danny flynne .
methedrene was first distilled by a japanese scientist before wwii. hand it to the japanese, they knew a good thing when they saw it.
this guy's so tweaked, he probably thinks he can survive this without a scratch.
maybe not. by some estimates, 2% of the japanese population had a meth problem after the war: factory workers, soldiers, pilots. maybe that's why it took two bombs to get 'em to surrender. a nuclear blast is just a minor nuisance to a determined tweaker.
in the fifties, the housewives got ahold of it. dexedrine. benzedrine. methedrene .
there were even rumors that one of our presidents dabbled with mysterious "energy shots". imagine that: a slammer in the white house.
by the late 60's the government finally cracked down and sent the whole thing underground. bikers controlled the market for a while.
but now anyone with a basic chemistry kit and the right ingredients can cook it up at home.
ever see a long-haired tattooed freak buying up all the cold medicine he can lay his hands on at three in the morning.
drain cleaner, hydrochloric acid, match heads for red phosphorus, ether and of course the cold medicine .  that's for ephedrene, soon to become methedrene
and so this is where i find myself. no. i should choose my words more wisely: this is the world i sought out. the land of the perpetual night- party. day swallowing night and night swallowing day. the crank compressing time like some divine piston on its awesome downstroke.
how the hell did we get this detail?
what time is it?
midnight?
where to?
lead the way.
i hadn't noticed. i've seen you around. what's your name?
why's that?
you don't say.
well, jimmy the finn, let's go score some gack.
nah, we didn't bring 'em. that's just your good crank talking, brother.
like i said.
hobby?
hey, bobby, look .  what you got going with your old lay, it's none of our business. we're just a couple of dope fiends trying to score.
nice dealer you got there, jimmy.
c.i. number 678-43k-107 tanner and garcetti
i've got a hot one.
if it's all the same to you, i'd rather not dish right here in the middle of crankville.
well, you know what they say, just because you're paranoid, doesn't mean everyone's not out to slice your balls off and shove 'em down your throat.
bobby, rhymes with hobby.
never mind. dude had a backfull of jailhouse tatts.
it was all pretty informal. didn't have a lot of time to exchange pleasantries.
it speaks!
that's him. he's a lot prettier in person though.
dude is bugging. transparent spiders, plastic men - the whole nine yards.
couple of eightballs, maybe more.
alas, the lovely mrs. bobby was playing the bologna in a posturpedic sandwich and there was a kid.
yeah. pretty sure. oh yeah .  he had a spear gun, too.
somebody has to help you lazy bastards.
don't be. i'm worried about the kid.
hey, you want me to do all your work for you, numbnuts?
garcetti, you're teeth, they're fucking perfect.
you're welcome.
let me help you with those.
you did the right thing. what is this stuff anyway?
yummy.
my name is tom van allen i play the trumpet.
okay, we'll stay. we'll stay.
no .  we'll stay.
you think i'm a judas?
garcetti thinks i'm a pile of shit.
thanks for not judging me.
don't you wonder why i do it?
you don't find that repugnant?
tell that to bobby .  and his wife and kid.
it's a long story. maybe i'll tell you all about it some day.
tell me what?
tell me what?
yeah. what about him?
to who?
and what does this have to do with me?
what?!
shut up, garcetti!
if he finds out it's me, i'm a dead man.
how the hell am i gonna do that? you guys are still stringing me a long on that possession charge.
fuck you, garcetti. i been at this for almost a year. i've done everything you guys have asked of me.
when?
ride 'em cowboy)
who wouldn't?
it's downright classy is what it is.
jimmy, you don't look so hot.
you on a roll?
sorry.
you're brain is in reverse mode .  cutting off your supply of dopamine. here. have a beer.
that's a good one.
i guess there's just no substitute for good genes.
i kind of doubt it, jimmy.
business. i need to leave town and i find myself in dire need of some cash.
what?
don't get carried away.
you remember that guy you told me about .  said he could handle a big hook-up?
i know a buyer. guy's looking for a quarter's worth.
a quarter of a million, jimmy.
can your man handle that?
can you set that up?
i'm getting a 10% finder's fee from my man if i can get the right price.
25 grand. you introduce me to your boy, i'll cut you five grand out of my take. that's all you gotta do, just get me in the door.
jimmy, where do you find these people?
not tonight.
personal protection. it's a dangerous world we live in, jimmy, a very dangerous world.
heavens no. i was just admiring your boots.
did you purchase them locally?
you know, jimmy, you might as well put a sign on the back of this thing asking the cops to pull you over.
yeah, that's what i mean. where the hell does this guy live anyway?
why do they call him pooh-bear?
you're going to have to explain that one.
you're going to have to give me a little more than that, jimmy.
you ever see queen elizabeth sleep?
um, i think the warren commission has been closed for a while.
yeah, i uh, have a buyer who's looking for about a quarter's worth.
the good stuff. can you handle that?
no, i'm good.
not bad.
can we talk price?
i don't know, 14,000 a kilo?
okay .  how about um .  6,000 a ounce.
you're serious?
but i just met you.
so that's 40 lbs. at 6 a pound then?
pooh-bear, i don't mean to be rude, but i get the feeling you aren't taking me seriously.
why do you say that?
hey, i was just trying to .
hey, i don't play that.
look, you don't have to .
now you're insulting me. nice talking business with you.
i'll leave it. eight is as high as i'll go. see ya'.
no. i'm good.
sure, jimmy.
john fitzgerald kennedy.
yes, jimmy
yes, jimmy.
why in god's name would we want to do that?
to who?
i'm afraid i'm gonna have to pass on this one, boys.
you okay? she nods.
look. i'd like to help you out .  but i really don't want to get involved.
don't be.
i was thinking alice cooper.
come on, cheer up. it could be worse.
i don't know .  you could be staking your financial future on stealing bob hope's stool specimen.
leave me out of this.
nevertheless, i still try to see the glass as half-full.
ouch.
this man sounds like a real catch.
colette .
nothing.
look, it's really none of my business but why don't you just dump this guy?
don't tell me, down deep he's really not a bad person and you don't want to see him get hurt.
then leave.
why not?
there's nothing to understand. the guy is a pig.
you get off on abuse or something?
then why don't you leave? just give me one good reason.
why don't you call the cops?
that's long enough to get out of town.
then make sure he gets put away for longer.
i don't know. let me think about it.
why? the guys is ready to deal now.
now that's down-right insulting.
i guess i don't have a hell of a lot of choice.
jesus, you almost gave me a heart attack!
what the hell are you doing here?
i was trying to score some dope.
someone want to tell me what the hell is going on here?
what did i do?!
i can't help it, tanner, you hit like a fucking girl.
garcetti, do something.
i still don't know what you're talking about.
jimmy?
he's the only one i told.
i met the guy at a party. he said he wanted to do a biggie. he's new in town so i offered my services.
bubba.
after that ass-whipping you gave me?
now that i can help you with. nasty boy .  goes by the name of pooh-bear. he's a chef. check with palmdale p.d. i'm sure they're keeping box scores on the guy.
oh they're all that and the proverbial bag of chips.
standard vig. minus five for a certain blabber-mouth moron by the name of jimmy the finn, who's living proof that natural selection is a flawed theory.
look man, i just wanted to make some dough and disappear. i didn't want to wait around for domingo to figure out who doubled back on him.
you mean you want me to roll on these guys?
whata you mean i've got no choice?
for that old possession charge? gimme a break.
that would be me.
hell, yes! what the hell do you expect zapping mr. johnson with that crackler?
lay off, garcetti. i'm not in the mood.
news-flash, tanner. i'm a fucking rat.
i'm sorry, liz. i love you and i'm sorry.
oh. hi.
turns out i'm allergic to steel-toed boots. go figure. by the way, i'm not looking for a matching set. where's quincey?
how far out of town?
miles davis. "all blues."
just a fucked-up guy who played beautiful music.
nah. i'm strictly minor league.  except for the fucked-up part.
dude played his soul right out the end of the horn. no false notes. always honest.
it's the only way to play.
i try.
: what are you up to?
what do you want from me, colette?
it gets me through the day.
look, i can't help you with quincey if that's what you're after.
so you're just attracted to me, is that it?
how much time do you have?
how much time do you have?
who the fuck are you? dr. joyce brothers?
you don't like the tune, find another station.
therapy session is over.
no. but i'm the only one with my sad story. and that's how it's gonna stay.
excuse me?
why doesn't palmdale p.d. just raid the guy?
whata you mean? he told me -
what's to stop him from just ripping me off then?
funny, i don't feel lucky.
what if he caps me before you can make a move?
speaking of which .  you run that license plate for me?
what? is it bad?
who is it?
come on! who is it? domingo's boys?
i'm making the small buy tonight .  if i don't get beaten to death with a wheelchair or something. if everyone is happy, we'll do the big deal later in the week.
pooh-bear, my man. what's up?
you want to do this some other time?
i'm sorry?
come on, guys .
pooh-bear. come on, man. what is this? it's me, danny. i thought we had a deal.
what?!
please .  i don't know what you're .
jesus christ. um .  i'm not .  captain steubing. i'm not working for the cops.
my what?
this is fucking crazy!
oh fuck .  oh jesus .
okay! okay!
i didn't fucking do anything! i swear to god!
captain steubing, listen to me. you're after the wrong guy. this is the fuck you should be talking to.
it's true. jimmy saw him flashing a pimp role at a bar the other night .  said he was dissin' your ass in front of one of your customers.
can i pull my dick out now?
can i pull my dick out?
can i pull my fucking dick out?!
i ought to just call this whole thing off right now.
what the hell was that? who told you i was five-0?
did it ever occur to you that someone might cop to something they didn't do rather than have their balls chewed off by a rabid weasel?
that's real sweet, garcetti. thanks.
murder. beautiful.
you know, i'm starting to think i'd rather take my chances with domingo than go through any more of this shit.
jesus.
yeah.
it's tom.
all right, nancy, how'd you track me down?
maybe i should just go.
closure? how do you find closure when her killers are still running around out there?
is that what you want me to do? put it all on jesus? let him sort it out in the afterlife?
maybe i am dealing with it.
then why don't i see any pictures of me up there?
you never did like me much, did you verne? and you can't stand it that i walked out of there alive and liz didn't. you think i'm a coward, don't you?
i'm genuinely happy that you found some peace, nancy. but you can't forgive for liz. no one can. and you can't forgive for me.
i don't buy that. there's a place for hatred. did you know that liz and i got into an argument the night she was killed? i acted like an ass and i never had a chance to apologize to her. do you know what that feels like?
how?
what does that mean?
you don't understand.
nothing. it's .  it's complicated. i just want you to know .  i'm not what you think i am.
who is it?
i'm kind of busy.
oh jesus.
what about a battered woman's shelter? you can move you kid in with you.
you can still work.
find a new job.
you always been this stubborn?
ass first into the world.
i can't.
i just can't. okay?
look, maybe you oughta' leave.
i can't tell you.
yes.
i'm so tired of lying. cut to:
she died knowing that i was a coward.  that i didn't lift a finger to help her.
no, you're wrong, i tried to tell myself the same thing but i could have gotten up. i could have done something.
nothing could be worse then this slow death i'm living now.
colette. i want to help you, with quincey.
i want to do this for you. i want to do something good for a change.
never mind. just do what i say. he holds out the baggie. colette backs away.
i'm offering you the chance to take care of your problems. take it. don't make the same mistake i did, colette. do something while you have a chance. do it for your daughter before something happens. believe me, you don't want to live with this burden. he helds the baggie out again. colette reluctantly takes it from him.
will you do that? then i want you to get out of the room.
don't worry about it. just go across the street and watch. you'll know when it's safe to go back.
just do it. all your problems with quincey will be taken care of.
tem thousand dollars. everything i could spare. it's for you.
you aren't coming with me.
wait till i tell you what it is.
why?
jimmy, look, there's something i have to tell you.
what the hell is that?
i'm not a tweaker. i don't use drugs. i never had.
when? when did you ever see me use?
you ever notice how i always showed up, in the middle of a binge? left before it was over? how i sneak away for cap-naps? how when the crank came around to me, i always said i'd just done one?
are you kidding me? a bunch of amped -out tweakers? it was easy.
i can't tell you.
i don't trust anybody.
because i don't want to see you end up like kujo and those other losers. i thought that maybe if you knew that i didn't use, you might see it in yourself to go clear.
you mad at me, jimmy?
i'm sorry. i couldn't.
you know you can get that tattoo removed, don't you.
good for you jimmy.
i really want you to take this.
you're a good man. jimmy the finn.
everything go?
just make sure you come alone. this guy won't like any surprises
i'll see you tonight.
with you clowns watching my back? what do you think?
you tell me.
i played the long shot. just got lucky.
all i saw was the headlights. the high beams were on.
(pissed off0 how many times do we have to go through this?
yeah, but he was in silhouette.
they were wearing ski masks. i told you all of this.
no, why?
nothing, i'm trying to remember.
because i wanted to find them myself i wanted to kill them.
i swear to god i would have done 'em right then and there. but i had to be positive. and even if tanner was involved, i had to be sure about garcetti
so i became danny flynne.
i dropped myself right in their laps.
i gave up whoever they asked for, whenever they wanted. i was a fucking dream rat. but the whole time i was sizing them up, looking for any evidence that they were the guys who killed my wife.
but they did everything by the book.
i knew that if these were the guys i was looking for, i'd have to set up a deal so sweet, they wouldn't be able to walk away from it.
these guys are smart. i knew they wouldn't hit a deal unless they knew all the players. i needed a big buyer.
i'm fine. little nervous. little disappointed that i didn't finish this myself.
oh shit
can you do me a favor? this girl i know, her boyfriend's a real piece of shit-dude's really jamming her up. i promised her i'd try to help.
hey guys.
i need to stop for some cigarettes.
it's open.
easy, boy.
what the hell is this?
this is bullshit. you didn't say anything about anybody else being here.
come on, man, let's deal.
yeah, dickhead.
anybody there?
i'm here, liz. i'm here.
my name is tom.
yeah. okay. listen carefully .  you're in the bathroom. you've been shot in the shoulder .
answer the fucking question!
glock semi-automatic 9 mm .
it doesn't matter.
ten it is.
you're dead.
my name is tom van allen. i'm a trumpet player.
colette, what happened? didn't the cops .
you set me up?
you're good, princess. i'll give you that.
she selling me a bill, home boy?
then why are we here?
it's okay. it's okay. god damn, you're beautiful.
colette, go.
your daughter needs you. go.
so what is it? who am i after it's all said and done?
oh shit. what is this?
well, i've had some time to think about it and it's pretty simple after all. i guess it's like the man said - "man is the measure of all things." i should know. i ran the gamut. avenging angel, judas, loving husband, prodigal son, prince of denmark. i was all of those things. tom van allen got his revenge. good for tom. and danny flynne? he got gut-shot for being the low-life rat that he was. sucks for him. but as far as i'm concerned, they're both dead.