Cold Case S6E11 - English Transcript

june 17,1960 Wow,stewardesses,Stuart. Should be in London by 9:00,Ally. In time for a late supper. Can you believe it,Helen? We're jet-setters. Cheese steaks for lunch,Shepherd's Pie for dinner. Big Ben,here we come. Are you a real,live stewardess? Living and breathing. Can I take a picture with you? My best friend Sally won't believe it. Give me the camera. I'll take it. Smile,Ally. Wow,thanks. Is it true you get to fly on airplanes every day and meet lots of people and go to Tokyo and California? All those things and more. It's the best job in the world. Thanks. missing person's name ALLISON THURSTON What've you got,boss? Place used to be the Republican Hotel. Been vacant since '72. A lot of work going on upstairs. Developer just bought it,turning it to condos. Renovation crew found human remains intact hip bone. CSU's thinking female. Dumped in the old incinerator. Hotels used to burn their garbage. What better place for a body? Detective. Pin from an airline. "A. Thurston. GWA. " Global World Airlines. Hasn't been around since the early '60s. Got ourselves a pilot? Pilots were only male back then. More likely a stewardess. It was layover at the hotel,maybe some kind of tryst? And someone clipped her wings. Ally Thurston,21-year-old stewardess. Think they're called flight attendants,John. Not in 1960,they weren't. When servers were waitresses. The good old days. Ally was reported missing November 18,1960, by roommate Helen McCormick,another stewardess based in Philly. They saw each other in the crew lounge at 11 a. m. Ally had flown in from Dallas, was signing out after another flight. Well,they were supposed to go out together that night. And Helen got home,Ally never showed. She called the police the next morning. Assigned searched her room,found an itinerary for a flight to Spain-- " Philly to Madrid,American Flight Decided she was off jet-setting. Search ended then and there. Global World flew international. Why buy a ticket on another airline when you can fly your own for free? Someone else buys her the ticket? Any guys in the picture? None in here. But the swinging '60s,stews would've had plenty of suitors. Family? Parents:Lew and Debra Thurston in Glassboro,New Jersey. Gotta cross the bridge. I'll take the drive. Get a DNA swab from the family to ID her remains. Guy converting the condos is using the old hotel guest books to decorate the lobby. Said I'd give them back when we were done. Got everything from '52 till the place went belly-up in '73. Man,travel ain't what it used to be. How would you know? Ain't left Philly since I known you. Six weeks' vacation time built up,Will. Use it or lose it. As a matter of fact,considering a little trip to the Balkan Riviera. hat a planet from Star Trek? - Croatia. - Croatia. With the wars? It's a hot destination these days. Top ten beaches in the world. Keep up,son. Let you know in a couple days,Mr. Thurston. Guess you're used to this-- people dying. Anything you can tell me about the last time you saw Ally? We were a lot alike,my daughter and me. Both passionate. Both stubborn as an ox. Trouble getting along? Wondered if she joined the airline just to get away from me. No,I'm sure there were other reasons. Once she put her mind to something,look out. She was,she was always my little girl. Just different with fathers and daughters,you know? Youyou talk to her after she left? She said she'd call,but Any boyfriends you knew about? Just Bert,from high school. Bert Walters. Not a fan? Kid couldn't let her out of his sight. She was too good for him,and he knew it. Thanks for your time. I may not look like the adventurous type, - but Ally got her travel bug from me. - How's that? Served in the infantry in World War II,helped liberate Paris. Brought back an Eiffel Tower trinket for her. Told her we'd collect one for every monument in the world. Never happened. Yeah? Who the hell is this? What? Some joker called me a punk *** ***. How do you know? Dr. McCormick? Yes. Sorry I'm late. My patient delivered twins. A long way from stewardessing. Well,I never intended that to be a career. You said there was a case I could help you with? Yeah. We want to talk to you about Ally Thurston. You were her roommate. Ally? You found her? The two of you were close? From the moment we started stewardess training. Was she in Spain like they said? Philly. Two of you ever go to the Republican Hotel? Lobby bar,maybe? We never went there,no. I told the police she didn't run off. They'd already made up their minds about her. All those ads making stewardesses out to be sexpots. Last time you saw her,November,a. m. Ally wasn't the type to get upset. If something was bothering her,she'd fix it move on. Small-town moxie. Any idea who might've invited her to Spain? A boyfriend? Yes. I told them from the beginning. It wasn't the guys she was meeting in the air who were the problem. Are you Helen McCormick? Oh,you must be Ally Thurston,my new roommate. Hope you don't mind snoring. (Helen and Ally laugh) So,where are you from? Recruited straight from the University of Colorado. How about you? Glassboro,New Jersey. Population: boring. Small-town girl,huh? It was either nurse,schoolteacher or librarian till I saw the GWA recruitment ad in the paper. Good morning,ladies!Good morning! I'm Gloria Flagstone. And you,my dears,are the elite of the elite. Only three out of a hundred girls is chosen to be a GWA stewardess. You had a better chance of getting into Harvard this year. Now,it can be a glamorous life,but you'll work hard. You'll travel the world and maybe even meet Mr. Right. You'll start today with your weigh-ins,then you'll receive your girdles and your uniforms. Weigh-ins? Is she pulling our leg? I haven't eaten in two days. The weight they assigned me at my interview is not an easy target. Ally! Ally! Hey! Ally! Ally! Ally! Let's get out of here,Ally-Cat! Pack your stuff,I'm taking you home! Ally! I'll be back,Ally! You'll see! You can't get rid of me that easy! Fellow was determined to keep her grounded. He thought they were going to marry after high school. He ever come back? Stood across the street,staring up at the dorm room every night. He was obsessed with her. How did Ally feel about it? God knows why,but she felt bad about it. She said that she'd tried to let him down gently,but that he had a mean streak. Couldn't let it go. Ally? Yeah,wow,blast from the past. We had a thing in high school. How'd you feel about her leaving town to become a stewardess? Out of sight,out of mind,know what I mean? So how do you explain stalking her at the training school? Sobbing like a little baby. Sounds like you cared a lot,Bert. So I went by her school a few times. Doesn't mean I hurt her. Saying your name isn't going to show up when we check her flight logs? You can wait while we check them. - Be a few hours. - A few days. Wait. Ally was,like,everything to me. What'd you do to her,Bert? I saved my money,bought a ticket. I thought she was the one. But it was like she was slipping through my fingers,and there was nothing I could do about it. Appetizers? Would you like a drink? Cigarettes? Cigarettes? Martini? I feel like I'm running a marathon. Well,at least you won't have to worry about your weight. Think Gloria could pitch in a little? the Prince and the Princess lived happily ever after," for this is how such things ought to be. " She says the books calm the kids down. I think she likes the story more than they do. Got it. Thanks. That would have caused a commotion. Well,right place,right time,I guess. Dean London,First Officer. Ally Thurston,low girl on the totem pole. Static electricity. Airplanes. Airplanes. Right. Well,see you around,Ally. See ya,First Officer London. It'll be smooth sailing tonight,huh,cricket? Easy,cookie,got to make sure you're wearing your regulation girdle. Which bunny's gonna bring me my coffee tonight,one of the new recruits? I'll be taking care of you,Captain Hughes. Coffee is the only drink you'll be getting. Thanks,doll. First flight? Is it that obvious? Harvey Dwight. Brilliant Import/Exports. In Madrid,Spain? Call me when you need a vacation. I'll take you there sometime. I'm in Champagne and caviar all the way. I couldn't take it anymore. Watching Ally get hit on by those la-di-da's. You sure this Harvey Dwight said he was taking her to Madrid? I'm sure. That's how I knew I'd lost her. I couldn't find Madrid on a map. Boss,got the 411 on this Harvey Dwight and Brilliant Import/Exports. Company based in Madrid like he said? Guy's had multiple real estate holdings there since '58. And he's a convicted gem smuggler. VERA: Busted in '63,served six years at Club Fed. Gem wholesaler out of New York today. Used stewardesses to help him smuggle? Connie Thunder and Lois Murphy,both with GWA. Convicted and served from '63 to '65. Well,call NYPD-- let's get him in here. Connie Thunder. Lois Murphy. Sounds like you read my trial transcripts. '63's a long time ago. You get Ally Thurston involved in your racket,too,Harvey? there's a big difference between smuggling stones and having the stones to *** a girl. She working for you? She was just another fish I was trying to hook. Fish? You mean,another mule. I tried to reel her in with the expense-paid vacation,but,uh she could read people even better than I could. Harvey Dwight! I know what you're up to,and I'm not going with you to Spain today,tomorrow or ever! But,Ally,with your brains and my beauty We could get into a whole lot of trouble. Republican Hotel,fast as you can. Don't know why she was going there. But it was the only time I'd seen her upset in the five months I knew her. We should believe you didn't follow her to the hotel? Because I flew to Madrid without her. I left Philly a half hour after she got in the cab. STILLMAN: This was November 18 you saw her? Looked at Republican guest books with November 18 in mind. Room 109. Housekeeping notes next to it the next morning. Replace missing linens and broken telephone. Could be our crime scene. Guy murders her in his room,wraps her in the sheets,carries her to the basement. Broken phone. Yeah,1960 models weighed half a ton. Enough to bludgeon someone to death. Who's the room registered to? T. C. Bromley,regular at the joint. Stayed there once a month for ten years until November 18. Then he never comes back. Right. Checked the name against GWA employee lists. No matches,no record. See if you can find former hotel employees-- maybe someone remembers him. If they're still alive. Croatia for a vacation,huh? It's a beautiful country. What,Beirut was booked? RUSH: You were Ally's supervisor back then? We used to carve Chateaubriand to order. Offer martinis,shaken or stirred. Any idea why she would've been going to the Republican Hotel the day she disappeared? No. Ally was based in Philly. She had an apartment in town. RUSH: What about airline employees from out of town? They would've stayed at the Airport Hotel-- they got a discount and a lively social scene. Ally into partying,living the stewardess life? No more than any of us were. It was a glamorous life being a stewardess. We were like movie stars. Ever hear her mention the name T. C. Bromley? No,I don't recognize the name. Well,what about boyfriends? Well,if you're looking for a man who wanted to get Ally into a hotel room, look no further than Dean London. Acapulco mexico Ready for your drink,Miss Rogers? Thought you'd never ask,Mr. Astaire. What do you got,a . 38 special in here? No. It's the Empire State Building. Picked it up in New York this morning for my collection. Collection of souvenirs-- cute,kiddo. It's more than that. My father got me the Eiffel Tower when I was five. I'm gonna get every one. Well,you've got the right job to do it. And if I make captain,I might be the man to take you there. If you don't make captain,the earth will stop spinning. That's the only thing you think about. Not the only thing. Peggy was my favorite instructor at the Charm Farm. Today's her birthday? Her going away. She hit the age ceiling. Peggy's 32? But she's still a knockout. Knockout or not,airline's canning her. Doesn't seem very fair. Don't you worry your pretty little head. Most girls find husbands and leave before then anyway. How about you,old gal,you gonna age out soon? I'm 26 years old,Captain Hughes. Why,do I look like an old b to you? You're anything but,Gloria. Back then,pilots thought that stewardesses were there just to make them happy. This Captain Hughes sounds pretty frisky. Yeah,he was a flirt,all right. But he was married. Dean had his sights set on Ally? Like he was bringing a bird in for landing. Ally was a great gal. We dated a month,maybe two. We'd split up by the time she disappeared. When was that? October,November. I don't remember. You stay at the Republican Hotel during your layovers in Philly? No. Why? Do you remember where you were the night Ally disappeared? Yeah,uh,Miami. Breakers Hotel. You can check it. Cops never questioned you when she went missing? There was no reason to. Said she flew off into the sunset with some Don Juan. So,why'd you two break up anyway? Different flights,different cities. I don't know where you're going with this,but it was 1960. I was single,flying You saying Ally was just a fling? I'm saying she had ***. And I admired that ***. Not all men found it charming. Your coffee,Captain Hues. Oh,thanks,cricket. Hey,listen,we got ourselves a little emergency up here. Oxygen tank went haywire,isn't pumping O2 into the cabin. Unless we want 200 people taking a snooze back there, I'm gonna need your help going to manual procedure. Absolutely,Captain. You see that button right there? I need you to push it every half hour,hold it down for 15 seconds. Go ahead,give it a try. You-you can let go now. Come back in half an hour. We'll do it again. Oh,hey,uh,Irish up my coffee for me,will you,kid? Yes,sir. I'll need to go to manual procedure again,Captain. Get off of me! Oh,you're a real tiger,aren't you? Come on,Rowland,you had a few-- leave her alone. I'll decide when I've had enough. I should've knocked him on his ***. But he was your boss. I needed the ***'s recommendation. She was the first girl to turn him down. At least that's what he told me. They have any trouble after that? I don't know-- but the same week Ally disappearedi ,Rowland left GWA for South Ocean A Struck you as odd? Well,back then most pilots stayed with the same airlines their whole lives. He puts in 15 years and then leaves six months before his pension is vested? Your move,Cooper. Chess always was your favorite game. Lilly? Hi,Dad. Gwo So here you are all grown up. Right. Don't know where to start. You married? No. Work for the city? Cop. I'm a homicide detective. Homicide. Was that you outside my house? Yes. So you know about Your family. It's been a long time. Tell you the truth,I never thought I'd see you again. Sent you a bunch of letters a while back. Yeah,I got them. I still have them. Thought maybe your mother had decided not to give them to you. I I got 'em. I never heard back from you. I was 15. Not a baby. You could have tried again. You blame me for that. That the reason you drop out of thin air like this? To point fingers? Look,I am so glad you're here. Okay? Okay. How's you're mother doing? Yeah,she's fine. I got to go. Lilly? I'm here every week,you know. Rowland Hughes,Detective Valens. Airline pilot in the '60s,huh? Hand in my badge any day to have wings back then. Women you must of had just dropping at your feet. Times we won't see repeated, Detective Valens. Coffee? Thanks,sweetheart. Anyway,couple things I got to clear up here. Ally Thurston,stew I called you about. Two of you get along okay? Sure,we got along great. There's something here about her pouring whiskey on you while you're flying a 707? Where'd you hear that? Just give me something for the boss. I mean,you were a pilot. Who'd she think she was,right? She was wound tight,that's for sure. Is that why you left GWA for,uh,South Ocean Air? 'Cause she turned you down? You think I cared about some uppity stew?Come on. So why'd you leave? Let's just say I'd already worked my way through the "Girls Next Door" at GWA. South Ocean hired the sexpots. It was time for greener pastures. Right. Ever take any back to the Republican Hotel? The Republican. No,not that I remember. Look,Rowland. I'm trying to help you. Your name's in here. Twice. You got a room three months before she disappeared,another a year before that. The Republican,yeah,now I remember. Stayed there when I didn't want everyone at the Airport Hotel kning my business. I was a married man. You leave GWA the same week she disappears. You lie about staying at the place we found her. My first flight for South Ocean was a overnighter to Fiji-- November 17. I was out of the country the whole month. That all you got? If you really want to know who that girl had trouble with,talk to the women in her life. Why's that? You put a bunch of 'em in an aluminum tube,hormones raging,the claws come out. Swedish Royal Palace. Wait till Dean sees this one. I'm sorry. I've got to get back to our room. - But we just set out. - I'm under the weather. Why don't you go sight-seeing without me? You've been so tired. Helen,are you? that's great news The medical student from your flight to Detroit-- James. Well,you're in love with him,right? Are you going to get married? He can't support me yet. And if the airline finds out that I'm pregnant So that's why you bid this flight to Sweden. To take care of it? Don't be so dramatic,Ally. People do it all the time. You should be able to keep your job and your kid if that's what you want. Well,I don't have that choice,do I? What Rowland did to me-- to all the girls, the airline canning Peggy,the corner they've backed you into it's not fair. You going to take on Global World Airlines,Ally? Well,some of the stews have been talking. We're going to start our own union. We're gonna get out from under the pilots' thumbs. When they find out about this Are you crazy? I am not telling anyone about this. And neither are you. Got it? The airline had a policy against pregnancy? Pregnancy,marriage,being fat. Fares were regulated. The only way they could compete was with the stews they had. Girls Next Door at GWA,Girls Gone Wild at South Ocean. One thing they had in common? Being available. The good ol' days. So what's this about the stews looking to unionize? We'd already let 'em into the Airline Pilots Association. We were taking care of them. Suddenly we didn't have their best interests in mind. You ask me,they're nothing but waitresses in the sky. Looked for Republican Hotel employees, the maid that cleaned the room the next day-- all dead. Found another T. C. Bromley off Google. One-hit wonder author from 1882. That makes our doer,what,130? Photos from the Baker-Feldman case. You came all the way upstairs for that? My legs were falling asleep at my desk. It's a lucky desk. You got plans this weekend? Not anymore. Pick me up tomorrow night at 8:00-- Midvale Hotel. Landlord's fumigating my apartment. The room's on him. He going to be there,too? Don't be late. What ever happened with you and your fianc,Helen? My fianc The medical student from Detroit you were dating? James We were never engaged. Why'd it end? Ally tell him about your trip to Stockholm? No. It ended when I told him I couldn't have children anymore. Reason I became a doctor So what happened to me wouldn't happen to other women. Ally nursed me through the botched procedure. She never told a soul. I'm sorry. I would've died without her. Instead What happened,Helen? When she saw what happened to me,she said she couldn't sit back and watch anymore. Ally had guts. But people with guts make enemies. How are you feeling? Are you okay? Thank you for being my friend. I'm going to take care of you,do you hear me? This is your first flight back,and I want you to take ieasy. I'll get the service started. Hey,I need you to make sure tonight's flight is extra smooth. Helen isn't feeling very well. What the hell's wrong with you,Ally? What do you mean? You didn't really go to airline personnel,did you? Yes. I had a few things to discuss with them. Don't you understand how that looks for me? I'm up for my promotion. What does your promotion have to do with unfair work conditions? They're saying if I can't control you,how can I control a 707 with 200 passengers? This has nothing to do with your career,Dean. People are getting hurt. Besides,they told me to take a hike. They don't care what we have to say anyway. Good. So this is over? No. It's just starting. No fair play at GWA? If you walk out there wearing that thing,then this is war. Then war it is. That was two weeks before she disappeared. I always wondered if he'd gone after her. Saying Ally was some kind of feminist? Feminists didn't even exist in 1960. No,she just believed in fair play. What happened to Dean's career after she disappeared? A week later,the airline made the announcement. He got his promotion. Yeah. And Ally got dead. I was in Miami that week. Yeah,we heard that story before. Along with that song and dance you threw us about some other bad pilot. Acting like you were some patron saint of stewardesses. I didn't say that. - No,you said "this is war. " Right,Dean? To Ally. Woman threatened your precious promotion. I was mad. People say stupid things when they're mad. Do stupid things,too. Especially in hotels. Take things too far. Ally was a thorn in your side. Causing you a lot of problems. You're right. Problem was,I loved her. Two lumps. How you like it,right? I have good news. You grew a conscience? They're promoting me to captain. Be official in two weeks. Congratulations. You got everything you wanted. Not everything. Kingdom Afar? You want me to read this to you? Just skip to the part where the prince and the princess live happily ever after. Dean So? Will you? No. I thought that You know that I do. Then say yes. You're so worked up over all this union stuff,the way stews are treated I'm offering you a way out. Pilots are allowed to be married and have families. Pilots are allowed to be older than 32. Pilots can even flick girls' girdles and still keep their jobs. I'll marry you when the same is true for stews. All these years I thought it was an excuse not to marry me. That she'd run off with someone else. You ever see her again after that? No. I flew to Miami the next morning. Spent a week holed up in my room with three months' salary worth of gin. When I got back,she was gone. Still buy those monuments she collected wherever I go. The book you taped the ring inside-- Kingdom Afar? It's a fairy tale stews used read to kids when they were cranky. Why? Written by my new favorite author. Tracked down t head of personnel at GWA. Ally rallied every girl Rowland Hughes ever laid his hands on. Threatened to go public unless the airline got rid of him. Airline buckled day before Ally disappeared-- November 17,1960. Rowland left GWA because Ally got him fired? That type of thing was unheard of back then, but Ally knew how much the press liked stews. Gives Rowland motive to spare. Problem is,his alibi checks out. He was out of the country November 17th till the 30th. Yup. And I know who it was. Kingdom Afar. By T. C. Bromley our regular at the Republican Hotel. " The Prince and the Princess lived happily ever after for this is how such things ought to be. " Kingdom Afar. You familiar with it,Gloria? What does a children's book have to do with anything? T. C. Bromley-- the author? Same name as someone who stayed at the Republican Hotel once a month for ten years. Distinctive T's and B's I don't know what you're talking about. I've never stayed at the Republican. C'mon,Gloria. Got your old files. Compared your handwriting with T. C. Bromley's. It's a perfect match. There has to be some mistake. Who were you meeting at the hotel all those years,Gloria? VALENS: There's no ring on your finger. Whoever it was never made you an honest woman. A lady never tells. Lady? You mean "the other woman"? You used an alias 'cause Rowland Hughes was married. Rowland Hughes? - The pilot? - His name's right here. Only paid for the room twice,two times he signed in. Real prize,that guy. You know,I-I talked to him,Gloria. Gotta say,he must've been a handsome man. The pilot on your first flight Guy like him-- you never had a chance. Your first and only. Prince and princesses pilots and stews not a huge leap. Through darkness and light,the princess held out hope like all good princesses should. You were waiting for your prince to come, but Rowland Hughes wasn't prince material,was he? He just needed a little more time. To leave his wife? Married men don't leave their wives. Ever. I've been there,Gloria. Gave up six of the best years of my life. It was time you didn't have. Checked your birth records. Weren't 26 like you said. You were almost 32,about to hit that age ceiling. Then Rowland comes to the hotel. Tells you he's leaving the airline And bam,what little time you had is gone. Not only were you losing your job You were losing your man. Thanks to Ally and her small-town moxie. She didn't understand. I'mAll those terrible things she was saying about him Once Ally put her mind to something,look out. But she didn't know him like I knew him. What kind of a gentleman he could be. He took advantage of you,Gloria. No. He loved me. I was his princess And she was taking him away. The purser gave me your letter when I was leaving the airport. Yes,thank you for meeting me. You're grounded until we talk? Why would you ground me,Gloria? Because you're spreading lies. Whatever you told the airline to get Captain Hughes fired,I want you to take it back. But why would you care? There's the phone. If you want to fly again,you'll tell them the truth. Captain Hughes is a perfect gentleman. Gloria are you involved with him? Please mind your own business,Miss Thurston. But you deserve better. He's married. - And the things he's done - He's leaving because of you! No,he was fired,because he's a menace. You're only doing this so Dean can get his pilot seat! I'm doing this for the stews. So he'll stop touching them,stop following them to their rooms like a wolf You watch your mouth! You just can't see him for who he is because he's using you. This is your fault! You're taking him from me! He's never going to leave his wife,Gloria. He's only waiting for you to age out. Take it back! Now! No,I can't do that. * We've come too far. * * There's a somebody * * I'm longing to see * * I hope that she turns out to be * * Someone who'll watch over me * * I'm a little lamb who's lost in the wood * * I know I could,could always be good * * To one who'll watch over me * * Although I may not be the man some * * Girls think of as handsome * * But to her heart, * * I'll carry the key * * Won't you tell her please to put on some speed * * Follow my lead,oh, * how I need Someone to watch over me * * Won't you tell her please to put on some speed * * Follow my lead Oh,how I need Someone to watch over me. *