Life (2007–2009): Season 1, Episode 8 - Farthingale - full transcript

Charlie Crews becomes the prime suspect in the murder of retired police Sgt. Carl Ames, the lead investigator in the case for which Charlie was wrongly convicted of murder. He had been following Ames and had seen him talking with a white-haired man who he subsequently learns is Dani Reese's father. He is warned by his former lawyer Constance Griffiths that the District Attorney's office is out to get him for Ames' murder and he is surprised to learn the identity of a newly appointed assistant DA in the case. Charlie and Dani investigate the death of a man who apparently lived a double life. They also realize that his bizarre death wasn't an accident.

Previously on "Life"

you were the lead detective
on the Crews murder case?

Yeah, I worked that case

and no DNA's going to tell me
we got the wrong guy

you should ask your partner
about the bank of LA shootout

that was 15 years ago

ask your partner what
happened to the money

you want to talk about why
you're packing books?

I'll need them in New York

I guess I should go

Rachel was in the house
her bed was unmade

she was there when it happened,
not at a sleepover

none of us are alone,
even as we exhale,

it is inhaled by others

the light that shines on me
also shines on my neighbor

everything is connected
to everything else

I am connected to my friend
as I am connected to my enemy

there is not difference
between me and my friend

there is not difference
between me and my enemy

none of us are alone

how come you only call
when someone's dead?

Why should you ask why?

- Where's all the furniture?
- Maybe this is all the furniture.

He's in the kitchen,
what's left of him.

Would mean the rewrite of your song

then you'd have to admit your melody

could have been stronger all along

He must've been standing at the fridge
when the stove blew.

The door protected his top half,
the bottom half...

- Vaporized.
- Cut him in two.

- Accident or arson?
- We'll have to pull it apart.

You get a leak in a line,
the gas builds up inside.

Stove becomes a grenade
waiting to blow.

All you need is one spark
and "boom".


Why should you ask why?

Just turn a blind eye

finding something wrong would mean

Edward Farthing.

That's him but this house
isn't the listed address.

- I've got another one.
- Another what?

Another ID.

Joseph Gale.

That's him, too...

But with another address.

One foot front,

drag it back

two more times,

you're doing fine

at this rate

you'll keep your place

and never miss

a beat of mine

I thought if I spoke clearly
you would hear me and

then understand

Why does he need two ID's?

Why'd he have any ID.
Seems like he's hardly here.

Let's check the addresses.

As you wanted
'cause it left you in control

- Can I help you?
- My name is detective Reese.

What's happened?

Do you know an Edward Farthing?

Finding something wrong would mean

- May I help you?
- My name is detective Crews.

The police? Something wrong?

Do you know a Joseph Gale?

Edward is my husband.
Why? What's happened?

Joseph is my husband.
Has something happened?

I'm with the widow.

Funny you should say that.

There was a gas explosion.


In Cheviot Hills.

How long have you been married?

Five years.

We met in Mammoth, skiing.

Double black diamond.

He used to compete.

He liked to go fast.

We both liked to go fast.

How did it happen?

It was a gas explosion.

- Where?
- In Cheviot Hills.

Okay. I see.

Marissa, how long were you married?

Three years.

We met at a Richard Sierra retrospective.

He explained the beauty of
the oxidation process in such a way...

I cried.


- You mean rust?
- Yes...

But you should've heard
Joseph speak about it.

We lived a life of the mind.

Elena, what'd you husband
do for a living?

What did Joseph do for a living?

I'm not sure I can tell you.

But it'd not surprised
it finally killed him.

Why won't you tell me
what his job was?

I suppose not that he's dead
it's okay.

You'll find out soon.
I'm sure they'll tell you.

He worked for the government.

What branch of the government?

He wasn't allowed to tell me.
That's how secret it was.

Are you saying he was
some kind of agent?

- Yes.
- Must've been difficult.

It was. Because of his job...

He had to go away
for long periods of time.

There were phone calls
in the middle of the night...

Which sometimes upset him.

You must've been worried
for his safety.

Constantly, but it was
for the good of the country.

The sacrifice I made with him
being away all the time...

Is nothing compared to...

It just wasn't the time away.

It made him forgetful and confused.


Sometimes he forgot
where he was.

And who he was.

You must've loved him very much.

I did.

He was kind, generous...



He did what no other man
I've ever met did.

What's that?

He listened to me.

He listened to me.

When can I claim his body?


In case he was an agent,
send his prints to the government.

Expect a "neither confirm
nor deny existence of" letter.

We have one dead guy
married to two women.

- Half a dead guy.
- Half a dead guy.

If either wife found out,
that'd be cause for murder.

If they both found out,
maybe they killed him together.

- That your theory?
- It makes sense.

- That's why I'm surprised it's yours.
- What'd you expect me to say?

That they both seemed
to love him.

Marissa seems like she did...

And from what you say,
so did Elena.

They don't seem like
they could kill someone.

Marissa didn't seem it...

And from what you say,
neither did Elena.

But you still think
they're good for it.

Want to know what
the Chinese symbol for war is?

God, just when I thought
I was going to get an answer.

- I don't have to tell you.
- No, tell me. What?

- If you don't want me to.
- Tell me what the symbol for war is.

The Chinese symbol for war...

Is two women under one roof.

He told both wives he was
a secret government agent?

If you're going to lie, lie big.

When we told them where he died,
they didn't believe it.

Like Cheviot Hills was
some kind of agency cover up.

Both wives have alibis.

Marissa was at her gallery,
and Elena was at climbing class.

There's no record of them
knowing each other.

Or knowing about each other.

We canvasses the block,
showed pictures of both women.

- No one remembers seeing them.
- Who lives like this?

- Everything okay?
- Imagine me married to two women.

Okay, I'll play.

Are they hot?

I guess so.

- You're imagining it, aren't you?
- Yes, turns out I am.

- How's it working out?
- Not so bad.

Not until the part where
they blow you up with a stove.

I don't get it.

You tell each of them
a different lie.

Don't all husbands lie
to their wives?

When I was married,
all I did was lie, didn't you?

No, what'd you lie about.

You know...

About the girls, what happened
on the private jets.

What happened with the girls
on the private jets.

This guy didn't lie like that.

He didn't lie to be away from them,
he lied to be with them.

Maybe we should buy
some furniture.

Report came back from arson.
The pilot light was rigged.

Someone turned that stove
into shrapnel.

The phone logs on the wives
show no contact between them.


- We got an officer down.
- Where?

Here in the building.
Parking structure.

Excuse me. Thank you!

Wasn't there another suspect
in the seybold killings?

Are you removing me from duty?

The lead detective on your case
was just shot to death

- I was here when it happened.
- Doesn't mean you weren't involved.

You think I was involved?

If it was your case,
would you be a suspect?

My case?

I'd be at the top of the list.

Are you removing me from duty?

No, but expect a visit from iad.

I always do.


I'll be handling this case

- You still have your gun and badge.
- Yeah.

If you want a new partner,
now's probably the moment.

We got a hit of the prints.

- Name was Rudolph Farthingale.
- Farthingale?

Edward Farthing. Joseph Gale.

- Farthingale.
- Came of the government database.

- He did work for them?
- Yeah...

But not exactly as a spy.

Rudolph Farthingale
worked for the IRS?

Yeah. Looks like we opened
our field of suspects.

Who doesn't want to kill
the taxman, right?

- How long did he work here?
- Twelve years.

Did he ever talk about
his personal life?

No, he always kept
to himself, but...

I always felt he had
a tame home life.

He was just so...

- Ordinary?
- Yes.

He was the most ordinary man
I've ever met.

And shy. He could hardly
look a woman in the eye.

- He wasn't married, was he?
- No, he wasn't.

- This was always his cubicle?
- Yes.

Has it been cleaned lately?

No, Mr. Farthingale
always kept it like this.

- Very exact.
- No photos.

Nothing personal.

- What was his job?
- He was in tax evasion.

He went after people
who didn't pay their taxes?

Go after? No, we have
field agents for that.

He'd scan and collate records...

Identify non-paying citizens
and flag them for the field agents.

- He never left his cubicle?
- Seemed to like it that way.

We'll need a list of people
he flagged as tax evaders.

Why'd you want that?

Maybe one of them killed him.
Taxmen aren't exactly well-liked.

- That'd be impossible.
- For one of them to kill him?

For one of them to even
know who he was.

Mr. Farthingale was assigned
an identification number...

Which appears on the reports,
not his name.

Just a number.

Detective Crews!

- IAD?
- Not exactly.

John garrity,
I'm your union rep.

I came to talk to your lieutenant,
but I thought I'd introduce myself.

- Nice to meet you, John.
- Yeah, you too.

- I'll be at your IAD meeting.
- Okay.

- You can have a lawyer, too.
- My lawyer's out of town.

- You can get another one.
- I think it'll be okay.

Look, off the record...

Some guy puts me away for 12 years,
I'd take him out, too...

But I think I'd want to
do it myself.

Hi, this is constance
please leave a message

Connie, I know you're in NY...

But that guy you told me
to stay away from is dead.

So, call me. Okay?

Do you want to know if
I was involved in Ames' death?


My union rep said he wouldn't
blame me if I did do it.

- Did he?
- Off the record.

- Then it doesn't count.
- I don't want to go back to jail.

I can understand that.

Rudolph Farthingale...

Shaker heights, Ohio, 1973.

"B" student in high school,
"b" student in college.

Got 83% on his civil service exam.

- No criminal record.
- No speeding or parking tickets.

Worked in tax evasion
for the IRS since 1995.

He was a real bland guy.

Except that he had two wives
and got blown up by a stove.

- Think he felt any pain?
- No.

And his was some kind go
safe house?

Is that what they call it?


Elena, this is Marissa Gale.

Marissa, this is Elena Farthing.

Why are we here?

Yeah, what's going on?


Marissa's husband
was killed yesterday.

Killed here.

I'm so sorry.
My husband...

Was killed yesterday, too.

Is that why we're here?

Did they work together,
where my husband worked?

Your husband worked there, too?

Ladies, both your husbands
were killed here...

Yesterday at the same time, but...

But what, detective?

There was only one person here.

How could there only
have been one person?

Did your husband suddenly have
to leave town for a week or so?

Did your husband get strange
calls in the middle of the night?

- Sometimes forget where he was?
- Forget who he was?

- Are you saying...
- That we were both married...


To the same man?


- He wasn't a spy.
- He was a fraud...

But I believed him.

I thought he was working
on a big case.

He told you he was
tracking someone, too?

How he wasn't looking for
the person not obeying the law.

No, he said he was looking
for the person, not obeying the law.

Joseph said he wasn't looking for
the person not, not obeying the law.

Edward said he was looking for
the person not, not obeying the law.


His real name was
Rudolph Farthingale.

He worked at the IRS.

- I don't have a reaction to this.
- I do.

I'm going home to smash
everything he owned.

He was not looking for the person
not obeying the law...

Not looking for the person not,
not obeying the law.

That talk remind you of anyone?

Rudolph Farthingale...

Wanted to be a spy so badly...

But you think...

He found something,
someone that got him killed?

Or he was one of those people
who sees conspiracies everywhere.

This is was we were afraid of.

When we put you with Crews, I asked
you to help remove him from duty...

- For his good and the department's.
- Yeah. I remember.

I won't deny he's done
some good police work...

But we were afraid Crews
was back to get even...

And now Ames is dead.

He's won't go back to prison.
He's capable of anything now.

He's got nothing to lose.


You should lock your door.

Some doors I lock, some I don't.

You got my message about Ames?

Already knew.
The da's office told me.

- Because you're my lawyer?
- I'm not your lawyer anymore.

I know, I know what we said, but...

Iad told me
to get a lawyer and...

Who else can I trust, Connie?

The DA's office called me
last week.

But Ames died yesterday.

- They called me about a job.
- You, working for the da?

I took it.

They're been after you
for years, why now?

The Cudahy thing got to me.
Most of my clients aren't like you.

The high priced ones the firm
assigned me, they're guilty.

How does your husband feel
about coming back from NY early?

He's staying there a while.

He needs it. We both do.

Why are you here, Connie?

Because I start with
the da's office tomorrow...

And then next time I see you
it will be official business.

So, I need you
to listen to me, Charlie. Okay?

The da's office wants you
for Ames' death.

You need to watch yourself.

And lock your door.

What does she mean,
you need to watch yourself?

A week before Ames died...

The da took my lawyer from me.

Initial internal affairs inquiry
with detective Crews, LAPD.

Detective Crews, what were
your feelings towards Carl Ames?

The same as my feelings
towards anyone.

- And those would be?
- No one is alone.

Even as we exhale,
it is inhaled by others.

Is that a joke?

Laughter is the best medicine.

"Readers digest".

I had a subscription
at pelican bay.

You were seen arguing with Ames.
Is that connected to his death?

The light that shines on me,
shines on my neighbor, too.

What does that mean?

That everything is connected
to everything else.

Who'd he piss off
to get killed like that?

Someone rigged his stove.

Someone wanted him dead.

Someone's still out there.

You still thinking
about Farthingale?

- Yes.
- Okay.

And what do you think?

That we need to know more
about what Farthingale was thinking.

How do we do that?

No one knew him.
It was just Farthing and Gale.

He split himself in two.
Let's put him back together.

His wives didn't do it.
Maybe they can tell us who did.

- What are we looking for?
- Points of connection.

What would those look like?

Gale was here.
Farthing was there...

And Farthingale was in both places.
We need to find Farthingale.

We're looking for how they were
the same, not different.

We find that,
we find Farthingale.

What kind of music
did Joseph listen to?

Modern jazz.

- And Edward?
- Classic rock.

- What TV did he watch?
- Sports mostly.

Joseph never watched TV.

- Scrambled.
- Poached.

- Flat.
- Sparkling.

- Top.
- Bottom.

- Boxers.
- Briefs.

- Right side of the bed.
- Left side.

- He was a light sleeper.
- He was a light sleeper.

What'd he do
when he couldn't sleep?

He'd sit in that chair.

Sit there and stare,
almost meditating.

- Which chair did he sit in?
- That one.

He'd sit and stare,
all zoned out.

- What do you see?
- A fireplace.

What else?

A photo of Farthingale and Elena...

A model boat...

A duck decoy, a fishing pole...

5 baseball caps.

- How many caps?
- Five, why?

What do you see?

Five bottles of wine.


Two national pastimes.

Baseball and drinking.

This is what he did
when he couldn't sleep.

When you can't sleep,
what do you think about?

- I don't have trouble sleeping.
- Work.

When I can't sleep,
I think about work.

- He worked for the IRS.
- Farthingale worked for the IRS.

Farthing and Gale were spies...

And would sit there
meditating on these objects.

Five baseball caps
from minor league teams.

- And 5 bottles of wine.
- This is ridiculous.

This is what he did.

- Maybe...
- You see something, don't you?

No, it's ridiculous.

What are the years
on those bottles?

1993, 1997, 1999, 2000 and 2004.

That's odd.


Bakersfield post office.

1997, Lancaster police station.

Yeah, 1999, modesto court house.

Court house.
2002, stockton hall of records.

2004, visalia city hall.

- The years these places were bombed.
- Free state bombings.

- Free state bombings?
- You're been away.

Free state,
an anti-government wacko.

He pulls a bombing every
few years and goes into hiding.

- Never been caught.
- Until now.

You think this IRS clerk
did what the fed couldn't?

Free state was a bomber.

Farthingale's stove blew.

Which years please?

1993, 1997, 1999, 2002 and 2004.

Nothing. No entry in his tax files
with those dates as key.

What did the wives say?

He was not looking for someone
not obeying the law...

He was looking for the guy not,
not obeying the law.

He was not looking for the guy
not obeying the law.

- Will he keep saying that?
- Not, not obeying the law.

Was Farthingale tracking someone
who was paying his taxes?

I can't imagine why
he'd do that.

Could you check for me?

He was not, not obeying the law.

He was not,
not paying his taxes.

Free state lives off the grid
but comes back every few years.

Pays taxes when he needs to earn
money, rent cars, buy supplies.


But if you want to establish
credit in a certain year...

You'd have to file taxes
the year before.

So we should check one year
before each attack.

1992, 1996, 1998, 2001 and 2003.

Leonard Slatz.

Mr. Slatz is not a tax evader.
Not consistently so.

He doesn't pay taxes a few years
and the he'll file and not pay again.

That's why he wasn't listed
in Farthingale's evasion file.

He was not, not paying.

How would Farthingale
get a hold of something like this?

He'd have to look
at some kind of...

Statistical anomaly or something
that didn't belong in the database...

But the Patience to do that.
It's thousands of hours.

Did Slatz pay his taxes last year?

- Yes.
- He's preparing another attack.

Do you have an address listed
for Mr. Leonard Slatz?

Yes, but it's a po box.


The po box was emptied out
two days ago.

Some creepy guy rolls up
in an rv...

Closes the account,
no forwarding address.

Farthingale got close.

- Hello?
- Charlie.

- Hey! How's your first day?
- Go home.

- What?
- Go home, Charlie

go home now.

Looks like a party, but this is
my house and I didn't send invites.

Since you're a suspect
in the killing of Carl Ames...

The da office has issued
a warrant for these premises.

- I wish I could talk like that.
- They seem serious, Charlie.

We are serious.
Let's get this over with.

- It's locked.
- Is it?

- Do you have a key?
- I had a key.

- Do you know where it is?
- You know what happened?

I left the key in there
and locked the door...

So to unlock the door, I need the key,
but can't get the key unless...

I unlock the door.
It's a puzzle.

Break it down.

Get the ram.

Let's go.

You took it all?

I was looking for porn.

Your lawyer called. Said if there was
anything you wouldn't want found...

How'd you get in?

You weren't the only one in prison.
I learned things there, too.

- How'd you know what was in there?
- I didn't exactly.

But in prison I learned you had
to have something hidden.

Okay, Farthingale.
Let's get to work.


You okay?

The feds are trying to find out
where free state is going next...

But Edward Farthing and Joseph Gale
already knew that.

They followed him, got too close
and that's what got them killed.

No, Crews,
that's what got him killed.

There was no Farthing,
there was no Gale.

It was one man, Farthingale.

One person split in two.

Both needing the same thing.
Both wanting to be a hero.

Both needing to find Slatz
and both...

IRS agents.

Both Farthing and Gale
saved all their receipts

so, you find a place
they both went?

"You are what you receipt".

Both ate over and over
at this place.

We want to find Slatz,
we followed Farthing and Gale.

"Dandy's fast foods"?

I can't see intellectual Farthing
or health nut Gale eating there.

Let's go see why they...

Why he went there.

We have one thing Farthingale
didn't have when he went after Slatz.

- Yeah, what's that?
- Farthingale's death.

What did the guy
at the po box place say?

- Someone closed the account yesterday.
- What was he driving?

An rv.


Detectives Reese and Crews.

- We're looking for...
- Leonard Slatz.

- That's right.
- Figures.

Why's that.

That nut's always going off
about the government.

I knew it was just a matter
of time before they came for him.

- Is he here?
- No.

Took off 2 days ago. Left me with
a month unpaid rent and utilities.

He left some boxes, though.
You want me to get them?

No, I think it'd be better
if you let us get them.

Suit yourself.
Come on back.

Over here.

Reese, don't move!

- I'm going to back away now.
- That's a good idea.

Get down! Get down!

I will shoot you.

He wants to shoot you.

Leonard Slatz,
you're under arrest.

For opposing an unjust government?
For asserting my free will?

No. For the murder
of Rudolph Farthingale.

He was one of us, Leonard.

We don't like it
when you kill one of us.

I get that Farthingale was
half physical, half intellectual...

Farthing and Gale, the agent,
the analyst, but...

Why the two wives?

Because neither of them
wanted to be alone.

- You're not going to Ames's funeral?
- Probably not a good idea.

Probably not.

How you doing?

You ready?

Yeah. Crews, this is my father.

- Jack Reese.
- Charlie Crews.

- I know who you are.
- Of course.

Let's go, Dani. I don't want
to be late for Carl's funeral.


None of us are alone

even as we exhale,
it is inhaled by others

The light that shines on me,
also shines upon my neighbor

In this way everything is
connected to everything else

In this way,

I am connected to my friend
as I am to my enemy

The lord is my Shepherd.
I shall not want.

He makes me to lie down
in green pastures.

In this way, there is no difference
between me and my friend

Present arms!

In this way, there is no difference
between me and my enemy

We are none of us alone