The Promise is the fifth episode of Due South's second season.
Storyline: Constable Fraser and Detective Vecchio must protect a pair of street urchins who stole an important electronic organizer from a murderer's pocket.
Original Air Date: January 12, 1996
Written by Michael Teversham
Directed by George Bloomfield
Synopsis[]
While Fraser drives Inspector Thatcher to the theatre, a pair of teenage pickpockets, Sid and his younger sister Andie, take advantage of the bustling crowd around the theatre to lift wallets and purses. Elsewhere in the area, a tall, husky character named Cobb meets Sunny Barclay, a high-class courtesan who has been servicing his employer. Telling her that her services have run their course, he garrotes her to death and takes her electronic book of client names and addresses, which is thereafter stolen by Andie. She next palms Thatcher's brooch, spurring Fraser to chase her and Sid through alleys and across roofs; but he is stymied when they disappear without a trace.
Over Ray's protests, Lieutenant Welsh gives the Barclay case to Huey and Gardino; because of the high media profile of the murder, he encourages Fraser to take Ray along on the trail of the pickpockets to keep him occupied. Fraser leads the way through several blocks of sewer in search of Andie and Sid while they seek to pawn some of their ill-gotten gains, although Andie remains unaware that Sid is spending most of the money to keep social workers from taking her to a foster home. Wandering the streets alone, Andie is suddenly assaulted by Cobb, who wants the address book back; Fraser and Ray chase him off and bring Andie downtown. Though angered that she got caught, Sid springs her, and realises that the address book is even more valuable than he thought.
Fraser finds Andie at a hansom stand and offers to take her for a horse carriage ride, quietly encouraging her to tell her story: she and Sid have family in Wyoming and are trying to raise enough money to flee there. However, Andie's dodgy behaviour causes Fraser to suspect that Sid has been untruthful. When Andie provides him with a description of Cobb, he and Ray gather that Cobb murdered Sunny Barclay and visit a series of tattoo parlours in search of him. They obtain a lapel pin linking Cobb to Elliott Johnstone, the senior U.S. Senator from Illinois, who is currently running for re-election; his name is under the list of clients in Sunny's address book, and Cobb killed her to prevent their involvement from blowing up into a media scandal. Meanwhile, Andie realizes to her dismay that Sid has spent all their money and lied to her about their family.
At Johnstone's campaign office, Ray attempts to question the senator's campaign manager about his involvement with Sunny - only to find that the manager is also Johnstone's wife. Meanwhile, Sid called Cobb's phone number after the waitress from a cafe gave it to him. Sid tells Cobb he has what he wants and demands $10,000 if he wanted it back or else he'll hand it over to the cops to get his reward. Cobb, then mentioned Sid's sister and he became suspicious. Sid ran outside to look for his sister Andie before Cobb does. Andie walked out of the cafe, unaware that Cobb is waiting for her. As Andie walked by, she is grabbed by Cobb, hand-gagged by his gloved hand preventing her from screaming for help, and he dragged her into his car and drove away. As Sid continued to search for his sister Andie, he found a brooch left behind that his sister had stolen from earlier which gave him an indication that Andie was kidnapped by Cobb. Welsh and borough commander Sherry O'Neill are livid, but forget about Ray's indiscretion when Sid shows up with the news that Andie has been kidnapped. He and Cobb have arranged to exchange her for the address book; a stakeout is set up, but when Cobb arrives with Andie in tow, an oblivious restaurant worker blows it. Andie gets away with Cobb in pursuit, and Fraser, Ray, Huey, and Gardino chasing them across the roofs. Cobb catches Andie and tried to escape with her through the nearby ladder going down until Fraser interferes. Cobb tells him to get of his way or he'll kill the girl. When Fraser refuses, Cobb becomes mad and tried to throw Andie off the roof. But as Fraser blocks his attempt to throw her off the roof, Cobb grabbed the pipe trying to kill both of them; Fraser and the girl Andie, then Sid catches up and tackles him - sending both himself and Cobb plummeting to the pavement below.
Though seriously injured, Cobb and Sid both survive the plunge. Sid returns both the address book and the brooch his sister stole from Thatcher, who shows a rare moment of gratitude when Fraser gives it back to her.
Cast[]
- Amy Stewart as Andie
- Shawn Mathieson as Sid
- Todd William Schroeder as Cobb
- Sherry Miller as Cmdr. Sherry O'Neill
- Diane Douglass as Celia
- Julian Richings as Miles
- Warren Sulatycky as Carl
- Barbara Law as Sunny Barclay
- Rena Polley as Mrs. Johnstone
Soundtrack[]
- "Goodbye Train" by Big Sugar [album: Dear M.F.] (tattoo parlour scene)
Memorable Quotes[]
Benton Fraser: I promised the inspector, Ray.
Ray Vecchio: You promised her? The same woman who's been trying to get you fired for weeks? Does the word 'sap' mean anything to you, Benny?
Benton Fraser: Of course it does, Ray. It's from the Latin 'sapire'.
Ray Vecchio: Really?
Benton Fraser: Don't be a sap, Ray.
Ray Vecchio: You don't really know Latin!
Benton Fraser: Bene scire latinas litteras difficilimum est.
Ray Vecchio: Aah, you're makin' that up.
Ray Vecchio: Ahh, somebody has a sweet tooth!
Benton Fraser: Hmmm.
Ray Vecchio: Did I ever tell you how much I hate it when you go 'hmmm'?
Benton Fraser: Hmmm.
Due South - Exploring Chicago's Sewer System
Benton Fraser: Ray, calm down. I'm sure there's nothing in here that's any less sanitary than...ooh. Stay away from that, Ray.
Ray Vecchio: Out! That's it! Out! Now! Out!
(exiting the sewer through a manhole)
Ray Vecchio: You have any idea how many suits of mine you've ruined? Twenty four perfectly good - (a car almost hits them) Holy cow! C'mon, man, let's get out of here!
(on the sidewalk, seeing that Fraser is spotless)
Ray Vecchio: What is it with you? Does dirt not stick to you? What were you, scotch-guarded at birth?
Benton Fraser: Hanky?
Ray Vecchio: Look, you spend your days picking other people's pockets, sooner or later you're gonna tick somebody off.
Benton Fraser: Well, that's hardly comforting to a fourteen-year-old, now is it?
Ray Vecchio: Well, what do you care so much about this kid for? (beat) Okay. Please tell me this doesn't involve sub-zero temperatures or Inuit legend.
Benton Fraser: No, it does not.
Ray Vecchio: Aaah, of course it does. It always does!
Ray Vecchio: Celebrities are no different than the next guy, Fraser. The only mistake you can make is to treat them like they are.
Benton Fraser: Still, Ray, it is a matter of etiquette.
Ray Vecchio: Are you saying I don't have any etiquette?
Benton Fraser: Etiquette is a loose codification of the rules of conduct in a polite society, and I believe that precludes accusing a United States Senator of murder, conspiracy, and moral deviance.
Ray Vecchio: Fraser, this is America. We do that all the time.