Kling and Meyer are the only detectives working upstairs in
the squad room when a woman walks in looking for Carella. When Kling tells her he's out and won't be back until later,
she announces that she'll wait for him. Kling and Meyer ask if they can help her, but she insists on talking to Carella.
When Bert tells her she'll have to wait outside, she pulls a gun out of her purse and tells them she's not leaving until she
sees Carella.
She orders the men to remove their guns and then locks
the weapons in a desk drawer. When Meyer asks her why she wants to see Carella so badly, she says, "To kill him".
Kling asks her what she's got against Carella and she tells him Steve killed her husband, Frank Colt. Mrs. Colt explains
that her husband died earlier that morning in Castlerock prison and Carella sent him up and testified against him, even though
he knew he was sick.
Meyer tries to talk her into giving herself up but it's to no avail. When
that doesn't work, he boldly tells her he's going to call for help and picks up the phone. Mrs. Colt pulls a small bottle
out of her purse and informs them that it contains nitroglycerin. Meyer puts the receiver down when she threatens to
blow up the entire building.
Steve and Teddy are at home. They are having an argument because they had
made plans to go to a cocktail party, but Steve has to cancel because he has a meeting with a man who has important information
on one of his cases. He tells Teddy that the meeting is more important than a cocktail party, and calls her a "spoiled
little girl". Furious, Teddy turns her back on him, but Steve turns her back around and tells her he's going to
the squad room after his meeting and he'll talk to her then. She slams the door when he leaves.
Back at the squad room, Captain Howard calls upstairs to speak to Lt. Byrnes. Kling
tells him Byrnes is not in and tries to give the captain a clue about their predicament. It doesn't work.
A few minutes later, Havilland brings in a young Latino named Angelica to book her for attempted murder. Mrs. Colt takes
Havilland's gun and puts it in her coat pocket. Then she tells everyone to go on with their normal routine so Carella
won't suspect anything is wrong when he comes down the hall. Kling and Havilland take Angelica's statement while
Meyer pretends to type up a report. He manages to slip a note out the window just before Moscolo comes in the squad
room.
Moscolo sees Mrs. Colt holding the gun. He throws a file at
her and tries to run out of the room. She shoots him in the back and then orders Kling and Havilland to move
him out of sight. When Murchison comes up to see what caused the noise, Meyer tells him he accidentally discharged
his gun. Once Murchison leaves, Mrs. Colt refuses to let them call for a
doctor for Moscolo, and she also refuses to allow Angelica to leave when she asks if she can go.
Over a period of time, Havilland manages to close the windows, turn off the fan,
and raise the thermostat in hopes that it will get so hot that Mrs. Colt will take off her coat and give him a chance to get
the gun she put in her pocket. His plan succeeds as the room becomes unbearably hot and Mrs. Colt removes
her coat. She soon realizes one of them has tampered with the thermostat and orders them to open
the windows and turn the fan back on.
While Kling distracts her by reading her husband's arrest record to her, Havilland
manages to get the gun. At that same time, Teddy walks into the squad room to wait for Steve. Mrs. Colt grabs
Teddy and tells Havilland to drop the gun or she'll kill her. Havilland does as he's told. Meyer, who
knows Mrs. Colt will kill Teddy if she learns her true identity, asks her if she's come to check on her stolen silverware.
Even though Teddy is confused by Meyer's question, she plays along and nods yes. Mrs. Colt realizes that she's a deaf/mute
and asks her to write her name down on a piece of paper. Teddy writes Marcia Franklin on the paper.
Two boys find Meyer's note and notify the authorities in another precinct. The
cop who takes the call phones the 87th and Kling answers while Mrs. Colt listens in on the other line. The cop tells
Kling about the note the kids found and asks if it's legitimate. Kling says no. During the conversation, the
cop mentions that the note was signed by a Detective Meyer. Mrs. Colt glares at Meyer and when the conversation
is over, claws him in the face.
Carella is late arriving at the precinct because of a flat tire.
While they are waiting for him to show up, Mrs. Colt recalls reading a story in the newspaper about Carella's deaf/mute
wife and realizes who Teddy really is. In a rage she lunges for Teddy, but is tripped by Angelica, who picks up her
gun. Angelica agrees to give the gun back to Mrs. Colt if she will let her go. Mrs. Colt agrees and just
as Angelica is about to hand the gun over, Havilland manages to grab it away from her while Kling subdues Mrs.
Colt. Carella walks in a few seconds later, oblivious to what has just happened, and begins complaining about his
lousy day.
