The Fix:

The birds’s chirps and flutters are the only sound the vice squad hears. They watch as the limousine of an as-yet unseen dealer named Ortega rolls in. The squad is already tense, particularly when another player named Hector Berlioz arrives. One man exits the limo, meeting Berlioz and his aide. But the cash-pass suddenly turns into a hit, and the aide is dead in the water. The squad moves in, gunning down the hitman and arresting Berlioz. Switek gets quite a surprise when they surround on the limo. No one ever let it slip that Ortega was a woman.

But something’s fishy at the bail hearing. Despite Crockett and Tubbs’s testifying to her being a guaranteed flight risk, Ortega is released on bail that would cost less than her earrings! What’s worse, the judge is Ferguson, one of the city’s biggest success stories. Raised in Miami gang territory, he got out on a basketball scholarship and graduated law school with honors. A check into the records shows he’s made similar let-offs with several other dealers and killers, most being open-and-shut cases. When Crockett and Tubbs take their suspicions to Castillo, he authorizes an investigation into Ferguson, beginning with Berlioz. He gives it up that Ferguson is in league with Ortega’s lawyer, Benedict, who can buy favors from the Judge for the right price. Sonny’s faith in the system is shaken, but Rico’s understands. Meanwhile, Sonny knows where Ferguson can be found after session—the basketball court, where the Judge’s son, Matt, is now star of the Sunblazers. After watching Matt flash a few winning moves, Crockett and Tubbs witness the Judge disappearing with a new player. They follow to the parking lot ad the Judge is driven off in a limo. The next morning while a check is being run on the plates, Castillo informs them that they’re warranted to bug Benedict at his office. Sonny admits that he knows Ferguson is on the take, but smells something more to it. What, though?

While Switek and Zito keep watch, Calabrese escorts Joplin into Benedict’s office and wire the phone, narrowly getting out before Benedict returns. Then Switek and Zito send in a nervous Berlioz to solicit Benedict’s services and get the Judge’s asking price. Meanwhile, the player from the basketball game is hauled in and he cops to being a muscleman for Pagoni, a big-time local bookie with his hands into prostitution, narcotics, protection, the list goes on. But he’s not sure why Judge Ferguson warrants such interest. Calabrese come in with the authorization to bug Ferguson. Matt won’t talk to Crockett and Tubbs, but Switek and Zito hear plenty when Benedict comes to Ferguson’s house. Ferguson spurns the bribe Benedict offers him from Berlioz, but states forcefully that he’s not doing it anymore. Benedict’s parting words explain it all—Benedict was taking advantage of Ferguson, who is heavily in debt to Pagoni. But then Matt is heard, whom Ferguson asked to throw the basketball playoffs. Now he’s offering to sit out the final game, tipping the odds in Pagoni’s favor. After hearing the tape, Sonny goes to confront Judge Ferguson, informing him that Benedict is in jail. Despite all Crockett says about how Ferguson is not beyond hope, the Judge refuses to roll on Pagoni, saying looking for a deal was how he first got in so deep.

One night later, Sonny gets a call from Switek and Zito that they heard Ferguson call his son and say everything was taken care of. Then he left his house, headed for the docks. While Tubbs goes to the game to guard Matt, Crockett speeds to the docks, hearing Judge Ferguson blow Pagoni away, then coming face-to-face with him on the boat. Crockett begs the Judge not to do it, but Ferguson’s gone too far. He raises the gun to his temple, and breaks even. When gambling with a bookie, no one ever wins.

Many thanks to C.T. Warren, the fellow Vice fan that wrote this synopsis.

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