Ep 4. High Steel

Cagney & Lacey season 2 episode 4 is titled High Steel. In this episode, the two female police detectives are tasked with investigating the death of a construction worker who fell from a building. The death is initially believed to be an accident, but as Cagney and Lacey begin their investigation, they uncover some suspicious evidence that leads them to believe that the death may have been a homicide.

The deceased construction worker, named Tony, was well-liked by his coworkers and seemed to be a hard worker. However, as Cagney and Lacey interview more and more people on the construction site, they begin to uncover some secrets that were being kept hidden beneath the surface.

One major lead comes from a site manager who tells Cagney and Lacey that Tony had recently been complaining about safety hazards on the job, including faulty equipment and improperly trained coworkers. Tony had even threatened to report the issues to OSHA if they weren't addressed. Cagney and Lacey begin to wonder if Tony's insistence on safety might have rubbed some of his coworkers or superiors the wrong way and led someone to harm him.

Another important piece of evidence comes from a young man named Joey, who works on the construction site as a gofer. Joey tells Cagney and Lacey that he saw Tony arguing with another worker on the day of his death, a man named Louie. Louie had a reputation for being a hothead and had a bit of a contentious history with Tony. Joey doesn't know what the argument was about, but he saw Louie shove Tony before storming off.

Cagney and Lacey start to hone in on Louie as a possible suspect in Tony's death. They learn that Louie has a bit of a criminal record and that he had recently been fired from another job for stealing equipment. They also note that Louie has a pretty bad temper and may have had a motive to silence Tony if he was going to report unsafe working conditions or other unsavory practices.

As the two detectives begin to build a case against Louie, they run into some roadblocks. They don't have any hard evidence that he was involved in Tony's death, and Louie is a tough nut to crack. He refuses to cooperate with the police and even gets into a physical altercation with Cagney, causing her to injure her hand.

Despite these setbacks, Cagney and Lacey continue to dig and finally catch a break when they find a witness who saw Louie leaving the construction site shortly after Tony fell. The witness also says that Louie seemed to be carrying something, possibly Tony's hard hat, which would have been an important piece of evidence in determining if the fall was an accident or not.

With this testimony and other circumstantial evidence, Cagney and Lacey are finally able to arrest Louie for Tony's murder. The episode ends with the two detectives feeling a sense of satisfaction for bringing justice to Tony's family and for making their workplace a little bit safer for everyone.

Overall, High Steel is a gripping episode of Cagney & Lacey that showcases the crime-solving skills of the two female detectives. With its complex plot and well-developed characters, this episode is a testament to the show's longevity and continued popularity with audiences.