Beyond Belief: Fact or Fiction (1997–2024): Season 1, Episode 4 - Cup of Joe - full transcript
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[music playing]
[ominous music playing]
JAMES BROLIN: Is there an
explanation for everything
in the world?
There are some things
that seem impossible,
yet we tell ourselves, there
must be some explanation.
[theme music]
DON LAFONTAINE: Beyond
Belief, Fact or Fiction.
Hosted by James Brolin.
We live in a world where
the real and the unreal
live side by side.
Where substance is
disguised as illusion.
And the only explanations
are unexplainable.
Will you be able to
separate stories of truth
from fantasy, tonight?
To do so, you must break through
the web of your experience,
and open your mind to
things beyond belief.
JAMES BROLIN: A glass jar that
has never been cut in any way.
And shoes that can't possibly
fit through the opening.
Impossible, yet here it is.
Tonight's stories deal with
the seemingly impossible,
yet some of them happened.
And of course, names,
dates, and certain details
have been changed.
At the end of the
show, we'll tell you
which ones have been
inspired by actual events
and which ones are
totally fiction.
Your challenge is
to see if you can
figure out when
we're fooling you
and when we've
bottled the truth.
This is one of the most
sophisticated tools
in the history of
civilization, yet we're
just starting to learn what
computers are capable of.
Is the computer screen
a window to the world
or another tunnel
through which we
may encounter the unexplained?
What mysteries are out there
lurking in that strange world
we call cyberspace?
LAURIE: On the
morning of March 15,
my boss was in his
office in a meeting
with a very important client.
MR. GOTH: There you are, Ms.
Burroughs, your signature
by the x and we're almost done.
MS. BURROUGHS: Done?
You-- You mean that's it?
The money--
MR. GOTH: --will be wired
to the firm's escrow account
by 5 o'clock, today.
Then we can issue you a check.
All of it?
The entire $500,000?
Yes.
That's the entire estate
of your late uncle.
You two must have
been pretty close.
Inseparable.
Excuse me, Mr. Goth?
A message for you.
It's urgent.
LAURIE (VOICEOVER):
Mr. Goth loves
to play the role of the Big
Shot with the explosive temper,
and I was prepared
for the explosion.
It came in on the computer.
It's an email.
I thought you'd want
to see it right away.
Ms. Burroughs,
would you excuse us?
Something's come up.
- What?
Now?
But we're-- we're
almost finished.
Look-- look, I have
been waiting three
months for this whole
probate rigmarole.
And I apologize that
it's taken so long.
I don't want your apology.
I want the money.
Look, I have a plane to catch.
A plane?
[sighs]
Look, I'm sorry but there's
been a problem with the bank,
and they won't be able to
wire you money until tomorrow.
This is a total outrage.
Now, I will be back
here tomorrow at 9:00,
and I want my money then.
Don't worry.
We'll straighten it out.
Well, it better or I will
never do business with this law
firm again.
MR. GOTH: Look, Ms.
Burroughs, please.
Ms. Burroughs?
Mrs. Burroughs?
Mrs. Burroughs.
The woman in your office
is not my niece, Victoria.
She is an imposter.
Do not give her the money.
All right, Laurie.
Who's making these accusations?
And what do they
have to back it up?
Who did you speak to?
I didn't speak to anybody.
It came on the computer.
It was an email.
Excuse me.
You didn't speak to anyone?
You didn't check this out?
It was an emergency.
Wait a minute.
You got a message telling me
that the woman in my office,
about to receive a
half a million dollars,
is an imposter.
And you didn't check
to see who sent it?
I know who sent it.
It came from Big Biz.
Ah, Big Biz.
Yes.
Who is Big Biz?
It's what's called
a computer user name.
It's like a nickname.
How do you know
this isn't a prank?
I may lose a new potential
client because of some prank.
I'm sorry Mr. Goth.
Sorry doesn't fix it, Laurie.
You screw up like this
again, and you're fired.
Now, I've got a meeting.
Forward With my calls.
LAURIE (VOICEOVER): This
time, I was gonna show
him he wasn't always right.
I was going to find out
what this weird message
was all about, even if it
meant I had to work all night.
[music playing]
Big Biz, huh?
OK.
I can do this.
There's got to be a way.
[beep]
Search.
[beep]
Member profile.
[beep]
[typing]
Search.
[ding]
Profile for that member
is no longer available.
How can that be?
LAURIE (VOICEOVER): I called
our private legal hot line.
[dialing]
[ringing]
MAN (ON PHONE):
Customer Service.
Yes, I'm trying to figure
out who sent me an email today.
I tried member search
but it says, member
profile no longer available.
MAN (ON PHONE): What's
the name, ma'am?
Big Biz.
B-I-G B-I-Z.
MAN (ON PHONE): Big Biz
is no longer in use.
It was dropped from the
service three months ago,
for an unpaid account.
Well, can you
tell me who it was?
It's really important.
MAN (ON PHONE): The name on the
account was Edward Burroughs.
But that can't be.
Edward Burroughs is dead.
MAN (ON PHONE): I don't
know what else to tell you.
Big Biz is Edward Burroughs.
OK, thanks.
[hangs up phone]
[beep]
LAURIE: I have new mail.
[click]
You must find my niece.
Send reply.
[typing]
Who are you?
Send.
Read it now.
LAURIE (VOICEOVER):
It was too weird.
I couldn't really
be communicating
with the dead man.
LAURIE: Find my niece.
She's in Brooklyn.
New name is Gourlay.
No.
Can not until you
tell me who you are.
I'm not gonna lose
my job over this.
I have new mail.
Find her.
How?
[beeping]
How?
How do you want me to find her?
[click]
LAURIE (VOICEOVER):
How could I be
getting instructions from a
man who died three months ago?
But something told
me just to go for it.
OK.
[typing]
Victoria Gourlay,
Brooklyn, New York.
[beeping]
Come on.
[beep]
Bingo.
Victoria Gourlay, 1487 North
Jeffers Road, Brooklyn,
New York 718-555-0153.
Huh.
1 7 1 8.
[dialing phone number]
MR. GOTH: I'm very sorry for
any inconvenience this may
have caused you, Ms. Burroughs.
I assume that
everything is in order
and I can finally
go on with my life.
Excuse me, Mr. Goth.
MR. GOTH: Good morning, Laurie.
We're in a meeting.
Can this wait?
As I was saying,
Ms. Burroughs, if we
can be of any service
to you in the future,
please don't hesitate to call.
But, Mr. Goth, it's important.
Excuse me.
Laurie, I've just about
had it with your antics.
As of this moment,
you are fired.
Before you fire me,
I think maybe there's
somebody you should meet.
You can come in now.
Mr. Goth, I'd like you
to meet Victoria Gourlay,
formerly Victoria Burroughs.
She's Edward's real niece.
Well then, who's this?
MS. BURROUGHS: Her name
is Katherine Marston.
She was my uncle's nurse.
Isn't that right Ms. Marston?
LAURIE (VOICEOVER): Mr. Goth
demanded to know how I did it,
but I didn't owe
him any answers.
Besides, I didn't have
one he'd ever believe.
[music playing]
Cyberspace holds mysteries
most of us don't understand.
Or was it merely some
prankster in the office?
Someone who knew the truth
and chose this peculiar method
of revealing it.
Whatever the explanation,
something bizarre
happened that night.
Maybe it's something that a
logical mind can never compute.
DON LAFONTAINE: The
truth about this story
will be revealed
in our final act.
Next, three college girls,
spring break, and a tale
that's beyond belief.
We've all heard people
say that getting there
is half the fun.
But that's not always true.
Sometimes getting there
can be a living nightmare.
Take three college
girls on spring
vacation driving to a party
miles away from their home.
They'd never been
to the area before,
and after this particular
ride, you can bet
they will never return again.
[music playing]
JOSIE (VOICEOVER): I was the
only one who got a Missouri
driver's license my
first year at the U of M,
so I was elected to drive.
And I was determined to
get there before the rain.
Shoot.
Whiner.
JOSIE: You guys, if I would
known O'Donnell's party was
in the middle of the
Ozarks, I would never have
agreed to go with you guys.
Will you chill out?
I kind of like it out
here in the country.
Bunch of cows.
GIRL: Moo.
What is that?
LANA: Oh, that's bad.
- They call that music?
LANA: It's music.
That is bad.
LANA: It's not bad.
VANESSA: It's not that bad.
JOSIE: That's very bad.
All I can say is this
party better be worth it
and there better be
some yummy boys there.
Mm-mm, mm-mm, mm-mm.
- Are you kidding?
Trust me.
We miss this party, we
miss the rage of the year.
I heard Mike's brother's
going to be there.
JOSIE: Oh.
VANESSA: Oh, yeah.
Josie and I met
him at homecoming.
Let me tell you, he's
all that and a pint
of Haggen Dazs, right Jo?
Like I would know,
'cause you fully
dragged him in some corner
as you walked in the door.
I'm no fool.
[laughing]
- Trollops.
Shut up.
Just jealous.
JOSIE: Uh-huh, you wish.
Hey, is anybody else hungry?
I mean, I'm starved.
Do you think we could stop at
the next exit or something?
You know what?
I really don't think this
road has any exits, my dear.
[dramatic music]
JOSIE: What time is it, anyway?
I mean-- oh, my gosh.
We're gonna-- if
the dip is gone,
before we get there, I swear.
Oh, Vanessa, do you have to?
JOSIE: You're gonna
get out and walk if you
get that on my new seats.
LANA: That stuff stinks.
Don't worry, don't
worry, don't worry.
It smells.
Oh, I met this guy on the net.
JOSIE: Are you serious?
Who?
I don't know.
He said he was in politics.
So is this somebody high up?
Uh-huh, he said he's some
sort of advisor or something.
Ah, advisor to who?
The president?
[laughs]
Oh ha ha.
Don't laugh.
I'm thinking of meeting him
for a cup of coffee, in fact.
VANESSA: Hello?
Are you crazy?
Don't you know there
are psychos out there?
I mean, don't you
watch Hard Copy?
Man, there's
nothing out there.
Josie, are you sure
we're not lost?
Yes, I'm sure
we're not lost, OK.
You know, I-- no, I don't
know if we're lost or not, OK?
[music playing]
JOSIE (VOICEOVER): I knew
I should have pulled over,
but I was young and stubborn.
I didn't really trust the area.
[car horn]
LANA: Josie, wake up!
- What?
Uh.
- Whoa.
I think we should stop
and get some coffee.
LANA: Yeah.
- You guys, I'm OK, OK?
I'm OK?
Accept, um, oh, my god, my eye
makeup is a total disaster.
Well, look if we stop and
get you a cup of coffee,
I can get something
to eat, and you
can fix your makeup in the
bathroom before the party.
Right, like we're really
gonna find somewhere
around here that has anything.
Hey, check out that billboard.
JOSIE: I didn't see
anything, you guys.
Come on, it said there's
a restaurant a mile
up on the right.
Oh cool, let's stop.
JOSIE (VOICEOVER): I didn't
care about the billboard.
I didn't want to turn off.
This whole trip was
giving me the goosebumps.
I didn't want Vanessa and Lana
to know it, but I was scared.
I had no idea where we were,
the road was dark and twisty,
and I was getting tired.
All I needed on top of
all this, was a rainstorm.
You got to be
kidding me, you guys.
It's starting to rain.
Why don't we get stuck in
the mud and die, then, huh?
Geez, will you just calm down?
Chill out.
JOSIE: This road goes nowhere.
It's a waste of time, you guys.
VANESSA: All roads go somewhere.
Even if-- it's a graveyard.
Stop it.
Stop it.
Professor Odem
says, that history
shows that the journey's more
important than the destination.
Lana, history is a drag.
Odem is a lech, and
there's nothing down
this creepy road except--
oh, great.
What are we gonna do now?
LANA: So much for the diner.
VANESSA: Oh, no.
JOSIE (VOICEOVER):
Three young girls alone
on a deserted rainy night.
It was like a horror movie.
What are we
supposed to do now?
I don't know.
[screaming]
Evening, girls.
Need some help?
LANA: Uh, we're looking
for a diner on this road.
JOSIE: Stop it
Ain't nothing down
this road you'd want.
[yelling]
VANESSA: Oh, my God.
JOSIE: Go.
Oh, my God.
That was the scariest--
Oh, my gosh.
--guy I've ever
seen in my life.
Oh, God.
It was like he knew
we were coming.
Like he was-- he was
waiting for us or something.
- No way.
- You guys are freaking me out.
Stop it.
- OK.
Let's just get out of here
and get back on the highway.
JOSIE: [inaudible]
You guys, I think
this is where we turned off.
I'm gonna try it.
[threatening music playing]
Josie, how can
you see anything?
Are you sure you're
going the right way?
Yes, yes, yes, I am sure I
am going the right way, OK.
JOSIE (VOICEOVER): I didn't
care what way I was going,
I just wanted to
get out of there.
LANA: Oh, hey wh-- what's that?
Wh--
Wh-- Oh, my God.
JOSIE (VOICEOVER): Who was this?
We were totally freaked out.
And I was not about to open
the window for anybody.
Good evening, ladies.
Look the highway's closed up
the road from a landslide.
You're gonna have
to turn around.
Landslide?
OFFICER: Yeah, about
a half an hour ago.
Couple of cars got buried.
If you were a few minutes
earlier, you'd be one of them.
Lucky thing we were
looking for that diner.
Diner?
What diner?
The-- the one
on the billboard.
Lady, there's no
billboards on this highway.
They're illegal.
What?
JOSIE (VOICEOVER): We'll never
know what Lana really saw.
The turn off that the
billboard told us to take,
took us exactly 30
minutes out of the way.
Exactly long enough
to save our lives.
[music playing]
Three lives saved
by an illusion.
The illusion of a billboard
that didn't exist.
So what did Lana really see?
Was it a mirage?
Or perhaps the side of a
barn with writing on it?
Or an abandoned drive in
theater with an old marquee,
or simply the imaginings
of her own mind?
Some might say it was a
vision placed there to guide
the car away from disaster.
And some might say, we
made up the entire story.
DON LAFONTAINE: Fact or fiction?
We'll find out at the
conclusion of tonight's show.
Next, activity
inside a family tomb
that's clearly beyond belief.
It always seems
unfortunate when
young people,
especially teenagers,
seal themselves off
from those around them.
Now Dori Stone was
such a teenager.
She seemed filled
with inner rage.
She didn't talk much around
the house or at school.
And when she finally made the
choice to run away from home,
it ended in her
accidental death.
Well, the policeman called in to
investigate found the beginning
of a new nightmare.
One that defied the
benediction, "rest in peace."
JIM (VOICEOVER): I
wasn't at the funeral,
I was called in later
when all the weird things
started to happen.
The cemetery had been part
of my beat for 10 years.
In all that time, I think I'd
gotten eight or nine calls,
and always on Halloween.
What was about to happen
here was something nobody
was prepared for.
This poor little dead
girl, Dori Stone.
As sad as it was, at
least you would have
thought her troubles were over.
But the troubles for
her and her family
were about to start
all over again.
And pursue me all
the days of my life.
I will dwell in the house
of the Lord, forever.
When a loved one passes away,
especially when that loved
one is a beloved
child, it's those who
are left behind that suffer.
We must all remember that Dori--
JIM (VOICEOVER): 10 days later,
Dori's mother had a stroke,
and she died in the ambulance
on the way to the hospital.
PRIEST: I'm sure she would
like us all to remember--
[music playing]
JIM (VOICEOVER): So for the
second time in two weeks,
the family tomb was
opened for another member
of the Stone family.
It was soon after
that, I got the call
to come to the cemetery from
the caretaker, Chuck Weber.
[birds chirping]
[birds chirping]
CHUCK: Jim.
Jim.
Jim.
JIM (VOICEOVER): Chuck was
all agitated about something.
You could tell that by the way
his arms kept flying around,
and he was talking
a mile a minute.
Chuck was kind of
an excitable type,
but I'd never seen
him like this before.
It made me wonder what
happened that would
make him act like this.
I figured he must be
thinking people would
blame him for whatever it was.
But I don't know
how they done it.
Just show me where
it is, all right?
There ain't no--
you know there--
JIM: Yeah, yeah.
CHUCK: --the door's locked.
It's in here, Jim.
Now, this is just
the way I found it.
That's how I found it.
Just like that.
JIM (VOICEOVER): I couldn't
believe what I was looking at.
Hadn't this family suffered
enough without this kind of
vandalism?
How'd they get in?
Wasn't there a lock on the door?
Well, yeah.
And the lock wasn't broken?
No, no sir.
Is there another way in here?
No, like I told you, Jim,
there's only one way in
and it's through
this front door here.
And that door was locked and
I got the only set of keys.
Right there.
JIM (VOICEOVER): I don't like it
when things don't seem logical.
Strange.
JIM (VOICEOVER):
And I especially
don't like it in a graveyard.
[birds chirping]
A few days later,
the father arrived.
Chuck had cleaned everything
up for his arrival.
CHUCK: How about I give you
a hand with that, Mr. Stone?
No, thanks, Chuck.
I got it, thank you.
How are you?
CHUCK: Oh, I'm all right.
How about yourself?
JIM (VOICEOVER): Chuck was
kind of anxious for Mr. Stone
to see the job he had done.
He had worked all night
straightening up the damage.
Knowing Chuck, he was
probably hoping for a tip
or at least a pat on the back.
He had no idea what
they were about to see
when the door was opened.
CHUCK: There you are.
JIM (VOICEOVER): How
much tragedy can one man
take in a short period of time?
My heart went out to Mr. Stone.
It was worse than
the time before.
Angrier and more violent.
I showed up about
10 minutes later.
[music playing]
MR. STONE: Look, you
know I tell yeah,
I don't know what you
call security here,
Chuck, but this-- this isn't
working out, all right.
I don't know what kind
of sick individual
would do something
like this, Jim.
You know, there's four
generations of my family
that are buried in that crypt.
I understand, sir.
Believe me when I tell
you, we're doing all we can
to find out who's responsible.
You don't have any idea who
might have done this, do you?
No.
Maybe somebody with a grudge?
You know, a personal vendetta?
No, no.
Nobody.
We'll be in touch.
JIM (VOICEOVER): Sometimes the
worst part about being a cop
is when you let people down.
I didn't know what to do, but I
was sure going to do something.
[music playing]
Whatcha doing Jim?
I'm setting a
little trap, Chuck.
This way, if they come back,
we'll get some footprints.
[banging]
[crash]
JIM: Not a single footprint.
Nothing.
CHUCK: I was turning
the sprinklers off
and I heard all this ruckus
coming from inside the tomb.
JIM (VOICEOVER): "Not here."
What the hell did that mean?
Now, how could they
tear it up like this
and not touch the floor?
Or not break the lock?
Or have anybody see them?
Sergeant Keen?
Your office told me
I'd find you here.
We need to talk.
Sure.
What I'm about to tell you
violates a sacred privilege,
so you must promise to hold it
in the strictest confidence.
I'm listening.
Mr. Stone found his
stepdaughter's diary.
It revealed incidents
of physical abuse,
beatings of Dori by her mother.
I had no idea.
But what does that have to do
with what's happening, now?
Maybe Dori ran away from
home to escape her mother.
Now, that her mother's
back at her side,
her spirit can't rest.
Oh, come on.
Look, sergeant, there
are mysteries I don't
even pretend to understand.
You're serious.
Yes.
Well, what does
Mr. Stone want to do?
JIM (VOICEOVER): The next
day, the coffin of the mother
who had made her
child's life miserable,
was removed from the tomb.
And it was the damnedest thing.
All the strange goings on
inside the crypt stopped.
And they never started again.
Don't ask me for answers.
All I have to go by
are my police reports.
You can read them
over 100 times--
and believe me I have--
they still don't
explain a thing.
[music playing]
Can a spirit be so
restless with anger and fear
that it provides energy
from an afterlife?
Or is there a more worldly
explanation for this story?
Perhaps the cemetery employee
was causing the disturbances
and covering up his own tracks.
If so, why did all the
activity stop when the mother's
casket was removed?
And here's something
else to think about,
did this story really
ever take place at all?
DON LAFONTAINE: Was this
story true or false?
We'll tell you in the final
moments of tonight's show.
Next, the mysterious bond
between a boy and his dog,
on Beyond Belief,
Fact or Fiction.
Many people
believe that pets can
lower blood pressure,
fight depression,
even make you live longer.
All these concepts
pale, however,
when it comes to
the relationship
of a child and a dog.
And those who have
experienced it
know it is one of childhood's
sweetest pleasures.
But it can also lead to
one of childhoods most
painful lessons.
How to say goodbye.
Yes, good boy.
Come on.
Yeah.
[music playing]
Come on, Wheezer.
Go home.
All right, Wheezer.
Yeah, good boy.
ZACH'S MOTHER (VOICEOVER):
My son and his dog.
A regular sight on our block.
Let's go home.
Come on.
ZACH'S MOTHER (VOICEOVER): Ever
since my husband passed away,
Zach and Wheezer
had become so close.
I was grateful that Wheezer was
there to make that first year
without Bill a little easier.
Of course, I had no idea what
was still in store for us.
Good boy, yeah.
- Hi, Zach.
- Hi.
Hi, Wheezer.
What are you guys doing?
Me and Wheezer just went
down to the rock quarry.
[birds chirping]
I like it.
ZACH: You do?
What do you say Wheezer?
Here.
I can always get more.
Well, thanks, Zach.
Wanna play?
No, me and Wheezer
we gotta eat lunch.
And then I promised my
mom I'd clean my room.
Well, bye, Zach.
Bye.
Come on.
Here, Wheezer.
GIRL: Go Wheezer.
[cheering]
Yay!
ZACH: Run, run, go.
All right.
GIRL: Go Zach.
[wheezer barks]
Go Wheezer.
Go Zach.
Go Wheezer.
You get Wheezer
and I'll get Zach.
OK, all right.
ZACH: You're gonna go long
OK, ready?
Let's go.
ZACH: Break.
[barking]
One Mississippi,
two Mississippi,
three Mississippi, four
Mississippi, five Mississippi.
Get it, Wheezer.
Go.
Gotta go long.
ZACH: Go, go.
Run, run.
Yes.
All right, touch down.
All right.
Yes.
ZACH: Good boy, Wheezer.
And as the Pumpkin heads turned
their fiery, ragged grins
on us, Walker and I opened our
mouths and screamed in terror.
Time to go to sleep, honey.
Lights out.
Oh, come on mom.
Just a few more minutes.
- No, Zach.
You have a big day tomorrow.
We're going to the
beach, remember?
Good night, Zach.
Good night, Mom.
Good night, Wheezer.
[wheezer whines]
Sweet dreams.
Come on, let's pray.
ZACH'S MOTHER (VOICEOVER):
This was the part
that always broke my heart.
Dear God, please, please
make me big and strong
so I can be the quarterback
for the Miami Dolphins.
And God bless grandma
and grandpa and mom
and Wheezer, too.
Amen.
[music playing]
ZACH'S MOTHER
(VOICEOVER): Nobody will
ever forget that next morning.
It started innocently enough.
Come on, Zach.
Let's go.
Hey, look it's
Zach and Wheezer.
[tires squealing]
ZACH'S MOTHER
(VOICEOVER): I still
see that truck in my dreams.
[girl screams]
Wheezer, wait.
[barks]
Wheezer, wait!
Wheezer!
Mom!
Wheezer!
Stop!
Quick, help!
Wheezer!
[tires squealing]
Wheezer, no!
Mom, mom, Wheezer.
Wheezer.
Stay here, OK.
Stay right here.
DRIVER: I'm sorry, ma'am.
I tried to stop.
Oh, Wheezer.
We all love you, Wheezer.
And we know you're up in heaven
playing with your friends.
Want to say something, Zach?
Just that, well
you're my best friend
in the whole world, Wheezer.
I never thought
you would leave me.
I'll never stop missing you.
Good bye, Wheezer.
[kids sniffling]
ZACH'S MOTHER
(VOICEOVER): I remember
that when I was a
girl, my parents buried
my first dog in our back yard.
It eased my pain back
then, because I felt
the dog was always near me.
And sometimes just the
act of saying goodbye
can be so helpful.
My Zach never got to
do that with his dad.
[birds chirping]
Honey, I know
how bad you feel.
We all loved Wheezer.
But I have an idea
that might make
us all feel a little better.
How about tomorrow you
and I go down to the pound
and get ourselves another dog?
I don't want another dog.
There'll never be
another Wheezer.
And don't try to
pretend everything's OK.
Honey, I know it hurts.
Look, we don't have to go to
the pound if you don't want to.
Go to sleep now.
I love you.
Love you, too.
ZACH'S MOTHER (VOICEOVER):
All night long, neighbors
had been stopping
by to tell Zach how
sorry they were about Wheezer.
Some even brought him gifts.
We were expecting a
visit from my brother,
but he always worked late and
Zach had to get some sleep.
Then at 10 o'clock, there was
a knock on the door again.
Zach went down to see who was.
[scratching at the door]
ZACH: Wheezer!
Wheezer, it's you.
Mom, look, it's Wheezer.
How you doing, boy?
Oh, I love you so much.
Wheezer, I knew you
wouldn't leave me.
Mom, look, it's Wheezer.
[music playing]
There are thousands of
dogs that look like Wheezer,
but they checked Wheezer's
grave and found it empty.
Did Zach's mother bury Wheezer
when he was still alive?
And if so, why
wasn't there any dirt
all over the dog at the dog?
Maybe there is a
deeper explanation,
one that defies logic
and lies in the strength
of the mystical bond
between a boy and his dog.
Or maybe we have you
barking up the wrong tree.
DON LAFONTAINE: Was
this story real?
We'll find out at
the end of our show.
Next, a dying patient slips into
a world that's beyond belief.
As part of the
Hippocratic Oath,
doctors pledge to do
everything they can.
Quote, "For the
good of my patients,
according to my ability and
my judgment, and to never do
harm to anyone."
But does it's true
meaning sometimes
get lost under the pressures of
the medical profession itself?
Dr. David Sanders
was an emergency room
doctor who held strongly to the
ideals of the Hippocratic Oath.
And it was his first
night at a new hospital.
A night he would remember
for the rest of his life.
[sirens]
NURSE (VOICEOVER):
It was Dr. Sanders
first night at our hospital.
- Nurse?
NURSE (VOICEOVER): I
was his head nurse.
Where do you file this
after you [inaudible]??
--male found in an alley way.
[inaudible] CPR.
NURSE (VOICEOVER): We had
a small facility always
on the verge of going under.
There were lots of rumors
that our emergency room would
be shut down by
the end of the year
in order to keep our doors open.
But tonight we weren't
thinking about the survival
of a hospital.
Tonight, we had to try
and save a human being.
On three.
One, two, three.
DR. SANDERS: Way to go.
OK, what's his name?
No idea.
Wallet's gone.
He's non responsive.
OK, old man.
Come on, you got to have
ID on you somewhere.
All right, go in his
pockets find something,
anything that will give us ID.
NURSE: Well here's
something doctor.
Looks like some kind of medal.
[beeping]
NURSE (VOICEOVER): It was then
that our head of medicine,
Dr. Kim O'Ferrell, walked in.
DR. SANDERS: Hang in there.
What do we have here?
DR. SANDERS: John Doe, 70s.
He's in heart--
OK, he's in v-tach.
We're losing him.
Come on, pop.
Come on back.
Defib, 250.
Here we go.
Charging.
Clear.
OK, 300.
Charging.
Clear.
Flat line
Got a name yet?
Nope.
Just another homeless guy.
NURSE: We get this
kind all the time.
No family, no friends, nothing.
He's not nothing,
he's my patient.
And that makes him
somebody to me.
10 cc's of epinephrine.
One amp of bicarb right away.
Sanders, you're new here
but you'll catch on quickly.
Let me make it easy on you.
Off the streets, no
insurance, no Medicare,
no heroic measures.
You mean it doesn't matter to
you whether he lives or dies?
What matters to me,
is that we don't waste
our resources on a
man who's probably
not going to make it anyway.
Oh, he's gonna make it.
No, doctor.
He's not going to make it.
You have other patients waiting.
Take care of them.
[music playing]
NURSE: No response.
Do you want to call it doctor?
Paddles, 250.
But Dr. O'Ferrell--
Paddles, 250.
He doesn't have a heart beat.
I heard a bip.
Didn't you hear a
bip, Candelario?
Paddles, 250.
Lube me up.
Charging.
350.
Clear.
[beeping]
Chest tray.
Are
Doctor, it's not worth it--
DR. SANDERS: Chest tray.
--he's way past guidelines.
Chest tray, stat.
10 cc's epinephrine.
Do it now.
Thank you.
Here we go.
Come on, old guy.
WOMAN (ON PA): Dr.
Collin to radiology.
Dr. Collin to radiology.
[phone ringing]
Sanders.
I will not tolerate
insubordination in my hospital.
When I give you an order,
I expect it to be followed.
Do you understand?
I thought I could
bring him back.
Well, you didn't.
All you did was
waste time and time
is a luxury that we don't have.
Good day, doctor.
What do you want
me to do with this?
Oh, I'll hold onto it.
What is it anyway?
It's a St. Jude medal.
He's the patron
saint of lost causes.
[music playing]
WOMAN: May I help you?
MAN: We're here to identify my
father-in-law, Ray Whitcomb.
WOMAN: When was he admitted?
MAN: Last night.
Boy, those two
last ones were rough.
Yeah, the first night
is always the roughest.
Thanks.
You'll be all right.
WOMAN: Let me check for you
and see what I can find.
MAN: He died of a heart
attack, just check, please.
The paper said that he was
brought here last night.
Whitcomb, W-H-I-T-C-O-M-B.
What's the problem?
NURSE: But Dr. Sanders these
people claim a family member
was brought in last night.
The obituary said that he
collapsed on the street
and he was brought
here last night.
The obituary?
What obituary?
Sir, only one person died
in this hospital last night,
and his name hasn't been
released to the papers.
Excuse me.
Could this-- could this
belong to your father?
Daddy.
NURSE (VOICEOVER): What
brought them to our hospital?
There couldn't have
been any obituary,
their father had only
died hours before.
Yet here they were,
and in their grief
they were giving value to
the life of our John Doe.
A life that Dr. Sanders
had valued all along.
[music playing]
These are just some
of the newspapers
that the Whitcomb family
contacted to find the obituary
they claim they read.
Now, the death notice
was never found.
Could they have been
reading some old paper left
behind months or even years
ago that listed a similar name
in a similar hospital?
And if not, what was it that
brought Ray Whitcomb's family
to Doctor Sanders' hospital?
Would you accept this as
a life-affirming story
inspired by actual events?
Or do you only believe what
you read in the papers?
DON LAFONTAINE: Next, we'll find
out which stories are inspired
by actual events, and which
are fabrications on Beyond
Belief, Fact or Fiction.
This is the time on our show
when we measure our ability
to separate fact from fiction.
Now, let's review
tonight's stories
and discover which ones were
inspired by actual events
and which ones were inspired
only by a writer's imagination.
Our first plot was
the story of e-mails
sent by a man who had passed
away three months before.
LAURIE: OK, I can do this.
I have new mail.
Find her.
How?
How do you want me to find her?
OK.
[music playing]
Victoria Gourlay,
Brooklyn, New York.
[beeping]
Come on.
Bingo.
Is it hard for you to
believe that a story like this
actually happened to
someone in real life?
It did.
And what about the
three girls who
turned off the road for coffee
because of a billboard that
didn't exist?
Why don't we just get stuck
in the mud and die then, huh?
Geez.
Will you just calm down?
Chill out.
Professor Odem
says, that history
shows that the journey's more
important than the destination.
Lana, history is a
drag, Odem is a lech,
and there's nothing down
this creepy road except--
great.
What are we gonna do now?
JAMES BROLIN: Now was this
an easy one to figure out?
Do you think it's
a work of fiction?
Sorry, a similar
story did take place.
Then there were the mysterious
activities that took
place inside that family crypt.
CHUCK: Now this is just
the way I found it.
That's how I found it.
Just like that.
JIM: How'd they get in?
Wasn't there a lock on the door?
CHUCK: Well, yeah.
And the lock wasn't broken?
No, no sir.
What are the odds that
the basic facts of this
were inspired by actual events?
Pretty good.
It happened.
And what's your opinion of
the story about the bond
between a boy and his dog that
was so strong, the dog came
back from the grave?
ZACH: Wheezer!
Wait!
Wheezer!
Mom!
Wheezer, wait!
GIRL: Wheezer, stop!
JAMES BROLIN: This story is
a total falsehood, right?
Right.
It never happened.
And our last tale
tonight examined
the anonymous patient whose
death would not go unnoticed.
The paper said that he
was brought here last night.
What's the problem?
But Dr. Saunders these
people claim a family member
was brought in last night.
The obituary said that
he collapsed on the street
and he was brought
here last night.
What obituary?
Sir, only one person died--
JAMES BROLIN: Did you
guess that this story
was made up by our writers?
Well, you guessed wrong.
A story like this
did take place.
So was your perception
on target tonight?
Four of our plots were
inspired by real stories.
And only one was a
total fabrication.
[music playing]
We've tried to challenge
your preconceived notions
of fact and fiction.
Perhaps we fooled
you, perhaps not.
But at the very
least, you might now
have a broader view
about what is false
and what might be
a strange truth.
Good night.
DON LAFONTAINE: Join
us next time on Beyond
Belief, Fact or Fiction.
This is Don LaFontaine.
[music playing]
---
[music playing]
[ominous music playing]
JAMES BROLIN: Is there an
explanation for everything
in the world?
There are some things
that seem impossible,
yet we tell ourselves, there
must be some explanation.
[theme music]
DON LAFONTAINE: Beyond
Belief, Fact or Fiction.
Hosted by James Brolin.
We live in a world where
the real and the unreal
live side by side.
Where substance is
disguised as illusion.
And the only explanations
are unexplainable.
Will you be able to
separate stories of truth
from fantasy, tonight?
To do so, you must break through
the web of your experience,
and open your mind to
things beyond belief.
JAMES BROLIN: A glass jar that
has never been cut in any way.
And shoes that can't possibly
fit through the opening.
Impossible, yet here it is.
Tonight's stories deal with
the seemingly impossible,
yet some of them happened.
And of course, names,
dates, and certain details
have been changed.
At the end of the
show, we'll tell you
which ones have been
inspired by actual events
and which ones are
totally fiction.
Your challenge is
to see if you can
figure out when
we're fooling you
and when we've
bottled the truth.
This is one of the most
sophisticated tools
in the history of
civilization, yet we're
just starting to learn what
computers are capable of.
Is the computer screen
a window to the world
or another tunnel
through which we
may encounter the unexplained?
What mysteries are out there
lurking in that strange world
we call cyberspace?
LAURIE: On the
morning of March 15,
my boss was in his
office in a meeting
with a very important client.
MR. GOTH: There you are, Ms.
Burroughs, your signature
by the x and we're almost done.
MS. BURROUGHS: Done?
You-- You mean that's it?
The money--
MR. GOTH: --will be wired
to the firm's escrow account
by 5 o'clock, today.
Then we can issue you a check.
All of it?
The entire $500,000?
Yes.
That's the entire estate
of your late uncle.
You two must have
been pretty close.
Inseparable.
Excuse me, Mr. Goth?
A message for you.
It's urgent.
LAURIE (VOICEOVER):
Mr. Goth loves
to play the role of the Big
Shot with the explosive temper,
and I was prepared
for the explosion.
It came in on the computer.
It's an email.
I thought you'd want
to see it right away.
Ms. Burroughs,
would you excuse us?
Something's come up.
- What?
Now?
But we're-- we're
almost finished.
Look-- look, I have
been waiting three
months for this whole
probate rigmarole.
And I apologize that
it's taken so long.
I don't want your apology.
I want the money.
Look, I have a plane to catch.
A plane?
[sighs]
Look, I'm sorry but there's
been a problem with the bank,
and they won't be able to
wire you money until tomorrow.
This is a total outrage.
Now, I will be back
here tomorrow at 9:00,
and I want my money then.
Don't worry.
We'll straighten it out.
Well, it better or I will
never do business with this law
firm again.
MR. GOTH: Look, Ms.
Burroughs, please.
Ms. Burroughs?
Mrs. Burroughs?
Mrs. Burroughs.
The woman in your office
is not my niece, Victoria.
She is an imposter.
Do not give her the money.
All right, Laurie.
Who's making these accusations?
And what do they
have to back it up?
Who did you speak to?
I didn't speak to anybody.
It came on the computer.
It was an email.
Excuse me.
You didn't speak to anyone?
You didn't check this out?
It was an emergency.
Wait a minute.
You got a message telling me
that the woman in my office,
about to receive a
half a million dollars,
is an imposter.
And you didn't check
to see who sent it?
I know who sent it.
It came from Big Biz.
Ah, Big Biz.
Yes.
Who is Big Biz?
It's what's called
a computer user name.
It's like a nickname.
How do you know
this isn't a prank?
I may lose a new potential
client because of some prank.
I'm sorry Mr. Goth.
Sorry doesn't fix it, Laurie.
You screw up like this
again, and you're fired.
Now, I've got a meeting.
Forward With my calls.
LAURIE (VOICEOVER): This
time, I was gonna show
him he wasn't always right.
I was going to find out
what this weird message
was all about, even if it
meant I had to work all night.
[music playing]
Big Biz, huh?
OK.
I can do this.
There's got to be a way.
[beep]
Search.
[beep]
Member profile.
[beep]
[typing]
Search.
[ding]
Profile for that member
is no longer available.
How can that be?
LAURIE (VOICEOVER): I called
our private legal hot line.
[dialing]
[ringing]
MAN (ON PHONE):
Customer Service.
Yes, I'm trying to figure
out who sent me an email today.
I tried member search
but it says, member
profile no longer available.
MAN (ON PHONE): What's
the name, ma'am?
Big Biz.
B-I-G B-I-Z.
MAN (ON PHONE): Big Biz
is no longer in use.
It was dropped from the
service three months ago,
for an unpaid account.
Well, can you
tell me who it was?
It's really important.
MAN (ON PHONE): The name on the
account was Edward Burroughs.
But that can't be.
Edward Burroughs is dead.
MAN (ON PHONE): I don't
know what else to tell you.
Big Biz is Edward Burroughs.
OK, thanks.
[hangs up phone]
[beep]
LAURIE: I have new mail.
[click]
You must find my niece.
Send reply.
[typing]
Who are you?
Send.
Read it now.
LAURIE (VOICEOVER):
It was too weird.
I couldn't really
be communicating
with the dead man.
LAURIE: Find my niece.
She's in Brooklyn.
New name is Gourlay.
No.
Can not until you
tell me who you are.
I'm not gonna lose
my job over this.
I have new mail.
Find her.
How?
[beeping]
How?
How do you want me to find her?
[click]
LAURIE (VOICEOVER):
How could I be
getting instructions from a
man who died three months ago?
But something told
me just to go for it.
OK.
[typing]
Victoria Gourlay,
Brooklyn, New York.
[beeping]
Come on.
[beep]
Bingo.
Victoria Gourlay, 1487 North
Jeffers Road, Brooklyn,
New York 718-555-0153.
Huh.
1 7 1 8.
[dialing phone number]
MR. GOTH: I'm very sorry for
any inconvenience this may
have caused you, Ms. Burroughs.
I assume that
everything is in order
and I can finally
go on with my life.
Excuse me, Mr. Goth.
MR. GOTH: Good morning, Laurie.
We're in a meeting.
Can this wait?
As I was saying,
Ms. Burroughs, if we
can be of any service
to you in the future,
please don't hesitate to call.
But, Mr. Goth, it's important.
Excuse me.
Laurie, I've just about
had it with your antics.
As of this moment,
you are fired.
Before you fire me,
I think maybe there's
somebody you should meet.
You can come in now.
Mr. Goth, I'd like you
to meet Victoria Gourlay,
formerly Victoria Burroughs.
She's Edward's real niece.
Well then, who's this?
MS. BURROUGHS: Her name
is Katherine Marston.
She was my uncle's nurse.
Isn't that right Ms. Marston?
LAURIE (VOICEOVER): Mr. Goth
demanded to know how I did it,
but I didn't owe
him any answers.
Besides, I didn't have
one he'd ever believe.
[music playing]
Cyberspace holds mysteries
most of us don't understand.
Or was it merely some
prankster in the office?
Someone who knew the truth
and chose this peculiar method
of revealing it.
Whatever the explanation,
something bizarre
happened that night.
Maybe it's something that a
logical mind can never compute.
DON LAFONTAINE: The
truth about this story
will be revealed
in our final act.
Next, three college girls,
spring break, and a tale
that's beyond belief.
We've all heard people
say that getting there
is half the fun.
But that's not always true.
Sometimes getting there
can be a living nightmare.
Take three college
girls on spring
vacation driving to a party
miles away from their home.
They'd never been
to the area before,
and after this particular
ride, you can bet
they will never return again.
[music playing]
JOSIE (VOICEOVER): I was the
only one who got a Missouri
driver's license my
first year at the U of M,
so I was elected to drive.
And I was determined to
get there before the rain.
Shoot.
Whiner.
JOSIE: You guys, if I would
known O'Donnell's party was
in the middle of the
Ozarks, I would never have
agreed to go with you guys.
Will you chill out?
I kind of like it out
here in the country.
Bunch of cows.
GIRL: Moo.
What is that?
LANA: Oh, that's bad.
- They call that music?
LANA: It's music.
That is bad.
LANA: It's not bad.
VANESSA: It's not that bad.
JOSIE: That's very bad.
All I can say is this
party better be worth it
and there better be
some yummy boys there.
Mm-mm, mm-mm, mm-mm.
- Are you kidding?
Trust me.
We miss this party, we
miss the rage of the year.
I heard Mike's brother's
going to be there.
JOSIE: Oh.
VANESSA: Oh, yeah.
Josie and I met
him at homecoming.
Let me tell you, he's
all that and a pint
of Haggen Dazs, right Jo?
Like I would know,
'cause you fully
dragged him in some corner
as you walked in the door.
I'm no fool.
[laughing]
- Trollops.
Shut up.
Just jealous.
JOSIE: Uh-huh, you wish.
Hey, is anybody else hungry?
I mean, I'm starved.
Do you think we could stop at
the next exit or something?
You know what?
I really don't think this
road has any exits, my dear.
[dramatic music]
JOSIE: What time is it, anyway?
I mean-- oh, my gosh.
We're gonna-- if
the dip is gone,
before we get there, I swear.
Oh, Vanessa, do you have to?
JOSIE: You're gonna
get out and walk if you
get that on my new seats.
LANA: That stuff stinks.
Don't worry, don't
worry, don't worry.
It smells.
Oh, I met this guy on the net.
JOSIE: Are you serious?
Who?
I don't know.
He said he was in politics.
So is this somebody high up?
Uh-huh, he said he's some
sort of advisor or something.
Ah, advisor to who?
The president?
[laughs]
Oh ha ha.
Don't laugh.
I'm thinking of meeting him
for a cup of coffee, in fact.
VANESSA: Hello?
Are you crazy?
Don't you know there
are psychos out there?
I mean, don't you
watch Hard Copy?
Man, there's
nothing out there.
Josie, are you sure
we're not lost?
Yes, I'm sure
we're not lost, OK.
You know, I-- no, I don't
know if we're lost or not, OK?
[music playing]
JOSIE (VOICEOVER): I knew
I should have pulled over,
but I was young and stubborn.
I didn't really trust the area.
[car horn]
LANA: Josie, wake up!
- What?
Uh.
- Whoa.
I think we should stop
and get some coffee.
LANA: Yeah.
- You guys, I'm OK, OK?
I'm OK?
Accept, um, oh, my god, my eye
makeup is a total disaster.
Well, look if we stop and
get you a cup of coffee,
I can get something
to eat, and you
can fix your makeup in the
bathroom before the party.
Right, like we're really
gonna find somewhere
around here that has anything.
Hey, check out that billboard.
JOSIE: I didn't see
anything, you guys.
Come on, it said there's
a restaurant a mile
up on the right.
Oh cool, let's stop.
JOSIE (VOICEOVER): I didn't
care about the billboard.
I didn't want to turn off.
This whole trip was
giving me the goosebumps.
I didn't want Vanessa and Lana
to know it, but I was scared.
I had no idea where we were,
the road was dark and twisty,
and I was getting tired.
All I needed on top of
all this, was a rainstorm.
You got to be
kidding me, you guys.
It's starting to rain.
Why don't we get stuck in
the mud and die, then, huh?
Geez, will you just calm down?
Chill out.
JOSIE: This road goes nowhere.
It's a waste of time, you guys.
VANESSA: All roads go somewhere.
Even if-- it's a graveyard.
Stop it.
Stop it.
Professor Odem
says, that history
shows that the journey's more
important than the destination.
Lana, history is a drag.
Odem is a lech, and
there's nothing down
this creepy road except--
oh, great.
What are we gonna do now?
LANA: So much for the diner.
VANESSA: Oh, no.
JOSIE (VOICEOVER):
Three young girls alone
on a deserted rainy night.
It was like a horror movie.
What are we
supposed to do now?
I don't know.
[screaming]
Evening, girls.
Need some help?
LANA: Uh, we're looking
for a diner on this road.
JOSIE: Stop it
Ain't nothing down
this road you'd want.
[yelling]
VANESSA: Oh, my God.
JOSIE: Go.
Oh, my God.
That was the scariest--
Oh, my gosh.
--guy I've ever
seen in my life.
Oh, God.
It was like he knew
we were coming.
Like he was-- he was
waiting for us or something.
- No way.
- You guys are freaking me out.
Stop it.
- OK.
Let's just get out of here
and get back on the highway.
JOSIE: [inaudible]
You guys, I think
this is where we turned off.
I'm gonna try it.
[threatening music playing]
Josie, how can
you see anything?
Are you sure you're
going the right way?
Yes, yes, yes, I am sure I
am going the right way, OK.
JOSIE (VOICEOVER): I didn't
care what way I was going,
I just wanted to
get out of there.
LANA: Oh, hey wh-- what's that?
Wh--
Wh-- Oh, my God.
JOSIE (VOICEOVER): Who was this?
We were totally freaked out.
And I was not about to open
the window for anybody.
Good evening, ladies.
Look the highway's closed up
the road from a landslide.
You're gonna have
to turn around.
Landslide?
OFFICER: Yeah, about
a half an hour ago.
Couple of cars got buried.
If you were a few minutes
earlier, you'd be one of them.
Lucky thing we were
looking for that diner.
Diner?
What diner?
The-- the one
on the billboard.
Lady, there's no
billboards on this highway.
They're illegal.
What?
JOSIE (VOICEOVER): We'll never
know what Lana really saw.
The turn off that the
billboard told us to take,
took us exactly 30
minutes out of the way.
Exactly long enough
to save our lives.
[music playing]
Three lives saved
by an illusion.
The illusion of a billboard
that didn't exist.
So what did Lana really see?
Was it a mirage?
Or perhaps the side of a
barn with writing on it?
Or an abandoned drive in
theater with an old marquee,
or simply the imaginings
of her own mind?
Some might say it was a
vision placed there to guide
the car away from disaster.
And some might say, we
made up the entire story.
DON LAFONTAINE: Fact or fiction?
We'll find out at the
conclusion of tonight's show.
Next, activity
inside a family tomb
that's clearly beyond belief.
It always seems
unfortunate when
young people,
especially teenagers,
seal themselves off
from those around them.
Now Dori Stone was
such a teenager.
She seemed filled
with inner rage.
She didn't talk much around
the house or at school.
And when she finally made the
choice to run away from home,
it ended in her
accidental death.
Well, the policeman called in to
investigate found the beginning
of a new nightmare.
One that defied the
benediction, "rest in peace."
JIM (VOICEOVER): I
wasn't at the funeral,
I was called in later
when all the weird things
started to happen.
The cemetery had been part
of my beat for 10 years.
In all that time, I think I'd
gotten eight or nine calls,
and always on Halloween.
What was about to happen
here was something nobody
was prepared for.
This poor little dead
girl, Dori Stone.
As sad as it was, at
least you would have
thought her troubles were over.
But the troubles for
her and her family
were about to start
all over again.
And pursue me all
the days of my life.
I will dwell in the house
of the Lord, forever.
When a loved one passes away,
especially when that loved
one is a beloved
child, it's those who
are left behind that suffer.
We must all remember that Dori--
JIM (VOICEOVER): 10 days later,
Dori's mother had a stroke,
and she died in the ambulance
on the way to the hospital.
PRIEST: I'm sure she would
like us all to remember--
[music playing]
JIM (VOICEOVER): So for the
second time in two weeks,
the family tomb was
opened for another member
of the Stone family.
It was soon after
that, I got the call
to come to the cemetery from
the caretaker, Chuck Weber.
[birds chirping]
[birds chirping]
CHUCK: Jim.
Jim.
Jim.
JIM (VOICEOVER): Chuck was
all agitated about something.
You could tell that by the way
his arms kept flying around,
and he was talking
a mile a minute.
Chuck was kind of
an excitable type,
but I'd never seen
him like this before.
It made me wonder what
happened that would
make him act like this.
I figured he must be
thinking people would
blame him for whatever it was.
But I don't know
how they done it.
Just show me where
it is, all right?
There ain't no--
you know there--
JIM: Yeah, yeah.
CHUCK: --the door's locked.
It's in here, Jim.
Now, this is just
the way I found it.
That's how I found it.
Just like that.
JIM (VOICEOVER): I couldn't
believe what I was looking at.
Hadn't this family suffered
enough without this kind of
vandalism?
How'd they get in?
Wasn't there a lock on the door?
Well, yeah.
And the lock wasn't broken?
No, no sir.
Is there another way in here?
No, like I told you, Jim,
there's only one way in
and it's through
this front door here.
And that door was locked and
I got the only set of keys.
Right there.
JIM (VOICEOVER): I don't like it
when things don't seem logical.
Strange.
JIM (VOICEOVER):
And I especially
don't like it in a graveyard.
[birds chirping]
A few days later,
the father arrived.
Chuck had cleaned everything
up for his arrival.
CHUCK: How about I give you
a hand with that, Mr. Stone?
No, thanks, Chuck.
I got it, thank you.
How are you?
CHUCK: Oh, I'm all right.
How about yourself?
JIM (VOICEOVER): Chuck was
kind of anxious for Mr. Stone
to see the job he had done.
He had worked all night
straightening up the damage.
Knowing Chuck, he was
probably hoping for a tip
or at least a pat on the back.
He had no idea what
they were about to see
when the door was opened.
CHUCK: There you are.
JIM (VOICEOVER): How
much tragedy can one man
take in a short period of time?
My heart went out to Mr. Stone.
It was worse than
the time before.
Angrier and more violent.
I showed up about
10 minutes later.
[music playing]
MR. STONE: Look, you
know I tell yeah,
I don't know what you
call security here,
Chuck, but this-- this isn't
working out, all right.
I don't know what kind
of sick individual
would do something
like this, Jim.
You know, there's four
generations of my family
that are buried in that crypt.
I understand, sir.
Believe me when I tell
you, we're doing all we can
to find out who's responsible.
You don't have any idea who
might have done this, do you?
No.
Maybe somebody with a grudge?
You know, a personal vendetta?
No, no.
Nobody.
We'll be in touch.
JIM (VOICEOVER): Sometimes the
worst part about being a cop
is when you let people down.
I didn't know what to do, but I
was sure going to do something.
[music playing]
Whatcha doing Jim?
I'm setting a
little trap, Chuck.
This way, if they come back,
we'll get some footprints.
[banging]
[crash]
JIM: Not a single footprint.
Nothing.
CHUCK: I was turning
the sprinklers off
and I heard all this ruckus
coming from inside the tomb.
JIM (VOICEOVER): "Not here."
What the hell did that mean?
Now, how could they
tear it up like this
and not touch the floor?
Or not break the lock?
Or have anybody see them?
Sergeant Keen?
Your office told me
I'd find you here.
We need to talk.
Sure.
What I'm about to tell you
violates a sacred privilege,
so you must promise to hold it
in the strictest confidence.
I'm listening.
Mr. Stone found his
stepdaughter's diary.
It revealed incidents
of physical abuse,
beatings of Dori by her mother.
I had no idea.
But what does that have to do
with what's happening, now?
Maybe Dori ran away from
home to escape her mother.
Now, that her mother's
back at her side,
her spirit can't rest.
Oh, come on.
Look, sergeant, there
are mysteries I don't
even pretend to understand.
You're serious.
Yes.
Well, what does
Mr. Stone want to do?
JIM (VOICEOVER): The next
day, the coffin of the mother
who had made her
child's life miserable,
was removed from the tomb.
And it was the damnedest thing.
All the strange goings on
inside the crypt stopped.
And they never started again.
Don't ask me for answers.
All I have to go by
are my police reports.
You can read them
over 100 times--
and believe me I have--
they still don't
explain a thing.
[music playing]
Can a spirit be so
restless with anger and fear
that it provides energy
from an afterlife?
Or is there a more worldly
explanation for this story?
Perhaps the cemetery employee
was causing the disturbances
and covering up his own tracks.
If so, why did all the
activity stop when the mother's
casket was removed?
And here's something
else to think about,
did this story really
ever take place at all?
DON LAFONTAINE: Was this
story true or false?
We'll tell you in the final
moments of tonight's show.
Next, the mysterious bond
between a boy and his dog,
on Beyond Belief,
Fact or Fiction.
Many people
believe that pets can
lower blood pressure,
fight depression,
even make you live longer.
All these concepts
pale, however,
when it comes to
the relationship
of a child and a dog.
And those who have
experienced it
know it is one of childhood's
sweetest pleasures.
But it can also lead to
one of childhoods most
painful lessons.
How to say goodbye.
Yes, good boy.
Come on.
Yeah.
[music playing]
Come on, Wheezer.
Go home.
All right, Wheezer.
Yeah, good boy.
ZACH'S MOTHER (VOICEOVER):
My son and his dog.
A regular sight on our block.
Let's go home.
Come on.
ZACH'S MOTHER (VOICEOVER): Ever
since my husband passed away,
Zach and Wheezer
had become so close.
I was grateful that Wheezer was
there to make that first year
without Bill a little easier.
Of course, I had no idea what
was still in store for us.
Good boy, yeah.
- Hi, Zach.
- Hi.
Hi, Wheezer.
What are you guys doing?
Me and Wheezer just went
down to the rock quarry.
[birds chirping]
I like it.
ZACH: You do?
What do you say Wheezer?
Here.
I can always get more.
Well, thanks, Zach.
Wanna play?
No, me and Wheezer
we gotta eat lunch.
And then I promised my
mom I'd clean my room.
Well, bye, Zach.
Bye.
Come on.
Here, Wheezer.
GIRL: Go Wheezer.
[cheering]
Yay!
ZACH: Run, run, go.
All right.
GIRL: Go Zach.
[wheezer barks]
Go Wheezer.
Go Zach.
Go Wheezer.
You get Wheezer
and I'll get Zach.
OK, all right.
ZACH: You're gonna go long
OK, ready?
Let's go.
ZACH: Break.
[barking]
One Mississippi,
two Mississippi,
three Mississippi, four
Mississippi, five Mississippi.
Get it, Wheezer.
Go.
Gotta go long.
ZACH: Go, go.
Run, run.
Yes.
All right, touch down.
All right.
Yes.
ZACH: Good boy, Wheezer.
And as the Pumpkin heads turned
their fiery, ragged grins
on us, Walker and I opened our
mouths and screamed in terror.
Time to go to sleep, honey.
Lights out.
Oh, come on mom.
Just a few more minutes.
- No, Zach.
You have a big day tomorrow.
We're going to the
beach, remember?
Good night, Zach.
Good night, Mom.
Good night, Wheezer.
[wheezer whines]
Sweet dreams.
Come on, let's pray.
ZACH'S MOTHER (VOICEOVER):
This was the part
that always broke my heart.
Dear God, please, please
make me big and strong
so I can be the quarterback
for the Miami Dolphins.
And God bless grandma
and grandpa and mom
and Wheezer, too.
Amen.
[music playing]
ZACH'S MOTHER
(VOICEOVER): Nobody will
ever forget that next morning.
It started innocently enough.
Come on, Zach.
Let's go.
Hey, look it's
Zach and Wheezer.
[tires squealing]
ZACH'S MOTHER
(VOICEOVER): I still
see that truck in my dreams.
[girl screams]
Wheezer, wait.
[barks]
Wheezer, wait!
Wheezer!
Mom!
Wheezer!
Stop!
Quick, help!
Wheezer!
[tires squealing]
Wheezer, no!
Mom, mom, Wheezer.
Wheezer.
Stay here, OK.
Stay right here.
DRIVER: I'm sorry, ma'am.
I tried to stop.
Oh, Wheezer.
We all love you, Wheezer.
And we know you're up in heaven
playing with your friends.
Want to say something, Zach?
Just that, well
you're my best friend
in the whole world, Wheezer.
I never thought
you would leave me.
I'll never stop missing you.
Good bye, Wheezer.
[kids sniffling]
ZACH'S MOTHER
(VOICEOVER): I remember
that when I was a
girl, my parents buried
my first dog in our back yard.
It eased my pain back
then, because I felt
the dog was always near me.
And sometimes just the
act of saying goodbye
can be so helpful.
My Zach never got to
do that with his dad.
[birds chirping]
Honey, I know
how bad you feel.
We all loved Wheezer.
But I have an idea
that might make
us all feel a little better.
How about tomorrow you
and I go down to the pound
and get ourselves another dog?
I don't want another dog.
There'll never be
another Wheezer.
And don't try to
pretend everything's OK.
Honey, I know it hurts.
Look, we don't have to go to
the pound if you don't want to.
Go to sleep now.
I love you.
Love you, too.
ZACH'S MOTHER (VOICEOVER):
All night long, neighbors
had been stopping
by to tell Zach how
sorry they were about Wheezer.
Some even brought him gifts.
We were expecting a
visit from my brother,
but he always worked late and
Zach had to get some sleep.
Then at 10 o'clock, there was
a knock on the door again.
Zach went down to see who was.
[scratching at the door]
ZACH: Wheezer!
Wheezer, it's you.
Mom, look, it's Wheezer.
How you doing, boy?
Oh, I love you so much.
Wheezer, I knew you
wouldn't leave me.
Mom, look, it's Wheezer.
[music playing]
There are thousands of
dogs that look like Wheezer,
but they checked Wheezer's
grave and found it empty.
Did Zach's mother bury Wheezer
when he was still alive?
And if so, why
wasn't there any dirt
all over the dog at the dog?
Maybe there is a
deeper explanation,
one that defies logic
and lies in the strength
of the mystical bond
between a boy and his dog.
Or maybe we have you
barking up the wrong tree.
DON LAFONTAINE: Was
this story real?
We'll find out at
the end of our show.
Next, a dying patient slips into
a world that's beyond belief.
As part of the
Hippocratic Oath,
doctors pledge to do
everything they can.
Quote, "For the
good of my patients,
according to my ability and
my judgment, and to never do
harm to anyone."
But does it's true
meaning sometimes
get lost under the pressures of
the medical profession itself?
Dr. David Sanders
was an emergency room
doctor who held strongly to the
ideals of the Hippocratic Oath.
And it was his first
night at a new hospital.
A night he would remember
for the rest of his life.
[sirens]
NURSE (VOICEOVER):
It was Dr. Sanders
first night at our hospital.
- Nurse?
NURSE (VOICEOVER): I
was his head nurse.
Where do you file this
after you [inaudible]??
--male found in an alley way.
[inaudible] CPR.
NURSE (VOICEOVER): We had
a small facility always
on the verge of going under.
There were lots of rumors
that our emergency room would
be shut down by
the end of the year
in order to keep our doors open.
But tonight we weren't
thinking about the survival
of a hospital.
Tonight, we had to try
and save a human being.
On three.
One, two, three.
DR. SANDERS: Way to go.
OK, what's his name?
No idea.
Wallet's gone.
He's non responsive.
OK, old man.
Come on, you got to have
ID on you somewhere.
All right, go in his
pockets find something,
anything that will give us ID.
NURSE: Well here's
something doctor.
Looks like some kind of medal.
[beeping]
NURSE (VOICEOVER): It was then
that our head of medicine,
Dr. Kim O'Ferrell, walked in.
DR. SANDERS: Hang in there.
What do we have here?
DR. SANDERS: John Doe, 70s.
He's in heart--
OK, he's in v-tach.
We're losing him.
Come on, pop.
Come on back.
Defib, 250.
Here we go.
Charging.
Clear.
OK, 300.
Charging.
Clear.
Flat line
Got a name yet?
Nope.
Just another homeless guy.
NURSE: We get this
kind all the time.
No family, no friends, nothing.
He's not nothing,
he's my patient.
And that makes him
somebody to me.
10 cc's of epinephrine.
One amp of bicarb right away.
Sanders, you're new here
but you'll catch on quickly.
Let me make it easy on you.
Off the streets, no
insurance, no Medicare,
no heroic measures.
You mean it doesn't matter to
you whether he lives or dies?
What matters to me,
is that we don't waste
our resources on a
man who's probably
not going to make it anyway.
Oh, he's gonna make it.
No, doctor.
He's not going to make it.
You have other patients waiting.
Take care of them.
[music playing]
NURSE: No response.
Do you want to call it doctor?
Paddles, 250.
But Dr. O'Ferrell--
Paddles, 250.
He doesn't have a heart beat.
I heard a bip.
Didn't you hear a
bip, Candelario?
Paddles, 250.
Lube me up.
Charging.
350.
Clear.
[beeping]
Chest tray.
Are
Doctor, it's not worth it--
DR. SANDERS: Chest tray.
--he's way past guidelines.
Chest tray, stat.
10 cc's epinephrine.
Do it now.
Thank you.
Here we go.
Come on, old guy.
WOMAN (ON PA): Dr.
Collin to radiology.
Dr. Collin to radiology.
[phone ringing]
Sanders.
I will not tolerate
insubordination in my hospital.
When I give you an order,
I expect it to be followed.
Do you understand?
I thought I could
bring him back.
Well, you didn't.
All you did was
waste time and time
is a luxury that we don't have.
Good day, doctor.
What do you want
me to do with this?
Oh, I'll hold onto it.
What is it anyway?
It's a St. Jude medal.
He's the patron
saint of lost causes.
[music playing]
WOMAN: May I help you?
MAN: We're here to identify my
father-in-law, Ray Whitcomb.
WOMAN: When was he admitted?
MAN: Last night.
Boy, those two
last ones were rough.
Yeah, the first night
is always the roughest.
Thanks.
You'll be all right.
WOMAN: Let me check for you
and see what I can find.
MAN: He died of a heart
attack, just check, please.
The paper said that he was
brought here last night.
Whitcomb, W-H-I-T-C-O-M-B.
What's the problem?
NURSE: But Dr. Sanders these
people claim a family member
was brought in last night.
The obituary said that he
collapsed on the street
and he was brought
here last night.
The obituary?
What obituary?
Sir, only one person died
in this hospital last night,
and his name hasn't been
released to the papers.
Excuse me.
Could this-- could this
belong to your father?
Daddy.
NURSE (VOICEOVER): What
brought them to our hospital?
There couldn't have
been any obituary,
their father had only
died hours before.
Yet here they were,
and in their grief
they were giving value to
the life of our John Doe.
A life that Dr. Sanders
had valued all along.
[music playing]
These are just some
of the newspapers
that the Whitcomb family
contacted to find the obituary
they claim they read.
Now, the death notice
was never found.
Could they have been
reading some old paper left
behind months or even years
ago that listed a similar name
in a similar hospital?
And if not, what was it that
brought Ray Whitcomb's family
to Doctor Sanders' hospital?
Would you accept this as
a life-affirming story
inspired by actual events?
Or do you only believe what
you read in the papers?
DON LAFONTAINE: Next, we'll find
out which stories are inspired
by actual events, and which
are fabrications on Beyond
Belief, Fact or Fiction.
This is the time on our show
when we measure our ability
to separate fact from fiction.
Now, let's review
tonight's stories
and discover which ones were
inspired by actual events
and which ones were inspired
only by a writer's imagination.
Our first plot was
the story of e-mails
sent by a man who had passed
away three months before.
LAURIE: OK, I can do this.
I have new mail.
Find her.
How?
How do you want me to find her?
OK.
[music playing]
Victoria Gourlay,
Brooklyn, New York.
[beeping]
Come on.
Bingo.
Is it hard for you to
believe that a story like this
actually happened to
someone in real life?
It did.
And what about the
three girls who
turned off the road for coffee
because of a billboard that
didn't exist?
Why don't we just get stuck
in the mud and die then, huh?
Geez.
Will you just calm down?
Chill out.
Professor Odem
says, that history
shows that the journey's more
important than the destination.
Lana, history is a
drag, Odem is a lech,
and there's nothing down
this creepy road except--
great.
What are we gonna do now?
JAMES BROLIN: Now was this
an easy one to figure out?
Do you think it's
a work of fiction?
Sorry, a similar
story did take place.
Then there were the mysterious
activities that took
place inside that family crypt.
CHUCK: Now this is just
the way I found it.
That's how I found it.
Just like that.
JIM: How'd they get in?
Wasn't there a lock on the door?
CHUCK: Well, yeah.
And the lock wasn't broken?
No, no sir.
What are the odds that
the basic facts of this
were inspired by actual events?
Pretty good.
It happened.
And what's your opinion of
the story about the bond
between a boy and his dog that
was so strong, the dog came
back from the grave?
ZACH: Wheezer!
Wait!
Wheezer!
Mom!
Wheezer, wait!
GIRL: Wheezer, stop!
JAMES BROLIN: This story is
a total falsehood, right?
Right.
It never happened.
And our last tale
tonight examined
the anonymous patient whose
death would not go unnoticed.
The paper said that he
was brought here last night.
What's the problem?
But Dr. Saunders these
people claim a family member
was brought in last night.
The obituary said that
he collapsed on the street
and he was brought
here last night.
What obituary?
Sir, only one person died--
JAMES BROLIN: Did you
guess that this story
was made up by our writers?
Well, you guessed wrong.
A story like this
did take place.
So was your perception
on target tonight?
Four of our plots were
inspired by real stories.
And only one was a
total fabrication.
[music playing]
We've tried to challenge
your preconceived notions
of fact and fiction.
Perhaps we fooled
you, perhaps not.
But at the very
least, you might now
have a broader view
about what is false
and what might be
a strange truth.
Good night.
DON LAFONTAINE: Join
us next time on Beyond
Belief, Fact or Fiction.
This is Don LaFontaine.
[music playing]