Quincy M.E. (1976–1983): Season 2, Episode 13 - Let Me Light the Way - full transcript
A rapist is terrorizing Los Angeles. After one attack, a nurse who worked at a local hospital dies as a result of shock. The prime suspect is a mechanic who has eluded capture. Even though ...
I have a program that can reduce
the amount of rape in this entire area.
I don't want anybody to
touch me but Dr. Quincy.
I think she wanted
me to examine her
because she knows I'm an
expert on forensic evidence.
The evidence wasn't
in the emergency room.
I was a bum rap just like
all the rest of the times.
They had evidence.
Juries do convict when they
are presented with solid evidence.
Evidence that has been protected
by a chain of
custody, they convict.
They've been doing
it in Dallas, Texas,
and I'm gonna get
them to do it here.
Gentlemen, you
are about to enter
the fascinating
sphere of police work:
the world of forensic medicine.
[hissing]
What's the hang-up, DeReatis?
Thing should've been
out of here 20 minutes ago.
You wanna work, work. You wanna
goof off, then go someplace else.
[car honking]
[latch clicking]
[sighing]
[screaming]
(woman on PA system) Dr. Pierce,
report to surgery please, Dr. Pierce.
Where's Fay Willard,
the rape victim?
Around the corner,
second door to your left.
Thank you.
Oh, no.
Dr. Quincy. I'm with
the coroner's office.
[sighing] You guys don't
waste any time, do you?
(woman on PA system)
Dr. Pierce, report to surgery.
What happened?
When I talked to the police, they
said she was in reasonably good shape.
They're issuing medical
degrees to the squad cars now?
You know, the funny thing is,
she... she worked in this hospital.
She was a nurse.
Upstairs somewhere.
[sighing]
We've got so many floors up
there, I don't... I don't even know...
How did she die?
They brought her
in with severe shock.
Developed into
ventricular tachycardia.
It's a simple thing.
Her heart stopped and I
couldn't get it going again.
[water dripping]
May I help you?
I'm with the coroner's office.
I'd like to see
some identification.
It's all right.
These nails have
fresh water under them.
We washed her down completely.
You what?
What is this?
Her clothes,
obviously. Her uniform.
This should be sealed in a plastic
bag. They're worthless to me now.
I'm sorry, but sometimes things
get a little hectic around here.
That's no excuse for
destroying evidence.
Look, when I'm trying
to save somebody's life,
the last thing in the world I'm gonna
think about is collecting specimens
for some jury that probably
wouldn't... wouldn't convict
even if they saw a slow
motion film of the rape.
You're wrong, they do convict!
When they're presented
with solid evidence.
Evidence that has been protected
by a chain of
custody, they'll convict.
They already do it in Dallas,
Texas, and they're gonna do it here.
I've been trying
to hold a seminar
for doctors like you
and nurses like you,
to prove that all it takes is a little
extra training, a little extra care.
Single-handedly,
all by yourself?
If I have to, yes.
(Castle) And the funding?
Oh, don't worry,
I'll get that. I'll get it.
Well, I wish you luck.
Doctor, I am not the
enemy. Neither are the police.
All we wanna
do is nail this guy.
He's gotten away with it twice.
Same MO, same man.
And Nurse Gordy,
he will go on and on,
if we continue to
contaminate evidence
by throwing it under
everybody's feet!
(woman on PA
system) Dr. Roberts,
report to the emergency,
please, Dr. Roberts,
I'm Carol Bowen, Officer. From
the Rape Counseling Service.
I'm afraid I can't tell you very much
about the victim, she's still in there.
Thank you.
(Carol) Quincy, how can
you be sure it was DeReatis?
(Quincy) Same MO, rope
burns, both ankles, both wrists.
He tied her down,
just like he had tied Helene
Kirschner and Frances Bragg.
Then why don't the
police do something?
Rope burns constitute a
pattern, not tangible evidence.
Isn't there anything else?
When they first examined her,
they dumped her clothes on the floor.
Then somebody had the
bright idea of washing her down.
There was no sense
going any further.
Carol, let me hit
you with a problem.
Where can I raise $20,000
to educate people who
work in the emergency room?
Not from us.
Quincy, you know
as well as I do,
we're scrounging for donations
just to keep our doors open.
Every extra cent
we've got is paying
for psychiatric
treatment for victims.
Yeah, but if I can
hold my seminar,
I guarantee you'll have a
lot less cases to deal with.
Oh, Quincy!
Maybe you would lock
up a couple more rapists,
but we got a bumper
crop this year.
A few more convictions
aren't gonna make a dent.
Eventually, it will.
Why do you think rape is
reaching epidemic proportions?
Because people like DeReatis
know they can get away with it.
And they'll go on and on
until we cut into the root cause.
Wrong. The root
cause is society.
It's our laws, our beliefs,
our moral and social principles.
Quincy, if your seminar
could change that,
I would personally go out
on the street and beg for you.
That mean you don't
agree with me? Yes.
Then I don't want to discuss it.
[typewriter clacking]
(Monahan) Listen, if
you think of anything else,
please give me a
call. Thank you. Bye.
Uh, the woman died,
I guess you know that.
Her heart stopped on the table
while she was being examined.
Looks like you struck out.
Struck out? I didn't
even get up to bat.
Boy, they messed it up.
Well, I got something.
It may not convict him
but it sure as hell ties him in.
You see, all of DeReatis'
victims worked in places
where he or his
family frequents.
So I got to thinking, maybe
he was in the hospital.
Sick, operation?
Maybe that's where he knew her.
And?
I just got off the horn with
the head nurse over there.
(Monahan) Fay Willard was
stationed on the seventh floor,
maternity.
You mean, DeReatis'
wife had a baby?
Exactly. Six months ago.
A bouncing baby boy.
Yeah, you're right. It's
not gonna convict him.
Well, at least it
fits the pattern.
Oh, come on, will
you, Lieutenant,
we keep talkin' about
patterns, he keeps killin' women.
What we have to do is build
a solid chain of evidence,
link by link, long enough
to hook onto his collar,
and strong enough
to drag him into court.
What's he saying in there?
He feels pretty cocky. He
knows we haven't got anything
or we would've hit
him with it by now.
I wonder what his blood type is.
[telephone ringing]
What's this, the goon squad?
You bringing in the heavy
artillery to pound me down?
Well, I'm surprised you
don't remember me, DeReatis.
I'm Dr. Quincy. I'm
a medical examiner.
We talked right after
Frances Bragg died.
Frances?
Oh, you remember her.
She was a checker in the supermarket
where you bought your food.
You wanna know about
groceries, talk to my wife.
What's your blood type?
I wouldn't know. The sight
of blood makes me sick.
Would you give
me a little sample?
You kiddin'?
I might get busted for
driving under the influence.
Oh, we're gonna bust you,
but not for that.
We're gonna bust
you for assault,
we're gonna bust you for rape,
we're gonna bust you for murder.
Are you crazy?
Bill, get him outta here.
(Bill) All right, let's go.
You owe me a cigarette,
Doc. I'm not gonna forget.
Let's go.
That was brilliant.
What was that all about?
You're the one I
ought to lock up.
You wanted his blood type?
This'll give it to us.
[sighing] If you're not gonna
help me, don't hinder me.
Hmm, touchy, aren't we?
[chuckling]
[sighing]
Stomach, huh? This place
affects people like that.
It's not the place,
Quincy. I'm starving.
Hmm, what about me? I've
been here since 7:00 this morning
and I didn't even
have time for lunch.
Is this guy gonna
stop complaining?
When you finish, I'm gonna
take you both to dinner at Danny's.
Mmm-hmm, I've
heard that song before.
Hey!
I know a guy in government
who'll give me some money.
What for, dinner?
Sam, he's talking
about his rape seminar.
You mean he hasn't
asked you to donate?
How could he? He
knows how much I earn.
I'm serious. This is a
guy I knew in the Navy.
[chuckling] Here
comes another war story.
No. Leonard Bellwood.
Listen. He had some
government agency
that... that gives out money
for experimental projects.
I bumped into him
about six months ago.
He said if I needed anything,
I should come and see him.
He meant it. I
know, he meant it.
Well, it sounds good, call him.
Well, it's too late
now, but I will.
Oh, It. Comdr. Leonard Bellwood.
We used to call
him "The Old Bell."
He was our hospital
supply officer.
When you needed something,
you asked, you got it in one hour.
No matter what.
Band-Aids, bro... Bourbon.
"Broads." You were
gonna say "broads," Quincy.
Well, we were in the Navy.
Oh, if anybody could move
mountains, it's Old Bell.
We've got it. Bull's
eye! AB-negative.
You sure? Mmm-hmm.
[ringing]
Detectives, Monahan.
(Quincy) Lieutenant,
this is Quincy.
We ran an absorption-elution
test for blood type on DeReatis.
It was AB-negative. Ties
him in with Frances Bragg.
As good as that is, Quincy,
I can't take it to the DA.
But we're getting
warmer, aren't we?
Yeah, but I still
gotta turn him loose.
I just got finished talking
to his teenybopper wife.
She came up with
another song and dance.
She gave him an alibi? Uh-huh.
He wins the Husband
of the Year award.
While Fay Willard
was being raped,
he was at home
cleanin' out his garage.
How does that grab you?
Lieutenant, do me
a favor, will you?
Find some reason to
hold him there for a while.
Why?
Uh, don't ask, 'cause you
wouldn't approve. Bye-bye.
Wanna go for a ride?
(Carol) Sure.
(Sam) Hey, what about
that dinner you promised me?
Sam, I don't wanna
hurt your feelings,
but, you know, you could
afford to miss a meal.
Whew. You've put
on a lot of weight.
[gunshots on TV]
[knocking on door]
Who is it?
(Quincy) Coroner's office.
Did something happen...
Oh, no, no, nothing happened.
I'm Dr. Quincy,
this is Miss Bowen
from the Rape
Counseling Service.
It's important, Mrs. DeReatis.
May we please come in?
[TV continues playing]
Donny, go put your
pajamas on for bed-bed.
Come on, bed-bed.
Go in there and mommy will
come in and rub your back.
Go to the bathroom now. Go
to the bathroom and be quiet.
You make sure you don't
wake up your baby brother.
[chuckling] Crazy kid shows.
[clock cuckoos]
We got that on
our honeymoon trip.
There's a little Swedish
town up the coast.
Between here and San Francisco.
I don't know why,
I never can seem to
remember the name.
Mrs. DeReatis,
I'm afraid what
I have to tell you
isn't going to be that
easy for you to take.
You see, your husband's
blood type is AB-negative.
AB-negative?
Well, it's very rare.
Only a small segment
of the population has it.
Well, is he sick or somethin'?
No.
Mrs. DeReatis,
two months ago, the police
questioned your husband
about the rape and death of a
woman named Frances Bragg.
That was only because
somebody saw his car.
When they found out he stopped
there on account of a flat tire,
they let him go.
I was with him. I ought to know.
48 hours after she died, they
found her on the floor of her shower.
She went to the
wash after her attack.
The water was still on.
It had been running
like that for two days.
But still, there was
enough evidence
to prove that the man who
raped her had AB-negative blood.
Didn't I tell you to get inside?
I told you to stay in there!
I knew I shouldn't have let you
people in here. I knew it was wrong!
You know what
happened a month ago
to a waitress named
Helene Kirschner.
She worked right across
the street from his gas station.
Just today...
I know what you're gonna say.
The police already talked to me!
They tell you who
the victim was?
What's the difference?
She worked in the hospital on the same
floor where you had your second son.
Carl was right here,
right in this house!
He was cleaning out the garage.
You know that's not true.
You've gotta stop giving him alibis.
I don't lie! To anybody!
I always tell the truth!
(DeReatis) And so do I.
You see, honey? You
see what I told you?
Just because I made a little
mistake when I was young,
they never let me alone.
And every time
something freaky happens,
they haul me in like
scum from the sewer.
Well, I can tolerate it
at the police station,
because I've got the peace of
mind of knowing I'm innocent.
But in front of her and
in front of my little kid,
it makes me mad enough to kill!
[baby crying]
And now look what you've done!
You woke up my children!
[baby continues crying]
[buzzer sounding]
Yeah?
(Mildred) There's
a Dr. Quincy here,
You're kidding.
Well, he says he's
from the coroner's office.
[chuckling] Pipe
him aboard, Mildred.
I beg your pardon?
Send him in, Mildred.
Send him in, please.
Hey, Quince, how
are you? How are you?
Good.
Good to see you. Hey,
hope this isn't a clinical visit.
Well, it wasn't, now I see
you do look a little pale.
Oh, come on,
will you cut it out?
I don't like jokes like that.
My wife's been telling
me the same thing
ever since we got
back from Honolulu.
You just got back from Honolulu?
[both chuckling]
You remember my skin problem?
Thank goodness it rained
almost every minute we were there.
Listen, I'd love to
talk to you all day,
but I wish you would
phone me first...
Oh, no, this is
very important, Bell.
The deputy chief of police
is waiting for me at City Hall...
Do you remember what you said
the last time I bumped into you?
Just when you got this job?
You said if I ever needed
something, you'd help?
Yes, I did, and I
meant every word of it.
Well, I need something
and it could be a
feather in your cap.
I have a program that can reduce
the amount of rape in this entire area.
Yeah, it sounds terrific...
Would you stop looking
at your watch? I'm sorry.
Look, the prototype of this
originated in Dallas, Texas,
by a group of concerned
doctors headed by Charles Petty.
Now before they could
institute their program,
the ratio of convictions and
rape cases was one out of 10.
Now out of 127 cases,
they got 123 convictions.
Ooh, that is fantastic.
You bet that's fantastic.
And as Petty says, there's
no reason we can't do it here.
We'll start with a
weekend seminar
for lawyers, for doctors,
for policemen, for judges.
I want them to start talking. I
want them to start cooperating.
I want to teach them
to protect the evidence
from being challenged in court.
And, finally, I want every
hospital to have an assault kit,
which has the equipment
to ensure that every victim
gets a proper examination.
It's an expensive program.
It sounds expensive, doesn't it?
Well, it isn't. I can give
you the whole package,
hear this now, the whole
package for $20,000.
Oh, Quince, right now, you
caught us at a very bad time.
We are deeply
involved in two very big
and very wild projects.
This is called Super
Ground Cruiser.
Devastating horsepower,
the most sophisticated
radio equipment,
a small on-board computer.
And it's capable of 170 miles
an hour. You believe that?
But the speed limit's 55.
Oh, come on, be
serious, will you?
And this is known
as Super Sky Watch.
It's cheaper to fly
than a helicopter
and it provides a perfect
platform for aerial surveillance.
Bell, you gotta be kiddin'.
What's a cop supposed to do? Spot a
hold-up? Bail out and make the arrest?
[chuckling] Quince, uh, now,
you're putting me down now.
But these are two
very vital programs
and we must look to the future.
What about right now?
In the area of one crime?
Right here, where we
can do something about it.
Quince, if I had the money,
you'd be the first to get it.
Oh, come on, don't tell me, with
the federal government behind you,
you can't come up with $20,000?
Unless more effective
law enforcement
is directly involved,
I couldn't come
up with 20 cents.
I'm sorry, Quince, I
really would like to help.
Listen, you call me next
week any day for lunch, okay?
Get a hold of Mildred and
she'll set up an appointment.
I... I gotta run now.
Call me. Promise.
170 miles an hour?
[telephone ringing]
Dr. Quincy.
(Carol) You owe me a
steak dinner at the beach.
Hi, Carol. That's right, I do.
And the sooner the better.
How fast can you make
it down to Danny's?
[sighing] Well, after I
go home and change,
if I hit every light I ought
to be able to get there
on the short side of an hour.
[whistling]
Oh, I got a lot of
paperwork to do.
Well, it's too fast for me.
5:30 would be more realistic.
Okay, but listen,
if you're late, I'm gonna go
scuba diving in a pitcher of martinis.
Rough day, huh?
Oh, Quincy,
I've got a 13-year-old girl
who was raped six weeks ago.
I can't even make
contact with her.
She's so shut down, she
won't even talk to her mother,
Tell you what I'm gonna do.
You say 5:30 is too late? You say
5:00 is too late? I'm gonna meet you there
at 4:45 and don't you be late,
[chuckling] I won't. Bye.
[siren blaring]
Where is she?
Emergency, down the hall.
[thumping]
Hey, come on now, settle down.
You're not gonna be
any help to her this way.
Take it easy.
Miss, nobody's gonna
hurt you or do anything...
No. I told you,
I don't want anybody to
touch me but Dr. Quincy.
It's gonna be all right.
It's gonna be all right.
Was it DeReatis?
Yes.
Then I guess it's
gonna be a regular
three-ring circus, isn't it?
Oh, no, no, no.
We'll take care of it.
We'll take care of it.
Quincy, all I care about
is that this is done right.
That's why you're here.
So you do what you have to do,
and I'll do what I have to do.
Help her to get ready.
Put her shoes and all of
her clothes in a plastic bag.
Now you do have an
assault kit here, don't you?
I'm sure we can find
what you need, Doctor.
I'll be right back.
(woman on PA system)
R. Miller, report to ICU.
Well, do I pick up DeReatis?
Oh, yeah. He'll have an alibi,
but you check him for scratches,
get some fiber samples
from his clothes.
You gonna use the sheriff's lab?
You send me a deputy. Right.
One more thing.
Call the Rape
Counseling Service,
tell them to send somebody over.
She's gonna need all
the help she can get.
(Quincy) One more nail.
I'm not the best
manicurist in town.
Tag this.
I'm gonna keep you
here overnight, okay?
Any place.
Anywhere but my
own apartment, Quincy.
I'm not going back there ever.
Not even to pick up my clothes.
[chuckling]
I have to, don't I?
Going back is
part of the program.
Oh, Quincy, you can't
believe how clever I've been
making other people do it.
"Keep churning up
the garbage, girls.
"Right up and out
into the sunlight
until the stink goes away."
I have to ask you the
question one more time.
You ready, Doctor?
Yeah.
Please understand.
You are sure, aren't you?
You are sure it was DeReatis?
I can't believe
you're asking me that.
Well, there were no rope
burns on your whole body.
No.
No, he invented a new
method. Just for me.
What's the implication, Quincy?
He didn't need any rope?
You know I didn't mean that.
I want to nail him.
He usually ties up his victims.
Is that what I am to you now?
[whispering] I'm sorry.
Do the world a favor.
Take a victim to dinner.
I'm sorry.
No. Just let me do it by myself.
Carol, did you see his face
or was he wearing a mask?
I know it's rough on
you, darling, I know it.
But there is no other way.
I saw his eyes.
I heard his voice.
Filthy.
Telling me over and over again
the list of inhuman things
he... he expected
in return for my life.
This happened at your apartment?
[breathing deeply]
After I talked to you, I...
I went back to change.
He was in there.
I don't know how.
He was waiting.
I didn't even shut the door
and he hit me from behind.
I've never been hurt like that.
No one's ever hurt
me like that before.
It's almost over.
All I need is a lock
of your pretty hair.
Do you really think I'm pretty?
Yes, I do.
What about you, Doctor? You've
been staring at me for a long time.
[clearing throat]
I think you're a very
courageous young lady.
[chuckling]
I'm older than you are.
And I'm not courageous.
Just for the simple
pleasure of breathing,
I... I let a man use
me as a-an instrument
for his sickness
and his brutality.
[sniffing]
A courageous
person would've died.
Get me a 10 milligram
ampule of Valium.
You really think she needs it?
You better start moving, or I'm gonna
bounce you out of here on your ear.
Who's paying for the
room upstairs, Quincy?
What do they get,
about $500 a day?
Don't worry about it.
Oh, I do worry.
I've never taken a
cent of charity in my life.
I'm not about to start
over a little thing like rape.
Take her outside. I'll
be with you in a minute.
She's right on the edge.
I want you to seal and mask
every one of those envelopes.
A deputy's on the
way to pick it up.
He'll have a custody form. You sign,
and make sure he signs them, too.
Thank you.
Dr. Quincy, this
is Louise Porter.
How do you do? Hello.
One of my cohorts at the Center.
You know what the
irony of this situation is?
I'm the one who
recruited Louise.
When I broke her in, we
used to play a little game
called "counselor-victim."
Naturally, I got
the juicier role.
Pretending I knew what
it felt like to be raped.
Isn't that wild, Louise?
Just think how valuable
I'll be to the program now.
[laughing]
[sobbing]
Oh, no! No! No!
Please don't do it
to me! Please don't.
No! No! It's okay.
Please don't do that to me! No!
Please don't do that to me! No!
Oh, don't do that to me!
Hey, what am I tiptoeing for?
You should be asleep.
We've got DeReatis this time.
I mean, we really got him.
We have all the
evidence we need.
The blood matches, the
fiber on his clothing, his hair.
Try to sleep, Carol.
You can go to sleep knowing he'll
never hurt anybody else ever again.
There's no question
about it. I kid you not.
This is one of the best cases of
circumstantial evidence I've ever had.
What's the "but," Mr. Feldman?
The "but," Carol, is
putting you on the stand.
Now, you're an attractive
woman. You're single.
And you probably have a normal
outlook on matters of sexual freedom.
Up until about a week ago.
Well, I'm sorry to say,
despite some rather
enlightened statutes,
Carol, any good cross-examiner
can take healthy attitudes
and make them look...
I'll tell you what, Mr. Feldman.
Don't you give it
a second thought.
They can put me on the stand
and they can degrade
me all they want.
It will not humiliate me
and it will not rattle me.
And it won't change
a word of the truth.
Okay.
I'll see you on the 15th.
Now, if you've any
problems at all before then,
you give me a call.
Carol, I'd like to speak to
Dr. Quincy just for a minute.
I'll be right with you.
What's the matter?
She worries me. She really does.
Why? She's taken more rape
victims to court than you have.
I know, but not herself.
She never took herself.
And if you're counting
on sympathy from a jury,
in six weeks, those
bruises are gonna be gone.
Besides, I don't know if you're
gonna agree with me or not,
but I think she's holding her
emotions together with chewing gum.
(Feldman) Mr. Elger,
will you please tell us
what your profession is?
I'm criminalist, a
forensic chemist.
I work for the Sheriff's
Department in their crime laboratory.
And could you tell us what
you have in that envelope?
This contains physical
evidence taken from the clothing
and person of Miss Carol Bowen
after she was examined
at Parkside Hospital.
It also contains
fibers from the clothing
of the defendant Carl DeReatis.
Objection, Your Honor.
No proper foundation has been
established to connect any of that
with the defendant or the crime.
Your Honor, if you'll let me...
No, I'm sustaining
it, Mr. Feldman.
I suggest you reserve
this witness to a later time.
I have no more questions.
[shushing] Quincy!
Now, don't get shook.
It's just procedure.
It'll take a little longer
this way, that's all.
(Judge) Mr. Packard?
(Packard) No questions.
(Judge) The witness is excused.
(Feldman) Doctor,
before we go any farther,
I think it might be a good idea
if you'd explain why you
as a medical
examiner, a pathologist,
were requested to
conduct this examination.
Well, it's kind of unusual.
Miss Bowen and I crossed paths
professionally for
almost two years.
She is with the Rape
Counseling Service.
I think she wanted me to
examine her because she knows
I'm an expert on
forensic evidence.
All right, now you
have already described
Miss Bowen's emotional
and physical condition.
Would you tell us, please,
now, what procedures you used
during the rest of
your examination?
Well, I took blood
samples, fingernail clippings,
hair specimens,
smears for acid-phosphatase
determination,
cultures for the presence
of venereal disease,
and slides from the mucosa.
And what did you
do with this evidence?
Well, I placed it in the
custody of Dr. Alan Castle,
a resident of the hospital who
assisted me during the examination.
I instructed him to seal
and mark every envelope,
then give it to the Sheriff who
was coming from the crime lab.
And after that, what did you do?
Well, Miss Bowen was
on the verge of hysteria.
I wanted to get her away from
there. Away from the emergency room.
So I took her to a
private room upstairs.
Thank you, Doctor.
Your witness.
Dr. Quincy,
you said you've known Miss
Bowen for what, about two years?
Yes.
Professionally.
That's correct.
And during that time,
during those two years,
did you ever date?
Well, not really date.
Not really?
Well, then let's...
let's put it another way.
Did you ever take her to dinner?
Oh, yes. Yes.
Did you ever call for
her at her apartment?
(Quincy) Oh, yeah.
Once or twice, I guess.
Did she ever accompany
you to your home?
I don't have a home. I live
on a boat in Marina Del Rey.
How fortunate.
That's a very romantic setting.
Did you and Miss Bowen ever
go cruising around the lagoon?
(Quincy) My boat's in dry dock.
Well, then,
did she ever come and visit you
just to breathe
the pure salt air?
Mr. Packard, why don't
I save you a lot of time?
She never came
down to go cruising.
She never came down
to improve her lungs.
She came because we're the kind
of friends who can enjoy each other
without the weight of
intimate physical contact.
I wonder why he let
you get away with that.
Oh, I really didn't give
him much of a chance.
Believe me, he could've stopped
you any time he wanted to.
Jack Packard may look like the
world's conception of your perfect father,
but I've seen him...
I've seen him chew up witnesses
and spit them
across the courtroom.
No, something's wrong.
What do you mean?
I mean, his client
doesn't have a chance
and yet there he is. He is
out there grinning and joking
and strutting like a peacock.
I don't like it. Not at all.
Hmm.
(Packard) Let's go back
over the facts, Dr. Castle.
You testified that after the
evidence was left in your custody,
you sealed it, labeled it,
and gave it to a deputy sheriff.
Well, that's correct.
Did you do that right away,
right after Dr. Quincy
left the room
to attend to the comfort
of his friend Miss Bowen?
Not exactly.
[people murmuring]
I'm afraid you'd better explain
to the ladies and
gentlemen of this jury
just what "not exactly" means.
[clearing throat]
Well, first...
I... I mean, right
after Dr. Quincy left,
uh, I had a conversation
with one of my nurses.
And that was more important
than marking the evidence?
[sighing] She was upset.
I had to calm her down.
May I ask the reason?
She felt...
I mean, she thought that
Dr. Quincy had been short with her
during the examination.
(Packard) Was he? Was he short
with her? I mean upset her in any way?
(Castle) I... I
don't really know.
What happened next?
Everything hit the fan.
We had a Triage Code Two.
That's a critical emergency.
And they were bringing in four
victims from a head-on collision.
What did you do?
Iran out to the helicopter to
help supervise the removal.
Taking the evidence
with you, of course.
No, I left it in the
emergency room.
Unsealed?
Yes.
And after you took care
of the accident victims,
you came back and got it?
It wasn't there.
The evidence wasn't in the emergency
room. It wasn't where you left it?
No, it wasn't.
Nurse Gordy and I found it in a
linen cart near the service elevator.
How long would you say it was
from the time you left
the emergency room
for the Triage Code Two?
About an hour.
And all the envelopes
containing all the specimens
were still open, unsealed?
Right there under
everybody's nose?
Yes.
I didn't seal them
until I gave them
to the deputy
from the crime lab.
Thank you, Doctor, for
your honesty and candor.
No more questions.
Mr. Feldman?
No, Your Honor.
(Judge) The witness is excused.
[sighing]
We're in trouble.
I know. He broke
the chain of evidence.
You'd better put
Carol on the stand.
No. I'm going
to try a long shot.
Mr. Feldman.
Your Honor, at this
time I would like to recall
the forensic chemist,
Herman Elger.
Object.
We've just heard testimony
the evidence they wish to present
was out of their hands
for at least an hour.
Your Honor, there was
only one set of specimens
in the emergency area
at that particular time.
It doesn't make any difference
if there were one or ten.
My client's entitled to
his constitutional rights.
The People have to
prove every single facet
of their case beyond
a reasonable doubt.
And they can't prove
that the specimens
in those envelopes
weren't touched,
tampered with, or even
kicked around on the floor.
They were found a full hour
later on a pile of dirty linen.
For all we know, the real criminal
could've come into the hospital
and made a substitution.
That's absurd!
[sighing]
Mr. Feldman, I'm afraid
unless you have another witness
that can establish an
unbroken chain of custody,
I'm going to have to sustain
Mr. Packard and exclude the evidence.
And that's your final ruling?
[clicking tongue]
Yes, I'm afraid it is.
[sighing]
Your Honor,
I'm convinced beyond
any moral certainty,
that the defendant,
Carl DeReatis,
is guilty of rape,
is guilty of assault,
is guilty of depraved,
inhuman behavior.
However, if you will not
allow our evidence to come in,
there's no way in the world I'm ever
going to be able to prove it to this jury.
[man coughing]
[sighing]
Therefore,
with feelings of pain
and feelings of anger
and feelings of
utter helplessness,
I move to dismiss.
Motion granted. This
case is dismissed.
[gavel banging]
What's the matter with you?
Why didn't you let her testify?
To what?
That the man who raped
her had brown eyes?
Packard would've blown her
off the stand in five seconds.
Mr. Prosecutor, I'd
like to talk with you.
You want to watch
me get crucified?
It was a lot of fun.
I'll see you again sometime.
[crying]
I don't understand...
[Carol continues sobbing]
[shushing]
What are you doing?
What are you eating for?
You haven't even
brushed your teeth.
Go on.
[cutlery rattling]
You know what's gonna happen?
You're gonna get green fangs.
Did you burn this
stuff on purpose?
You couldn't cook a piece
of bacon to save your soul.
In case you're interested,
I'm quittin' my job today.
Fatso's been gettin' on my
tail, treatin' me like scum.
I don't have to take no abuse off a
fat Greek. Not for no lousy $2 an hour.
Did you hear me?
Sure.
No comment, huh? Nothing to say.
[sighing]
Think about the baby, Carl.
[sighing]
Donny's gonna have
to go to the dentist
to have his green fangs fixed.
Look at the checkbook, Carl.
What are we gonna do?
[birds chirping]
[sighing] By this time tomorrow,
you'll be cryin' and moanin'
and driving me out of my gourd.
Would you open your fat face? You
ain't said nothin' to me in two days.
[clanking metal]
Ever since we came
home from court,
ever since the jury
said I wasn't guilty.
They never said that, Carl.
Well, here I am,
baby doll, a free man,
eatin' burned bacon in my
own little paid-off kitchen.
He said they couldn't
use the evidence.
That's all he said.
Because of some
technical thing in the law.
I was a bum rap just like
all the rest of the times, Joy.
You know, they've been sticking
me and messing with me ever since I...
They had evidence.
They had your
hair and your blood.
They even had the
thread of your clothes.
You want to say that again?
What I have to say
doesn't matter anymore.
Yes, it does. It does to me.
And you're gonna find that out.
Yeah, well, I don't care what
you say about that doctor.
I give one of my men an order,
it's his responsibility
to carry it out.
Oh, don't you see?
He wasn't trained.
Nobody told him what
to do step by step.
Our hospitals are
full of people like that.
Your department.
Even the crime labs.
Everybody's running
around in different directions
with half the facts and
half the information.
So what happens?
Millions of dollars are spent every
day in promoting and advertising
souped-up squad cars and
flying police stations. Zeppelins!
But when somebody asked for
nickels and dimes to hold a seminar,
so he could cut down on
a terminal crime like rape,
everybody looks at him like
he is a nut from outer space.
And here's one of the
people I'm talking about!
What did I do?
It's not what you guys do.
It's what you guys don't do.
Better watch it, pal. You'll be
apologizing to your own Navy buddy
for the rest of the afternoon.
Take a look at this.
That's $20,000, Quince.
What made you change your mind?
[sighing] Well, for one
thing, I was at the trial.
I didn't see you there.
I didn't want you to see me.
I mean, I felt bad enough when
I left you hangin' up in my office.
I don't understand! You
guys had this fellow nailed.
Six ways from Sunday.
Yeah.
So I switched
around a few priorities
and I got the money.
Thanks, pal.
Thanks, pal. That's all I get.
I bat my brains out, I put a
hammer lock on the deputy mayor
and he looked at me like I had
given him a basket full of snakes.
I'm sorry, I really
do appreciate it.
But, see, there's
a creep out there.
I told you, Quincy,
it's not your fault.
It is! I should have
stayed with Dr. Castle.
DeReatis is compulsive. He's
gonna hurt somebody out there.
I don't even know who
it is. But it's my fault.
(policeman) Lieutenant?
Oh, here. Bring her here.
I'm all right.
Let me see those bruises, huh?
Mrs. DeReatis, will
you file a complaint?
I can pick up your
husband and put him in jail.
I'll all right, really.
I came here because
I wanted to turn this in.
What is it?
The day after that thing
happened with Frances Bragg,
I found that in our garage.
Carl didn't have
any cuts on him.
So I guess the
blood must be hers.
Her body was all
covered with scratches.
(Joy) He swore that was
from a fight at the gas station.
He's always fighting,
coming home with...
With blood and...
and broken noses.
So I believed him.
You see, I've got two kids.
I had to believe him.
[Joy sniffing]
I never even had a job before.
What am I gonna
do with two kids?
So, I...
I realize that I
can't worry about...
I just know that I
can't let him hurt us
or anybody again.
I can't let him do that.
How's everything?
Everything's fine.
Sure, and as long
as Quincy is treating,
how about another
bottle of wine?
Yeah.
Uh, I'm not hungry.
What's the matter?
Smile, it's a celebration.
I'm a little worried about
the seminar tomorrow.
I don't know if jokes
are going to work.
Jokes?
Yeah.
Quincy, you're going
to do jokes for doctors,
and lawyers, and... and
counselors, and psychologists?
Carol, they're people, right?
You get enough people
together, and you got an audience.
And what does an audience want?
To be entertained.
Yeah, Danny used
to do a comedy act.
He's gonna let me
use his material.
It's dynamite stuff.
Hey, Doc, as a matter of fact,
why don't we try
it out here tonight?
You're out of your...
No! It's practice.
That's right. Let's.
Ladies and gentlemen, your
attention for one minute, please.
It's showtime at
Danny's tonight.
I want to introduce
a friend of mine,
who's gonna try some new
material tonight, you will roar!
Ready? For Dr. Quincy.
[people cheering]
Take center stage
on the platform. You...
Once more, Dr. Quincy.
Never mind once
more. Come on, will you?
Yeah! Come on,
Quince, let's hear it.
Are you sure this
is good material?
Dynamite.
Good evening, ladies and germs.
Funny thing happened to me on
the way to the morgue this morning.
It was so cold, it snowed so
much, that when I got there,
I was frozen stiff.
Stiff in the morgue.
They didn't laugh. I thought you
said this was dynamite material.
That is the worst
delivery I've ever heard.
Stick to medicine, Doc.
the amount of rape in this entire area.
I don't want anybody to
touch me but Dr. Quincy.
I think she wanted
me to examine her
because she knows I'm an
expert on forensic evidence.
The evidence wasn't
in the emergency room.
I was a bum rap just like
all the rest of the times.
They had evidence.
Juries do convict when they
are presented with solid evidence.
Evidence that has been protected
by a chain of
custody, they convict.
They've been doing
it in Dallas, Texas,
and I'm gonna get
them to do it here.
Gentlemen, you
are about to enter
the fascinating
sphere of police work:
the world of forensic medicine.
[hissing]
What's the hang-up, DeReatis?
Thing should've been
out of here 20 minutes ago.
You wanna work, work. You wanna
goof off, then go someplace else.
[car honking]
[latch clicking]
[sighing]
[screaming]
(woman on PA system) Dr. Pierce,
report to surgery please, Dr. Pierce.
Where's Fay Willard,
the rape victim?
Around the corner,
second door to your left.
Thank you.
Oh, no.
Dr. Quincy. I'm with
the coroner's office.
[sighing] You guys don't
waste any time, do you?
(woman on PA system)
Dr. Pierce, report to surgery.
What happened?
When I talked to the police, they
said she was in reasonably good shape.
They're issuing medical
degrees to the squad cars now?
You know, the funny thing is,
she... she worked in this hospital.
She was a nurse.
Upstairs somewhere.
[sighing]
We've got so many floors up
there, I don't... I don't even know...
How did she die?
They brought her
in with severe shock.
Developed into
ventricular tachycardia.
It's a simple thing.
Her heart stopped and I
couldn't get it going again.
[water dripping]
May I help you?
I'm with the coroner's office.
I'd like to see
some identification.
It's all right.
These nails have
fresh water under them.
We washed her down completely.
You what?
What is this?
Her clothes,
obviously. Her uniform.
This should be sealed in a plastic
bag. They're worthless to me now.
I'm sorry, but sometimes things
get a little hectic around here.
That's no excuse for
destroying evidence.
Look, when I'm trying
to save somebody's life,
the last thing in the world I'm gonna
think about is collecting specimens
for some jury that probably
wouldn't... wouldn't convict
even if they saw a slow
motion film of the rape.
You're wrong, they do convict!
When they're presented
with solid evidence.
Evidence that has been protected
by a chain of
custody, they'll convict.
They already do it in Dallas,
Texas, and they're gonna do it here.
I've been trying
to hold a seminar
for doctors like you
and nurses like you,
to prove that all it takes is a little
extra training, a little extra care.
Single-handedly,
all by yourself?
If I have to, yes.
(Castle) And the funding?
Oh, don't worry,
I'll get that. I'll get it.
Well, I wish you luck.
Doctor, I am not the
enemy. Neither are the police.
All we wanna
do is nail this guy.
He's gotten away with it twice.
Same MO, same man.
And Nurse Gordy,
he will go on and on,
if we continue to
contaminate evidence
by throwing it under
everybody's feet!
(woman on PA
system) Dr. Roberts,
report to the emergency,
please, Dr. Roberts,
I'm Carol Bowen, Officer. From
the Rape Counseling Service.
I'm afraid I can't tell you very much
about the victim, she's still in there.
Thank you.
(Carol) Quincy, how can
you be sure it was DeReatis?
(Quincy) Same MO, rope
burns, both ankles, both wrists.
He tied her down,
just like he had tied Helene
Kirschner and Frances Bragg.
Then why don't the
police do something?
Rope burns constitute a
pattern, not tangible evidence.
Isn't there anything else?
When they first examined her,
they dumped her clothes on the floor.
Then somebody had the
bright idea of washing her down.
There was no sense
going any further.
Carol, let me hit
you with a problem.
Where can I raise $20,000
to educate people who
work in the emergency room?
Not from us.
Quincy, you know
as well as I do,
we're scrounging for donations
just to keep our doors open.
Every extra cent
we've got is paying
for psychiatric
treatment for victims.
Yeah, but if I can
hold my seminar,
I guarantee you'll have a
lot less cases to deal with.
Oh, Quincy!
Maybe you would lock
up a couple more rapists,
but we got a bumper
crop this year.
A few more convictions
aren't gonna make a dent.
Eventually, it will.
Why do you think rape is
reaching epidemic proportions?
Because people like DeReatis
know they can get away with it.
And they'll go on and on
until we cut into the root cause.
Wrong. The root
cause is society.
It's our laws, our beliefs,
our moral and social principles.
Quincy, if your seminar
could change that,
I would personally go out
on the street and beg for you.
That mean you don't
agree with me? Yes.
Then I don't want to discuss it.
[typewriter clacking]
(Monahan) Listen, if
you think of anything else,
please give me a
call. Thank you. Bye.
Uh, the woman died,
I guess you know that.
Her heart stopped on the table
while she was being examined.
Looks like you struck out.
Struck out? I didn't
even get up to bat.
Boy, they messed it up.
Well, I got something.
It may not convict him
but it sure as hell ties him in.
You see, all of DeReatis'
victims worked in places
where he or his
family frequents.
So I got to thinking, maybe
he was in the hospital.
Sick, operation?
Maybe that's where he knew her.
And?
I just got off the horn with
the head nurse over there.
(Monahan) Fay Willard was
stationed on the seventh floor,
maternity.
You mean, DeReatis'
wife had a baby?
Exactly. Six months ago.
A bouncing baby boy.
Yeah, you're right. It's
not gonna convict him.
Well, at least it
fits the pattern.
Oh, come on, will
you, Lieutenant,
we keep talkin' about
patterns, he keeps killin' women.
What we have to do is build
a solid chain of evidence,
link by link, long enough
to hook onto his collar,
and strong enough
to drag him into court.
What's he saying in there?
He feels pretty cocky. He
knows we haven't got anything
or we would've hit
him with it by now.
I wonder what his blood type is.
[telephone ringing]
What's this, the goon squad?
You bringing in the heavy
artillery to pound me down?
Well, I'm surprised you
don't remember me, DeReatis.
I'm Dr. Quincy. I'm
a medical examiner.
We talked right after
Frances Bragg died.
Frances?
Oh, you remember her.
She was a checker in the supermarket
where you bought your food.
You wanna know about
groceries, talk to my wife.
What's your blood type?
I wouldn't know. The sight
of blood makes me sick.
Would you give
me a little sample?
You kiddin'?
I might get busted for
driving under the influence.
Oh, we're gonna bust you,
but not for that.
We're gonna bust
you for assault,
we're gonna bust you for rape,
we're gonna bust you for murder.
Are you crazy?
Bill, get him outta here.
(Bill) All right, let's go.
You owe me a cigarette,
Doc. I'm not gonna forget.
Let's go.
That was brilliant.
What was that all about?
You're the one I
ought to lock up.
You wanted his blood type?
This'll give it to us.
[sighing] If you're not gonna
help me, don't hinder me.
Hmm, touchy, aren't we?
[chuckling]
[sighing]
Stomach, huh? This place
affects people like that.
It's not the place,
Quincy. I'm starving.
Hmm, what about me? I've
been here since 7:00 this morning
and I didn't even
have time for lunch.
Is this guy gonna
stop complaining?
When you finish, I'm gonna
take you both to dinner at Danny's.
Mmm-hmm, I've
heard that song before.
Hey!
I know a guy in government
who'll give me some money.
What for, dinner?
Sam, he's talking
about his rape seminar.
You mean he hasn't
asked you to donate?
How could he? He
knows how much I earn.
I'm serious. This is a
guy I knew in the Navy.
[chuckling] Here
comes another war story.
No. Leonard Bellwood.
Listen. He had some
government agency
that... that gives out money
for experimental projects.
I bumped into him
about six months ago.
He said if I needed anything,
I should come and see him.
He meant it. I
know, he meant it.
Well, it sounds good, call him.
Well, it's too late
now, but I will.
Oh, It. Comdr. Leonard Bellwood.
We used to call
him "The Old Bell."
He was our hospital
supply officer.
When you needed something,
you asked, you got it in one hour.
No matter what.
Band-Aids, bro... Bourbon.
"Broads." You were
gonna say "broads," Quincy.
Well, we were in the Navy.
Oh, if anybody could move
mountains, it's Old Bell.
We've got it. Bull's
eye! AB-negative.
You sure? Mmm-hmm.
[ringing]
Detectives, Monahan.
(Quincy) Lieutenant,
this is Quincy.
We ran an absorption-elution
test for blood type on DeReatis.
It was AB-negative. Ties
him in with Frances Bragg.
As good as that is, Quincy,
I can't take it to the DA.
But we're getting
warmer, aren't we?
Yeah, but I still
gotta turn him loose.
I just got finished talking
to his teenybopper wife.
She came up with
another song and dance.
She gave him an alibi? Uh-huh.
He wins the Husband
of the Year award.
While Fay Willard
was being raped,
he was at home
cleanin' out his garage.
How does that grab you?
Lieutenant, do me
a favor, will you?
Find some reason to
hold him there for a while.
Why?
Uh, don't ask, 'cause you
wouldn't approve. Bye-bye.
Wanna go for a ride?
(Carol) Sure.
(Sam) Hey, what about
that dinner you promised me?
Sam, I don't wanna
hurt your feelings,
but, you know, you could
afford to miss a meal.
Whew. You've put
on a lot of weight.
[gunshots on TV]
[knocking on door]
Who is it?
(Quincy) Coroner's office.
Did something happen...
Oh, no, no, nothing happened.
I'm Dr. Quincy,
this is Miss Bowen
from the Rape
Counseling Service.
It's important, Mrs. DeReatis.
May we please come in?
[TV continues playing]
Donny, go put your
pajamas on for bed-bed.
Come on, bed-bed.
Go in there and mommy will
come in and rub your back.
Go to the bathroom now. Go
to the bathroom and be quiet.
You make sure you don't
wake up your baby brother.
[chuckling] Crazy kid shows.
[clock cuckoos]
We got that on
our honeymoon trip.
There's a little Swedish
town up the coast.
Between here and San Francisco.
I don't know why,
I never can seem to
remember the name.
Mrs. DeReatis,
I'm afraid what
I have to tell you
isn't going to be that
easy for you to take.
You see, your husband's
blood type is AB-negative.
AB-negative?
Well, it's very rare.
Only a small segment
of the population has it.
Well, is he sick or somethin'?
No.
Mrs. DeReatis,
two months ago, the police
questioned your husband
about the rape and death of a
woman named Frances Bragg.
That was only because
somebody saw his car.
When they found out he stopped
there on account of a flat tire,
they let him go.
I was with him. I ought to know.
48 hours after she died, they
found her on the floor of her shower.
She went to the
wash after her attack.
The water was still on.
It had been running
like that for two days.
But still, there was
enough evidence
to prove that the man who
raped her had AB-negative blood.
Didn't I tell you to get inside?
I told you to stay in there!
I knew I shouldn't have let you
people in here. I knew it was wrong!
You know what
happened a month ago
to a waitress named
Helene Kirschner.
She worked right across
the street from his gas station.
Just today...
I know what you're gonna say.
The police already talked to me!
They tell you who
the victim was?
What's the difference?
She worked in the hospital on the same
floor where you had your second son.
Carl was right here,
right in this house!
He was cleaning out the garage.
You know that's not true.
You've gotta stop giving him alibis.
I don't lie! To anybody!
I always tell the truth!
(DeReatis) And so do I.
You see, honey? You
see what I told you?
Just because I made a little
mistake when I was young,
they never let me alone.
And every time
something freaky happens,
they haul me in like
scum from the sewer.
Well, I can tolerate it
at the police station,
because I've got the peace of
mind of knowing I'm innocent.
But in front of her and
in front of my little kid,
it makes me mad enough to kill!
[baby crying]
And now look what you've done!
You woke up my children!
[baby continues crying]
[buzzer sounding]
Yeah?
(Mildred) There's
a Dr. Quincy here,
You're kidding.
Well, he says he's
from the coroner's office.
[chuckling] Pipe
him aboard, Mildred.
I beg your pardon?
Send him in, Mildred.
Send him in, please.
Hey, Quince, how
are you? How are you?
Good.
Good to see you. Hey,
hope this isn't a clinical visit.
Well, it wasn't, now I see
you do look a little pale.
Oh, come on,
will you cut it out?
I don't like jokes like that.
My wife's been telling
me the same thing
ever since we got
back from Honolulu.
You just got back from Honolulu?
[both chuckling]
You remember my skin problem?
Thank goodness it rained
almost every minute we were there.
Listen, I'd love to
talk to you all day,
but I wish you would
phone me first...
Oh, no, this is
very important, Bell.
The deputy chief of police
is waiting for me at City Hall...
Do you remember what you said
the last time I bumped into you?
Just when you got this job?
You said if I ever needed
something, you'd help?
Yes, I did, and I
meant every word of it.
Well, I need something
and it could be a
feather in your cap.
I have a program that can reduce
the amount of rape in this entire area.
Yeah, it sounds terrific...
Would you stop looking
at your watch? I'm sorry.
Look, the prototype of this
originated in Dallas, Texas,
by a group of concerned
doctors headed by Charles Petty.
Now before they could
institute their program,
the ratio of convictions and
rape cases was one out of 10.
Now out of 127 cases,
they got 123 convictions.
Ooh, that is fantastic.
You bet that's fantastic.
And as Petty says, there's
no reason we can't do it here.
We'll start with a
weekend seminar
for lawyers, for doctors,
for policemen, for judges.
I want them to start talking. I
want them to start cooperating.
I want to teach them
to protect the evidence
from being challenged in court.
And, finally, I want every
hospital to have an assault kit,
which has the equipment
to ensure that every victim
gets a proper examination.
It's an expensive program.
It sounds expensive, doesn't it?
Well, it isn't. I can give
you the whole package,
hear this now, the whole
package for $20,000.
Oh, Quince, right now, you
caught us at a very bad time.
We are deeply
involved in two very big
and very wild projects.
This is called Super
Ground Cruiser.
Devastating horsepower,
the most sophisticated
radio equipment,
a small on-board computer.
And it's capable of 170 miles
an hour. You believe that?
But the speed limit's 55.
Oh, come on, be
serious, will you?
And this is known
as Super Sky Watch.
It's cheaper to fly
than a helicopter
and it provides a perfect
platform for aerial surveillance.
Bell, you gotta be kiddin'.
What's a cop supposed to do? Spot a
hold-up? Bail out and make the arrest?
[chuckling] Quince, uh, now,
you're putting me down now.
But these are two
very vital programs
and we must look to the future.
What about right now?
In the area of one crime?
Right here, where we
can do something about it.
Quince, if I had the money,
you'd be the first to get it.
Oh, come on, don't tell me, with
the federal government behind you,
you can't come up with $20,000?
Unless more effective
law enforcement
is directly involved,
I couldn't come
up with 20 cents.
I'm sorry, Quince, I
really would like to help.
Listen, you call me next
week any day for lunch, okay?
Get a hold of Mildred and
she'll set up an appointment.
I... I gotta run now.
Call me. Promise.
170 miles an hour?
[telephone ringing]
Dr. Quincy.
(Carol) You owe me a
steak dinner at the beach.
Hi, Carol. That's right, I do.
And the sooner the better.
How fast can you make
it down to Danny's?
[sighing] Well, after I
go home and change,
if I hit every light I ought
to be able to get there
on the short side of an hour.
[whistling]
Oh, I got a lot of
paperwork to do.
Well, it's too fast for me.
5:30 would be more realistic.
Okay, but listen,
if you're late, I'm gonna go
scuba diving in a pitcher of martinis.
Rough day, huh?
Oh, Quincy,
I've got a 13-year-old girl
who was raped six weeks ago.
I can't even make
contact with her.
She's so shut down, she
won't even talk to her mother,
Tell you what I'm gonna do.
You say 5:30 is too late? You say
5:00 is too late? I'm gonna meet you there
at 4:45 and don't you be late,
[chuckling] I won't. Bye.
[siren blaring]
Where is she?
Emergency, down the hall.
[thumping]
Hey, come on now, settle down.
You're not gonna be
any help to her this way.
Take it easy.
Miss, nobody's gonna
hurt you or do anything...
No. I told you,
I don't want anybody to
touch me but Dr. Quincy.
It's gonna be all right.
It's gonna be all right.
Was it DeReatis?
Yes.
Then I guess it's
gonna be a regular
three-ring circus, isn't it?
Oh, no, no, no.
We'll take care of it.
We'll take care of it.
Quincy, all I care about
is that this is done right.
That's why you're here.
So you do what you have to do,
and I'll do what I have to do.
Help her to get ready.
Put her shoes and all of
her clothes in a plastic bag.
Now you do have an
assault kit here, don't you?
I'm sure we can find
what you need, Doctor.
I'll be right back.
(woman on PA system)
R. Miller, report to ICU.
Well, do I pick up DeReatis?
Oh, yeah. He'll have an alibi,
but you check him for scratches,
get some fiber samples
from his clothes.
You gonna use the sheriff's lab?
You send me a deputy. Right.
One more thing.
Call the Rape
Counseling Service,
tell them to send somebody over.
She's gonna need all
the help she can get.
(Quincy) One more nail.
I'm not the best
manicurist in town.
Tag this.
I'm gonna keep you
here overnight, okay?
Any place.
Anywhere but my
own apartment, Quincy.
I'm not going back there ever.
Not even to pick up my clothes.
[chuckling]
I have to, don't I?
Going back is
part of the program.
Oh, Quincy, you can't
believe how clever I've been
making other people do it.
"Keep churning up
the garbage, girls.
"Right up and out
into the sunlight
until the stink goes away."
I have to ask you the
question one more time.
You ready, Doctor?
Yeah.
Please understand.
You are sure, aren't you?
You are sure it was DeReatis?
I can't believe
you're asking me that.
Well, there were no rope
burns on your whole body.
No.
No, he invented a new
method. Just for me.
What's the implication, Quincy?
He didn't need any rope?
You know I didn't mean that.
I want to nail him.
He usually ties up his victims.
Is that what I am to you now?
[whispering] I'm sorry.
Do the world a favor.
Take a victim to dinner.
I'm sorry.
No. Just let me do it by myself.
Carol, did you see his face
or was he wearing a mask?
I know it's rough on
you, darling, I know it.
But there is no other way.
I saw his eyes.
I heard his voice.
Filthy.
Telling me over and over again
the list of inhuman things
he... he expected
in return for my life.
This happened at your apartment?
[breathing deeply]
After I talked to you, I...
I went back to change.
He was in there.
I don't know how.
He was waiting.
I didn't even shut the door
and he hit me from behind.
I've never been hurt like that.
No one's ever hurt
me like that before.
It's almost over.
All I need is a lock
of your pretty hair.
Do you really think I'm pretty?
Yes, I do.
What about you, Doctor? You've
been staring at me for a long time.
[clearing throat]
I think you're a very
courageous young lady.
[chuckling]
I'm older than you are.
And I'm not courageous.
Just for the simple
pleasure of breathing,
I... I let a man use
me as a-an instrument
for his sickness
and his brutality.
[sniffing]
A courageous
person would've died.
Get me a 10 milligram
ampule of Valium.
You really think she needs it?
You better start moving, or I'm gonna
bounce you out of here on your ear.
Who's paying for the
room upstairs, Quincy?
What do they get,
about $500 a day?
Don't worry about it.
Oh, I do worry.
I've never taken a
cent of charity in my life.
I'm not about to start
over a little thing like rape.
Take her outside. I'll
be with you in a minute.
She's right on the edge.
I want you to seal and mask
every one of those envelopes.
A deputy's on the
way to pick it up.
He'll have a custody form. You sign,
and make sure he signs them, too.
Thank you.
Dr. Quincy, this
is Louise Porter.
How do you do? Hello.
One of my cohorts at the Center.
You know what the
irony of this situation is?
I'm the one who
recruited Louise.
When I broke her in, we
used to play a little game
called "counselor-victim."
Naturally, I got
the juicier role.
Pretending I knew what
it felt like to be raped.
Isn't that wild, Louise?
Just think how valuable
I'll be to the program now.
[laughing]
[sobbing]
Oh, no! No! No!
Please don't do it
to me! Please don't.
No! No! It's okay.
Please don't do that to me! No!
Please don't do that to me! No!
Oh, don't do that to me!
Hey, what am I tiptoeing for?
You should be asleep.
We've got DeReatis this time.
I mean, we really got him.
We have all the
evidence we need.
The blood matches, the
fiber on his clothing, his hair.
Try to sleep, Carol.
You can go to sleep knowing he'll
never hurt anybody else ever again.
There's no question
about it. I kid you not.
This is one of the best cases of
circumstantial evidence I've ever had.
What's the "but," Mr. Feldman?
The "but," Carol, is
putting you on the stand.
Now, you're an attractive
woman. You're single.
And you probably have a normal
outlook on matters of sexual freedom.
Up until about a week ago.
Well, I'm sorry to say,
despite some rather
enlightened statutes,
Carol, any good cross-examiner
can take healthy attitudes
and make them look...
I'll tell you what, Mr. Feldman.
Don't you give it
a second thought.
They can put me on the stand
and they can degrade
me all they want.
It will not humiliate me
and it will not rattle me.
And it won't change
a word of the truth.
Okay.
I'll see you on the 15th.
Now, if you've any
problems at all before then,
you give me a call.
Carol, I'd like to speak to
Dr. Quincy just for a minute.
I'll be right with you.
What's the matter?
She worries me. She really does.
Why? She's taken more rape
victims to court than you have.
I know, but not herself.
She never took herself.
And if you're counting
on sympathy from a jury,
in six weeks, those
bruises are gonna be gone.
Besides, I don't know if you're
gonna agree with me or not,
but I think she's holding her
emotions together with chewing gum.
(Feldman) Mr. Elger,
will you please tell us
what your profession is?
I'm criminalist, a
forensic chemist.
I work for the Sheriff's
Department in their crime laboratory.
And could you tell us what
you have in that envelope?
This contains physical
evidence taken from the clothing
and person of Miss Carol Bowen
after she was examined
at Parkside Hospital.
It also contains
fibers from the clothing
of the defendant Carl DeReatis.
Objection, Your Honor.
No proper foundation has been
established to connect any of that
with the defendant or the crime.
Your Honor, if you'll let me...
No, I'm sustaining
it, Mr. Feldman.
I suggest you reserve
this witness to a later time.
I have no more questions.
[shushing] Quincy!
Now, don't get shook.
It's just procedure.
It'll take a little longer
this way, that's all.
(Judge) Mr. Packard?
(Packard) No questions.
(Judge) The witness is excused.
(Feldman) Doctor,
before we go any farther,
I think it might be a good idea
if you'd explain why you
as a medical
examiner, a pathologist,
were requested to
conduct this examination.
Well, it's kind of unusual.
Miss Bowen and I crossed paths
professionally for
almost two years.
She is with the Rape
Counseling Service.
I think she wanted me to
examine her because she knows
I'm an expert on
forensic evidence.
All right, now you
have already described
Miss Bowen's emotional
and physical condition.
Would you tell us, please,
now, what procedures you used
during the rest of
your examination?
Well, I took blood
samples, fingernail clippings,
hair specimens,
smears for acid-phosphatase
determination,
cultures for the presence
of venereal disease,
and slides from the mucosa.
And what did you
do with this evidence?
Well, I placed it in the
custody of Dr. Alan Castle,
a resident of the hospital who
assisted me during the examination.
I instructed him to seal
and mark every envelope,
then give it to the Sheriff who
was coming from the crime lab.
And after that, what did you do?
Well, Miss Bowen was
on the verge of hysteria.
I wanted to get her away from
there. Away from the emergency room.
So I took her to a
private room upstairs.
Thank you, Doctor.
Your witness.
Dr. Quincy,
you said you've known Miss
Bowen for what, about two years?
Yes.
Professionally.
That's correct.
And during that time,
during those two years,
did you ever date?
Well, not really date.
Not really?
Well, then let's...
let's put it another way.
Did you ever take her to dinner?
Oh, yes. Yes.
Did you ever call for
her at her apartment?
(Quincy) Oh, yeah.
Once or twice, I guess.
Did she ever accompany
you to your home?
I don't have a home. I live
on a boat in Marina Del Rey.
How fortunate.
That's a very romantic setting.
Did you and Miss Bowen ever
go cruising around the lagoon?
(Quincy) My boat's in dry dock.
Well, then,
did she ever come and visit you
just to breathe
the pure salt air?
Mr. Packard, why don't
I save you a lot of time?
She never came
down to go cruising.
She never came down
to improve her lungs.
She came because we're the kind
of friends who can enjoy each other
without the weight of
intimate physical contact.
I wonder why he let
you get away with that.
Oh, I really didn't give
him much of a chance.
Believe me, he could've stopped
you any time he wanted to.
Jack Packard may look like the
world's conception of your perfect father,
but I've seen him...
I've seen him chew up witnesses
and spit them
across the courtroom.
No, something's wrong.
What do you mean?
I mean, his client
doesn't have a chance
and yet there he is. He is
out there grinning and joking
and strutting like a peacock.
I don't like it. Not at all.
Hmm.
(Packard) Let's go back
over the facts, Dr. Castle.
You testified that after the
evidence was left in your custody,
you sealed it, labeled it,
and gave it to a deputy sheriff.
Well, that's correct.
Did you do that right away,
right after Dr. Quincy
left the room
to attend to the comfort
of his friend Miss Bowen?
Not exactly.
[people murmuring]
I'm afraid you'd better explain
to the ladies and
gentlemen of this jury
just what "not exactly" means.
[clearing throat]
Well, first...
I... I mean, right
after Dr. Quincy left,
uh, I had a conversation
with one of my nurses.
And that was more important
than marking the evidence?
[sighing] She was upset.
I had to calm her down.
May I ask the reason?
She felt...
I mean, she thought that
Dr. Quincy had been short with her
during the examination.
(Packard) Was he? Was he short
with her? I mean upset her in any way?
(Castle) I... I
don't really know.
What happened next?
Everything hit the fan.
We had a Triage Code Two.
That's a critical emergency.
And they were bringing in four
victims from a head-on collision.
What did you do?
Iran out to the helicopter to
help supervise the removal.
Taking the evidence
with you, of course.
No, I left it in the
emergency room.
Unsealed?
Yes.
And after you took care
of the accident victims,
you came back and got it?
It wasn't there.
The evidence wasn't in the emergency
room. It wasn't where you left it?
No, it wasn't.
Nurse Gordy and I found it in a
linen cart near the service elevator.
How long would you say it was
from the time you left
the emergency room
for the Triage Code Two?
About an hour.
And all the envelopes
containing all the specimens
were still open, unsealed?
Right there under
everybody's nose?
Yes.
I didn't seal them
until I gave them
to the deputy
from the crime lab.
Thank you, Doctor, for
your honesty and candor.
No more questions.
Mr. Feldman?
No, Your Honor.
(Judge) The witness is excused.
[sighing]
We're in trouble.
I know. He broke
the chain of evidence.
You'd better put
Carol on the stand.
No. I'm going
to try a long shot.
Mr. Feldman.
Your Honor, at this
time I would like to recall
the forensic chemist,
Herman Elger.
Object.
We've just heard testimony
the evidence they wish to present
was out of their hands
for at least an hour.
Your Honor, there was
only one set of specimens
in the emergency area
at that particular time.
It doesn't make any difference
if there were one or ten.
My client's entitled to
his constitutional rights.
The People have to
prove every single facet
of their case beyond
a reasonable doubt.
And they can't prove
that the specimens
in those envelopes
weren't touched,
tampered with, or even
kicked around on the floor.
They were found a full hour
later on a pile of dirty linen.
For all we know, the real criminal
could've come into the hospital
and made a substitution.
That's absurd!
[sighing]
Mr. Feldman, I'm afraid
unless you have another witness
that can establish an
unbroken chain of custody,
I'm going to have to sustain
Mr. Packard and exclude the evidence.
And that's your final ruling?
[clicking tongue]
Yes, I'm afraid it is.
[sighing]
Your Honor,
I'm convinced beyond
any moral certainty,
that the defendant,
Carl DeReatis,
is guilty of rape,
is guilty of assault,
is guilty of depraved,
inhuman behavior.
However, if you will not
allow our evidence to come in,
there's no way in the world I'm ever
going to be able to prove it to this jury.
[man coughing]
[sighing]
Therefore,
with feelings of pain
and feelings of anger
and feelings of
utter helplessness,
I move to dismiss.
Motion granted. This
case is dismissed.
[gavel banging]
What's the matter with you?
Why didn't you let her testify?
To what?
That the man who raped
her had brown eyes?
Packard would've blown her
off the stand in five seconds.
Mr. Prosecutor, I'd
like to talk with you.
You want to watch
me get crucified?
It was a lot of fun.
I'll see you again sometime.
[crying]
I don't understand...
[Carol continues sobbing]
[shushing]
What are you doing?
What are you eating for?
You haven't even
brushed your teeth.
Go on.
[cutlery rattling]
You know what's gonna happen?
You're gonna get green fangs.
Did you burn this
stuff on purpose?
You couldn't cook a piece
of bacon to save your soul.
In case you're interested,
I'm quittin' my job today.
Fatso's been gettin' on my
tail, treatin' me like scum.
I don't have to take no abuse off a
fat Greek. Not for no lousy $2 an hour.
Did you hear me?
Sure.
No comment, huh? Nothing to say.
[sighing]
Think about the baby, Carl.
[sighing]
Donny's gonna have
to go to the dentist
to have his green fangs fixed.
Look at the checkbook, Carl.
What are we gonna do?
[birds chirping]
[sighing] By this time tomorrow,
you'll be cryin' and moanin'
and driving me out of my gourd.
Would you open your fat face? You
ain't said nothin' to me in two days.
[clanking metal]
Ever since we came
home from court,
ever since the jury
said I wasn't guilty.
They never said that, Carl.
Well, here I am,
baby doll, a free man,
eatin' burned bacon in my
own little paid-off kitchen.
He said they couldn't
use the evidence.
That's all he said.
Because of some
technical thing in the law.
I was a bum rap just like
all the rest of the times, Joy.
You know, they've been sticking
me and messing with me ever since I...
They had evidence.
They had your
hair and your blood.
They even had the
thread of your clothes.
You want to say that again?
What I have to say
doesn't matter anymore.
Yes, it does. It does to me.
And you're gonna find that out.
Yeah, well, I don't care what
you say about that doctor.
I give one of my men an order,
it's his responsibility
to carry it out.
Oh, don't you see?
He wasn't trained.
Nobody told him what
to do step by step.
Our hospitals are
full of people like that.
Your department.
Even the crime labs.
Everybody's running
around in different directions
with half the facts and
half the information.
So what happens?
Millions of dollars are spent every
day in promoting and advertising
souped-up squad cars and
flying police stations. Zeppelins!
But when somebody asked for
nickels and dimes to hold a seminar,
so he could cut down on
a terminal crime like rape,
everybody looks at him like
he is a nut from outer space.
And here's one of the
people I'm talking about!
What did I do?
It's not what you guys do.
It's what you guys don't do.
Better watch it, pal. You'll be
apologizing to your own Navy buddy
for the rest of the afternoon.
Take a look at this.
That's $20,000, Quince.
What made you change your mind?
[sighing] Well, for one
thing, I was at the trial.
I didn't see you there.
I didn't want you to see me.
I mean, I felt bad enough when
I left you hangin' up in my office.
I don't understand! You
guys had this fellow nailed.
Six ways from Sunday.
Yeah.
So I switched
around a few priorities
and I got the money.
Thanks, pal.
Thanks, pal. That's all I get.
I bat my brains out, I put a
hammer lock on the deputy mayor
and he looked at me like I had
given him a basket full of snakes.
I'm sorry, I really
do appreciate it.
But, see, there's
a creep out there.
I told you, Quincy,
it's not your fault.
It is! I should have
stayed with Dr. Castle.
DeReatis is compulsive. He's
gonna hurt somebody out there.
I don't even know who
it is. But it's my fault.
(policeman) Lieutenant?
Oh, here. Bring her here.
I'm all right.
Let me see those bruises, huh?
Mrs. DeReatis, will
you file a complaint?
I can pick up your
husband and put him in jail.
I'll all right, really.
I came here because
I wanted to turn this in.
What is it?
The day after that thing
happened with Frances Bragg,
I found that in our garage.
Carl didn't have
any cuts on him.
So I guess the
blood must be hers.
Her body was all
covered with scratches.
(Joy) He swore that was
from a fight at the gas station.
He's always fighting,
coming home with...
With blood and...
and broken noses.
So I believed him.
You see, I've got two kids.
I had to believe him.
[Joy sniffing]
I never even had a job before.
What am I gonna
do with two kids?
So, I...
I realize that I
can't worry about...
I just know that I
can't let him hurt us
or anybody again.
I can't let him do that.
How's everything?
Everything's fine.
Sure, and as long
as Quincy is treating,
how about another
bottle of wine?
Yeah.
Uh, I'm not hungry.
What's the matter?
Smile, it's a celebration.
I'm a little worried about
the seminar tomorrow.
I don't know if jokes
are going to work.
Jokes?
Yeah.
Quincy, you're going
to do jokes for doctors,
and lawyers, and... and
counselors, and psychologists?
Carol, they're people, right?
You get enough people
together, and you got an audience.
And what does an audience want?
To be entertained.
Yeah, Danny used
to do a comedy act.
He's gonna let me
use his material.
It's dynamite stuff.
Hey, Doc, as a matter of fact,
why don't we try
it out here tonight?
You're out of your...
No! It's practice.
That's right. Let's.
Ladies and gentlemen, your
attention for one minute, please.
It's showtime at
Danny's tonight.
I want to introduce
a friend of mine,
who's gonna try some new
material tonight, you will roar!
Ready? For Dr. Quincy.
[people cheering]
Take center stage
on the platform. You...
Once more, Dr. Quincy.
Never mind once
more. Come on, will you?
Yeah! Come on,
Quince, let's hear it.
Are you sure this
is good material?
Dynamite.
Good evening, ladies and germs.
Funny thing happened to me on
the way to the morgue this morning.
It was so cold, it snowed so
much, that when I got there,
I was frozen stiff.
Stiff in the morgue.
They didn't laugh. I thought you
said this was dynamite material.
That is the worst
delivery I've ever heard.
Stick to medicine, Doc.