Quincy M.E. (1976–1983): Season 4, Episode 21 - An Ounce of Prevention - full transcript
If this is what I think it is, there
could be acres of death down there.
You think the landfill site could
have something to do with it?
Yeah.
I appreciate your call and your trust, but
what do you think I could do about this?
Do you realize what's going
on out there in Rosewood?
We've already found about
a third of the town affected.
You can control it, can't ya?
The company has a strong legal
argument that they're in the right.
What are the people
supposed to do in the meantime?
Mr. Ladin, your son may
have helped save lots of lives.
Gentlemen, you
are about to enter
the most fascinating
sphere of police work,
the world of forensic medicine.
Tommy, Billy, hurry up.
Do you want to be
late for school again?
- Yeah.
- Okay.
Hey, wait a minute.
What happened to your
shoes? Look at them.
I don't know, Mom,
they just got that way.
That the third pair of
shoes you kids have ruined.
Look, I don't want you
playing in those fields anymore.
Do you know how
hard your father works
to pay for those shoes?
Yeah. We're gonna
take you out of school
and we're gonna put
ya in the coal mines.
Frank, I'm not
kidding. Okay, okay.
You heard the law.
Try to be a little
bit more careful.
- We will.
- Yeah.
It not funny, you know.
The money goes fast enough
without them
ruining their shoes.
We aren't exactly
that broke around here.
What for lunch
today? It's a surprise.
You better watch out, I
might surprise you sometime.
Promises, promises.
Listen, why don't you see
if you can get Mrs. Herter
to sit tonight and we'll
go out someplace?
What the occasion?
Tuesday.
Okay.
I gotta go. Have a good day.
- Bye, kids.
- Bye, dad.
- Have a good day, Dad.
- See you tonight, Dad.
So long, monkeys.
- Look out.
- Oh, no.
All right, easy, easy does it.
All right, easy, nice and easy.
All right. Let's just
set it right in there.
Frank, c'mon, c'mon.
Watch it, Frank.
Pull it out a little.
Okay, here we
go. Ease it in there.
Ease it.
Hey Frank, you all right?
- Yeah, I'm fine.
- All right.
Let get it in. C'mon, easy.
Easy, all right.
Ugh, you know, either
we're getting' older
or these things
are gettin' heavier.
Hey Frank. Hey Frank.
Frank!
Let's take another
look at the x-rays.
Jumper's legs.
Compression fractures
of the bones in the legs.
Severe skull fracture resulting
in fatal cerebral damage.
Well, there's no doubt
about what killed him.
Suppose something
made him fall, Sam.
What do you mean? I
thought it was an accident.
It doesn't add up right.
If the fall was accidental,
there are some things
that just shouldn't be.
Look, look at his pupils.
They're contracted
like pinheads.
And he's cyanotic. Look
how blue the skin is on the lips.
There's very little
oxygen left in his tissues.
You know, for a
construction worker,
his muscles should be more firm
but they're limp, like
they lost their tone.
Right. The point is what
can do that to a person?
Well, excessive muscular
activity with lack of oxygen
and respiratory,
you know, lactic acid.
Did they send over
his medical file?
Yeah, it's right here.
No history of
dizziness, fainting spells,
erratic blood pressure,
epilepsy, or anything
that could explain it.
He had a physical
two months ago.
- Okay.
- Where are you goin'?
To run some tests.
That what you were
going to suggest, wasn't it?
When did you take
up mind-reading?
Yeah, you'd better
run a full tox screen,
gas chromatographs and
neuromuscular functions,
any nerve or
muscular abnormalities.
All right, but that'll
take till tomorrow.
So?
You know, what if
we don't find anything
and he did just
fall by accident?
Then we'll know
for sure, won't we.
- Go ahead.
- All right.
No luck yet?
I got a lot of luck, all of
it's bad. How about you?
You'll never guess
what I found in the blood.
What are you gonna
be, inscrutable?
What'd you find?
Well, I ran an assay on
the cholinesterase activity
but there was absolutely
no change in PH.
His cholinesterase
wasn't working.
Sam, that could
account for everything.
The enzyme cholinesterase,
that turns off the nerves
after they've fired,
but if it's not functioning
the nerves will continue to fire
making the muscles fibrillate,
using up all the oxygen.
That why the body was
limp and cyanotic, so blue.
But we still don't know what
blocked the cholinesterase.
Well, there aren't many
things that would do that, Sam.
Some venom, certain plant
extracts like physostigmine,
organophosphate
pesticides maybe.
I didn't find indications
of any of those.
- Did you look?
- Uh, not really.
Maybe that why
you didn't find any.
Oh yeah, more tests?
You read my mind again.
Marc,
run these extracts through
the liquid chromatograph
using the procedure we worked
out for organophosphates, okay?
Great, we get to
use our new baby.
Sam, are those the
gastrointestinal contents?
Yeah. I'm running
the stomach now.
Good morning, good morning.
Here what I've got
planned for today.
Quincy, I hear you're still
on that construction worker
who fell yesterday?
- I don't think he just fell.
Ah, why is it every time I
give you something simple,
it becomes complicated?
- I don't want to let you down.
- Now, listen, listen.
We have some very
important guests.
A group of Japanese
pathologists,
you know, from Japan. All right.
They want to
inspect our facilities
and Quincy,
they've heard of you,
they think you're terrific,
they can't wait to meet you.
Good. Have them come down
here. They can watch us in action.
Right. So let's put on a clean lab
coat and let's get this off of here.
What, are we into
spring cleaning?
All right, all right,
attention everybody. Sam.
We have some visitors so
let's straighten up the lab please.
I have something very pleasant
for you Sam, for a change.
A sort of a vacation
for a couple a days.
You will accompany
myself and our guests
- and act as translator.
- Oh no.
Oh no no no, he
is not a tour guide.
I need him here.
We're very busy.
Doctor Asten,
I don't speak very
much Japanese.
Ya don't you don't
speak Japanese?
No. My family been
here three generations.
Why should I speak...
Well, they don't speak
very much English, Sam.
I'm counting...
How do I interview
if you don't. You
better take a course.
Uh, uh, emergency,
emergen... uh,
Doctor Quincy is
not here in the field.
We go downstairs,
uh, dojo, dojo, dojo.
Ah Doctor Brown,
I'll see you later.
Dojo.
Thank you Doctor Brown.
D'you find anything yet?
Uh-huh. It looks like a really
high concentration of periphyton
in the tomatoes we
found in his stomach.
Well, that must be the
tomatoes he had for lunch.
He was poisoned.
You think it was
done deliberately?
I don't know.
Why would anyone want
to kill a construction worker?
I still can't believe it.
He left in the morning,
laughing as always.
He told me we'd
go out last night.
Then all of a
sudden, I get a call
and the whole world falls apart.
Do you want me
to come back later?
No. No.
If I can help, I
want to. Please.
Mrs. Roselli, we don't think your
husband death was accidental.
We found something
in the tomatoes he ate.
What do you mean, 'something'?
An organophosphate,
commonly used as a pesticide.
- Pesticides.
- That right.
That's impossible.
Those tomatoes were grown
organically without any poisons.
Can you tell me
where you got them?
Tell you? I can show you.
I grew them myself,
but I did everything
the books said.
There were no pesticides,
just natural fertilizer.
You mean the
tomatoes I gave Frank?
I killed him?
Believe me, it
wasn't your fault.
Excuse me for a minute, please.
Sam, I'm still at the Roselli's.
Now get ahold of Paul Sanders
at the health department.
Tell him I need an analysis of
the soil and the tomatoes right away
and tell him to get down
here as fast as possible.
Okay... right. Thanks.
No doubt about it, Quincy.
The lab just confirmed it.
They checked and re-checked.
This ground is loaded
with organophosphates.
These people are
lucky it was diluted.
Two drops of the pure stuff
on your skin would kill you
within the hour.
I can't understand it.
We've grown vegetables here
before and no one's
ever gotten sick from them.
Did you give any of the
tomatoes or vegetables
to anyone else?
No. This was the first
crop of the season.
I just picked some for
Frank yesterday morning.
You know, I grew them
to keep him healthy.
Isn't that funny?
To keep him healthy.
I better go check on the boys.
Poor woman.
I don't know how you
always handle cases like this.
Well, we'd better take samples
of everything in that area.
I'm scared, Paul. I
mean really scared.
If she didn't put anything on
those tomatoes or in the soil,
how did it get there?
This could be what
we're looking for.
- What that?
- I think it's an old landfill.
You see those discolored areas
where the material has
seeped up to the surface?
Yeah?
The grass has probably
become discolored
because something's
buried underneath it.
Like what?
Well, whatever it is,
it couldn't be good.
Where's that coming from?
Over there.
Hey kids, what're
you doin' here?
Now don't run away. Boys?
We're not gonna hurt ya.
We just wanna talk to ya.
- What are ya doin here?
- Just playing.
What've you got
behind your back?
Nothin'.
We're not gonna
get ya in any trouble.
What're you doing
with those matches?
- Are you cops?
- No.
We're watching
fires. Ya wanna see?
Yeah.
It must be escaping gas.
If this is what I think it is,
there could be acres
of death down there.
Paul, you find out
what's down there yet?
Yeah, a lot of
rotted metal drums.
There could be hundreds
or even thousands of them
spread out through
the whole area.
The tests show that they're
full of chemical wastes
from pesticide manufacturing.
That corresponds to the
organophosphates we found.
But how does stuff like that
get out here, unprotected,
right in the open?
Well, whoever buried those drums
probably thought that they
were safely disposed of.
But just because something
is buried in the ground
doesn't mean it gonna
stay that way forever.
The drums corrode
and they start to leak,
and the material is leached out.
Who knows what's gonna happen,
or how far it'll travel.
Well, do you know
how far it's gone here?
Well, we've checked the area,
and we've already found
about a third of the town affected.
Well, you can
control it, can't you?
Well as far as quarantine goes,
the Regional Water
Quality Control Board
is working with us to seal
off any wells or water sources
that have been contaminated.
We're testing the
fields and the town,
started to evacuate the
homes that have been affected.
Excuse me, excuse me,
are you in charge here?
- Yes.
- My name is Fenton.
This is my wife.
Now what's all this about
us having to leave our house?
Yeah.
Well, I'm sorry, but
I'm afraid it necessary.
We have to evacuate those
areas that have been contaminated
by poisonous chemicals.
But we've lived
here for fifteen years.
We've never had any problems.
Well, your neighbor
Frank Roselli died from it.
The department of
health services found
an extreme health hazard here.
We have kids in school here.
We work here.
All our money is
tied up in our houses.
If we leave and don't make
our mortgage payments,
we lose all our equity.
What're we supposed to do,
just pull up stakes
and clear out?
Where are we supposed to go?
Well, there've been other
cases around the country
where people have
applied for compensation
from the state and
federal government.
Sure, and they get
ten cents on the dollar
for what the property's worth.
What are we supposed
to do, get lawyers to
to try to fight for
what we're entitled to?
And in the meantime
what do we live on
while we try to cope
with the red tape?
We promise you, we'll try to
get funds for emergency relief.
Yeah, I'll bet.
Well, it been done before,
and I'm sure
you're entitled to it.
Look, when would we be
allowed to go back into our houses?
Maybe never.
Never?
We saved to buy these houses.
We brought our families here
to put roots down and to stay.
You're gonna force us out?
Listen, do you know
what this does to people?
Believe me, we're
only trying to do
what best for you
and your families.
It just isn't right.
I mean, where are
we all gonna go?
What gonna happen to us? C'mon.
They're right, you know.
We have to do something.
We can't just throw them
out and wash our hands of it.
I know it, Quince, but we're only
empowered to locate health hazards
and then keep
people away from it.
Well, can't you clean up this
area and make it livable again?
Do you know the kind
of job you're talkin' about?
It would take millions to detoxify
and to restore all that land.
We don't have
that kind of budget.
What about the company
that dumped this stuff?
Can't they be held responsible?
Those drums have been in
the ground at least ten years.
This is obviously an
abandoned dump site.
You're gonna have to
try to find them yourself
and then take legal action.
They may not even exist anymore.
And the Environmental
Protection Agency?
I guess they can't
do anything either?
Well, you'd better
ask them yourself.
Cause you wouldn't
believe me if I told ya.
That chemical pollution
has already killed one person,
made hundreds of
people homeless,
not to mention what it done
to the entire environment
and you can't help those people?
Why don't ya clean up that area,
give those people some assistance?
I'm trying to explain.
You don't understand
the size of the problems
we have to deal with today.
This country generates
ninety-two billion pounds
of industrial waste every year.
- Ninety-two billion?
- That's right.
That's right.
Better living through chemistry.
Only what do you do
with the by-products?
Where are you gonna put 'em?
In other words, let 'em
plant whatever they want,
wherever they want and to
heck with the consequences.
The trouble is, the
dumping you're talking about
happened years ago,
before E.P.A. even existed.
We don't know where
they are or what's in them.
How long has this been going on?
Forty, fifty, sixty years.
Oh, so that's great.
Everything from the
past is a dead issue.
You'll let it sit in the
ground like time bombs.
Come on, you know
what you're talking about?
It would take
fifty billion dollars
to track down all the old
dump sites and clean them up.
And besides, a lot of them
are not that dangerous.
Do you know where the
money is coming from?
The tax payers. You and me.
I mean, we can't afford that.
I'm not talking about
thousands of unknown sites.
I'm talking about one
that's already been found.
Personally, I agree with you.
But we've had pressure
in this office ordering us
not to get involved with
any preexisting situation.
Well, couldn't you
kinda force the company
- to take some responsibility?
- How?
Well, you know, you let them know
you're gonna watch 'em like a hawk,
you're gonna hit 'em with
violations even if they litter.
Eh, you mean harass them?
Well, you could
call it persuasion.
This office can't
do that sort of thing.
It's not our style.
Well, maybe you'd get a lot more
done if you changed your style.
There it is, honey.
638A698.
Tell me who owns
the land, will ya?
Andersons Farms sold it to
Murchison Industries in 1953,
and they in turn sold it to
Four Ace Chemical in 1957.
Apparently Four Ace
chemical still owns it.
Doesn't ring a bell.
Is there a reference listing
of California corporations
that would give me
more information?
Sure.
Huh, no wonder.
Does InterAmericom
ring any bells?
Why, sure. It's a
giant conglomerate.
Four Ace Chemical became
InterAmericom in 1964.
- Thank you very much.
- You're welcome.
Well frankly, Doctor Quincy,
as a member of the legal
counsel for this company,
I just don't see how InterAmericom
can be held responsible.
You don't? Well,
it quite simple.
You dumped the
chemical waste there.
Yes, but we didn't
break any laws.
We followed all the standards
and regulations at the time.
Well, evidently they
weren't strict enough
because a whole town
is now endangered.
There wasn't any town there
when we disposed of the chemicals.
Now, according to law, you
would have to prove prior intent,
or knowledge of what happened, in
order for us to be held accountable.
I'm not a lawyer, but
I don't believe that.
I'll bet I'll get a different
opinion if I talk to another lawyer.
Be my guest.
Doctor Quincy,
correct me if I'm wrong, but
I don't see how this
comes under the jurisdiction
of the medical
examiner's office.
A man died because
of that contamination.
I'm making it my jurisdiction.
What about the land developer
who built those houses?
I mean, why didn't he check on
what was out there or come see us?
We would've told him. We
weren't trying to keep it a secret.
Yes, I don't understand,
Doctor Quincy.
What do you want from us?
I want you to finance an
immediate cleanup of the entire area,
and I want you to relocate the
families involved until it done.
I'm afraid that's not possible.
If you don't, that waste
is gonna continue to move
through the ground. It'll
wipe out an entire community.
We're sorry,
but I just don't believe
we should be the ones
who get stuck with the bill.
You're just gonna turn
your backs on those people.
That a great policy you've got.
Oh, don't kid yourself, Doctor.
There isn't any place
that hasn't been touched
by some kind of pollution.
It's in the air we breathe,
the water we drink,
the land we live on.
I don't see why we
should be the only ones
charged with cleaning it up.
Because the buck
has to start somewhere.
Maybe the courts can convince
you the buck should start here.
All right, Doctor Quincy,
we'll meet you in
court in seven years.
Just remember we have some
of the best lawyers in the country
and, Doctor Quincy, we
know we're right legally.
Now you be sure and
take that medication
so that infection doesn't
come back, okay?
Thank you, Doctor.
Doctor Belson?
Jill. Take it easy, little girl.
You don't want that
tiger in there to get upset.
Doctor Belson... I've
been listening to the radio
about all that's
going on in town,
about the dump site and all...
And that back east,
well, something just like
this caused miscarriages.
Oh I'm worried, Doctor,
since I miscarried the last time.
Mr. Evers,
you wouldn't mind if I took a few
minutes for Mrs. Marshall, would you?
Yeah, I understand that.
But the point is that
the people in Rosewood
are left holding the bag and
nobody doing anything about it.
No, I'm not, I'm not
implying that you're not doing
well, as a matter of fact, yes,
that exactly what I'm implying.
You're not doing
the best you could.
Otherwise those people.
Hello. Oh boy, oh boy.
Well, Quince, if you ever tire of
working for the coroner's office,
the Diplomatic Corps
could find a place for you.
I don't understand it.
I'll never know what motivates
the people in the bureaucracy.
I tell 'em what's
going on out there,
how the people in
Rosewood are suffering.
All they do is play
pass-the-buck.
I don't know what I'm gonna do.
Quincy, I've been
lookin' all over for you.
We're now ready to have you
meet the Japanese pathologists.
Forget the Japanese.
I've solved the
communications problem.
Ah Sam, I want to apologize
for that little fracas earlier.
We've hired a translator
and she cost me one pretty
penny, I'll tell you, Sam.
- So let's do it now, okay?
- No.
I don't care who you hired
or how much it cost you.
Do you realize what going
on out there in Rosewood?
Yes, I realize how
important that case is
but these people have
paid their own way over here.
Of course, there's
probably a tax deduction
but it's the thought that
counts. Quincy, listen,
give me a few minutes
and I'll give you all my extra time
to see what I can do about this case
from my end. Now is that a deal?
- Okay, it's a deal.
- They're in my office.
I'll be right back.
Boy, oh boy. Everything
around here's a bargain.
Doctor Quincy.
Doctor Quincy,
you don't know me.
I'm Doctor Belson, a physician
over here in Rosewood.
Yeah?
Is that right?
Are you sure?
Doctor, what's your address?
Listen, do me a favor.
Don't move an inch, okay?
I'll be right over.
Is that somebody who can do
something about the landfills?
Maybe, Sam, but I hope not.
I can't tell you how
much I hope not.
- Now gentlemen, we...
- Oh, holy mackerel.
Uh, Quincy?
Sam, don't you tell
me Quincy's not here.
You don't want me to tell you
he's not here, I won't tell you.
Um, emergency, emergency,
uh, Doctor Quincy not here.
I take you all to
an expensive lunch.
Dojo, dojo, uh dojo...
There she is: Jill Marshall.
Sixteen months ago, she
was four months pregnant.
She miscarried.
Almost killed her.
- Any prenatal reason?
- None.
The baby was a mongoloid deficiency,
so I just attributed it to that.
Now, I'm not so sure.
And you think the landfill site
could have something to do with it?
Yeah, I think that
damned landfill
might have had
something to do with it.
Ah look, I can't be
sure, this is a small clinic
but over the past couple of
years I've noticed something.
Just with my regular patients,
there seems to be
more aches, more pains,
a far lower resistance to
disease than there used to be.
I've never handled
so many miscarriages
and liver ailments in my life.
It's frightening.
But to tell you the truth,
I never gave it any real thought
until she came in
here out of her wits
because of something
she had heard on the radio
linking sites like this to birth
defects and miscarriages.
That little girl is so worked up
I'm keeping her here until
her husband can pick her up
when he gets off
work this evening.
Doctor Belson, I appreciate
your call and your trust,
but what do you think
I can do about this?
I don't know. I really don't.
But, my God man,
nobody will do anything.
Everybody's overworked
and understaffed.
Well, what're you smiling at?
Welcome to the wars, doctor.
I'll have to do a lot of research.
But if there's a link, I'll find it.
If I have to go look at the
records of every clinic in town.
But as for her...
can't you use amniocentesis
to tell her something?
Oh, it's still too soon.
She has another three weeks.
To wait and wonder.
- Thank you, Doctor.
- Thank you.
Oh c'mon, Quincy, bring me
a search-and-seizure violation,
a rights violation, maybe even
a faulty manufacturing claim
but I don't know what I can do
about a twenty-year-old dump site.
You can file a class action
suit against the company,
get some relief for those
people, that's what you can do.
Maybe get the company to
clean up the mess they made.
Sure, I could file. I can
file on almost anything.
But that's not gonna
get you what you want.
Look Quincy, your
intentions are good,
but I don't know if going
to court's gonna help you.
The courts are still
trying to decide what to do
about past industrial dumping.
The whole issue up in the air.
Well, c'mon Todd,
set some precedents.
I remember when
you used to be a tiger.
What're you doing, growing
old? Teeth getting soft?
C'mon Quince, don't
tell me I'm getting' old.
Look, I'm a tiger when I've
got at least a chance to win.
You remember that
auto assembly plant suit
I filed last year on behalf
of the workers there?
Everybody told me
I was crazy to file.
They said I didn't
have a prayer.
But I did, and I won.
You work for an organization
called Citizens' Advocates.
You're supposed to be the
watchdogs for the people.
All this concern about winning,
you sound like a
commercial lawyer.
Winning is important to any
legal organization, Quince.
I'm surprised you don't
know that. Especially to us.
Look, an organization like
Citizens' Advocates is a thorn
in the side of what you
might call the establishment.
They think that we're a
bunch of naive do-gooders
trying to destroy the
Gross National Product.
We can't afford to
lose many cases.
Because if we did,
they'd laugh at us,
and if they do that we'd
lose the power we have.
- We just can't afford it.
- So that's it?
Quincy, this is not as
cut-and-dried as you seem to think.
That company has a strong legal
argument that they're in the right.
If it was cut-and-dried,
I'd file a class action suit
on behalf of all
those people so fast
it would make their
head spin. But it's not.
I just can't begin to tell
you how complicated this is.
Okay, Todd.
You couldn't file because
of that property loss.
What can you do
because of their health?
You've got one chance in twenty.
Court time, maybe
six or seven years.
Are you kidding? What
are the people supposed
to do in the meantime?
You want it straight,
you got it straight.
How about just filing and
hope they went for a settlement?
I've been reading statistics
that prove that the people
from Rosewood have been
suffering more prenatal trauma,
more birth defects than
the national average.
Any settlement wouldn't come
for four or five years, Quincy.
Yeah, well, maybe I can
get them to settle faster.
Hey Quincy, that company
knows where they stand.
That's what they
pay their lawyers for.
Todd, you don't know
how persuasive I can be.
They'll think I'm
going for a touchdown.
I'll be willing to
settle for a first down.
Can I use your
name if I have to?
Sure, anything you like.
Mr. Larsten and I were kind
enough to give you our time,
Doctor Quincy, the least
you can do is get to the point.
Well, you say your company
is guiltless in this matter
as far as property
damage is concerned.
Now maybe the courts,
will agree with you.
- I assure you
they would, Doctor.
- You're probably right.
How do you think they would
stand on personal injury and liability?
You still haven't made
your point, Doctor.
I thought it was quite obvious.
The point is cost.
Lawsuits.
Suits that are filed because of
traumas caused by birth defects.
Lawsuits that are
based on lost income
due to incapacitating diseases.
Law suits that pit the
innocent and the suffering
against a giant corporation.
Now tell me, Mr. Kent,
how would a judge and
a jury view such cases
based on true emotions
opposed to legal fact.
What are you talking
about? What suffering?
Take a look.
I'm talking about a cancer rate
eleven times the national average.
Miscarriage is six times
the national average,
birth defects eight times
the national average,
liver ailment four times
the national average
and all because of what
those people were exposed to.
And it's not gonna
get any better
cause they don't
have any place to go.
That right, you two
look at one another
and maybe you'll
come up with an answer
because the Citizens' Advocate
Organization is filing a class action suit
on behalf of everybody
who lives in Rosewood.
And when I show that stuff to the
Environmental Protection Agency,
you better believe
they're gonna bring
a lot of pressure
to bear on you guys.
You don't have to
threaten here, Doctor,
not anymore, not with this.
You want to go to court,
we'll take you to court,
keep you there for ten years.
And the EPA can harass us, but
they certainly can't close us down.
So your threats don't
concern me, Doctor.
But this, this, these
reports you've brought us,
they do concern me.
My God,
did that waste do
this to those people?
Tony, we didn't
do anything wrong.
It looks like we did.
Well maybe not intentionally,
but it looks like we did.
Okay,
maybe we're not
legally responsible,
but, now, Doctor, we do
want to help those people.
You mean it? You'll settle?
No, not settle. We'll
pick up the whole tab.
- Wow, a touchdown.
- What?
Oh nothing, nothing.
You mean we're not
gonna have to fight?
Well, we're not
monsters, Doctor,
although that might
come as a surprise to you.
We're men,
we're humans
and we live in the same
world with everyone else.
No, no fight.
I'll have a detoxification
unit sent out there at once.
And Doctor, if there's
anything that we can do
to help these people
relocate, we'll do it.
Well, there Mrs. Roselli,
you know, her husband died.
We'll help her.
We'll help her if I have to
pay for it out of my own pocket.
I'm sorry, Mr. Larsten.
I came in here like a
bull in a china shop.
Well, you see I didn't
know... well, thank you.
I didn't... I'm
sorry... thank you.
Thank you very much
sir. Thank you Mr. Kent.
- Doctor Quincy.
- Thank you.
There they are, the
fearsome foursome.
Ta da! How you doin', fellas?
What the matter? Why the
long faces? What's goin' on?
Talk about the face that
launched a thousand ships.
- Yup.
- Wow, she's terrific.
Who is she?
You can't get close
enough to her to find out.
Oh, she also sank
a few egos, huh.
I even offered to take
some real nice photos of her.
You know, send to
the family and stuff.
She told him what
to do with them, too.
She is as unapproachable
as the top of Mt. Everest.
You mean you made
a play for her, too?
Yeah.
Well, let me tell you something.
No lady is unapproachable
if you use panache.
- A what?
- Panache.
That's style and
daring. Panache.
Oh yeah, well, you'll laugh
outta the other
side of your mouth.
Give me two of
whatever she drinking.
You've never gonna get to the
first furlough with her, Quince.
- 30 to 20, I go the distance.
- You're on.
- You got a bet.
- C'mon.
Give 'em to me.
I noticed that you
were running low,
figured you might need a refill.
- Thanks.
- May I?
I've never met anyone
before who drank tequila.
You haven't met
anyone yet have you?
No, but I sure would like to.
My name is Quincy, Dr. Quincy.
- Oh, a physician.
- Well, I'm a medical examiner.
Suits you.
You know, they say that if
you drink tequila and stick to it,
you don't get a
hangover. Is that right?
No.
You mean you drink
it because you like it?
You know, you're
being very mysterious.
What are you writing down there?
It's my job.
You're a writer.
You're looking for local
color for your next novel.
Right... and wrong.
You see I am a writer,
for Today's Female,
and I'm researching an article
on how hard it is for a woman
to walk into a bar
and not get come-ons
from every man in the place.
Well, uh, you're not gonna
put me in that article, are ya?
Oh: "Hi, I noticed
you were running low
and figured you
needed a refill."
You're gonna put
me in the article.
Oh well, that not
such a bad line, Doctor.
You know, it's better than
those friends of yours up there.
"Hey baby, you got a pair
of legs that just don't stop.
"Want a drink?"
Oh, listen to this one.
"Hello gorgeous.
"Don't I know you
from somewhere?
"Why don't you let
me buy you a drink
"and let talk over old times."
So you see, Doctor,
your approach is above average,
slightly.
You oughta screen
your clientele.
- I do.
- Thank you.
Danny, and he's speaking.
Sure, Sam.
Well, if he not in
your lab or on his boat,
where would he be? My place.
Quincy.
Sam.
So why don't you and he
get a walkie-talkie, huh?
Panache.
Yeah, Sam?
Oh Quince, something
came up while you were out.
The Coast Guard found a boat
out at sea with two scuba divers
aboard who were dead.
I thought you'd want
to perform the autopsy.
Well, can't it
wait till tomorrow?
Well, I think there something
about them you ought to see.
They both have the same
symptoms as Frank Roselli.
Only they're worse. Much worse.
I'll be right there.
Their names were
Bo Ladin and Gil Kane.
They ran a small diving
and salvage company.
- Professionals, huh?
- Yup.
- Pupils contracted.
- Mm.
Muscle flaccidity.
Cyanosis, look
at how blue he is.
His fingernails
are almost black.
Wait till you see
the lab results.
Wow.
No cholinesterase
activity at all.
Two hundred and
fifty points per million
parathion in his blood?
You were right. He
died the same way
Frank Roselli did, but
the levels are much higher.
These guys would have
had to eat at least ten pounds
of tomatoes each
to reach this level.
But there weren't any
vegetables or organophosphates
in his digestive system
so they couldn't have picked
it up from anything they ate.
Did you check their air tank
for possible contamination?
Yeah, but they were negative.
If they didn't get
it from their food,
where did it come from?
The water, there's no other way.
But they were wearing masks
and they didn't
swallow any salt water.
They wouldn't have to.
Organophosphates can be absorbed
directly through the skin,
the same way farm workers
get contaminated by pesticides.
Only these two got
a much bigger wallop.
You think they ran
into something out there
in the ocean?
It's the only way.
Who did you say found them?
The Coast Guard.
An officer named
Lieutenant Warren was in charge.
- Better give him a call.
- Right.
Yes, Doctor? How can I help you?
I was wondering if you
could pinpoint exactly
where those two
divers were swimming
before you found them?
Well, we have an
approximate position.
But their boat had been
drifting for some time.
Why, what the problem?
We think there's a source
of chemical poisoning
out there that killed them.
We want to find it as
quickly as possible.
Well, that's not
gonna be so easy.
There a big storm coming in.
Well, how bad is it?
Winds up to sixty
knots with heavy swells.
When's it due?
Sometime later
tonight, nine or ten p.m.
Well, I guess we're gonna
have to try and beat the clock.
You keep looking,
see what you can find.
- I'll keep in touch.
- Right.
They didn't know the area
where the divers were?
No,
but I know somebody
who can tell me.
You threw me a small ball
and played me for a sucker
so the whole truth
wouldn't come out, huh?
What are you talking about?
I'm talking about two
scuba divers that died
from the same thing as
that construction worker.
They were searching for salvage
at the bottom of the ocean.
They thought they'd
found something valuable.
It turned out to be an
underwater dump site.
Now, you're the only
company within a hundred miles
that makes that kind
of chemical waste.
Doctor Quincy, we have
been totally honest with you.
I'm telling you, we have never
disposed of any of
our wastes at sea.
However, something did come up
since the last time
you were here.
What?
Well, I thought it
would be a good idea
to check all our
other dump sites
just in case the same thing
might be happening there.
So we dug back into our records
and I sent out teams to
take care of any problems.
There a funny thing
at one site though.
There wasn't a single
trace of any chemicals
ever having been buried there.
Well, how's that possible?
They couldn't have
just disappeared.
What d'you think
happened to them?
We have a pretty good idea.
The freight bill is
made out to a firm
named "McGreevey and Sons."
They later earned a
reputation as midnight haulers.
What that?
Unscrupulous haulers
who get rid of the stuff any way
they can, no questions asked.
They were caught at
three o'clock one morning
taking out liquid
wastes in tank trucks
and opening the valves,
and spreading the stuff
along the sides of the highway.
And you think they
could have dumped
your missing lot out at sea.
Well, it's the only way
they could have afforded
to do the job at the
price they asked.
You see, we ask for bids
and then take the lowest one.
We had no idea what they'd do.
Well, isn't there any
way to track them down,
find out where they dumped it?
No chance.
They went out of
business years ago.
Even if they were still around,
it's not the sort of thing
you keep records of.
All right.
Can you tell me how
much is unaccounted for?
I want to know what
we're dealing with here.
Two hundred drums
each containing several
hundred pounds of
organophosphate wastes.
That enough to
destroy a whole city.
Well, those drums were
considered perfectly safe
for disposal underground,
when we put them there.
They were never
intended for salt water.
I'm amazed that they
lasted this long in the ocean.
Well, they're not
gonna last much longer.
We have to find them and fast.
Mr. Larsten, I owe
you another apology.
I'm sorry.
Have you heard from
Lieutenant Warren yet?
Yeah, but it isn't
good news, Quince.
The storm's moving in a
lot faster than they expected.
Oh, that's all we need now.
It's gonna be a bad one,
really shake up those cans.
Between the currents
and the tide and the wind,
a hundred miles of coastline
can be contaminated.
It would make Rosewood
look like a picnic.
Well, the Coast Guard's
going over the area with sonar
and unmanned submersibles
to try and detect those canisters.
Yeah, but they haven't
found anything so far.
There's just too much ocean
out there and time's running out.
There's only one other way to
find out where those divers were.
You keep calling the
weather station at Point Dume.
Stay on top of that.
Okay. Good luck, Quince.
I'm gonna need it.
Sir, can you tell me where
Bo Ladin's apartment is?
Right here. Who are you?
I'm Doctor Quincy. I'm
with the coroner's office.
Oh yeah, yeah. I'm Carl Ladin.
Bo was my son.
I'm sorry about what happened.
You may as well come up.
Such a waste.
I told him and told him,
you can't get somethin'
for nothin' out of life.
I wanted him to go
to school, get a career.
But all he wanted to do was
have a good time, enjoy himself.
Stupid, lazy, selfish.
I'm sorry to bother you at
a time like this, Mr. Ladin,
but I'm looking for
any navigation charts
that your son or his
friend might have used.
There weren't any on the boat.
Charts?
I didn't see any charts
when I cleaned up here.
There's a map on the wall here.
How about this?
Well, there aren't any markings.
That the whole coastline.
It wouldn't do any good.
Well, I don't know
what else I can do...
Wait a minute.
There are markings here.
Can you see these indentations?
Yeah, it looks like
somebody scribbled on it.
I should have known.
I often do it myself.
Boaters avoid
marking up their charts
by using tracing paper overlays.
Have you seen any
thin paper around here
with lines or markings,
numbers, anything like that?
- Like tissue paper?
- Exactly. Tissue paper.
Well, I found these tucked
away in a drawer here.
I didn't think they were any
good so I threw 'em away.
Oh, thank you.
There it is.
There are the
navigation headings.
This is where they went
searching for the wreckage
and there are dates...
and here,
here is where they
were yesterday.
Mr. Ladin, your son may
have helped save lots of lives.
Careful, Quincy.
- Ah...
- Oh, no.
I tell ya, I can't
concentrate, Sam.
- What time is it?
- Four-thirty.
It'll be getting dark soon.
That storm is on its way.
Come on, will ya. Come on.
I'll do it, Sam. I
did it, I'll clean it up.
Hello.
Hello, this is Lieutenant
Warren calling for Doctor Quincy.
Speaking. What
is it, Lieutenant?
Quincy, we found it.
You found it?
- Sam, they found it.
- Hey, that's great.
You found It. Are you sure?
Yes. We've got
a couple of divers
from the Navy in
diving suits on it now
and we oughta have it
gathered up in a couple of hours.
We'll beat the storm.
Bless you, Lieutenant.
Let me know when
it finished, will ya?
Will do. And thanks.
Oh, thank you.
- Hey, that's great.
- I know, let's celebrate.
Not that cheap stuff.
I've got the twelve
year old scotch here.
- Here ya go, ole buddy.
- Yeah.
Well, you see it's just that
all these crises citizens say
- emergency, emergency.
- Yes, exactly.
- No, but really, I...
- No, no, it's all right.
- Doctor Quincy
wants the interview.
- No, no...
- All right.
- To the Coast Guard.
- Quincy, is it all right now?
- Yeah, fine, fine.
Doctor Quincy, uh,
back from the field.
I'm terribly sorry but
we've run out of time.
- They're due at Disneyland.
- Disneyland?
Yes. Mickey Mouse
promised to sign autographs.
Mickey Mouse?
I'm terribly sorry.
Oh good grief.
Why not?
To Disneyland.
That is some article. She
really stuck it to us, didn't she?
No more Today's Female.
Last time I buy that magazine.
I wish I had a
picture of your face.
That was some
approach, Valentino.
Panache.
You do it with style,
daring. Right, Quincy?
What the matter with you
guys? She's a barracuda.
Paul Newman would
have struck out with her.
Quince, you haven't had a hit
in the last thirteen times at bat.
Yes, but when you strike
out you do it with panache.
Are you guys kidding?
That girl knew that
she wasn't my type.
That why she played it cool.
I wouldn't have anything
to do with a girl like that.
- I was kidding.
- Hi.
I notice you're running low
and I thought that maybe perhaps
you could stand are refill.
Oh, very funny.
Excuse me for not standing
up but I read your article.
It is a barrel of
laughs, I want to tell ya.
I would really like
to buy you a drink.
What's the matter, do
you need another story?
No, no. I'm not working now.
I would just like
to buy you a drink.
I think you're kinda cute.
- You do?
- A little bit, mhm.
Excuse me, fellas.
Have you ever thought
about writing a story
about a courageous
medical examiner?
could be acres of death down there.
You think the landfill site could
have something to do with it?
Yeah.
I appreciate your call and your trust, but
what do you think I could do about this?
Do you realize what's going
on out there in Rosewood?
We've already found about
a third of the town affected.
You can control it, can't ya?
The company has a strong legal
argument that they're in the right.
What are the people
supposed to do in the meantime?
Mr. Ladin, your son may
have helped save lots of lives.
Gentlemen, you
are about to enter
the most fascinating
sphere of police work,
the world of forensic medicine.
Tommy, Billy, hurry up.
Do you want to be
late for school again?
- Yeah.
- Okay.
Hey, wait a minute.
What happened to your
shoes? Look at them.
I don't know, Mom,
they just got that way.
That the third pair of
shoes you kids have ruined.
Look, I don't want you
playing in those fields anymore.
Do you know how
hard your father works
to pay for those shoes?
Yeah. We're gonna
take you out of school
and we're gonna put
ya in the coal mines.
Frank, I'm not
kidding. Okay, okay.
You heard the law.
Try to be a little
bit more careful.
- We will.
- Yeah.
It not funny, you know.
The money goes fast enough
without them
ruining their shoes.
We aren't exactly
that broke around here.
What for lunch
today? It's a surprise.
You better watch out, I
might surprise you sometime.
Promises, promises.
Listen, why don't you see
if you can get Mrs. Herter
to sit tonight and we'll
go out someplace?
What the occasion?
Tuesday.
Okay.
I gotta go. Have a good day.
- Bye, kids.
- Bye, dad.
- Have a good day, Dad.
- See you tonight, Dad.
So long, monkeys.
- Look out.
- Oh, no.
All right, easy, easy does it.
All right, easy, nice and easy.
All right. Let's just
set it right in there.
Frank, c'mon, c'mon.
Watch it, Frank.
Pull it out a little.
Okay, here we
go. Ease it in there.
Ease it.
Hey Frank, you all right?
- Yeah, I'm fine.
- All right.
Let get it in. C'mon, easy.
Easy, all right.
Ugh, you know, either
we're getting' older
or these things
are gettin' heavier.
Hey Frank. Hey Frank.
Frank!
Let's take another
look at the x-rays.
Jumper's legs.
Compression fractures
of the bones in the legs.
Severe skull fracture resulting
in fatal cerebral damage.
Well, there's no doubt
about what killed him.
Suppose something
made him fall, Sam.
What do you mean? I
thought it was an accident.
It doesn't add up right.
If the fall was accidental,
there are some things
that just shouldn't be.
Look, look at his pupils.
They're contracted
like pinheads.
And he's cyanotic. Look
how blue the skin is on the lips.
There's very little
oxygen left in his tissues.
You know, for a
construction worker,
his muscles should be more firm
but they're limp, like
they lost their tone.
Right. The point is what
can do that to a person?
Well, excessive muscular
activity with lack of oxygen
and respiratory,
you know, lactic acid.
Did they send over
his medical file?
Yeah, it's right here.
No history of
dizziness, fainting spells,
erratic blood pressure,
epilepsy, or anything
that could explain it.
He had a physical
two months ago.
- Okay.
- Where are you goin'?
To run some tests.
That what you were
going to suggest, wasn't it?
When did you take
up mind-reading?
Yeah, you'd better
run a full tox screen,
gas chromatographs and
neuromuscular functions,
any nerve or
muscular abnormalities.
All right, but that'll
take till tomorrow.
So?
You know, what if
we don't find anything
and he did just
fall by accident?
Then we'll know
for sure, won't we.
- Go ahead.
- All right.
No luck yet?
I got a lot of luck, all of
it's bad. How about you?
You'll never guess
what I found in the blood.
What are you gonna
be, inscrutable?
What'd you find?
Well, I ran an assay on
the cholinesterase activity
but there was absolutely
no change in PH.
His cholinesterase
wasn't working.
Sam, that could
account for everything.
The enzyme cholinesterase,
that turns off the nerves
after they've fired,
but if it's not functioning
the nerves will continue to fire
making the muscles fibrillate,
using up all the oxygen.
That why the body was
limp and cyanotic, so blue.
But we still don't know what
blocked the cholinesterase.
Well, there aren't many
things that would do that, Sam.
Some venom, certain plant
extracts like physostigmine,
organophosphate
pesticides maybe.
I didn't find indications
of any of those.
- Did you look?
- Uh, not really.
Maybe that why
you didn't find any.
Oh yeah, more tests?
You read my mind again.
Marc,
run these extracts through
the liquid chromatograph
using the procedure we worked
out for organophosphates, okay?
Great, we get to
use our new baby.
Sam, are those the
gastrointestinal contents?
Yeah. I'm running
the stomach now.
Good morning, good morning.
Here what I've got
planned for today.
Quincy, I hear you're still
on that construction worker
who fell yesterday?
- I don't think he just fell.
Ah, why is it every time I
give you something simple,
it becomes complicated?
- I don't want to let you down.
- Now, listen, listen.
We have some very
important guests.
A group of Japanese
pathologists,
you know, from Japan. All right.
They want to
inspect our facilities
and Quincy,
they've heard of you,
they think you're terrific,
they can't wait to meet you.
Good. Have them come down
here. They can watch us in action.
Right. So let's put on a clean lab
coat and let's get this off of here.
What, are we into
spring cleaning?
All right, all right,
attention everybody. Sam.
We have some visitors so
let's straighten up the lab please.
I have something very pleasant
for you Sam, for a change.
A sort of a vacation
for a couple a days.
You will accompany
myself and our guests
- and act as translator.
- Oh no.
Oh no no no, he
is not a tour guide.
I need him here.
We're very busy.
Doctor Asten,
I don't speak very
much Japanese.
Ya don't you don't
speak Japanese?
No. My family been
here three generations.
Why should I speak...
Well, they don't speak
very much English, Sam.
I'm counting...
How do I interview
if you don't. You
better take a course.
Uh, uh, emergency,
emergen... uh,
Doctor Quincy is
not here in the field.
We go downstairs,
uh, dojo, dojo, dojo.
Ah Doctor Brown,
I'll see you later.
Dojo.
Thank you Doctor Brown.
D'you find anything yet?
Uh-huh. It looks like a really
high concentration of periphyton
in the tomatoes we
found in his stomach.
Well, that must be the
tomatoes he had for lunch.
He was poisoned.
You think it was
done deliberately?
I don't know.
Why would anyone want
to kill a construction worker?
I still can't believe it.
He left in the morning,
laughing as always.
He told me we'd
go out last night.
Then all of a
sudden, I get a call
and the whole world falls apart.
Do you want me
to come back later?
No. No.
If I can help, I
want to. Please.
Mrs. Roselli, we don't think your
husband death was accidental.
We found something
in the tomatoes he ate.
What do you mean, 'something'?
An organophosphate,
commonly used as a pesticide.
- Pesticides.
- That right.
That's impossible.
Those tomatoes were grown
organically without any poisons.
Can you tell me
where you got them?
Tell you? I can show you.
I grew them myself,
but I did everything
the books said.
There were no pesticides,
just natural fertilizer.
You mean the
tomatoes I gave Frank?
I killed him?
Believe me, it
wasn't your fault.
Excuse me for a minute, please.
Sam, I'm still at the Roselli's.
Now get ahold of Paul Sanders
at the health department.
Tell him I need an analysis of
the soil and the tomatoes right away
and tell him to get down
here as fast as possible.
Okay... right. Thanks.
No doubt about it, Quincy.
The lab just confirmed it.
They checked and re-checked.
This ground is loaded
with organophosphates.
These people are
lucky it was diluted.
Two drops of the pure stuff
on your skin would kill you
within the hour.
I can't understand it.
We've grown vegetables here
before and no one's
ever gotten sick from them.
Did you give any of the
tomatoes or vegetables
to anyone else?
No. This was the first
crop of the season.
I just picked some for
Frank yesterday morning.
You know, I grew them
to keep him healthy.
Isn't that funny?
To keep him healthy.
I better go check on the boys.
Poor woman.
I don't know how you
always handle cases like this.
Well, we'd better take samples
of everything in that area.
I'm scared, Paul. I
mean really scared.
If she didn't put anything on
those tomatoes or in the soil,
how did it get there?
This could be what
we're looking for.
- What that?
- I think it's an old landfill.
You see those discolored areas
where the material has
seeped up to the surface?
Yeah?
The grass has probably
become discolored
because something's
buried underneath it.
Like what?
Well, whatever it is,
it couldn't be good.
Where's that coming from?
Over there.
Hey kids, what're
you doin' here?
Now don't run away. Boys?
We're not gonna hurt ya.
We just wanna talk to ya.
- What are ya doin here?
- Just playing.
What've you got
behind your back?
Nothin'.
We're not gonna
get ya in any trouble.
What're you doing
with those matches?
- Are you cops?
- No.
We're watching
fires. Ya wanna see?
Yeah.
It must be escaping gas.
If this is what I think it is,
there could be acres
of death down there.
Paul, you find out
what's down there yet?
Yeah, a lot of
rotted metal drums.
There could be hundreds
or even thousands of them
spread out through
the whole area.
The tests show that they're
full of chemical wastes
from pesticide manufacturing.
That corresponds to the
organophosphates we found.
But how does stuff like that
get out here, unprotected,
right in the open?
Well, whoever buried those drums
probably thought that they
were safely disposed of.
But just because something
is buried in the ground
doesn't mean it gonna
stay that way forever.
The drums corrode
and they start to leak,
and the material is leached out.
Who knows what's gonna happen,
or how far it'll travel.
Well, do you know
how far it's gone here?
Well, we've checked the area,
and we've already found
about a third of the town affected.
Well, you can
control it, can't you?
Well as far as quarantine goes,
the Regional Water
Quality Control Board
is working with us to seal
off any wells or water sources
that have been contaminated.
We're testing the
fields and the town,
started to evacuate the
homes that have been affected.
Excuse me, excuse me,
are you in charge here?
- Yes.
- My name is Fenton.
This is my wife.
Now what's all this about
us having to leave our house?
Yeah.
Well, I'm sorry, but
I'm afraid it necessary.
We have to evacuate those
areas that have been contaminated
by poisonous chemicals.
But we've lived
here for fifteen years.
We've never had any problems.
Well, your neighbor
Frank Roselli died from it.
The department of
health services found
an extreme health hazard here.
We have kids in school here.
We work here.
All our money is
tied up in our houses.
If we leave and don't make
our mortgage payments,
we lose all our equity.
What're we supposed to do,
just pull up stakes
and clear out?
Where are we supposed to go?
Well, there've been other
cases around the country
where people have
applied for compensation
from the state and
federal government.
Sure, and they get
ten cents on the dollar
for what the property's worth.
What are we supposed
to do, get lawyers to
to try to fight for
what we're entitled to?
And in the meantime
what do we live on
while we try to cope
with the red tape?
We promise you, we'll try to
get funds for emergency relief.
Yeah, I'll bet.
Well, it been done before,
and I'm sure
you're entitled to it.
Look, when would we be
allowed to go back into our houses?
Maybe never.
Never?
We saved to buy these houses.
We brought our families here
to put roots down and to stay.
You're gonna force us out?
Listen, do you know
what this does to people?
Believe me, we're
only trying to do
what best for you
and your families.
It just isn't right.
I mean, where are
we all gonna go?
What gonna happen to us? C'mon.
They're right, you know.
We have to do something.
We can't just throw them
out and wash our hands of it.
I know it, Quince, but we're only
empowered to locate health hazards
and then keep
people away from it.
Well, can't you clean up this
area and make it livable again?
Do you know the kind
of job you're talkin' about?
It would take millions to detoxify
and to restore all that land.
We don't have
that kind of budget.
What about the company
that dumped this stuff?
Can't they be held responsible?
Those drums have been in
the ground at least ten years.
This is obviously an
abandoned dump site.
You're gonna have to
try to find them yourself
and then take legal action.
They may not even exist anymore.
And the Environmental
Protection Agency?
I guess they can't
do anything either?
Well, you'd better
ask them yourself.
Cause you wouldn't
believe me if I told ya.
That chemical pollution
has already killed one person,
made hundreds of
people homeless,
not to mention what it done
to the entire environment
and you can't help those people?
Why don't ya clean up that area,
give those people some assistance?
I'm trying to explain.
You don't understand
the size of the problems
we have to deal with today.
This country generates
ninety-two billion pounds
of industrial waste every year.
- Ninety-two billion?
- That's right.
That's right.
Better living through chemistry.
Only what do you do
with the by-products?
Where are you gonna put 'em?
In other words, let 'em
plant whatever they want,
wherever they want and to
heck with the consequences.
The trouble is, the
dumping you're talking about
happened years ago,
before E.P.A. even existed.
We don't know where
they are or what's in them.
How long has this been going on?
Forty, fifty, sixty years.
Oh, so that's great.
Everything from the
past is a dead issue.
You'll let it sit in the
ground like time bombs.
Come on, you know
what you're talking about?
It would take
fifty billion dollars
to track down all the old
dump sites and clean them up.
And besides, a lot of them
are not that dangerous.
Do you know where the
money is coming from?
The tax payers. You and me.
I mean, we can't afford that.
I'm not talking about
thousands of unknown sites.
I'm talking about one
that's already been found.
Personally, I agree with you.
But we've had pressure
in this office ordering us
not to get involved with
any preexisting situation.
Well, couldn't you
kinda force the company
- to take some responsibility?
- How?
Well, you know, you let them know
you're gonna watch 'em like a hawk,
you're gonna hit 'em with
violations even if they litter.
Eh, you mean harass them?
Well, you could
call it persuasion.
This office can't
do that sort of thing.
It's not our style.
Well, maybe you'd get a lot more
done if you changed your style.
There it is, honey.
638A698.
Tell me who owns
the land, will ya?
Andersons Farms sold it to
Murchison Industries in 1953,
and they in turn sold it to
Four Ace Chemical in 1957.
Apparently Four Ace
chemical still owns it.
Doesn't ring a bell.
Is there a reference listing
of California corporations
that would give me
more information?
Sure.
Huh, no wonder.
Does InterAmericom
ring any bells?
Why, sure. It's a
giant conglomerate.
Four Ace Chemical became
InterAmericom in 1964.
- Thank you very much.
- You're welcome.
Well frankly, Doctor Quincy,
as a member of the legal
counsel for this company,
I just don't see how InterAmericom
can be held responsible.
You don't? Well,
it quite simple.
You dumped the
chemical waste there.
Yes, but we didn't
break any laws.
We followed all the standards
and regulations at the time.
Well, evidently they
weren't strict enough
because a whole town
is now endangered.
There wasn't any town there
when we disposed of the chemicals.
Now, according to law, you
would have to prove prior intent,
or knowledge of what happened, in
order for us to be held accountable.
I'm not a lawyer, but
I don't believe that.
I'll bet I'll get a different
opinion if I talk to another lawyer.
Be my guest.
Doctor Quincy,
correct me if I'm wrong, but
I don't see how this
comes under the jurisdiction
of the medical
examiner's office.
A man died because
of that contamination.
I'm making it my jurisdiction.
What about the land developer
who built those houses?
I mean, why didn't he check on
what was out there or come see us?
We would've told him. We
weren't trying to keep it a secret.
Yes, I don't understand,
Doctor Quincy.
What do you want from us?
I want you to finance an
immediate cleanup of the entire area,
and I want you to relocate the
families involved until it done.
I'm afraid that's not possible.
If you don't, that waste
is gonna continue to move
through the ground. It'll
wipe out an entire community.
We're sorry,
but I just don't believe
we should be the ones
who get stuck with the bill.
You're just gonna turn
your backs on those people.
That a great policy you've got.
Oh, don't kid yourself, Doctor.
There isn't any place
that hasn't been touched
by some kind of pollution.
It's in the air we breathe,
the water we drink,
the land we live on.
I don't see why we
should be the only ones
charged with cleaning it up.
Because the buck
has to start somewhere.
Maybe the courts can convince
you the buck should start here.
All right, Doctor Quincy,
we'll meet you in
court in seven years.
Just remember we have some
of the best lawyers in the country
and, Doctor Quincy, we
know we're right legally.
Now you be sure and
take that medication
so that infection doesn't
come back, okay?
Thank you, Doctor.
Doctor Belson?
Jill. Take it easy, little girl.
You don't want that
tiger in there to get upset.
Doctor Belson... I've
been listening to the radio
about all that's
going on in town,
about the dump site and all...
And that back east,
well, something just like
this caused miscarriages.
Oh I'm worried, Doctor,
since I miscarried the last time.
Mr. Evers,
you wouldn't mind if I took a few
minutes for Mrs. Marshall, would you?
Yeah, I understand that.
But the point is that
the people in Rosewood
are left holding the bag and
nobody doing anything about it.
No, I'm not, I'm not
implying that you're not doing
well, as a matter of fact, yes,
that exactly what I'm implying.
You're not doing
the best you could.
Otherwise those people.
Hello. Oh boy, oh boy.
Well, Quince, if you ever tire of
working for the coroner's office,
the Diplomatic Corps
could find a place for you.
I don't understand it.
I'll never know what motivates
the people in the bureaucracy.
I tell 'em what's
going on out there,
how the people in
Rosewood are suffering.
All they do is play
pass-the-buck.
I don't know what I'm gonna do.
Quincy, I've been
lookin' all over for you.
We're now ready to have you
meet the Japanese pathologists.
Forget the Japanese.
I've solved the
communications problem.
Ah Sam, I want to apologize
for that little fracas earlier.
We've hired a translator
and she cost me one pretty
penny, I'll tell you, Sam.
- So let's do it now, okay?
- No.
I don't care who you hired
or how much it cost you.
Do you realize what going
on out there in Rosewood?
Yes, I realize how
important that case is
but these people have
paid their own way over here.
Of course, there's
probably a tax deduction
but it's the thought that
counts. Quincy, listen,
give me a few minutes
and I'll give you all my extra time
to see what I can do about this case
from my end. Now is that a deal?
- Okay, it's a deal.
- They're in my office.
I'll be right back.
Boy, oh boy. Everything
around here's a bargain.
Doctor Quincy.
Doctor Quincy,
you don't know me.
I'm Doctor Belson, a physician
over here in Rosewood.
Yeah?
Is that right?
Are you sure?
Doctor, what's your address?
Listen, do me a favor.
Don't move an inch, okay?
I'll be right over.
Is that somebody who can do
something about the landfills?
Maybe, Sam, but I hope not.
I can't tell you how
much I hope not.
- Now gentlemen, we...
- Oh, holy mackerel.
Uh, Quincy?
Sam, don't you tell
me Quincy's not here.
You don't want me to tell you
he's not here, I won't tell you.
Um, emergency, emergency,
uh, Doctor Quincy not here.
I take you all to
an expensive lunch.
Dojo, dojo, uh dojo...
There she is: Jill Marshall.
Sixteen months ago, she
was four months pregnant.
She miscarried.
Almost killed her.
- Any prenatal reason?
- None.
The baby was a mongoloid deficiency,
so I just attributed it to that.
Now, I'm not so sure.
And you think the landfill site
could have something to do with it?
Yeah, I think that
damned landfill
might have had
something to do with it.
Ah look, I can't be
sure, this is a small clinic
but over the past couple of
years I've noticed something.
Just with my regular patients,
there seems to be
more aches, more pains,
a far lower resistance to
disease than there used to be.
I've never handled
so many miscarriages
and liver ailments in my life.
It's frightening.
But to tell you the truth,
I never gave it any real thought
until she came in
here out of her wits
because of something
she had heard on the radio
linking sites like this to birth
defects and miscarriages.
That little girl is so worked up
I'm keeping her here until
her husband can pick her up
when he gets off
work this evening.
Doctor Belson, I appreciate
your call and your trust,
but what do you think
I can do about this?
I don't know. I really don't.
But, my God man,
nobody will do anything.
Everybody's overworked
and understaffed.
Well, what're you smiling at?
Welcome to the wars, doctor.
I'll have to do a lot of research.
But if there's a link, I'll find it.
If I have to go look at the
records of every clinic in town.
But as for her...
can't you use amniocentesis
to tell her something?
Oh, it's still too soon.
She has another three weeks.
To wait and wonder.
- Thank you, Doctor.
- Thank you.
Oh c'mon, Quincy, bring me
a search-and-seizure violation,
a rights violation, maybe even
a faulty manufacturing claim
but I don't know what I can do
about a twenty-year-old dump site.
You can file a class action
suit against the company,
get some relief for those
people, that's what you can do.
Maybe get the company to
clean up the mess they made.
Sure, I could file. I can
file on almost anything.
But that's not gonna
get you what you want.
Look Quincy, your
intentions are good,
but I don't know if going
to court's gonna help you.
The courts are still
trying to decide what to do
about past industrial dumping.
The whole issue up in the air.
Well, c'mon Todd,
set some precedents.
I remember when
you used to be a tiger.
What're you doing, growing
old? Teeth getting soft?
C'mon Quince, don't
tell me I'm getting' old.
Look, I'm a tiger when I've
got at least a chance to win.
You remember that
auto assembly plant suit
I filed last year on behalf
of the workers there?
Everybody told me
I was crazy to file.
They said I didn't
have a prayer.
But I did, and I won.
You work for an organization
called Citizens' Advocates.
You're supposed to be the
watchdogs for the people.
All this concern about winning,
you sound like a
commercial lawyer.
Winning is important to any
legal organization, Quince.
I'm surprised you don't
know that. Especially to us.
Look, an organization like
Citizens' Advocates is a thorn
in the side of what you
might call the establishment.
They think that we're a
bunch of naive do-gooders
trying to destroy the
Gross National Product.
We can't afford to
lose many cases.
Because if we did,
they'd laugh at us,
and if they do that we'd
lose the power we have.
- We just can't afford it.
- So that's it?
Quincy, this is not as
cut-and-dried as you seem to think.
That company has a strong legal
argument that they're in the right.
If it was cut-and-dried,
I'd file a class action suit
on behalf of all
those people so fast
it would make their
head spin. But it's not.
I just can't begin to tell
you how complicated this is.
Okay, Todd.
You couldn't file because
of that property loss.
What can you do
because of their health?
You've got one chance in twenty.
Court time, maybe
six or seven years.
Are you kidding? What
are the people supposed
to do in the meantime?
You want it straight,
you got it straight.
How about just filing and
hope they went for a settlement?
I've been reading statistics
that prove that the people
from Rosewood have been
suffering more prenatal trauma,
more birth defects than
the national average.
Any settlement wouldn't come
for four or five years, Quincy.
Yeah, well, maybe I can
get them to settle faster.
Hey Quincy, that company
knows where they stand.
That's what they
pay their lawyers for.
Todd, you don't know
how persuasive I can be.
They'll think I'm
going for a touchdown.
I'll be willing to
settle for a first down.
Can I use your
name if I have to?
Sure, anything you like.
Mr. Larsten and I were kind
enough to give you our time,
Doctor Quincy, the least
you can do is get to the point.
Well, you say your company
is guiltless in this matter
as far as property
damage is concerned.
Now maybe the courts,
will agree with you.
- I assure you
they would, Doctor.
- You're probably right.
How do you think they would
stand on personal injury and liability?
You still haven't made
your point, Doctor.
I thought it was quite obvious.
The point is cost.
Lawsuits.
Suits that are filed because of
traumas caused by birth defects.
Lawsuits that are
based on lost income
due to incapacitating diseases.
Law suits that pit the
innocent and the suffering
against a giant corporation.
Now tell me, Mr. Kent,
how would a judge and
a jury view such cases
based on true emotions
opposed to legal fact.
What are you talking
about? What suffering?
Take a look.
I'm talking about a cancer rate
eleven times the national average.
Miscarriage is six times
the national average,
birth defects eight times
the national average,
liver ailment four times
the national average
and all because of what
those people were exposed to.
And it's not gonna
get any better
cause they don't
have any place to go.
That right, you two
look at one another
and maybe you'll
come up with an answer
because the Citizens' Advocate
Organization is filing a class action suit
on behalf of everybody
who lives in Rosewood.
And when I show that stuff to the
Environmental Protection Agency,
you better believe
they're gonna bring
a lot of pressure
to bear on you guys.
You don't have to
threaten here, Doctor,
not anymore, not with this.
You want to go to court,
we'll take you to court,
keep you there for ten years.
And the EPA can harass us, but
they certainly can't close us down.
So your threats don't
concern me, Doctor.
But this, this, these
reports you've brought us,
they do concern me.
My God,
did that waste do
this to those people?
Tony, we didn't
do anything wrong.
It looks like we did.
Well maybe not intentionally,
but it looks like we did.
Okay,
maybe we're not
legally responsible,
but, now, Doctor, we do
want to help those people.
You mean it? You'll settle?
No, not settle. We'll
pick up the whole tab.
- Wow, a touchdown.
- What?
Oh nothing, nothing.
You mean we're not
gonna have to fight?
Well, we're not
monsters, Doctor,
although that might
come as a surprise to you.
We're men,
we're humans
and we live in the same
world with everyone else.
No, no fight.
I'll have a detoxification
unit sent out there at once.
And Doctor, if there's
anything that we can do
to help these people
relocate, we'll do it.
Well, there Mrs. Roselli,
you know, her husband died.
We'll help her.
We'll help her if I have to
pay for it out of my own pocket.
I'm sorry, Mr. Larsten.
I came in here like a
bull in a china shop.
Well, you see I didn't
know... well, thank you.
I didn't... I'm
sorry... thank you.
Thank you very much
sir. Thank you Mr. Kent.
- Doctor Quincy.
- Thank you.
There they are, the
fearsome foursome.
Ta da! How you doin', fellas?
What the matter? Why the
long faces? What's goin' on?
Talk about the face that
launched a thousand ships.
- Yup.
- Wow, she's terrific.
Who is she?
You can't get close
enough to her to find out.
Oh, she also sank
a few egos, huh.
I even offered to take
some real nice photos of her.
You know, send to
the family and stuff.
She told him what
to do with them, too.
She is as unapproachable
as the top of Mt. Everest.
You mean you made
a play for her, too?
Yeah.
Well, let me tell you something.
No lady is unapproachable
if you use panache.
- A what?
- Panache.
That's style and
daring. Panache.
Oh yeah, well, you'll laugh
outta the other
side of your mouth.
Give me two of
whatever she drinking.
You've never gonna get to the
first furlough with her, Quince.
- 30 to 20, I go the distance.
- You're on.
- You got a bet.
- C'mon.
Give 'em to me.
I noticed that you
were running low,
figured you might need a refill.
- Thanks.
- May I?
I've never met anyone
before who drank tequila.
You haven't met
anyone yet have you?
No, but I sure would like to.
My name is Quincy, Dr. Quincy.
- Oh, a physician.
- Well, I'm a medical examiner.
Suits you.
You know, they say that if
you drink tequila and stick to it,
you don't get a
hangover. Is that right?
No.
You mean you drink
it because you like it?
You know, you're
being very mysterious.
What are you writing down there?
It's my job.
You're a writer.
You're looking for local
color for your next novel.
Right... and wrong.
You see I am a writer,
for Today's Female,
and I'm researching an article
on how hard it is for a woman
to walk into a bar
and not get come-ons
from every man in the place.
Well, uh, you're not gonna
put me in that article, are ya?
Oh: "Hi, I noticed
you were running low
and figured you
needed a refill."
You're gonna put
me in the article.
Oh well, that not
such a bad line, Doctor.
You know, it's better than
those friends of yours up there.
"Hey baby, you got a pair
of legs that just don't stop.
"Want a drink?"
Oh, listen to this one.
"Hello gorgeous.
"Don't I know you
from somewhere?
"Why don't you let
me buy you a drink
"and let talk over old times."
So you see, Doctor,
your approach is above average,
slightly.
You oughta screen
your clientele.
- I do.
- Thank you.
Danny, and he's speaking.
Sure, Sam.
Well, if he not in
your lab or on his boat,
where would he be? My place.
Quincy.
Sam.
So why don't you and he
get a walkie-talkie, huh?
Panache.
Yeah, Sam?
Oh Quince, something
came up while you were out.
The Coast Guard found a boat
out at sea with two scuba divers
aboard who were dead.
I thought you'd want
to perform the autopsy.
Well, can't it
wait till tomorrow?
Well, I think there something
about them you ought to see.
They both have the same
symptoms as Frank Roselli.
Only they're worse. Much worse.
I'll be right there.
Their names were
Bo Ladin and Gil Kane.
They ran a small diving
and salvage company.
- Professionals, huh?
- Yup.
- Pupils contracted.
- Mm.
Muscle flaccidity.
Cyanosis, look
at how blue he is.
His fingernails
are almost black.
Wait till you see
the lab results.
Wow.
No cholinesterase
activity at all.
Two hundred and
fifty points per million
parathion in his blood?
You were right. He
died the same way
Frank Roselli did, but
the levels are much higher.
These guys would have
had to eat at least ten pounds
of tomatoes each
to reach this level.
But there weren't any
vegetables or organophosphates
in his digestive system
so they couldn't have picked
it up from anything they ate.
Did you check their air tank
for possible contamination?
Yeah, but they were negative.
If they didn't get
it from their food,
where did it come from?
The water, there's no other way.
But they were wearing masks
and they didn't
swallow any salt water.
They wouldn't have to.
Organophosphates can be absorbed
directly through the skin,
the same way farm workers
get contaminated by pesticides.
Only these two got
a much bigger wallop.
You think they ran
into something out there
in the ocean?
It's the only way.
Who did you say found them?
The Coast Guard.
An officer named
Lieutenant Warren was in charge.
- Better give him a call.
- Right.
Yes, Doctor? How can I help you?
I was wondering if you
could pinpoint exactly
where those two
divers were swimming
before you found them?
Well, we have an
approximate position.
But their boat had been
drifting for some time.
Why, what the problem?
We think there's a source
of chemical poisoning
out there that killed them.
We want to find it as
quickly as possible.
Well, that's not
gonna be so easy.
There a big storm coming in.
Well, how bad is it?
Winds up to sixty
knots with heavy swells.
When's it due?
Sometime later
tonight, nine or ten p.m.
Well, I guess we're gonna
have to try and beat the clock.
You keep looking,
see what you can find.
- I'll keep in touch.
- Right.
They didn't know the area
where the divers were?
No,
but I know somebody
who can tell me.
You threw me a small ball
and played me for a sucker
so the whole truth
wouldn't come out, huh?
What are you talking about?
I'm talking about two
scuba divers that died
from the same thing as
that construction worker.
They were searching for salvage
at the bottom of the ocean.
They thought they'd
found something valuable.
It turned out to be an
underwater dump site.
Now, you're the only
company within a hundred miles
that makes that kind
of chemical waste.
Doctor Quincy, we have
been totally honest with you.
I'm telling you, we have never
disposed of any of
our wastes at sea.
However, something did come up
since the last time
you were here.
What?
Well, I thought it
would be a good idea
to check all our
other dump sites
just in case the same thing
might be happening there.
So we dug back into our records
and I sent out teams to
take care of any problems.
There a funny thing
at one site though.
There wasn't a single
trace of any chemicals
ever having been buried there.
Well, how's that possible?
They couldn't have
just disappeared.
What d'you think
happened to them?
We have a pretty good idea.
The freight bill is
made out to a firm
named "McGreevey and Sons."
They later earned a
reputation as midnight haulers.
What that?
Unscrupulous haulers
who get rid of the stuff any way
they can, no questions asked.
They were caught at
three o'clock one morning
taking out liquid
wastes in tank trucks
and opening the valves,
and spreading the stuff
along the sides of the highway.
And you think they
could have dumped
your missing lot out at sea.
Well, it's the only way
they could have afforded
to do the job at the
price they asked.
You see, we ask for bids
and then take the lowest one.
We had no idea what they'd do.
Well, isn't there any
way to track them down,
find out where they dumped it?
No chance.
They went out of
business years ago.
Even if they were still around,
it's not the sort of thing
you keep records of.
All right.
Can you tell me how
much is unaccounted for?
I want to know what
we're dealing with here.
Two hundred drums
each containing several
hundred pounds of
organophosphate wastes.
That enough to
destroy a whole city.
Well, those drums were
considered perfectly safe
for disposal underground,
when we put them there.
They were never
intended for salt water.
I'm amazed that they
lasted this long in the ocean.
Well, they're not
gonna last much longer.
We have to find them and fast.
Mr. Larsten, I owe
you another apology.
I'm sorry.
Have you heard from
Lieutenant Warren yet?
Yeah, but it isn't
good news, Quince.
The storm's moving in a
lot faster than they expected.
Oh, that's all we need now.
It's gonna be a bad one,
really shake up those cans.
Between the currents
and the tide and the wind,
a hundred miles of coastline
can be contaminated.
It would make Rosewood
look like a picnic.
Well, the Coast Guard's
going over the area with sonar
and unmanned submersibles
to try and detect those canisters.
Yeah, but they haven't
found anything so far.
There's just too much ocean
out there and time's running out.
There's only one other way to
find out where those divers were.
You keep calling the
weather station at Point Dume.
Stay on top of that.
Okay. Good luck, Quince.
I'm gonna need it.
Sir, can you tell me where
Bo Ladin's apartment is?
Right here. Who are you?
I'm Doctor Quincy. I'm
with the coroner's office.
Oh yeah, yeah. I'm Carl Ladin.
Bo was my son.
I'm sorry about what happened.
You may as well come up.
Such a waste.
I told him and told him,
you can't get somethin'
for nothin' out of life.
I wanted him to go
to school, get a career.
But all he wanted to do was
have a good time, enjoy himself.
Stupid, lazy, selfish.
I'm sorry to bother you at
a time like this, Mr. Ladin,
but I'm looking for
any navigation charts
that your son or his
friend might have used.
There weren't any on the boat.
Charts?
I didn't see any charts
when I cleaned up here.
There's a map on the wall here.
How about this?
Well, there aren't any markings.
That the whole coastline.
It wouldn't do any good.
Well, I don't know
what else I can do...
Wait a minute.
There are markings here.
Can you see these indentations?
Yeah, it looks like
somebody scribbled on it.
I should have known.
I often do it myself.
Boaters avoid
marking up their charts
by using tracing paper overlays.
Have you seen any
thin paper around here
with lines or markings,
numbers, anything like that?
- Like tissue paper?
- Exactly. Tissue paper.
Well, I found these tucked
away in a drawer here.
I didn't think they were any
good so I threw 'em away.
Oh, thank you.
There it is.
There are the
navigation headings.
This is where they went
searching for the wreckage
and there are dates...
and here,
here is where they
were yesterday.
Mr. Ladin, your son may
have helped save lots of lives.
Careful, Quincy.
- Ah...
- Oh, no.
I tell ya, I can't
concentrate, Sam.
- What time is it?
- Four-thirty.
It'll be getting dark soon.
That storm is on its way.
Come on, will ya. Come on.
I'll do it, Sam. I
did it, I'll clean it up.
Hello.
Hello, this is Lieutenant
Warren calling for Doctor Quincy.
Speaking. What
is it, Lieutenant?
Quincy, we found it.
You found it?
- Sam, they found it.
- Hey, that's great.
You found It. Are you sure?
Yes. We've got
a couple of divers
from the Navy in
diving suits on it now
and we oughta have it
gathered up in a couple of hours.
We'll beat the storm.
Bless you, Lieutenant.
Let me know when
it finished, will ya?
Will do. And thanks.
Oh, thank you.
- Hey, that's great.
- I know, let's celebrate.
Not that cheap stuff.
I've got the twelve
year old scotch here.
- Here ya go, ole buddy.
- Yeah.
Well, you see it's just that
all these crises citizens say
- emergency, emergency.
- Yes, exactly.
- No, but really, I...
- No, no, it's all right.
- Doctor Quincy
wants the interview.
- No, no...
- All right.
- To the Coast Guard.
- Quincy, is it all right now?
- Yeah, fine, fine.
Doctor Quincy, uh,
back from the field.
I'm terribly sorry but
we've run out of time.
- They're due at Disneyland.
- Disneyland?
Yes. Mickey Mouse
promised to sign autographs.
Mickey Mouse?
I'm terribly sorry.
Oh good grief.
Why not?
To Disneyland.
That is some article. She
really stuck it to us, didn't she?
No more Today's Female.
Last time I buy that magazine.
I wish I had a
picture of your face.
That was some
approach, Valentino.
Panache.
You do it with style,
daring. Right, Quincy?
What the matter with you
guys? She's a barracuda.
Paul Newman would
have struck out with her.
Quince, you haven't had a hit
in the last thirteen times at bat.
Yes, but when you strike
out you do it with panache.
Are you guys kidding?
That girl knew that
she wasn't my type.
That why she played it cool.
I wouldn't have anything
to do with a girl like that.
- I was kidding.
- Hi.
I notice you're running low
and I thought that maybe perhaps
you could stand are refill.
Oh, very funny.
Excuse me for not standing
up but I read your article.
It is a barrel of
laughs, I want to tell ya.
I would really like
to buy you a drink.
What's the matter, do
you need another story?
No, no. I'm not working now.
I would just like
to buy you a drink.
I think you're kinda cute.
- You do?
- A little bit, mhm.
Excuse me, fellas.
Have you ever thought
about writing a story
about a courageous
medical examiner?