Quincy M.E. (1976–1983): Season 5, Episode 16 - Unhappy Hour - full transcript
You is nothing
better. A murderer!
Listen, right now you seem to
have enough circumstantial evidence
to send my niece to prison.
You were drinking the night
Lennie was killed, weren't you?
But I wasn't driving.
She just admitted her guilt.
You'll be in charge of
the case, thank goodness.
I wouldn't want a stranger.
Dr. Quincy is in charge.
Well, he works under you.
You know my sister and her
husband assume that I'll sweep
everything incriminating
under the rug.
They don't know you
very well, do they?
Don't you be too sure.
Gentlemen, you
are about to enter
the most fascinating
sphere of police work,
the world of forensic medicine.
Oh.
I don't know why you wanna leave.
I don't have to be home right away.
Melody, it's dawn. I got a
biology test in three hours.
It's gonna be hard enough to
keep my heard straight, as it is...
When are you guys'
folks gonna be home?
Two weeks.
Only fourteen
nights left to party.
Not at the rate we've
been drainin' that bar.
Hey, you sure you can drive?
Hey, if I can make it down this
up escalator, I can do anything.
Be cool.
Hey, look out.
Step on a crack...
break your mother's back.
Step on a line... break
your mother's spine.
We can't even
walk a straight line.
We don't have to.
You sure you don't
want me to drive?
I'm fine.
The keys are a little drunk.
Hey, take it easy, will ya?
- Yeah.
- Well, good morning,
good morning, good morning.
You know, I have to come
in here to my office at 6 a.m.
on a Monday morning
because I have to
tally up your
special expenditures.
Oh, here's one. Look
at this. A book $92.
The History of Southern
Hemisphere Coleoptera.
You and your bloody beetles.
You call me up this time of
the morning to tell me that.
Didn't you say you wanted a
cause of death in the Milio case?
You know, I wish that I could
sleep in, read obscure medical books.
Oh sure, it must be very tiring
shuffling papers around, huh?
Quincy, when you come in this
morning, don't you be surprised
if some changes
haven't been made.
Now try and go back to sleep.
Lennie. Lennie! Lennie!
Hiya, Sam. Would you believe
the ogre woke me up this morning.
I'm so mad. I'll
get into my greens.
Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah.
The ogre says good morning.
Good morning, ogre.
What's he doin' here?
Is the office helping out now?
Now Quincy, you've
been telling me how late
you've been working
and how tired you've been.
So I thought we might just
switch jobs for a day or two.
What do you think? Give
you a chance to relax.
You can sharpen some
pencils, shuffle some papers.
See, my job's
really pretty easy.
- Is he kiddin'?
- No, he's not kidding.
- C'mon.
- I could use the rest...
- Then it's all settled.
- Terrific.
You go right up to my office and
you make yourself comfortable,
and here's the key to
my private washroom,
I also told my secretary to give you
every consideration she'd give me.
And you'll do my job?
Well, I've already
finished a case
while you were waltzing
your Peruvian beetles.
Oh.
You know, Sam, I might try
living at the top for a while.
And ah Sam, If you need
me, I'll be in my office
with my feet upon my desk.
Holy mackerel. More?
Ah Robin, I need some coffee.
Um, the coffee maker's right
over there, Doctor Quincy.
Uh no, no, I don't
think you understand.
Didn't Dr. Asten tell you
you are to treat me exactly
the way you treat him?
Of course, Doctor
Quincy and do be careful.
It has a tendency to leak.
Oh, I take mine with
cream and sugar.
I wonder whether
she likes two sugars.
Glass fragments, Sam.
Would you hand me the forceps.
Doctor Asten, I have
an alcohol level for you
on the blood sample you
gave me on Leonard Miller.
Yeah.
Point one seven five per cent.
All right.
Anything less than five good
drinks in the hour before death,
we'd never get that
kind of a reading.
Asten, when you get time.
- Important?
- Yeah.
Be right back.
What do you want?
I understand you're
handling the Miller case.
Yeah, Quincy and I have
traded hats for a couple of days.
Does that mean you blame him
for everything that went wrong here?
Wouldn't that be glorious, no,
no, I just want to make a point.
Did you get the findings
on the security guard killing?
Oh yeah, that was
fast work. Thank you.
But you know this Miller case
is even more of a whodunit.
- Lieutenant?
- Yeah.
I got the photos
printed up for you.
Thank you.
Hera, take a look at those.
What am I supposed
to do with photos?
Asten, I've got two insurance boys
and the D.A. breathing down my neck.
Now they want a move on this.
Lennie Miller died of neck
injuries sustained in the crash.
Oh thanks a lot.
That's as much information as I
got from the ambulance attendant.
Monahan, what do
you want from me?
I want you to tell me who
was driving, clean and simple.
The girl's at County
General, a little banged up.
- Yeah.
- Was she drunk, too?
She almost bent the
needle on the Breathalyzer.
Her blood alcohol
level was point two one.
She says she can't remember
whether she was driving or not.
Boy, these kids. She was
two-thirds on the way to comatose.
Asten, we got a witness
saw her get behind the wheel.
You know, that's all you have.
The car was burned to a crisp.
So was the fingerprint evidence,
clothes remnants, blood stains.
I suggest you go
check the girl's injuries.
Now, she's at County
General her name's Stedman.
- Stedman?
- Yeah.
Not Melody Stedman?
Yeah, as a matter of
fact. How'd you know?
My God, that's my niece.
Your niece?
I'll watch the fort
till you get back.
- Thanks, Sam.
- Doctor Quincy...
Hey, I'm sorry, I dropped everything
the minute Monahan told me.
- Sam will fill me in...
- Fill you in on what?
Your niece's case.
Listen, I didn't ask to be
relieved of this Quincy.
Now I'm going to,
ah, finish the autopsy
when I get back
from the hospital.
- Well,
I just assumed you would...
- Assumed what?
That I'm too close
to be objective?
You don't think I'd become
any-the-less professional.
Not at all. I know you
could be objective.
But suppose you do clear your
niece and somebody hollers dirty pool.
You don't want the court to
rule your findings inadmissible.
That wouldn't help her.
- Well, I don't
want to hurt her case.
- Besides, it'll give you
more time to spend with her.
Yeah, it would, it would.
Quincy, would you
take over for me?
Thank you. Now
I'll I'll be back soon.
Okay.
Sam, let's go.
- Code blue O.R. two...
- Ah, Melody Stedman, please.
- Three-o-six.
- Three-O-six.
Oh, there are her
parents right now.
- I'm so glad you're here.
- How is she?
Oh, she's all right, thank
God. The nurse is in there
just changing her bedding.
You'll be able to see her.
- Oh, well, that's fine.
- Banged her
head up pretty bad,
but the doctors
don't think it's serious.
She's lucky to be alive. Her
car was completely gutted.
The kids were thrown
clear before the fire.
I know, I know. She, ah, I did the
autopsy on the boy this morning.
I keep thinking it
could've been her.
It's those delinquent
friends of hers.
Soon as she's felling better,
I'm laying the law down on her.
Now just, now just
a minute. Listen.
Now there is another law that
she is going to have to worry about.
What do you mean?
Right now there's nothing
to indicate who was driving.
Now if Melody was the
driver, if, if she was the driver,
she could face a felony charge.
You autopsied the boy?
- Well, yes, I did.
- Was he drunk?
He was falling-down
drunk, but...
There you are. That's
what Melody told us.
That Lennie was drunk,
and that he was driving.
Well, the problem is that
Melody was as drunk as the boy.
I'm sure that that boy
was responsible for it.
And the police have a witness
who saw her behind the wheel.
But there were no
witnesses to the accident.
In fact, they're not gonna
accept her word alone.
They've asked my department
to help make the determination.
Oh well, you'll be in charge
of the case. Thank goodness.
I wouldn't want a stranger.
Well, Dr. Quincy is in charge.
Well, he works under you, doesn't
he. You are going to talk to him.
I... I don't think that
you... understand.
I... I better see Melody.
- Uncle Bob.
- Hi.
It's been a long
time. How you feelin'?
Rotten. But the doctors
say I'll be all right.
Nothin' messed up inside.
Well, I've always
said you're lucky.
Think so?
I just wish it had been
me instead of Lennie.
Now don't you talk like that.
You know, that's not the most
attractive bandage in the world.
- How's your head?
- All right. It throbs now and then.
- And my foot's hurtin'.
- Your foot? Did the doc...
Listen, I'm gonna look at it.
Thanks, doctor.
Well, it's just a bruise.
You know, I can't get
over how you've grown.
It seems like only yesterday
we went to that that county fair.
You remember that?
You're a beautiful young woman.
Melody, we can have some, some grown
up talk now can't we about that accident?
Who was driving last night?
I think it was Lennie.
You think it was Lennie?
I'm not sure.
I picked up Lennie and
drove to Mason's house.
But he must have been
driving when we came home.
- I don't...
- Wait, wait. That's important.
Why is that?
The police said the accident
happened on Morris Avenue.
I don't even know how to drive
Lennie home by way of Morris Avenue.
Well, of course, um maybe
you weren't taking him home?
Where would we be going?
Lennie had to get
home. He had to change.
He had a test at school.
The police said that they
have a witness who saw you
get in the car behind
the wheel and drive.
I know. I'm not denying that.
Maybe...
maybe we switched.
I... I remember Lennie was,
was nervous about my driving.
You don't believe me either.
I want to believe you.
It's just that you
were very, very high
and you yourself said
that you weren't sure.
Hey, you can't
turn away from me.
Now don't you worry.
You know you're the
closest thing to a daughter
that Louise and I have ever had.
I mean, you're special to me.
In fact, I'm gonna do everything
I can to help you, everything.
Melody...
You really want to help me?
You know I do.
Have the nurse
bring me a cold beer.
That's the glass fragment we
took from Melody's forehead.
Okay, okay.
That's what we took
from Lennie Miller's scalp.
It's a different
refractive index?
The first fragment matches the
safety glass on the windshield.
That was Melody's.
What we took from the
boy was tempered glass.
- And that tells us?
- That he hit a side window,
we don't know which one,
because they were both broken.
The windshield which was
only broken on the driver's side.
That's right.
That's not the worst of it.
We could tell where Melody landed
from the depression in the grass.
The boy's here, about ten feet
closer to where the car ended up.
Now remember they were
both thrown out the driver's door.
You mean that the
one closest to the door,
the, ah, the driver,
was thrown first?
Melody the driver, here,
Lennie, the passenger, here.
Now, wait, wait a minute. What
about the bruise on her foot?
Well, she was barefoot.
The police found her
charred shoes in the backseat.
She might have got it
when she hit the brake.
She was so far out of it.
Her coordination
must have been so...
Listen, I want this
double-checked.
I'm going to do
that. I told Monahan
he's not gonna get
anything we have piecemeal.
- That's right.
- When we have enough to draw
a firm conclusion,
we'll let him know.
Listen, right now you
seem to have enough
circumstantial evidence
to send my niece to prison.
- We can't change the facts.
- I'm not asking you
to change the facts.
You know, my sister
and her husband
assume I'll sweep
anything under the rug
that, ah, will be incriminating.
They don't know you
very well, do they?
Don't you be too sure.
I love that girl very much.
Listen, you know what she
told... She said to me that
she does not know how to take
that boy home via Morris Avenue.
Now, there's a possibility that
boy could have been driving.
Well maybe if you found somebody
who knew them both, that could help.
You mean like
somebody at school,
- a teacher.
- That's right.
That's a good idea.
That's a good idea.
You know, I think I've been
shuffling papers too long.
I think we're both
on the right job.
Mr. Silva, I'm Doctor Asten,
L.A. Deputy Coroner and
Melody Stedman's uncle.
I'm glad you're here, Dr. Asten.
I've been tryin' to find out
more about the accident myself.
You see, ah...
Lennie Miller was one of
the kids that I counseled.
And, ah, did you
counsel Melody Stedman?
- No.
- All right now,
this Lennie Miller,
he was...
well he had a drinking problem?
Lennie Miller didn't drink
until about a year ago
excessively. Till he met Melody.
And, and, now you're trying to
blame his drinking on Melody?
Wait a minute, Doctor, Lennie
Miller, there's no question,
drank irresponsibly.
Melody... is an alcoholic.
How dare you... how
dare you say that.
Please, please, listen to me.
It's been worse in
the last few months.
Melody is showing
up at school drunk.
- Melody?
- Blacking out in gym class.
We found booze in her locker...
- No, no!
- There's more...
No, no, no, now I've known
her since she was this high.
- Her parents...
- Her parents, yes.
I've spoken to
them several times.
They seem to think it's a phase.
Her mother seems
to b believing the line
she's giving them about
me having it in for her.
What is it her mother said... oh
yeah, thank goodness it isn't drugs.
But she's 17...
She can't be an alcoholic at 17.
Doctor, the average kid takes
his first drink at the age of 12.
Do you realize that
only one kid out of ten
will get out of high school
without having had a drink
and one out of four
gets drunk regularly
at least once a month.
Doctor, five hundred thousand,
one half million teenage
kids are addicted to alcohol.
Melody is one of them.
I don't know where
I've been hiding.
I had no idea that this
problem was that widespread.
And those figures are based
on kids in school, doctor.
Imagine if we added the
dropouts to that number.
Wait a minute. You're
her school counselor.
Isn't there something
that you could have done?
No one can help Melody unti l she
admits to herself that she needs help.
I suggested counseling but
she didn't want to hear about it.
Now you said that counseling...
Not by me.
By kids her own age.
There's one in particular.
His name is Eric Ramey. He's a
dropout, and a recovered alcoholic.
He holds rap sessions for teenagers
out of the local Council on Alcoholism.
Wait a minute, he knew Melody
when he went to school here.
And this, this, the
young people will listen
to other young people
like this drop-out?
Like they listen to nobody else.
See, he's been
there, and they know it.
And he speaks their language.
They trust him, doctor.
I tell ya, very few kids would
turn to booze if they heard Eric.
He doesn't paint a
very pretty picture.
Now do you think that we
could get this Eric Ramey
to meet with Melody
and talk to her?
- Now would he mind that?
- He'd be delighted.
- I know Eric, but ah...
- But what?
The listening is up to Melody.
She has to listen.
She's running out of choices.
Drinking, thinking, feelings.
By coming in contact with these
three aspects of the disease,
we may arrive at denial and
thereby bankrupt the alibi system.
You know like we all got
alibis for why we're drinking.
My pop's a wino. So what?
- Where does
that alibi get you?
- What's your excuse, Kevin?
Which one?
My old standby?
Everybody's doin' it?
Look, I didn't want to come
off like some kind of turkey
so I went along with
the rest of the crowd.
You know, party hearty.
Only when the party
stopped, I didn't.
My excuse was relaxation. Just
a couple of drinks to get loose,
you know, like
a social lubricant.
I was scared to death and I thought
it would help me be with people.
What it really did
was help me hide.
What's your excuse, Melody?
Look, just because I came here
doesn't mean I'm as
strung out as the rest of you.
Melody look, you can
spend from now to dooms day
covering up this thing, or you
can admit to yourself and to us
that one, you do have
a drinking problem, two,
it is out of your control
and three, you want help.
But I don't drink all the
time. I just drink on weekends.
Excuses.
Look, I can quit
any time I want to.
I just don't want to.
Excuses.
Melody,
you were drinkin' the night
Lennie was killed, weren't you?
But I wasn't driving. He was.
Melody, I believe you. I do.
But I just want to
ask you one question.
Would you have let Lennie drive
that night if you weren't drunk?
You're among friends, Melody,
I guess I started
like everyone else.
I, uh...
I thought it had something
to do with being an adult.
I wanted to know
what it was like.
The first time I, ah,
it tasted awful.
But I remember the, the warmth.
It was like someone
was hugging me.
But, ah...
It didn't last.
I, uh,
I just started drinking alone
and ah,
I was, I was messed up at school
and my mom started
gettin' on my case.
Excuse number 456.
Right.
I guess, ah, things just, ah,
started fallin' apart.
And Lennie... Lennie...
I'd get Lennie to drink with me
even though I knew
he didn't want to.
We...
We were going...
To get a place of our own.
We were gonna have kids.
I thought it would be different
if we had a place of our own.
Now...
Now I have nothing.
He's dead.
It's a long road, Melody.
But you just
took the first step.
- Hi.
- Hi.
Another meeting tonight?
Aren't you getting
dressed a little early?
Eric's not gonna
be here until seven.
I know. I'm just excited.
Well, I must say,
you look prettier,
and healthier than
I'd thought possible
a couple of days ago.
What're you doing right?
It's what I'm not doing
Mrs. Miller. What
are you doing here?
We just buried our son.
I'm sorry.
I loved him.
How dare you, how dare
you say you loved him?
He never stayed out late, he'd
never took one drink until you met him.
He was a good boy
and you killed him.
No! That's not true. It, it was an
accident. I wasn't even driving.
You're lying. Our Lennie would
never drive in that condition.
Believe me, if I could
trade my life for his, I would.
If only that were possible.
Please, don't say that. I
just hope they stop you
before you're responsible
for someone else's death.
How many good kids
are you gonna kill?
You murderer. You
drunken murderer.
I'm going to have
to ask you to leave.
I hope this haunts you
for the rest of your life.
I'm gonna take off, Quince,
unless there's something else.
No, good night, Sam.
I'll be at home if you need me.
- Okay.
- Good night, Dr. Asten.
How come you're still here?
Quincy, ah listen, I'll
buy ya a cup of coffee.
Yeah.
How come I don't have a
mug with my name on it?
Maybe you ought to
write to the landlord.
Yeah.
Monahan's been pressing me for
the findings in your niece's case.
You know what the D.A.
can do with what we've got.
I know, I know.
You know, I didn't realize
what a drinking problem
Melody had at 17.
So her recollection as to who
was driving is very suspect.
Well hey, let's not
jump the gun here.
- Yeah.
- I've done something
rather presumptuous.
- What's that?
- Well, I was thinking about
that bruise on her left foot.
Suppose she was the passenger
and was trying to put on the brake
just to prevent an accident?
Well sure, that's
possible but without proof
the jury would never accept it.
Unless they saw the accident.
No witnesses,
Quincy. No witnesses.
Well, that's where the
presumption comes in.
There's this guy, Robert
White. I used to work with him.
See, he's a computer nut,
works for insurance companies.
What does he do?
He does accident
reconstruction on a computer.
Wait a minute. You mean
he can recreate an accident?
- That's right.
- I don't see how...
Well, I'm tellin' you with the
proper data he probably could
tell us what the
chain of events was.
- Including who was driving?
- I don't know. He's done it before.
Well, how soon can we
get him to work on this?
It's already in the works.
I brought him the data
during my lunch hour.
Quincy, you mean you
did this on your own?
Well, I knew It
was very important.
- I hope I didn't
step outta line.
- It's terrific.
- Oh, yeah.
- Just terrific.
Well how soon can
you expect an answer?
Well, we could hear tonight.
I told him to call
if he got close.
Would you mind if I wait
around here with you?
- It's your store.
- Can I do
anything to help you?
You can order some
pizza. I'm starved.
You know, I'm
kinda hungry myself.
What do you want on it?
Oh a little extra sauce, some
pepperoni and some mozzarella
and some anchovies and
pimentos and mushrooms.
Remember, you don't
have a cast-iron stomach.
Oh, that's right. You better
cancel the mushrooms.
Mason? Lisa?
Hey. Mason.
C'mon, open up.
It's Melody.
Who needs you guys anyway.
There's more for me.
It was bad enough the
neighbors were whispering
about our daughter the drunk,
now she ups and runs away.
Maybe she should've just
signed a confession
before she left.
There's an expert in
accident reconstruction
going over the case right now.
Now he might come
up with something
that corroborates
Melody's story.
We never should have
let her go to that rap group.
What does that
got to do with it?
Because she disappeared
the day after she went.
Jerry, I told you, it was just another
place to meet a bunch of those
hoodlum-types that
always get her into trouble.
Laura, Jerry, please, please,
she needs the counseling.
If she escapes prosecution
in the Miller boy's death,
she has to face the fact
that she's an alcoholic.
Bob, I think you're
exaggerating this whole business
you got that kid thinkin'
she's some kind of addict.
She is and most important,
you have to face the fact
that she's an alcoholic.
Well, I think this guy Eric,
whoever he is, I
think he's hiding her.
That's not true. He's
out looking for her now.
Yes? It's for you.
Yes.
Yes, Quincy. I'll meet
you and Sam there.
If she wasn't
driving that night,
we'll know before long.
And if she was?
One way or the
other, we'll know.
Come in.
- Hello, Robert.
- Hi, Quincy.
This is Dr. Asten, Sam
Fujiyama, Robert White.
Hi. How do you do Mr. White.
Well, how's the
computered reconstruction?
I just wrapped it up
not ten minutes ago.
Oh c'mon, take a look
at the monitor over here.
Now, what I've done is to
program data on all critical variables
into the computer.
Now the computer
converted this into numbers
which control the
motion of the car.
Now what you're gonna see is a
graphic simulation of the accident,
which the computer
makes using the numbers.
I don't understand how it works.
Well a particular car
can only do certain things,
if it's gonna get
from 'A' to 'B'.
Now the more points where we
know the position the car was in,
the more reliable
the final results are.
Now, in this case, I had a reasonably
good amount of data goin' in.
There. Now, I'll describe
what's happening
as the computer plays it out.
Now, here the car's
approaching the crash site.
Now the car starts
losing control at this point,
as it approaches the road work.
Now, there's the collision
with the mound of dirt.
That jolted the car up
and the computer indicates
enough impact for
the driver's door to pop.
That's incredible.
The collision caused the
rear of the car to swing around
and started it rolling over.
Until it came to rest.
So here and here is where the
occupants in the car were deposited.
Right.
Then this is Melody
and this is Lennie
and Melody was
thrown out of the door
first and went directly to the
ground so she was the driver.
No, no. You haven't
got that quite right.
Let me show you my
detailed roll-over analysis
from the numbers
right here on the board.
Now, they were
both still in the car
till the door flew open
at the point of collision.
Now, here's where
the car stopped.
There's Lennie
and there's Melody,
and here's the mound.
Now, this shows the action.
Now hitting the
mound pops the door,
the car flies up,
hurling the driver
in front of the rolling
car way over here.
As the car continued rolling
over onto the driver's side,
the passenger was
dropped out back here.
The car kept rolling.
Right over the driver,
that explains the crushing
injuries we found on Lennie.
That's right.
And, and so even though the
driver, Lennie, came out first,
he didn't fall directly
to the ground.
He was catapulted way
out here in front of Melody
who was the passenger.
Now it makes sense.
But what's the bottom line?
The boy had to be driving.
Otherwise she would
have been where he was,
and he would have
been where she was.
Well how do you explain her head hitting
the driver's side of the windshield?
The violent upward motion
when the car hit the mound of dirt
pitches them
sideways and forward.
Now he might've
hit the side door
but she could have
easily struck the windshield
in front of the driver.
In other words, there's
no question in your mind
that he was doing the driving.
It's what I'm tellin' the
insurance companies.
I can't wait to find
her and tell her.
Mr. White, thank you
so much, thank you.
She was telling the truth, Quincy.
All along, she was telling the truth.
She was innocent. Not
one of us believed her.
She was innocent.
She was innocent.
I'll stop by the house
and see you later.
Mr. Silva.
I'm sorry, Doctor. I wish there
was something I could say or do.
Well, maybe there is.
You said you had a comprehensive
education alcohol program
you were supposed to
present to the school board?
That's right. It's on the
agenda again this Tuesday,
but ah, it's already gotten
bumped from the last two meetings.
I can't get my hopes too high.
Well, I know a lot of
important people in this town.
Most of them owe me.
I'm gonna wear out my
tongue and my dialing finger.
I'm gonna get you on the agenda.
That'd be great. But listen,
that Board's pretty tough.
Mr. Silva, so am I.
I bet you are.
But doc,
please don't
expect any miracles.
I don't expect one.
We're gonna create one.
The recent tragedies of Lennie
Miller and Melody Stedman,
both students at our school,
they only serve to
magnify the crying need
for the kind of program
I've been talking about.
Since I960, teenage drunk
driving arrests have tripled
and today six out of every
ten teenagers who die,
from all causes,
die drunk.
We're talking about the number
one killer of every American
under the age of 20.
No question. The figures are...
You'll pardon the
expression, sobering.
Oh, no, no, no, no, they're
not figures, Mr. Douglas.
They're kids. Every last one
of them. Somebody's child.
Dr. Asten, the Board
has been wrestling
with this whole matter
for some time, now.
Perhaps you're
not aware of the fact
that we recently instituted
a full-time specialist
who assists teachers
if they request help.
Oh come now, Mr. Douglas,
you're talking about one person
for the entire district.
And she has to handle
all substance abuse cases
not only alcoholism.
Look, the State already requires
that some alcoholism education
be included in the curriculum.
Another band-aid
solution, Mr. Kloster.
Do you realize how many
hours the average kid
gets of instruction in
one year? Maybe two.
Now that's, that's
hardly enough.
So, what's your plan, Mr. Silva.
More education about
alcohol in the classroom?
Exactly. That's the
cornerstone. Prevention.
What I want is a regular
mandatory unit of instruction
on alcohol abuse.
Now that's for the kids.
Number two, I want a formal
training program for every teacher.
You'd be surprised how
many teachers still don't realize
that this is a disease
we we're talking about.
And finally there's a
peer counseling program
Mr. Silva's come up with.
Counseling by trained young people
who have weathered their own crisis.
How many?
Half a dozen to start.
And I'm talking about
permanent positions.
Now they can go from
one school to the other
within the district.
They can talk to
classes for prevention
and to individual kids
who need treatment.
Do you have any idea
what all of this could cost?
Cost?
Do you have any idea
what sitting on our hands
and doing nothing would cost?
Education does seem to
be the key to your program,
but how early are you suggesting
that classroom instruction
with the children begin?
We're gonna change
attitudes, Mr. Douglas.
We have to start 'em early.
How early?
I'm talking about kids
five and six years old.
The first grade.
There is no problem,
no, no greater problem...
Yeah, come in.
- We just want
to wish you luck.
- Oh come in, come in.
How is the speech going?
Well, I've done a
lot of research on it.
Are you getting any action
out of the School Board?
Well, it's politics as usual.
Silva says they're waiting for
some kind of a public reaction.
The press, you know
that kind of thing.
If we get some kind of
groundswell going though,
ah well, who knows.
Is that what your
speech is about today?
Sure wish I didn't let
Silva talk me into this.
I don't think I'm
really ready to address
an auditorium full of
high school students
on the dangers of alcohol.
You'll do fine.
Are you both going to be there?
Are you kidding? We
would not miss this lecture
for all the money in the world.
Especially since we're
not gonna be the lecturees.
We just wanted to wish you luck.
Let's go, Sam.
Now, ah, I didn't take on
the School Board by myself
and, ah, if we get our
peer counseling along
with some of the other
programs we've been talking about
off the ground,
well, a lot of the thanks will
have to go to today's speaker,
Deputy Coroner for the
County of Los Angeles
and Melody Stedman's uncle,
Doctor Robert Asten.
No other problem
facing today's youth...
Boy.
No other problem
facing today's youth
is more important...
Boy, this is terrible.
You know, a colleague
of mine, Dr. Quincy,
said to me before I left, he said
"You going to give your lecture?"
I think that's what this is.
This is a lecture. I
mean this is terrible.
I can't stand here before
you and lecture about
the dangers of alcohol
abuse because you know...
I think that Melody heard the
lecture and it didn't do her any good.
So I don't really want
to insult your intelligence.
I, ah, I don't want
to talk down to you.
Why don't... listen, why don't I
come down to you and talk.
You, you could hear
me, couldn't you?
Let's, let's try that.
That's all right with
you, isn't it, isn't it?
All right, now listen. I want
you to raise your hands.
How many of you have
experimented with, with drinking?
A little, a lot. C'mon, I don't
care. C'mon, c'mon, c'mon.
Well now, if you counted the
number of hands in this room,
you have the number of
excuses there are for drinking.
Now what about you?
How much do you drink?
Just a couple a six
packs on the weekend.
But I work hard
in school all week.
I deserve it. Anyway,
I can handle it.
You can handle it.
Is it handling you?
What about you?
I only drink at parties on weekends.
How's that gonna harm me?
Well, if you're telling, ah, if
you're telling the truth, ah,
but you know, I think that
Melody must have said
that to herself too, don't you?
So these answers
don't matter, do they?
It doesn't make a
damn bit of difference
because you know what
counts? You know what counts?
What counts is
what it's doing to you.
What is it doing to your life?
Look it, be honest just
once, be honest with yourself
and think. Ask yourself.
What is the motivation
for you to take that drink?
You know, it's taking
away more than it's given.
Look, you're young,
you have a whole lifetime
ahead of you.
I know there's frustration,
I know that there's
pain growing up,
I know that and then booze is
suppose to be the great pain killer
but it doesn't stop
what's causing that pain.
It just kills the
pain temporarily.
And after it kills the
pain, it goes on killing.
It, it kills your body,
your spirits, your
relationships, your hopes.
Look, you can't stop a disease
with an excuse or a justification.
Now come on. I know that
nobody takes you by the shoulder
and sits you down and
forces you to have a drink.
You are the only one
that can take a drink.
You are the only one
that can turn a drink down
but you have to
do it for yourself.
Yourself, don't you do it for me
or Mr. Silva or your teachers
or your parents or your peers.
You do it for yourself.
You be your own person.
And you fight that tide.
You don't cheat your life.
You do it for yourself
and maybe Lennie and Melody.
I think that's it, ah,
it's really up to you.
I think that's all
I wanted to say.
Where are you going?
I'm going to go talk to Eric.
C'mon, Lisa, you don't, you
don't buy all that junk, do you?
I guess I do. I don't know.
Hey, I don't believe this.
What's goin' on?
I'm just sick and tired of...
of being sick and tired.
better. A murderer!
Listen, right now you seem to
have enough circumstantial evidence
to send my niece to prison.
You were drinking the night
Lennie was killed, weren't you?
But I wasn't driving.
She just admitted her guilt.
You'll be in charge of
the case, thank goodness.
I wouldn't want a stranger.
Dr. Quincy is in charge.
Well, he works under you.
You know my sister and her
husband assume that I'll sweep
everything incriminating
under the rug.
They don't know you
very well, do they?
Don't you be too sure.
Gentlemen, you
are about to enter
the most fascinating
sphere of police work,
the world of forensic medicine.
Oh.
I don't know why you wanna leave.
I don't have to be home right away.
Melody, it's dawn. I got a
biology test in three hours.
It's gonna be hard enough to
keep my heard straight, as it is...
When are you guys'
folks gonna be home?
Two weeks.
Only fourteen
nights left to party.
Not at the rate we've
been drainin' that bar.
Hey, you sure you can drive?
Hey, if I can make it down this
up escalator, I can do anything.
Be cool.
Hey, look out.
Step on a crack...
break your mother's back.
Step on a line... break
your mother's spine.
We can't even
walk a straight line.
We don't have to.
You sure you don't
want me to drive?
I'm fine.
The keys are a little drunk.
Hey, take it easy, will ya?
- Yeah.
- Well, good morning,
good morning, good morning.
You know, I have to come
in here to my office at 6 a.m.
on a Monday morning
because I have to
tally up your
special expenditures.
Oh, here's one. Look
at this. A book $92.
The History of Southern
Hemisphere Coleoptera.
You and your bloody beetles.
You call me up this time of
the morning to tell me that.
Didn't you say you wanted a
cause of death in the Milio case?
You know, I wish that I could
sleep in, read obscure medical books.
Oh sure, it must be very tiring
shuffling papers around, huh?
Quincy, when you come in this
morning, don't you be surprised
if some changes
haven't been made.
Now try and go back to sleep.
Lennie. Lennie! Lennie!
Hiya, Sam. Would you believe
the ogre woke me up this morning.
I'm so mad. I'll
get into my greens.
Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah.
The ogre says good morning.
Good morning, ogre.
What's he doin' here?
Is the office helping out now?
Now Quincy, you've
been telling me how late
you've been working
and how tired you've been.
So I thought we might just
switch jobs for a day or two.
What do you think? Give
you a chance to relax.
You can sharpen some
pencils, shuffle some papers.
See, my job's
really pretty easy.
- Is he kiddin'?
- No, he's not kidding.
- C'mon.
- I could use the rest...
- Then it's all settled.
- Terrific.
You go right up to my office and
you make yourself comfortable,
and here's the key to
my private washroom,
I also told my secretary to give you
every consideration she'd give me.
And you'll do my job?
Well, I've already
finished a case
while you were waltzing
your Peruvian beetles.
Oh.
You know, Sam, I might try
living at the top for a while.
And ah Sam, If you need
me, I'll be in my office
with my feet upon my desk.
Holy mackerel. More?
Ah Robin, I need some coffee.
Um, the coffee maker's right
over there, Doctor Quincy.
Uh no, no, I don't
think you understand.
Didn't Dr. Asten tell you
you are to treat me exactly
the way you treat him?
Of course, Doctor
Quincy and do be careful.
It has a tendency to leak.
Oh, I take mine with
cream and sugar.
I wonder whether
she likes two sugars.
Glass fragments, Sam.
Would you hand me the forceps.
Doctor Asten, I have
an alcohol level for you
on the blood sample you
gave me on Leonard Miller.
Yeah.
Point one seven five per cent.
All right.
Anything less than five good
drinks in the hour before death,
we'd never get that
kind of a reading.
Asten, when you get time.
- Important?
- Yeah.
Be right back.
What do you want?
I understand you're
handling the Miller case.
Yeah, Quincy and I have
traded hats for a couple of days.
Does that mean you blame him
for everything that went wrong here?
Wouldn't that be glorious, no,
no, I just want to make a point.
Did you get the findings
on the security guard killing?
Oh yeah, that was
fast work. Thank you.
But you know this Miller case
is even more of a whodunit.
- Lieutenant?
- Yeah.
I got the photos
printed up for you.
Thank you.
Hera, take a look at those.
What am I supposed
to do with photos?
Asten, I've got two insurance boys
and the D.A. breathing down my neck.
Now they want a move on this.
Lennie Miller died of neck
injuries sustained in the crash.
Oh thanks a lot.
That's as much information as I
got from the ambulance attendant.
Monahan, what do
you want from me?
I want you to tell me who
was driving, clean and simple.
The girl's at County
General, a little banged up.
- Yeah.
- Was she drunk, too?
She almost bent the
needle on the Breathalyzer.
Her blood alcohol
level was point two one.
She says she can't remember
whether she was driving or not.
Boy, these kids. She was
two-thirds on the way to comatose.
Asten, we got a witness
saw her get behind the wheel.
You know, that's all you have.
The car was burned to a crisp.
So was the fingerprint evidence,
clothes remnants, blood stains.
I suggest you go
check the girl's injuries.
Now, she's at County
General her name's Stedman.
- Stedman?
- Yeah.
Not Melody Stedman?
Yeah, as a matter of
fact. How'd you know?
My God, that's my niece.
Your niece?
I'll watch the fort
till you get back.
- Thanks, Sam.
- Doctor Quincy...
Hey, I'm sorry, I dropped everything
the minute Monahan told me.
- Sam will fill me in...
- Fill you in on what?
Your niece's case.
Listen, I didn't ask to be
relieved of this Quincy.
Now I'm going to,
ah, finish the autopsy
when I get back
from the hospital.
- Well,
I just assumed you would...
- Assumed what?
That I'm too close
to be objective?
You don't think I'd become
any-the-less professional.
Not at all. I know you
could be objective.
But suppose you do clear your
niece and somebody hollers dirty pool.
You don't want the court to
rule your findings inadmissible.
That wouldn't help her.
- Well, I don't
want to hurt her case.
- Besides, it'll give you
more time to spend with her.
Yeah, it would, it would.
Quincy, would you
take over for me?
Thank you. Now
I'll I'll be back soon.
Okay.
Sam, let's go.
- Code blue O.R. two...
- Ah, Melody Stedman, please.
- Three-o-six.
- Three-O-six.
Oh, there are her
parents right now.
- I'm so glad you're here.
- How is she?
Oh, she's all right, thank
God. The nurse is in there
just changing her bedding.
You'll be able to see her.
- Oh, well, that's fine.
- Banged her
head up pretty bad,
but the doctors
don't think it's serious.
She's lucky to be alive. Her
car was completely gutted.
The kids were thrown
clear before the fire.
I know, I know. She, ah, I did the
autopsy on the boy this morning.
I keep thinking it
could've been her.
It's those delinquent
friends of hers.
Soon as she's felling better,
I'm laying the law down on her.
Now just, now just
a minute. Listen.
Now there is another law that
she is going to have to worry about.
What do you mean?
Right now there's nothing
to indicate who was driving.
Now if Melody was the
driver, if, if she was the driver,
she could face a felony charge.
You autopsied the boy?
- Well, yes, I did.
- Was he drunk?
He was falling-down
drunk, but...
There you are. That's
what Melody told us.
That Lennie was drunk,
and that he was driving.
Well, the problem is that
Melody was as drunk as the boy.
I'm sure that that boy
was responsible for it.
And the police have a witness
who saw her behind the wheel.
But there were no
witnesses to the accident.
In fact, they're not gonna
accept her word alone.
They've asked my department
to help make the determination.
Oh well, you'll be in charge
of the case. Thank goodness.
I wouldn't want a stranger.
Well, Dr. Quincy is in charge.
Well, he works under you, doesn't
he. You are going to talk to him.
I... I don't think that
you... understand.
I... I better see Melody.
- Uncle Bob.
- Hi.
It's been a long
time. How you feelin'?
Rotten. But the doctors
say I'll be all right.
Nothin' messed up inside.
Well, I've always
said you're lucky.
Think so?
I just wish it had been
me instead of Lennie.
Now don't you talk like that.
You know, that's not the most
attractive bandage in the world.
- How's your head?
- All right. It throbs now and then.
- And my foot's hurtin'.
- Your foot? Did the doc...
Listen, I'm gonna look at it.
Thanks, doctor.
Well, it's just a bruise.
You know, I can't get
over how you've grown.
It seems like only yesterday
we went to that that county fair.
You remember that?
You're a beautiful young woman.
Melody, we can have some, some grown
up talk now can't we about that accident?
Who was driving last night?
I think it was Lennie.
You think it was Lennie?
I'm not sure.
I picked up Lennie and
drove to Mason's house.
But he must have been
driving when we came home.
- I don't...
- Wait, wait. That's important.
Why is that?
The police said the accident
happened on Morris Avenue.
I don't even know how to drive
Lennie home by way of Morris Avenue.
Well, of course, um maybe
you weren't taking him home?
Where would we be going?
Lennie had to get
home. He had to change.
He had a test at school.
The police said that they
have a witness who saw you
get in the car behind
the wheel and drive.
I know. I'm not denying that.
Maybe...
maybe we switched.
I... I remember Lennie was,
was nervous about my driving.
You don't believe me either.
I want to believe you.
It's just that you
were very, very high
and you yourself said
that you weren't sure.
Hey, you can't
turn away from me.
Now don't you worry.
You know you're the
closest thing to a daughter
that Louise and I have ever had.
I mean, you're special to me.
In fact, I'm gonna do everything
I can to help you, everything.
Melody...
You really want to help me?
You know I do.
Have the nurse
bring me a cold beer.
That's the glass fragment we
took from Melody's forehead.
Okay, okay.
That's what we took
from Lennie Miller's scalp.
It's a different
refractive index?
The first fragment matches the
safety glass on the windshield.
That was Melody's.
What we took from the
boy was tempered glass.
- And that tells us?
- That he hit a side window,
we don't know which one,
because they were both broken.
The windshield which was
only broken on the driver's side.
That's right.
That's not the worst of it.
We could tell where Melody landed
from the depression in the grass.
The boy's here, about ten feet
closer to where the car ended up.
Now remember they were
both thrown out the driver's door.
You mean that the
one closest to the door,
the, ah, the driver,
was thrown first?
Melody the driver, here,
Lennie, the passenger, here.
Now, wait, wait a minute. What
about the bruise on her foot?
Well, she was barefoot.
The police found her
charred shoes in the backseat.
She might have got it
when she hit the brake.
She was so far out of it.
Her coordination
must have been so...
Listen, I want this
double-checked.
I'm going to do
that. I told Monahan
he's not gonna get
anything we have piecemeal.
- That's right.
- When we have enough to draw
a firm conclusion,
we'll let him know.
Listen, right now you
seem to have enough
circumstantial evidence
to send my niece to prison.
- We can't change the facts.
- I'm not asking you
to change the facts.
You know, my sister
and her husband
assume I'll sweep
anything under the rug
that, ah, will be incriminating.
They don't know you
very well, do they?
Don't you be too sure.
I love that girl very much.
Listen, you know what she
told... She said to me that
she does not know how to take
that boy home via Morris Avenue.
Now, there's a possibility that
boy could have been driving.
Well maybe if you found somebody
who knew them both, that could help.
You mean like
somebody at school,
- a teacher.
- That's right.
That's a good idea.
That's a good idea.
You know, I think I've been
shuffling papers too long.
I think we're both
on the right job.
Mr. Silva, I'm Doctor Asten,
L.A. Deputy Coroner and
Melody Stedman's uncle.
I'm glad you're here, Dr. Asten.
I've been tryin' to find out
more about the accident myself.
You see, ah...
Lennie Miller was one of
the kids that I counseled.
And, ah, did you
counsel Melody Stedman?
- No.
- All right now,
this Lennie Miller,
he was...
well he had a drinking problem?
Lennie Miller didn't drink
until about a year ago
excessively. Till he met Melody.
And, and, now you're trying to
blame his drinking on Melody?
Wait a minute, Doctor, Lennie
Miller, there's no question,
drank irresponsibly.
Melody... is an alcoholic.
How dare you... how
dare you say that.
Please, please, listen to me.
It's been worse in
the last few months.
Melody is showing
up at school drunk.
- Melody?
- Blacking out in gym class.
We found booze in her locker...
- No, no!
- There's more...
No, no, no, now I've known
her since she was this high.
- Her parents...
- Her parents, yes.
I've spoken to
them several times.
They seem to think it's a phase.
Her mother seems
to b believing the line
she's giving them about
me having it in for her.
What is it her mother said... oh
yeah, thank goodness it isn't drugs.
But she's 17...
She can't be an alcoholic at 17.
Doctor, the average kid takes
his first drink at the age of 12.
Do you realize that
only one kid out of ten
will get out of high school
without having had a drink
and one out of four
gets drunk regularly
at least once a month.
Doctor, five hundred thousand,
one half million teenage
kids are addicted to alcohol.
Melody is one of them.
I don't know where
I've been hiding.
I had no idea that this
problem was that widespread.
And those figures are based
on kids in school, doctor.
Imagine if we added the
dropouts to that number.
Wait a minute. You're
her school counselor.
Isn't there something
that you could have done?
No one can help Melody unti l she
admits to herself that she needs help.
I suggested counseling but
she didn't want to hear about it.
Now you said that counseling...
Not by me.
By kids her own age.
There's one in particular.
His name is Eric Ramey. He's a
dropout, and a recovered alcoholic.
He holds rap sessions for teenagers
out of the local Council on Alcoholism.
Wait a minute, he knew Melody
when he went to school here.
And this, this, the
young people will listen
to other young people
like this drop-out?
Like they listen to nobody else.
See, he's been
there, and they know it.
And he speaks their language.
They trust him, doctor.
I tell ya, very few kids would
turn to booze if they heard Eric.
He doesn't paint a
very pretty picture.
Now do you think that we
could get this Eric Ramey
to meet with Melody
and talk to her?
- Now would he mind that?
- He'd be delighted.
- I know Eric, but ah...
- But what?
The listening is up to Melody.
She has to listen.
She's running out of choices.
Drinking, thinking, feelings.
By coming in contact with these
three aspects of the disease,
we may arrive at denial and
thereby bankrupt the alibi system.
You know like we all got
alibis for why we're drinking.
My pop's a wino. So what?
- Where does
that alibi get you?
- What's your excuse, Kevin?
Which one?
My old standby?
Everybody's doin' it?
Look, I didn't want to come
off like some kind of turkey
so I went along with
the rest of the crowd.
You know, party hearty.
Only when the party
stopped, I didn't.
My excuse was relaxation. Just
a couple of drinks to get loose,
you know, like
a social lubricant.
I was scared to death and I thought
it would help me be with people.
What it really did
was help me hide.
What's your excuse, Melody?
Look, just because I came here
doesn't mean I'm as
strung out as the rest of you.
Melody look, you can
spend from now to dooms day
covering up this thing, or you
can admit to yourself and to us
that one, you do have
a drinking problem, two,
it is out of your control
and three, you want help.
But I don't drink all the
time. I just drink on weekends.
Excuses.
Look, I can quit
any time I want to.
I just don't want to.
Excuses.
Melody,
you were drinkin' the night
Lennie was killed, weren't you?
But I wasn't driving. He was.
Melody, I believe you. I do.
But I just want to
ask you one question.
Would you have let Lennie drive
that night if you weren't drunk?
You're among friends, Melody,
I guess I started
like everyone else.
I, uh...
I thought it had something
to do with being an adult.
I wanted to know
what it was like.
The first time I, ah,
it tasted awful.
But I remember the, the warmth.
It was like someone
was hugging me.
But, ah...
It didn't last.
I, uh,
I just started drinking alone
and ah,
I was, I was messed up at school
and my mom started
gettin' on my case.
Excuse number 456.
Right.
I guess, ah, things just, ah,
started fallin' apart.
And Lennie... Lennie...
I'd get Lennie to drink with me
even though I knew
he didn't want to.
We...
We were going...
To get a place of our own.
We were gonna have kids.
I thought it would be different
if we had a place of our own.
Now...
Now I have nothing.
He's dead.
It's a long road, Melody.
But you just
took the first step.
- Hi.
- Hi.
Another meeting tonight?
Aren't you getting
dressed a little early?
Eric's not gonna
be here until seven.
I know. I'm just excited.
Well, I must say,
you look prettier,
and healthier than
I'd thought possible
a couple of days ago.
What're you doing right?
It's what I'm not doing
Mrs. Miller. What
are you doing here?
We just buried our son.
I'm sorry.
I loved him.
How dare you, how dare
you say you loved him?
He never stayed out late, he'd
never took one drink until you met him.
He was a good boy
and you killed him.
No! That's not true. It, it was an
accident. I wasn't even driving.
You're lying. Our Lennie would
never drive in that condition.
Believe me, if I could
trade my life for his, I would.
If only that were possible.
Please, don't say that. I
just hope they stop you
before you're responsible
for someone else's death.
How many good kids
are you gonna kill?
You murderer. You
drunken murderer.
I'm going to have
to ask you to leave.
I hope this haunts you
for the rest of your life.
I'm gonna take off, Quince,
unless there's something else.
No, good night, Sam.
I'll be at home if you need me.
- Okay.
- Good night, Dr. Asten.
How come you're still here?
Quincy, ah listen, I'll
buy ya a cup of coffee.
Yeah.
How come I don't have a
mug with my name on it?
Maybe you ought to
write to the landlord.
Yeah.
Monahan's been pressing me for
the findings in your niece's case.
You know what the D.A.
can do with what we've got.
I know, I know.
You know, I didn't realize
what a drinking problem
Melody had at 17.
So her recollection as to who
was driving is very suspect.
Well hey, let's not
jump the gun here.
- Yeah.
- I've done something
rather presumptuous.
- What's that?
- Well, I was thinking about
that bruise on her left foot.
Suppose she was the passenger
and was trying to put on the brake
just to prevent an accident?
Well sure, that's
possible but without proof
the jury would never accept it.
Unless they saw the accident.
No witnesses,
Quincy. No witnesses.
Well, that's where the
presumption comes in.
There's this guy, Robert
White. I used to work with him.
See, he's a computer nut,
works for insurance companies.
What does he do?
He does accident
reconstruction on a computer.
Wait a minute. You mean
he can recreate an accident?
- That's right.
- I don't see how...
Well, I'm tellin' you with the
proper data he probably could
tell us what the
chain of events was.
- Including who was driving?
- I don't know. He's done it before.
Well, how soon can we
get him to work on this?
It's already in the works.
I brought him the data
during my lunch hour.
Quincy, you mean you
did this on your own?
Well, I knew It
was very important.
- I hope I didn't
step outta line.
- It's terrific.
- Oh, yeah.
- Just terrific.
Well how soon can
you expect an answer?
Well, we could hear tonight.
I told him to call
if he got close.
Would you mind if I wait
around here with you?
- It's your store.
- Can I do
anything to help you?
You can order some
pizza. I'm starved.
You know, I'm
kinda hungry myself.
What do you want on it?
Oh a little extra sauce, some
pepperoni and some mozzarella
and some anchovies and
pimentos and mushrooms.
Remember, you don't
have a cast-iron stomach.
Oh, that's right. You better
cancel the mushrooms.
Mason? Lisa?
Hey. Mason.
C'mon, open up.
It's Melody.
Who needs you guys anyway.
There's more for me.
It was bad enough the
neighbors were whispering
about our daughter the drunk,
now she ups and runs away.
Maybe she should've just
signed a confession
before she left.
There's an expert in
accident reconstruction
going over the case right now.
Now he might come
up with something
that corroborates
Melody's story.
We never should have
let her go to that rap group.
What does that
got to do with it?
Because she disappeared
the day after she went.
Jerry, I told you, it was just another
place to meet a bunch of those
hoodlum-types that
always get her into trouble.
Laura, Jerry, please, please,
she needs the counseling.
If she escapes prosecution
in the Miller boy's death,
she has to face the fact
that she's an alcoholic.
Bob, I think you're
exaggerating this whole business
you got that kid thinkin'
she's some kind of addict.
She is and most important,
you have to face the fact
that she's an alcoholic.
Well, I think this guy Eric,
whoever he is, I
think he's hiding her.
That's not true. He's
out looking for her now.
Yes? It's for you.
Yes.
Yes, Quincy. I'll meet
you and Sam there.
If she wasn't
driving that night,
we'll know before long.
And if she was?
One way or the
other, we'll know.
Come in.
- Hello, Robert.
- Hi, Quincy.
This is Dr. Asten, Sam
Fujiyama, Robert White.
Hi. How do you do Mr. White.
Well, how's the
computered reconstruction?
I just wrapped it up
not ten minutes ago.
Oh c'mon, take a look
at the monitor over here.
Now, what I've done is to
program data on all critical variables
into the computer.
Now the computer
converted this into numbers
which control the
motion of the car.
Now what you're gonna see is a
graphic simulation of the accident,
which the computer
makes using the numbers.
I don't understand how it works.
Well a particular car
can only do certain things,
if it's gonna get
from 'A' to 'B'.
Now the more points where we
know the position the car was in,
the more reliable
the final results are.
Now, in this case, I had a reasonably
good amount of data goin' in.
There. Now, I'll describe
what's happening
as the computer plays it out.
Now, here the car's
approaching the crash site.
Now the car starts
losing control at this point,
as it approaches the road work.
Now, there's the collision
with the mound of dirt.
That jolted the car up
and the computer indicates
enough impact for
the driver's door to pop.
That's incredible.
The collision caused the
rear of the car to swing around
and started it rolling over.
Until it came to rest.
So here and here is where the
occupants in the car were deposited.
Right.
Then this is Melody
and this is Lennie
and Melody was
thrown out of the door
first and went directly to the
ground so she was the driver.
No, no. You haven't
got that quite right.
Let me show you my
detailed roll-over analysis
from the numbers
right here on the board.
Now, they were
both still in the car
till the door flew open
at the point of collision.
Now, here's where
the car stopped.
There's Lennie
and there's Melody,
and here's the mound.
Now, this shows the action.
Now hitting the
mound pops the door,
the car flies up,
hurling the driver
in front of the rolling
car way over here.
As the car continued rolling
over onto the driver's side,
the passenger was
dropped out back here.
The car kept rolling.
Right over the driver,
that explains the crushing
injuries we found on Lennie.
That's right.
And, and so even though the
driver, Lennie, came out first,
he didn't fall directly
to the ground.
He was catapulted way
out here in front of Melody
who was the passenger.
Now it makes sense.
But what's the bottom line?
The boy had to be driving.
Otherwise she would
have been where he was,
and he would have
been where she was.
Well how do you explain her head hitting
the driver's side of the windshield?
The violent upward motion
when the car hit the mound of dirt
pitches them
sideways and forward.
Now he might've
hit the side door
but she could have
easily struck the windshield
in front of the driver.
In other words, there's
no question in your mind
that he was doing the driving.
It's what I'm tellin' the
insurance companies.
I can't wait to find
her and tell her.
Mr. White, thank you
so much, thank you.
She was telling the truth, Quincy.
All along, she was telling the truth.
She was innocent. Not
one of us believed her.
She was innocent.
She was innocent.
I'll stop by the house
and see you later.
Mr. Silva.
I'm sorry, Doctor. I wish there
was something I could say or do.
Well, maybe there is.
You said you had a comprehensive
education alcohol program
you were supposed to
present to the school board?
That's right. It's on the
agenda again this Tuesday,
but ah, it's already gotten
bumped from the last two meetings.
I can't get my hopes too high.
Well, I know a lot of
important people in this town.
Most of them owe me.
I'm gonna wear out my
tongue and my dialing finger.
I'm gonna get you on the agenda.
That'd be great. But listen,
that Board's pretty tough.
Mr. Silva, so am I.
I bet you are.
But doc,
please don't
expect any miracles.
I don't expect one.
We're gonna create one.
The recent tragedies of Lennie
Miller and Melody Stedman,
both students at our school,
they only serve to
magnify the crying need
for the kind of program
I've been talking about.
Since I960, teenage drunk
driving arrests have tripled
and today six out of every
ten teenagers who die,
from all causes,
die drunk.
We're talking about the number
one killer of every American
under the age of 20.
No question. The figures are...
You'll pardon the
expression, sobering.
Oh, no, no, no, no, they're
not figures, Mr. Douglas.
They're kids. Every last one
of them. Somebody's child.
Dr. Asten, the Board
has been wrestling
with this whole matter
for some time, now.
Perhaps you're
not aware of the fact
that we recently instituted
a full-time specialist
who assists teachers
if they request help.
Oh come now, Mr. Douglas,
you're talking about one person
for the entire district.
And she has to handle
all substance abuse cases
not only alcoholism.
Look, the State already requires
that some alcoholism education
be included in the curriculum.
Another band-aid
solution, Mr. Kloster.
Do you realize how many
hours the average kid
gets of instruction in
one year? Maybe two.
Now that's, that's
hardly enough.
So, what's your plan, Mr. Silva.
More education about
alcohol in the classroom?
Exactly. That's the
cornerstone. Prevention.
What I want is a regular
mandatory unit of instruction
on alcohol abuse.
Now that's for the kids.
Number two, I want a formal
training program for every teacher.
You'd be surprised how
many teachers still don't realize
that this is a disease
we we're talking about.
And finally there's a
peer counseling program
Mr. Silva's come up with.
Counseling by trained young people
who have weathered their own crisis.
How many?
Half a dozen to start.
And I'm talking about
permanent positions.
Now they can go from
one school to the other
within the district.
They can talk to
classes for prevention
and to individual kids
who need treatment.
Do you have any idea
what all of this could cost?
Cost?
Do you have any idea
what sitting on our hands
and doing nothing would cost?
Education does seem to
be the key to your program,
but how early are you suggesting
that classroom instruction
with the children begin?
We're gonna change
attitudes, Mr. Douglas.
We have to start 'em early.
How early?
I'm talking about kids
five and six years old.
The first grade.
There is no problem,
no, no greater problem...
Yeah, come in.
- We just want
to wish you luck.
- Oh come in, come in.
How is the speech going?
Well, I've done a
lot of research on it.
Are you getting any action
out of the School Board?
Well, it's politics as usual.
Silva says they're waiting for
some kind of a public reaction.
The press, you know
that kind of thing.
If we get some kind of
groundswell going though,
ah well, who knows.
Is that what your
speech is about today?
Sure wish I didn't let
Silva talk me into this.
I don't think I'm
really ready to address
an auditorium full of
high school students
on the dangers of alcohol.
You'll do fine.
Are you both going to be there?
Are you kidding? We
would not miss this lecture
for all the money in the world.
Especially since we're
not gonna be the lecturees.
We just wanted to wish you luck.
Let's go, Sam.
Now, ah, I didn't take on
the School Board by myself
and, ah, if we get our
peer counseling along
with some of the other
programs we've been talking about
off the ground,
well, a lot of the thanks will
have to go to today's speaker,
Deputy Coroner for the
County of Los Angeles
and Melody Stedman's uncle,
Doctor Robert Asten.
No other problem
facing today's youth...
Boy.
No other problem
facing today's youth
is more important...
Boy, this is terrible.
You know, a colleague
of mine, Dr. Quincy,
said to me before I left, he said
"You going to give your lecture?"
I think that's what this is.
This is a lecture. I
mean this is terrible.
I can't stand here before
you and lecture about
the dangers of alcohol
abuse because you know...
I think that Melody heard the
lecture and it didn't do her any good.
So I don't really want
to insult your intelligence.
I, ah, I don't want
to talk down to you.
Why don't... listen, why don't I
come down to you and talk.
You, you could hear
me, couldn't you?
Let's, let's try that.
That's all right with
you, isn't it, isn't it?
All right, now listen. I want
you to raise your hands.
How many of you have
experimented with, with drinking?
A little, a lot. C'mon, I don't
care. C'mon, c'mon, c'mon.
Well now, if you counted the
number of hands in this room,
you have the number of
excuses there are for drinking.
Now what about you?
How much do you drink?
Just a couple a six
packs on the weekend.
But I work hard
in school all week.
I deserve it. Anyway,
I can handle it.
You can handle it.
Is it handling you?
What about you?
I only drink at parties on weekends.
How's that gonna harm me?
Well, if you're telling, ah, if
you're telling the truth, ah,
but you know, I think that
Melody must have said
that to herself too, don't you?
So these answers
don't matter, do they?
It doesn't make a
damn bit of difference
because you know what
counts? You know what counts?
What counts is
what it's doing to you.
What is it doing to your life?
Look it, be honest just
once, be honest with yourself
and think. Ask yourself.
What is the motivation
for you to take that drink?
You know, it's taking
away more than it's given.
Look, you're young,
you have a whole lifetime
ahead of you.
I know there's frustration,
I know that there's
pain growing up,
I know that and then booze is
suppose to be the great pain killer
but it doesn't stop
what's causing that pain.
It just kills the
pain temporarily.
And after it kills the
pain, it goes on killing.
It, it kills your body,
your spirits, your
relationships, your hopes.
Look, you can't stop a disease
with an excuse or a justification.
Now come on. I know that
nobody takes you by the shoulder
and sits you down and
forces you to have a drink.
You are the only one
that can take a drink.
You are the only one
that can turn a drink down
but you have to
do it for yourself.
Yourself, don't you do it for me
or Mr. Silva or your teachers
or your parents or your peers.
You do it for yourself.
You be your own person.
And you fight that tide.
You don't cheat your life.
You do it for yourself
and maybe Lennie and Melody.
I think that's it, ah,
it's really up to you.
I think that's all
I wanted to say.
Where are you going?
I'm going to go talk to Eric.
C'mon, Lisa, you don't, you
don't buy all that junk, do you?
I guess I do. I don't know.
Hey, I don't believe this.
What's goin' on?
I'm just sick and tired of...
of being sick and tired.