Quincy M.E. (1976–1983): Season 5, Episode 20 - The Final Gift - full transcript
What's the matter, Max? Don't
you think I'm fit to fly myself?
It's no use. We're
going to lose the engine.
You gave me a
transfusion? Your blood?
Why, sure. I mean, the doc...
Hey, Max, what's the matter? Max.
Max Carson. Oh, he's dead.
Yeah. An unusually high level
of arsenic present in the blood.
- Arsenic?
- Now where did he get that?
Something wrong about Max's death.
Of course he's trying to nail it down.
Charlie, what's the matter?
We gotta get him out of here.
Gentlemen, you
are about to enter
the most fascinating
sphere of police work,
the world of forensic medicine.
Look, Mike, she's not earning
her keep sitting on the ground.
I know that, Charlie,
but I can't put her back in
service without workable radios.
So how about you fixin' 'em?
I've been trying. But I
think they're too far gone.
Oh, great. That's
all I need to hear.
How much you figure it
would cost to replace them?
You don't really wanna
know that, Charlie.
I guess not. Well, do
the best you can. Okay?
What's the problem?
Well, we may have to spring for a whole
new communications package for that baby.
Ah, well, that's the way it goes.
This one'll be ready tomorrow.
You know, it wouldn't have
to go that way if we sold out.
You really gonna
go into that again?
Look, Max, all right, maybe Cal
Western's offer isn't top dollar.
But at least it'll leave
us both set for life.
You think so, huh?
These days, with inflation and everything,
how much money is enough money?
I mean, what are we gonna
need five, ten years from now?
You really think we can keep on working
at this pace for another five, ten years?
Who knows? But I'm not ready to
retire to a porch and rocker right now.
Look, we've put 20
years into this business
ever since we got
out of the Air Force.
And we got a good
thing going for us.
Ten planes we own outright.
Twelve pilots working for us.
Charlie, just think a minute,
whatever Cal
Western'll pay us now,
we can always get a
better offer if we wait.
I still think it's a mistake.
Hang on. Mr. Griffin's
on the phone for you.
Mail. I'm leaving now. Anything
I can do for you before I go?
Fill me a cup of
coffee, for now.
Yeah, I suppose
we can handle that.
No, it'd depend on
the number of days.
Twin-engine ones, huh?
Well, hold on, just a second.
Okay, what dates would that
be? The fourth through the eighth.
Yeah, I think we
can handle that.
Yeah, I'll... I'll talk to
you tomorrow, then.
Right.
Would you like some
coffee, Mr. Carson?
Okay. Good night.
Good night, Linda.
Look, Max, I'm not all
that fond of retiring myself.
But don't you think
we're pushing our luck?
I mean, how long can
both of us continue flying?
I don't know about you, but my
reflexes are getting a little slow.
Especially for
that crop dusting.
To quit, we quit flying, it doesn't
mean we have to give up the business.
No, but it means
hiring extra pilots.
And that could cut into
our profits pretty good.
Are you okay?
Why don't you go see a doctor?
You've been having those
attacks for more than a month now.
- It's nothing.
- Nothing?
I'll tell you what it is. It's a
middle-aged man trying to act like he's 22!
You can't stay out all night,
drinking, running around with a girl
young enough to be your daughter,
and still expect to function.
No wonder you want to sell out.
Look, you leave her out of this.
My personal life is my own business.
After 25 years together I got a lot of
blood and sweat invested in your life.
Just like you do in mine.
I guess you're right.
Hey, Max, what are we
doing, fighting like this?
You're right, Charlie. Let's
let it lay for a couple of days.
The offer will still be there.
Hey, we don't get a move-on, we're
gonna miss our dinner date with Quincy.
Yeah.
- You sure you're okay?
- I'm fine. Let's go.
Doctor Quincy. That
finishes up your cases.
Oh, well, that's great.
Put it on my desk, will you?
Why the silly grin on your face?
Are you kiddin'? I'm thinking
about 0800 tomorrow morning,
when I got a date with a
beautiful girl, on my boat,
going to Catalina
three wonderful days...
Oh, I'm so sorry,
Quincy. You just can't go.
Three lousy days?
You hate me, don't
you? You hate me.
Well, that's the price one
pays for running a department.
I love the way he makes me feel
guilty while he louses up my life.
No, no, no take your frustration
out on me, Quincy. Go ahead.
It'd do you good. I understand
it. Please, it's my job.
Oh, come on. Come on.
Even though you know I'm not
responsible for the work load.
All right, gimme the files.
It's the law that requires us to
process cases within 72 hours.
- I mean as far as...
- Give me the file please!
Isn't that wonderful?
You don't know how much I
appreciate your dedication.
I really do. Thank
you. Thank you!
Boy, oh, boy, oh, boy! Is he
something to watch or isn't he?
A talent like that you're
born with. You can't acquire it.
What a terrible loss. He'd
have been a great actor.
Have to do these tomorrow,
anyway. I've got a date.
With that fantastic female-type
person you mentioned?
Naw. A couple of army buddies.
Meet once a year and
try to pretend we're young.
You gonna be
working here tomorrow?
- Yeah, when you work, I work.
- See you then.
Okay.
- Hey, Sam.
- Yeah?
How come you never complain
about working these hours?
Well, I've been studying Zen, and I try to
understand how everything is connected.
And I think I have the capacity to
see through the illusion of existence.
- What does that mean?
- I'm afraid of Asten.
Hey, Quince, do you
remember what you were doing
the first time Charlie
and I laid eyes on you?
Do I. Thanks.
I had been operating
for 24 hours straight
I was standing outside the hospital
tent up to my you-know-what in snow
trying to get a
breath of fresh air.
You guys drive up in a general's
jeep going 95 miles an hour.
You almost made me a casualty.
A general's jeep which he stole!
You stole it?
Not only did I steal his
jeep, I stole his brandy!
That's right. You guys
were roaring drunk!
I felt better wounded than
any other time in Korea.
Here's to that general,
wherever he is.
- And his jeep.
- And his brandy!
Well, how was it?
How was what?
The autopsy. The
food that's what!
Well, I'll let you know in
about an hour, after it repeats.
Doctor turns comedian.
You know, restaurants appreciate
a compliment once in a while.
- Hey, Danny, it was delicious.
- Really sensational, Danny.
Thanks. You two guys come
back again, be my guest.
You send me a postcard.
Say, Quincy, I'm
sorry, but I gotta go.
Aw, it's so early
I know, but I got a
rough day tomorrow.
- But it was great
seeing you again.
- Same here.
- Hey Max, you take the check.
- Sure, Charlie. See you tomorrow.
Say, what is the matter
with him? He seems down.
He's been feeling kinda
lousy this last month.
I tried to get him to see a
doctor, but you know Charlie.
You think it would
help if I talked to him?
Wouldn't do any good, Quince.
You can't tell that guy anything.
You think he's going
home to bed? No way.
He's got himself a heavy date with a
brunette young enough to be his daughter.
If you ask me,
he's getting senile.
Well, I wouldn't know,
until I see the brunette.
- I've missed you.
- I got here as
soon as I could.
How was dinner?
I dunno.
All I could think about
was getting here.
Besides, this past week or so, Max is
really beginning to get on my nerves.
It's only because he's being so
pig-headed about that Cal Western offer.
Charlie, it just
can't go on like this.
I know, baby.
Come here.
What are you doing
Saturday night?
Nothing much.
What've you got in mind?
- What do you say
we get married?
- Married?
Yeah, and how would Max feel
about you taking a child bride?
Who cares about what
Max or anyone else feels?
- Not me.
- Me either.
- You really mean it?
- Oh, of course I mean it.
I just don't understand what a girl
like you sees in an older guy like me.
I see understanding, I
see caring and kindness.
I see love, Charlie.
A pretty girl like you could find that
anywhere and from a guy your own age.
If I could, and if I wanted
to, that's where I'd be.
I'm here with you. Does
that answer your question?
I'm just not going to ask myself
any more questions about us.
I'm just going to
relax and enjoy myself.
Charlie, Charlie,
how about some...
Charlie! Oh, please, let
me call a doctor this time.
No. No, it'll pass.
Morning.
Did you have another attack last
night? You don't look very good.
- I am okay.
- Yeah, sure.
So, where you off to?
Flying up to our
Fresno operation.
Got a meeting on that
crop dusting contract.
Oh, yeah. Hey, how
about we go together?
I been meaning to see
Sam Carstairs up there
about those twin-engine
jobs he's got for sale.
I could do the flying, you
could relax on the way.
What's the matter, Max? Don't
you think I'm fit to fly myself?
Come on, Charlie. You could
fly that thing in your sleep.
It's just that there's no sense tying
up two planes and wasting all that fuel
when we're both going
in the same direction.
Well, if that's what you got
in mind, it's okay with me.
Great.
This business with Sam
Carstairs, about buying more planes.
You're set on not
selling then, huh?
That's right.
I don't have anything
to say about it?
Sure. You got
the same vote I do.
But it takes both votes to sell.
So, I guess until we can
come to some agreement,
it'll have to be
business as usual.
Look, Max, the way I figure it, I've
given enough of my life to this business.
I'm thinking now it's time
for me to enjoy myself.
What's that supposed to mean?
It means Linda and
I are getting married.
Just like that? You're
getting married, huh?
Man, she's really got
you hooked, ole buddy.
Look, Max. No
smart cracks. Okay?
I mean, you're my
best friend, and all.
And I want you to try and
understand, we both do.
But if you don't, forget it.
We're gonna do it anyway.
Oh, I understand, all right.
I understand that she's...
- What do you figure?
- I dunno.
Clogged fuel line, maybe.
I'm gonna switch tanks.
It's no use, we're
going to lose the engine.
Look, it's very rough out here.
Anything flat and soft on your side?
Can't see anything over here.
I'll try a shallow turn.
Maybe we can get lucky.
Down there.
It's not much,
but it's something.
Max. Max!
Everybody okay down there?
Yeah, I am, but my
partner needs help.
Geez, I was on my way home and I
saw you coming down. What happened?
Engine just quit. Tried
to set her down easy.
He looks pretty bad.
Can he get out that side?
There's no door there.
Look, I need something
to keep this tourniquet tight.
Have you got a crowbar or
something? The seat is jammed forward.
Yeah, yeah. I'll get
something. You take it easy.
Go ahead, try this.
Good. I'll see if I can get this
seat open and we can get you.
- Okay.
- He doesn't look too good.
His leg's bleeding bad.
He must've cut it on the cowl.
- How you doin'?
- Almost.
Okay, I think I got him.
Here, let me give you a hand.
Then we'll get him out.
Okay.
Come on, Max. We'll get you.
Easy. Easy does it.
Can you get him?
Is there some place around
here we could take him?
Doc Watson's place is about
five miles down the road.
We better get him
there in a hurry.
- How is he, Doc?
- Not too good.
I could call for an ambulance or a
helicopter and ship him to a hospital.
But I don't think he'd make it.
He's lost too much blood.
What about a transfusion?
That's exactly what he needs. But
I don't have any whole blood here.
No problem, Doc. We've both got the same
blood type. I can give you all he needs.
- You sure?
- I'm sure.
We were in the service
together in Korea.
In fact, I've got some
of his blood in me.
You don't look
too good yourself.
I'm fine. I walked
away from it, didn't I?
Okay. Let's do it.
Pete, get that gurney over here.
Whatever you say, Doc.
Lie down there. Roll
up your left sleeve.
Look, I'll be bringing my kids out to
take you up on that free airplane ride.
Any time, Pete.
Just call me any time.
- Thank you.
- Thank you.
He's resting okay now.
You oughta get some
of this juice into you.
You'll need it.
Come on. Sit down.
The ambulance should
be here any minute now.
I'll feel better when
he's in a real hospital.
Yeah, he is gonna be okay, Doc.
I haven't seen cutting
and sewing that fancy
since I used to watch my
grandmother piece quilts.
I'm pretty sure I
saved that leg for him.
It's a good thing you're
the same blood types.
You did one hell of a job, Doc.
Max is lucky you were here.
Lucky Pete found you guys
when he did. That was close.
Hey, you better lie down.
Giving blood affects people differently.
You might feel faint for awhile.
It's just I've been feeling
kind of lousy for awhile now
it's not giving
the blood to Max,
I'm okay, honest.
What does it say,
Quince? Am I going to live?
I guarantee it.
This is more like old
times than I planned.
I felt like I was back in
Korea there for awhile.
I'll bet you did. I came
as soon as Charlie called.
- How is he?
- Oh, he's fine.
Hey, he's awake.
Awake? He's so feisty, he'll
probably be pinching the nurses soon.
What are you trying to do,
Max, scare me to death?
- Did it work?
- No, no.
Come on, I knew you
were faking all along.
I guess you saved my life, huh?
He did that. If he hadn't pulled
you out, you'd have bled to death.
Well, I owed you one from Korea.
Yeah, well, that makes us even.
What do you guys do, keep score?
Dr. Quincy! You are wearing
out this patient with your nattering!
Oh, we're going, we're going.
We'll see you later.
Nattering?
- Good morning, fellas.
- So you finally got back, huh?
I was visiting a
friend in the hospital.
Oh, that's an original line. Here I
am going nuts and you're socializing.
I think you're using
the wrong tense.
- What do you want?
- What do I want?
Nothing. Except your findings
on two possible homicides
that the department's
going crazy about.
I gave them to Asten.
Didn't he tell you?
We didn't ask him.
Oh. Him you don't bother to
ask. Me you pester all the time.
What am I, your private
medical examiner?
Quincy, don't get upset. You know
how much faith the department has in you.
I'm very flattered.
Do me a favor.
Go flatter Asten for a while.
I've got a lot of work to do here.
- What a grouch...
- I heard that.
Now, we're going to
eat our soup, aren't we?
I don't know what you're going
to do, Nurse, but I'm gonna...
You're going to what? Is
he giving you trouble, Nurse?
Trouble. That's not the word.
Listen, Max, we've
got a business to run.
I don't want you spending
a month in here. Now eat.
Where've you been? She's been coming
in with food and medicine every half hour.
Well, now, don't worry. I'm here
now, and you gotta eat something.
Come on, I want
you to get out of here.
- Thank you.
- Sure.
- Come on. Let's eat some of this soup.
- No, I can't...
My stomach is upset.
- You gotta try and eat.
- Please, Charlie. You're a pest.
Yeah, with good reason. Linda
and I want you to get on your feet.
We can't get married until then.
You know, I want
you to be my best man.
So, you're still going to
go through with that, huh?
I sure am.
Hey, you don't get that
many breaks in this life,
and I'd be a prize idiot if I
let someone like Linda pass.
Well, I guess you
could be right at that.
Hell, it isn't as if we're
gonna desert you, pal.
We've got too much time together
to let something come between us.
Especially now.
You know what the Chinese say,
"You save someone's life,
you're responsible for him."
Yeah, I guess you
did save my life at that.
Pulling me out of that wreck,
with it ready to
blow at any minute.
That's the easy part.
Giving you two pints of my blood,
that's what pulled you through.
Blood?
You gave me a transfusion?
Your blood?
Why, sure. I mean, the doc...
Hey, Max, what's the
matter? Max. Oh, no.
Nurse. Someone get a doctor!
Hey, come on. Nurse!
Oh, of course I'll tell him. Yes, naturally
someone else will do the post mortem.
Right, good-bye.
Robin, would you have Dr. Quincy
come to my office right away?
And it's important.
Yeah. He's just getting ready
to leave. Okay, I'll tell him.
Asten wants to
see you in his office.
Well, you tell him I've spent
enough time here today.
I'm going home for
a well-deserved rest.
Quince, Robin says
he's using his urgent tone.
You know what I'd like
to use... Oh, all right.
What is it? Monahan wants
somebody re-autopsied?
Quincy, sit down. I
got some bad news.
Oh, I know what it is. All that
overtime, the budget's out of whack.
Well, there's no more
overtime. See that, eight hours.
I'm gonna see Max,
I'm gonna go home.
Quincy, I'm serious.
You really are
serious. What is it?
Max Carson.
Well, he's dead.
What? No, it can't...
He was fine when I left him.
I know he was, but he died
suddenly about an hour ago.
- How? Why?
- They don't know.
The attending physician is
completely puzzled. It just happened.
No warning. I'll have
Jordan do the autopsy.
I'll do it.
No, you won't.
I'll do it.
Charlie, what's the matter?
It's Max.
He's dead.
Dead!
But that's impossible.
I mean, when I saw you
yesterday, you said he was fine.
That's what they told me. They
said "Oh, yeah, he'll be okay."
I don't understand it.
Don't the doctors
know what happened?
I guess not.
I guess Quincy's going to be the
only one to know the answers now.
I still can't believe it.
I know how you must
be feeling, darling, but...
You know how I feel? How I feel?
You're just a kid.
Max and I have been together
longer than you've been alive.
It's just like a part of me
went... A big part of me, it just...
Maybe. But the rest of
you is still here, Charlie.
The rest of you still
has to go on living.
And you've got me to help you.
It's not the same, Linda.
It'll never be the same.
We have the body of Max Carson,
male Caucasian, 48 years old.
The body is unremarkable, with
no readily apparent cause of death.
There is evidence of recently
sutured lacerations on the left thigh,
which was healing
satisfactorily prior to death.
Multiple contusions as well as
a number of superficial bruises
on the left side of the body.
None of which could
be the cause of death.
Why? Why this waste?
When I left him
he was doing fine!
I want a complete tox screen.
I gotta find out what killed him.
I'm with you all
the way, Quince.
I know.
Advanced cirrhosis of the
liver, with nodular narcosis,
partial coronary occlusions
with no heart muscle damage.
It looks like he was in worse
shape than you thought, Quince.
Yeah. It's a wonder he was able to
fly, considering the shape he was in.
Still, Sam, none of those
problems would have killed him
even if you put
them all together.
Better rush that tox.
There's something
here that doesn't add up.
He would have been jaundiced
if his liver was in that
condition for any length of time.
Now something
accelerated that cirrhosis.
I want to know what it is.
Yeah, that's fine. Put her
right back on the line again.
Ah, thanks.
They called from Fresno,
about the crop spraying contract.
What do you want to do about it?
I don't know. I
just can't decide.
You all right?
Yeah. I guess I'm still a little
spooked about what happened.
Give it time, Charlie.
Just give it time.
Listen, why don't you leave the
contract decision to Cal Western
since you're going to
sell out for sure now?
I guess I'm not
that sure anymore.
- Charlie, now...
- Look, look, I know.
I know I wanted to
sell, Max was against it.
Now that he's gone, I've got
even less reason not to sell,
but somehow I still
feel guilty about it.
Look, you've got to
do what's best for you.
For us.
Come on, Charlie, you can't
spend the rest of your life
atoning for something
that wasn't even your fault.
I know, honey. It's just that...
Get me inside.
Quince, we got the tox
results on Max Carson.
Anything unusual?
Yeah. An unusually high level
of arsenic present in the blood.
Arsenic? Of course,
that would do it.
This much arsenic would
damage his already diseased liver,
and push him over
the edge. But arsenic!
How did it get into him? And
was it accidental or deliberate?
We don't know whether it
was a single dose or cumulative.
Well, that's no problem, Sam.
If it's in his bones, if it's
in his hair, it's cumulative.
If not, it's a single dose.
I tell you what I
want you to do.
I want you to contact the
university. Book some reactor time.
I want you to start your tests on
the bone and hair samples right away.
Okay. Where are you going?
I'm going to go see Charlie.
If anybody knows how Max got
arsenic into him, it would be Charlie.
Here's the flight plan, Pat.
You're to pick the charter
up at Ontario at 1600.
Fly to Sacramento, stay overnight,
then return to Ontario in the morning.
We'll need you
back here by 1100.
I need to see Charlie
Barnes. I'm Dr. Quincy.
Oh, Dr. Quincy. Hi, I'm Linda
Hayes. It's nice to meet you.
Same here.
I'm sorry about Max. I
know you were close to him.
It's Dr. Quincy. He's here to
see you. Go right in Doctor.
That's the whole list. Just
pick it up... Hang on a second.
Quince. What happened with Max?
I don't know, Charlie. That's
what I want to talk to you about.
Well, sure. Anything, Linda, can
you get some coffee for us, please?
One second. Look, I'm tied up.
I'll get back to you. Over and out.
- What do you want to know?
- It's kinda private.
Oh, Linda? Hey, don't
have to worry about Linda.
Linda and I have no
secrets from each other.
Matter of fact, we're
getting married, you know.
Oh, I didn't know
that. Congratulations.
Thanks. Would you
like some coffee?
No thanks.
Well, look, sit down.
Sit down. Let's talk.
Come on. What's the problem?
You do a lot of crop
dusting, don't you?
Yeah. We've got a four-plane
operation out of our Fresno base.
Now, the stuff that you
spray is pretty lethal, isn't it?
Well, it's supposed to
be, for the bugs anyway.
You get to breathe much of it?
Not if you're smart
and careful, you don't.
Was Max smart and careful?
Max was always smart.
Careful most of the time.
What's the problem, Doctor? What
does all this have to do with Max's death?
I don't know. But we found
traces of arsenic in Max's blood.
I thought it might tie-in with
your crop dusting operation.
That wouldn't be at
all possible. No way.
Why not?
Well, because Max
had no part of it.
The crop dusting operation
was strictly my department.
Ah, well, I guess
that takes care of that.
The only other tie-in I could
possibly see is his personal life.
Did he have any enemies?
Oh, come on, Quince. You
know Max as well as I did.
The last 10 years he had
no personal life. Nothing.
This business was his whole
life. It was everything to him.
I bet that's why he was
fighting me so hard on that offer.
If we'd ever made that deal
he'd have had nothing left.
Nothing but money.
Nothing important to
him. Not that important.
What offer is that?
Oh, this outfit Cal Western,
they wanted to buy us out.
Pretty good deal,
too. I was all for it.
But Max wouldn't hear of it.
Well, if he had lived, what
would have happened to the deal?
Oh, I dunno. I guess we would
have worked something out.
What happens now?
I'm going to sell.
Don't Max's heirs have
anything to say about it?
Max had no heirs.
None that we could find.
Well, what happens to
his half of the partnership?
It reverts to me.
We made an agreement when
we first started this business
that if anything happened to either one
of us, the survivor would get everything.
Unless of course, one of us got married.
Then of course, the wife would inherit.
I see.
Well, I guess that
wraps everything up.
Again, nice meeting
you and congratulations.
Thanks. Nice to meet you.
I just wish I knew what
you were driving at, Quince.
Well, I'm just trying to tie up
the loose ends for my final report,
that's all.
Okay. And you know
if you ever need...
Yeah. I'll be in touch.
What's the matter, hon?
I wish I knew what
was happening.
How do you mean?
You didn't believe all that
stuff about tying up loose ends?
He wasn't leveling
with us. Not one bit.
Well, what could
he be looking for?
I don't know. I just wish...
Charlie. Oh, Charlie.
Come on. Come on.
Listen, I'm telling you, you
can't keep sitting on this thing.
You've got to
give it to the police.
Give what to the police?
We have nothing to give.
I want to play around
with it a little more.
Why? Because Charlie
Barnes is a friend of yours?
Now, Quince, I can put
two and two together.
Now from what you told me,
Charlie Barnes had the only
motive, and the best opportunity.
Maybe Max got the arsenic
into himself by accident.
You just told me Max
never worked with arsenic.
And even though the arsenic
wasn't the sole cause of death,
it was a major
contributing factor,
in as much as it caused the
already cirrhoted liver to fail.
Now we've got to give this to
the police, in case of homicide.
Homicide. Talk
about jumping the gun!
Look, first things first.
Let's see what Sam comes up
with from the bone and hair samples.
They're my bone and hair
samples. If I get busted 'cause...
This case, if it is a case, will still be
here tomorrow. And so will Charlie.
- Are you sure, Quincy?
- Yes, I am.
- Absolutely sure?
- Yes, I am sure.
I'm not sure. Now our necks are pretty
far out. We've got to go to the police.
- What police?
- What? What are you talking about?
Well, if the arsenic was
administered deliberately,
we don't know where, when, or
how. Which police have jurisdiction?
Will you stop stalling?
Now, we know where he died.
That's enough to start. There's
no question of jurisdiction...
Oh, come on. You're
not going to call 'em on it.
Please. Will you give me one
more base to touch? Please.
- Thank you.
- Where are you going?
- I'll let you
know when I get back.
- Quincy.
Bye.
That's all I can
tell you, Doctor.
I sewed him up and gave him
two pints of his partner's blood.
I didn't think he'd make it to the
hospital without the transfusion.
Not that it seems to have
made much difference.
He didn't make it anyway.
Well, you surely
can't blame yourself.
He didn't die because of anything
that happened here. I promise you that.
Well, what did he die of?
Complications.
Complications caused largely
by an abnormally high
level of arsenic in his blood.
- Arsenic!
- That's right.
Now where did he get that?
That's what I'm
trying to find out.
Now, did you notice
any symptoms,
anything that might be
symptomatic of arsenic poisoning?
Like abdominal cramps.
Hypersensitivity to light.
No, I didn't.
His response to the transfusion and
to the surgery seemed perfectly normal.
At least while he
was here, that is.
Did you talk to anybody at
the hospital after you arrived?
Of course I did, Doctor.
After all, he was my patient
until someone at the hospital
assumed responsibility.
I talked to a Dr. Robbins.
He assured me
Mr. Carson was doing fine.
Thank you very
much for your help, sir.
- I wish you luck, Doctor.
- Thanks.
We know the answer's
out there somewhere.
All I have to do is
go out and find it.
It wasn't an easy decision to make,
and it was a long time in the making.
So, that's it, fellas.
Now, I really hope none of you
think that I'm running out on you.
But, frankly, I just
don't have what it takes
to keep this operation
running any more.
Especially now with Max gone.
Anyway, I've written it into
the deal with Cal Western
that those of you who want to
stay on will be guaranteed your jobs.
That's about the best I can do.
Some of us have been
together for a long time.
But like they say,
nothing is forever.
I just want to thank you,
wish you the best of luck.
Well, look, we'll say our
goodbyes another time.
Thanks, Mr. Barnes.
We wish you the best of luck,
too. Don't worry. We understand.
I hope so, Mike. I sure
hope so. Thank you.
Well, it's done.
Hey, you heard Mike. I'm sure all
the boys appreciate your position.
I wish I did. Somehow I still
feel guilty about selling out.
Look, you did the
right thing for you.
The only reason it's bothering
you is because of Max.
Well, that's silly.
He was obsessive about this
operation and we both know it.
Yeah, I guess.
Hey, tell you what.
Why don't we invite all the guys
to a big party after the wedding?
We'll make it into a combination
wedding reception and
farewell party all rolled into one.
What do you think, huh?
Well, honey. It's a
nice idea, but let's not.
It'd only turn into
a wake for Max.
What's done is done. Look,
all I want is for us to be married
and get away from here
as quickly as possible.
Okay, Charlie. You're the boss.
Hey, any idea where you'd like to go?
No. No. No. You plan everything.
Just get me away. And quickly.
So you checked out Dr. Watson, who
handled the surgery and the transfusion.
And Dr. Robbins who
was at the hospital,
and you still didn't come
up with anything, did you?
No, I didn't, but it
still doesn't add up.
Well, it adds up for me.
Now, look, I don't
like giving ultimatums,
but either you call
Monahan or I will.
You said you'd wait
for the activation results.
Never mind what I said...
Yes? Well, send him
in. Save us an argument.
Sam, with your test results.
What did you find, buddy?
It doesn't look like it could
have been a cumulative build-up.
No trace of arsenic in the hair itself.
Only very minute traces in the follicles.
Neutron activation analysis of his
nails and bones show no signs of it at all.
So, however Max picked it up, the arsenic
didn't have time to deposit in his tissues.
He got it in one dose.
So, most probably, it was not an
occupational exposure to arsenic.
- Agreed?
- Agreed.
Therefore we'll call
Monahan now, agreed?
Do I have a choice?
Oh, I almost forgot. Dr. Watson
is waiting for you in your office.
Why didn't you tell me?
What does he want?
I don't know. He
said it was important.
I'll be right back.
I think he hung up on me. Hello!
You know, I kind of hesitated
about disturbing you because
it really doesn't make too much
sense when you think about it.
What doesn't?
Well, you know,
out in the boondocks
we get a case or two
of arsenic poisoning
from time to time.
Not as many as we used to, but
I've seen the symptoms before.
But you said Max Carson
didn't show any symptoms.
He didn't. But his
partner could have.
Charlie Barnes!
Could have is as far
as I'll go with it for now.
Well, what exactly happened?
He had a real peculiar reaction
right after the transfusion.
What kind of reaction?
He had a sudden
attack of acute agitation,
bordering on a seizure
with diaphoresis.
Well, that certainly couldn't have
been caused by the transfusion.
No. You're right.
That's why I was real concerned
about him for a while there.
I wasn't thinking that way then,
but when you mentioned arsenic,
I got to thinking.
And his symptoms
started to look familiar.
That does make a
certain kind of sense.
If Charlie's blood was
loaded with arsenic,
the transfusion could be the means by
which it was transferred to Max's blood.
Yeah. That thought already
occurred to me, too, Doctor.
- But it won't hold water.
- Why not?
Think about it for a minute.
If this Barnes' blood
had enough arsenic for the
transfusion to kill Max Carson,
how could he still
be walking around?
And you gotta remember
the level in Barnes' blood
had to be many times the level
you found in Carson's blood.
No, Doctor, it just
doesn't make any sense.
If would've made sense to you
if you could've seen Max's liver.
It was in a state
of acute cirrhosis.
Now, if Charlie's liver had been in
the same state, with all of that arsenic,
he'd be dead now, too.
Believe me, it makes
a great deal of sense.
Come on, Charlie. Come on,
Charlie. It's going to be okay.
- Charlie, what's the matter?
- I'll be all
right in a minute.
Sure. You look it.
I should have listened to Max.
He told me you were sick,
you wouldn't go see a doctor.
He's been having these
attacks for over a month now.
He's so stubborn.
There's no talking to him.
We gotta get him out of here.
Where to?
To the hospital. We might be
able to get him there in time.
Hey, Quince, great to see you.
- How you feeling?
- Fine. Really fine.
Has he been behaving himself?
I'm keeping him in line.
Hey, I understand it was
pretty close there for a day or so.
Well, like they say, close
only counts at horseshoes.
Hey, Quince. What
happened to me anyway?
I mean I don't understand
what was going on.
Well, I'm not exactly sure. You know
that coffee you have in your office.
Your pilots, your other
help, do they drink that?
No, that was just
for Max and me.
Yeah, I had coffee for myself
and the pilots in the outer office.
Well, how do you
take your coffee?
Black. With sugar. Two
teaspoons. I like it sweet.
And Max?
Only black.
I hate to tell
you this, Charlie,
but the only theory that
makes any sense at all
is that Max was
trying to kill you.
That's impossible. Max?
Why would he want to kill me?
For the very same reason I
thought you wanted to kill him.
If either one of you died, the
other one got the business.
Especially if you died
before you got married.
I can't believe it. Max
couldn't want to take it all.
The money didn't
mean that much to him.
No, but you know
the business did.
And maybe he thought after you got
married Linda would make you sell it.
But how did he do it? It
couldn't have been the coffee.
They both drank it.
Yeah, but only
Charlie took sugar.
I can't believe it.
We tested the sugar
and the coffee for arsenic.
Now, the sugar
was loaded with it.
Now since you
handled the crop dusting,
he probably figured that
would get blamed for it.
So, he loaded me up
and waited for me to die.
And then I gave him a
transfusion to save his life
and that transfusion killed him.
That's right.
What's ironic is that we haven't
used arsenic in crop dusting for years.
What's even more ironic is
if he hadn't tried to kill you,
he'd still be alive.
So the rich guy
gave the tout a suit,
he gave him some clothes,
he gave him a stake, everything.
He made four bets for him,
couldn't win a bet, see. Tout's upset.
He goes into the grandstand
to see another tout.
This is the best joke
I ever heard. I really...
No jokes. You aren't funny.
Besides you told me
they're just getting married.
Yeah, they're getting married. I'm
going to be the best man. So this tout.
Best man. You wish.
Listen, when you're ready for the
reception, I've got a private dining room.
I'll work the rate.
Can you handle about 50?
Small family. Any amount.
Call me tomorrow, okay?
All right. All right,
Danny. Thank you.
I don't believe him. I'm trying
to tell a story, he's operating.
Anyway, this tout
goes in, he sees this...
Quincy, I'm sorry, we really have
to get going. He's still recuperating...
Just a minute. I'm right
near the punch line.
I'm telling you, it's one
of the funniest jokes...
The definitive race track story. So
the tout goes in and he sees the...
Quincy. Oh, I'm sorry.
I'll have to take him away.
No, not right now, I'm...
Not another word. We've
got to get back to work...
I'm telling the racetrack story.
What, where the tout says "Get
rid of the rich guy, he's a jinx"?
Oh, come on,
come on. We're late.
That's the story.
you think I'm fit to fly myself?
It's no use. We're
going to lose the engine.
You gave me a
transfusion? Your blood?
Why, sure. I mean, the doc...
Hey, Max, what's the matter? Max.
Max Carson. Oh, he's dead.
Yeah. An unusually high level
of arsenic present in the blood.
- Arsenic?
- Now where did he get that?
Something wrong about Max's death.
Of course he's trying to nail it down.
Charlie, what's the matter?
We gotta get him out of here.
Gentlemen, you
are about to enter
the most fascinating
sphere of police work,
the world of forensic medicine.
Look, Mike, she's not earning
her keep sitting on the ground.
I know that, Charlie,
but I can't put her back in
service without workable radios.
So how about you fixin' 'em?
I've been trying. But I
think they're too far gone.
Oh, great. That's
all I need to hear.
How much you figure it
would cost to replace them?
You don't really wanna
know that, Charlie.
I guess not. Well, do
the best you can. Okay?
What's the problem?
Well, we may have to spring for a whole
new communications package for that baby.
Ah, well, that's the way it goes.
This one'll be ready tomorrow.
You know, it wouldn't have
to go that way if we sold out.
You really gonna
go into that again?
Look, Max, all right, maybe Cal
Western's offer isn't top dollar.
But at least it'll leave
us both set for life.
You think so, huh?
These days, with inflation and everything,
how much money is enough money?
I mean, what are we gonna
need five, ten years from now?
You really think we can keep on working
at this pace for another five, ten years?
Who knows? But I'm not ready to
retire to a porch and rocker right now.
Look, we've put 20
years into this business
ever since we got
out of the Air Force.
And we got a good
thing going for us.
Ten planes we own outright.
Twelve pilots working for us.
Charlie, just think a minute,
whatever Cal
Western'll pay us now,
we can always get a
better offer if we wait.
I still think it's a mistake.
Hang on. Mr. Griffin's
on the phone for you.
Mail. I'm leaving now. Anything
I can do for you before I go?
Fill me a cup of
coffee, for now.
Yeah, I suppose
we can handle that.
No, it'd depend on
the number of days.
Twin-engine ones, huh?
Well, hold on, just a second.
Okay, what dates would that
be? The fourth through the eighth.
Yeah, I think we
can handle that.
Yeah, I'll... I'll talk to
you tomorrow, then.
Right.
Would you like some
coffee, Mr. Carson?
Okay. Good night.
Good night, Linda.
Look, Max, I'm not all
that fond of retiring myself.
But don't you think
we're pushing our luck?
I mean, how long can
both of us continue flying?
I don't know about you, but my
reflexes are getting a little slow.
Especially for
that crop dusting.
To quit, we quit flying, it doesn't
mean we have to give up the business.
No, but it means
hiring extra pilots.
And that could cut into
our profits pretty good.
Are you okay?
Why don't you go see a doctor?
You've been having those
attacks for more than a month now.
- It's nothing.
- Nothing?
I'll tell you what it is. It's a
middle-aged man trying to act like he's 22!
You can't stay out all night,
drinking, running around with a girl
young enough to be your daughter,
and still expect to function.
No wonder you want to sell out.
Look, you leave her out of this.
My personal life is my own business.
After 25 years together I got a lot of
blood and sweat invested in your life.
Just like you do in mine.
I guess you're right.
Hey, Max, what are we
doing, fighting like this?
You're right, Charlie. Let's
let it lay for a couple of days.
The offer will still be there.
Hey, we don't get a move-on, we're
gonna miss our dinner date with Quincy.
Yeah.
- You sure you're okay?
- I'm fine. Let's go.
Doctor Quincy. That
finishes up your cases.
Oh, well, that's great.
Put it on my desk, will you?
Why the silly grin on your face?
Are you kiddin'? I'm thinking
about 0800 tomorrow morning,
when I got a date with a
beautiful girl, on my boat,
going to Catalina
three wonderful days...
Oh, I'm so sorry,
Quincy. You just can't go.
Three lousy days?
You hate me, don't
you? You hate me.
Well, that's the price one
pays for running a department.
I love the way he makes me feel
guilty while he louses up my life.
No, no, no take your frustration
out on me, Quincy. Go ahead.
It'd do you good. I understand
it. Please, it's my job.
Oh, come on. Come on.
Even though you know I'm not
responsible for the work load.
All right, gimme the files.
It's the law that requires us to
process cases within 72 hours.
- I mean as far as...
- Give me the file please!
Isn't that wonderful?
You don't know how much I
appreciate your dedication.
I really do. Thank
you. Thank you!
Boy, oh, boy, oh, boy! Is he
something to watch or isn't he?
A talent like that you're
born with. You can't acquire it.
What a terrible loss. He'd
have been a great actor.
Have to do these tomorrow,
anyway. I've got a date.
With that fantastic female-type
person you mentioned?
Naw. A couple of army buddies.
Meet once a year and
try to pretend we're young.
You gonna be
working here tomorrow?
- Yeah, when you work, I work.
- See you then.
Okay.
- Hey, Sam.
- Yeah?
How come you never complain
about working these hours?
Well, I've been studying Zen, and I try to
understand how everything is connected.
And I think I have the capacity to
see through the illusion of existence.
- What does that mean?
- I'm afraid of Asten.
Hey, Quince, do you
remember what you were doing
the first time Charlie
and I laid eyes on you?
Do I. Thanks.
I had been operating
for 24 hours straight
I was standing outside the hospital
tent up to my you-know-what in snow
trying to get a
breath of fresh air.
You guys drive up in a general's
jeep going 95 miles an hour.
You almost made me a casualty.
A general's jeep which he stole!
You stole it?
Not only did I steal his
jeep, I stole his brandy!
That's right. You guys
were roaring drunk!
I felt better wounded than
any other time in Korea.
Here's to that general,
wherever he is.
- And his jeep.
- And his brandy!
Well, how was it?
How was what?
The autopsy. The
food that's what!
Well, I'll let you know in
about an hour, after it repeats.
Doctor turns comedian.
You know, restaurants appreciate
a compliment once in a while.
- Hey, Danny, it was delicious.
- Really sensational, Danny.
Thanks. You two guys come
back again, be my guest.
You send me a postcard.
Say, Quincy, I'm
sorry, but I gotta go.
Aw, it's so early
I know, but I got a
rough day tomorrow.
- But it was great
seeing you again.
- Same here.
- Hey Max, you take the check.
- Sure, Charlie. See you tomorrow.
Say, what is the matter
with him? He seems down.
He's been feeling kinda
lousy this last month.
I tried to get him to see a
doctor, but you know Charlie.
You think it would
help if I talked to him?
Wouldn't do any good, Quince.
You can't tell that guy anything.
You think he's going
home to bed? No way.
He's got himself a heavy date with a
brunette young enough to be his daughter.
If you ask me,
he's getting senile.
Well, I wouldn't know,
until I see the brunette.
- I've missed you.
- I got here as
soon as I could.
How was dinner?
I dunno.
All I could think about
was getting here.
Besides, this past week or so, Max is
really beginning to get on my nerves.
It's only because he's being so
pig-headed about that Cal Western offer.
Charlie, it just
can't go on like this.
I know, baby.
Come here.
What are you doing
Saturday night?
Nothing much.
What've you got in mind?
- What do you say
we get married?
- Married?
Yeah, and how would Max feel
about you taking a child bride?
Who cares about what
Max or anyone else feels?
- Not me.
- Me either.
- You really mean it?
- Oh, of course I mean it.
I just don't understand what a girl
like you sees in an older guy like me.
I see understanding, I
see caring and kindness.
I see love, Charlie.
A pretty girl like you could find that
anywhere and from a guy your own age.
If I could, and if I wanted
to, that's where I'd be.
I'm here with you. Does
that answer your question?
I'm just not going to ask myself
any more questions about us.
I'm just going to
relax and enjoy myself.
Charlie, Charlie,
how about some...
Charlie! Oh, please, let
me call a doctor this time.
No. No, it'll pass.
Morning.
Did you have another attack last
night? You don't look very good.
- I am okay.
- Yeah, sure.
So, where you off to?
Flying up to our
Fresno operation.
Got a meeting on that
crop dusting contract.
Oh, yeah. Hey, how
about we go together?
I been meaning to see
Sam Carstairs up there
about those twin-engine
jobs he's got for sale.
I could do the flying, you
could relax on the way.
What's the matter, Max? Don't
you think I'm fit to fly myself?
Come on, Charlie. You could
fly that thing in your sleep.
It's just that there's no sense tying
up two planes and wasting all that fuel
when we're both going
in the same direction.
Well, if that's what you got
in mind, it's okay with me.
Great.
This business with Sam
Carstairs, about buying more planes.
You're set on not
selling then, huh?
That's right.
I don't have anything
to say about it?
Sure. You got
the same vote I do.
But it takes both votes to sell.
So, I guess until we can
come to some agreement,
it'll have to be
business as usual.
Look, Max, the way I figure it, I've
given enough of my life to this business.
I'm thinking now it's time
for me to enjoy myself.
What's that supposed to mean?
It means Linda and
I are getting married.
Just like that? You're
getting married, huh?
Man, she's really got
you hooked, ole buddy.
Look, Max. No
smart cracks. Okay?
I mean, you're my
best friend, and all.
And I want you to try and
understand, we both do.
But if you don't, forget it.
We're gonna do it anyway.
Oh, I understand, all right.
I understand that she's...
- What do you figure?
- I dunno.
Clogged fuel line, maybe.
I'm gonna switch tanks.
It's no use, we're
going to lose the engine.
Look, it's very rough out here.
Anything flat and soft on your side?
Can't see anything over here.
I'll try a shallow turn.
Maybe we can get lucky.
Down there.
It's not much,
but it's something.
Max. Max!
Everybody okay down there?
Yeah, I am, but my
partner needs help.
Geez, I was on my way home and I
saw you coming down. What happened?
Engine just quit. Tried
to set her down easy.
He looks pretty bad.
Can he get out that side?
There's no door there.
Look, I need something
to keep this tourniquet tight.
Have you got a crowbar or
something? The seat is jammed forward.
Yeah, yeah. I'll get
something. You take it easy.
Go ahead, try this.
Good. I'll see if I can get this
seat open and we can get you.
- Okay.
- He doesn't look too good.
His leg's bleeding bad.
He must've cut it on the cowl.
- How you doin'?
- Almost.
Okay, I think I got him.
Here, let me give you a hand.
Then we'll get him out.
Okay.
Come on, Max. We'll get you.
Easy. Easy does it.
Can you get him?
Is there some place around
here we could take him?
Doc Watson's place is about
five miles down the road.
We better get him
there in a hurry.
- How is he, Doc?
- Not too good.
I could call for an ambulance or a
helicopter and ship him to a hospital.
But I don't think he'd make it.
He's lost too much blood.
What about a transfusion?
That's exactly what he needs. But
I don't have any whole blood here.
No problem, Doc. We've both got the same
blood type. I can give you all he needs.
- You sure?
- I'm sure.
We were in the service
together in Korea.
In fact, I've got some
of his blood in me.
You don't look
too good yourself.
I'm fine. I walked
away from it, didn't I?
Okay. Let's do it.
Pete, get that gurney over here.
Whatever you say, Doc.
Lie down there. Roll
up your left sleeve.
Look, I'll be bringing my kids out to
take you up on that free airplane ride.
Any time, Pete.
Just call me any time.
- Thank you.
- Thank you.
He's resting okay now.
You oughta get some
of this juice into you.
You'll need it.
Come on. Sit down.
The ambulance should
be here any minute now.
I'll feel better when
he's in a real hospital.
Yeah, he is gonna be okay, Doc.
I haven't seen cutting
and sewing that fancy
since I used to watch my
grandmother piece quilts.
I'm pretty sure I
saved that leg for him.
It's a good thing you're
the same blood types.
You did one hell of a job, Doc.
Max is lucky you were here.
Lucky Pete found you guys
when he did. That was close.
Hey, you better lie down.
Giving blood affects people differently.
You might feel faint for awhile.
It's just I've been feeling
kind of lousy for awhile now
it's not giving
the blood to Max,
I'm okay, honest.
What does it say,
Quince? Am I going to live?
I guarantee it.
This is more like old
times than I planned.
I felt like I was back in
Korea there for awhile.
I'll bet you did. I came
as soon as Charlie called.
- How is he?
- Oh, he's fine.
Hey, he's awake.
Awake? He's so feisty, he'll
probably be pinching the nurses soon.
What are you trying to do,
Max, scare me to death?
- Did it work?
- No, no.
Come on, I knew you
were faking all along.
I guess you saved my life, huh?
He did that. If he hadn't pulled
you out, you'd have bled to death.
Well, I owed you one from Korea.
Yeah, well, that makes us even.
What do you guys do, keep score?
Dr. Quincy! You are wearing
out this patient with your nattering!
Oh, we're going, we're going.
We'll see you later.
Nattering?
- Good morning, fellas.
- So you finally got back, huh?
I was visiting a
friend in the hospital.
Oh, that's an original line. Here I
am going nuts and you're socializing.
I think you're using
the wrong tense.
- What do you want?
- What do I want?
Nothing. Except your findings
on two possible homicides
that the department's
going crazy about.
I gave them to Asten.
Didn't he tell you?
We didn't ask him.
Oh. Him you don't bother to
ask. Me you pester all the time.
What am I, your private
medical examiner?
Quincy, don't get upset. You know
how much faith the department has in you.
I'm very flattered.
Do me a favor.
Go flatter Asten for a while.
I've got a lot of work to do here.
- What a grouch...
- I heard that.
Now, we're going to
eat our soup, aren't we?
I don't know what you're going
to do, Nurse, but I'm gonna...
You're going to what? Is
he giving you trouble, Nurse?
Trouble. That's not the word.
Listen, Max, we've
got a business to run.
I don't want you spending
a month in here. Now eat.
Where've you been? She's been coming
in with food and medicine every half hour.
Well, now, don't worry. I'm here
now, and you gotta eat something.
Come on, I want
you to get out of here.
- Thank you.
- Sure.
- Come on. Let's eat some of this soup.
- No, I can't...
My stomach is upset.
- You gotta try and eat.
- Please, Charlie. You're a pest.
Yeah, with good reason. Linda
and I want you to get on your feet.
We can't get married until then.
You know, I want
you to be my best man.
So, you're still going to
go through with that, huh?
I sure am.
Hey, you don't get that
many breaks in this life,
and I'd be a prize idiot if I
let someone like Linda pass.
Well, I guess you
could be right at that.
Hell, it isn't as if we're
gonna desert you, pal.
We've got too much time together
to let something come between us.
Especially now.
You know what the Chinese say,
"You save someone's life,
you're responsible for him."
Yeah, I guess you
did save my life at that.
Pulling me out of that wreck,
with it ready to
blow at any minute.
That's the easy part.
Giving you two pints of my blood,
that's what pulled you through.
Blood?
You gave me a transfusion?
Your blood?
Why, sure. I mean, the doc...
Hey, Max, what's the
matter? Max. Oh, no.
Nurse. Someone get a doctor!
Hey, come on. Nurse!
Oh, of course I'll tell him. Yes, naturally
someone else will do the post mortem.
Right, good-bye.
Robin, would you have Dr. Quincy
come to my office right away?
And it's important.
Yeah. He's just getting ready
to leave. Okay, I'll tell him.
Asten wants to
see you in his office.
Well, you tell him I've spent
enough time here today.
I'm going home for
a well-deserved rest.
Quince, Robin says
he's using his urgent tone.
You know what I'd like
to use... Oh, all right.
What is it? Monahan wants
somebody re-autopsied?
Quincy, sit down. I
got some bad news.
Oh, I know what it is. All that
overtime, the budget's out of whack.
Well, there's no more
overtime. See that, eight hours.
I'm gonna see Max,
I'm gonna go home.
Quincy, I'm serious.
You really are
serious. What is it?
Max Carson.
Well, he's dead.
What? No, it can't...
He was fine when I left him.
I know he was, but he died
suddenly about an hour ago.
- How? Why?
- They don't know.
The attending physician is
completely puzzled. It just happened.
No warning. I'll have
Jordan do the autopsy.
I'll do it.
No, you won't.
I'll do it.
Charlie, what's the matter?
It's Max.
He's dead.
Dead!
But that's impossible.
I mean, when I saw you
yesterday, you said he was fine.
That's what they told me. They
said "Oh, yeah, he'll be okay."
I don't understand it.
Don't the doctors
know what happened?
I guess not.
I guess Quincy's going to be the
only one to know the answers now.
I still can't believe it.
I know how you must
be feeling, darling, but...
You know how I feel? How I feel?
You're just a kid.
Max and I have been together
longer than you've been alive.
It's just like a part of me
went... A big part of me, it just...
Maybe. But the rest of
you is still here, Charlie.
The rest of you still
has to go on living.
And you've got me to help you.
It's not the same, Linda.
It'll never be the same.
We have the body of Max Carson,
male Caucasian, 48 years old.
The body is unremarkable, with
no readily apparent cause of death.
There is evidence of recently
sutured lacerations on the left thigh,
which was healing
satisfactorily prior to death.
Multiple contusions as well as
a number of superficial bruises
on the left side of the body.
None of which could
be the cause of death.
Why? Why this waste?
When I left him
he was doing fine!
I want a complete tox screen.
I gotta find out what killed him.
I'm with you all
the way, Quince.
I know.
Advanced cirrhosis of the
liver, with nodular narcosis,
partial coronary occlusions
with no heart muscle damage.
It looks like he was in worse
shape than you thought, Quince.
Yeah. It's a wonder he was able to
fly, considering the shape he was in.
Still, Sam, none of those
problems would have killed him
even if you put
them all together.
Better rush that tox.
There's something
here that doesn't add up.
He would have been jaundiced
if his liver was in that
condition for any length of time.
Now something
accelerated that cirrhosis.
I want to know what it is.
Yeah, that's fine. Put her
right back on the line again.
Ah, thanks.
They called from Fresno,
about the crop spraying contract.
What do you want to do about it?
I don't know. I
just can't decide.
You all right?
Yeah. I guess I'm still a little
spooked about what happened.
Give it time, Charlie.
Just give it time.
Listen, why don't you leave the
contract decision to Cal Western
since you're going to
sell out for sure now?
I guess I'm not
that sure anymore.
- Charlie, now...
- Look, look, I know.
I know I wanted to
sell, Max was against it.
Now that he's gone, I've got
even less reason not to sell,
but somehow I still
feel guilty about it.
Look, you've got to
do what's best for you.
For us.
Come on, Charlie, you can't
spend the rest of your life
atoning for something
that wasn't even your fault.
I know, honey. It's just that...
Get me inside.
Quince, we got the tox
results on Max Carson.
Anything unusual?
Yeah. An unusually high level
of arsenic present in the blood.
Arsenic? Of course,
that would do it.
This much arsenic would
damage his already diseased liver,
and push him over
the edge. But arsenic!
How did it get into him? And
was it accidental or deliberate?
We don't know whether it
was a single dose or cumulative.
Well, that's no problem, Sam.
If it's in his bones, if it's
in his hair, it's cumulative.
If not, it's a single dose.
I tell you what I
want you to do.
I want you to contact the
university. Book some reactor time.
I want you to start your tests on
the bone and hair samples right away.
Okay. Where are you going?
I'm going to go see Charlie.
If anybody knows how Max got
arsenic into him, it would be Charlie.
Here's the flight plan, Pat.
You're to pick the charter
up at Ontario at 1600.
Fly to Sacramento, stay overnight,
then return to Ontario in the morning.
We'll need you
back here by 1100.
I need to see Charlie
Barnes. I'm Dr. Quincy.
Oh, Dr. Quincy. Hi, I'm Linda
Hayes. It's nice to meet you.
Same here.
I'm sorry about Max. I
know you were close to him.
It's Dr. Quincy. He's here to
see you. Go right in Doctor.
That's the whole list. Just
pick it up... Hang on a second.
Quince. What happened with Max?
I don't know, Charlie. That's
what I want to talk to you about.
Well, sure. Anything, Linda, can
you get some coffee for us, please?
One second. Look, I'm tied up.
I'll get back to you. Over and out.
- What do you want to know?
- It's kinda private.
Oh, Linda? Hey, don't
have to worry about Linda.
Linda and I have no
secrets from each other.
Matter of fact, we're
getting married, you know.
Oh, I didn't know
that. Congratulations.
Thanks. Would you
like some coffee?
No thanks.
Well, look, sit down.
Sit down. Let's talk.
Come on. What's the problem?
You do a lot of crop
dusting, don't you?
Yeah. We've got a four-plane
operation out of our Fresno base.
Now, the stuff that you
spray is pretty lethal, isn't it?
Well, it's supposed to
be, for the bugs anyway.
You get to breathe much of it?
Not if you're smart
and careful, you don't.
Was Max smart and careful?
Max was always smart.
Careful most of the time.
What's the problem, Doctor? What
does all this have to do with Max's death?
I don't know. But we found
traces of arsenic in Max's blood.
I thought it might tie-in with
your crop dusting operation.
That wouldn't be at
all possible. No way.
Why not?
Well, because Max
had no part of it.
The crop dusting operation
was strictly my department.
Ah, well, I guess
that takes care of that.
The only other tie-in I could
possibly see is his personal life.
Did he have any enemies?
Oh, come on, Quince. You
know Max as well as I did.
The last 10 years he had
no personal life. Nothing.
This business was his whole
life. It was everything to him.
I bet that's why he was
fighting me so hard on that offer.
If we'd ever made that deal
he'd have had nothing left.
Nothing but money.
Nothing important to
him. Not that important.
What offer is that?
Oh, this outfit Cal Western,
they wanted to buy us out.
Pretty good deal,
too. I was all for it.
But Max wouldn't hear of it.
Well, if he had lived, what
would have happened to the deal?
Oh, I dunno. I guess we would
have worked something out.
What happens now?
I'm going to sell.
Don't Max's heirs have
anything to say about it?
Max had no heirs.
None that we could find.
Well, what happens to
his half of the partnership?
It reverts to me.
We made an agreement when
we first started this business
that if anything happened to either one
of us, the survivor would get everything.
Unless of course, one of us got married.
Then of course, the wife would inherit.
I see.
Well, I guess that
wraps everything up.
Again, nice meeting
you and congratulations.
Thanks. Nice to meet you.
I just wish I knew what
you were driving at, Quince.
Well, I'm just trying to tie up
the loose ends for my final report,
that's all.
Okay. And you know
if you ever need...
Yeah. I'll be in touch.
What's the matter, hon?
I wish I knew what
was happening.
How do you mean?
You didn't believe all that
stuff about tying up loose ends?
He wasn't leveling
with us. Not one bit.
Well, what could
he be looking for?
I don't know. I just wish...
Charlie. Oh, Charlie.
Come on. Come on.
Listen, I'm telling you, you
can't keep sitting on this thing.
You've got to
give it to the police.
Give what to the police?
We have nothing to give.
I want to play around
with it a little more.
Why? Because Charlie
Barnes is a friend of yours?
Now, Quince, I can put
two and two together.
Now from what you told me,
Charlie Barnes had the only
motive, and the best opportunity.
Maybe Max got the arsenic
into himself by accident.
You just told me Max
never worked with arsenic.
And even though the arsenic
wasn't the sole cause of death,
it was a major
contributing factor,
in as much as it caused the
already cirrhoted liver to fail.
Now we've got to give this to
the police, in case of homicide.
Homicide. Talk
about jumping the gun!
Look, first things first.
Let's see what Sam comes up
with from the bone and hair samples.
They're my bone and hair
samples. If I get busted 'cause...
This case, if it is a case, will still be
here tomorrow. And so will Charlie.
- Are you sure, Quincy?
- Yes, I am.
- Absolutely sure?
- Yes, I am sure.
I'm not sure. Now our necks are pretty
far out. We've got to go to the police.
- What police?
- What? What are you talking about?
Well, if the arsenic was
administered deliberately,
we don't know where, when, or
how. Which police have jurisdiction?
Will you stop stalling?
Now, we know where he died.
That's enough to start. There's
no question of jurisdiction...
Oh, come on. You're
not going to call 'em on it.
Please. Will you give me one
more base to touch? Please.
- Thank you.
- Where are you going?
- I'll let you
know when I get back.
- Quincy.
Bye.
That's all I can
tell you, Doctor.
I sewed him up and gave him
two pints of his partner's blood.
I didn't think he'd make it to the
hospital without the transfusion.
Not that it seems to have
made much difference.
He didn't make it anyway.
Well, you surely
can't blame yourself.
He didn't die because of anything
that happened here. I promise you that.
Well, what did he die of?
Complications.
Complications caused largely
by an abnormally high
level of arsenic in his blood.
- Arsenic!
- That's right.
Now where did he get that?
That's what I'm
trying to find out.
Now, did you notice
any symptoms,
anything that might be
symptomatic of arsenic poisoning?
Like abdominal cramps.
Hypersensitivity to light.
No, I didn't.
His response to the transfusion and
to the surgery seemed perfectly normal.
At least while he
was here, that is.
Did you talk to anybody at
the hospital after you arrived?
Of course I did, Doctor.
After all, he was my patient
until someone at the hospital
assumed responsibility.
I talked to a Dr. Robbins.
He assured me
Mr. Carson was doing fine.
Thank you very
much for your help, sir.
- I wish you luck, Doctor.
- Thanks.
We know the answer's
out there somewhere.
All I have to do is
go out and find it.
It wasn't an easy decision to make,
and it was a long time in the making.
So, that's it, fellas.
Now, I really hope none of you
think that I'm running out on you.
But, frankly, I just
don't have what it takes
to keep this operation
running any more.
Especially now with Max gone.
Anyway, I've written it into
the deal with Cal Western
that those of you who want to
stay on will be guaranteed your jobs.
That's about the best I can do.
Some of us have been
together for a long time.
But like they say,
nothing is forever.
I just want to thank you,
wish you the best of luck.
Well, look, we'll say our
goodbyes another time.
Thanks, Mr. Barnes.
We wish you the best of luck,
too. Don't worry. We understand.
I hope so, Mike. I sure
hope so. Thank you.
Well, it's done.
Hey, you heard Mike. I'm sure all
the boys appreciate your position.
I wish I did. Somehow I still
feel guilty about selling out.
Look, you did the
right thing for you.
The only reason it's bothering
you is because of Max.
Well, that's silly.
He was obsessive about this
operation and we both know it.
Yeah, I guess.
Hey, tell you what.
Why don't we invite all the guys
to a big party after the wedding?
We'll make it into a combination
wedding reception and
farewell party all rolled into one.
What do you think, huh?
Well, honey. It's a
nice idea, but let's not.
It'd only turn into
a wake for Max.
What's done is done. Look,
all I want is for us to be married
and get away from here
as quickly as possible.
Okay, Charlie. You're the boss.
Hey, any idea where you'd like to go?
No. No. No. You plan everything.
Just get me away. And quickly.
So you checked out Dr. Watson, who
handled the surgery and the transfusion.
And Dr. Robbins who
was at the hospital,
and you still didn't come
up with anything, did you?
No, I didn't, but it
still doesn't add up.
Well, it adds up for me.
Now, look, I don't
like giving ultimatums,
but either you call
Monahan or I will.
You said you'd wait
for the activation results.
Never mind what I said...
Yes? Well, send him
in. Save us an argument.
Sam, with your test results.
What did you find, buddy?
It doesn't look like it could
have been a cumulative build-up.
No trace of arsenic in the hair itself.
Only very minute traces in the follicles.
Neutron activation analysis of his
nails and bones show no signs of it at all.
So, however Max picked it up, the arsenic
didn't have time to deposit in his tissues.
He got it in one dose.
So, most probably, it was not an
occupational exposure to arsenic.
- Agreed?
- Agreed.
Therefore we'll call
Monahan now, agreed?
Do I have a choice?
Oh, I almost forgot. Dr. Watson
is waiting for you in your office.
Why didn't you tell me?
What does he want?
I don't know. He
said it was important.
I'll be right back.
I think he hung up on me. Hello!
You know, I kind of hesitated
about disturbing you because
it really doesn't make too much
sense when you think about it.
What doesn't?
Well, you know,
out in the boondocks
we get a case or two
of arsenic poisoning
from time to time.
Not as many as we used to, but
I've seen the symptoms before.
But you said Max Carson
didn't show any symptoms.
He didn't. But his
partner could have.
Charlie Barnes!
Could have is as far
as I'll go with it for now.
Well, what exactly happened?
He had a real peculiar reaction
right after the transfusion.
What kind of reaction?
He had a sudden
attack of acute agitation,
bordering on a seizure
with diaphoresis.
Well, that certainly couldn't have
been caused by the transfusion.
No. You're right.
That's why I was real concerned
about him for a while there.
I wasn't thinking that way then,
but when you mentioned arsenic,
I got to thinking.
And his symptoms
started to look familiar.
That does make a
certain kind of sense.
If Charlie's blood was
loaded with arsenic,
the transfusion could be the means by
which it was transferred to Max's blood.
Yeah. That thought already
occurred to me, too, Doctor.
- But it won't hold water.
- Why not?
Think about it for a minute.
If this Barnes' blood
had enough arsenic for the
transfusion to kill Max Carson,
how could he still
be walking around?
And you gotta remember
the level in Barnes' blood
had to be many times the level
you found in Carson's blood.
No, Doctor, it just
doesn't make any sense.
If would've made sense to you
if you could've seen Max's liver.
It was in a state
of acute cirrhosis.
Now, if Charlie's liver had been in
the same state, with all of that arsenic,
he'd be dead now, too.
Believe me, it makes
a great deal of sense.
Come on, Charlie. Come on,
Charlie. It's going to be okay.
- Charlie, what's the matter?
- I'll be all
right in a minute.
Sure. You look it.
I should have listened to Max.
He told me you were sick,
you wouldn't go see a doctor.
He's been having these
attacks for over a month now.
He's so stubborn.
There's no talking to him.
We gotta get him out of here.
Where to?
To the hospital. We might be
able to get him there in time.
Hey, Quince, great to see you.
- How you feeling?
- Fine. Really fine.
Has he been behaving himself?
I'm keeping him in line.
Hey, I understand it was
pretty close there for a day or so.
Well, like they say, close
only counts at horseshoes.
Hey, Quince. What
happened to me anyway?
I mean I don't understand
what was going on.
Well, I'm not exactly sure. You know
that coffee you have in your office.
Your pilots, your other
help, do they drink that?
No, that was just
for Max and me.
Yeah, I had coffee for myself
and the pilots in the outer office.
Well, how do you
take your coffee?
Black. With sugar. Two
teaspoons. I like it sweet.
And Max?
Only black.
I hate to tell
you this, Charlie,
but the only theory that
makes any sense at all
is that Max was
trying to kill you.
That's impossible. Max?
Why would he want to kill me?
For the very same reason I
thought you wanted to kill him.
If either one of you died, the
other one got the business.
Especially if you died
before you got married.
I can't believe it. Max
couldn't want to take it all.
The money didn't
mean that much to him.
No, but you know
the business did.
And maybe he thought after you got
married Linda would make you sell it.
But how did he do it? It
couldn't have been the coffee.
They both drank it.
Yeah, but only
Charlie took sugar.
I can't believe it.
We tested the sugar
and the coffee for arsenic.
Now, the sugar
was loaded with it.
Now since you
handled the crop dusting,
he probably figured that
would get blamed for it.
So, he loaded me up
and waited for me to die.
And then I gave him a
transfusion to save his life
and that transfusion killed him.
That's right.
What's ironic is that we haven't
used arsenic in crop dusting for years.
What's even more ironic is
if he hadn't tried to kill you,
he'd still be alive.
So the rich guy
gave the tout a suit,
he gave him some clothes,
he gave him a stake, everything.
He made four bets for him,
couldn't win a bet, see. Tout's upset.
He goes into the grandstand
to see another tout.
This is the best joke
I ever heard. I really...
No jokes. You aren't funny.
Besides you told me
they're just getting married.
Yeah, they're getting married. I'm
going to be the best man. So this tout.
Best man. You wish.
Listen, when you're ready for the
reception, I've got a private dining room.
I'll work the rate.
Can you handle about 50?
Small family. Any amount.
Call me tomorrow, okay?
All right. All right,
Danny. Thank you.
I don't believe him. I'm trying
to tell a story, he's operating.
Anyway, this tout
goes in, he sees this...
Quincy, I'm sorry, we really have
to get going. He's still recuperating...
Just a minute. I'm right
near the punch line.
I'm telling you, it's one
of the funniest jokes...
The definitive race track story. So
the tout goes in and he sees the...
Quincy. Oh, I'm sorry.
I'll have to take him away.
No, not right now, I'm...
Not another word. We've
got to get back to work...
I'm telling the racetrack story.
What, where the tout says "Get
rid of the rich guy, he's a jinx"?
Oh, come on,
come on. We're late.
That's the story.