The Streets of San Francisco (1972–1977): Season 2, Episode 5 - Going Home - full transcript

Hey.

Think he came out of Beal's?

I don't know. Did you see him?

Mr. Beal?

Three down and four to go.

Yeah, that's
enough for a Sunday.

We're already on overtime.

Attention all units. Possible
459 at 224 Bay Street.

Subject seen running from
shop Around the corner, let's go.

By two juveniles.

Subject described as
white male Caucasian.



Age: 40 to 50. Height: 5'11".

You fellas call in
about a burglary?

He came out of Mr. Beal's place

and ran down that way. I got it.

What are you doing here?

Now, that's what I
was gonna ask you.

I belong here. This is my shop.

I'm Lieutenant Stone.

What are you doing here?
You got a search warrant?

Someone called in about
a burglary at this address.

Oh, you got a false alarm.

What happened to your head?

I fell down and hit it
on the edge of the table.

Wanna arrest that table



for assault and
battery, go ahead.

I'll come down tomorrow
and prefer charges.

Nothing.

The front door was jimmied,

the cash register
is open and empty,

the safe is open and empty,

and the man there
with a bump on his head

said nothing happened.

It's my front door.
It's my cash register.

My safe and my head.

If I say nothing happened,
nothing happened.

Haven't you people
got enough to do

without going around
making trouble?

Come on, let's get out of here.

And close the front
door on your way out.

Wait a minute. Wait.

He's lying?

Well, he's got his
rights, hasn't he?

False alarm.

When does Homicide
respond to burglary?

Well, we were just a
couple of blocks away.

Hey, mister, what about that
guy we saw running away?

Well, maybe he was
just trying to catch a bus.

He came out of that door
carrying some paper sacks.

Two or three of them.
Full of something.

The man says he saw
nothing. What can you do?

Just keep your
eyes open, fellas.

We need all the help we can get.

It's Beal.

We've been robbed.

Will you look at this?

Look at it.

I finally did something right.

Well, how much?

About a hundred
thousand dollars.

I'd just finished the tally
and entered it in the book.

Where is the book?

With the money.

Who did it?

Well, I passed
around this description,

what the guy looked
like, so on and so on,

but all I could come up
with was a name: Eddie.

No address.

Well, we'll take care of it.

I don't know how the guy
knew about the money.

I never said a word to
nobody. Nobody. Ever.

I said we'll take
care of it and we will.

Well, you don't understand.

The police were there.
Well, somebody called them.

I told them nothing happened,
but they've got my name now.

And I don't like it.

If it's all right with
you, Mr. McClain,

I want out.

Okay, Beal.

You're out.

Thanks.

Where's Keech?

Cleveland.

Get him on a redeye.

Beal. First thing
in the morning.

Then the guy that got that book.

You're late.

Well, I've been thinking.

Before coffee, you're
thinking? That's dangerous.

Remember the guy yesterday?

You mean, the guy who
said he didn't get robbed?

He was probably afraid.

The guy that robbed
him threatened him.

He was too scared
to tell us the truth

for fear that the guy would
come back and kill him.

Eight-fifteen, that's
very good. Very good.

Let's go and have
a talk with him.

Why?

Well, just to convince him

that if he tells us the
truth, we can protect him.

Why doesn't Robbery
go talk to him?

There was no robbery
reported, remember?

Little too early for you
too, huh, buddy boy?

Mr. Beal?

Yes? What can I do for you?

Mr. Beal?

Beal.

Mike.

He's still warm.

At the moment, tow
trucks are working

to clear the wreckage
from both lanes,

but the bridge is not
expected to reopen until 1:00.

So far the trucks have been
backed up for three miles...

Hi, doll.

Eddie.

Strongly encourages
motorists to avoid the area.

How did you find me?

I just kept looking.

Everybody's gotta be someplace.

Are you planning to move in?

Oh, no.

I figured you could
use some money.

So I brought you some.

Eddie, please, I...
Where's the boy?

My sister's.

Hey, Donna.

How would you
like to live in Hawaii?

Just you and the boy and me?

Eddie...

he doesn't even
remember you anymore,

and I'd like to
keep it that way.

It's not right, Donna.

A boy should know
something about his father.

How about it, Donna?

We could be a family
again. A real family.

Yeah, right.

Until the prison caught
you and sent you back.

What for?

I don't know what for,
Eddie. For something.

It's always for something and
they always send you back.

Oh, no, no. Not this
time. Never again.

I'm a changed man.

You've said that before.

That's right, Donna.

You're right.

Only I wasn't 46 years old then.

Will you look at me, please?

Forty-six years

and a good 15 of them
in one prison or another.

Most of them dead, empty.

And all of them wasted.

I don't know how
much time I've got left,

but I do know I can't
afford to waste any of it.

All I'm asking for
is one more chance.

Go to Hawaii with me today.

I can't, Eddie, I just can't.

But why?

I'm afraid the
money will get short

and things will get tight...

But you don't have
to worry about that.

No, right, right,

because Eddie will
take care of everything.

Hey, shut up, will
you? Just shut up, huh?

And look, huh? Look.

That's for us, Donna.

That's for you and me and Marty.

Just us.

No more worrying about money

or things getting uptight.

I have taken care
of things, you see?

I'm gonna put it in
the bank in your name

so I won't be able
to draw a check on it.

Eddie, where did you get it?

It'll last us for years.
It'll give us a new start.

Eddie? And look:

there's more.

You stole that.

For us, baby. For us.

Oh, no, you don't.

You don't blame
that on me this time.

You said you needed
money, didn't you?

Eddie, I didn't
ask you to do that.

What is it?

No.

What is it?

Numbers.

Policy slips.

Eddie, what are
you talking about?

I hit a drop.

A numbers drop.

The mob. I knocked over the mob.

Even when I do
something right, it's wrong.

Eddie, take it back.

Take it back.

No.

No, no, Donna.

Look, it could
still be all right.

They don't know who I am.

No, they will find out.

And with your track record,

the next thing
they'll find is you,

and then me, and then Martin.

Take it back, Eddie.

Here's why nobody
heard anything.

Thirty-two caliber.

Seven-point-six-five Luger.

With a good silencer,

it won't make any more
noise than an air gun.

Why's that?

Barrel pressure's zero by
the time the breech is open.

Had to be a pro, buddy boy.

A pro?

I'll bet he was afraid.

At least we've got a
couple of witnesses.

What two witnesses?

Those two kids that
called us yesterday.

They got a good look at him.

Timothy Shell and Leonard Ross.

Dead? What do you mean, dead?

I mean dead.

How many kinds
of dead are there?

But how?

Somebody wasted him.

You mean, somebody
hit him with something?

No, I mean, somebody
shot him with something.

Oh, that's too bad.

Yeah, it's tough.

Look.

There. Think so?

No. No.

Eddie?

Eddie, we want to talk to you.

All the light bulbs
were unscrewed,

so the hallway was dark.

Nobody heard anything.

They've only got one witness

and all he saw was two guys

chasing Coughlin
down this hallway.

He couldn't give us
a description, though.

It was dark and
he was too scared.

Sixty-some-odd years old.

Well, thanks for the call, Dave.

Well, the caliber
of this bullet,

I knew it had to tie in somehow

with that guy who
was killed today.

It's the same, all right.

Got to be pros.

Pros? I don't know any
pros use a .32 caliber.

It's a Luger, 7.65.

Huh?

Well, you see, the
barrel pressure's zero

by the time the breech is open.

So when it goes off,
sounds like an air gun.

Now I see why you
work with this kid.

He's a real walking crime lab.

Oh, yeah. I learn
something new every day.

Who were they after, you know?

Oh, man named Eddie Coughlin.
Here. Here's his description.

Did he get hit?

I don't think so.

There was no blood
around and our witness said

he went out that front
door like a scalded cat.

Hey, Mike. Yeah.

This description fits the guy

our kids saw coming
out of the store last night.

Call Files. See what they've
got on Eddie Coughlin.

And if they have a mug shot,

give it to the two
boys, will you?

And the name of the
guy in the tobacco shop?

Beal. Eugene Beal.

Beal. Run a make on him.

Right.

What do you want?

Pully, it's me, Eddie.

I know it's you, but
what do you want?

I want a place to stay.

Sorry, baby, but there's
no room at the inn.

Pully, I'm in trouble.

I gotta get off the street.

I know you're in trouble,

but I don't want no part of it.

What do you know?
How do you know?

The word is around, Eddie.

You're a sick man.
You got a disease.

A killing disease. You're
gonna die of it, baby.

I can pay you.

I got enough money to
support your habit for a year.

For two years.

I can live with my habit,

but I wouldn't live a
week with that money.

Now, get lost, will you?

Pully, please.
I got... Get lost.

Pully. Pully.

Jackpot.

The boys identified
Eddie Coughlin.

Got a record as
long as your arm.

Another jackpot.

Eugene Beal, alias Gene
Bates, alias J.G. Bascom.

Mostly petty theft, but
running a few numbers.

Making a little book.

A little man working
for a big company, huh?

Yep. What did
you get on the gun?

Ballistics says the
gun that killed Beal

was the same one that
was fired at Eddie Coughlin.

Okay, now we've got the
names, let's fill in the blanks.

Eddie robs Beal.

Beal denies a robbery occurred.

But then Beal is
murdered the next day.

But Eddie didn't do it.

The guys that murdered Beal

are now trying to
eliminate Eddie.

Why?

Pass. Wait a
minute. Wait a minute.

Whatever Eddie was
trying to get was illegal.

Or it was stolen
from somebody else.

Does Eddie have any family here?

Let's see.

His mother and father are dead.

Yeah, he's got a
wife, Donna Coughlin,

and a son, Martin.
Last address: L.A.

Let's find out where
they're living now.

Right.

Hello.

Hello, Donna?

No, this is her sister.

Donna's not here at the moment.
She took her son to the park.

DONNA'S SISTER: Who is this?

Hello? Hello?

But I thought he was retired.

Okay.

Thanks a lot, Charlie.

Vice thinks that Beal
might have been a drop

for a guy named Grady McClain.

Ran the numbers in that area.

What did you get?

Donna Coughlin.
Living in San Francisco.

Well, there could be more than
one Donna Coughlin, you know.

Not with a son named Martin.

Hi, Martin.

You having fun?

I can't talk to you.

Why?

You're a stranger.

Well, I don't know about that.

I knew your name, didn't I?

Let me see, your
name is Martin Coughlin,

and your birthday
is March the 18th,

and your mother's name is Donna,

and your father's
name is Eddie, right?

Right.

Yeah.

Hey, come here, I wanna
show you something.

Did you ever see a
teddy bear that big?

That's not a teddy bear.

That's a panda.

Oh, that's right. It is.

I'll tell you
something else it is.

It's yours.

If you want it.

No, boys don't play with dolls.

Well, you don't
have to play with it.

You just, sort of, keep
it around for good luck.

Okay.

Well, what do you say?

Thank you.

You're welcome.

How did you know
my daddy's name?

Well, he was a friend of mine.

We used to work together.

In Alaska?

Alaska?

Yeah, that's right. In Alaska.

Did he ever save your life?

Well, now that you mention it,

during the big snow last year...

You know, we get a
lot of snow in Alaska.

Are you Donna Coughlin?

No.

I'm her sister. Sylvia
Wagner. Come in.

Donna?

And remember to
mind your aunt Sylvia.

Okay, Mom.

Can I take my panda?

Uh, no.

But, Mom, the man at
the park said he was mine.

He said I should
keep him with me.

I don't care what the
man at the park said.

Now, scoot. And
mind your aunt Sylvia.

Excuse me. See you later.

Bye. Bye-bye.

Yeah, I know. Police.

We're looking for your
husband, Mrs. Coughlin.

I don't know where he is,

and I don't wanna
know where he is.

He's still your
husband, Mrs. Coughlin.

No, you're wrong,
mister, he is garbage.

And once you've
thrown away the garbage,

you don't spend much time
thinking about where it's gone,

or what they're
gonna do with it.

It's just gone and
good riddance.

When was the last
time you saw him?

Nine years ago.
On his way to Chino.

He waved at me through
the bars on the bus.

Mrs. Coughlin, we have records.

We know you were living
with him six years ago.

He's in a lot of
trouble, Mrs. Coughlin.

Somebody is trying to kill him.

And in order to help him,

we've got to find
him before they do.

Do you understand that?

He was here this morning.

Well, do you know any reason

why someone
would wanna kill him?

The money, yes. He was here.
He had a great deal of money.

A whole suitcase full of it,
and little pieces of paper,

and a book,

and when he saw the
book, he was terrified.

Do you have any idea
where he would go?

Mrs. Coughlin, your
husband is floating.

We're looking for him,

they're looking for
him and he knows it.

Is there any place
he might have gone?

I don't know.

There must be someplace.

Someplace where
he'd feel safe, secure.

I don't know. I don't know.

Well...

Maybe.

Maybe what?

Well, there's...
There's only one place

Eddie ever really
felt secure, I guess.

Eddie's parents died
when he was Martin's age

and he grew up on the street.

They sent him to
Alcatraz when he was 22.

He spent nine years there.

Are you saying that you
think he went back to Alcatraz?

I don't know.

I just know that Eddie told me

that was the first real
home he ever had.

Three meals a day and a
warm bed to sleep in, friends...

and somebody who cared
whether he was there or not.

Being... Being on the
outside confused Eddie,

and he didn't know

what was expected of him,

or where he stood.

But in there, he
knew who he was,

and he knew what
they wanted from him.

I just think if Eddie has
no place else to go...

I think he's going home, maybe.

That's him.

Well, let's see.

Come on, over here. Out.

You're out. MAN 2: Hey.

Get over here.

Over here.

Come on.

All right, now.

Move. Hey.

Hey.

Eddie?

What about the prison building?

What about it?

Oh, come on, Bags.
Would you go there?

Sure, maybe. If
you could get in.

Are the cell blocks open?

Which door?

See if they got a number on him.

What cell was he in?

I got it.

Thanks a lot.

All right, I'll let you know.

Oh, listen.

If you happen to connect
with the caretaker,

tell him we're on our way.

He's gotta have a lot of
bolts loose going back.

Where else could he hide?

His choice. Me?

I could think of a thousand
places if I were there.

If the screws
turned their heads,

which they never did.

Put yourself in his shoes.
You're running scared.

You're trying to find
a place to crawl into

so they can't drag you out.

Come on now, think, Bags. Think.

There must be some
places better than others.

I'd head for one of the towers.

I mean, by that way, I
could see who was coming.

Helicopter's ready.

All right. Right.

Keech?

Why don't we wait for him here?

Oh, yeah, and go right back
into the middle of Union Square.

He's gotta come out
sometime. I don't like it.

What?

You know what.

We'll get him. It
won't take long.

It gives me the creeps.

Shut up.

It's like one big gravestone.

Yeah, well, for him, it is.

Okay, fella, on your feet.

I said, on your feet.

You know you're trespassing
on government property.

It's all right. I'm
not gonna bite you.

What are you doing
out here anyway?

Oh, I used to be out here.

I just wanted to come out
and have a look at it, you know?

Were you a guard?

No, I never walked the wall.

I walked the yard.

You were a con.

When were you here?

'49 to '57.

I came to work here in '59.

Yeah, well, I left in '57.

When they closed it down
I came back as a caretaker.

You know, it's funny,
but I like it out here.

Oh, don't you tell anybody
that. They'll think I'm rock-happy.

Probably think I am too.

Yeah.

Well, you better shake it,

if you're gonna get back
to the mainland before dark.

Set it down in the yard.

There's his boat at the landing.

You get Eddie. I'm
gonna get that chopper.

Eddie. Eddie Coughlin.

This is the police.

We know what happened,
we wanna talk to you.

Do you understand?

Eddie.

We know you're there.

Come and talk to us.

Eddie.

Eddie Coughlin. We
know you're here, Eddie.

Come and talk to us.

Eddie Coughlin, do you hear me?

Eddie, we wanna
help you. Do you un...?

Doesn't sound like a Luger.

It's more like a .30-06.

Can you get that
chopper started?

Then give us a signal when
you've got it up to speed.

Steve, get him out of there.

Go!

Get on that thing and get
a doctor out here, quick.

Eddie?

Ed...

Eddie?

Eddie?

Doctor's on the way.

Too late for him.

What is this, the bank?

Check the name with
the biggest numbers.

McClain.

The DA's gonna think
Christmas came early this year.

Where's the money?

Well, my guess is that he
found a real safe place for it.

It's here.

You do know you're
entitled to 10 percent

of that as a reward?

It isn't my money.

But you did find it, didn't you?

That's what my
report's going to say.

Now, you don't know
me, but I try very hard

not to write more
than one report.

Hey.

What are you doing
with my panda?

Well, uh... What am I
doing with this panda?

I'll tell you. It got torn.

And I was gonna take it out

and get it fixed,

and then bring it
right back to you.

Is that all right?

Okay.

Were you a friend
of my daddy's too?

Yes, I am.

Did he ever save your life?

As a matter of
fact, he did, son.

He really did.

And someday

I'd really like to
tell you about it.

Would that be all right with you

if I came back and
told you about it?

Okay.

I knew you'd say that.

I'll be seeing you.