The Streets of San Francisco (1972–1977): Season 3, Episode 9 - Cry Help! - full transcript
An abusive step father is murdered. The boy's mother attempts to blame a neighborhood kid. The abused boy knows the truth but is afraid that he he will incriminate someone close to him no matter what he tells the police.
Come on, Tommy!
You sure this is okay?
My mom's not home yet.
She'll never even know.
Mom!
You see, she's not home.
This is where she
still hides everything.
Still thinks I don't know.
Maybe you ought to
just wait for your birthday,
and let yourself be surprised.
That's no fun. Maybe
it's a new model ship.
A square-rigger, maybe.
Hey...
We gotta put it away!
- Why?
- Just do it!
What have you got there?
Mom said we had a gun.
A real gun.
But she never said where.
Your mother's not home?
No.
You'd better run along.
Yes, sir.
She's supposed to be here
when you get home from school.
She tells me she always is.
Well, you said you wouldn't
be home till late tonight...
Maybe early tomorrow morning.
So she figures she can
check out for a while, huh?
Is that what happens every
time I go on the road? Is it?
- Is it?!
- Hey, I don't know.
Well, you do know where
your mother is, don't you?
Is she with somebody?
Who's she with?
Well, you mean like
with one of the neighbors?
I mean a man.
Now, who's she with?
Answer me! Answer me!
Don't!
I don't know!
I want an answer!
I don't know
where she is! Don't!
This time I'm
calling the police.
No! I don't know! Don't!
Headquarters report of a
possible 2-4-0 in progress
at 589 Hayward.
Any other units in the vicinity?
2-40, 2-40...
Child beating.
Yes. A couple of blocks away.
Inspectors eight-one
to headquarters.
We'll respond to
that possible 2-40.
Child beating.
Tommy.
Hey, Tiger. come on.
I'm sorry.
Mom.
What is it, Paul?
What's wrong?
I hit him.
Bonnie, I didn't
mean to, but I hit him.
Why?
I thought you made it a point
to be home after school.
So you hit Paul
because I wasn't?
Because you were mad at me?
Now, don't you
lecture me about that.
Not you.
I just wanted to
know where you were.
And I still do.
Come on, Bob.
Just because we're married
doesn't make me your slave!
You know, I have a right
to lead a life of my own!
Oh, yeah?
Well, you know, that depends
on just who you're leading it with!
Police? Are you from the police?
- Yes, ma'am. Yeah.
- We're the ones who called.
It's the Harris
boy right up here.
This isn't the first
time that it happened.
They've beaten him before.
You're sure of that Mr., uh...
- Russell. -Russell.
- You've got to stop them.
All hours of the day and night
we can hear that boy
screaming sometimes.
If you just stay down
there, we'll do all we can.
I know what you're
doing, Bonnie,
and I'm not gonna
put up with it.
- I can't!
- Hello? Hello? Hello?
Hello?
Just a minute.
- Mrs. Harris?
- Yes?
I'm Lieutenant Stone.
This is Inspector Keller.
We received a report
that there's a problem here.
May we come in?
It's just a family argument.
Did that family argument
involve your son here, Mr. Harris?
I slapped Paul.
It's not something
that I'm proud of.
You okay?
Yes, sir.
I never hit him before, God
help me, I won't do it again.
Excuse me, but the
call we got over the radio
was about a child beating.
And we just heard that
it's happened before.
Paul, take your
jacket and shirt off.
Just a minute, Lieutenant.
The boy said he was all right.
It's... it's over now.
Mrs. Harris, our job
is to make sure of that.
Paul, would you please
take off your shirt?
Okay, you can put it back on.
Paul... how old are you?
Thirteen.
Thirteen?
I want you to be honest with me.
Did your father do this to you?
He's not my father.
This is Paul's
stepfather, Lieutenant.
Oh, I see.
Paul?
Well, I... I fell
down some stairs.
You know, at school,
they're... they're real high.
Uh, he has a balance problem.
We're having a doctor
check into it soon.
Yes, you do that.
I'll put it in our report,
along with everything else.
No, don't bother.
Stay right here.
- Thank you very much.
- Aren't you gonna do anything?
Well, we've done all we can.
We'll call juvenile hall now.
I just don't know
how she allows it.
Her own son.
Well, that's one I
can't answer, Steve.
I only know when
you respond to a 2-40,
a child beating call, it's ugly.
It's one of the ugliest.
See, was that kid standing
over there when we drove in?
Think so, yeah.
Hi!
You live here?
What's your name?
Tommy.
Are you a friend of Paul's?
You guy are cops.
We came by to help Paul.
Tommy,
how'd you like to do
your friend a favor?
Can you tell us what
happened at Paul's?
Did you see anything?
If you tell us, maybe we
can do something about it.
No, you can't.
You can't do anything!
Paul?
What are you doing?
Been here all day?
Yeah.
Have lunch?
No.
Here.
Go on! I saved it for you.
- I'm not hungry.
- Take it anyway.
Was it that bad
with your folks, too?
Worse.
What did you do?
Here goes algebra.
Ah, two points!
I heard you got in trouble.
Who told you that?
Mom.
She doesn't want us
hanging around together.
I was just a kid then.
Everything's different now.
Do you like living
with the Sanders?
Yeah.
They're great.
Don't you ever miss her?
Your real mom?
Not anymore.
I could never feel that way.
I wouldn't care what she did.
She doesn't mean it.
I know that.
Well, I got to get going.
Trash man comes tomorrow,
and I got to empty the
wastebaskets and stuff.
You coming?
Got to go home sometime.
Come on, I'll race you.
I'll see you tomorrow.
Hey, Tommy?
Can't you stay for a while?
Bob?
Bob? What are you doing?
Are you out of
your mind? Stop it!
Stop it, Bob... Listen,
we can talk about it.
Talk? I'm gonna
talk when all this time
I've been feeling
guilty for suspecting you
and you've been spending
your afternoons with him?
But you don't know
what you're doing!
- I know exactly what I'm doing!
- No, Bob.
Bob, stop it! Put it back!
Oh... Bob, are you crazy?
Put it back!
Mom? Mom!
Mom!
No! Don't!
Stop it!
Get it!
Get the gun!
Pick it up!
Don't! Stop it!
That does it... I'm
calling in again.
Somebody's been shot.
Oh, Paulie...
Mom.
We, uh...
we struggled.
All I wanted to do was
to get the gun away,
to talk to the man rationally.
And he thought you
were seeing another man.
Yes, sir. Oh, he
was crazy like that.
He was jealous of any
man I even smiled at.
Anyway, Paul, um...
Paul tried to help.
Bob knocked him down.
And... Tommy...
Tommy's last name, that's, uh,
- that's Sanders, is that right?
- Yes.
But what exactly
was it that he did?
Well...
Bob dropped the gun...
and Tommy p-picked it up.
And then...
and then...
Oh, God.
Oh, dear God.
He shot your husband?
Mrs. Harris, do
you have any idea
what made him pick
up the gun and shoot it?
No.
No, I-I watched it happen,
and it all happened so quickly.
I think he thought he
was trying to help, and...
there was... there was
nothing that I could do.
Tommy was standing
right over here
when he pulled the
trigger, is that correct?
Yes.
And, uh, do you know
where we can find him now?
He lives about a block
up on the next street over.
Paul, what's the address?
Mom.
Paul, what is it? Come on.
It's, uh...
it's the fourth house.
It's on the far corner.
It's on the left side.
Thank you.
Do you have a
doctor, a family doctor?
- Yes.
- Well, I think it would be wise
if you and the boy
took a mild sedative.
Oh. Oh, thanks,
we'll be all right.
Thank you.
- Lieutenant?
- Yes?
I, uh...
I-I never liked Tommy
playing with Paul.
I never liked it.
One of the neighbors said
that he'd done some bad
things, some juvenile problems.
He even had a record.
Record? What was it for?
Oh, no, no, I...
I didn't listen; it was gossip.
I-I didn't...
That's all right.
We'll check it out. Good-bye.
Bye, Paul.
Mom.
What are they gonna do to Tommy?
He'll be all right.
He's just a young boy.
He'll be all right.
But what did he do before?
I told you, I don't know!
Didn't you hear
me? I don't know!
Yes, ma'am.
Tommy couldn't do such a thing.
Well, that's why we're here.
We wanted to hear
Tommy's side of the story.
May we talk to him, please?
Well, he...
he isn't here.
I haven't seen him
since this morning.
But... but Tommy is-is
not the kind of a boy
that you can hold
on to too tightly.
He needs room.
He needs... trust.
More than most boys his age?
Yes, I'm afraid so.
You see, Tommy
is our foster son.
Dave and I. That's my husband.
We love Tommy very much.
And we're trying to help him
learn to live with his past.
And overcome it.
I-I just can't believe that
anything like what you're saying
could happen again.
Again, ma'am? I...
Just what is it Tommy
has to overcome?
Brutality.
Ugliness.
A nightmare no child
should have to live through.
You see, Tommy's
parents, his mother drank.
She couldn't even
make a decent home.
And she was more afraid
of losing her husband
than she was of
anything else in her life.
And he, well...
he apparently... blamed
his wife and his boy
for all of his own failures.
And then one night...
about six years ago,
Tommy was... eight,
his father started
in on his mother.
Beating her.
A child like that, a...
All he knew was that...
it was his mother and
he loved her, needed her.
Anyway...
he got a gun...
a rifle...
and...
and he shot his own father.
"You can't do anything."
What?
That's what Tommy told
us the other day, remember?
"You can't do anything."
Hey, Mike, you gonna
have to put out an APB?
Yeah, I got to find him.
I know, I know.
But he must have been scared
when he pulled that trigger.
I'll bet he's a lot
more scared right now.
Yeah.
We have to help him, and fast.
Well, that's what
I was thinking.
Maybe we ought to
give it one more shot first,
just the two of us.
Kid's probably got
some hangouts.
So maybe the social worker
who handles the case would know.
You're right, it's worth a try.
Try to calm down, Ruth.
I'm sorry, Dave, I'm sorry.
It's all right. Take it
easy, just take it easy.
But try to remember
everything. Everything.
- Yes.
- Now, the police were here when?
How long ago?
I don't know, just
a few minutes.
It was just before I phoned you.
Oh, Dave, I didn't mean to
worry you with that message,
but I was so scared...
All of a sudden
- I didn't know what to do.
- All right, all right.
Now, the police actually told
you that Tommy shot someone?
- Yes.
- Did they see him do it?
No.
It was the woman.
What woman?!
Oh, she was the mother of
the boy he was playing with.
I think their name was Harris.
They're positive?
She described everything
that happened to them.
My God!
- Where did the gun come from?
- I don't know.
How could he have
gotten his hands on a gun?!
Well, it was theirs...
It must have been
- in the house somewhere.
- And then they said Tommy ran?
Yes!
Why?
I mean, how could
something like this happen?
Tommy!
- You believed it.
- Tommy!
Where were you?
You believe it?
What?
What they said...
Do you believe it?
Tommy, I want you to
come in here and sit down.
You do.
Tommy...
You do!
No! Tommy!
Tommy!
Paul?
You all right?
Yeah.
What are you thinking?
Nothing.
Oh, honey.
Oh...
It's, um...
It's all over now, you know.
Hey...
brought you something.
It's supposed to be
for your birthday, but...
Thanks.
Aren't you gonna open it?
Yeah, sure.
Paul...
You're all mixed up, aren't you?
I...
I got a confession
to make to you.
I'm kind of mixed up, too.
I need you, Paulie.
You know that, don't you?
I know I don't...
I don't act like it a lot.
But I need you
now more than ever.
Be...
just...
just the two of us.
Like it was before.
You mean when Daddy left?
Yeah.
Yes, when-when your daddy left.
Mom?
Yeah?
Won't he ever come back?
No.
Why not?
Oh, Mom.
Mom, please, what did I do?
No, no, Paul, honey,
you didn't do anything.
You're mad again.
No, no, Paul, I'm
not... I'm not mad.
- It's all right.
- What's all right?
That you're mad at me.
I think I'm old enough
now that I can understand.
Understand what?
Why you blame me
for Daddy's leaving.
Oh, Paul, that's not true.
- It's not...
- Mom, Mom, please.
You said you were mixed up, too.
Was it about me, or
was it about Tommy?
What?
If it's about me,
it's okay, really.
I understand now, and it's okay.
But Tommy...
- Oh, shut up, Paul.
- Mom.
- Shut up!
- Mom, please!
- He didn't do anything!
- Just shut up!
Mom!
Mom.
Get out of here.
You get out of here.
Oh.
Hello.
Hello, this is Bonnie Harris.
Help me, please.
Oh, dear God, help me.
Help me, help me.
Yeah, you sure?
Okay, I just wish I
could say thanks, Charlie.
What?
That was the lab.
The gun is lousy with prints.
Two sets of adults and some
that have to match a kid's.
Tommy's?
Yeah.
Smeared.
All of them are smeared,
except one matched his.
What's that, the
ballistics report?
Yeah, open-and-shut.
.45 caliber in
a.45 service issue.
Oh, yeah, Mrs.
Sanders called in.
Tommy came home,
but he took off again.
Did you get out an APB?
Oh, yeah, yeah, the heat's on.
Armed police force
looking for a 14-year-old kid.
- I don't know.
- Wait a minute.
Hold it right there.
Now, I don't like this
any more than you do,
but we got to find the kid.
Especially when
he's down on himself
like the Sanders
say he could be.
Given up on himself
and everybody else.
Homicide, Lieutenant Stone.
Yeah?
Yeah, where?
Okay, you stay with
them and keep us posted.
Tommy's mother?
Yeah.
Nothing.
Are you sure that child welfare
doesn't have another
location on her?
They gave you the last
one they have in L.A.
She left L.A. three months ago.
No forwarding address.
Could, uh, Tommy have
gotten in touch with her?
No, he wouldn't know.
Well, maybe she
got in touch with him.
There's no way.
The agency would never
give her the address.
Look, wh...
Why don't we call
and talk to Paul Harris.
He was a friend of Tommy's;
maybe he'd know where he'd go.
All right.
I guess we better talk to him.
That's all you can
do, just keep digging.
Dig, dig, dig.
I'm sorry, son,
but $2.52 won't take you to L.A.
Not even on a kid's ticket.
How far will it take me?
Local bus, Oakland maybe.
Tell you what I'd do
if I was you, though.
I'd complain to the
Interstate Commerce people
after I got home.
Look, son, I don't know
what your folks are sore about,
but they'll cool off.
Take it from a guy
who's been there.
It doesn't help to run away.
Son...
Son!
- Hi, Paul.
- Hi.
- Is your mother home?
- No.
Well, do you think she'd mind
if we came in for a minute?
I don't know.
Just a minute.
I'd like to talk to you
about something.
I guess so.
Hey, what happened?
Have an accident?
I was trying to fix it.
Well, it looks like you've got
a pretty good repair shop here.
- Uh, you said you wanted to talk.
- Yes.
Yes, I do; I wanted to ask you
a couple of questions
about your friend, Tommy.
Did you find him yet?
No, no, no, not yet.
What's gonna happen
to him if you do?
Well, that's not
really up to us.
We're just trying to find
him, make sure he's all right.
You know where he is?
Are you gonna put him in jail?
No, no, no, we don't
put children in jail.
Well, what do you do with them?
Well, we take them to
juvenile hall for a while
till a judge decides
what's best for him.
Well, what if they've
been in trouble before?
You knew about
Tommy's background?
Just that he had to
live with somebody else.
Is that what could
happen this time?
Well, there's special
courts to take care of things
like what your mother
said Tommy did.
No, no.
Mom said they wouldn't
do anything to him
because he's just a kid.
She said it's not like if...
If what?
He was a grown-up.
She said things
would be different then,
but they wouldn't do
anything to Tommy.
That's all.
Where's your mother now?
She had to go out.
She go see somebody, or what?
I don't know.
She just made a
phone call and went out.
Let's get back to Tommy.
Do you know where he might be?
No.
Oh, some secret place
maybe that the two of you
would like to go when
you wanted to be alone?
No.
Your mother said Tommy
was standing up here
when he fired the gun.
I guess.
Well, was he?
- Yeah.
- And where were you?
Right by Tommy. Why?
No, I'm just being curious.
Paul,
I'm afraid this ship
has had its last voyage.
Unless you're a better
mechanic than I am.
Looks brand-new.
Is it?
Yeah.
Who gave it to you?
Got it from my mom.
Steve, what do you say?
Yeah, okay.
Listen, Paul, good
luck with your boat.
Yeah, thanks.
Listen, if you
happen to remember
where he is, just
let us know, will you?
Okay.
Good-bye, Paul.
That's a good ship.
I wish I had one.
We'll see you.
Just what did you
pinch in there?
Phone number.
Said she got a
phone call and left.
I figured maybe that'll
tell us where she went.
And that stuff about
"Where were you standing?"
What's all that about?
Two kids, they were standing
right next to each other...
Oh, now, wait a minute.
What?
Are you saying that this
kid pulled the trigger?
This is the kid
that Harris beat up.
But Tommy was the kid that ran.
I think Tommy has
been running all his life.
At least, that's the
impression I got
when we were talking
with Mrs. Sanders.
Well, are you thinking
that Paul's mother lied
just to protect him?
Isn't it a mother's
natural instinct
to want to protect her child?
He sees his mother
and father fighting.
He finally gets a chance
to get back at the man
that's been beating him up.
He picks up the
gun and he shoots it.
Could be.
Well,
let's see where this leads us.
♪♪
Look at that.
Yeah, hey, aren't we
supposed to know that kid?
You mean the kid
Homicide's looking for?
He fits the make;
you'd better call it in.
Central four to headquarters.
Spotted suspect of
APB for murder warrant
headed west of Market and Pine.
Partner in pursuit on foot.
♪♪
Are you sure this is the place?
Yeah, this is the
address they gave me.
Hello.
Ed Cooper; can
I help you fellas?
Yeah, my name is,
uh, Steven Keller.
- This is Lieutenant Stone.
- How are you?
You handle a case involving
a family named Harris?
A Robert Harris?
Yeah, mm-hmm.
Is there anywhere we could
talk alone for a moment?
I guess so, sure.
Say, uh, I wasn't
aware of this service.
Maybe you need publicity.
Good thought,
Lieutenant, but child abuse
is something most people
don't want to hear about.
They just keep hoping
it's gonna stop on its own.
Now, let's see here.
No way.
Lieutenant, I'm sorry,
but it looks like we're gonna
have to use my private office.
What? This is your
private office, Mr. Cooper?
I always thought it was mine.
Well, this is where
it's happening, isn't it?
It certainly is.
And the name is Ed.
This is strictly a
first name operation.
All volunteers.
And all former bad guys.
You were one of these guys?
That's right, but it's been
a long time for me now,
and I'm hoping I can
help keep somebody else
from going through
what I went through.
What I put my son
through before I got help.
So, now I...
I man the phones once a week
and hope that some
other abuser will call up
and cuss me or talk or just cry
instead of taking out
his frustration on his kids.
And that's the cause,
huh? Frustration?
Well, I'll tell you, Lieutenant,
I've got a library on
the subject at home.
There are so many
causes that nobody's sure.
Now, the only thing that is
sure is the damage that's done.
250,000 children are
beaten or injured every year.
35,000 of them end
up seriously hurt.
Two of them die every day,
and at the hands of the people
who are supposed to love them.
What do you think
caused Mr. Harris
to lay into Paul the way he did?
Mr. Harris?
Yeah.
Mr. Harris had no
problem that I was aware of.
Wait a minute.
It was her, it...
Paul's mother, it was her.
Did she call today?
Now, listen, Lieutenant,
I'm not a doctor,
and I know what she told me
isn't legally
confidential information,
but I just wouldn't feel right
telling you guys
what we talked about.
You wouldn't feel right
about a 14-year-old boy
being accused of murder
that he didn't commit,
now would you, Ed?
♪♪
♪♪
We got the call. Where is he?
Lost him, Lieutenant.
We know he got off
the BART at Lexington.
All right, he doesn't
live too far from here,
so he probably knows
this area better than we do.
Check the lumberyard!
Don't stop, get going!
Around the block, come on!
Keep moving.
So what do you think?
Just keep it moving;
I don't want to think.
Tommy?
Tom?
Tommy, are you here?
Tommy, I'm sorry.
I am.
Mom said it would be all right.
That they wouldn't
do anything to you.
Tommy, police came
to the house again today.
Just a little while ago.
What'd you tell them?
Nothing.
I couldn't.
Even about this place?
No.
Tommy, I didn't know what to do.
It's okay.
I just couldn't tell them
what really happened.
I couldn't.
I know.
Maybe you'd just
better go now, okay?
Are you gonna be all right?
Like your mom
said, I'll be okay.
I'll see you.
Yeah.
Come here!
Whoa, whoa.
Come here, Paul.
Now, wait a minute.
Hold it, hold it.
Is he inside, Paul?
Where's Tommy hiding?
Don't hurt him.
Please don't hurt him.
- He didn't do anything.
- I'll get him, Mike.
Inspectors eight-one
to headquarters.
Tommy?
It's okay. It's okay, Tommy.
It's all right.
Nobody wants to hurt you.
All we want to do is help.
You think I did
it, too, don't you?
Well, did you?
Doesn't matter.
Oh, come on.
Matters a lot, especially
to your mother and father.
I heard her talking to him.
She thought I did it, too.
Well, I don't know
what you heard,
but I know what
she thinks about you.
Because she told me herself.
That's right, yeah.
And right now,
she's pretty scared,
with you running off like this.
So why don't we go on home,
so she'll know
you're all right, okay?
Come on.
What about Paul?
We're gonna want to
talk to Paul's mother, too.
Lieutenant.
- Yes?
- Where is he?
Well, he's in there. Steve?
We'll wait for him in there.
What's the matter?
What do you want me to do?
I thought you wanted
to prosecute him.
No.
No, I don't want to do that.
Does he, does he have to be?
You said he killed your husband.
Oh, but he was
just trying to help.
I mean, it was just a young kid
who was, who was trying to help.
But you saw him pull
the trigger, didn't you?
You said he picked up the
gun and shot your husband.
That's what you
said, didn't you?
What did he say?
Now you know he said
something entirely different.
He lied.
Did he?
Or did you?
Isn't that what the
parent-child center
is trying to help
you stop, lying?
To yourself and
to everybody else?
We know how
Paul got those welts.
Mrs. Harris, you knew about
Tommy's problem, didn't you?
And you thought we
would hold that against him,
take the blame off of you.
A 14-year-old boy.
Now, you pulled that
trigger, didn't you?
Don't lie.
I...
I never meant
for him to be hurt.
I only thought...
I thought...
Mom. Mom.
Get me out of here, please.
Somebody... just
get me out of here.
Sekulovich.
♪♪
Paul?
Paul?
Tommy.
It's okay.
Some things are hard.
Morning.
Good morning.
Got new bikes, huh?
Mm-hmm.
How are things working out?
Oh, fine, Lieutenant.
Just fine.
A little crowded with both
of them in the same room,
but my husband says that's
why they build bunk beds.
You know what?
Your husband's right.
And how's Tommy's
adoption coming?
It'll be final next week.
That's terrific.
Yes, it is.
But you know what
the best part is?
What's that?
At night.
When they're
supposed to be asleep,
and we can hear them laugh.
You sure this is okay?
My mom's not home yet.
She'll never even know.
Mom!
You see, she's not home.
This is where she
still hides everything.
Still thinks I don't know.
Maybe you ought to
just wait for your birthday,
and let yourself be surprised.
That's no fun. Maybe
it's a new model ship.
A square-rigger, maybe.
Hey...
We gotta put it away!
- Why?
- Just do it!
What have you got there?
Mom said we had a gun.
A real gun.
But she never said where.
Your mother's not home?
No.
You'd better run along.
Yes, sir.
She's supposed to be here
when you get home from school.
She tells me she always is.
Well, you said you wouldn't
be home till late tonight...
Maybe early tomorrow morning.
So she figures she can
check out for a while, huh?
Is that what happens every
time I go on the road? Is it?
- Is it?!
- Hey, I don't know.
Well, you do know where
your mother is, don't you?
Is she with somebody?
Who's she with?
Well, you mean like
with one of the neighbors?
I mean a man.
Now, who's she with?
Answer me! Answer me!
Don't!
I don't know!
I want an answer!
I don't know
where she is! Don't!
This time I'm
calling the police.
No! I don't know! Don't!
Headquarters report of a
possible 2-4-0 in progress
at 589 Hayward.
Any other units in the vicinity?
2-40, 2-40...
Child beating.
Yes. A couple of blocks away.
Inspectors eight-one
to headquarters.
We'll respond to
that possible 2-40.
Child beating.
Tommy.
Hey, Tiger. come on.
I'm sorry.
Mom.
What is it, Paul?
What's wrong?
I hit him.
Bonnie, I didn't
mean to, but I hit him.
Why?
I thought you made it a point
to be home after school.
So you hit Paul
because I wasn't?
Because you were mad at me?
Now, don't you
lecture me about that.
Not you.
I just wanted to
know where you were.
And I still do.
Come on, Bob.
Just because we're married
doesn't make me your slave!
You know, I have a right
to lead a life of my own!
Oh, yeah?
Well, you know, that depends
on just who you're leading it with!
Police? Are you from the police?
- Yes, ma'am. Yeah.
- We're the ones who called.
It's the Harris
boy right up here.
This isn't the first
time that it happened.
They've beaten him before.
You're sure of that Mr., uh...
- Russell. -Russell.
- You've got to stop them.
All hours of the day and night
we can hear that boy
screaming sometimes.
If you just stay down
there, we'll do all we can.
I know what you're
doing, Bonnie,
and I'm not gonna
put up with it.
- I can't!
- Hello? Hello? Hello?
Hello?
Just a minute.
- Mrs. Harris?
- Yes?
I'm Lieutenant Stone.
This is Inspector Keller.
We received a report
that there's a problem here.
May we come in?
It's just a family argument.
Did that family argument
involve your son here, Mr. Harris?
I slapped Paul.
It's not something
that I'm proud of.
You okay?
Yes, sir.
I never hit him before, God
help me, I won't do it again.
Excuse me, but the
call we got over the radio
was about a child beating.
And we just heard that
it's happened before.
Paul, take your
jacket and shirt off.
Just a minute, Lieutenant.
The boy said he was all right.
It's... it's over now.
Mrs. Harris, our job
is to make sure of that.
Paul, would you please
take off your shirt?
Okay, you can put it back on.
Paul... how old are you?
Thirteen.
Thirteen?
I want you to be honest with me.
Did your father do this to you?
He's not my father.
This is Paul's
stepfather, Lieutenant.
Oh, I see.
Paul?
Well, I... I fell
down some stairs.
You know, at school,
they're... they're real high.
Uh, he has a balance problem.
We're having a doctor
check into it soon.
Yes, you do that.
I'll put it in our report,
along with everything else.
No, don't bother.
Stay right here.
- Thank you very much.
- Aren't you gonna do anything?
Well, we've done all we can.
We'll call juvenile hall now.
I just don't know
how she allows it.
Her own son.
Well, that's one I
can't answer, Steve.
I only know when
you respond to a 2-40,
a child beating call, it's ugly.
It's one of the ugliest.
See, was that kid standing
over there when we drove in?
Think so, yeah.
Hi!
You live here?
What's your name?
Tommy.
Are you a friend of Paul's?
You guy are cops.
We came by to help Paul.
Tommy,
how'd you like to do
your friend a favor?
Can you tell us what
happened at Paul's?
Did you see anything?
If you tell us, maybe we
can do something about it.
No, you can't.
You can't do anything!
Paul?
What are you doing?
Been here all day?
Yeah.
Have lunch?
No.
Here.
Go on! I saved it for you.
- I'm not hungry.
- Take it anyway.
Was it that bad
with your folks, too?
Worse.
What did you do?
Here goes algebra.
Ah, two points!
I heard you got in trouble.
Who told you that?
Mom.
She doesn't want us
hanging around together.
I was just a kid then.
Everything's different now.
Do you like living
with the Sanders?
Yeah.
They're great.
Don't you ever miss her?
Your real mom?
Not anymore.
I could never feel that way.
I wouldn't care what she did.
She doesn't mean it.
I know that.
Well, I got to get going.
Trash man comes tomorrow,
and I got to empty the
wastebaskets and stuff.
You coming?
Got to go home sometime.
Come on, I'll race you.
I'll see you tomorrow.
Hey, Tommy?
Can't you stay for a while?
Bob?
Bob? What are you doing?
Are you out of
your mind? Stop it!
Stop it, Bob... Listen,
we can talk about it.
Talk? I'm gonna
talk when all this time
I've been feeling
guilty for suspecting you
and you've been spending
your afternoons with him?
But you don't know
what you're doing!
- I know exactly what I'm doing!
- No, Bob.
Bob, stop it! Put it back!
Oh... Bob, are you crazy?
Put it back!
Mom? Mom!
Mom!
No! Don't!
Stop it!
Get it!
Get the gun!
Pick it up!
Don't! Stop it!
That does it... I'm
calling in again.
Somebody's been shot.
Oh, Paulie...
Mom.
We, uh...
we struggled.
All I wanted to do was
to get the gun away,
to talk to the man rationally.
And he thought you
were seeing another man.
Yes, sir. Oh, he
was crazy like that.
He was jealous of any
man I even smiled at.
Anyway, Paul, um...
Paul tried to help.
Bob knocked him down.
And... Tommy...
Tommy's last name, that's, uh,
- that's Sanders, is that right?
- Yes.
But what exactly
was it that he did?
Well...
Bob dropped the gun...
and Tommy p-picked it up.
And then...
and then...
Oh, God.
Oh, dear God.
He shot your husband?
Mrs. Harris, do
you have any idea
what made him pick
up the gun and shoot it?
No.
No, I-I watched it happen,
and it all happened so quickly.
I think he thought he
was trying to help, and...
there was... there was
nothing that I could do.
Tommy was standing
right over here
when he pulled the
trigger, is that correct?
Yes.
And, uh, do you know
where we can find him now?
He lives about a block
up on the next street over.
Paul, what's the address?
Mom.
Paul, what is it? Come on.
It's, uh...
it's the fourth house.
It's on the far corner.
It's on the left side.
Thank you.
Do you have a
doctor, a family doctor?
- Yes.
- Well, I think it would be wise
if you and the boy
took a mild sedative.
Oh. Oh, thanks,
we'll be all right.
Thank you.
- Lieutenant?
- Yes?
I, uh...
I-I never liked Tommy
playing with Paul.
I never liked it.
One of the neighbors said
that he'd done some bad
things, some juvenile problems.
He even had a record.
Record? What was it for?
Oh, no, no, I...
I didn't listen; it was gossip.
I-I didn't...
That's all right.
We'll check it out. Good-bye.
Bye, Paul.
Mom.
What are they gonna do to Tommy?
He'll be all right.
He's just a young boy.
He'll be all right.
But what did he do before?
I told you, I don't know!
Didn't you hear
me? I don't know!
Yes, ma'am.
Tommy couldn't do such a thing.
Well, that's why we're here.
We wanted to hear
Tommy's side of the story.
May we talk to him, please?
Well, he...
he isn't here.
I haven't seen him
since this morning.
But... but Tommy is-is
not the kind of a boy
that you can hold
on to too tightly.
He needs room.
He needs... trust.
More than most boys his age?
Yes, I'm afraid so.
You see, Tommy
is our foster son.
Dave and I. That's my husband.
We love Tommy very much.
And we're trying to help him
learn to live with his past.
And overcome it.
I-I just can't believe that
anything like what you're saying
could happen again.
Again, ma'am? I...
Just what is it Tommy
has to overcome?
Brutality.
Ugliness.
A nightmare no child
should have to live through.
You see, Tommy's
parents, his mother drank.
She couldn't even
make a decent home.
And she was more afraid
of losing her husband
than she was of
anything else in her life.
And he, well...
he apparently... blamed
his wife and his boy
for all of his own failures.
And then one night...
about six years ago,
Tommy was... eight,
his father started
in on his mother.
Beating her.
A child like that, a...
All he knew was that...
it was his mother and
he loved her, needed her.
Anyway...
he got a gun...
a rifle...
and...
and he shot his own father.
"You can't do anything."
What?
That's what Tommy told
us the other day, remember?
"You can't do anything."
Hey, Mike, you gonna
have to put out an APB?
Yeah, I got to find him.
I know, I know.
But he must have been scared
when he pulled that trigger.
I'll bet he's a lot
more scared right now.
Yeah.
We have to help him, and fast.
Well, that's what
I was thinking.
Maybe we ought to
give it one more shot first,
just the two of us.
Kid's probably got
some hangouts.
So maybe the social worker
who handles the case would know.
You're right, it's worth a try.
Try to calm down, Ruth.
I'm sorry, Dave, I'm sorry.
It's all right. Take it
easy, just take it easy.
But try to remember
everything. Everything.
- Yes.
- Now, the police were here when?
How long ago?
I don't know, just
a few minutes.
It was just before I phoned you.
Oh, Dave, I didn't mean to
worry you with that message,
but I was so scared...
All of a sudden
- I didn't know what to do.
- All right, all right.
Now, the police actually told
you that Tommy shot someone?
- Yes.
- Did they see him do it?
No.
It was the woman.
What woman?!
Oh, she was the mother of
the boy he was playing with.
I think their name was Harris.
They're positive?
She described everything
that happened to them.
My God!
- Where did the gun come from?
- I don't know.
How could he have
gotten his hands on a gun?!
Well, it was theirs...
It must have been
- in the house somewhere.
- And then they said Tommy ran?
Yes!
Why?
I mean, how could
something like this happen?
Tommy!
- You believed it.
- Tommy!
Where were you?
You believe it?
What?
What they said...
Do you believe it?
Tommy, I want you to
come in here and sit down.
You do.
Tommy...
You do!
No! Tommy!
Tommy!
Paul?
You all right?
Yeah.
What are you thinking?
Nothing.
Oh, honey.
Oh...
It's, um...
It's all over now, you know.
Hey...
brought you something.
It's supposed to be
for your birthday, but...
Thanks.
Aren't you gonna open it?
Yeah, sure.
Paul...
You're all mixed up, aren't you?
I...
I got a confession
to make to you.
I'm kind of mixed up, too.
I need you, Paulie.
You know that, don't you?
I know I don't...
I don't act like it a lot.
But I need you
now more than ever.
Be...
just...
just the two of us.
Like it was before.
You mean when Daddy left?
Yeah.
Yes, when-when your daddy left.
Mom?
Yeah?
Won't he ever come back?
No.
Why not?
Oh, Mom.
Mom, please, what did I do?
No, no, Paul, honey,
you didn't do anything.
You're mad again.
No, no, Paul, I'm
not... I'm not mad.
- It's all right.
- What's all right?
That you're mad at me.
I think I'm old enough
now that I can understand.
Understand what?
Why you blame me
for Daddy's leaving.
Oh, Paul, that's not true.
- It's not...
- Mom, Mom, please.
You said you were mixed up, too.
Was it about me, or
was it about Tommy?
What?
If it's about me,
it's okay, really.
I understand now, and it's okay.
But Tommy...
- Oh, shut up, Paul.
- Mom.
- Shut up!
- Mom, please!
- He didn't do anything!
- Just shut up!
Mom!
Mom.
Get out of here.
You get out of here.
Oh.
Hello.
Hello, this is Bonnie Harris.
Help me, please.
Oh, dear God, help me.
Help me, help me.
Yeah, you sure?
Okay, I just wish I
could say thanks, Charlie.
What?
That was the lab.
The gun is lousy with prints.
Two sets of adults and some
that have to match a kid's.
Tommy's?
Yeah.
Smeared.
All of them are smeared,
except one matched his.
What's that, the
ballistics report?
Yeah, open-and-shut.
.45 caliber in
a.45 service issue.
Oh, yeah, Mrs.
Sanders called in.
Tommy came home,
but he took off again.
Did you get out an APB?
Oh, yeah, yeah, the heat's on.
Armed police force
looking for a 14-year-old kid.
- I don't know.
- Wait a minute.
Hold it right there.
Now, I don't like this
any more than you do,
but we got to find the kid.
Especially when
he's down on himself
like the Sanders
say he could be.
Given up on himself
and everybody else.
Homicide, Lieutenant Stone.
Yeah?
Yeah, where?
Okay, you stay with
them and keep us posted.
Tommy's mother?
Yeah.
Nothing.
Are you sure that child welfare
doesn't have another
location on her?
They gave you the last
one they have in L.A.
She left L.A. three months ago.
No forwarding address.
Could, uh, Tommy have
gotten in touch with her?
No, he wouldn't know.
Well, maybe she
got in touch with him.
There's no way.
The agency would never
give her the address.
Look, wh...
Why don't we call
and talk to Paul Harris.
He was a friend of Tommy's;
maybe he'd know where he'd go.
All right.
I guess we better talk to him.
That's all you can
do, just keep digging.
Dig, dig, dig.
I'm sorry, son,
but $2.52 won't take you to L.A.
Not even on a kid's ticket.
How far will it take me?
Local bus, Oakland maybe.
Tell you what I'd do
if I was you, though.
I'd complain to the
Interstate Commerce people
after I got home.
Look, son, I don't know
what your folks are sore about,
but they'll cool off.
Take it from a guy
who's been there.
It doesn't help to run away.
Son...
Son!
- Hi, Paul.
- Hi.
- Is your mother home?
- No.
Well, do you think she'd mind
if we came in for a minute?
I don't know.
Just a minute.
I'd like to talk to you
about something.
I guess so.
Hey, what happened?
Have an accident?
I was trying to fix it.
Well, it looks like you've got
a pretty good repair shop here.
- Uh, you said you wanted to talk.
- Yes.
Yes, I do; I wanted to ask you
a couple of questions
about your friend, Tommy.
Did you find him yet?
No, no, no, not yet.
What's gonna happen
to him if you do?
Well, that's not
really up to us.
We're just trying to find
him, make sure he's all right.
You know where he is?
Are you gonna put him in jail?
No, no, no, we don't
put children in jail.
Well, what do you do with them?
Well, we take them to
juvenile hall for a while
till a judge decides
what's best for him.
Well, what if they've
been in trouble before?
You knew about
Tommy's background?
Just that he had to
live with somebody else.
Is that what could
happen this time?
Well, there's special
courts to take care of things
like what your mother
said Tommy did.
No, no.
Mom said they wouldn't
do anything to him
because he's just a kid.
She said it's not like if...
If what?
He was a grown-up.
She said things
would be different then,
but they wouldn't do
anything to Tommy.
That's all.
Where's your mother now?
She had to go out.
She go see somebody, or what?
I don't know.
She just made a
phone call and went out.
Let's get back to Tommy.
Do you know where he might be?
No.
Oh, some secret place
maybe that the two of you
would like to go when
you wanted to be alone?
No.
Your mother said Tommy
was standing up here
when he fired the gun.
I guess.
Well, was he?
- Yeah.
- And where were you?
Right by Tommy. Why?
No, I'm just being curious.
Paul,
I'm afraid this ship
has had its last voyage.
Unless you're a better
mechanic than I am.
Looks brand-new.
Is it?
Yeah.
Who gave it to you?
Got it from my mom.
Steve, what do you say?
Yeah, okay.
Listen, Paul, good
luck with your boat.
Yeah, thanks.
Listen, if you
happen to remember
where he is, just
let us know, will you?
Okay.
Good-bye, Paul.
That's a good ship.
I wish I had one.
We'll see you.
Just what did you
pinch in there?
Phone number.
Said she got a
phone call and left.
I figured maybe that'll
tell us where she went.
And that stuff about
"Where were you standing?"
What's all that about?
Two kids, they were standing
right next to each other...
Oh, now, wait a minute.
What?
Are you saying that this
kid pulled the trigger?
This is the kid
that Harris beat up.
But Tommy was the kid that ran.
I think Tommy has
been running all his life.
At least, that's the
impression I got
when we were talking
with Mrs. Sanders.
Well, are you thinking
that Paul's mother lied
just to protect him?
Isn't it a mother's
natural instinct
to want to protect her child?
He sees his mother
and father fighting.
He finally gets a chance
to get back at the man
that's been beating him up.
He picks up the
gun and he shoots it.
Could be.
Well,
let's see where this leads us.
♪♪
Look at that.
Yeah, hey, aren't we
supposed to know that kid?
You mean the kid
Homicide's looking for?
He fits the make;
you'd better call it in.
Central four to headquarters.
Spotted suspect of
APB for murder warrant
headed west of Market and Pine.
Partner in pursuit on foot.
♪♪
Are you sure this is the place?
Yeah, this is the
address they gave me.
Hello.
Ed Cooper; can
I help you fellas?
Yeah, my name is,
uh, Steven Keller.
- This is Lieutenant Stone.
- How are you?
You handle a case involving
a family named Harris?
A Robert Harris?
Yeah, mm-hmm.
Is there anywhere we could
talk alone for a moment?
I guess so, sure.
Say, uh, I wasn't
aware of this service.
Maybe you need publicity.
Good thought,
Lieutenant, but child abuse
is something most people
don't want to hear about.
They just keep hoping
it's gonna stop on its own.
Now, let's see here.
No way.
Lieutenant, I'm sorry,
but it looks like we're gonna
have to use my private office.
What? This is your
private office, Mr. Cooper?
I always thought it was mine.
Well, this is where
it's happening, isn't it?
It certainly is.
And the name is Ed.
This is strictly a
first name operation.
All volunteers.
And all former bad guys.
You were one of these guys?
That's right, but it's been
a long time for me now,
and I'm hoping I can
help keep somebody else
from going through
what I went through.
What I put my son
through before I got help.
So, now I...
I man the phones once a week
and hope that some
other abuser will call up
and cuss me or talk or just cry
instead of taking out
his frustration on his kids.
And that's the cause,
huh? Frustration?
Well, I'll tell you, Lieutenant,
I've got a library on
the subject at home.
There are so many
causes that nobody's sure.
Now, the only thing that is
sure is the damage that's done.
250,000 children are
beaten or injured every year.
35,000 of them end
up seriously hurt.
Two of them die every day,
and at the hands of the people
who are supposed to love them.
What do you think
caused Mr. Harris
to lay into Paul the way he did?
Mr. Harris?
Yeah.
Mr. Harris had no
problem that I was aware of.
Wait a minute.
It was her, it...
Paul's mother, it was her.
Did she call today?
Now, listen, Lieutenant,
I'm not a doctor,
and I know what she told me
isn't legally
confidential information,
but I just wouldn't feel right
telling you guys
what we talked about.
You wouldn't feel right
about a 14-year-old boy
being accused of murder
that he didn't commit,
now would you, Ed?
♪♪
♪♪
We got the call. Where is he?
Lost him, Lieutenant.
We know he got off
the BART at Lexington.
All right, he doesn't
live too far from here,
so he probably knows
this area better than we do.
Check the lumberyard!
Don't stop, get going!
Around the block, come on!
Keep moving.
So what do you think?
Just keep it moving;
I don't want to think.
Tommy?
Tom?
Tommy, are you here?
Tommy, I'm sorry.
I am.
Mom said it would be all right.
That they wouldn't
do anything to you.
Tommy, police came
to the house again today.
Just a little while ago.
What'd you tell them?
Nothing.
I couldn't.
Even about this place?
No.
Tommy, I didn't know what to do.
It's okay.
I just couldn't tell them
what really happened.
I couldn't.
I know.
Maybe you'd just
better go now, okay?
Are you gonna be all right?
Like your mom
said, I'll be okay.
I'll see you.
Yeah.
Come here!
Whoa, whoa.
Come here, Paul.
Now, wait a minute.
Hold it, hold it.
Is he inside, Paul?
Where's Tommy hiding?
Don't hurt him.
Please don't hurt him.
- He didn't do anything.
- I'll get him, Mike.
Inspectors eight-one
to headquarters.
Tommy?
It's okay. It's okay, Tommy.
It's all right.
Nobody wants to hurt you.
All we want to do is help.
You think I did
it, too, don't you?
Well, did you?
Doesn't matter.
Oh, come on.
Matters a lot, especially
to your mother and father.
I heard her talking to him.
She thought I did it, too.
Well, I don't know
what you heard,
but I know what
she thinks about you.
Because she told me herself.
That's right, yeah.
And right now,
she's pretty scared,
with you running off like this.
So why don't we go on home,
so she'll know
you're all right, okay?
Come on.
What about Paul?
We're gonna want to
talk to Paul's mother, too.
Lieutenant.
- Yes?
- Where is he?
Well, he's in there. Steve?
We'll wait for him in there.
What's the matter?
What do you want me to do?
I thought you wanted
to prosecute him.
No.
No, I don't want to do that.
Does he, does he have to be?
You said he killed your husband.
Oh, but he was
just trying to help.
I mean, it was just a young kid
who was, who was trying to help.
But you saw him pull
the trigger, didn't you?
You said he picked up the
gun and shot your husband.
That's what you
said, didn't you?
What did he say?
Now you know he said
something entirely different.
He lied.
Did he?
Or did you?
Isn't that what the
parent-child center
is trying to help
you stop, lying?
To yourself and
to everybody else?
We know how
Paul got those welts.
Mrs. Harris, you knew about
Tommy's problem, didn't you?
And you thought we
would hold that against him,
take the blame off of you.
A 14-year-old boy.
Now, you pulled that
trigger, didn't you?
Don't lie.
I...
I never meant
for him to be hurt.
I only thought...
I thought...
Mom. Mom.
Get me out of here, please.
Somebody... just
get me out of here.
Sekulovich.
♪♪
Paul?
Paul?
Tommy.
It's okay.
Some things are hard.
Morning.
Good morning.
Got new bikes, huh?
Mm-hmm.
How are things working out?
Oh, fine, Lieutenant.
Just fine.
A little crowded with both
of them in the same room,
but my husband says that's
why they build bunk beds.
You know what?
Your husband's right.
And how's Tommy's
adoption coming?
It'll be final next week.
That's terrific.
Yes, it is.
But you know what
the best part is?
What's that?
At night.
When they're
supposed to be asleep,
and we can hear them laugh.