The Streets of San Francisco (1972–1977): Season 4, Episode 16 - The Honorable Profession - full transcript
(theme music playing)
♪♪
Thank you, ladies.
Come again.
Um... I'd also like a list of
your latest generic
drugs, if I may.
- I'm always adding to the list.
- (chuckles)
- Oh, you're a doctor?
- Yes, I am.
Fine. I have a list in
back. I'll get it for you.
All righty.
Just don't move, turkey.
Empty it.
Here's that list, Doctor...
Check the back, see
if there's any drugs.
(motorcycle approaching)
(motorcycle engine stops)
Give me one, Benny.
Easy on the onions, this time.
They kind of cramp my style.
Besides, how can I
taste all that grease
if you put the onions on?
DISPATCHER (on radio):
All units, 2722 Bay Street.
Silent 100 holdup
alarm. Code two.
They're playing my song.
Keep it warm, Benny!
Will you hurry up? Move it!
DISPATCHER: All
units, 2722 Bay Street.
Silent 100 holdup
alarm. Code two.
That's just a couple
of blocks from here.
Come on, move it!
Give me your wallet, turkey.
Slow. Real slow.
Come on, come
on, forget the drugs!
Let's get out of here.
Hold it right there.
Get rid of the guns,
ditch them in the truck!
There they are.
Hold it, don't
shoot, don't shoot!
(shouting indistinctly)
KELLER: On the hood! Let's go!
Here.
You take care of these two.
All right, now, I'm a doctor.
Stay still, I'm getting my bag.
I'll be right back.
(crowd murmuring)
All right, let me
get through here.
Here, don't try to get up.
- Don't try to get up.
- (gasping)
Lie still. Don't move.
That's it.
Oh, man.
It hurts.
How bad is it, Mike?
DOCTOR: Excuse me,
let me through, please.
It's just a scratch,
you're going to be okay.
Anybody ever tell
you lying's a sin?
I'm a doctor, let me look at it.
(coughs)
I've called the ambulance.
I think Harbor
Emergency's the closest.
Why don't you give them a call,
and tell them to have an OR open
and plenty of plasma
for a transfusion.
Right, Doctor.
Okay, help me
turn him on his side.
That's it.
Is he going to be
all right, Doctor?
Maybe. If we can get
him to the hospital on time.
I tell you, if you move
those people back,
and clear a path
for an ambulance,
'cause when they get here,
- we gotta move and move fast.
- Yeah.
All right, step back,
everybody. Way back.
We want an ambulance
to come through here.
Way back! Come on.
Everybody. Get way
back, come on, please.
(siren wailing)
- KELLER: How is he?
- They just took him in.
- What about those two punks?
- Booked them.
Went back, tried to
find the gun, couldn't.
Uh, pharmacist is coming
in to try to make a positive ID.
How is he, Doctor?
Well, he's in good hands.
They're doing the best they can.
I'm sorry, Mr... Stone,
Lieutenant Stone.
- This is Inspector Keller.
- Hi.
I'm going to have to have
your name for the report.
Holtfield. Arnold Holtfield.
Arnold Holtfield.
And, uh, where do we
get in touch with you?
I'm on the staff at St. Agnes.
- (pager beeping)
- St. Agnes...
Would you excuse me?
I have to check in.
DOCTOR: Are you the police?
Yes, Lieutenant
Stone, Inspector Keller.
Well, I'm sorry.
He's dead.
It would have taken a miracle.
Location of the wound,
internal hemorrhaging.
I'm sorry.
I think he feels
worse than we do.
Well, you must
have seen something.
How tall were they?
What was the
color of their hair?
What kind of clothes
were they wearing?
I was in the back of
the store, Lieutenant.
I came out, someone
hit me from behind,
and when I hit
the floor, I stayed.
Well, then, you saw the shoes.
- What were they?
- I don't know.
All I could think about was
pushing that alarm button.
You sure showed
a lot of courage,
- with him standing right there.
- Oh, I'm not so sure.
I think I rang that alarm
because I was afraid
someone was going to
hit me again, and it hurts.
All right, thanks.
Oh, Lieutenant.
I think the doctor got
a good look at them.
He was standing out
there the whole time.
What doctor is this?
The one that took
care of the officer
- after he was shot.
- Find him, Steve.
He told us, he's on
the staff at St. Agnes.
Tell him I'll set up a
lineup, at his convenience.
Now, when do I get my money?
How much was taken?
I ran the register
tape on it, it's $178.23.
Yeah, that's about how
much they had on them.
I'm sorry, but I can't
give it back to you now.
Why not? It's my money.
We have to prove
that they were the ones
that robbed your
store, killed that officer.
Oh, they're the
ones, Lieutenant.
You know it, and I know it.
I asked you if you
could identify them,
and you said you couldn't.
We need proof.
It has to proven to the
satisfaction of the court.
Now, when we find a
witness, we'll call you.
You ask that
doctor, he'll tell you.
When the doctor comes
in, I'll let you know.
Thank you.
KELLER: Okay.
Thank you very much.
- Well, that's funny.
- What's funny?
I thought he said he's
on the staff at St. Agnes.
He did.
I've got it in my notebook.
You were there when he told me.
Here it is.
"Dr. Arnold
Holtfield, St. Agnes."
I called the hospital.
They have no Dr. Holtfield
registered there,
and there's none in
the phone book, either.
All right, check with the
Board of Medical Exchange.
Without that doctor,
we don't have a case.
I know.
Yeah, could I have a listing...
Hello, Mr. Moring.
Hello, Doctor.
It's a beautiful
day, Mr. Schultz.
Everybody says
it's going to rain.
30 bodies complaining of
assorted aches and pains,
and every time...
well, I'll bet it does rain.
Mrs. Travis inside?
Yes, she's out in the garden.
- She's expecting you.
- All right.
Oh, by the way, you haven't
met the prodigal yet, have you?
- Hmm?
- Her boy.
He's a troublemaker.
Nothing but complaints.
Well, you get used that
in my line of work, right?
"who appeared to get on in life
"by putting his
hands in his pocket
"and contemplating the baker,
"who in his turn folded his
arms and stared at the grocer
who stood at his door
and yawned at the chemist."
Hello, Mrs. Valentine.
- Glad to see you up and about.
- "The watchmaker,
"always poring
over a little desk
"with a magnifying
glass at his eye,
and always inspected by
a group in smock-frocks..."
How's my favorite
teenage patient?
Dr. Avery! I was beginning to
think you weren't coming today.
Well, I got caught in a little
emergency across town,
but I came as
soon as I was free.
Oh.
Oh, Doctor, I'd like to have
you meet my son, Hank.
Your son. Well, I wasn't aware.
- How do you do?
- I'm very aware of you, Doctor.
My mother talks
about you all the time.
- (laughing): Oh.
- Quite highly.
Hank lives in Phoenix.
He just flew in for a visit.
Ah, well, far be it from me
to interrupt a family reunion,
but I did want to
drop off these pills.
My mother's very fortunate
to have a physician who's
willing to make house calls.
I thought you breed
was all but extinct.
Oh, there are a few
of us dinosaurs left.
Besides, favored patients
deserve favored privileges.
Well, I tell you I'm a
little behind schedule.
Why don't you let me run along,
and I'll get back to
you next week, all right?
All right.
- I'll walk you out.
- Okay.
Don't let me hear about
you playing any touch football
while I'm not here.
I've got spies in this place.
You have my word.
Bye-bye.
No, I've never been to Phoenix,
though I've flown over
it a number of times.
Well, Mr. Travis,
it's nice meeting you.
Doctor...
I'd like to have a
little talk with you later,
in private, if you don't mind.
Well, if it's about your
mother's condition, uh...
Actually...
it's the treatment of
my mother's condition
that I'd like to
discuss with you.
Um... as I'm sure
you can understand,
I became curious about
the kind of medication
that you've had my mother on.
So I took one of her
pills to a private lab,
and I had it analyzed.
Friends of mine have warned
me about the kind of people
who prey on the
elderly and the infirm.
Especially the wealthy ones.
Naturally, I wouldn't
want my mother to fall into
the hands of a charlatan.
I mean, I could go
to the authorities,
but I don't...
really want to do
that unless I have to.
It... would upset Mother,
and she does think so
very highly of you, so...
if we could have that little
private consultation later,
at your convenience,
I'd certainly appreciate it.
Why don't you drop by my office
about 3:00 this afternoon.
That's my card, and
there's the address.
Good, I'll be there.
I do hope we can come to some
mutual understanding, Doctor.
After all, we both want
what's best for my
mother, don't we, Doctor?
No, Lieutenant, I never
saw the man before in my life.
I didn't think anything of it.
I don't know every
doctor in this town.
Well, we checked with the
board of medical advisors.
They say there is no
Dr. Holtfield in San Francisco.
Well, maybe he isn't
from San Francisco.
He said he was on
the staff at St. Agnes.
Look, why don't you tell me
exactly what you want to know.
What I want to know exactly
is was he killed by the bullet
or by the kind of
medical treatment
he got after he was wounded.
He was very badly
wounded, Lieutenant.
Don't tell me; I know he
was very badly wounded.
Well, then let me
put it to you this way.
If that police officer
had been shot
and fallen directly
onto the operating table,
we might have been
able to save him.
I say might have
been able to save him.
Anyway, that doctor of
yours did a hell of a good job.
Well, if he did such a good job,
why did he give us a phony name?
Well, maybe he was afraid
somebody would sue
him for malpractice.
No, no, that doesn't work
in this state, and you know it.
We've got the
Good Samaritan law.
Any doctor that gives first aid
at the scene of an emergency
is not liable for a
malpractice suit.
Well, then maybe I ought
to meet all my patients
at the scene of the accident.
Ah, look,
I don't know, maybe
he is an imposter.
I couldn't swear to it,
and I couldn't testify to it,
but there is that chance.
I mean, anything's
possible, right?
That's right.
Well, okay, if, uh,
you'll excuse me,
I have some patients
to take care of.
A phony doctor.
Why would any guy
pull a stunt like that?
And I let him.
Oh, come on, you
can't blame yourself.
Well, he seemed to know
what he was talking about,
- what he was doing.
- If he's phony,
he's hiding under
some rock someplace.
Yeah, and we've got to find him.
He's our only witness.
And I want him for
personal reasons.
I put a call into the
Chicago office of the A.M.A.
If there ever was a
Dr. Holtfield registered,
they'll find him
and we'll get him.
We'd better get him.
STONE: "Arnold
Stephen Holtfield, M.D.
1912 to 1972."
Well, it tells us one thing.
At least our imposter, he didn't
pick any name from random.
He picked somebody who
wouldn't be around to challenge him.
Maybe our guy knew Holtfield.
You know, he could have
been a patient or something.
Also, I had the A.M.A check
on his widow's address.
She moved after he died.
It's some way to go, Mike.
He called himself a doctor.
Walked right in and took
over, right there in front of me.
Still taking yourself over
the coals for that one?
Well, when I was a kid,
there were two kinds of people
we were taught to
respect and to trust...
Priests and doctors.
So, what happened to cops?
Well, priests and doctors
have built-in respect.
Cops have got to earn it.
Very impressive, Doctor,
very impressive credentials.
All the proper medical schools.
Hmm.
In this age of the
hypochondriac,
business must be booming, huh?
There's still enough
physical maladies
to keep us all busy, Mr. Travis.
I don't think you're really here
to discuss the state of
the medical profession.
No, I'm not.
I believe I told you I had
these little pills analyzed.
Is this what you prescribe
to combat those real,
physical maladies?
Sugar?
Mr. Travis... (sighs)
it's a placebo.
And we sometimes find it
psychologically beneficial
in the treatment of patients
for whom there is no
medical alternative.
For whom there are no cures?
Yes.
Hmm.
In other words,
my mother is dying
and you're not really doing
anything to help, are you?
Why this sudden concern
for your mother's well-being?
I mean, I've been her
doctor for a number of years...
What else have you been?
I don't think I understand that.
Really?
This is a copy of a
codicil to my mother's will
naming you as a beneficiary
to the tune of $20,000.
I didn't know
anything about this.
I'll bet you didn't.
I don't want her money.
I'll ask her to take
me out of her will.
No, no, no, I don't
want you to do that.
As a matter of fact, I want
you to have the money.
Because you're
going to earn it, Doctor.
Every penny of it.
You know, when I first saw this,
I got really, very angry.
That's when I decided
to check up on you,
just to find out what kind
of ghoul you really are.
Would you like to know
what I found out about you?
You're not a real doctor at all.
You're a phony, a
fake, an imposter.
You know something,
I rather admire that,
because I'm a very
unscrupulous person myself.
And I just have a feeling
that between the two of us,
we're going to make crime pay.
$20,000 for you, $80,000 for me.
What are you talking about?
Doctor, my mother
is in terrible pain.
I want you to put an
end to her suffering.
No.
Well, then I'm going
to call the police,
the American Medical
Association, the newspapers.
It's strictly up to you, Doctor.
I want you to understand that.
No.
I need more time.
I understand perfectly.
I understand perfectly.
I'll be in touch
with you, Doctor.
And, Doctor, I just know
you're going to make
the right decision.
Absolutely not.
My mind's made up.
Now, you can use the money
for whichever medical
charity you favor.
That decision is yours,
but Hank is not getting it.
My son has been
perched like a vulture
for almost a year.
(sighs)
Before my sickness, I
didn't even hear from him
for ten years.
So, now he's divorced and, uh,
he's lost his job,
and he's here looking
for an easy ride.
Well, he's not
getting one from me.
Martha, if you'd
consulted me about this,
I mean, if you'd only told
me what you were planning...
I mean, you have to know
how I felt hearing it from him.
You see, you've placed me
in a very awkward position.
A doctor in a
patient's will... I...
I'm a sick old woman.
And you've made me feel...
(chuckles) happy.
Oh, I'm not senile.
I'm responsible for my actions.
And there's nothing
that you can say
that's gonna make
me change my mind.
All right, Martha.
Don't you worry about it.
I'll, uh, I'll take
care of everything.
(pager beeping)
Well, I'm being paged.
Excuse me; I'll be right back.
Yes, it's Dr. Avery.
You have a phone call for me?
Right. Thank you.
Here you go.
Now, don't neglect those
exercises we taught you.
And give us a call any time,
even if you think
it's false labor.
(phone rings)
Bay Street Free
Clinic, Angie speaking.
Well, Doc Avery.
Just the miracle man we need
around here right about now.
What, are you
swamped again, are you?
You better believe it.
Flu epidemic sweeping the city,
not to mention the
usual assortment
of ills and catastrophes.
Say, um...
Listen, you don't
suppose you could, uh,
spare a couple of
hours tomorrow morning?
Eddie's gonna
have his hands full.
(sighs) All right, I'll be
there about, uh, 9:00.
Groovy.
I thought that went out
with "boss" and "neato."
Yeah, well, I'm a one-woman
restoration committee
for the subculture's lingo.
See you.
Eddie, help will be
here in the morning.
Doc Avery.
Ol' Doc Stuffed Shirts, huh?
Well, I'll say
one thing for him.
At least he cares.
(chatters)
STONE: Mm-hmm.
I don't know, the ears
don't look right to me.
Work on the lobes a
little more, will you?
KELLER: Yeah, I
got that one, yeah.
Yep.
Okay, thank you very much.
Well, I got the word
on Holtfield's widow.
- That's a little better.
- She kept the same name.
She's living up in San Rafael.
Does this look all
right to you now?
Yeah, it looks good, real...
Maybe the eyebrows
are a little bushier.
- That's nice.
- Work on that.
When he has this finished, why,
we'll have some of them made up,
distribute them to the hospital,
clinics, medical centers,
and, uh, send one
down to Bunco, will you?
Okay.
Might as well cover all bases.
I'm going up to San
Rafael to talk with his widow.
No, you won't; I'll do that.
I'll talk to Mrs. Holtfield.
I'll have these made up.
And listen, you circulate these.
Wh...
Why don't you go home
and get some sleep.
You've earned it.
I've earned it?
Wh-What are you gonna do?
Rank has its privileges.
Yeah, where have
I heard that before?
Good evening, Doctor.
Listen, we have to stop
meeting each other like this.
I had to talk to you.
Did you, uh, do it?
I can't.
You don't have any choice.
And once it's done, you don't
have anything to worry about,
not even from me.
Obviously, I can't
go to the police
because we're
coconspirators in a murder.
Look at it as a mercy killing
if that'll make you
feel any better.
Mr. Travis, I can't
take a human life.
You've got 24 hours, Doctor.
If it isn't done by
tomorrow night,
I'm gonna ruin you,
do you understand that?
I'm gonna ruin you.
24 hours.
(engine starting)
Now, excuse me, sir.
What-what is your name?
Uh, how is he?
He got killed instantly.
I knew it. He didn't
move the whole time.
Oh, Arlen. Fred Arlen.
And you saw the accident?
No, I heard it.
You know that sound
when the brakes lock up
and the tires squeal
and you kind of hold
your breath until it stops
or until you hear that thud
and the crash of glass?
And what'd you hear, the thud?
Yeah, and as soon as I heard it,
I knew somebody had bought it.
I ran over and I saw this
guy checking the body.
And then he, uh, ran
to his car and took off.
And could you identify that man?
No, too dark.
What about the color of the car?
Uh, late model, green Ford.
Oh, I, uh, got part of
the license number.
What, that's it, "L-E"?
I just got the last two letters.
Oh.
Sure hope that ink's washable.
My wife's gonna kill me.
No, no, she won't.
Thank you very much.
(doorbell rings)
Mrs. Holtfield?
Elaine Holtfield?
Yes.
I'm Lieutenant Stone, San
Francisco Police Department.
I'd like to talk to you
for a minute, if I may.
- Oh...
- Please.
All right.
Please come in, Lieutenant.
Thank you.
The late, uh, Dr. Holtfield
was your husband, wasn't he?
Yes.
I want to apologize
for the time.
I know it's very late, but
we're trying to track down
a man who's using
your husband's name.
What do you mean?
Well, he's calling himself
a doctor... Dr. Holtfield.
You mean somebody's
impersonating my husband?
Yes.
Well, uh, please
come in, Lieutenant.
W-Why would anyone
do such a thing?
Who would?
Well, I was hoping
you would tell me.
I have a... a police
sketch of the man
I'd like you to take a look at.
There.
Well?
There must be some mistake.
Do you recognize him?
Well, this is Peter,
Peter Callahan.
Who's Peter Callahan?
He lived with us for almost
two years, Lieutenant.
He was going to
college on a scholarship,
working part-time after classes
as an assistant for my husband.
Arnold was very
impressed with his initiative
and-and took a personal
interest in the boy.
So finally we-we took
him in as a boarder.
He was Arnold's good
right arm; he was invaluable.
Well, what about his parents?
Oh, I'm afraid they were
both dead, Lieutenant.
He was orphaned
when he was just a child.
His parents both died tragically
within a few months
of each other.
His father as the
result of a car accident,
and his mother in childbirth.
Did he feel the doctors
were responsible
for his parents' death?
Oh, no, on the contrary.
If he was ever bitter, it
was because he thought
there were too few good
doctors to go around.
When was the last
time you saw him?
Oh... 1961, when he
went to medical school.
- Medical school?
- That's right.
Which one?
The University of Pennsylvania.
My husband's alma mater.
That was what Peter wanted.
It was everything he
wanted in the world.
Arnold said he'd never seen
anyone so passionately devoted
to any one singular pursuit as
Peter was to becoming a doctor.
I hope he made it.
Maybe he did.
Maybe he thinks he did.
Yeah.
No alcoholic content in
the bloodstream, right.
Good morning, Peter.
Sekulavich.
No sign of intoxication.
So presumably a sober
man would've reacted in time
and gotten out of the
way of the car, is that right?
Yeah, okay, Bernie.
Thanks a lot.
Good morning.
Good morning.
I thought you were gonna go
home after I left you last night.
So did I.
But the city never sleeps.
A new case?
Yeah, hit-and-run
with a new twist.
After the driver hit the guy,
he made sure he was
dead before he ran.
Probably some boozer
with a guilty conscience.
Yeah, could be.
Anyway, I'm gonna get cleaned
up and I'll notify the next of kin.
How did you do with
that doctor's widow?
Well, I found out that this
imposter's face has a name:
Peter Callahan.
And we're gonna
find out more when
the University of Pennsylvania
Medical School returns my call.
Were you lucky
circulating these?
Uh, I-I haven't done it yet.
Uh, you know, it's before 8:00.
Well, now, you know that
we can only hold those killers
for 48 hours without charges.
I know that, yeah.
All right.
All right, I'll take a batch of
them and circulate them myself.
I'll start with
Harbor Emergency.
Next.
Roll up your sleeve, please.
(phone ringing)
I have it, sweetheart.
(sighs)
Dr. Dunne.
Yeah.
He say what the
operation was for?
For what?
Did you talk to another
doctor, Mrs. Prescott?
Well, before you let
anybody start cutting onto you,
I suggest you talk
to another doctor
and get another medical opinion.
Well, then come on down
here, I'll give you my opinion.
No, no, no, no, no.
Don't worry about that.
It won't cost you a penny.
(chuckles): Yeah.
That will be a welcome
change, won't it?
You bet. Good-bye,
Mrs. Prescott.
The butcher strikes again.
Don't let that penicillin
shot get infected, Maria.
Can I talk to you, Dr. Dunne?
Oh, you're not gonna start
something over what just...
Why don't you have a
cup of coffee with me, huh?
Well, I don't think I
have time right now.
Oh, I think you've
got time, Doctor.
Now don't anybody get healthy.
I'm coming right back.
(sighs)
I would appreciate it if
you'd be a little more...
circumspect in your
references to other doctors.
What exactly are
you talking about?
I'm talking about
your telephone call.
Look, Doctor, some knife
happy butcher out there
wants to take that
lady's plumbing out,
and I think he's
got her convinced
it will solve all her problems.
Just what are her
problems, Doctor?
Well, I don't exactly know,
but I don't think an
operation's the solution.
Don't you think maybe
you ought to find out
before you start your
character assassination?
I don't need to
know the patient,
I already know the doctor.
Would you, would
you like to know
how many hysterectomies
he performed in the last month?
No, not particularly.
I don't keep score
on my fellow physicians.
Yeah, well, maybe you
should, maybe you should.
He single-handedly has
performed more hysterectomies
than the entire staff combined.
The man is cutting his
way to fame and fortune.
He may also have
saved a lot of lives.
You can't save the world with a
knife, no matter how you use it.
(sighs)
All right, Doctor, you're
entitled to your opinion.
I'm just merely asking
you to be careful
how you express it.
I mean, this man has
obviously worked long and hard
to get where he is.
And he must do whatever
it is he does very well,
or he wouldn't be
allowed to operate.
Now if you think he's
doing something, uh,
dishonest, or illegal,
I suggest you put your
reputation where your mouth is,
and you bring him up on charges.
Because until you're
willing to do that...
you'd be better off by giving
him the respect due a doctor.
Nobody is due respect.
It doesn't come with a diploma.
Let me tell you
something, Dr. Dunne.
Any man who takes
the Hippocratic oath,
I mean any man
who dedicates his life
to the sick and the desperate
and the dying, any man
who's pledged his life trying
to alleviate pain and suffering...
Please, save me these
sophomoric speeches.
That man deserves your respect.
It is due... and it's payable.
At least while you're around me.
Okay?
Thanks for the coffee, Doctor.
You all right, Eddie?
Oh, yeah, I'm fine.
Do me a favor, would you, Angie?
Next time you think
about scheduling me
and the angel of mercy, don't.
When, um... Hank...
left about ten years ago,
he showed me an airplane
ticket he'd just bought,
and he said good-bye.
Just as abruptly as that.
Well, this was just as abrupt...
but he didn't get a
chance to say good-bye.
Anything I can do, all right?
Anything.
Is she taking it badly?
Well, I guess as well
as can be expected. Uh...
Does she have
anybody that can give her
some kind of sedative?
Yes, yes, she has
a private physician.
A Dr. Avery.
If he isn't in his office,
I can reach him
through his service.
His service?
That's right. They'll page him
if he can't be
reached by telephone.
May I use your phone
for a minute, please?
- Sure.
- Thank you.
You really ought
to call that doctor.
All right, I will.
Come on, now don't give
me a hard time girls, huh?
Think back.
You didn't see him at all?
Well, he was familiar
enough with this hospital to
- (phone rings)
- have the ambulance sent here.
Surgical Ward, Nurse Reed.
You're sure he wasn't here?
As a matter of fact,
he's right here now.
For you, Lieutenant.
Thanks.
Stone.
Yeah, it's me, Mike.
I never would've known.
Always can tell when
you're getting tired.
Is that what you
called to tell me?
No, listen, when we
were talking to Callahan
he was paged and he had to
go to the phone, remember?
Yeah, I remember.
All right, every paging company
has a list of its clients,
when they were paged and
when they answered the call.
- Yeah, that's right.
- All right,
so if we knew exactly
when Callahan was paged, it
would make our job a lot easier.
Yeah, just hold on.
- Miss?
- Yes.
Would check the report
for the exact time of death
of Officer Ciurila,
Peter Ciurila?
- Yes, sir.
- That's good thinking, Steve.
The minute I get the report
I'll come down to the office.
This is Miss Reed.
I'll be there in
about a half hour.
Could you give me
the exact time of death
of Officer Peter
Ciurila? I'll hold.
That's right.
C-I-U-R-I-L-A.
That's all, thank you.
And thank you.
Lieutenant, you forgot this.
No, I'm gonna leave
that here with you.
If you see anyone
that resembles this,
you just give me a call.
- All right.
- Here, let me give you my card.
He looks harmless enough to me.
I mean, he has a kind of
face you'd want to trust.
Like a doctor's face.
DUNNE: Nice to see you, Sally.
Yeah, so would you
check your records, please?
KELLER: No, his
name's Holtfield.
Holtfield.Right.
Well, don't you keep
a list of calls received?
Right. Well, this man
received one around 12:30
and phoned in for his
message soon after that.
Yes, I'll wait. Yes.
I was wrong about
the answering service.
There's over 50 of
them in the Bay Area.
Listen, this came for you.
University of Pennsylvania
rundown on Callahan.
Says here Peter R.
Callahan dropped out
after only two years in 1963.
"Insufficient funds."
At least it wasn't because he
was incompetent. (chuckles)
- Hey, Steve?
- Yeah?
I got an operator here with
a record of a page at 12:28.
That's the fifth one so far.
Yes, would you spell
that last name, please?
A-V-E-R-Y.
First name, Martin.
And his address?
Avery? Didn't we hear
that before... Avery?
Not on this case, no.
Yeah, I guess...
Yes, operator, I'm
still waiting, yeah.
Hiya, gorgeous.
Hi, Doc.
Is this the chart on 317?
Yeah.
My goodness, what are you doing
with a portrait of
the angel of mercy?
- Who?
- Dr. Avery here.
You going to frame this
and hang it in the lobby?
Do you know him?
Sure. We spent time together
down at the free clinic. Why?
The police were
here looking for him.
They think he could be some
kind of a witness to a crime.
I'd better notify
the lieutenant.
Hmm. Maybe
Avery's at the clinic.
I'll give him a ring.
Thank you, Doctor.
I'm sorry. I'm afraid
I'm gonna have to leave.
But, Doctor, some of
these people have been
waiting all morning.
It's an emergency.
I... I'm sorry.
STONE: Thank you very much.
We'll put everything
back the way we found it.
At least we know he went
to some good schools.
Yes, he sure did.
He went to a lot
of good schools.
Look at this, Mike.
He's our man.
Medical school diplomas
all under different names.
Simple printing-press forgeries.
You want a different name,
boom, you got a
different diploma.
"Raymond Faraday,
John Hopkins University.
Dr. William M.
Debner, class of 1968."
He's even got the stationery
and correspondence
to go with every name.
He wanted so bad to
have what he couldn't have
and what he couldn't be.
Wait a minute.
A codicil of the will
of Mrs. Martha Travis.
She was the one,
her son was killed by
the hit-and-run driver.
That's where I heard
that name... Aver...
He's her personal physician.
And now he's a
beneficiary of her will.
He may be a Good Samaritan,
but right now, he's
turned homicidal.
Murder for profit?
Nah, not this man.
Not what we know about him.
Could be finding out
about the real Dr. Avery.
Yeah, Bill. Steve.
Listen, run a license
check on Dr. Avery, will you?
Right, "Martin."
It may be physician's
plates, maybe not.
Anyway, I'll hang on.
I may want to put out an APB.
♪♪
(phone ringing)
(ringing continues)
(ringing continues)
Yes?
Oh, Doctor, I've been trying
to reach you all morning.
It's Mrs. Travis.
You gave her this number
in case of emergency.
I'm sorry, Mr. Schultz.
I'm leaving town for a while.
But, Doctor, this
is an emergency.
I'm sorry. Um, hold on.
I'll refer you to
another doctor.
Another doctor?
Well, you know better than that.
She'd never see one.
Doctor, don't you understand?
I think Mrs. Travis
may be dying.
562ILE.
All right, that checks
what the witness said.
You got an address on him?
Right. Send out
an all-points bulletin.
Also, send somebody over
to the house to pick him up.
Yeah, okay. Oh, uh,
Steve, hold on for a second.
A call came in just
a few minutes ago
from Harbor Emergency.
A doctor there ID'd your
composite of Callahan
as Dr. Martin Avery.
Now, the doctor
also tipped Callahan.
He knows he's wanted.
Yeah, I'll bet he
knows he's wanted.
All right, send the units
over to that house anyway.
We're on our way to
the Kingston Manor.
Told the manager to
call Mrs. Travis's doctor.
Avery should already be there.
Why? Why are you leaving
when I need you most?
Oh, I wouldn't do that,
Martha. I wouldn't do that.
That's why I'm here.
Now, I want you
to see Dr. Dunne.
I want him to familiarize
himself with your case.
That way if anything comes
up and I have to leave,
why, you'll have
someone to go to.
All right?
Now, I've called an ambulance.
They'll take you
to the hospital.
I don't want to see Dr. Dunne.
I want you; I know
you, and I trust you.
Well, maybe if you
knew me a little better,
you'd trust me a little less.
You mean,
because you aren't
really a doctor?
Hank told me,
when he found that
I'd altered my will.
Thought it might change my mind.
Martha.
He never did understand me.
Of course, I guess I didn't
understand him too well either.
You see, I know what's
wrong with me, Martin.
I, uh, I've got a
bad case of old age.
You can't cure it.
Nobody can.
But at least you care.
Now, there has to be
somebody who cares.
Those other doctors
I had before you,
they were all so
busy and efficient,
but not one of them
really cared like you.
So you see, even if you
weren't doing me any good,
you weren't doing me any harm.
So, I just closed
my eyes to the truth.
I guess that... I always knew
that you might have
to leave sooner or later.
I just want you to know
that it's you I'm
grateful to, Martin.
Not... Not what you are,
what you want to be,
or what you think you are.
You.
Mrs. Travis,
I'll take you to the ambulance.
You'll be fine.
I know you've
been looking for me,
and I'm-I'm ready to go.
I am under arrest?
I'm afraid so.
I guess that
concludes my business.
- (Martha gasping)
- SCHULTZ: Doctor!
All right, it's all right.
Get the oxygen
from the ambulance.
(gasping)
Give me my bag.
Roll up her sleeve.
Yeah.
There's alcohol and swabs
in here; douse her arm.
(gasping stops)
(panting)
Martin.
Doctor.
You're gonna be
all right, Martha.
You're gonna be all right.
Of course, you're not gonna
play any tennis for a while.
(chuckles, sniffles)
Well, I knew that officer
didn't stand much of a chance,
but I couldn't walk
away and not try.
Well, the doctor at the
hospital said you did quite a job.
I tried.
Well, that's all you can do.
I'm sorry I caused all
this trouble, Lieutenant.
You're lucky you're
not in a lot more trouble.
When that hit-and-run
driver sobered up,
he turned himself
in to the police.
(chuckles)
Dr. Avery, huh?
I'm afraid you're gonna have
to give up your practice, Doctor.
Well, I-I talked to
Dr. Dunne about that.
He's gonna take over for me.
Have you heard anything
about Mrs. Travis?
Yeah, her condition's stable.
She's asking for you.
Well, I'll stop by and see her
on my way back to the office.
On my way home.
I want you to do
me a favor first.
I want you to take
a look at a lineup,
and see if you can
identify those two punks
who killed Officer Ciurila.
Oh, yeah, yeah.
I got a good, long look at them.
Come on, follow me.
You seem to have
sort of a natural affinity
for helping people.
Gets me into a lot of trouble.
Did you ever think about
becoming a paramedic?
At my age?
I don't think
there's any age limit
for helping people, do you?
♪♪
Thank you, ladies.
Come again.
Um... I'd also like a list of
your latest generic
drugs, if I may.
- I'm always adding to the list.
- (chuckles)
- Oh, you're a doctor?
- Yes, I am.
Fine. I have a list in
back. I'll get it for you.
All righty.
Just don't move, turkey.
Empty it.
Here's that list, Doctor...
Check the back, see
if there's any drugs.
(motorcycle approaching)
(motorcycle engine stops)
Give me one, Benny.
Easy on the onions, this time.
They kind of cramp my style.
Besides, how can I
taste all that grease
if you put the onions on?
DISPATCHER (on radio):
All units, 2722 Bay Street.
Silent 100 holdup
alarm. Code two.
They're playing my song.
Keep it warm, Benny!
Will you hurry up? Move it!
DISPATCHER: All
units, 2722 Bay Street.
Silent 100 holdup
alarm. Code two.
That's just a couple
of blocks from here.
Come on, move it!
Give me your wallet, turkey.
Slow. Real slow.
Come on, come
on, forget the drugs!
Let's get out of here.
Hold it right there.
Get rid of the guns,
ditch them in the truck!
There they are.
Hold it, don't
shoot, don't shoot!
(shouting indistinctly)
KELLER: On the hood! Let's go!
Here.
You take care of these two.
All right, now, I'm a doctor.
Stay still, I'm getting my bag.
I'll be right back.
(crowd murmuring)
All right, let me
get through here.
Here, don't try to get up.
- Don't try to get up.
- (gasping)
Lie still. Don't move.
That's it.
Oh, man.
It hurts.
How bad is it, Mike?
DOCTOR: Excuse me,
let me through, please.
It's just a scratch,
you're going to be okay.
Anybody ever tell
you lying's a sin?
I'm a doctor, let me look at it.
(coughs)
I've called the ambulance.
I think Harbor
Emergency's the closest.
Why don't you give them a call,
and tell them to have an OR open
and plenty of plasma
for a transfusion.
Right, Doctor.
Okay, help me
turn him on his side.
That's it.
Is he going to be
all right, Doctor?
Maybe. If we can get
him to the hospital on time.
I tell you, if you move
those people back,
and clear a path
for an ambulance,
'cause when they get here,
- we gotta move and move fast.
- Yeah.
All right, step back,
everybody. Way back.
We want an ambulance
to come through here.
Way back! Come on.
Everybody. Get way
back, come on, please.
(siren wailing)
- KELLER: How is he?
- They just took him in.
- What about those two punks?
- Booked them.
Went back, tried to
find the gun, couldn't.
Uh, pharmacist is coming
in to try to make a positive ID.
How is he, Doctor?
Well, he's in good hands.
They're doing the best they can.
I'm sorry, Mr... Stone,
Lieutenant Stone.
- This is Inspector Keller.
- Hi.
I'm going to have to have
your name for the report.
Holtfield. Arnold Holtfield.
Arnold Holtfield.
And, uh, where do we
get in touch with you?
I'm on the staff at St. Agnes.
- (pager beeping)
- St. Agnes...
Would you excuse me?
I have to check in.
DOCTOR: Are you the police?
Yes, Lieutenant
Stone, Inspector Keller.
Well, I'm sorry.
He's dead.
It would have taken a miracle.
Location of the wound,
internal hemorrhaging.
I'm sorry.
I think he feels
worse than we do.
Well, you must
have seen something.
How tall were they?
What was the
color of their hair?
What kind of clothes
were they wearing?
I was in the back of
the store, Lieutenant.
I came out, someone
hit me from behind,
and when I hit
the floor, I stayed.
Well, then, you saw the shoes.
- What were they?
- I don't know.
All I could think about was
pushing that alarm button.
You sure showed
a lot of courage,
- with him standing right there.
- Oh, I'm not so sure.
I think I rang that alarm
because I was afraid
someone was going to
hit me again, and it hurts.
All right, thanks.
Oh, Lieutenant.
I think the doctor got
a good look at them.
He was standing out
there the whole time.
What doctor is this?
The one that took
care of the officer
- after he was shot.
- Find him, Steve.
He told us, he's on
the staff at St. Agnes.
Tell him I'll set up a
lineup, at his convenience.
Now, when do I get my money?
How much was taken?
I ran the register
tape on it, it's $178.23.
Yeah, that's about how
much they had on them.
I'm sorry, but I can't
give it back to you now.
Why not? It's my money.
We have to prove
that they were the ones
that robbed your
store, killed that officer.
Oh, they're the
ones, Lieutenant.
You know it, and I know it.
I asked you if you
could identify them,
and you said you couldn't.
We need proof.
It has to proven to the
satisfaction of the court.
Now, when we find a
witness, we'll call you.
You ask that
doctor, he'll tell you.
When the doctor comes
in, I'll let you know.
Thank you.
KELLER: Okay.
Thank you very much.
- Well, that's funny.
- What's funny?
I thought he said he's
on the staff at St. Agnes.
He did.
I've got it in my notebook.
You were there when he told me.
Here it is.
"Dr. Arnold
Holtfield, St. Agnes."
I called the hospital.
They have no Dr. Holtfield
registered there,
and there's none in
the phone book, either.
All right, check with the
Board of Medical Exchange.
Without that doctor,
we don't have a case.
I know.
Yeah, could I have a listing...
Hello, Mr. Moring.
Hello, Doctor.
It's a beautiful
day, Mr. Schultz.
Everybody says
it's going to rain.
30 bodies complaining of
assorted aches and pains,
and every time...
well, I'll bet it does rain.
Mrs. Travis inside?
Yes, she's out in the garden.
- She's expecting you.
- All right.
Oh, by the way, you haven't
met the prodigal yet, have you?
- Hmm?
- Her boy.
He's a troublemaker.
Nothing but complaints.
Well, you get used that
in my line of work, right?
"who appeared to get on in life
"by putting his
hands in his pocket
"and contemplating the baker,
"who in his turn folded his
arms and stared at the grocer
who stood at his door
and yawned at the chemist."
Hello, Mrs. Valentine.
- Glad to see you up and about.
- "The watchmaker,
"always poring
over a little desk
"with a magnifying
glass at his eye,
and always inspected by
a group in smock-frocks..."
How's my favorite
teenage patient?
Dr. Avery! I was beginning to
think you weren't coming today.
Well, I got caught in a little
emergency across town,
but I came as
soon as I was free.
Oh.
Oh, Doctor, I'd like to have
you meet my son, Hank.
Your son. Well, I wasn't aware.
- How do you do?
- I'm very aware of you, Doctor.
My mother talks
about you all the time.
- (laughing): Oh.
- Quite highly.
Hank lives in Phoenix.
He just flew in for a visit.
Ah, well, far be it from me
to interrupt a family reunion,
but I did want to
drop off these pills.
My mother's very fortunate
to have a physician who's
willing to make house calls.
I thought you breed
was all but extinct.
Oh, there are a few
of us dinosaurs left.
Besides, favored patients
deserve favored privileges.
Well, I tell you I'm a
little behind schedule.
Why don't you let me run along,
and I'll get back to
you next week, all right?
All right.
- I'll walk you out.
- Okay.
Don't let me hear about
you playing any touch football
while I'm not here.
I've got spies in this place.
You have my word.
Bye-bye.
No, I've never been to Phoenix,
though I've flown over
it a number of times.
Well, Mr. Travis,
it's nice meeting you.
Doctor...
I'd like to have a
little talk with you later,
in private, if you don't mind.
Well, if it's about your
mother's condition, uh...
Actually...
it's the treatment of
my mother's condition
that I'd like to
discuss with you.
Um... as I'm sure
you can understand,
I became curious about
the kind of medication
that you've had my mother on.
So I took one of her
pills to a private lab,
and I had it analyzed.
Friends of mine have warned
me about the kind of people
who prey on the
elderly and the infirm.
Especially the wealthy ones.
Naturally, I wouldn't
want my mother to fall into
the hands of a charlatan.
I mean, I could go
to the authorities,
but I don't...
really want to do
that unless I have to.
It... would upset Mother,
and she does think so
very highly of you, so...
if we could have that little
private consultation later,
at your convenience,
I'd certainly appreciate it.
Why don't you drop by my office
about 3:00 this afternoon.
That's my card, and
there's the address.
Good, I'll be there.
I do hope we can come to some
mutual understanding, Doctor.
After all, we both want
what's best for my
mother, don't we, Doctor?
No, Lieutenant, I never
saw the man before in my life.
I didn't think anything of it.
I don't know every
doctor in this town.
Well, we checked with the
board of medical advisors.
They say there is no
Dr. Holtfield in San Francisco.
Well, maybe he isn't
from San Francisco.
He said he was on
the staff at St. Agnes.
Look, why don't you tell me
exactly what you want to know.
What I want to know exactly
is was he killed by the bullet
or by the kind of
medical treatment
he got after he was wounded.
He was very badly
wounded, Lieutenant.
Don't tell me; I know he
was very badly wounded.
Well, then let me
put it to you this way.
If that police officer
had been shot
and fallen directly
onto the operating table,
we might have been
able to save him.
I say might have
been able to save him.
Anyway, that doctor of
yours did a hell of a good job.
Well, if he did such a good job,
why did he give us a phony name?
Well, maybe he was afraid
somebody would sue
him for malpractice.
No, no, that doesn't work
in this state, and you know it.
We've got the
Good Samaritan law.
Any doctor that gives first aid
at the scene of an emergency
is not liable for a
malpractice suit.
Well, then maybe I ought
to meet all my patients
at the scene of the accident.
Ah, look,
I don't know, maybe
he is an imposter.
I couldn't swear to it,
and I couldn't testify to it,
but there is that chance.
I mean, anything's
possible, right?
That's right.
Well, okay, if, uh,
you'll excuse me,
I have some patients
to take care of.
A phony doctor.
Why would any guy
pull a stunt like that?
And I let him.
Oh, come on, you
can't blame yourself.
Well, he seemed to know
what he was talking about,
- what he was doing.
- If he's phony,
he's hiding under
some rock someplace.
Yeah, and we've got to find him.
He's our only witness.
And I want him for
personal reasons.
I put a call into the
Chicago office of the A.M.A.
If there ever was a
Dr. Holtfield registered,
they'll find him
and we'll get him.
We'd better get him.
STONE: "Arnold
Stephen Holtfield, M.D.
1912 to 1972."
Well, it tells us one thing.
At least our imposter, he didn't
pick any name from random.
He picked somebody who
wouldn't be around to challenge him.
Maybe our guy knew Holtfield.
You know, he could have
been a patient or something.
Also, I had the A.M.A check
on his widow's address.
She moved after he died.
It's some way to go, Mike.
He called himself a doctor.
Walked right in and took
over, right there in front of me.
Still taking yourself over
the coals for that one?
Well, when I was a kid,
there were two kinds of people
we were taught to
respect and to trust...
Priests and doctors.
So, what happened to cops?
Well, priests and doctors
have built-in respect.
Cops have got to earn it.
Very impressive, Doctor,
very impressive credentials.
All the proper medical schools.
Hmm.
In this age of the
hypochondriac,
business must be booming, huh?
There's still enough
physical maladies
to keep us all busy, Mr. Travis.
I don't think you're really here
to discuss the state of
the medical profession.
No, I'm not.
I believe I told you I had
these little pills analyzed.
Is this what you prescribe
to combat those real,
physical maladies?
Sugar?
Mr. Travis... (sighs)
it's a placebo.
And we sometimes find it
psychologically beneficial
in the treatment of patients
for whom there is no
medical alternative.
For whom there are no cures?
Yes.
Hmm.
In other words,
my mother is dying
and you're not really doing
anything to help, are you?
Why this sudden concern
for your mother's well-being?
I mean, I've been her
doctor for a number of years...
What else have you been?
I don't think I understand that.
Really?
This is a copy of a
codicil to my mother's will
naming you as a beneficiary
to the tune of $20,000.
I didn't know
anything about this.
I'll bet you didn't.
I don't want her money.
I'll ask her to take
me out of her will.
No, no, no, I don't
want you to do that.
As a matter of fact, I want
you to have the money.
Because you're
going to earn it, Doctor.
Every penny of it.
You know, when I first saw this,
I got really, very angry.
That's when I decided
to check up on you,
just to find out what kind
of ghoul you really are.
Would you like to know
what I found out about you?
You're not a real doctor at all.
You're a phony, a
fake, an imposter.
You know something,
I rather admire that,
because I'm a very
unscrupulous person myself.
And I just have a feeling
that between the two of us,
we're going to make crime pay.
$20,000 for you, $80,000 for me.
What are you talking about?
Doctor, my mother
is in terrible pain.
I want you to put an
end to her suffering.
No.
Well, then I'm going
to call the police,
the American Medical
Association, the newspapers.
It's strictly up to you, Doctor.
I want you to understand that.
No.
I need more time.
I understand perfectly.
I understand perfectly.
I'll be in touch
with you, Doctor.
And, Doctor, I just know
you're going to make
the right decision.
Absolutely not.
My mind's made up.
Now, you can use the money
for whichever medical
charity you favor.
That decision is yours,
but Hank is not getting it.
My son has been
perched like a vulture
for almost a year.
(sighs)
Before my sickness, I
didn't even hear from him
for ten years.
So, now he's divorced and, uh,
he's lost his job,
and he's here looking
for an easy ride.
Well, he's not
getting one from me.
Martha, if you'd
consulted me about this,
I mean, if you'd only told
me what you were planning...
I mean, you have to know
how I felt hearing it from him.
You see, you've placed me
in a very awkward position.
A doctor in a
patient's will... I...
I'm a sick old woman.
And you've made me feel...
(chuckles) happy.
Oh, I'm not senile.
I'm responsible for my actions.
And there's nothing
that you can say
that's gonna make
me change my mind.
All right, Martha.
Don't you worry about it.
I'll, uh, I'll take
care of everything.
(pager beeping)
Well, I'm being paged.
Excuse me; I'll be right back.
Yes, it's Dr. Avery.
You have a phone call for me?
Right. Thank you.
Here you go.
Now, don't neglect those
exercises we taught you.
And give us a call any time,
even if you think
it's false labor.
(phone rings)
Bay Street Free
Clinic, Angie speaking.
Well, Doc Avery.
Just the miracle man we need
around here right about now.
What, are you
swamped again, are you?
You better believe it.
Flu epidemic sweeping the city,
not to mention the
usual assortment
of ills and catastrophes.
Say, um...
Listen, you don't
suppose you could, uh,
spare a couple of
hours tomorrow morning?
Eddie's gonna
have his hands full.
(sighs) All right, I'll be
there about, uh, 9:00.
Groovy.
I thought that went out
with "boss" and "neato."
Yeah, well, I'm a one-woman
restoration committee
for the subculture's lingo.
See you.
Eddie, help will be
here in the morning.
Doc Avery.
Ol' Doc Stuffed Shirts, huh?
Well, I'll say
one thing for him.
At least he cares.
(chatters)
STONE: Mm-hmm.
I don't know, the ears
don't look right to me.
Work on the lobes a
little more, will you?
KELLER: Yeah, I
got that one, yeah.
Yep.
Okay, thank you very much.
Well, I got the word
on Holtfield's widow.
- That's a little better.
- She kept the same name.
She's living up in San Rafael.
Does this look all
right to you now?
Yeah, it looks good, real...
Maybe the eyebrows
are a little bushier.
- That's nice.
- Work on that.
When he has this finished, why,
we'll have some of them made up,
distribute them to the hospital,
clinics, medical centers,
and, uh, send one
down to Bunco, will you?
Okay.
Might as well cover all bases.
I'm going up to San
Rafael to talk with his widow.
No, you won't; I'll do that.
I'll talk to Mrs. Holtfield.
I'll have these made up.
And listen, you circulate these.
Wh...
Why don't you go home
and get some sleep.
You've earned it.
I've earned it?
Wh-What are you gonna do?
Rank has its privileges.
Yeah, where have
I heard that before?
Good evening, Doctor.
Listen, we have to stop
meeting each other like this.
I had to talk to you.
Did you, uh, do it?
I can't.
You don't have any choice.
And once it's done, you don't
have anything to worry about,
not even from me.
Obviously, I can't
go to the police
because we're
coconspirators in a murder.
Look at it as a mercy killing
if that'll make you
feel any better.
Mr. Travis, I can't
take a human life.
You've got 24 hours, Doctor.
If it isn't done by
tomorrow night,
I'm gonna ruin you,
do you understand that?
I'm gonna ruin you.
24 hours.
(engine starting)
Now, excuse me, sir.
What-what is your name?
Uh, how is he?
He got killed instantly.
I knew it. He didn't
move the whole time.
Oh, Arlen. Fred Arlen.
And you saw the accident?
No, I heard it.
You know that sound
when the brakes lock up
and the tires squeal
and you kind of hold
your breath until it stops
or until you hear that thud
and the crash of glass?
And what'd you hear, the thud?
Yeah, and as soon as I heard it,
I knew somebody had bought it.
I ran over and I saw this
guy checking the body.
And then he, uh, ran
to his car and took off.
And could you identify that man?
No, too dark.
What about the color of the car?
Uh, late model, green Ford.
Oh, I, uh, got part of
the license number.
What, that's it, "L-E"?
I just got the last two letters.
Oh.
Sure hope that ink's washable.
My wife's gonna kill me.
No, no, she won't.
Thank you very much.
(doorbell rings)
Mrs. Holtfield?
Elaine Holtfield?
Yes.
I'm Lieutenant Stone, San
Francisco Police Department.
I'd like to talk to you
for a minute, if I may.
- Oh...
- Please.
All right.
Please come in, Lieutenant.
Thank you.
The late, uh, Dr. Holtfield
was your husband, wasn't he?
Yes.
I want to apologize
for the time.
I know it's very late, but
we're trying to track down
a man who's using
your husband's name.
What do you mean?
Well, he's calling himself
a doctor... Dr. Holtfield.
You mean somebody's
impersonating my husband?
Yes.
Well, uh, please
come in, Lieutenant.
W-Why would anyone
do such a thing?
Who would?
Well, I was hoping
you would tell me.
I have a... a police
sketch of the man
I'd like you to take a look at.
There.
Well?
There must be some mistake.
Do you recognize him?
Well, this is Peter,
Peter Callahan.
Who's Peter Callahan?
He lived with us for almost
two years, Lieutenant.
He was going to
college on a scholarship,
working part-time after classes
as an assistant for my husband.
Arnold was very
impressed with his initiative
and-and took a personal
interest in the boy.
So finally we-we took
him in as a boarder.
He was Arnold's good
right arm; he was invaluable.
Well, what about his parents?
Oh, I'm afraid they were
both dead, Lieutenant.
He was orphaned
when he was just a child.
His parents both died tragically
within a few months
of each other.
His father as the
result of a car accident,
and his mother in childbirth.
Did he feel the doctors
were responsible
for his parents' death?
Oh, no, on the contrary.
If he was ever bitter, it
was because he thought
there were too few good
doctors to go around.
When was the last
time you saw him?
Oh... 1961, when he
went to medical school.
- Medical school?
- That's right.
Which one?
The University of Pennsylvania.
My husband's alma mater.
That was what Peter wanted.
It was everything he
wanted in the world.
Arnold said he'd never seen
anyone so passionately devoted
to any one singular pursuit as
Peter was to becoming a doctor.
I hope he made it.
Maybe he did.
Maybe he thinks he did.
Yeah.
No alcoholic content in
the bloodstream, right.
Good morning, Peter.
Sekulavich.
No sign of intoxication.
So presumably a sober
man would've reacted in time
and gotten out of the
way of the car, is that right?
Yeah, okay, Bernie.
Thanks a lot.
Good morning.
Good morning.
I thought you were gonna go
home after I left you last night.
So did I.
But the city never sleeps.
A new case?
Yeah, hit-and-run
with a new twist.
After the driver hit the guy,
he made sure he was
dead before he ran.
Probably some boozer
with a guilty conscience.
Yeah, could be.
Anyway, I'm gonna get cleaned
up and I'll notify the next of kin.
How did you do with
that doctor's widow?
Well, I found out that this
imposter's face has a name:
Peter Callahan.
And we're gonna
find out more when
the University of Pennsylvania
Medical School returns my call.
Were you lucky
circulating these?
Uh, I-I haven't done it yet.
Uh, you know, it's before 8:00.
Well, now, you know that
we can only hold those killers
for 48 hours without charges.
I know that, yeah.
All right.
All right, I'll take a batch of
them and circulate them myself.
I'll start with
Harbor Emergency.
Next.
Roll up your sleeve, please.
(phone ringing)
I have it, sweetheart.
(sighs)
Dr. Dunne.
Yeah.
He say what the
operation was for?
For what?
Did you talk to another
doctor, Mrs. Prescott?
Well, before you let
anybody start cutting onto you,
I suggest you talk
to another doctor
and get another medical opinion.
Well, then come on down
here, I'll give you my opinion.
No, no, no, no, no.
Don't worry about that.
It won't cost you a penny.
(chuckles): Yeah.
That will be a welcome
change, won't it?
You bet. Good-bye,
Mrs. Prescott.
The butcher strikes again.
Don't let that penicillin
shot get infected, Maria.
Can I talk to you, Dr. Dunne?
Oh, you're not gonna start
something over what just...
Why don't you have a
cup of coffee with me, huh?
Well, I don't think I
have time right now.
Oh, I think you've
got time, Doctor.
Now don't anybody get healthy.
I'm coming right back.
(sighs)
I would appreciate it if
you'd be a little more...
circumspect in your
references to other doctors.
What exactly are
you talking about?
I'm talking about
your telephone call.
Look, Doctor, some knife
happy butcher out there
wants to take that
lady's plumbing out,
and I think he's
got her convinced
it will solve all her problems.
Just what are her
problems, Doctor?
Well, I don't exactly know,
but I don't think an
operation's the solution.
Don't you think maybe
you ought to find out
before you start your
character assassination?
I don't need to
know the patient,
I already know the doctor.
Would you, would
you like to know
how many hysterectomies
he performed in the last month?
No, not particularly.
I don't keep score
on my fellow physicians.
Yeah, well, maybe you
should, maybe you should.
He single-handedly has
performed more hysterectomies
than the entire staff combined.
The man is cutting his
way to fame and fortune.
He may also have
saved a lot of lives.
You can't save the world with a
knife, no matter how you use it.
(sighs)
All right, Doctor, you're
entitled to your opinion.
I'm just merely asking
you to be careful
how you express it.
I mean, this man has
obviously worked long and hard
to get where he is.
And he must do whatever
it is he does very well,
or he wouldn't be
allowed to operate.
Now if you think he's
doing something, uh,
dishonest, or illegal,
I suggest you put your
reputation where your mouth is,
and you bring him up on charges.
Because until you're
willing to do that...
you'd be better off by giving
him the respect due a doctor.
Nobody is due respect.
It doesn't come with a diploma.
Let me tell you
something, Dr. Dunne.
Any man who takes
the Hippocratic oath,
I mean any man
who dedicates his life
to the sick and the desperate
and the dying, any man
who's pledged his life trying
to alleviate pain and suffering...
Please, save me these
sophomoric speeches.
That man deserves your respect.
It is due... and it's payable.
At least while you're around me.
Okay?
Thanks for the coffee, Doctor.
You all right, Eddie?
Oh, yeah, I'm fine.
Do me a favor, would you, Angie?
Next time you think
about scheduling me
and the angel of mercy, don't.
When, um... Hank...
left about ten years ago,
he showed me an airplane
ticket he'd just bought,
and he said good-bye.
Just as abruptly as that.
Well, this was just as abrupt...
but he didn't get a
chance to say good-bye.
Anything I can do, all right?
Anything.
Is she taking it badly?
Well, I guess as well
as can be expected. Uh...
Does she have
anybody that can give her
some kind of sedative?
Yes, yes, she has
a private physician.
A Dr. Avery.
If he isn't in his office,
I can reach him
through his service.
His service?
That's right. They'll page him
if he can't be
reached by telephone.
May I use your phone
for a minute, please?
- Sure.
- Thank you.
You really ought
to call that doctor.
All right, I will.
Come on, now don't give
me a hard time girls, huh?
Think back.
You didn't see him at all?
Well, he was familiar
enough with this hospital to
- (phone rings)
- have the ambulance sent here.
Surgical Ward, Nurse Reed.
You're sure he wasn't here?
As a matter of fact,
he's right here now.
For you, Lieutenant.
Thanks.
Stone.
Yeah, it's me, Mike.
I never would've known.
Always can tell when
you're getting tired.
Is that what you
called to tell me?
No, listen, when we
were talking to Callahan
he was paged and he had to
go to the phone, remember?
Yeah, I remember.
All right, every paging company
has a list of its clients,
when they were paged and
when they answered the call.
- Yeah, that's right.
- All right,
so if we knew exactly
when Callahan was paged, it
would make our job a lot easier.
Yeah, just hold on.
- Miss?
- Yes.
Would check the report
for the exact time of death
of Officer Ciurila,
Peter Ciurila?
- Yes, sir.
- That's good thinking, Steve.
The minute I get the report
I'll come down to the office.
This is Miss Reed.
I'll be there in
about a half hour.
Could you give me
the exact time of death
of Officer Peter
Ciurila? I'll hold.
That's right.
C-I-U-R-I-L-A.
That's all, thank you.
And thank you.
Lieutenant, you forgot this.
No, I'm gonna leave
that here with you.
If you see anyone
that resembles this,
you just give me a call.
- All right.
- Here, let me give you my card.
He looks harmless enough to me.
I mean, he has a kind of
face you'd want to trust.
Like a doctor's face.
DUNNE: Nice to see you, Sally.
Yeah, so would you
check your records, please?
KELLER: No, his
name's Holtfield.
Holtfield.Right.
Well, don't you keep
a list of calls received?
Right. Well, this man
received one around 12:30
and phoned in for his
message soon after that.
Yes, I'll wait. Yes.
I was wrong about
the answering service.
There's over 50 of
them in the Bay Area.
Listen, this came for you.
University of Pennsylvania
rundown on Callahan.
Says here Peter R.
Callahan dropped out
after only two years in 1963.
"Insufficient funds."
At least it wasn't because he
was incompetent. (chuckles)
- Hey, Steve?
- Yeah?
I got an operator here with
a record of a page at 12:28.
That's the fifth one so far.
Yes, would you spell
that last name, please?
A-V-E-R-Y.
First name, Martin.
And his address?
Avery? Didn't we hear
that before... Avery?
Not on this case, no.
Yeah, I guess...
Yes, operator, I'm
still waiting, yeah.
Hiya, gorgeous.
Hi, Doc.
Is this the chart on 317?
Yeah.
My goodness, what are you doing
with a portrait of
the angel of mercy?
- Who?
- Dr. Avery here.
You going to frame this
and hang it in the lobby?
Do you know him?
Sure. We spent time together
down at the free clinic. Why?
The police were
here looking for him.
They think he could be some
kind of a witness to a crime.
I'd better notify
the lieutenant.
Hmm. Maybe
Avery's at the clinic.
I'll give him a ring.
Thank you, Doctor.
I'm sorry. I'm afraid
I'm gonna have to leave.
But, Doctor, some of
these people have been
waiting all morning.
It's an emergency.
I... I'm sorry.
STONE: Thank you very much.
We'll put everything
back the way we found it.
At least we know he went
to some good schools.
Yes, he sure did.
He went to a lot
of good schools.
Look at this, Mike.
He's our man.
Medical school diplomas
all under different names.
Simple printing-press forgeries.
You want a different name,
boom, you got a
different diploma.
"Raymond Faraday,
John Hopkins University.
Dr. William M.
Debner, class of 1968."
He's even got the stationery
and correspondence
to go with every name.
He wanted so bad to
have what he couldn't have
and what he couldn't be.
Wait a minute.
A codicil of the will
of Mrs. Martha Travis.
She was the one,
her son was killed by
the hit-and-run driver.
That's where I heard
that name... Aver...
He's her personal physician.
And now he's a
beneficiary of her will.
He may be a Good Samaritan,
but right now, he's
turned homicidal.
Murder for profit?
Nah, not this man.
Not what we know about him.
Could be finding out
about the real Dr. Avery.
Yeah, Bill. Steve.
Listen, run a license
check on Dr. Avery, will you?
Right, "Martin."
It may be physician's
plates, maybe not.
Anyway, I'll hang on.
I may want to put out an APB.
♪♪
(phone ringing)
(ringing continues)
(ringing continues)
Yes?
Oh, Doctor, I've been trying
to reach you all morning.
It's Mrs. Travis.
You gave her this number
in case of emergency.
I'm sorry, Mr. Schultz.
I'm leaving town for a while.
But, Doctor, this
is an emergency.
I'm sorry. Um, hold on.
I'll refer you to
another doctor.
Another doctor?
Well, you know better than that.
She'd never see one.
Doctor, don't you understand?
I think Mrs. Travis
may be dying.
562ILE.
All right, that checks
what the witness said.
You got an address on him?
Right. Send out
an all-points bulletin.
Also, send somebody over
to the house to pick him up.
Yeah, okay. Oh, uh,
Steve, hold on for a second.
A call came in just
a few minutes ago
from Harbor Emergency.
A doctor there ID'd your
composite of Callahan
as Dr. Martin Avery.
Now, the doctor
also tipped Callahan.
He knows he's wanted.
Yeah, I'll bet he
knows he's wanted.
All right, send the units
over to that house anyway.
We're on our way to
the Kingston Manor.
Told the manager to
call Mrs. Travis's doctor.
Avery should already be there.
Why? Why are you leaving
when I need you most?
Oh, I wouldn't do that,
Martha. I wouldn't do that.
That's why I'm here.
Now, I want you
to see Dr. Dunne.
I want him to familiarize
himself with your case.
That way if anything comes
up and I have to leave,
why, you'll have
someone to go to.
All right?
Now, I've called an ambulance.
They'll take you
to the hospital.
I don't want to see Dr. Dunne.
I want you; I know
you, and I trust you.
Well, maybe if you
knew me a little better,
you'd trust me a little less.
You mean,
because you aren't
really a doctor?
Hank told me,
when he found that
I'd altered my will.
Thought it might change my mind.
Martha.
He never did understand me.
Of course, I guess I didn't
understand him too well either.
You see, I know what's
wrong with me, Martin.
I, uh, I've got a
bad case of old age.
You can't cure it.
Nobody can.
But at least you care.
Now, there has to be
somebody who cares.
Those other doctors
I had before you,
they were all so
busy and efficient,
but not one of them
really cared like you.
So you see, even if you
weren't doing me any good,
you weren't doing me any harm.
So, I just closed
my eyes to the truth.
I guess that... I always knew
that you might have
to leave sooner or later.
I just want you to know
that it's you I'm
grateful to, Martin.
Not... Not what you are,
what you want to be,
or what you think you are.
You.
Mrs. Travis,
I'll take you to the ambulance.
You'll be fine.
I know you've
been looking for me,
and I'm-I'm ready to go.
I am under arrest?
I'm afraid so.
I guess that
concludes my business.
- (Martha gasping)
- SCHULTZ: Doctor!
All right, it's all right.
Get the oxygen
from the ambulance.
(gasping)
Give me my bag.
Roll up her sleeve.
Yeah.
There's alcohol and swabs
in here; douse her arm.
(gasping stops)
(panting)
Martin.
Doctor.
You're gonna be
all right, Martha.
You're gonna be all right.
Of course, you're not gonna
play any tennis for a while.
(chuckles, sniffles)
Well, I knew that officer
didn't stand much of a chance,
but I couldn't walk
away and not try.
Well, the doctor at the
hospital said you did quite a job.
I tried.
Well, that's all you can do.
I'm sorry I caused all
this trouble, Lieutenant.
You're lucky you're
not in a lot more trouble.
When that hit-and-run
driver sobered up,
he turned himself
in to the police.
(chuckles)
Dr. Avery, huh?
I'm afraid you're gonna have
to give up your practice, Doctor.
Well, I-I talked to
Dr. Dunne about that.
He's gonna take over for me.
Have you heard anything
about Mrs. Travis?
Yeah, her condition's stable.
She's asking for you.
Well, I'll stop by and see her
on my way back to the office.
On my way home.
I want you to do
me a favor first.
I want you to take
a look at a lineup,
and see if you can
identify those two punks
who killed Officer Ciurila.
Oh, yeah, yeah.
I got a good, long look at them.
Come on, follow me.
You seem to have
sort of a natural affinity
for helping people.
Gets me into a lot of trouble.
Did you ever think about
becoming a paramedic?
At my age?
I don't think
there's any age limit
for helping people, do you?