Original subtitles

Terrific idea for a wedding portrait, Joe. I wish I could use the dress for

ceremony.

Great place, pal.

Didn't I tell you? Real western atmosphere.

He's kidding. Deep in his heart, he knows that real ghost towns don't sell

frozen yogurt.

Joe,

come out with us next time we camp out in the desert.

I think you'll like it. You gotta be kidding. No. All those bugs and curly

things? Forget it. Oh, wow.

Come on, Trigger.

You know, I've never understood your obsession with the Old West, all this

cowboy business.

Well, I'm from Burbank.

Sam, I'm from Burbank. How come I turn out to be James Cagney and you ended up

this disco kid?

You expect a joke, but I'll give you a serious answer.

I think it has something to do with going back to a time when you could tell

good guys from the bad guys.

And when you counted on tomorrow being better than today.

Oh. Don't believe a word of it. He thinks western shirts makes his

look bigger.

Oh, yeah?

Oh, will you cut that?

Shane,

didn't I let you out when we left?

Listen, I'll heat the pizza. You guys clear the table, okay? Just because

here, I guess we'll have to eat off plates.

Is this technical stuff yours?

No. When I come to L .A. for the weekend, I try to leave the job at Tukor

me. Looks like Carol's got a paper due.

Effectiveness study of low -level radiation testing.

That's my darling.

Aha!

Okay.

There you go.

Ah, come on.

Isn't this great?

You're a successful chemical engineer.

I'm doing what I always dreamed of doing.

You've got this terrific woman you're marrying.

I'm still maintaining my high standards.

What a life.

Joe? Hmm?

I'm scared out of my skull.

About what?

I don't know. Maybe it's just working in the nuclear industry. It doesn't take

much to get a guy edgy.

But at my plant, I've picked up on carelessness.

Sloppy work.

It's not safe there.

Well, it's pretty scary, all right.

That's not the only thing that scares me.

See, they've got me pegged as a troublemaker, too, Cor.

I can relate to that.

I get the feeling they're keeping an eye on me.

And they should, too.

I am out to get the goods on them.

Sam, I'm going to use a scientific term on you.

What is it?

Paranoid. A little harsh, pal, but maybe it applies.

You just don't know.

Uh, were either of you guys in the kitchen earlier today?

No. Uh -uh.

Okay, I think someone was. They went through the cupboards and the drawers.

How do you know?

I wish I didn't have to admit this, but I love my kitchen. I know every inch of

it. And things aren't where they were. I mean, everything is tidy, but out of

place. Listen, I'm a very jumpy person right now. Don't aggravate.

Now, take it easy. It's not enough to go on.

Check my file drawer, will you?

It's okay. It's locked.

No, I was using it all morning on my paper. I left it open.

Shane.

What? The cat.

That's right.

I thought I left him out, but he was in when we got back.

You did let him out, hon. He came back in with whoever was here.

I almost wish they'd ransacked the place.

This is so spooky.

I mean, it's neater than when I left it.

Listen, it could be nothing.

Could be just a burglary.

Don't they take things in a burglary? Oh, wow.

I know, I know.

But we have to do something.

Maybe we should call the cops.

For what? Breaking and tidying?

I'm talking about a chemical plant where radioactive liquids are leaking out of

pipes and buckets are put down to keep the stuff off the floor.

Open buckets.

You got pictures of that?

No, but I saw it.

Do you realize how toxic that stuff is?

A particle of plutonium the size of a speck of dust can cause lung cancer if

inhale it.

Tell them about the boots.

What's that? The crew has issued work clothes, which they're supposed to keep

the plant so they don't contaminate anything when they leave.

Right.

Well, part of the uniform is boots.

And as a precaution, they mixed up some indelible yellow paint.

And painted the toes of the boots before they handed them out.

So the guards don't know if they tried to wear the boots home.

Well, is that kind of precaution common in a nuclear industry? It's good they're

cautious. I'm saying they're not cautious enough.

You see, the crew really likes those boots.

And they're a hassle to change.

So they fooled around with some solvent and took the yellow paint off.

Oh.

Those boots are tracking stuff all over the town.

Like radiation.

Sometimes.

See? You set up safeguards, but somehow there always seems to be a way around

it.

You've heard about Murphy's Law.

Anything that can go wrong well?

That's it.

Well, Murphy's Law is kind of the watchword for the nuclear industry, too.

But even with so much caution, incidents happen all the time.

Listen, Sam, I can tell you know what you're talking about. Still, you seem

of hostile towards your industry.

No, I'm not.

Just the abuses.

Lou, ever since they had me read Our Buddy the Atom in fourth grade, I've

studying nuclear power.

I'm committed to it. But then why?

Because if we don't do it 100 % right, it's not going to be worth it.

I'm an optimist.

I think if we can figure out how to split the atom, we can also figure out

to protect ourselves from it. What about the government? You want an emperor

out? Sure, I have.

But the only person who'll answer my phone calls is Bob Phelps, a congressman

from District of Randy.

If the trip is interesting, I'd sure like you guys to have it.

Maybe if it's in the press, we can get some action.

Are we interested, Lou?

We have some evidence we are.

You mean like company records?

Yeah, records, inter -office memos, photographs.

Something tangible for the charges we're gonna make.

You think you can try to get that for us?

You bet.

How much time have I got?

Take all the time you need.

I have a feeling this is one story that isn't going to go away.

I didn't even get to tell him most of it.

Joe's editor just said, get going. He wants evidence.

Maybe now we'll get somewhere.

Vitamin C?

Yeah, right.

I hate leaving you here alone.

Don't worry about me. Whoever broke in is going to be following you all the way

back to Los Tumas.

Yeah, right. Me and my shadow.

Maybe we'll finally get to the point where we can carpool.

Very funny.

Well, it is a terrible waste of gas.

As a member of the energy industry, I kind of feel an obligation.

This is not a million left, huh?

What happens when the story breaks?

You're going to get fired, you know.

I didn't even think of it before.

Of course, with my background and all.

The years of study.

It shouldn't be too hard to find something.

Gunslinger.

Cattle rustler.

What the heck? Robber baron. You'll love me in mutton chops.

I'll even love you if you decide against taking on that entire company on your

own.

Not a chance.

This is going to be good.

Sam.

Don't go.

Man's got to do what he's got to do.

Carol, don't worry.

Sam. Pat.

So long, man.

Hope you don't mind Rossi giving Sam Beecher your private number. He's

about people listening in. That's why it's a private number.

Hey, listen.

Are you sure about this fellow's credentials?

I mean, I don't want us being shills, you know, for the anti -nuclear people.

As far as I can tell, the kid's really committed to nuclear energy. He's just

interested in safe conditions where he works.

Am I late?

No, nothing yet.

A stupid librarian couldn't find the file on plutonium. Turns out he had it

under platinum.

Charles Hume. Hello, Mr. Hume. This is Sam Beecher. Is Joe Rossi there?

Yeah, Mr. Beecher.

Listen, I'm going to put you on a conference call. Both Lou Grant and

here.

Hi, Sam. What you got?

Hey, Joe.

Listen, this is bigger than I thought.

Can you come out here to see me?

Like tuna? Sure.

No, no. I'm in a little town called Juanita.

It's just inside the California state line.

I'm staying at the Juanita Motel on Highway 9.

How soon can you make it?

Seven tonight?

Swift. Hey, Carol is going to come up for the weekend.

Can she come along with you?

Sure. I'll swing by and pick her up.

Thanks. Lou, you still there?

Yeah, Sam. What is it?

I've got what you asked for.

Records, photographs, the works.

Terrific. Now relax, Russ. He's on his way.

That's what I intend to do.

As soon as I settle in, I'm going to buy myself a beer and send the Trib the

bill. We'll even cover you for a pickled egg.

Okay. See you at seven, Joe.

Right, pal.

Sounds promising.

Here we go.

Thank you.

Nada. Not even married yet and I'm checking the bars for him. Give me the

one. Okay.

Wendell's Bar and Grill.

645. Look, why don't we just call the cops?

Cops? Why? What could happen in a town this size?

Well, you know, Sam, maybe you ought to shoot it out with a local hired gun.

Well, I guess it couldn't hurt to call.

I'm going to make some coffee.

You want some?

Sure.

Hello, officer.

My name is Joe Rossi.

Look, we've been waiting for a friend and he's very late. And we thought maybe

you could tell us if there have been any accidents or anything in the past few

hours. If he's in the drunk tank, I don't want to know.

Well, if I give you his name, would you confirm it?

Sam Beecher. He's from Las Tunas.

What kind of accident?

Okay. Right away.

I hope they didn't give him any medication.

Where is he?

He stands allergic to penicillin, you know. He never wears that little ID

bracelet I gave him.

Oh, my God, no.

What do you mean you're not going to hold the guy? He killed my best friend.

Did you people test him? Did you bother to find out if he'd been drinking? Yes,

we did. He hadn't.

But according to some people in the bar, Mr. Beecher had.

Now, I'm not saying he was intoxicated, but it's quite possible his reflexes

were slowed by alcohol.

I can't believe this. You're talking like you had it coming.

Now, Mr. Rossi, I'm sorry. I wish it hadn't happened. But the facts are that

Rendell was driving within the prescribed speed limits. He had not been

drinking. Now, your friend had.

He crossed the street in the middle of the block.

Now, from our point of view, it was an accident. We don't intend to charge a

driver. What if it wasn't an accident?

What do you mean by that?

This man was bringing me some information, all right? Some very

information. This wasn't just some local Yahoo jaywalking. Mr. Rendell was just

passing through town on his way from Ohio to L .A.

Where in Ohio?

Sandusky. Sandusky. Joe, just let it be.

I want Sheriff Turner to be aware he may have a murderer in custody.

Is that the man?

Yes, ma 'am.

Excuse me.

Mr. Rendell, I don't think we'll need you anymore tonight.

Officer Griffin will take you to a motel. You rest up for a few days.

Did the doctor give you something to help you sleep?

Yes, sir. I hope they work.

I just called my wife.

She's coming out from Los Angeles to get me. I was supposed to meet her there.

I don't think I'll ever drive again.

I think.

So these are Sam's things?

That's right. We're going to have an inventory.

This is his fiancée. They ought to go to her.

Well, did he have any immediate family?

No.

I was going to be it.

Oh.

Well, listen, if you'd like to go through these things, it's all right,

can't let you take anything just yet.

Thanks.

be able to take this.

Come on, miss. I live right next door. My wife will stay with you.

She'll be all right.

Why is this going to happen? It's okay. You just let it out.

Excuse

me.

Yes. I'm a reporter for the Los Angeles Tribune.

Can I ask a few questions?

I'm a friend of the deceased.

What can I do for you?

Were there any papers or anything at the scene when you got there?

A long white business envelope.

Yeah, yeah, could be.

Sure, I remember picking it up.

I know, I put it in here.

Just a regular white envelope, right? I don't know. Sam didn't tell me.

Where is it?

Could you have dropped it when you moved him into the hospital?

Who knows? We're going to hurt trying to save a guy's life.

I know I put it in here.

Well, it's gone now.

Rossi, I'm not pulling you off for good.

But you're not in any shape to be working.

No way, Lou. I've got to find those papers.

Let me send someone down to work on it for the next few days.

If you do that, Lou, I'll quit. So help me.

I'll do this work freelance if I have to.

I mean it, Lou. Please.

Okay, okay.

At least we can help you on this end. What do you need?

Can somebody do some checking on the guy who hit Sam?

His name's Howard Rindell. R -I -N -D -E -L -L.

Ohio license number YL38B6.

Says he's from Sandusky. First thing in the morning.

What else?

Nothing tonight.

Lou? Yeah.

I feel like I've got a hole in my chest.

About 12 inches around.

Oh, Joe.

I know.

I'm sorry.

Get some sleep.

Thank you, Lou.

I will.

Okay. Good night.

What am I going to do about a funeral?

Yeah.

You know, he used to tell me that he wanted to lie on the crest of a hill

a Joshua tree.

How am I going to do that?

His folks are buried in Glendale.

That sounds just like Sam.

He liked to make it tough on her, didn't he?

Always putting his friends to the test.

You... You never let him down.

I did.

Lots of times.

But never as bad as I did on this.

I feel like it's my fault.

I brought him into my editor.

We sent him back there.

It'd be nice if you'd tell me it's not my fault.

Of course it's not.

You know, if it had been any other time, Sam would have taken the story

somewhere else.

Joe, you were a good friend to him.

Mom, what am I doing?

No, no, no.

That's good.

Don't fight it. You've got to get some sleep.

Yeah.

And the other?

All right.

Are we finishing?

Yep.

Charlie,

I'd like clarification on something.

Sure. The story I hear Lou's doing on nuclear safety, what about it?

Well, the plant you're investigating is Pucor.

Well, it's out of state, isn't it?

And I hear you've got Rossi assigned to it.

Looks to me like a national story.

But Tunis is hardly within the greater Los Angeles metropolitan area.

And giving you the benefit of the doubt, Lou, it looks like you're on my turf.

Listen. This started out as a very low percentage story.

Rossi dug up the source and I let him take a chance on it. We had no idea it

going to break into something this big.

Well, now that it has, I think my man should take over.

He's been covering the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

He knows the background.

And he's the one to run with it. No, he's not.

We developed the story. We're doing the story.

Come on, Lou. There's no reason for this to be a Metro story. Hey.

A week ago, I couldn't have given you this idea gift -wrapped.

Now, Roxy's source is dead, there's a possibility it's murder, and suddenly

you're talking about your turf.

I'll tell you something, Jim.

I sent Sam Beecher into a dangerous situation.

Today, he's lying in the morgue in some godforsaken desert town, and I'm feeling

very responsible.

I'd like to see somebody try to take that story away from me.

That clarify things for you, Jim?

I'm waiting for a call back on that guy Rendell. I should know something about

him in a few minutes.

And I talked to Congressman Phelps.

Did he sound interesting?

If he's so interested, he's in your office.

Congressman Phelps. Please, Bob.

Good to see you again. Yeah, Lou. When was the last time?

That day the Vikings beat the Rams.

In all that rain and mud. What a beautiful day.

I keep forgetting you're from Minnesota.

I'm glad you stopped by. Sit down, sit down.

Did you know Sam Beecher?

Only on the phone. I was very impressed with him. What happened there? We don't

know yet.

It looked like an accident, but maybe not.

I made a lot of enemies lately.

Yeah? At two court? He didn't tell me.

What did he tell you?

The outline conditions at the plant. Things he said were unsafe.

Why'd he pick you?

I suppose because I'm in the House Occupational Safety Subcommittee.

Looks like you've got a hot issue to work with.

All these issues are hot. We just don't know enough about the long -term effects

of a lot of these chemicals we're making. Not only the radioactive stuff.

Look how long it took us to understand the dangers of working with asbestos.

Or lead.

Exactly.

And tucor.

Talking deep background, okay?

Okay. We've been trying to nail tucor for some time. Not easy.

You mean that?

You've got the weight of the federal government behind you.

Yes. Got the weight of the federal government behind me, in front of me,

top of me.

Yeah. I know that feeling. And don't forget the nuclear lobby. They pack a

of clout around Washington.

So I've heard.

Let's work together on this.

Keep me informed on the Beecher thing. Tell me anything you feel you can.

Meanwhile, I'll get my office looking into it independently.

That's good to hear.

Thanks for coming by. So long. So long, Bob.

I got the information on Rundell.

Oh, what'd you find out?

He's from Ohio, all right.

Sandusky. Works as a security guard for Continental Shoreline. What's that?

A tiny company that makes oceanographic equipment.

Nothing there, then.

Except I traced it through two holding companies, a couple of false fronts.

And guess what?

It's a subsidiary of the two corps.

We're still being watched. I saw the guy again just now.

Forget about getting corned beef in this town. You're getting ham and cheese.

On white.

Thanks, I'll take anything.

Oh, someone's heading our way.

He's coming to the door.

What's he look like?

Big, weird looking.

What'll we do?

If he wants a confrontation, I'll give him one.

sent me down to get some shots.

Why didn't anybody tell me you were coming? We were scared

stiff.

Probably because Lou sent me here to look out for you and he didn't want you

saying no.

It's me being here bumming you out. Are you kidding?

Animal, this is Carol. He's one of the photographers at the trip.

How do you do?

Carol's my friend Sam's fiance.

Oh, hey, I'm sorry.

Listen, there's something else.

Louie didn't want to give you this on the phone, just in case, but Billy found

out something heavy.

That guy that was driving the car, Rendell? Yeah.

He's tied to Ducor.

Oh, no.

I was praying it was just an accident.

Adam, you came at just the right time.

There's some big strong -armed jerk been watching Carol and me. I'm going to

find out what his game is right now.

Keep an eye on me.

Whoever it is you're talking about, I'm getting sick and tired of this

harassment. I'll have to call you back. Something just came up.

Did you hear me? Yeah, you know, it's all right. I'm okay. I'll call you back

later. Listen, boss, you're not calling anybody for a while. You must think the

press is pretty gutless trying to scare us off this way.

I figured you was a reporter.

Well, you figured right, and I'll tell you something else. I don't care what

try or how frightened I am, you're not getting me off this story.

Listen, I work for Ducal.

I thought so. Who are you talking to just now? My wife.

Your wife? Yeah, she's worried about me because I want to help you.

Well, you have a funny way of doing it. I'm scared to death here. Why were you

hanging around? Why didn't you just come up to me? I wasn't sure about you. I

wanted to make sure which side you're on.

Who are you? No, there's no way I'm going to tell you that. I want to keep

job.

Well, let's go someplace private.

No, we may be watching.

Come on.

Don't ask me what my name is because I'm not going to tell you. And if you

happen to find out, I'm going to say I never stuck to you.

Okay, what have you got for me? I've been working at Duke ever since it was

built ten years ago. I was there when the accident happened. What accident?

Six years ago. That's what Sam was looking into.

Check out the medical history of the employees.

People are dead. Check it out.

Listen, what kind of accident was it? Check it out. You'll see.

Guess what?

Congressman Phelps has backed off on his investigation of two corps.

When did you hear that?

His secretary phoned me just now.

Apologized for not returning all my calls, but said that the two corps

had been temporarily tabled in favor of more pressing matters.

Like the celebrity tennis tournament he's refereeing.

I just got some copy on it. Sounds like he's beating a hasty retreat.

He seems so gung -ho.

I wonder what happened to him.

Did somebody get to him?

Don't make me guess, Billy. Find out.

How come you stayed here in Las Tunas after your husband died?

Two corps saved us, Mr. Rossi. We had four little kids.

Heather was just a baby then.

And after Alan died, we almost lost the house.

That was back in August of 72, right? Yeah.

Right at the hottest time of the year.

Do you remember an accident at Tukor earlier that year? Oh, no, I remember.

I could give you the date.

Alan said it was nothing to worry about.

But when they come rushing into your house and strip the sheets off your bed

the clothes out of your closet, well, you don't forget something like that.

They really did that? Took your sheets and all? Oh, yes.

And no explanation.

But Alan asked me to trust him that it was just a false alarm and we had not

been contaminated.

So I did.

But it was never the same after.

Your marriage, you mean?

Oh, everything.

Alan just got more and more depressed.

He was obsessed with the idea he had cancer.

And he was going to doctors until he died.

So he was right then. He got cancer.

Oh, no.

No, Alan shot himself.

Suicide.

Oh. That's why the insurance company wouldn't pay off our policy.

But Alan's boss at two -car, he said we'd be provided for. And he kept his

promise.

He said the company felt bad, seeing how much pressure Alan had been under.

I tell you, Mr. Rossi, I'm grateful to them for life.

Where's Lou?

He's down in Kaposi.

Rats. I'll leave him a note.

But I would love to see his face when he reads this.

I just learned why Congressman Phelps put a stop to the Tukor investigation.

Found out his grandma had her family fortune tied up in the stock, right?

No, better or worse.

I just got word from a very disappointed member of his staff.

He says the congressman got mixed up with a $50 hooker who had a tape

and enough business sense to use it.

Tukor's got the tape.

Uh -huh. Or a friend of theirs in Washington does.

So now Phelps is worried about his own occupational safety for a change.

Boy, oh, boy. The guy falls victim to the oldest trick in the book.

That could be so dumb.

Poor bugger.

Billy. Yeah?

It's not funny.

Well, sure, I know that. I didn't mean it.

All right, I'm sorry.

All right.

I wasn't with Bucor at the time of the incident you mentioned, Mr. Rossi, but

I've pulled the files.

Just exactly what happened?

As I understand it, there was some leakage of radioactive materials and

low -level contamination of some employees.

But you must know that great pains were taken to ensure that the contamination

spread no further.

Isn't it true that three of your workers died of cancer after that accident?

That's not statistically abnormal.

Does it surprise you to learn that the people who work here are susceptible to

the same diseases as everyone else?

You know, one of these men had lung cancer.

Heavy smoker.

And one had cancer of the pancreas, the other cancer of the liver.

Well, I'm afraid that's just not unusual.

It would be if they were on the same crew when the accident happened.

Perhaps.

But we'll never be able to test your thesis.

All of the workers rotate throughout the plant.

How about injury to the temporary employees?

Day workers?

What about them?

I understand you use high school boys and migrant workers for particularly

hazardous jobs.

Well, I don't accept your choice for the word particularly hazardous, but yes,

we do hire boys for a day or two if they're 18.

And they can be subject to a year's worth of radiation in a single day,

Is that why you try to find new people?

That's generally right.

Generally right? Where specifically am I not right? I don't want to be

inaccurate.

No, you're not inaccurate.

Okay. These day workers, these kids, how many of them were involved in the 72

accident?

I don't have any idea.

We don't keep a medical file on the day workers.

So there's no way to know what happened to them?

As a doctor, don't you find that disturbing?

I'm sorry, Mr. Rossi. It's just typical of the way things are done around here.

The bureaucratic mess in this place would depress a postal worker.

But you're supposed to be in charge of the medical records.

And I don't have the budget or the staff to handle things any differently.

But we are talking about the lives of people at Tukor.

Mr. Rossi, I know you're upset.

You knew Sam Beecher. You think he was murdered.

This is a small town where it gets around.

Off the record, you want my opinion of what happened?

Yes.

Nobody at Tukor had Sam Beecher killed.

Listen, I know these people.

And nobody around here would have that much initiative.

I've been working for Tukor eight years.

I've seen some ghosts, and there's nothing wrong with me. That's not what

Lou says.

Remember when I left my gloves in you that night?

And he had to sneak in at four in the morning to get them back before work the

next day.

You mean you contaminated this place with radiation?

I don't think we did any real harm.

Of course, the chili in here has never been quite the same since.

Yeah, it's better.

I can hardly wait till they turn out the lights and the waitress glows in the

dark.

You didn't tell the owner about the gloves?

Are you kidding?

We like that guy.

He could really put a dent in his business.

Anybody mind if I take a few pictures?

You bet your life we do.

What about the accident back in 72?

What about it?

Here it was pretty bad, but nobody wanted to talk about it.

Why should we?

You see, your average guy doesn't understand. He panics.

We work around it every day. We know how to handle it. It doesn't bother us.

But, Tukor, doesn't your employer have a duty to see you guys have a safe place

to work?

You know what this place was like before Tukor came here? Just a pitiful little

hellhole. When the interstate bypassed us, it looked like we were doomed.

And suddenly this plan is built, and we got ourselves some action.

Place to work, money to spend in bars like this one.

And a pretty decent school system, thanks to the taxes that two -core pays.

I got kids to think of.

Don't you worry about them getting contaminated over a long period of time?

No, I worry about keeping them fed.

You know what really gets me?

Disloyalty. Bite in the hand, it feeds you.

What are you talking about?

I'm talking about people trying to destroy a company from within.

He's talking about them.

If you ask me, we're better off without him.

Sam is trying to help you.

I'd say anybody who comes into town, tries to shut this place down, to stop

paychecks, he's asking for trouble.

Hi, Bob.

Lou, hi.

Some game, huh? Yeah, that's why we're both out here with three minutes left

a half.

Don't you love a coach that goes into a stall after ten minutes of play?

Yeah.

Billy says you've decided against investigating Tukor.

I'm glad we ran into each other. Billy is wrong. We did investigate the Sam

Beecher business.

What'd you find out?

Well, it seems as though the kid was kind of a whiner. He never got as high

in the company as he wanted. He realized it was dead -ended, so he took it out

on Tukor. You know what I mean.

Sure, it happens all the time.

What did you find out about his allegations?

Safety problems?

Yeah, he checked out his complaints anyway, didn't you? Lou, consider the

source. Now, if we'd have heard from a grievance committee at the plant or

something, that's another story. But one disgruntled employee?

Especially one who's dead.

That's out of line?

No, it's not.

I'll tell you, Bob.

One of my reporters picked up on your problem with the strange bedfellow.

Oh? As a matter of fact, when we get some people willing to talk on the

about it, it'll make a real nice sidebar to our story on two -core.

Blackmail is always a grabber.

Listen, Lou, don't use a little blackmail of your own. It's a lot more

complicated than that. I believe you.

That's why you're getting all this lead time to think about your response to the

charges before we run it.

Enjoy the game.

That's the last of the stuff from Sam's apartment.

I guess he just wasn't keeping any two -course stuff at home.

Either that or someone got to it before we did.

Hey.

What is this?

Oh, it's a Geiger counter.

Sam got it for high school graduation.

Oh, I remember.

I got this watch with a radium dial, and we played with both of them all day.

Two of us would go out in the desert, take it with us, looking for uranium.

Later on, Sam used it to check himself out.

How does it work?

Well, one of these things here is a switch.

Somewhere here. Yeah, here.

I don't know if this thing's still working.

But if it is, and there's anything radioactive around, you just flip the

and... That can't be.

Ross, are you wearing that radium dial watch?

Uh -uh, no.

Carol, can this be a mistake? Why is that doing that in here? I don't know.

Let's see what's setting it off.

They're staying in my room.

What are we going to do?

Somebody wants us out of here. And we're going to accommodate them.

But first we're going to use an outside phone to call the cops. And I'm going to

call Lou. Okay.

Tell them to warn a hospital in L .A. that three possible cases of radiation

contamination are on their way in.

And don't touch anything!

Shouldn't we go to a local hospital?

After all this?

Let's just get out of here while we can. Don't touch it.

Come here.

Sit down.

Go ahead.

Go ahead.

Calling Dr.

Newman, please.

Dr. Newman, please report to the pediatrics.

Lou, how are you?

Thanks for the clothes.

Sure my mother didn't have to pick these out.

I had to guess on the size, how'd I do? Pretty good.

The tie was a joke, right?

Uh -huh. So were the suspenders.

Oh, yeah?

I like them.

Which rooms Rossi in that one Lou Rossi's pretty depressed.

I know Hi You

got a pretty bill of health isn't that great

So,

what's the plan let me drop you off at your place you won't go back to the

They chased us out of town who were licked

No. Not entirely.

The cops are looking into Sam's death.

It's starting to look like the guy who was driving wasn't acting alone.

Though he found out his wife opened a new bank account a week after the

accident. They'll get him.

Sure, he'll take the fall.

Don't be so sure.

Vendell probably thought manslaughter was the worst charge they could pin on

him. If that becomes murder, he might decide to talk.

But what about the story, Lou? We're back where we were the day Sam came to

office with accusations and no evidence.

Hi, Lou.

Hi.

Thanks for the clothes. You got good taste.

I raised three daughters.

I'm gonna go now, Joe.

Try and get back into the old routine.

These past few weeks are really... You know, you should try and do the

same, hmm?

Get back to the office.

See some familiar faces.

Listen, Joe, at least we know there's a story here.

We just have to wait for something to break.

What if it doesn't?

I've seen it, Lou. The town that won't talk. People bought off. Harassment.

People who'd risk their family's health rather than lose their jobs. We gotta

tell that story.

Not without substantiation.

No.

Come on.

Let me take you back to work.

Hi, Roger.

Hi, Ivan. I've been saving your mail for you. Thanks.

Thanks.

Howdy, stranger.

Hi, Donovan. Welcome back.

Gang put me in charge of the welcoming committee.

Okay, but I hate these big deals. Let's get it over with. We already did.

Hi, Roger.

You're looking pretty good.

I'm sorry about your friend.

Thanks, Billy.

What is this?

Huh?

It's Sam's handwriting.

Lou?

Lou? It's supposed to mark the 18th. That was the day.

I know.

Dear Joe, remember Murphy's Law?

Well, just in case one of us screws up, I made a protection copy of everything I

gathered from the plant.

Getting cautious in my old age.

Even you can't deny that this makes for one hell of a story.

You're welcome, Sam.

In 1972, the accidental leakage of highly radioactive materials at the two

corporation's Las Tunas facility led to the exposure of hundreds of plant

workers who received insufficient treatment and the subsequent death of

employees.

Five, no?

Write your story.