Original subtitles

The Streets of San Francisco, a Quinn Martin production, starring Carl Malden.

Also starring Michael Douglas.

With guest stars Peter Haskell, Kim Richards,

Paul Thicke.

Patricia Smith.

Tonight's episode, River of Fear.

Hey, what do I owe the honor?

Well, you said it before the wedding.

Women's lib, equal rights?

Oh, sure, but we each carry half the packages.

Only when I wear what's inside.

So that's what's been bothering you. Hey, come on, we're going to get you

something. A new suit, maybe, or a tie, or... Don't.

Oh, yes, come on, you've been loading me down with packages, and I haven't

gotten you anything.

The only thing I want from you is to get you back to the hotel right away.

Welcome back to the mainland, Mrs. Dunson.

Aloha, Dr. Dunson.

My mother always wanted me to marry a doctor. Very wise woman, your mother.

Not really, just a hypochondriac.

Oh, Bill, it's almost over. It's just beginning.

I mean, why?

The honeymoon, the wedding?

Like I said, it's just beginning.

Something's bothering me, and I want to get it off my mind before we get back to

Duncan Falls in the morning.

It's something I never told you, and I just don't want any secrets between us.

You know, my first husband was convicted of armed robbery.

That's ancient history. Besides, the man is dead.

No, I want to tell you, he did do it.

It doesn't matter.

Bill, I still have it. What?

The money.

I still have it, all of it.

$220 ,000.

It's hidden, so that if the children ever need it... I'll take care of Julie

Bobby. Julie knows where it is.

In case anything ever happened.

And I want you to know, too.

Betty, Betty.

Betty, Betty, Betty, Betty.

A part of your life belongs to you.

Nothing belongs to me.

I want everything I am to be yours.

For always.

We can explain to the authorities.

Tell them that it just turned up.

Where is it?

In the stable.

In the stable?

In a brown suitcase.

Behind the second stall. The third plank up is loose.

We'll take care of that later.

You have to get into the tub.

We're going to be late for dinner.

Go on, go on.

Oh, I do love you.

Die you I thought you were going to call for some

champagne Room

service,

please

We were in Hawaii for eight days.

We got married there.

My wife wanted to stay.

But my practice in Duncan Falls, there's only one other doctor. He's about to

retire.

I guess she knew that we wouldn't be getting into the city too much, so we

the entire afternoon shopping.

Stuff for her, for the kids.

Julie and Bobby,

they were her children.

What am I going to say to them?

Was she in the bath before you left?

No, she was just getting undressed.

What time was that?

5, 5 .30.

I went downstairs to get a haircut. We had dinner reservations

at 8 o 'clock.

Barbershop and the hotel?

Yeah.

Lieutenant.

Exceptional skull fracture. The victim apparently slipped on the tile floor,

fell into the tub and hit her head.

On what?

I don't have any idea until after the autopsy.

Can you give me the time?

I'll let you know then.

Probably just an accident, Mike. A pretty common one, I think. Okay.

Thanks.

There was a housekeeper with the kids, and they were expecting to call from

their mother this evening.

I'd like to get to them as soon as I can.

Well, doctor, if I may make a suggestion, there's going to be a couple

of red tape you're going to have to get behind you, so why don't you just call

up the housekeeper and tell her what happened?

7 .30.

I'm hungry.

Let's go in and get some shared food.

I can't believe it.

She was such a sweet, dear girl.

She's like a daughter to me.

Oh, yes, Mr. Duncan, I will.

Sorry, I was thinking of myself and forgetting how awful this must be for

Yeah, I'll call Dr. White first and whoever else.

I'll take care of everything. Thank you for calling.

Mom's going to call at 7 .30. Julie said so.

Well, things are different in San Francisco. She might

be late.

And, uh, 7 .30 is your bedtime, Bobby.

Who was on the phone, Mrs. Rand?

Well, it was just, um... Well, now I'm entitled to a personal call.

Isn't that so?

Everything check out? Just like you said, yeah.

That's got to be tough.

I only met four months ago.

Duncan Falls?

Yeah, there's an advertisement for a new doctor.

She had a house up there.

A little summer business, you know, the tourists.

Not to support the kids.

Kids, huh?

That's got to be tough on them.

Well, he said he was going to adopt them.

I guess that's what she'd want.

Has he called back yet?

He said he'd be here in the morning, after he makes a rip.

Oh, now, come, come, Emma.

There'll be plenty of time for that.

Are they asleep?

Yeah, about an hour ago.

They don't know, then?

I couldn't tell them.

I'll let Mr.

Dunson... You still can't call him doctor, eh?

As far as I'm concerned, you're still the only doctor in Duncan Falls.

Can I make you some hot chocolate?

You got any brandy?

Yes, I think so.

Get two glasses.

I'm afraid it's going to be a long night for both of us.

I brought her into this world 34 years ago.

Upstairs. Her mother didn't believe in hospitals.

I suppose she'll be brought back to Duncan Falls.

Buried here.

Where else?

She was such a kind and thoughtful human being.

I never felt like a housekeeper. She made me feel like one of the family.

We're all gone now.

Except her sister, Helen, over in Edenton.

One of the first families in these parts, along with mine.

I've got to go over and see Mrs. Knox for a while.

It's probably nothing but false labor, but if I don't get back, I'll look in on

you first thing in the morning.

Bobby.

Bobby, get up.

It's a secret.

I'll be back later if I can. I understand, Doctor.

Get the lantern.

I don't have any matches.

The battery one.

You're very beautiful.

And I love you.

So did my mother.

Here, help me.

What's it say?

If we need help, we should go to Aunt Helen's.

Why would we need help?

In case something bad happened.

But it didn't.

Maybe it did, Bobby.

Julie, what?

We gotta help get this back.

It's Mom!

She came home early!

That's Redwood.

He never barks when Mom's around.

He only barks at Dunson.

I know.

All right, Redwood, go on.

Go on.

He'll wake you, too.

I didn't expect you until morning.

I did what had to be done.

I just couldn't stay in that hotel for another minute. I'm so sorry, Mr.

Dunson. So... I thought they were asleep.

It's just as well.

I might as well get this over with.

Tonight?

Don't you think you... I'll be gentle.

Julie?

Julie, wake up.

Yeah?

Something's happened to your mother.

I know.

She's dead.

How did you know?

I heard Mrs. Rand on the phone.

And then Doc White came by, talked about it.

Does Bobby know you?

No.

Well, I'll tell him in the morning.

No.

He'd rather hear it from me.

Isn't it?

Oh, there you are.

Julie told Bobby they're both in there crying themselves to sleep.

I'll just sit with them for a while. Good night, Mr. Duncan.

What's all this?

There's a report that honeymoon couple... Got something troubling you?

All right, here's the point of impact on the woman's skull.

Yeah? Now, these are photographs that were taken in the bathroom the way the

body was found.

Now, Bernie says whatever she hit was a blunt object two inches in diameter.

Faucet? I put it through the glass, and you can see it's beveled. It's not

blunt.

Well, nothing else in here the same size?

Not in the pictures, no.

Well, what are you thinking?

I think we ought to go back and take another look.

You got anything else on these people? Not yet.

All right, I guess you'd better run them both through, aren't I?

You're right about the edges.

Beveled pretty sharp.

Hey, what about this?

Right size, maybe, but...

Tell me, how would she end up in the tub?

Yeah, this is Inspector Keller.

Yeah, Bill, go ahead.

Tanner's got the info from RMI. Are you sure this guy's a doctor?

Well, that's what he told us. Yeah, why?

Well, he doesn't show up with the State Board of Medical Examiners. I called

Sacramento. You're kidding.

Uh -uh. I checked back ten years, and there's never been a Dr. William

Fitzpatrick Dunson in California during that whole period.

Would you check the National Registry?

Yeah. Call Chicago.

AMA headquarters.

What?

There's no mention of Dunson being a doctor.

Is he sure?

I heard that. Tell a lieutenant it's been checked and double -checked. He's

positive, yeah.

What do you think?

I don't know.

Yeah, is there any record of the same name but without the M .D.? Still

checking. Got something interesting on that woman, though.

Yeah, go ahead.

Yeah.

Okay, Bill. Yeah.

Thanks a lot.

What's he got?

The woman's death certificate says she was married before to a Calvin Todd.

Now, Tanner ran it through R &I.

What's this?

Die Q -128?

He died while he was serving time in San Quentin.

For what?

Armed robbery.

$220 ,000 unrecovered.

Wow, that's a pretty big leap you're making. You know that, don't you?

Yeah, I know. I know.

But it's possible.

It's a pretty good motive for marriage.

Even murder.

You know, if I were you, I think I'd have the lab come up here right away.

It's about two inches in diameter.

If there's nothing else, I'll go do the beds. Fine, thank you.

I hope you both realize that I'm going to take care of him.

We don't know each other very well yet, but we'll get to it.

I promise you that.

Mother told me a lot about you.

She told me about the money.

And the suitcase.

Well, I'm going to get the bank to take care of that for you.

As soon as you tell me where you moved it.

Moved what?

The money in the suitcase.

I don't know nothing about any money.

And besides, it's empty.

It's dark light.

Julie?

Bobby, I know.

Doc. Oh, Julie.

Julie, everything's going to be all right.

What are we going to do?

Oh, now, don't you worry.

You and Bobby have lots of friends.

Wonderful people who care about you both.

Hello, Doc.

I'm sorry to hear the bad news.

I thought I should come over.

That's good of you.

Maybe I could take the kids for a little ride and talk about a few things.

We're just doing that.

Why would you... Well, I didn't mean to interrupt anything. I just

thought that since I've known their mama all of her life that... Oh, thank you.

I don't think it's really necessary.

Yes, we'd like it very much, wouldn't we, Bobby?

Yeah.

All right with you?

Sure. Why not?

We'll talk when you get back.

I'll wait for you, Judy.

Oh, Bill, I was going to stop by and make me dollars on my way to the office.

Would you mind?

No, I'll stop by, Doc. Thanks.

I was treating Todd for a slipped disc. He died on a Sunday. I was away at the

time. Oh, come on, J .B. Don't tell me he died of a slipped disc. Nope. I'm not

part of that.

Do you have any previous record of a heart condition?

No, none that I can see, but that doesn't mean... Was there an autopsy?

Yes, of course.

It was confirmed by the medical examiner.

May I ask who found the body?

An orderly named Cooper, James Cooper, one of the inmates.

Oh, yes.

I remember him.

Pretty good man. Knew his medicine.

He was discharged some months back.

This Cooper, what did he look like?

Six foot.

Trim. Late 30s. Little eyes, graying hair, good talker, bright.

That's right.

You know him?

Maybe.

Doctor, there's a lot of ways to make it look like somebody died of a heart

attack, aren't there?

Well, yes.

And could this Cooper have access to those kind of drugs?

I suppose so.

Well, could he have taken these drugs and injected them into your patient?

Now, look, Mike, there was no reason to suspect anything like that.

There may be now.

See you. Thanks.

I really don't think he's sad, Doc.

What?

Dunson. I know about him.

He's not really sad that Mama died.

That's not so.

He scares me sometimes.

And Bobby, too.

Yeah.

And I don't think he's a real doctor, either.

Well, now, that's a peculiar thing to say, young lady.

Well, every time a patient calls, he says he has to go to the other line.

Then he goes and he looks up in these medical books, then comes back and tells

them what to do.

Well, no, that could be very good medical practice, double -checking like

But, Doc, we don't have to, folks.

Yeah, and he lies.

He wanted to give me a tetanus shot for a scratch.

See? Here.

And you told me that you only needed a booster shot when you punctured your

skin. Remember, Doc?

Yeah.

Yeah.

know much about Bill Dunson.

What about a James Cooper?

Where'd you get this? San Quentin.

He served time there, same time as Calvin Todd.

Think he knows about the money Bill Todd stole? We think so, yeah.

Think maybe Betty's death wasn't an accident.

Well, we don't have proof of that yet.

What can I do to help?

Give us some names, people we can talk to, and we'd like to keep this from a

profile. Sure.

It's me, Myrtle. Anybody dying?

Two detectives from San Francisco want to talk to you.

And Dr. Dunson needs you at the Dullinger place.

Detectives? What do they want?

I didn't exactly say.

Asked me about Dr. Dunson.

And what did you tell them?

I told them I wouldn't let him treat me for heat rash on my left pinky.

Well, you never told me you felt that way about Dunson. You never asked.

I'll go buy Mrs.

Dollinger's. Meantime, you do just what you want with your pinky.

Give her ten milligrams of escadine concrete.

You know, I've been thinking about the Lucas boy.

Maybe we ought to get him out of traction and get him to exercise.

What do you think, Bill?

I've been throwing around the same idea myself, Doc.

You're no doctor.

If we took the Lucas boy out of traction, he wouldn't have a chance.

And the injection I just prescribed for Mrs. Dollinger is a lethal dose.

Before I came here, two detectives from San Francisco stopped by to talk to me

about you.

Now you tell me, Dunson, who the hell are you?

Is anything wrong, Dr.

Dunson?

I'll try to ask Dr. Johnson. Your mother's going to be all right. I'll be

later.

Johnson! Johnson!

don't scare like the kids, Dunson.

Oh, well, that's good, Doc.

Because there's nothing really to be frightened of.

And what I do know about this stuff is that it's painless.

And it's very quick.

Janice Dollinger. Lives up the road a ways.

Says Doc White and Dunson left her place 30 minutes ago.

Did they leave together, ma 'am?

It was very peculiar.

First Dr. Dunson rushed out and then Dr. White left a minute later.

Both seemed kind of upset.

Janice was on her way to do some marketing in Duncan Falls. She found Doc

Could have been a heart attack, Lieutenant. No sign of any violence.

Oh, come on, Sheriff. You don't believe in coincidences, do you?

Not this time.

I guess.

Well, I'd appreciate it if you'd have that ambulance take him to the nearest

corner. Well, that'd be Santa Rosa.

How far is it to the Todd farm?

About 30 minutes south on the main highway.

Along here? Yeah.

Thank you.

I'm student snake.

Maybe the doctor and Dunson were in on it together.

Nah, you heard what the sheriff said about Doc White.

He spent his whole life in the same little town looking after other people's

welfare.

Doesn't square.

Yeah. The doctor must have found out something and Dunson was afraid he was

going to talk.

And I keep wondering why Dunson's still hanging around.

I mean, if he killed his wife for the money, he'd want to find out where that

money was before he did it, right?

Right. So why didn't he just get it and go?

Because he thought we'd believe him.

And we almost did.

This way he could stick around, take off in the clear later on.

I keep wondering about those two kids the woman had.

What about them?

Well, if you were a widow, you had all that money and you hadn't spent it, what

would you be saving it for?

For the kids?

That's it.

You say maybe the kids know where the money is.

Well, you'd want them to know, wouldn't you?

Just in case.

So Dunson's sticking around because the kids got the money first and he doesn't

know where to find it. Uh -huh.

Wait, what'd you do that for? Now we'll have to walk all the way to Aunt

Helen's. We can make it.

But Dunstan won't be following us anymore.

He'll follow the horse.

He says it to do in the movies.

Come on, help.

Too heavy.

I'm not going to leave it behind.

I just don't know where else to look.

Do they usually come back for lunch?

We have an understanding.

They can wander off, but they'll show up come lunchtime.

And you haven't seen Mr. Dunstan since breakfast?

No, sir.

What?

Bermuda.

She's gone. Bermuda, is that a horse?

Yeah, she belongs to the children.

And Brindle's gone, too. Now, that's got to be where they are. Well, is there

anywhere special that they would ride off to?

Well, yes. These woods are full of trails.

They... Go clear here from here to Healdsburg and Cloverdale.

Hey, Mike?

Yeah. Oh, excuse me.

That's about the size, all right. Just wonder who got to it first.

Either he's got it and gone, or the kid's got it and he's after him.

The kid's come first either way.

Mrs. Rand, we want to phone the sheriff. We want him to start a search party.

What?

Shh. What?

Listen.

He sees us.

He's gone now.

Come on.

I'm hungry.

We'll beat Aunt Helen's for supper.

Come on, help me. I can't carry it anymore.

Okay. I'll hide it somewhere and come back later with Aunt Helen.

Any sign of him? No, but I got a search party looking four ways.

Doc White didn't die of a heart attack either. He was murdered.

Says here, a massive dose of some drug, escadine tartrate, directly into the

stomach. Now, is there any small town in this area where the children could have

friends or relatives in?

There's Miss Baker, their maiden aunt, Miss Helen Baker, but she lives way over

in Edenton. All right, give us her address and telephone number, please.

Oh, you must have been scared.

You know, you really upset Dr. Dunstan. He's afraid he's to blame for your

running off.

Do you know how worried you two made me?

I certainly hope you don't plan to do anything like that again.

And Helen.

Now, I think we bothered your Aunt Helen enough for today. Come on, it's time to

be getting on home. No, he killed Mama.

It's all right, Helen.

I've been through a lot.

Don't listen to him. He killed Mama and Doc White, too.

What are you talking about?

It's all this talk about death.

It's frightened them, confused them.

Aunt Helen, please.

You could call Doc White and see for yourself.

He killed them for the money.

The money Mama had hidden in the stable.

That's enough, Julie.

They should be under sedation, Helen.

I think you better let me take them home.

No, I don't think so.

You're right, they're just exhausted.

They could stay with me for tonight, until they've calmed down, and then...

then, after I'm gone, you make a telephone call.

All right, Julie, where is it?

In the woods, hidden somewhere?

I won't tell you.

Yes, you will.

This time, you will tell me.

This time you will show me exactly where the... You are wrong!

Nothing's out of order.

How far is it to Edenton? Eight, ten minutes. Come on, let's go.

Thank you, Alan.

I want the money, Julie.

Make up your mind if you're going to play any more tricks.

Because I've decided what's going to happen to you if you do.

So the truth.

All right? Just the truth.

It's in the tree.

Julie!

Another well of snakes, huh, Julie?

You're lying, aren't you?

Wait, don't hurt her. I'll tell you.

all shed by the river.

Bobby! I had to tell him, Julie. I had to.

Okay. Thank you, Bobby.

I'd like the keys to your car now, Helen.

Don't hurt them, please. Don't hurt them.

You know where it is now. Just come.

They go with me. No!

Yes.

Listen to me, Helen.

Things have not gone exactly the way I planned.

The police already suspect what I have done.

So I really don't have anything to lose if I go a little further.

You understand me, don't you?

Please. I have to move very quickly now, so I have no reason to kill you.

Unless you give me one.

And I have no reason to hurt them.

Unless they give me one.

But I don't think that they'll do that now.

Will you?

All right, let's go.

I'll contact you later, tell you where you can pick the kids up. And Helen,

don't even think about talking to anyone until you hear from me.

It's just up ahead.

Miss Baker.

Miss Baker, this is the police.

Miss Baker.

Sheriff? Oh, I'm sorry. I was in the back. I didn't hear you. Miss Baker,

is Lieutenant Stone with the San Francisco Police Department.

Looking for Bill Dunson. Has he been here?

Bill, I know. No, he hasn't.

We called you before we left.

Looks like we were right, Steve.

Two horses outside in the shed.

Please, I know you mean well, but... How long will they leave, ma 'am? I don't

know. I can't tell you anything. How long will they leave?

We know he has the children.

What did he tell you?

That he wouldn't hurt them?

That he'd keep them safe if you didn't say anything?

I can't tell you anything. The only way these kids are going to be safe, he'd

tell us where they're going and he'd tell us fast.

You do know, don't you?

Please, I don't know what to do. All right. I don't know what to do. All

all right, all right.

I am not going to tell you to do anything.

This is going to have to be your choice.

You're going to make up your mind.

They said it was in the old shed on the river.

Must be the one by the footbridge. They said they hid the money there.

You know where it is? Yeah.

All right, where is it?

Whitewater!

It's broken.

Oh, is that right, Doctor?

Well, I wouldn't worry about it if I were you.

You're going to have a long time to let it heal.

All right, Bobby, let me give you a hand.

Just a couple more inches. We got it. There we go.

We figured if he did catch us and made us tell, we'd bring him to the shed and

say somebody else must have stolen the money somewhere.

That was smart figuring. Real smart.

Did my father really steal that money?

Mm -hmm.

Is that why it had to go away? That's right.

And this money's going to have to go back to the people he took it from.

For reward, right?

For a big reward.

And I think it belongs to the two of you.

These are silver certificates.

See, they're out of circulation, aren't they? Yeah, but they're worth a lot

more. Come on, we better go tell Aunt Helen. Yeah.

That's the trouble with kids today.

What?

They don't understand the value of a dollar.

Thank you.