Original subtitles

Thank you.

There's some film here to be processed. I saw your light on. Film! Turn around.

What?

Thank you.

The FBI.

A QM production.

Starring Ephraim Simbliss Jr.

Also starring Philip Abbott.

Stephen Brooks.

With guest stars Jack Plugman.

Brett Summers.

Tonight's episode, Image in a Cracked Mirror.

Mr. Ward said you and Mr. Rhodes can go right in. Oh, well, Jim's picking up

some files for me. He'll be right along.

Well, I see we're finally going to get some sun. I've just about given up hope.

Do you still have that same cold, Mr. Erskine?

As far as I know, it's the same one.

Well, I have something to do with it. I've tried it.

Well, how do you know? You haven't even looked.

I know because there isn't a cold pill made that my daughter hasn't tried on me

during the last week.

Green and red, that's one before each meal and two before bedtime, right?

And I've got some routine background information on four out of five

Checks out, they're all telling the truth.

Good.

Thanks,

Barbara.

You're welcome, Daddy.

Then you can go right in.

Oh, Ben, I'm putting you on the amplifier.

Lewis and Jim are here.

Jim, Lou, Ben Stone.

Oh, Ben, how are you?

What's the word from Oklahoma City?

Nothing much, but there's a real big word from Evans.

What's Evans?

A town about 65 miles south of Tulsa. Did Arthur fill you in on anything?

No, I didn't, Ben.

Start from the top, please.

Well, last night a small photography store here in Evans was robbed. Very

unprofessional. A pass was made at the cash register, and for some reason a few

photographs were burned.

The local police consulted us about some laboratory help, and I spotted one of

the half -burned prints.

I saw it was of a local bank's annual dinner.

I started wondering about who'd want to destroy a bank employee's picture.

To make a long story short...

I got the bank manager out and had him open the bank early this morning.

Saturday morning.

Yeah?

Well, it's 9 .20 now, and they're still going over the books.

They've just passed 100 ,000 missing.

How many bank employees had access?

Six, including the manager.

All but two are in town and seem to check out okay.

Whoever took the money was counting on the weekend to make his run. He won't

expect the loss to be discovered until Monday.

That's the one advantage you have.

I have.

You and Rhodes.

You're booked on the noon flight to Oklahoma City.

$193 ,265 and some odd cents.

That'll take you just about as far as you want to go.

That's only the cash, of course.

We still haven't checked the negotiable bonds.

Here's a list of the employees with access.

All President accounted for in town except for the last two.

Frank Humber and Charles Gates.

As I can recall, they were both sitting up front at the banquet.

But I can tell you it was Humber.

He's only been with the bank a year and a half. Came here right from college.

You know how they are at that age.

No.

No, I don't, Mr. Wiley.

How are they?

You know.

Pushy.

Very smart and very pushy.

You'll see it's him, all right.

The sooner you get after him, the better.

What sort of a man is Gates?

He's been with us almost 20 years.

He's a good employee, a good father, and a good citizen.

He's a widower.

Apparently, he takes his son out on camping trips up in the mountains every

other weekend.

That's where he is now.

What about the photographer?

He couldn't give the local police any help at all.

Right now, he's under sedation, possible concussion.

The doctor says no more questions until Monday at the earliest.

Humber's got to be our number one.

Single, no dependents, no ties.

This gate seems to have a legitimate reason for being out of touch.

Camping trip?

Yeah. Nobody expects him back until Monday.

Thank you.

Those gates were to take off. Where would he go?

Well, the Cheever Creek area would probably be his best choice.

There are three separate back roads out, all heading for Texas.

Well, take Jim with you. See if he can find you. If you do, just ask him to

in for routine questioning. I'll follow through on Humber from here.

Gonna try your luck up by Cheever's Creek again this weekend, Charlie?

We were almost there when the motor started acting up.

What do you think of this, Pete, the water pump?

Yeah.

But you'll be able to fix it, won't you? I mean, it'll be okay.

Good enough to get you back up to the creek and back to Evans.

Well, suppose I had to go further.

I mean, if there was an emergency.

I can't think of no emergency where you wouldn't be better going back to Evans.

It's the closest town.

Well, isn't there any way you can fix it properly? I mean...

Well, I got an old water pump back in the shop there. I could re -rig to

yours. Well, how long would that take?

Three, maybe four hours.

Pete, suppose I came back about 8 o 'clock. Do you think you'd have it ready

then?

I'm willing to pay extra for it.

Oh, come on, Charlie. You didn't have to say that.

I'll have it for you.

Thanks.

How you doing, champ?

Good, Dad.

Real good.

I think we've got a fix on him.

The station wagon matching the description of Gates' was seen heading

Cheever Creek area.

Apparently, he's got his son with him.

How long will it take you to get up there?

About an hour at the most.

Did you get the search warrant for the Humber apartment?

Yeah, that's the phone number the office gave you. I'm there now.

From here, it doesn't look as though Mr. Humber would knock over a photography

store just to destroy a picture of himself.

So when you get close to Gates, walk softly.

It's almost 8 o 'clock. You ought to get down to Pete's.

Okay. I have dinner ready by the time you get back.

Why shouldn't it be more than 15 or 20 minutes? Then we'll be on our way.

First stop?

Culver Hotel, El Paso, and then off to Mexico.

You're not going to be scared, are you, up here all alone?

Me? No.

You know, Billy, I wish I could tell you how proud I am of you.

You're going to love Mexico.

We ought to be practicing our Spanish.

That's right.

Bueno. Hasta la vista.

Y yo.

Hasta luego, padre.

Yes, sir. Yeah, we hit it right for Cheever's Creek.

Hey, you campers?

No, conservation survey.

Creek's about half a mile up ahead.

You can't miss it. Thank you.

I guess you're all set now, Charlie.

I ain't saying it's as good as new, but to get you wherever you gotta go.

We staked out that campsite till dawn, but no sign of Gates.

And nothing from the boy?

It was 20 minutes just to get him to admit who he was.

He said he thought we were coming up to steal something.

Claimed they'd lost things like that before.

He knows something, Lou, I swear it.

Miss Gates, I'd like you to meet Inspector Erskine and Special Agent

How do you do? How are you? Miss Gates is going to be taking care of her nephew

until... Until all this is resolved.

Miss Gates, if you don't mind, I'd like to have another half hour with Billy.

Just a few routine questions.

I think he might know a little bit more about where his father is.

I suppose he might.

It's all right with me. You can ask him anything you want. Thank you.

Miss Gates, we've been all over your brother's house trying to find a

of him.

I wonder if you might have one.

Even an old one.

Of course, if you feel you'd be betraying him. No.

No, it's not that. It's just that... Well... The boy's all that matters

now.

There might be something. You can come over any time you want.

Would now be all right?

Of course.

I've told you this before, and I know it's hard for you to accept, but I'm

to tell you again.

Your father will be caught.

Now, it's just a matter of time.

Now, the more you help us, the more you'll help your father, believe me.

Oh.

Huh.

Folding information?

All right, let's make it official.

Name? Billy Gates.

Full name, please.

Liam Allen Gates.

Age?

Thirteen and a half.

Relationship to wanted man?

Son.

Vicinity wanted man last seen.

Jeevers Creek State Park.

Direction of flight?

South. I didn't say that.

Rhodes.

What?

Fort Worth.

Well, what about the other one?

Let me know as soon as you verify the prints.

What was your address again, Billy?

1432 Meadowlark Road.

Verified who's Prince.

Is there a zone number?

What did you mean about the Prince?

So your father was planning to cross the border into Mexico, huh?

You know something?

I had a bet with my partner, Billy.

And I bet him that a man as smart as your father would try to get a boat and

across the Rio Grande at night.

Yeah, that's right.

Were you going to run a boat or did you have one with you?

We had one with us. You know, one of those inflatable ones.

All you do is press a button and they fill up with air just like that.

My father used one in the war.

Yeah? Yeah.

It's my brother, the fourth one from the left.

Combat engineers?

Uh -huh.

About a month ago, Charles came over and took all the other photos.

He said he'd lost the negatives and wanted to have more prints made up, but

guess it was... I guess it was all part of what he was planning.

Is this all?

I found that one in some old letters.

I thought there might be some more. We took so many.

The baby was so small.

That's Laura, Charles' wife.

I guess they told you she died some years ago.

Yes, I was told.

There were two years. I don't know how Charles survived them.

First the baby died, and then Laura.

The baby died?

Cynthia, their baby.

Billy was adopted.

Oh, I forgot. You couldn't have known that.

Does the boy know?

I think Charles planned to tell him, but he never did.

You must understand, Mr. Erskine, that in the last few years, I saw very little

of my brother.

It was as if he wanted to lock himself away from everything, everyone, in his

own private world with Billy.

Well, thanks for your cooperation, Miss Gates.

Your brother may try to get in touch with you.

We'd like permission to monitor your calls.

Oh, yes, go right ahead.

All right, if we take this along.

Oh, yes, take it.

Take anything you want. Would you excuse me, please?

Of course.

Oh, no.

It's pretty rough.

Christmas 1950.

Hey, weren't you there then?

I was there.

You might have known this guy.

I never met him.

Billy? Would you like something to eat?

Hey.

How about some milk and cookies?

Billy.

I had to help them.

In order to help your father.

I had to do anything I could.

Can you understand that?

Sure, I understand.

We're opening in another five minutes.

Can't your man do his work someplace else?

Some place where he's not quite so noticeable?

There's also a very noticeable $200 ,000 missing from the spank, Mr. Wiley. Now,

we're doing our best to try to get it back for you.

Well, I don't understand why you have to have his picture.

I mean, you have his fingerprints.

Fingerprints only verify identity, Mr. Wiley. I'm afraid we have to find him

first.

Well, do what you can.

Yeah, we'll try.

Any luck with the artist, Lou?

Seven out of ten employees managed to agree that Gates has blue eyes.

Twenty years in this bank, and all they can agree on is that he wore horn

-rimmed glasses, had a receding hairline and a mustache.

A shave, a toupee and a pair of contact lenses, and Mr. Charles Gates disappears

from the face of this earth.

That's about it.

Lou, would you like to hear an educated guess based on that story the boy told

me? Go ahead.

Well, this is our pivot point right here.

Now, I didn't get any reaction from Billy on Fort Worth. I'd bet on that. So

figure if this father is trying for Mexico, we can cross off this entire

Now, that leaves roughly 400 miles of Rio Grande border up to El Paso and on

west into New Mexico.

Yeah, what you're trying to say is that you've narrowed it down to a little

under 1 ,000 miles.

I'm afraid you're right.

That is, unless my educated guesses get a little bit more educated.

Now... If we take the reverse of the story that Billy told me, we can assume

that his father won't try to reach the border and cross it, but rather ditch

car as soon as possible and get a new one. Just over the border, Highway 277

Texas. That's where they found the car.

Dead end, no follow -up.

And Miss Gates would like to see you.

All right.

I think he's heading toward El Paso.

Now, he'll either cross the border there or head on west into New Mexico.

You get a lot of mileage out of those educated guesses.

It makes you think he won't change his mind.

No.

No, I don't think he would.

Not if he had set out with the idea of meeting his son again.

You know, Lou, we have one edge on this boy if we want to use it.

The fact that he doesn't know he's adopted.

There must be some new courses at the academy since I was there.

Mr. Erskine.

I came to tell you that Billy's gone.

When did you find this out?

Well, I went back to his room last night and he was gone.

Now, I know I should have called you before, but I thought he would be back.

Miss Gates, the boy was withholding information. All right, Jim.

I have some photos. I thought they might be some help.

We'll use this one.

Circulate it as soon as possible.

And give El Paso top priority.

Inspector Erskine?

Yes, this is Special Agent Rhodes.

I'm Murray Davis.

Welcome to El Paso. Your SAC said you spotted the boy at the bus terminal.

That's right.

We followed him down here. He checked in this morning.

He hasn't attempted to leave?

No, he hasn't.

How are you set up here?

Well, there's two of us.

My partner's inside.

We'll need more men to take it out from top to bottom. What do you think, Lou?

The boy's a minor.

He's been put in the care of his aunt by the juvenile authorities.

Lou Gates has got to be in his way here.

Another hour and we could have him.

Now give us a little bit more time, huh?

You've got just time to get to a phone and call the Oklahoma City office.

Tell them to notify his aunt we've located the boy.

Now, Lou.

Do it.

Mr. William Allen Gates.

Paging Mr.

William Allen Gates.

Lobby phone.

Mr. William Allen Gates.

Lobby phone.

This is Mr. Gates.

Hi, Chad.

Dad!

Where are you? When are you coming?

Billy, I can.

Not now.

Derpy, I'm in all of the hotel.

Now listen, go back to your room. When they realize I'm not coming, they'll

you up and take you back.

No, I'm not going back. Whatever happens, I can get away.

I know I can.

I can.

Shh, Billy.

Billy, listen to me.

There is one chance.

tree. I couldn't get down.

I was gonna fall.

Have we crossed the border yet?

No, not yet.

What happened to the river?

Well, we left that back in Texas.

We're in New Mexico now.

You better get back to sleep. We got a rough day ahead of us.

I'm all slept out.

Couldn't we just go on?

No. I'd never find that road in the dark again.

Anyway, the sun will be out soon. That's when we'll take off.

Boy, I would have given anything to see old Aunt Amelia's face with her cookies

and milk when she found that cutout.

Maybe we'll ride her when we get to Mexico City, huh?

Well, I don't think that would be a good idea just then.

That's right.

She'd just give the FBI any old letter we'd send her.

Boy, how dumb can you get? Oh,

we'll write to her.

Just take a little while, that's all.

When we get all set up with a big house and a lot of servants, then we'll write

her. And we'll pay someone to mail her from a foreign country so no one will

ever know.

Yeah, that's what we'll do.

Billy.

Dad, is there any more soda pop left?

No. Drink some water from the canteen.

Oh.

We've got to save that big stretch of desert after we get over the border.

Billy,

when we get to that foreign country, you know, when we have the big house and

the servants and everything, do you think you're going to be happy?

Sure. You've got to be happy with all that money.

You can buy a new start doing anything you want.

And I could grow up with enough money to be anything I want to be.

Not just another nobody in another nowhere town, right?

Now, don't do that, Billy.

Now, don't just repeat what I told you. This isn't a game we're playing here.

I'm sorry, champ.

I mean, a guy just doesn't get up one morning and say, well, I'm going to go

Mexico instead of the bank today.

I mean, it's something that builds. It takes a long... It's so important that

you understand.

Billy.

A guy wants something.

For his kids, for his wife, for himself.

But sometimes it just doesn't work out.

So he says, well, what's the sense of being good old Charlie Gates all the

I mean, what's the point? Who cares?

And one day...

He looks at all that money in the tube.

And he thinks if he'd had it, he might have been able to buy some time for his

wife, maybe.

And he says, okay.

Okay, okay.

Now it's my turn.

And my kid's turn.

You see that?

Billy, see, I don't know if I did the right thing.

But right or wrong, I know it's the only thing I could do.

You did the right thing, Dad.

Don't worry.

I won't, Chad.

Lou, I think maybe we've got something. A farmer reported a station wagon moving

across his land heading toward the border.

Temporary plates.

Whereabouts? About ten miles east.

Take over. I'll check it out of the bird.

Good morning.

Just check the water, please.

Nice morning, isn't it?

Yep.

Can you hurry that up, please?

Sure thing, buddy.

But you're no water cock way out here.

Look, that's fine. Thank you very much.

Thank you.

So that's about it, Arthur.

These things happen.

I'm sorry.

Now we're leaving this afternoon. I passed on everything we had to the

authorities.

We'll see you in Washington tomorrow.

So Gates and Charles goes into the open files.

Yeah. Any word from his sister?

Yeah, she just checked into the hotel.

She said she'd come pick up the boy as soon as we turned him over to her.

Lou, that was, uh... That was kind of a strange one, wasn't it?

What do you mean?

Oh, I don't know. The number of things you two had in common.

Except you didn't crack.

And Gates did.

Lou, didn't you sometimes feel as if you were chasing yourself?

That, uh...

There but for the grace of God goes Lew Erskine.

Lew, when you saw Gates make it across the border, how did you feel?

Were you glad?

Rhodes?

What?

Yeah.

Yeah, okay, thanks.

That was McCook.

I guess Gase made it through the desert okay.

Hotel reports a phone call that came in for Billy.

His father?

Uh -huh.

Apparently he's been trying to track the boy down, so he called his sister

first, and the cleaning lady said that she had gone to the Culver Hotel to pick

him up.

Get McCook back.

Tell him to turn Billy over to his aunt as soon as possible.

I want the boy there when Gates calls again.

What makes you so sure he's going to?

He will. I know him.

No, Charles hasn't called me.

All right, Miss Gates. Now, Special Agent McCook will bring Billy up to the

as soon as I leave.

I'd like you to keep him here until it's time to leave the railroad station.

If your brother should call, let Billy talk to him.

And you'll be listening?

If we still have permission to monitor your calls.

Yes, certainly.

I just hope it does some good.

I love my brother, but he's wrong, and I hope you catch him.

So do I.

Is that enough, operator?

Si. The Culver Hotel, El Paso.

Thank you.

Gracias.

Culver Hotel?

Listen, uh, I'm calling about a boy.

Well, he checked in yesterday.

His name is Billy Gates.

Well, we have a Miss Amelia Gates, sir.

All right, I'll talk to Miss Gates.

Charles. Charles, how could you do this terrible thing? Can't you understand

what you're doing to Billy?

Amelia, I don't want to discuss it now. I don't have the time.

How's Billy?

He's fine. He's here with me. We're taking him home on the 7 o 'clock train.

Dad?

Hi, Jan.

Dad, be careful what you say. They might be listening in some way.

All right.

I'll be careful.

Billy, I have to go. I just want to... Dad?

Will you write me when you get to, you know, where you're going?

Sure.

Sure, write.

Son, it's going to be a little rough on you, you know. I mean, you're going to

hear a lot of things.

Your friends are never going to let you forget that your father was a thief. I

don't care what anybody says.

I guess it was wrong to steal.

But right or wrong, I know why you did it.

Billy, when I saw you weren't there, all that money didn't mean anything to me.

Can you believe that?

Sure, it's always been like that.

I mean, just like I was your real kid.

My real kid?

Who told you?

Hey, Lou!

When he calls back, tell him there's no answer in the room.

Well, what did that accomplish?

Didn't close the door.

Now he's got to see the boy on the train.

Culver Hotel.

I'm sorry, sir. There's no answer in that room.

I'll try, sir, but it won't do any good.

That's kind of rough, isn't it?

Let's just say it goes with the territory.

He could conceivably be any more than 50 men back there, sir.

Well, it's the only train through to Oklahoma tonight.

If he came back, he's got to be on it.

Sooner or later, he's going to come looking for his boy.

Funny thing.

To know so much about a man, and yet not be able to put a face to what you know.

Yeah, funny.

Nothing all of it for nothing

That's right.

No, you can ring me here when you get the call, sir.

Uh, Starfield Polar Station, number 13.

We rounded up most of the money. The rest is too widely scattered to retrieve

until daylight.

I just hope we have an honest town.

Either that or they sleep late in the morning.

Just one question.

Now, with everything going for him, how could you be so sure that Gates would

come back?

You know, in a couple of years, if you're lucky, you're going to wonder how

ever could have asked a question like that.

Hello?

Yes, put the call through.

Barbara? How are you, darling?

No, I'm all right. I'm fine.

What are you doing?

Four in the morning.

I must have forgotten about the time difference.

I just wanted to talk to you.

Nothing special.

We wrapped up the Gates case tonight.

So I'll probably be home tomorrow evening.

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