Original subtitles

1-Adam-12, 1-Adam-12,

possible 459 suspects there now.

1-Adam-12, 1-Adam-12,

a 415, man with a gun.

1-Adam-12, no warrant. Lincoln, X-Ray, Ida 483.

1-Adam-12, a 415, fight group with chains and knives.

It's that apartment over there, 204.

I'm the one who called. I live across the hall. I see.

I guess you'll have to have my name.

It's Jenks, Abbie Jenks.

Miss or Mrs.?

Miss, I don't dig that kind of hang-up.

The report was a child left alone.

Yeah, well, as near as I can figure, she's been alone since yesterday morning.

That stupid mother of hers has no sense of responsibility. None at all.

Has this ever happened before?

It's been going on for the better part of a year.

Sometimes she stays away two, three nights in a row.

Some mother.

What's her name?

Jeanette Phelps. Look, like it's none of my business what goes on in there.

I wouldn't have called at all

except she started stealing the milk.

It's got to be pretty bad to steal milk, wouldn't you say?

What do you mean?

The kid. It's got to be that kid.

Every other day for over a month,

a quart of milk snitched right out from the front of my door.

Did you speak to her about it?

Well, I never caught her taking it,

but I figured it out. It can't be anyone else.

Anything else you can tell us?

Nope. Look, I don't want any trouble, man.

That's your bag. You take care of it.

I just want her to stop taking Bennie's milk.

Bennie?

Benjamin. My cat.

Hi.

I'm Pete Malloy. This is Jim Reed.

We heard you might need some help.

I'm all right.

Could we talk to your parents?

Nobody's home.

Do you know where they are?

My mommy works.

Hi.

We forgot to ask you your name.

Charlie Phelps.

Charlie? Is that short for Charlene or something?

No. That's my name. Charlie. Just Charlie.

Well, Charlie Phelps, we'd like to talk to you.

Would it be okay if we came in for a minute?

Is that a good show?

Is there something wrong with the picture?

It doesn't matter.

It's an old movie. I've seen it six times. It stinks.

You can watch it if you want.

No thanks, Charlie.

Charlie, where does your mother work?

I don't know. Are you sure you don't want to watch it?

Yeah, I'm sure.

When did you see her last, your mother?

Sometimes she stays at work.

Was she here this morning?

Not last night, either?

What about your dad? You know where we can get ahold of him?

My daddy doesn't live with us anymore.

Charlie, what's your mother's first name?

Jeanette. But she likes me to call her Jeanie.

That's her.

She sure is pretty, isn't she?

Yeah, she is.

I wish I were pretty.

She doesn't like me very much.

She thinks I don't know but I do.

I'm in bed pretending I'm asleep

and I hear her talking.

More than enough for child neglect.

Yeah, you better phone for pictures.

Call Georgia Juvenile.

We're gonna need a policewoman and a juvenile officer to pick up Charlie here.

Better use the pay phone out in the hall.

Oh, Reed, check with AID on Jeanette Phelps.

Right.

What's an AID?

That's Accident Investigation Division.

Oh.

Charlie, I want you to think real hard

and try to remember if your mother said anything,

anything at all about where she might be.

No, but she'll be home sometime.

But you don't know exactly when.

Sometimes she comes home.

So does daddy, but not when she's here.

You said your daddy didn't live with you anymore.

He doesn't.

He likes me though. Better than her.

Charlie, you're a big, grown-up girl

so I know you understand that we're trying to help you.

I don't need any help.

Have you had anything to eat today?

Sure.

You know, Miss Jenks, the lady that lives across the hall,

says that somebody's been taking the milk from in front of her door.

I didn't drink it.

Photographer will be right out. Nothing from AID.

And Juvenile's sending someone.

Charlie, we know a real nice place

where there's some extra nice people

that are going to take care of you until we can find your mother.

No, I can't go anywhere. I don't want to go.

It'll be all right.

No, I can't, I can't. Sissie needs me.

Who's Sissie?

Will you promise to be quiet? Then I'll show you.

Sure we'll be quiet.

She's just like my very own.

Charlie, where's Charlie?

Oh.

Did you get nabbed with your hand in the cookie jar, Charlie?

Hello, Daddy.

Is that the best we can do? No kiss? Don't I get a kiss?

That's better. Look what I got for you, huh.

What's the beef?

Are you Mr. Phelps?

Me? No, no. I'm Bartell, Phil Bartell.

Could I see your driver's license, please?

All right.

What's the trouble?

Take it out of the wallet, please.

Is this your present address, Mr. Bartell?

No, actually I moved from there. I'm at 219 Morgan Avenue now.

You ought to have the license corrected.

Yeah, well, soon as I...

You wanna check it out?

Right. Hey.

What are you guys doing? What's going on around here?

Did something happen to Jeanie?

Maybe you'd better take Charlie with you, huh.

Come on, Charlie. You want to help me make a phone call?

Who's gonna keep an eye on the baby?

My partner will. Besides, we're not gonna be gone that long.

All right. Hey, uh...

Listen, did something really happen to Jeanie?

That's what we're trying to find out.

Are you Charlie's father?

Look, I just stopped by for a minute.

Fact is, I'm late for an appointment, now.

Yeah, wait just a minute, will you?

Uh, how come Charlie calls you daddy?

Charlie, she's a... She just likes

to call me daddy, that's all. She's a cute kid.

Look, I really gotta go.

Now wait a minute, will you?

You're a friend of Charlie's mother.

Yeah.

R and I please.

This is Reed, James A. 13985.

Requesting warrants on Bartell, Philip R.

I'm sure you'd like to help us if you can.

How can I help?

For a start, you can tell us where we can contact her.

They're separated. I mean, I never met him

but I understand he's no good.

He can't hold a job, doesn't like to work, you know the type.

Yeah, Bartell, but I didn't ask you that.

What I asked you is if you knew how we could get in touch with Mrs. Phelps.

I tell you what. I'll hang around here,

and when she shows I'll have her give you a call.

You guys all carry cards. Leave me one with your number on it.

Then you don't know where we can find her.

I saw her a couple, three days ago, as a matter of fact.

She, uh, she tried to put the bite on me.

I couldn't help her.

She said she lost her job.

You know, things have been kind of slow for me lately.

Jeanie's a specialty dancer.

Action type, if you know what I mean.

That's how I met her, in one of those joints out on the Strip.

Tell you the truth, she's more looks than talent,

but I guess we all do what we have to, huh?

What are you doing?

I'm calling a place where they know all sorts

of things about lots and lots of people.

Will they know about me down there?

No, I don't think so.

Why not?

Well, mostly because you're too young.

Hey, this is gonna take a while. Why don't we sit down?

When do they know about you down there where you're calling?

Well, if somebody does something wrong...

Hey, what's the matter?

Oh, nothing.

Are you trying to find something out about Daddy?

Kind of.

I don't think you will.

Oh, why not?

Because he's too nice to do things wrong.

He brings me things.

I hope you're right, Charlie.

Hello, Charlie.

Hello, Miss Jenks.

Find out where she is yet?

Not yet. We're still working on it.

Well, there's a few things I could tell you

that might help.

Not good things, either.

I'd like it if you tell my partner, Miss Jenks. He's still inside.

Okay, if that's the way you want it.

Know what? What?

She's mean.

You know, if you ask me, she'd be a whole lot better off

if she'd just make things right with the kid's father.

A whole lot better.

Excuse me. Malloy.

Do you know where Mr. Phelps lives?

How would I know? He's a nice guy.

Too bad about his face though. He used to come around some.

They had terrible arguments. Fights, I guess you might say.

And sometimes I could hear screaming, you know, but it was always her fault.

He was always nice.

Respectful to a lady.

Some lady, huh?

What about his face?

Hmm?

You said too bad about his face.

He must have been in some accident,

because he's got a big scar across his cheek and down to the corner of his mouth.

Thank you, we'll try to locate him.

Oh, did you ask the kid about the milk yet?

No, we'll take care of that, too.

Look, I don't know what you're up to,

but whatever it is I sure hope they nail you for it.

Yeah.

Hey, get the bathroom, too.

Hey, um...

Listen, Officer, I know things look kind of bad around here,

but Jeanie, she really, really does the best she can.

We get a child left alone call, we check it out.

Yeah, but you could, you could lay off a little bit, couldn't you?

I don't know what your job is, mister, we can't just lay off ours.

We get pictures for evidence and whatever information we can.

In this case, there's plenty of evidence for child neglect, that's a misdemeanor.

I told you I'd have her call you as soon as she comes back.

Well, that finishes it.

Okay, thanks. Right.

We'll find her. But until we do,

Charlie and the baby will be taken care of at Juvenile Hall.

What if I said I'd be responsible for them?

If you know where Mrs. Phelps is, I suggest you call her now.

Forget it. I'm sorry I tried.

I thought for once I could find a cop who was a human being.

Get out of my way. You're under arrest.

There's a warrant on him. Traffic warrants. Put your right hand out here.

Rogers from Juvenile. You Reed?

I'm Pete Malloy and that's my partner Reed. He called you.

One of the little girls should be out in the hall. Her name's Charlie Phelps.

Your call indicated only one juvenile.

We turned up another one after I called. She's in the bathroom.

This is Officer Betty Owens.

Hi. Hi.

I'll take care of her.

Okay, let's go.

Hey, wait a minute. What about these things?

And what's Charlie gonna think?

She'll probably think you're under arrest.

Big day for you two, isn't it?

You pick up a baby, and a kid still wet behind the ears.

Arrest me for a couple of lousy traffic tickets.

It's a big day.

Hey, I'll bet you guys get shiny gold stars on your records for this.

Gee, I wonder what the real crooks are doing these days.

Where'd you say they took the kids?

Georgia Juvenile.

Aren't you afraid they'll thrown them in with hardened criminals,

six- or seven- or eight-year-olds?

They'll be placed in foster homes or cared for at MacLaren Hall

till the court makes a decision.

MacLaren Hall, what's that?

It's where children wind up when nobody cares about them.

You're breaking my heart.

They'll be given baths, clean clothes, warm beds and plenty to eat.

Yeah, there's just one thing they can't provide.

Yeah, what's that?

A real mother and father.

Now what happens? I mean to me?

We're taking you back to the station to be booked on the traffic warrants.

How much is the bail?

How many tickets did you throw away?

What do you got, Malloy?

Traffic warrants, Bartell, Philip R.

Oh, yeah.

Oh, I got a call for you.

Thanks.

Could I please have a drink of water?

I'll be back in a minute.

This is Officer Malloy. I got a message to call you.

Mmm-hmm.

Yes, I am.

She did?

How long ago?

Yeah, I understand.

Okay, thank you.

Reed.

That was the policewoman who drove Charlie and the baby to MacLaren Hall.

The nurse at the Hall just discovered something.

Charlie's back and her legs are covered by cuts and welts.

She's been beaten. More than once.

A thin belt, maybe an electrical cord was used,

according to the nurse.

Charlie say who did it?

She told the nurse daddy did it.

They couldn't tell whether or not she was telling the truth.

Why would Charlie want to lie about a thing like that?

Bartell, we want to ask you some questions,

but before we do I have to advise you of your rights.

"You have the right to remain silent.

"If you give up the right to remain silent, anything you say

"can and will be used against you in a court of law.

"You have the right to speak with an attorney

"and to have the attorney present during questioning.

"If you so desire and cannot afford one, an attorney will be appointed for you

without charge before questioning."

You understand these rights as I've explained them to you? Yeah.

You wish to give up the right to remain silent?

Yeah, yeah, come on. Let's get it over with.

You give up the right to speak with an attorney

and to have him present during questioning?

What are you guys making such a big deal out of a few traffic warrants?

We don't wanna talk about a couple of traffic warrants.

We wanna talk to you about child beating.

Child beating?

That's right, child beating.

A felony that's punishable by up to 10 years in the State Prison.

Oh, you guys gotta be kidding.

How many unsolved crimes you gonna try to hang on me?

Look, mister, Charlie's been severely beaten.

When they asked her who did it, she said "Daddy."

Now, she calls you daddy.

She's nuts. I never laid a hand on that kid. You can ask Jeanie.

We will. Maybe you'd like to tell us where we can find her.

You find her. All right, let's go.

Wait a minute now. I'm not the only one she calls daddy.

What about Phelps. He's her father.

Malloy.

Malloy.

Right.

Right, thank you very much.

That was Abbie Jenks. Charlie's mother just got home.

Put a hold on him for 273-D, we'll book him when we get back.

Let's go.

1-Adam-12 on a station call to 2613 Cordolet.

1-Adam-12, roger.

Makes you sick, doesn't it?

You wanted to be a cop.

What kind of person would beat a child?

Somebody who can't handle their own frustrations

so they take them out on an innocent kid.

It's a lousy world.

Sometimes. We only see the bad side.

How many kids are there who get the same thing Charlie got, or worse,

and nobody ever knows a thing about it?

Hey, did you ask her?

About what? Charlie, about stealing the milk.

Oh, yeah, we did. Well?

She won't do it anymore.

Hold it!

Step away from her.

Help me, please.

You tramp.

He hurt me.

All right, over here, let's go.

Turn around, let's go.

Feet back, let's go.

All right, right hand behind your head.

He was trying to kill me.

He would have killed me.

I should have done it months ago.

All right, now, you be quiet.

What's a mother for, huh?

Supposed to take care of her kids, isn't she?

So what does she do?

You promised.

He promised he'd never come back. He promised!

I'm Charlie's father, and I'm still her husband,

and I think that gives me certain rights.

Such as trying to murder me?

Such as trying to protect Charlie.

Liar, I never touched her, never.

All right, take it easy, Mrs. Phelps. Where's Charlie now?

And where's the baby?

I... I don't know.

They took them, away.

I saw them. I told you but you wouldn't believe me, would you?

Get him out of here, Reed.

What's the charge?

273-D wife beating, for a start.

I only tried to knock some sense into her.

There's a law a husband can't do that?

That's right, there's a law.

There's also a law against beating children.

I never laid a hand on either one of my kids.

Never in my life.

Don't. She's the one.

You take her in and I'll testify.

Bill, don't. Please, Bill.

She took a light cord

and she whipped that kid within an inch of her life.

Please.

If I hadn't stopped her,

I think she might have killed her.

You promised you wouldn't say anything!

Now let's go.

I don't hate her, you know.

I wanted her.

I wanted her to be like me.

Just like me.

He really likes me better than Charlie.

I'm much prettier.

Charlie didn't want to go with him.

She wanted to stay here.

Everybody...

I dance, you know.

They gave me a beautiful blue spotlight

and everybody loved me.

Everybody.

Come on, Mrs. Phelps, it's time to go now.

Oh.

All right.

Oh.

Oh, she's beautiful.

Isn't she beautiful?

That's what Charlie said, too.

She did?

Age?

Six.

Three people,

all supposed to be adults, and not one of them gives a damn

about a 6-year-old child and a 10-month-old baby.

Not one of them.

Well?

You just said it all, partner.

I care about these kids.

Better finish that report. We've got almost two more hours of duty.

What's gonna happen to them?

The Department of Social Services will find them a good foster home

if they're lucky.

Pete.

Yeah.

Why did Charlie say her daddy beat her?

Why would she lie about a thing like that?

It's funny, isn't it?

She loved her mother.