Original subtitles

Baby, are you all right?

Sure.

Why?

I won't be long.

They're getting to know me over there.

Well now, aren't you the happy one?

All by yourself in this big car. Did your mommy run off and leave you?

Imagine somebody leaving a pretty little thing like you.

Hey, let's see you smile.

Come on, big smile.

Come on, you can do it.

Damn, where the heck you been?

Sitting kind of close to home, huh?

Well, we drove by the other night. The place looked empty. We moved.

We're across the river now.

No kidding.

We see if we can do better in the new state.

We still come back here and shop, you know, fool around.

How's Nora?

Nora's better.

A little better.

Well, Eddie, it's a blow.

Brace me, lost one, you know.

But there'll be more.

Oh, the doctor says it won't.

That's the problem.

Anyway, how's the new gas station? What's it feel like to be a big

Beats me. I haven't signed the papers yet. Why not? What's hanging you up?

Well, I need another thousand dollars for option money.

Hey, Eddie, you wouldn't be interested.

Oh, man, you must be putting me on.

A thousand bucks?

You couldn't lose.

I mean...

No way.

Best corner in town, plenty of traffic, none other station for almost a mile.

With a grand option money, you'd be a full partner.

Forget it, Al.

Thanks anyway.

Oh, listen, you and Nora come by and see us tonight, will you? All right.

He'll call you, huh? All right. All right.

Good to see you.

You're not going to believe me, so what's the use in telling you?

All right.

Where'd you get it?

Now, just call me a liar.

Nora.

See? Already you're mad.

I'm listening. I'm not mad.

Where'd you get it?

A girl gave it to me.

What girl?

I don't know.

She said she didn't want it.

She came along here and we got to talking and she started to cry.

She said she couldn't keep her, that she was going to put her in a hole.

I said, I want a baby.

And she let me hold her for a minute and she stopped crying for me.

And the mother said, take her.

You can't.

It's a terrible responsibility.

Can't you see that?

I mean, there are all kinds of laws.

Well, the mother's gone.

And I don't know where you're going to find her now.

This is going to hurt the people for just a day or two.

Maybe the mother will want it back.

Did you tell her where you live?

Well, sure.

It's always something.

The FBI.

A Quinn Martin production.

Starring... Ephraim Zimbalist Jr., also starring Philip Abbott,

William Reynolds, with guest stars Billy Dee Williams,

Denise Nicholas, Don Dubbin, and

special guest star Moses Gunn. Tonight's episode, Eye of the Storm.

At approximately 10 a .m., Mrs. John Shepard, who had been exchanging some

purchases in a nearby store, discovered that her six -month -old daughter was

missing. She immediately notified the police.

No significant clues or witnesses could be found.

And 24 hours later, the FBI was asked to enter the case.

Did Mrs. Shepard notice anyone following her when she left her home with the

baby?

Well, I want to be notified as soon as you get any kind of break at all.

Did the director call you about the Shepard kidnapping?

Yeah. Well, I don't have to tell you how panicked the parents are.

It's their only child, little girl, Mary Louise.

Shepard's afraid it might be some kind of a reprisal. For what, his editorials?

Editorials and speeches.

He's made quite a few people mad at him the last two or three years, black and

white.

I'll call you when I get in.

They didn't go.

One job, 12 applicants.

They'll be asking ditch diggers for college diplomas next.

Oh.

It's going to get you into something more comfortable.

No word from the mother?

Nope, no word.

Could you hand me that powder over there, please?

Where? It's in the crib.

I never should have let you keep this stuff. I should have gotten rid of it

before you got home from the hospital.

Thanks. What do the other women in this dump say when they see you with a

strange kid?

They know what happened.

They don't say anything.

What do they care?

I tell them it's my sister's baby.

None of their business anyway.

You know, you're going to take a real beating for this one, baby.

People do not just give away kids.

Suppose the mother's folks decide they want to take it back again sometime.

Ed, what do you think we ought to call her?

How about Gloria?

Heppard? Yes.

FBI.

My name's Erskine. This is Mr. Colby.

Well, is she? I mean, you haven't found her yet.

Not yet.

Come in.

I've been in the newspaper business too long.

I think in headlines.

Calamity.

When I saw you, I thought you were going to tell me my little girl was dead.

Okay.

So how are we going to fight this thing?

You want my wife down here?

The doctor just gave her a sedative.

No, no. Let her rest.

Apparently, you haven't heard from the kidnappers.

The only calls I received so far were from a couple of the other papers.

I tried to hold the story back, but nothing I could do about it.

Do you have other telephones in the house, Mr. Shepard?

Yes, there's one in here and one upstairs.

We'll want to put a line of our own in, too, if you don't mind.

Sure, anything.

What time do you usually get your mail, Mr. Shepard?

Around 10, 10 .30.

Have you received any threats in the last month or so?

Inspector, I've received threats ever since I've been in this business.

Do you keep them?

Yes, I do.

On my lawyer's advice.

If you don't mind, I'd like to look them over.

How's your stomach?

Just a minute.

John, Charlie.

It's Klein, my city editor.

What's happening, Charlie?

Any word about your girl?

No, nothing.

We thought when the phone rang... Yeah, I'm sorry.

I'll get off the line as soon as I can.

I didn't want to bug you at a time like this, but the thing is, John, I've got

to have a policy decision.

All right, what is it?

A case of the plague's been reported across the river, down along the docks.

Plague?

I talked to the health office over there, a fellow named Miller.

Yeah. And he wants us to sit on the story until they know more about it. I

man, come on. This paper's been campaigning against the rats in that

a year now.

The people have got a right to know what's going on.

But he claimed it might start a panic.

Kill it.

John, it'll be in this state next.

Then give them a chance to stop it first.

Panic we don't need.

When Miller gets a grip on the thing, we'll print whatever facts he feeds to

But I want everything cleared through him first, understand?

It's your newspaper.

Goodbye, John.

Good luck.

Thank you, Charlie.

The plague.

Can you imagine?

Must be the first case we've had around here in a hundred years.

Would have made quite a headline.

Some headlines hurt more than they help, Inspector.

Those I can do without.

Hi, sweetheart.

the matter?

Read it.

Publishers baby missing.

Daughter of John Shepard vanishes from car.

Mary Louise Shepard, infant daughter of the black community's most controversial

publisher, disappeared Tuesday morning from a Mother's Park car. According to

police... Ed, quit it.

Are you crazy?

What's the matter with you?

She's not the same one.

Where's that ankle bracelet she was wearing?

I don't know.

Mary Louise Shepard, MLS.

Nora, that don't change a thing. She's still Mary Louise Shepard. We're still

kidnappers. Now, why did you take her?

I didn't mean to.

She was so pretty.

I just picked her up.

Just felt right, Ed.

Like everything else was all wiped away.

The hospital and the pain.

You blame me for that, don't you?

No. Well, come on, let's get it out into the open. Let's talk about it. Because

I am to blame, whether you blame me or not.

Nobody's to blame, Ed. It just happened. Well, maybe it wouldn't have happened

if I had the money, the money for the private nurses, for the right care, for

the right medicine, even for the right food.

Look at this, though. Look at this hole.

What kind of a place is this to bring a wife?

It's not your fault, Ed.

He's got a home like a palace. You can bet your bottom dollar his wife had

private nurses.

Ed, if you make me take her back now, what do they do to us?

Figure out something sweet.

Like the gas chamber.

Don't worry about a thing.

You can keep the baby.

Well, get me informed.

Right.

Well, we have to check four more crank calls.

Nothing. No witnesses, no leads.

No progress.

Do you realize how long my daughter's been missing?

Why don't you try to get some sleep, Mr. Shepard?

I've been doing some research.

Last year, the FBI solved the Biederman kidnapping in 35 hours.

The O 'Connor kidnapping in 29 hours. But for some reason, the Shepard case

drags on with no progress whatsoever.

Now, could it be that... I'm sorry.

I apologize.

I'm tired.

Special delivery for me Will you open it

It's hers.

Give me this.

Why would they send it?

That's to prove they really have her, Mr. Shepard.

Put $1 ,000 in envelope, small bill.

Drop in trash can number four by drinking fountain.

Harrison Avenue playground, 5 p .m. today.

No cops, no tricks.

$1 ,000.

You don't suppose they mean 10 ,000 or 100 ,000, do you?

Where was that sent from?

Harrison Park.

Oh, my God.

Is that where they're holding a... What's the matter? Do you know the area?

Inspector, I was born on Harrison.

20 blocks of dockside slums.

We've been campaigning against the rat there for a year.

Inspector.

That's where the plague is

Eddie

yeah, what's going on?

I dropped by your house

When Grace told me I'd find you here.

Busy? No, no. I always stop over here on my day off. See if the plate is still

here.

What do you think?

It's beautiful.

I suppose you got that extra thousand.

All right.

You wouldn't believe how tight cash is in this town.

No, I never got it.

Then, um, is the offer still on?

I mean about the partnership for a thousand.

Are you serious?

When do you want it?

Whenever I can get it tonight.

Sure. I'll drop it off after dinner. You have the contracts ready, okay?

Oh, Ed, it's got to be cash.

Cash, right.

Folding money.

What'd you do, rob a bank?

No, I tried one of those new loan companies.

You can always find money someplace, I guess.

You got a deal, partner.

I promise you something, Ed.

You'll never regret it.

Never.

Dr. Erskine?

Yes.

I'm Gordon Miller.

Oh, it's, uh... They told me you were coming down here. Kind of you to see me,

Doctor. I know how busy you are.

Mr. Erskine, if the FBI can take time to drive over here, I certainly can take

time to listen.

Now, what can I do for you?

Well, I have a couple of questions and a request.

Fine. Shoot.

First of all, how bad is the plague outbreak?

How did you know it was the plague?

The news medium haven't reported it.

Well, I was talking to a man named Shepard. He publishes a paper here.

Shepard?

Oh, yes, the kidnapping.

Oh, but you mean that it's possible that the child was down here?

It's possible. What's the current situation, Doctor?

No change.

So far, there's been only one confirmed case reported, a 70 -year -old man.

Now, we've isolated the tenement where he lives.

We're finally eliminating the rats.

And we've just started a crash immunization program.

Our unit over here.

Is the disease ever spread by personal contact?

Very rarely.

Rodents and its parasites are the primary carriers.

You see, an infected rat will infect fleas, who in turn will infect other

and sometimes humans.

What about treatment?

Well, we use a serum.

And if it's given soon enough, it's quite successful.

But it's not always fatal.

Oh, no.

Actually, you see, there are three kinds of plague.

Bubonic, cysticemic, severe kind of blood poisoning.

pneumonic, which affects the respiratory organs.

And then there's another milder form. It's called the ambulatory type.

Now, it may or may not be suppurative, but that all depends upon the general

physical condition of the patient and, of course, how soon he's been treated.

But the best treatment is still prevention.

Now, we try to control the area by the use of vaccine, and that's what our

is doing right now.

I see. In other words, my agents and I could move around fairly safely if we

were inoculated?

Oh, yes.

Is that the request you mentioned?

That's part of it.

I'd also like to be notified if the disease turns up in a female infant.

We've alerted all hospitals on both sides of the river. We're trying to

the private physicians now, but of course that's kind of a slow process.

Well, in any event, they're all required to contact me as soon as they spot the

disease, so I'll just pass the word along.

Fine. You can reach me at this number.

And now about that...

Friendly needle.

Right this way.

Here now.

What's all this fuss about?

This is supposed to be nap time.

You got any complaints, you tell me about them later.

She's sick, Ed. Something's wrong.

Well, you know, kids get a little whiny sometimes, a little uptight.

Well, you quit it with the uptight stuff. She's got a fever.

You want me to get one of the other women?

No, I want to take her to a doctor.

Baby, what doctor?

I don't know.

My doctor, he's good.

You'll also know the kid's not yours.

I don't care.

She's sick, Ed. Will you help me?

Okay.

And you're sure this vaccination won't hurt?

Won't hurt a bit.

Free shots.

I don't know.

Haven't had this much company since the last election.

Any other children in your building, Mrs. Gomez?

Three are all on the top floor.

No others?

No.

Well, come on, Wobble. You want to get vaccinated, don't you?

I guess it's a little too early for an absolutely accurate diagnosis, Mr.

Thompson. But I think your baby ought to be hospitalized.

Hospitalized? Yes, just for observation.

Oh, Ed. Don't come all unglued, honey. You'll be all right. What's wrong with

the doctor?

Well, it's probably just a little cold that's settled in her glands, but we

might as well be absolutely sure.

I'll call General Hospitals and have them send an ambulance.

Doctor, listen, can't we take her over there ourselves? I mean, wouldn't that

save time?

Well, yes, it would.

I wonder if you'd mind waiting a few minutes, Mr. Thompson.

I'd like to run a few tests on you and your wife while you're here now.

Nurse?

Just a minute, please.

Come on.

He said he wanted to make some tests. It don't matter what he said.

There's nothing wrong with us. He saw the baby.

And we're not going to stick around for any more questions. He's probably in

there calling the police right now.

But they'll ask us questions at the hospital anyway.

We're not going to the hospital and we're not going home either. Now, come

Erskine. Stand by, please, for Mr. Ward.

Lewis, I have the lab report on that material you sent.

Yes.

There's nothing in the note itself.

The wrapping paper is standard stock, cheap grade.

The pen was a ballpoint.

No clear latents.

But we found traces of powder on the ankle bracelet and in the envelope.

It's centered and somewhat coarse.

Probably in an expensive talcum powder.

You don't have a brand name, I suppose.

Now, we can't be definite, but the lab says it has some of the characteristics

of Tatum Baby Talc and other cheaper brands.

Tatum Baby Talc?

No, I've never heard of it.

Are you sure?

Yes.

John, did you?

Tatum? No.

Earthkin. Inspector, this is Gordon Miller.

Yes, Doctor.

You asked us to notify you if there were any reports of the disease in an infant

female. Yes, you have one?

I'm afraid so.

Name given was Thompson.

She should have been admitted to the isolation ward of General Hospital by

but they have no record of her.

Do you have a home address?

I only have the identity of the reporting physician. Will that do?

Yes, we're beginning.

Dr. Paul Ober, Parkview Medical Clinic on Kingston Boulevard.

All right, Doctor. Thanks very much.

hold of colby tell him i want the names of any stores in harrison park that

carry this brand of talcum powder i'll be at the parkview medical clinic on

kingston what's happening inspector i wonder if you'd mind

coming along with me now mr shepherd i'd like you to talk to someone who may

have seen your daughter oh

Well, it looks like the same child.

But you're not sure.

What about identifying features, Dr. Ober?

Well, as I recall, there was a series of three small moles in the shape of a

triangle on the right hip.

That's her.

You know, if this is the plague, I'm more concerned now about the adults than

am about the child.

I didn't get a chance to examine them.

I called the hospital and asked them to take care of it there, but...

When I called down there, I found that none of them had ever shown up.

They'll notify you if the baby is brought in, won't they? Oh, yes.

How did they act with the little girl, Doctor?

I mean, were they kind to her?

They must have been worried to have brought her in at all.

Well, the woman was extremely distraught.

I don't think I've ever seen anyone any more concerned over her child.

There's a great deal of love there, I can tell you that.

And the name they gave you was Thompson?

Yes, Thompson.

No address.

Well, we never had time to get into that.

Inspector, we have to find them. We have to find them.

I know normally you're afraid of putting the child in danger, but she couldn't

be in any more danger than she is now.

All right, Doctor, I'll need a complete description of both the man and the

woman.

Here we go.

Milk.

Supposable diapers.

Baby bottles.

Baby food.

Does she like carrots?

Right now, she doesn't like anything.

Ed, let's go to the hospital, please.

You can't, baby. You know that.

What's the matter?

Nothing.

What time is it?

It's, uh, it's ten after four.

I bet you have a bottle.

Listen,

you'd better lay down for a while.

Come on.

I've got to go now.

I'll be back in about an hour.

Be back.

Where are you going?

To see about a job.

You didn't say anything to me about a job.

I wanted to surprise you.

Keep the door locked.

It's supposed something happened.

The baby or something. Where can I reach you?

Will you stop worrying? Nothing's going to happen.

Look, if this deal works out, I'll be able to go into business with Al Willis.

The gas station?

Yes.

I thought he wanted a thousand dollars.

First thing we'll be able to do is move into another neighborhood where nobody

knows us. Where they'll believe Gloria's our own.

Okay.

Now you take it easy.

I ought to be back by six o 'clock.

Now remember, keep this door locked.

All right be ready in a minute

It's

what you're looking for that's it

Do you sell much of this?

Not a whole lot, no.

This cane's been on the shelf since my last inventory.

What's the matter with it?

Nothing, except the price.

Too cheap.

People like to spend more money on their babies, even down here. Makes them feel

better.

Would you happen to remember who bought the last can of this?

Well, now, let me see.

Uh... Yeah.

Yeah, Tobin.

I'll tell you how I remember.

His wife was going to have a baby, and he just about bought the place out one

day.

I ran into him in the park later on, told him he could bring a lot of the

back.

He never did.

What happened? His wife lost the baby.

And you say his name was Tobin?

Yes, Ed.

And I believe his wife's name is Nora.

Did Mr. Tobin pay cash for these items?

No. No, he charged everything.

Then you'd have an address on them.

Yes, I would. Right back here.

Yes, that's him.

Fine. Thanks very much.

Why?

What makes a human being do a thing like this?

Dr. Ober?

Yes, just a minute, Inspector.

Bought a number of items, including a can of Tatum Baby Talk.

Do you have a description?

Yeah.

Male Negro, 6 feet 1 inches tall, 175 pounds.

That seems to match what we have here.

We also have an address, Ed and Nora Tobin, 1221 Parkside, apartment 16.

Hang on, Tom.

We may have the kidnapper's address.

Then go after them.

You realize the risk involved?

If it was your little girl, what would you do?

I'd probably do the same thing you'd do.

It's almost time.

I'd better get down there and have the money.

Mr. Shepard, the note didn't specify that you had to deliver it personally.

Besides, you haven't been inoculated.

If you have no objection, I'd rather one of my agents took care of it.

All right.

Tom, on that address.

Yeah.

Check it out very quietly.

I'll be in the park. Is Morgan with you?

Yeah, he's right here.

Have him meet me there, will you?

Anybody home?

This is Unit One.

He seems to be alone.

Go ahead.

Be careful.

Unit Two, yes, sir.

Move in.

Tell me.

FBI, stay where you are.

All right, where's the baby? One baby.

Tobin, she may have the plague.

Plague? Your wife may have it. Now, where are they?

The 99 Motel, North Main.

I'll get an ambulance.

Help her, please.

She's all right, Mr. Tobin. She's right here.

I didn't mean to hurt her.

I just wanted a baby.

Just a baby.

Come on now. Just one more big smile for your daddy.

Can't you smile?

Beautiful.

Come on.

Now we'll get one from over here.

Just one more. Just one more. He has four albums full.

Well, I must say she doesn't seem to mind.

Oh, she doesn't mind anything after the hospital.

She didn't like that.

Well, I just thank God it was so mild a case.

What about Mrs. Tobin? Will she be all right?

We won't know for a few days.

Poor thing.

By the way, I told him that you and your husband wanted to pay her legal fees

and hospital bills.

He didn't understand, but he was grateful.

Do you understand?

Yes.

I'm so lucky.

So lucky.

Edward Tobin was convicted of kidnapping and is serving his sentence in a

federal penitentiary.

The trial of his wife, Nora, was postponed pending the outcome of

treatment.