Original subtitles

This is the city.

Los Angeles, California.

It's a blend of people with different ideas,

united by many common goals.

A foothill chain runs through the heart of the city,

dividing it into two parts.

But man has changed the landscape to accommodate his needs.

Natural canyons

have been turned into roads connecting the city.

For some, the hills make a nice place to live.

Its residents enjoy a relaxed way of life.

Here in Los Angeles,

we are free to choose from among a variety of environments.

Others enjoy the ocean,

the subtle sounds of high tide and a cooling walk at sunset.

No matter where they live,

they're provided with all the city services.

I'm part of one of those services.

I carry a badge.

The story you're about to see is true.

The names have been changed to protect the innocent.

♪♪

It was Saturday, September 12th.

It was warm in Los Angeles.

We were working the day watch out of Juvenile Division.

The boss is Captain Jack Morris.

My partner is Bill Gannon.

My name is Friday.

We got a call from Wayne Johnson,

Chief Public Health Investigator,

County Health Department.

He was calling from a doctor's office

in Southwest Los Angeles.

Johnson had a big problem

and not much time to solve it.

Joe, Bill, you made good time.

You said on the phone you were short of it.

Right. This is Dr. Larry Fields.

Doctor, you want to lead off?

You men familiar with rabies and its treatment?

No, sir. Not a great deal.

A rabid animal inflicts a bite in a human being.

The victim's general health, the time element,

and where the virus was introduced into the body

are extremely important.

This particular patient was bitten in the neck

by a dog five days ago.

World Health Organization recommends that anti-rabies serum

be introduced immediately

followed by duck embryo vaccine inoculations.

They're not nearly as painful as they used to be,

but in this situation that's of small import.

- How's that, Doctor? - Here's the problem.

The victim in this case is a little five-year-old girl,

Sherry Wickersham.

I ran a skin test. Her case is 1 in 10,000.

She's highly allergic to the anti-rabies serum.

How severe is her allergy, Doctor?

It could kill her.

How can we help, Wayne?

Mother's name is Dorothy Wickersham,

1225 Eldridge Avenue.

She's a widow. Husband killed in Vietnam.

I tried talking to her, but she's pretty upset.

Couldn't give me any kind of lead on the dog.

I'd appreciate it if you'd give it a try.

Just got a report, a suspect rabid animal's

at a residence in the Malibu area.

There's a man on the way, but I should hop down there

and see how serious the situation is.

But I'd be able to get there and back within an hour. We can meet up then.

No problem, Wayne. We'll get right on it.

Rotten shame, that little girl.

She's had her share of pain and problems.

Contracted polio two years ago and now this. Problem's clear, isn't it?

If we find the dog and it's not rabid, we're in business.

If you don't and we don't inoculate...

- You men ever witness a case of rabies? - No, sir.

Convulsive seizures, paralysis of the limbs, and death.

You've got to find that dog.

We'll give it both knees. How much time have we got?

Under normal circumstances,

I would have introduced the serum at once.

The mother promised me she'd return here at 5 o'clock today.

Less than two hours.

The Wickersham residence was six blocks

from the doctor's office.

We got there as fast as we could.

- What time you got? - 3:16.

We've used up six minutes.

- You're Mrs. Wickersham? - That's right.

We're police officers.

We're here to see if we could give you some help

in locating the dog that bit your little girl.

Oh, yes. Come in please.

Go on out, now, dear.

She's so tiny.

Somebody's just got to find that dog,

and it's got to be well and not sick.

I pray to God that'll happen.

My little girl just doesn't have any chance at all, does she?

Now, try and take it easy.

Help us.

Please, help us.

We're going to do everything we can, Ms. Wickersham.

Now, as you know, we haven't got much time here.

We'd appreciate it if you could fill us in as quickly as you can.

It's no use. I just know it.

They could be a thousand miles away by now.

Tell us about it.

We were on our way home.

I'd taken Sherry up to visit my husband's folks in Sacramento.

Sherry was hungry.

We stopped in Bridgeport.

It's a little town up in the mountains.

- Highway 395. - Yes, that's right.

Sherry wanted to play in the snow.

She'd never seen it.

After lunch, we walked outside.

I was looking the other way taking a picture

when Sherry tried to pet the dogs.

Where were the dogs?

There were two campers.

A dog was tied to each one.

They were parked together out in front of the coffee shop.

And what kind of dogs were they? Can you describe them?

They were small.

Terriers of some sort.

One was black and white.

The other was brown and white.

They started to bark.

I turned around, and Sherry was lying in the road.

The dogs were growling and barking at her.

Then what happened?

I ran and dragged Sherry away.

The dogs ran under the campers.

I started to scream.

Where were the people who owned the campers?

They were in the coffee shop... A man and two women.

The waiter helped me wash Sherry's neck.

The people said there was nothing to worry about.

That Sherry was only scratched

and that she shouldn't have tried to play with the dogs.

That they didn't get along too well with children.

All right, now, Ms. Wickersham, try to take it easy.

- Who were the people? - They wouldn't give me their names.

The waiter said I should report them to the sheriff's office.

It was just down the street.

I did... Only it took too long.

And why is that, ma'am?

When I got back, the campers were gone.

Can you describe the people?

I simply can't.

I just didn't pay any attention to them at all.

A man was here from the health department.

I was so upset I couldn't even talk to him.

I've already told you more than I told him.

All right. Now, look Mrs. Wickersham.

You haven't told us anything that's going to help us here.

Sometimes under great emotional stress,

people do things that they have trouble remembering later on.

They do things, they see things,

they hear things without even realizing it.

Now, it's 3:20 right now.

We've got 100 minutes to find those dogs, so think hard.

Is there anything you may have forgotten to tell us?

Anything at all?

I've told you everything.

Think about the campers. What color were they?

What kind of trucks were they mounted on?

I don't know.

Well, do you remember the license plates?

What color were they?

Where they California plates, or were they out of state?

- Dear God. - What is it, Mrs. Wickersham?

When I left the restaurant to go to the sheriff's office,

- the license plates! - What about them?

The numbers... I wrote them down!

Why didn't I remember? I must be out of my mind.

As fast as you can, Mrs. Wickersham.

I wrote the numbers down. I know I did.

I put them on a piece of paper in my purse.

How could I have forgotten?

Here.

- Two numbers. - Both commercial plates.

Run 'em, fast.

3:23 p.m.

While Bill checked the license numbers through DMV,

I continued to question Mrs. Wickersham.

Tell me the truth.

Do you really think there's enough time?

We're going to try.

Now, Mrs. Wickersham,

did you get any kind of notification

from the sheriff's office up in Bridgeport?

Yes, they sent a letter. It came this morning.

- That's why I went to see Dr. Fields today. - I see.

How can those people in Bridgeport

insist that my little Sherry undergo any kind of treatment?

Isn't that up to my family doctor?

When you made your complaint to the sheriff's office in Bridgeport,

a copy went to the Mono County Health Department.

Now, they require a doctor's signature

to clear this from their records,

whether treatment is administered or not.

They want to be sure that either the dogs weren't rabid

or that the victim was given the anti-rabies serum and treatment.

- Do you understand? - Yes.

I remember Dr. Fields telling me something like that.

- But, you know, he refused to sign a release. - Yes, ma'am, we know.

He said that unless those dogs were found

and unless they were healthy...

The release might be Sherry's death warrant.

Guys at DMV broke a record.

- Ran those plates in less than two minutes. - What did they turn?

Two trucks, three-quarter ton pickups. Could be hauling campers.

One is registered to a party about 10 blocks from here.

Name is Harold Parker, 4130 Walnut Lane.

I called. There's no answer.

What about the other one?

Registered to an Alice Baker, Box 32, Star Route 1.

- Where's that? - China Lake.

It's about a hundred miles north of here.

Let's hop by the CHP on our way over to check out the Parker place.

Where are you going?

California Highway Patrol.

They've got a statewide radio network.

We'll have them make a fast check on the Baker place up at China Lake.

If we're lucky, maybe we'd turn one of the dogs.

You're an awfully pretty little girl to be so quiet.

She doesn't have much to talk about today, does she?

3:30 p.m.

We had 90 minutes in which to try and locate

either of the two dogs

that had bitten Sherry Wickersham.

We drove to the CHP Zone Headquarters,

near the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

The California Highway Patrol

has officers in every county in the state.

They patrol nearly 100,000 miles of surface streets

and over 3,000 miles of freeways.

We explained the problem to Sergeant Fred Norton.

Come over to the map.

China Lake, there's our substation right off Highway 14.

Isn't there a Navy installation out there?

Yeah. Naval Ordinance Testing Center.

That's all there is plus a lot of desert.

We got a box number on Star Route 1, no other address.

That's going to make it a little rough.

Woman's name is Alice Baker. The dogs are terriers.

They're small; brown and white, black and white.

Now they had to be in Bridgeport five days ago.

- You want to know if they're dead or alive? - Yeah. Or sick.

- Use your phone, Fred? - Dial nine for outside.

Yeah. I see what you mean by rough.

And we're losing time.

I'll get this on the air, start the beat officer rolling.

And that Star Route's got to all on their 30 miles.

- Doesn't it, Fred? - Closer to 50, Joe.

You're absolutely sure of that?

This is police business, operator.

I see. Well, thank you.

No Alice Baker listed in the China Lake area.

3:45 p.m.

Bill tried to reach Harold Parker,

the owner of the other camper involved.

Sergeant Fred Norton returned from Communications.

- How'd you make out? - Baker woman doesn't have a phone.

Maybe our luck will be better.

We've got a patrolman on his way to the Baker Ranch.

I'll be in touch with your dispatcher.

The minute we hear anything, we'll get it to you on the air.

No answer at the Parker residence.

74 minutes, you guys are going to need a miracle.

3:51 p.m. We used up three more minutes

driving to 4130 Walnut Lane,

Harold Parker's residence.

It took us two minutes to check the place out.

We had 69 minutes left.

The place is deserted.

Yeah, it would be.

Yoo-hoo. Yoo-hoo!

Are you gentlemen looking for Mrs. Parker?

Yes, ma'am, that's right. Police officers.

Well, if you want to talk to me,

you'll have to come over here.

Well, let's hope she's got something.

Anything will do. Right now, we've got a pocketful of nothing.

This, gentleman, is the Smith Cardinal.

The Garden Society named this rose after me.

It's three minutes to four, Mrs. Smith. We haven't got much time.

We'd appreciate it if you can think of anything that might help.

Oh, that poor little girl. What did you say her name was?

- Sherry Wickersham. - Oh, yes, Sherry.

Oh that dear little thing.

Can you think of anything that might help?

- I'll try. - Please.

Yes. Now, let me see.

Mrs. Parker's hardly around anymore

since her husband passed on.

She's a regular flitter. She flits all the time, six months now.

Practically lives in that new camping truck

Mr. Parker bought just before he died.

Yes, ma'am.

Now, Mrs. Smith, we know you're trying,

but a little girl's life may depend

on the information you can give us

in the next few minutes.

Yes, I understand.

I just don't know what I can do to help.

- When was the last time you saw Mrs. Parker? - I saw her this morning.

Where the dogs with her? Did you notice?

Well, Brownie was Mr. Parker's favorite.

After the funeral, Mrs. Parker gave Brownie to Alice.

- Alice Baker? - Her daughter.

Married to a Navy man stationed out in the desert. That's strange, isn't it?

- A Navy man stationed in the desert? - Go on, please.

Well, they were all together this morning, right next door.

Alice, her sailor, and Mrs. Parker

picked up some mail and then left.

Barely took time to say hello.

Did you see the dogs, Ms. Smith?

No, sir. They may have been in the camping truck, though.

Oh, I take that back.

They were not in the camping truck.

Then you did see the dogs?

No, I did not say that, sir.

Matter of fact, I asked about those dogs.

It slipped my mind completely.

Well, where were the dogs, ma'am?

Mrs. Parker stopped just long enough to tell me

she'd taken them to a veterinarian,

and I remember now, she said,

"Brownie wasn't feeling well."

They dropped them off on the way here

and planned to pick them up on the way out of town.

Did she mention his name, Ms. Smith?

- Whose name? - The veterinarian.

No. Not by name.

Well did she say where he was located?

Yes. No.

Yes, now I remember.

- He took the day off. - The veterinarian did?

Yes. Mrs. Parker said she called him at his home long distance.

Made an appointment.

He opened up his office just to look at little Brownie.

That's what she told me. Then they flittered off, all three of them.

What time was that, Mrs. Smith?

9:30 this morning, right after the mail came.

Did they say where they were headed?

Yes, sir. That Navy place.

The one on the desert. China Lake.

4:07 p.m.

53 minutes left.

I called Communications

and requested an APB on the camper-equipped truck.

Then I checked with the Highway Patrol.

I wish I could help you more, officers,

but I just don't know.

We appreciate your help.

Now, you'll have to excuse me.

I have some more flowers to bring in.

You just make yourselves at home.

- Yes, ma'am. - Hello, Fred?

Yeah. We understand. We appreciate it.

Right. Bye.

CHP talked to a neighbor of the Baker's.

According to the neighbor,

Mrs. Parker, Alice Baker, and the sailor

left for LA early this morning.

Dogs, too, I suppose?

The dogs, too.

Well, maybe Norton at the CHP was right.

How's that?

We're going to need a miracle, aren't we?

Right now, I'd give a month's pay for two dog barks.

4:10 p.m. 50 minutes before Sherry Wickersham

would have to undergo the anti-rabies treatment and run the risk of death

unless we could locate the two dogs that were involved.

Must be a dozen vets within five miles of here.

We take the time to call all those numbers and strike out,

and we're really through.

Did you contact them, Officer? Did you find out Alice and her mother?

No, ma'am, not yet. We're hoping to stop them on the road.

Well, I remembered something when I stopped to cut this rose.

Remembered what, ma'am?

The name, White, like this rose.

- The veterinarian? - No.

No, no. Alice's in-laws.

Her husband's parents.

Their name is White, not Baker, like you'd think.

Now, that's how I remember things, by association.

And this rose reminded me.

What about the White's, Mrs. Smith?

Mrs. Parker told me the name

in case anything happened to their house while they were away.

Now, you mark my words, the Whites will know that veterinarian.

May we have the address, please?

Oh, well I don't have the address, only the name.

- White. Must be a thousand of them in here. - Oh, no.

Not with his first and middle name.

- What's that? - Thaddeus Zynon White.

Thaddeus Zynon White.

Will you be seeing that little girl?

Pretty soon, one way or the other.

Tell her I'm sorry.

I don't think so fast anymore.

- Will you explain that to her? - Yes, ma'am, we will.

Please tell her I'm sorry.

Thaddeus Zynon White, 3940 Vanessa.

We can get there as fast as we can call 'em.

I hope that little girl will be all right.

Yes, ma'am, so do we.

- Do this for me. - What's that?

Give that little girl this rose.

4:18 p.m. 42 minutes left.

We quickly explained the situation to Alice Baker's father-in-law,

Mr. Thaddeus White.

My wife will be sorry she missed you boys.

Oh, she's down to the store,

but she's a great detective-magazine fan.

Yes, sir. Do you know the name

of Mrs. Baker's veterinarian?

Go the name and address right here.

We'd appreciate it if you'd hurry, Mr. White.

- We haven't got much time. - Oh, speed's my middle name.

There. Told you so didn't I?

Business cards.

Including that animal doctor you're looking for.

How many cards in that pile, Mr. White?

- 762. Want to make a bet? - Could we split those up?

We've got to find that card and quick.

I was just going to suggest that.

Make it go faster. You want to give me a hand?

Yes, sir.

All righty, there you go.

Okay. Everybody start looking.

Anybody want to make a bet who finds it first?

Hey, just throw them on the desk there.

I'll organize them later.

Kids were here with Florence Parker this morning.

Said they were going to pick up the two pooches and skedaddle.

When's the last time you saw the dogs, Mr. White?

Oh, two days ago at China Lake.

- Funny huh? - What's funny?

Boston Terriers at China Lake.

Did the dog seem all right?

- What do you mean? - Well, where they sick?

Brownie had a runny nose. I noticed that.

Flo said he just had a cold, though.

Could be a rabies symptom, Mr. White.

Is that a fact? Well, I'll tell you one thing, boys.

- What's that, sir? - If Florence Parker took them dogs to a vet,

they must be sick.

Well, what do you know about that?

- Did you find it? - I sure did.

Here's the card I've been looking all over for.

Thought I'd lost it. Guys sold them guitar lessons.

Well, now I can take some more.

- Hey, lookie what I got here. - Is that it?

I just remembered this here is a human doctor.

Felton, Carl Felton, DVM, 103rd in Santa Barbara. That ring a bell?

- You got it... Doc Felton. - Five minutes from here.

Let's move it. We haven't got many left.

It took four minutes, not five,

to drive to 103rd in Santa Barbara.

4:30 p.m. We arrived at Dr. Felton's animal clinic.

It was closed.

We talked to the caretaker, a teenage boy.

He told us the Doctor had gone for the day.

He remembered the Parker woman's two Boston terriers.

They came and got them about 10 o'clock this morning...

Three people, right before Doc left.

Where does Doc Felton keep his files?

I'm sorry sir. They're all locked up.

- Do you have a key? - Wouldn't be any good if I did have.

There must be 50 filing cabinets around here.

I wouldn't know where to start looking.

This morning when Dr. Felton treated the dogs,

did you hear him say what was wrong with them?

I've got two dozen yapping mouths back there to feed and water.

I haven't got time to stand around and listen to anybody.

All right, son. Where is the doctor?

I'll tell you, but you'll never find him.

- Tell us anyway. - He's at the Coliseum.

- His wife, too. - At the football game.

UCLA and Tennessee. Sellout crowd.

4:33 p.m.

Time was running out for little Sherry Wickersham.

We had 27 minutes left

before she would have to begin the anti-rabies treatment.

On the way to the Coliseum, nine blocks away,

I called the dispatcher.

She relayed a message to the LAPD substation near tunnel 14.

They began paging Dr. Carl Felton.

4:35 p.m.

According to official crowd estimates,

there were 96,367 people

in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum

watching the football game.

- Any luck? - Nothing yet.

- You guys take a look at that crowd out there? - Yeah, it's a big one.

It's going to take time for your doctor to get through all that.

Yeah. Give him another growl, will you?

No sweat.

Ben, hit that Dr. Carl Felton page again.

- It's an emergency. Pull up a bench. - Thanks, anyway.

Dr. Carl Felton, Dr. Carl Felton,

please report to the Coliseum Office.

Dr. Carl Felton.

Let's face it, Joe. We're licked.

That doctor showed up right now, we'd never make it.

Time's all gone.

I know.

What time have you got?

4:40.

Same as me.

Well, I guess I better call Ms. Wickersham.

It's wilted.

You men looking for me? Dr. Carl Felton?

4:46 p.m. 14 minutes left.

While Dr. Felton opened his files,

I called Dorothy Wickersham.

Could you hurry it up, Doc? We're out of time.

I ought to remember when I vaccinated them.

But I treat them so often.

Florence Parker really takes good care of those dogs.

Please hurry, Doc.

Well these days I either have got to get new files

or get these locks fixed!

Joe, you doing any good?

No answer at the Wickersham house.

They must be on the way to the doctor's.

There you go. Florence Parker. Brownie and Patsy.

Vaccination papers, and you'll need a letter from me.

How's it look?

Dated 10 months ago,

and those dogs were perfectly healthy this morning.

They couldn't have rabies.

- Calling Doc Fields? - Who else?

What's the story?

Ask the operator to cut him.

Hello, operator.

Operator, this is police business.

This is Sergeant Friday, Los Angeles Police Department.

Would you cut in on 475-2908?

475-2908. Yes, that's right.

It's an emergency, and please hurry.

Thank you very much.

The line's out of order.

4:54 p.m. Six minutes left.

We headed for Dr. Field's office

as fast as the traffic would allow.

- The Wickersham child in there? - Yes, she is.

Doctor? We have some papers you'll be interested in.

Did you find the dogs?

No, ma'am. But we found their veterinarian.

Inoculated 10 months ago and seen today.

These dogs are as healthy as the day they were born.

Mommy, do I have to take the medicine now?

No, darling. Not now.

5:22 p.m. Saturday, September 12th.

Bill and I returned to Juvenile Division to write up our reports.

Wayne Johnson from the Health Department was waiting for us.

Dropped by the Wickersham's. There was nobody there.

Figured I could catch up with you here. Did you do any good?

We found the dogs, and they were clean.

Fine. Just fine.

Sorry I couldn't have been more of an assist to you.

But Malibu traffic is something else.

Good thing I got down there when I did.

Everything under control?

A couple of rabid skunks,

neighborhood down there loaded with kids.

Well, I'll see you.

Oh, say, you fellas ever consider transferring out of here,

I've got a couple of really cushy spots for you with Rabies Control.

No, thanks, Wayne. We'll hang in here.

- Can't sell you, huh? - No.

At least our customers don't bite...

Not too often anyway.

Because there was no violation of state or local law involved,

no further action was taken by the Los Angeles Police Department.

Mrs. Wickersham did consult an attorney,

and the matter is being studied

to see if civil action against Mrs. Parker is warranted.