04x05 - Images

[bunniefuu]

At approximately ten-thirty last
night, Jessica Ross b*rned to death...

But I didn't.

How could you have
made such a mistake?

There was no mistake.

Who was that woman who
walked out of here, a clone?

If they get you on the stand to testify,
they will tear your credibility to shreds.

Maybe in six months, when I've
calmed down and I'm over this.

It'll be too late by then.

The civil service commission
feels that they have just cause

to suspend you with
intent to discharge.

Just like that... I'm fired?

Gentlemen, you
are about to enter

the most fascinating
sphere of police work,

the world of forensic medicine.

And thank you again
for being with us tonight.

And so, life goes on
for Sheik Yemani Al Fasil

and the other new
sultans of Beverly Hills.

This is Jessica Ross,
wishing you 1,001 good nights.

This program was pre-recorded.

Make a note to Bert. Too
much fill light on the close ups.

- Who is it?
- Jessica?

Yes?

Dr. Quincy, there's
an unconfirmed report

that Jessica Ross may
have d*ed in this fire.

Can you tell us
anything about that, sir?

Oh, come on, will
ya? I just got here.

You guys know more
about this than I do.

Soon as I find out anything,
you'll be the first to know.

- What happened?
- Well,
a woman b*rned to death.

She probably was smoking in
bed and sent this tinderbox up.

I don't think so. Smells
like an organic solvent.

Soon as you find the
source, send me a sample

- of what started the fire,
will ya?
- Okay.

- How's it goin', Ed?
- Okay, Quince,

but I had to double the
exposure to get any definition.

- Something, isn't it?
- Yeah.

Well, any identification? Well,
she registered as "Pamela Brown",

but we found this in
the rental car outside.

All the credit cards and ID
were in the name of Jessica Ross.

So was the car.

Oh... That's what the guys
outside were talkin' about.

Okay, Ed, let's get some
pictures of the rental car.

Right.

Highest paid
newswoman in the world.

She's interviewed presidents
and prime ministers.

What's she doing in a
joint like that? I don't know.

The woman at the front desk
said that she was a frequent visitor,

but they all knew her
under the name of "Brown".

Didn't anybody recognize her?
Everybody in America knows her face.

I don't know. According to
the owners, "Miss Brown"...

She wore sunglasses and
wore a scarf around her head

whenever she came and went.

Besides, Quincy, they don't
ask many questions here

for business purposes, you know.

You're gonna need
something more definite.

You have to get a
positive identification.

Can you tell me how much
longer that this is going to take?

Oh, well, you'll have to
ask Dr. Quincy about that.

Oh, Quincy, this is Roy Gordon.

- He's a representative
from the network.
- How do you do?

Excuse the gloves.
What's the rush?

Well, I just don't understand
how much more you need

for a formal identification.

With what the police have
found, who else could it be?

I'm afraid that that's only
an assumption, not proof.

I won't make any verification
until I complete some tests.

Dr. Quincy, I'm sure you're aware
this is not just a major news event.

Now this lady was
a dear friend of mine

but certain corporate
decisions have to be made

as a result of her tragedy.

They have to be made
as soon as possible.

Now why are we standing around
here waiting to confirm the obvious?

You wouldn't release a story
without checking it out first, would ya?

- I have to confirm my sources.
- Well, I...

Now, Quincy, I think what
Mr. Gordon meant was

that the network would appreciate
any speed in wrapping up this case.

You know, they do things
for us from time to time,

so we could try to
cooperate in return.

I'll be glad to cooperate
as soon as I finish my job.

Dr. Quincy, when
can I have an answer?

Details at eleven.

The large bones of both arms
and legs have been fractured

due to thermal contraction
of the musculature.

I've got the results of the
carboxyhemoglobin, Quince.

Only 8.7%.

Well, that means there wasn't
much carbon monoxide in her blood.

The tracheal membranes
are badly seared

and there's very little
sooting in the lungs.

She must have d*ed before she had
a chance to inhale too much smoke.

You mean death was
almost instantaneous,

- from just
the intense heat and burning?
- Sure looks that way.

- What could have
caused all this?
- One thing is for sure.

It wasn't any smoldering
cigarette like Monahan thought.

We'd better take some samples
of the skin and clothing remnants.

- Check for chemical residue.
- Right.

Ah, come on, Sam.
What's with the coffee here?

What is Asten using,
those economy brands?

I'll get it. Sit down.

I don't believe
this. Gotta cut it out.

Hello? Yes, it is.

No, it's not.

Well, we can't complete
our identification

until we get the medical
and dental records.

We've been waiting for your
Beverly Hills doctor for two hours now.

Well, I'm sorry, but your
special television tribute

will just have
to wait, won't it?

Good-bye. Talk about pushy.

That's the fifth time
that Gordon guy called.

Yeah. Doesn't he remind
you of anyone, Quince?

Never taking no for an answer?

Being stubborn to the
point of driving you crazy?

Who? Asten?

- Dr. Quincy...
- Say the magic word,

and the duck comes down with
your hundred dollars. Yes, sir.

This is Dr. Miles Thornton,
Miss Ross' personal physician.

- We've been
expecting you, sir.
- Oh.

They had to track me down
at a party I was attending

- for Richard Burton.
- Richard Burton?

Now, that sounds like fun.

I guess that's one of the advantages
of having big stars as patients.

Um... Uh, Dr. Thornton has brought
all of Miss Ross' medical records

to help with the identification.

This should be everything you
need... X-rays, examination reports,

medical history, lab tests,
prescriptions, immunizations.

Here are dental records.
Well, I'll, uh, see you later.

Let's see what we have, Doctor.

In this case, footprints and
fingerprints are unusable

because they were too
badly burnt for identification.

Look at that, will ya, Sam?
I can't see a single filling,

and they're not capped either.

She must be one of the few people
in the country with perfect teeth.

She was a remarkable
woman, all right,

with the most beautiful
skin and bone structure.

However, there was one
minor congenital defect.

A spina bifida condition
in the lower back.

You can see it there, the
slight malformation of the spine.

For some people it would
have caused extreme discomfort,

but Jessica
learned to live with it.

You'd never know she
had it to watch her on TV.

She was always a
complete professional.

Well, it's certainly gonna
help with the identification,

- one way or the other.
- I'm glad to help,

and we can always
hope it isn't her.

- Excuse me. Quincy.
- Pardon me, sir.

The network just called.
They're anxious for the results.

They want to feature
it on the national news.

Do you know what this means?

The nation, the world
is waiting for you.

Now work all night if necessary.

Do you know what this publicity
will do for the department, Quincy?

It means that we
may soon talk 'raise'.

Doctor...

Sam!

The show must go on.

- Was it Jessica Ross, Dr. Quincy?
- Yes.

At approximately
ten-thirty last night,

Jessica Ross b*rned to death
in the Piro Motel and Bungalows.

Do you know what caused it?

The exact nature of the
fire is still under investigation.

But it does appear that Miss
Ross d*ed almost instantly.

But I didn't.

Can we get a
statement, Miss Ross?

I had to pinch myself
just to make sure

that it was really me that
they were talking about.

Miss Ross, is
everything okay now?

Well, everything's fine. I mean,
nothing really happened to me.

But, uh, I'm just very glad
that I'm here talking to you all.

So there we were, in
the middle of preparing

this special memorial tribute

and Jessica shows up, regular
time to do her morning program.

When I heard what was happening,

I couldn't resist coming
down here in person.

Well, I'm very glad you did so
that I could apologize personally.

Dr. Quincy is a very
valuable medical examiner.

He's painstaking,
meticulous, skilled.

But no one is
perfect, right, Doctor?

That's right. No one is.

Oh, I can understand.

I've pulled a few
bloopers in my career, too.

I guess it was just one of
those incredible coincidences.

But I can't get over the similarity...
The bone structure, the teeth.

Well, we don't want to keep
you any longer, Miss Ross.

Yes, I'm afraid I have
to rejoin the living.

Well, my apologies and uh...

Although I must say it's been a
pleasure and an honor to meet you,

even under these
bizarre circumstances.

Isn't she lovely, Dr. Quincy?

Anyone can see that she's not...

Thank you, you're so
gracious and understanding.

You're quite welcome.
Good-bye, Dr. Quincy.

Bye-bye. Thank you.

Uh, thank you, Mr. uh...

- Gordon.
- Mr. Gordon.

Don't worry, I'm not angry.

I'm too embarrassed for me, for you
and for the department to be angry.

My phone is lit up
like a Christmas tree.

Telegrams are beginning
to pour in, all negative.

Quincy, how could you
have made such a mistake?

There was no mistake.
The dental charts match,

blood types, even
the spinal abnormality.

No, no, I put you under
too much pressure.

I kept you awake all night.

Who was that woman who
walked out of here, a clone?

I don't know but
she's an imposter.

Quincy, I'm trying
to be understanding.

Now don't you grab at
straws and wiggle out of this.

You stood a foot away from her.

I wanted to see if she had
any plastic surgery scars.

Well, did you see any?

No.

Quincy, stop cleaning
out my ashtray.

Why don't you go and lie
down for two or three hours,

then go back and find
the errors? You look b*at.

Not yet.

We really struck out, huh?

Take it easy, will ya, huh? I
only got a two-strike count on me.

- What do you mean?
- The woman claiming
to be Jessica Ross,

I think she's a phony,
and I can prove it.

She was smoking this
cigarette in Asten's office.

- So?
- Don't do that.

Sam, eighty percent of
the people are secretors.

We could tell their blood
types from their bodily fluids

such as perspiration
and saliva...

And if we find her blood type,

we can compare it with
the ones in the medical file.

And Jessica Ross' type is AB.
That's three percent of the people.

The odds are in our favor.

- Quince,
sometimes you're a genius.
- Sometimes?

Here it is, Quince.

All we have to do is prove
that the blood types don't match

and we're home free.

Then she can't be Jessica Ross.

Strike three, Quincy.
They're both the same.

Type AB.

Dr. Quincy's here.

Every time she announces me

I feel I'm gonna have
an audience with the king.

What's the matter?

Do you know what you have done
by pulling that stunt off this morning?

- What?
- You've blown the only case

that we have ever
been able to establish

against one of the biggest
mobsters in this state.

- You talkin' about Joe Bieler?
- Yeah.

Well, I'm all set to testify.

- Don't you understand?
- What?

Our entire case depends
upon your identification.

Your identification of a
badly decomposed body

that's been in the
bay for three weeks.

Now how's it gonna look to
the jury if our 'expert witness'

is a man that says that
Jessica Ross is dead?

Well, one case has
nothin' to do with the other.

You know that, and I know
it. But Bieler has hired himself

the best criminal lawyers
that money can buy.

Do you think they're gonna
miss a chance like this?

If they get you on
the stand to testify,

they will tear your
credibility to shreds.

Wait a minute. Are you
saying I can't testify?

Not unless you can pull the fat
out of the fire in the next few days.

Well, if I don't testify,
Bieler will go free.

That's right, Quincy,
thanks to you.

Uh, yes, just a moment,
please. Dr. Asten?

- Yes?
- Jessica Ross is
calling for you.

Quincy, sit down. Just a minute.

Have you done anything
I don't know about?

No.

Put her on.

Hello again, Miss
Ross. How are you?

Well, I'm fine, thank you.

Dr. Asten, I've been getting
a lot of calls and telegrams

about the incident this morning

and I really would like everyone
to know exactly what happened.

So I thought it might be a good
Idea to have Dr. Quincy come in

and tape a brief interview
with me this afternoon

so that we can explain the
confusion on the news tonight.

Oh, well, uh...

I think that would
be a brilliant idea

and I'm sure that Dr. Quincy would
be uh, more than happy to cooperate.

Oh, well, good-bye and
thank you, Miss Ross.

It's a wonderful idea.

What's such a wonderful idea?

You're going on television
tonight with Jessica Ross

- and explain your mistake.
- What?

Isn't that terrific? You can
smooth everything over,

reestablish our credibility, and
you can testify in the Bieler case.

You mean all I have to do is get
up in front of forty million people,

tell them I'm wrong, and I
become trustworthy again?

We'll show everyone that
we're confident enough

to make a mistake and admit it.

No alibis, no
hedging, no cover-ups.

That's what's wrong
with government today.

We'll be setting an example of
honesty for public servants everywhere.

Should I wear a powdered wig
and chop down a cherry tree?

Quincy, now this is national
television twice in one week.

You can change our
image from loser to winner.

I don't like it.

Quincy, you have no
sense of public relations.

Thank you.

That's the nicest
compliment I've had all day.

Quincy, if the matter should come
up uh, yes, you may use my name.

I'll phone the papers.

So you're that crazy doctor
who said Jessica was dead.

Yes, I am.

I'm surprised she let you
use her dressing room.

Oh, I'll bet she put you on
the show just to get even.

Well, she is getting even.
Look at the way I'm sweating.

Now let's see if we can do
anything about that nose of yours.

- What's
the matter with my nose?
- It's not straight.

It is straight too. Look at it.

Take my word for it.

- Hi, Dr. Quincy.
- Hi.

- Ready?
- Almost.

Cheryl, straighten his nose.

Hi, Ed, Bob. How's
your daughter, Swifty?

Fine. Thanks for
your card, Jessica.

- Okay. Happy Birthday, May.
- Thanks.

Mike, no sneezing tonight in
the middle of a take, all right?

Hi, Tony.

Dr. Quincy, why don't you
just wait here for a minute

- and I'll check that
everything's ready.
- Okay.

- Relax.
- Yeah.

I like the idea of your
getting in here soft,

I think it makes it look nice, but
don't, you know... Keep it sharp...

Bert... What are you doin' here?

What do you mean,
what am I doing here?

- I'm the director.
- Really?

I thought you hung upside down in
a cave when you weren't at Danny's.

Very funny. And I
know why you're here.

Yeah. I'm the guest of honor.

Yeah, I saw your little
faux pas this morning.

- How long you
been her director?
- Oh, about four years.

- She seem the same to you?
- Well, the same as what?

- Jessica Ross.
- Are you still
harping on that?

Where's my chair? The
same one I use every night.

Oh, I'm... I'm sorry,
Miss Ross... I...

Don't be sorry. Just
get it. Right now.

Yeah, that's the same
old Jessica, all right.

What was that all about?

Ah, that kid she's chewing
out is a new prop man.

He didn't know she
needed a special chair

that's designed
just for her bad back.

- Spina bifida.
- Huh?

Nothing. Just another
point for the other side.

Dr. Quincy, we're
ready for you on the set.

- I'll se ya later.
- See ya later.

Watch your step.

I feel like I'm goin'
to the last market.

Relax. It's easy. Just
don't look at the camera.

Look at me as if we're
having a normal conversation.

- You look great.
- My nose?

- Great.
- Thank you.

Standby... Roll tape.

Counting down... Five...

- Four... Three...
- How do I know when I'm...

Two... One.

Good evening.
This is Jessica Ross.

Tonight I'm pleased to
have with me Dr. Quincy

from the Los Angeles
Medical Examiner's Office.

A little while ago, I had
the unusual experience

of being declared
dead by Dr. Quincy.

I felt a bit like Tom
Sawyer at his own funeral.

First, I'd like to ask him how
does it feel to be talking to a ghost?

A little embarrassing.

But when the ghost is as
gracious as you are, it's a pleasure.

Thank you.

As Mark Twain said,

I'm glad the "rumors of my death
have been greatly exaggerated".

How often does an error in
identification like this occur?

Fortunately, not very often.

Forensic medicine is based on
the most refined scientific principles

and the most modem
techniques of investigation.

We have to examine all the
information that's available...

Medical records, dental
records, x-rays, case histories,

and then we make an identification
based on those determinations.

Well, what do you think
went wrong this morning?

Well, to put it scientifically,
I evidently goofed.

- I'm glad it was in my favor.
- So am I.

Thank you very
much for being with us.

In a moment, we'll be
back with more newsmakers,

but first this commercial pause.

All right, cut.

Look at this, my
hands were sweaty.

- I couldn't believe it.
- Okay, Jess.

Get that to print.
Take five, everybody.

Everybody, take five.

Thank you very much.
Hey, what are you doin' here?

Want my autograph?

No, but I think your
mascara's starting to run.

I want to see Miss Ross.

- Oh, Miss Ross,
Miss Ross, pardon me.
- Yes.

I'm Lieutenant Monahan
from the police department.

I'd like to talk to you
for a few minutes.

Well, what's it about?

Well, we have an unidentified
body to account for.

The arson squad saw signs that
the motel room was firebombed,

which means now it's
a m*rder investigation.

- m*rder?
- Yes.

So I have to ask you a few
questions. Just a matter of formality.

Well, of course. Why don't
we go to my dressing room?

- Would you like to come along?
- Are you kiddin'?

Come on in. You don't mind if
I get a touch up while I'm here.

- Oh, no, go ahead.
- Hi, Cheryl.

- Hi.
- Uh, Miss Ross,

can you tell me how
this property of yours

- wound up in
the motel room in Piro?
- Oh, yes.

My handbag and
some jewelry was stolen

from my dressing room
about two months ago.

I reported them missing,

had the old credit cards
canceled, new ones issued.

We traced the car found outside
the motel to a rental agency,

where it had been
charged in your name.

Do you have any idea who
was responsible for this?

Yes. I've got a very good idea.

One of my secretaries, Catherine
Benton, left suddenly a few months ago.

No explanation,
she just disappeared.

That was about the same time I
noticed the things were missing.

I see. Did you report
any of this to the police?

Well, I didn't want to
get her into any trouble.

She'd been a very
honest, diligent, hard worker

for the three years
that she'd been here.

I felt kind of sorry for her.

She came from a poor
coal town in Kentucky.

No family, she'd struggled very hard
to overcome her difficult background.

But this was the last straw.

What do you mean?

Well, Catherine was originally
hired to handle my fan mail.

That's her. She always
wanted to do more.

She became very demanding about money,
responsibilities, overstepping her bounds,

asking for raises even
though I paid her well.

Well, I refused the last raise.

Next thing I knew she started
charging things in my name.

Could you tell me approximately how
tall she was, how much she weighed?

Five-eight. One
hundred forty five pounds.

Miss Ross, could I borrow
this picture for a while?

- Well, sure.
- Thank you.

Oh, excuse me.

Miss Ross, we're
ready for you on the set.

I'll be right there.

I've gotta be going. Dr. Quincy.

Thanks again for
being on the show,

and I sure hope we don't meet
professionally for many more years.

- Me, too.
- Bye-bye.

Thank you for your time.

Well, it looks like the secretary
is the one that d*ed in the fire.

I don't know. The
girl in that photograph

is too tall and too heavy to
match the body that we examined.

Well, what about
shrinkage from the fire?

Don't forget, the body you
examined was almost burnt to a cinder.

That could
account for part of it,

but I don't see how it could
account for that much of a difference.

Well, my bets on the secretary.
I'm gonna make a run down on her.

- You comin'?
- No, I gotta say
goodbye to the director.

- I'll see ya later.
- See ya soon.

Good evening.
This is Jessica Ross.

Several years ago,
we were challenged to

"Ask not what our country could do for
us, but what we could do for our country".

- We seem to be...
- Cut it. Cut it.

She did it again.

We can't follow her any more.

Sorry, Jessica, we'll
have to do it again.

I just stopped by, Bert to
say I'll see you at Danny's.

What's the matter?

Well, we're lagging
behind Jessica

and we're late on the cut from
camera one to camera three.

Every time she's about to turn
from one camera to the other,

she has a subconscious
habit of shifting her notes first.

You know, it's just a
little thing, you know.

Nobody'd notice it except us,
but it's always been our cue.

Did you ever speak to
Jessica Ross about this habit?

No, we keep that
kinda thing to ourself.

All right, let's try it
again only this time

let's not wait for her
to move the papers.

All right, we're gonna go again.

Can we standby please
and have it quiet on the floor.

Sam, get into your greens.

Get that b*rned body
out of cadaver storage.

What for?

I think I was right all along.

We're gonna measure the
skeleton, the vertebrae, the fat tissue.

We're gonna prove to Monahan
that it wasn't Jessica Ross's secretary

that d*ed in that fire.

Maybe then he'll
extend his investigation.

Well, Quince, I'm
really busy here.

I've been assigned
to the Fairmont case,

and I've got to get
these tissue sections.

Sam, I need your help.

Hey, what's the matter?

Nothing. It's just
that since we've spent

so much time on the Ross case,
things are really backing up here.

Asten pressuring you?

He just wanted to
make sure I did my job.

He said there's no point in
wasting any more time on this case

just because you can't
admit that you're wrong.

Wasting time. Is that
what you think I'm doing?

Do you think I'm wrong, Sam?

- Well...
- Come on, tell me the truth.

I've got to admit, Quince,
it's pretty hard to believe

Jessica Ross is dead any more,

and Asten ordered
everyone to drop it.

But I'll help you if
you really want me to.

No. I don't want you
to jeopardize your job.

Thanks, anyways.

What do you mean by telling
everybody in the department to ignore me?

Quincy, I'm sorry,
I'm really sorry.

No one could ignore you, Quincy.

Come on, now, we're just
paying attention to our jobs.

Why don't you pay
attention to your job?

Which is exactly what I would do
if you would stop tying my hands.

Now when I went on that program,

I thought I had goofed with
her identity and I admitted it.

I don't believe that anymore.

I'm telling you that
woman is not Jessica Ross.

Everything Jessica Ross's
doctor gave us matches the victim.

The skull, the bones, the
blood, the teeth, everything.

Now, if that burnt body
is not Jessica Ross,

then it's a twin or
an exact duplicate.

Well, that would certainly
simplify matters, wouldn't it?

Except you know,
it's hard to believe

that one of the most
famous women in America

has a twin sister and
no one knows about that.

Don't you think?

In any event, we can't
make a positive identification.

I've changed the death
certificate to Jane Doe.

As long as you're here,
I guess you could sign it.

No way.

Why don't we put it to
the test and find out?

What do you mean?

Let's ask this Jessica to
submit to an examination

and compare it to the medical
records we got from Dr. Thornton.

No, no, no.

Now look, you smoothed
it over on television.

Let's let it stay that way.

I can't bother that
woman anymore.

What about me?

What about my credibility
as a medical examiner?

My work is the most
important thing in my life.

Now, all the years that I've
put into it are meaningless.

They'll throw this up to
me twenty years from now.

If I'm wrong, I deserve
it, but I don't think I am.

I don't want to
live with this doubt.

Quincy, you're gonna have to.

Look, you've had a career
that you can be proud of

but now you've
reached a crossroads.

You cannot go over
the line in this case.

I know your credibility
is in jeopardy,

but you're an important
member of this department

and therefore, a part of this
department's credibility is in jeopardy.

And it's out collective
word that's important

than accidents and
murders and assassinations.

If you continue to att*ck this woman
who is loved by millions of people

including the President
of the United States,

the Secretary of State,

she turns those people
against us, and she can

with all the power at
her disposal, the media,

this department is impotent.

This department
is more important

than any... Any one individual.

So I'm closing the case.

If you continue to pursue it, you're
gonna have to face the consequences.

You do what you have to do
and I'll do what I have to do.

- Come in, Dr. Quincy.
- Oh, thank you for seeing me.

I'm sorry to bother you again
so soon, but it's very important.

Well, I'm in a rush. I'm
going out for the evening.

This will only take a couple of
minutes. See, I need your help.

My help?

There's a m*rder*r
going on trial in a few days.

Joseph Bieler.

Oh, yes, I know the
case. An evil man.

Well, my testimony was
going to put him away for good.

But my credibility as a medical
examiner is badly damaged

because I declared
Jessica Ross dead.

I can imagine.

So, the feet is, he's gonna
go free if I can't explain

why the mistake was made and
that's why I need your cooperation.

My cooperation?

Well, maybe there is some kind of
genetic phenomenon going on here.

Something we don't
know anything about.

Some scientific miracle
that can give another person

the same physical makeup as you.

- Oh,
that sounds pretty fantastic.
- Yeah.

So if you would submit to an
examination, it would clear up the error.

I could get my credibility
back and therefore, testify.

I'm sorry, I can't
agree to that.

Well, you can have your own
doctor perform the examination.

I said, "No", Dr. Quincy.

Why not? Why won't you help?

You know, this whole thing
has been very upsetting to me.

It's been a frightening
experience and besides that,

my schedule has
been totally disrupted.

Maybe in six months, when I've
calmed down and I'm over this.

It'll be too late by then!

I don't have time
for any more of this.

What are you hiding?

Look, I want to remind you

that you're not talking to
some common criminal.

I've had it with you, your
rudeness and your accusations.

Now, please leave.

Oh, didn't expect
you back so soon.

Quincy, I didn't believe when
she told me you were here.

Quincy, what are you doin'?

Would you believe I was
looking for a bus schedule?

You're very lucky, Dr. Quincy.

Miss Ross has decided not to
press charges or instigate a lawsuit.

We're all very
grateful for that.

However, I have
a court order here,

restraining you from harassing,

interfering with, or otherwise
approaching Miss Ross within 100 feet.

If you choose to
ignore that court order,

you'll find yourself in jail so
fast it'll make your head spin.

You'd be there now if
the choice were mine.

I would have thought you'd be a little
more appreciative of her generosity.

Oh, thank her for me, will ya?

We do appreciate it,
Mr. Gordon, especially Dr. Quincy.

Quincy, how stupid
can you be, huh?

What in heaven's name were
you doin' there in the first place?

Looking for records, letters

anything that would help me
to prove that she's an imposter.

- But, Quince,
breaking and entering...
- I had nothing to lose.

You have everything to
lose, you stubborn mule.

I begged you, I pleaded
you, I warned you!

The city Council's gone over my
head to the civil service commission.

I've received this memo

and I'm sure that you have a
notice waiting for you at home.

The civil service commission
feels that they have just cause

to suspend you for thirty
days with intent to discharge.

The dust hasn't had
a chance to settle yet.

No, it has.

Just like that... I'm fired?

In essence, Quincy,
they fired you.

Quincy?

Nobody home.

That's right. You know this
isn't home for normal people...

Coming down
these steps like this.

What do ya think I
am, Popeye the Sailor?

Come to see if the ol'
hermit wants anything.

The ol' hermit
doesn't want anything.

Ah, snap out of it,
Quincy. Snap out of it.

I wish I could.

All these years, I've been
crabbin' about workin' too hard.

Now I've got nothin' but time on my
hands, I don't know what to do with it.

First thing, you start
with a good meal.

I would if I knew
where to find one, but...

That's it...

That's the Quincy I know
and love. Insulting, irritable...

President Connor will be spending
the holidays in Georgia with his family.

Are you sure you
want to watch that?

And now, in closing,
a personal note.

Let me say to you all that the
incidents within the past forty-eight hours

have caused me
great personal distress.

When one's in the public eye,
one expects to be att*cked,

one expects their
character to be defamed,

one expects their life to be
more or less an open book.

But when one has been declared
dead and then is not allowed to live,

when one's life has
been totally disrupted,

when one is hounded by a
vindictive, slanderous medical examiner

who's only trying to
protect his own reputation...

There are laws to protect us
against the insidious remarks

and libelous statements made
by so-called public servants,

whose only wish is to
destroy this broadcaster.

You'll have to excuse
me, ladies and gentlemen.

Excuse me, my heart is
b*ating a mile a minute.

I've been so distraught by this.

This is Jessica
Ross. Good evening.

That's it.

Her heart.

You phony.

You murdering phony.

- You talkin'
about Jessica Ross?
- That is not Jessica Ross

and if I could get near her with a
stethoscope or an x-ray I could prove It.

Okay. Relax, Quincy.

By the way, you gonna wear this?

It belongs to Jessica Ross.

- Who are the people?
- Well, looks just like her.

I guess it was taken
when she was a kid.

Are you kidding?

No, nuns didn't wear habits
like this thirty years ago.

This is recent.

Let me see that.

Hey, and kids didn't dress
like this thirty years ago.

That's right. The
wheels are turning.

Thank you, Danny. Thank you
very much. Thanks for everything.

Don't forget to eat the lasagna.

- Hello?
- Hello, Sam, this is Quincy.

- Quincy?
- Don't mention
my name, will ya?

I want you to do something
for Now listen carefully.

All right.

Right.

Come on, would ya, Sam. I
don't wanna do these dishes.

Hello? Sam, what did ya find?

You were right, Quince. I
don't know how you knew,

but the uterus showed signs of
childbirth and enough tissue was left

to show a definite
episiotomy scar.

Oh, thank you, Sam.

Hey, thanks for sticking
your neck out, buddy.

Thanks for everything.

Thanks for coming, Bert.

That's okay, but what did you
want to meet me out here for?

You know, just being seen
with you I could lose my job.

- I need your help.
- What?

Look, I know Jessica
Ross came here very often.

I want to know why.

Who did she come to see?
What did she come to do?

Are you still running
that into the ground?

Look, Jessica Ross
did not die here.

She's alive and well

and she's hopping mad about
the trouble that you've been making.

I know, I know. Nobody
seems to believe me.

Look, do you know
who these people are?

Hmm?

I don't know who
the little girl is,

but she's a nun at the
Convent of Santa Rosa.

I know because Jessica asked me

to direct a charity fund raising
telethon we did for them once.

- Is it near hear, the convent?
- It's not far.

- Will you tell me where it is?
- Well, yeah.

Go out here and you make a right

go down about five miles and
then you see a sign on the left.

- You can't miss it.
- Thanks a lot.

It's a big place...
Well, what for?

I owe you a round at Danny's.

But don't... Just don't let
Jessica find out I was here.

I like my job!

Thank you for seeing me.

I've only come to tell you

that you scared us half
to death the other day

and you're upsetting
one of the most kindest,

most generous human beings it
has ever been my pleasure to know.

I'm sorry.

I know how grateful you must be

for all the money she
raised for the convent.

Thai is only one of her
wonderful blessings, Dr. Quincy.

Oh, did you hurt your leg?

Remember Miss Ross brought us
toys and clothes, arranged trips for us?

You go see Sister
Teresa right away.

She's helped us maintain
our school and our hospital.

We're not talking
about the same person.

The wonderful human being you're
talking about was k*lled in that fire

and I don't want the
m*rder*r to get away with it.

- m*rder*r?
- Yes.

I think Jessica Ross was m*rder*d
and replaced by an imposter.

Well, you know, Dr. Quincy,
I'm a great mystery fan.

I've read all of
Dashiell Hammett,

Ellery Queen, and
Agatha Christie.

But what you're
telling me sounds like

something straight
out of Edgar Allan Poe.

I would have a hard time
believing it as fiction, let alone fact.

Well, you're not alone.

I can't get anybody
else to believe me either,

but it can be proven
with your help.

- How?
- Let me get a look
into your records.

Oh, no.

That's out of the question.

Our files of births
and adoptions here

are of strictest
confidence with the church.

That would be a violation
of the sacred trust.

Not if I'm right.

And the woman you're
protecting is no longer alive

and I promise you this will
be the end of it once and for all.

What is it that you think
you're going to find?

Proof that Jessica Ross was born
here and was one of a pair of twins.

What makes you think
Jessica Ross was born here?

Her.

Jessica Ross's daughter.
I know she's here.

Now, why would Jessica
Ross with all her wealth

put her daughter here if there
wasn't an emotional tie-in?

Why wouldn't she have
told me about her sister?

There was no need to.
She thought she was dead.

Now, that's my hunch.
I really believe it.

- Very well.
- Thank you.

Roberts... Robinson...

Romano...

Look. No Ross.

Nothing under that name.

- Are you sure?
- Positive. You can see for yourself.

Well, I guess that's It.
Thank you very much.

Would you look for
one more name, please?

Benton. B-E-N-T-O-N. Please.

Barton... Benson...

Benton.

Yes here it is.
Catherine Benton.

How did you know that?

- Cheryl?
- I just missed her.

You never give up, do you?

Shall I call the police?

Oh, I've already taken care
of that. They're on the way.

I thought while we were
waiting, I would tell you a story.

You're a newspaper reporter,

you're interested in
human interest stories.

I guarantee ya this
one will fascinate you.

Once upon a time

there were monozygotic twins...

- Do you know what they are?
- No.

They're twins that come
from the same fertilized egg,

and very often they're
absolutely identical.

There's one curious
aspect of monozygotic twins.

Their characteristics
can be mirror-Imaged.

For instance, one can be
right-handed, the other left-handed,

and in certain cases,

one twin could have
the heart on one side,

the other twin on
the opposite side.

Now, a trained eye could see this
in an x-ray, physical examination,

or even by watching TV

and seeing someone
clutch at their heart

to show how fast it was b*ating.

Like you did on the
broadcast, remember?

I don't have time
for a biology lecture.

You're right.

I promised you a story and a
story is what you're going to get.

These twins were
born in a convent

to an unwed mother,
who d*ed in childbirth.

Since there was no father, the
children were put up for adoption.

Now one girl... Hey,
let's call her Jessica,

was adopted by a
family named Ross.

She grew up happy,

she enjoyed fame and fortune
and the adoration of millions,

just like a princess
in a fairy tale.

I hope that's the happy
ending of the story.

I've got to be on the
set in five minutes.

No. Unfortunately, my story
doesn't have a happy ending.

The other little girl
was sickly, unadoptable,

but at the age of four, she
was adopted by a family,

but she had to be returned to the convent
because she couldn't make the adjustment.

This little girl...

Why don't we name her after her
dead mother, Catherine Benton,

she had to be placed in a home
for the emotionally disturbed.

The convent lost track of her.

Then one day,
without even dreaming

that the princess
was her sister,

she noticed the
resemblance on television

and she got very
angry and very jealous

because the princess had
everything, she had nothing,

and she then decided to
take the princess's place.

Why not?

They were, after all,
absolutely identical.

So she got herself into
a disguise, a blond wig,

she put on a lot of weight and she
got into shoes that made her very tall,

and then she got into the
good graces of the princess,

watching the way she behaved,

did away with her
and took her place.

Of course, it was
her downfall too.

Isn't that an interesting story?

Get out. Get out!

Of course, there's one
detail I forgot to mention.

The wicked sister didn't know
that the princess had a child.

No one did.

It happened early in her career.

She didn't want to ruin
it. She was unmarried.

So she placed her in the
convent where she was born.

This is Angela.

Aren't you gonna say
hello to your niece?

My sister...

My sister...

Oh! Oh...

Oh, my God...

Oh... Oh, God, I'm sorry.

Oh, God.

Oh, my God.

Ladies and gentlemen,

due to circumstances
beyond our control,

Miss Jessica Ross
will not appear tonight.

Okay, that's a wrap everybody.

Did you see the game Sunday?

No, I was busy with
my divorce case.

She getting copped.

- What happened?
- Hi, John.

I just came from the court.

The jury found him guilty.

They gave Joe Bieler
twenty years to life.

And Quincy the whiz
kid was responsible.

The defense attorney really got
after him but Quincy held on like a rock.

Yeah.

Ta-da.

No autographs, no autographs.
Give me one, will ya, Dan?

On me, on me.

Tell me what happened
to Jessica's twin.

Well, she's undergoing
psychiatric examination.

They'll determine
what to do later.

I've never seen two
girls look that muck alike.

Well, you know what they say.

Everybody's got an exact double
walking around somewhere in the world.

No, I don't believe it.

You know... Even you.

The double I got is in jail.

Yeah? You won't believe this

but I ran into your double
today and I brought him down.

- You're kidding.
- Well,
if you don't believe it...

You got... You got
somebody... Are you trying...

Hey, Joe, come on... Watch this.

Well, I can't...

He's got my brown eyes.