- Joe and Frank try to find out who badly assaulted a woman in the street. Their two suspects are her husband and a mentally ill man. The woman can't help them because she is in a coma.
- Season 5 Episode 3 Synopsis - The Big No Rain Aired 9-15-55 It was cold in Los Angeles, the date was November 16th. Friday, Smith are working the night-watch out of Homicide Division, the boss is Captain Lohrman. Smith takes a call, a woman has been found, bruised, lying in a gutter, her condition is serious, she has been brought to the hospital. One of the felony officers, first on the scene, said the victim was found badly bruised, appeared to be an assault, she was missing her left shoe and there was no sign of any purse or wallet. The woman who made the original call to police was supposed to be in the area. The nearest house was some three-hundred feet away. Nobody in the crowd could identify the woman. A Mrs. Roger Heflin said the man who had made the call to the complaint board was waiting to see the police. Friday, Smith interview Cecil Furnham, on the porch of Mrs. Heflin's home, she stepped inside.
Furnham called police after finding the woman, he seems dim-witted, trouble answering Friday's questions, i.e. his home address. He says he is not from the area; apparently lives with his sister, as Friday checks Furnham wallet. Cecil said he knew the victim, her name is Grace, he thinks he knows where she lives. He says Grace asked him to take a walk with him tonight. He said he did not hit her. Friday has an officer have Cecil Furnham stand by, while details are discussed with the crime lab's Jay Allen; there was no evidence found. The hospital reported the woman was in a deep coma and could not be questioned.
Cecil was questioned at HQ, he had an out-state record, he had been released to the custody of his sister. He told the officers he was with a Grace Dillon at a bar. Friday, Smith go to that same bar. Emil Lansing, bar owner, is questioned. Emil describes Cecil as a real creep; he says he came in around 6:45, left 10:30 or 11. Cecil was in to watch the fights. Grace Dillon is considered a regular, she was in at about eight. Grace and Cecil left together, about ten-forty-five, after the fights. The bartender has Grace's address, a custom of the bar to notify its regulars of a new piano player and other bar events. He says she was in there with her husband on occasion, but quite a while ago; describing him as a real jerk, he hit his wife, witnessed by her face all cut up, when she came in to the bar. Emil whispers to Friday, it's nearly a sure thing, her husband caused her to be hurt. Friday whispers back, first we have to find Hermann Dillon.
Friday, Smith drive to the Dillon house, five blocks from where Grace Dillon had been found. Paula Dreyer answered the door at the Dillon residence, she was the baby-sitter. She says the Dillon's fight all the time, Grace left the house at seven-thirty, Herman left after ten. Paula said Herman threatened Grace, saying he was going to kill her the last time they argued. Officers were assigned to watch the home for Herman Dillon, then bring him to HQ.
The doctor's report described Grace Dillon as possibly being thrown from a vehicle, and Smith says that would explain the missing shoe and purse. Friday tells Smith, the injury Grace suffered might produce a retro-grade amnesia, she might not remember anything.
Joe gets a call, Herman Dillon had returned home; he was brought in for questioning. He provided nothing more than the police knew about him. He could not account for his whereabouts at the time of his wife's assault. Friday checks Dillon's hands, they were marked indicating he had fought someone. Herman Dillon was detained, pending further investigation. Friday says due to the lack of physical evidence, Grace's testimony was essential in apprehending the person who had beaten her.
Grace Dillon had recovered enough, asking for her husband, from her hospital bed. Mr. Dillon accompanied the officers to the hospital. Grace tells the officers she was heading back to the house, Cecil was walking with her. She was walking in the street coming to a place where there was water from the rain. She stepped up on the curb to avoid walking in the water, when she fell, rolling to the bottom of the hill, to the next street. She said she remembered falling, lying in the street, unable to get up. She doesn't remember anything after the fall. Friday asks her, nobody beat you? You fell yourself? She agreed with Friday.
Since there was no crime committed, Herman Dillon was released from custody. Cecil Furnham was remanded to the County Psychiatric Unit, now undergoing treatment.
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