Bronk
In The Line Of Fire
(First aired: 1975)
The episode begins with several teenage boys robbing a supermarket. They escape with a car and run over and kill a boy working for the supermarket. The investigator in this case is Bronk (Jack Palance). During the investigation they find a piece of red fabric under the car the teenagers fled with, which belongs to the shirt the dead boy was wearing. Then Bronk learns that the car belongs to a policeman - his former partner and friend - Frank (Eugene Roche) who has two sons - Kevin (Mark Hamill) and Ron (David Hall). Kevin is about fifteen years old, Ron about eighteen. The two boys are very close particularly since their mother died. Their father doesn't have enough time for the boys because of his job. In the garage Kevin finds a bundle of fabric with money inside, and realizes that his older brother is robbing supermarkets. He knows that a boy got killed and that his brother is responsible for this. But he keeps his mouth shut - he loves his brother - he just can't tell their father. Frank finds out about it anyway and confronts Ron. After an argument, Ron runs away, and Kevin tries to explain that Ron is a good boy. Later, when Ron calls Kevin asking him to bring him the stolen money, Kevin hesitantly agrees, knowing where the money is hidden. As he is about to leave the house, his father arrives. Frank pleads to tell him where Ron is hiding - but can Kevin betray his beloved older brother? What will happen if another policeman finds Ron? The thought that his brother could get hurt or even killed convinces Kevin. Crying, he sags into his father's arms and tells him all he knows. Leaving Kevin at home, Bronk and Frank start their search. When they find him Ron shoots first and wounds his father . He tries to shoot again but Bronk, who took the back entrance, has to shoot, too, trying to save Frank's life. He killed Ron. Bronk visits Frank in the hospital - Kevin is also there because his father is now the only family member he has. He has to leave the room when Bronk enters - he just can't forgive that Bronk killed his brother. Bronk tells Frank that he can be happy to have a son like Kevin. Frank knows he would have done the same to save Bronk's life, but he can no longer work as a policeman. When Bronk leaves, Kevin comes back in - and in the final scene he sits down on the bed and holds his fathers hand.