A substantial sum of money is stolen from a race-track, whilst Ironside and his team are present, and the Chief is determined to crack the case. The only clue is a car, crashed by the inside man, but if it has a secret to tell it is not going to give it up easily.

After a murder is committed in a San Francisco park, the Chief takes part in a live TV broadcast in the hope of provoking such a panic in his prime suspect that the man will make a mistake, or lead Ed to some hard evidence.

A returning Vietnam vet sees his supposedly dead father at the airport, and initiates a search for him against the Commissioner's wishes. The father, a one time member of the SFPD, turns out to be in hiding from a crime family eager to kill him for his part in their downfall, and the last thing that he wants is to be found.