Concerned about Gus' behavior, his 13+1⁄2-year-old son Alex (Ricky Schroder) follows him, but doesn't see the pistol.
The next day, Alex loads up the car for a weekend lodge trip, but notices his dad's pistol is missing when he and his friend Ellen (Tracey Gold) explore the attic.
Back home, Alex finds his dad's note, which has the phone number to the local Suicide Prevention Center.
Alex visits the center, where he tells counselor Bob Cousins (Bruce Weitz) about his dad's behavior the past couple of days.
Saying the center can't really help unless the person contemplating suicide calls them first, Cousins tells Alex to talk to his dad, giving him a list of behavioral warning signs.
When that fails, he visits Isabel Bennett (Carrie Snodgress), a woman who Gus once had a relationship with, and gets her to drop by.