Hunter (1984–1991): Season 4, Episode 11 - Allegra - full transcript

The best way to start having
fun is to just close your eyes

and jump off of a cliff.

There's something
very strange about this case.

I'm going to find
out what it is.

Allegra's an easy girl
to fall in love with.

Now, I think that
that makes her uncle

one very wealthy priest.

Guy that like, he could
buy witnesses by the pound.

You break into my house...

You follow me.

If you're trying to
hide from me, Rick Hunter,



you're going to have to do
a much better job than that.

Hey.

Hey, you're don't suppose
to be parking there.

Who elected you mayor?

Listen, Sonny.

Somebody threw her right
out the window, 12 stories.

She hit the on the way down

and rolled off
onto the pool deck.

First impact
probably killed her.

Reuben's up there now.

Any ID on her, Barney?

Her name's Allegra Bryant.

What?

Do you know her?



Yeah, I, uh...

I knew her.

Somebody tossed a very
pretty girl out that window.

Put up a heck of a fight.

Not good enough, Dee Dee.

You handle this, OK?

It looks like it's
going to be a tough one.

She was beautiful,
wealthy, parents deceased,

had a huge trust fund.

She was a bit of a play girl.

But then, that's not really
anything you don't know, is it?

No, it's not.

So where'd you meet this girl?

You never mentioned her.

It was way before your time...

I mean, our time as partners.

And and I had just finished

working the Echo Park case.

I was exhausted, so I
drove down to Laguna Beach.

And there she was.

What are you looking at?

Actually, I'm looking at a
very pretty girl who has walked

back and forth in
front of me three times

in the last five minutes.

That obvious, huh?

Yeah.

My name's Allegra Bryant.

Hi, Allegra.

Rick Hunter.

Pull up a sand dune.

Thank you.

Having a blast, aren't you?

Actually, I am.

Isn't it obvious?

Oh, it is, of course.

Uh, you've got your
radio and your book,

and liquid refreshments.

Hey, where I come from that's
called breaking and entering.

Watch it.

And where exactly
do you come from?

Oh, I don't think you want

to know that now.

Can I be completely
honest with you?

Do I have a choice?

No.

I've been watching you for
the past couple of days,

and you're having
a miserable time.

Now, I know that you
didn't come here intending

to have a miserable time.

Well, believe me, I'm
having a very nice time.

Trust me on that.

I came down to read my
book, enjoy the day,

and up until about, oh, I
guess about a minute or so ago,

I was having just
that... a wonderful time.

Oh, come on.

You don't have to lie to me.

You came here to have fun,
and it's just not happening.

You just need a little guidance
from a specialist, that's all.

Where do you think I
might find that specialist?

Ta-da!

Now, somehow, it
doesn't surprise me.

Well, this specialist
in particular

has found that the
best way to start

having fun is to just close your
eyes and jump off of a cliff.

Is that a fact?

It is a fact.

Come on.

Oh, wait.

OK, that's the cliff.

Now just walk up to it.

- No...
- Oh.

Don't... don't... don't look down.

You'll get dizzy.

You know, the last time

I felt like this
I was at the top

of the Empire State Building.

I don't like it.

It's OK.

Just close your eyes
and hold my hand.

I'll tell you what,
I'll hold your hand,

but I won't close
my eyes, so I can

look at you all the way down.

But on three, we jump.

Yeah, I'm counting on
you to get me through this.

Trust me.
Put your foot back.

- OK.
- Get ready.

One, two...

Yeah.

Three!

I think you had a great
time today..

Oh, I take that as a compliment.

Thank you.

You're welcome.

Tell me something...

Mm-hm.

Are you really a
policeman on vacation

or are you here to
arrest somebody?

Well, actually, I am here to
have a nice, quiet vacation.

- Me, too.
- Really?

Well, I... I didn't think
you did this for a living.

But I do.

Good morning.

Hi.

Is Allegra here?

Who?

Allegra Bryant... is she here?

Oh, you mean the girl
who was here before me.

She canceled or something.

Hey, it worked out great,
as far as I'm concerned.

I mean, I...

She was reserved
for the full week...

Checked out after five days...

Left last night at 3:00 AM.

Were you working
the desk, Henry?

Oh, yes, I was.

She seemed a bit rushed, if
that's what you're asking.

I got the impression
that something

might have happened
that required

her immediate attention.

Did she leave any messages?

Not a one.

Thanks.

So that was it?

Did you ever see her again?

Yeah.

She called me about
eight days later.

Hunter.

I guess you weren't lying when

you said that you were a cop.

Do you know that I had
to call seven divisions

before I finally ran you down?

Now, if you're trying to
hide from me, Rick Hunter,

you're going to have to do
a much better job than that.

Allegra, what happened?

Where are you?

Oh, I'm sitting in the
lounge at the Norfolk Hotel

at a very highly visible
table in an exceedingly

eye-catching dress.

I'll be right there.

Very nice.

So you took off in the
middle of the night, yeah?

Ah, it was the middle
of the night here.

But in Europe, it was the
middle of the afternoon.

It was perfect tanning weather.

What possessed you to do that?

I got a phone call
from an old friend.

Well, I haven't seen
her in three years.

She's been living in
the South of France.

And she just broke up
with her boyfriend.

She asked me to be with her.

You expect me to believe that?

Well, of course.

A friend is a friend.

And it was the middle
of the night, remember?

I didn't want to wake you up.

Have you ever been
on The Spinner?

Whoa!

For some reason,
going to my left

is worse than going to my right.

Whoa!

This is great.

Whoa!

Oh!

Look at my balloon.

Now I got you.
Yeah.

I won.

Yeah, I know.

Let's just find something a
little bit more difficult.

We saw each other
every other day or so

for a while, and then, uh...

And then she made
reservations at a very,

very nice restaurant.

She never showed up.

Now I ask you, how could
you get serious with anybody

who behaves that way?

She never could say goodbye.

So what'd you do?

Well, I went looking
for some answers.

I... I looked up her uncle.

He's a priest.
- Really?

Yeah.

He's got a church about,
uh, oh, a two-hour drive

north of Los Angeles.

You see, you have to... you

have to realize that Allegra
has a certain effect on people.

She tends to elate
and then disappoint.

Now, it's not a
willful capriciousness.

It's her... it's her nature.

She follows her heart.

If Allegra's heart tells
her it's time to fly off

to the Himalayas, well, then...

Off she'll go.

Is that where she is?

Oh, no.
I don't know.

I don't know.

That's just an example.

No, I'm her only
living relative.

But she... she rarely
keeps in touch.

She never tells me
where she's going.

I know, my friend.

It's hard.

Allegra's an easy girl to
fall in love with, isn't she?

Yeah, she is.

Thanks for your time.

Appreciate it.

10 days later, she shows up
at my house in my kitchen

and cooking me dinner.

Where was she
this time... outer Mongolia?

No, the Amazon.

Oh, what, are you kidding?

No.

As she put it, I had the sudden
urge for tropical jungles.

OK, so she's back
from the Amazon.

How long did she stay
this time before she

decided to disappear?

About two weeks.

Oh, well, you guys were
made for each other... just...

How long did this go on?

Well, it didn't.

What I'm trying to
tell you, Allegra, is I

don't want to do this anymore.

OK, then let's sit down.

No.

That's not what I
mean, and you know it.

I'm talking about
your lifestyle.

It's not working out for me.

But that's the way that I am.

Allegra, how do you think I
feel every time you take off

and vanish into thin air?

I don't know when
you're coming back,

or I don't even know
if you're coming back.

Now, how are we
supposed to, uh...

How are we supposed to
get to know one another?

Look how pretty they are.

You know, they
only bloom a couple

of months out of the year.

Would you love them as much if
you could see them every day?

I can't change for you, Rick...

Not for you... not for anyone.

I'm... I'm sorry.

Allegra, all I'm
asking you to do

is tell me when you take off.

Is that too much to ask?

I just hate to say goodbye.

So that was it?

No, actually, she called
me six months later.

Could've guessed that.

We had lunch.

She said she had all these
new and exciting things for us

to do.

But, uh, I said no.

That was it.

Well, she was
beautiful and wealthy.

Now we just gotta figure out
who would want to kill her.

Only living
relative is the uncle.

He's the only one that
stands to inherit anything.

Yeah, it makes
him a prime suspect.

What are you
talking about, McCall?

He's a Jesuit priest.

They take a vow of poverty.

Oh, well, priest or
not, he's still a lead.

What did you... what did you say,
he was... he was a couple hours

drive away from here?

McCall, relax.

I'll take care of this, OK?

You take care of the check.

It's been, uh, oh, I don't know,

eight months since I saw her.

Father, do you know anybody

who might have taken her life?

No.

Did she mention anybody

lately... somebody that
maybe she was involved with?

There was a man she...

She spoke of once...
Uh, Johnny, uh...

Johnny Martino.

Johnny Martino.

I believe
he's associated with one

of the hotels in Nevada.

Ah, yeah, doll.

Here, this ought to hold you
for a couple of days, all right?

Johnny, I don't want your money.

I want us to spend
more time together.

Maybe next week, baby.

I got a lot of business to
do in the next few days.

Johnny, you promised that...

Excuse me.

Sergeant Hunter.
- Johnny Martino.

Right.

Come on in.

Thanks for calling.

I'll talk to you
later, OK, baby?

Bye.

Can I get you a drink?

Not for me, thank you.

Excuse me.

I'll have one.

You're a smart man.

It's bad for the
internal plumbing.

How long did you know Allegra?

As well as anybody, probably.

She was in love with me.

I was down in your neck of
the woods about two years ago

on a, uh, vacation... one of
those tennis hot tub places.

And, uh, we met on the court.

It wasn't in a hot tub.

I... I don't know.

One thing led to another.

Did you know her?

Yeah, we had met.

She romanticized me as some
kind of a gangster, I think.

She wanted me to have a
nickname, like Nicky Bananas...

Paulie the Weasel.
Allegra, please.

I don't want to be known
as a piece of fruit

or some kind of a rodent.

Anyway, oh, when
you were coming in,

did you notice that
hotel across the street?

Yeah, the big hotel?

Mm-hm.

When I was 25 years old, I
had 12 points in that place.

Of course, things weren't
so clean in those days.

But, uh, maybe I
knew a few people.

But I never was in no
mob... not then... not now.

So what happened
between you and Allegra?

Oh, that didn't last.

I'm afraid I am not
a one-woman man.

I've got a lot of
business investments.

And I'm surrounded by
beautiful women 24 hours a day.

Allegra didn't
like that too much.

So we called it quits.

And that was about a year ago.

I haven't seen her since.

Have you heard from
her in that time?

Well, she left
a lot of messages.

But I never returned
any of the calls.

Too bad... funny girl.

Sure I can't get
you one of these?

Only take a second.

No, thanks.

Sergeant Hunter?

Yeah?

Uh, you want to come with me.

Uh, why?

Somebody would
like to speak to you.

Yeah.

Over here.

Remember me?

You're on in
five minutes, girls.

Yeah, you're the girl
in Johnny Martino's room.

Yeah, yeah.

Michelle.

Sergeant.

Hunter.

Right.

You're here about
Allegra, aren't you?

Yeah.

If I know Johnny, he
told you that Allegra

was nuts about him, and
he blew her off, right?

Right.

Figures.

Johnny'd never admit the
truth to another man.

He was completely in love with
her... wanted to marry her.

She drove him crazy...

Strung him along for months.

She disappeared for
weeks at a time.

Then she'd call from Greece and
tell him the weather was great.

He'd drop everything
and fly there.

She'd be gone.

Drove him absolutely insane.

He kept trying to
track her down,

bothering all her other friends.

She finally told him
to leave her alone.

She wasn't in love with him.

Why are you telling me all this?

Because I'm sick of
hearing about Allegra

this and Allegra that.

I met Johnny six months
after she dumped him,

and still, that's all
he could talk about.

It got better for a while.

But... but now he's
a basket case again.

Now, if Johnny could stop
kidding himself about her,

maybe the two of us
could have a chance.

I... I just can't compete
with some fantasy chick

who's not even alive anymore.

Three minutes... let's move it.

Well, uh, look, uh, I
appreciate that information.

Thanks very much.
- All right.

Don't mention it.

Uh, are you going to
stay for the show?

Uh, no.

Next time around, I will.
- OK.

- Thanks.
- Bye.

Good luck.

Thanks.

I've got 12 witnesses that
say Martino was in Las Vegas

the day Allegra was murdered.

Now, I checked all the flights
from Vegas to Los Angeles...

No Martino.

Well, if he doesn't own
a plane, he can borrow one.

I mean, a guy like
that, he could

buy witnesses by the pound.

Charlie, I know that.

But right now, the
guy checks out.

Put a check on
Allegra's finances.

Recent estimates put her
trust at 50 million bucks.

All of that money went to
one heir when she was killed.

Now, I think that that makes her
uncle one very wealthy priest.

Are you going to continue this?

What's the story on you two?

McCall thinks just
because the guy's

going to inherit $50 million
dollars, that we should

make him a number one suspect.

Well, it sounds logical to me.

Will you guys get off the guy?

He's a Jesuit priest.

He had nothing to do with this.

Trust me on that.

Now, you seem a
little edgy, Hunter.

Are you sure you're giving
us the whole story here?

Yeah, I'm edgy, Charlie.

I've been edgy ever since
a girl was murdered.

Now, there's something
strange about this case.

I'm going to find
out what it is.

You're under arrest.

What for?

Interference with the
police officer, suspicion

of breaking and entering,
and how about the murder

of Allegra Bryant?

Excuse me.

Hi.

Well, hello.

Uh, can I help you?

Nice garden.

Thank you.

I was wondering if you
could tell me if there's

a place around here where...

Where people get together,
you know, and just hang out.

Oh, well, I'd like
to say my church.

But unfortunately,
that is not the case.

There aren't any clubs
or bars, if that's

what you're looking for.

No.

I'm... that's not what I meant.

I... see, I'm just
driving up the coast.

And... and, um, it's just
so very pretty here.

I thought it would be nice to
stay over a couple nights...

Take a little time.

Well, you might try Mrs.
Maginnas' across the street.

She runs a bed and breakfast.

People from the city often
there when they come through.

OK.

Good.
Thank you.

Not at all.

Goodness, come in
out of that rain.

Looking for a place to stay?

Well, actually, I was
just driving through,

and, um, a friend of
mine, Allegra Bryant,

used to tell me about this spot,
so I just thought I'd stop.

Oh, so awful.

Yeah.

You knew Allegra?

Oh, I've known her for years.

She was here just last week.

Last week?

You sure?

Well, yes, just a few
days before she died.

Thank you.

Allegra visits her uncle
Father Michaels all the time.

Well, he lets her use the
little house behind the church.

That's funny.

I don't remember her
saying anything about that.

Are you sure that
it was last week?

Well, she came in for breakfast.

She does that sometimes.

Oh, here I am rattling on about
her like she's still alive.

Sad end to a sad life.

What do you mean?

Well, you know, you
know how some people

seem to walk around with a
black cloud over their head?

That was Allegra, right?

Used to sit right over there...

Stare into her
coffee and not say

a word for hours and hours...

Saddest girl I've ever seen...

A shame... so pretty and all.

Are you sure we're talking
about the same person here?

That's Allegra...

First time I've
ever seen her smile.

I don't think you

realize who you're talking to.

You're a number one
suspect in a murder case.

I was in Vegas when that girl
was killed, and you know it.

You were in love with her.

You wanted to marry her,
but she didn't want you.

And if she couldn't be
with you, she wasn't

going to be with anybody.

And that's why you killed her.

No!
Are you through?

No, I'm not through, Johnny.

I got one more thing
I'm going to do.

I'm going to book you
for first degree murder.

Don't go away.

Hey.
Hold it.

Hold it.

Wait a minute here.

All right, look, I'll talk.

Yeah, I was in
love with Allegra.

Is that what you want to
hear, Sergeant Hunter?

Is that what you want to know?

No, Johnny, that's
not what I want to hear.

I want to know why
you're in Los Angeles.

I figured if you had some
lead on the guy that did it,

I could find out, and I want
to kill this guy myself.

Look, I know how it works.

You guys are going to
bust the guy that did it.

Then he's going to
beat the rap or else

he'll plea bargain his way into
a second degree murder beef.

He'll catch 20 years, and he'll
be on the street in seven...

Uh-uh, not this time.

The guy that threw Allegra out
that window's going to die.

One way or the other,
he's going to die.

We'll see about that.

Sit down.

Hunter, that guy would
rather go to the gas chamber

than admit he was in
love with a woman.

Yeah.

I just got back.

I went up and visited
Allegra's uncle.

Well, you didn't tell me
you were going up there.

No, that's because you and
I have a difference of opinion

concerning this
particular priest.

And, uh, I feel he's
a strong suspect,

and so I had to act accordingly.

What'd you find out?

I found out he lied to you.

He said that Allegra
had not been up to visit

him in eight months.
And that's not true.

She was up to see him the
week before she was killed.

What do you mean?

Did he tell you that?

No, I went and
talked with a neighbor.

She said that Allegra went up
to visit her uncle several times

a year.

She was up there just last week.

Was there a passport
inventoried in the stuff

from Allegra's apartment?

I don't know.

I don't remember.

Let's go find out.

There's not one visa
stamp in this passport.

All the times she said she
was out of the country,

she was lying to me.

She never left... not once.

Well.

Better go have a talk
with Father Michaels.

Well, wait a second.

There was something else
that I wanted to tell you.

What?

Just when you get up
there, don't be surprised

if you find out that,
uh, Allegra was not

who you think she was.

Father Michaels, I know
Allegra was in town one

week before she was murdered.

We talked to Mrs. Maginnas.

Yes, I... I... I... I... I'm sorry.

That's... that's true.

Father, you told me you
hadn't seen her in eight months.

Why?

Allegra made
me promise to tell no one

about this place or her visits.

And in honor of her memory,
I kept that promise.

She spent most of the time,
uh, in that little house

out back there as if there
was something somewhere

she didn't want to face.

I couldn't guess what it was.

She barely said a word.

That doesn't sound like Allegra.

She has a statue just like
this in her apartment.

Yes.

The original was a gift
from my grandmother

when I took my vows.

I gave it to Allegra
for her confirmation.

Thank you very much, Father.

Sergeant,
no matter what Allegra was

or why, there was still
no reason for someone

to kill her, and so brutally.

Hey, Rick!

Rick!

Hey, Rick!

Hey, Rick, what are you doing?

It's 3 o'clock in the morning!

Oh, my God.
Is it?

Well, we better get started.

Pretty great, huh?

Knock it off,
or I'll call the cops.

Be my guest, lady.

Big deal.

My cop can take her cop
any day of the week.

Rick, come on.

I'm busting out of here,
and you're invited.

Woo!

Where you been?

I know who killed
Allegra Bryant.

Spent the morning talking
to some psychiatrists

about Allegra's problems.

All of them seem to
agree on one thing.

She sounded like a classic case
of manic depressive psychosis.

These doctors are
going to stipulate

to that fact for our records.

Let me show you something.

You notice anything
about this statue?

Yeah, it's the only
thing in the whole place

that's not broken.

Exactly.

Father Michaels gave it to
Allegra for her confirmation.

There's a life and
death struggle going on

in this place, and this
statue is the only thing

that isn't broken?

Take a look at this place.

It's trashed.

Everything is broken,
except this, laying down

in the middle of the floor.

I think I got you.

There was no struggle
for life and death here.

Allegra committed suicide.

But how are we
going to report it?

Well, look, her last wish
was to protect her uncle

from the pain of her decision.

I'd kind of like
to respect that.

Yeah, but if we
do that, then we're

going to have to report
it as an unsolved murder.

And if we do that, that
means 50 years from now,

there are going to be
two homicide detectives

just like you and me...
- I know.

Investigating
the Allegra Bryant case.

I know.

And we can't do that.

No.

I still don't like
the alternative.

Hello, Father.

Hello there.

You're a police officer.

Yes, I am.

Father Michaels,
Allegra was experiencing

some very difficult
mood swings, wasn't she?

She was.

But she refused to
be treated, didn't she?

Yes.

Oh, I suggested
it more than once.

Allegra wouldn't even
discuss it with me.

What you two very compassionate
people are gently trying to ask

is did it ever occur to me that
she may have killed herself.

Yes.

That may have been
my first thought.

But I've also seen
photographs of her apartment.

And I've read about
evidence that Allegra

put up a terrible
struggle before she died.

There is no evidence putting
anybody that would want to kill

her in that apartment, Father.

All the evidence
points to suicide.

But that would still be an
opinion, wouldn't it, Sergeant?

I mean, we are discussing
a matter of opinion

here, not fact.

Yes, we are.

Well, then by all
means, Sergeant,

you have your opinion,
and I shall have mine.

An individual who
takes his own life

rarely does so without
leaving a note behind.

Allegra was loved and
cherished by so many people.

If she had taken her own life,
she would have left a note.

I'm convinced of that.

What do you think?

I know Allegra would have
never left a suicide note.

Why?

Because she could
never say goodbye.

Goodbye is so...

I don't know.

It's... it's just so final.

It just doesn't work for me.

Now, in some faraway lands,
people have a single word that

means both goodbye and hello.

It's sort of a generalized
all-purpose, one-size-fits-all

verbal gesture.

OK, it's a small
improvement... very small.

But it doesn't address the
full gravity of the question.

It's like if you say
goodbye, you're not really

sure you're ever coming back...

Not absolutely positive.

I think goodbye has a
bit of an end in it.

There is the chance
that you will

never see that person again.

And I think that
people die a little bit

every time that they say it.

So, Rick, promise me that you

won't ever say goodbye, not
until it really is goodbye.

Then you can.

Then I won't mind.

I'll be in a place where
I won't mind at all.