Hunter (1984–1991): Season 4, Episode 18 - Death Signs - full transcript
Hunter is assisted in a murder investigation by a sign language interpreter when the murder victim is a deaf man.
You lied to me last night.
If someone had driven my car,
I can't explain it.
I'll talk with a deaf
policeman, if you can find one.
But I'm finished talking
with this stupid hearing cop.
Stay right
where you are little lady,
or I'm going to cut your
pretty little throat
and leave you to bleed to
death all over the floor.
Help.
Call 9-1-1.
Give the address, and tell
them an officer needs help.
Nasty business.
Well, it's my lunch hour.
So three little kittens,
they lost their mittens.
And then began to cry.
Oh, mother...
dear, sad fear that we
have lost our mittens.
What?
Lost your mittens?
Trevor, look at me.
So three...
This word?
That's right.
But I didn't hear you
speak the word help.
Can you say it?
Help.
That's right.
Good!
I help you.
You help me.
Help you.
Kali, could I see you out
in the hall a moment, please?
It's an emergency.
Sure.
I'll be right back.
Katie, this is Sergeant Hunter.
He...
I understand you're
an interpreter.
Yes, I am.
A deaf man has been stabbed.
He's been trying to
tell us something.
We need somebody right away.
Go ahead.
I'll cover for you.
Dr. Clark to
Emergency Room STAT.
He's ready.
Dr.
Clark to Emergency Room STAT.
Hey!
Hey!
Get the hell out of here.
No one...
I'm a police officer, Miss.
This woman is an interpreter.
Oh, sir?
Sir, someone's here
to talk to you now.
Just a moment.
House burned down.
No iron man...
Vitals?
There.
Move back, please.
BP's 90 over 60 and dropping.
His pulse is 120.
His respiration's
28 and shallow.
Ask him who stabbed him.
Please!
Get out of here now!
All right.
Let's crack him open.
- OK, Ambrose.
Thanks very much.
Yeah.
We'll be here until he
gets out of surgery.
Thank you.
Code Blue, 2 West.
Code Blue, 2 West.
Thank you.
Well, the only major
fire reported was
a stable in Will Rogers Park.
He very clearly said,
house burned down.
No iron man there.
- Are you sure about that?
I mean, his hands
were so badly cut up.
He finger spelled each
word, H-O-U-S-E. See?
There's just no confusing it.
It's simply out of context.
We just came in at the end
of what he was trying to say.
Sergeant Hunter?
Yes.
I'm sorry.
Two of the chest
wounds were inoperable.
And he had lost too much blood.
Now judging from the size of
the wound, it was a big knife.
A hunting knife, maybe.
I'm surprised he hung
on as long as he did.
Thanks very much.
I appreciate it.
Thank you.
You all right?
Yeah.
I'm fine.
Let's get back to the scene.
There will be a
patrolman there to take
you back to your school.
You were good in there.
I appreciate that.
Thanks.
A little young for a
schoolteacher, aren't you?
Oh, yeah?
Yeah.
How old are you?
19.
And I'm not a teacher yet.
I'm an assistant.
I'm still in school.
It will be a couple of years
before I get my credential.
How'd you learn about signing?
I grew up with it.
My mother and father are deaf.
Oh.
So how old are you?
Old.
We found him over there.
But considering the
severity of his wounds,
there's not enough
blood for that
to be the site of the murder.
The body was probably
thrown from the car.
Probably.
Nasty business.
How you doing?
Pretty good.
Kali Wilkins, Sergeant McCall.
She's acting as
interpreter on this case.
Hi.
Hi.
Did you get anything
from the victim?
No.
He passed away before
we could talk with him.
You got anything here?
Well, we found
this guy's wallet.
It's got cash in it.
Credit cards.
ID.
So it wasn't a mugging.
I also got his home
phone number off
of his medical emergency card.
Finn's been calling,
trying to contact his wife.
But there doesn't seem
to be anyone home.
May I see that?
Sure.
Well, this is a TDD number.
TDD?
Stands for a telecommunication
device for the deaf.
It's like a printer that
works over the phone line.
Can't get through unless
you have another one.
His wife must be deaf, too.
Would you mind coming
along and talking with her?
- Sure.
- Great.
- Thanks.
- Hunter, McCall?
Hiya, Charlie.
I hear the victim
is Noah Hasbrook.
Is that right?
- Yes, it is.
Did you know him?
- No.
But I've been reading
his stuff for 20 years.
He's an authority
on the Old West.
We got anything?
Ah, you can check
with McCall on that.
All right.
Talk to you later.
Good bye.
I don't know why, but somehow
this isn't what I expected.
What a beautiful car!
Hello.
I'm Sergeant Hunter,
Metropolitan Police.
Is Miss Hasbrook in?
I'm Mrs. Hasbrook.
May we come in, please?
Something wrong?
Is Noah all right?
Mrs. Hasbrook,
I regret to inform
you that your husband is dead.
How?
He was stabbed.
Someone's at the door.
Is she expecting somebody?
No.
Hello.
I'm Sergeant Hunter,
Metropolitan Homicide.
What's wrong?
Where's Noah?
Who are you?
I'm Brad Lindquist.
I'm Noah's tax attorney.
I'm afraid Noah is dead.
What?
We were going to go over
his portfolio tonight.
Where is Mrs. Hasbrook?
She's in the living room.
Come on in.
I am very, very
sorry about Noah.
I wish I were a better signer.
Noah taught me a few things.
But it was mostly business.
I better go.
Rebecca, if you need
anything, call me.
If you need to talk to
me, you can reach me here.
Thank you.
Ask her if she feels
like answering a question.
Rebecca, do you have any
idea at all of anybody
that would want to harm Noah?
No.
Noah's the nicest man.
I can't think of anyone
who would want to hurt him.
When was the
last time you saw him?
This morning,
before he left for work.
And then later, he
called me from the plant.
The plant?
I was under the impression
that he was a writer.
No.
He owned a printing plant.
Writing was his hobby.
What did you talk
about you spoke with him?
That he was
having lunch with a friend
and he'd be home late.
He was working on a project.
He spent a lot of time on it.
- What kind of project?
I asked him,
but he wouldn't tell me.
And who was he
having lunch with?
Todd Montgomery.
He's also hearing impaired.
He's been a good friend of
Noah's since they were kids.
He has a gallery on Melrose.
Has anybody else
called here today?
No.
Kit would have come and got
me if he heard the phone.
He's a hearing ear dog.
So you've been here all
alone since this afternoon?
Yes.
Is that your Aston
Martin out of the driveway?
Yes.
Something's wrong.
Call 9-1-1.
Give the address and tell
them an officer needs help.
Oh, my god.
Gunshot!
Your dog's going
to be just fine.
Rebecca, your husband said
something to us in the hospital
that we didn't quite understand.
Maybe you could help us with it?
He said, house burned
down, no iron man there.
We had a cabin
in the mountains at Arrowhead.
It burned down last November.
The police suspected arson.
But I don't know what
iron man could mean.
Well, thank you, Rebecca.
Good night.
Maybe somebody
should stay with her.
No, she'll be all right.
I think she's lying to us.
What?
Well, she said she
spent the entire day here
by herself alone.
But when we got here, the
hood of her car was warm.
Why didn't you ask her about it?
Well, we'll see what she does.
I can't believe
she would do that.
She also said
that Noah wasn't due
home till late in the evening.
When Lindquist got
here, he was here
to help him work on his taxes.
Now I wonder who's
lying about that?
Let's get going.
You free tomorrow?
Well, yeah.
I mean, tomorrow's Saturday.
Uh huh.
Good.
Proof in 30 minutes.
Noah and I ran this place
together for 26 years.
I just can't believe it.
You think Rebecca's
going to inherit
his side of the business?
Yeah.
But I've got an option
to buy it from her.
It's a normal
partnership agreement.
But don't worry about Rebecca.
She'll do just fine.
The house, the cash, very
nice portfolio of securities.
She won't have to worry
about paying the bills.
Gary!
Tell Martin I want to
see him in my office!
You don't like Rebecca
very much, do you?
No.
I never trusted her motives.
A very attractive
woman, 22, 23-years-old.
Noah was 61.
You have some nice pieces here.
Thank you, ma'am.
I'm looking for
a Todd Montgomery.
Well, now, he just
stepped out for a bit.
But I'm expecting
him back any minute.
Is there something I could
do to help you, Officer?
No.
I guess I'll just look around.
I'll wait for him.
Thanks.
All righty.
Powerful, isn't it?
Name's Travis Becker.
I'm keeping an eye
out front for Todd.
And you are?
Dee Dee McCall.
Yeah.
It's very dramatic.
Ain't that the truth?
I got a couple of paintings
hanging in the galley myself.
Of course, they're nothing
like these Cantrells.
These are Cantrells?
That's a fact.
The lost Cantrells.
These are the first Cantrells
found painted before 1880.
Some old codger found
them in his attic.
Just nailed them up to
his living room wall.
For about 30 years, he's eating
pork and beans out of tin cans,
using paintings worth about a
million bucks each just to keep
the wind out of the cracks.
Are you kidding?
These are worth a
million dollars apiece?
That's a fact.
You care to go on a little tour?
Yeah.
Mr. Cole, do you
have any idea at all
who might want to kill Noah?
You mean besides Rebecca?
Here.
Well, his brother,
Albert, maybe.
He leeched off Noah for years
until Rebecca put a stop to it.
Albert came in the
plant about a month ago,
asking for more money.
When Noah wouldn't give it
to him, he went berserk.
I had a couple of
guys throw him out.
Where can I find him?
Sorry.
I don't know.
But you should...
You should check out
Rebecca's ex-boyfriend, too.
Uh, Austin McCabe.
Real hot-headed deaf kid.
Militant as hell.
He thinks Noah stole his girl.
He even threatened him once.
Oh, really?
Did Noah report this
to the authorities?
Nah.
He wouldn't do it.
Noah's a real pussycat.
You wanted to talk to me, sir?
Yeah.
Tell the Sergeant
about last night.
Security guard heard somebody
trying to break in around 2:30
in the morning.
When the guy heard Peters
coming, he ran off.
Did Peters say what
this guy looked like?
No.
But he'll be back
on duty at 3 o'clock
if you want to talk to him.
Yeah.
Maybe I'll do that.
Thanks.
- Is that all for now, Sergeant?
No, actually.
Where were you yesterday
between 2 and 3?
Very good, Sergeant.
Go ahead, Martin.
Well, he was around
here all afternoon.
Out on the floor.
Oh, out on the floor.
Always suspect everybody.
Dickens said that.
Smart man, Dickens.
I guess most of
this stuff here's
about a thousand years old.
And that's a problem
with the art business.
By the time you're rich and
famous, you're also dead.
Isn't that the truth.
Yeah.
Oh, Todd.
This pretty young lady
here is Dee Dee McCall.
Oh, yes?
I just came from Rebecca's.
You know, I must
have misunderstood.
I thought you were deaf.
Yes.
I lost my hearing
when I was three.
And I read lips.
- Well, that's great.
Then we won't need an
interpreter, will we?
L-56, L-56, come in, please.
L-56, come in, please.
Lincoln 56, go.
- I
- have Sergeant McCall on Tac 2.
Roger, Tac 2.
What have you got, McCall?
You're not going
to need an interpreter here.
Montgomery can talk
and he can read lips.
OK.
Then I'm going to ride
out to see Rebecca's
ex-boyfriend, Austin McCabe.
All right.
I'll talk to you later.
I wish there was
something I could tell you.
Noah was here yesterday.
We had lunch.
I brought the fruit and he left.
Did he happen
to mention a special project
that he was working on?
Yes, he did.
I wanted him to
tell me about it.
But he wouldn't.
It was strange.
He acted there was something he
didn't want to talk about it.
Do you have any idea
who may have wanted him dead?
There must... there
must be someone.
But there's no one.
I have to ask you where you
were yesterday between 2 and 3.
I was with a private buyer,
hanging some of his paintings
for the opening tomorrow night.
Before Hasbrook died.
He said, house burned down.
No iron man there.
Do you have any idea what
that might have meant?
House burned down.
No one's there.
No iron man there.
Did he say anything else?
Well, yes.
He signed a lot.
But, unfortunately, my partner
didn't get there in time.
Sergeant Hunter,
Metropolitan Homicide.
Are you Austin McCabe?
I'd like to ask you a
couple of questions,
if that's OK with you.
I'm busy.
I'm expecting someone.
Maybe another time.
Tell him this is a
homicide investigation.
He can either talk to us here,
or he can go downtown with us,
and talk to us there.
Whatever he wants to do.
Hi there.
You said something about
a murder investigation.
Who was murdered?
- Noah Hasbrook.
I'm glad he's dead.
But what's that
got to do with me?
Didn't you threaten
his life at one time?
I told him to
get the hell away from Rebecca,
if that's what you mean.
I could have given
her something.
Children, a family.
All Hasbrook could
offer was money.
Where were you from
1 o'clock yesterday on?
He forgets.
He forgets, huh?
Cute boy.
I'm watching him for my sister.
I'm not going to answer
any more questions.
I'll talk with a deaf
policeman if you can find one.
I'm finished talking with
this stupid hearing cop.
You tell him he's
a prime suspect
in the murder investigation.
I will be back.
What happened with
all the signing?
He didn't want to talk to you.
If he'd seen me voicing the
words, he would have stopped.
So what do he say?
That he was here all day
yesterday painting, alone.
Why didn't he just tell me that?
Why all the hostility?
Maybe he resents hearing people,
feels discriminated against.
My father's kind of like that.
It's a tough thing to
live with sometimes.
Maybe that's why Rebecca left
him and married Noah Hasbrook.
Or maybe she just
opted for Beverly Hills.
Are you always so cynical?
Quite often.
It helps me solve crimes.
What did he tear up there?
It's a picture
of him and Rebecca.
You know what I think
his real problem is?
Yeah.
He's still in love with
Rebecca, which makes
him my number one suspect.
DISPATCHER: L-56, L-56...
Get in.
Come in, please.
I have Lieutenant Finn on Tac 2.
Lincoln 56, go.
Hunter, I got the address you
asked for on Albert Hasbrook.
He lives in Venice at
1087 Vista del Mar.
I know exactly where
that is, Ambrose.
Thanks very much.
Lincoln 56, out.
That's a couple of
minutes drive from here.
Mind if we go by there first
before I take you home?
No, not at all.
Good.
Wait a minute.
Just a second.
I want you to stay here.
When I get out, lock the
doors and roll the windows up.
Don't worry about me.
I don't worry about you.
I worry about the neighborhood.
Hiya, fellas.
Can I get through here?
Pretty please.
Thanks.
What the hell you
think you're doing?
I'm on a... he spun out!
Sergeant Hunter?
Oh, my god!
Thank god, you're alive.
I thought I told you
to wait in the car.
We've got to get
you to a hospital.
Forget about that.
Did you see a man
running out of here?
Yeah, a fat man with gray hair.
He jumped in a car and took off.
You wouldn't happen to
remember his license...
It's 1 PEL 318.
Good girl.
I'm giving you
full responsibility
of remembering that number.
Here's a ticket
to Arrowhead Lake
made out to Albert Hasbrook.
He left November 10 and
came back on November 11.
Hm.
Not a very long trip, was it?
However, long enough
to commit arson.
Take a look at that.
Here's a picture of Rebecca.
That's him!
That's the guy I
saw run out of here!
I assume that's Albert Hasbrook.
Can you tell where they are?
It looks like where
they found Noah's body.
That's Albert.
When was this photograph taken?
Last summer, by my husband.
Noah always hoped
that Albert and I
would grow to like each other.
But we didn't.
I'm not surprised that
Albert was in Arrowhead
when the cabin burned down.
I always suspected him.
But for my husband's
sake, I didn't say so.
When was the last time
that Albert saw Noah?
I don't know.
Rebecca, why
should I believe you?
- I
- don't understand.
You lied to me last night.
Lied?
What are you talking about?
You said you hadn't left
the house the entire day.
That's right.
But the hood of your car was
very warm when we got here.
You must be mistaken.
I'm not mistaken.
As I told you yesterday,
I was out back in my studio.
If someone had driven my
car, I can't explain it.
Calm down, baby.
I told you it
would be all right.
Come on.
Not again.
How much of this do
you think I can take?
So you were just playing
with my head, is that it?
You know, we got a word
for women like you.
Here, let me write it down.
Look, you're still in love with
that loser, Austin McCabe, huh?
You can understand me.
You can read my lips.
I'll tell you what.
Let me help you
forget me McCabe, hm?
His car was registered
to an Albert Hasbrook, Charlie.
We put an APB out on him, but
we don't have anything yet.
His rap sheet shows a
1984 extortion charge.
But they were dropped.
What about the break in
at that printing plant.
You got anything on that?
The security
guard is a dead end.
He didn't even get a good
look at the guy's face.
I mean, he couldn't even give
me a general description.
But the perp was
definitely trying to break
into Hasbrook's office.
So I went in and I found these
notes in a locked drawer.
This is unreadable.
What is this?
Some kind of personal shorthand?
I think I should be
able to decipher it
if I just have a little time.
I don't know.
You know, maybe these
notes have something
to do with that special project
that Noah was working on.
You have any idea what
that project was about?
Well, I think it
has something to do
those paintings
down at Montgomery's
Gallery, the lost Cantrells.
Did you talk to Todd
Montgomery about this?
Well, I tried to reach him
at his office and his home.
Couldn't find him.
So go see him first
thing in the morning.
You better get down
there in the morning.
Yeah.
You want me to go with you?
Yes.
DISPATCHER: Sergeant McCall,
I have Lieutenant Finn
on the line for you.
Go ahead.
We need a search warrant
for 740 Melrose and a
locksmith at the same address.
AMBROSE FINN: You got cause?
Yeah.
Montgomery's missing.
He hasn't been seen at his home
or his gallery since yesterday.
AMBROSE FINN: OK, McCall.
Thanks, Ambrose.
Good morning, folks.
How are we doing today?
Well, not so good, Travis.
Travis, this is my
partner, Sergeant Hunter.
- Howdy.
- How you doing?
OK.
We're looking for Montgomery.
He hasn't been seen.
You have any idea where he is?
- Ain't he inside?
- Nope.
He's not at home either.
Huh.
Well, that ain't like
old Todd to be late.
That boy usually gets
up as the cock crows.
Ah.
Well, don't worry about it.
I've got a key.
I was just helping Todd
out until my opening tonight.
And I was going to head
on back to Albuquerque.
When's the
last time you saw Todd?
Yesterday afternoon,
when he was locking up.
He seemed real depressed.
And I just figured it was
about his friend and all.
Yeah.
Did you ever meet Noah Hasbrook?
Yeah.
Sure.
He used to come
around all the time.
He and Todd were real close.
Noah Hasbrook had been
acting strange lately.
Apparently, he was working on
some sort of a secret project
or something.
You have any idea what
that might have been?
I don't know.
Like what?
Well, we don't
know for sure, but we
think that it might
have something to do
with these Cantrell paintings.
Well, I'll tell
you, those Cantrells
are the biggest thing to come
on here since I can remember.
Wouldn't surprise me
at all if Hasbrook
was writing something about it.
Excuse me.
Barney seems to think Montgomery
was stabbed with the same knife
that killed Hasbrook.
I don't believe
this is happening.
You want to hold
the fort down here?
I'm going to talk
to Ms. Hasbrook.
If you have an
alibi for yesterday,
I suggest you use it.
Otherwise, I'm going
to have to take
you in on suspicion of murder.
I was with Brad Lindquist.
Where?
The Beverly Palms Motel.
Nothing happened.
I couldn't go through with it.
It was the first time I
ever did anything like that.
My husband was the
kindest man I ever met.
He loved me.
But...
What time was that
meeting with Lindquist?
1 o'clock.
We were there less than an hour.
That doesn't explain
why the hood of your car
was warm at 7 PM that evening.
- A
- few minutes after I
got home, Albert called me.
He insisted I meet him at
a coffee shop on Wilshire.
He said we had
business to discuss.
What kind of business?
He'd followed me to the motel.
He demanded money, or he
would tell Noah what happened.
How did you respond to that?
I told him
that I would tell Noah myself
and I'd call the police
and have him arrested
for trying to blackmail me.
Do you believe her?
Yes.
It kind of explains why Albert
Hasbrook hit me and took off.
Yeah.
But if Rebecca and Brad
Lindquist were at a motel
together, and Albert
was watching them,
well, it seems like just
about all of your suspects
have an alibi for the
time that Noah was killed.
Except for Austin McCabe.
Why would he want to
kill Todd Montgomery?
I don't know that yet.
Get in.
I got to get a hold of McCall.
OK.
Cowboy, JRG.
For man brands...
Branding cattle.
Iron man.
Cowboy jargon for
man branding cattle.
Iron man.
Stay right
where you are, little lady.
And if you're thinking of going
for that gun, don't bother.
At this distance, I could plant
this knife through a toothpick.
Cantrell painting.
The one in the gallery with
the man with a branding iron.
It's called "Iron
Man," isn't it?
It's a fake.
You painted it, didn't you?
Where did you get
an idea like that?
Because there's a
house in the painting.
And that house burned down
a year before Cantrell was
supposed to have painted it.
You quite an
imagination, don't you?
Unfortunately, you
don't have time for it.
Now why don't you just give me
what you found in Noah's desk
and I'll be on my way.
I don't know what you mean.
Little lady, you're going
to do like I tell you,
or I'm going to cut your
pretty little throat
and leave you to bleed to
death all over the floor
and then I'll just
look for myself.
Killing me isn't going
to do you any good, Travis.
If I could figure it
out, then why don't you
think my partner could?
Not without Noah's
research you can't.
Now you get five
itty-bitty little
minutes to tell me where it...
Drop the knife, Travis.
Be very slow with it.
Ah!
He's dead.
How did you know
I was in trouble?
Process of elimination.
Besides, your phone was dead.
Was Todd
Montgomery in this thing
with Travis Becker?
Or did they just figure it
out, like Noah Hasbrook.
He was involved.
What makes you so sure of that?
Because he supplied
Becker's alibi.
And Travis would've
needed a respected dealer
like Montgomery to
make his scheme work.
Well, I guess it doesn't matter.
Montgomery's dead.
And we know Travis killed him.
Good job, you two.
Thanks.
Now get out of here.
Finn's got another one for you.
Sergeant
Hunter, Sergeant McCall.
Hi.
How you doing?
I just stopped by
to pick up my check.
You guys sure do pay well.
And she's worth every cent.
Yeah.
Then you don't
mind filling me in?
No, not at all.
Hungry?
Yeah.
Let's get a ham sandwich.
OK.
And if one of the
lost Cantrells was a fake,
Noah figured that maybe
all six of them were.
Turns out he was right.
End of story.
Not quite.
That's not the end of the story.
I got a call on a TDD at
school from Austin McCabe.
He asked me if I still had
that picture he tore up.
You were right, Sergeant.
He's still in love with Rebecca.
You know what?
I think she feels the same way.
You're not as
cynical as I thought.
Well, it's my lunch hour.
If someone had driven my car,
I can't explain it.
I'll talk with a deaf
policeman, if you can find one.
But I'm finished talking
with this stupid hearing cop.
Stay right
where you are little lady,
or I'm going to cut your
pretty little throat
and leave you to bleed to
death all over the floor.
Help.
Call 9-1-1.
Give the address, and tell
them an officer needs help.
Nasty business.
Well, it's my lunch hour.
So three little kittens,
they lost their mittens.
And then began to cry.
Oh, mother...
dear, sad fear that we
have lost our mittens.
What?
Lost your mittens?
Trevor, look at me.
So three...
This word?
That's right.
But I didn't hear you
speak the word help.
Can you say it?
Help.
That's right.
Good!
I help you.
You help me.
Help you.
Kali, could I see you out
in the hall a moment, please?
It's an emergency.
Sure.
I'll be right back.
Katie, this is Sergeant Hunter.
He...
I understand you're
an interpreter.
Yes, I am.
A deaf man has been stabbed.
He's been trying to
tell us something.
We need somebody right away.
Go ahead.
I'll cover for you.
Dr. Clark to
Emergency Room STAT.
He's ready.
Dr.
Clark to Emergency Room STAT.
Hey!
Hey!
Get the hell out of here.
No one...
I'm a police officer, Miss.
This woman is an interpreter.
Oh, sir?
Sir, someone's here
to talk to you now.
Just a moment.
House burned down.
No iron man...
Vitals?
There.
Move back, please.
BP's 90 over 60 and dropping.
His pulse is 120.
His respiration's
28 and shallow.
Ask him who stabbed him.
Please!
Get out of here now!
All right.
Let's crack him open.
- OK, Ambrose.
Thanks very much.
Yeah.
We'll be here until he
gets out of surgery.
Thank you.
Code Blue, 2 West.
Code Blue, 2 West.
Thank you.
Well, the only major
fire reported was
a stable in Will Rogers Park.
He very clearly said,
house burned down.
No iron man there.
- Are you sure about that?
I mean, his hands
were so badly cut up.
He finger spelled each
word, H-O-U-S-E. See?
There's just no confusing it.
It's simply out of context.
We just came in at the end
of what he was trying to say.
Sergeant Hunter?
Yes.
I'm sorry.
Two of the chest
wounds were inoperable.
And he had lost too much blood.
Now judging from the size of
the wound, it was a big knife.
A hunting knife, maybe.
I'm surprised he hung
on as long as he did.
Thanks very much.
I appreciate it.
Thank you.
You all right?
Yeah.
I'm fine.
Let's get back to the scene.
There will be a
patrolman there to take
you back to your school.
You were good in there.
I appreciate that.
Thanks.
A little young for a
schoolteacher, aren't you?
Oh, yeah?
Yeah.
How old are you?
19.
And I'm not a teacher yet.
I'm an assistant.
I'm still in school.
It will be a couple of years
before I get my credential.
How'd you learn about signing?
I grew up with it.
My mother and father are deaf.
Oh.
So how old are you?
Old.
We found him over there.
But considering the
severity of his wounds,
there's not enough
blood for that
to be the site of the murder.
The body was probably
thrown from the car.
Probably.
Nasty business.
How you doing?
Pretty good.
Kali Wilkins, Sergeant McCall.
She's acting as
interpreter on this case.
Hi.
Hi.
Did you get anything
from the victim?
No.
He passed away before
we could talk with him.
You got anything here?
Well, we found
this guy's wallet.
It's got cash in it.
Credit cards.
ID.
So it wasn't a mugging.
I also got his home
phone number off
of his medical emergency card.
Finn's been calling,
trying to contact his wife.
But there doesn't seem
to be anyone home.
May I see that?
Sure.
Well, this is a TDD number.
TDD?
Stands for a telecommunication
device for the deaf.
It's like a printer that
works over the phone line.
Can't get through unless
you have another one.
His wife must be deaf, too.
Would you mind coming
along and talking with her?
- Sure.
- Great.
- Thanks.
- Hunter, McCall?
Hiya, Charlie.
I hear the victim
is Noah Hasbrook.
Is that right?
- Yes, it is.
Did you know him?
- No.
But I've been reading
his stuff for 20 years.
He's an authority
on the Old West.
We got anything?
Ah, you can check
with McCall on that.
All right.
Talk to you later.
Good bye.
I don't know why, but somehow
this isn't what I expected.
What a beautiful car!
Hello.
I'm Sergeant Hunter,
Metropolitan Police.
Is Miss Hasbrook in?
I'm Mrs. Hasbrook.
May we come in, please?
Something wrong?
Is Noah all right?
Mrs. Hasbrook,
I regret to inform
you that your husband is dead.
How?
He was stabbed.
Someone's at the door.
Is she expecting somebody?
No.
Hello.
I'm Sergeant Hunter,
Metropolitan Homicide.
What's wrong?
Where's Noah?
Who are you?
I'm Brad Lindquist.
I'm Noah's tax attorney.
I'm afraid Noah is dead.
What?
We were going to go over
his portfolio tonight.
Where is Mrs. Hasbrook?
She's in the living room.
Come on in.
I am very, very
sorry about Noah.
I wish I were a better signer.
Noah taught me a few things.
But it was mostly business.
I better go.
Rebecca, if you need
anything, call me.
If you need to talk to
me, you can reach me here.
Thank you.
Ask her if she feels
like answering a question.
Rebecca, do you have any
idea at all of anybody
that would want to harm Noah?
No.
Noah's the nicest man.
I can't think of anyone
who would want to hurt him.
When was the
last time you saw him?
This morning,
before he left for work.
And then later, he
called me from the plant.
The plant?
I was under the impression
that he was a writer.
No.
He owned a printing plant.
Writing was his hobby.
What did you talk
about you spoke with him?
That he was
having lunch with a friend
and he'd be home late.
He was working on a project.
He spent a lot of time on it.
- What kind of project?
I asked him,
but he wouldn't tell me.
And who was he
having lunch with?
Todd Montgomery.
He's also hearing impaired.
He's been a good friend of
Noah's since they were kids.
He has a gallery on Melrose.
Has anybody else
called here today?
No.
Kit would have come and got
me if he heard the phone.
He's a hearing ear dog.
So you've been here all
alone since this afternoon?
Yes.
Is that your Aston
Martin out of the driveway?
Yes.
Something's wrong.
Call 9-1-1.
Give the address and tell
them an officer needs help.
Oh, my god.
Gunshot!
Your dog's going
to be just fine.
Rebecca, your husband said
something to us in the hospital
that we didn't quite understand.
Maybe you could help us with it?
He said, house burned
down, no iron man there.
We had a cabin
in the mountains at Arrowhead.
It burned down last November.
The police suspected arson.
But I don't know what
iron man could mean.
Well, thank you, Rebecca.
Good night.
Maybe somebody
should stay with her.
No, she'll be all right.
I think she's lying to us.
What?
Well, she said she
spent the entire day here
by herself alone.
But when we got here, the
hood of her car was warm.
Why didn't you ask her about it?
Well, we'll see what she does.
I can't believe
she would do that.
She also said
that Noah wasn't due
home till late in the evening.
When Lindquist got
here, he was here
to help him work on his taxes.
Now I wonder who's
lying about that?
Let's get going.
You free tomorrow?
Well, yeah.
I mean, tomorrow's Saturday.
Uh huh.
Good.
Proof in 30 minutes.
Noah and I ran this place
together for 26 years.
I just can't believe it.
You think Rebecca's
going to inherit
his side of the business?
Yeah.
But I've got an option
to buy it from her.
It's a normal
partnership agreement.
But don't worry about Rebecca.
She'll do just fine.
The house, the cash, very
nice portfolio of securities.
She won't have to worry
about paying the bills.
Gary!
Tell Martin I want to
see him in my office!
You don't like Rebecca
very much, do you?
No.
I never trusted her motives.
A very attractive
woman, 22, 23-years-old.
Noah was 61.
You have some nice pieces here.
Thank you, ma'am.
I'm looking for
a Todd Montgomery.
Well, now, he just
stepped out for a bit.
But I'm expecting
him back any minute.
Is there something I could
do to help you, Officer?
No.
I guess I'll just look around.
I'll wait for him.
Thanks.
All righty.
Powerful, isn't it?
Name's Travis Becker.
I'm keeping an eye
out front for Todd.
And you are?
Dee Dee McCall.
Yeah.
It's very dramatic.
Ain't that the truth?
I got a couple of paintings
hanging in the galley myself.
Of course, they're nothing
like these Cantrells.
These are Cantrells?
That's a fact.
The lost Cantrells.
These are the first Cantrells
found painted before 1880.
Some old codger found
them in his attic.
Just nailed them up to
his living room wall.
For about 30 years, he's eating
pork and beans out of tin cans,
using paintings worth about a
million bucks each just to keep
the wind out of the cracks.
Are you kidding?
These are worth a
million dollars apiece?
That's a fact.
You care to go on a little tour?
Yeah.
Mr. Cole, do you
have any idea at all
who might want to kill Noah?
You mean besides Rebecca?
Here.
Well, his brother,
Albert, maybe.
He leeched off Noah for years
until Rebecca put a stop to it.
Albert came in the
plant about a month ago,
asking for more money.
When Noah wouldn't give it
to him, he went berserk.
I had a couple of
guys throw him out.
Where can I find him?
Sorry.
I don't know.
But you should...
You should check out
Rebecca's ex-boyfriend, too.
Uh, Austin McCabe.
Real hot-headed deaf kid.
Militant as hell.
He thinks Noah stole his girl.
He even threatened him once.
Oh, really?
Did Noah report this
to the authorities?
Nah.
He wouldn't do it.
Noah's a real pussycat.
You wanted to talk to me, sir?
Yeah.
Tell the Sergeant
about last night.
Security guard heard somebody
trying to break in around 2:30
in the morning.
When the guy heard Peters
coming, he ran off.
Did Peters say what
this guy looked like?
No.
But he'll be back
on duty at 3 o'clock
if you want to talk to him.
Yeah.
Maybe I'll do that.
Thanks.
- Is that all for now, Sergeant?
No, actually.
Where were you yesterday
between 2 and 3?
Very good, Sergeant.
Go ahead, Martin.
Well, he was around
here all afternoon.
Out on the floor.
Oh, out on the floor.
Always suspect everybody.
Dickens said that.
Smart man, Dickens.
I guess most of
this stuff here's
about a thousand years old.
And that's a problem
with the art business.
By the time you're rich and
famous, you're also dead.
Isn't that the truth.
Yeah.
Oh, Todd.
This pretty young lady
here is Dee Dee McCall.
Oh, yes?
I just came from Rebecca's.
You know, I must
have misunderstood.
I thought you were deaf.
Yes.
I lost my hearing
when I was three.
And I read lips.
- Well, that's great.
Then we won't need an
interpreter, will we?
L-56, L-56, come in, please.
L-56, come in, please.
Lincoln 56, go.
- I
- have Sergeant McCall on Tac 2.
Roger, Tac 2.
What have you got, McCall?
You're not going
to need an interpreter here.
Montgomery can talk
and he can read lips.
OK.
Then I'm going to ride
out to see Rebecca's
ex-boyfriend, Austin McCabe.
All right.
I'll talk to you later.
I wish there was
something I could tell you.
Noah was here yesterday.
We had lunch.
I brought the fruit and he left.
Did he happen
to mention a special project
that he was working on?
Yes, he did.
I wanted him to
tell me about it.
But he wouldn't.
It was strange.
He acted there was something he
didn't want to talk about it.
Do you have any idea
who may have wanted him dead?
There must... there
must be someone.
But there's no one.
I have to ask you where you
were yesterday between 2 and 3.
I was with a private buyer,
hanging some of his paintings
for the opening tomorrow night.
Before Hasbrook died.
He said, house burned down.
No iron man there.
Do you have any idea what
that might have meant?
House burned down.
No one's there.
No iron man there.
Did he say anything else?
Well, yes.
He signed a lot.
But, unfortunately, my partner
didn't get there in time.
Sergeant Hunter,
Metropolitan Homicide.
Are you Austin McCabe?
I'd like to ask you a
couple of questions,
if that's OK with you.
I'm busy.
I'm expecting someone.
Maybe another time.
Tell him this is a
homicide investigation.
He can either talk to us here,
or he can go downtown with us,
and talk to us there.
Whatever he wants to do.
Hi there.
You said something about
a murder investigation.
Who was murdered?
- Noah Hasbrook.
I'm glad he's dead.
But what's that
got to do with me?
Didn't you threaten
his life at one time?
I told him to
get the hell away from Rebecca,
if that's what you mean.
I could have given
her something.
Children, a family.
All Hasbrook could
offer was money.
Where were you from
1 o'clock yesterday on?
He forgets.
He forgets, huh?
Cute boy.
I'm watching him for my sister.
I'm not going to answer
any more questions.
I'll talk with a deaf
policeman if you can find one.
I'm finished talking with
this stupid hearing cop.
You tell him he's
a prime suspect
in the murder investigation.
I will be back.
What happened with
all the signing?
He didn't want to talk to you.
If he'd seen me voicing the
words, he would have stopped.
So what do he say?
That he was here all day
yesterday painting, alone.
Why didn't he just tell me that?
Why all the hostility?
Maybe he resents hearing people,
feels discriminated against.
My father's kind of like that.
It's a tough thing to
live with sometimes.
Maybe that's why Rebecca left
him and married Noah Hasbrook.
Or maybe she just
opted for Beverly Hills.
Are you always so cynical?
Quite often.
It helps me solve crimes.
What did he tear up there?
It's a picture
of him and Rebecca.
You know what I think
his real problem is?
Yeah.
He's still in love with
Rebecca, which makes
him my number one suspect.
DISPATCHER: L-56, L-56...
Get in.
Come in, please.
I have Lieutenant Finn on Tac 2.
Lincoln 56, go.
Hunter, I got the address you
asked for on Albert Hasbrook.
He lives in Venice at
1087 Vista del Mar.
I know exactly where
that is, Ambrose.
Thanks very much.
Lincoln 56, out.
That's a couple of
minutes drive from here.
Mind if we go by there first
before I take you home?
No, not at all.
Good.
Wait a minute.
Just a second.
I want you to stay here.
When I get out, lock the
doors and roll the windows up.
Don't worry about me.
I don't worry about you.
I worry about the neighborhood.
Hiya, fellas.
Can I get through here?
Pretty please.
Thanks.
What the hell you
think you're doing?
I'm on a... he spun out!
Sergeant Hunter?
Oh, my god!
Thank god, you're alive.
I thought I told you
to wait in the car.
We've got to get
you to a hospital.
Forget about that.
Did you see a man
running out of here?
Yeah, a fat man with gray hair.
He jumped in a car and took off.
You wouldn't happen to
remember his license...
It's 1 PEL 318.
Good girl.
I'm giving you
full responsibility
of remembering that number.
Here's a ticket
to Arrowhead Lake
made out to Albert Hasbrook.
He left November 10 and
came back on November 11.
Hm.
Not a very long trip, was it?
However, long enough
to commit arson.
Take a look at that.
Here's a picture of Rebecca.
That's him!
That's the guy I
saw run out of here!
I assume that's Albert Hasbrook.
Can you tell where they are?
It looks like where
they found Noah's body.
That's Albert.
When was this photograph taken?
Last summer, by my husband.
Noah always hoped
that Albert and I
would grow to like each other.
But we didn't.
I'm not surprised that
Albert was in Arrowhead
when the cabin burned down.
I always suspected him.
But for my husband's
sake, I didn't say so.
When was the last time
that Albert saw Noah?
I don't know.
Rebecca, why
should I believe you?
- I
- don't understand.
You lied to me last night.
Lied?
What are you talking about?
You said you hadn't left
the house the entire day.
That's right.
But the hood of your car was
very warm when we got here.
You must be mistaken.
I'm not mistaken.
As I told you yesterday,
I was out back in my studio.
If someone had driven my
car, I can't explain it.
Calm down, baby.
I told you it
would be all right.
Come on.
Not again.
How much of this do
you think I can take?
So you were just playing
with my head, is that it?
You know, we got a word
for women like you.
Here, let me write it down.
Look, you're still in love with
that loser, Austin McCabe, huh?
You can understand me.
You can read my lips.
I'll tell you what.
Let me help you
forget me McCabe, hm?
His car was registered
to an Albert Hasbrook, Charlie.
We put an APB out on him, but
we don't have anything yet.
His rap sheet shows a
1984 extortion charge.
But they were dropped.
What about the break in
at that printing plant.
You got anything on that?
The security
guard is a dead end.
He didn't even get a good
look at the guy's face.
I mean, he couldn't even give
me a general description.
But the perp was
definitely trying to break
into Hasbrook's office.
So I went in and I found these
notes in a locked drawer.
This is unreadable.
What is this?
Some kind of personal shorthand?
I think I should be
able to decipher it
if I just have a little time.
I don't know.
You know, maybe these
notes have something
to do with that special project
that Noah was working on.
You have any idea what
that project was about?
Well, I think it
has something to do
those paintings
down at Montgomery's
Gallery, the lost Cantrells.
Did you talk to Todd
Montgomery about this?
Well, I tried to reach him
at his office and his home.
Couldn't find him.
So go see him first
thing in the morning.
You better get down
there in the morning.
Yeah.
You want me to go with you?
Yes.
DISPATCHER: Sergeant McCall,
I have Lieutenant Finn
on the line for you.
Go ahead.
We need a search warrant
for 740 Melrose and a
locksmith at the same address.
AMBROSE FINN: You got cause?
Yeah.
Montgomery's missing.
He hasn't been seen at his home
or his gallery since yesterday.
AMBROSE FINN: OK, McCall.
Thanks, Ambrose.
Good morning, folks.
How are we doing today?
Well, not so good, Travis.
Travis, this is my
partner, Sergeant Hunter.
- Howdy.
- How you doing?
OK.
We're looking for Montgomery.
He hasn't been seen.
You have any idea where he is?
- Ain't he inside?
- Nope.
He's not at home either.
Huh.
Well, that ain't like
old Todd to be late.
That boy usually gets
up as the cock crows.
Ah.
Well, don't worry about it.
I've got a key.
I was just helping Todd
out until my opening tonight.
And I was going to head
on back to Albuquerque.
When's the
last time you saw Todd?
Yesterday afternoon,
when he was locking up.
He seemed real depressed.
And I just figured it was
about his friend and all.
Yeah.
Did you ever meet Noah Hasbrook?
Yeah.
Sure.
He used to come
around all the time.
He and Todd were real close.
Noah Hasbrook had been
acting strange lately.
Apparently, he was working on
some sort of a secret project
or something.
You have any idea what
that might have been?
I don't know.
Like what?
Well, we don't
know for sure, but we
think that it might
have something to do
with these Cantrell paintings.
Well, I'll tell
you, those Cantrells
are the biggest thing to come
on here since I can remember.
Wouldn't surprise me
at all if Hasbrook
was writing something about it.
Excuse me.
Barney seems to think Montgomery
was stabbed with the same knife
that killed Hasbrook.
I don't believe
this is happening.
You want to hold
the fort down here?
I'm going to talk
to Ms. Hasbrook.
If you have an
alibi for yesterday,
I suggest you use it.
Otherwise, I'm going
to have to take
you in on suspicion of murder.
I was with Brad Lindquist.
Where?
The Beverly Palms Motel.
Nothing happened.
I couldn't go through with it.
It was the first time I
ever did anything like that.
My husband was the
kindest man I ever met.
He loved me.
But...
What time was that
meeting with Lindquist?
1 o'clock.
We were there less than an hour.
That doesn't explain
why the hood of your car
was warm at 7 PM that evening.
- A
- few minutes after I
got home, Albert called me.
He insisted I meet him at
a coffee shop on Wilshire.
He said we had
business to discuss.
What kind of business?
He'd followed me to the motel.
He demanded money, or he
would tell Noah what happened.
How did you respond to that?
I told him
that I would tell Noah myself
and I'd call the police
and have him arrested
for trying to blackmail me.
Do you believe her?
Yes.
It kind of explains why Albert
Hasbrook hit me and took off.
Yeah.
But if Rebecca and Brad
Lindquist were at a motel
together, and Albert
was watching them,
well, it seems like just
about all of your suspects
have an alibi for the
time that Noah was killed.
Except for Austin McCabe.
Why would he want to
kill Todd Montgomery?
I don't know that yet.
Get in.
I got to get a hold of McCall.
OK.
Cowboy, JRG.
For man brands...
Branding cattle.
Iron man.
Cowboy jargon for
man branding cattle.
Iron man.
Stay right
where you are, little lady.
And if you're thinking of going
for that gun, don't bother.
At this distance, I could plant
this knife through a toothpick.
Cantrell painting.
The one in the gallery with
the man with a branding iron.
It's called "Iron
Man," isn't it?
It's a fake.
You painted it, didn't you?
Where did you get
an idea like that?
Because there's a
house in the painting.
And that house burned down
a year before Cantrell was
supposed to have painted it.
You quite an
imagination, don't you?
Unfortunately, you
don't have time for it.
Now why don't you just give me
what you found in Noah's desk
and I'll be on my way.
I don't know what you mean.
Little lady, you're going
to do like I tell you,
or I'm going to cut your
pretty little throat
and leave you to bleed to
death all over the floor
and then I'll just
look for myself.
Killing me isn't going
to do you any good, Travis.
If I could figure it
out, then why don't you
think my partner could?
Not without Noah's
research you can't.
Now you get five
itty-bitty little
minutes to tell me where it...
Drop the knife, Travis.
Be very slow with it.
Ah!
He's dead.
How did you know
I was in trouble?
Process of elimination.
Besides, your phone was dead.
Was Todd
Montgomery in this thing
with Travis Becker?
Or did they just figure it
out, like Noah Hasbrook.
He was involved.
What makes you so sure of that?
Because he supplied
Becker's alibi.
And Travis would've
needed a respected dealer
like Montgomery to
make his scheme work.
Well, I guess it doesn't matter.
Montgomery's dead.
And we know Travis killed him.
Good job, you two.
Thanks.
Now get out of here.
Finn's got another one for you.
Sergeant
Hunter, Sergeant McCall.
Hi.
How you doing?
I just stopped by
to pick up my check.
You guys sure do pay well.
And she's worth every cent.
Yeah.
Then you don't
mind filling me in?
No, not at all.
Hungry?
Yeah.
Let's get a ham sandwich.
OK.
And if one of the
lost Cantrells was a fake,
Noah figured that maybe
all six of them were.
Turns out he was right.
End of story.
Not quite.
That's not the end of the story.
I got a call on a TDD at
school from Austin McCabe.
He asked me if I still had
that picture he tore up.
You were right, Sergeant.
He's still in love with Rebecca.
You know what?
I think she feels the same way.
You're not as
cynical as I thought.
Well, it's my lunch hour.