Hunter (1984–1991): Season 4, Episode 9 - Turning Point - full transcript
When Hunter and McCall investigate the alleged death of reporter Ralph Ormond they uncover an extortion plot involving George Shadwell, a wealthy industrialist who has illicit dealings with a construction firm.
Whatever Ralph is up to,
he's in way over his head
and you're a part of it.
He's not going to talk to you.
He won't even talk to me.
Sheena had a little affair
for about a year or so.
Very sweet girl.
Don't move.
Where's the money?
Where is it?
Let's see the stuff
that dreams are made of.
I'm on it.
Shadwell Enterprises.
Hello, this is Ralph Ormond.
Let me speak to Mr.
Shadwell please.
Hold please.
Mr.
Ormond. on line two.
You're late, Ralph.
I think a man about to
nail down a $2 million
deal would try to be on time.
Yeah, well look, I decided to
change our meeting place, OK?
I want to see you in half
an hour at Chez Martine.
Yeah, but I need some more time.
At least another
hour, maybe two.
Oh, oh, so if I showed
up at your office on time,
you wouldn't have
had the money, right?
Hey, I've got most of it.
All right, that's it
my friend, that's it.
My next call's to the cops.
Chill out.
I need two more hours.
Then we'll meet at Chez
Martine or wherever you say.
Look, you're stalling me,
man, and I don't like this.
You're worth $400 million and
you can't raise $200 million.
We're talking cash.
I'll have all of
it by 8 o'clock.
All right, OK.
8 o'clock Chez Martine.
Your man in place?
Ready and waiting.
Good, tell him to do it.
Hello.
Laura, honey, it's me.
Look, something came up.
I'm going to be a little
later than I thought.
Are you OK?
Yeah, I'm fine, I'm fine.
I'm just, I'm just going to
be a little late, sweetheart.
What is it, honey?
Something's been
bothering you for days.
Honey, look,
honey, it's nothing.
We'll talk about it later, OK?
I should be home around 9:30.
All right.
Honey, I love you.
I love you too.
Bye.
Yeah.
You still on him?
Yeah, he's in his office.
He got here just
a few minutes ago.
I think we got him situated
there for the next two hours.
That enough time?
I only need 30 minutes.
Get on it.
Case closed.
Excuse me, folks.
They didn't leave you
very much, did they?
Whoever did it, didn't
want any clues left.
It's obvious the incendiary
device was attached to go off
and starter was touched.
We'll know more when
we get it to the lab.
Get what to the lab?
Tell me about it.
Hunter?
This lady's a secretary in the
office next door to Ormond's.
She said someone
ransacked this place
right after the bomb went off.
Oh, you saw somebody?
I heard them.
They were opening and slamming
drawers, glass was breaking,
things were falling,
it's obvious.
Where's McCall?
McCall, to what do
I owe the pleasure
of this unexpected invitation?
What do you have to do?
Announce yourself to
the whole restaurant?
Sit down.
Want a beer?
Maybe.
I'd like to hear what you
want to talk about first.
A reporter named Ralph
Ormond was blown up in his car
tonight.
Mm-hmm.
And
Then they tossed his office.
It was practically torn apart.
Mm-hmm.
And then we found your phone
number in his desk calendar.
Mm-hmm.
Would you like
to talk about that?
I expect I will have
that drink now, McCall,
but no beer please.
Miss, Scotch, red
on the rocks please.
Thank you. ma'am.
Hi, Rick.
Long time no see, huh?
Yeah.
You in the neighborhood
or is this a social call?
Hey, you mind if I come in?
No, not at all.
Come on.
Thank you.
And then two weeks
ago a man comes to me.
Ormond?
Who are we talking
about, McCall?
He says that he's heard about
this guy, this gentleman
by the name of Shadwell.
Alan Shadwell?
McCall, who's
telling this story?
I am just trying to
get the facts straight
and maybe a little faster.
Look, you won't get any facts
if you keep interrupting me.
Now all I'm saying
is that he heard
that he heard
Shadwell was involved
with the King Arena and.
Wait a minute, wait
a minute, slow down.
I thought that the
King Arena project was
an affirmative action thing.
I mean, it was for
blacks, funded by blacks,
even built by black
construction firms.
Exactly.
And Shadwell is about
as black as my teeth.
So I agreed to do a little
snooping and pooping around,
and I might add
that Ormond is much
more generous than either you or
your cheap old friend, Hunter.
Will you give it a rest.
What did you find?
It seems that
Shadwell has an under
the table contract with one
of the black construction
firms, McCall.
What else?
That's it.
I tell Ormond, he pay me
my bread, what he does
after that is his business.
You have any idea at all
what Ralph was working on?
No, Ralph made it
a point not to let
me know what he was working on.
Really?
That seems kind of
unusual, doesn't it?
I mean, considering the fact
that you were a reporter
before you married him.
Sometimes Ralph stepped
on sensitive toes.
And he felt that I'd be safer
not knowing the details.
Any idea whose toes
he may have stepped on?
I told you, Rick, I don't know.
I'm sorry.
Look, Laura, I know
it's a tough time for you.
And I hate to push, but
right after Ralph's death,
his office was ransacked.
I don't think they got
what they were looking for.
And you think that
they might come here.
Yes.
I'd like to take you maybe to
a friend's house for the night.
No, no, I'd rather stay here.
I still have double locks
and I still have your number.
Try 9-1-1, it'll be quicker.
I'll leave a couple squad cars
down the street just in case.
Thanks.
Thanks for coming, Rick.
I know it wasn't easy
for you to tell me.
I'll bring a search
team by tomorrow
I won't need a search
warrant, will I?
Rick, why Ralph?
Why Ralph?
I don't know, Laura, but
we're going to find out.
Don't move.
My god.
Ralph, they told
me you were dead.
I should be, baby.
That bomb was meant for me.
Someone died in your car.
Who was it?
The unluckiest car
thief that ever lived.
What do you mean?
Well, see when I
got to the office,
I was in such a big hurry, I
left the car doors unlocked.
I thought I was just going to
be in there for a few minutes.
Why didn't you just call me?
Do you know what I've
been going through?
I've been lying here crying.
You want to know what I've been
doing for the last eight hours?
Riding buses.
Been all over this damn city.
Scared.
Honey.
Trying to figure out what to do.
What is there to figure?
You just call the police.
What are you doing, Ralph?
No, I don't, Laura.
Here, come here.
What is this?
Here, open it up.
Let me show you.
This, this is going to
buy us the American dream.
This is a ticket for that
lottery we never won.
What is this?
You're not making any sense.
Laura, Laura, when I
heard that bomb go off
and I looked out the window
and I saw, I saw my car on fire
with a man dying inside of
it, well, well, let's just
say that you're not
looking at the same man
that you looked at yesterday.
At his living ghost maybe.
Anyway, from now on, it's
a different story, Laura,
with just the two of us
at the happy center of it.
What are you saying here?
That you're going to try to
extort money from someone?
There's still a couple of
cop cars down the street,
so I'm going to leave
the same way I came in,
across the Jennings' backyard.
Where are you going?
Would you tell me
what you're thinking?
I am thinking of time and
comfort for both of us, Laura.
Of time to think, time to live
and the money to do it with,
sweetheart.
We're talking $2 million,
$3, maybe $4 million, honey.
Oh, my god, what's
happening to you?
Hey, baby, baby
I'd died, remember?
In that burning car.
Honey, look, a chance like this
comes along once in a lifetime.
We're going for it, sweetheart.
I don't care if I
have to drag you
with me kicking and screaming.
Would you listen to me,
Ralph, now listen to me.
Listen, you're in shock.
Someone tried to
kill you tonight
and you just, you just
need to settle down
and then you'll just, you're
not thinking straight.
I'm thinking.
I never thought straighter
in my whole life, Laura.
But listen, I'm going
to need your help, OK?
Oh, no.
I'm not going to help you.
You will if you love me.
I'll call you in the morning.
Ernie, what's so
important you couldn't
tell us over the telephone?
Nothing.
I just like your company.
Drumstick?
No.
So, here we are.
You know that corpse that
came in yesterday char-broiled?
That's not Ralph Ormond.
What do you mean,
it's not Ralph Ormond?
Ormond's dental records came in.
The teeth on that corpse
are not Ralph Ormond's.
Well, well, who is it?
What do you want?
Details?
Impacted wisdom teeth,
gold crowns, caps.
Spare us.
Just tell us what you've got.
Not a clue.
And all we got to
go on are the teeth.
Iced tea?
No, Ernie, not for me.
You thinking what I'm thinking?
I'm thinking about breakfast.
What are you thinking about?
Well, I'm certainly
not thinking about food.
I'm thinking about
insurance fraud.
Nah, no way.
I know Laura too well.
Yeah?
How well's too well?
Car 5-6, meet W7-3 on tac two.
Lincoln 5-6, go ahead, 7-3.
We just finished
searching the Ormond residence.
We got zilch.
We found them
hollowed out books,
but whatever was in
them is long gone.
Laura Ormond still there?
That's affirmative.
Tell her to wait there for us,
we're going to be on our way.
Lincoln 5-6 out.
So as I was saying,
how well's too well?
Oh, yeah, Laura.
Well, I first met Laura when
she and Ralph were reporters.
Laura worked the press room
of police headquarters.
We had little thing going
for about a year or so.
Anyway, she met Ralph
and married him.
And after she married him,
I told her that I thought
the wrong reporter had retired.
She's about as straight and as
nice a person as they got, so.
Well, you know,
people can change.
No, not Laura.
Now Ralph is a different matter.
Someone you know?
Looked like Laura.
I guess she decided
not to wait for me.
Hmm, maybe it's back
to insurance fraud.
Lincoln 5-6.
Lincoln 5-6.
Request plain unit to
assist on surveillance
of a vehicle
traveling southbound
on Princeton from Stovall.
Vehicle is a 1987 gold Volvo.
Mrs. Ormond.
Come in, come in please.
What a pleasure to meet you.
Alan Shadwell.
Have a seat, please.
I heard about your husband's
death on the morning news.
I'm sorry.
But I confess to
being a bit confused.
What brings you here?
I wish I knew,
Mr. Shadwell, but I
think you're going
to be receiving
a phone call while I'm here.
Yes.
There's someone on line two
and he won't give his name.
Put him through.
Who is this?
I'll give you a clue.
You're not talking to a ghost.
Ralph?
You killed the wrong man.
Now put my wife on.
You're on the speaker.
Yes?
Tell Mr. Shadwell
what the sentence
is for conspiracy
to commit murder
with special
circumstances added.
- I
- know what it is.
What do you want?
I want four million
in denominations
that will fit into two
medium sized suitcases.
Suppose I don't allow your
wife to leave the building.
Have you considered that, Ralph?
Well, as a matter
of fact, I did.
You'd have some explaining
to do to the two
cops that followed here there.
Listen to me, Shadwell, I'm
calling the shots on this one.
If my wife does not show
up at specific places
at specific times,
then I turn you
and everything I've got
on you over the police,
you understand that?
There won't be any
need for that, Ralph.
I'm as anxious as you are
to get our business settled.
Then you better follow
directions very carefully.
Laura.
Yes.
I want you to go home.
I want you to wait until I call.
You're not going to see me
again till this is all over.
Honey, please, I
just want to talk
to you alone just for a minute.
Later, Laura, we'll
talk about it later.
Shadwell, you got two days
to get the money together.
- I
- may need more time.
You haven't got more time.
Well, I wouldn't
worry Mrs. Ormond.
In good business deals,
both sides come out ahead.
I'll take care of my end.
You just make sure your
husband takes care of his
and we'll both
come out unscathed.
I think we should chat.
I don't know what
you're talking about.
Laura, we both know
Ralph isn't dead.
Don't we?
I didn't lie to
you last night, Rick.
I just didn't know he was
alive till after you left.
What were you doing
in Shadwell's office?
I can't tell you that.
Is that because Ralph's
blackmailing Shadwell?
Whatever Ralph is up to,
he's in way over his head
and you're a part of it.
No, I am not, but he
is my husband, Rick.
I have to stand by him until
I have a chance to help him.
Oh, a chance to help him.
Well, great, they'll
give you adjoining cells.
He was almost killed last night.
He's in some sort
of emotional state.
Look, if we could just
give him a couple of days,
I know he's going to
come to his senses.
A couple of days, huh?
I got to talk Ralph.
No, he's not going
to talk to you.
He won't even talk to me.
I'm sorry.
Hello.
Laura, listen,
our line may be tapped.
Do you remember where we
went on our first date?
Damn it, Ralph, listen to me.
I'll call
you there in 10 minutes.
McCall, she's leaving.
Stay on and it'll be on 17.
Roger.
Thanks.
Hunter?
Yeah.
She's either not too
good at losing tails
or she just doesn't give a damn.
Where are you?
I am at Hillsborough and
Breckenridge heading south.
I'll pick her up
at Hillsborough and Westport.
OK.
French fries.
Hi.
What can I do for you?
Ice tea please.
Ice tea.
Alpha 2-6, this is
Alpha 2-7, come in.
This is Lincoln 56.
You want her?
Yeah, you get anything?
She got a phone call, but
I couldn't hear anything.
It was too noisy in that place.
Did she listen
or did she do the talking?
No, she did the
listening, Hunter.
OK, I'm going to stay with her.
OK.
Captain, we got to go to Tucson.
OK, sure, go ahead.
Want to know why?
I assume it has something
to do with the Ormond case.
Yes, it does.
You see, we got permission
to tap her phone.
She just made reservations to
go to Tucson this afternoon.
Now we feel she's going
to meet her husband.
If we can get to him,
we can get to Shadwell.
I take it you checked
with the Tucson PD.
- Yeah.
- Well, good luck.
Call me.
Why was this so easy?
I'm in a good mood today.
Take advantage of me.
Captain.
Would you just yell
at me a little bit?
Get out of here.
Thanks.
Arriving passenger
from Houston, Mr. Brian Lynch,
please contact airport security
on the white courtesy phone.
Arriving passenger from
Houston, Mr. Brian Lynch,
please contact airport security
on the white courtesy phone.
The shuttle for
the downtown area
will be leaving from in
front of baggage claim area
three in 15 minutes.
Follow that cab.
I've been waiting 20 years to
hear someone actually say that.
Yeah, well you just
heard it, so let's go.
Yes, ma'am.
Tucson Police Department please.
Thanks very much,
I appreciate it.
Yes.
Go down to the
row ow pay phones in the lobby
and answer the first
one that rings.
Do it now.
Ralph, this has gone too far.
I'll talk to you downstairs.
Well, she checked in
about five minutes ago.
Haven't seen her.
I think, hello.
She's just coming
down right now.
Hold on a second,
just stay on the line.
You hang up on me
one more time, I swear.
Laura, there's no time for this.
I am serious.
Either you meet me
and we talk in person
or you are on your own.
Now you listen to me.
No, I am tired of
listening to you.
Shut up and listen.
Look, it's too late for me
to turn back now, Laura,
we got to play this thing out.
We can decide later whether
we keep the money or give
it back and turn
Shadwell in, but you
cannot back out on me now.
All right, Ralph.
What would you like me to do?
Go to the cafe
across the street,
get yourself something to eat.
In exactly one
hour, go upstairs,
get the two suitcases
you got from Shadwell.
A gray rental car will
be waiting for you
in the hotel parking lot.
And I want you to
drive out Highway 12.
Exactly 7.6 miles, take the
left at the old dirt road,
go about 3/4 of a mile.
You'll see an abandoned
store, I will be there.
If you are followed,
then turn right around go
back to the hotel, all right?
Anything thing you say.
I love you.
She did most of
the listening again.
She just walked
out the front door.
I'll get in touch
with you later.
Ralph?
Ralph?
Ralph?
Ralph?
Mrs. Ormond?
Nice to see you
again, Mrs. Ormond.
Where's Ralph?
He's not here.
Check it out.
I'm telling you, he's not here.
No one inside, Mr. Shadwell.
Check the suitcases.
Give me the keys.
What is this?
I don't know, Mr. Shadwell.
Ralph told me that
he'd meet me here.
What are you trying to hand me?
Where is he?
I told you, I don't know.
Where is he?
I'm telling you the truth.
Lay them down.
Well, open it!
Try the other one.
What's going on here?
I swear to you, I
don't know, Mr. Shadwell.
Where is he?
All I know is that Ralph
told me that he'd meet me here.
Where's the money?
I swear, all I
know is that Ralph
told me he'd meet me here.
Mr. Shadwell.
Where is he?
Mr. Shadwell.
This is the police.
Stay where you are.
Don't move.
You all right?
I think so.
Where's Ralph?
He's not here.
I think he knew
they'd follow me here.
You didn't expect him
to be here, did you?
I was still hoping, Rick.
I want to get you to the
hospital and check you out.
Officer.
Take her to the hospital, huh?
McCall, let's go.
Flight 212 for Atlanta
is now boarding at gate 12.
Flight 212 for Atlanta is
now boarding at gate 12.
Get the bags.
Welcome back from
the dead, Ralph.
Are these the bags?
These are the bags.
Well, let's see the stuff that
dreams are made of, huh, Ralph?
Code blue, 2 West.
Code blue, 2 West.
Excuse me.
I'm Sergeant Hunter, LA
metropolitan homicide.
I'm looking for a
patient that was
admitted here a little while
ago by the name of Laura Ormond.
I'll check for you.
Thank you.
She was sent to X-ray.
She might be back
in her room by now.
Security to doctors' lounge.
Security to doctors' lounge.
I need to see Laura Ormond.
Inside.
LAURA ORMOND Dear Ralph,
even while I was driving
out to the abandoned store,
I was still hoping
you'd be there.
But I knew, of
course, you wouldn't,
because I was your decoy,
drawing everyone away from you.
And when I got there, that
was the final moment of truth.
The moment when after all
my naive and gullible years,
I finally grew up.
I've asked Rick Hunter to
do what he can for you.
Laura.
So where did she go?
Ralph, I was hoping
you could tell me that.
If I knew, I'd sure
as hell tell you.
Hello.
Hello.
May I ask the purpose
of your visit to Mexico?
Vacation.
And how long will
you be staying?
Oh, I don't know.
One, two months, maybe longer.
Depends on whether I like it.
You know, maybe you should put
those suitcases in the trunk.
It would be a big temptation
to thieves, especially
from a woman traveling alone.
Thanks, I'll do that
first chance I get.
Well, have a good stay.
Oh, I will.
I'm sure of that.
Hey, Ralph.
How'd you do?
Plea bargain down to jaywalking?
Lighten up, Hunter.
It's the man's first offense.
Plus, he's putting Alan
Shadwell away for the rest
of his natural life.
Yeah, I'll bet he is.
Hey, Sarge, is there
any word on Laura?
Yeah, she's gone
with the wind, Ralph.
What about the money?
The money is with Laura,
who is gone with the wind.
$4 million untraceable dollars.
I thought I knew her.
Yeah, me too, Ralph.
But you see, over a period
of time, people do change.
And in Laura's case,
you changed her.
I still can't figure out
how she made the switch.
Well, he should have a lot
of time to think about that,
right, Charlie?
See ya, Ralph.
You know, now that
you brought that up,
how did she make that switch?
Come on, you know
how she did it.
Well, if I'd figured it out,
I wouldn't, I wouldn't ask you.
I don't know.
Come on, grab your shoes.
I'll buy you a drink.
You see, when Ralph told
Laura to go get some lunch,
she didn't go get lunch.
She went and got
herself some suitcases.
I know.
And magazines and newspapers.
- Right, there you go.
Now you got it.
Well, yeah, I get
it, but the point
is, is what is she guilty
of if she ever got caught?
Robbery.
She didn't steal anything.
The money was given
to her as a gift.
Well, if you consider
extortion a gift, yeah.
But she wasn't
extorting, Ralph was.
She was just a messenger.
Yeah, that's true.
But she is an
accessory to concealing
evidence, namely $4 million.
Hmm, think she'll
ever give herself up?
That's a good question.
The old Laura
certainly would, but I
don't know about the new Laura.
I think, I think
she's long gone.
$4 million untraceable dollars.
- Yeah.
- I'll tell you what.
I was really hoping when
I opened that suitcase
to see $4 million bucks sitting
there looking at me, you know?
Yeah, me too.
You know, I gotta
hand it to you.
You really impressed
me by fitting
all these pieces together.
Yeah?
Yeah, I mean Laura
was gone, you hardly
had time to talk to Ralph.
You put it together really well.
How did you do this?
Well, actually, I had a
little help on this one.
Hitch.
Hitch helped me.
Hitch who?
Hitch.
Hitchcock, Alfred Hitchcock.
Wait a minute.
I have seen every
Alfred Hitchcock movie.
I'm a fan of this guy.
So what movie was like this?
You remember the scene, the bus
pulls up out of the
middle of nowhere,
and off the bus pops Cary Grant.
The bus drives away and
Cary Grant's looking around,
doesn't know where he is
or why he's out there.
And off in the distance he
sees this little biplane
coming in, floating in.
They cut to the airplane,
they cut back to him.
And he realizes the airplane now
is chasing him, it's after him.
Sure enough, he starts
running along the road,
the airplane starts
shooting at him.
He runs along the
road for a little,
jumps off the road
into the cornfield.
The airplane comes by and
drops two suitcases on him.
he's in way over his head
and you're a part of it.
He's not going to talk to you.
He won't even talk to me.
Sheena had a little affair
for about a year or so.
Very sweet girl.
Don't move.
Where's the money?
Where is it?
Let's see the stuff
that dreams are made of.
I'm on it.
Shadwell Enterprises.
Hello, this is Ralph Ormond.
Let me speak to Mr.
Shadwell please.
Hold please.
Mr.
Ormond. on line two.
You're late, Ralph.
I think a man about to
nail down a $2 million
deal would try to be on time.
Yeah, well look, I decided to
change our meeting place, OK?
I want to see you in half
an hour at Chez Martine.
Yeah, but I need some more time.
At least another
hour, maybe two.
Oh, oh, so if I showed
up at your office on time,
you wouldn't have
had the money, right?
Hey, I've got most of it.
All right, that's it
my friend, that's it.
My next call's to the cops.
Chill out.
I need two more hours.
Then we'll meet at Chez
Martine or wherever you say.
Look, you're stalling me,
man, and I don't like this.
You're worth $400 million and
you can't raise $200 million.
We're talking cash.
I'll have all of
it by 8 o'clock.
All right, OK.
8 o'clock Chez Martine.
Your man in place?
Ready and waiting.
Good, tell him to do it.
Hello.
Laura, honey, it's me.
Look, something came up.
I'm going to be a little
later than I thought.
Are you OK?
Yeah, I'm fine, I'm fine.
I'm just, I'm just going to
be a little late, sweetheart.
What is it, honey?
Something's been
bothering you for days.
Honey, look,
honey, it's nothing.
We'll talk about it later, OK?
I should be home around 9:30.
All right.
Honey, I love you.
I love you too.
Bye.
Yeah.
You still on him?
Yeah, he's in his office.
He got here just
a few minutes ago.
I think we got him situated
there for the next two hours.
That enough time?
I only need 30 minutes.
Get on it.
Case closed.
Excuse me, folks.
They didn't leave you
very much, did they?
Whoever did it, didn't
want any clues left.
It's obvious the incendiary
device was attached to go off
and starter was touched.
We'll know more when
we get it to the lab.
Get what to the lab?
Tell me about it.
Hunter?
This lady's a secretary in the
office next door to Ormond's.
She said someone
ransacked this place
right after the bomb went off.
Oh, you saw somebody?
I heard them.
They were opening and slamming
drawers, glass was breaking,
things were falling,
it's obvious.
Where's McCall?
McCall, to what do
I owe the pleasure
of this unexpected invitation?
What do you have to do?
Announce yourself to
the whole restaurant?
Sit down.
Want a beer?
Maybe.
I'd like to hear what you
want to talk about first.
A reporter named Ralph
Ormond was blown up in his car
tonight.
Mm-hmm.
And
Then they tossed his office.
It was practically torn apart.
Mm-hmm.
And then we found your phone
number in his desk calendar.
Mm-hmm.
Would you like
to talk about that?
I expect I will have
that drink now, McCall,
but no beer please.
Miss, Scotch, red
on the rocks please.
Thank you. ma'am.
Hi, Rick.
Long time no see, huh?
Yeah.
You in the neighborhood
or is this a social call?
Hey, you mind if I come in?
No, not at all.
Come on.
Thank you.
And then two weeks
ago a man comes to me.
Ormond?
Who are we talking
about, McCall?
He says that he's heard about
this guy, this gentleman
by the name of Shadwell.
Alan Shadwell?
McCall, who's
telling this story?
I am just trying to
get the facts straight
and maybe a little faster.
Look, you won't get any facts
if you keep interrupting me.
Now all I'm saying
is that he heard
that he heard
Shadwell was involved
with the King Arena and.
Wait a minute, wait
a minute, slow down.
I thought that the
King Arena project was
an affirmative action thing.
I mean, it was for
blacks, funded by blacks,
even built by black
construction firms.
Exactly.
And Shadwell is about
as black as my teeth.
So I agreed to do a little
snooping and pooping around,
and I might add
that Ormond is much
more generous than either you or
your cheap old friend, Hunter.
Will you give it a rest.
What did you find?
It seems that
Shadwell has an under
the table contract with one
of the black construction
firms, McCall.
What else?
That's it.
I tell Ormond, he pay me
my bread, what he does
after that is his business.
You have any idea at all
what Ralph was working on?
No, Ralph made it
a point not to let
me know what he was working on.
Really?
That seems kind of
unusual, doesn't it?
I mean, considering the fact
that you were a reporter
before you married him.
Sometimes Ralph stepped
on sensitive toes.
And he felt that I'd be safer
not knowing the details.
Any idea whose toes
he may have stepped on?
I told you, Rick, I don't know.
I'm sorry.
Look, Laura, I know
it's a tough time for you.
And I hate to push, but
right after Ralph's death,
his office was ransacked.
I don't think they got
what they were looking for.
And you think that
they might come here.
Yes.
I'd like to take you maybe to
a friend's house for the night.
No, no, I'd rather stay here.
I still have double locks
and I still have your number.
Try 9-1-1, it'll be quicker.
I'll leave a couple squad cars
down the street just in case.
Thanks.
Thanks for coming, Rick.
I know it wasn't easy
for you to tell me.
I'll bring a search
team by tomorrow
I won't need a search
warrant, will I?
Rick, why Ralph?
Why Ralph?
I don't know, Laura, but
we're going to find out.
Don't move.
My god.
Ralph, they told
me you were dead.
I should be, baby.
That bomb was meant for me.
Someone died in your car.
Who was it?
The unluckiest car
thief that ever lived.
What do you mean?
Well, see when I
got to the office,
I was in such a big hurry, I
left the car doors unlocked.
I thought I was just going to
be in there for a few minutes.
Why didn't you just call me?
Do you know what I've
been going through?
I've been lying here crying.
You want to know what I've been
doing for the last eight hours?
Riding buses.
Been all over this damn city.
Scared.
Honey.
Trying to figure out what to do.
What is there to figure?
You just call the police.
What are you doing, Ralph?
No, I don't, Laura.
Here, come here.
What is this?
Here, open it up.
Let me show you.
This, this is going to
buy us the American dream.
This is a ticket for that
lottery we never won.
What is this?
You're not making any sense.
Laura, Laura, when I
heard that bomb go off
and I looked out the window
and I saw, I saw my car on fire
with a man dying inside of
it, well, well, let's just
say that you're not
looking at the same man
that you looked at yesterday.
At his living ghost maybe.
Anyway, from now on, it's
a different story, Laura,
with just the two of us
at the happy center of it.
What are you saying here?
That you're going to try to
extort money from someone?
There's still a couple of
cop cars down the street,
so I'm going to leave
the same way I came in,
across the Jennings' backyard.
Where are you going?
Would you tell me
what you're thinking?
I am thinking of time and
comfort for both of us, Laura.
Of time to think, time to live
and the money to do it with,
sweetheart.
We're talking $2 million,
$3, maybe $4 million, honey.
Oh, my god, what's
happening to you?
Hey, baby, baby
I'd died, remember?
In that burning car.
Honey, look, a chance like this
comes along once in a lifetime.
We're going for it, sweetheart.
I don't care if I
have to drag you
with me kicking and screaming.
Would you listen to me,
Ralph, now listen to me.
Listen, you're in shock.
Someone tried to
kill you tonight
and you just, you just
need to settle down
and then you'll just, you're
not thinking straight.
I'm thinking.
I never thought straighter
in my whole life, Laura.
But listen, I'm going
to need your help, OK?
Oh, no.
I'm not going to help you.
You will if you love me.
I'll call you in the morning.
Ernie, what's so
important you couldn't
tell us over the telephone?
Nothing.
I just like your company.
Drumstick?
No.
So, here we are.
You know that corpse that
came in yesterday char-broiled?
That's not Ralph Ormond.
What do you mean,
it's not Ralph Ormond?
Ormond's dental records came in.
The teeth on that corpse
are not Ralph Ormond's.
Well, well, who is it?
What do you want?
Details?
Impacted wisdom teeth,
gold crowns, caps.
Spare us.
Just tell us what you've got.
Not a clue.
And all we got to
go on are the teeth.
Iced tea?
No, Ernie, not for me.
You thinking what I'm thinking?
I'm thinking about breakfast.
What are you thinking about?
Well, I'm certainly
not thinking about food.
I'm thinking about
insurance fraud.
Nah, no way.
I know Laura too well.
Yeah?
How well's too well?
Car 5-6, meet W7-3 on tac two.
Lincoln 5-6, go ahead, 7-3.
We just finished
searching the Ormond residence.
We got zilch.
We found them
hollowed out books,
but whatever was in
them is long gone.
Laura Ormond still there?
That's affirmative.
Tell her to wait there for us,
we're going to be on our way.
Lincoln 5-6 out.
So as I was saying,
how well's too well?
Oh, yeah, Laura.
Well, I first met Laura when
she and Ralph were reporters.
Laura worked the press room
of police headquarters.
We had little thing going
for about a year or so.
Anyway, she met Ralph
and married him.
And after she married him,
I told her that I thought
the wrong reporter had retired.
She's about as straight and as
nice a person as they got, so.
Well, you know,
people can change.
No, not Laura.
Now Ralph is a different matter.
Someone you know?
Looked like Laura.
I guess she decided
not to wait for me.
Hmm, maybe it's back
to insurance fraud.
Lincoln 5-6.
Lincoln 5-6.
Request plain unit to
assist on surveillance
of a vehicle
traveling southbound
on Princeton from Stovall.
Vehicle is a 1987 gold Volvo.
Mrs. Ormond.
Come in, come in please.
What a pleasure to meet you.
Alan Shadwell.
Have a seat, please.
I heard about your husband's
death on the morning news.
I'm sorry.
But I confess to
being a bit confused.
What brings you here?
I wish I knew,
Mr. Shadwell, but I
think you're going
to be receiving
a phone call while I'm here.
Yes.
There's someone on line two
and he won't give his name.
Put him through.
Who is this?
I'll give you a clue.
You're not talking to a ghost.
Ralph?
You killed the wrong man.
Now put my wife on.
You're on the speaker.
Yes?
Tell Mr. Shadwell
what the sentence
is for conspiracy
to commit murder
with special
circumstances added.
- I
- know what it is.
What do you want?
I want four million
in denominations
that will fit into two
medium sized suitcases.
Suppose I don't allow your
wife to leave the building.
Have you considered that, Ralph?
Well, as a matter
of fact, I did.
You'd have some explaining
to do to the two
cops that followed here there.
Listen to me, Shadwell, I'm
calling the shots on this one.
If my wife does not show
up at specific places
at specific times,
then I turn you
and everything I've got
on you over the police,
you understand that?
There won't be any
need for that, Ralph.
I'm as anxious as you are
to get our business settled.
Then you better follow
directions very carefully.
Laura.
Yes.
I want you to go home.
I want you to wait until I call.
You're not going to see me
again till this is all over.
Honey, please, I
just want to talk
to you alone just for a minute.
Later, Laura, we'll
talk about it later.
Shadwell, you got two days
to get the money together.
- I
- may need more time.
You haven't got more time.
Well, I wouldn't
worry Mrs. Ormond.
In good business deals,
both sides come out ahead.
I'll take care of my end.
You just make sure your
husband takes care of his
and we'll both
come out unscathed.
I think we should chat.
I don't know what
you're talking about.
Laura, we both know
Ralph isn't dead.
Don't we?
I didn't lie to
you last night, Rick.
I just didn't know he was
alive till after you left.
What were you doing
in Shadwell's office?
I can't tell you that.
Is that because Ralph's
blackmailing Shadwell?
Whatever Ralph is up to,
he's in way over his head
and you're a part of it.
No, I am not, but he
is my husband, Rick.
I have to stand by him until
I have a chance to help him.
Oh, a chance to help him.
Well, great, they'll
give you adjoining cells.
He was almost killed last night.
He's in some sort
of emotional state.
Look, if we could just
give him a couple of days,
I know he's going to
come to his senses.
A couple of days, huh?
I got to talk Ralph.
No, he's not going
to talk to you.
He won't even talk to me.
I'm sorry.
Hello.
Laura, listen,
our line may be tapped.
Do you remember where we
went on our first date?
Damn it, Ralph, listen to me.
I'll call
you there in 10 minutes.
McCall, she's leaving.
Stay on and it'll be on 17.
Roger.
Thanks.
Hunter?
Yeah.
She's either not too
good at losing tails
or she just doesn't give a damn.
Where are you?
I am at Hillsborough and
Breckenridge heading south.
I'll pick her up
at Hillsborough and Westport.
OK.
French fries.
Hi.
What can I do for you?
Ice tea please.
Ice tea.
Alpha 2-6, this is
Alpha 2-7, come in.
This is Lincoln 56.
You want her?
Yeah, you get anything?
She got a phone call, but
I couldn't hear anything.
It was too noisy in that place.
Did she listen
or did she do the talking?
No, she did the
listening, Hunter.
OK, I'm going to stay with her.
OK.
Captain, we got to go to Tucson.
OK, sure, go ahead.
Want to know why?
I assume it has something
to do with the Ormond case.
Yes, it does.
You see, we got permission
to tap her phone.
She just made reservations to
go to Tucson this afternoon.
Now we feel she's going
to meet her husband.
If we can get to him,
we can get to Shadwell.
I take it you checked
with the Tucson PD.
- Yeah.
- Well, good luck.
Call me.
Why was this so easy?
I'm in a good mood today.
Take advantage of me.
Captain.
Would you just yell
at me a little bit?
Get out of here.
Thanks.
Arriving passenger
from Houston, Mr. Brian Lynch,
please contact airport security
on the white courtesy phone.
Arriving passenger from
Houston, Mr. Brian Lynch,
please contact airport security
on the white courtesy phone.
The shuttle for
the downtown area
will be leaving from in
front of baggage claim area
three in 15 minutes.
Follow that cab.
I've been waiting 20 years to
hear someone actually say that.
Yeah, well you just
heard it, so let's go.
Yes, ma'am.
Tucson Police Department please.
Thanks very much,
I appreciate it.
Yes.
Go down to the
row ow pay phones in the lobby
and answer the first
one that rings.
Do it now.
Ralph, this has gone too far.
I'll talk to you downstairs.
Well, she checked in
about five minutes ago.
Haven't seen her.
I think, hello.
She's just coming
down right now.
Hold on a second,
just stay on the line.
You hang up on me
one more time, I swear.
Laura, there's no time for this.
I am serious.
Either you meet me
and we talk in person
or you are on your own.
Now you listen to me.
No, I am tired of
listening to you.
Shut up and listen.
Look, it's too late for me
to turn back now, Laura,
we got to play this thing out.
We can decide later whether
we keep the money or give
it back and turn
Shadwell in, but you
cannot back out on me now.
All right, Ralph.
What would you like me to do?
Go to the cafe
across the street,
get yourself something to eat.
In exactly one
hour, go upstairs,
get the two suitcases
you got from Shadwell.
A gray rental car will
be waiting for you
in the hotel parking lot.
And I want you to
drive out Highway 12.
Exactly 7.6 miles, take the
left at the old dirt road,
go about 3/4 of a mile.
You'll see an abandoned
store, I will be there.
If you are followed,
then turn right around go
back to the hotel, all right?
Anything thing you say.
I love you.
She did most of
the listening again.
She just walked
out the front door.
I'll get in touch
with you later.
Ralph?
Ralph?
Ralph?
Ralph?
Mrs. Ormond?
Nice to see you
again, Mrs. Ormond.
Where's Ralph?
He's not here.
Check it out.
I'm telling you, he's not here.
No one inside, Mr. Shadwell.
Check the suitcases.
Give me the keys.
What is this?
I don't know, Mr. Shadwell.
Ralph told me that
he'd meet me here.
What are you trying to hand me?
Where is he?
I told you, I don't know.
Where is he?
I'm telling you the truth.
Lay them down.
Well, open it!
Try the other one.
What's going on here?
I swear to you, I
don't know, Mr. Shadwell.
Where is he?
All I know is that Ralph
told me that he'd meet me here.
Where's the money?
I swear, all I
know is that Ralph
told me he'd meet me here.
Mr. Shadwell.
Where is he?
Mr. Shadwell.
This is the police.
Stay where you are.
Don't move.
You all right?
I think so.
Where's Ralph?
He's not here.
I think he knew
they'd follow me here.
You didn't expect him
to be here, did you?
I was still hoping, Rick.
I want to get you to the
hospital and check you out.
Officer.
Take her to the hospital, huh?
McCall, let's go.
Flight 212 for Atlanta
is now boarding at gate 12.
Flight 212 for Atlanta is
now boarding at gate 12.
Get the bags.
Welcome back from
the dead, Ralph.
Are these the bags?
These are the bags.
Well, let's see the stuff that
dreams are made of, huh, Ralph?
Code blue, 2 West.
Code blue, 2 West.
Excuse me.
I'm Sergeant Hunter, LA
metropolitan homicide.
I'm looking for a
patient that was
admitted here a little while
ago by the name of Laura Ormond.
I'll check for you.
Thank you.
She was sent to X-ray.
She might be back
in her room by now.
Security to doctors' lounge.
Security to doctors' lounge.
I need to see Laura Ormond.
Inside.
LAURA ORMOND Dear Ralph,
even while I was driving
out to the abandoned store,
I was still hoping
you'd be there.
But I knew, of
course, you wouldn't,
because I was your decoy,
drawing everyone away from you.
And when I got there, that
was the final moment of truth.
The moment when after all
my naive and gullible years,
I finally grew up.
I've asked Rick Hunter to
do what he can for you.
Laura.
So where did she go?
Ralph, I was hoping
you could tell me that.
If I knew, I'd sure
as hell tell you.
Hello.
Hello.
May I ask the purpose
of your visit to Mexico?
Vacation.
And how long will
you be staying?
Oh, I don't know.
One, two months, maybe longer.
Depends on whether I like it.
You know, maybe you should put
those suitcases in the trunk.
It would be a big temptation
to thieves, especially
from a woman traveling alone.
Thanks, I'll do that
first chance I get.
Well, have a good stay.
Oh, I will.
I'm sure of that.
Hey, Ralph.
How'd you do?
Plea bargain down to jaywalking?
Lighten up, Hunter.
It's the man's first offense.
Plus, he's putting Alan
Shadwell away for the rest
of his natural life.
Yeah, I'll bet he is.
Hey, Sarge, is there
any word on Laura?
Yeah, she's gone
with the wind, Ralph.
What about the money?
The money is with Laura,
who is gone with the wind.
$4 million untraceable dollars.
I thought I knew her.
Yeah, me too, Ralph.
But you see, over a period
of time, people do change.
And in Laura's case,
you changed her.
I still can't figure out
how she made the switch.
Well, he should have a lot
of time to think about that,
right, Charlie?
See ya, Ralph.
You know, now that
you brought that up,
how did she make that switch?
Come on, you know
how she did it.
Well, if I'd figured it out,
I wouldn't, I wouldn't ask you.
I don't know.
Come on, grab your shoes.
I'll buy you a drink.
You see, when Ralph told
Laura to go get some lunch,
she didn't go get lunch.
She went and got
herself some suitcases.
I know.
And magazines and newspapers.
- Right, there you go.
Now you got it.
Well, yeah, I get
it, but the point
is, is what is she guilty
of if she ever got caught?
Robbery.
She didn't steal anything.
The money was given
to her as a gift.
Well, if you consider
extortion a gift, yeah.
But she wasn't
extorting, Ralph was.
She was just a messenger.
Yeah, that's true.
But she is an
accessory to concealing
evidence, namely $4 million.
Hmm, think she'll
ever give herself up?
That's a good question.
The old Laura
certainly would, but I
don't know about the new Laura.
I think, I think
she's long gone.
$4 million untraceable dollars.
- Yeah.
- I'll tell you what.
I was really hoping when
I opened that suitcase
to see $4 million bucks sitting
there looking at me, you know?
Yeah, me too.
You know, I gotta
hand it to you.
You really impressed
me by fitting
all these pieces together.
Yeah?
Yeah, I mean Laura
was gone, you hardly
had time to talk to Ralph.
You put it together really well.
How did you do this?
Well, actually, I had a
little help on this one.
Hitch.
Hitch helped me.
Hitch who?
Hitch.
Hitchcock, Alfred Hitchcock.
Wait a minute.
I have seen every
Alfred Hitchcock movie.
I'm a fan of this guy.
So what movie was like this?
You remember the scene, the bus
pulls up out of the
middle of nowhere,
and off the bus pops Cary Grant.
The bus drives away and
Cary Grant's looking around,
doesn't know where he is
or why he's out there.
And off in the distance he
sees this little biplane
coming in, floating in.
They cut to the airplane,
they cut back to him.
And he realizes the airplane now
is chasing him, it's after him.
Sure enough, he starts
running along the road,
the airplane starts
shooting at him.
He runs along the
road for a little,
jumps off the road
into the cornfield.
The airplane comes by and
drops two suitcases on him.