Hunter (1984–1991): Season 5, Episode 6 - No Good Deed Ever Goes Unpunished - full transcript

Tonight on "Hunter."

MAN Help me.

Please help me.

-An anonymous
snitch, maybe a wacko,

wants me to take on the
second largest aeronautics

contractor in
Southern California.

-I'm a police officer!

Damn it, do what I tell you.

Move!

Since now they know I'm a
cop maybe one of these students

is trying to mess with my head.



-One of them just decided
to blow up your school.

-I'm too scared to
do any more alone.

My own daughter
who could kill that man.

-Is it murder?

-Or is it Memorex?

-So before you get locked
in to one type of medium

I would suggest you
do some experimenting

because each one has
different characteristics.

This is very nice, Judy.

It just needs a little
more animation.

If you've used
acrylics she probably

liked the quick drying quality.

John, this is very nice.

Very good work.



Acrylics are
excellent for impasto.

Vincent Van Gough,
who died 1890 is the name

associated with the
impasto technique.

Though of course Van Gough
worked in oils, which are much

more forgiving because
they're slow drying.

There are some
drying agents that

can be applied for
speeding things up.

Van Gough was a master of color.

And the way that
he layered on color

was revolutionary in his day.

He also was a genius
because of the way

that chose color and the
way that attacked the canvass.

This is very nice, Emily.

I like your choice of color.

-Uh, don't, uh, don't go away.

-Emily has chosen a, a very
nice translucence in these waves

by using that like base
coat that we talked about.

OK, before we go
onto the pallet knife,

let's all go next door
to the theater arts shop.

I don't know if I
mentioned before,

but this class is going
to help the scenic design

class with the new production.

It's all volunteer,
but I think it's

going to be a wonderful
experience for you.

OK.

Now you'll start next
week so just come in

and look around.

-Can you get up?

Can you stand?

All right, listen.

This is the only
way out of here.

We've gotta go
back in through here.

I'm a police offcer, dammit!

Do what I tell you.

Move now!

Come on.

Stay low to the floor.

Try not to breathe
until we get out.

Come on.

You'll be all right.

The sprinklers are on.

Come on.

-So what makes you
think you can paint?

-Well, I've done a couple of
mean spare bedrooms in my day,

you know?

Hey, you know the arson
team isn't even sure why it blew?

Joe Bix is on that, remember?

-I remember Joe Bix.

-Yeah.

I got, uh, five
in the five range.

See there?

-Yeah.

-Mhmm.

-Let's see here.

Well, I gotta hand it
you, you tied me again.

-No, no, no, no, no.

No, I didn't.

See, look at this.

You have four.

I got five.

That's not a tie.

You, you just missed one shot.

That's all.

One of my rounds
went that hole right there.

Right on top of the other one.

-That's crazy.

-Hey, Smith!

-What are you talking...

-You saw one of my rounds
go in the same hole, didn't you?

See, he saw it.

-That's preposterous.

Why can't you just admit
that you missed one shot.

That's all.

-I didn't miss one shot.

-It's just one bullet.

It's four instead of five.

That's all Just once.

-I've got piggy back rounds.

Get your stuff.

-Hey, Joe, what's the verdict?

-Somebody left the gas
regulator valve wide open,

which wouldn't have
mattered if the wiring

to the electronic
ignitor wasn't faulty.

Helluva boom,
I'll tell you that.

Listen, a couple
hundred cubic yards

of methane under pressure in
a small volume, light a spark,

it's good as trinitrotoluene.

That's TNT.

Like you said, one helluva boom.

Listen, McCall,
I'm glad you're OK.

Thanks.

So am I. Joe, accident, right?

-That's how I'm filing it.

-Thanks.

Emily!

You OK?

Listen, sometimes it's a
good idea to kind of lay low

after you've had a
scare, you know?

-Oh, I suppose,
but, uh, Mark is home

and, uh, well, I'm a mind to
come just as soon as they'd let

us so we could, uh, get
what was left of his sculptures.

Lyman's been my boarder for such
a long time he's like part of the family.

I couldn't say no.

-I see.

Oh, there's Mark now.

Be careful, all right?

Just take it easy.

-Thanks.

-OK.

Bye.

Help me.

Please help me.

The explosion was on purpose.

No accident.

Hillary Taggert
tried to tell me.

Her company dumps toxic waste.

Stop them.

It poisons the town.

Los Robles.

People are dying.

I found out.

Now they want me dead.

I'm told I need more proof.

Please help.

Hillary's father doesn't care.

Arrest Hillary.

She's going to kill me.

-Hillary Taggert.

Any relation?

-To Winston Taggert?

Taggert Aeronautics?

Yeah, it's his daughter.

I had public affairs pull
this photo from the file.

That's from the chief's
honor banquet last year.

Head table.

-And I checked.

The main airframe line is in
the High Desert near Los Robles.

-Ah, wonderful.

An anonymous snitch?

Maybe a wacko?

Wants me to take on the
second largest aeronautics

contractor in
Southern California.

Taggert's got 450 behind
him on the Fortune 500.

-Guy's gonna to
take a light touch?

-You two should be perfect.

-What'd you find, Sevie?

-The tape's ferric oxide.

Japanese bulk manufactured
by Osaku Industries.

Uh, this one you can
buy in any drugstore.

No prints, new tape, first use.

-What about the voice?

-Computer voice simulator.

Not very special.

Could be Apple.

Amiga, IBM.

We could check it out.

-Check it out.

-Thanks, Sevie.

-All right, look.

Notify arson we're gonna
send our lab out there.

I think we've got an
attempted murder.

-Charlie, I'm gonna contact
Frank Webster, the EPA,

and see what he says
about the Los Robos area.

-Good, good, good.

Start with him.

If were gonna
tackle Hillary Taggert

we're gonna need
a lot more to go on.

-I'm working on it.

-Okie dokie.

You're online.

-Okie dokie?

What does that mean?

-Oh, if you get lost
call up the Hilton

and use in the user area.

-Which are?

-Online.

Listen, we're opening
an investigation

and it better be
well corroborated

or we're gonna look
like a bunch of fools.

Winston Taggert gets
more press than most heads

of state and his
daughter Hillary?

She's usually the third one
from the right in every shot you

from the White
House rose garden.

-So, uh, how does
this thing work, Charlie?

-Ah, well, good luck.

Look at my dad.

Half his mind is on setting
Mark for his famous finish line

sprint and the other
half thinks he just

might get lucky with one
of those beach bunnies.

-Did Winston talk to your
mother after the last night?

-Of course.

She called him the
minute she got home.

Shaky as hell.

I don't blame her.

From what Mark
said, Emily damn near

got blown into Orange County.

He's as worried
about her as I am.

-Fire department said it was
some fluky accident with gas.

-The gas?

-That's what they said, Hillary.

I talked to the top arson guy.

Look, it's not
just the accident,

but your mother's
been flaky enough.

You're gonna have
to talk to her again.

Be firm.

Tell her she's just gonna
have to stop harping

on this nonsense about
us dumping in the desert.

-I will.

Leave that to me, Rhodes.

But you tell your
security people

that she might try to get
back into the plant anyway.

And I want them to call
me the minute she does.

I think we should
all look after her now.

-I'll keep an eye on her.

-Have the decency to
at least pan for us, dad.

Anybody need a beer?

-Yes, yes!

-There you go, my friend.

Grandpa Pete is going away.

-Uh oh.

There's the g word.

-Grandpa?

Anybody see a
grandpa around here?

Some quaint old codger
with tobacco stained whiskers?

Amusing stories about 1910.

-Sorry, Winston.

-Thank you, thank you.

Very much.

-Come on.

I'll show you grandpa's new car.

-Tell me something.

When I was running
this company, Rhodes,

did we do our business
at the beach ever?

-No, sir.

-You're damn right no sir.

I complained to your CEO.

The beach is for getting
sunburned and playing grab ass.

My beach is anyway.

I'm taking your
son to see Emily.

Your mother is pretty
rattled about last night.

You go see her.

-OK, dad.

I will.

-Mark?

Uh, take it.

Just bring it back
by the weekend.

Does 130 miles an hour
in second gear, you know.

So if the CHP spots
you do what I do.

Shift in the third.

-Grandma would kill me.

-Well, don't tell Emily.

Just have it back by Friday.

And stay a few days.

-That's exactly
why she'd kill me.

I got these exams coming up
and she wants me to study...

-Doesn't want you hanging
around here, I know.

Did you think about my offer?

You'll be the only kid in
the west coast leaving school

with a starting
salary of six figures.

-I know, I know.

It's just that grandma
thinks I should put a little

more time into
finding my own job.

-Grandma can't design planes.

You can.

Your grandma and
I disagree on a lot.

But we both need you.

Volleyball's one
thing, but I'm not

playing tug-of-war
with you, Mark.

I love you.

-So you think you
might find him out there?

Right.

OK.

Now listen, but
if I don't find him

don't forget to
tell him Sergeant

Hunter from homicide
called him again.

Yeah, thanks.

Well, I'm gonna go try to
run down Frank Webster.

What do you got?

-Well, I went through the
night school enrollment

and I narrowed it down
to, uh, 11 possibilities here,

but you know what
I keep thinking?

I keep thinking to myself maybe
since now they know I'm a cop,

maybe one of these students
is trying to mess with my head.

-Yeah.

Either that or maybe,
uh, one of them

just decided to
blow up your school.

Did you ever think about that?

Watch your back.

WOMAN: This is dispatch

calling agent Frank Webster.

Sergeant Hunter
from homicide phoned.

He said you're
supposed to meet him.

Want his number?

-Negative.

I'll call him from the office.

-They ID'd the victim.

Frank Gucci
Webster from the ETA.

-Seems kind of
funny, doesn't it?

I spend an entire day
looking for this guy

and he winds up
pounded flat in that truck.

And then we find out
he's got a a tape on

and it looks just like the
one we found in your car

outside the school.

-Is it murder?

-Or is it Memorex?

Here are the
production schedules.

Buildings 33 and
34, they are fakes.

They cover up the truth.

Taggert dumps toxic waste.

The schedule hides it.

I've seen it.

The trucks use
gate five every night.

They take out the poison
and come back in 20 minutes.

They must dump it near
the plant. I don't know where.

I'm afraid to follow alone.

If they catch me,
they will kill me.

Listen to this part.

I've told Hillary.

She won't stop it.

The police don't believe me.

Somebody's got to stop it.

-You know Webster landing
under that truck kinda puts

the explosion at the
school into perspective.

-Yeah.

And if our source was passing
Webster those production sheets

the killer has them back.

-Time to take a closer
look at Taggert Aeronautics.

-Yeah, I'm gonna
run out to the airport

and see a friend of mine.

-I'll go check with the
EPA and visit the Taggerts.

-All right. Do it.

-Can I get you
something to drink?

-No, thank you.

-Would you like the beach house?

No.

Thanks.

-All right.

You can have the ocean.

But I'm not giving up Catalina.

Man has to draw the line.

-I understand.

Actually Mr. Taggert,
it's about your company.

-My daughter's company.

Four years ago I retired,
turned everything over to Hillary.

So I can spend more
time with my grandson.

-All right then.

Uh, your daughter's company.

But, uh, well, you
can call it my company.

-We're investigating
a possible homicide.

The victim is an
EPA investigator.

Your company has been
accused of illegal dumping.

-It's a cutthroat industry.

But I'm a straight shooter.

Some of the competition isn't
above spreading false rumors.

They don't like Taggert
because my company

has something
they'll never have.

My name.

-Hey Ace, is that you standing
up on top of this biplane?

-Rick, my rag.

Please, rag.

-Here.

-Listen, if it's about that
leak in the garage this time,

I've asked you before not to
bother me during the week.

The landlord can only
do so much, all right?

-It's not about the leak in the
sink or the smell in the attic.

We'll take care of that later.

Talk to me about
Taggert Aeronautics.

-Taggert?

We're here for an
avionics consultation?

-Mhmm.

-Well, I'm sure you know
that Winston Taggert opened

this airstrip 40 years
ago right after the war.

-Oh, the reason
I'm asking is we've

had some reports of some toxic
dumping coming out Taggert.

Rick, every airport
has a list of very familiar

substances that
they have to get rid of.

You know, uh, solvents
and, uh, petroleum

based products of all kinds.

-Look, I understand all
that, but what would Taggert

be producing that couldn't
be dumped at Los Robos.

-If it's radioactive,
if it's used with high

heat to make something
out of graphite.

I mean, those
things are illegal.

-Well, if it's not being
produced here at Taggert,

where the hell could
it be coming from?

-You know something,
35 years they didn't use

that old airstrip I
was telling you about.

The one he started with?

About four years ago they
started, uh, I don't know,

beefing it up.

I fly over there every week.

There's something
going on up there.

-Can you show me that?

-Rick, you, you're
gonna have to go up.

-Make sure the rubber
band's hooked up.

-I know exactly who
sent those tapes.

My mother, Emily Hill.

-Emily Hill's your mother?

-Yes.

She and Winston
were never married,

but we're all one
big happy family.

-Did Emily tell you what
was on those tapes?

-That's all she
ever talks about.

At one time or another
she has accused me

of creating nearly every toxic
waste problem in the state.

The woman's obsessed.

-Sounds like you two
don't get along very well.

-I'm tired of her making
false accusations

to the EPA about this company.

Now if she weren't
my mother, I'd sue her.

-I see.

Well then, uh, do you
think she contacted

Frank Webster to take
another shot at you?

-I wouldn't doubt it.

But this company is clean.

Ever since I took
over the EPA hasn't

cited us for one violation.

I'm very proud of that record.

-If that's the case then
why do you think Emily's

so convinced that
you're in the wrong?

-She misses Winston.

Ever since I became
CEO of Taggert Aeronautics

she's done nothing but complain.

-Do you know of any
reason why someone

would want Frank Webster dead?

-Sorry, I can't help you.

Are you suggesting
he was murdered?

-Strong possibility.

If anything comes to mind
give me a call at that number,

would you, please?

-All right.

I will, Sergeant.

Thank you.

-Thank you.

-Sam, I don't understand
what's going on.

What is my mother trying to do?

-I don't know.

But she isn't going
to go away unless you

talk some sense into her.

-The police tell me Frank
Webster may have been murdered.

That's poor man.

Maybe we should do something.

-I'll send him a card.

-Mother, you're acting crazy.

How can I explain
this situation...

-I don't want to hear this.

Please stay away from me
and stay away from Mark!

-Would you two just stop it?

-Let me in.

-I am not letting
you into this house,

not after what you've done.

-Oh, mother, don't
sound so self-righteous.

I won't stand for it.

You have no idea what it
takes to run that company.

-Oh, I do now.

-Oh, grandma, just
stop it. For god's sake.

-Oh, don't lay that crap on me.

You don't know anything.

It is my company now
whether you like it or not.

-That's enough.

I'm tired of listening to it.

-Are you following me?

-I came to speak
with your mother

and find out what's going on.

-Well, when you find
out why don't you tell me.

There's nothing at Taggert
Aeronautics that's out of line.

My mother just flipped her wig.

That's all.

-May I come in?

-I don't want her in here.

-No problem.

I'll call you later, mother.

Unless Sergeant
McCall wants me to say.

-No, there's no reason
for you to stay right now.

-Grandma, just
take it easy, all right?

I'm just gonna get
you a glass of water.

-Mark's not coming.

Let's go to the beach.

My father's not gonna
be happy about this.

She folded into his
embrace, her lips

yielding to his demanding
kisses as their two

bodies became as one.

Time seemed to stand
still, and silently, she...

-It's a reader.

Belongs to Lyman, my boarder.

I typed what I wanted on the
tape and the machine read it.

It's the only way
I could think of

not to let anybody
know it was me.

Mark mustn't know.

-Well, Emily,
if it's true I can't

think of a way to keep
him from finding out.

Besides, why are you doing this?

-For Mark, mostly.

You know what my
daughter's doing.

And now Winston is
dangling big salaries

to get Mark to
go to work for him.

I want Mark to
lead his own life,

not fall under Winston's spell.

He's a beguiler.

I should know.

-Yeah, but all this
stuff with the dumping,

why didn't you just go to
the police and tell them?

Or to the EPA?

Go to both of them
directly and tell them.

Why are you dealing
with these tapes?

-I was scared.

I've tried for months to
get Hillary to do something.

She calls me a crank.

I'm not.

I was there.

I saw him die.

I've been Winston's
mistress for 40 years.

Hillary's our daughter.

She couldn't grow up
and run her own life.

When she got back
from Europe in 1970

she was, uh, pregnant with Mark.

But she had no patience
with motherhood.

So I've raised him.

And that has been pure joy.

You've met Winston.

He's like a Santa Claus.

He gives, and gives, and gives.

And most people can't take it.

He, he has given
Hillary everything

that she ever wanted.

And four years ago, he
gave her the company.

And that's why
Hillary is what she is.

Well, it's, it's
partly my fault.

I could've put some controls
on Winston's generosity,

but I didn't.

I won't let that happen to Mark.

-Tell me something.

How did you first find out about
the dumping of the toxic waste?

-Well, I've always had the
run of, uh, Taggert Aeronautics,

or I did.

After Hillary took
over things changed.

Cutbacks, layoffs, new faces.

And she didn't
like my criticisms.

She told me not to meddle.

And finally she fired me.

I was never on the payroll.

Just, uh, just
Winston's gifts to me.

And finally one night I saw
a truck leave full of waste.

Nobody admitted it.

No records.

Hillary cut me dead.

-Bad choice of words.

I told Winston and
he, uh, he babied me.

If you can imagine that
Hillary, well, he dotes in her.

So finally I call the EPA.

And I tried to tell that man
Webster about the trucks.

And of course I thought that
it, that it would be a secret.

But Hillary found out.

It kills babies.

So I shouldn't be surprised
that my own daughter,

that Mark's mother
would kill that man,

and even try to kill me.

So I finally thought that
nice woman would help

because I'm too scared
to do any more alone.

-I think I got Emily to promise
to let us handle it from here

on out.

-Yeah?

Well, if we find the guy
who pulled Mark out of class,

I think we got our mad bomber.

-McCall, Hunter.

Suarez says that the lab is
not gonna be much help to us

in proving that, uh, attempted
murder at the college.

And as far as
Webster's concerned,

I've notified the FBI.

I think they should follow
this up if this think there's

a case because i
don't think we have one.

-What do you mean?

-Captain, Emily Hill said
that she saw Webster

get taken out by
a one ton truck.

-She saw him
get hit by the truck.

If we can even
believe that much.

-Taggert has built three new
hangars on his north runway.

He's put in a brand
new parking lot

and a lot of low
intensity lighting.

-Yeah.

And Emily said they
beefed up the night shift.

-Well, what does that prove?

-What do you mean
what does it prove?

It proves...

-Proves nothing.

Now go out and find something
that's gonna hold up in court.

-Great.

This is great.

Boy, I hope that
Emily stays out of this.

-What do you mean you hope?

She better stay out of it.

As of now we have nothing.

-She raised Mark as her son.

You know, she's just
trying to protect her family.

-What is it?

-It's just been a
longtime since, uh,

since I had a witness
cry in my arms, you know?

-Miss Hill, twice in one week.

-Well, Robbie, I
looked at my calendar.

It's Joe's birthday.

-Ah.

-He's 50.

He's still on the
night shift, right?

-Yeah.

-I brought him a cake.

-You never forget a thing.

Hey, save me a piece, will you?

-Oh, and, uh, I
have some pictures

here from the last picnic.

-Oh, great.

-There's a good one of you.

-Mr. Rhodes, Emily
Hill's in the building.

I, I thought you'd better know.

Uh huh.

Yes, sir.

I'll take care of it right now.

Miss Hill, I thought you
were going up to see Joe.

-Oh, well I looked all
over and I couldn't find him.

So I just left the
cake on his desk.

Well, it's late.

Uh, just tell him
that I stopped by.

Night.

-We gotta stop her.

Miss Hill, wait!

Miss Hill, this is Robbie.

Miss Hill, wait.

Please.

Miss Hill?

Where are you?

Miss Hill?

No.

-Your mother dumped
this in my office in exchange

for a load of files.

My god, what does she
think she's doing breaking

into offices in the
middle of the night?

Sam, I'm really
worried about her.

-Well, I told you she's
gone way over the edge.

Now you gotta get tough.

She's a danger to herself.

-But how do we find her?

-Sergeant McCall's
partner is a Rick Hunter.

Should probably
call one of them.

-How do you know that?

-It's an obvious choice for her.

Emily's to scared
to go to a cop shop

where they all come to her.

I got a Bearcat
scanner in the car

that'll pick up any
police frequency.

-Yeah, but you can't get
every frequency at once.

-Won't have to.

Hunter's call is William
56, McCall's is William 57.

Tac two frequency.

-I'll bet you're gonna tell
me that's just stool water.

-Who the hell are you?

It's legal.

-LAPD.

Shut it off.

Shut it off!

It's legal, huh?

Smell that?

Go on.

Come on.

Move it.

One William 157,

you've got a Mrs. Hill standing
by, code two at 555-3596,

the pay phone for the
Magnolia and Abbey.

-Dee Dee, can you hear me?

-Yeah, Emily. What's the matter?

You sound out of breath.

-Dee Dee, please listen to me.

I took the files from Rhodes
office that prove everything.

But they know it.

I can go home.

-OK, go to the
school, all right?

Their classes will
still be underway.

You've got a half
hour left of classes

and there'll be crowd there.

You'll be safe.

Wait for me outside
the art room and I'll

be there in 20 minutes.

One William 156, come in.

One William 156,
this one William 157.

Come in.

-One William 156.

Go.

-Meet me at LACU, code two.

-Roger, estimated
time about ten minutes.

MCCALL: My ETA is five.

What'd I tell you.

There's your mother
again, right on cue.

-Mother, don't do this.

She'll hurt herself
if she keeps this up.

-Why'd you do that?

-Rid of these people.

One William 157,

we've received a
code eight at LACU.

-Please don't do this.

-Mother, stop it.

You need help.

Now we'll sort
this all out later.

I want you to come with us now.

-Emily, we haven't
got a lot of time.

People are dying.

You've got to stop this.

When you're more rational,

we'll discuss what I'm doing.

Do you really think I
would kill my own mother?

-Yes.

Dear God, yes, I do.

-Oh, mom.

Please.

Rhodes!

-That'll be enough, Rhodes.

That's enough, everybody.

-I'm sorry.

I didn't know what to do.

-It's OK, baby.

It's OK.

I'm here.

It's all right.

We're gonna go to
the police now, Emily.

We're gonna do what
you wanted to do all along.

You were right.

Nobody's ever going
to hurt you again.

-How did you know I was here?

-I got the report, sir.

-Emily, you're
jumping to conclusions.

-No, she's not.

Is she, dad?

You've been behind
us pulling the strings

from the very
beginning, haven't you?

-Emily, give me those papers.

-Rhodes, Taggert, get
your hands up in the air

where I can see them.

Do it!

Emily, come back here by me.

-You were doing it all
the time, both of you.

-Such nonsense.

I should have
listened to you, Emily.

-Emily, my partner's
got all the proof.

Winston never did
let go of that company.

He ordered all of
the toxic dumping.

He ordered everything.

-Ridiculous.

-I don't think so.

I think it was you
all of the time.

You bastard.

-You wanna live?

Let her go.

-I gotta assume that's Rhodes.

-Yep.

-Well, there's a phone upstairs.

You better call this in.

I'll stay here and watch him.

Well, they moved
Winston Taggert's

arraignment to this afternoon.

-I'll have to tell Emily.

She wanted to sit in on it.

-Well, if she does,
she will get an earful.

Listen to this.

"Illegal weapons
manufacturer and export,

that's the keyword, export,
use of prohibited chemicals,

dumping of toxic waste,
not to mention murder.

-Yeah.

At least Hillary's in the clear.

You know Emily said
that, uh, the two of them

are talking like they've
never talked before.

I think that's nice.

-Isn't that sweet?

-Yeah.

And Mark, he decided to
go to Boston for a semester.

And you know what?

I think that in some
way that just kind of

brought them a
little closer together.

You know what I mean?

-Really?

-For me?

Thank you.

Mark Hill.

How sweet.

Hmm.

-What is it?

-I don't know.

Oh. Well.

-Let's see.

-I don't think you meant it.

-Turn it around.

-OK, well, don't, just,

-Just turn it around.

-Be nice.

How about that noise, huh?

-Ah.

-Yeah.

Well,

-I, uh, I assume there is a
definite explanation for this.

-Well, I don't know.

I would say there's
exactly, um, logical ex...

A logical explanation,
but I would

say it's definitely, um,
a, a, passionate one.

-I like that spot.

Yeah, well, yeah.

You like that?

-Somehow it's, in a way
I;ve never seen you before.

Yeah, this is true.

-Excuse me.

-Where are you going?

-Well, I thought I'd put this
on the ceiling above my bed

at night.

-You're so sick.

-Yeah.

Give me this.