Hunter (1984–1991): Season 6, Episode 11 - The Nightmare - full transcript

Tonight on Hunter.

-You think whoever entered
here was looking for you?

I don't know.

-Tell me what has
happened to Luisa?

Luisa's been murdered.

-She's covered with scars.

This young woman was
systematically tortured.

-Whoever cut up Alicia
Martinez was the same man

who tortured Luisa
Gonzalvez six years ago.

No!

-We came to the United
States because it was safe.



And the nightmare
followed us here.

-What's the big rush?

-Oh, I have uh, Denise
Bragg over in burglary.

It's her surprise
birthday party.

So I want to wrap her
gift before I get home

and have to change.

Check this out.

-What is that?

-Hey, listen, I had
to shop a long time

to find something
this disgusting.

Denise have been giving
each other gag gifts for years.

-You and Denise are friends?

-Yeah.

She uh, You
remember that sweater



she gave me last
year for my birthday?

That purple thing with
that dinosaur stuff on it?

-She gave you that?

Well, you should
wear it to the party.

-Oh, boy.

You just reminded me.

Forgot to iron my dress.

I hope Louisa's still there.

-Hello?

Louisa, hi, it's Dee Dee.

-Yes, Miss McCall.

-Listen, I'm, I'm in a big
rush over here at work

and what you do me
an enormous favor

and iron that blue
dress that's hanging

at the back of my bedroom door?

-Of course there's no problem.

-Louisa, you are a life saver.

Thanks.

It's going to be great.

-Cute.

-What happened?

You all right?

-Yeah.

I'm not sure.

-What was it, a burglary?

-I don't think so.

I looked around and
didn't find anything missing.

The ME checked uh... There
was no sign of sexual assault either.

-Sergeant.

We're going to have to
take this down to the lab.

-Yeah, fine.

-Do you think whoever entered
here was looking for you?

-I don't know.

Anything's possible.

But I doubt it.

-Why don't you tell me
a little bit about Louisa

-She uh worked for me for I
guess, close to three years

now.

She was kind of quiet.

Shy.

-Anything else?

-No, not really.

I'm uh... We really
didn't talk too much.

Only a couple times
over the last few years.

-Any family?

I don't know.

I'm um... Once when
I called her house her,

her sister answered the phone.

-What was her name?

-Uh, I don't know.

I don't remember.

-Luisa worked for
you for three years

and you never talked to her?

-Well, so, you, you
say that you think

I should've known her
better after three years?

-I didn't mean that.

-That's exactly what you meant.

-I didn't mean to do it.

I'm sure no one else knows.

She didn't have a
chance to talk to anyone.

The only one I ever saw
her with was her roommate.

Look, I didn't mean to kill her.

Look what she did to me.

-Take off your coat.

Let me see.

Sit down.

-Oh, mm.

-We'll have to clean it up.

Give you some sutures.

-It's not that bad.

I can get some bandages.

Ah, look, without sutures,
you will have a very bad scar.

Believe me.

I've seen many wounds like that.

Sit down.

-You know, Pomo.

I wanted that woman alive.

Now I don't know who
she talked to about me.

You say she didn't
talk to anyone.

But you can't be sure.

I must be sure, Pomo.

My life depends upon it.

-Miss Gonzalvez?

-Yes?

-Louisa's sister?

-I'm Maria,
Louisa's sister, yes.

-I was hoping I'd find you.

I'm Dee Dee McCall.

-Oh, McCall.

You're the police officer
that Louisa works for.

Yes?

-There's been some trouble.

Should we go inside and talk.

-Is Louisa all right?

What, what is wrong?

-I'm afraid she's not all right.

-Was there an accident?

What has happened?

-Maria, I'm so sorry
to have to tell you this.

Louisa's been murdered.

No.

No.

No.

No.

-Thank you.

-Maria, I know that
this is a difficult time,

but I do need to ask
you some questions.

Were you very
close with your sister?

-We shared everything.

Did she mention
to you if she was

having any problems
with anybody?

Boy friend, for instance.

-She didn't have a boyfriend.

Her friends were
all from the church.

-Can you think of
anyone that would

have wanted to have hurt her?

-No not at all.

Everyone loved her.

She was the kindest
person on earth.

She never harmed anybody.

That's Alicia Martinez,
our roommate.

-Maria, que pasa?

-Hey.

What are you doing?

What are you working on?

-Lab boys came up with
something real interesting.

They found two types
of blood on my floor.

One's from Louisa.

The other one's probably
from the assailant.

She must've put
up a heck of a fight

to get a piece of the guy.

-Well, I should call
the hospitals, huh?

-I already did.

Nothing.

-You've had a busy morning, huh?

-Yeah, I have.

Listen, I want to
apologize for the way

I acted yesterday at my house.

-Look, forget that,
I was a little pushy.

-No, it was uh, It
was just, Louisa

worked for me for a long time.

I never made the effort
to really get to know her.

-Well, don't be too
hard on yourself.

I just sh... I should've
taken the time.

-Yeah, Hunter.

Yeah, Barney.

We'll be right down.

Barney.

He wants to show us something.

-I didn't know how to
describe this on the phone.

Thought you should
see it for yourselves.

She's covered with scars.

I'd say these wounds
were inflicted five,

maybe six years ago.

After she was cut up, the
wounds were allowed to fester.

This young woman was
systematically tortured.

-Maria.

Your roommate told me
that I could find you here.

Is it all right if we talk?

-OK.

Our medical
examiner says that he

found numerous
scars on Louisa's body.

-That was a long time ago.

-Can you tell me what happened?

-Why?

That has nothing to
do with Louisa's murder.

That is in the past.

It is all over now.

-Well, I know, but...

-I don't want to talk about it.

-I understand.

-You don't understand.

You could never understand.

-I'm Father Benson.

Were you a friend of Louisa's?

I'm Sergeant Dee Dee McCall.

I'm investigating her murder.

-Louisa's father was
a newspaper editor

who refused to keep
silent about the slaughter.

Louisa's whole family, with
the exception of her sister,

were imprisoned and tortured.

Mother, father, two
brothers, all killed.

-Why wasn't Maria killed?

-When the soldiers
came, she hid under a bed.

They simply didn't find her.

She was very fortunate.

You see, Guerra
used a specialist

to torture his enemies, a
military surgeon named Mateos.

Doctor de la Muerte.

-The Doctor of Death.

-Yes.

They say Mateos loved his work.

He would make long
incisions in his victim's body

and then pour acid
into the wounds.

It was like being eaten alive.

Then he listened to
Mozart as his victims

writhed before him in agony.

-My God.

-When Mateos was
done with his victims,

he'd force them to reveal
where they kept their valuables.

Then he'd kill them.

He became quite wealthy.

-Where's this Mateos now?

-Dead.

Four years ago, there was
a revolution in El Santiago.

General Guerra was executed
and Mateos died in a plane crash,

trying to escape.

-Louisa must have been very
strong to have endured that.

-She lived through
unimaginable horrors.

-But I don't need to
tell you about Louisa.

You knew her.

-Alicia Martinez?

-Yes?

-Alicia, I'm Sergeant
Hunter, LA Homicide.

My partner, Sergeant McCall,
said you were a little too

upset to speak
with her last night.

Do you feel like
talking to me now?

-How can I help you?

-Good, thank you.

Now, uh, Louisa must
have told you what happened

to her family in El
Santiago, correct?

Yes.

How the soldiers came to her
house and took her family away.

It's not something she
liked to talk about much.

-Did, uh, Louisa
and Maria get along?

They loved each other very much.

Louisa worked hard to
put Maria through school.

-Now, was uh, was there
anything that was bothering Louisa

recently?

The night before
she was killed, she

had been working at a party.

She came home early, very upset.

I asked her what wrong
but she wouldn't say.

She just talked about her
family and how they died.

-Well, what brought that on?

-I'm not sure.

She wouldn't say.

-Who gave this party
that Louisa worked at?

-A woman Louisa used to clean
house for, Bernadette Lopas.

-Ah, well,
congratulations again.

Well, thank you, Mrs. Lopas.

We couldn't have put this
deal together without you.

-Oh, it's my
pleasure, gentlemen.

Let's just hope that the escrow
will close day after tomorrow.

-I certainly hope so.

-Bye, bye.

-Terrific job, as usual,
Mrs. Lopas, thank you.

-Well, thanks again.

-All right.

Mrs. Lopas, Sergeant Hunter.

My partner, Sergeant McCall.

-Ah, let's talk in my office.

Sit down, please.

You know, when I heard
about what happened to Louisa,

I was just stunned.

Such a shame.

-What was Louisa
doing at your party?

-She was preparing
and serving the food.

However, I was disappointed.

I mean, she was
usually very reliable.

-Usually?

What do you mean?

I don't understand.

-Well, shortly after
my guests arrived,

Louisa just disappeared.

And because of that, we
were short handed all night.

Excuse me.

Yeah.

SECRETARY ON
PHONE: Frank Vandergriff

returning your call.

-Uh, yes.

OK.

Just a second.

Frank.

Hello, darling.

How good of you to call.

Uh, listen.

Are you still thinking
about bidding

on that acreage in Redondo?

Ah.

Yes.

All right.

Listen, sweetie pie, Let me
know what you decide to do.

I mean, you know how
much I love working with you.

OK.

Thanks for calling, Frank.

Where were we?

-We were talking
about your party.

Why do you think
Louisa had to leave early?

-I don't know.

I even asked some of
the other help and nobody

had the slightest.

-Think maybe she was ill?

-Not that I know of.

-Is it possible that one of
your guests disturbed her?

-Look, everyone there
was strictly from the A list.

If there had been any
problems with Louisa,

I am sure I would
have heard about it.

-Yes, I'm sure that
you would have.

But if you don't mind, we
would like to check your A list.

-I mind very much.

You know, I wouldn't be
considered a very good hostess

if I didn't protect
my guests privacy.

-Please hold all
Miss Lopas' calls.

Thanks very much.

-We're talking
about your guest list.

-I'm afraid I haven't
made myself clear.

I can't help you.

-I'm afraid I haven't
made myself clear.

This is not a
request, Miss Lopas.

Now, we can take you
downtown and question you there,

or you can help us out now.

Choice is yours.

-Hm, mm.

-OK, let me know when
you find something.

Thank you.

I'm having R and I do
an in depth on everyone

at Bernadette Lopas's party.

-Yeah, well, I did a
little checking myself.

Her friends are all the most
important people in the LA

Latino community, bankers,
attorneys, developers,

and not one of them
can I connect to Louisa.

-Sergeant McCall?

-Father Benson.

Maria.

-We need your help,
Sergeant McCall.

-This is my partner,
Sergeant Rick Hunter.

-Father Benson, pleasure.

How are you?

Maria.

-Uh, the county morgue
won't release Louisa's body

until we get permission
from the Detectives

who are investigating the case.

-I think I can help you
out, Father Benson.

Follow me.

-I'm sorry that I upset you
yesterday at the church.

No.

It is I who should
apologize to you.

Father Benson told me about
what happened to your family

in El Santiago.

I'm sure it must be
very painful for you.

-Yes, it is.

-While we're waiting, want
to go get a cup of coffee?

-OK.

-Why are you
lying to me, Alicia?

-I don't know what you mean.

-You give me no choice, Alicia.

The finest instruments
money can buy.

-Please.

I'm telling you the truth.

-We'll find out, won't we?

-Why are you doing this to me?

-Alicia, I already told you.

My life is in your hands.

You're the only one
who can help me.

Who knows?

-I don't know.

-I think you do.

-Please.

Please.

-Alicia.

Please.

No.

No.

Please.

No.

-Well, what if Mateo's
faked his own death?

What if the men is alive
and he's living in Los Angeles

right now?

-That's sounds like
a long shot to me.

-But it fits, Charlie.

That has to be the reason why
Louisa left Bernadette Lopas's

party early is because
she saw Mateos there.

-It just doesn't make any sense.

Barney says that who ever
cut up Alicia Martinez was

the same man who tortured
Louisa Gonzales six years ago.

-How we doing on
the Lopas guest list?

-We're tapped in
to NCIC, Captain.

We should know something
in a couple of hours.

-All right.

On the chance that
you're right on this,

I think we should give Maria
some protective custody.

-Thank you.

-Maria.

So glad I found you.

I've been looking for you.

-What is the matter?

Maria, we think that
your life may be in danger.

Will you come with me
now so I can take you

some place where you'll be safe?

-Give Charlie a call.

-OK.

Why don't we go take
a look at your room.

-How long are we
going to be staying here?

-Well, until we're sure
that you're out of danger.

-But from whom?

-Can I see you now?

-Charlie says that all
government records on Mateos

conveniently disappeared
before he supposedly

went down in that
airplane crash.

There's absolutely no
photograph of this guy

anywhere to be found.

-Guy knows how to cover
his tracks, doesn't he?

-Yeah.

Our only hope is Maria.

-I'll talk to her.

-Yeah.

Good luck.

Maria, can we talk?

Maria, you know who
Dr. Rafael Mateos is, don't you?

-Yes.

Why?

-We think that he's
living in Los Angeles.

-Mateos is dead.

-We think that he faked
his death in El Santiago

and that he assumed
a new identity.

-That can't be.

-We also have reason to
believe that he did kill your sister.

And he killed Alicia.

-Oh.

God.

Oh, no.

-Now, Maria, you
were there that night

that he came with the soldiers
and took your family away.

Do you remember
what he looked like?

-No.

I couldn't see.

It was too dark.

I was under the bed.

I couldn't see his face.

Well, did Louisa ever
describe his face to you?

-No.

She tried to forget his face.

She only told me his name.

-Maria, this is so important.

If we knew what he looked
like, we... Isn't there anyone

you know who can
recognize this man?

-He has killed them all.

He wiped out my whole family.

Mateos killed
every thing I love.

-Where is she?

-Just when I was going
take here, the police got there.

They took her with them.

Pomo, I cannot count
on you for anything.

-What could I do?

-Forget it.

Tomorrow I will finish this
deal and we will be out of here

for good.

-Where are you going?

-I have some details
to take care of.

-Who is it?

Stay away.

Please don't hurt me.

Oh, Lord, no.

No.

-Maria, what's the matter?

-A nightmare.

It was horrible.

He was trying to kill me.

-Who was?

-I don't know.

I couldn't see his face.

-It's a bad dream, Maria.

-You're safe.

Just a bad dream.

-Yeah.

Captain?

Just got to break down in
Bernadette Lopas's party list.

It seems that three of the
men were from El Santiago.

We can rule two of
them out due to age.

But the third one, the
third one is a possibility.

Eduardo Rodriguez.

Now, he arrived here from El
Santiago about six years ago.

-That's about the same time
Dr. Mateos supposedly died.

-That's right.

-Pick him up.

-Right.

Oh, and uh, call your partner.

I think she'd like to go along.

-Have a seat, Mr. Rodriguez.

-I'm not used to
be brought to police

stations in the
middle of the night.

-Yes, sir.

-What is this about?

Three days ago, a
woman from El Santiago

was working at a
party held in your honor

at Bernadette Lopas's house.

-Yes, yes. of course,
I remember the party.

The day after the party,
the woman was murdered.

We believe that she was killed
by someone from El Santiago

whose name was
Dr. Rafael Mateos.

-Are you insane?

Mateos is dead.

-Then you knew him?

-Yes, of course, I knew him.

What of that?

-Look, Mr. Rodriguez, we're
not accusing anybody as of now.

But uh you did enter this
country at the same time

Mateos was reportedly
killed in the plane crash.

And you do come from
the same province as he.

You're also, according to
our records, about same age.

-Oh, is that it?

You think I am that butcher.

-Now, wait a minute.

-What do you know
about Rafael Mateos?

I am the expert
in that department.

I know all about him,
the way he moves,

what he looks like, how
he walks, how he talks.

I studied him for days on end.

-Is that right?

-That's right.

I was a guest in one
of Guerrero's prisons.

Dr. Mateos came
to see me regularly.

-Can you prove that?

-Proof.

The proof is written in
the blood of my family.

All of them died under
the knife of Rafael Mateos.

If you don't believe what
I'm saying, believe this.

I am not Mateos.

I am his victim.

Look, I know that all the
circumstantial evidence points

to Rodriguez being
Mateos, but you

saw the scars on
Rodriguez's body.

-How could he be the guy?

-He has to be.

Look, Rodriguez
says that he made

his money after
he arrive in the US.

And that's true.

It came from the sale
of assets in El Santiago.

It's from the property that
he stole off his torture victims.

-But you're saying
the guy had himself

disfigured to
establish an alibi.

It's so sick.

-So is Mateos.

-Somebody in Father
Benson's parish

must be able to
recognize Mateos.

I'm going to go see.

-All right.

Stay on it.

-I'm going to go talk to Maria.

-Louisa.

Alicia.

My family.

They're all gone.

Why am I still alive?

Is it so I can go on reliving
this nightmare over and over?

-Maria, you can't feel guilty
because you've survived.

-It's as if I was still
under the bed watching.

You know that night, when
he came into our house,

he stood right there.

I could have reached
out and touched his leg

and I was looking
up into his face.

I couldn't see.

It was dark.

It was so dark.

Is that why I am alive,
because I have to live with this

darkness?

We came to the United
States because it was safe.

And the nightmare
followed us here.

It's just never going to stop.

It's just never going to stop.

I just want it to stop.

-What about Maria Gonzalvez?

If she hasn't said anything
to the police by now,

she never will.

I would feel a lot better if
you tell me where we're going.

-Trust me.

It's a place where people with
enough money can disappear.

Sunny, beautiful women,
a cover-up government,

we'll be kings.

-Are you taking that?

-I'm a doctor.

You never can tell when
an emergency might arise.

How many people
have you operated on?

-I've lost count.

I only recall my most
memorable cases.

Including myself.

-How could you scar yourself?

-Do you think I could
allow anyone else to do it

Those scars were my
passport into this country

as a political refugee.

They had to be perfect.

Now, they are my passport out.

You can't imagine it, can you?

But I could
imagine it perfectly.

The pain, the exquisite pain.

Before I made each incision, I
knew exactly how it would feel.

No one has a greater
understanding of pain

than I. Everyone should know
what their threshold of pain

is, Pomo.

The outer limits
of their endurance.

Would you like to find yours?

-Come on in.

I know you're not
going to like this.

Rodriguez has made
reservations to fly out of the country.

He leaves in three hours.

I'm sorry.

-We all know what
this guy has done.

And now he's going to get away.

-Knowing is one thing.

Proving is another.

We need a witness.

-Well, how's Hunter
doing with Father Benson?

-Nothing yet.

-Captain, Maria Gonzalvez
saw Mateos's face.

It was just at night.

She couldn't recognize him.

-Now, wait, wait a minute.

That's not right.

The Gonzalvez family
wasn't taken at night.

Alicia told Hunter it
happened during the day.

-What do you mean, in the day?

Alicia told me that
was it was at night.

It was too dark
to see his f... Do

you have that
flight information?

-Sure.

Where are you going?

-I'm going to go talk to Maria.

Tell Hunter to meet
me at the airport.

-Maria.

I have to talk to you.

-Why?

What good will it do?

-Just listen to me.

Sometimes, when something
very terrible happens in our lives,

the mind blocks it out.

We don't remember things exactly
the way they really happened.

-I told you what happened.

-Maria, you told me that when
Mateos came to your house,

that it was night,
that it was dark

and you couldn't see his face.

But it wasn't dark.

It was daytime and
you did see his face.

-No.

I couldn't see his face.

-Maria.

You were underneath the bed.

You looked up and
you saw the man's face.

-No.

-Maria.

-It was dark.

-Listen to me.

You saw the man
who killed your parents

and you saw the man
who took Louisa away.

You have got to help us.

Maria, he's not
going to hurt you.

We're not going to let him.

You did see Mateo's
face, didn't you?

-Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

Yes

Yes

Yes

Sergeant McCall.

What are you doing here?

-There's somebody
I'd like you to meet.

Maria Gonzalvez.

I believe you knew her sister.

-I thought we settled
all of this last night.

-Nothing has been settled.

Is this the man?

-It was you.

-Is this some kind of joke?

It means nothing.

It's her word only.

-Not any more, Rodriguez.

-Remember this
man, Mr. Rodriguez?

He remembers you.

-El Doctor de la Muerte.

-Everybody get down!

Everybody down!

-Everybody stand back.

We're police officers.

-You all right?

-Yeah, I'm fine.

-Excuse me, please.