All language subtitles for Hunter s04e21 Murder He Wrote

It's really good to see you all here
together.

Been too long.

Miss Brasher, you know what the slammer
is?

I believe so, Sergeant.

Grandfather hated him.

Hated me too, as a matter of fact.

Did Miss Brasher remind you of anybody?

Yeah. Uh -huh. She did.

I just couldn't figure out who it was.
Who is that? I don't know.

You are going to let me help you on in
this case, aren't you?

No, ma 'am, we're not.

That'd be fun.

Could be bizarre.

Do you know who killed him?

Of course.

If the pose is broke.

Maybe they're just not home.

How do you do? Sergeant Hunter, Sergeant
McCall, Metropolitan Homicide.

You're the police?

Yes.

Answering the call about a homicide?

Ah, yes.

A homicide.

Come with me, please.

The people you called are here, sir.

Thanks, Cecil.

Hello.

I'm Clarence Highland. Hi, Sergeant
McCall. Mr. Highland, Sergeant Hunter,

are you?

Please be seated. You had a homicide
report?

Yes, I have, but won't you please sit
down?

May I offer you something?

No, not for me, thank you. No, thanks.

Now, about the homicide, it hasn't
happened yet, which is...

Why, there are no bodies lying around.

Oh, please don't conclude I'm a nutcase.
I'm quite sane.

Here, look at this.

That's a brake hose.

It's an essential part of the braking
system in my car.

As you can see, it's been neatly cut.

It's nothing short of a miracle that
Clarence wasn't killed.

Jenny, I'm so glad you dropped by.

Oh, dear.

Police Sergeants McCall and Hunter,
Jennifer Brasher. How do you do? Hello.

do you do?

Jenny's my closest friend. I have no
secrets from her. Oh, that's because I

always pry them all out of him.

Oh, sit, sit.

Mrs. Brasher.

Brasher, I know that name. You're a
writer, aren't you?

Well, that's debatable.

If you call writing screenplays writing,
then I'm a writer. She's a writer and a

darn good one.

Did you see The Edge?

No, Miss, that was... What about Fatal
Obsession? Oh, Clarence, those were not

my best scripts. They were just the ones
that made the most money.

Mr. Hyland, let's get back to the
homicide.

Considering the circumstances here, I
think your best bet is the Traffic

Investigation Department.

Sergeant, whoever it was will certainly
try again, probably in some more

conventional way.

And that person can only be one of four
people.

I'd like you to be my guest for dinner
tonight so you can meet them.

Well, it wouldn't have to be official.

Clarence simply wants to invite you on
your own time to be his guest.

The other guests will be me, of course,
his three nephews and his niece, one of

whom tried to kill him yesterday.

Now, what makes you think one of the
four tried to kill you? They all have a

great deal to gain by Clarence's death
and a great deal to lose if he lives

another 20 years, which his doctors
assure him he will.

Well, what are we expected to do at this
dinner?

Eat.

Clarence feels sure that there will be
another attempt, and soon.

Now, if you have already met the four of
them, well, it would be of great

assistance to you in case an
investigation should ever be required.

Don't you agree?

No.

You see, Mr. Highland, I still think
that the traffic investigation

is your best bet. But, uh...

Now that I've met you and Sergeant
McCall, I'd be very pleased if you'd

my invitation.

We'll think about it and get back in
touch with you.

I do hope you can join us. I'd be deeply
grateful.

Mr. Hyland, thank you very much.

Cocktails are at 7, dinner at 8, and
it's casual. Please come as you are.

Miss Brasher, pleasure.

Thank you. Thank you. Bye -bye. Thank
you. Thank you.

What's the matter? Did Miss Brasher
remind you of anybody?

Yeah. Uh -huh. She did.

I just couldn't figure out who it was.
Who is that? I don't know, but I'll

of it.

Isn't that weird?

What do you think about this dinner?

Oh, come on. Brene sauce and snow peas
will get it.

It'll probably be the best meal either
one of us ever had.

Yeah.

Might be fun.

Could be bizarre.

You're early.

But I'm glad.

Uncle Clarence, how are you?

Always good to see you.

Where's Jennifer?

In the garden, I think.

I'll be right back. I want to talk to
her.

Something private?

Oh, it's very private.

Jennifer will no doubt tell you all
about it later on.

You look lovely as usual.

You've never said that before.

What have you got on your mind?

Problems, Jenny. I got problems on my
mind.

That sounds serious.

I, uh... I need money. I need a loan.

Can you help me?

You need a loan?

The bank has been lavishing money on the
four of you. $300 ,000 a year, last I

heard. And you need money?

Jenny, before those vultures would lend
us a dime, they had to make sure we'd

outlive Clarence.

They made each of us get life insurance.

Max, I assumed that.

So?

I, uh... I flunked my physical this
time.

Oh, I see.

They cut you off.

They wouldn't even lend me cab fare
home.

Well, Max, I am not a wealthy woman.

I... I can't lend you money to live on.
I just need enough to get by on. Until I

figure out what to do.

Well, let's go inside.

And we'll talk. With Clarence? You know
what he's going to say. Not with

Clarence.

It's really good to see you all here
together.

It's been too long.

I should say all except Michael.

Michael is Devin's fiancée. Fine young
man. I'm very fond of him.

How is Michael, Devin?

I haven't the slightest idea.

Don't tell me you and Michael are... I'd
rather not talk about it, Jennifer.

I'm sorry, dear.

Oh, I think you could say that we each
have a calling.

Take Byron, for example. He's true to
his namesake.

He's a poet.

No.

How is your novel progressing, Byron?

What page was on the last time you
asked?

Oh, I think it was 450.

Now it's about 300.

I made the mistake of reading it.

You're a writer.

No, I write.

A writer is someone who makes a living
writing, like Jennifer.

Jennifer doesn't write, Byron. You got
to get that straight.

Mac says that what I do isn't writing,
it's typing.

No, Jennifer, Truman Capote said that.

I merely stole it. Did he say it about
me?

Wonder who he stole it from.

Have you known my uncle long?

No, actually, not long at all.

But, you know, I think he's one of the
most charming men I've ever met.

Yeah? How many men have you met?

Not many.

Max is drunk.

Hey,

you know, you really ought to take the
time to get to know this man.

As you can see, he's brilliant.

He's brilliant.

Uncle Clarence tells me you're a
stockbroker.

Are you really?

Do you always believe the things your
uncle tells you?

He used to tell us the most awful lies
when we were kids.

And we loved them.

Well, I'm afraid he's done it to you
again.

Actually, I'm a botanist.

Oh, really? What do you do? Do you
teach?

Yes, at the university.

Thank you.

Do you believe in love at first sight?

No.

Do you?

I do now.

Aren't the others joining us?

No. Jennifer hates my cigars. And the
others, well, the others will do

suits them.

Sergeant Hunter?

No, thank you. I think I'll make myself
a drink. Please do.

I, uh... I won't like this if you share
Jennifer's low opinion of cigars.

It's fine, really. Go ahead.

Well, what did you think?

I find it difficult to believe that any
of them would want to kill you. I think

they all genuinely like you.

I always felt they did.

I love them, actually.

All of them.

But you think one of them's trying to
kill you.

You see that stern -looking gentleman?

Seamus Highland, born in 1845 without
money or prospects.

He died in 1929 and left a fortune worth
$30 million.

Oil, of course.

No, he didn't drill for it. He just
found a way to monopolize the

of it.

And over there, my father, Edward
Highland.

Grandfather hated him.

Hated me, too, as a matter of fact. I
was too young to notice it.

I was only six when the old buzzer died.

When Grandfather got ready to pass on,
he set up an irrevocable trust.

His son, Edward, would inherit nothing,
and Edward's children, that's me, I'm

the last grandchild left, would inherit
nothing.

You had to have inherited something, Mr.
Hyland.

Oh, yes, the income from the estate.

It went first to my father, and when he
died, it passed on to my sister and me,

and after her death, it all came to me.

The income's considerable, of course,
but the estate has remained untouched.

It's valued at over 200 million today.

Well, then your nephews are brothers,
and Devin is their sister?

No, no, no, no.

My dear sister married seven times. They
all had different fathers.

But to get back to your question,
Sergeant, when I die, the trust will be

dissolved. and the assets distributed
among the four young people you met

tonight. In the meantime, they haven't a
cent to their names.

I used to give them a generous
allowance, but I stopped doing that over

ago. Why's that?

Not one of them has ever done an honest
day's work in his life.

I thought it was time they did.

Have they?

Unfortunately, no.

On the prospect of their eventual
inheritance, every bank in town lined up

lend them money.

Let me ask you a question, Mr. Isle.

Have you ever done a day's work in your
life? Of course not.

Neither did my sister or my father. We
didn't have to.

But to get back to the problem I face,
those four young people are paupers,

living on borrowed money and will till
the day I die.

My grandfather lived to be 84.

So you think one of the four is tired of
waiting?

Somebody tried to kill me yesterday.

What else am I to think?

Well, I believe the others are in the
game room. Shall we join them?

Hello?

I'll take this in my study. Will you
hold, please?

You know, I wonder who's going to get
this house and all the furnishings.

I don't know. Let's ask him when he
comes out.

Do you know the names of the three
musketeers?

Let's see.

Pappy, Pee -wee, and Sneezy.

You've had enough of this.

As well.

Hi. Well, where's Clarence?

Clarence went into the study to take a
phone call. Oh.

How long has he been on that call?

I don't know, about ten minutes.

Clarence!

I thought it's locked.

He's dead.

Hunter?

Hmm.

22 Ruger.

Well, I'll gather everybody up in the
dining hall and call the lab.

Behind this wall is the living room. Is
there another way in or out of this

room? No, just the door and those
windows.

Well, this window's locked from the
inside. Did you or Sergeant Hunter leave

foyer even for a moment after Clarence
came into this room?

No, Mrs. Brasher, we didn't.

Then nobody could have left this room.

Which means...

The murderer must have already been in
here.

So he or she must still be in here,
wouldn't you

say? Well, it sounds logical, Mrs.
Brasher, but I really don't think that

there's anyone else in here.

Just us two.

Well...

It would appear then, Sergeant McCall,
that we have a locked room puzzle,

wouldn't you say?

No, I would say that there is another
way into this room.

No, if there were any such thing,
Clarence would have told me about it.

And I'm very surprised that you haven't
commented on another very significant

clue. What's that?

Well, the murderer left the gun behind.

So he or she must have wanted it found,
wouldn't you say?

No, I wouldn't.

The killer obviously knows that everyone
in this house is going to be searched.

I would doubt that there would be any
prints left on that gun, and it's

not traceable.

Okay, the lab's on its way.

May I stay with you, Sergeant Hunter?

I'd like that, yes.

Oh, good.

Perhaps I can help you look for clues.

Well, I actually see the technicians
will look for the clues. Why don't you

a seat right here? Thank you.

Tell me, Jennifer, it was about 10 or 15
minutes from the time everybody cleared

out of the dining room to the time you
came into the foyer. Where were you?

Well, didn't you see me carrying fresh
flowers in my hand when I came in? I

picked them in the patio garden.

Tell me, who stands to inherit
Clarence's estate, this house, for

I haven't any idea.

But I wouldn't be a bit surprised if I
do.

Do you know who killed him?

Of course.

One of those four idle, now very wealthy
young people. Or a combination of them.

Maybe all four of them planned it
together.

And very cleverly, too.

They're not stupid. They're not
unimaginative nor unmotivated.

Could you tell me what's behind this
wall?

Oh, a guest study and stairs leading to
the second floor.

You know, Sergeant Hunter, I'm a very
serious... student of crime, especially

murder. And I do know a great deal about
all those involved in this one.

You are going to let me help you with
this case, aren't you?

No, ma 'am, we're not.

Oh.

Ernie, let's go.

Reuben, I'll be in the dining room.

Jennifer, what's happening?

We're getting a lot of questions and no
answers.

All I know is that Clarence is dead.
Somebody shot him.

What do you got?

Mr. Majeska and Mr. Loire went into the
game room immediately following dinner.

They say that they stayed there and
played backgammon until you came to get

them. Mr. Van On Holt and Mr. Thornberry
went into the bar. After a while, Mr.

Van On Holt went upstairs, left Mr.
Thornberry in the bar alone.

Mr. Fowler and the staff were in the
kitchen. We were all in the kitchen,

from the time we cleared the table.

Till you came down and told us Mr.
Hyland was dead.

Eric, you went upstairs, I'll come.

To see my old room, I, uh... I always go
there when I visit Uncle Clarence.

It helps me to remember the good times
we had here.

Clarence was the only person in all our
lives who ever gave a damn about us.

Where's that room located?

It's up the stairs, directly above the
study.

Well, I'm gonna go check it out.

Yeah.

Mr. Fowler, would you and your staff
wait in the kitchen, please? Certainly.

Thank you.

You say that after Mr. Von Onholtz went
upstairs, he left you alone in the bar,

correct? As my blood alcohol content
will no doubt establish.

Did you see anyone?

The heavy question is, did anyone see
me?

The two of you were in the game room.

Did one of you leave for a minute or so?

No, we were together the whole time.

How well do the four of you know this
house?

Very well. We grew up here.

Byron's the youngest. He was four when
our mother died, and Clarence brought us

here. Is there another entrance into
Clarence's study other than the door

the foyer?

No. Is there a phone in this house
that's not connected to the three PBX

Why? Well, the call that came through
took your uncle into his study alone.

It's possible that that call originated
from inside the house.

There is a phone in the extra study.

Clarence liked to call it Jennifer's
office.

That phone's not part of the PBX system.

Jennifer's office.

So, Mrs. Brash, when did she leave?

A minute ago.

Officer Biggs is going to have to take
all of your fingerprints, if none of you

mind.

No. Thank you.

I gave this lamp a twist, boom, open
sesame.

Now, I used two fingers, so if there are
any prints up there, we'll get them.

But, Hunter, this door hasn't been open
in a long time.

Months, maybe years.

So, still appears we have a locked room
puzzle, eh, Sergeant?

How you doing, Jennifer? I see you're
still on the case.

Mrs. Brasher.

Would you mind going back into the
dining room and having Officer Biggs

your fingerprints? I'd be very happy to,
Sergeant. Oh, Miss Brasher, before you

leave, tell me, when did Clarence build
this house?

Oh, he didn't.

When his sister died, he needed a place
to raise her children, so he bought this

house. Well, did he know about this
paneling?

I doubt it.

I certainly didn't.

Okay, yeah, thank you.

Jennifer, how good to see you again.

Is that the door leading to the study
you talked to me about?

Oh, yes.

Clarence used to call it Jennifer's
office, but I seldom used it. You have a

for it?

Yes, but I never locked the door.

Anyone could have used the phone in
there.

I think you should dust it for prints.

Well, speaking of prints, why don't you
hop into the dining room and have yours

taken?

All right.

Good.

Thank you.

When Sergeant Hunter comes out of there,
no one touches anything, no one goes

through that panel.

Okay? Ruben? Yes?

I need a complete set of blueprints, and
I want to ship this through this house.

I want to find out who built this panel
there.

I wondered when I'd be seeing you again.

Moving, huh?

Yeah, the bank cut off my credit. I
can't afford to live here anymore.

Hey, babe, who are you talking to?

Michael, this is one of the police
sergeants I told you about. Oh. Hi.

What's up?

Well, actually, I had something to
discuss with you. Perhaps you'd prefer

it in private.

Michael and I got married yesterday.

Nothing is private between us.

Well, congratulations.

Thanks.

I guess I really owe it to this case
you're on.

Devin had some kind of crazy idea that I
wanted her for her money.

But when she found out that the trust
executives were blocking the

of the estate and I still wanted to
marry her, she said yes.

That's great.

We're looking for your brothers, Max and
Byron. Apparently they've both moved

and neither one's left a forwarding
address.

Do you have any idea where we can find
them?

Byron's using a friend's house at
Malibu.

He'll either be writing or sleeping, so
you'll find him there.

I don't know where Max is. I'm very
worried about him.

Thanks.

Devin, I have another question
concerning the gun that was used to kill

uncle. The registration number on it had
been filed off, and we had it restored.

The gun is registered to you.

The gun was stolen.

I reported it stolen six months ago. Do
you have any idea who may have stolen

it? Devin told me that Eric took it. No,
Michael.

I just happened to notice that it was
gone the day after Eric and Mrs. Brasher

had lunch with me here.

Well, then why didn't you suspect Mrs.
Brasher? I didn't suspect anyone.

I see.

Is your brother Eric still at this
address?

Yes, but I'm sure he didn't take the
gun.

The address on these boxes, is this
where I'll be able to reach you in the

future? Yeah. Can I write it down for
you?

Yeah, thank you. And may I use your
phone? Sure, it's right there.

Thanks.

Hunter, I'm over at Devin's.

She has no idea where Max is, but I do
have Byron's address. I'm going to head

on over there right now.

And by the way, that address on Eric is
current.

11490 Wilshire, suite 1505.

You crazy? That cost me 5 ,000 bucks.

What about this? What did this cute
little item set you back?

Look, don't touch that. Castle knows
I'll pay him. Like hell he does. He

for the money over a week ago. He got
nothing.

I'll pay him.

How?

I'll borrow it.

The banks won't even let you in the damn
door.

Look, I got friends.

Yeah.

They're gonna hand you 200 grand
tomorrow.

I asked you a question.

Oh, please, look, don't break that.

Tomorrow?

Yeah.

You're a liar.

Freeze, police!

Eric, get their guns.

Get your hands up.

Eric, over here on the table.

All right, both of you down on your
knees.

Let's go, come on.

Cross your legs behind you.

Now put your hands behind your head.

Clasp them good.

Now both you idiots stare at the cottage
cheese on the ceiling.

Jimmy, this is Hunter.

I want you to send a black and white out
to 11490 Wilshire Boulevard, apartment

1505. Make it quick, will you?

Yeah. Thanks.

Eric, I suggest you pay Coslow the money
you owe him and get on with your life,

huh? Yeah, I'm gonna do that.

I passed the bar and I graduated from
Stanford Law six years ago.

The firm that's been representing me
offered me a job.

Start Monday.

Where's Max?

I don't know. I've been trying to find
him. He just vanished.

Go away. I'm busy.

It's the police. Open up.

What can I do for you, Sergeant?

May I come in?

For how long?

That depends on you.

Have a seat.

Thanks.

I gather you still don't know who killed
my uncle.

We're working on it.

You and Devin alibied each other. I
think you ought to know the gun that was

used to kill your uncle was registered
to Devin.

You sure of that?

Absolutely sure.

She did have a gun, but somebody stole
it.

I told her to report the theft. I don't
know if she did.

Yeah, she did.

But maybe that gun was stolen by one of
her brothers.

Like, maybe you?

That's a lot of maybes.

Look, can I save you some time?

You can try.

Not a Max, nor Eric, nor me, nor Devin
is capable of killing anyone.

But especially not Clarence.

We loved him with all our hearts.

Well, then that leaves Mrs. Brasher,
doesn't it?

Is that what you're trying to tell me?

Jennifer killed him? I'm just saying
that we didn't.

Your brother Max is missing. Do you have
any idea where he is?

Max is an alcoholic.

He'll show up when he needs some money.

Working on your novel, huh?

Yeah.

It should be finished in two or three
months.

What's it about?

People who have nothing because they
have everything.

Sort of autobiographical?

Do you have any idea what it's like to
discover that there's this great,

fabulous game being played out there,
and you haven't been eligible?

Who said you weren't eligible?

Nobody had to say it.

It's like everybody's out there in the
thick of it, you know, trying to figure

out who they are, what they've got to
give, what they, you know, how far they

can go, whether they'll kill the beast
or be killed.

I never realized what a wild, wonderful
challenge that was until they told me

that the distribution of old Seamus
Highland's fortune was going to be

maybe for years to come.

It was like being born again.

I threw out the novel I was writing. I
started on this one.

For the first time, I'm in the damn
game.

It's a great feeling to know that either
I finish this thing or I starve to

death.

Well, good luck.

Thanks.

I'll need it.

Sergeant Hunter.

How nice to see you. Come on in.

You know, uh, Max Thornberry
disappeared.

He was the last one to see him.

Well, if that's a question, I think I'll
refuse to answer.

You know what the slammer is?

I believe so, Sergeant.

Would you like to go there?

On what grounds?

Obstruction of justice.

You know much more than you've been
telling me.

I drove Max to the Farnsworth Clinic in
Palm Springs and signed him in for the

full 12 weeks here. That's a very
expensive visit. Who paid for it?

I did. What?

Max would have been dead in a month if I
hadn't taken him to the clinic.

I did it for Clarence. You know, Max had
a very good motive for killing

Clarence. The bank stopped lending him
money because he couldn't pass his

insurance bill.

Make up your mind, Sergeant.

Am I the suspect or Max?

Why not both of you?

I wondered if you'd find out about Max's
insurance difficulty.

So you knew.

Oh, yeah. And you didn't tell me about
it.

Why don't we have some tea?

I recognize the murder gun as Devin's.

I also know that Eric is a compulsive
gambler.

who owes a great deal of money to a
bookmaker named Eddie Koslow. You could

told me that earlier and saved me a lot
of problems.

So you think Max and I joined forces to
bump off Clarence Highland.

You don't really believe that, do you?
Does the date February 2nd, 1987 mean

anything to you?

No. Why?

Because that date was circled in red on
Clarence's calendar.

Four days later, all monies were cut off
to his niece and nephews.

Sorry, I can't help you.

Let's not forget about the slammer.

If that secret panel was there when
those children moved in, they would have

found it.

Which points to all four of them.

Because they all claimed not to know any
other way into that room.

But you and I both know that they didn't
do it, right?

What's the other choice?

I don't know.

But I'm going to find it.

Carl Hunter.

I'm at the morgue with Barney.

Look, I got an idea.

Take exhibit A, load it with blanks, and
meet me out at the Clarence Highland

estate.

I'll try it.

Yeah, as soon as you can.

I'll explain it to you when you get
there.

Okay, thanks.

Hey, great. Thanks for coming.

The gun can is loaded.

Fantastic. Come on over here.

Now, I found this string the other day
while I was looking through Clarence's

desk.

loop right around here. Tighten it down
to keep it in place.

What are you doing?

Barney did an autopsy on Clarence.

Found out he had leukemia. What?

He had probably less than a year to
live.

Are you kidding me? No.

He didn't want those kids inheriting $50
million apiece. He was going to do

whatever it took to keep that money on
ice.

Maybe February 2nd was the day that
Clarence found out he was sick. That's

exactly correct. Excuse me.

Four days later, he cuts off all monies
to them.

Now, Clarence is sitting here. Of
course, he had a cigar.

Light the string.

As you can see, the string burns without
a trace of ash.

Clarence killed us.

That's all very true, Sergeant.

I was with Clarence when he was told he
had leukemia.

And when the bank stepped in to lend
them money.

Clarence brooded about it for a year.

And then he did what he thought he had
to do.

To be sure that the trust was not
distributed for as long as possible.

Are you saying that you knew he intended
to kill himself that night?

No.

He would never have told me what he was
going to do. He knew I wouldn't let him

do it.

But he did it.

And if you report what you have just
found...

You will undo everything he died to
accomplish.

What was he trying to accomplish?

You've already seen it happening.

He wanted his children to have
meaningful lives.

His father and his sister had
meaningless, empty, worthless lives.

And so did Clarence, until those four
children suddenly became his to raise.

They were his salvation, and he loved
them.

You placed the call to Clarence that
night, didn't you? You got him into this

study alone. He asked me to place the
call, yes.

Then he put me on hold, and he came in
here.

And he asked me to go out and get some
fresh flowers and bring them in.

I demanded to know what was going on,
and he said, just pick the flowers,

I promise I'll tell you about it later.

I should have guessed.

I'll never forgive myself that I didn't.

When we found him dead, I knew then, of
course.

And I knew why.

So I tried to make it as difficult as
possible for you.

The children had to look guilty.

if that will was to be held up.

But surely you must have known that had
we not figured this out, the four of

them could have gone to prison or worse.

No.

Clarence knew I would never let that
happen.

He knew that I would be able to figure
it out just as you have.

I wanted Clarence to achieve what he
died for.

And I still do.

It would be a terrible, terrible thing
if you reported what

you have discovered here.

No crime was committed.

Suicide is not a crime.

Jeannie, we can't do that.

Are you really prepared to take away
from Clarence what he did for those

It's not up to us to make that decision.

But it's already working.

I mean, Byron is writing.

And Devon is finally able to accept a
man's love. Eric is doing what he was

trained to do. And Max... Well, I don't
know, but it... But there is hope that

he can be cured.

Please.

Forget what you found.

It's going to be very difficult for us
to make this report.

But we will be telling the truth.

For Clarence's sake, I had to ask,
didn't I?

Yes, you did.

Thank you.

For...

Understanding why.

Thank you.