All language subtitles for hunter_s05e16_blood_line

Tonight on Hunter.

He's dead.

Whoever's responsible for killing the
horse is also responsible for the

death. And I want you two to do
something about it. You're coming out of

with four million bucks.

No one else can say that. I didn't
wiggle my ass till even that Irish mule

couldn't help but notice. At least he
noticed.

Stupid people do stupid things.

I think you're connected to his death.

I'll kill you!

I'll kill you!

Holy hell, it's Zephyr Blue!

Try to calm him down.

Jenny!

That's upper blue. He's going crazy.

No, no, no. You better get down here
right away.

Get him out of there before he hurts
himself.

Whoa, whoa, whoa.

Whoa, whoa.

Zephyr Blue kicked him.

Call an ambulance. Get my bag.

Now.

What set him off?

I don't know. He was tearing the place
apart when I came in.

Chris has been kicked. I'm going to get
an ambulance. Get a truck.

God's getting a truck.

Be quicker than waiting for an
ambulance.

Is it bad?

Oh, no.

He's just having a wee nap, you idiot.
He was kicked in the head. We're taking

him to the hospital.

Ted, what's wrong with him?

He's dead.

What? Just like that? How?

I'm going to need a hand with Chris.

Okay. Three, one, two, three. Easy.

Okay, I got his head.

is the rest of my work.

How come you always finish your reports
before I do?

I use smaller words.

You know, I think I need an energy
burst. Will you get me something from

machine? Something with chocolate?

Hey, you seen this?

This morning's sports page right there
in the headline?

Zephyr Blue. Can you believe someone
would kill a horse like that?

Well, Captain, it doesn't say kill.

That's because they haven't read the
autopsy report.

The vet found a tranquilizer dark in
Zephyr Blue's flank. Someone killed that

horse, and I want you two to do
something about it. But that's a

That's not a homicide.

Wrong.

When the horse died, he sort of went
crazy.

A couple of the employees out there at
the Hidden Valley Ranch tried to calm

down. One of them, a groom named Chris
Marley, got kicked in the head. He died

this morning of his injuries.

It's manslaughter. At least.

Whoever's responsible for killing the
horse is also responsible for the

death.

You know, I'm not a heavy better. I go
to the track four or five times a year,

but that horse was a real beauty.

Anyway, it's your case.

Hidden Valley Ranch. That's way out in
the hills, isn't it?

Okay, Dale, grab your bridge if it hit
the trail.

So you and your husband own Zephyr Blue
as well as these facilities, is that

correct? Yes.

And you just recently mated Zephyr Blue?
Nearly three weeks ago to a mare named

Reef Rider.

Now who had access to the horse this
morning?

Who lives on this compound?

My husband Jerry and I, we live here.

And whenever we stud a horse, we lease
our bungalows to all the parties

involved.

It keeps them from having to get a hotel
room in town.

So Michael Mullenby, the mayor's owner,
he's on the grounds.

And so are Wade and Bonnie Arlington,
the prospective owners of Reef Riders 4.

If the breeding was successful, it's too
early to tell. We'll know in the next

couple of days.

Yeah, who else?

Ted White, our vet, and our grooms,
Jenny, Garth, and Chris

Marley.

We're heartbroken.

Chris was only 20.

All the grooms were trying to steady the
horse. Chris had just gotten away.

Jerry waited with him at the hospital
all night until it was over.

We all thought it was an accident.

And now you're here.

Losing Zephyr Blue must have set you
back financially, huh?

It's not often you claim a horse for $1
,200 and it turns out to be a champion.

But we don't care about the money.

We love Zephyr Blue like a child.

How much was he insured for?

Two million dollars.

But only for a racing injury or natural
death.

We won't collect a dime.

Hello. I'm Jerry Kessler. Mr. Kessler,
Sergeant Hunter. If you don't mind, I've

got some things to take care of.
Certainly.

Thanks very much.

Who'd ever thought?

My vet says it was PCP, enough to kill
an elephant.

Keep PCP here on the grounds, do you?

Yeah.

But just the vet has access to it.

So I guess anybody could have taken it
out of his wagon. It's not like we keep

things under lock and key around here.
Who'd want to kill your horse, Mr.

Gaslatt?

I just don't know.

Your wife was telling me that Mr.

Mullenby, is it, owns the mare? That's
right.

Where could I find him?

He's down at our track.

This way? Yeah, straight down. To the
left?

I'll be talking to you later, Mr.
Kessler. Thanks.

First, the dart is filled with the
medication of choice. This is an empty

Then it's simply slipped into the tranq
gun like that, and then it's just a

matter of aiming and firing.

Does anyone else at Hidden Valley Ranch
have a tranq gun? I have no idea.

I do know that the dart that was used
was lethal. It had 500 milligrams or so

PCP, and it had to collapse the horse's
nervous system like a house of cards.

How long would it take that horse to
react after it was shot with the dart?

Oh, that would be almost instantly.

And it was fired at very close range.
The dart was very deep into the muscle.

You know, I've put down dozens of great
horses with a broken leg or that kind of

thing. It's always a great loss, but at
least it's humane.

This was just plain murder.

I'd like to take the gun back to the lab
to determine if it was the one that was

used to shoot Dr.

Bloom.

Sergeant, you certainly don't suspect me
of anything.

Well, Doctor, you don't know of anyone
that would have reason to kill that

horse, do you?

No.

Neither do I.

Until I do, I have to cover all possible
odds.

Thank you.

Why does my company pay off to the tune
of two million bucks?

Zephyr Blue did not die a natural death.
End of report.

So why is the policy restricted?

Sergeant, does the word fraud sound
familiar?

Look, thoroughbreds aren't cheap.

You might as well put $50 bills in their
feed buckets.

When they don't win, people have this
habit of trying to collect on them.

my horse ran into a tractor.

Yeah, well, Zephyr Blue was a winner.

You asked. Look, I don't know who offed
an egg. I do know Jerry Kessler won't

get a shekel from us.

You want to move?

Mr. Mullenby.

Yes, what is it?

I'm Sergeant Hunter.

The Kesslers told me that you own Reef
Rider, the horse that Zephyr Blue was

mated to about three weeks ago.

That's right.

He's a three -time winner of the Cork
Stakes and once came second in the Irish

Derby.

I understand that you were there the
morning they found Zephyr Blue. What

brought you to the stables?

Well, my bungalow isn't that far from
the barn.

I heard the ruckus, sir.

It woke me up just about dawn.

Naturally, I was concerned, so I went
over to the barn to have a look.

And what did you see?

Well, it was Kistler's regular vet, Ted
White. He was on his way, and, uh...

Well, by the time we got there, Marley
was lying on the floor unconscious, and

the other grooms were trying to calm the
poor animal down.

Now, who the hell would want to kill
that horse?

Have you talked to Wade Arlington?

No. Mr. Arlington is on my list, though.

Well, I happen to know that... Wade and
Bonnie Arlington are nearly bankrupt.

You see, Wade squandered all the money
his father left him, buying every

worthless thoroughbred he could find.

Sure, the man has no eye for horse
flesh. What does that have to do with

anything?

Well, if my horse, Reef Rider, drops a
foal sired by Zephyr Blue, Arlington

it. Now, with Zephyr Blue dead, the
value of that foal becomes two or three

times more than Arlington paid for it.
How much do you think?

Over $4 million.

Enough to get Arlington out of the hole,
hmm?

Well, wouldn't Arlington be taking a
risk killing Zephyr Blue before he found

out that Reef Rider took?

That's what horse racing's all about,
Sergeant.

Risk. And Arlington's not afraid of
making a bet like that.

Sure, the man has hawked everything.

Has loans out everywhere.

He's desperate.

You look into it.

You'll see I'm telling the truth.

I'll do that.

Thanks.

Well, it's kind of funny you should
accuse Mullenby because he's accused

I wouldn't trust that man any further
than I could throw him.

I wouldn't take anything Michael
Mullenby has to say about us very

He's just trying to get even. Yeah, for
what?

We bought the coat that Zephyr Blue
hopefully fired with Mullenby's horse,

Rider. Our bid was substantially higher
than the others, not that it matters

much to Mr. Mullenby.

He has a personal axe to ground with us.

Yeah, why is that?

My father owned a Kentucky breed farm,
partnered with Mullenby.

When my father died, Mullenby claimed he
was the sole owner. We sued him.

We won nearly $5 million, not that
Bonnie and I needed the money.

He has considered us mortal enemies ever
since.

You see, we have no reason to want
Zephyr Blue dead.

We don't even know if Refrider took.

You will know that in a couple days, all
right?

Possibly tomorrow.

If she isn't pregnant, then Zephyr
Blue's line ends here.

And you won't have to give Mullenby any
money.

And if the horse is pregnant, then
you'll have a fall worth, what, three or

times what you paid for it? Did Mullenby
tell you that? Yeah. Don't you see what

he's doing?

No, I don't.

He's trying to frame me for the death of
Zephyr Blue. He's trying to ruin my

name. Oh, that's a little extreme, don't
you think? You keep your eye on him.

You'll find extremity to be well within
Mr. Mullenby's means.

They're going to know, Mullenby. Ain't
going to happen, Jerry boy. Ain't going

to happen.

You're useless.

I'll kill you, Mullenby.

I'd never seen Zephyr Blue act like that
before. It was like he was going crazy.

Some people are blaming him for Chris
getting kicked in the head, but Zephyr

Blue was never mean.

How long have you been Zephyr Blue's
groom?

Since he was born.

This was right before the Kesslers
claimed him.

They saw his potential, and I just
stayed on as his groom.

Do you know if the Kesslers had any
enemies?

Any people that might have...

Wanted to hurt Zephyr Blue to get back
at them.

Nobody I can think of.

You really loved that horse, didn't you?

When he died, I died too.

Good day to you, Mrs. Arlington.

Mr. Mullenby?

Please.

Call me Michael.

Why?

Listen, I've seen you strutting around
this place.

What's a fine woman like you doing with
a ponce like Wade Arlington?

Won't you?

No, can't be.

Not unless you, uh...

miscalculated during your courtship.

That glue factory he calls a stable.

What a joke.

You're boring me, Mullenby.

Well, maybe it's time for you to
acknowledge the fact that you made a

Maybe it's time for you to try and
correct it.

At least for a couple of nights.

And maybe it's time for you to talk to
my husband.

I don't care how big your operation is.

I don't care how many times you fly over
here on the Concorde. You don't belong

in this business.

You're a lowlife bastard and nothing's
ever going to change that.

Come off it, laddie.

You're talking low.

There's nothing lower in my book than a
man who kills a horse for his own

profit. That's a lie and you know it.

I only know that you're coming out of
this with four million bucks.

No one else can say that.

You killed that horse to ruin my
reputation.

Well, that's one hell of a reach.

Hard to ruin that which doesn't exist in
the first place.

Don't press your luck.

There's nothing I'd rather do than whip
you again at your own game.

Sonny, you couldn't whip anyone.

Everyone knows it's your wife who holds
the whip in your family.

That's right.

That's where that tail belongs, boyo.

Right between your legs.

Your Honor, I'm going to take you to the
baddest restaurant in the city.

And this weekend, two nights on Catalina
Island.

One step at a time, sporty.

The sweetest... Honey is loathsome in
its own deliciousness.

Which means?

Romeo and Juliet.

The best is meant to last.

Don't go away, Mom.

Romeo and Juliet, huh?

Romeo and Juliet.

Romeo and Juliet.

As I recall, a lot of people die in
Romeo and Juliet.

What is it, McCall? I have got a hostage
going you wouldn't believe.

What's that, the lottery?

Leona, she can't keep her hands off of
me.

Yeah, well, it must be your personal
magnetism, hmm?

What up?

I want you to tell me everything that
you know about the death of a

whose name was Zephyr Blue.

There wasn't any insurance money
involved. We're having a hard time

a motive.

I will do some research and development
among people in the know. Now, when do

you need this for?

When do I need it? I needed it
yesterday.

Look, you know how it is. If it's going
to infringe on any of your time with

Leona... I love you, McCall, but nothing
come between me and Leona. Not even my

favorite people, okay?

Must be your magnetism.

How you doing, Jenny?

Hi. Just fine.

Well, that's a beauty.

Yeah. What kind of horse was that?

Thoroughbred.

Yeah? How old is he?

Nine.

How can you tell that?

By his teeth.

Let me see your teeth.

Do they have little rings around them?

Where can I find the Arlington?

Down there. Look for the Rolls Royce.

Right down here? Mm -hmm.

Bye.

Is this how you get your kicks?

Prying into other people's lives?

I don't see how our financial status is
any of your business. It's all a public

record, Mr. Arlington. It's a temporary
setback. It's nothing major. Listen.

How much do you think Zephyr Blue's
foals appreciated since his death? Damn

I couldn't kill a horse for money. That
goes against everything my family stood

for. I love horses. Yeah, I know you do,
but give me a ballpark figure. How

much?

Three, maybe four million dollars.

Three, four million dollars. And yes,
that would wipe away most of my debts,

I swear to you, I did not kill Kessler's
horse. I told you that before.

Wade!

The vet just ran a test on Reef Rider.
It's positive. She's in full!

We own Zephyr Blue's coat.

Uh, do you mind if we, uh... No, not at
all. Congratulations.

Our ballistics report backs you up.

The dart that killed Zephyr Blue did not
come from your gun.

Seems to me I, uh, told you that before.

It seems to me I told you that we had to
cover all possible angles, so... Now,

about the PCP that was used to kill the
horse, were you missing any?

I checked. I couldn't tell. 500
milligrams isn't enough for me to know.

I mean, it's not enough to miss.

So they might have got it from me or
they might have got it from somebody

It's the most common animal tranquilizer
around.

Hey! Get away from my horse!

Who gave you permission to hunt for my
horse?

I work here, Mr. Mullenby. I don't need
permission.

You do when it's reef rider.

Now, you stay away from her.

What's your problem?

Hey, leave him alone. Get away from him.

Get up, you little coward.

That's enough.

He had it coming.

Are you all right? Yeah, I'm all right.

Takes somebody a lot tougher than him to
hurt me. Shut up, you little runt.

Can I talk to you for a minute? Yeah,
you. Come on.

You're a regular barroom brawler, aren't
you?

So, what's it to you?

You know, you're not looking too good in
all this, Mullenby. People don't seem

to like you.

He was handling my horse. No one touches
her without my permission. Yeah.

You ever use a tranquilizer gun?

Sure. Once or twice.

Recently. I told you before, Sergeant.

If you're looking for someone with good
reason to kill Zephyr Blue, look into

Wade Arlington. Yeah, Wade Arlington. I
know all about it. Forget about him. I

suspect you, Mullenby. You know why?

Because you're stupid.

And stupid people do stupid things.

To the successful fruit of two great
lines.

I'd like to toast the memory of Chris
Marley, this fine young man who will be

greatly missed, and to the memory of
Zephyr Blue, the fact that his spirit

live on in the form of a foal. I think
Chris Marley would be pleased with that.

You're here.

Where's Mullenby?

Making some kind of annoying statement
with his absence?

I called his bungalow and gave him the
news.

You'd think he'd want to celebrate his
mayor being in full.

I told him we were getting together. He
said he'd be here. Well, I was sure he

was there when we went by, honey. He's
going to be upset with all of us if he

thinks we forgot him. Who cares? True.

I'll go get him.

Heart arrhythmia followed by respiratory
collapse followed by total cardiac

arrest. In other words, his heart and
lungs gave out.

Toxicological exam showed that he died
the same way the horse did.

Tranquilizer gun?

Apparently. They found a dart stuck in
his ribs.

Well, the Arlington's, the Kessler's,
Dr.

White, Garth, Ginny, two kitchen
helpers, they were all there. Any one of

could have done it, but why would they
want to kill Mullendy?

I think the key is why would they want
to kill the horse in the first place?

You know, we don't seem to be getting
any closer on this case. The field's

wide open. Yeah, well, the field may be
wide open, but I got some ideas. Excuse

me.

You gonna drink very much more of that,
darling?

I most certainly am.

Just as much...

Such as I can hold.

Or were you simply being pointlessly
rhetorical?

No. No, I was just trying to calculate
how long it's going to take before

completely stewed to the eyeballs.

Isn't that what you boys at the VMI used
to call getting fried to the gills?

Very cute.

You were such a cute boy, Wade.

Damn it, Bonnie.

We don't need you getting filthy drunk.
We both need to keep our wits about us.

You have wits?

I hadn't noticed.

Oh, yeah, it was you who threw that
punch at Michael Mulanby in front of

cop, I believe.

Yeah, well, I didn't wiggle my ass all
over this farm till even that thick

mule couldn't help but notice.

At least he noticed.

I don't save my old calendars or I'd be
able to tell you the last time you

noticed. You know, there's really not
that much left to catch my eye.

You pitiful thing.

You had to try and be a man at the wrong
time.

Now we're this close to a murder charge.

Aren't we, darling?

Mullenby didn't give a damn about the
horses.

He was just in it for the bucks.

He was the biggest jerk I ever met.

Well, you've had dealings with him
before, huh? Yeah.

Yeah, he bought a mare here a couple of
years ago.

What's the relationship between Mullenby
and Kessler?

Never could figure that out.

They're complete opposites.

Kessler's a hell of a guy.

And Mullenby is a jerk, right?

You said it.

It must have been kind of embarrassing
to have him slapping around the barn

yesterday, huh?

Enough to kill him?

Oh, come on.

I didn't have anything to do with that.
Somebody did.

All right.

All I know is the night before Mullenby
was killed, Kessler and him had an

argument in the stalls.

I don't know what it was about, but
Mullenby blew up and decked Kessler. And

while he was down, he kicked the hell
out of him.

Kessler rolled around trying to get out,
but Mullenby flipped out. He just kept

kicking him.

What did Kessler do?

I don't know what you mean.

Well, he must have done something. What
did he say?

He threatened to kill Mullenby.

Don't you look at the map lately, boy?

This is not Reno.

Put the money down, get against the back
wall.

Sergeant, this is really not the time.
Yeah, yeah, I hear it every day. Come

come on.

Yeah,

either do I. This is Fat Ernie. He's
South Central L .A.'s resident expert on

horse flesh, and he just got you doing
sex in a county jail on a bookmaking

beef.

Ernie, you ought to be more careful.

Yeah, well, maybe you could ask your
vice friends to cut me a little slack

time. Depends on what you got.

There was a ton of west side action
riding on whether Zephyr Blue and Reef

would produce a fool.

What, are you kidding?

Everybody knows that Zephyr Blue has a
low sperm count.

Last time they tried to study him, it
didn't take him. So the odds were

about 80 to 20 against the fold.

Check it out.

Then I get a phone call from the guy who
wants to lay 100 ,000 on a reef rider

making a baby.

That's a high roll from somebody I never
heard of.

Against the odds?

So I get a little curious.

Turns out the man's name is Nance.

And the man works at the biotesting
labs.

Guess what he does for a living. I
wouldn't have the slightest idea. Both

you, back up against this wall.

We

test all

species of animal sperm for fertility.

Just last week, we examined the sperm of
a Bengal tiger for Zeus.

Did you ever test a thoroughbred called
Zephyr Blue?

Oh, of course. That's Mr. Kessler's
stallion.

Here we are.

The examination was to determine whether
he was capable of being a fire.

I have a copy of our certification.

Zephyr Blue was fertile.

Do you have a backup sample here?

No, we're a testing lab, not a sperm
bank.

Did you do the test yourself?

No, it was Mr. Nance.

Mr. Nance.

Well, I'd like to discuss a testing
procedure with him, if I may. Of course.

Eric, this detective will...

Hold it!

Where are you going, Eric?

Did you verify the test result?

I don't understand.

standard procedure to have another lab
technician verify the analysis.

I told you, Zephyr Blue was fertile. Now
I've got nothing else to say. Really?

Well, I got a bookie named Ernie who
says you do.

That doesn't mean anything.

I think you doctored the test results
and Jerry Kessler paid you to do it.

I don't know what you're talking about.

Recognize that man?

Kessler's partner.

He was murdered.

Now I think you're connected to his
death.

Not a chance.

Look, the man said no one would ever
find out.

Do you have any idea how much a lab
technician makes? About as much as the

Who paid you, Jerry Kessler?

Jerry Kessler.

Continue, Mr. Kessler.

Well, it was Mullenby's idea.

After he approached me about mating
Zephyr Blue with Reef Rider, I tested

and he tested infertile. I told
Mullenby, but Mullenby said that we

pick up a quick million each.

Now, this place isn't the moneymaker
that it looks like. I needed that stud.

So after Mullenby explained his scheme,
I went along with it.

And you both planned to kill the horse
afterwards, right?

We couldn't chance anyone finding out
that he was infertile. So Mullenby jumps

the gun, kills Zephyr Blue before he
could find out if Reef Rider was

That's why you were fighting with him in
the stables, right? He hated Arlington.

Mullenby killed Zephyr Blue while
Arlington was still on the grounds,

for news of the foal.

He wanted to ruin the man's reputation.

We'd been artificially inseminating Reef
Rider every chance we could get.

Mullenby knew that the odds were in our
favor for a foal and we'd collect our

money from Arlington. And he jumped at
the chance to make the breeding

think that Arlington killed Zephyr Blue,
even though nobody could prove it.

You knew you couldn't trust Mullenby.
That's why you killed him, huh?

I didn't do it.

Now, you can charge me with fraud and
greed or even plain stupidity, but...

I didn't kill Michael Mullenby.

The DA has just filed first -degree
murder charges against Jerry Kessler.

What? You don't look too happy about
that.

No, I'm not. Look, see, Kessler and
Mullenby were partners all the way down

line, right?

Right. They conspired to defraud
Arlington with Zephyr Blue and then kill

horse so nobody would find out about it.

Yeah, so Kessler killed Mullenby so that
no one would find out about their

scheme. Right. But see, I don't agree
with that.

Kessler admits to fraud, but he doesn't
admit to killing Mullenby. Now, I

believe... There's a couple of people
out here at that horse ranch that had

perfect motive to kill Mullenby.

The stories just don't jive.

I don't think Kessler killed Mullenby.

Well, who do you think did?

I don't know.

We'd better find out.

Garth!

Hey, Sergeant.

Listen, I'd like to ask you a couple of
questions about the morning that Zephyr

Blue died.

Shoot.

Shoot. See that around here and you're
liable to find a trank dart sticking out

of your butt. Yeah, now you told
Sergeant McCall that when you responded

noise in Zephyr Blue's stall, you went
by Jenny's apartment, but she wasn't

there. Yeah, that's right. Now, Jenny's
apartment is right across from Zephyr

Blue's. Yeah.

Well, how is it that you and Chris got
to the stall before Jenny?

Well, things happen so fast, I never
really thought about it.

she got there a couple of minutes later
where do you think she was i don't know

Hi, Jenny.

Hi.

Could I have a word with you, please?

Yeah, yeah, sure. Come on in. Yeah,
thanks.

Boy, you got yourself a regular museum
here, don't you? Yeah, I guess you could

say that.

Kind of convenient being right across
from Zephyr Blue's stall, isn't it? I

guess you can keep close tabs on it
then, huh? Yeah.

Yeah, I could hear almost everything
over there. I could even hear his

heartbeat.

You know, in tracing back everybody's
story the night that the horse was

there are a couple of things that bother
me.

You see, Garth told me that when he
responded to the noise in Zephyr Blue's

stall, he and the stable boys were the
first to arrive on the scene.

When he went to use the phone to call
the veterinarian, he knocked on your

and you weren't here.

Yeah, I couldn't sleep that morning, so
I went for a walk.

Well, you couldn't sleep because you
heard Zephyr Blue kicking around in the

stall. So you went to the window, you
looked out, and you saw Michael Mullenby

go in Zephyr Blue's stall and shoot him
with the dart gun.

No, that's not true.

And then you followed Mullenby.

No, I went to go get help. And you saw
him hide the gun.

And after he hid the gun, you came back
to help the others with the horse.

After the horse died, you went back and
you got the gun.

And you waited till the next day.

And before Michael Mullenby could join
the others at the party, you shot him

just like he shot Zephyr Blue.

But that horse meant everything to me.

That horse was all I had.

Why didn't you go to the authorities?

Because what would they have done? They
don't care what happens to a horse.

Nobody cares.

Kester's looking at conspiracy to
defraud, and Jenny's looking at second

murder.

Wow. How about Jenny, huh?

Such a sweet -looking face on such an
intense girl. I mean, she was so

in reality with people, all she could do
is put all her energy into that horse.

It's kind of strange.

Well, her attorney's going to plead her
temporarily insane, and if I were a

betting man, I would say that she gets
off scot -free.

If you look at that, you go to court and
your work just piles up.

You know, if you were a betting man,
how'd you like to wage your dinner at my

favorite restaurant that I finish my
work before you finish yours?

Well, look how small your stack is
compared to mine.

You use smaller words.

Tom Jones?

Won't work.