All language subtitles for Hunter S05E22 - Return of White Cloud

Tonight, on "Hunter"...

Whoever killed
Harris took the masks.

I didn't kill her.

Four Ashani ceremonial masks.

Stolen from my people.

They're absolutely
magnificent, she said.

$200,000 a pop.

Your people
are being ripped off,

and you're the one
that's doing it.

Do you think there's a
possibility that he's involved?

It wouldn't surprise me.

Were you aware that...

She was having an
affair with my husband?

I like your tie.

I told her to have nothing
to do with those masks.

Are you ready for this, Gina?

Four Ashani ceremonial
masks, over 200 years old.

I mean, these things
were being used

back when George Washington
was fighting the British.

Would I kid you, dear?

They're sitting
right in front of me,

and they are
absolutely magnificent.

Oh, you should see
the provenance.

Talk about a pedigree.

That's right.

That's right.

I'm getting $200,000.

And my Japanese dealers
are already buying three,

so I suggest you pull out
that check book, my dear.

For you?

$199,999.

I'll save you a buck.

OK, great.

Bye, sweetheart.

So, what do we got?

Well, the victim
was a Janet Harris,

the owner of the gallery.

She was killed by a blow to the
back of the head with this, uh,

ceremonial club.

Hey, Zach, do you have that?

- Yeah, right here.
- Thank you.

Mmhm.

That's an interesting
choice of weapons.

A weapon of
opportunity, Charlie.

This place specializes
in Indian art.

Come here.

Apparently, the killer
jimmied the back door open,

came in, snuck up on
his victim, and clubbed

her in the back of the head.

We found her slumped right
here on the floor in front

of the photocopier machine.

Seems like a lousy
time for a burglary.

Middle of the morning,
people obviously working.

If it was a burglary.

Anything missing?

Well, this isn't
the kind of place

that's got a cash
registers sitting around.

It doesn't look like anything's
been ripped off the walls, so...

We do have an inventory coming.

As soon as it's done,
we'll be able to determine

if anything is gone.

I just can't believe it.

I talked to Janet this morning.

Yeah, I know.

We looked at the phone
records from the gallery

and saw that a call was placed
to this number at 10:14.

Who... who killed her?

Well, that's what
we're trying to find out.

I'd like to help you.

If I can.

Well, yes, you can, if you
can answer some questions.

Thank you.

- Won't you sit down?
- Thank you.

So how well did you
know Janet Harris?

We were friends.

We'd become friends
over the past few years.

I bought most of the pieces
I have here from Janet.

I'm her most...

I was her most reliable client.

What did you talk about today?

Some masks that
she had at the shop.

Four very rare Ashani masks.

These masks have never
been on the market before.

Very hot items.

That's funny.

I don't recall seeing
them at the gallery.

Well, she said
she had them there.

I didn't see them on
the inventory either.

She told me she was looking
right at them as we talked.

They're absolutely
magnificent, she said.

$200,000 a pop.

And she had complete provenance
for each of them as well.

She didn't typically handle
items that expensive.

What's a provenance?

With most art, you get
the title and bill of sale.

When you buy cultural
artifacts, the dealer

has to provide provenance.

That's a document that attests
to the object's authenticity

and tells where it came from.

I won't buy anything
without provenance now,

and no legitimate dealer will
sell it without providing it.

Was Janet Harris considered
a legitimate dealer?

Oh, absolutely.

She was as clean as they come.

Of course, she was having
some financial difficulties.

You see, there's an
enormous black market

in Native American
artifacts, especially

overseas in the Orient.

These people will pay a high
price for authentic pieces.

Are you saying that you
think she was involved

in black market smuggling?

Oh, I doubt it.

Anything else?

Yes.

She was having an affair with
one of her married artists.

Robert Whitecloud.

He's a member of
the Ashani tribe.

Oh, yeah.

The Ashanis...
Their reservation's

up in the mountains there.

Is he involved, do you think?
- Well, I don't know.

There's plenty of motive.

Along with whatever state
their relationship was in,

those masks were worth
a total of $800,000.

Wow.

That's a lot of money for
a couple Indian curios.

Art, Captain.
Art.

Whatever.

You got any pictures?

No, and there weren't
any in the files either.

I called Pacific, who
wrote the store insurance.

They've got appraisals and
photos of all the stock

except for the masks.

How strange.

Why do you think that's so?
- I don't know.

Maybe bookkeeping.

There's usually a week or
two lag between acquisitions

and filings.
- OK.

What else you got?

Well, unfortunately,
not too much.

We didn't find any prints
on the murder weapon.

Nobody saw anybody at the store.

I did find a couple
names of artifact brokers

in her Rolodex.

So there was a James Holloway
out in Mountain Center,

a Leonard Oakley
in Palm Springs,

and a Bobby Peters
over in Phoenix.

Harris didn't have
any employees,

but she had not a lot of bills.

- Big debts?
- Yeah.

She had a third mortgage
out on her house.

We're running the
rest of it down now.

But she also had not made a
sale over $10,000 in weeks.

Maybe these masks were
meant to bail her out, then.

Did she have them on
consignment or what?

Haven't found that out yet.

Got an address on Whitecloud?

He lives out on the reservation.

But he's also got an
artist loft here downtown.

Now, Hunter's going
to go over there

just as soon as he's finished
running the background down

on these masks.

OK, good.

Professor Weller?

Yes?

Sergeant Hunter, LA homicide.

I'd like to ask you
a couple questions.

Well, you'll find nothing
but skeletons in my closet.

So how can I help you, Sergeant?

Your signature was found on
several provenance documents

given to a Ms. Gina
Wade by a Janet Harris.

Yes, I work with Ms.
Harris quite often.

I provide documentation
free of charge.

It's tragic to see sacred Indian
lands dug up and destroyed.

So when I authenticate
a piece, I

make damn sure it doesn't
come from protected lands.

It's not much, but it's my way
of helping the honest dealers.

Please, have a seat, Sergeant.

Oh, thanks.

So?

Professor Weller, I don't
know how to tell you this,

but Janet Harris was
murdered this morning.

That's... that's unbelievable.

I... I just spoke to
her a few days ago.

How did it happen?

Well, we think it was robbery.

You see, there was four
Ashani masks missing.

Ashani?

I told her to have nothing
to do with those masks.

See, she sent me a
letter, and, eh, these

photographs a few days ago.

She said she had a
line on the masks.

I took one look and I told
her that they were stolen.

You see, the Ashani keep them
in a secret underground kiva.

They dig them up for a special
ceremony every 10 years.

Last month, when the Ashani
elders went to the kiva,

they discovered the
masks were gone.

Well, how'd you know that?

Well, it was all over the
archeological community.

The Ashani were devastated.

See, it would be as if
somebody broke into the Vatican

and stole the pope's chalice.

I told her to report it to
the federal agent assigned

to the area, a... a Ken Myers.

Well, obviously, she
never made the phone call.

Had I known that, I would
have made the call myself.

Too bad about her death.

And it's too bad she felt she
had to sell out the very people

whose work she supported.

Yes, it is, isn't it?

OK.

Thanks.

Who's there?

Sergeant Hunter, LA homicide.

I'd like to have a couple
words with a Robert Whitecloud.

Well, I guess that
makes Robert Whitecloud

our number one suspect.

Why else take off?

Whitecloud's affair with
Janet Harris was no secret.

She was the reason his
paintings were getting shown.

Now, I interviewed some
other artists in the building

and they gave me a
list of his hangouts.

I'll go run them down.

That's good.

He may be looking for
friends to give him a hand.

You know, it occurs
to me that Whitecloud

and Janet Harris may be in
bed in more ways than one.

What do you mean?

Well, the masks were Ashani.

That's Whitecloud's tribe.

Maybe he helped to steal them.

Well, I think it's a
possibility, but it's...

It's kind of hard to believe
that a Native American

would steal from his own people,
especially sacred objects.

Wait a minute.
$200,000 a pop...

That's plenty of good
reason to start with.

And maybe the deal he cut
with her wasn't good enough.

Maybe he wanted the
whole thing for himself.

Don't rule it out.

Excuse me.

I was told a Mary
Whitecloud worked here.

I am Mary.

I'm Sergeant McCall, homicide.

Is it Robert?

Is he all right?

Well, as far as
we know, he's fine.

Um, could we sit down and
talk for a little while?

Yes, of course.

What's wrong?

What's happened?

A Janet Harris has been killed.

Did you know her?

I knew who she was.

Were you aware that...

She was having an
affair with my husband?

Yes.

Where were you
yesterday morning?

Here at the center.

You can check with
the women I work with.

I've only been to Los
Angeles a few trips

in my life, even
when Robert started

living there most of the time.

And when was that?

Three years ago.

You say that he
called you last week.

How often did you see him?

Twice a month he comes home.

Tells me it's for good.

I do what I can
to make him happy,

and he tries his
best to be happy.

Couple of days
later, and he's gone.

Back to the city.

What do you know
about these masks?

I know they've been
stolen from my people.

They were used in
an ancient ceremony.

They're very sacred.

Some of our younger people
don't care about these things.

There is so much
drugs and alcohol.

So many are lost
between two worlds.

It is sometimes very
difficult to keep

alive the way of the
pipe, to walk the truth,

to accept the old way.

Some people don't understand.

Some people don't care.

Your husband.

Did he care?

You mean, did he take the masks?

He knew where they were hidden.

But did he take them?

I don't know.

Did he care?

He did once.

Hello.

Hi, Ken Myers?

Yeah.
Sergeant McCall?

Yes.

Thanks for coming
out to meet me.

It's no problem.

The office said
you phoned, wanted

to meet somebody from the
Forest Service out here.

Well, this is my turf.

It's all my turf.

What do you mean?

There are nine of us
federal agents assigned

to cover the entire southwest.

I mean, personally, I just
cover Southern California,

a little chunk Arizona.

Woo.

It's a large beat.

No kidding.

It's a battle just keeping
up with the looters.

Losing battle.

You've heard about Janet Harris?

Yeah.

It doesn't surprise me.

There's a lot of money to be
made in the illegal trafficking

of Indian artifacts.

Violence is just
part of the equation.

Burglary in the gallery, though.

It's not really common.

Most of the crime
takes place out here.

Do you have a typical
profile on these looters?

Well, we're not talking about
vacationing family finding

an arrowhead by the campfire.

Here.

Look at that.

It's the Four Corners area.

It's a disgrace.

They'll tear up
the ground looking

for pottery and
ceremonial objects,

even bones of the dead.

These guys use
trucks, bulldozers,

helicopters, even armed guards.

Now, we catch the
usual hard case creeps

with copies of the
treasure hunter's

digest in their back pocket.

But we also bust our
share of well-to-do people

who ought to know better.

But hey, I guess
when you're talk

talking $15,000 for a
five-pound rock scraper

or a quarter of a
million for a death

mask, that's just too much money
for these people to resist.

Personally, I think
they ought to be shot.

Look.

I'm sorry.

It's just frustrating, you know?

We not only have to prove
that an artifact came

from federally protected land.

We've got to prove
the looter knew it was

on federally protected land.

It's the only legal situation
I know of where ignorance

of the law is an excuse.

Does the name Jim Holloway
mean anything to you?

Yeah.

He's an artifacts
broker about 30 minutes

from here in Mountain Center.

But I think you
already knew that.

Yeah.

We found his name in Janet
Harris's office on some papers.

Do you think there's the
possibility that he's involved

with these stolen artifacts?

He is the closest broker to
the crime scene, you know?

This guy is responsible
for most of the looting

in southern California.

But the laws are so
damned gutless, he can

just get away with anything.

Even murder?

You up from the city?

Palm Springs?

Or maybe heaven?

Try the police department.

I'll try anything once, kiddo.

What do you need?

I need some information
about the masks that were

stolen from the Ashani people.

Oh, well, you're a
little bit too late.

The FBI was in here last month.

And I'll tell you same
thing I told them.

I don't

know nothing about no masks.

I never seed one.

Don't rightly think I
ever even heared of one.

You ask me, I think

the Ashani faked the whole
thing for a sympathy vote.

You know, trying to coerce
them Beverly Hills whiners

into donate them to their
poor downtrodden tribe.

You got a big heart, don't you?

That ain't all, sweetheart.

When's the last time you
heard from Janet Harris?

I... I don't know
no Janet Harris.

Really?

That's interesting,
considering the fact

that we found your name
back at her gallery in LA.

So?

After she was murdered.

That's life in the big city.

That's why I moved out here.

Folks are a lot friendlier.

Yeah, I'll bet.

Whoever killed Harris
took the masks.

We've got a search warrant
to look through your shop.

Do you really think
I'd be that stupid?

Search away.

Seriously, though, kiddo.

I didn't take them masks.

And I sure didn't kill anybody.

But you know what?

I'm sure you're
going to tell me.

You oughtta quit worrying
about them Indians.

Start respecting my
tradition, because I'm

the last of the outlaws.

Yeah, well, maybe out here you
are, but not where I come from.

Here you go.

Don't want you
feeling neglected.

Poor baby.

Hi.

Can I help you?

I'm looking for
Robert Whitecloud.

He's not here right now.

Can I take a message?

I'm Mary Whitecloud.

I am his wife.

Oh, my god.

Hi.

I'm Kathleen.

I live next door.

With my boyfriend.

We're both friends with Robert.

When Robert got chased
out of here by the cops,

I got worried about Max.

His cat.

He's around here somewhere.

You haven't been here
before, have you?

No, I haven't.

He's really great, isn't he?

It's different from
what I used to see.

But I like it.

Can you tell me
where I can find him?

I can tell you the same
thing I told the police.

I know a couple of places
he hangs out at sometimes.

But I couldn't tell you
where he is right now.

You know, Robert talks
about you all the time.

If that means anything.

Thank you.

It does.

- Hunter, homicide.
- Hey, Hunter.

Hey, what's up?

Well, no sign of the
masks or Whitecloud.

Well, that's because the
guy was in town all day.

He made a tour of
three different bars

in the entire day.

I just missed him twice.

Great.

So what's next?

Well, according to the
bartender, all I got to do

is follow the order of tequila.

Anything more specific?

Yeah.

I'm waiting around here to go
to an opening of an art gallery

in about an hour.

OK, great.

Well, I'm on my way in.

So I guess I'll see
you in the morning.

Oh, and Hunter?

Yeah.

Tonight,
when you go to this opening?

Uh-huh.

Wear something black.

OK.

Energy?

His work has such energy?

What is that?

Could there possibly
be a more fatuous word

to describe this than that?

Energy.

A charcoal briquette has energy.

A Snickers bar has energy.

This art piece
doesn't have energy.

Hi, Shannon.

Energy.

Ha.

Hey!

Hey!

Excuse me, you
wouldn't happen to know

where I can find Robert
Whitecloud in all this,

would you?
- He was just...

Good line.

No, no, no.

That's not a line.

I'm really looking for him.

Where can I find him?

Hm.

Try the sculpture room.

And where's that?

- Up there.
- Up there.

Thank you very much.

Enjoy it.

Hey.

I like your tie.

Good.

And I, um... and I like
your jewelry very much.

Drunken Indian.

What a cliche.

Janet Harris and I
were having an affair.

It just happened.

But I didn't kill her.

Why would I kill her?

I don't know.

Why did you run from me when
I went to your apartment?

It's the government, open up.

My people have been getting
that knock for 300 years.

And look what happened to us.

Your people?

Whitecloud, your people
are being ripped off,

and you're the one
that's doing it.

How else would Janet Harris
know where to get the masks?

Look, you want to
clear your name,

you better start cooperating
with me right now.

Now, start with the masks.

Janet told me that the
gallery was in trouble.

She needed a big
deal to save it.

She knew everything there
was to know about the masks

except where we hid them.

I owed her my career.

What there is of it.

So I tried to convince myself
that they were just carved

pieces of wood used in some
jive religious ceremony

that nobody cares about anymore.

And it worked.

I convinced myself...
Just long enough

to tell her where they were.

Who was she working with?

I don't know.

I asked.

She wouldn't tell me.

Said it was for
my own protection.

Four weeks later,
she had the masks.

That's all I know.

I didn't kill Janet Harris.

That's not my problem.

My problem is I got $250,000
coming plus change, my friend.

Now, that's turned
into your problem.

Oh, she was going to
ruin your reputation?

Just how much you think your
reputation's gonna be worth,

friend, if I get you set
up on a murder charge?

You... you listen to me,
you little yellow belly.

All I did was rob a grave.

I've beaten that rap a dozen
times, and I'll do it again.

But you, my friend...

You got a one way ticket
to the gas chamber

if I don't get my money
first thing in the morning.

What are you doing here?

The police told me you
were missing yesterday.

So I decided to try to find you.

I'm sorry.

I'm really glad to see you.

They let you go?

There wasn't enough
evidence to charge me.

Mary, I'm sorry about
what happened with her.

And I'm sorry about getting
you dragged into this.

Nobody dragged me into anything.

You're my husband.

Shall we go?

I need a little time
to sort out everything.

Why don't you go back home?

What?

I just noticed.

You still call it home.

Yeah.

I noticed that too.

Hey, Jim, you all right?

Yeah.

I'm fine.

Sergeant McCall.

You've, uh, got a visitor.

Hello?

Hi.

Good morning.

What brings the federales
down to my neck of the woods?

Some interesting news, I think.

Well, good.

Well, sit back down.

Tell me what's going on.

Jim Holloway got what was
coming to him last night.

He got gunned down in his
shop after an argument inside.

Really?

Last of the outlaws.

He gave you that
routine too, huh?

Yeah.

Any suspects?

Three pedestrians
saw a male take off

with Holloway shooting at him.

But apparently, it happened
so fast they couldn't

get a good description.

That's interesting.

Whitecloud was released
yesterday morning.

That'd give him
plenty of time to drive

out to Mountain Center.

Yeah, it would have.

Well, look, I just
thought you'd want to know.

Yeah, I do appreciate you
coming down, letting us know.

Thank you for your time.

And your energy.

Anytime, Sarge.

We'll be in touch.

Hey, how you doing?

I was just going to call you.

Yeah, I was going
to call you too.

Guess what?

What?

I just spoke with Harris's
loan officer at the bank,

right?

He told me they were
getting ready to foreclose

on her gallery.

Yeah.

But she called him
and told him that she

was going to have a check for
him that week for $800,000.

No kidding.

Yeah.

So maybe she stiffed some
partners to save her gallery.

Precisely.

And maybe one of those partners
decided to take the masks.

Who was that guy
that just left here?

Well, that was Ken Myers.

That's what I wanted
to call you about.

Remember the Forest Service
agent I told you about?

Oh, yeah.
Yeah.

Well, he came
down here to tell us

that Jim Holloway
was shot to death

last night at Mountain Center.

Maybe it was the same killer.

Well, if so, then
that means that Harris

and Holloway were partners.

You know what's been
bothering me this whole time?

It's a photocopying machine
at Harris's art gallery.

Copying machine
at the art gallery?

Why?
There was nothing in it.

Perhaps she was at
the copying machine

using it when she was killed.

We're in luck.

Ordinarily, the
electrostatic dry ink image

on the photoreceptor
belt is erased

immediately after copying to
get ready for the next image.

But the victim jammed the
machine on her way down.

Now, the killer made sure he
got all the copies plus the page

that was stuck inside.

But we still have the image
on the photoreceptor belt.

Professor Weller's signature.

He faked the
provenance documents,

killed Harris because she
held him up for his cut.

Had to knock off
Holloway to shut him up.

Whitecloud could be next.

Well, but Janet never
told him who was involved.

It doesn't make any difference.
Weller didn't know that.

Thanks very much.
Come on.

No problem.

It's a good copy.

Professor Weller?

Mr. Whitecloud.

You made it.

Yeah, a person
could get lost in here

and nobody'd ever miss them.

Well, I'm very happy
to finally meet you.

Janet told me about you.

I'm sure she did.

So what's this about?

Eh, you said on the
phone it was important.

Well, like you said
Janet told you about me.

But we can't let it go any
further than that, can we?

What are you talking about?

She said she'd worked
with you, that's all.

I don't think so.

Come on.

Hold it right there, professor.

Freeze!

Police!

It's in the blood.

You moved!

My nose itches.

Sorry, but I'm not
finished with your nose yet.

But you can scratch your chin.

I'm done with your chin.

Hey, come on in.

How are you, Robert?

I'm OK.

Terrific.

Hey.

Guess we ought to take a break.

How are you, Mary?

Hi, great.
How are you?

I'm good.

This looks wonderful.

Thanks for rescuing me.

No problem.

I just wanted to come by to
let you both know that we found

those masks at Weller's house.

After his trial,
they'll definitely

go back to your people.

That's fantastic.

It sure is.

I have to say, it's also very
nice to see you both together.

It's hard to believe
it took a situation as

extreme as this one
to get me to wake up.

My strength, my creativity
is from the Earth.

From my people.

It's time I got back in
touch with those things.

He's coming home.