Original subtitles

Jack Lachlan burned to death last night. I didn't start those fires, okay?

You think he's your God?

Definitely in the running.

He burned women and old people and kids. Like, burned them like the ashes, man.

Gotham City's counting on you, Batman.

And don't throw threats at me. See, that's not healthy.

Better not upset him, Hunter. He might light you on fire.

If I see you around again, I'm going to pull your head off.

Film at 11.

Oh my God, what time is it?

I've been up all night.

I can't eat, I can't sleep, I didn't take no drugs. No appetite except for

You.

You.

Heart and body and soul and mind.

Torture of the sweetest kind.

Empty hands that held your heart.

I live and die to bring the power.

I can't believe how bad I need.

Every breath I take, I feel like I'm going to break.

I've made another mistake.

I carry a thought for you.

I want to join your.

Thank you.

What happened to I'm going to stay in tonight and rest and watch the game,

McCall? Nothing.

I just had to go to the store and I met her. I'm going to give her a ride home.

Meet her in the produce section?

Who won the game?

Somebody won.

Somebody lost.

By my calculations, I haven't even had a date in the last six weeks.

I was even desperate enough to try to get you on the phone to see if you

to go to a movie paid for by me.

Look, McCall, you're pressing here.

You're in a dry spell.

Relax. It'll all happen for you.

After the fourth suspected arson incident in the last two weeks, police

scene have told us that the Homicide Division has now been called in, meaning

that tonight's fire may have claimed its first casualty in this series of fires.

Excuse me, officers. May I get a word?

McCall homicide understand your fire but he had some unexpected company what

step here

Well,

this guy didn't have a chance did

he Any marks on the body?

It was too well done But if you're looking for bullets, you're gonna have

wait for the corner to come and take him apart Same M .O. as the last three

fires? It varies a little, depending on what Mr. Hibachi feels like.

They've all been abandoned buildings, but judging from the scorch marks they

keep on finding, he's using a flamethrower.

That's a pretty ugly weapon, isn't it? You wouldn't want to shake hands with

him.

Excuse me, officers. Matt Gold, Channel 3 News. You're wasting your time, Mr.

Gold. We're just beginning this investigation now. The department will

press conference when it's ready.

You can't even tell us how many people died in there. You want to shut that

thing off?

Okay.

Look, guys, it's late. We've been out here a long time.

Could you give me something other than ash on my clothes? I am trying to do a

piece here. Let me ask you something. You guys cover a lot of fires with that

thing? Oh, they call me the King of Flames. I'll make you a deal. You guys

us out now, and we'll give you first crack at the story when we decide to

it. Deal.

Crowd stuff from fire number one.

What are you after here, ma 'am? Oh, patterns and all.

Fire number two.

Fire number three.

Wait a minute. Run that back for me.

That guy right there with the jacket on.

He was in the crowd at fire number two.

And? Well, arsonists usually return to the scene of the crime more likely than

not. You think he's your guy? Definitely in the running.

Let me see last night's file.

Wait a minute.

Our groupie's back.

Always at the back of the crowd.

Can't seem to stay away, can he? Okay, listen, we're really rocking here,

Cat, get me a blow -up of this guy, right? We throw it on the 6 o 'clock

have you seen this guy? We sit back, we wait for those lines to light up. Why

don't you just sit back and relax and let us worry about the tactics, okay?

I thought we were a team here. Well, we are a team, and I'm the head coach.

I just hate to have you get fried trying to get tape on this guy.

Now, can we get a copy of those tapes?

Yeah, but I'll need approval from Matt.

No way. I have to protect my story.

Look, Matt, we know you have a reporter's right to protect your

You got that right.

This would really help us out.

You need it?

You got it.

Looks like maybe we're starting to get someplace.

Some of us more than others.

What's that supposed to mean?

Nothing.

Nothing? You're lying.

What?

You are. I can always tell when you're lying. You get that little sound in your

voice. What in the hell are you talking about?

See, there you go again. There it is.

Look, today we started out just fine, and now things are not so wonderful. So

that means there's either one of two things wrong here.

What might they be? One, you're upset because I'm the one who got us the tape.

Four...

I just don't like Matt Gold.

I don't like Matt Gold.

Hunter, look.

He's a nice guy.

He's being nice to me, okay?

You know what I'm saying?

Look, McCall.

Maybe you're groping for the first man that smiles at you because you're on the

rebound.

Will you give me a break?

It is. Empty building three days after the last one. Just like Matt said.

Yeah.

Why don't you check the crowd before they lose interest? I'll talk to Art.

Finish your thought.

Hunter!

Hey, you, hold it!

Drop it, police!

leave now.

There'll be a departmental statement as soon as we have some information.

Oh, you mean you're not the spokesman?

Not the official spokesman, exactly. You know, that is a shame, you know,

because you certainly have the right look.

Be that as it may, there's nothing... Terwilliger.

Terwilliger.

Terwilliger! Even the name has that feel to it, doesn't it? Some guy's got all

the luck.

What are you saying?

Well, just that the public is getting so tired of the same old...

P -D -P -R faces, always rattling off the same lines.

They could use somebody different to look at. Somebody they can instinctively

trust.

Cat, let's see what the light is on Mr. Terwilliger.

Mr. Terwilliger, by the way. Terwilliger.

I took a couple of communication art courses in night school once. Oh, it was

great. Thank you very much.

What questions did you want to ask?

Well, this...

arson investigation you homicide boys have jumped onto.

No, never mind.

What's the point, right? We gotta go. Actually, I am conversant in that

particular jacket.

This suspect you have up here in the hot seat, has he been formally charged yet?

There is some questioning being done, yes.

Rumor about it being a deliberately set insurance fire, is that true? With a

flamethrower? No way. No way in the world.

And the only suspect you got is the one that McCall and Hunter rounded up,

right?

I wouldn't bring them into this.

Departmental black sheep. Oh, I'd drop a couple of flies on the proverbial cake,

as it were.

What time do you guys go in here? Five to six?

Look, I didn't start those fires, okay?

Why are you doing this to me?

Yeah, we know. Say some guy called Donnie Warrick and, uh...

It's his face that you're looking for at the scene of the fires, right?

Why?

I don't know.

Can I go, please?

Why'd you run, Jack?

I don't know.

Now listen to me very carefully.

I'm only going to ask you this one time before I lock you away. Why did you run?

I saw Donnie's face.

We're driving by.

It was him. I saw him, but he didn't see me.

I know it was him. We served together in Asia. You don't forget who you were

there with, man.

We were a secret recon squad. There were six of us.

We had orders to go over the border into this village to gather information

concerning enemy troop strength.

That was all. Nothing else.

Nobody heard us coming. Things were cool. We had it, man.

But then... Something went crazy.

What?

What went crazy?

He had a flamethrower, you see, and as soon as he got this information,

he...

He...

He torched it, man. He torched it. He burned women and old people and kids. I

burned them like the ashes, man.

He burned everything.

We thought he'd burn us if we tried to stop him.

Did you report him to your commanding officer?

No. Snoopy said we shouldn't. Who was he?

A group leader, man. His name was Gene Bird. He'd known Donnie since high

school.

And he said that everything would be okay and we shouldn't talk to anybody

it because we weren't supposed to be there in the first place, you know.

So if they found out about it, we'd all hang for it. So you decided, all of you

guys, to protect Donnie because this guy Gene Byrd said so, right?

Yeah.

He said he'd go back to San Diego with Donnie after we all got home and make

sure he was okay and the whole thing would blow over.

So Donnie was Gene's problem.

Yeah.

Anyway, I started coming to these fires because, like, I knew Donnie was here.

It's weird, but I knew it, man.

What made you think it was Donnie?

He likes to start fires, man. Don't you get it?

Hey! What in the hell are you doing, Cole? Hey, freedom of the press, Hunter,

all right? It's the public's right to know. If you want a copy of the

Constitution, go look at the library.

Oh, come on, Sergeant.

We're on assignment here. We're just trying to pay the rent.

We'll get a part -time job at the all -night market. Now, let's have the tape.

No way. You're on the premises of a police facility. We have the right to

examine and confiscate anything you may have brought in here with you. Yeah, if

you want a copy of the penal code, get one on the way out. Now, let's have the

tape.

I could go over your head to get that tape back on you. I am over his head.

you can't. Well, if the tape you're worried about, we can fix that.

Try a two -parter.

You can get a refund from the death sergeant for the cassette on your way

That guy's got a lot of guts coming up here. He doesn't know when to quit, does

he? Well, he wouldn't be with the press if he knew when to quit.

Now, listen, I can only hold this guy in here for so long and resist an arrest.

You two have got to get started on this right away. Now, where the hell is this

Donnie Warwick?

The last known address is in San Diego.

What the hell are you standing here for? Get going.

This spot's one of my real favorites.

I like to visit Donnie a lot.

I don't know, when you're here all the time, you get different feelings from

the different graves.

I like the ones Donnie gives off.

Did you ever run into any of Donnie's friends who came to visit him? No,

why I try to give him just a little extra time.

You know, clear the leaves off during the winter and give him a little extra

water during the summer.

I don't know, I just like to pamper him a little bit.

Never saw any family or friends come? Not a soul.

Seems real wrong, he was just a young guy.

Well, what about the funeral services like this gravestone here? Somebody had

have bought that.

Well, you know, it got to the point where I finally asked about it myself,

seeing as nobody ever showed up.

Front office told me that the stone was ordered by phone, paid through the mail

in cash, and then nobody ever showed up.

Not even a priest the day they put him in.

And after they covered him up, I went down there and I talked to him for a

little bit.

I just tried to tell him that...

This was his home, and he was welcome here.

That sounds sick.

Listen, thanks a lot, Judy. I really appreciate your help.

Is there something wrong?

Is that why the two of you came down here?

That's why nobody showed up at his funeral, isn't it?

Well, if we find anything out, we'll let you know, okay?

You don't have to do that.

I mean, it's not going to bring Donnie back, whatever it is.

Yeah.

You can't release Jack Blackman.

We let this guy slip through our fingers now, we're making a big mistake.

Well, I'll think about it, Hunter, but I don't know how much longer I can hold

this guy on what I've got.

Well, if you kick this guy loose right now, I'm back to square one.

No, you're not.

You've still got your sign statement from your caretaker in San Diego, and

you've still got your crime -buster instincts.

Come on.

Gotham City's counting on you, Batman.

Well?

Well, I just got off the phone with San Diego.

Apparently this Gene Byrd was so upset about Donnie, he decided to move to L

and just put it all behind him.

Take a wild guess what this guy does for a living.

Yeah, Donnie had trouble emotionally from the day we met. I always thought it

was just a matter of time before he hurt himself bad.

Or killed himself.

Jack said you were involved in a secret squad in Asia.

No secret.

Invisible?

The government never acknowledged the mission.

That's why Donnie got off.

If they'd have locked him up, they would have had to admit that it happened in

the first place.

None of us ever said a thing about what happened that night, but the Army

figured it out.

Is that why it's not buried in Military Cemetery?

You got it.

What about his childhood?

You know anything about that?

Real messed up?

He had a history of starting fires ever since he was a little kid.

He told me that I was all behind him when we got to know each other in high

school.

Never know, huh?

Yeah, well, I guess you knew when you saw that village, though, huh?

Yes, we did.

Copy? Yes, thank you.

I tell you, Sergeant, a lot of us felt like those people were the enemy, no

matter how you cut it.

Maybe Donnie did the right thing.

Maybe not.

It was war.

I thought at the time, maybe he wasn't crazy.

I thought maybe he was a better soldier than me.

Maybe you should have tried to get him some help. I did.

But Donnie wouldn't hear of it. He thought he was as normal as you or me.

swore on it.

I wouldn't be a bit surprised if that automobile accident wasn't a suicide.

Right into a pole to blow himself up? No way, man. It was an accident.

Oh, whatever it was, at least we know now that Jack couldn't have seen him.

ma 'am.

In fact, I was the last one to see him.

I went down and ID'd the body personally. I handled the whole funeral

Really? Yeah.

I bought the headstone and arranged for flowers to be sent every other week.

Donnie wasn't just some casual acquaintance with me. We were about as

it gets.

I go home, I visit his grave all the time.

What a bunch of crap, huh?

Well, you know, it's possible he lied to us about visiting the grave and

everything because it's a shame he never did.

Come on, would you lie to two cops about that? What about the fact that he said

he personally went down to San Diego to order the headstone?

Well, we know for a fact it was ordered over the telephone. Now, this may be a

little rash, but I think the guy's lying.

Dell 26, please come in.

This is Dell 26.

I got that info for you. Jack Rockman was released about an hour ago.

orders.

I regret not taking a pill like I'm gonna break.

I made another mistake.

Since this devotion, I carry a torch for you.

I want to join you.

Then I got one look out of my window, and I mean, I couldn't believe what I

looking at. And that's when you went to get the fire extinguisher you were

telling us about before?

Absolutely. I kept one ever since one night I saw a trail of bird up on Kojak.

But you were too late to save Mr. Lockett.

Oh, yeah. That call was real bad.

I mean, those fire department boys must have had a heavy dinner, because they

sure took their time.

You know, I don't think your TV buddy gives a damn what happened to Jack. You

know that?

I think he runs strictly on ratings.

Why don't you give him a break, huh? He's not that bad.

He's not the enemy, you know.

Not unless you make me mad.

Listen, we gotta take off. I was just wondering how things were coming here.

Well, we got a burned body and someone's murdered her car. Other than that,

everything's fine.

Oh, look, Tita, you know, I have a friend in the car business.

I can arrange the whole thing for you. I'll get you a real sweet deal. I can

take care of it myself, really. But thanks, anyway.

Well, you know, you change your mind. You just say the word, okay?

Okay. Let me know when my story breaks, huh?

Oh, and we should do that dinner.

Soon.

Hey, look at this.

Here's Jack and here's Gene Byrd.

But which one of Donnie?

Right there, with the grin.

What's this all about?

Jack Lackman burned to death last night. What?

You know, Gene, it's real tough for me to believe you're not covering up for

your old buddy Donnie again.

Hey, what are you talking about?

You did it once. How do I know you're not doing it again?

Covering up what?

He's dead.

Yeah, we don't think so.

Jack saw him, remember?

Now there's flames all over the damn place.

Hey, come on. This doesn't make sense. If a guy's alive, he's got to be

somewhere, right? So where is he? Why can't anybody find him? Well, maybe

covering up for him again, like you did before.

You lied to us, Gene, and that's not good.

Nobody showed up for Donnie's funeral.

Not you, not anybody.

Yeah, nobody sends him flowers anymore.

Plus, the headstone was ordered over the telephone, followed up by an anonymous

cash payment. I mean, how do you explain all that?

Look, I tried to help you.

You don't have any right to come back in here and start accusing me of anything,

ma 'am. It's history. Donnie's over.

He's dead.

You sure?

I think you'd better leave.

I don't think you're going to like it when I come back.

Well, he's nervous enough to be involved.

He's involved, all right. You can count on that.

Well, why don't we go back in and take him downtown for questioning? Because

we have to work on so far is circumstantial evidence. We need

stronger.

Like what?

This is not one of your brighter ideas, Hunter.

Just open the door.

Your crime, sir. No, wrong.

Moral imperative in defense of the public good.

Nobody's going to follow that.

Look, we're saving lives and property here. We're preventing a bigger crime

a much smaller one.

Oh, a bigger versus smaller.

What do you call that?

Hunter's Law, right? That's right, Hunter's Law.

Geek.

Zero. Not quite. Read that.

If you've got a flamethrower, you've got to feed it, right?

Better killing through chemistry. This place is right here in town.

Yeah, and here's the good part.

Unified Chemical Warehouse. Dear customer, your order for chemicals has

arrived. Please claim as soon as possible.

Unified Chemical Warehouse.

Postmarked day before yesterday.

Maybe we scared this guy so bad he's going to go to ground on us. Nah, he'll

show up, believe me.

Here comes our boy.

Very weird.

Yeah, tell me about it. Not only is it covering up, it's helping to buy

for his friend.

Two firebugs? Maybe odds.

Maybe there's only one firebugger, Donnie.

Which means Gene Byrd never helped Donnie vanish in the first place. Donnie

it himself.

That means the body in that grave could be Gene Byrd's.

Yeah.

It fits.

He killed his own best friend.

Assumes his identity.

Perfect cover.

He's not going to any barbecue. Let's go.

What the heck's that?

I don't believe this guy.

He's following us.

You know, you keep sticking your nose into police business, and I'm going to

break it for you. This story is public business, Hunter, and don't throw

at me. See, that's not healthy, especially when I could go on the air at

time. I could tell all my viewers about your illegal entry into Gene Byrd's

apartment. I was down the block when that happened. And I'll tell you

else. If I'm in the mood, I might just mention how you two always seem to

to show up just a little bit too late.

Now, roll this around in your fat, empty head, Gold.

There's a screwball out there trying to fry half the people in this city. Now,

they want him caught, and that's what I'm going to do.

Justice? That's exactly right. Now, do yourself a favor and stay away from me,

because you and I aren't friends anymore.

If I see you around again...

I'm going to pull your head off.

Tell him at 11.

We had a deal, Matt.

Look, I know I haven't helped you guys out, but it's not exactly my business to

stay out of the way.

When we broke this case, it was going to be yours, so what happened?

The station needs footage, Dee Dee.

I make a living my way, you make one yours.

Look, I don't often say this, but I am sorry.

Come on, Dee Dee, I admit it, I'm human.

You know, your partner's getting to be a real hard nose.

And I don't feel like getting stonewalled when this case cracks.

You know what I was thinking?

Maybe you and I should go have dinner. The one we've been talking about. Just

a way of saying thank you for getting Hunter off my case, huh?

Be my treat.

Not hungry.

Right on time.

You know, you're breaking about 500 laws following them like this, Matt. Look,

we're getting paid to get film. Let's do it.

I live and die to be the

I can't believe how bad I need.

Every breath I take, I feel like I'm gonna break.

I've made another mistake.

In this revolution, I carry a torch for you.

I want to try on your arm.

I want to tell you I...

I'm gonna take off and hit this.

Max!

You take what's wanted.

What the hell are you doing here?

Matt, he wanted to find out what was going on.

Where is he?

I can't get out. Help somebody.

Help.

Nice going, man.

You have the right to remain silent. If you give up the right to remain silent,

anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law.

Read the rest of them in the car on the way downtown.

I'm on to your secret stand -up.

You got no secret?

Hey, what's with the cuff, man?

Calm down, Donnie. I'm not Donnie. You're talking about my best friend. I'm

going to let you trash him over some stupid theory.

You want to talk about theory?

You know when I saw your squad picture of Vietnam?

You know what hit me right between the eyes?

How much you and Gene look like brothers, Donnie. The name's Gene, damn

guys got the same build, the same height, the same coloring. I bet you

mistaken for each other all the time, right? You're going to hold me in jail

just because we look alike? No, you're under arrest for suspicion of arson,

suspicion of first -degree murder, and suspicion of second -degree murder.

No matter what you look like. Now, come on.

I don't want to talk to a lawyer. I got a right. Yeah, you'll call him downtown,

but listen to my theory first.

So you see, it doesn't make any difference who burned up in that car

years ago. The one who lived could have assumed the other one's identity.

Might have pulled it off, too, if he played his cards right.

Right and false?

Yeah. If Burns covering 99 % of his body, it'd be easy. It'd be a simple way

assume a new identity, especially if you burned down a village.

Except for one problem. Right. It's bold.

Aren't you curious to know how you blew it?

X. You see, we went and talked to Gene Byrd's pediatrician yesterday.

He's very helpful, wasn't he, McCall? Yeah, he told us that when Gene was a

he broke his right leg playing Pop Warner football.

Now, he sent me the x -ray.

I bet if we checked your leg, there wouldn't be any sign of a break.

So we're going to drive down to San Diego, dig up that body, and check out

leg. How does that sound, Donnie?

You two are insane.

How do you know? You can't do that. It's wrong.

Better not upset him, Hunter. He might light you on fire.

I want to come back from San Diego.

you're going to be sorry you even saw a book about you.

Well, you were wrong, Hunter.

You went down and dragged the guy off his civil service job on nothing but

circumstantial and followed this guy right to the fire.

And you didn't see him do a thing, did you?

We saw him jump through the window.

And you couldn't ID him in a million years. The guy you saw was all greased

He had on goggles and a breather, didn't he?

Didn't he? Yes.

So you couldn't ID him in a lineup then, could you? I guess not, no.

There.

You see how easy it is to be a defense lawyer?

I'm sorry, but this department has no choice but to let the guy go.

And I hope for his sake he finds himself a good hospital. Lord knows he needs

it. Oh, that'll be great. He'll like that.

That'll give him something else to burn up. Well, I tell you what, Hunter, next

time you catch him in the act.

Otherwise, I don't want to see him. You got me? But we're going to catch him,

all right?

So? So.

He knows we're going down to San Diego. Let's get down there and see what kind

of trouble we can dig up.

This plan of yours better fall together quick. It's sneezing out here.

Not if you're the one doing the digging.

Well, if Donnie's going to show, he's going to do it pretty soon.

I'll be watching.

I'm counting on that.

Why don't you come on out, Donnie?

I'd like to help you, Donnie.

Why don't you drop that flamethrower? Shut up. Come on, Donnie. You both know

you don't want to do what you did to Gene. I said shut up.

That's not going to get it, Donnie. You know that.

It never did.

Donnie?

Gene. My name is Gene.

You don't have to lie anymore, Donnie. We know what your real name is. Remember

that story I told you about Gene's football injury?

I just told you that to get you to follow me down here.

Now, why don't you drop that flamethrower and let me help you? I

Into the line, Donnie.

What a thing to happen.

Now you get used to it.

No, you don't.

Why would anyone invent a thing like that?

I hope they give them the no smoking section at the hospital.

Officers! Could we get a word or two here?

Come on, guys, it's late.

It's starting to drizzle. Give us something besides wet clothes, will you?

trying to do a piece here.