Tropical Heat (1991–1993): Season 1, Episode 6 - Double Time - full transcript
A meek owner of a company that deals with diamonds, hires Nick and Sylvie to find out if his hot unhappy flirty wife is having an affair. When her angry lover murders her in front of Nick and Sylvie's eyes, it's all clear. Or is it?
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- These are, are really bad days for you.
- I know, that's why I
was counting on the night.
- Murder is not a
spectator sport my friend.
- Nick, the car.
- There's no need to
humiliate me like this.
- No, but I find it passes the time.
- Kate leaving you, might not
be the worst thing in the world.
- Monogamy is like Sushi,
it's an acquired taste.
- I thought you liked Sushi
because of the variety.
- Whoa, where did you learn that?
- Relax your hormones, I was faking it.
Nick?
- Apparently the key to
your heart has duplicates.
- Stop the car.
- If Molly is Kate, then who's
the woman we saw murdered?
Ever thought about having a lingerie sale?
- And now, the piece de
resistance, homemade cake.
- Homemade, who are we kidding?
- Hey, I don't deny
the rest of this dinner
was air freighted in from
Maxine's but, the cake is mine.
- For real?
- Yeah.
- That is delicious.
Just like everything else about
tonight, has been delicious.
- Maybe we should just, ah, skip dessert.
- What about your promise?
- That I make breakfast?
- That I could read your Tarot.
- Oh, okay.
- The ancient Tarot, I
never give my heart anymore
until I've read a man's cards.
- Can you just tell me one thing?
- What?
- Is there an in-flight
movie on this astro plane?
- The nave of cups.
- Now I should warn you, I don't believe
in any of this stuff.
- Mischievous, free of
spirit, and a fabulous lover.
- Although I don't deny that sometimes
it can have an uncanny accuracy.
What, what's a matter?
- The hanged man.
- Yeah, so what?
What, what, what is it?
- What will come, death in
the shadow of the hanged man.
- So what's the big deal?
- I have to go Nick.
- What do you mean you have to go?
Hey hang on, what about
breakfast, what about dessert?
- Uh, some other time, these
are really bad days for you.
- I know, that's why I
was counting on the night.
Come on, I mean you can't
just walk out of here
because of a couple of crummy cards.
Let me shuffle again.
- No look Nick, you have to be careful,
death is all around you,
anyone you touch could die.
You could die.
- Wait a second, first you
give me romantus interruptus,
and now you're throwing me a curse?
- It's not my curse Nick, it's yours.
- If that ain't a royal
flush, I don't know what is.
- It's Silvie.
- Sorry, I had a bad dream.
- Well it's gonna get even worse
if you don't get up and
make yourself presentable.
- What the hell are you doing here?
- We've got a potential
client coming in five minutes,
no, make that four minutes.
Wait a second, are you decent?
- It's always been a matter of hot debate.
What are you doing inviting
a client over here?
You hate this place.
- Yes I know I hate this place.
But we can't get into
the office until noon,
its being fumigated.
- I knew I was sleeping in for a reason.
- I bumped into this
man today, Alex Crane,
while I was getting the
mail, real character.
I told him that you'd be over later,
but he said it was too
urgent, he couldn't wait.
Ever thought about having a lingerie sale?
- Funniest thing happened last night.
Nina did my Tarot, she said
I was on fate's hitlist.
Or words to that effect.
Actually she said that everyone
around me was in danger.
Look, if
this is some lame excuse
not to take a case...
- Who said anything
about not taking a case?
Just gonna use the stairs instead
of the elevator for a while.
- Huh, we don't have an elevator.
- That's an even better
reason to use the stairs.
- That must be him.
So what do you do Mr. Crane?
- Uh diamonds, I'm in
the diamond profession.
- Oh that's fascinating.
Oh here we go, Nick I would
like you to meet Mr. Crane.
Mr. Crane, Nick Slaughter.
- How do you do?
- Charmed.
Have a seat.
- Thank you.
- Want a coffee?
- Thank you no, no, unless it's decaf.
- No, no, see the problem
is you got to wonder
what they put in, in order
to take the caffeine out.
- Mr. Crane was just telling me that he's
in the diamond trade.
- Ah, then I guess you're
a girl's best friend.
- Not exactly.
- All right so you came down to Key Mariah
on business and you
need someone to protect
your precious stones.
- Oh no, no, no, nothing as
glamorous as that I'm afraid.
- You're gonna need your
precious stones protected
if you don't shut up
and let the man speak.
- This is a very charming
place Mr. Slaughter.
I, I think Kate would love it.
I think she'd prefer
it over our penthouse.
- Kate's your wife?
- My wife, my love, my life.
It's ah, if you'll
excuse the sentimentality
she's also my problem.
- So is this a divorce case or what?
- No, no, no, absolutely not.
I'm doing everything that
I can to save our marriage.
I thought that if we spent
some quality time together,
I think that's the phrase.
- Yes, so that's why
you're here vacationing?
- Yes, see I haven't had a
holiday in six and a half years.
And I figured that...
Dammit, she's seeing someone.
I know it, she's seeing
somebody right here on the Key.
- Um, someone she arranged to meet?
- I don't know, the agony
sometimes she just disappears
without me, and but, there's
always a plausible explanation.
I don't know if I'm imagining it,
or if it's really happening.
- And you want us to find out the truth.
- I don't care about the
pain, the pain that I
have already gone through,
can't be any worse than that.
- Uh, where's Kate now?
- She didn't come home last night.
Um, could I use your phone?
- Sure, yeah.
- Nick, what are you doing?
Kate, I was so
worried, why didn't you call?
No, no, no, no, that's fine.
I was a bit concerned that's all.
I love you my sweet.
- Okay, well everything's fine.
She said she ran into an old girl friend,
they got to talking,
and she spent the night.
Apparently she left two
messages at the hotel,
but you know how they are with messages.
- Yeah.
- You think I'm a fool don't you?
- No, not at all.
- I mean, being a fool, and being fooled
are two different things.
- It's just that I want to believe her.
I want to believe so bad that
I'm the only one in her life.
- Yeah well, we'll uh, we'll take the case
if you want, it's your call.
- Uh, yes, yes please, please.
- Um, you understand though that we might
have to follow her, so
it might be a good idea
if you leave her alone for
a few hours this afternoon.
- I understand, I understand.
- Good, you got a picture of her?
- Um, I'm suppose to go down to the beach,
the bar down there and meet her at noon.
If, if you're discreet
then you can all see her.
Bad day for you Nick.
What have you been doing,
you're already on a stake out.
- Well it's like figure skating,
trick is to make it look easy.
And those I suppose
are the compulsory figures.
- Didn't happen to see
Nina around today did you?
- Not since this morning.
I mentioned your name, she
was like she seen a ghost.
- You know if it weren't for men like you,
men like Alex wouldn't be getting ulcers.
- That's what I am, just
so much excess acid?
- Excess something.
Testosterone maybe.
- And what do you mean, men like me?
- Guys who treat sex like
a, like a, pinball game.
- Oh that's a nice segueway,
heartburn to pinball.
- It's all about scoring
and how long you can
keep the ball in play.
- You may regret this
metaphor before we're through.
- Tell me I'm wrong.
- You're wrong, sex
happens to be a very small
but wonderful part of
something a lot more real.
- Who am I to argue with you about small
and wonderful parts.
- As for Alex, I'm not gonna take the wrap
for some sad sack, loses
his babe because he
doesn't know how to treat her right.
- There she is.
- Kate.
Kate, hey you've driven me half mad.
- Well I hope it's not the important half.
Get me a drink will ya?
- Waiter.
How could you disappear like that?
- Aw honey, I told you what happened.
Don't be such a bore, okay?
I'm here now aren't I?
- What's your poison folks?
- Ohhh, you were worth the wait.
Could I please have one
of those little rum drinks
that look like a New Year's float?
- I think you're looking for
our tropical heat special.
- Darling, you got the cutest accent.
Doesn't he honey?
- Charming.
- And for the gentleman?
- Oh he'll have mineral water.
- If you please.
- With lots of ice, he's
a maniac when he takes
his mineral water straight up.
- Very good.
- Yeah, I bet you would be too honey.
- There's no need to
humiliate me like this.
- No, but I find it passes the time.
- There's a marriage stuffed up from
breakfast to bedtime.
- Do you wanna dance?
Oh come on Alex.
- No, you know I don't dance.
- Lighten up, this isn't
Chicago, this is Key Mariah
so lighten up, all right, I'll dance.
- I don't think I can
stand this much longer.
- Kate, I wanna go home.
- So go home.
- Mr. Crane, I just want to say I'm sorry.
- Unfortunately you're not the one
who should be apologizing.
- Look, it's probably none of my business,
but Kate leaving you might not be
the worst thing in the world.
- What I know in my mind,
and what I know in my heart
unfortunately aren't one in the same.
I love her, and I'm not
sure I know how to stop.
If she doesn't go back to the hotel,
I want to know where she goes.
I have your telephone card now.
- Mr. Crane it's better that we call you.
- Whoa, whoa, whoa,
you're not going to get
behind the wheel like this are you?
- What'd you tell Crane?
- That what he's trying to
save might not be worth saving.
- Amazing what some men will put up with.
- Oh come on, you hold
women to a higher standard
than you apply to yourself?
- I'm not married in case
that fact escaped you.
- And if you were?
- Monogamy's like Sushi,
it's an acquired taste.
- I thought you liked Sushi
because of the variety.
- Therin lies the great zen
paradox of man, woman, and fish.
- Hello?
Crane
here anything, any news?
- No, nothing yet.
That's good isn't it?
- Mr. Crane it would be better...
Yes, yes
I know, and I'm sorry.
But you will call me,
but of course you will.
You said so, I'm sorry.
- The man's a basket case.
Case closed I'd say.
- Yeah, I guess so.
- Nick, something's wrong.
- What?
- Please,
I'm going crazy here, you
have to tell me, please.
- Mr. Crane get off the phone.
- Nick.
- Did you hear me?
- I told you, get off the phone.
- My God.
- Police, yes it's urgent.
- The closest thing this jerk
town has to a police artist,
is a guy who does
portraits on the boardwalk.
We'll want a composite.
- Hey we can do better than that Ollie,
she just snapped off a whole roll.
- You got pictures?
- Yeah.
- 300 mil, telephoto.
- Well let's have it.
- First I get your
promise that we get a copy
of everything that comes out of the soup.
- I ain't promisin' you squat.
And I outta lock you
up for takin' pictures
of a murder without
even tryin' to stop it.
- That's not fair sergeant,
it happened too fast
and they were too far away.
- And what about checkin'
on the damn boat?
- You got a mind like a steel trap.
We already found it driftin' down
the coast a couple of miles.
The film Slaughter.
- Listen, I can have Benny develop this
and have a proof sheet
on your desk in an hour.
That dark room at the station
is strictly Mickey Mouse.
- I didn't cut deals in Philly,
and I'm not about to start here.
- This one's personal
Ollie, I had to sit here
and watch a woman get
murdered in cold blood.
You know how that feels?
- You know the thing
about you rent a snoops?
You just sit back and watch,
you don't get involved,
you don't have to worry about the law,
or even doin' the right thing.
All you gotta worry about
is who's payin' the bills.
Murder is not a spectator sport my friend.
- You just bought
yourself a partner Ollie,
whether you like it, or not.
- The slate's clean my
man, and I will bust you
just like anybody else,
let's have the film.
- I want this guy caught Ollie,
the girl should never have died out there.
- Then just stay out of
it, and let us do our jobs.
- It's not that easy.
- There's nothing we could have done Nick.
- We think we've got it bad.
Oh no.
- I'm Sergeant Porter, Mr. Crane.
- It isn't, it isn't Kate is it?
- I'm sorry Mr. Crane it's no mistake.
Your wife was murdered.
We'll need an
ID, when you're ready.
- No, it's impossible.
I don't believe this.
What kind of animal would
do something like that?
- I promise you Mr. Crane, if
they don't get him we will.
- Just a couple of questions Mr. Crane.
We'll get a full statement later.
- Okay.
- Did you know the man
your wife was meeting?
- No, I mean I knew
there was someone, but I
I didn't know who, that's
why I hired Mr. Slaughter.
- Any reason that you
can think of, why someone
would want to see her dead?
- No.
- Sergeant.
Come on Mr. Crane, we're gonna
take you back to your hotel.
- Hey Ollie, those prints
get out of the lab yet?
- Any minute now.
- I told you I could do it faster.
- What's this?
- I guess I gave you the wrong roll.
- Slaughter, better get yourself a lawyer.
Using a police dark room to
develop your sleazy photos.
- Hmm, now that's what I call development.
- Now where's the film you
shot of the Crane murder?
- 36 three by fives.
- He's not one of the local low life's.
- I say we take the sharpest
of these, blow it up
and flash it around town.
- I've got Ian makin' the
rounds even as we speak.
- Naturally you kept a
set of these for yourself.
- Yeah, as a souvenir.
- Are you sure he's not
one of the guys at the bar?
- Nope.
- No he wasn't?
Or no, you're not sure.
- I never saw him before the rendezvous.
You find anything from the boat?
- You've got some nerve
expecting us to share
information after you hold out on us.
- While we're spinning the wheel,
this guy could be halfway to Texas.
- All right, we've torn
the boat apart, no beer,
no dope, no prints, nothin'.
- Who's it belong to?
- The boat's registered
to JoJo Mar, he rents it
out of slip 46 in the marina.
No license for charter.
- He's a retired salvager.
So what'd he tell ya?
- We haven't found him.
- He didn't show up at his apartment,
so we have to assume he's tied up in this.
- You guys ever think that
maybe he's allergic to cops?
This island's rotten with guys like that.
He sees the man comin'
and he's out of there.
- Well Slaughter man, you're guessin'.
- I'm guessin', and what are you doin'?
Waitin' around for some
rummy to stagger home,
and return your call?
You can squirm all you want gentlemen.
What you need right now, is a civilian.
Ciao.
- Marylou, hi.
- Nick.
- Lady Grace.
- It's nice to see you.
- Likewise.
Listen, thanks for the tip on JoJo.
- I didn't expect you
to come, this quickly.
- Well, when Grace or
duty calls, I answer.
- That makes two of us.
When I heard you were looking for JoJo,
I thought well what's
more important, a crime?
Or the man who saved Grace
Darcy's home for wayward girls.
- He's just an extortionist, no big deal.
- Why don't you stay here a while?
After you've finished your business,
so we can earn your appreciation.
- Sorry Grace.
- What ever happened to Key Mariah's
most eligible quarterback.
- Sometimes you just have to punt it.
- Oh, that sounds like fun.
JoJo, you know Nick Slaughter.
- Hey JoJo, how are you doin'?
- What do you want with me?
- I wanna ask you a few
questions, either me
or the cops, you make the call.
You dropped outta sight, why?
- Look I didn't do nothin' so help me.
This guy rents my boat, next thing I know
he kills somebody, then the
cops are lookin' for me.
- You know, JoJo unless I'm wrong,
one of us is very stupid.
Either you, for thinkin'
you can hide from the cops
in a bordello, or me for believing
that's all there is to it.
- Look, I don't have a charter license,
no insurance, nothin'.
- This the guy you rented the boat to?
- Yeah that's the one.
I never shoulda taken his money.
Next time I'll go with my gut.
- You get his name?
- Roger Frank, Frank
Roger, something like that.
Said he had a hot date,
and needed to go someplace
nice and private.
- Hmm, what do they call
that, tell and kiss?
- He wasn't firin' on all
eight, that much I know.
- He rent any fishing equipment from you,
or did he bring his own?
- Neither, as far as I could tell
fishing was the last thing on his mind.
- The story so far.
- The Crane's, a less than happy couple
that go on vacation to
save their broken marriage.
- He suspects her of hanky
panky, and hires a dynamic PI.
- Along with his partner.
- Thank you.
- We tail her and catch her in mid-tryst.
- With a very unsavory individual.
- It goes bad fast, he
strikes her in an impulsive
fit of rage, curtains.
- What is wrong with this picture?
- You tell me.
- Well first of all, their marriage
was so far gone, it was a joke.
- And what could she have told her lover
that provoked such violence?
That she was breaking it
off, I mean he musta known
she was a married woman.
Look at this, come here.
This guy has a white
glove on only one hand.
- That's strange, who
would take a single glove
on a fishing trip?
- Well no one, unless
they were moon walking,
or unless they knew that
they were gonna need it.
- So it wasn't just a
date that went lethal?
- No, this was a premeditated homicide.
The killer planned it all along.
- Ah, don't shoot.
- What is the matter with you?
Huh, what if I had pulled the trigger?
What if I'd killed you?
My God, what if someone was here?
- Is there?
- No.
- Well look Nick, I can't stay, I just
came by to give back your key.
- And what about the other key?
You gonna give that back too?
- What other key?
- The key to my heart.
- That is something you never gave me.
- Oh I gave it all right,
whether you took it,
that's a different matter.
- Look, Ian said you were looking for me?
- Yeah, I was wondering
when someone was gonna
take down the bad sign
I seem to be born under.
- Nick I'm so sorry.
I heard about the woman who died.
- Yeah, that was a tough
break for all of us.
- I tried to warn you,
it was in the cards.
- I get all kinds of warnings sweetheart,
some of them from guys so
big you have to climb up
on a ladder just to spit in their eye.
As far as warnings go,
this is small change.
- Fate is more powerful than any man,
no matter how big they are.
- So what are you saying, this is my fault
because I ignored the ides of March?
- No of course not, the
wheels were in motion.
Enormous, powerful, cosmic wheels.
You couldn't stop it once
it was set in motion.
- Well if you believe in that,
what's the point of trying?
I mean if everything is predetermined...
- Exactly.
- And if fate had decided
that you were to spend the night,
who are we to question such a master plan?
- Very clever, but fate
could just as easily
decide to stop it right here.
- Or for that matter.
- Nick?
- Apparently the key to
your heart has duplicates.
- Um Nina, this is Silvie
Gerard, my business partner.
- Excuse me, I didn't
realize you had company.
- Um, this is Nina, the
girl who practically
predicted Kate Crane's murder.
- Oh, a woman of many talents.
- Maybe I should just take off.
- No, uh, can't this wait til later?
- Oh sure, why not, it's only information
that can blow the Crane murder sky high,
it can wait til later.
- No no, no no, wait, wait.
Um, okay what is it?
Sorry.
- You mean it didn't come
in over the ESP band?
- All right, enough games.
What you find out?
- Ian was out early this
morning, on a scuba lesson.
Well you know I never
normally rise before dawn,
but MaryLou wanted a private lesson.
So I took her to Scutter's Beach.
- Uh buddy, cut to the chase huh.
- Well, we were going over
the basic scuba routine,
there he was, as big as life.
This better be the
part where you tell me who.
Alex Crane, with a
Kewpie doll of a brunette,
as cozy as can be.
I wouldn't have thought
about it, but considering
his wife's body was still warm.
- Yeah, uh, were they...
- Intimate.
- Well they weren't smooching
or anything like that,
but whatever was going on was pretty...
- Intense?
Did they see you?
No, MaryLou and
I took the scuba diving
lesson to another beach.
Nicely done Ian.
She seemed to think so.
- This case is getting
stranger by the minute.
- Yeah, well I think
it's time we had a little
chat with our client.
- Maybe there's a perfectly
good reason for all this.
- Everything's so perfectly
reasonable that it's scary.
- What do you mean?
- We've been led around
by the nose on this one,
from the very beginning.
Crane's weeping widower
act is a little spotty.
- Now look, let's not jump
to conclusions on this.
Even if Crane decided to drown his sorrows
in the arms of another woman.
It doesn't mean that
everything he said is a lie.
- No, but it can sure make you wonder.
- Huh, you know Nick, it's a wonder
men and women trust each other at all.
- Do they?
- Well what about your
crystal ball gazing friend,
you seem to trust her?
- She's got a track record.
- So does that mean it's serious?
- Uh we're gettin' there,
I figure we got another
two good weeks left.
- Huh, like I said, it's a wonder
we trust each other at all.
Isn't that Crane's care?
I wonder where he's going.
I'm an equal opportunity cynic,
don't trust men either.
- What the hell do you think you're doing?
- Protective cover.
- Of all the brain dead ideas.
Uh oh, he's looking this way.
- Whoa, where did you learn that?
- Relax your hormones, I was faking it.
- That was faking it?
Must be fabulous orgasms.
- Bite your tongue or I will.
Oh, she's looking this way.
What's happening?
- He's kissing her on the cheek.
Oh nothing heavy, oh flag on the play.
- What?
- He's seen us.
- I guess we better go over and say hello.
- Yeah, did we ever screw that one up.
- And we did.
- Nick and Silvie, what a surprise.
What brings you here?
- Apparently the same thing
that brings you two here.
You see, truth is Silvie
and I are an item,
and she thought it would
cripple the business
if word got out, isn't that right dear?
- Yes that's right dear.
- Forgive me, this is Molly Shaw,
a very dear friend of the family.
These are the people
that I told you about.
Nick Slaughter, Silvie Gerard.
- Hello.
- Pleasure to meet you both.
I know that you've been
a great help to Alex
in this terrible time.
- Please, won't you join us?
- Just for a minute.
- So, you here on vacation Molly?
- Yes, that's right.
- Actually Molly's how we
found out about Key Mariah.
Turns out our vacations coincided.
She came down on the same
flight that poor Kate and I did.
- Quite a coincidence isn't it?
- Almost like our meeting here just now.
Right Mr. Slaughter?
- Yeah.
- After I'd heard
what happened to Kate, I offered
to do whatever I could for Alex.
I'm afraid that hasn't been very much.
- Molly's been a big comfort to me.
Willing to listen to my ravings.
She was a wonderful friend to Kate.
- Well I think we should be getting
back to work Nicolas darling.
- Yeah.
- Are you sure you won't stay?
- Uh no, thanks anyway.
- Glad to have met you.
- You too, bye.
- You don't.
- I do.
- You can't.
- I'm absolutely sure.
- Alex Crane behind his own
wife's murder, it's unthinkable.
- No it isn't, I just
thought of it didn't I?
You can't deny there's a motive.
Now here's a guy, a rich, powerful guy,
who's wife is rubbin'
his nose in the dirt.
- Meanwhile he's got
his own action going on
with the ever lovely Molly.
But where does the killer come in?
- Welp, the way I figure
it, Crane hired him
to seduce, and then murder his wife.
- That's enough to give you the chills.
- Yeah, but is it enough
to take to the police?
We need more, I'm gonna
call my buddy Morrisey.
He's FBI based in Chicago,
now do you know anybody there?
- I know an editor of the Trib.
- Good, now you call
him and get him to check
the paper's database for
anything on Crane and his wife.
- Okay.
- Also I'm gonna need
a passenger list on the flight that Crane
took into the keys.
- Ask and you shall receive.
- Oh sure, now you tell me.
- Rico please.
Rico, hi it's Silvie,
listen I need a tiny favor.
You have a, a Mr. Crane
staying at the hotel.
I need a passenger list of
the flight he came in on.
Thanks Rico, you're a doll.
Rico...
- Well is he gonna get it?
- That depends on if he
comes up with that list.
- Silvie.
- I'm kidding.
- Pity.
- Are you sure this is
the same Alex Crane?
Yeah how deep?
Okay thanks Morrisey, listen you can
forget about the 20 bucks.
I'm cutting at high cards, no
forget it, I said forget it.
No you owed me the money.
- What'd he say?
- He said Alex Crane was a principle
in a company called
gemstone manufacturing.
Which just filed for chapter
11 bankruptcy proceedings.
- So that definitely gives him incentive
to collect on his wife's life insurance.
- I think this is your newspaper contact.
- Nick that's Molly.
- Not according to the caption,
Mr. And Mrs. Alex Crane.
- Wait, wait, one second.
If Molly is Kate, then who's
the woman we saw murdered?
We're in luck, the connecting
flight outta Miami,
only five Chicago passengers transferred.
Alex Crane, Kate Crane,
two other men, and a woman.
- What's the woman's name?
- Mitzi Maxwell.
- We check into Miss
Maxwell, and my guess is
she has some acting in her background.
- She played the part of Kate so well,
it cost her her life.
- But how do they expect
to get away with it?
Obviously someone's gotta be
looking for this Mitzi Maxwell.
- No, not necessarily.
What if, what if Mitzi
were a working girl.
She's used to kinky clients.
- Ah, so the script that Alex
gives her is easy to play.
And reports of her disappearance
gets filed under who cares.
- The problem is, even if we nail Crane
for an insurance fraud, without a hit man
there's no way to tie him to the death.
- I got a question for you.
Why would anyone planning to kill his wife
hire a private detectives to witness it?
- They wouldn't.
They wouldn't unless,
unless their testimony
was critical to the plan.
Silvie, don't you see,
we're Crane's alibi.
He called at exactly the
same time as the murder.
- But if he wanted an alibi, why not just
do it in public surrounded
by a dozen witnesses?
The only thing that
that proves, is that he
didn't commit the murder himself.
- The pictures.
Show me the pictures.
Look at this guy, in every
photo obsessed with time.
This one here, lookin' at his watch again.
That murder had to take place when it did
at exactly the stroke of four.
- But why, because Alex
planned on makin' the call
precisely at that moment?
- Elementary my dear Gerard.
- Sherlock you're fool of shineola.
- But think of that second phone call.
It was a bad line, kept fading in and out.
He never had to respond
to one thing I said.
I mean not to mention
the major distraction
of a murder going on.
- Wait a minute.
Are you saying that call was a recording?
That it was a tape?
- Alex prerecords a phone call right,
then at tee time Kate
just calls our number
and plays the tape back into the phone.
You startin' to see where we're goin'?
- No fearless leader, it only makes sense
if Alex Crane committed
the murder himself.
- Now you're cooking, yes.
Now watch.
That's why the killer
disappeared without a trace,
he was under our noses the whole time.
- Why involve a third party?
- Yeah, especially a second string hitter,
I mean these guys are not exactly known
for keeping their lips buttoned.
- I hate to dump cold
water on your theory,
but just explain, if Crane really did hire
a surrogate and kill her.
Then why would he risk getting exposed
by bringing' the real Kate
Crane along for the ride?
- I know, you're right
it's been bothering me too.
Wait, what would it take
for an insurance company
to sign off for full payment?
- Death certificate,
and positive proof ID.
- Fingerprints?
- That's usually enough.
- Ollie, where's the body?
- At the coroner's office, why?
- I think we better head over there.
- Sergeant if you want to survive wars,
you better learn not to let
Slaughter yank your chain.
- Hey, nobody yanks my chain.
We got wise guys all
over Philly like that,
and Slaughter's just
another shovel full of slime
only this time he might be right.
- Spit it out Sergeant.
- I called the company that
holds the life insurance
policy on Crane's wife.
- Okay and...
- She and her husband both
had coverage's doubled
in the last few months.
- So what does that prove?
- Crane stands to collect
over a million dollars
in insurance money.
- Maybe it wouldn't hurt
to talk to the coroner.
You know, this doesn't help my ulcer.
It doesn't help it at all,
every time Nick Slaughter
comes in to this house, I get
it right here in the stomach.
This boy's gonna drive
me to an early grave.
- Oh no.
- What's the status of Kate Crane?
- She's dead, we don't
accept 'em any other way.
- I mean, is the body still here?
- You know the Crane woman Slaughter?
- Yeah, I'm next of kin,
I'm the victim's brother.
- Well you just missed
your brother-in-law.
He was here picking up
her personal effects.
If ya hurry, you might still catch him.
- Just tell me if the
body can still be viewed.
- Yeah, is the Crane stiff still here?
- Do you think Crane was here
to switch the fingerprints?
- He'd have to have
somebody in the inside.
Those fingerprints were artificial ones.
- Well that's bad timing, our driver
has just taken that
body over for cremation.
Don't mention it Slaughter.
- Don't stop for
anything, there'll be more
once this is over.
- Okay.
- Hey you, stop.
Stop the car, stop the car.
- Nick, the car.
- Hey, the hell you think
you're doing Slaughter?
- Trying to stop you from destroying
the best evidence that you
murdered Mitzi Maxwell.
- Well if that name's suppose
to mean something to me
I hate to disappoint you.
- You haven't disappointed
me at all Mr. Crane,
in fact you've been cold
bloodedly consistent
from the day we met, just
took me a while to catch on.
Hello Mrs. Crane, sorry to
put a crimp in your plans.
You know what they say
about the best laid mice.
- I don't know what you're talking about.
- You don't, that's all
right because they do.
- Come on, come on, let's go,
move it you guys, come on.
- You couldn't wait, could you Slaughter?
- Here's your murderer Leutinent,
and this is Lady MacBeth, as
you can see, very much alive.
- I want you to arrest this man Leutinent,
he stole my wife's body.
- Sorry pal, although I
can't deny I'm tempted.
- You have any hard proof that
Crane's your murderer Slaughter?
- Of course not, it's
just a preposterous lie.
- Pictures please Silvie.
We blew up this photo of
the killer to 20 times
it's normal size, you'll notice a rather
nasty scar here on the arm,
probably a childhood accident.
Something like the one
you have right here,
isn't it Mr. Crane.
- Mr. Crane, where are you goin'?
- Why don't you tell 'em
who's idea it was Kate, huh?
- I never knew what he was
really planning, I swear it.
He said that you didn't
need a body to collect
the insurance money,
just a death certificate.
- So you made the call,
and played the tape?
- He never said that
anyone would get hurt.
- Well, they're all yours gentleman.
- Mr. Crane you're under
arrest, you have a right
to remain silent, you have
a right to an attorney.
Anything you say can and
will be used against you.
- Wheel of fortune, okay.
Wheel of fortune, principled,
fecundity, ruling authority.
And children that look like Pat Sajack.
- Oh come on Nick, if you're not gonna try
and take this seriously...
- What do you mean, I
bought the book didn't I?
How to win at Tarot.
- Tarot.
- What's the difference?
- So what's the next card?
Hmm, the lover's, what's
the significance of that?
- You will meet a tall dark stranger,
and your life will get
taller, darker, and stranger.
- Hmm, well that's better than the cards
you were pulling.
- Not so fast, this is a
seven card stud, remember?
Queen of swords, sadness,
embarrassment, absence,
mourning, deprivation,
irritability, prudery, deceit.
Lady, I think you just got zonked.
- This is ridiculous.
- The Empress reversed, I don't think
you want to know this one.
- Oh come on, this is nothing
but a bunch of nonsense.
Well go on, tell me.
- Says you're going to marry
the last person you kissed.
- I wonder who that was?
Oh no.
- Yeah, I think we should
burn these once and for all.
- I'll get a match.
- Hell of an idea.
---
- These are, are really bad days for you.
- I know, that's why I
was counting on the night.
- Murder is not a
spectator sport my friend.
- Nick, the car.
- There's no need to
humiliate me like this.
- No, but I find it passes the time.
- Kate leaving you, might not
be the worst thing in the world.
- Monogamy is like Sushi,
it's an acquired taste.
- I thought you liked Sushi
because of the variety.
- Whoa, where did you learn that?
- Relax your hormones, I was faking it.
Nick?
- Apparently the key to
your heart has duplicates.
- Stop the car.
- If Molly is Kate, then who's
the woman we saw murdered?
Ever thought about having a lingerie sale?
- And now, the piece de
resistance, homemade cake.
- Homemade, who are we kidding?
- Hey, I don't deny
the rest of this dinner
was air freighted in from
Maxine's but, the cake is mine.
- For real?
- Yeah.
- That is delicious.
Just like everything else about
tonight, has been delicious.
- Maybe we should just, ah, skip dessert.
- What about your promise?
- That I make breakfast?
- That I could read your Tarot.
- Oh, okay.
- The ancient Tarot, I
never give my heart anymore
until I've read a man's cards.
- Can you just tell me one thing?
- What?
- Is there an in-flight
movie on this astro plane?
- The nave of cups.
- Now I should warn you, I don't believe
in any of this stuff.
- Mischievous, free of
spirit, and a fabulous lover.
- Although I don't deny that sometimes
it can have an uncanny accuracy.
What, what's a matter?
- The hanged man.
- Yeah, so what?
What, what, what is it?
- What will come, death in
the shadow of the hanged man.
- So what's the big deal?
- I have to go Nick.
- What do you mean you have to go?
Hey hang on, what about
breakfast, what about dessert?
- Uh, some other time, these
are really bad days for you.
- I know, that's why I
was counting on the night.
Come on, I mean you can't
just walk out of here
because of a couple of crummy cards.
Let me shuffle again.
- No look Nick, you have to be careful,
death is all around you,
anyone you touch could die.
You could die.
- Wait a second, first you
give me romantus interruptus,
and now you're throwing me a curse?
- It's not my curse Nick, it's yours.
- If that ain't a royal
flush, I don't know what is.
- It's Silvie.
- Sorry, I had a bad dream.
- Well it's gonna get even worse
if you don't get up and
make yourself presentable.
- What the hell are you doing here?
- We've got a potential
client coming in five minutes,
no, make that four minutes.
Wait a second, are you decent?
- It's always been a matter of hot debate.
What are you doing inviting
a client over here?
You hate this place.
- Yes I know I hate this place.
But we can't get into
the office until noon,
its being fumigated.
- I knew I was sleeping in for a reason.
- I bumped into this
man today, Alex Crane,
while I was getting the
mail, real character.
I told him that you'd be over later,
but he said it was too
urgent, he couldn't wait.
Ever thought about having a lingerie sale?
- Funniest thing happened last night.
Nina did my Tarot, she said
I was on fate's hitlist.
Or words to that effect.
Actually she said that everyone
around me was in danger.
Look, if
this is some lame excuse
not to take a case...
- Who said anything
about not taking a case?
Just gonna use the stairs instead
of the elevator for a while.
- Huh, we don't have an elevator.
- That's an even better
reason to use the stairs.
- That must be him.
So what do you do Mr. Crane?
- Uh diamonds, I'm in
the diamond profession.
- Oh that's fascinating.
Oh here we go, Nick I would
like you to meet Mr. Crane.
Mr. Crane, Nick Slaughter.
- How do you do?
- Charmed.
Have a seat.
- Thank you.
- Want a coffee?
- Thank you no, no, unless it's decaf.
- No, no, see the problem
is you got to wonder
what they put in, in order
to take the caffeine out.
- Mr. Crane was just telling me that he's
in the diamond trade.
- Ah, then I guess you're
a girl's best friend.
- Not exactly.
- All right so you came down to Key Mariah
on business and you
need someone to protect
your precious stones.
- Oh no, no, no, nothing as
glamorous as that I'm afraid.
- You're gonna need your
precious stones protected
if you don't shut up
and let the man speak.
- This is a very charming
place Mr. Slaughter.
I, I think Kate would love it.
I think she'd prefer
it over our penthouse.
- Kate's your wife?
- My wife, my love, my life.
It's ah, if you'll
excuse the sentimentality
she's also my problem.
- So is this a divorce case or what?
- No, no, no, absolutely not.
I'm doing everything that
I can to save our marriage.
I thought that if we spent
some quality time together,
I think that's the phrase.
- Yes, so that's why
you're here vacationing?
- Yes, see I haven't had a
holiday in six and a half years.
And I figured that...
Dammit, she's seeing someone.
I know it, she's seeing
somebody right here on the Key.
- Um, someone she arranged to meet?
- I don't know, the agony
sometimes she just disappears
without me, and but, there's
always a plausible explanation.
I don't know if I'm imagining it,
or if it's really happening.
- And you want us to find out the truth.
- I don't care about the
pain, the pain that I
have already gone through,
can't be any worse than that.
- Uh, where's Kate now?
- She didn't come home last night.
Um, could I use your phone?
- Sure, yeah.
- Nick, what are you doing?
Kate, I was so
worried, why didn't you call?
No, no, no, no, that's fine.
I was a bit concerned that's all.
I love you my sweet.
- Okay, well everything's fine.
She said she ran into an old girl friend,
they got to talking,
and she spent the night.
Apparently she left two
messages at the hotel,
but you know how they are with messages.
- Yeah.
- You think I'm a fool don't you?
- No, not at all.
- I mean, being a fool, and being fooled
are two different things.
- It's just that I want to believe her.
I want to believe so bad that
I'm the only one in her life.
- Yeah well, we'll uh, we'll take the case
if you want, it's your call.
- Uh, yes, yes please, please.
- Um, you understand though that we might
have to follow her, so
it might be a good idea
if you leave her alone for
a few hours this afternoon.
- I understand, I understand.
- Good, you got a picture of her?
- Um, I'm suppose to go down to the beach,
the bar down there and meet her at noon.
If, if you're discreet
then you can all see her.
Bad day for you Nick.
What have you been doing,
you're already on a stake out.
- Well it's like figure skating,
trick is to make it look easy.
And those I suppose
are the compulsory figures.
- Didn't happen to see
Nina around today did you?
- Not since this morning.
I mentioned your name, she
was like she seen a ghost.
- You know if it weren't for men like you,
men like Alex wouldn't be getting ulcers.
- That's what I am, just
so much excess acid?
- Excess something.
Testosterone maybe.
- And what do you mean, men like me?
- Guys who treat sex like
a, like a, pinball game.
- Oh that's a nice segueway,
heartburn to pinball.
- It's all about scoring
and how long you can
keep the ball in play.
- You may regret this
metaphor before we're through.
- Tell me I'm wrong.
- You're wrong, sex
happens to be a very small
but wonderful part of
something a lot more real.
- Who am I to argue with you about small
and wonderful parts.
- As for Alex, I'm not gonna take the wrap
for some sad sack, loses
his babe because he
doesn't know how to treat her right.
- There she is.
- Kate.
Kate, hey you've driven me half mad.
- Well I hope it's not the important half.
Get me a drink will ya?
- Waiter.
How could you disappear like that?
- Aw honey, I told you what happened.
Don't be such a bore, okay?
I'm here now aren't I?
- What's your poison folks?
- Ohhh, you were worth the wait.
Could I please have one
of those little rum drinks
that look like a New Year's float?
- I think you're looking for
our tropical heat special.
- Darling, you got the cutest accent.
Doesn't he honey?
- Charming.
- And for the gentleman?
- Oh he'll have mineral water.
- If you please.
- With lots of ice, he's
a maniac when he takes
his mineral water straight up.
- Very good.
- Yeah, I bet you would be too honey.
- There's no need to
humiliate me like this.
- No, but I find it passes the time.
- There's a marriage stuffed up from
breakfast to bedtime.
- Do you wanna dance?
Oh come on Alex.
- No, you know I don't dance.
- Lighten up, this isn't
Chicago, this is Key Mariah
so lighten up, all right, I'll dance.
- I don't think I can
stand this much longer.
- Kate, I wanna go home.
- So go home.
- Mr. Crane, I just want to say I'm sorry.
- Unfortunately you're not the one
who should be apologizing.
- Look, it's probably none of my business,
but Kate leaving you might not be
the worst thing in the world.
- What I know in my mind,
and what I know in my heart
unfortunately aren't one in the same.
I love her, and I'm not
sure I know how to stop.
If she doesn't go back to the hotel,
I want to know where she goes.
I have your telephone card now.
- Mr. Crane it's better that we call you.
- Whoa, whoa, whoa,
you're not going to get
behind the wheel like this are you?
- What'd you tell Crane?
- That what he's trying to
save might not be worth saving.
- Amazing what some men will put up with.
- Oh come on, you hold
women to a higher standard
than you apply to yourself?
- I'm not married in case
that fact escaped you.
- And if you were?
- Monogamy's like Sushi,
it's an acquired taste.
- I thought you liked Sushi
because of the variety.
- Therin lies the great zen
paradox of man, woman, and fish.
- Hello?
Crane
here anything, any news?
- No, nothing yet.
That's good isn't it?
- Mr. Crane it would be better...
Yes, yes
I know, and I'm sorry.
But you will call me,
but of course you will.
You said so, I'm sorry.
- The man's a basket case.
Case closed I'd say.
- Yeah, I guess so.
- Nick, something's wrong.
- What?
- Please,
I'm going crazy here, you
have to tell me, please.
- Mr. Crane get off the phone.
- Nick.
- Did you hear me?
- I told you, get off the phone.
- My God.
- Police, yes it's urgent.
- The closest thing this jerk
town has to a police artist,
is a guy who does
portraits on the boardwalk.
We'll want a composite.
- Hey we can do better than that Ollie,
she just snapped off a whole roll.
- You got pictures?
- Yeah.
- 300 mil, telephoto.
- Well let's have it.
- First I get your
promise that we get a copy
of everything that comes out of the soup.
- I ain't promisin' you squat.
And I outta lock you
up for takin' pictures
of a murder without
even tryin' to stop it.
- That's not fair sergeant,
it happened too fast
and they were too far away.
- And what about checkin'
on the damn boat?
- You got a mind like a steel trap.
We already found it driftin' down
the coast a couple of miles.
The film Slaughter.
- Listen, I can have Benny develop this
and have a proof sheet
on your desk in an hour.
That dark room at the station
is strictly Mickey Mouse.
- I didn't cut deals in Philly,
and I'm not about to start here.
- This one's personal
Ollie, I had to sit here
and watch a woman get
murdered in cold blood.
You know how that feels?
- You know the thing
about you rent a snoops?
You just sit back and watch,
you don't get involved,
you don't have to worry about the law,
or even doin' the right thing.
All you gotta worry about
is who's payin' the bills.
Murder is not a spectator sport my friend.
- You just bought
yourself a partner Ollie,
whether you like it, or not.
- The slate's clean my
man, and I will bust you
just like anybody else,
let's have the film.
- I want this guy caught Ollie,
the girl should never have died out there.
- Then just stay out of
it, and let us do our jobs.
- It's not that easy.
- There's nothing we could have done Nick.
- We think we've got it bad.
Oh no.
- I'm Sergeant Porter, Mr. Crane.
- It isn't, it isn't Kate is it?
- I'm sorry Mr. Crane it's no mistake.
Your wife was murdered.
We'll need an
ID, when you're ready.
- No, it's impossible.
I don't believe this.
What kind of animal would
do something like that?
- I promise you Mr. Crane, if
they don't get him we will.
- Just a couple of questions Mr. Crane.
We'll get a full statement later.
- Okay.
- Did you know the man
your wife was meeting?
- No, I mean I knew
there was someone, but I
I didn't know who, that's
why I hired Mr. Slaughter.
- Any reason that you
can think of, why someone
would want to see her dead?
- No.
- Sergeant.
Come on Mr. Crane, we're gonna
take you back to your hotel.
- Hey Ollie, those prints
get out of the lab yet?
- Any minute now.
- I told you I could do it faster.
- What's this?
- I guess I gave you the wrong roll.
- Slaughter, better get yourself a lawyer.
Using a police dark room to
develop your sleazy photos.
- Hmm, now that's what I call development.
- Now where's the film you
shot of the Crane murder?
- 36 three by fives.
- He's not one of the local low life's.
- I say we take the sharpest
of these, blow it up
and flash it around town.
- I've got Ian makin' the
rounds even as we speak.
- Naturally you kept a
set of these for yourself.
- Yeah, as a souvenir.
- Are you sure he's not
one of the guys at the bar?
- Nope.
- No he wasn't?
Or no, you're not sure.
- I never saw him before the rendezvous.
You find anything from the boat?
- You've got some nerve
expecting us to share
information after you hold out on us.
- While we're spinning the wheel,
this guy could be halfway to Texas.
- All right, we've torn
the boat apart, no beer,
no dope, no prints, nothin'.
- Who's it belong to?
- The boat's registered
to JoJo Mar, he rents it
out of slip 46 in the marina.
No license for charter.
- He's a retired salvager.
So what'd he tell ya?
- We haven't found him.
- He didn't show up at his apartment,
so we have to assume he's tied up in this.
- You guys ever think that
maybe he's allergic to cops?
This island's rotten with guys like that.
He sees the man comin'
and he's out of there.
- Well Slaughter man, you're guessin'.
- I'm guessin', and what are you doin'?
Waitin' around for some
rummy to stagger home,
and return your call?
You can squirm all you want gentlemen.
What you need right now, is a civilian.
Ciao.
- Marylou, hi.
- Nick.
- Lady Grace.
- It's nice to see you.
- Likewise.
Listen, thanks for the tip on JoJo.
- I didn't expect you
to come, this quickly.
- Well, when Grace or
duty calls, I answer.
- That makes two of us.
When I heard you were looking for JoJo,
I thought well what's
more important, a crime?
Or the man who saved Grace
Darcy's home for wayward girls.
- He's just an extortionist, no big deal.
- Why don't you stay here a while?
After you've finished your business,
so we can earn your appreciation.
- Sorry Grace.
- What ever happened to Key Mariah's
most eligible quarterback.
- Sometimes you just have to punt it.
- Oh, that sounds like fun.
JoJo, you know Nick Slaughter.
- Hey JoJo, how are you doin'?
- What do you want with me?
- I wanna ask you a few
questions, either me
or the cops, you make the call.
You dropped outta sight, why?
- Look I didn't do nothin' so help me.
This guy rents my boat, next thing I know
he kills somebody, then the
cops are lookin' for me.
- You know, JoJo unless I'm wrong,
one of us is very stupid.
Either you, for thinkin'
you can hide from the cops
in a bordello, or me for believing
that's all there is to it.
- Look, I don't have a charter license,
no insurance, nothin'.
- This the guy you rented the boat to?
- Yeah that's the one.
I never shoulda taken his money.
Next time I'll go with my gut.
- You get his name?
- Roger Frank, Frank
Roger, something like that.
Said he had a hot date,
and needed to go someplace
nice and private.
- Hmm, what do they call
that, tell and kiss?
- He wasn't firin' on all
eight, that much I know.
- He rent any fishing equipment from you,
or did he bring his own?
- Neither, as far as I could tell
fishing was the last thing on his mind.
- The story so far.
- The Crane's, a less than happy couple
that go on vacation to
save their broken marriage.
- He suspects her of hanky
panky, and hires a dynamic PI.
- Along with his partner.
- Thank you.
- We tail her and catch her in mid-tryst.
- With a very unsavory individual.
- It goes bad fast, he
strikes her in an impulsive
fit of rage, curtains.
- What is wrong with this picture?
- You tell me.
- Well first of all, their marriage
was so far gone, it was a joke.
- And what could she have told her lover
that provoked such violence?
That she was breaking it
off, I mean he musta known
she was a married woman.
Look at this, come here.
This guy has a white
glove on only one hand.
- That's strange, who
would take a single glove
on a fishing trip?
- Well no one, unless
they were moon walking,
or unless they knew that
they were gonna need it.
- So it wasn't just a
date that went lethal?
- No, this was a premeditated homicide.
The killer planned it all along.
- Ah, don't shoot.
- What is the matter with you?
Huh, what if I had pulled the trigger?
What if I'd killed you?
My God, what if someone was here?
- Is there?
- No.
- Well look Nick, I can't stay, I just
came by to give back your key.
- And what about the other key?
You gonna give that back too?
- What other key?
- The key to my heart.
- That is something you never gave me.
- Oh I gave it all right,
whether you took it,
that's a different matter.
- Look, Ian said you were looking for me?
- Yeah, I was wondering
when someone was gonna
take down the bad sign
I seem to be born under.
- Nick I'm so sorry.
I heard about the woman who died.
- Yeah, that was a tough
break for all of us.
- I tried to warn you,
it was in the cards.
- I get all kinds of warnings sweetheart,
some of them from guys so
big you have to climb up
on a ladder just to spit in their eye.
As far as warnings go,
this is small change.
- Fate is more powerful than any man,
no matter how big they are.
- So what are you saying, this is my fault
because I ignored the ides of March?
- No of course not, the
wheels were in motion.
Enormous, powerful, cosmic wheels.
You couldn't stop it once
it was set in motion.
- Well if you believe in that,
what's the point of trying?
I mean if everything is predetermined...
- Exactly.
- And if fate had decided
that you were to spend the night,
who are we to question such a master plan?
- Very clever, but fate
could just as easily
decide to stop it right here.
- Or for that matter.
- Nick?
- Apparently the key to
your heart has duplicates.
- Um Nina, this is Silvie
Gerard, my business partner.
- Excuse me, I didn't
realize you had company.
- Um, this is Nina, the
girl who practically
predicted Kate Crane's murder.
- Oh, a woman of many talents.
- Maybe I should just take off.
- No, uh, can't this wait til later?
- Oh sure, why not, it's only information
that can blow the Crane murder sky high,
it can wait til later.
- No no, no no, wait, wait.
Um, okay what is it?
Sorry.
- You mean it didn't come
in over the ESP band?
- All right, enough games.
What you find out?
- Ian was out early this
morning, on a scuba lesson.
Well you know I never
normally rise before dawn,
but MaryLou wanted a private lesson.
So I took her to Scutter's Beach.
- Uh buddy, cut to the chase huh.
- Well, we were going over
the basic scuba routine,
there he was, as big as life.
This better be the
part where you tell me who.
Alex Crane, with a
Kewpie doll of a brunette,
as cozy as can be.
I wouldn't have thought
about it, but considering
his wife's body was still warm.
- Yeah, uh, were they...
- Intimate.
- Well they weren't smooching
or anything like that,
but whatever was going on was pretty...
- Intense?
Did they see you?
No, MaryLou and
I took the scuba diving
lesson to another beach.
Nicely done Ian.
She seemed to think so.
- This case is getting
stranger by the minute.
- Yeah, well I think
it's time we had a little
chat with our client.
- Maybe there's a perfectly
good reason for all this.
- Everything's so perfectly
reasonable that it's scary.
- What do you mean?
- We've been led around
by the nose on this one,
from the very beginning.
Crane's weeping widower
act is a little spotty.
- Now look, let's not jump
to conclusions on this.
Even if Crane decided to drown his sorrows
in the arms of another woman.
It doesn't mean that
everything he said is a lie.
- No, but it can sure make you wonder.
- Huh, you know Nick, it's a wonder
men and women trust each other at all.
- Do they?
- Well what about your
crystal ball gazing friend,
you seem to trust her?
- She's got a track record.
- So does that mean it's serious?
- Uh we're gettin' there,
I figure we got another
two good weeks left.
- Huh, like I said, it's a wonder
we trust each other at all.
Isn't that Crane's care?
I wonder where he's going.
I'm an equal opportunity cynic,
don't trust men either.
- What the hell do you think you're doing?
- Protective cover.
- Of all the brain dead ideas.
Uh oh, he's looking this way.
- Whoa, where did you learn that?
- Relax your hormones, I was faking it.
- That was faking it?
Must be fabulous orgasms.
- Bite your tongue or I will.
Oh, she's looking this way.
What's happening?
- He's kissing her on the cheek.
Oh nothing heavy, oh flag on the play.
- What?
- He's seen us.
- I guess we better go over and say hello.
- Yeah, did we ever screw that one up.
- And we did.
- Nick and Silvie, what a surprise.
What brings you here?
- Apparently the same thing
that brings you two here.
You see, truth is Silvie
and I are an item,
and she thought it would
cripple the business
if word got out, isn't that right dear?
- Yes that's right dear.
- Forgive me, this is Molly Shaw,
a very dear friend of the family.
These are the people
that I told you about.
Nick Slaughter, Silvie Gerard.
- Hello.
- Pleasure to meet you both.
I know that you've been
a great help to Alex
in this terrible time.
- Please, won't you join us?
- Just for a minute.
- So, you here on vacation Molly?
- Yes, that's right.
- Actually Molly's how we
found out about Key Mariah.
Turns out our vacations coincided.
She came down on the same
flight that poor Kate and I did.
- Quite a coincidence isn't it?
- Almost like our meeting here just now.
Right Mr. Slaughter?
- Yeah.
- After I'd heard
what happened to Kate, I offered
to do whatever I could for Alex.
I'm afraid that hasn't been very much.
- Molly's been a big comfort to me.
Willing to listen to my ravings.
She was a wonderful friend to Kate.
- Well I think we should be getting
back to work Nicolas darling.
- Yeah.
- Are you sure you won't stay?
- Uh no, thanks anyway.
- Glad to have met you.
- You too, bye.
- You don't.
- I do.
- You can't.
- I'm absolutely sure.
- Alex Crane behind his own
wife's murder, it's unthinkable.
- No it isn't, I just
thought of it didn't I?
You can't deny there's a motive.
Now here's a guy, a rich, powerful guy,
who's wife is rubbin'
his nose in the dirt.
- Meanwhile he's got
his own action going on
with the ever lovely Molly.
But where does the killer come in?
- Welp, the way I figure
it, Crane hired him
to seduce, and then murder his wife.
- That's enough to give you the chills.
- Yeah, but is it enough
to take to the police?
We need more, I'm gonna
call my buddy Morrisey.
He's FBI based in Chicago,
now do you know anybody there?
- I know an editor of the Trib.
- Good, now you call
him and get him to check
the paper's database for
anything on Crane and his wife.
- Okay.
- Also I'm gonna need
a passenger list on the flight that Crane
took into the keys.
- Ask and you shall receive.
- Oh sure, now you tell me.
- Rico please.
Rico, hi it's Silvie,
listen I need a tiny favor.
You have a, a Mr. Crane
staying at the hotel.
I need a passenger list of
the flight he came in on.
Thanks Rico, you're a doll.
Rico...
- Well is he gonna get it?
- That depends on if he
comes up with that list.
- Silvie.
- I'm kidding.
- Pity.
- Are you sure this is
the same Alex Crane?
Yeah how deep?
Okay thanks Morrisey, listen you can
forget about the 20 bucks.
I'm cutting at high cards, no
forget it, I said forget it.
No you owed me the money.
- What'd he say?
- He said Alex Crane was a principle
in a company called
gemstone manufacturing.
Which just filed for chapter
11 bankruptcy proceedings.
- So that definitely gives him incentive
to collect on his wife's life insurance.
- I think this is your newspaper contact.
- Nick that's Molly.
- Not according to the caption,
Mr. And Mrs. Alex Crane.
- Wait, wait, one second.
If Molly is Kate, then who's
the woman we saw murdered?
We're in luck, the connecting
flight outta Miami,
only five Chicago passengers transferred.
Alex Crane, Kate Crane,
two other men, and a woman.
- What's the woman's name?
- Mitzi Maxwell.
- We check into Miss
Maxwell, and my guess is
she has some acting in her background.
- She played the part of Kate so well,
it cost her her life.
- But how do they expect
to get away with it?
Obviously someone's gotta be
looking for this Mitzi Maxwell.
- No, not necessarily.
What if, what if Mitzi
were a working girl.
She's used to kinky clients.
- Ah, so the script that Alex
gives her is easy to play.
And reports of her disappearance
gets filed under who cares.
- The problem is, even if we nail Crane
for an insurance fraud, without a hit man
there's no way to tie him to the death.
- I got a question for you.
Why would anyone planning to kill his wife
hire a private detectives to witness it?
- They wouldn't.
They wouldn't unless,
unless their testimony
was critical to the plan.
Silvie, don't you see,
we're Crane's alibi.
He called at exactly the
same time as the murder.
- But if he wanted an alibi, why not just
do it in public surrounded
by a dozen witnesses?
The only thing that
that proves, is that he
didn't commit the murder himself.
- The pictures.
Show me the pictures.
Look at this guy, in every
photo obsessed with time.
This one here, lookin' at his watch again.
That murder had to take place when it did
at exactly the stroke of four.
- But why, because Alex
planned on makin' the call
precisely at that moment?
- Elementary my dear Gerard.
- Sherlock you're fool of shineola.
- But think of that second phone call.
It was a bad line, kept fading in and out.
He never had to respond
to one thing I said.
I mean not to mention
the major distraction
of a murder going on.
- Wait a minute.
Are you saying that call was a recording?
That it was a tape?
- Alex prerecords a phone call right,
then at tee time Kate
just calls our number
and plays the tape back into the phone.
You startin' to see where we're goin'?
- No fearless leader, it only makes sense
if Alex Crane committed
the murder himself.
- Now you're cooking, yes.
Now watch.
That's why the killer
disappeared without a trace,
he was under our noses the whole time.
- Why involve a third party?
- Yeah, especially a second string hitter,
I mean these guys are not exactly known
for keeping their lips buttoned.
- I hate to dump cold
water on your theory,
but just explain, if Crane really did hire
a surrogate and kill her.
Then why would he risk getting exposed
by bringing' the real Kate
Crane along for the ride?
- I know, you're right
it's been bothering me too.
Wait, what would it take
for an insurance company
to sign off for full payment?
- Death certificate,
and positive proof ID.
- Fingerprints?
- That's usually enough.
- Ollie, where's the body?
- At the coroner's office, why?
- I think we better head over there.
- Sergeant if you want to survive wars,
you better learn not to let
Slaughter yank your chain.
- Hey, nobody yanks my chain.
We got wise guys all
over Philly like that,
and Slaughter's just
another shovel full of slime
only this time he might be right.
- Spit it out Sergeant.
- I called the company that
holds the life insurance
policy on Crane's wife.
- Okay and...
- She and her husband both
had coverage's doubled
in the last few months.
- So what does that prove?
- Crane stands to collect
over a million dollars
in insurance money.
- Maybe it wouldn't hurt
to talk to the coroner.
You know, this doesn't help my ulcer.
It doesn't help it at all,
every time Nick Slaughter
comes in to this house, I get
it right here in the stomach.
This boy's gonna drive
me to an early grave.
- Oh no.
- What's the status of Kate Crane?
- She's dead, we don't
accept 'em any other way.
- I mean, is the body still here?
- You know the Crane woman Slaughter?
- Yeah, I'm next of kin,
I'm the victim's brother.
- Well you just missed
your brother-in-law.
He was here picking up
her personal effects.
If ya hurry, you might still catch him.
- Just tell me if the
body can still be viewed.
- Yeah, is the Crane stiff still here?
- Do you think Crane was here
to switch the fingerprints?
- He'd have to have
somebody in the inside.
Those fingerprints were artificial ones.
- Well that's bad timing, our driver
has just taken that
body over for cremation.
Don't mention it Slaughter.
- Don't stop for
anything, there'll be more
once this is over.
- Okay.
- Hey you, stop.
Stop the car, stop the car.
- Nick, the car.
- Hey, the hell you think
you're doing Slaughter?
- Trying to stop you from destroying
the best evidence that you
murdered Mitzi Maxwell.
- Well if that name's suppose
to mean something to me
I hate to disappoint you.
- You haven't disappointed
me at all Mr. Crane,
in fact you've been cold
bloodedly consistent
from the day we met, just
took me a while to catch on.
Hello Mrs. Crane, sorry to
put a crimp in your plans.
You know what they say
about the best laid mice.
- I don't know what you're talking about.
- You don't, that's all
right because they do.
- Come on, come on, let's go,
move it you guys, come on.
- You couldn't wait, could you Slaughter?
- Here's your murderer Leutinent,
and this is Lady MacBeth, as
you can see, very much alive.
- I want you to arrest this man Leutinent,
he stole my wife's body.
- Sorry pal, although I
can't deny I'm tempted.
- You have any hard proof that
Crane's your murderer Slaughter?
- Of course not, it's
just a preposterous lie.
- Pictures please Silvie.
We blew up this photo of
the killer to 20 times
it's normal size, you'll notice a rather
nasty scar here on the arm,
probably a childhood accident.
Something like the one
you have right here,
isn't it Mr. Crane.
- Mr. Crane, where are you goin'?
- Why don't you tell 'em
who's idea it was Kate, huh?
- I never knew what he was
really planning, I swear it.
He said that you didn't
need a body to collect
the insurance money,
just a death certificate.
- So you made the call,
and played the tape?
- He never said that
anyone would get hurt.
- Well, they're all yours gentleman.
- Mr. Crane you're under
arrest, you have a right
to remain silent, you have
a right to an attorney.
Anything you say can and
will be used against you.
- Wheel of fortune, okay.
Wheel of fortune, principled,
fecundity, ruling authority.
And children that look like Pat Sajack.
- Oh come on Nick, if you're not gonna try
and take this seriously...
- What do you mean, I
bought the book didn't I?
How to win at Tarot.
- Tarot.
- What's the difference?
- So what's the next card?
Hmm, the lover's, what's
the significance of that?
- You will meet a tall dark stranger,
and your life will get
taller, darker, and stranger.
- Hmm, well that's better than the cards
you were pulling.
- Not so fast, this is a
seven card stud, remember?
Queen of swords, sadness,
embarrassment, absence,
mourning, deprivation,
irritability, prudery, deceit.
Lady, I think you just got zonked.
- This is ridiculous.
- The Empress reversed, I don't think
you want to know this one.
- Oh come on, this is nothing
but a bunch of nonsense.
Well go on, tell me.
- Says you're going to marry
the last person you kissed.
- I wonder who that was?
Oh no.
- Yeah, I think we should
burn these once and for all.
- I'll get a match.
- Hell of an idea.