Aurora Teagarden Mysteries: Heist and Seek (2020) - full transcript
When a priceless crown is stolen during a benefit gala held by the Lawrenceton library, Aurora and the Real Murders Club must investigate who would kill to get their hands on it.
- I can't do it.
It's too risky.
Look, I'm sorry, but my wife,
she said I could
move back home, so.
Oh, here's the money back.
Most of it.
I'll get the rest back
to you next month.
You don't have to worry
about me telling anyone.
You can trust me, right?
- Oh, no thank you, Eddie.
- Oh no, it's Eric.
- Eric. Sorry.
- Well, that was an
interesting movie,
although I don't think
it gave me anything good
for your Real
Murders talk, Sally.
- No, because in real life,
the bank robber's sister
did not leave a warning
in the bank window.
- Really? That was made up?
- Yes, because if they did
what actually happened,
the movie would have been
about 15 minutes long.
- True.
Not the smartest bank
robbers I've ever seen.
Heist movies are usually
about smart heists,
not ones that crash and burn.
- But it was a
good morality play
with a dash of
Shakespearian tragedy.
- You see Shakespeare
in everything.
- Well, if you're a
professor of literature
is that a hazard of the job?
- Eric is a history professor.
European history, isn't it?
- Western civilization.
- Oh.
- My dissertation on the Roman
conquest of the British Isles
took me four years to write.
That must sound crazy to you
since you have to pound
out articles for the paper
every day on a deadline.
- Hang on one sec.
Nick, let me help
you with the dishes.
- Oh, thank you, Sally.
That's very sweet.
So four years on
that dissertation?
- Yeah.
- That's commitment.
- I told Roe, she
could've mentioned
that I was bringing
Eric with me tonight.
- That's not why I followed you.
I want to see the you-know-what.
- Oh, um.
- Oh! Nick, it's beautiful.
Roe is gonna love it.
Okay, how do you plan
on popping the question?
Are we talking hot air
balloon, mountaintop picnic?
Spelunking?
- Roe's too sharp.
She'll see it coming
if I do any of that.
I want to surprise her.
I'll know the right
moment when it comes.
- Thanks for coming
to movie night, Eric.
- Oh, of course.
- I needed the distraction.
- Roe's been working
a lot of hours
on the library fundraiser
coming up Friday.
For the new literacy program.
- Oh, sounds like
a worthy cause.
- Yeah, you should come.
And if you're into
Shakespeare, you will love it.
The Seattle History Museum
is lending us an exhibit.
- A dress worn by
Queen Elizabeth I.
- Well, a dress like
the ones she wore.
But also a jeweled headpiece
that supposedly she did wear.
And there'll be
Renaissance-era food and music.
- Really? I hadn't heard.
- And Sally will be there.
- Then I'd love to go.
I'd be happy to
pick you up, Sally,
if you'd like to ride together.
- Oh, that's nice.
But I have to go
early to get quotes
for my write-up for the paper.
- Oh, okay.
- But you'll see
each other there.
It'll be fun.
- I look forward to it.
Great meeting you, Sally.
- Nice to meet you too.
I'll get the door.
- I'll call you later
to say goodnight.
- My favorite part of the day.
- Bye, Nick.
- Bye, Sally.
- Okay, I thought we agreed
that you weren't gonna
try and set me up anymore.
- Oh, come on!
He is smart. He is handsome.
- He chomps popcorn
really loudly.
Okay, okay. Not a dealbreaker.
And he is very nice.
I just don't know that
he's perfect for me
the way Nick is perfect for you.
- Yeah.
I do believe I
found my Mr. Right.
Who's speaking today?
- Melissa. And you know
how long-winded she is.
- Mother!
- Oh, Aurora.
Not that it isn't nice
to see you, darling,
but we are on our way out.
- Real estate luncheon today.
- Oh, well, I'm just dropping
off the raffle tickets
you said you'd sell at
the library fundraiser.
- Oh, yes.
- Although 100 tickets
seems like a lot.
- Oh, please.
I'm sure I'll have them all
sold by the fundraiser tomorrow.
- 100 tickets?
That's optimistic.
Dear Terry, you of
all people should know
I have a very long and
very loyal client list.
- As do I.
Roe, would you happen to
have another 100 tickets
that I can sell?
- Oh, it's a
competition all right.
Terry could never
displace my mother
as the Lawrenceton
queen of real estate,
but maybe she can sell
more raffle tickets.
- Well, she used
to be the mayor.
I bet she has quite
the contact list.
- Yeah, it'll be interesting
to see who comes out on top.
You want to place any bets?
- I would never bet
against a Teagarden woman.
In fact, there's no safer bet
than going all in with
a Teagarden woman.
And so-
- Oh, it's Lillian.
I'm supposed to go over
that last-minute to-do list
for the fundraiser, but
I can call her back.
- Go ahead. Answer.
Now's not the best time anyway.
- Hey, Lillian.
Yeah. Let me just get the list.
- Talbot is a new
hire for the museum.
I hope you'll have other
officers guarding the exhibit.
- We have three officers
assigned to this detail.
- Rest assured, Miss Stevens,
the museum items will
be under careful watch.
- We have the CCTV
surveillance camera going up.
- Per our contract.
- And Detective Smith and
I will both be present
during the event tonight.
- Lynn and Arthur are
very cautious, and
also very thorough.
- Roe, I see no reason why
you should be weighing
in on security
- Roe, this is Kelly Stevens,
assistant director
of the museum.
- Hi.
- Hi.
Aurora Teagarden. I
work for the library.
- You were part of the
contingent that talked our board
into lending you
Leicester's gift.
- Sorry?
- Oh, Leicester's gift.
It's the headpiece.
A Tudor crown worn
by Queen Elizabeth I.
- According to legend.
We have to add that because
the story isn't substantiated.
Either way, the pearls are
real and very valuable.
And the crown belongs
to a private collector
who graciously allows us to
display it at our museum.
- Well, we'll make
sure that it is
well-protected while it's here.
- Well, I hope so.
Because to be
frank, I was against
allowing this exhibit
to leave the museum.
- Don't worry, Miss Stevens.
I'm satisfied with
security precautions.
- Well, I'm the one who
needs to be satisfied.
- Yes, ma'am.
- Let's get this unpacked.
- All right, Aurora,
let's finish setting up.
- I just want to take a peek.
- Talbot, did you forget?
You need to wear gloves.
- Sorry.
It's sublime.
- And now...
The piece de resistance.
Leicester's gift.
- Never seen anything like it.
- I think I'll call in a few
more officers for this detail.
- Welcome.
I'm Lillian Tibbett of
the Lawrenceton library.
And you are?
- Miya Quan.
- Oh, we're so glad you
could be here, Miya.
- Yes. As am I.
- Howard, one of our
most faithful patrons.
I'm so glad you
could come tonight.
- I wouldn't have missed it.
- Oh, I've been
meaning to call you.
Those home improvement books
you requested have arrived.
- Oh, good.
Mrs. Teagarden did warn
me the place she found me
was a fixer-upper, so.
- Well, they'll be waiting
for you. Come by any time.
Enjoy the evening.
- I'm sure I will.
- Of course, Americans
have always been
fascinated with British royalty.
It's why, you know, many
of our historical artifacts
have found a happy
home in museums here.
- Nick, meet Kelly
Stevens and James Reading.
Miss Stevens works
for the museum.
Mr. Reading's on its
board of directors.
Professor Nick Miller.
- It's a pleasure to
meet you, Professor.
- It's great to meet you both.
I've been hearing
your names all week.
- Well, he's the one
who talked the board
into letting this
exhibit travel.
- Well, it hasn't traveled far.
We just an hour from Seattle.
Really, I think
more of our exhibits
should be out and
about, you know,
inspiring a thirst for history.
It would certainly be
better public relations
than those brochures
that you're handing out.
- Well, I beg to differ.
- Excuse me.
Okay.
- I thought I heard
a familiar voice.
How have you been, James?
- Oh, very well, thanks.
The younger Mr. Mettle.
- Oh, Davis, hey.
How is it that you
two know each other?
- Through my father.
- Who I tried to recruit
to the museum board.
Too busy, he claims, in that
world of corporate finance
that's made him so successful.
- But not too busy to play golf
with you and your fabulous
wife on the weekends.
Olivia is here, I hope.
- No, no. Sadly not.
No, she is in London on
a visit, but you know,
she would have loved
to have been here.
She's a big, big
supporter of libraries.
- Oh, well, we are happy
for the museum's support.
Mr. Reading, I heard that you
are introducing the exhibit.
- I am.
Yes, no, I insisted.
No one tells the story of
Leicester's gift quite like me.
- It's stuck on the track.
Oh no, I got it.
- All right, CCTV camera
is working and recording.
- All right, pull up
on the stage curtains.
Excuse me. What are you doing?
- I'm sorry. I was just curious
to see the famous crown.
- Okay, well, you're not
supposed to be up here.
I you to step down, please.
- I'm so sorry.
- That's okay.
- No, it's fine.
I'll get someone to
bring over a broom.
- I should do it. It's my fault.
- I'll get a trash bag.
- We've got it, Roe. No worries.
- Well, we'll
still need a broom.
And thank you for
volunteering, Philip.
I'm sorry about the costume.
- It's fine.
Not embarrassing at all.
- Thank you for your
support. Miya Quan, you said?
- Yes, and now I
have 200 tickets.
Good shot at winning that
trip to London, I hope.
- Oh, I think so.
Oh, the flight leaves from
Seattle, just so you know.
- Convenient, as
that's where I live.
For the moment, anyway.
I'm rather charmed
by Lawrenceton.
- Oh, well, are you
thinking of relocating?
Because I have to
give you my card.
I know I could help you.
What is it that you do?
- Import/export. Rather
cutthroat business.
Much like real
estate, I imagine.
- I'd already sold
tickets to that woman.
- Well, now she has more.
That was the end of my tickets.
So how are you doing with yours?
- The evening is young.
- Talbot.
I'd take the trash out
to the dumpster, but.
- No problem. I've got it.
- Here.
Oh, Eric.
Hey. I'm so glad you made it.
- Wouldn't miss it.
Is Sally around?
- Um, there.
- Oh.
- Oh, Howard!
Oh, it's so nice to see you.
How is it settling
into your new home?
- Fine. Everything is fine.
- Where's Mr. Reading?
It's time for the reveal.
- Here he comes right now.
- Oh.
- Are we ready?
- Yes. Let's begin.
Is this on? Yes?
Hello, I'm Lillian Tibbett,
managing librarian for
the Lawrenceton library.
Thank you.
On behalf of the library,
we want to welcome you
to our Renaissance
night fundraiser.
Our goal is to raise $50,000
to fund a literacy program
out of our new Gladys
Allison McCourt Reading Room.
And to inspire you to
open up your checkbooks,
the Seattle Museum of
History has brought us
their most popular
Renaissance-era exhibit.
So without further ado,
I'd like to welcome
from the board of
directors of the museum
Mr. James Reading.
- Thank you.
When you think of
the Renaissance,
you probably think of figures
like William Shakespeare,
or his patron,
Queen Elizabeth I.
We know Shakespeare
often staged his plays
for the Queen's court,
as he did in 1597
with a production of
"Love's Labour's Lost".
Now, an account of this evening
described the Queen's garb.
And in 1923, a dress
was unearthed in London
that matched this account,
along with a
pearl-encrusted headdress,
also known as a billiment.
The queen often wore
these lighter headdresses
in place of a heavy crown.
The dress had
degraded over time.
But the Tudor crown,
which is what we call
it at the museum,
was in pristine condition.
Historians believe it
was given to Elizabeth
by the one man that she
is said to have loved,
a man famous for
showering her with pearls.
Robert Dudley, the
Earl of Leicester.
Which is why the crown
is now better-known
as Leicester's gift.
Now, the legend
might not be true.
Most of Elizabeth's artifacts
have not survived the centuries
intact, but true or not,
the legendary beauty of
the queen's crown of pearls
never disappoints.
Ladies and gentlemen, I present
to you Leicester's gift.
- What's going on?
Where's
the Tudor crown?
- The crown's supposed
to be on the mannequin.
- It was there a
few minutes ago.
- Then where is it now?
- No one leaves until
they've been searched.
- It's gotta be here.
- Well, it's not.
- That's not acceptable.
- It seems impossible.
We've had a camera on
it the entire time.
- Well, clearly we trusted the
wrong people to protect it.
- Is there anything
I can do to help?
- Yes. All of your
library supporters here?
Organize them into
lines to be searched.
We have officers on the way.
- Okay.
- This is a disaster.
- Please open your purse.
- No, you will not search me.
You have no cause to search me.
- Excuse me. Is there a problem?
- Yes, this is very
much a problem.
- And what is your name?
- Miya Quan.
And I prefer not to be
treated like a criminal.
- I understand, but unless
you agree to be searched,
you're gonna be detained until
the missing property is found.
- I'm sure my lawyer will have
something to say about that.
- Roe, I expect you and
your Real Murders people
need to be searched if
they haven't been already.
- Surely you don't mean me.
- Aida, let the female
officer pat you down
and you can go home.
- That's exactly
where I intend to go.
- You too.
- Thank you for
your cooperation.
We apologize for
the inconvenience.
- I really should be
getting some quotes
for a story on this, but
I just can't believe it.
- Yeah, that crown disappearing
right in front of
the chief of police?
- And 100 other people, not
to mention the CCTV camera.
- I feel for Lynn and Arthur.
- I don't know why
you think I took it.
It's my job to protect it.
- Then why does the
CCTV footage show you
reaching inside the
exhibit after the drapes
had already been
closed around it?
- I wasn't reaching inside.
I was just trying to make
sure the drape was fully shut.
- I dunno what to say.
He hasn't left the room,
so if it's not on him,
he didn't take it.
- Well, it hasn't
just disappeared.
Clearly it's been stolen.
- Well, not by me.
- No, but on your watch.
- So I'm just the designated
scapegoat here, is that it?
- Just go back to
your hotel, Talbot.
We'll deal with you tomorrow.
- Wait, you're at a hotel?
But Seattle is so close.
- I expected we'd
be here very late
getting the exhibit
packed up after the event.
- That helps us, actually.
Mr. Talbot, you're free
to go back to your hotel,
but I need you to sit tight
till I can send someone to
get a statement from you.
- Okay.
- So now what?
- We don't go home
until we find it.
All right.
- Why is the security
guard leaving?
- They let him go?
- Well, I can't say it
hasn't been interesting.
I'll see you tomorrow, Nick?
Goodnight, everyone.
- Bye.
- Goodnight.
- Well, I know Talbot
was a new hire.
I wonder if his last
job was as a magician.
- Yeah, it does seem
as if slight of hand
made that crown disappear.
- Yeah, but even if he was able
to get it off the mannequin,
where did it go after?
- True. He never left the stage.
- Well, except for when he
helped pick up the spilled food.
- He helped pick up the food.
- And he got you to
take out the trash.
- You think Talbot slipped
a crown in the trash bag?
- Where'd you dump the trash?
- In that dumpster there.
It might
still be in there.
- He put it in the trash.
How did I miss that?
- And I let him leave.
Get two units to the
Newbury Hotel now.
I want Brett Talbot in custody.
- Dispatch two units
to Newbury Hotel. Over.
- It was a black bag.
- Try this one.
- This one's black.
- They're all black.
- Excuse me.
- Phillip, you should get out
of the dumpster right now.
- Oh, you think?
- We should have come to
you as soon as we realized.
- Yes, you should have.
- We think the security
guard put the crown
in the trash bag
Philip took out.
- We know, and now you're
possibly contaminating evidence.
- Contaminating a dumpster?
- Out. Now.
You find the crown,
I want to be the one
to put Talbot in cuffs.
- I think it was a black one.
Like that, that right there.
- They're all black.
- What are you doing here?
- They're not gonna find
the crown in that dumpster.
- You're right.
Talbot didn't even glance
toward it when he came out here.
- So either it was never
there in the first place, or.
- He knew somebody else would
be there to retrieve it.
- It makes sense that this
wouldn't be a one-person job.
- Magicians always
have an assistant.
- We should go to Talbot's
hotel and talk to Lynn.
- Or you can just talk to
Arthur 'cause he's right there.
- Well, you talk to Arthur.
Let's go see Lynn.
- You know what she really wants
is to see what's
going on with Talbot.
- One shot to the chest.
From the powder marks,
it looks close range,
and no, the crown isn't here.
We've got forensics on it.
- Whoever convinced Talbot
to take part in the heist
just killed him
to keep him quiet.
It's not gonna be easy
getting people to focus today.
Everyone's talking
about the missing crown
and Talbot's murder.
- I have a plan for that.
I'm gonna head them
off at the pass.
Yeah.
- Okay, everybody.
I hereby open this meeting
of the Real Murders Club.
Today's speaker is Sally Allison
and today's subject is a murder
many believe is connected
to the failed Southwest
bank robbery of 1953.
So Sally, take it away.
- Thank you, Roe.
Before we get started, I
know many of you are curious
about the murder of
the security guard
at the Newbury Hotel last night.
And since I just handed
in my story about it
for tomorrow's paper, I
can give you an update.
The police believe it was
Talbot who stole the headpiece
known as Leicester's gift from
the fundraiser last night.
A CCTV camera caught him
slipping something
into his pocket,
then transferring
it to a trash bag.
- Which I carried out to
the dumpster, like an idiot.
- There's no way you
could've known, Phillip.
- Exactly.
The police say this was a
very well-planned heist.
And whoever his accomplices were
clearly didn't want him talking
because they killed him,
also in a very well-planned way
because there was no physical
evidence left behind,
and the security cameras
outside the hotel
had been disabled.
- Any suspects?
- The only one that Chief
Smith was willing to name
was the one person
at the fundraiser
who refused to be searched.
And that was Miya
Quan from Seattle.
And that's all that I know.
So getting back to
the bank robbery.
- Oh, wait.
Did the chief acknowledge that
if the security
guard was involved,
then other people from the
museum were likely involved?
- Yeah. An inside job.
That's what I was thinking.
- My friend James Reading sits
on the board of directors.
I'll go talk to him
tomorrow, see what he thinks.
- I'll find out
who hired Talbot,
see what they know about him.
- Mind if I tag along?
I don't like the
way these people
used me to get away with it.
- Okay, everyone, you
all know that I am
just as interested as you
in what happened last night,
but Sally worked really hard
on this talk, so let's...
Mother?
- I don't even know if I
should be telling you this.
I am, I am always so protective
of my client's privacy.
But if it's relevant
to a murder-
- What client?
- Howard Kane.
I saw him last night
at the fundraiser.
- Yeah, Howard's one of my
favorite library patrons.
- Oh, he's, he's a good client.
Although it was a
little difficult for
him to get a mortgage
because he's a convicted felon.
Grand larceny.
- Howard?
The man who always
returns his books on time
is a thief?
- He told me that
when he was younger
he used to break
into people's houses
and he'd steal
their televisions,
steal their jewelry.
- Mother, he was on that
stage with Lynn and Arthur
before the crown was stolen.
He's the one that
tripped Phillip.
- I don't even know
if I can bring myself
to going to the
police to tell them
what I know about Howard.
It feels like such
an ethical violation.
- Yeah, but at a minimum,
he could be an accomplice.
We have to tell the police,
even if they just look
into it and rule him out.
Is it all right if I tell them?
- That would solve my dilemma.
- Okay.
- Thank you.
- Wow, this place is great.
- Hey.
There's Arthur.
- The offices are upstairs.
I think we can go this way.
- Yes, yes.
They want a heads
to roll for this,
but it won't be yours,
Henry, all right?
If you go, I go.
No, no, no.
If it's anyone's
fault, it's mine.
What you're doing
is important there.
So, and I'll fill out
the other board members.
I'll get back to you.
Okay, take care. Cheers.
I am sorry, Davis.
Not a good time.
It is chaos here.
- Look, I just wanted to
see if there's anything
my friend Philip and
I can do to help.
- I feel kind of responsible.
I'm the one who your
security guard tricked
into taking the crown
out in the trash.
- Not your fault.
I should have known
something wasn't right
when the fellow first assigned
to the job disappeared.
- Sorry, disappeared how?
- He didn't show up
for work last week.
Well, his wife told us that
he'd run off with another woman,
but David Reyes, he
was a good man, steady.
Just struck me as odd.
- Well, it's more than odd now.
So where did this
Talbot guy come from?
- Your police detective
asked me the same thing.
But our assistant director,
Kelly. I think you've met her.
She's in charge of
personnel, hiring, so.
- Actually, our human
resources manager
is in charge of hiring, not me.
I don't know where Talbot
came from, but if you recall,
I was the one complaining
about his inexperience.
You can't pin any of
this on me, James.
This disaster is all yours.
- She's enjoying our
predicament a little too much.
A man's been killed.
The museum has taken
a terrible loss
and she's trying to parlay it
into a chance to snatch
the director's job.
Look, I'm really sorry, gents,
but I need to make some calls,
make sure that that
does not happen.
- Yeah, of course.
Thanks, James.
- However refreshing it
is that you've come to me
with a lead rather than
chasing this down on your own,
you must know that the
first thing I would do
is run priors on all
your fundraiser guests.
- Oh, I, I just didn't think
that you would do
that on all of them.
- Yeah, you don't
mean, like, all.
- You didn't run
one on me, did you?
- Sally, why would I run
a background check on you?
- Well, I always feel guilty
when I'm around you, Lynn.
I can't explain it.
- Kane. I'm talking
about Howard Kane.
I know that he was
convicted of grand larceny.
- Yes, and he was on that stage
before the crown was stolen.
- Yes, I'm aware of that,
and we are looking into him.
And did I say that
was on the record?
No, I did not.
- That's why I feel guilty.
- Oh, Nick, Eric.
I wasn't expecting you.
- Nor was I. I hope
it's important.
I don't have time for chitchat.
- My colleague here teaches
history at the university.
- Professor Eric Hanson.
- He's an expert on
the Elizabethan era
and he has some opinions on
who might be interested
in the crown.
- As in a list of people
who might be willing
to kill for it?
- Oh, no, nothing like that.
I just have some thoughts.
- I'm sorry, we're just
about to interview a suspect.
Maybe email me your thoughts.
- Oh, okay.
- Well, I'm interested
in your thoughts.
Can we go get coffee?
- Sure.
- I'd like to quote, you
if I can, for my story.
What academic
doesn't love to be quoted?
- Can you tell us
why you objected to
a cursory search at the
fundraiser, Miss Quan?
- What does it matter?
From what I've read,
the stolen headpiece
left the building
by other means.
- You own an
import/export business.
What items do you export?
- I export raw materials
for manufacture,
import the finished products.
Fashion items, mostly.
- Fashion items? Like jewelry?
- Why, yes.
Those $6 earrings that girls
like to buy at the mall?
They have me to thank.
- It's now accepted
that Elizabeth I
wanted to marry Robert Dudley,
but politics prevented it.
- So did the mysterious
death of his first wife.
Huge scandal.
- Ooh, maybe we
should look into that
for a Real Murders Club meeting.
- But Elizabeth kept
Dudley close anyway.
Made him the first
Earl of Leicester
and declined to marry anyone
else, even after he died.
- Oh, their love
was doomed. How sad.
- Now this Tudor
crown is a symbol
for his love and devotion,
and more valuable for
the story behind it.
than all the pearls in it.
- Eric doesn't think whoever
stole it is gonna sell it.
- Then why go to
all that trouble?
Why kill someone over
it if not for the money?
- You'd have to understand the
mind of a private collector.
Well, some collectors, anyway.
- Obsession is one of the most
powerful human motivations.
- What else do you export?
Do you ever, say, procure
any specific items
for your customers?
- You mean items they
might want to avoid
taking through customs?
Items that I could, say,
hide in a cargo container
of metal sheets?
That's your theory, isn't it?
I see no reason to
dance around it.
And the answer is no.
Smuggling stolen goods
is not what I do.
- So why were you at the
fundraiser that night?
How did you hear about it?
- I don't recall.
The history museum must have a
good public relations person.
I felt compelled to go.
- Do you believe
her? The HR manager?
- That she had no idea
how Talbot's resume
got into the system?
I don't know.
Someone with access to the
system had to have put him in.
- No, no, it was not
supposed to happen like that.
And don't call me on my
cell for a while either.
- All right, let's go.
- These people who collect
Elizabethan-era artifacts
to the point of obsession,
are you one of them?
Well,
no, I can't afford it.
- Well, how many
collectors can you name?
Just the overly
fixated ones, I mean.
- Oh yeah.
Do you think you could
put together a list,
like the one Lynn
was asking about?
- I know there's a database
of Elizabethan jewelry sales
used by auction houses.
I mean, that tells you who
buys them again and again.
I have no idea how to get
access to that though.
- Luckily, you know a librarian.
- Yeah, Roe can access
just about any database
provided you don't need
a security clearance.
- We can all meet at the
library tomorrow morning.
- Ah, Thursday.
It's my early class.
- Well, I don't have a class.
What time does the library open?
- At 10. You could
swing by and pick me up
from my office on
the way, if you like.
- Sure.
- Seems like Sally and
Eric are hitting it off.
- I knew you'd be gloating
about your matchmaking skills.
- Oh, I'm ready to gloat yet.
It still seems a little iffy.
Not like us, when we met
- Instant chemistry.
So easy.
- So obvious.
Like Queen Elizabeth and
the Earl of Leicester.
- You're breathtaking.
There's been something I've
been wanting to ask you.
- Roe. We think we know
who killed Brett Talbot.
- Well, how are you so sure
you know who killed Talbot?
Do you have proof?
- No, he's getting
ahead of himself.
- Fine, no hard proof yet,
but we're pretty sure
it was an inside job
and Kelly Stevens?
- Assistant director
of the museum.
- James Reading
thinks she's trying to
get the director fired
over the stolen crown.
He says that she wants
the director job herself.
So that's motive, right?
- James also told
us that the guy
who was originally assigned
to guard the crown,
a guy named David
Reyes, has disappeared.
- Didn't show up for work last
week, hasn't been seen since.
Talbot was put in his place.
- We talked to the HR
manager about Talbot.
She said she offered him the job
because his name
was top of the list.
They have some kind of algorithm
that ranks job candidates,
but she has no idea how
his name got in the system.
- Yeah, she was like,
"This is highly irregular,"
because she's the one who
adds people to the system,
but she didn't do
that for Talbot.
- It does sound
like an inside job.
But we can't rule out that
Talbot could also have been
working with someone
outside of the museum.
- Either way, we have to find
out more about Kelly Stevens.
I'm looking into the crown
tomorrow morning and Nick,
you have an early class.
- I don't. I can do some
digging around online.
- Okay. Get Terry to help you.
She's good at creative searches.
- I'll see what else
I can get from James.
- Okay, my class is done by 10,
so why don't I look into
this missing security guy?
Reyes?
- Yeah.
- Great. Then we have a plan.
- Miss Quan, what
on earth are you
lurking in the
shadows like that for?
- Forgive me. I didn't
mean to startle you.
- Well then, what is
it you meant to do?
- Why, my dear Ms. Teagarden,
I'd like to hire you.
- Officer Williams came up
with some surveillance footage
from the strip mall
across the street
from the Newbury Hotel.
Maybe we'll get lucky and, Aida.
- Hi.
- What are you doing here?
- She was just telling
me that she had a visit
from Miya Quan last night.
- She's asked me to help her
find a warehouse to buy
here in Lawrenceton.
And then I read that
you're questioning her.
So this isn't someone I want
to be in business with, is it?
- Well, the International
Trades Commission
has investigated
her company twice
for improper filing
of documents.
- She says she isn't in
the smuggling business,
but it's pretty
clear that she is.
And if she's looking
for a warehouse here,
it's obviously getting
too hot for her
and whatever she's trying
to hide in Seattle.
- Right.
Now, we haven't connected all
the dots between Miya Quan,
the museum, and the
murder, but so far,
we think she's our only suspect
who had the resources
to pull it off.
- And the contacts to sell
the jewels in that crown
on the black market.
- Well, I guess that answers
my question, doesn't it?
- Millicent Exeter.
She's on here twice.
Mark Harford, bought a chalice.
Here's James Reading again.
Confectionary box with a
Tudor crest, 600,000. Wow.
- Hey, that's you. Eric Hanson.
My winning bid
of $300 for an enameled ring.
My professor's salary
doesn't stretch too far.
- Neither does a reporter's.
- Are you cold?
- Oh, just a little.
- Here.
- Thank you.
- There's so many different
artifacts on here.
Too many names.
Maybe we should
stick to jewelry.
- Great, 'cause I'm starting
to get writer's cramp.
Maybe that's just 'cause
it's cold in here.
- It's not cold in
this library, Sally.
Perhaps these morbid
pursuits with Aurora
have chilled you to the bone.
- Or it's that.
- So my internet
search of Kelly Stevens
came up with a lot of
PR stuff for the museum.
Then I found her name in
the list of defendants
in small claims court
a few years ago.
This jewelry store
sued her for damages.
- Why would a jewelry
store want to sue her?
- Exactly what I want to know.
- Ah, this is what
living off a trust fund
allows you to do.
Lounge around museums.
- Meeting didn't go well?
- Kelly Stevens has
the board ready to sack
our incredibly well-respected
museum director.
When I threatened to
resign if they do, well,
I didn't see much support.
And here I've been trying
to convince my wife Olivia
that we should move
here permanently.
She won't even discuss it now.
- So what's Kelly's story?
- Well, we hired her from
an art museum in New York,
touted as a wunderkind.
Clearly believes her own press,
but she has no
appreciation for history
or the true value
of our collection.
Ever since I shared that
opinion with the board,
she has made my tenure difficult
in ways large and small.
And now with the theft,
the murder, it's-
- So-
- Mr. Reading, are you
ready for a little chat?
- Absolutely. Anything
that I can do to help.
- And what are you doing
here, Davis? Again?
- James.
- My office?
- Yeah.
- Kelly Stevens?
Yes, I sued her.
Served her right for
not returning my calls.
- Calls about what?
- Yeah, why'd you sue her?
- We also buy jewelry.
She brought me some earrings
and I paid her $200 for them.
Only the police came
looking for them.
Turns out they were stolen.
- This is a good list to
hand over to the police.
- Finally, a use
for my odd passion.
- Thank you for
lending me your jacket.
- Would you like to grab
dinner this weekend?
- Oh, I'm sorry. I'm busy.
Um, maybe some other time.
- Sure.
Well, you two take care.
- Bye.
- Bye.
- I thought you liked him.
- I did, until I found
this in his jacket pocket.
He printed off his
fundraiser ticket at home.
Look at the date on that.
- Two weeks before the event.
- And yet just days
before at your house,
he acted like he'd
never even heard of it.
He lied.
- Nick is not gonna
like it if Eric
ends up on our suspect list.
Maybe you can come with me
and tell him what you found.
I really don't want to think
one of Nick's closest friends
is the bad guy.
- Well, I really don't
like you making me
the bearer of bad news.
- Well, you found
the ticket, not me.
This is Eric's office.
And he's not here.
- Whoa, I don't think
this is a good idea.
What are we even looking for?
- We'll know it when we see it.
- Roe?
Why are you two
searching Eric's desk?
- Okay.
I found this ticket for the
fundraiser in his jacket pocket
and, oh, oh.
And his name came up on the,
on the jewelry
auction database, so-
- So I bring a friend
in to help with this
and you put him on
the suspect list?
- No, he lied to us, Nick.
He pretended not to know
about the fundraiser
when he already had a ticket.
- Did you ask him about it,
and just find out if
he had a good reason?
Okay, then why don't
we chase a real lead?
I found the address for
that security guard
that disappeared, Reyes.
I was planning on going
and speaking with his wife,
but I have to go talk to the
dean about a student right now.
- Well, text it to me
and we'll go talk to her.
- Great. Fine.
In the meantime, please
take Eric off your list.
- No, he's not
really on the list.
I just thought I...
I think we're having
our first fight.
And you did a terrible job
explaining the Eric problem.
- Well, I'm not good at
breaking bad news, Roe.
- Sally, you are a reporter!
Isn't that pretty
much your whole job?
- No, no.
I like the writing part and I
like the investigating part.
I have never liked
the bad news part.
- So I just got an
earful from James Reading
about Kelly Stevens.
- Tell me later.
We got something on the
CCTV surveillance footage
from the strip mall across
the street from the hotel.
- So you haven't seen
your husband in how long?
- We know who stopped showing
up to work about six days ago.
- It's the last
time I saw him too.
We'd split up for a while.
I kicked him out when
I saw those texts
from that girl Vivian he
said he was done talking to.
Just wanna work it out, he said.
But instead he
runs off with her.
- Oh, I'm so sorry.
But how did you know that?
Did he tell you himself?
- No. He knows what I'd say
and it wouldn't be pretty.
But he hasn't been back to work
and he hasn't been back
to his brother's, so.
- Why do you think that he
ran off with this other woman?
Because he doesn't
know his Snapchat
shows where he is on a map.
So I looked him up the
night he stood me up.
There he was, at the dock.
The waterfront, right around
the corner from Vivian's.
So you tell me.
- Thanks for your time.
- Roe appreciated your help
in putting together that list,
but, um.
- But what?
- Well, it seems she
and Sally figured out
that you had bought a ticket
for the fundraiser
weeks earlier.
- So why did I pretend to just
hear about it at Roe's house?
- I'm guessing you
had a good reason.
- Yeah.
I thought a guy who buys
library fundraiser tickets
would sound boring.
I wanted Sally to think I
was more cool than that.
- Okay, so this is
from across the street
from Talbot's hotel.
- Right.
We know that he was
killed between 8:40,
when the front desk clerk
checked him out, and 8:57,
when we found the body.
Mm-hm. Wait, what's that
here? -51 on the timestamp.
Who is that?
Howard Kane?
- I don't know why you
wanted to come down here.
It was six days ago
that Reyes' phone
showed him at this location.
- Yeah, but his wife said
that he hasn't shown up
any place on a
Snapchat map since, so.
- Well, I just don't
want to have to go around
knocking on abandoned
warehouse doors.
It's creepy enough in the light,
and it's gonna be dark soon,
and it just makes
me uncomfortable.
Doesn't it make you feel weird?
Roe?
Roe?
You scared
me half to death.
- Sorry. But come
look what I found.
- Okay.
There could be snakes.
- Oh, come on.
See? Look.
Why would someone smash a phone?
- What is that?
- We gotta take a closer look.
It's a body.
- Chocolate?
- Oh, I feel sick.
- The warmth will help.
- You're right. It does.
I wish you would've called me
before you went down
to the waterfront.
- I thought you and I were
in the middle of an argument.
- Because of Eric?
It wasn't an argument.
- Well, it felt like we
were on different sides.
- We're always on
the same side, Roe.
I want you to know
how much I mean that.
And this might not be a
very good time to ask you,
yeah, but then again, it
might be the best time.
It's when you come
face to face with death
that you start thinking about
what's really important in life.
- Okay, Roe.
You and Sally can
sign your statements
and you'll be free to go.
- The body we found was Reyes,
the missing security
guard, right?
- Yes. Shot like Talbot.
I'll let you know if we
have any other questions.
- The question is
whether they were
both shot by the same gun.
Howard?
- This is crazy.
I didn't do anything wrong.
- Arthur, are you
arresting someone?
Do I need to add this to
my story about the murders?
- Mr. Kane is merely a person
of interest at this point.
- Why is that?
- He was at the Newbury Hotel
at the time Talbot was killed.
- Is it true?
You found another body?
- The missing
security guard, Reyes.
- We're dealing with a
cold-blooded killer here.
- Well, we just found
out Kelly Stevens
tried to sell stolen jewelry.
- I don't know how well Lynn's
gonna hear that right now.
They just brought
in Howard Kane.
- Oh, I would love to
be a fly on the wall,
hear what Howard
is telling them.
- I did go to see Brett Talbot
at his hotel that night.
I'm not denying that, but
I never got to see him.
- Again, Mr. Kane, if you would
like your attorney present.
- I call my attorney when
I've done something wrong.
I haven't done anything wrong.
Not in a long time.
Look, I'm telling the truth.
I parked on the street
across from the hotel.
- Well, why park on the street?
Why not in one of the
hotel's parking lots?
- I, I don't know.
I just, I saw a spot
and I stopped there.
- And then you
followed Talbot around
to the back parking area,
you shot him, and you left.
- No.
No, no.
I went into the hotel.
I asked the clerk for
Mr. Talbot's room number.
The clerk said he
checked out, so I left.
I never saw Talbot.
- Well, you could have gone
in to talk to the clerk
after you killed Talbot
to establish an alibi.
- No, that's not. I never-
- Mr. Kane.
Why did you want to speak with
Talbot in the first place?
- To ask him about
a friend of mine.
Someone I thought he'd know,
because they worked
at the same place.
You have to believe me.
- Well, who's the friend?
- A guy I knew from
my prison days.
A corrections officer who became
a security guard at the museum.
- And was his name David Reyes?
- Yes.
How did, how did you know?
- We just pulled his body
from the river this afternoon.
He was shot.
- I think I'd like to
call my lawyer after all.
- Yeah.
- Yes, and I'm
heartbroken over it.
I just, I want to believe
that people who like to read
aren't going out into the
world to do bad things.
- When you were little
you did believe books
had magical powers.
- Yeah. It's silly.
I study true crime.
I know the most successful
killers are smart, well-read,
and able to fool
people into believing
they're perfectly nice.
- Well, if it's Howard,
he fooled me as well.
- Is there anything
you can think of
that might tell us
one way or another?
Anything?
Anything that might've come
up during the house hunt?
- You mean did he say he
missed a life of crime
while we discussed
low water landscaping
and walk-in closets?
No, that didn't happen.
Although he did say
a walk-in closet
was important to
him for some reason.
Oh, I remember now.
He said he wanted room in
order to put in a safe.
A safe for what, I don't know.
- Mother, there are
only a few things
people put in a safe.
Things like jewels.
- I'd better call Lynn.
Wait, where are you
going this morning?
- The museum.
- Aurora!
- What? I heard there was
a great Tudor exhibit.
- Kelly, hello.
I have left you a
lot of messages.
- Yes, I know you want to speak,
but now isn't a good time.
We have to meet with
the insurance adjuster
to talk about the stolen crown.
If you want to come back later.
- What about the
stolen jewelry you sold
at Spotlight Jewelry
Store three years ago?
The owner sued you in small
claims court because of it.
- Okay, I don't know
how you know that,
but I had no idea those
earrings were stolen.
My brother gave them
to me for my birthday.
- Your brother stole them?
- No, he bought them
from a guy on the street.
Although how that's any of
your business is beyond me.
- Kelly, I thought
that we agreed
there was no reason for
you to be at this meeting.
- No, I did not agree.
Someone needs to stand in
for the museum director,
and that insurance
company needs to know
that I argued against the-
- Sorry, Mr. Reading?
Aurora Teagarden. We
met at the fundraiser.
- Yes, I remember.
- And I remember you
saying that you are the one
spearheading the effort
to lend out the exhibit.
- Oh, he definitely was.
And our museum director
backed him on it.
- So why the crown?
Why not some of the other
artifacts that you have here?
- Because he thinks people are
as dazzled by jewels as he is.
- No, actually. I'm
captivated by the love story.
I pushed for the exhibit
to travel not so that
people would be
dazzled by the jewels
but by the enduring love
of Leicester for his queen.
It's actually a story that
has been a great inspiration
in my own marriage.
Now, if you would excuse me,
I have a meeting to attend.
I'm sorry.
- Excuse me.
- So we know Kelly
Stevens had the ability
to get Talbot into
the museum system.
We also know she tried
to sell stolen jewelry,
which she blamed on her brother.
- And she's trying to
use the theft and murder
to get her boss fired
and take his job.
- Still, if it really
was an inside job,
shouldn't we look at other
people at the museum?
- We could start
with James Reading.
- He was the only other
museum person at the venue.
- Okay, now we're in blaming
the victim territory.
James' reputation has taken
a terrible blow with this.
I hear it's caused
problems with his wife.
Plus he's rich enough to
buy whatever he wants.
He doesn't need to steal it.
He shouldn't be on our list,
but I'll tell you who should be.
After what you told
me about Eric Hanson.
- No, no.
- I think that we should-
- No, probably not.
- You're willing to trust
my judgment. Thank you.
Eric Hanson is a friend, Davis.
- And James Reading
is a friend of mine.
So maybe trust my
judgment on him too.
- Well, we might not
need this list at all.
The police seem to have
narrowed their focus
on one person, Howard Kane.
- Lynn.
- Mr. Kane, our warrant
for your home allows us
to get a team in here
to open that safe.
But if you'd prefer
we don't damage it,
you can give us the combination.
- 14, 30, 24.
I think I'm gonna be ill.
- Anything?
- No crow, but.
- A Glock.
Uses a nine millimeter,
same caliber bullet used
to kill Talbot and Reyes.
- Mr. Kane, we need you
to step out here, now.
Mr. Kane?
Get that door open.
He's gone.
Kane must have some friends
here, some long-lost relatives.
There's a reason he moved here
after he got out of prison.
You find out what that is.
- Yeah. Hang on.
Hey, I got Officer Williams.
You want me to take him
off surveilling Miya Quan,
help with Kane instead?
- No.
Till ballistics comes
back with their report
on the gun in Kane's safe,
we can't assume anything.
You keep him on her.
- All right.
Yeah. Stay with it.
- Arthur.
I can tell something
big has happened.
What's going on?
- Hey, Phillip.
Aren't you supposed to
be in class this morning?
- It's just review for a test.
I always ace the tests, so.
- Skipping class
is not something
I would recommend
for any reason.
Diligent application
of time and attention
is key to an education.
- Yeah. That's good
advice, Phillip.
- Well, I'm glad you agree,
since you're the one who has
him devaluing class time.
- Lillian.
- I don't know if you
are genetically doomed
to follow in your cousin's
macabre footsteps,
but if you get back
to your classroom now,
you might be able
to save yourself.
- Class would be over
by the time I got there.
- Just don't cut class.
- Fine.
Just tell me if you found out
anything about Leo Stevens,
'cause I didn't
come up with much.
- Well, earlier I saw that
he posted a resume online.
Lots of different jobs,
but oh, here's a photo.
- Hello, who's that?
- Kelly Stevens' brother Leo.
- Hey, what are you doing here?
- Oh, the police searched
Howard Kane's house last night
and found a gun.
A nine-millimeter Glock.
- Do they have him in custody?
- Well, he kind of got away.
So they're looking for him now.
- No, this is awful.
I mean, Howard was
so easy to talk to.
We talked about
authors and books
and I'm gonna have
to tell my mother.
She's gonna be so
upset about this.
I have to go tell her.
- Don't tell her I'm here.
- Oh, don't worry.
I already know what she'd say.
- I'm curious.
You teach European history.
It's a big subject.
What caused you to get caught
up in the Elizabethan era?
- That movie
"Shakespeare in Love".
Don't pretend you
didn't like it.
I saw that ring you got for Roe.
You're a diehard romantic too.
- It's a good movie.
- Yeah, well I saw
it and wondered
if Elizabeth really did go
see Shakespeare's plays.
You know how it
is with research.
- You keep getting sucked
down different rabbit holes.
- Yeah.
I got hooked on how men
seeking political favors
from Elizabeth would
come bearing jewels.
Kinda like campaign
donations today.
- An article on
Leicester's descendants.
This quotes an Olivia Reading.
Isn't she married
to James Reading?
- Is she?
I mean, you'd think he'd
have mentioned something
when he introduced the
exhibit at the fundraiser.
- May I?
- Yeah.
- And now Roe can put Reading
back on her suspects list,
right after you.
- After me?
Your girlfriend considers me
a suspect in those murders?
- Not really.
She didn't like the lying
about the ticket thing.
- Did she tell the
police about it?
Because that would be a big
problem if she did that.
Sorry. I just, I
really like Sally.
And if she's wondering if
I'm a homicidal thief, well,
I don't guess she'll
say yes to dinner.
- So all the evidence does seem
to be pointing to Howard Kane.
- And you don't
want it to be him.
- I can't let what I
want blind me to what is.
- Well, let me take
you to lunch tomorrow.
Cheer you up a little bit.
- Okay. I would love that.
I'll come by the office.
- I like the sound of that.
See you then.
- Bye.
Mother?
- Aurora!
- She told the
police about my safe.
She shouldn't have done that.
- Aurora, call the police. Now.
- Okay, Howard.
I have to call them.
You know they're
looking for you.
- I know.
I'm sorry if I scared you.
- Oh, for goodness sake, Howard.
They're saying you're
wanted for murder,
and then you storm in here like
you did after we're closed?
Of course you
scared me to death.
- Murder?
Oh no, Ms. Teagarden,
I didn't have anything
to do with that.
- Then why'd you run?
- They found my gun.
It belonged to my brother. He
left it to me when he died.
It meant something to me.
But having a firearm is
a violation of my parole.
They'll send me back
to prison, and I-
- We all have to face the
consequences of our actions.
Are you gonna call
them or should I?
Or perhaps I'll
just make some tea
for your nice little chat.
- You both have
been so kind to me.
Not many give an ex-con a break,
but now my life is ruined.
All because I wanted to
talk to that security fellow
about Dave Reyes.
- I've been
wondering about that.
Why you wanted to see him.
- Dave was a good guy.
A corrections officer who'd
treat an inmate like a,
like a real person.
After I got out, he'd meet up
with me every once in a while.
We'd go for a beer,
but he must have changed
his number or something
because I lost track of him.
- But you knew he was
working at the museum.
- Oh yeah.
He was real excited about it,
but I didn't want to embarrass
him by going down there.
Listen, I would
never hurt that man.
I've taken things that didn't
belong to me, that's true.
But I have never hurt
anyone my entire life.
So, so you go ahead and call
the police, Ms. Teagarden.
I'll face my consequences,
just like you said.
- Oh, you caught him!
- I'm with her.
- So good news, right?
You caught Howard Kane.
That means I can go write
my case closed story.
- Uh, no.
- No?
- You're not charging
Howard Kane? Why not?
- Yeah. Why not?
- The ballistics report
came back on the bullets
from the gun in his safe.
It was not the gun that
killed Reyes or Talbot.
- Nine
millimeter bullet's the
most common caliber.
- Okay, so if you're ruling
him out as a suspect,
why is he still under arrest?
- We haven't ruled him out.
He's the only one we placed at
the scene of Talbot's murder
and he's the only one with
a known connection to Reyes.
- And the gun was a
violation of his parole.
So we'll hold him for that
until we finish
our investigation.
- Then you're still looking
into other suspects?
- Of course we're looking
into other suspects.
Now, if we have any further
information for the press,
we will let you know, Sally.
Now, the two of you
know the way out.
- Here's those
surveillance photos.
- Excuse me.
What part of "You know the way
out" did you not understand?
- I recognize the
person in that photo.
- Yes, it's no secret that Miya
Quan is one of our suspects.
- No, I mean the person
she's talking to.
That's Kelly Stevens'
brother, Leo Stevens.
- You just connected
Miya Quan to the museum.
- Ah, oh, please.
Thank you for taking the time
to speak with me, Mr. Reading.
- No problem.
And I'm sorry that I was
running a little bit late.
- The receptionist said you
were in a board meeting.
From the look on your face, it
seems it didn't go very well.
The museum director
has been sacked,
and the board let me know
that my services here
are no longer welcome.
I have never felt so humiliated.
- I'm sorry to hear that.
- And to top it off,
Kelly Stevens has been
named the new director.
She's been rewarded
for her prediction
that it was too risky for
the exhibit to travel.
- The board must
know your personal
connection to the crown.
That didn't make a difference?
See, we found an article
that says your wife
is a descendant of
the Earl of Leicester.
- Well, yeah, of course
the board knows that.
Everybody here knows that.
I tell that story all the time.
- Really? You didn't tell
it at the fundraiser.
- No? Well, I usually do.
That's the main reason
that Olivia and I
became involved with this
museum in the first place.
Why I let myself be
talked onto the board.
- Hm.
- I'm sorry. I'm afraid I
need to make some calls.
- Of course.
- I'll see you out.
- Mm-hm.
- Thank you.
I look forward to
working with you.
Detective Smith.
How can I help you?
- Well, you can come
to Lawrenceton with me.
We have more questions for you.
A lot more questions.
You may want to get your things.
- Thank you.
- Not a problem. Take care.
- I don't think
Nick will want me
tagging along to lunch
with the two of you.
- No, we made those
plans when we thought
Howard was being charged
with the murders.
Now everything's up in the air.
Oh, Nick's not here.
Maybe he's in Eric's office.
- Uh-uh. No, no.
We are not snooping
around Eric's stuff again.
- No, we aren't.
You're gonna stand out
here and keep watch
while I take a peek.
- You told Nick
that you were gonna
leave Eric out of your
cloud of suspicion.
- There's no cloud.
It's just a few
little foggy wisps.
It still bothers me that he lied
about that fundraiser ticket.
- Isn't this being
overly zealous, paranoid?
- I was gonna say diligent.
- Roe, hurry up.
What, did you find something?
- Just literature from the
museum about the exhibit.
Wait, is this?
I think this is a floor
plan of the banquet room
where we held the fundraiser.
- What, are you serious?
Why would he have
something like that?
- I can only think of
one reason. Can't you?
- Roe, this is bad.
If Eric stole the crown, does
this mean he's the killer too?
- Nick is gonna be so upset.
- We have to call
Lynn and Arthur.
- First we have to get
out of this office.
Oh, oh, Eric.
- Hi.
- Hi.
- When Nick told me you
considered me a suspect,
I didn't want to believe it.
- Oh, I do sometimes
default to suspect.
It's a side effect of a degree
in true crime literature.
- The problem with
a suspicious mind is
you're probably wrong a lot.
- No, she hardly is.
Except sometimes she is.
- I know of at least once today.
- Nick, hi. Very
happy to see you.
- So am I.
It seems Roe and Sally
found something interesting
in the papers I brought
home from the fundraiser.
- It's a floor plan
of the banquet room
where the crown was stolen.
- The banquet room?
Well, I'm sure he
can explain it.
- I can't.
I mean, I didn't even
know it was there.
I never looked through all
this stuff handed to me.
- So you're saying that
this floor plan has been
in your office the entire
time and you didn't know?
- No. If I had seen it, I
would've taken it to the police.
I mean, Nick, weren't you there
when what's her name
handed me all that stuff?
- Kelly Stevens.
- Yeah.
- Yeah, she handed us
the same literature.
- Wait, you're saying
that floor plan was stuck
inside the papers
that Kelly gave you?
- And guess where
she is right now?
- I told you I'm not
answering any questions
without my lawyer.
- Well, you're welcome
to wait for her in here.
- Leo.
- I'm gonna go with Eric
and take this floor plan
to the police station.
- I had no idea that
floor plan was there.
I hope you believe me.
- If there's anyone you can
count on to find the truth,
it's Roe.
- Do you believe Eric?
- I want to, for Nick's sake.
- I know, but you are way
too bright to be letting-
- Mother!
What are you doing here?
I'm about to have a
serious, heart-to-heart talk
with my nephew here about
why he's missing class.
- Please help.
- Please don't.
Do you know where he's been
instead of going to
class the last few days?
- Well, first he
was at the library
and then he was at the museum.
- Actually, I was thinking we
should go back to the museum
and talk to some of
the security guards.
I thought if Kelly
Stevens recruited
at least two guards for her
plot, maybe she tried others.
- That's good thinking, Phillip.
- No, not good thinking.
For heaven's sake,
this is the problem.
And yes, I know mysteries
are all-absorbing,
but do you think I
enjoy playing the scold?
I don't. I don't want
to get the eye rolls
or hear how I don't understand.
Believe me, I am tired
of hearing myself
scold the two of you.
Three of you.
- Mother, I know.
But what if we need
you to scold us?
What if we go too
far without you there
pointing out lines
we shouldn't cross?
- Right.
I cut class.
I probably do need
a good talking-to.
- Okay, I suppose if that's
my job, Let's go, Phillip.
- You know, it is
a really good idea
to try the other guards.
- Yeah, but if Kelly
Stevens is the new director,
they might be hesitant
to open up about it.
But what if this
isn't the first time
she's made something disappear?
What if she killed
Reyes and Talbot
not just because they
knew about one theft,
but because they also
knew about others?
- Other thefts? So you think-
- I think we need to talk
to Reyes' wife again.
- One of the guests
from the fundraiser said
you handed this to him.
Care to explain why you have it?
- Oh, I wondered
where that went.
I meant to give it to Talbot
so he could be prepared to,
you know, do his job.
Guarding Leicester's gift.
- Hm, it's interesting.
Your brother had a
different explanation.
- I was taking the blame, okay?
I told them you didn't
have anything to do with
- Do with what? What
did you tell them?
- I'd like to know that as well.
- Maybe I can help.
He said that his sister was
upset because the museum
wasn't valuing any
of her opinions,
that she thought the
Elizabethan exhibit
was too valuable to travel and
no one would listen to her.
- So Leo, good
brother that he is,
said he thought about making
the crown disappear temporarily
just to teach the
museum a lesson.
- Thought about being the
operative phrase, okay?
I told him you didn't
know anything about it.
- And yet your sister was
the one with the floor plan
you said you were using to
think about stealing the crown.
- I didn't know they could
trace it back to you, okay?
- You need to stop
talking now, Leo.
- Yes, you do.
- Well, lucky for
us he's already
answered all of our questions.
- What did you tell them?
- Only that I knew Miya
Quan and we were associates.
And that I may have talked
to her about, you know,
whether it would be
possible to steal the crown,
but that was it.
Just talk, talk.
- So it was just a
coincidence that Miya Quan
was at the fundraiser the
night the jewels were stolen.
- That really is the truth.
We just talked
about it in theory.
Kelly didn't even
know Miya until I-
- Discussing fantasy
scenarios is not a crime.
- No, but conspiracy is.
- And so is murder.
- I really don't know
what my husband was up to
when we were split up.
The police asked me if
he was part of this gang
that steals jewelry.
I said no, no, that's not him.
But he was doing a lot of other
things that I didn't like.
So maybe he did get in
with some bad people.
He still didn't deserve
to die like that.
- I'm so sorry.
- But as far as you know,
he was never hired
to steal jewelry.
Never went out on a job to
procure anything valuable?
- It's funny you use that word.
That's the word David used
when he had to fly to
Boston three months ago.
He said he had to
procure a book.
- A book for who?
- I don't know. The
museum, I guess.
- Did your husband tell
you the name of the book?
- No, I just told
him he was crazy
to fly all the way across the
country for a stupid book.
- Thank you very much for
your time, Mrs. Reyes.
- I'm gonna head
back to the library,
see if I can find any stories
about valuable
books being stolen
in the Boston area
three months ago.
Are you going to the museum?
- I am.
I'd say that the new director
being questioned as a suspect
in the murder of two of
their guards is newsworthy.
But I gotta get a
move on because the
museum closes at five.
- Okay. Oh, oh!
Nick said that James Reading
was forced to resign today.
But if you see him, ask if
any Elizabethan aficionados
go after any books
in particular.
- Okay. You know who
else might know, though?
- If you're gonna
say Eric Hanson,
do you really want to invite
a possible suspect to help us?
- Well, I know you,
and if you really want
the answer to a question,
there's no one
you won't talk to.
- Nick, hey. Do you have time
to help me do some research?
- Mr. Reading?
Oh.
- Hello.
- Oh, hi. I'm Sally Allison
with the "Lawrenceton Times".
- Miss Allison, what
can I do for you?
- I, I know this isn't
a very good time,
but if you have a minute,
I have some questions
about Kelly Stevens
and a few other things.
- Fine.
- Hey, I've done a Google
search for that book theft
while I was waiting for you.
So far nothing.
- Did Eric come
up with any ideas
for books that might be
prized by Elizabethan fans?
- No, not really.
- None? A supposed
Elizabethan expert?
- Oh, come on. You can't
still be suspicious of him.
- Sure I can.
I can search a few
more databases.
It might not've been that
much of a news story.
- Here, click on that.
Collector's magazine,
rare book theft.
- Private collection.
First printing of
"Love's Labour's Lost"
by William Shakespeare.
Isn't that the play
performed for Elizabeth I
while she was wearing the crown?
Why wouldn't Eric know that?
- Roe, I know you want
to solve this case,
but Eric is not your guy.
- But this is yet
another lie of omission.
- People omit
things all the time.
Like James Reading
didn't mention
that his wife was
Leicester's descendant.
Remember me telling you that?
- Yes, I do.
- We've done a
search on Reading.
- Yeah, but not his wife.
Olivia files for divorce.
- Another lie of
omission from James.
- And yet he kept talking about
the story behind
the Tudor crown.
- Undying love against all odds.
- What if James Reading
orchestrated this whole thing
as a way to prove his love
to his wife to get her back?
Oh no.
Sally went to the museum
to go try to talk to him.
- I'm surprised that
Kelly Stevens is a suspect
in the theft and murders,
but I shouldn't be.
I've seen
self-righteousness in her
that is a little bit,
shall we say, unhinged?
Oh, sorry.
Um, do you mind if I take this?
- Not at all.
- Hi, Roe. What's up?
- Sally, are you
still at the museum?
Did you find James Reading?
- I did. Yes, I'm
with him right now.
Okay. You have to
get out of there right now.
Just say goodbye and leave.
- Oh, okay. Yeah,
um, I, I can do that.
Okay. We're on our way.
Just call me when
you get outside.
- Okay. Will do. Thanks. Bye.
Um, you know what?
I'm, I'm good.
I have everything that I need.
Thank you.
- That was Aurora
Teagarden, wasn't it?
What does she have to say?
- Just that she thought I
should get to the police station
'cause she heard that
they arrested Kelly.
- I don't believe you.
- No, I don't think I want
you going anywhere right now.
- I suppose the museum
is the last place
that anyone would think
to look for the crown.
- Pick it up.
- Okay.
- Carefully.
The book too, put
it back in the box.
- All right.
That's the gun that
killed Brett Talbot
and David Reyes, isn't it?
- Please pay attention
to what you're doing.
- Okay.
You must've had another
accomplice, right?
To fetch the crown
from the dumpster.
Are they also dead?
- You want a confession?
You are neither
therapist nor priest.
Now lay it down gently, gently.
- Okay.
- In the box.
- Are you gonna kill me too?
- The sound would
draw attention.
But once the museum is closed.
- Lynn.
I just got a call from Roe.
It's not good
- Sally's still not answering.
And the museum's closed.
- The offices are upstairs.
His office is down there.
- Here's Sally's purse,
but where's Sally?
- Now, if you just
sit here quietly
and I can get my
items out to my car,
I might not have to
shoot you after all.
I'm not a monster.
I just needed to
make a grand gesture
to get my wife's attention.
It's why she married
me in the first place.
- Sally?
Sally, can you hear me?
Sally, can you hear me?
- Let's try this way.
Look out!
- Shots fired!
- Fan out!
- You okay?
- I think so.
- Call for help.
- Roe, look out!
I got him. You find Sally.
- Hey, what's down there?
It's a storage room.
- Okay.
Sally?
Sally! Thank
goodness you're okay.
- Thank goodness you're here.
I'm okay. I'm okay.
Oh, oh, Roe, I know where the
crown is. It's in that box.
- Okay.
The police are on their
way. I have to go help Nick.
- Go help Nick.
- Checkmate, Professor.
- I'd stay down if I were you.
- I'm happy to sign
up to volunteer for
three hours a week.
- You are the soul of
generosity, Aida. Thank you.
- So Roe really took
Reading out with a pike.
- Wish I'd seen that.
- I don't have any classes,
and I'm here supporting Roe.
- I didn't say anything.
- No, but your look says it all.
He's right, Aida,
it does.
- I can't believe Reading just
went off the deep end like that.
I guess love can make you crazy.
- Oh, don't you dare blame
love for what he did.
No, love does not make
you criminally insane.
- No, love is supposed
to make you better.
- Well said, both of you.
- Thank you.
- I'm sure Nick and
Roe would agree.
Where are they, anyway?
- They were here a second ago.
- Yeah.
- It's not easy stealing
time alone with you lately.
- No. We've been fighting
too many battles, literally.
- But we always have
each other's backs,
no matter what comes up.
- I've never felt
more safe in my life.
- Good.
'Cause I have something I've
been wanting to give you.
- You mean whatever's
in that square box
you've been carrying in
your pocket all week?
- So you know what
I'm gonna say.
- I think you know
what I'm gonna say too.
- Aurora Teagarden, I want
to spend the rest of my life
staring into those
beautiful eyes.
Will you marry me?
- Yes.
♪ Be by your side
♪ I'm not alone, not alone
♪ Not alone, not alone
♪ Not alone, not alone
♪ I'm not alone, not alone