Diagnosis Murder (1993–2001): Season 2, Episode 11 - Death by Extermination - full transcript

(classical music playing)

(phone ringing)

Mark Sloan.

STEVE: Hello, Dad.

Listen, my date
finked out on me.

You want to go out and grab
some, uh, ribs and chew the fat?

Father and son?

Feeling kind of lonely, huh?

Lonely, me? No.

I just thought
maybe, uh, you'd want

to get out of the
house for a while.



Well, uh, Steve,
I'll tell you the truth.

I'm a little snowed
under with work here.

Look, if you're all right, I...

I have this, uh, serious, uh,
sickness to diagnosis, you know?

Okay, well, maybe
next time, huh?

Okay, son.

Bye.

(doorbell ringing)

(squawks)

(laughing)

Why did you grow
that silly mustache?

You look like a vacuum
cleaner attachment.

And don't slouch,
for heaven's sake.

You get the suitcase.



I have a bad back.

Dora, it is good to see you.

(laughing)

You, too, baby brother.

(parrot squawks)

You remember...

Snuffles, yeah. Ruffles.

Ruffles. Say hello, Ruffles.

Don't slouch. Don't slouch.

He picked that up

all by himself.

Don't know where.

I thought you weren't
due in town till tomorrow?

There was one place
left on the Concord.

I made them give it to me.

It's good owning
a travel agency.

(chuckles): Yeah.

Didn't Marcel call?

Who? Our man in Geneva,

about my being early.

No.

He's fired.

Well, no, don't-don't
fire anybody.

Those misunderstandings
happen, Dora.

(parrot squawks)

You're still reading mysteries?

They're rotting your brain.

Do you mind?

(music stops)

I had my fill of Mozart
when I was in Austria.

(tango music playing)

Ah, that's better.

Now I feel at home.
I'm gonna have to

stay with you until my
new house is ready.

Well, that's nice.

Uh, h-how long will that be?

Tomorrow. Oh, great, great!

Silly house had termites.

They gassed it today.

Apparently, the fumes

need a day to disburse.

Hmm.

Well, look at this. We have
a whole evening together,

just the two of us.

(sighs): Oh.

(parrot squawks)

Don't slouch. Don't slouch.

(parrot squawks, whistles)

(heart monitor beeping)

(heart monitor flatlining)

(theme song playing)

(phone ringing)

Hello.

(speaking Finnish)

It's Helsinki. Only be a sec.

Then, afterward, we
can have a nice visit

and do some catching up.

Just the two of us.

(speaking Finnish)

(dialing)

(line ringing)

STEVE: Hello?

Hi, Steve.

Listen, uh, I
feel badly. I, uh...

You called in your
time of need, I was busy.

Well, listen, son,
work can wait.

Come on over. I'm here for you.

Dad,

what's going on?

Are you alone?

Well, um, actually,
you know what?

Your Aunt Dora is here to visit.

Dad, I'm sorry.

You're on your own.

Steve? Steve?

(Dora speaking Finnish)

Would you mind
not using the phone?

I'm expecting Rio to call.

Well, you're using that phone.

Well, I left your
number for callbacks.

Uh, if you're not busy, you can
take my bag into the guest room.

Dora, I don't have a guest room.

I turned it into an office.

Mark...

Well, with my back,
I must have a bed.

I-I can't sleep on the sofa.

No, human being
could sleep on that sofa.

(sighs)

(phone ringing, parrot squawks)

Get the phone. Get the phone.

(squawks, whistles)

(phone ringing)

Sloan.

(phone ringing, parrot squawks)

Get the phone. Get the phone.

(whistles, squawks)

(groans): Ooh!

Now we both got back trouble.

(phone stops ringing)

(squawks)

Uh-oh, too late.

Ah, shh! DORA: Good, you're up.

I thought it was for
me, but it's the hospital.

Something about
blood transfusion.

Yada-da, yada-da, yada-da...

I had no idea it was so far.

You know, Dora, maybe
you should learn to drive.

It's hard getting around
L.A. without a car.

I've never had any trouble
getting people to give me rides.

(tapping)

This is still loose.

He swore to me he'd
have it cemented down.

He?

Oh, my realtor, Mr. Wardell.

He's a charming man, but
honestly, the memory of a sieve.

He never returns a call.

You know, maybe we'd better wait

until the exterminators
remove that seal.

The use some pretty
strong gasses on termites,

cyanide being the least of it.

Oh, don't be silly.

They said it'd be perfectly
safe after 24 hours.

This says it's been 20 hours.

Tomato, tom-ah-to.

Huh?

(chuckles)

Look at that view.

Hmm.

Oh, that idiot.

Who?

Mr. Wardell.

I told him to get antiqued
bronze curtain rods.

What do you think of this?

What's that supposed to be?

I have no idea.

I'm thinking of using
it as a koi pond.

Oh, fish in the entry
hall. That's interesting.

Hey, look here.

(chuckles)

(chuckles)

The whole house has a
central vacuum system.

Oh, that's handy.

Oh, look at that.

What?

The fireplace.

Cozy.

But it's streaked with soot.

Oh, it's absolutely disfigured.

Well, soot streaks and
fireplaces kind of go together.

Not in my house.

Wood paneled den.

Vaulted ceilings.

Walk-in closet.

He's dead.

Oh, my God!

This is Harvey Wardell!

Well, no wonder you didn't call.

What are you doing here?

Any realtor knows
not to walk into a house

that's just been fumigated.

Dora, the man's
had a fatal accident.

Oh, I'm sorry.

I'm upset.

Or... could be foul play.

Oh, no.

Don't try to comfort me.

Obviously, he came
to check on the house

and had a heart attack

or a stroke.

And I called him names.

I don't deserve comfort.

I'm not trying to comfort you.

Look at this tear
in his pants pocket.

And when is the last time

you walked into a
closet, left the light off

and closed the door
behind yourself?

(garbled radio transmission)

He forgot the phone
jack in the bathroom.

And that paint job...

That's his idea of
muted eggshell?

He did nothing!

Dora, the man's dead.

Oh, sure, the perfect excuse.

(pager beeping)

Can I borrow the phone?

Uh, Athens may try to call me.

Well, they'll keep trying.

Greeks aren't quitters.

Just a moment.

Yes, this is Dr. Sloan.

Dad, Steve.

Where are you?

I'm out front.

This is her house, isn't it?

Is she in there?

Uh, yes, Doctor, I concur.

Tell the surgeon that I think
the recommended procedure

would be to go straight in.

Don't put it off.

You understand what I'm saying?

Go straight in.

Aunt Dora.

Steve!

I haven't heard from you

since last Christmas.

Hmm. Oh, thank you for the $5.

Must you slouch
like your father?

Are you still a captain?

A lieutenant.

You've been demoted?

No, I never was a
captain, Aunt Dora.

Are you married yet?

Not yet.

Are you?

Not yet.

Lieutenant.

The bug guy's here.

Oh, good. I want to talk to him.

So do I.

Uh, Dora, why
don't you stay here.

I'm sure you have
some more nits to pick.

Well, it's not like I'm
a chronic complainer.

But I should give that
disposal another try.

Good.

Lieutenant Sloan,
Shep Crukshank.

You did the extermination here?

Put up the tent, gassed it,

took it down. Why?

Did you make sure
there was no one

in the house before
you gassed it?

Says here I did.

I must have.

There's a dead man in there.

It looks like he died
from the fumigation.

Hey, I don't
inch-by-inch a house

that's been vacant for a year.

Besides, we were two hours

putting the tent up.

He's the careless one!

Well, he's been punished.

That's all.

You can go.

Steve, there's a very big
question going unanswered here:

When can Dora
move in that house?

Well, it depends.

If this turns out
to be an accident,

she can move in right away.

But if it is a murder,

we're gonna have
to seal the house off

while we, uh, investigate.

What's to investigate?

I mean, it's an
accident. That's obvious.

Wait a minute.

You're the one who
noticed the torn pants pocket

and the-the closed closet door.

You're the one
who said "foul play."

So I was wrong; I
admit it. I'm not proud.

Look, Dad, get a grip.

This could be over
in a couple of days.

Certainly no more than a month.

A month?

Dora's gonna be in
my house for a month?

(Dora speaking German)

Mark, don't slouch.

(speaking German)

(Dora speaking German)

And unless it turns
out not to be a murder,

I'm stuck with her for a month.

She and... and, uh, Ruffles.

Mark, she's your sister!

She's your own flesh and blood!

I love her... dearly.

I just...

She's hard to be with, you know?

And I can't use
my bed or my back.

(laughs)

STEVE: Hi, all.

Hey, Steve. Hi, Steve.

Oh, Steve... the autopsy report?

Uh-huh. Well, he
died of poisoning.

Cyanide

and, uh, other gasses
commonly used on termites.

So it was an accident.

Uh, he also had a hefty dose

of phenobarbital
in his bloodstream.

You mean he was drugged?

Mm-hmm, and left in
the house to be gassed.

It's a murder.

We, uh, sealed off the scene.

I can't... I can't have her

for another month. (laughs)

I can't! I can't do it!

(sighs)

DORA: There's a
space by the entrance.

See? Where is it?

Right there. Right
here? This one?

"H. Wardell?"

That's the dead
man's parking place.

I don't think he's expected.

Oh, this is a real fun car.

(keys clinking)

Whoops.

(footsteps retreating)

Are you coming?

Yeah, coming.

(indistinct chatter)

Can I help you?

Everyone,

I'm Dora Sloan,

Mr. Wardell's client?

I bought the Fern Crest house,

and I shall be
needing help with it.

MARK: Yes, we-we
need a little help

with the property
that my sister bought.

Oh, I can call somebody
if you'd like to have a seat.

Thank you very much. Dora?

(indistinct, overlapping
chatter, phone ringing)

You,

Genevieve Ducasse,

are my new realtor.

Me?

Listen, that

was Harvey's listing. I've
never even seen the house.

DORA: Well,

you're going to see a lot more
of it than you bargained for.

There is a bathroom
that needs a phone jack,

there is a leak in
the service porch,

there is... Excuse me?

Are you Mr. War...

Or were you
Mr. Wardell's secretary?

Yes. I'm Lena Prosser.

You know, my, uh,
sister and I were the ones

who found Mr. Wardell.

Were you with him
for a very long time?

Too long.

Oh, I-I don't mean to
speak ill of the dead,

but I thought I was gonna
learn real estate here.

All I learned was coffee.

Coffee? Yeah, he mainlined it.

He'd come in mornings

with his thermos full
of perfectly good coffee,

and he'd dump it out.

Then I had to have
a fresh pot ready.

Then I had to have
another pot ready

to put in his thermos
when he went out.

I should have been a
waitress. They get tips.

(grinder whirring)

You don't sound as if you
thought too much of him.

Oh, well, he could be
sweet, but, you know,

I was his cleanup crew.

If a customer was unhappy...

Like that-that guy,
that Mr. Macklin

who tried to hit
him... it was me

who had to calm him down.

It was also me who had to
cover with his wife when he...

well, you know. Fooled around?

Yeah. With customers.

You know, the husband's too
busy to look at homes, so the wife

does the scouting?

Well, he would meet the
women in empty houses,

and, um, naturally,

when the husbands
started to wonder

where their wives were,
well, they'd call here.

What'd you tell them?

I could honestly say I didn't
know who Harvey was with.

He didn't tell me.

He kept the details on
his appointment book.

My God, what am I doing?

What? Talking about
Mr. Wardell? No.

Making coffee.

I don't have to do this anymore.

I'm free.

(Mark chuckles)

(phone ringing)

Excuse me?

That, uh, lady who was
talking to Mrs. Ducasse?

Yeah? Uh, she
dragged her off to look

at some house she bought.

Who was she?

First person I ever saw
browbeat Genevieve.

Oh!

(quiet grunt)

DORA: And you must

see this fireplace.

Dora? Miss Ducasse?

Ladies, please, out. Now.

Mark, it's my house.

I have to show Miss Ducasse
what-what needs fixing.

See the soot

in that fireplace?

GENEVIEVE:
Fireplaces do get dirty.

That one was clean.

Dora, do you remember?

We talked about this.

This is a murder scene.

Nothing can be touched.

Who's touching? We're looking.

The paint in this
room is a disaster.

Let me get the light switch.

No. Don't...

touch anything.

It leaves fingerprints.

I gathered fingerprints
were the worry,

so I used this.

That's good, good...

but, uh, that's enough, ladies.

They were supposed
to use muted eggshell.

They used off-muted eggshell.

(sighs)

Key, please.

(sighs)

And you... May I
have yours, please?

I don't have one.

It wasn't my listing.

Hmm. Oh, uh,

realtors have these lock
boxes so there will be a key

at the site. Could
you open that, please?

I don't have the combination.

But all agents have
the combination,

so anyone can show the house.

Usually, but Harvey
wasn't a team player.

He wouldn't let
us show his listing,

so he had his own lock box.

Ah. Well, this is a
beginning, anyway.

Dora, let's get it clear.

Under no circumstances
are you to go...

(phone ringing) Uh...

Can you wait?

This is important.

Hello? Alvaro, como esta? Uh...

(speaking Spanish)

Your, uh, Mr. Wardell...

I understand he wasn't
exactly a credit to the firm.

Sure he was.

He brought in
some great listings.

But, I mean, he did leave
some unhappy customers. Hmm?

The guy who came in last week
and caused a scene? Mr. Macklin?

That was over pretty quickly.

Who told you about that?

Uh, Miss Prosser.

Lena?

(laughs)

Don't let her
victim act fool you.

Little Lena's planning
to get rich off Harvey.

She is?

She brought a sexual
harassment suit against him

and the company.

Oh.

Now that he's
dead, there's nobody

to testify against her,

so she's kindly offered
to settle for two million.

(laughs)

That's odd.

You know, she complained
about the job, not Mr. Wardell.

Oh, Lena loved her job.

For two years, she was
Harvey's mother hen.

God help anybody but her
who tried to touch his... thermos.

You mean that nobody
else touched that?

Not ever.

Excuse me.

Dora, I have to use the phone.

Uh, I'm speaking to
Barcelona. Uh, yeah...

MARK: Steve, I
know who the killer is.

Wardell's secretary.

Yeah. I know how she
gave him the phenobarbital.

You run a check on that thermos.

She's the only one who
ever even touched it.

Do you know what
this means, my friend?

It means, I'm free.

Free at last.

Delores, you look radiant.

(laughs): Well, thank you.

And so do you.

You must be getting
on better with your sister.

No, I am getting rid of her.

How can you talk that
way about your sister?

Oh, that's right.

You never met her, have you?

Nah.

Listen, she's cooking
dinner tonight.

You want to come over and
make it a good-bye party?

Hmm. Shouldn't she
know I'm coming?

I'll invite Jack
and Amanda, too.

I need people around me.

That'll be three friends.

BRIGGS: Dr. Sloan?

Dr. Sloan,

where have you been all morning?

Make that four friends.

MARK AND DORA: ♪ And someday ♪

♪ We're going to build
a little home for two ♪

♪ Or three or four or more ♪

♪ In Loveland, for
me and my gal ♪

♪ Wah, wah, wah, wah. ♪

DELORES: That was great!

(laughter)

Now, wasn't that fun?

Yes, it was fun.

Oh... I...

When we were kids, I
always wanted to sing,

and I was always trying to get
him to sing, and no, he never

wanted to sing, and when
I'd finally get him to sing,

he was so glad.

Now, aren't you
glad you did that?

I was real glad. (giggles)

Pr-Praise him. He's so needy.

(laughter)

This-this is the sister
that's driving you crazy?

I love her. She's so precious.

She's a good cook. What a smell.

I hope the puff
pastries aren't too hot.

Puff pastries. My favorite.

And you are...?

Norman Briggs.

Uh, the administrator. Yes.

It's odd that a man
in your position

would have such poor posture.

(chuckles)

Someone ironed that shirt.

Why didn't you
bring your wife along?

BRIGGS: Oh, I'm not married.

My mother likes to iron.

She-she lives with me.

Well, you could
bring your girlfriend.

I-I-I really don't have one.

(chuckles)

Boyfriend?

No.

No boyfriend.

Next time, don't be shy.

Bring him.

(Delores laughing)
And you're Delores.

We've spoken on the phone.

That's me.

Mmm.

These are delicious.

Easy.

You don't need it.

And your name...?

I'm, uh... I'm Jack Stewart.

Mark is supervising
my residence.

DORA: Does everyone at
your hospital stand like an ape?

Can everyone see her?

Now, that's great posture.

Look and learn.

Dinner will be ready
in three minutes.

Okay.

Look and learn? It's the...

What, are you kidding me?

It's the ballet.

JACK: Go eat.

AMANDA: What did I do?

PARROT: Ah! Don't slouch!

Don't slouch.

(Dora laughs)

STEVE: Hi, everybody.

JACK: Hey, Steve, let me...

Sit, sit, sit. I'm
sorry for interrupting.

DORA: Oh, Steve,

I'll get you a plate. Oh,
thank you, Aunt Dora.

I just had a, uh, cheeseburger

in the car. I just had some
news for Dad. (parrot squawks)

The lab tests are back?

Right.

Excuse me, won't you?

MARK: So,

what did they find in
the coffee thermos?

Coffee.

What else did they say?

It was still hot after two days.

That's a good thermos.

I'm not asking you for
a thermos commercial.

I'm asking you to prove

that Wardell's secretary
gave him the phenobarbital.

I can't. All they found in
the thermos was coffee.

She's not the killer?

Could be anybody.

Hmm.

Look, check Wardell's widow.

Talk to that Macklin,
the angry customer?

And look in Wardell's
appointment book.

See who he had a date with last.

I have four orders for coffee.

Decaf for you two, I think.

Well, there's no mention
of an appointment book

in the evidence inventory.

So, Wardell didn't have
it on him when he died.

Maybe he left it at home.

Well, that's my next stop.

I'm going to go
interview the widow.

Good.

(sighs) (groans)

First night on the
sofa, my back went.

Now my neck's gone.

Well, Dora always
was a pain in the neck.

Oh, yeah.

You know, the funny thing was,

she wasn't always that way.

When we were
kids, she was great.

She was such fun in those days.

We used to joke a lot.

We sang together a lot.

Aunt Dora? Yeah!

We sang together
some last night.

Just like old times.

Of course, then the music ended

and she was Dora again.

Well, the quicker we
find our killer, the sooner

we'll have her out of your hair.

What about Wardell's car?

No, I checked. No
appointment book.

Did he have one of those
non-spill coffee mugs in there?

Yeah, I think so. Why?

At his office yesterday,

I noticed coffee-colored
stains on the ground

by his parking space.

Meaning?

Wardell liked his coffee fresh.

And when he pulled
in the parking place,

he used to dump the old stuff

and then he'd
refill the mug later

from a fresh-brewed thermos.

That's why we didn't find
any traces in the thermos.

The killer put the
phenobarbital in the mug.

So then Wardell just
poured coffee on top of it

and drugged himself.

So that gives us the how.

Maybe that'll give us the who?

Yeah, but Wardell
drove a convertible.

Everybody had
access to that mug.

Hmm.

So we've got some
suspects to check out...

Wardell's secretary,

certainly the customer
who assaulted him.

Right after I
interview the widow.

Isn't she near Beverly Hills?

Yeah. Why?

DORA: Come on, now.

DORA: don't do it so fast.

MARK: All right, take it
easy, all right, all right.

We're in. Okay. All right.

Straighten it out!
Straighten it out! I am.

Straighten it out! Is that...

(Dora sighs)

Thank you for driving
me to the Design Center.

Everybody says it's the
place to go for furniture.

Wait a minute!

This isn't the design center!

This is somebody's home!

Uh... Aunt Dora, I've
got an appointment here.

Would you mind waiting?

(sighs)

Well, I'm certainly not
gonna let the time go to waste.

Alexei Petrovich?

(doorbell rings)

Mrs. Wardell?

Lieutenant Sloan.

Oh, yes.

You said, uh...

you don't think Harvey's
death was accidental?

No, ma'am.

This is a murder investigation.

I'm not surprised.

Harvey was one man
Will Rogers never met.

Come on in. Thank you.

Oh, I'm sorry, I
didn't realize...

This is Mr. Michael
Shand, my personal trainer.

Michael was just going
to make us a cup of tea.

Want some?

Uh... actually, do
you have any coffee?

No. Not in my house.

Not anymore.

Tea'll be great.

Thanks.

Mrs. Wardell, you don't, uh...

seem terribly affected
by your husband's death.

We all grieve in our own ways.

You said you had some questions?

Yes, your, uh...

husband had an appointment book?

Might he have left it at home?

Oh, not a chance. It
went with him everywhere.

(doorbell rings)

Oh, excuse me.

I must use your
phone right away.

Mine says "Lo bat."

Uh, is it, uh...?

Ah.

Who is she? Uh...

She's my aunt.

You brought your aunt with you?

Where is she calling?

Moscow.

Send me the bill.

Oh, no!

Well, they're not going
to get away with it.

Who won't... what?

Oh, these tour companies!

They charge top dollar

for flop house hotels and
chapter-eleven airlines.

You'd do better
punching holes in a box

and mailing yourself. Aunt Dora?

I can get you to Brazil...

or, or Fiji... first
class for less.

Aunt Dora!

This is a police investigation.

You are not with the police.

You get what I'm driving at?

Oh, Mike,

we need another teacup.

Who was that?

The cook?

No, it's her trainer.

He helps her work out.

Do you think he could
do the same for me?

STEVE: No!

Fiji and Brazil, huh?

You're carrying your grief
around the world, are you?

All right...

I... I don't miss him... any
more than he would miss me.

For ten years, he had me cook

and keep house
without a vacation.

He didn't need one.

He got his R & R
everyday with his women.

Well, you knew, huh?

(sighs)

At night, he'd leave that
appointment book on the dresser.

Well, now he's dead,

and I will take my vacation.

And I will take my pleasure.

And I will not be
serving coffee again

as long as I live.

I have it all figured out.

Aunt Dora. Switzerland!

Snow, chalets...

cold nights, hot fondue.

Interested? (sighs)

Aunt Dora? You can even
bring your... trainer person.

Buy one business class fare,

you get the second ticket free!

Look, we'd better go.

I'll come back at a
more convenient time.

Oh, now is convenient!

Uh... not for me it's not.

Look, I'll call you, and uh...

don't leave town.

Amanda!

Yeah? You going on your break?

Yes, Mark had a few
questions for Wardell's secretary.

I said I'd speak to her.

Is that in Beverly Hills?

Uh-huh...

DORA: Oh, no no no.

Not here. Get closer.

No, come on. Up here.

Really? Yeah, oh, yes.

There's always a
place up here. Okay.

No, that would have
been better. Well...

Oh, here.

I still wish you'd rethink

about that exercise
class. Mm-hmm.

You could lead a quick a
workout, five minutes a day.

Just to let others know
how to get your posture.

They'd never forget you.

I don't doubt that.

(chuckles)

(phone ringing) (sighs)

We want to see Miss Ducasse.

She's on the phone.

Have a seat.

AMANDA: Uh, I would like

to see Lena Prosser.

I'm Lena.

Oh, how do you do?

I'm Dr. Amanda Bentley.

I work with Dr. Sloan
and he spoke

with you yesterday?

Is there someplace
that we could talk?

DORA: Do you know how
long Miss Ducasse will be?

You, uh, you didn't mention

your sexual harassment
suit to Dr. Sloan.

Well, I've offered to settle.

And as part of
that, I said I'd keep

the whole thing quiet.

Well, Wardell's death
certainly doesn't leave anyone

to testify against
you now, does it?

What are you driving at?

I... DORA: Yatada,
yatada, yatada.

Did you kill him?

Me? Rumor has it

that somebody put
phenobarbital in his coffee.

Dora,

we are not here to
make accusations,

and as, as a matter of fact,

you are not here
to do this at all.

And, and look.

Miss Ducasse is free.

Ms. Ducasse, uh,

what's being done about
my list of complaints?

You never actually
gave me a list.

You just complained.

All the same...

I've got an idea.

Harvey made a slide presentation

of the property.

It'll remind you where
the problems are.

Make the list...

and I'll look at it
when I get back.

And you think I put the
phenobarbital in his thermos?

Well, not in the thermos.

It was in the mug in his car.

Well, don't look at me, then.

Because when Harvey
was here, I was here.

He didn't even let me
go to the ladies room.

How could I get out into the
parking lot to fool with that mug?

Why don't you check
out a real suspect?

Like that customer
who attacked him,

that Larry Macklin.

Larry Macklin? Why is
that name so familiar?

He's in a TV commercial. Oh.

He owns that
chain of drugstores,

the Pharmacy Barn.

A pharmacist?

Do you have his address?

I'm not allowed to give out
information about clients.

Well, certainly under
the circumstances...

Sorry, it might
compromise my law suit.

Oh! Ms?

I'm finding too
many things wrong

with the house to remember.

Bring your pad.

I'll dictate and
you make a list.

I'm busy.

Not like you're about to be.

There. See?

In the picture, the
fireplace is clean.

DORA: Well, now it's
all streaked with soot!

And this company
is going to clean it up.

DORA: And while they're at it,

there is no phone
jack in the bathroom...

and three windows
are painted shut.

Here you go.

Macklin's home address,
his office address,

and the house Wardell sold him.

Now, can you do me a favor?

How big?

Just a lift to the,
uh... Design Center.

You've got a car!

It's not for me.

You're sure? Ow!

Oh, I'm sorry, Mark. It's okay.

You know, I asked
around the office

and Lena never left her desk

the whole time
Wardell was there.

Which means, there's no way

she could have
gotten near that mug.

Damn!

We're not getting any closer,

But listen to this!

Larry Macklin, the one
who assaulted Wardell?

Yeah?

He's a pharmacist.

The phenobarbital! Mm-hmm.

And Jack's on his way
right now to see Macklin.

And believe it or not,

I'm glad your sister
was there with me.

Really?

Mm-hmm.

Lena was not gonna
give me Macklin's address,

but then Dora insisted that
Lena look at a slide presentation

of the house.

And Dora said, "In this slide,

the fireplace is clean.

Now it's full of soot."

While they were doing that,

they gave me plenty of
time alone with the Rolodex.

The fireplace was clean?

In the slide it was.

Dora's house has
been vacant for a year!

But something was
burned in that fireplace

since the sale slide was made!

DORA: Okay, come
on straight back.

Come on! Come on!

Come on.

All right, now, now
straighten it out.

Come on!

Oh... okay.

That ought to do it.

I am so glad we're
doing this first.

Then later on,

you can come with
me to the Design Center

and help me pick out a sofa.

Yeah, we owe it all
to my friend, Amanda.

Excuse me! Mr. Macklin?

That's me.

How're you doing?
I'm Dr. Jack Stewart.

I'd like to talk to you
about Harvey Wardell.

Why ask me about him?

Get real!

You attacked him, everyone says.

Look, Doctor,

if he's making some
kind of insurance claim...

No, no, I would
just like to know

about your association
with him, that's all.

It wasn't my idea to
associate with him.

I wanted to sign with
Genevieve Ducasse.

I brought my wife
in to meet her,

Wardell introduces himself,
and the next thing I know,

my wife insists
that I give the listing

to that nice, nice man.

Hey!

Where's my iced tea?

(camera clicks)

This is my wife Sarabeth.

Honey, this is Dr. Stewart.

JACK: How do you do? This is...

Whoa, honey, where
did you get that shiner?

I fell on the stairs.

She walked into a door.

Well, she has an
eye like an eggplant.

I can't pretend not to see it.

I take that you weren't

very satisfied with
Mr. Wardell's work.

Ha!

Have you seen our new house?

Uh, no.

Well, come on, take
a look. Come on.

You're gonna love this.

It's a beautiful day
for a viewing, huh?

Come here.

Ocean views.

The living room was over there.

The kitchen was there.

The rumpus room, and way at
the back, the master bedroom.

Gorgeous.

This house was right here?

The day I bought it, it was.

The next morning, it was

down there, blocking traffic.

The whole damn hillside slid.

Any geologist

could have told us it
was just a matter of time.

But Wardell forgot to hire one.

Well, won't the
insurance cover it?

That's another
thing Wardell forgot.

I'm still making payments.

Even the land is gone.

The only thing left
was the "sold" sign,

which I took to his office

and shoved down his throat.

He's the killer.

Killer?

We'll set up a defense fund.

After what he did,
no jury will convict.

Convict?

Mr. Wardell is dead.

(gasps)

He was murdered.

Somebody left him in a house

that was being fumigated,

after immobilizing
him with phenobarbital.

Pheno...

You said you were a doctor.

I am.

But I'm sort of here
in a non-medical,

quasi-detective

kind of capacity.

Get off my land!

Your land?

It's my land. All right.

My eminent domain,
which I have a legal right

to defend to the death!

You got me?! To the death!

You have no right to...!

He hasn't.

Yeah, leave him
alone. He does not.

JACK: And not only did the wife

take it hard that
Wardell was dead,

when I told him that we
knew about the phenobarbital,

this guy Macklin went nuts.

STEVE: That's great, Jack.

I'll check him out.

All right, I'll
talk to you later.

My vote's Constance Wardell.

With her husband dead, she's
been living it up pretty good.

And every night, that mug
was right there in the garage.

Except that phenobarbital needs

about 15 minutes to take effect.

See, if she'd drugged
him there at home...

He would have
passed out at work.

Exactly.

It took place in the
office parking lot,

by somebody who knew
where he was going.

Which would have been
in the appointment book.

Telephone for you, Steve.

Oh, thank you.

Lieutenant Sloan.

Amigo, everyone's complaining

you're unavailable
for your duties.

And here I find you huddling

with your son, trying yet again

to solve some murder
while we pay your salary.

Norman, this is the murder that
took place in my sister's house.

Until this is solved, she's
gonna be living with me.

Take all the time you need.

Good day.

STEVE: Okay.

Thank you.

That was Forensics.

They, uh, checked the filter bag

in the central vacuum
in Aunt Dora's house.

They came up with ashes,
which analysis says came from

burned paper.

Let me guess... leatherette.

Uh-huh.

Seems we've, uh,
found Harvey Wardell's

appointment book.

Yeah, found it gone up in smoke.

(clattering)

Mark, for God's sake,

be careful!

What's the sofa doing here?

I moved it.

You had it over there,
which makes no sense.

Sense?

The sofa should be by a lamp.

Obviously. I moved the lamp.

Whew.

(groans)

Dora, what kind
of a sister are you?

I mean, you grab my bed,

you tie up my phone,

you boss all my friends around,
you tell them how to stand

and what to wear,
what to eat, where to go.

Well, I'd like to
tell you something.

I'd like for you to leave
here in the morning.

I never thought I'd
hear those words from...

my own brother.

I'm sorry. I had to say them.

You think I don't
know I'm difficult?

Paternal, controlling...

I'm a pain.

No, not a pain.

More of a... pain.

I drive people away.

You remember Garreth?

My boyfriend in college.

One day, I-I told
him to change his tie,

and he left.

I haven't dared get
close to a man since then.

You know what that means,

baby brother?

The closest thing I've
had to a child is you.

Dora, I'm in my 60s.

I don't need a parent anymore.

It keeps my life
from going empty.

Your life?

Jetting around the world,
eating at fancy restaurants,

five-star hotels... Oh.

It looks so glamorous.

But it's lonely
and disorienting.

I wake up every night,

and I don't even know
where the light switch is.

I thought I'd feel
at home with you.

But I will not stay anywhere
where I'm not welcome.

And I won't make you
wait until tomorrow.

Dora, wait a minute.

Wait a minute.

Dora, I love you.

You just solved the case!

You.

May I come in?

Do you know what time it is?

I've had a fight
with my brother.

Things were said that
can't ever be taken back.

I will not spend another
night under his roof.

(chuckles)

If you're saying you
want a place to stay...

Oh, don't be ridiculous.

I own a travel agency.

I can put up at
any hotel for free.

Good, good.

But I'm too upset to sleep,

and, uh, I have a
meeting in the morning.

I... Perhaps you could give me

one of those samples
that pharmacists get.

(sighs)

Wait here.

What a week!

First, my realtor
was murdered...

in my house.

Well, what am I telling you for?

He was your realtor, too.

Wardell?

Yeah, at least you've
still got a house.

Just barely.

He didn't do one
thing he promised.

Wrong paint job,
broken disposal.

And whoever did
use the fireplace,

whatever they burned
is blocking the flue.

I shined a flashlight up
there, but all I could see

were these charred pages
from some kind of notebook.

And then in the bath...

These will help you sleep.

Oh, how can I ever thank you?

Could I interest you
in a cruise up the Nile?

Not tonight.

(phone ringing)

GENEVIEVE: Hello?

MACKLIN: Yeah, this is Macklin.

You've got a problem.

MARK: Save yourself the trouble.

There aren't any
notebook papers in the flue.

You were expecting me.

Mm-hmm.

Something my sister said.

That it was hard to find

a light switch in
a strange place.

But I remember the day
we were all in here together,

even though you said you'd
never been in this house,

you walked straight
to the light switch.

So? Lucky guess.

Maybe.

But it also turns out you know
the combination to the lockbox.

Because this

was your meeting place
with Harvey Wardell.

That's why you burned
that appointment book.

You were in it.

Okay, I was secretly
seeing Harvey.

I don't know why.

I knew who he was.

The line of women
went around the block.

But he said that was all over,

I was the only one.

Oh, you were.

Until the day you found him
here with Sarabeth Macklin.

She was the one he was going
to meet just a couple of hours

before the exterminators
were due here.

But you, uh,
broke up that tryst.

I did nothing.

I went and told Larry Macklin
what his had wife planned.

He's the one who
kept her from going.

Very physically.

This is all circumstantial.

None of it really has me

implicated in the murder.

Well, you wouldn't be

if that was the only
thing you'd told Macklin.

And what else am I
conjectured to have told him?

STEVE: Oh, it's
more than conjecture.

You lied.

You said you couldn't relax.

I never would have given
you the phenobarbital

if I'd known!
Shut up, you idiot!

Do you want to
lose your license?!

I've already lost my license.

But I'm not going to be executed

on your account.

Maybe you own this house...

now...

but it was ours.

The happiest times of my
life were spent in this house...

with him.

But then he
turned it all squalid.

I was just another listing

in that appointment book!

So I drugged him.

I put him in the closet

where I knew that fool
exterminator wouldn't check.

And I let our house kill him.

Read her her rights.

OFFICER: You have
the right to remain silent.

Anything you say can be used...

You were so sweet tonight.

I have half a mind
to live with you.

(chuckles)

Sobre mi cuerpo muerto.

What does that mean?

"Over my body dead." Oh.

It's terrible grammar.

You'd think an
educated man like you

would speak better Spanish.

And straighten up.

And you, too.