Murder, She Wrote (1984–1996): Season 1, Episode 18 - Murder Takes the Bus - full transcript
Jessica and sheriff Amos Tupper, who keeps worrying if they'll be back in time for a Cabot Cove lottery where he wants to win a TV set, return from a Boston convention by bus. After picking up two unknown passengers, the stormy weather and damage force the party to take an indefinite rest at a diner, where Jessica can observe everyone conversing. When she goes look for a book on the bus, Jessica finds Gilbert Stoner, one of the extra passengers and as she deduced astutely a just released ex-convict, dead in his seat, stabbed with a screw-driver from the toolbox bus driver Ben Gibbons used just before, but within everybody's reach. While everybody is stuck at least till the local police arrives, Amos -out of his jurisdiction- and in fact Jessica conduct an informal investigation. Reading Stoner's name in his papers recalls he's one of three criminals who pulled off the bloody Denvers bank robbery years ago. The obvious first suspect is the driver, whose daughter died in the heist, but Stoner was strangled to death before the stabbing which Gibbons confesses and Jessica finds other links, such as Steve Pascal whose father was an accomplice but died in the robbery. Then Carey Drayson is hit lightly with his own gun, which is stolen, while he tries to repair the radio...
[Thunderclap]
Sir?
[Woman] Tonight on
Murder, She Wrote.
Obviously you're saying
one of us killed him.
- I never saw that man before.
- This happened about 15 years ago,
didn't it?
I was in the bar having a drink.
I have no idea who
this poor, dead fella is.
If I wanted to knock this
guy off, I would've shot him.
- I was working on the engine the whole time.
- I don't have to
answer your questions, lady.
[Screams]
[Seagulls Screeching]
Oh, did you reach them? Yeah,
said we'd be there about 8:00.
Probably miss the hors d'oeuvres.
Well, no serious loss, I'm sure.
Ms. Fletcher, the Maine
Sheriffs' Association lays
out the finest spread
east of the Alleghenies.
Oh, Amos. Anyway, we'll be
there in time for the drawing.
They're giving away a big-screen TV,
and I got a feeling it's my lucky night.
Oh, I sure hope so, Amos. Mm.
Would you get that to the garage?
I'll go get the tickets.
[Thunder Rumbling] Well,
what do you hope to gain?
I'm not sure. Look, honey,
nobody's forcing you to come.
Besides, this is
between him and me.
Well, I'm coming
along, Steve. All right.
You suit yourself. Just
don't get in my way.
Headin' for Boston?
Oh, Portland.
A-yah. I like these local buses.
You can sit back and
relax and enjoy yourself.
Mmm. Well, most
people can't find the time.
[Chuckles] Yeah, ridin' hard and
fast toward a date with the gravedigger.
[Sniffs] Smell that air. Be rain in 20
minutes. You watch. Cyrus Leffingwell.
Jessica Fletcher. [Horn Honks]
Here she comes.
[Brakes Squeal]
Afternoon, folks. This is
the local bus to Boston.
Stopping at Newcastle,
Brunswick, Portland,
Kennebunk, Dover, Portsmouth,
Amesbury and Ipswich.
Be leaving in three
minutes. Thank you.
Here's your ticket, Ms.
Fletcher. Oh, thank you, Amos.
Oh! Forgot the bags. Ah.
Uh, my friend is bringing
our things. We just have a
couple of overnight bags.
We don't need to stow them.
Yes'um. Doesn't Andy
Reardon usually run this route?
Yes'um. Took sick with
the flu. Oh, that's too bad.
Here we are. Ms.
Fletcher. Ah, great.
We better get on board. Okay.
Kent. Hmm?
Do you know who that is?
Somebody from the college?
No. That's J.B. Fletcher.
Oh, didn't recognize him.
Her. Her, Kent.
She writes wonderful
whodunits. [Exhales] Really.
Driver says we'll be there
with time to spare. Mm-hmm.
Anyway, the drawing isn't
until the end of the evening.
That way they make sure that no
one walks out on them too early.
Oh, not that they
would, Ms. Fletcher.
I mean, you're gonna have
those fellas eatin' out of your hand.
Sounds a bit messy
to me, Amos. Mm.
Next stop, Newcastle.
[Thunderclap]
[Driver] Where you headed?
[Man] Uh, Portland.
It's nine-sixty.
What's the trouble?
Power lines are down.
You can get through, but watch it.
There's a lot of flooding up ahead.
[Driver] Is the road open? Yeah,
but I don't know for how long.
Okay. Thank you. Take care.
Excuse me. You're
J.B. Fletcher, aren't you?
Yes, I am. Oh, I thought so.
- I think you are a wonderful writer.
- Why, thank you.
In fact, you're in the top
10 of my “most stolen" list.
Your what? Most
stolen. I'm a librarian.
[Chuckles] We have had to
replace copies of your books...
a dozen times over
the last couple of years.
People check them out and
absolutely will not return them.
[Laughs] I'm very
flattered... I think.
[Both Chuckle]
Oh. I'm glad you came by.
No way out of that mess till
morning. How much to Portland?
Nine-sixty. Say, weren’t you
following us for quite a while?
I sure was. Thought I'd be safer
with you running interference.
- Sorry I passed you now.
- Thank you.
Uh, sorry, folks, we, uh, seem to
be having a little engine trouble.
Probably the wet. You
can get out and stretch
your legs if you want
while I check it out.
[Grunts]
That didn't take long.
No, but this isn't Portland.
It isn't? No. Let's get
out and get some coffee.
[Groans] At this rate, we're
gonna miss the fruit cup.
[Sighs] Steve, please.
Why don't you just let it be? I told
you to just stay out of this. Now, go on.
Well, howdy, folks. Come
on in. Set yourselves down.
Thank you. How'd
you get through?
The radio said the Rockwater
Creek Bridge is washed out.
We're coming on down
from Cabot Cove. Is that so?
They were stopping traffic they said.
We must be the last ones to get through.
- Well, we seem to be.
- Mighty fierce storm.
Reminds me of Agnes back in '72.
I remember that one. They
were just building the interstate.
[Groans] I'm soaked.
Can you tell me where the restroom
is? Right down the hallway on your right.
Thank you.
Hello. Do you think I might get
a cup of black coffee, please?
Oh, two, please. I wish now
I hadn't sent the help home.
Uh, would it be too much
trouble to have a cup of tea?
- Comin' right up.
- Thank you.
Is there somewhere
a man can get a drink?
Yeah, in the bar. It's closed now, but
if you can hold on a mite, I'll open it.
Fine.
This is the time of year
for storms, of course.
Statistically speaking,
the chance of rain on any
day at this time of year
are about, um, two-to-one.
As you can see, my
husband's mind is cluttered
with all sorts of
interesting trivia.
Better a little clutter
than an empty attic.
If we'd been able to afford plane fare,
we wouldn't be stuck in this place now.
Oh, I don't know.
Many a night I've been trapped in a
storm-ridden airport. Never bothered me.
As my late wife used
to say, rest her soul,
"Only a fool grows ulcers
over something he can't control."
Excuse me.
Well, maybe we oughta
take a look at the menu.
Here's a menu for you,
ma'am. Thank you, Amos.
I figure things the way they are,
we should get something to eat.
Probably gonna miss the
potato soup. I would think so.
I sure am sorry, ma'am. This
is turning into a miserable trip.
Oh, don't be silly, Amos. Who knows?
We may be still in time for my speech.
I sure hope so.
Do you have a phone around here somewhere?
Yeah, there's a pay phone outside.
Here's your tea, ma'am.
Oh, thank you very much.
- Can I get you folks something to eat?
- Well, I couldn't help but notice
that apple pie over there.
- It looks homemade.
- My own recipe.
Would you make that two, with a slice of
cheddar and some black coffee, please.
- Coming right up.
- [Sighs]
Sure had my heart
set on that TV set.
Our host is quite a baker. Yeah,
could use a touch more cinnamon.
I better call Portland,
tell 'em what's happened.
- Are we leaving now?
- I'm afraid not.
I just came in to dry off a bit.
Wonder what
happened to that book?
Excuse me, sir. Sir?
[Gasps]
Well, I suppose we should
notify the bus driver, and, uh...
Well, I don't suppose we should move
the body until the local coroner arrives.
Amos, I know this isn't
under your jurisdiction,
but, I mean, the
situation's obvious.
You or I or one of them... Yes,
ma'am. I see what you mean.
Well, whoever killed him
went through his pockets.
Ironic, isn't it? What's that?
Well, a man is released from
prison ready to start a new life,
only to have it cut short only a few hours
later. Well, now, why do you say that?
He could have just as easily been a
visitor or a guard home for the weekend.
I don't think so. That's a new suit,
Amos, and those are new shoes.
He paid for his ticket
with crisp, new bills.
Hello, what's this?
Well, you're right. Here's his
release paper. Name is Gilbert Stoner.
Stoner. Mm-hmm.
Well, the motive certainly was not
robbery. There's money in the billfold.
Anything else?
Just an out-of-date driver's
license and a photograph.
Someone was looking
for something. Ah.
Amos, his suitcase is missing.
Oh... [Chuckles] I see
you had the same idea I did.
I thought just as long as
we'd stopped here, I'd get...
[Screams] Oh!
Now, Miriam, darling,
please, it's all right.
[Crying] It's not all right.
You didn't see him
sitting there with that...
That thing sticking out of the
back of his neck... [Shudders]
I tried to call the police.
The lines are dead.
Probably knocked out
by the storm. Dead?
Do you mean to tell me we're stuck
here with that killer on the loose?
Why, he'll just probably
kill us all, one by one.
Here's some nice,
fresh coffee, ma'am.
It'll take the chill off and
help stop your shakes.
How do I know it's not you? How do I
know you're not trying to poison me?
Well, all right.
Thank you. I'm sorry.
Coffee's on the house, everyone.
Uh, folks, name is Amos Tupper.
I'm the sheriff of Cabot Cove.
Now I realize I have no
official jurisdiction here,
but as an officer of the law, I do have
an obligation to assume authority...
until the local police arrive.
And, uh, I would appreciate
all of your cooperation.
Well, I'm sure we'd
all be happy to do so,
Sheriff, but, uh, I never
saw that man before.
Name is Stoner. Gilbert Stoner. He
was released from prison this afternoon.
Amos, excuse me, but there is
something that I seem to remember.
I came across that name
doing research for a book.
It had to do with a robbery. I
think it was a bank in Augusta.
Wait a minute. Stoner... Stoner.
The Danvers Trust Company.
Sure, I remember that one.
It was all over the TV for weeks.
Happened about 15 years ago, didn't it?
Yes, of course. Three men pulled that
off. They were apprehended, I believe.
A-yah, at least one of 'em was.
Amos, it might be helpful to
establish just where everyone was.
Oh, that's good
thinking, Ms. Fletcher.
And, uh, I'm also gonna need to know all of
your names and why you were on this bus.
Now, just a moment... Obviously,
you're saying one of us killed him.
I think "obvious" is
the right word, sir.
Unless, of course, this Stoner
fellow somehow managed to...
reach up behind his
head and stab himself in
the back of the neck
with a 10-inch screwdriver.
I have nothing to hide. My name is,
uh, Ken Radford. This is my wife, Miriam.
I'm a math teacher at St. Eustis
College. Associate professor.
My wife is a college librarian.
The head librarian. And we're on
our way to Boston to do research.
I was in the video
alcove... Over there.
I was, uh, playing "Road Hog."
Road Hog? Yeah.
I'm, uh, a student of...
statistical probabilities,
and, uh, the game
has challenging
mathematical parameters.
- Also, it's fun.
- He's telling the truth.
I heard him playing the game when
I was in the gift shop. And you're...
Cyrus Leffingwell.
Woonsocket, Rhode Island.
I'm a retired postal
worker... a mailman.
But I have no idea who
this poor, dead fellow is.
What about you?
Steve Pascal, computer
engineer. This is my
wife, Jane. We were
on our way to Portland.
I was here the whole time. And I
was outside using the public phone.
I couldn't get through and,
eventually, the line went dead.
Excuse me, Mr. Pascal, but I
believe I saw you through the window...
talking with
Mr. Stoner on the bus.
You appeared to be having
a very heated discussion.
No, not at all. We just
exchanged a few words, that's all.
And you? Joe Downing.
I'm captain of the fishing trawler
Mary Sue out of Gloucester.
Going back to my ship after visiting
family, and, like this gentleman,
I've never heard of
the dead man before.
I was in the bar having a drink.
Carey Drayson. I was in the men's
room drying off my clothes on the radiator.
If my car hadn't skidded off the
road I wouldn't even have been here.
Mr. Drayson, that may be true, but under
the circumstances I'd feel a lot better...
if you explained to the sheriff
why you're wearing a gun.
- [Amos] A gun?
- Oh, good Lord. Kent!
This is my permit to
carry a concealed weapon.
I'm a jewelry salesman. I carry valuables
in that case, and I have to protect myself.
All the same, I think it would
be better if you handed it over.
Well, I'm sorry, Sheriff. Like you
said, you have no jurisdiction here.
If there's a killer on the
loose, I want to protect myself.
Besides, if I wanted
to knock this guy off,
I would've shot him,
not used a screwdriver.
Yes,
I was gonna ask you about that.
Hey, wait a minute. I left my
toolbox open in the front of the bus.
Anybody could've taken that
screwdriver out. Anybody in this room.
I was working on the
engine the whole time.
Yes, but if you were that close,
you must've heard something.
Well, I heard voices
raised, and I-I thought
I heard somebody
getting on and off the bus,
- but I didn't pay much attention.
- [Thunderclap]
[Cries Out]
This is a fiercesome storm.
Mr. Pascal, you'll forgive me,
but you and the victim
were not, as you claimed,
having a quiet discussion.
I'm also quite sure that
your resemblance to the
gentleman in this photo
is more than coincidental.
It would be very helpful if
you could identify these people.
I don't have to answer
your questions, lady.
Not yours, not anybody's.
Steve.
Steve didn't kill that
man. I know he didn't.
Mrs. Pascal, what about
the man in the photo?
- He was Steve's father.
- [Amos] Was?
He was killed during
the Danvers robbery.
Along with an innocent
bystander, a woman.
Stoner and the other man got away,
but they caught Stoner three days later.
But the other man,
what happened to him?
They never caught him, and they never
recovered the money from the robbery.
As I recall, it was about
$200,000. Over half a million.
Ma'am, this, uh, missing fella,
do you or your husband
know who he was?
No, I'm sorry. Mm.
I better take charge of this.
It's probably best if
we all stick together.
Ralph, why don't you put
on another pot of coffee, huh?
Good idea.
[Beeping]
[Video Game Continues]
Who is in there? Uh, no one.
But that's just the point.
And down at the end
of this hallway is a door
leading to the outside.
Huh. That means
that the professor...
could've gone outside
without being seen.
So could've the mailman or
any of the others for that matter.
And-And there's a
door that leads to the
outside from the bar
and one in the kitchen.
So where does that
leave us? Outside.
- What?
- You were gonna check outside.
Oh. Yes, ma'am, I sure
was. You wanna come along?
Oh, absolutely. Okay.
Well, bus driver was right.
Anyone could've taken the
screwdriver out. That's true.
Excuse me, Amos. Yeah.
Whatcha looking
for? I wish I knew.
Hey, wait a minute.
Why is that on?
[Jessica] What is it?
That's a damper switch.
I used to be a bus driver for a whole
summer before I joined the department.
Excuse me, Ms. Fletcher, I
gotta check something out.
I wanna talk to you.
I thought you might.
Look, I'm sorry I lost my temper
in there, but I didn't kill Stoner.
Mr. Pascal, could you please
help me with this suitcase?
Everything's getting wetter
by the minute and so am I.
This clothing has
been ripped apart.
Well, maybe they found what
they were looking for. Maybe not.
Mr. Stoner had a... had an
overcoat and a book with him.
Now that should've been with the
suitcase. It doesn't make sense. Hmm.
Mr. Pascal, suppose you tell the sheriff
what you and Mr. Stoner argued about.
Yeah. Why not.
I was in junior high school
when my dad was killed.
From that day on, my life was
hell. I mean, I was the son of a thief.
All right, it's true. I took
the bus in order to meet
Stoner because I wanted my
father's share of the money.
After what I'd been through,
I figured I deserved it.
At least, that's what I
thought until I talked to him.
What did he say to you that
made you change your mind?
It wasn't what he said, it
was-it was what he was...
A mean, pitiful wreck of a man.
His scheme ruined his entire
life, just like it ruined my father's.
I made up my mind it wasn't going to
ruin mine, so I-I just walked away from it.
- I left him alone on the bus.
- And that was it?
My wife was right.
It's better to let the
past remain what it is.
Mr. Pascal, I need to
know one more thing.
How did you know that Mr. Stoner
was going to be released today?
That's no secret. In
Tuesday's newspaper.
Let me see that.
"Notorious bank
robber to be released.
Fifteen years ago, Danvers Trust
Company"... [Continues, Indistinct]
Ah, here's something. "During
the thieves' escape attempt,
"an innocent bystander,
Julie Gibbons, 16, was killed,
along with one of the criminals,
Everett Pascal." Gibbons?
That's right. Julie Gibbons.
And our bus driver is
named Ben Gibbons.
Well, that seals it then, huh?
Seals what, Amos? You may
not believe this, Ms. Fletcher,
but I knew who our
killer was a half hour ago.
As I said, I have no
official jurisdiction here.
But I can make a citizen's
arrest, and that's what I plan to do.
Ben Gibbons, I'm placing you under
arrest for the murder of Gilbert Stoner.
You're crazy. I didn't
do it. Oh, yes, you did.
When Ms. Fletcher turned
on the ignition key in the bus,
I noticed that the
damper switch was on.
Now that's an emergency switch to be used
only when the engine starts to run away.
The engine can't be started
again once that switch is thrown...
without the damper
being reset by hand.
Amos, are you sure? Yes, ma'am.
Now, the damper is in the engine
compartment way in the back,
and you can't reach it without
using some kind of a tool...
like a very long screwdriver.
Now that means that nobody took
that screwdriver out of your tool kit...
because you had it
with you all the time.
Mr. Gibbons, at the
time of the holdup,
an innocent bystander was killed, a
young woman named Julie Gibbons.
She was my daughter.
[Exhales] Suppose you
tell us what happened.
A day hasn't gone by that I haven't
thought of revenging her death.
Then I heard that Stoner
was gonna be let out.
I traded routes with
the regular bus driver.
You were right. I staged
the bus breakdown,
and I went back and worked on the
damper, waiting for him to be alone.
When I went back in the bus,
he was sleeping in
his seat like a baby.
Like he didn't have her
blood on his conscience.
That he should be alive
and my little girl dead...
I just went crazy. I
raised up my am...
and drove that screwdriver
down into his neck.
[Sobbing]
Well, thank God
that's over with.
I wish it were, Mr. Leffingwell.
But, I'm sorry. It isn't.
That man was not
killed by the screwdriver.
Now hold on, ma'am. You
just heard his confession.
Yes. Yes, Amos, and
I'm sure that Mr. Gibbons
is convinced that
he killed Mr. Stoner.
Oh, he stabbed him all right.
But Stoner was not sleeping.
He was already dead.
That's preposterous. How
could you possibly know that?
Because, Mr. Drayson,
there was virtually no blood
on the screwdriver, and
very little around the wound.
She's right. How can that be?
Postmortem lividity. I
should've thought of it at the time.
The blood had begun to settle
in the lower parts of the body.
He was killed earlier. Oh,
at least 15 or 20 minutes.
- The bruises on his neck.
- But-But, he was sleeping. I know it.
I killed him. I know I did!
I'm sorry, Mr. Gibbons.
But I'm sure that the
coroner will confirm
that he died of
strangulation, not stabbing.
Oh, Kent, how can you eat? Why
not? Being hungry doesn't help.
Ah. No good. Phone's still out.
You'd think the state police would
stop by, if only to check on things.
Mm. My son has a
C.B. back in the office.
I don't know how to
use it, but if anyone
else does, they're more
than welcome to try.
I know how. Let me see it.
Sure thing. Back this way.
That's more like it.
Last year, took my
vacation in Hawaii, it rained.
Year before that, Athens. It
rained. This year, it rained again.
Well, next year,
try North Africa.
They have the smallest
amount of rainfall in
the world... statistically
speaking, of course.
Never had much use for camels.
This is Carey Drayson, calling from
the Kozy Korner Kitchen on Route 1.
Is anyone receiving me?
Over, please. Any luck?
Route 1 calling. Anyone
receiving me? Over, please.
Maybe it's too much to expect
in this weather. Yeah. Maybe.
Mr. Drayson, I don't
wanna appear rude, but,
for a man who carries a
gun, you're awfully careless.
What is that supposed to mean?
You left a valuable jewelry
sample case in the other room.
Anyone with sticky fingers or big pockets
could've left you holding an empty bag.
That is, if the case contained
jewelry, which I seriously doubt.
Would you mind if Sheriff
Tupper took a look inside?
Uh, don't bother, Ms. Fletcher.
I'm an investigator for the company
that insured the Danvers Trust robbery.
And you've been assigned
to follow Mr. Stoner from the
prison in the hope that he'll
lead you to the stolen money.
That's right. Looks like that'll
be a little more difficult now.
Yes, I should think so. On the
other hand, perhaps all is not lost.
If we find the killer, maybe
we'll find the money too.
Well, I'm not sure
it's that simple.
Well, Kent and I
didn't want children.
Of course, it's just as well. On
our salaries who can afford them.
You think we can?
Oh. Thanks.
Amos, obviously, whoever took Stoner's
suitcase was looking for something.
The question is,
did they find it?
More than likely, it
was Stoner's ex-partner.
Which one of these fellas is it?
Is it the mailman or the college
professor? The sea captain?
- Could even be Ralph.
- See, the part that doesn't fit is this.
If Stoner's suitcase turned up, where's
his overcoat and that book that he carried?
Yeah, there's
something odd about that.
Unless... Amos, let's go.
Go? Go where? To the bus.
But, Ms. Fletcher, it's
mighty wet out there.
[Amos Grunts] [Exhales]
Oh, I think... I think... [Sneezes]
I think I'm catching a cold.
Hmm, just what I thought. Oh,
you think I'm catching a cold too?
This isn't where Stoner
was sitting. Is that so?
Now, I was sitting right here.
Well, this was Stoner's seat.
Aha. His overcoat and the book.
"The Night the Hangman
Sang by Hamilton Pound."
First edition. Huh. Strange.
The dust jacket is in tatters, and
yet some of the pages aren't even cut.
[Thunderclap]
Oh, now what? Now
just stay calm, everybody.
Ralph, have you got
a flashlight? Yeah.
- Right here.
- Do you have any candles?
We don't need 'em. We
have a generator out back.
We'll have plenty of
light before you know it.
I'll give you a hand.
[Sighs] Funny, this reminds me
of camp when I was a little girl.
Sitting around in the
dark telling ghost stories.
Only this time the
monsters are real.
When was the last
time you used this thing?
Two, maybe three years
ago. Worked fine then.
[Gunshot]
[Gasps] That came from
the office. Mr. Drayson.
What happened? He's been shot.
It's only a flesh wound.
Drayson, who did it?
I-I don't know. Sheriff,
they smashed up the C.B.
Someone sure doesn't
want us to call out of here.
Well, whoever it
is now has the gun.
[Amos] The gun seems
to be missing, Ms. Fletcher.
Well, it must be
around here somewhere.
I think we oughta try the phones
again. The lines may be fixed by now.
All right. Ralph, you
go with him. I don't want
anybody to be left alone
right now. You understand.
You know, I think
the storm is letting up.
[Thunderclap]
Damn, that hurts. Allow me.
A sailor has to know how to
take care of himself and his mates.
Because when you're on the sea,
you're on an island unto
yourself... as they say.
That's fine work,
Captain Downing.
- Thanks.
- Are you absolutely certain you can't
identify the person who hit you?
Well, I wish I could. I
was calling on the C.B.
Someone came up from behind
me and hit me in the back of the head.
I went for my gun, it went
off. The next thing I knew,
I was on the floor, and a few
minutes later you people came in.
Why would someone want
to cut us off from outside?
Because his work isn't
finished yet. We're still alive.
Well, it may be less deadly
than that, Mrs. Radford.
I mean, after all, our attacker could
have killed Mr. Drayson if he wanted to.
Perhaps he wanted to find
something that Stoner had...
and didn't want interference
until he had located it.
Located what? I'm not sure.
Maybe something that might
lead to the missing money.
Amos,
Mr. Stoner's book
has disappeared.
First the gun, now
the book. What next?
Now wait a minute. How
could anyone steal the book...
and then run back to the office
and hit Drayson over the head?
There wasn't time. They couldn't have known
how long the lights were gonna be out.
- Maybe the killer had an accomplice.
- This is getting confusing.
And very dangerous now
that the killer has a gun.
If we could just establish where
everyone was before the lights went out.
- Well, Steve and I were right here.
- So you say.
- What is that supposed to mean?
- Listen, stop fighting.
It was dark. Who knows
where anybody was.
Well, the office phone's
still out. So's the pay phone.
We'll try again in
a half hour or so.
Well, why don't we just
try getting out of here?
Oh, no. Hey, that's too dangerous.
The road may not be open yet.
This is safe? I'd rather
take my chances on the bus.
Now, look, folks.
The bus driver is right.
I'm afraid we're all stuck
here for a few hours at least.
If we live that long.
Strange you should
say that, Mrs. Radford.
Assuming that one of the
men here is in reality the
third member of the trio
who committed the robbery.
Well, don’t you think you're jumping
to an awful big conclusion, ma'am?
Well, maybe so. But
one thing I do know...
There was someone on the
bus that Stoner was afraid of.
I could see the look
on his face when he got
on and looked at the
passengers behind me.
But let's get back
to the missing book.
You were right, Sheriff.
There wasn't time for anyone to
steal the book and then attack Drayson.
- Well, then, where would they take it?
- Well, forgive me,
and this is hypothetical.
But it could have been
slipped into a large knitting bag.
And who better to know the
value of a book than a librarian?
- That's outrageous.
- And insulting as well, Mrs. Fletcher.
Why don't we take a look?
No, no, no. Absolutely not.
Oh, now, for heaven's sake,
Miriam. If she wants to make
a fool of herself, why
don't you just let her do it?
Here, Mrs. Fletcher,
here's some... Kent.
Well, I'll be damned.
Miriam, you took the book. Why?
Because a dead man
doesn't need the money you
can get for a rare
first edition and we do.
- But that's just an old detective novel.
- Oh, I'm afraid not, Mr. Radford.
You recognize it then? Yes.
This is the only
detective novel this author
ever wrote. There are
very few copies in print.
- How much is it worth?
- Nearly $2,000.
It would be worth
even more, but the
jacket's torn and the
binding's been damaged.
It was published around the
time that Stoner was arrested.
He had it all the time. But as the pages
weren't even cut, he didn't buy it to read.
[Chuckles]
A safe deposit key.
Is that what you were
looking for, Captain Downing?
Or should I say, Mr. Downing,
or whatever your name is.
I think you can drop the
pretense of being a sailor.
A real sailor would've
tied a square knot.
Not a granny, as you did.
- [Amos] My overcoat!
- I figured you wouldn't look in
your own pocket. Now stand still!
Don't anybody
do anything stupid.
Mrs. Fletcher, I'll
take that key now.
[Gunshot] [Glass Shatters]
- That makes the whole trip worthwhile.
- Well, I'll say it again.
- Thank goodness that's over with.
- [Grunts]
You're not gonna pin Stoner's
murder on me. I didn't kill him.
You can tell that to the local
authorities when the storm clears.
I'm telling you, Sheriff. He was
already dead when I got on the bus.
Yeah, I went through his
pockets. I-I got his suitcase.
But I'm telling you...
he was already dead.
You're the one that
knocked me out then?
Well, I had to. I was
buying some time. I knew
that Stoner had hidden
the money somewhere,
and I wanted to find out where before
we had any more cops nosing around.
So you were Stoner's
other partner? Yeah. The...
The weasel double-crossed me. He
split with the money. and he hid it away.
So Mrs. Fletcher was right. It was you
he was afraid of when he got on the bus.
You he recognized in spite of that
stupid getup. I'm not stupid, sonny.
You think I'm gonna pull
something on the bus when
all the cops have to do is
check to see who I was?
I mean, it wouldn't take 'em long to
put it all together. Not with my motive.
That's why it's so
dumb to think I killed him
when I'm stuck here...
like a rat in a cage.
Like I said, the local authorities
will take charge of this when it clears.
Amos, I am... I am so sorry.
I've been so stupid. You know,
this gentleman is telling the truth.
- What?
- Not only that,
but you were right all along.
- Forgive me for not seeing it.
- I'm sorry, ma'am. I don't understand.
It's true. Isn't
it, Mr. Gibbons?
You did kill
Mr. Stoner, didn't you?
Well, ma'am, I stabbed him in the
neck. Like you said. I told you that.
But what you didn't tell us is
that you also strangled him earlier.
You actually killed him twice.
Well, now, ma'am,
I'm sorry, but...
No, Mr. Gibbons. I'm sorry because I
don't really think you meant to kill him.
But you did, and I
think it can be proved.
You sure about that?
When the sheriff and I
first discovered the body,
I noticed there were small flecks of
grease on Mr. Stoner's collar and lapels.
I filed that away and
then dismissed it when
you confessed to the
screwdriver's stabbing.
If the stabbing
occurred as you said,
you never would've put your hands
on the front of his shirt or jacket.
You stabbed him from behind.
I didn't start out to
kill him. I really didn't.
I just wanted him to know
how much hurt he had caused.
Everybody had got off the bus
except Stoner and the young guy.
I was working around the engine, just
stalling, waiting for Stoner to be alone.
He was mean, cold-mean.
He said he didn't give a
damn about some dumb
kid that just happened
to get in the way.
He had done his time and there
was nothing anybody could do.
"Dumb kid." The sweetest
little girl you ever saw in your life.
Well, all of a sudden,
I just went crazy.
I couldn't think about
anything but killing him.
When I got off the bus,
I was shaking so hard, I
thought I was going to pass out.
I realized what I'd done.
I had killed a man. I was
no better than he had been.
Just then, I saw the captain come
out of the diner and get on the bus.
I thought I was a goner.
But when I looked in the window, the
captain was going through Stoner's pockets.
Then he grabbed the
suitcase and took off.
I just... I just stood
there for a few minutes...
trying to figure out what to do.
That's when I knew...
I had to stab him in the
neck with the screwdriver.
But why?
Guess you know
the answer to that.
You knew the coroner
would figure out that Stoner
died of strangulation
and not a stab wound.
By confessing to killing
Stoner with a screwdriver,
no one would figure you
were the original killer.
As Mr. Downing said
a few moments ago,
the police would check
backgrounds, prior relationships.
Downing thought he'd be a
key, perhaps the only suspect.
You thought the only way to escape arrest
for Mr. Stoner's murder was to confess it.
Poor fella. I feel
kind of sorry for him.
I do too, Mr. Leffingwell.
But I do think that a
good lawyer can probably
make a good case
for temporary insanity,
and in this case,
it may be justified.
You're not joining us on
the bus? Oh, no. Sheriff
Tupper and I are going
back to Cabot Cove.
In that case, it's been a
great pleasure. dear lady.
The pleasure was
mine, Mr. Leffingwell.
Amos, what's wrong? Well, they sure
missed you at the banquet, Ms. Fletcher.
When you didn't show, Sheriff Bingley
ad-libbed a speech for almost an hour.
[Short Chuckle] Bingley loves to
hear the sound of his own voice.
[Chuckles] Oh, dear. Yeah,
but that's not the worst of it.
After his speech they had a
drawing for the big TV set?
I knew we should've been
there. Oh, Amos, I'm so sorry.
But as nice as that TV set might've
been, I'm sure you can live without it.
But it wasn't my name
they drew, Ms. Fletcher.
- It was yours.
- What?
Sir?
[Woman] Tonight on
Murder, She Wrote.
Obviously you're saying
one of us killed him.
- I never saw that man before.
- This happened about 15 years ago,
didn't it?
I was in the bar having a drink.
I have no idea who
this poor, dead fella is.
If I wanted to knock this
guy off, I would've shot him.
- I was working on the engine the whole time.
- I don't have to
answer your questions, lady.
[Screams]
[Seagulls Screeching]
Oh, did you reach them? Yeah,
said we'd be there about 8:00.
Probably miss the hors d'oeuvres.
Well, no serious loss, I'm sure.
Ms. Fletcher, the Maine
Sheriffs' Association lays
out the finest spread
east of the Alleghenies.
Oh, Amos. Anyway, we'll be
there in time for the drawing.
They're giving away a big-screen TV,
and I got a feeling it's my lucky night.
Oh, I sure hope so, Amos. Mm.
Would you get that to the garage?
I'll go get the tickets.
[Thunder Rumbling] Well,
what do you hope to gain?
I'm not sure. Look, honey,
nobody's forcing you to come.
Besides, this is
between him and me.
Well, I'm coming
along, Steve. All right.
You suit yourself. Just
don't get in my way.
Headin' for Boston?
Oh, Portland.
A-yah. I like these local buses.
You can sit back and
relax and enjoy yourself.
Mmm. Well, most
people can't find the time.
[Chuckles] Yeah, ridin' hard and
fast toward a date with the gravedigger.
[Sniffs] Smell that air. Be rain in 20
minutes. You watch. Cyrus Leffingwell.
Jessica Fletcher. [Horn Honks]
Here she comes.
[Brakes Squeal]
Afternoon, folks. This is
the local bus to Boston.
Stopping at Newcastle,
Brunswick, Portland,
Kennebunk, Dover, Portsmouth,
Amesbury and Ipswich.
Be leaving in three
minutes. Thank you.
Here's your ticket, Ms.
Fletcher. Oh, thank you, Amos.
Oh! Forgot the bags. Ah.
Uh, my friend is bringing
our things. We just have a
couple of overnight bags.
We don't need to stow them.
Yes'um. Doesn't Andy
Reardon usually run this route?
Yes'um. Took sick with
the flu. Oh, that's too bad.
Here we are. Ms.
Fletcher. Ah, great.
We better get on board. Okay.
Kent. Hmm?
Do you know who that is?
Somebody from the college?
No. That's J.B. Fletcher.
Oh, didn't recognize him.
Her. Her, Kent.
She writes wonderful
whodunits. [Exhales] Really.
Driver says we'll be there
with time to spare. Mm-hmm.
Anyway, the drawing isn't
until the end of the evening.
That way they make sure that no
one walks out on them too early.
Oh, not that they
would, Ms. Fletcher.
I mean, you're gonna have
those fellas eatin' out of your hand.
Sounds a bit messy
to me, Amos. Mm.
Next stop, Newcastle.
[Thunderclap]
[Driver] Where you headed?
[Man] Uh, Portland.
It's nine-sixty.
What's the trouble?
Power lines are down.
You can get through, but watch it.
There's a lot of flooding up ahead.
[Driver] Is the road open? Yeah,
but I don't know for how long.
Okay. Thank you. Take care.
Excuse me. You're
J.B. Fletcher, aren't you?
Yes, I am. Oh, I thought so.
- I think you are a wonderful writer.
- Why, thank you.
In fact, you're in the top
10 of my “most stolen" list.
Your what? Most
stolen. I'm a librarian.
[Chuckles] We have had to
replace copies of your books...
a dozen times over
the last couple of years.
People check them out and
absolutely will not return them.
[Laughs] I'm very
flattered... I think.
[Both Chuckle]
Oh. I'm glad you came by.
No way out of that mess till
morning. How much to Portland?
Nine-sixty. Say, weren’t you
following us for quite a while?
I sure was. Thought I'd be safer
with you running interference.
- Sorry I passed you now.
- Thank you.
Uh, sorry, folks, we, uh, seem to
be having a little engine trouble.
Probably the wet. You
can get out and stretch
your legs if you want
while I check it out.
[Grunts]
That didn't take long.
No, but this isn't Portland.
It isn't? No. Let's get
out and get some coffee.
[Groans] At this rate, we're
gonna miss the fruit cup.
[Sighs] Steve, please.
Why don't you just let it be? I told
you to just stay out of this. Now, go on.
Well, howdy, folks. Come
on in. Set yourselves down.
Thank you. How'd
you get through?
The radio said the Rockwater
Creek Bridge is washed out.
We're coming on down
from Cabot Cove. Is that so?
They were stopping traffic they said.
We must be the last ones to get through.
- Well, we seem to be.
- Mighty fierce storm.
Reminds me of Agnes back in '72.
I remember that one. They
were just building the interstate.
[Groans] I'm soaked.
Can you tell me where the restroom
is? Right down the hallway on your right.
Thank you.
Hello. Do you think I might get
a cup of black coffee, please?
Oh, two, please. I wish now
I hadn't sent the help home.
Uh, would it be too much
trouble to have a cup of tea?
- Comin' right up.
- Thank you.
Is there somewhere
a man can get a drink?
Yeah, in the bar. It's closed now, but
if you can hold on a mite, I'll open it.
Fine.
This is the time of year
for storms, of course.
Statistically speaking,
the chance of rain on any
day at this time of year
are about, um, two-to-one.
As you can see, my
husband's mind is cluttered
with all sorts of
interesting trivia.
Better a little clutter
than an empty attic.
If we'd been able to afford plane fare,
we wouldn't be stuck in this place now.
Oh, I don't know.
Many a night I've been trapped in a
storm-ridden airport. Never bothered me.
As my late wife used
to say, rest her soul,
"Only a fool grows ulcers
over something he can't control."
Excuse me.
Well, maybe we oughta
take a look at the menu.
Here's a menu for you,
ma'am. Thank you, Amos.
I figure things the way they are,
we should get something to eat.
Probably gonna miss the
potato soup. I would think so.
I sure am sorry, ma'am. This
is turning into a miserable trip.
Oh, don't be silly, Amos. Who knows?
We may be still in time for my speech.
I sure hope so.
Do you have a phone around here somewhere?
Yeah, there's a pay phone outside.
Here's your tea, ma'am.
Oh, thank you very much.
- Can I get you folks something to eat?
- Well, I couldn't help but notice
that apple pie over there.
- It looks homemade.
- My own recipe.
Would you make that two, with a slice of
cheddar and some black coffee, please.
- Coming right up.
- [Sighs]
Sure had my heart
set on that TV set.
Our host is quite a baker. Yeah,
could use a touch more cinnamon.
I better call Portland,
tell 'em what's happened.
- Are we leaving now?
- I'm afraid not.
I just came in to dry off a bit.
Wonder what
happened to that book?
Excuse me, sir. Sir?
[Gasps]
Well, I suppose we should
notify the bus driver, and, uh...
Well, I don't suppose we should move
the body until the local coroner arrives.
Amos, I know this isn't
under your jurisdiction,
but, I mean, the
situation's obvious.
You or I or one of them... Yes,
ma'am. I see what you mean.
Well, whoever killed him
went through his pockets.
Ironic, isn't it? What's that?
Well, a man is released from
prison ready to start a new life,
only to have it cut short only a few hours
later. Well, now, why do you say that?
He could have just as easily been a
visitor or a guard home for the weekend.
I don't think so. That's a new suit,
Amos, and those are new shoes.
He paid for his ticket
with crisp, new bills.
Hello, what's this?
Well, you're right. Here's his
release paper. Name is Gilbert Stoner.
Stoner. Mm-hmm.
Well, the motive certainly was not
robbery. There's money in the billfold.
Anything else?
Just an out-of-date driver's
license and a photograph.
Someone was looking
for something. Ah.
Amos, his suitcase is missing.
Oh... [Chuckles] I see
you had the same idea I did.
I thought just as long as
we'd stopped here, I'd get...
[Screams] Oh!
Now, Miriam, darling,
please, it's all right.
[Crying] It's not all right.
You didn't see him
sitting there with that...
That thing sticking out of the
back of his neck... [Shudders]
I tried to call the police.
The lines are dead.
Probably knocked out
by the storm. Dead?
Do you mean to tell me we're stuck
here with that killer on the loose?
Why, he'll just probably
kill us all, one by one.
Here's some nice,
fresh coffee, ma'am.
It'll take the chill off and
help stop your shakes.
How do I know it's not you? How do I
know you're not trying to poison me?
Well, all right.
Thank you. I'm sorry.
Coffee's on the house, everyone.
Uh, folks, name is Amos Tupper.
I'm the sheriff of Cabot Cove.
Now I realize I have no
official jurisdiction here,
but as an officer of the law, I do have
an obligation to assume authority...
until the local police arrive.
And, uh, I would appreciate
all of your cooperation.
Well, I'm sure we'd
all be happy to do so,
Sheriff, but, uh, I never
saw that man before.
Name is Stoner. Gilbert Stoner. He
was released from prison this afternoon.
Amos, excuse me, but there is
something that I seem to remember.
I came across that name
doing research for a book.
It had to do with a robbery. I
think it was a bank in Augusta.
Wait a minute. Stoner... Stoner.
The Danvers Trust Company.
Sure, I remember that one.
It was all over the TV for weeks.
Happened about 15 years ago, didn't it?
Yes, of course. Three men pulled that
off. They were apprehended, I believe.
A-yah, at least one of 'em was.
Amos, it might be helpful to
establish just where everyone was.
Oh, that's good
thinking, Ms. Fletcher.
And, uh, I'm also gonna need to know all of
your names and why you were on this bus.
Now, just a moment... Obviously,
you're saying one of us killed him.
I think "obvious" is
the right word, sir.
Unless, of course, this Stoner
fellow somehow managed to...
reach up behind his
head and stab himself in
the back of the neck
with a 10-inch screwdriver.
I have nothing to hide. My name is,
uh, Ken Radford. This is my wife, Miriam.
I'm a math teacher at St. Eustis
College. Associate professor.
My wife is a college librarian.
The head librarian. And we're on
our way to Boston to do research.
I was in the video
alcove... Over there.
I was, uh, playing "Road Hog."
Road Hog? Yeah.
I'm, uh, a student of...
statistical probabilities,
and, uh, the game
has challenging
mathematical parameters.
- Also, it's fun.
- He's telling the truth.
I heard him playing the game when
I was in the gift shop. And you're...
Cyrus Leffingwell.
Woonsocket, Rhode Island.
I'm a retired postal
worker... a mailman.
But I have no idea who
this poor, dead fellow is.
What about you?
Steve Pascal, computer
engineer. This is my
wife, Jane. We were
on our way to Portland.
I was here the whole time. And I
was outside using the public phone.
I couldn't get through and,
eventually, the line went dead.
Excuse me, Mr. Pascal, but I
believe I saw you through the window...
talking with
Mr. Stoner on the bus.
You appeared to be having
a very heated discussion.
No, not at all. We just
exchanged a few words, that's all.
And you? Joe Downing.
I'm captain of the fishing trawler
Mary Sue out of Gloucester.
Going back to my ship after visiting
family, and, like this gentleman,
I've never heard of
the dead man before.
I was in the bar having a drink.
Carey Drayson. I was in the men's
room drying off my clothes on the radiator.
If my car hadn't skidded off the
road I wouldn't even have been here.
Mr. Drayson, that may be true, but under
the circumstances I'd feel a lot better...
if you explained to the sheriff
why you're wearing a gun.
- [Amos] A gun?
- Oh, good Lord. Kent!
This is my permit to
carry a concealed weapon.
I'm a jewelry salesman. I carry valuables
in that case, and I have to protect myself.
All the same, I think it would
be better if you handed it over.
Well, I'm sorry, Sheriff. Like you
said, you have no jurisdiction here.
If there's a killer on the
loose, I want to protect myself.
Besides, if I wanted
to knock this guy off,
I would've shot him,
not used a screwdriver.
Yes,
I was gonna ask you about that.
Hey, wait a minute. I left my
toolbox open in the front of the bus.
Anybody could've taken that
screwdriver out. Anybody in this room.
I was working on the
engine the whole time.
Yes, but if you were that close,
you must've heard something.
Well, I heard voices
raised, and I-I thought
I heard somebody
getting on and off the bus,
- but I didn't pay much attention.
- [Thunderclap]
[Cries Out]
This is a fiercesome storm.
Mr. Pascal, you'll forgive me,
but you and the victim
were not, as you claimed,
having a quiet discussion.
I'm also quite sure that
your resemblance to the
gentleman in this photo
is more than coincidental.
It would be very helpful if
you could identify these people.
I don't have to answer
your questions, lady.
Not yours, not anybody's.
Steve.
Steve didn't kill that
man. I know he didn't.
Mrs. Pascal, what about
the man in the photo?
- He was Steve's father.
- [Amos] Was?
He was killed during
the Danvers robbery.
Along with an innocent
bystander, a woman.
Stoner and the other man got away,
but they caught Stoner three days later.
But the other man,
what happened to him?
They never caught him, and they never
recovered the money from the robbery.
As I recall, it was about
$200,000. Over half a million.
Ma'am, this, uh, missing fella,
do you or your husband
know who he was?
No, I'm sorry. Mm.
I better take charge of this.
It's probably best if
we all stick together.
Ralph, why don't you put
on another pot of coffee, huh?
Good idea.
[Beeping]
[Video Game Continues]
Who is in there? Uh, no one.
But that's just the point.
And down at the end
of this hallway is a door
leading to the outside.
Huh. That means
that the professor...
could've gone outside
without being seen.
So could've the mailman or
any of the others for that matter.
And-And there's a
door that leads to the
outside from the bar
and one in the kitchen.
So where does that
leave us? Outside.
- What?
- You were gonna check outside.
Oh. Yes, ma'am, I sure
was. You wanna come along?
Oh, absolutely. Okay.
Well, bus driver was right.
Anyone could've taken the
screwdriver out. That's true.
Excuse me, Amos. Yeah.
Whatcha looking
for? I wish I knew.
Hey, wait a minute.
Why is that on?
[Jessica] What is it?
That's a damper switch.
I used to be a bus driver for a whole
summer before I joined the department.
Excuse me, Ms. Fletcher, I
gotta check something out.
I wanna talk to you.
I thought you might.
Look, I'm sorry I lost my temper
in there, but I didn't kill Stoner.
Mr. Pascal, could you please
help me with this suitcase?
Everything's getting wetter
by the minute and so am I.
This clothing has
been ripped apart.
Well, maybe they found what
they were looking for. Maybe not.
Mr. Stoner had a... had an
overcoat and a book with him.
Now that should've been with the
suitcase. It doesn't make sense. Hmm.
Mr. Pascal, suppose you tell the sheriff
what you and Mr. Stoner argued about.
Yeah. Why not.
I was in junior high school
when my dad was killed.
From that day on, my life was
hell. I mean, I was the son of a thief.
All right, it's true. I took
the bus in order to meet
Stoner because I wanted my
father's share of the money.
After what I'd been through,
I figured I deserved it.
At least, that's what I
thought until I talked to him.
What did he say to you that
made you change your mind?
It wasn't what he said, it
was-it was what he was...
A mean, pitiful wreck of a man.
His scheme ruined his entire
life, just like it ruined my father's.
I made up my mind it wasn't going to
ruin mine, so I-I just walked away from it.
- I left him alone on the bus.
- And that was it?
My wife was right.
It's better to let the
past remain what it is.
Mr. Pascal, I need to
know one more thing.
How did you know that Mr. Stoner
was going to be released today?
That's no secret. In
Tuesday's newspaper.
Let me see that.
"Notorious bank
robber to be released.
Fifteen years ago, Danvers Trust
Company"... [Continues, Indistinct]
Ah, here's something. "During
the thieves' escape attempt,
"an innocent bystander,
Julie Gibbons, 16, was killed,
along with one of the criminals,
Everett Pascal." Gibbons?
That's right. Julie Gibbons.
And our bus driver is
named Ben Gibbons.
Well, that seals it then, huh?
Seals what, Amos? You may
not believe this, Ms. Fletcher,
but I knew who our
killer was a half hour ago.
As I said, I have no
official jurisdiction here.
But I can make a citizen's
arrest, and that's what I plan to do.
Ben Gibbons, I'm placing you under
arrest for the murder of Gilbert Stoner.
You're crazy. I didn't
do it. Oh, yes, you did.
When Ms. Fletcher turned
on the ignition key in the bus,
I noticed that the
damper switch was on.
Now that's an emergency switch to be used
only when the engine starts to run away.
The engine can't be started
again once that switch is thrown...
without the damper
being reset by hand.
Amos, are you sure? Yes, ma'am.
Now, the damper is in the engine
compartment way in the back,
and you can't reach it without
using some kind of a tool...
like a very long screwdriver.
Now that means that nobody took
that screwdriver out of your tool kit...
because you had it
with you all the time.
Mr. Gibbons, at the
time of the holdup,
an innocent bystander was killed, a
young woman named Julie Gibbons.
She was my daughter.
[Exhales] Suppose you
tell us what happened.
A day hasn't gone by that I haven't
thought of revenging her death.
Then I heard that Stoner
was gonna be let out.
I traded routes with
the regular bus driver.
You were right. I staged
the bus breakdown,
and I went back and worked on the
damper, waiting for him to be alone.
When I went back in the bus,
he was sleeping in
his seat like a baby.
Like he didn't have her
blood on his conscience.
That he should be alive
and my little girl dead...
I just went crazy. I
raised up my am...
and drove that screwdriver
down into his neck.
[Sobbing]
Well, thank God
that's over with.
I wish it were, Mr. Leffingwell.
But, I'm sorry. It isn't.
That man was not
killed by the screwdriver.
Now hold on, ma'am. You
just heard his confession.
Yes. Yes, Amos, and
I'm sure that Mr. Gibbons
is convinced that
he killed Mr. Stoner.
Oh, he stabbed him all right.
But Stoner was not sleeping.
He was already dead.
That's preposterous. How
could you possibly know that?
Because, Mr. Drayson,
there was virtually no blood
on the screwdriver, and
very little around the wound.
She's right. How can that be?
Postmortem lividity. I
should've thought of it at the time.
The blood had begun to settle
in the lower parts of the body.
He was killed earlier. Oh,
at least 15 or 20 minutes.
- The bruises on his neck.
- But-But, he was sleeping. I know it.
I killed him. I know I did!
I'm sorry, Mr. Gibbons.
But I'm sure that the
coroner will confirm
that he died of
strangulation, not stabbing.
Oh, Kent, how can you eat? Why
not? Being hungry doesn't help.
Ah. No good. Phone's still out.
You'd think the state police would
stop by, if only to check on things.
Mm. My son has a
C.B. back in the office.
I don't know how to
use it, but if anyone
else does, they're more
than welcome to try.
I know how. Let me see it.
Sure thing. Back this way.
That's more like it.
Last year, took my
vacation in Hawaii, it rained.
Year before that, Athens. It
rained. This year, it rained again.
Well, next year,
try North Africa.
They have the smallest
amount of rainfall in
the world... statistically
speaking, of course.
Never had much use for camels.
This is Carey Drayson, calling from
the Kozy Korner Kitchen on Route 1.
Is anyone receiving me?
Over, please. Any luck?
Route 1 calling. Anyone
receiving me? Over, please.
Maybe it's too much to expect
in this weather. Yeah. Maybe.
Mr. Drayson, I don't
wanna appear rude, but,
for a man who carries a
gun, you're awfully careless.
What is that supposed to mean?
You left a valuable jewelry
sample case in the other room.
Anyone with sticky fingers or big pockets
could've left you holding an empty bag.
That is, if the case contained
jewelry, which I seriously doubt.
Would you mind if Sheriff
Tupper took a look inside?
Uh, don't bother, Ms. Fletcher.
I'm an investigator for the company
that insured the Danvers Trust robbery.
And you've been assigned
to follow Mr. Stoner from the
prison in the hope that he'll
lead you to the stolen money.
That's right. Looks like that'll
be a little more difficult now.
Yes, I should think so. On the
other hand, perhaps all is not lost.
If we find the killer, maybe
we'll find the money too.
Well, I'm not sure
it's that simple.
Well, Kent and I
didn't want children.
Of course, it's just as well. On
our salaries who can afford them.
You think we can?
Oh. Thanks.
Amos, obviously, whoever took Stoner's
suitcase was looking for something.
The question is,
did they find it?
More than likely, it
was Stoner's ex-partner.
Which one of these fellas is it?
Is it the mailman or the college
professor? The sea captain?
- Could even be Ralph.
- See, the part that doesn't fit is this.
If Stoner's suitcase turned up, where's
his overcoat and that book that he carried?
Yeah, there's
something odd about that.
Unless... Amos, let's go.
Go? Go where? To the bus.
But, Ms. Fletcher, it's
mighty wet out there.
[Amos Grunts] [Exhales]
Oh, I think... I think... [Sneezes]
I think I'm catching a cold.
Hmm, just what I thought. Oh,
you think I'm catching a cold too?
This isn't where Stoner
was sitting. Is that so?
Now, I was sitting right here.
Well, this was Stoner's seat.
Aha. His overcoat and the book.
"The Night the Hangman
Sang by Hamilton Pound."
First edition. Huh. Strange.
The dust jacket is in tatters, and
yet some of the pages aren't even cut.
[Thunderclap]
Oh, now what? Now
just stay calm, everybody.
Ralph, have you got
a flashlight? Yeah.
- Right here.
- Do you have any candles?
We don't need 'em. We
have a generator out back.
We'll have plenty of
light before you know it.
I'll give you a hand.
[Sighs] Funny, this reminds me
of camp when I was a little girl.
Sitting around in the
dark telling ghost stories.
Only this time the
monsters are real.
When was the last
time you used this thing?
Two, maybe three years
ago. Worked fine then.
[Gunshot]
[Gasps] That came from
the office. Mr. Drayson.
What happened? He's been shot.
It's only a flesh wound.
Drayson, who did it?
I-I don't know. Sheriff,
they smashed up the C.B.
Someone sure doesn't
want us to call out of here.
Well, whoever it
is now has the gun.
[Amos] The gun seems
to be missing, Ms. Fletcher.
Well, it must be
around here somewhere.
I think we oughta try the phones
again. The lines may be fixed by now.
All right. Ralph, you
go with him. I don't want
anybody to be left alone
right now. You understand.
You know, I think
the storm is letting up.
[Thunderclap]
Damn, that hurts. Allow me.
A sailor has to know how to
take care of himself and his mates.
Because when you're on the sea,
you're on an island unto
yourself... as they say.
That's fine work,
Captain Downing.
- Thanks.
- Are you absolutely certain you can't
identify the person who hit you?
Well, I wish I could. I
was calling on the C.B.
Someone came up from behind
me and hit me in the back of the head.
I went for my gun, it went
off. The next thing I knew,
I was on the floor, and a few
minutes later you people came in.
Why would someone want
to cut us off from outside?
Because his work isn't
finished yet. We're still alive.
Well, it may be less deadly
than that, Mrs. Radford.
I mean, after all, our attacker could
have killed Mr. Drayson if he wanted to.
Perhaps he wanted to find
something that Stoner had...
and didn't want interference
until he had located it.
Located what? I'm not sure.
Maybe something that might
lead to the missing money.
Amos,
Mr. Stoner's book
has disappeared.
First the gun, now
the book. What next?
Now wait a minute. How
could anyone steal the book...
and then run back to the office
and hit Drayson over the head?
There wasn't time. They couldn't have known
how long the lights were gonna be out.
- Maybe the killer had an accomplice.
- This is getting confusing.
And very dangerous now
that the killer has a gun.
If we could just establish where
everyone was before the lights went out.
- Well, Steve and I were right here.
- So you say.
- What is that supposed to mean?
- Listen, stop fighting.
It was dark. Who knows
where anybody was.
Well, the office phone's
still out. So's the pay phone.
We'll try again in
a half hour or so.
Well, why don't we just
try getting out of here?
Oh, no. Hey, that's too dangerous.
The road may not be open yet.
This is safe? I'd rather
take my chances on the bus.
Now, look, folks.
The bus driver is right.
I'm afraid we're all stuck
here for a few hours at least.
If we live that long.
Strange you should
say that, Mrs. Radford.
Assuming that one of the
men here is in reality the
third member of the trio
who committed the robbery.
Well, don’t you think you're jumping
to an awful big conclusion, ma'am?
Well, maybe so. But
one thing I do know...
There was someone on the
bus that Stoner was afraid of.
I could see the look
on his face when he got
on and looked at the
passengers behind me.
But let's get back
to the missing book.
You were right, Sheriff.
There wasn't time for anyone to
steal the book and then attack Drayson.
- Well, then, where would they take it?
- Well, forgive me,
and this is hypothetical.
But it could have been
slipped into a large knitting bag.
And who better to know the
value of a book than a librarian?
- That's outrageous.
- And insulting as well, Mrs. Fletcher.
Why don't we take a look?
No, no, no. Absolutely not.
Oh, now, for heaven's sake,
Miriam. If she wants to make
a fool of herself, why
don't you just let her do it?
Here, Mrs. Fletcher,
here's some... Kent.
Well, I'll be damned.
Miriam, you took the book. Why?
Because a dead man
doesn't need the money you
can get for a rare
first edition and we do.
- But that's just an old detective novel.
- Oh, I'm afraid not, Mr. Radford.
You recognize it then? Yes.
This is the only
detective novel this author
ever wrote. There are
very few copies in print.
- How much is it worth?
- Nearly $2,000.
It would be worth
even more, but the
jacket's torn and the
binding's been damaged.
It was published around the
time that Stoner was arrested.
He had it all the time. But as the pages
weren't even cut, he didn't buy it to read.
[Chuckles]
A safe deposit key.
Is that what you were
looking for, Captain Downing?
Or should I say, Mr. Downing,
or whatever your name is.
I think you can drop the
pretense of being a sailor.
A real sailor would've
tied a square knot.
Not a granny, as you did.
- [Amos] My overcoat!
- I figured you wouldn't look in
your own pocket. Now stand still!
Don't anybody
do anything stupid.
Mrs. Fletcher, I'll
take that key now.
[Gunshot] [Glass Shatters]
- That makes the whole trip worthwhile.
- Well, I'll say it again.
- Thank goodness that's over with.
- [Grunts]
You're not gonna pin Stoner's
murder on me. I didn't kill him.
You can tell that to the local
authorities when the storm clears.
I'm telling you, Sheriff. He was
already dead when I got on the bus.
Yeah, I went through his
pockets. I-I got his suitcase.
But I'm telling you...
he was already dead.
You're the one that
knocked me out then?
Well, I had to. I was
buying some time. I knew
that Stoner had hidden
the money somewhere,
and I wanted to find out where before
we had any more cops nosing around.
So you were Stoner's
other partner? Yeah. The...
The weasel double-crossed me. He
split with the money. and he hid it away.
So Mrs. Fletcher was right. It was you
he was afraid of when he got on the bus.
You he recognized in spite of that
stupid getup. I'm not stupid, sonny.
You think I'm gonna pull
something on the bus when
all the cops have to do is
check to see who I was?
I mean, it wouldn't take 'em long to
put it all together. Not with my motive.
That's why it's so
dumb to think I killed him
when I'm stuck here...
like a rat in a cage.
Like I said, the local authorities
will take charge of this when it clears.
Amos, I am... I am so sorry.
I've been so stupid. You know,
this gentleman is telling the truth.
- What?
- Not only that,
but you were right all along.
- Forgive me for not seeing it.
- I'm sorry, ma'am. I don't understand.
It's true. Isn't
it, Mr. Gibbons?
You did kill
Mr. Stoner, didn't you?
Well, ma'am, I stabbed him in the
neck. Like you said. I told you that.
But what you didn't tell us is
that you also strangled him earlier.
You actually killed him twice.
Well, now, ma'am,
I'm sorry, but...
No, Mr. Gibbons. I'm sorry because I
don't really think you meant to kill him.
But you did, and I
think it can be proved.
You sure about that?
When the sheriff and I
first discovered the body,
I noticed there were small flecks of
grease on Mr. Stoner's collar and lapels.
I filed that away and
then dismissed it when
you confessed to the
screwdriver's stabbing.
If the stabbing
occurred as you said,
you never would've put your hands
on the front of his shirt or jacket.
You stabbed him from behind.
I didn't start out to
kill him. I really didn't.
I just wanted him to know
how much hurt he had caused.
Everybody had got off the bus
except Stoner and the young guy.
I was working around the engine, just
stalling, waiting for Stoner to be alone.
He was mean, cold-mean.
He said he didn't give a
damn about some dumb
kid that just happened
to get in the way.
He had done his time and there
was nothing anybody could do.
"Dumb kid." The sweetest
little girl you ever saw in your life.
Well, all of a sudden,
I just went crazy.
I couldn't think about
anything but killing him.
When I got off the bus,
I was shaking so hard, I
thought I was going to pass out.
I realized what I'd done.
I had killed a man. I was
no better than he had been.
Just then, I saw the captain come
out of the diner and get on the bus.
I thought I was a goner.
But when I looked in the window, the
captain was going through Stoner's pockets.
Then he grabbed the
suitcase and took off.
I just... I just stood
there for a few minutes...
trying to figure out what to do.
That's when I knew...
I had to stab him in the
neck with the screwdriver.
But why?
Guess you know
the answer to that.
You knew the coroner
would figure out that Stoner
died of strangulation
and not a stab wound.
By confessing to killing
Stoner with a screwdriver,
no one would figure you
were the original killer.
As Mr. Downing said
a few moments ago,
the police would check
backgrounds, prior relationships.
Downing thought he'd be a
key, perhaps the only suspect.
You thought the only way to escape arrest
for Mr. Stoner's murder was to confess it.
Poor fella. I feel
kind of sorry for him.
I do too, Mr. Leffingwell.
But I do think that a
good lawyer can probably
make a good case
for temporary insanity,
and in this case,
it may be justified.
You're not joining us on
the bus? Oh, no. Sheriff
Tupper and I are going
back to Cabot Cove.
In that case, it's been a
great pleasure. dear lady.
The pleasure was
mine, Mr. Leffingwell.
Amos, what's wrong? Well, they sure
missed you at the banquet, Ms. Fletcher.
When you didn't show, Sheriff Bingley
ad-libbed a speech for almost an hour.
[Short Chuckle] Bingley loves to
hear the sound of his own voice.
[Chuckles] Oh, dear. Yeah,
but that's not the worst of it.
After his speech they had a
drawing for the big TV set?
I knew we should've been
there. Oh, Amos, I'm so sorry.
But as nice as that TV set might've
been, I'm sure you can live without it.
But it wasn't my name
they drew, Ms. Fletcher.
- It was yours.
- What?