Murder, She Wrote (1984–1996): Season 10, Episode 11 - Northern Explosion - full transcript

Jessica flies to Indian territory in British Columbia (Canada) and gets stuck because of plane trouble in Dominion, a town near Hobart Creek, where the Aurora Hills Mining Company is denied passage by armed natives, despite a contract signed by the territorial government, till old Joe Quill convinces them to wait a few days for legal action, which comes in the person of Jessica's locally born co-passenger Peter Henderson, a cynical realist, who warns Joe's grandson, nature-drawing artist George Quill, to stop using arms. Mine executive Rick Shipley and another miner rough up George till they notice Jessica approaching; he tells her to forget about it as the police never believes an Indian; meanwhile Henderson goes out with police Sgt. Hilda Dupont. Shipley warns Joey to call off George before it gets really dangerous, but is blackmailed himself by retired RCMP cop Hamish McPherson, also flown in with Jessica, who recognized him as escaped Mountie-killing bank robber Nicholas Jensen Davis; he is killed by dynamite, according to Shipley the sticks stolen from the mine by George, under the bridge where he would have been paid and drove to in the mining company truck Shipley lend him. George is arrested, but Jessica doesn't believe Shipley was the target, even after the stolen dynamite case with three sticks missing is found hidden in George's home. Next Shipley is found dead by bullet, apparently suicide, but only two hours after he booked a flight. Jessica comes up with a surprising theory and proves it.

Tonight on Murder, She Wrote.

Are you all willing to get
hurt, I mean really hurt.

I'm fine.

Was it those men from
the mining company?

Indian lawyer goes
home to save his people.

Or make one aware
he has no home.

It might need your passion.

The money was never recovered,
nearly half a million dollars.

So you're after the reward.

The man was murdered by mistake.

I didn't kill anybody!



He packs a suitcase in a hurry,

as if he were running away from someone
or something and then he kills himself?

Hey!

Hold it!

Damn them!

I never did get the
hang of those things.

Well, it does take a
bit of a commitment.

Excuse me, I have
to get back to work.

Oh, sure. Sorry.

I mean, I sort of packed it in
before they took over the world.

I mean, not that I
couldn't have figured it out.

Better hang on, folks.

Looks like we're getting bounced
around all the way to Dominion.

I hear they're about to blow up.



Sorry?

Dominion.
Trouble-makers. Indians.

Are you familiar with the territorial
claims of the Hobart Creek Band,

and how they've been swindled?

Depends on who you talk to.

Or where your prejudices lie.

Perhaps you should try reading
what's underneath the headlines.

My pleasure.

They're here.

You're not going through.

Fellas, I don't
have time for this.

You're costing Aurora
Hills serious money.

So what's it gonna
be Mr. Shipley?

You gonna break some more legs?

You've got my promise. The
next one's gonna be your last.

Look, if you're, thinking about using
that dynamite you stole to stop us,

I'd reconsider very carefully.

See, this is a legal
contract between

Aurora Hills and the
territorial government,

so as of now, you
are all trespassing.

So you tell me.

Are you gonna get out of our way,
or we gonna have to move you?

Why don't you try it?

Let me ask you something.

Are you all prepared to
get hurt, I mean really hurt

just because
George Quill says so?

Fair enough. It's
your decision, guys.

Let's do it.

Joe, what are you doing here?

You shut up.

Let me talk to 'em.

We could take the lot of 'em out
now, and save ourselves a lot of trouble.

Wade, this is not Vietnam. We're
starting a mine here, not a war.

Look, we've got people
working on this in Toronto,

and they're sending a lawyer.

Give it few more
days. That's all I ask.

Oh, come on, guys.

You're looking at what the wisdom
of the council has done for us.

Forget Toronto.

It was their grandfathers who took
this away from us in the first place.

That's right.

You really think that their
courts and their judges

are going to suddenly
start giving it back?

You'll end up in jail, or dead,

without winning anything.

You, Billy, haven't you
learned your lesson?

I mean, what about Dave Walton?

Are you willing to
make Maggie a widow?

No.

Anyone else?

Okay. Move your
trucks and go on home.

You're wrong, Grandpa.

Sorry I took so long, Joe. I was
halfway to Pine Falls when you called.

With you here, I should have
known I didn't have to worry.

Anyway, I'll be glad when
that lawyer of yours gets here.

Maybe. Maybe not.

Look, I'm sorry for the
inconvenience, Mrs. Fletcher,

but that old plane's oil pressure gauge
was telling me I had a little problem.

But, don't worry, just
a valve cover gasket.

I'll get it fixed tomorrow, so why don't
you grab yourself a good night's rest,

and I'll get you out
of here first thing.

All right, folks, here we go.

Mr. Berkeley, do you happen to
know if there's any ground transportation

between here and Dawson Forks?

I believe I can answer that.

Unless things have changed,
there's a twice-a-week bus.

Right. And the next
one isn't till Monday.

Look, Mrs. Fletcher, I'm going
to get you to Dawson Forks

in plenty of time for your
connection, I guarantee it.

Yo, Buzz.

Got anything in there for us?

Yeah. Why don't you go ahead?

One parcel. That'll
really pay the rent, huh?

You want a little piece
of advice, Berkeley?

Not especially, no.

Yeah, well, how about
I give it to you anyway?

Your bad attitude
ain't helping matters.

Thanks.

Six years, I'm handling
all their business, freight,

personnel, the whole shot.

This bozo moves in, gives 99% of
it to my competitor in Hudsonville.

All I get are crumbs.

No, don't give it to Silliman.
Delay the deposition.

I'll be back in two days, tops.

Any other messages?

Don't miss Pine Falls
while you're here.

It's smaller than Niagara,
but you stay dryer.

It's a shame you had
to come here now,

with the Indians
making so much trouble.

You take good care of Mrs. Fletcher
for me, Marie. Put it on my tab.

7:00 too early for you?

Oh, I'll be ready. And
thank you, Mr. Berkeley.

No problem. Oh, and, Marie,

how about we fly down to Edmonton
for a movie Sunday night, huh?

Forget it, Buzz.

Come on. Can't
blame a guy for trying.

I don't recommend Dominion
if you're looking for a husband.

Oh, Mr. McPherson, you
are just up these stairs.

It's the second
door on your left.

Listen, since you're
stuck for the night,

why don't you let me
buy you a bite of dinner?

Oh, well, that's very kind of
you, Mr. McPherson, but I think...

No excuses, now. I'm not
accustomed to taking no for an answer.

Mr. McPherson, Mrs. Fletcher
already has an engagement

for dinner this
evening, with me.

Yes, I do.

Oh. Just trying to
be friendly, is all.

May I put you under contract?

Well, maybe you'll let
me take you to dinner.

Seven days?

No blasting, no
bulldozing, no grading.

You move a pebble at Hobart
Creek anytime in the next seven days,

and you're in violation.

Did your clients tell you
about stealing our dynamite?

No. Do you have
any hard evidence?

Oh, come on. It's obvious.

Obvious doesn't cut it in
a court of law, Mr. Shipley.

And if I hear you've been
making public allegations about it,

you're going to get hit
with a lawsuit for slander.

Head office said
you were pretty smart.

Hey...

I don't know how familiar you are with
the local economy around here anymore,

but ever since the lumber mill closed,
we're about the only game for 40 miles.

So?

So you'd be doing your clients a real
big favor if you let us move forward.

See, they can't get
it through their heads

that it'd mean a lot of
paychecks for everybody.

Now, you put us out of business, and
they'll be screaming about unemployment.

I mean, even you had to leave
here to get a decent job, right?

Maybe you ought to ask
yourself if you're really

helping your people,
Mr. Henderson.

Maybe you already did.

Afternoon, Mrs. Fletcher.

Oh, good afternoon.
I'm looking for...

Film. It's right over there.

Marie. Marie called, said
she was sending you over.

It's quite an honor, ma'am.

Well, thank you, Mr...

Quill. Like in feather.

Mr. Quill.

Say, that's very good.

Excuse me. I didn't
mean to interrupt you.

What kind of a hawk is that?

It's a Northern Goshawk. Don't see
many of them around here anymore.

They don't much like blasting.

The film's on the
other side of the books.

Grandpa had me
put yours at the front.

He's read them all twice.

Joe, for God sakes. Shipley told
me about the dustup at the creek.

You said you could
keep a lid on it.

What do you want?

I stopped it before
anyone got hurt, didn't I?

I told you, it's how it looks.

I've been arguing that
Aurora Hills is the aggressor.

Billy Nahanee sure
can testify to that.

Anyway, welcome back.

Oh, congratulations on
the injunction, too. Yeah.

I bet Shipley's about to throw
a piston. Can I buy you a beer?

Can you call a council meeting
for first thing in the morning?

No problem.

I said we should have got
you into this months ago.

Well, a week doesn't
give us any time to relax.

We got to get
moving on this petition.

We're penciled in for Tuesday
on the treaty commission docket.

Penciled in?

They carve it in stone, the
commission's still gonna vote their way.

George?

Right. Last time you
saw me, I was in diapers.

Listen, why didn't you just
tell the council the truth?

We've got about as much chance
of the system going in our favor

as there is of growing
palm trees in Dominion.

Or are you just hard up for bucks
to keep your BMW in gas and oil?

It's a Jaguar.

And that isn't all
you're mistaken about.

They're settling claims all over British
Columbia in favor of First Nations.

But if you keep
threatening to shoot people,

you're going to screw it up, and
none of you will ever get your land back.

And if we lay down for 'em, they'll blast
an open pit right through Lower Creek.

The tailings will kill everything in
the river as far as Dawson Forks,

and there won't be a hawk or a wolf or
a bear left between here and Vancouver.

Go back to Toronto, lawyer.

If you don't keep him in
line, I'm out of here tomorrow.

Just as long as he does it
right. You'll check on it, huh?

Yeah, I'll check on
it today or tomorrow.

Hey, we were just
talking about you.

About how you're getting to be a
bigger pain in the butt by the minute.

Mr. Shipley's talking to you.

I've got nothing to
say to either of you.

Isn't that something?

Up on the creek this morning, I
though he never would stop yakking.

What is it? You need that bunch
of losers to give you courage?

Is that what it is?

I'm not afraid of you, Bigfoot.

Come on, you punk, get up!

George?

Are you all right?

I'm fine.

We should get you to the
doctor and call the police.

My word against theirs?
Thanks, Mrs. Fletcher.

The smartest thing you
can do is forget about it.

Peter?

Hilda.

Oh, my God, I don't believe it.

I'm sorry I startled you. I
guess my vision was clouded.

You don't see too many
$1,500 suits around here.

Or faces from the past.

Except for the uniform,
you haven't changed.

You have. Especially
your uniform.

You look gorgeous.

The worst part was having
my mother say, "I told you so."

You know it wasn't you.

I was running away from
turning out like my dad,

from being an outsider,
from limited expectations.

So you just went out
and reinvented yourself.

Yeah, well, that
sort of describes it.

And I suppose one of your reinventing
yourself rules was don't call or write.

Hilda, the place I
was in back then...

Hey, hey.

We agreed no apologies,
no recriminations.

Anyway, it seems to have worked.

And it can't have been easy,
you getting through law school

with all of that baggage
you were dragging.

I was motivated.

So, you got
everything you wanted?

The fancy car, house on
the lake, wife and 2.4 kids.

The car and the condo. I've been
too busy to deal with the rest of it.

Well, this business
with the mining company

and the First Nation's
claim on Hobart Creek,

that could take
more than motivation.

It might need your passion.

Well, I think I still
might be capable of that.

How about a little slack
on that creek thing, Joe?

What do you think I was
doing out there this morning?

You're both lucky
nobody got hurt.

That's not what
I'm talking about.

That hotshot lawyer you brought
in, he's just making things worse.

Now the home office
has got its back up.

Sounds to me like
he's doing his job.

Okay, Joe. Look,
let me ask you this.

Have you ever thought about
what would happen to this place

if Aurora Hills pulled
out of here altogether?

We are just trying to
be good neighbors here.

You just don't get it, do you?

It's not about jobs, or money.

It's about our land.

We don't want you people coming
out here, destroying the wildlife,

polluting the water, the land.

It stops now, here,
at Hobart Creek.

Give me a break, Joe.

You're telling me you're
not gonna use that land?

Maybe. But on our terms.

And incidentally, beating up on my
grandson isn't going to help the situation.

Yeah? Well, he started it.

Or didn't he tell you that part?

He didn't tell me
anything. He didn't have to.

Now, get out of my store!

Okay, you listen to me, old
man. Let me tell you something.

See, next week that
lawyer's gonna be back

in his Toronto high-rise
doing his big city number,

but you and me and your
grandson, we're still gonna be here.

You underestimated Peter
Henderson once already.

Yeah, but that legal tap-dancing
doesn't travel too well.

Not here.

See, I can only be
pushed so far, Joe.

Now, you want to be a
responsible grandfather,

you tell George just how
dangerous it can get out here.

Shipley,

you can't teach the wolf
how to live in the forest.

No, you listen.

What it comes out to
is that Henderson has

made fools out of all
our big-shot lawyers.

You ready to blast?

Hey, pal, I am ready to blast just
as soon as you untie my hands.

I'll see what I can do. Right.

I'll be in touch. Later.

Bye.

This First Nations nonsense.

I don't envy you.

Yeah, it doesn't
want to go away.

Now, what were you saying?

You were talking about a
bank robbery, Mr. McPherson?

That's correct.

Eleven years ago, First
Atlantic Bank, it was, in Ottawa.

Maybe you heard of it. Bank's
still offering a $25,000 reward.

No, I don't think
I recall it. No.

Well, a police
officer was killed,

and the money was
never recovered.

Nearly half a million dollars.

The police believe a Nicholas
Jensen Davis was the perpetrator.

Of course, he's undoubtedly
changed his name.

I... I have reason to suspect

that he's somewhere in
this part of British Columbia.

Are you a police officer?

Retired. I was in charge
of the investigation,

and as you can imagine, it's been an
on-going source of frustration to me.

I mean, this thing going unsolved for all
these years, and a police officer killed,

and all that, it was a...

Yeah, Helen, that's my wife,

she says it's an obsession,

but I prefer to think
of it as tenacity.

So you're after the reward.

Not exactly, Mr. Shipley.

You see, it's my guess that this
Davis fella still has most of the money.

A lot of it was in large
denominations and easily traceable.

And I've got a hunch that
he'd be willing to pay a lot more

than the reward to
keep his identity secret.

But all of this is, uh...
It's just a theory, right?

Uh-uh. It was, until
I saw a photograph

in the Ottawa Gazette last week.

It was a bunch of
Hobart Creek Indians

facing down a representative of
the Aurora Hills Mining Company.

A Richard Shipley.

The photo's kind of fuzzy, but I... I
thought it might be worth a trip up here.

And?

And now I'm convinced

that it will be worth a lot
more than the airplane ticket.

$100,000 more.

That's interesting.

And just what assurances
would this Davis fella have

that this'd be the end of it?

My word. And my reputation.

Twenty-five years on the force, and I never
so much as accepted a free cup of coffee.

My needs are real
simple, Mr. Shipley,

a small cushion for
my missus and myself.

But I don't think
Mr. Davis has much choice.

Say 8:00?

Okay, but not here, at my house.

A cabin on the logging road,
about three miles north of town.

My name's on the
mailbox. About 10:00.

Oh. Well,

I'll need some form of
transportation, I guess.

Here, take my
truck. It's out front.

Well, that's very
generous of you.

10:00, then.

Oh...

Mr. Shipley, should
anything happen to me

I have left an account
of all this with my missus.

And in case of her
having any sort of accident,

I've seen to it that this
information will turn up

in the hands of the Royal
Canadian Mounted Police.

Jessica, I'm sorry I'm late.

Oh, you're forgiven.

Any resolution to your
transportation problems?

Well, our pilot tells me that the plane
may not be repaired by tomorrow morning.

And that wedding in Vancouver?

4:00 p.m. Even if we got off at dawn, as
he promised, it's still going to be tight.

Oh, I'm sorry that took so long.

We haven't been this
busy since the blizzard.

And what with cooking, and turning
down beds, and waiting tables...

That's all right.

I'll send Rita over
to take your order.

Thank you.

Well, how's George?

Nobody can find him.

The best thing he could do is stay
out of sight till I get this thing settled.

You're probably wondering
why I took this case.

Well, the question
had crossed my mind.

And it's fairly obvious
that it crossed yours, too.

Trickery and deceit.

Joe Quill did a guilt
number on my firm.

Talked them into handling the
case for way less than our usual fees.

And then he told
them I'd put him up to it.

As the token First
Nations partner,

they were only too
glad to dump it on me.

I can see where it might
have a certain PR value.

Indian lawyer goes
home to save his people.

You may be in the
wrong profession.

Anyway, I got half a
dozen big cases pending,

and all I want to do is get this
over with and get out of here.

Coming home can
sometimes open old wounds.

Or make one aware
he has no home.

Truth is, I've never
felt completely

comfortable in the
world I chose to live in.

And now you're reminded that you
don't quite belong in this one, either.

That says it pretty well.

My mom died when I was
five. Dad was an alcoholic.

He was never around much.

Joe Quill more
or less raised me.

Well, no wonder he
wanted to see you again.

I suspect that with feelings as
mixed as my own, I was a handful.

Dad died when I was 17.

I left the next day
and never looked back.

Do I detect just
a touch of regret?

Just.

Okay, guys, be
careful where you step.

We'll get a better take
on this in the morning,

but I want an exact
location on everything,

even if it's a gun wrapper.

Mr. Shipley, I need to
double-check a couple of things.

Look, Sergeant, I already
told you everything I could.

And I appreciate
it, Mr. Shipley.

But when Mr. McPherson phoned,

did he mention the name of
the company he represented?

Yeah, Federated Equipment.

They're a well-known
manufacturer of mining machinery.

I told him that I didn't
have any free time today.

He said he had to leave
first thing in the morning.

So you agreed to
meet him here tonight,

and you loaned him
the keys to your truck?

It was in town, parked
in front of the office.

I told him I'd leave the
keys under the seat.

I had to run out to Hobart Creek to
make sure the equipment was secure.

And you got here right
after the explosion?

Yeah. About a
quarter after 10:00.

I saw the explosion
from the logging road.

You know, I have
to tell you, Sergeant,

this explosion was meant for me, and I
would bet the ranch it was George Quill.

Your stolen dynamite.

Sure makes sense, doesn't it?

Noon? BUZZ ON PHONE: Yes, ma'am.

And what's the
latest it might be?

Tomorrow.

Oh, dear. Mr. Berkeley, are you sure
there isn't any alternate transportation?

Well, just that bus
that leaves on Monday.

I was afraid of that.

I'm sorry. All right.

Well, in case you get it fixed in the next
45 minutes, I will be in the restaurant.

Okay, you got it, Mrs. Fletcher.

Thank you. Bye-bye.

So, what is it that
you were looking for?

I'm not sure.

Who he was. Why he was killed.

Well, Sergeant
Dupont, it looks as if

I'm going to have plenty of
time to answer your questions.

Oh! It's a shame
about the plane.

Thanks, Marie.

Maybe my luck will improve
and he'll fix the plane in time.

Okay, let's see...

Mr. McPherson didn't happen to tell
you why he came to Dominion, did he?

No, no, he didn't.

He might have mentioned
it to Peter Henderson.

We all flew together...

I know about Mr. Henderson.

Well, I was starting to say
that as we were checking in,

I did happen to notice the contents
of Mr. McPherson's attaché case.

I don't see it here,

but I saw what appeared to be an
Ottawa Police Department file folder.

Interesting.

We haven't found
an attaché case,

but his wallet ID indicated that
he was a retired police officer.

And so I can't emphasize
this too strongly,

the next two weeks are critical.

Getting past the treaty
commission is only part of it.

After that, I'll be
making my moves,

and Aurora Hills attorneys
will be making theirs,

and if you're making waves back here,
we won't stand a chance in the courts.

So please, for the sake of our goals
and our land, just hang tight. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you.

Listen, I sure hope
you can bring this off.

I know I made the
right choice, Peter.

So did you.

But there was something else.

Something you didn't
say in your speech.

Yeah. I hope the
hell none of your...

Of our people had anything to do with
this McPherson fella's death last night.

Peter? Joe? Where's George?

I have some
questions to ask him.

Yes, the trees are down, and I'll
have it cleared by the weekend,

so you can start on the
foundation on Monday, right?

As long as everything's clear.

Okay, thanks. Bye.

I'm sorry. A new house. I swear,
the pyramids were built faster.

Have you, by any chance,
heard from Mr. Berkeley?

No, I haven't. It's...

Oh, there you
are, Mrs. Fletcher.

Buzz, Hilda was looking for you.

She wants to see what
you know about McPherson.

Nothing. Just tell her
I left already, okay?

It's fixed?

Gassed and ready to go.
Now, we get moving now...

Empress Victoria.

We'll make your connection at
Dawson Forks with time to spare.

That's wonderful. I'll just
go upstairs and get my bags.

Mrs. Fletcher, Sergeant Dupont wants you
to get over to the RCMP station right away.

It was nothing.

I told you to keep
your mouth shut.

And I told you I didn't
ask you to come here.

I'm sorry to be delaying
you like this, Mrs. Fletcher,

but between the two of them,
I don't... Blame me, Jessica.

I just didn't want to see George
talk himself into any more trouble.

I understand, Peter.

Look, it was just about over
by the time I got there, Sergeant,

so I really don't know who started it,
but Mr. Shipley and the other man...

Brian Wade, from your description
and Rick Shipley's statement.

Well, they appeared to have
beaten George quite badly.

That doesn't contradict what Shipley
and Brian Wade told me, either.

They both stated that
George struck the first blow.

Really?

They're lying.

George isn't exactly famous
around here for his caution.

Either way, it just gives him one
more reason for wanting to kill Shipley.

And since you can't account
for your whereabouts last night

or the night the dynamite was
stolen from Aurora Hills Mining...

Peter, if you can't guarantee
he's not gonna take off on us,

I'm gonna have to hold him.

I'll call the firm and have
them send out a criminal lawyer.

I don't need a lawyer, damn it!

I didn't kill anybody!

Anyway, thanks for taking
the time, Mrs. Fletcher.

I'll be glad to give you a
lift over to the landing strip.

Sergeant Dupont, you mentioned

that the company that
Mr. McPherson supposedly worked for

had never heard of him?

Federated Equipment.

Have you recovered
his attaché case?

No. Why?

Several things just
don't track for me.

I mean, first, why would
he have lied to Mr. Shipley?

Mrs. Fletcher, are you suggesting that
Mr. McPherson wasn't murdered by mistake?

That he was the intended victim?

I'm suggesting that you know
very little about Mr. McPherson

if you're going to charge
George with his murder.

Apparently Mr. McPherson retired from
the Ottawa police force seven years ago,

with an impeccable record.

Which doesn't tell us much.

Except it makes me even more curious about
why you haven't found his attaché case.

I'm sure George will
eventually clear all that up for us.

You know, that police folder...

I wonder if Mr. McPherson
was here on official business.

Why, if he was no
longer on the force?

Look, it's all academic, anyway.

The man was murdered
by mistake, by George Quill,

whose intended
victim was Rick Shipley.

Now, come on.

We better be getting
you to your plane.

Unless...

Sergeant, would it take
you too far out of your way

to stop by the murder
site for just a few minutes?

You said two eyewitnesses
place Shipley on the logging road,

just before they
heard the explosion?

Yes. Neither of whom
even like the man.

Well, there's no
evidence of a trip wire,

so even if the charge could
have been detonated with a timer,

Mr. Shipley would have no way of
knowing when the victim would arrive.

Exactly.

The killer had to have watched
Mr. McPherson get out of the truck

and cross the foot bridge,
from right about here...

With this wire, strung over to an
explosive charge fastened to the bridge.

And the detonating device?

We're assuming a
plunger or a battery.

So far, we haven't found
a trace of either one.

Yeah, well, you won't find any
footprints, either. Ground's too hard.

Better be careful, city boy.
Your roots are showing.

Here's a piece of yellow paint.

Could be enamel of some sort.

I'll send it to
Edmonton for analysis.

Jessica, if you're going to get to
Vancouver in time for that wedding...

Thanks, Hilda. You're right.

Peter, I hope
everything turns out.

For you, and the Hobart
Creek Band and George.

I appreciate that, Jessica.

I wish I could say I was
certain that he didn't do it.

And believe me, so do I.

My God, I've known
George since he was...

Unit Three calling Unit One.

Unit Three calling...

Unit One here. What
have you got, Des?

Your killer, Sergeant.

The case of dynamite that was
stolen from Aurora Hills Mining,

they just found it, buried under
the floor of George Quill's cabin.

There are exactly three
sticks of dynamite missing.

Okay, then there must have been
three sticks missing when I took it.

I never looked inside.
And I did not kill anybody.

Then why did you
steal the dynamite?

I hoped it would keep them from
blowing up the creek for a few more days.

From killing all those animals,

and frightening all the others,
and destroying their homes.

George, didn't you realize that the
mining company had additional explosives?

It was the only
case in the office.

I figured I got it all.

We'll know if George
is telling the truth

as soon as Shipley
returns my call.

All right, I'll try
Shipley again.

Yeah. Brian Wade here.

Is Mr. Shipley in?

No, I haven't seen him.

Maybe you can help me.

Do you keep an exact
inventory of your dynamite stock?

Usually, yeah.

The thing is, since the
trouble with the Indians started,

we haven't been running a
real tight ship around here.

So we don't have an exact record of how
much of that dynamite we've used lately.

Thanks, Brian.

Tell Rick to call me
anyway when you see him.

Sergeant, I don't think he's
going to be calling anybody.

Have you seen this
before, Mr. Wade?

Yeah, he kept it in his desk.

Would you say he's
been depressed lately?

Not that I can tell, no.

You didn't like
him much, did you?

That's not what he paid me for.

Aurora Hills Mining.
Sergeant Dupont speaking.

Hey, Hilda, can Shipley
come to the phone?

No, he can't come to the phone.

Well, two hours ago
he just booked a seat.

Really? Yeah, to Dawson Forks.

Well, I don't think
he's going to make it.

He won't make the flight?

Right. Great.

Well, that's interesting.

Two hours ago, Rick
Shipley books a seat

on Buzz Berkeley's
flight to Dawson Forks.

He packs a suitcase in a hurry,

as if he was running away from someone
or something, and then he kills himself?

Hilda, I think we should put
in a call to the Ottawa Police.

You're reading my mind.

Joe, look on the bright side.

At least we know George
couldn't have killed Rick Shipley,

and so does Hilda.

But all that... What
do you call it...

Circumstantial evidence. They could
convict him on that, couldn't they?

Well, yes, they
could, Mr. Quill, but...

Peter, Jessica. That
stuff came in from Ottawa.

First off, Ottawa PD
says McPherson worked

on a bank robbery investigation
11 years ago that was never solved.

The First Atlantic Bank.

And there's still a
reward being offered

for the apprehension of a man
named Nicholas Jensen Davis.

Which could be why McPherson
was here, looking for Davis.

I took your suggestion, Jessica,
and phoned McPherson's widow.

She confirms that this case has
been a preoccupation of his for years.

But why would he
lie to Rick Shipley?

Why not just admit
he was after a fugitive?

Well, suppose
he didn't lie, Peter.

Suppose Rick
Shipley lied to Hilda.

Of course, he was the fugitive, and
McPherson wasn't after the reward money.

It was blackmail.

I wish I had your
intuition, Jessica.

Nicholas Jensen
Davis' mug shots.

Rick Shipley, 11 years ago.

That's why he
wanted to leave town.

I had the Ottawa Star forward
their stories on the robbery,

but they're not much help.

Maybe Shipley had McPherson
killed by someone else.

You know, like a hired assassin.

I don't know, Joe. Damn
thing's got me totally stumped.

Anyway, I'm afraid
George is still...

"Stumped." I think that's it.

That's what?

Hilda, those red and
yellow batteries over there,

are they the kind that could have been
used to set off that dynamite charge?

Absolutely. But...

Have you sent off the yellow
chip of paint to Edmonton yet?

No.

Good, because I don't
think it will be necessary.

I don't believe that Rick
Shipley committed suicide.

I think both he and Hamish McPherson
were victims of the same killer.

Mrs. Fletcher, we still have
time, if you want to get out of here.

Well, my plans
have changed, Buzz.

I don't think we'll
be flying out today.

Okay. Whatever.

All I can say is, you picked a rare
time to visit Dominion, Mrs. Fletcher.

The whole 10 years I've been here,
there hasn't been this much going on.

Well, it's certainly been a lot more
dramatic than I expected it to be.

It really is a shame, you're
missing that wedding, and all.

Well, it turns out that the bride and
groom aren't leaving on their honeymoon

till tomorrow afternoon, so I'll be
there in time to wish them bon voyage.

Speaking of weddings, that
photo that I saw on the counter

when I checked in,
what happened to it?

Oh, it fell. The glass broke.

I haven't had a chance
to get it fixed yet.

I don't think
that's true, Marie.

What do you mean?

I think that you've
simply hidden it.

Why would I do that?

So that nobody around
here would recognize

that your late husband
was the police officer

who was killed in that Ottawa
bank robbery 11 years ago,

and possibly make the connection
that you might have murdered

both Hamish McPherson
and Rick Shipley.

You must have loved him very
much to kill two people on his behalf.

You're joking with me, right?

Why would I want to
kill either one of them?

Mr. McPherson, I... I never
even met him until yesterday.

You didn't intend to murder him,

you thought you were killing
Shipley, who murdered your husband.

Constable Frank Naismith.

All right, Frank was my husband.

We were married
less than two years.

But I didn't kill anyone.

Yes, you did, Marie.

And this will prove it.

A tell-tale paint chip that
will correspond to the one

that's missing from the battery
you've been using to blast

the tree stumps
on your property.

The same battery you used last
night to detonate the dynamite.

Your dynamite, that
killed Hamish McPherson.

God!

I have been face to face
with Shipley every day.

Every day since he got
here, what, four or five years?

That man destroyed my
life, and I never even knew.

How did you know I'd been
dynamiting tree stumps?

This morning, when I
stopped here at the desk,

you were talking on the phone...

Yes, the trees are down, and I'll
have it cleared by the weekend,

so you can start on the
foundation on Monday, right?

It didn't register
with me at the time,

any more than the fact that
the photograph of you and Frank,

which was on this desk when I checked
in yesterday, was missing this morning.

The bridge was a mistake.

I didn't mean to kill McPherson.

No. But when Shipley got home
and discovered McPherson's body,

he realized he
was the real target.

Sure. He thought George
was trying to kill him,

and he thought he'd done him a
favor by getting rid of McPherson.

I have a feeling it was one of those "good
news, bad news" situations for Shipley.

I'm sure that Mr. McPherson was
smart enough to have warned Shipley

that he had himself covered,

that if anything were to
happen to McPherson,

Shipley's secret
wasn't safe anymore.

That's why Shipley was
hurrying to leave town.

You took McPherson's
attaché case.

Don't you see?

If you find the file, you get
Shipley, you can arrest him.

Well, I didn't want that. That man killed
my husband. I wanted him for myself.

Yes, you did, and
you went after him.

This time, successfully.

Using Shipley's own
gun, you shot him

and then you put the weapon in
his hand, making it look like suicide.

Eleven years is a long time.

Every minute of it, thinking what
my life would be like with Frank.

He was a good man.

He was just doing his job.

He didn't deserve to die.

Okay, well, we're off
at last, Mrs. Fletcher.

Yeah.

Jessica, my office just called.

The Northern Goshawks that
George saw on Lower Creek...

Uh-huh.

They're on the
endangered species red list.

There'll be an extended
moratorium on any mining in the area.

They say it could be years.

Long enough for our
claim to be recognized.

Oh, George, that's wonderful.

Thanks, Mrs.
Fletcher, for everything.

That goes for me, too.

Now, I'm hoping to persuade Hilda
to let George off on that dynamite theft

in return for community service.

You think you can pull that
off from a high-rise in Toronto?

Actually, I was thinking it might be
better if I stayed on here for a while.

For my client, of course.

Of course.

Plus, there is some old
business I need to wrap up.

Really? Well, just keep
in mind, this is my home.

Hey, it's mine, too.

Well, one of them, anyway.