Murder, She Wrote (1984–1996): Season 10, Episode 12 - Proof in the Pudding - full transcript

Tonight on Murder, She Wrote.

When my very special guest
will be mystery writer J.B. Fletcher.

I hear you've been having some
more trouble down at your restaurant.

Nothing I can't handle.

I just wanted to
thank you, mi vida.

I haven't done anything.

You know what they say about
a woman scorned, Bernardo.

Your bluntness has
a certain naive charm.

People have been
murdered for less.

Bernardo, we have no cash left.

This time you gotta
call in the police.



I've been guilty of great
foolishness in my life.

Not all criminals are
known for their genius.

Just keep your
eyes and ears shut.

How bad is it?

It's beyond bad, Uncle Bernardo.

Damn it, this time you've
got to call in the police.

You tell them everything.
Demand protection.

Please, Philip, don't be naive.

Do you really think
they can protect us

from being victims
of a hit and run,

or me falling accidentally
out of a 10-storey window?

You've been watching too many
gangster movies. You know that.

And you're too young to
know what you're talking about.

I grew up with
people like Avoncino.



The last thing you
do is go to the police.

But we are not giving in either.

Call the carpet people.

And where are we
supposed to get the money?

The insurance company. Get your
pretty wife to bat her eyes at them.

Then what's to keep this
from happening again?

What do you want me to do?

Just hand over our
restaurant to the mob?

I could also throw myself
into a vat of boiling oil.

Please, do as I say. Try.

Okay.

Jessica Fletcher is here.

Not now. Not now.

Bernardo... Don't
worry. Don't worry,

I will take care of
everything. Everything.

Okay.

And this is where our director
will call his camera cues.

Jessica, there's no
reason to feel nervous.

I promise you, you'll hardly
notice the cameras are there.

And Bernardo is very
excited about your being here.

Really?

Bernardo only
looks ferocious, but

underneath he's just
a soft, cuddly pussycat.

Jessica, this is my wife, Diane.

Of course. Dining with Diane.

You know, I tried that restaurant that
you recommended on your last show.

You were quite right,
the food was delicious.

Well, it's too bad I can't say the
same for the dump I'm reviewing today.

Huh, Jessica, if there's
anything you need, you just holler.

And if your stage presence
is half as good as your writing,

I assure you we'll
have a terrific show.

Oh, thank you.

You should feel
flattered, Mrs. Fletcher.

I've learned that station
managers rarely have time to read,

or to do anything else
that's not related to work.

Oh, and next time make
sure the cilantro is fresh.

The market had delivered it by
mistake. I had asked for cumin.

I don't care if it
was tooth powder.

Which in this instance
would have tasted better.

One minute, Bernardo.

We'll finish this later.

Hey, I thought you
were used to him by now.

Only a fool or a coward
grows used to insults.

I know that you're
neither of those.

Don't let it get to you, okay?

Camera two, close
up on the fish. Music.

Oh, are you enjoying yourself?

Oh, everyone's
been terrific, Lorna.

Great.

And five, four, three, two...

Good afternoon, New York.
You're watching Bonelli's Kitchen.

Buongiorno and welcome
to Bonelli's Kitchen.

I am your chef,
Bernardo Bonelli,

and today we go to the beautiful
city of Venice for a marvelous recipe,

marinated sole with
pine nuts and raisins.

Or, as they say in Venice,

So, get that pad
and pencil ready,

and prepare yourself for a
dish that will be delizioso.

Remember, the fillets of
sole must be fresh and firm.

Red wine vinegar, olive oil and
the vegetable oil in equal parts.

Pine nuts toasted. Sauté the
onions, raisins, and a touch of cilantro.

I prefer it fresh
from the market.

And...

Perfecto.

Perfect.

So, until tomorrow cari amici,

when my very special guest
will be mystery writer J.B. Fletcher

who will show us that cooking
does not have to be murder.

Until then, farewell.

And, we are out.

Hey, great show, Bernardo.

Of course it was. And this, of course, is
the lovely and talented Jessica Fletcher.

I hope you enjoyed today's
little offering, Mrs. Fletcher.

Very, very much.

I was particularly interested, though,
that you didn't plump up the raisins

with boiling water first, but I
assume that's your personal touch?

Manuel!

Where was the boiling
water for the raisins today?

It wasn't in your
recipe instructions.

Oh, do I have to spell
everything out for you?

You're supposed to be such a
hotshot where you come from.

Or were all those glowing
reviews that you showed me phony?

I'm sorry, Chef Bonelli. You're
right. I should have double-checked.

I didn't mean to imply
that it was a mistake.

Be careful what you say on
the air tomorrow, Mrs. Fletcher.

As I would be if I were a guest
on a show you were hosting.

Oh, of course... Mr. Bonelli,
I... I didn't intend...

Lorna, we're going
to have to talk.

What good is this claim
form? They can't do this to us.

They can if they think that we
sabotaged the restaurant ourselves.

Or we left the place unlocked.

And they raised the question
about all the other claims.

The broken dishes,
the silverware stolen,

unless we report this to the police, we
can forget about the insurance money.

All right, forget
about the insurance.

We'll get less
expensive carpeting.

With what? Bernardo,
we have no cash left.

Just give him another
chance, Jessica.

He's been under
a lot of pressure.

I know he didn't mean
to snap at you like that.

Charm them, cara
mia. Charm them.

Tell them we'll pay in 30 days.

I should get back
to the restaurant.

Jeannine, we don't give up.

You really like to complicate
your life, don't you?

Come on, Diane. She's
married to my nephew.

Somehow, I don't see
that stopping you, Bernardo.

But there's still room
enough in your life for me.

Please, Diane.

Oh, come on, Bernardo.

Don't tell me you haven't thought
about what it would be like for us.

You are imagining things.

Mmm, good things.

Damn it, Diane, do I
have to be more clear?

For the last time, I have no
interest in having an affair with you.

Aside from the fact you
already have a husband,

I don't think of you that way.

You know what they say about
a woman scorned, Bernardo.

Especially when the woman
in question has the power

to deep-six your new restaurant
in front of a very large audience.

I don't believe
you would do that.

Try me, darling.

Taxi!

Hey, Bonelli! Mr. Avoncino
wants to see you.

Well, well, well,
look who's here.

I hear you've been having some
more trouble down at your restaurant.

Nothing I can't handle.

That's what you said about
the burst pipes, the china.

The stolen silverware.

You know, I can't decide
whether you're an optimistic fool,

or a masochistic one.

Neither can I.

Well, you could change that.

All this needs is your signature, and as
I've said to you too many times before,

the moment I become your
new partner in the restaurant,

I will personally guarantee that
no more accidents will happen.

And I'll make good on any damages
not covered by you insurance.

As I have said to you too
many times before, go to hell.

Could be you're
both kinds of a fool.

Yeah. Bonelli!

Eh?

I'll give you one final alternative to
seeing your dream go down in flames.

You have 24 hours to sign.

Yeah.

Lorna, I am so sorry. I mean, I just
hope that your investment isn't too large.

Oh, large enough.

It was all the money that
my grandmother left me.

My mother would kill me.

Well, for what it's worth, I think
your grandma would have approved.

You know, I think so, too. Yes.

Oh, but Avoncino has
done so much damage.

We're really
scraping the barrel.

Is that the reason that Mr. Bonelli
behaved so badly today?

Oh, I can't apologize enough.

Even with everything that's going on,
I know his behavior was inexcusable.

Well, I get the feeling that he
enjoys just being temperamental.

And I get the feeling that nothing I'm
going to say is going to convince you

to do the show tomorrow.

Mrs. Fletcher? Yes?

Ms. Thompson, forgive the
intrusion. I'm Paul Avoncino.

I know who you
are, Mr. Avoncino.

Oh, just once I'd like
to run into someone

who doesn't read the
papers or watch television.

Well, then you're wasting
your time. What do you want?

Just to tell you how upset I was
to hear about last night's incident.

I was so looking
forward to the opening.

Mr. Avoncino, why
don't you get to the point?

Your bluntness has a certain
naive charm, misplaced as it is.

I was hoping that you might have the
good sense to talk to Bonelli on my behalf,

if only to protect
your investment.

I would rather lose everything
than have you as a partner.

Oh!

Well, in that case, good
day, Ms. Thompson.

I hope your future ventures
will afford you more success

than you've had with
Bonelli's. Mrs. Fletcher.

Jessica... Please,
don't say anything.

All I was going to say is...
I'm not going to let you down.

I'll be at the studio
tomorrow. Come on, let's eat.

Okay.

You told Mrs. Fletcher
about Avoncino?

There was darn little I could
do about it. He ambushed us.

Why don't you tell
the whole world?

I mean, I think I have a
cousin in Schenectady

who hasn't heard about it yet.

All right, thank you anyway.

Bye.

That was the bank. They
won't extend our credit anymore.

No matter how cheap
the new carpeting.

All right, we just make do with
what we have. You'll cook, I'll host.

Lorna can borrow
supplies from the studio

and Jeannine can
be your assistant chef.

Phil, I haven't cooked
professionally in years.

Why don't we go out and find a
barn and invite the whole town

and have a square
dance afterwards.

Okay, Uncle Bernardo, do
you have any better ideas?

Oh.

Keep your nose up.

It's chin, kiddo.

You're supposed to keep your chin up,
and mine is down in my shoes right now.

Hey! Like Mr. Phil said, We
make do with what we have.

Well, I have two uncles that work in
the finest restaurant in San Salvador.

One call, Lorna, one call...

One call and your
family would be here.

Yeah, it's too late, Manuel.

May I say how lovely you
look today, Mrs. Fletcher?

And I am so delighted that you
have decided to do the show.

I hope this means that you
have forgiven my temper tantrum.

Well, it means that, uh... I would like to
review what we're going to do on the air.

Oh, of course. Of course.

Now, you told me that we will
prepare everything for the camera

just as if we were
in a regular kitchen.

Although the, uh, risotto that we
show the viewers is already made.

And Manuel is keeping it warm
in another part of the studio.

I see.

And all I ask is that you promise
not to add any cyanide to it

like you did in your novel.

That depends.

Touché.

Now, when we display
the final dish to the viewers,

I will take a bite of it,
to show how good it is.

And after one hour, the
lamb will be brown and tender,

and the vegetables will remain crisp
and retain their full flavor and color.

Thank you, Jessica.

This beautiful recipe that
you are sharing with us today.

Lamb and vegetable risotto,

from J.B. Fletcher's latest novel, The
Uncaught, without the cyanide, of course.

It was a great
pleasure, Chef Bernardo.

You see, she makes no
mention of the cyanide.

In which case, in the grand
tradition of the murder mysteries,

I think you should
have the first taste.

Of course. Thank you.

Mmm, I must say that
mine was never this good.

There you have it. Lamb and
vegetable risotto from J.B. Fletcher.

Jessica, now the viewers will be looking
forward to your books and your recipes.

Cari amici, until tomorrow,
buon appetito e arrivederci.

Something wrong, Jessica?

I thought I tasted
something different.

The risotto, a spicier perhaps?

What did you put in it?

You have a discerning palate,
Mrs. Fletcher. It's turmeric.

I used it instead of saffron.

It's a much less expensive
spice for about the same flavor.

Turmeric, that's
a very good idea.

Oh, yes. It's a brilliant
idea. Why didn't I think of it?

The decor and service were
equally unmitigated disasters.

So, I strongly suggest that you
steer clear of the Cafe Focacio

until they get
their act together.

Until next week when I
review The Steak Casino,

this is Diane Weaver
with Dining with Diane.

Your wife doesn't take
any prisoners, does she?

Including me. Thank you
very much for a great show.

Well, I have to admit,
I really enjoyed myself.

Ah, so maybe we've piqued your interest
in hosting a weekly book-talk show?

Oh, I don't think...

For god's sake, Alex,
you've got to do something.

Uh, in a moment. No, now!

I'm in the middle of...

My lighting today
was a total disaster!

I looked like The
Wicked Witch of the West.

Right. I'll speak with the crew.

Jessica, if you'll excuse me?

Oh, of course.

Tell them they're not
shooting a horror film.

Nice show, today, Mrs. Fletcher.

I'm sure Lorna earned her
raise having you as a guest.

Well, she works very hard.

Yes, she does. Especially for Bernardo.
He's such a pushover for a pretty face.

Well, if you'll excuse
me, Mrs. Weaver.

I'll keep an eye
out for your show.

So, you just thought you'd
substitute turmeric for the saffron?

Without telling me?

I would have asked, but you've
been so preoccupied lately.

Which does not mean you
make the decisions for me.

Clear out your
locker. You're fired.

Hey, Manuel. Something wrong?

No, nothing.

What's wrong with Manuel?

I'll tell you later.

Um...

I looked over my
bank statements,

I... I reworked my
budget 50 different ways.

I even thought about
asking Alex for a raise.

Never mind. It
was just a thought.

Maybe I could sell my car.

Forget it, cara mia.

Go home, get some sleep.

Hello?

Jessica, it's Mona.

Mona, oh, how are you?

I saw you on TV. You did?

You looked terrific.

Well, thank you.

Can I get that recipe?

Well, of course I'll
give you the recipe.

How was Chef Bernardo?

Chef Bernardo? Well,
he was very interesting.

Mona, could I call
you back later?

Okay. Thank you.

Hello?

Jessica, how are you? It's Edna.

Oh, I'm fine, Edna.

Could you get me Chef
Bernardo's autograph?

Chef Bernardo's autograph?

Alex, all I need is...

All I need is enough to
cover current expenses.

I'm talking very short term.

Six months at the most.

And how does my
wife fit into this?

What do you mean?

Well, I'm surprised that
you didn't have her ask me.

Alex, I have been guilty of
great foolishness in my life,

but I would never dishonor
our relationship that way.

I mean, there's nothing going on between
Diane and me. Except in her imagination.

And apparently yours.

I'm supposed to believe this coming from
someone who's hitting me up for $50,000.

Maybe you want to believe, so
you feel justified in turning me down.

I don't need an excuse.

Now, if you don't mind.

You're making the wisest
move of your life, Bernardo.

And, as promised, I'll have all
the carpeting replaced immediately,

and I will pick up all your
suppliers' outstanding bills.

The ristorante
opens on schedule.

Come on, cheer up, Bernardo.

Oh, of course, I'm thrilled.

Two-thirds of everything
that I worked for, dreamed of,

slaved over, now belongs to you.

What do you mean? The
name on the door is still yours.

You'll still be running it.

Until you decide otherwise?

Bernardo, I give you
my word of honor.

You give honorable
men a bad name.

You just keep your
eyes and ears shut,

and this place will
stay open. Is that clear?

What is clear to me is,
until I'm carried out of here,

the only one who will give orders
in this restaurant is me, and only me.

You speak to Langdon in Miami?

Of course.

We won't be requiring
Mr. Bonelli's services much longer.

Oh... Oh, Manuel!

I'm sorry. I didn't
mean to scare you.

I heard about what happened.
I've been trying to call you.

I already moved
out. Listen, Lorna.

I wanted to make it here
with Bernardo. With you.

But without this job,
I have to go home.

Let me talk to Bernardo. I can
convince him to change his mind.

I don't think he'll listen, but
don't worry about me, amorcito.

I'm looking forward
to seeing my family.

Tonight is your night!

Your opening. Enjoy
it. I wish you the best!

Manuel, no! Just give
me another day or two.

It wouldn't make a difference.

I just wanted to thank
you, mi vida, for everything.

I haven't done anything.

Goodbye.

I'm so glad you could come.

Well, I'm just so glad there
was something to come for.

How did Bernardo pull it off?

Not with this!

This. Like this!

Keep your eyes on it, huh? Margaret,
more cilantro for the bread dip.

I want it to bite back,
not shake my hand.

You!

This needs more seasoning.

What do you call this?
You call this champagne?

I've ordered the San Barrault
champagne, just like you said.

I said 1987. This is '88, a
bad year. A disastrous year!

Well, I've had no complaints.

I am complaining, Philip. I'm the
only one you need to worry about.

If you can't follow
one simple order,

maybe we should discuss your
lack of aptitude for this business.

What happened? I could
hear him yelling outside.

Nothing. I have work to do.

Mrs. Fletcher, can
I get you anything?

Oh, nothing at the moment.
Thank you, Jeannine.

How did you like
the creamy garlic dip?

Well, it's wonderful, but I think I
better save some room for the entrée.

Just try one of these. Sliced
chicken on Gorgonzola spread.

I made it myself. I
don't think I can resist.

Thank you.

Please excuse me.

Ah, Mrs. Fletcher. Mr. Avoncino.

Want to congratulate me
on my new investment?

To be quite honest, I'm not
sure how I feel about that.

You wish I had
nothing to do with it.

Well, nevertheless,
salute, Mrs. Fletcher.

And success to Bonelli's.

I'll drink to that. If only for
Lorna Thompson's sake.

Congratulations, Bernardo.
The place looks marvelous.

Thank you, Diane.

Though rumor has it you had
to sell your soul to the devil.

Excuse me.

Do you have to be so
embarrassingly obvious?

Why don't you just drool over
the food instead of the chef?

Well, I give the decor a ten,
but the food, possibly a five.

They haven't served dinner yet.

Mmm. I can almost taste it.

May I have your attention,
please? Attention, everyone!

Thank you all for coming.
And especially for eating.

I would like to introduce the man who
makes us all look forward to being hungry,

Chef Bernardo Bonelli.

I know, I know you are all expecting
a short, but witty speech, so here it is.

I'd rather cook than talk.

Well, at least it's short. Now, I
can give you my favorite wish.

I'm so sorry, Marie. Can
we reschedule for tomorrow?

Will you be done by 4:00?

Oh, yes, I should be
out of here by then.

What about the
changes in twelve?

Well, I'll have all the changes
in Chapter Twelve plugged in.

Great, how about 9:30? Good.

Then I'll see you
around 9:30. Fine. Okay.

Mrs. Fletcher.
Oh, Jeannine, Phil.

I'm so sorry about your uncle.

Well, part of me can't
believe he's dead.

I mean, just when everything
was turning around for him.

Well, what will happen
to the restaurant?

Well, as soon as the
police clear out, we'll reopen.

And we've recommended
Manuel Ramirez to Mr. Avoncino.

Oh, you mean that nice
young man that Bernardo fired?

He made most of the dishes
prepared on Bernardo's show.

And we had him experiment
with recipes for the restaurant.

Well, some of the meals on
the menu are Manuel's creations.

Mrs. Fletcher? Mrs.
Jessica Fletcher?

Finally. Excuse me, please.

Sergeant, Timothy Milner,
attorney for Mr. Avoncino.

We would like to speak to the detective
in charge of the Bonelli case, please.

Yeah, I bet you do.

Well, put your name on the list
and have your client take a seat.

No, you don't understand,
Sergeant. I mean now.

Unless you'd like to be riding
shotgun in the South Bronx,

midnight to 8:00 a.m. shift.

Mrs. Fletcher, would you mind?

Yes. Yes, I would.

You know, Mr. Milner, I'm sure you and
your client have more than enough muscle

to get whatever you want.

But I have been waiting
here for two hours,

as have some of
these other people.

Mrs. Fletcher,
please. By all means.

And I left at 1:00 a.m.

The party was still in progress
and Mr. Bonelli was very much alive.

I heard on the radio that you
might have a suspect in custody.

A Lorna Thompson.

Lorna?

But what reason would
she have to kill Mr. Bonelli?

We have a theory
or two, but right now,

her fingerprints on the murder
weapon are enough to hold her.

Excuse me. MacKenzie.

We got the test bag.

Oh good.

And?

And we also got
the fingerprints.

Uh-huh.

And guess whose they are.

Uh-huh.

They are all over the kitchen.

And the blood type?

All right, Jerry, stay on it.

Okay, where were we?

Detective, I was wondering if I
might speak to Ms. Thompson?

Sure.

I assumed he was still alive. My
first thought was to pull out the knife.

That maybe I could save him.

I'm stupid, I know.

I tried... I explained it to the
police. They didn't believe me.

But what possible motive could they
think you have for killing Mr. Bonelli?

When I invested my grandmother's
money, I took out an insurance policy

to protect it.

If anything happened to Bernardo,
I would get it back, double.

Well, now, your grandmother
would have approved of that.

Jessica, I wanted this restaurant to
be just as much a success as he did.

But do they have any proof?

Well, they have enough so that they're not
interested in looking for another suspect.

Well, well, well.
Why the long faces?

The investigation is wrapped up.

Now we can turn our
attention back to the restaurant.

Jeannine and I were hoping
that with Bernardo gone,

you'd consider
selling us your share.

Life is funny, isn't it?

You know, I was about to
make you the same offer.

And despite the fact that the restaurant
is worth little more than the fixtures

without your uncle,

I'm still willing to make
you a very generous offer.

No. Thank you, Mr. Avancino.
Phil and I have no interest in selling.

I see.

Well, in that case, you might
be interested to know that

our new chef is coming from
one of my Miami restaurants.

We've already got a
chef. Manuel Ramirez.

Forget it, darling. He has
no intention of hiring Manuel.

Or consulting us
over anything, do you?

Mrs. Fletcher, it's possible you have
more of a way with children than I do.

Maybe you could even
do a pie chart for them.

Mrs. Fletcher?

I'm supposed to meet
Detective MacKenzie inside.

I'm sorry, Mrs. Fletcher,
but she's not here right now.

My orders were... Perhaps
if you called the station?

I'm sure she's on her way.

All right. Only, don't
touch anything, okay?

I promise.

How did you get in here?

I'm just trying to help a
friend, Detective MacKenzie.

That's sweet, Mrs. Fletcher, and
Lorna Thompson can certainly use

all the help she can get.

But investigating
is my job, not yours.

Please?

Bernardo Bonelli was stabbed with
a French boning knife, wasn't he?

How did you know that?

Well, the knives are placed in
the rack in order of their size,

and the boning knife is missing.

Okay. So?

Well, it's possible that the killer
knew that the boning knife would be

the most efficient weapon, and
Lorna takes pride in the fact that

she can't boil a
five-minute egg.

So, she got lucky.

Mrs. Fletcher, don't look
for evidence that isn't here.

And stop wasting
my time. Goodbye.

Check it out, Sal. And
make sure it's clear.

Yes.

Everything all right?

Mr. Avancino got a
call on the car phone.

I don't know who from, but when
he hung up he told me to come here.

I checked the place
out. Nobody's inside.

When I came out
to tell him, he's dead.

Do you carry a
gun, Mr. Randazzo?

Me? No. Why?

Anderson... Hey
wait, wait, wait.

I got a permit.
It's strictly legit.

How nice for you.
Take it to the lab.

See if it's been fired recently.

Mr. Randazzo, we have
to run some tests on you.

Paraffin, fingerprints,
you know the routine.

Sure, but you're
wasting your time.

All right, who did kill him?

You're asking me?

Had Mr. Avancino made some of
the other families unhappy lately?

Families.

I don't know what
you're talking about.

I'm sure you don't.
Anderson, take him.

Are you sure I can't
change your mind, Jessica?

Bernardo's death was not only a
loss personally, but professionally.

We need someone of your
caliber to replace him on the air.

Which all those letters
you've got there testify to.

Not to mention the phone calls.

Please, don't even
mention the phone calls.

Look, as I've told you, Alex, I really
appreciate your very generous offer,

but it's just not up my alley.

Why don't you call my
friend Amanda Poole?

I mean, she's got a bestseller on
the lists, she's done a talk show before,

a book show, particularly.

Okay, okay. My program people, they
have Miss Poole coming in after lunch.

Mr. Weaver, I need to know
where Manuel Ramirez is.

I found this in his locker.

It was fired recently, and the same
caliber that killed Paul Avancino.

I'm sorry I can't
help you, Detective.

Manuel doesn't work
here anymore. Oh?

Detective MacKenzie, if
Manuel killed Paul Avancino,

why would he leave the weapon
in his locker for you to find?

Not all criminals are known
for their genius, Mrs. Fletcher.

Bedsides, two witnesses place
someone answering Manuel's description

near the restaurant at the
time of Avoncino's death.

Have you considered the possibility
that both murders might have

been committed by one person?

We have two different
weapons, two different M.O.'s,

we have one suspect dead
to rights, and another probable.

Like I said, Mrs. Fletcher,
stay out of it please.

Excuse me.

What do you hope to
find in Lorna's office?

Well, I'm not quite sure.

It's bad enough that the souvlaki was
sickening and the zesty chicken oregano

lost its zest somewhere
between the kitchen and my table,

but to add to the indigestion, the
waiters insisted that diners participate

in Greek dances between courses.

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Forgive me for interrupting
your evening, Phil,

but I'm sure you're as anxious as I
am to clear Lorna of Bernardo's murder.

Well, this might
sound strange to you,

considering the fact Lorna and I
worked together to make this happen.

But I'm not convinced
that she's innocent.

I mean, who else had a motive?

Well, several people.

For the sake of argument,
yourself, perhaps?

It seems you've put some
thought into this. Go on.

Well, not to put too fine a
point on it, but before his death,

did you have any idea that
you were going to inherit

Bernardo's interest
in this restaurant?

I'm his only surviving relative.

Why? You're not
suggesting that I...

Just pointing out,
on Lorna's behalf,

that people have
been murdered for less.

Certainly, you would
have sensed that Bonelli's

could be a very
profitable business for you.

Now, wait a minute!

Even putting together Uncle Bernardo's
share with Jeannine's and mine,

and Lorna's, Avoncino's heirs
still have controlling interest.

Well, given Mr. Avancino's
history of racketeering and extortion,

I suspect it's highly
unlikely that his ownership

will withstand a legal
challenge from you.

Exactly! Then why
would I kill him?

I could have just
taken him to court!

But you couldn't take
your uncle to court.

Now, wait a minute,
Mrs. Fletcher.

You do have a key
to the restaurant.

You could easily have let
yourself in after the party.

I'm not sure I like the way your
game is going, Mrs. Fletcher.

My husband is not a murderer.

How nice to see you, Jeannine.

Oh, forgive my manners.
Can I interest you in a little dip?

No, thank you.

Those tears. You have
an allergy, don't you?

To this dip, to
Bernardo's marinated sole,

and anything else
that contains cilantro.

Yeah, my luck the herb
has become so popular.

And your luck, it proves
you murdered Bernardo.

That's crazy!

Is it?

I first noticed your tears on
my first visit to the TV studio.

I thought you were upset about
something that Bernardo was telling you.

But then this evening I recalled he'd
been working with cilantro on the TV show,

and probably had some
of the juice on his hands.

And later, at the
opening night party,

your eyes filled
again with tears.

This time when you took my
plate with the bread dip in it.

I don't get it. What's
the connection?

This makes absolutely
no sense! Let's go, Phil.

Look, I wouldn't have made the connection
if I hadn't seen the crime photographs.

They showed a tissue lying next to Bernardo
in his otherwise immaculate kitchen.

You killed him with the sharpest,
deadliest knife in the kitchen.

Something only an
experienced cook would know.

Everyone in that kitchen
knew how to cook!

Everyone but Lorna.

And not everyone needed to wipe
their eyes after being exposed to cilantro.

After you killed Bernardo, you had an
allergic reaction to the cream garlic dip

sitting beside him.

It was heavily
seasoned with cilantro.

You pulled out a
tissue to wipe you eyes,

and then accidentally dropped
it on the floor when you left.

Now, when forensics
finishes running the DNA tests,

I'm sure that that tissue
will be linked to you.

Bernardo had us on the ropes!

His verbal abuse,
his constant demands.

I was watching Phil
die one piece at a time.

Jeannine. I knew that

if Bernardo died, that you
would inherit the restaurant.

It seemed like the
answer to everything.

And you knew if
Avoncino was dead, too,

you'd be able to
challenge his heirs in court,

with less concern
about reprisals.

I called him and told
him to meet me here.

I said that Phil and I
decided to sell our share.

I waited for his
bodyguard to go inside.

And then I just
opened the car door.

Everything all right?

And shot Avoncino.

And then you placed the
gun in Manuel's locker.

You can't prove any
of this, Mrs. Fletcher.

And if you take
it to the police,

I'll make certain that
Jeannine denies everything.

Which will be hard to do, considering she
just made a full confession on the record.

Mr. Bonelli, I suggest you get on the
horn and find a lawyer for your wife.

Let's go. Oh, Jeannine.

You might try an over-the-counter
remedy called Drip-Stop.

It's supposed to work
wonders with allergies.

I know it helped clear
up something for me.

Well, Mrs. Fletcher, there's
the kitchen. Where's the crow?

Excuse me?

Isn't that what you're
going to make me eat?

How about some dip instead?

Oh!

Pheasant under glass, pearl
onions, and potatoes lyonnaise.

And for dessert, there's
chocolate mousse.

Chocolate mousse. Oh, everything
looks so lovely. Thank you.

Thank you, Mrs. Fletcher,
for proving my innocence.

Oh, I second that.

You don't know how
much we appreciate it.

Now, tell me about
the restaurant.

Well, the first thing I did
was hire Manuel as chef.

Oh!

And the second thing was you're
looking at the new co-producer

of the 6:00 news.

Oh, that is wonderful,
Lorna! Congratulations!

Oh, I haven't told
you the best part.

I'm doing a segment
on crime and how the

average citizen
participates in solving cases,

and I would like you
to be our first guest!