Murder, She Wrote (1984–1996): Season 10, Episode 18 - The Trouble with Seth - full transcript

Jessica searches for Seth when he suddenly disappears and fresh bloodstains in his office indicate foul play.

The short form is, I'm afraid
my past has caught up to me.

There's no way I'm going
to let my mom get hurt.

It's all such a waste.

He'll have to go
to prison anyway.

If you're looking for words of
encouragement, I don't have any.

Face it, kid. You've
got a partner.

We can call ourselves
the Twin Avengers.

Tell me something,
Doc. Have you seen this

mystery prowler in
the neighborhood? No.

It's just not my game.

Son, think for God's sake!



Listen, I need some
information fast.

All right, nobody moves!

The jury convicted you!

I feel violated.

Sheriff, I don't much
like making this call.

I noticed the Doc's car
wasn't in the driveway either.

There appeared to have
been some sort of a struggle.

Why would someone do
such a thing to the Doc?

My God. Mom, please.
I can explain this.

Just stay out of it.

There. That's him.

Stop!

Okay, we got to ditch
this, that car over there.

All right, nobody moves!



Keep your hands
where I can see them.

After only two years?

Built-in obsolescence,
if you ask me.

I told you this thing

was going to be nothing
but trouble and expense.

Oh, nonsense.

Look, I'm looking
forward to the extra power.

I mean, there's a
lot of newer software

that I haven't been able to run.

Megabytes, software,
CD, what's-its...

No way I'm gonna
trust my records

to any kind of magnetic blips

on one of those little
what-you-may-call-its...

Floppy disks. If you did, you wouldn't
have to use all of those filing cabinets

and all those tons of paper.

What do you say,
Julia? Got a light?

Damn it, Leo. How did
you know where I was?

I told you I would
keep you posted.

Yeah, well, that felt
a little loose to me.

I got worried I
might hear you say,

"Leo, I killed the buzzard."

Kid, give me something
to light this with, will you?

Yeah, sure.

Look, I'm not even sure
it's him. That's why I'm here.

If it does turn out
to be Stanley Barton,

I simply want to see him
brought to justice, same as you.

Now we're getting down
to the nit of it, you know.

Hon, you got to understand,

doing time gives a fellow a
little different take on justice from,

you know, regular people.

I'm looking for a little
monetary compensation here...

Oh, my God... for 20, miserable,

stinking years.

And besides, I figure it ought
to be worth it to old Stanley,

or whatever the hell he
calls himself these days,

to not be put away for
the rest of his rotten life.

Here you go, sir. Yeah.

By the way, there's
no smoking in here.

Wonderful. You go
away for a few years,

and suddenly everybody
has got religion. Gee.

Can I get you
anything? No! Thank you.

So, you spotted this
guy at the symphony?

Look, Leo, why don't
you go back to Boston

before you wreck everything.

Or should I call
your parole officer.

I'm sure he's not aware that
you crossed the state line.

No. No, Julia. Don't
you threaten me, honey.

I don't have all that
much to lose. Face it, kid.

You got a partner. We can call
ourselves the Twin Avengers.

Besides, you need
me to identify him.

You were, what, four years
old? I worked with the SOB.

I was sitting in the police
van when he escaped.

I'm at the Lighthouse Motel.
Cabin five. Stay in touch.

Come on, Mr. Castino.
Another week is all I need.

No way I can give
you that long, Will.

This offer I got is good,

but I got to give them an
answer by Friday at the latest.

Nothing would make me happier
than to see you have the place, but...

Yeah, I know, I know.

Look, I'm just gonna have to go
take another shot at my dad, I guess.

I'll see you in an hour, huh?

Well, there you go.

I hate to pass up your chowder.

All right.

Things are really
backed up here.

Are you sure this is about
work and not about us?

I'm positive.

I'll call you.

Okay.

Evan, whatever it is that's
bothering you, I'm on your side.

I know.

Dave Archer, Mr. Rafferty.
JWC Credit Bureau.

The outfit that asked for a
credit report on you last week.

Back Bay Development.

That's right. We tracked
down the name of the individual

who made that
request. It's a J. Harris.

Thanks, Dave. I appreciate that.

Jessica, you're gonna
love this machine.

I've got one just
like it and it's super.

I've got all my bird-watching
data right at my fingertips.

Bird-watching computerized?

What ever happened to
binoculars and a good walking stick?

Well, your old one is in really
good shape, Mrs. Fletcher.

Well, good, because I want
to donate it to the school.

Oh, speaking of the school,

has Mr. Eagleton been
pestering us about his old XT?

Yeah, plus you got a
call from Mrs. Deevers,

Mr. Olson returned,
Mr. Parducci, Mrs...

Stop! I haven't
even had my coffee.

Jessica, Seth.

Evan. Evan.

I hear the bass are really
jumping over at Long Lake.

Are we still on for tomorrow?

I'm not sure.

Did you finish the parity check
on Mrs. Deever's computer?

Line gremlin. It'll
be ready in an hour.

Make sure that's all it
takes. Now, these invoices,

they were supposed
to be paid last week.

Anyway, it'll take a few hours to
port your files over to the new machine.

There's a chance we'll
have it by closing time.

Well, I'm quite sure I
can survive until then.

Oh, and I certainly hope
that Evan gets over his funk

before he chews your
head all the way off.

Yeah. That makes two of us.

Excuse me. I'm Julia Harris.

I believe I have an
appointment with Evan Rafferty.

Something wrong, Seth?

I don't know. Not like
Evan to be that grumpy.

Well, he's obviously got
something on his mind.

Maybe I'll suggest he
stop in for a checkup.

So, what is it, Mom?

Oh, I don't know.

I don't know, just
the last few days,

I'm afraid Evan may be
having second thoughts.

What, about you?

Yeah.

He's got to be out
of his mind, Mom.

Oh, you, I love you.

Mom.

Just for that I'm going
to buy us a sundae

with a gallon of hot fudge
and a ton of whipped cream.

What do you say?

What about your deliveries?

The heck with them.

After the wedding I'm not
going to have to worry about

peddling wrinkle
cream to the neighbors,

and you're not going
to have to worry about

holding down a job after school.

Yeah.

Are you sure that's what
you want to do, Mom?

I mean, do you want to spend the
rest of your life with Evan Rafferty?

Where did that come from?

I'm sorry. I...

I just don't want you
making any huge sacrifices

just for me, you know?

Oh, well, don't
flatter yourself, pal.

A, I'm not, B, I wouldn't,

and C, I happen to
love Evan very much.

Okay.

How about that sundae?

Coming right up.

You're looking
very fit, Sheriff.

You can breathe
harder than that.

Are you sure... Breathe.

This thing is... Breathe.

Working?

Perfectly. I'd stake my
reputation on it, Sheriff.

You're as sound
as a 1955 dollar.

But what about
all this wheezing?

Well, here, you try
it. Listen for yourself.

In, out, in, out.

Now, not a wheeze in
the car load, is there?

Nothing, but Adele says
it's keeping her up nights.

Well, maybe you ought to have Adele
come in and have her hearing checked.

Oh, yeah? Well, I'm not the
one that's gonna suggest that.

Hey, tell me something, Doc.

Have you seen this rumored
prowler in the neighborhood?

Nope. Oh, yes. I did see a
man. Short fellow, dark hair.

Kind of thick eyeglasses.
Does that sound right?

Descriptions I have.

Everywhere from 5'10 " to 6'7".

Red hair, brown hair, gray hair.

All except for the one
who insisted he was bald.

Too bad I'm not an eye doctor.

I'd clean up on that group.

Yeah, well, if you see him again,
give me a call, will you, Doc?

Oh, yeah. Oh, and, thanks.

Think nothing of it.

Yes? Hi, Dr. Hazlitt.

I hate to barge in on you like
this. I'm just passing through town.

I got this little sore throat
I'd like you to take a look at.

Oh, give me a break, will you?

Of course I want to
help, but not this way.

Shouldn't be much
longer, Miss Harris.

Thank you.

One that's got
a future. It isn't...

Look, Dad, I don't like this
any more than you do, okay?

But it's not gonna
cost you a dime.

All I'm asking for is
your signature on a loan.

I see, you've made
up your mind. I mean,

that's what you want
to do with your life?

Yes, it is. Dad, look,
I've said this before.

I respect what you've
built here. I really do,

but it... It's just not my game.

Well, servicing a bunch of
rusty fishing boats isn't one

you're going to win.
Son, think, for God's sake,

where the hell are you going
to be 10 years from now?

Look, are you
gonna do this or not?

I'm not cosigning anything.

If that's the way you want to go,
you're going to have to do it yourself.

Oh, I'm sorry.

Oh, it's okay.

Mr. Rafferty can see you now.

Thank you.

And we're very interested
in that parcel you own out

at Sefton Point for a
possible condo development.

These are some of the other
projects we've built between here

and Kennebunk. They've
been very well received.

Uh-huh. I noticed you
ran a credit check on me.

Well, the company likes to know
who we're doing business with.

According to town records, you've
owned that property for about eight years.

I assume that was, what, 11 or
12 years after you moved to town?

Like I said...

You like to know who
you're dealing with.

The property is not for sale.

Well, maybe if we
made you an offer.

Like I said, property
is not for sale.

Good day, Miss Harris.

All right. Well...

I'll just leave
these here with you

and if you change your mind
or you have any questions,

I'm staying at The Hill House.

Come on back.

That's right, Neal. There
should be four printers there.

That guy's been hanging
around all morning.

Could be that prowler
people are talking about.

Oh! You know, this is a really
humbling experience, Mort,

working on this old typewriter.

I love this old darling, but
let's face it, it's obsolete.

Yeah. My deputies say it's
right up there with stone tablets.

Any leads on that
prowler in town?

Two more reports last night.

Now, that makes
10 already this week.

And not a single
solid description,

or any evidence that
the guy actually exists.

Excuse me.

Sheriff Metzger.

Well, thanks, Andy.

No, I'll check it out myself.

I'll be going past there in a
few minutes. Yeah. Later on.

Neal Kraus, over at
the computer store,

spotted some guy hanging around.

This thing is catching
on like UFO sightings.

Like I said, I couldn't
help but overhear

your conversation
with your father.

I hope you don't
mind my calling.

Oh, please, are you kidding?

I mean, I need all
the help I can get.

If this thing works
out, it'll be sensational.

So, what else do
you need to know?

Okay, you said you came here
from Boston with your mother in...

I think it was 1974.

And your father?

He came over here later.
He'd been away for a while.

Really? Yeah.

I think he was working
on some kind of

transcontinental
pipeline or something.

It's kind of vague. I
was only about four.

More coffee?

Thanks, Grace.

Will. Hi.

Miss Harris. Sorry your dad
is giving you such a hard time.

I get so impatient with him.

Well, maybe my luck is changing.

Miss Harris here thinks
she might be able to help me

get some financing without
Dad having to sign for it.

Really. Oh, Will,
that would be great.

Well, I'd better put
in that sandwich order

before I forget
who asked for what.

Well, I better be
getting back to the shop.

Listen, any chance we might
continue this over dinner?

Oh, I'm afraid I can't. I
have some papers to go over.

But I'll call you.

Okay, well, I'll be
looking forward to it. Bye.

There we go, Mrs. F. A
thing of beauty, sort of.

Thanks for your help, Mort.

Hey, I'm becoming
a believer myself.

This new program we
put into our machine,

it replaces the old-fashioned
police sketch artist.

I've seen them. They're amazing.

Oh, excuse me. I completely
forgot to check my messages.

Mmm-hmm.

It's Harriet McKissock,
Jessica. Nothing important.

Be sure to give me a jingle the
minute you get back to Manhattan. Ciao.

Tuesday, 4:35 p.m.

Jessica, this is Seth. I need...

Tuesday, 6:48 p.m. That
was your last message.

Oh, dear. That's nearly an
hour ago. What do you suppose?

I don't know, but we're going
to find out right now, I hope.

Line is busy at his place.

Well, we can have the telephone
company verify that someone's on the line.

Yeah.

Operator, this is
Sheriff Metzger.

I'd like to make an emergency
break through, please.

Mort, that's blood.

It looks recent, Mrs. F.

You know, it looks as if
something or somebody

had been dragged
over to the door.

There's heel marks
on the door jamb.

I noticed the Doc's car
wasn't in the driveway, either.

Oh, yeah. I've got
news. All of it lousy.

The blood, it's the
same type as the Doc's.

Oh, I was afraid of that.
What about the DNA test?

Oh, that's gonna
take a few more hours.

And did you issue an APB?

Yes, as well as a
stolen vehicle report.

By now it could be seven
or 800 miles away from here.

What about the hospitals?

We checked every one in
the area on the off-chance

he might have
checked himself in,

or even somebody else with a
wound and B positive blood, but no.

Look, Mrs. F, I'm
doing everything I can.

Oh, I know, Mort, and I'm sorry.

Have you been able to make any more
sense out of Seth's phone message?

Zip. Same goes for his office.

Andy and I checked
it over for hours,

and outside of his car
and his medical bag,

nothing seems to be missing.

There appeared to have
been some sort of a struggle.

The thing I don't understand is why
would someone do such a thing to the Doc?

And if he was only,
you know, injured,

why wouldn't they
just leave him there?

And why isn't there a ransom
demand or some kind of communication?

I wish I knew. I
really wish I knew.

Mrs. Taylor? Yes?

Hi, I'm Julia Harris. I'm trying to
arrange a loan for Will Rafferty.

He gave me your
name as a reference.

Oh?

Oh, I'm sorry. Um, Connie,
over at Cabot Cove Digital,

she pointed you out to me.

I see.

Well, I've known
Will for many years.

He's a fine young man.

Good, that's
excellent. Wonderful.

I understand you're about
to become Will's step-mother.

Yes, I am.

Congratulations. Thank you.

Tell me, has Will's father
ever said anything about his life

before he moved to Cabot Cove?

Excuse me?

Well, the bank is just trying to
do a background check, you know,

check on his financial
condition. Miss Harris,

it's my understanding
that Will's father

is not really interested in getting
into loan arrangements with his son.

Well, that's true, but I...

Now, I really have an
appointment I have to keep.

Look, I just need some...
Goodbye, Miss Harris.

Then put more men on it. Right.

Wasn't even the same
make and model as Doc's car.

There. We think that's
the mysterious stranger

that's been hanging around town.

Or as close as we've gotten
so far from the descriptions.

Emily Brennerman claims she
saw this guy late yesterday afternoon

down the block from
Doc Hazlitt's place.

He look familiar to you, Mrs. F?

Not exactly.

Andy, can you give
him a longer upper lip?

No problem.

There, now try moving
his eyes closer together.

Like this?

A bit more.

There. That's it.

That's him.

Hi, Will.

Hey, Julia. How's it going?

Well, I spoke to
the Boston bank.

Yeah? And you'll
be happy to know

they're very interested in
doing business with you.

Oh.

Listen, I really
appreciate this, Julia.

No problem.

I... I just have to ask
you a few other questions.

Yeah, great.

Hey, Will, could you give me a
hand with that winch over there?

Yeah. Right away, Mr. Castino.

Listen, how about tonight?

Can I buy you dinner?

Well, what time do you get off?
Maybe I could meet you someplace.

Okay, how about 7:00, my place?

Sure. Great!

Listen, I got to
warn you though,

I make a killer linguine
with clam sauce.

Okay.

See you.

Yeah!

Okay, so his name
is Ronald Olson,

he checks in here
yesterday morning,

doesn't sleep in his
room last night at all,

and still hasn't checked out.

And he was seen in the
vicinity of Seth's office

15 minutes before Seth
left that phone message.

And he rents this car in Boston
under the name of Jack Landis. Nice.

Hi, Sheriff. Hi, Jimmy.

Hey, Mrs. Fletcher, you
heard anything on Dr. Hazlitt?

I'm afraid not.

Have you seen this man?

No, I don't think so.

- Andy, it's me. Anything?
- Nothing yet, Sheriff.

Same here.

Listen, I want you to get down
to the Lighthouse Motel pronto

and dust this guy's
room and his car.

It's the same guy?
Oh, yeah. It's him.

But I've got a hunch he's not
either of the people he claims to be.

I hope the doctor shows up.

This is not real
promising, Mrs. F.

Well, if you're looking for words of
encouragement, I don't have any.

What is it?

I'm not sure. I can't
imagine why he'd do it,

but I have a feeling that
Jimmy Taylor was lying to us.

Hello, Mrs. Fletcher.

I'm Julia Harris and I'm with
Back Bay Development in Boston.

We're interested in purchasing
some land from Evan Rafferty

and I would like to ask you
some questions about him.

Miss Harris, I'm sorry,
you'll have to forgive me,

but a very dear friend of
mine is missing, and I...

I understand,
and I'm very sorry.

It's just that you were a client
of Mr. Rafferty's and I thought...

Miss... Miss
Harris, please stop.

Look, I've had friends

who have sold land to
organizations such as yours,

I can't remember a
company representative

ever questioning me about the
people they're buying property from.

I know, but it's my job.

So, whatever reason you have
for prying into Mr. Rafferty's affairs,

you're going to have to get your
information from someone else.

Mrs. Fletcher, please.

If you change your mind,
I'm staying at Hill House.

Goodbye, Miss Harris.

Come in.

Mrs. F. Mort, what is it?

Well, nothing good, I'm afraid.

This just came from the NCIC.

According to his fingerprints,

our elusive pal is
a career bad guy.

One Leo David Fender,
paroled 10 days ago

from a Massachusetts
penitentiary.

Doing time for armed robbery
and second-degree murder.

Which in no way explains
why he was in Cabot Cove,

or anywhere near Seth's house.

Or where he is now. I've
added this to our APB.

At least now they've got
a name to go with the face.

Well, there might be
a bright spot to all this.

I mean, we may have overreacted
to Seth's phone message.

Say again? Listen.

Jessica, Marion Taylor. I heard
about Seth and I wondered if...

See? It broke up almost
the same way his did.

It's probably just my machine.

Okay, but that still
doesn't explain...

Excuse me.

Metzger.

Sheriff, I don't much
like making this call.

What?

A couple of hikers
just phoned in.

They were out in Benson's
Woods and they spotted a body.

Male, Caucasian.

That's all?

Yeah, they were
afraid to get too close.

Okay, Andy. I'll meet you there.

Mort?

Evan, I've got to talk to you.

Sure. I'm a little late getting
to work. When would you...

No! Right now. I'm
worried about Mom.

I don't understand.

No, I think you do.

She says you've been
acting a little funny lately.

Now, that wouldn't be
because of the two people here

in town looking
for you, would it?

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

Look, I heard them
talking at the coffee shop.

The woman, she's
staying at Hill House.

She's from Boston.

She said, "I saw this
guy at the symphony."

Now, you're the only
one in Cabot Cove

that goes all the way down to
Boston just for the symphony.

There is no way I'm gonna
let my mom get hurt, Evan.

I just want to know
what's going on.

Jimmy, I may be going
away for a long time.

What? Jimmy.

No questions. You
just stay out of it.

You better wait here, Mrs. F.

Now what in Sam Hill
would you people be doing

way out here in the woods?

Well, of course there
was more to my message.

The rest of it was this.

"I have to get over to Bridgeton

"to pay a house call on
Billy Buffum's mother."

Who, incidentally, turned out
to be a lot healthier than I am.

That is why I couldn't come
to dinner at your house.

Well, it certainly sounded
as if you were in dire straits.

Well, anyway, it got so late that I
finally decided to put up at a motel.

Then when I was
driving over here,

I saw your car out
there by the road.

That was after I'd been
stopped by the state police.

Our APB. SETH: Uh-huh.

Lord knows what you told them.

It took me half an
hour to convince them

I wasn't stealing my own car.

Now, will someone please
tell me what's going on?

We've got this corpse here, Doc.

We were afraid it
was gonna be you.

All right, turn him over, Andy.

Mort, that's Leo Fender!

I treated that man
for sore throat.

Must have been
worse than I thought.

It appears he's been
stabbed in the back.

Probably got him
right through the heart.

Paroled convict. Two
aliases. Landis and Olson.

You know, it's likely that his
blood type is the same as yours.

B positive.

My guess is that he was killed in
your office and then deposited here.

Wait a minute. My office?
What was he doing there?

Beats me. SETH:
Well, I like that.

I'm away for 10 minutes
and strangers start

snooping through my
belongings. I feel violated.

On the other hand, Seth, if
you had been in your office

when he was, you might
not be feeling anything.

Wonderful news about Seth.

Yeah, it is.

Evan... Connie, I'm
going to need your help.

I've said that a few times
over the years, haven't I?

Look, I've made provisions for
you to take over the company.

Now, I'd like it if you... No!

I would like it if you would
hang on to it for a while

in case Will changes his mind.

And I want part of the
income to go to Marion.

It's all laid out for you.

Evan.

Sweetheart, I've been
trying to get a hold of you.

Your face, what happened?

I fell.

Evan, what is going on?

The short form is, I'm afraid
my past has caught up to me.

Oh, no, no, not there. That goes
on the left-hand side of the desk.

Oh, you don't
want it on the right.

Certainly not. The stack you
mistakenly put on the chair

goes on the right-hand side.

Oh, no wonder you
don't need a computer.

You know, something
really was stolen.

My World's Fair
letter opener is gone.

Well, maybe it was
the murder weapon.

You know, Seth, your R's
and S's are all mixed up here.

You mean someone's been
messing with my patients' files?

No! Don't touch them.

You know, Sheriff Metzger may
want to dust them for fingerprints.

They haven't been
dusted in years.

You definitely didn't lie about your
clam sauce, Will. It was wonderful.

Well, thanks, Julia. More wine?

Oh, yeah, half a glass.

Now, wait, this is your father,
right? But that's not your mother.

No, it's Connie. You saw her
yesterday at the coffee shop.

That was after my mom
died. Connie sort of helped out.

You know, it's funny, I see
a lot of pictures here of you

when you were little
with your mom in Boston,

but none of your dad.

I guess working on the pipeline,
he must have a million stories, huh?

Well, actually, no. He
never talked much about it.

Oh, he seems to have made
quite an impression on you.

You ask more questions
about him than about me.

Well, taking loan applications
isn't usually part of my job.

Hey, look, I didn't
mean anything by it.

Yeah, and anyway, Dad
can be a pretty fascinating guy

when he's not beating me up
about what I want to do with my life.

Will, this monogram on
your mother's blouse, LBC,

what does the "B" stand for?

I don't think I've
ever noticed it before.

I mean, the "L" and the
"C" are for Laura Cardozo.

That was her maiden name, but...

Barton. What?

Nothing. I have to go.

Yeah? So am I going
to see you tomorrow?

Oh, I don't think so, Will. I...

Look, don't worry, I'm sure we can
get that loan set up for you by Friday.

No, I mean, that's
not what I meant, Julia.

Okay, someone stabs Leo
Fender to death in Doc's office,

drags his body over to the door,

dumps him in the
driveway, stuffs him in a car

and transports him
to Benson's Woods.

And leaves the victim's pistol

and his wallet
containing over $300.

Why?

I don't know, Sheriff, but
I'd have to say these look

a whole lot like the
murder victim's fingerprints.

All over Evan
Rafferty's medical file.

Well, it's just like
you figured, Mrs. F.

Evan didn't want Fender
looking at them, so he killed him.

Come on, Andy,
let's pick him up.

Look, Mort, I'm not
sure that it was Evan.

Oh, what, do you think it was that
Harris woman you were talking about?

It's possible, but...

Andy, that matchbook we
found in Fender's pocket.

That had two sets
of prints on it, right?

Yeah. Fender's and another one
we haven't been able to identify.

Most likely the killer's,

if he or she went
through Fender's pockets.

Okay, so we're gonna need Miss
Harris' prints along with Evan's.

Andy, check with the Hill House
and see if she's still in town.

Harris. Harris.

Hello. Front desk, please. Mort.

You were preparing a
dossier on Leo Fender.

I'm right with you, Mrs. F.
Let's see, right, here we go.

One of the guys he was convicted
with was a Rudolph James Harris.

Deceased April 19,
1980. Died in prison.

And serving the same sentence, armed
robbery and second-degree murder.

You know, Julia Harris
could be his daughter.

And there was another
accomplice named Barton.

Sheriff, do you
mind if I call Boston?

When you get that look,
what am I gonna say?

What city? Boston, please.

The Chronicle. Thank
you. Here's the number.

The Hill House says she
hasn't checked out yet.

But she's not in her room.

Yes, this is Jessica Fletcher.

I need some information fast
about a robbery and murder

that took place
in Boston in 1974.

'74.

Barton.

Barton.

All right, yes. I
am Stanley Barton.

Rudy Harris was
your father, right?

Yes, and he's dead
because of you.

And my mother.

She fell apart when
my father went to prison.

This vibrant, vital woman, and
when my father died, she lost it.

And a year later, she
was dead. In my arms.

I was 10 years old.

Miss Harris. Julia, I'm sorry.

I mean, I really am, but
none of that was my fault.

I wasn't even part
of what these guys...

Oh, come on. You don't
think I know all about it?

She told me the whole
story when I was a little girl.

And I researched it, the
newspaper, the testimonies.

And then, last month at the
Boston Symphony, there you were.

Only I wasn't
sure until tonight.

Julia, don't you realize...
Why should you?

It's all a bunch of
self-serving lies.

Leo and your father...

Lies? Lies? That you
talked them into it?

That you pulled the
trigger that killed the guard?

The jury convicted
you, for God's sake.

On their perjured testimony.

And you escaped.
But I couldn't prove it.

And spent the next 20 years a
free man, while they went to prison.

While their lives were destroyed.
While my life was destroyed!

Dad, I've got to talk...

Julia! Stay out of
this, Will! I mean it.

I was just going to take
you in and make you pay,

but that's not enough.

Hey, look, I don't know
what this is about, but...

We know what it's about.
Put the gun down, Miss Harris.

Now.

All right, let me
get this straight.

You were working at a Boston factory
with Leo Fender and Rudy Harris.

The same shift for about a year.

Anyway, there I was, waiting
for my friend to get off work

so we could go out for a beer.

Your friend Al Goudy,

the security guard
who was shot to death?

Right. So, I'm sitting
there behind the wheel,

and all of a sudden I see
these two men coming out.

Leo and Rudy,
and a second later,

there's Al Goudy, and... Stop!

Before I know it, they see me, and
Leo jumps into my car instead of theirs

and Rudy dumps his
gloves and the murder gun

into my lap just
as the cops arrive.

All right, nobody move!

The rest is history.
Badly written.

Well, not according to an old
fugitive warrant and the courts.

You were sentenced to
30-to-life for first degree murder.

Leo and Rudy
testified against me.

In exchange for a
plea to a lesser charge.

I mean, I didn't know them
well, but I had the sense

they were not the
nicest guys in the world.

Well, their criminal records
seem to bear that out.

You had none.

Jessica, I was in the wrong
place at the wrong time.

On top of which, there I was
with Rudy's gun and gloves,

powder burns and
all, sitting in my lap.

I mean, I was looking at spending
the rest of my life in prison,

so I jumped out of the van
on the way to sentencing.

I contacted Laura and I told her to
get herself and Will out of Boston,

take nothing except cash.

And I remembered Cabot Cove

because I'd visited
here with my folks,

so I told her to change her
name to Rafferty and to come here.

You shaved your mustache
and your sideburns.

And it all worked until Julia
Harris just happened to see you

at the Boston Symphony.

But I don't think Leo's
motives were the same as hers.

According to Julia's statement,

he was looking to blackmail you.

Which is what he told
you in Doc Hazlitt's office,

just before you fought and
you stabbed him to death.

Sheriff, no.

Look, I haven't had a
chance to send this over

to the lab yet for confirmation,

but earlier this evening I went to
your place with a search warrant

and I found this
lint on your shoes.

Lint that looks an awful
lot like it's gonna match

the rug in Doc Hazlitt's office.

Now, according to
his appointment book,

you haven't been
there in over a year.

Now, would you care
to comment on that?

Okay, I was there.

I'm listening.

I learned that Leo was
staying at the motel.

I wanted to see if I could talk
to him, work something out.

So, I went there,
but he was leaving,

so I followed him to Seth's.

I saw him pick the
lock and go inside,

and I had a feeling that I
knew what he was after.

Your medical records.

To help him confirm
that it was you.

So I followed him inside.

I was gonna try
to reason with him,

but he just went
ahead and hit me.

And that's all I remember.
I woke up sometime later

with a rotten headache.
The place was a mess

and that bloodstain. I
didn't know what to do,

so I just got the
hell out of there.

Look, why don't you just
save everybody the trouble

and admit that
you killed Fender?

Metzger. MAN: Hi, Sheriff,
Jimmy Taylor was also...

Who? Jimmy Taylor.

Pick him up. I'll
meet you at the office.

We got a tip that Jimmy
Taylor was seen in the vicinity

of Benson's Woods last night.

My deputies found clay from out
there on the tires of his mother's car.

But that still doesn't
get you off the hook.

Okay, the way this
lays out, Jimmy,

you were afraid
that if Leo Fender

exposed the truth
about Evan Rafferty,

there goes your
mother's marriage,

and you'd have to work
your way through college,

not to mention all the other
perks you'd be missing out on.

Mort, no...

You can't account for your
whereabouts at the time of the murder,

plus, you were seen traipsing all
over Benson's Woods all by yourself.

All right.

First of all, I
wasn't by myself.

I was with Carrie
Novak all evening.

Now look, Sheriff, if Carrie's
father finds out about that,

you know, I'm all over.

I'll be discrete. Did anyone
see the two of you together?

Excuse me, Sheriff. This
matchbook we found on the victim,

I've ID'd the
other prints on it.

They belong to Jimmy here.

Oh, my God!

Now, wait, Mom.
Please, I can explain this.

Look, this guy Fender,

Olson, whatever the
guy's name is, all right, look,

I gave him those matches
myself, at the coffee shop.

Okay, maybe.

So, that brings us
back to you, Evan.

The message I'm getting is you
had motive, means and zero alibi.

Plus, you were the only
one in town who knew

who Fender and
Julia Harris were.

The only one in
town who knew. Mort.

Mrs. F, don't say it.

No, go ahead.

I think there is someone in Cabot
Cove who knew who they were.

The killer.

Oh, Neal, I didn't expect
such a quick response.

Well, we can't have a brand
new machine fall on its face.

When Connie called to see
if we had the parts in stock,

I just told her I'd
meet her here.

So, they caught anybody
yet for that murder?

Not yet.

Hi, Jessica. Sorry I'm late.

Is everything okay, Connie?

I'm okay. Why?

I thought you might be upset

because they've got
Evan Rafferty in custody.

What are you talking about?

I think you know, Connie.

You've known everything
for years, haven't you?

Jessica, you're not
making any sense.

Are you sure? I think
that Leo Fender was killed

to keep the truth about Evan
Rafferty's past from coming out.

The only people in
Cabot Cove who knew it

were Leo Fender, Evan,
Miss Harris, and you.

That's ridiculous.
Now, how could I...

I suspect that
somewhere along the line,

you figured out that
Evan wasn't quite

who or what he claimed to be.

No, that's...

So, you did some digging
and learned the truth,

and decided that Evan wasn't
guilty of that murder and robbery.

Look, if you don't mind, I'd like
to fix your unit and get home.

Oh, there's nothing wrong
with my computer, Connie.

The truth is

you spotted Leo Fender almost
the minute he arrived in Cabot Cove.

You learned he was registered
at the Lighthouse Motel,

under an alias. Jessica.

And you phoned him there,

probably to try and buy him off.

And then yesterday
morning, using his alias,

Ronald Olson, Leo called
you back, at your office.

Plus you had a call from Mrs.
Deevers, Mr. Olson returned,

Mr. Parducci, Mrs...

Stop! I haven't
even had my coffee.

Jessica, you can't prove
any of this. Good night.

Connie. This is the
message I saw Neal give you.

Seth came across it this evening
when he was cleaning up his office,

where you dropped it
after killing Mr. Fender.

I'm quite sure the
forensics people

will find your
fingerprints all over it.

All right, yes.

I did it. I killed him. And I'd
have killed Julia Harris if I had to.

Nice, Mrs. F.

You get more mileage out
of a blank piece of paper

than almost anyone I know.

So, then you drove over to
the motel to try to talk to Leo.

When I got there,
he was just leaving.

And Evan was following him.

So you followed both
of them to Seth's office.

That's right, and when
Evan went in, I got worried.

I saw Leo hit Evan,

and then I realized he
was going to kill him.

So, I grabbed the letter opener.

No!

I made sure Evan was breathing,

then I dragged Leo to the
door and shoved him out.

And drove his body
out to Benson's Woods.

I found the murder weapon in
her dresser drawer like she said.

Found this, too.

Bunch of old clippings
from Boston newspapers.

I just couldn't believe that
he was a murderer and a thief.

Not Evan.

You've been in love with him for
a long time, haven't you, Connie?

I tried to let him know,
but I wasn't about to...

To throw myself at him.

He just never thought
of me that way.

Anyway, it's all such a pity.

Plus, such a waste. He'll probably
have to go to prison now, anyway.

Maybe not. METZGER:
Mrs. Fletcher may have

come up with a major brainstorm.

Turns out the Boston PD still
has the evidence from that case,

including the murder weapon,

and the gloves that
they found in Evan's lap.

You see, I remembered
that they didn't have

DNA testing back in 1974.

They're running 'em tomorrow
and if it turns out that Evan

or Stanley Barton
didn't wear those gloves,

and Rudy Harris did,
chances are he'll go free.

Well, you must be feeling
pretty smug, Miss Fletcher,

getting Evan off and then learning
how to drive that computer of yours.

Well, there's a lot to be
said for progress, Seth.

I mean, without that DNA test,

Evan, Marion and Jimmy's
lives would be very different.

Yeah, but don't forget the
trouble caused by that contraption.

Well, let's hope
that Evan can fix it

so that it won't make the
same kind of mistake again.

Anyway, I wouldn't
worry if I were you

because I wouldn't
dream of trying to bring you

out of the dark ages.

Thank heaven. EVAN: Oh, Seth.

Your laptop's in. We'll have
it ready for you this afternoon.