Murder, She Wrote (1984–1996): Season 10, Episode 21 - Wheel of Death - full transcript

Well, the game's afoot, Holmes!

Well, there are some new
scratches in there, Watson,

and they weren't made by a key.

I'm a roustabout. I help set up
and take down rides and tents.

You don't like your job, do you?

Well, in my business you
don't count bodies, only cash.

Are you missing something?

Why, yes, my shirt!

Just get me the
books, if you're still in.

I never could cotton to reaching
across a coffin to get an hors d'oeuvre.

After all this time
it's still eating you up



that much that I
walked out on you?

Well, there's an old
association between carnivals,

evil-doing and black magic.

Farewell.

Much better.

You see, Carmen, why the scream
must seem natural and spontaneous?

If you're terrified, the
audience will be terrified for you.

Carmen will be perfect.
So will you, Nicky.

You two kids run along.

Couldn't we rehearse it again?

No, baby. The
grown-ups want to talk.

You always want to talk when it's
time for me to prepare for my act.

And you always
have an excuse, Carl.

I'm a showman,
not a businessman.



You know what? If we
don't pay these back-taxes,

we won't have a business.

And I've gotta tell you,
cutting back on the rides,

cheap-jacking the sideshows and
the prizes, that's not gonna solve it.

You just keep crunching
those numbers, Joanna.

I'll worry about giving the
yokels their money's worth.

Listen, this booking is not gonna
begin to pay off our late loan payments.

They've just notified us, look,

if we don't pay within two
weeks, we're gonna lose the carny.

I don't wanna hear this now.

I have a performance
to think about!

Okay. Did you pick up the
permits from the Sheriff's office?

I didn't have a chance.

You'd better take care of it.

You may be the
committee chairman, Jess,

but it's a carnival,
not a fancy dress ball.

And we were supposed to meet Carl
Dorner there exactly four minutes ago.

Well, Jess, is something wrong?

You know, last time I was here

I left a cameo that Frank
gave me on our first anniversary

and several other pieces of
sentimental value in this old jewelry box.

Well, just now I was
looking for a pair of earrings,

and I discovered that
the box was empty.

Are you sure that's
where you kept them?

I'm positive.

Do you think you
could've been burgled?

Looks that way.

As if things have
been moved around.

You know, Seth. While I'm really
saddened by the loss of the cameo,

I'm even more struck by the irony of
coming back from a crime-ridden city

and finding that I was robbed
right here in Cabot Cove.

So what time did you take your
dog out last night, Miss O'Neill?

9:00. And when I
returned to my house,

I saw that a thief had broken in

and took all my good crystal

and my mother's silver tea set.

Apparently, he knew exactly how
long you and your dog had be gone.

Yes. Guinevere is regular.

You can set your watch by her.

Be with you in a second.

You know, I just need to
pick up the carnival permits.

Mort? Joanna?

Yeah. Wow!

Can you believe this?

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

It's been over 20 years.

Excuse me, but...

I'm sorry. Andy, will you go
home with Miss O'Neill, please,

and check out the premises?

Sure thing.

Maybe together we can find
some clue to help catch this burglar.

That's what I wanna hear.

Excuse me.

Coffee? Please.

You look terrific, Joanna.

Thank you. So do you.

I don't know why
I'm so surprised.

I mean, I knew I'd
run into you someday.

But in Cabot Cove, Maine?

Last time we saw each other
was on the north campus,

by the student union.

Mort, I never
wanted to hurt you.

Hey, Don Simms was a big deal.

I heard he signed
with the LA Rams

just before you and
he ran off together.

Then I read he busted
a kneecap or something.

That was the last I heard.

Well, you know, somebody told
me you had become a New York cop.

So what are you doing
all the way up here?

I like it here.

So does my wife.

I knew you were
probably married.

To the right person, I hope?

I got really lucky, Joanna.

Yeah. Well, I'd
like to meet her.

She's out of town. Brooklyn.
Her sister's birthday.

So how long you
been with the carnival?

Two years as an
assistant manager.

One year as a full partner.

Before that, you
know, other carnivals.

Don liked to keep moving.

Hey, Jo, come on! I'm
in a 10 minute zone.

How long does it take to
pick up a couple of permits?

I ran across an old friend.

Hello, Don.

Mort Metzger. A sheriff.

Well, I'll be damned.

I always figured
you'd wind up a cop.

Did you? DON: Well,
it's quite a reunion, huh?

Jo, why don't you lead
us in the old college song?

Permits are stamped and signed.

Come on.

Don't hate me.

And thank you, Madame.
Thank you very much.

All right, ladies and gentlemen,
step right up. Here they are...

Pretty flowers.
For pretty ladies.

It's beautiful, Mr. Dorner.

Thank you.

Would you happen to
have a tally sheet for me?

Oh, yeah.

We sure have.

Oh, Mr. Dorner.

Mrs. Fletcher. And Dr. Hazlitt.

Yes. We were running a bit late,

but we hoped maybe we could
talk about last night's receipts.

As luck would have it, I
just picked up the tally slip

from the ticket booth.

But I must warn you.
It's rather disappointing.

Oh.

Well, this can't be right.

We were here last night. I
mean, it seemed like a good crowd.

I mean, certainly larger
than these figures indicate.

Well, in my business, you
don't count bodies, only cash.

Many of the people you saw only
came to look at the free entertainment.

They didn't spend a nickel.

Unless they spent money on
tickets to buy food and amusement,

they weren't here.

You're quite right, Mr. Dorner,
I mean, it's very disappointing.

Yeah, maybe it'll pick up today.

Perhaps the extra radio
announcements will help.

Mmm.

Doctor, you planning on coming
to our little magic show at 2:00?

Oh! I'm afraid I don't hold
much with hocus-pocus.

Believe me, he wouldn't
miss it for the world.

Anyway, I have to
prepare. See you folks later.

Well, I suppose I'd
better get started.

Well, good luck. I'm
gonna take a look around.

Come one! Come all! Over here!

Three balls for one ticket.

All you have to do is knock the
bottles off and you win a prize!

Step right up! The
young people first!

I lost him.

Don't sweat it.

He's taking his pre-show
siesta in his trailer.

That trailer. Does he
use that for his office, too?

Office, dressing room,
sleeping quarters.

Then he keeps
his books in there?

I guess he would, yeah.

But he doesn't
like to be disturbed.

Don't disturb him.
Just get me the books.

If you're still in.

I'm in, but...

If you're in, you're
in all the way.

Now just do it.

I'm on my break, Lisa.
See you later. Okay.

Oh, that's a good idea.

Hi.

How many tickets, please?

Oh, none. I work here.

I was just wondering why I'd
never seen you around before.

Oh, I'm just a
charity volunteer.

I mean, I live in Cabot Cove.

Well, it looks
like a great town.

Well, that's about it.

What do you do for the carnival?

I'm a roustabout.

I don't know what that is.

I help set up and take
down rides and tents,

and whatever else
they tell me to do.

My name's Toby. I'm Lisa.

Well, I take my break as
soon as my friend gets back.

I'll be working on the midway.

Hope I didn't frighten
away your young man.

No, I just met him.
He's a roustabout.

A roustabout. Hmm.

Tell me, how are your parents?

Oh, they're fine.

Well, I'm certainly
glad to hear that.

Lisa! Have you got a minute?

Excuse me, Mrs. Fletcher.

Oh, if you're in that
much of a hurry, go ahead.

The carnival people
underestimated the size of the turnout.

They called me with a big order for
hot dogs and stuff from my deli section.

Well, congratulations.

And to show my
appreciation, Lisa, honey,

I'd like to buy $100
worth of tickets.

Oh, wow. That is very
generous, Richard.

Thank you very much.

Just give me a minute
to count out the tickets.

Oh, I can get them later when I
pick you up to go to the magic show.

If that's all right with
you, Mrs. Fletcher?

It's not up to me.

Well, I can switch my afternoon
maybe with one of the other girls.

I mean, I'd like
to see the show.

Okay. I'll be back at 1:30.

I don't know. I went to a couple of
movies and a bingo game with him.

It was better than nothing
on a Saturday night.

But not much. He's
so full of himself.

Lisa, Mr. Dorner mentioned that he picked
up last night's tally sheet from you.

Do you have a copy for me?

Actually, he told me that it wasn't
necessary to make another one.

But I spilled diet
soda on the first one...

But you can still read it.

Oh, my! I certainly can.

This will be very
helpful. Thank you, Lisa.

Can I buy you a beer, Sheriff?

Thanks. One root
beer's my limit.

Things running smooth?
Yeah. Smooth enough.

Do you ever think about
when we were in college?

Well, to be honest,
not a whole lot.

I do.

I really screwed up, didn't I?

Hey, we all make choices.

True.

Sheriff.

Oh, excuse me, Ms. Simms.

Sheriff, can we talk?

Yeah. Mrs. Fletcher's
home was burglarized

and I gotta go
over it with her. Oh.

What are you crazy? This
isn't how the game is played!

Well, if it's not,
it ought to be!

They couldn't have
won all these prizes!

Come on. They've gotta
give 'em back. We did!

Over my dead body!

Hold it! Hold it! Hold it
here! What's this all about?

Sheriff, arrest this man!

He's trying to rob these children
of prizes they won fair and square.

That's right! Each
and every one of them

knocked down all those bottles.

Okay. Is that right, Don?

Oh, give me a break.

The bottle has to be knocked
clean off the table to win a prize.

That's the way the
game is always played.

Yes. But the sign says,
"Knock down the bottles."

I mean, shouldn't it also say, "Knock
down all the bottles off the tables"?

These kids are smart.

A sign that said
something dumb like that,

they wouldn't have
wasted their money.

All right. Listen up, kids,
you can all keep your prizes.

Just go play somewhere else for now, huh?
- Yay!

Close it up, Don. What?

It doesn't play in Cabot Cove.

You're as crazy as
Mort, you know that?

Maybe you should
have married him.

Marvelous magician.

Come right away, ladies and
gentlemen, it'll been sold out.

Next show's in a little while.

Wow!

Hi. Hi.

Don't you ever get a break?

I get lunch right
after I finish this.

What is it?

Test your strength.

Hit the bell and you impress your
girl and win her a cheapo prize.

You don't like your job, do you?

I need to work.

I'm taking a year off between
high school and college

to help earn
money for my tuition.

Do they hire girl roustabouts?

I've never met one. But
women are working everywhere.

Watch yourself.

Stop it, you jerk!

I don't want that thing
in front of my trailer!

I told you I want it across
from the Whirlwind ride.

Well, no, you didn't,
sir. You said that you...

I know what I said. You're
just too dumb to listen.

Oh, I'll show you where I
want it myself. Now move!

No doors or windows
are broken or jimmied.

No sign of forced entry.

By any chance, Mrs. F, did you
happen to leave your door unlocked

or a key under the mat?

Oh, no. I mean, living in
New York cured me of that.

Well, whoever he is, our
burglar does his homework.

He takes no chances of
being surprised at his work.

Except for yours and
Miss O'Neill's place,

all the others were rented by
weekenders, who were back in the city.

And no fingerprints,
or other clues?

Nope.

Some people are already blaming
the carnival for the burglaries,

but I find that hard to believe.
It just opened last night.

Well, there's an old
association between carnivals,

evil-doing, and black magic.

And picking locks?

That's the MO on the others.

By any chance, would
you happen to have

a magnifying glass
and a flashlight?

Oh, of course. I must say,

picking a lock would be a
lot easier than black magic.

And my kitchen door
doesn't face the street.

Well, the game's afoot, Holmes.

Uh-huh.

Let's see what
we've got over here.

Well, there are some new
scratches in there, Watson,

and they weren't made by a key.

Hmm.

Mort, what did the burglar
steal from those rented houses?

TV sets, VCRs, computers?

No, he, or she, didn't
take any of those things.

They took a tiffany lamp, an
antique knife, some cut glass.

Listen, I'm gonna put a description of
your missing items on the police wire.

By any chance are you gonna
need a ride back to the carnival?

Oh, please. Yes.

I have some unfinished
business with Mr. Dorner.

And we don't want to
miss the black magic.

What are you looking
for? Maybe I can help.

How long have you been there?

Long enough to make up my mind
you're trying to steal something from Carl.

No, really. It's not
the way it looks.

My God, this is embarrassing.

Nicky? Oh, hi, Joanna.

Nicky, did you find my ring?

My engagement ring
from Nicky, it was loose.

After Carl called me in to talk
about the knife-throwing act,

I suddenly realized it was gone.

I was standing where Nicky is
now, so I thought it might have

fallen into one of
the desk drawers.

You thought that?

Couldn't you find it, Nicky?

No.

Let me look.

Oh! There, under the desk.

I never met a man yet
who could find anything.

Here. Put it back on.

Gotta get ready for the show.

Cute.

Boy, you palmed that
thing like a real expert.

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

What are you talking about?

I looked. I looked through
everything. It's not there.

Now, look again. I looked!

Why do we have to
wait until after the show?

I say we turn Dorner
over to Mort right now.

He gave us a short
count on the ticket sales

which will cost our charity a
certain percentage of the take.

That, I believe, is
called skimming.

Yes. But I hate to disappoint all the
people who bought tickets to see his show.

Well, that's his
fault, isn't it, not ours.

Besides, we'd have
to refund all the money.

Oh. Good point.

Why don't I stay outside
here till after the show

just in case he tries
to make a run for it?

Well, the charity committee
all have seats in the front row

where Mr. Dorner
is bound to see us.

Now maybe that will convince
him that we are serious.

Remind me to tell you
how much I hate card tricks.

Joanna! Joanna,
wait, we have to talk.

Listen, Carl keeps
talking about retiring.

Get him to do it
now, you take over

and we can run
this thing together.

God, Don, I wish.

Maybe if you'd stop drinking.

Maybe if you were a little
more supportive once in a while.

I gotta go inside.

Joanna.

We could turn
this turkey around!

Sure we could.

And now, ladies and gentlemen,

a scientific
demonstration to prove

that the hand is
quicker than the eye.

Miss Joanna, if you please.

I shall need two volunteers
from the audience.

You. The handsome young
man with the pretty girl.

No way.

Yeah. Come on. I dare you.

Come on.

Come on, Dicky. Get up
there. Don't be chicken.

An excellent start.

I shall need one
more to make a set.

Oh, Doctor... Hmm?

Come on.

Oh, no! Not on
your life! Come on!

Go ahead, Seth,
what've you got to lose?

My dignity, that's what.

No! No! I simply won't do it.

Well, not even in the
name of sweet charity?

How many of you would pay for an
extra ticket to see Dr. Hazlitt go up there

on that stage?

It's show time!

Thank you, Miss Joanna.
Doctor, over here, if you will.

And who are you?

Richard Binyon.

Mr. Binyon, do you
know Dr. Hazlitt?

Sure.

Would you say he has the
reputation of being a great gardener?

Not that I know of.

Oh?

Where do you suppose
these came from?

I hope you didn't steal
'em from a patient's room.

Doctor, would you kindly
hold these for me, please?

Thank you. Thank you very...

Oh, as a matter of fact,

I think it would be so
much more becoming

if you were to
hold it in two hands.

Yes. Just like that!

That's a whole lot better.
Thank you. Thank you.

Now, Richard, what is it
that you do for a living?

I manage a grocery store.

Oh? Well, this should
come as no surprise.

Are you giving your
girlfriend a sausage necklace?

Hold both hands out
straight in front of you.

That's it, with the wrists
together. Very good.

Just like that. Thank you.

Thank you very, very much.

Doctor, would you kindly raise
the flowers high in your right hand?

Can't you obey orders?

I'll bet you don't cut on
a dotted line, do you?

No, you're not that
sort of person, are you?

Doctor, do you have everything?

Well, I'm missing my shirt!

Not to mention
something else, too!

Well, fortunately, these items
turned up in lost and found.

A wallet,

and also a wrist watch.

And, yes, indeed, your shirt!

And, Richard, I believe
that these belong to you.

Ah! A wristwatch,

and we have here a money-clip!

And, oh, dear.

Oh, dear. It seems
that we also have some

unmentionables.

Let's hear it for Doc and Dicky!

Don't try this at
home, boys and girls.

And always be sure
the hand in your pocket

is your own.

And so, farewell.

I have never been
so embarrassed.

I have to deliver groceries to
some of these people tomorrow.

Toby. Hi!

I was looking for you.

Dorner dumped a lot
of extra work on me.

Hey, I'm sorry you had to
see him chew me out that way.

Yeah. I felt really bad for you.

Listen, I don't get off
till we close at 11:30

and I don't have a car.

Well, my parents
should be asleep by then.

Maybe I could just
borrow my dad's.

Great.

Meet me at the Whirlwind.

- Go, Elizabeth!
- Go!

Toby?

Are you kidding me?

You've got to be mad! You've
got a whole lot more than this!

You're not gonna jerk me around!

You mess with me and I'll see
you're sent to the slammer for life!

Hey! Hey! What the...

Judge Boland,
it's Sheriff Metzger.

I'm sorry to wake you
so early, Your Honor,

but I need a legal
piece of paper

to stop the carnival from
packing up the murder scene

and leaving this morning
with all the suspects.

Oh, that's terrific.

Yeah. I'll send a deputy
right over. Thanks, your honor.

So what do we know?

Apparently, he was dead

before the killer strapped
him into that whirligig car.

That stab wound was compatible
with the knife that you found.

But why put him on that ride
and turn the music on full blast?

Maybe it seemed like
a good idea at the time.

Just like going home
to bed seems now.

See you.

Sheriff. Later on, Doc.

Yeah, Andy? Oh, listen, I want you
to run over to Judge Boland's house

and pick up an
injunction right away.

Right. Listen, Joanna Simms is
waiting for you in Carl Dorner's trailer.

There was a break-in. Thanks.

Reminds me of
your room in college.

So how far away were you?

Oh, just a couple
of trailers away.

All I could hear was the
Whirlwind's music cranked way up.

Yeah. Well, that's probably
why the killer turned it on.

Yes. To cover the
sound of breaking in here.

He kills Carl, breaks into his
trailer looking for something

while everyone else is at the Whirlwind
seeing what's going on, except you.

Oh, I was there, too.

I mean, on my way back, I saw the
smashed door, I ran to the midway.

I got a deputy and
had him call you.

Where was Don during
all the excitement?

Where he is now. In bed.

After a few drinks he could
sleep through an artillery barrage.

Does he have a problem?

I'm afraid you're looking at it.

What time did he go to bed?

Well, he was there when I
came in after the last show,

around 20 minutes after 10.

He was asleep all night.

Well, how can you be so sure?

What? Are you playing good
cop, bad cop all by yourself?

Don didn't kill Carl.
He didn't have a motive.

He had the same motive you had.

As Carl's partner, if he
dies, you get his half, right?

Maybe you should talk to Nicky.

The knife thrower? Why?

I found him in here
yesterday afternoon.

He was going
through Carl's desk.

Well, why didn't
you tell me that?

'Cause he's a good kid.
He didn't take anything.

I didn't want to
get him into trouble.

Until it came down
to him or Don.

Sit down.

Nicodemus Newton?

It's a family name.

We found this under
the Whirlwind ride,

about 15 feet away from
where footprints indicate

you struggled with the deceased.

I tell you, I didn't
struggle with anybody.

I've never seen
that knife before!

Then where were you
last night around midnight?

I wasn't on the carnival midway at
the Whirlwind ride killing Carl Dorner.

I didn't ask you
where you weren't.

You were seen trespassing in Carl
Dorner's trailer yesterday afternoon.

Now where were you at
the time of the murder?

I can't tell you that, sorry.

Mr. Newton, if you tell
the Sheriff where you were,

he will make every effort to find a
witness who will verify your story.

You don't know my story.

We would if you told it to us!

This has been an exhausting
few days, Mr. Newton, for all of us.

I took an oath on a Gideon
Bible that I wouldn't tell anybody.

I can't go back on my word.

There's this man who
always wears a gray suit.

He's been hanging around the
carnival lately, talking to Nicky.

I think maybe Nicky was
having a meeting with him.

We wouldn't have to be
out here talking like this,

but my trailer, forget it, there's
not enough room to turn around in.

Don't worry.

Carmen, you told the Sheriff

that it was too dark for you to recognize
the woman you saw leaving the murder scene.

Could it have been Joanna Simms?

I think it was somebody younger.

Sheriff, look what we found.

Well, well, well.

Looks like Mrs. Fletcher's hunch
about the Gideon Bible paid off, huh?

Yeah. Found him down at the
Lighthouse Motel, Room Six.

Gray suit hanging in the closet,

and he was sitting on the bed in
his underwear reading the good book.

Oh, boy.

I should have known.

Honest, I didn't
tell them a thing.

You're his alibi for the murder.
What do you get out of it?

Did you say murder?

Somebody killed Carl Dorner.

You know those doctored
books I couldn't find?

Somebody trashed his
trailer looking for them.

Somebody else has
the books? Hold it!

Andy, get this guy's ID. I bet
he's got a rap sheet a mile long.

And I'm in just the mood
to toss the book at him.

I've got a better idea.

Why don't we
exchange identification?

I'm Sherman Hastings, of
the Internal Revenue Service.

What's your name, Sheriff?

Oh, Mrs. Fletcher!

Have you seen Lisa
today? No, I haven't.

Is something wrong, Toby?

Well, I'm not sure.
I called her house.

Her mother said Lisa didn't
want to talk to anybody.

When I insisted,

she said she'd call the police
on the other line if I didn't hang up.

I don't know what happened.

Well, when did you last see her?

Yesterday afternoon. We made
a date to meet last night at 11:30.

I waited till 12:00. She
never even showed up.

Where were you supposed to meet?

We were supposed
to meet at the Whirl...

Oh, God!

Toby, I have to get into town
right away. Do you have a car?

No. Maybe Don Simms
can give us a ride in...

Hey, Don!

Oh, Mr. Simms!

Mr. Simms!

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

Oh, come on, Joanna, the books.

The one with the real
expense and profit numbers,

and the one you discovered Carl Dorner
had phonied up to cheat the tax collector

and charities like Cabot Cove's

who sponsor your
engagements all over the country.

Where did you get that idea?

From Mrs. Fletcher, and a very
frustrated gentleman from the IRS.

Carl Dorner was cheating
you, too, wasn't he?

Keeping more
than half the profits.

You think I killed Carl?

No. No, I don't.

I think you had Don do it.

Joanna Simms, I'm placing you under
arrest for conspiracy to commit murder.

My God, Mort.

After all this time, it's still
eating you up that much

that I walked out on you?

Now, don't get me wrong, Mrs. F.

I really hated having
to arrest Joanna Simms.

But there was no choice.

She found out that Dorner
was stealing so much off the top

he was destroying the carnival.

It was kind of
his way of retiring.

She's a very strong woman
with a very weak husband

and he did whatever
she told him to do.

Are you quite sure of that?

Well, he ran off and left
her to face it alone, didn't he?

Yes, he ran. And probably
took the ledger that shows

Dorner's financial
sleight of hand with him.

Yeah. The one Nicky the knife thrower
was so anxious to get his hands on

so he could collect a
big reward from the IRS.

Don't worry, we'll catch Simms.

Which leaves me
with another question.

What the person who smashed his way
into Mr. Dorner's trailer was looking for.

Certainly not a ledger,

considering the small
spaces in which he looked.

And if Don was the
killer, why the rush?

With Mr. Dorner dead, he
had all the time in the world.

What are you saying?
Don wasn't the killer?

Well, he couldn't have been
the Cabot Cove burglar, either.

If his wife is to be believed.

I mean, when the first
houses were robbed,

he was with the carnival
in Memphis, Tennessee.

And at this time, the burglar
wasn't making a leisurely search.

He was in a frenzy to find
what he was looking for.

Which brings up
another question.

I'll get it.

Hi, Lisa. How are you?

She's fine, so just
don't make a fuss.

Now why would I make a fuss
over the prettiest girl in Cabot Cove?

Come in, Lisa.

Hi, Mrs. Fletcher. Are
those for your spring garden?

Yes.

And if I don't get these in the
ground before I go to New York,

I won't have a spring garden.

There are some cookies
and milk in the kitchen.

Sounds good to me.

Go on.

Those wouldn't be peanut
butter cookies, would they?

Don't be mad. I had to see you.

I'm not so smart.

I didn't figure it out until Mrs. Fletcher
told me what probably happened.

See, you were late.

So I thought that you
weren't coming, and I left.

And in the dark, you saw
Mr. Dorner fighting with somebody

you couldn't make
out. So you thought that

it was me who killed him.

I thought it, Toby,
but I couldn't believe it.

I'm really sorry.

It's okay.

I should've waited longer.

Oh, Lisa, I was so
worried about you.

I've never had anybody
to worry about before. It's...

It's like a whole new...

Hi. How's it going?

Aside from not having feta
cheese dressing for my salad?

You know, you really should get
some nice curtains for these cells.

If I have to stay here overnight,
it's going to get a little public.

Yeah. Well, the usual custom is
to put up female guests in a hotel.

Isn't that sexist?

Can... May I come in?

I really don't like talking
to you through bars.

Be my guest.

Let's see, what can I offer you?

I have some wilted
lettuce here. I have nice...

Joanna, cut it out.

Please. Just talk to me.

Well, that would make my
being here seem reasonable

and it's not, it's contemptible.

Now, listen, this has
nothing to do with us.

Okay. Yes. It was
like a kick in the teeth

when you took off and
left me standing on the dock

with two tickets to the love
boat. But, hey, I got over that.

And to tell you the
truth, I really owe you.

If you hadn't been in my life,

I might not have realized
what I found when I met Adele.

I wish I could say
something like that.

I'm really sorry for
you that you can't.

Anyway, you don't have a
case against me and you know it.

I was Carl Dorner's
victim, not his murderer.

Well, then why didn't you
just come to me and say,

"Arrest that man, he's a thief."

Because I didn't
know how deep it ran.

I wanted to see if there was
something I could save out of it.

It was my life.

I didn't murder Carl, I
didn't tell Don to murder Carl.

Well, then why did he run?

Maybe he was afraid of you.

Maybe he was afraid that
you'd put him into prison

for what we did to
you 22 years ago.

Visitors Day is over. Don't forget
to lock the door when you go out.

Sheriff, they caught Don
Simms up at Rocky Point.

They're bringing him in.

So what'd you plan
on doing with this?

I didn't plan on
doing anything with it.

I just thought you couldn't
make a case against Joanna

if you didn't have Carl's books.

Well, I'll just let
the IRS handle this.

I would've thought you'd have been
a lot farther away than Rocky Point.

I had no idea that you'd think
that Joanna and I did it together.

That'd take teamwork.

We weren't much of a team.

That was my fault
as much as yours.

I never gave you
much of a chance.

Hey, I wasn't much
of a prize, either.

Well, maybe with some
work, we can get it right.

I hate to remind you, but you're
both still facing a murder charge.

Jess, I know what you're
thinking, but you are wrong.

They did it. Period.
End of report.

Well, maybe you're right, Seth.

I kept trying to somehow connect
the murder to those burglaries.

I mean, the murder weapon
was an antique, after all.

Well, it's too nice a
day to spend at a wake.

That's not my kind of party.

I never could cotton to reaching
across a coffin to get an hors d'oeuvre.

We owe it to the carnival
to honor Carl Dorner.

And I hear it won't be an
ordinary wake, anyway.

It should be quite interesting,

something we can
chalk up to experience.

Leave it to you to find a moral
imperative in pure nonsense.

Ow!

What was the "ouch" for?

I keep snagging this hangnail.

You wouldn't happen to have a
pair of clippers handy, would you?

Oh! Oh, I've got a manicure
kit around here someplace.

Here it is.

Hmm.

You've got an odd
look on your face, Jess.

This kit...

It looks almost like
a wallet, doesn't it?

Of course.

That's why the lock was smashed.

He kept the wallet,
only it wasn't...

What wasn't?

Who kept what wallet?

Seth, who is in
charge of this wake?

Young woman by the name of
Carmen is making all the arrangements.

Then I have to talk to
Carmen. Let's be on our way!

Well, I wouldn't
miss it for the world.

Probably just like any
other wake with jugglers,

fire-eaters and
sword swallowers.

Look at that.

See, I told you this
would be fantastic.

Oh, my God!

Whoa! That's what I call classy.

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome.

We are here today to honor
a tradition as much as a man.

The traveling carnival is
an endangered species

and I would like to thank the Cabot
Cove business community for their support,

especially Richard Binyon
of Binyon's Fine Foods,

who has so generously donated
the refreshments for this afternoon.

Richard, will you please come
up here where we can all see you?

- Way to go, Richard.
- Thanks, Richard.

We honor thee, O
mystifying Mephisto!

Can I go back to my seat now?

Not yet, Richard.

The fun is just beginning.

Oh, no. Not again!

Did you bring another snack
with you today, Richard?

A snack?

Arms up high. Up
high. You ticklish?

I know what you're trying to do.

But I'm not gonna let
you pick my pockets.

Oh, you are much too
clever for me, Richard!

Let's see what we
have in lost and found.

A comb for that
well-groomed look.

A nice money-clip.
And a thick wallet.

That's mine.

But why would you need
a wallet and a money-clip?

Give that to me.
Maybe it's not a wallet.

It doesn't feel like a wallet.

It feels like there's
something inside.

Damn it! Would you
give that to me, please?

No, actually, I think I'd rather
give it to Jessica Fletcher.

That's not mine, Mrs.
Fletcher. She planted it on me.

That does not belong to me.

Richard, you don't want to talk about
this in front of all these people, do you?

No. No, I don't.

Why don't we go down to my
office where it's nice and quiet?

Yesterday at the magic
show, I saw the magician

take some things from
you without your knowledge.

A watch and a wallet,
and a money-clip.

And we have here a...

And then I saw him
give back what he took.

He returned your
watch and a money-clip,

and as a joke, he threw
in a pair of undershorts.

And some unmentionables.

But it wasn't until
a little while ago,

when I mistook my
wallet for my manicure kit,

that I remembered he
never returned your wallet.

And it occurred to me that
maybe your wallet was not a wallet,

but something so incriminating

that just to have it on your person
could cause you to be arrested,

and Carl Dorner realized that.

It was this professional
set of lock picks.

The ones you used to
burglarize houses all over town.

So he tried to blackmail
you for it, and you killed him.

All right, yes. I committed
those burglaries.

But I didn't kill anybody.

But you did, Richard.

Mrs. Fletcher recognized the
murder weapon as a genuine antique.

The Fitzpatricks had reported

an Elizabethan dagger stolen
from their weekend place,

so we faxed 'em
a picture of this,

and they identified
it as being theirs.

He told me to meet him
after the carnival ended.

At 11:30 I waited for
him by the Whirlwind ride.

He said that it would cost me
$10,000 to get my lock picks back.

He threatened me. He said I'd
spend the rest of my life in jail,

so I stabbed him.

He didn't have the
lock picks on him,

so I put him in a car on
the wheel, and turned it on.

And the music.

Because you had to smash the lock,
and you wanted to muffle the sound.

Only you came up empty,
the lock picks were missing.

How did you get those?

We didn't, Richard.
That's my manicure kit.

I think this one's yours.

You were right, Mrs. Fletcher.

We gave Carl Dorner's
trailer a closer look

and found this where
he must've hidden it.

In the generator compartment.

When I took over my
father's grocery store,

I hated it.

It was shabby.

I started to remodel it,
to turn it into the kind of

down east, cracker-barrel
place the tourists would go for.

I didn't know it
would cost so much.

I borrowed all I could.
Then I had to steal.

Little things at first, out of people's
houses when I made my deliveries

and then a man I met in a
bar sold me a little kit of tools

for opening people's houses
when they weren't home.

I never thought that
I'd end up, you know,

murdering somebody.

Andy.

Oh, don't tell me the
cookies are all gone?

Oh, Seth, I'm sorry. I haven't
had time to make a second batch.

Perhaps you better make two batches if
young Toby's gonna hang around town.

I thought he left
with the carnival?

Oh, no. Lisa's father's given
him a job making lawn furniture

until college
starts in the fall.

Fletcher residence.

Hello. This is Adele.
Oh, hello, Adele.

Who's this? Seth Hazlitt.

Mort there? Yes, yes.
He is. I'll give him to you.

Right here. Oh, thank you.

Hello, sweetheart. When
are you coming home?

Oh, that's terrific. Because
I miss you something crazy!

Oh! What're you kidding? Me,
get into trouble? In this town?