Murder, She Wrote (1984–1996): Season 10, Episode 8 - Love & Hate in Cabot Cove - full transcript

FEMALE NARRATOR:
Tonight on Murder, She Wrote.

Book me right now. Otherwise,
get the hell out of here.

I won't be scared off.

If Jessica Fletcher is not back in the
dining room in exactly one minute...

A man with Keramides' connections
would've used a hired killer.

Who would have been professional
enough to kill the right man.

BENNETT: Well, I think my
luck's about ready to change.

Uh, can I get a
little more credit?

I ran into Candace Bennett.

She... misses you.

We swore we'd
always be together.



Don't, okay? Stop it.

I will not allow my daughter
to marry filth like you!

And who's your murderer?

One possibility would
be the casino owner.

If this new computer
is so advanced,

why can't I find the
Fairborn Case in here?

Look under, "Theft, auto."

Did you program this? Yeah.

(SIGHING) I used to be able
to find it under "Fairborn, Julius"

when I had a real file
cabinet, with real files,

on real paper that I could read.

(BEEPING)

I think your old file cabinet is
still out back in the store room.

Well, thanks, Andy.
I'll just check it out.



(GUN COCKING)

Sheriff! Sheriff!

(TIRES SQUEALING)

I thought sure you were dead.

I'm okay. Somebody's
a lousy shot.

You get a look at the shooter?

No, but I got a pretty
good idea who it was.

LAURA: Sam. Hi.

(PHONE RINGING)

Sam Bennett's office.
Oh, hello, Jessica.

No.

No, no. I'm afraid
he hasn't come in yet.

Yes, I certainly will.

Goodbye.

Sam, that's the second
time she's called today.

She said it was important.

Well, it's all right,
honey, I'll handle it.

I'll put dinner on the table.

No, no, no. Uh...

I got another
appointment. Thanks.

(EXHALES)

(CHUCKLING)

JESSICA: I usually get very little mail
from Cabot Cove at my New York apartment.

Oh, now, Jess...

I know, you hate
to write letters.

Worse than sitting
through the ballet.

Well, the point is, I
suddenly received

an absolute avalanche of
mail that I wasn't expecting.

Overdue notices from
storekeepers, utility companies,

a bank statement that bore no
resemblance to my own records,

and a lien from a carpenter
who worked on my house.

And I thought the big
reason for coming home

was that you would chair
the annual rummage sale.

Well, it was, until I consulted
with my New York accountant.

He said that my Cabot Cove
financial situation was a shambles,

and I should have an audit.

Well, I thought I owed it to Sam
Bennett to hear his side of it first,

and now, I'm afraid, he
seems to be avoiding me.

Now, Jess, you've known
Sam as long as I have...

Near 25 years.

You know, Frank was one
of his first accounting clients.

(CHUCKLING) He
always swore by him,

and that's what makes
it so darned difficult.

With all your woes,

I'm surprised you have the
wherewithal to buy my dinner.

This is the first time

I've been back in the old Inn
since the management changed.

The food has
definitely improved,

but somehow I get the feeling

you didn't offer this treat just
to hear my gourmet critique.

Well, the truth is, I feel
like I'm walking on eggs.

Look, I know you're
also a client of Sam's,

and I was wondering if
possibly you might have...

Good evening, Mrs.
Fletcher, Dr. Hazlitt.

Lou Keramides.
We met last month.

I believe it was a charity
fund-raising event, huh?

(LAUGHING) I don't
recall which one that was.

Probably the Animal Lovers.

Raising money to buy
fur hats for bald squirrels.

(LAUGHING) As a matter of
fact, I'm in charge of the next event,

a rummage sale that
begins in a few days.

Well, I guess I walked
right into that one, didn't I?

Allow me to, uh,

donate a pair of gold cuff
links that I never wear anymore.

Well, thank you.
That's very generous.

Always glad to
help a worthy cause.

Sir, there's a call
for you upstairs.

Will you please excuse me?

Business always seems to intrude

just when I'm enjoying myself.

Would you get these nice
people a bottle of champagne

from my private
collection? On the house.

Oh, that isn't necessary.

No, no, no, I insist.

Thank you.

Smooth. Too smooth.

(PEOPLE CHATTERING)

BENNETT: Get on it, Dave!
What's the matter with you?

I got it. Look at
me, I'm losing!

You're not losing a damn thing.

(ALL CHATTERING)

All right, sir, put
nine in your future.

A little love. Ow!
Oh, a pair of deuces!

(ALL GROANING)

Good evening, Mr. Bennett.
How are things going?

Well, I think my luck's
about ready to change.

Uh, can I get a
little more credit?

Jim, okay Mr. Bennett
for a thousand.

Is that enough, Mr. Bennett? Oh,
that's more than enough, thanks.

Yeah.

All right, Dave... MAN:
Here we go, here we go...

help me with my mortgage, now,

help me with my mortgage.

Uh, Judge Long?
This is Sheriff Metzger.

I hope I'm not
disturbing you, sir.

ETHAN: Good
evening, Mrs. Bennett.

Well, look, Your Honor,
this is rather urgent,

I need another search
warrant for the Timber Lane Inn.

So, Candace, what're you doing?

Yeah?

(LAUGHING) I'm sorry,
sir, I didn't hear that.

Ethan, do mind holding
it down? I can't hear.

Oh, I'm sorry.

Oh, yes, sir, I have a
ton of probable causes.

The most important of which is,
somebody took a shot at me tonight.

And besides getting another tip,

I did some checking on the
background of the proprietor.

Look, it's kind of hard to
talk here... That's correct, sir.

I'll cruise on over
a little later, okay?

CANDACE: I'm not sure coming
over to my house is such a good idea.

Well, because my father
is usually in a foul mood

when he has to work late
with a client at the office,

and he'll blow smoke out of
his ears if he finds you here.

(LAUGHS)

So, Ethan, do you have any idea
why my father doesn't like you?

Honest, honey, I
haven't got a clue.

That's great.
Thanks, Your Honor.

I'll pick it up on
the way. Bye, now.

I don't know why... Ethan, grab a
couple of riot guns from the rack.

That's okay, I'll get
'em. Let's move it.

Ethan, get off
the phone, please.

ETHAN: I'll have
a talk with him.

Look, honey, I gotta go.
I'll see you later, okay?

Guess who's coming to dinner?

Candace. She loves
to cook dinner for me.

Just wish she'd learn how.

(ALARM BLARING)

Hurry, please. Free
drinks at the bar.

That's good, that's good.

This way out.

Good, good, good. Move on...

Of all the rotten luck.
I was just getting hot.

Well, you'll have another
chance, Mr. Bennett.

This way, please. And remember,

we rely on your discretion.

Good.

(PEOPLE CHATTERING)

Jessica, Seth. What a surprise.

Evening, Sam.

Sam, I've been
trying to reach you.

I know. I'm sorry, I've
been out on an audit all day.

I just finished. Well,
you must be hungry.

Why don't you just join us?

No, no, no. I stopped
by on the way home.

I already had a bite.

But I gotta get going. Laura
doesn't like to be in the house alone.

Oh, I thought Candace had returned
from Boston and was living at home.

Well, you know,
she's got her own life.

When can you and I talk?

Have you got any
free time tomorrow?

Oh, I'll make it. All
right, I tell you what,

I'll look at my calendar in the
morning, and I'll give you a call.

If you can work me in, Sam,

I'd like to talk, too.

Oh, sure, Seth.

JASON: Where do you think you're
going? Just one moment, please.

If you don't get outta my
way, pal, you're gonna wind up

with footprints all over your shiny
brass buttons. Whoa, whoa, whoa.

It's all right, Jason. Another
anonymous phone call, Sheriff?

Oh, yeah, Mr. Keramides.

And even more reason to believe

that there's illegal
gambling on the premises.

Like your connection with two
casino owners in Atlantic City.

Here's a search warrant.

I want to see your
upstairs banquet room now.

(CHUCKLING) Very well.

This way, gentlemen.

They seem awfully
intent on going up there.

Oh, yeah.

I doubt they're here
for the lobster ravioli.

We use it for, uh,
engagement parties,

banquets, bar mitzvahs...

And occasional
canasta parties, right?

Occasionally, yes.

Sheriff,

why do you insist on
wasting everybody's time?

Well, if it's such
a waste of time,

why did you have somebody
take a shot at me earlier tonight?

Sheriff, if you are officially
accusing me of attempted murder,

I suggest you book me right now.

Otherwise, get
the hell out of here.

Just keep this in mind, pal,

I won't be scared off.

Not only am I gonna
close your gambling casino,

but I'm gonna put you away.

(CLASSICAL MUSIC PLAYING)

Honest to God, I don't know
how you can listen to that music.

It's good for the soul, Chad.

It's coming all the way
from Berlin, Germany.

Oh, no kidding. And I thought
it was coming from Motown.

You been drinking? No.

Are you ready to knock off?

Not yet. Uh, I've
still got a lot to do.

Guess what?

I ran into Candace Bennett
today, at the post office.

She said to say hello. No.

She... misses you.

Mother, she doesn't care
whether I'm alive or dead.

Well, I think that's a
terrible thing to say.

It's called the truth.
I'm trying to live with it.

I'll see you when you get home.

(CREAKING)

What's wrong? I heard something.

Who's there?

What the hell are
you doing here?

Daddy. It's all right.

It's me, Mr. Bennett,
it's Ethan Loomis.

I was just checking
the neighborhood.

Get in the house.

Dad, I'm not a teenager.

As long as you live under
my roof, you do as you're told.

Now, get in the house.

In the house, out
of the car, now!

Ethan, I'm sorry.

It's all right. I'll talk
to you tomorrow.

(SIGHING) You know, I wish
we could be friends, Mr. Bennett.

I am going to
marry your daughter.

I will not allow my daughter
to marry filth like you!

That's really very
unkind, Mr. Bennett. Is it?

I saw you the other night,

going into Lou
Keramides' office.

The two of you
are thick as thieves!

Yeah, well, don't
forget, I saw you, too.

And I had to wonder where
you were getting all that money

you were losing at
craps. Get out of here.

I will marry Candace. I
said, get the hell out of here!

Evening, Mr. Bennett.

JESSICA: I'm sorry to
call you over here this early,

but I find myself
in a predicament,

involving my accountant.

Okay, Mrs. F., but
if you don't mind,

there's something I'd like
to talk about with you first.

My fan mail.

Just pick any one of those at
random, and read it out loud.

All right.

"Sheriff, you are
not wanted here.

"Go back to New York before we are
forced to send you back in a pine box."

Good heavens,
are they all like that?

Oh, that's one of
the milder ones.

And last night, to top it off,
someone fired a shotgun at me.

Mort, that's terrible.

Do you have any idea who it was?

Oh, sure.

Lou Keramides, the owner
of the Timber Lane Inn.

You believe Mr. Keramides
tried to kill you?

Well, if he didn't actually
pull the trigger himself,

he paid the one who did.

But why?

To keep me from nailing him
and that illegal gambling casino

he's running in his back room.

You're sure that's
what he's doing?

Are Maine winters cold?

That was my third
unsuccessful attempt at a bust.

Now, I keep the timing
of those raids to myself,

but he's always two
jumps ahead of me.

You know, these letters are all
apparently from the same person.

A right-hander who
disguised his hand-writing

by writing left-handed.

Now, have you checked
them for fingerprints?

Well, the envelopes had
dozens of smeared prints on them,

but the letters are clean.

And they were all mailed
from the Cabot Cove post office.

So, they could have been dropped
in the box in front of the post office

any hour of the day or night.

You know, I thought I left all
the cop haters back in New York.

It used to twist my
insides to see little kids

showing police officers the
disrespect they learned in the streets.

Hey, I'm rattling on like
an empty freight train here,

and I didn't give you a chance
to tell me about your predicament.

Well, I...

Oh, dear, I've
lost track of time.

I'm going to be late
for my appointment.

Well, hey, no problem.
I'll give you a lift.

Oh. Well, that would be
very nice of you. Thanks.

I'll have you there in no time.

JESSICA: You know, I don't
know what to do about Sam Bennett.

I certainly don't want
to have him arrested.

But he never called me back this
morning, you know, when he said he would.

Oh, boy... When I
tried to reach him,

I got the same run-around he's
been giving me for the past 10 days.

Last night, when I
saw him at the Inn,

he practically ran away from me.

Just as I thought,
we got trouble, Mrs. F.

Mort, are we talking
about the same thing?

Yeah. I got a busted fan belt.

Gotta call Hogan at the garage.

Hello, Hogan, this
is Sheriff Metzger.

I got a little problem.
I'm gonna need a tow.

(CAR HONKING) I'm on
Mill Road near Hockhouser.

Mort, there's Seth!

Yeah, thanks, Hogan.

Oh, thank goodness.

Is there a problem?

Yeah, my fan belt's busted.

Neglected to get a
check-up, I expect.

Like yourself?

You know, it's been six months

since you were supposed
to come in and see me.

Now, look, if you really want
to know, I think it was sabotage.

Things haven't been
going right for me lately.

(CHUCKLING)
You're not the only one.

What do you mean?

Well, when I didn't hear
word one from Sam Bennett,

I checked my mutual
fund statements,

and I found out that he had not made
the last of my quarterly purchases,

even though my check had
cleared with his endorsement.

Now, it wasn't a
great deal of money,

but just the same, I'd rather have
it end up in my estate than in his.

Mmm. Pretty much
like your story, Jess.

Mmm-hmm. Hey,
that sounds serious.

Why didn't you tell
me about that, Mrs. F.?

Seth, I must get to the
Gazette office right away,

or else our ad for the rummage
sale won't appear in the paper.

Don't just stand there.
My meter's running.

I'll have you there
in a jiffy. Great.

(CLASSICAL MUSIC
PLAYING ON RADIO)

Mom, before you say
anything, just listen, okay?

Now, I hear the circulation
department needs some help,

and I was wondering if maybe
you could use your influence...

Chad, that is strictly manual
labor for high school boys.

You are so far
above that, really.

Oh, man. You know,
nobody else seems to think so.

You're wrong.

Everyone knows what a
success you were in Philadelphia.

I am so proud of you.

Mother, I was fired
in Philadelphia!

Why do you persist in
putting yourself down?

Chad, darling, I... I'm
worried about your health.

Physical illness can cause
you to be edgy like this.

I'm okay.

What you need is a
wife to take care of you.

What I need is
something useful to do.

Now, are you going to
help me get the job, or not?

All right.

If it'll make you a
little less grouchy.

You could probably
start tomorrow.

Meanwhile, do you
need some money?

SETH: Now, there
was a case in point.

The Sheriff's been
too all-fire bothered

by the humdrum of daily
life to attend to the essentials.

Except that Mort's daily life
hasn't been that humdrum lately.

Ah, I suppose you're right.

Well, suppose I meet you
here in, uh, half an hour?

Fine. Good.

Chad... Oh, hi, Mrs. Fletcher.

How's New York?
Wonderful, thanks.

Are you back in
Cabot Cove to stay?

Uh, for now, anyway. Yeah.

Gives me plenty of
time to read your books.

It's good stuff. Real
good. Well, thanks.

Now, I wish I'd listened to
you, when you tried to drum

the rules of English
grammar into my thick head.

Well, it's never too late
to go back to school.

Yeah.

I'll see you later. Yes.

(CLASSICAL MUSIC PLAYING)

Morning, Irene.

(MOUTHING)

(MAN SPEAKING IN
GERMAN ON RADIO)

Mozart's Serenade. I haven't
heard that one for ages.

Oh, chamber music
is a passion of mine.

I find it irresistible.

Do you still play the violin?

Oh, not for years.
Don't have the time.

I just listen.

So, you have brought me the
copy for your rummage sale ad.

Mmm-hmm. I
apologize for being late.

Very nice.

You have a good
eye for composition.

(CHUCKLES)

You wouldn't mind if I made
just a couple of minor changes?

Oh, I'm sure you know
your job far better than I do.

Just don't change the date.

Oh, no, I'm very
careful about that.

I passed Chad on the way in.

He's doing so well these days.

He has a very important job

with an office supply
company back in Philadelphia.

Lucky for me that Cabot
Cove is in his territory,

or I'd never get to see him.

I was trying to remember
the last time that I saw him.

I believe it was around
the time that he won

that football scholarship
to the university.

Oh. Yeah, he gave
that up. No future in it.

Chad's trouble was, he
preferred guzzling beer

instead of showing
up for football practice.

Well, the coach
threw him off the team,

and his scholarship was revoked.

That's too bad.

The trouble with Chad,
he's just not a team player.

You cannot have a wide receiver

who does anything he
wants, whenever he wants.

Well, I wonder what he
wanted instead of college?

Seems to me, he wanted to
come back here to Cabot Cove

to be near his high school
sweetheart. Candace Bennett.

Yeah.

Hi, honey.

Sam, what is going on? What?

Kiss. Gotcha.

Sam, will you please sit down
and listen to this message?

It was on the machine when
I came back from shopping.

(MACHINE BEEPING)

JESSICA: Sam, you promised
to get back to me this morning

to arrange a meeting.
It's now 4:00 p.m.,

and I still haven't
heard from you.

So, I have to conclude
that you're avoiding me.

My Cabot Cove financial
affairs are a mess.

People you were supposed to pay on
my behalf haven't received their money.

Sam, we have got to talk.

Please call me at once.

Time doesn't mean anything
to you, does it, Mr. Keramides?

Especially my time.

So, I'm a little late.

Who the hell do you
think you are, anyway?

Yeah, well, maybe I'll
just raid you myself tonight,

without any warning, hmm?

Oh, so now it's a threat.

You've got a lot
to learn, cowboy.

It might be useful

to find out who's after Metzger.

Yeah, then what?

Well, you're a
cop. You arrest him.

Get the heat off of me.

Yeah, well, I'm already
doing one job for you.

You start telling me
who to arrest, now

that's gonna cost you more.

Don't go too far.

I don't like ambitious
people around me.

(KNOCKING ON DOOR)

Chad. What are you doing here?

Oh, I just want to talk.

Well, I'm right in the
middle of working.

Well, I wouldn't worry
about that, Candace.

It's only going
to take a minute.

No.

Come on, Candace. I want to
talk to you about a certain deputy.

Chad, I don't want
you here. Get out.

You think I don't know
about all those weekends

you spent with Ethan in Boston?

I know, so don't even
try and lie about it.

I never lied to you. I told
you I was seeing Ethan

when you went away
to school in Philadelphia.

Yeah, and then I come back, and
you don't even want to talk to me?

Look,

it's only because you wanted me
so much that it scared me, okay?

I didn't know how to handle it.

I don't know how
to handle it now.

Candace, all I ever
wanted was to see you,

and be near you.

Chad, don't. Don't.

Listen, if you don't leave right
now, I'm going to call Ethan.

(SCOFFS)

Go ahead, call Ethan.

Go ahead, call him.

All right, I'll call him.

Chad, don't! You're drunk.

Yeah, hello, is Ethan
there? Oh, he's not?

Well, would you tell him that there's
an intruder at the Bennett house,

and he's, uh... He's
scaring Candace.

Thank you.

Chad, please get out.

Listen, I'll tell Ethan
it's a joke. I promise.

Please go. Candace,

you remember how it
was in high school, right?

We swore we'd
always be together.

You remember?

Chad, stop. Don't, okay?

Stop it, stop it, stop it!

Candace! CANDACE:
Come on, get out!

Stop it! Stop it! Let her go!

No. Sam, no!

Whoa... You stay away from her,

or I will shoot you
where you sit, boy.

Dad, you've got it all wrong.

Chad's just a little drunk. I
was trying to get him to leave.

I'll go around the back.

What is going on here?

Look, I don't need you coming
around here playing heroes, okay?

I can protect my family.

Hand over the gun, Mr. Bennett.

BENNETT: You want the gun?
You want the gun? Easy, easy...

You want the gun? Take it.

I'm gonna ask you
again, what is going on?

Nothing. Nothing?

I come home, and
this psychopath here

is struggling with my daughter.

Now, I want you to
lock him up, and now.

Listen, Chad just had too much
beer, and he got a little out of line.

I was handling it.

All right, get your hands
on your head. Get up.

Do it now!

(GRUNTING)

You see how he likes
to push me around

in front of you, right,
Candace? Let's go.

Mr. Bennett. Thank you.

BENNETT: You released him?

He terrorized my
daughter last night.

Candace never came in
to make a formal complaint,

so I followed
standard procedure.

I let him sleep it
off in the drunk tank,

and the first thing this
morning I released him.

Sheriff, you listen to me.

Now, you've got
only yourself to blame

if this kid turns into some kind
of horror story. You understand?

Sam, if I were you, I
think I'd quit worrying

about putting other
people behind bars,

and remember that old bit in the
Bible about casting the first stone.

Really? Well, what's that
supposed to mean, Mort?

(PHONE RINGING) You
know damn well what it means.

No, I don't.

What the...

Sheriff's office, Metzger.

Oh, hi, Hogan. Thanks.

I'll get it out of your way.

Mort...

Sheriff's office calling
Cabot Cove Cruiser One.

Do you read?

Sheriff, this is Ethan.

Listen, Andy and I
were just talking about

when we picked up
Chad Maclnoy last night.

I think I may have
a line on something.

Great. We'll talk about
it when you get in.

Listen, Ethan, Hogan's Garage
just called, and my car is ready.

I've got a meeting with
the D.A. to discuss a case.

Can you pick it up
and drive it back here?

Can do. Thanks, Ethan.

Okay, now, Sam,
what's your beef?

(INDISTINCT CHATTERING)

MINISTER: Give us grace,
so to follow the example

of their steadfastness
in Thy faith,

and obedience to Thy
holy commandments,

that at the day of the
general resurrection,

we, with all those who are of the
mystical body of Thy joyful voice.

Come, ye blessed of my Father,

inherit the kingdom prepared for
you from the foundation of the world.

Grant this, O Father,

for the sake of the same,
Thy son, Jesus Christ,

our only mediator and advocate.

Amen. ALL: Amen.

Not now.

Somebody was out to get me.

Why did I make
Ethan drive my car?

Mort, you can't blame yourself.

Who can I blame?

Whoever fired the shotgun.

Mort, it's time to go now.

No, you go ahead. I'll be okay.

(PEOPLE CHATTERING)

JESSICA: Well, the killer must have
looked for concealment behind a tree,

with a clear view of the road.

You don't suppose
we're messing up

his footprints
like this, do you?

Oh, there's no way to
sort them from the others.

This is a very popular place
for young couples after dark.

Ah, yeah.

They call it "getting in
touch with their environment."

(CHUCKLING)

I guess the killer
could have waited here,

and then, when he saw Mort's
car coming down the road,

stepped forward for a clear shot

when the car
slowed for the curve.

Well, it wouldn't have taken
a sharpshooter to do that.

All he had to do was
raise the barrel of his gun,

and hit the trigger.

(TRUCK HONKING)

Howdy, Wilbur. Hello, Seth.

You recognized the driver.

Well, of course I did.

(CHUCKLING) Who wouldn't
recognize Wilbur Dobbs?

Am I... Am I missing the point?

But he was coming from the east,

and the morning
sun was behind him.

Now, if you could see him,

there was no glare
on his windshield.

Ethan was also
coming from the east

at about the same time of day.

Huh.

JESSICA: There would have been
no glare on Ethan's windshield either.

The killer knew that it
was Ethan driving the car,

even before he
pulled the trigger.

He meant to kill Ethan.

Well, what about
those letters I got?

No, this time you're
wrong, Mrs. F.

Keramides was after me,
and he got the kid instead.

I suppose he has an alibi?

Well, sure. Three of
his employees at the Inn.

But even if they are telling the
truth, which I seriously doubt,

like I said before,

a man with Keramides' connections
would've used a hired killer.

Who would have been professional
enough to kill the right man.

Oh, come on, Mrs. F.

Even the best of
us make mistakes.

That's right, Sheriff.

You don't even know for
sure there's a gambling casino.

(PEOPLE CHATTERING)

That's two more.

That makes 14,

and we haven't even dipped
our spoons into the chowder yet.

Now, either the restrooms
are extremely commodious,

or else there's a major
attraction en route.

I've got an idea.
Finish your chowder.

Now, Jessica...

Jason David. My friends,
Mr. and Mrs. Larson.

Yes, sir. Step right in.

You shut the door
right in my face.

I'm with Mr. David's party.

Sorry, ma'am. Come right in.

CROUPIER: Place your
bets. Place your bets.

(INDISTINCT CHATTERING)

Good evening, Mrs. Fletcher.

Welcome to my game room.

All you had to do was ask,

and I would have been
happy to escort you.

Well, judging from Sheriff
Metzger's experience,

I wasn't too sure about that.

(CHUCKLES)

I assure you, I evaluate my
guests on an individual basis.

Do you wish to play,

or would you prefer
a glass of champagne

in my private office?

I think I'd prefer champagne.

This way.

So, how do you
like my little nest?

It's, uh, nicely feathered.

Yes.

I like to live well.

What should we drink to?

To my new novel?

To yet another best seller.

Mmm.

Now, you must tell me
what your new book is about.

JESSICA: and so the honest,
hard-working accountant

yields to the temptation
of a private casino,

and loses not only
his own money,

but that of his client as well.

Surely, that poor fool
isn't the hero of your story.

Of course, it's
the Sheriff, isn't it?

I'm afraid, up till now,

he hasn't been able to catch
the casino owner red-handed.

Mmm, well, I'm not a writer,

but I wouldn't let your
heroine walk into the lion's den

and try to save him.
That'd be very unwise.

She might find herself
in serious trouble.

But that's unlikely in the
setting I've given the story.

It's a small town, very
much like Cabot Cove.

Uh-huh.

And then the plot
takes a rather dark turn.

A young deputy is shot to death.

Interesting twist.

And who's your murderer?

I haven't quite decided.

One possibility would
be the casino owner,

which would certainly
lead to his downfall.

On the other hand,

I think the character,
as you described him,

would be far more pragmatic.

If the Sheriff continued
to harass him,

he would simply fold up his
tables and move elsewhere.

After all, he's in
the business of, uh,

playing the odds,
not beating them.

Wouldn't that be
dreadfully expensive?

It's all part of the
cost of doing business.

He'd be used to that.

Along with concealing
his winnings,

and paying for
protection from the police.

Mrs. Fletcher...

(PHONE RINGING)
with all due respect,

you should have given your story
more thought before running it by me.

Put him on.

Mr. Keramides, this
is Dr. Seth Hazlitt.

I have the Sheriff
on the other line.

If Jessica Fletcher is not back in the
dining room in exactly one minute...

Uh, thank you.

Dr. Hazlitt's waiting
for you downstairs.

Mrs. Fletcher, it
has been a pleasure.

And may I say, I think
you were very prudent

to keep an open mind

as to which one of your
characters killed the deputy.

Why is that?

Because even in
a tiny community,

such as you posited
for your story,

the heroine could be
making a dangerous mistake

if she made things too
difficult for the casino owner.

I've heard that in real life,

people like that
have far-reaching,

well-concealed connections.

Good night, Mrs. Fletcher.

Good evening.

ANDY: Oh, wait till the
Sheriff hears about this.

Now, look, I also had a
long talk with Mr. Keramides,

in which I seem to
have struck a nerve

when I mentioned that he might
have been paying a police informant.

Which could explain
why Keramides

always seems to be
one step ahead of Mort.

JESSICA: Look, Andy, I'm
not suggesting it was you,

but you probably knew Ethan
better than anyone in town.

You certainly spent
more time with him.

Oh, for... Down-easter or not,

this is no time to be taciturn.

Andy, you want get
Ethan's killer, don't you?

Well, of course I do.

I know what you want.

It's just that... Well,
I'm not sure about it.

But I did have suspicions.

When we were getting
ready to raid the Inn,

I surprised Ethan on the
phone, telling somebody,

"Guess who's coming to dinner."

I mean, Ethan tried to let on

that Candace was
cooking a meal for him,

but I could tell by
the way he said it,

he wasn't talking to Candace.

And he didn't say goodbye.

Thank you, Andy.

METZGER: Let's go, Sam.

Mort, I didn't ask you
to arrest Mr. Bennett.

This has nothing to
do with you, Mrs. F.

I'm booking him
for the murder of

Deputy Sheriff Ethan Loomis.

METZGER: And then, I
remembered Ethan telling me

on the police radio that he
thought he had a line on something.

So I asked Andy about it.

He said when they picked up Chad
Maclnoy over at the Bennett house,

Bennett was holding
a shotgun on him,

like the one that
was fired at me.

So I went over to
Bennett's house to check,

and I found this in his closet.

Can you say for sure that this
is the same gun that shot at you?

Not really. But it's the
same configuration,

we know for sure that Ethan
was killed with a shotgun,

and this one's
been fired recently.

I went hunting on Tuesday.

I haven't had a
chance to clean it.

Well, whoever you went
hunting with can corroborate that.

I went alone, Mort. How
many birds did you bag?

None. It wasn't my day.

Everyone knew there was bad
blood between Sam and Ethan.

He said you told him that he didn't
have enough money to marry Candace.

Well, then, he lied,

because it had nothing
to do with money.

Jessica...

I should have told you
about this a long time ago.

I have a problem.

It's gambling.

And I've lost some
of your money,

but I swear I will get it back
to you, if I can get out of this.

First things first, Sam.
Then we'll talk about it.

What's your gambling
got to do with Ethan?

I saw him at the
casino, with Keramides.

Out of uniform, free drink in his
hand, and a big smile on his face.

Keramides had him
in his back pocket,

and I wasn't about to let my
daughter marry a crooked cop!

Nobody's gonna call
one of my deputies,

especially a man who can't
defend himself, a bad cop.

Mort, let him go!

Sheriff, what he said
about Ethan is true.

What are you talking about?
Keramides was paying Ethan off

to tip him about your raids.

You knew that? Oh, he
wasn't sure until now, Mort.

Look, I'm so sorry about Ethan.

Yeah, well, it doesn't
change anything.

There's the motive. You heard
it right out of his own mouth.

The only way he could keep his
daughter from marrying a bad cop

was to kill him. I
never said that, Mort.

Forget it. I can nail it down.

You were right here in my office

when I told Ethan on the
radio to pick up my car.

Nobody else knew about
that, except for me and Andy,

who was Ethan's best friend.

Look, anyone with
a police scanner

could have picked up that
call, including Mr. Keramides.

I saw a scanner
in his private office.

Well, I suppose he's got
an over-and-under shotgun.

"Over-and-under"?

Oh, how could I
have missed that?

You say something, Jess?

Oh, I was talking to
myself. A writer's habit.

But I think I know
who murdered Ethan.

Andy, have you any idea where
Chad Maclnoy might be right now?

I saw him this morning.

He said he was going to
start working for the Gazette.

He'd likely be there now, helping
to get tomorrow's edition ready.

Right. Andy...

All right.

I know why you're here.

I'll bet you want to see your
rummage sale ad in tomorrow's paper.

Well, here it is...

On page three. Nobody
could possibly miss it.

It's lovely. I'm sure it
will bring in a good crowd.

You're not listening to
your chamber music tonight?

Chad says it makes him crazy.

I turn it on, and then
he turns it off again.

Oh, is Chad here?
I need to talk to him.

Oh, he was. Uh...

He had to, uh, deliver some
newspapers over at, uh, Northpoint.

Well, in that case, we
can have some music.

(CLASSICAL MUSIC PLAYING)

Mom, that music...

It's too loud.

Hello, Chad.

Mrs. Fletcher. Sheriff Metzger.

Something wrong?

Wrong doesn't begin
to cover it. Have a seat.

Chad, right now
one of my deputies

is over at your house
with a search warrant,

looking for the murder
weapon that killed Ethan Loomis.

Don't be ridiculous. There's
no weapons in the house.

Is that true, Chad?

Well, there's an old gun
that belonged to my dad,

but I haven't seen
it since he died.

You recall anything special
about the way it looked?

No, I didn't pay attention.

I never liked guns.

Well, then tell me
about Candace Bennett.

Were you jealous when
she started going with Ethan?

Chad, you don't have to answer
any more of these questions.

Mother, will you stop
trying to control me?

Well, sure, I was jealous
as hell, so I drank too much,

but I didn't kill anybody.

If that gun turns up, they'll
have a case against you, Chad.

It would be better for
you to confess now.

IRENE: Now, stop this nonsense.

How could Chad kill Ethan?

He couldn't have possibly known

that Ethan was driving the
Sheriff's car on that road, at that time.

Because he could have
heard it on this radio.

A shotgun wasn't the only
over-and-under configuration in this case.

Irene, you were listening
to Berlin on the radio.

I remembered its
position on the dial...

(MAN SPEAKING IN
GERMAN ON RADIO)

(POLICE SIREN WAILING)

and I realized it
was directly over this,

the police band.

I know it doesn't sound
like much right now,

but this is the frequency used
by the Sheriff's Department.

Andy, this is the Sheriff.

Give me a full report, but do
it on the usual radio frequency.

Sheriff, this is Andy. I'm out
in front of the Maclnoy house.

I found the shotgun and some shells
in the attic, stuffed behind an old trunk.

The shotgun's an over-and-under,
and it has been fired recently.

I'm bringing it
in. Over and out.

Maybe you knew exactly
where to find your dad's old gun,

and the shells to go with it.

And maybe your mother
was away from her desk,

and you were listening to
the police band on the radio.

You heard the Sheriff
talking to Ethan,

and you were hiding
in the trees with a gun

when the Sheriff's car slowed
for the curve in the road.

Which gives you means,
motive, and opportunity.

That ought to be
enough for a jury.

Chad, I'm placing
you under arrest

for the murder of... No,
no! It wasn't like that.

Candace Bennett
was the only girl

that Chad ever made
friends with in high school.

Well, they were so close.

It was so wonderful.

Then he got that damn
football scholarship,

and went away to some
college where he didn't belong...

CHAD: Mom... It was
such a waste of time.

While he was gone,
Ethan seduced Candace.

Oh, she always was so
stupid and silly about boys.

Well, Chad came back too
late. He screwed up again.

I tried to save it.

I... I did.

So, you decided to eliminate
Chad's rival for her affections.

But to divert suspicion, you
concocted the Sheriff's imaginary enemy,

who wrote threatening letters,

and finally took a shot at
him in the Sheriff's office,

so that we would believe the
killer's victim was to be the Sheriff.

(CHUCKLING) And I could
give Candace back to Chad.

And they could get
married in a church,

and everybody could
be there to see it.

Oh, and they would give me the
most precious little grandchildren

in the whole world.

JESSICA: Sorry we had to
put you through that, Chad,

but we felt we had no choice.

Chad, don't look
at me like that.

All I ever wanted was
for your happiness.

(SNIFFLING)

Well, thank you, Sam, but believe
me, I only made the suggestion.

If Gambler's
Anonymous works for you,

it'll be because
you do it. Thank you.

Hey, is this a private powwow?

No, I was just thanking Jessica
for being tolerant and forgiving.

And making it possible
to hold our heads up.

Sam, you know, you
should be thanking Laura.

I think it was her cries for help
that put the Sheriff onto Keramides.

Those anonymous
phone calls all came

from that pay phone
over at Four Corners.

Two hundred yards
from your house.

You made those calls
to Mort, didn't you?

I was hoping he'd
catch you there.

Maybe throw enough of a
scare into you that you'd quit,

or get some help.

Well, I'm happy to say
it's gonna be a long time

before Keramides
gets another chance.

District Attorney figures
maybe seven years.

Daddy, I bought you a present.

Uh-huh. Uh-huh.
You're gonna love it.

(CHUCKLING)

It's beautiful. Thank
you, sweetheart.

Laura, weren't you the
one who donated that tie?

I donate it every year,

but somehow, we always
wind up with it again.

(ALL LAUGHING)