Murder, She Wrote (1984–1996): Season 11, Episode 11 - An Egg to Die For - full transcript

Dollars only.

No, Leo, it wasn't ineffective
advertising, the wrong location...

Damn it, Charles, I'm not
gonna take the rap for this.

It was a whole series of
bad choices on your part.

Starting with you. You blew it
like you've blown everything else.

Now, I told Marcie it
would turn out this way.

Okay, your free ride's
over. I'm pulling this store.

I'm closing it. It's the first
one we've ever had to close.

That ought to tell
you something.

Charles. Leo. Jessica
just checked in.

Hello, Charles. How are
you? So good to see you.



Fine. Welcome to
Miami. Flight okay?

Oh, nothing wrong
with the flight,

but the cab from the airport...

Well, we had a flat tire right
outside the Orange Bowl Stadium.

Excuse me.

Listen, Jessica, I'm sure Marcie's
already thanked you for coming down, but...

Enough for both of you.

Wonderful. We've put together a
schedule for your book signings,

but I want you to know
it's etched in Jell-O,

so if any of it
doesn't work for you...

Believe me, anything to
escape from the revisions

that my editor
handed to me as I left.

The schedule covers
the entire book fair.

Well, this looks manageable.



Okay, splendid.

I'm off to put the rest
of your booth together

so you have somewhere
to sign these. Excuse me.

Oh, I know you're very busy.

Oh, wow.

Remembering your
first book signing party?

Well, I was convinced nobody
was going to turn up, you know.

Ah. And from the moment I
read The Corpse Danced Alone,

I knew it would take off.

That was my first book,
your first book store.

Well, we've come a
long way since then.

Oh, I wish I could say the
same for Charles and my brother.

Leo tries, Jessica.
Really, he does.

Counterfeit? That's impossible.

Deutschmarks are hard enough
to dispose of when they're real.

Here, you try and exchange them.

I can't believe my friends in Saint
Petersburg would scam us like this.

Not "us," Leo.

No, no, wait a minute.

Obviously I'll return the
commission that you paid me, but...

48 hours, Leo.

You're not serious.

Come on, where am I gonna
come up with a half a million bucks?

Show him how serious I am.

No, whoa, whoa,
whoa, whoa, whoa!

Stop!

Go. Now!

You have exactly two days.

Thanks. Hey, wait a minute.
Are you a cop or something?

I've seen you around
the hotel or something.

I have come for
Fabergé egg, Mr. Stone.

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

I want egg,

and I want story
of how you got it.

Otherwise, you will pray that
your friends finish with you quickly.

Now, careful, man. The
Miami Police would love to know

about a foreigner packing a concealed
weapon and making crazy threats.

This evening.

Oh, hey, Val. Hi.

Here, let me help you with that.

Thanks. So did you
call the school again?

Yes, damn it.

I'm sorry, I didn't mean to...

No, no, no. I'm
sorry. No, it's just...

I mean, it's the same
tap dance as last week.

"Oh, it'll just be a few
days, Mr. Peterson."

Look, Val, I know that
this is sounding paranoid,

but I'm beginning to think
that they're shining me on here.

Walt Feldman's acceptance
came through a month ago.

Ben, Valerie.

Marcie said you could
supply me with a name tag.

She sent you to the right place.

Still no word on
your scholarship?

Uh, no, but thanks
for asking, Jessica.

Ben! These books,

do you suppose we could
get them in sometime today?

Attention, World Book Fair vendors,
all displays must be approved.

Please have a representative
standing by... Excuse me.

Sorry, sir. You can't
enter without a badge.

Uh, young woman.
Uh, Miss. Pardon.

Must have left badge in room.

Oh, no problem.
What's your name?

Nemiroff. Sergei.

Hmm. Uh, I'm sorry, sir, I'm not
seeing a Nemiroff on the computer.

Must be mistake. I represent
Nevsky Publishing in Moscow.

Pozhaluista... I'm sorry. Quickly,
please. I have appointment.

Why don't we go
over to my office?

I'm sure we can
straighten this out.

Is better I go to
room, get badge.

I know your face... Yes,
this is Jessica Fletcher.

J.B. Fletcher!

Sorry, I am big fan!

I have read Ubeestvo
v polnotch three times.

In English, that is
Murder at Midnight.

Midnight, da. Is wonderful
book. My favorite.

Maybe because I surprised
myself with that one.

I didn't know who the killer
was until the last 12 pages.

Is pleasure to shake
hands of such fine writer.

Thank you. Good day.

Look, Marcie, I've had it. We're not
carrying Leo anymore, and that is final.

Could you guys speed
that up? We're in a hurry.

Look, the important thing
now is dealing with Harris. I...

It wasn't Leo's fault. We
were paying too much rent.

We... Would you stop?

We researched
the hell out of it.

What it is, is he couldn't
manage the book store

from the Club House at Hialeah!

Maybe your
application got mislaid.

Yeah, so what
do I do about that?

Keep on trying.

I know once they get a look
at your transcript, you're in.

Oh. I don't know
how you do it, Val,

but you always manage to
make the day seem brighter.

I need two more booths.

Uh, Mr. Harris, we were just...

Excuse me, I'm in a hurry.

Dad, maybe you could help Ben...

Uh, it's... It's all right, Val.

I'll see you later.

Mr. Harris.

Why do you have
to treat him like that?

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

You could at least
be civil to him.

We're in love, Dad. You can
hate it, but you can't change it.

Valerie, I need two more large
booths for my non-fiction section.

And you can't ignore it, either.

We're talking about marriage.

Sure. So what do I have to do,
go over your head to get them?

We're overbooked now.

Then bump someone.

I'll take care of it.

Dad, don't you understand?
When you hurt Ben, you hurt me, too.

Forget him, Val.

He's not for you.

I've got a meeting.

Yes. Yes. I... I'll
hold for Mr. Hartley.

Da.

Misha...

Attention, World
Book Fair vendors,

all displays must be approved.
Please have a representative...

And would anyone
care for anything else?

Not for me, thanks.

Then have an excellent
meeting. Thank you.

Good old Victor. Twenty
years in the diplomatic service,

and he's ever the diplomat.

Mmm, he needs to be, and
more, in the hotel business.

I assume you wish
to discuss your loan.

Only partly. All we
need is a short extension.

And what we really want to talk
about is a proposition we have for you.

It's an expansion plan we
know you'll want to invest in.

It's going to put
us in the ball park

with Brentano's
and Walden Books...

The note is due on
Thursday. Paid in full.

Our refinancing
is almost complete.

Thirty days, at the most.

I'm sorry, that's
out of the question.

Come on, Mr. Harris, there
is such a thing as good faith.

Besides, we're offering you...

I don't like your
tone, Mr. Devon.

I suggest you read
our agreement.

Every penny on time, or I
own your entire operation.

I beg your pardon,
sir. Are you all right?

Yes, I'm okay.
Terribly sorry. Clumsy.

How on Earth will we be able to
pull anything together by Thursday?

Look, we're not giving up yet.

Drop me at the bank. I'll see if
they'll put a rush on that refinance.

The Omega Hotel invites
all guests to hit the sand.

A demonstration on
two-man beach volleyball

will be given by
world champions...

Wait, wait. Mr. Nemiroff,
I have to talk to you.

I want to know why a Russian
police officer is following my friends.

Mrs. Fletcher, you are mistaken.

No, I don't think so. I mean,
between your pistol and your left lapel,

which is covered with small
pinholes, it's fairly obvious.

This does not mean
I am policeman.

That is where I wore,
uh, Order of Lenin.

Uh, no, if I'm not mistaken, the
Order of Lenin is worn on the right lapel.

You are as clever
as Leonid Treblinkov.

Lenny Terhune.

One of your finest
detective creations.

Well, thank you very much,

but like Lenny
Terhune, I want the facts.

Very well.

You are correct,
yes, Mrs. Fletcher.

I am Detective
Sergeant with police.

Well, what exactly is your interest
in Charles and Marcie Devon?

I am here to
investigate Leo Stone.

He is connected to black
market currency operation.

Since he work for
Mr. and Mrs. Devon...

Look, Sergeant, I
happened to overhear

your telephone conversation
earlier in the Events Office.

You understand Russian, too?

Well, enough to gather
that you're here on your own,

and that you're returning
to Russia in a few days,

with or without
what you came for.

Mrs. Fletcher, you
must excuse me.

Uh, not yet. Unless, of course,

you prefer that I call the
Miami Police or the FBI.

I'm sure they'd be
very interested to know

that a Russian police officer
was operating in their territory

without authorization.

Mrs. Fletcher, your powers
of deduction are remarkable.

Well, it wasn't exactly
deduction, Sergeant.

It was a hunch.

It was stolen from Hermitage
Museum one year ago

with Tsarina's crown. You say...

Tiara. Yeah. Tiara.

Is called "Midnight."

Yes, this was the last piece that
Fabergé made for the Romanovs

before the Revolution. I
read about the robbery.

Egg and tiara are national
treasures, Mrs. Fletcher.

Two weeks ago, Tsarina's tiara

showed up here in
Miami, minus gems.

Is desecration.

And you believe that
Leo Stone was involved?

According to my sources,

Mr. Stone was in Saint
Petersburg at time of theft.

Uh, witnesses
place him with thief.

He lives here, Miami. Tiara
showed up here, Miami.

What you're not telling me
is why you're not working

with the local law
enforcement people.

My guess is that it's about more than
simply recovering a national treasure.

My brother, Gregor,

was convicted and
sentenced to death

for murdering thief who broke into
Hermitage Museum and stole these goods.

Gregor, he did not
do this, Mrs. Fletcher.

He is scheduled to be executed
in 48 hours. I must find egg.

I must prove he is innocent.

And I'm looking forward to
seeing you again, Arthur. Ciao.

Leo, you've walked enough miles
on my rug to get you to Orlando.

So, I can triple my
money in 10 days?

Look, have I ever
misled you before?

But you can't give
me any details.

No, this is legal,
Victor. I guarantee it.

Leo,

why is this telling me
that you're in trouble again,

only this time it's serious?

Could I please give you a
piece of advice? 'Cause I like you.

Stick with the job that
Charles Devon gave you,

because you're fortunate to
have him for a brother-in-law.

Okay, Victor, okay,
forget the investment.

Uh, look, how about just, uh,

a couple thousand cash until
the beginning of next week?

You could do that, couldn't you?

Not this time, Leo. No.

I'm not a bank.

No.

Ben, it's not the
end of the world.

Oh, right, right. I'm sure
if I take a couple of days,

I can think of something worse.

Ben, Valerie, what's happened?

Ben just got word, his
scholarship has been turned down.

Well, did they give
you any reason?

Yeah. Somehow they found
out about that little scrape

I got into in high school.

I mean, I guess I should have
mentioned it in my application.

But that's ridiculous.

I mean, I remember
the trouble you were in,

and it was nothing
more than a prank.

Yeah, well, this'll pretty much eliminate
me trying any other med schools.

Jessica, I appreciate everything
that you've done for me,

all the letters and
phone calls. Thank you.

Excuse me.

Someone searched my apartment a
little while ago. It was you, wasn't it?

Listen, I don't have
this, uh, this egg,

and I don't know
anything about it,

and I got enough problems without
you crawling all over my back.

Such gratitude for my
saving you from brutal beating.

Mr. Stone, I believe you
have egg or know where it is,

and I think you know who
murdered thief who stole it.

Hey, man.

You've got problems.

Holding the Book Fair in
Russia last year? As I recall,

it was Jim Harris's idea.

Sounds like Jim.

I read somewhere where his European
sales had gone through the roof.

Yeah, especially his art books.

Well, that's certainly consistent
with his reputation for shrewdness.

"Killer" describes him
a little more accurately.

I've been at the
bank all afternoon.

Not only are they not going to
help us meet Harris's deadline,

they've totally backed
out on our refinancing.

God. Yeah. It took me an
hour to get Atkins to admit

they've been pressured. I
don't have to tell you by whom.

Jim? There's gotta be
some way to work this out.

We'll talk to him
tonight at the reception.

You can try, if you like.

I'm having a last-ditch
dinner with the loan officer

from Miami Trust and Savings.

Marcie, do you
suppose it's possible

that Jim still
hasn't forgiven you,

and that this is his way
of getting back at you?

For dumping him
and marrying Charles?

Jessica, until today I
wouldn't have believed it, but...

Can Ben and I give you
a lift to the reception?

Uh, pardon me,

but since Mrs. Fletcher has invited
me to be her escort this evening,

least I can do is
provide car for two of us.

Well, then, um,
I'll see you there.

Mmm. And, uh, Jessica,

about 7:00?

7:00 would be perfect, Sergei.

Can we talk? Excuse me.

I don't think we have
anything to talk about.

I wouldn't want to tell Charles

about the little business
you and I did together.

It would only complicate
things, wouldn't it?

What do you want?

Not here.

You're more trouble than
you're worth. Come on.

I don't feel like I
should be here.

That is what your
father wants, isn't it?

No. No, he... He just needs
to get used to us, that's all.

Oh, Val, it isn't
going to happen.

He would do anything
to get rid of me.

That is really paranoid,
you know that?

I don't think so.

See, Val, you're still looking at
your father through a kid's eyes.

The man has a reputation
for being ruthless.

Just ask Charles and Marcie.

Look, all I am saying is I
wouldn't put anything past him.

Anything.

Jessica, sorry, I must sit.

Oh, well, I shouldn't wonder, after chasing
after Leo Stone for the past four hours.

Let's go over here. Yes.

Unfortunately,
trail led nowhere.

From Jai-Alai to
racetrack to poker parlor

to bar. Was painful and
exhausting tour of Miami.

Obvious he's guilty.

I'm sure it's occurred to
you that what you're doing,

even following Leo Stone here,

may be a wild goose chase.

Mmm.

Old Russian proverb. "Which
came first, goose or egg?"

Leo is goose, Jessica.

With his need for money,

is only a matter of time
before he tries to fence egg.

When he comes out in open...

You know, there are a great
many people here this evening

who were in Saint
Petersburg last year.

Yes, I know.

Jim, do you have a moment?

For you, Marcie, of course.

I understand that you,
uh, wielded your influence

with the bank that
was arranging our loan.

It's business. Nothing personal.

I think it is.

Well, that was always
one of your failings, Marcie.

All the time that
we were together,

you never seemed able, or
willing, to live in the real world.

Yes, you used to say it
over and over, "It is what it is."

Well, believe it or not, I've
pretty much learned to accept that.

Oh!

But there are things
we can change.

I thought perhaps,
for old times' sake,

for what we used to
have, that you might

reconsider your demand for repayment
and give us those extra 30 days.

My compliments, Marcie. That
was reasonably straightforward.

But the answer is no.

What the hell do you
think you're doing in here?

You get out or I'll have my
security people throw you out.

Did you happen to
find my glasses, Sergei?

No.

I have a feeling I might
have left them here

when Valerie was
showing me your Fragonard.

Uh-huh. Well, I'm
sure they'll show up.

In the meantime,
our dinner is ready,

and we don't want
it to get cold, do we?

Oh, I see you're a benefactor
of Southern Central University.

It's my alma mater.

I recently donated a
new wing to the library.

Interesting. You know, this
afternoon I spoke with a friend of mine

at the school, Dean Black,

and he told me that Ben
Peterson's scholarship was denied

because a prominent alumnus
had rejected his application.

I ran a background
check on Mr. Peterson.

It seems his application neglected
to mention his criminal record.

In view of my deep concern
for the quality of our students,

I felt obligated to pass this
information along to the school.

With your firm recommendation
that he be rejected,

but without the minor
detail that his criminal record

consisted of some foolish teenage
behavior at a high school football game.

The Scholarship
Committee saw it my way.

And I'm sure you'll make certain

that committees at other medical
schools see it your way, too.

Jessica, you don't understand.

Please, let me finish.

The dean faxed me
a copy of your letter,

and, to say the least, it exaggerates
the incident almost to the point of libel.

As these transcripts
and letters attest,

he's distinguished himself
as a student and as a person.

I mean, Jim, whatever your attitude
about his relationship with Valerie,

does it really justify ruining his
chances for a productive career?

As I said, Jessica,

I was sure that your reading
glasses would turn up.

Jessica, I think it's
positively despicable of Jim.

Not, however,
entirely surprising.

Let's hope that he reconsiders.

Good evening,
Mr. Nemiroff. Jessica.

Good night, Victor. Marcie.

What is it, Jessica?

That Fragonard
painting in his study,

his antique furnishings,
his acquisitiveness...

Of power, and
money, people, things.

Has occurred to
me, too, Jessica.

Our Mr. Harris does
fit the profile of a man

who might covet something
as rare as the Midnight Egg.

Deceased was
apparently hit over the head

with a heavy object
yet to be identified.

It appears the force of the
blow sent the victim into the pool,

where the body was
found in shallow water.

Coroner states preliminary
evidence suggests

death by drowning
while unconscious.

Thanks.

- Easy, now.
- Behind you.

Coming through.

I knew about the
little private room,

but I rarely went inside.

Daddy said if anybody asked, it
was for confidential business papers.

Occasionally he'd
show it to a few friends.

Good. I'll get a
list from you later.

This alleged missing
egg, Miss Harris,

do you have any
idea what it's worth?

I may be able to
help you, Lieutenant.

Its value may have been as high
as seven or eight million dollars.

Well, I guess they don't
sell those by the dozen, huh?

Mrs. Fletcher,

someone told me you came here
with a Russian? A, uh, Sergei Nemiroff?

Mmm-hmm.

Do you happen to
know where he is now?

No, I don't.

Is he in the book business, too?

He's attending the Book Fair.

Mr. Peterson, you know
anything about this?

Excuse me. Lieutenant? I found this
behind one of the pedestals in there.

It's got blood on it.

Send it to Forensics.
- Right, sir.

Now, Mr. Peterson,
I was about to ask,

did you know about the decedent's
secret art gallery or this missing egg?

Uh, no, sir. No, I didn't.

I won't lie to them, Sergei.

It's just that Lieutenant Perez

didn't happen to ask me
the right question about you.

Accomplishes same as lie, no?

Well, I'm sure that the
Lieutenant would see it that way.

Now, about egg.

Did you learn anything new from
Lieutenant Perez this morning?

Well, apparently it hasn't turned up
in any of the known fences in Miami.

Which doesn't
guarantee it's still in city.

Or even in the country.

They did ask me if I'd seen or
heard from Leo Stone since last night.

Now, the Lieutenant wants to
ask him some more questions.

Not surprising. Mmm-hmm.

Leo sells egg to Harris, then
he need more money to pay men

who are threatening him,
so he decide to steal it back.

Harris catches
him in the act, uh,

Leo kills Harris and steals egg.

All right, yes, but
Leo is not stupid.

I mean, he knows
that with his record,

the police would
certainly suspect him.

Exactly.

Police have very close
surveillance on his apartment.

I discovered when
I tried to search it.

Leo has hidden egg.
Problem is, where?

Where?

Is frustrating, Jessica.

My brother's time
is running out,

Harris is dead, Leo
Stone has disappeared.

The papers.

The papers weren't there!

Papers? What papers?

Jessica, what...

Yeah? Well, we've still got till
the end of business Thursday

to come up with that money,
so I wouldn't count on it.

Same to you. Goodbye.

Harris's lawyer? Valerie
inherits everything,

but it's all in trust,
administered by guess who?

The attorney. You've got it.

Valerie has no say. The
minute our loan comes due,

he plans to carry
out Harris's wishes,

taking over the Booklovers operation
and dumping us for mismanagement.

That's outrageous.
Oh, it gets worse.

Apparently that distorted
information that Harris circulated

about our cash flow problems and
our lawsuits went to every bank in town,

along with photocopies
of internal memoranda.

Marcie Devon, please pick
up the white courtesy phone.

Hello, Marcie Devon. LEO:
Hi, Sis. I need to see you.

Look, Leo, I...
Sis, it's urgent.

Fine, fine. I'll be there.

Oh, no. No. I'll just...

Excuse me. I'll be back.

I hope Harris paid
Leo a lot of money,

because he's never going
to see another cent from me!

Leo, for God's sake,
what are you talking about?

You didn't. What,
kill Jim Harris?

No, of course not. But I wish
to hell I had, for your sake.

Now, look, the cops have
surrounded my apartment,

they are busting my
credit cards, my ATM...

Wait, just wait a minute.
Why would they do that?

I don't know. It's "round
up the usual suspects" time.

Look, if they run the names of the
people who were there last night,

my name lights up in four different
colors and flashes on and off.

And if you do not help
me, I am a dead man.

Leo, what did you do?

Look, Marcie, don't ask me
any more questions, okay?

Now, I'm gonna need a
couple thousand dollars fast

so that I can get out of town.
Now, are you gonna help me or not?

That Connors person, that's
what this is about, isn't it?

Damn it, Leo, answer
me! All right! All right!

I'm between a hard
place and a hard place.

Yeah, Connors was a part of it,

but even if I get
away from him now,

if the cops connect me to the
kind of stuff that I've been into,

Connors will have me
killed even if I am in prison.

Oh, Leo.

Please. Please!

I'll need a half an hour.
Where can I reach you?

I'll contact you.

Sis, thanks.

Stan, I'm only asking you
to reconsider, okay? All right.

Charles and Marcie

have worked their tails
off to build this thing,

and I'd hate to
see them lose it.

Jessica, I'll be with
you in a second.

Well, I'll have to
do some checking.

Of course. Check it out with
your people and get back to me.

But, listen, if you need
a guarantor, I will sign.

I'll think about it. Bye.

Jessica, please sit down.

Actually, I was looking for Ben Peterson.
Charles told me that he would be here.

He's out running a
couple of errands for me.

He'll be back in a few
minutes. Mmm-hmm.

What can I get you? Some
cappuccino or orange juice?

Oh, no, nothing, thank you.

It's very generous of you, trying
to help out Marcie and Charles.

Just calling in a few
markers, Jessica.

I'm not sure it's going to be
sufficient to overcome the damage

that Jim did to
their credit rating.

Oh, my. What happened last night

has certainly put a pall on
the Book Fair preparations.

I feel so badly for Valerie.

I mean, I know that she had
mixed feelings about her father, but...

But he's still her father.

I certainly have
been there, Jessica.

Mine wasn't my favorite person.

I don't imagine it was easy
being the son of a genius.

Mr. Roscoe... Oh, hi,
Jessica. Hello, Ben.

I, uh, heard you
were looking for me?

Yeah. Oh, uh,
Mr. Roscoe, I think I've got

every roll of
bunting left in Miami.

Splendid. Now why don't you
go off with Jessica for a while?

And I'll see you
later, Jess. Yes.

Victor, here.

Of course you can
look through his study.

Thank you. But what
papers are you looking for?

The ones that I placed on
your father's desk last night,

right here, just before
going into dinner.

Copies of Ben's transcripts
and scholarship application,

and the letter that your
father wrote to the Committee.

Yeah, well, the one
that iced my chances.

It didn't hit me till a little
while ago that after...

After the tragedy
with your father,

I noticed that the papers
were no longer on his desk.

I didn't take them.

Valerie, don't say that to
protect me. I didn't kill your father.

Perhaps if I'd actually seen the
letter I would have considered it, but...

Valerie, sooner or later the police
are going to discover that the University

provided me with those documents, and
they're going to ask who else saw them.

You got that right, Mrs.
Fletcher. Matter of fact,

I got a whole trunkful
of questions for you,

including one about
a certain Russian cop.

Uh, Lieutenant...
Save it. Save it.

'Cause we were checking Mr. Harris's
phone calls for the last couple of days,

and several calls were made to the
University Scholarship Committee.

Now, when we
got their statement,

who else do you suppose
was bending their ears?

I was asking questions
on Ben's behalf.

On Ben's behalf. Right.

Okay, Miss Harris,
how does this fit?

You happened to see the papers
that Mrs. Fletcher got a hold of, huh?

This made you angry enough
at your father to kill him. Or...

What? BEN: No, Lieutenant.

I... I did it.

That was my other
scenario. Excuse me.

You happened to see the papers,
and you decided James Harris had to go.

No. Lieutenant, it wasn't Ben.

I killed my father. I discovered
the papers during dinner,

and they're up in my room.

Long, go get them.

Right, sir.

What do you got
there, Mrs. Fletcher?

I think it's a
chain in the water.

Oh. "B.P."

It's Ben Peterson.

Now, let's put
this together, huh?

Harris surprises you and
you fight. In the process,

you grab and yank the chain
of the medallion, it goes flying.

You hit him with the ivory
carving, he collapses into the pool,

and you drown
him. Lieutenant, no!

Ben.

Is that your chain?

Yeah, it is.

Done and done. Nice
job, Mrs. Fletcher.

Ben Peterson, I am
placing you under arrest

for the murder of James Harris.

Oh, my God.

You're sure he is innocent?

I would bet my
life on it, Sergei.

Ben and Valerie were both
confessing to protect each other.

The medallion, how... How
do you explain medallion?

Well, at the moment, I can't.

I mean, despite the fact that Ben
was sure that it belonged to him,

nobody had actually
ever seen him wearing it.

Wonderful.

In meantime, no Midnight Egg, no killer,
no one to prove my brother is innocent.

I have been looking
for Leo Stone all over...

Well, what do you know?
Sergeant Nemiroff, I presume, huh?

Have I got a bunch
of questions for you.

Ah, Lieutenant. Sergeant Nemiroff
is here on very urgent business.

Yeah, Mrs. Fletcher, you
misled me about this guy before,

like I said, all right? And I don't
forget that sort of thing real fast,

so don't... Lieutenant,

you will treat this woman with
respect or I will take care of you.

Lieutenant, have you
found any evidence

that might prove that Ben
took the Midnight Egg?

No. Couldn't find anything
in his car or in his apartment.

And he wouldn't say word one,
except that he murdered Harris.

And anyway, it didn't have to
be the killer that took the dingus.

Exactly, Lieutenant.

I mean, anybody who was there
last night might have taken it.

And left even before Ben
Peterson did Harris, right?

Take him downtown. Wait,
Lieutenant, I must not be...

Yeah, yeah, we're
gonna talk about it later.

- Jessica, my brother...
- Let's go.

Watch your head.

I'm truly sorry, Charles.

I was hoping that some of my old
connections would come through for you.

Hey, Victor, you
gave it your best shot.

One more possibility.

I suddenly thought there
was a banker that I dealt with

when I was posted to Vienna,
and Jennifer will have his number.

So don't give up
yet, either of you.

You give him the money?

And the message.

How did he take
it? Not that I care.

"God, Sis, I know how
you and Charles must feel.

"And I promise someday
I'll make it up to you."

It wasn't easy telling
my baby brother

to get out of my life forever.

I know. But it had to be done.

Mmm.

It was the best $5,000
we've ever spent.

Yeah. I just wish it
hadn't been our last.

Jessica. Val, how
are you holding up?

Pretty well, I guess.
Any word about Ben?

Nothing good, I'm afraid.

You see, the police feel he
had means, motive, opportunity.

Jessica, what is it?

Valerie, I think I know how I
can prove that Ben didn't do it.

How?

Do you have Leo Stone's
telephone number?

Yeah, sure.

Here it is.

Okay, Jessica, I got a plane to
catch, so I got maybe two minutes,

and I suggest you start with what
you said to hook me to begin with,

this business about how I can make
amends to my sister and Charles.

It will require you
missing your plane.

Then forget it. This is
my life we're talking about.

We're also talking
about Ben Peterson's life,

and the life of a young man in a
Russian prison, Gregor Nemiroff.

Who?

Thank God.

Whatever you do, Mr. Roscoe,
don't put your hands up.

Relieve him of that, carefully.

Just what do you
think you're doing?

Well, for starters,
we're catching a thief.

Me? I'm afraid you're mistaken.

Really? This ought to be good.

Lieutenant, a short time
ago, I received a phone call,

anonymous, of course.

I was told to search the office,

because as the individual said,
a stolen object of great value

had been placed here
without my knowledge.

That phone call wasn't
anonymous, Victor.

It was from Leo Stone,
and I put him up to it.

No. Oh, yeah.

I was right there when he
made the call, Mr. Roscoe.

When he told you
he'd heard on the street

that the Midnight Egg which
you stole from James Harris

was about to be purchased
by a wealthy Middle Easterner...

A story boiled up...
"Cooked. Cooked."

cooked up by Jessica Fletcher

in order to trick you
into revealing your guilt.

All right. Yes, all
right, I stole the egg.

But that was after I
found Jim Harris dead.

That's not true, Victor.

You murdered him. The fact is,

he probably caught you
in the act of taking the egg,

and struggled with you...
Jessica, that's total conjecture.

No, wrong, pal. You see
this little item right here?

This is our clincher. It's
got your initials, "B.P."

"B.P."? But everyone knows
my name is Victor Roscoe.

But in the Cyrillic alphabet of
your father's native country, Russia,

the letters V and R
appear as B and P.

I realized it when I took another look
at a Book Fair sign and remembered.

That poster about your father.

You both had the same initials.

You wore his medallion
under your shirt, didn't you,

before Jim Harris grabbed
it and broke the chain?

I never saw that before,

and there's no way that
you can prove it's mine.

They found two
fingerprints on it, Victor.

One belonged to Jim and
the other one was yours.

And there is something else. At
the party, as we were about to leave,

I noticed that a button
on your shirt was missing,

where Jim ripped it off
when you and he struggled.

We're getting a search warrant
ready even as we speak, Mr. Roscoe,

and I'm pretty sure
we're gonna find that shirt.

I never meant to kill him.

I only wanted that egg.

You were right, Jessica, I
thought he was in the living room.

Victor!

What the hell are you doing?

Why are you doing
this to me? Why?

Of course, I had to make sure that
he couldn't bear witness against me.

I didn't even realize that I'd
lost the medallion till I got home.

It was given to me by my father.

It was you who procured the Midnight
Egg for Jim Harris last year, wasn't it?

Just as you had done with
so many of his other art objects

from countries
all over the world.

For a long time.

Almost from the beginning of
my career in the diplomatic corps.

Which allowed you to bring them into
the country without going through customs.

Harris paid well. Never
asked any questions

as long as the
objects were authentic.

The Midnight Egg
was the crowning piece.

Okay, I guess that
takes care of that.

Oh, and by the way, uh, Mrs.
Fletcher sort of fibbed to you.

There weren't any fingerprints
on your medallion, Victor.

If you'd stuck to your story, we
wouldn't have had a case for murder.

Sergeant Nemiroff,
he's all yours.

Cuff him.

Mr. Roscoe,

we now must talk about murder that
occurred in Saint Petersburg one year ago

of thief who stole
egg and tiara.

I know nothing about that.

Victor. An innocent young man is
going to be put to death tomorrow.

You've already
confessed to one murder.

I had hired the thief,
Constantine Persky.

He threatened to expose me
unless I gave him half my profits.

I killed him, Sergeant.

Thank you.

Stan, those terms
sound acceptable.

I'll talk it over with Marcie
and get back to you.

Things are finally
going our way, Jessica.

Jim Harris's attorney has
backed down on the estate's claim.

Keep everything crossed.
I think we've got a loan

that'll solve our
immediate problems.

I don't know what
you said to Leo,

but he's admitted
everything to the police.

Yes, I understand that he's turned state's
evidence against this Connors fellow.

That must have been some
guilt number you laid on him.

Well, I think that self-preservation
was an active ingredient.

He should be catching
his plane in a few minutes.

He's going to be safe in the
Witness Protection Program.

And out of our hair. Doesn't
have to get much better, Jess.

I can top it.

My scholarship came
through, Jessica.

Oh, great.

Jessica! Uh, sign it
for me, please, book?

"From Jessica, with love."

It's for my mother.