Murder, She Wrote (1984–1996): Season 12, Episode 2 - A Quaking in Aspen - full transcript

FEMALE NARRATOR:
Tonight on Murder, She Wrote.

Before this evening's over, I will
have lied to half the people in Aspen.

You're looking at
10 million bucks.

If it was murder,
we only pay five.

If you want me to represent you,

you do not say another word.

They're crazy to think that
my mother could kill anyone.

You deserve much better than me.

Get that gorgeous little
body of yours over here.

Well, that sounds
wonderful, Gloria.

Someone is lying in their teeth
and we've got to put a stop to it.



I am getting in
deeper by the second.

Jessica, that is
totally cockeyed.

Put them all
together, and... Boom.

(INDISTINCT CHATTERING)

Hi. Hi.

Let's go hit the town, baby.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

(BOTH LAUGHING)

Oh, my God, I can't
believe they fell for that.

They're suckers, I'm
telling you. I told you.

Oh, God.

What the... Where
the heck's the car?

Oh, there it is.
It's over there.

Where'd you learn
to play pool like that?



Man!

Many, many years. Many, many...

Many, many years ago.

Well, thanks to
you we're rich again.

Oh, God.

Something like that. It
was something like that.

Come here.

(GRUNTS)

(TIRES SCREECHING)

(HORN HONKING)

TERRY: Oh, Laney. Laney,
I just want you to be certain.

Because you know this is
going to cost you. Big time.

I mean, honey, you're moving faster
now than you did when you were on

the Nascar circuit
and that was real fast.

Okay, Terry, I want
to ask you a question.

Including last night, how many hours
have you spent with my husband?

Total? Mmm-hmm.

Maybe one.

Well, we've been married for
three years and since I moved here,

Grant hasn't been with me
a whole lot more than that,

except when I went down
to Palm Beach to see him.

Well, you knew going in
he preferred it down there.

This has never been a marriage.
It isn't even a good arrangement.

Okay, say it.

Say it. I'll never learn, right?

(CHUCKLING)

Honey, that's not
exactly what I had in mind.

Oh, no, no, no, Terry.

You deserve much better than me.

You realize you've been telling
me that for the last 20 years?

Well, that's only because
you haven't gotten the message

over my first three marriages.

(SIREN WAILING)

All right. I'll file
the divorce papers.

Maybe this time we'll get lucky
and he won't demand too much.

Hey, Milo.

Hi.

Counselor. Ma'am.

What is it, Milo?

(SIGHS) It's your
husband, ma'am.

Mr. Boswell. He's been
killed in a car crash.

(SIGHS)

I can't believe that the Sheriff's
people are back here again.

Well, maybe this time
they've got good news.

Sure they do.

Look, Jess, I feel really awful
dragging you out of your way to do

my piddly little interview show and
having you find me strung out like this...

I'm sorry.

Laney, after all
we've been through,

you don't have to make excuses.

It's Sherman, Sheriff.
Gina Sherman.

And you might want to take a
note that I liked my stepfather

even less than my mother did.

Mmm-hmm. Right. And...

You were away at school in
Vermont at the time of the accident?

Milo, it's been over a
month since Grant died.

Isn't it about time
you left us alone?

That's all of it, Mrs. Boswell.

But as I'm sure you can
understand, Mrs. Fletcher,

judging from those
books you write.

You know, since we've uncovered
the possibility of foul play...

Well, we have to
follow these things up.

Yes. I read where your forensics team
had found evidence of flammable liquid.

Regular, commercial
paint thinner.

It apparently began
to leak out as the car

glanced off the trees and rocks
on its way down into the canyon.

And remnants of
a triggering device?

Near the passenger compartment.

Fragments of what might've
been an alkaline battery

and a tiny amount of mercury,
probably from a mercury switch.

Put them all
together, and... Boom.

Of course, batteries and paint
thinner are pretty commonplace items.

And mercury, I mean that
could've come from a thermometer

that just happened
to be in the car.

That's what I've been
trying to tell them, Jessica.

Ma'am, it is looking less and
less like it's going to go anywhere.

Ladies.

(SIGHS)

JESSICA: Too bad about Grant.

I wish I'd gotten
to know him better.

(CLICKING TONGUE)
You didn't miss a whole lot.

Olivia Archer speaking.

TERRY: Olivia?

Terry, darling, you
must be reading my mind.

I was just about to call you.

Livvie, I want to know whether or not
I'm going to have to sue you people.

Terry, Terry. Not.

We're giving up
our investigation.

You can tell your client we'll be
processing her check in a matter of days.

For her full five million?

Double indemnity, j
just like in the small print.

Majority Insurance
stands by its commitments.

Livvie, why is it I
don't believe you?

I can't imagine, darling. Maybe
you ought to have that looked at.

CHARLIE: That
was the Terry Folger?

The guy that used to be
the hotshot criminal lawyer?

Mmm.

The Aspen Sheriff's department
found evidence that Grant Boswell's car

may have been sabotaged.

Rigged, so it would
burn when it crashed.

This Mrs. Boswell,
she's not the one who...

Uh-huh.

The former Laney Sherman.

She made Barbara
Walters look like a sissy.

Her husband carried a five
million dollar policy with us.

Half payable to his widow,
the other half to his niece.

Maybe he wasn't the
guy who was in the car.

No such luck. The dental
records checked out.

That means with
the accident clause,

you're looking at
10 million bucks.

If it was an accident.

If it was murder,
we only pay five.

Let me guess, if you could
prove that the wife whacked him,

you wouldn't even
have to pay her half.

But there's an even
better option for Majority.

Grant Boswell took out the
policy just under two years ago.

If it was suicide, and I
urge you to prove that it was,

(LAUGHING)

we won't have to pay a penny.

(EXHALES) Olivia!

You know, I've got a problem
with that kind of thing. Ethically.

Charlie, this is me
you're talking to.

Look, I went way out at the end
of the plank to get you your fee,

plus two and a half percent
of whatever you save us.

Yes, or no?

Three percent.

And remind me never to buy
insurance from you people.

Now, what's my cover?

Mr. Folger said the
insurance company

needs your signature
on this, Mrs. Boswell,

so that they can
issue you your check.

Well, it's taken
them long enough.

I know he's been
pushing them very hard.

I'm donating my half of
the proceeds to charity,

but I would like to see
Grant's niece receive her half.

And you can tell Terry that I'm
not thrilled that he's still allowing

the Sheriff's
department to harass me.

I'll let him know. Thank
you, Mrs. Boswell.

Thank you.

Gina!

Welcome back to Aspen.

How long you going to be here?

A few months.

I took the semester
off from school.

Well, I hope we can
spend some time together.

I really don't think so, Phil.

Gina... Mother, it
is over with Phil.

Darman Keene is an
artist and an intellectual...

Gina, when are you
going to face the truth?

Darman is an intellectually
impoverished hack

who hasn't had an
original idea in 10 years.

(DOOR SLAMMING)

(SIGHS)

DARMAN: I'm telling you, Harold,

it's the biggest thing to happen
to music since rock 'n' roll.

Get with it, man.

Harold, you are not listening.

Okay, Harold, then
how about this?

A whole new spin
on the rap scene.

Rap music as a metaphor for
the decline of Western civilization.

Harold, your readers
will devour it. I...

(ELECTRONIC BEEPING)

Okay, Harold, then you
tell me what you want.

I think I deserve...

Harold, I need an assignment,
as in N-E-E-D. Capisce?

All right, fine. Fine.

Then I will come up with
something by tomorrow, guaranteed.

(BEEPS)

(SIGHS)

Sorry about that. Now,
how soon can you get that

gorgeous little body
of yours over here?

Yes, well, I'm terribly sorry I
missed my earlier appointment,

but our flight from
Morocco was delayed.

But my hair is an absolute mess,

so the sooner you can
do something with it.

Oh, wait till you see
what I have in mind.

Well, that sounds
wonderful, Gloria.

Got to run some errands.

Well, I hope it's to get us
some money, and quickly.

I'm working on it.

I'll be right over.

Mr. Pembroke? I
thought it was you.

Nice to see you again.

Thanks, Carmichael.

Oh, Mr. Folger? Terry
Folger? Howard Dietrich.

Stocks, bonds, derivatives, subordinated
debentures, that sort of thing.

I'm just in from Palm Beach and
I couldn't help but recognize you

from your photograph
in the newspapers

and, of course,
all of those cases

you've tried on television.

You know, we had a client in
common, the late Grant Boswell.

Well, correction, Mr. Dietrich,
but I represent Mrs. Boswell.

What brings you to Aspen?

Well, my firm is looking
to open an office here.

You know, we have a lot of
customers that winter in the area.

JESSICA: Charlie?

Charlie Garrett.

Charlie, what are
you doing here?

I think you must be mistaken.

My name is Dietrich,
Howard Dietrich.

Wait a minute. I
know you. You're...

Your name is Fletcher, right?

And we met in Coral City, right?

Of course, Mr. Dietrich.

You were working on
a mystery as I recall.

You must tell me how
your writing is coming along.

Terry. Jessica.

Darman?

(MOANING)

Darman?

You miserable...

(DOOR SLAMMING)

My goodness, if it isn't life
imitating farce once again.

Olivia figured that the Dietrich cover
would give me access to the people

that Grant Boswell
knew around here.

I tell you, this altitude,

it's killing my allergies.

So, despite the fact that Majority
Insurance had nothing that specifically

pointed to Laney,

this Olivia Archer had chosen
to lie to her and to her attorney.

Well, wait a minute, I don't think
we can call it a full-fledged lie.

I think she just figured it'll take
a few days to process the check,

and who knows, in the meantime,
maybe I can come up with something.

Well, in any case, I have no choice
but to tell Laney what's going on.

Jessica, I wish you
wouldn't do that, you know.

I need this gig,
just to pay the rent.

I was kind of thinking maybe
you could give me a few days,

at least to make it look
like I was earning my fee.

All right, but I want you to promise
me that you won't be bothering Laney.

Oh, absolutely. You got it.

Tell me, how long have you and
Laney Boswell known each other?

I'm just curious, that's all.

(PEOPLE CHATTERING)

Really, Mr. Keene. I don't think I
belong in a rock 'n' roll magazine.

And I'm not sure its readers
would think so, either.

No, nonsense. They will love it.

"Mystery Writer Spans
Gen Gap." It would be...

Oh! Which is why, your last
successful effort was when?

About two years ago?

Darman, for some
unfathomable reason,

those new people from Beaver
Creek are dying to meet you.

Gina, you have
got to understand.

It's not what it looked like.

Sydney Pembroke forced
herself on me. She...

Darman, let go of me.

I'm sorry. Mr. Dietrich, is it?

That's all right.

You know, I was a great fan of
your mother's old interview show.

By the way, I understand that she and your
stepfather weren't on the best of terms.

Mr. Dietrich, there you
are. Gina, please excuse us.

Howard, you promised me...

Mr. Dietrich, been
looking for you.

I wanted to get your opinion on
derivatives and subordinated debentures.

Subordinated debentures?

Oh! (TSKING)

He simply cannot
resist talking business.

Terry, please forgive us,

but, Howard is in the midst
of helping me with my portfolio.

I beg your pardon, maybe I can grab a
minute of your time later on in the week.

Oh, I'm sure you can.

What's the matter? What's the
matter is, I am furious with myself

for going along
with your charade.

Well, look, I'm
sorry, I just thought...

I mean, at the rate we're going,

before this evening's over, I will
have lied to half the people in Aspen.

I'm so embarrassed.

Mr. Dietrich, there's
somebody I want you to meet.

Grant's niece, Nancy Boswell.

Mrs. Fletcher, I can't tell
you what a pleasure this is.

Mr. Dietrich.

Pleasure to meet you.

It's such a nice surprise for me. I
never thought I'd meet her in person.

I know I should have warned you.

I managed to get a few days off,

and I thought I'd better take the
opportunity to come and collect the things

that Uncle Grant
had left for me.

So I just jumped on the first
plane and came as soon as I could.

Ladies. Mr. Dietrich.

There'd better be a good
reason for this intrusion, Milo.

There, uh... There is, ma'am.

An eyewitness has come forward.

I'm afraid I have to place you under
arrest for murdering your husband.

GINA: This is outrageous.

A million dollars bail?

Gina, I had to fight
to keep it that low.

District Attorney's office claims
that they have a real solid case.

And I suppose they know
your mother can afford it.

This eyewitness,
apparently, it's somebody

who claims to have seen Laney buying
the incendiary materials that caused

Grant's car to burn up.

Oh, dear.

Then there's her
knowledge of automobiles...

And the fact that she and Grant
fought on the day of his death.

Milo, I can't believe that you
people are dumb enough to think

that I would gamble my
freedom to kill some lowlife...

Laney! What?

If you want me to represent you,

you do not say another word.

WOMAN ON PA: Phone call for Mr. Dietrich.
Phone call for Mr. Howard Dietrich.

Excuse me, can I use
this phone? Thanks.

Yes, this is Howard
Dietrich speaking.

WOMAN: Olivia
Archer on the line.

Yes, yes. Please, put her on.

Olivia, I'm glad you called.

Charlie, your services are
terminated, effective immediately.

Wait a minute. Wait a minute.

You mean just because the
Boswell woman was arrested?

Exactly.

This is all coming up
roses for Majority Insurance.

We're off the hook on the double
indemnity and from the sound of it,

we won't even have to
pay Mrs. Boswell's share.

Look, Olivia, I don't think the lady
did it, and I believe I can prove that.

OLIVIA: Drop it.

Now, look, I've booked
you on an 8:00 flight.

Yeah? And what if I
tell you to go to hell?

I'm warning you, Charlie,

if you start messing with
the case the Aspen authorities

have against her, I'll...

Pardon me, would you
happen to be Howard Dietrich

of the Palm Beach firm of
Lebbins, Hargis and Cole?

(NERVOUSLY) Yes, I am.

Well, I guess the world
really is nine by twelve.

You know, an old friend of mine
down there is a client of yours.

Jim Granger?

(LAUGHS)

Jim Granger. Yes.

Jim can't stop talking about how well
you've done managing his investments.

Well, Jim does tend to exaggerate,
you know, but then that's old Jim.

Look, I've got an
appointment, I'm sorry, Mr...

Vernon. Nice to meet you.

Pleasure to see you, sir.

Harold, come on. How many
writers do you know that are as close

to Laney Boswell as moi?

Tight with her daughter?

We were about to announce our
engagement when this whole thing happened.

(SHOWER RUNNING)

That's my point. It'll
have a totally inside spin

and I can provide you with the first
3,000 words by the end of the week.

(COMPUTER BEEPING)

Harold. Harold,
don't do this to me.

Okay. Okay. Fine.
I'll get back to you.

(SIGHS)

You didn't get the
assignment? No. I got it,

provided I supply him with
the name of the eyewitness

before he goes to
press with the next issue.

Now, what would you give if I
could tell you exactly who it is?

(CHUCKLING)

You've got to be kidding.

I mean, just when and where did Anthony
Pembroke see me buying these things?

Well, the District Attorney claims
that Anthony is prepared to testify

that it happened just a few
days before Grant's death.

But why would he
do such a thing?

I hardly know the man.

There are all sorts
of possibilities, Laney.

I mean, the desire for
the spotlight, revenge,

real or imagined, for a slight.

Or maybe he really
believes what he's saying.

He's lying, Terry.

Well, then we have nothing
to worry about, do we?

Look, darling, I came forward because
I believed it was my civic duty, all right?

I saw Laney Boswell buying that stuff. I
was standing not two feet away from her.

Anthony, who's going to employ you
when you have to be on call as a witness

in some dreary murder trial?

I mean, at this rate we're never
going to get enough money together

for a down payment
on some stinking condo,

much less build this lodge
you've been fantasizing about.

Sydney, will you stop?

I signed the contract with the builders.
They break ground in two weeks.

You have completely
gone over the edge.

How do you intend
to pay for this?

You'll need to trust me on this.

(SCOFFS) Trust you? I
did that already, remember?

This ties it, Tony.

Syd. Wait!

(SIGHS)

Yes. Terry thinks it's
possible your mom did it.

But that's his job and his experience
talking. As her defense lawyer,

he assumes she's innocent
and it goes from there.

Yeah, well, there's still another
thing that's bothering me.

The cases that he's been losing?

Gina, nobody bats 1,000.
Terry Folger's a legend.

Look, Gina,

I wanted to say that I'm very
sorry that Darman hurt you.

Gina, he speaks for me, too.

I would really appreciate
another chance.

Go away, Darman.

No, no, no, Gina, you
don't understand this.

This woman, she's a vulture.

It won't happen again.

Hello! What he's saying is
you won't catch him at it again.

Oh, man. Gina!

Phil, I'd really appreciate if you'd
give us a chance to talk privately.

Dar? Just so you
know, I'm not convinced.

Oh, hey, I don't blame
you. But it's a start.

Can we grab a cup of coffee?

You know, all this business with
your mother is really quite dreadful.

I mean, she's quite
an amazing person.

You never talked about what
it was like growing up with her.

Sheriff, from what I
hear, you have just about

put Mrs. Boswell in her husband's
car with a box of matches, and...

Whoa.

Hold off, Mr. Dietrich.

You're inquiring about Anthony
Pembroke 'cause... Why?

I'm a concerned citizen.

Uh-huh.

Of Florida.

Look, Sheriff...
May I call you Milo?

No.

Okay. I can live with that.

(CLEARS THROAT) Now
I'm going to level with you.

You see, I've got a
problem with Pembroke.

He has retained me as his
financial advisor to manage

his investment portfolio and he
hasn't exactly been forthright with his

financial information. You know,
bank balances, that sort of thing...

Get to the point,
okay, Mr. Dietrich?

I'm coming to that.

Now, I figured, as interested
party to interested party,

you know, you might be able to share any
background information you might have...

Mr. Dietrich, what we know about
Anthony Pembroke is none of your business.

Well, I understand that, but
I'm a responsible businessman

and you're here to
protect... (PHONE RINGING)

Sheriff Pike.

(ON PHONE) Milo, this is Floyd.

Yeah. Hold on a sec.

You have a business
card you can leave me?

Yeah.

I left them in the hotel room.

I'll tell you what,
I'll drop one by later.

No. That's okay. Just
write down your address

and phone number of your
home office in Palm Beach.

Yeah, Floyd, what do you want?

Floyd?

Floyd, I'm not going to
be able to bowl this week.

FLOYD: Come on.

Or probably next.

FLOYD: What do you mean?

Because I'm up to my eyeballs
in this Boswell case is why.

(DOOR OPENING)

Outside of the fact that
he's got a flashy wife,

I know nothing about Pembroke.

Except that I think he's into
respectable crapshooting.

Stocks, that sort of stuff.

Anyway, assuming he's
lying, he's probably trying

to take suspicion
off of himself.

(CLEARS THROAT)
Or off somebody else.

Oh, that guy.

It's bad enough that Olivia
set me up as a stockbroker,

about which I know nothing.

But she also gave me the name of a
real stockbroker that that guy knows about.

Charlie, you told me that Anthony
Pembroke was asking you about investing?

Yeah, he said he was
expecting some fairly big bucks.

LANEY: Hello.

Mr. Dietrich. Jessica. Ready to head
over to the studio and be interviewed

by a murder suspect?

(LAUGHS) It'll
be the first time.

Do I have time to
make a phone call?

Of course you do.

I'll only be a moment.

Ladies.

So let me guess, we're
not talking good news, right?

Not even close. The grand jury
just handed down an indictment.

I'm to bring you in tomorrow morning
for arraignment. First degree murder.

Oh, Mom.

On the basis of Anthony
Pembroke's testimony?

Mainly.

Pembroke claims he saw you
between 3:25 and 3:40 on the afternoon

of April 25th, buying the mercury
switch and the paint thinner.

He says he can even remember
the brand name on the can,

from Burnside's Hardware Store.

That's nonsense
and I can prove it.

April 25th, here...

Laney?

There are no
entries on that day.

Did you question the
clerk in the hardware store?

He doesn't remember seeing
Laney, but there is a record

for cash sales on that
date for those items.

(DOORBELL RINGING)

Laney, dear, there must be
other ways that you can account

for your whereabouts that day.

But, five weeks ago?

I can't remember last
Tuesday unless I look it up.

(WHISPERING) Gina.

Incredible. I can't believe I'm stupid
enough to let Darman con me again.

Hey, what's really important is
that maybe now you'll believe me.

You're damned straight this
indictment's going to totally screw us up.

WOMAN: What're
we going to do now?

Bottom line,

someone is lying in their teeth
and we've got to put a stop to it

and fast.

Cheers.

(GLASS SHATTERING)

(CAT MEOWING)

(GROANS)

Hey, what... No!

(SIREN WAILING)

I think that it was close to 3:00 a.m.
by the time we finally stopped jabbering

and said goodnight.

Jessica and I haven't seen each
other a whole lot in the last few years.

I don't suppose you'd fudge a little
on the time because of your friendship.

No. I wouldn't.

Sheriff Pike, that
was uncalled for.

Yeah. I apologize, ma'am.

But I'm sure you can understand
what a relief this has got to be

to Mrs. Boswell
here and Mr. Folger.

What with the chief witness against
her suddenly, you know, out of the picture.

Sir, would you mind telling me where
you were between 11:00 and 2:00 a.m.?

Working late at my office.

And your daughter, Mrs. Boswell?

LANEY: Uh, she left the lodge with
Phil Carmichael. They were together.

It was late. Around 10:00.

What time did she get back?

She didn't return.

Really? Hmm.

You recognize something
there, Mrs. Fletcher?

Oh!

Just that shard of
glass caught my eye.

(SIGHS) They're crazy to think
that my mother could kill anybody.

Look, sweetheart, maybe I've
worked with a lawyer for too long,

but I think you better
prepare yourself for the worst.

Even you're not all
that sure, are you?

Wrong.

All those hours talking last night.
What did you think that was about?

Being straight with each other.

You're right. I doubted you.

I'm sorry.

Now, I have no idea how much
Anthony planned to invest, and frankly,

given the circumstances, I find
your questions in rather bad taste.

Oh, believe me, I can understand how
you might take it that way, Mrs. Pembroke,

but, I'm just here to offer my
help during this difficult period.

Now, I couldn't help but
notice that the other night

at the Arts Festival, you came with
that guy, Terry Folger, the lawyer.

Terry and I go back a long way.
Although, I can't imagine what business

it is of yours.

Well, it really isn't my business,
but, I didn't see your husband there

so I couldn't help but wonder...

I think it's time for you
to leave, Mr. Dietrich.

Yeah. Sure. (KNOCKING)

By the way, you wouldn't have
any idea why Mr. Pembroke

went to the alley
last night, would you?

If it's okay, Mrs. Pembroke,
I'd like to take your statement.

Oh, certainly. Please, come in.

It was so considerate of
you to stop by, Mr. Dietrich.

You know, Sheriff, why don't I
just stick around until you're finished,

and then I can tell
you what I know.

Goodbye, Mr. Dietrich.

Oh, anytime you want to talk
to me, Sheriff, I'll be in room 416.

I caught a couple of typos and a
misplaced "whereas" in subparagraph B.

Mr. Folger, can I
ask you a question?

Mmm-hmm.

With Mr. Pembroke dead, isn't it
likely that the DA's going to drop

the case against Mrs. Boswell?

It could go either way.

Mr. Folger, I hope that you
don't take offense to this,

but the agreement that
you have with Mrs. Boswell,

it says that if she's tried for
murder and you defend her

she signs off almost all of
her assets to you, win or lose.

It seems a little
steep, doesn't it?

Well, that's the way we
do it in a capital case.

All right, you go ahead and plug those
changes in and get this over to Laney

for her signature.

But, Mr. Folger... Now, Phil.

Yes, sir.

Pardon me, Mr. Folger, would
you mind if I had a word with you?

Sit. What's on your
mind, Ms. Boswell?

I'm not really sure if
this has anything at all

to do with the case
against Aunt Laney.

Well, go on, child.

Well, the thing is, I didn't
want to say anything to her.

I mean, she's upset
enough as it is,

but there's this man
that I met at the reception

who calls himself
Howard Dietrich.

Calls himself? Yes.

You see, a few years ago,
when I was visiting my Uncle Grant

down in Florida, he introduced
me to Howard Dietrich.

This isn't the same man.

Have a nice day, Mr. Folger.

OLIVIA: Hello?

Livvie, I don't know what kind of game
you're playing, but I want you to know

it's not going to work. This
Dietrich fellow you sicced on us...

Maybe you ought to
have that looked at.

CHARLIE: Okay, Olivia,
I know how it happened.

This friend of mine,
Jessica Fletcher,

recognized me when
I was talking to Folger.

I don't care, Charlie. I told
you to get the hell out of there.

Olivia... Garrett,
I'm warning you,

if you bollocks up this case and
we have to pay out 10 million bucks,

I will personally
sue you from here...

Wait a minute. You're the one
who gave me this dopey cover.

Now sit tight. I'll
get back to you.

Charlie.

Charlie, I want some straight
answers and I want them now.

I suppose this is my
day to get yelled at.

Okay. That was the wrapper
from one of my throat lozenges.

Thanks for not
telling the Sheriff.

Charlie, I am getting in
deeper by the second,

helping you to cover up. I
want you to go to Sheriff Pike.

Please, Jessica,
just a little longer.

Well, at least your instincts
were correct about there being

less to Anthony
Pembroke than met the eye.

A very old friend of mine, a Boston
investment banker, just sent me this.

Pembroke was born
Anthony O'Brien.

In Boston. Apparently,
he reinvented himself.

He and his wife have no assets. I
mean, they live mostly off credit cards.

Well, that's very interesting. A
gumshoe pal of mine in New York

found out that Pembroke's wife
was disowned by her wealthy father

when she married the bozo.

So, where did he expect to get this
money that he was going to invest?

And to build a ski lodge?

And what is more curious,

why did he expect
to get this money?

I mean, what service was
he going to perform to earn it?

Well, peddling
drugs comes to mind.

(SIGHS DEEPLY)

Someone was going to pay him
to testify against Laney Boswell.

Exactly. But who?

Mr. Dietrich.

You've got a lot of explaining
to do. You too, Mrs. Fletcher.

A taxi driver observed your
friend here follow the victim into

the alley last night.

No wonder you
recognized one of these

in that crime scene photo.

Sheriff...

I want to know what you're
really doing here in Aspen and why

I shouldn't arrest you
on suspicion of murder.

And if he turns out to be
guilty why I shouldn't hold you

as an accessory.

Oh, come on.

Look, I've got a real good hunch
you're both going to face charges of lying

to a law officer, at least.

Don't either one
of you leave town.

(SIGHS)

Charlie, we have to find out who
lured Anthony Pembroke into that alley.

(KNOCKING)

Jessica, look, this
might be something.

Damn. Nothing.

Hand me that pencil, Charlie

CHARLIE: "Elm Alley. 11:00 p.m."

Okay. It looks like he
did get a phone call.

Now all we have to
do is... What's that?

Charlie, the Pembrokes flew
first class all the way from Morocco.

And I think I know who had the strongest
incentive for Laney to stand trial.

I got to hand it to
you, counselor. You

know, you got me and
Jessica dead to rights.

And I happen to know that deceiving
you about me does not exactly

make her happy.

And you were very thorough
on behalf of your client, Terry.

Getting Sheriff Pike to run a
trace on Anthony Pembroke's

phone calls in Aspen in hope of
learning who might've killed him.

Well, that is my job. Now look, is
this what you got me out of bed for?

Counselor, keep listening. It gets better.
Like the fact that you knew that those

phone call traces were not going to
lead to the person who bribed him.

I don't follow you.

Look, all along we've
assumed that Mr. Pembroke

was bribed since
he returned to Aspen.

But he and his wife flew
here first class from Morocco.

Very pricey.

Now, that's when I suddenly
realized that whoever bribed him

may have done so before
Anthony returned to the States.

The airline confirmed that
Pembroke paid cash, American dollars.

Terry, you bribed
Anthony Pembroke

to perjure himself in order to insure
that Laney would be tried for murder

and you'd strike it rich.

Jessica, that is
totally cockeyed.

I saw the representation
agreement. Win or lose,

she'd have signed over most of
her assets to you. Millions of dollars.

And you know as well as I do, there's
not a major criminal defense attorney

in the country who
doesn't operate that way.

Now, wait a minute, counselor, hold on. The
rest of them aren't as hungry as you are.

I checked your stats, pal. You haven't
had a winning season since 1989.

You had access
to the evidence list.

You were able to tell Mr. Pembroke
the brand name of the paint thinner

and other details.

And you knew where Laney
Boswell kept her appointment book.

All you had to do was find a
day where there were no entries.

Whoa. Laney is my friend. I've been
after her to marry me for years now.

Your phone records over
the past few months, Terry,

they show that you made a
number of calls to Morocco,

plus collect calls from there.

I paid Pembroke an advance
against 10% of whatever

I was going to get from Laney.

And so when he held you up
for more money, you popped him.

Now just stop it. I did
not kill Anthony Pembroke.

He may be telling
the truth, Mr. Garrett.

The hotel has no indication
that Anthony Pembroke

received calls from
anyone yesterday,

except for his
building contractor.

So, all we know for sure is
that we've got two dead bodies,

Mr. Pembroke and Mr. Boswell.

But the 11:00 meeting.

Why would Pembroke
have written it down

if he didn't hear about
it from over the phone?

(SNAPPING)

Ooh. I think I busted a filling.

Teeth. That's who might really
have the most to gain from all of this.

Sheriff Pike, maybe we don't know
for sure as much as we think we do.

(KNOCKING ON DOOR)

Yep. I'm coming.

All right, what do
you want? What?

No games, Keene. I want to
know what you think you saw.

(DARMAN LAUGHING)

I didn't write this.

What if I don't believe you?

CHARLIE: Well, you can
definitely believe me, pal.

Dietrich?

His name's Garrett. He works
for an insurance company.

I wrote you that
note, Mr. Boswell.

Boswell?

Yeah, that's right.
Laney's husband.

The guy that was supposedly
killed in the auto accident.

Yeah. But I... Shut up!

Now talk to me.

This lady, Mrs. Fletcher, she figured
out that the phone call to Pembroke,

the one that lured
him into the alley,

must've been made by someone
who was staying in the hotel.

That's why there was no record.

Now, you made that phone
call from your room, didn't you?

You know, this makes for a
very intriguing story even without...

Last night in the alley,

I pretended to be unconscious.

I saw you take out Pembroke.

But for the right kind of bucks,

I could send the Fletcher woman,

the law and the
insurance company

all in the wrong direction.

How much?

I'm not greedy.

You know, 20% of the five million you're
going to get from the insurance company.

Okay.

Both of you up against the wall.

Hands up against the
wall. Freeze, Mr. Boswell.

Gotcha.

So, how did you figure
out I was Boswell?

Two things told me.

Yesterday in the cafe,

you were eavesdropping
on Charlie and me.

Later, I remembered seeing
that distinctive watch that you wear

somewhere before

and it came to me it was in
Laney's picture of you at the house.

Then when Laney showed
up, I looked over at your table

and you'd suddenly disappeared.

It seemed a bit odd, leaving
when a celebrity like Laney walks in.

But, of course, it was because
she was the one person

in Aspen who would recognize you

even without the
beard and ponytail.

Well, that's all
you can nail me for,

(CLEARS THROAT)
faking my own death.

What about two murders?

Try tagging me for even one.

I don't know how that
bozo wound up in my car

and I never even met
Anthony Pembroke.

Why would I kill him?

For the insurance money.

Try again.

There's no way I could
get my hands on any of that.

Half goes to my wife
and the rest to my niece.

Your niece doesn't
exist. You invented her.

(LAUGHING) What
are you talking about?

You all met her.

Huh-uh. Her real
name is Nancy Grayson.

We checked her ID
and credit records.

You were very thorough,

but, none of it goes back
more than three years.

That's when the two of you
began plotting this scheme.

Yeah, she's a dental
assistant from Denver.

She worked for the
dentist you went to.

Which is how you were
able to switch x-rays

with another patient who
was roughly your size.

So you just whacked him out
and sent him over the mountain

in your place. I never ever...

(DOOR OPENING)

I'm sorry, Grant.

You've cut a deal
with them, haven't you?

Immunity on the murder charges

for a guilty plea
on insurance fraud.

Nancy took the guy
to a Denver saloon

and got him drunk.

I hit him and we
stuffed him into my car.

First thing next morning,
a few miles down the road,

I pulled over, put the guy's
dead body in the driver's seat,

and sent him over the side.

It was all so perfect.
Accidental death,

double indemnity.

And then Pembroke
started muddying the waters.

So you had to come back
here to Aspen and kill him,

to keep the case
from going to trial.

I phoned Pembroke from my room.

Told him I had more information
he could use against Laney.

He was only too
happy to meet me.

(SIGHS)

CHARLIE: Olivia, why
are you yanking my chain?

I saved you guys 10
million bucks. Yeah.

Yeah? Well, the same to you.

I don't believe it.

They're not going to
pay me my percentage.

They're giving me
expenses and my usual fee.

But how can they do that?

She said there's no claim.

Well, I suppose
she's got a point.

Grant Boswell is the insured
party and he's still alive.

Well, Charlie, I
think it's outrageous.

And I am going to cancel
my insurance with them.

You're too late, they
already took care of that.

What?

I could almost taste three percent
of $10 million, you understand?

Well, it looks to me as if
the biggest beneficiaries

are not even
listed on the policy.

(LAUGHS)