Murder, She Wrote (1984–1996): Season 12, Episode 22 - What You Don't Know Can Kill You - full transcript

Johnny is engaged to Seth's niece Amy but enrages Les by visiting Sherri. When Johnny is the victim of a motorcycle accident, Amy insists that it was murder.

Tonight on Murder, She Wrote.

A baby.

It's got nothing to do with us.

Well, I must admit,
I was jealous.

Well, why not outraged that
he wasn't gonna marry her?

We can settle this right here!

He said he's gonna
get even with her.

What do you want from me anyway?

Well, is he a psycho,
a drunk, or what?

Let go of me. Oh, just relax.

Can't you do
something about this?



This is crazy.

My enemies have a way of dying.

Have you been taking
your medication?

Any psycho could wander in here.

You're the first.

There's no need to
throw your life away.

I can't believe how
fast you're growing.

Oh. You must've gained
a pound since yesterday.

Oh, how you doing, big fella?

You gonna be my buddy? Huh?

We'll have lots of
good times, you and me.

I'll take you on hikes,

teach you how to
swim, ride a bike.

You like that, huh?



Yeah. You and me, we're
gonna do lots of fun things, huh?

Oh, here's Mama. Here's Mama.

You're feeling damp.
I won't tell if you won't.

Hey.

Thanks, Johnny.

I don't know how I would've
gotten through all this without you.

You're the best.

No. You're the best.

Sure you can't stay a while?

Love to, Sherri, but
I got to hit the road.

Take care of this guy.
We made lots of plans.

Hey, loverboy.

I wanna talk to you.

You got nothing better to do
than creep around in the dark?

Chill out.

Hey! Hey! What
the hell is going on?

Come on. Cut it out.

Get off my property, Les, before
I have you tossed in the slammer.

See you later, Johnny.

You okay?

Yeah. Thanks.

I hated to break it up. You
would've kicked that loser's butt.

Hey, you wanna come
in for a cup of coffee?

No, it's getting late, Mr. Sampson.
I got to work tomorrow.

Ah! When I was your age, the
last thing I needed was sleep.

Come on, Johnny.
Give us a chance to talk.

And Sherri'll be tickled pink if
you stay a few minutes longer.

Well, I guess a few
minutes can't hurt.

Ah! There we go.

Welcome home, Mrs. Fletcher.

I wasn't expecting
you home so soon.

And I didn't expect you at all.

Who are you and how
did you get in here?

My uncle gave me the key.

Your uncle?

The last time we met
was in your kitchen.

I think I was 12.

And I helped you bake some of the
most wonderful maple sugar cookies

I've ever tasted.

Oh, don't tell me. You're Amy.

Mmm-hmm.

Seth Hazlitt's niece.

My goodness, this is
a wonderful surprise.

Oh, it's so
wonderful to see you.

And Uncle Seth was right.
You haven't changed a bit.

Oh, I don't know about that.

Excuse me.

Oh, hello, Johnny.

Morning, Mrs. Fletcher.
Welcome home.

Well, thank you very much.

Uh-oh! Did I get mixed
up on my schedule?

Uh, weren't we going to talk
about landscaping tomorrow?

Uh-huh.

I'm here to take Amy for a ride.

Yeah. Just like
when we were kids.

He used to take me
for rides on his bike.

Only now his bike has an engine.

Oh, we're engaged.

Oh!

Mmm-mmm! Look at that.

Just what I'm hungry for.

Looks pretty tasty
to me too, there.

That ain't on the menu, junior.

Ow!

Amazing any woman can
resist you two smooth-talkers.

There's a table over there.

What do you say, flower boy?

There you go.

Johnny. Hi.

Amy. Hi.

Your uncle Seth was in earlier.

He had the special.

Chopped salad with pine
nuts and balsamic vinegar.

Oh, really? I bet you anything he
stopped on the way home for a hot dog.

Um. I think I'm gonna have a
turkey club on whole wheat toast,

and an iced tea.

Yeah. Make it two.

Okay.

See, that's what it's like
to live in a small town.

Everybody knows
what you had for lunch.

It's time to be neighborly.

Les, do you have to?

I owe you for last night, slick.

Put a lid on it, Les.

Did you tell your
girlfriend about Sherri?

Maybe you'd like to tell her and
everybody else in here all about it.

Get up. We can
settle this right here.

All right. Okay. Back off.

Les, are you okay?

Fun's over, fellas. MAN:
Come on, you guys.

Yeah, he'll be fine.
On your feet. Let's go.

Andy, I want you to see
these gentlemen to the door.

And make sure they
take Les with them.

I'm sorry, Sheriff. I
didn't have much choice.

Stay away from him. Amy.

Wow, that was scary.

All right, what do
you want to know?

Do I get in many fights? No.

Just two in the last 10 years.

Both with Les Franklin
in the last two days.

Why?

What am I supposed to do?
Let him mop the floor with me?

No. You know that's
not what I meant.

Who's Sherri?

Amy.

I made a promise
that I have to keep.

Before you came back,
before we fell in love, it's...

Look, I swear, it's got
nothing to do with us.

But is it why Les Franklin
hates you so much now?

Oh... Hell, he's just jealous.

'Cause I'm with the
prettiest girl in town.

Now, can we talk
about something else?

Okay.

Poor child has
had a rough patch.

Amy dropped out of
college after her father died.

So, I thought it
would be a nice thing

to invite her here for the summer
where she's had good times.

Of course. Well, it
looks as if it's working.

I mean, she and Johnny
Carter seem very happy.

Apparently, young love these
days is not only blind but deaf.

I fail to see the romantic
appeal of a vehicle

that sounds exactly like
six broken lawnmowers

being run over by
a garbage truck.

Well, you better bring
your earplugs tonight,

because I've invited the
kids to have dinner with us.

Oh! ROGER: There she is.

Wonderful. The town crier.

Edgar, I'll call
you. Okay, Jeremy.

Don't you go lawyerizing
my words, Jeremy.

Jessica, I think you
should be warned

that Johnny Carter
stole my garden.

Your garden?

I'm sorry about
all this, Jessica.

Johnny designed and installed
a flower garden for Roger.

And then, he snuck
back last night,

dug it up, took every
one of my plants.

Roger, what are
you rattling on about?

It seems Johnny gave
Roger an estimate for his work.

When it was finished, Roger said
it was too much and refused to pay.

Exactly.

So, Johnny, who had paid for
the plants out of his own pocket,

simply took the plants
back, like repossessing a car.

Only now Roger insists
on pressing charges.

Now, wait a minute.
Whose side are you on?

Uh, Roger, don't you
think that this is a little bit...

Infantile? I don't think so.

Oh, for...

Now, Johnny Carter intends to put in
flowers in your garden. Am I correct?

Well, yes, I'm having him do...

Well, then I suggest,
Jessica, that you reconsider.

Unless you want
to find yourself guilty

of receiving stolen property.

Jeremy, really, can't you
do something about this?

I'm trying, Jessica.

Obviously, not hard enough.

Roger, have you been
taking your medication?

Buzz off, Doc.

Roger, as your attorney,
I can assure you,

you have no cause of
action against Jessica.

Then maybe I should
get another attorney.

I'm putting you
on notice, Jessica.

Let it be known, I warned you.

I'm truly sorry about
all this, Jessica.

Well, so am I, Jeremy.

Jess, you have outdone yourself.

That chowder was superb.

And this brisket is so
good, it's downright indecent.

Horseradish. What?

Try some of my
homemade horseradish.

Oh, yes. The stuff that makes
a perfect meal even better.

Amy.

Mmm? Oh.

No, thank you, Uncle
Seth. I'm sure it's very good.

You have to wonder why
they call it horseradish.

Maybe it's because if
you put too much on,

it tends to kind of...

Strong enough to
knock over a horse.

Are you okay?

Whew! Well, Johnny
is 47 minutes late

for the finest meal I have had

since the last time Jessica
came home from New York.

Well, thank you.

It's really not like Johnny.
I... He would've called.

Maybe he had a
flat tire or something.

They get those. They don't carry
a spare on those contraptions.

In which case, he'd have had to

wheel his noisemaker back from
where was it you said he was?

Well, he said he
had to visit a friend.

Well, Amy's right.
He should have called.

Could you excuse me, please?

Do you think he has one
of those cellular phones?

I don't think so.

But, I mean, there are
plenty of houses along the way

where people would be glad to let
him use the phone in an emergency.

A typical woman's solution.

Grown men do not like to
knock on strange doors at night.

For fear they may have to
answer to husbands with shotguns.

And when was the last time that you
had to answer to a husband with a shotgun?

Jessica, a gentleman simply
does not discuss such matters.

Johnny?

Yes?

Oh, no.

Oh, God. No.

Hello? Who is this?

This is Mort, Mrs. F.
I'm out on Rocky Point.

One of my deputies spotted
Johnny Carter's wrecked motorcycle.

Apparently, he lost control
and went off the pavement.

Oh. Well, how badly is he hurt?

I'm sorry to be the one
that had to break the news.

Johnny's dead.

Oh!

Mmm. Mmm. Johnny
was a prince. What a waste.

Yeah. Sure is, Tom.

Sherri's been crying all night.

They were real close, you know.

Olsen.

Speaking of crying, you'd
better get that paperwork right.

The sheriff can be a real bear.

Hey, I've noticed.

He reminds me of my father.

Deputy.

Hi, Mrs. Fletcher. Doc.

Sorry about your niece, Doc.

Thanks. I wanted to
have a look at the site

before I typed up
the death certificate.

Andy, where did Johnny
lose control of his motorcycle?

Hard to say exactly.

No skid marks?

No. We looked for
them, but there aren't any.

So we figured he just
came down over the ridge

and around the curve, a little
too fast, and ran off the road.

There was a dent in his helmet.

Could've been caused
by hitting that guard rail.

That would've been
enough to snap his neck.

I'm gonna pull
forward in a minute.

You folks better
move back a little.

Well, I've gotta have the bike checked
over by the State Police mechanic.

See if some kind of mechanical
failure caused the accident.

So, how's Amy taking all this?

Not too well, I'm afraid.

Poor child seems
a tad irrational.

Oh, I get it. There're things
that you're not telling me

because it's a murder
investigation, right?

Amy, I am not keeping
anything secret.

There is zero evidence that
this was anything but an accident.

Sheriff, I have been up
and down Rocky Point road

on the back of Johnny's
bike a million times.

Johnny knew it far
too well to lose control.

Okay. Then chances are
the State Police mechanics

will find that the
thing malfunctioned.

Brake failure, a
bearing, something... No!

No! There's no way.

Johnny babied that bike.

Sheriff, you were
there at the diner,

you saw the fight
between Les and Johnny.

And Les was playing cards
with his friends, here in town,

at the time of the accident.

What if he is lying to you?

Are you just gonna believe it
because his loser friends back him up?

Look, Amy,

believe me, I do understand.

Something like this happens,

we all try to make sense of it.

But the truth is, we
can't always find any.

And looking for someone to
blame, that's not the answer.

Now, this... It was
a pointless tragedy.

But as far as we know,
that's all that it was.

Okay, Sheriff, fine. If
that's how you feel about it.

I know Johnny was murdered.

And I intend to prove that,

if I have to question every
single person in Cabot Cove.

Yeah. Right.

So, then I tell her, get this...

I tell her I'm in the
Merchant Marines, right?

This girl's so
stupid, she buys it.

This girl was too
dumb to breathe, right?

You're talking about
the skinny girl, right?

Yeah. That chick is all ankles.

Hey, look who's coming.

Oh, Amy, I'm so sorry.

Oh, thank you, Doreen.

Can I talk to you
guys for a second?

You know, I heard Johnny
fell off his bike, man.

Just one question, guys.

Who's Sherri? And is she why
Johnny and Les got in a fight yesterday?

That sounds like
two questions to me.

Why don't you sit down
and we'll talk about it?

Let go of me.
Oh, just relax now.

Take your hands off
me. I mean it. Doreen!

I mean it. Stop it.

You're cute, when you're
mad, you know that?

Take your hands off.

Ow! Ow! You're hurting me!

Leave it alone, Doreen.

Stop it! Ow! You're hurting me.

Stu! What? Are you
crazy? Let her go. Stop it.

Put some music on.

Ow!

Let her go.

What's happening?

She's asking about
you and Johnny.

And Sherri.

What'd you say?

Hmm? Nothing, man.

Honest.

Hey, Les, you better find
a new leash for these two.

And get them out of here. Now!

You okay now?

Yeah. Thanks.

Those guys even scare me.

So let me guess. You were
asking the wrong questions.

Yeah. Looks that way.

Mickie, what I
don't understand is

Les and Johnny
used to be best friends.

Yeah. But that's
before Johnny...

started his own business and
made something of himself.

But that's not all
of it though, is it?

I helped you already, didn't I?

Mickie.

Who is Sherri?

What does she have
to do with all this?

Nothing, okay?

Look, you're gonna go away
soon. Back to Providence.

So why don't you just forget all
about this town and these people?

I gotta go.

Mickie, wait a minute.

I don't know if you've
ever thought about this,

but you don't have to spend the
rest of your life being like one of them.

Trust me.

Sherri Sampson.

She used to be
Johnny's girlfriend.

Oh.

That's... Hey, what do
you want from me anyway?

Uh, Mr. Woods. Mr. Woods.

I'd like a word
with you, please.

Roger. Stu.

Well, it's happened. All my
plants are in Jessica's backyard.

I wanna know what you're
gonna do to protect my interests.

Roger, I've seen those plants.

They're in pots. And I doubt
very much that you can verify

they're the ones that you and
Johnny were arguing about.

Pop, Pop. Maybe
he's got a point.

Nonsense!

Roger, try to
think this through.

I mean, you and I have
known Jessica for years.

Now, do you think
that she could...

You legal pariah.

The two of you are in a
conspiracy, aren't you? Against me.

Stu, your father needs help.

No, he doesn't.

He's right on about you people.

Hey, Pop! Wait up.

Hey, that wasn't so
hard, was it? No. No.

No, you little peanut.

Hey. You all right
now, little guy?

He just needed to be changed.

Sherri, honey, I wanna
ask you something.

Uh, I got home last
night at about 7:00.

I was gonna take you and
the little guy out for pizza.

I took him with me.

We went for a walk down
near the waterfront, after...

After Johnny left.

Mmm.

Well, I gotta go to work.

Sorry about Johnny.

You all right, Amy?

No. I'm not.

But I will be.

There's no way he
would've missed this curve.

Well, knowing Johnny,
I think you're right.

Did you find something?

Uh, I'm not sure.

May I borrow your cell
phone to make a call?

Yeah.

Yes, Jessica. What
can I do for you?

Jeremy, didn't you
mention that you had a friend

who worked in the phone company?

David Shaughnessy, he's the
manager over in Bar Harbor.

Could you ask him how they
transport their telephone poles?

And how recently did they put

R263 in place?

Odd question, but I'll
try to get you an answer.

Supposing I see you in
about an hour over at the diner.

I'll see you then.

Now what?

You won't believe the
color of these roses.

Johnny found this hybrid...

Oh, enough of the build-up, show
me the darned things, will you?

Wait. Will you just look!

Seth!

What reason would anyone
have for destroying flowers?

Roger Yates.

Oh!

Doreen, may I have a
cup of coffee, please?

I was just making a fresh pot.

Just need to get a
filter from the storeroom.

No rush. Car trouble.

Oh.

Hello, Doreen.

Mrs. Fletcher!
You're back in town.

Are you staying long?

I wish I knew. But,
with my schedule...

Jeremy?

Oh, my God!

Doreen, you're telling me

that you came back
from the supply room

and you didn't notice
that your only customer

was slumped over the
counter with a knife in his back?

No. Mrs. Fletcher was coming
through the door and I was looking at her.

He was waiting for his car.

What?

Jeremy. His car broke down and he
was having it fixed at Ernie's Garage.

Sheriff, do you know why
Jeremy Woods is dead?

Well, outside of the fact that somebody
stabbed him with an ordinary switchblade

that had no fingerprints, no.

Doreen, thanks.

Sheriff, this has got something
to do with Johnny's murder.

I know it does.

Amy...

Mort, it is possible that Jeremy found
out something about Johnny's death.

Mrs. F, Amy, please,
one thing at a time.

Now we're trying
to trace the knife

and we're tracking all of
his cellular phone calls.

Well, is there any word yet from the
State Police about Johnny's motorcycle?

Yes. Right. Uh...

Olsen, where the
hell's that report?

Right here.

Right where you put it, Sheriff.

Right.

Now, they're still
checking things out.

But the brakes were
in perfect working order.

There's no sign of sabotage.

Yeah. So far.

Mort, if I might slip
a word in edgewise...

Now, you got something you
want to lay on me, too, Doc?

Only my preliminary
medical report.

Thanks. Check it out later.

Then let me lay this on you.

Johnny Carter was
going to marry my niece,

Jeremy Woods was a good friend.

Your saying that their
deaths were not related

does not make it so in my book.

Doc, I'm doing the best I can.

Sheriff, that was Andy,
down at the waterfront.

He said Roger
Yates has really lost it.

Well, get down there
and give him a hand!

I'm sorry I took so long
responding to your call.

The baby had a rash so I had
to take him to his pediatrician,

over in Bridgton.

Oh, hell.

The truth is that I... I didn't
really want to see anyone.

I've just been so upset by
what happened with Johnny.

You know, now that I see you, I
remember you from when we were kids.

I seem to be the
only one talking here.

Do you like him?

Oh, yeah. He's adorable.

Thanks.

We're gonna miss Johnny, too.

Me and the little guy. Hey.

Um...

You and Johnny were
close at one time, right?

He didn't tell you about me?

No.

Well, he was a good guy, Amy.

I mean, he came by nearly every
day to see how we were doing.

And he was... He
was my best friend

ever, and,

my dad, he treated
Johnny like a son.

Oh.

I didn't know that.

When Johnny told me that he was

thinking about asking
you to marry him,

I must admit, I was jealous.

But then I said,

"Hey, you know, if you're
really sure, you should just

"go ahead and do it."

I call him Little Jay.

Is that his name or his initial?

Both.

He's named after Johnny.

I, uh...

Hi.

You're...

You're Amy, aren't you? You're
the one that Johnny was engaged to?

I'm... I'm sorry about him...

There are witches and devils
right here in Cabot Cove.

They regard us with their evil
eyes and they poison our luck.

They've... They've been
after me. They watch me.

But, you know what? I
watch them back! That's right.

Hey! Take it easy.
Watch it, sonny.

Anyway... Your dad's
all revved up again.

Those cops have been watching
him, like, the last 10 minutes.

I'll tell you what! Here's
what I have to say to you...

How long's Les
been standing there?

This ain't some kind of show.

They watch and I warn you!

My enemies have a
way of dying mysteriously.

Right. Mr. Yates,

I'd like you to come
along with me, please.

Uh-uh. You aren't
taking him anywhere.

Stu, your dad needs help.

No! I'll just take him home.

Look, I'm sorry, Stu,
but I have my orders.

Now, if you want
to know anything,

you check with the
sheriff's department.

Now stand away from him.

It's all right, Stu.

They know about
my stolen garden,

and I expected
them to contact me.

You just stood there.

You didn't do a damned
thing to help him.

Like it's my fault
he was busted?

Well, you just see what kinda help
you're gonna get from me from now on.

Forget it!

A baby.

Jessica, how could Johnny
keep something like that from me?

And that's all Sherri said.

Wish you could've learned more.

Oh, God. I didn't
want to hear any more.

I just wanted to
get out of there.

I felt so stupid, Jessica.

I really wish that I hadn't found out
about Sherri Sampson and Little Jay,

because now, every time I think of
Johnny, I'm gonna think about them.

I should've listened
to the sheriff.

He tried to stop me from
investigating Johnny's death, you know,

and maybe it's because
he knew what I'd find.

I doubt that. I mean,
if Seth or I had known,

we certainly would
have warned you.

I don't know Sherri well,

but her saying that
she was jealous

when Johnny told her that he was
going to marry you. I mean, "Jealous?"

I don't know what you mean.

Well, why not outraged that
he wasn't gonna marry her?

Hello. MORT: Hi, Mrs. F.

Oh, yes, Mort.

Yeah, I got the results back on
Johnny's bike. Looks like an accident.

Really?

Yeah. They just got back from the
State Police lab along with the report.

Negative on any sign of tampering
with the bike or other foul play.

And all of the damage seems to have come
from impact with the guard rail and stuff.

He says it looks as if
Johnny simply lost control.

That isn't possible!
Hello, Mrs. F?

Yes, Mort, I'm still here.

Yeah. You asked to check on
Jeremy's recent cell phone activity.

He got a call from
Amy's cell phone.

Well, that was from me.

Okay. And then he called
a number that we traced

to a phone company
office in Bar Harbor.

A David Shaughnessy.

And then he called Tom Sampson.

Well, to get his car towed.

And then he received a
call from Shaughnessy

and apparently, right
before he was killed,

he punched in two digits of
a local exchange and that's it.

Did you speak to
Mr. Shaughnessy?

Yeah. He said that he and
Jeremy were old friends.

And Jeremy asked him
about a telephone pole.

How they're
transported and installed.

And when he got the
information, he called Jeremy back.

And that's all?

Mort, may I have the number
for David Shaughnessy, please?

Sure. It's 1-9-1-14-98.

Thanks. Sure thing,
Mrs. F. Later on.

What? What is it?

If we're lucky, it may be an
important piece of the puzzle.

My evaluation of Roger
Yates' mental state.

Well, is he a psycho,
a drunk, or what?

Since you seem unwilling to go
to the trouble of reading my report.

Just the short form, Doc.

If you'll just let me finish.

The man is losing
his grip on reality.

Sounds like me at
the end of every week.

More coffee, Sheriff?

Thanks.

Sheriff, I wanna get my
pop sprung out of here.

Who do I have to see?

Look, Stu, first of all, your father's
not here, he's in the hospital.

And you can't get him sprung.
He's there for observation.

Doctor Hazlitt just
came from there.

What do you think, Doc?

Bottom line,
non-clinically speaking,

I'd say he was a mental case
who stopped taking his medication.

He said he felt so
good, he didn't need it.

Let him come home,
I'll make sure he takes it.

The psychiatrist wants
more time for observation.

The knife, Sheriff. Forensics didn't
have any better luck than we did.

No prints, just
Jeremy Woods' blood.

Sheriff, I'm willing to make
a trade for my pop's freedom.

Off-hand, I can't think of
anything you've got that I want.

Yeah. It's something
that I know.

I'm listening.

Not without a deal.

I can't do that.

But I'm warning you, if it's
evidence you're withholding,

that could get you in
a whole lot of trouble.

Okay.

Your murder weapon
belongs to Les Franklin.

How do you know that?

Nick on the handle, I've
seen it a hundred times.

That's it?

There's more.

Les is gonna do
something stupid.

When did he ever
do anything smart?

What's he gonna do now?

All he ever thinks about
is that Sherri Sampson.

It's like he's stalking her.

He said he's gonna
get even with her.

What are you doing in here?

You ought to have
an alarm system.

Any psycho could wander in here.

You're the first.

What do you want, Les?

You know.

Where's your baby?

Okay.

Jessica, I think I have
the right chronology now.

I've got the time schedules,

events and known
clues of each murder.

That's very good, Amy.

That's the way I
lay out my plots.

Hello. SHAUGHNESSY:
Mrs. Fletcher...

Oh, yes, Mr. Shaughnessy.

Well, thank you for
getting back to me.

Well, the pole was
installed 10 days ago.

I see.

And that's what you told Jeremy?

Well, thank you very much.

Yes, perhaps we'll meet
at his funeral service.

Yes. Goodbye.

Is that Jeremy's friend
from the phone company?

Uh-huh.

He said that that utility pole
was installed 10 days ago

and it was secured by webbing
straps to the truck that delivered it.

You know, you never did
explain to me why you've been...

Oh.

You need a new light bulb.

But I couldn't. I just
put a new one in.

Well, let's see.
Maybe it's the plug.

Oh, no. Maybe this is it.

Ah. You have a
short. It's frayed.

Of course, and
the fresh creosote.

Creosote? Jessica,
what're you talking about?

Amy, I think I found
the key to all this.

Come on, come on. Wake him up.

I just wanna see who
the kid looks like, is all.

His mother or his father.

Les, I mean it.
You better get out.

My daddy will be
here any minute.

You're lying.

I passed him in his truck
on the way over here.

Don't pick him up,
please. You'll scare him.

I'm not gonna drop him.

Your mama.

You look like your mama,
you lucky little bastard.

Give me the baby.

I wanna hold him for
a while. Les, please.

No. You've been drinking.

Why do they call them,
"Bouncing little baby boys?"

Huh? Do they really bounce?

I'm never giving
this baby back to you!

Sherri! Les! This is Jessica
Fletcher and Amy Walters!

Now we know you're
in there. Let us in.

Go away, Mrs. Fletcher.
This isn't any of your business!

Les, if Sherri or her
baby are harmed,

it'll be the sheriff's business.

Now, let us come in!

That wasn't very smart.

Mrs. Fletcher, call the sheriff!

He's coming.

He's already on his way.

Now Les, you'll be in a lot
less trouble with the sheriff

if you let us in now.

There's no need to throw
your life away over this.

Okay.

Is the baby all right?

Lock the door.

He's fine. He's just scared.

I don't blame him though.

I guess I really messed
things up now, huh?

Yes, you have, Les.

But you can start fixing it
right now by giving me that gun

and letting Sherri
have your baby.

My baby?

How did you know?

Until you just admitted
it, I wasn't certain.

Sherri, just a little while ago,

Amy was telling me
how you had reacted

when Johnny decided that
he was going to marry her.

And I couldn't help but wonder,

if this was Johnny's baby
why you weren't outraged

instead of simply jealous.

Well, I was pretty bummed
when Johnny and me split up.

We'd been an
item for a long time.

So to get even, I...
I started dating Les.

This is the sheriff!
Open up in there! Now!

Les, give me the gun.

It's all right, Mort!
We're coming right out.

Sherri? You all right?

We're fine, Daddy.

Sherri was just explaining how
she and Les became involved.

Involved? What are
you talking about?

We made love one
time. That was all.

Oh!

But, Johnny, I
mean, he's the father.

No, Mr. Sampson, it was me.

You're lying. He's lying, right?

No, she wouldn't have
anything to do with me.

Wouldn't even let
me see the baby.

My own son. Suddenly
she was too good for me.

I'm sorry, Les.

This is real hard for me to say,

but I wanted something
better for him and for me.

Than me and my friends, huh?

Hey, Sherri, you could
have given me a chance.

Wait! Wait a
minute! This is crazy!

I mean, Johnny's the
father and that's that.

No, it isn't, Tom.

But because you believed that Johnny
was the father, you murdered him.

You?

Whoa! Mrs. F. You sure of that?

Well, whether she's sure or not,

she's about as
wrong as she can get.

Why the hell would I harm a
terrific young fella like Johnny?

He was here all the time, looking
in on Sherri and the little guy.

Daddy, I was afraid if I told you
the truth that you might kill Les.

And unfortunately, Johnny died
because you thought you knew the truth.

You don't know what
you're talking about!

Johnny, that was an accident!

No, Tom, it was cold-blooded,
premeditated murder.

You can't prove that. I was a...

I would have agreed with you until Amy
discovered a short in my electric cord.

And I realized that the answer
had been right in front of me,

ever since I saw you winching Johnny's
wrecked motorcycle out of that ditch.

That frayed section
of your towing cable,

was caused by the impact of
Johnny's motorcycle when he ran into it.

When you'd stretched it
across the road from your truck

to a utility pole
on the other side.

I'm sure the police lab will find fresh
creosote on the end of your cable

from the utility pole
you fastened it to.

The notch in the pole could
only have come from your cable.

When Sherri told me that
Johnny'd got engaged to another girl,

I thought my worst
nightmare had come true.

Folks would be forever
smirking at Sherri

and cracking jokes about
the wrong side of the blanket...

This ain't Hollywood.

Cabot Cove folks get
married and have babies.

It come to me, if
Johnny was to die,

they'd feel sorry for Sherri
and give her some respect.

You planned the whole thing.

You knew that Johnny was
visiting Sherri and the baby that night

and that he'd be coming back
into town along Rocky Point road.

Yeah.

I set it up, just
like Jessica said.

That road doesn't get a
whole lot of traffic at night.

So, I looped my cable
around the utility pole

and parked on the other
side of the road and waited.

When I heard him coming,
I pulled the cable tight.

Johnny didn't see the cable
till he was right on top of it.

He didn't have a chance.

And, Jeremy Woods, while
you were preparing to tow his car,

his friend at the telephone
company returned his call

and told him what
I later learned,

which was that the pole was new,

and that the groove on the side

was probably caused by the
cable being looped around it.

Yeah.

Thank you very much.

Anything wrong, Mr. Woods?

No. Nothing.

I could tell he was lying.

He'd seen the creosote and
the fray and put it together.

All the way back to Ernie's
Garage, he was real tense

and I knew I had to kill him

or he was gonna turn me in
the minute he got a chance.

So I dropped him
off at the diner,

parked around the
corner, went back in there.

And murdered
him with Les' knife.

The other night, I was gonna try to
scare Johnny away from Sherri with it.

But it must've fell
out of my pocket.

And where was that?

Where I found it in my yard.

I didn't know it was his.

I hope that you're going to
be very happy in Phoenix, Amy.

Oh, I'm looking forward to it.

And I'm excited
about my new job.

And Roger Yates is back on
his medication and doing just fine.

Yes. I know.

I received a letter of apology,

along with a check
to replace my garden.

Ah-ha!

Oh, I almost forgot to
tell you, I talked to Sherri

and she said that Les got
a job over in Bar Harbor.

And Sherri's agreed to let
him see the baby regularly.

He's gonna help her
by paying child support.

Only for now she said it might be a
good idea not to tell too many people.

Just what we need,
huh? More secrets.

Well, Amy, with your
uncle Seth around,

I don't think that'll
be much of a problem.