Murder, She Wrote (1984–1996): Season 2, Episode 15 - Powder Keg - full transcript

I find this town—the atmosphere—terrifying.
It feels as if it's going to explode.

[Woman] Tonight on
Murder, She Wrote.

I have got a full-scale lynch
mob gathering out there.

- Sheriff— - Go to the
hotel, lock yourself in

your room and don't
come out till this is over.

You ain't gonna cause a little
trouble, are ya, Ed? [Chuckling]

My bailiwick is magnolias and
decadence. Yours is murder.

Matt Burns killed my boy.

I'll kill him! I don't care
if he is your brother!

You better come out here with Matt Burns,
or we're gonna come in there after him!

Oh, Ames, I'm so
grateful to you for inviting



me to loll around your
estate for a few days.

You know, that writer's
conference really wore me out.

Nonsense. You loved it. And they
loved you, he admitted enviously.

Your seminars were packed
to the roof, while mine...

Ah, to be famous and adored
instead of merely brilliant.

[Laughing] Oh, yes, of course.

[Engine Sputtering] Uh-oh.

[Engine Cranking] What is it?

I may be a brilliant writer, Jessica,
but I'm certainly no mechanic.

[Jessica] Look!
We're in luck. What?

Afternoon. Trouble, sir?

Oh, the worst kind. We've been
reduced to helpless immobility.

Well, I'm afraid I wouldn't know
where to start with a car like that.

Hooksville's about a mile down
the road. I could radio for a tow truck.



Oh, that's very kind. Thank
you very much. My pleasure.

Polly, this is Sheriff Cox.

What do you think?

Float? Fuel pump.

I don't suppose it's
repairable. Uh, no, sir.

But first thing in the mornin' we can
send to Birmingham and get you a new one.

Obviously, the good Lord created
this machine to keep me humble.

Well, we passed a
hotel on the way in.

The Hotel Imperial
just down the road there.

Oh, yeah. Mrs. Burns runs that.
She's a real fine lady. It's good food too.

We'll need two singles. My name is
Caulfield, and this is Mrs. Fletcher.

Hello. Hello.

I have, uh, two adjoining, sir, in a
private wing on the second floor.

[Chuckles] Thank you.
That's very flattering.

Good evening.

Good evening. [Laughs]

Cassie?

- Cassie Latham?
- Professor Caulfield.

My God, it is you!
I can't believe it.

I'm just as surprised as you
are, Professor, believe me.

Jessica, I want you to meet a
very dear lady and a former student.

Cassie Latham, Jessica Fletcher.

I'm delighted to meet
you. Oh, nice to meet you.

Burns. I'm Mrs. Burns.

Oh, well, after some 20 years,

one can expect some changes.

When do I meet this
husband of yours?

Oh, Harold died many
years ago, I'm sorry to say.

Oh, Cassie, I—I am sorry.

[Door Opens] Hey, Mom!

Sorry to butt in. I need ten bucks
for gas. I don't get paid till tonight.

Matt, this is... a
very famous author.

Professor Ames Caulfield.
This is my son, Matthew.

Hi, Professor. I think I read a couple of
your books. Uh, Shenandoah Legacy?

Well, now I am impressed.

Not only a musician,
but literate as well.

Oh, may I introduce Mrs.
Jessica Fletcher, a fellow writer.

J.B. Fletcher. Hello, Matthew.

- My pleasure, ma'am.
- Oh.

Now don't forget
to put this back.

And, Matt, be sure that
Mr. Kelso pays you for this evening.

You're a professional. and you should be
treated as such. Mom, don't worry about it.

Are you performing
locally, Matthew?

Yeah, a roadside dive named
Kelso's just outside of town.

It's not the greatest,
but it's good experience.

Well, I gotta go. Nice to
meet you. You, too, ma'am.

Well, uh, I have
work I have to tend to.

Perhaps we could
talk later, Professor.

Perhaps so.

Excuse me.

Thank you.

6:15. Jessica, would
you mind an early supper?

Oh, not at all. I thought I might
catch up on my reading this evening.

Hooksville looks like a perfect place
to turn in early. Oh, I had the same idea.

Good. Knock on my door once you've
freshened up. I'm right across the hall.

Fine. See you later.

[Crowd Chattering,
Laughing] ♪ [Country]

Be with you in a minute.

Here you go.

Thank you.

Another pitcher?

Frank, I need another
pitcher and a bowl of chips.

How many times I gotta tell you, honey?
You stay away from the paid entertainment.

Stay off my back, Frank.

It's called a Webley-Fosbery. Used to be
made in England. Semiautomatic revolver.

Sure is a big
sucker, Frank. Mmm.

Takes a .455-caliber slug.

You ever seen
anything like this?

Steel-jacketed
pointed slug. Hoo-whee!

A man could cut himself
on that thing. Mmm.

Evenin'. Get you somethin'?

A bourbon and water, please.

You don't care what you
do to a car. Do you, Ed, huh?

I bust this baby up, I'll just
get me another one, that's all.

Billy, you're buyin' the first
round. I just bought the last one.

You want us to leave you
home next time? All right, Ed.

[Applause] [Woman Laughing]

- Evenin', Ed.
- Evenin', Elmore.

Uh, we was just leavin'. Set
yourself down. Come on, honey.

- Elmore.
- I said, come on!

- [Mocking] Elmore!
- Here you go.

Hey, Linda.

Well, you're startin' early
tonight, aren't you, Ed?

Now, now, Sis. I told
you I don't need no mama.

I was hopin' you'd come by the
house, Ed. Daddy'd sure like to see you.

Would he now?

Well, as I recall, that wasn't exactly
the gist of the last conversation we had.

Ed, you're the one that's gonna have to
make the first move. You know Daddy can't.

Look, will you stop tryin'
to hold the family together.

There ain't no family left.

♪ [Matthew Singing]

He ain't family either, Linda.

Stay out of my life, Ed. Well, then,
stay outta mine. Beer and three burgers.

Fine.

[Laughing] [Making
Kissing Sound]

Listen, uh, I think I'm gonna go
have a little talk with that guitar picker.

- Billy, you make sure Kelso
don't get in the way.
- Sure, Ed.

You ain't gonna cause a
little trouble, are ya, Ed?

[Both Laughing]

Hey, Mr. Burns!
You call that singing?

Now, will you listen to that. Isn't that
pretty? You write that yourself, Mr. Burns?

My, my, you sure are talented.

Touch that gun, and
I'll cut you real good.

Fact is, though, I got a hound
dog makes prettier noises than that.

That's better.

Now, uh, Mr. Burns, I don't want to
catch you playin' around here ever again.

And about my sister— She
may be a little bit of a tramp,

but, uh, she deserves
a lot better than you.

[Shouting, Grunting]

Private quarrel, mister.

What's goin' on?

Ed! Stop it! Ed, you stop it!
Leave him alone. Leave him alone.

All right! Take it easy. All right?
Don't get yourself so worked up.

Get out of here! Get out! Out!

Don't get yourself so worked up.

Don't forget what I
said, guitar picker.

Out, Ed!

Oh, Matt, I'm sorry. You okay?

Matt, please wait. You
can't let him get to you.

I'll kill him. I don't care
if he is your brother.

He does that to me again,
I swear to God, I'll kill him.

Where you going, Matt? Please
stay here. Leave me alone!

[Engine Starts]

[Door Opens, Closes]

[Siren Wailing]

Sheriff.

[Whispering]

Oh, Jessica.

Jessica, something
terrible has happened.

It's Matt. Matthew.
Cassie's son.

There was a killing last night and
Matt's being held. Oh, good Lord!

I'm going over and see
the sheriff and see if I

can find out something
else. Will you come with me?

Oh, yes, of course. The young
boy needs all the help he can get.

You'd better file those charges, Cox,
and quick. It's obvious that boy's guilty.

Look, Mr. Bonner.
Don't touch me!

Look, I'm sorry you lost your son.
Don't give me that hogwash, fella.

I know you hated
Ed's guts. No, sir!

Your boy and I had our differences,
but I was just doing my job.

Do it now. You got the
evidence. File the charges.

The evidence is circumstantial.

Son, you want to keep that badge,
you better learn your job real quick.

Folks hereabouts know
how the law's supposed to

operate, and they're gonna
make damn sure it does.

[Radio: Dispatcher, Indistinct]

Sheriff. Good morning.

- Did you get your car fixed?
- I'm waiting for a part.

My name is Ames Caulfield.
I'm a friend of Cassie Burns.

With your indulgence,
I'd like to talk to her son.

I'm sorry, Mr. Caulfield, but I've advised
Mrs. Burns to find herself a good lawyer.

Until then, no one
sees the prisoner.

Oh? Then he is under arrest?

And you are?

Oh, I'm a friend of
a friend of the family.

Mrs. Fletcher and I drove
up from Montgomery,

where we had dinner with
the governor two nights ago.

Well, maybe you ought to ask
the governor for the key to that cell.

Sheriff Cox, I am aware that you are
working under tremendous pressure.

Believe me, we
only want to help.

Perhaps if you could tell us
the circumstances of the killing.

You mean, before you have the
governor call in the National Guard?

Ma'am, I'll give it to
you short and sweet.

Last night, around
11:00, Matt Burns was

publicly humiliated by
the victim at Kelso's bar.

- I believe you were there, Mr. Caulfield.
- That's right.

Reverend White was
asleep at the rectory...

when a loud scream woke
him up at around 2:15 a.m.

He thought it came from the
direction of Ed Bonner's house.

We responded to the call.

We, uh, found Ed Bonner lying
in the front yard stabbed to death.

Excuse me— hacked to death.

Someone had stabbed him in the
chest repeatedly, as if in an insane rage.

Well, that doesn't mean...

As soon as we learned
about the fight at Kelso's, we

drove to the Burns house
across the river west of town.

Got there around 4:30. Matt Burns
was in the kitchen fully dressed.

He claims he'd been up
by Crystal Lake and got

home only a minute or
two before we arrived.

- Perhaps someone saw him there.
- He was there alone.

Thinking, he says.

Shortly after daybreak,
we searched the premises

and discovered a
bloody hunting knife...

and a pair of blood-stained gloves freshly
buried in the garden back of the house.

I'm sorry, Sheriff, but
something doesn't make sense.

And what might that be, ma'am?

Well, if the killing took place
here, near the church, as you said...

- Yes?
- And Matt Burns's house is way over west
across the river over here someplace...

I mean, why in the world didn't he toss the
incriminating evidence into the river...

instead of taking it all
the way home and burying

it in the garden where
anyone could find it?

Uh, the same thought
occurred to me, ma'am.

Finding the knife and
gloves was too easy.

- That's one reason
I haven't pressed charges.
- One reason?

If you kill a man the
way Ed Bonner was

slaughtered, you're gonna
water the lawn with blood.

But there wasn't
much there to speak of.

Well, what are
you saying, Sheriff?

I'm not sure, but Doc Frazier,
the local coroner, is checking it out.

Sheriff, obviously someone's
trying to frame Matt Burns for murder.

- There is that possibility.
- But you can't hold him here indefinitely.

Mrs. Fletcher, believe me, the boy
is safer here than out on that street.

Are you suggesting— This is
a small town, Mrs. Fletcher.

Folks here are very close.

And even if the town
didn't have much use for

Ed Bonner, his father
is a very well loved man.

Mornin', Frank.
Mornin', Charlie.

Guess you heard about
Ed Bonner, huh? Huh.

Soon as I got up.

I hear the sheriff's
lettin' him go.

You gotta be kiddin' me.

I told you that colored college boy
we got for a sheriff was no damn good.

[Grunts] What you got there?

A little letter from the wife?

Not today. Heard
from her Tuesday.

Yeah? Jolene still visitin'
her mama in Shreveport?

Uh-huh.

Oh, I expect she'll be home pretty soon,
just as soon as her mama's feelin' better.

Yeah, right, Frank.
Well, I'll see you boys.

Jolene is tendin' to somebody's needs,
all right, but it sure ain't her mama.

[Laughing]

Where is everyone? I'm sorry.

Oh, Mr. Caulfield. Mrs. Burns
asked me to tell you she's

gone to her house and to
come by as soon as you're able.

I can give you directions.

Oh, that won't be necessary.

Forgive me, Jessica. I've got to
call on Cassie. I'll see you later.

All right.

Ames.

Last night, at that bar, is there
anything that you remember...

Something you might have
seen or heard after the fight?

I'm sorry. I was so upset
that when it happened,

I came right back
here and went to bed.

You will excuse me.

[Door Opens, Closes]

That no-account sheriff. Shoot,
he got no business wearin' a badge.

Aw, just simmer down, Billy.

Ah, Billy's right. Way it's
goin' don't make no sense.

Matt Burns oughta be under arrest
instead of hidin' out in one of them cells.

[Horn Honks]

Howdy, boys. Howdy. Howdy.

Well, I heard there was a
party goin' on down here,

and I just figured that it'd be bad
manners to come empty-handed.

Y'all help yourselves.
[Chattering]

Now, that's what
I call neighborly.

Andy, I was, uh, real
sorry to hear about Ed,

seein' hows you boys were
so close— like brothers and all.

Just shut up, Kelso.

Aw, Andy, I'm just tryin' to
express my condolences.

You didn't give a damn about Ed.
Everybody knew that you hated his guts.

Well, now, son...

Look, everybody knows
that Ed was bunkin' down

your old lady before
she left town, Frank.

By the way, how is ol' Jolene?

She still in Shreveport
takin' care of her sick mama?

That's right. Yeah.

Well, uh—[Chuckles] I
guess I better be goin', boys.

You better take another look, Frank,
because she's not in Shreveport.

I don't rightly
know where she is,

but wherever she is,
she's shacked up with that

hardware salesman that
came through town last January.

You're a damn liar!

That so?

Andy's right, Mr. Kelso.

Ed, he told us hisself.

Saw your wife and that hardware
fella drivin' out of town together,

just a-huggin' and
a-kissin' in the car.

[Shouts]

[Groans] [Onlookers Yelling]

I want you to get home, old man,

and I don't want you near me mewlin'
about how you care about Ed Bonner.

You hear me?

I didn't hear your reply.

Huh? That's right, Andy.

I hear you.

Are you sure about all this,
Doc? I'm afraid so, Sheriff.

Good morning, Sheriff.

Oh, Mrs. Fletcher.
Mrs. Fletcher?

Mrs. Fletcher, this is indeed an
honor. I heard you were in town.

You know this lady,
Doc? Only by reputation.

Although I have not yet had the privilege
of reading your fine prose, ma'am,

my wife reads herself to sleep
with one of your books every night.

[Laughs] I think I'll take
that as a compliment.

Allow me. Thank you.

I was just telling the sheriff that,
uh, the victim's body had been moved.

Despite that so-called scream the
person heard, Ed died elsewhere.

- Really?
- Mrs. Fletcher.

Sheriff, is it possible that
the killer let out that scream...

to obscure the time and place
that the murder actually occurred?

- Ma'am, if you don't mind— -
Another thing. Those repeated

stabbings— they occurred
long after the body was dead.

- Doc— - Yes, I'd say Ed died at least an
hour before the stabbings were inflicted.

Lord a'mighty, I'm late for
lunch. Irma will have my hide.

A pleasure, ma'am.
Oh, for me too, Doctor.

Stabbin' dead bodies. I sure
wish you luck on this one, Sheriff.

[Sighs]

Care to look? Why not?

Thank you.

Hmm, strange.

Two lighters.

Why would a man
have two lighters?

And they both work.

Yeah, that is strange.

Hmm.

- The Cameron crest.
- What?

That crest represents the
Cameron clan in Scotland.

Are you sure about that?

Oh, yes. I've researched
dozens of those family crests...

for a book I wrote.

Does that name
mean anything to you?

No, no. As far as I know, nobody
around these parts is named Cameron.

[Horn Honks]

Are you Mrs. Fletcher?

Yes.

Hi, um, I'm Linda Bonner.

Oh, yes. I'm so sorry
about your brother.

So am I. [Shouting, Hooting]

But right now I'm a little
more worried about Matt Burns.

Yes. I think we both are.

I was just talkin' to
him over at the jail.

He's the one that told me
that you and Mr. Caulfield

were good folks and
that you wanted to help.

Well, except for the sheriff, in this
town you might be the only ones that do.

Look, I was, uh, headin' out to my Daddy's
farm. He might be able to stop that.

Would you come with me? I mean, I
think there's some things you should know.

All right.

Uh, Ed moved out in January.

He and my daddy
had this terrible fight.

I know it was killing my dad.

I mean, Ed was
living in town. He was

throwin' these wild
parties with his friends.

You know, a lot of women,
drinkin', and throwin'

around money he got
from God knows where.

These friends—would any one
of them have reason to kill him?

I don't know that much about them,
except Andy Crane and Billy Willetts.

Oh, yes. From the garage. I understand
they were with him in the bar last night.

Yeah, but they wouldn't kill Ed.

I mean, Andy and my brother have been
best friends since they were kids and...

Mrs. Fletcher, my
daddy is not a bad man.

He, uh, just doesn't have
use for a black sheriff.

And I'm afraid, feeling
like he does about losin' Ed,

he's just liable to sit back
and let things happen.

Yes.

Linda, I must tell you, I find this
town— The atmosphere—terrifying.

It feels as if it's
going to explode.

Daddy?

About time you got home, honey.

What's she doin' here?
Daddy, this is Jessica Fletcher.

I know who she is. Mr. Bonner,
I'm terribly sorry for your loss.

Then you'll be good enough
to leave me with my sorrow.

'Cause it doesn't matter what you or the
sheriff thinks. Matt Burns killed my boy.

Daddy, Matt didn't do it.

You shame a man in
public, especially a yellow one

like Matt Burns, he's
gonna do something about it.

Like jump my boy in the dark...

'cause he ain't got the guts
to face him man-to-man.

Mr. Bonner, maybe you're
right. Maybe Matt did kill your son.

But if he did, the law will
see that he's punished.

But don't you think...

I mean, if he's as much of
a coward as you think he is,

don't you think it's more likely he
would have fired a gun from ambush?

Are you an expert
in killing, missus?

No, but I think I know
something about people.

Mmm.

[Sighs] I tried
everything with Ed.

Everything.

I tried bein' hard with him. I
tried bein' soft, I tried bein' a pal.

Gave him everything,
and I gave him nothin'.

I don't know where
it all went wrong.

Then, five months ago,

he walked away from this farm
without a dime in his pocket.

I knew he'd be back because he
had nothin'— no money, anything.

Then there he
was all of a sudden,

rented a house, money in his
pocket, drivin' around in that fancy car.

It didn't take me long to
figure out what was goin' on.

Daddy, we don't know for
sure Ed was dealing drugs.

No? Then what?

Daddy! There is gonna be a lot
more killing in this town because of you!

Why didn't your boyfriend
think of that, huh, honey?

Knock it off. Come on, little fella,
quit now. You don't wanna get hurt.

The hell with you, Fargo.

You just sit down and calm down! I
don't want no more trouble from you.

Mr. Crane?

Uh, your car'll— Fuel
pump'll be here by dark.

I mean, maybe. Maybe not.
I'm not worried about the car.

Look, can't you talk some
sense into these people?

Can't you see
that there is a mob

developing here? And
that's not helping any.

I'd mind my own business
if I were you, mister.

It's my business, Charlie.

This isn't a safe place for
you, Mrs. Burns. You either.

Now, look, son,
you haven't got any...

Nobody calls me, son,
anymore. Not even my pa.

No, Ames, Ames!
Let's go, please. Please.

Let's just go.

Let's go, Andy.

No tellin' who them two are
liable to call. State police, maybe?

[Man] Come on, Andy.

You keep checking, Cal.
Find someone else who

was awake. We need
a positive identification.

[Cal On Radio]
Yes, sir, I'll keep at it.

A positive identification
of whom, Sheriff?

A man was spotted running
away from Ed Bonner's place

last night a couple of
minutes after that scream.

Oh, good! Maybe, maybe not.

How's your coffee?
Oh, it's very nice, thanks.

Our witness is Maybelle Mclntosh,
one of our town characters.

She's nearly 90 with poor
eyesight and a vivid imagination.

A couple of times a
week we get calls from her.

Sunday, she was sure a banshee was loose
in her yard. A month ago it was aliens.

Sheriff, have you considered
calling in the state police?

If I call in the troopers now, I
might as well turn in my badge.

And if you don't, it could
cost Matt Burns his life.

It won't come to that.
They'll have to kill two of us.

Sheriff, I understand that...

That Ed Bonner was spending a great deal
of money, even though he didn't have a job.

Do you think it's possible that he
was involved in something illegal?

- You mean, like dealing drugs?
- Uh-huh.

No. No. I rousted him a dozen
times, never found a thing.

Oh, Jessica.

I'm sorry to interrupt you, but
the situation is getting worse,

and I need the truth
from both of you.

Now, you told me that
you returned to the hotel

last night immediately
after the fight at the bar.

Now, that would have
put you here around 11:00.

I was awake until 2:30,
and I heard you return.

Oh, you must be mistaken.
I don't think so, Ames.

You were together,
weren't you? No!

[Chuckles] What a silly idea.

I'm sorry, Cassie,

but I believe that you were much more
than professor and student 20 years ago.

Look, I— Forgive me. If
I'm wrong, I apologize.

Matt's your son, isn't he, Ames?

You are wrong, Mrs. Fletcher.
What a—What a preposterous idea.

Matthew's father was
a brave military officer...

who gave his life
for this country.

And your suggestion, it's—it's
unthinkable. Excuse me.

You must forgive
Cassie, Jessica.

She has spent 22
years living a lie.

She almost believes it.

How did you know that
I was with her last night?

This morning, the desk clerk asked
you if you needed directions to her house.

You didn't.

The boy doesn't know,

and out of respect for Cassie...

I will do or say nothing
that would destroy

the myth of the father
that Matt never knew.

An unidentified man was seen running away
from Ed Bonner's house around 2:15 a.m.

I did not kill Ed Bonner.

I left Cassie's at a quarter past 2:00.
I could not be in two places at once.

Will she corroborate that?

Publicly? I don't know.

But I would never ask it of her.

Earlier you told me that one of
those men pulled a knife on Mr. Kelso.

Billy Willetts, the boy
from the service station.

What kind of knife was it?

I don't know. I didn't
actually see it. Why?

[Men Shouting, Chattering]

Mrs. Collins, I
appreciate your support,

but the best thing you and Jonas
can do is stay away from town.

The boys are just lettin' off
steam, that's all. Good-bye.

Sheriff— Mrs. Fletcher,
this is not the time.

- Cal, did you get a hold on Ray Daulton?
- No answer at his house,
but he's home.

I saw his car parked out front
no more than 20 minutes ago.

Sheriff, last night, in the bar, Billy
Willetts pulled a knife on Mr. Kelso.

Now, where'd you
hear that? Mr. Caulfield.

What kind of knife? He didn't see it,
but it might have been a hunting knife.

You mean, the murder
weapon? Mrs. Fletcher, half

the men in this town
carry knives— all kinds.

But don’t you think
it's worth exploring?

Now, look, ma'am, I have got a
full-scale lynch mob gathering out there!

I do not have time.

Now do yourself, and me, a
big favor— Go to the hotel, lock

yourself in your room and
don't come out till this is over.

Sheriff— Do it, Mrs. Fletcher!

Now!

[Shouting, Yelling Continues]

[Knocking]

Hello.

Hello?

Mr. Kelso?

[Knocking]

Hello?

Who are you, lady? What you
doin' snooping around here anyway?

- Mr. Kelso?
- Uh-huh.

I'm Jessica Fletcher, and
I'm not snooping around.

Oh, you're that
friend of Cassie Burns.

- Yes.
- Well, I ain't got time to chat.

I got to open in two hours,
and my swamper called in sick.

Yeah, well, I'm sure
you're very busy. I

just wanted to ask
you, really, one question.

I understand last night that you were
prevented from stopping the fight...

by that young man
from the service station.

Billy Willetts?

Yeah, he stuck a knife in my back just as
I was going for the old peacemaker there.

What kind of knife
was that, Mr. Kelso?

Sharp, ma'am.

I didn't see it, and I
wasn't about to look for it.

You think maybe it was
Billy that hacked up Ed?

[Chuckles]

Well, Billy's handy with a blade,
but it was Matt Burns that killed Ed.

You seem very sure of that.

Well, it don't give me no
pleasure, ma'am, believe me.

I always liked Matt—
Him and his mama both.

But if you'll excuse me
now, I've got work to do.

Oh, yes, yes, of course.

There's just one
more thing, Mr. Kelso.

Strictly speaking, a
peacemaker's a nickname

for a Colt .45 used
in frontier days.

If I'm not mistaken, that is a
Webley-Fosbery semiautomatic revolver.

[Laughing] Well, I'll be.

You sure do know your
weaponry. You own one of them?

Oh, no, no, no. No, of course,
I just ran across it in research.

For several days, I considered using
one to shoot a Bulgarian scientist.

[Phone Ringing]

Oh, yeah, I remember now.

Somebody told me you
was a writer or somethin'.

Kelso.

Yeah, how ya doin', Walt?

What?

Uh, yeah, I'm comin'.

- What is it?
- Trouble at the jail.

[All Shouting]
You're dead, Burns!

Yeah, come on, Sheriff!

You better come out here with Matt Burns,
or we're gonna come in there after him!

Yeah! [Shouting Continues]

We got somethin' we
want him to try on, Sheriff.

Get out here. We want
Matt Burns. Come on!

All right, gentlemen.
The fun is over for today.

Now, do us all a favor.
Go home and sleep it off.

No one's goin' home, Sheriff,
till you turn over Matt Burns.

Yeah, that's right.
We want Matt Burns!

Don't make me lock you up, Andy.

[Laughing]

How you gonna do that, Sheriff?

Huh? By pointin'
that old tool at me?

Maybe these boys here
think you look tough,

but all I see is a colored
boy shakin' behind that badge.

[All Laughing]

Aren't you going to stop
this? I wouldn't even if I could.

Well, if you won't, I will.

Don't do that, ma'am.
You'll just get yourself hurt.

[Shotgun Cocks]

Drop it, Billy. Drop it!

Stay out of it.

[Men Shouting, Laughing]

Hey, Andy!

- You startin' some trouble again?
- I just figured I...

I know what you figured.

All right, you guys go on home. This
town's had enough killin'. Go on, go on.

Wait a minute.
He killed your son.

Maybe he did, maybe he didn't.
We'll let the court decide that.

Meanwhile, we'll let
the sheriff do his job.

You crazy old man!

Sheriff, this young fellow
is drunk and disorderly,

and I might say he's
disturbing the peace.

Yes, sir. Morgan.

Thanks.

Don't thank me. You
can thank my daughter.

Thanks anyway.

Empty your pockets.
Contents on the desk.

Cuff him, Morgan.

Sheriff Cox, do you think it
would be all right if I talk to Matt?

I guess I owe you
that much. Morgan.

Thanks. Mrs. Fletcher.

You saw Billy Willetts's knife
out there, didn't you? Yes.

It was a switchblade. Not the murder
weapon. So much for that theory.

So it seems.
Sheriff. The car keys.

Where'd you get
this key from, Andy?

I didn't steal it.

The crest— It's the
Cameron family, not Crane.

That's my mama's name.
Some law against it?

This yours, too?

Hell, yes. Where'd you get that?

Off your friend's dead body.

Uh, wait a minute.
I didn't kill Ed.

What was he doing with it?

I don't know. Maybe he...

Oh, yeah, yeah, we
were, uh— We were shootin'

a little pool, and he
borrowed it from me.

Maybe he stuck it in his pocket.

But why would he borrow a
cigarette lighter from you...

if he already had a perfectly
good lighter of his own, Mr. Crane?

Naw.

Naw, he left that one
behind on the table at Kelso's,

'cause we had to get
out of there in a hurry.

This the one he forgot?

Yeah, that's the one.

It might be a good idea...

to find out exactly what
happened after they left the bar.

Tell her. Yeah.

Tell her, Andy.

All right. We drove down to
Reeseburg to shoot a little pool,

and Ed, he wasn't
doin' too good.

So he dropped about a hundred,

then we came back
into town about 12:45,

and, uh, oh, Ed, he was hot.

I mean mad.

And he dropped
us off at the station,

and I wanted to keep right on
partyin', you know, but he said no.

- He said, uh— - He
said what, Mr. Crane?

He, uh...

He said he had
to go to the bank.

Kind of weird, goin' to the
bank after midnight, huh?

You know, if Ed did leave
his own lighter on the table,

anyone could have picked it up.

Yeah, and whoever did
pick it up is probably his killer.

Or else how did it get
back in Ed's pocket?

Exactly.

Mr. Kelso?

You back again, ma'am?
I ain't got time to talk.

Make time, Kelso.

What is this?

All the scrubbing in
the world isn't going

to remove every trace
of blood on the floor.

A good forensics man can still find
microscopic traces— that's all we need.

What the hell are you
talking about, Cox?

Mrs. Fletcher has a theory
about Ed Bonner's death...

A reason why a killer would
repeatedly stab away at a dead body.

She believes Ed wasn't
stabbed at all. He was shot.

Shot? [Laughing]

Oh, you are somethin', lady.

Shot, Kelso, with a
very special caliber gun...

that shoots very
special pointed bullets.

Now, you must have figured as soon as we
dug out the slug we'd know who killed Ed,

so you dug out the slug first.

Come on, Sheriff...

The way I figure it, you drove Ed
back in that red car of his to his house,

dumped his body, let out
a scream and ran away.

You planted the knife and
gloves back at Matt's house.

[Door Opens]

Sheriff, the forensics
guy from Montgomery

just checked out the
trunk of Ed Bonner's car.

Those are blood
stains, all right.

Guess I should've
left town months ago,

while I still had a chance.

- Months ago?
- January, I think, Sheriff.

That is right, isn't it,
Mr. Kelso? That is about the

time your wife ran off with
the hardware salesman?

You know about
that? No, not really.

But everything seems to indicate
that you were being blackmailed.

Ed Bonner's
unexplained prosperity...

and his strange remark last night
about having to go to the bank.

[Chuckling]

The bank.

Ah, it...

'Bout a couple of
days after New Year's.

Soon as I come home, I knew
Jolene had been with another man.

I got mad.

She just laughed at me, and...

I grabbed hold of somethin'...

A brass bookend, I
think... Swung at her.

Next thing I know, she was
laying on the ground there,

eyes wide open,
staring up at me.

Then I realized he was there.

The bedroom door.
Ed Bonner. Seen it all.

It was Ed's idea— Cart Jolene
off, bury her in the woods.

Me say she was...
off visiting her mama,

all the time he was...

telling people behind my back
that she'd run off with another man.

Is that when the
blackmail started?

[Grunts]

Just a few dollars at
first. You know, just...

Then more and more.

He loved to see me sweat.

Last night he come
back here after I closed,

looking for his
cigarette lighter and...

money.

Whole lot of money.

I couldn't pay him no more.

I took out my gun
and I shot him.

Wasn't like it was with Jolene.

This time I didn't feel nothin'.

Just like killin' a wild dog.

That's it.

Come on, Mama. Oh!

It's only Nashville.

Who knows? They may send
us packin' before the month's out.

I doubt that. Thanks
for all your help, sir.

- I'll be seein' you again soon, I expect.
- I expect you will, Matthew.

Good-bye, Linda.

Mmm! Don't worry. My daddy
is not too fond of this either.

So, I promised him we'd
be back before the holidays.