Murder, She Wrote (1984–1996): Season 2, Episode 21 - The Perfect Foil - full transcript

You show your face in here one
more time, and you're dog meat!

[Woman] Tonight on
Murder, She Wrote.

This is the final night of
the Mardi Gras festivities.

Ohh.

It-It’s Jessica, your cousin from
Maine! You know, Frank's wife.

Have you been sleeping
with my husband?

After I'm reelected, I'm handing her a
one-way ticket back to New Orleans.

Yes, yes, thank you, Mrs.
Fletcher. It's been most amusing.

I'm afraid there's
something wrong.

[Man] I'll open.

Cards? Two, please.



Three.

One.

Dealer's taking two.

Two hundred.

I'm out.

You're outta turn.

Gotta keep you honest.

Your two and, uh, 500 more.

I'll see your 500.

I'll raise you 500.

Too rich for me.

Your five... and
a thousand more.

Well, I'm just gonna have
to be light f-f-four hundred.

It's all right. You can
relax. You're among friends.



A f-f-full house.

I discarded a j-jack.

You, sir, are a scoundrel,
and you are a cheat!

[Grunting] Please,
Johnny, don't!

I'm gonna k-k-kill you, Blaze!

You show your face in here one
more time, and you're dog meat!

[Jessica] No, Aunt Mil, I'm
not writing. I'm just packing.

How have you been, dear?

I'm very worried about Cal. Cal?

Your second cousin... once
removed... on Frank's side.

Jane and Edward's son.

The one who lives in New
Orleans and collects butterflies.

- I don't think I know him.
- He hasn't written in three months.

Well, he's probably just busy.

He usually sends me a note
every month, like clockwork.

Well, I'm sure it's
nothing serious, dear.

He might even be dead.

You know, people have this way of
slipping away on me unannounced.

Jessica, you said you
were going to Houston.

Would you be a dear?

Could you go via New
Orleans and check on Cal?

I'd be ever so relieved.

♪ [Jazz Band]

[Chattering In Next Room]

Time you were getting ready,
Johnny. What do you think?

Oh, that's you, Kitty.

Oh, I like to look nice
for you, Johnny. Yeah?

Are you sure it's just for me?

Johnny, you're hurting me!

[Door Opens]

Come in, Gil.

Thought you might wanna
lock this up tonight, Johnny.

I want to ask you
a question, Gil.

Have you notice anything
strange about Kitty lately?

Nothin' unusual.

Yeah, she's scared. See,
Gil, I gotta ask myself:

Now what could
Kitty be scared about?

And I think she's got something
going with another guy!

She's crazy about you, Johnny.

Somebody who comes to this club. Maybe
somebody who's gonna be here tonight.

Kitty would never fool around behind
your back. She's too smart for that.

- You find out who it is, Gil!
- Sure, Johnny.

Sure.

♪ [Jazz Band]

[Man] So I owe a few dollars
to Johnny Blaze. So what?

But if those I.O.U.'s
get in the wrong hands,

your political career could
be an unpleasant memory.

- Don't worry. I'll pay them off.
- You'll pay them?

Your allowance is
already overdrawn.

[Sighs] Okay, Rosaline.

Think of it as a campaign
expense. I mean,

what are a few dollars
in gambling debts...

after you've bought your
husband a seat in Congress...

and a top spot on the
Washington "A" list?

[Laughs] You spent more
than that on ball gowns last term.

You didn't do anything
else silly, did you, Brad?

Women, for instance.

You didn't let anyone
photograph you, did you?

Please, Rosaline. Now,
you listen to me, Brad.

You're going back to
Washington after the election,

and in a few years we've got
a shot at Pennsylvania Avenue.

You understand me, Brad?
Nothing's gonna stop us!

Okay, I'll get
the I.O.U.'s back.

No, darling. I don't think you
oughta go back to that place.

I'll deal with it.

[Door Opens, Closes]

[Excited Chattering]

Are you sure? Madam, we
have no reservations for you.

But I telephoned. I'm sure I made a
reservation. Would you mind looking again?

Ah, yes. We do
have a J.B. Fletcher.

[Sighs] That's me.

For tomorrow night.

Tomorrow? Oh, my goodness.

Well, uh, look, I don't want
to create any problems,

but can't you find
something for me?

- I mean, anything will do.
- Madam, perhaps you haven't noticed.

This is the final night of
the Mardi Gras festivities.

This evening, the nearest
available hotel is in Baton Rouge.

Ohh.

♪ [Jazz Band]

♪ [Continues]

Lady, we've tried six hotels
already. What do you wanna try next?

Tonight they're even sleepin'
two to a bench in the park.

Oh, dear. What am I going to do?

Well, you can't sleep in the
cab. I could lose my license.

Number 7, Lafitte
Lane— Is that far?

A couple of blocks. But
that ain't no hotel, lady.

Well, it's a relative. Uh,
maybe he can put me up.

[Revelers Chattering]

[Chattering, Laughing]

[Horn Honks]

[Chattering Continues]

[Horn Honks]

[Chattering Continues]

Oh, thank you so much.
Thank you. Thank you.

Oh! [Laughs]

[Bell Ringing]

Marie Antoinette? I
think she was guillotined.

She was? Well, how
about Anne Boleyn?

[Laughs] Well, actually, I was
looking for Calhoun Fletcher.

He's probably in here
somewhere. Come on in.

Thank you.

[Chattering, Laughing]

♪ [Jazz Band]

[Chattering Continues]

Cal? [French Accent]
Not tonight, Josephine.

Mwah. Mwah. Ah, here,
but have a drink. Oh.

Oh, here, let me help you with
this. Ah, this can't be your costume.

Oh, no. No. [Laughs] No.

Honey, you're out of
uniform. Here, take my mask.

Ah, Sir Walter
Raleigh at your service.

May I offer you my cape?
[Laughs] Oh, my goodness.

If this is Southern hospitality, I must
say I am overwhelmed by your generosity.

Actually, I'm looking
for Calhoun Fletcher.

Oh, well, I don't really know
anyone here. We're from New Jersey.

[Bell Ringing] Thank you.

All right! Tonight you're the
guests of the pirate John Lafitte!

So hoist the Jolly Roger
and eat, drink and be merry.

For tomorrow you all walk
the plank! [Laughing, Cheering]

Thank you very
much. My pleasure.

[Chattering Continues]

Uh, excuse me. Are
you Calhoun Fletcher?

Lady, you must be from
out of town. Come on!

Come on! Come on!
[Chattering Continues]

Oh, I beg your
pardon, Your Eminence.

Cardinal Richelieu, I
wonder, Your Eminence,

if you could point
someone out to me,

a gentleman whose acquaintance
I seek— Calhoun Fletcher.

Excuse me. I wonder
if you could help me.

I'm looking for someone, and with all
these crowds, I'm not having much luck.

His name is Calhoun Fletcher.

Cal? Yeah. He was around
here a few minutes ago.

He's the guy with the
nose. Cyrano de Bergerac?

Oh, thank heavens. I was beginning
to think I'd come to the wrong address.

Gilbert? We have to talk.

[Gasps] Oh, my goodness! You look
as if you've just seen Banquo's ghost.

What? It is Lady
Macbeth, isn't it?

No, that's silly of me. It was
Macbeth who saw the ghost.

But have you seen, by any
chance, Cyrano de Bergerac?

I-I don't know anybody here.

Cyrano de Bergerac? Yeah, I saw
him a while ago. Maybe he's upstairs.

Well, I really would like to
find him before it gets any later.

[Sighs]

[Chattering Continues]
[Door Opens]

Cal?

Cal? Cal Fletcher?

It-It’s Jessica, your cousin from
Maine! You know, Frank's wife.

B-Blaze!

[Stammering] B-B-Blaze!

En garde! I-I'm
gonna kill you, Blaze!

Is he one of the pirates?

Hey, Herb, they've got
entertainment in the other room!

[Swords Clashing]

[Man Groans, Body Falls]

It sounds like it's over. Oh, I
hope they do it again in here.

[Man] What's going on in there?

[Chattering]

I sure wish I'd
brought my camera.

Hello?

Cal?

I'm afraid there's
something wrong.

What's going on? A couple of guys
were doing a sword fight number in there.

[Woman] The funny one with the big nose—
He said he was going to kill somebody.

They were just fooling
around, weren't they?

Johnny! Are you in
there? The door is locked.

Johnny! [Knocking]

The door's locked,
and he won't come out.

Johnny! Johnny, are
you all right? [Knocking]

Sacré bleu!

[Crowd Gasps]

[Crowd Chattering]

[Camera Shutter Clicking]

Lieutenant, I certainly don't want to
intrude on your investigation, but...

Well, with everybody moving
around the room, they might be erased.

- What?
- The "furnidents."

- I beg your pardon?
- The furnidents.

You know, the dents that the
furniture makes on the carpet.

Now, this may not
be important, but, uh...

I mean, obviously this sofa
has recently been moved...

closer to the wall.

Baxter, did you photograph this
side of the room? Yeah, Lieutenant.

Then give me a hand.
Excuse me a second. Oh, yes.

[Gasps] It looks like blood.

[Lieutenant] Get another
picture and check that stain.

Perhaps Blaze nicked the killer.

Oh, probably not, Lieutenant.

There was a protective button
on the end of the victim's sword.

There's something here
that might be of interest.

I'm sure you noticed, Lieutenant, that
this letter opener seems to be missing.

But from the size of the sheath—
Might be the murder weapon, Lieutenant.

Check it for prints. Mm-hmm.

A picture just flashed
through my mind. Two

years ago, on a Sunday
morning talk show...

a charming guest was deftly
carving up a pompous book critic.

J.B. Fletcher, I presume?

[Laughs] Guilty.

But I can assure you, Lieutenant,
I have no intention of interfering.

Crime is not only my
job. It is my relaxation.

I read incessantly.

I won't embarrass you with
praise, but I must tell you that...

I feel very fortunate that someone with
your powers of observation was present.

That's very flattering,
Lieutenant— Edmund Cavette.

But I'm curious. How do you
happen to be in a place like this?

Well, I was hoping to meet a
relative of mine—Cal Fletcher.

He may own the property, Mrs. Fletcher,
but he most certainly does not live here.

This is the Lafitte
Sporting Club,

one of the most notorious
gambling houses in New Orleans.

Lieutenant, what about the safe?
Should we get somebody to open it?

Excuse me, Mrs. Fletcher.

I heard what you told
the heat about Cal.

If he's your cousin, get to him
and tell him to get out of town fast.

But I have no idea where he is.

He's got a pad just
across the alley.

Hello?

Oh, excuse me. The
door was unlatched.

Cal?

- Cal!
- [Snorts]

I'm so sorry. I didn't
mean to startle you.

I’m Jessica, your
cousin from Maine.

Well, sort of.

My husband Frank's uncle
was your father's cousin...

Uh, or was it nephew?
Actually, I'm not quite sure.

Jessica. Right, the Yankee.

Why, Aunt Mildred's
always talkin' about you,

but I had no idea
that you were comin'.

Well, I'm so sorry to
surprise you like this,

but I'm even more worried about the shock
that your Aunt Mildred is going to get.

What are you talkin' about?
Johnny Blaze has been murdered,

and it's only a matter of time before
the police come to talk to you about it.

Me? Good Lord, why?

Cal, for pity's sake,

a party full of people saw you go into
the study shouting threats at Mr. Blaze.

Then when we broke the door
down, your name was written in blood...

right next to the
poor man's body.

No. I wasn't anywhere
near that p-p-place last night.

Jessica, I swear to you on
my honor as a g-g-gentleman.

Well, I'm certainly
relieved to hear that.

But, Cal, what was that man doing
running a gambling parlor in your house?

Jessica, uh, please don't say
anything about this to Aunt Mildred.

[Sighs] Well, you see, when my parents left
me the house, it was just too big for me.

I had to lease it out, but I had no idea
that anything like that was goin' on there.

I see you found
him, Mrs. Fletcher.

Have a look around. Would you
care to tell me how it happened?

I don't know what you're
talkin' about, Cavette.

I'm talking about the untimely
death of your friend Mr. Johnny Blaze,

behind a locked door.

Lieutenant?

Your door key, Cal?

Cuff him. Read him his rights.

I'm sorry, Mrs. Fletcher.

Blaze was running a card parlor.

He was running it under
the cover of a private club.

Blaze's death was not a great loss
to the community. He was a thug.

Well, then there must have been others
who might have wanted to see him dead.

Oh, indeed. I'm sure several people
sleep better with Johnny Blaze dead.

But as it turns out, Mrs. Fletcher,
the evidence all points to your...

Cousin, once or twice removed.

But he says that he wasn't
even there. But he was there.

He gambled there frequently.
He was deeply in debt to Blaze.

He even threatened to kill
Blaze in front of witnesses...

over a dispute at cards.

May I see him, please?

Certainly.

[Jessica] You threatened to kill him
in a card game... in your own house...

where you have no
idea what is going on?

- Well, he was cheatin'.
- Cal, I'm sorry,

but you're not being
very open with me.

Now, did you murder
Johnny Blaze or not?

Of course not!

Well, you were in debt to
him. You see, I-I-I'm a naturalist.

That doesn't exactly put me in
the higher tax brackets. A naturalist?

Yes. I collect and mount
rare insects for museums.

It's really fascinatin'.
Oh, yes, I'm sure it is.

But what has that got
to do with Johnny Blaze?

Well, I couldn't afford
to keep up the house, so

what Johnny gave me
for the lease kept me goin'.

So you knew it was
a gambling den?

There is nothin' dishonorable about
a game of cards between gentlemen.

No, unless one of them cheats.
See, that is exactly the way I felt.

I had been losing heavily.

Johnny was threatenin' to, uh, take
over the house to pay my I.O.U.'s.

And then I actually
caught him cheatin'!

Oh, this is not gonna
look very good in court.

I won't put Cal on
the stand. Mitch.

[Laughs] Uh, Jessica,
this is my friend Mitch.

Mitch, this is my
cousin, Jessica Fletcher.

Well, it's a pleasure to meet a
cousin of my friend Cal, Mrs. Fletcher.

Oh, but I think we met last night,
Mr. Payne, at Mr. Blaze's party.

Oh, you were there? Oh, well,
yes, I did stop by for a drink,

but I left before
all the excitement.

I gather that you're an
attorney, Mr. Payne?

A w, Mitch is the best.

Well, corporate work is my usual line,
Mrs. Fletcher, but for a friend like Cal...

You're gonna defend me,
Mitch? Well, of course I am.

Self-defense is not a crime.

Self-defense? But Cal
says he wasn't even there.

Now, Mrs. Fletcher, you
just leave everything to me.

I have friends in this
town, and I'll have

him out on bail first
thing tomorrow. Okay?

Miss Manette, I'd
like to speak with you.

Do I know you? I think you know
my husband, Congressman Gardner.

I don't really remember him.

Don't be coy with me, Miss Manette.
I'd like to do some business with you.

My husband signed some
I. O. U. 's to Mr. Blaze.

- Twenty-seven thousand dollars' worth.
- I don't really know anything about that.

The thing about bein' in government
is that you find out things discreetly.

The point is, those I.O.U.'s weren't
found by the police after the incident.

I'm willin' to pay
face value for them.

What makes you
think I've got them?

I don't really care who has
them, just as long as I get them.

And if you don't have them,
you can find out who does.

Call me at this number.

Oh, by the way, this has nothing to
do with our business arrangement,

but have you been
sleepin' with my husband?

Me and Johnny were engaged.
I never looked at another man.

I'll be in touch.

[Door Closes]

♪ [Classical]

[Glasses Clink]

Oh, no. No more for me.

It's bad luck not
to finish the bottle.

Do you always wine and dine
the relatives of your prisoners?

No. I wonder if you know what
a rare pleasure it is for me...

to spend an evening with an
attractive and intelligent woman.

Edmund, I still can't believe
that Cal killed that man.

No, no, no, no, Jessica.
Let's not talk shop.

[Chuckles] It would be a dreadful
waste of candlelight... and time.

Yes. And time
is critical, isn't it?

A lawyer came to see Cal today.
He wants him to plead self-defense.

But there's something about Mitch
Payne that sets my teeth on edge.

Payne? Yes, you do
have marvelous instincts.

The man's no better than
the criminal he runs with.

But he seems to be a friend
of Cal's. And of Johnny Blaze.

Payne successfully defended
Blaze on a murder charge.

He killed a young
man over a card game.

Good heavens!
And he got him off?

We had two witnesses, but they
were either paid off or intimidated.

Payne was in the middle of it.

No wonder he wants to
plead self-defense for Cal.

If Cal is convicted, whoever did
kill Mr. Blaze would get off scot-free.

Our number one priority is to get
those I. O. U. 's back and destroy them.

I talked to my contact in
the commissioner's office.

Now, the police didn't find them, and
I'm satisfied that Cal didn't take them.

Well, somebody has them.
I put out feelers at the club.

Darling, let's— Let's
let Mitch handle this.

I don't think you should
go pokin' around that club.

I was about to offer the
same advice to you, darlin'.

Oh, I've got to
meet some people.

I'll see you later at the hotel.

Oh, good-bye,
Congressman Gardner.

Good-bye, Miss Collins.

Now, may I help you?

Jessica Fletcher. I'd like to see
Mr. Payne. Would you have a seat, please.

Mitch, when Brad goes back
to Washington after the election,

he's gonna need somebody to
cover the bases here in the district.

It would be a position
of considerable influence,

not to mention power.

I'd be interested.

Then get those I.O.U.'s.

Mrs. Gardner? Ah,
Women's Voter's League?

No, we met at the Mardi Gras
party. At the Lafitte Sporting Club.

If I'm not mistaken, you were
dressed as Lady Macbeth.

You have me confused with
someone else. Excuse me.

[Intercom Buzzes]

Mrs. Fletcher, Mr. Payne
will see you now.

Thank you.

Well, I have the impression that
Cal might be somewhat short of funds,

and, uh, I wondered if I
could be of help with your fees.

His equity in the Lafitte House
will more than cover it, Mrs. Fletcher.

Yes, the house must be
quite valuable, considering

the profitable business
that's run there.

Now, don't you worry. I'll be
looking after Cal's interests.

The way you looked
after Mr. Blaze's interests?

I understand that you successfully
defended him against a murder charge.

He was innocent. I
only presented his case.

You must be a very
talented attorney, Mr. Payne.

Why else would you be consulted
by the wife of a congressman...

who was present at a party where
a notorious gambler was murdered?

Well, I mustn't take up
any more of your time.

[Door Closes]

♪ [Piano]

- Oh, excuse me, Mr. Gaston.
- We're closed, madam.

We're in mourning.

Ah, Mrs. Fletcher, it's you.

I hope you don't mind
my popping in like this,

but I feel very
concerned about Cal.

Anything Cal
needs, you just ask.

All of his friends seem to
be convinced that he did it,

but he says that
he wasn't even here.

- He was here all right.
- He was a little drunk.

Because of Johnny, we figured
we'd better get him out of here.

I hustled him out the back, but
he must have come back later.

Everybody heard him:
"B-B-Blaze, I'll k-k-kill you!"

Did either of you happen to see
Congressman Gardner at the party?

No, h-he wasn't here.

But how can you be sure
with all those—those costumes?

As a matter of fact, I did see
his limo parked down the street.

And did you mention
that to Lieutenant Cavette?

I wouldn't give the cops
the right time of day.

Especially Cavette.
Why especially Cavette?

There was some trouble. A young
kid got knifed in the alley out back.

Cavette had some wild idea that
Johnny had something to do with it.

He's had a vendetta running
against Johnny ever since.

Why a special vendetta
against Mr. Blaze?

Don't you know. I
thought everybody knew.

- Knew what?
- The kid was Cavette's son.

What? No!

You haven't been gettin'
any of my letters, Aunt Mil?

Well, that must be the postal
service down there in the Amazon.

You see, we have to
send all our letters out

by canoe, and sometimes
the gators get 'em.

Yeah. Right. Sure.

It's a big expedition by
the Smithsonian Institute.

I'll write you all about
it in my next letter,

but right now I gotta show
Jessica all the sights down here.

Mm-hmm. All right. And you
take your medicine. You promise?

Bye. I love you, Aunt
Mil. [Smacks Lips]

Cal, have you ever
considered a career in fiction?

Well, she doesn't get a whole
lot of excitement in her life.

Well, you don't have to create any
artificial excitement for my benefit.

You've already provided
enough. Now, no more lies.

Now, you told me that you
never went near the club,

but Kitty and Gaston
said you were there.

[Sighs] Well, all right,
I was there... earlier.

But I figured in my mask,
Blaze'd never be the wiser.

Then Kitty comes runnin' up
very excited and says, "He knows."

"He knows." Which meant trouble.

Well, I had already had a few and
was in no shape to have it out with him.

So Gaston, real friendly-like,
gives me one for the road,

hustles me out the back and...

- And?
- [Sighs]

To tell you the truth, that's the last
thing I remember till you woke me up.

Cal, when you quarreled with Mr. Blaze
over the cards, who else was there?

Blaze, Gaston...

- Kitty?
- Kitty was there.

Mitch was sittin' in. And,
uh, there was a congressman!

I remember. He
signed a big I.O.U.

Kitty called, Mitch. She says she
can get the I.O.U.'s at face value.

Rosaline's gonna be relieved.

Hmm. About Rosaline...

Uh, tell her you got a line on the
I.O.U.'s, uh, through somebody else.

Keep Kitty out of it.

You get the cash from
Rosaline, and I'll give it to Kitty.

Rosaline might not like
that... if she finds out.

Mitch, when I get
back to Washington,

I'm gonna need somebody like you
covering things here in the district...

Somebody I can
work closely with.

[Sighs] Do I have
Rosaline's okay?

Don't worry about Rosaline.

After I'm reelected, I'm handing her a
one-way ticket back to New Orleans.

Oh, my goodness!

You know, New Orleans' reputation
for fabulous food is well deserved.

Not to mention its hospitality
to strangers. [Laughs]

The Cajuns had the right idea when
they left Maine and moved to New Orleans.

Perhaps you should
consider it as well.

When would I find
any time for writing?

Jessica, there are other
things in life besides work.

- And speaking of
work— - As we always do.

Edmund, you didn't notice any I. O.
U. 's there— in that safe, for instance?

How very odd. The commissioner
asked me the same thing.

That's very puzzling.

Cal signed some I.O.U.'s, and he
said that Congressman Gardner did too.

I wonder what happened to
them. Perhaps Cal took them.

- Perhaps he didn't.
- [Laughs]

Dear Jessica—still looking
for a motive for somebody else.

I wouldn't really have
to look very far, would I?

You're talking
about my son, Eric.

I'm sorry. I didn't
mean to bring that up.

But of course you did. He
was on a vacation from Tulane.

He wanted to be a doctor.

Why was he at the club?
Some schoolboy lark?

The rites of manhood? Who knows?

According to one witness,
who later changed his story,

Eric caught Blaze cheating.

He was foolish
enough to put up a fight.

Blaze stabbed him. They
found Eric's body in the alley.

Oh, Edmund, I'm so very sorry.

Yes, Jessica, I thought
of killing Blaze many times.

But, of course, I didn't. I
couldn't have. I wasn't there.

Oh, but you were there.

Your Eminence,
Cardinal Richelieu.

[Cavette] Yes, I was there. I
was hoping to—I don't know...

Perhaps to find something,
overhear something,

anything that will allow
me to reopen my son's case.

Jessica, you don't think
I killed Blaze, do you?

I'm not sure what to think.

Jessica, you're a
warm, attractive woman,

but you are also stubborn,
pigheaded and mulish.

Why can’t you accept
it? Your cousin is guilty.

Why does everybody
keep calling him my cousin?

He's not my cousin,
you know. He's Frank's.

Merciful heavens! Why
didn't I think of that before?

If you know something I
don't, please share it with me.

- Oh.
- Please.

You must trust me.

Are you quite
ready, Mrs. Fletcher?

Actually, Lieutenant
Cavette, it's— It's only a theory.

But I'm ready if you are.

I wouldn't deprive you of the pleasure
of making a fool of yourself for only me.

Sergeant Baxter?

Mrs. Fletcher is convinced that her
cousin did not murder the late Mr. Blaze.

And since she obviously
plans to accuse one of you...

I took the liberty of inviting
them to be present, Mrs. Fletcher,

so they could hear for
themselves what you have to say.

Lieutenant, I really didn't
come here to put on a sideshow.

Mrs. Fletcher, I hope you're
up on the laws of slander,

'cause if you're not,
you're gonna find out fast.

Well, I—I certainly have no
intention of accusing anyone.

I merely wanted to show
Lieutenant Cavette...

that it didn't have to be Cal
who committed the murder.

Please proceed, Mrs. Fletcher.

Well, first, I think that
it would be helpful,

since all of you are here,

to sort out what happened
before Mr. Blaze was murdered.

I have a number of
witnesses who saw Cal

threaten to kill Blaze
and go into the study.

No, I mean earlier. You see, I
remember seeing Mr. Blaze alive...

shortly after I arrived,

perhaps a half an hour
before his body was discovered.

I believe I saw you go into
the study with him, Kitty.

[Kitty] I might have. But that
was before Cal stabbed him.

Is that when your lip got cut?

Okay, so he hit me.
It wasn't the first time.

I wonder if it was before or
after you warned Cal to leave.

It was right after that that
Gilbert ushered Cal out.

- But he came back.
- Well, let's get to that in a moment.

Mrs. Gardner, I saw you
coming out of the study too.

I was looking for
the ladies' room.

I see. And was Mr. Blaze alive
when you came out of the study?

- He wasn't in there. Nobody was in there.
- Would you please get to the point?

Well, I observed someone
else coming out of the study...

A man dressed as
Cardinal Richelieu.

I have an official statement
from this Cardinal Richelieu.

Mr. Blaze was not in the
study when he was there.

Now wait a minute. Was
Blaze in the study or not?

My theory is that Blaze
slipped out the window...

and returned the same way
before Cal Fletcher killed him.

Well, perhaps Mr. Blaze was
there, but no one saw him...

because his dead body
was hidden behind the sofa.

Mrs. Fletcher, this
is highly speculative.

It has nothing to do with the
fact that Cal murdered him.

Everyone saw Cal go into the
study. They even heard the fight.

Lieutenant, it might be
helpful if we saw it again.

I hope you don't mind, but I
have asked Cal to help me.

As long as you get on
with it, Mrs. Fletcher.

Cal, would you
come in here, please!

Now, what did everyone see?

[Kitty] Everyone saw
him threaten Johnny,

pull that sword and
then go in the study.

Cal, would you do that again,
please, so that everyone has it straight.

B-B-Blaze?

B-B-Blaze! I'll
k-k-kill you, B-Blaze!

[Door Closes] Now, everyone
agrees that is what happened?

One small detail, Mrs. Fletcher. He
had locked the door from the inside.

Yes, of course.

Now, I wonder, could
we all go into the study?

Is that necessary,
Mrs. Fletcher?

If you'll be patient
a little longer,

we may discover how the
murder was actually committed.

Ah, yes, the window is open.

Now, someone said that they heard
Cal and the victim sword fighting.

Would someone play the part of
Blaze? Ah, Mr. Gaston, would you mind?

A little clashing of
the swords, please.

Good. Then a scream and the
sound of a body falling to the floor.

Yes, yes, thank you, Mrs.
Fletcher. It's been most amusing.

However, I believe
you just demonstrated...

that the murderer could only have
been your cousin, Mr. Calhoun Fletcher.

If you please,
Mr. Cyrano de Bergerac.

Mrs. Fletcher asked me to
take part in this little charade,

and when I learned what
she hoped to accomplish,

I agreed, naturally, in
the interest of justice.

What I hope I've
demonstrated is that someone

else wearing that
costume and that mask...

could have impersonated Cal,

even imitating his
distinctive stammer.

- Conjecture, Mrs. Fletcher.
- Perhaps, but there's another detail.

Do you have the photographs taken at
the scene of the crime, Lieutenant Cavette?

Now, according to
your theory, Lieutenant,

Mr. Blaze wrote Cal's name
in blood as he was dying.

But what if he had been
trying to write something else...

Like what? C-A-L.

Uh, what if—what if this
isn't an "L"? What if it's

supposed to be a "V" and
he died before he finished?

My name? That's preposterous.

Mr. Gaston, would you
please go out to the street...

and ask Sergeant Baxter
to come in here, please?

I wasn't even here
when Blaze was killed.

[Jessica] Not only
were you here, Cardinal

Richelieu, I saw you
coming out of the study.

Perhaps you wanted
vengeance for your son's death?

The key, Mr. Gaston...

How did you know that it was
in the pocket of the costume?

Well, I saw Gardner put it in the
pocket during the reenactment.

No, Gardner never
had the key in his hand.

Baxter locked the door from the
other side with a duplicate key.

[Jessica] The only way you would have
known that the key was in that pocket...

would be if you
had put it there.

You see, the key was
in the left-hand pocket.

Now, even from across
the room, I remembered that

Cyrano had waved his
sword with his left hand.

And when you took the part of Mr. Blaze,
you held the sword in your left hand.

Madam, a lot of
people are left-handed.

Yes, but you made another slip,

although I didn't think
about it at the time.

The only time at the party I
mentioned that Cal was my cousin...

was when I spoke to
Cyrano de Bergerac.

Cal? It-It’s Jessica, your cousin
from Maine! You know, Frank's wife.

But later, when the police were
there, you told me to warn my cousin.

I heard what you told
the heat about Cal.

If he's your cousin, get to him
and tell him to get out of town fast.

[Jessica Laughs] Now, at that
moment, no one knew Cal was my cousin,

which means it had to
have been you, Mr. Gaston,

wearing the Cyrano costume.

Johnny would
have killed us both.

Yes, Cal thought you meant Blaze
knew he was at the party in disguise.

But when you said, "He knows," you were
talking to Mr. Gaston, weren't you, Kitty?

[Sobbing]

Cal said you gave
him "one for the road."

I suspect it was laced with
something to knock him out.

And then you got him to bed
in his garret across the alley,

and what followed must
have been something like this:

You came back to the
study through the window,

and, probably with the letter
opener, you stabbed him.

[Sobbing Continues]

Don't cry, baby. It had to be.

Like you said, he
would've killed us both.

You see, Cal, since you'd
threatened to kill Mr. Blaze,

you were the obvious person
for him to pin the murder on.

I get it. But what
happened to my I.O.U.'s?

Gaston took them.
Kitty knew that.

But apparently she didn't
know that he had killed Blaze.

Oh, my goodness!
I've got a plane to catch.

Ohhh, and I never got a chance
to show you my insect collection.

Next time, I promise.

Well, Cal, will you be moving
back into your house now?

Actually, I've found
myself a new tenant...

Lovely lady, wants to
open a business there.

Ah, supposed to be there
right now to show her around.

Don't forget to write
to your Aunt Mildred.

I certainly won't. Listen, you don't
have to tell her anything about this.

Oh, no, of course not.

Bye, you two. Bye.

Cal, what kind of
business is that lady in?

I don't know. It's for
out-of-town businessmen.

Some sort of escort
service, I think. Bye.

[Laughs] I'll have
a little talk with him.