Murder, She Wrote (1984–1996): Season 3, Episode 3 - Unfinished Business - full transcript

- A 10-year-old unsolved murder?
- And I was one of the suspects.

[Screaming]

[Woman] Tonight on
Murder, She Wrote.

Oh, Lord! It's my husband!

Isn't that where Dixon
was killed 10 years ago?

Where he accidentally
drowned, you mean.

- What happened?
- What do you think happened,
you damn fool?

Somebody's trying to kill me.

Stop trembling, Cindy.
You'll give yourself away.

I'm chilly, Terry, not guilty.

- I want you to call in the state police.
- No, ma'am.



[Man] "Supercop."
I'm sure you all know...

how this man got that name.

No, not because he served longer
than anyone else on the force.

No, no.

And not because in all his
years as chief of detectives,

not one single major
murder went unsolved.

[Applause] No, no, no, please.

Please, no, no.

Ladies and gentlemen, the real
reason we pay homage to this man-

and pay, and pay-is
simply because...

he is the only police officer
in the history of this city...

who has swindled us
out of, not one, not two,

but three solid gold
retirement watches.

But now at last, we have finally thought
of a way to outwit this great detective...



and stop the drain
on our treasury.

The envelope, please.

Lieutenant Bernard
"Barney" Kale,

on the occasion of this, your
final retirement-[Laughing]

we your friends do hereby
bestow upon you this solid gold...

trip around the world!

I guess that should
get rid of him.

Oh, this is good.
There's no date on it.

So I won't have to go
until maybe next spring.

Because you see, it is simply not true
that I've solved every major murder case.

Have you forgotten Lowell Dixon?

[Crowd Murmuring] One of
our own county prosecutors?

I know it's been 10 years,

and I know that my good friend the
coroner called it accidental drowning.

But I know better, my friends.

And now that I have the time,

I'm going to prove once and for
all that Lowell Dixon was murdered.

[Gunshot] [Man] Pull!

Pull! [Gunshots]

[Beeping]

Anne? Doctor Mayhew.

I want you to cancel my
flight to Tokyo tomorrow.

Uh, no, no, nothing's wrong.
Something personal came up.

[Man On Radio] It's a sad
thing to grow old-[Phone Rings]

and perhaps Lieutenant Barney Kale
feels there oughta be a law against it.

As one who has followed Kale's career
with admiration-[Ringing Continues]

I can't help but feel that perhaps he's
looking for one last burst of publicity.

[Ringing Continues]
To refresh your forgetful

young minds, Lowell
Dixon died 10 years ago,

at a place out in the boondocks
known as Juniper lake.

A well-known prosecutor-

Yes? Of politicians
and other grafters,

Mr. Dixon died of inhaling too much
lake water. I'm sorry. I can't hear-

Who?

Oh yes, yes, I-

I remember you, Lieutenant.
What do you want?

I'm calling to tell you,
Miss Tate, that I'm headed

for Juniper Lake. I thought
you might be interested.

No, not really.

If you catch any wild geese, let me know.
Before you hang up, be aware of one thing.

I'm a private citizen now.
The rule book's out the window.

And one way or another,

I intend to find out who
killed my friend Lowell Dixon.

Don't give me that "friend"
business, Lieutenant.

You were a part of that swindle,
that pie-in-the-sky recreational village.

I was just a secretary.

Miss Tate, we both
know what you were.

Now I'm going to bring in Dixon's
killer with your cooperation or without.

A man of your age, gallivanting
all alone in the mountains.

Stop your fussing, Ethel.
I'll call you in a few days.

Where from, St. Mary's
Cemetery? [Laughs]

I heard how you were
talking to those people,

and they don't
like it, not one bit.

Of course they don't.

That's the whole point, Ethel.

See you in a few days.

[Engine Starts]

Crazy old fool.

Gary and Maggie
Roberts, um? Mr. and Mrs.?

- You want to see a license?
- No, sonny.

Credit card will do
or something like that.

What's the matter, Pop?
You don't take cash?

Gary, please.

Cash will be fine.

[Finger Snapping]
Uh, how much is that?

Twenty dollars.

Cabin number one is usually 30,
but we're, uh, running a little slow.

Slow? Looks to
me like you stopped.

How long you
planning on staying?

Uh, ask my husband. This
was his idea, stopping here.

One day, Pop. You don't need
more than one day to catch a fish.

There is a fish in your
lake, isn't there, Gramps?

Excuse me. [Gary] Sure.

If there was a fish, I'll bet you've
got it stuffed in the bar by now.

Cynthia! What in the blazes-

Lord Almighty, it's
great to see you.

Oh. [Kisses]

Wh-Wh-Wh-Why didn't
you call or something?

Uh, Jake. You're kidding?

- You mean you don't know?
- Know what?

Kale? He's gonna
start that up again.

Looks like it.

Have you talked to Seth?
What's he doin' about it?

[Huffs] Seth Hazlitt?

To tell you the truth, Jake,
I haven't seen him in years.

I think he dropped off
the end of the Earth.

[Jessica] Seth, yoo-hoo. Seth?

Seth? Oh, Jessica.

I think you're getting
wax buildup in your ears.

I'm glad I wasn't an
emergency case out there.

Just daydreaming.

Well, you're not
coming like that?

Coming? Coming where? To the
Founders' Day Planning Committee.

Oh, you've forgotten. Well, we
were roped into service last week.

Oh, Jess, I'm sorry. I forgot all
about it. I've had a lot on my mind.

What is it, Seth?

These came for me special
delivery from an old friend,

that is if you could call
Barney Kale anyone's friend.

Ten-year-old unsolved murder?

And I was one of the suspects.

Oh! That's
ridiculous. Tell Kale.

That old bloodhound is determined
to dig the whole thing all up again.

- Tell me!
- Oh, Jess, it's not your problem.

Oh, Seth, stop this
foolishness. Now tell me.

I was practicing
in Portland then.

I had, uh-I'd just lost
Ruth, and money was tight.

Well, because of the medical bills I
got involved in this, uh, investment.

There were four of us up at
Juniper Lake that summer...

in hock up to our hips.

Jake Sanford owned the land,
but it was mortgaged to the limit.

Terry Mayhew had almost
$200,000 in the project.

He was the assistant
administrator at the hospital.

And then Cynthia Tate
was Terry's secretary,

and I guess a little bit more.

Anyway, Dixon came up and
threatened to expose the whole thing.

Oh, Seth! Well,
Jess, it was ridiculous.

There was nothing to expose,
but he was a city attorney,

and if we had had
any hint of scandal,

the whole thing would
simply just start to come apart.

Hint of scandal,
we got that all right.

Dixon's dead body
facedown in the lake,

and now this old fool is
determined to drag it all up again.

Well, it's obvious what he
wants by sending you this letter.

Oh, yes. Me on
the griddle again.

Then don't go.

Well, I never even considered
it. Tell you what, woman.

Let's go see what sort of
nonsense the mayor has

dug up for this year's
extravaganza. Shall we?

Right. And you keep that smile
right there where it belongs.

On my honor, unless we run into
Amos, in which case all bets are off.

Lieutenant Kale.

Well, this is a surprise.

You're a lousy liar, Sanford.

Just give me my old
cabin. The one with the tub.

I'll be here a few days. And don't
ask why because you know why.

Afraid I gave your old cabin to a young
couple from Skowhegan. Then move 'em out.

I need the privacy
worse than they do.

They can take one of the little
cabins, and I'll pay for it myself.

Come on. Let's go!

Well, I suppose I could say
that you had a prior reservation,

and they're not
rich, that's for sure.

Fine. Who else is here?

Yeah, I-I'll think of
something to tell them.

[Phone Rings]

Hello? Mrs. Fletcher,
Amos Tupper.

- Hello, Amos.
- Hate to bother you, ma'am.

Trying to reach Doc Hazlitt. Thought
maybe he might be up there with you.

No. Supposed to have my
annual checkup tomorrow,

but I gotta head over to
Rockwater to serve a summons.

Well, I haven't seen
Seth since 6:00.

He dropped me off and said
he was going straight home.

I've called him four times
in the last couple of hours.

I can't figure where
he might have gone.

Amos, will you pick
me up right away?

Ma'am? No questions.
I'll explain on the way.

- On the way where?
- Hurry!

[Amos] Still think we
should have just called.

You know, uh, this is
out of my jurisdiction.

[Jessica] Amos, we're not here
officially. We just came to be sure...

that Seth didn't do something foolish.
If he's here. Place looks deserted.

Looks like you were wrong
about Doc bein' here, Mrs. Fletcher.

This ain't Doc's car.
[Woman Screaming]

[Screaming]

There's a man!
There's a man in there!

That old police officer's
cabin-Lieutenant Kale!

[Switch Clicking]

Uh, wait! Uh, don't come in!

[Jessica] That can't be Lieutenant
Kale. It looks like a younger man.

[Gasping] Oh, Lord!
It's my husband, Gary!

[Man] Yeah, Millie, dead man's
name was Roberts. Gary Roberts.

Uh, address, 119 Conway Avenue,
Skowhegan, white male adult.

Still no answer. I'm worried.

Oh, Doc's okay, Mrs. Fletcher.

Probably just went off on a house
call or something. For 12 hours?

Speaking of missin', they still
haven't found that police inspector yet.

What's his name? Uh, Kale?

There's something mighty
funny goin' on around here.

I don't think that funny
is exactly the right word.

[Sobs]

- So, Mrs. Fletcher, what do you think?
- About what?

The lady.

Stranger gets himself
killed from short range.

One blast from a shotgun.
Who would want to kill him?

Who else even knew him? Amos.

Well, I'd question her myself,

but, like I said, it's
out of my jurisdiction.

Guess the deputy's
waitin' for the sheriff.

[Horn Honking] Oh,
there's the search party.

I'm gonna join 'em. See if I
can help 'em find that lieutenant.

[Deputy] Get those
dogs unloaded. Come on.

You know, I'm sure
that we could get

Mr. Sanford to rustle
up a little breakfast.

No. No, thanks.

Can I call anyone for
you? To your family?

No. Gary and I were, uh, alone.

[Dogs Baying]

Come on! That's it!

That way's to the fire trail,
and the lake's off to the right.

Isn't that where Dixon
was killed 10 years ago?

Where he accidentally
drowned, you mean.

[Gunshot]

[Dogs Barking]

This way!

Lieutenant! What happened?

What do you think happened, you
damn fool? Somebody's trying to kill me.

Here you go.

Stop trembling, Cindy.
You'll give yourself away.

I'm chilly, Terry, not guilty.

How about you?

I think the temperature
in here is just fine.

You weren't in
your cabin last night.

I'm afraid I spent most of
the night in a sleeping bag,

down at that beach by
the, uh, end of the lake.

No kidding.

[Door Opening]

There you go. I'm all right. I'm all
right. Turned my ankle, that's all.

Bad try, you two.
Next time, finish the job.

I'll get some bandages.

Here, let me have a look at that,
Lieutenant. Don't put your hands on me.

Dr. Terence Mayhew,
Mrs. Fletcher.

Runs the fancy
hospital in Rolling Hills,

you know, the one
just outside Portland.

More like a hotel
for the rundown rich.

Well, you always knew
how to hustle a buck, Doc.

Thin-skinned too.

I'm going out to the car and
see if I can raise Sheriff McCoy.

- Joe, have you found the shotgun yet?
- Still lookin'.

- Shotgun? What shotgun?
- A man was shot and killed
this morning, Lieutenant.

What man? His name
was Gary Roberts,

and he was found in your cabin.

Mrs. Fletcher thinks-I can
guess what Mrs. Fletcher thinks.

Well, obviously he
wasn't a friend of yours.

No. I'd like to know what
he was doing in my cabin.

He was the kid I moved
to the smaller cabin.

Lieutenant, may I ask you what
you were doing down by the lake.

Yes, you may ask.

And since I assume that your question
is no more than feminine curiosity,

I'm even gonna answer it.

I was hunting a skunk, Mrs. Fletcher.
One of the two-legged varieties.

I'd gone down there about
midnight, just to look around.

Just to see what I could see.

You see, Dixon was
murdered at night.

So there's a dock down there, a
ladder leading down to the water's edge.

I'm going down the ladder, it
breaks. Now, I must have hit my

head or something. Next thing
I know, the sun is in my face.

These dogs are
yappin' in the woods,

and I figured somebody must've
known that I was going down to that lake,

because I do not believe that that
ladder rung just broke accidently.

Amos, I am really
worried about Seth.

Well, maybe he didn't
head up here at all.

Maybe he got called
out on some emergency.

Oh, I don't believe that. Not
the way he was acting yesterday.

Well, if I catch up with him,
I'll be sure to give you a call.

You sure you want to stay here?

That girl Maggie-I want to stay with
her, at least until things get sorted out.

She's frightened,
and I don't blame her.

Yeah.

Amos. Hmm?

When you get back to Cabot Cove,

it might be helpful to find out anything
you can about these people here-

Dr. Mayhew, Miss
Tate, Jake Sanford-

Seth's old friends
from years past.

Just in case Doc was here.

Exactly.

[Kale] Mrs. Fletcher?

- We're over here.
- Oh, I was just looking for Maggie.

Well, she went inside to
put some whiskey in my tea.

Oh, Mrs. Fletcher.
How are you feeling?

Uh, better, thanks. Good.

She was just telling
me about her husband.

Yes, I was saying, Gary-

Gary had been in prison
for the past three years.

Massachusetts.
He got out last week.

Assault, armed robbery.

Maggie, I did notice that
there was some expensive

camera equipment in
the lieutenant's cabin.

No, he didn't go there to steal
anything. It was his sneakers.

- His what?
- Well, his tennis shoes.

Uh, when Mr. Sanford offered
to move us to a different cabin,

Gary must have left them behind.

Anyway, when he started to go to bed,
he noticed his sneakers were missing,

and he wanted to wear them in the
morning, so off he went to get them.

Only he didn't come back.

Finally, I went
over there myself.

It was so quiet.

So dark.

Maggie, I know this has been
a very difficult time for you.

We're gonna let you rest
here, and we'll come back later.

[Jessica's Voice] Lieutenant,

supposing you left a pair of your
tennis shoes in somebody else's cabin,

and when you got
there, nobody was home.

If I were the Roberts kid, I'd probably
go inside, get what belonged to me.

Except that while
you were in there,

somebody came up on the
porch, somebody with a shotgun.

Dark.

The kid hears a
noise, opens the door.

And this somebody, assuming
that Gary is you, fires the gun.

Ma'am, you catch on quick.

Phil McCoy. The sheriff?

[Kale] It's a wonder to me
people haven't booted him out.

Come on.

[Seth] All right. Seth!

Seth!

I'm-I'm all right,
Jessica. I'm all right.

Sheriff, just what is this about?
Well now, you'd be Mrs. Fletcher.

Yeah, Millie said you were
up here looking for this fella.

I found him wandering around
about six miles from here.

Well, are those handcuffs
really necessary?

Roy. Yes, sir.

Take this fella inside.
Give him some coffee.

Breakfast if he wants
it. County will pay.

And, uh, you can take them off.

Well, Lieutenant, it's been
a long time, it sure has.

How ya been?

Been better. Seein'
you doesn't help much.

[Chuckles] Well, you
sure haven't changed.

Come on. Let's take a look.

Seth, what happened?
We've been worried sick.

Inside. [Clears Throat]

[McCoy's Voice] I've
been out quail huntin'

since late yesterday
with a couple of boys.

That, uh, deputy finally caught up with
me at Fowler's Meadows about an hour ago.

Yep, 10 months I finally get
myself a couple of days off,

and what do you think-
I got myself a killing.

Huh, boy them quail
were sure runnin'. Huh-ho.

Well, what do you think,
Barney? Got any ideas?

As I recollect, you usually
do. Got a couple. McCoy?

How do you know the murder
took place in that cabin?

'Cause Millie told
me, that's how.

Thank you.

Seth, what happened?
Where have you been?

Where haven't I been?

This damn county's nothing
but tall timber and dirt roads.

I missed a turn in
the dark last night,

went 20 miles up the wrong road,

ended up in a ditch
with a broken axle.

Spent the rest of the night trying
to find my way back to civilization.

But you told me you
weren't coming up here.

- Well, I didn't want to worry you.
- Oh, Seth.

Anyway, McCoy found
me walking along the road.

Oh, I remembered
him from 10 years ago.

That's right. He was sheriff around
here then too. He remembered me also.

And I suppose because he had
this murder case on his hands,

he thought he better
not take any chances. So-

But may I ask, exactly
why you are here?

Well, when I found you were
missing, I was concerned.

Jessica-[Clears Throat]

[Hoarse Voice] I am perfectly
capable of taking care of myself.

Oh, yes, I can see that.

Well.

[Woman On Radio] Car niner.
Car niner. Come in, please.

Roy, are you there?
Yeah, Millie, I'm here.

Sheriff get there?
Yeah, he's here.

He's got 'em all in the
lodge. Just finishing up lunch.

Looks like we're
gonna be here all day.

Listen, McCoy, you can't keep
us locked up here like prisoners.

Now, Doc, nobody's a prisoner.

No, I just figure that till those lab boys
get here from Augusta tomorrow morning,

- we oughta just kind of stick around.
- I have patients in the city.

I have no intention
of sticking around.

Excuse me.

Funny. How all of a sudden you're
so concerned about your patients.

Yesterday, when you was coming here,
you weren't so concerned, now were ya?

Why don't you just sit down?
Have a piece of Jake’s peach pie.

Excuse me.

As a point of law, Sheriff,

you have no right to hold all
these people here incommunicado.

That a fact?

Well, I guess in the big city
things are a little different.

Well, the big city that I come
from, Sheriff, is Cabot Cove.

Oh yeah, Amos Tupper. How is he?

I heard he was here earlier.

Sheriff. Now, ma'am,
don't you fret yourself.

I'm gonna find out
who killed that boy-

[Chuckles] 'cause I agree
with you and old Barney.

It's murder now. It was
murder 10 years ago.

Whoever got Roberts was gunnin'
for the lieutenant sure as blazes.

If I get me this killer, then I
got the killer of Lowell Dixon too.

Over here.

Hmm. Initials T.M.
Right on the stock.

Must have wondered
where it was, eh, Doc?

I didn't know it was missing. I
thought it was still in the closet.

I figure it's been out in the
woods ever since last night.

Been fired too. Both barrels.

You won't get any prints,
McCoy. Not with all that dirt.

Do you keep your cabin
locked, Dr. Mayhew?

Of course not. I have nothing to
steal. [McCoy] Except a shotgun.

McCoy, I have no more use
for the doctor than you do,

but there are no ballistic
test for a shotgun blast.

Jake Sanford, he's got four or
five of those in his back room.

Any of 'em could have
been the murder weapon.

Except this is the one
we found in the woods.

I'm telling you. You botched
the Dixon murder 10 years ago,

because you trampled all
over the rules of evidence.

Don't do it again.

- Bar open, Sanford?
- Right, Lieutenant.

Give me a whiskey.

Lock it up. Him too?

Not yet.

Sheriff McCoy's still the same
blockhead he was 10 years ago.

Oh, I guess he could say
the same about us, Terry.

I see you haven't lost
that temper of yours.

Look, Seth, I
didn't kill anybody.

If I'd gone after Kale, I would
have gotten him, believe me.

My turn, Seth?

No, I'm not the police.
How have you been, Cindy?

Oh, okay.

- I finally got it all, Seth.
- Yeah.

Everything I ever wanted,
my own business, money,

security, a big new house.

You know what it all is?

Garbage.

That's what it is.

Garbage.

All I know is he said
he wanted to go fishing.

Yes, but where's
his fishing gear?

I mean, there's no sign
of a rod or tackle in here.

And-Well, you'll forgive me,
but I did take a look in your car.

Your key was in the ignition.

I-I didn't press him
about it. I just went along.

He came here for
another reason, didn't he?

I don't know. But
you did suspect.

Look, Mrs. Fletcher.

It wasn't much good for Gary
and me when he was sent away,

but I always figured whatever
he did, he'd done it for me.

I couldn't just walk out.
Not while he was in prison.

Then when I saw him again
for the first time three days ago,

I knew it was over.

I was looking for a way to say
it. But I never got the chance.

He was so full of big plans.

He was gonna buy me the
moon, furs and jewels and a house.

"Soon, honey," he
said. "A few days."

I said, "What are you
gonna do, rob a bank?"

And he just smiled.
"Better," he said.

"Better and safer."

- Nothing more specific?
- No.

Did he mention anybody's
name, like Dr. Mayhew?

Nobody.

And did you notice any sign of
recognition between Sanford...

and your husband
when you checked in?

Not that I saw. Or Cynthia Tate?

You said you passed her
on the way in. Her either.

Mrs. Fletcher, what is it?

I'm not quite sure. [Knocking]

Well, so there you are. There's
a phone call for you, ma'am.

Oh.

Go ahead, Amos. Well,
this Dr. Mayhew, he was

supposed to go to Tokyo
a couple of days ago.

Sort of a vacation. Suddenly,
decided to change his mind...

to go hunting, he
said. Well, that figures.

Now about this Miss Tate-

She runs a real fancy
boutique in Portland.

Her employees haven't seen
much of her during this past week.

Just bought a new house. Had a
heck of a time trying to get the address.

You know, real fancy neighborhood,
unlisted phone, the works.

Now about, uh, Mr. Sanford-

Amos, forget about Jake Sanford.

I want you to call that
prison in Massachusetts.

Find out everything you
can about Gary Roberts.

The victim? Sure, but-

[Whispering] Jessica.

No buts, Amos. Call me back
as soon as you know anything.

There you are. Wondered
where you'd sneaked off to.

Well, I just had a little
chat with Roberts's widow.

Mr. Sanford, do you have any
Maine road maps around here?

- In the desk drawer. Under the books.
- Thank you.

Jake, while you're there, make
me a double. Right, Lieutenant.

Jake, why don't you break down
and make some fresh coffee?

I wouldn't feed this slop to my prisoners.
Fresh pot brewin' out in the back.

Are you onto
something, Mrs. Fletcher?

I just want to check
my math, Lieutenant.

For instance, when
is a straight line...

not the shortest distance
between two points?

16 plus 41, now
check me on this,

plus 12 more makes-69.

I always was quick at
figures. What's the point?

The point is,

a man heading from the Massachusetts
prison to his home in Skowhegan...

goes 69 miles out of his way to
fish in a lake without a rod to fish with.

You're saying Roberts
stopped here for another reason?

Seems to me that's
what she's saying, McCoy.

Maybe we should
take a look in his cabin.

Nope, cabin's sealed till the lab
fellas arrive here from Augusta.

Sheriff McCoy, we have all
done our very best to humor you,

and you have been
acting like Genghis Khan.

I am running out of patience.

At the moment, you
are obstructing justice.

You are holding private
citizens here against their will.

Now far be it from
me to drop names,

but one telephone call to the
governor of this state- Mrs. Fletcher.

Since you put it so nicely,
we'll just go take a look.

Let-Let me get my
drink. I'll be right with you.

Just so we understand
each other, Mrs. Fletcher.

I don't care doo-dah about
the governor or anybody else,

but I do care about catching
that killer, I surely do,

whether you believe it or not.

Come on.

[McCoy] Looking for
anything in particular, ma'am?

- Yes, and I don't see them.
- The sneakers.

Right. Mr. Roberts
told his wife...

that he came back here to pick up
his sneakers, and if so, where are they?

And if that wasn't the reason
that he did come back, then why?

I want to try something.

[McCoy] Now, Mrs. Fletcher,
please don't touch things.

Lieutenant, could you
unplug that, please?

Sure.

Oh, right. I see.

Maybe you see,
Kale-Jess, be careful.

- Will you leave these things alone?
- Sheriff, do you really want to solve
this crime? Or was that just talk?

Now remember, the room was dark.

Mr. Roberts was
shot from the doorway.

Nobody heard the shot, which
indicates that the door might have closed.

But if the killer couldn't see who he was
shooting at because the room was dark-

Or was it? Lieutenant.

Wait a minute. Why that means-

That means Roberts
wasn't killed accidently.

It was on purpose.
The light was on.

Which means that the killer
wasn't after Lieutenant Kale at all.

But I was so sure,
so-Lieutenant! Here.

Ah, Kale's tough.
He might even live.

Seth, are you
sure it was poison?

You saw him. What do you think?

Dr. Mayhew.

Believe me, I don't want to seem
to be meddling, but I have to know.

- Why did you come here?
- The same reason the others came.

Self-protection from the wild accusations
of a publicity-seeking old fool.

Look, 10 years ago,
a man was killed.

We were the suspects.

There was no evidence,
no charges filed,

but Kale wouldn't
let the nightmare rest.

I didn't come here to kill him,

but I was gonna make damn sure
that I wasn't railroaded behind my back.

[Vehicle Approaching]

Excuse me.

What do you got there, Roy?
Doc Hazlitt had it right, Sheriff.

That drink was laced
with arsenic. They say a

few more sips, and he'd
be stone dead by now.

Maybe you should check out
the occupied cabins, Sheriff.

What for? Arsenic.

I know my job, ma'am.

Let's see what those forensics
fellas have come up with.

Sheriff!

They found this under one of the
sofa cushions, near where the body fell.

There's no prints. They checked.

[Line Ringing]

[Recorded Message]
Hello. This is Cynthia Tate.

Sorry I can't come to
the phone right now,

but I'll call you back
as soon as possible.

Please leave your message
after the tone. [Beep]

I don't have the vaguest idea why Roberts
would have had my telephone number.

A brand-new unlisted
number too, Miss Tate.

Look, I never even met the man.

I saw him for a minute once,
passing by as I went into the lodge.

Jake Sanford claims you
weren't in your cabin last night.

Well, Jake can claim
any damn thing he wants.

Look, I went for a walk last
night to visit Terry Mayhew,

if you must know.

He wasn't there. I looked
around, didn't find him,

came back and fell asleep.

Dull, but accurate
account of lady's evening.

Somebody up here
knew the victim, Sheriff.

Maybe from the
Lowell Dixon days.

Thought of that. Ten years ago,
he'd have been about high school age.

Already checked the schools.
Nobody around here by that name then.

Well, what about
a friend of a friend?

Someone who lived up
here and knew Gary Roberts.

Sheriff, may I have that
phone number, please?

Yes, ma'am. Right here.

Ten years ago, we
weren't even open yet.

How about, uh, Howard Sykes?

The landscaper? Yeah,
he did work here for awhile,

but he was gone by
the time Dixon died.

That, uh, that-that Cajun
woman? Uh, the cook.

Marie Reneau? Haven't seen
her in years. [Finger Snaps]

[McCoy] What is it? Joe Cabrini.

- What about him?
- A real bum. A jailbird.

Didn't know it till
after I hired him.

Caught him stealing
whiskey from the storehouse.

Last I've heard of him, they nabbed
him somewhere for grand theft...

and locked him
up-for good, I hope.

[Jessica] Locked him
up where? I have no idea.

- Cabrini?
- Joe Cabrini.

It's an outside chance, but he might have
had something to do with Gary Roberts.

- Will you call the prison back?
- No need for that.

Got his name right here.

Cabrini, Joseph W.

Till a couple of months ago,
he was Gary Roberts's cell mate.

Oh? Was he
released? Not exactly.

Got stabbed in the
laundry room, died.

So whatever Cabrini knew-

He passed on to his
friend Gary Roberts.

And Roberts came here
to blackmail somebody.

His wife told me
that he had big plans,

that he was coming
into some money, soon.

Except it backfired.
The killer got to him first.

Which means-Which means what?

Which means that I think
I know who your killer is.

Sheriff, I want you to
call in the state police.

No, ma'am. But Sheriff-

No, Mrs. Fletcher. You know
who's guilty, you just tell me.

It was your jurisdiction 10
years ago, wasn't it, McCoy?

Meaning I botched
the Dixon murder,

and you don't want to
see that happen again.

- It won't.
- Look, I-I have a thought.

Why don't we bring everybody together
in the main cabin and talk this thing out?

Blackmail! I knew it.

Lieutenant, maybe you
should go back to bed.

And miss all this?
I've waited 10 years.

And, ma'am, you're onto it.

That lamp in Roberts's cabin, that
dumb story about him coming here to fish.

It figures. Roberts
knew who the killer was,

put a bite on him, got
bitten for his trouble.

Well, with one exception. The
Lowell Dixon murder was perfect.

This one was strictly ad lib.

You know it wasn't me. I
was down by the lake sleeping.

So you say, Terry.

Where were you, Seth?

Wandering around the
backwoods somewhere?

Who's your alibi? Bambi?

Well, the point is that
no one really has an alibi.

You're forgettin'. It was Cynthia's
phone number that Roberts had.

That tells me only one thing.
Cynthia, it was you he was blackmailin'.

I told you! I-I've never seen
the man before in my life.

Young lady, there's no way
Roberts could have had your

unlisted telephone number
unless you gave it to him.

Oh, and I suppose I put the
poison in your drink too, Lieutenant.

I wasn't even in the
room. [Jessica] Ah, please.

Would you let me continue?

I don't believe that the scribbled
phone number was genuine.

I think it was planted
by someone...

to point a finger of
suspicion at you, Miss Tate.

You see I believe that the number
was hastily scrawled on this pad,

torn so that the "Juniper
Lake" part would be eliminated.

I think that planting this
number in Gary Roberts's cabin...

was a desperate,
last-second thought.

Remember, Gary Roberts had passed
Cynthia as she was entering the lodge.

Yet there was no hint of
recognition, was there?

Well, no, no.

And so it was planted. The
question is: Who planted it?

Now more to the point, who
had an opportunity to plant it,

because except for one
short period earlier today,

that cabin was sealed until
the forensic team opened it up...

and found the slip of paper, and
there were only four people in that room.

Me, Lieutenant Kale, Sheriff
McCoy and Seth Hazlitt.

But there's no power on Earth that would
make me believe that Seth is the killer.

Don't like your
tone, Mrs. Fletcher.

And I don't like yours, Sheriff.

If you are accusing
me of murder-I'm not.

Lieutenant, you knew that
I was onto Gary Roberts.

You had to shift gears. You
had to fake another attempt...

on your life and implicate
somebody, anybody.

Are you crazy? I was laying
on the beach unconscious.

No, you were in the
cabin waiting for Roberts...

to kill him and divert suspicion
by re-implicating the old suspects.

Then you went down to the lake,
faked your fall and waited to be found.

You knew everyone would assume
Roberts was killed by mistake,

by someone out to kill you.

I don't know where
you're getting all this.

This pad was by the bar.

Remember, just before we went to inspect
the murder cabin, you went to get a drink.

You knew what I was thinking. That's
when you jotted down Cynthia's number...

to plant it in the cabin,

probably at the same time you slipped
a little poison into your own drink.

Madam, you have
a lively imagination.

That phone number is
brand-new and unlisted.

Now, since Cynthia didn't give it to
Gary, who could have gotten access to it?

A noted police figure? Why not?

You'd been doing it for years.
Sheriff McCoy could have-

[Jessica] Oh, McCoy was off quail hunting
with two witnesses when Roberts was killed.

And don't tell me you didn't know
Cynthia Tate's phone number, Lieutenant.

One reason she's
here is because...

you called her at her home
at that unlisted number.

Guess that was a
mistake, wasn't it?

What?

A bad ad-lib?

Very nice, Mrs.
Fletcher. Very nice.

Lowell Dixon was a
sanctimonious do-gooder.

He caught me doing a few
favors for the wrong people.

I'd been operating like that for
years. Nothing serious, you know.

Just a little
you-do-for-me, I-do-for-you.

It got results, but it violated
his Puritan sensibilities.

He was gonna bring me up on
charges. I would have been dismissed.

And 10 years ago, Mrs. Fletcher,
I was not ready to be dismissed.

Dixon was a very religious man.

Always talking about
getting to heaven.

And I-

I just simply helped
him on his way.