Murder, She Wrote (1984–1996): Season 4, Episode 11 - Doom with a View - full transcript

Her eyes haven't left this table since
Grady arrived with Miss Sis-boom-bah.

There's gonna be
fireworks tonight.

Tonight on Murder, She Wrote.

If there were foul play, I think I'd
like to speak to that nephew of yours.

- What were you doin' in Sandy's room?
- You didn't tell the cops, did ya?

He was with you when
you found Sandra's body?

I thought you said
she was harmless.

- You do have a writer's imagination,
Mrs. Fletcher.
- Thank you.

- I didn't quite mean that as a— - I
know what you meant, Inspector.

Uh, would you wait here, please?

Hey, lady, you can't go up there.
Well, what do you mean, I can't go up?



Trust me, you don't
wanna go up there.

Aunt Jess, hold on. Grady,
what's going on here?

I'm really sorry, Aunt Jess, but
there's been a slight change in plans.

Ain't my fault, lady. You got
cockroaches the size of Cleveland up there!

If you don't like
it, call the city.

Yesterday, it was just one
apartment on the first floor,

and when they sprayed, all the
cockroaches moved up to my apartment.

Oh, dear. I was really looking
forward to staying with you.

Oh, you are, but not here.

The Montaigne Plaza?
Oh, my goodness.

That hotel has more
stars than the sidewalks

in Hollywood. Don't
worry. We're comped.

My friend Gary Harper, from
school, he married the hotel.

I mean, he married the
lady who owns the hotel.



Now just a moment. I
remember Gary very well.

I mean, he's your age.
And if I'm not mistaken,

Cornelia Montaigne
is, uh— Well, she's older.

Well, all I know is he fell into
it. He is hip-deep into money...

and he wants to share some of the
good luck with his old fraternity buddy.

Come on, Aunt Jess.
It's gonna be great fun.

Spending time with
you— That's gonna be fun.

Gary Harper.

You know, I remember him
traipsing along the beach.

When was that, eight years ago?

I'm sorry, but I can't picture
him with Cornelia Montaigne.

Are you kidding? Believe me,
they're like a couple of lovebirds.

If you weren't my husband,
Garrett, I'd have your job for this.

Now, Cornelia— After I spend the
entire morning vacating the 32nd floor,

you turn around and book the
countess into the corner suite.

- It was empty. I— - That's
because the Sheikh Faisal Usmani...

has it booked
starting at midnight.

When—When are you going
to learn to check with me first...

before making these
arbitrary decisions?

Perhaps I can be of
some assistance, Cornelia.

I moved the countess to the
Blue Suite on 39 an hour ago.

And why didn't you tell me?

If I let you know all
the wonderful things I

do around here, you'd
have to give me a raise.

Excuse me. I have
some guests to greet.

Do that, Garrett. And see if you
can book them into the right room...

just for the challenge of it.

Grady.

Grady, my man. Gary.

How are ya? I'm great!

You remember
who this is? Jessica!

Gary. You look exactly the way you did the
last time we went fishing in Cabot Cove.

And I dropped the
tackle box in the harbor.

And tumbled in
right after it, if I recall.

Listen, it's nice to have
you here, both of you.

This is just a quick
business visit for me,

but actually, it's an excuse to
spend some time with Grady.

Now, this suite— I can't allow
you to— Oh, no, no, no, no.

I've been waiting eight
years to repay the hospitality.

Now this is my town,
my treat. Starting tonight,

dinner, 7:00 sharp.

- Mom will be joining us.
- Mom?

I mean, my mom.

Oh, no, Cornelia can't make it. No,
she's the consummate workaholic.

Rumor has it that, uh, she once
took out time for dinner in 1965.

But, uh, it's just a rumor.

But I could make a
reservation for Sandra Clemens.

Sandra Clemens? Is she in town?

She just checked in a couple
of days ago. No kidding?

Sandra Clemens? You
remember Sandra, Aunt Jess.

Homecoming. Third
cheerleader from the left,

blonde, about this tall.

I must've been
watching the game.

Well, when she heard
you were coming, um...

Well, I think she's looking
for a dinner invitation.

With me? Well, that is,
if Jessica doesn't mind.

Mind? I can't wait
to see what I missed.

We'll take very good care of
her, Mrs. Townsend. Depend on it.

Safe journey.

Darling, I'd like— Grady!
How nice to see you again.

My, you've lost
weight. Very attractive.

And this is Grady's
Aunt Jessica.

Oh, Garrett has told me
all about you, Mrs. Fletcher.

I must confess, I don't
have time to read your books,

or anyone else's, I'm afraid, but I
am delighted you're staying with us.

Well, thank you, Mrs. Harper.
I'm so happy to meet you.

Mark Havlin, my good right arm.

Mark, do see that Grady and
his aunt have anything they want.

Nothing is too much
for a friend of Garrett's.

Oh, if you will excuse me, I'm
expecting a call from Washington—

The Secret Service— To make
arrangements for next week.

You'll understand if I can't
explain exactly what those are.

My goodness, Cornelia
is certainly overpowering.

That's just her way. Gary says
she's still competing with her father,

even though he's been
dead for 20 years. Hmm.

- Oh, my gosh.
- Grady?

Grady!

Sandy. Hi.

Oh! I can't believe
you remember me.

Don't be an old
poop. Of course I do.

Don't tell me. This must be your
aunt. Gary told me you were coming.

Sandra Clemens. Of
course, I remember now.

Third cheerleader
from the left, right?

Homecoming, right?
You've got some memory.

Well, actually, Grady has a
photograph on his coffee table. Aunt Jess.

Look, if you two will excuse me.

I've got some unpacking to
do. Nice meeting you, Sandy.

Nice meeting you.

Super lady.

Oh, yeah. She's the greatest.

Um, Gary told me you were
having a little dinner party tonight?

Oh—Oh, yeah, sure.
Uh, are you coming?

I-I mean—I mean,
would you like to come...

Pick me up at 7:00.
I live right there.

4553.

7:00.4553.

Right.

7:00.

Well, did you talk to Grady? I ran
into him in the hallway with his aunt.

You know, Gary, this is dumb.

This is really dumb.

Look, anything to keep
Cornelia off my back.

If she catches on,
the party's over...

for both of us.

Hi, Grady. Hi.

For me? Thanks.
They're beautiful.

Come on in. We'll put
them in some water.

Oh.

Hello?

No, I told you that's no good.

No, that won't work either.

I can't get into it right
now. Can I call you back?

Okay, let me get a pencil.

Here you go. Great.

Okay, what's the number?

Okay. Thank you. Bye.

Grady. What?

I hope those
flowers like vermouth.

I just made us some martinis.

Well, I am thrilled,
absolutely thrilled.

I mean, here I am with a real
live absolute celebrity, Jessie.

Well, now that's very nice. Well, I've
never had dinner with a celebrity before.

Oh, well, I did sit across from
Joe Namath once at Lindy's.

I don't think that counts.

Well, look who's here.

Hi, everybody. Hi, Grady.

Oh, Grady, dear.

Lean in here and
give an old lady a kiss.

Well, I hope you
enjoyed that, young fella,

because that's about as good
as it's going to get for you tonight.

Another fun-filled
dinner, eh, Nettie?

- Speak for yourself, Sandra.
- Cool it, Mother.

Uh, may I?

Oh, my goodness.

Oh, what an excellent wine list.

Gary, I insist, tonight the
wine is going to be on me.

Forget the wine list, Jessie.
You're missing the big picture.

Look at her. Look at her.

Her eyes haven't left this table since
Grady arrived with Miss Sis-boom-bah.

She knows we're
talking about her too.

Mark my words, Jessie. There's
gonna be fireworks tonight.

And I love it.

Sandra Clemens
is Grady's friend.

- You mean, Grady's friend as well.
- Cornelia, I hardly know her.

Is that why she's checked into this hotel
nine times since you and I were married?

How often Sandra Clemens
comes to New York is her business.

And frankly, I think you should be
grateful that she gives us so much of it.

I find myself strangely
lacking in gratitude...

when it comes to my
husband's mistresses.

Mistresses?

Cornelia, I was just trying to arrange
a simple reunion for two old friends,

and as usual, your imagination has
ruined a wonderful evening for all of us.

You know, if I read one
more paragraph tonight,

this manuscript is gonna
start looking like one big typo.

I'm gonna go to bed. What?

Don't you want to
play any gin rummy or...

Not tonight. Why
don't you go out?

Go out? It's pouring!

Well, you have two good
friends right here in the hotel.

You sure you don't
mind? Mind? I insist.

Okay.

Good night, Aunt Jess.
Good night, Grady.

And have a good time. Yeah.

Sandy?

Sandy?

Sandy?

Hello? Hello?

Operator. Operator.

It was very helpful of you to
call the police, Mr. Fletcher,

but I'm head of hotel security.

You should've notified me first.

I thought I did the right thing.

Well, we don't like to upset our
guests over little accidents like this.

Accident? You can't
be serious, Mr. Rice.

Oh, I'm a very serious
kind of guy, ma'am,

when it comes to
bodies in hotel rooms.

Excuse me, Aunt Jess.

What's goin' on? What
do ya mean, "What's

goin' on?" What were
you doin' in Sandy's room?

I saw you sneaking out of the living
room. You didn't tell the cops, did ya?

No, not yet. Oh, Cornelia
would kill me if she found out.

Aw, come on, Gary. Sandy's dead!
Now what were you doin' in there?

Oh, get serious, Grady.

Come on. You know
me better than that.

I came here to see how it
went between you guys tonight.

As soon as I started in, I
saw you bendin' over the body.

I figured I'd better go get help.
That must've been when you saw me.

Look, believe me, if
it wasn't for Cornelia,

I'd be talkin' to
the cops right now.

Oh, great. Pomp and
circumstance has arrived.

Uh, sorry they had to drag you
down here for this, Inspector Matheney.

No need to apologize.
Seems routine. With any luck, I

can get back to the ballet
in time for the Rose Adagio.

Excuse me, uh, Inspector.

I'm Jessica Fletcher, and
my nephew found the body.

How do you do, Mrs... Fletcher?

I'm Donald Matheney.
I don't see Mrs. Harper.

Oh, well, uh, we're
trying to locate her.

I see. Look, Rice, would
you tell her I dropped by?

I don't see that I'm
really needed here.

Uh, excuse me, uh, Inspector.

Mr. Rice has described the
young lady's death as an accident.

I'm sure he has. Mr. Rice has
an instinct for, uh, public relations.

But perhaps not for homicide.
May I show you something?

Yes, of course.

Rice.

She seems to have hit her
head on the dresser here.

- There's a bloodstain here,
of course, and one there.
- I don't get your point.

What did she trip over?
There's nothing in the room.

Maybe she had a fainting spell.

Possibly, but— Ma'am.

Ma'am, I think the inspector
would like to get back to the theater.

Oh, yes. Yes, of course, but I
would like to point out this pillow.

You see, it's crumpled and
stained with lipstick and makeup.

Maybe she had to lie
down. Maybe a fainting spell.

Yes, but if she laid
down on the bed,

then why is the rest of the bed
unrumpled and freshly turned down?

Inspector, if you
can't find Mrs. Harper,

I suggest you might like to talk
with the hotel manager, Mark Havlin.

I think I'll wait for Cornelia. At
least for a few more minutes.

But— Thank you for
your help, Mrs. Fletcher.

If there were foul play, I think I'd
like to speak to that nephew of yours.

Well, Grady has already spoken
with the police. Yes, I know.

But I'm more interested
in a... firsthand account.

My dear lady, he was
alone with the corpse.

He was intimately involved with
her. How intimately, I don't know... yet.

I'm sorry for having
gotten you out of bed,

Mr. Havlin, but your
phone was off the hook.

This is dreadful.

And it won't get any better with
Mr. Rice up there representing the hotel.

It certainly won't.

I'd been up for 24 hours before I
managed to snatch three hours sleep.

I'd appreciate it if
you didn't mention this

to Cornelia. She
thinks I'm indestructible.

Oh, I understand.

The sheikh arrives at
midnight with all 36 wives.

That means 37 bathrooms
and all on the same floor.

And now this... accident...
Death—whatever.

Night shift came on at 8:00. At least
all the beds have been turned down.

Shall we?

We should have the medical
report first thing tomorrow.

Keep yourself available,
Mr. Fletcher. Of course, sir.

He thinks I did it!

Hey, Grady, no matter what
happens, I'll be there for ya, buddy.

Well, at least the rain stopped.

Even Gary thinks
Matheney suspects me.

Grady, don't go sour
on the inspector yet.

He seems to be
pretty sour on me.

He thinks Sandra and I were
"intimately involved." Boy, that's a laugh.

The most exciting
thing that happened was

when I put the flowers
in the martini pitcher.

- Then she got this phone call.
- Phone call? From whom?

I don't know. She said
she'd call them back later.

I remember rummaging around for
something to write the number on.

And then she finally wrote it on some
envelope she took out of her purse.

Grady, I think that you should tell
the inspector about this phone call.

I mean, the number
might be important.

I did. He said no
envelope was found.

Aunt Jess,

do you think the killer took the envelope
'cause his phone number was on it?

I don't know what to think,

unlike Inspector Matheney who
seems to know exactly what to think,

mistaken as that might be.

Grady, did you tell me that Sandra
used to be a computer operator?

- Yeah, back in Fort Wayne.
- Well, that can't pay much.

I wonder how she can afford
to stay at the Montaigne.

Probably the same way I
am. Gary picked up the tab.

Mr. Havlin, I wanted to apologize
again for waking you up last night.

You were a pleasure compared
to the harem with jet lag.

Would you like a
seat? Thank you.

Actually, I wanted to talk to
you about Sandra Clemens.

Such a nice girl. Yes.

I just felt that I should do something,
and flowers just seem so inadequate.

And, well, I just thought
that if there was...

any difficulty in
covering her hotel bill,

I would be glad to handle it.

You can put away your
fishing pole, Mrs. Fletcher.

Sandra Clemens's finances—

Yes, that is a mystery I stopped
trying to fathom a long, long time ago,

after her first stay,
early last year, I believe.

Her first stay? Uh, yes. She's
been with us nine times since then.

Amazing what they must be paying
computer operators these days.

Yes. Amazing.

She always paid her bill by credit
card, and there's never been a problem.

The tantalizing question, of course, is,
uh, who's been paying the credit card bill?

Wait a minute. Wait a minute.
What's so complicated, Gary?

However it happened,
it's a stroke of luck.

Now you really can
divorce Cornelia.

Yes.

Call you back. Call
you back. Well, Jessie.

Come on in. Come on in. Forgive me,
Mrs. Harper, but your door was wide open.

Shall I? Please do.

Thank you. Sit down. All right.

And let your hair down and
call me Nettie. Oh, of course.

Oh, don't you just love
these hotel chocolates?

Of course, I have to steal
'em like everybody else.

Here, take a box. Oh, really.

Actually, Nettie, this
is a condolence call.

I'm quite sure that you were
hit very hard by Sandra's death.

Not a bit. Not a bit.

Gary and I barely knew the girl.

Well, hardly ever saw her
since the kids went to Purdue.

Oh, how odd.

I thought she had stayed here at
the Montaigne on a fairly regular basis.

Really? Oh, Gary must
have forgotten to mention it.

But you know
who I feel sorry for?

Grady. Tsk, tsk,
tsk. That poor boy.

A fool could see how
he felt about Sandra,

and then to find himself
mixed up in her death.

- He found the body. That's all.
- Oh, but of course.

Did I sound like I
implied otherwise?

How terrible of me.
Oh, no, no, no, no.

I'm sure he's going to get off.

I don't think they have a lick of real
proof that he was involved in any way.

Mmm. Oh, try one of
those dark ones on the end.

Brazil nuts and brandy.

Grady, old buddy, I gotta
tell you, I'm scared to death.

You, scared? Come on. I mean it.

I don't know what it is. Maybe
I'm gettin' old, losin' my nerve.

But you gotta help me.

If I can, sure, but...

The truth is... Sandy
and I... dated for a while.

You and Sandy? After
graduation. It didn't last long.

I— I gave her this bracelet.

Engraved. The whole bit.

Anyway, she brought it back to New
York to show me, for old times’ sake.

It's still in her room, Grady.

In her bathrobe pocket. Oh, boy.

If the cops catch me goin'
in there to get it, it's all over.

But you could get it.

Oh, no. Just tell 'em the truth.

What, and have
Cornelia all over my back?

I'm in enough trouble
with her already.

I mean, she gets jealous if
I just talk to another woman.

And this bracelet, I mean,
that— That would really ice it.

Gary, the room has been sealed.

Tape across the
door. No big deal.

Yeah, it's a big deal.
It's a police investigation!

Thanks a lot, buddy. You
don't remember who dragged

you out of that beer joint
when those three goons...

from Ohio State were
gonna turn you into a pretzel?

- Yeah, sure I do.
- I adopted you, pal. We were like this!

You for me, me for you.

Here's my master key. It
opens every room in the hotel.

You just slip in, slip out.

"To Sandra. Forever, G."

Oh, no.

Jessica! Uh, Jessica.

I just heard about Grady.
I-I can't believe it. Well, I can.

Surely you're not suggesting that Grady
broke into that room to conceal evidence.

Let's understand one
thing, Mrs. Harper.

A passkey was found
in Grady's possession.

A key that I very much suspect
belonged to your husband.

I doubt that.

I also very much suspect
that he was in that room...

to retrieve a bracelet
for your husband.

Grady sometimes has a
misplaced sense of loyalty.

Now, Mrs. Fletcher, that—
I also very much suspect...

that the bracelet in
question was given as a gift...

to Sandra by your husband
and not by my nephew.

Furthermore, it shouldn't
be too hard to prove that.

But I think you know that.

Yes.

I suppose I should be grateful to Grady
for bringing all this out into the open.

I've had Mark Havlin,
my manager, investigating

Sandra for weeks.
He found nothing.

I despised myself
for being jealous,

but the feeling
wouldn't go away.

I was sure there was
something between them.

The bracelet only confirmed it.

I'm sorry about
that, I really am.

But at the moment,
my first priority is to find

Inspector Matheney
and get Grady out of jail.

If you'll excuse me. If
it's Matheney you want,

I wouldn't waste my time
going to police headquarters.

Oh?

♪
No, no, you're absolutely right.

Oh, thank you. But even if
the exhibit is a trifle deficient...

Certainly not the best of Van
Gogh— at least it is Van Gogh.

Although there's
always the possibility of

forgery, given the
recent developments in...

Would you, uh, excuse
me for just a moment.

Mrs. Fletcher. I had no idea
you'd been invited to the opening.

Well, believe me, Lieutenant, with my
nephew in jail, I'm not here for pleasure.

Please, could we discuss this
some other time? Some other time?

When? Tomorrow, over brunch?

First, I'd like to know exactly
what he's been charged with.

My good woman, when a prime
suspect in a murder investigation...

is caught breaking into the murder
site to remove a piece of evidence,

it is a fair assumption
that he will be incarcerated.

You are assuming that Grady
gave that bracelet to Sandra.

But that G. could just as
easily have stood for Garrett,

for whom I suspect
Grady was doing a favor.

Someone with Garrett
Harper's money would

hardly spring for such
an inexpensive trinket.

Inspector, if you would spend more time
on this case and less time at art exhibits,

you would know that Gary
Harper didn't always have money.

You might also find time to
examine a few important leads...

which so far you appear
to have overlooked.

Oh, really? And what
might they be? Well, for

one, the envelope that
Grady told you about—

The one that Sandra wrote the telephone
number on and then put into her purse.

Have you bothered to
see if that has turned up?

- You do have a writer's imagination,
Mrs. Fletcher.
- Thank you.

I didn't quite mean that as a— I
know what you meant, Inspector.

And I didn't come here to pick
a quarrel. I'm only interested...

in getting these ridiculous charges
against my nephew dismissed.

I really appreciate all the trouble
you went to, Aunt Jess. Good.

Then maybe in gratitude you can
tell me why you did something so—so...

- Dumb?
- Good word.

A friend was in
trouble. I helped him out.

And if he'd asked you
to rob a bank, I suppose

you'd have helped
him out with that too?

Of course not. But
he said his wife would

get jealous. He wanted
to spare her feelings.

Oh, Grady.

I thought I owed him that much.

I mean, considering
everything he's done for me.

But what exactly has
Gary done for you,

besides giving you a free
room in his wife's hotel?

Come on. That's not fair. He was very
supportive when we found Sandra's body.

He was with you when
you found Sandra's body?

Well, not with me, exactly. He
was sort of in the other room.

- "Sort of in the other room"?
- After I found Sandra's body,
I heard this noise from the living room.

And when I looked up, I saw
Gary run out the front door.

For pity's sake! And
you didn't tell the police?

No.

He said he came in
after I did, and when he

saw Sandra lying there,
he ran off to get help.

And you believed that? Yes!

I did at the time,
but— Look— No!

You look, Grady.
Take a good, hard look.

Now, it is one thing to
be loyal to an old friend,

but it's quite another thing
to let that loyal friend use you.

No, you got him all
wrong. Look, Grady.

There's a real possibility
that Gary Harper is the killer.

Oh, come on. That's crazy.

Don't tell me that it
hasn't entered your mind.

I mean, you're much too smart
to accept that man at face value,

especially the face
that I've been seeing.

I'm gonna go take a walk
or something. I'll see ya later.

Grady! You have
to go to the police.

I'll be back in a while.

Yes? Oh, yes, Inspector.

What?

Oh, yes. Yes,
I'll be right there.

I thought you might be interested in these
deposits in the Clemens girl's bankbook.

Twenty to $25,000
each. Over a dozen of 'em.

Now where does a girl who works as a
computer processor get that kind of money?

Well, could be a lot
of things, but the one

that jumps to mind,
of course, is blackmail.

Yes, I know. But who? And why?

Inspector, how long would
it take to get a printout...

of all the dates that Sandra
stayed at the Montaigne Plaza?

I ordered one up yesterday. I, uh,
think it was sent over this morning.

Yes, yes. Here it is.

Hmm. Just as I thought.

The deposits and the
check-in dates match exactly.

All right. The lady came to
town periodically for her payoff.

That still doesn't tell us who
was giving her the money.

Doesn't it seem strange to
you that her visits started...

shortly after Gary Harper
married Cornelia Montaigne?

I suppose you're right.

Suppose Harper was being
bled by his ex-girlfriend.

The lady's dead
and I hardly think the

victim is going to tell
us what was going on.

Maybe we don't have
to get it from the victim.

Well, I'm sorry. I can't
chat right now, Jessica.

I'm late for a hair appointment.

Well, I don't know where Gary
is, if that's who you're looking for.

Actually, I wanted to
talk with you, Nettie.

I was curious about a conversation you
had with Gary on the telephone earlier.

You said, "Now you really can
divorce Cornelia." Remember?

That conversation was meant
for Gary's ears, not yours.

Well, if I'm wrong,
I apologize, Nettie,

but everything seems to
point in the same direction.

If there was a time when Cornelia
and Gary couldn't get a divorce,

maybe it was because
they weren't legally married.

Oh, don't be
ridiculous. I was there.

I gave them six place settings.

But the marriage
would hardly be valid...

if he were already
married to somebody else.

It would be easy to prove.

Do you know how
much anguish and cash...

that secret has cost
over the past years?

So Sandra was
your daughter-in-law.

Gary was foolish. So foolish.

And that little tramp...

carried that marriage
license in her purse...

and waved it
under Gary's nose...

until the day she died.

♪

They were married,
Gary and Sandy?

I'm sorry, Grady.

As soon as Gary gets here,
I'm gonna get the truth out of him.

What makes you think that
he's gonna level with you now?

The only reason that
Nettie blurted out the truth...

was because she thought
that with the first wife

dead, the second marriage
would become valid.

That doesn't make any sense. I know
it doesn't. But Nettie thought that it did.

That's why she was pushing for
Gary to go for a settlement now...

before Cornelia found out that
her own marriage was invalid.

You mean, Gary was paying
Sandy blackmail money?

Oh, boy. You think you
really know somebody.

But you know, that doesn't
mean that Gary killed her.

Grady— No, no, no, no, no.

If Nettie thought that
killing Sandy would

guarantee a profitable
divorce from Cornelia...

That sure sounds
like a motive to me.

Well, we'll never find
out just sitting here.

Gary's already an hour late.

Uh, listen, Aunt Jess, about
before, uh, up in the room,

I'm sorry.

I—I just shot off
my mouth and I...

Look, Grady, the day that you and I
can't have a good old-fashioned argument,

I'm gonna start wondering
where I went wrong.

Right.

I remembered...

you always come up here
when you wanna think things over.

No. Just when I
wanna be by myself.

Cornelia, I swear to you,

Sandra and I were
finished years ago.

She didn't mean anything to me.

Cornelia? Leave
me alone, Garrett.

Or better still, just leave.

Spare me having
to throw you out.

Look, try to see
it from my side.

I—I wanted to tell you about
Sandra, but I was afraid...

Afraid of hurting
you, of losing you.

Why do you think I let her
blackmail me all this time?

Careful, Garrett. That sounds
very much like a motive for murder.

What of it? I didn't kill her.

Darling, don’t you
see what this means?

Now we have a chance
for a real life together.

No secrets, no doubts.

And I do love you,
Cornelia, very much.

No, Garrett.

It's my money you
love very much.

That's the only thing about
which I have no doubts.

Let go of me. You're
blind, Cornelia.

You're so consumed by
jealousy you can't see the truth.

Maybe I should walk away,
but I can't. I love you too much.

You're hurting me.

You know what the trouble
is? You can't walk away...

from the money, the power.

Just give it up, Cornelia.

Let's go away to some little place upstate
away from all this, just the two of us,

and the hell with
the rest of the world.

Rice, I need to talk to you.

Yeah? About what?

I need you to do
something for me.

Come on, Harper. You're on your way out
the front door. Your wife's got you pegged.

Oh, no, no, no. We just had a long talk
on the roof, and everything's smoothed out.

Look, Havlin's the one
that's goin' out the door,

and the only one that's
gonna run this place is me.

Yeah, well, you're
forgettin' something.

There's a murder charge coming
down with your name tag on it.

Well, that's where you're
gonna help me, Herman.

See, there's 5,000
in this envelope...

if you could manage to
remember something that

might put the spotlight
on Grady Fletcher.

Fletcher? What makes
you think you can frame him?

Aw, come on. Think
of the evidence...

Finding the body, goin'
back to get that bracelet.

Easy money.

And a raise too?

Sure, Mr. Harper.

No problem.

I'll jog my memory.
See what I come up with.

Grady.

This belongs to you.

Grady, wait a minute. You didn't think I
was serious about all that stuff, did ya?

Grady, it was a trap. I was just
seein' how far Rice would go.

You know somethin',
Gary? You're good.

Ten, maybe 1 1 years,
and I never saw it.

I guess maybe
I'm not too bright.

But the funny thing is,
there was a time when

I probably would've
taken the rap for you.

But like I said,

I guess maybe
I'm not too bright.

A 20-foot jumper. And it's good!

Well, I don't know about
you, but I am starved.

Let's go.

Aw, gee, I don't...

Oh, come on, come on. We've got a
reservation in 45 minutes for dinner.

I think we should walk.
The exercise will do us good.

But don't you dare bring
that long face with you.

Aunt Jess, have I ever
told you you are my

absolute most favorite
person in the whole world?

Yes, but not often enough.

Oh, I'm sorry. I can come
back later to turn down the beds.

No, that's not necessary.
We were just leaving.

Grady, we have a
stop to make first.

I know how busy you are,
Mr. Havlin, and I'm sorry to interrupt,

but I've just come from
Cornelia's office. What now?

Apparently, she's got it into her head
that both you and Gary contrived...

to bring Sandra Clemens
into the hotel. Gary and I?

Well, yes, according to Gary.

How typical of Gary to implicate
someone else in his dirty work.

He also said that, uh, you
were chiefly responsible...

for, uh, rekindling
their college romance.

Did I? Well, that is too
much, even for Gary.

Well, he also said— I can
imagine, Mrs. Fletcher.

Did he also happen to
tell her he and Sandra

had been married
for the past few years?

Married? Oh, no.

Sandra was Gary's
mistress, not his wife.

Wrong, Mrs. Fletcher.
They were married.

On June 20, I recall.

Fort Wayne, Indiana.
Oh, but that's ridiculous.

My good woman, Cornelia had me
checking out Sandra's past for weeks.

I know what I'm talking about.
But why didn't you inform Cornelia?

Well, she is a very highly strung woman.
What point would there be in upsetting her?

No, I'm sorry.

I can't accept such a
bizarre notion without proof.

Would a copy of Gary and Sandra's
marriage certificate satisfy you?

Oh, my goodness.

You are serious. This
isn't a joke. It came in the

mail this morning from the
Fort Wayne Hall of Records.

Cornelia and I haven't
been able to see each other

today. That's why I
haven't told her about it.

I see. The certificate is
legitimate, Mrs. Fletcher.

I assure you. Oh,
I'm quite sure that it is.

But it didn't come in the
mail this morning, Mr. Havlin.

The fact is, you
took it from Sandra

Clemens' purse the
night that you killed her.

I see. First, I am a home wrecker,
and now I am a murderer. Incredible.

Grady saw Sandra scribble a
telephone number on this envelope...

a few hours before
she was killed.

Gary's mother told me that Sandra kept
the license in her purse at all times...

to hold over his head if he failed
to meet her blackmail demands.

Grady?

That's the envelope,
Aunt Jess. I'm sure of it.

The only reason you
didn't destroy the certificate

was because you wanted
to blackmail Gary yourself.

That is why you killed Sandra,
isn't it? This is preposterous.

The night she was killed, you claimed
you'd been asleep in your room for hours.

You even went to the trouble of
leaving your phone off the hook...

so someone would have to come to
your room and see that you'd been sleeping.

You said you’d been asleep for
three hours, but your clock read 10:30.

If you had been asleep since 7:30,
the night maid who came in at 8:00...

would never have come
into the room to turn down

the bed and leave a
chocolate and a fresh flower.

It shouldn't be too difficult to learn
which maid prepared your bed that evening.

Every time... I asked
Cornelia for a raise,

she turned me down.

Then when I found out about this marriage,
I was going to tell her all about it.

I let her know everything
that happens here.

Then I thought,
"Don't be a fool.

"This is your ticket.

Your golden goose, Mark."

When Sandra started
coming to this hotel...

I saw her change...

from a hick
computer processor...

into a very expensively
pulled-together lady.

It wasn't hard to guess where
the money was coming from.

I went to her room that
night with a very fair offer...

that she split Gary's
payments with me 50-50.

She laughed in my face.

We argued. I hit her hard.

She accidently knocked her head
against the dresser and collapsed.

She was barely
conscious, and I thought,

"Why not finish her
off and have it all?"

If she hadn't picked up that phone
call, it would have been perfect.

Feeling okay? Great, but I'll feel
even better once I get out of this place.

- Hi. Fletcher. 4540, checking out.
- Okay.

Oh, speaking of numbers,
did you ever find out

what number Sandy wrote
down on that envelope?

Yes. It was her
periodontist's office.

They were calling to reschedule
an appointment with her. Jessica!

Oh, good morning. Good morning.

Good morning! I do hope
that you've had a pleasant stay.

Well, uh, yes.

Garrett and I had a
long, hard talk last night,

and, well, we've
straightened things out.

I've come to realize I've
been a foolish woman,

and, well, we're gonna
give it another try.

Well, I can't imagine two people
more ideally suited to each other.

Hey, pal, now that
Havlin's confessed,

how'd you like to
be my best man?

- Aw, gee, I'd really like to,
but I'm gonna be busy that day.
- Well, I haven't told you the day.

I know.

- Mr. Fletcher, your bill.
- Uh, I'll take care of that, Nancy.

No, no, thanks. I can
handle this myself.

Twenty-five hundred dollars? For two
nights and a lousy meal at a restaurant?

I'm terribly sorry, Mr. Fletcher.
There's been a mistake.

Thank you.

They forgot to add your
restaurant charge. Excuse me.