Murder, She Wrote (1984–1996): Season 4, Episode 5 - The Way to Dusty Death - full transcript
A tyrant's demise puts Jessica on the trail of several of his betrayed executives.
There's a house
full of people, Ginny.
Exactly. Exactly. A
house full of suspects.
Tonight on Murder, She Wrote.
- Do you have any real reason
to believe that Duncan was murdered?
- It's just a feeling I have.
Jessica must have
seen the brandy glass.
Lady, we are not electing
the mayor of Fruitville, Ohio.
- In my zealousness to
save this company— - What's
that supposed to mean,
that I don't want to save it?
The rumors of my imminent resignation
have been greatly exaggerated.
I'm calling from my
new office. We did it.
There are times
when the forces of life...
combine to create a power...
where all things are possible,
where a strong man can act
with speed and decisiveness.
For the timid, a
moment never realized.
For the bold,
a moment that can catapult
him to undreamed-of plateaus...
of personal wealth and power.
Your will is extremely
powerful, Mr. McCormack.
It shall overpower those
with whom you compete.
And I can tell you...
that will be soon— very soon.
However, there is something...
of which you must beware.
Or rather... someone.
A woman. A very
determined woman...
whose will is even more powerful
than yours, Mr. McCormack.
Oh. Do you want
your check tonight?
No need. My
secretary will bill you.
Mr. Paddock. Huh?
My watch.
Good night.
Ooh! You know what
this means, don't you?
Mr. Barnett is going to
appoint you chairman!
Ginny, the guy has read too many
Shirley MacLaine books, and so have you.
Have I? Have I?
Yes. I'm not so sure
that D.B.'s ready to retire.
Hello.
D.B. Wh...
Virginia and I were just,
uh— Just talking about you.
This weekend?
Yes. Of course, we're free.
Be delighted to, sir.
Looking forward to it.
We are invited for a
weekend at the estate.
Says that he's planning
some sort of an announcement.
And I wonder what that might be.
Ginny, don't jump
to conclusions.
Darling, I haven't got
a doubt in the world.
The only thing that
I'm not sure about is...
just who is this determined
woman with the powerful will?
Got some lovely ageratum there.
Look at those
beautiful begonias.
Oh, and there's a good
old-fashioned weed.
And yesterday, I
want you to know,
I took special
care to water that.
OH, Jessica. I can't find a
gardener worthy of the name.
If you ever get tired of
being a world-famous author...
Oh, no, no, no. I've spent ages
getting my own garden tamed.
I wouldn't have the heart
to begin all over again.
Nothing intimidates
you, Jessica.
Which is, I suppose, the reason I
asked you to join our board of directors.
Ah. And the fact
that your name...
looks good on the company letterhead
never entered my husband's mind.
I got the impression at
our last board meeting...
that perhaps I spoke my
mind a little bit too much. Nah.
You know, I still have no idea why
you've invited us all here this weekend.
But fair warning, Duncan. I don't intend to
let you off the hook with the paper mill.
What paper mill? OH,
Jessica’s pet project.
A large mill near her hometown.
The one you're thinking
of closing down and
throwing a lot of my
neighbors out of work.
Duncan, I brought with me
some new facts and figures...
Tell you what. Let's
negotiate it at dinner.
I love nothing better
than a good argument...
Except winning.
When are you gonna take
me to Oregon, Sprucey, huh?
Soon as I get it all bought up.
Mr. Osborne.
We've been expecting
you. And Miss, uh...
Serena. Just Serena. Only
one name like Ann-Margret.
So nice to meet
you, Miss Barnett.
Just goes to prove there's always a
handsome woman behind the throne.
May I present Jessica Fletcher?
Pleasure, Miss Fletcher.
We've already met, Mr. Osborne.
Hmm. Through the mails.
You sent me a very generous
offer for my Barnett stock.
Well, if I was so generous,
ma'am, why didn’t you humor me?
The loo? Where is
it? I forgot my mirror.
There's a powder room
through there. Thanks.
James, would you please show
Mr. Osborne to the Pierpont suite?
My husband especially
wanted you to have it.
It adjoins his own suite.
Ladies.
Duncan isn't planning to sell
out to Spruce Osborne, is he?
Never. Why? Well, I don't know.
This sudden gathering of the board
and his conspicuous hospitality...
to a man who's been trying
to take over his company.
I gave up trying to read
Duncan's mind years ago.
Better luck next time, Osborne.
Luck was not a factor,
Barnett. You can outplay me.
At least on the tennis court.
Enjoy the game, darling.
Which game is that, Kate?
D.B. didn't gather his
minions just for the sport.
Or did he?
I think this skirt is too short.
Oh. I thought that was the idea.
Don't be catty, darling.
Anne has actually
been taking lessons.
Don't worry yourself,
Morgan. I know the drill.
Vice Presidents are expected to
look good, especially when they lose,
which, in my case,
will be no problem at all.
I can't keep up with
these modern women.
I don't think that modern
women are really...
all that different, you know?
Oh, I could never keep
up with Anne Hathaway.
Having a secretary would
just throw me into a tizzy...
and trying to figure out what
to wear to work every day.
Ginny McCormack
isn't a career woman.
Oh, now that's another story.
The silly posturing, the
pressure to perform, the scrutiny.
It's something we all
have to go through...
The price we pay to help
our husbands scale the ladder.
I guess I was lucky. My
husband Frank sold real estate,
and the only person he ever
tried to butter up was my mother.
And he wasn't very good at it.
You know, Jessica,
there's a rumor that, uh,
Global Oil is about to take over your
publishing house. Oh! I certainly hope not.
I'm just getting used to the furniture
company that bought it two years ago.
Jessica, you simply must have a
dessert. Our chef is famous for them.
Oh, I couldn't resist.
Two hours of dinner.
Hello.
And still no announcement.
I don't think he's gonna do it.
Trust me. The
evening's not over yet.
Excuse me.
Darling. Your
medication, darling.
Ah, yes. Josette,
no-salt seltzer, please.
No-salt seltzer?
Give the man some brandy.
My doctor allows me one
brandy before bed, and that's it.
You see, I plan to
be around a long time.
Did I hear a nervous
rustle, a momentary panic,
a loud crash of
fallen expectations?
I must admit this day
has been fascinating,
watching you all scurry about,
wondering, "What's he want?
Why am I here?"
And of course, the
biggest question of all—
"Why in God's name did
he invite Spruce Osborne?"
Speaking only for
myself, of course,
these questions did
sort of, uh, pop to mind.
You thought you could pull a few
strings, push a couple of buttons,
and my company would
fall into your gunnysack...
like an apple off a tree.
Well, my friend, you
couldn't be more wrong.
Because Barnett Industries
is not available to you...
or anybody else at any price...
under any conditions.
As for the rest of you,
the rumors of my
imminent resignation...
have been greatly exaggerated.
I intend to be around
for many years to come,
in control, as always.
Should any of you
have a problem with that,
please, feel free to
bring it to my attention.
Enjoy the evening.
What we have here, my friends,
is the waste of a
good Saturday night.
But then again, maybe not.
Uh, D.B., I don't know
where you got that idea.
Tom and I never
dreamed you'd retire.
I have to be honest,
Mr. Barnett. I would have
no objection to my
husband being promoted...
anytime, anywhere. Ginny.
But after playing
tennis with you,
well, I realized that
Barnett Industries...
must remain in your
very capable hands.
Ah!
Who the hell does
he think he is?
He's the guy that
runs the game, Ginny.
My God. You act like you
don't even care that that...
That dinosaur refuses
to become extinct!
Even the dinosaurs died, Ginny.
Time's on our side.
The law of nature.
Maybe we should
give nature a little push.
Let's go to bed, Ginny.
Morgan. We're talking
about your future!
Our future. With him in control,
how are you going to get to the top?
He's only going to keep on
playing you like a little lapdog.
There are other companies. I
mean, you just don't— Starting over?
Morgan, is that what you want?
Besides, everybody thought he
was gonna die last year anyway.
He's living on
borrowed time as it is.
There's a house
full of people, Ginny.
Exactly. Exactly.
A house full of suspects.
Morgan, it doesn't even
have to look like murder.
His heart medication— It
could look like a heart attack.
No. No.
We can't.
You mean you can't.
Because you
haven't got the guts.
I just wanted to extend my
sympathies, Mrs. Barnett.
Duncan and I were adversaries,
but I wish it hadn't
had to be this way.
Had to be this way, Mr. Osborne?
I didn't mean that
the way it sounds.
Oh! Oh! I'm sorry, young
lady. I didn't mean to startle you.
Serena, Mr. Osborne,
this is Dr. Chatsworth.
How do you do? Doctor.
Well, we'll be
going back to town.
Early bird, that worm. You know.
Lydia, I think I can safely say
that Duncan suffered very little.
It seems as if it all
happened quite quickly.
His heart— An electrical shock.
But with his medical history he
could have had a heart attack...
and in struggling
to get out of the tub,
he could have accidently pulled
the television set in with him.
I'd better tell Lieutenant
Grayson. He's waiting downstairs.
- Uh, Dr. Chatsworth.
- Yes?
Just out of curiosity, could it
have been the other way around?
I mean, could the electrical shock
have caused the heart attack?
I suppose so. It is possible.
Excuse me.
OH, Jessica. I warned Duncan.
I told him it was dangerous
watching television in the tub like that.
I even gave him
a stand for the TV.
He used to perch it on the edge.
He wouldn't listen to me.
He wouldn't listen to anyone.
He wouldn't slow down.
His idea of—of relaxing...
was watching the stock
quotes before he went to bed.
That's one of the reasons I
moved to a—a separate room.
Lydia, would you
like a drop of brandy?
Strange. I thought I saw
a glass of brandy there.
Uh, Lydia.
Virginia and I can't tell
you how sorry we are.
If there's anything
that we can do...
I need to borrow
Jessica for a moment.
Business.
I, uh... I hate to
bring this up now,
but I've called an emergency
meeting of the board for tonight.
Tonight? Isn't that a
little hasty? Well, perhaps.
But there are some
decisions that have to be
made before the market
opens in the morning.
This, uh, tragedy is all that Spruce
Osborne needs to stage a takeover.
I have scheduled the meeting for
8:00 this evening in the boardroom.
We'll understand if you can't
make it. You're a very busy woman.
Oh, nonsense. Nonsense.
Well, it's going to be very boring—
Legal posture, fiduciary proceedings.
Of course you'll be choosing
a new chairman of the board.
- Uh, yes, of course. Yes.
- Then I think I should be there.
Don’t you? Ah.
I don't see why we had to
rush into this meeting, that's all.
The market responds
instantly to this sort of thing.
I am just serving the
stockholders' interest.
Are you implying
I'm not? Jessica.
Mrs. Fletcher, good of you to
come. So glad that you could make it.
Well, I'm not sure that I
can contribute very much.
Nonsense. It's people like
you who keep us honest.
Those of us who tend not to be.
God! I had to fly in from
Chicago. Can you believe it?
And tomorrow's the annual
board meeting of American Auto.
Or is it American Steel?
Well, anyway. I've got
a 2:00 a.m. flight back...
which— I'm not ecstatic about.
Except— Except it counts as,
uh... triple frequent flier miles.
All right. So, uh, what
the hell are we waiting for?
Well, uh, perhaps
it would be nice...
to start with a moment of
silence in Duncan's memory.
Lady, lady.
You must be quite
new at this, huh?
I'll tell you what. I'll, uh— I'll
steer you in the right direction.
Mr. Frubson, I don't believe
that you’ve met Jessica Fletcher.
Mrs. Fletcher, this
is Q.L. Frubson,
the former assistant
secretary of the treasury.
Oh, of course! Now I remember.
You were on television
quite a bit last year.
Hey, my boss was the
one who got indicted.
I resigned without a
blemish on my record.
And since that point in time, I have
served on the boards of 19 corporations,
and my integrity has never
been called to question...
Especially here at,
uhh, Barnett Industries.
I would like to put Mrs.
Fletcher's suggestion into a motion.
Listen, there is nothing in rules
of order about moments of silence.
And Barnett himself never
would have observed one.
So can we please cut the crap?
Excuse me.
Perhaps I could give you a hand?
I suppose this isn't
very professional of me.
Oh, I think everyone
understands how you feel, Nicole.
After all, you were Duncan's
secretary for many years.
Twenty-two years, four
months and one day.
I know that you were
very, very important to him.
I kept track of everything from
his wife's birthday to his digitalis.
Digitalis.
Oh, that was after the
bypass surgery, I suppose.
I had to remind him to take it
every morning with his decaf.
He must have hated
being dependent on it.
Nicole, do you know if he
also took a dose after dinner?
Of course. Twice a day.
Would you mind if I
made a phone call?
Go ahead. And thank you. Mm-hmm.
You don't think that somebody
gave him an overdone?
Well, to be perfectly frank,
I don't know what to think.
I mean, all of his guests saw
him take his pill after dinner.
And he did have a heart attack.
And whatever the cause, a few of them
are getting ready to divide up the spoils.
Is there any way that
we could determine...
if there was an
overdose of digitalis?
Well, there is a test, but it
has to be executed very quickly.
I'll call the
authorities right now.
All right. Well, it'd appear to be
that the first order of business...
is the election of a new
chairman of the board.
E-Excuse me.
Uh, this is something that probably all of
you know, but, uh, how do we decide that?
I mean, do we hear
candidates ‘positions—
Uh, lady, we're not electing
the mayor of Fruitville, Ohio.
No bake sales. No baby kissing.
We just vote.
- Nicole, can we
get on with this?
- Mr. McCormack.
I vote for myself.
Mr. Dutton.
Tom Dutton.
- Miss Hathaway.
- Abstain.
- Mr. Berger.
- Tom Dutton.
Mr. Ventura. Morgan McCormack.
Uh, Mr. Frubson.
I cast my vote for...
Anne Hathaway.
Mrs. Fletcher.
- Mrs. Fletcher,
we need your vote.
- Uh,
well, I, um...
Well, as I said, I just don't
know what to base this on.
- Is that an abstention then?
- Well, it's—it's just that I don't
want to make a cavalier decision...
about something
that is this important.
It's gonna be a
long night, boys.
I guess you know why I
asked you out to dinner.
I believe it's called pitching?
Mrs. Fletcher,
the next occupant of this office is
gonna have an awesome responsibility.
That responsibility belongs to
someone who cares about this company,
not some hotshot who'll
just parlay it into his next job.
You were here quite a while when
Duncan brought Morgan in, weren't you?
Since I was 17.
That's why I'm the
right man for the job.
I've been everything from
mail boy to factory foreman.
You must have been
quite disappointed...
when Duncan announced
that he wasn't going to leave.
Duncan as good as promised
me I'd take over someday.
And I think we
should honor that.
Believe me, Mrs. Fletcher. I only
want what's best for this company.
Well, that seems to be what
everybody says that they want.
I know perfectly well why
you threw your support to her,
and I'm not gonna let
you get away with it.
I've got to change my plane
reservation... to next month.
Anne, I...
I didn't mean to imply that
you don't have sufficient skill.
I was just being realistic about the
market's perception of a chairwoman.
Morgan, I understand.
Jessica, you, uh, you need
anything? A sandwich or...
Oh, thank you. I
already have one. But...
Oh, my goodness. I
left it in Duncan's office.
Don't worry, I told you.
Would you listen, Mr. Osborne?
I've got everything
under control here.
Yes— Uh— Uh, what do you mean,
there are no planes
until morning, huh?
Well...
I'll be damned if you’re gonna turn
Barnett Industries into another credit—
Is that kind of politicking
what you want from
the chairman of the
board of one of the...
Gentlemen, gentlemen, please!
Now look, as I understand
it, we are all here
to represent the
stockholders' interests.
And what do you know about
stockholders' interests, Mrs. Fletcher?
Uh, how many shares do you own?
Well, not many, Mr. Frubson.
I don't pretend to know how
these things are managed, but...
I mean, a man has died, and
all you seem interested in doing...
is making your own deals
and cutting each other's throats.
You're right, Mrs. Fletcher.
I owe you all an apology.
- In my zealousness to
save this company— - What's
that supposed to mean?
That I don't want to save it?
Morgan, Tom. You both
have so much to offer.
Can't you come to some
kind of compromise...
between the two of you?
Okay. All right.
Ready, Nicole?
I move that Morgan McCormack...
be appointed temporary
chairman for 90 days.
I second that,
and compliment Tom on
his loyalty to the company.
- I move that we
make that unanimous.
- All those in favor?
Aye.
Aye.
Aye. Aye.
Aye.
Aye.
Yes. Hello?
Morgan? What happened?
I'm calling... from
my new office.
That's right, baby.
We did it.
Lieutenant Grayson tells me
he's still awaiting
the results of the test.
And until then, they regard Duncan's
death to be from natural causes.
Mmm. You know, even
if there was an excessive
amount of digitalis
in Duncan's system,
he could have
taken it accidently.
- Well, perhaps, but— -
Jessica, do you have any
real reason to believe
that Duncan was murdered?
No. It's just a feeling I have.
Quite a few people who
stood to gain from his death...
have been acting,
well, a little strangely.
Morgan, I think you've made
some excellent choices. Thank you.
And this too, all right? Okay.
Oh, my goodness, Anne. You've
got your work cut out for you.
I'm just helping out the chief.
Thanks again for all your help last night.
Oh.
Jessica, what can I do for you?
Morgan, I know
that you're very busy.
But I was a little worried about what
you said to Mr. Frubson last night...
about why he voted for Anne.
Please, sit down. Thank you.
Well, I certainly don't
want you to worry, Jessica,
but I would rather not make any
direct accusations without proof.
Oh, you mean proof that he had
been working for Spruce Osborne?
Who told you that? Well, I've been
doing some checking up of my own.
Morgan, I hope you don't mind,
but as a member of the board,
I do feel that it's my duty to,
you know, find out about things.
And I think it's
very peculiar...
that Mr. Frubson has served on
four boards of four companies...
that were taken
over by Mr. Osborne.
Jessica, rest assured.
Getting Frubson off the board is gonna
be one of my first priorities as chairman.
Oh, forgive me. I'm confused.
I understood that your official
title was temporary chairman.
Morgan, I am very
concerned about the company.
I mean, what is gonna happen
if there's a murder investigation?
Murder? Well, I
mean, it is possible.
If I'm not mistaken, your guest room
was across from Duncan's bedroom?
You're certainly
not accusing me...
Oh, no, no, no, no. I...
I just wondered if you might
happen to have been aware
of any, um, well, suspicious
behavior during the night.
No.
Virginia and I were
asleep by, uh, 11:30.
Of course.
Oh, my. How charming.
For you to have her
photo on your desk...
and so quickly.
I agree with you,
Tom. Absolutely.
What are you gonna do about it?
I just think I'm of better use
to you if I keep my nose clean.
You can get those proxies signed.
I know you can. Oh, excuse me.
I was looking for Nicole.
We were just
looking for her too.
Well, I wanted to know how to
get in touch with Spruce Osborne.
Perhaps you could tell me.
Osborne. You're not...
thinking of selling your stock?
Oh, no. No, no, no.
He works out of his
townhouse on 63rd Street.
Oh, thank you. And don't worry.
I only want what is best for this
company, just like everybody else.
What I liked about this city place
is it puts me plunk in the middle...
of the people I work
for— The stockholders.
News people, all they see is the money
I make, but I help the little stockholder.
When I make money,
they make money.
Well, that sounds like a
good businesslike relationship.
I hope you haven't changed your
mind about selling your Barnett stock.
I'd hate to disappoint you.
Oh, you're not interested?
You seemed to want it so
badly a couple of weeks ago.
That was before
the big fella died.
Kinda took the sport out
of it. I—I withdrew my bid.
I hope it wasn't anything that
Mr. Frubson said last night.
Uh, what's the name?
Oh, I must be confused. I heard him
say the name Osborne on the phone.
But maybe there's an
airline named Osborne.
The minute I set eyes on you, I
knew you were a smart cookie.
Would you care for some
Oregon beer? It doesn't
taste very good, but,
well, reminds me of home.
No. No, thank you very much.
So Mr. Frubson
advised you to quit.
Please. Thank you.
You see, Frubson
called me back later.
He said he had been unable
to complete his mission.
So you withdrew
your takeover bid.
That must have been expensive.
I made my first million
in the lumber business,
and I made my second million knowing
when to get out of the lumber business.
I sold my Barnett stock this
morning before the news got out.
- I did okay.
- What about your little stockholders?
The ones you work for.
Well, that Barnett
stock gets low enough,
it's when I buy
back in the game.
Doesn't that mean that
you intend to continue...
having Mr. Frubson manipulate our board
and provide you with insider information?
Jessica, if you had
my kind of investment,
wouldn't you want someone
keeping an eye on it?
Nothing illegal about
what I've been doing.
Not unless you felt you
had to do something...
to clear the way for
your takeover bid.
If I would have wanted
to win, I would have won.
I think you gotta
look at who did.
You don't understand.
You weren't there.
Jessica knows!
Oh, how could she?
Remember Paddock's warning?
A woman. A woman with a
will more powerful than mine.
It’s Jessica!
You picked a great time
to start believing in portents.
She must have seen it.
Jessica must have seen the
brandy glass before I took it away.
What am I gonna do?
I can't imagine what's
holding up those test results.
Leon, do you know how many pills
were left in Duncan's current prescription?
No. But, uh, I
could find out. Why?
Well, if we subtract two pills
per day from the prescription...
and then compare them to the number of
pills that were left in Duncan's pillbox...
We'd know if he took an overdose
without waiting for the tests.
Yep. I'll phone my
office from inside.
Leon, you know, the
next morning I noticed...
the glass of brandy beside
Duncan's bed was gone.
Now, why would somebody go to the trouble
of removing it unless it was incriminating?
Leon, is it possible
to dissolve...
a digitalis pill in a
liquid, say, like brandy?
Well, you'd have to grind it
up first, but that's easy enough.
And it wouldn't discolor it.
That's a very persuasive
theory you have.
The only problem is, the brandy
was still in the glass when I saw it.
Yes, madam. A brandy snifter is
missing since the night Mr. Duncan...
Thank you very much, Josette. Why don't
you go help Marie with the refreshments?
Yes, ma'am. Jessica,
I don't understand.
Why is all this important? Well, we
don't know anything for certain, Lydia,
but there is a possibility that Duncan's
death was caused by something...
other than natural causes.
You mean somebody killed him?
Do you have any suspicions,
Lydia? Did you see or hear anything?
That Hathaway woman.
She was with Duncan that night?
No. But they spent a
lot of time together...
Too much for a
business associate.
More time than he spent
with Morgan or Tom?
No.
I suppose that was
my jealousy speaking.
But he was having an
affair with someone, Jessica.
I know that.
Excuse me, Lydia.
Jessica, four of Duncan's
digitalis pills are unaccounted for.
Would that be enough
to create a heart attack?
- More than enough.
- Then it was murder?
Oh! Oh, look at that
mess. I—I'm so sorry!
Don't worry about it.
Oh, Lydia,
I—I'm just so sorry! I
came to help you out, and...
And I appreciate
your being here.
Duncan murdered? That's sick!
Well, we don't
have any real proof,
so it's probably best if we just
keep it to ourselves for the time being.
Leon, I'd like to take a look at the hot
tub before we head off for the service.
If that's all right
with you, Lydia. Yes.
Jessica. Uh,
I didn't want to say this in front of
Lydia. I mean, it's probably nothing.
But promise you won't tell
Lydia if you don't have to.
Well, of course
not, Kate. What is it?
The night that Duncan died, I passed
by his door on my way to the kitchen...
I was gonna make some
nice, hot milk for Tom...
And I heard some voices
coming from Duncan's hot tub.
Voices? You mean Duncan
was in the tub with someone else?
That, uh, Serena person. You know,
the one who came with Mr. Osborne.
You can see why I
didn't want Lydia to know.
You know, it's possible that
Duncan did have a heart attack...
and in struggling
to get out of the tub,
he accidentally pulled the
television right into the water with him.
What’d you find?
Looks like a charm.
Hmm. Not quite
Duncan's taste, is it?
No.
But I have an idea
whose it might be.
Jessica, I wanted you to know as
soon as possible the test results.
Sorry for the delay, but we ran
the test twice just to make sure.
There was no digitalis
overdose in Duncan's system.
I talked to the coroner myself. In his
opinion, the cause of Duncan's death...
was accidental electrocution.
Leon, the light by my bed
dimmed briefly at 12:15.
Now, that could have
been caused by a power
surge when that
television fell into the tub.
Or was thrown in. All
right. That's possible.
But why is the time important?
Well, when I mentioned the possibility
of murder to Morgan yesterday,
he seemed very anxious
to establish an alibi.
He said that he and
Virginia were in bed by 11:30.
So how can that be incriminating?
Well, why be so specific about the time...
unless he knew that
the death occurred later?
No, Jessica. You have no proof
that there has been a murder...
or that Morgan had
anything to do with it.
I'm afraid I'm going to have to go
along with the coroner's assessment.
I'm very sorry.
Excuse me, Serena?
I thought you might be
up here. Looking for this?
I couldn't help but notice your
charm bracelet the day we met.
The day that Lydia showed you the loo
on the ground floor, if I'm not mistaken.
My ma always told me
not to wear loud jewelry.
The morning after Duncan died,
you seemed very anxious
to get into the bathroom.
Uh, yeah. Well, it must have
come off when I took my clothes off.
Don't you just hate
it when they do that?
I'm beginning to see.
It was Duncan who put
Mr. Osborne into the Pierpont suite...
so that you could use
the connecting door.
Oh, now, Mrs. Fletcher,
it's not what you're thinking.
Dunkey and I—We never did anything. That's
why I didn't want anyone to see my lion.
Well, if you didn't do anything, why did
you pretend that you didn't know Duncan?
Unless— Unless it
was Duncan's idea...
to involve you with Mr. Osborne.
Well, now. Why would
Dunkey want that?
Can I have my lion back?
Well, I'm afraid the
police will want to see it.
But don't worry.
I mean, if there were no
arrangement between you and Duncan,
well, there's no need to
worry about them finding this.
Okay. Okay. A
couple of weeks ago,
Duncan arranged for
me to meet Spruce.
So that you could keep him
informed of Mr. Osborne's activities?
And I did a real good job too.
Sprucey didn't guess a thing.
There's a possibility that
Duncan was murdered.
- Well, he was alive
when I left him.
- What time was that?
12:15. And you can ask
Spruce. He'll remember.
He woke up and we,
well, um—you know.
Yes. I think it's best if Lydia
doesn't find out about this.
No problem.
Excuse me, Morgan. Yes.
I wonder if we
could have a word.
Oh, sure, Jessica. You
come by my office anytime.
Perhaps we could find somewhere
private and discuss it now...
Over a glass of brandy.
Jessica, I really can't imagine what
you're getting at. I think you can, Morgan.
Only an imaginative
mind could have come up
with the idea of
creating a heart attack...
with Duncan's own digitalis.
Jessica? I do hope...
you're not accusing
my husband of murder.
Because if you are, I think you ought to
know that we have an excellent attorney...
whose—whose only unattractive quality
is his penchant for winning lawsuits.
Actually, Virginia, I was
referring to attempted murder.
Legally, the fact that you didn't
succeed is beside the point.
Oh. Quite right. But your accusation
could still be grounds for libel.
Only if I'm mistaken.
Must have come as
quite a shock that morning
to find the full brandy
glass still there,
knowing that it would indicate
at least incriminating intentions.
You got rid of it in the
confusion afterwards.
Jessica, if that were true,
then you would also know...
that there's no way
for you to prove it.
Maybe. But I can
talk with the police,
and they can question you and quite
possibly give you a lie detector test.
Really, Jessica. One can
refuse to take those, you know.
True. But by that time the cloud of
suspicion will probably force Morgan...
to step down as chairman,
which, I imagine, is the reason you
tried to kill Duncan in the first place.
Perhaps I should talk
to Lieutenant Grayson.
That won't be necessary.
Full marks, Jessica.
Except that Morgan
didn't stay long.
I had to do the
dirty work. Ginny!
We don't have to say anything.
You don't have to say anything!
You're innocent. Thanks to you,
it's my behind that's on the line.
She can't prove anything.
Now don't be stupid!
Stupid? You're the
one that's stupid!
You didn't have to remove that
glass. Anyone could have laced it.
That was the beauty
of my plan—my plan.
Now...
Now Mrs. Fletcher and I
are going to have a talk.
A talk which I will
deny to the grave.
And you, Morgan, are
going to go in there...
and charm those people
before they start to talk.
My psychic predicted
this, you know?
He did. He warned us, "Beware
a woman with a powerful will."
Course, I'm fairly
determined too.
Morgan was right though.
You can't prove any of this.
Well, right now I'm more interested
in proving who did kill Duncan.
Now you were in his bedroom.
Perhaps you saw or heard something?
I can't think of anything. No.
Maybe if you
reconstructed the events.
You took the pills
from Duncan's pocket.
Mm-hmm. And ground
them up into the brandy.
It was a good plan,
and I had ample time.
Yes. And it worked in your favor,
Duncan being a man of habit.
Stock quotes in the hot tub and a
glass of brandy before going to bed.
Exactly! It was
a brilliant plan.
Just that one tiny thing we hadn't
counted on, and it scared Morgan off.
I had to finish the job.
What was it that frightened him?
Oh, he heard a woman
in the tub with Mr. Barnett.
Oh, yes. Serena.
Well, perhaps. I—I
don't really know.
But you were in the bedroom. You
must have heard her. Well, I heard a voice.
It was impossible to identify it with
the water gushing and the door closed.
The door closed.
We're just about to wrap this up,
Mrs. Dutton. Thanks for helping out.
Well, of course.
I'm only too glad.
Kate, you said you were passing this door
right here when you heard Serena's voice.
- And that was
about— - Uh, midnight...
- Maybe a—a little after.
- Are you quite sure...
it was Serena's voice you heard?
Yes. I'm positive.
Go ahead.
Uh, the door was just a peep
open, but I told you that, didn't I?
Uh, about like this, ma'am?
It's just so foolish
of me. I meant...
I meant, I saw her. I saw
her leave Duncan's room.
I'm afraid not, Kate.
They had adjoining rooms.
Serena left by the
connecting door.
The only way that you could
have seen or heard her...
was if you had been
in Duncan's room,
hiding, waiting for
Serena to leave.
Lieutenant, I don't know
why Jessica's saying...
I mean, listen. You
can hear her, can't you?
That is obviously Serena.
Okay. You can come in now.
Anne.
Anne, oh my God! How could you?
You killed Mr.—
'Fraid not, Miss Dutton.
See, Miss Hathaway
has an airtight alibi.
Thanks. You two can go now.
You dropped a vase earlier today
when you heard us talking about murder.
Up until then, you must have
believed that you’d been successful...
in making it look
like an accident.
Suddenly there was a need
to incriminate somebody else.
And so you implicated
the one person...
you knew was in the bathroom
with Duncan besides yourself.
I... I didn't want to kill him.
Really, I didn't. I...
I just went to talk to him.
What he was doing was so unfair!
Tom played by Duncan's
rules his whole life.
And now his reward
was being taken away.
Well, God only knows how much
longer Duncan could have lasted.
Tom would have been too old to be
chairman if Duncan stayed on until...
Until he died?
I begged him to
give Tom a chance.
And all he did was ask me to adjust
the horizontal hold on my way out.
I'm not sorry I did it.
I'm not sorry at all.
He was a horrible man,
and he just used people!
He hired good men
and just used them up.
That being the case,
this meeting of the board
of directors of Barnett
Industries is adjourned.
Tom, what you just
did was admirable.
Can't have been easy
for you to nominate Anne.
There wasn't much choice
with Morgan's resignation.
And I'd just be a
liability at this point.
Frankly, I don't think I'll be
around much longer anyway.
Jessica, I want you to know that the paper
mill in Maine is gonna stay in business.
Your neighbors
will keep their jobs.
That's very public-spirited
of you. It isn't actually.
We just bought three magazines,
and my figures show that
if we can supply our own
paper, we're gonna save a bundle.
Well, it seems to me that this
company is in very good hands.
You have my word on it.
I'm a very determined woman.
full of people, Ginny.
Exactly. Exactly. A
house full of suspects.
Tonight on Murder, She Wrote.
- Do you have any real reason
to believe that Duncan was murdered?
- It's just a feeling I have.
Jessica must have
seen the brandy glass.
Lady, we are not electing
the mayor of Fruitville, Ohio.
- In my zealousness to
save this company— - What's
that supposed to mean,
that I don't want to save it?
The rumors of my imminent resignation
have been greatly exaggerated.
I'm calling from my
new office. We did it.
There are times
when the forces of life...
combine to create a power...
where all things are possible,
where a strong man can act
with speed and decisiveness.
For the timid, a
moment never realized.
For the bold,
a moment that can catapult
him to undreamed-of plateaus...
of personal wealth and power.
Your will is extremely
powerful, Mr. McCormack.
It shall overpower those
with whom you compete.
And I can tell you...
that will be soon— very soon.
However, there is something...
of which you must beware.
Or rather... someone.
A woman. A very
determined woman...
whose will is even more powerful
than yours, Mr. McCormack.
Oh. Do you want
your check tonight?
No need. My
secretary will bill you.
Mr. Paddock. Huh?
My watch.
Good night.
Ooh! You know what
this means, don't you?
Mr. Barnett is going to
appoint you chairman!
Ginny, the guy has read too many
Shirley MacLaine books, and so have you.
Have I? Have I?
Yes. I'm not so sure
that D.B.'s ready to retire.
Hello.
D.B. Wh...
Virginia and I were just,
uh— Just talking about you.
This weekend?
Yes. Of course, we're free.
Be delighted to, sir.
Looking forward to it.
We are invited for a
weekend at the estate.
Says that he's planning
some sort of an announcement.
And I wonder what that might be.
Ginny, don't jump
to conclusions.
Darling, I haven't got
a doubt in the world.
The only thing that
I'm not sure about is...
just who is this determined
woman with the powerful will?
Got some lovely ageratum there.
Look at those
beautiful begonias.
Oh, and there's a good
old-fashioned weed.
And yesterday, I
want you to know,
I took special
care to water that.
OH, Jessica. I can't find a
gardener worthy of the name.
If you ever get tired of
being a world-famous author...
Oh, no, no, no. I've spent ages
getting my own garden tamed.
I wouldn't have the heart
to begin all over again.
Nothing intimidates
you, Jessica.
Which is, I suppose, the reason I
asked you to join our board of directors.
Ah. And the fact
that your name...
looks good on the company letterhead
never entered my husband's mind.
I got the impression at
our last board meeting...
that perhaps I spoke my
mind a little bit too much. Nah.
You know, I still have no idea why
you've invited us all here this weekend.
But fair warning, Duncan. I don't intend to
let you off the hook with the paper mill.
What paper mill? OH,
Jessica’s pet project.
A large mill near her hometown.
The one you're thinking
of closing down and
throwing a lot of my
neighbors out of work.
Duncan, I brought with me
some new facts and figures...
Tell you what. Let's
negotiate it at dinner.
I love nothing better
than a good argument...
Except winning.
When are you gonna take
me to Oregon, Sprucey, huh?
Soon as I get it all bought up.
Mr. Osborne.
We've been expecting
you. And Miss, uh...
Serena. Just Serena. Only
one name like Ann-Margret.
So nice to meet
you, Miss Barnett.
Just goes to prove there's always a
handsome woman behind the throne.
May I present Jessica Fletcher?
Pleasure, Miss Fletcher.
We've already met, Mr. Osborne.
Hmm. Through the mails.
You sent me a very generous
offer for my Barnett stock.
Well, if I was so generous,
ma'am, why didn’t you humor me?
The loo? Where is
it? I forgot my mirror.
There's a powder room
through there. Thanks.
James, would you please show
Mr. Osborne to the Pierpont suite?
My husband especially
wanted you to have it.
It adjoins his own suite.
Ladies.
Duncan isn't planning to sell
out to Spruce Osborne, is he?
Never. Why? Well, I don't know.
This sudden gathering of the board
and his conspicuous hospitality...
to a man who's been trying
to take over his company.
I gave up trying to read
Duncan's mind years ago.
Better luck next time, Osborne.
Luck was not a factor,
Barnett. You can outplay me.
At least on the tennis court.
Enjoy the game, darling.
Which game is that, Kate?
D.B. didn't gather his
minions just for the sport.
Or did he?
I think this skirt is too short.
Oh. I thought that was the idea.
Don't be catty, darling.
Anne has actually
been taking lessons.
Don't worry yourself,
Morgan. I know the drill.
Vice Presidents are expected to
look good, especially when they lose,
which, in my case,
will be no problem at all.
I can't keep up with
these modern women.
I don't think that modern
women are really...
all that different, you know?
Oh, I could never keep
up with Anne Hathaway.
Having a secretary would
just throw me into a tizzy...
and trying to figure out what
to wear to work every day.
Ginny McCormack
isn't a career woman.
Oh, now that's another story.
The silly posturing, the
pressure to perform, the scrutiny.
It's something we all
have to go through...
The price we pay to help
our husbands scale the ladder.
I guess I was lucky. My
husband Frank sold real estate,
and the only person he ever
tried to butter up was my mother.
And he wasn't very good at it.
You know, Jessica,
there's a rumor that, uh,
Global Oil is about to take over your
publishing house. Oh! I certainly hope not.
I'm just getting used to the furniture
company that bought it two years ago.
Jessica, you simply must have a
dessert. Our chef is famous for them.
Oh, I couldn't resist.
Two hours of dinner.
Hello.
And still no announcement.
I don't think he's gonna do it.
Trust me. The
evening's not over yet.
Excuse me.
Darling. Your
medication, darling.
Ah, yes. Josette,
no-salt seltzer, please.
No-salt seltzer?
Give the man some brandy.
My doctor allows me one
brandy before bed, and that's it.
You see, I plan to
be around a long time.
Did I hear a nervous
rustle, a momentary panic,
a loud crash of
fallen expectations?
I must admit this day
has been fascinating,
watching you all scurry about,
wondering, "What's he want?
Why am I here?"
And of course, the
biggest question of all—
"Why in God's name did
he invite Spruce Osborne?"
Speaking only for
myself, of course,
these questions did
sort of, uh, pop to mind.
You thought you could pull a few
strings, push a couple of buttons,
and my company would
fall into your gunnysack...
like an apple off a tree.
Well, my friend, you
couldn't be more wrong.
Because Barnett Industries
is not available to you...
or anybody else at any price...
under any conditions.
As for the rest of you,
the rumors of my
imminent resignation...
have been greatly exaggerated.
I intend to be around
for many years to come,
in control, as always.
Should any of you
have a problem with that,
please, feel free to
bring it to my attention.
Enjoy the evening.
What we have here, my friends,
is the waste of a
good Saturday night.
But then again, maybe not.
Uh, D.B., I don't know
where you got that idea.
Tom and I never
dreamed you'd retire.
I have to be honest,
Mr. Barnett. I would have
no objection to my
husband being promoted...
anytime, anywhere. Ginny.
But after playing
tennis with you,
well, I realized that
Barnett Industries...
must remain in your
very capable hands.
Ah!
Who the hell does
he think he is?
He's the guy that
runs the game, Ginny.
My God. You act like you
don't even care that that...
That dinosaur refuses
to become extinct!
Even the dinosaurs died, Ginny.
Time's on our side.
The law of nature.
Maybe we should
give nature a little push.
Let's go to bed, Ginny.
Morgan. We're talking
about your future!
Our future. With him in control,
how are you going to get to the top?
He's only going to keep on
playing you like a little lapdog.
There are other companies. I
mean, you just don't— Starting over?
Morgan, is that what you want?
Besides, everybody thought he
was gonna die last year anyway.
He's living on
borrowed time as it is.
There's a house
full of people, Ginny.
Exactly. Exactly.
A house full of suspects.
Morgan, it doesn't even
have to look like murder.
His heart medication— It
could look like a heart attack.
No. No.
We can't.
You mean you can't.
Because you
haven't got the guts.
I just wanted to extend my
sympathies, Mrs. Barnett.
Duncan and I were adversaries,
but I wish it hadn't
had to be this way.
Had to be this way, Mr. Osborne?
I didn't mean that
the way it sounds.
Oh! Oh! I'm sorry, young
lady. I didn't mean to startle you.
Serena, Mr. Osborne,
this is Dr. Chatsworth.
How do you do? Doctor.
Well, we'll be
going back to town.
Early bird, that worm. You know.
Lydia, I think I can safely say
that Duncan suffered very little.
It seems as if it all
happened quite quickly.
His heart— An electrical shock.
But with his medical history he
could have had a heart attack...
and in struggling
to get out of the tub,
he could have accidently pulled
the television set in with him.
I'd better tell Lieutenant
Grayson. He's waiting downstairs.
- Uh, Dr. Chatsworth.
- Yes?
Just out of curiosity, could it
have been the other way around?
I mean, could the electrical shock
have caused the heart attack?
I suppose so. It is possible.
Excuse me.
OH, Jessica. I warned Duncan.
I told him it was dangerous
watching television in the tub like that.
I even gave him
a stand for the TV.
He used to perch it on the edge.
He wouldn't listen to me.
He wouldn't listen to anyone.
He wouldn't slow down.
His idea of—of relaxing...
was watching the stock
quotes before he went to bed.
That's one of the reasons I
moved to a—a separate room.
Lydia, would you
like a drop of brandy?
Strange. I thought I saw
a glass of brandy there.
Uh, Lydia.
Virginia and I can't tell
you how sorry we are.
If there's anything
that we can do...
I need to borrow
Jessica for a moment.
Business.
I, uh... I hate to
bring this up now,
but I've called an emergency
meeting of the board for tonight.
Tonight? Isn't that a
little hasty? Well, perhaps.
But there are some
decisions that have to be
made before the market
opens in the morning.
This, uh, tragedy is all that Spruce
Osborne needs to stage a takeover.
I have scheduled the meeting for
8:00 this evening in the boardroom.
We'll understand if you can't
make it. You're a very busy woman.
Oh, nonsense. Nonsense.
Well, it's going to be very boring—
Legal posture, fiduciary proceedings.
Of course you'll be choosing
a new chairman of the board.
- Uh, yes, of course. Yes.
- Then I think I should be there.
Don’t you? Ah.
I don't see why we had to
rush into this meeting, that's all.
The market responds
instantly to this sort of thing.
I am just serving the
stockholders' interest.
Are you implying
I'm not? Jessica.
Mrs. Fletcher, good of you to
come. So glad that you could make it.
Well, I'm not sure that I
can contribute very much.
Nonsense. It's people like
you who keep us honest.
Those of us who tend not to be.
God! I had to fly in from
Chicago. Can you believe it?
And tomorrow's the annual
board meeting of American Auto.
Or is it American Steel?
Well, anyway. I've got
a 2:00 a.m. flight back...
which— I'm not ecstatic about.
Except— Except it counts as,
uh... triple frequent flier miles.
All right. So, uh, what
the hell are we waiting for?
Well, uh, perhaps
it would be nice...
to start with a moment of
silence in Duncan's memory.
Lady, lady.
You must be quite
new at this, huh?
I'll tell you what. I'll, uh— I'll
steer you in the right direction.
Mr. Frubson, I don't believe
that you’ve met Jessica Fletcher.
Mrs. Fletcher, this
is Q.L. Frubson,
the former assistant
secretary of the treasury.
Oh, of course! Now I remember.
You were on television
quite a bit last year.
Hey, my boss was the
one who got indicted.
I resigned without a
blemish on my record.
And since that point in time, I have
served on the boards of 19 corporations,
and my integrity has never
been called to question...
Especially here at,
uhh, Barnett Industries.
I would like to put Mrs.
Fletcher's suggestion into a motion.
Listen, there is nothing in rules
of order about moments of silence.
And Barnett himself never
would have observed one.
So can we please cut the crap?
Excuse me.
Perhaps I could give you a hand?
I suppose this isn't
very professional of me.
Oh, I think everyone
understands how you feel, Nicole.
After all, you were Duncan's
secretary for many years.
Twenty-two years, four
months and one day.
I know that you were
very, very important to him.
I kept track of everything from
his wife's birthday to his digitalis.
Digitalis.
Oh, that was after the
bypass surgery, I suppose.
I had to remind him to take it
every morning with his decaf.
He must have hated
being dependent on it.
Nicole, do you know if he
also took a dose after dinner?
Of course. Twice a day.
Would you mind if I
made a phone call?
Go ahead. And thank you. Mm-hmm.
You don't think that somebody
gave him an overdone?
Well, to be perfectly frank,
I don't know what to think.
I mean, all of his guests saw
him take his pill after dinner.
And he did have a heart attack.
And whatever the cause, a few of them
are getting ready to divide up the spoils.
Is there any way that
we could determine...
if there was an
overdose of digitalis?
Well, there is a test, but it
has to be executed very quickly.
I'll call the
authorities right now.
All right. Well, it'd appear to be
that the first order of business...
is the election of a new
chairman of the board.
E-Excuse me.
Uh, this is something that probably all of
you know, but, uh, how do we decide that?
I mean, do we hear
candidates ‘positions—
Uh, lady, we're not electing
the mayor of Fruitville, Ohio.
No bake sales. No baby kissing.
We just vote.
- Nicole, can we
get on with this?
- Mr. McCormack.
I vote for myself.
Mr. Dutton.
Tom Dutton.
- Miss Hathaway.
- Abstain.
- Mr. Berger.
- Tom Dutton.
Mr. Ventura. Morgan McCormack.
Uh, Mr. Frubson.
I cast my vote for...
Anne Hathaway.
Mrs. Fletcher.
- Mrs. Fletcher,
we need your vote.
- Uh,
well, I, um...
Well, as I said, I just don't
know what to base this on.
- Is that an abstention then?
- Well, it's—it's just that I don't
want to make a cavalier decision...
about something
that is this important.
It's gonna be a
long night, boys.
I guess you know why I
asked you out to dinner.
I believe it's called pitching?
Mrs. Fletcher,
the next occupant of this office is
gonna have an awesome responsibility.
That responsibility belongs to
someone who cares about this company,
not some hotshot who'll
just parlay it into his next job.
You were here quite a while when
Duncan brought Morgan in, weren't you?
Since I was 17.
That's why I'm the
right man for the job.
I've been everything from
mail boy to factory foreman.
You must have been
quite disappointed...
when Duncan announced
that he wasn't going to leave.
Duncan as good as promised
me I'd take over someday.
And I think we
should honor that.
Believe me, Mrs. Fletcher. I only
want what's best for this company.
Well, that seems to be what
everybody says that they want.
I know perfectly well why
you threw your support to her,
and I'm not gonna let
you get away with it.
I've got to change my plane
reservation... to next month.
Anne, I...
I didn't mean to imply that
you don't have sufficient skill.
I was just being realistic about the
market's perception of a chairwoman.
Morgan, I understand.
Jessica, you, uh, you need
anything? A sandwich or...
Oh, thank you. I
already have one. But...
Oh, my goodness. I
left it in Duncan's office.
Don't worry, I told you.
Would you listen, Mr. Osborne?
I've got everything
under control here.
Yes— Uh— Uh, what do you mean,
there are no planes
until morning, huh?
Well...
I'll be damned if you’re gonna turn
Barnett Industries into another credit—
Is that kind of politicking
what you want from
the chairman of the
board of one of the...
Gentlemen, gentlemen, please!
Now look, as I understand
it, we are all here
to represent the
stockholders' interests.
And what do you know about
stockholders' interests, Mrs. Fletcher?
Uh, how many shares do you own?
Well, not many, Mr. Frubson.
I don't pretend to know how
these things are managed, but...
I mean, a man has died, and
all you seem interested in doing...
is making your own deals
and cutting each other's throats.
You're right, Mrs. Fletcher.
I owe you all an apology.
- In my zealousness to
save this company— - What's
that supposed to mean?
That I don't want to save it?
Morgan, Tom. You both
have so much to offer.
Can't you come to some
kind of compromise...
between the two of you?
Okay. All right.
Ready, Nicole?
I move that Morgan McCormack...
be appointed temporary
chairman for 90 days.
I second that,
and compliment Tom on
his loyalty to the company.
- I move that we
make that unanimous.
- All those in favor?
Aye.
Aye.
Aye. Aye.
Aye.
Aye.
Yes. Hello?
Morgan? What happened?
I'm calling... from
my new office.
That's right, baby.
We did it.
Lieutenant Grayson tells me
he's still awaiting
the results of the test.
And until then, they regard Duncan's
death to be from natural causes.
Mmm. You know, even
if there was an excessive
amount of digitalis
in Duncan's system,
he could have
taken it accidently.
- Well, perhaps, but— -
Jessica, do you have any
real reason to believe
that Duncan was murdered?
No. It's just a feeling I have.
Quite a few people who
stood to gain from his death...
have been acting,
well, a little strangely.
Morgan, I think you've made
some excellent choices. Thank you.
And this too, all right? Okay.
Oh, my goodness, Anne. You've
got your work cut out for you.
I'm just helping out the chief.
Thanks again for all your help last night.
Oh.
Jessica, what can I do for you?
Morgan, I know
that you're very busy.
But I was a little worried about what
you said to Mr. Frubson last night...
about why he voted for Anne.
Please, sit down. Thank you.
Well, I certainly don't
want you to worry, Jessica,
but I would rather not make any
direct accusations without proof.
Oh, you mean proof that he had
been working for Spruce Osborne?
Who told you that? Well, I've been
doing some checking up of my own.
Morgan, I hope you don't mind,
but as a member of the board,
I do feel that it's my duty to,
you know, find out about things.
And I think it's
very peculiar...
that Mr. Frubson has served on
four boards of four companies...
that were taken
over by Mr. Osborne.
Jessica, rest assured.
Getting Frubson off the board is gonna
be one of my first priorities as chairman.
Oh, forgive me. I'm confused.
I understood that your official
title was temporary chairman.
Morgan, I am very
concerned about the company.
I mean, what is gonna happen
if there's a murder investigation?
Murder? Well, I
mean, it is possible.
If I'm not mistaken, your guest room
was across from Duncan's bedroom?
You're certainly
not accusing me...
Oh, no, no, no, no. I...
I just wondered if you might
happen to have been aware
of any, um, well, suspicious
behavior during the night.
No.
Virginia and I were
asleep by, uh, 11:30.
Of course.
Oh, my. How charming.
For you to have her
photo on your desk...
and so quickly.
I agree with you,
Tom. Absolutely.
What are you gonna do about it?
I just think I'm of better use
to you if I keep my nose clean.
You can get those proxies signed.
I know you can. Oh, excuse me.
I was looking for Nicole.
We were just
looking for her too.
Well, I wanted to know how to
get in touch with Spruce Osborne.
Perhaps you could tell me.
Osborne. You're not...
thinking of selling your stock?
Oh, no. No, no, no.
He works out of his
townhouse on 63rd Street.
Oh, thank you. And don't worry.
I only want what is best for this
company, just like everybody else.
What I liked about this city place
is it puts me plunk in the middle...
of the people I work
for— The stockholders.
News people, all they see is the money
I make, but I help the little stockholder.
When I make money,
they make money.
Well, that sounds like a
good businesslike relationship.
I hope you haven't changed your
mind about selling your Barnett stock.
I'd hate to disappoint you.
Oh, you're not interested?
You seemed to want it so
badly a couple of weeks ago.
That was before
the big fella died.
Kinda took the sport out
of it. I—I withdrew my bid.
I hope it wasn't anything that
Mr. Frubson said last night.
Uh, what's the name?
Oh, I must be confused. I heard him
say the name Osborne on the phone.
But maybe there's an
airline named Osborne.
The minute I set eyes on you, I
knew you were a smart cookie.
Would you care for some
Oregon beer? It doesn't
taste very good, but,
well, reminds me of home.
No. No, thank you very much.
So Mr. Frubson
advised you to quit.
Please. Thank you.
You see, Frubson
called me back later.
He said he had been unable
to complete his mission.
So you withdrew
your takeover bid.
That must have been expensive.
I made my first million
in the lumber business,
and I made my second million knowing
when to get out of the lumber business.
I sold my Barnett stock this
morning before the news got out.
- I did okay.
- What about your little stockholders?
The ones you work for.
Well, that Barnett
stock gets low enough,
it's when I buy
back in the game.
Doesn't that mean that
you intend to continue...
having Mr. Frubson manipulate our board
and provide you with insider information?
Jessica, if you had
my kind of investment,
wouldn't you want someone
keeping an eye on it?
Nothing illegal about
what I've been doing.
Not unless you felt you
had to do something...
to clear the way for
your takeover bid.
If I would have wanted
to win, I would have won.
I think you gotta
look at who did.
You don't understand.
You weren't there.
Jessica knows!
Oh, how could she?
Remember Paddock's warning?
A woman. A woman with a
will more powerful than mine.
It’s Jessica!
You picked a great time
to start believing in portents.
She must have seen it.
Jessica must have seen the
brandy glass before I took it away.
What am I gonna do?
I can't imagine what's
holding up those test results.
Leon, do you know how many pills
were left in Duncan's current prescription?
No. But, uh, I
could find out. Why?
Well, if we subtract two pills
per day from the prescription...
and then compare them to the number of
pills that were left in Duncan's pillbox...
We'd know if he took an overdose
without waiting for the tests.
Yep. I'll phone my
office from inside.
Leon, you know, the
next morning I noticed...
the glass of brandy beside
Duncan's bed was gone.
Now, why would somebody go to the trouble
of removing it unless it was incriminating?
Leon, is it possible
to dissolve...
a digitalis pill in a
liquid, say, like brandy?
Well, you'd have to grind it
up first, but that's easy enough.
And it wouldn't discolor it.
That's a very persuasive
theory you have.
The only problem is, the brandy
was still in the glass when I saw it.
Yes, madam. A brandy snifter is
missing since the night Mr. Duncan...
Thank you very much, Josette. Why don't
you go help Marie with the refreshments?
Yes, ma'am. Jessica,
I don't understand.
Why is all this important? Well, we
don't know anything for certain, Lydia,
but there is a possibility that Duncan's
death was caused by something...
other than natural causes.
You mean somebody killed him?
Do you have any suspicions,
Lydia? Did you see or hear anything?
That Hathaway woman.
She was with Duncan that night?
No. But they spent a
lot of time together...
Too much for a
business associate.
More time than he spent
with Morgan or Tom?
No.
I suppose that was
my jealousy speaking.
But he was having an
affair with someone, Jessica.
I know that.
Excuse me, Lydia.
Jessica, four of Duncan's
digitalis pills are unaccounted for.
Would that be enough
to create a heart attack?
- More than enough.
- Then it was murder?
Oh! Oh, look at that
mess. I—I'm so sorry!
Don't worry about it.
Oh, Lydia,
I—I'm just so sorry! I
came to help you out, and...
And I appreciate
your being here.
Duncan murdered? That's sick!
Well, we don't
have any real proof,
so it's probably best if we just
keep it to ourselves for the time being.
Leon, I'd like to take a look at the hot
tub before we head off for the service.
If that's all right
with you, Lydia. Yes.
Jessica. Uh,
I didn't want to say this in front of
Lydia. I mean, it's probably nothing.
But promise you won't tell
Lydia if you don't have to.
Well, of course
not, Kate. What is it?
The night that Duncan died, I passed
by his door on my way to the kitchen...
I was gonna make some
nice, hot milk for Tom...
And I heard some voices
coming from Duncan's hot tub.
Voices? You mean Duncan
was in the tub with someone else?
That, uh, Serena person. You know,
the one who came with Mr. Osborne.
You can see why I
didn't want Lydia to know.
You know, it's possible that
Duncan did have a heart attack...
and in struggling
to get out of the tub,
he accidentally pulled the
television right into the water with him.
What’d you find?
Looks like a charm.
Hmm. Not quite
Duncan's taste, is it?
No.
But I have an idea
whose it might be.
Jessica, I wanted you to know as
soon as possible the test results.
Sorry for the delay, but we ran
the test twice just to make sure.
There was no digitalis
overdose in Duncan's system.
I talked to the coroner myself. In his
opinion, the cause of Duncan's death...
was accidental electrocution.
Leon, the light by my bed
dimmed briefly at 12:15.
Now, that could have
been caused by a power
surge when that
television fell into the tub.
Or was thrown in. All
right. That's possible.
But why is the time important?
Well, when I mentioned the possibility
of murder to Morgan yesterday,
he seemed very anxious
to establish an alibi.
He said that he and
Virginia were in bed by 11:30.
So how can that be incriminating?
Well, why be so specific about the time...
unless he knew that
the death occurred later?
No, Jessica. You have no proof
that there has been a murder...
or that Morgan had
anything to do with it.
I'm afraid I'm going to have to go
along with the coroner's assessment.
I'm very sorry.
Excuse me, Serena?
I thought you might be
up here. Looking for this?
I couldn't help but notice your
charm bracelet the day we met.
The day that Lydia showed you the loo
on the ground floor, if I'm not mistaken.
My ma always told me
not to wear loud jewelry.
The morning after Duncan died,
you seemed very anxious
to get into the bathroom.
Uh, yeah. Well, it must have
come off when I took my clothes off.
Don't you just hate
it when they do that?
I'm beginning to see.
It was Duncan who put
Mr. Osborne into the Pierpont suite...
so that you could use
the connecting door.
Oh, now, Mrs. Fletcher,
it's not what you're thinking.
Dunkey and I—We never did anything. That's
why I didn't want anyone to see my lion.
Well, if you didn't do anything, why did
you pretend that you didn't know Duncan?
Unless— Unless it
was Duncan's idea...
to involve you with Mr. Osborne.
Well, now. Why would
Dunkey want that?
Can I have my lion back?
Well, I'm afraid the
police will want to see it.
But don't worry.
I mean, if there were no
arrangement between you and Duncan,
well, there's no need to
worry about them finding this.
Okay. Okay. A
couple of weeks ago,
Duncan arranged for
me to meet Spruce.
So that you could keep him
informed of Mr. Osborne's activities?
And I did a real good job too.
Sprucey didn't guess a thing.
There's a possibility that
Duncan was murdered.
- Well, he was alive
when I left him.
- What time was that?
12:15. And you can ask
Spruce. He'll remember.
He woke up and we,
well, um—you know.
Yes. I think it's best if Lydia
doesn't find out about this.
No problem.
Excuse me, Morgan. Yes.
I wonder if we
could have a word.
Oh, sure, Jessica. You
come by my office anytime.
Perhaps we could find somewhere
private and discuss it now...
Over a glass of brandy.
Jessica, I really can't imagine what
you're getting at. I think you can, Morgan.
Only an imaginative
mind could have come up
with the idea of
creating a heart attack...
with Duncan's own digitalis.
Jessica? I do hope...
you're not accusing
my husband of murder.
Because if you are, I think you ought to
know that we have an excellent attorney...
whose—whose only unattractive quality
is his penchant for winning lawsuits.
Actually, Virginia, I was
referring to attempted murder.
Legally, the fact that you didn't
succeed is beside the point.
Oh. Quite right. But your accusation
could still be grounds for libel.
Only if I'm mistaken.
Must have come as
quite a shock that morning
to find the full brandy
glass still there,
knowing that it would indicate
at least incriminating intentions.
You got rid of it in the
confusion afterwards.
Jessica, if that were true,
then you would also know...
that there's no way
for you to prove it.
Maybe. But I can
talk with the police,
and they can question you and quite
possibly give you a lie detector test.
Really, Jessica. One can
refuse to take those, you know.
True. But by that time the cloud of
suspicion will probably force Morgan...
to step down as chairman,
which, I imagine, is the reason you
tried to kill Duncan in the first place.
Perhaps I should talk
to Lieutenant Grayson.
That won't be necessary.
Full marks, Jessica.
Except that Morgan
didn't stay long.
I had to do the
dirty work. Ginny!
We don't have to say anything.
You don't have to say anything!
You're innocent. Thanks to you,
it's my behind that's on the line.
She can't prove anything.
Now don't be stupid!
Stupid? You're the
one that's stupid!
You didn't have to remove that
glass. Anyone could have laced it.
That was the beauty
of my plan—my plan.
Now...
Now Mrs. Fletcher and I
are going to have a talk.
A talk which I will
deny to the grave.
And you, Morgan, are
going to go in there...
and charm those people
before they start to talk.
My psychic predicted
this, you know?
He did. He warned us, "Beware
a woman with a powerful will."
Course, I'm fairly
determined too.
Morgan was right though.
You can't prove any of this.
Well, right now I'm more interested
in proving who did kill Duncan.
Now you were in his bedroom.
Perhaps you saw or heard something?
I can't think of anything. No.
Maybe if you
reconstructed the events.
You took the pills
from Duncan's pocket.
Mm-hmm. And ground
them up into the brandy.
It was a good plan,
and I had ample time.
Yes. And it worked in your favor,
Duncan being a man of habit.
Stock quotes in the hot tub and a
glass of brandy before going to bed.
Exactly! It was
a brilliant plan.
Just that one tiny thing we hadn't
counted on, and it scared Morgan off.
I had to finish the job.
What was it that frightened him?
Oh, he heard a woman
in the tub with Mr. Barnett.
Oh, yes. Serena.
Well, perhaps. I—I
don't really know.
But you were in the bedroom. You
must have heard her. Well, I heard a voice.
It was impossible to identify it with
the water gushing and the door closed.
The door closed.
We're just about to wrap this up,
Mrs. Dutton. Thanks for helping out.
Well, of course.
I'm only too glad.
Kate, you said you were passing this door
right here when you heard Serena's voice.
- And that was
about— - Uh, midnight...
- Maybe a—a little after.
- Are you quite sure...
it was Serena's voice you heard?
Yes. I'm positive.
Go ahead.
Uh, the door was just a peep
open, but I told you that, didn't I?
Uh, about like this, ma'am?
It's just so foolish
of me. I meant...
I meant, I saw her. I saw
her leave Duncan's room.
I'm afraid not, Kate.
They had adjoining rooms.
Serena left by the
connecting door.
The only way that you could
have seen or heard her...
was if you had been
in Duncan's room,
hiding, waiting for
Serena to leave.
Lieutenant, I don't know
why Jessica's saying...
I mean, listen. You
can hear her, can't you?
That is obviously Serena.
Okay. You can come in now.
Anne.
Anne, oh my God! How could you?
You killed Mr.—
'Fraid not, Miss Dutton.
See, Miss Hathaway
has an airtight alibi.
Thanks. You two can go now.
You dropped a vase earlier today
when you heard us talking about murder.
Up until then, you must have
believed that you’d been successful...
in making it look
like an accident.
Suddenly there was a need
to incriminate somebody else.
And so you implicated
the one person...
you knew was in the bathroom
with Duncan besides yourself.
I... I didn't want to kill him.
Really, I didn't. I...
I just went to talk to him.
What he was doing was so unfair!
Tom played by Duncan's
rules his whole life.
And now his reward
was being taken away.
Well, God only knows how much
longer Duncan could have lasted.
Tom would have been too old to be
chairman if Duncan stayed on until...
Until he died?
I begged him to
give Tom a chance.
And all he did was ask me to adjust
the horizontal hold on my way out.
I'm not sorry I did it.
I'm not sorry at all.
He was a horrible man,
and he just used people!
He hired good men
and just used them up.
That being the case,
this meeting of the board
of directors of Barnett
Industries is adjourned.
Tom, what you just
did was admirable.
Can't have been easy
for you to nominate Anne.
There wasn't much choice
with Morgan's resignation.
And I'd just be a
liability at this point.
Frankly, I don't think I'll be
around much longer anyway.
Jessica, I want you to know that the paper
mill in Maine is gonna stay in business.
Your neighbors
will keep their jobs.
That's very public-spirited
of you. It isn't actually.
We just bought three magazines,
and my figures show that
if we can supply our own
paper, we're gonna save a bundle.
Well, it seems to me that this
company is in very good hands.
You have my word on it.
I'm a very determined woman.