Murder, She Wrote (1984–1996): Season 4, Episode 9 - Trouble in Eden - full transcript

Charlotte didn't leave a will. But
this place definitely belongs to you.

- Willard told me all about
your sister's evil ways.
- What was Charlotte doing?

Tonight on Murder, She Wrote.

Doc says heart attack.
That's good enough for me.

I heard you went to see the
sheriff. You shouldn't have done that.

- I swear to God, she knows everything.
- What if she decides to stay?

- She won't.
- She gonna have a heart attack too?

What's wrong?

Well, that wasn't me.
I thought it was you.

Watch it!

It was positively uncanny.



I've never experienced
anything like this before in my life.

I woke up in the
middle of the night...

with this overwhelming
feeling of sorrow.

Now, Charlotte and I haven't been
close for years, but at that moment,

without a question of a doubt,
I knew that my sister was dead.

I am so sorry, Mary Rose.
You know, I had no idea.

This letter came from the
town where she lived in Oregon.

"Charlotte was murdered.

"Don't trust anybody
in Eden, no matter who.

Be very careful." Here,
Jessica. What do you think?

It's unsigned.

But you didn't accept
this as any kind of proof?

Oh, of course not. I placed a
long-distance call to Charlotte's hotel,

and the hotel operator told me that
Charlotte had died of a heart attack...



and was cremated
the very next day.

Now, I found that very suspicious. Oh,
Jessica, please come to Oregon with me.

Wait. You've left
me behind. Oregon?

Well, to investigate
Charlotte's death. Lewis says it's

very important for my
best interests to go at once.

Lewis? Lewis Framm, my attorney.

Rather, my attorney's
son. Oh, please, Jessica.

Mary Rose, I'm
sorry, dear, I can't.

I have got so much
work to do at home.

Before you make up
your mind, talk to Lewis.

He makes a lot of sense
for someone his age.

- Well, how old is he?
- 32.

Waiter? Check, please.

Well, if you have any doubts, why
don't you contact the Eden police?

Oh, I can't. The letter said
not to trust anyone in Eden.

N-No one. Well, I'm afraid I don't
share your faith in that anonymous letter.

Watch it!

Oh, my Lord!

Attempted murder?
You must be joking.

I can assure you,
Lewis, it's not funny.

I saw the expression on that man's
face when he stepped on the gas,

and he knew what he was doing.

That's crazy. What
did he tell the police?

Nothing. Dead on arrival.

Lewis, when are you
going to Oregon? Tomorrow.

I'll rent a car in Eugene
and drive to Eden from there.

I wish you were going
with me, Mary Rose.

So do I. Believe me.

I'll make sure you get your fair
share of your sister's property.

Oh, I thought that
Charlotte lived in a hotel.

She did. She also owned it.

We are talking
major real estate.

- Mary Rose, have you ever been to Eden?
- No. Never been invited.

So no one there knows you?

I've never met any
of Charlotte's friends.

Jessica, what are you thinking?

That I could go in your place.

No, I can't let
you do that. Look.

I don't believe in
coincidences, especially

when they involve murder
or attempted murder.

Now, that man behind the
wheel was determined to kill you.

Now, it's possible that he
didn't want you to find out...

what had really
happened to Charlotte.

- Still, an impersonation—
- Look, if Eden,

Oregon, is anything
like Cabot Cove, Maine,

people don't have
much to say to strangers.

But a bereaved sister— -

Mary Rose, if they had
reason to try it once,

they might try it again, and we
can't have that, now, can we?

No, but it sounds so dangerous.

Oh, don't you worry.
I'll have Lewis with me.

Face it, Lewis. We're lost.
Pull over. I'll ask that woman.

Uh, pardon me. I think
we took a wrong turn.

I wonder, could you please direct
us to the Garden of Eden Hotel?

This hotel is a joke.
I think it's charming.

But then, I'm
partial to old houses.

I was hoping for a high-rise
tower of glass and steel.

The possible flagship of
an international hotel chain.

In Eden, Oregon? They taught us to
think positive in my entrepreneur class.

We're talking major
disappointment.

- Can I help you?
- My name is Lewis Framm.

I am an attorney with the law
firm of Plotkin, Davis and Framm.

Well, you're probably in the wrong
place. Nobody here called for a lawyer.

I'm not looking for business.

I represent Mary Rose Welch.

Charlotte's sister?
Oh, Miss Welch.

I talked to you on the phone
the other day when you called.

We were both real upset about
Charlotte. I forgot to introduce myself.

- I'm Lila Benson.
- I'm so glad to meet you at last, Lila.

Your sister was the
kindest, most generous,

sweetest woman
I ever worked for.

She told me if anything was to
happen to her, I'd take charge.

When exactly did she tell you
that? How long before she died?

Well, I don't know
exactly. I don't remember.

I'm sure that Charlotte
was very fond of

you, if she trusted
you to run her business.

I was like a daughter to her.

Would you like to see Miss
Charlotte's suite? It's real nice.

Yes, I would like
that. Thank you.

I need a room too. Here?

Well, of course here.
Unless everything's full.

Well, I suppose I could
fix you up somethin'.

I might take a few
minutes though.

Uh, why don't the two of you
wait in Miss Charlotte's suite?

It's on the second floor, first
door to your left. Well, thank you.

Hi. Hello.

Hi.

Dr. Lynch.

I just thought you'd like to know.
Mary Rose Welch is in town.

She's here.

Looks like Charlotte wasn't
too crazy about the 20th Century.

You know, the decor of this room reminds
me of something, but I'm not sure what.

How come we've seen
only one other guest?

Where are all the tourists?
Oh, Lewis, relax and sit down.

It's this room. I-It spooks me.

Doesn't it bother you that
Charlotte probably died in this room?

No. The only thing that bothers
me is unanswered questions.

Perhaps you better try and get a copy of
her death certificate from the courthouse.

As soon as I see
if her will was filed.

Yes? Excuse me.

I was told to make up the room
down the hall, then I heard voices here.

Nobody's been in these rooms since
Miss Charlotte. Are you the housekeeper?

Yes, sir. Martha Neilson.

Well, Martha, it's my
room you're getting ready.

Your room, sir? Yes.

And I'd appreciate it if
you could do it quickly.

I'd like to put my things
away before I go out.

Does the name Mary Rose
Welch mean anything to you?

- You don't favor her much.
- Did you know Charlotte well?

'Bout as well as
anybody in the world.

I did for her before
she opened this place.

Well, sometime we must have
a good chat about Charlotte.

Well, right now I
got my work to do.

Excuse me.

This place is very strange.

- Hello?
- Sorry to disturb you, ma'am.

Oh, hello, Lila. Uh, you had a
phone call from Sheriff Landry.

- It sounded kind of important.
- Oh, why didn't you put it through?

Well, he just asked me to tell
you to come on down to his office.

Uh, Mary Rose, ma'am,

do you want me to keep runnin'
the place the way your sister did?

I see no reason to
change, do you? No, ma'am.

Lila, where is the,
uh, sheriff's office?

Oh, it's down on Main Street. It's
the only one with a flag out front.

You will keep me up to date,
huh, Sheriff? I'll do my best, C.J.

A man can't ask
for more than that.

Oh, ma'am. My condolences for
your sister Charlotte, Miss Welch.

Oh, thank you. Come in, please.

For a stranger, he seems to
know a great deal about me.

C.J. Dobbs keeps his finger
on the pulse of the town.

I'm Howard Landry.
Please, have a seat.

Oh, thank you. I was a little
curious about your invitation.

It was just that. I hope you don't
think I had you summoned here.

- It crossed my mind.
- I told Lila to ask you to stop by
when you had a chance.

My deputy is home with
the flu. I'm kinda stuck here.

I wanted to express my
regrets about Charlotte.

- She was one hell of a woman.
- You were close to her?

Close enough to feel real
bad when she died so suddenly.

Of course, I was under the impression
that she had been ill. Charlotte?

She flew up and down stairs.
Never guess she had a bum ticker.

If it’ll make it any easier,
Doc said that it was real fast.

She didn't suffer. Well, at
least she had a doctor with her.

Yeah, Doc Lynch. A real
old-time country doctor.

Thank you, Sheriff. It's a relief to know
that Charlotte died of natural causes.

- Any reason to think she didn't?
- Well, only the mysterious rush
to cremate her remains.

May I ask, by whose
authority? Doc's, I guess.

- Does it matter?
- Oh, my goodness. How time does fly.

I have an appointment with
my attorney. Please excuse me.

I hope I see you
again before you leave.

Oh, I haven't made up
my mind about leaving.

This is such a nice little town.

A few days ago, we didn't
even know she existed.

Now she's looming over
us like an avenging angel.

First I ever heard of an
angel with a New York lawyer.

Yeah, well they're
both snoopin' around.

I'd like to know what the hell they're up
to. Mary Rose is just crossin' the street.

Why don't you go
down and ask her?

I knew it. She's the
spitting image of Charlotte.

I don't think so.

But then again, my
vision’s not blurred by fear.

Now you boys better get a grip on
yourselves, and look on the bright side.

What bright side? She
gonna have a heart attack too?

Snooks—for God's sake...

No, a New York woman like
that's not gonna hang around...

a one-horse town
like this for long.

She'll look around, see what's in it
for her, and then she'll be on her way.

I give her about two
days, at the most.

If we all keep our mouths
shut, she won't learn a thing.

Jessica, where have you been?
Well, I went to the sheriff's office.

Did you find out anything
at city hall? Oh, yes.

But I'd rather you
see for yourself.

♪ Oh, now nice!

It sounds as if the hotel
also provides entertainment.

♪

That's entertainment.

♪

Miss Mary Rose, you
weren't here at openin' time.

Now, I know you said you
didn't want any changes

made, so I figured that just
meant business as usual.

Is that okay? O-Oh, I...

was just a little surprised
that we opened so early.

Well, that's a courtesy
to our regular customers.

Some of them have to go home
to dinner before the kids go to bed.

Very thoughtful. Mary Rose, we
have to discuss Charlotte's will.

Oh, yes. Yes, of course.
Will you excuse us, Lila?

Oh, sure.

Is it always this busy?

You haven't seen anything yet.

And what did they have to say about
that in your entrepreneurial class?

Jessica, I'm afraid this
town is full of surprises.

Charlotte didn't leave
a will. Are you sure?

If she did, it wasn't filed. But this
place definitely belongs to you...

I mean, Mary Rose. Oh, Lewis, I'm
not sure that I can go through with this.

I mean, it's one thing to be
Mary Rose, but a madam?

Go away.

- This is a private suite.
- Miss Mary Rose, are you there?

It's Martha. Let her in.

♪

Lewis, the door!

I heard you went to see the
sheriff. You shouldn't have done that.

Why not? A man like
that can be dangerous.

Oh, but surely I
can trust a lawman.

Ma'am, listen to me, please.

Don't trust anybody in
Eden, no matter who.

I am listening, Martha, and
that has a very familiar ring to it.

Ma'am? I read those words
in an anonymous letter.

You wrote that letter, didn't
you? I had to do something.

Miss Charlotte was
gone, and it wasn't right.

What happened to Charlotte,
Martha? What really happened?

I don't know. I wasn't here.
I went down to Medford...

to visit my brother and his
family, and when I got back,

Lila told me that Miss Charlotte
was dead and cremated.

She said, "Things are
gonna change around here."

And all the time I'm
thinking if I'd only been

here, maybe I could have
done something to stop it.

Stop a heart attack? There was
nothing wrong with Miss Charlotte's heart.

But on the death certificate,
Dr. Lynch said— I know what he said.

You know something that
you're not telling us, don't you?

Miss Charlotte said she
had enemies in Eden,

and when she said
it, she shivered.

- Well, that's not much.
- Well, there's something else.

It's empty. It wasn't
when I went away.

Miss Charlotte kept
some money, jewelry,

her private papers in
here, in a metal box.

Nobody knew about it
except me. Somebody did.

She wasn't only
murdered, she was robbed.

What sort of papers did
she keep in the box, Martha?

She never showed 'em to me.

But I knew they were probably...

deeds from real estate
that she'd invested in,

- and Miss Charlotte's will.
- She didn't leave a will.

Oh, she left one,
all right. You saw it?

I signed it, as a
witness, in this room.

Me and Eddie
Mackle. Eddie Mackle?

Well, he works around
here— Odd jobs, mostly.

- I dunno where he is.
- Too bad.

Lila probably knows where he is.

They're sweet on each
other. Two of a kind.

When did you first discover
that the box was gone?

As soon as I heard
Miss Charlotte was dead.

Well, I didn't want Lila to get her
hands on Miss Charlotte's things.

I don't suppose
you told the sheriff?

Miss Charlotte paid
Sheriff Landry a thousand

dollars a month to
look the other way.

How could I tell
a man like that?

- Martha, I want you to give Lila
a message for me, if you will.
- Ma'am?

Would you please tell Lila...

to clear out all the gentlemen
from the house immediately.

And after she's done
that, to lock the front door.

Gather all of the
ladies into the lobby.

I have something that
I want to say to them.

What are we supposed to do for
the rest of the night, watch television?

Too bad all of your favorite
shows are on Saturday morning.

Where's Mary Rose? What's
gonna happen to us now?

Ladies, may we
have your attention?

I have an announcement to make,

and I—I do hope you
won't find it too unpleasant.

Out of respect for dear Charlotte,
I have decided to close down...

the Garden of Eden...

for a three-day period
of remembrance.

Oh, what a dear,
sweet thing to do.

Sure, she can afford
it. But what about us?

Yeah.

Ladies, ladies, please, I— I
have given that some thought,

and I have decided
to give you all full pay.

But you're givin' away
the Garden's profits.

Oh, dear Charlotte
would have wanted that.

And since I am now in charge...

Does that mean that you're stayin'
on to take Charlotte's place? Yes, Lila.

I have been looking for a
new venture and a new home,

and I do believe that I have
found both of them right here,

in the Garden of Eden.

Landry.

Uh-huh.

Well, thanks for the call.

By the look on your face, that call
might be somethin' I'd be interested in.

Might be.

Seems Mary Rose is staying in
Eden, taking over the family business.

Hmm.

C.J.

Aren't you gonna say good-bye?

I think I'm overdressed for
the county recorder's office.

I need bib overalls and a
shovel for that filing mess.

Haven't these people ever heard of
computers? Well, just keep looking.

I'll see you later. All right.

- There she is.
- Don't, uh, look at her, dear.

- I'd like to tell her what I think of her.
- Don't make trouble, please, Dora.

Her kind isn't
wanted round here.

I couldn't agree with
you more, Dora, dear.

Come.

I was sound asleep
when Charlotte called.

She was gasping for breath.

Obviously in trouble.

When I got there
a few minutes later,

I injected her with lidocaine.

Then I took her here for oxygen.

Here? Isn't there a
hospital in this town?

Well, the office is closer.
It has everything I need.

Even so, I was unable to
save her, I'm sorry to say.

Poor Charlotte.

- Did she suffer much?
- Very little.

She was unconscious when I reached
her, and remained so till the end.

I was surprised that you
decided on a fast cremation.

Why not a funeral for
Charlotte's many admirers?

Well, it wasn't my
decision. It was Charlotte's.

Would you excuse me?

She, uh, didn't want to
be, uh, laid out in a casket,

for, uh, folks to see
her while she was dead.

I respected her wishes.

She was a lady. She was
entitled to that last bit of vanity.

Oh, I-I'm so sorry to sound
so confused about all this.

Well, I understand.

But how did Charlotte...

ask to be cremated if
she was unconscious?

Uh, that was—that was earlier,
before she lapsed into a coma.

Oh, you mean on the telephone,
when she was gasping for breath?

A few days earlier, when she was here
in this office, she mentioned chest pains.

I told her she might have heart trouble.
That was when she made the request.

Uh, Charlotte was
a very brave woman.

Oh, forgive me if I'm still confused, but
if you knew that she had heart trouble,

why did you go to
her when she called?

I mean, why didn't
you call an ambulance?

Much as I'd like to
go on talking with you,

Miss Welch, I'm afraid
I have patients waiting.

Well, thank you for
seeing me, Doctor.

You've helped me
more than you know.

I'll see myself out.

- Dobbs.
- She was here.

I swear to God, she
knows everything.

Doc, take a couple of
aspirins and lie down.

I'll take care of Mary Rose.

You had a long distance
phone call— A Mrs. Fletcher.

- Mrs. Fletcher?
- She said she was a friend
of yours, in the hospital.

Oh, yes! Mrs. Fletcher.

She left a number.
Should I get her for you?

Please. I'll take it
upstairs in my room.

Well, I'm glad to hear
from you, Jessica.

But I don't think that you should waste
your strength talking on the telephone.

Don't worry about my strength.
There's something I have to tell you.

The police found a
plane ticket to Oregon on

the body of the man
that died in the crash.

His name was Eddie Mackle.

- What's wrong?
- Well, that wasn't me.

I thought it was you. I
was trying to tell you...

that there might be
someone else on the line.

Lila?

Lila, I need to talk to you.

- May I come in?
- It's your house.

What're you doing
with that? Give it back.

So that's Eddie Mackle.

So? What if it is?

I'm sorry, Lila. I understand
that you were very fond of him.

Yeah, I guess
you could say that.

Two people working in a place
like this, fallin' for each other.

- God, that's funny.
- Why don't you tell me what
he was doing in New York City?

Charlotte was always sayin'
how one day I'd run this place.

When she died, I
thought it was mine.

And then you called, and I
found out Charlotte had a sister.

So you sent him to New
York City to find me?

No. I didn't even know
where he was goin'.

He just said he was gonna
make it work out for us.

If I'd have known what he had in
his mind, I could've talked him out of it.

Eddie was a sweet guy, but he
wasn't exactly a rocket scientist.

He thought he was
doin' me a favor.

Don't you mean a second
favor? What about Charlotte?

Eddie didn't kill Charlotte.
Well then, who did?

Nobody.

Charlotte died of a heart
attack. Ask Doc Lynch.

I did. And I'm pretty sure that he was
lying to me, just like you're lying now.

Charlotte died
of a heart attack.

Why are you so afraid that
I'm going to find out the truth?

You just get out.
This is still my room.

It could be important.
Depends on how you look at it.

Well, I look on it as a
deliberate attempt to

kill me by running me
down with an automobile.

How do you look at it?
I look at it as something

that should be handled by
the New York City Police.

But it started here in Eden
with Charlotte's sudden death.

Now, I'm sure that Lila knows a
great deal more than she's admitting,

if only you would
talk to her. Why?

What is she, a heart specialist?
Charlotte was murdered.

Doc says heart attack.
That's good enough for me.

But what if Doc Lynch
had a reason to lie?

Now look, it's one thing
to question my ethics.

You're attacking the integrity of one
of the most respected men in this town.

We're not talking
about the same thing.

We're talking about a man
who saved my three-year-old

niece, who fell into a creek
at the Sunday school picnic.

He breathed life into her. Is that a man
who would have something to do with murder?

Well, at this point
I really don't know,

and as far as I can see,
you're not inclined to find out.

Mmm.

Ma'am.

C.J. Dobbs at your service.

Mr. Dobbs, we're not open today.

Well, so I've heard. I heard about
your sentimental, costly gesture.

I'm not the businesswoman
that Charlotte was.

I can appreciate how rough it'd be to take
over a going concern in a strange town...

not knowing who you're dealing
with, or what's expected of you.

You sorta have to
feel your way around.

Mr. Dobbs, what do you
want? I want to help you.

I'd like to take this whole
shebang off your hands, hmm?

At a fair price, of course. You
want to buy the Garden of Eden?

I also have a sentimental side.

See, the first time I
saw this place, my...

My daddy brought me
here on my 16th birthday.

Oh, boy. What's your offer?

$100,000, lock,
stock and barrel.

Well, I can speak for the
lock and the barrel, but,

uh, the stock will have
to speak for themselves.

- Ma'am?
- Well, before I can reply to your offer,

my lawyer and I will have to
look over Charlotte's books.

Mmm. Well, it'd surprise me if you
could find any, on account of the I.R.S.

But you go ahead
and look around.

I never try to talk any
of my real estate clients

into doing anything
they don't want to do.

Well, I understand
that Charlotte, uh,

had invested in some real estate,
but, uh, I can't seem to find the deeds.

And you won't.

Some time ago, there
was talk about developing

some land for a
big shopping mall...

to pull down some
of those tourist dollars.

Well, all it amounted to
was— was a bunch of talk.

I bought a couple of parcels for she and
I and, uh, hmm, had to sell 'em at a loss.

Well, she must have gotten something
out of this business, Mr. Dobbs.

I can't imagine why a
shrewd businessman like you...

would want to, uh, buy this
enterprise if it had never made a profit.

Well, ma'am, let's put it
this way. If you sold to me,

you'd go back East with a
hell of a lot more money...

than you had when you
came through the door.

Why is it that everyone is
so nervous with me around?

You know, Dr. Lynch
trembled when I spoke to him.

Well, poor old Doc.
He had his problems.

One of 'em was his drinkin'.

But I gotta give the man
credit for keepin' it under control.

But not before he
killed one of his patients.

That was in another state.

A man can't help but shake
with that on his conscience.

Well, you think about
my offer, now, hmm?

Because of Eddie and
everything that happened, I

suppose you're gonna want
me outta here real quick, huh?

Milk or lemon? Milk.

I'll admit, I haven't exactly
been honest with you.

Sugar?

No, ma'am.

I even made phone
calls to certain people,

to let them know you were in
town, and that you were gonna stay.

Lila, what happened the
night that Charlotte died?

- If I tell you, can I stay?
- Is that your bargaining chip?

Well, I'm not gonna beg,
but I'll deal. It's up to you.

It was real late. About
3:30 in the morning.

I'd been asleep for a
couple of hours because the

middle of the week, business
hadn't been that good.

Well, some noises down
the hall woke me up.

I thought it was a couple of drunk johns
that didn't have the sense to go home.

Well, I was gonna tell 'em to haul
their ash cans down to some other dump,

but when I came out I saw
that Charlotte's door was open,

and two men carried her
out, wrapped in a blanket,

one of her arms hangin' out.

She looked so white. Doc
Lynch was right behind 'em.

- Who were the other two men?
- Snooks Sitwell.

He was that professional
football player, but he

had to give it all up to
run the family business?

He can be real nasty.
You ask some of the girls.

And the other one was...

Reverend Willard
Manchester, the hypocrite.

- And did they see you watching them?
- Yes, ma'am.

Doc Lynch came over to me. He
told me that Charlotte called him.

She'd had a heart attack,
and they were takin' her

to his office for some
kind of treatment or other.

- What else?
- Nothin' else.

They took her out,
and I went back to bed.

Lila, there's something else.
You're afraid to tell me something.

- What are you leaving out?
- Oh, Lord.

If they even thought I saw it.

- Saw what?
- It was a stain on Charlotte's blanket.

I'm pretty sure it was
blood, Mary Rose.

- You keep away from my husband.
- But your husband was in...

the Garden of Eden the
night that my sister died.

He's a man, like any other,
subject to the weakness of the flesh.

Oh, I don't care about that. I want
to hear his version of what happened.

I know what you want. Willard told
me all about your sister's evil ways.

You're just picking
up where she left off.

"Picking up"?

- What was Charlotte doing?
- Preying on the men of this town.

Using their secrets
to destroy them.

Oh, Mrs. Manchester,

I just wonder how far you
would go to protect your husband.

Hope you never
find out, Miss Welch.

- I've been lookin' for you.
- Yes, Sheriff?

I got to thinkin' about your story.
Checked it out with the New York police.

You were right. Eddie
Mackle did try to kill you. Yes.

In fact, he got real close.

Before he wound up breakin' his neck,
he ran you down and busted your leg.

That's why Mary Rose Welch is confined
to a bed in Mid-Manhattan Hospital.

Who the hell are you, lady?

Okay, Mrs. Fletcher—
If I believe that story.

You found out why Eddie Mackle
tried to kill your friend Mary Rose.

Yeah, but that's only
part of— And that it had

no direct connection
with Charlotte's death.

- You admitted that yourself.
- Yes.

But it only means that she
was murdered by someone else.

Possibly one of the men
that she was blackmailing.

Blackmail? Where'd
you pick that up?

Dora Manchester,
the minister's wife.

Well, she's not knitting with
both needles these days.

Always was kinda high-strung.

Who'd she say was being
blackmailed, besides her husband?

She didn't. But I suspect
there were at least two others,

possibly three—a man named
Snooks Sitwell and Dr. Lynch.

You're not startin' out
on ol' Doc again, are you?

He's the closest thing
this town has to a saint.

Now, you said there were
three more. Who's the third?

- C.J. Dobbs.
- Dobbs?

Are you going to tell
me that he's a saint too?

He owns half this town. He holds paper
on most of the buildings on Main Street,

and he had me appointed sheriff.

What else would you like to know
about him? Why did he try to buy me off?

You keep springin' this stuff on me.
Why didn't you let me in on it before?

I can't imagine.

Unless it was the $1,000 bribe
you took from Charlotte every month.

I have never taken
a bribe in my life.

That money went to the
county orphans and widows fund.

She wanted me to make cash donations
for her, so she could remain anonymous.

That's the kinda lady she
was. You oughta know that...

I forgot. You're not her sister.

It might be better if you didn't
tell anyone that right now. Please?

- Is there anything else I can do for you?
- Yes.

Tell Mr. Dobbs that I'd like to have a
meeting with the men that I just mentioned.

Lady, I hope you
know what you're doin'.

Oh, Miss Mary Rose, you can't
close down the Garden of Eden.

Well, just suppose that I
had to close down, Martha.

Now, what would you do?

Well, like I told Miss
Charlotte, there'll be plenty of

jobs in town after they open
up that new shopping mall.

Well, what about you?
What would you do?

Well, I think that
I could manage.

Oh, Lewis, I'm so
glad that you're here.

I think that I have a
way of making your

research at the county
recorders file easier.

Good. But first, a rose by
any other name, Mary Rose.

Oh, how beautiful. Thank you.

I'd like to take the
credit, but there's a card.

- Secret admirer?
- Hardly.

"You are cordially invited
to a meeting tonight at 9:00.

C.J. Dobbs."

Interesting spot for a meeting.

I can't let you go in there
alone. Well, I won't be alone.

But I'll be all right. But I'm
certain they'd be too intimidated...

to talk in front of a
high-powered New York attorney.

Good point. But I'll wait
here until you come out.

That's very reassuring.

Miss Welch? Come in.

I'm Glen Roy Sitwell.

I wish I could say it's a pleasure to
meet you, but I'm sure you understand.

This way, please. Thank you.

Ah, Miss Mary Rose. We've saved a
seat at the head of the table for you.

Gentlemen, after thinking
it over, I've decided that,

in spite of Mr. Dobbs's
generous offer,

I'm going to stay on and take full
charge of Charlotte's enterprises.

Well, we're not
exactly bowled over.

Just, uh, how much more
did you expect from us?

Well, first, I would like to hear what
happened the night that Charlotte died.

We sort of guessed
you would. Have a seat.

Thank you.

We, uh, talked
it over, and we're

prepared to lay it
all out on the table.

And we warn you, if
you go to the authorities

with any of this, we'll
deny it to the grave.

Reverend, you start. You
were the one who found her.

Um, it, uh,

would be about, uh,
3:00... in the morning.

She was expecting
me... to make a payment.

- Blackmail payment?
- She had something on all of us.

Her door was slightly
open. I knocked anyway.

She didn't respond.

So I opened it wider.
And saw her on the bed.

She was still alive— barely.

She'd been stabbed. I
couldn't see any knife.

I couldn't leave
her there like that.

I couldn't call the sheriff without
explaining what I was doing in that place.

I finally used Charlotte's private line
and called the one doctor I could trust.

By the time I got there,
Charlotte was dead.

I knew if— Well, I
couldn't report a murder,

because it might bring
on an investigation.

If they found out about the
blackmail, we'd all be suspects.

I figured that C.J. was used
to handling difficult situations.

- He'd know what to do.
- Then it was you
who suggested heart attack?

- I thought that was best.
- And it was also your suggestion...

that they should, uh, make
enough noise to wake up Lila,

so that they would have a
witness who would swear...

that Charlotte was taken to
Dr. Lynch's office for treatment.

But she was brought here,
isn't that right, Mr. Sitwell?

Sure, cremation was my idea.

No stab wound, no
murder, no investigation.

But didn't it bother any of you
that Charlotte's killer was still free?

Anyone could have killed her.
Maybe somebody who worked there.

One of the girls. Maybe one
of her, uh, perverted clients?

Maybe a jealous wife?

Didn't matter who killed her.

He did us a favor. See, our secrets
went up in smoke with Charlotte.

We thought we were safe.
That is, until you arrived.

Then it occurred to us
that we weren't safe at all.

But you weren't safe anyway.
You knew each other's secrets.

No, ma'am. Nor did we want to.

Our own were burden enough.

Charlotte had a strongbox
under the floorboards.

I believe that it contained
a great deal of money.

Some of that money was ours.

- If I'd have know that, I'd have
torn her place apart lookin' for it.
- Well, someone did find it.

- The box is gone.
- What else was in it?

Oh, everything that she held
over you. All of your secrets.

- Oh, dear Lord.
- How do you know that?

Well, it's the sheriff's theory.

Sheriff Landry? Yes.

He's certain that one of
the blackmail victims took it.

He is so certain that
he has warrants...

to search all of your homes
and offices for the box.

What if one of us did
take it and Landry finds it?

You can kiss all this good-bye.
We'll be through in this town.

I better be, uh, home in
case he comes tonight.

I wouldn't want Dora
to do anything foolish.

Yeah, well, the sheriff
could be here any time now.

Well, I say let him
search and be damned.

I take it the
meeting's over now?

Hurry!

Take me to a telephone.
I just lied about

the sheriff, and I
have to let him in on it.

How’d you get in? I got the
key from the night cleaning lady.

It had to be you, Mr. Dobbs.

The sheriff kept insisting that
Dr. Lynch was practically a saint.

But you painted
a different picture.

Well, poor ol' Doc.
He had his problems.

One of 'em was his drinkin'.

But I gotta give the man
credit for keepin' it under control.

But not before he killed one of his
patients. That was in another state.

At the meeting in the mortuary, Doc said
that you didn't know each other's secrets.

How could you know his
unless you'd seen it in the box?

- I'll take that, C.J.
- You touch this, and you'll
be lookin' for a new job.

Maybe. But I'm gonna
look in this box tonight.

You were right about the money.

Well, from everything I'd heard,
Charlotte was a devout believer in cash.

It's her will, and
some fat envelopes.

Is this the
blackmail stuff, C.J.?

Lynch, Sitwell, Manchester...

- Nothing for Dobbs.
- That's because you weren't
being blackmailed, Mr. Dobbs.

But you found out the others
were, maybe the same way that I did.

With the new shopping mall
going up, you found it useful to...

draw them together and
pretend to be one of them.

You needed them on your side.

You probably pulled
the same swindle on

others in town that
you’d pulled on Charlotte.

You talked her into buying
a large parcel of land,

then you told her it was worthless
and pretended to sell it, at a loss.

Actually, you snapped
it up cheap for yourself.

Howard, are you gonna listen to
this fancy woman's guesswork?

Her lawyer found the evidence in the
county recorder's office this afternoon.

Charlotte must have
suspected when Martha told

her the new shopping
mall was under construction.

That could be why she summoned
you to her room that night.

Charlotte must have
accused you of cheating her.

Maybe she threatened
to call the sheriff—

Angry and afraid of being
exposed, you decided to kill her—

Probably with the knife
you carry in your pocket.

Afterwards, you must have
thought about the blackmail material.

You reasoned that it
would probably be hidden

with her money,
somewhere in her suite.

You found the box
and carried it off,

a few minutes before the
Reverend Manchester arrived.

Howard, I can't believe you're takin'
the word of this... cathouse madam!

I'm not. From
what this lady says,

I'm gonna have to check your
pocket knife for traces of blood.

A t last, I finally
know the truth.

Poor Charlotte,
killed by a burglar.

- That's pretty much the story.
- Hmm. In the Garden of Eden Hotel.

Oh, that name is so
lovely and peaceful.

I hope Charlotte
was happy there.

Oh, I'm sure she was.
It was her kind of place.

I've been thinking. The
Garden of Eden is my hotel now.

Why shouldn't I be happy?

I've decided, I'm gonna go up
there and run the place myself.

Now tell me the truth. Do
you think I'll be any good at it?