Murder, She Wrote (1984–1996): Season 6, Episode 11 - Town Father - full transcript
Scandal abounds during election time in Cabot Cove when the Mayor is reputed to have a secret wife who comes to confront him with murderous results.
We need a mayor who is
sensitive to women's issues.
Run for mayor. What?
FEMALE NARRATOR:
Tonight on Murder, She Wrote.
You promised that after you
finished this term of office,
you'd marry me.
I adore Cabot Cove, but really, the
people here aren't exactly ambitious.
Well, I love it here.
Anybody who's ever stayed in that
motel knows the windows don't lock.
Then you are running.
I knew it, I knew it!
I'm not running!
JESSICA: A-ha, Seth.
I'm feeling hearty
this morning, Jess.
What do you say we go
for a mile and a quarter?
Perfect, if we
walk towards town.
I have a haircut at Loretta's.
As long as I don't
have to go inside.
I'll just get my purse.
Aren't you going to call
in the professionals, huh?
I give you another week at this.
Seth, I have told you.
I find this very relaxing.
(CHUCKLING) That.
(TELEPHONE RINGING)
Excuse me.
Hello? Yes, speaking.
Oh, yes, Mr. Vernon.
Yes, I did get
your letter, and...
Well, I'm flattered that
your client loves my house,
but as I explained
when I wrote back...
Thank you, but my
house is not for sale.
Mr. Vernon, forgive me
if I seem a little abrupt,
but I do not wish to sell,
not now, not ever.
How much?
You know what's driving
the property values
right through the
roof, don't you?
It's these rich weekenders
spilling over from Morgan Bay.
Yes, Morgan Bay used to be
such a nice, sleepy little town.
Now you can't even
get into the café
at the Shady Side Restaurant
there without a reservation.
Well, you don't think that's
going to happen here, do you?
What do you suppose that
phone call was all about?
I tell you, these city people
are looking for new
territory to weekend-ize.
Morning, Sam.
Oh, morning, Jessica, Doc.
Been meaning to talk to you.
Can't stop, Sam. We're
edging up our pulse rates.
My goodness, Sam, is
it election time already?
Every two years.
Didn't know Sam
could count that high.
Oh, Seth, he's harmless enough.
That's my point exactly.
He never does anything.
Don't you think it's peculiar
that he takes off every July?
July, Jess.
When everything's going on
with the tourists and all. Tourists!
You know, Seth, you don't have to
exercise to get your pulse rate up.
(JESSICA CHUCKLES)
Morning, Milton.
Jessica.
I didn't know you were
running against Sam.
Dirty job, but
somebody's got to do it.
SETH: "The future is now"?
What in blazes does that mean?
The future's not now. It's then.
No, no, the past is then.
Should be an interesting race.
This is the first time in years
that Sam has had
any competition.
Milton is too much of a grouch
to capture the
imagination of those voters
who have seen to it that
Sam is returned to office
term after term after term.
You mean the 86% that stay home.
Exactly.
(WOLF WHISTLE)
Jessica,
all I know is that your
books give me nightmares.
Why don't you write something
happy in a nice magazine?
Ideal, somehow I don't
think that Jessica's goals
include writing recipes
for leftover meat loaf.
Actually, my main goal right now
is finishing fixing up my house.
Are you thinking
of selling, Jessica?
The market's strong now.
I'm sure we could do very well.
Sell? Eve, my goodness,
you know I wouldn't dream of it.
(DOOR OPENING)
Oh, excuse me a second, Jessica.
Good morning, Mrs. Thayer.
Yes, I wonder if
you could help me.
Her husband's very nice,
but she's a bit of a snob.
Well, all I know is that
when I see them around town,
they're always arguing
about something.
EVE: Well, they paid 208
for Sarah Jenkins' house,
just for weekends.
Well, $208 seems very
reasonable for a weekend.
Well, I can get to you as soon
as I'm finished with Mrs. Fletcher.
Oh, good. Help
yourself to some coffee.
Oh, have you got any cappuccino?
Afraid not.
Oh.
Decaf?
No.
Good morning.
Oh, hello.
Good morning, Winifred.
You look very relaxed for somebody
who's throwing a party tonight.
WINIFRED: Oh, well, you know, Jessica,
the caterers take care of all of that.
Although, I must say, I
really don't trust them.
Are there any good
food people in this town?
Now, you be sure to call me
about your house, Jessica.
I think I already have
one of your cards, Eve.
You know, I'm really
so busy right now.
There's this New York attorney who
has all sorts of Park Avenue-ish clients
who are so thrilled
with Cabot Cove.
But I'm sure I could find
time for some of your friends
who might like to move to our
little pied-à-plage, Mrs. Thayer.
Well, of course, but...
(EXCLAIMS) Quel dommage.
Jessica's taken my last card.
But perhaps I could bring
some by your house this evening.
Say, 8:00-ish?
Oh, good heavens,
look at the time.
I completely forgot
my parking meter.
Now, you say you can take
me in about half an hour?
I'll squeeze you in.
Splendid.
Jessica.
Eve, that New York attorney wouldn't
by any chance be Jason Vernon, would it?
Jessica, I can't believe you'd
do business behind my back.
Isn't he a doll?
Et tu, Phyllis?
Oh, come on. He
just came by my place
to say that he was very
interested in my property.
I must say, he did make a
good case for development.
And he said he could
help my travel agency.
You know, I got kind of a
strange offer myself from that guy.
And I thought he
was my exclusive.
Well, he sent me a letter
saying that this building
could be very valuable,
pending a zoning change.
Now, what does that mean?
I can't imagine.
I mean, a zoning
change would require
that there should be a change in
the way that the city council votes,
and Sam's always
provided the swing vote
that keeps everything
the way it is.
Which is a prehistoric
way to run a city.
You'd think we were in the
Dark Ages before 30-day escrows.
I mean, we've got to get
Sam Booth out of there.
Oh, Eve, you can't be
voting for Milton Overguard.
That sexist pig?
Forget about it.
Well, I'm going to vote for him.
Ideal, why?
He's such a sourpuss.
I bet you can't think of one
nice thing to say about him.
Well,
his poor dear wife,
may she rest in peace,
did make the most
delicious cherry turnovers.
Well, me, I'm voting for
Sam. He's got nice soft hair.
You're done, Jessica.
Thank you, dear.
You know, what
this town really needs
is a woman mayor.
Don't you think so, Jessica?
Well, I don't think that the
mayor's sex should really matter.
No.
But it helps to have some.
Phyllis! That's not nice.
Four weeks, Jessica.
Thank you, Loretta.
I'm ever so sorry
to bother you ladies,
but do any of you know where
I might find the Mayor's office?
Oh, yes.
Turn to the left, go almost
a block, you can't miss it.
Why, thank you, ma'am.
That's right nice of you.
Tell you the truth, I do
feel kind of dumb asking,
but I get a little confused
here in the big city.
Do you work here, ma'am?
Oh, no, dear.
This is Jessica
Fletcher, the writer.
Uh-huh. Oh, and I'm
Annie Mae Chapman.
Hello.
Bye-bye. JESSICA: Bye.
Oh, ma'am, I was just hoping to
make an appointment for tomorrow,
if you can fit me in.
I know you must be real busy,
with a beautiful place like this.
Well, I'm sure I could fit
you in, Miss Chapman.
Oh, good.
See, there's somebody that
I want to look real special for.
Now, who does she
want to look so special for?
What's the matter, Eve?
Afraid of a little competition?
Well, would you look at what
they've done to Sarah Jenkins' house.
You'd think the whole
point of living at the beach
would be to get as far away
as possible from the city.
Jessica. Here we
are. I found him.
Jessica, glad you could make it.
Thank you so much.
Seth. Horton.
How many raffle
tickets can I sell you?
They're only $50.
Apiece?
See, I told you. They
are too expensive.
Every penny goes to the Cabot
Cove Wilderness Protection Fund.
Oh, yes, so that the deer can
continue to chew up my roses.
Honey... Well,
I'd love to buy two.
I think it's very
neighborly of you
to throw this party
for the fund, Horton.
May I give you a
check before I leave?
Of course. All right.
Just wanted to let the locals know
that we care about Cabot Cove.
And let them take a gander
at the house, of course.
Naturally, he couldn't
wait until it was finished.
Of course, we'll probably
all be dead by then.
WINIFRED: Now,
Jessica, don't get me wrong.
I adore Cabot Cove, but really, the
people here aren't exactly ambitious.
Well, I love it here.
I love the slow carpenters,
I love your new traffic light
that kind of sticks on yellow.
Well, of course
you love it, darling.
You're not trapped
behind it all week
when you're trying
to get things done.
All you have to do is just
come flying in for the weekend.
You know, that airstrip
is about the only thing
that could stand improving.
If you put in a real airport, I wouldn't
have to drive down from Morgan Bay.
Oh, and where do you
suggest we put this real airport?
Oh, it wouldn't be hard to yank
out a couple of acres of pine.
WINIFRED: No.
HORTON: Paul!
Paul contributed the Ferrari for
the raffle. Excuse us, won't you?
Oh, just one moment, please.
These rumaki are
supposed to be cooked.
It's raw bacon here, dear.
Ferrari?
Rumaki.
Oh, Seth! Jessica!
Isn't this fabulous?
I've already made three appointments
for people to see your house, Jessica.
Eve, I'm not selling my house.
Oh, good idea, Jessica.
Wait till the prices
go up even further.
Oh, my!
Isn't that Horton Thayer?
He's dreamy.
Doesn't she realize that if the
weekenders push up these values,
the locals won't even be
able to afford Cabot Cove?
EVE: I'm a Realtor here in town,
and I wanted to
give you my card.
All right, well... Would
you excuse me, please?
Oh, of course.
She came on to me.
What, I can't even
smile at a woman?
Are we going to go
through this again?
I just want to know what room you're
going to be sleeping in tonight, darling.
Oh!
The lady Eve strikes again.
Well, the mayoral candidates
are pressing the flesh.
SETH: Of course, in Sam's case,
there's an abundance
of flesh to press.
Pardon me.
You are J.B. Fletcher, the
mystery writer, aren't you?
Yes.
I'm sorry to bother you, ma'am,
but I'm a great fan...
Oh! Of your house.
Oh, come on, woman,
I haven't got all night.
Doc!
Excuse me, Doc.
I've been wanting to
confer with influential citizens
about a project
I've come up with
that will really
put us on the map.
The Cabot Cove
International Airport.
Oh, now, this airport wouldn't
specialize in commuter flights
between here and Boston,
now, would it, Milton?
Sure! Boston's a nice town.
What's wrong with that?
Tell me something, Milton.
Where exactly does
all the money come
for those five-color
posters of yours, huh?
I haven't met a single
person in Cabot Cove
that has contributed one
cent toward your campaign.
Maybe I am getting
funds from out-of-towners.
What's wrong with that?
I got a right to get campaign
money anywhere I can.
It's the American way.
I'll tell you something else
that's the American way.
These out-of-towners can support
you till the cows come home,
but they cannot vote for you.
Thanks for making my night, Doc.
Oh, Doc.
Doc, you're not supporting that
nasty old coot, now, are you?
I plead the sanctity of
the polling booth, Sam.
But, Doc,
I don't know what I'd
be if I wasn't mayor.
Getting reelected's
about all I know how to do.
Let me tell you something, Sam.
Your record as a zero-growth
mayor is very attractive,
not that you
planned it that way.
How's that again, Doc?
What I'm trying to say
is that your strong suit
is that you are a
do-nothing mayor.
Oh.
Thanks, Doc. Thanks a lot.
(PEOPLE CLAPPING)
You know me. I went
to school with you.
I was there when
your children were born
and when your pets died.
You named the new
sewage line after me.
(ALL LAUGHING)
If there's anybody out
there who has any doubts
about electing me to another
two years of service to Cabot Cove,
let them speak now.
But, Sam, you promised
me you wouldn't run again.
Who said that? I never made
any such promise in my life.
Well, who in blazes are you?
Sam, it's me, Annie Mae.
(PEOPLE MURMURING)
I just got my hair done, so I
guess he doesn't recognize me.
I don't know any Annie Mae.
Why, Sam, don't pretend
like you don't know me.
But I don't know you.
And what's more, I don't
think anybody here knows you.
Oh, yes, we do.
Sure.
Well, I mean, Eve
does, and Loretta.
We met yesterday.
At my place. Yeah.
Well, of course
they don't know me.
I've never even left
Wyoming before.
Ladies and gentlemen,
if you're gonna believe an
outside agitator from Wyoming...
Casper, Wyoming.
You remember, Sam.
You promised that after you
finished this term of office,
you'd come back and marry me.
(ALL GASPING)
Marry you? Ridiculous!
I've never even seen
this woman before.
She probably escaped
from the Portland Sanitarium.
Friends, friends, friends.
LORETTA: Oh, look, honey.
Look,
you may have caught
the Mayor at a bad time.
I mean, what more could he
say in front of a crowd of voters?
He could have said he loves me
and that he's coming back
with me like he promised.
Are you sure we're talking
about the same Sam Booth?
Oh, of course.
Here.
That's Gladys, our eldest.
Your eldest?
And that's Randolph
and Fitzroy, the twins.
And there's Clementine, and
there's the baby, Sam Junior.
Morning, Jessica.
Oh, good morning, Fulton.
Guess you heard
about yesterday's ruckus.
Oh, yes.
Never would have
thought it of Sam Booth.
Can't picture him being
the father of five, can you?
Especially with such
an attractive young lady.
Oh, then you've met Annie Mae?
Oh, my, yes, yes.
She came around
asking for directions.
She's so very attractive,
don't you think?
She didn't happen
to ask for directions
to the Mayor's office, did she?
That Sam's a sly fox, isn't he?
JESSICA: Seth, I'm surprised.
I mean, Sam just doesn't seem like the sort
of person who would lead a double life.
He's an open book.
Something by Jacqueline Susann.
Do you know that he's lived in
the same house since he was born?
I've never even seen
him out on a date.
May not be quite as
harmless as you thought, eh?
You know, Seth Hazlitt,
you really are an old gossip.
You know that?
Absolutely wrong.
I'm merely an informed
citizen who, come election day,
is going to exercise his
God-given right at the ballot box.
This year, I'm
actually going to vote.
(KNOCKING AT DOOR)
I'll get it.
Howard, Ebeneezer.
Hope we're not interrupting
anything, Jessica.
Of course not. Come inside.
Doc, what are you doing here?
I might ask you the
same question, Howard.
Emergency.
Oh, I'll get my bag.
No, it's not you, Doc. It's
Jessica's help we need.
What?
As you know, Jessica, Ebeneezer
and I sit on the city council.
And the only way we've
been able to keep the zoning
the way it needs to be
is because Sam has been
providing the swing vote.
But because of this scandal,
Sam may not be reelectable.
And if Milton
Overguard is elected,
that will tip the city council
towards the zoning changes.
Yes, it certainly is cause
for alarm, but what can I do?
Run for mayor. What?
Now, there's an idea.
You would be a shoo-in.
Oh, but surely there are others
who are far more
qualified than I am.
Everybody likes you, Jessica.
They respect your judgment.
And you've got the good
sense to keep your trap shut.
And you have no
history of philandering.
(SETH CLEARING THROAT)
Do you?
Thank you, both of you.
But I have just finished
two books in a row,
and I'm looking
forward to a nice rest.
Oh, but you're the only
celebrity we have in this town.
You're uniquely qualified.
Yes. No one has your
style, your popularity...
HOWARD: Your intelligence.
You're one of a kind, Jessica.
One of a kind.
Gentlemen, thank you.
I'm really very flattered.
But the answer is
no. Unequivocally no.
What about you, Doc?
Would you consider running?
For you, ma'am.
For you, Miss Pickett.
Overguard potholders
for you, Miss Simpson.
Thank you.
Potholder! Potholders
for Overguard!
EVE: "With Overguard
you won't get burnt"?
Have you ever heard of
such a paternalistic attitude?
Actually, Eve,
I'd say that Sam is the candidate
with the paternalistic attitude.
(DOOR OPENING)
Well, girls, I knew it.
I just went through all my old
records at the travel agency,
and sure enough,
Sam Booth has taken a trip to
Casper, Wyoming, every July
for the last 10 years.
How disgusting.
Well, he should resign from
office and drop out of the election.
It's the only
honorable thing to do.
Well, at least he should
resign from the committee
to pick the father of the year.
(TELEPHONE RINGING)
Oh, Corrine, will you get that?
You know what we need?
We need a mayor who is
sensitive to women's issues.
I mean, somebody who doesn't take
the women of Cabot Cove for granted.
Mrs. Simpson, it was a Mr. Knox
about that order you
offered to write up for him.
Oh, God! Oh, how could I forget?
He's hot to trot for
the old Mulavey place.
And he's in the middle
of a heavenly divorce.
She'd be the worst thing that
could ever happen to this town.
But there is one
woman in Cabot Cove
who would make a terrific mayor.
I'm sorry, but the answer is no.
It was no last night,
and it's no now.
But, Jessica, we
can't have Sam Booth.
But... Another thing, Phyllis.
I think that Sam should be given
a chance to answer these charges
before the whole
town pillories him.
Sam's secretary said that
Sam's been avoiding Annie Mae
all over town.
Well, that shouldn't
be too hard.
Annie Mae didn't even know
her way to the Mayor's office.
She came by my travel agency
and asked me for directions.
Phyllis, did you
give her directions
that could have led
her to the Bayside Café?
Not unless her IQ is
smaller than her bra size.
EVE: A civic government is
like the kitchen of a house.
And who's better in the
kitchen than a woman?
Sisters, think about
it. Think about it.
If all the women in
Cabot Cove vote for me,
those two sexist pigs will
split the male chauvinist vote
and we'll finally have
a woman in the kitchen.
Now, everybody, help
yourself to cookies.
Sounds like good strategy.
I don't know.
Eve's already alienated a
certain portion of the voters.
Women with husbands.
Oh.
Oh, thank goodness.
A familiar face.
You were in the beauty parlor.
Mmm-hmm.
Jessica... Fletcher.
Fletcher. And I'm
Annie Mae Chapman.
Of course.
I don't know why that nice
Mrs. Simpson invited me.
I don't know a soul here.
Oh, but Annie Mae, surely you've
met some other people from town.
Well, between you and me, ma'am,
they're only interested in gossiping,
and that's not why I came here.
Forgive me for asking,
but why did you
come to Cabot Cove?
Why, to see Sam, of course.
Yes, but why now? I mean,
why, after all these years,
did you decide to
visit Cabot Cove now?
To tell you the truth, I was
getting a little impatient with Sam.
Every year he'd say how's he
has obligations to the folks here.
So last year, I finally said that when
he is done with this term of office,
he should come back to Wyoming
and take care of me and the little ones.
What a shame you couldn't
bring the children with you.
Is somebody looking
after them for you?
They're with my sister. Oh.
I just miss them so much.
Oh, I don't think I showed you
this sweet little photo of Sam.
She's in here, girls! And
she's showing pictures!
Isn't it cute, that little hat?
And he is standing right in front
of our little love cabin in the woods.
JESSICA: Mmm-hmm.
Oh, and here's where he
made me hold that smelly old fish
while he took my photo.
And this is Gladys
and the twins.
Oh, I'm sorry to be boring
you this way, Mrs. Fletcher.
Oh, don't be silly. Oh,
the twins are beautiful.
Oh, thank you.
Strange. You know, I seem
to have seen them somewhere.
Sure. They look just like Sam.
Annie Mae? Oh, Annie Mae,
Eve's been trying to find you.
She wants to introduce
you to some people.
Well, my goodness,
isn't that nice?
If you ladies will excuse me.
Oh, of course.
Come on. Let's go.
"Some people" being the entire
female voting population of Cabot Cove.
You got it.
You know, Annie Mae certainly knows how to
handle herself for a girl from the sticks.
Yeah, well, she may
be from the sticks,
but she stopped off in New
York to get her hair done.
Oh, you mean her haircut
is too sophisticated?
Well, that's no Casper,
Wyoming, color job.
Jessica!
Sam?
Where have you been? I've
been waiting for you for hours.
Well, I've been at Eve
Simpson's. Whatever is it?
Eve Simpson's? You were
at that suffragette rally?
I came over here to go
down on bended knee
and beg you to
support me publicly,
only to find out you're
supporting Eve Simpson.
No, Sam. Listen,
calm down, will you?
Just answer me this, Jessica.
What did I ever do to you?
Sam, I'm not supporting anybody.
Then you are running.
I knew it, I knew it!
Well, you know what that means.
Everyone's gonna believe
that awful girl's story.
I'll be finished in this town.
Sam, would you please
get ahold of yourself?
Finished!
I'm not running!
(CAR DOOR SLAMS)
Bad news, Jessica. The election?
Well, you might say. Annie Mae
Chapman was killed last night.
What? HOWARD: Shot
dead in her motel room.
Oh, that's terrible!
You're telling us.
It takes Sam completely
out of the running for mayor.
Has anybody notified her sister?
Which leaves only Milton
and Eve, both of whom are,
as you know, very dangerous.
Oh, please stop, both of
you. A woman has died.
I mean, let's set aside
the election for now.
Well, you're absolutely
right, Jessica.
And that's why you'd be such a
great mayor. You have compassion.
That's right. You've got to
run. We don't care what you say.
We'll write you
in, if necessary.
A-yup.
Please, Sam. I want to help you.
Well, what exactly did
you have in mind, Jessica?
A statement to the press?
Well, I'm talking about the
murder of Annie Mae Chapman.
What's that got to do with me?
That's a good question.
I don't mean to be
suspicious, Jessica,
but after what you've put me
through these last few days,
you'll have to excuse me
if I question your loyalties.
Sam, you've got to realize
that people are going to,
well, at least wonder
about the nature
of your relationship
with that young woman.
What?
Excuse me, Mrs. Fletcher.
Mr. Mayor, I'm afraid
I'm gonna have to ask you
a few questions
about last night.
Sheriff.
Well, you can't believe I had
anything to do with that girl's death?
Where were you last night, sir?
He came to see me, Sheriff.
No kidding. Stay long?
No, no. He seemed rather upset.
What about?
Well, I suppose
it could have been
that you were concerned about
your reputation, weren't you, Sam?
Well, thanks, Jessica.
(SARCASTICALLY) Thank
you ever so much for your help.
It's all a smear, Sheriff. A
smear to keep me from winning.
Well, here's my problem, sir.
You're the only person in town who
had a relationship with the deceased.
We did not have a relationship!
I've never had a
relationship with anybody.
Then how do you
explain these photos?
Fakes! Why, this
is a conspiracy!
That's not you
holding that fish?
Sheriff, Annie Mae could have
gotten ahold of one of those pictures,
had another one
of herself taken.
I mean, they're not
in the same shot.
That's right.
METZGER: What about
the photos of the kids?
I hate children.
I mean, I love children,
but not my own children.
If I had any children of
my own, which I don't.
Well, Sheriff, I hope you're going to
get in touch with that poor woman's sister.
Floyd's already
working on it, Mabel.
The least you could
do is go to Wyoming
and take care of those
poor, unfortunate orphans,
now that your
love bunny is dead.
There aren't any children.
But the Mayor's the
only one with a motive.
Well, that we know of.
But what do we really know
about Annie Mae, anyway?
I mean, doesn't it seem peculiar
that all she had in her wallet
were the snapshots
and her driving license?
I mean, I don't have
a driver's license,
but I certainly have more
ID than that, don't you?
Something else we
found in her purse.
Good heavens!
Two thousand bucks.
Found her purse right
there on the nightstand.
Well, you'd think,
with that much money,
she would have
locked the window.
Anybody who's ever stayed in that
motel knows the windows don't lock.
I asked around.
At least we know the
motive wasn't robbery.
You know, there's something
about this photo here.
METZGER: Those
are the same kids.
That is the exact
same photograph.
Now things are
starting to make sense.
You're gonna love this, Mrs. F.
No Annie Mae Chapman
with the Wyoming DMV.
No Annie Mae Chapman in Casper.
Nobody knows her anywhere.
You know, the catalog
company would know
the model agency that
those twins came from.
Maybe that agency knows
something about Annie Mae.
Well, I don't get it. Supposing it
was a scam, what was the deal?
To shake Sam down?
Well, from the timing,
I'd say it was more likely
that it was done
to discredit Sam.
Lose him the election.
So the money in her purse...
Possibly a payoff.
But who would want
to go to all that trouble
to win an election in Cabot
Cove, for God's sakes?
The job doesn't pay enough to
buy hair curlers for a skinhead.
Sheriff Metzger!
Mr. Overguard. We were
just talking about you.
Never mind that.
You listen to me.
This girl's death must be your
number-one priority, understand?
I want it solved, and
I want it solved quick.
Why, Milton, I never realized that
you were interested in police business.
This sort of sex scandal might
hurt a Congressman in Washington,
but in Cabot Cove, it only
makes Sam Booth look interesting.
Good morning. Don't
forget me on election day.
Oh, Jessica!
Hello, Eve. How are you?
Oh, very well.
A little gift you
may find useful.
How To Fix Up Your
Home and Sell It For a Profit.
Oh, thank you.
I believe I did mention that I
don't intend to sell my house.
Oh, keep it anyway. A little
personal gift from me to you.
Well, thank you.
I hope I can count on your vote.
You know, Eve,
I don't really know how you
stand on a lot of the issues.
I mean, for example,
what do you think
about all of this trade
that we're getting on weekends?
Oh, well, naturally,
as a Realtor,
I mean, I have to be
in favor of development.
But it should be
development with heart.
Yeah. The sort of development
that that attorney from
New York was advocating?
Vernon, was that his name?
Oh, Mr. Vernon is all for keeping
the character of Cabot Cove intact.
I just met with him
last night, in fact.
Oh, is he in Cabot Cove?
Oh, no, no. I went over to Morgan
Bay to see him after my rally.
He's flying back to
New York today and...
Well, Jessica, I'd love to chat
with you about issues and things,
but I've got a
campaign to run. Ciao!
Sorry I didn't get this
back to you sooner, Seth,
but this town certainly
has been hopping.
A-yup.
First of all, Sam
shows up at your house
at all hours, a desperate man,
and then Annie Mae Chapman
gets herself shot in her motel room,
and then you finally dissuade
Sheriff Metzger from arresting Sam.
Well, that's not quite...
Then you found out
that Annie Mae is a fraud
and that her children were all
probably underage Brooke Shieldses.
But that's amazing, Sam. How
did you find all that out so quickly?
I mean, it hasn't even
been in the paper yet.
How long am I gonna have to
be on these things, Dr. Hazlitt?
Oh, it's a minor
sprain, Corrine.
I expect if you
stay off your feet,
you'll be back at Gossip
Center by tomorrow.
Is everything
all right, Corrine?
Do you have a way to get home?
Actually, Mrs. Fletcher, I
was just gonna ask Dr. Hazlitt
if he could give me a
ride to the Sheriff's office.
Whatever for, Corrine?
Are you on assignment?
You already seem to know
every move the Sheriff makes.
I just happen to
know some information
that I think the
Sheriff ought to know,
information which might
pertain to the murder.
Well, of course, if you saw
something, that would be important.
I didn't actually see it.
I hope I'm doing
the right thing.
I know I've gotten
in trouble before
for passing along information.
Nice way to put it.
So, what is it, Corrine?
Well, I wouldn't want to
be accused of gossiping.
So far, no one can accuse you
of even passing along information.
Well, I have it on
very good authority
that Annie Mae Chapman was seen
going into her room at the Paradise Motel
late last night with a man.
With Sam Booth?
No, not the Mayor.
With another man.
So who did she go into
her motel room with?
I don't exactly know.
You don't exactly know?
You try and do your civic duty,
and everybody
jumps all over you.
Corrine, who did
you hear this from?
Oh, Mrs. Fletcher, you know, a
manicurist cannot reveal her sources.
In this case, make an exception.
It was Ideal Malloy. I
heard her talking about it
in the produce department of
Ferguson's Grocery this morning.
METZGER: That modeling agency,
they're gonna send up a sheet
with photos of all
their kid models.
You know, I
wouldn't be surprised
if all of Annie Mae's children
turned up on those proof sheets.
Not Annie Mae,
ma'am. Anne Mitchell.
She used to be a model
with the agency herself.
She blew in last week,
saying she was desperate
and needed photos of five kids.
Yeah. Things are
starting to make sense.
But there's one thing that I
don't quite understand, Sheriff.
Why you want me with you
while you talk to Ideal Malloy.
Well, I don't really need
you with me, exactly. It's...
Well, the fact is, ma'am,
there have been some
evenings when Mrs. Malloy
has called me about
her cat being up a tree,
but when I get
there, there's that cat
sitting in the kitchen
like a big, fat doorstop.
And Mrs. Malloy?
She's got this big,
fat grin on her face.
Well, actually, it
was Eve who told me
about Annie Mae's being at that
Paradise Motel with another man.
Isn't that just shocking?
Particularly with that
motel's reputation.
Why, do you know they
even have cable television?
Did you see her
yourself, Mrs. Simpson?
No, but since when is it
a crime to report news?
Now, when I become
mayor, I'm going to see to it
that the police in this
town stop bullying people.
Excuse me, Eve,
but how did you know about
Annie Mae being at the motel?
Well, if you must
know, from Loretta.
Well, I figured
that her red hair
wasn't all that was
phony about that girl.
And then, when I heard about her
going into her motel
room with another man...
So you only heard about it?
Is there anybody who
hasn't heard about it?
Were you told who
the man was, Loretta?
Well, maybe Mrs. Grant knows.
She's the one who filled me in
on her way to work this morning.
Oh, well, I'm afraid I
can't help you, Sheriff.
As a matter of fact, I
heard about it from...
All I can say is the Paradise
Motel is the last place on earth
that one would expect to find a man like
Horton Thayer carrying on a rendezvous.
Ideal!
Oh, I don't go to
the Paradise Motel.
I only go to the café there
because it has the best clam
chowder in the whole shore.
But, Ideal, why didn't you tell
us when we came to your house
that it was you who'd
seen Annie Mae?
Well, Jessica, I didn't want
you to think I was a gossip.
Thayer!
JESSICA: Sheriff?
Winifred's car is gone.
That one Thayer's?
Yes. It's covered,
the way it usually is
when he's in the
city during the week.
Yeah, but we know
better, don't we?
Thayer, police. We
know you're in town.
Jessica, Sheriff.
I've been avoiding
the phone and the door.
I'd have opened up right
away if I'd known it was you.
Yeah, right.
I must say, I'm surprised you're in
Cabot Cove during the week, Horton.
I wanted to steal a little time
here incognito. Come on in.
Sorry I can't offer you
anything, but the larder's bare.
Winifred's out marketing.
I don't deny it.
The woman called me and
asked me to have a drink with her.
Yeah, but I swear I'd
never met her before.
You must admit,
Horton, it's hard to believe
that a total stranger would call
and invite you to have a drink
in her motel room, and even harder
to believe that you would accept it,
especially as you
were in town incognito.
All right.
All right, I'll tell
you everything,
but please, please
don't tell my wife.
She doesn't know
anything about this,
and she'd only misinterpret it.
Annie Mae worked
for you, didn't she?
In an attempt to
influence the election?
She called last night, asked
me to come and meet her.
I imagine she wanted some money?
More money.
I should have remembered
how greedy Anne was.
We had an affair
about 10 years ago.
She was a model, an actress.
So when I came up with this
idea, I figured she could pull it off.
So you hired her.
I didn't hire her.
I wanted to keep my
distance from the whole affair.
My attorney handled
the arrangements.
Jason Vernon.
That's right.
I imagine that you employed
Annie to discredit Sam,
to get Milton elected mayor?
Since Milton was
clearly pro-development,
it's easy to assume
that you are, too.
Makes sense.
I also suspect that you
are the anonymous buyer
for whom Mr. Vernon is working.
Yeah. And you stood to lose an
awful lot if Annie Mae spilled the beans.
Sheriff, I paid her off.
Two thousand dollars cash.
Right.
But when I left the motel,
she was alive. I swear it.
Alive, huh?
Let's see what happens to that
story when his lawyer gets here.
I'm sorry, Sheriff, but
something just doesn't fit.
Now, hold it, ma'am.
Don't waffle on me now.
You're the one who
figured out his motive.
Yes, but that's just it.
Having a lot of money tied up in
the development of Cabot Cove
is a reasonable motive for
trying to swing an election.
But for murder?
Well, the motive was blackmail.
She wanted 2,000 bucks.
Yes, but if the money meant that
much, why didn't he take it back?
Why did he leave it
in the motel room?
Oh, Jessica. Excuse us, please.
Sheriff, what is the
meaning of this outrage?
I demand that you release
my husband immediately.
God, word travels
fast in this burg.
My husband's attorney telephoned
me as soon as Horton called him.
Now, then... Ma'am, forgive me,
but I've got your
husband dead-bang.
He's been placed at
the scene of the crime.
He doesn't have an alibi.
Well, what about a motive?
He doesn't even know
this Anne Mitchell.
METZGER: Motive?
I'll give you a motive.
He and those other sharks
were trying to take over this town,
turn it into some kind of an
Atlantic City or something.
Excuse me, Sheriff...
And I happen to like
this town just the way it is!
Sheriff... Mort. Just a moment.
Winifred, how did you know that Annie
Chapman's real name was Anne Mitchell?
Well, I must've
heard it around town.
But nobody else in town knew.
And the Sheriff himself only
discovered it a couple of hours ago.
And I didn't tell anybody,
except Mrs. Fletcher.
(STAMMERING) Well, I don't know.
I mean, Horton must've told me.
But you just said he
didn't even know her.
The only way that I can think that you
would know Anne Mitchell's real name
was if you knew her.
Well, that's absurd.
I mean, how could I?
Well, that's just the point.
In order to know her name,
you must have known her
when she had an affair with
your husband a few years back?
You were still able to
recognize her voice, weren't you,
last night, when she
telephoned your house?
No, that's... No, that's wrong.
Horton answered the telephone.
Oh, that's odd.
He said he'd been avoiding
the telephone or the front door,
that he was in town incognito.
You know what I think, ma'am? I
think you followed him to the motel.
You waited for him to leave.
And Mrs. Thayer, I'm sure I could get
somebody at that motel to ID your car.
Not that many
Jags in Cabot Cove.
(SNIFFLING) Uh-huh,
I bet you could.
Well, the gossip wires burn
pretty hot in this town, don't they?
Oh, God, how I hate this place!
The only reason why I stay here
is because I cannot
show my face in Boston!
He's had affairs
with so many women!
Mostly my friends, I might add!
You bet I killed her,
the same way I wanted to kill all the
other women he'd humiliated me with.
SETH: I feel so
good this morning,
I may do two miles
instead of just one.
(HORN HONKING) Well, I
wouldn't want you to overdo it.
Oh, good morning, Loretta.
Oh, good morning, Jessica, Seth.
Morning.
Say, have you
heard? What's that?
The election
results just came in.
Ebeneezer's wife,
Beth, gave them to me.
Have we still got a town?
How did Eve do?
Six votes.
Odd. I didn't know
she had five friends.
She's holed up at home
and speaking to no one.
Then who did win?
Not Milton Overguard?
No, he got 19.
You mean... (BICYCLE BELL RINGS)
Morning, voters!
Thank you kindly.
Well, I have to get down
to the shop and tell the girls
before they find out
from someone else.
Bye-bye.
Well, safe for
another two years.
You know, maybe, Jess,
next time you should run.
What for? I understand that Milton
Overguard and his Boston cronies
were last seen checking
property at Amaquonsett Point.
Were they?
Well, since there's
nothing to do again,
perhaps we've selected
the right man for the job.
A-yup.
sensitive to women's issues.
Run for mayor. What?
FEMALE NARRATOR:
Tonight on Murder, She Wrote.
You promised that after you
finished this term of office,
you'd marry me.
I adore Cabot Cove, but really, the
people here aren't exactly ambitious.
Well, I love it here.
Anybody who's ever stayed in that
motel knows the windows don't lock.
Then you are running.
I knew it, I knew it!
I'm not running!
JESSICA: A-ha, Seth.
I'm feeling hearty
this morning, Jess.
What do you say we go
for a mile and a quarter?
Perfect, if we
walk towards town.
I have a haircut at Loretta's.
As long as I don't
have to go inside.
I'll just get my purse.
Aren't you going to call
in the professionals, huh?
I give you another week at this.
Seth, I have told you.
I find this very relaxing.
(CHUCKLING) That.
(TELEPHONE RINGING)
Excuse me.
Hello? Yes, speaking.
Oh, yes, Mr. Vernon.
Yes, I did get
your letter, and...
Well, I'm flattered that
your client loves my house,
but as I explained
when I wrote back...
Thank you, but my
house is not for sale.
Mr. Vernon, forgive me
if I seem a little abrupt,
but I do not wish to sell,
not now, not ever.
How much?
You know what's driving
the property values
right through the
roof, don't you?
It's these rich weekenders
spilling over from Morgan Bay.
Yes, Morgan Bay used to be
such a nice, sleepy little town.
Now you can't even
get into the café
at the Shady Side Restaurant
there without a reservation.
Well, you don't think that's
going to happen here, do you?
What do you suppose that
phone call was all about?
I tell you, these city people
are looking for new
territory to weekend-ize.
Morning, Sam.
Oh, morning, Jessica, Doc.
Been meaning to talk to you.
Can't stop, Sam. We're
edging up our pulse rates.
My goodness, Sam, is
it election time already?
Every two years.
Didn't know Sam
could count that high.
Oh, Seth, he's harmless enough.
That's my point exactly.
He never does anything.
Don't you think it's peculiar
that he takes off every July?
July, Jess.
When everything's going on
with the tourists and all. Tourists!
You know, Seth, you don't have to
exercise to get your pulse rate up.
(JESSICA CHUCKLES)
Morning, Milton.
Jessica.
I didn't know you were
running against Sam.
Dirty job, but
somebody's got to do it.
SETH: "The future is now"?
What in blazes does that mean?
The future's not now. It's then.
No, no, the past is then.
Should be an interesting race.
This is the first time in years
that Sam has had
any competition.
Milton is too much of a grouch
to capture the
imagination of those voters
who have seen to it that
Sam is returned to office
term after term after term.
You mean the 86% that stay home.
Exactly.
(WOLF WHISTLE)
Jessica,
all I know is that your
books give me nightmares.
Why don't you write something
happy in a nice magazine?
Ideal, somehow I don't
think that Jessica's goals
include writing recipes
for leftover meat loaf.
Actually, my main goal right now
is finishing fixing up my house.
Are you thinking
of selling, Jessica?
The market's strong now.
I'm sure we could do very well.
Sell? Eve, my goodness,
you know I wouldn't dream of it.
(DOOR OPENING)
Oh, excuse me a second, Jessica.
Good morning, Mrs. Thayer.
Yes, I wonder if
you could help me.
Her husband's very nice,
but she's a bit of a snob.
Well, all I know is that
when I see them around town,
they're always arguing
about something.
EVE: Well, they paid 208
for Sarah Jenkins' house,
just for weekends.
Well, $208 seems very
reasonable for a weekend.
Well, I can get to you as soon
as I'm finished with Mrs. Fletcher.
Oh, good. Help
yourself to some coffee.
Oh, have you got any cappuccino?
Afraid not.
Oh.
Decaf?
No.
Good morning.
Oh, hello.
Good morning, Winifred.
You look very relaxed for somebody
who's throwing a party tonight.
WINIFRED: Oh, well, you know, Jessica,
the caterers take care of all of that.
Although, I must say, I
really don't trust them.
Are there any good
food people in this town?
Now, you be sure to call me
about your house, Jessica.
I think I already have
one of your cards, Eve.
You know, I'm really
so busy right now.
There's this New York attorney who
has all sorts of Park Avenue-ish clients
who are so thrilled
with Cabot Cove.
But I'm sure I could find
time for some of your friends
who might like to move to our
little pied-à-plage, Mrs. Thayer.
Well, of course, but...
(EXCLAIMS) Quel dommage.
Jessica's taken my last card.
But perhaps I could bring
some by your house this evening.
Say, 8:00-ish?
Oh, good heavens,
look at the time.
I completely forgot
my parking meter.
Now, you say you can take
me in about half an hour?
I'll squeeze you in.
Splendid.
Jessica.
Eve, that New York attorney wouldn't
by any chance be Jason Vernon, would it?
Jessica, I can't believe you'd
do business behind my back.
Isn't he a doll?
Et tu, Phyllis?
Oh, come on. He
just came by my place
to say that he was very
interested in my property.
I must say, he did make a
good case for development.
And he said he could
help my travel agency.
You know, I got kind of a
strange offer myself from that guy.
And I thought he
was my exclusive.
Well, he sent me a letter
saying that this building
could be very valuable,
pending a zoning change.
Now, what does that mean?
I can't imagine.
I mean, a zoning
change would require
that there should be a change in
the way that the city council votes,
and Sam's always
provided the swing vote
that keeps everything
the way it is.
Which is a prehistoric
way to run a city.
You'd think we were in the
Dark Ages before 30-day escrows.
I mean, we've got to get
Sam Booth out of there.
Oh, Eve, you can't be
voting for Milton Overguard.
That sexist pig?
Forget about it.
Well, I'm going to vote for him.
Ideal, why?
He's such a sourpuss.
I bet you can't think of one
nice thing to say about him.
Well,
his poor dear wife,
may she rest in peace,
did make the most
delicious cherry turnovers.
Well, me, I'm voting for
Sam. He's got nice soft hair.
You're done, Jessica.
Thank you, dear.
You know, what
this town really needs
is a woman mayor.
Don't you think so, Jessica?
Well, I don't think that the
mayor's sex should really matter.
No.
But it helps to have some.
Phyllis! That's not nice.
Four weeks, Jessica.
Thank you, Loretta.
I'm ever so sorry
to bother you ladies,
but do any of you know where
I might find the Mayor's office?
Oh, yes.
Turn to the left, go almost
a block, you can't miss it.
Why, thank you, ma'am.
That's right nice of you.
Tell you the truth, I do
feel kind of dumb asking,
but I get a little confused
here in the big city.
Do you work here, ma'am?
Oh, no, dear.
This is Jessica
Fletcher, the writer.
Uh-huh. Oh, and I'm
Annie Mae Chapman.
Hello.
Bye-bye. JESSICA: Bye.
Oh, ma'am, I was just hoping to
make an appointment for tomorrow,
if you can fit me in.
I know you must be real busy,
with a beautiful place like this.
Well, I'm sure I could fit
you in, Miss Chapman.
Oh, good.
See, there's somebody that
I want to look real special for.
Now, who does she
want to look so special for?
What's the matter, Eve?
Afraid of a little competition?
Well, would you look at what
they've done to Sarah Jenkins' house.
You'd think the whole
point of living at the beach
would be to get as far away
as possible from the city.
Jessica. Here we
are. I found him.
Jessica, glad you could make it.
Thank you so much.
Seth. Horton.
How many raffle
tickets can I sell you?
They're only $50.
Apiece?
See, I told you. They
are too expensive.
Every penny goes to the Cabot
Cove Wilderness Protection Fund.
Oh, yes, so that the deer can
continue to chew up my roses.
Honey... Well,
I'd love to buy two.
I think it's very
neighborly of you
to throw this party
for the fund, Horton.
May I give you a
check before I leave?
Of course. All right.
Just wanted to let the locals know
that we care about Cabot Cove.
And let them take a gander
at the house, of course.
Naturally, he couldn't
wait until it was finished.
Of course, we'll probably
all be dead by then.
WINIFRED: Now,
Jessica, don't get me wrong.
I adore Cabot Cove, but really, the
people here aren't exactly ambitious.
Well, I love it here.
I love the slow carpenters,
I love your new traffic light
that kind of sticks on yellow.
Well, of course
you love it, darling.
You're not trapped
behind it all week
when you're trying
to get things done.
All you have to do is just
come flying in for the weekend.
You know, that airstrip
is about the only thing
that could stand improving.
If you put in a real airport, I wouldn't
have to drive down from Morgan Bay.
Oh, and where do you
suggest we put this real airport?
Oh, it wouldn't be hard to yank
out a couple of acres of pine.
WINIFRED: No.
HORTON: Paul!
Paul contributed the Ferrari for
the raffle. Excuse us, won't you?
Oh, just one moment, please.
These rumaki are
supposed to be cooked.
It's raw bacon here, dear.
Ferrari?
Rumaki.
Oh, Seth! Jessica!
Isn't this fabulous?
I've already made three appointments
for people to see your house, Jessica.
Eve, I'm not selling my house.
Oh, good idea, Jessica.
Wait till the prices
go up even further.
Oh, my!
Isn't that Horton Thayer?
He's dreamy.
Doesn't she realize that if the
weekenders push up these values,
the locals won't even be
able to afford Cabot Cove?
EVE: I'm a Realtor here in town,
and I wanted to
give you my card.
All right, well... Would
you excuse me, please?
Oh, of course.
She came on to me.
What, I can't even
smile at a woman?
Are we going to go
through this again?
I just want to know what room you're
going to be sleeping in tonight, darling.
Oh!
The lady Eve strikes again.
Well, the mayoral candidates
are pressing the flesh.
SETH: Of course, in Sam's case,
there's an abundance
of flesh to press.
Pardon me.
You are J.B. Fletcher, the
mystery writer, aren't you?
Yes.
I'm sorry to bother you, ma'am,
but I'm a great fan...
Oh! Of your house.
Oh, come on, woman,
I haven't got all night.
Doc!
Excuse me, Doc.
I've been wanting to
confer with influential citizens
about a project
I've come up with
that will really
put us on the map.
The Cabot Cove
International Airport.
Oh, now, this airport wouldn't
specialize in commuter flights
between here and Boston,
now, would it, Milton?
Sure! Boston's a nice town.
What's wrong with that?
Tell me something, Milton.
Where exactly does
all the money come
for those five-color
posters of yours, huh?
I haven't met a single
person in Cabot Cove
that has contributed one
cent toward your campaign.
Maybe I am getting
funds from out-of-towners.
What's wrong with that?
I got a right to get campaign
money anywhere I can.
It's the American way.
I'll tell you something else
that's the American way.
These out-of-towners can support
you till the cows come home,
but they cannot vote for you.
Thanks for making my night, Doc.
Oh, Doc.
Doc, you're not supporting that
nasty old coot, now, are you?
I plead the sanctity of
the polling booth, Sam.
But, Doc,
I don't know what I'd
be if I wasn't mayor.
Getting reelected's
about all I know how to do.
Let me tell you something, Sam.
Your record as a zero-growth
mayor is very attractive,
not that you
planned it that way.
How's that again, Doc?
What I'm trying to say
is that your strong suit
is that you are a
do-nothing mayor.
Oh.
Thanks, Doc. Thanks a lot.
(PEOPLE CLAPPING)
You know me. I went
to school with you.
I was there when
your children were born
and when your pets died.
You named the new
sewage line after me.
(ALL LAUGHING)
If there's anybody out
there who has any doubts
about electing me to another
two years of service to Cabot Cove,
let them speak now.
But, Sam, you promised
me you wouldn't run again.
Who said that? I never made
any such promise in my life.
Well, who in blazes are you?
Sam, it's me, Annie Mae.
(PEOPLE MURMURING)
I just got my hair done, so I
guess he doesn't recognize me.
I don't know any Annie Mae.
Why, Sam, don't pretend
like you don't know me.
But I don't know you.
And what's more, I don't
think anybody here knows you.
Oh, yes, we do.
Sure.
Well, I mean, Eve
does, and Loretta.
We met yesterday.
At my place. Yeah.
Well, of course
they don't know me.
I've never even left
Wyoming before.
Ladies and gentlemen,
if you're gonna believe an
outside agitator from Wyoming...
Casper, Wyoming.
You remember, Sam.
You promised that after you
finished this term of office,
you'd come back and marry me.
(ALL GASPING)
Marry you? Ridiculous!
I've never even seen
this woman before.
She probably escaped
from the Portland Sanitarium.
Friends, friends, friends.
LORETTA: Oh, look, honey.
Look,
you may have caught
the Mayor at a bad time.
I mean, what more could he
say in front of a crowd of voters?
He could have said he loves me
and that he's coming back
with me like he promised.
Are you sure we're talking
about the same Sam Booth?
Oh, of course.
Here.
That's Gladys, our eldest.
Your eldest?
And that's Randolph
and Fitzroy, the twins.
And there's Clementine, and
there's the baby, Sam Junior.
Morning, Jessica.
Oh, good morning, Fulton.
Guess you heard
about yesterday's ruckus.
Oh, yes.
Never would have
thought it of Sam Booth.
Can't picture him being
the father of five, can you?
Especially with such
an attractive young lady.
Oh, then you've met Annie Mae?
Oh, my, yes, yes.
She came around
asking for directions.
She's so very attractive,
don't you think?
She didn't happen
to ask for directions
to the Mayor's office, did she?
That Sam's a sly fox, isn't he?
JESSICA: Seth, I'm surprised.
I mean, Sam just doesn't seem like the sort
of person who would lead a double life.
He's an open book.
Something by Jacqueline Susann.
Do you know that he's lived in
the same house since he was born?
I've never even seen
him out on a date.
May not be quite as
harmless as you thought, eh?
You know, Seth Hazlitt,
you really are an old gossip.
You know that?
Absolutely wrong.
I'm merely an informed
citizen who, come election day,
is going to exercise his
God-given right at the ballot box.
This year, I'm
actually going to vote.
(KNOCKING AT DOOR)
I'll get it.
Howard, Ebeneezer.
Hope we're not interrupting
anything, Jessica.
Of course not. Come inside.
Doc, what are you doing here?
I might ask you the
same question, Howard.
Emergency.
Oh, I'll get my bag.
No, it's not you, Doc. It's
Jessica's help we need.
What?
As you know, Jessica, Ebeneezer
and I sit on the city council.
And the only way we've
been able to keep the zoning
the way it needs to be
is because Sam has been
providing the swing vote.
But because of this scandal,
Sam may not be reelectable.
And if Milton
Overguard is elected,
that will tip the city council
towards the zoning changes.
Yes, it certainly is cause
for alarm, but what can I do?
Run for mayor. What?
Now, there's an idea.
You would be a shoo-in.
Oh, but surely there are others
who are far more
qualified than I am.
Everybody likes you, Jessica.
They respect your judgment.
And you've got the good
sense to keep your trap shut.
And you have no
history of philandering.
(SETH CLEARING THROAT)
Do you?
Thank you, both of you.
But I have just finished
two books in a row,
and I'm looking
forward to a nice rest.
Oh, but you're the only
celebrity we have in this town.
You're uniquely qualified.
Yes. No one has your
style, your popularity...
HOWARD: Your intelligence.
You're one of a kind, Jessica.
One of a kind.
Gentlemen, thank you.
I'm really very flattered.
But the answer is
no. Unequivocally no.
What about you, Doc?
Would you consider running?
For you, ma'am.
For you, Miss Pickett.
Overguard potholders
for you, Miss Simpson.
Thank you.
Potholder! Potholders
for Overguard!
EVE: "With Overguard
you won't get burnt"?
Have you ever heard of
such a paternalistic attitude?
Actually, Eve,
I'd say that Sam is the candidate
with the paternalistic attitude.
(DOOR OPENING)
Well, girls, I knew it.
I just went through all my old
records at the travel agency,
and sure enough,
Sam Booth has taken a trip to
Casper, Wyoming, every July
for the last 10 years.
How disgusting.
Well, he should resign from
office and drop out of the election.
It's the only
honorable thing to do.
Well, at least he should
resign from the committee
to pick the father of the year.
(TELEPHONE RINGING)
Oh, Corrine, will you get that?
You know what we need?
We need a mayor who is
sensitive to women's issues.
I mean, somebody who doesn't take
the women of Cabot Cove for granted.
Mrs. Simpson, it was a Mr. Knox
about that order you
offered to write up for him.
Oh, God! Oh, how could I forget?
He's hot to trot for
the old Mulavey place.
And he's in the middle
of a heavenly divorce.
She'd be the worst thing that
could ever happen to this town.
But there is one
woman in Cabot Cove
who would make a terrific mayor.
I'm sorry, but the answer is no.
It was no last night,
and it's no now.
But, Jessica, we
can't have Sam Booth.
But... Another thing, Phyllis.
I think that Sam should be given
a chance to answer these charges
before the whole
town pillories him.
Sam's secretary said that
Sam's been avoiding Annie Mae
all over town.
Well, that shouldn't
be too hard.
Annie Mae didn't even know
her way to the Mayor's office.
She came by my travel agency
and asked me for directions.
Phyllis, did you
give her directions
that could have led
her to the Bayside Café?
Not unless her IQ is
smaller than her bra size.
EVE: A civic government is
like the kitchen of a house.
And who's better in the
kitchen than a woman?
Sisters, think about
it. Think about it.
If all the women in
Cabot Cove vote for me,
those two sexist pigs will
split the male chauvinist vote
and we'll finally have
a woman in the kitchen.
Now, everybody, help
yourself to cookies.
Sounds like good strategy.
I don't know.
Eve's already alienated a
certain portion of the voters.
Women with husbands.
Oh.
Oh, thank goodness.
A familiar face.
You were in the beauty parlor.
Mmm-hmm.
Jessica... Fletcher.
Fletcher. And I'm
Annie Mae Chapman.
Of course.
I don't know why that nice
Mrs. Simpson invited me.
I don't know a soul here.
Oh, but Annie Mae, surely you've
met some other people from town.
Well, between you and me, ma'am,
they're only interested in gossiping,
and that's not why I came here.
Forgive me for asking,
but why did you
come to Cabot Cove?
Why, to see Sam, of course.
Yes, but why now? I mean,
why, after all these years,
did you decide to
visit Cabot Cove now?
To tell you the truth, I was
getting a little impatient with Sam.
Every year he'd say how's he
has obligations to the folks here.
So last year, I finally said that when
he is done with this term of office,
he should come back to Wyoming
and take care of me and the little ones.
What a shame you couldn't
bring the children with you.
Is somebody looking
after them for you?
They're with my sister. Oh.
I just miss them so much.
Oh, I don't think I showed you
this sweet little photo of Sam.
She's in here, girls! And
she's showing pictures!
Isn't it cute, that little hat?
And he is standing right in front
of our little love cabin in the woods.
JESSICA: Mmm-hmm.
Oh, and here's where he
made me hold that smelly old fish
while he took my photo.
And this is Gladys
and the twins.
Oh, I'm sorry to be boring
you this way, Mrs. Fletcher.
Oh, don't be silly. Oh,
the twins are beautiful.
Oh, thank you.
Strange. You know, I seem
to have seen them somewhere.
Sure. They look just like Sam.
Annie Mae? Oh, Annie Mae,
Eve's been trying to find you.
She wants to introduce
you to some people.
Well, my goodness,
isn't that nice?
If you ladies will excuse me.
Oh, of course.
Come on. Let's go.
"Some people" being the entire
female voting population of Cabot Cove.
You got it.
You know, Annie Mae certainly knows how to
handle herself for a girl from the sticks.
Yeah, well, she may
be from the sticks,
but she stopped off in New
York to get her hair done.
Oh, you mean her haircut
is too sophisticated?
Well, that's no Casper,
Wyoming, color job.
Jessica!
Sam?
Where have you been? I've
been waiting for you for hours.
Well, I've been at Eve
Simpson's. Whatever is it?
Eve Simpson's? You were
at that suffragette rally?
I came over here to go
down on bended knee
and beg you to
support me publicly,
only to find out you're
supporting Eve Simpson.
No, Sam. Listen,
calm down, will you?
Just answer me this, Jessica.
What did I ever do to you?
Sam, I'm not supporting anybody.
Then you are running.
I knew it, I knew it!
Well, you know what that means.
Everyone's gonna believe
that awful girl's story.
I'll be finished in this town.
Sam, would you please
get ahold of yourself?
Finished!
I'm not running!
(CAR DOOR SLAMS)
Bad news, Jessica. The election?
Well, you might say. Annie Mae
Chapman was killed last night.
What? HOWARD: Shot
dead in her motel room.
Oh, that's terrible!
You're telling us.
It takes Sam completely
out of the running for mayor.
Has anybody notified her sister?
Which leaves only Milton
and Eve, both of whom are,
as you know, very dangerous.
Oh, please stop, both of
you. A woman has died.
I mean, let's set aside
the election for now.
Well, you're absolutely
right, Jessica.
And that's why you'd be such a
great mayor. You have compassion.
That's right. You've got to
run. We don't care what you say.
We'll write you
in, if necessary.
A-yup.
Please, Sam. I want to help you.
Well, what exactly did
you have in mind, Jessica?
A statement to the press?
Well, I'm talking about the
murder of Annie Mae Chapman.
What's that got to do with me?
That's a good question.
I don't mean to be
suspicious, Jessica,
but after what you've put me
through these last few days,
you'll have to excuse me
if I question your loyalties.
Sam, you've got to realize
that people are going to,
well, at least wonder
about the nature
of your relationship
with that young woman.
What?
Excuse me, Mrs. Fletcher.
Mr. Mayor, I'm afraid
I'm gonna have to ask you
a few questions
about last night.
Sheriff.
Well, you can't believe I had
anything to do with that girl's death?
Where were you last night, sir?
He came to see me, Sheriff.
No kidding. Stay long?
No, no. He seemed rather upset.
What about?
Well, I suppose
it could have been
that you were concerned about
your reputation, weren't you, Sam?
Well, thanks, Jessica.
(SARCASTICALLY) Thank
you ever so much for your help.
It's all a smear, Sheriff. A
smear to keep me from winning.
Well, here's my problem, sir.
You're the only person in town who
had a relationship with the deceased.
We did not have a relationship!
I've never had a
relationship with anybody.
Then how do you
explain these photos?
Fakes! Why, this
is a conspiracy!
That's not you
holding that fish?
Sheriff, Annie Mae could have
gotten ahold of one of those pictures,
had another one
of herself taken.
I mean, they're not
in the same shot.
That's right.
METZGER: What about
the photos of the kids?
I hate children.
I mean, I love children,
but not my own children.
If I had any children of
my own, which I don't.
Well, Sheriff, I hope you're going to
get in touch with that poor woman's sister.
Floyd's already
working on it, Mabel.
The least you could
do is go to Wyoming
and take care of those
poor, unfortunate orphans,
now that your
love bunny is dead.
There aren't any children.
But the Mayor's the
only one with a motive.
Well, that we know of.
But what do we really know
about Annie Mae, anyway?
I mean, doesn't it seem peculiar
that all she had in her wallet
were the snapshots
and her driving license?
I mean, I don't have
a driver's license,
but I certainly have more
ID than that, don't you?
Something else we
found in her purse.
Good heavens!
Two thousand bucks.
Found her purse right
there on the nightstand.
Well, you'd think,
with that much money,
she would have
locked the window.
Anybody who's ever stayed in that
motel knows the windows don't lock.
I asked around.
At least we know the
motive wasn't robbery.
You know, there's something
about this photo here.
METZGER: Those
are the same kids.
That is the exact
same photograph.
Now things are
starting to make sense.
You're gonna love this, Mrs. F.
No Annie Mae Chapman
with the Wyoming DMV.
No Annie Mae Chapman in Casper.
Nobody knows her anywhere.
You know, the catalog
company would know
the model agency that
those twins came from.
Maybe that agency knows
something about Annie Mae.
Well, I don't get it. Supposing it
was a scam, what was the deal?
To shake Sam down?
Well, from the timing,
I'd say it was more likely
that it was done
to discredit Sam.
Lose him the election.
So the money in her purse...
Possibly a payoff.
But who would want
to go to all that trouble
to win an election in Cabot
Cove, for God's sakes?
The job doesn't pay enough to
buy hair curlers for a skinhead.
Sheriff Metzger!
Mr. Overguard. We were
just talking about you.
Never mind that.
You listen to me.
This girl's death must be your
number-one priority, understand?
I want it solved, and
I want it solved quick.
Why, Milton, I never realized that
you were interested in police business.
This sort of sex scandal might
hurt a Congressman in Washington,
but in Cabot Cove, it only
makes Sam Booth look interesting.
Good morning. Don't
forget me on election day.
Oh, Jessica!
Hello, Eve. How are you?
Oh, very well.
A little gift you
may find useful.
How To Fix Up Your
Home and Sell It For a Profit.
Oh, thank you.
I believe I did mention that I
don't intend to sell my house.
Oh, keep it anyway. A little
personal gift from me to you.
Well, thank you.
I hope I can count on your vote.
You know, Eve,
I don't really know how you
stand on a lot of the issues.
I mean, for example,
what do you think
about all of this trade
that we're getting on weekends?
Oh, well, naturally,
as a Realtor,
I mean, I have to be
in favor of development.
But it should be
development with heart.
Yeah. The sort of development
that that attorney from
New York was advocating?
Vernon, was that his name?
Oh, Mr. Vernon is all for keeping
the character of Cabot Cove intact.
I just met with him
last night, in fact.
Oh, is he in Cabot Cove?
Oh, no, no. I went over to Morgan
Bay to see him after my rally.
He's flying back to
New York today and...
Well, Jessica, I'd love to chat
with you about issues and things,
but I've got a
campaign to run. Ciao!
Sorry I didn't get this
back to you sooner, Seth,
but this town certainly
has been hopping.
A-yup.
First of all, Sam
shows up at your house
at all hours, a desperate man,
and then Annie Mae Chapman
gets herself shot in her motel room,
and then you finally dissuade
Sheriff Metzger from arresting Sam.
Well, that's not quite...
Then you found out
that Annie Mae is a fraud
and that her children were all
probably underage Brooke Shieldses.
But that's amazing, Sam. How
did you find all that out so quickly?
I mean, it hasn't even
been in the paper yet.
How long am I gonna have to
be on these things, Dr. Hazlitt?
Oh, it's a minor
sprain, Corrine.
I expect if you
stay off your feet,
you'll be back at Gossip
Center by tomorrow.
Is everything
all right, Corrine?
Do you have a way to get home?
Actually, Mrs. Fletcher, I
was just gonna ask Dr. Hazlitt
if he could give me a
ride to the Sheriff's office.
Whatever for, Corrine?
Are you on assignment?
You already seem to know
every move the Sheriff makes.
I just happen to
know some information
that I think the
Sheriff ought to know,
information which might
pertain to the murder.
Well, of course, if you saw
something, that would be important.
I didn't actually see it.
I hope I'm doing
the right thing.
I know I've gotten
in trouble before
for passing along information.
Nice way to put it.
So, what is it, Corrine?
Well, I wouldn't want to
be accused of gossiping.
So far, no one can accuse you
of even passing along information.
Well, I have it on
very good authority
that Annie Mae Chapman was seen
going into her room at the Paradise Motel
late last night with a man.
With Sam Booth?
No, not the Mayor.
With another man.
So who did she go into
her motel room with?
I don't exactly know.
You don't exactly know?
You try and do your civic duty,
and everybody
jumps all over you.
Corrine, who did
you hear this from?
Oh, Mrs. Fletcher, you know, a
manicurist cannot reveal her sources.
In this case, make an exception.
It was Ideal Malloy. I
heard her talking about it
in the produce department of
Ferguson's Grocery this morning.
METZGER: That modeling agency,
they're gonna send up a sheet
with photos of all
their kid models.
You know, I
wouldn't be surprised
if all of Annie Mae's children
turned up on those proof sheets.
Not Annie Mae,
ma'am. Anne Mitchell.
She used to be a model
with the agency herself.
She blew in last week,
saying she was desperate
and needed photos of five kids.
Yeah. Things are
starting to make sense.
But there's one thing that I
don't quite understand, Sheriff.
Why you want me with you
while you talk to Ideal Malloy.
Well, I don't really need
you with me, exactly. It's...
Well, the fact is, ma'am,
there have been some
evenings when Mrs. Malloy
has called me about
her cat being up a tree,
but when I get
there, there's that cat
sitting in the kitchen
like a big, fat doorstop.
And Mrs. Malloy?
She's got this big,
fat grin on her face.
Well, actually, it
was Eve who told me
about Annie Mae's being at that
Paradise Motel with another man.
Isn't that just shocking?
Particularly with that
motel's reputation.
Why, do you know they
even have cable television?
Did you see her
yourself, Mrs. Simpson?
No, but since when is it
a crime to report news?
Now, when I become
mayor, I'm going to see to it
that the police in this
town stop bullying people.
Excuse me, Eve,
but how did you know about
Annie Mae being at the motel?
Well, if you must
know, from Loretta.
Well, I figured
that her red hair
wasn't all that was
phony about that girl.
And then, when I heard about her
going into her motel
room with another man...
So you only heard about it?
Is there anybody who
hasn't heard about it?
Were you told who
the man was, Loretta?
Well, maybe Mrs. Grant knows.
She's the one who filled me in
on her way to work this morning.
Oh, well, I'm afraid I
can't help you, Sheriff.
As a matter of fact, I
heard about it from...
All I can say is the Paradise
Motel is the last place on earth
that one would expect to find a man like
Horton Thayer carrying on a rendezvous.
Ideal!
Oh, I don't go to
the Paradise Motel.
I only go to the café there
because it has the best clam
chowder in the whole shore.
But, Ideal, why didn't you tell
us when we came to your house
that it was you who'd
seen Annie Mae?
Well, Jessica, I didn't want
you to think I was a gossip.
Thayer!
JESSICA: Sheriff?
Winifred's car is gone.
That one Thayer's?
Yes. It's covered,
the way it usually is
when he's in the
city during the week.
Yeah, but we know
better, don't we?
Thayer, police. We
know you're in town.
Jessica, Sheriff.
I've been avoiding
the phone and the door.
I'd have opened up right
away if I'd known it was you.
Yeah, right.
I must say, I'm surprised you're in
Cabot Cove during the week, Horton.
I wanted to steal a little time
here incognito. Come on in.
Sorry I can't offer you
anything, but the larder's bare.
Winifred's out marketing.
I don't deny it.
The woman called me and
asked me to have a drink with her.
Yeah, but I swear I'd
never met her before.
You must admit,
Horton, it's hard to believe
that a total stranger would call
and invite you to have a drink
in her motel room, and even harder
to believe that you would accept it,
especially as you
were in town incognito.
All right.
All right, I'll tell
you everything,
but please, please
don't tell my wife.
She doesn't know
anything about this,
and she'd only misinterpret it.
Annie Mae worked
for you, didn't she?
In an attempt to
influence the election?
She called last night, asked
me to come and meet her.
I imagine she wanted some money?
More money.
I should have remembered
how greedy Anne was.
We had an affair
about 10 years ago.
She was a model, an actress.
So when I came up with this
idea, I figured she could pull it off.
So you hired her.
I didn't hire her.
I wanted to keep my
distance from the whole affair.
My attorney handled
the arrangements.
Jason Vernon.
That's right.
I imagine that you employed
Annie to discredit Sam,
to get Milton elected mayor?
Since Milton was
clearly pro-development,
it's easy to assume
that you are, too.
Makes sense.
I also suspect that you
are the anonymous buyer
for whom Mr. Vernon is working.
Yeah. And you stood to lose an
awful lot if Annie Mae spilled the beans.
Sheriff, I paid her off.
Two thousand dollars cash.
Right.
But when I left the motel,
she was alive. I swear it.
Alive, huh?
Let's see what happens to that
story when his lawyer gets here.
I'm sorry, Sheriff, but
something just doesn't fit.
Now, hold it, ma'am.
Don't waffle on me now.
You're the one who
figured out his motive.
Yes, but that's just it.
Having a lot of money tied up in
the development of Cabot Cove
is a reasonable motive for
trying to swing an election.
But for murder?
Well, the motive was blackmail.
She wanted 2,000 bucks.
Yes, but if the money meant that
much, why didn't he take it back?
Why did he leave it
in the motel room?
Oh, Jessica. Excuse us, please.
Sheriff, what is the
meaning of this outrage?
I demand that you release
my husband immediately.
God, word travels
fast in this burg.
My husband's attorney telephoned
me as soon as Horton called him.
Now, then... Ma'am, forgive me,
but I've got your
husband dead-bang.
He's been placed at
the scene of the crime.
He doesn't have an alibi.
Well, what about a motive?
He doesn't even know
this Anne Mitchell.
METZGER: Motive?
I'll give you a motive.
He and those other sharks
were trying to take over this town,
turn it into some kind of an
Atlantic City or something.
Excuse me, Sheriff...
And I happen to like
this town just the way it is!
Sheriff... Mort. Just a moment.
Winifred, how did you know that Annie
Chapman's real name was Anne Mitchell?
Well, I must've
heard it around town.
But nobody else in town knew.
And the Sheriff himself only
discovered it a couple of hours ago.
And I didn't tell anybody,
except Mrs. Fletcher.
(STAMMERING) Well, I don't know.
I mean, Horton must've told me.
But you just said he
didn't even know her.
The only way that I can think that you
would know Anne Mitchell's real name
was if you knew her.
Well, that's absurd.
I mean, how could I?
Well, that's just the point.
In order to know her name,
you must have known her
when she had an affair with
your husband a few years back?
You were still able to
recognize her voice, weren't you,
last night, when she
telephoned your house?
No, that's... No, that's wrong.
Horton answered the telephone.
Oh, that's odd.
He said he'd been avoiding
the telephone or the front door,
that he was in town incognito.
You know what I think, ma'am? I
think you followed him to the motel.
You waited for him to leave.
And Mrs. Thayer, I'm sure I could get
somebody at that motel to ID your car.
Not that many
Jags in Cabot Cove.
(SNIFFLING) Uh-huh,
I bet you could.
Well, the gossip wires burn
pretty hot in this town, don't they?
Oh, God, how I hate this place!
The only reason why I stay here
is because I cannot
show my face in Boston!
He's had affairs
with so many women!
Mostly my friends, I might add!
You bet I killed her,
the same way I wanted to kill all the
other women he'd humiliated me with.
SETH: I feel so
good this morning,
I may do two miles
instead of just one.
(HORN HONKING) Well, I
wouldn't want you to overdo it.
Oh, good morning, Loretta.
Oh, good morning, Jessica, Seth.
Morning.
Say, have you
heard? What's that?
The election
results just came in.
Ebeneezer's wife,
Beth, gave them to me.
Have we still got a town?
How did Eve do?
Six votes.
Odd. I didn't know
she had five friends.
She's holed up at home
and speaking to no one.
Then who did win?
Not Milton Overguard?
No, he got 19.
You mean... (BICYCLE BELL RINGS)
Morning, voters!
Thank you kindly.
Well, I have to get down
to the shop and tell the girls
before they find out
from someone else.
Bye-bye.
Well, safe for
another two years.
You know, maybe, Jess,
next time you should run.
What for? I understand that Milton
Overguard and his Boston cronies
were last seen checking
property at Amaquonsett Point.
Were they?
Well, since there's
nothing to do again,
perhaps we've selected
the right man for the job.
A-yup.