Murder, She Wrote (1984–1996): Season 6, Episode 13 - If the Shoe Fits - full transcript

Land owner Jack Franzen, a flirtatious scrooge, disappears for three days until his corps is found behind the wheel of his crashed car, skull smashed in, possibly staged as an accident. At the same time a tenant, widow Marla Bryce, went missing. Her young son Kevin, a diligent student and Jessica's excellent gardener, who takes his status as 'man of the house' seriously, kept her disappearance silent fearing to end up in foster care as one terrible time when the Bruces lived in Chicago. Luckily he can stay with Jessica, first informally, then in temporary foster care after ma is found mildly wounded. She's arrested, having had opportunity and lied about her whereabouts, but Jessica and Kevin investigate other suspects with motives, notably other tenants such as her employer, moccasin factory boss Owen Brownwell, and merry widow Gloria Franzen.

I'll come by the house.

No, my son will be home.

You're running out of excuses.

FEMALE NARRATOR:
Tonight on Murder, She Wrote.

What do you mean you may
never get to see your mother again?

You know, I really should be talking
to the juvenile authorities on this.

I've lost my boy once
before, Mrs. Fletcher.

I'm so scared of it
happening again.

You know what gets me, Seth?

That all this could happen
here in our little town.

(CAR TIRES SCREECHING)



Kevin, how are you doing?

Well, this dirt's putting up a
pretty good fight, Mrs. Fletcher,

but there's no
way it's gonna win.

Well, it's lucky for me
that you're on my team,

though there must be lots of
other ways you'd rather spend

a half-day off from
school, huh? Oh, not me.

Not much time
for playing around.

You got to earn a
living, you know?

You know, you're the
best worker I've ever had.

Your mother must
be very proud of you.

Oh, yeah, sure. You know, she's
got her job at the shoe factory and all,

but as she says, I'm
the man of the house.

(SIGHS)

There.



I should have brought
my own shovel.

I work better with my
own tools. Yeah, well,

let's prepare the
rest of the bed. Okay.

All right, gentlemen,
start your hoes!

Yes, I have it.

5:00 will be fine.
I'll see you then.

You can't do that to me!

JACK: I just did.

You raised my rent six months
ago, and I've got a one-year lease.

Come on!

And if you read it very
carefully, you'll see

that I had the option to bump you
an extra ten percent after six months.

That's today.

You must be out of your mind.

I mean, I don't pay my workers
minimum wage because I like to,

but because I have to.

I mean, I've cut expenses to the
bone. I'm barely breaking even.

Owen, tell someone who cares.

Just be sure I get the
money next Wednesday

when it's due in full.

Hey, there, Patsy.

Well, how do we do, Mr. Franzen?

Mr. Franzen? Is that any
way to talk to an old friend?

(CHUCKLES) Old friend? Where?

Hey, there, kiddo, didn't
we have some laughs?

Yeah, sure, lots.

My funny bone's still hurting.

There you go.

Glad to know there
aren't any hard feelings.

What kind of feelings
should I have, Jack?

Forget it, Marla. I need you to
finish that last batch of Lady Mocs.

I'll come in tomorrow.

You won't be able to ship
them until Monday, anyway.

Suppose the whole shop came
to me with personal problems.

I'm supposed to give them
all the afternoon off, right?

Oh, come on, Owen. You
know I always get the work done.

Oh, God, all right. Yes, yes.

But I wanna see you at that
machine first thing in the morning.

Thanks.

Marla, let's you and
I talk about your rent.

Not right now.

Okay, we'll do it later.

I'll come by the house.

No, my son will be home.

The kid can go out and play.

Not today, Jack.

Sweetheart, you don't get it.
You're running out of excuses.

If money's a
problem, don't worry.

I'll figure out a way
you can square things.

Here's your laces,
Marla. Thanks, Danny.

Everything okay?
Everything is fine, Danny boy.

Now why don't you go
on about your business?

Why don't you get a new routine?

What for? There's nothing
wrong with the old one.

It's okay, Danny.

You heard the lady. Take a hike.

I'll see you later.

You know what I like
about that guy? His humility.

Thanks for your help, Seth.

Well, there's no way you
could've gotten all this stuff

into your bicycle basket.

Well... Hi, Kevin.
Hi, Doctor Hazlitt.

Kevin. Did you get
that special plant food,

Mrs. Fletcher? Right here.

We'll be able to plant the
bulbs after school on Monday.

That is, if you're available.

(CHUCKLING) Oh, sure. Great.

Good. Now, week's
wages for Mr. Bryce.

Thanks a lot, Mrs. Fletcher!

Oh, dear. You know, I
hadn't realized it was so late.

It's gonna be dark
before you get home.

Toss your bike in my
trunk, son. I'll give you a lift.

No thanks, Doctor Hazlitt. I've got
to stop and buy some stuff for Mom.

And I've got a good headlight and
I've done it about a million times.

JESSICA: Are you sure? Oh,
yeah. Yeah, don't worry about me.

I'll see you on Monday, Mrs.
Fletcher, and I'll bring my good shovel.

All right, Kevin. And
enjoy your weekend.

All right. You, too.

Now there goes a young man that's going
to make something of himself someday.

(CHUCKLING) I
believe you're right.

He sure has grown a lot since he
and his mother moved into town.

Nearly six years ago.

Yeah.

I remember he had
a case of measles

practically the day
they got here. Bad case.

He had spots on his spots.

Tough on a woman being alone,

new in town,
working in a factory.

But don't get me wrong. She paid
her bill, in full, in a timely fashion.

Meaning?

Well, meaning that I wasn't going
anywhere especially, neither was she.

Look here, woman, do I go nosing
around in your business affairs?

Occasionally. You
staying for dinner?

Well, that depends.
What are we having?

Well, I've got a couple of cans
of tuna fish up on the top shelf.

I thought I might make
something interesting out of them.

(CAR TIRES SCREECHING)

Jerk!

SETH: Jessica Fletcher, you are the
remembering-est woman I ever did know.

Why can't you be like normal people
and forget your relatives' birthdays?

Because they're family
and I like to remember them.

And there are so many of them.

Besides, wrapping
all these parcels

has kept me out of
trouble this entire weekend.

Be thankful for small favors.

Isn't that your young
handyman over there?

Yes. And it looks as if
he's waiting for someone.

Jess, this way. Oh, drat.

Kevin?

Oh, hi, Mrs. Fletcher.

Are you waiting for someone?

Me? No.

Hey, I better get over to your
house and start on the yard.

See you later, okay?

Strange. Kevin's
acting very oddly.

I believe it's called
puberty, Jess.

Turns even a nice kid into a jangled
mass of obnoxious contradictions.

Well, perhaps you're right.

Still, I give him credit
for being industrious.

He stopped by my office earlier,
see if I had any work for him,

so I gave him a couple of dollars to run
some forms over to the pharmacy for me.

Well, he's very serious about
his "man of the house" status.

I just hope he's not
taking on too much.

Yeah.

I'll get the door.

Quite a pile of outgoing
mail you have there, Jessica.

Oh, yes, I have a bumper crop of
birthdays and anniversaries this month.

I prefer the incoming
variety myself.

You know, you could save
yourself a ton of trouble

if you shopped
by catalog like I do.

When I wanna send someone
a gift, I just pick up the phone.

How's Jack doing, Gloria? I haven't
seen much of him around lately.

You're not the only one.

There you go, Mrs. Franzen.

GLORIA: Thank you, Lou.

Believe me, Jessica,

life is so much simpler now that
I let my fingers do the walking.

Her fingers and
Jack's credit cards.

Well, considering
the deficit, I suppose

the Postmaster General sends
you a lot of thank-you notes.

Oh, Seth, it wasn't that much.

(SETH SCOFFS)

Oh! Jessica, I'm sorry. Oops!

That's all right. I wasn't
looking where I was going.

Lydia, it's okay, no harm done.

How's work? Oh,
you know how it is.

Nearly 40 kids in
the seventh grade,

each and every one teetering
on the brink of adolescence.

Uh-huh. Didn't I tell you? Mmm.

We were just talking
about Kevin Bryce.

Oh, Kevin. He's a sweet boy.

He's in my third period
history. He's a very hard worker.

Oh, I know. He's doing a
wonderful job for me in my garden.

Well, I better run. There's an
enormous stack of homework papers

just waiting to ambush me.

Well, take care. Oh, Jessica,

if you speak to Kevin, tell
him I hope he's feeling better.

Is he sick? I assumed so.
He wasn't in school today.

Oh. Hmm.

How you doing, Kevin?

Pretty good, Mrs. Fletcher.

Oh, it must be awfully hard
working with that little spade.

What happened to the shovel
you were gonna bring from home?

I couldn't find it. I
left it in the front yard,

and somebody
must have swiped it.

You look as if you could
do with a little break.

What would you say to a nice piece
of banana bread and a glass of milk?

You bet. Good.

There you go.

That's an old recipe that I
have been making for years.

(CHUCKLING) Oh, I
guess I was kind of hungry.

No need to apologize, that's
a compliment to the cook.

Well, you see, my mom
really didn't feel good today,

so she forgot to make me lunch.

Oh.

Well, Miss Johansen will be
glad to know that you're all right.

I ran into her earlier, and she was
concerned because you weren't in school.

Right. Well, you see,
my mom really felt bad,

so I had to stay home and
take care of her. Oh, dear.

Maybe I should have Doctor
Hazlitt drop by and see her.

No! No! That's okay. She
felt a lot better when I left.

Is there anything that
your mother might need?

No, I don't think so.

Well, perhaps I better
call her and just ask.

We don't have a phone.

Well, we did for a while, but
we couldn't afford to keep it.

Mrs. Fletcher, would you mind
paying me for today's work?

I mean, I may need to buy some
medicine or something for Mom.

Sure, I'll just get my wallet.

Kevin, be sure to tell
your mother to let me know

if there's anything I
can do for her, okay?

I will, Mrs. Fletcher. Thanks.

(SIGHS)

No bicycle?

It's back at the
house. I bent a wheel.

Oh, I see.

KEVIN: Mom?

Oh, Mrs. Fletcher.

Kevin, are you all right?

Oh, sure, everything's fine.

I came by because I was
worried about your mother.

Oh, she's sleeping.

Then why did you think it
might be her at the door?

Perhaps I'd better
speak to her, huh?

You can't! I mean,

I don't know where she is.

She wasn't sick, Mrs.
Fletcher. I made it up.

When I came home Friday
there was a note from my mom

saying she'd be home that night.

But she never showed up.

You mean you've been
alone here for three days?

Yeah.

Oh, you must be worried sick.

You should have told
the Sheriff right away.

No!

Mrs. Fletcher, if
the Sheriff finds out,

I may never see my mother again.

Kevin, what do you mean you
may never see your mother again?

I mean, if the Sheriff
finds out I'm alone here,

it'll be Chicago all over again.

I don't understand.

I think I was
about four or five.

Mom didn't have a
job, and we were broke.

She called one of
these agencies for help,

and I ended up in a foster home.

Oh, I see.

It was awful! I never wanna
go back to that place again.

That's why I didn't tell anyone.

Yes, but, Kevin,

you've got to think
of your mother.

She might be hurt or in trouble.

She's probably worried
sick about you, too.

But, Mrs. Fletcher,
if you tell the Sheriff,

he'll have to call one
of those agencies.

Yeah, well, I think I can convince
him to put it off for a little while.

What do you say?
Shall we go see him?

Yeah. Good.

"Going to Portland,
back tonight."

But she never said why she was
going or who she was going to see?

No, sir.

Okay. We're gonna put your
mom's description out on the wire

and then we're gonna check with
the hospitals and the police in Portland.

You look like you've been
hanging in there pretty good, son.

Just keep it up.

Mrs. F, talk to you for a sec?

Yes, Sheriff?

You know, I really should be talking
to the juvenile authorities on this.

I know.

You know, normally I wouldn't dream of
asking you to go against proper procedure,

but if you could put off calling

until you've checked with
the agencies in Portland...

I mean, there's no
harm in that, is there?

I guess not.

Good.

Kevin can come home with me,

and if you hear anything,
you'll know where to reach us.

Will do. Just have him
check over this report

before I have Floyd
type it up, will you?

All right.

Kevin, would you come over here?

Oh, hello, Gloria. Jessica.

Sheriff, I want
to file a report.

This is just for the record,
you understand. Sign.

In case my lawyer needs it.

You know, lawyers
just love paperwork.

Yes, ma'am. Now, what
seems to be the problem?

No problem. My ever-loving
hubby, good old Jackie,

has finally flown the coop.

When did you see
him last? Friday.

Before he left, he mentioned
something about meeting a client.

Probably in some motel
room in Mexico City.

Missing since
Friday, that's good.

Oh, I don't mean it's good
that your husband is missing.

It's just that since it's
been more than 72 hours,

we can get right on it.

You were right the first time.

Where do I sign?

Here, just fill out the first page of this
report, and we'll get the ball rolling.

I think this is
okay, Mrs. Fletcher.

Fine. I'll give
it to the Sheriff.

You wanna meet me outside? Okay.

Gloria, excuse me, I couldn't
help overhearing. I'm so sorry.

Don't be. I've been
waiting years to dump Jack.

Well, perhaps it's
not what you think.

It is, unless he's had a
personality transplant.

I don't suppose he happened
to mention Marla Bryce.

Is she missing, too?

Since Friday.
Well, that figures.

Jack has always
had his eye on her.

Two hundred a month rent

he charges her for that place
of hers, and it's worth twice that.

I guess Missy Marla made up
the difference in services rendered.

Kevin, do you know who that
woman in the Sheriff's office was?

Oh, sure. Mrs. Franzen. Her
husband owns the house we live in.

He's always hanging around. You see, we're
a couple of months behind in the rent.

Oh, so he used to
come over quite often

and talk to your
mother about it?

I guess so. I think he
really bugged her, though.

Well, what makes you say that?

Well, one day, after he left,

Mom said that he was gonna get what
was coming to him, one way or another,

and that we were gonna
get out of that place.

(BUS HORN BLOWING)

Hey, there's the 4:15.

Maybe she'll be on
the late bus tonight.

Yeah, but if she is and I'm not
at home, she's gonna be worried.

Yes, you're right.

You know, I've got a
spare bike in my basement.

Why don't we ride out to
your place, leave her a note,

and pick up some of
your things, too? Okay?

Okay.

Kevin, are you sure
about this shortcut?

Oh, yeah. I don't use it a lot 'cause
I can't ride my bike through here,

but it comes out
right near my house.

Mrs. Fletcher, look!

No, Kevin.

Kevin, I don't think you
should go any closer!

But maybe somebody's
hurt. Kevin, wait!

KEVIN: That's Mr. Franzen's car!

Mrs. Fletcher...

Oh, my lord, it's Jack.

KEVIN: You think
they'll be much longer?

Oh, probably not.

I used to think it'd be
cool to find a dead body.

Well, it isn't. You
can say that again.

METZGER: Well, that's
about all we can do today.

Probably take a couple of tow
trucks to get that car out in one piece.

I don't wanna
damage the evidence.

Sheriff, do you have any idea
how the accident happened?

Oh, it was no accident,
Jess, not unless

Jack had learned how to drive
a car completely turned around.

The back of his
skull was caved in,

probably by the
proverbial blunt object.

I'd say a two-by-four
could have done it.

Seth, can you pinpoint
the time of death?

Oh, he's been there quite a
while. Three, maybe four days.

Four days would
make it last Friday.

That's the last time his
wife saw him and when...

I think I'll take a look
around before it gets too dark.

Kevin, why don't
you give me a hand

putting those bikes in the back of
my car? Then I'll drive you two home.

What have you found?

Some pieces of red plastic.

Looks like they could have
come from a taillight cover.

Yes. Jack's Mercedes?

Could be. I'm gonna bag
the pieces just in case.

Sheriff, look.

METZGER: That's
a pretty fresh scar.

Sheriff, I think we
found Marla Bryce.

One of the hospitals in Portland's
got a Jane Doe, fits her description.

NURSE: Like we told you on the
phone, Sheriff, she was a mugging victim.

Paramedics brought
her in late Friday night.

She had a mild concussion and was
suffering from post-traumatic amnesia.

But she's fully recovered now?

Well, for the most part.

But she still may be a
bit confused about details.

I'll be down the hall
if you need anything.

Thank you.

Kevin! Mom!

Oh, thank God you're all right.

Hello, Mrs. Fletcher, Sheriff.

Marla, it's such a
relief to see you.

Mom, what happened?

Well, I came to Portland
for a job interview,

but I didn't wanna
tell you, honey,

'cause I didn't wanna
get your hopes up.

Oh, Kevin was so
worried. We all were.

Ma'am, do you remember
how you got here?

Yes, I took the 3:00
bus from Cabot Cove

and I went to the interview,

and then I got lost on my
way back to the bus station.

And is that when
you were mugged?

Yes. I asked a
man for directions,

and he grabbed my purse
and then he knocked me down,

and then everything's a blank
until I realized I was in a hospital.

Did you happen to see
Jack Franzen on Friday?

Jack?

Well, yes, I'm sure I did. Why?

His body was found in the woods
near your house this afternoon.

Seems to be a homicide.

Oh, Jack... Jack's dead?

I spoke to your
doctor, and he tells me

you're well enough
to be released tonight.

I'm sorry, ma'am, but I'm gonna

have to take you back to
Cabot Cove for questioning.

Oh.

Sheriff, the idea
that Marla killed Jack

just because he annoyed
her is simply ludicrous!

It gets worse.

We found this in the
woods near Franzen's car.

It's got traces of blood
on it that match his.

It's got to be the murder
weapon. And check this.

The name of Bryce is
carved right here in the handle.

Oh, Lord.

Now, here's how it
went down, Mrs. F.

Jack was coming after her, so
she let him have it with the shovel.

When she realized what she'd done,
she hopped the next bus to Portland.

Probably meant to go on
to New York or somewhere.

And abandon Kevin? Oh, no.

So she planned to send for him.

It was her bad luck she got
mugged while she was on the lam.

"On the lam"? Sheriff, aren't you
getting just a little carried away?

Hey, Mrs. F., you wanna
prove me wrong, be my guest.

I don't like keeping Mrs. Bryce
locked up any more than you do.

METZGER: Want some coffee?

(TWITTERING)

Kevin, is there anything
I can do for you?

Yeah. You can get
my mother out of jail.

Believe me, there's
nothing I'd like more,

but right now it's...
It's just not possible.

It's just like my mom said.

You can't trust the cops or
the welfare workers or anybody.

All they do is
mess up your life.

(DOORBELL RINGS)

That must be the friend
I was telling you about.

Come on in. Hello,
Mrs. Fletcher.

Thanks for coming
at such short notice.

Short notice is my specialty.

You must be Kevin. Hi. Hi.

Kevin, this is Lee McAdam. I
used to teach her in high school.

Now she works for the county.

County? You mean
like a social worker?

Something like that.

Kevin, I told Lee about
the foster home in Chicago.

Yeah, sounds like you
got a pretty raw deal.

Yeah.

Well, you know, Kevin, it happens
sometimes, especially in big cities.

There's too many
cases, too few workers,

too few people willing
to pitch in and help out.

And you're right. Sometimes
kids do fall through the cracks.

I mean, nobody
wants it to happen,

but, I mean, there isn't
always enough time and money

to give each child the
attention that they deserve.

From what Mrs.
Fletcher's told me,

you're having a pretty
rough time of it right now.

Would it help if you were
placed in foster care?

No way!

Not even here?

Here? With Mrs. Fletcher?

Why not? As long as we
have your mother's consent,

and a responsible adult is willing
to accept temporary custody.

You are responsible,
aren't you, Mrs. Fletcher?

I try.

(KNOCKING ON DOOR)

Mind if I come in? Okay.

You know, this is the
first time that I have

volunteered for
something quite like this

and, well, I wanted to make sure
that you have everything that you need.

I'm okay.

Kevin, is there anything,

anything at all that you
can remember about Friday

that might help your mother?

No. I went to school, I worked in
your yard and then I went home.

Uh-huh. What about your bike?
Now, I saw that at your house.

You said that you banged it up.

Hey, that's right. Some
guy ran me off the road.

It wrecked up my
bike pretty good.

Was that near your house?

I guess. It was coming
from that direction.

And did you get a look at it?

No, it was too dark.

But it only had one taillight.

Kevin, are you sure?

You know, Sheriff Metzger found some
pieces of red plastic in your front yard.

They might have come
from a taillight cover.

Mrs. Fletcher, do you
think that it's possible

that they came
from the car I saw,

and that that car was at my house
and that maybe the killer was in it?

It's possible.

So all we have to
do is find the car,

and the Sheriff will
have to let my mom go.

Whoa! Now slow down. We're not
even sure that there's a connection.

Besides, I think we should let Sheriff
Metzger handle the investigation.

But Mrs. Fletcher, what if it is
the car and he doesn't find it?

What's gonna happen with my mom?

Your mom is gonna be all right.

I'm quite sure of it.

(KNOCKING ON DOOR)
JESSICA: Kevin? Are you up?

How do blueberry pancakes
sound for breakfast?

Kevin?

Come on, Seth.

Will you slow down, woman?

The boy can't have gotten very
far. This isn't Boston, you know.

Yeah, but he's
my responsibility.

I mean, if anything
has happened to him...

Oh, Danny.

Oh, good morning,
Mrs. Fletcher. Doc. Yeah.

Danny, have you seen
Kevin Bryce this morning?

You know, as a matter of
fact, I saw him on Third Street

a couple of minutes ago. He was
checking out all the parked cars.

Thank goodness.
What did I tell you?

Thanks, Danny. Okay.

For pity's sake, woman, you know
where he is now. Put it in low gear.

Kevin?

Oh, hi, Mrs. Fletcher.

Oh, you scared
the heart out of me.

Oh, I'm sorry. I just thought I
ought to help out the Sheriff.

Hard to quarrel with that,
wouldn't you say, Jess?

Well, I don't know about you, young
fellow, but I'm getting mighty hungry.

Me, too.

Well, come on, then. Pancakes
for everyone at my house?

All right.

Have you any more of that
delicious blueberry syrup?

Hey, there's my mom's boss.

Owen Brownwell and
the widow Franzen.

What do you make of that?

Jess!

Did Kevin get to
school on time? Yeah.

Though no sooner
did he get out of the car

than young Ritchie
Mills started to tease him

about having a
jailbird for a mother.

Ritchie Mills. Yes, I
might have guessed.

Ritchie stopped that pretty
quick when I reminded him

he was due for a tetanus
booster next week.

You know what gets me, Seth?

That all this could happen
here in our little town

where everybody seems to
know everybody else's business.

I mean, Marla has been in
desperate trouble for months.

Why is it that none
of us could see it?

Most people lead busy lives,
Jess. Even here in Cabot Cove.

Yeah, and what bothers me is
that right here in Cabot Cove,

what's happened to
the communal spirit?

I mean, neighbor
helping neighbor.

If you mean the good old days, I'm afraid
you're talking ancient history, Jess.

Well, if I am, there's
something very wrong.

Will you give me a ride
down to the Sheriff's office?

Sure.

Find something in the paper?

No, but I'm hoping
that Marla will.

This is last Friday's
Portland Tribune. Yeah.

I wanna try and jog
her memory. Mmm.

Here it is, Mrs. Fletcher!

This is where I went for the
job interview. Warren Industries.

They were looking for a
finished goods inspector.

Are you sure? I am positive.

I remember now. I had
this ad circled in red pencil.

Good. I'll get Sheriff Metzger
to call the personnel manager.

That'll be one step closer
to getting you out of here.

Mrs. Fletcher, I'm so scared.

Of course you
are. I would be, too.

Well, there's something
I think you should know.

I've been in trouble before.

Broke back in Chicago,

we snuck out of an apartment
in the middle of the night

because I couldn't pay the rent.

Yes, I know. Kevin told me.

I've lost my boy once
before, Mrs. Fletcher.

I'm so scared of it
happening again.

You won't, because you
didn't kill Jack Franzen.

No, I didn't.

And this might not be fair
because I have nothing to back it up,

but I can think of someone
who might've killed Jack.

Who?

(SIGHING) Owen Brownwell.

Jack owned the
shoe factory building

and on Friday he raised Owen's
rent for the second time in a year.

Well, Owen was furious.
He has a terrible temper.

Sometimes he blows
up over the slightest thing.

You know, I suddenly have an
uncontrollable urge for a pair of moccasins

direct from factory to you.

Hello again, Danny.

Hi, Mrs. Fletcher.

You find Kevin okay?

Oh, yes, thanks.

How's Marla holding up?

Well, as well as can be
expected under the circumstances.

If she needs anything, money,

I haven't got much,
but she's welcome to it.

Well, I'm sure she'll
appreciate the offer.

Oh, by the way, I understand
that Jack's funeral's on Friday.

Yeah?

Well, I wouldn't look
for much of a crowd.

That's odd. I remember
you and Jack in high school.

You were always
the best of friends.

Yeah, I know it
looked like that,

but Jack always liked having
guys like me around him

telling him how great he was.

Kids do dumb things like that.

Excuse me, I got to get
these shoes to the shipper.

Oh, yes. Of course.

Hello, Patsy.

Hiya, Mrs. Fletcher.

What can I do for you today?

I need a pair of
mocs for a gift.

You know, the ones with
the beading across the toes,

a size seven. Oh, the Lady Moc.

You know, that's our
most popular style.

Well, great.

Oh, I see that Owen has a guest.

Guest? Hell, she's getting
to be like part of the family.

That's the third time
today she's come by.

I'll be right back
with your shoes.

Thanks.

GLORIA: I think this is
mandatory. Mmm-hmm.

Yeah, we can do that. See
here? Yeah, that's all good.

Now what about this
corner? Excuse me,

am I interrupting anything?

Just a little
business discussion.

Listen to this, Jessica.

Gloria's figured out a way for
me to buy this building outright,

and then we're going into a
mail-order catalog business together.

Really?

Gloria, I had no idea you
were interested in business.

I never got involved
because Jack

didn't wanna share
any of the glory.

In fact, about all we did share
was a name and an address.

"Owen Shoes Direct to You."

Oh! I tell you, this is the best
thing that ever happened to me.

Yes, it's just one of those
little quirks in life, isn't it?

I mean, so much good
coming out of such a misfortune.

Isn't it wonderful?

Oh, I've got to go.

Owen, shall I pick
you up around sixish?

No, not tonight, Gloria.
I've already got a ride.

Well, take care.
Bye-bye, Jessica.

Bye.

Car trouble? (CHUCKLING)
Oh, the worst kind.

My old clunker finally gave
up the ghost. I had to junk it.

Fellow in Rockport gave
me $50 for it for the parts.

Not much else
you could do with it.

Oh, and when did
you do that, Owen?

Saturday morning. First thing.

Got a new car coming this week.
It should be here by this weekend.

Why do you ask, Jessica?

You're not thinking of
taking up driving, are you?

Oh, my, no. I have enough
trouble keeping my bicycle in shape.

Well, I must pick up my shoes.

Goodbye, Owen, and
good luck with your new car.

Hello, Sheriff.

Any news? Yes, ma'am.

None of it good,
I'm sorry to say.

I called that company in Portland Mrs.
Bryce said she had the appointment with.

They never heard of her.

And she was there shortly before
five and she stayed for 20 minutes?

Thank you, Mr. Ashland.
You have been very helpful.

Okay, Mrs. F., I give up.
How come when I called

nobody ever heard of Marla
Bryce, and when you call, they did?

Because you spoke to
Mr. Ashland's secretary,

who did not come into
the office on Friday.

He spoke personally to Marla,

but he forgot to write the
appointment down on his calendar.

Okay, okay. So she had
a reason to go to Portland,

but that still doesn't
put her in the clear.

She could have killed
Franzen before she left.

And there's a little matter
of the murder weapon,

which she admits belongs to her.

Yes, but Kevin told me he
left it out in the front yard.

Anyone could have
walked up and taken it.

And what about these, Sheriff?

I mean, could these have
come from Jack's car?

No, no, both of his
taillights were intact.

I'm trying to pinpoint
what make and model

might take this type of cover,
but it's gonna take a little while.

If they came from a
12-year-old station wagon,

you better talk to
Owen Brownwell.

Oh, yeah? Why is that?

Yes, ma'am, please
stay on the line.

Ma'am? Don't hang
up. Hello? Hello?

What's the problem, Floyd?

Anonymous caller,
Sheriff. A woman.

Said she saw Jack Franzen leave Patsy
Dumont's house about 3:30 Friday afternoon.

Anonymous, huh? That's
one thing about Cabot Cove.

There's no shortage of people
willing to stick their noses

into other people's business.

Maybe so, but if it's true,

that means there
isn't any way that Marla

could have been
involved in Jack's death.

Yeah.

I could use the
fresh air anyway.

PATSY: Jack? Here?

Whatever gave you
a crazy idea like that?

A witness. A woman who
said she saw Jack Franzen

leave your place at
about 3:30 last Friday.

Mrs. Vibber. Thanks a lot!

I'll do you a favor
someday, you old bat.

Look, Miss Dumont,

Marla Bryce caught
the 3:00 bus to Portland.

If Jack Franzen was
here, alive, at 3:30,

that gives her a concrete
alibi and I can let her go.

I wasn't trying to hurt Marla.

I just didn't think it was
anybody's business what I did.

So Franzen was here.

I snuck out of work about 2:00.

Owen was so riled up he
didn't even notice I was gone.

Jack came by about 2:30.

He left at 3:30,
just like you said.

What are you doing?

Thanks for your cooperation, Miss
Dumont. You've been most helpful.

Yeah, that's me. Heart of gold.

That's wonderful, Sheriff. Well,
I'll tell Kevin as soon as he arrives.

Well, thanks for calling.

Marla has an alibi for the
time of Jack Franzen's death.

He's getting ready
to release her.

I'd say that was about time.

Seth! Now I baked
those for Kevin.

Besides, what's
happened to your diet?

Not only is the flesh
weak, but so is the spirit,

especially when it
comes to chocolate.

Well, all right, maybe just one.

Thank you.

And to show you my
appreciation and gratitude,

I'm going to freshen
up your coffee.

Oh. What is it?

Well, it looks as if you've only got
half a pot of cold coffee left, Jess.

The little red light is out.

Feel the side of the coffee
pot, but very carefully.

(EXCLAIMS)

Wrong again,
Doctor Hazlitt. It's hot.

Yeah, well, the light
broke nearly a month ago.

Did you know that nearly every
part of a coffeemaker is replaceable?

But if you want a new light, you
have to buy a whole new machine.

Oh, that's modern
technology for you.

Give me an old-fashioned
percolator and a gas flame anytime.

Seth, that's it!

We've been going
about this all wrong.

That's what I'm trying
to tell you, woman.

The coffee you get from
an old-fashioned percolator,

you can stand a spoon in.

Not the coffee, the red light.

Sheriff? Jessica Fletcher.

Something's just occurred to me.

In our area, there
can't be more than, say,

four or five stores
that sell auto parts.

I think you ought to
start checking them out.

What you doing, Kevin?

Oh. Hi, Danny.

I just came to pick up
my mom's paycheck.

You won't find it in the back of
my truck. What are you looking for?

Nothing.

Why are you nosing around here?

I'm not, honest.

Look, I got to go, okay?

Hold it. Kevin!
Kevin, come here!

Kevin, wait!

Let go of me!

Take it easy, kid! I'm
not gonna hurt you.

You're the reason
my mother's in jail.

You killed Mr. Franzen!

I didn't mean to,
I swear to God!

Will you cut it out!

Now listen to me, kid.
I didn't start it. He did.

Danny!

I wasn't trying to hurt him.

He killed Mr. Franzen, Sheriff.

He has a new
taillight on his pickup.

I know, son. We know.

You all right? Yeah.

It wasn't something I
planned. It just happened.

Oh, God.

The past few days I've been so
scared, looking over my shoulder,

waiting for somebody
to figure it out.

Why don't you just start
at the beginning, Danny?

I like Marla.
She's a great lady.

And I hated the way Jack was
always trying to strong-arm her.

At the factory last
Friday, I heard him tell her

he was gonna come
over to the house

to work something
out for the back rent.

I figured if I gave
her the rent money,

maybe she'd begin to
look at me differently,

not just some dumb delivery guy.

So I told Owen I had an errand
to run and I went to her house.

She wasn't there.

I was getting ready to leave, and
Jack pulled up, looking for Marla.

When he found out she
wasn't there, he got really mad.

He thought she was
trying to skip out on the rent.

So he took it out on me,

just like he always
did even in high school.

Jack loved to rub it in

about how we both came from
the same place, but he'd made it big

and I was still just a nobody.

Well, this time, I tried
to stick up for myself.

I wasn't gonna take it.

He hit me and he
knocked me into the dirt.

And then he laughed at me.

The way he'd been
laughing at me my whole life.

Something in me snapped.

I saw the shovel laying there.
I picked it up and I swung.

When I realized what I'd done,

I knew I had to
get rid of his body,

so I drove his
Mercedes into the woods

and I threw the
shovel as far as I could.

Then I pushed the
car into the gully.

I figured somebody would
think it was an accident.

And I ran back to the
house, I got in my truck,

but I was in such a
hurry to get out of there

that I backed into the
firewood in the front yard

and I broke my taillight.

I found as many pieces
as I could in the dark,

and then I just
beat it out of there.

That's when you
nearly ran me down.

Yeah.

Next day, I drove
over to Rockport

and I bought a
new taillight cover.

Yeah, we know.

We've got a copy of the receipt.

Lock him up, Floyd.

SETH: Poor fellow
just went crazy, is all.

Diminished capacity.

Of course, I'm no
lawyer, but what I think is...

Oh, Seth, we all
know what you think,

you've been telling
us all evening.

Kevin, there's just one
piece of chocolate cake left.

It would be an awful
shame to have it go to waste.

Well, I...

If you're not hungry, son, it won't
go to waste, I promise you that.

Well, actually, Jessica,
we have to get going.

Kevin has school in the morning,
and I've got to be at work early.

That old slave
driver still at it, huh?

No, Doctor Hazlitt.
Owen has promoted me

to day foreman with
a nice raise in pay.

Oh, Marla, that
is wonderful news.

Yes, and between that

and what Kevin's gonna pick
up working for the Sheriff...

(STUTTERING) What's that?

Washing the squad cars and
doing some of the landscaping.

Now, hold on there.

I had it in mind to hire
the young man myself.

I've got that fence
needs painting.

Oh, now, Seth.

Kevin's a healthy young man.

He's gonna be able to
handle all of our odd jobs

in his spare time,
aren't you, Kevin?

Oh, sure thing, Mrs. Fletcher.

Of course, I get him first.