Murder, She Wrote (1984–1996): Season 6, Episode 20 - Shear Madness - full transcript

Jessica arrives in the Texan small town Fairville for the wedding of her cousin Ann Owens Arden to former town rebel Bill Spenser, who made his fortune in Alaska. Brother, George Owens, also has the same idea and unexpectedly arrives in Fairville. George was just released from long-term institutional therapy after the murder of Ann's first fiancé, professor Nathan Rollins. Shortly after, Bill is stabbed to death exactly as Nathan was, and George is missing, so sheriff Barnes assumes a reenactment. Since George couldn't remember the traumatic first killing Jessica believes he's being framed, maybe for both deaths, and finds the key to the first with his therapist, Dr. Henry Carlson, who was against his release as he was hoping for a breakthrough. Then she goes after the real murderer.

You're getting married again?

Jess, I love George, but
the truth is, he scares me.

Tonight on Murder, She Wrote.

Damn it, Rosemary, I
thought we had an agreement.

Funny, so did I.

The chances of George
becoming violent are practically nil.

He is also a certified
psychopath who once killed a man.

That doesn't give you the
right to poke into my things.

But if you wanna know
the truth, the real truth...

Well, you coming or going?

I'm sorry.



I'll kill you.

I'm gonna tell.

Buddy, Skipper.
Come on, let's go.

If you'd like to make a local
call, please deposit 20 cents.

Hello?

Hello?

If it's important,
they'll call back.

Oh, sorry to have
rushed ahead like that.

I thought it might be Reverend
Simmons calling about the rehearsal.

You wouldn't be nervous about
the wedding or anything, would you?

Don't be silly. I'm nervous
about the wedding and everything.

Thanks for being here, Jess.

That's what cousins are for.

Although, I have to admit, it's a
long time since I was a bridesmaid.



Well, it's been a long
time since Ann was a bride.

Not that anyone is
counting, you understand.

Thank you.

Especially someone
like me, an old maid.

You know, I always think of what
Uncle Walter used to say, remember?

"Age is a question of mind
over matter. If you don't mind..."

"It doesn't matter."

You know, it's too long
since we were all together.

This place has
hardly changed a bit.

Well, outside of replacing
the old refrigerator last month,

it's pretty much the same
as when Tom carried me

over the threshold 28 years ago.

Now, that was a wedding.
Remember, Jess?

Tom looked like a
prince out of a fairy tale.

Accidents aren't supposed to
happen to people like Tom Lawton,

not when they're only 22.

I really don't think I
could have stood it

if Helen hadn't moved in and
taken charge of everything.

And you always
were the smart one.

Smart enough to know
I'd better get these things

up to your room
before the rehearsal.

Oh, good Lord. Look at the time.

I haven't even
started a pot of coffee.

Well, you go ahead. We'll take
care of these, won't we, Helen?

We certainly will.

You know, it's wonderful
to see Ann so happy.

That fiancé of hers
must be really something.

Bill is. Spenser is something,
all right. I just don't know what.

Oops, I'm sorry. I forgot again.

We've been dealing with that
old squeak for nearly 30 years,

and I still sometimes
forget to skip over that step.

Not that it matters
much now, anyway.

Pickles, what are
you doing up there?

You know, I never see the things
in this room that I don't remember

Grammy telling us how her parents
brought them all the way from England.

I know.

This house is full
of family tradition.

Yeah.

I'm gonna be sorry to leave it.

Leave?

I can hardly be expected to stay once
Ann is married, no matter what she thinks.

I wouldn't relish sharing
this place with Bill Spenser.

Oh? Why?

I mean, Ann told me that he'd had
a few scrapes growing up here, but...

Some scrapes?

Lord Almighty, Jessica,

Billy Spenser was
the wildest boy in town.

He was always into trouble.

He never had more
than a dime to his name.

Well, all that's
certainly changed now.

I understand he spent the last 15
years making a fortune in Alaska.

Well, he may not have the same
gambling debts that Ann's last fiancé had,

but he is all wrong
for her, I know it.

He's dead wrong.

Hey, where's my sweet pea?

So, you're the famous
Cousin Jessica.

I must admit, ma'am, I've
heard an awful lot about you.

Well, I've heard a lot
about you, too, Mr. Spenser.

Mr. Spenser? No,
ma'am. Just Bill, huh?

I mean, after all, we're
practically family now, right, hon?

One more day.

There's no sense
standing when we can sit.

I guess I don't have to tell you what it
means to Ann, you being here and all,

the way she feels about kinfolk.

I'm just sorry that my future
brother-in-law couldn't be here.

Oh, you mean George?

That's just what we need,
George here for the wedding.

Yeah, I was real
sorry to hear about him

taking a turn for
the worse like that.

Oh, but on the
way from the airport,

I thought you said that
George was improving?

Yes, well, he is
improving, overall.

Last month the doctors said
they were very encouraged.

Yeah, depression, it can
be a terrible thing, you know.

Not that I've ever had
that problem myself.

That must be Reverend Simmons.
You let him in, I'll see to the coffee.

Oh, I'll help. Excuse me.

Ann...

Please, I know what
you must be thinking.

Well, to be honest, I
don't know what to think.

Neither would Bill, if he knew
the whole truth about George.

You haven't told
him? Of course not.

But he obviously
knows something.

Only that George is being
treated for a breakdown.

Oh, Jess, I wanted to tell him,

but how could I, when I never
really understood it, myself?

I mean, George
idolized Nathan Rollins.

I swear, Jess, when Nathan
and I became engaged,

George was just as happy about it
as I was. Or, at least, so I thought.

Yes. I mean, that's the part
that seemed strange to me, too.

Still, Bill doesn't seem to be the
type of person who would worry about

what happened 15 years
ago, while he was in Alaska.

But this is a small town.

He must have heard talk.

If he has, he
hasn't said anything.

And I love him too
much to risk finding out.

Because God made thee mine

I'll cherish thee

Through light and darkness

Through all time to be

And pray his love May
make our love divine

Because

God made thee mine

Beautiful, Helen.
Simply beautiful.

Oh, she's always
had a talent for music.

Oh, nonsense, I'm as
rusty as an old iron gate.

But then, I haven't had the occasion
to sing this song in quite some time.

Well, it sounded
just fine to me.

What's next, Reverend?

Well, after the song, you say
your vows and exchange your rings,

and I pronounce you man
and wife, at which point...

At which point I finally get
to kiss my beautiful bride.

Saved by the bell.

Oh, dear. It's probably the
caterers calling about tonight.

I'm sorry, I won't be a minute.

Hello?

Oh, hello, Rosemary.

What?

Well, that's impossible.

I'm sorry, but there's
obviously been some mistake.

Look, Rosemary, you'll have to
excuse me, I have company here.

I'll see you tonight.
Yes, goodbye.

Anything wrong?

Just Rosemary Taylor
down at the paper.

She's covering the party tonight, and
got confused about some of the details.

Well, I promised Miss Potter I'd
drop by on my way back to the rectory.

It was very nice meeting
you, Mrs. Fletcher.

I'm sure I'll see you at
the party this evening.

Oh, yes, of course.
I'm looking forward to it.

It still seems odd, throwing a
wedding reception before the wedding.

Well, we wouldn't make
our flight to Hawaii otherwise,

and then, there goes the cruise.

Well, I'll be sure to keep tomorrow's
service as brief as possible then.

Well, we'd sure appreciate that.

Ann and I have been looking
forward to getting on that plane

for quite some time,
haven't we, honey?

Honey, is something wrong?

What could be wrong?

George!

I'm back.

George, I don't understand.
What are you doing here?

I've been released, sis.

Didn't they call you?

Well, they said they would.

Well, heck, let the
man come on in.

Yes, of course. Please
come in, George.

Welcome home, George.

Thank you, Helen.

George, you remember
Cousin Jessica?

George. How very
nice to see you.

And Reverend Simmons?

George, nice to have
you with us again.

And this is Bill Spenser.

I'm Ann's fiancé.

Fiancé?

You're getting married again?

Tomorrow afternoon.

Go ahead, show
him your ring, honey.

Well, it's really quite large.

I'd have bought her one
twice as big, if they'd had it.

There's just nothing too good
for this sister of yours, you know?

Yes, I do.

Well, I'm sure you folks
have a lot of catching up to do,

so I'll just say my goodbyes
and I'll see you this evening.

Afraid I've got a little chore to
take care of myself, honey, all right?

Okay. I'll see you later.

Ladies.

George, you and I,

we'll have ourselves a real
nice talk tonight, all right?

I'd like that.

Fine. Goodbye.

Well, you must be
tired after your trip.

And hungry, too.

Why don't you take
George up to his room

and Jess and I will fix
him something to eat?

Okay, honey, come on.

Yes, well, please have Dr. Carlson
call me as soon as possible.

Thank you.

Well, it's true.

The chief of staff said that they reviewed
George's case and decided to release him.

But why they never called
us, is anybody's guess.

Ann, if the doctors released him, they must
consider that George is fully recovered.

Do they?

When I asked if George was
likely to, well, have another incident,

they used words like "highly
improbable," and "extremely unlikely."

Surely his personal psychiatrist
could be a little bit more specific.

Yes, but unfortunately,
Dr. Carlson left this morning

and nobody's heard
from him since.

Well, I'm sure that he'll get in touch
with you once he knows that you've called.

I hope so. Oh, Jess, I
love George, I really do.

I mean, Helen and I
practically raised him.

But the truth is,

he scares me.

Damn it, Rosemary, I
thought we had an agreement.

Funny, so did I.

I was at Ann's today
when you called.

Oh? Then you must have met him.

Met who?

George. I saw
him get off the bus.

I wasn't sure it
was him at first,

but then I made a few calls
before I phoned to warn Ann.

Warn her? What for?

Why would she be upset
about her brother coming home?

Why don't you
ask Ann about that?

I finally found that
old newspaper, Ma.

What was that all about?

Nothing. Here, let me see that.

That's pretty gruesome stuff.

I'd forgotten about
the clipping shears.

Boy, that George
must be a real wacko.

George, I thought you
might like to try some punch.

Helen says this is Great
Aunt Sarah's recipe,

but I think that the drop of whiskey
was Great Uncle Henry's idea.

Mmm.

It's Great Aunt
Sarah's, all right.

Mama used to make
it for our birthdays,

minus Great Uncle Henry's
contribution, of course.

Oh, yes.

You know, it's strange, Jessica,

how I can remember some
past triviality so clearly,

and yet, when it comes
to something important,

something that
changes your whole life...

After all these years,

that moment still
remains a mystery.

As I told them at the trial,

all I can remember is going down
to the cellar to get Ann's trunk.

I knew Nathan was
coming over, yes.

But I don't remember seeing him,

or asking his help, as the
prosecutor said I must have.

Next thing I knew,

Ann was standing on
the stairs screaming

and I was covered in blood,

Nathan's blood.

Then I guess I passed out.

I've tried to remember.

I've tried to understand
how I could have done it,

but I can't.

I loved Nathan.

You must be Jessica Fletcher.

And, of course, George
and I are old, old friends.

Rosemary Taylor. I
own the Fairville Gazette.

And this is my daughter,
Meg. She's my photographer.

Yes, the dots are
still in front of my eyes.

Well, that's what you
get for being a celebrity.

Meg, you look very familiar
to me. Have we met before?

Not likely. My mother keeps
me on a very short leash.

Meg, honey, I believe I'd like
a few more of those grapes

and some of that
imported cheese.

You save your mom a trip.

Sure, Ma.

Seedless ones, now.

The ones with seeds
tend to be bitter.

Though I imagine everything
tastes good to you, George,

after all those years in that
horrible institution. Am I right?

Well, no. I mean...

Believe me, you
don't have to explain.

I saw One Flew Over
The Cuckoo's Nest.

I hope you didn't have to have
any of those awful shock treatments.

No. I...

I mean, some of the other
patients did, yes, but not me.

Well, you can check the records.

George, really? Oh,
that'd be wonderful.

And here I was worried you might
be touchy about me wanting to do

an article on you for the paper.

Article?

I think you may have
misunderstood, Mrs. Taylor.

You know, I think you're right.

Why, this piece deserves a
lot more than just one article.

I could serialize this for two or
three issues. What do you think?

I think I have to get
some air, excuse me.

What did you say to him?

Now, he'll be gone for hours.

I didn't say anything, did I?

Well, on the contrary, I think
that you said more than enough.

Well, if that's the
way you all feel,

I believe I've covered just
about enough of this little soiree.

Yes, I believe you have.
Good night, Rosemary.

You think you're
so high and mighty,

but if you wanna know
the truth, the real truth...

Rosemary, now, the lady said
good night. I suggest you leave.

You've got no right to
speak to my mother that way.

Oh, never mind, Meg.
I was going anyway.

Hey, I'd like to
propose a toast.

Ann, Bill, where are you two?

We'll be right there.
I'll take that, honey.

Excuse us, ladies.

I'm gonna go look for George.

To Ann and Bill, may their
union be a long and happy one.

So, I looked him
right in the eye,

and I said, "You better make that
two, young fellow. I'm from Texas."

Excuse me, Mr. Spenser.

Yes? Sorry.

This was left at the
back door for you.

By who?

I heard a knock, but
when I went to answer it,

no one was there.

Thank you.

Uh-oh.

Ann, better watch out. Looks like
Bill's got himself a secret admirer.

So it seems.

Well, at least you know that
she has good taste in men.

Jessica.

I'm sorry to disappoint you,
ladies, but it's strictly business.

Excuse me, darling.

Damn cat.

Good night.

Good night. Thanks for
coming. Drive safe, now.

Jess, it's been nearly an hour since
Bill got that note and disappeared.

And even longer since George
left and Helen went to find him.

Excuse me, Mrs. Lawton.
We're finished cleaning up,

but I'm afraid we've run out of
refrigerator space for the leftovers.

Yes, let's see.

Ooh, there's always the
old refrigerator in the cellar.

Oh, Jess, would
you mind getting the

caterer's check from
the household cash box?

I think Helen keeps it in the
living room desk, bottom drawer.

'Course.

Is George back?

What are you doing with that?

Oh, I'm sorry. Ann asked
me to get the caterers' check.

That doesn't give you the
right to poke into my things.

Helen, why didn't you tell
Ann that George was coming?

I was going to, I...

Bill was here and it just didn't
seem to be the right moment.

Well, what did
Dr. Carlson tell you?

I didn't speak to Dr. Carlson,

his secretary called me

and told me that he was
upset that George was released.

I meant to call Dr. Carlson,
but I just never got around...

All right, boys,
I've seen enough.

Excuse me, Sheriff Barnes?

Yes, ma'am.

I thought you ought to know
that Ann is being sedated.

Perhaps if you could hold any
further questions at least until tomorrow.

Well, that's all right.

There's no doubt about
what happened down here.

It's déjà vu all
over again, ain't it?

I beg your pardon?

Look. Mrs. Fletcher, isn't it?

I know George
Owens is your cousin,

but he is also a certified
psychopath who once killed a man,

and from the look of
it, he's done it again.

Well, I agree, that's certainly the
most obvious conclusion to draw.

No, it is the only conclusion.
Just look around here.

It is exactly the same as
the murder 15 years ago.

It's the same place,
same circumstances.

And I'd be willing to bet

that the missing murder
weapon is the same, too.

Clipping shears.

Yes, but that's
what's so puzzling.

It's as if the first murder
had been duplicated exactly,

even though George has never been
able to remember what happened that night.

He was at the trial, ma'am.
He did hear the testimony.

And besides, the papers
were full of all the details.

Yes, but doesn't that mean anyone
with reason could have killed Bill Spenser?

I mean, from what
I've heard, he wasn't

exactly an angel growing
up here in Fairville.

I know you're supposed to be
some kind of a mystery writer,

but there just ain't no
mystery about this, believe me.

George sent a note, lured Bill
down here, killed him, took the note.

But why would George kill a
man he'd never met until today?

For the same reason he killed
Ann's last fiancé, Professor Rollins.

And that is?

Jealousy.

Now, I know it sounds a little
twisted, but that's what I get.

Two women raising
a boy on their own.

Rather than lose a sister

that he's looked on as a
mother since he was a boy of 10,

he kills off her beaus.

I won't calm down! And I
won't be told to take it easy!

I will not take it easy!

Sheriff, I think you better get up
here. We got ourselves a crazy man.

I demand to be told
what's going on here!

And just who is
it wants to know?

Dr. Henry Carlson. I'm a psychiatrist
with the Allenwood Institution.

George Owens is
one of my patients.

Good job, Doc.

Why? Has something
happened to George?

Happened to him? Hardly.

Dr. Carlson, I'm George's
cousin, Jessica Fletcher.

A man has been
killed here tonight.

Now, George left the
house just before it occurred,

and he hasn't been
seen or heard from since.

Are you suggesting that
George committed murder?

That's absurd!

The chances of George
becoming violent are practically nil.

Is that a fact?

Well, if old George is so
well-adjusted, what are you doing here?

It is my opinion that
George is on the verge

of a final breakthrough.

I felt that to release him could
jeopardize his total recovery.

I returned from a conference to
find that the board had overruled me.

I drove all day to get here,

hoping that I could arrange for
some private counseling for George.

Well, you're too late, Doc. George snapped,
just like you warned them he would.

You tell your cousins I'll check
back in the morning, okay?

Meantime, I'll leave a man out front just
in case George decides to come home.

If you hear from him, he calls,
you tell me right away, okay?

I mean, cousin or not,
George has killed someone.

Could be nobody's gonna be safe
till he gets locked up. Doc, ma'am.

Damned fool.

Doctor, I've known
George all his life,

and frankly, I've never fully
accepted his murder conviction.

My work with George has
led me to the same doubt.

But I've tried everything,

from drugs to hypnosis to try and
break through his amnesia block.

Nothing worked.

All he kept saying is that he
saw something bright and shiny,

and then nothing.

I can't believe that I'm
wrong about George.

Guilty or not,

George is in grave danger of
being put away for the rest of his life.

If you'll excuse me.

I'm going to take a room
at the local hotel for now.

I'll call you in the morning
and see if I can be of some help.

Thank you, Doctor. Good night.

Good night, Doctor.

You're out of your mind.

Jessica, tell her.

The doctor did say that you
should take it easy for a while, Ann.

Of course, you should.

Now, get back into bed, honey,

and don't worry, I'll
take care of everything.

Just like you always
do, right, Helen?

What do you mean?

I mean that, ever
since Tom died,

I've been counting on you
to take care of everything.

Truth is, I don't know
how you've put up with me.

I'm grateful that you have,

but it's time I started
relying on myself.

When this is over, I'm gonna
put Bill's ring in the cellar safe

with the rest of my jewelry,

and just try to
get on with my life.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got to
get dressed and drive to the mortuary.

Don't be ridiculous, I'll drive.

If you wouldn't mind staying, in
case there's any word on George.

Oh, not at all, Helen.

I'll go change my things.

I'll be downstairs if you
need me, Ann, all right?

Jess, you were right.

If I'd only told him the truth about
George, Bill might still be alive.

I keep wondering what the
truth about George really is.

Honestly, Jess, nobody else
could have done anything like that.

I don't know.

Didn't you tell me that Bill was
something of a rebel growing up here?

Did he ever mention having
any particular enemies?

There was something Bill
said he wanted to tell me,

something had happened
when he was young.

I was feeling so
guilty about George,

I just told him the past was
the past and let it go at that.

Oh, Lord.

It's Helen going downstairs to get
the car, and I'm not even dressed.

I'll tell her you'll be
down in just a minute.

Helen?

Helen?

Helen.

Meg?

Wait!

I'd just about given up.

Though, what with the whole
town buzzing about the murder,

it's no wonder Ann and Helen
don't want to answer the door.

Not that I'm trying to exploit
their tragedy, it's just that...

I just thought that if they'd
like to say a few words,

I'd be happy to convey
them to the public.

Yes, along with some pictures
of the scene of the crime?

Pictures? Of course not!

I still get sick every time I think about
that first one I covered 15 years ago.

There was blood over everything,

floor, refrigerator,
even the ceiling.

I haven't been down
in that cellar since,

and I sure wouldn't
print any pictures of it.

Then what was your daughter doing
down there with a camera just now?

Meg? Oh, no, no,
that's impossible.

She told me she was gonna
be at the fairground all morning.

I'm sorry, I know what I saw.

Then you saw wrong.

Hello?

Helen! Oh, I'm fine.

No, you stay right where you
are until after the storm passes.

No. Nothing about George so far.

Of course. Oh, it's no trouble.
I'll check Ann's windows, too.

Oh, don't be silly.

Oh, take all the
time that you need.

I will.

Bye-bye.

George, please,
put the shears down.

They're right,

I killed him.

I must have.

Oh, God, it's happened again.

What happened again, George?

After you left the party
last night, what did you do?

Ran. I ran.

I don't know. I...

I remember falling
down by a tree,

everything spinning.

And then the next thing, I...
I'm almost back at the house,

and I see the
police car out front,

and I get scared and I hid,

and I heard them.

I heard what I did.

That's when I knew I had to
wait till the coast was clear,

get my things
and leave for good.

But as I was packing, I...

I found these in
my dresser drawer.

And you can't remember anything

from the time that you collapsed until
you found yourself back home here?

No.

What is it, George?

Is it something you've seen?

Is it the jewelry?

You reacted this way to
Ann's ring, too, remember?

Ann's jewelry,

in the basement.

What about Ann's jewelry?

Hold it right there.

No, Sheriff! Sheriff, wait!

Stay out of this, ma'am.

Now, nobody needs to get hurt,

ain't that right, George?

Just drop them shears.

Don't even think about
turning them on yourself.

I wouldn't,

but you're taking me
back, and I'd die in there.

Oh! Oh, no, George,

Sheriff Barnes is not
gonna take you back.

At least, not until you
have seen Dr. Carlson.

Please, George, I promise you.

Please!

Sheriff?

Okay. He sees the doc.

But what can he do, Jessica?

I told you, I still
can't remember.

Oh, but you've started, George.
The jewelry. The basement.

You've started to
make the connection.

Maybe this is the breakthrough

that Dr. Carlson
has been looking for.

Just relax and breathe deep.

That's it, George.

Very good.

You're sinking deeper and
deeper into a place of calm

and quiet.

Relax.

What is the point
of all this, anyway?

Hypnotizing George back to a murder
he committed 15 years ago? Why?

Breathe deep. Well,
because I've always

had a hunch that he did
not commit that murder.

At least, not in the way
that people think he did.

The case was open and shut.

He met Professor Rollins, took him
down in the basement, and stuck him.

How else could it have happened?

He's under.

George, can you hear me?

Yes. Good.

I'm going to take you back,
George, back to a time 15 years ago,

a time when Ann was
engaged to Nathan Rollins.

It's all right, George. We're
simply reviewing the past, that's all.

You're apart from it,

watching from a safe distance.

Now,

it's the night before the
wedding, remember?

You went to the cellar
to get Ann's trunk.

The cellar.

That's right, George.

What do you see?

I... I don't know.

Yes, George.

Yes, you do.

It's only the past, a distant
memory. It can't hurt you now.

You see something
bright and shiny.

Ann's jewelry.

Tell us about Ann's
jewelry, George.

Tell us about the jewelry
and Professor Rollins.

Nathan was there,

in the cellar,

at the safe.

He had Ann's diamonds.

He made some kind of excuse,

and it was as if I really
saw him for the first time.

That's when I knew the rumors
of his gambling debts were true.

He didn't love Ann. He
only wanted her money.

He tried to deny it,
but I knew he was lying.

I tried to leave, but
he wouldn't let me out,

said he had too much at stake.
He couldn't let me ruin things now.

I tried to get past, but
he picked up the shears!

I ran for the storm doors,
but they were locked!

I couldn't get them open!

Nathan! Nathan!

I didn't mean to kill him.

It was an accident.

He was trying to kill me.

Of course, it was
an accident, George.

Now, we can see that now.

He betrayed you, your trust,
your friendship, even Ann.

And the pain of his betrayal,

the trauma of the violence,
caused your mind to block it out,

until now.

I want you to relax, George.

Close your eyes, okay?

Breathe deeply.

Good, George. Very good.

Okay, so how'd you know?

Well, I didn't.

But I will admit that I always
thought it was very strange

that a gentle man like George
would murder a man that he idolized.

Then yesterday, when Helen
mentioned the Professor's gambling debts,

it meant nothing until
George's reaction to my broach

caused him to
remember Ann's jewelry,

the jewelry she keeps
in the safe in the cellar.

That's it? That's all
you had to go on?

Well, that and the
belief in my cousin.

I mean, Dr. Carlson never believed that
George was homicidal, and neither did I.

Okay, he may not
have killed Rollins,

but that does not mean
he didn't kill Bill Spenser.

Well, on the contrary,
that's exactly what it means.

You're saying you
know who did it?

Yes, I think I do. The
problem is to prove it.

Hi, there, Sheriff. Ma'am.

Mrs. Fletcher.

Well, this is a surprise. I thought
you'd be out looking for George.

Oh, we found him. We're looking
for your daughter. She around?

Meg? Well, no. She's
out making collections.

Look, if this is about Meg
taking those photos of the cellar...

I'm sorry, but it's
more than that.

What happened after you and Meg
left Ann's late yesterday afternoon?

Nothing. I went home to my
place and she went home to hers.

Meg have somebody
who can vouch for that?

Why should she?

Oh, come on, Sheriff, you don't think
Meg had anything to do with Bill's murder.

Why, she hardly knew him.

Well, perhaps not.

But as his daughter,
Meg may have assumed

that she stood to inherit a
great deal from his estate.

His daughter?

What's she talking about?

I mean, you know Jody Taylor and I
got married right out of high school.

Not that he stuck around
for long, I admit, but...

Yeah, I remember Jody leaving.

As I recall, he couldn't
hardly wait to get out.

So? What's that prove?

No more than the feeling I had when I
first saw Meg, that she looked familiar.

Then, later, when I
saw her at the reception,

responding to Bill
Spenser's anger with her own,

I realized that she bore
a resemblance to Bill.

The world's full of look-alikes.

Having a physical resemblance
doesn't necessarily mean it's genetic.

No, no, but blood types are.

Mrs. Fletcher suggested
we check the hospital records.

There is no way that Jody could
have been Meg's natural father.

Took a man with a blood
type A, like Bill Spenser.

Meg may have been his,
but I swear she never knew it.

Well, then how do you explain the clipping
shears she planted in George's room?

What?

The murder weapon.

Turned up in George's
dresser not two hours

after Mrs. Fletcher
caught Meg in the cellar.

Well, George probably
put them there himself.

No, ma'am.

The way I see it,

Meg saw a chance
to kill a man she hated

and inherit at the same time.

Working here made it easy for
her to read about the first crime.

So, when she saw
George leave the party

and heard he was gonna
be gone for several hours,

Meg saw her chance and took it.

It's not true. I told
you, she went home!

Just long enough to change clothes
and grab a pair of clipping shears,

then she went back to the party

and left a note luring Bill
down into the basement.

No!

Where, when he
arrived, Meg stabbed him,

grabbed them shears,
and ran out the side door.

I'm telling you, Meg
didn't kill Bill! I did!

I apologize, ma'am.
You were right.

It's just like you figured.

She figured?

But how?

You told me yourself.

Although it didn't
click into place

until George revealed what
really happened 15 years ago.

I still get sick every time I think about
that first one I covered 15 years ago.

There was blood over everything,

floor, refrigerator,
even the ceiling.

I haven't been down
in that cellar since.

The refrigerator wasn't
in the cellar 15 years ago.

It was only put down
there last month.

I see.

You never suspected Meg at all.

Not after the shears turned
up in George's dresser.

That's when I knew Meg couldn't
have been the one to plant them,

because there was only
one creak on the stairs.

You see, if Meg had come
upstairs to plant those shears,

and then gone downstairs to
the cellar where I found her,

there would have
been two creaks.

Which means, whoever came
upstairs to plant the shears,

was still in George's room when
Mrs. Fletcher went downstairs

and found Meg in the cellar.

I was only in the
cellar a few moments

before I rushed
to try to catch Meg,

but, instead, I caught you.

Not having just arrived at
the house, as you pretended,

but having just left after planting
the shears in George's dresser,

where he found them.

Well, I guess I've never
been much of an actress.

Heck, Bill took one
look at me 30 years ago,

and knew exactly
how I felt about him.

Not that he cared much
after our first few dates.

And then, when he left town
and I found out I was pregnant,

I tricked Jody Taylor
into thinking Meg was his,

and married him so
she'd have a name.

Deep down, I always
hoped he'd come back.

And after 30 years, he did.

But it wasn't for me.

He'd forgotten all about me.

When I told him everything I'd endured
for him, you know what he called it?

"A regrettable mistake."

He made a mistake, all right,
and I made sure it was his last.

Why do you have to rush off?
It feels like you just got here.

I have to get back to work.

You might not believe
it from reading one,

but my books don't
write themselves.

Goodness, I don't believe
I've ever seen a bigger suitcase.

Oh, I have. I just carried
two of them out to the car.

Oh, I'm so sorry, George.
Usually I travel very light,

but his time I couldn't make up my mind
what to bring, so I brought everything.

Tell Helen to
keep her girdle on.

Sure, I can hear me
saying that to Helen.

Oh, isn't George amazing?

I didn't think that I'd ever
see him cheerful again.

And how are you doing?

Beautifully, thank you.

I mean it, Jess.
Thank you so much.

Don't you tell me that,
that's what cousins are for.

Oh, I wouldn't dream of
it, but it happens to be true.

Please hurry.

It's bad enough I'm running a taxi
service. Do I have to wait all day?

Oh, Helen, hold your girdle on.