Murder, She Wrote (1984–1996): Season 7, Episode 14 - Who Killed J.B. Fletcher? - full transcript
A fan, posing as Jessica, is arrested and later murdered.
Well-known author Jessica Fletcher has
been arrested in the town of Bremerton.
Now, Jessica, we can
help you investigate.
I'll dig up some background.
What happens next?
FEMALE NARRATOR:
Tonight on Murder, She Wrote.
I know you got a reputation
for solving crimes and all
but right now
you're in my territory.
I feel I'm committing a serious
breach of medical ethics.
Bertie, you know these
files are very confidential.
Oh, chill out, Jessica.
Hold it right there, ma'am.
MAN: Well, let's see,
I should have the card
right here under Spaniels.
Well, here it is.
Springer Spaniels.
Larkin's Prince Regent,
bred by Simon McCauley
over in Bremerton.
Here's the address.
Can't imagine
what kind of mystery
you're gonna be writing
about hunting dogs,
but I hope I helped.
WOMAN: You have indeed.
Well, I never read any
of your books myself,
my mama's got 'em all.
She'd sure be tickled
pink I'd get your autograph.
Thank you very
much, Mrs. Fletcher.
Always glad to
accommodate my public.
Well, I guess I'm
off to Bremerton.
Well, it's getting late. It will be
dark by the time you get out there.
I'll manage.
Thanks again for
everything. My pleasure.
Bye.
I knew it. I just knew it.
Hold it right there, ma'am.
You'll be notified
of your court date.
Until then, try to stay out
of trouble, Miss Fletcher.
Well, of course.
Oh, Kit. Darling,
are you all right?
I'm just fine. Thank
you for coming.
Well, thanks for everything.
Oh, before I go, would
you like my autograph?
We have to run.
Thank you so much.
No, really, get out of here.
Bye.
Well, I guess I should be grateful
Dwayne's away on business.
Least I won't have to explain
leaving the house at 5:00 a.m.
so I could drive
over to Bremerton
and bail crazy
Marge out of jail.
Oh, pooh. It's no big deal.
You told them you
were Jessica Fletcher!
Well, I had to.
Can you imagine what would
happen if somebody found out
that Senator Allen's mother
got nailed on a B and E?
(EXCLAIMING) They'd just laugh
him right out of the state house.
What were you
doing there, anyway?
What Jessica would be
doing, cracking the case.
Oh, come on, Kit, time's
a-wasting. Let's move it.
That's it.
That's it. That's
the truck I saw.
Kit, honey, my car's only a few
blocks from here, over by the kennel.
Drive me over, okay?
Marge Allen, didn't getting
arrested teach you anything?
Well, it certainly did.
To check for silent alarms.
Now, are you going to
drive me or do I have to walk?
Let's go.
(KNOCKING ON DOOR)
I'm coming!
So you thought you'd get
away with it, didn't you?
What? Who are you?
As if you didn't know.
What are you talking about?
MARGE: And where
is your partner in crime?
I'm sure he'd like
to hear this too.
Look lady, I don't know
what you think you know,
but I'm telling you to
get out of here right now,
or I'm calling the Sheriff.
Good, you do that,
'cause, lady, if you
don't call the Sheriff, I will.
Oh, no.
Are you enjoying your
stay in Big D, Mrs. Fletcher?
Oh, yes, the book-signing
yesterday was a lot of fun.
Thank you very much.
Thank you. You all have
a nice trip home now.
You bet.
MAN ON TV: Through a spokesman,
Mr. Bishop denied any allegations
of wrongdoing.
This just in.
Well-known author Jessica Fletcher has
been arrested in the town of Bremerton.
According to authorities,
the mystery writer
would not explain
why she broke into the
offices of a local kennel.
Fletcher was released
on bail early this morning.
Now let's find out what's
happening in sports.
(PHONE RINGING)
Sheriff's office, Sheriff
Tanner speaking.
Yes, Sheriff, this
is Jessica Fletcher.
I'm calling because there's
been a terrible mistake.
Well, ma'am, the way I see it,
everybody's entitled to at least one.
Long as you stick to the
straight and narrow from here on,
I think everything
should be just fine.
No, no, no, no, no,
you've got it all wrong.
You didn't arrest the real
Jessica Fletcher last night.
That was someone else.
Look, ma'am, if you're going for
one of those split-personality defenses
that's strictly between you and
your lawyer. You know what I mean?
My job's just to make sure
you show up at the hearing.
But you don't
understand, Sheriff.
I'll see you in
court, Mrs. Fletcher.
Hello, this is Jessica
Fletcher in room 417.
I need to get to Bremerton,
where I was not arrested last night.
Hello, hello, there.
Anybody here?
Sheriff Tanner? Yes, ma'am.
What can I do for you?
We talked on the phone
a couple of hours ago.
I'm Jessica Fletcher.
Oh, is that so?
Well, I suppose you've got a driver's
license to prove that, don't you?
Well, no, actually I don't.
You see, I don't drive.
But I do have identification.
Here's my I.D. Card.
There you go.
Now, the lady we had
in here last night had I.D.
and it was real similar to this.
(SIGHING) Well, here
are my credit cards,
I've got receipts
made out in my name,
I've got my Cabot
Cove library card.
Let me tell you something.
See, these are just paper.
I mean, this doesn't
prove anything.
Sheriff do you have a
bookstore anywhere nearby?
A bookstore?
Well, no, the closest thing we
got is a drugstore across the way.
They got a couple of
racks of paperbacks.
I'll be right back.
You see? It's me.
Well, I guess, I'll have to change
that arrest record to Jane Doe.
Oh, thank you.
Now, what do we do next?
As far as I'm
concerned, nothing.
But what about the woman
who was impersonating me?
Don't you want to
know who she really is?
We'll take care of whatever
needs taking care of, Mrs. Fletcher.
But I want to thank
you for coming in.
Well, perhaps you could
tell me who bailed her out.
Perhaps you could
stop wasting my time.
Thank you.
Kit Parkins. 15 Longacre street,
Sunville, Texas.
Here you go.
Thank you very much and
please keep the change.
Well, much obliged,
and Mrs. Fletcher,
there's no doubt in my
mind you got a bum rap.
Excuse me. My land. It's you.
I beg your pardon?
I just can't believe my eyes.
Oh, come in, come in.
Well, perhaps I better
explain. My name is...
Oh, we all know
what your name is.
All of us do.
Ladies look who just dropped in.
(ALL EXCLAIMING)
J.B. Fletcher, in the flesh.
My God, I don't believe it.
Mrs. Fletcher, we're
your biggest fans.
How ever did you
arrange this, dear?
And you're right
here in Sunville.
Wait till I tell Mom.
You look just like yourself.
Hold on,
you're not one of those
celebrity impersonators, are you?
Oh, no, no, I really
am Jessica Fletcher.
All though I've had a hard time
proving it to anyone just lately.
And you are? Oh,
excuse my manners.
I'm Kit Parkins.
And I'm Florence.
Caroline. And I'm Jane.
And I'd just love
your autograph.
Oh, me too. Me too.
Oh, let me take your purse.
Oh, thank you.
Come on J.B., take a load off.
Here, here, sit
right there, dear.
Oh, we're so
thrilled to have you.
Well, now, Kit,
what exactly is all this?
Why, this is the weekly meeting
of the J.B. Fletcher Literary Society.
I thought you knew.
Well, believe me, this
is the first I've heard of it.
Well, then, why are you here?
Because according to
the Sheriff in Bremerton,
Kit posted bail
early this morning
for Jessica Fletcher
of Cabot Cove, Maine.
Oh, my God.
You were arrested?
No, it was Marge.
Marge?
Kit, you never told us
that Marge got arrested.
No.
Well, if she wanted you all to
know, she wouldn't have used
her J.B. Fletcher
I.D., now, would she?
Her J.B. Fletcher I.D.?
My family runs
a little print shop.
We all like to pretend
like we're you, you know,
solving mysteries
the way you do.
So I made us each
up a picture I.D.,
just for fun.
And Marge's son,
Ronald, is a state senator,
very stuffy, no
sense of humor at all,
so when Marge got caught,
she told the Sheriff she was you.
I see.
Ladies, will you do
me a great favor?
Get rid of those I.D.
cards immediately.
Oh, absolutely. Yes, ma'am.
You're right.
There it is. Here is mine.
Thank you, thank you.
Now, Kit,
can you tell me why
Marge broke into the kennel?
Oh, she's got a bee in her bonnet
about Bella Mae Feldhammer.
Bella Mae's dog Prince
has won the amateur field
trials three years running
and Marge thinks she's cheating.
Because she's
beaten Marge's dog?
Oh, Marge doesn't have a dog.
Just an over-developed
sense of fair play.
Anyway, she told me this morning
that she had cracked the case.
Well, I think that I better
have a little chat with Marge.
Oh, no!
Poor Marge. I
just can't believe it.
Marge of all people.
It says here
that she apparently
lost control of her car
driving on Wills Creek
Road outside of Bremerton
and crashed into the ditch.
A passing motorist
found the body
and presumably the I.D. card.
Lost control? That's
a load of fertilizer.
Marge drove that
road all of her life.
What was she doing
out on Wills Creek Road?
Yeah. She should have been on County
14 if she was coming back home to Sunville.
Kit, exactly what happened
after you bailed her out?
Well, she had me drive
her to the McCauley house.
Those are the people
who run the kennels.
Marge recognized a
truck that was parked there,
and she got all excited
and had me take her
back to her own car.
That's the last
time I ever saw her.
(CRYING)
Oh, darling, Jane.
Did she tell you
where she was going?
Back to the McCauley house.
She was hell-bent on confronting them
with her evidence, whatever that was.
But you have no proof
that she ever got there.
Well, it might be worth
making a trip to find out.
I'll take you.
(ALL CHATTERING) I'll be
happy to drive you, Miss Fletcher.
I'll be happy to drive you over.
Somebody in the neighborhood
must be having a party.
Are you all right?
Oh, yeah.
Marge isn't the first friend I've
lost and she won't be the last
but she was the best.
I was wrong about the party.
Mrs. Fletcher,
I'm kind of surprised
to see you here.
Sheriff, I should have called
you earlier. In the confusion...
Did you read the newspaper?
Oh, damn fool reporter. Now, he ran
that story without checking his facts.
That car was
registered to Miss Allen.
We found her driver's license
in the glove compartment.
You mind telling me what
you all are doing here?
Well, we came to talk to
Mr. And Mrs. McCauley.
After she got out of jail this morning
Marge came over here to see them.
Yeah, well, there's no way
she could have seen Simon.
Cause he was killed in a hunting
accident late yesterday afternoon.
Oh, how awful. Was he
shot by another hunter?
No, by his dog.
Yeah, from the looks of things
he must have leaned his gun against
the tree and the dog knocked it over.
Shot hit him square in
the back at close range.
Oh, that's Mrs.
McCauley over there.
JESSICA: Who's the young
man that she's talking to?
And just why do you want
to know that, Miss Fletcher?
It's a character flaw.
I'm curious about everything.
His name's Rick.
He works in the kennels. He
grooms the dogs and feeds them.
Oh, I see.
Listen, Mrs. Fletcher,
now, I don't want to hear that
you've been pestering Mrs. McCauley.
Oh, of course not.
While I'm here, I'd
like to pay my respects.
Now, what the sam
hill is he doing here?
Excuse me, ma'am.
That's Mitchell Lawrence,
the insurance agent.
We have our homeowner's
policy with him.
Well, howdy, Miss
Parkins. Hi, Mr. Lawrence.
This is my friend,
Jessica Fletcher.
Jessica Fletcher?
Why, didn't I read that...
Yes, you did, but
it was a mistake.
Actually, the woman in
the car was a friend of Kit's.
Oh, I'm sorry.
This must be a doubly sad
day for you Miss Parkins.
Did you know Simon well?
Actually, I never met him.
It's a long story.
Was Mr. McCauley a close
friend of yours, Mr. Lawrence?
Well, I knew him for years but it'd
be a stretch to say we were close.
Simon didn't care
too much for people.
His best friends were
of the canine variety.
Well, if you'll excuse
me, I got to be going.
Kit, I'm going to try and have
a talk with Mrs. McCauley.
Do you mind waiting for me here?
No, go.
And I'll keep a look
out for anything unusual.
(CLEARING THROAT)
Don't worry. I'll take
care of everything.
JESSICA: Mrs. McCauley?
Yes.
I'm terribly sorry to
intrude on your grief
and this may not
be the best time
but there's something very
important that I have to clear up.
A woman was arrested last
night for breaking into your kennel.
The Sheriff told me.
Well, as it turns out,
she was using my name,
Jessica Fletcher.
And I wanted to be
quite sure that you knew
that I had nothing
to do with it.
Thanks, but that's really the
last thing on my mind right now.
Yes, yes, of course,
yes. I quite understand it.
It must have been very upsetting
when she showed up this morning
asking to see your husband.
No one came here this morning,
except for the Sheriff.
Oh, well, I must have
been misinformed.
You see, the lady was killed in
a car crash several hours ago.
That's too bad.
Mrs. McCauley,
do you have any idea of why
someone would break into your kennel?
No. There was nothing
valuable in the office,
just paperwork, breeding
records, and things like that.
Well, I guess we'll never find
out what the lady was thinking.
Probably just some
grey-haired old wacko.
Mrs. McCauley?
Just wanted you to know, ma'am,
I'm mighty sorry about your loss.
Even under these circumstances.
How very kind.
Would you excuse me?
I'm feeling a bit worn out.
Ma'am.
Psst, Jessica. Oh, Kittie,
what are you doing back there?
Keeping the room
under surveillance.
You know, I was
watching the Sheriff
and that big fella.
And I couldn't
hear a word, darn it,
but I don't think the
Sheriff likes him much.
Well, I don't think that Mrs.
McCauley liked him either.
She was more than a
little rude to him just now.
What'd she say about Marge?
Well, she said that no one
came here this morning.
That can't be.
I knew Marge Allen 30 years
and when she decided
to do something, she did it.
Well, I'll take
your word for it.
I don't think that we should
outwear our welcome, you know.
Excuse me, ladies.
I apologize for
the sloppy parking.
I'll get it right out of your
way. Oh, thank you, Mr...
(DOG BARKING)
Willoughby, Boone Willoughby.
And that there is Roscoe.
(WHISTLING) Hey,
say hello, Roscoe.
(WHIMPERING)
JESSICA: I'll bet that's
one of Mr. McCauley's dogs.
Yep, raised and trained.
Although I've taught him a
few tricks of my own, now.
You're a hunter, then?
Well, in my spare time.
I'm with the highway patrol,
I've been trying
to form a K-9 unit,
and I wanted McCauley
to be the trainer.
But he wasn't interested?
Well, that's what he
said every time I asked.
Well, as long as
I'm out this way
I think I'll hang
around for a couple of
days and see if I can
bag myself some quail.
Nice to see you.
You know, he talks a good game,
but he doesn't say much.
My thoughts exactly.
So, Lisa McCauley
didn't tell you anything?
Oh, on the contrary,
she told me that she did
see Marge early this morning.
But she said she didn't.
But she also said
that Marge must have been
a grey-haired old wacko.
Now, I never
mentioned Marge's age,
so how did she know
what color her hair was
unless she had seen her?
Wow, Jessica Fletcher in action.
So, what happens next?
Well, I have a hunch
that there's a connection
between Simon McCauley's
death and Marge's accident.
I'd like to stick around
for a couple of days
and satisfy my curiosity.
Oh, good.
Now, Jessica, we can
help you investigate.
Now, I have a nephew that works
at the same insurance company
as Mitchell Lawrence.
I'll just bet you that I can
get the password from him.
Well, I'm something of a
computer whiz, you know.
And my husband works in
the county coroner's office,
I know I can get a peak
at the autopsy reports.
And I'll dig up some
background on McCauley.
And I'll... Well, I
don't know right now
but I'll do something.
(ALL LAUGHING)
Well, thank you,
ladies, thank you.
I appreciate your help
but I think that I should
take my suspicions
through the proper
channels first.
There's no reason to believe
that Marge Allen's death
was anything but an accident.
But don't you think it's
the slightest bit unusual
that she was headed
for the McCauley's
the last time she
was seen alive?
But Lisa said
she didn't see her.
Yes, well... Look,
Mrs. Fletcher,
now, I know you got a reputation
for solving crimes and all
but right now
you're in my territory.
And if there's any investigating
to be done, I'll do it. Got me?
JESSICA: What do you mean,
my card's been cancelled?
Well, that's what the
box says, lady. Sorry.
It's all a silly mix-up.
Look, I know that it said in the
local paper that I'd been killed,
but obviously I wasn't
since I'm standing right here.
Well, it don't matter.
If the box says you been
cancelled, you been cancelled.
This is so frustrating.
How could this happen?
I suppose that newspaper report
got picked up by the wire services.
It's probably all over
the country by now.
Oh, no.
Oh, Seth, just listen to
me for a moment, will you?
I've called Grady in New
York and he'll contact my family.
My publisher will
handle the media.
You take care of Cabot Cove.
Well, make it easy
on yourself. Just go tell
the girls down at
Loretta's beauty parlor
and I'll call you tomorrow.
Okay, thanks.
(SIGHING)
So, what's the next move?
Well, a good night's sleep.
Then we'll get up first
thing early tomorrow morning
and borrow a dog.
JESSICA: Butch, come
on, baby, come on, darling,
come on, get up on the
table. Here, good boy.
He doesn't mind you
very well, does he?
Oh, no, he is one big problem.
Perhaps y'all can do
something about him here.
I've heard just raves about this kennel
from my friend Bella Mae Feldhammer.
I wouldn't know her.
Well, perhaps it
was Marge Allen.
Mr. McCauley did all the training,
ma'am, I'm just the groomer.
Oh, yeah, I was so sad to
hear about poor Mr. McCauley.
I'd heard such wonderful
things about him.
Not unless dogs have
learned how to talk.
Oh, really?
Oh, I thought he was...
Now, your dog will be ready
in a couple of hours, ma'am.
Fine, thank you very much.
Okay.
Okay, the coast is clear.
I got your message. What's up?
Take a look at these.
Florence, did you take these
reports from the coroner's office?
I know I said I was just
going to peak at them
but the copy machine
was sitting right there.
Kit, look. Look right here.
Oh, my gosh.
What is it?
Marge couldn't have been
driving that car when it crashed.
This says they found
her glasses in her purse
and she always wore
them when she drove.
It's a real clue.
It certainly is.
Oh, how odd.
Another clue?
Well, something quite unusual.
Oh, dear, I'm going to be late for
Herman's lunch. I'll keep in touch.
Oh, thank you, dear.
Bye. Bye.
Afternoon, ladies.
Oh, hello, Mr. Willoughby.
Looks like you have something
mighty important in that envelope.
Whatever do you mean?
Oh, I was sitting over
there in the corner and I saw
that lady in the dark
glasses slip it to you.
You both seemed
pretty excited about it.
Actually, it's just some
research on a book.
Oh, are you a writer, ma'am?
Jessica Fletcher is one of the preeminent
mystery writers of the United States.
Jessica Fletcher?
Weren't you supposed to be...
No, I'm not dead.
That was an error.
Mr. Willoughby, I'm
curious about something
I heard you saying to
Lisa McCauley yesterday.
When you were offering your
sympathies on the death of her husband,
you added "even under
the circumstances."
What circumstances?
Stupidity.
No right-thinking hunter would ever
lean a loaded gun up against a tree.
No. Simon McCauley
died of pure carelessness.
Well, I have to admit that it
did seem mighty odd to me
that a dog could knock over
a gun and cause it to fire.
Oh, you never know
what a dog might do,
especially if you've
trained him right.
Nice seeing you ladies.
Oh, Sheriff.
Miss Fletcher,
I'd think you'd have something
better to do than just waste my time.
Well, this won't take long.
Now, I understand that
Simon McCauley's body
was found lying face
down on the ground.
Yeah, what of it?
Well, the coroner removed a
hunting jacket from the body
which was soaked with
blood on the right side
which would indicate that the
body was lying on its right side
after it was hit with
the shotgun blast.
Wait, wait, wait, wait a minute.
Just where'd you get
all this information.
Well, I'm sorry but I
can't reveal my sources.
Oh, you can't?
You know, Mrs. Fletcher,
I'd be well within my rights to
throw you in that lockup back there
just for interfering
with police business.
But because I'm such a nice guy, I'm
just gonna let you go with a warning.
This doesn't concern you, Mrs.
Fletcher. Now, keep out of it.
(WOMAN GIGGLING)
(MAN LAUGHING)
I bet the pay's not great
but the fringe
benefit's dynamite.
Yoo-hoo, anybody home?
It's Mrs. Fletcher, isn't it?
Yes, I've come for my dog.
I'll go get him, ma'am.
Your dog?
I was under the impression
that you're from out of town.
Oh, she is.
It's really my dog.
Jessica brought him in for
grooming as a surprise to me.
You are an angel.
Anything wrong, Sheriff?
Well, looks like maybe I was.
Mrs. Fletcher,
after you left, I got to
thinking about what you'd said
so I ran it past our coroner and
he's inclined to agree with your theory.
So Mr. McCauley wasn't
shot out in the fields.
Yeah, well, if he died
where he fell he should have
bled all over the front
and back of his jacket.
Seems we got a
murder on our hands.
I can't believe I let you talk me
into coming all the way out here.
Well, if I'm right,
you'll have another
piece of evidence.
What I haven't got
is good suspects.
Both Rick and Lisa claim to have been
home alone when McCauley was killed.
Well, there's your spot,
I reckon his chest
was about right there.
If he really was shot here,
a great deal of blood should have
soaked into the ground where he fell.
But the lab report
will tell us that.
Operator, it's all a
misunderstanding. I'm not dead.
How can I prove it?
Well, I'm talking
to you, aren't I?
Hello? Hello? Hello? Hello?
Something wrong, Mrs. Fletcher?
Well, I got cut off.
I mean, do you believe that
they've cancelled my phone card
all because of that
report in the newspaper?
Well, is there
anything I can do?
Well, how about skywriting
"Jessica Fletcher
is alive and well"?
Well, I'm afraid
that's beyond me
but I'd be glad to offer
the use of my phone.
Oh, I'll take it. Come with me.
Thank you.
If I'd come home when I planned
to I wouldn't be so short of cash.
Well, would you send it to the
Western Union here in Bremerton?
Yes, Seth, I'm good for it.
Thanks, I'll see you soon.
You've had quite an eventful little visit
in our sleepy little town, haven't you?
To say the least.
You know, rumor has it
that Simon McCauley's death
might not have been an accident.
News travels as fast here
as it does in Cabot Cove.
Yes, there is some question.
In fact, Sheriff Tanner is taking some
evidence to the lab in Dallas right now.
Well, I'd better
notify my home office.
You know, if murder's involved,
we can't pay any benefits
until the case is resolved.
No, I can certainly
understand that.
Did Mr. McCauley
have a very large policy?
Pretty standard.
Mrs. McCauley
should be provided for...
(HORN HONKING)
There's Kit. Thanks so
much for the use of the phone.
My pleasure, Mrs. Fletcher.
Y'all come back now. You bet.
Find anything interesting in
those old newspapers, Caroline?
Yeah, a sale I missed at
the Bed and Bath-O-Rama.
Oh, shoot.
I don't know how in the world we're
going to replace Simon McCauley.
Jane, I never realized
that you were a friend of his.
Oh, I didn't mean him
personally. I meant his blood.
You see, I'm the area
coordinator for the blood bank
and he was our only
type B-negative donor.
Well, that is a very rare type.
Well, it certainly is.
I did it. I did it.
Oh, Jessica, you would
have been so proud of me.
I got the password for the insurance
company's files from my nephew.
Bertie, you know these
files are very confidential.
I don't think it's quite ethical
to be accessing them this way.
Oh, chill out, Jessica.
We've got a murder
to solve here.
You know, I just
realized something.
The McCauley truck
was at the house when
Marge and I drove past there
but this says it was parked
in the field near the body.
Well, then the body
was probably taken there
sometime after
6:00 in the morning.
Oh, Florence, you get
anything out of Bella Mae?
No. She still says she
trained that dog herself.
I really put the
pressure on her too.
I gave her my best
Jessica Fletcher technique.
Really?
But I don't go around putting
the pressure on people.
Jessica, come here,
we're in. Come here.
(ALL EXCLAIMING)
This is so exciting.
Yeah. I'm getting McCauley's
file up now here in just a second.
There.
Land sakes alive! Look at that!
Now it says here that Simon
McCauley's life insurance policy
was raised to $2 million
just a couple of months ago.
(EXCLAIMING)
Unfaithful wife and a
big insurance policy.
Ladies, I think we
got us a motive.
(ALL CHEERING)
Well, you were right on
the money, Mrs. Fletcher.
The lab analysis showed very little
blood in that dirt from the murder scene.
TANNER: McCauley had to
have been killed someplace else.
Yeah, we think we
know who plugged him.
(SHUSHING)
What was that?
Mrs. Parkins and I
happened to be at the kennel.
We saw Mrs. McCauley and Rick
in a rather compromising position
and we've learned that
there was a $2 million policy
taken out on Simon
McCauley's life.
Is that a fact?
Tanner here. Lucas, you copy?
LUCAS: Yeah. Yes,
Sheriff, what's up?
I'm over at the McCauley place.
I just saw Rick tear
out of here on his bike
like something big and
ugly was chasing him.
I think you better pick him up.
Will do.
Yeah, and send me
some backup, will you?
Something doesn't smell right.
Mrs. McCauley?
Sheriff, I'm about
to give up here.
If anybody was killed in this house
except for that lady upstairs, well,
somebody did a bang-up job of
removing any traces of the crime.
Or Simon McCauley
was killed someplace else.
Well, if I was gonna set an
ambush, I would do it right here.
Mr. McCauley kept his
shotgun shells in that cabinet.
If he came down
here to get some,
the killer simply had to walk
out from underneath these stairs
to shoot him in the back.
Well, that's a tidy
scenario, Mrs. Fletcher.
Unfortunately, it's not backed
up with any physical evidence.
Well, maybe we're
overlooking something.
I mean, something obvious
something in plain sight.
Could I borrow your flashlight
for a moment, Deputy?
Yeah, sure. Thank you.
Now, would you mind running
up stairs and turning off the switch
that controls that light?
Sheriff? Oh, sure. We
got nothing but time.
Now, if I'm not mistaken...
Ah, just as I thought.
Dried specks of blood.
Well, I'll be damned.
Yes, ma'am. Yes, ma'am.
Well, I mean, you couldn't
see the blood flecks before
because of the
glare of the bulb.
All right, Mrs. Fletcher.
You called this one, okay?
Look, Sheriff, I'm not
trying to compete with you,
I just want to help
in any way that I can.
Well, you have.
You've been a help.
I mean, it's a good possibility
that McCauley was
killed in the basement.
Unfortunately, the
coroner is upstairs
zipping one of my prime suspects
into a big oversized baggie.
Yes, has he determined
how Lisa died?
Strangled.
The way she was dressed I'd say
but she was expecting whoever did it.
I can't wait for Rick to try
and come up with an alibi.
I told you, I didn't kill Lisa.
She was dead when I got there.
You mind telling me why you thought
you could just walk right into her bedroom.
We...
We had a thing.
You had a what?
We had a thing.
A thing? Yeah, you know.
Simon would take some of the dogs out
for field work every afternoon around 4:00.
I'd lock up the kennel.
I'd meet Lisa at the house.
She'd always leave
the door open for me.
Today when I got
there and saw her...
I just got scared
and I took off.
I didn't even get down to
the house until around 4:10.
Come, now, Rick, it was only about 4:15
when I saw you leaving the McCauley place.
Well, that's hardly enough time to
get to the house and commit murder.
Sheriff, I just spoke
with Miss Hildago
and she says she was with
Rick at the kennel until 4:10.
So, Rick has an alibi
and the Sheriff is stymied.
That's it?
I'm afraid so.
But the lab reported that
the blood on the light bulb
was Simon McCauley's
type. B-negative.
I thought we'd
figured it all out.
Lisa and Rick killed Simon
for the insurance money,
then Rick got greedy and
killed Lisa. It was perfect.
Well, not really.
I mean, Lisa never received
the insurance settlement
and Mr. Lawrence said that
it would probably be held up.
I mean, what reason would
Rick have for killing her?
To cover his tail?
Well, maybe,
but I don't think he's the type.
On the other hand
I do think that Lisa was
involved in her husband's murder,
particularly as it took
place in their home.
But she had to have help.
That's right. I mean, there's no possible
way she could have carried the body
up the cellar
stairs all by herself.
And then somebody
had to go along
to bring her back to town
'cause they left the truck
in the field with the body.
Oh, you're absolutely right. But
there's one thing that bothers me.
Now, how does
Marge fit into all this?
Oh, Jessica, I'm ashamed to say
it, but I almost forget about Marge.
And she's the reason you
got involved in all of this.
I mean, when Marge went
to the McCauleys' house,
Simon most probably
had just been killed.
Maybe she saw
something she oughtn't.
Or someone.
But who? It could have
been practically anyone.
Bertie, do you still have the
read-out of that insurance information?
Right here.
Now, when I first read
this, there was something
that I couldn't quite remember.
What is it, Jessica?
Something important?
Something very important.
We have to get in touch
with Jane at work, right away.
Well, I certainly hope that Dr. Dunn
doesn't catch me out here with these files.
KIT: Oh, lighten up, Jane.
They're not medical records.
They're just donor
lists from a blood drive.
Well, still, I feel I'm
committing a serious breach
of medical ethics.
Well, if it's any consolation,
you have just helped
to expose a murderer.
(EXCLAIMING)
Mrs. Fletcher, I wasn't
expecting to see you.
Hope you don't
mind. I let myself in.
No, that's fine.
So, what brings you here?
You have some information
on the McCauley claim?
Yes, but you may
not want to hear it.
What do you mean?
I mean you and Lisa
killed Simon McCauley.
She agreed to split the
insurance money with you.
(LAUGHING)
Why, Mrs. Fletcher,
I do believe your
writer's imagination
is a bit out of control.
I didn't imagine the $2
million insurance policy.
It was easy for Lisa to
handle the paperwork part of it,
she could probably sign her husband's
name as well as she could sign her own.
That left a little matter
of the insurance physical.
Now, we've all taken them.
Simple exams, just blood
and urine specimens.
Your mistake, Mr. Lawrence,
was in presenting yourself
as Mr. McCauley when the
company nurse came to call.
Because the results of the
exam, including blood type,
are listed on the
insurance file.
It says type
A-positive, your type,
according to the records
from the last blood drive.
You've been a regular donor
for years. So was Mr. McCauley,
but he was type B-negative.
Now, it's my guess
that when Marge Allen saw something
incriminating when she came to the house,
you killed her and
staged the car wreck.
I couldn't take a chance.
Simon hadn't been dead 10
minutes before she showed up.
I didn't know who she was.
She said she knew what was
going on, and that she'd caught us.
Marge had uncovered what
to her was a major scandal.
That a supposedly
amateur-trained dog
had actually been trained
by Simon McCauley.
She knew nothing
about the murder.
Well, I'm sorry about that.
Just like I'm sorry about this.
TANNER: It's not in there.
This what you're
looking for, Mitch?
Hey, Lucas, come on in here.
You know, you shouldn't leave
your office unlocked, Mitch.
Well, you never know who
might decide to let herself in.
So once you arrived on the
scene, started asking questions,
Lawrence knew the truth of
the real murder would come out.
Yes, he was certain that Lisa would
crack under the strain and turn him in.
He also knew that she had a
regular rendezvous with Rick.
He got to the house
first and killed her.
Then Rick showed up
and made himself
the perfect fall guy.
But he had an airtight alibi.
The only crime
that Rick committed
was picking the wrong
woman to have an affair with.
Imagine! Three murders solved.
Oh, Jessica, you are
the most amazing person.
Actually, the real
hero in all this is Marge.
I mean, if she hadn't
stirred things up,
Lisa and Mitchell Lawrence
might well have gotten
away with murder.
Ladies, I would like
to propose a toast.
To two of the finest
investigative minds of this century.
Jessica Fletcher
and Marge Allen.
been arrested in the town of Bremerton.
Now, Jessica, we can
help you investigate.
I'll dig up some background.
What happens next?
FEMALE NARRATOR:
Tonight on Murder, She Wrote.
I know you got a reputation
for solving crimes and all
but right now
you're in my territory.
I feel I'm committing a serious
breach of medical ethics.
Bertie, you know these
files are very confidential.
Oh, chill out, Jessica.
Hold it right there, ma'am.
MAN: Well, let's see,
I should have the card
right here under Spaniels.
Well, here it is.
Springer Spaniels.
Larkin's Prince Regent,
bred by Simon McCauley
over in Bremerton.
Here's the address.
Can't imagine
what kind of mystery
you're gonna be writing
about hunting dogs,
but I hope I helped.
WOMAN: You have indeed.
Well, I never read any
of your books myself,
my mama's got 'em all.
She'd sure be tickled
pink I'd get your autograph.
Thank you very
much, Mrs. Fletcher.
Always glad to
accommodate my public.
Well, I guess I'm
off to Bremerton.
Well, it's getting late. It will be
dark by the time you get out there.
I'll manage.
Thanks again for
everything. My pleasure.
Bye.
I knew it. I just knew it.
Hold it right there, ma'am.
You'll be notified
of your court date.
Until then, try to stay out
of trouble, Miss Fletcher.
Well, of course.
Oh, Kit. Darling,
are you all right?
I'm just fine. Thank
you for coming.
Well, thanks for everything.
Oh, before I go, would
you like my autograph?
We have to run.
Thank you so much.
No, really, get out of here.
Bye.
Well, I guess I should be grateful
Dwayne's away on business.
Least I won't have to explain
leaving the house at 5:00 a.m.
so I could drive
over to Bremerton
and bail crazy
Marge out of jail.
Oh, pooh. It's no big deal.
You told them you
were Jessica Fletcher!
Well, I had to.
Can you imagine what would
happen if somebody found out
that Senator Allen's mother
got nailed on a B and E?
(EXCLAIMING) They'd just laugh
him right out of the state house.
What were you
doing there, anyway?
What Jessica would be
doing, cracking the case.
Oh, come on, Kit, time's
a-wasting. Let's move it.
That's it.
That's it. That's
the truck I saw.
Kit, honey, my car's only a few
blocks from here, over by the kennel.
Drive me over, okay?
Marge Allen, didn't getting
arrested teach you anything?
Well, it certainly did.
To check for silent alarms.
Now, are you going to
drive me or do I have to walk?
Let's go.
(KNOCKING ON DOOR)
I'm coming!
So you thought you'd get
away with it, didn't you?
What? Who are you?
As if you didn't know.
What are you talking about?
MARGE: And where
is your partner in crime?
I'm sure he'd like
to hear this too.
Look lady, I don't know
what you think you know,
but I'm telling you to
get out of here right now,
or I'm calling the Sheriff.
Good, you do that,
'cause, lady, if you
don't call the Sheriff, I will.
Oh, no.
Are you enjoying your
stay in Big D, Mrs. Fletcher?
Oh, yes, the book-signing
yesterday was a lot of fun.
Thank you very much.
Thank you. You all have
a nice trip home now.
You bet.
MAN ON TV: Through a spokesman,
Mr. Bishop denied any allegations
of wrongdoing.
This just in.
Well-known author Jessica Fletcher has
been arrested in the town of Bremerton.
According to authorities,
the mystery writer
would not explain
why she broke into the
offices of a local kennel.
Fletcher was released
on bail early this morning.
Now let's find out what's
happening in sports.
(PHONE RINGING)
Sheriff's office, Sheriff
Tanner speaking.
Yes, Sheriff, this
is Jessica Fletcher.
I'm calling because there's
been a terrible mistake.
Well, ma'am, the way I see it,
everybody's entitled to at least one.
Long as you stick to the
straight and narrow from here on,
I think everything
should be just fine.
No, no, no, no, no,
you've got it all wrong.
You didn't arrest the real
Jessica Fletcher last night.
That was someone else.
Look, ma'am, if you're going for
one of those split-personality defenses
that's strictly between you and
your lawyer. You know what I mean?
My job's just to make sure
you show up at the hearing.
But you don't
understand, Sheriff.
I'll see you in
court, Mrs. Fletcher.
Hello, this is Jessica
Fletcher in room 417.
I need to get to Bremerton,
where I was not arrested last night.
Hello, hello, there.
Anybody here?
Sheriff Tanner? Yes, ma'am.
What can I do for you?
We talked on the phone
a couple of hours ago.
I'm Jessica Fletcher.
Oh, is that so?
Well, I suppose you've got a driver's
license to prove that, don't you?
Well, no, actually I don't.
You see, I don't drive.
But I do have identification.
Here's my I.D. Card.
There you go.
Now, the lady we had
in here last night had I.D.
and it was real similar to this.
(SIGHING) Well, here
are my credit cards,
I've got receipts
made out in my name,
I've got my Cabot
Cove library card.
Let me tell you something.
See, these are just paper.
I mean, this doesn't
prove anything.
Sheriff do you have a
bookstore anywhere nearby?
A bookstore?
Well, no, the closest thing we
got is a drugstore across the way.
They got a couple of
racks of paperbacks.
I'll be right back.
You see? It's me.
Well, I guess, I'll have to change
that arrest record to Jane Doe.
Oh, thank you.
Now, what do we do next?
As far as I'm
concerned, nothing.
But what about the woman
who was impersonating me?
Don't you want to
know who she really is?
We'll take care of whatever
needs taking care of, Mrs. Fletcher.
But I want to thank
you for coming in.
Well, perhaps you could
tell me who bailed her out.
Perhaps you could
stop wasting my time.
Thank you.
Kit Parkins. 15 Longacre street,
Sunville, Texas.
Here you go.
Thank you very much and
please keep the change.
Well, much obliged,
and Mrs. Fletcher,
there's no doubt in my
mind you got a bum rap.
Excuse me. My land. It's you.
I beg your pardon?
I just can't believe my eyes.
Oh, come in, come in.
Well, perhaps I better
explain. My name is...
Oh, we all know
what your name is.
All of us do.
Ladies look who just dropped in.
(ALL EXCLAIMING)
J.B. Fletcher, in the flesh.
My God, I don't believe it.
Mrs. Fletcher, we're
your biggest fans.
How ever did you
arrange this, dear?
And you're right
here in Sunville.
Wait till I tell Mom.
You look just like yourself.
Hold on,
you're not one of those
celebrity impersonators, are you?
Oh, no, no, I really
am Jessica Fletcher.
All though I've had a hard time
proving it to anyone just lately.
And you are? Oh,
excuse my manners.
I'm Kit Parkins.
And I'm Florence.
Caroline. And I'm Jane.
And I'd just love
your autograph.
Oh, me too. Me too.
Oh, let me take your purse.
Oh, thank you.
Come on J.B., take a load off.
Here, here, sit
right there, dear.
Oh, we're so
thrilled to have you.
Well, now, Kit,
what exactly is all this?
Why, this is the weekly meeting
of the J.B. Fletcher Literary Society.
I thought you knew.
Well, believe me, this
is the first I've heard of it.
Well, then, why are you here?
Because according to
the Sheriff in Bremerton,
Kit posted bail
early this morning
for Jessica Fletcher
of Cabot Cove, Maine.
Oh, my God.
You were arrested?
No, it was Marge.
Marge?
Kit, you never told us
that Marge got arrested.
No.
Well, if she wanted you all to
know, she wouldn't have used
her J.B. Fletcher
I.D., now, would she?
Her J.B. Fletcher I.D.?
My family runs
a little print shop.
We all like to pretend
like we're you, you know,
solving mysteries
the way you do.
So I made us each
up a picture I.D.,
just for fun.
And Marge's son,
Ronald, is a state senator,
very stuffy, no
sense of humor at all,
so when Marge got caught,
she told the Sheriff she was you.
I see.
Ladies, will you do
me a great favor?
Get rid of those I.D.
cards immediately.
Oh, absolutely. Yes, ma'am.
You're right.
There it is. Here is mine.
Thank you, thank you.
Now, Kit,
can you tell me why
Marge broke into the kennel?
Oh, she's got a bee in her bonnet
about Bella Mae Feldhammer.
Bella Mae's dog Prince
has won the amateur field
trials three years running
and Marge thinks she's cheating.
Because she's
beaten Marge's dog?
Oh, Marge doesn't have a dog.
Just an over-developed
sense of fair play.
Anyway, she told me this morning
that she had cracked the case.
Well, I think that I better
have a little chat with Marge.
Oh, no!
Poor Marge. I
just can't believe it.
Marge of all people.
It says here
that she apparently
lost control of her car
driving on Wills Creek
Road outside of Bremerton
and crashed into the ditch.
A passing motorist
found the body
and presumably the I.D. card.
Lost control? That's
a load of fertilizer.
Marge drove that
road all of her life.
What was she doing
out on Wills Creek Road?
Yeah. She should have been on County
14 if she was coming back home to Sunville.
Kit, exactly what happened
after you bailed her out?
Well, she had me drive
her to the McCauley house.
Those are the people
who run the kennels.
Marge recognized a
truck that was parked there,
and she got all excited
and had me take her
back to her own car.
That's the last
time I ever saw her.
(CRYING)
Oh, darling, Jane.
Did she tell you
where she was going?
Back to the McCauley house.
She was hell-bent on confronting them
with her evidence, whatever that was.
But you have no proof
that she ever got there.
Well, it might be worth
making a trip to find out.
I'll take you.
(ALL CHATTERING) I'll be
happy to drive you, Miss Fletcher.
I'll be happy to drive you over.
Somebody in the neighborhood
must be having a party.
Are you all right?
Oh, yeah.
Marge isn't the first friend I've
lost and she won't be the last
but she was the best.
I was wrong about the party.
Mrs. Fletcher,
I'm kind of surprised
to see you here.
Sheriff, I should have called
you earlier. In the confusion...
Did you read the newspaper?
Oh, damn fool reporter. Now, he ran
that story without checking his facts.
That car was
registered to Miss Allen.
We found her driver's license
in the glove compartment.
You mind telling me what
you all are doing here?
Well, we came to talk to
Mr. And Mrs. McCauley.
After she got out of jail this morning
Marge came over here to see them.
Yeah, well, there's no way
she could have seen Simon.
Cause he was killed in a hunting
accident late yesterday afternoon.
Oh, how awful. Was he
shot by another hunter?
No, by his dog.
Yeah, from the looks of things
he must have leaned his gun against
the tree and the dog knocked it over.
Shot hit him square in
the back at close range.
Oh, that's Mrs.
McCauley over there.
JESSICA: Who's the young
man that she's talking to?
And just why do you want
to know that, Miss Fletcher?
It's a character flaw.
I'm curious about everything.
His name's Rick.
He works in the kennels. He
grooms the dogs and feeds them.
Oh, I see.
Listen, Mrs. Fletcher,
now, I don't want to hear that
you've been pestering Mrs. McCauley.
Oh, of course not.
While I'm here, I'd
like to pay my respects.
Now, what the sam
hill is he doing here?
Excuse me, ma'am.
That's Mitchell Lawrence,
the insurance agent.
We have our homeowner's
policy with him.
Well, howdy, Miss
Parkins. Hi, Mr. Lawrence.
This is my friend,
Jessica Fletcher.
Jessica Fletcher?
Why, didn't I read that...
Yes, you did, but
it was a mistake.
Actually, the woman in
the car was a friend of Kit's.
Oh, I'm sorry.
This must be a doubly sad
day for you Miss Parkins.
Did you know Simon well?
Actually, I never met him.
It's a long story.
Was Mr. McCauley a close
friend of yours, Mr. Lawrence?
Well, I knew him for years but it'd
be a stretch to say we were close.
Simon didn't care
too much for people.
His best friends were
of the canine variety.
Well, if you'll excuse
me, I got to be going.
Kit, I'm going to try and have
a talk with Mrs. McCauley.
Do you mind waiting for me here?
No, go.
And I'll keep a look
out for anything unusual.
(CLEARING THROAT)
Don't worry. I'll take
care of everything.
JESSICA: Mrs. McCauley?
Yes.
I'm terribly sorry to
intrude on your grief
and this may not
be the best time
but there's something very
important that I have to clear up.
A woman was arrested last
night for breaking into your kennel.
The Sheriff told me.
Well, as it turns out,
she was using my name,
Jessica Fletcher.
And I wanted to be
quite sure that you knew
that I had nothing
to do with it.
Thanks, but that's really the
last thing on my mind right now.
Yes, yes, of course,
yes. I quite understand it.
It must have been very upsetting
when she showed up this morning
asking to see your husband.
No one came here this morning,
except for the Sheriff.
Oh, well, I must have
been misinformed.
You see, the lady was killed in
a car crash several hours ago.
That's too bad.
Mrs. McCauley,
do you have any idea of why
someone would break into your kennel?
No. There was nothing
valuable in the office,
just paperwork, breeding
records, and things like that.
Well, I guess we'll never find
out what the lady was thinking.
Probably just some
grey-haired old wacko.
Mrs. McCauley?
Just wanted you to know, ma'am,
I'm mighty sorry about your loss.
Even under these circumstances.
How very kind.
Would you excuse me?
I'm feeling a bit worn out.
Ma'am.
Psst, Jessica. Oh, Kittie,
what are you doing back there?
Keeping the room
under surveillance.
You know, I was
watching the Sheriff
and that big fella.
And I couldn't
hear a word, darn it,
but I don't think the
Sheriff likes him much.
Well, I don't think that Mrs.
McCauley liked him either.
She was more than a
little rude to him just now.
What'd she say about Marge?
Well, she said that no one
came here this morning.
That can't be.
I knew Marge Allen 30 years
and when she decided
to do something, she did it.
Well, I'll take
your word for it.
I don't think that we should
outwear our welcome, you know.
Excuse me, ladies.
I apologize for
the sloppy parking.
I'll get it right out of your
way. Oh, thank you, Mr...
(DOG BARKING)
Willoughby, Boone Willoughby.
And that there is Roscoe.
(WHISTLING) Hey,
say hello, Roscoe.
(WHIMPERING)
JESSICA: I'll bet that's
one of Mr. McCauley's dogs.
Yep, raised and trained.
Although I've taught him a
few tricks of my own, now.
You're a hunter, then?
Well, in my spare time.
I'm with the highway patrol,
I've been trying
to form a K-9 unit,
and I wanted McCauley
to be the trainer.
But he wasn't interested?
Well, that's what he
said every time I asked.
Well, as long as
I'm out this way
I think I'll hang
around for a couple of
days and see if I can
bag myself some quail.
Nice to see you.
You know, he talks a good game,
but he doesn't say much.
My thoughts exactly.
So, Lisa McCauley
didn't tell you anything?
Oh, on the contrary,
she told me that she did
see Marge early this morning.
But she said she didn't.
But she also said
that Marge must have been
a grey-haired old wacko.
Now, I never
mentioned Marge's age,
so how did she know
what color her hair was
unless she had seen her?
Wow, Jessica Fletcher in action.
So, what happens next?
Well, I have a hunch
that there's a connection
between Simon McCauley's
death and Marge's accident.
I'd like to stick around
for a couple of days
and satisfy my curiosity.
Oh, good.
Now, Jessica, we can
help you investigate.
Now, I have a nephew that works
at the same insurance company
as Mitchell Lawrence.
I'll just bet you that I can
get the password from him.
Well, I'm something of a
computer whiz, you know.
And my husband works in
the county coroner's office,
I know I can get a peak
at the autopsy reports.
And I'll dig up some
background on McCauley.
And I'll... Well, I
don't know right now
but I'll do something.
(ALL LAUGHING)
Well, thank you,
ladies, thank you.
I appreciate your help
but I think that I should
take my suspicions
through the proper
channels first.
There's no reason to believe
that Marge Allen's death
was anything but an accident.
But don't you think it's
the slightest bit unusual
that she was headed
for the McCauley's
the last time she
was seen alive?
But Lisa said
she didn't see her.
Yes, well... Look,
Mrs. Fletcher,
now, I know you got a reputation
for solving crimes and all
but right now
you're in my territory.
And if there's any investigating
to be done, I'll do it. Got me?
JESSICA: What do you mean,
my card's been cancelled?
Well, that's what the
box says, lady. Sorry.
It's all a silly mix-up.
Look, I know that it said in the
local paper that I'd been killed,
but obviously I wasn't
since I'm standing right here.
Well, it don't matter.
If the box says you been
cancelled, you been cancelled.
This is so frustrating.
How could this happen?
I suppose that newspaper report
got picked up by the wire services.
It's probably all over
the country by now.
Oh, no.
Oh, Seth, just listen to
me for a moment, will you?
I've called Grady in New
York and he'll contact my family.
My publisher will
handle the media.
You take care of Cabot Cove.
Well, make it easy
on yourself. Just go tell
the girls down at
Loretta's beauty parlor
and I'll call you tomorrow.
Okay, thanks.
(SIGHING)
So, what's the next move?
Well, a good night's sleep.
Then we'll get up first
thing early tomorrow morning
and borrow a dog.
JESSICA: Butch, come
on, baby, come on, darling,
come on, get up on the
table. Here, good boy.
He doesn't mind you
very well, does he?
Oh, no, he is one big problem.
Perhaps y'all can do
something about him here.
I've heard just raves about this kennel
from my friend Bella Mae Feldhammer.
I wouldn't know her.
Well, perhaps it
was Marge Allen.
Mr. McCauley did all the training,
ma'am, I'm just the groomer.
Oh, yeah, I was so sad to
hear about poor Mr. McCauley.
I'd heard such wonderful
things about him.
Not unless dogs have
learned how to talk.
Oh, really?
Oh, I thought he was...
Now, your dog will be ready
in a couple of hours, ma'am.
Fine, thank you very much.
Okay.
Okay, the coast is clear.
I got your message. What's up?
Take a look at these.
Florence, did you take these
reports from the coroner's office?
I know I said I was just
going to peak at them
but the copy machine
was sitting right there.
Kit, look. Look right here.
Oh, my gosh.
What is it?
Marge couldn't have been
driving that car when it crashed.
This says they found
her glasses in her purse
and she always wore
them when she drove.
It's a real clue.
It certainly is.
Oh, how odd.
Another clue?
Well, something quite unusual.
Oh, dear, I'm going to be late for
Herman's lunch. I'll keep in touch.
Oh, thank you, dear.
Bye. Bye.
Afternoon, ladies.
Oh, hello, Mr. Willoughby.
Looks like you have something
mighty important in that envelope.
Whatever do you mean?
Oh, I was sitting over
there in the corner and I saw
that lady in the dark
glasses slip it to you.
You both seemed
pretty excited about it.
Actually, it's just some
research on a book.
Oh, are you a writer, ma'am?
Jessica Fletcher is one of the preeminent
mystery writers of the United States.
Jessica Fletcher?
Weren't you supposed to be...
No, I'm not dead.
That was an error.
Mr. Willoughby, I'm
curious about something
I heard you saying to
Lisa McCauley yesterday.
When you were offering your
sympathies on the death of her husband,
you added "even under
the circumstances."
What circumstances?
Stupidity.
No right-thinking hunter would ever
lean a loaded gun up against a tree.
No. Simon McCauley
died of pure carelessness.
Well, I have to admit that it
did seem mighty odd to me
that a dog could knock over
a gun and cause it to fire.
Oh, you never know
what a dog might do,
especially if you've
trained him right.
Nice seeing you ladies.
Oh, Sheriff.
Miss Fletcher,
I'd think you'd have something
better to do than just waste my time.
Well, this won't take long.
Now, I understand that
Simon McCauley's body
was found lying face
down on the ground.
Yeah, what of it?
Well, the coroner removed a
hunting jacket from the body
which was soaked with
blood on the right side
which would indicate that the
body was lying on its right side
after it was hit with
the shotgun blast.
Wait, wait, wait, wait a minute.
Just where'd you get
all this information.
Well, I'm sorry but I
can't reveal my sources.
Oh, you can't?
You know, Mrs. Fletcher,
I'd be well within my rights to
throw you in that lockup back there
just for interfering
with police business.
But because I'm such a nice guy, I'm
just gonna let you go with a warning.
This doesn't concern you, Mrs.
Fletcher. Now, keep out of it.
(WOMAN GIGGLING)
(MAN LAUGHING)
I bet the pay's not great
but the fringe
benefit's dynamite.
Yoo-hoo, anybody home?
It's Mrs. Fletcher, isn't it?
Yes, I've come for my dog.
I'll go get him, ma'am.
Your dog?
I was under the impression
that you're from out of town.
Oh, she is.
It's really my dog.
Jessica brought him in for
grooming as a surprise to me.
You are an angel.
Anything wrong, Sheriff?
Well, looks like maybe I was.
Mrs. Fletcher,
after you left, I got to
thinking about what you'd said
so I ran it past our coroner and
he's inclined to agree with your theory.
So Mr. McCauley wasn't
shot out in the fields.
Yeah, well, if he died
where he fell he should have
bled all over the front
and back of his jacket.
Seems we got a
murder on our hands.
I can't believe I let you talk me
into coming all the way out here.
Well, if I'm right,
you'll have another
piece of evidence.
What I haven't got
is good suspects.
Both Rick and Lisa claim to have been
home alone when McCauley was killed.
Well, there's your spot,
I reckon his chest
was about right there.
If he really was shot here,
a great deal of blood should have
soaked into the ground where he fell.
But the lab report
will tell us that.
Operator, it's all a
misunderstanding. I'm not dead.
How can I prove it?
Well, I'm talking
to you, aren't I?
Hello? Hello? Hello? Hello?
Something wrong, Mrs. Fletcher?
Well, I got cut off.
I mean, do you believe that
they've cancelled my phone card
all because of that
report in the newspaper?
Well, is there
anything I can do?
Well, how about skywriting
"Jessica Fletcher
is alive and well"?
Well, I'm afraid
that's beyond me
but I'd be glad to offer
the use of my phone.
Oh, I'll take it. Come with me.
Thank you.
If I'd come home when I planned
to I wouldn't be so short of cash.
Well, would you send it to the
Western Union here in Bremerton?
Yes, Seth, I'm good for it.
Thanks, I'll see you soon.
You've had quite an eventful little visit
in our sleepy little town, haven't you?
To say the least.
You know, rumor has it
that Simon McCauley's death
might not have been an accident.
News travels as fast here
as it does in Cabot Cove.
Yes, there is some question.
In fact, Sheriff Tanner is taking some
evidence to the lab in Dallas right now.
Well, I'd better
notify my home office.
You know, if murder's involved,
we can't pay any benefits
until the case is resolved.
No, I can certainly
understand that.
Did Mr. McCauley
have a very large policy?
Pretty standard.
Mrs. McCauley
should be provided for...
(HORN HONKING)
There's Kit. Thanks so
much for the use of the phone.
My pleasure, Mrs. Fletcher.
Y'all come back now. You bet.
Find anything interesting in
those old newspapers, Caroline?
Yeah, a sale I missed at
the Bed and Bath-O-Rama.
Oh, shoot.
I don't know how in the world we're
going to replace Simon McCauley.
Jane, I never realized
that you were a friend of his.
Oh, I didn't mean him
personally. I meant his blood.
You see, I'm the area
coordinator for the blood bank
and he was our only
type B-negative donor.
Well, that is a very rare type.
Well, it certainly is.
I did it. I did it.
Oh, Jessica, you would
have been so proud of me.
I got the password for the insurance
company's files from my nephew.
Bertie, you know these
files are very confidential.
I don't think it's quite ethical
to be accessing them this way.
Oh, chill out, Jessica.
We've got a murder
to solve here.
You know, I just
realized something.
The McCauley truck
was at the house when
Marge and I drove past there
but this says it was parked
in the field near the body.
Well, then the body
was probably taken there
sometime after
6:00 in the morning.
Oh, Florence, you get
anything out of Bella Mae?
No. She still says she
trained that dog herself.
I really put the
pressure on her too.
I gave her my best
Jessica Fletcher technique.
Really?
But I don't go around putting
the pressure on people.
Jessica, come here,
we're in. Come here.
(ALL EXCLAIMING)
This is so exciting.
Yeah. I'm getting McCauley's
file up now here in just a second.
There.
Land sakes alive! Look at that!
Now it says here that Simon
McCauley's life insurance policy
was raised to $2 million
just a couple of months ago.
(EXCLAIMING)
Unfaithful wife and a
big insurance policy.
Ladies, I think we
got us a motive.
(ALL CHEERING)
Well, you were right on
the money, Mrs. Fletcher.
The lab analysis showed very little
blood in that dirt from the murder scene.
TANNER: McCauley had to
have been killed someplace else.
Yeah, we think we
know who plugged him.
(SHUSHING)
What was that?
Mrs. Parkins and I
happened to be at the kennel.
We saw Mrs. McCauley and Rick
in a rather compromising position
and we've learned that
there was a $2 million policy
taken out on Simon
McCauley's life.
Is that a fact?
Tanner here. Lucas, you copy?
LUCAS: Yeah. Yes,
Sheriff, what's up?
I'm over at the McCauley place.
I just saw Rick tear
out of here on his bike
like something big and
ugly was chasing him.
I think you better pick him up.
Will do.
Yeah, and send me
some backup, will you?
Something doesn't smell right.
Mrs. McCauley?
Sheriff, I'm about
to give up here.
If anybody was killed in this house
except for that lady upstairs, well,
somebody did a bang-up job of
removing any traces of the crime.
Or Simon McCauley
was killed someplace else.
Well, if I was gonna set an
ambush, I would do it right here.
Mr. McCauley kept his
shotgun shells in that cabinet.
If he came down
here to get some,
the killer simply had to walk
out from underneath these stairs
to shoot him in the back.
Well, that's a tidy
scenario, Mrs. Fletcher.
Unfortunately, it's not backed
up with any physical evidence.
Well, maybe we're
overlooking something.
I mean, something obvious
something in plain sight.
Could I borrow your flashlight
for a moment, Deputy?
Yeah, sure. Thank you.
Now, would you mind running
up stairs and turning off the switch
that controls that light?
Sheriff? Oh, sure. We
got nothing but time.
Now, if I'm not mistaken...
Ah, just as I thought.
Dried specks of blood.
Well, I'll be damned.
Yes, ma'am. Yes, ma'am.
Well, I mean, you couldn't
see the blood flecks before
because of the
glare of the bulb.
All right, Mrs. Fletcher.
You called this one, okay?
Look, Sheriff, I'm not
trying to compete with you,
I just want to help
in any way that I can.
Well, you have.
You've been a help.
I mean, it's a good possibility
that McCauley was
killed in the basement.
Unfortunately, the
coroner is upstairs
zipping one of my prime suspects
into a big oversized baggie.
Yes, has he determined
how Lisa died?
Strangled.
The way she was dressed I'd say
but she was expecting whoever did it.
I can't wait for Rick to try
and come up with an alibi.
I told you, I didn't kill Lisa.
She was dead when I got there.
You mind telling me why you thought
you could just walk right into her bedroom.
We...
We had a thing.
You had a what?
We had a thing.
A thing? Yeah, you know.
Simon would take some of the dogs out
for field work every afternoon around 4:00.
I'd lock up the kennel.
I'd meet Lisa at the house.
She'd always leave
the door open for me.
Today when I got
there and saw her...
I just got scared
and I took off.
I didn't even get down to
the house until around 4:10.
Come, now, Rick, it was only about 4:15
when I saw you leaving the McCauley place.
Well, that's hardly enough time to
get to the house and commit murder.
Sheriff, I just spoke
with Miss Hildago
and she says she was with
Rick at the kennel until 4:10.
So, Rick has an alibi
and the Sheriff is stymied.
That's it?
I'm afraid so.
But the lab reported that
the blood on the light bulb
was Simon McCauley's
type. B-negative.
I thought we'd
figured it all out.
Lisa and Rick killed Simon
for the insurance money,
then Rick got greedy and
killed Lisa. It was perfect.
Well, not really.
I mean, Lisa never received
the insurance settlement
and Mr. Lawrence said that
it would probably be held up.
I mean, what reason would
Rick have for killing her?
To cover his tail?
Well, maybe,
but I don't think he's the type.
On the other hand
I do think that Lisa was
involved in her husband's murder,
particularly as it took
place in their home.
But she had to have help.
That's right. I mean, there's no possible
way she could have carried the body
up the cellar
stairs all by herself.
And then somebody
had to go along
to bring her back to town
'cause they left the truck
in the field with the body.
Oh, you're absolutely right. But
there's one thing that bothers me.
Now, how does
Marge fit into all this?
Oh, Jessica, I'm ashamed to say
it, but I almost forget about Marge.
And she's the reason you
got involved in all of this.
I mean, when Marge went
to the McCauleys' house,
Simon most probably
had just been killed.
Maybe she saw
something she oughtn't.
Or someone.
But who? It could have
been practically anyone.
Bertie, do you still have the
read-out of that insurance information?
Right here.
Now, when I first read
this, there was something
that I couldn't quite remember.
What is it, Jessica?
Something important?
Something very important.
We have to get in touch
with Jane at work, right away.
Well, I certainly hope that Dr. Dunn
doesn't catch me out here with these files.
KIT: Oh, lighten up, Jane.
They're not medical records.
They're just donor
lists from a blood drive.
Well, still, I feel I'm
committing a serious breach
of medical ethics.
Well, if it's any consolation,
you have just helped
to expose a murderer.
(EXCLAIMING)
Mrs. Fletcher, I wasn't
expecting to see you.
Hope you don't
mind. I let myself in.
No, that's fine.
So, what brings you here?
You have some information
on the McCauley claim?
Yes, but you may
not want to hear it.
What do you mean?
I mean you and Lisa
killed Simon McCauley.
She agreed to split the
insurance money with you.
(LAUGHING)
Why, Mrs. Fletcher,
I do believe your
writer's imagination
is a bit out of control.
I didn't imagine the $2
million insurance policy.
It was easy for Lisa to
handle the paperwork part of it,
she could probably sign her husband's
name as well as she could sign her own.
That left a little matter
of the insurance physical.
Now, we've all taken them.
Simple exams, just blood
and urine specimens.
Your mistake, Mr. Lawrence,
was in presenting yourself
as Mr. McCauley when the
company nurse came to call.
Because the results of the
exam, including blood type,
are listed on the
insurance file.
It says type
A-positive, your type,
according to the records
from the last blood drive.
You've been a regular donor
for years. So was Mr. McCauley,
but he was type B-negative.
Now, it's my guess
that when Marge Allen saw something
incriminating when she came to the house,
you killed her and
staged the car wreck.
I couldn't take a chance.
Simon hadn't been dead 10
minutes before she showed up.
I didn't know who she was.
She said she knew what was
going on, and that she'd caught us.
Marge had uncovered what
to her was a major scandal.
That a supposedly
amateur-trained dog
had actually been trained
by Simon McCauley.
She knew nothing
about the murder.
Well, I'm sorry about that.
Just like I'm sorry about this.
TANNER: It's not in there.
This what you're
looking for, Mitch?
Hey, Lucas, come on in here.
You know, you shouldn't leave
your office unlocked, Mitch.
Well, you never know who
might decide to let herself in.
So once you arrived on the
scene, started asking questions,
Lawrence knew the truth of
the real murder would come out.
Yes, he was certain that Lisa would
crack under the strain and turn him in.
He also knew that she had a
regular rendezvous with Rick.
He got to the house
first and killed her.
Then Rick showed up
and made himself
the perfect fall guy.
But he had an airtight alibi.
The only crime
that Rick committed
was picking the wrong
woman to have an affair with.
Imagine! Three murders solved.
Oh, Jessica, you are
the most amazing person.
Actually, the real
hero in all this is Marge.
I mean, if she hadn't
stirred things up,
Lisa and Mitchell Lawrence
might well have gotten
away with murder.
Ladies, I would like
to propose a toast.
To two of the finest
investigative minds of this century.
Jessica Fletcher
and Marge Allen.