Murder, She Wrote (1984–1996): Season 7, Episode 17 - The Prodigal Father - full transcript
The presumed dead perpetrator of a 20-year-old bank robbery resurfaces, then is murdered.
Why did I come back?
I think you and I both know
the answer to that question.
Ned Jenks is back.
I'm your father.
You can't be.
FEMALE NARRATOR:
Tonight on Murder, She Wrote.
The sight of that coroner's
van is scaring off my customers.
Funny, George, I thought
it was the police cars.
Are you telling me that he
is free to run around town
spending the money
that he stole from us...
He's a con artist. All he
cares about is your money.
I was scared to death.
He can't be my father.
I don't know.
What are you gonna
do, Gil, shoot me?
Perhaps the Queen would care
for another chocolate chip cookie?
SALLY: No. The
Queen is on a diet.
Oh. Oh, well, in that
case, the last one is yours.
Thank you.
Hi. Hi, Mommy.
Hello, Bonnie. Come
and join us for a cup of tea.
Oh, I'd love some. I need something
after dealing with those moving men.
Mrs. Fletcher, I can see your house
from my new room, can't I, Mommy?
You sure can, sweetheart.
Jessica, I want to thank
you for watching Sally.
Oh, I thoroughly enjoyed it.
It isn't often I get the opportunity
to take tea with royalty.
Could we have a tea party
at my new house sometime?
Oh, of course.
I used to have tea with my
great-grandma all the time,
but she's gone now.
She passed away
several months ago.
Yes, I was so
sorry to hear that.
I don't have a grandpa, either.
Mrs. Fletcher, do
you have a grandpa?
I did, when I was a little girl.
I never had one. He died a long
time ago, before I was even born.
Evening. Evening.
I need a room for
a couple of nights.
$30 a day.
I'll pay cash. In advance.
Hey, what happened
to the cannery?
I didn't see it
from the highway.
Tore it down 10, 12 years ago.
Couldn't compete with
the Japanese factory ships.
Unit 10, around the back.
(SWITCHBOARD BUZZING)
Office. What do you need?
5-5-5-47-14.
No answer.
Okay. I'll try again later.
WAITRESS: Sure, I
remember the steak house.
Yeah, they tore it down about five or six
years ago to make room for the new school.
Guess you've been
away a while, huh?
A while.
You might know a young
woman about your age.
Her name is Bonnie Jenks.
Bonnie! Oh, yeah, sure. We
went to high school together.
She's Bonnie Hastings now.
She married Dave,
the electrician.
Do you know him? Uh, no.
Kind of an older fellow,
but a really nice guy.
Yeah, they just moved into a big
old house over on Candlewood Lane.
Keep the change.
Thanks a lot.
WAITRESS 2: We need a
Spanish omelet, Jim, sunny side up.
WAITRESS: I'll
be right with you.
WAITRESS 2: Yeah, a
side order of hash browns.
WAITRESS 2: There you go.
Gil, what's the matter?
Look like you've just
seen a ghost or something.
Could be I did.
(CHUCKLES)
WAITRESS 2: Hey, Eddie,
can you hurry up with that order?
Uh, hello, Erma.
Is Mr. Summers
there? I gotta talk to him.
(PHONE BUZZING)
Yes, Gil?
You won't believe this,
but someone who looks a lot like
Ned Jenks just walked into your bank.
You're right, I
don't believe it.
Bye, Gil.
BONNIE: Dave, wait.
You forgot your lunch.
Well, that's not all I forgot.
(CHUCKLING)
Go to work.
I'm open for suggestions.
Well, try me later. Right now, you've
got a family to feed and a mortgage to pay.
Oh, wait a minute. You mean, I
actually make a contribution here?
Oh, we're not gonna
start this again, are we?
Sorry. Grandma Porter, wherever
you are, thank you, thank you.
Let me ask you something. Yeah?
What you earn, half
of it's mine, right?
You betcha.
Well, then half of what
I inherited is yours, too,
and I don't want to
discuss it anymore.
Absolutely.
Besides, Gran may have
left me the down payment,
but you have to
keep up the payments.
What's for dinner tonight?
Is that all you ever think
about, is your stomach?
Not quite.
Go to work.
(LAUGHING) Go! Goodbye.
Jessica. Bonnie.
I'm so glad you're back.
My goodness, you're trembling.
I know. Something really
strange just happened.
Well, come inside.
Thank you.
Have a seat. Thanks.
Would you like a cup of coffee?
Yes, thank you.
Now, what happened?
Well, this morning, when
I sent Sally off to school,
I noticed there was this
man across the street
looking at the house.
I didn't really think
anything of it at the time,
but then later on when
Dave went to work,
the man was still there.
Bonnie?
BONNIE: Yes.
You...
You turned out even more
beautiful than I imagined.
I'm sorry, I don't...
I'm Ned Jenks, your father.
Look, if this is some sort of a
joke, I don't think it's funny at all.
My father's been dead over 20
years. He was killed in an accident.
I know. That's what
everybody thinks.
That I was drowned in the river,
while trying to escape from the police.
I guess they told
you I robbed the bank.
You were only five
years old when I left,
but I bet you remember the
rabbit I gave you for your birthday.
You used to call him Twinky.
And my motorcycle, you
used to call it a "mo-mo cycle."
No, somebody told
you those things.
You're not my
father! You can't be!
You just leave me alone!
You know, when I was growing up,
I used to always pretend
that my father wasn't dead,
that someday
he'd come back to Cabot
Cove, looking for me.
Jessica, this can't be true.
I mean, he can't be
my father, can he?
I don't know.
JESSICA: You know, it must
be frightening to have a father
appear out of the
blue, after 20 years.
You know, she may have
some barnacles on her bottom,
but overall, I'd
say she's sound.
Who, Bonnie?
No, Caleb Prine's boat.
I'm thinking of buying it.
Sam Booth, you haven't heard a
word that I've said about Ned Jenks.
Of course I have. Always
was trouble, that boy.
Zooming down Main Street on
that big blue motorcycle of his.
It wasn't blue, it was red.
And then he goes off and
elopes with Julie Porter,
the high school
homecoming queen.
Sam, Julie was Miss
Cabot Cove of 1962.
Her daughter Bonnie was the
Homecoming Queen of 1983.
Well, as soon as Julie's
mother heard about the marriage,
she cut 'em off without a penny.
And rightly so.
Well, if she hadn't, Ned might
not have robbed the bank.
Man and boy, he was
nothing but trouble.
Good riddance, I say.
Sam, you didn't hear
me. Ned Jenks is back.
From the dead?
But that's impossible!
I don't know, I
just can't be sure.
I mean, he kind of walks
like him, but he looks older.
HERB: That's him,
all right, Maxine.
MAXINE: Well, it
has been 20 years.
HERB: 20 years, 100 years,
I'd know that bum anywhere.
But still, why
would he... Jenks!
You don't remember me, do you?
I was in the bank,
the day you robbed it.
Sorry, I... I'm
the guy you shot.
You can't ruin people's lives
and just come back as
if nothing ever happened!
(TIRES SCREECHING)
You hear me, Jenks?
He wore a ski mask.
Six witnesses identified
his voice as Ned Jenks.
And the police
pursued immediately,
motorcycle went out of control
and he crashed through
a wooden guard rail
and plunged into the
river. Yes, I remember.
I mean, they searched for days
and they never found his body.
Everyone assumed that
he'd been washed out to sea.
Yeah, they never
found the money, either.
$200,000, that was quite
a haul for Cabot Cove.
Sheriff, get some
men together, quick.
We got us a bank
robber here in town.
Well, if you're talking about a guy
named Ned Jenks, I already know.
Don't just sit there,
do something!
Pick him up, throw him in jail.
I'd love to oblige you, sir,
but there's nothing I can do.
Well, you're the
sheriff, aren't you?
The Sheriff was
just telling me, Herb.
A fugitive warrant was never issued
because Ned Jenks was presumed dead.
Well, he ain't dead.
He's walking around right
out there, right now, big as life.
You get a warrant
and you run him in.
The Sheriff can't do that, Herb.
The statute of limitations
on bank robbery is six years.
Look, that man shot me
and he robbed the bank.
Are you telling me that he
is free to run around town,
spending the money
that he stole from us,
and the law can't stop him?
Sir, I don't make the
laws, I just enforce them.
Which is the official way of
saying, I'm with you, I think it stinks.
(PHONE RINGING)
Yeah?
I thought I'd be hearing
from you sooner or later.
You and me, we
gotta talk in private.
Hey, nobody connected
us 20 years ago,
and I don't want
'em starting now.
Why did I come back?
I think you and I both know
the answer to that question.
METZGER: Everybody's got a
theory about why Ned Jenks came back,
even my Adele.
She thinks maybe
he didn't rob the bank.
Well, there were
several witnesses.
Yeah, but they just
identified his voice.
Maybe they were mistaken.
No, no, no, no, no. It
was Ned Jenks, all right.
Are you sure about that, Gil?
Sure I'm sure.
I was there. I was the
bank security guard.
That ski mask didn't fool me.
Herb Walsh recognized him, too.
Yes, Herb sounded
pretty positive.
Yeah, he's probably out rounding
up a lynching party right now.
You know what gets me
about this whole business?
This guy makes off
with all that money,
and now he comes back
to town dressed like a bum.
In 20 years you can
spend a lot of dough.
I know. I wondered
why he came back at all.
I mean, he must have known that he
wouldn't be greeted with open arms.
Well, there's no big mystery
about that, Mrs. Fletcher.
You know that
daughter of his, Bonnie?
She just inherited a pile of
money from her grandmother,
enough to buy a new house.
Kind of makes your mind
start working, don't it?
Oh, I don't think that
Bonnie was involved.
But maybe her grandmother was.
Now, what if Ned stashed
the loot with the old lady,
he hears she's dead,
he comes back to get it?
Except for one thing.
Mrs. Porter hated
her son-in-law.
It could've been an act.
What if Granny was in on
the robbery from the start?
Oh, that's a great theory, Gil.
What'd she do, carry a machine
gun or drive the getaway car?
WAITRESS: Can you
make those fries well done?
Well, I must run, Sheriff.
I promised the Mayor
that I'd meet him at 10:00.
Say, he didn't buy Caleb Prine's
boat, did he? That leaky old lemon?
I'm afraid so.
Sheriff.
Morning, Maxine.
Have you arrested that man yet?
You mean Ned Jenks? Yes.
Having a known criminal
walking the streets of our town
is a very bad example
to our children.
And as sheriff, it's
your responsibility...
I am sorry, Maxine.
I've already told Herb,
and I'm telling you.
The law's the law.
My hands are tied.
Couldn't you just
run him out of town?
On what grounds?
You realize, Sheriff,
come election day,
we are all gonna remember
just how you handled this.
My goodness, Sam!
When you said you were
thinking of buying a new boat,
I had no idea this was
what you had in mind.
Well, it wasn't,
but to be perfectly honest,
Caleb did say that the
boat needed some attention.
Sam, do you remember
when Ned Jenks
robbed the bank in
Cabot Cove 20 years ago?
Well, actually, I don't.
I was out of town
on a fishing trip
when the regrettable
incident occurred.
But I always said that young
man would come to no good.
Sam, don't look
now, but there he is.
Where?
I'm gonna go talk to him.
Oh, now, Jessica,
you be careful.
Dead or alive, that
man's dangerous.
JESSICA: Ned? Ned Jenks?
(CHUCKLES)
Mr. Jenks, I doubt
if you remember me.
Sure I do.
You're the school teacher.
My girl just moved
in next door to you.
I forgot your name.
It's Jessica Fletcher.
Your daughter Bonnie
is a fine young woman.
I just hate to see
her upset like this.
What about, me?
Well, you having suddenly
reappeared, after so many years.
It's a bit of a shock. Takes
a bit of getting used to.
So does being a grandfather.
Is that why you came back?
Ma'am,
the reason I came back is
nobody's business but my own.
Yes, of course.
Forgive me for disturbing you.
Ma'am, excuse me.
That was rude. I'm sorry.
I wonder if you
could do me a favor,
seeing as you and
Bonnie are neighbors.
Maybe you could put
in a good word for me.
Well, I'm not sure that...
The reason I came back is
because Bonnie is all I've got now,
her and the little one.
I've got a lot of
years to make up for
and I just don't know
how to go about it.
Well, I'd like to believe
you, for Sally's sake.
Mrs. Fletcher, I
will level with you.
The past 20 years, I don't
have anything to be proud of.
I've been in prison,
in Arizona, under a different
name. It doesn't matter what for.
I paid for my crimes.
But not for robbing
the Cabot Cove bank.
Everybody thinks I got
rich from pulling that heist.
Some take.
$1,000 a year for 20 years?
And look what it cost me.
Mrs. Fletcher, I swear all
of that is behind me now.
Back then, I was
young and stupid.
Now all I want to do is be the
father that Bonnie never had.
Please,
tell her what I said.
That's all I'm asking for.
When I see
Bonnie, I will tell her.
Thank you.
I really appreciate that.
DAVE: What if he
was your father?
Where was he when
you needed him?
Dave, that has
nothing to do with it.
If he is my father, there's a million
things I wanna talk to him about.
I mean, my mother, my childhood.
Oh, come on. I
mean, Mrs. Fletcher,
do you think that she
should talk to this criminal?
Dave, I'm just a messenger.
Do you think he's really
my father? Oh, yes.
Then I should see him, Dave.
No, not in my house.
Your house? It's my house, too.
Oh, I'm sorry for
butting in, okay?
I mean, why don't you
have him over for dinner?
I mean, hell, have him move in.
Why don't you
just do it your way?
Dave!
(SIGHS)
Jessica, I'm really sorry.
That's all right.
BONNIE: Oh, this
is me at my prom.
(CHUCKLES)
Well, that sure don't
look much like Dave.
(BONNIE CHUCKLES)
You look very beautiful.
Thanks.
Where are your wedding pictures?
I don't know. Honey,
where's the album?
I wouldn't know.
Well, that's okay. I can
seem them another time.
I really appreciate you having
me over here like this, Dave.
I know it's hard
for you, I guess,
but I'm beginning to
feel like one of the family.
Sally, it's time for your nap.
Daddy, can Teddy
take a nap, too?
Sure.
Bye-bye, Grandpa. See you later.
Bye, sweetheart.
She's a really cute kid.
Yeah.
Oh, I've got some pictures
that you might like to see.
I look at them all the time
to remind me of
what I left behind.
Pictures of your mother.
(BONNIE CHUCKLES)
Could I... Could I keep these?
Sure. Of course.
What was she like?
Your mother
was a very beautiful woman.
Quiet.
Loving and kind. She
never put me down,
not like the rest of the
people in this damn town.
Who knows, if she had lived,
things might have
been different.
You are a lot like
her, you know.
Yeah, that's what
Grandma Porter used to say.
Mmm.
I guess you didn't
get along with her?
Your grandmother didn't think
anybody should have a good time,
or even a good life.
She never had a kind
word for me or your mother.
And after your mother
died, things got a lot worse.
And I guess I went
a little bit crazy.
Is that why you robbed the bank?
I had to get out of here.
I know it was stupid,
but I thought that
robbing the bank
was the best way to get even
with the people in this town.
What did you think
would happen to me?
I knew that your
grandmother could afford
to take much better care
of you than I ever could.
And I was right.
You turned out real fine.
Something else for you.
You didn't have
to buy me anything.
No. This was your mother's.
I gave it to her when we
were both in high school
and I've carried it
with me ever since.
It's yours.
Thanks.
DAVE: Bonnie.
Could I see you in the
kitchen for a minute?
What was that all about?
He just gave me this locket.
It belonged to my mother.
And you believe that?
It's a piece of junk.
Don't you understand,
he's a con artist.
All he cares about
is your money.
Dave, you're not even
giving him a chance.
I don't want to
give him a chance.
I don't want to sit here
and argue about it, okay?
I want the bum out of the house
by the time I get home from work.
Dave.
Afternoon, Mr. Walsh.
Dave, I'm sorry.
I'm going to have to let you go.
Well, why?
I mean, there isn't anything
wrong with my work.
No, but I can't have a relative of
the man who shot me working here.
Oh, wait a minute. You knew I was
married to Bonnie when you hired me.
I hired you when I thought
Ned Jenks was dead.
He's alive and he's
hanging around your house.
I don't like the guy
any more than you do.
I'm sorry.
Pick up your pay at the office.
I want to talk to you.
I got it all figured out.
You're trying to rob
my wife, aren't you?
Why don't you go home
and sleep it off, Dave?
Yeah, it's her money, that's
what you're interested in.
That's all you're interested in.
Well, I'm not so sure that's
not what you're interested in.
Isn't that why you married
her, for her inheritance?
Yeah, that's right!
(WOMAN SCREAMING)
Hold it right there!
(WOMAN SCREAMS)
You heard me!
Now, go on, Ned,
get out of here!
What are you gonna
do, Gil, shoot me?
(CHUCKLES) That's funny.
You couldn't do it before, what
makes you think you can do it now?
Some things never
change, huh, Gil?
Ow, that hurts!
Don't "ow" me. It's your fault.
Don't you see what's happening?
It's been nothing but trouble
since he's been around.
I mean, he's tearing
our marriage apart.
I know. Well, what
am I supposed to do?
I'll tell you what you can do.
You can go down to the
motel and tell him goodbye.
Dave, he's my father.
Well, I'm your husband. Come on.
(SIGHING) I'm sorry.
I love you and I don't
want you to get hurt,
but you and I gotta live in this
town, and we can't if he stays around.
Now, I'm not telling
you can't talk to him,
but if that's what
you want to do,
he's gotta leave Cabot Cove.
Okay, I'll talk to him.
Morning, George.
Morning, Mrs. Hastings.
Can you tell me which
room Ned Jenks is in?
Unit 10, in the back. Thanks.
(KNOCK ON DOOR)
(GASPS)
METZGER: Any idea
when it happened, Doctor?
Well, between 8:00 p.m. and
midnight wouldn't be far off.
From the marks on his neck, I'd say
the murder weapon was some kind of
strong cord.
But I can't tell you any more
until after I do the autopsy.
Morning, Mrs. Fletcher.
Good morning, Dr. Rush. Sheriff.
Somehow I just knew
you'd be here, ma'am.
Well, Bonnie called me. For
heaven sakes, what happened?
Well, looks like the killer
came through that open window
and probably started
searching the room,
and Ned walked in the
door and caught him at it.
Well, searching
the room for what?
We found this clutched
in the dead man's fist.
Loot from that bank robbery.
At least we know now why
he came back to Cabot Cove.
Well, this money didn't
come from the bank robbery.
Oh?
Well, look at the signature.
Donald Regan.
He was the Secretary of
the Treasury in the 1980s.
The bank robbery
was long before that.
She's right, Sheriff.
Sheriff, took Mrs. Hastings
home, like you asked.
Morning, Mrs.
Fletcher. Morning, Floyd.
Floyd, the photographer's
on his way over here.
When the forensics
guys get through with this,
release the body and
seal this place off, will you?
Oh, yeah.
Well, if you don't
need me anymore,
I've got a refrigerator full
of patients waiting for me.
Sure, go ahead, Doc. Thanks.
Sheriff, how much
longer you gonna be?
The sight of that coroner's
van is scaring off my customers.
Funny, George, I thought
it was the police cars.
Besides, when did you ever
get customers in broad daylight?
Very funny.
I'm sealing this
unit off, George.
It's gonna be a couple of days
before you can rent it again.
But that's my most popular room!
So I hear.
George.
Excuse me, did Mr. Jenks
receive any visitors last night?
None that I know of, Jessica.
That's why this
room is so popular.
It can't be seen too
well from the road.
Any phone calls?
One, I recall. The
second night he was here.
METZGER: Who from? Couldn't say.
Didn't recognize the voice.
The funny thing is, he made a
few calls the first night he arrived.
All to the same number.
Ah, here it is.
"5-5-5-4-7-1-4."
Dial it.
Please.
Thank you.
Hello?
Adele, is that you?
Where are you and
what's that noise?
Look, sweetheart...
Honey, I did not know
it was you I was calling,
and no, I am not
checking up on you.
Now, look, honey, just...
Wait a minute, hold it.
Just tell me, where are you?
You're kidding.
Yeah?
Okay, well, I'll see
you later for lunch.
Adele?
Yeah, our washing machine
broke down last night,
so she's doing the wash at
the Cabot Cove Laundromat.
I've got some questions
I'd like to ask Herb Walsh.
He sure had the motive.
Well, if the killer actually came
in through the open window,
I doubt that it was Herb.
I mean, he couldn't
manage it with his bad leg.
Okay, let's say he
didn't use the window.
Maybe he just left it open
to throw us off the track.
No, Herb strikes me as too
impulsive to plan that far ahead.
Well, if you come up with
a better idea, let me know.
Absolutely.
I don't care how much so-called
collateral Joe Wilson doesn't have.
We're not in the business of
putting people out of business.
You grant the loan, and if
the Board has a problem,
I'll take the heat. Thank you.
WOMAN: Thank you.
Jessica, I haven't seen you
in ages. How have you been?
Oh, just fine, thank
you, Elton. And yourself?
Can't complain.
Say, I hear Dave and Bonnie
Hastings are your new neighbors.
They just moved in.
Can you believe Herb
Walsh letting Dave go?
Made me sick.
That old coot's got a
real mean streak in him.
I wonder if he'll hire Dave back
now that Ned has been killed.
So it is true.
We heard a rumor, but,
then, you know this town.
Oh, it's true, all right.
Do you have a minute?
Sure. Come into my office.
Please, sit down. Thank you.
You know, I've been
trying to piece together
what happened that
day, 20 years ago,
from the people who were there.
You know, that robbery ruined so
many people's lives, not just Herb Walsh's.
I mean, I know that Bonnie
is still terribly scarred by it all.
Well, there was Lew
Hankins, of course,
he was the bank
manager back then.
He wasn't even here
the day of the robbery,
but they fired him anyway.
Gil Blocker, he's the short
order cook over at the diner.
He was the bank guard.
He froze during the robbery
and couldn't fire his gun.
He became the town drunk after
that, until he got his act together.
But I guess you know that.
And you were working that day?
Oh, yes.
And in case you had any doubts,
it was Ned behind that ski mask.
Let me tell you, Jessica,
I was scared to death.
Not that I thought Ned
would kill anybody, but...
I had the feeling he was
more scared than anybody.
Something tragic could
have happened if he panicked.
Isn't that why you
were promoted?
When they fired Lew, they had to
promote somebody.
In a way, that robbery's the luckiest
thing that ever happened to me.
(PHONE BUZZING)
Excuse me.
Yes, Jeannie?
JEANNIE: Joe Wilson
on line one, Mr. Summers.
I'll be with him in a
second. Thank you.
Oh, I'll get out of your way.
Jessica, please,
stop by anytime.
Thanks.
Joe, how are you?
Is that loan all taken care of?
Good.
So, someone knocked
off Ned Jenks, huh?
(LAUGHING)
Ain't that rich.
I tell you what, you
find out who did it
and I'll pay for the lawyer.
Well, you may just
get your chance, sir.
I've got at least a dozen witnesses
who saw you threaten Ned Jenks.
Oh, I get it. I'm the
number one suspect, huh?
Well, I'll tell you what, Mort,
you go ahead and arrest me.
But if you do, you're gonna
have to arrest your wife, too.
What? And Father Barnes.
The evening of the murder, I
was in the church basement,
sitting right next to
Adele, playing bingo.
All evening.
Oh, hi, Jessica. Morning, Gil.
Hey, I got a real
fine blue plate today.
Lobster salad.
Oh, no, thank you.
I just came in for a quick
cup of your fabulous coffee.
Oh. Well, you want fabulous,
you gotta get here real
early in the morning.
(CHUCKLING) Thank
you. How's it going?
Well, it's going great.
I got my health
back, thank the Lord.
You know, I've been working
that AA program for five years now.
And it shows. This is very good.
Well, I guess you heard
what happened yesterday.
How I pulled a gun on Ned Jenks.
Yes, I think someone
mentioned it.
I guess you also heard that I
didn't have the guts
to pull the trigger.
Well, I don't think that
killing an unarmed man
necessarily takes guts.
You know, it was just like
the bank robbery 20 years ago.
I just froze.
Not that it mattered,
the gun wasn't loaded.
When, yesterday?
20 years ago, too.
What do you think of that?
A bank guard with
an empty revolver.
'Course, practically
nobody knew about it.
Practically?
Maxine knew.
Maxine Malloy, over
at the antique store.
She used to be a bank teller.
She knew.
You see, I sort of had
a kind of a crush on her
and I just never knew
what to say to her.
So, one day we were having
sandwiches over in the park
and I just started
babbling about it.
You know, just
something to talk about.
You know, I never realized that
you felt that way about Maxine.
Nobody did.
Not even her.
'Course, I never stood a
chance with her, anyway.
She was crazy
about Elton Summers.
She went with him for, I
don't know, a year or so.
Boy, it broke her heart when
he married Ruth Stanford.
That was right after he
got that big promotion.
Well, that should have left
the field wide open for you.
No, no, no.
Maxine just sort of
quit on life after that.
Well, you know how she is.
She's delicate, kind
of too fragile to touch.
Just like one of her antiques.
Mommy, do elves
have green faces?
Well, I don't know. I guess so.
To tell you the truth, I've
never seen an elf before.
Yeah, green looks yucky.
I think I'll color him blue.
(KNOCK ON DOOR)
Oh, hi, Sheriff. Mrs. Hastings.
Hi, Sally. Hi.
Is your husband home, ma'am?
No, he's out on a job.
Do you know where
he's working today?
Well, sure. He's out at
the Pearson place. Why?
Oh, I just want to talk to him.
About what?
Thanks for your time, ma'am.
Hey, Sally, sure
do like that color.
Bye, ma'am.
Sheriff, look at this.
Hey, Sheriff. What
are you looking for?
Oh, nothing much. I
think I already found it.
One of my deputies found
this in the field behind the motel.
I figure it was used
to murder Ned Jenks.
It's the same wire you've
got in the back of your truck.
So what? It's
just electrical wire.
You can get that in
any hardware store.
Maybe so.
Maybe so.
But it just so happens that the end of my
piece of wire matches the end on your coil.
Oh, come on, that's
crazy. I didn't kill anyone.
That's for a jury to decide.
I'm placing you under arrest
for the murder of Ned Jenks.
You have the right
to remain silent.
If you give up the
right to remain silent,
anything you say can and will be
used against you in a court of law.
Sheriff, for heaven sakes,
Dave's truck is always wide open,
and it was parked unattended
outside Herb Walsh's
construction site all day.
Anybody could
have cut that wire.
Yes, ma'am, anybody
could have cut that wire,
but "could have" and "did"
are two different things.
Now, the bottom line is motive,
means and opportunity, ma'am.
And Dave Hastings had all three.
Now, the motel
room was ransacked.
Why would Dave do that?
To make it look like a robbery.
As a matter of fact,
maybe it was robbery.
Dave Hastings
lost his job that day.
Well, all right,
now tell me this.
Why did Ned repeatedly call the
Laundromat the night that he arrived?
Well, he probably arranged to
connect with somebody there,
but they didn't show up.
Well, of course they
didn't show up, Sheriff.
It closes at 6:30,
and Ned didn't make
the call until nearly 8:00.
Unless he inadvertently
called the wrong number.
What, over and over again?
Not very likely, ma'am.
Especially since he had
the number written down.
Oh, may I see that? Why not?
It's a receipt for a tube of toothpaste.
The number's there on the back.
"Dwight's Pharmacy."
Oh, my.
I'll talk to you later, Sheriff.
JESSICA: Bonnie, earlier
today you told me that
your father had given
you some photographs
that were taken
before the robbery,
he and some old friends.
Yes, he put them in the album.
May I see them? Certainly.
Why don't you have
a seat? Thanks.
I put in a call to Henry Donovan
to see if he'd take
on Dave's case.
Oh, Henry's the best,
but you may not need him.
Do you have something
figured out, Jessica?
Well, not yet, but
I'm working on it.
Okay.
Oh, isn't that Maxine Malloy?
Yeah, I think it is.
May I borrow these, Bonnie?
Well, sure.
You think Maxine's involved?
In your father's death?
Well, maybe not directly.
What's this?
I don't know. I've
never seen it before.
"Hankins off on Wednesdays.
"10:00 a.m. best time."
Now, isn't this wonderful?
(BOTH CHUCKLING)
It's a genuine Farley.
Oh. Circa 1850.
It's not like all those
terrible imitations
you find just about everywhere.
But what does it do?
Makes butter, Theodore.
I can buy butter, Mildred.
Oh, darling, you have
the soul of an accountant.
How much are you asking?
Oh, well, it's
worth at least $200.
But I wouldn't
dream of selling it.
Would you excuse me
for just a moment, please?
Certainly.
$200?
Shut up, Theodore,
and let me handle this.
Morning, Jessica.
Come to browse?
Well, no, not really.
Well, if you do, make a
fuss over the butter churn.
I'm reeling in those
city folks real slow.
Well, I won't take
too much of your time.
I'm sure you heard that Dave Hastings
has been arrested for Ned Jenks' murder.
Yes. Terrible shame.
Dave's such a nice fellow.
But I'm not surprised
he snapped.
What with him losing his job and
all, and Ned being the cause of it.
Maxine, there's
something I have to ask you
about the robbery that
took place 20 years ago.
You were working as a
teller at the bank that day.
(SIGHING) I sure was.
And Lew Hankins was the
manager, but he was off.
Well, Lew always
took Wednesdays off.
It was just me and Elton. Ah.
Now, this is very important.
Gil Blocker said that he
never kept his gun loaded,
and that you knew that.
Well, yes, I knew that.
And who did you tell?
Well, I didn't tell anyone.
I mean, who would I tell?
Not Ned Jenks,
you can bet on that.
Maybe it was the person
who took this photograph.
MAXINE: I think Elton took this.
Yes, I thought maybe he had.
Gil Blocker told me
that you and Elton had
been going together
in those days.
Well, I might have
mentioned it to Elton,
what with him working
in the bank, and all.
He had a right to
know, don't you think?
Oh, yes, yes.
Maxine, there's something
that Ned Jenks said to me
that really didn't register
until a little while ago.
He told me that all he
got from the robbery
was $1,000 a year, for 20 years.
(STAMMERING) Oh,
you must have misheard.
No, there was a
construction payroll
from a company
building the interstate
in the bank that morning.
(CHUCKLING) No, Ned
got away with over $200,000.
Yes, or somebody did.
Thank you, Maxine.
You've been a big help.
Excuse me, miss?
We'd like to chat with
you about the churn.
(PHONE RINGING)
Metzger.
Sheriff, it's Jessica Fletcher.
I'm down at the
Cabot Cove library.
I was looking through
some old phone books,
and I think I know who
killed Ned Jenks, and why.
You got all that out
of a phone book?
Well, amazing
as it seems, I did,
but I'll need your
help to prove it.
(KNOCK ON DOOR)
Come in.
Elton?
Dave! Come in.
I thought the Sheriff
had you in jail.
Oh, he did.
Had to let me out. "Lack
of evidence," he said.
Well that's great. I knew
it was a mistake. Sit down.
Oh, thank you.
Well, that doesn't mean
I'm out from under it.
You know, Sheriff Metzger,
he still thinks I did it, but...
He's gonna put a case
together, one way or another.
Anything I can do.
Oh, I don't expect you to
confess. That'd be going too far.
(CHUCKLING)
What are you talking about?
Round figures? $200,000.
I don't know if you
have any of it left,
but somewhere around there.
What is this, a joke?
Oh, no.
No, see, Ned was
over at my house,
and I found this tucked behind some
photographs that he gave Bonnie.
See, there it... Don't touch.
It says, "Hankins off on
Wednesdays. 10 a.m. the best time."
So? So, you wrote it.
I figure you and Ned planned
that robbery 20 years ago.
I didn't write that.
Looky here. Looks like a
pretty good match to me.
And I think the handwriting
experts would agree.
You see, me and Ned,
we had this conversation
before he died,
and the funny thing was,
that big construction payroll,
Ned, he only got $20,000.
That's why he came
back, when they found out
there was $200,000 missing.
He got out of prison in
a whole different state
and he came back
to get his share.
It's a hell of a story, Dave,
but who's gonna believe it?
Ned's dead.
The statute of limitations ran
out on that robbery years ago.
Yeah, that's true. But...
See, Ned was murdered
day before yesterday.
And the way I see it,
Ned Jenks wasn't trying
to threaten you with jail,
he was simply trying to
threaten you with exposure,
and you didn't want
that to come out.
You shouldn't have
murdered Ned Jenks, Elton.
Ned Jenks, he was
a reasonable guy.
Just like me.
Hey, I'm a reasonable guy, too.
Reasonable, maybe.
Bright, you're not.
You're not gonna kill me with
a bank full of people, are you?
Why not?
You came in here
demanding money,
you threatened me,
you came after me with
that trophy over there.
I didn't have any choice.
I was just protecting myself.
So was I.
Sheriff!
Put the gun down, Mr. Summers.
You know, Mrs. F,
finding that 20-year-old note in the back
of that photo album was a lucky break.
But how did you know it was
written by Elton Summers?
That could have been written by
anybody who worked in the bank.
Well, do you remember
all those phone calls
that Ned made to the Cabot Cove
Laundromat the night he arrived?
Yeah.
Well, that number
was jotted down
on an old receipt from
Dwight's Pharmacy.
So? Well,
Dwight's went out of
business nearly 10 years ago.
So, if the receipt
was out of date...
Then that phone number
might have been out of date, too.
I checked the old
directories, and sure enough,
20 years ago the laundromat
number belonged to Elton Summers.
That poor guy
never had a chance.
There's your neighbors.
Ten yard line, here we go!
Hi, Mrs. Fletcher!
Good morning, Bonnie.
Hi, Sally. Hi!
Sam?
Mr. Mayor, we came for a
boat ride. Where's the boat?
At the other end of this rope.
Oh, dear. What happened?
I think maybe I scraped
her bottom too thin.
(ALL LAUGHING)
I think you and I both know
the answer to that question.
Ned Jenks is back.
I'm your father.
You can't be.
FEMALE NARRATOR:
Tonight on Murder, She Wrote.
The sight of that coroner's
van is scaring off my customers.
Funny, George, I thought
it was the police cars.
Are you telling me that he
is free to run around town
spending the money
that he stole from us...
He's a con artist. All he
cares about is your money.
I was scared to death.
He can't be my father.
I don't know.
What are you gonna
do, Gil, shoot me?
Perhaps the Queen would care
for another chocolate chip cookie?
SALLY: No. The
Queen is on a diet.
Oh. Oh, well, in that
case, the last one is yours.
Thank you.
Hi. Hi, Mommy.
Hello, Bonnie. Come
and join us for a cup of tea.
Oh, I'd love some. I need something
after dealing with those moving men.
Mrs. Fletcher, I can see your house
from my new room, can't I, Mommy?
You sure can, sweetheart.
Jessica, I want to thank
you for watching Sally.
Oh, I thoroughly enjoyed it.
It isn't often I get the opportunity
to take tea with royalty.
Could we have a tea party
at my new house sometime?
Oh, of course.
I used to have tea with my
great-grandma all the time,
but she's gone now.
She passed away
several months ago.
Yes, I was so
sorry to hear that.
I don't have a grandpa, either.
Mrs. Fletcher, do
you have a grandpa?
I did, when I was a little girl.
I never had one. He died a long
time ago, before I was even born.
Evening. Evening.
I need a room for
a couple of nights.
$30 a day.
I'll pay cash. In advance.
Hey, what happened
to the cannery?
I didn't see it
from the highway.
Tore it down 10, 12 years ago.
Couldn't compete with
the Japanese factory ships.
Unit 10, around the back.
(SWITCHBOARD BUZZING)
Office. What do you need?
5-5-5-47-14.
No answer.
Okay. I'll try again later.
WAITRESS: Sure, I
remember the steak house.
Yeah, they tore it down about five or six
years ago to make room for the new school.
Guess you've been
away a while, huh?
A while.
You might know a young
woman about your age.
Her name is Bonnie Jenks.
Bonnie! Oh, yeah, sure. We
went to high school together.
She's Bonnie Hastings now.
She married Dave,
the electrician.
Do you know him? Uh, no.
Kind of an older fellow,
but a really nice guy.
Yeah, they just moved into a big
old house over on Candlewood Lane.
Keep the change.
Thanks a lot.
WAITRESS 2: We need a
Spanish omelet, Jim, sunny side up.
WAITRESS: I'll
be right with you.
WAITRESS 2: Yeah, a
side order of hash browns.
WAITRESS 2: There you go.
Gil, what's the matter?
Look like you've just
seen a ghost or something.
Could be I did.
(CHUCKLES)
WAITRESS 2: Hey, Eddie,
can you hurry up with that order?
Uh, hello, Erma.
Is Mr. Summers
there? I gotta talk to him.
(PHONE BUZZING)
Yes, Gil?
You won't believe this,
but someone who looks a lot like
Ned Jenks just walked into your bank.
You're right, I
don't believe it.
Bye, Gil.
BONNIE: Dave, wait.
You forgot your lunch.
Well, that's not all I forgot.
(CHUCKLING)
Go to work.
I'm open for suggestions.
Well, try me later. Right now, you've
got a family to feed and a mortgage to pay.
Oh, wait a minute. You mean, I
actually make a contribution here?
Oh, we're not gonna
start this again, are we?
Sorry. Grandma Porter, wherever
you are, thank you, thank you.
Let me ask you something. Yeah?
What you earn, half
of it's mine, right?
You betcha.
Well, then half of what
I inherited is yours, too,
and I don't want to
discuss it anymore.
Absolutely.
Besides, Gran may have
left me the down payment,
but you have to
keep up the payments.
What's for dinner tonight?
Is that all you ever think
about, is your stomach?
Not quite.
Go to work.
(LAUGHING) Go! Goodbye.
Jessica. Bonnie.
I'm so glad you're back.
My goodness, you're trembling.
I know. Something really
strange just happened.
Well, come inside.
Thank you.
Have a seat. Thanks.
Would you like a cup of coffee?
Yes, thank you.
Now, what happened?
Well, this morning, when
I sent Sally off to school,
I noticed there was this
man across the street
looking at the house.
I didn't really think
anything of it at the time,
but then later on when
Dave went to work,
the man was still there.
Bonnie?
BONNIE: Yes.
You...
You turned out even more
beautiful than I imagined.
I'm sorry, I don't...
I'm Ned Jenks, your father.
Look, if this is some sort of a
joke, I don't think it's funny at all.
My father's been dead over 20
years. He was killed in an accident.
I know. That's what
everybody thinks.
That I was drowned in the river,
while trying to escape from the police.
I guess they told
you I robbed the bank.
You were only five
years old when I left,
but I bet you remember the
rabbit I gave you for your birthday.
You used to call him Twinky.
And my motorcycle, you
used to call it a "mo-mo cycle."
No, somebody told
you those things.
You're not my
father! You can't be!
You just leave me alone!
You know, when I was growing up,
I used to always pretend
that my father wasn't dead,
that someday
he'd come back to Cabot
Cove, looking for me.
Jessica, this can't be true.
I mean, he can't be
my father, can he?
I don't know.
JESSICA: You know, it must
be frightening to have a father
appear out of the
blue, after 20 years.
You know, she may have
some barnacles on her bottom,
but overall, I'd
say she's sound.
Who, Bonnie?
No, Caleb Prine's boat.
I'm thinking of buying it.
Sam Booth, you haven't heard a
word that I've said about Ned Jenks.
Of course I have. Always
was trouble, that boy.
Zooming down Main Street on
that big blue motorcycle of his.
It wasn't blue, it was red.
And then he goes off and
elopes with Julie Porter,
the high school
homecoming queen.
Sam, Julie was Miss
Cabot Cove of 1962.
Her daughter Bonnie was the
Homecoming Queen of 1983.
Well, as soon as Julie's
mother heard about the marriage,
she cut 'em off without a penny.
And rightly so.
Well, if she hadn't, Ned might
not have robbed the bank.
Man and boy, he was
nothing but trouble.
Good riddance, I say.
Sam, you didn't hear
me. Ned Jenks is back.
From the dead?
But that's impossible!
I don't know, I
just can't be sure.
I mean, he kind of walks
like him, but he looks older.
HERB: That's him,
all right, Maxine.
MAXINE: Well, it
has been 20 years.
HERB: 20 years, 100 years,
I'd know that bum anywhere.
But still, why
would he... Jenks!
You don't remember me, do you?
I was in the bank,
the day you robbed it.
Sorry, I... I'm
the guy you shot.
You can't ruin people's lives
and just come back as
if nothing ever happened!
(TIRES SCREECHING)
You hear me, Jenks?
He wore a ski mask.
Six witnesses identified
his voice as Ned Jenks.
And the police
pursued immediately,
motorcycle went out of control
and he crashed through
a wooden guard rail
and plunged into the
river. Yes, I remember.
I mean, they searched for days
and they never found his body.
Everyone assumed that
he'd been washed out to sea.
Yeah, they never
found the money, either.
$200,000, that was quite
a haul for Cabot Cove.
Sheriff, get some
men together, quick.
We got us a bank
robber here in town.
Well, if you're talking about a guy
named Ned Jenks, I already know.
Don't just sit there,
do something!
Pick him up, throw him in jail.
I'd love to oblige you, sir,
but there's nothing I can do.
Well, you're the
sheriff, aren't you?
The Sheriff was
just telling me, Herb.
A fugitive warrant was never issued
because Ned Jenks was presumed dead.
Well, he ain't dead.
He's walking around right
out there, right now, big as life.
You get a warrant
and you run him in.
The Sheriff can't do that, Herb.
The statute of limitations
on bank robbery is six years.
Look, that man shot me
and he robbed the bank.
Are you telling me that he
is free to run around town,
spending the money
that he stole from us,
and the law can't stop him?
Sir, I don't make the
laws, I just enforce them.
Which is the official way of
saying, I'm with you, I think it stinks.
(PHONE RINGING)
Yeah?
I thought I'd be hearing
from you sooner or later.
You and me, we
gotta talk in private.
Hey, nobody connected
us 20 years ago,
and I don't want
'em starting now.
Why did I come back?
I think you and I both know
the answer to that question.
METZGER: Everybody's got a
theory about why Ned Jenks came back,
even my Adele.
She thinks maybe
he didn't rob the bank.
Well, there were
several witnesses.
Yeah, but they just
identified his voice.
Maybe they were mistaken.
No, no, no, no, no. It
was Ned Jenks, all right.
Are you sure about that, Gil?
Sure I'm sure.
I was there. I was the
bank security guard.
That ski mask didn't fool me.
Herb Walsh recognized him, too.
Yes, Herb sounded
pretty positive.
Yeah, he's probably out rounding
up a lynching party right now.
You know what gets me
about this whole business?
This guy makes off
with all that money,
and now he comes back
to town dressed like a bum.
In 20 years you can
spend a lot of dough.
I know. I wondered
why he came back at all.
I mean, he must have known that he
wouldn't be greeted with open arms.
Well, there's no big mystery
about that, Mrs. Fletcher.
You know that
daughter of his, Bonnie?
She just inherited a pile of
money from her grandmother,
enough to buy a new house.
Kind of makes your mind
start working, don't it?
Oh, I don't think that
Bonnie was involved.
But maybe her grandmother was.
Now, what if Ned stashed
the loot with the old lady,
he hears she's dead,
he comes back to get it?
Except for one thing.
Mrs. Porter hated
her son-in-law.
It could've been an act.
What if Granny was in on
the robbery from the start?
Oh, that's a great theory, Gil.
What'd she do, carry a machine
gun or drive the getaway car?
WAITRESS: Can you
make those fries well done?
Well, I must run, Sheriff.
I promised the Mayor
that I'd meet him at 10:00.
Say, he didn't buy Caleb Prine's
boat, did he? That leaky old lemon?
I'm afraid so.
Sheriff.
Morning, Maxine.
Have you arrested that man yet?
You mean Ned Jenks? Yes.
Having a known criminal
walking the streets of our town
is a very bad example
to our children.
And as sheriff, it's
your responsibility...
I am sorry, Maxine.
I've already told Herb,
and I'm telling you.
The law's the law.
My hands are tied.
Couldn't you just
run him out of town?
On what grounds?
You realize, Sheriff,
come election day,
we are all gonna remember
just how you handled this.
My goodness, Sam!
When you said you were
thinking of buying a new boat,
I had no idea this was
what you had in mind.
Well, it wasn't,
but to be perfectly honest,
Caleb did say that the
boat needed some attention.
Sam, do you remember
when Ned Jenks
robbed the bank in
Cabot Cove 20 years ago?
Well, actually, I don't.
I was out of town
on a fishing trip
when the regrettable
incident occurred.
But I always said that young
man would come to no good.
Sam, don't look
now, but there he is.
Where?
I'm gonna go talk to him.
Oh, now, Jessica,
you be careful.
Dead or alive, that
man's dangerous.
JESSICA: Ned? Ned Jenks?
(CHUCKLES)
Mr. Jenks, I doubt
if you remember me.
Sure I do.
You're the school teacher.
My girl just moved
in next door to you.
I forgot your name.
It's Jessica Fletcher.
Your daughter Bonnie
is a fine young woman.
I just hate to see
her upset like this.
What about, me?
Well, you having suddenly
reappeared, after so many years.
It's a bit of a shock. Takes
a bit of getting used to.
So does being a grandfather.
Is that why you came back?
Ma'am,
the reason I came back is
nobody's business but my own.
Yes, of course.
Forgive me for disturbing you.
Ma'am, excuse me.
That was rude. I'm sorry.
I wonder if you
could do me a favor,
seeing as you and
Bonnie are neighbors.
Maybe you could put
in a good word for me.
Well, I'm not sure that...
The reason I came back is
because Bonnie is all I've got now,
her and the little one.
I've got a lot of
years to make up for
and I just don't know
how to go about it.
Well, I'd like to believe
you, for Sally's sake.
Mrs. Fletcher, I
will level with you.
The past 20 years, I don't
have anything to be proud of.
I've been in prison,
in Arizona, under a different
name. It doesn't matter what for.
I paid for my crimes.
But not for robbing
the Cabot Cove bank.
Everybody thinks I got
rich from pulling that heist.
Some take.
$1,000 a year for 20 years?
And look what it cost me.
Mrs. Fletcher, I swear all
of that is behind me now.
Back then, I was
young and stupid.
Now all I want to do is be the
father that Bonnie never had.
Please,
tell her what I said.
That's all I'm asking for.
When I see
Bonnie, I will tell her.
Thank you.
I really appreciate that.
DAVE: What if he
was your father?
Where was he when
you needed him?
Dave, that has
nothing to do with it.
If he is my father, there's a million
things I wanna talk to him about.
I mean, my mother, my childhood.
Oh, come on. I
mean, Mrs. Fletcher,
do you think that she
should talk to this criminal?
Dave, I'm just a messenger.
Do you think he's really
my father? Oh, yes.
Then I should see him, Dave.
No, not in my house.
Your house? It's my house, too.
Oh, I'm sorry for
butting in, okay?
I mean, why don't you
have him over for dinner?
I mean, hell, have him move in.
Why don't you
just do it your way?
Dave!
(SIGHS)
Jessica, I'm really sorry.
That's all right.
BONNIE: Oh, this
is me at my prom.
(CHUCKLES)
Well, that sure don't
look much like Dave.
(BONNIE CHUCKLES)
You look very beautiful.
Thanks.
Where are your wedding pictures?
I don't know. Honey,
where's the album?
I wouldn't know.
Well, that's okay. I can
seem them another time.
I really appreciate you having
me over here like this, Dave.
I know it's hard
for you, I guess,
but I'm beginning to
feel like one of the family.
Sally, it's time for your nap.
Daddy, can Teddy
take a nap, too?
Sure.
Bye-bye, Grandpa. See you later.
Bye, sweetheart.
She's a really cute kid.
Yeah.
Oh, I've got some pictures
that you might like to see.
I look at them all the time
to remind me of
what I left behind.
Pictures of your mother.
(BONNIE CHUCKLES)
Could I... Could I keep these?
Sure. Of course.
What was she like?
Your mother
was a very beautiful woman.
Quiet.
Loving and kind. She
never put me down,
not like the rest of the
people in this damn town.
Who knows, if she had lived,
things might have
been different.
You are a lot like
her, you know.
Yeah, that's what
Grandma Porter used to say.
Mmm.
I guess you didn't
get along with her?
Your grandmother didn't think
anybody should have a good time,
or even a good life.
She never had a kind
word for me or your mother.
And after your mother
died, things got a lot worse.
And I guess I went
a little bit crazy.
Is that why you robbed the bank?
I had to get out of here.
I know it was stupid,
but I thought that
robbing the bank
was the best way to get even
with the people in this town.
What did you think
would happen to me?
I knew that your
grandmother could afford
to take much better care
of you than I ever could.
And I was right.
You turned out real fine.
Something else for you.
You didn't have
to buy me anything.
No. This was your mother's.
I gave it to her when we
were both in high school
and I've carried it
with me ever since.
It's yours.
Thanks.
DAVE: Bonnie.
Could I see you in the
kitchen for a minute?
What was that all about?
He just gave me this locket.
It belonged to my mother.
And you believe that?
It's a piece of junk.
Don't you understand,
he's a con artist.
All he cares about
is your money.
Dave, you're not even
giving him a chance.
I don't want to
give him a chance.
I don't want to sit here
and argue about it, okay?
I want the bum out of the house
by the time I get home from work.
Dave.
Afternoon, Mr. Walsh.
Dave, I'm sorry.
I'm going to have to let you go.
Well, why?
I mean, there isn't anything
wrong with my work.
No, but I can't have a relative of
the man who shot me working here.
Oh, wait a minute. You knew I was
married to Bonnie when you hired me.
I hired you when I thought
Ned Jenks was dead.
He's alive and he's
hanging around your house.
I don't like the guy
any more than you do.
I'm sorry.
Pick up your pay at the office.
I want to talk to you.
I got it all figured out.
You're trying to rob
my wife, aren't you?
Why don't you go home
and sleep it off, Dave?
Yeah, it's her money, that's
what you're interested in.
That's all you're interested in.
Well, I'm not so sure that's
not what you're interested in.
Isn't that why you married
her, for her inheritance?
Yeah, that's right!
(WOMAN SCREAMING)
Hold it right there!
(WOMAN SCREAMS)
You heard me!
Now, go on, Ned,
get out of here!
What are you gonna
do, Gil, shoot me?
(CHUCKLES) That's funny.
You couldn't do it before, what
makes you think you can do it now?
Some things never
change, huh, Gil?
Ow, that hurts!
Don't "ow" me. It's your fault.
Don't you see what's happening?
It's been nothing but trouble
since he's been around.
I mean, he's tearing
our marriage apart.
I know. Well, what
am I supposed to do?
I'll tell you what you can do.
You can go down to the
motel and tell him goodbye.
Dave, he's my father.
Well, I'm your husband. Come on.
(SIGHING) I'm sorry.
I love you and I don't
want you to get hurt,
but you and I gotta live in this
town, and we can't if he stays around.
Now, I'm not telling
you can't talk to him,
but if that's what
you want to do,
he's gotta leave Cabot Cove.
Okay, I'll talk to him.
Morning, George.
Morning, Mrs. Hastings.
Can you tell me which
room Ned Jenks is in?
Unit 10, in the back. Thanks.
(KNOCK ON DOOR)
(GASPS)
METZGER: Any idea
when it happened, Doctor?
Well, between 8:00 p.m. and
midnight wouldn't be far off.
From the marks on his neck, I'd say
the murder weapon was some kind of
strong cord.
But I can't tell you any more
until after I do the autopsy.
Morning, Mrs. Fletcher.
Good morning, Dr. Rush. Sheriff.
Somehow I just knew
you'd be here, ma'am.
Well, Bonnie called me. For
heaven sakes, what happened?
Well, looks like the killer
came through that open window
and probably started
searching the room,
and Ned walked in the
door and caught him at it.
Well, searching
the room for what?
We found this clutched
in the dead man's fist.
Loot from that bank robbery.
At least we know now why
he came back to Cabot Cove.
Well, this money didn't
come from the bank robbery.
Oh?
Well, look at the signature.
Donald Regan.
He was the Secretary of
the Treasury in the 1980s.
The bank robbery
was long before that.
She's right, Sheriff.
Sheriff, took Mrs. Hastings
home, like you asked.
Morning, Mrs.
Fletcher. Morning, Floyd.
Floyd, the photographer's
on his way over here.
When the forensics
guys get through with this,
release the body and
seal this place off, will you?
Oh, yeah.
Well, if you don't
need me anymore,
I've got a refrigerator full
of patients waiting for me.
Sure, go ahead, Doc. Thanks.
Sheriff, how much
longer you gonna be?
The sight of that coroner's
van is scaring off my customers.
Funny, George, I thought
it was the police cars.
Besides, when did you ever
get customers in broad daylight?
Very funny.
I'm sealing this
unit off, George.
It's gonna be a couple of days
before you can rent it again.
But that's my most popular room!
So I hear.
George.
Excuse me, did Mr. Jenks
receive any visitors last night?
None that I know of, Jessica.
That's why this
room is so popular.
It can't be seen too
well from the road.
Any phone calls?
One, I recall. The
second night he was here.
METZGER: Who from? Couldn't say.
Didn't recognize the voice.
The funny thing is, he made a
few calls the first night he arrived.
All to the same number.
Ah, here it is.
"5-5-5-4-7-1-4."
Dial it.
Please.
Thank you.
Hello?
Adele, is that you?
Where are you and
what's that noise?
Look, sweetheart...
Honey, I did not know
it was you I was calling,
and no, I am not
checking up on you.
Now, look, honey, just...
Wait a minute, hold it.
Just tell me, where are you?
You're kidding.
Yeah?
Okay, well, I'll see
you later for lunch.
Adele?
Yeah, our washing machine
broke down last night,
so she's doing the wash at
the Cabot Cove Laundromat.
I've got some questions
I'd like to ask Herb Walsh.
He sure had the motive.
Well, if the killer actually came
in through the open window,
I doubt that it was Herb.
I mean, he couldn't
manage it with his bad leg.
Okay, let's say he
didn't use the window.
Maybe he just left it open
to throw us off the track.
No, Herb strikes me as too
impulsive to plan that far ahead.
Well, if you come up with
a better idea, let me know.
Absolutely.
I don't care how much so-called
collateral Joe Wilson doesn't have.
We're not in the business of
putting people out of business.
You grant the loan, and if
the Board has a problem,
I'll take the heat. Thank you.
WOMAN: Thank you.
Jessica, I haven't seen you
in ages. How have you been?
Oh, just fine, thank
you, Elton. And yourself?
Can't complain.
Say, I hear Dave and Bonnie
Hastings are your new neighbors.
They just moved in.
Can you believe Herb
Walsh letting Dave go?
Made me sick.
That old coot's got a
real mean streak in him.
I wonder if he'll hire Dave back
now that Ned has been killed.
So it is true.
We heard a rumor, but,
then, you know this town.
Oh, it's true, all right.
Do you have a minute?
Sure. Come into my office.
Please, sit down. Thank you.
You know, I've been
trying to piece together
what happened that
day, 20 years ago,
from the people who were there.
You know, that robbery ruined so
many people's lives, not just Herb Walsh's.
I mean, I know that Bonnie
is still terribly scarred by it all.
Well, there was Lew
Hankins, of course,
he was the bank
manager back then.
He wasn't even here
the day of the robbery,
but they fired him anyway.
Gil Blocker, he's the short
order cook over at the diner.
He was the bank guard.
He froze during the robbery
and couldn't fire his gun.
He became the town drunk after
that, until he got his act together.
But I guess you know that.
And you were working that day?
Oh, yes.
And in case you had any doubts,
it was Ned behind that ski mask.
Let me tell you, Jessica,
I was scared to death.
Not that I thought Ned
would kill anybody, but...
I had the feeling he was
more scared than anybody.
Something tragic could
have happened if he panicked.
Isn't that why you
were promoted?
When they fired Lew, they had to
promote somebody.
In a way, that robbery's the luckiest
thing that ever happened to me.
(PHONE BUZZING)
Excuse me.
Yes, Jeannie?
JEANNIE: Joe Wilson
on line one, Mr. Summers.
I'll be with him in a
second. Thank you.
Oh, I'll get out of your way.
Jessica, please,
stop by anytime.
Thanks.
Joe, how are you?
Is that loan all taken care of?
Good.
So, someone knocked
off Ned Jenks, huh?
(LAUGHING)
Ain't that rich.
I tell you what, you
find out who did it
and I'll pay for the lawyer.
Well, you may just
get your chance, sir.
I've got at least a dozen witnesses
who saw you threaten Ned Jenks.
Oh, I get it. I'm the
number one suspect, huh?
Well, I'll tell you what, Mort,
you go ahead and arrest me.
But if you do, you're gonna
have to arrest your wife, too.
What? And Father Barnes.
The evening of the murder, I
was in the church basement,
sitting right next to
Adele, playing bingo.
All evening.
Oh, hi, Jessica. Morning, Gil.
Hey, I got a real
fine blue plate today.
Lobster salad.
Oh, no, thank you.
I just came in for a quick
cup of your fabulous coffee.
Oh. Well, you want fabulous,
you gotta get here real
early in the morning.
(CHUCKLING) Thank
you. How's it going?
Well, it's going great.
I got my health
back, thank the Lord.
You know, I've been working
that AA program for five years now.
And it shows. This is very good.
Well, I guess you heard
what happened yesterday.
How I pulled a gun on Ned Jenks.
Yes, I think someone
mentioned it.
I guess you also heard that I
didn't have the guts
to pull the trigger.
Well, I don't think that
killing an unarmed man
necessarily takes guts.
You know, it was just like
the bank robbery 20 years ago.
I just froze.
Not that it mattered,
the gun wasn't loaded.
When, yesterday?
20 years ago, too.
What do you think of that?
A bank guard with
an empty revolver.
'Course, practically
nobody knew about it.
Practically?
Maxine knew.
Maxine Malloy, over
at the antique store.
She used to be a bank teller.
She knew.
You see, I sort of had
a kind of a crush on her
and I just never knew
what to say to her.
So, one day we were having
sandwiches over in the park
and I just started
babbling about it.
You know, just
something to talk about.
You know, I never realized that
you felt that way about Maxine.
Nobody did.
Not even her.
'Course, I never stood a
chance with her, anyway.
She was crazy
about Elton Summers.
She went with him for, I
don't know, a year or so.
Boy, it broke her heart when
he married Ruth Stanford.
That was right after he
got that big promotion.
Well, that should have left
the field wide open for you.
No, no, no.
Maxine just sort of
quit on life after that.
Well, you know how she is.
She's delicate, kind
of too fragile to touch.
Just like one of her antiques.
Mommy, do elves
have green faces?
Well, I don't know. I guess so.
To tell you the truth, I've
never seen an elf before.
Yeah, green looks yucky.
I think I'll color him blue.
(KNOCK ON DOOR)
Oh, hi, Sheriff. Mrs. Hastings.
Hi, Sally. Hi.
Is your husband home, ma'am?
No, he's out on a job.
Do you know where
he's working today?
Well, sure. He's out at
the Pearson place. Why?
Oh, I just want to talk to him.
About what?
Thanks for your time, ma'am.
Hey, Sally, sure
do like that color.
Bye, ma'am.
Sheriff, look at this.
Hey, Sheriff. What
are you looking for?
Oh, nothing much. I
think I already found it.
One of my deputies found
this in the field behind the motel.
I figure it was used
to murder Ned Jenks.
It's the same wire you've
got in the back of your truck.
So what? It's
just electrical wire.
You can get that in
any hardware store.
Maybe so.
Maybe so.
But it just so happens that the end of my
piece of wire matches the end on your coil.
Oh, come on, that's
crazy. I didn't kill anyone.
That's for a jury to decide.
I'm placing you under arrest
for the murder of Ned Jenks.
You have the right
to remain silent.
If you give up the
right to remain silent,
anything you say can and will be
used against you in a court of law.
Sheriff, for heaven sakes,
Dave's truck is always wide open,
and it was parked unattended
outside Herb Walsh's
construction site all day.
Anybody could
have cut that wire.
Yes, ma'am, anybody
could have cut that wire,
but "could have" and "did"
are two different things.
Now, the bottom line is motive,
means and opportunity, ma'am.
And Dave Hastings had all three.
Now, the motel
room was ransacked.
Why would Dave do that?
To make it look like a robbery.
As a matter of fact,
maybe it was robbery.
Dave Hastings
lost his job that day.
Well, all right,
now tell me this.
Why did Ned repeatedly call the
Laundromat the night that he arrived?
Well, he probably arranged to
connect with somebody there,
but they didn't show up.
Well, of course they
didn't show up, Sheriff.
It closes at 6:30,
and Ned didn't make
the call until nearly 8:00.
Unless he inadvertently
called the wrong number.
What, over and over again?
Not very likely, ma'am.
Especially since he had
the number written down.
Oh, may I see that? Why not?
It's a receipt for a tube of toothpaste.
The number's there on the back.
"Dwight's Pharmacy."
Oh, my.
I'll talk to you later, Sheriff.
JESSICA: Bonnie, earlier
today you told me that
your father had given
you some photographs
that were taken
before the robbery,
he and some old friends.
Yes, he put them in the album.
May I see them? Certainly.
Why don't you have
a seat? Thanks.
I put in a call to Henry Donovan
to see if he'd take
on Dave's case.
Oh, Henry's the best,
but you may not need him.
Do you have something
figured out, Jessica?
Well, not yet, but
I'm working on it.
Okay.
Oh, isn't that Maxine Malloy?
Yeah, I think it is.
May I borrow these, Bonnie?
Well, sure.
You think Maxine's involved?
In your father's death?
Well, maybe not directly.
What's this?
I don't know. I've
never seen it before.
"Hankins off on Wednesdays.
"10:00 a.m. best time."
Now, isn't this wonderful?
(BOTH CHUCKLING)
It's a genuine Farley.
Oh. Circa 1850.
It's not like all those
terrible imitations
you find just about everywhere.
But what does it do?
Makes butter, Theodore.
I can buy butter, Mildred.
Oh, darling, you have
the soul of an accountant.
How much are you asking?
Oh, well, it's
worth at least $200.
But I wouldn't
dream of selling it.
Would you excuse me
for just a moment, please?
Certainly.
$200?
Shut up, Theodore,
and let me handle this.
Morning, Jessica.
Come to browse?
Well, no, not really.
Well, if you do, make a
fuss over the butter churn.
I'm reeling in those
city folks real slow.
Well, I won't take
too much of your time.
I'm sure you heard that Dave Hastings
has been arrested for Ned Jenks' murder.
Yes. Terrible shame.
Dave's such a nice fellow.
But I'm not surprised
he snapped.
What with him losing his job and
all, and Ned being the cause of it.
Maxine, there's
something I have to ask you
about the robbery that
took place 20 years ago.
You were working as a
teller at the bank that day.
(SIGHING) I sure was.
And Lew Hankins was the
manager, but he was off.
Well, Lew always
took Wednesdays off.
It was just me and Elton. Ah.
Now, this is very important.
Gil Blocker said that he
never kept his gun loaded,
and that you knew that.
Well, yes, I knew that.
And who did you tell?
Well, I didn't tell anyone.
I mean, who would I tell?
Not Ned Jenks,
you can bet on that.
Maybe it was the person
who took this photograph.
MAXINE: I think Elton took this.
Yes, I thought maybe he had.
Gil Blocker told me
that you and Elton had
been going together
in those days.
Well, I might have
mentioned it to Elton,
what with him working
in the bank, and all.
He had a right to
know, don't you think?
Oh, yes, yes.
Maxine, there's something
that Ned Jenks said to me
that really didn't register
until a little while ago.
He told me that all he
got from the robbery
was $1,000 a year, for 20 years.
(STAMMERING) Oh,
you must have misheard.
No, there was a
construction payroll
from a company
building the interstate
in the bank that morning.
(CHUCKLING) No, Ned
got away with over $200,000.
Yes, or somebody did.
Thank you, Maxine.
You've been a big help.
Excuse me, miss?
We'd like to chat with
you about the churn.
(PHONE RINGING)
Metzger.
Sheriff, it's Jessica Fletcher.
I'm down at the
Cabot Cove library.
I was looking through
some old phone books,
and I think I know who
killed Ned Jenks, and why.
You got all that out
of a phone book?
Well, amazing
as it seems, I did,
but I'll need your
help to prove it.
(KNOCK ON DOOR)
Come in.
Elton?
Dave! Come in.
I thought the Sheriff
had you in jail.
Oh, he did.
Had to let me out. "Lack
of evidence," he said.
Well that's great. I knew
it was a mistake. Sit down.
Oh, thank you.
Well, that doesn't mean
I'm out from under it.
You know, Sheriff Metzger,
he still thinks I did it, but...
He's gonna put a case
together, one way or another.
Anything I can do.
Oh, I don't expect you to
confess. That'd be going too far.
(CHUCKLING)
What are you talking about?
Round figures? $200,000.
I don't know if you
have any of it left,
but somewhere around there.
What is this, a joke?
Oh, no.
No, see, Ned was
over at my house,
and I found this tucked behind some
photographs that he gave Bonnie.
See, there it... Don't touch.
It says, "Hankins off on
Wednesdays. 10 a.m. the best time."
So? So, you wrote it.
I figure you and Ned planned
that robbery 20 years ago.
I didn't write that.
Looky here. Looks like a
pretty good match to me.
And I think the handwriting
experts would agree.
You see, me and Ned,
we had this conversation
before he died,
and the funny thing was,
that big construction payroll,
Ned, he only got $20,000.
That's why he came
back, when they found out
there was $200,000 missing.
He got out of prison in
a whole different state
and he came back
to get his share.
It's a hell of a story, Dave,
but who's gonna believe it?
Ned's dead.
The statute of limitations ran
out on that robbery years ago.
Yeah, that's true. But...
See, Ned was murdered
day before yesterday.
And the way I see it,
Ned Jenks wasn't trying
to threaten you with jail,
he was simply trying to
threaten you with exposure,
and you didn't want
that to come out.
You shouldn't have
murdered Ned Jenks, Elton.
Ned Jenks, he was
a reasonable guy.
Just like me.
Hey, I'm a reasonable guy, too.
Reasonable, maybe.
Bright, you're not.
You're not gonna kill me with
a bank full of people, are you?
Why not?
You came in here
demanding money,
you threatened me,
you came after me with
that trophy over there.
I didn't have any choice.
I was just protecting myself.
So was I.
Sheriff!
Put the gun down, Mr. Summers.
You know, Mrs. F,
finding that 20-year-old note in the back
of that photo album was a lucky break.
But how did you know it was
written by Elton Summers?
That could have been written by
anybody who worked in the bank.
Well, do you remember
all those phone calls
that Ned made to the Cabot Cove
Laundromat the night he arrived?
Yeah.
Well, that number
was jotted down
on an old receipt from
Dwight's Pharmacy.
So? Well,
Dwight's went out of
business nearly 10 years ago.
So, if the receipt
was out of date...
Then that phone number
might have been out of date, too.
I checked the old
directories, and sure enough,
20 years ago the laundromat
number belonged to Elton Summers.
That poor guy
never had a chance.
There's your neighbors.
Ten yard line, here we go!
Hi, Mrs. Fletcher!
Good morning, Bonnie.
Hi, Sally. Hi!
Sam?
Mr. Mayor, we came for a
boat ride. Where's the boat?
At the other end of this rope.
Oh, dear. What happened?
I think maybe I scraped
her bottom too thin.
(ALL LAUGHING)