Murder, She Wrote (1984–1996): Season 8, Episode 1 - Bite the Big Apple - full transcript

You've crossed the line.

You're meddling in a
criminal investigation.

(GUN FIRES)

FEMALE NARRATOR:
Tonight on Murder, She Wrote.

Jess, are you hurt?

I just can't conceive
of this kind of brutality.

There is a lot of weird stuff
that goes on in that family.

You are up to something, woman.

I won't feel safe until I learn
a little more about this case.

This is New York.
Nobody ever feels safe.

My safety's no one's
problem but my own.



(GUN FIRES)

(SINGING) For she's
a jolly good fellow

For she's a jolly good fellow

For she's a jolly good fellow

Which nobody can deny

Which nobody can deny
Which nobody can deny

For she's a jolly good fellow

Which nobody can deny

What a wonderful surprise!

You almost gave
me a heart attack.

Teach you to leave
your back door open!

When she gets to the Big Apple,

she'll be using
chain-locks and deadbolts.

Oh, no, no, no, I'm gonna
be too busy teaching



to worry about
things like that, Eve.

I understand you're giving a
lecture course in criminology.

Yes, I'm going to be teaching
at Manhattan University.

And I'll also be going into the
inner-city schools from time to time.

But altogether, I'll only
be in Manhattan probably

three or four days a week.

Then why do you have
to rent an apartment?

Oh, Seth, I'm sick and
tired of living in hotels.

I do so much of that
on those book tours,

and I can't keep landing
on poor Grady all the time.

Why not?

He lands on you
whenever it suits him.

Oh, my goodness, would
you look at that glorious cake?

Eve, I have a feeling that
this is your contribution,

60,000 calories in every bite!

Well, here's to the best darn
neighbor a person could ever have.

Yes. Success in New York.

Hear, hear! Hear, hear!

Success and lots
of gorgeous men.

Well, I'll leave
that to you, Eve.

How about your
apartment, Jessica?

Knowing you, I bet it's right
out of Architectural Digest.

Oh, no, no, no, no. No,
it certainly is not lavish,

but it's very comfortable
and it's nicely furnished.

And best of all, it's in an area
where I feel absolutely safe.

(SIREN WAILING)

(TIRES SQUEALING)

(HORNS HONKING)

What do you think you're doing?

Moving us out of here
and you out of my life,

just like I said I would.

Mike, this is not fair.

It's simple math, Sharon.
I can't afford this place.

I can't afford you!

Oh, so all of a
sudden, out I go?

Right on my ear,
is that it, Mike?

I don't know why
you're so surprised.

I told you to try and find another
apartment two weeks ago.

And what are you gonna do?

Go crawling back
to your sick wife?

She may have some problems,

but at least she doesn't ask me
for $2000 dresses and $300 shoes.

Well, I am not somebody
you can toss out like garbage.

Snap your fingers, and
little Sharon's history.

You started this, and if I
can't have you, nobody can.

Sounds like a threat
to me, sweetheart.

Well, thanks for listening.

You know, I always knew there
was a brain inside that head of yours.

(KNOCKING AT DOOR)

Get the door.

Who is it? MAN: Painters.

What do you want?

Come on, lady, what
are you talking here?

What does it look like?

MIKE: Will you just let them in?

We'll be outta here
in about ten seconds.

Good, because the new tenants
are gonna be here tomorrow morning,

and we're looking at two
coats, plus the enamel, here.

I hope you're not leaving
all that stuff over there.

A truck will pick it up in about two
hours. Just work around it, okay?

And watch the paint splatters.

Let's go.

Creep!

Oh, Mr. Freelander, will
you be leaving now, sir?

Some of our stuff
is still upstairs.

The company truck'll be
coming by later to pick it up.

Very good, sir. Let me know if I
can be of any assistance to you.

Thanks, Ahmed.

Here's $20.

What for? Severance pay?

Get a cab.

Keep it, little boy.

You need it more than I do.

Who is that?

Okay, fellas, time to
take a coffee break.

We just got here.

I have to make a private call
which neither of you are invited to.

Do you understand? Let's go.

Shall I make it clearer?

Bust my chops.

Come on, come on.
Come on, let's go.

Try to do your
job... Go, go, go.

We're gone. We're gone.

Oh, this is very
kind of you, Seth.

Well, if I'm gonna be denied the
pleasure of your company for a while

I thought it was
the least I could do.

Don't be melodramatic.

I told you, I'll only be
gone two or three days.

Fine. I hope you'll take
along a bullet-proof vest.

Oh, Seth.

How long is it since
you were in New York?

Well, that time I got kidnapped
by those gangsters and...

Well, I couldn't save
their dying godfather.

That was Boston.

What's the difference?
All big cities are the same.

Besides, they're getting
worse by the minute.

All right. I'll make
a deal with you.

If you'll water my lawn, pick
up any stray newspapers,

I will promise, cross
my heart, hope to die,

that I will be on guard every
moment of the day and night.

I have been
reading the statistics.

The number of women who are attacked every
year... I tell you, it is frightening.

Oh, Seth, you're an angel.

But I'm gonna be fine.

And once I'm settled,

you can come and visit me.

It's a very safe neighborhood.

You're gonna see for yourself.

(GUN FIRES TWICE)

Mrs. Fletcher, good morning.

Oh! Nice to see you.

Good morning. You're Ahmed.

Correct, Madam. Right.

Now, is there anyone who
can help me with my bags?

Yes, of course, I can do that.

Thank you.

Mrs. Fletcher,

may I ask if there's
been any communication

between you and the management
since yesterday afternoon?

Why, no.

Oh, I thought they might have told
you about the, uh, the excitement.

Oh, what excitement?

Mr. Freelander,

the tenant who vacated
your apartment...

Unfortunately,

he was very seriously murdered.

Oh, excuse me.

I thought this place
was still empty.

Lieutenant Boyle, Homicide.

This is Sergeant Acosta.

Oh, hello, Lieutenant, Sergeant.

Well, I'm the new tenant
here. I'm Jessica Fletcher.

Yes. That's who you are.

I knew you looked familiar.

Nick, this is the best
damn... Excuse me,

darn mystery writer
in the business.

I'll accept the compliment
either way, Lieutenant.

She describes crime scenes

better than any
textbook I've ever read.

Ballistics, physical evidence,
blood splatters, you've got it all.

Well, I assume you gentlemen
are here about the murder.

I'm sure by now you've
searched the apartment.

So my guess is that you've come
for Mr. Freelander's personal effects.

His and his girlfriend's.

Ah, yes. I thought there'd been
a woman living in the apartment.

I noticed a slight smell
of perfume in the closet.

Bal à Versailles,
if I'm not mistaken.

She must have very
expensive tastes.

Especially for a secretary.

Sergeant, we're here
to pick up the evidence.

Yeah, well, be my guest.

I was wondering what I was
going to do with all that stuff.

Is there anything else?

Have you opened any of
your kitchen drawers yet?

Oh, no, no, I haven't
had a chance. I...

Well, there's a couple
of them stick like crazy.

Get right on the manager's
tail, because in New York,

nothing ever gets done
unless you start squawking.

Or unless you cross somebody's
palm with a hundred-dollar bill.

Me, I'm for the former,
not for the latter.

Well, thanks for the advice.

If you get any
heat, you call me.

I love hassling managers.

We're finished here, Lieutenant.

Hey, you keep on
writing, Mrs. Fletcher.

You're terrific.

The Corpse That Wasn't There
kept me up for three nights straight.

I couldn't put it down.

Excuse me, Miss,

I'd keep my door
closed if I was you.

Somebody got
killed in this building.

(KNOCKING AT DOOR)

I'm Estelle
Freelander, Mike's wife.

Can I come in? Oh, yes.

Yes, of course, Mrs. Freelander.

I'm Jessica Fletcher.

I'm so sorry about your loss.

Yes. I'm sorry to
bother you like this.

I came for Mike's belongings.

Oh, his things are all gone.

The police took them
over an hour ago.

How can they do that?

Everything he
owned belongs to me.

Every button on every shirt.

Well, I'm sure that
you'll get them all back

as soon as they finish
their investigation.

Unless she gets them first.

And you can bet she'll try.

His secretary.

He lived with her,

right here in this apartment.

Do you believe in
logical consequences?

Well, I'm not sure that
I know what you mean.

Immoral behavior.

No one gets away with it.

Not even Michael Freelander.

Why don't you go
home, Mrs. Freelander?

At a time like this, you
should be with your family.

Yes, you're right.

I'll talk to the police and
then I'll go right back home.

Goodbye.

It's ironic, isn't it?

The person who
gave him his pleasure

fired both the
shots that killed him.

BOYLE: To the best of our knowledge,
there were no eyewitnesses to the murder.

But there was
somebody on the elevator

who saw your brother get on
at the fourth floor and ride down,

just a couple of minutes
before he was shot.

A man who lived in the building.

I just can't conceive
of this kind of brutality.

I'm sorry, Mr. Freelander.

I wish I could say
"It never happens."

Any special reason your brother
was moving out yesterday?

Oh, you should ask
his wife. Or his girlfriend.

They had a timeshare
on him. Scott!

HARRY: That's family business.
And let's keep it where it belongs,

in the family. Excuse
me, Lieutenant?

Forgive me for interrupting you,

but your office told me
I might find you here.

Mr. Harry Freelander,
his son, Scott,

meet my new
friend, Mrs. Fletcher.

She now resides in apartment 4B.

Somebody moved in already?

May I express my deepest
sympathy to both of you?

So, was there something in particular
that you wanted, Mrs. Fletcher?

Well,

these were hidden
in the apartment.

You gotta be kidding.

We searched that
place from top to bottom.

Well, I found them
in the shower rod.

You looked in there?

I wasn't looking, I was
trying to take a shower

and the rod fell
out of the wall.

That's amazing.

May I see those?

They're ours. Company invoices.
Why would he hide these?

Take a look at the bottom, Dad.

One diamond tiara headband?

We're not in the
jewelry business.

There's an item of jewelry

on the bottom of every
single one of those invoices.

And they are all going to
different European destinations.

Which might indicate that
someone in your firm was smuggling.

You're embarrassing
me, Mrs. Fletcher.

You're supposed to
leave the deductions to me.

Sharon. Yes, sir.

Bring out our file copies
on invoice numbers 88462

through 88471.

Yes, sir, 88462 through 88471.

This is impossible. I signed
all these myself. So did Mike.

Well, actually, it wouldn't be
the first time that hot merchandise

passed through customs in a
legitimate shipment from New York.

Here. See, see? Not one lousy
piece of jewelry on any of these.

Someone added them
to the shipping invoices

after the duplicates
were signed and filed.

Why are you looking at me?
I don't know anything about it.

Well, maybe uncle Mike asked
you to do a little extra typing

while you two were
putting in a little overtime.

Scott, I am warning you.

Come on, Dad, who
ran the foreign operation?

Stop it, right now.

Well, that's what you
hired him for, wasn't it?

To beef up foreign sales?

Instead of giving me the job!

You know, I warned you, but you
never listen to me about anything.

Well, thank you for all
your help, Mrs. Fletcher.

May I call you a cab?

Taxi!

Lieutenant, there's just one
other thing I think you should know.

Mike Freelander's wife
came by the apartment.

She seemed like a
very disturbed woman.

You might want to find out where
she was at the time of the murder.

You're telling me these things and
coming down here with these invoices.

Does that mean you're...

Oh, don't you worry, Lieutenant.

I'm only in Manhattan to teach.

Good.

Because the Big Apple is full
of worms with very sharp teeth.

Taxi!

I hate to tell you this,

but I've seen some amateur
detectives get pretty chewed up.

Am I right, Nick?

(INAUDlBLE)

Oh, listen, you don't have
to convince me, either of you.

Crime solving is something I'm more
than happy to leave to the professionals.

Taxi!

Oh, allow me, Mrs. Fletcher.

I'm really very grateful
for your care of me.

You're a very considerate man.

Why are you being
such a sourpuss?

You just wait, Lieutenant.

I guarantee she'll be
stepping all over our feet.

Don't you ever embarrass
me like that again.

Embarrass you? What about me?

I just found out we're in
the smuggling business.

That's a lie and you know it.

What I know and couldn't
understand for the longest time

is why uncle Mike
got made a partner.

Are you insinuating it
should've been you?

Just out of college and
still wet behind the ears?

Well, maybe my problem was

I didn't major in burglary.

Okay, you want it straight?

Next to Mike, you were a pygmy.

Now, if that made
you jealous, I'm sorry.

While we're on the
subject of jealousy,

Sharon quit today.

Did she tell you that?

I don't even know why
I bother talking to you.

Whatever happened to that
handgun you bought for protection?

I noticed it wasn't in your
desk this morning, Dad.

(KNOCKING AT DOOR)

Who is it?

MAN: Oh, for heaven's
sake, woman! Let me in.

Seth! What are you doing here?

Visiting. What's it look like?

Why didn't you call?

Oh, this is an attractive
apartment, Jessica.

And in such a nice,
safe neighborhood, too.

And I do like this
high-security building.

Yes, it is. And
how did you get in?

I showed them this.

Volunteer fire department,
issued to me in 1947.

You had to pay for them
then. It cost me $12.50.

Are you all right?

I am absolutely fine.

I wasn't even here
when this happened.

You weren't

even here, uh-huh.

Why, tell me why,
Jessica, do I get the feeling

that you're holding out on me?

I don't know.

I mean, I can't imagine

why you'd come all this
distance without calling first.

Well, it's simple enough.

I was over at your
place this morning,

mending a couple
of garden hoses.

And then, don't ask me why,

the thought crossed my mind that

you possibly were in
some kind of danger.

Pretty silly, wasn't it?

(KNOCKING AT DOOR)

Hello again, Mrs. Fletcher.

Oh, hello, Lieutenant.

This is my friend Dr. Hazlitt.

This is Lieutenant Boyle

and this is Sergeant Acosta.

How do you do,
Lieutenant, Sergeant?

Wherever Mrs. Fletcher goes,

I usually find interesting
people on the police force.

A sense of humor. We
could use a little of that.

Now, do you care to tell the
sergeant and me what happened here?

Well, I'm not certain.

I went out to have
some dinner with friends

and when I came home

it looked like this.

What did you lose,
ma'am? What's gone?

Well, nothing. They
didn't steal anything.

Whoever busted in here was
looking for something special.

A particular item.

They try, they try, they don't
find nothing, and wham-o!

They tear the joint
down to the plaster.

You want us to believe the burglar
had some sort of temper tantrum?

Why not?

Most criminals
are like children.

When they don't get what
they want, they leave a big mess

for mommy and daddy.

What about you, Mrs. Fletcher?

You have any
theories about all this?

Well, I suppose it...

It might have something
to do with the other matter.

What matter?

The murder, Doctor.

Murder?

I guess she didn't tell you
about the last guy that lived here.

He was shot.

Downstairs, right in
the parking garage.

It's good as new.

You can take a shower now without
getting soapsuds in the elevator.

Oh, thank you. For everything.

You know, I'm really glad
that you had that crazy hunch.

A lot more stuff around
here needs fixing.

Those kitchen drawers
stick, the sink's plugged up,

and the window in the
spare room will not open.

Well, I called the
manager. Told him all that.

And?

I'm on a list.

Oh, well, good luck.

Why don't I pick up
some tools somewhere,

fix it all for you tomorrow?

Seth, have you made
any arrangements?

For what?

A hotel? A place to stay?

Well, I'm staying right here.

Oh, well, you see, I don't
have a bed in the spare room.

Oh!

This couch will be just fine.

Oh, but wouldn't you be more
comfortable in a nice hotel?

Not me.

I can sleep on a brick floor.

Look, I know what you're
trying to do, and I appreciate it.

But with the door
locked and the chain on,

I feel perfectly safe.

Jessica,

for once I will not take
"no" for an answer.

Now, until they find that
maniac who broke in here,

I will not, repeat,
not, leave you alone.

(SNORING SOFTLY)

Where do you think you're going?

Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't
mean to wake you.

You are up to something, woman.

You've got that look
on your face again.

Oh, all right, I'm
caught, I give up.

After I got into bed last night,

I got to thinking
about what you said.

And as usual, you
were quite right.

I won't feel safe until I learn
a little more about this case.

That means you're going
to do something dangerous.

Absolutely not.

I'm just going to take a
peek around the building.

Give me five minutes
and I'll be dressed.

No, Seth.

Now this is where
I draw the line.

Now, you can stay
here for a few days,

but you're not gonna
hold me a prisoner.

I simply won't tolerate that.

Stubbornest person I ever met.

Hey!

Your glasses! Your glasses!

Jessica!

(CLEARS THROAT)

Morning.

(EXCLAIMS)

It's very peculiar.

Every time a car goes out,

it's as if someone's running
over poor Mr. Freelander.

You know, it's my guess

that the killer knew that
he was leaving the building

and he was down
here waiting for him.

Well, this was
even more peculiar.

Shortly before his death,

he came out the front
door with Miss Kingsley

and quite suddenly became
very agitated and rushed back in.

Do you have any idea why?

There was a car
parked across the street.

I saw Mr. Freelander
was looking at it.

You mean someone
was watching him?

It was hard to tell.

But he seemed to
be terribly frightened.

A short time later, I
heard that he'd been shot.

What about Sharon Kingsley?

She went into the bookstore,
and I never saw her again.

You mean she never came out?

Not to my knowledge.

But there's a rear entrance
which connects with the lobby.

She might have
gone out that way.

Well, thank you, Ahmed.

You'd better run upstairs
before you get into trouble.

If there's anything else
I can assist you with,

please feel free to
call me immediately.

Seth?

Seth?

Where are you? Seth?

There's no need to shout.

Say,

where do you keep
coffee around here?

Well, in the cabinet
above the sink.

Where else would
you keep coffee?

Oh.

(PHONE RINGING)

Hello? WOMAN: Mrs. Fletcher?

Yes.

This is Sharon Kingsley.

I have to talk to you.

Thank you for coming.

I wanted to meet with you sooner,
but I was clearing out my office.

I quit my job. Oh, I see.

There is a lot of weird stuff
that goes on in that family.

And the problem is, I...

I got kind of
personally involved

when Harry's wife disappeared.

With the with the man I
met this morning? Yeah.

Harry, the owner.

Maybe you think he
looks pretty straight,

but I am here to tell
you that looks deceive.

He and his wife, they
used to fight like crazy

and then, a couple of years
ago, she just disappeared.

It was like she just evaporated
out of her pantyhose.

And that's when you
became personally involved?

I was scared, Mrs. Fletcher.

He wouldn't let me alone.

Yeah, I can imagine the effect
that must have had on Harry.

He went crazy.

See, he'd just made Mike
a partner in the business.

Sharon, what is it that
you're trying to tell me?

I think Harry killed
Mike. Because of me.

Now you were with Mike
just before he was murdered.

What happened?

He gave me money for a cab
and then he went back inside.

And what did you do?

I went to the bookstore.

And the next thing I knew,

I heard sirens, and saw more police
cars than I have ever seen in my life.

Well, I talked to the
man in the bookstore

and he told me that
you didn't buy anything

and that you left by a rear door

before the police arrived.

Well, I was looking for a certain
magazine. They didn't have it.

And you left by the back door.

Yeah.

There's an alley back there
that leads to 64th Street.

Just figured I'd
get a cab there.

Why didn't you tell
me there was someone

watching you and Mike in
a car in front of the building?

Didn't I mention that?

Yeah, we thought it was Harry.

Look, if you don't
believe me, Mrs. Fletcher,

why don't you just go over
there and talk to him yourself?

Just for openers,

why don't you ask him who's the last
person to sign every company invoice?

Good afternoon.

I'm your neighbor
from across the hall.

My neighbor's a woman.

And single,

from what I've
been able to find out.

Not quite correct.

She's widowed, actually.

Oh, then I guess it
was her husband's ghost

I saw coming outta her place
wearing those foolish pajamas.

Well, you're a very
observant woman, Mrs...

Tessler.

Rose Tessler.

That's why I thought
you might have

heard something
or seen something

that might help us
solve this murder.

You see, your neighbor

is J.B. Fletcher, a
famous mystery writer.

I don't read books.

And I don't talk to strangers,

not even cops.

But I...

Well, if you change your
mind, I'll be right across the hall.

Hazlitt, Dr. Seth Hazlitt.

Did you say "Doctor"?

General practice, 37 years.

What's the
possibility of coming in

and taking a look
at my throat, Doctor?

I can hardly swallow.

It's been bothering me for days.

Oh.

Hello?

(GLASS BREAKING)

(EXCLAIMS)

MAN: Here. Open up.

Right. Excuse me.

Do you know how close
you came, Mrs. Fletcher?

Suppose that shooter had decided
to stay a couple of more seconds?

Maybe you'd be just as
dead as Harry Freelander.

Look, I'm sorry.

I was just trying to find
some answers to this case.

You said you
weren't gonna do that.

Before someone broke
into my apartment.

Now, until it's solved,
I can't feel safe.

Mrs. Fletcher, this is New York.

Nobody ever feels safe.

Excuse me for
raising my voice, I...

If anything happened to you, I'd
kick myself all the way to Yonkers.

Look, Lieutenant,

I've always done what
I believed was right,

and I've taken full responsibility
for whatever's happened.

Please don't worry.

My safety's no one's
problem but my own.

It's not that easy,
Mrs. Fletcher.

You've crossed the line.

By getting yourself
directly involved,

you're meddling in a
criminal investigation.

And that is something that
could end up getting you arrested.

Well, then, I guess
it's only fair to say

that until someone
catches the killer,

I'm just gonna have
to take my chances.

Now, if you don't mind,

I'd like to get back
to my apartment.

Nick.

Sir.

Have someone give this lady
a ride back to her apartment.

Yes, sir, Lieutenant. Right
this way, Mrs. Fletcher.

Thank you.

(KNOCKING AT DOOR)

Oh!

(GROANING) I'm coming.

(KNOCKING)

I'm coming.

I'm sorry. I lost my key.

Have you any idea how
long you've been gone?

I was about to call the police.

What happened, Jess?

Well,

Harry Freelander was
murdered while I was in his store.

I got knocked down by the
killer as he was escaping.

I guess that's
when I lost my key.

Jess, are you hurt?

Oh, nothing terminal.
Just a few bruises.

Oh.

Got slapped on the wrist
by the police department.

Well, since when have
you been into plumbing?

Oh, well, I was just getting
the old place fixed up for you.

I got the drawers unstuck and now
I'll have that sink ready in a moment.

Thanks.

Well, I guess I'll get
myself cleaned up.

Want to hear something funny?

I did a little snooping
around myself.

I went to talk to that old
busybody who lives across the hall.

I thought maybe she could shed some
light on who came and went around here

on the day of the murder.

Well, dare I ask
what you found out?

Nothing.

Unless the painters did it.

I don't think so.

They were too busy
splattering paint on the windows.

Freelander kicked them out of
here when he came back upstairs.

Rose told me they weren't
too happy about that.

Rose?

Mrs. Tessler.

You know, that's interesting.

Maybe he threw them out

so that he could
hide the invoices.

What else did she tell you?

Well,

Freelander went
downstairs at exactly 3:00

because that's when Rose's
favorite TV show comes on.

General Hospital, no doubt?

Well, how did you know that?

Oh, I keep up on these things.

Well, that's about it. After
the murder, the police came.

That was during Rose's
other favorite TV show,

Marcus Welby, M.D.

But Marcus Welby airs at 2:00.

Rose is a little
peculiar about doctors.

Maybe she's the same
way about TV shows.

SETH: Oh, my God!

Seth!

That's it!

That's what the
killer was looking for.

(PHONE RINGING)

Homicide, Sergeant Acosta.

Sergeant, this is
Jessica Fletcher.

Yes, ma'am?

I found something
in my apartment.

A very, very large
diamond, about 25 carats.

Well, I wonder if you
could do me a favor

and see if it's on any of the
Freelander invoices I brought to you.

Oh?

Are you quite sure?

Well, yes, that is strange.

Yes. Yes. Well, I understand.

And thank you.

Well,

what did the police have to say?

I found out something
very interesting.

And I just may know
who our killer is.

What's going on?

Not a damn thing
that concerns you.

Excuse me, where's Acosta?

He left here about
20 minutes ago.

Took off like he had
a hornet in his shorts.

Excuse me.

(PHONE RINGING)

Boyle, Homicide.

Lieutenant? This
is Jessica Fletcher.

I have found what the person
who broke in here was looking for.

And I'm certain that I
know who the murderer is.

Whoa, whoa, whoa, slow down.

Found what? A diamond.

The biggest diamond
that I have ever seen.

I've ordered a cab.

I'll be there in 15 minutes.

Mrs. Fletcher, no.

That would be crazy.

I'll pick you up,
bring you here myself.

Well, all right, but you
mustn't tell anyone else,

especially Sergeant Acosta.

(DIAL TONE)

JESSICA: This is what
the killing is all about.

And you were gonna troop
around New York with that?

Mrs. Fletcher, wrap it up and put
it right back in your purse, okay?

Lieutenant,

I think that the person who
broke into my apartment

was looking for this diamond.

I think the same person
killed Michael Freelander

and most likely killed
his brother, Harry.

Who?

I'm really sorry to have to
say this, Lieutenant, but...

It's your partner.

Nick Acosta?

I called him right after
I found the diamond

to see if it was on any of
the Freelander invoices.

And he lied to me.

I think the problem,
Mrs. Fletcher,

is maybe you're
working on another book.

I wish it were true.

But he made the
mistake of saying

that the diamond wasn't on any
of the nine Freelander invoices.

If you'll remember,
there were ten.

I just don't believe this.

Figure it out, Lieutenant.

He enlisted several
top jewel thieves,

then teamed up with
Michael Freelander

to smuggle the stolen
merchandise to Europe.

It was perfect until
Freelander double-crossed him

and made the fatal error of
trying to keep the diamond.

So Nick Acosta,

one of the best
cops I've ever known,

killed Mike in cold blood?

I'm afraid so.

Sorry, you gotta go
back to square one.

You see, Nick was at Captain
McVey's retirement party

the exact time that Mike
Freelander was shot.

So it's your word against
50 or 60 policemen.

And those aren't good odds.

Well, how can that possibly be?

If he didn't lie and an
invoice was missing

that means only
one other person...

The trouble is, Mrs. Fletcher,

you're too damn smart.

I've worried about that since
the first minute I met you.

I've been a cop for 25 years.

Six hash marks, half a
dozen commendations,

three serious wounds.

And all I end up with is a
divorce, a bleeding ulcer,

and one good suit that they'll
probably use to bury me in.

Lieutenant, please don't.

There is no justification in the world
that can excuse what you've done.

This is for me, Mrs. Fletcher.

I'm trying to convince myself
that I'll be able to kill you

when it's the last thing
in the world I want to do.

I'm sorry.

I let you go once,

I can't let it happen again.

Let's go, Mrs. Fletcher.

We're both out of options.

(POLICE SIREN WAILING)

Drop it, Lieutenant! Now!

Nick, I... Save your breath.

We got it all on tape.

The whole conversation,
from beginning to end.

You okay, Mrs. Fletcher?

Yes. Yes, I'm... I'm just fine.

A thousand stings
and I get stung.

Mrs. Fletcher, how'd you do it?

Well, I'm sure you remember
my neighbor across the hall,

the woman who
never closed her door?

She saw you go into Mike
Freelander's apartment

while she was watching
her favorite TV program,

Marcus Welby, M.D.

So?

Marcus Welby airs at 2:00.

Exactly one hour before

Mike Freelander was murdered.

And I was pretty sure you were
there the day he was murdered.

You followed me?

Off and on for a
couple of weeks.

I couldn't prove
anything, though.

Maybe because I didn't want to.

But after Mrs. Fletcher found
the diamond, she called me.

Figured it ought to be on an
invoice that hadn't been shipped.

Well, I checked, and guess what?

We were one short.

I knew you were
dirty, Lieutenant,

and it just about
broke my heart.

Read him his rights.

You have the right
to remain silent.

Anything you say
can and will be...

Come on, Mrs. Fletcher.

I think you've done more
than enough for one day.

Well, goodbye, Doctor.
Have a pleasant journey.

I will.

And you look after Mrs.
Fletcher for me, will you?

Oh, Mrs. Fletcher? Well,
she can take care of herself.

Of that, I am
absolutely certain.

(WHISTLING)

You see, he's a New Yorker, and
he's not worried. So why should you be?

Because I come from a place
that has a little clearer perspective.

Oh, Seth, you know,
you're an angel.

I feel very lucky.

Bye.

Don't forget to water my lawn.

Now don't nag. Next thing you know,
you'll want me to weed your dang roses.

You don't have to.

I'm coming home for the weekend.