Murder, She Wrote (1984–1996): Season 8, Episode 2 - Night Fears - full transcript

The reason I came to New York
was to teach a class in criminology.

We've had some problems
on campus lately, muggings.

Tonight on Murder, She Wrote.

Give me everything that
you have on these attacks.

I would be willing to wager
that I can find this guy.

To make it a competition
is completely inappropriate.

I have $30 riding on
you in the office pool.

Could you find this guy?

Oh, well, I don't
know. Possibly, but...

Then you'll have to try. Please.

Yes, Harold, I got the galleys



and I finished going
over them last night.

No, overall, it looks fine.

Just a couple of typos
I'll give to Kathryn later.

Oh, yeah, I forgot. At
the bottom of page 270,

there are three paragraphs
that are really interior monologue,

and they should be italicized.

Well, I'm looking forward very much
to seeing the book when it's done.

Well, I'd love to have
lunch, Harold, but I can't.

Well, you see, the
reason I came to New York

was to teach a
class in criminology,

and today happens
to be my first day.

Welcome to Manhattan
University, Mrs. Fletcher.

I can't tell you how pleased we
are to have you in the department.

Well, thank you, Dr. Auerbach.



Well, I think you'll find
this class an interesting mix

of students and
working professionals.

You see, the NYPD
encourages its officers to take

extra college credit
towards advancement.

This course is quite
popular. Oh, look!

I'd like you to meet some
of your fellow instructors.

This is Felice Ochola. I'd like
you to meet Jessica Fletcher.

Welcome, it's so
nice to have you here.

Thank you. This is Mark Orwoll.

A great pleasure.

And Wallace Evans,
Jessica Fletcher.

Mr. Evans. Hi, how are you?

We were just talking about you.

As a matter of fact, Mark here
has read every one of your books.

Of course, he's
always able to figure out

who the killer is
before chapter two,

but I guess that's why they
call us professionals, right?

Well, I...

Anyhow, I gotta
get back to class.

If you need anything, if I
can help you in any way,

I want you to feel free
to ask me, all right?

Thank you.

This should be a
fascinating experiment.

A pleasure.

"A fascinating experiment."

Yes, well, we've never had a writer
teach one of our courses before,

so there's bound to be a
little bit of academic snobbery.

But don't worry,
they'll come around.

As for Wallace, you see,
he used to teach your class.

It's sort of the plum
course around here.

But given the subtleties
of the course, well,

he's not really suited to it.

It's his attitude, I suppose.

You see, he was on
the NYPD for two years

and sometimes he acts
as though he never left.

Why just two years?

Well, let's just say
he had a tendency

to put the hardware of
the law above the law itself.

Also, he'd hoped to be
promoted chairman this term,

but it didn't quite work out.

Well, here you are.

Oh, one more thing. We've...

We've had some problems
on campus lately, muggings.

Bad business.

So if you should happen to find
yourself on campus after dark,

maybe you'd want to call for a student
escort, just to be on the safe side.

Oh, listen, I'd better be going.

Again, let me tell you how
delighted we are to have you with us

and good luck with
the class, Mrs. Fletcher.

Thank you very much.

So, despite what
you see in the movies,

the average person has
to do a lot of rationalizing

to justify anything
as drastic as murder.

You have to convince yourself
that there's no other alternative,

that it's somehow
cleaner than divorce,

or being revealed as
an embezzler, or a thief.

The mind of a
killer is one in which

every door but one
has been closed.

A man on the razor's edge
of murder will sometimes

force himself to believe that his crimes
are in the service of a greater good,

or that his fate is
somehow predetermined

by forces that are far
greater than himself.

"I do repent,

"but heaven hath pleased it so to
punish me with this, and this with me,

"that I must be their
scourge and minister.

"I will bestow him, and will
answer well the death I gave him.

"So again, good night.

"I must be cruel
only to be kind."

Hamlet, right after
he killed Polonius.

Exactly.

Polonius! It's Miss
Aramendi, isn't it?

Roslyn, yes. Yeah.

Isn't that where he
begins to see himself

as an appointed
instrument of revenge?

And, of course, starts off
by killing the wrong man.

The source is literary,
but the emotion is real.

Jack the Ripper, for instance,

saw his murders as a means of
cleaning up the streets of London.

Now we're in an English class.

Hey, will you give it a rest?

I signed up to hear Mrs.
Fletcher, not you, okay?

Is there anything I can
do for you, Mr. Morelli?

Yeah, well, actually,
it's Officer Morelli, NYPD.

And I guess that is
the question, isn't it?

I mean, Hamlet and Polonius?

This isn't an English class
here, this is a criminology class.

You know, in the
criminology department,

usually taught by
a criminologist?

But you're a writer.
No offense meant.

Oh, none taken.

Come on, man, let it go, huh?

No, no, no, that's all
right. It's a fair question.

Go on.

Look, all I'm trying to say
here is, you're not a cop

and you're not a
professional detective.

I am a cop, so I guess my question
is, what can I learn from you?

Well, perhaps as much as
I've already learned from you.

That, for instance, you had bacon
and eggs for breakfast this morning,

then stopped by the precinct's
target range to get in some practice.

You've recently
given up smoking.

You were born in the Midwest and
you've been married only a few months.

How did you...

I happened to walk
into the room after you

and smelled the cordite on
your clothes from the firing range.

Then, a few moments ago, I saw you
pop a slice of nicotine-based chewing gum,

which cuts down on
cigarette withdrawal.

And you keep playing with that
wedding ring on your left hand,

as though you weren't
used to it being there.

What about all the other stuff?

All in good time.

If you're prepared to come to
class with at least the expectation

that I just might have
something to offer?

Mrs. Fletcher, you've
got yourself a deal.

Mrs. Fletcher, hi, I'm Luke
Phillips. I'm in your class and...

Anyway, I just wanted to say
how excited I am to be in your class.

I'm a big fan. I've read
all your books twice.

Oh, you make me
feel like I'm slacking off.

I only had to write them once.

Are you a criminology major?

Oh, no, I'm not really
into all that stuff, you know.

That's just mechanics.
Who cares?

Oh, then why are
you taking the course?

To meet you, of course.
That's the main point.

How much is that?

It's $2.

Mr. Phillips, please.

Look, I don't quite
know how to say this,

but if your only reason for
taking this class was to meet me,

then I think you should consider

some other means of
getting your three units.

Why?

Because this is a class in which
people are going to be working very hard.

These are professionals.

They care about what
they're doing immensely.

We can't just have sightseers.

But I bought all your
books. You owe me.

Mr. Phillips, that you've bought
and read all my books is very nice,

but that is the sum
total of our relationship.

As for the class, well,
I genuinely believe that

your presence there could not serve a
purpose for the other students or yourself.

I'm sorry.

That's how it goes, isn't it?

You make some money,
you become a big shot,

and all of a sudden you forget
who got you where you're at.

Well, here's a flash
for you, Mrs. Fletcher.

If it wasn't for
readers like me,

you'd be back in Cabot
Cove, baking brownies!

Here you go, ma'am.

Oh, thank you very much.

May I? Oh, please.

I caught the
exchange back there.

I guess that's the
price of fame, huh?

That's what they
keep telling me.

Mr. Bryce, isn't
it? That's right.

By the way, I wanted
to congratulate you

on the way you handled
Morelli back in class.

Thank you. It's a little something I
picked up from Sherlock Holmes.

Well, it sure worked on Morelli.

I mean, the guy
really burns my butt.

You don't know what
it's like working with him.

Then I take it you're also with
the New York Police Force.

Five years now. And
loving every minute of it.

It's all I ever
wanted. To be a cop.

I mean, a really good cop.

I see.

So, are you a second or
third generation police officer?

Let's just say I
recognize the sentiment.

Second generation.
My dad was a cop.

It meant the whole world to him.

Worked like a
demon, days, nights.

Got two commendations.

On Sundays, he used
to let me polish his badge.

Got it so bright, you
could use it as a mirror.

That's wonderful.

I take it he's retired.

Yes. Some time ago.

But he really
wasn't ready for it.

We never are. What about you?

Oh, not much to say.

Right now, I'm trying
to pass the sergeant's

test. Failed it
three times so far.

You know, I study
till my eyeballs melt.

I just don't take
tests well. I freeze up.

Hmm.

You know, back in Cabot Cove, I had several
young students who had the same problem.

They were young and gifted,
but when it came to tests...

Look, I'm a pretty good coach.

If you like, I'd be
willing to work with you.

See if we can get you
past that sergeant's test.

You would?

That's... I mean, that's great!

Jeez, you don't
know what this means.

I mean, how do I repay
you? I don't know...

The only payment I want is to
see you with that sergeant's badge.

Properly polished, of course.

Of course.

What happened? Another mugging.

That's the third one this month.

But in the daytime?

Yeah, he's getting
pretty brazen.

Oh, my Lord!

Roslyn!

I really appreciate you
stopping by, Mrs. Fletcher.

So tell me, how are
you feeling, really?

Better.

But scared.

I mean, it all happened so fast.

I was just walking along, and
someone grabbed my pack

and I didn't let go, and
then he started hitting me.

That's all I remember.

And I tried to
get a look at him.

I did, but I couldn't.

And now I'm afraid
to go back to school.

I mean, knowing he's
still out there, I can't do it.

Yes, you can. You
just need a little time.

You know, there are counselors at
school who can help you to get past this.

And if there's
anything that I can do...

There is. I mean,
could you find this guy?

Well, I don't know.
Possibly, but...

Then you'll have to try. Please.

Roslyn,

I want you to understand that
the police are already handling this.

And with me being
new at the university,

they might not appreciate
me being involved at this point.

It might make things
difficult for them.

You do understand
that, don't you?

Well, I should let
you get some rest.

Don't worry about the class. You
just concentrate on getting well.

You know something? The class
will still be there when you get back.

I just don't think
I can come back.

Not as long as
he's still out there.

A good detective

investigates both,
the clues you can see,

and the clues
that you can't see.

I mean, clues of
attitude and approach.

Does the crime scene suggest cool
efficiency, or rage finally expressed?

If the former, the job may have
been done by a professional,

uninvolved with the victim,

while the latter implies
the possibility of a grudge.

Meaning that either the
victim knew his assailant,

or the assailant knew him.

Which provides
the first connection.

The crime scene thus
becomes more than just

an inventory of fibers and
hair and samples of ballistics.

It tells a story of passion,
or jealousy, or anger.

Something, Mr. Evans?

Oh, no, no. I'm just listening,

I mean, I figured since I
taught this class last term,

that I'd hang around and see
if you needed any of my help.

Oh. Thank you.

I think we've got
a handle on it.

You know, Mrs. Fletcher,
it's just sometimes

it helps to have another
perspective on these things.

I mean, I've found through
real experience as a cop,

that it tends to provide you with a better
understanding towards the criminal mind.

You see, you take what's happening
here right now, on the campus.

The muggings. The escalation in
violence into a daytime mugging.

And this guy's just
running around scot free.

Now, to me, that is a fine
example of a criminal mind in action.

Is there, by any chance, a
point buried in here somewhere?

Well, apart from

the unfortunate aspects,

what we have here is a
wonderful workshop opportunity.

I mean, a challenge right
here in our own backyard.

Now, Mrs. Fletcher,

I must confess that I, too,
have read all your books,

and I find them
very interesting.

But only up to a point.

You see, to me, each case,
you seem to limit yourself.

You start off with a murder
in a house with five people,

then soon after,
two people are killed,

and it doesn't take that much
to figure out who did it, does it?

Well, I don't
think that that is...

You know, it's the same
with small town Cabot Cove.

I mean, what, population, three
suspects, two dogs and a duck.

I mean, you barely have to break
a sweat to solve a murder there.

But here, right here
is the challenge.

I mean, a campus
of 30,000 students,

hundreds of staff and
faculty, in a city of eight million.

And somewhere,

somewhere out
there is the mugger.

Now, based on my
prior experience,

I would be willing to wager
that I can find this guy.

What about you, Mrs. Fletcher?

Mr. Evans, the very
idea of a competition...

No, no, no, no, not competition.

Academic exercise.

And what you gotta think about is
how this is gonna benefit your class.

I think that my students
will most benefit

by our continuing our
discussion in the hall.

Please excuse us for a moment.

Mr. Evans,

you and I didn't get off to a very
good start, and that is regrettable.

But any problems that we have

must end at the classroom door.

So what you're saying is that
you're not up for the exercise, right?

How curious.

You know, for a moment
I could have sworn

that we were speaking
the same language.

Perhaps I should be plainer.

People are being hurt on
this campus, Mr. Evans.

Now, perhaps you view that as
the foundation for a game, I don't.

Now, if you want to pursue this
investigation on your own, fine.

For what it's worth,
I hope you succeed.

But to make it a competition
is completely inappropriate.

Well, I'm sorry, I thought
you would appreciate

the opportunity
to prove yourself.

Well, I've found that those who
feel they have something to prove

never succeed in doing so.

My sleep is
untroubled, Mr. Evans.

I wish you the same.

Kevin!

I've been looking all over for
you. Look, I need favor from you.

I need whatever you've got
in the files on the muggings,

so I can start building
a profile on the suspect.

You gotta be kidding. After the
way you treated Mrs. Fletcher?

No, no, listen to
me, listen to me.

No, no, you listen
to me, listen to me.

Now, if you really cared about the
kids that got attacked, that's one thing.

But if all you want to do is show
up Mrs. Fletcher, you can forget it.

That's not a very
good idea, Mr. Bryce.

Now, you still

have to get through
Forensic 201, right?

Now, that's my class, Kevin.

Well, then I'll
take it at night.

Or I'll get the credit
somewhere else.

I'll take a correspondence
class if I have to.

But the answer's still no.

I thought you might want
to see this, Mrs. Fletcher.

It's an advance copy of
tomorrow's student newspaper.

You planted this! How could you?

Publicity.

And a little harmless fun.

But it isn't harmless, and I
don't care about publicity.

Well, you should.

I mean, after all, that's the
reason why you're here, isn't it?

What do you mean?

Well, last term, enrollment in
the Criminology Department,

it was down about 15%.

Now, fewer bodies
means fewer dollars,

fewer resources,
less priorities.

And that is when
our fearless chairman

came up with the bright idea
of how to generate publicity.

How to draw in a lot of crossover
students from the English Department.

Now, that would mean
you, Mrs. Fletcher.

I mean, after all, you're
a one-woman road show.

You're the biggest thing to hit
here since the Ringling Brothers.

Don't you get it?

You were hired strictly
for marquee value.

I don't believe you.

You don't?

Well, he broached the idea
at a staff meeting months ago.

I mean, everybody in the
department knows about this.

Look, he's probably
still in his office right now.

Why don't you go over
there and ask him yourself?

I don't believe it. How
could you do this to me?

Mrs. Fletcher, Jessica, you have
to look at it from my perspective.

We had to find some way to draw
more students into the department.

What choice did I have?

Well, you could have told me the
truth. That would have been nice.

If I had, would you
have taken the job?

Absolutely not.
Well, there you are.

Dr. Auerbach,
when I took this post,

I believed that I was being
hired because of my ability,

not because of my name.

But as that is not the case,

I don't know what possible gain
there could be in me staying on.

Now, out of an obligation to my
students, I will stay in the class

until a suitable replacement
can be found. But after that...

Jessica, please. Can't
we just discuss this?

I believe we just did.

Mrs. Fletcher, what
are you doing here?

Well, I was working
late. What happened?

Oh, another attack.

Just one difference, it
went too far this time.

Looks like he was killed
by a single gunshot.

I recognized the victim from the
basketball team. I guess he put up a fight.

Kevin, can you give me everything
that you have on these attacks?

Coroner's reports,
forensics, eyewitnesses.

The young woman asked me for
a favor this morning, and I said no.

I let her down.
It was a mistake.

I'm going to do everything
I can to correct it.

Does that mean you're in?

I'm in.

So, after arriving
at a murder scene,

what seven items
must be assembled

for the initial
investigation packet?

Witness statements and IDs,

First Officer's Report,

the primary detective's report,

the medical examiner's report,

fingerprints and
body custody forms,

and... Evidence
submission slips.

You've got to be able to track

who got what and when
and in what condition.

I knew it last night.

Don't worry, you're doing fine.

And you've still got two weeks
before the sergeant's test.

More than enough time to
get this down to a fine art.

Does that mean we
can take a break now?

Sure. Good.

Any news about the murder?

Going from the theoretical
to the practical, huh?

Well, something like that.

Well, we still don't
have much to go on.

Not even a single witness.

Well, what about
the crime scene?

We found a knife which
matches the description

of the knife used
in previous attacks.

We're still waiting for
Forensics to finish, but

there's a preliminary lab
report which shows there were

two types of blood
found at the scene.

Two blood types,
but only one victim?

And only one bullet.

Well, the detectives heading up
the case figure it went down like this.

The mugger jumps
the victim, they struggle.

Remember, the victim
was on the basketball team,

so he's a strong guy.

He was able to get the knife
away and turn it on the attacker,

who then shot him.

So he was carrying
a gun and a knife?

Mrs. Fletcher, we've picked
up perps and gang members

carrying enough hardware to take
over a small Latin-American country.

Guns, pipes, chains,
knives, you name it.

Well, what about
local hospitals?

If he was injured badly enough,

he might have had
medical attention.

Yeah, we're already
looking into that.

We've got guys checking
every clinic in the area

for anyone who might have
come in with a knife wound.

So far, nothing concrete.

There's one weird thing, though.

Another student was hospitalized
across town with a gunshot wound.

Looks like a drive-by shooting.

Could the shootings
be connected?

I don't know, but it's a mess.

Look, if you're tired, we can
finish the tutoring later, you know.

No, no, I'm fine.
Let's keep going.

All right.

Now, let's just see
where we left off.

Bryce. Yeah, Captain?

How long have you been
providing privileged information

to Jessica Fletcher about
these campus attacks?

How'd you know about that?

How doesn't matter, and you
still haven't answered my question.

Just since last night, Captain.

Yeah, well, I want you to
stop, effective immediately.

That woman attracts
publicity like a lightning rod,

and that's just what
we don't need right now.

The campus is tense enough
without creating a media circus.

Now, I've got five good
detectives on the case.

We don't need civilians
getting in the way.

Well, not even if
she can help us out?

That's not the point.
Then what's the point?

The point is, either you're
part of this team, or you're not.

And if you're not,
well, it's your career.

You want to screw it up like
your old man, it's your business.

Just a minute, Captain! I
mean, is that what you want?

You want to end up
like your old man?

Because that's where you're
headed if you keep this up.

Now, nobody here's gonna back you
up if you're out there playing games.

Bryce, you're a good cop.

You got a bright
future ahead of you.

I just don't want to see you throw it
away on some troublemaker, okay?

All right, Captain.

All right, that's all, then.

"I am the Sword of Justice.

"Death sings to me.

"Alpha and Omega."

Hi.

Oh.

I don't suppose you'd mind
telling me what you're doing here,

or why you've been
following me around?

Hey, I got a right

to use this library just
the same as anybody else.

Yes, that may be, but...

No, no, no, no! There's
no buts here, okay?

I can't believe I
used to admire you.

Perspectives on
the criminal mind.

Right.

Mrs. Fletcher,

you don't know the half of it.

The situation's
getting out of control.

We're gonna have a panic on
our hands unless we stop this guy.

Exactly.

You see, that's what he wants.
He wants the fear, Captain.

It reinforces his
senses of power.

I mean, all this stuff,
the graffiti, the notes.

And now some of the students

are getting threatening
phone calls from this guy.

All since last night.

I mean, he's got half the
campus scared spitless.

I thought this was supposed
to be your basic mugger.

Well, obviously, he's escalated.

You see, Captain,

the way I look
at it, this murder

could have been a
primal triggering device,

a sort of rite of passage,

that's awakened an even more
dangerous personality. Do you understand?

Look, cutting out the psychobabble,
what're we looking at here?

All right, well,

I've narrowed down the
field to two kinds of suspects.

Number one, it could be somebody
with a grudge against the university.

A former employee, ex-student.
Number two, an outsider.

A truly psychopathic individual.

Now, my guess would
have to be the latter,

with all this
"Sword of Justice."

You see, this is a classic
delusion of grandeur, Captain.

Terrific. No, no,
no, listen, listen.

This guy could be a
drifter just passing through.

Now, if we don't see another
murder in, say, the next 72 hours,

then we can assume
that he's gone elsewhere.

Yeah? Well, let's
just hope you're right.

Excuse me. Can I
talk to you a minute?

Sure.

I couldn't help overhearing.

Don't you think it's
kind of premature

to be making these kinds of
judgments on such little evidence?

No, I don't think so.

Besides, I think there's
more than enough

to put together a detailed
profile of this killer right now.

The criminal mind in action,
Mr. Bryce. What, you don't remember?

Or, what, you got a better idea?

Well, no, I don't.
Not yet, anyway.

I didn't think so.

See, what you don't understand

is I'm closing in on
this guy. I can feel it.

How can you be so sure?

I got this in the
mail, from the killer.

"I am the Alpha. I am the
Omega, the Sword of Justice.

"Death sings to
me. I am its song.

"Last night was the first stanza
in the Armageddon cadenza.

"Catch me if you can."

Now, obviously he considers
me a real threat, huh?

Mrs. Fletcher.

Oh, Kevin, good.

I wanted to show you
something I received in the mail.

No, Mrs. Fletcher, please.

Mrs. Fletcher, I've been
trying to figure out all morning

how to tell you this,

but I can't help you anymore
with the investigation.

Captain says I...

Well, I just can't, that's all.

Oh, I see.

I'm really sorry, Mrs. Fletcher.

Look, it's all right.

You've been very helpful,
and if that's the extent of it,

well, it's more than I would
have gotten otherwise.

I understand.

I wish I did.

I know that you're
getting ready to close,

but I wonder if
you could help me.

I'm looking for a copy of

The Psychopathic Psyche: A
Qualitative Analysis by Lawrence.

All right, let me
check the computer.

Oh, I'm afraid it's
been checked out.

Well, that's rather
what I suspected.

We do have some other texts
in the area, if you're interested.

Oh, no, no, thank you.

You see, it was
one of several texts

that I had examined for
possible use in my class.

And this morning I came across
something unusual and familiar,

and it has to do with that book.

I don't suppose you could
tell me who checked it out.

I'm sorry, but that's
against our policy. If you like,

I can let you know when
the book comes back in, Ms...

Fletcher. Jessica Fletcher.

Oh, of course! I should have
recognized you from your photo.

We have the devil's own time trying
to keep your books on our shelves.

Well, that's nice.

I heard about the competition
you're in with Professor Evans.

Good for you. I never
did like that man.

I have $30 riding on
you in the office pool.

Like I said,

it is against our policy to tell
you who checked the book out.

But it is on the screen,

and if I just happened to
walk away from my desk,

and you just happened to
glance at the screen, well...

It's hardly my
fault, now, is it?

Are you okay?

Oh, yeah. What's that?

Well, it's Greek.

It's the characters for
the Alpha and the Omega.

And whoever shot
at me put it there.

Yes? Hello.

I was looking for Kevin Bryce.

I was told that I
might find him here.

Well, he should be home
from his shift any time now.

You can wait for him
inside, if you like, Ms...

Thank you. Mrs.
Fletcher. Jessica Fletcher.

Oh, you're his instructor
from the university. Yes.

Well, have a seat. Thank you.

Is there a problem?

Well, I suppose that's
what I'm here to find out.

He's a fine young man, your son.

But the last time I saw him
he seemed so... So troubled.

Almost as if the weight of
the world was on his shoulders.

Oh, that's Kevin.

When he was just a kid, we
used to call him "Grandpa."

He was always so serious.

You must be very proud of him.

If Kevin doesn't make it
back before you have to leave,

is there a message
I can give him?

Oh, just say that I came
by to see how he was doing

and to tell him that my
offer of tutoring still stands.

And that sergeant's test

is still coming up
in less than a week.

I don't think
that's a good idea.

I appreciate your concern,

but I really don't
think that being a cop

is the best thing for him.

Oh, but he has
been working so hard.

I know. Every day, every
night, he's either working,

or studying, or reading,
or taking classes.

Hardly ever goes out anymore.

Yes, he's very dedicated.

That's one word for it.

Mrs. Fletcher,

I lost my husband to a badge.

I won't lose my son, too.

I'm sorry.

I was led to believe that Kevin's
father retired, not that he had been...

What you believe
is not the point.

Look, I am sorry, Mrs. Fletcher,

but could you just please go?

Yes, of course.

This is Kevin's
father, isn't it?

You know, he's told
me so much about him.

Kevin really loved
his father, didn't he?

Yes, he did.

That's the problem.

I'm not sure I understand.

Dan was a good
man, Mrs. Fletcher.

And a good cop.

He worked for years to
get that badge, but he just...

He found out some of the
other officers were on the take.

Seemed like everybody
was doing it, except Dan.

He never took a dime, but
he never reported it, either.

They told him, you gotta
go along to get along.

That tore him up inside,
but he stayed silent.

And then the hammer fell.

The other officers
got found out,

and Dan got indicted
right alongside.

Oh, we figured it'd
make a difference

that he never took
any of the money.

But the Mayor was on a justice
kick, said they all had to go.

That it would send a message.

Yeah.

It did that, all right.

I'm so sorry.

It was like they took a crowbar and
shattered his heart into 1,000 pieces.

He never could find
them all again, or

put them back together.

It was like he died inside.

Only took five years
for his body to catch up.

But he was a good
man, Mrs. Fletcher.

I knew it, and Kevin knows it.

And I worry sometimes
that he's trying

to make up for his
father's mistakes.

Maybe trying too hard.

You know, I think...

I think that you should
go, Mrs. Fletcher.

I know why you're here
and I can appreciate it,

but damn it, this is my problem
and I can handle it on my own.

I just wish everyone
would leave me alone!

You're quite right, and
I'm sorry for intruding.

Thank you for your
time, Mrs. Bryce.

Mrs. Fletcher,

you'd do yourself a favor if you
dropped this investigation of yours.

It's just going to
get you into trouble.

I'm afraid I can't
do that, Kevin.

You see, last night,
someone took a shot at me.

Three shots, actually.

I tend to take that
very personally.

Captain, I gotta talk to you.

I just wanted you to know
that I've changed my mind.

Don't do it, Bryce.

Your father... Messed up!

That's right.

Because he didn't do
what he thought was right.

And if I don't do
what I think is right,

I'll be making the
same mistake he made!

And I can't let that
happen, Captain. I just can't.

You're all alone in this, Bryce.

You could end up
cutting your own throat.

I know.

One more thing.

Departmental rules say you
don't take anything outta here.

No reports, no
paperwork, no nothing.

No originals, no copies, nothing
leaves this station. Are we clear on that?

But, Captain! Are we clear?

Yes, Captain.

It's really not as bad
as you think, Kevin.

No?

Mrs. Fletcher, we've
been over this stuff 10 times

and we still keep
coming up empty.

These things take time.

I mean, detective work,
like God, is in the details.

Kevin, I didn't really
want to ask you this,

but I know what
the captain told you

about not taking
paperwork out of the station.

But here are all these files,
forensics, autopsy reports.

I don't want you getting
into trouble on my account.

All I did was call the
county coroner's office

and tell them we
needed extra file copies.

So they sent them over,

and I picked them up at the
door before they got inside.

So I couldn't have taken
them from the station,

because they never
got inside the station.

Like you said, it's
all in the details.

So, you want to switch reports?

Oh, I couldn't be happier.

I just wish I could shake this
feeling that we're missing something.

We're missing it
because it isn't here.

Say what? Sometimes
in a report like this,

what isn't there is almost
as important as what is there.

Now, there were two types of
blood found at the scene, right?

Well, yeah, but we
already knew that.

We found one expended
cartridge and one knife.

One guy got shot,
and one guy got cut.

Except... Wait a minute.

Look at this.

What am I supposed
to be looking for?

Something that's not there.

Now, take a closer
look. You see?

The knife had a serrated
blade, lots of ridges,

but there was no skin tissue

found on the blade, only blood.

That is weird.

How do you cut someone,
and get blood and no tissue?

And here, there were no
prints found on the knife handle?

Well, right. The mugger
was wearing gloves.

Yeah, but the victim wasn't.

So if he'd used it, it would
have had his prints, right?

You're right, it
doesn't make sense.

But it does.

But you said it...

That it doesn't make sense, yes.

Which makes it
make perfect sense.

But there's one more
thing that we have to do first.

Are you coming?

The admissions desk at the hospital
told me that we'd find you here.

They said that you'd
checked out this morning.

I take it your arm is better.

It was a gunshot
wound, I understand?

Now, you're a student
here, right? Yeah.

Yeah, I believe I saw you
working in the cafeteria.

That's right, I'm a busboy.

It costs lots of money to
go to college these days.

They cut off all the grants.

So, yeah, I'm a busboy.
You got a problem with that?

Oh, absolutely not.

But I do have a problem with some
of your other means of making money.

I don't know what
you're talking about.

On the night of the murder,
you said that you were walking

on 14th Street,
clear across town,

and that a car drove by
and took a shot at you.

Yeah, that's right.
But the police

failed to recover a cartridge.

And while they found
blood in your car,

there was no blood at the place
where you were supposedly shot.

Hey, look, I don't have
to talk to you, right?

So why don't you just
leave me alone, okay?

I could go.

However, I think you
might find yourself

on the receiving end
of a murder charge.

I don't know what you're
talking about, all right?

I checked with the
doctors and your blood type

matches that found
at the murder scene.

All right, look, I
was there, all right?

But I didn't kill anybody, all
right? You gotta believe me.

Strange as it may seem,
the fact is, I do believe you.

However, a jury may not.

Which means that you have to
help me if I'm going to help you.

Well, well, well.

What do we got going on here?

Let me guess.

You couldn't solve the
murders on your own,

so now you're going through my stuff
to find out what I came up with, right?

I'm very disappointed
in you, Jessica.

Actually, I just came here
to borrow a book. This one.

The Psychopathic Psyche:
A Qualitative Analysis.

I tried to find a
copy at the library,

but it had already been
checked out. By you.

It's basically a laundry list
of aberrant criminal behavior.

Well, yeah, it lets you look
at a series of typical clues

to determine what kind
of personality's behind it.

Or you could use
it the other way,

to create a series of clues that would
seem to lead to a criminal personality.

Just like the things we've
been seeing here lately.

The notes, the Alpha
and the Omega signature.

They all came
straight out of this book.

Well, that's a very
interesting theory,

but who would want
to go to all that trouble?

Exactly what I was wondering.

Then it all made sense,
when I saw the forensics report.

The types of blood,
one bullet and one knife,

without skin tissue
or fingerprints.

Let me tell you what
I think happened.

You were determined
to catch the murderer.

You assembled the
clues, talked to students,

stayed late, prowled the campus,

and you stumbled upon
an assault in progress.

Since you have a permit to
carry a gun, you were armed.

You saw your chance to make
an arrest. You got reckless.

You fired when
you shouldn't have.

The bullet hit the suspect and went
right through, without hitting the bone.

It happens all the time. Except,
when it passed through the mugger,

it hit the young man
standing behind him,

killing him instantly.

The mugger escaped
in the confusion,

and you were left
with one dead body

and two different blood
types on the ground.

So you kicked the knife
into one of the pools of blood,

making it look like
there had been a struggle

in which the suspect was cut.

Except, there
was no tissue on it.

Impossible, if it had
been used in the attack.

Then you created
an imaginary killer

and flooded the campus
with strange clues.

Even tried to scare
me off the case,

with three gunshots that
were clearly intended to miss.

You were hoping to drown
the police in so many clues

that the important one,

the blood, would be overlooked.

Forget it, lady! What you got
here is purely circumstantial,

and without an
eyewitness, you got nothing.

You're quite right.

But, you see, we have a witness.

Half an hour ago,
he picked your picture

out of a photographic lineup.

You're bluffing.

Kevin!

You want to tell
me what you see?

The same thing I
said at the station.

That's the guy that shot me.

This is ridiculous. Is it?

You said yourself, Wallace, a campus
of 30,000 students in a city of 8 million.

But whether it's Cabot
Cove, with our three suspects,

two dogs and a duck, or here,

you start with the
best available facts.

Now, once we knew what to
look for, a man with a bullet wound,

not a knife wound,

inflicted on the
night in question,

we were able to find him.

And once we had him, we had you.

You should have seen his
face. We had him, and he knew it.

And Captain Lupinski's
reaction, that was the best part.

I've never had anyone congratulate
me through gritted teeth before.

Don't brag with your mouth full.

Your mother's right.

Oh, and you're saying
you didn't get a kick out of it

when the department
chairman apologized?

Well, I wouldn't say that.

So how about it? After all this,

you think you'll reconsider
and come back next semester?

Well, let's just say that I'm
going to give it great consideration.

But best of all,

I heard this morning that
Roslyn is coming back to class,

starting on Tuesday.

Hey, that's great.

Dessert!

What, study, now?

Well, don't talk to
me. It was her idea.

Now, you two slug it out.

I'll be in the kitchen
where it's safe.

Mrs. Fletcher, come
on, this is a party.

Was. Come on, move over.

Your sergeant's test
is only three days away,

and we've got a great
deal of ground to cover.

You're a hard
woman, Mrs. Fletcher.

You know something,
Mr. Bryce? You're right.

Good.

I was afraid for a moment
there that I was starting to slip.

Now, to work.