Quincy M.E. (1976–1983): Season 8, Episode 17 - Quincy's Wedding: Part 1 - full transcript
Are you having second
thoughts about getting married?
Marrying you was the
biggest mistake of my life.
I murdered the old coot!
You are determined
not to get married.
So, I'm going to
give you your wish.
Oh...
That man loves you.
He's crazy about you.
How long does it to
plan a lousy wedding?
You have to sell your boat.
Sell my boat?
I've seen a lot
of husbands to be
and that is one man who
does not want to get married.
Gentlemen, you
are about to enter
the most fascinating
sphere of police work,
the world of forensic medicine.
We've sent out the invitations
but everything else has to be done
and I don't know where to begin.
I have no idea about a
caterer, a photographer
not even my wedding gown!
No problem. That's
what you have me for.
Thank heavens!
- Morning, Pete.
- Quincy.
- Hi, sweetheart.
- Honey,
what are you doing here?
Oh, Quincy I want you to
meet our wedding consultant,
the person who's going to make
our wedding come off like clockwork!
- This is my fiance, Dr. Quincy.
- How do you do?
Good morning. Call me Winslow.
Winslow.
Now, Dr. Quincy,
I'll need one initial
appointment with you
to discuss the groom's
role in the ceremony.
At that time I will need
the names of your ushers.
I would suggest two
ushers, no groomsman.
Can we meet tomorrow at 12 noon?
- Well, yes, I guess so.
- Fine.
At that time we'll talk
about your attire, the rings,
the responsibilities of the best
man, the bachelor party, your haircut...
Haircut?
The rehearsal, the
rehearsal dinner,
the seating of your relatives,
and the honeymoon excursion.
What excursion?
The ski trip we talked
about, remember?
Oh, yeah, yeah. Sure, sure.
Good, fine.
Hanover, we'd better get going.
We have to discuss
the color scheme.
Goodbye Dr. Quincy,
see you around.
- Bye, darling.
- Bye, hon.
- Good morning.
- Morning.
Well, the big day's coming
up, Quince. Pretty exciting!
I feel like I just got drafted?
Huh?
Well, where is she?
We gonna wait all day
or can we get started?
Now, Mr. Brackett.
You don't want to start your
anniversary party without your wife.
Oh, yes I do!
Don't get yourself upset, we
want this to be a nice party.
What in the hell she doing?
I think she's
freshening up her face.
That's like putting a
Band-Aid on a shrapnel victim.
Mr. Brackett,
what a thing to say.
Oh, here she is now!
Doesn't she look lovely!
You look lovely Mr.'s Brackett.
How do I look?
Like some over-the-hill
Japanese call girl.
Take that stupid thing off.
I will not!
I said take it off!
You're not coming to my party
looking like some Hong Kong harlot!
At least I'm up on
my feet walking,
not in a wheelchair
like some gimp!
Take that thing off or you're
not coming to my party!
This is my party as much as
yours! I'm here and I'm staying!
Light the candles. Fast.
Never can count on you to
act decent, no matter what.
You think just because you say
something I have to jump and do it!
I've had to keep my eye on you for
65 years and you're still shameless!
Ain't you learned
anythin' in sixty-five years?
You've never caused me
anything but aggravation,
no matter how
good I treated you!
All you ever want
to do is spoil my fun!
Marrying you was the
biggest mistake of my life.
And I've regretted it
every second of every hour,
every day, every night!
I won't have a minute's peace
from you till I'm in my grave!
Fortunately that
won't be too long.
That's not too far off!
All right! Let's have the party!
Ready? One, two, three...
♪ Happy Anniversary to
you, Happy Anniversary to you
♪ Happy Anniversary,
Roy and Edna
♪ Happy Anniversary to you
♪ And many more ♪
Ah, crimson, not
in bright daylight.
Gold. Makes me think of
football games and falling leaves.
Pastels are lovely
on young girls.
You might be a little long
in the tooth for pale pink.
Tell me about it. I'm
getting older by the minute.
Oh, Winslow.
I didn't know a wedding
was so complicated!
I never knew you had
to have a color scheme.
Well, of course.
That's the most important thing.
Everything is keyed
from the colors.
The flowers, bridesmaid's
dresses, table cloths, canopy...
That's why it has
to be just right.
I just can't make up my
mind. They're all pretty.
All right, here's what
we're going to do.
Close your eyes
and let's visualize it.
Now, eyes closed.
There you are, walking down
the aisle, dressed in white...
No, it's not white!
- What isn't?
- My dress!
My grandmother's dress!
Grandmother's?
Winslow it's perfect.
It's exactly what I want.
My mother must have put it away.
I haven't seen it
since I was a child.
It's Edwardian, it has
a tight fitted bodice.
Lots of lace, silk,
with tight sleeves.
It sounds beautiful.
But it's not white anymore.
It must be a pale
tea color by now.
Ecru. Very nice.
I'll call Mother and
tell her to dig it out.
Don't waste any time. We can't
choose colors till we see the dress.
- Hi, sweetheart.
- Hi, darling...
Why'd you want to see
me on my lunch hour?
Winslow had some
more things for you.
Hello, Winslow.
Hello, Dr. Quincy.
Glad you're here.
Now I'll only have to
go through this once.
Go through what?
Here we are.
One for you and one for you.
This is your exercise regimen.
These are your
vitamin supplement.
What are you talking about?
Dr. Quincy, a wedding is
an exhausting experience.
Too often, by the
time the big day comes,
the happy couple is so worn out they can't
enjoy the happiest day of their lives.
So I make sure that
doesn't happen to my clients.
My people are prepared.
Vitamin capsules,
morning and night,
and daily aerobics for
strength and endurance.
The routine is
very easy to follow,
just read it there,
thirty minutes a day.
And don't forget to
log it on the schedule.
Any questions?
No.
- Dr. Quincy?
- No, Sir.
I mean, no, Winslow.
Good.
Hanover, I'll be back
at 19:00 on Thursday.
When?
Sorry. Seven o'clock.
Winslow, were you
ever in the service?
United States Marine Corps.
Gunnery Sergeant.
MOS 35-29, Motor Transport.
Gunnery Sergeant.
Just what I thought!
You're getting
married by a Marine!
She's the best there
is, everybody says so.
Besides, I don't have time
to deal with all the details.
Do you realize that we are
getting married in a just few weeks.
I'm surprised she's not holding
the ceremony in an armory.
I've gotta get back to work.
She really is a big help.
- Honest she is.
- Whatever you say, honey.
I just want this to be the
happiest time of your life.
I know this isn't the
right time to bring this up
but we should be
thinking about this.
What is it?
Where are we going to live?
Honey, that's no problem!
We'll live on my boat!
Talk to you later.
I don't care if
you can't find her!
Edna's always here when I get my medicine,
I'm not takin' it if she's not here.
It'll just take a few
minutes, Mr. Brackett.
That's not the point, idiot! Doesn't
matter if it takes a few minutes or a week!
She's supposed to
be here and she's not!
Where the hell is she?
We looked everywhere
and we can't find her.
The slut! The slattern!
I can't keep her in sight
from one minute to the next!
God knows what she's up to now!
She knows I'm stuck here
on this god-awful machine
and I can't move
for half an hour.
She's no idiot, that one!
She's got my schedule
charted and memorized.
There's no stopping her, I've lived
with her long enough to know that.
The woman's got no moral center,
she don't know right from wrong.
Never listened to me
once in sixty-five years.
Not once! I could've talked myself
hoarse for all the good it did me.
Oh, she's evil, evil.
She's a fallen woman.
Unredemptive, I hope
she burns in the fires of hell.
You look lovely tonight, Edna.
Oh, thank you.
Where you been, old woman?
What in hell are you doing?
I'm goin' out.
Out? Out where? Where's
to go out this time of night?
On the patio.
- What's out on the patio?
- Nothing.
Who are you going
out there to meet?
Nobody.
I'm going out for a
breath of fresh air!
You lying witch!
You're going out there
for some unholy coupling
with an orderly, I know you.
Take that stuff off
and act your age!
If I acted my age,
I'd be like you,
sittin' in a wheelchair whining for a
nurse to help me go to the bathroom!
Shut up! Sit down
and do like I say!
What's there to do?
Sit around and watch
your eyes get rheumy?
I'm goin'. Sleep tight.
Edna!
You come back in here!
You're not going out to wave
your tail in front of everybody!
Do you hear...
Edna?
There's nothing here except
what you'd expect, Sam.
Looks like simple congestive heart failure
with arterial sclerotic heart disease.
Sometimes I wonder if it's
really necessary to autopsy
somebody who's lived out his life span
and obviously died of natural causes.
Only way I know to protect
people in rest homes,
make sure their not mistreated.
It's a good idea.
But this man sure looks as
though he were well cared for.
He was.
He just wore out.
Hello.
- Dr. Quincy?
- Yes.
I am Edna Brackett.
Mrs. Roy Brackett.
I know. How can I help you?
I understand you're
the one responsible
for chopping my husband
up into little pieces.
It's nothing like
that, I assure you.
Split 'em down the middle and
scoop out the insides, is what I hear.
Well, that's exaggerated.
Every autopsy is performed with
enormous respect for the dead.
Did you find anything?
Mrs. Brackett, your husband
lived a long and healthy life.
He died quietly and easily of
arteriosclerosis with heart failure,
and I can promise
you that he didn't suffer.
His time had come, that's all.
Hah!
Young man, let me tell
you what really went down.
He didn't die of
coronary arrest.
He didn't die of natural causes.
You slipped up, young fella.
I murdered the old coot!
I called my mother today.
She's sending the
dress air express.
That's terrific.
- Honey.
- What?
There's no water pressure.
Oh, I took a lot of showers.
I forgot to fill the tank.
I'm sorry, honey.
Well, I'm not going to
be able to do the dishes.
I know you hate it, but
we'll get them tomorrow.
Anyways, she says that the
dress is in perfect condition...
- Ow!
- Sorry.
That is the only salad
dressing we have.
We'll try some wine vinegar
and ketchup, it's terrific.
So I think we should have this
wonderful old-fashioned wedding
just like my Grammy
had way back in 1911.
Isn't this whole thing
getting a little elaborate?
I mean, we're not kids anymore.
Quince, it's very important that
you understand how I feel about this.
You've been married before.
I never have.
Ever since I was a little
girl, I've had these fantasies
of having a big wedding.
It's my first and only wedding.
I don't want to feel cheated.
Then you will have the best
fairy-tale wedding that ever was.
The lettuce is warm.
There's no way of keeping anything
cold in that tiny little refrigerator.
- Let me get...
- Hey! Ow!
- You all right?
- I'm fine.
I reached for the glass...
Ow!
Did you hurt yourself?
- No.
- You sure?
I'm fine. Could I just get out?
Just a sec.
- Are you sure?
- I'm all right.
Sorry.
- Quince...
- Yeah?
We have to talk.
What is it?
When you first said it, I
thought you were joking.
- About what?
- Us.
Where we're going to live.
We're gonna live on the boat.
No.
- No?
- No.
Well, it's a little cozy,
but we'll get used to it.
Cozy! The two of us can't
stand up at the same time!
When I get married, I
intend it to be forever.
And if we live here, forever will
seem like a very, very long time.
Well, what should we do?
There are several things.
- But they all
start from one premise.
- What's that?
You have to sell your boat.
Sell my boat?
Hey, Quincy! You got a minute?
Just on my way to
see Asten. What's up?
Just wanted to show you this
tox report from the Brackett case.
We picked up a therapeutic level
of lidocaine and hydrochlorothiazide.
That's not unexpected,
he had a heart condition.
-Only -Only what?
Lidocaine is
administered only by
injection. We inspected
that body carefully.
There weren't any
injection sites, were there?
Not that I saw.
Maybe we just missed it.
Better take another look.
Okay.
I guess you're head over heels with
all the wedding preparations, huh?
Emily's handling it all.
Quincy, anything wrong?
No, no. Just...
Emily and I have been
doing some talking.
And we decided that
I should sell my boat.
Oh?
Don't say, "Oh" like that.
After all, it's the
sensible thing.
We can't live on the
boat, it's too small.
We didn't want to
move into her place.
We need a fresh start.
A place of our own.
No ties with anybody's past.
Makes sense. So what
are you going to do?
We're going to look for a house.
Sell the boat for
the down payment.
But you don't want to.
It's not a question
of want to or not.
It's the sensible thing to do.
- Right?
- Right.
So, don't make an
argument out of it.
I don't understand your problem.
After all, the woman is
what? Eighty years old?
- Eighty-five.
- Well, there you are.
It's not unusual for a woman
of that age to have delusions.
To lose touch with reality.
I know that. But she
didn't strike me as senile.
A little eccentric, but she sure
didn't sound like she was fantasizing.
What is it you
want to do, Quincy?
You've already done the autopsy
and found nothing suspicious.
I wasn't looking for
anything suspicious.
At the least, I think maybe
the police should question her.
Oh, I don't think so.
You just said that you
don't think she's senile.
Why on earth would an
eighty-five year old woman
kill her husband
of over sixty years
when in all likelihood he
didn't have long to live anyway?
I don't know. Maybe she didn't.
So you don't really think
there's anything to her story?
But she was so insistent.
Anyway, if all she wants is
attention, maybe she ought to get it.
She just lost her lifetime
mate. She's so lonely.
Well, I see your point.
I'm not sure I'd go to the trouble,
but if you want to it's very kind.
- Go ahead.
- Thank you.
I'll call Monahan.
Frankly, I'd think you'd be a
pretty busy man at this point.
- What do you mean?
- Well, the wedding, of course.
I tell you, I'm so excited.
We're going to have that garden
looking like the palace at Versailles.
That's very nice.
Hey, what's this? You
don't seem too enthusiastic.
What are you talking
about? Of course, I am.
Sure I'm enthusiastic.
What makes you think I'm not?
♪ Mademoiselle from
Armentieres, parlez-vous?
♪ Mademoiselle from
Armentieres, parlez-vous?
♪ Mademoiselle
from Armentieres ♪
By the pricking of my thumbs,
something creepy this way comes.
Hello, Aunt Edna. Jane.
Hello, Richard.
How's the family cretin today?
Aunt Edna, I came to
express my condolences
for Uncle Roy's
untimely passing.
Do you notice how the
boy can't talk plain English?
Any normal person'd say.
"Sorry the old gimp died."
But not Richard.
I came to give you comfort in
your hour of sorrow, Aunt Edna.
You shouldn't make fun of me.
"You shouldn't make fun of me."
Sounds like he's on the
playground in the third grade.
Is there anything I can
do for you, Aunt Edna?
Yes, you can get out of
my sight, you waify sop!
You're not sorry Roy bought it.
You never had a thought in your
life for anyone except yourself.
Just skulk out of here, boy,
and get back under your rock!
I'm just trying to help.
Call me if you need me.
Don't wait by the phone.
Now, where were we?
♪ Mademoiselle from
Armentieres, parlez-vous?
♪ Mademoiselle from
Armentieres, parlez-vous?
♪ She was a girl
Who'd never been kissed
♪ Oh, mon Dieu, The
things that she missed
♪ Hinky-dinky, Parlez-vous? ♪
Higher! Higher!
Hut, two, three, four!
I'll get it!
Package.
Thank you.
- Sign here, please.
- Right.
- Have a nice day.
- Thank you very much.
This is it! The dress!
Oh, good! Open it!
Oh.
Oh. It's beautiful...
I've never seen a dress so
well-preserved. It's exquisite.
Just think, this is the same
dress my Grandma wore
so many years ago.
You'll look beautiful,
that's the only word for it.
Just beautiful.
And I think our search for
the color scheme is over.
What do you mean?
It's perfect. Just perfect!
Hello.
Oh, hi, honey.
I was just doing my exercises...
Well, I'm not breathing
hard because I just started.
No, I don't need Winslow to come and
go through the routine with me, honest.
Yes, I'll be sure and
take my vitamin pill.
It did? The dress?
That's great,
honey. Is it pretty?
I can't wait to see you in it.
Why can't see it
until the wedding day?
Oh, bad luck. No,
there's nothing wrong.
No, not tonight. I should stay
here and get some things done.
Yeah. I love you too. Night.
Ahoy! Dr. Quincy, you in there?
Who is it?
Bill Boxwell. Boxwell
the Boat Broker.
Like the sound of that?
My little girl thought that up.
Bright as a whip, she is.
Boxwell the Boat Broker.
Has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?
Yes.
Well, the office said you were
putting your boat up for sale.
I'm here to handle
the details for you.
This is a beauty. A beauty!
Isn't that clever.
Don't get these babies on
the market too often anymore.
People that got
'em hang onto 'em.
- What is she, fifty-five feet?
- Sixty.
What a jewel.
You don't figure you'll
have any trouble selling it?
Trouble? Oh, no.
I'll have to knock, 'em away with sticks
when they see this baby on the market.
Well, now, let's get the
formalities out of the way.
This is our standard form.
It's a straight percentage deal,
nothing too complicated.
Look it over and if you have
any questions, you let me know.
This is Old World craftsmanship.
They put this together
with tender love and care.
This seems pretty clear.
Well, just put your John Henry
on the line and we're in business.
You don't think the
asking price is too high?
Too high? Oh, no.
I think you underpriced it. You
could bump it up with no problem.
Well, I need to
sell it right away...
Then no problem!
It's gonna go like that!
Right here. There we go.
Thank you, Dr. Quincy.
Pleasure doing business.
What a doll. What an
absolute doll of a boat.
Listen, it's none of my business, but how
come you're selling a classic like this?
I'm getting married.
Married.
I get it.
Married? You poor...
Oh, I get it.
Quincy, all the nutty
things you've ever
talked me into, this
is one of the nuttiest.
Come on, how much
time's it gonna take?
She's a lonely old woman
who needs some attention.
Lieutenant. Some
people here to see you.
Yeah, send 'em in.
Hello, Mrs. Brackett. This
is Lieutenant Monahan.
How do you do? Care to sit down?
I do not care to sit. Thank you.
Call me Edna.
Now that the old gimp is dead,
there's no need to use his name.
This is my granddaughter, Jane.
Only one in the whole
family that's got any sense.
Reminds me of
myself at that age.
Anyway, I'm here to get
the third degree. Grill me.
Well, Dr. Quincy here tells me you
want to make a voluntary confession.
That's right.
Murder number one.
I killed my husband.
Want me to write
it out? I'll be glad to.
You understand that the
autopsy showed nothing abnormal.
Apparently your husband
died of natural causes?
Hah! You're easy enough to fool.
You ever work on any big cases?
Well...
Guess I'll have
to give you a clue.
- You know about iontophoresis?
- Yes I do.
So do I.
That's your clue, young
man. See if you can run with it.
In homicide, we
look for a motive.
What reason would you
have for killing your husband?
I couldn't stand him.
He made my life miserable
for sixty-five years.
I hung on, thinkin' he'd
die of sheer meaness
but then I see that he was
too stubborn to go before me.
So I knew if I was ever to
have any fun, I'd have to off him.
So I did.
And I don't regret
it for a minute.
Only thing I regret in my life
is the day I said 'I do' in front
of the minister that married us.
So, there's your motive
and there's your clue.
Okay, lock me up.
Well, I appreciate your cooperation,
ma'am, but there is no need to lock you up.
There's not? How come?
We'll have to do
an investigation first.
Then take it to the District Attorney
to see if he wants to file charges.
You mean you're not
gonna put me in jail?
No, ma'am. You're free to go.
You makin' a big mistake,
lettin' me slip
between your fingers.
Now I'm gonna be hard to find.
You're gonna have to
catch me before I kill again!
C'mon Jane.
Quincy, where do you find
them? Nuttier than a fruit cake.
I'm not so sure.
Iontophoresis...
Yeah, what's that mean, anyway?
It's a method of
giving drugs without
needles or pills, it's
used on older people.
An electrical current takes
the drug right through the skin.
You mean you think
this old dame did it?
No, of course not. But it could
explain the missing injection site.
Listen, if you wanna chase
around after this, go ahead.
Personally, I'd think
you'd be too busy.
With what?
With what? With your wedding!
That's all I hear these days, how
busy I must be with the wedding.
How long does it take
to plan a lousy wedding?
I know he's a very busy
photographer but I'm busy too!
I'm getting married in a
week and I have to talk to him.
Nevermind. Just tell
him I called? Thank you.
Hello, hang on a second, okay?
Hi, Winslow, come
in. I'll be right with you.
Hello?
Oh, hi.
No, I'm all right.
Of course, I haven't
forgotten about tonight!
How could I forget a shower
given by my favorite people?
Yeah, he's going to be there.
I can't wait for all
of you to meet him.
Right. See you later. Bye.
You look a little
green around the gills.
Oh, Winslow, there just
aren't enough hours in the day.
- I'm exhausted!
- I know.
Just pack it in tonight,
get a good night's sleep.
I can't. We have
to go to a shower.
All the people I work with at County
Mental Health are giving us one.
A lot of them haven't
even met Quincy yet.
Well, I suggest you go in
and lie down for a half an hour.
I'll make you a cup of tea.
Anything else I can do?
I don't think so.
- I tried
the photographer again...
- Let me handle him.
Thanks you.
I think I will take a nap.
I left a message for Quincy to
remind him about the shower at 8:00.
- I hope he remembers.
- Of course, he'll remember.
Let me tell you, Hanover,
I've seen a lot of husbands-to-be,
young, old, tall, short, fat, thin,
that man loves you.
He's crazy about you.
Does Asten know we're
working on this case tonight?
- Kind of.
- "Kind of?"
He's a busy man, Sam.
Sometimes I hate to
bother him with little details.
Look at these red
patches on his arm, see.
- Yeah, looks kind
of like rose spots.
- It's a punctate rash.
If he were taking
drugs by iontophoresis
he might well have some reaction at
the site where the electrode was applied.
But what was introduced
that would kill him?
I don't know.
Our tox screen didn't show
anything extraordinary, did it?
No. Lidocaine and
hydrochlorothiazide.
What you might expect in the system
of an elderly man. And not in high levels.
You think he was
given something else.
I don't know, Sam.
But if we're going to find any trace
of it, it'll be in the tissue at the spot
where the medication
was forced through the skin.
Excise those red spots
and see what you can isolate.
Quincy...
I don't mean to interfere but do you think
maybe you're searching a little too hard?
What do you mean?
Are you taking this all too seriously?
I mean, look at the improbabilities.
First, why would a woman
kill her 87 year old husband
when he didn't have that
much longer to live, anyway?
And that she would have the knowledge of a
sophisticated technique like iontophoresis
and be capable of
carrying the plan out.
And finally, even
if she did do it,
why wouldn't she just keep quiet
and let the whole thing blow over
instead of trying to get
herself charged with murder?
It just doesn't make sense.
Sam, everything you say is true.
But so is this,
when things don't make sense, it's
not the time to stop asking questions.
It's time to start asking more.
Danny, give me a cup
of that coffee, please.
That's the eighth cup tonight.
You're not gonna sleep for a week.
I'll be okay. Just thinking
about a screwy case I've got.
Where's Emily tonight?
She's at a meeting, I don't know
what. So I stayed at the lab and worked.
You getting excited
about the big day?
Oh, yeah.
You know my offer to cater
the reception still stands.
Thanks, Danny.
I told Winslow to give
you a call and coordinate.
Winslow?
Emily's got this ex-Marine
to plan the wedding.
She does everything by the
numbers. I'm afraid to cross her.
She'll send me across the
obstacle course with a full field pack.
- Rough.
- Anyway, she'll call you.
You okay?
Oh, yeah. Sure.
You sell the boat yet?
No, but the guy said he
thought it would go pretty fast.
He's right.
It's a beauty.
Yeah.
Well, see you.
Yeah, Quince. Night.
Good night, Dr. Quincy.
Night.
Is he okay? He
seems really down.
Diane, I'll tell you somethin'.
I've seen a lot of
husbands-to-be
you name 'em, I've seen 'em,
and that is one man who
does not want to get married.
Em, what are you doing here?
You don't even know
what you've done, do you?
Done? Emily, what
are you talking about?
I'm talking about our wedding shower
last night that you never showed up for,
that's what I'm talking about!
Last night?
The shower was last night?
Holy mackerel.
Honey, I thought it was tonight,
I thought you had
some meeting last night!
What do you think it was like, telling
all my friends my fiancee was coming
so they could meet him and
then he doesn't even show up!
I'm sorry, I didn't know.
I'm not a naive eighteen
year old, Quincy.
That's doesn't work with me.
Sometimes people
forget things, right?
You knew that
shower was last night.
We'd talked about
it for three weeks.
You are usually a very good
about keeping appointments.
You never forget.
So when you suddenly break that
pattern, that says something to me.
That says, "Why did he
suddenly forget this one?"
I've been working hard,
there's a lot of pressure...
There always is.
Quincy, are you having second
thoughts about getting married?
No! Of course not! Honey,
I love you, you know that!
I'm not talking about love,
I'm talking about marriage.
About commitment.
- Are you getting nervous?
- No. Of course not.
Quincy! Oh, excuse me.
Quince, I have the report on
that tissue from Roy Brackett.
I'll be right there.
Okay.
Honey, please get these silly
thoughts out of your head, okay?
I love you.
Listen, I have to go now.
I'll call you tonight, okay?
I love ya.
All right, ladies. Step-toe,
step-toe. Together!
Hey, this is a wedding,
not a sardine can.
Spread 'em out a little, give
people room to breathe, okay?
Men, secure that very
well. Do you understand?
I don't want it falling
on our happy couple.
Somebody wants to know
if you want an aisle cover.
No way.
By the time everybody sits down it looks
like the floor in a football locker room.
Harry, I want these
aisle posts one row apart.
Well, move it!
Fellas, the tables
go on the other side!
That's where the
string quartet goes!
Hello, happiness.
Oh, hi, Winslow.
How's everything look?
It looks wonderful. Really.
Just wonderful.
You look more like we're setting
up for a funeral than a wedding.
I'm sorry.
I guess I'm a little tired.
If you were one of your
patients, would you believe you?
No.
Speaking of
professional expertise,
is it common for someone to get
cold feet just before a wedding?
Happens all the time.
Especially with the groom.
But let me tell you, Hanover,
it has nothing to do with whether
or not he wants to get married.
- It doesn't?
- Nope.
It's just anxiety.
Sometimes all the
preparations get to a guy.
They feel kind of left out.
Sometimes it just gets scary to
think of the big step they're taking.
But, I've never lost one yet.
I guess I'm worrying
over nothing.
Which is also very normal.
Don't worry, I have good
feelings about this one.
Winslow! Can you come here?
Coming!
Hang in there, soldier.
- Thanks, Winslow.
- Winslow, please?
Yeah.
Who's that?
If you can't tell, maybe we haven't
been spending enough time together.
Hi, sweetheart! What a surprise!
What are you doing here?
I'm glad.
What are you doing here?
I had a hunch I'd find you here.
It's on my way to an investigation,
so I thought I'd stop by.
I'm so glad.
- Isn't it looking wonderful?
- Sure is.
Now, so there'll be no
mistake, let me get it straight.
- The rehearsal is
tomorrow afternoon?
- Right.
- At two o'clock.
- Two o'clock.
Got it. And guess what.
I wrote my vows.
Got 'em right here.
Oh, that's beautiful.
- You written yours?
- Well, I'm working on it.
That's why if got the guitar.
Good. I have to go speak to
some people at a rest home.
- Don't you ever let up?
- No.
But I'll be just as devoted
a husband, I promise.
Love you.
See you.
It's a marvelous
technique, Dr. Quincy.
Some of the patients here can't
swallow pills and are terrified of needles.
It makes administering medication a
lot more humane for some older people.
This electrode would account for
the red marks we found on his body.
How often was
Brackett medicated?
Three times a day.
Edna didn't get medicated
as often as he did,
but she always came
with him anyway.
You think that wasn't a
nightmare for the technician!
Thank you, Miss Benson,
I'm able to handle it from here.
So Edna was in here while he
was receiving his medication?
Yes. Usually screaming
at him the whole time.
Getting lidocaine, wasn't he?
I'll have to check.
I think so...
Yes, one hundred
milligrams, three times a day.
Do you know why we might have found
succinylcholine at the application site?
- A muscle relaxant?
- In a dose that could kill.
No. What are you asking, Doctor?
I'm not sure yet. But I
would like to talk to Edna.
- Edna?
- Yes.
- I thought you knew...
- What?
She hasn't been back.
Not since her granddaughter took
her to the police station last week.
Her granddaughter called and
said she'd be with her for a while.
Her nephew is
worried sick about her.
After all, she has
an arrhythmic heart.
Dr. Quincy? Is something wrong?
Mr. Sutter, I wish I knew.
Wish I knew.
Sure you don't want
to ride with me, Quincy?
Can't. Got to get a surprise
for Emily. I'll meet you there.
Don't be late. You
only get one rehearsal.
Don't worry, two o'clock sharp.
Dr. Quincy.
- Jane? Is that you?
- Yes.
Could you come with me?
Edna needs to talk to you.
Where is she? Why didn't
she go back to the rest home?
That's what she
wants to explain to you.
But we have to keep
her hiding place a secret.
- Hiding place? Come on...
- Dr. Quincy, please!
Listen, I know
Edna is eccentric,
but she is not senile
and she's not crazy.
And she has every reason to
believe that her life is in danger.
Now will you please
come with me?
I have to be somewhere
at two o'clock.
It won't take long. Please.
Okay.
I have to be back
at two o'clock.
Step-toe, step-toe, step-toe.
Where will we start from,
Winslow? Right here or in the house?
Honey, the way I
see it, it's your day.
They oughta be treated to the
sight of you as long as possible.
- Start in the house.
- Okay.
Emily, for the rehearsal, are you and
Dr. Quincy going to read your vows?
No. Neither of us knows what promises
the other has made. That's for Saturday.
Don't worry, he'll be
here. He promised.
He promised.
Good.
- Were you tailed?
- I don't think so.
Good.
Okay.
Let's get down to business.
Dr. Quincy,
you been doing any checking
on my husband's death?
Well, yes...
And?
There is evidence that he
died at the hands of another.
I still don't understand why you
would have killed your husband.
I didn't kill him, fool.
Somebody else did.
What?
Namely my no-good
nephew Richard.
Bad seed from a bad apple.
What's more, he's
gonna kill me next.
Edna, I don't understand.
Never will unless
you belt up and listen.
It's very simple,
Roy's will provides his estate
goes into trust to provide for my care.
If I survive him by a
year, it all goes to me
and in turn, I will it to Jane
and her people, who need it.
If I don't survive Roy by a year
it all goes to wretched Richard.
He's killed Roy
and now all he
has to do is get me.
How do you know all this?
What makes you so sure?
Because I know that sniveling
little weasel, that's why.
First off, he's a pharmacist.
I seen him talking to the nurses
and asking questions all about
how Roy and me get our medicine.
You can be sure he was
plottin' the whole thing then!
You mean he knew
about iontophoresis?
Sure, he did! And the medicines
we get, and when, and everything!
I knew when Roy died
what had happened,
but I knew it wouldn't do me a pin's
worth of good to try to talk about it.
I'm considered
a senile old fool.
I admit, I like to have my fun.
What's the point of living
this long if you can't have fun?
But that produces a
certain credibility gap.
That's why you claimed
you had murdered him?
Yep.
If I insisted was the murderer, then
I knew I could force an investigation.
Then at least there'd be some kind of
proof that Roy didn't die a natural death.
But that doesn't prove
that your nephew did it.
Nope.
That's where my
next plan comes in.
Your next plan.
Listen to this, Dr. Quincy,
it'll knock your socks off.
- He'll turn up?
- Yeah.
Are you sure he changed
his watch for daylight saving?
Ladies and gentleman, it's quite obvious
that Dr. Quincy just isn't going to show.
I thank you all for coming
I am sorry that you
were so inconvenienced.
Honey, I'm sorry, I
couldn't help it, honest.
- I got here as
fast as I could.
- Winslow.
Please have the workmen
take everything down.
We'll have to call all the guests
and tell them not to bother coming.
Aren't you being a little rash?
I'm doing the first sane and
sensible thing I've done in weeks.
Because you have made it
very clear what's going on.
- I just haven't
been reading you right.
- No, sweetheart...
- You don't want
to get married.
- Yes, I do.
Your mouth says you do, but
everything else about you belies that.
In fact, you're determined
not to get married!
- Oh, honey.
- So, I'm going to
give you your wish.
Oh.
I hope some day we
can be friends again.
Now, Emily, let's
just talk this over.
Dr. Asten, there's nothing to talk
about! Don't you all understand?
The wedding is off!
thoughts about getting married?
Marrying you was the
biggest mistake of my life.
I murdered the old coot!
You are determined
not to get married.
So, I'm going to
give you your wish.
Oh...
That man loves you.
He's crazy about you.
How long does it to
plan a lousy wedding?
You have to sell your boat.
Sell my boat?
I've seen a lot
of husbands to be
and that is one man who
does not want to get married.
Gentlemen, you
are about to enter
the most fascinating
sphere of police work,
the world of forensic medicine.
We've sent out the invitations
but everything else has to be done
and I don't know where to begin.
I have no idea about a
caterer, a photographer
not even my wedding gown!
No problem. That's
what you have me for.
Thank heavens!
- Morning, Pete.
- Quincy.
- Hi, sweetheart.
- Honey,
what are you doing here?
Oh, Quincy I want you to
meet our wedding consultant,
the person who's going to make
our wedding come off like clockwork!
- This is my fiance, Dr. Quincy.
- How do you do?
Good morning. Call me Winslow.
Winslow.
Now, Dr. Quincy,
I'll need one initial
appointment with you
to discuss the groom's
role in the ceremony.
At that time I will need
the names of your ushers.
I would suggest two
ushers, no groomsman.
Can we meet tomorrow at 12 noon?
- Well, yes, I guess so.
- Fine.
At that time we'll talk
about your attire, the rings,
the responsibilities of the best
man, the bachelor party, your haircut...
Haircut?
The rehearsal, the
rehearsal dinner,
the seating of your relatives,
and the honeymoon excursion.
What excursion?
The ski trip we talked
about, remember?
Oh, yeah, yeah. Sure, sure.
Good, fine.
Hanover, we'd better get going.
We have to discuss
the color scheme.
Goodbye Dr. Quincy,
see you around.
- Bye, darling.
- Bye, hon.
- Good morning.
- Morning.
Well, the big day's coming
up, Quince. Pretty exciting!
I feel like I just got drafted?
Huh?
Well, where is she?
We gonna wait all day
or can we get started?
Now, Mr. Brackett.
You don't want to start your
anniversary party without your wife.
Oh, yes I do!
Don't get yourself upset, we
want this to be a nice party.
What in the hell she doing?
I think she's
freshening up her face.
That's like putting a
Band-Aid on a shrapnel victim.
Mr. Brackett,
what a thing to say.
Oh, here she is now!
Doesn't she look lovely!
You look lovely Mr.'s Brackett.
How do I look?
Like some over-the-hill
Japanese call girl.
Take that stupid thing off.
I will not!
I said take it off!
You're not coming to my party
looking like some Hong Kong harlot!
At least I'm up on
my feet walking,
not in a wheelchair
like some gimp!
Take that thing off or you're
not coming to my party!
This is my party as much as
yours! I'm here and I'm staying!
Light the candles. Fast.
Never can count on you to
act decent, no matter what.
You think just because you say
something I have to jump and do it!
I've had to keep my eye on you for
65 years and you're still shameless!
Ain't you learned
anythin' in sixty-five years?
You've never caused me
anything but aggravation,
no matter how
good I treated you!
All you ever want
to do is spoil my fun!
Marrying you was the
biggest mistake of my life.
And I've regretted it
every second of every hour,
every day, every night!
I won't have a minute's peace
from you till I'm in my grave!
Fortunately that
won't be too long.
That's not too far off!
All right! Let's have the party!
Ready? One, two, three...
♪ Happy Anniversary to
you, Happy Anniversary to you
♪ Happy Anniversary,
Roy and Edna
♪ Happy Anniversary to you
♪ And many more ♪
Ah, crimson, not
in bright daylight.
Gold. Makes me think of
football games and falling leaves.
Pastels are lovely
on young girls.
You might be a little long
in the tooth for pale pink.
Tell me about it. I'm
getting older by the minute.
Oh, Winslow.
I didn't know a wedding
was so complicated!
I never knew you had
to have a color scheme.
Well, of course.
That's the most important thing.
Everything is keyed
from the colors.
The flowers, bridesmaid's
dresses, table cloths, canopy...
That's why it has
to be just right.
I just can't make up my
mind. They're all pretty.
All right, here's what
we're going to do.
Close your eyes
and let's visualize it.
Now, eyes closed.
There you are, walking down
the aisle, dressed in white...
No, it's not white!
- What isn't?
- My dress!
My grandmother's dress!
Grandmother's?
Winslow it's perfect.
It's exactly what I want.
My mother must have put it away.
I haven't seen it
since I was a child.
It's Edwardian, it has
a tight fitted bodice.
Lots of lace, silk,
with tight sleeves.
It sounds beautiful.
But it's not white anymore.
It must be a pale
tea color by now.
Ecru. Very nice.
I'll call Mother and
tell her to dig it out.
Don't waste any time. We can't
choose colors till we see the dress.
- Hi, sweetheart.
- Hi, darling...
Why'd you want to see
me on my lunch hour?
Winslow had some
more things for you.
Hello, Winslow.
Hello, Dr. Quincy.
Glad you're here.
Now I'll only have to
go through this once.
Go through what?
Here we are.
One for you and one for you.
This is your exercise regimen.
These are your
vitamin supplement.
What are you talking about?
Dr. Quincy, a wedding is
an exhausting experience.
Too often, by the
time the big day comes,
the happy couple is so worn out they can't
enjoy the happiest day of their lives.
So I make sure that
doesn't happen to my clients.
My people are prepared.
Vitamin capsules,
morning and night,
and daily aerobics for
strength and endurance.
The routine is
very easy to follow,
just read it there,
thirty minutes a day.
And don't forget to
log it on the schedule.
Any questions?
No.
- Dr. Quincy?
- No, Sir.
I mean, no, Winslow.
Good.
Hanover, I'll be back
at 19:00 on Thursday.
When?
Sorry. Seven o'clock.
Winslow, were you
ever in the service?
United States Marine Corps.
Gunnery Sergeant.
MOS 35-29, Motor Transport.
Gunnery Sergeant.
Just what I thought!
You're getting
married by a Marine!
She's the best there
is, everybody says so.
Besides, I don't have time
to deal with all the details.
Do you realize that we are
getting married in a just few weeks.
I'm surprised she's not holding
the ceremony in an armory.
I've gotta get back to work.
She really is a big help.
- Honest she is.
- Whatever you say, honey.
I just want this to be the
happiest time of your life.
I know this isn't the
right time to bring this up
but we should be
thinking about this.
What is it?
Where are we going to live?
Honey, that's no problem!
We'll live on my boat!
Talk to you later.
I don't care if
you can't find her!
Edna's always here when I get my medicine,
I'm not takin' it if she's not here.
It'll just take a few
minutes, Mr. Brackett.
That's not the point, idiot! Doesn't
matter if it takes a few minutes or a week!
She's supposed to
be here and she's not!
Where the hell is she?
We looked everywhere
and we can't find her.
The slut! The slattern!
I can't keep her in sight
from one minute to the next!
God knows what she's up to now!
She knows I'm stuck here
on this god-awful machine
and I can't move
for half an hour.
She's no idiot, that one!
She's got my schedule
charted and memorized.
There's no stopping her, I've lived
with her long enough to know that.
The woman's got no moral center,
she don't know right from wrong.
Never listened to me
once in sixty-five years.
Not once! I could've talked myself
hoarse for all the good it did me.
Oh, she's evil, evil.
She's a fallen woman.
Unredemptive, I hope
she burns in the fires of hell.
You look lovely tonight, Edna.
Oh, thank you.
Where you been, old woman?
What in hell are you doing?
I'm goin' out.
Out? Out where? Where's
to go out this time of night?
On the patio.
- What's out on the patio?
- Nothing.
Who are you going
out there to meet?
Nobody.
I'm going out for a
breath of fresh air!
You lying witch!
You're going out there
for some unholy coupling
with an orderly, I know you.
Take that stuff off
and act your age!
If I acted my age,
I'd be like you,
sittin' in a wheelchair whining for a
nurse to help me go to the bathroom!
Shut up! Sit down
and do like I say!
What's there to do?
Sit around and watch
your eyes get rheumy?
I'm goin'. Sleep tight.
Edna!
You come back in here!
You're not going out to wave
your tail in front of everybody!
Do you hear...
Edna?
There's nothing here except
what you'd expect, Sam.
Looks like simple congestive heart failure
with arterial sclerotic heart disease.
Sometimes I wonder if it's
really necessary to autopsy
somebody who's lived out his life span
and obviously died of natural causes.
Only way I know to protect
people in rest homes,
make sure their not mistreated.
It's a good idea.
But this man sure looks as
though he were well cared for.
He was.
He just wore out.
Hello.
- Dr. Quincy?
- Yes.
I am Edna Brackett.
Mrs. Roy Brackett.
I know. How can I help you?
I understand you're
the one responsible
for chopping my husband
up into little pieces.
It's nothing like
that, I assure you.
Split 'em down the middle and
scoop out the insides, is what I hear.
Well, that's exaggerated.
Every autopsy is performed with
enormous respect for the dead.
Did you find anything?
Mrs. Brackett, your husband
lived a long and healthy life.
He died quietly and easily of
arteriosclerosis with heart failure,
and I can promise
you that he didn't suffer.
His time had come, that's all.
Hah!
Young man, let me tell
you what really went down.
He didn't die of
coronary arrest.
He didn't die of natural causes.
You slipped up, young fella.
I murdered the old coot!
I called my mother today.
She's sending the
dress air express.
That's terrific.
- Honey.
- What?
There's no water pressure.
Oh, I took a lot of showers.
I forgot to fill the tank.
I'm sorry, honey.
Well, I'm not going to
be able to do the dishes.
I know you hate it, but
we'll get them tomorrow.
Anyways, she says that the
dress is in perfect condition...
- Ow!
- Sorry.
That is the only salad
dressing we have.
We'll try some wine vinegar
and ketchup, it's terrific.
So I think we should have this
wonderful old-fashioned wedding
just like my Grammy
had way back in 1911.
Isn't this whole thing
getting a little elaborate?
I mean, we're not kids anymore.
Quince, it's very important that
you understand how I feel about this.
You've been married before.
I never have.
Ever since I was a little
girl, I've had these fantasies
of having a big wedding.
It's my first and only wedding.
I don't want to feel cheated.
Then you will have the best
fairy-tale wedding that ever was.
The lettuce is warm.
There's no way of keeping anything
cold in that tiny little refrigerator.
- Let me get...
- Hey! Ow!
- You all right?
- I'm fine.
I reached for the glass...
Ow!
Did you hurt yourself?
- No.
- You sure?
I'm fine. Could I just get out?
Just a sec.
- Are you sure?
- I'm all right.
Sorry.
- Quince...
- Yeah?
We have to talk.
What is it?
When you first said it, I
thought you were joking.
- About what?
- Us.
Where we're going to live.
We're gonna live on the boat.
No.
- No?
- No.
Well, it's a little cozy,
but we'll get used to it.
Cozy! The two of us can't
stand up at the same time!
When I get married, I
intend it to be forever.
And if we live here, forever will
seem like a very, very long time.
Well, what should we do?
There are several things.
- But they all
start from one premise.
- What's that?
You have to sell your boat.
Sell my boat?
Hey, Quincy! You got a minute?
Just on my way to
see Asten. What's up?
Just wanted to show you this
tox report from the Brackett case.
We picked up a therapeutic level
of lidocaine and hydrochlorothiazide.
That's not unexpected,
he had a heart condition.
-Only -Only what?
Lidocaine is
administered only by
injection. We inspected
that body carefully.
There weren't any
injection sites, were there?
Not that I saw.
Maybe we just missed it.
Better take another look.
Okay.
I guess you're head over heels with
all the wedding preparations, huh?
Emily's handling it all.
Quincy, anything wrong?
No, no. Just...
Emily and I have been
doing some talking.
And we decided that
I should sell my boat.
Oh?
Don't say, "Oh" like that.
After all, it's the
sensible thing.
We can't live on the
boat, it's too small.
We didn't want to
move into her place.
We need a fresh start.
A place of our own.
No ties with anybody's past.
Makes sense. So what
are you going to do?
We're going to look for a house.
Sell the boat for
the down payment.
But you don't want to.
It's not a question
of want to or not.
It's the sensible thing to do.
- Right?
- Right.
So, don't make an
argument out of it.
I don't understand your problem.
After all, the woman is
what? Eighty years old?
- Eighty-five.
- Well, there you are.
It's not unusual for a woman
of that age to have delusions.
To lose touch with reality.
I know that. But she
didn't strike me as senile.
A little eccentric, but she sure
didn't sound like she was fantasizing.
What is it you
want to do, Quincy?
You've already done the autopsy
and found nothing suspicious.
I wasn't looking for
anything suspicious.
At the least, I think maybe
the police should question her.
Oh, I don't think so.
You just said that you
don't think she's senile.
Why on earth would an
eighty-five year old woman
kill her husband
of over sixty years
when in all likelihood he
didn't have long to live anyway?
I don't know. Maybe she didn't.
So you don't really think
there's anything to her story?
But she was so insistent.
Anyway, if all she wants is
attention, maybe she ought to get it.
She just lost her lifetime
mate. She's so lonely.
Well, I see your point.
I'm not sure I'd go to the trouble,
but if you want to it's very kind.
- Go ahead.
- Thank you.
I'll call Monahan.
Frankly, I'd think you'd be a
pretty busy man at this point.
- What do you mean?
- Well, the wedding, of course.
I tell you, I'm so excited.
We're going to have that garden
looking like the palace at Versailles.
That's very nice.
Hey, what's this? You
don't seem too enthusiastic.
What are you talking
about? Of course, I am.
Sure I'm enthusiastic.
What makes you think I'm not?
♪ Mademoiselle from
Armentieres, parlez-vous?
♪ Mademoiselle from
Armentieres, parlez-vous?
♪ Mademoiselle
from Armentieres ♪
By the pricking of my thumbs,
something creepy this way comes.
Hello, Aunt Edna. Jane.
Hello, Richard.
How's the family cretin today?
Aunt Edna, I came to
express my condolences
for Uncle Roy's
untimely passing.
Do you notice how the
boy can't talk plain English?
Any normal person'd say.
"Sorry the old gimp died."
But not Richard.
I came to give you comfort in
your hour of sorrow, Aunt Edna.
You shouldn't make fun of me.
"You shouldn't make fun of me."
Sounds like he's on the
playground in the third grade.
Is there anything I can
do for you, Aunt Edna?
Yes, you can get out of
my sight, you waify sop!
You're not sorry Roy bought it.
You never had a thought in your
life for anyone except yourself.
Just skulk out of here, boy,
and get back under your rock!
I'm just trying to help.
Call me if you need me.
Don't wait by the phone.
Now, where were we?
♪ Mademoiselle from
Armentieres, parlez-vous?
♪ Mademoiselle from
Armentieres, parlez-vous?
♪ She was a girl
Who'd never been kissed
♪ Oh, mon Dieu, The
things that she missed
♪ Hinky-dinky, Parlez-vous? ♪
Higher! Higher!
Hut, two, three, four!
I'll get it!
Package.
Thank you.
- Sign here, please.
- Right.
- Have a nice day.
- Thank you very much.
This is it! The dress!
Oh, good! Open it!
Oh.
Oh. It's beautiful...
I've never seen a dress so
well-preserved. It's exquisite.
Just think, this is the same
dress my Grandma wore
so many years ago.
You'll look beautiful,
that's the only word for it.
Just beautiful.
And I think our search for
the color scheme is over.
What do you mean?
It's perfect. Just perfect!
Hello.
Oh, hi, honey.
I was just doing my exercises...
Well, I'm not breathing
hard because I just started.
No, I don't need Winslow to come and
go through the routine with me, honest.
Yes, I'll be sure and
take my vitamin pill.
It did? The dress?
That's great,
honey. Is it pretty?
I can't wait to see you in it.
Why can't see it
until the wedding day?
Oh, bad luck. No,
there's nothing wrong.
No, not tonight. I should stay
here and get some things done.
Yeah. I love you too. Night.
Ahoy! Dr. Quincy, you in there?
Who is it?
Bill Boxwell. Boxwell
the Boat Broker.
Like the sound of that?
My little girl thought that up.
Bright as a whip, she is.
Boxwell the Boat Broker.
Has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?
Yes.
Well, the office said you were
putting your boat up for sale.
I'm here to handle
the details for you.
This is a beauty. A beauty!
Isn't that clever.
Don't get these babies on
the market too often anymore.
People that got
'em hang onto 'em.
- What is she, fifty-five feet?
- Sixty.
What a jewel.
You don't figure you'll
have any trouble selling it?
Trouble? Oh, no.
I'll have to knock, 'em away with sticks
when they see this baby on the market.
Well, now, let's get the
formalities out of the way.
This is our standard form.
It's a straight percentage deal,
nothing too complicated.
Look it over and if you have
any questions, you let me know.
This is Old World craftsmanship.
They put this together
with tender love and care.
This seems pretty clear.
Well, just put your John Henry
on the line and we're in business.
You don't think the
asking price is too high?
Too high? Oh, no.
I think you underpriced it. You
could bump it up with no problem.
Well, I need to
sell it right away...
Then no problem!
It's gonna go like that!
Right here. There we go.
Thank you, Dr. Quincy.
Pleasure doing business.
What a doll. What an
absolute doll of a boat.
Listen, it's none of my business, but how
come you're selling a classic like this?
I'm getting married.
Married.
I get it.
Married? You poor...
Oh, I get it.
Quincy, all the nutty
things you've ever
talked me into, this
is one of the nuttiest.
Come on, how much
time's it gonna take?
She's a lonely old woman
who needs some attention.
Lieutenant. Some
people here to see you.
Yeah, send 'em in.
Hello, Mrs. Brackett. This
is Lieutenant Monahan.
How do you do? Care to sit down?
I do not care to sit. Thank you.
Call me Edna.
Now that the old gimp is dead,
there's no need to use his name.
This is my granddaughter, Jane.
Only one in the whole
family that's got any sense.
Reminds me of
myself at that age.
Anyway, I'm here to get
the third degree. Grill me.
Well, Dr. Quincy here tells me you
want to make a voluntary confession.
That's right.
Murder number one.
I killed my husband.
Want me to write
it out? I'll be glad to.
You understand that the
autopsy showed nothing abnormal.
Apparently your husband
died of natural causes?
Hah! You're easy enough to fool.
You ever work on any big cases?
Well...
Guess I'll have
to give you a clue.
- You know about iontophoresis?
- Yes I do.
So do I.
That's your clue, young
man. See if you can run with it.
In homicide, we
look for a motive.
What reason would you
have for killing your husband?
I couldn't stand him.
He made my life miserable
for sixty-five years.
I hung on, thinkin' he'd
die of sheer meaness
but then I see that he was
too stubborn to go before me.
So I knew if I was ever to
have any fun, I'd have to off him.
So I did.
And I don't regret
it for a minute.
Only thing I regret in my life
is the day I said 'I do' in front
of the minister that married us.
So, there's your motive
and there's your clue.
Okay, lock me up.
Well, I appreciate your cooperation,
ma'am, but there is no need to lock you up.
There's not? How come?
We'll have to do
an investigation first.
Then take it to the District Attorney
to see if he wants to file charges.
You mean you're not
gonna put me in jail?
No, ma'am. You're free to go.
You makin' a big mistake,
lettin' me slip
between your fingers.
Now I'm gonna be hard to find.
You're gonna have to
catch me before I kill again!
C'mon Jane.
Quincy, where do you find
them? Nuttier than a fruit cake.
I'm not so sure.
Iontophoresis...
Yeah, what's that mean, anyway?
It's a method of
giving drugs without
needles or pills, it's
used on older people.
An electrical current takes
the drug right through the skin.
You mean you think
this old dame did it?
No, of course not. But it could
explain the missing injection site.
Listen, if you wanna chase
around after this, go ahead.
Personally, I'd think
you'd be too busy.
With what?
With what? With your wedding!
That's all I hear these days, how
busy I must be with the wedding.
How long does it take
to plan a lousy wedding?
I know he's a very busy
photographer but I'm busy too!
I'm getting married in a
week and I have to talk to him.
Nevermind. Just tell
him I called? Thank you.
Hello, hang on a second, okay?
Hi, Winslow, come
in. I'll be right with you.
Hello?
Oh, hi.
No, I'm all right.
Of course, I haven't
forgotten about tonight!
How could I forget a shower
given by my favorite people?
Yeah, he's going to be there.
I can't wait for all
of you to meet him.
Right. See you later. Bye.
You look a little
green around the gills.
Oh, Winslow, there just
aren't enough hours in the day.
- I'm exhausted!
- I know.
Just pack it in tonight,
get a good night's sleep.
I can't. We have
to go to a shower.
All the people I work with at County
Mental Health are giving us one.
A lot of them haven't
even met Quincy yet.
Well, I suggest you go in
and lie down for a half an hour.
I'll make you a cup of tea.
Anything else I can do?
I don't think so.
- I tried
the photographer again...
- Let me handle him.
Thanks you.
I think I will take a nap.
I left a message for Quincy to
remind him about the shower at 8:00.
- I hope he remembers.
- Of course, he'll remember.
Let me tell you, Hanover,
I've seen a lot of husbands-to-be,
young, old, tall, short, fat, thin,
that man loves you.
He's crazy about you.
Does Asten know we're
working on this case tonight?
- Kind of.
- "Kind of?"
He's a busy man, Sam.
Sometimes I hate to
bother him with little details.
Look at these red
patches on his arm, see.
- Yeah, looks kind
of like rose spots.
- It's a punctate rash.
If he were taking
drugs by iontophoresis
he might well have some reaction at
the site where the electrode was applied.
But what was introduced
that would kill him?
I don't know.
Our tox screen didn't show
anything extraordinary, did it?
No. Lidocaine and
hydrochlorothiazide.
What you might expect in the system
of an elderly man. And not in high levels.
You think he was
given something else.
I don't know, Sam.
But if we're going to find any trace
of it, it'll be in the tissue at the spot
where the medication
was forced through the skin.
Excise those red spots
and see what you can isolate.
Quincy...
I don't mean to interfere but do you think
maybe you're searching a little too hard?
What do you mean?
Are you taking this all too seriously?
I mean, look at the improbabilities.
First, why would a woman
kill her 87 year old husband
when he didn't have that
much longer to live, anyway?
And that she would have the knowledge of a
sophisticated technique like iontophoresis
and be capable of
carrying the plan out.
And finally, even
if she did do it,
why wouldn't she just keep quiet
and let the whole thing blow over
instead of trying to get
herself charged with murder?
It just doesn't make sense.
Sam, everything you say is true.
But so is this,
when things don't make sense, it's
not the time to stop asking questions.
It's time to start asking more.
Danny, give me a cup
of that coffee, please.
That's the eighth cup tonight.
You're not gonna sleep for a week.
I'll be okay. Just thinking
about a screwy case I've got.
Where's Emily tonight?
She's at a meeting, I don't know
what. So I stayed at the lab and worked.
You getting excited
about the big day?
Oh, yeah.
You know my offer to cater
the reception still stands.
Thanks, Danny.
I told Winslow to give
you a call and coordinate.
Winslow?
Emily's got this ex-Marine
to plan the wedding.
She does everything by the
numbers. I'm afraid to cross her.
She'll send me across the
obstacle course with a full field pack.
- Rough.
- Anyway, she'll call you.
You okay?
Oh, yeah. Sure.
You sell the boat yet?
No, but the guy said he
thought it would go pretty fast.
He's right.
It's a beauty.
Yeah.
Well, see you.
Yeah, Quince. Night.
Good night, Dr. Quincy.
Night.
Is he okay? He
seems really down.
Diane, I'll tell you somethin'.
I've seen a lot of
husbands-to-be
you name 'em, I've seen 'em,
and that is one man who
does not want to get married.
Em, what are you doing here?
You don't even know
what you've done, do you?
Done? Emily, what
are you talking about?
I'm talking about our wedding shower
last night that you never showed up for,
that's what I'm talking about!
Last night?
The shower was last night?
Holy mackerel.
Honey, I thought it was tonight,
I thought you had
some meeting last night!
What do you think it was like, telling
all my friends my fiancee was coming
so they could meet him and
then he doesn't even show up!
I'm sorry, I didn't know.
I'm not a naive eighteen
year old, Quincy.
That's doesn't work with me.
Sometimes people
forget things, right?
You knew that
shower was last night.
We'd talked about
it for three weeks.
You are usually a very good
about keeping appointments.
You never forget.
So when you suddenly break that
pattern, that says something to me.
That says, "Why did he
suddenly forget this one?"
I've been working hard,
there's a lot of pressure...
There always is.
Quincy, are you having second
thoughts about getting married?
No! Of course not! Honey,
I love you, you know that!
I'm not talking about love,
I'm talking about marriage.
About commitment.
- Are you getting nervous?
- No. Of course not.
Quincy! Oh, excuse me.
Quince, I have the report on
that tissue from Roy Brackett.
I'll be right there.
Okay.
Honey, please get these silly
thoughts out of your head, okay?
I love you.
Listen, I have to go now.
I'll call you tonight, okay?
I love ya.
All right, ladies. Step-toe,
step-toe. Together!
Hey, this is a wedding,
not a sardine can.
Spread 'em out a little, give
people room to breathe, okay?
Men, secure that very
well. Do you understand?
I don't want it falling
on our happy couple.
Somebody wants to know
if you want an aisle cover.
No way.
By the time everybody sits down it looks
like the floor in a football locker room.
Harry, I want these
aisle posts one row apart.
Well, move it!
Fellas, the tables
go on the other side!
That's where the
string quartet goes!
Hello, happiness.
Oh, hi, Winslow.
How's everything look?
It looks wonderful. Really.
Just wonderful.
You look more like we're setting
up for a funeral than a wedding.
I'm sorry.
I guess I'm a little tired.
If you were one of your
patients, would you believe you?
No.
Speaking of
professional expertise,
is it common for someone to get
cold feet just before a wedding?
Happens all the time.
Especially with the groom.
But let me tell you, Hanover,
it has nothing to do with whether
or not he wants to get married.
- It doesn't?
- Nope.
It's just anxiety.
Sometimes all the
preparations get to a guy.
They feel kind of left out.
Sometimes it just gets scary to
think of the big step they're taking.
But, I've never lost one yet.
I guess I'm worrying
over nothing.
Which is also very normal.
Don't worry, I have good
feelings about this one.
Winslow! Can you come here?
Coming!
Hang in there, soldier.
- Thanks, Winslow.
- Winslow, please?
Yeah.
Who's that?
If you can't tell, maybe we haven't
been spending enough time together.
Hi, sweetheart! What a surprise!
What are you doing here?
I'm glad.
What are you doing here?
I had a hunch I'd find you here.
It's on my way to an investigation,
so I thought I'd stop by.
I'm so glad.
- Isn't it looking wonderful?
- Sure is.
Now, so there'll be no
mistake, let me get it straight.
- The rehearsal is
tomorrow afternoon?
- Right.
- At two o'clock.
- Two o'clock.
Got it. And guess what.
I wrote my vows.
Got 'em right here.
Oh, that's beautiful.
- You written yours?
- Well, I'm working on it.
That's why if got the guitar.
Good. I have to go speak to
some people at a rest home.
- Don't you ever let up?
- No.
But I'll be just as devoted
a husband, I promise.
Love you.
See you.
It's a marvelous
technique, Dr. Quincy.
Some of the patients here can't
swallow pills and are terrified of needles.
It makes administering medication a
lot more humane for some older people.
This electrode would account for
the red marks we found on his body.
How often was
Brackett medicated?
Three times a day.
Edna didn't get medicated
as often as he did,
but she always came
with him anyway.
You think that wasn't a
nightmare for the technician!
Thank you, Miss Benson,
I'm able to handle it from here.
So Edna was in here while he
was receiving his medication?
Yes. Usually screaming
at him the whole time.
Getting lidocaine, wasn't he?
I'll have to check.
I think so...
Yes, one hundred
milligrams, three times a day.
Do you know why we might have found
succinylcholine at the application site?
- A muscle relaxant?
- In a dose that could kill.
No. What are you asking, Doctor?
I'm not sure yet. But I
would like to talk to Edna.
- Edna?
- Yes.
- I thought you knew...
- What?
She hasn't been back.
Not since her granddaughter took
her to the police station last week.
Her granddaughter called and
said she'd be with her for a while.
Her nephew is
worried sick about her.
After all, she has
an arrhythmic heart.
Dr. Quincy? Is something wrong?
Mr. Sutter, I wish I knew.
Wish I knew.
Sure you don't want
to ride with me, Quincy?
Can't. Got to get a surprise
for Emily. I'll meet you there.
Don't be late. You
only get one rehearsal.
Don't worry, two o'clock sharp.
Dr. Quincy.
- Jane? Is that you?
- Yes.
Could you come with me?
Edna needs to talk to you.
Where is she? Why didn't
she go back to the rest home?
That's what she
wants to explain to you.
But we have to keep
her hiding place a secret.
- Hiding place? Come on...
- Dr. Quincy, please!
Listen, I know
Edna is eccentric,
but she is not senile
and she's not crazy.
And she has every reason to
believe that her life is in danger.
Now will you please
come with me?
I have to be somewhere
at two o'clock.
It won't take long. Please.
Okay.
I have to be back
at two o'clock.
Step-toe, step-toe, step-toe.
Where will we start from,
Winslow? Right here or in the house?
Honey, the way I
see it, it's your day.
They oughta be treated to the
sight of you as long as possible.
- Start in the house.
- Okay.
Emily, for the rehearsal, are you and
Dr. Quincy going to read your vows?
No. Neither of us knows what promises
the other has made. That's for Saturday.
Don't worry, he'll be
here. He promised.
He promised.
Good.
- Were you tailed?
- I don't think so.
Good.
Okay.
Let's get down to business.
Dr. Quincy,
you been doing any checking
on my husband's death?
Well, yes...
And?
There is evidence that he
died at the hands of another.
I still don't understand why you
would have killed your husband.
I didn't kill him, fool.
Somebody else did.
What?
Namely my no-good
nephew Richard.
Bad seed from a bad apple.
What's more, he's
gonna kill me next.
Edna, I don't understand.
Never will unless
you belt up and listen.
It's very simple,
Roy's will provides his estate
goes into trust to provide for my care.
If I survive him by a
year, it all goes to me
and in turn, I will it to Jane
and her people, who need it.
If I don't survive Roy by a year
it all goes to wretched Richard.
He's killed Roy
and now all he
has to do is get me.
How do you know all this?
What makes you so sure?
Because I know that sniveling
little weasel, that's why.
First off, he's a pharmacist.
I seen him talking to the nurses
and asking questions all about
how Roy and me get our medicine.
You can be sure he was
plottin' the whole thing then!
You mean he knew
about iontophoresis?
Sure, he did! And the medicines
we get, and when, and everything!
I knew when Roy died
what had happened,
but I knew it wouldn't do me a pin's
worth of good to try to talk about it.
I'm considered
a senile old fool.
I admit, I like to have my fun.
What's the point of living
this long if you can't have fun?
But that produces a
certain credibility gap.
That's why you claimed
you had murdered him?
Yep.
If I insisted was the murderer, then
I knew I could force an investigation.
Then at least there'd be some kind of
proof that Roy didn't die a natural death.
But that doesn't prove
that your nephew did it.
Nope.
That's where my
next plan comes in.
Your next plan.
Listen to this, Dr. Quincy,
it'll knock your socks off.
- He'll turn up?
- Yeah.
Are you sure he changed
his watch for daylight saving?
Ladies and gentleman, it's quite obvious
that Dr. Quincy just isn't going to show.
I thank you all for coming
I am sorry that you
were so inconvenienced.
Honey, I'm sorry, I
couldn't help it, honest.
- I got here as
fast as I could.
- Winslow.
Please have the workmen
take everything down.
We'll have to call all the guests
and tell them not to bother coming.
Aren't you being a little rash?
I'm doing the first sane and
sensible thing I've done in weeks.
Because you have made it
very clear what's going on.
- I just haven't
been reading you right.
- No, sweetheart...
- You don't want
to get married.
- Yes, I do.
Your mouth says you do, but
everything else about you belies that.
In fact, you're determined
not to get married!
- Oh, honey.
- So, I'm going to
give you your wish.
Oh.
I hope some day we
can be friends again.
Now, Emily, let's
just talk this over.
Dr. Asten, there's nothing to talk
about! Don't you all understand?
The wedding is off!