[Jessica] Tonight on Murder, She Wrote.
When I said that it was a pleasure meeting you,
it is just possible that I spoke in haste.
You'll get my land over my dead body.
This is my town!
It appears that this man does indeed own Cabot Cove.
When you said you were researching your heritage,
-this is what you were after. -No!
A man is dead. Another man is being hunted.
And the fate of this town is teetering on a tightrope.
[groans]
Okay, big chief.
You got a heap a lot of trouble now.
[cheerful orchestral music]
[horse whinnying]
[all in unison] ♪ America, America ♪
♪ God shed his Grace on thee ♪
♪ and crown thy good with brotherhood ♪
♪ from sea to shining sea ♪
[Seth] Oh, very good.
[applause]
Friends. Neighbors.
My heart swells with pride
as I stand before you on this special day
to once again celebrate the long
and glorious past of this great town of ours.
Speaking of long, I expect we're in for all of it,
year-by-year.
Why, I can remember when I was a small boy,
standing right down there--
Hey, look! Look what's coming!
Look! Look!
[people murmuring]
[hooves galloping]
Well, what kind of a fool thing?
[woman screaming]
[horse neighing]
Hot dog.
That crazy indian tried to kill me!
It seems to be a message of some sort.
Sure does.
Message? What message?
Oh, dear. What is it, miss Fletcher?
What's in that note, Mayor?
Oh, it's, uh, nothin', friends.
It's, uh, just somebody's idea of good-natured fun.
[chuckles]
Uh, it's my pleasure now
to introduce our dear neighbor,
Ms. Emma Lee Frisbie, who will now, uh uh,
entertain us with that, uh, wonderful old standard,
uh, Emma Lee, just sing for the folks.
[chuckles]
[scattered applause]
[Emma Lee vocalizing]
Sheriff, get your car.
You, me and Doc are takin' a ride.
Appears to be a land grant, Sam.
It's hogwash. Look at this thing.
It was run off on a copying machine.
Well, you could hardly expect him
to give up the original now, could you?
-Oh. -Yep.
-May I? -Hmm.
"Granted to Chief Manitoka and his heirs in perpetuity,
all those lands ending at the water's edge
which can be seen from the hill
of the god that creates rain,
also known as Algonquin Peak,
to the East, to the North, and to the South,
as far as the eye can see on a day of bright sunshine."
But-- but that includes all of Cabot Cove.
Yes, it would appear so.
Oh, come on now, Doc. It ain't funny.
You don't notice me laughin', do you, Amos?
It's a joke. It's just somebody's idea of a joke, that's all.
Mmm, I'm not so sure, Sam.
That fellow on horseback may have been a tad...
theatrical, but, uh,
he seemed quite determined to me.
Yeah, well, I put out an APB on him.
As soon as we pick him up, maybe we'll get some answers.
He won't be runnin' around in that war paint still, Amos.
No, I think he's got somethin' else on his mind.
Well, as Mayor of Cabot Cove,
I'm not waitin' around for the hammer to drop.
Now, the first thing we got to do is find out
if that thing is authentic.
And that means, Doc,
I'm appointing you and Jessica Fletcher
as a committee of two to get to the bottom of this.
[Seth] This is quite a collection you've got here, Ms. Crenshaw.
[Ms. Crenshaw] My dad's very proud of it.
Has your father had a chance to look at the copy
of the land grant?
He was at it all last evening.
I don't suppose you have the original?
Oh, I wish we did.
I saw the news film on TV last night.
Whoever your indian is certainly has a flair for the dramatic.
And a knack for manipulating the media.
Mrs. Fletcher.
What a pleasure to meet you.
Thank you. And this must be Dr. Hazlitt.
A-ya.
I can't begin to tell you
how delighted I was to receive a copy of that document.
A find. A real find.
Then it's genuine?
Ah, well, I couldn't say for sure.
Not until I examine the original.
[Prof. Crenshaw] You do have the original?
Oh, I'm afraid not.
I'm afraid we are stymied,
unless I can examine the original document.
I think it may be forthcoming shortly.
You got an idea, Jess?
Well, our mysterious friend seems to crave the limelight.
Maybe if we give him a big enough forum,
he'll put in an appearance.
[reporter] Come on, Mayor. Tell us something.
[Mayor Booth] I can't talk tonight, boys.
I've got a meeting to go to.
-[reporter] Mayor-- -Now, hold on, Mr. Mayor!
We're here to cover this story.
Cover all you want, boys, but nobody goes inside.
Now, folks got the right to say their piece,
and they'll say it a lot freer
without you fellas writin' it all down.
[groans]
Have you heard anything more from the indian?
Uh, not yet.
But between you and me, boys, I don't expect to hear from him.
If you ask me, the whole thing's nothing
but somebody's idea of a practical joke.
Oh, Mr. Mayor... [reporters clamoring]
I'll be honest with you, Edmonds,
this indian thing has got me scared.
Mr. Atwater, I assure you there's nothing to it.
I mean, my god, my bank holds
most of the mortgages in this town.
I'm certainly not concerned.
Yeah, well, maybe you should be.
Now, let me tell you something, Edmonds.
My company is not about to risk
$17 million on a resort complex
if there is the slightest chance
that that could be a legitimate claim.
Well, Sir, I think you're overreacting.
Am I?
Well, your little bank
stands to make a tidy commission on this venture, Edmonds.
So you will forgive me if I take your assurance
with a grain of salt.
Excuse me, Mr. Atwater.
Oh, Langley. I called your hotel.
I guess you didn't get the message.
Uh, no. Sorry.
Well, I was hopin' you and me
could, uh, get together tomorrow.
That land up by Willow Creek--
You know, the piece I got that option on?
I figured you and me could get together and talk business...
[laughingly] Option?
I wonder just what that would be worth under the circumstances.
Now, wait a minute! Ad, leave him alone.
Listen, you want that land.
I know it. You know it.
It's the only fit place to build
this vacation hotel you're puttin' up.
Mr. Langley, when and if this indian business
is straightened up, you and I
can sit down and talk about this.
Until then, I don't really think
that there's much to discuss, do you?
You'll excuse me, won't you?
Come on, Ad. Let's go inside. Let go of me.
What's the matter with you,
interruptin' while I'm talkin' business?
-Back off, Ad. -You keep out of this.
I told you what I'd do to you
if you ever touched my sister again, didn't I?
Tom, please, don't.
Don't tell me how to treat my wife.
I am tellin' you!
Now, you get that through your drunken head.
Get away!
Hey!
[chattering]
[media clamoring]
Come on. Give us something.
[audience chattering]
[gavel rapping]
All right now, folks. Settle down, all of ya.
[clears throat]
Friends and neighbors, I stand before you this evening
Mr. Mayor, we don't have time for one of your speeches.
-Just get to it. -Yeah!
-[townsfolk clamoring] -Now, all right.
All right, now, folks.
Don't get yourselves in an uproar.
Uh, suppose the first thing I ought to do
is introduce a couple of people up here with me.
Uh, Professor Harold Crenshaw and his daughter Donna.
The, uh, professor is an expert on indian history.
Wait a minute, Sam.
What do we need an expert for?
You sayin' this land Grant business is for real?
Uh, well--
Look, Amos, we want to know who this half-naked savage
in the war bonnet was.
Well, we're workin' on it.
Maybe you ought to work a little harder.
Everything I got's tied up in my house.
I don't know about the rest of you,
but I didn't come here tonight
for no speeches and no pussyfootin'.
I want straight answers!
Huh? Right!
[gavel rapping]
If you all came for answers,
then I suggest you ask someone who can give them to you.
Just who might you be, stranger?
My name is George Longbow, Sir, and, uh,
I'm the half-naked savage that dropped in
on your Founders' Day celebration.
[audience murmuring]
Well, Sir, uh--
Uh, perhaps you'd be good enough
to, uh, come forward and explain yourself.
Yes. Well, that's precisely why I'm here, Your Honor.
Good evening.
I hope you all will forgive the flamboyance
of my earlier appearance,
but I wanted to be certain that I had your attention.
And I believe I got it.
In 1758, an Algonquin chieftain named Manitoka
helped the British win a major battle against the French.
And in appreciation, the British governor-general bestowed
upon the chief and his descendants
a grant of land which included all of the area
which you now call Cabot Cove.
Well, I am the 11th direct descendant of that chief.
And to put it in the simplest of terms,
this meeting is being held on my property.
You're crazy, man.
Hey, toss him out of here!
You're not gonna take my property.
Wait, please, all of you.
Uh, we came here to find out something,
so, please, let's listen.
Mr. Longbow, I'm Jessica Fletcher.
I have a question.
Uh, if-- it's a very big if-- if what you say is true,
what do you intend to do?
Are you planning to evict all of us from our homes?
Certainly not, Mrs. Fletcher.
However, there will be the matter of rent to be paid.
Rent?
You'll get my land over my dead body.
I'll see you in hell first, you thievin' redskin!
What did you-- what did you call me?
Mister, nobody calls me-
That's enough!
[excited chattering]
Friends and neighbors!
Come on, Ad! Come on. Back off.
-Let go of me! -Just hold on.
Take it easy.
Let me go! I'll kill that heathen.
Yeah, you come near me, you're the one who ends up dead.
Listen, you're not scarin' me away, any of you!
This is my town!
So get used to the idea.
Well, it seems as though I've stirred things up a bit.
Did you really expect that you wouldn't?
All right, let's get down to business.
Sam, what's goin' on here?
Why wasn't I told about this meeting?
Norman, you can't come in here.
This is official town business.
And since I hold mortgages on half of Cabot Cove,
I've got a right to hear what's being said and done.
He is right about that, Sam.
Oh, all right, all right, but keep it zipped.
I'm runnin' things here.
Now, uh, where were we?
I believe I was just about to tell Professor Crenshaw
what a pleasure it is to meet him in person.
Sir, your daughter is very proud of you,
as I'm sure you are of her.
What? You know Donna?
Oh, yes, we met several months ago
when I was doing research at the university.
But I feel as if we've been friends for years.
Look, can we cut all this chit-chat?
Longbow, if you are who you say you are, then prove it.
Several months ago,
I found this among my late mother's possessions.
Professor.
Yes. Yes, I see.
That's-- that's very interesting.
Well, is it real or isn't it?
It appears to be genuine.
But, of course, I'd have to conduct some tests.
What kind of tests?
Well, to determine the age of the parchment, the ink used.
These are validation reports from several experts, Professor.
I'm sure you'll recognize the names.
And if you still have any doubts,
a few simple phone calls
will verify their authenticity.
Huh? Dr. Steinmeyer?
Professor Carlsbad?
I assure you, Doctor, and all of you,
that this is not a hoax, and I am no impostor.
Well, gentlemen, if all of this checks out,
it appears that this man does indeed own Cabot Cove.
The hell he does!
We have courts in this country, mister.
As far as I'm concerned,
you can take that paper and you stick it--
Uh, yes, Norman. Yes, uh-- uh, we get your point.
I am a graduate of Harvard Law School, Mr. Edmonds,
so don't try to threaten me with legalities.
Oh, it's no threat, sonny.
Would you like to step outside right--
Gentlemen, gentlemen. Please. Please.
Both of you, stop this bickering.
This will get us absolutely nowhere.
Now, assuming that your claim is legitimate, Mr. Longbow--
I did say "assuming," Norman--
Just what is it that you want from us?
Mrs. Fletcher, it's very simple,
and it's also very fair.
I intend to assess every Cabot Cove landowner
one half of 1% of value.
The average resident will pay no more than $200 a year.
Well, that doesn't sound too unreasonable.
Sort of like saying you were mugged in an alley,
but it's okay because the mugger only got $5.
If you all now will excuse me.
Uh-- uh, how can we get in touch with you?
I'll be in touch with you.
[sighs]
It isn't the money, Jess, it's the principle of the thing.
He seems so dang sure of himself.
Come on, redskin. Show us how you dance.
Hey, why don't you fellas just back off?
We back off when you do.
[grunting]
Now, listen to me, okay?
I don't want any trouble.
You should've thought about that before.
Tom, Randy, stop that! All of you.
[tires squealing]
Stay out of this, ms. Fletcher.
[tires squeal]
George!
Hold it! [grunts]
Next time, indian! Next time!
[tires squealing]
Angel of mercy.
Lucky she happened to be passin' by.
Lucky. Yes.
George, just what the hell are you up to?
-Donna-- -You used me!
I did not.
All those days and nights at the university,
when you said you were researching your heritage...
-This is what you were after. -No!
All right, I had the land grant, but I didn't tell you
because I wasn't sure how you'd react
if you knew what I was doing.
Well, you know now. George, you are insane.
That stupid stunt at the ceremonies,
walking into a town meeting, threatening these people--
I mean, don't you have any sense of...
Oh, self-preservation? Yeah, lots.
Which is why no one knows where I'm staying,
and no one is going to know, including you, Donna.
Donna, look, my people have been bowing and scraping
to the white man for centuries, and what did it ever get us?
Indignation, humiliation, and reservations,
not to mention several dozen diseases imported from Europe.
Yeah, well, it's time one of us stood up
for what is rightfully ours.
And that self-appointed champion of justice is you?
Yeah, that's right.
Wonderful, George. Wonderful.
I just hope your reign as emperor of Cabot Cove
is a long and happy one.
Dad's gonna be worried about me.
[sighs] Look, I, um--
I have my pickup truck parked outside of town.
Could you drop me off? Yeah.
George, be careful.
I understand where you're coming from,
but these people feel threatened.
It doesn't take a whole lot of fear
to turn a crowd into a mob.
[knocking on door]
-[Prof. Crenshaw] Donna? -Yes?
-Dad, you're still up. -Of course I'm still up.
Where have you been?
The father-hen syndrome.
I thought we'd gotten beyond that.
Why didn't you tell me about him?
I did, twice.
You were hardly listening, as usual.
My daily activities are rarely high
on your preferred topics of conversation.
Look, Dad, I'm pretty tired, okay?
Is-- is there--
is there anything between you?
You mean, are George and I lovers?
If you're trying to hurt me, Donna,
you're doing an excellent job.
Perhaps you should go to sleep.
Dad.
I'm sorry.
I don't mean to hurt you,
the same as you don't really mean to hurt me.
No, I haven't slept with George Longbow.
We're friends, that's all.
And, no, I didn't help him find that land grant, okay?
Okay.
See you tomorrow.
[crickets chirping]
Helen!
Here. Let me help you.
[groans] Jessica.
I just got a little dizzy, that's all.
Oh.
Well, come on. Let me help you into the house.
Oh, no. I'm fine, really.
Well, come on.
I'll help you. Here we go.
-Jessica, thank you. -It's all right.
I just can't imagine what came over me.
Well, now could I get you something,
like a cup of tea?
Oh, there's some--
there's some coffee on the stove.
Right. Well, you sit back and relax. I'll get it.
Good.
Cream and sugar?
Uh, just black.
Thanks.
Oh, my goodness, that-- that eye looks very puffy.
Oh, yeah.
I've been crying a lot, I guess, yeah.
Maybe you should let Seth Hazlitt take a look at it.
Oh, no, Jessica. I am fine, really.
It's just-- it's this business with this indian.
I guess it's got everybody on edge.
Well, I see you and Ad have been fixing things up.
The kitchen's going to be lovely.
Oh, that. That's my handiwork.
[chuckles]
Ad's a dreamer, not a doer.
I guess it's no secret.
Ad's been drinking again.
You saw him last night at the meeting.
Mr. Atwater came by this morning and wanted to see him,
and I couldn't even tell him where Ad was.
You mean, he didn't come home last night?
[Helen] No.
I haven't seen him since the town meeting.
The gentleman in the limousine was Mr.--
[Helen] Harris Atwater.
He wanted me to talk to Ad about the option.
He said he was willing to pay a fair price,
but he wasn't about to be held up.
[laughs] I'm sorry.
I must be a couple of beats behind.
[Helen] Oh, oh.
Well, it's all about this resort hotel
that Mr. Atwater's company
is planning on putting up outside of town.
[Helen] A couple of years ago, Ad got this crazy idea
that the land up by Willow Creek
was gonna be worth something, so he took an option on it.
Well, for once he was right.
Mr. Atwater's company wants to put up a hotel right there.
For the first time in our lives,
it looked like we were going to be out from under,
and then this indian shows up
at the meeting last night and everything.
And I-- well...
Well, we don't know that Mr. Longbow's claim is valid.
You mean there's a chance he's wrong?
There's always a chance, Helen.
Drink your coffee.
[chattering]
Oh, Mrs. Fletcher, can you tell us what's going on?
Look, I'm sorry, but I really know
as little about this as you do.
And I have nothing to say. If you'll excuse me.
All right, come on, guys.
Try and get a shot through the window.
Oh, come in, Ms. Fletcher.
Thank you. Morning, Mayor. Seth.
Well, Jessica.
You're just in time to watch Sam deal with our latest crisis.
Are there any developments? Nothin' to cheer about.
Professor Crenshaw left town about an hour ago.
He left town?
Yeah. His daughter called a few minutes ago.
Says he got a call from Norman Edmonds,
got all excited, and was gone in a flash.
Now, what I want to know is,
is this professor fella on our side or isn't he?
And if he isn't... Well, he was your idea, Jessica.
Oh, now just a moment, Mayor. Me too, Sam.
Now, just calm your tail feathers.
-Hysteria is not the solution. -[phone ringing]
Well, all I know is, folks are expectin' me
to do somethin',
and I'm gonna do it soon as I figure out
what it is I'm supposed to do.
Sheriff, there's trouble over at Town Hall.
It's Ad Langley.
-You better go, too, Doc. -[Seth] Mm-hmm.
Stand back here.
Step aside, folks. Step aside.
The victim has been identified as Addison Langley, 47,
a local business contractor.
His body was discovered here at the Cabot Cove town hall
less than an hour ago.
Cause of death,
an antique Algonquin lance driven through his chest.
Now, local sources inform us that Langley was involved
in a heated argument here last night with George Longbow.
He's the indian activist
who claims to own all of Cabot Cove.
You find somethin', Jess?
Well, I'm not sure.
All that sand in Ad Langley's shoes
and in the cuffs of his trousers.
As if he'd been walkin' on the beach last night.
Yeah, there are traces of sand across here.
You can feel it under your feet.
It looks as if he came in through this door.
Or was carried in.
Ad Langley may have been found here, Jess,
but he was not killed here.
-Are you sure? -Yeah. Not enough blood.
Seth, something is very odd.
Killers usually try to hide their victims,
not advertise them.
Unless putting him here was supposed to be symbolic?
Yeah.
Makes you wonder a little bit about George Longbow.
That young man may not be a lot of things,
but he's not stupid.
Yeah. He does have a temper a mile wide.
Excuse me, Doc.
Is there anything more about Ad Langley's body
that I ought to know about?
Like what, Amos?
Well, like bruises,
like maybe he was in a fight or somethin'.
No, nothing especially unusual.
Little bit of varnish on one hand.
[Amos] Mm-hmm.
And you're still sayin' the time of death was, what,
about midnight last night?
Yeah. Give or take an hour or two.
Mighty strange time to meet somebody.
And why here?
Hmm. Well, Jess...
Do you want to tell him, or shall I?
[Seth] Hmm?
[Seth] The longer George Longbow. Stays in hiding,
the worse things look for him.
Well, if you were he, would you show up,
given the mood of this town?
You got somethin' gnawin' at you?
Do you remember what Donna Crenshaw told Amos?
That her father hurried back to the university
after he got a call from Norman Edmonds?
You think there's some sort of connection?
I'll tell you one thing that I think.
Addison Langley had an option
on a very valuable piece of property.
And now that he's dead,
a lot of other people stand to gain from it,
especially if the murder can be pinned on George Longbow.
You want me to come in with you?
No, I'll be fine.
[engine starts]
Oh, Mr. Atwater?
You're Mrs. Fletcher, aren't you?
Yes, we haven't actually met.
This is a real pleasure. Thank you.
I suppose you know that my company
has planned some very big things for Cabot Cove.
Yes, I'm afraid some big things
have already happened in this town
and are threatening to get out of hand.
[Atwater] Yes.
Langley... I heard about that.
I suppose everybody in town has heard about that now.
It's a nasty business, isn't it.
[Atwater] Have they, uh-- have they found that indian yet?
Uh, no. Uh-uh, Mr. Atwater.
I take it that you have just learned of Mr. Langley's death.
Yes, of course.
I'm sorry, but I was at the Langley home earlier,
and I spoke to Mrs. Langley.
She said that you had asked her about the option.
I asked her to use her influence with her husband.
Naturally, I would not have done that
if I'd known that the man was dead.
[Jessica] Of course.
And now, I take it, you'll be dealing directly with her.
I was just on my way there to offer my condolences.
I see.
Well, things have certainly gone very well for you, haven't they?
Mrs. Fletcher,
when I said that it was a pleasure meeting you,
it is just possible that I spoke in haste.
Now, while I personally place no credence whatsoever
on that indian's claim,
it is true, yes, his involvement in Addison Langley's murder
does remove the last remaining impediment
to my company's investment.
Now, you may regard that as callous.
I see it as good business.
You'll excuse me, won't you?
Tom, that's him!
[horn honking]
[engine revving]
[tires squealing]
[grunts]
[chuckles]
[coughs]
Okay, big chief.
You got a heap a lot of trouble now.
Norman.
Oh, mornin', Jessica.
I went looking for you at the bank.
-They told me I'd find you here. -Yeah?
Finally found a buyer for this old place.
Folks from boston.
Real nice people, I hear.
Oh, you're going to be holding the mortgage?
That's my business.
I would have thought-- I mean, considering
the uncertainty of the situation...
You mean Longbow?
He's not gonna be much more of a problem, now, is he?
Why is it that everyone in this town
assumes that he is guilty?
Oh, come on, Jessica. You were there last night.
What else can you think?
Well, Mr. Atwater seems pleased.
I ran into him at the bank.
I know folks aren't too happy about havin' this hotel
in their backyard, Jessica.
But, believe me, it's going to be very good for this town.
I expect property values will double
in the next couple of years.
Yeah, well, I suppose
you can't quarrel with prosperity.
Uh, I tried to reach Professor Crenshaw this morning.
I understand he's gone back to the university,
after receiving a phone call from you.
Well, now, I'm being grilled, aren't I?
Jessica, go back to your typewriter.
Norman, a man is dead. Another man is being hunted.
And the fate of this town is teetering on a tightrope.
I mean, you're going to have to talk to somebody.
All right.
Early this morning, I offered Professor Crenshaw $50,000
if he could supply irrefutable proof
that the indian's claim is fraudulent.
That is a great deal of money.
[Norman] Jessica, if that man is who he says he is,
my bank is ruined.
I'm ruined.
Only sorry I didn't wait a couple of hours.
It seems that, uh, George Longbow
has destructed all by himself.
[horn honking]
[tires squealing]
[horn honking]
Good Lord.
[horn honking]
[whooping]
Look here what we got ourselves!
-Hey, where'd you find him? -Uh, excuse me, Mayor.
Somethin' seems to be up.
Hey, bring him down here!
Indian, look over here!
Hey, give us-- a little bit higher!
Come on! Bring him on down!
We found him out by Bert Calloway's place
tryin' to get out of town.
Well, let's get him inside.
Come on, now. Stand back, folks.
Step aside. Let us through.
Come on. Give us something, will you?
We're all pushing deadlines.
Lee, get Doc Hazlitt over here.
Right.
Oh, my, Lord.
Was this necessary?
Well, it wasn't us, ma'am.
See, he saw us comin',
and he ran, and he just fell down.
[chuckling] Yeah. He fell down a lot.
Is that the way it happened, Mr. Longbow?
Lee, take him back to the cell and lock him up.
Right.
Let's go.
[tires squealing]
Hey, Tom! Where'd you get that truck, Tom?
Hey, Tom, what's the story? Come on, give us the story.
We're on deadline!
Hey, Tom, where you been?
Went back to get the indian's pickup.
No sense leavin' any road hazards out there.
[laughs] Oh, and I got the indian's stuff.
I mean, so you can't say we're thieves.
I suppose the town should be grateful, Tom.
But I can't say much
for the condition you delivered him.
Listen, Amos.
He was lucky it was us who found him.
Otherwise, he might be dead by now.
Come on, boys. Let's go out and get our pictures took.
I mean, after all, we are real live heroes.
[laughter]
Now, listen to me, young man.
At the moment, you and I may be
the only two people in Cabot Cove
who think that you are innocent of this murder.
But retreating into stony, self-righteous silence
isn't going to help the situation one bit.
Now, you re much too intelligent to commit such a stupid murder.
Now, suppose you tell me the truth,
starting with why you really came to Cabot Cove.
All right, I will.
[clears throat]
First off, it was never my intention
to bilk the people of this town,
especially not for my own personal gain.
The money is to be used
to fund a scholarship program for indian youngsters
who otherwise wouldn't get a chance to go to college.
Admirable.
But why did you choose
such a confrontational way to open up the negotiations?
[George] Mrs. Fletcher, you know as well as I do,
if I would have used a conventional way
to approach your town fathers,
I would have been completely ignored.
[Jessica] Mmm, possibly. But what about last night?
Where were you, and can you prove it?
I was staying outside of town at a motel known only to me.
And since I arrived back there at around 11:30,
after the office had closed,
no, no, I can't prove it.
Excuse me, Mrs. Fletcher. That was the Mayor on the phone.
He'd like us to come over to his office right away.
He's got the professor with him.
I believe you, Mr. Longbow.
I'll do what I can.
I'm not going anywhere.
I don't know what he said to you back there, Mrs. Fletcher,
but if I were you,
I'd be careful of how far I climb out on that limb.
What is it, Amos?
Well, I sent my deputy out there
to, uh, take a look at the indian's pickup truck.
He found some beach sand in the back,
same as we found on ad Langley's body.
To put it as bluntly as possible,
George Longbow is a fraud.
Phony, eh? Ha! Sort of figured that myself.
It's amazing how quickly you came up
with that verdict, professor,
considering the opinion of those other learned scholars.
Oh, the land grant is genuine enough.
No, I'm talking about Longbow himself.
Dr. Hazlitt, do you remember the flu epidemic
that hit this country in 1918, especially in the northeast?
Don't recall it personally, thanks.
Read about it.
Thousands died in this area,
and particularly hard hit was the indian population.
The survivors were adopted
by the few families that remained intact.
Well, under the circumstances,
Longbow cannot possibly claim
direct and provable lineage to Chief Manitoka.
Well, Mr. Edmonds will be pleased to hear that.
Is there a possibility that, in your haste,
you may be mistaken, professor?
I talked to Mr. Edmonds,
and he told me about his very generous offer to you.
Offer? What offer?
Mrs. Fletcher,
$50,000 is a great deal of money for a man of my means,
but I can assure you, my credentials are not for sale.
[Mayor Booth] Now, hold on, Jessica.
The professor here says that the indian's a phony.
Let's not argue with him. Who's side are you on, anyway?
At the risk of sounding corny, Sam, I'm on the side of right.
And that includes not only this land grant,
but also George Longbow's involvement,
if any, in Addison Langley's death.
[Mayor Booth] Oh, for pity's sake, Jessica,
the man came here to bamboozle the town,
and you're takin' sides with him.
What she's tryin' to say, Sam,
is that we ought to keep our dampers down
until we know exactly what's goin' on.
Which is exactly what I'm going to do.
Come on, Professor.
You and me are gonna have a talk with Mr. Longbow.
Guess I better go with 'em, huh?
Uh, Amos, perhaps it might be more productive
if we were to search Mr. Longbow's motel room?
You really think so, Ms. Fletcher?
All right. Key's at my office. We'll pick it up on the way.
Well, if his aim was to hide out,
he sure picked the right place.
Never could figure out how Charley Peabody
could make a living out here.
He said he came home before midnight last night.
We should check and see if anyone saw him.
Well, if he's countin' on Charley, he's out of luck.
Charley closes his office at, uh, 9:00,
and then he sleeps as sound as a bear in winter.
Mrs. Fletcher, look here.
Good idea you had comin' out here,
but not so good for George Longbow.
Look at this.
Sand on the rug and inside the shoes.
You know, it looks to me as if he met Ad on the beach,
they had some kind of a row,
boy lost his temper and killed him.
It's as clear as that.
What is absolutely clear, Amos,
is that George Longbow has been framed for murder.
Oh, there's sand, all right, but it was deliberately placed.
Look at the soles of these shoes.
-They're gummed soles, Amos. -Uh-huh.
Now, they pick up absolutely everything,
and there isn't a trace of sand on them.
Say, you're right.
You and I are going to pay a call, Amos.
Do you know who's behind all this?
Well, I'm not sure.
And certain things still don't make any sense,
but I know where to start.
Hmm.
Oh, Jessica and Sheriff Tupper.
-Ms. Langley. -[Tom] Who is it, sis?
Uh, it's Jessica Fletcher, Tom. And the sheriff.
Oh, uh, why don't you come in, please.
Tom's been keeping me company.
Well, it sure was nice of you to pay another call, Jessica.
Haven't been many people dropping by.
Ad wasn't much for making friends, you know.
Ms. Langley, uh,
I think I better tell you that we're plannin'
to drop the charges against George Longbow
in your husband's death.
What?
Tom, we know that George Longbow was framed.
Yeah, and we're pretty sure you two
are in it up to your hip pockets.
Uh, Amos--
Sheriff, you better have a warrant.
If you don't, I want the two of you out of this house now.
Tom.
You love your sister, don't you, Tom?
I'm sure you'd do anything to protect her.
Yeah, but I wouldn't kill anybody,
if that's what you're sayin'.
But you would plant evidence
to point the finger at an innocent man.
You're crazy.
We found his shoes at the motel,
covered with sand except for the soles.
Those shoes were planted there, Tom,
to incriminate George Longbow.
Yeah, but it wasn't me.
George hadn't told anyone where he was spending the night.
Not anyone. But you knew.
Come on, Jessica.
When your friends brought George into the Sheriff
after you'd captured and beaten him,
you arrived separately a short time later.
You had his motel key with you.
You put it on the sheriff's desk,
along with George's wallet.
You used that key to get into his motel room
and plant the false evidence.
You're out of your mind,
and I want you out of this house, both of you!
Tom, no. Sis, you stay out of this.
I said no. Now, you did all you could.
Don't get yourself in any more trouble.
Sis, don't.
Don't.
They can't prove anything.
It's all right.
Helen, I think that the sheriff
can prove that you were involved.
Dr. Hazlitt found traces of varnish on your husband's hand,
and there was wet varnish on the chairs
that you were refinishing in the kitchen.
Besides that, no matter how hard you scrub,
you can't get rid of the blood that must have spilled
on your kitchen floor.
Ad did come home last night, didn't he?
Why don't you tell us?
Well, it was just past midnight.
Ad was drunk.
He said he'd been walking up and down the beach,
looking for the indian.
He wanted to hit someone,
and I was the only one around, so he grabbed me.
It was worse than ever.
Well, you saw what I looked like this morning.
I couldn't hide it.
I begged him to stop,
but he just kept comin' after me,
and so I grabbed the knife on the counter,
and I turned around, and I--
I lashed out at him.
He staggered, he fell to the floor,
and he grabbed one of those chairs
as he hit the ground.
That's when she called me.
She was out of her mind with fear.
I found her on her knees,
starin' down at that drunken piece of trash.
The knife was still stickin' out of his chest.
I mean, what was I gonna do?
Let her go to jail for...
doin' the world a favor?
Not my sister. No, Sir.
Then it just, uh, you know--
Just came to me, the trouble at the meetin' hall.
I put Ad in my truck,
carried him in the side door, and laid him out on the floor.
And then, like I figured, that--
That funny-lookin' spear was left over from the meetin',
and I picked it up...
and I raised it over him.
And the wound from the lance obscured
the real cause of death: the knife wound.
[sighs]
I can't say I'm sorry he's dead.
I know nobody deserves killing, but...
I just couldn't let him hit me anymore.
[Jessica] Well, Seth, I'm afraid you won't be able
to build that wing onto your office.
Norman Edmonds' plan to turn Cabot Cove
into a vacation paradise has just gone up in smoke.
Uh-huh, then I expect Mr. Atwater
will be taking his jacuzzis elsewhere.
His home office was a little put off by the killing,
and they're exploring property in New Jersey.
Now, there is an idea I can get behind.
Well, we've got to get going.
I want to get back to the university before dark.
Good. I'll run you both down.
And I'll come along.
All right.
[Donna] Thank you so much.
[laughs]
Tell me, what are your plans?
Well, nothing concrete.
But we're working on it.
Oh, by the way, George,
I've spoken to some of my friends,
and, you know, your plan for a scholarship fund
for worthy young American Indians
has a lot of support in this town.
In fact, we've already formed a committee
to get it underway.
Mrs. Fletcher, are you sure you're not part Algonquin?
[laughs]
Well, with this-- this complexion,
I very much doubt it.
But if I were, I'd be very proud of it.
[Prof. Crenshaw] Donna.
Dad, I thought
you'd gone back to the university.
I did. Changed my mind half way there.
Donna, I'm sorry.
You think we can go inside, sit down, have lunch?
We can make it a table for three.
Come on, George.
I think we're about to negotiate a peace treaty.
[chuckles]
Well, woman, how's it feel
to still have a home to go back to?
Wonderful.
Seth Hazlitt, I've been meaning to ask you a question.
When everyone else was terrified
that they were going to lose their homes,
why were you as calm as a mountain lake?
Well, I'm much too old to get caught up
in that sort of mass hysteria.
Besides, I rent.