OK, Peepin' Tom.
Hit the ground, face down, hands on back!
Get lost.
[Jessica] Tonight on Murder, She Wrote.
Whoa!
Seth? What's wrong?
[whispering] Winnie is here.
[whispering] Why are you whispering?
She wants to stay here. She's afraid of her husband.
Where is she? Where is my wife?
-Just... -Where is she!
It's hard to love a person
when you don't know what they're gonna do next.
The only way you gettin' rid of me
is you gonna have to kill me!
[woman screams]
[cheerful orchestral music]
[bus door closes]
[engine revs]
Taxi?
Yeah. Where to?
The sheriff's office, please.
[car engine turning over]
Now, Mrs. Eggleston, I'm sorry your cat is up a tree.
But my deputy who used to take care of that sort of thing
quit on me.
Why don't you try setting out a dish of tuna fish, huh?
Bye.
[groans]
[typewriter keys clacking]
[phone rings]
Oh, for Pete's sake.
Sheriff's office.
You sound kind of peevish.
Your sciatica acting up again, Amos?
Oh, hello, Doc. No, I'm just up to my ears.
I put an ad in tomorrow morning's paper
for a new deputy.
Maybe I'll get some relief.
Ah.
Well, look, perhaps you could take some time off,
have a bit of lunch.
If I could take time off, I'd go to the bathroom.
Well, or maybe tomorrow.
-Winnie? -Amos?
-Hello, Amos. -Amos?
Winnie!
[chuckling]
Let me look at you, sis.
Well, now don't you look great. Pretty as ever.
How'd you get here? Did you drive up?
Where's Elmo? Out in the car?
Elmo's home.
Amos, I left him.
Left him?
Did that big bozo mistreat you? If he did...
Please, I don't want to talk about it.
Amos, I don't mean to be a burden.
I came here
because I didn't know where else to go.
Oh, now, look here.
You're welcome to stay as long as you want.
I've got plenty of room, so don't worry about it.
I knew I could count on you. I always could.
Well, sure. What are big brothers for?
Only thing is, I'm kind of short-handed
and won't be able to spend much time with you today.
Oh, I'll be OK.
I'll just walk along the sea cliffs by myself
and try not to think about the bleakness of my life.
Oh. Now, just hold on.
Maybe we can work something out.
[typewriter keys clacking]
[knocking at door]
Afternoon, Mrs. Fletcher. Amos.
I hope I didn't catch you in the middle of something.
Well, I am facing a deadline,
and I still have four chapters to go
without having a clear idea as to how it's gonna end,
if that's what you mean.
Well, if you've got a second,
there's somebody I'd like you to meet.
Amos, this is one of those days
when I wouldn't want to meet Paul Newman.
Oh, it's nobody like that. It's my sister Winnie.
Your sister?
Mrs. Fletcher, Winnie Banner.
Oh. Hello, Winnie.
Please...Please come on in.
Don't mind me.
I'm just grumpy because I left everything till the last minute.
But I'm very glad to meet you.
I never met a writer before. Amos told me about your books.
I'd like to read one someday if I can find it in the library.
Well, I'm sure I've got a spare copy around.
Oh, that'd be great. Thanks.
How long you gonna be in town?
-Well... -Uh, Winnie...
Oh, you should see all the pictures
Mrs. Fletcher's got in her living room.
Mmm. It's like a museum.
What a lovely house.
She seems very nice, Amos.
Mmm. Got the good looks in the family too.
Wish I had time to be more sociable.
I sure would appreciate your keeping Winnie company
for a while, Mrs. Fletcher.
Amos, you're not listening to me.
Winnie's feeling a little depressed...
Marital problems.
I don't think she should be left alone right now.
Amos, I'm sorry, but I can't.
Wonderful pictures!
There's one of you and a handsome fella
standing on a boat.
That's my late husband Frank.
I thought so. The way he was looking at you.
Elmo hasn't looked at me that way in years.
Winnie, I was just about to put the kettle on.
Why don't you stay and have a cup of tea with me?
Well, if Amos doesn't mind?
Oh, you two ladies have a nice chat.
I got a lot of work to do. Bye.
I'm back, Grover. Go out on patrol now.
Uh, Sheriff?
Yep.
[mumbles]
Sheriff Tupper?
I'm Marigold Feeney.
Yes, ma'am?
I'm here to see about the deputy job.
The one you advertised in The Gazette.
Why, that ad won't appear till tomorrow morning.
I stopped by the newspaper office
for an advance peek.
I like to get a jump on things.
Oh, I see.
Well, the thing is,
I'm looking for somebody with law enforcement experience.
I was a meter maid in augusta.
I got my own uniform.
Well, I don't know.
A deputy's job has long hours.
I thrive on hard work.
Mmm.
And, well, I'm not saying that there is,
but there could be danger involved.
No problem.
Uh-huh.
Well, uh, you see, miss,
what I was really looking for was...
A man?
I'd be very disappointed, Sheriff, if you were biased.
Me? Biased?
Why, nothing could be further from the truth.
I had a woman deputy until last year.
Good worker too.
It broke my heart when she got in a family way.
Course, her husband was glad
she was finally staying at home where she belonged.
Could you start tomorrow?
I can start today.
Uh-huh.
I was dying to talk to somebody,
but I didn't think Amos would understand.
He's a good brother and a sweet man,
but he's not too swift.
Sometimes it helps to get away from a problem
and develop a new perspective.
I didn't need to put any space between Elmo and me.
We've been out of touch for a long time.
Especially since he changed.
In what way?
Sometimes he'd start talking funny,
saying he wanted to take over the world.
Oh, my.
Other times, he'd just get real sad
and sit and cry for hours at a time.
It sounds as if he needs help.
That's what I told his sister Flo,
and she wouldn't admit anything was wrong.
I was afraid for Elmo.
When he'd get excited, you know,
he'd lash out at folks and shove them around.
Elmo is awful strong.
Did he ever hurt you, Winnie?
No, not a whole lot.
Not...Not on purpose.
Only if I forgot to get out of his way.
It's hard to live like that.
It's hard to love a person
when you don't know what they're gonna do next.
I'm sorry, I didn't mean to carry on this way.
[sniffles]
Did you lose something?
Yeah, my ulcer medicine.
[sighs] Comes from living with Elmo.
I'm supposed to take it with meals.
I must've come away without it.
Well, I could call the drug store.
No, it's prescription medicine.
[sniffles] Back home there'd be no trouble.
Elmo owns the drugstore.
My prescription is on file there.
I shouldn't bother you with this.
Oh. It's no bother.
I think I know the very person who could help us.
His sister? My, my, my!
[chuckles]
Well, I had always thought of Amos as one of a kind.
Here, let me have a look at you.
[clears throat]
No, I'm afraid I don't see any family resemblance.
And that, my dear, is all to your credit.
Why, thank you.
[both laugh]
Seth, we need your help.
Winnie has left her prescription medicine
back in Kentucky.
Aah.
My Calmital.
-Ulcer? -Just a little one.
But it does kick up every once in a while.
-I can take care of that. -I hoped that you would.
I'll leave Winnie here then, if that's all right.
I really must get back to work.
No trouble. That's perfectly fine with me.
I tell you what.
Why don't I drop her off at Amos' place
after I've shown her around just a little bit?
Mm-hmm.
That all right with you, Winnie?
-Sounds wonderful. -[chuckles]
Well, I'll say good-bye till later.
-Thank you. -Thanks.
Would you like a chair?
Oh. Thank you.
I'm much obliged, Dr. Hazlitt.
This is my first trip to Maine, and I haven't seen anything yet.
Oh. Well, then you have a treat in store for you.
You may not be aware of it,
but Cabot Cove leads the nation
in per capita sales of live bait.
Oh, my!
Mort? Yes, Dr. Hazlitt.
I'd like you to run up a prescription for me.
[indistinct chatter]
This is the lockup, where we keep the prisoners.
Check.
Saturday nights we get maybe one or two drunk drivers.
The important thing to remember
about puttin' them in the cell is...
Wait.
OK.
Don't forget to lock the door.
[phone ringing]
Oh, I better get that.
Uh, you have a look around.
Familiarize yourself with the area, hmm?
Check.
[door opens] [door closes]
Sheriff's office.
Oh, hello, Winnie. How's everything going?
All the sights, huh? Oh, that's good.
Having dinner out?
Fine.
You tell Mrs. Fletcher I said hello.
Bye.
-What are you doing here? -Where is she?
Where is my wife?
-Just... -Where is she?
-Now, look here... -He's the sheriff!
[all talking at once]
-Freeze! -You're not do...
Will you put that thing away before you hurt yourself?
This is my brother-in-law, Elmo Banner.
Amos, I thought you said Winnie'd be home by now.
She'll be along in a while.
Who's sleeping on the sofa?
You are.
-Who's sleeping in my room? -Kenny and me.
Kenny has to sleep next to the bathroom.
Well, I think I'll go get something to eat
before I go to sleep.
If you didn't eat so much
you wouldn't have to sleep next to the bathroom.
Amos, don't be telling us how to live our lives.
It's my life I'm thinkin' about.
Well, let me see,
you and Kenny are sleepin' in my room.
Winnie and Elmo got the guest room.
That leaves the small room with the rollaway bed.
Mmm.
Uh-uh.
That's my room.
Your room?
Well, where do you expect him to sleep?
On the sofa?
If I'd have known you folks were coming,
I could've got you rooms down at the motel
on the interstate.
What was the name of that woman
that Winnie's having dinner with?
Mrs. Fletcher.
They probably got to yakking and lost track of time.
Well, Winnie shoulda known
that Elmo would come looking for her.
She should've stayed close to the house
out of common courtesy.
[growls]
Flo, you're gonna get Elmo
all riled up again with talk like that.
It was her that got him riled up by runnin' off.
Naturally, he had to come lookin' for her.
Did your brother have to bring his whole family with him?
Elmo was too upset to drive. That's why I'm here.
Harold's night blind.
I came along to help with the drivin'.
Night blind.
What about Kenny?
I told him to come.
Hmm.
I was savin' that chicken for my lunch tomorrow.
Want it back?
Oh. Here's your bourbon. Not that you need it.
[growls]
[slurps]
Somehow, Winnie,
I cannot imagine Amos as a little boy.
[car door slams]
What was he like?
Serious. Very serious.
[both laughing]
[laughter continues]
[knocking at door]
'Bout time.
Doc, what are you doing with my sister?
I'm bringing her home. What does it look like?
We just had the most marvelous time in the hotel.
[both laughing]
Dinner, Amos.
Amos, who you talking to out there?
Elmo?
Winnie!
Shoo!
You shouldn't have followed me here, Elmo.
I heard a man's voice out there.
I am sick of your suspicions, your jealousy, your crazy...
Oh, Winnie, will you listen to me?
Listen? Listen to what? You make about as much sense
as a chipmunk in a hickory nut tree.
Don't think I'm gonna let you go, 'cause I'm not.
I'm gonna take you home.
-I am not going! -Now hold on.
Why don't you and Elmo go to your room
and talk this over, huh?
You think I would sleep in the same room with this man?
Well, he's your husband.
Not for long.
I'm getting a divorce!
[all gasp]
Oh, my Lord.
We have never had a divorce in our family.
The only way you getting rid of me
is you're gonna have to kill me!
-Winnie. Winnie. -Hold it.
-No. -Winnie!
-Elmo!
[knocking on glass]
Dr. Hazlitt?
-[buzzes doorbell] -Seth?
Winnie.
Well, I'm sorry.
I thought you were an emergency patient.
Can I come in? I think Elmo is right behind me.
I heard a car.
No, it looks... It looks all clear now.
[lock clicks]
Oh, you're trembling.
I can't stay in Amos' house with Elmo and his family.
Is it OK if I stay here tonight?
Here?
I'm sorry.
I didn't know how to get to the hotel,
and Mrs. Fletcher was busy with her book.
And you were so close by that...
Oh. Now, please.
Here, here, please.
[sniffling]
Thank you.
-[clatters] -Ooh.
[dog barks]
I think that's something outside.
An animal, I expect.
An animal named Elmo.
Well, if what you told me is true,
he's more likely to huff and puff
than blow the house down.
Why don't we discuss your problem
over a fresh pot of coffee?
You wait here, and I'll go out and fix it.
No, please, let me do it. Please?
All right. [clears throat]
Down the hall there on the left.
[line ringing]
Come on, woman.
[phone ringing]
Hello, this is Jessica Fletcher.
I'm sorry I can't come to the phone at the moment,
but I'm busy working.
If you'll please leave your name and number,
-and I will get... -Jess?
You do not have an answering device.
Talk to me.
Seth? What's wrong?
[quietly] Winnie is here... in my house!
[quietly] Well, why are you whispering?
She wants to stay here. She's afraid of her husband.
Jess, do you hear me?
She wants to sleep here.
Help me!
Seth, look, I feel sorry for Winnie.
Winnie? What about me?
Look, if she'd come to me, I would've taken her in.
But she didn't, Seth. She came to you for help.
Because I'm closer. Closer, woman.
I'm a victim of geography.
Seth, please.
Jessica, this is a small town...
Very small town.
The tongues wag like puppy dogs' tails.
Look, Seth, I'm sorry.
Look, I have got a book to finish,
and it has to be finished tonight.
Now, please, if there's any mercy in your soul.
All right. All right!
But if I fall victim to some irate husband,
my blood will be on your hands.
Seth?
Oh!
[phone rings]
[snores]
[ringing continues]
Mmm? Uh?
[ringing continues]
Oh, for Pete's sake.
[groans]
OK, OK.
Well, it's about time you called.
Where are...
Oh, sorry.
I thought you were somebody else.
Elmo? Elmo's asleep.
No, I won't wake him!
I'd rather toss a lit match in a gasoline tank.
Well... Well, I don't care
if you got business with him or not!
Now hold on.
You got no call to talk to me that way.
Who am I?
Sheriff Tupper, that's "who am I."
Who in blazes are you?
[line clicks, dial tone]
Hmm.
Morning, Sheriff.
Hope you don't feel as bad as you look.
Worse.
Spending a night with Elmo in the house
is like being locked up with a gorilla.
Did my sister call?
No, sir, she didn't.
What are you doing, Grover?
Typing a report.
-Why are you doing it? -'Cause she won't.
[sighs]
[slurps]
-Oh. -I don't make coffee either.
Well, Sheriff...
I'm out to score some traffic violators.
-Say, Grover... -Hmm?
Where did Marigold get a vehicle?
She furnished it herself.
Huh. Better call Mrs. Fletcher.
[motorcycle engine revving]
[tires squealing]
[laughs]
-Hello. -Morning, Mrs. Fletcher.
It's a beautiful morning, Amos.
And I finally finished my book last night.
Oh, congratulations.
Why don't you come over and have breakfast with us?
I just invited Winnie, and she's on her way.
She's on her way?
Well, didn't she spend the night at your place?
Um, well, no.
Where did she spend the night?
I'll explain when you get here.
I'm sorry, I didn't catch that.
I said, I'll explain when you get here.
Winnie, I don't understand
how you could sleep in Doc's house.
He's a... bachelor.
Don't you know what a temptation that must've been,
having an attractive woman like you in the house?
It's all right, Amos. I locked my door.
And I pulled my blinds down too.
You pulled your blinds?
On account of Elmo was lurking around outside,
looking in Dr. Hazlitt's windows.
Couldn't have been Elmo. He never left the house.
His snoring kept me up all night.
Stay still, Winnie. I'll do that.
No. I insist on doing the dishes.
You cooked up a wonderful breakfast.
Well, it's the least I could do
after neglecting you so shamefully.
But, you know, now that my book is finished,
I'd really like to plan a nice little dinner party.
Oh, you don't have to go to any trouble.
Why, that's a great idea, Mrs. Fletcher.
You could fix a real New England shore dinner
with lobsters and clams.
Oh, maybe some of your cranberry cake, huh?
And don't forget your Cabot Cove chowder.
That's my favorite.
Well, all right.
I just hope that Winnie's family likes good seafood.
My family? You mean Elmo's.
Of course.
I mean, it's the only hospitable thing to do.
And maybe when everybody is feeling relaxed,
you and Elmo can talk it all out.
What do you think, Amos?
Yes, ma'am. That's a fine idea, mighty fine.
Put folks in a good mood,
and they're liable to say just about anything.
Well, if you think I am going to eat any of this stuff,
you're crazy.
Just try one, Flo. Mrs. Fletcher fixed it special.
What's this here in the shell?
A baked clam.
[groans]
I'll leave it with you. And you can just help yourself.
I hope you're all saving room for the lobsters.
Where's Elmo?
Oh, I think I saw him go outside.
I'm going to need a volunteer bartender.
I'm your man.
Harold will do it. Won't you, Harold?
Oh, sure, OK. You hold this.
Everything is there.
Oh, Flo, Winnie said that you're an expert cook.
I could do with a little help in the kitchen.
Oh. Well, all right.
But don't expect me to taste anything.
I'll take a double bourbon on the rocks.
You better not let Flo catch you.
You just let me worry about that.
Yeah.
You owe me for my time, Banner.
Get out of here!
Yeah, when you pay me!
[groaning]
Hey!
Cut it out, you two. Let go of him, Elmo!
What's the matter with you?
[groans]
What was that all about?
None of your business!
And don't you ever butt in like that again!
[humming]
Kenny, stop drinking.
No, but what's in the fish dish?
-It's fish... -Elmo, chowder?
Well, if I don't like it, I'm just gonna spit it back.
Genuine Cabot Cove chowder
from Jessica Fletcher's secret recipe.
Kenny, go ahead.
Flo. Amos, this is your favorite.
[chattering]
Plenty for everybody, Harold.
All right, just help yourselves.
-There you go, Flo. -Yeah.
This is the kind of stuff you like, Elmo.
Wallpaper paste with lumps.
Yeah. Tell Kenny to make me another one of these.
What's the matter? You got a broken leg?
That better not be what I think it is.
It's ginger ale, and get off my back.
[chuckles]
All right, everybody, enjoy your chowder now.
But don't forget to save plenty of room for the lobsters.
Don't worry. Ah. This looks good.
[sighs]
How's everything going?
Well, Elmo seems to be behaving himself.
His sister, Flo, is a pain in the gluteus maximus.
Won't even let her husband drink his ginger ale in peace.
-Hmm. -Want me to help you?
Yeah, just hold that platter still, will you, for me?
Mm.
[woman screams]
Now what?
[screaming]
-What happened? -It's the fish!
They've been poisoned!
[all snoring]
Seth, are they...
it's my considered opinion that they're all asleep.
-[gasps] -We better open some windows.
Let in a little fresh air. You!
Help me get them on their feet. Quickly!
All right, Harold, let's go! Wake up! Wake up!
Pick 'em up, make 'em walk. Keep 'em talking!
-Walk, you idiot! -All right. Up you go.
One tootsie in front of the other.
-That's the girl. On your feet. -Huh?
Don't try to make intelligent conversation,
just wake up!
That's it, put one foot in front of the other.
That's it. You're doing fine.
Ooh.
Jess, I think you'd better send for an ambulance.
Tell them to hurry.
I don't understand what happened.
One minute we were just sitting, chatting and eating,
and suddenly I felt dizzy.
And I looked over and Kenny was lying face down on the table.
It's all right, Winnie.
And Elmo, in the ambulance...
He looked all pale, like he was hardly breathing.
Well, I'm sure that he's gonna be all right.
You know what I think?
I think there's something fishy about that chowder.
Chowder?
Don't you think it's weird, Amos,
that everybody that ate that chowder kinda keeled over,
except me, 'cause I didn't eat any.
Makes you kind of wonder what was in it.
Doc?
Doc, how is he?
Winnie, I am sorry.
But there was nothing we could do.
[sobbing]
Oh, Lord!
Do you mean he died without ever waking up?
Near the end, he did open his eyes for a brief period.
Did he say anything?
Elmo uttered exactly one word.
Somebody's name?
No. It was an obscenity.
[laughs] That sounds like Elmo.
Well, what caused it, Doc?
Oh, we'll have to wait for the autopsy.
I'm afraid we're going to have to analyze
your clam chowder.
Well, if you don't, I'd insist on it.
What are you gonna do about it, Sheriff?
Someone has just murdered my brother!
Just turn down your burners, Flo.
Someone who put something in the chowder.
Someone who lured her husband to this jerkwater town
so that when Elmo ended up dead,
the jerkwater sheriff wouldn't do anything about it.
-That's enough, Flo! -She's right!
Shut up, Harold!
Now, Winnie wouldn't hurt a soul, you all know that.
The fact is that just before dinner,
I saw Elmo fighting some stranger
in Mrs. Fletcher's yard.
And I told my deputy to put out an APB on him.
OK, Peeping Tom.
Hit the ground, face down, hands on back!
Get lost.
I said hit the ground, hands on back.
Move it!
And I said to get lost.
Whoa!
[grunts]
You have the right to remain silent.
-Anything you say... -Are you nuts or what?
Shut up!
Will be used against you in a court of law.
-You caught him where? -In Mrs. Fletcher's backyard.
I better have a talk with him.
OK, but he's my collar.
[sighs]
Hey, it's about time you got here, Sheriff.
Come on. Unlock the door! Let me outta here.
Not so fast.
You got some explaining to do. Who are you?
Name's Ed Bellamy.
I'm a private investigator from Louisville.
Is that so?
And why were you fighting with Elmo Banner?
He hired me to do a job,
and then he refused to pay my expenses.
-What kind of job? -To tail his wife.
He was wildly jealous.
He suspected she was seeing another man.
Let me see his ID.
Hasn't got any, Sheriff. Not even a driver's license.
Is that so? No ID, huh?
I must've dropped my wallet in that yard when Elmo jumped me.
I went back to look for it, this wild woman attacked me.
Now, come on, Sheriff. Let me out of here.
Mr. Bellamy, you best get yourself a lawyer.
What for?
You can't make a window-peeping charge stick.
There was nobody home.
Your client was murdered last night.
Hey, he didn't owe me that much money.
Just my plane fare.
Look, Sheriff, if you don't believe me,
why don't you check me out?
I will.
Hey! What am I supposed to do in the meantime?
-Stay put. -Sheriff!
Down, Buster!
Phenobarbital in my chowder?
Yeah. I didn't figure it was one of your special ingredients.
It's also not something I keep around my kitchen.
So it couldn't have found its way
into the chowder by mistake.
Any idea how it could have possibly gotten there?
You know, it's possible that I do have an idea.
Here. I'll be right back.
[groans]
If I'd wanted to be a housekeeper,
I wouldn't have spent all that money
on medical school.
I didn't know it was so late. You should've woken me earlier.
Well, I felt it was best to let you rest.
Thank you for letting me spend the night.
I just couldn't face my in-laws.
Winnie, you mentioned that Elmo owned a drugstore.
He owned ten drugstores.
His mama left him the family business.
The family business?
Elmo was the president.
Kenny is the general manager.
Flo, she runs the cosmetics department.
And Harold, he's in charge of pharmaceuticals.
Harold?
He's the oldest,
but he's only a half brother.
His daddy's son from a previous marriage.
Elmo was his mama's baby and her favorite.
Does this have anything to do with what happened last night?
Winnie,
a large dose of phenobarbital
wound its way into my chowder.
Phenobarbital?
That's what Elmo used to take when he couldn't sleep.
Do you think he brought any with him?
Most likely.
He never went anyplace without his sleeping pills.
I'm positive.
I packed up all of Elmo's things.
I didn't come across any pills.
Well, that means that someone could have taken it.
Ah, as long as you're here, Amos,
might as well make yourself useful.
-Thanks. -There you go.
Plenty more pots where that came from.
Jess, you didn't tell me you had a new gardener.
I don't.
Well, Amos, must be one of your minions.
Hmm?
That's Marigold.
She's looking for something she's not gonna find.
[phone ringing]
Hello?
Yes, they're both here.
It's the coroner.
He'll be on in a moment.
Yes, Smiley.
Are you sure?
OK. Thanks.
Well, autopsy report shows that Elmo died
from an overdose of phenobarbital.
So it was the chowder.
That doesn't make any sense.
Why not? He ate it, and he died.
You ate it. You didn't die.
It killed Elmo,
but all it did was put the rest of you to sleep.
Unless someone gave Elmo an extra dose.
And the barbital in the rest of the chowder
was just a diversion.
Yeah, and that extra dose, or all of it for that matter,
would have come from Elmo's sleeping pills.
If there were any sleeping pills.
Well, someone got the phenobarbital
from somewhere.
[quietly] Yeah.
Seth, what is it?
Nothing. I'm just...Just thinking.
Thinking what?
Well, if you got something to say, Doc, spit it out.
All right, I just remembered a prescription I got for Winnie.
The calmital for her ulcers.
And the chief ingredient is phenobarbital.
What?
Oh, come on now, Doc. Not you too!
Good morning, everybody.
[clears throat]
Oh, how you feeling today, sis?
Oh, I'm pretty good, except for my ulcer.
Seth, I wonder, could I trouble you
to get me another bottle of calmital?
Another bottle?
I guess I forgot to tell you.
I dropped mine in the bathroom last night.
Broke to pieces and spilled all over.
Oh, it was a terrible mess.
I had to mop it up with paper towels
and then scrub the whole bathroom floor.
But it's OK.
I got rid of it all, every trace.
And what did you do with the paper towels
and the broken glass?
Well, I brought them down to the kitchen
and threw them in the trash.
You said you were gonna take it out this morning.
Yes, I did, for the trash men.
Oh, doggone it, Winnie.
What?
Why is everyone acting so funny about a broken bottle?
Because what was in it
may have caused your mister to meet his maker.
You mean, you think I killed Elmo with my ulcer medicine?
-Oh, no. -Not really.
Of course not.
But that's what some people might think.
Oh, Amos.
It doesn't matter.
Now, sis, I know you did not kill Elmo.
And before I would turn you in, I'd turn in my sheriff's star.
[knocking at door]
Excuse me, Sheriff.
Thought you'd like to know I found it.
-Found what? -His wallet.
-Whose wallet? -Let me see that.
Almost missed it.
Somebody must've kicked it under a bush.
You get the feeling
we're missing something here, Jess?
Looks like that perp's story checks out.
[sighs]
This belongs to that fella I saw fighting with Elmo.
I got him locked up down at the jail!
And he was a real good suspect too.
Now what am I gonna do?
[keys jingling]
You'll be lucky if I don't sue the pants off of you!
I said you could go. It doesn't require conversation.
Here he is, Mrs. Fletcher.
Fletcher? Now, you look familiar.
You might have seen me through the kitchen window
before you fought Elmo Banner in my garden.
Oh.
So what can I do for you?
Tell me about Elmo.
Elmo? He was a geek.
He was a wacko. He was out of his gourd.
And he hired you to keep an eye on his wife.
I'm sorry, but that's privileged information.
Mr. Bellamy, your client is dead,
and it's possible that you had just as good a reason
to kill him as anyone else.
You could have sneaked into my kitchen
and laced the chowder.
Wait, hold it, lady!
You want to know about Elmo? Sure, I worked for him.
Not that he paid any attention to what I had to tell him.
He wanted the dirt on his wife.
He didn't care that she went to the movies by herself.
She was a nice lady.
She deserved better than that creep.
Mr. Bellamy, did you ever see Elmo take pills?
All the time, like peanuts.
Sometimes he was so high,
the only way you could see him was on radar.
-It was that obvious? -It was to me.
How about his family
and the people that were close to him?
If they didn't know,
it's because they didn't want to know.
Hello.
If you came to see Amos or Winnie, they aren't here.
Oh, my goodness.
You look as if you're getting ready to leave.
Well, there's no reason to stay.
We've got a business to run.
Oh, yes.
Well, with all of you here, you must be very nervous
about what's happening at the shop.
I mean, with no one in charge.
Although, I imagine with Elmo's dependency
on barbitals all the time,
you must've faced that problem before.
What are you talking about?
Chemical dependency, Harold.
I'm amazed that as a pharmacist you didn't recognize it.
But then, maybe you did.
You're guessing.
I don't think so.
Winnie's description of Elmo's wild swings of mood,
it all makes sense.
Come on inside. I need something cold to drink.
Well, do you want to know about Elmo or don't you?
For years it was booze.
[sniffs]
Elmo said he started when he was 11,
sneaking moonshine out of his daddy's basement.
Huh!
Probably took drugs too.
That Elmo, he was great at escape.
Kept putting things into his body
to make himself forget.
-Forget what? -Oh, I don't know.
Maybe that he was Elmo Banner. Who knows?
Could be he even wanted to quit,
although he never showed any signs.
Oh, after a while, we just stopped paying attention.
Figured sooner or later he'd end up killing himself.
Aha.
The golden dragon. It's my own invention.
Tangerine juice, Pernod, and a little gin.
Actually, it should be in a tall glass,
but that's all Amos had.
Oh.
My goodness. The glass.
Something wrong with it?
That's a good question.
What about the glass, Mrs. Fletcher?
Oh, nothing. Nothing at all.
Well, now, it can't be nothing.
Now, what's the matter, ma'am? You remember something?
Yes, I left some cookies baking in the oven.
They're gonna be burned to a crisp.
-Excuse me. -The cookies'll keep.
Kenny, what are you doing?
I think he's holding me here against my will, Harold.
-Kenny, let the lady go. -Shut up, Harold!
Now, Mrs. Fletcher here just remembered something.
But it wasn't the cookies, was it, ma'am?
I would like to leave right now, Harold.
Well, sure. Right away.
Kenny, what's the matter with you?
We can't let her go, Harold.
Now, you and me are family,
and we need to stick together on this.
On what?
What the hell are you talking about?
The glass!
I know it was dumb of me.
With all the commotion going on in the room,
I didn't think anybody'd notice.
Mrs. Fletcher, what's he talkin' about?
Murder, Harold.
Elmo's murder.
Do you remember what happened
when I asked for a volunteer bartender,
and Flo volunteered you?
Your first customer was Kenny.
And he ordered a double bourbon on the rocks.
Now, there were plenty of tall glasses on the tray,
but you chose a shorter glass.
Well, sure.
Short glasses are for on-the-rocks drinks.
Everybody knows that.
Later, Seth was in the dining room.
He saw Kenny drinking something.
He said that it was ginger ale.
Right, except it was in a tall...glass.
I didn't serve you that.
Right, Harold. I got it myself.
What happened to your bourbon on the rocks?
I believe that he gave it to Elmo
after he had doctored it
with some of Elmo's crushed phenobarbital.
He also put some of it into my chowder.
Oh, don't give me that pious look, Harold.
You oughta thank me. Everybody oughta thank me.
Elmo was always doped up all the time.
He didn't know if he was comin' or goin'.
And he was destroying the business.
Somebody had to save it.
-Are you crazy? -Yeah.
Crazy enough to know the company's mine now.
If you want to keep on working,
you get out there and pack up that car.
You leave her to me.
Go on out there now, Harold!
OK, who owns the vehicle
illegally parked next to the fireplug?
Drop it, Turkey!
[knife clatters]
[both sigh]
Well, two busts in two days. I'm startin' to like this job.
-You be happy. -I will.
It's a shame Harold or Flo couldn't ride back with you.
Well, I don't think I'll be seeing much of them
from now on.
Another real shame.
-Good-bye, Seth. -Bye, Winnie.
Oh, here, run along now. You'll miss your bus.
Thanks for everything.
[chuckles]
Come back soon, Winnie.
I promise.
I got to go.
Oh, Mrs. Banner,
I guess we're gonna be traveling together.
Do I know you?
Uh, sort of. Your husband owed me money.
Oh, you must be Mr. Bellamy.
Well, Mr. Bellamy, I believe in paying debts.
You'll get every last cent.
Oh, hey. That's all right.
Of course we could talk about it if you like on the ride home.
Mr. Bellamy, are you a drinking man?
No, I never touch that stuff.
Do you like the window seat or the aisle?
[chuckles]
Why would she want to talk to that fella?
Huh.
One thing about Amos's in-laws...
They explain a lot about Amos.
[both laughing]