[Jessica] Tonight on Murder, She Wrote.
It's gonna be a disaster!
What are we talking about?
You told him if the petition didn't work,
you'd consider financing
a naval bombardment of the project?
Tell the city council they've got 48 hours
to make it go away, or we'll yank the project.
Security's 100%. 1500 hours.
See? It's just what I said before
he's working for the secret service
or the C.I.A. or some such.
It's about a lot of people being cheated out of money.
I can think of about a half a million reasons why.
I'm not gonna lose you, not to that tramp!
I'm not going anywhere till I've nailed
whoever's responsible for my mother's death.
I'm worried for Grady and for everyone else.
There's something about it that isn't quite right.
[music playing]
[overlapping chatter]
Oh, come on, Travis!
It sounds fabulous. It's just what the area needs.
Your nephew is to be commended, Jessica.
For what? Are you kidding?
It's gonna be a disaster.
Wait, wait, wait! Just a minute!
What are we talking about here?
You know, Jessica. This new monster automobile plant
they're gonna build.
Wait! Wait! Wait! What plant?
It's a cultural center.
[woman] I heard it's a gambling casino.
You're both crazy. It's a car factory.
Can you guys imagine the pollution?
And the traffic?
Where did you hear all this?
From Seth Hazlitt. Seth Hazlitt.
It's all over town.
It's awful, is what it is.
Which, Jessica? What did Grady tell you?
I'm gonna get up a petition.
[all chattering]
Travis, stop. Now, Grady hasn't told me anything.
I mean, he has been sworn to secrecy.
Right. So until these Columbus Ventures people
make their official announcement tonight,
everybody should just cool it, okay?
Go on about your business. Let's go.
Go to the town meeting hall. Go on.
Get going. Let's go.
Thank you, Mort. No problem, Mrs. F.
So, uh, just between us,
it is a big league hockey franchise, isn't it?
Mort! I just want a shot at some good seats.
[Grady] I just took this photo of little Frankie, aunt Jess.
[laughs] Grady, do you remember
what young Frank's first sentence was?
"Where did my nickel go?" "Where did my nickel go?"
[laughs] Yes.
Before that, he couldn't put two words together.
Oh, boy! It's hard to believe he's five years old.
What's harder to believe
is why you're being so all-fired secretive
about this new job of yours
this Columbus Adventures outfit.
[phone ringing] Oh, excuse me.
Hello?
Yes, Mr. Carmody, he's right here.
Grady Fletcher speaking, Mr. Carmody.
Welcome to cabot cove.
Yes. Is everything in place?
The works. No, no. Distribution's all arranged.
Good job, Grady.
Is there any sense that there've been any leaks?
Nope. So far, not a cloud in the sky.
Yeah. I'd say it looks promising.
Great.
There you are, miss shaw. 105.
Mr. Carmody, 107. And Mr. Buffum, 109.
And the best of luck with your project.
It sure sounds exciting.
And believe me, as much as I pleaded,
Grady wouldn't divulge any of the details.
But there's sure a lot of rumors flying around.
And you'll hear all about it at the reception, Mr. Farmer.
Well, you've got yourself one hard charger there
in Grady Fletcher, Mr. Carmody.
[phone ringing]
Hill house.
Everett! I'm terribly hurt.
The least you could do is return my calls.
Oh, terrific.
Lorna. Lorna, it's over.
No! You can't do this to me!
Look, darling, nothing has changed with me.
I mean, I'll still take you back on whatever terms,
no questions asked. We've done this.
Go back to bar harbor,
and I suggest you speak to an attorney.
Everett, I'm not going to lose you! Not to that tramp.
Well, Grady, whatever it is you're working on,
it can't be more important than our beacon.
Your what?
It's the old cabot cove lighthouse.
It hasn't been used for years, it's falling apart.
Tragic. A landmark, part of our history.
The county's calling it an attractive nuisance.
They're going to tear it down the first of the month.
Listen, seth, what I'm working on could possibly
after a lot of soul-searching,
I've decided it really isn't them.
I was probably using the wrong approach.
That may be a first.
And so, I have come up
with what I think is an irresistible appeal,
one that will result
in an outpouring of money and volunteers.
Money to buy the rocks
and volunteers to throw them at you.
[Grady] Honest to god, Pete, I haven't said a word to anyone.
Not the manager, not even to my aunt Jess.
The manager really didn't know anything, Pete.
Okay. Get down to the banquet room and check the arrangements.
Yes, Sir. Thank you, toni.
Hey, you're part of the team.
-Oh, hi, Everett. -Grady.
Hey. Hey.
Ooh, do you know how to pick 'em, Pete.
Between all that straight-arrowness
and his connection to the area's most famous citizen,
he is pure gold.
We'll see how big of a turnout it gets us.
Everett, have you gotten rid of Lorna yet?
Look, Peter, I--
Do it, before she makes real trouble.
I never said anything about a car factory
or a casino.
My guess is, they just lost control
of their imaginations.
Oh, yeah. There seems to be a lot of that going around.
Jess, did you get some material for me about the lighthouse?
Oh, yes, I certainly did.
I came across these at the library.
They've got a lot about the early history of the lighthouse,
including some good illustrations.
Thank you.
Oh, my, we'd better get over to hill house
or we're gonna miss the big moment.
If I've forgotten anything, it may not be all that big.
I've tagged several pages that might give you a good hook.
The hook I showed you last night
will do just fine, thank you.
Ah, Doc, except, uh, maybe for the worm hanging from it.
[lock clicks]
Our plan for this magnificent coastal area
between the towns of cabot cove and craggy neck--
With its boat basin, condos,
golf courses, hotels, theaters, and convention center--
Has been scrupulously designed
to protect its natural beauty and ecology.
And now I'd like to introduce a gentleman known to many of you.
Our financial muscle,
and the man who's paying for all this,
Mr. Everett Buffum.
[applause]
[Peter] Again, please,
let's hear it for Everett Buffum.
[music playing]
[knocking at door]
Housekeeper.
[door closes]
[Everett] If I wasn't totally convinced
that this is going to be a marvelous plus for our community,
bringing a dramatic increase in tax revenues,
jobs, property values and prosperity,
well, there's just no way
I would have become even a minor investor.
I hope that answers your question, miss Higgins.
Now, please help yourselves to our bar and buffet,
while my associates and I try to address any other concerns
you might have on a one-to-one basis. Thank you.
[applause]
Doesn't sound very good to me.
[woman] I'm telling you, this is really gonna work well with...
[Travis] this is it? Yeah.
So what? We're talking 800 condos here?
And then there's these hotels and theaters?
You know, we've only got two-Lane roads here.
We plan to widen them, and build our own off-ramp
from the interstate at no expense to taxpayers.
[scoffs]
Well, most people seem to like it.
What do you think, aunt Jess?
Pretty impressive, huh?
I think overwhelming is more accurate, Grady.
Uh, pardon me, Mrs. Fletcher, doctor.
Grady, darling, I need to speak to you immediately.
Sure thing, Mrs. Buffum.
God, whose bathtub did this come from? Grady, please.
So what I was wondering is,
what's your projected start date for construction?
Well, that's a good question, Noah.
All I can say, Jessica, is either you're awfully forgiving,
or your memory's starting to go.
Are you talking about the time I came home from college,
borrowed your husband's car and wrecked it?
Everett.
It still bugs me that you and Frank
never believed I only hit that tree
because another car forced me off the road.
[laughing] Everett, it's old news.
Mrs. Fletcher, I trust that doesn't include Columbus Ventures,
and I do hope you enjoyed our presentation.
I thought it was very professional, Mr. Carmody.
Please, it's Pete.
And your nephew really outdid himself.
Dr. Hazlitt, you look like a man
with a few questions.
As a matter of fact,
I do have a question or two.
I don't think that's too much to ask.
Look, Mrs. Buffum, I can't tell you
how badly I don't want to get in the middle of what's going on
between you and your husband and toni shaw.
[chuckling] I've got news for you, Grady.
You're in there whether you like it or not.
Yes, ma'am.
I'm sorry you feel that way about the project, doctor.
And it looks like I'm needed across the room.
Excuse me.
So is everything okay?
Did Pete tell you how he plans to help you out
in your lighthouse restoration?
He what?
Actually, Grady,
Mr. Carmody never quite got a chance to mention it.
Yeah. I think he was rendered speechless
by the Doc's party trick.
Putting both feet in his mouth at the same time.
[chuckling]
[gasps]
I don't doubt that you'd like to see your husband dead, ma'am,
but I'm not so sure you'd be real fond of the consequences.
Plus, I've got my own reasons for wanting him alive.
[man] Heard you were looking for me, sheriff?
And for this.
Mrs. Buffum complained?
Several witnesses saw you take it away from her.
People toting guns around town make me nervous.
I went looking for you last night,
but you disappeared.
Nobody knew who I was
till the day clerk came back on duty at the motel.
He told me.
Well, thanks for the weapon.
I guess Everett Buffum owes you his life.
Ah, maybe. The lady seemed too drunk to shoot straight.
How's she doing? Ma'am, I told you...
sheriff will explain everything.
Morning, Mrs. Buffum. I'm listening.
Mr. Martin, your motel registration said you're from tucson.
What brings you to cabot cove?
Just business.
-Thanks again. -Sure.
Am I being charged with some sort of crime here?
Is that what this is?
As a matter of fact, no,
because your husband pleaded with us not to.
But I am confiscating your weapon.
And I gotta tell you, ma'am,
one more stunt like you pulled last night,
and I am booking you, no matter what he says.
My husband.
In spite of the fact that you allegedly pointed
a loaded gun at him.
I'd say the guy really cares for you.
[laughing]
The only thing Everett Buffum cares about besides himself
is to make sure that I fully experience
every bit of the humiliation he's exposing me to!
Ma'am, I was only gonna advise you to leave town.
But that just became an order. And fast.
[Seth] Jess, where's the apple pie?
I think you finished it off last night.
Oh.
I think you're making them smaller than you used to.
Now, I have looked at all sides of this matter.
I have weighed the good against the bad,
the pluses against the minuses,
the pros against the cons--
Seth, what are you trying to say?
Now that you're living in new York,
you're becoming as impatient
as the rest of those people down there.
Fact is, the way I see it,
this project is going to be a wonderful boon
for all the communities around.
A petition against the Marina project
by the C.C.A.M.A.
I believe that stands for "cabot covers against the Marina americana."
Travis dropped it by a little while ago.
You appear to be a co-sponsor.
Good grief!
Travis has one hell of a nerve.
Where does he come off thinking I'd support
a hare-brained scheme like this?
I don't suppose it could've been last night
when you told him that if the petition didn't work,
you'd consider financing,
I believe you said "a naval bombardment" of the project?
[phone ringing]
Hello? Donna, how are you?
No, Grady's not here right now.
A message? Oh, certainly.
Uh-huh.
Uh-huh. Really?
Well, of course I'll tell him.
Right. Good-bye for now.
Grady's wife? Jess, what is it?
She and Grady were turned down for a home improvement loan
because their bank can't find any evidence
that the company he's working for-- Columbus Ventures--
Even exists.
Everett.
I want to explain.
Lorna, I have to go to a meeting.
Wait. I know I don't deserve it, but please,
just give me a minute, all right?
I am so very sorry about last night--
The business with the gun and
yeah. Well, that's lovely.
I guess I had just a little too much to--
I haven't been thinking awfully straight lately.
Lately? Lorna, be real, for god's sake.
How many years have I been pleading with you to get help?
I know. And I've decided to put myself back in the program
the minute that I get home.
Wonderful. I hope it works. Now, if you'll excuse me...
Everett! You still care about me.
Can't you admit that even to yourself?
Lorna!
Why else would you stop the sheriff from pressing charges?
I didn't do it for you, god help me if I made a mistake.
I did it for the sake of my partners and for Columbus Ventures.
And you're talking to me about reality?
Shut up why should I?
I can think of about a half a million reasons why.
Not a penny of which you're gonna see
if you don't let the divorce go through and get out of here now.
Everett.
[sighs] Good-bye, Lorna.
You know, I must've looked at 20 places,
and this comes closest to fulfilling our needs
in terms of size and location.
Ev, what do you think?
It's good for me. Nice work, Grady. Let's go for it.
Hi, miss Higgins. Well, it looks like
we're ready to sign a lease.
I don't think so, Grady. I'm not interested.
There are just too many questions that didn't get answered
at your dog-and-pony show last night.
Uh, if there's anything specific we can clarify for you.
Okay, for starters,
what about all those shops and stores you're going to buy?
How exactly is that going to help business
in cabot cove and craggy neck?
We probably didn't make that as clear as we might have.
The fact is, we plan to offer merchants from both towns
first crack at leasing that space
for branch stores or new Ventures.
And further, we're willing to consider
appointing you our exclusive agent.
Well... now we're talking.
Excuse me one moment, won't you, gentlemen?
Uh, Pete, I thought you said those stores
were gonna be chains and name brands?
Yeah. I guess I forgot to mention that to you, Grady.
We've had a little change in game plan,
and we'll discuss it later.
Everett, if I could talk to you for a second.
Pauline, that's the best I can do.
It's not good enough.
Look, Noah, I'm sorry,
but I don't want to bargain.
I'm beginning to get some nibbles on this place, so...
please, don't even call me
until you can meet my price. Okay?
Okay.
All right, gentlemen, I guess, um,
we'll be doing business after all.
When would you folks like to move in?
Ha ha! The sooner, the better. Sure thing.
Grady, let's see how fast you get us some furniture, huh?
Grady?
Hmm? Furniture.
Yes, Sir. I'll get on it right away, Sir.
Yes, ma'am. 5:00.
I'll send the bellboy right up.
Hello, Mrs. Buffum. My key, please.
Oh, and would you prepare my bill?
I'll be checking out later.
This evening? Sure thing.
I, uh, hope you've enjoyed your stay.
Martini. Yes, ma'am.
Oh, don't worry, toni, I don't bite.
I discovered I'm allergic to my husband's women.
But I might suggest--
Lorna, do yourself a favor, cut the cord.
Everett hasn't belonged to you for years.
I was about to say, I suggest you grab a lifeboat
because I'm gonna do what I should have done months ago.
Blast you, Everett, J. Peter Carmody,
and Columbus Ventures out of the water
and into prison where you belong.
[scoffs]
[indistinct chattering]
Look at this, Jess. Just as they say in their brochure,
Columbus Ventures has projects going
in Darwin Key, Florida, and Cambria, Oregon.
The police chiefs in both towns give Carmody
and Everett Buffum sparkling recommendations.
And, look, aunt Jess, they have offices in both places,
with a staff and bank accounts totaling $100,000.
Yes. But does that explain why your bank manager
was unable to run a credit check on Columbus Ventures?
Well, no. Jessica...
you heard Phil Jordan over at the bank.
He said that this operation is probably so new,
it's not on anyone else's computer.
According to this, the permits are in place,
and the building contracts signed.
Does that mean the construction isn't finished?
Uh, I guess not. Let's see.
Uh, it says here that they're ready to go in darwin key
the minute the hurricane season ends, and it--
Here in Cambria, Oregon, they're being held up
by some kind of an environmental group.
Let's see. Police chief says the local Judge
is gonna throw the case out.
Meanwhile, real estate is booming all over the area.
Never mind how I got 'em, Mr. Carmody.
I want to hear you explain how this $75,000 deposit
ended up in your offshore account
exactly two days after my mother withdrew the same amount
from her bank in darwin key
and one day after she died from a heart attack,
which the doctor said was brought on by emotional trauma.
Mr. Martin, I did have the pleasure of meeting your mother,
and yes, I'm terribly sorry to hear that she passed away,
but this is a total, total coincidence. Now, if you'll excuse me--
Hold on. What did you meet with her about?
Ask her to go to the movies?
The lady was 80 years old.
Like most of the people on darwin key,
your mother came into our presentation,
just like the one you attended last night.
Okay, pal, that's your story?
Why don't we just run it by the sheriff?
I'm sure you'd be wasting your time, Mr. Martin.
First, you have no receipt,
nothing but this brochure with my business card attached to it,
which you claim was in your mother's belongings.
And second, I think the law's liable to take a dim view
of how you got your hands on those bank statements.
You're right. They're not in your room.
Okay. I haven't exactly figured out
how the game works,
but I know and you know that when my mother realized
what a bunch of crooks you people are,
the shock killed her.
I realize that's not much of a case
that somebody could go to court with...yet.
Ah, Mr. Martin! The man who saved my...
life.
Trouble?
Just another obstacle.
Tell me how you dealt with Lorna?
Well, I, uh--
I don't think she'll be a problem.
You don't think?
She threatens to expose us and you don't think?
Don't you ever talk to me-- guys, come on.
Please, not here.
[thunder]
[Jessica] Grady?
You all right? Look, aunt Jess...
it's just work, that's all.
I've got a zillion things I gotta deal with
in the next few days.
And yet I have the feeling
that you still have some sort of doubts?
Me?
If you want to talk about it, there might be a chance--
Come on, aunt Jess, you heard the sheriff.
He said everything checked out perfectly.
Now, don't worry.
Don't stay up too late.
I won't, Grady.
[bartender] Here's your martini, ma'am.
[man] Hold it!
[people chattering]
[Seth] Looks to me like death by drowning, Mort.
I'd guess sometime between 9 p.m. and midnight.
Do you figure she was conscious, trapped inside?
Maybe not. Pretty good size bump on her head.
She may have been under the influence,
but she didn't drink a whole lot of this stuff.
They found it in her handbag.
Didn't she phone your office at 7:15 last night?
Yeah. She called. Said she wanted to come over to the office and talk to me.
Said she'd be there in about 20 minutes.
I waited around till 10:15. She never showed up.
And the bruise on her forehead?
Doesn't look like it could've been fatal.
Probably caused by bumping her head on the steering wheel.
Well, wasn't she strapped in?
Yeah, she was.
The mechanical device that keeps you from flying forward,
I guess it wasn't working. So far, no witnesses.
Except for her handbag and luggage,
there's not much in the car.
Just the usual junk in the glove box and on the floor.
A few coins, a few sticks of chewing gum,
paper clips and this.
Sal's roadhouse. Route 17.
Maybe she stopped in there and then forgot why she called you.
But if she was on her way to your office, Mort,
why would she detour clear over to the highway?
Andy, bag this stuff, and just in case,
let's dust the car for fingerprints
and get it over to stuckey's garage so he can check it out.
Mr. Buffum, when was the last time you saw your wife?
Uh, yesterday afternoon,
around 2:00 or so, in the hill house lobby.
You weren't with her last night?
No, sheriff.
Well, you ask me, the town council ought to take a look
at the lighting down there by the waterfront.
Here you go, sheriff.
Mrs. Buffum checked out at 7:22 p.m.
[Metzger] who was on duty?
Wayne hatton was working the desk at that time.
And I show a call to your number from her room.
7:15, like you said.
And she was alone?
According to Wayne hatton. He was working the desk.
You can reach him at home. Um, the bartender said
that she had several martinis and left about 8:30.
Well, that explains the .23 blood-alcohol level.
Thanks, Noah. What have you got, Andy?
That was Jim stuckey over at the garage.
He said there's nothing wrong with the car,
that nobody tampered with it.
There you go. An accident, just like we said.
Maybe not. Mrs. Fletcher asked the right question.
About the seatbelt.
Stuckey claims that the mechanism works fine.
You yank on it and it locks, just like it's supposed to.
That means Mrs. Buffum couldn't have bumped her head
on the steering wheel when she crashed the car.
So maybe somebody knocked her unconscious.
Then strapped her in and sent her and the car into the drink.
[phone ringing]
Metzger. Oh, hi, honey.
[chatter]
You're kidding. When?
Thanks, sweetheart. Later on.
That was adele. She just heard on the radio
that Marina americana is kaput.
Columbus Ventures is Pulling out.
Oh, man. Did they say why?
The only thing she caught was that their money man,
Everett Buffum, lost his stomach for it.
Look, Andy, I want you to check with the coroner
about this bruise on Lorna Buffum's forehead,
and just in case, let's make sure
that none of the players leave town, huh?
Where's the report on the crash? That's it.
Everett. Everett, for god's sake,
I know I said get rid of her, but not that way.
You're really psychotic, you know?
I'll be in touch.
Everett, wait--
[Grady] yes, miss McCoy, I'm afraid it's true.
Right, yeah. Well, believe me,
I feel the same way as you. Yeah.
Okay. Thank you.
That's about the 20th call we've had today.
Well, anyway, according to Pete,
it was a combination of things that discouraged Mr. Buffum.
The costly delays in the Florida
and Oregon project and--
Yeah, those petitions of seth's were partly to blame.
Interesting. Because I really didn't get the sense
that there was that much opposition.
Yeah. Well, without Everett's backing,
Pete had no choice.
So I'm back on the job market.
God, it's so damn frustrating,
I really believed in this project and...
well, obviously so did a lot of other people.
Hey, I guess between the weather
and the visibility and the cheap booze,
Mrs. Buffum didn't stand much of a chance.
Anyway, Pauline, can't we at least discuss this?
Noah! A deal's a deal.
I am not returning your deposit, and that's that.
Pardon us. Sorry.
Be reasonable. This is an attractive property.
You'll find another buyer.
Oh, yeah. Right.
I'm really sorry, Grady.
I mean, it's a shame there isn't some alternative,
something that, uh wait, wait, wait.
You know, maybe there is.
An alternative, I mean.
Excuse me, aunt Jess. I'll see you later!
[Peter] No, no, sheriff, I understand.
You're just doing your job.
-Don't leave town. -Yes.
-Thank you, Mr. Carmody. -Thanks.
Well, it appears we're here for the duration,
and they've just put out an A.P.B. on Everett.
I'd like to get my hands on him myself.
Look, both of you, I've been in this game a while,
and one of the tricks is to recognize
when it's time to cut your losses and get out.
But what I'm trying to say is,
there has to be other ways to raise money
than from fat cats like Mr. Buffum.
I don't know, Pete. Maybe Grady's got a point.
So, what are we talking about?
All right. Didn't you tell me
that Martin fellow's mother badgered you
into letting her put money into that project
in darwin keys, and you refused?
Yes, but I small investors, Pete.
One of my first jobs was working for a broadway producer,
and that's how he did it.
Selling shares. It's a natural.
With the interest we've already generated,
people are gonna jump at this!
Well, that might be worth a try.
Okay. I'll tell you what, Grady--
Why don't you go back to the office,
begin to put together an ad for the local newspapers,
an announcement, and then we'll see if anybody bites.
That's terrific. And how about some radio spots?
And there's a couple of brokerage houses and realtors.
I'm sure they can drum up some business for us.
Great idea. Toni and I will get on that.
I think we just may have a shot at this after all.
Thanks, Grady. You're welcome.
Toni, I think we're on our way.
You gotta give him credit for imagination.
If we'd have had him in Oregon, we could've retired by now.
[chuckling]
Maybe swindling and murder
isn't the same in the eyes of the law, sheriff,
but as far as I'm concerned, that's what killed her,
just as sure as if they'd shot her with a gun.
Mrs. F, Doc, like I told you on the phone,
Mr. Martin here has zero proof
that his mother even met any of the people
connected with Columbus Ventures.
And yet her $75,000 vanished.
And I know where it went.
Excuse me, sheriff. That was the coroner.
He said, yes, the blow that caused the bruise
could have been sufficient to knock Lorna Buffum unconscious.
So we're looking at murder.
Mr. Martin, you may have to come up with a better alibi
than being alone in your room at the light house motel.
Why would I kill Mrs. Buffum?
Good question.
And while we're looking for an answer
don't worry, sheriff, I'm not going anywhere
till I've nailed whoever killed
all right, all right.
Whoever's responsible for my mother's death.
Mrs. Fletcher.
Mrs. F, it looks like you had it figured right.
The perpetrator reaches in the window, knocks the victim out,
starts the engine, and
the killer may have been sitting beside her, Mort,
in the car.
Oh, that's good.
The bad is, we don't have a whole lot to go on.
Everett Buffum has disappeared,
but miss shaw insists that he was with her at the time of death.
They both had possible motives to kill her.
And wait. Uh, the matchbook.
The one from Sal's roadhouse.
Matchbooks are always clues.
I had Andy check with Sal. Apparently, Mrs. Buffum
stopped there a couple of days ago for a sandwich...by herself.
Well, at least there's some good news.
I guess Grady's pretty revved up about that, huh?
Oh, yes, he is. Our phone hasn't stopped ringing
since this appeared.
Yes, ma'am, that's right. Your investment automatically
makes you a member of our health club--
Just as soon as it's built, of course.
Matter of fact, we're accepting units as small as $1,000.
Yeah. Just one minute, please.
-Hi, Pauline. -Hi.
Written to Columbus Ventures, right?
Wow.
Gordon, you're the legal expert.
What about getting us an injunction
against the damn environmental group?
-$5,000? That's great. -Absolutely.
Can I just put you on hold for one second?
Columbus Ventures. How can I help you?
$15,000. That's perfect.
And here's your receipt.
Thank you. Oh, excuse me.
Hi! Columbus Ventures.
Yes, we can fax out our literature.
All right. I'll have it to you right away, Mr. Vogel. Okay.
Well, you can tell the city council from me,
they've got 48 hours to make it go away,
or we're gonna yank the project. Right.
Oregon?
Yeah. Those damn tree-worshippers.
Telephone. Yes, Sir.
[phone ringing]
Good afternoon, Columbus Ventures.
$5,000? That'd be terrific.
I tell you, aunt Jess, it's fantastic.
In five days, we have sold
we have sold over $4 million worth of shares,
and the phone is still ringing off the hook.
Listen, I gotta go.
Don't wait up dinner for me, okay?
Well, I really hadn't planned on it.
Have a good day, Grady.
Thanks.
[sighs]
What's eating you, Jess?
Story problems? No, nothing really.
Lorna Buffum's murder.
And?
And this this whole Marina project.
I'm worried for Grady and for everyone else.
There's something about it that isn't quite right.
And yet, for every one of my doubts,
there seems to be an explanation.
Maybe that ought to tell you something.
What with the investigating that Mort has done,
and now Grady's banker satisfied to give him a loan.
Well, I do have patients
scheduled in about ten minutes.
What is it, Jess?
Young Frank's first sentence.
Uh, let me see.
"Where did my nickel go?"
Exactly. Denver Martin said he knew
where his mother's money went, but he never told us.
Can you give me a lift to the motel?
Well, sure.
I think you do know
what I'm talking about, Mr. Martin,
and I think the reason that you didn't tell the sheriff
how you knew where your mother's $75,000 went
is because you came by the information illegally.
Okay. I suppose you're right.
Well, then I may be able to help you.
These are statements from Carmody's offshore bank.
I took 'em from his room. That's all you took?
Yeah. I was lucky to get those.
I know they don't prove anything,
except that he moved a lot of money out of the country
where the authorities couldn't touch it.
And in my book, that makes him guilty as hell.
Was there anything else in that room?
Anything that stuck in your mind?
Like ledgers? Papers?
Not really. There was some credit card receipts,
a bank book, some business station head,
was that Columbus Ventures stationery?
Yeah. No, there was more than that.
It was from an environmental outfit
called, uh...
save the Oregon forests, I think.
Denver, you may have found a way
to send Mr. Carmody and his friends to jail
and also get your mother's money back.
Yeah, uh, I guess Mr. Carmody's gone, too.
Mort, uh, can you tell me what this is about?
I'm afraid it's about a lot of people
being cheated out of a lot of money.
Carmody, miss shaw and Everett Buffum
are all con artists. Oh, my god, then
they never intended to build anything. Thanks.
Andy, get out A.P.B.'s on 'em, and quick.
Hopefully they haven't gotten too far.
Mr. Jordan at the bank said about 1.2 million
had already cleared into an offshore account.
He was able to stop payment on the rest.
You sure had it nailed, Mrs. F.
I've been on the horn with Oregon, Florida, the N.C.I.C.
Carmody turns out to have a major record as a bunco artist,
along with a string of aliases,
one of which he used to start that environmental group.
So he was actually preventing his own company
from going forward out there in Oregon?
And in Florida, the inclement weather
did the job for them. It was all choreographed.
Everett Buffum claimed to be discouraged
and withdrew his nonexistent funding. Like he did here.
But the locals were so fired up with the project,
they became easy game
when Pete and toni started selling the shares.
God, it was right there in front of me.
I sensed it. I just...
chose not to ask the questions.
If it's any consolation, you were not the only one.
[Seth] So which one of them did kill Lorna Buffum?
Her husband, Carmody or miss shaw?
Take your pick. Hopefully, if we can catch these beauties
before they get out of the country,
we'll catch ourselves a killer
and nobody'll be out any serious cash.
Andy, I've told you close the stamp pad.
[Andy] Oh, sorry, sheriff.
[Seth] Well, Jessica I think I'd better
Jessica?
Mort, I think I know
who killed Lorna Buffum
and why she drank so little of that gin.
And I think a quick call to the county clerk's office
will tell us why she was killed.
[Grady] No, no news about toni, Pete or Everett.
But there is a development.
Yeah. Well, the sheriff has learned
that the state police lab has a way of getting D.N.A.
and hair and fabric samples
from the car Mrs. Buffum was driving.
Yeah, so he's shipping it down there in the morning,
and he figures in a few days
he'll have this denver Martin dead-bang.
Yeah. Right. Okay. Good night.
[line ringing]
Done and done.
[car approaching]
[lock clicks]
[metallic clattering]
[Metzger] Hold it right there, Noah!
I'm placing you under arrest
for the murder of Lorna Buffum.
You have the right to remain silent.
If you give up the right
thank you, Mort, but I know my rights.
I guess there's not much point
in trying to deny it, is there?
Not a whole lot, Noah.
You had Grady call me.
I guess I must be the original Patsy for setups.
How did you know?
There were several things.
Actually, the smudge on your blazer
that you got when you lost the cap
to one of those inexpensive felt-tip pens
that you carry.
Andy found it where it fell in Lorna's car,
probably as you were trying to make her death
appear to be an accident.
I'd been looking at it every time I'd seen you in that blazer,
but I didn't connect it till earlier this evening,
when Mort got an ink smudge on his hand.
You wanna tell him about the gin, Mrs. F?
Gin? The cheap generic brand
you bought to help you try and talk her
out of spilling the goods to me.
That was right there in front of us, too,
the other night at the presentation.
Lorna made it pretty clear that clothes and jewelry
weren't the only things for which she had expensive tastes.
God, whose bathtub did this come from? Grady, please.
[Jessica] Then, a few days ago, in Pauline's storefront...
hey, I guess between the weather and the visibility
and the cheap booze, Mrs. Buffum didn't stand much of a chance.
It went right past me at the time,
but only the killer would have known
about the cheap generic brand of gin.
It also explains why she'd drunk so little of it.
On top of that, we checked with the county clerk,
and he tells us you're in the process of buying
12 pieces of real estate in and around cabot cove--
Way more than you can afford.
Including Pauline Higgins' storefront
the one leased by Columbus Ventures--
Property that you were counting on
to quickly triple or quadruple in value in a big hurry,
which would've gotten you off the hook,
unless Lorna Buffum blew the whistle.
I suggest you grab a lifeboat,
because I'm gonna do what I should've done months ago--
Blast you, Everett, J. Peter Carmody,
and Columbus Ventures out of the water
and into prison, where you belong.
[Metzger] And you couldn't allow her to do that.
I don't know.
It seemed like such a sure-fire way to get rich.
But then, when I heard Mrs. Buffum say that she was gonna...
report the whole thing to the law, I panicked.
Hell, I had dug a hole for myself so deep
there was no way I was ever gonna see daylight again.
I had to talk to her,
to find out how much she knew,
if she was serious.
I knew she'd already checked out of the hotel.
When she left hill house,
I waited for her in the back seat.
And when she got to a street
that was near the waterfront,
I got her to pull over
and we talked a long time.
She showed me proof.
All I could see was that I'd be ruined.
I was desperate. I pleaded with her, but it--
It was no use.
She wouldn't touch any of that cheap gin.
But I'd had too much of it.
The more we argued, the angrier I became.
I guess I lost all control.
[grunts]
She was unconscious, so I propped her up.
I took the incriminating documents she'd brought with her.
I guess that's when the pen top fell off.
I tried to wipe everything clean
the door handles, the gin bottle.
And then I put the car into drive.
[sighing] All I asked her for
was a couple of more days.
Well, that's terrific, sweetheart.
Yeah. Me, too. Okay, I'll see you tonight.
Yeah. And kiss Frankie for me. Okay. Bye-bye.
The job in new York came through.
Wonderful. Now could we please
get going to the railroad station?
Seth, will you just relax? We've got plenty of time.
[knocking at door]
-Mrs. F? -Oh, Mort!
Grady, am I glad I caught you.
Remember that business card you saw
in Pete Carmody's briefcase?
For the air charter company?
Yeah. The state police have just apprehended Carmody,
miss shaw, Everett Buffum, boarding a seaplane
in bar harbor headed for Canada.
God, that's great!
Does that make Grady eligible
for the reward that was posted by that man in Oregon?
Absolutely.
Wow!
Wow. Um, listen,
I'd like to contribute it to the lighthouse restoration.
That's very gracious of you, Grady.
And the best news is that everybody who invested in their scams
will get their money back.
Yeah, Doc, you're gonna get yours back,
and, uh...
I'm gonna get mine.
That makes me feel a whole lot better.
[laughing]