Would you hear my confession, Father, please?
[Jessica] Tonight on Murder, She Wrote.
Extremely anguishing moral dilemma.
Hearing someone confess that they'd committed a crime?
A laceration to the spleen, probably caused by a knife.
This is my knife.
It don't you lie to me.
I don't know what I would do if you weren't here.
It didn't give me any pleasure
to tell the sheriff what I saw.
What I don't get, Mrs. F, is who calls you.
And I think the less you know, the better.
[cheerful orchestral music]
Right, Eddie, run.
That's awesome!
Now, run faster.
Let's go. We can get it.
You can get it.
Hold that down. It's going. It's going.
Don't let go!
That's it!
Keep running. Nice and straight. Keep running.
-All right. You okay? -Yeah.
Here we go!
-All right! -[laughs]
It's flying.
All right!
Oh, no.
It's okay. Come on, we'll get it.
[laughing]
Uh-oh.
Oh, no.
Oh, hey, hey, hey, wait. It's okay!
Come on back. Eddie!
I'm terribly... are you all right?
Oh, yes, I'm fine.
I can't say the same for your kite.
I apologize for Eddie running off like that.
-He scares easily. -Oh, yes, yes, I know.
I tutored him once in English.
You're a teacher? Well, so am I.
Retired teacher. Jessica Fletcher.
-Donald Barnes. -Hello.
Haven't I seen you jogging past my house
the past couple of days?
Yeah, that's me.
I haven't been in Cabot Cove very long,
but I already know which streets
have the unfriendly dogs.
Ah, yes.
Wait a minute. Jessica...
-do you mean J.B. Fletcher? -Mm-hmm.
Do you know,
I used one of your books in my English class last year.
We talked plotting, dialogue, structure.
You wouldn't believe how much ninth graders
prefer murder and mayhem over Silas Marner.
Well, that's very flattering.
You know, when I taught freshman English,
I used to use the Maltese Falcon.
It never missed.
Listen, you know, I'm gonna be
in town for a couple of weeks.
Do you think that we might get together over coffee
and talk books sometime?
I think that would be a marvelous idea.
Why don't we have breakfast tomorrow?
Father?
Can I help you?
Where's Father Molloy?
Well, he's in Ireland visiting his family.
I'm Father Barnes.
I'm filling in for a few weeks.
Oh, God.
Are you all right?
Do you want to sit down?
No, no. No, I...
Please, is there anything I can do to help?
Yes, um...
would you hear my confession?
Now, Father?
In the name of the father, son, and the holy spirit, amen.
Bless me, Father, for I have sinned.
It has been four weeks since my last confession.
I...
I killed a man tonight.
[woman sniffling]
Did you mean to kill him?
No.
I mean,
I... I had a knife,
and when he came toward me, I...
I knew he wanted to hurt me...
and when he grabbed me, I stabbed him.
So you were defending yourself.
I guess so.
Since God cares about our intentions,
and since you're obviously remorseful...
but I'm not.
Look, I swear I didn't mean to kill him,
but I'm not sorry I did it.
He was evil. He deserved to die.
Oh, God.
Oh, God, what have I done?
[crying]
Please forgive me, please.
Look,
based on what you've told me, you acted in self-defense.
And I'm sure that when you go to the police...
No.
I can't do that.
No, that...that would kill her to know that.
Oh, God. I never should have come here.
Miss!
Here you go, Mort.
Coffee, two sugars, and a cheese Danish.
Thanks, Jimmie.
Okay.
Hey, Mrs. Fletcher!
Oh, good morning, sheriff.
What are you doin' there, catchin' up on the competition?
I'm just reacquainting myself with my old friend,
Sir Walter Scott.
Ever read lady of the lake?
No.
I saw the movie with Robert Montgomery
and Audrey totter.
Oh, there's my date for breakfast.
Hey, Father Barnes!
Just the guy I wanted to see.
Uh-oh, sounds like trouble.
Oh, no, no.
Matter of fact, it's been so quiet
around here the past few months,
you could hear the grass grow.
What it is, is this, padre.
Now, me and the missus are basically nondenominational,
but to Adele, bingo's kind of a religion.
And she was just wondering if--
Tell her not to worry.
We'll have it Saturday night at 7:00, as usual.
Father Molloy tells me we can't afford not to have it.
You have just made my wife's life very happy, and mine.
I'll see you.
Mrs. Fletcher, enjoy your breakfast.
Thank you.
So, Father Barnes...
Oh, please, call me Donald.
Why didn't you tell me you were a priest
as well as a teacher?
Well, do you go around telling people that
you're J.B. Fletcher, mystery writer?
Well, I'm not sure our situations are analogous.
I suppose they're not,
but have you ever noticed how people react
when they find they're talking to a priest?
Their voice level drops down to here,
and you're half afraid they're going to kiss your ring.
[laughs]
Now, I'll buy that. Yes.
So, are you replacing Father Molloy?
No, only temporarily.
He's on sabbatical in Ireland.
I was teaching up at St. Ignatius in Lewiston,
and when this temporary position
came up at St. Joseph's...
Well, all my life I've wanted to be a parish priest.
I finally got my chance. Hmm.
But I hadn't realized
how, um, how difficult it could get.
In fact, I was up all last night
worrying about one of my parishioners.
This person came to see me late last evening.
It's quite a difficult situation.
Oh.
Um...
is there something that you'd like to talk to me about?
Mrs. Fletcher, do you know the meaning
of the seal of the confessional?
Yes, I believe so.
The priest cannot by word, deed, or even inference,
make public anything that occurs within the confessional.
And I'm sure you can imagine
circumstances that might
make for an extremely anguishing moral dilemma.
Oh.
Yes, I can, um... I can think of several.
I mean, for instance...
hearing someone confess that they'd committed a crime,
a murder, perhaps,
and being unable to tell the police.
Yes, that would be an excellent example.
Sorry I took so long, Father.
What can I get you?
Just coffee, thanks.
Okay.
Great. Thanks.
Donald, I'm not exactly sure what you want of me.
Well, I'm not exactly sure myself.
They don't teach you these things in seminary.
Yeah.
I mean, if someone wanted to see a priest
late at night, for instance, I hardly think
that he would be there to confess an old crime.
Well, yes, I see.
It's quite a dilemma.
Mrs. Fletcher, you have
quite a reputation as an amateur detective.
But I'm really not a trained investigator.
Even my fictional heroes, um,
have to have some clue to go on.
Besides, isn't it possible that
this is a case of an overactive imagination?
I mean, if a murder was committed...
where is the body?
Hey, hey...
No, come on!
Serves you right.
[giggles]
Come on, help me out.
[laughing]
[screaming]
Do you know him?
Evan West. He's a local businessman.
Real estate, I think.
-Morning, Jess. -Morning.
I expect you're Father Barnes.
Seth Hazlitt.
Nice to meet you, doctor.
West here was as lapsed as they come.
However, his wife is a devout Catholic.
Well, in either case, I'm through with him.
What happened, Seth? How did he die?
Oh, probably had something to do
with that massive stab wound in his chest.
Oh, Lord.
I don't know how you do it, ma'am.
Excuse me?
Well, I get a call on my radio,
and within five minutes, I'm down here.
Doc gets a call,
ten minutes later, he's here checkin' out the corpse.
What I don't get, Mrs. F, is who calls you.
Well, nobody, actually, I...
What, do you just have a sixth sense
about these things?
No, sheriff.
Somebody drove past my house and shouted to a friend
about the body found on the beach, and naturally, I...
Grant them light, happiness and peace.
Father Barnes and I were curious.
I'm sure you were.
Well, this one's pretty straightforward.
That so?
Well, the victim's wife
confined to a wheelchair, right?
Well, that's true, but...
Well, forgive my bluntness, ma'am,
but maybe, just maybe,
he wasn't havin' too much fun at home.
Now, that says to me, "girlfriend."
A girlfriend and a nice fancy boat
where he and the little lady can go and have a good time.
For pity's sake, Metzger,
everybody around here knew that Evan West used that boat
as an office.
Well, nearly everyone.
Hi, Joe.
Joe, you need any help?
Oh, yeah, Eddie.
Suddenly you've developed
a talent for rebuilding carburetors.
[chuckles]
What about the fish?
I could clean some fish for you, Joe.
Eddie, the fish are out in the ocean.
The boat is here.
And it's gonna stay here
until I get this engine put back together.
So why don't you just shove off and let me get back to work?
I got a really great new knife.
You want to see it, Joe?
Careful, though. It's really sharp.
Hey, wait a minute.
Where'd you get that?
That's Evan West's knife.
This is my knife. It...
don't you lie to me, dummy.
Now, I gave him that
when he helped me get the loan on the boat.
No.
You got some explaining to do, boy.
No.
But it's true, sheriff.
I have trouble sleeping, and Evan doesn't...
didn't like to disturb me.
So, you assumed he spent the night on the boat.
Of course.
Didn't you think it was a little funny
when he didn't come home this morning?
No, I just thought he might have overslept.
Mrs. West,
we found bloodstains on the dock by the boat.
Now, the way I see it is he was killed there
and either fell or was pushed off the dock.
Do you think someone went on board to Rob him?
No, ma'am.
He was still wearing his watch and his ring
when the body was found.
I'll...
I'll be in touch if I have any more questions.
-[both grunt] -Oh, sorry.
Mother.
Marilyn told me about Evan.
Oh, I'm so sorry.
You okay?
I will be.
It's gonna be okay.
Sheriff, this is my daughter, Kelly.
My condolences on the loss of your father, ma'am.
My stepfather.
My last name is Barrett, sheriff.
[phone ringing]
My first husband passed away when Kelly was just a child.
So, anyway, I'm staying here for the summer.
Sheriff Metzger, telephone for you.
Oh, thank you.
-May I? -Of course.
Metzger.
Is that right?
I'll be right there.
Mrs. West, we may have collared the man
who murdered your husband.
What?
[stammering] Well, I mean, that's awfully fast work,
isn't it, sheriff?
Who is it?
Well, I can't say just now, but we'll keep you informed.
[sobbing] Oh, God, Kelly.
I loved him so much.
I know. I know you did.
I don't know what I would do if you weren't here.
I'm so glad you're here.
[clears throat]
Hello, Mrs. Fletcher.
I'm so sorry to disturb you.
Oh, that's all right.
I was just asking for some guidance.
I've been doing a lot of that lately.
Donald, I've just learned
that Eddie Frayne has been arrested
for the murder of Evan West.
Eddie?
But he's not...
guilty?
Donald, I know you can't reveal anything
about the confession,
but is it possible that you could tell me
if someone hasn't been to confession recently?
Well, of course I can't remember everyone,
but I am quite certain
that Eddie Frayne has not been to the confessional
since I've been at St. Joseph's.
I told you, Mrs. Fletcher,
I found the knife on the beach.
Yes, but where on the beach, Eddie?
By the dock.
Where Mr. West has his boat?
Uh-huh.
The knife was real yucky, so I took it home.
I wiped it off real good.
I see.
Mrs. Fletcher...
could you go tell the sheriff
it's time for me to go home now?
Eddie, I'm afraid you're gonna have to stay here
just a little bit longer.
Is there something I could bring you?
My comic books?
Of course.
Mrs. Fletcher...
he was a bad man.
He was really bad.
It was his fault that Kelly went away.
And he said he loved ms. Doris, but he didn't.
Uh-uh.
I'm glad he's dead. I am.
Eddie...
I'm so scared.
I know, Eddie.
I know.
Yeah, and we found minute traces of the victim's blood
on the knife we took off the suspect.
Yeah, right.
Yeah, it is a... it is a pretty sad situation.
Okay, call me as soon as you set up the arraignment.
Sheriff, this is all wrong. I hope you know that.
Look, Mrs. Fletcher, I like Eddie, too.
He's a sweet guy,
but you can't argue with the facts.
True, but the fact is that Eddie did not kill Evan West.
No kiddin'? Did he tell you that?
No.
Then what have you got, tea leaves?
I can't say.
What is this, the first amendment rights or something?
Something.
I don't suppose you know who did kill West?
No, not exactly.
But you're dead-bang sure it wasn't Eddie Frayne
for reasons you cannot reveal.
Now you've got it.
Mrs. Fletcher...
I'm getting a headache.
Now, when you figure out exactly what you do
and you don't know,
and what you can and you can't tell me,
come back, we'll have a chat.
Anybody got an aspirin?
Jack! Jack!
[doorbell ringing]
[sighs]
Marilyn? It is Marilyn, isn't it?
I'm Jessica Fletcher.
Oh, Mrs. Fletcher, how nice to finally meet you.
-May I come in? -Yes.
Folks in this town sure are proud of you.
Come on. Come on in.
Thank you.
I'm sorry for the clutter.
I just don't seem to be able
to get myself organized today.
Oh, don't worry.
I just wanted to pay my respects to Doris,
but I want to be sure
that she's feeling up to seeing people.
Well, she's doing pretty well.
But I must say, she did take it hard.
Marilyn?
Kelly? I heard you were home.
Oh, Mrs. Fletcher.
I'm so sorry about Evan.
My heart just goes out to both of you.
Thank you.
Miss Kelly, is there something I can get for you?
Oh, yes, Marilyn.
My mother would like her tea now.
Why are you polishing that chair?
My mother hardly ever uses it.
Well, it helps to keep busy.
Would you like to see my mother now, Mrs. Fletcher?
Only if you think she's up to having another visitor.
Wasn't that Jack Hutchings
that I just saw going out of the driveway a few minutes ago?
Oh, yes, Jack was here.
Well, you see, I hardly think of Jack as company.
He's more like family.
Very honestly, Jessica, when Kelly's father died,
I thought I'd never be happy again.
And then Evan came along.
Yes, I remember.
It was just a few months after your accident, wasn't it?
Yes.
I couldn't believe it.
I just couldn't believe that a man like Evan...
I was terrified that
I wouldn't be able to make him happy.
But, Jessica, the last eight years,
every minute of it, was wonderful.
Really.
[sobbing] I'm sorry.
For what?
Look, you are entitled to your feelings.
I won't tell you that the hurt will disappear, Doris.
It doesn't.
But sooner or later, it becomes different.
The pain subsides
and the memories take over.
It isn't wonderful, but it's better.
Thank you, Jessica.
Mrs. West,
the priest from St. Joseph's is here to see you.
I thought Father Molloy was on vacation.
This is his replacement.
Oh. Well, okay, send him in.
Mom, if you don't mind, I'd like to go out for some air.
Oh, I'm sorry, Kelly. The doors are stuck again.
I'll have to have someone in to take care of that.
Hello, I'm...
I'm Father Barnes.
Thank you.
Mrs. West, you have my deepest sympathies.
It was so good of you to come.
Do you know Mrs. Fletcher?
Yes.
And this is my daughter, Kelly Barrett.
Miss Barrett.
Hello.
Please excuse me.
Forgive her, Father.
It's been a very difficult time for all of us.
Of course.
Doris, I'm sure that you and Father Barnes
want to talk privately.
-Will you excuse me? -Yes.
Thank you for coming, Jessica.
Kelly! Kelly?
Kelly, are you all right?
I'm fine.
I'm just worried about my mom, that's all.
You know, as hard as it is losing a father,
I imagine it's doubly hard
having a stranger come into your house and take his place.
Evan didn't take anyone's place.
Kelly, do you know that Eddie Frayne has been charged
with the murder of your stepfather?
Eddie?
But that's crazy.
Well, I agree.
Unfortunately, the sheriff doesn't.
[stammering] Well, they won't do anything to him, will they?
I mean, they can't.
Well, if he's convicted, he could go to prison.
And the very least, he'll be institutionalized.
Oh, God, that would kill Eddie.
I mean, to just shut him away like that.
Well, the sheriff thinks that he has an open-and-shut case.
They caught him with the murder weapon,
and there's very little else to go on.
It's circumstantial, of course,
but, well, unless the real killer comes forward...
Well, things do look very grim.
You know, I didn't even realize that
it was you on Doris's driveway until I was halfway home.
Well, I'm sure you had a lot on your mind.
It hasn't really hit her yet, Jess.
Doris is going on adrenaline.
I just wish there was something that I could do for her.
You two were always close.
Matter of fact, I could hardly believe it
when she married Tom Barrett the week
after high school graduation.
Well, I was dull but dependable.
And Tom had I don't know.
What it is that gets you ladies going?
I'm not sure, but you're right.
Tom had it.
You know, it seems like only yesterday
that I was teaching Kelly freshman English.
Wasn't she one of your students, too?
No, no, I taught junior English.
Kelly left Cabot Cove for Crane academy
after her sophomore year.
Yes, that always puzzled me.
I mean, Kelly and her mother were so very close.
Why did she suddenly go off to boarding school in Vermont?
I wouldn't know.
[clears throat]
Oh, it's you.
I'm sorry I startled you.
I was hoping you might come into the Church tonight,
and we could talk again.
I can't.
Look, I gotta get back to the house.
Miss Barrett... Kelly.
I know you must be scared to death.
I would be.
But if you don't go to the police,
an innocent boy is gonna suffer.
Look, I can't. Don't you understand?
I mean, wrong or right, my mother worshipped that man.
If she found out I was the one who killed him,
it would destroy her.
Kelly, I want to help you.
Look, you can't. Nobody can.
I never should have come to you.
Look,
Father, I know my catechism,
and I want you to just remember that what was said
in that confessional,
that remains between you and me.
That's the way it is,
and that's the way it's gonna stay.
Are you certain that the cause of death was drowning?
The autopsy revealed
a laceration of the spleen, probably caused by a knife
with a blade four or five inches long.
But that did not kill Evan,
neither did the blunt trauma to the head.
Either he was stabbed and then hit,
or hit and then stabbed,
but it doesn't make any difference,
because he drowned.
Now, can I please finish my eggs?
Well, of course you can. Who's stopping you?
You are, woman, for the past 15 minutes.
You've been fidgeting and fussing and gabbing away,
a sure sign that you've got something on your chest
that you want to get off it.
Well,
I know for a fact
that Eddie Frayne did not kill Evan West.
So? Tell Metzger.
I did, but he wouldn't believe me.
And he won't, unless I tell him how I know.
And I can't do that.
Why not?
Do you know about the seal of the confessional
in the Catholic Church?
Yeah. Rather like
the doctor-patient confidentiality,
except they answer to a higher authority
than the state medical board.
How did you get mixed up with a confession?
Well, it was something that Father Barnes didn't say,
or couldn't say.
Oh, well, I'd say you have a problem there, Jess.
The worst, Seth.
Now, I have a fair notion who did kill Evan,
but I have absolutely no way of proving it.
Well, if it puts your mind at ease,
I think Eddie has himself a pretty good lawyer.
When I delivered the autopsy report to the sheriff's office,
I saw him talking to George Woodward.
No question on the blood?
No, Sir. Even though Eddie scrubbed the blade clean,
there were still traces.
The victim's blood type, no question.
Good morning, sheriff. Hello, George.
Hello, Jessica. What brings you here?
I brought some new comic books for Eddie.
Oh, good.
I was gettin' a little tired of the old ones.
He reads them out loud.
Oh, yes.
I'll, uh, just take these back to him.
[laughs] I knew it.
I can't tell you how much better I feel
knowing that Eddie will have your expert legal counsel.
I don't know how much good I can do.
This is pretty damaging stuff.
Well, it's very generous of you.
Generous?
Well, donating your time,
especially considering that
Evan West was one of your most important clients.
Jessica, I'm not donating anything.
Doris retained me to handle Eddie's defense.
Eddie said thanks a lot, Mrs. Fletcher.
Now, is there anything else I can do for you?
All I can tell you is what I already said.
I know that Eddie is innocent.
You really should be looking elsewhere
for Evan West's killer.
Now, look, I like the little guy, too,
but this time you climbed out on the wrong limb.
I was just about to tell Mr. Woodward here.
I've got an eyewitness
who practically saw the whole thing.
I can't believe that.
Doris West's nurse, Marilyn.
She lives in the beach cottage.
Now, the night of the murder, she said she heard an argument,
saw Eddie prowling around the dock.
Giving him means, motive, and opportunity.
Wonderful.
I'll admit, I was surprised when Doris called,
but I suppose she realized Eddie had no one
on his own to help him.
It's still incredibly generous of her.
Unless, of course,
she knows that Eddie is innocent,
but can't reveal it.
You mean, like she killed Evan?
How? From her wheelchair?
Or maybe you're not talking about Doris.
Tell me about Kelly and Evan.
I mean, did they have a good relationship?
I really couldn't say.
She barely set foot in this town for nearly eight years.
Only visited on holidays.
Yeah...
what is it?
I was just thinking about a trip
that Evan and I took to Boston.
We took a seminar together, and then we...
we spent the night barhopping.
He got a little drunk, but he said some strange things.
Such as?
Something about him not marrying the right Barrett.
I see.
No, no, it was the booze talking.
Evan was a ladies' man, that's hardly any secret.
But Kelly was barely 16 at the time,
and the idea is sick.
Yes.
George...
would it be out of line if I asked you if Evan
made any provision for Kelly in his estate?
Estate?
Jessica, that's very funny.
Evan put on a good show,
but he's been living off Doris for nearly eight years.
He hardly had a penny in his own name.
Oh. Oh, I see.
Hello, Jack, Kelly.
Well, hello again, Jessica.
Are you here to see my mother, Mrs. Fletcher?
No, actually, I came to see Marilyn.
I guess you heard.
She saw Eddie hanging around the boat
the night that your stepfather was killed.
Yes, well, I seriously doubt that.
Did you see Eddie that night?
Well, no. I mean, how could I have?
The night Evan was killed, I was at Jack's place.
That's right.
We were going over old yearbooks.
All evening.
I see.
Oh, by the way, when you do see your mother,
be sure to tell her how much I admire her selflessness
in hiring George Woodward to defend Eddie.
Mrs. Fletcher?
Oh, Marilyn.
Is there something I can help you with?
I hope you don't mind.
Sheriff Metzger told me that you had spotted Eddie.
And, well, I just can't believe that he's involved.
I know. I've always liked the little fellow myself.
Are you packing to go somewhere?
Yes, well, Kelly's pretty much taken over here.
There's really no need for me anymore.
It must be hard to leave such a lovely place.
You have such a magnificent view.
Mrs. Fletcher,
it didn't give me any pleasure to tell the sheriff what I saw.
I sure wish it had been anybody else.
You know, Marilyn...
I mean, you couldn't possibly have stared
at that boat all evening.
Is it possible that Mr. West had another visitor?
Like who?
Kelly, perhaps?
What would Kelly have been doing down there?
I don't know, really...
Mrs. Fletcher, when it comes to family business,
I make it a point to mind my own business.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a lot of things to do.
[door opening]
Jessica, what the hell are you doing here?
I'm trying to find the truth, Jack.
And I think the less you know, the better.
I'm not trespassing.
Kelly gave me permission to look around.
I was just being polite.
Look, why can't you leave well enough alone,
Mrs. Fletcher?
I think you know the answer to that more than I do.
Do you have any idea what prison would be like to Eddie?
But he won't go to prison.
George Woodward will get him off.
That's why my mother hired him.
You mean, that's why you asked your mother to hire him.
Oh, Jack.
I thought I could go through with this.
I can't.
Kelly, you don't have to tell Jessica a thing.
No. Yes, I do.
Look, I can't let anything happen to Eddie.
Mrs. Fletcher, you were right.
Eddie's innocent.
I killed Evan.
But I had to.
He was coming after me again.
Well, what do you mean, he was coming after you?
Just what it sounds like.
The same thing that had been happening eight years ago,
when I escaped the first time.
It must have been sometime after 9:00,
and, well, my mother had already gone to bed.
Evan, he was watching TV in the den.
Well, I wasn't very sleepy, so I came down here.
I, uh...
I was remembering all of the good times
that I had had on this boat with my father before he died.
Before Evan took it over.
I didn't realize that he had followed me.
Before I knew it, he had me backed into a corner,
and, well, he was all over me,
and he was trying to pull my cloak off.
I scratched at his arms and tried to push him away.
[Kelly grunting]
[Evan laughing]
[laughs]
Come on, come on.
[grunts]
[exclaims]
I guess I dropped the knife on the beach.
That's where Eddie found it the next day.
These come-ons were nothing new.
Evan went after Kelly the minute he married Doris.
So that's why you went away to school so abruptly.
I was terrified of him, Mrs. Fletcher.
I was so afraid that one day he'd get me alone.
Kelly, you told me
that you scratched Evan in the struggle,
on the arms?
That's right.
When the body was picked up,
Evan was wearing a long-sleeved red windbreaker.
The same as the one in that photograph in the cabin.
Yeah, I know the one you mean.
He kept it on the boat to wear when it got cold,
but he wasn't wearing that when he went overboard.
See, the windbreaker is only partially zipped up.
I mean, I just assumed
he was wearing it when he was stabbed.
Miss Barrett, this story of yours,
are you gonna swear to it in court?
Yes, I stabbed my stepfather, and I killed him.
Well, you did and you didn't.
Uh-oh, here we go again.
But, Mrs. Fletcher, I told you what happened.
Oh, you stabbed him, all right.
But it wasn't you who killed him.
Sheriff, I believe that Evan was only wounded,
and that he climbed back on board
the boat after Kelly left.
I found a smudge of blood near the peg
where his windbreaker must have been hanging.
Okay, let's say you're right.
West climbed back on the boat. Then what?
He was freezing cold.
He put on the windbreaker, then he went to find help.
But, of course, in his condition,
he didn't get very far.
Let's go.
[tires squealing]
[siren wailing]
But I didn't kill anyone.
Maybe yes, maybe no.
But I do know one thing. Eddie Frayne is innocent.
Well, maybe I was wrong about Eddie,
but if he didn't kill Evan,
I know who did, Kelly must have done it.
Evan never let her alone
whenever she came here to visit.
You know, Marilyn, that's odd.
You call Doris "Mrs. West,"
and you refer to your late employer as "Evan."
So what?
I'm trying to tell you that
I had nothing to do with Evan's murder.
Sheriff, looks like you were right.
Somebody did a good job of cleaning up in there,
but I got little bitty scrapings of blood
from half a dozen places,
including that wheelchair you told us about,
Mrs. Fletcher.
I'll have the test results in a day or so.
Thanks. Appreciate it.
How did you know?
Well, I... i didn't.
I mean, I wasn't sure.
But then I remembered you
scrubbing away at that wheelchair,
and it set me to thinking.
Even though Evan was badly injured,
he couldn't go to a doctor or a hospital.
Too many questions would be asked.
You were close by, a registered nurse.
I knew it was too good to last,
but I never thought it would end like this.
[sighs]
Evan was here, all right.
[knocking on door]
-Oh, Evan! -Help.
My God, what happened?
[groaning]
She stabbed me, the little... Oh, damn, it hurts!
Here, hold that real tight in there.
Take it easy, honey.
Everything's gonna be all right.
Who did this to you?
Kelly.
I don't know how I'm gonna talk my way out of this one.
You couldn't leave her alone, could you?
No, it wasn't that.
The hell it wasn't.
You've been trying to get her in a corner for years!
So what?
It's not like she's a kid anymore.
Oh, what the hell am I gonna tell Doris?
[scoffs]
I gotta think of something.
Maybe that damn brat will tell her mother everything.
Yeah, she just might do that.
Maybe it's all over for me.
Yes, Evan, maybe it is.
The wheelchair was full of blood.
I scrubbed and I scrubbed,
but I was afraid I hadn't gotten every trace.
I took it back up to the house,
and I kept polishing it.
But you knew that Kelly had stabbed him.
Why didn't you turn her in?
Why implicate Eddie Frayne?
I thought she'd already been through enough.
We had a good thing going, Evan and I.
But suddenly I just couldn't stand
the thought of him ever touching me again.
All right, heads up!
Thanks. All right!
[boys laughing]
Oh, it's so good to see Eddie enjoying himself again.
Go ahead. Keep running, Eddie!
Don't stop. Don't stop.
Don't stop!
[Seth laughing]
By the by,
I understand Father Molloy is thinkin' of retirin'.
Oh, I hadn't heard that.
Yeah, and Father Barnes most likely will be the one
to take his place.
Oh. Are you sure? He didn't say anything.
Well, it depends on whether the diocese allows
the old Marlowe place to be converted to a school or not.
A school?
Seth, where in the world do you hear all these things?
Well, I'll tell you, woman,
if you'd get your hair done once in a while,
down at Loretta's beauty parlor,
maybe you'd find out what was going on in this town.