These foreigners coming over here
and buying up our country piece by piece--
Well, they will not get the stuart dollar.
Who do I have to kill?
Your mother is an obstinate woman.
[Jessica] Tonight on Murder, She Wrote.
Mr. Stanton, I have nothing to say to you.
You can't expect to get away with this, you know.
Dad had you pegged years ago.
Too bad I didn't listen.
Yeah, there are times I wish you had.
Why are you so curious about my nephew's activities?
Am I?
Do you have a hearing problem, Sir?
Just a quick hello, nothing more.
[cheerful orchestral music]
[man] Well, as you might guess, Jessica,
that was a singularly satisfying evening.
The beautiful widow, having reverted
back to married status,
immediately heaped any and all available blame
on her husband, poor fellow. [laughs]
Last time I saw him,
he was actually looking forward to prison.
Well, that's all I have to report this time.
I do hope you're planning a West Coast visit soon.
It's been far too long.
In fact, the ladies of San Francisco
do not measure up to you in any department.
Love as always, Dennis.
In case you couldn't guess, my old friend Dennis Stanton
hates writing letters.
On the other hand, he loves the sound of his own voice.
Actually, this seems like a marvelous way
to keep in touch.
Many of you will remember Dennis
from the first time I met him.
His occupation was a little different then.
Jewel thief, second-story man, con artist.
I'm happy to say events conspired to turn him
into a very respectable member of the community.
His work habits haven't changed much,
but at least now he's working on the right side of the law.
What's the old bromide?
"Set a thief to catch a thief"?
Dennis doesn't have to bilk
the insurance companies anymore.
In fact, they pay him handsomely
to outwit other thieves.
In fact, he is such a dashing and unorthodox figure,
I'm half tempted to base one of my stories on him.
I confess that's actually not my idea,
but then, modesty was never one of Dennis' attributes.
Several months ago, he sent me this tape,
describing a case that he just solved.
And, very honestly, I'm intrigued.
Let's see what you think.
[Dennis] Jessica, darling, I have just finished up
the most fascinating adventure,
which I couldn't wait to tell you about.
It all started several days ago,
a few blocks from fisherman's wharf.
The pepperpot cafe.
Look, I only know what's written on the invoice,
and it says C.O.D.
I gotta have a check.
This is some sort of mix-up.
There's no mix-up, Sir. There it is.
I double-checked it before I left the warehouse.
No money, no lobster.
Just a moment.
Yes, what is it?
Excuse me, Mr. Douglas,
can I speak with you privately?
No, I'm busy.
Sir, it's just that
the delivery's here from the warehouse,
and they need a check.
For what? We always pay at the end of the month.
I told him that, Mr. Douglas.
Well, tell him again, Joey,
and please shut the door on your way out.
I don't want to be disturbed, you got that?
Yes, Sir.
Money, money, money, money.
Isn't money the root of most of our problems, Mr. Douglas?
Well, if you don't count my wife, my bad knees,
and my golf swing.
Look, Mr. Amini, you didn't come here
to drink my coffee and chat about my business problems.
But, in a way, I did.
You are probably aware that, for the past several weeks,
I have been attempting to buy from your mother
the famous Gilbert Stuart 1804 silver dollar.
You're the guy. She mentioned it.
By now you must know it's not for sale at any price.
Not at any price?
You and I know better than that, Mr. Douglas.
13 years ago, your late father paid
almost half a million dollars for that coin.
One of a kind, why not?
Since then, it doubled in value.
I'm willing to pay double that amount.
million?
Look, if you want to throw your money away,
how about investing in a struggling restaurant?
You know, at the time of your father's death
this was a thriving establishment.
But now, even the tourists are going elsewhere.
The trend does not inspire confidence.
I'm not sure why you're here, pal,
but I'm not interested.
Not even in ,000...
in cash?
A present from me to you.
Who do I have to kill?
[chuckles]
Your mother is an obstinate woman,
but perhaps open to persuasion from someone she holds dear.
I get it.
I talk her into selling you the stuart silver dollar.
And I give you 10% finder's fee.
Think it over, Mr. Douglas.
As I told your mother, I pay cash for the coin.
No one need ever know, not even your tax people.
Do I make myself understood?
Clearly, Mr. Amini.
Very clearly.
Thank you.
And I hope I'll see you again soon.
Mother, we're talking $2 million.
I already have $2 million.
Considerably more, in fact, as you very well know.
I mean, your father loved that coin
'cause it was part of our heritage.
I get so angry at these foreigners coming over here
and buying up our country piece by piece.
Well, they will not get the stuart dollar.
Not at any price.
Now shoo, darling, shoo,
and let me finish my gardening.
Pedro, I think we're gonna need
some more mulch on these beds, don't you?
Yes, ma'am. I'll get some from the garage.
Tough luck, sweetheart.
For once, the old schmaltz failed you.
Unbelievable.
Do you really need this, Andrea?
It's not even 2:00 yet.
It's a pre-dinner cocktail.
I was just getting a head start.
Oh, I talked to my dad about lending us some more money.
Yeah, and what did he say?
He was amused.
Did you tell him I intended to pay him back with interest?
That's what amused him most.
Lay off, Andrea.
You know, you've got it pretty good around here.
Oh, sure.
You mean living in this multimillion-dollar estate.
Course, it's not my husband's.
He can't even afford to put me up
in a two-bedroom townhouse in Daly City.
But then, as long as Mama's around
to take care of her little boy,
I guess I won't want for a damned thing.
Lucky me.
You know, dad had you pegged years ago.
Too bad I didn't listen.
Yeah, there are times I wish you had.
Let go of me, Lanny.
Sometimes I wonder why I stay in this lousy marriage.
Maybe I'm a masochist.
Or maybe you're afraid to admit to yourself
or to your dad that you made a mistake.
That too.
[chuckles]
Well, darling, much as I hate to deprive you
of my companionship this evening,
I have to spend the night in the city.
Oh, really? What's her name?
Is it one of my friends, huh?
Please, Lanny, spare me that. Make it someone I don't know.
It's business.
Oh, I'm sure it is. For her.
You know, if you call here tonight, I may not be here.
You're not the only one who knows how to play.
Lanny!
[ominous orchestral music]
[fuse fizzing]
[glass shattering]
Hey! What are you doing here?
Mr. Douglas?
Oh, I'm sorry, Sir.
I heard a noise and I thought it was a prowler.
[groaning]
[explosion]
I went over all of this last night, lieutenant,
with one of your other men.
Yes, ma'am. I'll try to be brief.
You say you heard the explosion around 3:00?
3:05, to be precise.
I'm a light sleeper,
and I thought I heard voices outside.
A man's voice in particular.
I looked at my watch and I thought
I must be dreaming.
I got out of bed and started towards the bathroom
and then I heard this tremendous
explosion downstairs.
I ran down the stairs
and found the safe had been blown open.
Well, I was terrified, naturally.
And I called you people immediately,
but I didn't know about poor Pedro
until one of your men found him later on the patio.
This safe, what do you keep in it?
Cash. A few thousand dollars.
Some jewelry, stock certificates, important papers,
and a very valuable silver dollar.
It's a collector's item.
Now, when you say very valuable--
It's worth over a million dollars.
Excuse me.
I just thought you'd like some coffee.
Oh, thank you, Grace. How nice.
Lieutenant, will you join me?
No, thank you. Excuse me, Mrs. Douglas.
I may have a few more questions for you a little later.
-Stanton! -Good morning, lieutenant.
Did you notice this marvelous William Merritt Chase?
I was sure it was hanging in a gallery in Boston.
You know, I don't get it.
Every time I get called in on a case,
there you are brightening up my life.
Oh, thank you, Perry.
And I was beginning to feel unloved.
What are you doing here?
The thief made off with a valuable coin
my firm had insured.
Right, a silver dollar.
Designed by Gilbert stuart, the noted portraitist.
Although the coin was commissioned by John Adams,
it was actually Thomas Jefferson
who finally brought it to--
Thanks for the history lesson.
The safe's in there.
Take a look, then get out of my way.
Oh, but I've looked.
I was waiting to speak privately
with Mrs. Douglas, if I may.
Make it quick.
Thank you so much, lieutenant.
And a cheery good morning to you.
[chuckles]
Excuse me.
Mrs. Douglas?
Yes?
Dennis Stanton, consolidated casualties.
Oh, yes, Mr. Stanton.
My sister, Grace Lambert.
-How do you do? -Charmed, miss Lambert.
I'm terribly sorry about your loss, Mrs. Douglas,
and especially the death of your gardener.
I want to assure you that we intend to do
everything humanly possible to retrieve your coin.
Thank you.
Tell me...
do you ladies live here in this house alone?
My son and daughter-in-law have been staying with us
for the past two years.
How lovely for you.
And they were here last night?
My daughter-in-law was.
My son was in San Francisco for the evening.
We finally located him.
He should be back any second now.
He was staying with friends or a hotel?
A hotel.
Excuse me, Mr. Stanton,
but why are you so curious about my nephew's activities?
[chuckles] Am I?
Were you?
Of course I was.
So what do you think it was? An inside job?
Without a doubt.
The mother's been hounded for the past several weeks
to sell the silver dollar for an exorbitant sum.
She refuses, despite pressure from her son.
Aha.
Now, the son is a man with a talent for bankruptcy.
Whereas his father managed to grow a mighty oak,
young Langston Douglas has managed
to whittle it down to a pile of toothpicks.
Ever eat at the pepperpot cafe?
Not if I can help it.
Good girl. Your palate is improving.
In any event, that once-thriving food empire
is under siege from the creditors
who are threatening to padlock the entire operation.
Yeah, but just because the guy's broke
doesn't mean he's gonna--
Rhoda, darling,
what's the last thing you do when you close your safe?
I wouldn't know.
The last safe I had
was a pink piggy
with a slot in its back.
Yes, well, the last thing you do is spin the dial.
But a curious thing--
The Douglas safe was blown apart with the dial still set
on the final digit of the combination.
Very odd.
And then there's the timetable.
Monica Douglas was awake when the explosion occurred,
and she rushed downstairs immediately.
There was no way that a thief could have blown the safe
and then ransacked it and then run through the door
to be confronted by the gardener.
No, no, no, no. No.
What is far more likely
is that Langston Douglas let himself into the house,
opened the safe,
rifled it and then, as he was leaving,
created the impression that someone had broken in.
You know, if you're right,
then this guy is also guilty of murder.
In which case, he'll hardly be disposed
to negotiate for the coin, will he?
Well, dear heart, the game is afoot.
Now, I want you to query the hotel personnel.
Find out when and if Douglas was observed
either leaving or returning to the hotel,
particularly during the early morning hours.
Then find out what you can about an Iraqi rug merchant
named Mahmoud Amini.
I think he's in the yellow pages.
Amini.
He's been pestering Mrs. Douglas for weeks
to sell that coin.
And on the off chance that Mr. Butler wants to know
where you are?
Tell him I'm off to confront the viper in his pit. Mm.
[tires screeching]
Mr. Douglas?
Excuse me.
Sorry, Sir, we don't open until 6:00.
Oh, actually, I'm here to see Mr. Douglas.
Sorry, he's not available.
Odd--The gentleman in the White hat said
that he was in the office.
And Mr. Douglas left orders not to be disturbed.
Ah, so he has someone with him.
I don't know.
Look, Mr. Stanton,
there's another entrance from the outside.
For all I know, he's got the Rose bowl queen
and her court in there.
And when a man says, "do not disturb,"
I do not disturb, okay?
Suppose I take responsibility?
[knocking at door]
Do you have a hearing problem, Sir?
Just a quick hello, nothing more.
Word of honor.
Mr. Douglas?
He seems to have stepped out.
Yeah, I guess so.
Now, how about you step out before I call a cop?
Of course.
Now, Mr. Stanton.
How long was he in here?
A couple of hours.
And no one went in or out?
Nobody I saw. Now, good-bye, Mr. Stanton!
Thanks so much.
You've been such a help.
Of course you haven't had any luck finding Lanny Douglas,
and I doubt if you will, at least not alive.
What are you talking about?
Homicide, intentional or otherwise, in his office,
sometime this afternoon between 2:30 and 4:30.
There's enough fresh blood on his carpet
to satisfy an undernourished vampire,
and a particularly gaudy golf trophy missing
from the shelf behind his desk.
I suspect someone may have mistaken Mr. Douglas' head
for a range ball.
Just because there's blood doesn't mean he's dead.
Oh, and by the way, as I drove up,
a late-model Lincoln, partial plate 2-B-R something,
final digit 4, came roaring out of the alley,
a man behind the wheel, not Douglas.
Stanton, what are you getting at?
Lieutenant, I have cast my pearls before you.
Don't ask me to string them for you too.
Dear heart, this is first-rate.
Mr. Amini sounds like a man of infinite resources
as well as limited scruples.
Well done.
Thank you.
So, what about putting in a good word for me
with the company training program?
Done, done, and done, Rhoda.
I've had no less than three conversations with Mr. Butler.
Obviously, my imprecations have fallen on deaf ears.
Still, I will try again at the first opportunity.
Word of honor.
Now, if you need me,
I'm seeing a man about a rug.
You have a discerning eye for beauty, Sir.
19th century, handmade in Baghdad.
And the workmanship is flawless.
20th century, machine-made in Taiwan,
and the blues are bleeding into the reds.
Not possible, Sir. Not possible.
I have a certificate of authenticity.
And I have several friends on the bunco squad, Mr. Amini.
And now that we have compared credentials,
let's talk business.
I'm interested in purchasing a coin from you.
Your reputation as a numismatist is legendary.
Oh.
I have a poor collection, Sir.
Nothing extraordinary.
Not even the 1804 Gilbert stuart silver dollar?
I'm afraid you are mistaken, Sir.
I possess no such coin.
Now, now, Mr. Amini,
if you will credit me with a little intelligence,
I'll do the same for you.
Last night, the home of Monica Douglas
was broken into by her son posing as a burglar.
At shortly after daybreak this morning,
Mr. Douglas was observed
entering the rear door of your premises.
I doubt if he was here to purchase
one of your Taiwanese knockoffs.
Again, Sir, you are mistaken.
The usual sentence for receiving stolen goods
is two to five years in the state prison.
For murder, it could be the rest of your life.
-Murder? -Lanny Douglas.
A depressingly distinct possibility.
You are not the police.
-The coin, Mr. Amini? -I don't have it.
Yes, Mr. Douglas did give me a coin.
If you want it, you can have it.
It's a fake, Mr. Stanton.
A cleverly forged counterfeit.
And when did you discover Mr. Douglas' duplicity?
Later this morning.
A fellow collector confirmed my suspicions.
I presume you had already paid Mr. Douglas in cash.
million neatly stacked in a briefcase.
I phoned him up immediately, of course.
Of course. And what was his reaction?
Outrage, or a fairly convincing facsimile.
He assured me he did not try to cheat me,
that the coin he sold me was the one
he has taken from the safe.
In fact, we agreed to meet here this evening
to iron the matter out.
Now, your suggestion that he may be dead
is distressing, Mr. Stanton.
Most distressing, indeed, to say the least.
[suspicious orchestral music]
[leaves rustling]
Mr. Butler's office.
I'm sorry, Mr. Butler's not available.
He's in with Mr. Stanton.
It's a fake, all right.
This was handmade, not minted from dies.
Hell of a job too.
Once again, Deirdre, I am indebted to you.
Well, I don't suppose that you would like
to convert that gratitude into, say, dinner for two,
some cozy place, like my dining room?
An invitation too tempting to ignore.
Let me call you.
Oh, Dennis, you've been threatening
to call me for over a year.
Friday night, 7:30?
Or next time,
you can authenticate your own damn coin.
[laughing]
-The price one pays. -Okay, okay, all right.
If that's a fake, who's got the real one?
Douglas.
Doubtful.
I'll give you something else to ponder, Robert.
Not only is the silver dollar missing,
but so, apparently, is Mr. Amini's
2 million in cash.
Mr. Stanton.
This is nice.
Early Cellini, I'd say.
-Is it authentic? -Of course.
Oh, very nice.
I'm sorry, Mr. Stanton,
but my sister is unable to see you just now.
She's worried about her son.
As I'm sure you're aware, he hasn't been seen
or heard from since early yesterday.
Perhaps if you were to call next time
instead of just popping in.
You don't like me much, miss Lambert, do you?
I wish I knew why.
You're mistaken. I hardly know you.
Oh, now, now, dear lady.
I can tell by the set of your chin.
Honesty is one of your greatest virtues.
If I've said anything to offend you, I do apologize.
Charm comes easily to you, Mr. Stanton.
Oh, I see. You distrust good manners.
In some people.
By the by, as I was arriving,
this gentleman was just Pulling out.
I thought I recognized him,
but the name flew right out of my head.
Raymond bascomb. He came to see his daughter.
Andrea's father.
Oh, of course.
Bascomb. Bascomb.
Let me see. Isn't he in advertising or something?
As I said, next time call first.
Good day.
Thank you.
[car horn honking]
Good morning, lieutenant.
You're looking particularly grim this morning.
Yeah, I guess I am.
I don't know how you do it, Stanton.
Lanny Douglas.
We just found him at the bottom of an arroyo.
Somebody had bashed his head in.
Couple of hikers found the body
this morning about 8:30.
He still had his wallet, $200 in cash,
an expensive watch, and a ring.
So robbery wasn't the motive.
And the silver dollar?
No sign of it.
-And the 2 million in cash? -That either.
Then I don't think we should be too quick
to rule out robbery as a motive.
What about Mr. Douglas' office?
Police searched it last night, top to bottom.
No sign of the cash or the coin.
So what do you think?
Amini went to the office to get his money back,
picks up the trophy, slam, bam, thank you, ma'am,
takes back his cash and the real coin.
Dramatically exciting, but totally
at odds with the facts.
Bascomb, bascomb, bascomb.
Here we are, here we are.
Bascomb and Tully advertising.
Want me to type up these notes?
Later, later.
Find out who else in that household
had money problems, and in particular,
the victim's aunt, Grace Lambert,
who's lived with them for 15 years.
-How do I do that? -Oh, dear girl.
The family travels in rarefied social circles.
That silly newspaper columnist,
the one who says I remind her of Lord Byron.
[laughs] Yes.
Well, you-- she'll tell you anything
if you ply her with enough flattery.
No. No, no.
Kissing up to rich old women is your thing.
I--Why--How--Why would she talk to me?
-Improvise. -Improvise?
Oh, thanks, Dennis. Thanks a lot.
Bring in the strobe light.
Okay, angle it down. Great. Great.
Cue the wind. Honey, look this way.
Great. Cue the pigeons!
Cue the pigeons! Cue the pigeons!
Never mind! Cut the wind!
What the hell is wrong with you people?
No, no, you heard right, Lou.
Yeah, I want the back cover, every issue through Christmas,
and I want an additional 5% off the cards.
Listen to me: bring in the strobe light...
Lou, Lou, you're not listening to me.
If you can't perform, I'll put my client
into the Sunday supplements.
Hold the pigeons! Now! No!
I said don't cue the pigeons!
God!
Somebody find me the producer!
What are you selling?
-Deodorant. -Oh, of course.
I should have realized. [chuckling]
Dennis Stanton, Mr. Bascomb.
Might you spare me a few minutes of your time?
-Do I know you? -No.
But we nearly ran into one another a couple of times.
I'm here in an official capacity, I'm afraid.
The murder of Lanny Douglas.
Yeah, I heard about that guy.
A tragic situation. And I was shocked, of course.
Of course.
And when did this shock occur?
Was that before or after you killed him?
What was that?
I came by to see Mr. Douglas yesterday afternoon
just as you were leaving.
Somewhat hurriedly, I might add.
Since the fresh blood indicated that
Mr. Douglas had been attacked in his office,
and the body was missing,
I leapt to the fanciful conclusion
that somehow you might be involved.
You're crazy.
I indicated as much to the police.
That is the car I saw you driving.
-Who'd you say you were? -Dennis Stanton.
Consolidated casualty.
Mr. Stanton, I have nothing to say to you,
now or in the future.
You can't expect to get away with this, you know.
The body in the trunk, for example.
No matter how hard you scrubbed,
they're still going to find traces of the victim's blood.
It is also my understanding
that the police are even now at the arroyo
where the body was found,
making plaster casts of your tire tracks.
[police sirens wailing]
Correction. They seem to have finished.
I was not happy with the way he treated my daughter.
I found him to be obnoxious, self-centered, untrustworthy.
Frankly, I liked to see as little of the man as possible.
Listen, how many times are we gonna
have to go over this, huh?
Until I like your answers.
What were you doing there? Why'd you go see him?
He wanted to borrow some money from me.
I went there to tell him no.
I think he got the message.
I didn't kill him.
Then why did you move the body?
And don't tell me you didn't
because we've got the blood samples,
we've got a match of your tire tracks,
and we've got an eyewitness who can put you at the scene
around the time of the murder.
[phone ringing]
What?
Dr. Tollman's here
from the coroner's office, Sir.
He says he has to speak to you privately.
Do yourself a favor.
Call a good lawyer.
While we have a moment,
you say you went to see your son-in-law about money,
but isn't it a fact that you didn't decide to go and see him
until you received a phone call
in your office around quarter to 4:00?
I don't remember any phone call.
It was from your daughter.
Your secretary recognized her voice.
No, that's not--
She sounded upset, nearly hysterical.
Then you left, although you had a meeting
with a very important client at 4:00.
My daughter had nothing to do with this.
Oh, on the contrary, Mr. Bascomb,
I think she had everything to do with it.
I think she killed her husband
and persuaded you to cover it up.
My daughter didn't kill anyone, either.
And incidentally, who elected you homicide detective?
No one. No one.
I'm looking for a missing coin and a missing briefcase.
I don't suppose you noticed both or either
when you came by to clean up the mess?
I told you.
And I told you I was there.
I saw you drive out.
So save the fairy tales for the lieutenant,
or better still, tell us both the truth.
[doorbell ringing]
Oh, Mr. Stanton. Good day, Sir.
Hello again, Phyllis.
I'm sorry, Mrs. Douglas and her sister are out
making the arrangements.
Yes, of course.
Actually, I came to see the younger Mrs. Douglas.
She's not here, either, Sir.
Phyllis, now, now.
Of course she is. I saw her at the window.
I'm sorry, Sir, they told me to say that.
No one's to see her. No one at all.
I have my instructions.
[sly instrumental music]
[knocking at window]
What do you want? Go away.
I can't.
Not while your father is being booked
for the murder of your husband.
May I come in?
I'd like to use your stairs.
That trellis is dangerous.
Thank you.
I knew he'd get in trouble.
All I wanted was advice.
I was so scared.
He told me he'd take care of it.
The police would never know.
That you'd killed your husband.
I still loved Lanny in spite of everything
he'd said and done.
I knew what he was, but...
we'd had a fight, and I went to patch things up.
He just laughed at me.
He told me he didn't need me anymore.
[sniffling]
Not me, not my father's money.
He said it was over.
He didn't need a lush for a wife anymore.
I'm sorry.
I suppose I was terrified
of ending up like his aunt Grace.
Alone, unmarried, unloved.
She blew her big chance ten years ago.
Well, I wasn't about to blow mine.
I suppose I knew from the start
that Lanny was only after my money.
After all, he had run through most of his own
and his mother's, until she'd had enough.
[sobbing] I don't know how it happened.
All of a sudden, I had that stupid trophy in my hand.
It was covered with blood,
and Lanny was lying on the floor.
I knew he was dead.
I ran out the rear door.
I guess no one saw me.
I am not gonna let my father
take the blame for this, Mr. Stanton.
Good girl.
Would you drive me to police headquarters?
Of course.
Just one thing.
Now, I want you to think very carefully.
While you were quarreling with your husband,
did you happen to see a brown Leather briefcase
somewhere in the room?
No, I really--
Yes, actually, I do remember.
It was on the floor alongside his desk.
Why? Does that mean something?
It may.
It wasn't there when your father came
to collect the body.
Go home, fellas. I'll close it up.
See you tomorrow.
[suspicious orchestral music]
Tell me, Mr. Freeman,
is that what they mean by frozen assets?
How did you get in here?
I cannot tell a lie.
I sneaked in unobserved before closing
and hid out in the basement.
That is Mr. Amini's $2 million in cash, I presume.
Correction. Joey freeman's $2 million.
And don't come any closer, Stanton.
I know all about your umbrella.
Not all, I'm afraid.
True, it does possess the attributes of a sword cane,
but if that were all it did,
it would be a very poor weapon indeed.
Ah!
It also makes an excellent club, Mr. Freeman.
Mr. Freeman?
Oh, well.
[sly orchestral music]
excuse me.
Somewhere between the time
that Andrea raced out of the office
and her father arrived,
the restaurant manager, Mr. Freeman, went in.
He discovered the briefcase full of cash
and, being a practical man, he quickly hid it away.
He also decided to let someone else discover your son's body.
When I appeared, I was like a gift from heaven.
Imagine his confusion, though, when we found the room empty.
What? I'm...
I'm sorry. I'm bad company today, Mr. Stanton.
The services for my son are this afternoon, you know.
An ordeal no mother should have to endure.
My heart goes out to Andrea, that poor child.
I know what Lanny put her through.
But I never dreamed it would end up like this.
Monica, I've made it extra strong,
just the way you like it.
Thank you, Grace.
You're not going to join us?
Oh, no, thank you. I've got so much to do.
Excuse me.
Your sister doesn't like me very much, Mrs. Douglas.
Grace doesn't warm easily to strangers.
-Cream? -No, thank you.
Perhaps I remind her of someone she once knew.
Jerome Woodward?
That was ten years ago.
Who told you about him?
It's part of my job to know who I'm dealing with.
Jerry Woodward was a particularly ugly
and unfortunate chapter in my sister's life.
Grace is an attractive woman, but she's hardly glamorous.
She'd almost resigned herself to spinsterhood
when Jerry appeared.
For over a year, it was very difficult for all of us.
Not for me.
I didn't find it difficult at all.
For several months, Mr. Stanton,
it was the happiest time of my life.
Then came the pain.
But even the pain is better than what I have now.
Oh, darling, have I hurt you?
Have I made you feel unloved, unwelcome?
Of course you haven't, Monica.
You've been wonderful.
I don't think you've ever had
a proper look at the grounds, Mr. Stanton.
May I show you?
I'd be delighted.
Excuse me.
You came to see me, didn't you?
You've figured it all out.
I think so.
Tell me about Jerome Woodward.
Oh. Well, there's not much to tell.
He was tall, handsome, dashing, charming...
a lot like you, Mr. Stanton.
[chuckling] Oh.
I'll take that as a compliment.
I was wined, dined, flattered, fawned upon.
If ever an ugly duckling was made to feel like a swan,
I was it.
But it wasn't long before he came after the money.
I had quite a bit in those days:
a trust fund from my father.
Jerry ended up with most of it.
Toward the end, I knew what he was doing.
But I didn't care.
I just wanted to buy a little more time with him
because I knew when the money was gone
that Jerry would be gone too.
Is that when he approached you about the coin?
Yes.
Yes, he knew all about the famous stuart silver dollar.
He said he needed money to invest in Oregon logging.
A friend of his promised that he would triple his money.
And he said he knew a silversmith
who could make a perfect copy.
No one need ever know that they'd been switched.
Jerry...
Jerry even showed me a photo of a little house
that he bought for us in the mountains.
A lie, of course, just like everything else.
Then one night I took the original
and I substituted the fake.
That was ten years ago. I haven't seen him since.
All these years, you persuaded your sister
not to sell the coin.
Yes.
So...
what now?
It's up to you and your sister.
My firm has no obligation, obviously.
And as for the police, the switching of the coins
is only a crime if they find out about it.
And they won't from me.
However, I do think you owe your sister an explanation.
Oh, I've already told her everything, Mr. Stanton.
As soon as the coin was found to be counterfeit,
I made a full confession.
She said it was her business and mine
and nobody else's.
You have quite a sister.
Oh, yes, I know.
Now, let me tell you something that I know.
Jerome Woodward was a fool of the first order.
[laughs]
That is very kind of you to say it.
Not kind at all. I'm very serious.
And believe me, miss Lambert, I am an expert.
In my business, you meet them all.
The long, the short, the venal and the vain.
I could tell you stories-- well, perhaps I will.
Would you be annoyed if I invited myself to lunch?
Well, no, of course not.
Excellent! [chuckling]
You know, you've just reminded me
of a circus performer I knew.
He was an ex-juggler and something of a ladies' man--
At least he thought he was.
[both laughing]