[Jessica] Tonight, on Murder, She Wrote.
Dana, what the hell are you doing?
You’ve made millions on illegal insider trading on Regitek stock.
This could be connected to the murder?
Take it out of my face.
Take it easy, the both of you.
Hello, this is Mrs. Fletcher.
Don’t go into your act. Not with me.
I have never lied to you, Mrs. Fletcher, not once, I couldn’t do that.
For once in her life, Dana’s actually telling the truth.
You are in terrible trouble.
Do you for one minute
think that any jury would hesitate to convict her?
I know I should have a better plan, Jessica,
but I’m just gonna take off
and point south and see what kind of job opportunities open up.
Well, I wish you the best, Dana.
Your work has been extremely valuable, most of it anyway.
Oh, listen, I’m sorry about that screw up last week,
but I’ve gone back over those judging procedures
for livestock at the New Hampshire state fair.
Good, you’d be amazed how many letters I receive
when even little things like that aren’t accurate.
Yes, I know. I spoke to Mrs. McCurdy again and got it all straight.
I felt like such a fool having to call her back.
Well, again, it’s been a real pleasure
and good luck on your publicity tour.
Well, thank you. Goodbye, Dana.
Thank you.
[phone ringing]
Hello?
[Helen] Helen McCurdy, Mrs. Fletcher-- -Hi.
New Hampshire state fair.
I double checked my phone records and my files
and I just can’t find any indication
that I’ve ever been contacted by a Dana Ballard.
Thank you, Mrs. McCurdy.
I am somewhat embarrassed to say
I haven’t checked your references as yet, miss Ballard.
However, they look excellent,
and now that you’re in town, I’ll get right into it.
For whatever it’s worth, there’s one
I haven’t had a chance to include.
Up until a week ago,
I had the pleasure of working as a personal assistant
to a mystery novelist up in Cabot Cove.
-Her name is-- -Cabot Cove?
You mean J.B. Fletcher?
You’ve been working with Jessica Fletcher?
Do you know her?
Well, only through her novels, which I devour.
All I can say is that
if the rest of my employment experiences
are half as pleasant,
I’m gonna consider myself very fortunate.
You know, she seems like such a fascinating person.
When I mentioned I was coming in for this interview,
she said you’re welcome to call her anytime.
Oh, I’d like that very much.
Well, here’s her number.
You know, it’s been my ambition
to be part of the securities business
for as long as I can remember.
Well, why don’t I call Mrs. Fletcher right now?
Oh, you know, she doesn’t take phone calls until after 3.00.
Of course, she’ll have a set routine.
My God, the self discipline that must take.
She’s incredible.
Every morning 5 AM,
she walks three miles, always the same route,
and then she has exactly
four cups of coffee before sitting down to her computer.
Fascinating.
Look, miss Ballard, why don’t you do me a favor
and don’t take any other position without calling me?
I promise I won’t, Mr. Stevens.
Morning, Mr. Stevens, yesterday’s reports.
Oh, and I thought you’d like to know
I sold Mrs. Buffom on that no load account.
That girl, is she--
I hope so, Todd.
One more week without an assistant
and I’m gonna sink under all this paperwork.
And my first stop is Portland,
interview with Terence Gideon of Wedgewood Publications.
Isn’t he the man who hates mysteries?
Well, look at it this way, Jess,
you’ll get a free dinner
in one of the hottest restaurants in New England.
Atlantis is supposed to be absolutely fabulous.
Jessica, tell me are you feeling all right?
Perfect, why do you ask?
Please don’t get me wrong,
I mostly love this latest draft and my edits are minimal,
but I have to say some of your research is--
well, it’s uncharacteristically sloppy.
Uh-oh, I was afraid of that. Where?
Well, for instance,
you have Inspector Davidson saying
the FBI was established in 1926.
I happen to be editing a book about the Bureau,
it was actually started in 1908
and there are several other places.
[car horn honking]
Uh-oh, there’s my cab.
Look, I am really sorry about this, Gloria,
and I take full responsibility.
If you’ll give me your notes on any other mistakes that you pick up,
I will go through the entire manuscript
while I’m on the road, okay?
[phone ringing]
[Jessica on answering machine] Hello, you’ve reached Jessica Fletcher,
I can’t come to the phone just now,
but if you leave your name and number--
[beeps]
[robot voice] Record message now.
Hello, this is Jessica Fletcher’s machine.
I’m out of town for a few days
but I’ll be picking up my messages,
so be sure to leave yours after the beep
and I’ll get back to you.
Thank you.
...yours at the sound of the beep and I’ll get back to you.
Thank you.
Mrs. Fletcher, this is Ethan Stevens in Portland.
555-6750.
I’d appreciate it if you’d get back to me
at your earliest convenience.
Dana Ballard suggested I call you.
Thanks.
Now look, honey, believe me,
I have no intention of letting Baker push me around.
Well, you certainly had me fooled.
Besides there may not even be a problem.
And what if you are wrong, Ethan?
Okay, okay, if I am,
then we’ve got some time so I can think out our options
which I can’t do with you haranguing me.
Missy, what I need right now is your support.
Poor baby.
You really do have all the pressure.
But I don’t wanna have to move to Rio or the Bahamas,
or wherever we might have to go.
I like it here.
Oh, yeah, I know. So where is it tonight?
I made reservations at Atlantis, 7:30.
Hello, this is Jessica Fletcher’s machine.
[Ethan] Mrs. Fletcher, this is Ethan Stevens in Portland. 555-67--
[woman] Good afternoon, Ethan Stevens’ office.
Hello. This is Mrs. Fletcher.
May I please speak with Mr. Stevens?
[Todd] Well, we're programmed to sell the Down XXX when it reaches 14 3/8
and we're recommending a buy in the Eltin Municipals
as a conservative measure.
Sorry, Todd, I can’t deal with it now.
-But you said -- -Some other time. Okay?
Yes, yes, Mrs. Fletcher.
You know, from my brief meeting with Dana,
I sense that myself.
Yeah. Definitely.
And really, Mr. Stevens,
that’s almost the least of her virtues.
I can tell you, quite honestly, that Dana Ballard is a truly
remarkable young woman.
Well, coming from someone like yourself, Mrs. Fletcher,
that’s quite an impressive recommendation.
Ethan, we have to talk.
In a second, damn it.
Mrs. Fletcher, I thank you very much
for your time.
A pleasure, and by all means,
call me anytime you’re in Cabot Cove.
Baker, I’ve done absolutely nothing improper.
Your informant doesn’t know what the hell he’s talking about.
Neither do you.
Let me spell it out for you.
You’ve made millions on illegal insider trading
at Regitek stock
and now you’re going to the SEC voluntarily
-before they come after you. -Forget it.
And tell them the truth that it was you, you alone.
Now you offer to give back everything you made on the transactions,
you’ll probably get no more than nine months
in a minimum security country club.
Baker, I have no intention of doing any of this.
Shut up, Ethan, there’s another piece.
I’ll buy you out,
that way we’ll at least give the appearance
of cleaning house.
Don’t worry, I’ll make it worth your while.
The answer is go take a--
Let me put it in another way,
you have 48 hours
or I go to the Securities Exchange Commission
and tell them I just discovered your crimes.
And you’re positively aghast that this sort of thing has been going on
right under your nose.
Something like that, yes.
I repeat, 48 hours.
Au contraire, Mrs. Fletcher,
I find your books surprisingly literate.
I simply find mysteries tedious.
Cardboard one-dimensional characters
who’s sole function is to service the plot.
I mean, who cares
how someone got into a locked room
and committed a murder?
I certainly appreciate your candour, Mr. Gideon,
but I really don’t believe that you have read any of my books.
What do you mean? Of course I’ve read your books.
My novels are character based.
I mean, a group of people, hopefully interesting,
in conflict with each other
who find themselves in a situation
where a murder or murders take place.
I mean, like you--
Mrs. Fletcher.
Jessica, Ethan Stevens.
I really enjoyed our little chat this afternoon,
but I must say it’s such a delight
to finally meet you face to face.
I mean, if I’d known that out of town meant Portland,
I would have arranged to take you to dinner.
-Mr. Stevens-- -This is my wife, Missy.
Hello.
My partner, Baker Lawrence.
As I said, I really appreciate you taking the time.
Miss Ballard is certainly gonna owe you one.
Dana Ballard?
I’ve already hired her.
Mr. Stevens --
Excuse me, Mrs. Fletcher,
it seems we are already late for our sitting.
You know how it is with these trendy restaurants.
Well, for someone who doesn’t know many people in Portland
you certainly seem to be acquainted with the right ones.
Do you know that man?
Mrs. Fletcher, Ethan Stevens
is one the town’s most prominent stock brokers.
You promised that nothing like this would happen.
My name has got to be kept out of it--
Fine. Okay, just please--
Sit down now, let’s talk about this.
You were saying, Mr. Gideon?
[Dana] Oh, you don’t have to worry about me, Mr. Stevens.
I have enough reading and catching up
to last me till Christmas.
And Mr. Merlin’s been so helpful.
That’s splendid.
Well, I’ll look in on you later
after I take care of some business.
Great.
It’s me.
Well, we have serious problems.
About 16 million of them.
Oh, Jessica, I wasn’t expecting you so early.
Thank you, Mr. Merlin.
Anytime.
May I get you some coffee?
No, thank you.
All I want is an explanation,
which I hope you can give me,
before I go and speak to Mr. Stevens.
As I said when you called, I’m absolutely mystified.
There must be some sort of misunderstanding.
I hope that’s all it is.
I did give your name as a reference
but I can’t understand
why he’d have thought he had spoken to you
when he hadn’t.
I suppose it’s possible he’s confused, or--
Or what, Dana?
Or, for some reason, he’s lying.
Well, since you raised the subject,
there were a number of instances in Cabot Cove
when you lied to me. So I think it’s quite possible--
Wait a minute, I lied to you? Jessica, I wouldn’t do that.
Dana, how can you say that?
Most recently, you purposely gave me incorrect research
on the New Hampshire state fair and then there was--
[buzzing]
An orientation meeting,
I just can’t afford to miss it. Look...
I feel terrible that you think I’ve been
any less than 100% truthful with you.
I had no idea.
Well, I should have brought it up at the time
but I suppose I wanted to believe
they were simply mistakes or oversights.
Well, I’m sure there’s a simple explanation for all of it.
And for starters, I’ll talk to Mr. Stevens
and have him get back to you before the end of the day.
All right?
Well, I’d really appreciate that.
Yeah, we’ve got trouble.
Tonight, but--
All right, if you say so.
Oh, you’re going to be a good one, miss Ballard.
I’m not sure I know what you mean, Mrs. Stevens.
My heavens, you’ve really put
the whole package together, haven’t you?
I’ve really got to get home.
I know you do, darling. Come along, I’ll walk you out.
And while you’re en route, you might like to chew on a couple of things.
For starters, in case you are not already up to speed on office gossip,
Ethan and I don’t have your basic honeymoon relationship--
Mrs. Stevens, I--
Do not, repeat, do not be misled.
I don’t know what you mean.
No, don’t go into your act. Not with me.
All right, fine, Mrs. Stevens,
you’ll forgive me if I’m a little overwhelmed
but I assure you, I’m here for one thing
and that is to learn everything I can
about the securities and investment business.
I find that commendable, Dana.
However, while you are absorbing it all at my husband’s feet,
keep in mind that though I may regard him
as one of the major clowns of the western world,
he is my very own major clown.
Does he know you feel this way?
Oh, like a third grader knows the pledge of allegiance.
Well, look, I appreciate you sharing this with me and--
I sincerely hope you do appreciate it, miss Ballard.
Dana?
What the hell are you doing?
No, don’t.
[gunshot rings]
Small amount of blood indicates victim died almost instantly.
Bullet apparently passed right through the pump.
Fifteen years I’ve been doing this.
Every time I ask for a transfer they give me a promotion.
Mrs. Fletcher, you were gonna tell me why you’re here.
Oh, I came to see Mr. Stevens on a business matter.
All right,
the securities room inventory checks out,
so apparently it wasn’t a robbery or-- didn’t look that way.
Listen, do you happen to know where Mr. Stevens kept his electronic gizmo?
The card key that led him in the securities room.
Now be careful with that.
Yeah, don’t worry about it.
What a disaster.
We’re losing our biggest clients
faster than you can answer the phone.
Lieutenant, do you have any idea who--
No, not really.
We did find a couple of interesting items though.
We dug a bullet out of the door frame,
and, oh, yeah, we found this along the bottom edge
of the victim’s desk,
a small quantity of blood and hair,
as if somebody bumped his head.
You know, your partner had nice taste.
This desk must be, what, a couple of hundred years old?
Jasmine wood.
Ah.
Ridiculously soft,
but valuable like everything else in here.
Excuse me, Mr. Lawrence,
you have a phone call from Mel Benict’s pension fund.
Another one.
You know, I’d kill for a desk like this.
Ah, you know what I mean.
I do, lieutenant.
[knock on door]
I’m coming!
-Mrs. Fletcher? -Yes.
-We have to talk. -Pardon me.
Vincent Polaski, I’m an attorney.
The court appointed me to defend Dana Ballard.
Dana’s been--
She’s been arrested
for the murder of Ethan Stevens.
Well, what made--
-Well, they found a gun in a storm drain
not too far from the scene.
Her prints were on it
plus there were traces of her blood and hair.
Oh, yeah, where she hit her head on Mr. Stevens’ desk.
Yeah, well, the cops were running down
a list of all the employees,
and since her name starts with a "B",
and she just started there, they got to her pretty early on.
And the paraffin test?
Positive, she fired the gun.
Mr. Polaski, I have less than ten minutes
to catch my train to Boston.
Look, I really don’t think there’s anything
that I can tell you that will help in your defense of Dana.
I’m not looking for a character witness here.
She told me that the two of you
had a couple little misunderstandings.
Well, that is an interesting way to put it.
Look, I need your help in another way.
As you probably noticed,
social skills are not exactly my strong suit.
I-I tend to alienate certain people.
I can understand that. Yes.
Yeah, like judges, and police, and prosecutors, etcetera, etcetera.
And well, the public defender’s investigation team,
who I might add are a bunch of
bureaucratic incompetents anyway, they pretty much--
Why are you telling me all this?
Well, because normally it’s not a problem,
I have a local PI that I use.
Well, that’s wonderful. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have--
Actually, you know what, let me-- let me give you a hand with this, okay?
-Oh, thanks. -All right.
-Okay. -Here we go.
Thank you.
See the thing of it is, this PI...
well, he’s been missing for about a week
and then this morning he shows up in a drying out clinic
outside of Banger and then they wanna keep him there for ten--
Stop right there, Mr. Polaski.
You mean you want me to do investigative work
for you so that you can defend Dana Ballard?
Yeah, that’s pretty much the size of it.
Look, Mrs. Fletcher, I’m not stupid,
I know that Dana has kind of a problem telling the truth.
Kind of?
But that doesn’t make her a murderer.
Mrs. Fletcher, nobody is looking out for her
and she is entitled to the best defense I can give her.
She said she didn’t do it and that’s all I wanna know.
Look, Mr. Polaski, I really admire
your commitment and your compassion.
But I am not an attorney nor am I a saint.
Okay, okay.
Just suppose that for once in her life
Dana’s actually telling the truth
and they convict her anyway and she goes to prison
for a crime she didn’t commit
all because you couldn’t spare a day,
maybe two, to help her.
I mean, could you really live with that?
Thought you might see it my way.
Not quite, Mr. Polaski.
What I see is, is so pat, so open and shut that I’m curious.
All right, I will speak to Dana,
and on the off chance that she can go for five minutes without lying,
maybe I will try to help her.
I was asleep in my motel room,
and I have absolutely no idea
how those tests could indicate that I fired a gun.
And the bump on your head?
I’d lost an earring.
I was looking for it under his desk during the lunch hour.
Mr. Stevens came in and surprised me.
When I turned to get up--
I suppose he talked to you about the mix up.
-No, he didn’t. -He didn’t call you?
Oh, come on, Dana, you promised.
Mr. Polaski, I’m telling you the truth.
I told Mr. Stevens
about our conversation like I said I would.
He looked and checked the number that he had called.
Turns out he talked to a stranger in Bar Harbor.
I don’t think that’s true, Dana.
Jessica?
I checked my answering machine, Dana.
Someone had replaced the announcement message.
I believe it was you.
I don’t know how you could think that of me.
I have never lied to you, Mrs. Fletcher, not once.
I couldn’t do that to you.
Dana, you said you bumped your head
when you turned to see Mr. Stevens?
That’s right.
So your back was to the door to his outer office.
That’s right, why?
What’s the matter, Mrs. Fletcher?
Vincent, the knee hole in Ethan Stevens’ desk
goes clear through from one side to the other.
So?
Her blood and her hair
were found on the other side
from the door to his office.
Why would she lie about that?
I might have your answer right here, Polaski.
The college that miss Ballard supposedly graduated from,
not only didn’t she get a diploma,
she hadn’t attended classes in the past two years.
Oh, Polaski, your buddy Hastings wants to see you ASAP.
Look, Vincent...
...anyway you cut it, she is going over.
If you force us to trial, I’ll demand life and I will get it.
You play the manslaughter, she’ll be out before she’s 30.
Stuff it, Bruce, she didn’t do it.
Oh, God, here we go again.
All right, that’s it. Forget it.
You just blew your last chance.
You know, Mrs. Fletcher, I don’t know if you realize this
but this man is the embodiment of what’s wrong
with our criminal justice system.
The reason our courts are clogged up with unnecessary trials.
And the streets are full of people that should have been locked up long ago.
That wasn’t the impression that I got from Mr. Polaski.
Well, of course not.
And I’m sure that in conning you into this
with all that bleeding heart sincerity of his,
he’s painted a similarly distorted picture of the case against Dana Ballard.
Mr. Hastings, if I were satisfied that she were guilty,
I will assure you I wouldn’t be here.
As a matter of fact, perhaps you could clear up a couple of questions?
My pleasure.
Well, for example, the bump on her head.
I thought you were going to ask something difficult.
She bumped it while searching under his desk
for the key card of the securities room.
But that prompts me to another question.
If she only started working there that morning, how would she have known--
She’s a quick study.
She’d already been in Ethan Stevens’ office several times,
she learnt that the securities room is full of bearer bonds.
And the gun, to whom was it registered?
Untraceable. The numbers have been altered.
She probably bought it on the street somewhere.
Now come on.
Look, we have got means,
motive, opportunity, fingerprints,
paraffin tests, hair and blood samples that proves she was there
and a girl who’s probably never told the truth in her entire life.
Now, Mrs. Fletcher,
you are presumably a sensible woman, so I will ask you,
do you for one minute, in your wildest fantasy,
think that any jury would hesitate to convict her?
I’m afraid that Mr. Hastings has a point, Vincent.
I mean, this may be one time--
No, no, Mrs. Fletcher.
Look, I’m not pleading Dana guilty to anything.
I mean, you halfway believe she is innocent.
Halfway.
But proving even that much
in the face of all of that evidence.
I mean, your belief in Dana,
there’s more to it than her simply having told you that she didn’t do it,
isn’t there?
Mea culpa.
That could get in the way of you doing what’s best for her.
That’s why I came to you.
There’s, I don’t know, just something about her.
Not that my instincts towards women are all that great.
I mean, my love life has been some kind of a disaster.
I don’t know, when I first saw her there,
just sitting there all by herself, and--
All by herself.
She comes to Portland, she gets a job--
-Yeah, but not just any job. -Exactly.
Now suppose she was working with someone,
someone who was getting things ready for her,
someone who was already with Stevens and Lawrence.
Oh, okay. No, wait a minute.
How could they possible know there would be a job opening?
Of course.
They fixed it so that Ethan Stevens
has to fire his assistant to make way for Dana.
Vincent, I wonder how we could get a look at their employment records
without alerting anyone over there.
I think I might know someone who could help,
if you don’t mind bending the rules a little bit.
Hi, Wanda, it’s me.
Listen, I got a little job for you.
[Jessica] Bending the rules a little?
I mean, isn’t this invasion of privacy?
Well, actually it’s kind of moot.
Yeah, what Vin is saying is
the way the government’s got their nose in our business
does anyone have any privacy to invade?
Excuse me, Jessica,
actually that’s what my grandmother is saying.
What I am saying is it’s probably better
if you don’t ask how she’s accessing this stuff.
Is he terrific or what.
Wanda, will you stop please?
I bet him 20 he wouldn’t talk you into this.
Well, there it is.
Patricia Corman, executive assistant to Mr. Stevens.
Terminated voluntarily on the 14th,
that’s ten days ago.
Reason: relocation.
So she wasn’t fired.
Well, maybe we could talk to her.
Forget it. I checked.
Moved out the next day, no forwarding address or number.
Have you found that other information I wanted?
Oh, right.
There.
One other employee from Vermont.
From Gresham’s Notch.
Gresham’s Notch.
May I use your phone?
[knock on door]
Hi.
As I said on the phone, we’re closed today.
Well, on account of poor Mr. Stevens.
I understand, Todd,
and I appreciate your letting me in.
The only reason I’m here is
I have this customer over in Blue Hill
that I’m supposed to execute an order for.
I was just setting him up on the computer.
You know, I feel really terrible about
what happened to Dana.
She seemed like a nice person.
Hope you can get her off.
So do I.
Exactly what were you looking for?
Some answers that you might be able to supply me with.
You were Dana’s inside man, weren’t you, Todd?
I--I don’t know what you’re talking about?
I checked with your hometown, Gresham’s Notch, Vermont.
It happens to be near Livingston where Dana comes from.
Mrs. Fletcher, I have never met Dana until yesterday.
It turns out there’s an area high school
that serves both towns,
where you and Dana were classmates
and I’d guess you’ve stayed in close touch ever since.
Look, I had nothing to do with Mr. Stevens.
Well, Mrs. Fletcher, what would you be doing here?
I-I-I’m really sorry, Mr. Lawrence, Mrs. Stevens.
I talked Todd into letting me in.
There were a couple of details about the crime
that I wanted to double check.
Well, your apology, such as it is, is not accepted.
What she means is--
What I mean is, that in view of the fact
that you are working on behalf of that little witch
who murdered my husband, I want you out of here now.
I’m sure you can understand that
Ms. Stevens is not quite herself today.
Of course. You have my utmost sympathy, Mrs. Stevens,
but if I may, would either of you happen to know
anything about the circumstances
surrounding Patricia Corman’s departure from her job
as Mr. Stevens’ assistant?
She made some costly mistakes,
I think that the final straw for Ethan was
when she started stealing from petty cash.
I don’t think that she did any of those things, Mr. Lawrence.
The time date entry on miss Corman’s computer file
indicates that it was amended less than a week ago,
probably by you, Todd,
to conceal the real reason for her dismissal
and the fact that you had set her up.
Okay.
It was so that we could get at those negotiables on the securities room.
But murder.
Everything Todd Merlin has told you is a lie.
Oh, dammit, Dana. Will you get real?
But I am. I’m telling you the truth.
Dana, listen, I’m gonna say one thing
and then I’m finished.
You are in terrible trouble.
Now we, Vincent and I, are all you’ve got.
Look, what she’s laying on you
is either you level with us, I mean, all of it
or both of us are out of here. Period.
And you and Todd Merlin can both take the fall
for Ethan Stevens’ murder.
You’ve got five seconds.
My mother died when I was little
and my father raised me.
He is the sweetest man, except that he is ill.
He’s had three heart attacks
and he doesn’t know anything about...
about my problem, any of it.
Mrs. Fletcher, I am sorry, the lying,
I can’t help myself, I have never been able to.
The police psychologist described it as borderline psychosis
and he feels that it’s treatable.
Todd found out about my father’s condition
and he threatened to tell him everything,
about me, the lies.
It would kill him.
So you felt you had no choice.
Todd told us that he’d learnt the security system.
And on the night of Ethan’s death,
when it was obvious you were going to speak to him,
Todd said we had no choice but to go forward.
So you entered Ethan Stevens’ office alone?
To get the card key.
Todd was down the hall at the securities room
waiting to disable the cameras.
And then Stevens unexpectedly showed up.
I turned, saw him in the doorway
and that’s all I can remember till I woke up on the floor.
Somebody must have hit me.
Todd was long gone
so I ran out of there as fast as I could,
dumped the gun and went back to my motel room.
So even your coming to work for me in Cabot Cove,
that was part of your plan, wasn’t it?
Todd found out that you were Ethan’s favorite author.
The killer was already there when you came in,
probably waiting for Ethan Stevens to show up.
So it might have been someone he knew.
Dana, try to remember, did you see or hear anyone,
any movement when you walked into the office?
No, it was pretty dark in there.
I went right over to his desk,
I was about to pick up his lamp to get the card key
and there was stuff leaning against it.
You know, papers, his bag, files.
His desk was a mess
and I just was about to move them when--
You believe me, don’t you?
Yeah, we do.
So now what?
Finally getting her to tell the truth is one thing,
proving her innocence, quite another kettle of fish.
Polaski, you ready to talk?
Oh, yeah, sure, about dropping the charges?
You are out of your mind.
Vincent, be reasonable.
No, no, I’m gonna have you brought up on charges
of irresponsibility to your client,
unprofessional conduct.
Gabe, get this guy out of my face.
All right, come on, take it easy, the both of you.
All right, all right. Now look.
She’s got no record, she’s psychologically impaired.
Well forget murder, we’ll go involuntary manslaughter.
She’ll be out in four years.
-Come on, we got a deal? -No.
Mrs. Fletcher, she is soft in the head.
Talk to him, will you please?
We’ve got a confession from Todd Merlin
admitting conspiracy to this entire thing.
Excuse me, Mr. Hastings,
I think that I may be able to prove
that there was a third person in Ethan Stevens’ office
when he was killed.
The person who actually murdered him.
[Wanda] You wanna know what I think, Vini?
I think that you really ought to give some thought
to what Bruce Hastings in offering.
I know you like this girl but--
Wanda, please, will you just chill out?
I just said I feel sorry for her.
It doesn’t mean we’re engaged.
What is it, Jessica?
Well, I can’t help wondering
what Mrs. Stevens and Mr. Lawrence were doing
in her husband’s office this afternoon,
the day of his funeral.
This might throw a glow on it.
It came in a little while ago.
It’s a friend of Wanda’s from the old protest days.
She is for the public advocacy outfit in DC, picks up rumors.
She saw Portland and Ethan Stevens
and wondered if I knew him.
An SCC investigation of Ethan Stevens?
He buys two million shares
of a small growth company called Regitek,
one week before the stock jumped $8.
That’s some serious money.
Not to mention seriously illegal,
if he had inside information.
The guy would probably break it up
into a lot of little transactions,
you know, phony accounts, dummy companies.
Yes, but there’d be records
that his wife and his partner might want to conceal.
Are you thinking that this could be connected to the murder?
I’m thinking that it’s essential
that we get another look at Mr. Stevens’ office.
Shh!
Vincent, are you sure this is legal?
Yeah, I told you I got Baker Lawrence’s key.
I’ll get the lights.
No, why don’t we just use this?
But you said--
Oh, God.
Vincent, you lied to me.
No, I never said Baker gave me his key.
Dana told me where he left a spare.
Under the bumper of his car.
Yes, but you’re an officer of the court,
you could get disbarred for this.
And an innocent girl could go to prison for murder.
I don’t think we’re going to have to worry about that anymore.
Just as I thought.
Smooth as silk, not a dent in it.
Are you sure?
Watch.
I don’t know why I didn’t think of it before.
Mr. Lawrence made the point
that jasmine wood’s unusually soft.
If Dana’s head had bumped hard enough to break the skin,
there would most certainly be an indentation.
Okay, so who is the third party,
the one that clocked her and killed Stevens?
And why was he killed?
Damn, it’s probably right here in front of us.
Right in front of us.
No, it isn’t...
but it was.
I’m sorry, you’re losing me here.
Vincent, I think I'll know who it was
if the next two phone calls turn out the way I expect.
Would you happen to have lieutenant Rodino’s number?
Yeah, sure.
It’s 555...
7301.
Yes, lieutenant Rodino?
This is Jessica Fletcher.
I was wondering if Vincent and I might stop by
and take a look at those murder scene photos?
[knock on door]
Beer?
I knew it was only a matter of time
before you’d sink to something like this.
Oh, what, you’re offended ’cause
this isn’t as classy a crime as insider trading?
Save the judgments, Hastings, okay?
You got the money?
Yeah, the whole 250,000.
But how’d you figure out I was Ethan’s partner?
Oh, I wouldn’t worry about it, pal.
Listen, if we ever bump into each other
on Ipanema Beach, I’ll tell you all about it.
You didn’t really think I was gonna let you blackmail me, did you?
Couldn’t be any dumber than you thinking
you were gonna get away with murder.
Well, the only downside
is that you’re never going to make it to Rio.
Neither are you, Hastings. Freeze.
Oh, good, lieutenant,
you couldn’t have dragged that out a little longer.
I’m placing you under arrest
for the murder of Ethan Stevens.
You have the right to remain silent,
you got the right to an attorney.
I’d be happy to stipulate
that you read them to me, Gabe,
only it’ll never come to that.
I wouldn’t bet on it, Brucy.
Forensics just IDd the murder gun, Bruce.
Metallurgy tests revealed the original numbers
from a case you tried five years ago.
You signed it out of the evidence locker and you never put it back.
Which is one of the reasons that you were so desperate
to get Vincent to accept a plea bargain.
Plus, we’ve been checking with various banks.
So far we’ve confirmed
half a dozen of your accounts between here and Florida.
Almost two million of the roughly eight
you took out of that insider deal.
How the hell did you make the connection?
It was rather fragile, Mr. Hastings.
One that didn’t come together
till I remembered Dana Ballard’s
description of Mr. Stevens office
the night of the murder when she entered it
not realizing that you were there.
She said she saw a man’s hand bag.
I went right over to his desk,
I was about to pick up his desk lamp to get the card key
and there was stuff leaning against it.
You know, papers, his bag, files.
And yet, I recall that when I’d entered his office
the morning after the murder,
there was no men’s handbag on his desk.
She’s right, I double checked those crime scene photos.
But when Vincent and I visited your office,
I saw a leather handbag on your desk.
Mrs. Stevens confirmed that her husband
didn’t carry one, so it seemed most likely
that the one Dana saw was yours.
Oh, and then I recall seeing Mr. Benson from Regitek
apparently heading for your office.
I didn’t think much about it then,
but later, it seemed to be a link.
You, Mr. Benson, and Ethan Stevens
and the insider trading in Regitek stock.
And I suppose that little wimp
caved in the moment you spoke to him.
How did you and Benson get together anyway?
About six months ago, Benson gave us
a deposition in a design theft case, that had something to do
with a revolutionary new chip they were working on.
So you called your friend Ethan Stevens
and suggested that in exchange for half the profits
you could let him in on something big,
with a proviso that your name be kept out of it.
I figured Saul could be bought.
I was right.
And then Ethan told you
there might be an SCC investigation
and he might have to implicate you.
So you shot him and framed Dana Ballard.
Ethan didn’t simply threaten to implicate me,
he demanded part of my share.
I arranged to meet him at his office.
I told him I’d bring the money.
We’re both members of the downtown squash club
so I borrowed his keys out of his locker and I made copies.
[Bruce] I arrived a few minutes early and let myself in.
I was just putting my bag on the desk
and then the strangest thing happened.
The door opens and in walks this young woman.
She comes right toward where I’m hiding.
I was beginning to panic
and suddenly...
Dana.
What the hell are you doing?
No, don’t.
[Bruce] I noticed the young woman’s blood
and I realized I had a chance to frame her.
I wiped some on my glove
and smeared it on the edge of Ethan’s desk.
And then I placed the gun in her hand,
squeezed the trigger,
fired a round into the wall.
Listen, Bruce, you know,
I’d be happy to defend you on this.
Of course, no plea bargains, you know.
This is actually one trial I’d enjoy losing.
[Dana] And I’ve already started my therapy, Mrs. Fletcher.
Well, that’s wonderful, Dana.
The doctors say it may take a couple years.
But by then she’ll have her college degree
and she can come work for me.
That’ll give Wanda some time to kick back,
travel, that sort of thing.
Too bad it’s gonna be so long.
I mean, there’s a big peace march
in Washington next week that’s really got me jazzed up.
Jessica, did I tell you
my Vini was brilliant or what?
He solves the case, he gets the girl,
I mean, with a little help from you.
Wanda, would you zip it please?
Oh, just think what he’d be if he’d only get a haircut.
Look like a regular person.
But no, no, he’s got to be different.
I don’t know where he gets it from.
I don’t know either, Wanda, but I wouldn’t change a thing.