I would do anything to help my son.
Can't Steve's father help?
Your husband and I were more than just friends.
Steven is Frank's son.
[Jessica] Next on Murder, She Wrote.
You're a terrific lady.
Jessica,
there's absolutely no indication that it was Frank's child.
Did Frank have an affair with Nancy Landon in Korea?
Some guys found comfort wherever they could find it.
Is Steve Frank's son?
Do you want to know the truth?
[cheerful orchestral music]
Right over, Harry. I'll be right there.
We've got 500 yards of concrete
going in the hole this morning,
and the next driver that stops for coffee
is gonna eat his load with cream and sugar!
Stop the pour!
Are you crazy?
Somebody must be.
Shut it down!
Hey, I take my orders from Mr. Olston.
You got a problem, you talk to him.
Murray, we're talking 400 tons of steel.
Now, you either match Quiglino's price,
or I'm canceling my order.
It's that simple.
Now, you get back to me in an hour,
or you can ship it all back to Korea.
You got to stop them out there, Mr. Olston.
What are you, an architect or a comedian?
What the hell are you doing, huh?
The footings are 2 feet under the specifications,
and in the northeast corner,
there are supposed to be pilings.
The rebar is only half the size that my drawings called for.
We had to rework your specs, Steve.
What? You can't do that.
I had an independent engineer go over your drawings.
Your plans are over-specced.
Like hell they are!
This is a school.
What you're building out there is not only shoddy;
it's unsafe.
Look, Steve. I--
I can see you're upset.
I'll tell you what we're gonna do.
I'll give you the new specs, and you rework your drawings.
We'll pay you for it.
Now, what do you say to 10 grand cash?
What you're trying to buy is not for sale, Olston.
Now, look, Landon, you watch your mouth.
No, you look.
I'm gonna take this to councilman Axelrod.
And if he's not interested,
then I'm gonna go to the newspapers.
I'm gonna shut you down.
Looks like this guy's gonna be a problem, Mr. Olston.
No telling what a nut like that might do.
Well, we better deal with it.
Now, are you saying that you have no idea
who committed the murder, Mrs. Fletcher?
No, I'm afraid I don't.
Oh, but surely you must have some notion.
Well, to be perfectly honest, I don't have a clue.
As I tried to explain before the break,
when I start a book,
sometimes I spend weeks shaping the characters,
finding an arena,
working on the details of the murder,
before I even consider which one of my characters
actually committed the murder.
Yes, but it's all formula stuff, isn't it?
Well, yes, yes.
I'll bet he's never even read one of your books, Jessica.
I suppose there is an element of formula
in all mysteries, but...
hi.
I try to present the story--
Look who's on television.
Jessica Fletcher.
She's in town promoting her new book.
We'll be back with J.B. Fletcher after these messages.
Steven, is anything wrong?
It's Ben Olston.
He's using my school to rip off the taxpayers.
Oh.
What are you going to do?
I don't know.
I-i got to get some things down on paper.
We do not send the same release
that goes to the general media to the minority press.
We screen it first for spin.
Next time, check with me first, Larry.
Councilman Axelrod's office. Dawn Bickford speaking.
-Can you talk? -Hmm.
Well, for you, I'll clear my agenda anytime.
Listen, we might have a problem.
Ah. Building Department?
Planning Department?
Or is it your wife?
Local government is here to serve you.
Architectural Department.
Look, Steve Landon showed up today.
He was supposed to be out of town.
Anyway, he spotted the cuts we made
on the school foundations.
Didn't you get those new specs I cleared for you?
Axelrod didn't even see them go by.
Well, that's the problem, darling.
Landon's threatening to take them to Axelrod,
maybe even the newspapers.
This could be awkward if we get tagged on this.
Yeah, you bet it could.
What you're saving
isn't worth jeopardizing all the other projects
you're bidding on...
not to mention my little tushie.
Well, that, my darling, is definitely worth saving.
Well, I'm glad you think so.
But if Landon raises a stink about this,
people could start looking into your other projects.
Well, there is a solution,
a radical solution.
How radical?
I'll, uh... I'll get back to you on that, Councilman.
Is someone there?
That's right, Councilman. My wife.
I think she's taking me to lunch.
Oh.
Terrific.
And when did you plan on telling her about us?
Soon.
Uh, listen, I'll phone you about those plans later, Sir.
Lunch?
Really, darling, have you forgotten already?
I'm leaving to spend a couple days with mother.
Well, of course, Cynthia.
You mentioned that last night.
You said she wasn't feeling well.
What is it this time?
Her... the headaches or the arthritis?
Her asthma.
Of course, you got home so late last night,
I'm not surprised you don't remember.
Well, honey, I told you.
I've been working late on the annual report.
I know.
And you've come so far from that bricklaying contractor
I married 15 years ago.
Of course, it's not without some help,
like all the money I put in the firm.
And I'll never forget it, Cynthia.
I mean, how can I when you keep reminding me?
Well, in case you're interested,
I'll be back in three days.
I'll call.
Drive safely.
And hello to mother.
Clink!
You know, to be honest, Seth,
doing the talk shows and the promotion
is more work than actually writing the books.
[rumbling]
No, it isn't raining.
Oh, yeah, did you hear it too?
Well, no, there's nothing wrong with your hearing, Seth.
No, it wasn't thunder,
but it might have been a sonic boom.
Yeah, I've got another two days here, then on to Atlanta,
unless I can think of some graceful way to get out of it.
[chuckles] Right.
Well, I'll check with you as soon as I get back.
Bye.
[sighs]
Ooh.
[phone ringing]
Hello.
Oh, hello, Mrs. Fletcher.
Uh, my name is Nancy Landon,
and we've never met,
but I have followed your career for years, and, well,
I know you hear this from lots of people,
but I feel as if I know you.
Yes, Mrs. Landon. What can I do for you?
Well, uh...
I wondered if we could, uh, talk personally?
Well, uh, my time is pretty much committed.
Oh, it's very important.
Yes, but you see, I have a number of appointments.
Well, this is a personal matter.
Maybe I should have mentioned sooner,
uh, I was stationed in Korea in '51.
I was an army nurse, and I knew your husband.
You were a friend of Frank's?
Yes.
I know he's dead now,
but he was such a wonderful man,
and he spoke of you often.
Please, if I could just see you for a little while.
[inhales]
Well, Mrs. Landon,
I seem to have a lunch open.
Could you meet me here at the hotel around 1:00?
Oh, thank you. Yes, I'll be there.
Yes, Mr. Mayor, obviously it was some kind of terrorist.
I... thank God nobody was hurt.
As soon as we find out anything,
Sir, I'll let you know.
Thank you. Yes, right.
I've spoken to my sources down at the precinct, Sir.
There's been an arrest.
Well, that's fast work. Who did it?
The architect.
His name is Steve Landon.
Apparently he made a threat to blow up the entire project
in front of Mr. Olston and an employee.
He was also seen in the vicinity
just before the explosion.
The architect?
Why the hell would an architect blow up a school building?
Apparently he has a history of mental instability, Sir.
He was under a psychiatrist's care.
I've taken the liberty
of preparing a statement for the press, Sir.
Ah.
-Care to look it over? -Yeah, thank you.
I imagine being a nurse in wartime wasn't easy.
You must have been very young.
In Korea we grew up very fast, Mrs. Fletcher.
Frank never talked much about the ugly side of the war
after he came back.
Even his letters were usually quite cheery.
But knowing him,
I could read between the lines,
and I sensed what he was going through.
Frank had a kind of an inner strength.
Mmm.
Everyone came to him with their problems.
[chuckles] Yes.
You must have known Clint Phelps and Lee Goddard.
They were in the crew with Frank.
Oh, yes, of course.
Mrs. Fletcher,
did you read the paper this morning,
about the explosion at the construction site?
Oh, yes.
I think I even heard it go off last night.
That was a terrible thing.
They've arrested my son, Steven.
They're accusing him of doing it.
-What? -Well, he didn't, of course.
He was home with me at the time it happened.
Well, if he was at home with you, then...
oh, they don't believe me.
You see, Steven was the architect
on the school project.
It was his first big commission.
He has a brilliant future ahead of him.
But then he discovered that they were using
inferior materials and cutting corners.
And now they're trying to cover up what they did
by blaming him for the explosion.
That's why I need your help, Mrs. Fletcher.
Well, I can certainly see your predicament,
but, uh, how could I help?
Well, we don't have any money.
Everything I had went towards Steven's education,
and his wife died last year,
so he's still paying off the medical bills.
Oh, I'm so sorry.
We're up against some very powerful people.
I mean, they've been stealing millions.
[sighs]
He needs a lawyer.
That'll cost money.
But what he needs more than anything else
is somebody with influence who'll go to bat for him,
someone like you, Mrs. Fletcher,
who can keep him from being railroaded.
Mrs. Landon, my heart goes out to you,
but I don't know anything about this.
I don't even know your son.
I would do anything to help my son, Mrs. Fletcher.
Of course.
Any mother would.
Or father.
Can't Steve's father help?
He's dead.
I'm sorry.
I was hoping you would help
once you knew the circumstances.
You see...
[sighs]
I haven't told this to a single human being
in all these years,
and I will deny it to Steven himself.
When we were in Korea,
your husband and I were more than just friends.
Steven is Frank's son.
As a lawyer, Jessica,
my advice is don't take it too seriously.
This sort of thing happens all the time to celebrities.
Well, it never happened to me before.
They're strange people.
Most of them are your garden variety nuts,
people who come forward and make wild claims.
Well, whatever she is,
Nancy Landon doesn't strike me as a nut.
Frankly, it sounds to me more like a shakedown.
In any case, you can go on back to Cabot Cove
and let me deal with it.
Of course I don't believe her story for a minute.
If anything like that had happened in Korea,
Frank would have told me.
All she wants is your money, Jessica.
As soon as she realizes you aren't going to bite--
But she seemed so desperate, so vulnerable.
I mean, they've arrested her son.
And if what the paper says is true,
he's going to need a lawyer.
Jessica, my second piece of advice
is don't get involved.
I can assure you,
I have no intention of getting involved.
Now, I'll check her out.
Now, will you just let me worry about it?
I'm handsomely compensated for it,
as you'll see when you get my bill.
But Andrew, I mean,
if this is just a shakedown for some money,
why did she wait until now,
when her son is in such desperate trouble,
to make a claim like this?
[groans] Oh.
I'm just fine, Clint.
Well, I find myself in a hotel room
and got to thinking about you two,
and I thought I'd give you a call.
How's Bonnie?
Fine. She's in Tacoma.
We have a new grandson.
Seven pounds, three ounces.
Oh, that's wonderful. And Phyllis is fine?
Couldn't be better. But you know how kids are.
They can't wait to assert their independence
but once the baby arrives, they want mother around.
Oh, yes.
It must be wonderful for Bonnie, though,
seeing the grandchildren coming along.
It's funny that you called, Jess.
I was just thinking about Frank the other day.
I found myself on one of those little commuter flights.
I hadn't been on a prop plane in years.
I was looking out the window at that engine,
and it all came rushing back on me,
Frank and Lee and the Dixie Damsel.
Clint,
I bumped into somebody who knew you and Frank in Korea.
No kidding! Who?
Nancy Landon.
Nancy Landon...
oh, yeah, she was a nurse.
Lots of fun.
How's she doing?
Well, I'm afraid she has some problems.
Uh, her son's in trouble, and she's asked me to help.
Oh, I'm sorry to hear that.
How did you happen to meet her?
She phoned me.
She mentioned that you and Frank and she
had been friends in Korea.
Well, I wouldn't exactly say we were friends.
We used to run into each other once in a while
in the officers' club.
To tell you the truth, Jess, it was such a long time ago,
I'm not even sure I'm thinking of the same person.
Uh, but you do seem to remember her.
Hell, Jess, most of what happened in Korea
I try to forget.
You know, Bonnie's going to be real disappointed she missed you.
Yeah, well, uh, tell her I'll call her next week.
Promise.
We'll work on that, uh,
get-together we've been planning.
And send me a picture of that grandson, right?
Bye.
I'm telling you, Jessica, you're making a big mistake.
Andrew, I'm not getting involved.
It's just that I'm a pretty good judge of character,
and if I meet this young man,
I may be able to get a better idea
if he's telling the truth
about corruption in the City Building Department.
Help you, Sir?
Yes, uh, Andrew Dixon to see Lieutenant Claymore.
He's expecting me.
He's got someone in there with him now.
If you'd take a seat...
thank you.
Andrew, you said that a Lieutenant Nancy Landon
was stationed at the Seoul Military Hospital
from early 1951 until her discharge in April of '52?
We don't even know if it's the same Nancy Landon.
Well, that was two months after Frank and his crew
went down in the Dixie Damsel.
Jessica, that doesn't mean a thing.
Well, the bomb squad has everything they need,
Mr. Olston, so I guess we can let you clear the site.
Well, every day's delay costs money.
Councilman Axelrod appreciates your cooperation,
Lieutenant Claymore.
Thank you.
That's Dawn Bickford,
Councilman Axelrod's administrative assistant.
And Ben Olston owns the construction company.
Sounds as if he also owns some influence in high places.
Well, I've already gotten a call from the mayor's office,
but I didn't realize the bomber
had this much juice going for him.
Well, he may have absolutely nothing going for him,
Lieutenant, but we're interested in the details.
Well, it's very simple.
Uh, Steve Landon threatened to blow up the school
that's under construction in front of two witnesses,
Mr. Olston and, uh, Ralph Crocket,
his construction supervisor.
Now, Crocket happened to be
driving by the construction site
about five minutes before the explosives went off.
He spotted Landon leaving the site,
getting into his car.
He got the license plate number,
and it checks out.
So he immediately called the police.
No, we got these statements this morning.
Well, that's very odd.
I mean, if Mr. Landon
threatened to blow up the place,
why wouldn't Mr. Crocket have been alarmed
to see him there at night,
gone to investigate, and done something?
Yeah. Well, I asked him that.
Apparently, nobody took the threat seriously.
Now, I'm checking out a lead
that Mr. Landon has mental problems.
That's something I wasn't aware of.
Yeah, but Mrs. Landon said that her son was at home
with her at the time of the explosion.
Well, naturally, we'd expect a mother to lie
to protect her son.
Yes, I can understand that.
But on the other hand,
all of the evidence against him
seems to come from Mr. Olston and this employee of his.
May we see Mr. Landon?
So, uh, when the building was finished,
then Mr. Olston would collect for materials
that never went in.
Well, it sounds highly suspicious.
I just want to tell you, Mrs. Fletcher,
how much I appreciate what you're doing.
Mother told me that you were going to help me out.
Mr. Landon, I think you should know
I advised Mrs. Fletcher not to come.
I want to be up front with you, Mr. Dixon.
I haven't got a dime.
And whatever your legal fees are, I will pay you,
if it takes me the rest of my life.
Mr. Landon, are you suggesting
that it was Mr. Olston
who blew up his own construction site?
Well, uh, I can't prove it.
But when I went in and I confronted Olston,
he tried to buy me off.
I guess I can't prove that either.
We don't know that any of this is true.
You don't believe me.
Your mother certainly believes you.
She seems devoted to you.
Well, my mother and I, uh,
we only have each other, at least now.
My wife died last year.
Yes, your mother mentioned it.
I'm so sorry.
Well, I guess I'm still
trying to come to terms with it.
Steven, is your father in any position to help?
My father died before I was born.
He was a flier in Korea.
He was shot down somewhere over Pusan,
and my mother never remarried,
so I guess she had her hands full trying to raise me.
She seems to be a very determined woman.
I think he's a likeable young man, Andrew.
I'm inclined to believe him.
Oh, he's charming all right,
but there's a very strong case against him.
And he's bucking some very powerful people.
Well, then he's gonna need help, isn't he?
[men talking and tools clattering]
Oh, excuse me.
I wonder if you could tell me
where I can find Mr. Ben Olston?
Uh, yeah, in there.
But I think he's all tied up.
Thank you.
If you have any more odd jobs,
you've got my number.
Look, I already burned your number.
I don't know you. You don't know me. You got that?
If I were you, I'd take a long trip.
They say there's work in Central America.
There's 25,000 there.
That's all I had in the safe.
I'll get you the rest tonight.
Mr. Olston?
Nice doing business with you.
Mr. Olston, I'm so glad I caught you.
Being a volunteer,
I have to steal any bit of time that I can.
And you are at the top of my list.
List? What list is that?
The fundraiser.
We have you down as a generous contributor.
Those guys are running for reelection
12 months a year, aren't they?
Which one is it this time?
Well, our club admires Councilman Axelrod,
particularly for his position on women's issues.
Axelrod?
Well, I contribute directly to his reelection committee.
Oh, dear.
Well, maybe I've got the wrong list.
Who is your contact on his committee?
I deal with Dawn Bickford, his administrative assistant.
Lady, I'm very sorry,
but I've got an awful lot of things to do.
Of course.
Thank you so much for your time.
All crew scheduled for overtime on the weekend,
get your special ID badges from the office.
Hi. It's me.
Temple was just here.
Well, we seem to have that little problem solved,
which leaves us with the other problem,
your wife.
Dawn, I told you, I'll tell her
as soon as she gets back.
Oh, and when is that?
Tomorrow.
Does that mean you're off the leash tonight,
or do you have to be home in case she calls?
Well, that depends.
You feel like playing house?
Well, that adds a certain spice
to sneaking around behind her back.
What time?
9:00-ish.
I'll turn on the sauna.
[chuckles]
Thanks.
[dog barking]
Is there anybody home, lady?
My husband must be home, or else the alarm would be on.
Ben?
Are you home?
Ben?
Would you mind staying until I have a look around?
Oh, sure thing, lady.
You can't be too careful, can you?
Ben?
No, don't go in there, lady.
[gasps]
I'm glad you were able to come.
Well, before I went back to Cabot Cove,
there were some things that I wanted to talk to you about.
I'm sorry, Jessica.
I hope you don't mind my calling you Jessica.
The last thing I wanted to do was hurt you.
Mrs. Landon, the police mentioned a report
of some mental instability in Steve's background.
Oh, that's nonsense.
Of course, he was very upset when his wife died.
Of course.
And he visited a psychiatrist a few times
at my recommendation.
But there was no mental illness.
He was like a Rock of Gibraltar.
At least until this terrible business with Ben Olston.
Did something happen?
Something that you didn't tell me about?
Jessica, I feel I can trust you.
I found this in the glove compartment
of our station wagon this morning.
You think it's Steve's?
Well, it certainly isn't mine.
Who else could it belong to?
Mrs. Landon, I like Steve, but I have to tell you
I don't believe the things you told me
about Steve being Frank's son.
Oh, I can't say I blame you, Jessica.
I mean, Steve told me that his father was shot down
and killed in Korea.
Well, that's what I told him.
You didn't expect me to tell a little boy
that his father left me to go back to his wife?
Well, I'm sorry,
but why should I believe it either?
I was hoping I wouldn't have to show you this.
I've always felt it was very private.
"May 3rd, 1954.
"Dear Nancy, haven't heard from you in more than a year.
"Little Steve must be about two now.
"I do wish you'd let me do something to help you,
"since I know how difficult things must be.
"Just remember, if you need anything
"ever,
"please let me know.
Always, Frank."
I'm sorry, Jessica.
I thought this part of my life was closed forever.
But Frank did promise to help.
[knocking on door]
-Nancy Landon? -Yes.
I'm Lieutenant Claymore.
Oh, is this about Steven?
Mrs. Fletcher.
Lieutenant.
Mrs. Landon,
do you have a permit for this firearm?
Uh, no.
I mean I don't know.
It isn't mine.
Mrs. Landon, I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to come with me.
Lieutenant, how long are you planning
to hold Mrs. Landon here?
The pistol in Mrs. Landon's possession
checks out to be registered to Ben Olston.
His wife said he kept it in his desk at home.
And if the fingerprints on it turn out to be Mrs. Landon's,
we're gonna book her.
-But she says-- -I know.
I know what she says, but there's more.
We found an appointment slip on the victim's desk,
confirming an appointment with Mrs. Landon
at 8:00 p.m. last night.
But I didn't have an appointment.
What they were doing to Steven was so unfair,
I decided to go see Mr. Olston
to confront him with Steven's report.
That had to be about 8:00.
[knocking]
Yes?
Oh, hello.
My name is Nancy Landon.
[phone ringing]
I'm Steven's mother.
Please, I need to talk to you.
Look, I have nothing to say to you.
Please.
Just wait a minute.
[phone ringing]
Hello.
Hi, babe.
Understand?
Well, yeah, I understand.
If you feel it's more important, fine.
Look, I can't talk right now.
The, uh, architect's mother's here.
Don't worry.
I'll see you tomorrow.
Yeah, me too.
Bye.
There's nothing I can do for you, Mrs. Landon.
I shouldn't even be talking to you.
But what about Steven's report?
What do you have to say about this?
Who do you think you are, coming into my house like this?
Now, get out!
I didn't go there to quarrel with him.
I went there to talk about Steven's report.
Except we didn't find any report, Mrs. Landon.
What we found was an appointment slip
with your name on it.
I'd advise you to call a lawyer.
Alright, Jessica.
But for the life of me, I don't understand why.
Because in spite of everything,
I just don't believe she did it.
Are you sure that's the reason?
Of course it is.
Now, someone could have planted that gun in her station wagon.
I mean, her address is in the telephone book.
It's possible someone else was there
when Nancy arrived.
It's also possible that Nancy Landon
is a very disturbed woman.
I mean, she did make the outrageous claim
that Steve is Frank's son.
Oh.
Oh, which reminds me, have your sources
been able to get any more information
about her military service?
I'm waiting to hear.
Where are you going?
To pay a call at city hall.
Those allegations are very grave,
very grave indeed, Mrs. Fletcher.
But I can assure you,
there's absolutely no truth to them.
Yes, but how can you be sure, councilman Axelrod,
without an investigation?
Because we have a whole department
that monitors construction.
I'm sure you do.
But I understand that Ben Olston was a contributor
to your reelection fund.
Well, yes, I...
I believe he did, to the legal limit.
It's a matter of public record.
And that Mr. Olston did a great deal of business
with the city--
Business that, if you don't control,
you at least influence.
All of the contracts are scrupulously bid,
and the work is done for the best price,
consistent with the highest quality.
Yes, but according to the report
that the architect made to you,
the quality of that work was in serious question.
I assure you, ms. Fletcher,
I am not at all aware of any such report.
Miss Bickford, are you aware of any reports
coming in here from, uh...
Steve Landon, the architect who was arrested.
No.
No report from him ever came through this office.
I'm certain of that, Sir.
Then I'm afraid you have been seriously misinformed,
ms. Fletcher.
Yes, perhaps I have.
On the other hand,
I understand that a copy of the report
with all the details
is missing from the scene of Mr. Olston's murder.
Thank you so much for your time.
Get in touch with the police officer who is responsible
and find out what the hell is going on!
Yes, Sir.
Yes, Clint, I realize this is awfully short notice,
but I've spoken to the airline, and I can get a flight
that will put me in seattle in time for dinner.
It has been too long.
Well, do you think you could meet my plane?
Wonderful.
Bonnie's going to be very disappointed she missed you.
[chuckles] Grandchildren.
You know, just about the time you think you've got
the kids safely out on their own,
along comes the next generation of little people,
and there you are, a second-hand parent.
[chuckles] It's wonderful.
[chuckles]
Clint, you know, I love you and Bonnie,
but I didn't come to talk about the grandchildren,
at least not this time.
I guess I figured that out, Jess.
Tell me about Nancy Landon.
[chuckles] There's nothing to tell.
Clint, Frank has been dead almost ten years now.
There are things that I have to know.
I hardly even remember Nancy Landon.
And I'm telling you, Jess,
there's nothing you need to know.
Clint, you were Frank's closest friend.
Did Frank have an affair with Nancy Landon in Korea?
Of course not.
Frank was crazy in love with you.
Oh, please, don't try to protect my feelings.
I want to know the truth.
Now, Nancy has a son, Steve.
Is Frank his father?
You want to know the truth?
It was in those lonely letters we wrote home
late at night when we couldn't sleep,
trying to reach out to wives and sweethearts at home.
But there was another truth,
one that nobody ever wrote about,
about being scared,
about being desperately lonely
not knowing if you were gonna be alive next week.
So you learned to survive, to hang in there,
to blot out the fear and emptiness.
Things happened.
Some guys took comfort wherever they could find it.
It didn't mean they loved their wives any less.
Sometimes you just needed to prove you were still alive.
But it was not the sort of thing
you came home and told your wife about.
Yes. Well, I understand.
Maybe not perfectly, but I do understand.
It wasn't always easy being the one left behind.
You're the only person who can tell me the truth.
Is Steve Frank's son?
Frank was the best friend I ever had,
but, Jess, I was not his confessor.
I got hit by some flak.
I was in the hospital for a couple of months.
Sure, Frank knew Nancy.
We all knew her.
But whatever went on between them was none of my business.
And Frank was not the kind of man
to talk about something like that.
I have to know the truth.
The truth is
he loved you, Jess.
That's all I know.
Well, Jessica, I pulled some strings
and got copies of Nancy Landon's military records.
And?
Now, it still doesn't prove a damn thing,
but she was given a compassionate discharge
in April of 1952 because she was pregnant
and unmarried.
I see.
Jessica, there's absolutely no indication
it was Frank's child.
Well, thank you for telling me, Andrew.
[children yelling]
It's ironic, isn't it?
You and Mr. Dixon get me out on bail,
and the same day, they arrest my mother.
I know.
The whole situation seems to go from bad to worse.
I feel like it's all my fault.
I mean, if I hadn't made such a big deal
out of Olston's construction fraud,
then maybe none of this would have happened.
Yes, but if you were convinced of fraud,
you couldn't roll over and ignore it.
No.
I guess I'm not built that way.
Yes, some things are worth fighting for or against.
Steve, you told me that you gave your report
to Councilman Axelrod.
Did you give it to him personally?
Actually, I never got in to see him.
I gave it to his assistant, Dawn Bickford.
I see.
She seems to have had a very friendly relationship
with Ben Olston.
In fact, Mr. Olston told me that she was the one
who accepted his political contributions.
There, you see. You are making progress.
Oh, now wait a minute, Steve.
We still don't know what all this has to do with his murder.
But will you stay and help my mother, please?
We really have nobody else to turn to.
Well, I'll do what I can.
You're a terrific lady.
Now, let me get this straight.
You're suggesting that Ben Olston,
or somebody working for him,
set the explosives himself to cover up a taxpayer rip-off
that might extend right up to the City Council?
I think it's a distinct possibility.
Oh, Mrs. Fletcher.
Listen, I...
I just passed my captain's exams.
I'm fifth on the list for promotion.
Yes, there was never any doubt in my mind
that you were bright and ambitious.
Well, I'm already getting enough heat
from Councilman Axelrod's office to fry my bacon.
And from Dawn Bickford?
Now, how did you know that?
She was here in your office with Ben Olston
the morning after the explosion.
And Steve Landon tells me that she was the one
he gave his report to in the councilman's office.
Now, has it occurred to you that she may have been involved
with Mr. Olston
in more than just government contracts?
When I get heat,
I always wonder where the fire is
and who's shoveling the coal.
I made some inquiries about Dawn Bickford, yep.
She and Olston were an item.
Adds a whole new dimension to things, doesn't it?
[chuckling]
Lieutenant, if you were the one
who exposed corruption in City Hall,
you might be first in line for captain.
Yes, I already thought about that.
But what about the murder?
Look, if Nancy Landon's fingerprints
were the only ones on the murder weapon,
it means that it had been wiped clean
before it was planted in the car.
But Mrs. Landon admits she was there.
Without an appointment.
Yet there was a neatly typed appointment slip
left on the desk
more or less telling the police that she had been there.
Now, what are you driving at?
Well, perhaps someone else was there
when Mrs. Landon called.
Well, from what Mrs. Landon said,
Olston got a call from his wife while she was there.
And where was Mrs. Olston?
She was visiting her mother.
Her car broke down on the way back.
Both the motor club records
and the taxi driver back her up.
Now, she and the taxi driver discovered the body
around midnight.
Lieutenant, when I went to see Mr. Olston,
there was a man there with him.
I had the feeling that I'd walked in
on some sort of a pay-off.
Olston said he'd get the rest later.
You think maybe it was the guy who set the explosives?
I think it's possible.
Mrs. Fletcher,
if I showed you a mug book,
you think you might be able to pick this guy out?
Well, I could try.
If what Steve Landon says in this report is true,
somebody's going to get prosecuted.
I assure you, Councilman Axelrod,
I had nothing to do with this.
Well, before you say anything more, Miss Bickford,
I think you should know we picked up Roy Temple.
Who?
Roy Temple.
Rap sheet as long as your arm.
His specialty is explosives.
And he got real nervous
when we started talking about murder.
He implicated you, Miss Bickford,
along with Ben Olston.
Temple swears both you and Olston hired him
to blow up the construction site.
No, that's not true.
Ben might have done something like that,
but I had nothing to do with it.
Olston's wife was out of town the night he was murdered.
You were at the house with him, weren't you?
No, I wasn't there!
I was supposed to be there, but I...
I was stuck here working.
I phoned Ben.
And I told him I couldn't make it.
What time was that?
About 8:00.
He mentioned to me that Mrs. Landon was there,
which would prove that I wasn't there when she shot him.
Lieutenant, may I have a word with you privately?
Mrs. Olston,
Mrs. Fletcher here has a theory
about how your husband was killed.
Theory?
You mean why Mrs. Landon shot him?
Would you like a drink?
No. No, thank you.
My theory is that Mrs. Landon didn't kill your husband.
But the murder weapon, my husband's pistol,
was found in the station wagon.
It was probably planted there by the murderer.
Mrs. Olston,
did you know your husband was having an affair?
No.
I...
I suspected it.
I'd been spending more time with my mother lately.
She hasn't been feeling well, poor thing.
And Ben's been working late a lot.
Well, we think the woman your husband was seeing
was here in the house the night he was murdered.
Here, while I was away?
Oh, yes.
We suspect some kind of lovers' quarrel which...
which ended in your husband's death.
Do you know who that other woman was?
No, I have no idea.
No, perhaps I do now.
There was a strange message on the answering machine.
What kind of a message? From who?
Someone called Dawn.
I think she works for the city.
And it was about meeting Ben that night.
Well, we found no message on the answering machine.
Well, I thought it was business,
so I probably erased it.
Mrs. Olston,
there was no message on the answering machine.
I think you were listening on another phone
when Dawn Bickford called.
No.
You knew your husband was involved with another woman.
You deliberately told him you'd be away,
and then you came back early, hoping to catch him with her.
Unless I'm mistaken, you were hiding,
perhaps upstairs,
when Nancy Landon arrived and Dawn Bickford telephoned.
No!
I was miles from here.
My car had broken down.
Perhaps you can ask the taxi driver.
That was all later, after the murder.
I'm sorry, but you've made another mistake.
You said that the murder weapon was found
in Nancy Landon's station wagon?
We found the weapon in the house.
Where she brought it, after she found it in her car.
Now, only the person who put it there would mention the car.
No, no, no, no, no, you're trying to confuse me.
And how did you know that Nancy Landon
owns a station wagon?
I suspect because you saw it,
probably through an upstairs window,
before you came down and confronted your husband.
With Ben, there was always some woman.
I just had enough.
It was my family's money that set him up in business.
I came back early.
I thought maybe I'd catch them together.
[scoffs] What I didn't expect was Mrs. Landon showing up.
Instead of Dawn Bickford,
there was Mrs. Landon at the door.
Then the phone rang.
It was Dawn Bickford calling.
She said she couldn't come that night.
That was enough for me.
I wasn't going to take it from Ben anymore.
I'd had enough!
So when Mrs. Landon left,
I went downstairs and confronted him with it.
He didn't even bother to deny it.
Then he hit me!
He hit me!
Suddenly the gun was in my hand.
[gunshot]
Then it all seemed so easy.
Nancy Landon was my way out.
I typed up the appointment slip
so the police would know that she'd been here
and then just drove over
and left the gun in her station wagon.
And what about the report that Mrs. Landon left?
I burned that.
After all, it was my company now.
[sighs]
There was still plenty of time to drive out of town,
pretend the car had broken down,
come back with the taxi driver to discover Ben's body.
I'm only glad it's over.
I couldn't let you go back to Maine
without thanking you properly.
It's not necessary.
I'm glad things turned out the way they did.
Frank promised to help and, well,
he isn't here anymore, so I did what I could.
I suppose we ought to talk about Frank.
[sighing]
Oh, Jessica.
I feel so terribly guilty.
Whatever happened, it was a long time ago.
No, I feel guilty about lying to you.
But...
I was so desperate to help Steven
I would have done anything.
I lied to you about Frank.
We were never lovers.
Now I...
I suppose I should tell you the truth.
And this is the truth, Jessica.
I was very much in love
with a young flier in Frank's squadron.
His name was Steven.
He was married.
And then, one day he was shot down and killed.
I was pregnant.
But Frank...
the letter.
Oh, Frank knew about Steven and me.
He was a good friend, that's all.
A friend I needed very badly.
He helped me through the terrible grief.
Frank was a wonderful man.
He even kept in touch after little Steven was born.
Thanks for telling me the truth, Nancy.
[sighs]
I think in my heart of hearts, I...
I always trusted Frank.
You are a lucky woman, Jessica.
Frank loved you very much.