All language subtitles for Murder.She.Wrote.S05E15.Alma.Murder.WEBRip.x264-ION10

Open up!

[Jessica] Tonight on Murder, She Wrote.

You never knew Rhonda Sykes.

She was enough to drive
anyone to commit murder.

I want that money!

Rhonda was killed
between 10:00 and 11:00 p.m.

by a blow to the head
that Leon says he delivered.

What you heard, uh,
is all true.

-I killed that girl.
-I suppose you’ve come

-here for your wife?
-Why?

You offering
somethin’ better?

[men humming]

[men signing a cappella]

[tires screech]

Police! Open the door!

[banging]

[police] Come on! Open the door!

Open up!

[banging continues]

[singing ends]

[pounding]

[pounding continues]
No, I’m not remodeling, Seth.

No, that’s Hank Pruett.

I woke up this morning
and found two inches of water

in the basement.

Oh, here he comes.
I’ll call you right back. Bye.

Well, Jessica,
looks to me like

you got dry rot
and corroded plumbing.

Uh, course I’m only talkin’
about the house, you understand.

How much, Hank?

Well, materials have
been goin’ up lately,

and labor’s not cheap, either.

Oh, my. Last March it was the roof.

This summer it was the wiring.

Well, you gotta accept
that kind of thing,

a house as old
as this one.

You and Mr. Fletcher--
you lived here for

quite a long time,
as I recollect.

Almost 30 years.

Don’t suppose you ever,
uh, considered moving?

Well, not until this year.

But, you know, living alone here
and being gone as much as I am,

quite honestly,
I just don’t have

the time to deal
with these things.

But thank you for coming, Hank.

Let me know when you can
get started, okay?

Yes, ma’am.
I’ll do that.

-Bye.
-Bye.

[phone rings]

Hello?

[woman] Hello, Jessica?
It’s Emily. Emily Dyers.

I hope I’m not
calling too early.

Emily? Oh, good heavens, no.

When is it ever too
early for one

Delta Alpha Chi
to call another?

Oh, Jessica,
I just knew you’d feel that way.

That’s why I had
to call you.

Emily, is something wrong?

Some trouble at the sorority?

No, no, the girls aren’t
due till next week.

But, Jessica,
it’s about professor Walker.

He’s been arrested.

What? Leon?

But that’s absurd.

Well-- well, what on earth’s
he being charged with?

[sighs]
Murder.

[airplane flying]

Jessica!

-Margaret?
-Jess! Oh, hello.

Welcome back
to Green Falls.

Well, what in the world--

Emily was detained
at the sorority house,

and she asked me
to meet your plane.

Well, that was
very thoughtful.

You know, I could
have taken a cab.

Oh, don’t be silly.

It’ll give us
a chance to catch up.

Unless a widely celebrated
author like yourself

objects to traveling
economy class.

It’s not much,
but then neither is my paycheck.

Well, at least you
can take passengers.

My bicycle will
only take one.

You’ve got to be kidding.
You still haven’t learned to drive?

[laughing] How do you think I’ve lived
to be so "widely celebrated"?

[both laughing]

[Jessica] So when
my first book sold,

I decided
to leave teaching

and take up writing
full time.

And what about you?
Last I heard, you were--

You were running your own English
department in a college out West.

Well, yes. I think
the heat and the smog

finally caught up to me.
[chuckles]

That and the desperate need
to have a conversation

that didn’t include,
"For sure, for sure,"

-and "Have a nice day."
-Oh, I know.

Anyway, when I heard
Leon was looking for an assistant,

I jumped at the chance to come back
and work with him.

I mean, who wouldn’t?

Oh, he’s special, all right.

Which makes this murder
charge so unbelievable.

I mean, Leon is the most nonviolent man
that I have ever known.

You never knew
Rhonda Sykes.

She was enough to drive anyone
to commit murder.

Oh?
You know,

the kind of girl who
gives tramps a bad name.

Even as an undergraduate,
she was willing

to do just about anything
to get her degree,

except study, of course.

I really appreciate
this, Margaret.

Nonsense.
I’ll drop your things off

at the Sorority House
and tell Emily

you’ll come along later.

Are you sure you
don’t want me to wait?

After being cooped
up in that plane,

the walk will
do me good.

Okay. But do let me
know what happens.

And tell Leon I--

Tell him we won’t
let him down.

I don’t know what
you’re trying to pull,

but I came here to see
Professor Walker,

and we’re not
leaving until we do.

Suit yourself.

-Steve, come on. Let’s go.
-What do you mean?

We’re supposed to just walk out
and leave him here?

I don’t see we have much choice.
I’m not gonna

stand here
and argue about it.

Hello, my name
is Jessica Fletcher,

and I’m a friend
of Professor Walker’s.

You and everyone else.

But if you’re
here to see him,

I’m afraid
you’re out of luck.

He says he doesn’t
wanna see anybody.

Um, well, perhaps if you
were to give him my name.

It’s just that I’ve flown
from Maine to be here.

All the way from Maine, huh?

[door unlocking]

[door opening]

Jessica?

Leon. I came as soon as I heard.

Oh, Jessica,
it’s so good to see you.

I’m sorry you, uh,
came a long way for nothing.

What you heard,
uh, is all true.

I killed that girl.

But I don’t understand.

You always taught that violence
came from ignorance.

I mean,
how did this happen?

Well, what does it matter?

It matters to me.

Please.

Tell me, how did it happen?

I suppose it was being
so alone after Martha died.

It had been just
the two of us, you know,

through 40 years
of marriage.

Maybe I couldn’t
stand the solitude.

Maybe I flattered myself
that Rhonda really cared.

Y-you mean, that
you and this woman--

Well, when I realized what a fool
I was making of myself,

I broke things off.

But last night,
Rhonda called

and said she planned
to expose our affair

unless I paid her
to keep silent.

Blackmail?

She mentioned
an outrageous sum.

So I went over to try
to reason with her.

Rhonda, we have to talk.

That’s funny.
You never regarded me

as your intellectual equal.

I’m sorry if I made
you feel that way.

It’s too late to be sorry
for anything, Leon.

All I want from you
is the money.

I’m afraid you have an inflated conception
of a professor’s salary.

You have a savings account.

With less than
$500 in it.

No, no. Sorry to
disappoint you, Rhonda.

I am not the mark
you thought I was.

Liar!

Damn you!
I want that money!

[Leon] All I could think of--
she’s-she’s trying to kill me.

So I-- I grabbed a candleholder
when she came at me.

I didn’t mean to kill her,

but, uh, she gave me no choice.

I see. What sort of proof
did she have?

-Proof?
-Leon,

she could hardly blackmail you
without some sort of evidence.

Oh, well, uh--

Well, of course,
she had-- she had proof.

She, uh--
she had letters.

Letters I’d written to her
when we started seeing each other.

Oh, yes. Letters that
the police confiscated for evidence.

Well...

Um, I--

I burned them before
they got there.

I-- I burned them and, uh--
and, uh, rinsed them down the drain.

But-- but-- but that doesn’t
make any sense.

I mean, why take the time
to burn the letters

at Rhonda’s apartment
when you might have

escaped and burned
them elsewhere?

I don’t know.
Uh, I-- I wasn’t thinking.

Why do you keep
questioning me?

Because I don’t believe
that you killed anyone,

in self-defense
or for any reason.

Well, that’s absurd, Jessica,

why would I lie
about a thing like this?

I don’t know. I wish I did.

[woman] I’m sorry.
He’s not here right now.

Do you have
an appointment?

Well, no, but it’s regarding
the Rhonda Sykes case.

Well, I’m afraid the District Attorney
is booked all afternoon,

but if you’d like
to leave a message,

I’ll be sure to see
that he gets it.

Perhaps if I wait.

-Jessica?
-Paul?

[both laughing]

Oh, my goodness.

My God,
you haven’t changed a bit.

Still the prettiest girl
in Harrison college.

And you haven’t changed, either.

Still know all
the right things to say.

Not always. Otherwise, I would’ve
never let you get away.

[laughs]
Tell me, what are you doing here?

Well, the same thing
you are, I guess.

Trying to see
the District Attorney

about the murder charge
against Leon Walker.

But, uh, it seems that
he hasn’t got time to see me.

He does now.
Carol, cancel my 2 o'clock.

Something important
has come up.

[Paul] Jess, I know how much
you admire him.

Hell, we all do.
But the fact is

that Leon has confessed
of his own free will.

Yes, I know. I’ve heard his
so-called confession.

But obviously he wasn’t
telling the truth.

Even though the police
found him next to the body?

Yes. And about that--
who called the police?

They didn’t give a name.

They just said there
was a noisy fight

over at Rhonda Sykes’s address.

But you don’t find that
the least bit fortuitous?

Well, why should I?

Leon said he went over
to try to talk to her.

They had some wine,
got a little drunk.

Someone heard the racket
and called the police.

Someone unwilling
to give a name.

Oh, it happens
all the time.

Besides, why would Leon admit
that he killed her if he didn’t?

Because he’s covering
for someone.

Someone else
killed Rhonda Sykes?

Well, from what I’ve heard,
she wasn’t exactly

-the sweetheart of Sigma Chi.
-Jess,

the preliminary report
says that Rhonda

was killed between
10:00 and 11:00 p.m.

by a blow to the head
that Leon says he delivered.

Jess, I will make sure
he gets a fair trial,

but it is my duty
to prosecute this case.

But, Paul, even if they give
Leon probation,

I mean, the conviction will ruin
his reputation and his entire career.

What can I do?
The man has confessed.

Look, maybe there’s
something in Rhonda’s place,

something that
the police overlooked,

something that you
and I might spot.

You mean, you wanna
go over to her place?

Jess, I don’t know.

Well, I mean,
if it’s impossible...

It’s not impossible.
It’s just unorthodox.

So were you once.

The police left
everything as it was,

except, of course,
the candleholder that killed her,

and the letter opener
she had in her hand.

Is this the mate
to the one that the police have?

Yes. Heavy, isn’t it?

Yeah, and obviously
very expensive.

-You know, it’s odd.
-What’s odd?

Well, you told me
that Rhonda Sykes was an orphan

going to school on
a financial hardship loan.

[Paul] So?
[Jessica] So, look around and ask yourself

how would a financially
strapped graduate student

afford some of the things
in this apartment?

I mean, that stereo
must be worth a fortune.

That’s what you get
for giving a student credit cards.

[chuckles]
Her credit cards must have gone

way over the limit.
Look at these expensive furs and gowns.

And I imagine there’s some
jewelry around somewhere,

if she wasn’t robbed.

Hey, look at the drawer
of her desk.

That’s been forced open.

[Paul] Yes, that was in
the police report.

And the only fingerprints
on it were Rhonda’s.

And for your information,
the jewelry was in her dresser.

Well, she wasn’t
a very good student.

But then, the killer wasn’t
after test papers.

You mean Leon?

Look, if Leon had taken it,
the police would have found it on him.

Perhaps he destroyed it
before they got here.

Would you have taken
time to destroy it?

All right, I'll see
what they’ve come up with.

Jess, I hope you know
that I hate

the idea of prosecuting Leon.

I mean, my God,
I studied with him too, remember?

Yes, I remember.

I remember typing
all your papers too.

[laughing]
In that case,

let me give you
a belated thanks.

-Deal?
-Deal.

Well, I’d better
let you go.

I’ll go by the station
and call you later.

Or better still,
why don’t I give you

the results at dinner tonight?

I’d love it.

-Pick you up at 8:00?
-Yeah.

-Uh, you sure you’re free?
-Free as a bird.

After all, a bachelor’s life is nothing
if it’s not his own.

[chuckles]
Ooh. Did I say that?

[laughing]
I’ll see you at 8:00.

[engine starts]

Jessica! Hello!

-Emily!
-Jessica!

-Oh, Emily, how are you?
-Oh, I’m fine.

I’m better now that you’re--
look at you.

I can’t believe this. Seeing you
and Margaret and the old sorority--

You know, it’s just
like old times.

So I noticed.

Well, that was Paul Robbins
who dropped you off, wasn’t it?

I know,

I’m a silly sentimentalist.

But Jessica, I don’t know
if I can ever forgive

Paul for what he’s doing
to poor Leon at this point.

But, Emily, I mean, this is not
a job that he relishes.

But Leon’s confession
has tied his hands.

Jessica, I don’t know
how a man like Leon

could ever know
a girl like Rhonda.

-You knew her too?
-Well, of course.

Jessica, dear,
she was our sister.

Though how a girl
like that ever became

a Delta Alpha Chi,
I will never know.

She, uh-- she lived
here as an undergraduate--

Uh, that is,
until the accident.

-What accident?
-Well, last spring

Rhonda asked
the fiancé of a friend

to drive her home
from the April fool’s dance.

And that young man
was driving his sports car

and lost control
and they crashed.

Rhonda escaped
without a scratch,

and that poor young man
died before the ambulance could arrive.

Oh, Emily, I’m so sorry.

Rhonda wasn’t.

I shouldn’t have let him go.
It was just a stupid quarrel.

You know, I don’t even remember
what it was about.

Oh, Sarah,
you can’t blame yourself.

It wasn’t anyone’s fault.
You’ve got to believe that.

Would you like a nice
hot cup of tea?

[girl] Hi, Rhonda!

[Emily]
Rhonda came back from her

doctor’s wearing a neck brace.

Since there was no other
car involved,

she was obviously
trying to bilk

the boy’s insurance company.

Poor Sarah. It’s so tragic.

You’re just lucky I was
in the car instead of you.

He died in my arms.

What a dreadful, callous
thing for you to say.

No, no. I’m sure she didn’t
mean it like that.

I think she meant it
exactly like that.

-Didn’t you, Rhonda dear?
-Why, Miss Dyers,

you have a truly vicious mind.

All right, that’s enough.

I’ve been looking
for an excuse.

We’ve put up with you
all we’re going to.

You pack up your things
and get out.

I’m paid up to the end
of the semester.

I’ll write you a check.

The boy’s fiancée, Sarah,
never even stayed to graduate.

I guess you could
say now that, uh,

justice has been served.

Tell me, Emily, did she
collect a large amount

from the boy’s
insurance company?

Oh, no. I’m happy to say
she didn’t even get a dime.

And when she moved
into her new apartment,

I mean, did you notice any change
in her lifestyle?

I really didn’t see her much, Jessica.
Oh, except once.

I went into Boston
to a restaurant.

And there was Rhonda,
dressed like a movie star.

Enough of that.

I’ve got so much
I wanna talk to you about.

I may even let you
have your old room.

Whoever said you can’t go home again?
[chuckles]

-Excuse me, miss Dyers?
-Oh, Steve!

-Hi.
-Jessica, you remember Cathy Hampton?

Cathy? Of course.

We struggled through
chemistry together.

Well, this handsome devil
is her son, Steve Chambers.

Steve, I want you to
meet a very dear friend--

-Jessica Fletcher.
-Pleased to meet you.

I’m happy to meet
you too, Steve.

Now, I suppose you’ve
come here for your wife.

Why? You offering
somethin’ better?

Oh, you devil.
I just might take you up on that.

I’ll go get her for you.

It’s remarkable.

You know, you look
exactly like your mother.

But then, of course,
with Cathy eloping as she did,

I never really got a chance
to meet your father.

Well, unfortunately,
neither did I.

My father was killed in Korea a couple
of months before I was born.

It must have been very
difficult for your mother,

raising you by herself.

Yeah, but mom was a trouper.

She came back,
finished up her degree,

then took a job
in the school’s administration office.

So when the time came, I was able
to go to Harrison tuition-free.

Hmm.

And after she died
my junior year,

there was talk
of revoking my scholarship.

But, uh, well, luckily,

one of the professors
went to bat for me.

In fact, if it hadn’t
been for him,

I wouldn’t be
teaching here now.

That professor wouldn’t,
by any chance,

happen to be Leon Walker,
would it?

-How did you know?
-Well,

I was down at the police station
earlier to see him.

And I couldn’t help
but overhear

your discussion
with the sergeant.

Leon means a great deal
to you, doesn’t he?

Yeah, though it’s hard
for my wife to understand.

To her, he’s just
an interfering old man, but..

God, to me, Leon’s been like a rock
ever since I was a kid.

I mean, he’d see me
hanging around the school

waiting for mom
to get off work,

and he’d take me for ice cream,
maybe a movie.

-You know, little things.
-No wonder you were upset.

I mean, the thought of Leon
going to prison is just terrible.

There’s no way Leon
is going to prison.

I mean, according to the paper,
she tried to stab him.

It was purely self-defense.

[woman] Spoken like a true disciple.

Oh, hello, honey.
Uh, Mrs. Fletcher,

this is my wife, Karen.

Oh, how do you do?

Oh, a little worse for
having cleaned out the attic.

Oh.

Karen is a Delta Alpha Chi
too, class of ’84.

’84? Well, then you must
have known Rhonda Sykes.

I was already a senior
when she pledged.

Besides, Rhonda never
got friendly

with anyone who couldn’t help her
with her grades.

Coming, Steve?
Nice to meet you, Mrs. Fletcher.

[piano playing]

[Jessica] Is it me,
or has this place

remained exactly
the same as when

you brought me here
at homecoming, senior year?

Jess, don’t tell me
you remember that.

Remember?
[laughs]

There you were,
ordering the most

expensive items
on the menu--

Shrimp cocktail, 75 cents.
[both laughing]

Can you blame me for
trying to impress you?

I would’ve gotten
away with it

if I hadn’t
forgotten my wallet.

Luckily the manager’s son was, uh,
pledging your fraternity.

Otherwise, we might’ve been
washing dishes to this very day.

I don’t know.
I kinda like the image.

You and me up to our elbows in hot,
greasy suds together.

Good evening.
Would you care to order drinks?

-How about some champagne?
-Mmm.

-A bottle of your best.
-Right away, Sir.

Now, since I know
you’re dying to find out

what I’ve learned,
let’s get this business

out of the way right now.

I had to pull a few strings,

but this is all
that the police found

on Leon when
they arrested him.

Not much here, I’m afraid.

Nothing suspicious at all.

[Leon] My son? No, no.

You’re forgetting, Jessica,

Martha and I never
had any children.

True. But Cathy Hampton did

not long after her sudden
elopement in her senior year.

She even sent Emily a photo
of herself and the baby.

This baby, Leon--

Your son, Steve Chambers.

Steve’s father was killed in Korea.
He’ll tell you so himself.

Oh, I’m sure he will.
But you know better, don’t you, Leon?

Cathy and I never
meant to fall in love.

We never even wanted to.

But love isn’t a choice.

Martha never knew,
of course.

When Cathy got pregnant,
I wanted to marry her.

She refused,
saying she couldn’t be responsible

for what a divorce
would do to my career.

Instead, she made up
that phony elopement

and left to have
the baby alone.

I finally found her,

and I begged her
to come back.

She agreed on condition
that our relationship was over,

and that Steve would
never be told the truth.

I’ve kept my promise
ever since.

Now, I ask you
to do the same.

Leon, I know that
you love your son.

But if Steve killed
Rhonda Sykes,

then he has to
be held accountable.

No! No! No!
Steve never killed anyone.

I did.

And I’ll swear to it
in any court you name.

Emily?

Emily, are you there?

Whoa! Wait a minute.
Let me--

Let me help you
take some of those.

Trying to save myself a few trips. Thanks.
[chuckling]

Well, what’s
a sorority sister for, huh?

Well, the turnout for the fall alumni
cleanup gets smaller every year.

Well, I think it’s very nice
that you take time to help.

It’s not as if I had
anything better to do

or the money
to do it with.

Steve makes so little as a teacher
and works so late,

I haven’t been out a single night
in the past two weeks.

It must be very difficult.

You know,
I understand that Steve

is a very popular teacher.

Is Advertising Writing 401
one of his classes?

What you’re really
asking me is whether Rhonda

was in his class.
The answer is yes.

I saw some
of her test papers,

and they weren’t very good.

But the registrar said
that she got a B for the course.

Draw your own conclusion.
I’m sure you will anyway.

Steve’s kind of popularity must be
an occupational hazard.

The only hazard is to
the health of any coed

I catch coming on to him.

How do you think
I caught him?

Jessica, you’re back.

Margaret just phoned,
and she’s coming over for tea at 4:00.

And you’ll stay,
won’t you, dear?

I’m making one of my famous
sweet-tooth hot sugar cakes.

No kidding?
Um, gee, I hate to miss it,

but the thing is,
I have a dentist appointment.

People usually go to the dentist
after they have my cake.

[chuckling]

-I’ll save you a piece.
-Great.

Um, well, if you’ll excuse me,
I’ve got some mattresses to air.

Okay.

[door closes]

You know, I’ve always
been so fond of Karen,

but lately, she’s been so...
I don’t know, distant.

The other night I pulled up
beside her at a stoplight,

and I waved,
and she just drove off

as if she didn’t even see me.

Are you sure it was Karen?

She just told me
she hadn’t been out

a single night for
the past two weeks.

Well, she was out Monday night.

Um, I was just comin’ home
from the movies when I saw her,

so it must have been
about 10:30.

[phone rings]

Excuse me.

Delta Alpha Chi.

Oh, hello, Paul.

Yes, she’s here.
Just a minute.

[Paul] Jess!

I’m sorry I’m late.
I got hung up at the office.

That’s why I wanted to meet you here,
away from everything.

That’s okay.
Get your breath.

You said on the phone it was something
important, something serious.

It is. I’m upping the charges against
Leon to Murder One.

-What?
-Forensics not only found his fingerprints

on the candleholder,
but on the letter opener as well.

And Leon has admitted
that he planted

that letter opener
in her hand

so he could
claim self-defense.

Look, Leon may have
planted the letter opener,

but he did not kill
Rhonda Sykes.

Then why has he hired a lawyer
to plead him guilty as charged?

But don’t you see?
It’s obvious.

He’s deliberately
railroading himself.

What can I do?

If someone as close
to him as you

can’t stop him, who can?

[Steve] Mrs. Fletcher.
This is a surprise.

-Am I disturbing you?
-Oh, no, not at all.

The truth is,
I could use a break.

I’m outlining
study schedules.

-Please sit down.
-Oh, that brings back memories.

Late nights
and hard decisions.

-I didn’t know you were a teacher.
-Oh, yes.

19 years of
high school English.

You know,
part of me still misses it.

Oh, I know what you mean.
Half the time,

I don’t know who’s learning more--
the students or me.

And that’s what makes it
doubly tragic about Leon.

Not only is a nice,
decent man going to prison,

but the school is losing
a highly gifted teacher.

Mrs. Fletcher,
that’s not going to happen.

I’ve already started
a petition for clemency.

There are at least
10 faculty members

willing to testify
to his character.

I mean, I figure with that, plus the fact
that it was clearly self-defense,

the court is bound
to let him go.

I don’t think so.

I mean, Leon has admitted
that he planted

the letter opener
in Rhonda’s hand.

And he’s also told his attorney
to plead him guilty.

You mean, he’s not even
trying to defend himself?

It seems that he wants
to be convicted.

But-- but they
can’t do that.

The court has got to
prove him guilty, right?

Not if he confesses.

But that’s crazy.

What’s crazy is there’s
no way to stop him.

No! No.

Mrs. Fletcher, there’s
something you have to know.

Leon didn’t kill Rhonda. I did.

[Steve] It started about a month ago.

My wife walked out on me
for a couple of weeks

after I turned down a high-paying job
at an ad agency in New York.

I was pretty upset, and...

well, Rhonda had been
coming on to me the whole term,

so I-- I guess
I just thought--

[sighs] See, I knew it
was a mistake,

but when I tried
to break it off,

Rhonda said she’d tell Karen everything
unless I kept seeing her.

The night it happened,

I told Karen
I’d be working late,

and I went over to Rhonda’s
to tell her

we were through,
no matter what.

I-- I guess I got there
about 10:00.

We had a little wine
while I tried to find

the courage to tell her.

Rhonda, we have to talk.

You know how much
I love you.

[sighs]
I’m sorry.

I never should have
let it go this far.

Is it Karen?

Leave her.

Rhonda, I can’t do that.

I’ve already compromised
my teaching job.

Quit your job.
You don’t need it.

I struck it rich
with that accident.

My secret little gold mine
will pay for everything.

Rhonda, listen, please.

Listen, it’s over.

-I won’t let you go.
-Rhonda, don’t be crazy.

Don’t be crazy.
We both knew it couldn’t last.

[grunting]
Stop it! Stop it!

And when I saw she
wasn’t moving,

I-- I panicked
and I ran out.

I must’ve driven
around a half an hour

tryin’ to think
what to do.

Finally, I decided to go home
and tell my wife everything.

But when I got there,
she was out,

so that’s when
I called Leon.

But why?

Why would you call
Leon Walker?

I’ve always gone to Leon
when I needed help.

After I told Leon what
had happened,

well, he said she was probably
only knocked unconscious

and that I should just sit
there and wait things out.

So I did.

It-- it wasn’t till I read
the morning paper

that I saw that Leon
must have

gone to check
on Rhonda himself.

And when he saw
she was dead, I...

well, I guess he took
the blame to cover for me.

I know I should have come
forward right then.

But I kept thinking that
with Leon’s reputation,

plus the fact that he was
pleading self-defense,

that the jury would
have to let him go.

While me,
they’d lock up for life.

Still, I never would have let
Leon go to prison, I swear.

I just didn’t have the guts
to tell the truth till now.

Jess, you said
that Leon was innocent,

and you were right.
I’m dropping all charges

against him and reinstating them
against Steve Chambers.

Yes, but you know, Paul,
there are still some very

puzzling little
things about all this.

What do you mean?
He’s made a full confession.

I know,
and I believe it’s sincere.

But the problem is,
if he killed Rhonda

by the door,
as he said he did,

why was the body found
in the kitchenette?

Well, maybe she didn’t die
right away.

Maybe she came to
and staggered into the kitchen,

and there she collapsed.

Yeah, but if she had come to,

why didn’t she call
an ambulance for help?

Oh, Jess, who knows?
With a blow like that,

maybe she wasn’t thinking.

Besides, no matter
where she died,

Steve is the one
who killed her.

And as soon as I drop you off,
I’m starting proceedings.

If you don’t mind,
I’ll-- I’ll pass

on the ride to the sorority.

Of course.
You’ll call me?

Yeah.

Leon! Leon, wait!

Please!
I’m so sorry.

You had no right to tell Steve,
no right at all.

-Oh, but I didn’t tell him.
-Oh, no?

Then why did
he turn himself in?

Well, because whether or not he knows
that you’re his father,

he cares about you.
Well, look, I admit

that there are times
when he’s weak and afraid.

But when the cards are down,
Steve came through.

Not because he thought
that you were his father,

but because you’re
his friend.

I always knew Steve
had backbone.

Now he’s proved it,
and they’re sending him to prison.

Well, maybe not.

Leon, tell me,
can you remember

about what time you
got to Rhonda’s house that night?

Uh, it must have
been about 11:00.

I, uh-- I hung up with Steve,
and I left right away.

It would take me about,
uh, 15 minutes.

Well, with the half hour that he said
that he spent driving around,

Steve must have left
Rhonda’s about 10:15.

And if you didn’t
arrive till 11:00,

that leaves 45 minutes during which
anything could have happened.

Are you saying someone
else came in and killed her?

Well, it might explain why Rhonda’s body
was found in the kitchen.

I mean, instead of by the door
where Steve said that he struck her.

And there’s something else.

According to Steve,
he and Rhonda had some wine that night.

But when Paul and I
were there the next day,

there were no glasses out.

When I got there
and found out she was dead,

I rinsed out the glasses
and put them away so the police

-wouldn’t find the fingerprints.
-Oh, I see.

Well, then there’s
only the money.

What money?

Rhonda told Steve that the accident

she was in last spring
provided her with--

What did she say?

A secret gold mine.

And some of the things
in her apartment

were certainly very expensive.

Yet, according to Emily,
Rhonda never made

a dime off
the insurance claim.

Well, then what gold mine
was she talking about?

[Paul] I don’t get it.

What does this ridiculous picture
got to do with Rhonda’s murder?

Well, whoever killed Rhonda

broke into her desk drawer
looking for something, remember?

Something important enough
to have killed for.

Yes, so?

Well, as far as I can understand,

Rhonda was far too smart
a girl to have, uh,

well, to have hidden something
that valuable in such an obvious place.

[Jessica] Instead, she might
have picked somewhere

that no one would
think of looking.

-What is it?
-Just a minute.

[Jessica] April 2nd of this year.

The night of the accident,

Rhonda was riding back
from an April fool’s dance.

This must have been...

this must have been
developed the day after.

-Pretty ghoulish memento.
-That’s just it.

According to Emily,

Rhonda and the boy
were riding in a sports car.

I mean, this is a compact.

I don’t know what it means, but
I’ll have the police check the license.

If we hurry, I can drop it off
before my 5 o'clock conference.

5 o'clock?
Oh, good heavens.

I was supposed to be
at the sorority at 4:00.

Jessica!

Jessica,
what are you doing?

Emily and I have been
expecting you for an hour.

And now I’m running
late for a meeting.

Margaret, I’m sorry.
I should have called you.

The fact of the matter is,
we discovered a photograph

at Rhonda’s place that
may shed some new light on things.

-A photograph?
-Yes, it was developed

the day after Rhonda’s
accident last spring.

It’s a picture
of a damaged car.

A picture of your car,
Margaret.

I don’t know what
you’re talking about.

I think you do.

Let’s find somewhere
quiet where we can talk.

I guess I’d had too much
to drink that night.

Guess we all drink too much
at those alumni dinners.

Anyway, coming home
there was a stop sign.

Suddenly, a sports car
appeared out of nowhere.

I mean, it was just there.

And before I knew it...

[Margaret] I got out of the car
to see what had happened.

That’s when I saw Rhonda.
And she saw me.

And what happened?

I got in the car
and went back home.

Though I do remember calling
an ambulance before I passed out.

I didn’t know the boy
had died until Rhonda’s

phone call woke me
the next morning.

I know it was wrong,
but it would

have meant
losing everything--

My work with Leon,
everything.

So, when Rhonda offered
to tell the police

that the boy had
simply lost control

of his car and hit a tree, I...

let her lie.

And I’ve been paying
for it ever since.

Well, it certainly
explains the A

she got in your
American Lit class.

I spoke to the registrar.

It also explains where
she got the money

for all of her
expensive things.

Money? I never gave
her any money.

Better grades,
letters of recommendation, yes.

But I couldn’t afford
to give her any money.

On what I make?

I always assumed that’s
why she never asked.

[bottle shatters]

There’s something that
you’re not telling me, isn’t there?

The night of the accident,

you weren’t alone
in that car, were you?

In fact, in your condition,
you probably weren’t driving.

Someone else was behind the wheel.
Isn’t that the truth?

Someone who Rhonda recognized?

-You sure the D.A. said this is okay?
-I’m sure.

He’ll be here any minute.
Excuse me.

[vehicle approaches, stops]

[vehicle door opens, closes]

What was that all about?

[Paul] Jessica!

Sergeant.

I just got your message.

What’s up?
You find something else?

Yes.

Something occurred to me
while I was

talking to Margaret
this afternoon.

It was about the accident.

You talked to Margaret
about that? Why?

Well, because it was Margaret’s car
in that picture.

Though that should
hardly surprise you,

since it was you who
was driving it that night.

Margaret told you that?

Yes. She only confirmed
what I already guessed.

After all, Rhonda had to be getting
her money from somewhere.

And when I learned that
it hadn’t come from Margaret,

I realized that it had
to have come from you.

Why else would
you have killed her?

Me?

Oh, now just a minute, Jess.

All right, I might’ve
been driving that car,

and I might’ve given
her some money

to keep her mouth shut,
but I didn’t kill her.

[sighs]
But it has to be you, Paul.

How else would you have
known about the wine glasses?

Leon’s already said he went
over to try to talk to her.

They had some wine,
they got a little drunk.

The wine glasses hadn’t been out
when we came over the next day,

because Leon had put them
away before the police arrived.

Only someone who had been
here during the 45 minutes

between the time that Steve left
and Leon arrived

could have known
about those glasses.

How on earth would
I have known

about that 45 minutes? E.S.P.?

Rhonda must have called you.

Why would Rhonda call me?

Maybe she decided to hurt Steve
in any way she could.

And how more public
than in court?

Maybe she called
the only attorney she knew

who couldn’t
refuse to help her.

Even if this entire fabrication
is true, Jess,

you’d never be able to prove
that Rhonda made that call.

You may not have noticed, but...

Rhonda’s phone has one
of those redial buttons.

The last number that Rhonda
ever dialed is stored in here.

[beeping]

[line ringing]

[ringing continues]

[Paul, on answering machine]
Hello, you’ve reached

the residence of Paul Robbins.

I’m unable to answer
the phone right now, but--

[knocking]

What happened?

Steve tried to kill me.
[sighs]

Oh, damn.
I’m still bleeding all over the place.

I want you to put
him away for this.

I’d go careful with that.

A trial could be messy
for both of us.

I don’t care.
I hate him.

I want him to be sorry
for a long, long time.

I’m sure he will be.

[Paul, on tape] I searched
her desk for the photograph

of Margaret’s car,
and when I couldn’t find it,

I took the bloody
kitchen towels

and left to make
that anonymous complaint.

I was more surprised
than anyone

when Leon took the blame.

Looks like you’re
both free to go.

And if either one of you
were thinking about

takin’ a sudden sabbatical, don’t.

There are still questions
to be answered about assault

and impeding a murder
investigation.

I really wanna thank you,
Mrs. Fletcher.

And even I thought
I was guilty.

[laughs]
Well that should give you pause.

It does.

Leon, I really let you down.

I should have told the truth
from the beginning.

Some truths are
difficult to tell.

I just hope you
can forgive me.

I almost told him.

I didn’t know how to...
how to say it.

I think the words
will come now.

Why don’t you give it a try?

Maybe you’re right.

Maybe it is time
to tell him.

Steve?