All language subtitles for Murder.She.Wrote.S06E14.How.to.Make.a.Killing.Without.Really.Trying.WEBRip.x264-ION10

I want a list of all
of Mr. Royce's big losers.

Big losers?

Lieutenant Moynihan's personal experience

in the stock market
has made him a skeptic.

[Jessica] Tonight on Murder, She Wrote.

I want your company.

They'll be ice-skating in hell
before I'd ever sell to you.

I feel awful, but it's business.

Oh, it's always business!

I'm still troubled by some loose ends.

What loose ends?

Well, I'm dumping Wilma
to make room for you on my desk.

-He's not gonna marry me.
-But of course he is.

Lipstick on the glass, lady's apparel.

Cherchez la femme time.

[cheerful orchestral music]

[phone rings]

Philip Royce's office.

No, he's in a meeting, Mr. Nesbitt.

Can you hold on a moment?

Right.
He left instructions with me, Mr. Nesbitt.

He thinks you should sell
the sheldonite options

and buy 1,000 of the Atwater preferred.

The dividend is due tomorrow,
and the word is it's up.

Yes, I'll see that he executes
the buy order immediately.

Bye.

Hey, Norma.
Where's our Philip this morning?

-At the dentist.
-Again?

What is it, root canal?

Was there something
you wanted, Mr. Hooper?

Yeah.

I thought maybe we could grab some lunch.

Gee, thanks, Mr. Hooper,
but I have a lunch date.

With my fiance.

You remember.

I told you about him last month

when you invited me over for dinner.

And last Tuesday and yesterday.

Norma, sweetheart, I tried to tell you.

You're wasting your talents on that guy.

He is strictly slow-Lane material.

Hello, this is Phil Royce.

Sorry, I'm not here
to answer the phone right now,

but if you leave your number,

I'll get back to you as soon as I can.

[machine beeps]

Mr. Royce, this is Norma.

It's about 11:15--

11:15?

I've missed my hair appointment.

...and don't forget
you have a lunch appointment

with Mrs. Fletcher this afternoon.

Philip.

Please give me a call.

Philip, darling. Wake up.

[groans]

Hi, Candice.

I thought you went home.

Oh, we have to talk about that.

I mean, you have more room here,

but my place has the view of the park

and the 24-hour security.

Or do you think we should
find someplace different?

What are you talking about?

Well, after we're married.

I mean, we don't need two apartments.

-Candice.
-Hmm?

Look, you're a lot of fun,

but I thought we had an understanding.

-An understanding?
-Uh-huh.

You're damn right we had an understanding!

All my friends, my father.

He's already drawing up
an invitation list!

Look, sweetheart,

I've already blown two marriages.

Your score is 0 for 3.

Now, I'm just not any good at it,

and I don't think that you are, either.

What's wrong with the way things are now?

Wrong? I'll tell you what's wrong!

I'm gonna be 36 next month!

Candice, I think we ought to cool it.

Cool it? You want to dump me?

No! You are not gonna do this to me.

Hello.

-Mrs. Fletcher is here
to see Mr. Royce.

Oh, golly.

Uh, tell her to wait a minute
and then send her back, Carol.

Thanks.

Yes.

Is Mr. Royce there at the athletic club?

This is his secretary.

Would you page him for me?

Yeah, well, try the squash courts.

Tell him to meet his lunch
at the down town club.

Give him that message if you can find him.

Thank you.

[knock at door]

Ah, you must be Norma.

Oh, Mrs. Fletcher.
So nice to meet you at last.

Well, we've talked so often
on the telephone,

I feel as if you and I are old friends.

Oh, that's very sweet.

Um, am I early?

No!

No, he's been tied up in a meeting.

He'll meet you at the club.

I'm supposed to take you over there.

Oh, fine.

Mr. Royce has worked up a report

on your portfolio, Mrs. Fletcher,

and some recommendations.

We can take it along.

Good, because I want to talk to him

about some stock a friend of mine

in Cabot Cove recommended,

uh, Spruce Electronics?

Spruce Electronics is okay.

A little overextended P.E.-wise.

And I think they've taken on
too much debt.

But their competition's interesting.

Take low sonic, for instance.

They have got the inside track on HDTV.

-HDTV?
-Mm.

-High definition television.
-Oh.

Wave of the future.

In five years, everybody'll own one.

Low sonic is in for a big move.

As a matter of fact, I just bought some...

I mean, Mr. Royce just bought some

for your portfolio this morning.

Well, that's wonderful.

I mean, if you...

I mean, and Mr. Royce
feel that it's a good buy.

He spends a lot of time on research.

And in meetings.

So often when I call, he's in meetings.

He certainly keeps a very busy schedule.

It's a wonder he has time to play golf.

-Shall we go?
-All right.

Those clubs are brand-new.

He brought them in yesterday
to show everyone.

Jessica!

Jessica!

Jerome. My goodness.

You know, you get
more distinguished-looking

as the years pass by.

You really ought to come
and see us more often, my dear.

Well, the way you handle my investments,

it hardly seems necessary.

So Philip's been taking
good care of you, has he?

Well, I certainly have no complaints.

Especially since Norma's been helping out.

Well, I'm happy to hear that.

You know, since Philip's father died,

not only my partner,
but my dearest friend,

Philip has had some big shoes to fill.

Candice.

There you are.

Jessica, have you met my daughter?

-How nice to meet you, Candice.
-Hello.

We have to talk, daddy.

I was just going out, dear.

Now, daddy!

Is something wrong, darling?

Everything is wrong!

Really, darling,

you were quite rude to Mrs. Fletcher.

-What are you so upset about?
-Philip.

We had a very interesting conversation

in bed this morning.

You stayed over?
Well, that sounds promising.

He's not gonna marry me.

Not marry you? But of course he is.

-Did you pick a fight with him?
-No.

I did everything you told me.
I used every trick in the book.

The man is a complete toad.

He also happens
to own half my company, darling.

Now you go back to him and make up.

Never.

I'd rather see him dead.

-Sorry.
-Oops! Sorry.

Say! You've got to be J.B. Fletcher.

This is Sid Hooper from our office.

Oh, how do you do, Mr. Hooper?

Better than most, J.B.

Oh, while everybody else is out
putting on the old feed bag,

I'm up there making money.

Oh, yes, stealing a march,
that sort of thing?

You got it.

Keep me in mind if you decide
to put a little more zip

in your appreciation.

I mean, Sid Hooper would never put you

into that dog, low sonic.

That's--That's yesterday's newspaper, J.B.

or maybe Philip got a hot tip
on the golf course.

Have a nice lunch.

And don't order the shark.
They're still alive over there.

Hey, Norma, where've you been?
You're ten minutes late!

Oh, sweetheart, I'm sorry.

[stammering] I just totally forgot.

Are you kidding?

It took me a half an hour to get downtown!

Honey, it's been one of those mornings.

I feel awful,
but I can't have lunch with you.

It's business.

Oh, it's always business.
It's always business.

Mrs. Fletcher, this is Rudy.
Rudy Bianco, my fiance.

-How do you do, Rudy?
-Hi.

You've got a very special girl here.

And I think that there's a simple solution

to this problem.

Why don't you two go
and have lunch together,

and I'll get a taxi and meet Philip?

But--Oh, Mrs. Fletcher, that's very nice,

but you know, I really think
I'd better go along.

We'll have dinner tonight, honey.

I'll make fettuccini with marinara.

Okay, okay, okay.

But I'm telling you,

this guy's taking advantage of you.

And you tell him I said so.

Nice to meet you.

Gee, Mrs. Fletcher, you know,

I--I just don't know what happened.

Maybe I forgot to put your lunch
on Mr. Royce's schedule

when I typed it up for him last night.

Well, never mind.

It's been a very interesting lunch.

I've certainly learned
more about investing

than I ever expected
to hear from Mr. Royce.

Oh, there's Gordon Tully.

You know, the one who made the run

on pan global airlines last month.

Oh, yeah, the corporate raider.

-Mm.
-Yes, I read a profile on him.

Well, hello, Ashcroft.

Mr. Tully.

Have you been out of town,

or hasn't your secretary been
giving your phone messages?

I've been busy.

Well, let me save you 20 cents.

I want your company.

Put a price on it

and have your people
get in touch with my people.

There'll be ice-skating in hell

before I'd ever sell to you, Tully.

You know what your problem is, Ashcroft?

You put personal considerations
ahead of business.

It's a big mistake.

There are some things money can't buy

and some personal considerations
beyond monetary valuation.

I doubt you'll stay
out of jail long enough

to learn what I mean.

Jessica.

Sorry I'm late. Meeting ran long.

You look terrific.

Well, thanks.

You know, Philip,

you look more like your father every year.

Yeah, that's what everyone says.

So has Norma been taking good care of you?

Norma is an absolute Jewel,

but I'm sure you already knew that.

Right. Oh, my, look what time it is.

I hope you already ordered.

Well, actually, we've already eaten.

Good. Isn't the food here terrific?

-Wonderful.
-Tell you what, Jessica.

Why don't I take you to dinner tonight?

Oh, I'm sorry, Philip,
but I already have dinner plans.

Then let's do breakfast.

I can't very well let you
slip away again to New Hampshire

without going over your portfolio, can I?

Well, um...

I'd sit down with you this afternoon,

but I have an appointment
with a couple of the guys

over at the...

clients,

over at the athletic club.

Norma, call up buddy black

and confirm our golf date for tomorrow.

Oh, anyway, breakfast?

There's a terrific little place
right around the corner from me.

They have croissants flown in fresh

every morning on the concord,

what do you say?

Well, I really more or less
promised my nephew.

Well, I want to fill you in
on a terrific new stock

that I found out about.

Get you in on the ground floor.

It's called Spruce Electronics.

Well, on the other hand,

perhaps we do need to have a serious talk.

Let's do breakfast.

I thought we had an understanding, buddy.

And frankly,
I'm disappointed in the results.

Hey, I hit him for 11 grand
just last week, Mr. Tully.

The negotiations have gotten
to the delicate stage.

I want you to keep the pressure on him.

It's getting awkward.

I don't know how much more
I can get away with.

Just do it, buddy.

Squeeze harder.

Uh, excuse me,

doesn't Mr. Philip Royce live here?

Who are you, lady?

My name is Jessica Fletcher.

I had an appointment to have breakfast

with Mr. Royce this morning.

Mr. Royce won't be having breakfast,

this morning or any morning.

Somebody cracked his skull
with a golf club.

So how much did you lose?

I beg your pardon?

Well, you said the deceased
was your stockbroker.

Well, actually, his firm
has done very nicely for me.

Oh, yeah? Well, consider
yourself lucky, Mrs. Fletcher.

I let one of those stockbroker guys

talk me into a little flyer
a couple of years ago.

I put most of my savings
into this Turkey stock

and before I could dump it,
I lost 500 bucks.

It's all a scam.

These sharp operators are in business

to fleece the working stiffs.

Hey, Eddie, there's a glass in the kitchen

with traces of lipstick.

Make sure it gets bagged and checked.

Uh, excuse me, lieutenant,

but do you have any idea
how this happened?

Well, that's what we're trying
to find out, ma'am.

Looks like it happened
some time late last night.

The cleaning lady found him this morning.

Somebody nailed him with a golf putter.

Oh, that's ironic.

You know, he did mention
having a golf date tomorrow.

He did, huh? You got any names?

The only name I heard
mentioned was a buddy black.

But his secretary would know.

Check this, lieutenant.
I found it behind the sofa.

Lipstick on the glass...

ooh, lady's apparel behind the sofa.

Looks like cherchez la femme time.

This wouldn't be your hat, would it, lady?

Oh, no. No.

But you recognize it. Right?

Well, I mean,

there's lots of hats
like that in New York city.

Whose is it?

Dead?

Why would anyone want to kill Mr. Royce?

Well, that's what I'm gonna find out.

Now, you want to tell me about this hat?

Mr. Royce called me at home
after work last night.

He needed his briefcase,
so I brought it to him.

I must have left without my hat.

Norma was a very conscientious secretary,

lieutenant Moynihan.

I can vouch for that.

We found the hat
behind the sofa, miss Pulaski.

Just how conscientious were you?

Lieutenant, I am an engaged woman.

Lieutenant, perhaps you noticed,

there's a telephone number
scrawled on his notepad.

Yes.

Yes, um, is this his writing or yours?

His.

But I don't recognize the number.

It wasn't there when I left last night.

Maybe it was one of his golf pals.

Maybe this buddy black?

Quick way to find out.

I just heard about Philip. My god.

Yes, he in?

Well, you tell Mr. Gordon Tully

that lieutenant Moynihan
wants to talk to him.

Have him call me at Manhattan South.

Gordon Tully? Phew.

Old Phil was traveling
in pretty fast company.

This guy Tully, he a golf player?

Well, from what I've read,
Mr. Tully is into bigger games.

I didn't even know they were acquainted.

Norma, I'm really sorry about Philip.

But I want you to know

I'm dumping Wilma to make room
for you on my desk.

Gee, Sid, you're all heart.

Oh, yeah, and Ashcroft wants me

to take over Philip's accounts,

so I'll need his computer access code

and anything current.

Okay, if that's what Mr. Ashcroft wants.

Nice to be working with you, J.B.

Give me a couple of days,

and I'll shake out the dogs and cats.

Here's the code,

and these orders are from this morning.

Excuse me for interrupting
the big business here,

but I have
a murder investigation going on.

Now, when you left
the victim's place last night,

did you see anything?

-Anybody hanging around?
-No.

There was nobody there when I left.

I mean, I didn't notice anyone.

Well, you keep yourself
available, miss Pulaski.

I may need to talk to you again.

A terrible shock, Jessica.

Yes, I know how close you and Philip were.

Well, at least poor Philip's father

didn't live to see this.

His only son stuck down
by some vicious burglar.

Oh, we don't have any evidence
of a break-in, Mr. Ashcroft.

My guess is it was somebody he knew.

When did you see him last, Sir?

I guess it was at the club at lunch.

Yesterday?

And he didn't come back
to the office after lunch?

No, apparently,
he had some meetings to attend.

Could he have come back later
after you left, Jerome?

No, I stayed here in my office
working until about midnight.

I would have seen him if he'd come back.

I want a list of all
of Mr. Royce's big losers

in the last few months.

Big losers?

Yeah, on the theory
that it was some irate investor

he cleaned out who nailed him.

I'm afraid lieutenant Moynihan's

personal experience in the stock market

has made him a skeptic.

Well, we are one of the oldest,

most reputable firms on the street.

And it's a matter of company policy

to perform an in-house audit

whenever a broker leaves the firm.

-Sorry to interrupt, Mr. A.
-What is it, Hooper?

These buy orders
Norma gave me a few minutes ago.

Something's wrong here.

Time dated this morning.

10, 12 hours after Mr. Royce died.

I want to talk to that secretary again.

So what were you doing?

Trying to cover up something funny

going on with the accounts?

No.

Mr. Royce told me to sign his name.

I mean, he wasn't always here,

and those orders
had to be processed quickly.

That makes sense, lieutenant.

Mr. Royce apparently had
a very heavy schedule

outside the office.

The impression that I have

is that Norma was really running things

and very successfully too.

I mean, she's given me
more investment service

than Mr. Royce ever did.

At Ashcroft and Royce,

secretaries answer phones,
take messages, and make coffee.

They do not give financial advice,

transact business,
or forge their boss' signatures!

Now on the other hand,

I may have gotten the wrong impression.

Now, I am sorry, miss Pulaski,

but you have betrayed the trust
that we placed in you.

I would appreciate it

if you would clean out
your desk immediately.

Excuse me.

Rudy's right.

It's a long way from flatbush
to Wall Street.

Norma, don't sell yourself short.

Maybe you're right, Mrs. Fletcher.

I mean, it's only a job, right?

I guess I'm just upset about Mr. Royce.

About last night,

I had the impression

that you didn't tell
lieutenant Moynihan everything.

There was nothing to tell.

Are you sure?

It might be very important.

Nothing that lieutenant Moynihan

would be interested in happened
last night, Mrs. Fletcher.

Not so fast, miss Pulaski.

What's wrong, Jerome?

Wrong? I'll tell you what's wrong.

The auditor just called.

There's almost $2 million
missing from Philip's accounts.

Miss Pulaski, you and I are
going downtown for a little chat

about the murder of Philip Royce.

Mr. Tully never sees anyone
without an appointment.

Yes, of course.

I wonder, could you get a message to him?

It's rather confidential.

The name again was Jessica Fletcher.

I have interesting information...

about Mr. Tully's connection
to the late Philip Royce.

And I need to discuss it with him

before going to the police.

I'll wait.

London, Hong Kong, Geneva.

I don't want them to know
where it's coming from.

The yen's peaked. It's selling off.

Let me know when it comes down to 134.

Do I know you, Mrs. Fletcher?

We haven't met, Mr. Tully.

I was a client of Philip Royce.

And I'm a friend of Jerome Ashcroft.

And what information
do you wish to discuss?

I understand that you were interested

in buying Ashcroft and Royce.

That's not information or even news.

Yes, well, your telephone number

was the last thing Philip Royce wrote

on his notepad before he died.

I explained that to lieutenant Moynihan.

Royce phoned me.

According to my log,
it was about 8:00 p.m.

It was business.

Business?

My business, Mrs. Fletcher.

I was here in my office
all evening and half the night

on the phone to Japan.

My assistant can verify that,

as well as the telephone company records.

Now, I'm sorry,

but you are catching me
on a very, very bad day.

So unless you have
some other important information

to discuss,

goodbye, Mrs. Fletcher.

[buzzes]

Lieutenant Moynihan, Manhattan South.

Did you notice anything strange here

night before last?

Strange? In this town?
You got to be kidding.

Last week, I saw a guy
walking a dog with a dress on.

The guy was wearing a dress?

What's strange about that?
The dog was wearing the dress.

No, I'm talking
about the night of the murder.

Between 8:00 and midnight.

Did you see anything? Notice anything?

Nothing.

Except the bread delivery.

-Bread delivery?
-Yeah.

I mean, in a neighborhood like this,

who eats that much bread?

You know what I mean?

Anyway, it was about 9:00.

I remember because this guy
comes wailing out the door

like a bat out of hell,

jumps in his truck,
and Burns rubber out of here.

Did you get anything on that truck?

A license number?

Hey, who do I look like, Cagney and Lacey?

Well, wait a minute. Yeah.

There was a sign on the truck.
"Bianco's bakery."

Listen, meathead,

my fiancee had nothing to do
with that guy's death.

Wait a minute. Wait a minute.

Norma Pulaski's your fiancee?

Yeah, and you're dealing
with Rudy Bianco here.

After I get through with you,

you're gonna be handing out
parking tickets

on Staten Island.

I'm gonna Sue your brains out
for false arrest.

Yeah, right, you better take a number.

Rudy! Look at this!

Somebody's been throwing trash
in the flour bin again!

That's okay, Gino. It's mine.

Well, what the hell's
it doing in the flour bin?

Let me see that.
Let's see what we got here.

Whoa! Look at that.
Must be 20 or 30 grand here.

Where would a guy like you
get a wad like that, huh?

On a fast horse at Belmont.

They keep good records at the track.

You want to try again?

Okay, I found it.

Oh, that's even funnier.

Yeah? It's the truth.

Somebody broke into my truck

when it was parked out back last night.

I found this envelope under
the front seat this morning.

You think we're stupid or something?

You think we don't know

your girlfriend ripped off
a couple million dollars?

-What, are you kidding?
-Do I look like I'm kidding?

We got a make on your truck
at the scene of the crime.

I got a witness
who'll finger you in a line-up.

Rudy Bianco,

I'm arresting you on suspicion of murder

and as an accomplice to embezzlement.

Oh, lieutenant,
I just stopped by to see you.

Yeah, well, I'm kind of busy
right now, Mrs. Fletcher.

Yes, well, this wouldn't take very long.

It's about Gordon Tully.
I went to see him.

Yeah, well, you can forget
about Gordon Tully

because I've got the case all wrapped up.

Yeah, when I confront miss Pulaski

with her accomplice,

she's gonna fold up like a wet paper box.

Stick around if you want to.

No! I didn't kill him
and neither did Rudy.

And we didn't steal any money.

There isn't a jury in New York

that's gonna believe this story.

But lieutenant,
you haven't given them a chance

to tell their story.

I mean, perhaps there's an explanation.

Okay. Okay. Let's see. Go ahead.

Like I told you,

Mr. Royce called me at home last night.

He'd left his briefcase
at the downtown club

and he wanted me to pick it up
and bring it over to his place.

He was always leaving
his briefcase somewhere.

So I called Rudy,

and I left a message on the machine,

you know, explaining everything

and telling him I'd see him later.

Then I picked up the briefcase,

and I took it over to Mr. Royce's place.

It was about 9:00.

It took him a while to answer the door,

'cause he was taking a shower.

So I gave him the briefcase.

And he was very nice,

you know, he offered me a drink.

Kind of a thank you, I guess.

But I was anxious to get going, you know,

'cause I was already late.

Then there was a banging at the door.

It was Rudy.

Now, you got to understand,
Rudy's Italian,

and he's never understood

about these extra hours i have to put in.

Anyway, I guess he got the wrong idea

about me and Mr. Royce.

I thought he was gonna hit Mr. Royce,

you know, so I had to get between them.

That must be when I lost my hat.

Finally, I backed Rudy off,
and I got him out of there.

I was so embarrassed.

Rudy was still steamed
and roared away in his truck.

I went home and had a good cry.

So Philip was still alive
when you both left?

Like I said, no jury's gonna buy that.

We checked the prints on the glass.

They're yours, miss Pulaski.

I told you. He fixed me a drink.

More likely, your boyfriend here,

he comes in, he finds you
and the victim in the sack.

He grabs a golf club, and wham!

But Mr. Royce was discovered

fully clothed in the living room.

Well, then, maybe they killed him

to cover up the embezzlement.

Look, he tells me that he finds 25 grand?

I mean, how dumb do you think I am?

Lieutenant, I am the last person

in the world to want to interfere--

Mrs. Fletcher,

I'd be more than happy
to answer any questions

that you might have, but later.

You see, right now
I got to talk to a Judge

about some court orders

so that I might try to be able to find

where they might have stashed
the rest of the money.

Excuse me.

Come on.

Come on, come on.
I haven't got all day, biffy.

Get on with it!

Oh, there you are, miss Ashcroft.

I'm so glad I caught up with you.

Mrs. Fletcher,
how did you know I was here?

Well, I dropped by to pay a call,

and your doorman told me

that you were out walking your dog...

[Biffy barking]

and I just took a chance.

Yes, well, I'm in kind of
a hurry, Mrs. Fletcher.

I've got to get over to bergdorf's

and buy something black
for Philip's funeral.

Oh, yes, it is such a tragedy.

I mean, it must be such a blow
losing your fiance.

But of course, at least
you have the consolation

of having been the last person
to see him alive,

except for the murderer, of course.

What do you mean?

Oh, well, Norma mentioned
that Philip was taking a shower,

and I just assumed
that he had plans to go out.

And it seemed obvious or quite natural

that it would have been
with you, his fiancee.

No, I didn't even see Philip that night.

Matter of fact,

we decided to call off
the engagement the day before.

Oh, you poor thing.

You mean, you had a lover's quarrel?

And now he's dead. Oh, how sad.

No, it was not a quarrel.
In fact, it was very friendly.

Philip just wasn't the marrying kind.

The fact is he spent
more time on the golf links

with that pal of his, buddy black,

than he did with me.

Buddy black?

Well, I never actually met him.

But he hangs out at Philip's golf club.

Look, Mrs. Fletcher,

I've really got to run.

Yes, well, keep your chin up.

As you say, life goes on.

So Royce and his girlfriend split up.

That happens.

Doesn't mean she tried to part
his hair with a golf club.

I didn't say she did.

But I just have a hunch

that somebody else came to see Philip

that night at his place.

Norma Pulaski and the pumpernickel prince

came to see him.

It's a watertight case.

Well, there could be
some leaks in the boat,

lieutenant.

Like what?

Well, it's possible
that someone planted that money

in Rudy's truck.

And if they embezzled almost $2 million,

how come you've only found $25,000?

I'm working on that.

I've already got a court order
to go after hidden accounts.

Unless they've already lost
the money playing the market.

Like that loser stock I had, low sonic.

Low sonic? I had some low sonic stock.

Oh, Mrs. Fletcher, I'm sorry to hear that.

-You know--
-Never mind.

I think I just remembered
something important.

Oh, settling in, Mr. Hooper?

Yeah, Mrs. Fletcher.

It's starting to feel like home already.

No sense in letting
a corner office get cold.

I imagine you're not
letting Philip's accounts

get cold, either.

You got that right, J.B.

Old Sid Hooper'll unload the ballast

and have you in high fliers

faster than you can say
"leverage buy-out."

I'm very happy to hear that.

Do you remember what you
told me down in the lobby

about low sonics being a "dog"?

Right. Low sonic is 19th-century stuff.

My question is

how did you know that I was
invested in low sonic?

Simple. I looked in Philip's computer.

I have his computer access

now that I'm handling his accounts.

Norma only bought those low sonic stocks

that same morning.

Now, downstairs,

you already knew about the purchase.

Uh, Philip must have mentioned it.

Philip never came
into the office that day.

No, the only way that you could have known

would be if you had had
Philip's computer access code

and were monitoring his transactions.

And maybe bleeding off some of his funds?

No. Hey, come on, that's crazy.

I mean, didn't you guys
arrest Norma and her boyfriend?

I mean, that's why they killed him, right?

To cover up the money she was embezzling.

What Mrs. Fletcher says
makes a lot of sense to me.

And as a matter of fact,
I've got a court order

right here to check on hidden accounts.

Why don't we go down
to the station, Mr. Hooper?

Have ourselves a little talk.

Okay, so far, we know you withdrew $25,000

from your personal account

the morning after Mr. Royce was murdered.

We also know you have a numbered account

in the Cayman Islands.

We're checking on that one.

See, I always knew that
no secretary and her boyfriend

were smart enough to pull off
a scam this big.

It had to be
one of these big-shot insiders.

Well, I'm sure that Norma and Rudy

will be relieved to know

that you were always
convinced of their innocence.

-Now, wait a minute.
-So what happened?

Mr. Royce found out,
and you had to kill him, right?

Kill him? Hey, no way.

Look, I borrowed a few bucks
from old Philip's account.

That's it.

Then you did have his access code?

His access code
was his license plate number.

It didn't take a genius to figure it out.

Look, I knew Norma
was running the portfolio.

Philip was a playboy coasting
on his father's coattails.

Hey, I was gonna pay it back.

Sure. That's what they all say.

Well, since Mr. Hooper

wasn't supposed to have the access code,

he knew that the suspicion
would fall on Norma.

And planting the money
in Rudy's truck almost worked.

Detective Moynihan,

I assume that you're going to
release Norma and Rudy?

Right, as soon as I book
this financial wizard.

Oh, lieutenant.

Miss Pulaski and her fiance'll
be out in a minute.

That's wonderful.

But, you know, I'm still
troubled by some loose ends.

Loose ends? What loose ends?

Well, it's nothing
I can really put my finger on.

Well, Gordon Tully
had a stake in all this.

Mrs. Fletcher, we got our killer.

And I already checked Gordon Tully out.

He's got an alibi.
He was on the phone to Japan.

The phone company records back him up.

Yes, but the phone company records

don't say who was talking on the phone.

Look, I have to have more than that

if I'm gonna take on a guy

that's got the juice of Gordon Tully.

Excuse me.

Oh, Mrs. Fletcher!
I don't know how to thank you.

Look, anytime you need any baked goods,

you just let me know.

Breads, rolls, Danish, anything you want.

Oh, thank you, Rudy.
That's very sweet of you.

But there's something
I want to ask you about, Norma.

What do you know about buddy black?

I never met him,

but I hear he was some kind
of a golf hustler.

A hustler?

Yeah, Mr. Royce always lost
when they played.

Ordinarily, Mr. Royce

handled his personal
checking account himself.

But one day, I found a stack

of canceled checks in his briefcase

all made out to buddy black.

Over $50,000 worth,

and that was for only one month.

Oh, dear.

Mr. Black?

I don't do lessons anymore, lady.

Oh, I'm not interested
in golf lessons, Mr. Black,

although, I hear you're very good.

What exactly can I do for you, Mrs...

Fletcher, Jessica Fletcher.

I understand that we have
a mutual acquaintance.

Gordon Tully.

Well, any friend of Gordon's
is a friend of mine.

What is it, you and your hubby

looking for a sponsor to join the club?

Not exactly.

The fact of the matter is, I'm involved,

quite unofficially, you understand,

in the murder investigation
of Philip Royce.

Your name came up
in the police investigation.

Why would my name come up?

Possibly in connection with blackmail?

Blackmail?

The police are looking very carefully

into Mr. Royce's financial matters,

and there are all those
canceled checks made out to you.

So maybe Philip wrote me a few checks.

It wasn't blackmail.

I won that money from him playing golf.

Well, that's not the impression

that I got from Mr. Tully,

and neither did lieutenant Moynihan.

What the hell did Tully tell you?

Well, I'm afraid I'm not at liberty

to discuss that with you, Mr. Black.

And I believe it's common knowledge

that Mr. Tully was trying
to take over Mr. Royce's firm.

And I did hear that the police
are checking Mr. Tully's alibi

for the time of the murder.

They are?

That's probably where
the blackmail angle comes in,

especially in view of the fact

that he was murdered with a golf club.

Look, I had nothing
to do with Phil's murder.

Okay, so maybe Tully suggested

Phil could be had
for a few bucks playing golf.

I'm afraid it was more than a few bucks.

Hey, it was Tully's idea, not mine!

But you took the money.

I don't know what his game is,
or yours either, lady,

but if Tully told you
I was blackmailing Philip Royce,

he's lying to cover his own back.

Mr. Tully couldn't possibly see you now.

He has a luncheon appointment,
and he's already late.

Perhaps if you wouldn't mind trying.

Oh, Mr. Tully, I was hoping
that I would catch you.

I wanted to talk to you about buddy black.

I'm rather in a hurry now, Mrs. Fletcher,

but if you'd care to ride down with me--

Oh, thank you.

I advise you to get straight to the point.

This is an express.

I was wondering what you'd have to say

to lieutenant Moynihan when he learns that

you arranged
for a professional golf hustler

to separate Mr. Royce from
a considerable amount of cash.

Why would I do something like that?

Assuming, of course, that it's true.

To soften him up so that he'd sell to you?

Philip was a big boy.

He shouldn't have bet what
he couldn't afford to lose.

But you seem to be implying

that I had something to do with his death.

Let me set you straight, Mrs. Fletcher.

Philip Royce was more valuable
to me alive than dead.

Valuable to you?

Royce had already agreed
to sell me his shares.

We were going to set the deal
the next morning,

but somebody killed him,
an unforeseen liability.

Now I'll have to buy some other firm.

Have a nice day, Mrs. Fletcher.

It's not as fancy as the downtown club,

but the food is fantastic.

I think it's very charming.

They buy all their bread from me.

Six dozen rolls every day.

I was telling Norma,

now that she's finished on Wall Street,

I could use her down at the bakery.

Well, just because she's lost one job

doesn't mean that she's finished
on Wall Street, Rudy.

I mean, you'd be amazed

at how clever Norma is
at financial things.

Yeah, but the hours
are better at the bakery.

[chuckles]

Norma, Mr. Tully
told me something puzzling.

He said that Philip had agreed
to sell his half of the firm.

That might explain it.

Explain what?

What he had in his briefcase.

I probably shouldn't have looked,

but Mr. Royce was always walking off

with papers in his briefcase
that I needed at the office.

Norma, what exactly
did he have in his briefcase?

A big stack of Ashcroft and Royce shares.

If he were going to sell to Mr. Tully,

that may explain why
he was carrying them around.

Look, I'm terribly sorry,

but I won't be able to eat
lunch with you after all.

I have to find lieutenant Moynihan.

I'll call you.

I just dropped by to let you know that

we've traced all the money
that Hooper embezzled,

Mr. Ashcroft.

All of it? Why, that's wonderful.

Yeah, he had it squirreled away

in his investment account
in the Cayman Islands.

And the funny part of it is
that Hooper actually made

a couple 100 grand profit on the money.

It's weird.

I was wondering, Jerome,

what do you intend to do about Norma?

Norma? Oh, Norma.

Well, of course, we'll reinstate her job.

As a matter of fact,
I have decided to start her

in the broker's training program.

Oh, I suppose that means

that the company
won't be sold to Gordon Tully.

Sell to Tully? Over my dead body.

Mm, that's right.

You have all the shares safely tucked away

in your office safe.

I certainly do, Jessica.

Even Philip's shares?

Yes, he left his there for safekeeping.

I'm just curious,

what happens to Mr. Royce's shares now?

Well, actually, we had a contract.

In the event of death,

the surviving partner
has the option of purchasing

the remaining shares at book value.

Book value?

Well, it's a very common
practice in business,

because of the tax consequences.

I'd be very happy to answer

any of your questions about it,
lieutenant.

I have a question, Jerome.

Was it planned in advance
or totally on impulse?

When you killed Philip Royce.

I suppose the golf club indicates impulse.

At least it wasn't premeditated.

Kill Philip?

Jessica, you must be making a bad joke.

Sadly enough, it's not a joke, Jerome.

I suppose you must have overheard Philip

talking on the telephone to Mr. Tully.

Remember, you told me
you were here working late?

Yes, I was.

But I told you that Philip

never came back to the office.

Yes, that's what you said.

But Philip must have
come back to the office,

at least to pick up the golf clubs.

They were in his office
when I was there before lunch.

And they were in his apartment
when we found his body.

But what you didn't know, Jerome,

was that Norma delivered
Philip's own shares

in the company to his apartment

a short time before you arrived.

There's only one way

they could've gotten into your safe, Sir.

I never intended to kill him.

Philip was like a son to me.

After I heard him on the phone
agreeing to sell to Tully,

I went over there to reason with him.

Philip, you just can't do it.

Sell the firm your father and I
spent our lives building up

to a cheap scoundrel like Tully?

Spare me the platitudes,
won't you, Jerome?

So you can't stand Tully's guts.

He doesn't measure up to
your ethical standards, fine,

but that's your problem, not mine.

But, Philip, the name Ashcroft and Royce

still means something on-- on Wall Street.

Right, it means integrity,
respectability, old money,

all the garbage
that you think is so important.

Well, Jerome, let me tell you something.

Tully is willing to pay for that image.

Pay twice what my shares are worth.

And what will you do?

Do? [chuckles]

I'll tell you what I'm gonna do, Jerome.

I'm gonna take that money,
and I'm gonna enjoy it.

Yeah. That's right.

That way, I won't have to go into

that boring office in the morning

and add up all those boring figures

and deal with all those uptight,
boring clients.

And what about Candice?

Well, that's another thing, Jerome.

I know what you and she
are trying to cook up.

Keep it all in the family.
Well, count me out.

See, that's what
finally convinced me to sell.

Not having to deal
with that silly, spoiled bitch

of a daughter of yours.

[grunts]

I couldn't let a scoundrel
like Gordon Tully

take over the firm I devoted my life to.

You understand that, don't you?

[sighs]

Somebody has got to stand up
for the old values.

Here, have some more bread.

Don't mind if I do.

Norma, lieutenant Moynihan
was telling me that

he once owned some of
your favorite stock, low sonic.

Yeah, I took a bath in it
before I got out of it.

Gee, that's too bad.

500 bucks right down the old sewer.

But I learned my lesson.

No, I mean it's too bad

because it split three-for-one today.

You would have made a killing
if you'd kept it.

Uh-oh.

You know, it sounds to me

as if Wall Street is still in your blood.

What are you planning to do?

I am gonna make it on Wall Street

if it's the last thing I do,
Mrs. Fletcher.

I mean, I have got this terrific idea.

Rudy makes this wonderful bread.

"Heart smart," all natural ingredients.

How does that sound for a name?

Well, it's got a real ring.

I'm going to incorporate Rudy's bakery,

you know, issue stock.

I figure, eventually,
we could syndicate it.

What do you think?

You know, knowing Norma,

I think that you should
buy some of the stock.

[cheerful orchestral music]