All language subtitles for Murder.She.Wrote.S07E17.The.Prodigal.Father.WEBRip.x264ION10.

Why did I come back?

I think you and I both know
the answer to that question.

Ned Jenks is back.

-I'm your father.
-You can't be!

[Jessica] Tonight on Murder, She Wrote.

The sight of that coroner's van
is scaring off my customers.

Funny, George.
I thought it was the police cars.

Are you telling me that
he is free to run around town,

spending the money that he stole from us?

He's a con artist.
All he cares about is your money.

I was scared to death.

-He can't be my father.
-I don't know.

What are you gonna do, Gil? Shoot me?

[dramatic music]

[cheerful orchestral music]

[elegant orchestral music]

Perhaps the Queen would care for
another chocolate chip cookie?

[girl] No, the Queen is on a diet.

Oh, oh, well, in that case,
the last one is yours.

Thank you.

-Hi.
-Hi, Mommy.

Hello, Bonnie,
come and join us for a cup of tea.

Oh, I'd love some. I need something
after dealing with those moving men.

Mrs. Fletcher, I can see
your house from my new room.

Can't I, Mommy?

You sure can, sweetheart.

Jessica, I want to thank you
for watching Sally.

Oh, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

It isn't often I get the opportunity
to take tea with royalty.

Could we have a tea party
at my new house sometime?

Oh, of course.

I used to have tea
with my great-grandma all the time,

but she's gone now.

She passed away several months ago.

Yes, I was so sorry to hear that.

I don't have a grandpa, either.

Mrs. Fletcher, do you have a grandpa?

I did, when I was a little girl.

I never had one.

He died a long time ago,
before I was even born.

-Evening.
-Good evening.

I need a room for a couple of nights.

$30 a day.

I'll pay cash.

In advance.

Hey, what happened to the cannery?

I didn't see it from the highway.

Tore it down 10, 12 years ago.

Couldn't compete with
the Japanese factory ships.

Unit 10, around the back.

[switchboard buzzing]

Office. What do you need?

555-4714.

[line trilling]

No answer.

Okay.

I'll try again later.

[waitress] Sure, I remember
the steak house.

Yeah, they tore it down
about five or six years ago

to make room for the new school.

Guess you've been away a while, huh?

A while.

You might know
a young woman about your age.

Her name is Bonnie Jenks.

Bonnie. Oh, yeah, sure.
We went to high school together.

She's Bonnie Hastings now.

She married Dave, the electrician.

-Do you know him?
-Uh, no.

Kind of an older fellow,
but a really nice guy.

Yeah, they just moved
into a big, old house

over on Candlewood Lane.

Keep the change.

Thanks a lot.

[waitress] Yeah, we need
a Spanish omelet, Jim,

sunny side up.

I'll be right with you.

Yeah, a side order of hash browns.

[waitress] There you go.

Gil, what's the matter? Look like
you've just seen a ghost or something.

-Could be I did.
-[chuckles]

[waitress] Hey, Eddie, can you hurry up
with that order?

Uh, hello, Erma.

Is Mr. Summers there?

I got to talk to him.

[telephone buzzes]

Yes, Gil?

You won't believe this,

but someone who looks a lot like Ned Jenks

just walked into your bank.

You're right,

I don't believe it.

Bye, Gil.

[Bonnie] Dave, wait.

You forgot your lunch.

That's not all I forgot.

[laughs]

Go to work.

-I'm open for suggestions.
-Well, try me later.

Right now, you got a family to feed
and a mortgage to pay.

Oh, wait a minute, you mean
I actually make a contribution here?

Oh, we're not gonna
start this again, are we?

Sorry, Grandma Porter.
Wherever you are, thank you, thank you.

-[chuckles] Let me ask you something.
-Yeah?

What you earn, half of it's mine, right?

You betcha.

Well, then half of what
I inherited is yours, too,

and I don't want to discuss it anymore.

Absolutely.

Besides, Gran may have left me
the down payment,

but you have to keep up the payments.

What's for dinner tonight?

Is that all you ever think about,
is your stomach?

Not quite.

Go to work.

[laughing] Go! Goodbye.

[engine turning over]

-Jessica.
-Bonnie.

I'm so glad you're back.

My goodness, you're trembling.

I know.
Something really strange just happened.

-Well, come inside.
-Thank you.

-Have a seat.
-Thanks.

Would you like a cup of coffee?

Oh, yes, thank you.

Now, what happened?

Well, this morning,

when I sent Sally off to school,

I noticed there was this man
across the street,

looking at the house.

I didn't really think
anything of it at the time.

But then later on, when Dave went to work,

the man was still there.

Bonnie?

Yes.

You...

you turned out
even more beautiful than I imagined.

I'm sorry, I don't...

I'm Ned Jenks, your father.

Look, if this is some sort of a joke,
I don't think it's funny at all.

My father's been dead over 20 years.

He was killed in an accident.

I know.

That's what everybody thinks.

That I was drowned in the river,
while trying to escape from the police.

I--I guess they told you
I robbed the bank.

You were only five years old when I left,

but I bet you remember the rabbit
I gave you for your birthday.

You used to call him Twinky.

And my motorcycle,

you used to call it a "mo-mo cycle."

No, somebody told you those things.

You're not my father! You can't be!

You just leave me alone!

You know, when I was growing up,

I used to always pretend
that my father wasn't dead,

that someday he'd come back to Cabot Cove,

looking for me.

[sobbing] Jessica, this can't be true.

I mean, he can't be my father.

Can he?

I don't know.

[Jessica] You know, it must be frightening

to have a father appear out of the blue
after 20 years.

You know, she may have
some barnacles on her bottom,

but overall, I'd say she's sound.

Who, Bonnie?

Uh, no, Caleb Prine's boat.

I'm thinking of buying it.

Sam Booth,

you haven't heard a word
that I've said about Ned Jenks.

Of course I have.
Always was trouble, that boy.

Zooming down Main Street
on that big, blue motorcycle of his.

It wasn't blue, it was red.

Then he goes off
and elopes with Julia Porter,

the high school homecoming queen.

Sam, Julie was Miss Cabot Cove of 1962.

Her daughter, Bonnie,
was the homecoming queen of 1983.

Well, as soon as Julie's mother
heard about the marriage,

she cut him off without a penny.

And rightly so.

Well, if she hadn't,
Ned might not have robbed the bank.

Man and boy, he was nothing but trouble.

Good riddance, I say.

Sam, you didn't hear me.

Ned Jenks is back.

From the dead?

But that's impossible!

I don't know. I just can't be sure.

I mean, he kind of walks like him,

but he looks older.

[man] That's him, all right, Maxine.

[Maxine] Well, it has been 20 years.

[man] 20 years, 100 years,
I'd know that bum anywhere.

But still, why would he--

Jenks!

You don't remember me, do you?

I was in the bank the day you robbed it.

Sorry, I--

I'm the guy you shot.

You can't ruin people's lives

and just come back
as if nothing ever happened!

[engine turning over]

[tires squealing]

You hear me, Jenks?

[Sheriff] He wore a ski mask.

Six witnesses identified
his voice as Ned Jenks,

and the police pursued immediately.

Motorcycle went out of control
and he crashed through a wooden guard rail

-and plunged into the river.
-Yes, I remember.

I mean, they searched for days
and they never found his body.

Everyone assumed that
he'd been washed out to sea.

Yeah, they never found the money, either.

$200,000, that was
quite a haul for Cabot Cove.

Sheriff,

get some men together quick.

We got us a bank robber here in town.

Well, if you're talking about a guy
named Ned Jenks, I already know.

Don't just sit there. Do something.

Pick him up, throw him in jail.

[sighs] I'd love to oblige you, sir,
but there's nothing I can do.

Well, you're the Sheriff, aren't you?

The Sheriff was just telling me, Herb.

A fugitive warrant was never issued,
because Ned Jenks was presumed dead.

Well, he ain't dead. He's walking around
right out there, right now, big as life.

You get a warrant and you run him in.

The Sheriff can't do that, Herb.

The statute of limitations
on bank robbery is six years.

Look, that man shot me
and he robbed the bank.

Are you telling me that
he is free to run around town,

spending the money that he stole from us,

and the law can't stop him?

Sir, I don't make the laws.
I just enforce them.

Which is the official way of saying,
I'm with you.

I think it stinks.

[telephone ringing]

Yeah?

I thought I'd be hearing from you
sooner or later.

You and me, we got to talk in private.

Hey, nobody connected us 20 years ago

and I don't want them starting now.

Why did I come back?

I think you and I both know
the answer to that question.

[Sheriff] Everybody's got a theory
about why Ned Jenks came back,

even my Adele.

She thinks maybe he didn't rob the bank.

Well, there were several witnesses.

Yeah, but they just identified his voice.

Maybe they were mistaken.

No, no, no, no, no.

It was Ned Jenks, all right.

Are you sure about that, Gil?

Sure I'm sure.

I was there.

I was the bank security guard.

That ski mask didn't fool me.

Herb Walsh recognized him, too.

Yes, Herb sounded pretty positive.

Yeah, he's probably out
rounding up a lynching party right now.

You know what gets me
about this whole business?

This guy makes off with all that money

and now he comes back to town
dressed like a bum.

In 20 years, you can spend a lot of dough.

I know.

I wondered why he came back at all.

I mean, he must have known

that he wouldn't
be greeted with open arms.

[Gil] Well, there's no big mystery
about that, Mrs. Fletcher.

You know that daughter of his, Bonnie?

She just inherited a pile of money

from her grandmother,
enough to buy a new house.

Kind of makes your mind
start working, don't it?

Oh, I don't think
that Bonnie was involved.

[Gil] But maybe her grandmother was.

Now, what if Ned stashed
the loot with the old lady,

he hears she's dead,
he comes back to get it?

Except for one thing.

Mrs. Porter hated her son-in-law.

It could've been an act.

What if granny was in on
the robbery from the start?

Oh, that's a great theory, Gil.

What'd she do, carry a machine gun
or drive the getaway car?

[waitress] Can you make
those fries well-done?

Well, I must run, Sheriff.

I promised the Mayor
that I'd meet him at 10:00.

Say, he didn't buy
Caleb Prine's boat, did he,

that leaky old lemon?

I'm afraid so.

Sheriff.

Morning, Maxine.

Have you arrested that man yet?

You mean Ned Jenks?

Yes, having a known criminal
walking the streets of our town

is a very bad example to our children,

and as Sheriff, it's your responsibility--

I am sorry, Maxine.

I've already told Herb
and I'm telling you.

The law is the law.

My hands are tied.

Couldn't you just run him out of town?

On what grounds?

You realize, Sheriff,

come election day,

we are all gonna remember
just how you handled this.

[tools whirring]

My goodness, Sam!

When you said you were thinking
of buying a new boat,

I had no idea
this was what you had in mind.

Well, it wasn't,

but to be perfectly honest, Caleb did say
that the boat needed some attention.

Sam, do you remember
when Ned Jenks robbed the bank

in Cabot Cove 20 years ago?

Well, actually, I don't.

I was out of town on a fishing trip
when the regrettable incident occurred.

But I always said

that young man would come to no good.

Sam, don't look now, but there he is.

Where?

I'm gonna go talk to him.

Oh, now, Jessica, you be careful.

Dead or alive, that man's dangerous.

Ned?

Ned Jenks?

Mr. Jenks, I doubt if you remember me.

Sure I do.

You're the school teacher.

My girl just moved in next door to you.

-I forgot your name.
-It's Jessica Fletcher.

Your daughter, Bonnie,
is a fine young woman.

I just hate to see her upset like this.

What about, me?

Well, you having suddenly reappeared,

after so many years.

It's a bit of a shock.

Takes a bit of getting used to.

So does being a grandfather.

Is that why you came back?

Ma'am, the reason I came back

is nobody's business but my own.

Yes, of course.

Forgive me for disturbing you.

Ma'am, excuse me.

That was rude. I'm sorry.

I wonder if you could do me a favor.

Seeing as you and Bonnie are neighbors,
maybe you could put in a good word for me.

Well, I'm not sure that--

The reason I came back is
because Bonnie is all I've got now,

her and the little one.

I've got a lot of years to make up for.

I just don't know how to go about it.

Well, I'd like to believe you,
for Sally's sake.

Mrs. Fletcher, I will level with you.

The past 20 years,
I don't have anything to be proud of.

I've been in prison in Arizona,
under a different name.

It doesn't matter what for.

I paid for my crimes.

But not for robbing the Cabot Cove bank.

[sighs] Everybody thinks I got rich
from pulling that heist.

Some take.

$1,000 a year for 20 years?

And look what it cost me.

Mrs. Fletcher, I swear,
all of that is behind me now.

Back then, I was young and stupid.

Now all I want to do is be
the father that Bonnie never had.

Please, tell her what I said.

That's all I'm asking for.

When I see Bonnie,

I will tell her.

Thank you.

I really appreciate that.

[Dave] What if he was your father?

Where was he when you needed him?

Dave, that has nothing to do with it.

If he is my father,
there's a million things

I want to talk to him about.
I mean, my mother, my childhood.

Oh, come on. I mean, Mrs. Fletcher,

do you think that
she should talk to this criminal?

Dave, I'm just a messenger.

Do you think he's really my father?

-Oh, yes.
-Then I should see him, Dave.

-No, not in my house.
-Your house?

It's my house, too.

Oh, I'm sorry for butting in, okay?

I mean, why don't you
have him over for dinner?

I mean, hell, have him move in.

Why don't you just do it your way?

Dave!

[sighs]

Jessica, I'm really sorry.

That's all right.

Oh, and this is me at my prom.

[chuckles]

Well, that sure don't look much like Dave.

[laughs]

You look very beautiful.

Thanks.

Where are your wedding pictures?

I don't know. Honey, where's the album?

I wouldn't know.

Well, that's okay.

I can see them another time.

I really appreciate you having me
over here like this, Dave.

I know it's hard for you,
I guess, but, uh...

I'm beginning to feel
like one of the family.

Sally,

it's time for your nap.

Daddy, can Teddy take a nap, too?

Sure.

Bye-bye, Grandpa. See you later.

-Bye, sweetheart.
-[chuckles]

She's a really cute kid.

Yeah.

Oh, I've got some pictures
that you might like to see.

I look at them all the time
to remind me of what I left behind.

Pictures of your mother.

[Bonnie sighs]

Could I... could I keep these?

Sure, of course.

What was she like?

[sighs]

Your mother...

was a very beautiful woman.

Quiet.

Loving and kind. She never put me down,

not like the rest of the people
in this damn town.

Who knows, if she had of lived,

things might have been different.

You are a lot like her, you know?

Yeah, that's what
Grandma Porter used to say.

Mm.

I guess you didn't get along with her?

Your grandmother didn't think

anybody should have a good time,

or even a good life.

She never had a kind word
for me or your mother,

and after your mother died,
things got a lot worse,

and I guess I went a little bit crazy.

Is that why you robbed the bank?

I had to get out of here.

I know it was stupid,

but I thought that robbing the bank

was the best way to get even
with the people in this town.

What did you think would happen to me?

I knew that your grandmother could afford

to take much better care of you
than I ever could.

And I was right.

You turned out real fine.

Oh.

Something else for you.

You didn't have to buy me anything.

No.

This was your mother's.

I gave it to her
when we were both in high school,

and I've carried it with me ever since.

It's yours.

-Thanks.
-[door closes]

Bonnie.

Could I see you
in the kitchen for a minute?

What was that all about?

He just gave me this locket.

It belonged to my mother.

Well, you believe that?
It's a piece of junk.

Don't you understand? He's a con artist.

All he cares about is your money.

Dave, you're not even giving him a chance.

I don't want to give him a chance.

I don't want to sit here
and argue about it, okay?

I want the bum out of the house
by the time I get home from work.

[sighs] Dave.

-Afternoon, Mr. Walsh.
-Dave, I'm sorry.

I'm going to have to let you go.

Well, why?

I mean, there isn't anything
wrong with my work.

No, but I can't have a relative
of the man who shot me working here.

Oh, wait a minute. You knew I was married
to Bonnie when you hired me.

I hired you when I thought
Ned Jenks was dead.

He's alive.

And he's hanging around your house.

I don't like the guy any more than you do.

I'm sorry.

Pick up your pay at the office.

[indistinct bar chatter, piano music]

[slurred] I want to talk to you.

I got it all figured out.

You're trying to rob my wife, aren't you?

Why don't you go home
and sleep it off, Dave?

Yeah, it's her money.

That's what you're interested in.

That's all you're interested in.

Well, I'm not so sure that's not
what you're interested in.

Isn't that why you married her,
for her inheritance?

Yeah, that's right!

-[woman screaming]
-[Dave groans]

Hold it right there!

[woman screaming]

You heard me!

Now, go on, Ned, get out of here!

What are you gonna do, Gil, shoot me?

[chuckles] That's funny.

You couldn't do it before.
What makes you think you can do it now?

[breathing heavily]

Some things never change, huh, Gil?

[Dave] Ow, that hurts.

Don't "ow" me, it's your fault.

Don't you see what's happening?

He's been nothing but trouble
since he's been around.

I mean, he's tearing our marriage apart.

I know, well, what am I supposed to do?

I'll tell you what you can do.

You can go down to the motel
and tell him goodbye.

Dave, he's my father.

Well, I'm your husband. Come on...

[sighs] I'm sorry.

I love you,

and I don't want you to get hurt.

But you and I got to live in this town
and we can't if he stays around.

Now, I'm not telling you
you can't talk to him,

but if that's what you want to do,

he's got to leave Cabot Cove.

Okay, I'll talk to him.

-Morning, George.
-Morning, Ms. Hastings.

Can you tell me which room
Ned Jenks is in?

Unit 10, in the back.

Thanks.

[knock at door]

[gasps]

[sobs]

[Sheriff] Any idea
when it happened, Doctor?

Well, between 8:00 p.m. and midnight
wouldn't be far off.

From the marks on his neck,

I'd say the murder weapon
was some kind of strong cord.

I can't tell you any more
until after I do the autopsy.

Morning, Ms. Fletcher.

Morning, Dr. Rush. Sheriff.

Somehow, I just knew you'd be here, ma'am.

Well, Bonnie called me.

For heaven sakes, what happened?

Uh, looks like the killer came
through that open window

and probably started searching the room

when Ned walked in the door
and caught him at it.

Well, searching the room for what?

Well, I found this clutched
in the dead man's fist.

Loot from that bank robbery.

At least we know now
why he came back to Cabot Cove.

Well, this money didn't come
from the bank robbery.

Oh?

Well, look at the signature.

Donald Regan.

He was the Secretary of the Treasury
in the 1980s.

The bank robbery was long before that.

She's right, Sheriff.

Sheriff, took Ms. Hastings home
like you asked.

-Morning, Ms. Fletcher.
-Morning, Floyd.

Floyd, the photographer's
on his way over here.

When the forensics guys
get through with this,

release the body and seal this place off,

-will you?
-Oh, yeah.

Well, if you don't need me anymore,

I've got a refrigerator
full of patients waiting for me.

Sure, go ahead, Doc. Thanks.

Sheriff, how much longer
are you going to be?

The sight of that coroner's van
is scaring off my customers.

Funny, George,
I thought it was the police cars.

Besides, when did you ever get customers
in broad daylight?

Very funny.

I'm sealing this unit off, George.

It's gonna be a couple of days
before you can rent it again.

But that's my most popular room!

So I hear.

George, excuse me.

Did Mr. Jenks receive
any visitors last night?

None that I know of, Jessica.

That's why this room is so popular.

It can't be seen too well from the road.

Any phone calls?

One, I recall,
the second night he was here.

-Who from?
-Couldn't say.

Didn't recognize the voice.

The funny thing is,

he made a few calls
the first night he arrived,

all to the same number.

Ah, here it is.

"555-4714."

Dial it. Please.

[clicking and whirring]

[clicking and whirring]

Thank you.

Hello?

Adele, is that you?

Where are you and what's that noise?

Look, sweetheart--

Honey, I did not know
it was you I was calling,

and no, I am not checking up on you.

Now, look, honey, just--

Wait a minute, hold it.

Just tell me, where are you?

You're kidding.

Yeah?

Okay, well, I'll see you later for lunch.

Adele?

Yeah, our washing machine
broke down last night,

so she's doing the wash
at the Cabot Cove laundromat.

I've got some questions
I'd like to ask Herb Walsh.

He sure had the motive.

Well, if the killer actually
came in through the open window,

I doubt that it was Herb.

I mean, he couldn't manage it
with his bad leg.

Okay, let's say he didn't use the window.

Maybe he just left it open
to throw us off the track.

No, Herb strikes me as too impulsive

to plan that far ahead.

Well, if you come up with a better idea,
let me know.

Absolutely. [sighs]

[Elton] I don't care
how much so-called collateral

Joe Wilson doesn't have.

We're not in the business
of putting people out of business.

You grant the loan
and if the board has a problem,

I'll take the heat. Thank you.

Jessica. I haven't seen you in ages.

-How have you been?
-Oh, just fine,

thank you, Elton. And yourself?

Can't complain.

Say, I hear Dave and Bonnie Hastings

-are your new neighbors.
-They just moved in.

Can you believe Herb Walsh
letting Dave go? Made me sick.

The old coot's got
a real mean streak in him.

I wonder if he'll hire Dave back
now that Ned has been killed.

So it is true.

We heard a rumor,
but then, you know this town.

Oh, it's true, all right.

Do you have a minute?

Oh, sure. Into my office.

-Please, sit down.
-Thank you.

You know,
I've been trying to piece together

what happened that day, 20 years ago,

from the people who were there.

You know, that robbery ruined
so many people's lives,

not just Herb Walsh's.

I mean, I know that Bonnie
is still terribly scarred by it all.

Well, there was Lew Hankins, of course.

He was the bank manager back then.

He wasn't even here
the day of the robbery,

but they fired him anyway.

Gil Blocker, he's the short order cook
over at the diner.

He was the bank guard.

He froze during the robbery
and couldn't fire his gun.

He became the town drunk after that,

until he got his act together,
but I guess you know that.

And you were working that day?

Oh, yes.

And in case you had any doubts,

it was Ned behind that ski mask.

Let me tell you, Jessica,
I was scared to death.

Not that I thought
Ned would kill anybody, but...

I had the feeling

he was more scared than anybody.

Something tragic could have happened

if he panicked.

Isn't that why you were promoted?

When they fired Lew, they had to...

promote somebody.

In a way, that robbery's
the luckiest thing

that ever happened to me.

[telephone buzzes]

Excuse me.

Yes, Jeannie?

Joe Wilson on line one, Mr. Summers.

I'll be with him in a second, thank you.

Oh, I'll get out of your way.

Jessica, please, stop by anytime.

Thanks.

Joe, how are you?

Is that loan all taken care of?

Good.

So, someone knocked off Ned Jenks, huh?

[laughing]

Ain't that rich?

I tell you what, you find out who did it,
and I'll pay for the lawyer.

Well, you may just get your chance, sir.

I've got at least a dozen witnesses
who saw you threaten Ned Jenks.

Oh, I get it.

I'm the number one suspect, huh?

Well, tell you what, Mort,
you go ahead and arrest me,

but if you do, you're gonna
have to arrest your wife, too.

-What?
-And Father Barnes.

The evening of the murder,
I was in the church basement,

sitting right next to Adele,
playing bingo.

All evening.

-Oh, hi, Jessica.
-Morning, Gil.

Hey, I got a real fine blue-plate today.

Lobster salad.

Oh, no, thank you. I just came in
for a quick cup of your fabulous coffee.

Oh, well, you want fabulous,

you gotta get here
real early in the morning.

[laughs] Thank you.

How's it going?

Well, it's going great.

I got my health back, thank the Lord.

You know, um,

I've been working that AA program

for five years now.

And it shows. This is very good.

Well, I guess you heard
what happened yesterday.

How I pulled a gun on Ned Jenks.

Yes, I think someone mentioned it.

Then I guess you also heard

that I didn't have the guts
to pull the trigger.

Well, I don't think

that killing an unarmed man
necessarily takes guts.

You know, it was just like
the bank robbery 20 years ago.

I just froze.

Not that it mattered,
the gun wasn't loaded.

When, yesterday?

20 years ago, too.

What do you think of that?

A bank guard with an empty revolver.

Of course,
practically nobody knew about it.

Practically?

Maxine knew.

Maxine Malloy, over at the antique store.

She used to be a bank teller. She knew.

You see, I sort of had
a kind of a crush on her

and I just never knew what to say to her.

So, one day we were having
sandwiches over in the park,

and I just started babbling about it.

You know, just something to talk about.

You know, I never realized
that you felt that way about Maxine.

Nobody did.

Not even her.

'Course, I never stood
a chance with her, anyway.

She was crazy about Elton Summers.

She went with him for,
I don't know, a year or so.

Boy, it broke her heart
when he married Ruth Stanford.

That was right after
he got that big promotion.

Well, that should have left
the field wide open for you.

No, no, no.

Maxine just sort of
quit on life after that.

Well, you know how she is.

She's delicate and kind of
too fragile to touch,

just like one of her antiques.

Mommy, do elves have green faces?

Honey, I don't know. I guess so.

Tell you the truth,
I've never seen an elf before.

Nah, green looks yucky.
I think I'll color him blue.

[knocking]

-Oh, hi, Sheriff.
-Mrs. Hastings.

-Hi, Sally.
-Hi!

Is your husband home, ma'am?

Uh, no. He's out on a job.

You know where he's working today?

Well, sure. He's out at the Pearson place.

Why?

I just want to talk to him.

-About what?
-Thanks for your time, ma'am.

Hey, Sally.

Sure do like that color.

Bye, ma'am.

Sheriff, look at this.

Hey, Sheriff, what are you looking for?

Oh, nothing much.
I think I already found it.

One of my deputies found this
in the field behind the motel.

I figure it was used to murder Ned Jenks.

It's the same wire you've got
in the back of your truck.

So what? It's just electrical wire.

You can get that in any hardware store.

Maybe so.

Maybe so.

But it just so happens
that the end of my piece of wire

matches the end on your coil.

Oh, come on, that's crazy.
I didn't kill anyone.

That's for a jury to decide.

I'm placing you under arrest
for the murder of Ned Jenks.

You have the right to remain silent.

If you give up the right to remain silent,

anything you say can and will
be used against you in a court of law.

Sheriff, for heaven sakes,

Dave's truck is always wide open,

and it was parked unattended

outside Herb Walsh's
construction site all day.

Anybody could have cut that wire.

Yes, ma'am,
anybody could have cut that wire,

but "could have" and "did"
are two different things.

Now, the bottom line is motive,
means and opportunity, ma'am,

and Dave Hastings had all three.

Now, the motel room was ransacked.

Why would Dave do that?

To make it look like a robbery.

As a matter of fact, maybe it was robbery.

Dave Hastings lost his job that day.

Well, all right, now tell me this.

Why did Ned repeatedly call the laundromat
the night that he arrived?

Well, he probably arranged
to connect with somebody there,

but they didn't show up.

Well, of course
they didn't show up, Sheriff.

It closes at 6:30,

and Ned didn't make the call
until nearly 8:00.

Unless he inadvertently
called the wrong number.

What, over and over again?

Not very likely, ma'am.

Especially since
he had the number written down.

-Oh, may I see that?
-Why not?

It's a receipt for a tube of toothpaste.

The number's there on the back.

"Dwight's Pharmacy."

Oh, my.

I'll talk to you later, Sheriff.

[Jessica] Bonnie,
earlier today you told me

that your father
had given you some photographs

that were taken before the robbery,

he and some old friends.

Yes, he put them in the album.

-May I see them?
-Certainly.

-Why don't you have a seat?
-Thanks.

I put in a call to Henry Donovan
to see if he'd take on Dave's case.

Oh, Henry's the best.

But you may not need him.

Do you have
something figured out, Jessica?

Well, not yet. But I'm working on it.

Okay.

Oh, isn't that Maxine Malloy?

Yeah, I think it is.

May I borrow these, Bonnie?

Well, sure.

You think Maxine's involved?

In your father's death?

Well, maybe not directly.

[Jessica] What's this?

I don't know. I've never seen it before.

[Jessica] "Hankins off on Wednesdays.

Ten a.m. best time."

Now, isn't this wonderful?

[both chuckling]

It's a genuine Farley.

-Oh.
-Circa 1850.

It's not like
all those terrible imitations

you find just about everywhere.

But what does it do?

Makes butter, Theodore.

I can buy butter, Mildred.

Oh, darling,
you have the soul of an accountant.

How much are you asking?

Oh, well, it's worth at least $200.

But I wouldn't dream of selling it.

Would you excuse me
for just a moment, please?

-Certainly.
-$200?

Shut up, Theodore, and let me handle this.

Morning, Jessica.

Come to browse?

Well, no, not really.

Well, if you do,
make a fuss over the butter churn.

I'm reeling in those city folks real slow.

Well, I won't take too much of your time.

I'm sure you heard that Dave Hastings
has been arrested for Ned Jenks' murder.

Yes, terrible shame.

Dave's such a nice fellow,

but I'm not surprised he snapped,

what with him losing his job and all,
and Ned being the cause of it.

Maxine, there's something
I have to ask you

about the robbery
that took place 20 years ago.

You were working as a teller
at the bank that day.

[sighs] I sure was.

And Lew Hankins was the manager,
but he was off.

Well, Lew always took Wednesdays off.

-It was just me and Elton.
-Ah.

Now, this is very important.

Gil Blocker said that
he never kept his gun loaded,

and that you knew that.

Well, yes, I knew that.

And who did you tell?

Well, I didn't tell anyone.

I mean, who would I tell?

Not Ned Jenks, you can bet on that.

Maybe it was the person
who took this photograph.

[Maxine] I think Elton took this.

[Jessica] Yes, I thought maybe he had.

Gil Blocker told me that you and Elton
had been going together in those days.

Well, I might have mentioned it to Elton,

what with him working
in the bank, and all.

He had a right to know, don't you think?

Oh, yes, yes.

Maxine, there's something
that Ned Jenks said to me

that really didn't register
until a little while ago.

He told me that
all he got from the robbery

was $1,000 a year, for 20 years.

Oh, you must have misheard.

No, there was a construction payroll

from a company building the interstate
in the bank that morning.

[laughs] No, Ned got away

with over $200,000.

Yes, or somebody did.

Thank you, Maxine. You've been a big help.

Excuse me. Miss?

We'd like to chat with you
about the churn.

[telephone rings]

Metzger.

Sheriff, it's Jessica Fletcher.
I'm down at the Cabot Cove library.

I was looking through
some old phone books,

and I think I know
who killed Ned Jenks, and why.

You got all that out of a phone book?

Well, amazing as it seems, I did,

but I'll need your help to prove it.

[knock at door]

Come in.

Elton?

Dave, come in!

I thought the Sheriff had you in jail.

Oh, he did. Had to let me out.

"Lack of evidence," he said.

Well, that's great.

I knew it was a mistake.

Sit down.

Oh, thank you.

Well, that doesn't mean
I'm out from under it.

You know, Sheriff Metzger,
he still thinks I did it,

but he's gonna put a case together,
one way or another.

Anything I can do?

Oh, I don't expect you to confess.
That'd be going too far.

[laughs]

What are you talking about?

Round figures? $200,000.

I don't know if you have any of it left,
but somewhere around there.

Wh-what is this, a joke?

Oh, no.

No, see, Ned was over at my house,

and I found this tucked behind
some photographs that he gave Bonnie.

See, there it's...

Don't touch.

It says, "Hankins off on Wednesdays.
Ten a.m. the best time."

-So?
-So, you wrote it.

I figure you and Ned planned
that robbery 20 years ago.

I didn't write that.

Lookit here.

Looks like a pretty good match to me,

and I think
the handwriting experts would agree.

You see, me and Ned,
we had this conversation before he died.

And the funny thing was is,

that big construction payroll...

Well, Ned, he only got $20,000.

That's why he came back,

when they found out
there was $200,000 missing.

He got out of prison
in a whole different state,

and he came back to get his share.

It's a hell of a story, Dave.

But who's gonna believe it? Ned's dead.

Statute of limitations ran out
on that robbery years ago.

Well, yeah, that's true. But, uh...

see, Ned was murdered
day before yesterday,

and the way I see it,

Ned Jenks wasn't trying
to threaten you with jail.

He was simply trying to
threaten you with exposure,

and you didn't want that to come out.

You shouldn't have murdered
Ned Jenks, Elton.

Ned Jenks, he was a reasonable guy,

just like me.

Hey, I'm a reasonable guy, too.

Reasonable, maybe.

Bright, you're not.

You're not gonna kill me
with a bank full of people, are you?

Why not?

You came in here demanding money.

You threatened me.

You came after me
with that trophy over there.

I didn't have any choice.

I was just protecting myself.

So was I.

Sheriff!

Put the gun down, Mr. Summers!

You know, Mrs. F,

finding that 20-year-old note
in the back of that photo album

was a lucky break.

But how did you know it was written
by Elton Summers?

That could have been written by anybody
who worked in the bank.

Well, do you remember
all those phone calls

that Ned made to the Cabot Cove laundromat

-the night he arrived?
-Yeah.

Well, that number was jotted down
on an old receipt from Dwight's Pharmacy.

So?

Well, Dwight's went out of business
nearly ten years ago.

So, if the receipt was out of date...

Then that phone number might
have been out of date, too.

[chuckles] I checked the old directories
and sure enough,

20 years ago, the laundromat number

belonged to Elton Summers.

That poor guy never had a chance.

There's your neighbors.

-Ten yard line, here we go!
-Hi, Mrs. Fletcher!

Morning, Bonnie.

-Hi, Sally.
-Morning, Sheriff.

Hi!

Sam?

Mr. Mayor, we came for a boat ride.
Where's the boat?

At the other end of this rope. [sighs]

Oh, dear. What happened?

I think maybe
I scraped her bottom too thin.

[all laughing]