All language subtitles for Murder.She.Wrote.S06E19.Always.a.Thief.WEBRip.x264-ION10

These foreigners coming over here

and buying up our country piece by piece--

Well, they will not get the stuart dollar.

Who do I have to kill?

Your mother is an obstinate woman.

[Jessica] Tonight on Murder, She Wrote.

Mr. Stanton, I have nothing to say to you.

You can't expect to get away
with this, you know.

Dad had you pegged years ago.

Too bad I didn't listen.

Yeah, there are times I wish you had.

Why are you so curious
about my nephew's activities?

Am I?

Do you have a hearing problem, Sir?

Just a quick hello, nothing more.

[cheerful orchestral music]

[man] Well, as you might guess, Jessica,

that was a singularly satisfying evening.

The beautiful widow, having reverted

back to married status,

immediately heaped
any and all available blame

on her husband, poor fellow. [laughs]

Last time I saw him,

he was actually looking forward to prison.

Well, that's all
I have to report this time.

I do hope you're planning
a West Coast visit soon.

It's been far too long.

In fact, the ladies of San Francisco

do not measure up to you
in any department.

Love as always, Dennis.

In case you couldn't guess,
my old friend Dennis Stanton

hates writing letters.

On the other hand, he loves
the sound of his own voice.

Actually, this seems like a marvelous way

to keep in touch.

Many of you will remember Dennis

from the first time I met him.

His occupation was
a little different then.

Jewel thief, second-story man, con artist.

I'm happy to say events
conspired to turn him

into a very respectable
member of the community.

His work habits haven't changed much,

but at least now he's working
on the right side of the law.

What's the old bromide?

"Set a thief to catch a thief"?

Dennis doesn't have to bilk

the insurance companies anymore.

In fact, they pay him handsomely

to outwit other thieves.

In fact, he is such a dashing
and unorthodox figure,

I'm half tempted to base
one of my stories on him.

I confess that's actually not my idea,

but then, modesty was never
one of Dennis' attributes.

Several months ago, he sent me this tape,

describing a case that he just solved.

And, very honestly, I'm intrigued.

Let's see what you think.

[Dennis] Jessica, darling,
I have just finished up

the most fascinating adventure,

which I couldn't wait to tell you about.

It all started several days ago,

a few blocks from fisherman's wharf.

The pepperpot cafe.

Look, I only know what's
written on the invoice,

and it says C.O.D.

I gotta have a check.

This is some sort of mix-up.

There's no mix-up, Sir. There it is.

I double-checked it
before I left the warehouse.

No money, no lobster.

Just a moment.

Yes, what is it?

Excuse me, Mr. Douglas,

can I speak with you privately?

No, I'm busy.

Sir, it's just that

the delivery's here from the warehouse,

and they need a check.

For what? We always pay
at the end of the month.

I told him that, Mr. Douglas.

Well, tell him again, Joey,

and please shut the door on your way out.

I don't want to be disturbed,
you got that?

Yes, Sir.

Money, money, money, money.

Isn't money the root of most of
our problems, Mr. Douglas?

Well, if you don't count
my wife, my bad knees,

and my golf swing.

Look, Mr. Amini, you didn't come here

to drink my coffee and chat
about my business problems.

But, in a way, I did.

You are probably aware that,
for the past several weeks,

I have been attempting
to buy from your mother

the famous Gilbert Stuart
1804 silver dollar.

You're the guy. She mentioned it.

By now you must know
it's not for sale at any price.

Not at any price?

You and I know better
than that, Mr. Douglas.

13 years ago, your late father paid

almost half a million dollars
for that coin.

One of a kind, why not?

Since then, it doubled in value.

I'm willing to pay double that amount.

million?

Look, if you want to throw
your money away,

how about investing
in a struggling restaurant?

You know, at the time
of your father's death

this was a thriving establishment.

But now, even the tourists
are going elsewhere.

The trend does not inspire confidence.

I'm not sure why you're here, pal,

but I'm not interested.

Not even in ,000...

in cash?

A present from me to you.

Who do I have to kill?

[chuckles]

Your mother is an obstinate woman,

but perhaps open to persuasion
from someone she holds dear.

I get it.

I talk her into selling you
the stuart silver dollar.

And I give you 10% finder's fee.

Think it over, Mr. Douglas.

As I told your mother,
I pay cash for the coin.

No one need ever know,
not even your tax people.

Do I make myself understood?

Clearly, Mr. Amini.

Very clearly.

Thank you.

And I hope I'll see you again soon.

Mother, we're talking $2 million.

I already have $2 million.

Considerably more, in fact,
as you very well know.

I mean, your father loved that coin

'cause it was part of our heritage.

I get so angry at these
foreigners coming over here

and buying up our country piece by piece.

Well, they will not get the stuart dollar.

Not at any price.

Now shoo, darling, shoo,

and let me finish my gardening.

Pedro, I think we're gonna need

some more mulch on these beds, don't you?

Yes, ma'am. I'll get some from the garage.

Tough luck, sweetheart.

For once, the old schmaltz failed you.

Unbelievable.

Do you really need this, Andrea?

It's not even 2:00 yet.

It's a pre-dinner cocktail.

I was just getting a head start.

Oh, I talked to my dad about
lending us some more money.

Yeah, and what did he say?

He was amused.

Did you tell him I intended
to pay him back with interest?

That's what amused him most.

Lay off, Andrea.

You know, you've got it
pretty good around here.

Oh, sure.

You mean living in this
multimillion-dollar estate.

Course, it's not my husband's.

He can't even afford to put me up

in a two-bedroom townhouse in Daly City.

But then, as long as Mama's around

to take care of her little boy,

I guess I won't want for a damned thing.

Lucky me.

You know, dad had you pegged years ago.

Too bad I didn't listen.

Yeah, there are times I wish you had.

Let go of me, Lanny.

Sometimes I wonder why I stay
in this lousy marriage.

Maybe I'm a masochist.

Or maybe you're afraid
to admit to yourself

or to your dad that you made a mistake.

That too.

[chuckles]

Well, darling,
much as I hate to deprive you

of my companionship this evening,

I have to spend the night in the city.

Oh, really? What's her name?

Is it one of my friends, huh?

Please, Lanny, spare me that.
Make it someone I don't know.

It's business.

Oh, I'm sure it is. For her.

You know, if you call here
tonight, I may not be here.

You're not the only one
who knows how to play.

Lanny!

[ominous orchestral music]

[fuse fizzing]

[glass shattering]

Hey! What are you doing here?

Mr. Douglas?

Oh, I'm sorry, Sir.

I heard a noise and
I thought it was a prowler.

[groaning]

[explosion]

I went over all of this
last night, lieutenant,

with one of your other men.

Yes, ma'am. I'll try to be brief.

You say you heard
the explosion around 3:00?

3:05, to be precise.

I'm a light sleeper,

and I thought I heard voices outside.

A man's voice in particular.

I looked at my watch and I thought

I must be dreaming.

I got out of bed and
started towards the bathroom

and then I heard this tremendous

explosion downstairs.

I ran down the stairs

and found the safe had been blown open.

Well, I was terrified, naturally.

And I called you people immediately,

but I didn't know about poor Pedro

until one of your men
found him later on the patio.

This safe, what do you keep in it?

Cash. A few thousand dollars.

Some jewelry, stock
certificates, important papers,

and a very valuable silver dollar.

It's a collector's item.

Now, when you say very valuable--

It's worth over a million dollars.

Excuse me.

I just thought you'd like some coffee.

Oh, thank you, Grace. How nice.

Lieutenant, will you join me?

No, thank you. Excuse me, Mrs. Douglas.

I may have a few more questions
for you a little later.

-Stanton!
-Good morning, lieutenant.

Did you notice this marvelous
William Merritt Chase?

I was sure it was hanging
in a gallery in Boston.

You know, I don't get it.

Every time I get called in on a case,

there you are brightening up my life.

Oh, thank you, Perry.

And I was beginning to feel unloved.

What are you doing here?

The thief made off with a valuable coin

my firm had insured.

Right, a silver dollar.

Designed by Gilbert stuart,
the noted portraitist.

Although the coin was
commissioned by John Adams,

it was actually Thomas Jefferson

who finally brought it to--

Thanks for the history lesson.

The safe's in there.

Take a look, then get out of my way.

Oh, but I've looked.

I was waiting to speak privately

with Mrs. Douglas, if I may.

Make it quick.

Thank you so much, lieutenant.

And a cheery good morning to you.

[chuckles]

Excuse me.

Mrs. Douglas?

Yes?

Dennis Stanton, consolidated casualties.

Oh, yes, Mr. Stanton.

My sister, Grace Lambert.

-How do you do?
-Charmed, miss Lambert.

I'm terribly sorry
about your loss, Mrs. Douglas,

and especially the death of your gardener.

I want to assure you that we intend to do

everything humanly possible
to retrieve your coin.

Thank you.

Tell me...

do you ladies live here
in this house alone?

My son and daughter-in-law
have been staying with us

for the past two years.

How lovely for you.

And they were here last night?

My daughter-in-law was.

My son was in San Francisco
for the evening.

We finally located him.

He should be back any second now.

He was staying with friends or a hotel?

A hotel.

Excuse me, Mr. Stanton,

but why are you so curious
about my nephew's activities?

[chuckles] Am I?

Were you?

Of course I was.

So what do you think it was?
An inside job?

Without a doubt.

The mother's been hounded
for the past several weeks

to sell the silver dollar
for an exorbitant sum.

She refuses,
despite pressure from her son.

Aha.

Now, the son is a man with
a talent for bankruptcy.

Whereas his father managed
to grow a mighty oak,

young Langston Douglas has managed

to whittle it down
to a pile of toothpicks.

Ever eat at the pepperpot cafe?

Not if I can help it.

Good girl. Your palate is improving.

In any event,
that once-thriving food empire

is under siege from the creditors

who are threatening to padlock
the entire operation.

Yeah, but just because the guy's broke

doesn't mean he's gonna--

Rhoda, darling,

what's the last thing you do
when you close your safe?

I wouldn't know.

The last safe I had

was a pink piggy

with a slot in its back.

Yes, well, the last thing
you do is spin the dial.

But a curious thing--

The Douglas safe was blown
apart with the dial still set

on the final digit of the combination.

Very odd.

And then there's the timetable.

Monica Douglas was awake
when the explosion occurred,

and she rushed downstairs immediately.

There was no way that a thief
could have blown the safe

and then ransacked it
and then run through the door

to be confronted by the gardener.

No, no, no, no. No.

What is far more likely

is that Langston Douglas
let himself into the house,

opened the safe,

rifled it and then, as he was leaving,

created the impression
that someone had broken in.

You know, if you're right,

then this guy is also guilty of murder.

In which case, he'll hardly be disposed

to negotiate for the coin, will he?

Well, dear heart, the game is afoot.

Now, I want you to query
the hotel personnel.

Find out when and if Douglas was observed

either leaving or returning to the hotel,

particularly during
the early morning hours.

Then find out what you can
about an Iraqi rug merchant

named Mahmoud Amini.

I think he's in the yellow pages.

Amini.

He's been pestering Mrs. Douglas for weeks

to sell that coin.

And on the off chance
that Mr. Butler wants to know

where you are?

Tell him I'm off to confront
the viper in his pit. Mm.

[tires screeching]

Mr. Douglas?

Excuse me.

Sorry, Sir, we don't open until 6:00.

Oh, actually, I'm here to see Mr. Douglas.

Sorry, he's not available.

Odd--The gentleman in the White hat said

that he was in the office.

And Mr. Douglas left orders
not to be disturbed.

Ah, so he has someone with him.

I don't know.

Look, Mr. Stanton,

there's another entrance from the outside.

For all I know,
he's got the Rose bowl queen

and her court in there.

And when a man says, "do not disturb,"

I do not disturb, okay?

Suppose I take responsibility?

[knocking at door]

Do you have a hearing problem, Sir?

Just a quick hello, nothing more.

Word of honor.

Mr. Douglas?

He seems to have stepped out.

Yeah, I guess so.

Now, how about you step out
before I call a cop?

Of course.

Now, Mr. Stanton.

How long was he in here?

A couple of hours.

And no one went in or out?

Nobody I saw. Now, good-bye, Mr. Stanton!

Thanks so much.

You've been such a help.

Of course you haven't had
any luck finding Lanny Douglas,

and I doubt if you will,
at least not alive.

What are you talking about?

Homicide, intentional
or otherwise, in his office,

sometime this afternoon
between 2:30 and 4:30.

There's enough fresh blood on his carpet

to satisfy an undernourished vampire,

and a particularly
gaudy golf trophy missing

from the shelf behind his desk.

I suspect someone may have
mistaken Mr. Douglas' head

for a range ball.

Just because there's blood
doesn't mean he's dead.

Oh, and by the way, as I drove up,

a late-model Lincoln,
partial plate 2-B-R something,

final digit 4,
came roaring out of the alley,

a man behind the wheel, not Douglas.

Stanton, what are you getting at?

Lieutenant, I have
cast my pearls before you.

Don't ask me to string them for you too.

Dear heart, this is first-rate.

Mr. Amini sounds like a man
of infinite resources

as well as limited scruples.

Well done.

Thank you.

So, what about putting in
a good word for me

with the company training program?

Done, done, and done, Rhoda.

I've had no less than three
conversations with Mr. Butler.

Obviously, my imprecations
have fallen on deaf ears.

Still, I will try again
at the first opportunity.

Word of honor.

Now, if you need me,

I'm seeing a man about a rug.

You have a discerning eye for beauty, Sir.

19th century, handmade in Baghdad.

And the workmanship is flawless.

20th century, machine-made in Taiwan,

and the blues are bleeding into the reds.

Not possible, Sir. Not possible.

I have a certificate of authenticity.

And I have several friends
on the bunco squad, Mr. Amini.

And now that we have compared credentials,

let's talk business.

I'm interested in purchasing
a coin from you.

Your reputation
as a numismatist is legendary.

Oh.

I have a poor collection, Sir.

Nothing extraordinary.

Not even the 1804
Gilbert stuart silver dollar?

I'm afraid you are mistaken, Sir.

I possess no such coin.

Now, now, Mr. Amini,

if you will credit me
with a little intelligence,

I'll do the same for you.

Last night, the home of Monica Douglas

was broken into by her son
posing as a burglar.

At shortly after daybreak this morning,

Mr. Douglas was observed

entering the rear door of your premises.

I doubt if he was here to purchase

one of your Taiwanese knockoffs.

Again, Sir, you are mistaken.

The usual sentence
for receiving stolen goods

is two to five years in the state prison.

For murder, it could be
the rest of your life.

-Murder?
-Lanny Douglas.

A depressingly distinct possibility.

You are not the police.

-The coin, Mr. Amini?
-I don't have it.

Yes, Mr. Douglas did give me a coin.

If you want it, you can have it.

It's a fake, Mr. Stanton.

A cleverly forged counterfeit.

And when did you discover
Mr. Douglas' duplicity?

Later this morning.

A fellow collector
confirmed my suspicions.

I presume you had already
paid Mr. Douglas in cash.

million neatly stacked in a briefcase.

I phoned him up immediately, of course.

Of course. And what was his reaction?

Outrage, or a fairly convincing facsimile.

He assured me he did not try to cheat me,

that the coin he sold me was the one

he has taken from the safe.

In fact, we agreed
to meet here this evening

to iron the matter out.

Now, your suggestion that he may be dead

is distressing, Mr. Stanton.

Most distressing, indeed,
to say the least.

[suspicious orchestral music]

[leaves rustling]

Mr. Butler's office.

I'm sorry, Mr. Butler's not available.

He's in with Mr. Stanton.

It's a fake, all right.

This was handmade, not minted from dies.

Hell of a job too.

Once again, Deirdre, I am indebted to you.

Well, I don't suppose that you would like

to convert that gratitude
into, say, dinner for two,

some cozy place, like my dining room?

An invitation too tempting to ignore.

Let me call you.

Oh, Dennis, you've been threatening

to call me for over a year.

Friday night, 7:30?

Or next time,

you can authenticate your own damn coin.

[laughing]

-The price one pays.
-Okay, okay, all right.

If that's a fake, who's got the real one?

Douglas.

Doubtful.

I'll give you something else
to ponder, Robert.

Not only is the silver dollar missing,

but so, apparently, is Mr. Amini's

2 million in cash.

Mr. Stanton.

This is nice.

Early Cellini, I'd say.

-Is it authentic?
-Of course.

Oh, very nice.

I'm sorry, Mr. Stanton,

but my sister is unable
to see you just now.

She's worried about her son.

As I'm sure you're aware,
he hasn't been seen

or heard from since early yesterday.

Perhaps if you were to call next time

instead of just popping in.

You don't like me much,
miss Lambert, do you?

I wish I knew why.

You're mistaken. I hardly know you.

Oh, now, now, dear lady.

I can tell by the set of your chin.

Honesty is one of your greatest virtues.

If I've said anything
to offend you, I do apologize.

Charm comes easily to you, Mr. Stanton.

Oh, I see. You distrust good manners.

In some people.

By the by, as I was arriving,

this gentleman was just Pulling out.

I thought I recognized him,

but the name flew right out of my head.

Raymond bascomb.
He came to see his daughter.

Andrea's father.

Oh, of course.

Bascomb. Bascomb.

Let me see. Isn't he in
advertising or something?

As I said, next time call first.

Good day.

Thank you.

[car horn honking]

Good morning, lieutenant.

You're looking particularly
grim this morning.

Yeah, I guess I am.

I don't know how you do it, Stanton.

Lanny Douglas.

We just found him
at the bottom of an arroyo.

Somebody had bashed his head in.

Couple of hikers found the body

this morning about 8:30.

He still had his wallet, $200 in cash,

an expensive watch, and a ring.

So robbery wasn't the motive.

And the silver dollar?

No sign of it.

-And the 2 million in cash?
-That either.

Then I don't think we should be too quick

to rule out robbery as a motive.

What about Mr. Douglas' office?

Police searched it
last night, top to bottom.

No sign of the cash or the coin.

So what do you think?

Amini went to the office
to get his money back,

picks up the trophy,
slam, bam, thank you, ma'am,

takes back his cash and the real coin.

Dramatically exciting, but totally

at odds with the facts.

Bascomb, bascomb, bascomb.

Here we are, here we are.

Bascomb and Tully advertising.

Want me to type up these notes?

Later, later.

Find out who else in that household

had money problems, and in particular,

the victim's aunt, Grace Lambert,

who's lived with them for 15 years.

-How do I do that?
-Oh, dear girl.

The family travels
in rarefied social circles.

That silly newspaper columnist,

the one who says I remind her
of Lord Byron.

[laughs] Yes.

Well, you-- she'll tell you anything

if you ply her with enough flattery.

No. No, no.

Kissing up to rich old women
is your thing.

I--Why--How--Why would she talk to me?

-Improvise.
-Improvise?

Oh, thanks, Dennis. Thanks a lot.

Bring in the strobe light.

Okay, angle it down. Great. Great.

Cue the wind. Honey, look this way.

Great. Cue the pigeons!

Cue the pigeons! Cue the pigeons!

Never mind! Cut the wind!

What the hell is wrong with you people?

No, no, you heard right, Lou.

Yeah, I want the back cover,
every issue through Christmas,

and I want an additional 5% off the cards.

Listen to me: bring in the strobe light...

Lou, Lou, you're not listening to me.

If you can't perform, I'll put my client

into the Sunday supplements.

Hold the pigeons! Now! No!

I said don't cue the pigeons!

God!

Somebody find me the producer!

What are you selling?

-Deodorant.
-Oh, of course.

I should have realized. [chuckling]

Dennis Stanton, Mr. Bascomb.

Might you spare me
a few minutes of your time?

-Do I know you?
-No.

But we nearly ran into one
another a couple of times.

I'm here in an official
capacity, I'm afraid.

The murder of Lanny Douglas.

Yeah, I heard about that guy.

A tragic situation.
And I was shocked, of course.

Of course.

And when did this shock occur?

Was that before or after you killed him?

What was that?

I came by to see Mr. Douglas
yesterday afternoon

just as you were leaving.

Somewhat hurriedly, I might add.

Since the fresh blood indicated that

Mr. Douglas had been
attacked in his office,

and the body was missing,

I leapt to the fanciful conclusion

that somehow you might be involved.

You're crazy.

I indicated as much to the police.

That is the car I saw you driving.

-Who'd you say you were?
-Dennis Stanton.

Consolidated casualty.

Mr. Stanton, I have nothing to say to you,

now or in the future.

You can't expect to get away
with this, you know.

The body in the trunk, for example.

No matter how hard you scrubbed,

they're still going to find
traces of the victim's blood.

It is also my understanding

that the police are even now at the arroyo

where the body was found,

making plaster casts of your tire tracks.

[police sirens wailing]

Correction. They seem to have finished.

I was not happy with the way
he treated my daughter.

I found him to be obnoxious,
self-centered, untrustworthy.

Frankly, I liked to see as
little of the man as possible.

Listen, how many times are we gonna

have to go over this, huh?

Until I like your answers.

What were you doing there?
Why'd you go see him?

He wanted to borrow some money from me.

I went there to tell him no.

I think he got the message.

I didn't kill him.

Then why did you move the body?

And don't tell me you didn't

because we've got the blood samples,

we've got a match of your tire tracks,

and we've got an eyewitness
who can put you at the scene

around the time of the murder.

[phone ringing]

What?

Dr. Tollman's here

from the coroner's office, Sir.

He says he has to speak to you privately.

Do yourself a favor.

Call a good lawyer.

While we have a moment,

you say you went to see
your son-in-law about money,

but isn't it a fact that you
didn't decide to go and see him

until you received a phone call

in your office around quarter to 4:00?

I don't remember any phone call.

It was from your daughter.

Your secretary recognized her voice.

No, that's not--

She sounded upset, nearly hysterical.

Then you left, although you had a meeting

with a very important client at 4:00.

My daughter had nothing to do with this.

Oh, on the contrary, Mr. Bascomb,

I think she had everything to do with it.

I think she killed her husband

and persuaded you to cover it up.

My daughter didn't kill anyone, either.

And incidentally, who elected
you homicide detective?

No one. No one.

I'm looking for a missing coin
and a missing briefcase.

I don't suppose you noticed both or either

when you came by to clean up the mess?

I told you.

And I told you I was there.

I saw you drive out.

So save the fairy tales
for the lieutenant,

or better still, tell us both the truth.

[doorbell ringing]

Oh, Mr. Stanton. Good day, Sir.

Hello again, Phyllis.

I'm sorry, Mrs. Douglas
and her sister are out

making the arrangements.

Yes, of course.

Actually, I came to see
the younger Mrs. Douglas.

She's not here, either, Sir.

Phyllis, now, now.

Of course she is. I saw her at the window.

I'm sorry, Sir, they told me to say that.

No one's to see her. No one at all.

I have my instructions.

[sly instrumental music]

[knocking at window]

What do you want? Go away.

I can't.

Not while your father is being booked

for the murder of your husband.

May I come in?

I'd like to use your stairs.

That trellis is dangerous.

Thank you.

I knew he'd get in trouble.

All I wanted was advice.

I was so scared.

He told me he'd take care of it.

The police would never know.

That you'd killed your husband.

I still loved Lanny in spite of everything

he'd said and done.

I knew what he was, but...

we'd had a fight,
and I went to patch things up.

He just laughed at me.

He told me he didn't need me anymore.

[sniffling]

Not me, not my father's money.

He said it was over.

He didn't need a lush for a wife anymore.

I'm sorry.

I suppose I was terrified

of ending up like his aunt Grace.

Alone, unmarried, unloved.

She blew her big chance ten years ago.

Well, I wasn't about to blow mine.

I suppose I knew from the start

that Lanny was only after my money.

After all, he had run through
most of his own

and his mother's, until she'd had enough.

[sobbing] I don't know how it happened.

All of a sudden, I had
that stupid trophy in my hand.

It was covered with blood,

and Lanny was lying on the floor.

I knew he was dead.

I ran out the rear door.

I guess no one saw me.

I am not gonna let my father

take the blame for this, Mr. Stanton.

Good girl.

Would you drive me to police headquarters?

Of course.

Just one thing.

Now, I want you to think very carefully.

While you were quarreling
with your husband,

did you happen to see
a brown Leather briefcase

somewhere in the room?

No, I really--

Yes, actually, I do remember.

It was on the floor alongside his desk.

Why? Does that mean something?

It may.

It wasn't there when your father came

to collect the body.

Go home, fellas. I'll close it up.

See you tomorrow.

[suspicious orchestral music]

Tell me, Mr. Freeman,

is that what they mean by frozen assets?

How did you get in here?

I cannot tell a lie.

I sneaked in unobserved before closing

and hid out in the basement.

That is Mr. Amini's $2 million
in cash, I presume.

Correction. Joey freeman's $2 million.

And don't come any closer, Stanton.

I know all about your umbrella.

Not all, I'm afraid.

True, it does possess
the attributes of a sword cane,

but if that were all it did,

it would be a very poor weapon indeed.

Ah!

It also makes
an excellent club, Mr. Freeman.

Mr. Freeman?

Oh, well.

[sly orchestral music]

excuse me.

Somewhere between the time

that Andrea raced out of the office

and her father arrived,

the restaurant manager,
Mr. Freeman, went in.

He discovered the briefcase full of cash

and, being a practical man,
he quickly hid it away.

He also decided to let someone
else discover your son's body.

When I appeared,
I was like a gift from heaven.

Imagine his confusion, though,
when we found the room empty.

What? I'm...

I'm sorry. I'm bad company
today, Mr. Stanton.

The services for my son
are this afternoon, you know.

An ordeal no mother should have to endure.

My heart goes out
to Andrea, that poor child.

I know what Lanny put her through.

But I never dreamed
it would end up like this.

Monica, I've made it extra strong,

just the way you like it.

Thank you, Grace.

You're not going to join us?

Oh, no, thank you. I've got so much to do.

Excuse me.

Your sister doesn't like me
very much, Mrs. Douglas.

Grace doesn't warm easily to strangers.

-Cream?
-No, thank you.

Perhaps I remind her
of someone she once knew.

Jerome Woodward?

That was ten years ago.

Who told you about him?

It's part of my job
to know who I'm dealing with.

Jerry Woodward was a particularly ugly

and unfortunate chapter
in my sister's life.

Grace is an attractive woman,
but she's hardly glamorous.

She'd almost resigned herself
to spinsterhood

when Jerry appeared.

For over a year, it was very
difficult for all of us.

Not for me.

I didn't find it difficult at all.

For several months, Mr. Stanton,

it was the happiest time of my life.

Then came the pain.

But even the pain is better
than what I have now.

Oh, darling, have I hurt you?

Have I made you feel unloved, unwelcome?

Of course you haven't, Monica.

You've been wonderful.

I don't think you've ever had

a proper look at the grounds, Mr. Stanton.

May I show you?

I'd be delighted.

Excuse me.

You came to see me, didn't you?

You've figured it all out.

I think so.

Tell me about Jerome Woodward.

Oh. Well, there's not much to tell.

He was tall, handsome,
dashing, charming...

a lot like you, Mr. Stanton.

[chuckling] Oh.

I'll take that as a compliment.

I was wined, dined,
flattered, fawned upon.

If ever an ugly duckling
was made to feel like a swan,

I was it.

But it wasn't long before
he came after the money.

I had quite a bit in those days:

a trust fund from my father.

Jerry ended up with most of it.

Toward the end, I knew what he was doing.

But I didn't care.

I just wanted to buy
a little more time with him

because I knew when the money was gone

that Jerry would be gone too.

Is that when he approached
you about the coin?

Yes.

Yes, he knew all about the
famous stuart silver dollar.

He said he needed money
to invest in Oregon logging.

A friend of his promised
that he would triple his money.

And he said he knew a silversmith

who could make a perfect copy.

No one need ever know
that they'd been switched.

Jerry...

Jerry even showed me
a photo of a little house

that he bought for us in the mountains.

A lie, of course,
just like everything else.

Then one night I took the original

and I substituted the fake.

That was ten years ago.
I haven't seen him since.

All these years, you persuaded your sister

not to sell the coin.

Yes.

So...

what now?

It's up to you and your sister.

My firm has no obligation, obviously.

And as for the police,
the switching of the coins

is only a crime if they find out about it.

And they won't from me.

However, I do think you owe
your sister an explanation.

Oh, I've already told her
everything, Mr. Stanton.

As soon as the coin
was found to be counterfeit,

I made a full confession.

She said it was her business and mine

and nobody else's.

You have quite a sister.

Oh, yes, I know.

Now, let me tell you
something that I know.

Jerome Woodward
was a fool of the first order.

[laughs]

That is very kind of you to say it.

Not kind at all. I'm very serious.

And believe me, miss Lambert,
I am an expert.

In my business, you meet them all.

The long, the short,
the venal and the vain.

I could tell you stories--
well, perhaps I will.

Would you be annoyed
if I invited myself to lunch?

Well, no, of course not.

Excellent! [chuckling]

You know, you've just reminded me

of a circus performer I knew.

He was an ex-juggler and
something of a ladies' man--

At least he thought he was.

[both laughing]