Original subtitles

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!

Tonight on Murder, She Wrote Us. The sight of that car in his 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?

Perhaps the queen would care for another chocolate chip cookie?

No, the queen is on a diet.

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

Thank you.

Hi. Hi, Bonnie.

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.

Even didn't I need a room for a couple of nights $30 a day I catch

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 Unit 10

Around the back.

Office, what do you need?

555-4714.

No answer.

Okay. I'll try again later.

Sure, I remember the steakhouse.

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 Jinx.

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

She's Bonnie Hastings now. She married Dave, the electrician. Do you know him?

No. Kind of an older fellow, but a really nice guy.

Yeah, they just moved into a big old house over on Candlewood Lane.

That keeps you changed.

Thanks a lot.

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

Could be I did.

Uh,

hello, Irma.

Is Mr. Summers there? I gotta talk to him.

Yes, Gil.

You won't believe this, but someone who looks a lot like Ned Jinx just walked

into your bank.

You're right.

I don't believe it. Bye, Gil.

Forgot your lunch.

That's not all I forgot.

Got to work.

I'm open for suggestions.

Well, try me later. Right now you've 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

going to start this again, are we? Sorry, Grandma Porter, wherever you are,

thank you. Thank you. Let me ask you something. 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, Graham 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.

Go! Bye.

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.

Bunny?

Yes.

You... You turned out even more beautiful than I imagined.

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

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 Twinkie and my motorcycle.

You used to call it a Momo-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.

Jessica, this can't be true.

I mean, he can't be my father.

Can he?

I don't know.

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. Oh, Bonnie?

Uh, no, Caleb Pryne'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 just can't be sure.

I mean, he kind of walks like him, but he looks older.

It's him, all right, Maxine.

Well, it has been 20 years. 20 years, 100 years, I'd know that bum anywhere.

But still, why would he... James!

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.

You hear me, Jenks?

He wore a ski mask.

Six witnesses identified his voice as Ned Jenks.

Police pursued immediately.

Motorcycle went out of control and he crashed through a wooden guardrail 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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

Sarah, 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.

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.

Everybody's got a theory about why Ned Jenks came back. Even Maya Dell.

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. It was Ned Jenks, all right.

Are you sure about that, Gil? Sure, I'm sure.

I was there. I was the bank's 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.

Well, there's no big mystery about that, Miss 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.

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 have 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?

I must run, Sheriff. I promised the mayor that I'd meet him at 10.

He didn't buy Caleb Pryne'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 going to remember just how

you handled this.

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?

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 had 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 schoolteacher.

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.

Everybody thinks I got rich from pulling that ice.

Some take...

A thousand dollars 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.

What if he was your father? What 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? Heck, I mean, hell, have him move in.

Why don't you just do it your way?

Dave!

Jessica, I'm really sorry.

That's all right.

Oh, and this is me at my prom.

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

Well, 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 could see them another time.

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

It's hard for you, I guess, but I'm beginning to feel like one of the

family.

Sorry.

It's just time for your nap.

Daddy, can Teddy take a nap, too?

Sure.

Bye-bye, Grandpa. See you later.

Bye, sweetheart.

She's a really cute kid.

Yeah.

Oh, I 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.

Could I keep these?

Sure, of course.

What was she like?

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 lived, things might have been different.

You are a lot like her, you know.

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

Hmm.

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.

Bonnie, can I see you in the kitchen for a minute?

What's that all about?

You just gave me this locket. It belonged to my mother.

Will 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. I can't let the bum out

of the house by the time I get home from work.

Dave?

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

I'm going to have to let you go.

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.

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.

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.

That's why you married her, for inheritance?

Yeah, that's right.

Hold it right there.

You heard me.

Now go on, Ned. Get out of here.

What are you gonna do, Gil? Shoot me?

That's funny.

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

Something's never changed, huh, Gil?

That hurts. Don't tell 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. 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.

I'm your husband. Come on.

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, Miss Hastings.

Can you tell me which room Ned Jenks is in?

Unit 10 in the back. Thanks.

Any idea when it happened, Doctor?

Between 8 p.m. and midnight wouldn't be far off.

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, Miss Fletcher.

Morning, Dr. Rush, Sheriff.

Somehow I just knew you'd be here, ma'am. Well, Bonnie called me. For

heaven's sakes, what happened?

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?

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? Oh, look at the signature.

Donald Reagan.

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

The bank robbery was long before that.

She's right, Sheriff.

Sheriff, I took Miss Hastings home like you asked.

Morning, Miss Fletcher. Morning, Bud.

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? 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 at the sight of that car in this

van 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 going to 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.

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 wash machine broke down last night, so she's doing the wash at

the Cabot Cove laundromat.

Well, 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.

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, have you been? Oh, just fine. Thank

you, Elton, and yourself.

Can't complain.

See, 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?

That 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?

Sure. I'm in 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 Lou Hankin, of course. He was a 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, um, froze during the robbery and couldn't fire his gun.

He became 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 Lou, they had to promote somebody.

In a way, that robbery's the luckiest thing that ever happened to me.

Shh. 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 in that jank, huh?

Ain't that rich.

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

You may just get your chance, sir.

I've got at least a dozen witnesses who saw you threaten it, Jinx.

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.

Hi, Jessica.

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.

Thank you.

How's it going?

Well, it's going great.

I got my health back, thank the Lord. You know, I've been working that AA

program for five years now.

That a joke.

This is very good.

Well, I guess you heard what happened yesterday.

How I pulled a gun on Ned Jinks. Yes, I think someone mentioned it.

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.

Of 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?

Well, 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.

Oh, hi, Sheriff. Say things.

Hi, Sally.

Hi.

Is your husband home, ma'am?

No, he's out on a job.

Do you know where he's working today?

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, I sure do like that color.

Bye, ma'am.

Shut up.

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 figured 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.

For heaven's 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 o'clock.

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.

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 through 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?

Sure.

I think Maxine's involved.

In your father's death? Well, maybe not directly.

What's this?

Well, I know. I've never seen it before.

Hankins off on Wednesdays, 10 a.m. best time.

Now, isn't this wonderful?

It's a genuine Farley.

Circa 1850?

It's not like all those terrible imitations you find just about

everywhere. But what does it do?

It makes butter feel.

I can buy butter, Mildred. Oh, darling, with the soul of an account.

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.

It's terrible shame.

Dave's such a nice fella. 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.

I sure was.

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

Well, Lou always took Wednesdays off.

It was just me and Elton. 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.

I think Elton took this.

Yes, I thought maybe he had.

Gilblocker 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.

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 turn.

Fletcher. 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.

Come in.

Ellen? Dave, come in.

I thought the sheriff had you in jail.

Oh, he did.

Had to let me out. Lack of evidence, he said.

That's great. I knew it was a mistake.

Sit down.

Oh, thank you.

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

What are you talking about?

Round figures?

$200,000.

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

What is this, a joke?

Oh, no.

See, Ned was over at my house, and I found this tucked behind some

photographs that he gave Bonnie.

See there, it says... Don't touch.

It says Hankins.

Off on Wednesdays, 10 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.

Look 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 going to believe it? Ned's dead.

Statute of limitations ran out on that robber years ago.

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, Alvin.

Ned Jenks, he was a reasonable guy.

Just like me.

Hey, I'm a reasonable guy, too.

Reasonable, maybe.

Right, 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, Mrs. 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 the phone number might have been

out of date, too.

I checked the old directories, and sure enough, 20 years ago, the laundromat

number belonged to Elton Summer. That poor guy never had a chance.

There's your neighbor. Hi,

Mrs. Fletcher. Good morning.

Hi, Charlie.

Hey.

Sam.

Miss Mayer, we came for a boat ride. Where's the boat?

The other end of this rope.

Oh, dear. What happened?

I think maybe I scraped a bottom too thin.