All language subtitles for MSW.S11E11.An Egg To Die For

(PEOPLE CHATTERING IN RUSSIAN)

(CAT MEOWS)

(SPEAKING RUSSIAN)

(SPEAKING RUSSIAN)

(SPEAKING RUSSIAN)

(SPEAKING RUSSIAN)

(WHISPERING)
Dollars only.

(CAT SCREECHING)

(GRUNTS)

No, Leo, it wasn't ineffective
advertising, the wrong location...

Damn it, Charles, I'm not
gonna take the rap for this.

It was a whole series of
bad choices on your part.

Starting with you. You blew it
like you've blown everything else.

Now, I told Marcie it
would turn out this way.

Okay, your free ride's over.
I'm pulling this store.

I'm closing it. It's the first
one we've ever had to close.

That ought to
tell you something.

Charles. Leo. Jessica just checked in.

Hello, Charles. How are
you? So good to see you.

JESSICA: Fine. Welcome
to Miami. Flight okay?

Oh, nothing wrong
with the flight,

but the cab
from the airport...

Well, we had a flat tire right
outside the Orange Bowl Stadium.

(BELL DINGING)
Excuse me.

Listen, Jessica, I'm sure Marcie's
already thanked you for coming down, but...

Enough for both of you.

Wonderful. We've put together a
schedule for your book signings,

but I want you to know
it's etched in Jell-O,

so if any of it
doesn't work for you...

Believe me, anything to
escape from the revisions

that my editor handed to me as I left.

MARCIE: The schedule
covers the entire book fair.

Well, this looks
manageable.

Okay, splendid.

I'm off to put the rest
of your booth together

so you have somewhere
to sign these. Excuse me.

(CHUCKLES) Oh, I know
you're very busy.

Oh, wow.

Remembering your first
book signing party?

Well, I was convinced nobody
was going to turn up, you know.

Ah. And from the moment I
read The Corpse Danced Alone,

I knew
it would take off.

That was my first book,
your first book store.

Well, we've come
a long way since then.

Oh, I wish I could say the
same for Charles and my brother.

Leo tries, Jessica.
Really, he does.

LEO: Counterfeit?
That's impossible.

Deutschmarks are hard enough
to dispose of when they're real.

Here, you try and
exchange them.

I can't believe my friends in Saint
Petersburg would scam us like this.

Not "us," Leo.

No, no,
wait a minute.

Obviously I'll return the
commission that you paid me, but...

48 hours, Leo.

(CHUCKLES)
You're not serious.

(STUTTERING) Come on, where am I gonna
come up with a half a million bucks?

Show him how
serious I am.

No, whoa, whoa,
whoa, whoa, whoa!

(GUN COCKING)
Stop!

Go. Now!

You have exactly two days.

(CAR ENGINE STARTING)

Thanks. Hey, wait a minute.
Are you a cop or something?

(STUTTERING) I've seen you
around the hotel or something.

(RUSSIAN ACCENT) I have come
for Faberg� egg, Mr. Stone.

I don't know what the hell
you're talking about.

I want egg,

and I want story
of how you got it.

Otherwise, you will pray that your
friends finish with you quickly.

Now, careful, man. The Miami
Police would love to know

about a foreigner packing a concealed
weapon and making crazy threats.

(ENUNCIATING)
This evening.

(PEOPLE CHATTERING)

Oh, hey, Val.
Hi.

(SIGHS) Here, let me
help you with that.

(CHUCKLES) Thanks. So did
you call the school again?

Yes, damn it.

(SNORTS) I'm sorry, I didn't mean to...

No, no, no. I'm sorry. No, it's just...

I mean, it's the same
tap dance as last week.

"Oh, it'll just be a
few days, Mr. Peterson."

(SNORTS)

Look, Val, I know that
this is sounding paranoid,

but I'm beginning to think
that they're shining me on here.

Walt Feldman's acceptance
came through a month ago.

Ben, Valerie.

Marcie said you could
supply me with a name tag.

She sent you to
the right place.

Still no word on
your scholarship?

Uh, no, but thanks
for asking, Jessica.

Ben! These books,

do you suppose we could
get them in some time today?

WOMAN: (ON PA) Attention, World Book Fair
vendors, all displays must be approved.

Please have a representative
standing by... Excuse me.

Sorry, sir. You can't
enter without a badge.

Uh, young woman.
Uh, Miss. Pardon.

(STUTTERING) Must have
left badge in room.

Oh, no problem.
What's your name?

Nemiroff. Sergei.

Hmm. Uh, I'm sorry, sir, I'm not
seeing a Nemiroff on the computer.

Must be mistake. I represent
Nevsky Publishing in Moscow.

Pozhaluista... I'm sorry. Quickly,
please. I have appointment.

(COMPUTER BEEPS)

Why don't we go
over to my office?

I'm sure we can
straighten this out.

(SIGHS) Is better
I go to room, get badge.

I know your face... VALERIE:
Yes, this is Jessica Fletcher.

(EXCLAIMS IN RUSSIAN)

J.B. Fletcher!

(SPEAKING RUSSIAN)

Sorry, I am big fan!

I have read Ubeestvo
v polnotch three times.

In English, that is
Murder at Midnight.

Midnight, da. Is wonderful
book. My favorite.

Maybe because I surprised
myself with that one.

I didn't know who the killer
was until the last 12 pages.

(BOTH LAUGHING)

Is pleasure to shake hands
of such fine writer.

Thank you.
Good day.

Look, Marcie, I've had it. We're not
carrying Leo anymore, and that is final.

Could you guys speed
that up? We're in a hurry.

Look, the important thing now
is dealing with Harris. I...

It wasn't Leo's fault. We
were paying too much rent.

We...
Would you stop?

We researched the hell
out of it.

What it is, is he couldn't
manage the book store

from the Club House
at Hialeah!

Maybe your application
got mislaid.

Yeah, so what do I do
about that?

Keep on trying.

I know once they get a look
at your transcript, you're in.

Oh. I don't know
how you do it, Val,

but you always manage to
make the day seem brighter.

I need two more booths.

Uh, Mr. Harris,
we were just...

Excuse me,
I'm in a hurry.

Dad, maybe you
could help Ben...

Uh, it's...
It's all right, Val.

I'll see you later.

Mr. Harris.

Why do you have to
treat him like that?

I don't understand
what you're talking about.

You could at least
be civil to him.

We're in love, Dad. You can
hate it, but you can't change it.

Valerie, I need two more large
booths for my non-fiction section.

And you can't
ignore it, either.

We're talking
about marriage.

Sure. So what do I have to do,
go over your head to get them?

We're overbooked now.

Then bump someone.

I'll take care of it.

Dad, don't you understand? When
you hurt Ben, you hurt me, too.

Forget him, Val.

He's not for you.

I've got a meeting.

Yes. Yes. I... I'll hold
for Mr. Hartley.

(SPEAKING RUSSIAN)

(SPEAKING ANIMATEDLY
IN RUSSIAN)

Da.

Misha...

(DIAL TONE DRONING)

(EXCLAIMS IN RUSSIAN)

(WOMAN CHATTERING
IN FRENCH O VER PA)

WOMAN: (ON PA) Attention,
World Book Fair vendors,

all displays must be approved.
Please have a representative...

And would anyone
care for anything else?

Not for me, thanks.

Then have an excellent
meeting. Thank you.

Good old Victor. Twenty years
in the diplomatic service,

and he's ever
the diplomat.

Mmm, he needs to be, and
more, in the hotel business.

I assume you wish
to discuss your loan.

Only partly. All we need
is a short extension.

CHARLES: And what we really want to talk
about is a proposition we have for you.

It's an expansion plan we
know you'll want to invest in.

It's going to put us
in the ball park

with Brentano's
and Walden Books...

The note is due on
Thursday. Paid in full.

Our refinancing is
almost complete.

Thirty days,
at the most.

I'm sorry, that's
out of the question.

Come on, Mr. Harris, there
is such a thing as good faith.

Besides, we're
offering you...

I don't like
your tone, Mr. Devon.

I suggest you read
our agreement.

Every penny on time, or I
own your entire operation.

(SIGHS)

(WOMAN CHATTERING ON PA)

(SERGEl EXCLAIMS)

SERGEl: I beg your pardon,
sir. Are you all right?

Yes, I'm okay.
Terribly sorry. Clumsy.

How on Earth will we be able to
pull anything together by Thursday?

Look, we're not
giving up yet.

Drop me at the bank. I'll see if
they'll put a rush on that refinance.

WOMAN: (ON PA) The Omega Hotel
invites all guests to hit the sand.

A demonstration on
two-man beach volleyball

will be given by
world champions...

Wait, wait. Mr. Nemiroff,
I have to talk to you.

I want to know why a Russian police
officer is following my friends.

Mrs. Fletcher,
you are mistaken.

No, I don't think so. I mean, between
your pistol and your left lapel,

which is covered with small
pinholes, it's fairly obvious.

This does not mean
I am policeman.

That is where I wore,
uh, Order of Lenin.

Uh, no, if I'm not mistaken, the Order
of Lenin is worn on the right lapel.

(SIGHS)

You are as clever
as Leonid Treblinkov.

(SIGHS)
Lenny Terhune.

One of your finest
detective creations.

Well, thank you
very much,

but like Lenny Terhune,
I want the facts.

Very well.

You are correct,
yes, Mrs. Fletcher.

I am Detective Sergeant
with police.

Well, what exactly is your interest
in Charles and Marcie Devon?

I am here to investigate Leo Stone.

He is connected to black
market currency operation.

Since he work for
Mr. And Mrs. Devon...

Look, Sergeant,
I happened to overhear

your telephone conversation
earlier in the Events Office.

You understand
Russian, too?

Well, enough to gather
that you're here on your own,

and that you're returning
to Russia in a few days,

with or without
what you came for.

Mrs. Fletcher,
you must excuse me.

Uh, not yet.
Unless, of course,

you prefer that I call the
Miami Police or the FBI.

I'm sure they'd be
very interested to know

that a Russian police officer
was operating in their territory

without authorization.

Mrs. Fletcher, your powers
of deduction are remarkable.

Well, it wasn't exactly
deduction, Sergeant.

It was a hunch.

It was stolen from
Hermitage Museum one year ago

with Tsarina's
crown. You say...

Tiara. Yeah.
Tiara.

SERGEl: Is called
"Midnight."

Yes, this was the last piece
that Faberg� made for the Romanovs

before the Revolution.
I read about the robbery.

(LAUGHS)

Egg and tiara are national
treasures, Mrs. Fletcher.

Two weeks ago,
Tsarina's tiara

showed up here in
Miami, minus gems.

Is desecration.

And you believe that
Leo Stone was involved?

According to
my sources,

Mr. Stone was in Saint
Petersburg at time of theft.

Uh, witnesses
place him with thief.

He lives here, Miami.
Tiara showed up here, Miami.

What you're not telling me
is why you're not working

with the local
law enforcement people.

My guess is that it's about more than
simply recovering a national treasure.

(BREATHES DEEPLY)

My brother, Gregor,

was convicted and
sentenced to death

for murdering thief who broke into
Hermitage Museum and stole these goods.

Gregor, he did not do
this, Mrs. Fletcher.

He is scheduled to be executed
in 48 hours. I must find egg.

I must prove
he is innocent.

And I'm looking forward to
seeing you again, Arthur. Ciao.

Leo, you've walked enough miles
on my rug to get you to Orlando.

So, I can triple
my money in 10 days?

Look, have I ever
misled you before?

But you can't give me
any details.

No, this is legal, Victor.
I guarantee it.

Leo,

why is this telling me
that you're in trouble again,

only this time
it's serious?

Could I please give you a piece
of advice? 'Cause I like you.

Stick with the job that
Charles Devon gave you,

because you're fortunate to
have him for a brother-in-law.

Okay, Victor, okay,
forget the investment.

Uh, look, how
about just, uh,

a couple thousand cash until
the beginning of next week?

You could do that,
couldn't you?

Not this time, Leo. No.

(SNIVELING)

I'm not a bank.

(SIGHS)

No.

Ben, it's not the
end of the world.

Oh, right, right. I'm sure
if I take a couple of days,

I can think of
something worse.

Ben, Valerie,
what's happened?

Ben just got word, his
scholarship has been turned down.

Well, did they give you
any reason?

Yeah. Somehow they found
out about that little scrape

I got into
in high school.

I mean, I guess I should have
mentioned it in my application.

(CHUCKLES)
But that's ridiculous.

I mean, I remember
the trouble you were in,

and it was nothing more
than a prank.

Yeah, well, this'll pretty much
eliminate me trying any other med schools.

Jessica, I appreciate everything
that you've done for me,

all the letters and
phone calls. Thank you.

Excuse me.

Someone searched my apartment a little
while ago. It was you, wasn't it?

Listen, I don't have
this, uh, this egg,

and I don't know
anything about it,

and I got enough problems without
you crawling all over my back.

(CLICKING TONGUE)

Such gratitude for my saving
you from brutal beating.

Mr. Stone, I believe you
have egg or know where it is,

and I think you know who
murdered thief who stole it.

Hey, man.

You've got problems.

Holding the Book Fair in
Russia last year? As I recall,

it was Jim Harris's idea.

Sounds like Jim.

I read somewhere where his European
sales had gone through the roof.

Yeah, especially
his art books.

Well, that's certainly consistent
with his reputation for shrewdness.

"Killer" describes him
a little more accurately.

I've been at the bank
all afternoon.

Not only are they not going to
help us meet Harris's deadline,

they've totally backed out
on our refinancing.

God. Yeah. It took me an
hour to get Atkins to admit

they've been pressured. I
don't have to tell you by whom.

Jim? There's gotta be
some way to work this out.

We'll talk to him
tonight at the reception.

(CLICKS TONGUE) You
can try, if you like.

I'm having a last-ditch
dinner with the loan officer

from Miami Trust and Savings.

Marcie, do you suppose
it's possible

that Jim still hasn't
forgiven you,

and that this is his way
of getting back at you?

For dumping him
and marrying Charles?

Jessica, until today I wouldn't
have believed it, but...

Can Ben and I give you
a lift to the reception?

Uh, pardon me,

but since Mrs. Fletcher has invited
me to be her escort this evening,

least I can do is
provide car for two of us.

Well, then, um,
I'll see you there.

Mmm.
And, uh, Jessica,

about 7:00?

7:00 would be
perfect, Sergei.

Can we talk?
Excuse me.

I don't think we have
anything to talk about.

I wouldn't want
to tell Charles

about the little business
you and I did together.

It would only complicate
things, wouldn't it?

What do you want?

Not here.

You're more trouble than
you're worth. Come on.

I don't feel like
I should be here.

That is what your
father wants, isn't it?

No. No, he... He just needs
to get used to us, that's all.

Oh, Val, it isn't
going to happen.

He would do anything
to get rid of me.

That is really paranoid,
you know that?

(STUTTERS)
I don't think so.

See, Val, you're still looking at
your father through a kid's eyes.

The man has a reputation
for being ruthless.

Just ask
Charles and Marcie.

Look, all I am saying is I
wouldn't put anything past him.

Anything.

Jessica, sorry,
I must sit.

Oh, well, I shouldn't wonder, after chasing
after Leo Stone for the past four hours.

Let's go over here.
Yes.

(CLEARS THROAT) Unfortunately,
trail led nowhere.

From Jai-Alai to racetrack
to poker parlor

(GROANS)

To bar. Was painful and
exhausting tour of Miami.

Obvious he's guilty.

I'm sure it's occurred to
you that what you're doing,

even following
Leo Stone here,

may be a
wild goose chase.

Mmm.

Old Russian proverb. "Which
came first, goose or egg?"

(GIGGLES)

Leo is goose, Jessica.

With his need for money,

is only a matter of time
before he tries to fence egg.

When he comes out in open...

(GRUNTS)

JESSICA: You know, there are a
great many people here this evening

who were in Saint Petersburg last year.

Yes, I know.

Jim, do you
have a moment?

For you, Marcie,
of course.

I understand that you,
uh, wielded your influence

with the bank that was
arranging our loan.

It's business.
Nothing personal.

(CHUCKLES SOFTLY)

I think it is.

Well, that was always
one of your failings, Marcie.

All the time
that we were together,

you never seemed able, or
willing, to live in the real world.

(CHUCKLES) Yes, you used to say it
over and over, "It is what it is."

Well, believe it or not, I've
pretty much learned to accept that.

Oh!

But there are things
we can change.

I thought perhaps,
for old times' sake,

for what we used to have, that you might

reconsider your demand for repayment
and give us those extra 30 days.

My compliments, Marcie. That
was reasonably straightforward.

But the answer is no.

(GASPS)

(SIGHS)

What the hell do you think
you're doing in here?

You get out or I'll have my
security people throw you out.

Did you happen to find
my glasses, Sergei?

(INHALES DEEPLY) No.

I have a feeling I
might have left them here

when Valerie was showing
me your Fragonard.

Uh-huh. Well, I'm sure
they'll show up.

In the meantime,
our dinner is ready,

and we don't want it
to get cold, do we?

Oh, I see you're a benefactor
of Southern Central University.

It's my alma mater.

I recently donated a
new wing to the library.

Interesting. You know, this afternoon
I spoke with a friend of mine

at the school,
Dean Black,

and he told me that Ben
Peterson's scholarship was denied

because a prominent alumnus
had rejected his application.

I ran a background
check on Mr. Peterson.

It seems his application neglected
to mention his criminal record.

In view of my deep concern for
the quality of our students,

I felt obligated to pass this
information along to the school.

With your firm recommendation
that he be rejected,

but without the minor detail
that his criminal record

consisted of some foolish teenage
behavior at a high school football game.

The Scholarship Committee
saw it my way.

And I'm sure
you'll make certain

that committees at other medical
schools see it your way, too.

Jessica, you
don't understand.

Please, let me finish.

The dean faxed me
a copy of your letter,

and, to say the least, it exaggerates
the incident almost to the point of libel.

As these transcripts
and letters attest,

he's distinguished himself
as a student and as a person.

I mean, Jim, whatever your attitude
about his relationship with Valerie,

does it really justify ruining his
chances for a productive career?

As I said, Jessica,

I was sure that your reading
glasses would turn up.

Jessica, I think it's
positively despicable of Jim.

Not, however,
entirely surprising.

Let's hope
that he reconsiders.

Good evening, Mr. Nemiroff. Jessica.

Good night,
Victor. Marcie.

What is it,
Jessica?

That Fragonard painting
in his study,

his antique furnishings,
his acquisitiveness...

Of power, and money,
people, things.

Has occurred to me,
too, Jessica.

Our Mr. Harris does fit
the profile of a man

who might covet something
as rare as the Midnight Egg.

(VALERIE SCREAMING)

(PEOPLE MURMURING)

PEREZ: Deceased was
apparently hit over the head

with a heavy object
yet to be identified.

It appears the force of the blow
sent the victim into the pool,

where the body was found
in shallow water.

Coroner states preliminary evidence
suggests death by drowning while unconscious.

Thanks.

MAN 1: Easy, now.
MAN 2: Behind you.

MAN 2:
Coming through.

(VALERIE SOBBING)

I knew about the
little private room,

but I rarely
went inside.

Daddy said if anybody asked, it was
for confidential business papers.

Occasionally he'd show it
to a few friends.

PEREZ: Good. I'll get
a list from you later.

This alleged missing
egg, Miss Harris,

do you have any idea
what it's worth?

I may be able to
help you, Lieutenant.

Its value may have been as high
as seven or eight million dollars.

Well, I guess they don't
sell those by the dozen, huh?

Mrs. Fletcher,

someone told me you came here with
a Russian? A, uh, Sergei Nemiroff?

Mmm-hmm.

Do you happen to know
where he is now?

No, I don't.

Is he in the book
business, too?

He's attending
the Book Fair.

Mr. Peterson, you know
anything about this?

Excuse me. Lieutenant? I found this
behind one of the pedestals in there.

It's got
blood on it.

PEREZ: Send it to Forensics.
LONG: Right, sir.

Now, Mr. Peterson,
I was about to ask,

did you know about the decedent's
secret art gallery or this missing egg?

Uh, no, sir.
No, I didn't.

JESSICA: I won't
lie to them, Sergei.

It's just that
Lieutenant Perez

didn't happen to ask me the
right question about you.

(CHUCKLES)

Accomplishes same
as lie, no?

Well, I'm sure that the
Lieutenant would see it that way.

Now, about egg.

Did you learn anything new from
Lieutenant Perez this morning?

Well, apparently it hasn't turned up
in any of the known fences in Miami.

Which doesn't guarantee
it's still in city.

(SIGHS) Or even
in the country.

They did ask me if I'd seen or heard
from Leo Stone since last night.

Now, the Lieutenant wants to
ask him some more questions.

Not surprising.
Mmm-hmm.

Leo sells egg to Harris, then
he need more money to pay men

who are threatening him, so
he decide to steal it back.

Harris catches him
in the act, uh,

Leo kills Harris
and steals egg.

All right, yes, but
Leo is not stupid.

I mean, he knows
that with his record,

the police would
certainly suspect him.

Exactly.

Police have very close
surveillance on his apartment.

I discovered when
I tried to search it.

Leo has hidden egg.
Problem is, where?

Where?

Is frustrating,
Jessica.

My brother's time
is running out,

Harris is dead, Leo
Stone has disappeared.

The papers.

The papers weren't there!

Papers?
What papers?

Jessica, what...

CHARLES: Yeah? Well, we've still
got till the end of business Thursday

to come up with that money,
so I wouldn't count on it.

Same to you.
Goodbye.

Harris's lawyer? Valerie
inherits everything,

but it's all in trust,
administered by guess who?

(SIGHS) The attorney.
You've got it.

Valerie has no say. The
minute our loan comes due,

he plans to carry out
Harris's wishes,

taking over the Booklovers operation
and dumping us for mismanagement.

(SIGHS) That's outrageous.
Oh, it gets worse.

Apparently that distorted
information that Harris circulated

about our cash flow problems and our
lawsuits went to every bank in town,

along with photocopies
of internal memoranda.

WOMAN: (ON PA) Marcie Devon, please
pick up the white courtesy phone.

Hello, Marcie Devon. LEO:
Hi, Sis. I need to see you.

(SIGHS) Look, Leo,
I... Sis, it's urgent.

Fine, fine.
I'll be there.

Oh, no. No.
I'll just...

Excuse me. I'll be back.

I hope Harris paid
Leo a lot of money,

because he's never going
to see another cent from me!

Leo, for God's sake,
what are you talking about?

You didn't. (STUTTERING)
What, kill Jim Harris?

No, of course not. But I wish
to hell I had, for your sake.

Now, look, the cops have
surrounded my apartment,

(GROANS) They are busting
my credit cards, my ATM...

Wait, just wait a minute.
Why would they do that?

I don't know. It's "round
up the usual suspects" time.

Look, if they run the names of the
people who were there last night,

my name lights up in four different
colors and flashes on and off.

And if you do not help me,
I am a dead man.

Leo, what did you do?

Look, Marcie, don't ask me
any more questions, okay?

Now, I'm gonna need a
couple thousand dollars fast

so that I can get out of town.
Now, are you gonna help me or not?

That Connors person, that's
what this is about, isn't it?

Damn it, Leo, answer
me! All right! All right!

I'm between a hard place
and a hard place.

Yeah, Connors was
a part of it,

but even if I get away
from him now,

if the cops connect me to the
kind of stuff that I've been into,

Connors will have me killed
even if I am in prison.

Oh, Leo.

Please. Please!

I'll need a half an hour.
Where can I reach you?

(ENGINE STARTS)
I'll contact you.

Sis, thanks.

Stan, I'm only asking you to
reconsider, okay? All right.

Charles and Marcie

(KNOCKING ON DOOR) Have worked
their tails off to build this thing,

and I'd hate to
see them lose it.

Jessica, I'll be
with you in a second.

STAN: Well, I'll have
to do some checking.

Of course. Check it out with
your people and get back to me.

But, listen, if you need
a guarantor, I will sign.

I'll think about it.
Bye.

Jessica, please sit down.

Actually, I was looking for Ben Peterson.
Charles told me that he would be here.

He's out running a
couple of errands for me.

He'll be back in a
few minutes. Mmm-hmm.

What can I get you? Some
cappuccino or orange juice?

Oh, no, nothing,
thank you.

It's very generous of you, trying
to help out Marcie and Charles.

Just calling in
a few markers, Jessica.

I'm not sure it's going to be
sufficient to overcome the damage

that Jim did
to their credit rating.

Oh, my.
What happened last night

has certainly put a pall
on the Book Fair preparations.

I feel so badly
for Valerie.

I mean, I know that she had mixed
feelings about her father, but...

But he's still her father.

I certainly have
been there, Jessica.

Mine wasn't
my favorite person.

I don't imagine it was easy
being the son of a genius.

Mr. Roscoe... Oh, hi,
Jessica. Hello, Ben.

I, uh, heard you were
looking for me?

Yeah. Oh, uh, Mr.
Roscoe, I think I've got

every roll of bunting
left in Miami.

(CHUCKLES) Splendid. Now why don't
you go off with Jessica for a while?

And I'll see you later, Jess. Yes.

(PHONE RINGING)

Victor, here.

VALERIE: Of course you
can look through his study.

Thank you. But what
papers are you looking for?

The ones that I placed on
your father's desk last night,

right here, just before
going into dinner.

Copies of Ben's transcripts
and scholarship application,

and the letter that your
father wrote to the Committee.

Yeah, well, the one
that iced my chances.

It didn't hit me till a
little while ago that after...

After the tragedy
with your father,

I noticed that the papers
were no longer on his desk.

(STUTTERING)
I didn't take them.

Valerie, don't say that to protect
me. I didn't kill your father.

Perhaps if I'd actually seen the letter
I would have considered it, but...

Valerie, sooner or later the police are
going to discover that the University

provided me with those documents, and
they're going to ask who else saw them.

You got that right, Mrs.
Fletcher. Matter of fact,

I got a whole trunkful
of questions for you,

including one about
a certain Russian cop.

Uh, Lieutenant...
Save it. Save it.

'Cause we were checking Mr. Harris's
phone calls for the last couple of days,

and several calls were made to the
University Scholarship Committee.

Now, when we got
their statement,

who else do you suppose
was bending their ears?

I was asking questions
on Ben's behalf.

On Ben's behalf.
Right.

Okay, Miss Harris,
how does this fit?

You happened to see the papers that
Mrs. Fletcher got a hold of, huh?

This made you angry enough at
your father to kill him. Or...

What?
BEN: No, Lieutenant.

I... I did it.

That was my other
scenario. Excuse me.

You happened to see the papers, and
you decided James Harris had to go.

No. Lieutenant,
it wasn't Ben.

I killed my father. I discovered
the papers during dinner,

and they're up in my room.

PEREZ: Long,
go get them.

LONG: Right, sir.

PEREZ: What do you
got there, Mrs. Fletcher?

JESSICA: I think
it's a chain in the water.

Oh. "B.P."

It's Ben Peterson.

Now, let's put this
together, huh?

Harris surprises you and
you fight. In the process,

you grab and yank the chain of
the medallion, it goes flying.

You hit him with the ivory
carving, he collapses into the pool,

and you drown him.
Lieutenant, no!

Ben.

Is that your chain?

Yeah, it is.

Done and done.
Nice job, Mrs. Fletcher.

Ben Peterson, I am
placing you under arrest

for the murder
of James Harris.

(SOFTLY)
Oh, my God.

SERGEl: You're sure
he is innocent?

I would bet my life
on it, Sergei.

Ben and Valerie were both
confessing to protect each other.

The medallion, how... How
do you explain medallion?

Well, at the moment,
I can't.

I mean, despite the fact that Ben
was sure that it belonged to him,

nobody had actually
ever seen him wearing it.

Wonderful.

In meantime, no Midnight Egg, no killer,
no one to prove my brother is innocent.

I have been looking
for Leo Stone all over...

Well, what do you know? Sergeant
Nemiroff, I presume, huh?

Have I got a bunch
of questions for you.

Ah, Lieutenant. Sergeant Nemiroff
is here on very urgent business.

Yeah, Mrs. Fletcher, you
misled me about this guy before,

like I said, all right? And I don't
forget that sort of thing real fast,

so don't...
Lieutenant,

you will treat this woman with
respect or I will take care of you.

Lieutenant, have you
found any evidence

that might prove that Ben
took the Midnight Egg?

No. Couldn't find anything in
his car or in his apartment.

And he wouldn't say word one,
except that he murdered Harris.

And anyway, it didn't have to be
the killer that took the dingus.

Exactly, Lieutenant.

I mean, anybody who was there
last night might have taken it.

And left even before Ben
Peterson did Harris, right?

Take him downtown. Wait,
Lieutenant, I must not be...

Yeah, yeah, we're gonna
talk about it later.

Jessica, my brother...
COP: Let's go.

Watch your head.

(SIGHS)

I'm truly sorry, Charles.

I was hoping that some of my old
connections would come through for you.

Hey, Victor, you gave it
your best shot.

One more
possibility.

I suddenly thought there was
a banker that I dealt with

when I was posted to Vienna, and
Jennifer will have his number.

So don't give up
yet, either of you.

You give him
the money?

And the message.

How did he take it?
Not that I care.

(SIGHS)

"God, Sis, I know how
you and Charles must feel.

"And I promise someday
I'll make it up to you."

(VOICE TREMBLING) It wasn't
easy telling my baby brother

to get out
of my life forever.

(STIFLES SOB)

I know. But it
had to be done.

Mmm.

It was the best $5,000
we've ever spent.

(SIGHS)

Yeah. I just wish
it hadn't been our last.

Jessica. Val, how are you holding up?

Pretty well, I guess.
Any word about Ben?

(SIGHS) Nothing
good, I'm afraid.

You see, the police feel he
had means, motive, opportunity.

Jessica, what is it?

Valerie, I think I know how I
can prove that Ben didn't do it.

How?

Do you have Leo Stone's
telephone number?

Yeah, sure.

(TYPING)

Here it is.

Okay, Jessica, I got a plane to
catch, so I got maybe two minutes,

and I suggest you start with what
you said to hook me to begin with,

this business about how I can make
amends to my sister and Charles.

It will require
you missing your plane.

Then forget it. This is my
life we're talking about.

We're also talking
about Ben Peterson's life,

and the life of a young man in a
Russian prison, Gregor Nemiroff.

Who?

(KEYS JINGLING)

Thank God.

Whatever you do, Mr. Roscoe,
don't put your hands up.

Relieve him
of that, carefully.

Just what do you
think you're doing?

Well, for starters,
we're catching a thief.

Me? I'm afraid
you're mistaken.

(CHUCKLES) Really?
This ought to be good.

Lieutenant, a short time
ago, I received a phone call,

anonymous, of course.

I was told to
search the office,

because as the individual said,
a stolen object of great value

had been placed here
without my knowledge.

That phone call wasn't
anonymous, Victor.

It was from Leo Stone,
and I put him up to it.

No.
Oh, yeah.

I was right there when he
made the call, Mr. Roscoe.

When he told you
he'd heard on the street

that the Midnight Egg which
you stole from James Harris

was about to be purchased by
a wealthy Middle Easterner...

A story boiled up...
"Cooked. Cooked."

...cooked up by
Jessica Fletcher

in order to trick you
into revealing your guilt.

All right. Yes, all
right, I stole the egg.

But that was after
I found Jim Harris dead.

That's not true, Victor.

You murdered him.
The fact is,

he probably caught you
in the act of taking the egg,

and struggled with you...
Jessica, that's total conjecture.

No, wrong, pal. You see
this little item right here?

This is our clincher.
It's got your initials, "B.P."

"B.P."? But everyone knows
my name is Victor Roscoe.

But in the Cyrillic alphabet of
your father's native country, Russia,

the letters V and R
appear as B and P.

I realized it when I took another look
at a Book Fair sign and remembered.

That poster
about your father.

You both had
the same initials.

You wore his medallion
under your shirt, didn't you,

before Jim Harris grabbed it
and broke the chain?

I never saw that before,

and there's no way that
you can prove it's mine.

They found two
fingerprints on it, Victor.

One belonged to Jim and
the other one was yours.

And there is something else. At the
party, as we were about to leave,

I noticed that a button
on your shirt was missing,

where Jim ripped it off
when you and he struggled.

We're getting a search warrant
ready even as we speak, Mr. Roscoe,

and I'm pretty sure we're
gonna find that shirt.

(SIGHS)

I never meant
to kill him.

I only wanted that egg.

You were right, Jessica, I
thought he was in the living room.

Victor!

What the hell
are you doing?

Why are you doing this to me? Why?

(BOTH GRUNTING)

(SPLASHING)

Of course, I had to make sure that
he couldn't bear witness against me.

I didn't even realize that I'd
lost the medallion till I got home.

It was given to me
by my father.

It was you who procured the Midnight
Egg for Jim Harris last year, wasn't it?

Just as you had done with so
many of his other art objects

from countries
all over the world.

For a long time.

Almost from the beginning of my
career in the diplomatic corps.

Which allowed you to bring them into the
country without going through customs.

Harris paid well.
Never asked any questions

as long as the objects
were authentic.

The Midnight Egg was
the crowning piece.

Okay, I guess
that takes care of that.

Oh, and by the way, uh, Mrs.
Fletcher sort of fibbed to you.

There weren't any fingerprints
on your medallion, Victor.

PEREZ: If you'd stuck to your story,
we wouldn't have had a case for murder.

(VICTOR SOBBING) Sergeant
Nemiroff, he's all yours.

Cuff him.

Mr. Roscoe,

we now must talk about murder that
occurred in Saint Petersburg one year ago

of thief who stole
egg and tiara.

I know nothing
about that.

Victor. An innocent young man is
going to be put to death tomorrow.

You've already confessed
to one murder.

I had hired the thief,
Constantine Persky.

He threatened to expose me
unless I gave him half my profits.

I killed him, Sergeant.

(SOFTLY) Thank you.

Stan, those terms
sound acceptable.

I'll talk it over with
Marcie and get back to you.

Things are finally
going our way, Jessica.

Jim Harris's attorney has backed
down on the estate's claim.

Keep everything crossed.
I think we've got a loan

that'll solve our
immediate problems.

I don't know what you said to Leo,

but he's admitted
everything to the police.

Yes, I understand that he's turned state's
evidence against this Connors fellow.

That must have been some
guilt number you laid on him.

Well, I think that self-preservation
was an active ingredient.

He should be catching
his plane in a few minutes.

He's going to be safe in the
Witness Protection Program.

And out of our hair. Doesn't
have to get much better, Jess.

I can top it.

My scholarship came through, Jessica.

(LAUGHING)
Oh, great.

Jessica! Uh, sign it
for me, please, book?

"From Jessica,
with love."

It's for my mother.

(LAUGHING)