Original subtitles

Hey, you know anything about music, Mrs. Fletcher?

Well, just a little bit.

In my arms you'll have all the action

Welcome to Rojam Records.

Which novel are you recording?

The Corpse Danced at Midnight.

Cool.

Was there a friend of mine there?

A singer by the name of Piper?

I think I liked him, Holly.

Somehow, I don't think of you as being

into heavy metal, Mrs. Fletcher.

Top of the charts. Right, kids?

You're betting on Rojam to go in the toilet, huh?

Fantasyland, my friend.

You haven't forgotten where and how we first met, have you?

Don't do that to me, damn it.

You mean there was emotional blackmail going on?

This is in like one of your novels, eh?

So, I called this young editor to ask him

what he thought of my manuscript,

and he said, "Gee, I don't know.

"I'm the only one who's read it!"

Listen, believe me, the most difficult part of writing

is actually getting started.

I mean, there's nothing so daunting

as that blank piece of paper, you know,

staring right back at you.

And there you sit, without an idea in your head.

So, that'll be the subject of our next special seminar.

In other words, how to jump-start the process.

And in the meantime, I'd like each one of you, if you will,

to bring me a five-page character study

about someone that you know.

So, I'll see you next week. Thank you very much.

It's all set, Mrs. Fletcher.

Rojam Records agreed to donate one of their studios.

And they're even going to throw in

a sound engineer for good measure.

Well, that's great, Holly.

You must've done some heavy-duty arm-twisting.

Oh, I can't take the credit.

My friend Julie reminded them

that you were taping one of your novels for the blind,

so the cost could be deducted as a charitable contribution.

Well, that's fantastic.

Only problem is you'll have to record in the evenings,

and Julie's asked if you could come in tomorrow

for a photo session at 11:30 with her boss.

Photo session?

Yes.

Well, I guess so. I mean, considering his generosity.

Maybe you ought to tell me a little something

about this music mogul of yours, Freddie Major.

In simple terms, Freddie, the deal means outright purchase

of your company, contracts, talent, licenses, catalogs,

all buildings and studios.

Rojam Records becomes a wholly owned subsidiary

of Palladium Software.

Yes. But nothing changes,

you still run the company, just as always.

It's win-win, Mitch.

It's gonna be great all the way around.

Uh, there are some further conditions.

This late in the game?

The financial partner wants absolute secrecy

until the papers are signed.

I can live with that.

Second, if Rojam loses anyone who's presently on the artist roster,

the deal's off.

People drop dead, Mitch...

Freddie, please, exclusive of an act of God.

Now, you got this group, Myra... Mirabilis.

Right. Anyway, that's what that clause is all about.

That's to guarantee that they're part of the package, too.

Not a problem.

We're meeting with their manager tomorrow to renegotiate,

but it's a done deal.

Good. Now, lastly, you've got somebody

running your A&R department, Lefko?

Yeah. Rick's been with me since day one.

A background check picked up something

that the Palladium family of companies can't live with.

Lefko is mob-connected.

And frankly, that's one of the reasons, his job performance,

that this company's losing ground.

Come on. Rick can't be blamed for that.

Freddie, I understand what you're saying.

I respect your loyalty. Lefko goes.

That's a tough one, Mitch.

Anytime it hurts, Freddie,

think about the windfall you're picking up with the Palladium options.

Freddie, think about how bad you need this.

On a happier note,

Michele here has the most exquisite little voice you ever heard.

Freddie, it'll cost us, but I have persuaded her to sign with the company.

Smart move.

Welcome to Rojam Records, Michele.

Thank you.

How else is a broken-down piano player like you

gonna know what's selling in Michele's market segment unless you plug into it?

Case in point. Last week a single came on the market,

sold 75,000 copies. What was the name of that?

Desperate Times. Willi Piper on Sly Records.

I understand that that was one of your engineers that moonlighted it.

I want Willi Piper and Sly Records in the deal.

You're saying that's another deal-breaker?

Hey, Freddie, for a tough player like you, how hard is that?

I mean, who ever heard of this guy?

He's not big yet, Mr. Major, but just you watch.

Remember, pal, Sunday's your deadline.

All the pieces, Freddie. You deliver, I deliver.

We may have to wait a few minutes, Mrs. Fletcher.

Freddie Major has a photo session

with a band called Mirabilis.

Mirabilis.

Ah, don't they have a tune out? Burnt something or other?

Burnt Memories.

I had you pegged for a Lincoln Center type,

but here you are jammin' Mirabilis!

Well, I wouldn't say jammin',

but I... I think I liked their sound.

Yeah, see you at 4:00.

Oh, it's a great angle. Good. Good.

Okay. Let me get in this one, huh?

Here we go. Come on.

Top of the charts. Right, kids?

You're on, Freddie.

You two happy? Anything you need?

Nah. No. Nothing.

Okay. You're a true believer, aren't you?

I'm with you, Mr. Major.

All right. That'll do it, Mr. Major.

Thanks, guys. See you Saturday.

Okay, let's just get one more.

Here. Get in here. Okay. Real tight now, okay?

Let's give it to 'em.

Holly, hi.

Hi. This is my friend, J.B. Fletcher. Julie Knight.

Hello, Julie. Thanks so much for your help.

Oh, it's my pleasure.

It looks like we're ready for you.

Oh, great. Later, Mrs. Fletcher.

Bye, Holly. Bye.

So, tell me about the book you're recording with us, Mrs. Fletcher.

Well, it's called The Corpse Danced at Midnight,

and I'm taping it for the blind.

We're certainly very grateful to you

for the use of your studio and your technicians.

Yeah, sure.

Hey, you know anything about music, Mrs. Fletcher?

Well, just a little bit.

Well, when I was a kid, my folks wanted me to enter the Tchaikovsky competition.

I was pretty good at the piano,

but I wanted to write songs.

And the joke was, I was lousy at it.

Those two that just left,

they have a tune that could be a rock classic, called Bulletproof,

only the sampled bass line they're playing is wrong

and they don't want to change it.

You hear this?

They go to the "A" when they should've stayed on the "C."

It needs more tension. Something like this.

All right. That'll do it, Mr. Major.

Mrs. Fletcher. Thank you very much.

Well, I couldn't make it as a songwriter,

so now I'm Mr. Fix It.

We're shooting the video this Saturday.

Why don't you come? You'll give the operation some class.

Well, I don't know about the class,

but, yes, I think that would be very interesting. Thank you.

Good. Make the arrangements, will you?

Chuck, Rick, meet J.B. Fletcher, the writer.

Hello. I'm Rick Lefko. Hello.

Rick's Vice President for Artists and Repertoire,

and the one and only Charles George Drexler, who manages Mirabilis.

How do you do?

We got a meeting?

Right. Let's get started.

Uh, show Mrs. Fletcher around, Julie.

Sure.

Saturday? You bet.

Bye.

I'm taking Mrs. Fletcher on the tour, Holly.

Good! Don't forget tomorrow night.

What's tomorrow night?

I'm playing hooky, remember?

We have freebies to the Magnatek concert.

Magnatek? Mmm-hmm.

Oh, Magnatek! Yes.

Oh, no, I hadn't forgotten.

I'll see you later.

Okay.

Somehow I don't think of you as

being into heavy metal, Mrs. Fletcher.

Well, I'm not.

But Holly is indoctrinating me into the cutting edge of pop.

Excuse me. Oh!

Sorry.

Fellas, I'll make the deal simple.

It just boils down to dollars.

Frankly, it's one I can make across town, even as we speak.

But the kids say they like you, Freddie.

You've been good to them,

and they want to stay with Rojam Records.

Great. Give me the numbers.

The numbers work out to 3 million a year against profits,

three years firm, 10% bumps,

and a signing bonus, a million for the kids,

a million for management.

Signing bonus? And what's with this "management" crap?

Hey, hey, it's not out of line for me to get something

for keeping them here, Freddie.

As far as the dollars go, I'll remind you that Mirabilis

was the only thing that kept you in the black last year.

I'll be in my office till 2:00.

I won't wait any longer than that.

You've run my A&R for 20 years, Rick.

How come all of a sudden we're at the mercy

of a bloodsucker like Drexler?

Hey, nobody bats 1,000, Freddie.

You mean not since they took Plugola away from you.

Face it, that's when this company started going downhill!

This company wouldn't even be here today

if it wasn't for the independent promoters that I brought in.

You mean the hoods.

You didn't complain when you had 10 in the top 40.

Don't badmouth your friends, Freddie. It's not nice.

What, you're saying somebody'll rearrange my face?

Huh?

Come on, Freddie.

Let me take you to lunch.

That's some guy called Willi Piper.

He's done over 70,000 copies.

Yeah? What the hell do we buy him with?

We don't.

Would you believe Willi Piper's producer

is one of our engineers?

A guy named Paul Atkins.

Guess who washes Atkins' socks.

I give up.

Our own Director of Press and Artist Development,

Julie Knight.

Yeah, and for a minute there

I stood in his shoes

Felt his hopeless heart beatin'

Felt his black and blues

They say the Lord helps those who help themselves

But, damn it, they'll help someone else

Oh, these are desperate times

When a man's gotta live this way

And all the people look and then just turn away

Don't seem to care anymore

These are desperate times

Where are the days of the helpin' hand?

Where did they go? I just don't understand

Hi, sweetie. How are you?

Hi. Mrs. Fletcher, this is my friend, Paul Atkins.

He'll be your engineer today.

Oh, hello, Paul.

Hi, Mrs. Fletcher, nice to meet you.

Thank you.

Oh, that's a nice sound.

That's Willi Piper.

Willi, come here a minute.

This is J.B. Fletcher.

She wrote all those novels you're always hollerin' about.

The J.B. Fletcher?

I am an addict! How are you?

Fine, thanks.

Um, which novel are you recording?

Oh, The Corpse Danced at Midnight.

Oh, an early one. Cool!

Mrs. Fletcher, you're all set and ready out there.

Oh, good.

All right, we're rolling.

Anytime.

Great.

"Daphne Heath would forever remember the weather

"on that Thursday in November.

"She'd gone out early for the paper,

"and felt the wind on her face and seen the line

"of angry black clouds stacked on the northern horizon.

"A hundred unanswered questions crowded Daphne's mind.

"She wanted to ask Alan to clarify so much for her,

"but in her heart, she was still uncertain,

"even about Alan."

Paul Atkins? We haven't met, Paul. I'm Freddie Major

and this is Rick Lefko, our A&R vice-president.

Gentlemen, this is Willi Piper.

How you doin'? Hi.

I see they got them working late like us tonight, huh?

We're here to talk to you about Desperate Times.

I think you've come up with something special.

I'll be up-front.

I want to offer you a home with Rojam Records.

Well, that's very kind of you, Mr. Major.

But, Willi and I already have our own label.

Sly Records, is it?

That's right.

Ah, Paul, I wasn't very happy with that.

Could we do the second paragraph on page 22 again?

Paul?

I don't think you get the whole picture, Paul.

I'm saying Rojam Records will buy your company

along with Willi's contract.

You stay on as producer. You get a piece of the action.

Well, thanks, but I like what I've got.

You have anything to say, Willi?

No.

See, me and Paul have an agreement.

Where he goes, I go.

Would it change your mind knowing Julie Knight's future with Rojam

could depend on your decision?

What the hell does Julie have to do with this?

Sounds to me like she hasn't told you everything

about her and me.

Listen, you son of a bitch...

Whoa! Hey! Hey! Easy. Easy.

Just keep Julie out of it, all right?

Think about what I've said.

Julie, something very upsetting just happened in there.

I saw.

They're trying to take Paul's dream away from him.

But, surely, if Paul doesn't want to give in...

They always get what they want, Mrs. Fletcher.

One way or another, they always get what they want.

I've never seen anything like this in my life.

You people call this an album cover?

Who's gonna look twice?

Grungy, rockabilly junk!

Where's the youth appeal?

Les, what're you trying to prove?

"Mirabilis merges classic rock with a rap

"in the triptych of disenchanted isolation"?

I can't even pronounce it,

let alone tell my 18-year-old what it means.

Now go back and redo it, please!

Jesus. Julie, you got a minute?

I, uh...

I met with your friend Paul Atkins last night.

I know.

Hey, I'm glad for you, baby.

You've found someone you care for.

But I need your help.

Don't ask me to change Paul's mind.

I couldn't if I wanted to.

You owe me something more than that.

Now you haven't forgotten where and how we first met, have you?

Don't do that to me, damn it!

For the first time in your life, you're making good money.

You've got a career here as long as you want it.

I earn the money.

I do a job for this company,

and if that's not enough for you, then fire me!

I could see it in your face.

You weren't enjoying the concert.

Well, I think that heavy metal is,

well, a little metallic.

I mean, my eyeballs are still rattling!

Sorry about that!

Oh, no, no, no, I enjoyed the new experience.

But you have to understand

that I was brought up with Frank and Ella.

Yeah, I couldn't get with it, either.

It really wasn't my scene, plus...

Julie was still on your mind.

I don't like seeing her hurt.

Last night, Mr. Major's manner suggested that

there was something more between him and Julie.

Yeah.

When Julie first came to town, she dated Major.

Oh, you mean there was some emotional blackmail going on?

Yeah.

Oh! I've still got time to drop by Annie's

and see if she needs anything.

You know, one of these days,

I'd love to meet this mysterious foster mother of yours.

She sounds like a remarkable woman.

Topnotch clinical psychologist living a very full life,

and yet, she's blind.

Yeah. Annie can see with her ears and her hands

and all of her other senses

much better than most people can with 20-20 vision.

She certainly did a good job with you.

She's a big fan of yours.

Before I left home, I read four of your books to her.

She doesn't know about the one we're taping.

I want it to be a surprise.

Will you say hello for me?

I will.

Will I see you tomorrow?

At the video shoot? Oh! Couldn't keep me away!

Last night at the taping,

was that friend of mine there, a singer by the name of Piper?

Willi? Yes, I met him.

Do you have an opinion? You know...

About Willi? Mmm.

Oh, well...

He's very nice-looking, talented.

I think I liked him, Holly.

And I know that he's a good and faithful friend to Paul.

Thank you.

Night.

Good night.

What's with the nutsy rendezvous, Rick?

You got some girls stashed someplace?

Oh, yeah. I got 'em stashed everywhere.

Freddie's getting ready to sell the company.

Is that so? Mmm-hmm.

Let me guess, he's cutting you out? Right?

Look, what's this got to do with me, huh?

Let me tell you a little story.

This broker friend of mine has a weakness for the track, see?

Covers his markers with inside information.

Now he says a certain Charles George Drexler...

That's you, right? Huh?

Sold two million shares of Rojam stock short.

In other words, you're betting on Rojam to go in the toilet, huh?

Fantasyland, my friend.

Fantasyland, is it? Huh?

If Mitch Randall's buyout goes through this weekend,

come Monday, Rojam stock is gonna go sky high,

and you, my friend, are gonna lose your pretty silk shirt.

Just supposing you're right.

You've got an act that Freddie needs,

or this whole deal is off.

Mirabilis.

Now, you hold them out,

Monday, when the market opens, you bail out your stock.

End the story.

Where the hell you been?

Freddie and I closed the Mirabilis deal

three hours ago, 8:00 tonight.

Sure. Sure, you did.

Assuming there's a grain of truth in any of this,

what's in it for you?

I've given Freddie the best years of my life.

And now he's selling me out.

Have a nice time.

Okay, guys. All right. Fall change. All right, turn, turn.

All right, that's good. Good. All right. Now spot it.

Spot it. Keep it uniform, guys. Come on, all right.

Tuck. Tuck it in. Good. Good. All right. Isolate it.

Isolate it, fellas. All right. Looking good. All right.

Turn. All right, good, guys.

Let's roll. All right, Lori, take over.

All right. Let me see you do it again, guys.

A five, six, seven, eight. Step, on change. Slide.

Yeah, I read you. You got it.

Hello, Mrs. Fletcher.

Gotta bring some cue sheets to Paul. Wanna come with?

Oh, sure.

Sorry. They're special effects, Holly.

They're testing the squibs.

Let me tell you, Mrs. Fletcher, in my old neighborhood,

when a balloon pops, you are kissing asphalt.

In the movies they use squibs to simulate bullet hits.

Hi, Paul.

Hi, Mrs. Fletcher. What's Julie doing out there?

Oh, just holding hands with some stud from Billboard magazine.

Well, that's funny. I didn't think they had studs

at Billboard magazine.

The song's been pre-recorded,

so Mirabilis will be lip-synching.

Oh.

Just seeing if you all were awake.

Yes, I see.

Uh, I gotta go. Go ahead and take care of that.

I gotcha. Hey, let's do this.

Listen, um, Mr. Major,

about that deal you offered, I mean, it's more than generous,

but I gotta say no. I'm gonna pass.

What the hell is this?

An upstart like you hasn't got a pot to grow peanuts in,

and you turn down a paying contract?

Listen, Mr. Major, I mean, it might sound crazy to you,

but I'm not gonna give up on someone

who's had as much faith in me as Paul has.

Think twice about that, Willi. What?

My people did a background on you.

Three years ago, under another name, you did time for robbery.

Being faithful to Paul'll amount to diddly if that leaks out.

Noon tomorrow, I'll want a big yes.

Yo! Yo! Hey, Paul!

Hey, hey, Paul. Hey, work with me, huh?

Let's see if we can't create

some order out of all this chaos.

You ready?

Anytime you are, Davey.

All right. Let's do this.

Hey, listen up, fellas and ladies,

this is gonna be a full dress rehearsal right from the top.

All right. People. People. People! Move it!

I need to see more energy

and I need to see you hit your axes.

Here, Mrs. Fletcher. Have a seat.

Oh, thank you, Holly.

Ah! Yes?

I want you to anticipate the music if you can!

Fellas! Dancers!

You're not hittin' your marks early enough.

William, you're lurkin', brother.

Background, I want you to move

as if it means something to you.

Ladies! Something happening in every muscle in your body!

Look, I can't hear you!

You want what? What?

Yes. Yes, I will tell him.

Is all the cast here?

Here!

Mr. Major, they want you in the VIP lounge.

Now? Yes.

Okay, thanks. I'll see you later.

Next place is Hollywood. Give me a call, have lunch.

Looks great, Peter.

I gotta check one of these amps. I'll be right back.

Okay. Rehearsal from the top.

In a world of true temptation

Hearts get broken and dreams go wrong

My love defies its destination

Here with you is where I belong

My love is bulletproof

Indestructible And it's all for you

Two hearts feeling

No one can stand there, baby

That's the truth

My love is, my love is Bulletproof

Holly, that sounded like a real gunshot.

Nah. Just a drumbeat, Mrs. Fletcher. Go with it.

I've never known such satisfaction

With you it's easy to feel so right

In my arms you'll have all the action

You'll ever need to keep you warm at night

My love is bulletproof

Indestructible And it's all for you

When two hearts feelin'

No one can stand there, baby

That's the truth

My love is, my love is

Bulletproof

Bulletproof

What the hell was that?

Get those people back. Get back.

Here you are, Lieutenant.

Okay. Get it into Forensics right away, Ralph.

Right-o.

You know, the wardrobe man was missing one of those.

Look, let's suppose that the killer, male or female,

lured Major over to this location, disguised in that thing,

and then killed him with a single shot close up.

Yeah, and the body fell on to the conveyor

and the killer made his or her escape.

Right.

Al, are you sure that the killing occurred here?

I mean, Mr. Major had a call to the VIP lounge

just as the rehearsal was beginning.

My six witnesses said they heard a shot from this direction

just before the body was discovered, including yourself.

Now, Jess, come on, don't do that.

Don't do what?

There's a look you get that says

that this guy is talking through his hat.

But, Al, with all the squibs and the playbacks,

I mean, there were enough gunshots

to wipe out an entire regiment.

And any one of them could've killed Mr. Major.

I'm sure that I heard a shot much earlier over there,

right by the VIP lounge.

Does this change your mind?

A nine-millimeter bullet casing.

We have statements from everyone on the guard's roster, Lieutenant.

Is there anything else?

No, tell 'em to go home and get that over to Ballistics.

Right away.

If it's okay, I'd like to send someone over tomorrow

to pick up the keyboard in the VIP lounge.

The kids have a concert in Buffalo on Tuesday.

The cordon should be lifted by 3:00. Any time after that.

Thanks, Lieutenant.

All right. Did he tell you he's the one person

who stands to make a few million dollars off of Freddie's murder? Hmm?

You took my statement, Lieutenant.

Don't be shy, Drexler.

When the news of Freddie's murder hits Wall Street on Monday,

Rojam stock will be worth next to nothing.

Sounds crazy, but on the big board you can bet on failure.

Drexler here, oh, he does that in spades.

What's in it for you, huh, Chucky? Three, four mill? Huh?

You'd think he'd be worrying about keeping the company together.

Mrs. Fletcher.

You know most of these people, Jess.

Well, not all. Just some.

Oh. Any, uh... Any theories?

Well, not really. I mean, we both know

how misleading the obvious can be.

Right.

Well, I'll, um...

I'll let you know when I come up with something.

Fine.

Oh. Oh. Jess, Jess, uh...

I know it's a little early,

but I've got some covered seedlings in the kitchen window.

I'm betting you a dinner my squash comes up

bigger and tastier than yours, say by mid-August?

Well, mine'll be a little later coming up in Cabot Cove,

but they'll still be bigger and tastier

than the ones from your New York garden.

You're on, Terwilliger.

Oh, Julie. Didn't mean to startle you.

Holly and I were planning to go back to town together,

but I can't find her.

I haven't seen Holly.

Julie, are you all right?

Mrs. Fletcher, I saw you with the Lieutenant,

so don't pretend that you don't know.

They're hounding Paul just because he left the video console during rehearsal.

No, I... I didn't know.

Bang!

What time is your class, Holly?

8:00. I really appreciate this.

I want you to tell me what you think of that bread.

Because I found a new bakery.

Okay. Aren't you having any?

No. I'll have something later.

I've got too much in my head right now.

Holly, just before the dress rehearsal this morning,

you got a call on your walkie-talkie.

Someone wanted Mr. Major in the VIP lounge.

I know what you're going to ask, but there was so much noise,

I can't even be certain if it was a man or a woman.

There's a rather strange man that I'm very curious about.

I bumped into him, literally, at Rojam Records the other day,

and I saw him again this morning.

A skinny guy, maybe 29, with dirty blond hair, and shifty eyes?

That's him.

Yeah. Shiny gray suit that had been dry-cleaned to death,

with frayed cuffs, white socks and scuffed black wingtips.

Very good, Holly. Go on.

Well, I didn't like the looks of him either.

After the murder, I talked to this cool police sergeant about him

and he said the guy's name is Bert Sellers

and he's a lowlife private eye.

He does down-and-dirty things like wiretaps and surveillance,

but doesn't have guts enough to kill anyone.

Hank, the sergeant, said if they weren't so busy with a homicide,

they would've busted him then and there.

I wonder what he was doing at the filming.

Maybe it had something to do with the buyout.

Buyout?

Yes, Richie?

Oh, yes, please send her up.

It's Julie.

What buyout?

One of those rumors that go around among secretaries.

A Midwestern conglomerate was talking to Freddie Major about acquiring his company.

Buyout talks are generally held in secret.

In which case, someone in the Rojam Music building

may have hired Sellers to do a bugging job.

And you're thinking if you knew who hired Sellers...

And whose privacy he was hired to invade...

Julie, oh, what's wrong?

They arrested Paul for murder.

On what evidence?

They found a gun underneath the seat of his car

and they say it's the murder weapon.

Julie, sit down.

Listen, this afternoon, you told me that Paul

had left the shoot during the rehearsal.

Did he tell you why?

He'd gone to look for Willi.

Did he find him?

No. And then when he got back,

they had already found the body.

Mrs. Fletcher, I know that you have influence with the police.

Please tell them that Paul would never hurt anybody!

Look, Julie, Lieutenant Terwilliger is a very savvy policeman.

He's always open to new evidence.

Don't you worry.

You go on in there and freshen up

and then go to Paul, all right?

Mrs. Fletcher, are you sure Paul didn't murder Freddie Major?

Holly, at this point, I'm not sure of anything.

Something I can help you with?

Oh... I'm so sorry. You... You startled me.

Giorgi Pappavasilopoulos at your service, Mrs. Fletcher.

Oh, you know my name.

Your picture graces numerous book jackets in my library.

Oh, how nice.

If you're looking for Sellers, he won't be back.

He was six months behind in the rent,

and it got so the process servers looking for him earned parking privileges.

Do you happen to know where he went?

You can bet it's someplace nobody can find him, I'm sure.

I saw him yesterday. He must've cut out in the middle of the night.

Well, from the looks of things, he left in quite a hurry.

Uh, Mr. Papa... I'm so sorry, I...

Pappavasilopoulos.

But you can call me Giorgi.

Giorgi, do you happen to know

if there's a trash incinerator chute in this building?

Ah. This is in like one of your novels, eh?

Paydirt, Mr. P.!

Taxi!

Why are you so disappointed, Mrs. Fletcher?

The transcripts tell you it was Rick Lefko who hired Sellers.

He found out he'd lose his job if the buyout went through.

In spite of that, I don't believe that Lefko killed Mr. Major.

Why not?

Lefko's timetable doesn't work for me,

and there are others with equally strong motives.

Mr. Drexler stood to lose a lot of money in the stock market

if the buyout was successful.

Or Paul Atkins, to prevent Major's takeover

of his only asset, Willi Piper.

And Julie Knight?

Yes. Julie, because she loves Paul,

and might've killed to protect his interests.

Hello?

Jessica? Al. You called.

Yes, Al. I've come across some information

that's material to the Freddie Major case,

and I think that you should have it.

Good.

Look, we've earned some R&R for working all weekend.

Bring whatever you've got, and let's discuss it over brunch.

Ah, Tavern on the Green, say, 1:00?

Oh, Al, you don't have to do that!

By hook or crook, the department'll pay for it.

Be there.

Naturally.

I've got a date with a policeman.

Come on, Holly, I'll drop you.

All right.

There is another possibility you haven't mentioned, Mrs. Fletcher.

Willi Piper, right?

And why not? I mean, where was Willi

when Paul left the shoot to go looking for him?

It's just hard to believe!

I mean, Willi's all about love and peace.

He wouldn't hurt a fly.

And who said anything about music and murder going together, hmm?

Come to think of it,

the only person I ever wanted to murder was my piano teacher.

I never could learn the notes.

The open spaces between the clef lines stood for F-A-C-E,

that spelled "face." That was easy enough.

It was the lines I could never remember.

I know, E-G-B-D-F.

Yeah.

Someone should have told you it stands for

"every good boy deserves fudge."

Then you would...

Oh, my goodness!

What is it?

You don't have to worry about Willi anymore.

You and your piano teacher have just helped me

to put my finger on a very important piece of the puzzle.

I am going to the plant where we were yesterday.

I want you to call Lieutenant Terwilliger at the Tavern on the Green.

Tell him to meet me at the VIP lounge.

Tell him that I know who murdered Freddie Major.

Hi, there, Mrs. Fletcher.

Mr. Drexler. Here to pick up the keyboard?

The kids and I have that gig in Buffalo day after tomorrow.

Just wondering what business you have here.

Well, I don't think you'll be able to make that gig, Mr. Drexler.

Come again?

I think it's more likely that you'll be a guest

of the city of New York, as the killer of Freddie Major.

Come on, Mrs. Fletcher. I was standing right beside you when Freddie was killed.

I don't think you'll find that alibi

quite as ironclad as you think.

That was the second gunshot that everybody heard,

but I'd heard an earlier gunshot,

and now I'm quite sure it came from inside this room.

My friend Holly suggested it was a drumbeat.

Holly, that sounded like a real gunshot.

But when I examined the musical score,

I found no tympani indicated.

Furthermore, I found evidence that the second shot

had been caused by a theatrical squib you planted earlier

on the metal framework of the conveyor belt,

close to where the police just happened to find

a nine-millimeter shell casing.

As the dress rehearsal began,

you called Holly on the walkie-talkie,

knowing she couldn't identify your voice over the din.

You summoned Freddie Major here to the VIP lounge.

As he waited, he started going over the musical phrase

in Bulletproof that had bothered him so much.

Out of sight of the dress rehearsal,

you carried Mr. Major's body to the conveyor belt.

You left the bullet casing on the ground

to establish a phony murder site.

Then later, you planted the murder weapon in Paul Atkins' car.

You overcharged the squib to make sure

that it was heard all over the plant,

then detonated it remotely

as you stood beside me.

That's close enough, Mrs. Fletcher.

I'm just curious about one thing, though.

Why were you so convinced it was me?

It's there in the electronic piano, Mr. Drexler.

Before you kill me, why don't you play it?

Freddie Major was still trying to fix Bulletproof.

But knowing that he was about to die,

he was determined to betray you.

He did it with those three notes.

They had nothing to do with the tune,

but everything to do with his murderer.

C-G-D. Mr. Charles George Drexler.

Drop it! Police! Drop it!

Mrs. Fletcher, are you all right?

Yes. Thank you, Holly, I'm fine.

Holly, go back to the car, call for some backup.

Yes. Right. Right.

Freddie never did get it right, did he?

Bulletproof?

Maybe not the notes he wanted, no.

But in the end, I do think he got it right.

Don't you, Mr. Drexler?

I have one criticism which applies to all of your papers.

Far too many words to express something simple.

You know, the old jingle bears repeating.

"The written word should be clean as bone,

"clear as light, firm as stone.

"Two words are not as good as one."

I'll see you all next Monday.

Good point about words, Mrs. Fletcher.

Only, um, sometimes there aren't enough

to really express how you feel.

But when is that, Willi?

Well, take Julie.

Yeah. How is Julie?

Well, Willi's new song got a big advance sale,

and Julie's left Rojam Records

to head up Paul's A&R department.

Looks like Sly Records is turning into a real family affair.

You're kidding! You mean...

Mmm-hmm. Next weekend. I'm the best man.

And I'm the maid of honor.

They want you to be there, too.

Well, I wouldn't miss it for the world!