Original subtitles

Here we are, telecasting live by satellite, in Milan, Italy,

the site this week of one of the newest,

yet already one of the world's most glamorous and exciting film festivals.

Hub of activities this week is the famed super-luxurious Paradisio Hotel.

You may think that a film festival

is just about choosing the best picture and talent,

but trust me when I tell you that is just a small part of it.

Here, movie deals are made and broken,

careers are shattered and resurrected,

celebrities and moguls mingle with phonies.

And it's all part of this always fascinating festival game

carried on 24 hours a day for business or pleasure or both.

Now, the crowd is just returning from morning screenings

of two of the front running films, All the Murderers from Wayne Productions,

and Day of Heroes from Morrison Films.

Ah! Jim Randall, hot,

and I do mean hot, young director of All the Murderers,

accompanied by his beautiful ingénue lead, Louise Thayer.

Jim, congratulations!

Everyone is saying that Murderers is the best thriller in years.

Well, it's a damn good film.

What's this deal we hear about between you and Steve Morrison?

No comment.

I promised to have a drink with Steve Morrison. Will you join us?

I can't. I'm going with Dad to the Galleria.

Oh, you're going to love it. I'll see you later.

Bye. Bye-bye.

Now, look, I'm gonna be honest with you.

Mike Douglas is crazy about the script.

Hi, Paul, how's it going?

Great. I talked to Jody this morning. She said to say hello.

Great, I'll see you. Okay.

We've got all the elements in place.

We got top-notch people, needs a little more finance,

get a first-class distribution.

Oh, Contessa, it's been too long.

You received my invitation, Marcello?

I'll be there, on condition that I have the honor of your first dance.

Oh, happily granted, Marcello!

Whoever voted Nick Nolte to be the sexiest man alive

never met Marcello Arbruzzi.

Jim Randall, you come to my party?

I wouldn't miss it, Countess. Oh!

You're so sweet. Thank you so much.

Hey, no, obviously, Day of Heroes, I'm very proud of.

Now, listen, are you gonna be in the bar later?

Yes? I'm gonna speak to you, all right?

Morning, Steve.

Jimmy. It's a great morning for both of us, believe me.

According to the Morrison straw poll, All the Murderers,

Day of Heroes, are both front runners.

What are you drinking? Nothing, thanks.

What about Bella Femina?

Nope, it's slipping. I mean, it's still dangerous,

but so is La nuit des chiens and Wheel of Life out of Bombay Films.

But, believe me, it's gonna be one of our two pictures, pal. Automatic.

You talked to Angelica?

Yes, yes!

She is dying to do Arc of Steel, if I produce and you direct.

I'm on my way to talk to Catherine.

Jimmy, make it happen, please.

Whatever you have to do, man, whatever. Throw her off the roof.

You know, Catherine Wayne is the one person standing between us

and one of the greatest films ever made.

I'll do what I can.

Thank you, Jimmy.

Miss Fletcher.

Miss Fletcher.

Jessica Fletcher!

How long will you be in Milan, Mrs. Fletcher?

Well, through awards night.

Have you seen All the Murderers yet?

Not yet, but if it's as strong as Jim Randall's screenplay,

I think we may have a winner!

Jessica. You made it.

I wouldn't have missed it for the world.

Ah, you two are old friends?

Oh, we certainly are. Jim's father lives in Cabot Cove,

and Jim used to come up every summer with his camera.

In fact, he shot his first 16mm film right there.

Thanks. Let's get you to some elevators.

Thank you. Thank you.

You're pre-registered. You have a non-smoking suite, like you wanted.

Jessica Fletcher. Big smile, per favore.

Isn't that Mel Gibson over there?

Mel Gibson? Sì, Mel Gibson. Andiamo.

Very good, Jessica!

Well, it's the old red herring ploy, you know.

There's somebody I want you to meet. Paul Crenshaw.

Oh, I recall my agent mentioning a Paul Crenshaw.

He wanted to be involved in the Murderers,

but Catherine Wayne beat him to it.

No, that is absolutely untrue.

Look, you've read the script.

Jay Stanley is set to direct. Douglas is...

What the hell do you mean, you've changed your mind? You can't...

Damn it!

Henri Montelier. Do you believe it? We had a deal.

I'm sorry, Paul. Paul Crenshaw, Jessica Fletcher.

Oh, forgive me, Mrs. Fletcher.

Mr. Crenshaw.

But, I thought I had a picture sold,

and everything just went out the window.

Here, let me buy you a drink.

Oh, no, no, thank you.

Obviously we came along at a bad time.

No, we'll talk in a little while.

All right. Bye. Bye.

There's a black tie screening of All the Murderers tonight,

and that's followed by...

I know, the annual ball given by the Countess Di Mondi

in her magnificent palazzo!

I did my homework on the plane.

Well, you get an A.

Meanwhile, the terrace in an hour

to see an old friend, meet a new one?

Oh, I'll be there. Okay.

Damn!

Come in.

Good morning, Catherine.

Morning. Please sit down.

I've been hearing rumors, Jim, ugly rumors,

about Steve Morrison and Arc of Steel.

Do you want to fill me in?

It's simple. Steve's got the rights,

he's got Angelica, he's got financing,

and he wants me to direct.

I'm sure you told him you have an ironclad personal service contract with me.

Yes, I did.

That binds you to direct my next picture.

I also told him that I thought you'd be reasonable.

Look, Arc won't be just another picture.

It's one of the great novels of the century.

This could be one of the finest films ever made.

Hold it. There are certain realities here.

You're hot. But that's thanks to me.

Before I picked you up, you'd shot three little underground films

you'd financed on your Visa card.

Now, if you want to play that game...

If I hadn't stepped in and saved your last picture,

you never could have financed Murderers. Jim.

Jim, there's nothing to fight about.

The lawyers settled that a long time ago.

I have two years to come up with another property for you.

Two years? You're not gonna actually hold me to that?

Why the hell shouldn't I?

Look, I don't care if it's Arc of Steel or another Gone with the Wind.

If you think I'm gonna let you direct for Steve Morrison

or anyone else but Catherine Wayne productions,

you're out of your mind!

Catherine Wayne Productions. We have...

Tom, can I talk to you for a moment?

Sure.

I give up.

I've been at the computer all morning.

I still don't understand what's going on.

What's wrong?

I got a very disturbing call from New York.

We finished postproduction six months ago, on time,

and I thought, on budget.

Now, all of a sudden, they've come up with a new bottom line

and we're a million over!

A million?

Yeah, that's right. In billings against certain new account numbers

I don't even recognize.

Are these the new accounts?

Yeah.

Let me worry about it. I'll get back to you right away.

Okay. Thanks.

Jessica. Beautiful as ever. Oh, it's so good to see you again.

You know, I heard you were here, Andrew.

Oh, Jessica, this is my daughter, Louise.

Oh, of course, our lovely new star.

I've seen the most beautiful pictures of you, Louise, all over the place.

You know, when I was out in California,

your mom and dad used to talk about you all the time,

but you were never there.

Well, I was in school, mostly, but Mom and Dad told me all about you.

Jessica, this is Steve Morrison.

Hello. It's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Fletcher.

You're in contention with Day of Heroes.

I've read some excellent things about it.

Sounds very good!

Would you care for something?

Oh, yes. Pellegrino with lemon, per favore.

Tell me, Andrew, do you have a screenplay in the competition?

No. No, actually, I don't.

The truth is I'm here because these two asked me.

Tom, join us.

Oh, Jim, thanks. I only have a moment. I'm taking a breather.

Hi. Hi, Andrew, Louise.

Mrs. Fletcher, isn't it? Yes, it is.

Tom Hiller.

Hiller is Catherine Wayne's money cruncher.

Ah, more and less than that, depending on how you look at it.

I try to keep things running smoothly.

So, if you have any problems while you're in Milan, I'm at your service.

Well, that's very kind, Mr. Hiller. Thank you.

"Tom," please.

Oh. Excuse me.

Hello?

I'll be right up, yeah. Well, duty calls.

Why all the pressure, Hiller?

You got your picture made. It's in the can. It's gonna be released.

Don't pretend you haven't heard.

Seems there've been some unexplained late charges

on All the Murderers.

Or you might say, alarming cash leaks.

Well, you can say it any way you like, Morrison,

but I'll get to the bottom of this. Don't worry about it.

Well, good luck.

And do tell Catherine that I'm looking forward

to seeing her at the screening tonight.

I sure will.

He's been with Catherine for years.

Roughly the equivalent of a stay on Devil's Island.

He was in love with her once, and may still be.

It's still wrong.

I can't remember authorizing these purchases.

I've got a hard copy on the way, so we can cross check.

There could be some kind of clerical error.

We should talk to Jim.

I'm for that.

And bring in accounting help from New York.

I'm gonna get to the bottom of this damn thing, whatever it takes.

I can't believe you, Andrew.

- Unbelievable. - Oh, this is exciting.

You know, Jim, people kept telling me how great it was,

but I really wasn't prepared for it.

It is truly a great movie.

And, Louise, you know, you were simply lovely.

Oh, thank you, Jessica.

We'll see you at the party. Yes.

We'll see you later. Absolutely.

I'll go get the car. I'll meet you out front.

Thank you. Thank you very much.

Marcello, are you expecting the Best Actor award?

Well, one never expects, one hopes.

Marcello, excuse me a moment. I'll be right back.

Yes, of course.

Jessica. Jessica, it's so good to see you again.

Catherine, many congratulations on a really superb movie.

Oh, well, thank you. We couldn't have done it without your book.

I hope you and Jim and I can work together again soon, okay?

Well, I hope so.

All right. Well, I'll see you at the ball.

Yes.

You badmouthed me with Henri Montelier, didn't you?

What are you talking about?

You've been doing it the whole damned festival.

You stole Murderers from me.

We were supposed to be partners. Now you're trying to ruin me!

No, I am merely setting people straight.

We were never partners on Murderers, except in your imagination.

We were never partners in anything

but those two miserable cheapies I wish I'd never gone near!

Oh, so, you're a liar and a thief!

I'm warning you, Paul.

You keep harassing me,

and I'll file a lawsuit that'll keep you broke the rest of your life!

You're not going to sue anybody, sweetheart!

Catherine, you're a damned fool

if you think you can hold onto Jim Randall against his will.

Really? That's right.

Now, I want this young man to direct my film, Arc of Steel,

and he wants to do it.

Now, believe me, one way or another,

he's going to direct this film.

Why don't you just play like a magnanimous lady and back off?

What do you take me for?

Nobody steals from Catherine Wayne! Nobody!

Get out of my way!

Save your squabbles for another day, and no long faces tonight, please?

Yeah, thank you, Countess. This is a lovely party.

Hmm.

I can't ever imagine enjoying a role more than Inspector Corelli.

Brilliantly conceived.

Oh. And brilliantly acted by you.

But I must say I've grown so used to seeing you in American films

that I'd forgotten that this is where you came from.

I was born here in Milan.

Perhaps you'll allow me to show it to you through the eyes of a native.

Oh, I'd be delighted.

Catherine's watching us.

You know, that lady wants more than work from you.

Are you having a good time?

Enjoying those two.

How serious are they?

Very. Jim's helped me a great deal, you know. Psychologically.

And not just because of Louise. He believes in me.

He's invited me to collaborate

on the screenplay of Arc of Steel.

Oh, that's wonderful.

It's been tough for me the last few years, Jessica.

I fell out after my wife died,

and I haven't been able to get back in.

This could do it for me, though,

if he can only get away from Catherine Wayne.

Oh, Andrew, you're wrong

if you think that your fate depends on Catherine Wayne.

I mean, Jim tells me that you're writing really well,

and Andrew Thayer at his best doesn't need help from anyone.

Thank you.

Catherine and I have some problems about production costs.

I'd like to talk to you about some figures.

Can you stop by my office tomorrow morning?

Sure. Great. I'll see you then.

Okay.

Good morning.

Good morning, Louise.

You wanted to talk to me?

Yes.

First, I want to make it clear that for you or anybody else

to press me to release Jim from his contract

would be a waste of time.

I wasn't even considering it.

Good.

However, there may be a deal you and I can make

that will benefit us both.

Go on.

On my part, I'm willing to guarantee you the lead in my next picture,

and I'll give your father a mutually acceptable screenplay assignment.

I see.

And on my part, I'm to try and persuade Jim

to forget Steve Morrison's film?

Try? No. No, either it happens or there's no deal.

For anybody. Talk to your father. See what he thinks.

Go to hell.

Good morning, Catherine.

Oh, Jessica, right on time.

Great. I'll be with you in one moment.

But meanwhile, Jim's here. He's in with Tom Hiller.

He asked if you'd just poke your head in for a sec.

Oh, yes, of course.

Jim, ashtray.

Yeah, yeah, sì, sì.

Jessica, Louise and I were wondering,

could you join us at the terrace for lunch about 1:00?

Oh, yes, of course. I'd love to. Thanks.

I'm sure you're aware by now

of the disagreement between Jim and myself.

Oh, yes.

How do you feel about it?

That it's between the two of you. I'm for both of you.

You're both bright and talented,

and I'm sure that some sort of compromise can be worked out.

It won't be easy, I can tell you that.

Nowadays the director's everything.

A hot director and a hot script

mean easy financing and distribution.

But even with a rotten script and a hot director,

you still get your financing and distribution.

Jim's hot and he knows it. And he wants things his way.

You know, Jim has always had good values, Catherine.

I can't believe a little heat will make that much difference.

I hope you're right.

Now, let's see what Jessica Fletcher can do

to help All the Murderers win first prize.

Key judges, whom we believe are still undecided.

They're not all movie people, as you can see.

I thought you might know some of them. Do you?

One or two, yes, slightly. Well, great.

Let's see if we can get you together to do a little arm twisting.

Oh, no, Catherine. Coercing a jury is not my style.

If All the Murderers is the best film, it'll win.

Otherwise, another fine film will.

Fair enough.

Your itinerary. Conferences, talks, luncheons.

Any problems with that?

That's what I'm here for. I'll see you later.

Great. So long.

Hi. Hi.

You get a picture in contention for a big award,

you start hearing from people

who wouldn't return your calls two years ago.

Jim, you have to direct Arc of Steel.

I know.

And Steve Morrison wants your father to do the script.

Oh, it would be so good for him. Get him back on his feet.

Catherine's not going to budge.

That woman is evil.

But she happens to be a good producer.

She's a manipulator and without you she is nothing.

You know that she offered me a lead in her next film?

Well, she has an eye for talent.

On condition that I persuade you not to do Arc of Steel.

And she plays hardball.

Jim, you do not understand.

This isn't about business anymore.

She wants you.

Well, that's crazy.

And she'll do absolutely anything to get what she wants.

You know, for a little girl, you sure are tough.

Well, I know how to fight for what I want, too.

I have an announcement to make. Darling.

Louise and I are going to be married after the festival.

Oh, congratulations to the both of you. I love you both.

Here's to a happy life to both of you.

Here's to all the little Randalls to come.

To making love every night of your lives.

On this very happy occasion,

I would like to make a toast to Catherine Wayne,

may she see the light.

Hear, hear.

Hello.

It's Catherine.

Now, that's quick service!

Yes.

Yeah, that'll be fine. Your suite in an hour.

Good or bad?

She wants to talk.

More champagne.

Jim, come in.

Look, Jim, I've been doing some thinking, and I thought...

Look, don't come at me again, Catherine. I want my release.

I want to make Arc of Steel.

No. No, that isn't what I want to talk to you about. Come here.

I've got another problem.

Some late costs have come in on Murderers.

They have put us way over budget.

And there are some new account numbers involved I never saw before.

Hello? What is it? Can't it wait?

Fine. It's Tom Hiller for you.

Hi, Tom. Yeah.

Yeah, okay. Sure.

Listen, I got to make a personal call.

Can I use the phone in the bedroom?

Yeah, sure, go ahead.

Come on. Jessica Fletcher.

All right.

All the Murderers!

Big smile.

Well, thank you, Giorgio.

You did splendidly, Jessica, splendidly.

Well, thank you. You know, it was my very first press conference.

Half in Italian.

You're having tea with the London Times critic,

and breakfast tomorrow with Paris Match.

And then there's the symposium with Oliver

on crime and conspiracy in high places

as the subject for fiction and motion pictures...

I'll get back to you.

No. WOMAN: No.

Mrs. Fletcher, one last look.

Excuse me. I want to leave something for my friend.

No.

Could you open the door? Sì, sì.

Jessica. She's dead.

I was in the bedroom. I came out and I found her this way.

Signora Fletcher, one more question.

When you came around the corner of the corridor,

did you see anyone else besides the chamber maid?

No.

Okay. Thank you very much.

You have been most helpful.

I'm sure you have many other obligations, so, please feel free to go.

Inspector, is there anything else I can do?

Oh, no, no, no. I would not impose on you anymore.

And besides, I believe we have things pretty much in hand.

You certainly do.

But there's something so compelling

about really fine European police work.

I mean, if I could just, well, observe...

Somehow, Mrs. Fletcher, I do not believe you for one second.

But I admire your tenacity.

You may stay here as long as you wish.

Thank you, Inspector.

Sì.

Signor Randall,

the telephone call you received from Mr. Hiller.

What exactly did he want?

Uh, he told me to call him back from the bedroom on his private line.

He didn't want me to talk in front of Catherine.

Why?

You have to ask him. I mean, we never did connect.

I called him back, and he didn't answer.

I tried twice,

and that's when I came back into the room and I saw Catherine's body.

The chamber maid says she saw you enter this suite,

then Miss Thayer, and then Mrs. Fletcher. No one else entered or left.

Signor, I would like to invite you down to the stazione polizia

where we could talk a little easier.

Suppose I refuse?

Then I will be forced to arrest you, which I do not want to do.

He'll take you out the service exit. No paparazzi.

Jim... I'll be all right.

Miss Thayer, why did you come up here this afternoon?

Jim forgot his notebook on the terrace.

He and his notebook are usually inseparable. I thought he might need it.

Ah, Signora Fletcher.

Thank you. Thank you.

Mrs. Fletcher, you've just proved to me

the only way into this suite is from the corridor.

Jessica, I don't like this.

It's as if they already convicted him.

You've got to help him, please!

I can't guarantee anything, but I'll see what I can do.

Look, I promised you Jim Randall to direct, now we've got him!

No, no, no, no, don't even worry about that.

Hey, Jim didn't kill anybody.

Listen, everything they got is circumstantial.

I'm lining up some of the best lawyers in Italy.

They'll have him out before you know it,

and we're gonna begin thinking about a start date, hon. Okay?

Talk to you. Bye.

Well, Mr. Morrison, Catherine's death does seem to have eliminated

one of your major obstacles, doesn't it?

Well, a lot of people had reason to want Catherine dead, Mrs. Fletcher,

and I suppose you can include me.

But I couldn't have done it.

I was at a screening when she was killed.

Well, I'm sure that Inspector Lombardo will be pleased to hear that.

It was nice to see you, Mrs. Fletcher.

Thank you.

Louise, it sounds to me like you're not sure of anything.

Well, one thing I am sure of

is that Jim is incapable of murdering anyone.

I'm not sure anybody is incapable, darling,

given the right circumstances.

That's the writer talking, Dad.

Yes, the writer to whom Jim promised a script

that would mean a whole new career,

if he could just get free of Catherine.

You're not saying that you killed her?

And I don't believe that Jim did, either.

But not everybody would agree with us.

Damn you! Get out of here!

I know you're trying to help Jim,

so if there's anything I can do to help you, please...

Thank you, Tom.

There were business problems between Jim and Catherine, weren't there?

Movie business problems.

But we're an industry full of people with problems.

Jim's young, but he's been around.

It's hard to believe he'd have lost control.

Maybe if I hadn't made the phone call.

Why did you make it?

After the engagement party,

I came back here to go over production costs again.

I wanted to tell Jim that I didn't think he should make any commitments.

I didn't think it was either in his interest or Catherine's.

And you made the call from this office, then?

From my private line, but I wish he'd called back.

He told the police that he did.

Well, I suppose he could have misdialed.

Or maybe he didn't remember the private number right. He hadn't used it very much.

Excuse me. Yeah?

It's Inspector Lombardo.

Oh, thank you. Yes, Inspector?

Signora Fletcher, I know you are very close to this case.

I thought you should know.

We found Signor Randall's fingerprints all over the ashtray.

Thank you, Inspector.

They're filing murder charges against Jim.

Thanks for coming.

Are you all right?

Jessica, I'm worried.

Nothing makes any sense.

Those fingerprints can't possibly be mine.

I didn't touch that ashtray.

Is it possible they're trying to frame me?

A quick and easy scapegoat.

But Inspector Lombardo seems to have more sense.

Catherine Wayne's suite at the hotel had a door

that opened to an outside balcony.

When you first got there, do you remember if the door was open or closed?

Uh...

No, I can't remember.

Catherine Wayne had a reputation for astute financial management.

Right.

Is there any reason why she might have gotten careless on All the Murderers?

Well, yeah, I suppose there were a lot of reasons.

We were back and forth across the Atlantic four times.

And couple of our backers had pulled out early on,

and some of our usual suppliers had gone belly up,

and she had to find new ones.

I was rewriting every night as we went, and she was into that, too.

I mean, there was just so much. She couldn't stay on top of it all.

But as your producer, I mean, she must have talked to you often

about financial problems.

There wasn't much to talk about. I was always on time and on budget.

No. Wait a second.

When I went in to talk to her,

I thought it was to settle this Morrison thing once and for all,

but that wasn't what she wanted to talk about.

She said that some late costs had come in on Murderers,

that had put it way over budget.

That, and she mentioned some new account numbers that she didn't recognize.

Did she mention the account numbers?

No, that's when the phone rang.

Jessica! Did you see Jim?

Yes, I did. And he's doing very well, under the circumstances.

They can't believe that Jim murdered anyone, can they?

Well, I'm afraid they do.

But it's all based on preliminary evidence.

Can I see him?

Yes, if you call ahead. But he's going to need some cheering up.

Sure.

So, keep your chin up.

I have something I have to do, but I'll see you later.

I left my glasses in Signora Wayne's office.

Hampton and Davenport.

Yes, this is Jessica Fletcher.

May I speak to Sir Jonathan, please?

Just one minute, please.

Thank you.

Jessica? Hello, Jonathan.

Are you in London?

No, no, I'm still in Milan.

But I'll be in London next week. I'm looking forward to our lunch.

Oh, capital. We'll meet at the club.

Meanwhile, I wonder if you could check on some companies for me.

I'll be glad to. You know, their financial status,

background, reputation, that sort of thing.

Absolutely.

Wonderful. Now, listen, the first one is... Hang on.

Kronstadt Limited, Geneva.

Kronstadt Limited, Geneva. Right.

Then, Service General, De Berne.

Service General, De Berne.

Right.

Good evening, Jessica. Hello, Marcello.

The restaurant chef and I had a small conference,

the result of which undoubtedly will be the finest dinner served

anywhere in Italy tonight.

Oh, I can't wait. I'll just get my purse.

Shame on you, Marcello. You'll spoil that magnificent dinner.

What? Oh, my cigarette. How thoughtless of me!

A reflex. I'm trying to give them up.

I'm afraid I don't have an ashtray. This is a non-smoking suite.

My goodness! Of course. Marcello, I'm sorry,

I won't be able to have dinner with you tonight.

Why, what is it?

Excuse me. But...

Inspector Lombardo, please. This is Jessica Fletcher.

Hello, Inspector. Listen, I've just had an idea.

Would it be difficult for you to get hold of telephone records?

Good morning, Inspector.

I do not know what this is all about,

but here is the information you asked for.

Well, I appreciate your trouble.

What exactly are you looking for?

This.

I'm Tom Hiller.

Signor Hiller.

Inspector. Mrs. Fletcher.

Tom. What can I do for you?

Please, sit down.

This is a fax that I received a little while ago, from my lawyers in London.

It's in response to some inquiries that I made yesterday

about certain Swiss-based production service companies,

which Wayne Productions was dealing, six in all.

What about them?

Well, they all had new account numbers,

and Catherine was concerned about the late billings that they had submitted.

Well, how did you know about that?

She started to tell Jim about them,

and I found a separate list of the account numbers on her desk.

I matched them up with the company names on the computer.

My lawyers investigated and found that

these are apparently sophisticated shell companies,

set up for the sole purpose of collecting funds

from Wayne Productions for services never rendered.

All right, if Wayne Productions was being bilked,

I'm certainly glad to know about it.

But you should have come to me before you made inquiries.

Perhaps, but we thought that under the circumstances

we'd best go ahead on our own.

What circumstances?

Those surrounding Catherine Wayne's murder.

You see, it wasn't until Marcello lit a cigarette in my suite

and I couldn't find an ashtray

that I realized that Catherine was a non-smoker, too,

and had a non-smoking suite.

So there wouldn't have been any ashtray in her living room,

unless someone had brought it there.

Then I remembered where I had seen a hotel ashtray

j just like the one that Catherine was murdered with.

Jim, ashtray, please.

You decided that you had to kill Catherine

to prevent her from exposing you as an embezzler.

And you wanted to get Jim's fingerprints on the murder weapon.

Inspector, I can't believe you're allowing these wild accusations. I...

Signor Hiller, perhaps you'd better listen. For your own good.

Okay.

When you learned Catherine would be alone with Jim in her suite that afternoon,

you went ahead with your plan.

It required a cellular phone, and you already had one.

Hello?

Yesterday, after the murder,

when I saw the paparazzo on Catherine's balcony,

I realized that the killer could have gotten into the living room from there.

The Inspector thought that I had proven

the balcony door could not be opened from the outside.

What I actually had proven was that it could be locked from the outside.

Well, I don't see what any of this has to do with me.

I was in my office when Catherine was murdered.

No, you left your office by the patio door,

went around to the side of the hotel,

Climbed up to Catherine's balcony...

I wondered how until yesterday afternoon when I saw the outside trellis.

From there, not your office,

you called Catherine's suite. You spoke to Jim,

and got him out of the living room to return your call.

All right, you're very inventive. I mean, that's your bag.

You've got a theory,

but no proof that any of it ever actually happened.

I think I do.

A record of a call made from your cellular phone

to the hotel switchboard at 2:57 p.m. yesterday.

Approximately the time of the murder.

It must be a mistake.

Signor Hiller.

All right, well, maybe when I made the call

from my office I did use the cellular phone.

But that would have made no sense whatsoever, would it?

On top of that, you showed me the phone in your office,

your private line, a conventional phone,

that you told me you used to call Catherine's suite.

Signor Hiller, when someone kills someone else in Italy,

it almost always amounts to a life sentence.

Perhaps you should think about that and make a full confession.

Congratulations, Jim, on best picture.

Four weeks and I'll see you in New York for pre-production on Arc of Steel.

Whoa, that doesn't give you much time to finish the script, Andrew.

Can we make it six weeks, fellas?

It's Giorgio. Unbelievable.

Should we let him in? Paparazzi.

No, I say call the cops.

Hop in here, signor. How are you?

Signor Fletcher, everyone, can we make una foto di tutti?

Oh, why not? Come on, everybody.

I always wanted a photo di tutti.

May I propose a toast?

To Jim, and All the Murderers.

And to Louise, for giving it beauty.

And to the words given me. And those to come, Father!

To second chances, and with great thanks to Jessica Fletcher.