All language subtitles for Murder.She.Wrote.S09E09.A.Christmas.Secret.WEBRip.x264-ION10.

♪ Deck the halls with boughs of holly ♪

[Jessica] Tonight on Murder, She Wrote...

They certainly are an attractive couple.

Sure, they are.

They’ve got their health
and they’re under 30.

Do you know what my problem is,
Mrs. Fletcher?

Married or unmarried,
makes no difference to her.

Someone ought to tell Wanda
that nobody is gonna pay

for something that she gives away.

You promise you’ll always love me,
no matter what?

Charlie, of course I will.

I can’t believe that Charlie intends

to marry you and then continue an affair
with another woman.

You’re gonna be in
for one hell of a surprise.

Merry Christmas.

[man] Ladies and gentlemen,

friends, neighbors, family,
merry Christmas.

[woman] Merry Christmas.

Thank you for joining Mary and me

in welcoming a newcomer to Cabot Cove.

I give you Charles Davenport McCumber,
late of the US army...

[man] All right, Charlie.

...who in June of

next year will be taking the hand
of our treasured, wonderful

daughter, Elizabeth, in marriage.

[woman] Oh.

Well, they certainly are
an attractive couple.

Oh, sure they are.

They’ve got their health
and they’re under 30.

This time next year,
he’ll be working for me and Irv Lazarus,

so you can take all your tax
and accounting problems

directly to Charlie because Irv and I

are gonna be trying to take
a couple of strokes off our golf game.

I don’t think that’s gonna sit too well

with the son of a certain partner.

Bert Lazarus, Irving’s son.

Well, isn’t he the office manager
for the company?

Yes, but that’s not the same
as being the Vice President,

and that is what Alan has promised
his future son-in-law.

Charlie got himself an MBA in the army.

Oh, as I recall, poor Bert flunked math
in high school.

Yeah.

And last but not least,
because that’s her peach flambé dessert

you’ve all been moaning over,
Amy Wainwright.

And we’ve got Floyd Bigelow
of Benning Hardware

to thank for giving Amy
enough time off to get the job done.

Floyd?

[man] Well, he was here a minute ago.

Come on, Floyd,
aren’t they looking for you?

Huh?

Don’t you have to go back out there?

-Mm-hmm.
-Mm-hmm?

Hi, Bert.

Could’ve knocked, Bert.

Aha.

Oh, Charlie, it’s beautiful.

How come nobody ever gave me
anything like that?

Oh, Wanda, baby, do you really think

that you deserve something like that?

You think you got
the world by the short hairs,

don’t you, Floyd?

I do. Isn’t that right, Bert?

Right, Floyd.

You know all I have to say?

You’re gonna be in
for one hell of a surprise.

Someone ought to tell Wanda

that nobody is gonna buy
something that she gives away.

How do you figure an army guy
can afford a ring like that?

Oh, don’t let it eat you up, Bert.

She had my ring once.

Oh, for God’s sake,
that was your high school ring.

She got the grades
to go to Berkeley, you didn’t.

I got to stand by while a damn stranger

becomes a partner in my old man’s firm.

You know, I remember
when you were a little girl,

you always talked about
marrying a man in uniform.

Oh, yeah. Well, I got my signals crossed.

He was supposed to be a fireman.

Oh, you did.

Mrs. Fletcher, do you believe
that someone can fall in love overnight?

Well, I certainly fell hard once,

but not overnight, mind you.

With Charlie it was just so sudden,

like he was so afraid of losing something.

Well, that something is you, Beth.

I understand that he was
with the army in the Gulf War.

Yes.

Well, then he may have seen death
and suffering,

and that can have
an emotional effect on a man.

Beth told me that
you didn’t have any folks, Charlie.

Right.

My sister and I grew up in foster homes.

Well, if it makes you feel any better,

as soon as
those grandchildren start arriving,

they’ve always got a home
here with Mary and me.

Maybe it’s selfish, but we figured
they won’t go running off to California.

Excuse me, Mr. Forsythe, Mrs. Forsythe.

I haven’t met Mr. McCumber yet.

I’m Mort Metzger, Sheriff around here.

Welcome to Cabot Cove.

Nice to meet you, Mort. It’s Charlie.

Well, thanks. Listen, I heard you were

captain of your army pistol team.
Is that right?

Beth sent us that army newspaper
with a picture of you and your team.

Mort’s captain of ours.

You know, next Saturday is team practice.

We’ll have a weapon for you
and you’d sure be real welcome.

Well, it just so happens
I brought my weapon with me.

It’s at the hotel. You bet I’ll be there.

Oh, that’s great.

Hey, listen, you wouldn’t happen
to be a tenor, would you?

I’m a fair shot, but no way a singer,
except maybe in the shower.

That’s a pity. See you then.

Mort is also the leader
of the Cabot Cove Caroleers.

You’re gonna see him tomorrow night
at the Christmas shindig.

I heard my parents.

They’re already talking about grandkids?

Look, I have something important
I have to talk to you about.

It looks like the only way you and I
are ever gonna be able to spend some time

alone is if you come to my hotel room.

Wow.

Do I have to make an appointment?

Thank you, Mary.

Smell that, Seth.

No.

Smell what, Mrs. Fletcher?

Well, the air isn’t cold and wet.

It’s dry and crispy.

And there’s a wind from the north.

What Jessica is trying to say
is that we’re in for a white Christmas.

Wishful thinking, Jessica.

Besides, snow leads to traffic accidents
and frozen extremities.

Well, how do you like the car, Charlie?

Oh, it’s great.

Just a loaner,
but I’m thinking about buying one.

Now, you’ll get a better deal in Portland.

That’s where I got mine.

Listen to him.

Floyd’s a killer of a dealmaker.

See you tomorrow, Charlie.

Floyd.

Tomorrow, Mrs. Fletcher.

Something wrong, Seth?

I don’t think so.

What gives you that idea?

Well, you’ve been going out of your way

to deny even a smidgen
of Christmas spirit.

I guess it has come over that way.

Fact is, these last few days,

I’ve been reminded of
when I was ten years old.

Oh. What happened when you were ten?

You’d think it was silly.

Try me.

Well, that was the Christmas
I decided to sneak down

and explore under the tree,
the way kids will do.

I was dead sure my pop had
saved up to buy me a train set.

I remember the tingle of anticipation,

all those mysterious colorful packages.

Well, later that morning
when I opened them up,

it wasn’t a train set.

No, it was underwear and socks.

Jess, I don’t think you can understand

how incredibly disappointing
that is for a ten-year-old.

Oh, I think I do.

This year, with the world
in the shape it’s in,

Christmas is a hollow promise.

We should not be looking for toys anymore.

It was lovely. Thanks so much.

Congratulations, Beth.

I gotta go on a buying trip
to Portland tomorrow.

Should be back by about 11.

So, I’ll get the best deal
I can for you, all right?

I appreciate that. Thanks.

Here, I’ll get it.

Thank you.

[woman on tape] Hello, there.

This is a friend of yours.

I know the game you’re playing.

Unless you want me to blow the whistle,

be at Sally’s Landing at 10:00 tonight.

[Beth] Charlie?

Bye, see you tomorrow night.

Merry Christmas.

Willie Nelson? I love him.

I didn’t know you liked--

Charlie, what’s the matter?

Sorry.

Hasn’t been enough of that lately.

You promise you’ll always love me,
no matter what?

Charlie, of course I will.

You have that worried sound
in your voice again.

I’ll pick you up for dinner at 6:30.

I’ll be waiting.

[woman on tape] Hello, there.

This is a friend of yours.

I know the game you’re playing.

Unless you want me to blow the whistle,

be at Sally’s landing at 10:00 tonight.

You and me have
to come to a little business arrangement.

This way you have time
to think about what it’s worth.

Bye.

Bye, Amy.

Merry Christmas, Mr. Nelson.

Merry Christmas.

[telephone ringing]

Here.

Mrs. Fletcher,
I’m just on my way out to Portland,

but Amy will help you
with whatever you need.

Oh, thank you.

Just the roll of paper, please, Amy.

And I’m gonna see you tomorrow night
at the community center?

Certainly will.

Have a good trip.

I’ll have that January inventory
breakdown for you when you get back.

You sure you have to leave so soon?

It’s just tonight I'm bushed.

I’m decorating at the community center
in the morning.

I’ll be at the hotel prepping
for the state CPA exams.

Pick me up at 6:00?

You bet.

You were right about the star.

Do you have the time, Jessica?

Yeah, it’s about 9:45.

Oh, the party’s tonight, but I gotta go.

I have to hold the fort
till Floyd comes back from Portland.

Oh. Well, you run along, then.

Amy, leaving so early?

I’m assigned to balloons.

When I find them,
what am I supposed to do with them?

They’re in the ladies’ lockers, Wanda.

Strangely enough, we’re doing
what we usually do with balloons.

We’re blowing them up.

Oh, there’s also a helium tank in there,

just in case you may need it.

Wanda came from upstate.

She got a job with the city

and immediately started playing the field.

Married or unmarried,
makes no difference to her.

Amy works in the hardware store,
doesn’t she?

For Floyd Bigelow?

That’s right.

And she has been carrying a torch
for him forever.

But as far as Floyd’s concerned,
she doesn’t exist.

Fact is, Floyd has no respect for women.

Oh, dear.

And the poor girl has to work
in the same office with him every day?

And wonder what he’s doing
with his nights.

Jessica, with Wanda roaming around,

do you think that I should be worrying
about Charlie?

Seems like his mind has been
someplace else lately.

Why don’t you nab him?
Ask him out to lunch.

Now?

Yes, right now.

I mean, get some of these doubts of yours
out in the open, face to face.

Well, he’s over at the hotel
working on his CPA exam.

You know, maybe I will around noon,
if we’re finished here.

We will be.

Here you go, Linda.

Thanks.

[telephone ringing]

Benning Hardware.

It’s for you, Floyd.

Who is it?

Some lady. I didn’t ask.

I’ll take it in the back.

[muffled shouting]

We made it, Beth. Off you go.

-Thank you, Jessica.
-Okay.

Oh, Jess, I need four more red balloons.

Oh, I’ll get them for you.

Thanks.

Absolutely, yes.

Beautiful.

Mary needs four red balloons.

Okay, I’ll tell you what.

I’ll trade you four red balloons
for my lunch.

I think I left it up front.

It’s in a white plastic grocery bag.

Oh, don’t I see it in there?

I have personal business matters in there.

I shouldn’t have left it open.

Sorry.

Those are green balloons.

Whoops, right.

Do you know what my problem is,
Mrs. Fletcher?

Yes, possibly achromatopsia.

You’re color blind, Wanda?

-Right.
-Right.

No problem, these will do.

Surprise!

Charlie?

[woman on tape] Hello, there.

This is a friend of yours.

I know the game you’re playing.

Unless you want me to blow the whistle,

be at Sally’s Landing at 10:00 tonight.

You and me have
to come to a little business arrangement.

This way you have time
to think about what it’s worth.

Bye.

Charlie, I am so sorry.

Beth said to tell you
that she is just not up to it.

Did she say what was wrong?

Who knows? It must have been
something she had for lunch.

She was right as rain when she left
the community center this morning.

She left?

12:30.

Why, I thought she went looking for you.

Are you sure Beth’s okay?

Oh, I’m sure she’ll be fine tomorrow,
don’t worry.

Charlie, it’ll disappoint so many people

if you’re not there tonight.

Look, you can deliver best contribution

to the Fire Department’s toy fund
for underprivileged kids.

-Now come on.
-Come on.

♪ Deck the halls with boughs of holly ♪

♪ Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la ♪

♪ ’Tis the season to be jolly ♪

♪ Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la ♪

♪ Don we now our gay apparel ♪

♪ Fa-la-la, la-la-la, la-la-la ♪

♪ Troll the ancient yule-tide carol ♪

♪ Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la ♪

♪ See the blazing yule before us ♪

♪ Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la ♪

♪ Strike the harp and join the chorus ♪

It would be nice
if it were a proper Christmas

and they had some real snow
on those boughs of holly.

Oh, Seth, try to forget about
the underwear and socks.

Look, we may not have snow on the ground,

but look at all those
beautifully wrapped gifts

for those children who really need them,

and there’s a whole
bunch of toys there, too.

♪ Sing we joyous, all together ♪

♪ Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la ♪

♪ Heedless of the wind and weather ♪

♪ Fa-la-la-la-la, la-la-la-la! ♪

Hey.

Thank you.

Jess, I haven’t danced the samba in years.

Oh, that was a samba?
I thought I was doing the rumba.

Oh, no, no, if that had been the rumba,

I wouldn’t have been doing the box step,
I would have been doing the cross,

and it wouldn’t have had
all those nice dips.

Oh, is that what those were? Dips?

Oh, I’ve got to sit down.

Hey, Mrs. Fletcher, Doc, Charlie.

Oh, Sheriff,
you’ve done such a wonderful job

with the Caroleers since last Christmas.

Thank you.

The nice thing about it is that

the Fire Department’s toy drive doubled
what it did last year.

That’s wonderful.

Where is Mrs.?

Same as every year, taking baskets

for the poor down to that church
in Grove Creek.

She’ll by later, though,
if it’s not too late. Excuse me.

That reminds me,
I’d better get into my Santa Claus suit.

What’s that about?

Oh, that’s the raffle.

You see, Seth matches the number
on your dinner ticket,

and if you’re lucky,
you might win a prize.

She’s on the raffle committee,
but it’s just more foolishness.

Last year, I won a pair of
sequined bedroom slippers.

Weren’t even my color.

Hello?

Yes.

Oh!

You’re doing wonderful, Charlie.

Thank you.

You’re a great dancer, too.

Thank you.

[man on mic] This is your last chance
to buy extra raffle tickets

while the band takes a short break.

Santa Claus will be arriving soon.

Excuse me.

You know, I’d like to give Beth a call
and see how she’s feeling.

Is there a phone around here?

Yeah, there’s one in the office,
another one out by the lockers.

Oh, thanks.

Mrs. Fletcher, would you like some eggnog
or some punch?

Oh, no thanks, Floyd.

Listen, you’re on the raffle committee.

Aren’t we supposed to be
organizing things for Seth about now?

Sure are.

Perhaps we should rustle up
some of the committee.

Yeah.

Where is Mattie Lazarus?

I saw Mary here a minute ago.

I’d better go get them.

Okay.

[gunshot]

Wanda?

Seth, what the hell was that shot?

It’s Wanda. She’s been shot.

She’s still alive, fellas, so easy.

Very easy.

Don’t ask me why or how,
but her heart’s still beating.

What are her chances, Seth?

Next to none, I’m afraid.

I’ll go with her.

Sheriff, somebody dumped these
in the bushes out back.

Handy disguise, wouldn’t you say, Mrs. F?

Must have been worn by whoever it was
Charlie McCumber

saw just before he discovered Wanda.

Sheriff, Wanda’s locker was wide open
and empty when we all came in.

Does that suggest anything to you?

Oh, what are you thinking?
That something was stolen from it?

Well, I’m thinking
that Wanda was very protective

about something in it this morning.

Whatever it was, it isn’t there now.

Providing a possible motive.

Some kind of shame, isn’t it?

You mean it being Christmas?

Yeah. It’s almost as though Doc stacked
the deck against us.

You noticed that about Seth, too, huh?

Kind of hard not to notice.

I’ll have Andy drive you home, Mrs. F.

Thanks, Sheriff.

Andy.

[man] This city, being as small as it is,
government’s run on a part-time basis

by businessmen like myself and Floyd here.

Wanda just kind of
kept the whole thing glued together.

Yeah, the Mayor said that Wanda was
the best executive assistant he ever had.

Ran the city
like a well-organized household.

Did you just get here?

No, I’ve been in the kitchen.

Then you know what happened.
How are you feeling?

What’s the matter?

I went to your hotel at noon.

I listened to the tape.

I saw you at the Light House Motel.

God.

Look, Beth, I can explain everything.

I’ve been wanting to so badly, but--

[Bert] Sheriff.

Look what I found.

Sure smells like
it’s been fired recently to me.

Where did you find it, Bert?

Out in the bushes, back of the lockers.

This is army issue.

Charlie, what you said to me yesterday
about having one of these at your hotel--

That’s mine, Sheriff.

Any idea how it got to where it got?

Hell, no.

Somebody must’ve stolen it
from my hotel room.

Charlie, you don’t plan on leaving
Cabot Cove in the next few days, do you?

What the hell
are you insinuating, Metzger?

That’s okay, Alan.

Sheriff, I’m not going anywhere.

Not until all this is cleared up, anyway.

I’ll see you tomorrow, Beth.

[Seth] Wanda Andrews is still alive.

She struck me
as a rather ornery young woman,

all gristle and not much heart.

Maybe it was the gristle
that saved her life.

What do you mean by that?

Well, the bullet struck
the occipital lobe,

a glancing blow,
that was deflected in some

fluky fashion, centimeters
from where it could have done real harm.

Dr. Nielson relieved
the resulting hematoma.

I take it she showed
more heart than you thought.

[door bell ringing]

Excuse me.

Beth, hello.

Mrs. Fletcher, I’m sorry it’s so early,
but I just had to talk to you.

The Sheriff has arrested Charlie
for Wanda Andrews’s murder.

[Seth] Oh, it’s not murder yet,
young lady.

Not with the victim
still alive and kicking.

Thank God.

Beth, come in.

They flew Charlie’s gun
up to forensic experts

in Portland last night
and found out that it was

the same weapon that was fired at Wanda.

This morning they went to his room,

they found this blackmail tape
that was left in his car

threatening a disclosure of some kind.

They recognized Wanda’s voice.

But, Beth,
there’s something odd about that.

I mean, how could Wanda know enough
about Charlie to blackmail him?

All I know is he went to Sally’s Landing

on Monday night to meet her,
Mrs. Fletcher.

He told me that he went there
to reason with her,

but he couldn’t even summon
the courage to face her.

[Seth] Now, hold it, Beth.

If he couldn’t face her,

where in the world
did he find the courage to shoot her?

I’m wondering what it is that Wanda

had on Charlie
or what she thought she had.

Well, why don’t I grab some shuteye
and then get back to County Hospital?

Ladies.

Maybe it has something
to do with this ring, Mrs. Fletcher.

It seems so expensive.

I can’t imagine
where he got the money to buy it.

I told you how secretive he’s been.

I found out that there’s this girl,

she’s very pretty.

She’s been staying
at the Light House Motel.

And Charlie’s been seeing her.

Now, Beth, I can’t believe

that Charlie intends to marry you

and then continue an affair
with another woman.

[Wanda on tape] ...be at Sally’s Landing
at 10:00 tonight.

You and me have
to come to a little business arrangement.

This way you have time
to think about what it’s worth.

Bye.

I hate to say it, Mrs. F,

but it sure seems
to give Charlie a motive.

It’d help if we knew what his secret is.

Sheriff, as far as you know,

was Wanda Andrews out of Cabot Cove
for any length of time last year?

Like where?

Well, like California?

Oh, no way, she was too busy.

You weren’t here when the Mayor
and a bunch from the City Council

and their spouses took
a hankering to go to Tokyo.

Tokyo? No, I certainly wasn’t.

All in the interest of trade relations.

Like we were gonna build
a chain of Cabot Burgers on the Ginza.

Well, Floyd Bigelow went too,
and while he was gone,

Wanda kept up the city books for him.

Now, when he came back,

Floyd complained
that the books didn’t balance.

He cried for weeks
about the cost of that trip.

Hey, Sheriff, Mrs. Fletcher.

I brought you the light bulbs you ordered.

Hey, Floyd,
I was just telling Mrs. Fletcher

about the problems you had
in the Tokyo junket.

Oh, the junket wasn’t a problem.

It’s when I got back from Tokyo,

there was something screwy
with the city pension account.

The books said one thing,

but the banks and the S&L quarterlies
I got said something else.

I mean $400,000 something else.

Are you saying that Wanda Andrews
was involved in the discrepancies?

Yes, I think so.

I mean, there was some comingling

between the pension account
and the short-term CDs.

And once these short-term CDs matured
halfway through the summer,

I think Wanda recorded them as rollovers,

when in fact she forged the signature
and cashed them out.

Well, unless she recovers
and tells someone

what she did with the money,

the pension fund is gonna be out $400,000.

That means a lot of pensioners
are gonna find

nothing but a hole
in their Christmas stockings.

I am blasted if that isn’t
the meanest thing a person can do,

depriving retired folk
of their independence.

Another good reason
to keep Wanda alive, Seth.

I mean, she is the only person
that can help us to locate the money.

Yeah.

But the question in my mind

is what was it that provoked
the attack on her life?

I mean, was it her own blackmail scheme
or was it her knowledge of the investment?

Hmm, well,
that is two different kettles of fish.

And who was she blackmailing?

I mean, the tape that I heard
in the Sheriff’s office

could have been directed at almost anyone.

At the same time, there was something
downright personal about it.

Then if the intended victim
was somebody else,

Wanda might have become impatient
and contacted them directly.

And he or she retaliated
by trying to kill Wanda.

Jess, I hate to bring this up,
but if Charlie’s gun was stolen,

you have to consider who had access
to Charlie’s room at the hotel.

I know, Beth.

Like anybody else from here,

she could have recognized Wanda’s voice
on the tape,

tried to kill her to protect Charlie.

Sorry, I just don’t believe that of Beth.

You just don’t or you’d rather not?

Well, I’d better be
getting back to the hospital.

Thanks for the coffee.

[knocking on door]

Yes?

Hello. My name is Jessica Fletcher.

I’d like to ask you
about Charlie McCumber.

Come on in.

Thank you.

I heard the news on the radio,

and they say Charlie tried
to kill some woman.

This is-- it’s all a crazy nightmare.

Look, I’d like to help if I can.

Now first of all, if I may ask you,

what is Charlie McCumber to you?

I’m Monica, his sister.

Oh, for heaven’s sakes,
Monica, all is not lost.

What do you mean?

Well, first of all,
I’m gonna make you a cup of tea.

Then you’ll be able
to pull yourself together

and then you’re gonna tell me
what all this odd business is about.

Momma? Momma?

Is that your little girl, Monica?

No, this is Belinda,
Charlie’s little girl.

Back in California,
before he met Beth Forsythe,

Charlie was going
with a girl named Belinda Nordstorm.

Ah, little Belinda’s mother, I take it.

She and Charlie were planning
to get married,

but Charlie’s outfit was suddenly

called to the Persian Gulf,

and while he was away,

Belinda died in childbirth.

And you took charge of the baby?

Charlie was mentally
and emotionally destroyed.

Until he met Beth Forsythe,

and then his whole life
just seemed to turn around.

They fell in love.

But he didn’t tell her about the baby.

Well, why ever not?

Well, it’s difficult to explain.

First, he was afraid of Beth’s reaction
to Belinda’s illegitimacy.

He didn’t want Beth to go out of his life

the way Belinda had.

You see, we lost our parents
when we were young.

Charlie’s whole life has been about
losing people he loves.

And that’s why he postponed telling Beth.

I know it seems ridiculous.

But when Charlie came to Cabot Cove,

he faced the prospect of
telling Beth’s parents, too.

I know the Forsythes
and they’re good people.

But I can see how in Charlie’s eyes,

they’re the very ones
who are depending on him

for their grandchildren.

Not somebody else’s illegitimate child.

I mean,
they’ve guaranteed him a new start,

a place in the community.

I find it very hard to believe
that Wanda Andrews,

knowing Charlie’s secret,

would attempt to blackmail him
on something so harmless.

Of course, the colors.

Why didn’t I think of it before?

It was all an accident.

What colors?

Well, in this case, the red and the green.

Thank you, Belinda.

May I use your phone?

Oh, please, but--

And I’ll need a phone book.

Unless you need anything else,
I’ll be going now.

Oh, yeah, you go ahead, Amy.

Oh, and tomorrow’s Christmas Eve,

so we’ll be closing around noon.

And when you go,
do you mind turning out the lights?

Merry Christmas, Floyd.

Well, Merry Christmas to you too, Amy.

[telephone ringing]

[Jessica] Floyd?

Oh, yes, Mrs. Fletcher.
What can I do for you?

[Jessica] Floyd, I may have a lead
on those

missing pension funds
that you were talking about.

[Floyd] You don’t say?

I was wondering if you could meet me

at the community center at about 7:00.

Well, can’t this wait
till after the holidays?

Well, it really can’t.

It’ll only take a few minutes
of your time.

Seven o'clock, well, that’s in an hour.

I guess I can meet you.

Where exactly would you like to meet?

In the ladies’ locker room.

And, Floyd, please bring a key
to Wanda Andrews’s locker.

Look, how in the hell would I have

a key to Wanda Andrews’s locker,
Mrs. Fletcher?

[Jessica] Well, you cut keys
for the community center, don’t you?

Like you do for all the hotels
and motels in town?

Yes, I suppose you’re right.

In which case, you must keep masters.

Yes, I do. It’s gonna take a little time,
though, but I can do it.

Oh, and, Floyd, it might be a good idea
if you brought Amy.

[door closes]

Amy just left, Mrs. Fletcher.

I’ll be there though.

Thank you.

[Amy] It’s not in there, Floyd.

I took everything out yesterday
for safekeeping.

Amy, why are you all dolled up?

What the hell are you doing here?

Well, that’s a pretty funny question
coming from you.

It is the ladies’ locker room.

You know, I always knew Wanda
had something valuable in there,

but I never knew what it was,

until she called yesterday
and tried to blackmail you.

What do you know about that?

I listened.

When you were in Tokyo and she found out
how you’d robbed those pension accounts

and put the money
in those three bank accounts in Portland,

I always knew about that, Floyd,

but I never told anyone.

Oh, God.

You killed Wanda?

I always thought it was Charlie--

You thought it was Charlie McCumber,

and poor dead Wanda would take the blame
for the money you stole.

Well, yesterday I wrote her a note
from you

and I told her to meet you here
during the party last night.

So I’m still in the clear.

I mean, no one knows the difference.

Well, except me, Floyd.

I’ll share the money with you, Amy.

It’s not about the money, Floyd.

It’s what you give to everybody else.

Can't this...

Can’t this wait?

They’ll be here pretty soon.

Just make me think that
what I did was worthwhile.

Please, Floyd.

Amy, I can’t have you
hanging around my neck

for the rest of my life!
Don’t you understand that?

[Mort] Police! Freeze right there.

Now!

Amy Wainwright,

I’m arresting you for attempted murder.

Attempted murder?

I thought Wanda was dead.

Lucky for Amy, she’s alive.

Doc Hazlitt and some high-priced surgeon

are over at County General
trying to keep her that way.

Floyd, I’m arresting you
for being an accessory after the fact

and for embezzlement of city funds,

and in the present circumstances,
assault with a deadly weapon.

Why did you have
to get involved with this?

Wanda deserved anything she got.

Because it was Wanda’s mistake
that brought Charlie McCumber into it,

and at that point I had to be involved.

What do you mean mistake?

When Floyd was away last summer,
Wanda discovered his embezzlement

and decided to blackmail him.

Evidently, she didn’t want to confront him
directly at first,

so she chose a rather bizarre,

nonetheless effective, way to set him up.

She left a blackmail tape
in what she thought was his car.

Wanda is color blind
and unable to distinguish green from red.

Except for color,
Floyd’s car is identical to Charlie’s,

so she put the tape
in Charlie’s car by mistake.

When no one showed up
at Sally’s Landing on Monday night,

Wanda decided to call Floyd directly,

only that was the night
that he was in Portland.

So she had to wait
until yesterday to call him,

when he was at the store

and you were there to listen in.

At the Forsythes’s party,
you heard Charlie say

he had his service weapon at the hotel.

Getting a key was simple,
since Benning Hardware supplied

most of our local places with keys.

So you got Charlie’s gun
and a Santa Claus outfit

and waited for Wanda right here
in the ladies’ locker room.

I couldn’t let her hurt you.

I didn’t know what it was gonna be like
to shoot somebody.

She came in and I shot once.

I was so scared, I didn’t even wait to see
if she were dead or alive.

I just cleared out the locker and I left.

I was always there for you
and you never noticed.

The only thing I ever wanted

was to have you pay attention to me.

I didn’t want to get
Charlie McCumber in trouble,

I just wanted to save Floyd.

So tell me, Mrs. F,
what was Charlie McCumber’s secret?

Well, that’s not for me to say.

But I don’t think
it’ll be a secret much longer.

Oh, I had to be crazy
to doubt Beth and her folks.

Well, Beth knows
that you were afraid of losing her,

and that’s what counts for her.

And if you have any doubts about her
being an instant mother,

how about a couple of
instant grandparents?

[Charlie] Thank you, Mrs. Fletcher.

It’s a Christmas I’ll never forget.

Nice young man.

Oh, Seth, I’d given you up for lost.

I was at the hospital
checking on Wanda Andrews.

She’s gonna be all right.

Oh, thank goodness.

That’s great.

Just a little something.

Oh, well, I’ve got yours here, too.

Oh.

Well, let’s see.

A train.

I deserve that.

The little train that could.

Tonight, when Wanda pulled through

and I was part of it,

Jess, suddenly everything seemed brighter.

Then Frank was right,

when he said
that Christmas should remind us

of what could be, not what is.

Yeah.

I hate to admit it,

but I guess I was still looking
under the tree.

♪ We wish you a merry Christmas ♪

♪ We wish you a merry Christmas ♪

♪ We wish you a merry Christmas ♪

♪ And a happy New Year ♪

♪ We wish you a merry Christmas ♪

♪ We wish you a merry Christmas ♪

♪ We wish you a merry Christmas ♪

♪ And a happy New Year ♪

♪ Good tidings to you,
where ever you are ♪

♪ Good tidings for Christmas
and a happy New Year ♪

♪ We wish you a merry Christmas ♪

♪ We wish you a merry Christmas ♪

♪ We wish you a merry Christmas ♪

♪ And a happy New Year ♪

♪ Good tidings to you,
where ever you are ♪

♪ Good tidings for Christmas
and a happy new year ♪

♪ We wish you a merry Christmas ♪

♪ We wish you a merry Christmas ♪

♪ We wish you a merry Christmas ♪

♪ And a happy New Year ♪

[man] Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas, Jess.

Merry Christmas, Seth.