You show your face in here one more time and you're dog meat!
[Jessica] Tonight on Murder, She Wrote.
This is the final night of the Mardi Gras festivities.
Oh. It's Jessica, your cousin from Maine.
You know, Frank's wife.
Have you been sleeping with my husband?
After I'm re-elected, I'm handing her a one-way ticket
back to New Orleans.
Yes, yes, thank you, Mrs. Fletcher.
It's been most amusing.
I'm afraid there's something wrong.
[cheerful orchestral music]
I'll open.
-Cards? -Two, please.
Three.
One.
Dealer's taking two.
Two hundred.
I'm out.
You're outta turn.
Gotta keep you honest.
Your two and, uh, 500 more.
I'll see your 500.
I'll raise you 500.
Too rich for me.
Your five... and a thousand more.
Well, I'm just gonna have to be light f-f-four hundred.
It's all right. You can relax. You're among friends.
A f-f-full house.
I discarded a j-jack.
You, Sir, are a scoundrel, and you are a cheat!
Please, Johnny, don't!
I'm gonna k-k-kill you, Blaze!
You show your face in here one more time, and you're dog meat!
No, aunt Mil, I'm not writing. I'm just packing.
How have you been, dear?
I've been very worried about Cal.
Cal?
Your second cousin, once removed on Frank's side.
Jane and Edward's son.
The one who lives in New Orleans
and collects butterflies.
I don't think I know him.
He hasn't written in three months.
Well, he's probably just busy.
He usually sends me a note every month,
like clockwork.
Well, I'm sure it's nothing serious, dear.
He might even be dead.
You know, people have this way
of slipping away on me unannounced.
Jessica, you said you were going to Houston.
Would you be a dear?
Could you go via New Orleans and check on Cal?
I'd be ever so relieved.
[lively jazz music]
[stops]
[chatter in background]
Time you were getting ready, Johnny.
What do you think?
Oh, that's you, Kitty.
Oh, I like to look nice for you, Johnny.
Yeah?
Are you sure it's just for me?
Johnny, you're hurting me!
[sighs]
[door opens]
Come in, Gil.
Thought you might wanna lock this up tonight, Johnny.
I want to ask you a question, Gil.
Have you notice anything strange about Kitty lately?
Nothin' unusual.
Yeah, she's scared.
See, Gil, I gotta ask myself:
now, what could Kitty be scared about?
And I think she's got something going with another guy.
She's crazy about you, Johnny.
Somebody who comes to this club.
Maybe somebody who's gonna be here tonight.
Kitty would never fool around behind your back.
She's too smart for that.
You find out who it is, Gil!
Sure, Johnny.
Sure.
[lively jazz music]
So I owe a few dollars to Johnny Blaze.
So what?
But if those IOUs get in the wrong hands,
your political career could be an unpleasant memory.
Don't worry. I'll pay them off.
You'll pay them?
Your allowance is already overdrawn.
[sighs] Okay, Rosaline.
Think of it as a campaign expense.
I mean, what are a few dollars in gambling debts
after you bought your husband a seat in congress?
And a spot on the Washington A-list.
You've spent more than that on ball gowns last term.
You didn't do anything else silly, did you, Brad?
Women, for instance.
You didn't let anyone photograph you, did you?
-Please, Rosaline. -Now, you listen to me, Brad.
You're going back to Washington after the election,
and in a few years we've got a shot at Pennsylvania Avenue.
You understand me, Brad?
Nothing's gonna stop us.
Okay, I'll get the IOUs back.
No, darling.
I don't think you oughta go back to that place.
I'll deal with it.
[door opens, closes]
[indistinct chatter]
Are you sure?
Madam, we have no reservations for you.
But I telephoned. I'm sure I made a reservation.
Would you mind looking again?
Ah, yes. We do have a J.B. Fletcher.
[sighs] That's me.
For tomorrow night.
Tomorrow? Oh, my goodness.
Well, uh, look, I don't want to create any problems,
but can't you find something for me?
I mean, anything will do.
Madam, perhaps you haven't noticed.
This is the final night of the Mardi Gras festivities.
This evening, the nearest available hotel is in Baton Rouge.
Oh.
[lively jazz music]
Lady, we've tried six hotels already.
What do you wanna try next?
Tonight they're even sleepin' two to a bench in the park.
Oh, dear. What am I going to do?
Well, you can't sleep in the cab.
I could lose my license.
Number 7, Lafitte Lane. Is that far?
A couple of blocks.
But that ain't no hotel, lady.
Well, it's a relative. Uh, maybe he can put me up.
[horn honks]
[honks]
[excited chatter]
Oh, thank you so much.
Thank you. Thank you.
Oh!
[chuckles]
[bell dinging]
Marie Antoinette?
I think she was guillotined.
She was? Well, how about Anne Boleyn?
[laughs]
Well, actually, I was looking for Calhoun Fletcher.
He's probably in here somewhere.
-Come on in. -Thank you.
[chatter and jazz music]
Cal?
[French accent] Not tonight, Josephine.
Mwah. Mwah.
-Ah, here, but have a drink. -Oh.
Oh, here, let me help you with this.
Ah, this can't be your costume.
Oh, no. No.
[laughs] No.
Honey, you're out of uniform. Here, take my mask.
Ah, Sir Walter Raleigh at your service.
May I offer you my cape?
Oh, my goodness.
If this is southern hospitality,
I must say I am overwhelmed by your generosity.
Actually, I'm looking for Calhoun Fletcher.
Oh, well, I don't really know anyone here.
We're from New Jersey.
[bell ringing]
All right!
Tonight you're the guests of the pirate John Lafitte!
So hoist the Jolly Roger and eat, drink, and be merry.
For tomorrow you all walk the plank!
[laughter]
-Thank you very much. -My pleasure.
Uh, excuse me. Are you Calhoun Fletcher?
Lady, you must be from out of town.
Come on!
Come on! Come on!
Oh, I beg your pardon, Your Eminence.
Cardinal Richelieu, I wonder, Your Eminence,
if you could point someone out to me,
a gentleman whose acquaintance I seek...
Calhoun Fletcher.
Excuse me. I wonder if you could help me.
I'm looking for someone,
and with all these crowds, I'm not having much luck.
His name is Calhoun Fletcher.
Cal? Yeah, he was around here a few minutes ago.
He's the guy with the nose. Cyrano de Bergerac?
Oh, thank heavens.
I was beginning to think I'd come to the wrong address.
Gilbert?
We have to talk.
[ominous music]
Oh, my goodness!
You look as if you've just seen Banquo's ghost.
-What? -It is Lady Macbeth, isn't it?
No, that's silly of me.
It was Macbeth who saw the ghost.
But have you seen, by any chance, Cyrano de Bergerac?
I don't know anybody here.
Cyrano de Bergerac?
Yeah, I saw him a while ago. Maybe he's upstairs.
Well, I really would like to find him before it gets any later.
[sighs]
[door opens]
[ominous music continues]
[chatter continues]
Cal?
Cal? Cal Fletcher?
It-it's Jessica, your cousin from Maine!
You know, Frank's wife.
B-Blaze!
B-B-Blaze!
En garde! I-I'm gonna kill you, Blaze!
Is he one of the pirates?
Hey, Herb, they've got entertainment in the other room!
[swords clashing]
[man groans]
[thud]
it sounds like it's over.
Oh, I hope they do it again in here.
What's going on in there?
[indistinct chatter]
I sure wish I'd brought my camera.
Hello?
Cal?
I'm afraid there's something wrong.
What's going on?
A couple of guys were doing a sword fight number in there.
The funny one with the big nose,
he said he was going to kill somebody.
They were just fooling around, weren't they?
Johnny! Are you in there?
-The door is locked. -Johnny!
The door's locked, and he won't come out.
Johnny! Johnny, are you all right?
Sacre bleu!
[crowd gasps]
[indistinct radio chatter]
[camera shutter clicking]
Lieutenant, I certainly don't want to intrude on your investigation, but...
Well, with everybody moving around the room,
they might be erased.
What?
The furnidents.
-I beg your pardon? -The furnidents.
You know, the dents that the furniture makes on the carpet.
Now, this may not be important, but, uh,
I mean, obviously this sofa has recently been moved
closer to the wall.
Baxter, did you photograph this side of the room?
-Yeah, lieutenant. -Then give me a hand.
-Excuse me a second. -Oh, yeah.
[gasps] It looks like blood.
Get another picture and check that stain.
Perhaps Blaze nicked the killer.
Oh, probably not, lieutenant.
There was a protective button on the end of the victim's sword.
There's something here that might be of interest.
I'm sure you noticed, lieutenant,
that this letter opener seems to be missing.
But from the size of the sheath--
Might be the murder weapon, lieutenant.
-Check it for prints. -Mm-hmm.
A picture just flashed through my mind.
Two years ago, on a Sunday morning talk show,
a charming guest was deftly carving up a pompous book critic.
J.B. Fletcher, I presume?
[laughs] Guilty.
But I can assure you, lieutenant, I have no intention of interfering.
Crime is not only my job. It is my relaxation.
I read incessantly.
I won't embarrass you with praise,
but I must tell you that...
I feel very fortunate
that someone with your powers of observation was present.
That's very flattering, lieutenant...
Edmund Cavette.
But I'm curious.
How do you happen to be in a place like this?
Well, I was hoping to meet a relative of mine,
Cal Fletcher.
He may own the property, Mrs. Fletcher, but he most certainly does not live here.
This is the Lafitte sporting club,
one of the most notorious gambling houses in New Orleans.
Lieutenant, what about the safe?
Should we get somebody to open it?
Excuse me, Mrs. Fletcher.
I heard what you told the heat about Cal.
If he's your cousin, get to him and tell him to get out of town fast.
But I have no idea where he is.
He's got a pad just across the alley.
Hello?
Oh, excuse me. The door was unlatched.
Cal?
-Cal! [snorts]
I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to startle you.
I'm Jessica, your cousin from Maine.
Well, sort of.
My husband Frank's uncle was your father's cousin--
Uh, or was it nephew? Actually, I'm not quite sure.
Jessica. Right, the Yankee.
Why, aunt Mildred's always talkin' about you,
but I had no idea that you were comin'.
Well, I'm so sorry to surprise you like this,
but I'm even more worried about the shock
that your aunt Mildred is going to get.
What are you talkin' about?
Johnny Blaze has been murdered, and it's only a matter of time
before the police come to talk to you about it.
Me? Good Lord, why?
Cal, for pity's sake,
a party full of people saw you go into the study
shouting threats at Mr. Blaze.
Then when we broke the door down,
your name was written in blood
right next to the poor man's body.
No. I wasn't anywhere near that p-p-place last night.
Jessica, I swear to you on my honor as a g-g-gentleman.
Well, I'm certainly relieved to hear that.
But, Cal, what was that man doing
running a gambling parlor in your house?
Jessica, uh, please don't say anything about this to aunt Mildred.
Well, you see, when my parents left me the house,
it was just too big for me. I had to lease it out,
but I had no idea that anything like that was goin' on there.
[door opens]
I see you found him, Mrs. Fletcher.
Have a look around.
Would you care to tell me how it happened?
I don't know what you're talkin' about, Cavette.
I'm talking about the untimely death of your friend Mr. Johnny Blaze,
behind a locked door.
Lieutenant?
Your door key, Cal?
Cuff him. Read him his rights.
I'm sorry, Mrs. Fletcher.
Blaze was running a card parlor.
He was running it under the cover of a private club.
Blaze's death was not a great loss to the community.
He was a thug.
Well, then there must have been others
who might have wanted to see him dead.
Oh, indeed.
I'm sure several people sleep better with Johnny Blaze dead.
But as it turns out, Mrs. Fletcher,
the evidence all points to your...
Cousin, once or twice removed.
But he says that he wasn't even there.
But he was there.
He gambled there frequently. He was deeply in debt to Blaze.
He even threatened to kill Blaze in front of witnesses,
over a dispute at cards.
May I see him, please?
Certainly.
You threatened to kill him in a card game,
in your own house, where you have no idea what is going on?
Well, he was cheatin'.
Cal, I'm sorry,
but you're not being very open with me.
Now, did you murder Johnny Blaze or not?
Of course not!
Well, you were in debt to him.
You see, I'm a naturalist.
That doesn't exactly put me in the higher tax brackets.
A naturalist?
Yes. I collect and mount rare insects for museums.
-Oh. -It's really fascinatin'.
Oh, yes, I'm sure it is,
but what has that got to do with Johnny Blaze?
Well, I couldn't afford to keep up the house,
so what Johnny gave me for the lease kept me goin'.
So you knew it was a gambling den?
There is nothin' dishonorable
about a game of cards between gentlemen.
No, unless one of them cheats.
See, that is exactly the way I felt.
I had been losing heavily.
Johnny was threatenin' to, uh, take over the house
to pay my IOUs.
And then I actually caught him cheatin'!
Oh, this is not gonna look very good in court.
-I won't put Cal on the stand. -Mitch.
Uh, Jessica, this is my friend Mitch.
Mitch, this is my cousin, Jessica Fletcher.
Well, it's a pleasure to meet a cousin of my friend Cal, Mrs. Fletcher.
Oh, but I think we met last night, Mr. Payne,
at Mr. Blaze's party.
Oh, you were there?
Oh, well, yes, I did stop by for a drink,
but I left before all the excitement.
I gather that you're an attorney, Mr. Payne?
Aw, Mitch is the best.
Well, corporate work is my usual line, Mrs. Fletcher,
but for a friend like Cal--
You're gonna defend me, Mitch?
Well, of course I am.
-Self-defense is not a crime. -Self-defense?
But Cal says he wasn't even there.
Now, Mrs. Fletcher, you just leave everything to me.
I have friends in this town,
and I'll have him out on bail first thing tomorrow.
Okay?
Miss Manette, I'd like to speak with you.
Do I know you?
I think you know my husband, Congressman Gardner.
I don't really remember him.
Don't be coy with me, miss Manette.
I'd like to do some business with you.
My husband signed some IOUs to Mr. Blaze, $27,000 worth.
I don't really know anything about that.
The thing about bein' in government is that you find out things discreetly.
The point is, those IOUs weren't found by the police after the incident.
I'm willin' to pay face value for them.
What makes you think I've got them?
I don't really care who has them,
just as long as I get them.
And if you don't have them, you can find out who does.
Call me at this number.
Oh, by the way, this has nothing to do
with our business arrangement,
but have you been sleepin' with my husband?
Me and Johnny were engaged.
I never looked at another man.
I'll be in touch.
[glasses clink]
O, no. No more for me.
It's bad luck not to finish the bottle.
Do you always wine and dine the relatives of your prisoners?
No. I wonder if you know what
a rare pleasure it is for me to spend an evening
with an attractive and intelligent woman.
Edmund, I still can't believe that Cal killed that man.
No, no, no, no, Jessica. Let's not talk shop.
It would be a dreadful waste of candlelight and time.
Yes. And time is critical, isn't it?
A lawyer came to see Cal today.
He wants him to plead self-defense.
But there's something about Mitch Payne that sets my teeth on edge.
Payne? Yes, you do have marvelous instincts.
The man's no better than the criminal he runs with.
But he seems to be a friend of Cal's.
And of Johnny Blaze.
Payne successfully defended Blaze on a murder charge.
He killed a young man over a card game.
Good heavens! And he got him off?
We had two witnesses,
but they were either paid off or intimidated.
Payne was in the middle of it.
No wonder he wants to plead self-defense for Cal.
If Cal is convicted, whoever did kill Mr. Blaze
would get off scot-free.
Our number one priority
is to get those IOUs back and destroy them.
I talked to my contact in the commissioner's office.
Now, the police didn't find them,
and I'm satisfied that Cal didn't take them.
Well, somebody has them. I put out feelers at the club.
Darling, let's, let's let Mitch handle this.
I don't think you should go pokin' around that club.
I was about to offer the same advice to you, darlin'.
Ooh, I've got to meet some people.
I'll see you later at the hotel.
Oh, good-bye, Congressman Gardner.
Good-bye, miss Collins.
Now, may I help you?
Jessica Fletcher. I'd like to see Mr. Payne.
Would you have a seat, please?
Mitch, when Brad goes back to Washington
after the election, he's gonna need somebody
to cover the bases here in the district.
It would be a position of considerable influence,
not to mention power.
I'd be interested.
Then get those IOUs.
Mrs. Gardner?
Ah, Women's Voter's League?
No, we met at the Mardi Gras party.
At the Lafitte sporting club.
If I'm not mistaken, you were dressed as Lady Macbeth.
You have me confused with someone else.
Excuse me.
[intercom buzzes]
Mrs. Fletcher, Mr. Payne will see you now.
Thank you.
Well, I have the impression that Cal might be somewhat short of funds,
and, uh, I wondered if I could be of help with your fees.
His equity in the Lafitte house will more than cover it, Mrs. Fletcher.
Yes, the house must be quite valuable,
considering the profitable business that's run there.
Now, don't you worry.
I'll be looking after Cal's interests.
The way you looked after Mr. Blaze's interests?
I understand that you successfully defended him
against a murder charge.
He was innocent. I only presented his case.
You must be a very talented attorney, Mr. Payne.
Why else would you be consulted by the wife of a congressman
who was present at a party
where a notorious gambler was murdered?
Well, I mustn't take up any more of your time.
[ominous music]
[fades]
[soft piano music]
Oh, excuse me, Mr. Gaston.
We're closed, madam.
We're in mourning.
Ah, Mrs. Fletcher, it's you.
I hope you don't mind my popping in like this,
but I feel very concerned about Cal.
Anything Cal needs, you just ask.
All of his friends seem to be convinced that he did it,
but he says that he wasn't even here.
He was here all right. He was a little drunk.
Because of Johnny, we figured we'd better get him out of here.
I hustled him out the back,
but he must have come back in later.
Everybody heard him: "B-B-Blaze, I'll k-k-kill you!"
Did either of you happen to see
congressman Gardner at the party?
No, he wasn't here.
But how can you be sure with all those costumes?
As a matter of fact, I did see his limo parked down the street.
And did you mention that to lieutenant Cavette?
I wouldn't give the cops the right time of day.
Especially Cavette.
Why especially Cavette?
There was some trouble.
A young kid got knifed in the alley out back.
Cavette had some wild idea
that Johnny had something to do with it.
He's had a vendetta running against Johnny ever since.
Why a special vendetta against Mr. Blaze?
Don't you know? I thought everybody knew.
Knew what?
The kid was Cavette's son.
What? No!
You haven't been gettin' any of my letters, aunt Mil?
Well, that must be the postal service down there in the Amazon.
You see, we have to send all our letters out by canoe,
and sometimes the gators get 'em.
Yeah. Right. Sure.
It's a big expedition by the Smithsonian Institute.
I'll write you all about it in my next letter,
but right now I gotta show Jessica all the sights down here.
Mm-hmm. All right.
And you take your medicine. You promise?
Bye. I love you, aunt Mil.
[smacks lips]
Cal, have you ever considered a career in fiction?
Well, she doesn't get a whole lot of excitement in her life.
Well, you don't have to create any artificial excitement for my benefit.
You've already provided enough.
Now, no more lies.
Now, you told me that you never went near the club,
but Kitty and Gaston said you were there.
[sighs] Well, all right, I was there...
earlier.
But I figured in my mask, Blaze would never be the wiser.
Then Kitty comes runnin' up very excited and says, "He knows."
"He knows." Which meant trouble.
Well, I had already had a few
and was in no shape to have it out with him.
So Gaston, real friendly-like, gives me one for the road,
hustles me out the back and...
And?
[sighs] To tell you the truth,
that's the last thing I remember till you woke me up.
Cal, when you quarreled with Mr. Blaze over the cards,
who else was there?
Blaze, Gaston...
-Kitty? -Kitty was there.
Mitch was sittin' in.
And, uh, there was a congressman.
I remember. He signed a big IOU.
Kitty called, Mitch.
She says she can get the IOUs at face value.
Rosaline's gonna be relieved.
Hmm. About Rosaline...
Uh, tell her you got a line on the IOUs through somebody else.
Keep Kitty out of it.
You get the cash from Rosaline, and I'll give it to Kitty.
Rosaline might not like that if she finds out.
Mitch, when I get back to Washington,
I'm gonna need somebody like you
covering things here in the district,
somebody I can work closely with.
[sighs]
Do I have Rosaline's okay?
Don't worry about Rosaline.
After I'm re-elected,
I'm handing her a one-way ticket back to New Orleans.
Oh, my goodness.
You know, New Orleans' reputation for fabulous food
is well deserved.
Not to mention its hospitality to strangers.
[laughter]
the Cajuns had the right idea when they left Maine
and moved to New Orleans.
Perhaps you should consider it as well.
When would I find any time for writing?
Jessica, there are other things in life besides work.
-And speaking of work-- -As we always do.
Edmund, you didn't notice any IOUs there in that safe, for instance?
How very odd. The commissioner asked me the same thing.
That's very puzzling.
Cal signed some IOUs,
and he said that Congressman Gardner did too.
I wonder what happened to them.
Perhaps Cal took them.
Perhaps he didn't.
[laughs]
Dear Jessica, still looking for a motive for somebody else.
I wouldn't really have to look very far, would I?
You're talking about my son, Eric.
I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring that up.
But of course you did.
He was on a vacation from Tulane.
He wanted to be a doctor.
Why was he at the club? Some schoolboy lark?
Rites of manhood? Who knows?
According to one witness, who later changed his story,
Eric caught Blaze cheating.
He was foolish enough to put up a fight.
Blaze stabbed him.
They found Eric's body in the alley.
Edmund, I'm so very sorry.
Yes, Jessica, I thought of killing Blaze many times.
But, of course, I didn't.
I couldn't have. I wasn't there.
Oh, but you were there.
Your Eminence, Cardinal Richelieu.
Yes, I was there.
I was hoping to-- I don't know--
perhaps to find something, overhear something,
anything that will allow me to reopen my son's case.
Jessica, you don't think I killed Blaze, do you?
I'm not sure what to think.
Jessica, you're a warm, attractive woman,
but you are also stubborn, pigheaded, and mulish.
Why can't you accept it? Your cousin is guilty.
Why does everybody keep calling him my cousin?
He's not my cousin, you know. He's Frank's.
Merciful heavens!
Why didn't I think of that before?
If you know something I don't, please share it with me.
-Oh. -Please.
You must trust me.
Are you quite ready, Mrs. Fletcher?
Actually, lieutenant Cavette, it's only a theory.
But I'm ready if you are.
I wouldn't deprive you of the pleasure of making a fool of yourself for only me.
Sergeant Baxter?
Mrs. Fletcher is convinced
that her cousin did not murder the late Mr. Blaze.
And since she obviously plans to accuse one of you,
I took the liberty of inviting them to be present, Mrs. Fletcher,
so they could hear for themselves what you have to say.
Lieutenant, I really didn't come here to put on a sideshow.
Mrs. Fletcher, I hope you're up on the laws of slander,
'cause if you're not, you're gonna find out fast.
Well, I certainly have no intention of accusing anyone.
I merely wanted to show lieutenant Cavette
that it didn't have to be Cal who committed the murder.
Please proceed, Mrs. Fletcher.
Well, first, I think that it would be helpful,
since all of you are here,
to sort out what happened before Mr. Blaze was murdered.
I have a number of witnesses who saw Cal
threaten to kill Blaze and go into the study.
No, I mean earlier.
You see, I remember seeing Mr. Blaze alive,
shortly after I arrived,
perhaps a half an hour before his body was discovered.
I believe I saw you go into the study with him, Kitty.
I might have. But that was before Cal stabbed him.
Is that when your lip got cut?
Okay, so he hit me. It wasn't the first time.
I wonder if it was before or after you warned Cal to leave.
It was right after that that Gilbert ushered Cal out.
But he came back.
Well, let's get to that in a moment.
Mrs. Gardner, I saw you coming out of the study too.
I was looking for the ladies' room.
I see. And was Mr. Blaze alive when you came out of the study?
He wasn't in there. Nobody was in there.
Would you please get to the point, Mrs. Fletcher?
Well, I observed someone else coming out of the study.
A man dressed as Cardinal Richelieu.
I have an official statement from this Cardinal Richelieu.
Mr. Blaze was not in the study when he was there.
Now wait a minute. Was Blaze in the study or not?
My theory is that Blaze slipped out the window
and returned the same way before Cal Fletcher killed him.
Well, perhaps Mr. Blaze was there, but no one saw him,
because his dead body was hidden behind the sofa.
Mrs. Fletcher, this is highly speculative.
It has nothing to do with the fact that Cal murdered him.
Everyone saw Cal go into the study.
They even heard the fight.
Lieutenant, it might be helpful if we saw it again.
I hope you don't mind, but I have asked Cal to help me.
As long as you get on with it, Mrs. Fletcher.
Cal, would you come in here, please?
Now, what did everyone see?
Everyone saw him threaten Johnny,
pull that sword, and then go in the study.
Cal, would you do that again, please,
so that everyone has it straight?
B-B-Blaze?
B-B-Blaze!
I'll k-k-kill you, B-Blaze!
Now, everyone agrees that is what happened?
One small detail, Mrs. Fletcher.
He had locked the door from the inside.
Yes, of course.
Now, I wonder, could we all go into the study?
Is that necessary, Mrs. Fletcher?
If you'll be patient a little longer,
we may discover how the murder was actually committed.
Ah, yes, the window is open.
Now, someone said that they heard
Cal and the victim sword fighting.
Would someone play the part of Blaze?
Ah, Mr. Gaston, would you mind?
A little clashing of the swords, please.
Good.
Then a scream and the sound of a body falling to the floor.
Yes, yes, thank you, Mrs. Fletcher. It's been most amusing.
However, I believe you just demonstrated
that the murderer could only have been your cousin,
Mr. Calhoun Fletcher.
If you please, Mr. Cyrano de Bergerac.
Mrs. Fletcher asked me to take part in this little charade,
and when I learned what she hoped to accomplish,
I agreed, naturally, in the interest of justice.
What I hope I've demonstrated
is that someone else wearing that costume and that mask
could have impersonated Cal,
even imitating his distinctive stammer.
Conjecture, Mrs. Fletcher.
Perhaps, but there's another detail.
Do you have the photographs
taken at the scene of the crime, lieutenant Cavette?
Now, according to your theory, lieutenant,
Mr. Blaze wrote Cal's name in blood as he was dying.
But what if he had been trying to write something else?
Like what? C-a-l.
Uh, what if-what if this isn't an "l"?
What if it's supposed to be a "v" and he died before he finished?
My name? That's preposterous.
Mr. Gaston, would you please go out to the street
and ask sergeant Baxter to come in here, please?
I wasn't even here when Blaze was killed.
Not only were you here, Cardinal Richelieu,
I saw you coming out of the study.
Perhaps you wanted vengeance for your son's death?
The key, Mr. Gaston.
How did you know that it was in the pocket of the costume?
Well, I saw Gardner put it in the pocket during the re-enactment.
No, Gardner never had the key in his hand.
Baxter locked the door from the other side with a duplicate key.
The only way you would have known that the key was in that pocket
would be if you had put it there.
You see, the key was in the left-hand pocket.
Now, even from across the room,
I remembered that Cyrano had waved his sword
with his left hand.
And when you took the part of Mr. Blaze, you held the sword in your left hand.
Madam, a lot of people are left-handed.
Yes, but you made another slip,
although I didn't think about it at the time.
The only time at the party I mentioned that Cal was my cousin
was when I spoke to Cyrano de Bergerac.
Cal? It-it's Jessica, your cousin from Maine!
You know, Frank's wife.
But later, when the police were there, you told me to warn my cousin.
I heard what you told the heat about Cal.
If he's your cousin,
get to him and tell him to get out of town fast.
Now, at that moment, no one knew Cal was my cousin,
which means it had to have been you, Mr. Gaston, wearing the Cyrano costume.
Johnny would have killed us both.
Yes, Cal thought you meant Blaze knew he was at the party in disguise.
But when you said, "he knows,"
you were talking to Mr. Gaston, weren't you, Kitty?
[sobbing]
Cal said you gave him "one for the road."
I suspect it was laced with something to knock him out.
And then you got him to bed in his garret across the alley,
and what followed must have been something like this:
you came back to the study through the window,
and, probably with the letter opener, you stabbed him.
[sobbing]
Don't cry, baby. It had to be.
Like you said, he would've killed us both.
You see, Cal, since you'd threatened to kill Mr. Blaze,
you were the obvious person for him to pin the murder on.
I get it.
But what happened to my IOUs?
Gaston took them. Kitty knew that.
But apparently she didn't know that he had killed Blaze.
Oh, my goodness. I've got a plane to catch.
Oh, and I never got a chance to show you my insect collection.
Next time, I promise.
Well, Cal, will you be moving back into your house now?
Actually, I've found myself a new tenant.
Lovely lady, wants to open a business there.
Ah, supposed to be there right now to show her around.
Don't forget to write to your aunt Mildred.
I certainly won't.
Listen, you don't have to tell her anything about this.
Oh, no, of course not.
-Bye, you two. -Bye.
Cal, what kind of business is that lady in?
I don't know.
It's for out-of-town businessmen.
Some sort of escort service, I think.
Bye.
I'll have a little talk with him.