[Jessica] Tonight, on Murder, She Wrote.
Seth Hazlitt has mortgaged himself to the hilt
to make this concert happen.
I resent owing you bloodsuckers!
I want that million bucks back.
I remember reading something about a stalker
tracking Tommy in Denver.
It’s like watching a cobra with an easter bunny.
If you let him, he will hurt you.
Tommy, you’re still married.
All I want to do is move out of here!
He’s not a loser!
I am not quitting!
I want to keep you alive, at least through Saturday night!
[gunshot] [grunting]
We’re adding concessions for nachos, espresso,
and non-everything yogurt,
So we’re gonna need more power up that end.
-Okay, Sir. -Oh! That goes in section D.
And get the danged splinters out of it!
-Yeah. Okay. -You, too.
[both singing] Be here at your side
Feel the strength That love can bring
Together we will stand For all eternity
In the sharing of love That comes from me to you
In the essence of love There is nothing we can’t do
In the presence of love
There is peace and harmony
Sharing of love that starts With you and me
So let’s sing Our song of love
That lives within us all
[singing off-key] Together we will plan
[man] What’s wrong with him?
-[music stops] -[woman] Go again.
-[coughs] -You’re pushing it too hard, Tommy.
No, the arrangement is all wrong.
[chuckling] Seth!
Jessica! I wasn’t expecting you so early.
Well, Ted Hartley canceled our appointment,
so I caught the morning plane,
worked on my little fundraising speech on the way.
-I’ll go back tonight. -[chuckles]
My goodness, you have done so much!
Well...
the outdoor concert permit.
Since you were late with the paperwork,
I had to fight ’em for it.
It’s quite a load you took on here, Doc.
Nobody else wanted the job.
If it weren’t for Seth,
I think we might have lost the woods by default.
-Oh! -I got to get back. Later on.
-Come on, let me show you. -Show me.
Do yourself a favor.
-Let Udella carry the melody. -[car engine starting]
Wylie, you make the deals, I’ll make the music, all right?
[guitar strumming]
[indistinct chattering]
-Dad? -Hey, Blue.
-Your dad? -He’s still teed off
I didn’t study engineering like him.
How long since you left Cabot Cove?
Five years.
Jessica, good to see you again.
Our paths haven’t crossed very much lately.
-You’re a busy man, Jim. -That is true. And I’m sorry to say
that our friend, Seth here, isn’t helping any.
You’re past due with one of my subsidiaries
for all these amplifiers,
and the floodlights, and all the wiring,
and they’re bugging me.
They’ll be paid by Saturday, as I’ve already told them.
He’s here every day
trying to manufacture some kind of catastrophe,
so that Maddox Electronics can move in and buy the woods.
I don’t make the problems, Seth, that’s your department.
And as far as wanting these woods,
I’ve never made any secret about that,
and I’m sure not ashamed of it.
That’s because you have the conscience of a termite.
Excuse me, Jessica.
[sighing] Some people prefer jobs to trees, Jessica.
Jim, you can build a factory anywhere,
but these woods have been here since the last ice age.
I certainly hope they’ll be here for the next.
[band singing]
No, I’m talking to you for my health. Yeah, I’ll hold.
What? What?
It’s about time. After all this, I was beginning to wonder
if you were even gonna come through with the permit.
[all singing]
[amplifier feedback]
[man 1] Oh, man. [man 2] Come on!
Now, I’m real sorry, Mr. Vaughn.
I’m afraid we got another short circuit.
There must be something you guys can do right.
Well, Mr. Vaughn, it is a 220-volt set-up,
-And that’s a lot different. -You’re supposed to be electricians,
except none of you seem to know what you’re doing.
[gunshot]
Now what?
Man, these amateurs!
[Udella] Maybe the bulb shorted out.
Get down! Somebody’s shooting at us!
Oh!
-[grunting] -Seth!
-He needs a doctor! -I am a doctor!
-Quickly! -[man] Get a doctor!
-Good heavens! Oh! -[clicking tongue]
[Palmer] Probably take a week or two if that’s all right.
[phone ringing]
Can you get that, Rachel, please?
Sure thing, Hal.
[phone ringing]
-Palmer’s. -Hello, Rachel?
Listen, I just picked up your message on my machine.
I was so worried about Seth.
I tried to reach you at the emergency room.
Well, Dr. Morrison told him
that he had to take it easy, but, of course...
Tell Rachel I am sending over...
-One minute, one minute. -...a batch of invoices,
and that I expect her to make out checks for them.
I heard that.
Tell him we’re low on funds.
She says they’re running out of money.
Tell her that won’t happen.
Seth, I suggest that you tell her that yourself.
As soon as I find that duplicate lumber bill.
He’s looking for a lumber bill.
Jessica, have you ever met Tommy Vaughn?
Yes, in New York.
Blue introduced me to the group.
He’s got that "bad boy" label, but that’s because he’s a perfectionist,
and an artist besides.
I’ve seen quite a bit of him these past two weeks.
Don’t you have the feeling he’s, like,
special?
Ask her about the phone-ticket sales.
Tell him we got a long way to go,
and phone-ticket won’t release any funds until after the event.
Rachel, we’ll try to get everything straightened out,
and call you right back, all right?
Okay. All right. Bye.
Seth, I really think,
considering the extent of your injuries,
that we should try to postpone the concert.
Can’t. First, we’d lose the band,
and with it, the recording proceeds,
which is a real chunk of the money we need.
And the Cabot Cove Trust won’t budge on the option deadline.
I’m wondering...
the rain insurance for Saturday night
costs as much as a triple bypass, and since
Mrs. Carthandler’s lumbago
hasn’t flared up at all...
Seth, if it rains on Saturday night,
there won’t be any walk-up ticket sales,
and if you don’t buy the insurance...
Mrs. Carthandler’s lumbago
is as dependable as the rock of Gibraltar.
[knocking]
Mort.
How’s the patient doing?
Just a couple of scratches, is all.
Along with one cracked rib,
one sprained wrist he’s not being careful with,
and one head wound, for which Dr. Morrison ordered a CAT scan.
But, of course, Seth...
Dr. Morrison is a frustrated brain surgeon.
Well, he did put ten stitches into your scalp.
It looks to me like you’ve got a lot of work of your own
to worry about, Mrs. F.
-You can say that again. -[Seth] Of course she does.
And I’m being very careful not to take advantage of her, too.
Oh, I’m sure.
Mort, how about a cup of coffee?
Thanks, I’m meeting the game warden.
We’re doing a check on all of the licensed hunters
who were in the area during the shooting.
From what I know about Tommy Vaughn,
it might pay to ask him if he or any of the band
have any enemies at the moment.
I remember reading something about a stalker tracking Tommy
in Denver last year.
Thanks. Take care, Doc.
[Wylie] You can’t split up now. It’s the worst possible time.
[Udella] I can’t stand being with him!
You think that’s not mutual?
That’s why I gave you separate bedrooms.
How about separate worlds?
Will you stop that stupid braiding?
Leave me alone. That keeps me calm.
You know he’s on the chase again.
He’s been after that innocent chick from the music store.
It’s like watching a cobra with an easter bunny!
I’m not after her.
She’s different than anybody I’ve ever known.
I really dig being around her.
All right, look, just before you went on the mother of all binges,
you two made a giant step.
You went from hard rock, where you were good,
to contemporary popular, where you’re great.
It’s new, it’s big, it’s got huge potential,
if Comet Records doesn’t pull your plug.
-I’m not worried about it. -Well, you’d better be,
because they’ve had it with "dysfunctional misfits,"
and that’s a quote.
Wylie, all I want to do is move out of here.
Oh, that’s good. Now that’s terrific,
because then the tabloids can go crazy with it.
Let me make it simple.
Comet wants out of the contract unless they have assurances
that the "bad boy" days are gone for good,
that in tempo is all about
a young, beautiful married couple,
in love and sharing the limelight.
How cute.
[door slamming]
Why don’t they just worry about the music?
Don’t even think about it; you’ll end up back in rehab.
With what you owe in back taxes, if comet puts you on ice,
you’ll be in hock the rest of your life.
-Hey. Scotch, rocks. -You got it.
Wylie Trey.
Drink’s on me.
Thanks.
-Jim Maddox, right? -That’s right.
Lot of excitement today, huh?
Oh, yeah.
You know, I wouldn’t be a bit surprised
if Tommy just decided to forget the whole thing.
You don’t know Tommy.
Well, I know that somebody
probably took a shot at him today,
and I know there’s a lot of tension in that group.
And I also know that Tommy’s voice isn’t right,
and he probably wouldn’t want the whole world
to know about that.
Tommy’s got a lot of pride.
Wylie, what if...
what if Tommy got an offer so lucrative
that, under the circumstances,
it would be absolutely ridiculous for him
to go on with this concert,
an offer brought to him by his manager,
who, of course, would, uh...
would share in that good fortune?
He’s a man of moods.
The timing would have to be just right.
Enjoy that drink.
[Tommy] Okay, what can I do for you?
Well, just answer a few questions, Mr. Vaughn,
for your own good.
Have you been on the receiving end of any threats lately?
Sheriff, don’t make a big deal out of this, okay?
The shots were wild. I heard it was a deer hunter.
Coffee?
Tell me about that stalker in Denver last year.
A weirdo.
A weirdo who was after you.
Now the Denver police told me they found a souvenir pin,
a replica of your guitar.
Okay, he was a weirdo after me. So what?
The weirdoes come and go in my business.
And not being the most beloved dude in the world,
you may attract more than your share,
especially considering the well-reported episodes
of drunken brawls and assorted groupies.
I don’t have to listen to this.
I agreed to do a freebie in Cabot Cove as a favor
because I believed in what you were doing.
You and your manager came here
because you wanted a publicity-rich start-up
after getting out of rehab.
I want to keep you alive at least through Saturday night,
so let’s play it straight with each other, okay?
Yeah, okay.
Hey, Blue. How’s it going?
No. Dr. Hazlitt hasn’t decided about the rain insurance yet.
Okay, thanks.
It never rains on our concerts.
-[giggles] -Except rarely.
-Hey, the t-shirts are in. -I told you they would be.
-Great display. -You can thank Rachel for that.
Hey, Blue. Rachel’s been showing me all the places
where you guys grew up.
You sure had a break being raised in a place like this.
Makes for good people.
You know, I’d really like it
if you wore one of those fancy new t-shirts
at the fundraiser tonight. Maybe the maroon one, huh?
-You got it. -Thanks.
Okay, Tommy, enough.
Something wrong, Blue? We’re friends.
I’ll see you tonight, okay?
Okay.
Okay, how far has it gone?
Aren’t you a little out of line, Blue?
You heard Tommy. We’re friends.
He’s a very special guy.
Yeah, so I’ve heard from a couple of hundred other women.
You lost your right to worry about me
-that summer after high school. -I had a reason for leaving.
You didn’t bother to tell me what it was.
I didn’t know that I was gonna be gone for good.
My dad was pressuring me to try to give up music.
I couldn’t do that.
Look, Tommy’s married. He doesn’t care about anybody but himself.
If you let him, he’ll hurt you.
Don’t let these cats get you down, Rachel.
[door closing]
Took me 30 years to pay off my last mortgage, Abner.
Now I resent owing you bloodsuckers all over again.
Gave you a prime deal there, Seth.
Yeah. Sure.
[Jessica] It was almost 150 years ago that Henry Thoreau,
who is famous for his essay "On Walden Pond,"
also wrote about the need to preserve our Maine woods,
which have now become a part of the ecological struggle
being waged around the world.
A small part, but even small battles are important.
Because we love these woods,
because they are part of our lives,
we’re gonna win this battle and save them,
for ourselves and for those still yet to come.
Thank you.
Well done, Jess.
Very good, Mrs. F.
Oh, Jessica!
That was so inspiring, right from the heart.
Thank you, Jean.
You know how to weave a spell, Jessica.
It’s what I try to do with my music.
Thanks, Tommy.
Your sheriff over there
thinks I don’t care about what you’re trying to do,
but he’s wrong.
Ah!
You should stop by the library.
I’ve put together an exhibition on Cabot Wood.
I will. Excuse me.
[chattering over police radio]
Who’s there?
[radio chatter continues]
Hi. One, please.
Welcome, Jim. Every dollar helps the cause.
Well, Seth, I made it a point to come by
and let people know how I feel.
We’re all friends and neighbors here,
and we’re gonna continue to be,
no matter what happens to the woods.
My wife, Ellen, was a fan of yours.
She was really into preserving the woods.
Ah, I wish I’d gotten to meet her.
Oh, she was a lovely woman.
Rachel’s got that right.
Ah, if you youngsters will excuse me...
The t-shirt looks great.
-[giggling] Oh! -Even if I do say so myself.
-How about we get some air? -Sure.
It’s true.
I have a lousy reputation, and I deserve it.
Tommy, we’ve been through this.
You always put yourself down.
I’m just trying to be honest about myself.
Look, I don’t read the tabloids,
and I don’t watch mtv.
When you arrived in Cabot Cove two weeks ago,
that was day one for me.
[sighing] Oh, I can’t believe this.
I didn’t even know a place like Cabot Cove existed.
My dad played sax in cheap clubs,
he died in an alcoholic ward.
I guess part of me always saw things through his eyes.
-But now... -[chuckles]
...now that you and I have gotten to know each other,
I feel like everything can be different.
[crying] Tommy, you’re still married.
You’re sharing a suite with her in the hotel.
I don’t know where that puts us.
There is nothing between Udella and me anymore.
Nothing except business.
And that can change awfully quick.
[Wylie] Tommy’s voice is worse than he thinks it is.
It’s gonna take surgery to make it right.
[Maddox] Go on.
I pick my moment to convince him to take a walk.
Phone-ticket refunds the advance sales,
Hazlitt loses his front money,
and you get the woods.
How much will it cost me?
A million dollars for Tommy, and 100,000 for myself.
A million dollars?
That’s minimal.
He owes three-quarters of a mil to uncle Sam,
and we want it in cash.
But... you get the woods.
Okay, Wylie, I’ll get you the money.
All in all, a successful evening, I should say.
What time’s your plane tomorrow?
Oh, I’m not leaving until after the concert.
Why not? I’m fine.
You should have had that CAT scan, Seth.
Oh, Jessica, my head is all right.
Is that why you’ve mortgaged your house?
Jessica, Maddox told you, didn’t he?
Oh, he must have a spy at the bank.
Well, some of the contractors reneged,
Maddox being responsible, I’m sure,
and demanded front money. Now there’s no way
I can put on an outdoor concert without electricity,
food concessions, private police,
jiffy johns, and a dozen other things.
Seth, your house is your only real security.
It’s not as dangerous as you think.
When the concert is over,
phone-ticket transfers the money,
and I repay the mortgage. That is my plan.
Well, my plan is to stay here and to help you do it.
[chuckles]
Thank you, Jessica.
[Udella singing] Been in love Too long they say
It’s time to start anew
And since love is so personal, It had to be with you
If I’m to fall In love again
It has to be with you
[both singing] Oh! Now I don’t Need to fall in love
-Again [singing off-key] Again
’Cause I’m still in love
[music stops]
All right, let’s just take it back. Take it back.
Oh! Now I don’t need To fall in love
-Again, ’cause I’m still [singing off-key] Again, ’cause I’m still
-In love [Tommy coughing]
[crowd complaining]
[feedback]
[instrumental music playing]
I still say if you attached the TV sound...
[sighing] Seth, this system is just not designed for that.
Now that sounds really good, Hal.
Gosh, I’m glad to have that back. Thank you.
Ah, just keep Seth from experimenting, it’ll be fine.
-[knock at door] -Come in.
-Hey, Hal. How’s it going? -[Hal] sheriff.
Hello. Mrs. F.
Doc, got that public gathering permit amended for you.
Now do you really think you’re gonna have that big an audience?
Oh, we’d better have...
[music blaring]
[music stops]
This stereo doesn’t need a repairman, it needs an exorcist.
[chuckles] Sounded like Ted Nugent.
Mmm, more like Metallica to me.
Whatever happened to Guy Lombardo?
[Wylie] So you’re just gonna stand there,
strumming your guitar,
while Udella carries the concert?
What’s that gonna do for your rep?
I can’t just walk out on these people.
You’ve got to. It’s self-preservation.
That way, it’ll just look like Tommy "bad boy"
having one of his sulks,
instead of a drunk who lost his voice.
And you get enough bread to take a year off,
and have the surgery if you need it.
How much are we talking about?
A half a million bucks.
[sighing]
-[phone ringing] -I’ll get it.
Hello. Palmer’s.
Oh, yeah, Tommy. Rachel’s here. Rachel.
Hello?
[sniffling] I’ve got to see you.
Tommy, what’s wrong?
We gotta talk, or I’m not gonna make it.
I’ll pick you up in front of the store
in about five minutes, okay?
Okay.
-[thunder crashing] -I don’t expect you to approve of this.
Just try to understand.
Because I don’t want to lose you.
This is my first concert back.
I can’t afford to flop.
I can’t afford to go out there and not sing at all.
Have you talked to Doc Hazlitt?
No, I haven’t.
If this is what I think it is,
I’m gonna need more than a country doctor.
He can tell you who to see.
I know who to see,
and I know what I have to do.
Tommy, if you quit now, you’ll never come back.
You’ll fall apart, and you’ll drink yourself to death.
Maybe you’re just looking for an excuse to do that.
No, that is not true.
You do it that way,
and you’ll regret it forever.
[thunder rumbling]
Check that last one, Seth.
As I recall, I saw it in the register
as having been paid last week.
Here it is.
Dang!
Well, you’re right again.
I wonder how Mrs. Carthandler’s lumbago is doing today?
Oh, I talked with her. She sounds fine.
Not even a little twinge?
I suppose I’d better get that rain insurance for Saturday.
[chuckles]
[indistinct chattering]
Dancing in a rock video is a lot harder than it looks.
That’s why we’d have to give you what you call an audition.
Wylie, I am not quitting.
Listen to me, Tommy...
No! This time, you listen to me.
[Andy] we found these two shell casings in the area
where the shots were fired.
Hunting rounds.
Also very efficient at killing people.
We also found this.
Seems like whoever fired the shots lost it.
A souvenir replica of Tommy’s guitar.
It’s the same thing the Denver police found
when the stalker took a shot at him. I’d better go warn him.
[indistinct chattering]
-Let’s do it. -[electrical static]
"Sharing." From the top.
[singing] When I look In your eyes
I see the love You feel for me
So I take your hand And share love’s unity
[both singing] I’ll be here At your side
Feel the strength That love can bring
together we will stand For all eternity
in the sharing of love that Comes from me to you
With the essence of love, There is nothing we can’t do
In the presence of love, There is peace and harmony
[electricity crackling]
[people exclaiming]
Don’t touch him!
[ambulance sirens wailing]
Tommy was wearing leather-soled shoes.
The wet stage turned him into a human ground wire.
With 220 volts, he never knew what hit him.
Well, getting shocked isn’t that rare
when you’re working with electric instruments.
Being killed is something else.
But I did hear about a bass player in Nashville last year.
He should’ve been wearing something like you’ve got on.
Plenty of rubber on those.
Yeah, I picked them up in town yesterday.
I don’t know
if they’re gonna want us to go back to work or not.
-Just tell the men to stand by. -All right.
[man] Yeah. The press is gonna be all over us.
Dan, could you tell me what these droplets are?
Could be solder,
but none of my boys have been working on this amp.
Maybe we should have them analyzed, right, Mort?
Will do. Thanks.
Dan, let’s take a look inside the amplifier.
Yeah, I’m kinda curious myself, sheriff.
Look, I don’t mean to be cruel, but...
you’re gonna do a lot better without him.
-Yeah, it’s been fooled with. -Tell us about it.
Well, there’s not that much to tell.
It just seems to me that the solder was used
to keep the new relay switch in place.
As Tommy played, the solder melted.
Releasing the switch which created the circuit that killed him.
Well, evidently, somebody wanted to make certain
that the victim was Tommy
and not just anybody who touched the guitar.
Clever, but simple enough to set up
for someone who’s used to working with electric instruments.
Dan, I’m gonna have this amplifier checked out.
I may have a few more questions for you though, okay?
Always glad to help if I can.
Well, considering the difference in the MOs,
the perpetrator and whoever fired those shots
are probably two different people.
I wouldn’t be so sure of that.
I mean, the stalker left behind a replica of Tommy’s guitar,
and the guitar became the murder weapon.
Excuse me.
Murder, violence.
I never thought anything like that would happen
-When we started with this thing. -Oh.
I mean, how can we go out
and put on a concert after a thing like this?
Oh, I know how you feel,
but a lot of people are expecting you to do just that.
Maybe we can get somebody else.
But it’s too late for that, Seth.
I mean, the whole thing will fall apart without you.
Well, maybe it isn’t fair of me to say this,
but just try to imagine what your reaction will be
when you’re watching them cut and burn this forest.
[door closing]
What do you want?
Oh, what’s coming to me.
You’re not trying to tell me
that you had anything to do with what happened to Tommy?
Of course not.
Only you didn’t want a concert, and there won’t be one now.
[laughs] Will there?
Murder was never part of the deal.
Mmm, just think about it.
If I just kept slowing things down,
Hazlitt would have brought in another crew,
then where would we be?
I’m starting to think this might be a possibility.
But so what? What are you gonna do?
Are you gonna go to sheriff Metzger
and tell him that you killed Tommy Vaughn,
and that I refused to pay you for it?
What happened to Tommy
could happen to other people, too, Mr. Maddox.
[laughing] Do you ever stop to think about
how many switches you turn off and on every day?
I’ll see ya.
Rachel’s not here.
Oh, do you know where she is?
I have to tell her that we’re going ahead with the concert.
Well, I’m glad about that, but I have no idea where she is, Jessica.
She lost it when she heard about Tommy.
Well, I’m not surprised.
He called her last night, very agitated.
They were going to the square to talk about something.
I’m worried about her, Jessica.
So am I.
The solder came from a company in Portland
that went out of business a year ago.
-There’s not much of it around. -Oh, good, that helps.
Go get some warrants for the hotel rooms.
-Okay. Good morning. -Good morning, Andy.
Oh, Jessica, I’m so glad to see you.
[crying] I can’t believe he’s dead.
Hal Palmer told me that Tommy called you last night.
Yes, he was very upset.
He picked me up in front of the store,
he wanted to go some place to talk.
So we ended up on the stage in the square
just before the storm.
He said that Wylie was gonna pay him half a million dollars
to walk out on the concert.
And where would that money be coming from?
Tommy never said.
Maybe it’s my fault that he’s dead,
because I convinced him that it would destroy him to do that.
He said he was gonna tell Wylie no deal.
He was gonna do the concert as well as he could,
and then look for medical help for his voice.
That’s all I know. I got to go to work.
All right, Rachel. Thanks for coming in.
[softly] You’ll be okay.
You’re thinking that Wylie could have killed Tommy,
with the idea of keeping the money for himself.
Well, there’s another possible scenario.
That Blue is still in love with her
and wanted Tommy out of the way.
[sighing] I know.
But I hate to believe that that’s what happened.
Yeah. Well, I hate to have to tell you this,
but according to what I’ve heard,
the band is getting ready to leave even as we speak.
Oh!
Listen to me, I want that million bucks back.
And I don’t blame you, except there’s nothing I can do about it.
Tommy agreed to quit the concert,
and I gave him the money, just like we planned.
Then who’s got it?
Whoever killed him. Make sense?
Look at it this way. You got your money’s worth.
Tommy isn’t gonna do the concert, right?
And you get the woods just like we said.
Wylie, I’ve got friends you won’t like.
If they’re good musicians, send them by.
I’m in the Manhattan phone book. Enjoy your drink.
[Cleve] Damn right, we’re leaving.
I’m not into shootings, electrocutions.
We signed up for a concert, not a war!
What if this joker comes after us?
Well, then running away isn’t gonna be a solution.
I mean, it’s clear from the way that the murder was set up,
that the only person the killer was after was Tommy.
It’s just a bad gig, Mrs. Fletcher,
and that’s putting it mildly.
All we want to do is get out of here.
Yes. Well, before you make a decision,
there’s one thing you ought to know.
Tommy told Rachel that he wanted you to do
all the vocals on Saturday night.
He intended to help you to become a star in your own right.
I’d like to believe that.
It’s true.
Blue, Seth Hazlitt has mortgaged himself to the hilt
to make this concert happen.
You know, the Doc was always there when anyone needed him.
I would hate to see him get screwed up now
just because of us.
Look, we don’t even have the right arrangements for four,
and it’s too late to work anything up.
Well, couldn’t you bring someone else in?
Udella was gonna do Tommy’s vocals anyway.
Maybe we could just bring a guitarist in to do Tommy’s parts.
What about Johnny-D in Portland?
He’s doing a gig there. I’m sure we could get him down here.
[knock at door] [Udella] Come in!
Mrs. Vaughn, Mrs. F.
-How can we help you? -Well, we have search warrants.
We’ve already searched Cleve’s room and Blue’s.
Well, I guess we’re not gonna have to search this one.
We found this used spool of solder.
It seems to be the same solder that was used
to set up Tommy’s electrocution.
We found it in your room, Blue.
-I’ve never seen it before. -Well, you’re gonna have to come with us.
This is crazy. Jessica, I didn’t have anything to do with Tommy’s death.
I believe that, Blue.
Sheriff, they’re planning to go ahead with the concert.
Blue is gonna be here anyway.
I’m gonna have to make sure of that, my way.
Let’s go, Blue.
[Udella] I can’t believe it.
Blue is not the type of person who would do this.
Of course not. Take it easy.
Look, Mrs. Fletcher, I’m really sorry,
but obviously, we can’t bring in two new people.
He’s right. It just wouldn’t work.
Of course!
Mrs. Fletcher, what’s wrong?
Oh, nothing’s wrong. Just hold the packing for now.
[Metzger] You’re familiar with solder and soldering iron,
aren’t you, Blue?
Yes. But...
I mean, you use ’em all the time
to make repairs on your guitar, right?
Not when...
not when I can get a pro.
[stuttering] I carry a little bit with me on tour for emergencies,
but my solder is nothing like
that other stuff that they used in the amplifier.
Yeah, but that other stuff was also found in your room.
Because...
because the killer put it there.
Can’t you see that?
You know, it would go a lot easier on you, Blue,
if you’d cooperate.
Put him in a holding cell.
How’s the food?
That good, eh?
We picked him up on the interstate.
Yeah, so what am I being charged with?
Well, to start with, how ’bout skipping out on your hotel bill?
Ah, he must have been in an awful hurry,
because he sure had enough cash to pay it.
What do you think, sheriff? We stopped counting at 800,000.
-There’s at least a million. -[Metzger] Well, now, that’s funny.
Because according to Rachel Weldon,
you told Tommy the payoff was only half a million.
What payoff? I got that money legally.
-From Jim Maddox? -That’s my business.
Not anymore, it’s not. This is evidence in a murder case.
It was supposed to go to Tommy for walking out on the concert,
only he never got it,
because you decided to kill him and keep it for yourself.
-I want a lawyer. -Let him make a call, then lock him up.
Lock him up? That’s my property.
I want a property slip on that!
Give him one of our finer rooms.
You’re making a vast mistake here, sheriff,
-And I’m gonna sue you for false arrest. -[phone ringing]
Metzger.
Mort, I believe I know who killed Tommy,
but I’m gonna need your help.
[Rachel] Mr. Maddox called.
It seemed like he really cared about what happened to Blue.
That sounds like a good sign.
Yeah.
Has there been a decision about the concert?
Not yet.
-Ah, evenin’, Jessica. -Evening.
You look like you could use a little rest.
You better go on home, I can close up.
Okay, okay.
Please let me know as soon as you hear about the concert.
-I will, Rachel. -Okay. Good night.
Good night.
Jessica, is there something I can do for you?
Yes, there is.
You can tell the truth about having killed Tommy Vaughn.
Jessica, I’m really not in the mood for black humor.
[sighing] I wish that’s all it was.
I began to suspect you when I realized
you must have followed Rachel and Tommy
the night before the murder.
[laughing] That never happened.
[Jessica] You had told me
they were going to the square to talk about something.
He called her last night, very agitated.
They were going to the square to talk about something.
Uh-huh.
Jessica] But there was no way you could have known that
unless you’d followed them there yourself.
That’s nonsense. Rachel told me.
Well, how could she have told you, because she didn’t know
where they’d be going until after he’d picked her up.
[stuttering] Well, my word’s as good as Rachel’s on that.
Well, perhaps.
But thinking back, there’s much more damning evidence.
I recalled from when you installed my hi-fi.
Your hi-fi?
A little while ago, I was watching Udella Vaughn packing.
She was cutting the braiding that she was working on.
That reminded me of the wire
that you had used while installing my hi-fi,
and the wire that was later used
to create the murder weapon that killed Tommy.
I haven’t checked with Mort yet,
but I’m quite certain
that the ends of the cut copper strands of this wire,
which I just detached from my hi-fi,
will match the cut copper strands
on the wire in the amplifier.
Yes, they would.
I was careless to use the same wire in the amplifier.
But...
no one’s going to know about it.
Hold it!
I’ll take that, Hal, before you hurt someone with it.
I never told Rachel,
but she was everything to me.
Without her, I never would have
come out of my depression after Ellen died.
[stuttering] I would have lost everything.
I fell in love with her.
Then he came.
They kept seeing each other almost every day,
and I knew they were getting close, and I...
I couldn’t handle it.
See, I’d read about Tommy’s stalker in Music Today.
I got one of those souvenir guitar pins, Tommy’s guitar,
and which I was gonna leave behind and then...
and then lost.
-[gunshot] -’Course, you know I missed my shot.
I tried again from outside the fundraiser,
but I couldn’t get a clear shot.
You were right, Jessica, I followed
Tommy and Rachel last night.
[stuttering] I had my rifle in my truck,
but I was afraid with them together, I might hit Rachel.
And then that storm came up,
I knew exactly how I was going to kill him.
I had everything I needed in the truck.
I waited until they left, then I rigged the amplifier.
When I finished, I decided I’d use the solder,
I’d just get Blue out of her life, too.
[stuttering] I shouldn’t have...
I shouldn’t have done any of it.
But I love her so much.
[sighing]
[indistinct chattering]
-Hey, Mrs. F. -Oh, Mort.
Doc, saw your car outside.
-When did you get rid of the sling? -This morning.
You don’t think he’d sign the deed
to the Cabot Woods with his left hand, do you?
No way.
I’ll be gentle.
-Congratulations. -Thanks, Mort.
Ah, listen, Blue, the state’s attorney made a deal with your father.
Conspiracy charges will be dropped,
in return for a guilty plea,
and a hefty fine for some previous code violations.
I’ll be in Boston for a while.
Maybe he and I can get to know each other a little better.
I heard you’re gonna be just across the Charles river.
Right. Harvard Business School.
Jessica, why are you hiding your nose in that paper?
You made the front page, Seth!
[gasping] Wait, see here.
I didn’t give them permission to...
Have you got any more of these?
[all laughing]