[Jessica] Tonight, on Murder, She Wrote.
♪ The diamond industry Is saluting you ♪
Thirteen. Is that a lucky number?
In diamonds, any number is lucky.
-You want the gig or not? -Sure. But on my terms.
-Oh, I love Caper movies. -What about the strongbox?
This is not very well-directed.
I can't authenticate this because it's not real.
Someone just shot the woman on the TV. She's a new character.
That isn't a real show that you're watching.
Excuse me, lieutenant,
I'm afraid you're about to charge the wrong person.
[cheerful orchestral music playing]
[sirens wailing]
[horns honking]
[phone rings]
Your name is Roy Phipps?
Yes.
Have you ever been inside this bank?
No.
Did you rob the vault inside this bank?
No.
Well, Roy, it's always a treat
to find a guy who can beat the box.
Any special reason you invited me
back down here again after so long?
Leo Kositchek got out on parole
a couple of weeks ago.
Kositchek? I seem to remember the name.
Right.
Seen him around?
I don't socialize with felons.
[laughing] Not even ex-partners?
Lieutenant, I've been giving you the same answers for five years.
Isn't it about time you started hassling somebody else?
I still like you.
Yeah, well, next time you want to ask me a question,
you better have a warrant.
Until next time then.
[woman] And I believe the addition
of a Fortune 500 CEO like Walter Hastings
will be a big plus for the museum.
All in favor of this committee recommending his nomination?
Excuse me, Gwen. What about professor Elizabeth Conroy?
She's a brilliant anthropologist, and--
And she won't attract a nickel in contributions.
Well, shouldn't we give the board of trustees
the opportunity to decide which skills we need the most of?
Yes. Why don't we propose both names?
I'll second that motion.
All those in favor of proposing both names?
[everybody] Aye.
So moved. Unless there's further business,
this meeting of the nominating committee is adjourned.
Jessica, thanks for letting us meet here today.
My house is still under siege.
Problem is, Barry's so busy these days,
he's even more frazzled than I am.
Oh, lovely.
Oh, it belonged to my grandmother.
The clasp's loose. You'll lose it if you're not careful.
Quite right. I hadn't noticed.
Why don't you stop by the store?
They'll fix it in a minute.
I'll tell Barry's secretary to expect you.
-Just ask for Darlene. -Fine.
Could I use your phone?
I've got to check up on my plumber.
-Be my guest. -Thanks.
Well, I think we made some progress today,
thanks to your motion, Margaret.
And your second.
Good-bye.
[chattering]
-Hey, Mrs. Fletcher. -Hi.
Well, today's the day we knock all those gremlins
out of your cable hookup.
Promises, promises.
Yes. I just wanted to make sure
everything will be delivered before you start.
Don't worry, Mrs. Noble, we're right on schedule.
Okay. Right.
[man] It takes years of experience, Darlene,
and an inordinate amount of skill, if I do say so myself,
to study the potentials of a fine stone
and prepare it properly.
That's amazing, Augie.
But how do you know exactly where to cut the diamond?
Well, that's my job, you know?
Study beauty.
Listen, I-I-I was wondering,
if you weren't doing anything after work today--
Whoops, somebody's here. I gotta go.
Hello, miss. Can I help you?
Yes, I'm here to see Mr. Noble. Is he in?
Yes, he is. But do you have an appointment?
-He'll be glad to see me. -Oh...
[upbeat music playing]
♪ Hey, Barry Noble, You hear what's new ♪
♪ The diamond industry's Saluting you ♪
♪ You've been voted Man of the year ♪
♪ By friends and colleagues Far and near ♪
♪ This award goes to the best ♪
Just in time.
♪ You never rest ♪
♪ So let's all join in a toast ♪
♪ Our winner we congratulate ♪
♪ But no one loves you More than your mate ♪
♪ Gwen sends this message ♪
♪ On this special day ♪
[laughing]
[applause]
Oh.
Happy birthday, darling.
My goodness, sugar,
you could have knocked me over with a feather.
What a surprise.
Is this better?
It's worse. You know, to tell you the truth,
I get a better picture on my radio.
Ha ha! Don't worry, Mrs. Fletcher,
we're gonna figure this out.
The lady in 5B and the guy in 3B,
they're getting great reception.
Is that Susan's birthday present?
[laughs]
What'd you get her? You mind telling?
It's a wristwatch.
I think she's already got one.
Oh, not like this.
Now, listen to this.
It's ideal for a nurse intern.
Digital stop-action for taking someone's pulse,
multiple-setting beepers and buzzers,
and a daily calendar with readouts
to remind her which patient needs what and when.
Sounds like it'll do everything but change bedpans.
Ha ha! Oh, that's next year's model.
Yeah, I can hardly wait.
Lately, Susan and me,
there hasn't been a lot of time for us.
I know that she's been cramming for her boards.
She's going to those classes
and logging all those hours at the hospital.
It'll get easier when the exams are over.
I know. That's what she says, too.
I can't even afford to buy her a decent present.
Rob, you know, it really is the thought that counts.
Just get her something that could only come from you.
Yeah.
Hey, Kitty. Fancy running into you here.
Oh, hi, Leo.
I'm glad to see you're out of--
Yeah, yeah. Good to be out.
Look, let's get the tough stuff out of the way.
I don't blame you for not writing.
When you're 19, five years can seem like forever.
Something like that.
I understand you're with Roy now.
Oh, we see each other now and then.
Well, I checked in with him when I got paroled.
Roy was holding some money for me,
or at least I thought he was.
Turns out he wasn't, so there you are.
I asked him if there's any action around town,
but Roy said things have been real slow, huh?
I hear it's slow, too. Real slow.
You want to hear a joke?
I got a minimum-wage job
in an electronics store down at Columbus Circle,
demonstrating high-tech alarm systems.
The kind I used to beat in the capers that Roy used to dream up.
That's real funny.
Well, stop in and see me at the store
if you're ever in the neighborhood.
Okay.
Man, you're prettier than ever.
Thanks.
-Well, our best champagne? -Uh-huh.
Must be somebody's birthday.
Susan Constable's. She lives in your apartment building,
and she's studying to be a nurse.
Oh, I don't think I've met her.
-Hi, mom. -Hi, honey.
Hi, Mrs. Fletcher!
Kitty! I never get to see you
since you moved away.
Where have you been keeping yourself?
Well, I guess you heard I had a drinking problem.
Among other problems.
But everything's gonna be all right now.
I've been in AA six months.
Congratulations.
Mom's loaning us her apartment tonight
for our 12-step meeting.
Here's the key to the apartment.
Oh, and I put some cold cuts in the fridge
for you and your friends to enjoy.
Oh, mom, you're the best.
I'll tidy up after the meeting.
It was good seeing you, Mrs. Fletcher.
You, too.
My goodness, she looks wonderful.
Oh, now, if she could only meet a nice man.
Oh, everything would be perfect.
Not those no-goodniks she used to hang out with.
Here, have a good evening.
-Yeah. -Bye.
Hi there, Mrs. Fletcher.
Lieutenant, I didn't know you shopped here.
Well, it's the only place on the west side
where you can get the right kind of Sicilian olive oil.
And I'm also out of balsamic vinegar, too.
Oh. Well, while you're at it, take a look.
They've got some wonderful buffalo mozzarella.
When are we gonna get together again soon for some serious cooking?
That last meal we had was a feast.
Well, if you'll settle for the diet version,
I will call you.
Okay, Mrs. Fletcher.
Hiya, Mrs. Colfax. How are you?
You mean, how's my daughter?
Why don't you leave her alone?
She's trying to lead a good life now.
Have you seen her lately?
No. Not lately.
And don't touch that peach.
[chattering]
[beeps]
They're beautiful.
So are you.
Okay.
Now, watch very carefully.
Ta-da!
[laughs]
That's my birthday surprise? You wrecked my TV set.
Oh, no, no, no. Okay, all right, ready?
Ta-da! Cable.
54 channels' worth,
including all the pay TV stations.
Well, that's great. You know I can't afford
to pay for that every month.
Susan, it's free. Forever.
You bootlegged the cable into my apartment?
You are gonna get in trouble.
What kind of trouble? Who's gonna know, except you and me?
Admit it, is that not a terrific picture?
Oh, I've gotta check the stuff in the oven.
So, you like your present?
It's wonderful. I can't wait till I get some time to watch it.
[knock on door]
[man] Casey, come on. Let's go, babe. Open up.
Hi, honey. How'd it go?
Fine.
Were the cops real rough?
Nah, I snowed 'em, as usual.
But it's just as well we're meeting here,
in case they're watching my place.
What's in the bag?
I brought a couple of six-packs over for the guys.
We gotta lock in all the final details tonight.
Guess who I ran into
on the street this afternoon?
Leo.
Oh, yeah? What was that like?
Okay, I guess.
But I felt kind of funny,
because of old times and...
I sure wish we could have included him in.
Yeah, well, Kositchek's old news.
And Elgort works cheaper.
But, Roy--
Forget Kositchek!
Hey.
Hey, remember, you're my girl now.
A toast. Who wants to propose a toast?
As Susan's favorite professor, I claim the privilege.
To one of the best and the brightest, on her birthday.
-Happy birthday, Susan. -Thank you.
And I'm so glad you came into my life.
[laughter]
Mmm.
I'm gonna go check on the pots.
That idea you gave me
about the present for Susan was great.
And what-what idea was that?
Excuse me, but I understand you write books.
Now and then.
Do you use your own name?
Only if it turns out well.
Touche.
Mrs. Fletcher, what do you think of this picture?
I wish my picture was that good.
Well, I'm getting you a new booster tomorrow.
It's gonna solve all of those problems.
I got us a little something
I think might make life a little easier for us.
A roadmap on how to bypass
the security alarm circuits.
Oh, it's a caper movie.
Oh, I love Caper movies, don't you, Mrs. Fletcher?
This is not very well-directed.
It's very static. No close-ups or anything.
Yeah, it's probably one of those cheapo cable-access channels.
What about the Strongbox?
Hey, hon, these pictures are perfect.
[Casey] We aim to please.
Can I give you a hand in there, Susan?
A Weber 14. That's doable.
I love it.
Any more beer, Casey?
Bring me a brew, too, will you, Casey?
Anything exciting happen?
Just plotting and scheming.
Soup's on!
Come on, everybody.
No problem.
[Susan] Okay, everyone, sit down.
I hope mama doesn't smell beer up there.
She'll wonder what kind of meeting we were having.
Got a light?
-Thanks. -See you.
[tires screeching]
[thud, tires screeh]
[laughs]
This is a major diamond we're talking about,
one of the largest ever found.
You don't slice it up like it's a hunk of salami.
-Tomorrow, for sure. -No later.
Tell the others, okay? So I don't have to spend all day on the phone.
Yeah, right.
All right, bye.
[sighs]
Tense.
The catch is loose right there, you see?
It should only take him a few minutes to fix it.
Oh, then, I'll wait.
I presume that that is a model?
Yes, it's glass. The real one is 990 karats
from the premier mine in Sierra Leone.
It's going to become nine emerald-shaped diamonds
and four solitaires.
Hmm, thirteen. Is that a lucky number?
-In diamonds, any number is lucky. -Ha ha!
Have you seen that workaholic husband of mine?
I think he's in his office.
[phone rings]
Hello? Yes.
Hold on a moment.
Augie, dear, long distance. From Zurich.
Yes? Hi.
Yeah, look, I'm-I'm kind of busy right now.
Okay, later would be fine. Bye.
-Well, let's go see Barry. -Mm-hmm.
Jessica, I've been reconsidering
our discussion at the committee meeting.
Thank you so much for your help, Mr. Grumbacher.
I've decided to support your candidate
for the trustee position.
Well, she's not my candidate, Gwen.
I just thought that she was the best qualified.
Then it's settled.
We'll make it a unanimous committee recommendation.
-Great. -Will you be home at around 6:00?
I can stop by with the amended nomination form.
Oh, yes.
[laughs] -Barry...
Gwen. What a nice surprise.
Isn't it?
Here you go, sir.
Ah. Jessica, here we are.
All repaired and ready to go. No charge, of course.
Well, thank you, Barry.
Our pleasure.
Ciao, Jessica.
[mouthing] Thank you.
Roy? Something's come up.
I know we can't talk about it over the phone.
The usual place? Fine.
I'll meet you there in an hour.
All right. Okay.
That's really been on my mind.
That's out of my pocket.
I never even got paid for the first guarantee job,
but I want to try and make it up to you for taking the fall.
What's past is past. But thanks.
Hey, it kills me to see you working
some dumb nine-to-six job for some chump change.
Everybody's got to live, right?
So anyway, listen.
I've been looking high and low for a situation,
and, well, there's good news today, Leo.
A tasty little deal turned up
I might be able to squeeze you into.
-No kidding? -Yeah man, right up your alley.
Spinning some of your old black magic
on the alarm console. What do you say?
And when is all of this supposed to happen?
Like, immediately.
See, that's a problem, Roy.
We're having a big sale at the store.
I gotta take care of all kinds of things--
What the hell are you talking about?
I'm talking about being a last-minute replacement.
That's what I am, right?
Better late than never. You want the gig or not?
Sure, but on my terms.
Which are?
You need me that bad, I get a piece of your action.
Fiffty-fifty.
You put Elgort out of commission, didn't you?
He's in a coma at the hospital.
[laughing]
It's the law of supply and demand.
Sometimes you have to create your own demand.
You've even been bugging our meetings, haven't you?
Good part about that, Roy,
is I'm already up to speed on my part of the caper.
Kitty wasn't working with you, was she?
[scoffs] I wish.
It would've been a lot easier for me that way.
Okay. Fifty-fifty.
[chuckles]
Another meeting, all of a sudden?
In the middle of the afternoon?
It's with my AA sponsor.
Come on, mama, you're here,
so the apartment's empty anyway.
Are you sure you're not getting into trouble again, Kitty?
Mama, do I look like I'm in trouble?
Here.
-Hi, Mrs. Fletcher. -Oh, hi.
Sorry I can't stop and talk. I'm meeting someone.
Oh, almost forgot my bag.
Something's going on with her,
and I think I know what it is.
I think she's started drinking again.
[knock on door]
Hi, Mrs. Fletcher.
I'm so sorry to interrupt your studying,
but this won't take long.
You said you wanted to see my TV?
Well, yeah, that movie that was on...
I don't get that channel on my set.
Hmm. It's still in the same place. It must be running again.
Without any actors. That's very strange.
I'm glad you came by,
because you want to hear something even stranger?
One of the actors from that show
turned up in ICU late last night.
His name is Norman Elgort,
and he was in a hit-and-run accident.
He's in a coma.
And that other actor, the one that played the boss,
came by to visit him this morning before I went off my shift.
That other actor, the boss...
what did he say, Susan, exactly?
I checked with Actors' Equity,
with Screen Actors Guild, but this Mr. Elgort
doesn't belong to either one of them.
Yeah, the guy in a coma.
According to the ambulance service,
this accident took place just a couple of doors down
from Susan's apartment house.
[phone rings]
-Yeah? -Lieutenant Giordano?
-Yeah? -Your report done?
No.
Look, Mrs. Fletcher,
I don't mean to be rude or abrupt,
but you caught me at a really bad time.
Well, I can certainly see that.
And I'm sure the story you're telling me
probably isn't as confusing as it sounds.
Now, you said it was on TV?
Yeah, but I don't think that it was a real TV show.
Sure, whatever. Can we talk about this later
when things quiet down?
Look, lieutenant, this may be very urgent.
Now, they were planning--
Mrs. Fletcher, please, you've gotta excuse me.
That's him! That's one of the men!
Wait. Sit down, Mrs. Fletcher.
Please, please.
You saw this man? Where?
I told you, on TV.
Only, I think it was some sort of a closed-circuit thing.
Now, apparently, he is the boss.
Now, Susan said that he came to the hospital
to look in on this Elgort fellow.
Now, you said when you saw these people, they were...
Planning a robbery.
And this man was the leader.
Roy Phipps? And who else?
Well, I couldn't see all of them,
but there was a woman there they called Casey,
but I think those were her initials.
Kitty Colfax. We know about her.
She's Phipps' girlfriend.
[phone rings]
Yeah, hold all calls, please.
Jessica, Jessica...
can we start all over again at the beginning?
Oh, yes, yes, of course. You see, last night,
I was invited to this little party.
[knock on door]
[Gwen] Hello?
[woman] Hey, you're a little early. I'm just out of the shower.
I'll be right with you. Make yourself comfortable.
[phone rings]
Hello?
Susan, it's about your TV.
Oh, I just turned it on again, Mrs. Fletcher,
and that weird show's still running.
No, you're not gonna get away with this.
[gunshots blasting, groans]
Susan, were those gunshots?
Someone just shot the woman on the TV. She's a new character.
Listen, Susan,
that isn't a real show that you're watching.
My friend lieutenant Giordano
has sent police officers over to your apartment, and--
[knock on door]
That must be them. I'll be right back, Mrs. Fletcher.
-Police? -Yeah.
Are you here about the TV?
You'll have to come with me, miss.
Susan? Susan?
Mrs. Fletcher, you were right.
Someone has been tampering with the cable feed downstairs.
You mean someone besides you.
Oh, man.
If I didn't pull that damn stunt bootlegging the cable,
Susan would still be here instead of who-knows-where.
Lieutenant, I think we better let Rob
take another look downstairs.
-Yeah. Right. -Let's go, Rob.
If you detected tampering, Rob,
that video feed might be coming
from somewhere in this building.
You're right, Jessica.
I should've taken a closer look
when I was down here before.
A guy in your business ought to know better
than to hitch a ride on somebody else's cable system.
Next time, you could be charged with larceny.
Trust me, lieutenant, there won't be a next time.
[Rob] Oh, now I see what happened.
When I added the shunt from 3E up to Susan's apartment,
I was picking up the feed from 3E without knowing it.
Lieutenant, I have a pretty good idea
who'll be opening the door in 3E.
[gasps] Lieutenant? Mrs. Fletcher?
Can we come in, Mrs. Colfax?
Sure. What's this all about?
We had a report of a disturbance in here.
Where's the body?
Body? What--
Please, what is this all about, Mrs. Fletcher?
Well, it's rather complicated, Leah.
Lieutenant, there's a stain over here
that looks as if someone had tried to remove it,
but they didn't quite get it all.
Maybe Kitty spilled something.
Oh, look, here's another.
Salad dressing.
When did you get here, Mrs. Colfax?
Oh, just a few minutes ago.
I left my part-time clerk downstairs at the store.
I thought Kitty was still up here.
I wanted to talk to her, but she was gone.
Oh, are you saying that somebody was here and...
and they hurt Kitty? Oh, please tell me what's going on.
Hey, look. I found the camera.
Don't touch it! It might have prints on it.
Now we're starting to get somewhere.
Yeah, sure. But where's Susan?
And where's my daughter?
You won't kill her, will you, Roy?
To tell you the truth,
I haven't given it a whole lot of thought yet.
I got more pressing things on my mind.
You think we can still make it happen, even though--
Even though nothin'. I gave Kositchek nice clear orders.
He'll drive out, and he'll drop off the merchandise.
Assuming he works fast enough,
we'll be right back on schedule.
Why'd you have to... you know.
Who says I did?
But when I walked into the living room
and found you bending over...
Hey, maybe it was you, Kitty.
You were there alone in the apartment with her
before I even got there.
Hey, forget it. Never mind.
The point is, you can't have all this garbage
cluttering up your head. Not tonight, you understand?
[Phipps] Come on, Dorsey, move it!
Ha ha!
Hey, is this little surprise for me?
Don't get too attached to her, all right?
She won't be with us very long.
Thanks for waiting for me, Augie.
I got stuck at a meeting downtown.
I figured you'd want to go over it
one last time before tomorrow.
But we're there now, right? Point of no return.
Thanks for being so patient, Mr. Noble.
I just wanted to make sure about every detail.
I'm not worried, Augie.
Not with your touch.
[chuckling]
[phone rings]
Grumbacher here.
Hello. Is Mr. Noble still there, by any chance?
Yeah, he's right here, Mrs. Fletcher.
Jessica, what can I do for you?
Actually, I'm looking for Gwen.
We had some museum business to take care of,
and she's supposed to stop by my place
with a form to sign, and she hasn't shown up.
Well, I'm sure she hasn't forgotten.
She's a fiend for detail.
Probably just caught in cross-town traffic.
Yeah, well, that's what I thought.
But she is over an hour late.
Well, if I hear from her before you see her--
Well, tell her I'm at home, would you?
Thank you so much, Barry.
All right, gentlemen, that's it.
We'll see you all tomorrow.
Yes, Sir.
Just get the door here.
[beeps] -We're all set.
Come on. I got a table for us at Luciano's.
Good night, sir.
Leo, time for the night shift to go on duty?
[beeps]
The welcome mat is out.
Okay, let's go.
Don't look at me. There's nothing I can do.
[phone rings]
Giordano here.
Lieutenant, is there any news about Susan?
Not yet, Mrs. Fletcher. But I was just about to call you.
The first reports came in from the lab.
Oh, anything interesting?
Some of the stains on the carpet in 3E
are definitely blood. But not Kitty Colfax's type.
Kositchek's fingerprints were on the surveillance camera,
so he was spying on his old buddy Phipps.
-Cozy little group. -Yeah, aren't they, though?
Phipps's fingerprints, along with Elgort
and their crony Axel Dorsey also were in the apartment.
So, now we know who all the players are.
Trouble is, can't find any of them at the moment.
It would've been nice, Jessica,
if, when you were watching them on TV,
they'd have given you the name and the address
of the place they were gonna hit.
Lieutenant, it's a crazy coincidence,
but I believe they did.
And it was your Mr. Phipps who kindly did the honors.
And I think I know whose blood you found on that carpet.
[sighs]
Where are they? They were due out three minutes ago.
I knew you'd make a mistake sooner or later, Roy.
What the hell are you doing here?
I had a lot of help from my friend.
Mrs. Fletcher?
She was alert enough to spot the Noble logo
on that blueprint you were using
to map out your caper.
Mrs. Fletcher?
Oh, Susan. Thank heavens.
Are you all right?
They... they were going to kill me.
They had me tied up, but she let me go.
Okay, good. Now that you're all here,
I only have to say this once.
You have the right to remain silent.
[phone rings]
Hello?
Just wanted to give you an update.
It's all fitting together now.
They found Gwen's body in a drainpipe
near the Queensboro bridge.
Where Leo Kositchek claims he put it
because Phipps told him to.
We have witnesses who saw Gwen and Barry Noble
at a dinner party just weeks before,
with Noble yelling he'd divorce her in a second,
but he didn't want her to get any of his money.
So that was Gwen's motive
for participating in the theft.
Yeah. And when Noble somehow found out she was in on it,
that probably put him over the top, motive-wise.
The gun we found in the trash barrel
near the murder site turns out to be the death weapon.
And it was registered to Barry Noble.
But if he used his own gun,
why would he leave it where you'd find it so easily?
Come on, you know most of these guys really want to get caught.
Anyway, he followed her back to the apartment, and--
Excuse me, lieutenant, but something has just occurred to me.
And I'm afraid you're about to charge the wrong person.
[siren wailing]
Mr. Grumbacher.
Mr. Grumbacher, glad I caught up with you.
Lieutenant Giordano, NYPD.
Can I... Can I ask you a big favor?
What sort of favor?
A kind of legality just cropped up at the jewel store.
The DAs office says before we can sign over
the big diamond to Noble's investors,
we have to get it-- what do you call it? Authenticated.
I'd like to help you out, lieutenant,
but I have an appointment.
Look. Can you spare us a couple of seconds?
We'll whiz by the store,
you give us the okay on the stone,
and I'll have a squad car drop you wherever you say.
I don't want to be late.
Hey, they'll turn on the siren
and run all the traffic lights if you tell 'em.
-Okay? -Okay.
Attaboy, come on, jump in the back seat there.
Right this way, Mr. Grumbacher.
Oh, hi, Augie. I hope you're not mad,
me putting them in touch with you.
Oh, no, no, that's okay.
Mrs. Fletcher, what are you doing here?
Lieutenant Giordano suggested that I should stop by.
Mr. Grumbacher, take a seat over here, will you, please?
That's it.
Sit down, make yourself comfortable.
Now, all you gotta do is make the official verification
on that diamond, and you'll be on your way.
Now, then, Mrs. Fletcher,
what was this dispute
you had with Mrs. Noble about?
Well, it wasn't exactly a dispute, lieutenant.
It was more in the nature really of--
Excuse me, lieutenant. I can't do what you asked me to do.
Why not? I can't authenticate this
because it's not real.
You're kiddin'.
Then where's the real one?
The thieves must have gotten it after all.
And how would they have managed that, Mr. Grumbacher,
when they were caught in mid-robbery?
Unless you're referring to yourself.
Oh, I-I don't know what you mean, Mrs. Fletcher.
I think you do.
You were part of their plan from the very beginning.
In many ways, you were the key man.
Mrs. Fletcher, I--
For starters, you were in a position
to delay the cutting of the diamond
long enough for Phipps and the others
to mount their robbery plan.
That's ridiculous. I wasn't delaying in helping anyone.
I was simply doing my job.
Actually, you needed the time for yourself, too,
because, while they were plotting and preparing,
you worked out an extra plan of your own.
Your plan was to steal the diamond yourself
and let the others conceal your crime
by unknowingly stealing a second model that you'd made.
So Phipps wouldn't realize he'd been tricked
until after it was all over.
Then who could he complain to?
And while the police were chasing them,
you cut the diamond into smaller shapes
so that you could dispose of them without being traced.
This is all a fabrication, Mrs. Fletcher.
Not really, Augie. Your plan was perfect
until Gwen Noble stumbled into it.
The other day, when I met you,
your phone rang and Gwen answered it.
It was a call from Zurich.
And that upset both of you,
because she wasn't supposed to know about that.
It was your secret.
I'm sorry, but I get a lot of phone calls.
I don't particularly recall that one.
We checked the phone records.
The call was from Sebastian Racoubian,
one of the 11 calls you had with him in the last month.
Interpol lists Racoubian
as a well-known black-market gem dealer.
He was the fence who was gonna dispose
of the cut stones for you.
Gwen probably recognized
Mr. Racoubian's voice on the phone,
and you knew that if she got to Phipps and told him,
it was all over for you.
Nobody's ever gonna believe any of this.
I bet Phipps will. And when I tell him
he was busting his chops cracking a safe
to get at a phony diamond... oh, he'll be glad.
Okay, okay, okay, I admit it.
I was in on the robbery.
It almost worked.
A few hours more, and I would have been in Zurich.
A multimillionaire.
Listen, lieutenant,
now that I've given you back the diamond,
suppose I testify against Phipps and the others?
Maybe we can cut a deal.
Sounds interesting.
Except for one little detail.
-What's that? -Gwen Noble's murder.
-I didn't kill anybody. -I'm afraid you did, Augie.
Your diamond-cutting preparation gave you away.
You see, Mrs. Colfax said the other spots on her carpet
were salad dressing,
and it wasn't until a little while ago,
when I was preparing a salad,
that I realized it might have been olive oil
that made those stains.
The lab boys say it's a combination
of olive oil and powdered diamond dust.
You'd been working with the diamond cutter
when the phone call came,
so the residue was on your shoes
when you followed Gwen to the apartment and killed her.
I panicked.
She couldn't wait to call Phipps.
I knew she wouldn't chance it over the phone,
but once they got together,
I was afraid that he'd kill me.
I knew I had to stop her.
So, when no one was looking, I--
I took the gun out of Mr. Noble's desk, and...
and followed her to the apartment.
So you're here. Good.
Because I'm gonna tell them what you're trying to do.
Trying to cheat us out of--
You're not gonna get away with this.
All those years being paid a pittance
for polishing those priceless diamonds
for everyone else.
I just wanted something for myself.
Then you think you did well on the medical boards?
I aced 'em. I know I did.
It's incredible. After all that's happened,
I walked into those exams so relaxed.
Sometimes experiences like that
remind us what's really important.
Tell me.
Oh, Jessica, before I forget,
that part finally came in, so I can fix your cable.
Thanks, Rob, but I think I'll pass.
[laughter]