[Jessica] Tonight, on Murder, She Wrote.
...when my very special guest will be
mystery writer, J.B. Fletcher.
I hear you've been having some more trouble down at your restaurant.
Nothing I can't handle.
Just wanted to thank you, mi vida.
I haven't done anything.
You know what they say about a woman scorned, Bernardo.
Your bluntness has a certain naive charm.
People have been murdered for less.
Bernardo, we have no cash left.
Just tell him you gotta call in the police.
I've been guilty of great foolishness in my life.
Not all criminals are known for their genius.
You just keep your eyes and ears shut.
[cheerful instrumental music playing]
[indistinct chattering]
How bad is it?
[man] It's beyond bad, uncle Bernardo.
Damn it. This time, you gotta call in the police.
You tell them everything. Demand protection.
Please, Philip, don't be naive.
Do you really think they can protect us
from being victims of a hit-and-run?
Or me falling accidentally out of a ten-story window?
You've been watching too many gangster movies, you know that?
And you are too young to know what you're talking about.
I grew up with people like Avoncino.
The last thing you do, is go to the police.
But we are not giving in, either.
Call the carpet people.
And where are we supposed to get the money?
The insurance company.
Get your pretty wife to bat her eyes at them.
Then what's to keep this from happening again?
What do you want me to do?
Just hand over our restaurant to the mob?
I could also throw myself into a vat of boiling oil.
Please do as I say. Try.
Okay.
Jessica Fletcher's here.
Not now, not now.
-Bernardo-- -Don't worry.
I will take care of everything.
Okay.
And this is where our director will call his camera cues.
Jessica, there's no reason to feel nervous.
I promise you, you'll hardly notice the cameras are there.
And Bernardo's very excited about your being here.
Bernardo only looks ferocious.
Underneath, he's just a soft, cuddly pussycat.
Jessica, this is my wife Diane.
Of course. Dining With Diane.
You know, I tried that restaurant
that you recommended on your last show.
You were quite right. The food was delicious.
It's too bad I can't say the same
for the dump I'm reviewing today.
Jessica, if there's anything you need, just holler.
And if your stage presence is half as good as your writing,
I assure you you'll have a terrific show.
You should feel flattered, Mrs. Fletcher.
I've learned that station managers rarely have time to read.
Or to do anything else that's not related to work.
Oh, and next time,
make sure the cilantro is fresh.
The market had delivered it by mistake.
I had asked for cumin.
I don't care if it was tooth powder,
which, in this instance, would've tasted better.
One minute, Bernardo.
We'll finish this later.
Hey, I thought you were used to him by now.
Only a fool or a coward grows used to insults.
I know that you're neither of those.
Come on.
Don't let it get to you, okay?
Camera two, close-up on the fish.
Music.
[lively music playing]
Oh, are you enjoying yourself?
-Oh, everyone's been terrific, Lorna. -Great.
And five, four,
three, two...
Buongiorno!
And welcome to Bonelli's Kitchen.
I am your chef, Bernardo Bonelli.
And today, we go to the beautiful city of Venice
for a marvelous recipe:
marinated sole with pine nuts and raisins,
or, as they say in Venezia,
[speaking Italian]
So get that pad and pencil ready
and prepare yourself for a dish
that will be delizioso.
Remember...
the fillets of sole must be fresh and firm.
Red wine vinegar,
olive oil and vegetable oil in equal parts.
Pine nuts, toasted. Saute the onions,
raisins and a touch of cilantro...
I prefer it fresh from the market.
And...
perfetto.
[speaks Italian]
Perfect. So...
until tomorrow, [speaking Italian]
when my very special guest will be...
mystery writer J.B. Fletcher,
who will show us that cooking
does not have to be murder.
Until then...
farewell, buon appetito e arrivederci.
And we are out!
Hey, great show, Bernardo!
Of course it was. And this, of course,
is the lovely and talented Jessica Fletcher.
I hope you enjoyed today's little offering, Mrs. Fletcher.
Very, very much. I was particularly interested, though,
that you didn't plump up the raisins
with boiling water first.
But I assume that's your personal touch.
Manuel.
Where was the boiling water
for the raisins today?
It wasn't in your recipe instructions.
Oh! Ha ha!
Do I have to spell everything out for you?
You're supposed to be such a hotshot where you come from.
Or were all those glowing reviews you showed me phony?
I'm sorry, chef Bonelli, you're right.
I should've double-checked.
I didn't mean to imply that it was a mistake. I--
Be careful what you say on the air tomorrow, Mrs. Fletcher...
as I would be if I were a guest
on a show you were hosting.
Oh, Mr. Bonelli, I didn't intend--
Lorna, we're going to have to talk.
What good is this claim form?
They can't do this to us.
They can if they think that we sabotaged the restaurant ourselves,
that we left the place unlocked.
And they raise the question about all the other claims,
the broken dishes, the silverware stolen.
Unless we report this to the police,
we can forget about the insurance money.
All right, forget about the insurance.
We'll get less expensive carpeting.
With what? We have no cash left.
Just give him another chance.
He's been under a lot of pressure.
I know he didn't mean to snap at you like that.
Charm them, cara mia. Charm them.
Tell them we'll pay in 30 days.
I should get back to the restaurant.
Jeannine, we don't give up.
You really like to complicate your life, don't you?
Come on, Diane. She's married to my nephew.
Ha! Somehow, I don't see that stopping you, Bernardo.
But there's still room enough in your life for me--
Please, Diane.
Come on, Bernardo. Don't tell me you haven't thought
about what it'd be like for us.
You are imagining things.
Good things.
Damn it, do I have to be more clear?
For the last time, I have no interest
in having an affair with you.
Aside from the fact that you already have a husband,
I don't think of you that way.
You know what they say about a woman scorned, Bernardo.
Especially when the woman in question
has the power to deep-six your new restaurant...
in front of a very large audience.
I don't believe you would do that.
Try me, darling.
Taxi!
Hey, Bonelli!
Mr. Avoncino wants to see you.
Well, well, well. Look who's here.
I hear you've been having some more trouble
down at your restaurant.
Nothing I can't handle.
[laughs]
That's what you said about the burst pipes,
-the China... -The stolen silverware.
I can't decide whether you're an optimistic fool
or a masochistic one.
Neither can I.
Well, you can change that.
All this needs is your signature.
And, as I've said to you too many times before,
the moment I become your new partner in the restaurant,
I will personally guarantee
that no more accidents will happen.
And I'll make good on any damages
not covered by your insurance.
As I have said to you too many times before,
go to hell.
Could be you're both kinds of a fool.
Yeah.
-Bonelli. -Eh?
I'll give you one final alternative
to seeing your dream go down in flames.
You have 24 hours to sign.
Yeah.
Lorna, I am so sorry.
I just hope that your investment isn't too large.
Oh, large enough. It was all the money
that my grandmother left me.
My mother would kill me.
Ha! For what it's worth,
I think your grandma would have approved.
You know, I think so, too.
But Avoncino's done so much damage,
we're really scraping the barrel.
Is that the reason that Mr. Bonelli behaved so badly today?
I can't apologize enough.
Even with everything that's going on,
I know his behavior was inexcusable.
I get the feeling that he enjoys
just being temperamental.
Ha ha! And I get the feeling
that nothing I'm going to say is gonna convince you
to do the show tomorrow.
-Mrs. Fletcher? -Yes.
Miss Thompson.
Forgive the intrusion.
I'm Paul Avoncino.
I know who you are, Mr. Avoncino.
Oh. Just once, I'd like to run into someone
who doesn't read the papers or watch television.
Then you're wasting your time.
What do you want?
Just to tell you how upset I was
to hear about last night's incident.
I was so looking forward to the opening.
Why don't you get the point?
Your bluntness has a certain naive charm...
misplaced as it is.
I was hoping that you might, uh,
have the good sense to talk to Bonelli on my behalf,
if only to protect your investment.
I would rather lose everything
than have you as a partner.
Oh. Well, in that case,
good day, miss Thompson.
I hope your future ventures will afford you more success
than you had with Bonelli's.
Mrs. Fletcher.
Jessica...
please don't say anything.
All I was going to say is...
I'm not going to let you down.
I'll be at the studio tomorrow.
-Come on, let's eat. -Okay.
[Bernard] You told Mrs. Fletcher about Avoncino?
[Diane] There was not a lot I could do about it.
He ambushed us.
Why don't you tell the whole world?
I think I have a cousin in Schenectady
who hasn't heard about it yet.
All right.
Thank you anyway. Bye.
That was the bank.
They won't extend our credit anymore,
no matter how cheap the new carpeting.
All right. We just make do with what we have.
You'll cook, I'll host,
Lorna can borrow supplies from the studio,
and Jeannine can be your assistant chef.
Phil, I haven't cooked professionally in years.
Why don't we go out and find a barn
and invite the whole town and have a square dance afterwards?
Okay, uncle Bernardo,
do you have any better ideas?
[sighs]
Keep your nose up.
[laughs] It's "chin", kiddo.
You're supposed to keep your chin up.
Mine's down to my shoes right now.
Hey, like Mr. Phil said, we make do with what we have.
Well, I have two uncles
that work in the finest restaurant in San Salvador.
One call, Lorna. One call.
One call, and your family would be here?
Yeah, but it's too late, Manuel.
May I say how lovely you look today, Mrs. Fletcher?
And I am so delighted that you have decided to do the show.
I hope this means that you have forgiven my temper tantrum?
It means that I would like to review
what we're going to do on the air.
Oh, of course, of course.
You told me that we will prepare everything for the camera,
just as if we were in a regular kitchen?
Although, the result that we show the viewers
is already made.
And Manuel's keeping it warm in another part of the studio.
I see.
And all I ask is that you promise
not to add any cyanide to it...
like you did in your novel.
Ha ha ha! That depends.
Touche. Brava.
Now, when we display the final dish to the viewers,
I will take a bite of it to show how good it is.
And after one hour,
the lamb will be brown and tender,
and the vegetables will remain crisp
and retain their full flavor and color.
Thank you, Jessica, per questa bellissima ricetta,
this beautiful recipe that you are sharing with us today.
Lamb and vegetable risotto
from J.B. Fletcher's latest novel,
The Uncorked.
Without the cyanide, of course.
[laughs]
It was a great pleasure, chef Bernardo.
You see? She makes no mention of the cyanide.
In which case, in which case, in the grand tradition
of the murder mysteries,
I think you should have the first taste.
Of course.
Mmm.
I must say that mine was never this good.
There you have it!
Lamb and vegetable risotto
from J.B. Fletcher.
Jessica, now the viewers will be looking forward
to your books and your recipes. [speaking Italian]
Until tomorrow,
buon appetito e arrivederci.
Something wrong, Jessica?
I thought I tasted something different in the risotto.
Spicier, perhaps? What did you put in it?
You have a discerning palate, Mrs. Fletcher.
It's turmeric. I use it instead of saffron.
It's a much less expensive spice
for about the same flavor.
Turmeric? That's a very good idea.
Yes, it's a brilliant idea.
Why didn't I think of it?
[laughs]
The decor and the service
were equally unmitigated disasters.
So I strongly suggest
that you steer clear of the Cafe Foccacio
until they get their act together.
Until next week, when I review the Steak Casino,
this is Diane Weaver with Dining With Diane.
Ha ha! Your wife doesn't take any prisoners, does she?
Including me.
Thank you very much for a great show.
I have to admit, I really enjoyed myself.
So maybe we've piqued your interest
-in hosting a weekly book talk show? -Oh, I don't think--
For God's sake, Alex, you've got to do something.
-I'm in the middle-- -No, now!
My lighting today was a total disaster.
I looked like the wicked witch of the west.
Right.
I'll speak with the crew.
Jessica, if you'll excuse me.
Of course.
Tell them they're not shooting a horror film.
Nice show today, Mrs. Fletcher.
I'm sure Lorna earned her raise,
having you as a guest.
Well, she works very hard.
Yes, she does. Especially for Bernardo.
He's such a pushover for a pretty face.
Well, if you'll excuse me, Mrs. Weaver,
I'll keep an eye out for your show.
You just thought you'd substitute turmeric for the saffron?
Without telling me?
I would've asked, but you've been so preoccupied lately.
Which does not mean you make decisions for me!
Clear out your locker. You're fired.
Hey, what's going on? Something wrong?
No, nothing.
What's wrong with Manuel?
I'll tell you later.
Um...
I looked over my bank statements.
I reworked my budget 50 different ways.
I even thought about asking Alex for a raise.
Never mind. It was just a thought.
Maybe I could sell my car.
Forget it, cara mia.
Go home, get some sleep.
Yeah.
[phone ringing]
Hello?
Mona? How are you?
You did?
Well, thank you.
Of course I'll give you the recipe.
Chef Bernardo?
Well, he was very interesting.
Mona, could I call you back later?
Thank you.
[phone rings]
Hello?
Oh, I'm fine, Edna.
Chef Bernardo's autograph?
Alex, all I need is...
all I need is enough to cover current expenses.
I'm talking very short-term,
six months at the most.
And how does my wife fit into this?
What do you mean?
I'm surprised that you didn't have her ask me.
Alex, I've been guilty of great foolishness in my life,
but I would never dishonor our relationship that way.
There's nothing going on between Diane and me,
except in her imagination.
And apparently yours.
How am I supposed to believe this
coming from someone who's hitting me up for $50,000?
Maybe you want to believe.
So you feel justified in turning me down.
I don't need an excuse.
Now, if you don't mind...
You're making the wisest move of your life, Bernardo.
And, as promised,
I'll have all the carpeting replaced immediately.
And I will pick up all your suppliers' outstanding bills.
The ristorante opens on schedule.
Cheer up, Bernardo.
Oh, of course, I'm thrilled.
Two thirds of everything that I've worked for,
dreamed of, slaved over,
now belongs to you.
The name on the door is still yours.
You'll still be running it.
Until you decide otherwise?
Bernardo, I give you my word of honor.
You give honorable men a bad name.
You just keep your eyes and ears shut,
and this place will stay open.
Is that clear?
What is clear to me
is, until I'm carried out of here,
the only one who will give orders in this restaurant is me,
and only me.
-You speak to Langdon in Miami? -Of course.
We won't be requiring Mr. Bonelli's services much longer.
[chattering in Italian]
[gasps] Oh, Manuel!
I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you.
I heard about what happened.
I've been trying to call you.
I already moved out. Listen, Lorna,
I wanted to make it here with Bernardo, with you.
But without this job, I have to go home.
Let me talk to Bernardo. I can convince him to change his mind.
I don't think he'll listen.
But don't worry about me, amorcito.
I'm looking forward to seeing my family.
Tonight is your night.
Your opening. Enjoy it.
I wish you the best.
Manuel, no. Just give me another day or two.
It wouldn't make a difference.
I just wanted to thank you, mi vida...
for everything.
I haven't done anything.
Good-bye.
Oh, Jessica, I'm so glad you came.
Well, I'm just so glad there was something to come for.
How did Bernardo pull it off?
Not with this!
With this! Like this.
Keep your eye on it, huh?
Margaret, more cilantro for the bread dip.
I want it to bite back, not shake my hand.
You! Aspetta.
What do you call this? You call this champagne?
I've ordered the Saint Borel champagne,
just like you said.
I said 1987!
This is '88. Bad year. A disastrous year!
Well, I've had no complaints.
I am complaining, Philip!
I'm the only one you need to worry about!
If you can't follow one simple order,
maybe we should discuss your lack of aptitude for this business!
What happened? I could hear him yelling outside.
Nothing. I have work to do.
Mrs. Fletcher, can I get you anything?
Nothing at the moment, thank you.
How did you like the creamed garlic dip?
Well, it's wonderful,
but I'd better save some room for the entree.
Just try one of these.
Sliced chicken on gorgonzola spread.
-I made it myself. -I don't think I can resist.
Thank you.
Please excuse me.
-Ah, Mrs. Fletcher. -Mr. Avoncino.
Want to congratulate me on my new investment?
To be quite honest, I'm not sure how I feel about that.
You wish I had nothing to do with it.
[chuckles]
Well, nevertheless...
salute to you, Mrs. Fletcher.
And success to Bonelli's.
I'll drink to that...
if only for Lorna Thompson's sake.
[chattering]
Congratulations, Bernardo.
The place looks marvelous.
Thank you, darling.
Though rumor has it you had to
sell your soul to the devil.
Excuse me.
Do you have to be so embarrassingly obvious?
Why don't you just drool over the food instead of the chef?
Well, I give the decor a ten,
but the food... possibly a five.
They haven't served dinner yet.
Hmm, I can almost taste it.
[glass clinking]
May I have your attention, please?
Attention, everyone.
Thank you all for coming.
And especially for eating.
I would like to introduce the man
who makes us all look forward to being hungry,
Chef Bernardo Bonelli.
I know, I know, you are all expecting
a short, but witty speech.
So here it is.
-I'd rather cook than talk. [laughter]
Well, at least it's short.
So now I can give you my favorite wish...
[speaking Italian]
[violin music playing]
[grunts]
[Jessica] I'm so sorry, Marie.
Can we reschedule for tomorrow?
Oh, yes, I should be out of here by then.
Well, I'll have all the changes in chapter 12 plugged in.
Good. Then I'll see you around 9:30. Bye.
Mrs. Fletcher.
Oh, Jeannine, Phil.
I'm so sorry about your uncle.
Part of me can't believe he's dead.
I mean, just when everything was turning around for him.
What will happen to the restaurant?
As soon as the police clear out, we'll reopen.
We've recommended Manuel Ramirez to Mr. Avoncino.
You mean that nice young man that Bernardo fired?
He made most of the dishes prepared on Bernardo's show.
And we had him experiment with recipes for the restaurant.
Some of the meals on the menu are Manuel's creations.
Mrs. Fletcher? Mrs. Jessica Fletcher?
Finally. Excuse me, please.
Sergeant, Timothy Milner,
attorney for Mr. Avoncino.
We'd like to speak to the detective
in charge of the Bonelli case.
I'll bet you do. Put your name on the list
and have your client take a seat.
Now, you don't understand, sergeant. I mean now,
unless you'd like to be riding shotgun
in the South Bronx, midnight-to-8:00 shift.
Mrs. Fletcher, would you mind?
Yes. Yes, I would.
You know, Mr. Milner, I'm sure that you and your client
have more than enough muscle to get whatever you want.
But I have been waiting here for two hours,
as have some of these other people.
Mrs. Fletcher, please, by all means.
And I left at 1 a.m.
the party was still in progress,
and Mr. Bonelli was very much alive.
I heard on the radio
that you might have a suspect in custody?
A Lorna Thompson.
Lorna?
But what reason would she have to kill Mr. Bonelli?
We have a theory or two.
But right now her fingerprints on the murder weapon
are enough to hold her.
[phone rings] -Ah, excuse me.
MacKenzie.
-...got the tests back. -Oh, good.
-And? -And we also got...
Uh-huh.
And the blood type?
[sighs]
All right, Jerry. Stay on it.
-Okay, where were we? -Oh.
Detective, I was wondering
if I might speak to miss Thompson.
Sure.
I assumed he was still alive.
My first thought was to pull out the knife,
that maybe I could save him.
Yeah, it's stupid, I know.
I explained it to the police.
They didn't believe me.
But what possible motive
could they think you have for killing Mr. Bonelli?
When I invested my grandmother's money,
I took out an insurance policy to protect it.
If anything happened to Bernardo,
I would get it back double.
Well, your grandmother would've approved of that.
Jessica, I wanted this restaurant
to be just as much a success as he did.
But do they have any proof?
They have enough so that they're not interested
in looking for another suspect.
Why the long faces?
The investigation is wrapped up.
Now we can turn our attention back to the restaurant.
Jeannine and I were hoping that, with Bernardo gone,
you'd consider selling us your share.
Life's funny, isn't it?
I was about to make you the same offer.
Despite the fact that the restaurant
is worth little more than the fixtures without your uncle,
I'm still willing to make you a very generous settlement.
No, thank you, Mr. Avoncino.
Phil and I have no interest in selling.
Oh, I see.
Well, in that case,
you might be interested to know
that, uh, our new chef is coming
from one of my Miami restaurants.
We've already got a chef. It's Manuel Ramirez.
Forget it, darling. He has no intention of hiring Manuel
or consulting us over anything, do you?
Mrs. Fletcher, it's possible
you have more of a way with children than I do.
Maybe you could even do a pie chart for them.
Mrs. Fletcher.
I'm supposed to meet detective MacKenzie inside.
I'm sorry, Mrs. Fletcher. She's not here right now. My orders--
Perhaps if you call the station.
I'm sure she's on her way.
All right.
Only, don't touch anything, okay?
I promise.
How did you get in here?
I'm just trying to help a friend, detective MacKenzie.
That's sweet, Mrs. Fletcher.
And Lorna Thompson can certainly use
all the help she can get.
But investigating is my job, not yours.
Please.
Bernardo Bonelli was stabbed
with a french boning knife, wasn't he?
How did you know that?
The knives are placed on the rack
in order of their size,
-and the boning knife is missing. -Okay, so?
It's possible that the killer knew
that the boning knife would be the most efficient weapon,
and Lorna takes pride in the fact
that she can't boil a five-minute egg.
So she got lucky. Mrs. Fletcher,
don't look for evidence that isn't here.
And stop wasting my time. Good-bye.
Check it out, Sal. Make sure it's clear.
Yes, Sir.
Everything all right?
[sirens blaring]
Mr. Avoncino got a call on the car phone.
I don't know from who.
When he hung up, he told me to come here.
I checked the place out, nobody's inside.
When I come out to tell him, he's dead.
Do you carry a gun, Mr. Randazzo?
Me? No, why?
-Anderson. -Wait, wait, wait.
I got a permit. It's strictly legit.
How nice for you. Take it to the lab,
see if it's been fired recently.
Mr. Randazzo, we have to run some tests on you,
paraffin, fingerprints,
you know the routine.
Sure, but you're wasting your time.
All right, who did kill him?
You're asking me?
Had Mr. Avoncino made some of the other families unhappy lately?
Families? Ha ha ha!
I don't know what you're talking about.
Heh heh. I'm sure you don't.
Anderson, take him.
Are you sure I can't change your mind, Jessica?
Bernardo's death was not only a loss personally, but professionally.
We need someone of your caliber
to replace him on the air.
Which all those letters you've got there testify to,
not to mention the phone calls.
Please, don't even mention the phone calls.
But, as I've told you, Alex,
I really appreciate your very generous offer,
but it's just not up my alley.
Why don't you call my friend Amanda Poole?
She's got a bestseller on the list,
she's done a talk show before,
a book show particularly.
Okay, okay. My program people,
they have miss Poole coming in after lunch.
Mr. Weaver, I need to know
where Manuel Ramirez is.
I found this in his locker.
It was fired recently,
and the same caliber that killed Paul Avoncino.
I'm sorry, I can't help you, detective.
Manuel doesn't work here anymore.
-Oh? -Detective MacKenzie...
if Manuel killed Paul Avoncino,
why would he leave the weapon in his locker
for you to find?
Not all criminals are known for their genius.
Besides, two witnesses
placed someone answering Manuel's description
near the restaurant at the time of Avoncino's death.
Have you considered the possibility
that both murders might have been committed by one person?
We have two different weapons,
two different MOs,
we have one suspect dead to rights
and another, probable.
Like I said, Mrs. Fletcher,
stay out of it, please.
Excuse me.
What do you hope to find in Lorna's office?
I'm not quite sure.
It's bad enough that the souvlaki was sickening
and the zesty chicken oregano lost its zest
somewhere between the kitchen and my table,
but to add to the indigestion,
the waiters insisted that diners participate
in Greek dances between courses.
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[line ringing]
Forgive me for interrupting your evening, Phil,
but I'm sure you're as anxious as I am
to clear Lorna of Bernardo's murder.
This might sound strange to you,
considering the fact that Lorna and I worked together
to make this happen,
but I'm not convinced that she's innocent.
Who else had a motive?
Well, several people.
For the sake of argument, yourself, perhaps.
It seems you've put some thought into this.
Go on.
Not to put too fine a point on it,
but before his death, did you have any idea
that you were going to inherit Bernardo's interest
in this restaurant?
I'm his only surviving relative.
Why? You're not suggesting that I--
Just pointing out, on Lorna's behalf,
that people have been murdered for less.
Certainly you would've sensed
that Bonelli's could be a very profitable business for you.
Now, wait a minute. Even putting together uncle Bernardo's share
with Jeannine's and mine and Lorna's,
Avoncino's heirs still have controlling interests.
Given Mr. Avoncino's history of racketeering and extortion,
I suspect it's highly unlikely
that his ownership will withstand a legal challenge from you.
Exactly. Then why would I kill him?
I could've just taken him to court.
But you couldn't take your uncle to court.
Now, wait a minute, Mrs. Fletcher--
You do have the key to the restaurant.
You could easily have let yourself in
after the party.
I'm not sure I like the way your game is going, Mrs. Fletcher.
My husband is not a murderer.
How nice to see you, Jeannine.
Oh, forgive my manners.
Can I interest you in a little dip?
No, thank you.
Those tears. You have an allergy, don't you?
To this dip, to Bernardo's marinated sole,
and anything else that contains cilantro.
Yeah, my luck the herb's become so popular.
And your luck--
It proves you murdered Bernardo.
That's crazy!
Is it? I first noticed your tears
on my first visit to the TV studio.
I thought you were upset about something
that Bernardo was telling you. But then this evening,
I recalled he'd been working with cilantro
on the TV show
and probably had some of the juice on his hands.
And later, at the opening night party,
your eyes filled again with tears--
This time, when you took my plate with the bread dip in it.
I don't get it. What's the connection?
This makes absolutely no sense. Let's go, Phil.
I wouldn't have made the connection
if I hadn't seen the crime photographs.
They showed a tissue lying next to Bernardo
in his otherwise immaculate kitchen.
You killed him with the sharpest,
deadliest knife in the kitchen.
Something only an experienced cook would know.
Everyone in that kitchen knew how to cook.
Everyone but Lorna.
And not everyone needed to wipe their eyes
after being exposed to cilantro.
After you killed Bernardo,
you had an allergic reaction
to the creamed garlic dip sitting beside him.
It was heavily seasoned with cilantro.
You pulled out a tissue to wipe your eyes
and then accidentally dropped it on the floor when you left.
When forensics finishes running the DNA tests,
I'm sure that that tissue will be linked to you.
Bernardo had us on the ropes.
His verbal abuse, his constant demands.
I was watching Phil die one piece at a time.
Jeannine--
I knew that if Bernardo died,
that you would inherit the restaurant.
It seemed like the answer to everything.
And you knew if Avoncino was dead, too,
you'd be able to challenge his heirs in court
with less concern about reprisals.
I called him and told him to meet me here.
I said that Phil and I decided to sell our share.
I waited for his bodyguard to go inside.
And then I just...
opened the car door...
Everything all right?
...and shot Avoncino.
And then you placed the gun in Manuel's locker.
You can't prove any of this, Mrs. Fletcher.
And if you take it to the police,
I'll make certain that Jeannine denies everything.
Which will be hard to do,
considering she just made a full confession
on the record.
Mr. Bonelli, I suggest you get on the horn
and find a lawyer for your wife.
Let's go.
Oh, Jeannine? You might try
an over-the-counter remedy called drip-stop.
It's supposed to work wonders with allergies.
I know it helped clear up something for me.
Well, Mrs. Fletcher,
there's the kitchen. Where's the crow?
Excuse me? Isn't that what you're gonna make me eat?
How about some dip instead?
Oh. Ha ha!
[Manuel] Ecco!
Pheasant under glass,
pearl onions and potatoes lyonnaise.
And for dessert, there's chocolate mousse.
Chocolate mousse? Oh!
Everything looks so lovely. Thank you.
Thank you, Mrs. Fletcher, for proving my innocence.
I second that.
You don't know how much we appreciate it.
Now, tell me about the restaurant.
Well, the first thing I did
was hire Manuel as chef.
-Oh! -Ha ha!
And the second thing was...
you're looking at the new co-producer
of the 6:00 news.
Oh, that is wonderful, Lorna! Congratulations!
Oh, I haven't told you the best part.
I'm doing a segment on crime
and how the average citizens participates
in solving cases,
and I would like you to be our first guest.