[Jessica] Tonight on Murder, She Wrote.
I'm afraid my past has caught up to me.
There's no way I'll let my mom get hurt.
It's all such a waste.
He'll have to go to prison anyway.
If you're looking for words of encouragement,
I don't have any.
Face it, kid. You got a partner.
We can call ourselves the twin avengers.
Tell me something, Doc. Have you seen this mystery prowler
-in the neighborhood? -No.
-It's just not my game. -Son, think, for God's sake!
Listen, I need some information fast.
-Nobody moves! -The jury convicted you!
I feel violated!
Sheriff, I don't like making this call.
I noticed the Doc's car wasn't in the driveway.
There appeared to have been a struggle.
Why would someone do such a thing to the Doc?
-Oh, my God. -Mom, please, I can explain.
Just stay out of it.
There. That's him.
[door opens]
Stop!
Okay, we gotta ditch this.
That car over there.
[police siren blares]
All right, nobody moves.
Keep your hands where I can see 'em.
[Seth] After only two years? [scoffs]
Built in obsolescence, if you ask me.
I told you this thing would be nothing but trouble and expense.
[laughs] Oh, nonsense!
I'm looking forward to the extra power.
There's a lot of newer software
that I haven't been able to run.
Megabytes, software, CD what's-its.
No way I'm gonna trust my records
to any kind of magnetic blips or one of those whatchamacallits.
Floppy disks. If you did,
you wouldn't have to use all those filing cabinets
and all those tons of paper.
What do you say, Julia? Got a light?
Damn it, Leo, how did you know where I was?
I told you I would keep you posted.
Well, that felt a little loose to me.
I got worried I might hear you say,
"Leo, I killed the buzzard."
Kid, give me something to light this with.
Yeah, sure.
Look, I'm not even sure it's him. That's why I'm here.
If it does turn out to be Stanley Barton,
I simply want to see him brought to justice, same as you.
Now we're getting down to the nit of it.
You gotta understand, doing time gives a fella
a little different take on justice from regular people.
I'm looking at a little monetary compensation here
for 20 miserable, stinkin' years.
Besides, I figure it ought to be worth it to old Stanley,
or whatever the hell he calls himself these days,
to not be put away for the rest of his rotten life.
-Here you go, sir. -Yeah.
By the way, there's no smoking in here.
Wonderful. You go away for a few years,
and suddenly everybody's got religion.
-Can I get you any-- -No, thank you.
You say you spotted this guy at the Symphony?
Look, Leo, why don't you go back to Boston before you wreck everything?
Or should I call your parole officer?
I'm sure he's not aware that you crossed the state line.
No, Julia, don't you threaten me, honey.
I don't have all that much to lose.
Face it, kid. You got a partner.
We can call ourselves the "Twin Avengers."
Besides, you need me to identify him.
You were, what, four years old?
I worked with the SOB.
I was sitting in the police van when he escaped.
I'm at the Light House Motel, cabin five.
Stay in touch.
Come on, Mr. Castino. Another week is all I need.
No way I can give you that long, Will.
This offer I got is good,
but I gotta give 'em an answer by Friday at the latest.
Nothing would make me happier than to see you have the place.
I know, I know. Look...
I'll just have to take another shot at my dad, I guess.
I'll see you in an hour.
Well, there you go.
[man] I hate to pass up your chowder.
Oh, right.
Things are really backed up here.
You sure this is about work
and not about us?
I'm positive.
I'll call you.
Okay.
Evan, whatever it is that's bothering you,
I'm on your side.
I know.
[telephone rings]
Dave Archer, Mr. Rafferty,
JWC Credit Bureau.
The outfit that asked
for a credit report on you last week...
-Back Bay Development. -That's right.
We tracked down the name of the individual who made that request. It's a J. Harris.
Uh, thanks, Dave. I appreciate that.
[click, dial tone]
Jessica, you're gonna love this machine.
I've got one just like it, and it's super.
I've got all my bird-watching data
right at my fingertips.
Bird-watching, computerized?
Whatever happened to binoculars
and a good walking stick?
Your old one's in really good shape, Mrs. Fletcher.
Good, because I want to donate it to the school.
Oh, speaking of the school,
has Mr. Eagleton been pestering us about his old XT?
Yeah. Plus, you got a call from Mrs. Deevers,
Mr. Olson returned, Mr. Parducci--
[laughs] Stop. I haven't even had my coffee.
Jessica, Seth.
Evan, I hear the bass are really jumping over at Long Lake.
Are we still on for tomorrow?
Uh, I'm not sure.
Did you finish the parity check on Mrs. Deevers' computer?
Line gremlin. It'll be ready in an hour.
Make sure that's all it takes.
These invoices were supposed to be paid last week.
Anyway, um, it'll take a few hours
to port your files over to the new machine.
There's a chance we'll have it by closing time.
I'm quite sure I can survive until then.
Oh, and I certainly hope that Evan
gets over his funk...
before he chews your head all the way off.
-That makes two of us. -[laughs]
Excuse me. I'm Julia Harris.
I believe I have an appointment with Evan Rafferty.
Something wrong, Seth?
I don't know. It's not like Evan to be that grumpy.
Well, he's obviously got something on his mind.
Maybe I'll suggest he stop in for a checkup.
[waiter] So... what is it, Mom?
Oh, I don't know. I don't know.
Just, the last few days...
I'm afraid Evan may be having second thoughts.
-What, about you? -Yeah.
He's gotta be out of his mind, Mom.
-Oh, you. I love you. -Mom.
Just for that, I'm gonna buy us a sundae,
with a gallon of hot fudge
and a ton of whipped cream. What do you say?
What about your deliveries?
Eh, the heck with them.
After the wedding, I won't have to worry
about peddling wrinkle cream to the neighbors,
and you won't have to worry about holding down a job after school.
Yeah.
Are you sure that's what you want to do, Mom?
I mean...
do you want to spend the rest of your life with Evan Rafferty?
Whoa. Where did that come from?
I'm sorry. I--
I just don't want you making any huge sacrifices just for me.
Oh, well, don't flatter yourself, pal.
A, I'm not. B, I wouldn't.
And C, I happen to love Evan very much.
Okay.
How about that sundae?
Coming right up.
[Seth] You're looking very fit, Sheriff.
You can breathe harder than that.
[breathes deeply]
-Are you sure? -Breathe.
[breathes deeply]
-This thing is, uh... -Breathe.
[breathes deeply] Working?
Perfectly. I'd stake my reputation on it, Sheriff.
You're as sound as a 1955 dollar.
What about all this wheezing?
Here, you try it.
Listen for yourself.
-In. Out. -[breathing]
In. Out.
Now, not a wheeze in the carload, is there?
Nothing. But Adele says it's keeping her up nights.
Well, maybe you ought to have Adele come in
and have her hearing checked.
Yeah? I'm not the one that's gonna suggest that.
-[laughs] -Tell me something, Doc.
Have you seen this rumored prowler in the neighborhood?
No. Oh, yes. I did see a man.
Short fella, dark hair,
kind of thick eyeglasses.
Does that sound right?
Descriptions I have.
Everywhere from 5'10" to 6'7",
red hair, brown hair, gray hair.
All except for the one who insisted he was bald.
Too bad I'm not an eye doctor.
I'd clean up on that group.
If you see him again, give me a call.
-Yeah. -Oh, and thanks.
Think nothing of it.
-Yes. -Hi, Dr. Hazlitt.
I hate to barge in on you like this.
I'm just passing through town.
I've got this sore throat I'd like you to take a look at.
He shouldn't be much longer, Miss Harris.
Thank you.
[Evan] ...one that's got a future and isn't--
Look, Dad, I don't like this any more than you do.
But it's not gonna cost you a dime.
All I'm asking for is your signature on the loan.
So you've made up your mind?
That's what you want to do with your life?
Yes, it is.
Dad, I've said this before,
I respect what you've built here. I really do.
But it's just not my game.
Servicing a bunch of rusty fishing boats
isn't one you're gonna win. Think, for God's sake!
Where the hell will you be ten years from now?
Ah.
Look, you gonna do this or not?
[Evan] I'm not cosigning anything.
If that's the way you want to go, you'll have to do it yourself.
Oh, I'm sorry.
Oh. That's okay.
Mr. Rafferty can see you now.
Thank you.
[Julia] And we're very interested in that partial you own
out at Septin Point for a possible condo development.
These are some of the other projects we've built
between here and Kennebunk.
They've been very well received.
Uh-huh. I noticed you ran a credit check on me.
Heh. Well, the company likes to know who we're doing business with.
According to town records, you've owned that property
for about, um, eight years?
I assume that was, what, 11 or 12 years after you moved to town?
Like I said...
You like to know who you're dealing with.
The property's not for sale.
Maybe if we made you an offer.
Like I said, the property's not for sale.
Good day, Miss Harris.
Oh. Right. Well...
I'll just leave these here with you,
and if you change your mind or have any questions,
I'm staying at the Hill House.
[woman] That's right, Neal. There should be four printers there.
That guy's been hanging around all morning.
Could be that prowler people are talking about.
[bell dings]
This is a really humbling experience, Mort,
working on this old typewriter.
I love this old darling, but let's face it, it's obsolete.
My deputies say it's right up there with stone tablets.
Any leads on that prowler in town?
Two more reports last night.
That makes ten already this week.
And not a single solid description
or any evidence that the guy actually exists.
-[telephone rings] -Excuse me. Sheriff Metzger.
Thanks, Andy. No, I'll check it out myself.
I'll be going past there in a few minutes. Later on.
Neal Kraus over at the computer store
spotted some guy hanging around.
This thing is catching on like UFO sightings.
Like I said, I couldn't help but overhear
your conversation with your father.
I hope you don't mind my calling.
Please! Are you kidding? I need all the help I can get.
If this thing works out, it'd be sensational.
So... what else do you need to know?
Okay. Um... you said you came here from Boston with your mother in...
I think it was 1974.
And your father?
He came over here later. He'd been away for a while.
-Really? -Yeah. I think he was working
on some kind of transcontinental pipeline or something.
It's kind of vague. I was only about four.
-More coffee? -Thanks, Grace.
-Will? -Hi.
-Miss Harris. -Hi.
Sorry your dad's giving you such a hard time.
He gets so impatient with him.
Well, maybe my luck's changing.
Miss Harris here thinks she might be able to help me get some financing
without Dad having to sign for it.
Really? Oh, Will, that'd be great.
Well, I'd better put in that sandwich order
before I forget who asked for what.
Well, uh, I'd better be getting back to the shop.
Listen, any chance we might continue this over dinner?
Oh, I'm afraid I can't. I have some papers to go over.
But I'll call you.
Okay. I'll be looking forward to it.
Bye.
[Mort] There we go, Mrs. F. A thing of beauty... sort of.
Thanks for your help, Mort.
I'm beginning to believe it myself.
This new program we put in the wire machine,
it replaces the old-fashioned police sketch artist.
I've seen them. They're amazing.
Oh, excuse me. I completely forgot to check my messages.
[tape rewinding]
It's Harriet McCissick. Jessica, nothing important.
Be sure to give me a jingle when you get back to Manhattan.
-Ciao. -[beep]
[electronic voice] Tuesday, 4:35 p.m.
-[beep] -Jessica, this is Seth. I need--
[thumps]
[electronic voice] Tuesday, 6:48 p.m.
That was your last message.
Oh, dear. That's nearly an hour ago. What do you suppose...
I don't know, but we'll find out right now, I hope.
[busy signal]
Line's busy at his place.
We can have the telephone company
verify that someone's on the line.
Yeah.
Operator, this is Sheriff Metzger.
I'd like to make an emergency breakthrough, please.
[off-hook tone]
Mort?
That's blood.
It looks recent, Mrs. F.
Looks as if something or somebody had been dragged over to the door.
There's heel marks on the doorjamb.
I noticed the Doc's car wasn't in the driveway, either.
[Mort] I've got news, all of it lousy.
The blood, same type as the Doc's.
Oh, I was afraid of that. What about the DNA test?
That's gonna take a few more hours.
And did you issue an APB?
Yes, as well as a stolen vehicle report.
By now, it could be 700 or 800 miles away from here.
What about the hospitals?
We checked every one in the area
on the off chance he checked himself in,
or even somebody else with a wound and B-positive blood.
But no. Mrs. F, I'm doing everything I can.
Oh, I know, Mort. And I'm sorry.
Have you been able to make any more sense out of Seth's phone message?
Zip. Same goes for his office.
Andy and I checked it over for hours.
Outside of his car and his medical bag,
nothing seems to be missing.
There appeared to have been some sort of a struggle.
The thing I don't understand is,
why would someone do such a thing to the Doc?
And if he was only injured, why wouldn't they just leave him there?
Why isn't there a ransom demand
or some kind of communication?
I wish I knew. I really wish I knew.
-Mrs. Taylor? -Yes.
Hi. Julia Harris. I'm trying to arrange a loan for Will Rafferty.
-He gave me your name as a reference. -Oh?
Oh, I'm sorry.
Connie over at Cabot Cove Digital?
She pointed you out to me.
Ah, I see. Well, uh, I've known Will for many years.
He's a fine young man.
Good, that's excellent, wonderful.
I understand you're about to become Will's stepmother.
Yes, I am.
-Congratulations. -Thank you.
Tell me, has Will's father ever said anything
about his life before he moved to Cabot Cove?
Excuse me?
The bank is just doing a background check--
Miss Harris, it's my understanding
that Will's father is not really interested
in getting into loan arrangements with his son.
Well, that's true, but I--
I have an appointment I have to keep.
-Look, I just need some-- -Goodbye, Miss Harris.
[Mort] Then put more men on it. Right.
It wasn't even the same make and model as Doc's car.
There. We think that's the mysterious stranger
that's been hanging around town.
Or as close as we've gotten from the descriptions.
Emily Brenneman claims she saw this guy late yesterday afternoon
down the block from Doc Hazlitt's place.
He look familiar to you, Mrs. F?
Not exactly.
Andy, can you give him a longer upper lip?
No problem.
[Jessica] There. Now...
try moving his eyes closer together.
Like this?
[Jessica] A bit more.
There, that's it.
That's him.
Hi, Will.
Hey, Julia. How's it going?
-Well, I spoke to the Boston Bank. -Yeah?
And you'll be happy to know
they're very interested in doing business with you.
Oh... listen, I really appreciate this, Julia.
-[car horn honks] -No problem.
I just have to ask you a few other questions.
Yeah, great.
Hey, Will, could you give me a hand with that winch?
Yeah, right away, Mr. Castino.
Um, listen, how about tonight? Can I buy you dinner?
Well, what time do you get off? Maybe I can meet you someplace.
Okay, how about, uh, 7:00, my place?
-Sure. -Ha! Great.
Listen, I gotta warn you though...
I make a killer linguine with clam sauce.
[laughs] Okay.
See you.
[Mort] Okay, so his name is Ronald Olson.
He checks in here yesterday morning.
Doesn't sleep in his room last night at all
and still hasn't checked out.
And he was seen in the vicinity of Seth's office
15 minutes before Seth left that phone message.
And he rents this car in Boston
under the name of Jack Landis. Nice.
[bike bell rings]
-Hey, Sheriff. -Hi, Jimmy.
Mrs. Fletcher, you heard anything on Dr. Hazlitt?
I'm afraid not.
Have you seen this man?
No, I don't think so.
[Mort] Andy, it's me. Anything?
Yeah, same here. I want you to get down to the Light House Motel
pronto and dust this guy's room and his car.
Oh, yeah, it's him. I've got a hunch
he's not either of the people he claims to be.
Hope the Doctor shows up.
This is not real promising, Mrs. F.
If you're looking for words of encouragement, I don't have any.
-What is it? -I'm not sure.
I can't imagine why he'd do it,
but I have a feeling that Jimmy Taylor was lying to us.
Hello, Mrs. Fletcher? I'm Julia Harris
and I'm with Back Bay Development in Boston.
We're interested in purchasing some land from Evan Rafferty
and I would like to ask you some questions about him.
Miss Harris, I'm sorry, you'll have to forgive me,
but a very dear friend of mine is missing, and--
I understand, and I'm very sorry.
It's just that you were a client of Mr. Rafferty's and I thought--
Miss Harris, please stop.
Look, I've had friends who've sold land
to organizations such as yours.
I can't remember a company representative
ever questioning me about the people they're buying property from.
I know, but it's my job.
So whatever reason you have for prying into Mr. Rafferty's affairs,
you'll have to get your information from someone else.
Mrs. Fletcher, please, if you change your mind,
I'm staying at Hill House.
Goodbye, Miss Harris.
-[knock on door] -Come in.
-Mrs. F. -Mort, what is it?
Nothing good, I'm afraid.
This just came from the NCIC.
According to his fingerprints,
our elusive pal is a career bad guy,
one Leo David Fender.
Paroled ten days ago from a Massachusetts penitentiary.
Doing time for armed robbery and second-degree murder.
Which in no way explains why he was in Cabot Cove
or anywhere near Seth's house.
Or where he is now. I've added this to our APB.
At least now they've got a name to go with the face.
Well, there might be a bright spot to all this.
I mean, we may have overreacted to Seth's phone message.
-Say again? -Listen.
Jessica, Marion Taylor. I heard about Seth,
-and I wondered if-- -[thumps]
See? It broke up almost the same way as his did.
It's probably just my machine.
But that still doesn't explain--
-[cell phone rings] -Excuse me.
Metzger.
Sheriff, I don't much like making this call.
-What? -A couple of hikers just phoned in.
They were out in Benson's Woods and spotted a body.
Male, Caucasian.
-That's all? -Yeah.
They were afraid to get too close.
Okay, Andy, I'll meet you there.
Mort?
Evan, I gotta talk to you.
-I'm a little late getting to work-- -Right now!
-I'm worried about Mom. -I don't understand.
I think you do.
She says you've been acting funny lately.
That wouldn't be because of the two people
here in town looking for you, would it?
I don't know what you're talking about.
I heard them talking at the coffee shop.
The woman, she's staying at Hill House.
She's from Boston.
She says, "I saw this guy at the Symphony."
You're the only one in Cabot Cove
that goes all the way down to Boston just for the Symphony.
There's no way I'll let my mom get hurt, Evan.
I just want to know what's going on.
Jimmy, I may be going away for a long time.
-What? -Jimmy!
No questions. Just stay out of it.
You'd better wait here, Mrs. F.
Now, what the Sam Hill would you people be doing
way out here in the woods?
What?
[Seth] Well, of course there was more to my message!
The rest of it was this:
"I have to get over to Bridgeton
to pay a house call on Billy Buffam's mother."
Who coincidentally turned out to be a lot healthier than I am.
That is why I couldn't come to dinner at your house.
It certainly sounded as if you were in dire straits.
Anyway, it got so late
that I finally decided to put up at a motel.
Then, when I was driving over here,
I saw your car out at the end of the road.
That was after I'd been stopped by the state police.
-Our APB. -[Seth] Uh-huh.
Lord knows what you told them.
It took me half an hour to convince them I wasn't stealing my own car.
Will someone please tell me what's going on?
We've got this corpse here, Doc.
And we were afraid it was gonna be you.
Turn him over, Andy.
Mort, that's Leo Fender.
[Seth] I treated that man for a sore throat.
Must've been worse than I thought.
It appears he's been stabbed in the back.
Probably got him right through the heart.
[Mort] Paroled convict.
Two aliases, Landis and Olson.
It's likely that his blood type
is the same as yours, B-positive.
My guess is that he was killed in your office
and then deposited here.
Wait a minute. My office? What was he doing there?
-Beats me. -[Seth] Oh, I like that.
I'm away for ten minutes,
and strangers start snooping through my belongings.
I feel violated!
On the other hand, Seth,
if you'd been in your office when he was, you might not be feeling anything.
-[door opens] -Oh.
-Wonderful news about Seth. -Yeah, it is.
-Evan-- -Connie, I'm gonna need your help.
[sighs] I've said that a few times over the years, haven't I?
I made provisions for you to take over the company.
-No! -I'd like you to hang on to it for a while
in case Will changes his mind.
I want part of the income to go to Marion.
It's all laid out for you.
Evan?
I've been trying to get a hold of you.
Your face... What happened?
I--I--I fell.
Evan, what is going on?
The short form is, I'm afraid my past has caught up to me.
No, no, not there.
That goes on the left-hand side of the desk.
Oh, you don't want it on the right?
Certainly not.
The stack you mistakenly put in the chair goes on the right-hand side.
No wonder you don't need a computer.
You know something really was stolen?
My World's Fair letter opener is gone.
Maybe it was the murder weapon.
Seth, your R's and S's are all mixed up here.
You mean someone's been messing with my patients' files?
No, don't touch them!
Sheriff Metzger may want to dust them for fingerprints.
They haven't been dusted in years.
You definitely didn't lie about your clam sauce, Will.
It was wonderful.
Thanks, Julia.
More wine?
Oh, um, yeah, half a glass.
This is your father, right? But that's not your mother.
No, it's Connie.
You saw her yesterday at the coffee shop.
That was after my mom died.
Connie sort of helped out.
You know, it's funny. I see a lot of pictures here of you
when you were little with your mom in Boston,
but none of your dad.
I guess working on the pipeline, he must have a million stories, huh?
Actually, no. He never talked much about it.
He seems to have made quite an impression on you.
You ask more questions about him than about me.
Well... taking loan applications
isn't usually part of my job.
Hey, look, I didn't mean anything by it.
And anyway, Dad can be a pretty fascinating guy
when he's not beating me up about what I want to do with my life.
[laughs]
Will, this monogram on your mother's blouse,
"LBC",
what does the "B" stand for?
I don't think I've ever noticed it before.
The "L" and the "C" are for Laura Cardoza, that was her maiden name.
-Barton. -What?
Nothing. I have to go.
Yeah?
Uh, so... am I gonna see you tomorrow?
Uh, I don't think so, Will. I...
Look, don't worry. I'm sure we can get that loan
set up for you by Friday.
No, I mean... That's not what I meant, Julia.
Okay, someone stabs Leo Fender to death in Doc's office,
drags his body over to the door,
dumps him in the driveway, stuffs him in a car
and transports him to Benson's Woods.
And leaves the victim's pistol and his wallet,
containing over $300.
-Why? -I don't know, Sheriff.
But I'd have to say these look a whole lot like the murder victim's fingerprints.
All over Evan Rafferty's medical file.
It's just like you figured, Mrs. F.
Evan didn't want Fender looking at him, so he killed him.
C'mon, Andy, let's pick him up.
Mort, I'm not sure that it was Evan.
-You think it was that Harris woman? -It's possible.
Andy, that matchbook we found in Fender's pocket
had two sets of prints on it, right?
Yeah. Fender's and another one we haven't been able to identify.
Most likely the killer's,
if he or she went through Fender's pockets.
So we're gonna need Miss Harris' prints along with Evan's.
Check with the Hill House, see if she's still in town.
Harris, Harris.
Mort, you were preparing a dossier on Leo Fender?
Right with you, Mrs. F.
Right, here we go.
Oh, one of the guys he was convicted with
was a Rudolph James Harris,
"Deceased April 19, 1980, died in prison."
And serving the same sentence,
"Armed robbery and second-degree murder."
Julia Harris could be his daughter.
And there was another accomplice named Barton.
Sheriff, do you mind if I call Boston?
When you get that look, what am I gonna say?
Boston, please. The Chronicle.
-Here's the number. -Thank you.
The Hill House says she hasn't checked out yet,
but she's not in her room.
Yes, this is Jessica Fletcher.
I need some information fast
about a robbery and murder
that took place in Boston in 1974.
Barton?
Barton.
All right.
Yes, I am Stanley Barton.
Rudy Harris was your father, right?
Yes. And he's dead because of you.
And my mother.
She fell apart when my father went to prison.
This vibrant, vital woman.
And when my father died, she lost it.
And a year later, she was dead...
in my arms. I was ten years old.
Miss Harris, Julia, I'm sorry.
I really am. But none of that was my fault.
I wasn't even part of what these guys were doing.
Oh, come on! You don't think I know all about it?
She told me the whole story when I was a little girl.
And I researched it, the newspaper, the testimonies.
And then last month, at the Boston Symphony, there you were.
Only I wasn't sure until tonight.
Julia, don't you realize...
Why should you?
It's all a bunch of self-serving lies.
-Leo and your father-- -Lies?
Lies? That you talked them into it?
That you pulled the trigger that killed the guard?
The jury convicted you, for God's sake!
On their perjured testimony!
-And you escaped! -But I couldn't prove it!
And spent the next 20 years a free man?
While they went to prison, while their lives were destroyed?
While my life was destroyed!
Dad, I've got to talk-- Julia!
Stay out of this, Will! I mean it!
I was just gonna take you in
and make you pay.
But that's not enough.
Look, I don't know what this is about, but--
We know what it's about. Put the gun down.
-Now. -[gun cocks]
[Mort] Let me get this straight.
You were working at a Boston factory with Leo Fender and Rudy Harris?
The same shift for about a year.
Anyway, there I was, waiting for my friend
to get off work, so we could go out for a beer.
Your friend Al Goudy, the security guard who was shot to death?
Right. So I'm sitting there behind the wheel,
when I see these two men coming out,
Leo and Rudy.
A second later, there's Al Goudy, and--
Stop!
[police sirens blaring]
[Evan] Before I know it, they see me
and Leo jumps into my car instead of theirs,
and Rudy dumps his gloves and the murder gun in my lap
just as the cops arrive.
[officer] All right, nobody moves!
The rest is history, badly written.
Not according to an old fugitive warrant in the courts.
You were sentenced to 30 to life for first-degree murder.
Leo and Rudy testified against me.
In exchange for a plea to a lesser charge.
I didn't know them well, but I had the sense
they were not the nicest guys in the world.
Their criminal records seem to bear that out.
You had none.
Jessica, I was in the wrong place at the wrong time,
on top of which, there I was
with Rudy's gun and gloves, powder burns and all,
sitting in my lap.
I was looking to spend the rest of my life in prison.
So I jumped out of the van on the way to sentencing.
I contacted Laura, and I told her to get herself and Will out of Boston,
take nothing except cash.
And I'd remembered Cabot Cove 'cause I'd visited here with my folks.
I told her to change her name to Rafferty and to come here.
You shaved your mustache and your sideburns.
And it all worked, until Julia Harris
happened to see you at the Boston Symphony.
But I don't think Leo's motives were the same as hers.
According to Julia's statement,
he was looking to blackmail you.
Which is what he told you in Doc Hazlitt's office
just before you fought and you stabbed him to death.
[sighs] Sheriff, no!
Look, I haven't had a chance
to send this over to the lab yet for confirmation.
But this evening, I went to your place with a search warrant,
and I found this lint on your shoes,
lint that looks an awful lot
like it'll match the rug in Doc Hazlitt's office.
According to his appointment book,
you haven't been there in over a year.
Would you care to comment on that?
-Okay, I was there. -I'm listening.
I learned that Leo was staying at the motel.
I wanted to see if I could talk to him, work something out.
I went there, but he was leaving,
so I followed him to Seth's.
I saw him pick the lock and go inside.
I had a feeling that I knew what he was after.
Your medical records, to help him confirm that it was you.
So I followed him inside.
I was gonna try to reason with him,
but he just went ahead and hit me.
And that's all I remember.
I woke up sometime later with a rotten headache.
The place was a mess, and that bloodstain...
I didn't know what to do, so I just got the hell out of there.
[Mort] Why don't you just save everybody the trouble
and admit that you killed Fender?
-[cell phone ringing] -Metzger.
-Jimmy Taylor-- -Who?
-Jimmy Taylor. -Pick him up. I'll meet you at the office.
We got a tip that Jimmy Taylor was seen
in the vicinity of Benson's Woods last night.
My deputies found clay from out there on the tires of his mother's car.
But that still doesn't get you off the hook.
Okay, the way this lays out, Jimmy,
you were afraid that if Leo Fender exposed the truth
about Evan Rafferty, there goes your mother's marriage,
and you'd have to work your way through college.
Not to mention all the other perks you'd miss out on.
-Mort, no, he-- -You can't account
for your whereabouts at the time of the murder,
plus, you were seen traipsing all over Benson's Woods
all by yourself.
All right.
First of all, I wasn't by myself.
I was with Carrie Novak all evening.
Look, Sheriff, if Carrie's father finds out about that,
I'm all over.
I'll be discreet.
Did anyone see the two of you together?
[Andy] Excuse me, Sheriff. This matchbook we found on the victim,
I've ID'd the other prints on it.
They belong to Jimmy here.
Oh, my God.
No, wait, Mom, please, I can explain this.
This guy, Fender, Olson,
or whatever the guy's name is,
I gave him those matches myself at the coffee shop.
Okay. Maybe.
So that brings us back to you, Evan.
The message I'm getting is that you had motive, means and zero alibi.
Plus, you were the only one in town who knew who Fender and Julia Harris were.
The only one in town who knew? Mort?
Mrs. F, don't say it.
No... go ahead.
I think there is someone in Cabot Cove
who knew who they were,
the killer.
[knock on door]
Oh, Neal. I didn't expect such a quick response.
We can't have a brand-new machine fall on its face.
When Connie called to see if we have the parts in stock,
I just told her I'd meet her here.
So they caught anybody yet for that murder?
Not yet.
[knock on door]
Hi, Jessica. Sorry I'm late.
Is everything okay, Connie?
Uh, I'm okay. Why?
I thought you might be upset
because they've got Evan Rafferty in custody.
What are you talking about?
I think you know, Connie.
You've known everything for years, haven't you?
Jessica, you're not making any sense.
Are you sure? I think that Leo Fender was killed
to keep the truth about Evan Rafferty's past from coming out.
The only people in Cabot Cove who knew it
were Leo Fender, Evan, Miss Harris... and you.
That's ridiculous. How could I--
I suspect that somewhere along the line,
you figured out that Evan wasn't quite who or what he claimed to be.
-No, that's-- -So you did some digging
and learned the truth and decided
that Evan wasn't guilty of that murder and robbery.
Look, if you don't mind,
I'd like to fix your unit and get home.
Oh, there's nothing wrong with my computer, Connie.
The truth is, you spotted Leo Fender
almost the minute he arrived in Cabot Cove.
You learned he was registered at the Light House Motel
-under an alias-- -Jessica--
And you phoned him there,
probably to try and buy him off.
And then yesterday morning, using his alias,
Ronald Olson,
Leo called you back at your office.
Plus, you had a call from Mrs. Deevers,
Mr. Olson returned, Mr. Parducci--
Stop! I haven't even had my coffee.
Jessica, you can't prove any of this. Good night.
Connie... This is the message I saw Leo give you.
Seth came across it this evening
when he was cleaning his office, where you dropped it
after killing Mr. Fender.
I'm quite sure the forensics people
will find your fingerprints all over it.
All right. Yes. I did it. I killed him.
And I'd have killed Julia Harris if I had to.
[Mort] Thanks, Mrs. F.
You get more mileage out of a blank piece of paper
than almost anyone I know.
So, then you drove over to the motel
to try to talk to Leo.
When I got there, he was just leaving, and Evan was following him.
[Jessica] So you followed both of them to Seth's office.
That's right.
And when Evan went in, I got worried.
I saw Leo hit Evan.
And--and then I realized he was going to kill him.
So I grabbed the letter opener.
No!
I made sure Evan was breathing.
Then I dragged Leo to the door and shoved him out.
And drove his body out to Benson's Woods?
[Andy] Found the murder weapon in her dresser drawer, like she said.
Found this, too.
A bunch of old clippings from Boston newspapers.
I just couldn't believe he was a murderer and a thief,
not Evan.
You've been in love with him for a long time, haven't you, Connie?
I--I tried to let him know,
but I wasn't about to...
to throw myself at him.
He just never thought of me that way.
Anyway, it's all such a pity.
It's all such a waste.
He'll probably have to go to prison now anyway.
Maybe not.
Mrs. Fletcher may have come up with a brainstorm.
Turns out the Boston PD still has the evidence from that case,
including the murder weapon
and the gloves they found in Evan's lap.
I remembered that they didn't have DNA testing back in 1974.
[Mort] They're running them tomorrow.
If it turns out that Evan,
or Stanley Barton, didn't wear those gloves,
and Rudy Harris did,
chances are he'll go free.
[Seth] Well, you must be feeling pretty smug, Mrs. Fletcher,
getting Evan off and then learning how to drive that computer of yours.
There's a lot to be said for progress, Seth.
Without that DNA test,
Evan, Marion and Jimmy's life
would be very different.
But don't forget the trouble
caused by that... contraption.
Well, let's hope that Evan can fix it
so it won't make the same kind of mistake again.
Anyway, I wouldn't worry if I were you,
because I wouldn't dream of trying to bring you out of the dark ages.
-Thank heavens! -[Evan] Oh, Seth!
Your laptop's in. It'll be ready this afternoon.