Hey, you know anything about music, Mrs. Fletcher?
Oh, just a little bit.
♪ In my arms you have all the action ♪
[Jessica] Tonight, on Murder, She Wrote.
Welcome to Rojam Records.
Which novel are you recording?
-The Corpse Danced At Midnight. -Cool.
Was there a friend of mine there, a singer by the name of Piper?
I think I liked him, Holly.
Somehow I don’t think of you as being into heavy metal, Mrs. Fletcher.
Top of the charts, right, kids?
You’re betting on Rojam to going to toilet, huh?
Fantasy land, my friend.
You haven’t forgotten
where and how we first met, have you?
Don’t do that to me, damn it.
You mean there was some emotional blackmail going on?
This isn’t like one of your novels, eh?
[Jessica] So I called this young editor
to ask him what he thought of my manuscript.
And he said, "Gee, I don’t know,
I’m the only one who’s read it."
Listen, believe me, the most difficult part of writing
is actually getting started.
I mean, there’s nothing so daunting
as that blank piece of paper,
you know, staring right back at you
and there you sit without an idea in your head.
So that will be the subject of our next special seminar.
In other words, how to jump start the process.
And in the meantime, I’d like each one of you,
if you will, to bring me a five-page character study
about someone that you know.
So I’ll see you next week.
Thank you very much.
It’s all set, Mrs. Fletcher.
Rojam Records agreed to donate one of their studios.
And they’re even going to throw in a sound engineer for good measure.
Well, that’s great, Holly.
You must have done some heavy duty arm twisting.
Oh, I can’t take the credit.
My friend Julie reminded them
that you’re taping one of your novels for the blind,
so the cost could be deducted as a charitable contribution.
Well, that’s fantastic.
Only problem is,
you’ll have to record in the evenings.
And Julie’s asked
if you could come in tomorrow for a photo session
at 11:30 with her boss.
Photo session?
Yes.
Well, I guess so, I mean, considering his generosity.
Maybe you ought to tell me a little something about this
music mogul of yours, Freddie Major.
In simple terms, Freddie,
the deal means outright purchase of your company,
the contracts, the talent,
licenses, the catalogs, all buildings and studios.
Rojam Records becomes a wholly-owned subsidiary
of Palladium Software.
Yes, but nothing changes.
You still run the company just as always.
It’s a win-win, Mitch.
It’s gonna be great all the way around.
There are some further conditions.
This late in the game?
The financial partner wants absolute secrecy
until the papers are signed.
[Freddie] I can live with that.
[Mitch] Second, if Rojam loses anyone
who’s presently on the artist roster, the deal’s off.
[Freddie] People drop dead, Mitch.
Freddie, please,
exclusive of an act of God.
Now you got this group Mira...
Mirabilis.
Right.
Anyway, that’s what that clause is all about,
that’s to guarantee that they are part of the package too.
Not a problem.
We’re meeting with their manager tomorrow to renegotiate.
But it’s a done deal.
[Mitch] Good.
Now lastly, you’ve got somebody
running you’re A & R department, Lefko.
Yeah, Rick’s been with me since day one.
A background check picked up something
that the Palladium family of companies can’t live with.
Lefko is mob connected,
and frankly, that’s one of the reasons
his job performance at this company is losing ground.
Come on, Rick can’t be blamed for that.
Freddie,
I understand what you’re saying.
I respect your loyalty.
Lefko goes.
That’s a tough one, Mitch.
Any time it hurts, Freddie, think about the windfall
you’re picking up with the Palladium options.
Freddie, think about how bad you need this.
On a happier note,
Michele here has the most exquisite little voice you ever heard.
Freddie, it will cost us, but I have persuaded her
to sign with the company.
Smart move.
Welcome to Rojam Records, Michele.
Thank you.
How else is a broken down piano player like you
gonna know what’s selling in Michele’s market segment
unless you plug into it.
Case in point,
last week a single came on the market,
sold 75,000 copies.
What was the name of that?
Desperate Times, Willi Piper on Sly Records.
I understand that that was one of your engineers that moon lighted it.
I want Willi Piper and Sly Records in the deal.
You’re saying that’s another deal breaker?
Hey, Freddie, for a tough player like you,
how hard is that?
I mean, whoever heard of this guy?
He’s not big yet, Mr. Major,
but just you watch.
Remember, pal,
Sunday is your deadline.
All the pieces, Freddie, you deliver, I deliver.
[Holly] We may have to wait a few minutes, Mrs. Fletcher.
Freddie Major has a photo session with a band called Mirabilis.
Mirabilis?
Ah, don’t they have a tune out,
"Burnt" something or the other?
Burnt Memories.
I had you pegged for a Lincoln Center type
and here you are jamming Mirabilis.
Well, I wouldn’t say jamming,
but I would think I like their sound.
Okay, here we go.
Thanks.
Everything will work out fine.
Yeah, see you at 4:00.
Oh, it’s a great angle.
Good, good.
Okay, let me get in this one, huh?
Here we go.
Come on.
Top of the charts, right, kids?
You’re on, Freddie.
You two happy? Anything you need?
-Nah. -Nah.
Okay, you’re a true believer, aren’t you?
I’m with you, Mr. Major.
All right, that’ll do it, Mr. Major.
Thanks, guys. See you Saturday.
Okay, let’s just get one more.
Yeah, get in here.
Okay, real tight now, okay.
Let’s give it.
Hold on one minute.
Holly, hi.
Hi.
This is my friend, J.B. Fletcher.
Julie Knight.
Hello, Julie.
Thanks so much for your help.
Oh, it’s my pleasure.
It looks like we’re ready for you.
-Oh, great. -Later, Mrs. Fletcher.
Bye, Holly.
Bye.
So tell me about the book you’re recording with us, Mrs. Fletcher.
Well, it’s called The Corpse Danced At Midnight
and I’m taping it for the blind.
We are certainly very grateful to you
for the use of your studio and your technicians.
Yeah, sure.
Hey, you know anything about music, Mrs. Fletcher?
Oh, just a little bit.
When I was a kid my folks wanted me
to enter the Tchaikovsky competition.
I was pretty good at the piano,
but I wanted to write songs
and the joke was, I was lousy at it.
Oh.
Those two that just left,
they have a tune that could be a rock classic
called Bulletproof.
Only, the sample bass-line they’re playing is wrong
and they don’t want to change it.
Do you hear this?
They go to the A when they should have stayed on the C.
It needs more attention.
Something like this.
All right, that’ll do it, Mr. Major.
Mrs. Fletcher, thank you very much.
Well, I couldn’t make it as a songwriter,
so now I’m Mr. Fix-it.
We’re shooting a video this Saturday.
Why don’t you come? You’ll give the operation some class.
Well, I don’t know about the class,
but, yes, I think that would be very interesting.
-Thank you. -Good.
Make the arrangements, will you?
Chuck, Rick, meet J.B. Fletcher, the writer.
Hello, I’m Rick Lefko.
Hello.
Rick’s vice-president for artist and repertoire
and the one and only Charles George Drexler
who manages Mirabilis.
How do you do?
We got a meeting?
Right, let’s get started.
Uh, show Mrs. Fletcher around, Julie.
Sure.
Saturday?
You bet.
Bye.
I’m taking Mrs. Fletcher on the tour, Holly.
Good.
Don’t forget tomorrow night.
What’s tomorrow night?
I’m playing hooky, remember?
We have freebies to the Magnatek concert.
Magnatek?
-Hmm. -Oh, Magnatek.
-Yes. -Oh, no, I hadn’t forgotten.
I’ll see you later.
Okay.
Somehow I don’t think of you as being into heavy metal, Mrs. Fletcher.
Well, I’m not, but Holly is indoctrinating me
into the cutting edge of pop.
Excuse me.
Sorry.
Fellows, I’ll make the deal simple.
It just boils down to dollars.
Frankly, it’s one I can make across town even as we speak,
but the kids say they like you, Freddie.
You’ve been good to them and they want to stay with Rojam Records.
Great, give me the numbers.
Numbers work out to three million a year
against profits, three years firm,
10% bumps and a signing bonus,
million for the kids, million for management.
Signing bonus?
And what’s with this management crap?
Hey, hey, hey, it’s not out of line for me
to get something for keeping them here, Freddie.
As far as the dollars go, I’ll remind you
that Mirabilis was the only thing
that kept you in the black last year.
I’ll be in my office till 2:00.
I won’t wait any longer than that.
You’ve run my A & R for 20 years, Rick.
How come all of a sudden
we’re at the mercy of a bloodsucker like Drexler?
Hey, nobody bats a thousand, Freddie.
You mean not since they took Plugola away from you.
Face it, that’s when this company started going downhill.
This company wouldn’t even be here today
if it wasn’t for the independent promoters that I’ve brought in.
You mean the hoods.
You didn’t complain when you had ten of the top 40.
Don’t badmouth your friends, Freddie. It’s not nice.
What? You’re saying somebody will rearrange my face, huh?
Come on, Freddie,
let me take you to lunch.
♪ And look people said you’re crazy, man ♪
♪ Why don’t you just go away ♪
That’s some guy called Willi Piper.
He’s done over 70,000 copies.
Yeah, what the hell do we buy him with?
We don’t.
Would you believe Willi Piper’s producer is
one of our engineers?
A guy named Paul Atkins.
Guess who washes Atkins’ socks.
I give up.
Our own director of press and artist development,
Julie Knight.
♪ And for a minute there I stood in his shoes ♪
♪ Felt his hopeless heart beating ♪
♪ Felt his black and blues ♪
♪ They say the Lord helps Those who help themselves ♪
♪ But damn it If they’ll help someone else ♪
♪ Oh these are desperate times ♪
♪ When a man’s got to live this way ♪
♪ And all the people look And then just turn away ♪
♪ Don’t seem to care anymore ♪
♪ Oh these are desperate times♪
♪ Where are the days of the helping hand ♪
♪ Ooh where did they go ♪
♪ I just don’t understand ♪
Hi, Julie, how are you?
Hi.
Mrs. Fletcher, this is my friend Paul Atkins.
He’ll be your engineer today.
Oh, hello, Paul.
Hi, Mrs. Fletcher. Nice to meet you.
Thank you.
Oh, it’s a nice sound.
That’s Willi Piper.
Willi come here, man.
This is J.B. Fletcher.
She wrote all of those novels you’re always talking about.
The J.B. Fletcher?
I am an addict. How are you?
Fine, thanks.
Um, which novel are you recording?
Oh, The Corpse Danced At Midnight.
Oh, an early one. Cool.
Mrs. Fletcher, you’re all set and ready out there.
Oh, good.
All right, we’re rolling.
Any time.
Great.
"Daphne Heath would forever remember
the weather on that Thursday in November.
She’d gone out early for the paper
and felt the wind on her face.
And seeing the line of angry black clouds
stacked on the northern horizon,
a hundred unanswered questions crowded Daphne’s mind.
She wanted to ask Alan to clarify so much for her,
but in her heart she was still uncertain,
even about Alan."
Paul Atkins?
We haven’t met, Paul.
I’m Freddie Major and this is Rick Lefko,
our A & R vice-president.
Gentlemen, this is Willi Piper.
-How are you doing? -Hi.
I see they got them working late like us tonight, huh?
We’re here to talk you about Desperate Times.
I think you’ve come up with something special.
I’ll be upfront.
I want to offer you a home with Rojam Records.
Uh, it’s very kind of you, Mr. Major,
but Willi and I already have our own label.
Sly Records, is it?
That’s right.
Uh, Paul, I wasn’t very happy with that.
Could we do the second paragraph on page 22 again?
Paul?
I don’t think you get the whole picture, Paul.
I’m saying Rojam Records will buy your company
along with Willi’s contract.
You stay on as producer.
You get a piece of the action.
Well, thanks, but I like what I got.
You have anything to say, Willi?
No.
See, me and Paul have an agreement.
Where he goes, I go.
Would it change your mind knowing Julie Knight’s future
with Rojam could depend on your decision?
What the hell does Julie have to do with this?
It sounds to me like she hasn’t told you
everything about her and me.
Listen, you son of a bitch.
Whoa, whoa, hey, easy, easy.
[Paul] Just keep Julie out of it, all right?
[Freddie] Think about what I said.
Julie, something very upsetting just happened in there.
I saw. They’re trying to take Paul’s dream away from him.
But surely Paul doesn’t want to give in.
They always get what they want, Mrs. Fletcher.
One way or another, they always get what they want.
I’ve never seen anything like this in my life.
You people call this an album cover?
Who’s gonna look twice?
Grungy, rockabilly junk.
Where is the youth appeal?
Les, what are you trying to prove?
"Mirabilis merges classic rock
with a rap in a triptych of disenchanted isolation."
I can’t even pronounce it,
let alone tell my 18-year-old what it means.
Now go back and redo it please.
Julie, you got a minute?
I met with your friend Paul Atkins last night.
I know.
Hey, I’m glad for you, baby.
You found someone you care for.
But I need your help.
Don’t ask me to change Paul’s mind.
I couldn’t if I wanted to.
You owe me something more than that.
Now you haven’t forgotten where and how we first met, have you?
Don’t do that to me, damn it.
For the first time in your life you’re making good money.
You got a career here as long as you want it.
I earn the money.
I do a job for this company.
If that’s not enough for you, then fire me.
[Holly] I could see it in your face.
You weren’t enjoying the concert.
Well, I think that heavy metal is,
well, a little metallic.
I mean, my eyeballs are still rattling.
I’m sorry about that.
Oh, no, no, I enjoyed the new experience,
but you have to understand that I was brought up with Frank and Ella.
Yeah, I couldn’t get with it either.
It really wasn’t my scene. Plus--
Julie was still on your mind.
I don’t like seeing her hurt.
Last night, Mr. Major’s manners
suggested that there was something more between him and Julie.
Yeah.
When Julie first came to town she dated Major.
Oh, you mean there was some emotional blackmail going on?
Yeah.
Ah, I’ve still got time to drop by Annie’s
and see if she needs anything.
You know, one of these days
I’d love to meet this mysterious foster mother of yours.
She sounds like a remarkable woman,
top-notch clinical psychologist
living a very full life, and yet she’s blind.
Yeah, Annie can see with her ears and her hands
and all of her other senses
much better than most people can with 20/20 vision.
She certainly did a good job with you.
She’s a big fan of yours.
Before I left home, I read four of your books to her.
She doesn’t know about the one we’re taping.
I want it to be a surprise.
Will you say hello for me?
I will.
Will I see you tomorrow?
At the video shoot?
Couldn’t keep me away.
Last night at the taping, was there a friend of mine there,
a singer by the name of Piper?
Willi?
Yes, I met him.
Do you have an opinion?
You know...
About Willi?
-Hmm. -Oh, well,
he’s very nice-looking, talented.
I think I liked him, Holly.
And I know that he’s a good and faithful friend to Paul.
Thank you.
Night.
Good night.
What’s with the nutsy rendezvous, Rick?
You got some girl stashed someplace?
Oh, yeah, I got them stashed everywhere.
Freddie’s getting ready to sell the company.
-Is that so? -Mm-hmm.
Let me guess, he’s cutting you out, right?
Look, what’s this got to do with me, huh?
Let me tell you a little story.
This broker friend of mine has a weakness for the tracks.
He covers his markers with inside information.
Now he says a certain Charles George Drexler,
that’s you, right, huh, sold two million shares
of Rojam stock short.
In other words,
you’re betting on Rojam to go in the toilet, huh?
Fantasy land, my friend.
Fantasy land, is it, huh?
If Mitch Randall’s buyout goes through this weekend,
come Monday, Rojam stock is gonna go sky high
and you, my friend, are gonna lose your pretty silk shirt.
Just supposing you’re right.
You’ve got an act that Freddie needs
when this whole deal is off, Mirabilis.
Now, you hold them out and Monday when the market opens,
you bail out your stock.
End of story.
Where the hell have you been?
Freddie and I closed the Mirabilis deal three hours ago,
Eight o’clock tonight.
Sure, sure, you did.
Assuming there’s a grain of truth in any of this,
what’s in it for you?
I’ve given Freddie the best years of my life
and now he’s selling me out.
Have a nice time.
Okay, guys, all right, ball change.
All right, turn, turn. That’s good, good.
All right, now spot it, spot it.
Keep it uniform, guys.
Come on. All right, tuck.
Tuck it in. Good, good.
All right, now isolate it.
Isolate it, fellows.
All right, looking good.
All right, turn.
All right, good guys. And roll.
All right, Lori, take over.
All right, let me see you do it again, guys.
Five, six, seven, eight, step, change.
Slide, kick...
Yeah, I read you.
You got it.
Hello, Mrs. Fletcher.
I got to bring some cue sheets to Paul.
-You want to come with? -Oh, sure.
Sorry.
They’re special effects, Holly.
They’re testing the squibs.
Let me tell you, Mrs. Fletcher,
in my old neighborhood when a balloon pops,
you are kissing asphalt.
In the movies they use squibs to simulate bullet-hits.
[crowd chattering]
Hi, Paul.
Hi, Mrs. Fletcher.
What’s Julie doing out there?
Oh, she’s just holding hands with some stud
-from Billboard magazine. -Well, that’s funny.
I didn’t think they had studs at Billboard magazine.
This song’s been pre-recorded.
So Mirabilis will be lip-synching.
Oh.
[high-pitched screeching]
Just seeing if you all were awake.
Yeah, I understand.
I got to go.
Go ahead and take care of that.
I got you. Hey, let’s do this.
Listen, Mr. Major, about that deal you offered,
I mean, it’s more than generous,
but I got to say no.
I’m gonna pass.
What the hell is this?
An upstart like you hasn’t got a pot to grow peanuts in
and you turn down a paying contract?
Listen, Mr. Major,
I mean, it might sound crazy to you,
but I’m not going to give up on someone
who’s had as much faith in me as Paul has.
Think twice about that, Willi.
What?
My people did a background on you.
Three years ago, under another name,
you did time for robbery.
Being faithful to Paul will amount to diddley
if that leaks out.
Noon tomorrow I want a big yes.
Yo-yo.
Hey, Paul.
Hey, hey, Paul, hey, work with me, huh?
Let’s see if we can create some order out of all this chaos.
You ready?
Anytime you are.
Yeah, well, let’s do this.
Hey, listen up, fellows and ladies,
this is gonna be a full dress rehearsal right from the top.
All right, people, people, people, move in.
I need to see more energy and I need to see you hit your accents.
Here, Mrs. Fletcher, have a seat.
-Oh, thank you, Holly. -Mm-hmm.
Uh, yes.
I want you to anticipate the music if you can.
Fellows, dancers,
you’re not hitting your marks early enough.
William, you’re lurking, brother.
Background, I want you to move
as if it means something to you.
Ladies, something happening in every muscle in your body.
Look, I can’t hear you.
What? What?
[director] ...looking fine in that outfit.
Yes, yes, I will tell him.
Y’all got that?
Yes!
[director] This is gonna be great.
Mr. Major, they want you in the VIP lounge.
-Now? -Yes.
Okay, thanks. I’ll see you.
Mm-hmm.
I have friends in Hollywood.
Give me call.
We’ll have lunch.
Looks great, Peter.
I got to check one of these amps.
I’ll be right back.
Okay, rehearsal, from the top.
♪ In a world of true temptation ♪
♪ Hearts get broken and dreams go wrong ♪
♪ My love defines its destination ♪
♪ It will choose where I belong ♪
♪ My love is bulletproof ♪
♪ Indestructible ♪
♪ And it’s all for you ♪
♪ Two hearts feeling ♪
♪ No one can steal it, baby ♪
♪ That’s the truth ♪
♪ My love is ♪
♪ Bulletproof ♪
[gunshot blasts]
Holly, it sounded like a real gunshot.
Nah.
It’s just the drumbeat, Mrs. Fletcher.
Go with it.
♪ I have never known such satisfaction
♪ With you it’s easy to feel so right ♪
♪ In my arms You’ll have all the action ♪
♪ You’ll ever need To keep you warm at night ♪
♪ My love is bulletproof ♪
♪ Indestructible ♪
♪ And it’s all for you ♪
♪ Two hearts feeling ♪
♪ No one can steal it, baby ♪
♪ That’s the truth ♪
♪ My love is ♪
♪ My love is
♪ Bulletproof ♪
[gunshot blasts]
What the hell was that?
[woman screaming]
[man] Put those people back.
-Put them back. -[man over radio] Roger.
There you are, lieutenant.
Okay.
Get it in to forensics right away, Ralph.
Right on.
You know, the wardrobe man was missing one of those.
Look, let’s suppose that the killer,
male or female, lured Major
over to this location, disguised in that thing,
and then killed him with a single shot close up.
Yeah, and the body fell onto the conveyor.
And the killer made his or her escape.
Right.
Al, are you sure that the killing occurred here?
I mean, Mr. Major had a call to the VIP lounge
just as the rehearsal was beginning.
Six witnesses said they heard a shot from this direction
just before the body was discovered
including yourself.
Jess, come on, don’t do that.
Don’t do what?
There’s a look you get that says this guy
is talking through his head.
But, Al,
with all the squibs and the playbacks,
I mean, they were enough gunshots
to wipe out an entire regiment.
And anyone of them could have killed Mr. Major.
I’m sure that I heard a shot much earlier over there
right by the VIP lounge.
Does this change your mind?
Nine millimeter bullet casing.
We’ve statements from everyone on the guard’s roster, lieutenant.
Is there anything else?
Tell them to go home and get that over to ballistics
right away.
If it’s okay, I’d like to send someone over tomorrow
to pick up the keyboard in the VIP lounge.
The kids have a concert in Buffalo on Tuesday.
The cordon should be lifted by 3:00.
Any time after that.
Thanks, lieutenant.
All right, did he tell you he’s the one person
who stands to make a few million dollars
off of Freddie’s murder, hmm?
You took my statement, lieutenant.
Don’t be shy, Drexler.
When the news of Freddie’s murder
hits wall street on Monday,
Rojam’s stock will be worth next to nothing.
It sounds crazy, but on the big board
you can bet on failure.
Drexler here, oh, he does that in spades.
What’s in it for you, huh,
Chucky?
Three, four mil, huh?
You’d think he’d be worrying about keeping the company together.
Mrs. Fletcher.
You know most of these people, Jess?
Well, not all, just some.
Oh.
Any theories?
Well, not really.
I mean, we both know
how misleading the obvious can be.
Right.
Well, I’ll let you know when I come up with something.
All right.
Oh, oh, Jess, Jess, I know it’s a little early,
but I’ve got some covered seedlings in the kitchen window.
I’m betting you a dinner, my squash
comes up bigger and tastier than yours,
say by mid-August.
Well, mine will be a little later coming up in Cabot Cove,
but they’ll still be bigger and tastier
than the ones from your New York garden.
You’re on, Terwilliger.
Oh, Julie, I didn’t mean to startle you.
Holly and I were planning to go back to town together,
but I can’t find her.
I haven’t seen Holly.
Julie, are you all right?
Mrs. Fletcher, I saw you with the lieutenant
so don’t pretend that you don’t know.
They’re hounding Paul
just because he left the video concert
during rehearsal.
No, I didn’t know.
[Jessica] What time is your class, Holly?
[Holly] Eight o’clock.
I really appreciate this.
I want you to tell me what you think of that bread,
because I found a new bakery.
Okay. Aren’t you having any?
No, I’ll have something later.
I’ve got too much in my head right now.
Holly, just before the dress rehearsal this morning,
you got a call on your walkie-talkie.
Someone wanted Mr. Major in the VIP lounge?
Mm, I know what you’re going to ask,
but there was so much noise, I can’t even be certain
if it was a man or a woman.
There’s a rather strange man that I’m very curious about.
I bumped into him, literally, at Rojam Records the other day.
And I saw him again this morning.
A skinny guy, maybe 29 with dirty blonde hair and shifty eyes.
That’s him.
Yeah, shiny gray suit that had been
dry-cleaned to death, frayed cuffs,
white socks and scuff black wingtips.
Very good, Holly, go on.
Well, I didn’t like the looks of him either.
After the murder, I talked to this cool police sergeant about him.
And he said the guy’s name is Bert Sellers
and he’s a lowlife private eye.
He does down and dirty things like wire taps and surveillance,
but doesn’t have guts enough to kill anyone.
Hank, the sergeant said if they weren’t so busy
with the homicide, they would have busted him then and there.
I wonder what he was doing at the filming.
Maybe they have something to do with the buyout.
Buyout?
[phone rings]
Yes, Richie.
Oh, yes, please send her up.
It’s Julie.
What buyout?
One of those rumors that go around among secretaries.
A Midwest conglomerate was talking to Freddie Major
about acquiring his company.
Buyout talks are generally held in secret,
in which case someone in the Rojam music building
may have hired Sellers to do a bugging job.
And you’re thinking if you knew who hired Sellers...
And whose privacy he was hired to invade?
[knock on door]
Julie, oh, what’s wrong?
They arrested Paul for murder.
On what evidence?
They found a gun underneath the seat of his car
and they say it’s the murder weapon.
Julie, sit down.
Listen, this afternoon you told me
that Paul had left the shoot during the rehearsal.
Did he tell you why?
[Julie] He’d gone to look for Willi.
-Did he find him? -No.
And then when he got back, they’d already found the body.
Mrs. Fletcher, I know that you have influence with the police.
Please tell them that Paul would never hurt anybody.
Look, Julie, lieutenant Terwilliger is a very savvy policeman.
He’s always open to new evidence.
Don’t you worry.
You go on in there and freshen up.
And then go to Paul, all right?
Mrs. Fletcher, are you sure Paul didn’t murder Freddie Major?
Holly, at this point I’m not sure of anything.
[man] Something I can help you with?
I’m so sorry, you startled me.
Giorgi Pappavasilopoulos at your service, Mrs. Fletcher.
Oh, you know my name?
Your picture graces numerous book jackets
in my library.
Oh, how nice.
If you’re looking for Sellers, he won’t be back.
He was six months behind in the rent
and it got so the process servers looking for him
earned parking privileges.
Do you happen to know where he went?
You can bet it’s some place nobody can find him, I’m sure.
I saw him yesterday.
He must have cut out in the middle of the night.
Well, from the looks of things he left in quite a hurry.
Mr. Pap...
I’m so sorry.
Pappavasilopoulus, but you can call me Giorgi.
Giorgi, do you happen to know
if there’s a trash incinerator chute in this building?
Ah, this is in like one of your novels, eh?
Pay dirt, Mr. P.
[man whistles] Taxi!
[Holly] Why are you so disappointed, Mrs. Fletcher?
The transcripts tell you it was Rick Lefko who hired Sellers.
He’d found out he’d lose his job if the buyout went through.
In spite of that,
I don’t believe that Lefko killed Mr. Major.
Why not?
Lefko’s timetable doesn’t work for me.
And there are others with equally strong motives.
Mr. Drexler stood to lose a lot of money
in the stock market if the buyout was successful.
Or Paul Atkins,
to prevent Major’s takeover of his only asset Willi Piper.
And Julie Knight?
Yes, Julie, because she loves Paul
and might have killed to protect his interests.
[phone rings]
Hello.
Jessica, Al.
You called?
Yes, Al.
I’ve come across some information
that’s material to the Freddie Major case.
And I think that you should have it.
Good.
Look, we’ve earned some R & R
for working all weekend.
Bring whatever you’ve got and let’s discuss it
over brunch.
Tavern On The Green.
Say... 1 o’clock?
Oh, Al, you don’t have to do that.
By hook or crook, the department will pay for it.
Be there.
Naturally.
I’ve got a date with a policeman.
Come on, Holly, I’ll drop you.
All right.
There is another possibility you haven’t mentioned, Mrs. Fletcher.
Willi Piper, right? And why not?
I mean, where was Willi when Paul left the shoot to go looking for him?
It’s just hard to believe.
I mean, Willi is all about love and peace.
He wouldn’t hurt a fly.
Who said anything about music and murder going together, huh?
Come to think of it, the only person
I ever wanted to murder was my piano teacher.
I never could learn the notes.
The open spaces between the cleft lines
stood for f-a-c-e, that spelt face.
That was easy enough.
It was the lines I could never remember.
I know, e, g, b, d, f.
Someone should have told you
it stands for "every good boy deserves fudge."
Then you would--
Oh, my goodness.
What is it?
You don’t have to worry about Willi anymore.
You and your piano teacher have just helped me to put my finger
on a very important piece of the puzzle.
I’m going back to the plant where we were yesterday.
I want you to call lieutenant Terwilliger at Tavern On The Green.
Tell him to meet me at the VIP lounge.
Tell him that I know who murdered Freddie Major.
Hi there, Mrs. Fletcher.
Mr. Drexler, here to pick up the keyboard?
The kids and I have that gig in Buffalo
day after tomorrow.
Just wondering what business you have here.
Well, I don’t think you’ll be able to make that gig, Mr. Drexler.
Come again.
I think it’s more likely that you’ll be a guest
of the city of New York as the killer of Freddie Major.
Come on, Mrs. Fletcher, I was standing right beside
you when Freddie was killed.
I don’t think you’ll find that alibi
quite as iron clad as you think.
That was the second gunshot that everybody heard,
but I’d heard an earlier gunshot.
And now I’m quite sure it came from inside this room.
My friend Holly suggested it was a drumbeat.
It sounded like a real gunshot.
But when I examined the musical score,
I found no timpany indicated.
Furthermore, I found evidence
that the second shot had been caused
by a theatrical squib you planted earlier
on the metal framework of the conveyer belt
close to where the police just happened to find a 9 millimeter shell casing.
As the dress rehearsal began, you called Holly on the walkie-talkie
knowing she couldn’t identify your voice over the din.
You summoned Freddie Major here to the VIP lounge.
As he waited, he started going over the musical phrase in
Bulletproof that had bothered him so much.
Out of sight of the dress rehearsal,
you carried Mr. Major’s body to the conveyor belt.
You left the bullet casing on the ground
to establish a phony murder site.
Then, later, you planted the murder weapon
in Paul Atkins’ car.
You overcharged the squib to make sure that it was heard all over the plant,
then donated it remotely as you stood beside me.
That’s close enough, Mrs. Fletcher.
I’m just curious about one thing though.
Why were you so convinced it was me?
It’s there in the electronic piano, Mr. Drexler.
Before you kill me, why don’t you play it?
Freddie Major was still trying to fix Bulletproof,
but knowing that he was about to die,
he was determined to betray you.
He did it with those three notes.
They had nothing to do with the tune
but everything to do with his murderer,
C, G, D: Mr. Charles George Drexler.
Drop it! Police!
Drop it!
Mrs. Fletcher, you all right?
Yes, thank you, Holly. I’m fine.
Holly, go back to the car and call for some backup.
Yes, right, right.
Freddie never did get it right, did he?
Bulletproof?
Maybe not the notes he wanted, no,
but in the end I do think he got it right, don’t you, Mr. Drexler?
[Jessica] I have one criticism which applies to all of your papers.
Far too many words to express something simple.
You know, the old jingle bears repeating: "The written word should be
clean as bone, clear as light, firm as stone.
Two words are not as good as one."
I’ll see you all next Monday.
Good point about words, Mrs. Fletcher.
Only, um, sometimes there aren’t enough to really express how you feel.
But when is that, Willi?
Well, take Julie.
Yeah, how is Julie?
Well, Willi’s new song got a big advance sale.
And Julie’s left Rojam Records
to head up Paul’s A & R department.
It looks like Sly Records
is turning into a real family affair.
You’re kidding.
You mean...
Mm-hmm, next weekend.
I’m the best man.
And I’m the maid of honor.
They want you to be there too.
Well, I wouldn’t miss it for the world.