[Jerry] Enjoy your stay in Vegas, Mrs. Fletcher.
[Jessica] Tonight on Murder, She Wrote.
[Katherine] It’s all about power.
Who gets to keep all the marbles?
You’re beginning to smother me,
and I don’t like the way that feels at all.
Just so you know, I'd kill for the guy.
[howling]
Oh, hi there.
We can make you wish that you’ve never seen a deck of cards.
Maybe there was a lover’s triangle in there some place.
[laughing] I suppose stranger things have happened.
[screaming]
[cheerful orchestral music]
[upbeat orchestral music]
[Ted] I know I'm beginning to sound like your travel agent
as well as your publisher, but have you got everything?
Well, I don’t think I've forgotten anything.
How about one round trip plane ticket to Las Vegas?
Oh, go on. Tell me that was an intentional oversight.
Book fairs are an occupational hazard, Jess.
Just try to remember
there’ll be 15,000 booksellers in Vegas this week.
Oh, it’s all those cocktail parties and breakfast meetings.
I come away five pounds heavier and looking like a cheese Danish.
Yes, but think of all the exposure your new book will get.
[Jessica] Yeah, but sometimes I wonder if it’s worth it.
So, when you get to Vegas, the hotel’s P.R. rep is Alice Baxter.
She’ll meet you at the airport and coordinate your agenda.
This hotel you’ve booked me into, McSorley's?
I don’t think I've ever heard of it, is it new?
No, actually it’s been around for quite a few years.
Susan happens to be working there right now.
Susan?
Isn’t she supposed to be starting her third year at Columbia?
Well, this summer, on the coast,
she conned me into letting her take her junior year
at the university in Las Vegas.
Well, daughters can be very persuasive.
It turns out that the real reason
is the new boyfriend that she's living with.
He is a dealer at McSorley's
and she is working as a cocktail waitress and going to school part-time.
I don’t suppose any of this makes life easier for you.
Well, she’s grown so distant that I hardly know who she is any more.
Jess, I was wondering
as long as you’re staying at the same hotel,
if-- Well, if you’d mind doing a little discreet checking for me.
Well, I suppose I could do that.
You’re a lifesaver.
Oh, but don’t jump to any conclusions, Ted.
I mean, I'll do what I can, but I won’t meddle,
and I certainly don’t want to invade Susan’s privacy.
Fair enough.
And thanks.
[Ahmed] Mrs. Fletcher, you are leaving for Las Vegas?
I’m on my way.
Oh, should you find yourself in the vicinity of a roulette table,
I was wondering if you would do me the extraordinary favor
of placing this on number 14.
But, Ahmed, I thought that you’d sworn off gambling.
Oh, only for short periods of time.
Mrs. Fletcher, the omens are irresistible.
Today is the 14th, I have 14 brothers and sisters,
and this is my 14th month in New York City.
Well, all right. [sighs]
But, just to remind you of the value of money.
[upbeat funky Las Vegas music]
Picking you up is a real privilege, Mrs. Fletcher.
You’re gonna give McSorley's a touch of class
it hasn’t had in a long time.
Oh, you’re very kind, Mr. Thorson.
How long have you been chief of security?
Please, call me Larry.
And it’s been eight years.
All things considered, eight pretty darn good years.
You know, I read an article on the plane,
it said that some notable gambling tycoon tried to buy McSorley's recently.
Yeah, Sonny Barragan.
He owns four casinos in Atlantic City,
but he wanted Wes McSorley’s place worse than a pig wants mud.
Wasn’t there a third party involved, some off-shore corporation?
Wes’s partners, Seashore Properties, they killed the deal.
Wes liked to die when it fell through.
He spent ten million dollars renovating the old place
and it hasn’t been drawing the kind of business he expected.
Larry, I wonder if you could do me a favor.
Sure.
The daughter of a friend of mine works in your casino,
Susan Hartley?
I wonder if you could put her in touch with me.
Susan Hartley, no problem. I’ll have her call you.
Great.
[Las Vegas show music]
[indistinct chatter]
-[Susan] Bea. -Yeah?
Can you take care of things for a minute?
-Eddie is off his shift. -Sure.
[Susan] Eddie.
Are you going to class?
No, I think I'm gonna skip today.
Again, how come?
I have some things I have to do.
Nothing is more important right now than your degree.
Come on, don’t sound like my mother.
You’re not forgetting our plan, right?
[Eddie] No, I'm not forgetting our plan.
Just so happens that you and I have an anniversary coming up.
Like I said I got some things to do.
[gushing] Oh, Eddie.
I gotta go.
All right, we’ll save a little of that for later, okay?
[Eddie] So, what kind of odds are you quoting on that 49ers game, Frank?
The Giants in three.
[Eddie] [chuckles] Oh, you’re kidding me?
Seven, and I might think about it.
[Frank chuckles]
So, uh, we will see you tomorrow, huh?
Just make sure you’re on time tomorrow, Eddie.
[mysterious music]
[Las Vegas show music]
[Alice] Mrs. Fletcher! Alice Baxter.
I’m sorry I couldn’t make it to the airport,
but it has been hitting the fan around here.
Well, please don’t apologize.
Larry has explained everything.
Larry, would you make sure Mrs. Fletcher has been checked in, please?
You have got it, precious.
And I'll see you tomorrow.
I’ll drop around the fair about 5:00 p.m., okay?
Five o’clock, I'm sure it’ll be a very welcome rescue.
[laughter]
You have got a full day tomorrow.
Your book fair is at 10:00 a.m..
I’ve arranged for an interview with a local paper at 11:00 a.m.,
radio interview at 3:00 p.m..
Oh, and there are cocktails for the authors
in the sunset room at 8:30 p.m. tomorrow night.
And right now, we’ve got a small impromptu party in the penthouse.
A party? I’m not dressed for a party.
Oh, there’s no dress code in Las Vegas, Mrs. Fletcher.
Anyway, you look just great.
Well, not really. If you don’t mind I think I'll pass.
Uh, you see, it’s after midnight in New York, and I--
Oh, please, Mrs. Fletcher. It’s the casino manager Jerry Pappas.
If you don’t show for at least a little while...
You’ll get in trouble?
The guy signs my check.
Well, in that case, just for a little while.
Oh!
Listen, if you need to relax,
try the sauna and massage downstairs.
Compliments of the hotel.
Oh, and be sure to ask for Max,
talk about magic fingers. [chuckles]
Magic fingers?
Gosh, isn’t that just what I need?
Although I'm not altogether sure about Max.
[giggles]
[chuckles]
Oh, it’s nice to see they’re putting surveillance cameras
in all the elevators here.
They were added as part of the renovation.
-Oh. -Hmm. They spared no expense.
The trouble is, you can renovate till hell freezes over,
and if you don’t have Dean Martin or Julio Iglesias in the main room,
you’re dead.
Takes money.
And the renovation sucked Wes McSorley dry.
-[elevator pings] -[indistinct chatter]
[Jessica] Oh, my goodness.
-I knew I should have changed. -Oh, come on.
You’re just fine.
Here, let me take your coat.
Ah, that’s the owner Wes McSorley and his wife Katherine.
I understand he was very disappointed
when he was unable to sell this place to Sonny Barragan?
[Alice] Oh, took the soul right out of him.
Just so you know, I'd kill for the guy.
[indistinct chatter and laughter]
Mrs. Fletcher, this is Wes and Katherine McSorley.
J.B. Fletcher, I'm honored.
How nice to meet you both.
And if anybody at my hotel doesn’t give you the red carpet treatment,
I want to hear about it.
-Oh! -[laughter]
[Wes] Jerry Pappas, the famous J.B. Fletcher.
-[Jerry] Oh, hello. -How do you do?
[Wes] Jerry is our casino manager.
King of the one armed bandits.
Better than being King of nothing.
Excuse us. We need to talk, my friend.
Did you get Thorson’s report this afternoon?
-Don’t worry about it. -We have a cash leak in the casino.
-Don’t tell me not to worry. -Jerry, relax.
Well, you nail that S.O.B.
The last thing we need right now is an inquiry by the commission.
I said I'll handle it, okay?
Well, I'm sorry to interrupt, but you know how business is.
Never lets you alone.
Enjoy your stay in Vegas, Mrs. Fletcher.
Thank you, Mr. Pappas, I'll try.
[indistinct chatter and laughter]
[classical piano playing]
Mrs. Fletcher, you don’t have a drink, may I get you one?
Uh, no, thanks.
It’s getting rather late for me. I think I'll be running along.
[indistinct chatter and laughter]
So, what do you think?
I’m sorry.
My husband and Jerry Pappas.
You’re the big mystery writer.
Don’t act like you didn’t notice anything weird?
[chuckles] Mrs. McSorley,
I'm not sure that this conversation is really appropriate.
Oh, come on, be honest. I saw your face.
You were wondering who was giving the orders
and who was taking them.
You wanna know what this is all about?
It’s all about power.
Who gets to keep all the marbles?
[Jessica] Oh.
You know what I think, Mrs. McSorley?
We both need a hot bath and a good night’s sleep.
[mysterious music]
[Susan] How long has it been, Mrs. Fletcher?
[Jessica] Oh, time enough for a shy, high school valedictorian
to turn into a perfectly beautiful young woman.
[laughter]
Please don’t take this the wrong way,
but when I got the message that you were here at this hotel,
I kind of put two and two together.
It was Dad’s idea, wasn’t it?
He did ask me to see that you were all right.
So, I guess he told you about Eddie?
He said there was a young man.
I know you’re gonna see the same things in him that I do.
Dad doesn’t understand, Vegas is only temporary.
There is no place we can make the kind of money we do here
and still finish school.
Eddie’s on a split shift.
He goes through accounting courses at a business school downtown.
And I go in the mornings and work evenings.
The best part about it is we’re actually building a bank account.
-Hi, hon. -Ooh!
And you’re Mrs. Fletcher.
-Susan’s told me all about you. -Hello, Eddie.
Can we get you some breakfast?
Oh, I'll pass. Thanks.
I just wanted to stop and say hello.
You know, Susan and I are both off on Saturday.
I thought maybe I could run us all out to Hoover Dam
if you’ve never seen it, or Lake Mead.
Oh, Eddie, what a great idea.
How about it, Mrs. Fletcher?
That would be fun.
[Eddie] Okay, we’re on.
You guys decide when and where.
Isn’t he everything I said?
He certainly seems to be.
Ooh, I'm gonna be late for class.
Thank you for breakfast, Mrs. Fletcher, and I'll call you.
[upbeat orchestral music]
[Spencer] Thanks, Jessica.
Your stuff does fabulous back home. We’ll sell out in a week.
Oh, thanks, Spence.
It’s always good to see you.
[laughter]
[wolf] Yo, Jessica! [howling]
Oh, hi there.
That voice, Betty.
-Wasn’t he a walrus last year? -[Betty] Mm-hmm.
Captain Thorson to the rescue, ma’am. We have a date, remember?
Oh, gosh. Yes, indeed. We have a date, and just in the nick of time.
-Yeah. -Thanks, Betty.
[Betty] Bye, Jessica.
[dealer] Okay folks, here we go. Place your bets.
All bets down.
Oh, Larry, I just remembered I have a friend in New York
who asked me to put a 20 dollar bill on number 14.
I told him it’s a waste of money, but might as well do it now.
[dealer] Fourteen! Red is the winner.
My stars!
-[siren blaring] -[woman screaming]
Oh, what’s that?
Somebody must’ve hit the ten grand jackpot.
[dealer] Thirteen black, no winner.
He’s doubled my money.
How can you explain that?
Well, you left your bet on the middle 12 numbers
and one came in, paid two for one.
Oh, this is terrible.
It’s gonna be the ruination of Ahmed.
If you’re not careful, it could be yours, too.
[dealer] Here we go.
Come on, I'll show you how I make a living.
[dealer] Place your bets. Place your bets.
[Larry] Now, these boys are my bloodhounds.
They keep everybody honest.
Customers, pit bosses, dealers, the whole shooting match.
I don’t think I'd like people peering at me all day long.
But I suppose it does eliminate most of the cheating.
Well, there’s always some guy who thinks he is smart enough
to beat the system.
Now, watch this.
-How’s our boy doing? -Nothing so far, Sir.
Whatever table he plays,
the house always loses a little more than probabilities dictate.
Now, we know that he is taking money from the house.
But I'm darn if we can catch him.
Well, so, what do you do?
We just hang around until he makes a mistake.
Then we nail his butt to the wall.
[tense anticipatory music]
[mysterious music]
Hey, babe.
-[Susan sighs] -What are you doing?
I was just looking over our bank statement.
Why? I thought I was the bookkeeper?
Where did you find it anyway?
You’ve been going through my stuff?
You left it on your dresser when you went to bed.
What concerns me is the balance.
It’s way short. What is this?
Suddenly, you’ve become a certified public accountant?
I just want to know what all these withdrawals are for?
Listen, Susan.
I’m beginning to feel very smothered by you,
and I don’t like that feeling at all.
Eddie, you’re gambling, aren’t you?
Let’s get something straight, Susan.
Half the money in this account belongs to me.
Now, what I do with it is my business,
nobody else’s.
[dramatic music]
[Las Vegas show music]
-Mrs. Fletcher, I've been looking for you. -Hello, Alice.
-How are you? -Well, the word is tired.
My fingers feel atrophied.
If I never sign another autograph in my life, it’ll be just fine.
-Oh, excuse me, miss. -Yes, ma’am.
I’ve been trying to locate Susan Hartley.
I called her at the casino and at her home, but she’s not--
Yeah, well, she didn’t show up for her shift tonight.
Lots of people have been asking about her.
Well, if you do happen to see her,
would you ask her to call Jessica Fletcher?
It’s really rather urgent.
Sure, I'll pass the word.
Thank you.
Just so you know,
the bookseller’s breakfast tomorrow
will be followed by the mystery writers lunch.
And, in case you’ve forgotten, tonight at 8:30 is--
The cocktail party. I had forgotten.
What I'd really like to do is to go to bed,
curl up with a good book, but I'll be there.
[chuckles] Thanks, Mrs. Fletcher.
You’re a real trooper.
[tense anticipatory music]
[tense dramatic music]
All right, that’s it, let’s go.
Yes, Sir.
Better luck next time, Sir.
[tense dramatic music]
Listen, creep, under Nevada law, I can hold you for any amount of time
for the city police and during that time,
we can make you wish that you’ve never seen a deck of cards.
But I'm not calling the police, not yet, if you cooperate.
Now, first, you’re out of a job.
Second, you don’t leave town until you’re told.
-Are you listening? -Yes, I'm listening.
You’re just lucky that the McSorley’s have an image problem
with the gaming commission.
So, this time, there may not be any cops or criminal charges.
It all depends on what Mr. Pappas has to say.
In the meantime, I don’t wanna see you around
until you hear from me.
[anticipatory music]
[tense dramatic music]
What are you doing, Eddie?
Double-crossing snitch.
[Frank] No, no. Let me explain.
I thought you said we had protection.
We do.
Honest, Eddie,
it’s just that the wrong guys got wise to it,
but everything is gonna be worked out all right.
By who?
-The Lone Ranger? -No, Jerry-- Jerry Pappas.
Come on, Frank, I'm not stupid.
It’s true.
You can ask him yourself.
He’s gonna be at the penthouse tonight.
You told me that last week, he wasn’t there.
[panting] Okay.
I don’t know what happened last time, but he’s gonna be there tonight.
Ten o’clock sharp.
And he’s gonna straighten everything out, I swear.
[anticipatory music]
[indistinct chatter and laughter]
[Alice] Mrs. Fletcher? Don’t you look smashing?
Well, you ain’t half bad yourself, kid.
Where is our host?
Which one?
Oh, Jerry Pappas isn’t here yet,
and Katherine McSorley, madam is also unaccountably absent.
As for host number two, he is right over there.
I’m about to mount a rescue operation.
Oh, I wouldn’t worry, Alice.
That’s Wanda Leroux,
she’s just written a book called A Celibate Woman Over 30.
She doesn’t look very celibate to me.
And who said she is over 30?
Excuse me.
[woman] Jessica Fletcher?
[indistinct chatter and laughter]
Katherine?
I can’t seem to locate your husband to say good night.
I’ve given up keeping track of Wes.
Well, perhaps you’ll deliver my thanks for me.
And I'll see him tomorrow.
And where is Alice Baxter? She seems to have disappeared, too.
Ah, Wes and Alice? [laughing]
I suppose stranger things have happened.
Well, good night.
-[indistinct chatter and laughter] -[Las Vegas show music playing]
Eddie, Eddie, I have to talk to you.
Another time, Mrs. Fletcher.
Eddie, you are in trouble
and what’s more important, it’s gonna affect Susan.
I’ve been trying to reach her all day.
Stay out of my business, okay?
Just leave me alone.
Hang on to my place here, will you, hon?
This one’s ready to blow.
If I don’t make a pit stop in the next two minutes, wowie.
[mysterious anticipatory music]
[siren blaring]
[indistinct chatter and laughter]
[Las Vegas show music playing]
[woman screaming] Oh, my god!
-[man screaming] -[patrons screaming]
[man] Oh, my God.
It’s Jerry Pappas.
[mysterious music]
[Susan] Mrs. Fletcher!
Oh, Susan. I’ve been looking all over for you.
-For heavens’ sakes, what’s the matter? -[Susan] They arrested Eddie.
-What for? -There was a murder last night.
-The casino manager, Jerry Pappas. -Yes, I heard.
And they say that Eddie did it. They arrested Eddie this morning.
Oh, Susan, I'm so sorry.
I don’t know what to do.
You’re the only one I could think of.
I can’t call my dad and I need somebody to help me.
Now, listen to me.
I’ll do everything I can to help you, but first of all, I want you to go home
and try and get yourself calmed down, all right?
And I promise that I will call you as soon as I find out anything.
[Susan sighs]
[mysterious music]
It happens that the press concludes
that there’s some sort of scam going in the casino.
We’re gonna have to come up with another angle.
Something like Jerry and me, life-long buddies,
a senseless crime committed in the heat of anger.
Maybe there was a lover’s triangle in there some place.
-You got that? -Got it.
Here, fix your face.
We got reporters and photographers downstairs.
[Walt] Okay, people, thank you for your time.
I’d appreciate it if we could clear the room now.
Walt, I want you to meet a friend of mine, J.B. Fletcher.
Jessica, this is Lieutenant Murphy of the Las Vegas Police Department.
How do you do, Lieutenant?
-It’s a real pleasure, Mrs. Fletcher. -Thank you.
My wife hasn’t missed a single one of your books.
Keeps telling me I'd be a better cop if I had more of a woman’s intuition.
And you told her, I'm sure, it’s not so much intuition
as logic and common sense that solves crimes.
[laughs] Well, as a matter of fact,
I don’t tell her much of anything.
Lieutenant,
Eddie Wheaton is a very close friend of a friend of mine.
I wonder if I could ask you
what makes you think that he killed Jerry Pappas.
Logic and common sense.
Plus the fact that he doesn’t deny
being with the victim minutes before the murder.
The surveillance tapes from the elevator will corroborate that.
And he doesn’t deny Pappas took a swing at him and he struck back.
Pappas was gonna make sure he never worked a casino again
as long as he lived.
Yes, but surely Eddie wouldn’t kill because he lost his job.
I mean, he was going to school, Lieutenant,
he was studying accounting.
[Walt] Your myth.
He spent his afternoons down at the bus depot
working short cons on the tourists.
Cheap grifters like Wheaton are a pet hate of mine, Mrs. Fletcher.
Well, it sounds as if you’ve got the case locked up, Lieutenant.
You have a better idea?
There must be others who had motive and opportunity.
Is that your intuition, Mrs. Fletcher,
or just wishful thinking?
[mysterious music]
I swear I didn’t kill anybody.
I went to see Pappas because my pit boss, Frank Stinson,
said he was our protection, but when I got there,
Pappas pretended like he didn’t know anything about it.
Eddie, this morning, after the police arrested you,
they found a whole lot of money in another footstool by the TV,
where did it all come from?
That was ours, baby.
[crying] Eddie, ours was supposed to be in the bank.
All right, Eddie. I want you to tell me exactly how it all happened.
I heard Jerry Pappas had a lousy temper, but this was incredible.
He started screaming and raving
about how I'd never work in Vegas or any place else,
then he sucker punched me and knocked me down.
-And the coffee table went over? -[Eddie] Yeah.
I thought he was gonna kill me right there.
Well, then what?
[sighs heavily] I hit him, in self-defense,
and I got out as fast as I could.
Anything else?
Nothing.
Except I remember thinking that maybe he had a woman up there
-in one of the other rooms. -Why?
Because there was this thing like a lady’s silver compact
on the coffee table.
And what time did you leave?
10:15 p.m., now the reason I remember is because when I got downstairs,
I was going to look for Frank
and I checked the time to see if he’d still be working.
You believe me, don’t you, babe?
Oh, Eddie, I wanna believe you didn’t kill Mr. Pappas.
I wanted to hear you say that you hadn’t been stealing.
Eddie, I wanted to hear you say that none of this ever happened.
I blew it, huh?
I guess you’re gonna be walking out on me, too?
Don’t tempt me, Eddie.
As much as I despise what you’ve done to Susan,
there’s a lot here that doesn’t make any sense.
And I'll talk to you later.
There’s some things that I have to check out.
[anticipatory music]
Okay, here we go.
Now, these are the tapes from the camera in the penthouse elevator.
As you can see, Wheaton boarded the elevator at 9:55 p.m..
Now, we’ll fast forward it.
And he came back down from the penthouse at exactly 10:20 p.m..
So, there it is,
Wheaton’s story that he left the lobby at 10:15 p.m. is a lie.
You saw it, he was in the elevator at 10:20 p.m..
Jerry Pappas’s wristwatch stopped with his death at 10:18 p.m..
Could we see the tape one more time, Lieutenant?
I’m sorry, Mrs. Fletcher.
Wishful thinking won’t change what all of us just saw.
Thanks for everything, Larry.
You can have your tape back just as soon as all of this is over.
Larry, I need some help.
You’ve got it.
I have to see Eddie again, this afternoon, it’s urgent.
[Jessica] I want you to tell me how well you knew Jerry Pappas.
[Eddie] He was the casino manager and I was just another dealer.
Now, was that to say
that you’ve never been up to the penthouse before last night?
Now that you mention it, I was up there just less than a week ago.
It’s kind of a flaky thing.
Frank Stinson told me that Pappas wanted to see me,
kind of hinting there might be a promotion,
but when I got up there, Pappas wasn’t there.
Later, I asked Stinson about it and he said,
"The whole thing was probably a mistake."
I guess that that time when you went up to the penthouse,
it was close to 10:00 p.m.?
Yeah. It was right around 10:00 p.m. on my second shift.
How did you know that?
[Walt] I've told you, Mrs. Fletcher, that tape is in the vault
and it won’t come out except for the grand jury.
Look, all I am asking is
that you at least consider the possibility that the tape was tampered with.
Now when I saw Eddie at the jail this morning,
his vest was torn.
It probably happened in his fight with Pappas,
but when I looked at the tape in the second part
where Eddie reenters the elevator at 10:20 p.m.,
it wasn’t torn.
It wasn’t evident on the tape.
That’s all that means.
No, it means that the first segment where he entered the elevator is genuine,
but the second piece could have been made earlier.
[Larry] You’re saying somebody could’ve dubbed over the real tape
and synced in a new piece, showing him leaving at 10:20 p.m.
instead of 10:15 p.m. like he testified.
That’s exactly what I'm saying.
She has got a point, Walt.
Well, just so you know, I ran Wheaton through the N.C.I.C.
he did time four years ago for armed robbery and aggravated assault.
I’m sorry, Mrs. Fletcher, you’re fighting for the wrong cause.
Lieutenant, I'm not defending Eddie Wheaton’s reputation.
What I'm saying is that somebody who wanted Jerry Pappas dead,
worked with Frank Stinson to set Eddie up.
Find out from Stinson who that was,
and I guarantee, you’ll have your killer.
[woman operator] Officer Kimbrough, check out abandoned car
in underground parking, level 3.
Roger.
[tense dramatic anticipatory music]
[tense dramatic music]
Susan, I'm sorry to have to tell you this,
but Eddie’s pit boss, Frank Stinson, was murdered.
They found his body in his car.
He was killed sometime last night.
And Lieutenant Murphy considers that Eddie is the prime suspect.
I’m just wondering how this could get any worse.
Well, I'm afraid it can.
The police think that Eddie killed Stinson
after he killed Pappas,
before they arrested him this morning.
Do you have any idea where he was last night?
If you’re asking me if I can give Eddie an alibi,
the answer is no.
I’ve been such a fool, Mrs. Fletcher.
No, Susan, you weren’t a fool.
There isn’t anybody alive who hasn’t been deceived
in a relationship at one time or another.
I felt we had the same dream, that we were building something together.
I know.
All along he was a cheat and a thief.
He was stealing from me along with everybody else.
I know how painful this is for you,
but I promise you that the time will come when you will understand it.
God, I don’t know how.
I want you to know one thing, Susan.
Whatever else Eddie may have done,
I'm convinced that he is not guilty of these murders.
And however else you may feel about him,
he is entitled to justice.
You do believe that, don’t you?
Yes.
All right then, we’ll make a phone call.
A company called Seashore Properties owns half of this hotel
and I've got a hunch who’s behind it.
And I have a friend who’ll verify it for us.
Come on.
[Jessica] You know, Larry, I'm convinced that Lieutenant Murphy
has been ignoring something very obvious.
I mean, with all of its security features, the penthouse has to have fire stairs.
Now, wouldn’t they give someone access?
Well, you’re partially correct.
The hotel fire stairs start on the ninth floor
and the penthouse has a separate flight of its own
starting on the ninth floor.
And can anyone use them?
Well, coming down from the penthouse would be no problem,
but going up, you need a special key.
And who would have that key?
I for one have one, and Jerry and Wes had one,
a group of guards, maintenance people, they’re all serialized and signed for.
And can it be duplicated?
Not easily, but it can be done.
Would you let me borrow yours this afternoon
just for a couple of hours?
-What are you up to? -Mmm, I have a theory.
Well, why don’t you let me in on it?
[laughs] Well, that would spoil half the fun now, wouldn’t it?
[laughter]
Here.
But if you have a mind
to start poking around in those fire stairs,
you’re gonna have to wait until after eight o’clock.
Lieutenant Murphy is not pulling his men out until then.
[indistinct chatter]
Would you mind some company?
Oh, not at all.
They had been looking for you all day over at the book fair.
Well, I had more important things to do.
Ah, I understand you know Eddie Wheaton’s girlfriend.
Yes, her father is a close friend.
How’s she taking it?
Well, the most difficult part is convincing her
that Eddie didn’t commit the murder.
Oh? I was no fan of Jerry Pappas’s,
but if it wasn’t Eddie--
[Jessica] Well, maybe you can help me with that.
I left the party sometime before the murder.
Do you remember where Wes McSorley was around 10:00 p.m.?
Or his wife Katherine?
I don’t know. I went up to my office about 9:30 p.m.
to finish up some paperwork.
And you didn’t see them again that evening?
No. I’m sorry I can’t help you, Mrs. Fletcher.
That’s okay, Alice.
You’ve actually helped me a great deal.
[mysterious music]
[Jessica] Lieutenant Murphy? This is Jessica Fletcher.
Among the pieces of evidence that your men took from the penthouse,
was there by any chance a small silver filigree compact.
It might have been on the floor with a broken vase.
No?
You sure?
Oh, of course, I'll explain.
But first, I have to check something out, Lieutenant.
Thanks.
[mysterious music]
[door opening]
Oh.
Hello, Mr. McSorley, it’s just me, Jessica Fletcher.
You had me going there for a moment.
[puffs out air] Likewise.
I must say I'm a little curious as to what you’re doing here.
Well, I could ask you the same question, couldn’t I?
I own the joint, Mrs. Fletcher.
Maintenance called to say there was a break in the coaxial.
And do you always do your own repairs?
A penny saved is a penny earned, so--
Well, you’ve answered my question.
So, it’s only fair that I should answer yours.
You see, I was quite certain
that the surveillance tape was tampered with.
I’m no expert, but I do know that if someone spliced into the coaxial
with some kind of portable transfer unit,
they could have recorded over the true tape.
The new version would have gone into the security office unblemished.
Hmm, some sloppy patch drama.
Yes, it is.
Why don’t we go up to the penthouse?
It’ll be more comfortable to talk up there.
[anticipatory music]
Would you care for something to drink?
Uh, no, thank you.
So, go on, you’re thrilling me today.
If it wasn’t the young Mr. Wheaton, who was it?
You, Mr. McSorley.
[laughing] That’s-- that’s absolute nonsense.
What confused me at first
was your upside down relationship with Jerry Pappas.
I saw it that night at the cocktail party when we first met.
It puzzled me.
Until I realized that he was the real boss of McSorley's.
This afternoon a friend of mine at S.C.C. confirmed that.
Pappas owns Seashore Properties, you're equal partner in this hotel.
My guess is that Jerry Pappas was an alias,
and at some time, he was convicted of a felony.
So far so good.
Pappas was a world class swindler by the name of Alex Rogus.
But of course, a man with a felony record
wouldn’t be permitted to operate a gaming establishment
in the state of Nevada.
So, he changed his name and hid behind Seashore Properties.
In the beginning, it seemed like a good idea.
Until the renovation.
Yes, he took back most of the paper, which in his mind,
would give him the right to call the shots.
And you wanted out
because even after the renovation, McSorley's was losing money.
You tried to get out, but Pappas wouldn’t let you sell.
So you killed him.
[chuckles]
Well, I'll admit it crossed my mind.
Fortunately, Eddie Wheaton beat me to it.
Oh, he came up here, all right, and blows were struck,
but Jerry Pappas was alive when Eddie left.
Timing was all important because of the way you rigged the tape
from the penthouse to the elevator.
So, the second Eddie left, you came out of hiding.
You overpowered Jerry Pappas, hauled him onto the balcony,
then threw him over the edge.
That was murder number one.
The second murder was Frank Stinson, the pit boss.
He helped you set up Eddie
and you weren’t certain that you could trust him.
It’s a fascinating theory, Mrs. Fletcher,
but you can’t prove I was anywhere near here the night Jerry died.
Oh, but I can.
Do you remember your wife’s silver compact?
Last night at the cocktail party,
Katherine didn’t have it in her bag because she left it right here
when she rendezvoused with Jerry Pappas.
Eddie saw it on that coffee table
just before Jerry Pappas hit him.
He figured there was a woman in one of the other rooms.
Go on.
When the police arrived, the compact was gone,
which meant someone had removed it.
That could only have been you because it was in your pocket,
and I saw you give it to Katherine.
-[chuckles] -[anticipatory music]
You know, there's something peculiar about this penthouse, Mrs. Fletcher.
People keep falling off the edge of the balcony.
No, no, no.
I said the balcony, it’s out there.
Hold it!
Not one step further.
[Jessica] How did you know?
Mrs. Fletcher, from the minute I knew you were investigating this thing,
you haven’t been out of my sight.
-I only had one small problem. -Well, what’s that?
I gave you my key to the fire door,
and I had to go to hell and gone to find another one.
Oh.
[Las Vegas show music]
Yes, it’s two blocks down to your left.
-[Ahmed] Oh, Mrs. Fletcher, welcome back. -Thank you, Ahmed.
[Ahmed] Allow me to take these.
Listen, would you like to come upstairs and have a cup of tea?
Oh, no. I better be getting back.
-I can’t wait to surprise my dad. -Will you be all right?
I think so, thanks to you.
Promise to keep in touch.
I promise.
You won’t be able to get rid of me.
[chuckles]
So, how’s everything been going, Ahmed?
Oh, very quiet, but I had good news.
My brother Rashid has been admitted to Kings College.
Oh, that’s wonderful.
Yes, my family should be calling anytime now.
Oh, by the way, about that bet I asked you to place?
It must be very expensive to go to college in India these days.
Yes, indeed, very expensive.
But as my father says, "Allah will provide."
Now, about that bet,
you see, there’s a new jacket I was planning.
I mean, I remember how difficult it was to get through college on limited means.
[telephone ringing]
Excuse me.
Hello?
Yes, Mother, hold on.
I have your winnings from Las Vegas.
I hope you’re planning to do something very worthwhile.
Uh, yes, Mother, I'm still here.
[exclaims]
Tell Rashid I have a surprise for him.
-[Jessica chuckles] -[upbeat orchestral music]