[Jessica] Tonight on Murder, She Wrote.
No one’s going to feel safe in this town
until she’s arrested.
Your problems haven’t even started yet.
Yeah, that’s wonderful.
Yes, I would imagine so.
That’s what was bubbling in those pots,
not bat wings and eye of newt.
If you were the magistrate and I was Rachel,
I might find the decision a little more difficult to make.
How come you’re so interested in all this, Mrs. Fletcher?
Well, let’s just say I’m curious.
[magistrate] Rachel Abbott,
you have been found guilty of the crime of witchcraft
and are condemned to burn at the stake until death.
[crowd] Burn, witch, burn!
[Rachel] I am innocent!
I will prove it, if I must return from the grave itself!
Watch for me in the storm wind and the fire, and death and pain
for those who have accused me!
[magistrate] May God have mercy upon your soul.
[crowd] Burn, witch, burn!
[woman screaming]
That woman has a voice that can shatter lead.
Thank you, Arlissa.
Yes, that will do fine for now.
All right, is there anyone else
who wishes to audition
for the role of Rachel Abbott?
Ah, yes, Penelope.
I thought we had agreed
that you would be playing Rachel’s mother?
Well, unless I’m very much mistaken, Dr. Hazlitt,
the role of Rachel is considerably larger.
Well, yes, it is, but I always thought that you were...
Uh, as the mother, I felt you would lend a dignity
to the proceedings.
I don’t care about dignity.
Penelope, I need you in this role.
Eve, I believe you said you’d like to have a go?
Well, I suppose I can try.
Fine.
Page 47.
We will start with the magistrate.
Go on, go on.
"Does the defendant wish to make any statement
before sentencing?"
Nate.
The prosecutor Rev. Thorndike rises and says...
"Here is thy last opportunity, Rachel Abbott.
Do not greet God with a lie on your lips.
Repent and thy soul may yet be saved."
"I ask only that each year
rose petals be left on my grave
in testimony to innocent blood shed by this court.
Do with me as thou..."
"Wilt."
I don’t suppose I could play with this a little,
you know, make it mine, update it a bit.
It’s just that, well, I’m much better at modern drama.
I could do a Blanche Dubois that'll curl your hair.
Of that I have every confidence.
Sorry, the wind caught the door.
Is this where the auditions are being held?
I’m Dr. Seth Hazlitt at your service, and you are?
Mariah Osborn, I’m new in town.
Mariah, hi.
She just rented the old Walker place from me.
Good heavens, no one’s lived there for years.
It’s falling apart.
Why would anyone rent a place like that?
It suits my needs perfectly.
I like bringing old things to life.
Are there any roles still open?
[Seth] Nate, Judge, I think we’re all set.
Can we read the end now of the final scene?
Sure, no problem.
I should introduce myself. I am Judge Willard Clinton.
Welcome to Cabot Cove.
Thanks.
A real judge in the role, how appropriate.
Is he a real prosecutor?
Nate? No.
He’s a local rep for Superior Insurance.
Let’s take it from the top, shall we?
Olivia, we’re gonna need you in place up here, too.
Oh, may I borrow that?
I suppose, yes.
Thank you.
[Seth] Start at Nate’s line...
"So what say you, Goodie Butler?"
"I say the woman lies."
"As expected.
Lies driven by jealousy.
False words behind a false face.
I did not bewitch your husband, Goodie Butler.
His heart left your bed years ago."
"The defendant will..."
"Will be sacrificed to jealousy!
I see that now.
And on the day you take my life,
the crime before heaven will be so great
that all the bells and all the steeples
will ring out to proclaim my innocence."
[bell ringing]
I’m telling you, Jessica, you should have seen it.
Her voice, the way she moves...
She even looks like Rachel Abbott.
And when those bells went off,
a chill went right up my spine.
It was downright uncanny.
Well, when the wind whipped up,
it caused the bells to chime.
I mean, it’s happened before.
I know, I know, I know, but still... She has something.
Sounds like she has you, Doc.
And I've got better things to do with my time
than to worry about 17th century witchcraft.
"And the grapes were probably sour anyway."
You’re just mad because I didn’t cast you
in the part of the constable.
You been hearing those voices again, haven’t you?
Listen, Doc, if some late night you hear that voice
telling you to go out and save France, don’t do it.
I’ve seen the movie.
Thanks for the breakfast, Mrs. F, see you later.
Take care.
The tough part is knowing that my tax dollar pays
for his salary.
You know, if you didn’t enjoy sparring with Mort so much,
I might start taking your complaints seriously.
Anyway I’m glad that you are satisfied
with your choice for Rachel Abbott.
Yeah, she's gonna do just fine.
Curious woman though.
In what way?
Well, Eve Simpson tells me she blew in the other day
from nowhere,
rented the old Walker place up on Morgan’s hill.
The Walker place?
Oh, for heaven's sake,
that hasn’t been lived in, in years.
It must be a mountain of dust.
Oh, which reminds me, I have an appointment
with some dusty old rooms.
Could you possibly drop me off at the county courthouse?
Be glad to, I’m going that way myself.
[Mariah] "For I will return to Cabot Cove in fire
and in storm wind, in death and in pain.
For those who have accused me unjustly,
though hell itself far the way."
Hello.
If that passage is what I think it is,
you must be Mariah Osborn?
Yes.
I thought it'd help me prepare for the role
to examine the original transcripts.
-And you are? -Jessica Fletcher.
Oh, yes, of course.
You know, the whole town is buzzing about your performance
at the rehearsal last night.
Apparently, you struck a nerve.
Not me,
Rachel Abbott.
I think this town has a penchant for ganging up
on innocent people.
A story like this,
who knows what it might call out of the shadows?
It was a pleasure meeting you, Mrs. Fletcher.
I’ll see you around.
Yeah.
[knocking on door]
Yes.
Hi, I’m Mariah Osborn.
I’m looking for Lydia Winthrop.
I have to return something.
Well, she’s not here right now but please, come in.
Thanks. Mr. Winthrop?
My friends call me Charles.
Come in the study.
I hope I’m not interrupting anything.
No, no, it’s just busy work here.
Since I’ll be housebound for a couple of weeks,
my accountant’s got me filling out
papers and signing forms.
How did it happen?
Oh, it was, you know, just one of those stupid
household accidents.
Lydia hired some workmen to fix the stairs
and I slipped and then broke my darn leg.
Oh, here, I’ll clear a place for you, here.
Oh.
What is it?
Oh, it’s just cramped, damn cast.
Well, let me see what I can do about that.
Just breathe deeply.
Think of cool water flowing lightly over the pain.
Cool soothing water.
It’s great.
It feels wonderful.
It’s good.
Yes, I would imagine so.
Have another one of your attacks, darling?
Yes, you know,
the muscle spasms that happened before,
you know, about...
Yes, I know, must hurt terribly.
Well, we won’t distract you further.
Miss Osborn.
I didn’t mean to make any trouble.
I just wanted to return your shawl.
Thank you.
Your performance at the audition was quite remarkable.
Well, I’ve always had a soft spot
for the unjustly accused.
Of course, don’t we all?
[telephone ringing]
Excuse me.
I can find my own way out.
I’ll see you at town hall.
[Lydia] Charles!
[Charles] What is it?
[glass breaking]
[Mort] And you’re sure that nothing was missing?
Well, as far as we can tell.
I can only guess that whoever it was,
heard Lydia coming down the stairs and ran off.
Did anyone else have access to the safe or know where it is?
I don’t think so.
You know, there was...
What?
Mariah Osborn.
Right.
Yesterday we had a visit from that new woman in town...
What was it? Mariah Osborn.
I had the safe open when she was here,
so I suppose she could have seen me close it.
But I can’t imagine...
Sheriff, looks like I got a clean print off the door.
Yeah, check the windows, see if you can get a match.
And while you’re at it,
you might want to bag some of these rose petals.
Now what kind of a thief breaks into a place
and then stops to sprinkle rose petals everywhere?
Funny.
Just the other day Mariah was saying
Rachel Abbott’s speech
about wanting rose petals sprinkled over her grave
in memory of innocent blood.
[Mort] Boy, some place!
[man] It’s right out of "The Adams Family".
You know, I was talking to Penelope.
She said this Osborn woman
took right to the role of... What’s her name?
The witch?
Maybe she’s really getting into the role.
Look, Andy, I checked.
She rented this place before she got the role, okay?
There is nothing unusual about it.
Yes?
Miss Osborn?
May I help you?
I’m Sheriff Metzger, this is Deputy Bloom.
Sorry to bother you, ma’am,
but we have to ask you a few questions.
Of course.
Please come in.
I was just having some lunch. You’re welcome to join me.
No, thanks. I’ll pass.
Not a word, Andy, not one word.
[Andy] You should've seen that place, Mrs. Fletcher.
Cauldrons all over the place.
They were pots.
Black cat, big as a dog.
A chihuahua, maybe.
You’re making too big a deal out of this.
What do you think, Mrs. Fletcher?
Well, I happen to think that eccentricity is a virtue.
I mean, I think that often the unexplained
is simply the unexamined.
I was on my way into Benning’s hardware store
yesterday afternoon
and I saw Mariah Osborn
come out with cans of cleaning fluid.
The kind that removes tough stains from brass fixtures.
And that’s what was bubbling in those pots.
Door knobs and shower handles,
not bat wings and eye of newt.
Even so, do you really think
she might have had something to do
with the break-in at Lydia’s?
We were just checking out every lead.
Now she says she was home last night
working on her house.
Without a witness to say otherwise,
there’s no reason to think she’s lying.
At this time.
Penelope Daniels told Lisa Tuddle
that she saw Mariah Osborn
walking out by herself every night at midnight
the last few nights.
Dressed all in black and looking at all the houses,
like she was studying them somehow.
So Penelope Daniels told Lisa Tuddle, who told you.
Well, no.
Lisa told Sharon Goldsmith, who told my wife, who told me.
Andy, you know, word of mouth is notoriously suspect.
Mariah Osborn happens to be a very attractive young woman
who is playing the role
of another very attractive young woman
who was persecuted by gossip and rumor.
I certainly wouldn’t want to see history repeat itself.
Maybe it already is.
[Mariah] Because the house is so old,
you can see why I might be concerned about fire.
Well, sure.
But most renters leave fire insurance to the owners.
You’re the only insurance agent
who’s tried to talk me out of buying a policy.
Well, it’s just... I don’t like selling a policy
if it’s unnecessary.
But if you insist.
Oh, I do.
But it would be very comforting to me
if you could come by sometime
and inspect the premises, the wiring, the plumbing.
You seem like a man who’d be very thorough.
Well, I’ll be happy to.
You just name the time.
And maybe afterwards we could have...
And a history of the place would also help.
Excuse me?
Well, the condition of the house
is bound to be changed
by any past fires that may have happened.
Could you check into that?
The company doesn’t like us to give out
that kind of information.
Besides, nobody’s lived there for 20 years.
So the records wouldn’t be in my active files.
But I’m sure that someone
as smart as you would have inactive files.
I keep all those in a shed behind my house,
but they’re still subject to company rules.
Well, then I guess
there’s nothing we can do about that.
Thanks.
My pleasure.
Oh, Lydia, hi.
Do you know...
Yes, we’ve met.
What can I do for you?
Well, I was just taking Charles
to the doctor down the street
and I thought after that break-in last night,
I’d just drop in and discuss increasing my insurance.
I should go.
Thank you for your help, Mr. Parsons.
Anytime, Miss Osborn.
And I’ll stop by first chance I get, like I discussed.
Really, Dr. Hazlitt, I can handle it.
It’s Seth.
Besides, I cannot have my leading lady
throw her back out
one week before opening night now, can I?
Oh, I’m gonna remember that next time I have snow
to shovel from my front door.
-Good afternoon, Jess. -Seth.
-Hello, Mrs. Fletcher. -Hello, Mariah, how are you?
Fine, considering no one in town will talk to me,
at least not the women.
Busybodies and blue noses.
Pay them no mind.
Well, you know, New Englanders are notorious
for taking their time to warm up to newcomers.
I lived here for 10 years
and some people still refer to me
as the new woman in town.
There.
I think that about does it.
Well, I’ve got to run along.
I’ll see you at rehearsal, Mariah. Jess.
See you there, thanks, Dr. Hazlitt.
Oh, you’ve got a lot of paint there.
Are you planning to whip that old house into shape?
Well, yeah, I may be around a while.
And I want it to look like the old photos.
Oh, what photos?
Oh, you know, photos of the old Victorian houses.
Oh, yeah.
Well, I’d better be going.
Well, be sure to keep those cans
in a well-ventilated room.
That’s highly combustible.
Nate!
How does it look, Joe? Was it arson?
Hard to say right now.
From the smell, some sort of chemical was involved.
Hey, Nate, did you have any combustibles stored in there?
Few, but nothing that would be...
Oh, it had to be deliberate.
I saw a pentagram on the door.
Well, you couldn’t prove it now.
Flames burned all the paint off.
That makes sense, though, doesn’t it?
When she was convicted of witchcraft,
Rachel Abbott said
she would return in storm wind and in fire,
in pain and in death.
Well, Mariah Osborn arrived in storm wind.
There’s your fire.
Penelope, we have enough of a problem here
without you adding to it with this nonsense.
Unless I’m very much mistaken, Sheriff,
your problems haven’t even started yet.
[Seth] Places, please.
We’ll pick up where we left off on page 51.
Mariah, you don’t seem to have your script.
It’s all right, I have it memorized.
Ah, well, we’ll start on Lydia’s line halfway down.
Ready? And...
"As I told the witch finder general,
the specter of Rachel Abbott
did appear above our bed,
then I heard my husband call her name in his sleep."
"What say you to this, Rachel Abbott?"
"A man who sleeps with one woman
and dreams of another has wedded in error."
"You will note, Your Honor, the evasiveness of the reply."
Please continue.
"As I watched frozen in horror,
the specter wrapped its fingers
around my throat and squeezed
until I thought I would die."
"Is there no witness to your accusation?"
"Your Honor, the village well knows
Goodie Butler’s reputation for honesty."
"A woman whose lies became truth
through position and power."
"You see how the devil talks through her.
She is truly possessed."
"I am possessed,
of a comely face and a healthy body.
For these alone I am condemned by one
who seeks to keep what she has by destroying another.
A small-minded bitter woman whose soul is as barren..."
It’s not... I beg your...
Mariah, that’s not in the script.
I’m sorry, I did some research and those words
are from a subsequent account of the trial.
I thought it would add to the character.
Oh, five minutes, everybody,
then we will continue from the script.
No annotations.
Lydia, can I see you for a moment?
Quite a powerful performance.
Thank you.
I admire Rachel.
She stood up to the whole village.
On the other hand, I mean, had she not been so proud,
she wouldn’t have died so young.
It wasn’t pride that killed her, Judge Clinton.
Did you know that a magistrate visited her cell
before he sentenced her to death?
You know, it was within his power to spare her life
if she repented.
Unless she declined.
Well, let’s just be thankful
those things don’t happen anymore.
Yes.
Although, I must confess, if you were the magistrate
and I was Rachel, I might find the decision
a little more difficult to make.
Mariah?
Rachel?
Come on now.
Enough games.
Where are you?
Hello.
Oh, Mrs. F.
Oh, Mort, I came as soon as I heard.
How did it happen?
Well, somebody sawed through
one of the wooden louvers.
One good push is all it took.
I’ll tell you what, whoever did it
wanted to make real sure
that Judge Clinton came down
off that bell tower the hard way.
What was he doing up there in the middle of the night?
Well, we may have a lead on that one too.
Found this in his jacket pocket.
Mariah Osborn.
Looks like some of the folks might have been right about her after all.
Sheriff, I realize that I am in a shrinking minority
but I have to remind you
that Rachel Abbott and Mariah Osborn
are not the same person.
You know that and I know that.
But I’m starting to wonder whether she knows that.
[Mariah] I know how it looks, Sheriff,
but I swear I didn’t send this note.
Well, then you won’t mind giving me a sample
of your handwriting for comparison.
Would you please pass me that notebook?
Yes.
This is a letter to Dr. Hazlitt.
I decided to resign from the play. Given the way
the town feels about me,
it seemed the best solution.
[Mort] Miss Osborn, I don’t know how to say this,
but these two look a lot alike.
May I see that please, Sheriff?
Oh, no.
No, several of these letters are quite different.
I mean, the lateral loop on the "Y" here is missing.
Oh, and the "S" slants off to the right in this one,
it slants off to the left in this one.
But it could be a very good copy.
Or someone trying to disguise her handwriting.
See, it’s hopeless. I’m convicted already.
That’s not true.
A handwriting expert will be able to give us
a much clearer reading.
Meanwhile,
if someone is trying to implicate you in the murder,
I suggest that you don’t drop out
of the production, at least for the time being.
That’s the only way we’re going to bring
this other person out.
Assuming there is another person.
Miss Osborn, do us both a favor,
don’t try to leave town.
Mrs. Fletcher, I’m sorry, but it looks
as if all of the copies of "The people
versus Monica Walker" are missing.
You mean they've been checked out?
No. I mean "missing".
They are not in their files and there’s no record
of their being removed.
I see, but that case was tried in 1967, wasn’t it?
That’s right.
Why?
Just an interesting coincidence.
I just came from "The Cabot Cove Gazette"
and their archives are missing an entire volume.
One year 1967.
Well, thank you for your time. You’ve been very helpful.
[Seth] What did you want to ask me?
Well, who says I wanted to ask you anything?
Can’t I invite a friend over for dinner once in a while?
Yes, you can, and you have.
And the meal was fine,
but I do know that look in your eye.
So let me repeat, what is your question?
What does the name Monica Walker mean to you?
Monica Walker? No.
Well, she was involved in some sort of a scandal.
Well, a number of years ago.
Oh, yes.
She was a lovely young thing.
Long black hair, eyes as clear and blue as the sea.
And the scandal?
Oh, well, that was a tragedy.
And no mistake, about 25 years ago,
she worked for Lydia and Charles Winthrop
as his secretary.
Well, one day
she was arrested for stealing a very expensive
diamond necklace from Lydia’s bedroom.
She was convicted and spent five years
in the state penitentiary at Hatfield.
Oh, my goodness.
How devastating for her family.
I guess so.
But when she got out of prison,
she didn’t come back here.
Naturally, not that I’d blame her.
No, she packed it all in,
put the house on the market and left.
Thanks, Seth.
Sometimes I don’t know what I’d do without you.
What do I have to do to get any dessert?
I completely forgot.
And then I slipped.
My fault, I suppose, compound fracture.
Now I’m trapped in this damn chair.
But I did warn you that the stairs were being refinished.
I know, I know.
Worst part about it is, I have to give up
sailing until this leg is up to snuff.
Damn near broke my heart having to put
the Lucky Charm into dry dock for the season.
Jessica, could you put
a little bit of glue on the tip of this?
It’s right over, next to you.
Oh, yeah. Yes, yes of course.
Right. Thank you.
I assume that you heard about Judge Clinton.
Oh, yes, it’s terrible.
It’s hard to imagine him gone, he was so full of life.
Well, I knew that Osborn woman was trouble the minute
I laid eyes on her.
Well, I think it’s a little early to point
the finger of blame, don’t you?
Not at all, no, no, no.
I think Lydia is right.
Nate Parsons feels the same way about it.
He was here just this morning.
Told us all about how she was asking about the fires
over at his place.
And then the next thing you know, poof,
up goes his shed.
Go on and tell me that’s a coincidence.
No one’s going to feel safe in this town
until she’s arrested.
I’ve had Nate raise the ceiling on our insurance
and I’m gonna put in a new safe for my jewelry.
Well, I can certainly understand your concern.
You have some lovely pieces.
Thank you.
You know, this ring has been in my family
for two generations.
Oh, it’s beautiful.
My goodness.
Well, didn’t you have some problem a few years back
with some jewelry being stolen?
Yes, it was a necklace.
Charles had given it to me.
A secretary in our employ, Monica Walker, stole it.
We were never able to recover it.
Why do you ask?
Would you look at the time? I’ve got to run.
Thank you for the tea, Lydia.
Charles, I certainly hope your leg improves.
Thank you, Jessica.
I’ll get your coat.
Ah, just forgot my bag.
Charles, do you remember who the prosecutor
was on the Monica Walker case?
Well, that was Judge Clinton.
He wasn’t a judge then, he was, as you said, the prosecutor.
They made him the circuit court judge,
I think it was the next year.
Yes, of course.
Thank you, Charles.
Nate!
Oh, my goodness you startled me.
I’m sorry.
What are you doing up here?
Well, I was just about to ask you the same question.
Judge Clinton was insured by my company,
I’ve got to investigate the circumstances of his death.
So like I said, what are you here for?
Much the same.
Nate, I wonder if you would stand
right over there for me.
Right.
Yes, I was just trying to visualize exactly
how the murder happened.
Now when Judge Clinton’s body was found,
there were wood fragments in his back.
So he must have gone backwards through the window.
You’re about the same height as the judge, aren’t you?
Just about. Why?
Well, it seems to me that he couldn’t have accidentally
fallen through the window.
I mean, the center of gravity is all wrong.
He would have been able to catch himself...
which only confirms that someone must have pushed him.
Someone very strong.
Unless whoever it was got up a good run first,
speed would make up for strength.
Well, there’s not much room to run, is there?
I mean, how far back would the killer have to be?
Maybe here?
Maybe they waited here and then lunged forward.
Yes, yes that’s it.
That’s very interesting. Thank you, Nate.
Sure, anytime.
So what does it all mean?
Well, I’ll let you know as soon as I work it all out.
Well, I’ll be on my way, let you get on with your work.
Oh, yes, just one other thing.
Did I hear that you carry all the insurance
for Lydia and Charles Winthrop?
That’s right, for over 20 years. Why?
Just curious, that’s all.
How did I inherit you, which god did I offend?
At a guess, all of them.
Oh, there you are, Sheriff.
I need to talk to you.
Mrs. F, what’s up?
Well, I found this in the bell tower.
Now whoever pushed Judge Clinton to his death
must have been hiding there.
Long black hairs.
Mariah Osborn’s got long, black hair.
Andy’s due back from the lab any minute.
I’ll have him take these in for analysis.
And if they check out...
But that’s not all, Sheriff.
I’ve been doing some very serious thinking. I think that I...
Andy, right on time.
I’ve got an errand for you.
Before that, Sheriff, I got something for you.
Lab boys came back with a match on that thumb print
we found on Lydia Winthrop’s safe.
Mariah Osborn, right?
Nope.
Some woman named Mary Lynn...
Walker.
Mary Lynn Walker.
Now that’s Monica Walker’s daughter.
That’s what I was trying to tell you.
After almost 25 years, she’s come back to the town
where her mother was disgraced.
And I think that I know why.
[Mariah] After she got out of jail,
my mother changed her name.
Mine with it.
We left the state, started over.
The past kept following us.
No one would hire her.
She had to take on odd jobs
just to keep food on the table.
She refused to take charity
and she wasn’t a thief, Sheriff.
But she was convicted.
All the evidence was circumstantial.
If Lydia Winthrop hadn’t had friends in high places,
she never would have been convicted.
As it was, Willard Clinton came to her cell
and offered to drop the charges
on grounds of insufficient evidence
in exchange for certain favors.
My mother said no.
And to her dying day
she never set foot in Cabot Cove again.
Neither did I.
Until now.
I had to prove my mother was innocent.
What about the play?
I knew the only way to prove my mother’s innocence
was to get close to the people who knew her.
When I heard about the play,
it seemed like the perfect opportunity.
Rachel Abbott was falsely accused.
Just like my mother and just like me.
I didn’t kill Judge Clinton, Sheriff.
But you did break into Lydia Winthrop’s safe.
Yes, I thought that if I could find the necklace
Lydia said my mother had stolen,
it would prove her innocence.
And did you?
No.
And since you couldn’t prove anything,
you opted for revenge instead, didn’t you?
No.
Nate Parsons investigated that theft,
so you started with a little arson there.
And then you lured Judge Clinton to the bell tower
where you shoved him to his death.
No, it’s not true.
I swear it, you have to believe me.
Mariah Osborn, I’m arresting you
for the murder of Judge Willard Clinton.
Andy, put her in the car and read her her rights.
Mrs. F, I want to thank you for your help on this one.
Well, don’t thank me yet, Mort.
You see, I don’t believe that Mariah killed Judge Clinton.
Mrs. F, what are you talking about?
You’re the one that helped lock it down.
The link between Lydia and Judge Clinton,
the hairs in the bell tower.
That’s not true, Mort.
I only showed you
that she was Monica Walker’s daughter,
not that she had committed the murder.
Well, are you saying she didn’t?
I’m saying that I don’t know,
but I certainly intend to find out.
Hello, Joe, doing a nice job there.
Well, thank you, Jessica.
What can I do for you?
Well, can I ask you a question?
Oh, sure.
You investigated the fire
over at Nate Parsons' place, didn’t you?
That’s right.
And it turned out to be arson after all.
We found traces of vinyl curing urethane
on the floor near the fire, it’s very flammable.
That went first, then the files,
and with all the papers around,
the place went up like a Roman candle.
Vinyl curing urethane.
Where would someone buy that?
Well, almost any hardware store carries it.
It’s used mainly for stripping paint
or refinishing floors, things like that.
Well, thanks, Joe, I appreciate it.
Be sure to say hello to Sarah for me.
I will.
Good. Huh?
Afternoon, Nate.
Mrs. Fletcher, hi.
Well, I guess you heard the news.
Sheriff Metzger arrested that Osborn woman.
Yes, that’s why I’m here.
Since you handled the insurance on Lydia Winthrop’s stolen necklace,
would you still have the files?
Appraised value, description, that sort of thing?
Well, I did, but all that stuff got burned
when my shed was torched.
But wouldn’t the main district office
have copies of the claim on microfilm?
How come you’re so interested in all of this, Mrs. Fletcher?
Well, let’s just say I’m curious.
Well, so are a lot of other people.
That’s why company policy says
we can’t give out that kind of information.
Yes, I’m sure that’s policy
but unless the records are sealed,
they remain public.
I imagine it wouldn’t be
too much of a problem to get a subpoena.
All right, I’ll do what I can.
Well, that’ll be fine.
Oh, by the way, you mentioned last year
that you were planning to remodel your house, add a deck?
We changed our minds.
It was too much bother and expense.
We did have the floors done, however, why?
Oh, just more curiosity.
Thanks for your help, Nate.
And let me know when the files come in.
Come on, Mrs. F, we’ve got a lock on this one.
Well, that’s not quite accurate, Sheriff.
Especially since the hair from the bell tower
turned out come from a nylon wig
and not from Mariah’s hair.
Well, I asked Seth to make a few phone calls.
Yes.
Okay, so the hair came from a wig, so?
Why on earth would a young woman
with long black hair want to wear a wig with long black hair?
Why would anyone want to wear it?
Unless they wanted to look like Mariah?
[Charles] I don’t understand what this is all about.
I know but it could be important.
How did you say that you hurt that leg?
I fell down the stairs.
It was slick and I slipped.
And it was slick
because the wooden steps had just been refinished.
Right.
I agree with Charles. Where is all this going?
Surely, you didn’t come all the way out here
just to ask about my husband’s leg?
You’re right, Lydia.
I came to talk about the Monica Walker case.
Well, that’s old news.
Oh, perhaps it was, but not anymore.
If it really were old news,
you never would have had to kill Judge Clinton.
-What? -That’s absurd.
I wish it were.
The fact is, Lydia,
you falsified the charges of theft
against Monica Walker.
Your diamond necklace was never really stolen.
The primary diamond is here in this room,
right now in that ring that you’re wearing.
No, this ring was given to me by my great-grandmother.
Oh, the setting is antique, all right,
but the stone itself is an ideal brilliant cut diamond.
They didn’t develop that particular cut
until around the 1920s.
And that’s the cut of your diamond ring,
which means it couldn’t possibly have come
from your great-grandmother.
That proves nothing.
By itself, no.
But it also matches the description
I got from the insurance company this afternoon.
I had to go to the main office
after you torched Nate Parsons’ shed with refinishing fluid.
You didn’t want anyone to find out
that you deliberately
let an innocent woman go to jail.
I don’t understand. Why?
Jealousy.
This is your boat, the Lucky Charm, isn’t it?
How long had you been involved with Monica Walker?
Charles, please, if you have anything to say,
please say it now.
I didn’t mean for it to happen.
It just did.
And then she was arrested for stealing Lydia’s necklace,
I felt she was just using me.
Lydia, how could you?
Because I thought I’d lose you.
We worked so hard to build a life for ourselves.
Unfortunately, you enlisted
the support of Willard Clinton,
the prosecuting attorney, possibly promising him help
when he ran for the circuit court judge.
Yes, but then it was over.
And I could live my life the way I was meant to.
And then she came back here.
Mariah Osborn?
Yes.
Different name, but I knew exactly who it was.
When I walked in on you two together,
Charles, the pain of all those old memories came back.
And then when I saw her with Willard Clinton,
working him just like her mother worked you,
I knew it was just a question of time
before he’d tell her everything.
So you sent Judge Clinton that note.
And went to the bell tower dressed
as Mariah in a black wig in case anyone might see you?
Maybe even hoping someone would?
[Lydia] Yes, God help me.
Oh, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.
I can’t thank you enough
for everything you’ve done, Jessica.
Well, your mother was ill-served
by this town 20 years ago, Mariah.
It owed you and her a second chance.
Well, it helps me to understand
why she loved this place so much,
before it went bad for her.
It even gives me a better feel for Rachel Abbott.
Good.
Who knows? Maybe one of these days
even the spirit of Rachel Abbott will find peace
with the good people of Cabot Cove.
Curtain going up, everybody.
-Places! -Good luck. Go, break a leg.
Thank you.
You're not too nervous, are you, Seth?
Jess, it is a nightmare.
The paint is still wet on the flats.
We need another week of rehearsal.
The costumes don’t fit.
Oh, it’s gonna be fine.
And the good news is,
you don’t have to do it next year.
What, and give up show business?