03x01 - Death st*lks the Big Top: Part 1

[bunniefuu]

I heard it was an accident, but, good
Lord of mercy, trampled by an elephant?

[Woman] Tonight
on m*rder She Wrote.

Hank Sutter's been k*lled. It
happened early this morning.

[Muffled Scream] Stop it!

You stay away from my
mother or I'll bust you! Hank!

What's so terrible about making
100,000 a year in New York City?

I'm not a dress peddler.
Then what are you, Ray!

Who do you think could
have had a motive?

He was a leprechaun, wasn't he?

- It's dark and evil.
- That's illegal.

If you think I'm going to stand by while
you railroad a perfectly innocent man,

you are very sadly mistaken.

Pick it up.

It's a big party. I
can see that. Yep.

[Man] Over here with
the tables now. Come on.

Grandmother, I love it.

Alex, it's wonderful! Thank you.

I'll reserve myjudgment until
the final fitting on Thursday.

But, Mrs. Fletcher,
this is the final fitting.

- Thursday. 10:00.
- Grandmother?

Carol, this gentleman
was your choice.

Now let me salvage
what I can. Mother.

- Is this the handkerchief you meant?
- The one with the Chantilly lace?

Yes, that's it. Oh, good.

Then we have the
something borrowed.

All we need is
the something old.

Well, Great-aunt Amanda
has offered the white

silk gloves she wore
when she was married.

No, I'm going to wear
Grandfather's lodge ring.

Oh, well, Carol, it's only natural you'd
be thinking of your grandfather now-

It isn't natural at all.
It's silly romanticizing.

- For heaven's sakes,
he's been dead for 10years.
- Grandmother-

We'll discuss this later when
we have a little more privacy.

[Car Door Opening]

Oh! Oh, my. Look who's here!

It's our very own celebrity.

- AuntJessica?
- And only three days early.

At my request. Well, I
wasn't at all sure she'd come.

Oh, dear. I guess I better put her at
table three with the undersecretary.

At table two with
Senator Fry, Audrey.

As long as she's here, you
might as well make the most of her.

[Doorbell Chimes]

Thank you. [Sighs]

Jessica! Oh! Howard! [Laughs]

My goodness, you look wonderful.

[Laughs] I look dreadful but,
uh, thanks for the insincerity.

Well, are you happy or relieved that
your only daughter is getting married?

Well, I'm not sure
yet, Jess. [Laughs]

I can't believe it. Has it really been
five years since you were here last?

Just before Frank died. I feel
awful we haven't kept in touch more,

but Audrey and Constance-

Well, the social obligations,
never a minute's peace.

It was great of you
to come. Nonsense.

I wouldn't have missed Carol's wedding
for the world. Or a chance to see you.

You know, I've always
loved that portrait of Neil.

There's so much of Frank in it.

Jessica, my dear, how
nice to see you. Constance.

Where have you
been keeping yourself?

Oh, don't you look wonderful!

I mean, success
really becomes you.

We would have been devastated
ifyou had failed to come to the wedding.

How was your flight
down from Vermont?

- Maine.
- Of course.

We want to hear all about what you've been
doing. [Constance]A fteryou've settled in.

- You must be tired from your trip.
- No, not really.

You will be up to a
small dinner party tonight?

Just a few close friends.

Oh, and they're dying to meet you.
As I was saying to Senator Fryjust-

Audrey and I have a few
wedding things to tend to.

Get some rest and
we'll talk to you later.

Howard, makeJessica
comfortable. Audrey, dear.

As you can see, Constance
hasn't changed much either. No.

Would you like to see your
room? I'd rather see Carol first.

Oh, AuntJessica,
I'm so grateful to you.

To me? For what? For
convincing me to wait.

You remember, I was all set to jump into
marriage just to get away from this place.

Oh, you mean all those midnight
telephone calls to Cabot Cove?

No, no, no, no, no. You
did your own convincing.

Your being here makes it
perfect. I mean, almost perfect.

All it needs is Uncle
Frank. And Grandfather.

Yeah, well, let's just
pretend that they're both here.

[Knocking] Excuse me.

Oh, thank you. The
wedding gifts keep coming.

I think we've invited the entire
District of Colombia. [Laughs]

- Oh, you're gonna love Clay.
- I know I will.

Of course, Grandmother
doesn't approve of him.

You should have seen the
ones she's tried to pick out for me.

And how does your
father feel? About Clay?

Absolutely adores him.

Poor Daddy, all he's had
to put up with for our sake.

Carol?

[Mumbles] No.

What is it?

- This is from Grandfather.
- Neil? Oh, no, child.

I know, I know, he's dead.
Or he's supposed to be.

But no one else knew. Knew what?
It-It looks like a little leprechaun.

When I was a little girl, Grandfather
used to say that when I got married,

a leprechaun would come to my wedding
and bring me the gift of a happy life.

He said it was our secret, and
that no one could ever know.

No. This has to be some
sort of a coincidence.

Look, there's no card.
There's no return address.

He's alive. I know it.

You know it too, don't you?

Frank was devastated when he
heard about Neil's boating accident.

He-He never could believe
that his brother was dead.

Cat... Cat-lin...
Catlinburg, Arkansas.

Well, that's a start.

Carol, the family must
not know about this.

I'll invent some reason.
My publisher. AuntJess-

One way or the other, I'll
be back for the wedding.

Okay.

So what do ya say,
slugger? How was practice?

Brad says I've got a Pete
Rose swing and a hustle.

- Hittin' 'em big, huh?
- Real big.

Say, what's with Brad? He
gettin'off dead center with your mom?

Not yet, but he's
sure workin' at it.

Charlie?

Katie.

Do you know I was that close to askin'ifit
wasn't time for his geography studies.

That is exactly what it is.

In fact, it's that
much past the time.

Aw, Mom.

Well, maybe you'd rather the
state order me to sendyou to school.

I'm gone.

See ya, Charlie. See you later.

I hope he wasn't
pestering you, Carl.

Pestering? You're
talkin' to Blinky the Clown.

Where'd I be without Charlie
around to pump me up every day, huh?

That goes for his mom too.

Aw, that means a lot
to Charlie. To both of us.

Mean a lot more comin'
from somebody younger.

[Animals Clamoring] [Man]
I got a sick snake here-

[Woman] Y'all got
a sick something-

[Man #2] Comin' through
here, comin' through-

[Laughing]

Ho, Katie. Katie! Hi, Brad.

Hey, look, you know, Charlie and
me, we found this-this great lake.

You know, we were
out there practicin' ball.

We were figurin'
on gettin' up early

tomorrow mornin'
and doin' a little fishin'.

I thought maybe we could make a
little room for ya if you'd like to come.

Oh, no, I'm working
on a new wire-stunt,

and my timing is
just a little off. I-

I really oughta put in
some extra practice.

Hey, no problem.

Well, we'll bring a mess
home for supper then anyway.

Youjust bring him home in
time for school work, okay.

Bye, Brad.

Kaneally. The lady's
out of your league.

Well, I guess that makes
two of us then, huh, Sutter?

- You check the rigging
on the main tent?
- That's just where I was headin'.

Not until I had
to tell ya. Move it!

A silver leprechaun, eh?

About so-high. I couldn't find one
in either one of the stores in town.

Well, you're not gonna
find one here either, ma'am.

I had one in stock for
months. I sold it last week.

Fast talkin' salesman
from up north.

He got me to buy it. He
said it would be a smart seller.

It sat there in that showcase
since mid-February.

You didn't sell it to this
man by any chance?

Could have been
him. Could have not.

Then he wasn't from Catlinburg?
Nope. He was a stranger.

Probably a visitor, 'cause
he come in here three

times over a week
before he decided to buy.

That was, uh, that
was last Friday.

Thank you.

[Door Opens]

Ah, excuse me, sir.

That-That circus.

Afraid you missed it, ma'am.
Left town... last Sunday night.

Yes. Would you, uh, would
you have any idea where it went?

[Laughing] ♪ [Circus]

Nobody can fault
your taste, tomcat.

I can't say the same for the
way you sniff around back alleys.

Get off my back, Maylene.

Let me know ifyou're
coming home tonight.

I'd hate to sh**t you
coming through the door.

[Crowd Gasping]

[Applause]

Well, how about
this for a house?

Hmm. Harry Kingman must have
overlooked this charming little village.

[Laughs] Come on, gloomy
gus. Edgar, be realistic.

These whistle-stops
can't support two shows.

Not when one's got the
size and splash of Kingman's.

He's no more circus-folk
than the man in the moon.

He'll fade. Mark me.

One day that boy of mine will
be passing the reins on to his son.

Yes, yes, Dr. Harris,
I understand. I just-

Look, give it to me plain and
simple. What did the tests tell you?

Ladies and
gentlemen, the graceful,

artful and death-defying
Princess Maria!

And now, ladies and
gentlemen, boys and girls,

those madcaps of the
midway, lunatics oflaughter,

the cunningly capricious,
cleverly comedic, clamorous,

cavorting and cacophonic
Carmody Family Circus Clowns!

[Drumroll] Featuring... Blinky!

[Applause]

[Clowns Clamoring]

Okay, thanks. If anything
develops, let me know.

Well, we have the same
location in Bartlesfield as last year.

I just talked to Mother.

- Well, how is New York's
most famous fashion lady?
- The same.

Are we gonna go over it now,
or do we save this for pillow talk?

Skip it.

She started again,
right? Ray, come on.

She knows what you
know and what I know.

You can't keep this creaky showboat
afloat forever. We're going under.

You finished?

What's so terrible about making
100,000 a year in New York City?

I'm not a dress peddler-Then
what are you, Ray? Please tell me.

What is the secret
that's buryingyou here?

You're miserable
and you know it.

Ray, what's going on?
Why won't you tell me?

Well, she's not
circus-people, Son.

She never was, never will be.

One, please. Show's
almost half over.

Oh, I'm sure there's
still lots to see.

By the way, do you happen
to recognize that man?

- Could be Carl, younger, of course.
- Carl?

Uh, no, that ain't him.
Sorry, lady, I can't help you.

- But you just said... Lady, I
got a long night ahead of me.

Well, evening, Daniela.

Been makingyourselfscarce
these past few weeks. Have I?

No need to, honey. When
a thing's over, it's over.

I know.

It's just enough being
there when you're needed.

By the way, Ray ain't giving any
sign that, uh, he suspects, has he?

I mean, I ain't
seen it. Stop it!

Hey, come on. I was
just making conversation.

That's all. Listen
to me, Sutter.

You caught me
when I was hurting.

Okay, I'm not proud
of myself, but it's over.

Mrs. Carmody, there's over...

and then there's
over. Let go of me!

Let go of me!

You try that again
andyou're a dead man.

[Laughs] You're not plannin'
on hurtin' ol' Hank are ya, honey?

No, I'm thinking about telling my husband
before you do, and then he'll k*ll you.

[Applause, Fanfare]

♪ [Circus]

[Chattering]

Hello? Hello.

Excuse me, Mr. Carmody?
Yeah, Edgar Carmody, yes, ma'am.

I realize you're very busy and I
don't wanna bother you-Nonsense.

Anything I can do, you just ask.

But shouldn't you be in
there watchin' the show?

Well, much as I like a
good circus, actually I-

I'm looking for someone, and
I hope that you can help me.

- My name isJessica Fletcher.
- Fletcher.

Yes. This is a picture-

was a picture-of
my brother-in-law.

His name is-excuse
me, was-Neil Fletcher.

He's a striking looking
man, yes, ma'am.

Perhaps you knew him as Carl?

Carl? Let's see. Carl?

Sorry. A circus is a busy
place. Folks come and go.

It's the nature of the
beast. Yes, well, I-

I understand your reluctance to
talk to a stranger. Mrs. Fletcher, is it?

I'm sorry but I'm
afraid I can't help you.

Now we did have a Carl
Benson. A roustabout.

But he was a good 20years
younger than that picture.

And he quit me over
a month ago. I see.

Sorry I can't be ofmore
help. ♪ [Fanfare]

Brad, would you show this lady to the front
entrance? Find her a cab or something?

Excuse me, ma'am. Okay.

My goodness, I think I
just got the bum's rush.

Yeah, well, Edgar's got
this thing about the payin'

public pokin' around
where they don't belong.

- Come on. I'll show you the way out.
- Oh that's all right, uh, Brad.

I'll find my own
way. Thanks anyway.

Okay, boys, get those
cats into the main tent!

We don't wanna hang
around here all night!

It'd take six months of crowds like
tonight to make this outfit well again.

"Well" is somethin'
it's never gonna be.

Hey, don't wait up for me. I'm gonna
run a check on some of the equipment.

Oh yeah? Who's
the lucky one tonight?

You got a way about
you, don't you, Maylene?

- You're hurting her.
- You stay out of this,
or I'll rearrange your face.

Oh for Lord's sakes, stop it!
You just go do what you got to do.

I don't care. Go on.
Get! Get out ofmy sight!

Louisiana? Baton Rouge.

- Maryland?
- Annapolis.

- Oregon?
- Salem.

- Idaho?
- Boise.

Oh! Sheer genius!
Oh, yeah! [Laughs]

What's this?

Louisville slugger. Uh-huh.

He was hot today.
He worked hard.

And he needs a
soft place to rest.

Honestly.

All right, okay.

All right. Let's see.

I'll set the alarm for what? 5:30 for
your fishing trip tomorrow with Brad?

I wish you'd go, Mom.

Gotta practice.

I miss your dad too, Charlie.

I'm just not ready
to replace him yet.

But if I was, it would
be somebody like Brad.

[Knocking]

What do you want?
Hey! I told you.

- Stay away from me.
- That's awfully hard to do, Katie.

Hank, I'm not interested.

Now that's not the
message I got when I talked

Carmody into hiring you,
when you quit Harry Kingman.

Or did you get fired?
I can't remember.

I remember it was faulty rigging
that k*lled my husband a year ago.

Rigging you were
supposed to have checked.

Hey, honey, we got that all
hashed out a long time ago.

A long time for you
to go without a man.

[Muffled Cry]

Stop it! You stay away from
my mother or I'll bust you!

Well, lookee here. A real fightin'
terror here, all 80 pounds of him.

I oughta spank your bottom, sonny.
Oh, you touch him and I'll k*ll you!

Hey, I wasn't gonna
hurt the kid. Will you-

Hank! Give me that!

I'll give it back to you when
you're man enough to handle it, boy.

Hank.

In fact, I think I'll just keep this
till somebody comes askin' for it...

real nice like.

Well, now, lookee who's here.

Hello, darlin', you
wanna ride? Come on up.

How about a little kiss,
honey, huh? [Kisses]

You betcha. Okay, on your way.

Well, hi, there,
little princess,

and a warm, bright
good mornin' to ya.

Well, good mornin' back at ya.

My name's Emmaline Polsby.

Polsby's General Store and
Dry Goods in Pullman City.

You're up and at 'em
awful early. Well, store

opens 7:00. I had to
deliver this here first.

One of your people from the circus, a
Carl somethin', a real pleasant fella...

he bought some things yesterday,

and a shirt and three pairs of
socks got left out of his package.

Well, ain't you the
soul of honesty?

You must mean Carl Schumann.

He's likely asleep in
his trailer right now.

Somethin' that can't be
said for a certain lovesick

tomcat I could name
that stayed out all night.

- How's that?
- Oh, no mind.

It's the gray trailer that
way. You can't miss it.

Oh, much obliged to ya.
Take care now, honey.

Hey, Carl? Yeah?

Hey, you turned
in early last night.

Yeah. Matter of fact, I
did. Problem, Edgar?

Well, maybe.

A woman named Fletcher came
around here last night lookin' for you.

Constance? No. Ah, Jessica.

She said she was your sister-in-law.
But of course I got rid of her.

Now I hope I did the right thing.
Oh, sure, sure you did, sure.

Too bad though. In a way,
I'd like to have seen her.

I think I made a
big mistake, Edgar.

Sent a wedding gift off
to my granddaughter.

I never figured she'd
send Jessica lookin' for me.

Well, you don't have to
worry. She's gone now.

Uh, one more thing, Edgar.

Jessica's a real nice old gal,
but she's persistent as hell.

Well, I'll get rid of
her once and for all.

Nicely, Edgar.

Oh, you bet.

Hello again, Mrs. Fletcher.

Oh, hello, Mr. Carmody.

You know, I think you forgot to tell me
that you had another Carl in your employ.

Carl Schumann.

Yes. And darned if
it didn't slip my mind.

You know, but when I
remembered, why, I just

mentioned it to him that
I ran into you last night.

But it's a funny thing-

A couple of the boys drove
him into town last night,

put him on a bus, and he took off
for parts unknown. Mr. Carmody!

- Oh, dear.
- Mr. Carmody! Mr. Carmody!

Come quick! It's Hank Sutter!

[Chattering]

[Chattering]

Should've known better than to
let myself be talked into permittin'...

these lowlife
grifters near my town.

Well, now, folks have been gettin'
a lot of pleasure out of the circus.

The Good Book's got its
say on the subject of pleasure.

The pressure it puts on
me, havin' to deal with

things like this-I could
have handled it, sir.

Bein' mayor means takin'
responsibility, Len, the bad with the good.

Are the newspaper
people here? Not yet, sir.

This is Edgar Carmody
owns the circus. Uh-huh.

- Where'd it happen? Show me.
- Right this way, sir.

Doc says the man's been
dead about four or five hours.

Since 2:00 or 3:00 this
morning. What happened?

He looks to have been trampled to
death by one of the circus elephants.

I heard it was an accident, but good
Lord of mercy, trampled by an elephant?

It was a Katie McCallum,
high-wire performer, found the body.

I'll have a talk with her.

Everybody's been accounted
for except for two people.

One of them is my roustabout, Brad
Kaneally, and young Charlie McCallum.

They went fishing
this morning at 5:30.

- We'll check 'em out.
- You do that. I've got work to do.

Len, you sure you
notified the newspaper?

Yes, sir. Is there anything else I
need to know before they get here?

I mean I want to be filled in
on everything. Excuse me.

I'd like to suggest-Ma'am?

- Well, I just thought you might want
to talk with the elephant handler.
- What county we hearin' from here?

Oh, I'm Jessica Fletcher.
Well, Jessica Fletcher,

- if you'll just wait till I'm ready to
talk to you... Oh, yes, yes, of course.

But I thought you
should know there is not a

trace of blood on any
of those elephant's feet.

- Come here. Let me show you.
- Len, Sheriff, you handle this.

There. You see,
they're all like that.

What do you think? Well, I think
he was given a veryvicious beating.

With what? Couldn't hardly
have been a man's fists,

and there's no m*rder
w*apon in sight.

Well, maybe the
k*ller took it with him.

I don't think the
mayor's gonna like this.

Just what I need! A m*rder case! With
my reelection comin' up in four weeks.

I can handle the investigation,
Mr. Mayor. I'll do it myself.

Now have the m*rder scene roped off.
And then I want-Sir, I'm sure that I can-

Son, have you got
a hearin' problem?

Now I told you. I'm takin'
personal charge here.

And the first thing I'm
gonna do is close you down.

You can't do
that. That's illegal.

Mister, you're gonna learn real quick.
Nothin' I do in this town is illegal.

You think otherwise,
go talk to the judge.

I can arrange a meetin'.
He's my father-in-law.

I've got bills to pay,
salaries, obligations-

And I have got a
m*rder to solve, which

I'll start doin' by
interrogatin' witnesses.

Beginnin' with the one who
seems to have all the answers.

Bring her.

I'll say it right now,
Katie. It's dark and evil.

And it is God's own curse.

Oh, Maylene.

All that's been happenin'
these last months-

the tiger gettin' loose,
that bleacher fire,

and the main tent pole
splinterin' like it done,

all the rest... and now this.

Those were just accidents.

Oh, sh**t, honey.
You don't believe that.

Maylene, look, I know you're
upset, but I can't-No, honey.

I'm not upset.
What I am is free.

I'm free to leave.

I've been wantin' shed
of here for a long time.

Hank was a flat-out no-count
cheat, and I am glad he's dead.

And he won't be makin' life
miserable for you no more neither.

If you've got no
connection with these

fly-by-nights, just what
were you doin' here?

I thought someone I once
knew was with the circus.

And? Well, everyone I talked
to assured me that he wasn't.

And just maybe he
was the dead foreman.

Why were you lookin' for him?

- Well, I wasn't looking for him.
- And how do I know that?

Because I just told you.

And there'll be a
lot more you'll be

tellin' me before this
investigation's over.

[Charlie] What are
we gonna tell her?

We got outsmarted by a
bunch of ol' bass, all right?

And next time, you know that old broken
down wharf on the other side of the lake?

Yeah. We'll try
that spot next time.

Brad. Hey. Hey,
what's with the cop car?

Hank Sutter's been k*lled. It
happened early this morning.

At first, they thought
one of the elephants had

trampled him. But now they
say he was beaten to death.

Police have been
looking foryou and Charlie.

That's crazy.

[Sighs] They keep us shut down much
longer, you might just get your wish.

Oh, come on, Dad. Daniela
did not mean anything by that.

You said the advance ticket sales
in Shaftersville were pretty good.

Yeah. Chad Richards is calling in an update
this afternoon. What should I tell him?

Keep booking. We'll use
the money to carry us here.

And if we can't keep the
Shaftersville dates? Then what?

Maybe you'd like to
count off all our options?

[Mayor] Bein' born and bred
right here in Pullman City,

I got a real affection
for this town,

ma'am, and a healthy
suspicion of strangers.

And I don'tjust mean
these circus people.

Mayor, if you're suggesting
that I had anything to do with-

I'm suggestin' that there's
somethin' that's not quite

right about you, ma'am,
and I mean to figure out-

Sir! I've got somethin'
you oughta hear.

I told you not to interrupt here! One
of the circus people's disappeared.

Lead clown. Man
named Carl Schumann.

Oh, but he couldn't
possibly be involved.

He-he-he left last night. Before
the m*rder was even committed.

That so? Get out an A.P.B.
on this Carl Schumann.

Yes, sir. I'm goin' to
take a look at his quarters.

Mayor, if you'll just listen for a
moment, I think-You think all you like.

Right there in that chair till I
get back. Now, listen up, Sheriff.

I want you contactin' every police
department from here to the state line.

Oh, hello! Brad?

Oh, hello. Yeah, hello again.

How are ya?

Hey, this is, uh, this is
Charlie. Hello, Charlie.

- What was your name again?
- Mrs. Fletcher.

Right.

Yeah, I'm tryin'
to find the sheriff.

I understand he's
looking for me.

I think they headed that way.

I want to get an all points on
a man named Carl Schumann.

Male Caucasian, mid to late
60s. Height about five-nine.

Lives like a pack rat.

Look at this place.

Seems he left in a hurry.

Wouldn't you if you
just k*lled a man?

Mayor? Yeah?

Look here. Appears one
of them clubs is missin'.

Took note of that soon
as I walked in the door.

Man could do a severe job of beatin'
somebody with one of them things.

[Tires Screeching]

[Jessica] Yeah, I
know how busy he is.

Well, I promise you. This is very
urgent, really. [Car Door Opens, Closes]

Yes, he knows who I am.

Jessica Fletcher.
Pullman City, Arkansas.

No, he can't get back to me because
the phone in my room is out of order,

and I'm callingyou
from the lobby.

- When you come to a stopping point in
that fascinating article... Sorry, folks.

- Can I help you?
- My name is Maria Morgana.

My secretary wired to
reserve a suite of rooms.

- Oh, yes, ma'am. I'm afraid... Please have
the boy get the luggage from the trunk.

Don't have a suite, ma'am. Don't
have a boy to fetch your luggage either.

I do have a double
room with a private bath.

If Mrs. Morgana were inclined
to accept such accommodations,

she would be bunking
with her daughter, camped

with that circus on
the outskirts of town.

That so? [Morgana]
Now, my dear man.

I'm sure if you'll check
again very, very carefully,

I knowyou'll come up with
something. Already have, ma'am.

A double with a bath.
Overlookin' Main Street.

How, delightful.

My dear friend, this lady happens to be
the foremost fashion designer in the world.

Sonny, look close.
I've got one double.

[Jessica] Andrew?

Oh, thank heavens!

Yes, it's me. I'm in
Pullman City, Arkansas.

No, I'm not in trouble,

but I may need a top-notch detective
agency to find a missing relative.

And I may also need
a good criminal lawyer.

Hey, Bert.

- Guess that m*rder hullabaloo's
over 'fore it started.
- How's that?

Well, they caught that circus clown that
done it over at the Groverton bus depot.

- Jessie, aw, Jessie.
- Neil.

Jessie, I'm sorry.

I'm so sorry.

Oh, the times I wanted to pick up
a phone and call you and tell you-

I couldn't.

Oh, you look
absolutely wonderful!

I can't believe I'm standing
here, looking at you like this.

It was the leprechaun,
wasn't it? I knew it. I knew it.

I almost didn't send it.

But how could I let my little
granddaughter's wedding go by...

without letting her know I loved
her, and I was thinking about her.

I-I try to get the Washington
papers whenever I can,

and when I saw the announcement,

well, just my luck to have a crack
mystery writer for a sister-in-law.

You know you never fooled Frank.

He always thought
that you were still alive.

Well, we always
were two of a kind.

Jessie, when Frank
died, it almost k*lled me.

He was much too
young. It just wasn't fair.

I was there, you
know. At the funeral.

Oh, I was standing way off.

Not close for anybody to
see me or recognize me.

After all of you were gone, I
put some flowers on his grave.

The yellow roses! I
should have known.

Neil, sit down. You have
to tell me what happened.

[Groans] What is it?

It's nothing, dear. I
bumped it. That's all.

Well, where to start?

Jessie, I never wanted to hurt
anyone, especially Frank and you.

But I couldn't take it anymore-

a cold and grasping wife, a
foolish and vacuous daughter.

What time I had left I
wanted to enjoy. And I have.

Roaming the country,
these last years in the circus.

Yes, I took the boat out, blew it up
to make it look like I'd been k*lled.

Cashed in my life insurance
policy weeks before.

Constance and Audrey
got everything else.

That's all they ever
wanted from me anyway.

But you could have gotten a divorce.
I mean, why this elaborate charade?

I wanted to end it quickly,
cleanly, permanently.

A new name. A new
life, which I've had.

Yes. Neil-Jessie.

If you love me, you'll see
that all this stays between us.

I don't want Constance
to know a thing.

Oh, that should be the
least of your concerns.

You've been
arrested. You're in jail.

Jessica, leave it lay. Stay
out of it. [Door Clanging]

Let it lay? Neil, you-

Look, you are under
arrest on a m*rder charge.

[Mayor] You open that
damn door right now!

What in the name of creation was in your
head, lettin' that damn civilian in there?

Get yourself out of here right
now, woman! Mayor Powers-

Now! Before I say
somethin' we'll both regret.

I'll do everything I can to clear
you, Neil. Stay out of it, Jessie.

You listen to him, lady. And you listen
to this-You stay out of police business.

You could benefit from
the same advice, Mr. Mayor.

Lady, you're on thin ice.

If you think I'm gonna stand by while
you railroad a perfectly innocent man...

for a crime that he did not
commit, my-brother-in-law or not,

you are very sadly mistaken.

[Knocking]

Mother! I have just come
from a shanty-on-wheels,

which some misguided person
described to me as your living quarters.

Daniela, for the sake of my sanity,
please tell me that I was misinformed.

Long white trailer, gray trim,
geraniums in the window box?

- Good Lord. Daniela!
- Mother!

Ifpoverty is an
insufficient motive, at least

this m*rder should
convince you to come home.

Her home is here.

Correction, Raymond.
Her home is with you.

And where you should
be at the moment...

is not panhandlingyour
way through the state

ofArkansas with this
flea-bitten menagerie.

Whoops. I smell another
job offer coming on.

Well, of course. I'm no
fool and neither are you.

Not the number two man in his graduating
class from Harvard Business School.

Maria, if you're so hard up for help,
why don't you go after number one?

Well, I explored
the possibility,

but he went into the
banana business in Brazil.

Besides, he's not
married to my daughter.

Mother, you're
wasting your time.

Ray's not gonna leave
the circus or his father.

Love and loyalty. How admirable.

A sentiment that
certainly has its place,

embroidered on a throw pillow.

[Elephant Trumpeting]
[Men Chattering]

- Charlie.
- You got Carl arrested.

You said it was m*rder
and not an accident.

And now he's in jail. Oh, no,
Charlie. Carl is my friend. Believe me.

I want to help him.
That's true, Charlie.

Edgar told me who you are. Well,
thanks for the vote of confidence.

Carl never mentioned you by name, but
he did talk a lot about his sister-in-law.

You remember? I don't care who
she is. I just know that Carl's in jail.

And unless we can prove where he
was between 2:00 and 3:00 this morning,

Mayor Powers is
going to keep him there.

- Is that when Hank was k*lled?
- Uh-huh.

I guess that makes us one of
the last ones to see him alive.

Mom!

Oh, come on, Charlie.
There's nothing to hide.

Hank came to the trailer
last night. He got out of line,

and my fella here ran him
off. It's none of her business!

My dad wouldn't have gone
blabbin' it to anybody like this!

Charlie!

I'm sorry.

My husband was k*lled
in a high-wire fall last year,

and Charlie's just trying
to be the man of the family.

Oh, my. And that is
such a big job at his age.

Katie, I just found something.

I can't believe this is
supposed to be this way.

You see, the link in this elephant's
chain has been partially cut through.

You're right. You know, we've
been havin' a lot of accidents lately.

Only this makes it look like
they weren't accidents at all.

Hank? You think someone saw
Hank cutting through the chain?

There's no sign of a hacksaw, so whoever
is responsible must have taken it away.

But if someone had
caught Sutter, don't you think

they would have reported
the partially cut chain?

I mean, even anonymously,
just to prevent a further accident.

The police have
searched Carl's trailer.

There's no knowing what they might have
found that would have incriminated him,

or what they overlooked
that would clear him.

- Can we get inside?
- Yes. There's a key
under the rear bumper.

Me? Me ramrod the outfit?

I don't think so. No, I
don't think so, Mr. Carmody.

Ifand when we reopen, I'm gonna
need somebody to take Sutter's place.

You're the best man for
the job, Brad. No. Uh-uh.

- Sorry.
- Carmody!

Well, Kingman, what
are you doing here?

Oh, I heard about your troubles.

You came down from
Star City to commiserate.

Pine Bluff. I moved up the
other day for a three-week stand.

I'm just packin' 'em in.
So, you came to gloat, huh?

Edgar, you're good people,
but you gotta smarten up.

Now there's not enough
business out there for both of us.

I got you outgunned,
boy. Let's talk business.

Forget it.

Between you and the troubles
you've been havin', now this

second-rate road show is
bein' driven right into the ground.

You're gonna be bankrupt in six
months. I'll buy what's left for a song.

If it's such a second-rate
outfit, why do you want it?

To get rid of the
competition, what else?

Look, you've got a couple of acts
that's worth savin', some animals.

The rest I'd junk.

Some of the rest of these people
have been with me for years.

That's another reason you're broke. You
run this outfit like it was a charity ward.

Get the hell out of here
before I have you thrown out.

I'm staying at the Ozark
Inn for a couple of days.

Now you change your
mind, you just come on by.

Out!

[Jessica] It was
a savage beating.

Who do you think could
have had a motive?

One could sayjust about everybody,
madam. Some more than others.

Jessica Fletcher, Preston
Bartholomew, our ringmaster.

- How do you do?
- Mrs. Fletcher.

Of course, it's my personal opinion
that the police have the wrong man in jail.

Really? Motive.

Carl's, if indeed he has one at all, has
to be strictly bottom of the barrel. I see.

And when you say that
just about everybody has a

motive to k*ll Hank Sutter,
does that include yourself?

Oh, dear heavens, yes. He
and I had our share of run-ins,

but he didn't intimidate me the
way he did the others though.

Maybe because I knew him when he was
a roustabout with Harry Kingman's circus.

A green kid with cotton for brains
and a disposition like cactus juice.

The years didn't
improve either one.

Several of you were with this Harry
Kingman at one time or another.

Mm-hmm. That's true.

Sutter's wife also. They
met and married there.

Maylene is a delightful girl...

with an atrocious taste in men.

Unfortunately, that
small-town mayor...

with the midget mentality
has Carl under lock and key,

and I'm afraid that's
where he's going to stay.

Not if I can help it. He
has not k*lled anyone.

I'm sorry, Mrs. Fletcher.
You're wrong about that.

This doesn't give me any
pleasure, ma'am, believe me,

but your brother-in-law told us exactly
where we'd find the m*rder w*apon.

Covered with blood too.

Oh, Sheriff, you're wrong. There
has to be some mistake here.

No, ma'am. No mistake. We
took his statement an hour ago.

He's already signed a confession,
admittin' to the m*rder of Hank Sutter.