Murder, She Wrote s07e21 Episode Script

You got lucky up in Boston.
This ain't no Boston.
- And just how might I get hurt? - Accident, maybe.
Tonight on "Murder She Wrote" What do you want? You've never had the love of a good man.
- She got away with murder once.
- No she did not.
I believe he was poisoned.
- The Sheriff found arsenic? - In my storeroom.
Follow us! It was a heart attack.
Your pa didn't feel a thing.
He was very ill in his stomach.
Jake had been ill for some time.
It's a blessing.
It's spared him a lot of pain and suffering.
Why don't you get some sleep and I'll talk to you in the morning? Good night.
There you go.
- Good morning, Edge.
- What looks good today, besides you? A smooth talker like you should take his baseball cap off indoors.
What were you saying about Jake Gerringer? He had dinner here every night.
- And you're sitting in his seat.
- Ross Your sexy wife still working for old Doc Logan? Do you mind not interrupting us? Yeah, you want a punch? - That's enough, Edge.
- I hate it when people treat me like dirt.
Perhaps you should go back outside and calm down a little.
I'll save you some coffee and donuts.
Forget it.
I'm sorry.
Did Laura tell you what Jake died of? Heart attack.
All that fat.
I tried sell him on low cholesterol.
But he always had extra gravy.
He's dug his own grave with a spoon.
I'll have one of your cinnamon buns - with extra butter.
- Cute.
What the hell have you done? Doris Gerringer called to tell you what you didn't want to hear last night.
So you just faxed Jake's file to the poison control center.
- They say the symptoms are similar.
- I don't know nothin' about poison.
I put heart failure on the death certificate.
- You telling me I don't know my business? - No, I'm sorry if Excuse me.
Doctor Logan's office.
Yes, he is.
Doctor Joel Pearlman, County General Pathology.
Joel, how ya doin'? What's up? Is that so? Arsenic? That's what I figured.
Why else would I order all them tests? - Ray, can't you turn the music down? - Yes sir, sorry, sheriff.
I'm going to Barstow to see what's stirrin' Sheriff's office.
Hold on.
Sheriff, Doctor Logan.
Yeah, doc? Jake? What about Jake? You don't say.
Half the houses in town are for sale, nobody's buying new cars not like before you left.
Sorry you came back? Wasn't so great where I was at.
Everyone in town knows that.
Funny how things work out.
Take you and me.
That's ancient history.
We were just kids.
I'll get you some more coffee.
Ellen, I'd like to talk to you.
In private.
- I have a customer.
- Ross won't mind.
Would you, Ross? - I mind.
- Okay.
I'll look around anyway.
Excuse me.
Can I ask what you're looking for? Yeah.
Jake Gerringer had dinner here last night.
Like always.
You know Doris, she has trouble boiling water.
County Lab boy said Jake was poisoned.
Poisoned? You saying it was in my restaurant? Impossible.
- I'll have to have this analyzed.
- I'll save you the trouble, it's arsenic.
- Yeah, go on.
- Come on! The last owner got it to kill ants.
- And I resent the accusation.
- I'm not accusing you of anything.
The only reason you're here is because of Boston.
Might've crossed my mind.
You're the only woman in town to have been tried for murder.
Tried and found not guilty.
Your problem is you don't warm up to people much.
Folks round here like to forgive and forget.
But you don't give people a chance to show how friendly they can be.
You got lucky that writer convinced the jury you didn't kill your husband.
But this ain't no Boston.
Thanks for picking me up, Mr.
Apple, but I could have taken the bus.
The next bus isn't until tomorrow and, please don't call me Mr.
Apple.
Sounds like a character on "Mr.
Roger's neighborhood".
- Name's Herb.
- Well, Herb, thank you.
My pleasure.
Besides, I wanted to get you there as soon as possible.
Ellen needs all the help she can get.
She should have got a high-powered attorney, but she couldn't afford it and the court appointed me.
- Ellen didn't tell me that.
- She's a friend.
I hope your help will sway things.
It's the only hope I have.
Laura, wait up! How about lunch with your husband for a change? Where? The Board of Health locked up Ellen's restaurant and the sheriff's locked up Ellen which is why you're looking for company.
Laura, loosen up.
You used to enjoy Love in the afternoon.
I still might.
With the right man.
Ellen? Jessica! - Thank God you came! - Did you think I wouldn't? You got ten minutes.
I'm sorry to impose, but I didn't have anybody else.
It's no imposition.
- How can you sleep on this? - Badly.
- All right, tell me what happened.
- Didn't Herb fill you in? He said a man had died, you'd been arrested and they'd found arsenic.
In the storeroom.
I should never have come back.
- Why did you come back? - When my parents were alive even if things were going badly, I could always come home.
I guess I thought in familiar surroundings, with friends the hurts would heal.
We all have a place like that.
Mine is Cabot Cove.
But Dry Wells isn't like that anymore.
It began when the tannery closed and half the town lost their jobs.
Yes, Herb showed me on the drive into town.
That was for the earthquake.
It was terrible.
6.
8.
Destroyed homes, shops that were never rebuilt Seeing the town boarded up I should have got back on the bus.
Most of my friends are gone and I didn't know where to go.
Let's get started.
This man, Gerringer, did you have any motive? No.
Though the Sheriff thinks otherwise.
And that's another thing, Sheriff Hays you won't be getting help from him.
Not where I'm concerned.
Why? Time's up.
Let Miss Fletcher out, Mary Jo.
Ten minutes isn't up already? I'm following orders.
She's due at the county courthouse.
I'll go with her.
And pay her bail.
How does it feel to be accused of murder for the second time? - I never killed anyone! - Get in the car.
Let's go.
- Would you care to make a comment? - No.
- Are you here to get your friend off? - Get that out of my face, please! We should go before somebody gets hurt.
They're just expressin' their feelings.
It's the American way.
You think you're better' everybody else, but you ain't! Hello? Stop it! Edge Potter, I know your voice.
Anonymous threats are a crime.
If you're trying to shock us, you're only betraying your ignorance.
We've all heard words like this and normally with more originality.
I've known some of those people in front of the court house all my life.
- This was a nice town once.
- It's not the town, believe me.
As much as I love it, Cabot Cove has its negative side.
I can't go through it again.
The calls, the threats, people screaming at me You can and you will.
You've got nothing to apologize for, nothing to fear.
I'm going to stick by you until we work this out.
How? For starters, tell me about Jake's daughter, Doris.
I don't know her well.
She keeps to herself.
She's kinda plain.
Mousey looking.
Although lately I've heard she's been looking real strange.
I don't mind talking about my father's death.
Although it is kinda painful.
Would you like a glass of French champagne? No, not now, thank you.
Do you always entertain drop-in guests so lavishly? I never entertained before.
I'm practicing for life in Hollywood, when I get daddy's insurance money You're the first celebrity I've met.
You've gone to lots of trouble.
About Ellen Did I do it right? Caviar and this liver stuff Perfect.
I got it out of a magazine.
I didn't realize how much it'd cost.
About Ellen She was my best friend in high school I'd be glad to help any way I can.
She worked for your father at one point.
We both did.
She's told you he fired her.
- Well, actually - I felt sorry for her.
It wasn't fair.
Even if he caught her stealing, she deserved another chance.
She was the most popular girl in school.
Everybody liked her.
I envied her so much.
And you wanted to be like her.
No, I wanted to be her.
So I wouldn't have had to live with that old man.
He treated me like a slave, he didn't like me have any friends.
Anyway, she shouldn't have done it.
Why are you so sure it was her? - She got away with murder once already.
- No, she did not.
That's what I heard.
I can't wait for the trial.
I'll buy something nice to wear.
I'll be a terrific witness, don't you think? Sheriff Hays, are you there? Come in.
- Yeah, Mary Jo.
What's up? - Katie Emhard wants to tell you something important about her dead husband.
Wilbur died exactly three weeks ago but I couldn't clean his closet out until yesterday.
Just seeing those empty shoes I kept starting to cry, thinkin' I'd never see his feet again.
- Ma'am, I don't have all day - Shoot! I'm getting to the point.
After I cleaned the bathroom medicine cabinet I found these pills, bladder medicine, with Doc Logan's name on the side.
- What about it? - He said he died of his heart but there wasn't any heart medicine, he didn't have a bad heart.
When he died he was clutchin' his stomach in pain.
Just like Jake Gerringer.
You'll think I'm crazy, but I believe he was poisoned.
I shouldn't without the doctor's permission.
He's out to lunch.
That's a permanent condition.
Go on.
Wilburt Emhard.
His last physical, before the quake.
He had an irritated bladder, he was prescribed medicine and a special diet.
- No heart problems? - None indicated.
You got a copy of his death certificate in there? 'Cause of death, heart failure' It was a Friday.
Doc usually leaves early to drive to Laughlin for a weekend of heavy gamblin' Around noon.
He died at 14:15.
Well he coulda rushed the examination to get back on schedule.
Anyway, thanks a lot, Laura.
Tell the Doc I stopped by.
Do you think Ellen Wicker is a serial killer? Don't matter what I think.
The evidence'll speak for itself.
- Mary Jo? - Yes, Sheriff.
Call Judge Peller.
I need a body dug up.
He didn't catch me stealing.
Someone told him they'd seen me do it.
- Like his daughter, Doris? - There were several clerks.
It could have been her.
It doesn't matter.
Jake reported it to the Sheriff.
He wanted to scare me, more than anything else.
And I got scared, but not by Jake.
By Sheriff Deloy Hays.
Then he was just a deputy, but he said he could fix things for me on a friendly basis.
It all depended on how friendly I got with him.
I wasn't even twenty yet.
He was thirty, as mean and cold as he is today.
He had me in a cell backed up against the wall.
If Herb Apple hadn't come in What happened? Herb went to see Jake and got him to drop the charges next day, I left town.
The last thing I remember seeing is Deloy Hays's eyes staring as the bus pulled out.
That was 15 years ago and the only thing that hasn't changed in this town is Deloy Hays.
- Just in time.
You almost missed it.
- What the hell is this about? I have a court order, counselor.
He looks as good as the day they buried him.
Figures.
Preservation is a property of arsenic.
The tannery used lots of it.
Ray, have him delivered to pathology at county general.
- You got it.
- You can't hang this on Ellen.
Just doing my job.
Tell that to Miz Fletcher too.
Tell her to stay out of my way or get out of my town.
- Howdy, Miz Fletcher.
- Hello.
I hear you've visited crazy Doris.
What a shame.
To put in so much exercise and all of sudden get yourself hurt.
And how might I get myself hurt? Accident, maybe.
People are edgy.
Never know what might happen.
Is that a threat? If I was you, I'd catch the next bus outta here.
Thanks for the advice.
I'll think about it.
Where's my manners? I'll take you to the station.
Get on.
- Where did you come from? - Sheriff told me to keep an eye on you.
- You alright? - Yes, no damage, just my nerves.
Edge Potter, he's a few bricks short of a full load.
I'll chat with him later.
We're not all like him.
Thank goodness.
And for you.
Although I'm sure you're not keeping an eye on me for this.
No question about it.
Wilburt Emhard was poisoned.
Arsenic.
Just like Jake Gerringer.
- I can't believe this.
- He was, one of your regulars too.
- For God's sakes, you too? - No, of course not.
Just repeatin' what people are sayin' Or at least thinkin' Relax, you're gonna come through this.
I'm here.
I mean haven't I always been here when you needed me? - Huh Come on.
- Ross, no.
Please don't.
This is stupid and embarrassing.
Stop it! I said no! Ellen! Isn't it funny, how I manage to bring out the best in people.
It's alright.
Stay here.
Don't go out there! - Can you describe the car? - No, it was too dark to see.
I'll see that the window gets replaced and take care of painting the porch.
Thanks.
I would have been here sooner if I wasn't with Doctor Logan waiting for the results on Wilburt Emhard.
It was arsenic poisoning.
- I know.
- They were both the doctor's patients.
He says if the poison hadn't gotten him, something else would've.
I'm sorry, but the business with Wilburt makes things tougher.
Have you changed your mind about defending me? Of course I haven't.
I'll get it.
Did you know your phone was off the hook? Ellen's had some unpleasant calls.
- How long has it been going on? - Since this morning, it never quits.
Ellen, I am so sorry.
Whatever it takes, however long it takes, we'll get you through this.
Laura! Ross? Sheriff's office.
Deputy Gómez.
He isn't here right now.
Hold it, he just walked in.
It's Mrs.
Corman.
She sounds kind of hysterical.
Laura? Slow down, I can't understand you.
He's gone.
No more than 15 or 20 minutes.
- Poison again? - I don't know, I'm not the coroner.
- How ya feelin'? - Better, thanks.
You look like hell.
You've had a bad shock.
Go upstairs No.
I need to ask some more questions first.
Ross told you he had a business meeting - and you went to bed at ten o'clock.
- Yes.
Later you heard Ross come in bangin' 'round, but you don't know where he'd been.
I wasn't able to talk to him.
He called my name I went downstairs, he was doubled up sick.
He couldn't talk.
He fell.
It was awful.
Then I called you.
- Ray, would you answer that? - Okay, up you go.
Go to bed for a while.
The questions can wait.
Sheriff, it's Mary Jo.
Yeah? What's the trouble? When did the call come in? It was muffled, hard to hear.
Did they give a name? What? What, exactly did they say? You should try to get some sleep.
I can't.
You go to bed, you must be tired.
I can't either.
This poison, something is missing, I can't get a handle on it.
- About Ross, I'm sorry you saw that.
- It wasn't your fault.
He invited himself for a drink, I should have known better.
Everyone thought we were going to get married.
Including me.
It was before Jake's accusation ran me out of town.
I guess he thought he could pick up where we left off.
- Never had much luck with men.
- Not even Herb Apple? He's a dear friend, but I don't think of him in that way.
Too bad.
You should try.
Who can that be? It's almost one o'clock.
It's the Sheriff.
Mind if I come in? Miz Fletcher.
Anything wrong? It's late for a social call.
Nothing.
Trouble, like babies, mostly comes at night.
What kind of trouble? Ross Corman was here earlier, right? - Yes.
- We got a tip about that.
- Had some wine, I expect.
- That's right, why? Had stains on his shirt.
Coulda matched the wine.
Stains on his shirt? He's dead.
- What? - Looks like he was poisoned.
Ellen, I'm confiscatin' this bottle.
And you're comin' to my office.
Now.
Just a moment.
We both had some of that wine.
Where's Ross's glass? I washed it, along with mine and a plate.
So you just poisoned his glass? That is stupid! We know you had the arsenic.
You put some aside for an old boyfriend who dumped you.
- You have no right - This is none of your business.
Grab your coat.
You can call your lawyer from my office.
Go with him.
I'll call Herb.
I woke you in the middle of the night, at least I can make coffee.
It was a dirty trick arresting her at night.
I won't be able to talk to a judge until morning.
With everything going on, she's safer in jail.
Nice try, but you don't mean that.
What do you think is going to happen? Worst scenario? I don't want to think about it.
After the Sheriff settin' folks against her the jury won't be impartial.
Folks here are like sheep, they follow you anywhere.
With the Sheriff it's personal.
- But you know that.
- Whew, I know that.
I'm perplexed.
I can't believe there's a psychopath poisoning people certainly not Ellen, but people are dying.
There has to be a logical reason.
I hope you had that coffee strong.
I don't expect to sleep.
Jessica? Hello? I'm sorry.
Didn't you tell me the dry wells - are close by the tannery ruins? - Yes, that's right.
This is a long shot, but it's just possible.
I have an idea what's behind this.
Why should I show you the tannery files? Because they might prove Ellen's innocence.
You make a habit of doin' the Sheriff's job? I guess I do, when he can't, or won't.
Most folks are fond of Deloy Hays.
He keeps the town safe.
At what cost? He seems to run things the way it suits him.
That's fine, I don't want his job.
Though it appears you do.
I do not want his job, I want to see justice done.
It won't be if Ellen is convicted of murders she didn't commit.
What are you afraid of? Don't you want the truth about your husband's death? You're Wasting your time.
There's nothing in the files about Ellen.
What is in those files? Chemical stuff I don't understand and memos from the board of directors about closing the tannery.
Including disposal of toxic waste? - How'd ya know that? - Just a guess.
Please let me look at them.
If I'm wrong, no harm done but if I'm right, you've saved an innocent woman from prison.
- Sheriff's not gonna like this.
- Frankly, I don't care.
I told my deputy not to disturb us.
We gotta come to some kind of understanding.
- What do you want? - You're smart, you can work that out.
You remember a few years back, you and me in here we never did finish that conversation.
You bastard.
Keep away from me.
Not very nice talk, considering your predicament.
I can help you.
County attorney, he goes by my say-so.
If I said I didn't have a case he'd go along same applied the other way.
I'm not getting through to you.
I hear you fine, the answer is no.
I'll take my chances in court.
I'm sorry to hear that.
You're trouble is you've never had the love of a good man.
- Sheriff - I told you not to disturb me! Yes but there's something on tv I think you should see.
To recap what's going on volunteers from Safer Environment are digging by the tannery ruins.
Why remains a mystery which may explain the presence of mystery writer J.
B.
Fletcher.
Damn! You know what you're doing here? This is private property you're all trespassing.
Clear the area.
Did you hear what I said? They heard, but they don't care.
Friends of yours? Weirdos from back east? They're from all over the country.
Volunteers who care for the environment.
What the hell's going on here? Mrs.
Emhard gave us her husband's plans for disposing of toxic material, including arsenic to be buried in three dry wells.
The tannery didn't kill anybody.
Don't be so sure.
Emhard thought the poison would be safely buried forever but he had second thoughts during the Californian earthquake.
So it's the quake's fault.
Sounds like one of your stories.
Over here! I think I got one! Hey, come on! All hands! One two three! Get me a flashlight! You see? The earthquake cracked the walls of the dry wells the water from the lower water table seeped in and the earthquake damaged the containers.
The arsenic contaminated the water.
That's your killer, toxic waste.
Not Ellen Wicker.
So why don't you let her out of jail? - It wasn't murder? - That's exactly what I'm saying.
I'm not so sure.
One of the victims was definitely murdered and the question is: "What are you going to do about it?" Well, thank you.
You're right ma'am.
The Board of Health tested the drinking water and the main well on the northside is contaminated.
- Not the well on the southside? - No, ma'am.
Jake and Wilbur got their water from the northside.
Those two had bad health problems.
Younger people, like Jake's daughter tolerate small amounts of arsenic.
But one of the victims was young, lived in the south, without poison.
- We'd like to talk to your nurse.
- Sure.
Laura! Would you come in here? Laura! She was here a minute ago.
- She must've stepped out.
- Maybe we can catch her.
- Mrs.
Fletcher! What's going on? - Follow us! It won't do any good.
You can't flush the container.
You can't prove I murdered him.
Ellen poisoned him with wine.
- How did you know she gave him wine? - He told me.
You said you were upstairs when Ross came in.
You didn't to talk to him.
He had a wine stain on his shirt.
There was no stain when he left Ellen's.
No.
I believe the stain was deliberately put there by you.
And the only way you knew he was drinking red wine at Ellen's was by following him over there and spying through the window.
- She's making it up to protect Ellen.
- And later when supposedly you found Ross dying, you called the Sheriff.
A concerned wife, and nurse, should have called a doctor.
The anonymous call to the Sheriff's office came from your upstairs phone.
I checked the company's records.
Do you think I wanted to work for Dr.
Logan? I had to.
Ross spent everything on women that didn't give a damn for him.
Ellen was the one he pined for.
I'd made up my mind to kill him.
When I saw her give him wine I knew just how I'd do it.
I waited in a sexy nightgown to grab his attention I'd already poisoned his favourite wine.
It was easy to make him drink it.
I went up to bed and waited.
When I heard him call my name I knew the poison was working.
After he was dead, I poured wine on his shirt making a trail that led the Sheriff straight to Ellen.
I knew he'd be so anxious to jail her he wouldn't care about proof.
Dry Wells will be a different place with the Sheriff fired and Ray Gómez in his place.
It wasn't just the Sheriff.
Since I arrived I felt like I was living in a fishbowl.
Always on display, always being judged.
No matter what I did there'd always be those looks "The Typhoid Mary of murder".
Oh, no, no, no.
You can't have that title.
That's what they call me.
Excuse me.
Hello? Hi Katie.
It's Katie Emhard.
Are you sure? Well, I guess so.
Thanks for asking me, Katie.
I'll talk to you soon.
What is it? The Woman's Club are trying to revitalize the town and they're starting with a dance to get it back on its feet.
- They want me on the committee.
- How very nice.
But will you still be here next month? Yeah, I guess I will be.
I guess you only have one problem a date for the dance.
Here I go, calling a lawyer again.