Murder, She Wrote s12e10 Episode Script
K0204 - Frozen Stiff
FEMALE NARRATOR: Tonight on Murder, She Wrote.
I'm not gonna drop this tainted milk issue.
MAN: So, ready for payday, huh? Suicide? Perhaps fear of being caught and facing the consequences.
You thought I killed him? And perhaps you'd like to see our devil worship group.
Please, just leave me alone.
She said leave her alone.
I'm not for sale, Herling.
Three quarters of a million dollars? Mr.
McGregor's suicide was a result of your cover-up.
So now we know when and where, the question is, who? I bet you a dollar you don't know what it is by the time you go home.
You're on.
(DOOR OPENING) (DOOR CLOSING) (FOOTSTEPS APPROACHING) (PHONE RINGING) Hi, this is Larry.
This is my beep.
(ANSWERING MACHINE BEEPS) Hey, where are you? I just wanted to tell you that I (DOOR OPENING) So, you're ready for payday, huh? Well, I don't work for you anymore.
(GUNSHOT) (GROANING) (THUDDING) (DOOR CLOSING) Hi, this is Larry, and this is my beep.
(ANSWERING MACHINE BEEPS) (COW MOOING) (SHOES SQUEAKING) KYLE: (ON MACHINE) Hey, where are you? I just wanted to tell you that I This is delicious.
Lemon, mango I wonder why Kyle didn't finish what he had to say.
Accountants.
Oh, we call it Tropical Secret.
Can you guess? (COW MOOING ON ANSWERING MACHINE) Well, I mean, the name is already the clue.
I bet you a dollar you don't know what it is by the time you go home.
You're on.
AUTOMATED VOICE: 9.
03 p.
m.
Speaking of Kyle, I'll need to talk to him tomorrow morning.
My attorney has a suggestion or two as to how the trust account should be set up.
No problem.
I just need time with Gary first thing.
Larry, if the Literacy Foundation is taking too much of your attention No, no.
It's It's a chance to give something back.
And I finally convinced Gary how it'll more than pay off with publicity.
First time he's listened to me in two years.
I was hoping that things were better for both of you.
Oh, thanks.
Anyway, back to your baby.
Our initial contribution is entirely funded, and Ta-da! That's great.
I wouldn't change a thing.
(PHONE RINGING) Hello? MAN: Hello.
Larry? Yeah.
Kyle is dead.
What? Kyle.
He's dead.
Sheriff, I'm just asking you to handle this as diplomatically as possible.
You know, PR-wise.
Look, Mr.
Herling, I'm not one of your, what do you call it? Spin doctors.
My job here is to find out who killed Kyle McGregor.
Prelim looks like a single small caliber bullet, entering above the left mandibular joint, and probably lodged in the frontal cortex.
Well, I noticed what appear to be powder burns near the wound.
Yes, I'd say he was shot at close range.
Probably self-inflicted.
Suicide? Kyle McGregor? No way.
Well, I expect the gunshot residue tests on Kyle's hand will settle that question, Sheriff.
Larry, could I About the ad campaign Not now, Gary.
They needed a yes or no.
It couldn't wait.
Yeah, it could.
I called the agency and told them to put everything on hold until you and I could review it.
Together.
I didn't know you could spare the time away from your cows and charities.
(INDISTINCT CHATTERING) Kyle? Oh, my God! (SIGHS) Susan, I'm sorry.
Mrs.
McGregor, I hate to ask you at a time like this, but how would you describe Kyle's spirits the past few days? His spirit? Fine.
Why? Yields are up five percent.
Good work, Dan.
Let's put the other herds on the same supplements, huh? Yes, sir.
Okay.
Thanks.
These arrived yesterday after you left to meet Jessica's plane.
And this couldn't wait till I came in this morning? I couldn't sleep, thinking about Kyle.
He was a good man.
You could have called me last night and told me.
Peggy, there was so much going on, that Sure.
Oh, you might want to get in early.
Gary's meeting with Ralph Brewer, the consumer guy from, what's it called, Verity? Verity? What could they possibly want with us? JOHN: Nothing major, Jess.
The meeting's been changed to 3.
00 Thursday at 724 Lexington Avenue.
John? (BEEP) Oh, darn it.
KYLE: Hey, where are you? I just called to tell you that I AUTOMATED VOICE: 9.
02 p.
m.
(ANSWERING MACHINE BEEPS) (COWS MOOING ON ANSWERING MACHINE) (SHOES SQUEAKING ON ANSWERING MACHINE) VOICE: 9.
03 p.
m.
JOHN: Jessica, it's John Farragut.
Nothing major, Jess.
Something I can help you with? Oh, I was just searching for a pencil, and I found this.
Oh.
Early days? Far out.
That's before I learned how to shave.
You were really trucking.
Yeah.
Yeah.
You know, this message tape really should go to the sheriff.
Huh? Oh, yeah, you're probably right.
Could be Kyle's last words.
You know, I wonder if it would've made any difference if I'd have been here to take his call.
(SOFTLY) Yeah.
Gary, I've had reporters bugging me since 5:00 a.
m.
It'll take you maybe a minute to read this.
Look, I'll get to it later, okay? I mean, I don't understand what suddenly makes this such hot news.
Because I have been romancing these people for six months so they will hype our national marketing push.
I gotta give them something.
Can I see that? "We mourn the loss of an important member of our company.
" Well, that's great, Jim.
Just Just add something about Kyle's services to the community, okay? And send it off.
Hey, Gary, why didn't you tell me you turned Kyle down flat last week when he asked for a seat on the board? What, you want to blame me for his death? No.
But it's another decision that wasn't just yours to make.
And let's talk about Ralph Brewer and Verity.
What's that all about? He called me first thing this morning, just as he was leaving Green Bay.
Said it was important.
Look, I don't know any more about what he wants with us than you do.
Gary.
Larry.
I'm afraid we've got a problem.
A big one.
The Literacy Foundation's money's gone? $750,000? I'm so sorry, Mrs.
Fletcher.
I know how much this meant to you.
Well, losing that kind of money's not exactly tops on my list, either.
Victoria, we have to track this down.
And fast.
I'll get started on it right away.
Excuse me, guys.
A Ralph Brewer is in the lobby, and he made it very clear he does not expect to be kept waiting.
Jessica, would you mind taking this over to the sheriff's office, please? Oh, yes, of course.
Maybe he can start tracing Kyle's recent movements.
Thanks.
I'll get you a ride.
(COW MOOING) You know, at Verity we like to work with companies such as yours, instead of against them.
In the long run, the consumer's interests are better protected.
Mr.
Brewer, I don't want to be rude, but we've got a lot to deal with just now, so Well, then, I'll get to the point.
We have information that the claim you make on your label and advertising, "As natural as the cows it comes from," is as hollow as a politician's promise.
What are you saying? We're talking hormones, Mr.
Armstrong.
Bovine somatotropin, to be precise, known as bST.
Used to increase milk yield.
It seems your products are made with milk from cows treated with the stuff.
Our cows have never been treated with hormones.
Who told you this? A concerned citizen, who will remain anonymous.
But we have corroboration All right, that's it.
I think you better leave, Mr.
Brewer, right now.
As you wish.
You have 48 hours, gentlemen.
Wait a minute.
For what? I make it a rule to wait that long before issuing my press releases, to allow offending organizations such as yours to publish a mea culpa or otherwise remedy the situation.
Offending And, of course, my report will include a reference to the possibility that Mr.
McGregor's suicide was a result of your cover-up.
Oh, sure.
And perhaps you'd like to see our devil worship room before you leave.
Forty-eight hours.
Mr.
Herling.
(MAN CHATTERING) We don't have anything to worry about here, right? Larry? Well, I first met him when he came back from college in France.
That must have been in 1974.
And he was kind of a hippie back then.
I never thought of him like that.
But in a photograph that I just saw back at the house, he had long hair and a beard.
Apparently he was going to a rock concert.
Which concert? You seem to have a lot of questions about Larry.
Don't you? Seeing that he's Mr.
Pure-Natural-lce-Cream- with-one-percent-to-charity.
I mean, there's a lot of bad stuff going on around here.
Come on.
It's not like it's poison or anything.
It's the same milk that's used in every supermarket in the country.
The FDA doesn't even require labeling for that.
Gary, purity is the basis Listen, if we want to play in the big leagues, we gotta be flexible.
Make a few adjustments.
Adjustments? See that? "As natural as the cows it comes from" got us where we are today.
People believe in us, in our stuff.
We violate that trust, we'll be annihilated.
Ah, come on.
We don't even know if that milk came from treated cows.
All we've got is Brewer's word for it.
And until we find out for sure, we're gonna pull the ad campaign and delay the launch.
You can't do that.
You know we're leveraged to the hilt.
We've committed to TV spots, magazine space.
We're gonna have to pay whether we run them or not.
It'll break us.
Well, I don't care.
How do you like that? I'm not gonna be part of a misleading ad campaign.
And I'm gonna fix your screw-up, one way or the other.
GARY: How? You'll know when I know.
(EXHALES) SHERIFF: Test results showed positive for gun residue on Kyle's left hand.
Now, Kyle was left-handed, and the coroner indicated that the bullet entered his head on the left side, so Okay, Mrs.
Fletcher, let's assume for the moment that I was all wrong.
Let's suppose Kyle stole that money.
Now, why would he kill himself before Gary and Larry even realized they were out three quarters of a million dollars? Remorse? Perhaps fear of being caught and facing the consequences.
Anyway, thanks for bringing this in.
The second message was just a minute after Kyle's.
I believe that it came from the same phone.
How can you tell? That cow sound.
I'm almost positive it comes from a clock in Larry's office.
What about the squeak? I haven't identified that yet.
The forensics report found unidentified fingerprints on the phone that were partially covering Kyle's.
Could be the second caller was the killer.
Do you love it? Darling, smell the leather.
It's what joint accounts are all about.
On top of the four-door you bought last month? The ashtrays were full.
Carol, did you have to do this now? Gary, dear, I warned you, until you get us out of this bucolic wasteland and back to Manhattan, you're going to have to humor me.
Oh, and those bills for the bedroom redecoration? We're late, and they're getting kind of nudgie.
Just run them through Peggy.
Tell her they're office expenses, same as usual.
Look, I gotta get back to work Sorry.
Don't mean to interrupt.
I was just leaving.
Gary's terribly busy.
I have some news you might be interested in.
What have you got? A possible skeleton in Ralph Brewer's closet.
Which is? No details yet.
Old buddy of mine in the tabloids swears he's got some dirt, but it'll cost.
Whatever it takes.
I want anything you can get that'll put this sanctimonious jerk away.
(CLATTERING) (SHOES SQUEAKING) I think this is what you're looking for.
Woody? I was just having another shot at the secret of Tropical Secret.
And I suppose you broke in just to have a couple of scoops.
You want to tell me why I shouldn't call the sheriff? Larry, if I'm not mistaken, I think he has a very good reason for being here.
Well? That's my mom.
Your mother? So, then, are you trying to tell me that I'm your That's right, Mr.
Armstrong.
I'm your son.
WOODY: How'd you know? JESSICA: It was a guess.
I noticed your pendant this morning.
It's the same as the one that your mother's wearing in this photograph.
It seemed to explain your curiosity about Larry.
Woodstock Seabrook.
Is that you? Yeah, Mom told me I was conceived at a rock concert.
LARRY: And this is your birth certificate, huh? I found that after she died.
She said she didn't know where my father was, and now I think I know why.
WOODY: You used to be Leonard Atkins, didn't you? And then she must have realized.
Well, she was right.
(SIGHS) Lynn probably saw my picture in one of our ads.
Woody.
Your mother and I spent three days together at Woodstock, and it was like we'd always been together.
If I'd So how come you ran out on her then? I didn't.
I was arrested.
Arrested? There'd been a demonstration.
A break-in at an Army recruiting office.
The judge was an ex-Marine, and I was your basic anti-Vietnam flower child.
I was sentenced to three years.
And when you got out, you changed your name.
To cover up my record.
I told everyone that I'd been in France for three years, including you, Jessica, and I'm sorry.
I had no idea you even existed.
(SHOES SQUEAKING) That squeak It was your sneakers making that sound that was on the answering machine tape.
Woody, it was you who called last night from the GLFS office, wasn't it? Right after Kyle McGregor died? You were there? (STUTTERING) I was snooping around to find out whether or not you are my father.
Then I heard somebody come in and I ducked and I realized it was Mr.
McGregor's voice.
Then somebody else came in, and then I heard the shot.
And when you redialed the number that Kyle had called, it turned out to be Larry's.
You thought I killed him? Well, you just got through admitting that you were in prison.
Woody, I think it might be better if you told this to Sheriff Chubb.
Are you sure this third party entered the office before the shot was fired? Yeah.
Mr.
McGregor said, "You ready for your payout? I just quit working for you.
" Then bang.
Then footsteps, then silence.
So this mysterious third party could have easily made it look like it was a suicide.
Sounds to me like Kyle had arranged to meet him for some kind of transaction.
The missing three quarters of a million? SHERIFF: Maybe.
So we find this person, we find the money and whether or not Kyle was murdered.
Okay.
You're free to go.
Larry.
Yeah? I'll be out in a minute.
Outside of the birth certificate, you got any proof this kid is who he says he is? Not so far, no.
Friendly word of advice? There's a whole big pile of financial reasons for him to want to be your son.
Thanks, Mike.
But the blood tests are only going to confirm what I already know.
Right here.
Am I stopping you from saving America from big bad business? There's still not much you believe in, is there? Outside of pleasure? Not really.
Did you miss me at all after New York? You, yes.
But not your vow of poverty or your fifth floor walk-up.
I hope you got more than a wallet full of gold cards when you married Gary.
I do believe you still care about me.
You have no idea how much I wish the feeling was mutual.
Darling, what do you think the past two hours have been about? I'm not going to drop this tainted milk issue.
Ralph, I Carol, I would really love to be with you again, but with that understanding.
We're getting serious nibbles from a major multi-national corporation.
It just might be more lucrative for you to wait until we're bought out.
And then you could go after someone with some really deep pockets.
(CHUCKLES) Kyle was a lot more than just a numbers cruncher.
He designed this system to control everything from here.
Any temperature fluctuation inside or outside the freezers is fed into the computer, and it determines the most efficient use of energy.
Oh, Victoria, I can certainly understand your reluctance to believe that Kyle could have taken the money, but Kyle's bookkeeping system was kind of complicated, so it may take me a while.
Victoria, according to this credit card slip Kyle had lunch in Milwaukee the day before he died.
Didn't you say that he was in St.
Louis? That's what he told me.
Would he happen to have a file on his PC for Milwaukee? Let me check.
There it is.
M-W-K-E.
I'll bring it up.
It's empty.
There's nothing in this file.
Excuse me.
WOODY: There you go.
How about that? This file was last edited yesterday The day after he died.
Well, somebody must have erased the file so that we wouldn't see it.
Pardon me.
(DIALING) Woody, could you possibly punch up the ingredients for Tropical Secret? I'll give it a shot.
Forget it, hacker.
Only about four people in the world know that.
It's definitely not in here.
Well, it was worth a try.
Hello, Sheriff? This is Jessica Fletcher.
Listen, I've got a feeling that the missing $750,000 for the Literacy Foundation may have ended up in Milwaukee.
It's an unusual office.
You do a lot of business out here? Cows are less prone to gossip than secretaries.
Am I gonna get the "Wait till we're taken over by a big corporation" pitch? Where the hell did you hear that? I'm not for sale, Mr.
Herling.
You're serious, aren't you? Hey, Brewer, what world are you in? You think those contributions your outfit lives off of don't have strings? Given what I know about you, I can't say I'm disappointed.
But I was kind of hoping you asked me out here for a less predictable reason.
Like what? Oh, I don't know, like maybe, "Ordering that milk was a mistake.
"We're dumping it.
"Pulling the compromised product off the shelves.
" And I could see my way to What are you? The last idealist? I wish I were worthy of that, Mr.
Herling.
JIM: Susan, I'm sorry.
All I meant was maybe Kyle said something to you that could point us in the right direction.
No, he didn't.
Look, Jim, I know what they're saying around town that Kyle took the money.
Hey, I'm not accusing Well, it's not true.
Oh, sorry.
Look, Susan, if Jim is hassling you What does it look like? (SIGHS) Forgive me.
Between everything that's happened and having to deal with that jerk God! Another one of Gary's bright ideas.
Hiring a tabloid reporter for PR.
Oh, Susan.
Yeah? Jessica told me that Kyle went to Milwaukee when he should have been in St.
Louis.
Did he say anything to you about it? No, he didn't.
(DIALING) WOMAN: Hello? Hi, it's Gary.
We have to talk.
About what? About $750,000, that's what.
Are you guarding the refrigerator now? Help yourself.
You seem to know how.
No, thanks.
No, I heard you come downstairs.
I just thought you might like a little company.
Mmm-hmm.
I tried finding Lynn after I got out, but she'd moved.
No forwarding address.
I should have kept looking.
Now my son shows up, and I don't even know who he is.
You've still got a lot of time.
In a lot of ways, Woody reminds me of you when I first met you.
Yeah? But there's always one thing I'm going to regret.
What's that? I missed seeing him grow up.
You may not have been there, but somebody did a good job.
PRIEST: Let us pray.
"Eternal rest give unto him, oh, Lord, "and let perpetual light shine upon him.
"May his soul and the souls of the departed rest in peace.
"Amen.
" ALL: Amen.
PRIEST: We commit Kyle McGregor's body to the ground in the certain knowledge of the resurrection and the light everlasting (WHISPERING) You missed most of it.
(WHISPERING) Flat tire.
LARRY: Where's Gary? Probably okaying something without you.
in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
ALL: Amen.
(MUTTERING) Mr.
Brewer.
I didn't realize you were acquainted with the McGregors.
I wasn't.
But then, my plane isn't until this evening, Mr.
Armstrong.
And frankly, I thought I might learn something about what makes a well-meaning, potentially successful enterprise begin to fall apart.
You know, if you're still suggesting that there's some sort of connection between Kyle's death and this hormone business, you're way off base.
We'll see.
So I expect you'll be moving from mail room to VP any day now.
Well, not if the blood test doesn't work out.
And for sure not if I have to wear a tie.
I guess I didn't think through what happens next.
You know, I'll probably just stay on here a while.
Look Would you like to go out and have a cup of coffee? You think I'll go out with you because you're probably the boss's son, is that it? Something like that.
No way.
But I'll go anyhow.
Gary? (GASPS) (SIRENS WAILING) MAN 1: Is the chief inside? MAN 2: Yeah, he should be in there someplace.
Mind those pipes, guys.
Touch 'em, it's like licking a railing in winter.
They're gonna thaw him out down at the morgue.
Looks like a single bullet, just like Kyle.
But this time, there's no chance it was a suicide.
JESSICA: And you haven't found the weapon? Nope.
Oh, it's so horrible.
You know, the coroner's going to find it difficult to determine the time of death.
I mean, the freezing will have altered the usual indicators.
We got a break there.
Gary's wristwatch.
It stopped at 9:30.
It must have broke when he fell.
There's your time of death.
LARRY: Well, we'll shut down until you give us the okay.
Come on, Peg, let's get you out of here.
Sheriff, there's something here you might want to take a look at.
It looks like a smashed watch crystal.
Yeah.
Meaning he could have been killed over here, and then dragged into the freezer.
So now we know where and when.
The big question is, who? And why? I mean, what would the killer gain by moving the body? Well, the good news, if you can call it that, is that most of folks that knew him were at Kyle's funeral at 9:30.
That shortens up the list a whole lot.
I know it won't be the same for any of us without him, but if there's anything you need, or if you want to talk, or whatever Thanks, Larry.
And don't worry, the company will take care of you.
Financially, I mean.
Oh, yes.
Believe me, I'll make sure that it does.
I mean, you'll have to admit that over the last few years, you've pretty much let Gary handle the day-to-day business.
Well, that's not entirely true.
And "let" isn't exactly the word I'd have chosen.
Anyway, I hardly think you're qualified to run this show.
And since I now control Gary's percentage, I'm not about to let this company drift.
Carol.
I'm going to chalk that up to your shaky emotional state.
There's nothing shaky about it, or emotional.
It's pragmatism, pure and simple.
I've just been on the phone with a number of minority shareholders.
I don't believe this.
They're behind me 100%.
And I've just called a shareholders' meeting for next Tuesday.
They'll vote me in as CEO of Gary and Larry's Frozen Stuff.
Come on, who are you kidding? Look, you worked right alongside Kyle, right? Huh? So he must've said something.
I told you, I entered data for him.
We didn't sit there chatting about his private life.
Not so fast, honey.
Look, maybe Kyle gave you a number, an address to reach him at that wasn't home.
No.
Now, please just leave me alone.
Wait a second.
She said to leave her alone.
You're gonna regret that, kiddo.
Thanks.
You're welcome.
Sheriff, all I'm saying is that it's just possible that the killer wanted us to think that Gary died at 9:30.
I mean, why else would the body have been placed in the freezer? Perhaps to hide it.
Mrs.
Fletcher, we are keeping Mrs.
McGregor.
Oh, thank you, Sheriff.
What's this got to do with me? There are a few things I'd like you to hear first-hand.
It turns out Kyle had an account at the Lakeview National Bank in Milwaukee.
He had been transferring company money into it for months.
Four days ago, he walked in, cleaned it out.
Took $750,000 cash.
Kyle? Susan, I'm sure you're familiar with the old saw about how we never really know someone.
It's It's my fault, Jessica.
I I always wanted more for him.
I guess I pushed too hard.
SHERIFF: I'm afraid there's more, Susan.
Mrs.
Fletcher suggested I run a background check on him.
What we turned up was But he wasn't convicted.
It seems that he was granted immunity in exchange for testifying against his wife and her boyfriend and they both went to jail.
His wife? He was married before? SHERIFF: More like still.
He never got a divorce.
Kyle was a bigamist.
(SIGHING IN DISBELIEF) You shouldn't make any big decisions right now.
About us, I mean.
No matter what your relationship was with Gary, you've still got a lot to work through.
MAN ON RADIO: And now an exclusive KKBE news update.
Following the murder of ice-cream magnate Gary Herling yesterday, a joint announcement was given by Mr.
Herling's surviving partner, Larry Armstrong of Gary and Larry's Frozen Stuff, and Ralph Brewer of the consumer organization, Verity.
LARRY: Due to an error, we are confirming that hormone-induced milk has been used in some of our ice cream.
However, none has left the factory.
It will be destroyed.
Verity is satisfied with the company's explanation of this oversight You never told me about this.
Last night was hardly the time to talk about business.
Besides, this is This is good for the company.
And for Larry.
But definitely not for me.
Carol.
The blood tests all say the same thing.
You're my son, Woody.
Whoop-dee-do.
Look.
I'd like us to get to know each other.
But on the other hand, if you're going to spend the rest of your life bashing me because I wasn't there when you were growing up, that you're going to have to do on your own time.
Wait, you can't go in there.
I'm sorry.
I couldn't stop her.
That's okay.
Come on in, Carol.
And, oh, Peg, I'll need that file now.
Larry, I just caught your little grandstand play on the news.
Oh, I thought you might even give me a little credit for not blaming it on Gary.
It was nothing but a cheap attempt to buy yourself some votes.
And between now and next Tuesday, I won't have you making any decisions about the future of this company without me.
Here you go.
LARRY: Thank you.
Carol, this file is filled with personal expenses that you've charged to this company.
You know that's a federal tax crime, don't you? Gary authorized those, not me.
Peggy here will testify that you personally ordered her to put them through.
You're bluffing.
Try me.
Way to go, Dad.
Pardon me.
LARRY: Mike.
What's up? We found the gun that shot Gary.
It was unregistered, but ballistics confirms it was a match.
Yeah? Where was it? It was in the glove compartment of your truck.
I'm sorry, Larry, but I've got to arrest you for the murder of Gary Herling.
SHERIFF: We got an anonymous tip.
Any fingerprints? Nope.
Wiped clean.
You know, anybody could have planted that gun in Larry's truck.
I don't think so.
A five million dollar policy on Gary's life, and Larry Armstrong is the sole beneficiary? But, Sheriff, a lot of companies have that kind of key man insurance to cover the loss of an executive.
Oh, come on, Mrs.
Fletcher, we have motive all over the place.
Gary almost ruined this company's reputation with that hormone stuff.
And there's the running battle for control.
And take a look at this.
Every payment made into Kyle McGregor's Milwaukee account was okayed by Larry Armstrong.
See the initials? Larry denies they're his.
Besides, Larry was practically the only person in the company who wasn't at Kyle's funeral.
Then you're still assuming that's when Gary was killed? Look, Mrs.
Fletcher, I don't like this any more than you do.
But when the county attorney found out about Larry's dirty laundry from his hippie days, he agreed we have the right man.
Dirty laundry.
I believe I know who our mysterious third party was.
Want to give me your spin on this, Kenton? California authorities confirm you asked for Kyle McGregor's rap sheet four months ago.
That's part of why Gary hired me.
Exactly.
Sniffing out the same kind of dirty laundry you did as a tabloid reporter.
But when you found out that Kyle was an embezzler as well as a bigamist, you saw that as an opportunity to blackmail him.
You can't prove that.
Want to bet? We found this on Gary's body.
JESSICA: It contains a file called "M-W-K-E" for "Milwaukee.
" You see, Kyle recorded every detail of your involvement in the embezzlement, and how you tried to make it look as if Larry was part of it.
It's the same file you wiped off Kyle's computer after you killed him.
JIM: Now wait a minute.
It's not like that.
Okay, I got him to take the money a little at a time and bank it in Milwaukee.
The idea was, one big payoff to me.
One big hit, and "Adiós, amigos.
" So where's the money now? If I knew that, I'd be long gone.
I've been trying to find it ever since he popped himself.
You were there.
He'd been to Milwaukee.
He was supposed to hand it over to me that night.
When I got there, he said the game was over, he wasn't going to play anymore and then he shot himself right in front of me.
Maybe.
But even if you didn't pull the trigger, you killed him just as sure as you killed Gary when he found out what you'd done.
No way! I was standing right next to you at the funeral when Gary was killed.
We'll see.
Meanwhile, I'm holding you for blackmail.
Get him out of here.
You were right, Mrs.
Fletcher.
I never realized a blank disk could be so effective.
Is it me or for an ice-cream factory is it kind of warm in here? Temperature.
Of course.
Sheriff, I think you may have just turned up the heat on Gary's killer.
Excuse me.
Victoria, I wonder if you could help me.
What is it, Mrs.
Fletcher? Could you punch up the energy-use data for yesterday morning? When Gary was killed? That's it.
Well, that program's still got some bugs.
I don't know how dependable it'll be.
Victoria, you do want to help me to get Larry out of jail, don't you? Why didn't you say so? Okay.
It took a while, but now I know what happened to the money.
Three quarters of a million split two ways is still a lot.
Or I could just go to the sheriff, if you prefer.
That's better.
So let's meet.
Okay.
I'll be there.
Are you there? (SIGHS) You bring the money? I changed my mind.
Go on in.
Don't worry, at minus 40 they say you soon get sleepy.
SHERIFF: Drop the gun, Susan! Well done, Peggy.
Take her home, Mike.
This is all Mrs.
Fletcher's idea.
Starting with Peggy's phone call to you.
And you've just confirmed that you killed Gary Herling.
Don't be ridiculous.
I was at Kyle's funeral at the time.
Only at the time that it appeared that Gary had died.
I thought it was odd that he was killed and then dragged into the freezer, until Victoria showed me this.
SHERIFF: It shows the temperature inside the freezer where Gary was found.
Any time the door is opened, the temperature goes up inside and it's recorded.
The only time the door was open was at 8:10 a.
m.
, when you put Gary's dead body inside to hide the time of death.
After you fixed his watch to make it look like he was killed at 9:30.
You thought your husband's funeral would give you a perfect alibi.
If this was true, it could have been anyone at the burial.
I never even came here that day.
Your left hand shows otherwise.
At Kyle's funeral, you had a red welt on your left hand, which didn't strike me until I realized that the murder had already taken place.
Now, that burn proves you'd been here earlier the same morning.
I got this burn on my own stove at home.
That's not true, Susan.
It's a freezer burn that you got from the pipes, when you dragged Gary in there.
This afternoon, the lab boys found some microscopic tissue residue on him.
Primo condition, thanks to the cold.
They reckon the DNA will be easy to match up with yours.
We got a warrant to go through your place.
Thanks, Joe.
Kyle left it for me, just before he killed himself, with a note telling me to give it back to the Literacy Foundation.
After Kyle's suicide, Gary found out that you'd kept this money.
I hadn't counted on Kyle's letter to Gary telling him where the money was.
When Gary called me and insisted that I hand it over, I agreed to meet with him.
But Gary didn't realize that you were the one who leaked the hormone scandal to Verity Magazine, Ralph Brewer confirmed it.
Kyle hadn't known what to do when he found out that Gary bought uncertified milk.
Gary threatened to fire him if he told anyone.
First, he refused to put him on the board, then he treated him like dirt.
I was damned if I was going to give the money to Gary.
When he threatened to have me arrested, I'd had enough.
I wanted revenge for everything he'd done to Kyle.
And you planted the gun in Larry's truck to try and frame him? When he found out about Kyle's record, I was afraid he'd find out the whole truth.
Let's go, Susan.
You know, Mrs.
Fletcher, if only Kyle had told me the truth about his past, I'd have forgiven him.
We could have started over somewhere else.
Thank you.
Thanks.
The money's all been transferred to the Literacy Foundation account in New York.
And I've doubled our initial contribution, using the insurance money.
Oh, Larry, that is fantastic.
All the publicity brought in a rush of orders nationwide.
Which our new national sales manager is going to handle.
And what about you, Woody? Are you heading back for Oklahoma? I guess I have one or two reasons to stick around.
And by the way, Larry, you owe me a dollar.
The Tropical Secret flavors.
There's mango, lemon, passion fruit, and the sneaky last one is persimmon, blended with cumin and just a touch of nutmeg.
Jessica! How? Well, I cheated a bit.
See, I got Sheriff Chubb to have it analyzed at the forensics lab in Racine.
(ALL LAUGHING)
I'm not gonna drop this tainted milk issue.
MAN: So, ready for payday, huh? Suicide? Perhaps fear of being caught and facing the consequences.
You thought I killed him? And perhaps you'd like to see our devil worship group.
Please, just leave me alone.
She said leave her alone.
I'm not for sale, Herling.
Three quarters of a million dollars? Mr.
McGregor's suicide was a result of your cover-up.
So now we know when and where, the question is, who? I bet you a dollar you don't know what it is by the time you go home.
You're on.
(DOOR OPENING) (DOOR CLOSING) (FOOTSTEPS APPROACHING) (PHONE RINGING) Hi, this is Larry.
This is my beep.
(ANSWERING MACHINE BEEPS) Hey, where are you? I just wanted to tell you that I (DOOR OPENING) So, you're ready for payday, huh? Well, I don't work for you anymore.
(GUNSHOT) (GROANING) (THUDDING) (DOOR CLOSING) Hi, this is Larry, and this is my beep.
(ANSWERING MACHINE BEEPS) (COW MOOING) (SHOES SQUEAKING) KYLE: (ON MACHINE) Hey, where are you? I just wanted to tell you that I This is delicious.
Lemon, mango I wonder why Kyle didn't finish what he had to say.
Accountants.
Oh, we call it Tropical Secret.
Can you guess? (COW MOOING ON ANSWERING MACHINE) Well, I mean, the name is already the clue.
I bet you a dollar you don't know what it is by the time you go home.
You're on.
AUTOMATED VOICE: 9.
03 p.
m.
Speaking of Kyle, I'll need to talk to him tomorrow morning.
My attorney has a suggestion or two as to how the trust account should be set up.
No problem.
I just need time with Gary first thing.
Larry, if the Literacy Foundation is taking too much of your attention No, no.
It's It's a chance to give something back.
And I finally convinced Gary how it'll more than pay off with publicity.
First time he's listened to me in two years.
I was hoping that things were better for both of you.
Oh, thanks.
Anyway, back to your baby.
Our initial contribution is entirely funded, and Ta-da! That's great.
I wouldn't change a thing.
(PHONE RINGING) Hello? MAN: Hello.
Larry? Yeah.
Kyle is dead.
What? Kyle.
He's dead.
Sheriff, I'm just asking you to handle this as diplomatically as possible.
You know, PR-wise.
Look, Mr.
Herling, I'm not one of your, what do you call it? Spin doctors.
My job here is to find out who killed Kyle McGregor.
Prelim looks like a single small caliber bullet, entering above the left mandibular joint, and probably lodged in the frontal cortex.
Well, I noticed what appear to be powder burns near the wound.
Yes, I'd say he was shot at close range.
Probably self-inflicted.
Suicide? Kyle McGregor? No way.
Well, I expect the gunshot residue tests on Kyle's hand will settle that question, Sheriff.
Larry, could I About the ad campaign Not now, Gary.
They needed a yes or no.
It couldn't wait.
Yeah, it could.
I called the agency and told them to put everything on hold until you and I could review it.
Together.
I didn't know you could spare the time away from your cows and charities.
(INDISTINCT CHATTERING) Kyle? Oh, my God! (SIGHS) Susan, I'm sorry.
Mrs.
McGregor, I hate to ask you at a time like this, but how would you describe Kyle's spirits the past few days? His spirit? Fine.
Why? Yields are up five percent.
Good work, Dan.
Let's put the other herds on the same supplements, huh? Yes, sir.
Okay.
Thanks.
These arrived yesterday after you left to meet Jessica's plane.
And this couldn't wait till I came in this morning? I couldn't sleep, thinking about Kyle.
He was a good man.
You could have called me last night and told me.
Peggy, there was so much going on, that Sure.
Oh, you might want to get in early.
Gary's meeting with Ralph Brewer, the consumer guy from, what's it called, Verity? Verity? What could they possibly want with us? JOHN: Nothing major, Jess.
The meeting's been changed to 3.
00 Thursday at 724 Lexington Avenue.
John? (BEEP) Oh, darn it.
KYLE: Hey, where are you? I just called to tell you that I AUTOMATED VOICE: 9.
02 p.
m.
(ANSWERING MACHINE BEEPS) (COWS MOOING ON ANSWERING MACHINE) (SHOES SQUEAKING ON ANSWERING MACHINE) VOICE: 9.
03 p.
m.
JOHN: Jessica, it's John Farragut.
Nothing major, Jess.
Something I can help you with? Oh, I was just searching for a pencil, and I found this.
Oh.
Early days? Far out.
That's before I learned how to shave.
You were really trucking.
Yeah.
Yeah.
You know, this message tape really should go to the sheriff.
Huh? Oh, yeah, you're probably right.
Could be Kyle's last words.
You know, I wonder if it would've made any difference if I'd have been here to take his call.
(SOFTLY) Yeah.
Gary, I've had reporters bugging me since 5:00 a.
m.
It'll take you maybe a minute to read this.
Look, I'll get to it later, okay? I mean, I don't understand what suddenly makes this such hot news.
Because I have been romancing these people for six months so they will hype our national marketing push.
I gotta give them something.
Can I see that? "We mourn the loss of an important member of our company.
" Well, that's great, Jim.
Just Just add something about Kyle's services to the community, okay? And send it off.
Hey, Gary, why didn't you tell me you turned Kyle down flat last week when he asked for a seat on the board? What, you want to blame me for his death? No.
But it's another decision that wasn't just yours to make.
And let's talk about Ralph Brewer and Verity.
What's that all about? He called me first thing this morning, just as he was leaving Green Bay.
Said it was important.
Look, I don't know any more about what he wants with us than you do.
Gary.
Larry.
I'm afraid we've got a problem.
A big one.
The Literacy Foundation's money's gone? $750,000? I'm so sorry, Mrs.
Fletcher.
I know how much this meant to you.
Well, losing that kind of money's not exactly tops on my list, either.
Victoria, we have to track this down.
And fast.
I'll get started on it right away.
Excuse me, guys.
A Ralph Brewer is in the lobby, and he made it very clear he does not expect to be kept waiting.
Jessica, would you mind taking this over to the sheriff's office, please? Oh, yes, of course.
Maybe he can start tracing Kyle's recent movements.
Thanks.
I'll get you a ride.
(COW MOOING) You know, at Verity we like to work with companies such as yours, instead of against them.
In the long run, the consumer's interests are better protected.
Mr.
Brewer, I don't want to be rude, but we've got a lot to deal with just now, so Well, then, I'll get to the point.
We have information that the claim you make on your label and advertising, "As natural as the cows it comes from," is as hollow as a politician's promise.
What are you saying? We're talking hormones, Mr.
Armstrong.
Bovine somatotropin, to be precise, known as bST.
Used to increase milk yield.
It seems your products are made with milk from cows treated with the stuff.
Our cows have never been treated with hormones.
Who told you this? A concerned citizen, who will remain anonymous.
But we have corroboration All right, that's it.
I think you better leave, Mr.
Brewer, right now.
As you wish.
You have 48 hours, gentlemen.
Wait a minute.
For what? I make it a rule to wait that long before issuing my press releases, to allow offending organizations such as yours to publish a mea culpa or otherwise remedy the situation.
Offending And, of course, my report will include a reference to the possibility that Mr.
McGregor's suicide was a result of your cover-up.
Oh, sure.
And perhaps you'd like to see our devil worship room before you leave.
Forty-eight hours.
Mr.
Herling.
(MAN CHATTERING) We don't have anything to worry about here, right? Larry? Well, I first met him when he came back from college in France.
That must have been in 1974.
And he was kind of a hippie back then.
I never thought of him like that.
But in a photograph that I just saw back at the house, he had long hair and a beard.
Apparently he was going to a rock concert.
Which concert? You seem to have a lot of questions about Larry.
Don't you? Seeing that he's Mr.
Pure-Natural-lce-Cream- with-one-percent-to-charity.
I mean, there's a lot of bad stuff going on around here.
Come on.
It's not like it's poison or anything.
It's the same milk that's used in every supermarket in the country.
The FDA doesn't even require labeling for that.
Gary, purity is the basis Listen, if we want to play in the big leagues, we gotta be flexible.
Make a few adjustments.
Adjustments? See that? "As natural as the cows it comes from" got us where we are today.
People believe in us, in our stuff.
We violate that trust, we'll be annihilated.
Ah, come on.
We don't even know if that milk came from treated cows.
All we've got is Brewer's word for it.
And until we find out for sure, we're gonna pull the ad campaign and delay the launch.
You can't do that.
You know we're leveraged to the hilt.
We've committed to TV spots, magazine space.
We're gonna have to pay whether we run them or not.
It'll break us.
Well, I don't care.
How do you like that? I'm not gonna be part of a misleading ad campaign.
And I'm gonna fix your screw-up, one way or the other.
GARY: How? You'll know when I know.
(EXHALES) SHERIFF: Test results showed positive for gun residue on Kyle's left hand.
Now, Kyle was left-handed, and the coroner indicated that the bullet entered his head on the left side, so Okay, Mrs.
Fletcher, let's assume for the moment that I was all wrong.
Let's suppose Kyle stole that money.
Now, why would he kill himself before Gary and Larry even realized they were out three quarters of a million dollars? Remorse? Perhaps fear of being caught and facing the consequences.
Anyway, thanks for bringing this in.
The second message was just a minute after Kyle's.
I believe that it came from the same phone.
How can you tell? That cow sound.
I'm almost positive it comes from a clock in Larry's office.
What about the squeak? I haven't identified that yet.
The forensics report found unidentified fingerprints on the phone that were partially covering Kyle's.
Could be the second caller was the killer.
Do you love it? Darling, smell the leather.
It's what joint accounts are all about.
On top of the four-door you bought last month? The ashtrays were full.
Carol, did you have to do this now? Gary, dear, I warned you, until you get us out of this bucolic wasteland and back to Manhattan, you're going to have to humor me.
Oh, and those bills for the bedroom redecoration? We're late, and they're getting kind of nudgie.
Just run them through Peggy.
Tell her they're office expenses, same as usual.
Look, I gotta get back to work Sorry.
Don't mean to interrupt.
I was just leaving.
Gary's terribly busy.
I have some news you might be interested in.
What have you got? A possible skeleton in Ralph Brewer's closet.
Which is? No details yet.
Old buddy of mine in the tabloids swears he's got some dirt, but it'll cost.
Whatever it takes.
I want anything you can get that'll put this sanctimonious jerk away.
(CLATTERING) (SHOES SQUEAKING) I think this is what you're looking for.
Woody? I was just having another shot at the secret of Tropical Secret.
And I suppose you broke in just to have a couple of scoops.
You want to tell me why I shouldn't call the sheriff? Larry, if I'm not mistaken, I think he has a very good reason for being here.
Well? That's my mom.
Your mother? So, then, are you trying to tell me that I'm your That's right, Mr.
Armstrong.
I'm your son.
WOODY: How'd you know? JESSICA: It was a guess.
I noticed your pendant this morning.
It's the same as the one that your mother's wearing in this photograph.
It seemed to explain your curiosity about Larry.
Woodstock Seabrook.
Is that you? Yeah, Mom told me I was conceived at a rock concert.
LARRY: And this is your birth certificate, huh? I found that after she died.
She said she didn't know where my father was, and now I think I know why.
WOODY: You used to be Leonard Atkins, didn't you? And then she must have realized.
Well, she was right.
(SIGHS) Lynn probably saw my picture in one of our ads.
Woody.
Your mother and I spent three days together at Woodstock, and it was like we'd always been together.
If I'd So how come you ran out on her then? I didn't.
I was arrested.
Arrested? There'd been a demonstration.
A break-in at an Army recruiting office.
The judge was an ex-Marine, and I was your basic anti-Vietnam flower child.
I was sentenced to three years.
And when you got out, you changed your name.
To cover up my record.
I told everyone that I'd been in France for three years, including you, Jessica, and I'm sorry.
I had no idea you even existed.
(SHOES SQUEAKING) That squeak It was your sneakers making that sound that was on the answering machine tape.
Woody, it was you who called last night from the GLFS office, wasn't it? Right after Kyle McGregor died? You were there? (STUTTERING) I was snooping around to find out whether or not you are my father.
Then I heard somebody come in and I ducked and I realized it was Mr.
McGregor's voice.
Then somebody else came in, and then I heard the shot.
And when you redialed the number that Kyle had called, it turned out to be Larry's.
You thought I killed him? Well, you just got through admitting that you were in prison.
Woody, I think it might be better if you told this to Sheriff Chubb.
Are you sure this third party entered the office before the shot was fired? Yeah.
Mr.
McGregor said, "You ready for your payout? I just quit working for you.
" Then bang.
Then footsteps, then silence.
So this mysterious third party could have easily made it look like it was a suicide.
Sounds to me like Kyle had arranged to meet him for some kind of transaction.
The missing three quarters of a million? SHERIFF: Maybe.
So we find this person, we find the money and whether or not Kyle was murdered.
Okay.
You're free to go.
Larry.
Yeah? I'll be out in a minute.
Outside of the birth certificate, you got any proof this kid is who he says he is? Not so far, no.
Friendly word of advice? There's a whole big pile of financial reasons for him to want to be your son.
Thanks, Mike.
But the blood tests are only going to confirm what I already know.
Right here.
Am I stopping you from saving America from big bad business? There's still not much you believe in, is there? Outside of pleasure? Not really.
Did you miss me at all after New York? You, yes.
But not your vow of poverty or your fifth floor walk-up.
I hope you got more than a wallet full of gold cards when you married Gary.
I do believe you still care about me.
You have no idea how much I wish the feeling was mutual.
Darling, what do you think the past two hours have been about? I'm not going to drop this tainted milk issue.
Ralph, I Carol, I would really love to be with you again, but with that understanding.
We're getting serious nibbles from a major multi-national corporation.
It just might be more lucrative for you to wait until we're bought out.
And then you could go after someone with some really deep pockets.
(CHUCKLES) Kyle was a lot more than just a numbers cruncher.
He designed this system to control everything from here.
Any temperature fluctuation inside or outside the freezers is fed into the computer, and it determines the most efficient use of energy.
Oh, Victoria, I can certainly understand your reluctance to believe that Kyle could have taken the money, but Kyle's bookkeeping system was kind of complicated, so it may take me a while.
Victoria, according to this credit card slip Kyle had lunch in Milwaukee the day before he died.
Didn't you say that he was in St.
Louis? That's what he told me.
Would he happen to have a file on his PC for Milwaukee? Let me check.
There it is.
M-W-K-E.
I'll bring it up.
It's empty.
There's nothing in this file.
Excuse me.
WOODY: There you go.
How about that? This file was last edited yesterday The day after he died.
Well, somebody must have erased the file so that we wouldn't see it.
Pardon me.
(DIALING) Woody, could you possibly punch up the ingredients for Tropical Secret? I'll give it a shot.
Forget it, hacker.
Only about four people in the world know that.
It's definitely not in here.
Well, it was worth a try.
Hello, Sheriff? This is Jessica Fletcher.
Listen, I've got a feeling that the missing $750,000 for the Literacy Foundation may have ended up in Milwaukee.
It's an unusual office.
You do a lot of business out here? Cows are less prone to gossip than secretaries.
Am I gonna get the "Wait till we're taken over by a big corporation" pitch? Where the hell did you hear that? I'm not for sale, Mr.
Herling.
You're serious, aren't you? Hey, Brewer, what world are you in? You think those contributions your outfit lives off of don't have strings? Given what I know about you, I can't say I'm disappointed.
But I was kind of hoping you asked me out here for a less predictable reason.
Like what? Oh, I don't know, like maybe, "Ordering that milk was a mistake.
"We're dumping it.
"Pulling the compromised product off the shelves.
" And I could see my way to What are you? The last idealist? I wish I were worthy of that, Mr.
Herling.
JIM: Susan, I'm sorry.
All I meant was maybe Kyle said something to you that could point us in the right direction.
No, he didn't.
Look, Jim, I know what they're saying around town that Kyle took the money.
Hey, I'm not accusing Well, it's not true.
Oh, sorry.
Look, Susan, if Jim is hassling you What does it look like? (SIGHS) Forgive me.
Between everything that's happened and having to deal with that jerk God! Another one of Gary's bright ideas.
Hiring a tabloid reporter for PR.
Oh, Susan.
Yeah? Jessica told me that Kyle went to Milwaukee when he should have been in St.
Louis.
Did he say anything to you about it? No, he didn't.
(DIALING) WOMAN: Hello? Hi, it's Gary.
We have to talk.
About what? About $750,000, that's what.
Are you guarding the refrigerator now? Help yourself.
You seem to know how.
No, thanks.
No, I heard you come downstairs.
I just thought you might like a little company.
Mmm-hmm.
I tried finding Lynn after I got out, but she'd moved.
No forwarding address.
I should have kept looking.
Now my son shows up, and I don't even know who he is.
You've still got a lot of time.
In a lot of ways, Woody reminds me of you when I first met you.
Yeah? But there's always one thing I'm going to regret.
What's that? I missed seeing him grow up.
You may not have been there, but somebody did a good job.
PRIEST: Let us pray.
"Eternal rest give unto him, oh, Lord, "and let perpetual light shine upon him.
"May his soul and the souls of the departed rest in peace.
"Amen.
" ALL: Amen.
PRIEST: We commit Kyle McGregor's body to the ground in the certain knowledge of the resurrection and the light everlasting (WHISPERING) You missed most of it.
(WHISPERING) Flat tire.
LARRY: Where's Gary? Probably okaying something without you.
in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
ALL: Amen.
(MUTTERING) Mr.
Brewer.
I didn't realize you were acquainted with the McGregors.
I wasn't.
But then, my plane isn't until this evening, Mr.
Armstrong.
And frankly, I thought I might learn something about what makes a well-meaning, potentially successful enterprise begin to fall apart.
You know, if you're still suggesting that there's some sort of connection between Kyle's death and this hormone business, you're way off base.
We'll see.
So I expect you'll be moving from mail room to VP any day now.
Well, not if the blood test doesn't work out.
And for sure not if I have to wear a tie.
I guess I didn't think through what happens next.
You know, I'll probably just stay on here a while.
Look Would you like to go out and have a cup of coffee? You think I'll go out with you because you're probably the boss's son, is that it? Something like that.
No way.
But I'll go anyhow.
Gary? (GASPS) (SIRENS WAILING) MAN 1: Is the chief inside? MAN 2: Yeah, he should be in there someplace.
Mind those pipes, guys.
Touch 'em, it's like licking a railing in winter.
They're gonna thaw him out down at the morgue.
Looks like a single bullet, just like Kyle.
But this time, there's no chance it was a suicide.
JESSICA: And you haven't found the weapon? Nope.
Oh, it's so horrible.
You know, the coroner's going to find it difficult to determine the time of death.
I mean, the freezing will have altered the usual indicators.
We got a break there.
Gary's wristwatch.
It stopped at 9:30.
It must have broke when he fell.
There's your time of death.
LARRY: Well, we'll shut down until you give us the okay.
Come on, Peg, let's get you out of here.
Sheriff, there's something here you might want to take a look at.
It looks like a smashed watch crystal.
Yeah.
Meaning he could have been killed over here, and then dragged into the freezer.
So now we know where and when.
The big question is, who? And why? I mean, what would the killer gain by moving the body? Well, the good news, if you can call it that, is that most of folks that knew him were at Kyle's funeral at 9:30.
That shortens up the list a whole lot.
I know it won't be the same for any of us without him, but if there's anything you need, or if you want to talk, or whatever Thanks, Larry.
And don't worry, the company will take care of you.
Financially, I mean.
Oh, yes.
Believe me, I'll make sure that it does.
I mean, you'll have to admit that over the last few years, you've pretty much let Gary handle the day-to-day business.
Well, that's not entirely true.
And "let" isn't exactly the word I'd have chosen.
Anyway, I hardly think you're qualified to run this show.
And since I now control Gary's percentage, I'm not about to let this company drift.
Carol.
I'm going to chalk that up to your shaky emotional state.
There's nothing shaky about it, or emotional.
It's pragmatism, pure and simple.
I've just been on the phone with a number of minority shareholders.
I don't believe this.
They're behind me 100%.
And I've just called a shareholders' meeting for next Tuesday.
They'll vote me in as CEO of Gary and Larry's Frozen Stuff.
Come on, who are you kidding? Look, you worked right alongside Kyle, right? Huh? So he must've said something.
I told you, I entered data for him.
We didn't sit there chatting about his private life.
Not so fast, honey.
Look, maybe Kyle gave you a number, an address to reach him at that wasn't home.
No.
Now, please just leave me alone.
Wait a second.
She said to leave her alone.
You're gonna regret that, kiddo.
Thanks.
You're welcome.
Sheriff, all I'm saying is that it's just possible that the killer wanted us to think that Gary died at 9:30.
I mean, why else would the body have been placed in the freezer? Perhaps to hide it.
Mrs.
Fletcher, we are keeping Mrs.
McGregor.
Oh, thank you, Sheriff.
What's this got to do with me? There are a few things I'd like you to hear first-hand.
It turns out Kyle had an account at the Lakeview National Bank in Milwaukee.
He had been transferring company money into it for months.
Four days ago, he walked in, cleaned it out.
Took $750,000 cash.
Kyle? Susan, I'm sure you're familiar with the old saw about how we never really know someone.
It's It's my fault, Jessica.
I I always wanted more for him.
I guess I pushed too hard.
SHERIFF: I'm afraid there's more, Susan.
Mrs.
Fletcher suggested I run a background check on him.
What we turned up was But he wasn't convicted.
It seems that he was granted immunity in exchange for testifying against his wife and her boyfriend and they both went to jail.
His wife? He was married before? SHERIFF: More like still.
He never got a divorce.
Kyle was a bigamist.
(SIGHING IN DISBELIEF) You shouldn't make any big decisions right now.
About us, I mean.
No matter what your relationship was with Gary, you've still got a lot to work through.
MAN ON RADIO: And now an exclusive KKBE news update.
Following the murder of ice-cream magnate Gary Herling yesterday, a joint announcement was given by Mr.
Herling's surviving partner, Larry Armstrong of Gary and Larry's Frozen Stuff, and Ralph Brewer of the consumer organization, Verity.
LARRY: Due to an error, we are confirming that hormone-induced milk has been used in some of our ice cream.
However, none has left the factory.
It will be destroyed.
Verity is satisfied with the company's explanation of this oversight You never told me about this.
Last night was hardly the time to talk about business.
Besides, this is This is good for the company.
And for Larry.
But definitely not for me.
Carol.
The blood tests all say the same thing.
You're my son, Woody.
Whoop-dee-do.
Look.
I'd like us to get to know each other.
But on the other hand, if you're going to spend the rest of your life bashing me because I wasn't there when you were growing up, that you're going to have to do on your own time.
Wait, you can't go in there.
I'm sorry.
I couldn't stop her.
That's okay.
Come on in, Carol.
And, oh, Peg, I'll need that file now.
Larry, I just caught your little grandstand play on the news.
Oh, I thought you might even give me a little credit for not blaming it on Gary.
It was nothing but a cheap attempt to buy yourself some votes.
And between now and next Tuesday, I won't have you making any decisions about the future of this company without me.
Here you go.
LARRY: Thank you.
Carol, this file is filled with personal expenses that you've charged to this company.
You know that's a federal tax crime, don't you? Gary authorized those, not me.
Peggy here will testify that you personally ordered her to put them through.
You're bluffing.
Try me.
Way to go, Dad.
Pardon me.
LARRY: Mike.
What's up? We found the gun that shot Gary.
It was unregistered, but ballistics confirms it was a match.
Yeah? Where was it? It was in the glove compartment of your truck.
I'm sorry, Larry, but I've got to arrest you for the murder of Gary Herling.
SHERIFF: We got an anonymous tip.
Any fingerprints? Nope.
Wiped clean.
You know, anybody could have planted that gun in Larry's truck.
I don't think so.
A five million dollar policy on Gary's life, and Larry Armstrong is the sole beneficiary? But, Sheriff, a lot of companies have that kind of key man insurance to cover the loss of an executive.
Oh, come on, Mrs.
Fletcher, we have motive all over the place.
Gary almost ruined this company's reputation with that hormone stuff.
And there's the running battle for control.
And take a look at this.
Every payment made into Kyle McGregor's Milwaukee account was okayed by Larry Armstrong.
See the initials? Larry denies they're his.
Besides, Larry was practically the only person in the company who wasn't at Kyle's funeral.
Then you're still assuming that's when Gary was killed? Look, Mrs.
Fletcher, I don't like this any more than you do.
But when the county attorney found out about Larry's dirty laundry from his hippie days, he agreed we have the right man.
Dirty laundry.
I believe I know who our mysterious third party was.
Want to give me your spin on this, Kenton? California authorities confirm you asked for Kyle McGregor's rap sheet four months ago.
That's part of why Gary hired me.
Exactly.
Sniffing out the same kind of dirty laundry you did as a tabloid reporter.
But when you found out that Kyle was an embezzler as well as a bigamist, you saw that as an opportunity to blackmail him.
You can't prove that.
Want to bet? We found this on Gary's body.
JESSICA: It contains a file called "M-W-K-E" for "Milwaukee.
" You see, Kyle recorded every detail of your involvement in the embezzlement, and how you tried to make it look as if Larry was part of it.
It's the same file you wiped off Kyle's computer after you killed him.
JIM: Now wait a minute.
It's not like that.
Okay, I got him to take the money a little at a time and bank it in Milwaukee.
The idea was, one big payoff to me.
One big hit, and "Adiós, amigos.
" So where's the money now? If I knew that, I'd be long gone.
I've been trying to find it ever since he popped himself.
You were there.
He'd been to Milwaukee.
He was supposed to hand it over to me that night.
When I got there, he said the game was over, he wasn't going to play anymore and then he shot himself right in front of me.
Maybe.
But even if you didn't pull the trigger, you killed him just as sure as you killed Gary when he found out what you'd done.
No way! I was standing right next to you at the funeral when Gary was killed.
We'll see.
Meanwhile, I'm holding you for blackmail.
Get him out of here.
You were right, Mrs.
Fletcher.
I never realized a blank disk could be so effective.
Is it me or for an ice-cream factory is it kind of warm in here? Temperature.
Of course.
Sheriff, I think you may have just turned up the heat on Gary's killer.
Excuse me.
Victoria, I wonder if you could help me.
What is it, Mrs.
Fletcher? Could you punch up the energy-use data for yesterday morning? When Gary was killed? That's it.
Well, that program's still got some bugs.
I don't know how dependable it'll be.
Victoria, you do want to help me to get Larry out of jail, don't you? Why didn't you say so? Okay.
It took a while, but now I know what happened to the money.
Three quarters of a million split two ways is still a lot.
Or I could just go to the sheriff, if you prefer.
That's better.
So let's meet.
Okay.
I'll be there.
Are you there? (SIGHS) You bring the money? I changed my mind.
Go on in.
Don't worry, at minus 40 they say you soon get sleepy.
SHERIFF: Drop the gun, Susan! Well done, Peggy.
Take her home, Mike.
This is all Mrs.
Fletcher's idea.
Starting with Peggy's phone call to you.
And you've just confirmed that you killed Gary Herling.
Don't be ridiculous.
I was at Kyle's funeral at the time.
Only at the time that it appeared that Gary had died.
I thought it was odd that he was killed and then dragged into the freezer, until Victoria showed me this.
SHERIFF: It shows the temperature inside the freezer where Gary was found.
Any time the door is opened, the temperature goes up inside and it's recorded.
The only time the door was open was at 8:10 a.
m.
, when you put Gary's dead body inside to hide the time of death.
After you fixed his watch to make it look like he was killed at 9:30.
You thought your husband's funeral would give you a perfect alibi.
If this was true, it could have been anyone at the burial.
I never even came here that day.
Your left hand shows otherwise.
At Kyle's funeral, you had a red welt on your left hand, which didn't strike me until I realized that the murder had already taken place.
Now, that burn proves you'd been here earlier the same morning.
I got this burn on my own stove at home.
That's not true, Susan.
It's a freezer burn that you got from the pipes, when you dragged Gary in there.
This afternoon, the lab boys found some microscopic tissue residue on him.
Primo condition, thanks to the cold.
They reckon the DNA will be easy to match up with yours.
We got a warrant to go through your place.
Thanks, Joe.
Kyle left it for me, just before he killed himself, with a note telling me to give it back to the Literacy Foundation.
After Kyle's suicide, Gary found out that you'd kept this money.
I hadn't counted on Kyle's letter to Gary telling him where the money was.
When Gary called me and insisted that I hand it over, I agreed to meet with him.
But Gary didn't realize that you were the one who leaked the hormone scandal to Verity Magazine, Ralph Brewer confirmed it.
Kyle hadn't known what to do when he found out that Gary bought uncertified milk.
Gary threatened to fire him if he told anyone.
First, he refused to put him on the board, then he treated him like dirt.
I was damned if I was going to give the money to Gary.
When he threatened to have me arrested, I'd had enough.
I wanted revenge for everything he'd done to Kyle.
And you planted the gun in Larry's truck to try and frame him? When he found out about Kyle's record, I was afraid he'd find out the whole truth.
Let's go, Susan.
You know, Mrs.
Fletcher, if only Kyle had told me the truth about his past, I'd have forgiven him.
We could have started over somewhere else.
Thank you.
Thanks.
The money's all been transferred to the Literacy Foundation account in New York.
And I've doubled our initial contribution, using the insurance money.
Oh, Larry, that is fantastic.
All the publicity brought in a rush of orders nationwide.
Which our new national sales manager is going to handle.
And what about you, Woody? Are you heading back for Oklahoma? I guess I have one or two reasons to stick around.
And by the way, Larry, you owe me a dollar.
The Tropical Secret flavors.
There's mango, lemon, passion fruit, and the sneaky last one is persimmon, blended with cumin and just a touch of nutmeg.
Jessica! How? Well, I cheated a bit.
See, I got Sheriff Chubb to have it analyzed at the forensics lab in Racine.
(ALL LAUGHING)