Murder, She Wrote s12e18 Episode Script

(BARKING) PETE: Soldier! (WHISTLES) Soldier, come on, boy! (WHISTLES) Soldier! Come on! Come on, boy! (SNIFFING) Let's go! (WHISTLES) Soldier! Damn it, Soldier, come on! How many times do I have to tell Thank you.
Why can't you stay put? Huh? What'd you bring back this time? Come here.
Soldier, sit.
Sit, good dog.
Now, how many times do I Come here.
(WHIMPERING) Oh, my God, you've been shot at.
WOMAN: Gosh! I can't believe this scenery! Isn't it just the greatest? ELLEN: Hello, ladies.
Welcome to Starcrest Lodge.
Uh, Juan, uh, Ms.
Bayers? Yes.
She'll be in room 201, and Ms.
Hastings? Yes.
In 215, Pete.
Pete? Oh! Right.
And, uh, Luisa, Mrs.
Fletcher will be in 203.
Enjoy your stay.
Thank you! (EXCLAIMS) I'm sorry.
I lost my earring under the seat of the van.
Oh! Are you ever a sight for sore eyes? Oh! Same here, Ellen.
You know, it's been five years.
Yeah.
And the place looks as wonderful as ever! Oh, flattery will get you everything! (BOTH LAUGHING) (PHONE RINGING) Starcrest Lodge, Ellen speaking.
Mrs.
Levering, if that's for me I'll take it in the lounge.
Sit down, Harley.
J.
B.
Fletcher? Uh, just a moment, I'll see.
Um, no, I'm sorry, she hasn't arrived yet.
Uh-huh.
Yes, all right.
I'll give her the message.
Thank you.
Well, some heavyweight at Hartley Publishing is desperately seeking Jessica.
Thank you.
I know what it's about, and it's less than urgent, believe me! Let me guess.
You're here to hibernate and work on a new book.
Oh, how I wish! I haven't had a fresh idea in weeks.
I didn't even bring my laptop, thinking that if I just refueled for a few days Well, you came to the right place.
Why don't you go on up? You're in 203.
I'll be up in a minute.
Great.
It's not the market that's haywire, Stevens, it's you.
Imperative, Harley.
Stay on top of Placo Electronics until the market closes.
If it drops below 50, buy a million more, and spread it among the retirement funds as usual.
Mr.
Wainwright, Placo's dropping like a stone.
We'll be putting thousands of retirees' money at risk.
I didn't ask for an opinion.
Just do it.
HARLEY: Um, you wanted to be reminded, um Mrs.
Wainwright called last evening.
Call Lois, see what she wants.
Tell her I'm out riding or something.
You're good at that sort of thing.
There's a fellow.
Oh, your dad's mementos.
Yeah.
The knife.
It tells you something about him, Jessica.
PETE: He told me one time he had to kill an enemy hand to hand.
I don't know if I could do that.
Oh, that must be a picture of your dog.
I've heard all sorts of things about him and I'd like to meet him.
Oh, you will, you can't miss him! (DIAL TONE) (DIALING NUMBER) This is Lloyd Nichols.
Leave your message after the beep.
(BEEPS) (SIGHS) I really wanted to say this to your face, creep.
But apparently you left town.
I want your things out of my apartment.
I don't ever want to see you again.
And don't try to reach me, you can't find me.
It's over.
(SIGHS) (LAUGHS) I hardly recognized Pete.
He's grown up into such a nice young man.
Yeah, acquiring a grown stepson proved to have its challenges.
Uh-huh.
But we're good friends now.
As far as your room goes, you've got el primo.
Howard insisted on it.
Well, it's absolutely beautiful.
How is Howard? Oh, he's handsome as ever, bossy, and opinionated! I still love him.
He, uh, he wants to run for state senate.
Naturally, he's all gung-ho about that.
And I take it that you're not quite so gung-ho.
Maybe I'd like a time-out, do some traveling.
He still gets the nightmares.
That's tough to handle.
But your brochure specifically said that you had full security.
And a safe.
I'm very sorry, we're installing a new one.
I thought it would be here today and the (PHONE RINGING) Excuse me.
Uh, Starcrest Lodge.
Yes, one moment, please.
Mr.
Foote.
Phone call for you.
I'll take it over here.
This is Harley Foote.
This is Dr.
Mingler.
Hello, Dr.
Mingler, um, what What Harley, I don't have very good news.
The test results aren't good.
You still there? Yes, I'm still here.
The tests were positive then? Yes.
You're sure? Yes, I'm sure.
How long do I have? I'd say a year, six months.
Thank you, Doctor.
I'm sorry.
Um, so am I.
Excuse me.
Are you all right? You look a little green.
Thank you for asking, Mrs Greta.
You sure you're all right? You look like you just lost your best friend.
In a manner of speaking, yes, I have.
I'm sorry.
Listen, Mr Foote, Harley Foote.
Harley! (LAUGHS) Well, listen, you'd feel a whole lot better if you got out of that suit and tie and into some fresh mountain air.
They say you can see the whole world from the Tetons! I'm not sure the whole world is a top priority.
It's not my vacation anyway, it's Mr.
Wainwright's.
I'm here to work.
But for what? Yeah.
Life's too darn short! (SIGHS) You don't know the half of it, Greta.
The Tetons? Do you suppose they have a bungee jump up there? Or skydiving? I wouldn't even need a parachute! (CHUCKLES) Whoa! Don't hurt yourself! You're very kind.
Furthermore, has anyone ever told you, you have the most remarkable eyes? Someone has now.
Marla Hastings, please.
WOMAN: One moment, please.
This is Marla.
Hey, I'm in Jackson.
Lloyd, (SIGHS) thank God.
Mother, of course I'm all right.
I just needed a little change of scene, that's all! Has the lady arrived yet? Yes.
Don't worry.
Everything's gonna be fine.
Okay, I'll talk to you later.
Uh-huh.
Bye-bye.
Who the hell is Lloyd? Lloyd? What Lloyd? I was talking to my mother.
You don't know what a worry-wart she is.
(KNOCKING ON DOOR) WOMAN: Housekeeping.
Oh, sorry, Miss Bayer, I didn't know you were here.
I brought you some fresh towels for the bathroom.
Oh, not just now.
Please come back later.
Sure.
Oh, I see you're gonna need some ice, Ms.
Bayer.
No! I'd prefer that you'd come back later.
Thank you.
Rancher McGrath woke me up at 4:00 this morning.
Says he took a shot at a black dog going after his sheep.
What makes McGrath think it was Soldier? As far as I know, Soldier was inside all night.
Well, what's that gouge on his shoulder? Uh, he caught himself on a wire.
Sure.
This is McGrath's third complaint in a month.
I'm telling you, Pete, he's gonna come up here and settle it himself with a gun.
Jed, give me a break! You and I both know those are coyotes and mountain lions taking those sheep.
Soldier gets his food here.
I mean, the dog has a right to roam.
The ranchers helped to vote me in.
I've got a family to feed.
If it happens again, I'll have to put him down myself.
(SOLDIER WHINING) (PEOPLE CHATTING) May I take your bag, mister? Huh? Oh, yeah, thanks.
Is that Howard Levering? C.
O.
Of the 505th Special Forces Battalion? Ah, you know the Colonel? What's it to you? Hey, Dad! Colonel! Come on! Let's hear it! (LAUGHS) Well, you want the long version or the short? All right, all right.
Are you declaring or not? Well, the state party's gonna stand by my platform.
Gentlemen, you are now looking at the next state senator from Teton County.
(BOTH LAUGHING) I'm gonna go tell Ellen! Ah! This kid! Hey, what's up, Juan? Are you acquainted with a guy called Nichols? You might've run across him in the 505th? Yeah, I know him.
Well, it must've been after I retired out.
Something about him makes me want to kick his butt.
(KNOCKING ON DOOR) Coming.
Lloyd! Oh, you can't get away from me that easy, lover.
You know, you left the plane and the lodge reservations Oh! on the desk pad.
(LAUGHING) Brilliant! So you're here now, you can get out! NICHOLS: I never meant to hurt you, sweetheart, you know that.
(THUDDING) GRETA: (GRUNTS) Let go of me! I told you I never want to see you again! Oh, sorry to intrude, Greta, isn't it time for happy hour? Uh, right, we'd better hurry.
Um, she just changed her plans, whoever you are.
Well, whoever you are, if you don't take your hand off Greta this instant, you'll be in more trouble than you know how to handle.
(LAUGHS) (SIGHS) Thanks, Jessica.
I guess I'm buying.
COMMENTATOR: A win could put the Dukes in their first professional playoff series.
(COMMENTATOR CHATTERING INDISTINCTLY) Yes! (LAUGHING) Dinner's on yours truly, ladies.
I just won $10,000.
What do you know about basketball, anyway? Greta, you look a little tired.
Come for a walk.
You'll sleep like a baby.
Sure, Harley! Did you make that call to Lois? What about the buys I asked you to execute? Excuse me.
Greta.
I have never seen him like this.
Is that the Greta Bayer? The woman who married Arnie Kravitz.
He died a year after they were married.
Now, I remember.
He won the Meladora diamond off the Sultan of someplace or other.
Then he gave it to her as a wedding present.
No wonder Harley is so moonstruck.
(CHUCKLES) Come on, guys! Jessica, look who's here! Oh! Howard, how great to see you! Oh, it's good to see you, too.
Just couldn't stay away from the mountains, eh? No.
It is so beautiful.
Well, Jess, we've got a lot of catching up to do here.
Colonel Levering.
How you doing? You know, I still have trouble sleeping nights.
How about you? Oh, Colonel, I understand you're running for office.
You gonna let the good people of Wyoming in on our little secret? Huh? (CHUCKLES) (LAUGHS) Dad, who is that creep? I want you out of here by morning.
No charge, but out.
No charge? Well, hot damn! You're forgetting one thing, Colonel.
I don't take orders from you anymore.
You mind telling me what you're doing here? I'm vacationing.
And if you're wondering, I would've paid money not to run into you.
Well, it cuts both ways.
Neither one of us could change what happened.
Now, if you've come here looking for money or (LAUGHS) Oh, what? You're gonna buy me off? What? Are you thinking about your voters? Or maybe it's that pretty little wife of yours, and that kid.
They know from nothing, right? If you go near either one of them You'll do what? They are gonna know, Colonel.
Everybody is going to know exactly what's underneath all of those ribbons of yours.
A brainless coward who sent my brother screaming downriver No! Come on! Come on! Do me the favor! Don't press it, Mr.
Nichols, unless you think you can take on the both of us.
Juan, about a year after you left the Battalion there was this incident.
I don't want to know, Colonel.
He's just a troublemaker, that's all.
JESSICA: Look at it this way, Greta, not many people have the great memories that you and I have.
Did you ever, you know, find another guy after Frank? To be perfectly honest, no one ever measured up.
Hmm.
Maybe I'm just trying too hard.
There was this one guy and, boy, did you ever take a piece out of him yesterday! Mr.
Nichols? Oh, Greta, I felt that he was a very troubled man.
Mmm.
And this dummy let him move in with her! He never had a job, borrowed, and never paid back, if we argued, I paid for it with a black eye.
Oh! Well, I'm heading into town.
I hear they've got some great shops.
(CHUCKLES) Oh, yes! Do I remember! Well, have a good time.
I'm gonna stay here and spend a little time with Ellen.
Okay.
(KNOCKING ON DOOR) Housekeeping.
Soldier, what a grand dog you are! I love you, too! Oh, what's this? Oh, he's a collector.
Anything in the woods with a human scent he brings it back like it's a gift from the almighty.
Pete! I just got another call from the Sheriff.
Now, I've asked you Dad, Jed is way off base.
Look, you get in control of him or that dog is out of here.
You understand? Or even worse, Jed's gonna handle it his own way.
Now, I've got a lot bigger problems than a dog! What, are you gonna let him kill Soldier? (SIGHS) I apologize, Jess.
It's just, uh You handle it.
(PEOPLE CHATTING) NICHOLS: Scotch, rocks.
I don't know what the hell she did with it.
It's still gotta be up in her room someplace.
Lloyd, I cannot spend another night with Arthur.
NICHOLS: I should've thought of that.
The maid with the ice tray! What maid? Would you please talk sense? Once in New York, we were late for this show, she couldn't remember the combination to the safe.
I can't go back up there now.
All right, look, whatever it takes, I need you to keep her out of her room tonight, okay? And if I'm right about this, we're gonna leave right on schedule.
No problem.
I'll find a way, but give me my ticket now.
If we miss each other, we'll meet at the plane, okay? Safe and sound, lover.
You just remember what you gotta do and where you gotta be, and when.
Lloyd! Let go of my arm.
Halloween's the end of October, Harley.
I think he looks macho! I've been on the pipe to New York all morning.
You didn't buy the Placo I asked you to! Why don't you grab us a table for lunch? I'll be right there.
Yeah, sure.
No, I didn't.
The stock tanked yesterday.
I saved the retirement funds over $122 million.
But you wiped me out! Call your wife, mend some fences.
You'll need her money.
If only to support your current lifestyle.
You're fired, Harley! Too late, I resigned yesterday morning at precisely 11:03.
Have a nice day.
Mrs.
Fletcher, I wanted to apologize about what happened here yesterday.
I guess I'm just having a tough time getting Greta out of my system.
You've certainly made a good friend there.
Uh, you seem to have a point to make, Mr.
Nichols.
Well, just that, she's probably saying a lot of things about me and none of them good, and none of them true.
So, I think it might be best if you just keep your nose out of it.
Well, that sounds vaguely like a threat.
And since we're leveling with each other, I'm concerned that you have some sort of axe to grind with Howard.
Exactly what is it? Well, why don't you ask the Colonel about that, okay? Ask him about what went down on the Warsatch River six years ago.
ELLEN: Warsatch? I do seem to remember something.
I saw it after he moved up here, after we got married.
It's somewhere in here with all this old army stuff.
Oh, here.
This is it.
Yeah, that's it.
January, 1990.
Special Forces enlistee drowned in the Warsatch River on maneuvers yesterday.
The deceased Ellen, his name was Private Timothy Nichols.
Jessica, could I please have that? Howard, this Nichols fellow's strange behavior was worrying me, and I I understand, Jess.
You see, it was one of those situations where the line blurred between what maybe could have been done and wasn't.
Howard, you don't have to explain No, I want to, I want to.
Able Company was ordered to attack across the Warsatch River.
Baker Company was playing the enemy on the other side of the bank.
Now, the rain was coming down, it was coming down hard, in buckets.
The river was rising and that, right there, is where we lost (SIGHS) That's where we lost Nichols' brother.
Nichols accused me of dereliction.
And then he claimed there was a cover-up among the officers.
Oh, Howard.
No, Ellen, he would like nothing better than to dredge this thing up during the campaign and that would eat us up alive, do you understand? Oh, my sweet wife.
Let's do it your way, huh? I see no alternative than to withdraw.
Howard, no! Not on his terms! PETE: Dad! Ellen's right.
You have never wimped out in your life.
What are you doing it now? Look, you stay out of this! You understand? Hell, yes, I understand.
No, you don't! You back out now, what's gonna stop him from telling all the folks about it anyway? Pete.
(DOOR SLAMS) (SIGHS) You think I messed that up, Jess? Howard, you left out the most important detail, whether or not there really was a cover-up.
MARLA: There's a new movie in Jackson tonight.
I hear it's a very entertaining picture.
It got one thumb up and one thumb down.
Which thumb are we to believe? (LAUGHS) Well, Prelutsky gave it three on a scale of one to ten.
Ooh! Let's see if Jessica wants to join us.
Oh, I'm sure she will.
Oh, great, well, then we'll just meet here at 8:00 sharp.
GRETA: Great.
Uh, Mr.
Foote, phone call for you.
This is Harley Foote.
What time? I'll be there.
Is something wrong? I, uh, have to pass on the movie tonight.
Something's come up.
(CLOCK CHIMING) JUAN: Boy, was that a long movie.
(BOTH EXCLAIMING) Your clock is slow, Ellen.
It's 12:15.
Oh, that's all I needed to hear! Did I miss anything, girls? Discounting bare butts, explosions, and body count.
It was terrible, terrible.
Three thumbs down, Ellen.
You didn't miss a thing! Good night.
Good night.
Good night.
Today's been a brute, Jess.
Forgive me if I turn in.
Oh, of course! And sleep well.
I'm gonna read for a while.
Good night.
Good night.
(COUGHS) Party chairman has an attitude, Colonel.
Doesn't drink, doesn't like boozers.
Well, the party bosses, they can all take a flying (LAUGHS) This man's army, we would've fixed Nichols' wagon good.
You know that.
He'd have taken the header down a flight of stairs.
Wouldn't be walking too good for a while.
(CHUCKLES) Assault and battery isn't exactly on my platform, Sergeant Major.
Noncoms don't have platforms.
You're gonna run, Colonel.
Might not look that way now, but you're gonna run.
(SIGHS) (COYOTE HOWLING) (BARKS) (CLOCK CHIMING) (DOOR OPENS) (FOOTSTEPS) Marla? Marla? (GROWLS) (COYOTE HOWLING) A local kid found the body about 6:00 this morning, stabbed in the back with a broad-bladed weapon, which has not been located yet.
Now, the M.
E.
Can't be too accurate, but guesses that death occurred sometime after 1:00 a.
m.
Now, what I need from all of you is to know where you were and what you knew about Mr.
Nichols' plans for the evening.
Now, Howard, there's some talk that Nichols had some sort of a grudge going on.
Was there anyone amongst your guests or your staff who may've had it in for him? Jed, let's stop the game, okay? Now, you know damn well by now that Nichols and I were army together.
Jed, it could've been practically anybody! I mean, come on, the guy was a creep! Sheriff, uh, you said that his pockets were turned inside out? Yes, but if you're thinking robbery, his wallet and his cash were still intact along with an airline ticket that would've taken somebody all the way to Rio by tomorrow morning.
Oh.
But his room was booked till Friday, Sheriff.
Well, something sure as hell changed his mind.
I can tell you what it is, Sheriff.
My diamond, it's gone.
JESSICA: Oh, Greta.
SHERIFF: Diamond? What diamond? How valuable? Oh, it's not just the value.
Well, I understand that it's worth well over two million dollars.
Two Lady, are you telling me you kept a rock that size in your room? I thought I had it hidden in a place where no one would think to look for it.
Are you sure that it was there when we left for the movies? Yes.
But when we got back it was just so late, I guess I was so tired I forgot to check to see if it was still in the ice tray.
You put a two million dollar diamond in an ice tray? Mmm-hmm.
You had it insured? Oh, boy, I do not relish the thought of making that phone call.
Well, look, they're gonna want a robbery report.
And your personal statement.
It's best if you come into the station.
JUAN: Uh, I have a tour going in, Jed.
I'll run Ms.
Bayer over.
Only, uh, your people will have to bring her back.
I'll be on the mountain till 3:00.
SHERIFF: Thanks, Juan.
Uh, Sheriff, is it okay if I go along with you? Um, I have a couple of errands.
Yeah, sure.
Thank you.
Ellen, I talked to every one of your guests except for one, a Mr.
Harley Foote.
ELLEN: Mr.
Foote left shortly after dinner last night.
He wasn't here for breakfast, but his room is booked for another week.
Right.
Uh, wait a minute.
You take care of the self-service refrigerators, is that right? Like refilling the ice trays? I didn't steal it, if that's what you're asking.
Hmm.
Thank you, ma'am.
(SPEAKING SPANISH) Seeing the damn thing is not stealing it! Now you have your work to do, Luisa.
Do it and let the police do theirs! (SIREN WAILING) I'll fax your statement to the insurance company along with my robbery report.
The judge gave us a blanket warrant to search every room at the Starcrest Lodge, for what good it'll do.
If it was me, I'd have it on me.
Sheriff, you said that someone went through Mr.
Nichols' pockets.
The alternatives that I see are, one, someone caught on to the fact that Nichols planned to steal the diamond, waited And killed him for it.
Two, someone else got to the ice cube tray and the murder had nothing whatever to do with the diamond.
In which case Mrs.
Fletcher, I know you've had some experience in these things, but didn't you say you had one or two errands to run? Yes, yes, I do.
Yes, I really ought to be off.
Greta? Freddy! I want that murder weapon.
You keep the boys on it, okay? I want an A.
P.
B.
On a Harley Foote.
Thirty-five, 5'9", driving a white Ford rental.
FREDDY: Yes, sir.
The weapon.
Of course! Mrs.
Fletcher Last night, when I was on my way to bed, the combat knife was missing from the weapon's cabinet.
But just before we left this morning, it was back in its place! GRETA: Harley, where've you been? Greta, I don't ask you to understand, but I'm leaving tonight.
No! You're not going anywhere until you tell me what's wrong.
Yesterday, I told you I was dying.
And if you remember, we said that whatever time you had left, we would spend it together.
And now I regret saying that.
Greta, I went to a doctor in Cheyenne this morning.
He told me that my doctor in New York had made a critical error in his diagnosis.
There's nothing wrong with me that a few pills and the right diet won't correct.
Oh, Harley! Well, that's incredible! Please, please, let me finish.
Yesterday on the mountain when I told you my secret, you actually cried for me.
I cried for myself for what I'd missed in life.
I was this drudge, always obedient, never taking a risk, never allowing someone like you into my life.
This morning, I realized that your feelings came out of pity, and mine out of a dying man's selfish need.
(LAUGHS) You dope! Do you think I'd like you any less because you're going to live? Greta, this is difficult enough for me with HOWARD: Jed, hold it! I said hold it! You are out of your mind! Dad, please shut up! The boy lost it, that's all.
He did it for you! You better have some damn fine evidence.
Pete's fingerprints on the shaft of the knife, Nichols' blood all poorly cleaned, plus, he refuses to talk.
What would you want me to do? (SIGHS) Soldier.
Soldier, are you here? Soldier! Come here, boy! Come on, Soldier! Oh, that's a good boy.
Ah, now don't be shy.
I want to be able to tell Pete you're home safe and sound! (CHUCKLES) Come on.
Come on, Soldier! There's a good boy.
Yeah.
What've you got there, another collectible? Oh, my goodness! Okay, boy.
JESSICA: Pete, I don't know what you think you gain by your silence.
Although you may well have had cause, I don't believe for a minute that you killed Lloyd Nichols.
But obviously, you have a story to tell.
But why won't you at least tell it to the Sheriff? Jed has to prove something first.
Look, Jess, Dad is sending some hot-shot attorney down here who's gonna get me out of here.
Look, Pete, two people who love you very much are worried sick right now.
Furthermore, bail is seldom allowed in a murder case.
Dad understands why I'm stonewalling.
Oh? Well, then if you believe that he killed Mr.
Nichols, this is not the way to protect him.
I never said that! Oh, it's a brave and foolish thing that you're doing.
Wait a minute.
Please, Jess, please, don't go.
All right? (SIGHS) Sometime after 1:00, I heard Soldier howling, so I went out to find him.
Soldier! I found Nichols' body lying face down in the dirt.
He had a knife wound in his back.
Lying about six feet away I found Dad's combat knife.
(FOOTSTEPS APPROACHING) I heard someone rustling around in the woods.
At first I thought it was Soldier, but he always comes when I call, so I panicked.
Soldier? I just picked up the knife and started running like hell.
I guess I didn't take enough time to clean it good.
I was in such a hurry to put it back in the weapon cabinet.
Pete, you thought Look, you must tell that to the Sheriff, just as you told me.
(SIGHS) Maybe sometime.
Look, wait, Jessica.
You have to promise me this stays just between you and me.
Look, I can't promise, but I'll do my best.
(KNOCKING ON DOOR) Time's up.
POLICEMAN: Let's go.
Well, Mrs.
Fletcher? Thank you for letting me see him, Sheriff.
I just had a wild thought.
Wild thoughts give me the willies, but what's yours? Well, just suppose that Mr.
Nichols' body fell face down and not face up as you've assumed.
Well, who's assuming? We've got the crime scene photos right A notion like that doesn't just come out of the blue, does it? Okay.
But if I told you that I was bound in friendship to keep a secret, would you go along with my intuition? Maybe.
Keep on supposing.
If someone did turn the body on its back, it was to go through the front pockets of Nichols' hunting jacket.
Looking for the diamond, huh? Go on.
Then wouldn't you tend to believe that Nichols did steal the diamond and had it on his person when he was killed? Pete Levering killed Nichols, and then someone else took the diamond? Trust me, Sheriff.
Pete isn't your murderer.
So, by my count there were three people there that night.
Now, I think I know who murdered Nichols and who has the diamond.
But we'd better hurry.
I hope everything was satisfactory? Thank you very much, it was very enjoyable up to a point.
Well, try us again next year, it'll be a happier time.
Oh, Marla, before you leave I wonder if you'd consider selling your jacket to me.
JESSICA: I've been admiring the design.
Jessica, what an odd request.
I'm sorry, it's not for sale.
Arthur, we'll be late.
I think Mrs.
Fletcher is talking about big money here, Miss Hastings.
Something in the neighborhood of two million dollars? (SIGHS) Sheriff, this is some dumb joke! Miss Hastings knows it's no joke, Mr.
Wainwright.
I'm sure you don't want to go through a clothing and body search down at the station.
WAINWRIGHT: Marla! I gave you everything, clothes, an apartment.
Arthur, shut up! How did you know? The day before yesterday when you were together in the bar, it seemed obvious to me that you and Lloyd Nichols were more than passing acquaintances.
And I wondered what you were up to.
Then at the time that Nichols was killed, you said that you were with Arthur, I heard someone leave the lodge in a hurry and I noticed that your jacket was missing from the rack.
Now, since the murder, I thought it odd that you kept it with you throughout the day, indoors and out.
I suspected Lloyd was planning on running out on me with the diamond.
But I didn't kill him, Sheriff.
I went to his car, he wasn't there.
I heard some noise off and amongst the trees.
I thought it was Lloyd.
(SOFTLY) Lloyd! But I found him dead.
Lloyd? I went through his pockets.
(GROWLING) Some terrifying animal was off in the dark.
But I didn't kill Lloyd.
Yeah, well, it sure as hell wasn't my boy! If it wasn't Marla, then who? Someone who certainly knew better than to leave a readily identifiable murder weapon on the scene.
But Pete's sudden arrival must have caused him to do so.
You see, the animal that you saw was Pete's dog, Soldier, an avid collector of objects with human scent on them such as this one, which he discovered on the murder site this morning.
Juan, the other night when we returned from the movies, you told Ellen that her clock was slow.
That time, your watch was on your wrist.
But yesterday, half the strap was missing.
Forensics found a bloodspot on that half.
I'm betting it has Nichols' name on it.
Well, say something, Sergeant! Tell them they're wrong! Juan? I can't do that, Colonel, sir.
I'm real sorry about Pete.
I lost the knife in the dark.
When he showed, I had to get out real fast.
It tore me up to see what Nichols was doing to you and your folks for something that you've paid for many times over.
You're gonna make one hell of a fine senator, sir.
Let's go.
HOWARD: All right, all right.
What's all this mystery about? Well, Pete didn't say.
Did he tell you, Ellen? Nope.
Pete? What? Ever wonder why Soldier kept picking on McGrath's ranch and none of the others? (LAUGHS) Oh! That's Rosemary.
She's the mother and she belongs to McGrath.
Well, it looks like Soldier had a good reason for roaming, huh? Well, I'd say he had a bunch of reasons! (ALL LAUGHING)