Murder, She Wrote Season 1, Episode 2
"The Murder of Sherlock Holmes Part II"
Original airdate: September 30, 1984
Story by: Richard Levinson and William Link, Peter S. Fischer
Teleplay by: Peter S. Fischer
Director: Corey Allen
Cast: Angela Lansbury, Arthur Hill, Michael Horton, Ned Beatty, Brian Keith, Jessica Browne, Bert Convy, Eddie Barth, Herb Edelman, Anne Lloyd Francis, Tricia O'Neal, John Hancock, Dennis Patrick
Previously on Murder, She Wrote, Jessica attended a high society costume party hosted by her dashing publisher, Preston Giles. The next morning, the body of a private investigator was found floating in the pool wearing another guest's Sherlock Holmes outfit. Was Baxendale the true target, or did the killer mistake him for fast food magnate Caleb McCallum? With her hapless nephew Grady named a primary suspect, Jessica's stumbled on a chowder keg ready to explode!
Part Two
Despite Preston's assurance that Grady will be exonerated, Jessica fears her nephew will take the fall for Baxendale's murder. They both know none of this would've happened if Preston hadn't invited her out for the weekend. He admits that up until the unpleasantness, he was having the time of his life. Maybe she felt it too?
Of course she had, but that excitement is tinged with guilt. We don't know how long it's been since Frank Fletcher's death, but Jessica isn't quite ready to move on.
"Flowers that bloom too quickly are fair game for a late frost," she says, recalling a bit of Maine wisdom she's not entirely sure she believes.
Preston slips their cabbie, Bernie, a twenty and instructs him to see her back to her hotel. Jessica decides she'd like to do some sleuthing and asks if they might head out to the Bayside Yacht Club instead. She wants to get Caleb's perspective. Irritable Damon Runyon caricature Bernie is reluctant to head out to Long Island, but Jessica is ultimately able to parlay the ingredients to a foot ointment into free cab rides for life apparently.
Caleb fusses with the sails of the docked Chowder King, explaining that the stolen documents were a lure for the suspected thieves. He's somehow lost millions to insiders leaking intel on planned locations for future Chowder Houses, and his latest ploy was to draw them out. He's satisfied that Chief Gunderson has the right man, knowing Ashley Vickers has an alibi in Jessica herself.
Bernie brings Jessica back to her hotel where he refuses to accept her money; he's grateful enough for the foot cream. No sooner does she get through the door when the phone rings. Grady's been worried sick about her. No matter, she's eager to continue her investigation. They need to prove it was Ashley Vickers who stole the documents from Caleb's office, not Grady. That means … breaking into that same office after hours.
Later that night Jessica explains her theory that Ashley Vickers likely had an accomplice at the party and it was that person who killed Baxendale. Grady is sure to be as conspicuous as possible, ushering Jessica into the building. He explains to Tom, the amiable, pipe-smoking night watchman, that he's showing his aunt around the office.
Director of photography Mario DiLeo takes a big Baz Luhrmann swing here as Grady and Jessica enter the darkened office, massive goldfish drifting across the foreground; we're looking through a clear fishbowl.
I'm hard pressed to think of any visuals nearly as unusual in future installments. DiLeo worked on seven of the series' first eight episodes before moving on to 1985's Alfred Hitchcock Presents.
They split up, Jessica to Ashley Vickers's (frankly enormous) office and Grady to check the electronic property records. Jessica is about to give up her search when Ashley Vickers enters, retrieving a portfolio from a locked cabinet. She nearly discovers Jessica in a closet when the phone rings. The accomplice! Whoever it is, Ashley Vickers wants nothing more to do with them, furious to be embroiled in a homicide. She reluctantly agrees to meet them. Jessica follows her from a safe distance as she exits the building and onto a bus.
A body double who very clearly isn't Angela Lansbury dashes out into the street to flag down a cab. The driver refuses to follow the bus, seemingly unwilling to go where it's headed. There's one vote for Giuliani, I guess. She's nearly steamrolled by a second bus, which she boards. The driver, George, is played by Herb Edelman, an eventual series mainstay when he takes on another role as NYPD Lieutenant Artie Gelber several seasons down the line. Jessica's forced to haggle with an opportunistic bag lady played by Anne Ramsey of Goonies and Throw Momma From the Train for exact change for the 75 cent fare. All the while, a young man takes notice, staring with intensity. This is Russell Curry, who'll enjoy a 61-episode tenure on Guiding Light in the mid '90s.
Up ahead, Ashley Vickers steps off her bus. Jessica asks to be let out immediately and George begrudgingly comes to a stop at East 17th and 3rd. Again, Angela's very obvious body double exits the bus with the young man close behind her. A pair of street toughs — both pierced, one with a porkpie hat — menace her, dragging her into an alley. One flicks open a switchblade! Fortunately the man from the bus appears and goes full Roddy Piper on the pair with a flurry of punches. The toughs scramble away, leaving the stone-faced young man to help Jessica to her feet. He's a fan of her book!
"Hey, don't you know, Mrs. Fletcher?" he says, ushering her back to the street, "you're a celebrity!"
They both spot a large promotional poster with Jessica's face on it. Someone's scrawled a handlebar mustache under her nose.
They laugh sweetly. It just goes to show: Jessica makes fast friends wherever she goes. Though she mixes capably with the upper crust, she's far more comfortable with book-lovers further down the economic ladder, particularly young people and students.
Jessica reunites with the rest of Team Grady back at her hotel just before midnight. Preston expresses deep concern she was off on her own chasing down a killer. She's in good spirits though, eager to get Chief Gunderson on the phone to relay her suspicions about Ashley Vickers. Jessica wasn't able to catch up with her, but she remembered that the off-Broadway composer, Peter Brill, had talked about staging a new production around 17th Street, where she last saw Ashley Vickers. Could Brill be the accomplice she was on her way to meet? It certainly sounded as though he was strapped for cash.
The next morning, Grady reluctantly drives Jessica to the Serendipity Theatre where Brill is holding auditions for his latest show. Jessica confronts him with her theory that he's been colluding with Ashley Vickers to sell the intel on Caleb's real estate plans. He denies any involvement, but they're interrupted by Ashley Vickers, who's ready to come clean for the theft in order to evade murder charges. Brill was entertaining the other guests at the piano at the time of the shooting.
Meanwhile, Chief Gunderson discovers Caleb's dead body — for real this time — after following an anonymous tip to the chowder tycoon's yacht. Presumed guilty, Caleb's wife Louise is brought in for questioning and the city is abuzz over the scandal. Brill and Ashley Vickers will go down for their conspiracy, though not the murders. Grady is cleared of all wrongdoing. It's time for Jessica to return home.
Preston lays it on thick. He's a pampered man with every luxury in the world — automatic everything. But he'll be miserable if Jessica steps on that train. She says this is all happening too fast for her. He tells her he's willing to wait, though he's happy even if their continued professional relationship only amounts to friendship. They share a kiss.
Kit and Grady escort Jessica to her train where she's greeted by Daniel the conductor, who I'm starting to think just lives on the vehicle. She's to meet with a reporter who'll join her partway through the trip to Maine. So Preston is alarmed when the reporter calls to tell him Jessica wasn't on the train for their appointment. She'd never left, saying she was on her way to New Holvang.
Preston arrives at his country house that night to find Jessica attempting to jimmy the lock on the pool house. He announces himself from across the pool. They can hardly see one another in the darkness. She says that the scene mirrors the scene of the shooting as investigators pictured it. The darkness would've explained how Louise, or whomever the killer was, mistook Baxendale in the Sherlock Holmes costume for Caleb. Jessica wonders aloud what time it is. Nearly 8:00. Preston is all smiles and curious until the automatic lights come on. They also would've been on, fully illuminating the area, when the murder took place. It was no accident. Whoever killed Baxendale knew it was him. And who knew he was there besides Jessica, Grady, Kit, and … Preston?
And so it all comes out. Preston Giles was something of a real life Count of Monte Cristo. In another life he was made the scapegoat to a building collapse by shady business partners. He escaped a 15 year prison sentence, faking his death in the process. Over several years he reclaimed his wealth and power and destroyed his ex-partners financially. Baxendale was one of those men, and he recognized Preston. After he killed him that night, Preston dressed the body in the Sherlock Holmes costume and staged the crime scene. He also killed Caleb in an effort to further the narrative.
This is a crazy plot, but Angela and Arthur Hill deliver it expertly. Their chemistry is off the charts, making for a poignant and tragic denouement. Jessica hoped she was wrong. She turns her back to Preston, facing the pool. He steps up behind her, placing his hands on her shoulders. He'd had an opportunity to take one of the guns from a rack. He could push her into the water now. Instead he says he'll tell Gunderson everything, but will she please come with him.
The next day, Grady delivers his aunt to the train, apologetic that her time in New York has been so fraught. Jessica laments being such a busy-body, wishing she could've let things go. Grady points out that he'd still be in jail if that were the case. She says she's done with crime and puzzles and mysteries. She may never write another book!
"Sure you will," says Grady with a big dumb grin, "and I'll be the first one to read it."
"We'll see," says Jessica, softening. She gives him a peck on the cheek. Just then, Kit rushes up. The police have been looking for Jessica all morning. They want her help. The bodies of two dead wrestlers were found at Madison Square Garden, lying in the middle of the ring. One had been stabbed, and the other drowned.
"Absolutely not." Jessica waves her off and hurries aboard. They say their farewells as the train starts to roll down the tracks.
She peers out the door. "Drowned?"
Next week, Jessica tussles with … a killer station wagon?
