Murder, She Wrote

Tonight, on Murder, She Wrote.

NYPD lets uptown burglar slip through their fingers.

That coin is more than just a lucky dollar.

Jessica can be way off a lot of the time.

I won't put up anymore with any of his fooling around.

You've come a long way in ten years.

Tomorrow, unless I do something drastic, he's gone.

You recognized his talent.

I want that contract signed or we're both in the kind of trouble

that you don't want to know about.

He's into some pretty creepy people.

I don't need that kind of trouble.

Just get me the name of the person

that's trying to horn in.

Antoinette's On Fifth, Phoebe speaking.

No. I'm sorry, Jimmy's all booked up at the moment.

Thank you. Antoinette's On Fifth, Phoebe speaking.

Jimmy? Uh, no, he's not available.

I read the piece about you in People Magazine

last week, Jimmy.

My goodness, you've come a long way in ten years.

Maybe you've forgotten

about our first session together?

You'd just come off the train from Cabot Cove.

Oh, I remember.

I was going to this big shindig

and my hair was a disaster.

Yeah. And I was scared to death.

Always figured you'd run straight out

to Elizabeth Arden and have them fix my mistakes.

No way. I mean, you were

a little rough around the edges in those days,

but, oh, Antoinette must be so proud of you.

Oh, looks lovely. And done in record time, I might add.

Well, see, I've got this chance to do a demonstration

on the Nancy Rayburn television show

and I gotta be on in ten minutes. So I must say goodbye.

Love you, monkey.

Hey, tell her.

- No, you tell her. - No, you tell her.

Well, Diane?

- Oh! You mean, you and Jimmy? - Yeah.

- Since last night. - Oh, heavens!

- Congratulations. - Thanks.

Jessica, pardon the intrusion,

but I need the guest list from the dinner party last night.

Oh, right, Sam. I have it right with me.

How is Agnes doing?

Ah, she's still in intensive care,

but the Doc says she'll recover without permanent damage.

Oh, thank goodness for that.

We're finished here, Mrs. Fletcher.

Thank you.

Agnes was just part of a friendly get-together

for the new board members at the museum.

Well, I'll talk to the others, for what good it'll do.

We found the weapon, by the way.

Ms. Frazier identified it as one of her own kitchen knives.

You know, Agnes left early.

She complained of a headache.

Well, it was her bad luck to get home before she was supposed to.

Sam, are you sure this is the same thief

as the uptown burglar?

I'd bet on it.

Seven burglaries in as many weeks.

I mean, he always has a key.

All those high-security buildings and the doormen never see him.

He lets himself into an empty apartment, bam!

Somebody loses a family heirloom

and he walks out like nothing happened.

Until last night.

Well, the chief wants a report.

- I'll talk to you later. - Fine.

Would you like to try some conditioner?

Hello, Kathy.

Jessica! I heard about poor Agnes Frazier.

Well, the good news is,

the doctors say she's going to be all right.

Oh, that is good news.

I'll have the minutes from last night's meeting

typed and faxed to you and the rest of the board by tomorrow.

- Oh, thank you very much. - No problem.

Psst, Jessica.

Oh, good.

- How's it going, Steve? - Making notes.

Just like you said.

It doesn't get much more real than this.

Well, it's starting to show.

I mean, I read your latest revisions and the details

that you're adding have made a vast improvement.

- Really? - Yes.

I really like the way you're building your characters.

Particularly, the detective.

And your scenes are really capturing the flavor of this place.

You know, if you're not careful,

you might be looking at a very successful first novel.

Oh, well, listen, speaking of detectives, I have...

Steve-o, those bins

get emptied on the hour, every hour, kiddo.

Right away, Phoebe.

Jimmy, I have the good, good fortune

to have you doing my hair this afternoon.

You always come up with something fresh,

just as you've done with Tricia. Is that your Jimmy look?

Well, actually, no. No, it's not my look.

It's Tricia's.

You see, every woman has her own distinctive beauty.

And it's just my job to bring it out.

And there you have it,

from the lips of Manhattan's hottest, most talented hairstylist,

Jimmy Neiman of Antoinette's On Fifth.

Tomorrow, everyone's favorite romance novelist,

Donnie Carstairs.

- Jimmy! - Mr. Stafford.

I didn't expect to see you here.

Oh, really? Who do you think arranged

this appearance for you?

Hey, Jimmy, talk to me.

You've been sitting on our contract for three weeks now.

Mr. Stafford, I don't know how to say this,

but I'm not sure that I want to go through with our deal.

I've been thinking that...

Toni's always been really terrific to me and...

Have you been waltzing me around for three months?

- No, but... - My partners and I have committed

over a million dollars on your name alone.

Got a Park Avenue lease.

We've got construction contracts.

- We got licensing deals. - Look, Mr. Stafford...

You listen to me, damn it!

Now, you have got to go to Antoinette

and you tell her that it's over.

You say, "Toni, bye-bye."

And the rest is gonna be easy.

Come on, this is Jimmy's Hair Works.

It's a chance for you to have your own place.

Next year at this time, we're gonna have a chain

of Jimmy's strung from one end of this country to the other.

You've got 24 hours.

I want that contract signed

or we're both in the kind of trouble that you don't want to know about.

I'd better get back to work.

I must've screwed up Toni's whole morning.

- Stafford. - You have the money?

Hey, hey, hey, hey. Come on, relax. Vincent.

Have you got the money?

Look, I will have my side in Escrow by the end of the week.

- All of it? - All $800,000 of it.

Yes. I promise.

You better.

Nancy, go ahead and tell me if it's none of my business

but as a friend, I think this thing

you have going on with Ralph Stafford...

It is none of your business, Madelyn.

Just be careful, Nancy, huh?

I have to tell you, I've heard nothing but...

you handle the show. I'll take care of me. Okay?

You're not listening to me.

For the record, yes, I've heard the rumors

that Jimmy Neiman is jumping ship, and no,

No, no, no. None whatever.

And you can take that to the bank.

You brought the books.

As many as I could carry.

Oh! I thank you. The shul thanks you.

Rabbi Gold... rabbi Goldberg will be ga-ga.

He is a major fan of yours.

Well, now listen, now, Hartley Publishing donated the books, Toni.

All I did was to sign them.

If they help the school raffle, great.

Phoebe seems to be a little unglued.

Jimmy ducking appointments

to do Nancy Rayburn's show, I suppose.

What am I going to do, Jess?

There's a Hollywood star who flies in every six weeks

just so Jimmy can give her a cut.

One of our nine Republican candidates for president

pays him $600 plus airfare

to fly to Washington every two weeks.

The kid's arrived. Today he's my franchise.

Tomorrow, unless I do something drastic, he's gone.

Yeah, but you seem so sure that he's leaving you.

- It's a rumor mill out there. -

By the way, Steve seems to be doing okay.

Your getting behind him, means he has promise, huh?

Well, good enough for a sizable advance from my publisher.

I mean, I took Steve on as a favor to Ted Hartley,

but he's got real talent

and the beginnings of a very good murder mystery.

His big mistake was to use a background

he had absolutely no experience in.

- Listen, I'll be on my way. - Oh.

Bye-bye. Thank you, Jess.

You bet.

Good afternoon, Phoebe.

I have an appointment to see Andre at 2:00.

Oh, yes. He's waiting for you.

- Oh, great. Thank you. - Sure.

Break time, Steve-o. Cover the phones.

Oh, okay. No problem.