Murder, She Wrote

Episode 1

Nailed

Thu, Sep 21, 199547 mins

At night, handsome Billy Blake escapes the arriving police by a rope from a skyscraper's roof carrying a bloody knife. Jessica chats with hairdresser Jimmy Neiman at Antoinette's and, when he's off to a Nancy Rainburn TV demonstration, to his brand new fiancée, manicurist Diane, when NYPD Lieutenant Sam Kriley asks for the guest list of the party where museum board member Agnes Frasier attended, probably because she returned unexpectedly early to her and was stabbed with her own kitchen knife, wondering if it's the work of the brilliant burglar who struck seven times in as many weeks, using keys, capturing priceless family heirlooms. Board colleague Kathy Stafford is relieved Agnes will recover completely. Jessica highly praises would-be novelist Steve Burke's notes he makes while working in the salon to get to know his chosen mystery scenery. Ralph Stafford makes clear to Jimmy he will not be allowed to chicken out of their still secret plan to launch a salon in his now famous name. Metropole Café terrace waiter Billy gets a call about the bloody knife he barely got away with, saying he had no choice as Agnes came at him with it, he was lucky it was too dark to be recognized. Ralph assures Kathy he only needs her priceless 1804 silver coin as collateral for a loan to launch Jimmy's salon, in six months to be paid off, then buys a fake copy from Allie Simpson. Jessica suggests to Sam the burglar may overhear customers at some place they all go to, Antoinette's beauty parlor fits at least four of the victims. Antoinette asks Steve to drop Nancy's left-behind glasses at her place on his way home and overhears Jimmy waving Diane's warning Ralph is too dangerous to do business with. Ralph promises Jimmy's ex Phoebe Campbell a fat managerial contract to spy on him. Kathy sees Ralph leaving his mistress Nancy's place after promising her to get divorced and giving the fake coin as collateral for her $400,000 investment check. Next, at Nancy's, Steve is knocked down by Billy, who was burglarizing the coin and throws the box besides him. Te kid is arrested but released on Jessica's recommendation. Nancy didn't report it stolen, to Ralph's relief, but demands alternative collateral. When Billy learns it's a fake, he smells something big and attempts blackmail, but Ralph threatens him with the police. Nancy learns her show will be canceled for poor ratings. Everybody attends Jimmy's send-off party. Afterward, he finds Ralph stabbed to dead with scissors in the salon where a note indicated Jimmy wanted to meet there. Sam and Jessica investigate.