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Murder, She Wrote Season 10 Episodes
Season 10 Episode Guide
21 Episodes 1993 - 1994
Episode 1
A Death in Hong Kong
Sun, Sep 12, 199347 mins
Jessica Fletcher has finally accepted House of Dunbar tycoon Brian's wife Emma Soon Dunbar's invitation to visit Hong Kong. While she's admiring Burmese jade, her host gets kidnapped, asking a $200,000 cash ransom. Police Insp. McLaughlin suggests the ransom will probably be quickly paid and insure a release, it's almost routine in the last years before the PRC's takeover, and so it happens. Unlike Emma, Brian is inclined to believe it was just another move by his merger-candidate Kai Kuan, whose son David is actually dating Brian's daughter April Dunbar, a forbidden love. Dunbar executive Mark Tower, who was found out selling goods supposedly destroyed in a warehouse fire to Shangai by women's apparel division head Louise Walton, offers his services to the Kuans. Even though the merger talks look like a dead-end, the sumptuous 110th Dunbar's anniversary banquet goes on with the Kuans for appearances sake, serving a century egg- which kills Brian by cyanide concentrate, some of which is found in Emma's ceramics studio.
Episode 2
For Whom the Ball Tolls
Sun, Sep 26, 199347 mins
Jessica helps friend Margaret Johnson and preservation committee president Carol Collins fight a New York development company. The project would cause a historical building, where Ernest Hemingway once had an apartment, to be torn down. Nolan Walsh holds out with his pub's lease. He even throws developer Eugene Gillrich out after violent promises and threats are made in public. Eugene and his wife Lee are desperate to save the project, while his brother and partner Walter wants to consider an alternate site. Eugene secretly romances Carol Collins to have her drop the petition. Then Walter is found shot dead at Eugene's desk and, presumably, Eugene was the target. NYPD Lieutenant Artie Gelber and Detective Henderson examine and arrest Margaret after finding her fingerprints in the office. Jessica gives her an alibi, though not foolproof, and finds evidence Walter's body was moved, so he was the intended victim. Jessica notices Carol ordered her usual drink at Nolan's pub, so she probably knew Eugene in advance, unlike her claim. Improbable mail gives Jessica a clue the 87-year-old is deceased. Her beneficiary, a nurse, wanted to keep the apartment and inspires Jessica about a parking matter, the key to the murder plot.
Episode 3
The Legacy of Borbey House
Sun, Oct 3, 199347 mins
Two teenagers making out in the cemetery get the scare of their lives when a man crawls out of a grave. Jessica's house needs electric and plumbing repairs, but her handyman Charles Weatherly is called away, to her anger, by rich client Lawrence Baker, who recently moved into the mansion Borbey House. Dr. Howard Sorenson, the visiting professor researching the Borbey House, congratulates Jessica, in the library, on her book research on sepulchers, in his field of research. Dave Perrin keeps looking for his sister Laurel who's been missing for 18 months. The same teenage couple is scared to death when they find what looks like a dead body but it turns out to just be a mannequin arm. Weatherly cancels Jessica's repairs after Baker agreed to structural work on a wall, doubling the restoration contract price. Molly's dad, a local shopkeeper, refuses to deal with Baker after finding out nobody knows about him and he only pays cash. Dr. Howard Sorenson is caught snooping in Baker's place and reacts like he is meeting a vampire. Next, Sheriff Mort Metzger and Jessica are called when Baker's body in found in the Borbey House, murdered with a wooden stake in his chest. Sorenson reports he found William Borbey's grave was empty. The name Borbey is the Hungarian equivalent of Baker. Sorenson points out Baker never left in daylight, kept no mirrors and may, thus, be a vampire. Baker's butler Peter Jatich's fingerprints match an ex-Stasi. When Laurel's body is located, Jessica figures out how everything ties together.
Episode 4
The Phantom Killer
Sun, Oct 24, 199347 mins
In New York, Jessica gets interviewed and followed by a sweet young profile-writer, Ben Forman; his agent Dean Richards is threatened in Jessica's presence by the bullying competing producer Harrison M. Kane, who tells his publisher Carter Drummond that he'll buy the magazine and tries to recruit Ben directly. Dean bitches to photographer Hans Dietrich and star model Kathryn Scofield, who is intimate with Hans. Ben follows Abby Peters after he overheard her being roughed up by Kane, who is then found dead from electrocution in the hotel bath. Shortly thereafter, NYPD Lt. Artie Gelber investigates and soon realizes that Kane made enemies constantly. Dean then calls Jessica, who is surprised Ben hasn't handed in a single page of work. She and the police catch him impersonating nonexistent agent Gary Manion, so he's charged with the murder and confesses, but Jessica can't believe he would leave such obvious evidence against his alter-ego and guesses correctly that he is only protecting Abby, though she reassures them that she's innocent. Artie still intends to nail Ben, but Jessica finds out what really happened...
Episode 5
A Virtual Murder
Sun, Oct 31, 199347 mins
Michael Burke has got Jessica to write a murder script "A Killing at Hastings' Rock" for their firm Marathon Images to base a virtual reality game on. The test version has a grave program flaw, which may sink the firm by missing a press presentation deadline. Jessica promises to rewrite the script so the failing character is no longer needed. Two partners secretly go to Redwood Concepts where James Lindstrom tells its CEO John Crowley he demands a bonus for dealing with him, now that he knows about his criminal past under the name Charles Crowe, while his partner David Salt promises 'another solution'. Jessica's fix works, but programming out a confusing set of locked doors would take too long. During the reception, Michael gets called by his P.I., Dan Porter, and confronts James about his contacting Crowley, who is there too. Shortly after, James' corpse is discovered, and his essential source codes are missing. Michael openly suspects Crowley. Investigating police Sergeant Ignacio Delcanto suspects a professional murder and arrests Michael because his finger prints where found on the murder weapon, Lindstrom's own gun. Jessica contacts Porter, having heard his name, and suggests he extorted a small fortune for withholding from Michael the involvement of David Salt. Alex and Jessica hack James' computer code, which inspires Jessica to set up the real murderer.
Episode 6
Bloodlines
Sun, Nov 7, 199360 mins
Jessica visits horse trainer Matt Cleveland on Wally Hampton's horse ranch in Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains, where everybody is elated about the prospects for their promising racehorse Swift Prince. Matt surprises an intruder in the barn and is clobbered down When Jessica investigates the noise, she finds a mysterious syringe in the hay which turned out to be a stimulant which was to be injected into Swift Prince, three days before a major race, so unlikely still to be detected even if it makes him win. Meanwhile, Catherine Noble's neighboring ranch is financially troubled, so daughter Tracey Noble can't get a grand wedding, and their partner, Lloyd Mentone, schemes with the Hampton's assistant trainer -who is fired by Matt- while insisting Prince shouldn't race with a not perfectly healed injury as his leg could be permanently hurt. Matt tells Jessica a video cassette he just received could help take 3 seconds off Prince's time, and shortly after is found dead on the side of the ranch road. Now rancher son Paul Hampton, a banker, pulls the plug at his deal with Lloyd, and calls off the wedding with Tracey 'which was only a match between stud ranches'. Jessica now solves the horse mystery and Matt's murder.
Episode 7
A Killing in Cork
Sun, Nov 21, 199347 mins
Jessica visits Fiona Delaney Griffith, the widow of Robert, a friend of her late husband, in Cork, Ireland, where the family runs a traditional factory of Woollens, blankets. Cousin Ambrose Griffith was about to take over management from Fiona's son Sean and move the site too far for many villagers to keep the only jobs in the region. Elder son Patrick Griffith, who was away over ten years fleeing his unfair father, is furious. Ambrose is found murdered in Father Timothy's church. Jessica also believes the old cripple local poet William Mahaffy who thinks Richards fall from the belfry was no accident and the crazy Una O'Reilly who puts flowers on his grave witnessed something. Sgt. Terence Boyle is clearly not up to examining murder cases, but Jessica does figure out how both murders fit together.
Episode 8
Love & Hate in Cabot Cove
Sun, Nov 28, 199360 mins
Sheriff Mort Metzger is shot at by an unknown person through the window in his office, but not hurt. Jessica came home for the annual rummage sale she's in charge of this time, but her New York accountant warned her financial situation requires an audit and local accountant Sam Bennett didn't avoiding her. He's gambling at Lou Keramides' clandestine casino. The sheriff gets the judge to sign a search-warrant for his restaurant, where Jessica and Dr. Seth Hazlitt happen to be dining, but a tip-off allowed him to cover it up in time, again. Deputy Ethan Loomis is seeing Sam's in-living daughter Candace Bennett and they are surprised by Sam making out in his patrol car. Mort shows Jessica anonymous threatening letters telling him to return to New York. Dr. Seth Hazlitt found his quarterly mutual fund purchases were neglected by Sam, whose wife Laura also learns about the complaints. Ethan gets paid for tipping off Keramides. College drop-out Chad Macinoy, the son of local gazette editor Irene Macinoy, is back in town from Philadelphia, and still in love with Candace, who doesn't want him back. Her parents throw him out, under gun-threat from Sam and Ethan, who gladly arrests his rival. The next morning, Ethan is shot while driving the sheriff's car and dies. Jessica realizes the killer must have been able to recognize the driver, so Mort probably wasn't the target. Jessica now checks out the 'private game room' to tell Keramides she suspects him and gets a covert threat not to insist. Deputy Andy Broom confirms he suspected Ethan tipped the casino. The sheriff arrests Sam Bennett, having found in his house a recently fired shotgun. Jessica believes he's only guilty of gambling with clients' money and suddenly realizes an inconspicuous clue.
Episode 9
Murder at a Discount
Sun, Dec 5, 199347 mins
Dave Novaro claims Jessica's book "The Uncaught" is a thinly disguised version of the murder of his wife Janet (whose mother died of grief six months later), except that he was acquitted in court, albeit merely for lack of evidence, five years ago, unlike 'his character' in 'her version', so he demands millions as compensation for damages to business, health and marriage. His wife Iris Novaro complains to him this makes him absent, while she tells her lover Randy Konig she couldn't bring herself to tell him about them at such a time of stress. To Jessica's surprise, NYPD Lt. Artie Gelber confirms the murders really are surprisingly similar, even in some details, and there was enough publicity so she could have known. Dave's daughter Rachel Novaro, a lawyer, is handling the lawsuit, while her grandpa Norman Trent believes Dave did murder her mother. When Iris publicly accuses Jessica of ruining her marriage to Dave, who married her, his former secretary, Jessica's publisher Ted Hartley asks her to consider a settlement to avoid the costs of a high-profile trial. When Novaro's assistant Neil Fraser warns Dave his business is about to falter under the publicity costs, he reads the book and calls Jessica, suggesting he may withdraw his lawsuit as it inspired him who really would have murdered his wife. Shortly after he is clobbered to death with a walking cane. Rachel persists with the lawsuit. Jessica asks her about the last passage Dave read, according to his fingerprints, and notices she has a paste copy of her mother's diamond necklace which Dave used to cover up pawning the real one. Iris tells Rick off 'because he was only after the money' when he sounds disappointed Rachel is the sole heir. Artie arrests Norman Trent who was seen by a bag lady at the shop where his fingerprints where abundant, even admits he wanted Dave dead for murdering his daughter. Jessica doesn't buy it as it would alienate Rachel and investigates her own theory.
Episode 10
Murder in White
Sun, Dec 19, 199347 mins
Jessica comes to the rescue of her friend, actress Glenda Highsmith, who is mounting a play in Martin Kramer's London theater adapting a Fletcher-mystery. It is a defective adaptation by the play-writer Mae Shaughnessy who has not done a mystery before. Jessica and others get strange calls from Malcolm Brooker, claiming to be a reporter for Empire magazine trying to get background information on Glenda's past. The actors have their own troubles.. Waning glory Lawson Childress is drinking a bit much, worrying about Glenda. Rising star Franklin Smith fears he is to be replaced. And his girlfriend Sally Briggs is told it would take her pleasing Kramer more intimately the she's prepared to do for Franklin to be kept. Director Peter Drew tells Jessica that Glenda can't concentrate because of Kramer who is called by phone to the props basement and stabbed to death. Stage manager Oliver Hopkins finds him. Scotland Yard's Detective Chief Inspector Ellen Jarvis investigates. Her friend tells Jessica, and Glenda confirms, that the Earl Glenhaven is actual her former youth love, then a grenadier, now dying and the unknowing father of Brett Dillon, who she gave up for adoption. Jarvis says Brooker is no reporter but just a 'grifter' (petty crook) and paid by Kramer. He tells Jessica he saw a blond woman go in after Martin, wearing a white raincoat like Glenda in the play, but ran from the police. Glenda is arrested and admits she was there, only in another raincoat. The disappearance of the white raincoat from props inspires Jessica to solve the murder.
Episode 11
Northern Explosion
Sun, Jan 2, 199447 mins
Jessica flies to Indian territory in British Columbia, Canada and gets stuck because of plane trouble in Dominion, a town near Hobart Creek, where the Aurora Hills Mining Company is denied passage by armed natives, despite a contract signed by the territorial government, till old Joe Quill convinces them to wait a few days for legal action, which comes in the person of Jessica's locally born co-passenger Peter Henderson, a cynical realist, who warns Joe's grandson, nature-drawing artist George Quill, to stop using arms. Mine executive Rick Shipley and another miner rough up George till they notice Jessica approaching. George tells her to forget about it as the police never believe an Indian. Meanwhile, Henderson goes out with police Sgt. Hilda Dupont. Shipley warns Joe to call off George before it gets really dangerous, but is blackmailed, himself, by retired RCMP cop Hamish McPherson, also flown in with Jessica, who recognized him as escaped Mountie-killing bank robber Nicholas Jensen Davis, McPherson is killed by dynamite, according to Shipley the sticks stolen from the mine by George, under the bridge where he would have been paid and drove to in the mining company truck Shipley lent him. George is arrested, but Jessica doesn't believe Shipley was the target, even after the stolen dynamite case with three sticks missing is found hidden in George's home. Next, Shipley is found dead by bullet, apparently suicide, but only two hours after he booked a flight. Jessica comes up with a surprising theory and proves it.
Episode 12
Proof in the Pudding
Sun, Jan 9, 199447 mins
Jessica is celebrity guest on Italian cook Bernardo Bonelli's TV show. Bernardo is terribly rude to his Salvadorian assistant Manuel Ramirez, a good friend Lorna Thompson. The Bonelli's are starting up a restaurant, but are out of capital and targeted by mobster Paul Avoncino's racketeering, while Bernado refuses to flirt with studio manager Alex Weaver's wife, food critic Diane. When both Bernardo and Paul are murdered, Jessica has to do NYPD's job for Detective MacKenzie.
Episode 13
Portrait of Death
Sun, Jan 16, 199447 mins
In New York, Jessica donates a painting to a charity auction organized by an old friend from Cabot Cove, putting her on the scene when an art dealer of dubious honesty and taste is killed. When her friend becomes the prime suspect in the murder, Jessica must wade through a sting and a missing painting to find the real murderer.
Episode 14
Deadly Assets
Sun, Jan 23, 199447 mins
Sheriff Metzger and Jessica must interrupt preparations for a dinner party 'not' for Seth's birthday to figure out recent crimes in Cabot Cove. Walter Perry broke into metals entrepreneur Sanford Lomax's office to take money he was owed , but stumbles upon and grabs $900,000. It's actually owed to mobster Joseph Kempinsky, who sends goon Oscar James Gandile to retrieve it. Lomax hopes to have it returned by hiring PI Charlie Garrett, an old friend of Jessica's. However, it's Oscar who gets killed, and the fortune is missing.
Episode 15
Murder on the Thirtieth Floor
Sun, Feb 6, 199447 mins
Jessica's New York publisher Edward Graham suffers from nightmares about his late wife beckoning him to the afterlife, for which he takes pills prescribed by his shrink, Dr. Jerry Santana. Awake, he has excessive mood-swings, completely changing his mind on Jessica's manuscript and firing people for trifling matters. Jessica concludes he's a manic-depressive. After setting up a romantic evening, he falls to his death from the roof, actually pushed, after writing an apology note for Jessica. Lieutenant Nick Acosta asks her to stay out of the investigation, but she's executor of his recently updated last will. From that, his life insurance policy, his manipulated house and pills, she concludes it was murder. There's also a robbery and another murder.
Episode 16
Time to Die
Sun, Mar 6, 199447 mins
Jessica witnesses businessman Frank Garcia's sports car running over his stepson Chris's high school teacher Barbara Fisher, but his foreman ad his wife provide false alibis. By the time Jessica got the passenger and another corroborating witness, a graffiti 'artist', to come forward, Frank, a ruthless loan shark, is fatally shot on the roof where he houses his racing pigeons.
Episode 17
The Dying Game
Sun, Mar 13, 199447 mins
In New York City to finalize a deal for the Museum of Contemporary Culture, Jessica finds herself trying to solve a murder. Her friend Floyd Larkin, owner of the venerable Larkins Department Store, is preoccupied when someone is found murdered on the premises. Things seem to go from bad to worse when Larkin tells Jessica that he's backing out of his promised support for the Museum and is selling his store to a rival chain owned by Clint Hallowell. It's a bitter pill, especially for long-time employees who worry about their future. When Hallowell is also killed - by a crossbow - there is no shortage of possible suspects.
Episode 18
The Trouble with Seth
Sun, Mar 27, 199447 mins
SPOILER ALERT: Boston, 1974: a security guard (Al Gowdy) is shot dead when trying to stop TWO burglars from getting away; the next minute the police arrest THREE men. Cabot Cove, 1994 (then-present day): Sheriff Mort Metzger has been receiving reports about a prowler, but the descriptions are contradictory. Dr. Hazlitt remarks that local computer store owner Evan Rafferty has been particularly grumpy lately, perhaps because he doesn't want his son Will to start a boating business and refuses to cosign a loan. Evan tells Julia Harris, a woman from Boston who expresses interest in purchasing his property, which he tells her is not for sale regardless of what her company bids. She suggests to Will, who has answered her questions about his dad's past, that a Boston bank might co-finance his project and he gratefully invites her for dinner. Shortly after, he examined the mysterious ex-con, Seth is missing, his office ransacked, and there is a blood stain, his type. Using a computer-generated image of the presumed prowler, the sheriff learns that the ex-con had been using aliases. Jessica Fletcher believes Jimmy lied about not recognizing him. The fingerprints in Seth's office belong to a Leo David Fender (a.k.a. Ronald Olson). A male body is spotted in the woods -- it is that of Fender, stabbed to death. Seth is perfectly all right, he had just made a distant medical house call, and recognizes Leo as a new patient. After a talk with Jimmy, who realizes Evan was the only one in town who went all the way to Boston to hear a symphony orchestra, Evan decides to move in a hurry, telling his fiancée, Marion Taylor (mother of Jimmy), that his past has caught up with him. From Leo's police file, Jessica notices the names of his accomplices. Evan Rafferty is the alias of Stanley Barton, who, that night in Boston back in 1974, was an innocent civilian waiting in his parked automobile when a security guard was shot dead. One of the perps tossed the gun into Evan/Stanley's car, causing all three men to be arrested. Since then, Stanley Barton has managed, against the odds, to live under his new alias, which, in retrospect, may be the reason he refuses to cosign any bank loans or sell his business, as his fraud would be more likely to be uncovered under new scrutiny.
Episode 19
Roadkill
Sun, May 1, 199447 mins
At Houston Space Control for research, Jessica overhears Sam Mercer promise NASA's LG computers order, essential for the IT firm, is on its way, but the truck gets robbed by masked men on the open road in plain daylight. Her friend and host Wayne Platte, the truck driver, got hurt, and the firm was in bad enough shape, now suppliers demand immediate payment and insurance companies consider them a bad risk. His son Rob Platte, a college drop-out who works in the roadhouse, seems only interested in country singing, which doesn't bring in good money. Roadhouse owner Willie Greenwood is furious her accomplice Randy Jinks, waitress Cindy Warrick's ex, could have killed Wayne. Randy and Rob, Cindy's lover who never told his dad about her, fight till Willie pulls them apart to avoid damages. Randy haggles about the looted computer with a local electronics repair store who is acting as a fence. Willie reminds Wayne's secretary Meg Thomas her next debt payment is due. Ex-con Lance Taggart drops in at Willie's. She won't put him up but he follows Randy, gets him talking and makes her cut him in for 10% to keep him silent. Sheriff Jim Monday suspects Wayne hijacked his own truck to collect the insurance. When Wayne disapproves of Rob's proposal to Cindy, Rob quits as driver, too. Wayne hurts his arm badly changing a truck tire and is ready to close shop, but Rob returns. Jessica notices Styrofoam packing in the back of Randy's truck that makes the stolen computers. Randy is run over by a truck at night after stepping out of his pickup truck. A Platte name tag from the truck Rob drove is found there and the sheriff arrests Rob. Jessica snoops at the local electronics shop after noticing sales slip in Randy's pickup and tricks the owner into betraying himself as a fence, but he claims the computers were rubbish, impossible to sell even as parts. Then Jessica finds out the truck mileage was doctored so someone else could have driven Rob's truck.
Episode 20
A Murderous Muse
Sun, May 15, 199447 mins
While handyman Richie Kanpinski repairs her sink, Jessica remarks how a busker plays the clarinet beautifully outside the same apartment building where pianist Leslie Walden is rehearsing. Her guardian and manager Byron Tokofsky, is impossibly demanding, even quick to fire professionals. He is startled by the suspicious arrival of Leslie's dad, Hank Walden (the has-been clarinetist) who walked out on her ten years after his wife died. Byron, watched by Hank from outside, tells Leslie, who approaches legal majority, that he arranged for them to be married in Munich next October. Vanessa Cross, Byron's former companion but still his assistant, informs Hank about Byron's plans. Two businessmen have secret dealings about a fat recording contract Byron made, but to be signed in Leslie's name, so it can still be altered. Next morning, Byron is found dead at the piano, shot, apparently, through the open window. Lt. Peter DiMartini arrests Hank, whose fingerprints were on the roof across the street, from where he could have shot. Solly Prince, a jazz musician close to Leslie, put her up when he found her in tears at his door. When he goes out for takeaway, he finds her gone and turns to Jessica, who is also intrigued by the anonymous composition Byron was playing, which contains a musical oddity.
Episode 21
Wheel of Death
Sun, May 22, 199447 mins
Before she goes to the Cabot Cove carnival with Seth, Jessica notices some jewelry is missing- she was burglarized. Sheriff Mort Metzger gets reports from other victims but is most surprised after 22 years to meet Joanna Simms again, a college girlfriend who ran off with then jock Don Simms. She's now the traveling carnival's assistant manager. Jessica and Seth are surprised to hear from Don's co-owner Carl Dorner that the carnival brought very little money in despite good attendance. According to him people just didn't spend money, but young local grocer Richard Binyon even spends $100 as thank-you for great sales. Juggler Nicodemus 'Nicky' Newton accepts someone's order to break in and look at the carnival's books. Toby Grant, who works as the roustabout for a year to finance going to college, meets up with local volunteer Lisa Farrel, who gives Jessica a tally copy confirming the income. Joanna surprises Nicky going through Dorner's desk in his trailer, according to him looking for his knife-throwing partner's engagement ring, but thinks they are in cahoots. Richard and Seth are picked from the audience as reluctant volunteers for magician Dorner's pickpocket act, which embarrassingly includes some of their clothes. Lisa feels for Toby, who was publicly chewed out by Dorner, and agrees to meet up after the show closes at night. Instead she witnesses a masked person stab Dorner and runs. Joanna finds the corpse on a ride. When Mort tells Joanna Don has an inheritance motive, she tells she saw Nick, who refuses to give his alibi, claiming to have taken on oath not to tell, but after a tip from Carmen she saw Nick talking with a Lighthouse Motel guest, they identify him- it's Sherman Hastings from the IRS, who asked Nick's help to investigate black bookkeeping. Jessica sees that Don watched Toby telling her Lisa refuses to see him, probably fearing he might be the masked killer, and races away. Mort arrests Joanna, thinking they murdered Carl after finding out his scam. Jessica believes the couple's denial, as Don, who is soon apprehended, couldn't be the burglar and the murderer used a stolen antique knife, then realizes the significance of something resembling a wallet.