[dramatic music]
Downloaded from YTS.MX
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[ominous music]
- I can't do it.
It's too risky.
Look, I'm sorry, but my wife,
she said I could move back home, so.
Oh, here's the money back.
Most of it.
I'll get the rest back to you next month.
You don't have to worry about me telling anyone.
You can trust me, right?
[gun firing]
[ominous music]
- Oh, no thank you, Eddie.
- Oh no, it's Eric.
- Eric. Sorry.
- Well, that was an interesting movie,
although I don't think it gave me anything good
for your Real Murders talk, Sally.
- No, because in real life, the bank robber's sister
did not leave a warning in the bank window.
- Really? That was made up?
- Yes, because if they did what actually happened,
the movie would have been about 15 minutes long.
- True.
Not the smartest bank robbers I've ever seen.
Heist movies are usually about smart heists,
not ones that crash and burn.
- But it was a good morality play
with a dash of Shakespearian tragedy.
- You see Shakespeare in everything.
- Well, if you're a professor of literature
is that a hazard of the job?
- Eric is a history professor.
European history, isn't it?
- Western civilization.
- Oh.
- My dissertation on the Roman conquest of the British Isles
took me four years to write.
That must sound crazy to you
since you have to pound out articles for the paper
every day on a deadline.
- Hang on one sec.
Nick, let me help you with the dishes.
- Oh, thank you, Sally.
That's very sweet.
So four years on that dissertation?
- Yeah. - That's commitment.
[mellow music]
- I told Roe, she could've mentioned
that I was bringing Eric with me tonight.
- That's not why I followed you.
I want to see the you-know-what.
- Oh, um.
- Oh! Nick, it's beautiful.
Roe is gonna love it.
Okay, how do you plan on popping the question?
Are we talking hot air balloon, mountaintop picnic?
Spelunking?
- Roe's too sharp.
She'll see it coming if I do any of that.
I want to surprise her.
I'll know the right moment when it comes.
- Thanks for coming to movie night, Eric.
- Oh, of course. - I needed the distraction.
- Roe's been working a lot of hours
on the library fundraiser coming up Friday.
For the new literacy program.
- Oh, sounds like a worthy cause.
- Yeah, you should come.
And if you're into Shakespeare, you will love it.
The Seattle History Museum is lending us an exhibit.
- A dress worn by Queen Elizabeth I.
- Well, a dress like the ones she wore.
But also a jeweled headpiece that supposedly she did wear.
And there'll be Renaissance-era food and music.
- Really? I hadn't heard.
- And Sally will be there.
- Then I'd love to go.
I'd be happy to pick you up, Sally,
if you'd like to ride together.
- Oh, that's nice.
But I have to go early to get quotes
for my write-up for the paper.
- Oh, okay.
- But you'll see each other there.
It'll be fun.
- I look forward to it.
Great meeting you, Sally.
- Nice to meet you too.
I'll get the door.
[gentle music]
- I'll call you later to say goodnight.
- My favorite part of the day.
- Bye, Nick. - Bye, Sally.
- Okay, I thought we agreed
that you weren't gonna try and set me up anymore.
- Oh, come on!
He is smart. He is handsome.
- He chomps popcorn really loudly.
Okay, okay. Not a dealbreaker.
And he is very nice.
I just don't know that he's perfect for me
the way Nick is perfect for you.
- Yeah.
I do believe I found my Mr. Right.
[upbeat music]
- [Terry] Who's speaking today?
- Melissa. And you know how long-winded she is.
- Mother!
- Oh, Aurora.
Not that it isn't nice to see you, darling,
but we are on our way out.
- Real estate luncheon today.
- Oh, well, I'm just dropping off the raffle tickets
you said you'd sell at the library fundraiser.
- Oh, yes.
- Although 100 tickets seems like a lot.
- Oh, please.
I'm sure I'll have them all sold by the fundraiser tomorrow.
- 100 tickets?
That's optimistic.
Dear Terry, you of all people should know
I have a very long and very loyal client list.
- As do I.
Roe, would you happen to have another 100 tickets
that I can sell?
- Oh, it's a competition all right.
Terry could never displace my mother
as the Lawrenceton queen of real estate,
but maybe she can sell more raffle tickets.
- Well, she used to be the mayor.
I bet she has quite the contact list.
- Yeah, it'll be interesting to see who comes out on top.
You want to place any bets?
- I would never bet against a Teagarden woman.
In fact, there's no safer bet
than going all in with a Teagarden woman.
And so- [phone buzzing]
- Oh, it's Lillian.
I'm supposed to go over that last-minute to-do list
for the fundraiser, but I can call her back.
- Go ahead. Answer.
Now's not the best time anyway.
- Hey, Lillian.
Yeah. Let me just get the list.
[upbeat music]
- Talbot is a new hire for the museum.
I hope you'll have other officers guarding the exhibit.
- We have three officers assigned to this detail.
- Rest assured, Miss Stevens,
the museum items will be under careful watch.
- We have the CCTV surveillance camera going up.
- Per our contract.
- And Detective Smith and I will both be present
during the event tonight.
- Lynn and Arthur are very cautious, and also very thorough.
- Roe, I see no reason why
you should be weighing in on security
- Roe, this is Kelly Stevens,
assistant director of the museum.
- Hi. - Hi.
Aurora Teagarden. I work for the library.
- You were part of the contingent that talked our board
into lending you Leicester's gift.
- Sorry?
- Oh, Leicester's gift.
It's the headpiece.
A Tudor crown worn by Queen Elizabeth I.
- According to legend.
We have to add that because the story isn't substantiated.
Either way, the pearls are real and very valuable.
And the crown belongs to a private collector
who graciously allows us to display it at our museum.
- Well, we'll make sure that it is
well-protected while it's here.
- Well, I hope so.
Because to be frank, I was against
allowing this exhibit to leave the museum.
- Don't worry, Miss Stevens.
I'm satisfied with security precautions.
- Well, I'm the one who needs to be satisfied.
- Yes, ma'am.
- Let's get this unpacked.
- All right, Aurora, let's finish setting up.
- I just want to take a peek.
- Talbot, did you forget?
You need to wear gloves.
- Sorry.
[mellow music]
- [sighing] It's sublime.
- And now...
The piece de resistance.
Leicester's gift.
- Never seen anything like it.
- I think I'll call in a few more officers for this detail.
[stately music]
- Welcome.
I'm Lillian Tibbett of the Lawrenceton library.
And you are?
- Miya Quan.
- Oh, we're so glad you could be here, Miya.
- Yes. As am I.
- Howard, one of our most faithful patrons.
I'm so glad you could come tonight.
- I wouldn't have missed it.
- Oh, I've been meaning to call you.
Those home improvement books you requested have arrived.
- Oh, good.
Mrs. Teagarden did warn me the place she found me
was a fixer-upper, so.
- Well, they'll be waiting for you. Come by any time.
Enjoy the evening.
- I'm sure I will.
- Of course, Americans have always been
fascinated with British royalty.
It's why, you know, many of our historical artifacts
have found a happy home in museums here.
- Nick, meet Kelly Stevens and James Reading.
Miss Stevens works for the museum.
Mr. Reading's on its board of directors.
Professor Nick Miller.
- It's a pleasure to meet you, Professor.
- It's great to meet you both.
I've been hearing your names all week.
- Well, he's the one who talked the board
into letting this exhibit travel.
- Well, it hasn't traveled far.
We just an hour from Seattle.
Really, I think more of our exhibits
should be out and about, you know,
inspiring a thirst for history.
It would certainly be better public relations
than those brochures that you're handing out.
- Well, I beg to differ.
- Excuse me.
- [Nick] Okay.
- I thought I heard a familiar voice.
How have you been, James?
- Oh, very well, thanks.
The younger Mr. Mettle.
- Oh, Davis, hey.
How is it that you two know each other?
- Through my father.
- Who I tried to recruit to the museum board.
Too busy, he claims, in that world of corporate finance
that's made him so successful.
- But not too busy to play golf
with you and your fabulous wife on the weekends.
Olivia is here, I hope.
- No, no. Sadly not.
No, she is in London on a visit, but you know,
she would have loved to have been here.
She's a big, big supporter of libraries.
- Oh, well, we are happy for the museum's support.
Mr. Reading, I heard that you are introducing the exhibit.
- I am.
Yes, no, I insisted.
No one tells the story of Leicester's gift quite like me.
- It's stuck on the track.
Oh no, I got it.
- All right, CCTV camera is working and recording.
- All right, pull up on the stage curtains.
Excuse me. What are you doing?
- I'm sorry. I was just curious to see the famous crown.
- Okay, well, you're not supposed to be up here.
I you to step down, please.
- I'm so sorry. - That's okay.
- No, it's fine.
I'll get someone to bring over a broom.
- I should do it. It's my fault.
- I'll get a trash bag.
- We've got it, Roe. No worries.
- Well, we'll still need a broom.
And thank you for volunteering, Philip.
I'm sorry about the costume.
- It's fine.
Not embarrassing at all.
[stately music]
- Thank you for your support. Miya Quan, you said?
- Yes, and now I have 200 tickets.
Good shot at winning that trip to London, I hope.
- Oh, I think so.
Oh, the flight leaves from Seattle, just so you know.
- Convenient, as that's where I live.
For the moment, anyway.
I'm rather charmed by Lawrenceton.
- Oh, well, are you thinking of relocating?
Because I have to give you my card.
I know I could help you.
What is it that you do?
- Import/export. Rather cutthroat business.
Much like real estate, I imagine.
- I'd already sold tickets to that woman.
- Well, now she has more.
That was the end of my tickets.
So how are you doing with yours?
- The evening is young.
- Talbot.
I'd take the trash out to the dumpster, but.
- No problem. I've got it.
- Here.
Oh, Eric.
Hey. I'm so glad you made it.
- Wouldn't miss it.
Is Sally around?
- Um, there.
- Oh.
- Oh, Howard!
Oh, it's so nice to see you.
How is it settling into your new home?
- Fine. Everything is fine.
- Where's Mr. Reading? It's time for the reveal.
- Here he comes right now.
- Oh. - Are we ready?
- Yes. Let's begin.
Is this on? Yes?
Hello, I'm Lillian Tibbett,
managing librarian for the Lawrenceton library.
[audience applauding]
Thank you.
On behalf of the library, we want to welcome you
to our Renaissance night fundraiser.
[audience applauding]
Our goal is to raise $50,000 to fund a literacy program
out of our new Gladys Allison McCourt Reading Room.
And to inspire you to open up your checkbooks,
the Seattle Museum of History has brought us
their most popular Renaissance-era exhibit.
So without further ado, I'd like to welcome
from the board of directors of the museum
Mr. James Reading.
[audience applauding]
- Thank you.
When you think of the Renaissance,
you probably think of figures like William Shakespeare,
or his patron, Queen Elizabeth I.
We know Shakespeare often staged his plays
for the Queen's court, as he did in 1597
with a production of "Love's Labour's Lost".
Now, an account of this evening described the Queen's garb.
And in 1923, a dress was unearthed in London
that matched this account,
along with a pearl-encrusted headdress,
also known as a billiment.
The queen often wore these lighter headdresses
in place of a heavy crown.
The dress had degraded over time.
But the Tudor crown,
which is what we call it at the museum,
was in pristine condition.
Historians believe it was given to Elizabeth
by the one man that she is said to have loved,
a man famous for showering her with pearls.
Robert Dudley, the Earl of Leicester.
Which is why the crown is now better-known
as Leicester's gift.
Now, the legend might not be true.
Most of Elizabeth's artifacts
have not survived the centuries intact, but true or not,
the legendary beauty of the queen's crown of pearls
never disappoints.
Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you Leicester's gift.
[audience applauding]
[crowd murmuring]
- What's going on?
- [James] Where's the Tudor crown?
- The crown's supposed to be on the mannequin.
- It was there a few minutes ago.
- Then where is it now?
- No one leaves until they've been searched.
- It's gotta be here.
- Well, it's not.
- That's not acceptable.
- It seems impossible.
We've had a camera on it the entire time.
- Well, clearly we trusted the wrong people to protect it.
- Is there anything I can do to help?
- Yes. All of your library supporters here?
Organize them into lines to be searched.
We have officers on the way.
- Okay.
- This is a disaster.
[suspenseful music]
- Please open your purse.
- No, you will not search me.
You have no cause to search me.
- Excuse me. Is there a problem?
- Yes, this is very much a problem.
- And what is your name?
- Miya Quan.
And I prefer not to be treated like a criminal.
- I understand, but unless you agree to be searched,
you're gonna be detained until
the missing property is found.
- I'm sure my lawyer will have something to say about that.
- Roe, I expect you and your Real Murders people
need to be searched if they haven't been already.
- Surely you don't mean me.
- Aida, let the female officer pat you down
and you can go home.
- That's exactly where I intend to go.
- You too.
- Thank you for your cooperation.
We apologize for the inconvenience.
- I really should be getting some quotes
for a story on this, but I just can't believe it.
- Yeah, that crown disappearing
right in front of the chief of police?
- And 100 other people, not to mention the CCTV camera.
- I feel for Lynn and Arthur.
- I don't know why you think I took it.
It's my job to protect it.
- Then why does the CCTV footage show you
reaching inside the exhibit after the drapes
had already been closed around it?
- I wasn't reaching inside.
I was just trying to make sure the drape was fully shut.
- I dunno what to say.
He hasn't left the room, so if it's not on him,
he didn't take it.
- Well, it hasn't just disappeared.
Clearly it's been stolen.
- Well, not by me.
- No, but on your watch.
- So I'm just the designated scapegoat here, is that it?
- Just go back to your hotel, Talbot.
We'll deal with you tomorrow.
- Wait, you're at a hotel?
But Seattle is so close.
- I expected we'd be here very late
getting the exhibit packed up after the event.
- That helps us, actually.
Mr. Talbot, you're free to go back to your hotel,
but I need you to sit tight
till I can send someone to get a statement from you.
- Okay.
- So now what?
- We don't go home until we find it.
- [sighing] All right.
- Why is the security guard leaving?
- They let him go?
[car engine starting]
- Well, I can't say it hasn't been interesting.
I'll see you tomorrow, Nick?
Goodnight, everyone.
- Bye. - Goodnight.
- Well, I know Talbot was a new hire.
I wonder if his last job was as a magician.
- Yeah, it does seem as if slight of hand
made that crown disappear.
- Yeah, but even if he was able to get it off the mannequin,
where did it go after?
- True. He never left the stage.
- Well, except for when he helped pick up the spilled food.
- He helped pick up the food.
- And he got you to take out the trash.
- You think Talbot slipped a crown in the trash bag?
- Where'd you dump the trash?
- In that dumpster there.
- [Nick] It might still be in there.
- He put it in the trash.
How did I miss that?
- And I let him leave.
Get two units to the Newbury Hotel now.
I want Brett Talbot in custody.
- Dispatch two units to Newbury Hotel. Over.
- It was a black bag.
- Try this one.
- This one's black.
- They're all black.
- Excuse me.
- Phillip, you should get out of the dumpster right now.
- Oh, you think?
- We should have come to you as soon as we realized.
- Yes, you should have.
- We think the security guard put the crown
in the trash bag Philip took out.
- We know, and now you're possibly contaminating evidence.
- Contaminating a dumpster?
- Out. Now.
You find the crown,
I want to be the one to put Talbot in cuffs.
- I think it was a black one.
Like that, that right there.
- They're all black.
[ominous music]
- What are you doing here?
- They're not gonna find the crown in that dumpster.
- You're right.
Talbot didn't even glance toward it when he came out here.
- So either it was never there in the first place, or.
- He knew somebody else would be there to retrieve it.
- It makes sense that this wouldn't be a one-person job.
- Magicians always have an assistant.
- We should go to Talbot's hotel and talk to Lynn.
- Or you can just talk to Arthur 'cause he's right there.
- Well, you talk to Arthur.
Let's go see Lynn.
- You know what she really wants
is to see what's going on with Talbot.
[suspenseful music]
- One shot to the chest.
From the powder marks, it looks close range,
and no, the crown isn't here.
We've got forensics on it.
- Whoever convinced Talbot to take part in the heist
just killed him to keep him quiet.
[lively music]
It's not gonna be easy getting people to focus today.
Everyone's talking about the missing crown
and Talbot's murder.
- I have a plan for that.
I'm gonna head them off at the pass.
Yeah.
- Okay, everybody.
I hereby open this meeting of the Real Murders Club.
Today's speaker is Sally Allison
and today's subject is a murder many believe is connected
to the failed Southwest bank robbery of 1953.
So Sally, take it away.
- Thank you, Roe.
Before we get started, I know many of you are curious
about the murder of the security guard
at the Newbury Hotel last night.
And since I just handed in my story about it
for tomorrow's paper, I can give you an update.
The police believe it was Talbot who stole the headpiece
known as Leicester's gift from the fundraiser last night.
A CCTV camera caught him
slipping something into his pocket,
then transferring it to a trash bag.
- Which I carried out to the dumpster, like an idiot.
- There's no way you could've known, Phillip.
- Exactly.
The police say this was a very well-planned heist.
And whoever his accomplices were
clearly didn't want him talking because they killed him,
also in a very well-planned way
because there was no physical evidence left behind,
and the security cameras outside the hotel
had been disabled.
- Any suspects?
- The only one that Chief Smith was willing to name
was the one person at the fundraiser
who refused to be searched.
And that was Miya Quan from Seattle.
And that's all that I know.
So getting back to the bank robbery.
- Oh, wait.
Did the chief acknowledge that
if the security guard was involved,
then other people from the museum were likely involved?
- Yeah. An inside job.
That's what I was thinking.
- My friend James Reading sits on the board of directors.
I'll go talk to him tomorrow, see what he thinks.
- I'll find out who hired Talbot,
see what they know about him. - Mind if I tag along?
I don't like the way these people
used me to get away with it.
- Okay, everyone, you all know that I am
just as interested as you in what happened last night,
but Sally worked really hard on this talk, so let's...
Mother?
- I don't even know if I should be telling you this.
I am, I am always so protective of my client's privacy.
But if it's relevant to a murder-
- What client?
- Howard Kane.
I saw him last night at the fundraiser.
- Yeah, Howard's one of my favorite library patrons.
- Oh, he's, he's a good client.
Although it was a little difficult for him to get a mortgage
because he's a convicted felon.
Grand larceny.
- Howard?
The man who always returns his books on time
is a thief?
- He told me that when he was younger
he used to break into people's houses
and he'd steal their televisions, steal their jewelry.
- Mother, he was on that stage with Lynn and Arthur
before the crown was stolen.
He's the one that tripped Phillip.
- I don't even know if I can bring myself
to going to the police to tell them
what I know about Howard.
It feels like such an ethical violation.
- Yeah, but at a minimum, he could be an accomplice.
We have to tell the police,
even if they just look into it and rule him out.
Is it all right if I tell them?
- That would solve my dilemma.
- Okay. - Thank you.
[lively music]
- Wow, this place is great.
- Hey.
There's Arthur.
- The offices are upstairs. I think we can go this way.
- Yes, yes.
They want a heads to roll for this,
but it won't be yours, Henry, all right?
If you go, I go.
No, no, no.
If it's anyone's fault, it's mine.
What you're doing is important there.
So, and I'll fill out the other board members.
I'll get back to you.
Okay, take care. Cheers.
I am sorry, Davis.
Not a good time. It is chaos here.
- Look, I just wanted to see if there's anything
my friend Philip and I can do to help.
- I feel kind of responsible.
I'm the one who your security guard tricked
into taking the crown out in the trash.
- Not your fault.
I should have known something wasn't right
when the fellow first assigned to the job disappeared.
- Sorry, disappeared how?
- He didn't show up for work last week.
Well, his wife told us that he'd run off with another woman,
but David Reyes, he was a good man, steady.
Just struck me as odd.
- Well, it's more than odd now.
So where did this Talbot guy come from?
- Your police detective asked me the same thing.
But our assistant director, Kelly. I think you've met her.
She's in charge of personnel, hiring, so.
- Actually, our human resources manager
is in charge of hiring, not me.
I don't know where Talbot came from, but if you recall,
I was the one complaining about his inexperience.
You can't pin any of this on me, James.
This disaster is all yours.
[suspenseful music]
- She's enjoying our predicament a little too much.
A man's been killed.
The museum has taken a terrible loss
and she's trying to parlay it
into a chance to snatch the director's job.
Look, I'm really sorry, gents,
but I need to make some calls,
make sure that that does not happen.
- Yeah, of course.
Thanks, James.
[suspenseful music]
- However refreshing it is that you've come to me
with a lead rather than chasing this down on your own,
you must know that the first thing I would do
is run priors on all your fundraiser guests.
- Oh, I, I just didn't think
that you would do that on all of them.
- Yeah, you don't mean, like, all.
- You didn't run one on me, did you?
- Sally, why would I run a background check on you?
- Well, I always feel guilty when I'm around you, Lynn.
I can't explain it.
- Kane. I'm talking about Howard Kane.
I know that he was convicted of grand larceny.
- Yes, and he was on that stage before the crown was stolen.
- Yes, I'm aware of that, and we are looking into him.
And did I say that was on the record?
No, I did not.
- That's why I feel guilty.
- Oh, Nick, Eric.
I wasn't expecting you.
- Nor was I. I hope it's important.
I don't have time for chitchat.
- My colleague here teaches history at the university.
- Professor Eric Hanson.
- He's an expert on the Elizabethan era
and he has some opinions on
who might be interested in the crown.
- As in a list of people
who might be willing to kill for it?
- Oh, no, nothing like that.
I just have some thoughts.
- I'm sorry, we're just about to interview a suspect.
Maybe email me your thoughts.
- Oh, okay.
- Well, I'm interested in your thoughts.
Can we go get coffee?
- Sure.
- I'd like to quote, you if I can, for my story.
- [laughing] What academic doesn't love to be quoted?
- Can you tell us why you objected to
a cursory search at the fundraiser, Miss Quan?
- What does it matter?
From what I've read, the stolen headpiece
left the building by other means.
- You own an import/export business.
What items do you export?
- I export raw materials for manufacture,
import the finished products.
Fashion items, mostly.
- Fashion items? Like jewelry?
- Why, yes.
Those $6 earrings that girls like to buy at the mall?
They have me to thank.
- It's now accepted that Elizabeth I
wanted to marry Robert Dudley, but politics prevented it.
- So did the mysterious death of his first wife.
Huge scandal.
- Ooh, maybe we should look into that
for a Real Murders Club meeting.
- But Elizabeth kept Dudley close anyway.
Made him the first Earl of Leicester
and declined to marry anyone else, even after he died.
- Oh, their love was doomed. How sad.
- Now this Tudor crown is a symbol
for his love and devotion,
and more valuable for the story behind it.
than all the pearls in it.
- Eric doesn't think whoever stole it is gonna sell it.
- Then why go to all that trouble?
Why kill someone over it if not for the money?
- You'd have to understand the mind of a private collector.
Well, some collectors, anyway.
- Obsession is one of the most powerful human motivations.
[suspenseful music]
- What else do you export?
Do you ever, say, procure any specific items
for your customers?
- You mean items they might want to avoid
taking through customs?
Items that I could, say,
hide in a cargo container of metal sheets?
That's your theory, isn't it?
I see no reason to dance around it.
And the answer is no.
Smuggling stolen goods is not what I do.
- So why were you at the fundraiser that night?
How did you hear about it?
- I don't recall.
The history museum must have a good public relations person.
I felt compelled to go.
- Do you believe her? The HR manager?
- That she had no idea how Talbot's resume
got into the system?
I don't know.
Someone with access to the system had to have put him in.
- No, no, it was not supposed to happen like that.
And don't call me on my cell for a while either.
- All right, let's go.
- These people who collect Elizabethan-era artifacts
to the point of obsession, are you one of them?
- [laughing] Well, no, I can't afford it.
- Well, how many collectors can you name?
Just the overly fixated ones, I mean.
- Oh yeah.
Do you think you could put together a list,
like the one Lynn was asking about?
- I know there's a database of Elizabethan jewelry sales
used by auction houses.
I mean, that tells you who buys them again and again.
I have no idea how to get access to that though.
- Luckily, you know a librarian.
- Yeah, Roe can access just about any database
provided you don't need a security clearance.
- We can all meet at the library tomorrow morning.
- Ah, Thursday. It's my early class.
- Well, I don't have a class.
What time does the library open?
- At 10. You could swing by and pick me up
from my office on the way, if you like.
- Sure.
[mellow music]
- Seems like Sally and Eric are hitting it off.
- I knew you'd be gloating about your matchmaking skills.
- Oh, I'm ready to gloat yet.
It still seems a little iffy.
Not like us, when we met
- Instant chemistry.
So easy.
- So obvious.
Like Queen Elizabeth and the Earl of Leicester.
[both laughing]
- You're breathtaking.
There's been something I've been wanting to ask you.
[Phillip knocking]
- Roe. We think we know who killed Brett Talbot.
[suspenseful music]
- Well, how are you so sure you know who killed Talbot?
Do you have proof?
- No, he's getting ahead of himself.
- Fine, no hard proof yet,
but we're pretty sure it was an inside job
and Kelly Stevens?
- Assistant director of the museum.
- James Reading thinks she's trying to
get the director fired over the stolen crown.
He says that she wants the director job herself.
So that's motive, right?
- James also told us that the guy
who was originally assigned to guard the crown,
a guy named David Reyes, has disappeared.
- Didn't show up for work last week, hasn't been seen since.
Talbot was put in his place.
- We talked to the HR manager about Talbot.
She said she offered him the job
because his name was top of the list.
They have some kind of algorithm that ranks job candidates,
but she has no idea how his name got in the system.
- Yeah, she was like, "This is highly irregular,"
because she's the one who adds people to the system,
but she didn't do that for Talbot.
- It does sound like an inside job.
But we can't rule out that Talbot could also have been
working with someone outside of the museum.
- Either way, we have to find out more about Kelly Stevens.
I'm looking into the crown tomorrow morning and Nick,
you have an early class.
- I don't. I can do some digging around online.
- Okay. Get Terry to help you.
She's good at creative searches.
- I'll see what else I can get from James.
- Okay, my class is done by 10,
so why don't I look into this missing security guy?
Reyes? - Yeah.
- Great. Then we have a plan.
[suspenseful music]
- Miss Quan, what on earth are you
lurking in the shadows like that for?
- Forgive me. I didn't mean to startle you.
- Well then, what is it you meant to do?
- Why, my dear Ms. Teagarden, I'd like to hire you.
- Officer Williams came up with some surveillance footage
from the strip mall across the street
from the Newbury Hotel.
Maybe we'll get lucky and, Aida.
- Hi.
- What are you doing here?
- She was just telling me that she had a visit
from Miya Quan last night.
- She's asked me to help her
find a warehouse to buy here in Lawrenceton.
And then I read that you're questioning her.
So this isn't someone I want to be in business with, is it?
- Well, the International Trades Commission
has investigated her company twice
for improper filing of documents.
- She says she isn't in the smuggling business,
but it's pretty clear that she is.
And if she's looking for a warehouse here,
it's obviously getting too hot for her
and whatever she's trying to hide in Seattle.
- Right.
Now, we haven't connected all the dots between Miya Quan,
the museum, and the murder, but so far,
we think she's our only suspect
who had the resources to pull it off.
- And the contacts to sell the jewels in that crown
on the black market.
- Well, I guess that answers my question, doesn't it?
- Millicent Exeter.
She's on here twice.
Mark Harford, bought a chalice.
Here's James Reading again.
Confectionary box with a Tudor crest, 600,000. Wow.
- Hey, that's you. Eric Hanson.
- [laughing] My winning bid of $300 for an enameled ring.
My professor's salary doesn't stretch too far.
- Neither does a reporter's.
- Are you cold?
- Oh, just a little.
- Here.
- Thank you.
- There's so many different artifacts on here.
Too many names.
Maybe we should stick to jewelry.
- Great, 'cause I'm starting to get writer's cramp.
Maybe that's just 'cause it's cold in here.
- It's not cold in this library, Sally.
Perhaps these morbid pursuits with Aurora
have chilled you to the bone.
- Or it's that.
- So my internet search of Kelly Stevens
came up with a lot of PR stuff for the museum.
Then I found her name in the list of defendants
in small claims court a few years ago.
This jewelry store sued her for damages.
- Why would a jewelry store want to sue her?
- Exactly what I want to know.
- Ah, this is what living off a trust fund
allows you to do.
Lounge around museums.
- Meeting didn't go well?
[James sighing]
- Kelly Stevens has the board ready to sack
our incredibly well-respected museum director.
When I threatened to resign if they do, well,
I didn't see much support.
And here I've been trying to convince my wife Olivia
that we should move here permanently.
She won't even discuss it now.
- So what's Kelly's story?
- Well, we hired her from an art museum in New York,
touted as a wunderkind.
Clearly believes her own press,
but she has no appreciation for history
or the true value of our collection.
Ever since I shared that opinion with the board,
she has made my tenure difficult in ways large and small.
And now with the theft, the murder, it's-
- So-
- Mr. Reading, are you ready for a little chat?
- Absolutely. Anything that I can do to help.
- And what are you doing here, Davis? Again?
- James.
- My office? - Yeah.
- Kelly Stevens? Yes, I sued her.
Served her right for not returning my calls.
- Calls about what?
- Yeah, why'd you sue her?
- We also buy jewelry.
She brought me some earrings and I paid her $200 for them.
Only the police came looking for them.
Turns out they were stolen.
- This is a good list to hand over to the police.
- Finally, a use for my odd passion.
- Thank you for lending me your jacket.
- Would you like to grab dinner this weekend?
- Oh, I'm sorry. I'm busy.
Um, maybe some other time.
- Sure.
Well, you two take care.
- Bye. - Bye.
- I thought you liked him.
- I did, until I found this in his jacket pocket.
He printed off his fundraiser ticket at home.
Look at the date on that.
- Two weeks before the event.
- And yet just days before at your house,
he acted like he'd never even heard of it.
He lied.
- Nick is not gonna like it if Eric
ends up on our suspect list.
Maybe you can come with me and tell him what you found.
I really don't want to think one of Nick's closest friends
is the bad guy.
- Well, I really don't like you making me
the bearer of bad news.
- Well, you found the ticket, not me.
This is Eric's office.
And he's not here.
- Whoa, I don't think this is a good idea.
What are we even looking for?
- We'll know it when we see it.
[lively music]
- Roe?
Why are you two searching Eric's desk?
- Okay.
I found this ticket for the fundraiser in his jacket pocket
and, oh, oh.
And his name came up on the,
on the jewelry auction database, so-
- So I bring a friend in to help with this
and you put him on the suspect list?
- No, he lied to us, Nick.
He pretended not to know about the fundraiser
when he already had a ticket.
- Did you ask him about it,
and just find out if he had a good reason?
Okay, then why don't we chase a real lead?
I found the address for
that security guard that disappeared, Reyes.
I was planning on going and speaking with his wife,
but I have to go talk to the dean about a student right now.
- Well, text it to me and we'll go talk to her.
- Great. Fine.
In the meantime, please take Eric off your list.
- No, he's not really on the list.
I just thought I...
I think we're having our first fight.
And you did a terrible job explaining the Eric problem.
- Well, I'm not good at breaking bad news, Roe.
- Sally, you are a reporter!
Isn't that pretty much your whole job?
- No, no.
I like the writing part and I like the investigating part.
I have never liked the bad news part.
- So I just got an earful from James Reading
about Kelly Stevens.
- Tell me later.
We got something on the CCTV surveillance footage
from the strip mall across the street from the hotel.
- So you haven't seen your husband in how long?
- We know who stopped showing up to work about six days ago.
- It's the last time I saw him too.
We'd split up for a while.
I kicked him out when I saw those texts
from that girl Vivian he said he was done talking to.
Just wanna work it out, he said.
But instead he runs off with her.
- Oh, I'm so sorry.
But how did you know that?
Did he tell you himself?
- No. He knows what I'd say and it wouldn't be pretty.
But he hasn't been back to work
and he hasn't been back to his brother's, so.
- Why do you think that he ran off with this other woman?
Because he doesn't know his Snapchat
shows where he is on a map.
So I looked him up the night he stood me up.
There he was, at the dock.
The waterfront, right around the corner from Vivian's.
So you tell me.
[somber music]
- Thanks for your time.
- Roe appreciated your help in putting together that list,
but, um. - But what?
- Well, it seems she and Sally figured out
that you had bought a ticket
for the fundraiser weeks earlier.
- So why did I pretend to just hear about it at Roe's house?
- I'm guessing you had a good reason.
- Yeah.
I thought a guy who buys library fundraiser tickets
would sound boring.
I wanted Sally to think I was more cool than that.
[Nick laughing]
- Okay, so this is from across the street
from Talbot's hotel. - Right.
We know that he was killed between 8:40,
when the front desk clerk checked him out, and 8:57,
when we found the body.
- Mm-hm. Wait, what's that here? 8:51 on the timestamp.
Who is that?
Howard Kane?
- I don't know why you wanted to come down here.
It was six days ago that Reyes' phone
showed him at this location.
- Yeah, but his wife said that he hasn't shown up
any place on a Snapchat map since, so.
- Well, I just don't want to have to go around
knocking on abandoned warehouse doors.
It's creepy enough in the light,
and it's gonna be dark soon,
and it just makes me uncomfortable.
Doesn't it make you feel weird?
Roe?
[boat horn blowing]
[gasping] You scared me half to death.
- Sorry. But come look what I found.
- Okay.
There could be snakes.
- Oh, come on.
See? Look.
Why would someone smash a phone?
- What is that?
- We gotta take a closer look.
[suspenseful music]
[Sally gasping]
It's a body.
- Chocolate?
- Oh, I feel sick.
- The warmth will help.
- You're right. It does.
I wish you would've called me
before you went down to the waterfront.
- I thought you and I were in the middle of an argument.
- Because of Eric?
It wasn't an argument.
- Well, it felt like we were on different sides.
- We're always on the same side, Roe.
I want you to know how much I mean that.
And this might not be a very good time to ask you,
yeah, but then again, it might be the best time.
It's when you come face to face with death
that you start thinking about
what's really important in life.
- Okay, Roe.
You and Sally can sign your statements
and you'll be free to go.
- The body we found was Reyes,
the missing security guard, right?
- Yes. Shot like Talbot.
I'll let you know if we have any other questions.
- The question is whether they were
both shot by the same gun.
Howard?
- This is crazy.
I didn't do anything wrong.
- Arthur, are you arresting someone?
Do I need to add this to my story about the murders?
- Mr. Kane is merely a person of interest at this point.
- Why is that?
- He was at the Newbury Hotel at the time Talbot was killed.
- Is it true?
You found another body?
- The missing security guard, Reyes.
- We're dealing with a cold-blooded killer here.
- Well, we just found out Kelly Stevens
tried to sell stolen jewelry.
- I don't know how well Lynn's gonna hear that right now.
They just brought in Howard Kane.
- Oh, I would love to be a fly on the wall,
hear what Howard is telling them.
- I did go to see Brett Talbot at his hotel that night.
I'm not denying that, but I never got to see him.
- Again, Mr. Kane, if you would like your attorney present.
- I call my attorney when I've done something wrong.
I haven't done anything wrong.
Not in a long time.
Look, I'm telling the truth.
I parked on the street across from the hotel.
- Well, why park on the street?
Why not in one of the hotel's parking lots?
- I, I don't know.
I just, I saw a spot and I stopped there.
- And then you followed Talbot around
to the back parking area, you shot him, and you left.
- No.
No, no.
I went into the hotel.
I asked the clerk for Mr. Talbot's room number.
The clerk said he checked out, so I left.
I never saw Talbot.
- Well, you could have gone in to talk to the clerk
after you killed Talbot to establish an alibi.
- No, that's not. I never-
- Mr. Kane.
Why did you want to speak with Talbot in the first place?
- To ask him about a friend of mine.
Someone I thought he'd know,
because they worked at the same place.
You have to believe me.
- Well, who's the friend?
- A guy I knew from my prison days.
A corrections officer who became
a security guard at the museum.
- And was his name David Reyes?
- Yes.
How did, how did you know?
- We just pulled his body from the river this afternoon.
He was shot.
- I think I'd like to call my lawyer after all.
- Yeah.
- Yes, and I'm heartbroken over it.
I just, I want to believe that people who like to read
aren't going out into the world to do bad things.
- When you were little
you did believe books had magical powers.
- Yeah. It's silly.
I study true crime.
I know the most successful killers are smart, well-read,
and able to fool people into believing
they're perfectly nice.
- Well, if it's Howard, he fooled me as well.
- Is there anything you can think of
that might tell us one way or another?
Anything?
Anything that might've come up during the house hunt?
- You mean did he say he missed a life of crime
while we discussed low water landscaping
and walk-in closets?
No, that didn't happen.
Although he did say a walk-in closet
was important to him for some reason.
Oh, I remember now.
He said he wanted room in order to put in a safe.
A safe for what, I don't know.
- Mother, there are only a few things
people put in a safe.
Things like jewels.
- I'd better call Lynn.
Wait, where are you going this morning?
- The museum.
- Aurora!
- What? I heard there was a great Tudor exhibit.
[suspenseful music]
- Kelly, hello.
I have left you a lot of messages.
- Yes, I know you want to speak, but now isn't a good time.
We have to meet with the insurance adjuster
to talk about the stolen crown.
If you want to come back later.
- What about the stolen jewelry you sold
at Spotlight Jewelry Store three years ago?
The owner sued you in small claims court because of it.
- Okay, I don't know how you know that,
but I had no idea those earrings were stolen.
My brother gave them to me for my birthday.
- Your brother stole them?
- No, he bought them from a guy on the street.
Although how that's any of your business is beyond me.
- Kelly, I thought that we agreed
there was no reason for you to be at this meeting.
- No, I did not agree.
Someone needs to stand in for the museum director,
and that insurance company needs to know
that I argued against the-
- Sorry, Mr. Reading?
Aurora Teagarden. We met at the fundraiser.
- Yes, I remember.
- And I remember you saying that you are the one
spearheading the effort to lend out the exhibit.
- Oh, he definitely was.
And our museum director backed him on it.
- So why the crown?
Why not some of the other artifacts that you have here?
- Because he thinks people are
as dazzled by jewels as he is.
- No, actually. I'm captivated by the love story.
I pushed for the exhibit to travel not so that
people would be dazzled by the jewels
but by the enduring love of Leicester for his queen.
It's actually a story that has been a great inspiration
in my own marriage.
Now, if you would excuse me, I have a meeting to attend.
I'm sorry.
- Excuse me.
[suspenseful music]
- So we know Kelly Stevens had the ability
to get Talbot into the museum system.
We also know she tried to sell stolen jewelry,
which she blamed on her brother.
- And she's trying to use the theft and murder
to get her boss fired and take his job.
- Still, if it really was an inside job,
shouldn't we look at other people at the museum?
- We could start with James Reading.
- He was the only other museum person at the venue.
- Okay, now we're in blaming the victim territory.
James' reputation has taken a terrible blow with this.
I hear it's caused problems with his wife.
Plus he's rich enough to buy whatever he wants.
He doesn't need to steal it.
He shouldn't be on our list,
but I'll tell you who should be.
After what you told me about Eric Hanson.
- No, no. - I think that we should-
- No, probably not.
- You're willing to trust my judgment. Thank you.
Eric Hanson is a friend, Davis.
- And James Reading is a friend of mine.
So maybe trust my judgment on him too.
- Well, we might not need this list at all.
The police seem to have narrowed their focus
on one person, Howard Kane.
[suspenseful music]
- Lynn.
- Mr. Kane, our warrant for your home allows us
to get a team in here to open that safe.
But if you'd prefer we don't damage it,
you can give us the combination.
- 14, 30, 24.
I think I'm gonna be ill.
- Anything?
- No crow, but.
- A Glock.
Uses a nine millimeter,
same caliber bullet used to kill Talbot and Reyes.
- Mr. Kane, we need you to step out here, now.
[knocking] Mr. Kane?
Get that door open.
He's gone.
Kane must have some friends here, some long-lost relatives.
There's a reason he moved here after he got out of prison.
You find out what that is.
- Yeah. Hang on.
Hey, I got Officer Williams.
You want me to take him off surveilling Miya Quan,
help with Kane instead?
- No.
Till ballistics comes back with their report
on the gun in Kane's safe,
we can't assume anything.
You keep him on her. - All right.
Yeah. Stay with it.
- Arthur.
I can tell something big has happened.
What's going on?
- Hey, Phillip.
Aren't you supposed to be in class this morning?
- It's just review for a test.
I always ace the tests, so.
- Skipping class is not something
I would recommend for any reason.
Diligent application of time and attention
is key to an education.
- Yeah. That's good advice, Phillip.
- Well, I'm glad you agree,
since you're the one who has him devaluing class time.
- Lillian.
- I don't know if you are genetically doomed
to follow in your cousin's macabre footsteps,
but if you get back to your classroom now,
you might be able to save yourself.
- Class would be over by the time I got there.
- Just don't cut class.
- Fine.
Just tell me if you found out anything about Leo Stevens,
'cause I didn't come up with much.
- Well, earlier I saw that he posted a resume online.
Lots of different jobs, but oh, here's a photo.
- Hello, who's that?
- Kelly Stevens' brother Leo.
- Hey, what are you doing here?
- Oh, the police searched Howard Kane's house last night
and found a gun.
A nine-millimeter Glock.
- Do they have him in custody?
- Well, he kind of got away.
So they're looking for him now.
- No, this is awful.
I mean, Howard was so easy to talk to.
We talked about authors and books
and I'm gonna have to tell my mother.
She's gonna be so upset about this.
I have to go tell her.
- Don't tell her I'm here.
- Oh, don't worry.
I already know what she'd say.
[mellow music]
- I'm curious.
You teach European history.
It's a big subject.
What caused you to get caught up in the Elizabethan era?
- That movie "Shakespeare in Love".
Don't pretend you didn't like it.
I saw that ring you got for Roe.
You're a diehard romantic too.
- It's a good movie.
- Yeah, well I saw it and wondered
if Elizabeth really did go see Shakespeare's plays.
You know how it is with research.
- You keep getting sucked down different rabbit holes.
- Yeah.
I got hooked on how men seeking political favors
from Elizabeth would come bearing jewels.
Kinda like campaign donations today.
- An article on Leicester's descendants.
This quotes an Olivia Reading.
Isn't she married to James Reading?
- Is she?
I mean, you'd think he'd have mentioned something
when he introduced the exhibit at the fundraiser.
- May I? - Yeah.
- And now Roe can put Reading back on her suspects list,
right after you.
- After me?
Your girlfriend considers me a suspect in those murders?
- Not really.
She didn't like the lying about the ticket thing.
- Did she tell the police about it?
Because that would be a big problem if she did that.
Sorry. I just, I really like Sally.
And if she's wondering if I'm a homicidal thief, well,
I don't guess she'll say yes to dinner.
- So all the evidence does seem
to be pointing to Howard Kane.
- And you don't want it to be him.
- I can't let what I want blind me to what is.
- Well, let me take you to lunch tomorrow.
Cheer you up a little bit.
- Okay. I would love that.
I'll come by the office.
- I like the sound of that.
See you then.
- Bye.
Mother?
- Aurora!
- She told the police about my safe.
She shouldn't have done that.
- Aurora, call the police. Now.
- Okay, Howard.
I have to call them.
You know they're looking for you.
- I know.
I'm sorry if I scared you.
- Oh, for goodness sake, Howard.
They're saying you're wanted for murder,
and then you storm in here like you did after we're closed?
Of course you scared me to death.
- Murder?
Oh no, Ms. Teagarden,
I didn't have anything to do with that.
- Then why'd you run?
- They found my gun.
It belonged to my brother. He left it to me when he died.
It meant something to me.
But having a firearm is a violation of my parole.
They'll send me back to prison, and I-
- We all have to face the consequences of our actions.
Are you gonna call them or should I?
Or perhaps I'll just make some tea
for your nice little chat.
- You both have been so kind to me.
Not many give an ex-con a break, but now my life is ruined.
All because I wanted to talk to that security fellow
about Dave Reyes.
- I've been wondering about that.
Why you wanted to see him.
- Dave was a good guy.
A corrections officer who'd treat an inmate like a,
like a real person.
After I got out, he'd meet up with me every once in a while.
We'd go for a beer,
but he must have changed his number or something
because I lost track of him.
- But you knew he was working at the museum.
- Oh yeah.
He was real excited about it,
but I didn't want to embarrass him by going down there.
Listen, I would never hurt that man.
I've taken things that didn't belong to me, that's true.
But I have never hurt anyone my entire life.
So, so you go ahead and call the police, Ms. Teagarden.
I'll face my consequences, just like you said.
[somber music]
- Oh, you caught him!
- I'm with her.
- So good news, right? You caught Howard Kane.
That means I can go write my case closed story.
- Uh, no. - No?
- You're not charging Howard Kane? Why not?
- Yeah. Why not?
- The ballistics report came back on the bullets
from the gun in his safe.
It was not the gun that killed Reyes or Talbot.
- [Arthur] Nine millimeter bullet's the most common caliber.
- Okay, so if you're ruling him out as a suspect,
why is he still under arrest? - We haven't ruled him out.
He's the only one we placed at the scene of Talbot's murder
and he's the only one with a known connection to Reyes.
- And the gun was a violation of his parole.
So we'll hold him for that
until we finish our investigation.
- Then you're still looking into other suspects?
- Of course we're looking into other suspects.
Now, if we have any further information for the press,
we will let you know, Sally.
Now, the two of you know the way out.
- Here's those surveillance photos.
- Excuse me.
What part of "You know the way out" did you not understand?
- I recognize the person in that photo.
- Yes, it's no secret that Miya Quan is one of our suspects.
- No, I mean the person she's talking to.
That's Kelly Stevens' brother, Leo Stevens.
- You just connected Miya Quan to the museum.
[somber music]
- Ah, oh, please.
Thank you for taking the time to speak with me, Mr. Reading.
- No problem.
And I'm sorry that I was running a little bit late.
- The receptionist said you were in a board meeting.
From the look on your face, it seems it didn't go very well.
The museum director has been sacked,
and the board let me know that my services here
are no longer welcome.
I have never felt so humiliated.
- I'm sorry to hear that.
- And to top it off,
Kelly Stevens has been named the new director.
She's been rewarded for her prediction
that it was too risky for the exhibit to travel.
- The board must know your personal connection to the crown.
That didn't make a difference?
See, we found an article that says your wife
is a descendant of the Earl of Leicester.
- Well, yeah, of course the board knows that.
Everybody here knows that.
I tell that story all the time.
- Really? You didn't tell it at the fundraiser.
- No? Well, I usually do.
That's the main reason that Olivia and I
became involved with this museum in the first place.
Why I let myself be talked onto the board.
- Hm.
- I'm sorry. I'm afraid I need to make some calls.
- Of course.
- I'll see you out.
- Mm-hm.
- Thank you.
I look forward to working with you.
Detective Smith. How can I help you?
- Well, you can come to Lawrenceton with me.
We have more questions for you.
A lot more questions.
You may want to get your things.
[suspenseful music]
- Thank you.
- Not a problem. Take care.
- I don't think Nick will want me
tagging along to lunch with the two of you.
- No, we made those plans when we thought
Howard was being charged with the murders.
Now everything's up in the air.
Oh, Nick's not here.
Maybe he's in Eric's office.
- Uh-uh. No, no.
We are not snooping around Eric's stuff again.
- No, we aren't.
You're gonna stand out here and keep watch
while I take a peek.
- You told Nick that you were gonna
leave Eric out of your cloud of suspicion.
- There's no cloud.
It's just a few little foggy wisps.
It still bothers me that he lied
about that fundraiser ticket.
- Isn't this being overly zealous, paranoid?
- I was gonna say diligent.
- Roe, hurry up.
[suspenseful music]
What, did you find something?
- Just literature from the museum about the exhibit.
Wait, is this? [gasping]
I think this is a floor plan of the banquet room
where we held the fundraiser.
- What, are you serious?
Why would he have something like that?
- I can only think of one reason. Can't you?
- Roe, this is bad.
If Eric stole the crown, does this mean he's the killer too?
- Nick is gonna be so upset.
- We have to call Lynn and Arthur.
- First we have to get out of this office.
Oh, oh, Eric.
- Hi. - Hi.
- When Nick told me you considered me a suspect,
I didn't want to believe it.
- Oh, I do sometimes default to suspect.
It's a side effect of a degree in true crime literature.
- The problem with a suspicious mind is
you're probably wrong a lot.
- No, she hardly is.
Except sometimes she is.
- I know of at least once today.
- Nick, hi. Very happy to see you.
- So am I.
It seems Roe and Sally found something interesting
in the papers I brought home from the fundraiser.
- It's a floor plan of the banquet room
where the crown was stolen.
- The banquet room?
Well, I'm sure he can explain it.
- I can't.
I mean, I didn't even know it was there.
I never looked through all this stuff handed to me.
- So you're saying that this floor plan has been
in your office the entire time and you didn't know?
- No. If I had seen it, I would've taken it to the police.
I mean, Nick, weren't you there
when what's her name handed me all that stuff?
- Kelly Stevens. - Yeah.
- Yeah, she handed us the same literature.
- Wait, you're saying that floor plan was stuck
inside the papers that Kelly gave you?
- And guess where she is right now?
[lively music]
- I told you I'm not answering any questions
without my lawyer.
- Well, you're welcome to wait for her in here.
- Leo.
- I'm gonna go with Eric
and take this floor plan to the police station.
- I had no idea that floor plan was there.
I hope you believe me.
- If there's anyone you can count on to find the truth,
it's Roe.
- Do you believe Eric?
- I want to, for Nick's sake.
- I know, but you are way too bright to be letting-
- Mother!
What are you doing here?
I'm about to have a serious, heart-to-heart talk
with my nephew here about why he's missing class.
- Please help. - Please don't.
Do you know where he's been
instead of going to class the last few days?
- Well, first he was at the library
and then he was at the museum.
- Actually, I was thinking we should go back to the museum
and talk to some of the security guards.
I thought if Kelly Stevens recruited
at least two guards for her plot, maybe she tried others.
- That's good thinking, Phillip.
- No, not good thinking.
For heaven's sake, this is the problem.
And yes, I know mysteries are all-absorbing,
but do you think I enjoy playing the scold?
I don't. I don't want to get the eye rolls
or hear how I don't understand.
Believe me, I am tired of hearing myself
scold the two of you.
Three of you.
- Mother, I know.
But what if we need you to scold us?
What if we go too far without you there
pointing out lines we shouldn't cross?
- Right.
I cut class.
I probably do need a good talking-to.
- Okay, I suppose if that's my job, Let's go, Phillip.
- You know, it is a really good idea
to try the other guards.
- Yeah, but if Kelly Stevens is the new director,
they might be hesitant to open up about it.
But what if this isn't the first time
she's made something disappear?
What if she killed Reyes and Talbot
not just because they knew about one theft,
but because they also knew about others?
- Other thefts? So you think-
- I think we need to talk to Reyes' wife again.
- One of the guests from the fundraiser said
you handed this to him.
Care to explain why you have it?
- Oh, I wondered where that went.
I meant to give it to Talbot so he could be prepared to,
you know, do his job.
Guarding Leicester's gift.
- Hm, it's interesting.
Your brother had a different explanation.
- I was taking the blame, okay?
I told them you didn't have anything to do with
- Do with what? What did you tell them?
- I'd like to know that as well.
- Maybe I can help.
He said that his sister was upset because the museum
wasn't valuing any of her opinions,
that she thought the Elizabethan exhibit
was too valuable to travel and no one would listen to her.
- So Leo, good brother that he is,
said he thought about making the crown disappear temporarily
just to teach the museum a lesson.
- Thought about being the operative phrase, okay?
I told him you didn't know anything about it.
- And yet your sister was the one with the floor plan
you said you were using to think about stealing the crown.
- I didn't know they could trace it back to you, okay?
- You need to stop talking now, Leo.
- Yes, you do.
- Well, lucky for us he's already
answered all of our questions.
- What did you tell them?
- Only that I knew Miya Quan and we were associates.
And that I may have talked to her about, you know,
whether it would be possible to steal the crown,
but that was it.
Just talk, talk.
- So it was just a coincidence that Miya Quan
was at the fundraiser the night the jewels were stolen.
- That really is the truth.
We just talked about it in theory.
Kelly didn't even know Miya until I-
- Discussing fantasy scenarios is not a crime.
- No, but conspiracy is. - And so is murder.
[suspenseful music]
- I really don't know what my husband was up to
when we were split up.
The police asked me if he was part of this gang
that steals jewelry.
I said no, no, that's not him.
But he was doing a lot of other things that I didn't like.
So maybe he did get in with some bad people.
He still didn't deserve to die like that.
- I'm so sorry.
- But as far as you know,
he was never hired to steal jewelry.
Never went out on a job to procure anything valuable?
- It's funny you use that word.
That's the word David used
when he had to fly to Boston three months ago.
He said he had to procure a book.
- A book for who?
- I don't know. The museum, I guess.
- Did your husband tell you the name of the book?
- No, I just told him he was crazy
to fly all the way across the country for a stupid book.
- Thank you very much for your time, Mrs. Reyes.
- I'm gonna head back to the library,
see if I can find any stories
about valuable books being stolen
in the Boston area three months ago.
Are you going to the museum?
- I am.
I'd say that the new director being questioned as a suspect
in the murder of two of their guards is newsworthy.
But I gotta get a move on because the museum closes at five.
- Okay. Oh, oh!
Nick said that James Reading was forced to resign today.
But if you see him, ask if any Elizabethan aficionados
go after any books in particular.
- Okay. You know who else might know, though?
- If you're gonna say Eric Hanson,
do you really want to invite a possible suspect to help us?
- Well, I know you,
and if you really want the answer to a question,
there's no one you won't talk to.
- Nick, hey. Do you have time to help me do some research?
- Mr. Reading?
Oh.
- Hello.
- Oh, hi. I'm Sally Allison with the "Lawrenceton Times".
- Miss Allison, what can I do for you?
- I, I know this isn't a very good time,
but if you have a minute,
I have some questions about Kelly Stevens
and a few other things.
- Fine.
- Hey, I've done a Google search for that book theft
while I was waiting for you.
So far nothing.
- Did Eric come up with any ideas
for books that might be prized by Elizabethan fans?
- No, not really.
- None? A supposed Elizabethan expert?
- Oh, come on. You can't still be suspicious of him.
- Sure I can.
I can search a few more databases.
It might not've been that much of a news story.
- Here, click on that.
Collector's magazine, rare book theft.
- Private collection.
First printing of "Love's Labour's Lost"
by William Shakespeare.
Isn't that the play performed for Elizabeth I
while she was wearing the crown?
Why wouldn't Eric know that?
- Roe, I know you want to solve this case,
but Eric is not your guy.
- But this is yet another lie of omission.
- People omit things all the time.
Like James Reading didn't mention
that his wife was Leicester's descendant.
Remember me telling you that?
- Yes, I do.
- We've done a search on Reading.
- Yeah, but not his wife.
Olivia files for divorce.
- Another lie of omission from James.
- And yet he kept talking about
the story behind the Tudor crown.
- Undying love against all odds.
- What if James Reading orchestrated this whole thing
as a way to prove his love to his wife to get her back?
Oh no.
Sally went to the museum to go try to talk to him.
- I'm surprised that Kelly Stevens is a suspect
in the theft and murders, but I shouldn't be.
I've seen self-righteousness in her
that is a little bit, shall we say, unhinged?
[phone buzzing] - Oh, sorry.
Um, do you mind if I take this?
- Not at all.
- Hi, Roe. What's up?
- Sally, are you still at the museum?
Did you find James Reading?
- I did. Yes, I'm with him right now.
- [Roe] Okay. You have to get out of there right now.
Just say goodbye and leave.
- Oh, okay. Yeah, um, I, I can do that.
- [Roe] Okay. We're on our way.
Just call me when you get outside.
- Okay. Will do. Thanks. Bye.
Um, you know what? I'm, I'm good.
I have everything that I need.
Thank you.
- That was Aurora Teagarden, wasn't it?
What does she have to say?
- Just that she thought I should get to the police station
'cause she heard that they arrested Kelly.
- I don't believe you.
- No, I don't think I want you going anywhere right now.
[Sally gasping]
- I suppose the museum is the last place
that anyone would think to look for the crown.
- Pick it up.
- Okay.
- Carefully.
The book too, put it back in the box.
- All right.
That's the gun that killed Brett Talbot
and David Reyes, isn't it?
- Please pay attention to what you're doing.
- Okay.
You must've had another accomplice, right?
To fetch the crown from the dumpster.
Are they also dead?
- You want a confession?
You are neither therapist nor priest.
Now lay it down gently, gently.
- Okay. - In the box.
- Are you gonna kill me too?
- The sound would draw attention.
But once the museum is closed.
[ominous music]
- Lynn.
I just got a call from Roe.
It's not good
- Sally's still not answering.
And the museum's closed.
- The offices are upstairs.
His office is down there.
- Here's Sally's purse, but where's Sally?
- Now, if you just sit here quietly
and I can get my items out to my car,
I might not have to shoot you after all.
I'm not a monster.
I just needed to make a grand gesture
to get my wife's attention.
It's why she married me in the first place.
- Sally?
[Sally whimpering]
Sally, can you hear me?
- Let's try this way.
Look out! [gun firing]
- Shots fired! - Fan out!
[James groaning]
- You okay? - I think so.
- Call for help.
- Roe, look out!
I got him. You find Sally.
- Hey, what's down there?
It's a storage room.
- Okay.
Sally?
[Sally shouting]
Sally! Thank goodness you're okay.
- Thank goodness you're here.
I'm okay. I'm okay.
Oh, oh, Roe, I know where the crown is. It's in that box.
- Okay.
The police are on their way. I have to go help Nick.
- Go help Nick.
[suspenseful music]
[James shouting]
- Checkmate, Professor.
[James groaning]
- I'd stay down if I were you.
[upbeat music]
- I'm happy to sign up to volunteer for three hours a week.
- You are the soul of generosity, Aida. Thank you.
- So Roe really took Reading out with a pike.
- Wish I'd seen that.
- I don't have any classes, and I'm here supporting Roe.
- I didn't say anything.
- No, but your look says it all.
- He's right, Aida, it does. [laughing]
- I can't believe Reading just
went off the deep end like that.
I guess love can make you crazy.
- Oh, don't you dare blame love for what he did.
No, love does not make you criminally insane.
- No, love is supposed to make you better.
- Well said, both of you.
- Thank you.
- I'm sure Nick and Roe would agree.
Where are they, anyway?
- They were here a second ago.
- Yeah.
- It's not easy stealing time alone with you lately.
- No. We've been fighting too many battles, literally.
- But we always have each other's backs,
no matter what comes up.
- I've never felt more safe in my life.
- Good.
'Cause I have something I've been wanting to give you.
- You mean whatever's in that square box
you've been carrying in your pocket all week?
- So you know what I'm gonna say.
- I think you know what I'm gonna say too.
- Aurora Teagarden, I want to spend the rest of my life
staring into those beautiful eyes.
[gentle music]
Will you marry me?
- Yes.
♪ Be by your side
♪ I'm not alone, not alone
♪ Not alone, not alone
♪ I'm not alone, not alone
[suspenseful music]