"I never told you..." (spoilers)

Rating: Null/10 (4 July 2002)

CONTAINS SPOILERS AND NOT MUCH ELSE -

I really quite liked Minority Report (for all it's lost potential). But one thing really bugs me, and I know Speilberg has been reported to like watching late night Movie-of-the-Weeks, but that line - "I never told you she drowned." What an incredible cliche and total cop out on how to neatly tie up the ending.
I mean any person with intelligence, and I assume the bad guy was smart, he did have a position of great power. Could have simply replied - "Yes I lied, I know about the missing file, it's a women who drowned. I didn't want to tell you. John had told me about it before he was arrested. It had something to do with what happened to him. I can't explain right now but come and see me tommorrow and I'll explain everything." If she still wasn't convinced he could add "We think there's a bug in the system, we can't let that get out right now, but I think I know a way we can get John released." Instead, years of trust built up between John's wife and her husband's boss are thrown out the window because he seemed to know something he shouldn't. What a suspicious lady. It just seemed like lazy writing. Especially since, after my initial wince at the line, I thought up the above excuse before the actor even gave his next line. And if it's so easy to get people out of prison why didn't anyone else do it?
Anyway, far be from me to re-write movie ending, I won't go into any of my preferred endings as there could be many, but lazy writing should be exposed and not excused.