# Murder, She Wrote (season 7)

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Murder, She Wrote (1984–1996) is an American television show, airing on CBS, about mystery writer and amateur detective Jessica Fletcher.

### Trials and Tribulations [7.1]

    Beatrice Vitello: [after Jessica reveals the true circumstances of her husband's death] When I came in, he was slumped over in the chair. The note and the envelope were on the table. The syringe was on the floor there. As soon as I read the note, I knew what he had done. He lied about you, Mrs. Fletcher, but he couldn't live with it. That's why he did what he did. He felt so sick and ashamed. So frightened for his soul.
    Jessica: Is that why you took the note and hid the money?
    Beatrice Vitello: Suicide is a mortal sin. The priest would never have held a mass. He could never have been buried in consecrated ground. In almost sixty years, he lived a Christian life. I couldn't let it end like that. I only wanted Angelo to be buried the way he lived. In a state of grace.

### Deadly Misunderstanding [7.2]

    Rita Garrison: [after Jessica exposes her as the murderer] At least he didn't drop Latin phrases at the dinner table, or whistle Mozart in the shower. At least he was a real man. And he made me feel like a woman. Ralph phoned me that night. He wanted to get back together. Drew was in bed with one of his silly colds. Ralph was wet, dirty. He'd been drinking. He thought he could just snap his fingers and everything would be the same as it was. Then he told me he'd been with Trudy, and she'd turned him down. Suddenly I saw him for what he was. I felt unclean. And then he put those filthy hands on me and ... I don't even remember when I grabbed the scissors!

### Suspicion of Murder [7.12]

    Jessica: All afternoon, I've been fighting the war of the roses with some Japanese beetles. So far, the beetles have been winning, but all of that is going to come to a screeching halt. I hope.

### Moving Violation [7.13]

    Meredith Hellman: [after Jessica exposes her as the murderer] I didn't marry Chandler Hellman to watch his screwed-up son ruin our career. The little brat was a dangerous liability. One scandalous episode after the other. And then I realized fate had handed me a wonderful opportunity to put an end to the problem permanently. When he was released on bail, I took him for a drive. Talk some sense into him, or so he thought. You know, he had no shame for all the trouble that he'd caused everybody, no idea how much I despised him. And no inkling of the solution that I had in mind. He fell backwards into a ditch. I drove back to the hotel, had a hot bath and a double martini. Chandler, as usual, had no idea that, once again, I'd saved his career.

### The Taxman Cometh [7.15]

    Richard Wellstood: [after Jessica exposes him as the murderer] Only J.K. and I knew the real Spencer Prinz, who was about to transfer from Chicago to St. Louis one year ago. A week before he was due to arrive, he died of a heart attack. That's when J.K. and I hatched the scheme to steal the tax deposits by keeping Spencer alive. When the fiscal year was up, Spencer would disappear without a trace, taking with him all the blame and two million dollars.
    Lieutenant Phillips: Okay, but why did you have to kill Nolan Hayes?
    Richard Wellstood: J.K. got greedy. He forged a $200,000 payroll check to Nolan and cashed it to himself. He figured it would take the IRS forever to catch up with the tax problems it would cause Nolan. It didn't. Nolan was desperate for answers. So, after getting the run-around from Spencer Prinz by phone, he came to our office to see Spencer in person. One of the secretaries must have told him Prinz just left. Nolan tried to catch up to him. J.K. was taking his turn as Spencer. As he was getting into the rental car to pretend to drive back to St. Louis, his wig was accidentally knocked loose. And as he replaced it, he didn't see Nolan staring in at him, observing the metamorphosis. Nolan turned and ran back inside. That's when he made his fatal mistake. He came directly to me and said, "No wonder Edna was having problems. Never mind two sets of books; her company had two sets of employees." J.K. and I had to act quickly.
    Jessica: Of course. And since Nolan was making waves for Edna, why not frame her for the murder?
    Richard Wellstood: We set up the bogus telephone message, leaving Edna without an alibi. I went to her house, entered through a rear window, and took the gun we all knew she kept in her bed table drawer. I drove out to Nolan's farm. I called into him. He came out, surprised to see me. I shot him, put his body in the car, drove to the tracks, and took out the jack and made it all look like a flat tire and robbery. [to Edna] I returned the gun to your house while you were with the police late that night. Once Mrs. Fletcher got you off the hot seat and became suspicious of Spencer Prinz, we shifted the blame for embezzlement and murder to the perfect fall guy, the man who didn't exist. [to everyone] The IRS has billions. Edna has millions. J.K. and me? We just wanted a piece of the pie.

### The Skinny According to Nick Cullhane [7.22]

    Harry McGraw: [after Jessica explains how she deduced the murderer's identity] And that, as they say, all she wrote.