Excuse me, I don't believe we've met.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
LUTHER: Hey, big guy. Welcome to the party!
Luther?
Luther H. Gillis, the one and only.
Mr. Masters' literary masterpiece has been stolen.
An honest to God case.
Not 24 hours after I drop anchor on this rock.
Dad says every time he helps you out,
you get into all kinds of trouble.
People shooting at you and stuff.
[GUN FIRING]
[TIRES SCREECHING]
[CAR HONKING]
[SAFE LOCK BEEPS]
MAGNUM: I guess the earliest memory I have of my Grandfather Sullivan
is a kind of heart to heart talk we had
walking down by the Rappahannock River
when I was six years old.
We used to hunt for wild asparagus down by the river
to take home for my mom to cook for dinner.
Anyway, on this particular walk, my grandfather confided in me
that probably the only thing you could count on in life is change.
That no matter how much you wanted things to stay the same,
they never did.
And the change itself wasn't bad.
It's just that the transitions were sometimes tricky.
Well, I'm not sure I understood what he was talking about at the time.
I was more interested in asparagus than transition.
But I never forgot it.
And I guess if there's one thing I could in some way pass on,
it would be my grandfather's advice,
"Don't be afraid of transitions.
They make you strong."
[SIGHS]
HIGGINS: $12,562 for the weekend cruise in the Aegean Sea.
Check.
$6,720 for flowers.
We'll want to break those down by name and date of delivery.
Quite. I have them all right here.
And what about this year's bonuses for the household staff?
I've decided to increase them to 12%.
Sir?
Twelve percent.
You said you've decided to raise them.
Well, I meant Mr. Masters, naturally.
MAGNUM: Naturally.
Magnum, Mr. Kunkle and I are quite busy at the moment
going over Mr. Masters accounts.
Oh, I can see that. Hi, Bruce.
Hi, Mr. Magnum. You have his authorization?
- What? - Mr. Masters' authorization.
We can't go around giving raises without his authorization.
No. That wouldn't be right spending Robin's money without his authorization.
Would it, Higgins?
Just set it aside. We'll go over it later.
No, no, I don't mind. It's okay, Higgins.
I don't mind waiting while you sort this out.
Was there something you wanted
or did you merely come over here to be an obstructionist?
Oh, I just wanted to tell you that I need to take some time off to go home.
A family problem?
No. I just want to take some time off.
A couple of weeks. Maybe a month.
Right now?
Yeah, I was hoping to leave in the morning.
I'm afraid that's impossible. Now where were we?
Higgins.
I'm right in the middle of the year-end financial report.
The lawn is in desperate need of fertilization,
the trim around the windows and doors needs painting,
and Kenii has requested help in planting the tulip beds.
All of which can wait till I get back.
According to the farmer's almanac,
the tulip beds must be planted tomorrow night at midnight
for the greatest effect.
I won't have you risk our prize-winning gardens on a whim.
You want me to postpone my trip for a silly bed of flowers?
Higgins, it's important.
Your regular two week vacation is coming up in three months.
I suggest you make your plans accordingly.
Next category.
BRUCE: Next category.
The next category.
Yes, I have it right here.
[PHONE RINGING]
Robin Masters' estate.
[DOOR SLAMS]
Oh, yes, Miss Donaldson. I didn't expect to hear from you so soon.
What? You mean to say...
Yes. Yes, of course. You may count on it.
[DOOR CLOSING]
Magnum, there you are.
I wanted you to know I've reconsidered.
You may have your time off.
Three weeks, a month. Whatever you like.
Only, uh...
I need for you to take care of one minor little investigative problem for me
before you leave.
I can't. I've decided to leave tonight.
Why, surely you can postpone a day or two. It's important.
Yes, well, I suppose you have your own priorities.
It's probably too late now, anyway.
I doubt that you would even be able to help.
Still, I would like to pose one hypothetical question
just to ease my state of mind.
If you received a telegram from Mr. Masters' publishers
instructing you to release Mr. Masters' latest novel
to a messenger service they had hired.
Mr. Masters' latest novel?
A novel which is without a doubt his finest,
perhaps even Pulitzer Prize material.
Robin, king of the potboilers, has written a Pulitzer Prize winning novel?
Regardless of the quality of the material, what would you do?
About what?
About the manuscript.
Would you turn it over to the messenger service?
Yeah, I guess so. Why not?
Precisely my reasoning.
A bit more polysyllabic, perhaps, but the same conclusion, nevertheless.
Look, I hate to cut this off, Higgins,
but there's some things I have to do before I leave.
Unfortunately, I've only just learned that the messenger service was bogus,
the telegram a fake.
Mr. Masters' literary masterpiece has been stolen.
And someone must find it before his publisher finds out.
You lost the manuscript?
Did I mention I'd be willing to pay your expenses home, round trip?
After the manuscript is found?
MAGNUM: Another thing my grandfather told me about change
is that it doesn't always come along at a convenient time.
In fact, it usually happens
right when you're in the middle of doing something else.
And that it's important to finish up whatever you're doing.
Even if it begins to seem like dull routine.
[CHUCKLES]
Because it's how you make the transitions
that's as important as making them.
At least, that's what I think he said.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
[PEOPLE WHOOPING]
LUTHER: Hey, big guy. Welcome to the party!
Luther?
Luther H. Gillis, the one and only.
Bet you're surprised to see me.
I call it a St. Louis Sunrise. I made it up myself. Here, try it.
I don't want a drink, Luther.
- How about a chip? - No!
- Want to dance? - No!
- Hi. - Cleo!
- Great party, huh? - What are you doing here?
Rick said he was real surprised to hear from your friend Luther.
You're here with Rick?
RICK: Excuse me.
Hey, where are you going, Rick? Come on, let's dance.
No. Thanks. Did Rick ask anything about us?
What about us? You know, if we ever...
If we ever what?
Nothing. Hi, Rick.
Hey, Thomas, great party. Come on, Cleo. We got to go.
No, already?
RICK: Sorry, baby, we got early dinner reservations.
Aww, okay. Bye, Thomas.
- See you, Thomas. - Bye.
That's my chicken!
If you don't mind my saying so, big guy, you seem a little tense.
You have got to learn to lighten up.
Luther, I don't know what you're doing here.
- You invited me. - Or even how you got in here.
The butler let me in. I told him we were working on a big case together.
I invited you?
Practically. I said, "If you're ever in St. Louis, look me up."
You said, "Sure, Luther."
I figure that means vice versa. So, here I am.
It's the first real vacation I've had in 20 odd years.
Of course, some of them were odder than others.
Odder than others!
Luther, you and your friends are going to have to get out of here.
There are some things I have to do.
Working on a big case?
- Yeah, a really big case. - Why didn't you say so?
I'll lose these bozos and be back to help you out.
- No! Luther. - Don't do anything until I get back.
Hey, pal, anything for you.
Come on, you bozos. This bash is traveling.
Luther!
Mr. Magnum, I thought you were working on some case for Mr. Higgins.
And I thought you were working on the books for Robin.
Well, I never get much chance to just let it all hang out, you know?
You're not going to tell Mr. Higgins about this, are you?
Excuse me, I don't believe we've met.
Oh. Suzi this is Thomas Magnum. Magnum, Suzi.
- Hi, Suzi. - SUZI: Hi.
I don't mean to be rude, but...
You heard what the big guy said. He's got work to do. Let's go.
See you later?
Hey, you know, you remind me of my ex-partner, Chuckie's second wife.
His second and also his fourth.
And you may not believe this,
but he regretted the day he ever let her get away.
- LUTHER: Again. - SUZI: Really?
Mr. Magnum, I'd really appreciate if you could
possibly see your way clear to...
Don't worry, Bruce. I won't tell Higgins about seeing you here.
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Thank you.
Right.
BRUCE: Suzi!
[DOOR CLOSING]
[EXHALES HEAVILY]
HIGGINS: Yes, yes, of course.
I will have someone there to pick you up.
No trouble at all. Goodbye.
Okay. Here you are, Higgins.
An invoice for my time and expenses.
You've found the manuscript?
No. I don't think we're going to find the manuscript, Higgins.
See, the address the messenger service gave you is a phony,
the Western Union office had no record of who called in the telegram.
So, we're just kind of out of leads.
So, here's a bill for my services.
I believe the agreed upon payment was one round trip airfare to Tidewater.
Yes. Yes. Of course, I'll...
I'll have Mr. Kunkle draft you a check.
I'll simply have to figure out some other way to deal with Miss Donaldson.
Miss Donaldson?
Mr. Masters' publisher.
She's decided to come and pick up the manuscript herself.
She's arriving on the first flight tomorrow morning.
Mr. Masters has received huge cash advances on the novel.
I suppose he'll be liable to a lawsuit if he doesn't deliver.
Well, tell her you'll deliver the manuscript
as soon as you get another copy.
There are no copies.
That's ridiculous. There's got to be copies.
It's a whim of Mr. Masters.
He feels that more than one copy is bad luck.
Well, what about the tapes? The tapes he dictates his book into?
Destroyed.
As soon as the written manuscript is received. Standard procedure.
Wait a minute. Wait, wait, wait a minute.
What did you say?
We destroyed the tapes.
No.
You said I'll have Mr. Kunkle draft you a check.
How can you do that without Robin's approval?
[STAMMERING]
I'll take it out of my own salary, naturally, while I've still got a salary.
I'm quite certain Mr. Masters will fire me once the news of this fiasco breaks.
He won't fire you. Especially if he is you.
Oh, Magnum, please.
If he is not you and you are not him,
why did you have the only copy of the manuscript?
I suppose a change is good for all of us from time to time.
I shall hate to have to leave this place,
but perhaps I've become complacent here anyway.
Well, Higgins, I mean,
whatever the case, it's got to turn up.
Whoever stole it will be calling in any minute with a ransom request.
We'll call the police, they'll pick up the thief,
Miss Donaldson will never know anything about it.
I suppose there's a million to one shot that something like that could happen.
Of course it could. What else could it be but ransom?
You'll see, Higgins. Everything will be fine in the morning.
Well, in the meantime, I better get the books in order
before my meeting with Miss Donaldson in the morning.
Right!
MAGNUM: I guess the one thing my grandfather told me
that stuck in my mind more than anything else,
was the part about finishing up whatever you're in the middle of
before going on to the next thing.
No matter how hard I tried to ignore it,
that part had an annoying way of popping into my mind
when I really didn't want it to.
Money, resentment...
Revenge.
Yeah. Yeah.
No.
LUTHER: ♪ If you knew Suzi ♪
♪ Like I know Suzi ♪
♪ Oh, oh ♪
♪ Oh, what a gal ♪
♪ There's none so classy as that fair lassie ♪
[SCATTING]
- Sorry, I'm late. - What?
I didn't wake you, did I?
- What time is it? - 12:30.
Rick was entertaining us at the club with your theory about the butler.
My theory?
Yeah. About the butler being Robin Masters.
[CHUCKLING] It gave us a great laugh.
Especially Suzi.
You know, you meet some really nice people on vacation.
Was Rick still with Cleo?
Are you kidding? Those two lovebirds are inseparable.
Looks like you need some help, big guy.
Good thing I showed up.
Look, Luther, I know it's late,
and you can't do anything about it tonight.
But first thing in the morning,
you're gonna have to find a new place to stay.
Don't be ridiculous. You know me better than that.
I wouldn't think of leaving you alone with a big case to crack.
Whatever happened to Luther Gillis who works alone?
It's a trade-off.
I'll pitch in here and later on you can help me nail those Phoenix scrunge-o's
that are trying to steal my football team.
Good night, Luther.
What are you, un-American or something?
Huh?
By the way, Luther, how's Blanche?
Blanche? Couldn't be better.
Waiting for me to get home, of course.
But you gotta always keep them guessing just a little bit, you know?
Can't let them get too close or first thing you know, wham!
They've got that old marriage knot right around your throat.
So, you never got married?
- What? - You never got married?
Luther Gillis? I'm not the marrying type.
You know that.
Good night, Luther.
Good night.
[LUTHER SIGHS]
MAGNUM: One thing I learned about change on my own,
you can't hurry it up.
Even though you may think you're ready for something to change,
it has to come about in its own time.
And there's not a whole lot you can do to hurry it up,
even though sometimes you think you can.
LUTHER: "And I know that's why you made the decision you made.
Believe me, Blanche, I understand.
Nobody could expect you to hang around the rest of your life,
waiting for someone like Luther Gillis to change his stripes.
So, I wish you the best of luck. No hard feelings.
But I guess I'll always love you.
Luther."
[GUN FIRING]
Not me.
[GUN FIRING]
Higgins.
- What's going on? - Somebody just tried to kill me.
- Names of known enemies. - None.
You have no enemies?
None that I can think of at the moment, no.
List all the people you owe money to.
All of my accounts are current.
Well, list all the people you currently owe money to?
None.
Any romantic dalliances with perhaps the wrong woman?
Mr. Gillis, please!
I'm sorry! These questions have to be asked.
Murder investigation is not always pretty.
If you don't mind.
What do you suppose is taking the big guy so long, anyway?
There are a lot of grounds to cover.
The assassin could still be out there.
I'm certain Magnum is proceeding with caution.
Just one last question.
Is this absolutely necessary?
If you are Robin Masters...
Who told you that?
...why don't you just say so and end this silly charade?
Because I'm not.
Well, why doesn't the real Robin show up and prove it?
What on earth does this have to do with the fact
that someone just tried to take my life?
Just curious.
Unless...
Why didn't I see this before?
Magnum!
Higgins! What are you doing?
[SHUSHING]
I thought you were inside.
The security panel showed the front gate was open.
I wanted to see if it was forced. I thought you were in the study.
I had a theory.
It looks like it didn't completely close after someone left.
Precisely.
[DOG HOWLING]
Shh.
It must be the wind. He's long gone by now.
He?
Bruce Kunkle. I realized after you left that he is the only one
who could possibly have shot at me.
I checked his room. Everything is gone.
His clothes, his books. Everything.
[DOG BARKING]
[DOG WHIMPERING]
After our discussion this afternoon,
I discovered a discrepancy on the books.
A $20,000 discrepancy.
Bruce made a $20,000 mistake?
I don't think it was a mistake.
My first thought was that he stole the manuscript
to ransom it and replace the money before I came across the entry.
Did you talk to him about it?
Well, I was going to. It was late.
I didn't quite know what to say. The lad has been with me...
With Mr. Masters' that is, for 10 years.
He's a very gifted young accountant.
I just thought that perhaps in the morning things would look different.
Any luck?
Maybe.
Looks like we got a matching set.
I found this shell casing out on the windows.
Ten millimeter automatic. Bren Ten, probably.
Or a Colt Super Elite.
- Possibly. - Definitely.
How can you know that for sure?
I just do.
This is great!
An honest to God case.
Not 24 hours after I drop anchor on this rock.
And attempted murder at that.
Who said the old lucky streak is running out?
Any suspects?
Oh, no, we can't call the police yet.
I know his family.
We have to at least try to find him ourselves first.
If this guy is trying to kill you...
I know where the next attempt will be.
I'll be careful. 24 hours.
As Chuckie would say, "Why take only 24 hours? Take a whole day!"
All right. What have we got so far? Motive. Opportunity. Weapon.
Weapon, opportunity, motive.
Once you get two out of three, wham!
You have nailed your guy.
For example, I had this case back in 1963.
Had to do with the transportation
of illegal cans of peanut butter across state lines...
Peanut butter?
It's a long story. At any rate...
Well, why can't you tell us about the case you're working on now?
Sorry, little lady. That is rule number two in the P.I. handbook.
Never discuss your current case with anyone.
I don't suppose either one of you have read my book,
So You Want To Be a P.I.?
Let me give you a thumbnail sketch.
So you think Bruce is trying to kill Higgins because he thinks he's Robin?
Will you quit spreading that rumor?
Me? You're the one that started it. Now you don't believe it anymore?
I didn't say I don't believe it.
It's probably true. I'm not 100% sure.
Will you forget about that for a minute?
Well, it does kind of make sense.
Higgins being Robin and Bruce kills him...
Rick.
Then he doesn't have to pay him any of the money back,
- and nobody ever knows the wiser. - Come on, Rick!
Will you just see what you can do to find him!
You could count on it, pally.
Nobody's going to take pot shots at Higgins and get away with it.
You know, you and Cleo,
you've been seeing a lot of each other lately, haven't you?
Thomas, while I'm looking for Bruce, what are you going to be doing?
I've got a lead on Kauai. All I have to do is hitch a ride.
T.C.: No!
Absolutely not.
You know Bryant and I are going scuba diving today.
You've known for a week.
Now, you do not have to make this trip right this second.
T.C., there are certain priorities in life.
And one of them happens to be spending more time with my son,
which is above running errands for Thomas Magnum.
Exactly! And maybe above that or certainly to the side of it
is helping a friend whose life is in danger.
All set, Dad. I think I've got everything.
Great.
We can put all the stuff in the van.
We still going?
Yeah, yeah, come on.
I'm going to show you ahi or na'ena'a or paki'i
in their natural state right out there in the ocean.
I thought Rick was gonna help you!
Well, he is, but I just got this hunch
that we can get more information from the messenger service
than he can from Bruce Kunkle.
- [PHONE RINGS] - I'll get it.
And you could call the messenger service on the phone
to find out if they hired someone to pick up the manuscript from Higgins.
My son needs me.
T.C., you know that they are not going to give that kind of information
to a total stranger on the phone.
Oh, and they're going to give it to you in person?
Mr. Magnum? It's for you.
It's Mr. Wright.
Yeah, Rick, any luck?
RICK: Yeah, you could say that.
Apparently he tied one on last night after his fight with Higgins.
He was booked for disorderly conduct at 12:15.
An hour before Higgins was shot at?
Yeah. And he spent the rest of the night as the guest of the county.
This is very embarrassing. I graduated third in my class.
You're sure he was there all night?
RICK: That's what I said.
I got the paperwork to prove it.
Thanks, Rick.
Hey, what's next?
BRYANT: This is really great.
Dad says every time he helps you out,
you get into all kinds of trouble.
People shooting at you and stuff.
That's a lot more fun than looking at a bunch of old fish underwater.
People shooting at us?
There's only one thing I don't understand.
Why would anybody be trying to kill Mr. Higgins?
Because someone with a big mouth ran around telling everybody
that Higgins was Robin Masters.
T.C., first of all, I didn't tell that many people.
Who'd believe something like that, anyway?
Well, it's not really that far-fetched.
Robin Masters, the guy who writes all the books?
The guy Mr. Higgins works for?
Yeah.
Boy, you'd have to be pretty dense to believe that.
[CHUCKLES]
Thank you.
T.C.: Any luck?
I think so. We got to get back!
HIGGINS: Yes, yes. Of course, I understand.
I'll be there within the half hour. Thank you.
[PHONE RINGING]
Robin's Nest.
- MAGNUM: Hi. - Oh, Magnum.
Have you found Bruce Kunkle?
- Yes, but Higgins, I... - Where is the manuscript?
I don't know, but, Higgins...
I can't put Miss Donaldson off any longer.
I must go to her hotel immediately.
No, wait.
I'll simply tell her the truth and throw myself on her mercy.
Higgins, if you'd just give me a chance.
- I'm afraid I've run out of time. - Higgins! No!
Wait, wait, Mr. Higgins.
Mr. Higgins. I need to talk to you. It's about the books. I made a mistake.
We'll have to discuss the books later.
Mr. Higgins!
Oh, my God.
There he is.
[CAR HONKING]
[TRUCK HORN BLARING]
T.C.: Requesting an ambulance on Round Top Road
between Kapona and Lookout Point.
T.C.: Roger.
Come on. Here, now, take it easy.
Come on. Are you all right? Take it easy.
Someone sabotaged the brakes.
T.C.'s calling for help.
HIGGINS: I knew better.
You knew better what?
The car, this road. Still, it was the fastest way.
You said before you knew where the second attempt was going to take place.
- Malcolm MacDonald. - Who?
Higgins, who is Malcolm MacDonald?
He passed out.
I called the paramedics.
T.C.: Did he say who the lady is who hired the messenger service?
I didn't get a chance to ask him. But I think I know who.
- Who? - Malcolm MacDonald.
Who on earth is Malcolm MacDonald?
Chuckie was on the main gate. I was on the back gate.
And Blanche, this other operative...
Blanche, she was on the horn to the coppers.
You know, these are really terrific.
Did you invent them?
To tell the truth, my secretary...
I mean, my ex-secretary had come up with some of the ingredients.
But I named it.
You know, Mr. Higgins has sure been gone a long time, huh?
Who, the butler? Don't worry about him.
As long as he knows that Luther H. Gillis is on the case,
this place is as safe as Fort Knox.
Anyway, there we were, me, Chuckie, Blanche...
Have you ever met Robin Masters personally?
Me? You kidding?
Uh-uh.
Where do you think he gets all his research material for his books?
From you?
Certainly.
Wow.
You really lead an exciting and glamorous life.
Yeah, well...
You know, I would give anything to meet Robin Masters.
Do you know that I have read every one of his books?
Really?
I can even act out some of my favorite scenes.
Yeah? Well maybe later on tonight.
After we meet Robin?
Of course after we meet Robin.
- You mean it? - Of course I mean it.
I don't believe this.
I mean, I actually get to meet Robin Masters.
I mean, you have no idea what this means to me.
Sure. You can tell me about it later.
Right now, I've got some work to do.
And you should buy yourself something nice,
something green.
It's his favorite color.
I'll pick you up at 8:00.
You know, you are probably one of the nicest men I've ever met.
Thanks.
Don't forget. I'll pick you up at 8:00.
Okay.
MAGNUM: One other thing about transitions.
Sometimes you get so caught up in the changes going on in your own life,
you don't even notice that the people around you
are going through changes themselves.
But once you do notice,
the best thing to do is just stop for a minute,
and give your friends a little help.
Because when you do that,
your own problems seem to have a way of working themselves out.
And even if they don't,
at least it reminds you that you're not the only one
who's trying to sort things out.
[DOOR OPENING]
[CREAKING]
Okay, Luther. You can come out now.
- This is not what it looks like. - I know.
I'm here for one reason and one reason only.
I know.
On the trail of a suspect who...
You know?
What else would a world class investigator be doing
in a beautiful woman's hotel room but investigating?
Right.
This time I think we hit pay dirt, the mother lode.
Your suspect is none other than Suzi Merrill.
Motive, revenge.
There are some interesting little letters that go along with these manuscripts.
"Too close in style and substance to Robin Masters' To Die and Die Again."
"Regret to inform you, your style is too similar to our author Robin Masters."
One reiection letter for each manuscript.
I guess she bought your ridiculous theory about the butler being Robin Masters,
and figured with him out of the way,
she'd have a better chance to get her own books published.
Especially if she submitted
Robin's latest effort under her own name.
You know, Luther, for a minute I thought you set the whole thing up yourself.
Me? Why?
Oh, I don't know.
Maybe to solve the case and convince a certain secretary,
and maybe even yourself,
that you hadn't lost the old touch.
You think that would work?
I think telling her how you feel would work a lot better.
Nah.
[CLEARS THROAT]
Hey, you know, I think the guys are all wrong about you.
You're not half bad.
Thanks.
The only thing we have to do now is find Suzi before she finds the butler.
That's easy. I think we'll find her in here.
Where?
I knew you'd come up here.
You just had to take the chance to get your manuscript back.
Well, this time Chapter 3 is going to end a little differently.
The world-famous novelist doesn't get his precious book back.
Suzi, no. I can't let you do it.
Look, I told you to stay out of the way until this was over.
I can't let you do this.
Not to Mr. Higgins, even if he is Robin Masters.
Which, I assure you, I'm not.
- Luther! - Sorry, doll. The party's over.
I'm turning you and the manuscript you stole over to the police.
How did you get the...
You shouldn't leave your hand bag hanging around unattended.
Some snoopy P.I. might borrow your keys.
I don't believe that's Robin's book.
No?
"Veronica shivered in the cool night air, only her thoughts of revenge,
and the Colt Super Elite she held in her shaking right hand
to keep her warm."
You just signed your own death warrant, Gillis.
MAGNUM: Oh, I don't think so, Suzi.
Mr. Magnum!
Sorry, Bruce.
I had to find out whether you were in on it or not.
We can still turn ourselves in, Suzi.
Throw ourselves on the mercy of the court.
We can wait for each other until after we're out of jail.
Bruce, you really should have read Chapter 4 of Robin's book.
That's where Veronica kills the young man she conned
into getting her into the estate.
Look, don't listen to him.
Once they're out of the way and we have the manuscript,
we can do everything just like we planned.
We can travel, live like kings. Just like Robin Masters.
Come on, baby. Just get the manuscript.
You want the manuscript? Why didn't you say so? Here you go.
Suzi!
Let go of it, Suzi. Grab hold of my hand.
Let go of it.
HIGGINS: A classic case of art versus life.
Well, perhaps the novel she'll write in jail will be her chance at success.
This is going to make doing the monthly books a bit awkward
with Bruce incarcerated.
Still, I suppose we'll make the best of a bad situation.
Oh, by the way, Luther said to wish you a speedy recovery.
He's on his way back to St. Louis to convince Blanche
not to marry someone else.
Indeed.
How did you know to check the manuscript
to see where Suzi would show up next?
Oh...
Some of the things you said, Higgins,
about the gun, about the brake linings,
about Malcolm MacDonald.
Malcolm MacDonald?
The hero in Transitions.
See, I figured that Suzi had to be absolutely certain
she was killing Robin Masters,
so she staged the endings of Chapter 1 and Chapter 2
hoping to lure the one person who knew the book
to where the murder attempt was going to take place in Chapter 3.
And there's only one person that had that knowledge, Higgins,
the man who wrote the book.
[CHUCKLING]
Astonishing.
I never cease to be amazed at the convoluted way your mind works.
Just because I surreptitiously read Mr. Masters' manuscript,
doesn't mean I wrote it.
Sure, Higgins.
I can't believe the manuscript is lost forever.
Well, hopefully, when Robin sits down at his tape recorder
and starts over, it'll be better this time.
Yes. Perhaps so.
You know, I was thinking, the fourth chapter has always been a little weak.
Oh, aren't they always?
And the turnaround in Chapter 6...
You were saying?
Isn't it a lovely day out?