Doctor Seth Hazlitt (William Windom) eagerly anticipates the arrival of his old Army buddy Ben Oliver (Gerald S. O'Loughlin), who risked his life in Korea nearly 40 years earlier, by rescuing his company from a shell blast, which resulted in Ben's lifelong disability to concentrate beyond a relatively short attention span.
Since those days, Seth has married Ruth and settled into a comfortable private medical practice in Portland, Maine, before relocating to Cabot Cove as a widower, and continuing his patient care. So, now Seth explains to Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury) from a bench at the outdoor bus depot that it's his turn to help Ben, who hasn't corresponded for more than thirty years, until he announces his reunion plans.
Ben Oliver appears solemn and meek, a quiet, pensive, humble soul with no where to turn after a jewelry shoppe at which he has recently been employed has been robbed, and Ben has been falsely suspected of organizing the heist. As a result, Private Detective Lawrence Jarvis (Robert Lansing) ensues Ben wherever he goes, with the intention of proving Ben's guilt, which means that Lawrence follows the bus into Cabot Cove, to trail Ben from his automobile.
At the local country club, Seth introduces Ben to Mason Porter (Cliff De Young), Dorothy Porter (Pamela Susan Shoop) and Neal Dishman (Daniel Davis), as they complete a round of golf.
Neal Dishman plans to purchase a sailboat from Mason Porter, who operates a boating company, while his wife, Dorothy, is given very little to do here except to agree with Mason's decision to hire Ben as a mechanic, a position which he handles commendably and responsibly even though prowlers roam the docks late at night, and locals begin to wonder about Ben's state of mental health if, indeed, he turns out to be the prowler.
Neil's daughter, Robin Dishman (Gail O'Grady), and Mason and Dorothy's nephew, Dave Sanders (Tony Becker), get along on certain matters, but while Dave seeks a future with Robin, he generally handles finances irresponsibly, and depends upon his Uncle Mason for advances on his salary as a boat salesman, a factor upon which Mason reprimands Dave, who now seeks new methods of obtaining cash.
But Mason is satisfied with Ben's performance, to the delight of Seth and Jessica, and rewards him with a promotion to the sales department, to Dave's dismay, as he objects to sharing access with Ben to the office and finances.
After Neal decides upon a boat which Ben has prepared for sale, Neal pays Mason a large amount of cash to transfer its title into his name. Late that evening, when Dave sneaks back into the boating office in the hopes of burglarizing the safe to square away his problems with Robin, Dave hears a lurker on the docks, and shines his flashlight toward the safe, which has been opened and emptied, with a body lying to the side.
Sheriff Mort Metzger (Ron Masak) and his capable Deputy Andy Broom (Louis Herthum) investigate the murder, with the assistance of Jessica, who defends Ben's innocence as Seth begins to waver, because Ben does not defend himself for want of a plausible alibi, as he cannot recall the details of the evening very readily, including how a large sum of cash has ended up in his hotel room, evidence which may tarnish Ben's "Badge of Honor."
The cast is rounded out by Douglas Rowe as Proprietor, Tom Nibley as Clerk, Charles C. Stevenson Jr. as Minister, John Tuell as Driver, and Arlee Reed as Deputy.
This episode represents the first of two "MSW" appearances for Charles C. Stevenson Jr., the second of two for Robert Lansing, the third of three each for Pamela Susan Shoop and Cliff De Young, and the third of four "MSW" guest roles for Gerald S. O'Loughlin. Robert Lansing, acting since 1956, has since passed.
Since those days, Seth has married Ruth and settled into a comfortable private medical practice in Portland, Maine, before relocating to Cabot Cove as a widower, and continuing his patient care. So, now Seth explains to Jessica Fletcher (Angela Lansbury) from a bench at the outdoor bus depot that it's his turn to help Ben, who hasn't corresponded for more than thirty years, until he announces his reunion plans.
Ben Oliver appears solemn and meek, a quiet, pensive, humble soul with no where to turn after a jewelry shoppe at which he has recently been employed has been robbed, and Ben has been falsely suspected of organizing the heist. As a result, Private Detective Lawrence Jarvis (Robert Lansing) ensues Ben wherever he goes, with the intention of proving Ben's guilt, which means that Lawrence follows the bus into Cabot Cove, to trail Ben from his automobile.
At the local country club, Seth introduces Ben to Mason Porter (Cliff De Young), Dorothy Porter (Pamela Susan Shoop) and Neal Dishman (Daniel Davis), as they complete a round of golf.
Neal Dishman plans to purchase a sailboat from Mason Porter, who operates a boating company, while his wife, Dorothy, is given very little to do here except to agree with Mason's decision to hire Ben as a mechanic, a position which he handles commendably and responsibly even though prowlers roam the docks late at night, and locals begin to wonder about Ben's state of mental health if, indeed, he turns out to be the prowler.
Neil's daughter, Robin Dishman (Gail O'Grady), and Mason and Dorothy's nephew, Dave Sanders (Tony Becker), get along on certain matters, but while Dave seeks a future with Robin, he generally handles finances irresponsibly, and depends upon his Uncle Mason for advances on his salary as a boat salesman, a factor upon which Mason reprimands Dave, who now seeks new methods of obtaining cash.
But Mason is satisfied with Ben's performance, to the delight of Seth and Jessica, and rewards him with a promotion to the sales department, to Dave's dismay, as he objects to sharing access with Ben to the office and finances.
After Neal decides upon a boat which Ben has prepared for sale, Neal pays Mason a large amount of cash to transfer its title into his name. Late that evening, when Dave sneaks back into the boating office in the hopes of burglarizing the safe to square away his problems with Robin, Dave hears a lurker on the docks, and shines his flashlight toward the safe, which has been opened and emptied, with a body lying to the side.
Sheriff Mort Metzger (Ron Masak) and his capable Deputy Andy Broom (Louis Herthum) investigate the murder, with the assistance of Jessica, who defends Ben's innocence as Seth begins to waver, because Ben does not defend himself for want of a plausible alibi, as he cannot recall the details of the evening very readily, including how a large sum of cash has ended up in his hotel room, evidence which may tarnish Ben's "Badge of Honor."
The cast is rounded out by Douglas Rowe as Proprietor, Tom Nibley as Clerk, Charles C. Stevenson Jr. as Minister, John Tuell as Driver, and Arlee Reed as Deputy.
This episode represents the first of two "MSW" appearances for Charles C. Stevenson Jr., the second of two for Robert Lansing, the third of three each for Pamela Susan Shoop and Cliff De Young, and the third of four "MSW" guest roles for Gerald S. O'Loughlin. Robert Lansing, acting since 1956, has since passed.
