A scene from “Unfinished Business”

Zach Franklin: [to Elaine Franklin, after Jessica exposes the murderer] I had no choice. When Terry and I became partners, he never said anything about smuggling. By the time I found out, it was too late. Your mother was sick. You needed college money. Fishing was the worst it had been in years. So I went along, figuring as soon as I could pay him off for my share of the boat, it'd be over. You know what happened? He laughed in my face. He said if I tried to quit, something would happen to you.

Jessica Fletcher: That's when you decided to kill him.

Zach Franklin: That's exactly when, Mrs. Fletcher.

Jessica Fletcher: But you knew you'd be the prime suspect. Unless you were dead, too.

Sheriff Mort Metzger: So you cooked up your little plan. All you needed was the right fall guy, and who could be more perfect than Wayne, an ex-convict?

Elaine Franklin: Oh, Dad...

Zach Franklin: Elaine, with Terry dead, the Gretchen, the whole business, it'd be all yours. I even took out extra life insurance to make sure you'd be okay.

Jessica Fletcher: And then what, Zach? Were you going to hide for the rest of your life?

Zach Franklin: Not as hard as you might think, Mrs. Fletcher. I know places in Mexico where the fishing is good and nobody cares who you are or where you came from.