Randy Sloan, an old student of Jessica's turned reporter, returns to Cabot Cove to write a book about an old tragedy. Randy's plans ruffle feathers around town, and early one morning, the librarian opens up to find him dead on the floor. Feeling responsible, Jessica picks up the trail of what Randy had discovered.
This episode includes examples of the following tropes:
- Buy Them Off: Mrs. Weymouth attempts to bribe Randy to forget the book, first with $100,000, doubling and then tripling it when he refuses. He's tempted but feels obligated to bring the truth to light.
- Chekhov's Gun: Randy keeps badgering Sally to meet with him and asking her personal questions, which she initially assumes is unwanted flirting. It turns out that Randy's research had suggested that Margaret Babbington was pregnant when she died, and that Sally is Margaret's daughter and entitled to her fortune.
- Death by Childbirth: Most people know that Margaret Babbington died soon after being committed to an insane asylum, but not many people knew why until first Randy and then Jessica started poking around. She died giving birth to her and her boyfriend's child, known in Cabot Cove as Sally Bates.
- Death by Woman Scorned: The day of his death, Owen Cooper told Margaret that they were through. She pleaded with him, only for him to walk away. In a rage, she grabbed the shotgun and fired. However, the experience psychologically shattered her, and her friends covered things up as a mercy to her.
- Happily Adopted: Sally Bates grew up in an orphanage after her mother died giving birth to her. She tells Jessica that one of the first happy memories she has is of being adopted.
- Have You Told Anyone Else?: An example in which the person asking doesn't do the killing. Mrs. Weymouth asks Randy if he's told anyone else what he discovered in the middle of attempting to bribe him with increasing amounts of money for his silence. He hadn't. Mrs. Weymouth's daughter Janet, who was eavesdropping, killed him.
- Inheritance Murder: Mrs. Weymouth's daughter Janet killed Randy to put an end to his story because she didn't want to lose her inheritance if he revealed the existence of Margaret's illegitimate child.
- Intrepid Reporter: After leaving Cabot Cove for Portland, Randy became a reporter, even winning an award for some very dangerous expository work. He returns to hunt down a more local story...and dies for it.
- My Secret Pregnancy: Owen Cooper had apparently gotten Margaret pregnant and then tried to walk out on her. She shot him and lost her mind from the trauma. After being committed to an asylum, Margaret died giving birth, and her cousin Mrs. Weymouth had the records sealed to protect Margaret's daughter from the scandal.
- The Resenter: Arnold the librarian resented that Randy, a former high school classmate, went on to become a reputed journalist in Portland while he remained behind. He tried and failed to join Randy in writing his book like old times.
- Suddenly Suitable Suitor: Early in the episode, Mr. Latimer tells his son Neal that Sally, a local waitress and part-time student, is a nice girl but not a suitable wife, and urges him to go after Janet Weymouth instead. By the end, Sally has inherited everything from the Weymouths, and Neal comes into the diner to see her.
