When an unidentified woman turns up in an empty hotel room, the apparent victim of alcohol overdose, Astin and Monahan are quite eager to dismiss the case. However, Quincy finds something strange in the proceedings, especially the quick disposal of the body at the request of false officials. As he digs deeper, he finds a second murder and a conspiracy to cover up a tell-all book by the deceased, Margo Bentley, whatever the cost.
This episode includes examples of the following tropes:
- Accidental Truth: Quincy attempts to bluff the killer by pointing out a police helicopter overhead and saying that he had it follow them. The killer doesn't buy it. However, then the helicopter and several other police vehicles stop the killer's plane from taking off and Quincy discovers the helicopter was following them — because the funeral attendant spilled that Quincy had falsely claimed to be a federal agent.
- Bait-and-Switch Comment: When all of them are arrested at the end, Quincy protests that he has to give a lecture in Buffalo. The cop says he won't be doing that. Quincy ultimately grins and asks, "Promise?"
- Brick Joke: The lecture Quincy has to give comes up multiple times during the investigation, much to his irritation. Then, at the end, he gets arrested for incidents involved in the current case, allowing him to avoid it.
- Compromising Memoirs: Margo's tell-all book contained so much information that the killers (drug smugglers) wanted secret that they decided to kill her, her publisher, and anyone else who might know too much.
- Fiery Cover-Up: The killer has Margo's body cremated by posing as a family lawyer, preventing Quincy from being able to find any more information from it. However, Quincy already has some pretty suspicious information and the fact that a Jane Doe got rushed through cremation so fast convinces him even more that something funny is going on. The killer tries to do the same thing with her publisher's body, but Quincy stops it.
- I'll Take Two Beers Too: Inverted; Quincy orders a huge meal at a drive-thru, and the cook asks if he's sure about ordering all that for himself. Quincy says he couldn't eat all of it and some is for a friend.
- I Never Said It Was Poison: While posing as a publisher in Quincy and Miss Detweiller's company, the killer mentions not wanting to die of the nasty bacillus Quincy mentioned. A few minutes later, he casually comments that he probably shouldn't have said it was a bacillus and pulls a gun on them.
- You Owe Me: When Quincy protests having to give a lecture, Astin reminds him of some time recently that he pulled some strings to get Quincy out early so that he could catch a doubleheader.
