A Talent for Murder

Anne Royce McClain is a successful murder mystery writer living on her New York estate, a mansion filled with priceless artwork and cherished manuscripts. She navigates life in a motorized wheelchair, sipping cognac and lounging among cigars, while smoke alarms interrupt late nights. The house feels like a character in her stories, charged with danger and intrigue.

To celebrate her 64th birthday, Anne invites her immediate family and her old friend Dr. Anthony Wainwright from Paris. She also reveals that she is about to receive an Edgar Award, which adds pressure and competing motives to the gathering. The invitation stirs up tensions over wealth and control of the estate and art.

During a break from a Tanglewood concert, Anne and Tony learn that Sheila is scheming to have Anne committed and Pamela institutionalized to seize the estate. They record the revealing conversation, which confirms Mark is having an affair with Sheila and involved in the scheme. The recording becomes a dangerous weapon in the family's power struggle.

Sheila vows to have Anne put away and sneaks back early from another performance to steal the incriminating tape from the library. The theft heightens fear in the household and pits relatives against each other as the motive to control the fortune grows clearer.

Unbeknownst to Sheila, Mark learns of the recording and tries to steal it. He intends to bully and blackmail Anne into selling her art collection so he can realize his share of the estate. The plan threads together jealousy, greed, and the threat of legal action inside the house.

Anne triggers the smoke alarm and gathers the household in the library. She announces her plan to donate the art collection to the MoMA and to leave the house to a local historical society, with papers to be drawn up in the morning. The move shocks everyone and reframes the conflict around inheritance rather than mere leverage.

Someone douses the floor around Anne in brandy and lights a trail to a burning wastepaper basket. Rashi leaps into action, sheds his disguise, and uses a soda siphon to extinguish the flames. The scene underscores the danger present in the mansion and the ingenuity that characters deploy to survive.

The household debates the outcome of the latest scare, with Mark claiming that Anne almost set herself on fire. Anne then reveals that the incident was staged and proves the danger was orchestrated by the would be killer. She cites a device from one of her books to demonstrate how the attempt was executed.

Pamela arrives wearing the black hat, cape and night vision gear used by Mark, confirming the intruder presence in the plot. Anne uses the moment to expose Mark and offers him a cash envelope and time to flee to Australia, before calling the police. The plan to shield the others and secure the estate tightens around Mark.

Mark snatches the envelope and bolts toward a staged exit, trying to escape the consequences of his actions. Anne sits poised to involve the police, but allows him a chance to leave quietly for Australia. The chase ends with Mark disappearing into the mansion corridors.

Tony Wainwright finally admits that he killed Sheila as a means to protect Anne and Pamela and to honor his years of loyalty. Anne confesses that her earlier episodes of disorientation and talking to her late husband Bill were an act to mislead the family. The confession reshapes their relationship and sets a new, fragile peace.

With the house quiet again, Anne and Tony decide to stay together and resume their quiet life. They settle in for another game of chess, watched by the lingering threat of the unspoken murder still in the air. The smoke alarm goes off once more, closing the night with unresolved suspense.