"The Wind Around the Tower" is the fourth episode of the ninth season of Murder, She Wrote and its 180th episode overall. It aired on November 1, 1992.
While being visitors at an estate in Ireland, Jessica and her friend are convinced that their host's demise is not from natural causes.
Plot[]
Anne was the wife of Neal Gillen, but she grew tired of her marriage with Neal and began an affair with local chemist Francis O'Reilly.
Both Anne and Francis decided to make their love relationship official, so they had to get rid of Neal, but divorce is costly, so they resolved in killing Neal. Anne knew about the wind passage from the tower to Neal's study (making an eerie howling sound). The evil Anne used this passage to place nitrogen tanks (provided by Francis) in the secret room and connect it to Neal's study. The nitrogen gas is released when Neal switched on his desk lamp. Since the window was locked and shut, Neal inhaled the toxic nitrogen gas, succumbed to the poisonous effect and died. Anne would then switch off the lamp light to prevent her from being affected by the gas.
The evidence that proved Anne and Francis' connection was the nitrogen tanks, considering that chemists usually store nitrogen tanks for medical purposes. Another telltale evidence that proved Anne's guilt was the video showing Neal trying to smoke his pipe, only to be extinguished every time due to the nitrogen gas. The video also shows Anne switching off the lamp to indicate the switch on the nitrogen tanks. Jessica ultimately revealed Anne as the killer through a demonstration by locking Anne and herself in the study (removing the tanks first). Anne began to panic when Jessica closed and locked the door and switched on the lamp. Anne eventually switched off the lamp, indicating she knew about the nitrogen tanks in the secret room. Both Anne and Francis were placed under arrest for Neal's murder.
Of all the cast members, Shay Duffin is the only one actually born in Ireland.
The ghostly "screaming" heard in this episode is a stock sound effect that can also be heard in the original It miniseries whenever Pennywise or another form it takes is shown killing someone.
"The Wind Around the Tower" at the Internet Movie Database