Nelly Knows Mysteries: A Fatal Engagement

The film begins with Nelly Parker, the author of the 'Nelly Knows' advice column in Babbleton, discovering the body of her acquaintance, furniture maker Blake Jarvis, at the bottom of his staircase. Detective Michael Hogan, a newcomer to the town, initially suspects an accident, but Nelly points out evidence of a struggle, including a swept floor and a wiped light switch. The investigation reveals that Blake had $20,000 in his pocket, despite being notoriously broke. Nelly's friend Dahlia, Blake's girlfriend, becomes a primary suspect after it's revealed she suspected Blake of cheating and sent Nelly a handwritten letter seeking advice. However, Nelly realizes the handwriting on the letter, though featuring Dahlia's signature heart-dotted 'i's, might be a forgery. As Nelly and Michael dig deeper, they interview the members of Blake's regular poker game: Peter, Jody, and the local banker Connor Wooly. Subplots emerge involving a missing heirloom watch and a secret engagement ring Blake was planning to buy for Dahlia. The tension rises when a private investigator hired by Dahlia's mother is robbed, and photos surface of Paige Wooly, Connor's wife, skulking around Blake's house. Nelly eventually deduces that the 'Worried in Babbleton' letter was actually written by Dahlia's protective step-sister, Colleen, to break the couple up. The mystery reaches its climax when Nelly realizes that Connor Wooly, the banker, was the one who killed Blake. Connor had discovered that Blake was blackmailing Paige over a fraudulent real estate deal involving her uncle, Rumple Snide. Connor confronted Blake to protect his wife and, in a fit of rage, pushed him down the stairs. In a final confrontation at Nelly's office, Connor threatens Nelly and Paige with a gun, but Nelly uses a bottle of foliage spray to blind him, allowing Michael to make the arrest. The film concludes with Michael being officially welcomed to the force and Nelly adopting a kitten, hinting at a burgeoning professional and romantic partnership between the columnist and the detective.