Apparently Platt has a painting of the red ice scraper hanging in his home. I gotta go back and re-watch that scene.

>the money in the briefcase from the movie? Because I'm pretty
>sure that's the same one.

It's certainly a strong wink and nod.

>Malvo getting out of it almost stretched this past
>plausibility, but he was so convincing as the minister (and
>these people WANTED to let him go,) that I still believed it.

IMHO, Molly fucked up the investigation when she went to Chief Bill. She went in their hot-to-trot over the connection to the murder of Lester's wife and the old chief, a case she wasn't on and she knew Bill didn't want her anywhere near. If she'd framed it as a lead to the guy she found out in the wilderness, Bill probably would've let her go with the ID and maybe they could have brought in witnesses to the guy's abduction to ID Malvo as well. Would have been enough to hold him and then tie the rest of the murders in after that.