Matlock (1986–1995): Season 1, Episode 15 - The Rat Pack - full transcript

Hello. I'm Carl Burke, and today
we're visiting Hastings, Georgia.

Hastings is small-town America,
typical in many ways.

Quiet, conservative, church-going.

But recently, Hastings
has been rocked with controversy.

That's when this book,
Secret Confessions,

was published a few weeks ago

and became an instant
national bestseller.

Not since Grace Metalious
wrote her thinly-disguised expos?

of a small town called Peyton Place

has a book like this
caused such a furore.

This is the home of the author
of Secret Confessions,



Mary Ann Newton,

a widow whose first book
is a local sensation.

Miss Newton, I'm Carl Burke,
and we'd like to ask you

a few questions
about Secret Confessions.

Well,

I don't think I should
be talking to you.

You'll have to talk
to my publisher first.

If you'll excuse me.

This is the home of
Barbara Gleason,

who some say
bears a strong resemblance

to one of the three leading characters
in this steamy drama.

Mrs. Gleason, I'm Carl Burke,

and we'd like to ask you
a few questions about--

Hastings is the kind of town



where everybody
knows everybody else,

and you can still find a parking place
here on Main Street,

like right in front of
Mark Douglas' jewellery store.

Mark Douglas may very well be
portrayed in Secret Confessions

as a compulsive gambler, local rou?.

Dr. Phillip Eagen is a resident
at the local hospital,

and many raise the question/

''ls he the model for the third leading
character in Secret Confessions?''

A young doctor caught stealing drugs
from his own hospital.

Dr. Eagen?
Dr. Eagen, I'm Carl Burke.

- I know who you are.
- I'd like to ask a few questions.

- Go right ahead.
- Could we stop?

- I'm sorry. I'm in kind of a hurry.
- Well, Dr. Eagen,

is the character Dr. Clark Laszlo
based on yourself?

No, it's not. Unfortunately,
a lot of people think otherwise.

Are you going to sue Mrs. Newton?

A lawsuit would be very expensive
and could take years.

Besides, it won't restore the damage
done to my medical career.

No, a lawsuit's too good
for Mary Ann Newton,

and someone ought to
repay her in kind

for the damage she's done to
this town and people like myself.

Mary Ann Newton is a coward
and a liar,

and should be deeply ashamed
of what she's done.

I wish she'd had the integrity
to refrain from this slander campaign.

Thank you, doctor.

Well, things seem to be
heating up here in Has--

- Cliff.
- Mary Ann.

There are eggs
all over my car again.

- I will fill out a report.
- This is the third time.

Well, let's hope it's the last.

Say, the waitress in here,
the one with the:

''Bedroom eyes that always say yes,
no matter what the utterance.''

Is that Rosemary Sawyer?

I wanna know if you're gonna
provide me with protection.

Oh, Mary Ann, it's hard to believe
anybody means you any real harm.

I saw that Phillip Eagen
on TV this morning.

He was practically threatening.

Well, if and when at such time

as person or persons
known or unknown

attempt to cause you bodily harm,

I will personally conduct
a full-scale investigation.

Till then, I can't do anything.
So you go on home

and don't write any more dirty books.

You know, that is Marjorie Sawyer.

I'm gonna have to spend more time
down there at the Coffee Cup Caf?.

Mary Ann? It's Reverend DeLuca.

Good evening.

- Oh, Reverend, come in.
- Thank you.

Are you all right?

Oh, well, the nerves
are a little frayed, I suppose.

Perhaps that book
should never have been written.

I'm worried about you, Mary Ann.

Yeah. Everything will
calm down eventually.

- How about a nice cup of tea?
- That'd be lovely.

- Good morning, Ben.
- Cliff.

- Come on in.
- Morning.

Guess you heard about the excitement
we've had down here.

Oh, yes. It's all over the TV
and the radio.

Well, that's not the way
I remember it.

It's your move.

Well, don't rush me,
it's been three months.

- So how's the investigation coming?
- Oh, we made an arrest.

- Young doctor.
- What you got on him?

Footprints outside the window
where the shot was fired match his,

and the murder weapon
was found in his car.

Why do you think
he killed this reverend?

I don't think that the reverend
was the target.

Oh, you think
he was after the author.

Certainly appears that way.

- Why'd you wanna see me?
- Well,

got the doctor in custody.
He needs a good lawyer.

When did you start soliciting lawyers
for your suspects?

I don't think he did it, Ben.

How's that?

Oh, I've known Phil Eagen
since he was a boy.

I know how he was raised.
Just doesn't feel right.

Well, he sure had reason to be mad,
the way she wrote him up in her book.

You read that book?

Well, somebody had it down
at the courthouse and I glanced at it.

Pretty racy stuff.

I gotta charge him, Ben.

Well, I guess we could
finish this another time.

Hey, hey, the--

The waitress in that book,
would that be, uh...?

- Marjorie Sawyer?
- Yeah.

I sincerely doubt it.

- What are you in for?
- You.

- Lawyer?
- That's right.

Court appoint you?

No, I'm a friend of Chief Johnson's.

Oh, well, no offence,
but I need a top gun here.

- Well, who you got in mind?
- Well, there's Herman Wilkinson.

Herman's all right.

- He's not too good, huh?
- No, he's all right.

- How about Luther Jarvis?
- Luther can be good.

- He's in and out?
- No, he can be good.

What about Ben Matlock?

- Did you do it?
- Hell, no.

- You got an alibi?
- I was home reading.

- Aware of the evidence?
- It's a frame.

Look, I'm a doctor. I'm supposed to
save lives, not take them.

- This lady's done you a lot of damage.
- Not as much as this will.

You never answered my question
about Ben Matlock.

- Sounds like his kind of case.
- I hear he's expensive.

He's flexible.

I think I'll try him.

Thanks for the advice.
Please, no offence.

Oh, I'm rarely offended.

- I'll tell Chief Johnson you've decided.
- Thanks.

I'm ready.

The waitress in that book,
that wouldn't be--?

Marjorie Sawyer.

Dr. Phillip Eagen
has no prior criminal record.

He is totally dedicated
to his medical work

at Hastings Community Hospital,

and we respectfully submit
that he's no threat to society.

In fact, there's no
real danger of flight.

Defence hopes that the court will
release him on his own recognizance.

Bail is set at $25,000.

Court will take a 1 5 minute recess.

I thought I hired Ben Matlock.

- You did.
- Morning.

- You're Ben Matlock?
- Yeah.

I got a videotape from the TV station.
We'll go to the office and look at it.

Why didn't you tell me?

I didn't want to unduly influence you.
I'll post bail and then we'Il:

I wish she'd had the integrity
to refrain from this slander campaign.

Thank you, doctor.

So everybody thinks you're this
Dr. Laszlo in Miss Newton's book.

Of course they do.

The physical description fits
and the character was involved

in a theft of drugs from the hospital.

Did you read that book?

Well, yeah.
To prepare for the case.

Were you?

- What?
- Involved in drug theft.

No formal charges were filed.

- Don't hedge with me.
- I didn't do it, another resident did.

Uppers, mostly,
to keep up with the hours.

I didn't turn him in.

Who are you?

Oh, I'm sorry. I'm Ben Matlock,
Phillip Eagen's lawyer.

What do you want?

I was just
looking through your window.

I noticed.

Well, since everybody assumes
you were the one who was shot at,

I was just trying to see
if I could figure out

how whoever did it
could make that big a mistake.

And?

It's possible.

Is that where
they found the footprint?

Yes, I think so.

Well, can you think of why anybody

would wanna shoot
this Reverend DeLuca?

Mr. Matlock,

Reverend DeLuca is a man who
devoted his entire life to the Church.

I can't imagine why anyone
would wanna do him any harm.

What was he doing here?

Well, he was concerned about me,

and he came to get a donation
I'd promised.

See, I pledged

to give a percentage
of my royalties to the Church.

Very generous.

Mr. Matlock, I didn't write this book

because I wanted to
stir up trouble or hurt anyone.

I wrote it because I wanted to
use a small town like this one

as a moral example.

It never occurred to you
that people might be upset?

Never occurred to me
it would ever get published.

I not only dislike Mary Ann Newton,
Miss Matlock.

I hold her responsible
for the breakup of my marriage.

Because of the character
she patterned after you in her book?

A character that slept
with half a dozen men in her town.

- Try explaining that to a husband.
- Did you?

Yes. But what was it to her?

Mrs. Gleason, where were you
the night of the murder?

- I was alone, why?
- I have to ask.

- What are you insinuating?
- Just part of my job.

Asking, not insinuating.

That's a very lovely
flower arrangement.

Look, my husband is the manager
of the bank in town.

He wasn't coming home
till 1 0 or 1 1 :00 at night.

I got bored.

I like TV, but night after night,
seven nights a week...

But whatever I did, it was personal.
It was private, and she had no right.

Mary Ann Newton
is like a plague or worse.

- Excuse me.
- Of course.

Excuse me.

How much is this watch right here?

The round--? That's 200.

I remember when they used to
go for 20.

Maybe you should try the drugstore.

I guess Mary Ann Newton's book
didn't help business much.

What do you think?

She writes about the only jeweller
in a small town

who winds up owing everybody
because of his gambling problem.

Now, I am the only jeweller
in this small town,

so who else would everybody
think she was writing about?

So business just dropped right off.

Let me put it this way,
you're my best customer.

Boy, being in a book like that
sure would make me mad.

You got it.

I guess you'd like to
get back at Mary Ann Newton.

Who the hell are you?

Ben Matlock.

I represent Phillip Eagen
in this murder case.

I don't suppose you'd remember

where you were
the night Reverend DeLuca was shot.

I'm not answering
any of your questions.

Well, you have to answer.

Either here or I can send you
a written invitation

to a beautifully-carved wooden chair
just a few feet from the judge.

I spent the whole night
with my girlfriend.

Her name is Jessie Peters.

Now, please,
would you just leave the store?

Oh, you got it. Thank you.
Appreciate it.

Keep an eye on him.

His girlfriend's named Jessie Peters.
He used her as an alibi.

What are you gonna do?

I gotta go over to the Coffee Cup Caf?
to see somebody,

then I'll be over with Cliff Johnson
at the jailhouse.

Hi, Mrs. Peters. I'm sorry I'm late.

- Who are you?
- Tyler Hudson.

- You did get my letter.
- I don't think so.

Well, look, since I'm here,
I'd be glad to take a look around.

- Look around what?
- Your house.

- You did want an appraisal.
- Oh, my house is not for sale.

Nobody's house on this block
was for sale

until they found out that the
expressway is coming through here.

- I've never heard anything about that.
- See what I mean?

A lot of these people
are selling their houses now

before the official announcement
is made and the values go down.

- How much is this gonna cost?
- No, no, no.

This doesn't cost you anything.

The Real Estate Association
will get my bill.

Look, let me help you with these.

- Look, l--
- Come along.

- How many square feet do you have?
- You know that's for after lunch.

I really don't know.

Well, do you mind
if I take a little look around?

- Sure, go ahead.
- Hey, you know what?

I bet you're gonna ask me
if I'd like to have a cup of tea.

- Yeah. Would you like a cup of tea?
- I would love a cup of tea.

I'm gonna take a look around.

- Okay.
- All right.

When are they gonna
make the announcement?

- What announcement?
- The expressway.

Oh, they're not sure, but soon.
Very, very soon.

Oh, I'll be right back.

Jessie, if you hear from a guy
named Matlock,

tell him I spent all night
Wednesday with you.

I'll explain later.

Mr. Hudson?

Mr. Hudson?

Jessie, if you hear from a guy
named Matlock,

tell him I spent all night
Wednesday with you.

I'll explain later.

Let me speak to Mr. Douglas.
Well, where is he?

Would you tell him to call me as soon
as possible?

It's very important.

What are you doing here?

The florist gave me directions.

The man who sent you flowers. Bill.
One of your gentleman friends.

You read the note?

Is that Bill over there?

He sent me flowers.
He's very thoughtful.

But is he the last
of the red-hot lovers?

Barbara, you've been working here

three nights a week
for the past 1 8 months.

This is very honourable,
but you lied to me.

You gave me some long story
about how you were at home

and Ionely all the time.

I have my reasons.

But you weren't at home
and you weren't bored.

It's almost as though you wanted to
have people think you're having affairs.

Could we talk outside?

- This stays between us, okay?
- What if I need it in court?

I don't think you would.

Everything I told you
about my husband was true.

I tried everything.

I lost weight, I gained weight,
I used makeup, no makeup.

I had black hair, I dyed it red.

I walked around with clothes on,

I walked around with some clothes on,
I walked around with no clothes on.

He was just losing interest in me.

Well, I certainly
don't understand that.

But it happened,

so I decided to try
and make him jealous.

I know it's stupid, but what the hell?

So you mean you weren't
really having any...?

I tried. I mean, I really tried,
but it's a small town and...

So, Barbara, you weren't very upset

about Mary Ann writing about you
in her book?

No.

I've become a very desirable woman.

I show you People's Exhibit 6
and I ask if you recognise it.

Yes, sir.

We found that weapon in the glove
compartment of Phillip Eagen's car.

And the Hastings Police Department
ballistics laboratory

performed tests on this weapon?

Why, sir, I am the Hastings Police
Department Ballistics Department.

- Yes, I did.
- Tell us the results of the tests.

In my opinion,

that's the weapon
that killed Reverend DeLuca.

And were any other physical evidence
secured from the scene of the crime?

The angle and trajectory of the shots

indicated that they were fired
through the side window.

Outside that window,

we found some freshly-made footprints
in the flowerbed.

What did you ascertain
about those footprints?

That they were made
by a man, size 1 2 shoe.

- The same size as the defendant's.
- Yes, sir.

No further questions.
Thank you, chief.

Cross-examine?

You know, chief,

I'm impressed with the forensics work
police departments do nowadays.

They can find a thread of hair

and they can tell you the colour
of the person's hair,

how old he is,
when he had his last haircut,

probably what he had for breakfast.

Not quite what he had for breakfast.

Well, what if...?

What if I made a footprint
in this box of sand?

Could you tell me from that footprint
what my shoe size is?

Well, surely. I'd need a tape measure
and a scrap of paper.

Okay. There you go. There.

And here I go.

Let's see.

Okay, that's it.

Now, this is not exact,

but you are wearing a size 1 2 shoe,
probably leather-soled.

The shoe I'm wearing does have a
leather sole and it's exactly a size 1 2.

But my foot size is a 1 0.

So, what I did, I shoved cotton in there
to make up the difference.

Now, chief, the only thing we know

about the person we believe
shot through that window

is that he wore a size 1 2 shoe.
Is that right?

That's right.

So it could be that somebody
other than Phillip Eagen

did what I just did
to throw off the police.

- Is that right?
- That's right.

Thank you, chief.
No further questions.

Redirect?

No, Your Honour.

This court will be in recess
until 9 a.m. tomorrow.

I remind the jury
that they are admonished

not to discuss this case,
nor form any opinions.

Miss Peters?

Would you step outside here
with me just a second?

What do you want?

Mark Daniels was not with you
the night of the murder.

Can you prove that?

My associate tells me
that you have an 8-year-old son,

and that you have an ex-husband
in California

who wants custody of the boy.

Now, I'm not trying to blackmail you
or intimidate you,

but if you commit perjury on the stand,
I have no choice but to go after you,

and that could provide
your ex-husband with ammunition

in any custody battle.

- What do you want me to do?
- Well...

Now, Mark Douglas has brought you
into this to do him a favour,

and I think you'd be much
better advised

to do yourself a favour
and cooperate with me.

Do you think Mark did it?

I think Mark
has a lot of explaining to do.

If I tell you what you wanna know,
do I have to testify?

Maybe not.

Mark was with a guy
Wednesday night.

Some kind of business.

- What's the big secret?
- I don't know, but it was a big secret.

He was a guy from Atlanta.

Funny-sounding name.

- Hey, Tyler?
- Yeah?

Some guy from Atlanta,
maybe deals in jewellery,

maybe hot, funny-sounding name.

- Schimmelburger.
- Funnier.

- Grock.
- Grock.

Grock.

You were supposed to sell this stuff.

I will. Things are a little tight right now,
so just take it away

for a couple of weeks,
and then when things cool down,

it'll be business as usual.

- Who's this?
- I don't know. A customer, I hope.

Hey, come on, open up. Look, I wanna
match a ring with this watch.

- No, it's too early to open right now.
- I can't hear what you're saying.

It'll be about an hour and--
What are you--? What--?

- Hello, Grock.
- What the hell is this?

We're not here in any official capacity,
Mr. Grock.

- You're not?
- No.

All we're after is some information
on your associate here

and where he was
last Wednesday night.

Look, you have no right
to come barging into this shop.

Shut up, Mark. I'm a businessman.

We know
what your business is, Grock.

All we wanna know is were you
and Mr. Douglas doing business

last Wednesday night
while a murder was being committed?

Look, Mr. Matlock--

You have a reputation too,
you know.

--maybe I move a few pieces
of jewellery from time to time,

but I am not in on a murder ticket.

Oh, that's why you faked your alibi.

Because at the time
Reverend DeLuca was murdered,

you and Mr. Grock here
were trafficking in stolen merchandise.

What did you want me to do?

Come out, tell you what I was doing
so I could go to jail?

Are we supposed to believe this?

Well, he made up an alibi
that backfired.

You will go to jail, but you won't
go to jail for murder.

Congratulations, and to you,
Mr. Grock.

You two look terrible.
What happened in there?

Douglas is guilty of a crime,
but it's not the right crime.

Well...

If Douglas didn't commit the murder,
and neither did Barbara Gleason,

who did?

Well, as far as I can tell, Charlene,

nobody.

I hear you've been hanging around
the Coffee Cup Caf?.

Well, a person
has to eat somewhere.

You going to subpoena
Marjorie Sawyer?

Who?

You know who.

I might.

Yeah, you get old Marjorie Sawyer
over there in Atlanta,

and the court will let out,
it'll be late,

she won't have anyplace to stay,

and you'll be standing there
like ready money.

You know, police work has given you
an unduly suspicious nature.

What say, Tyler? How's it going?

- Ben, I've been snooping.
- Snoop, huh?

I snooped around Reverend DeLuca's
office over at the rectory,

and look what I found.

- Well, I'll be.
- Ain't that something?

- Hang on to that.
- Sure will.

- What's that mean?
- I don't know yet.

King me.

Mr. Sears? Mr. Sears?

Ben Matlock.

- You mind if I walk along?
- Help yourself.

- Nice dog.
- I know.

The neighbours don't mind
all this ruckus?

Oh, the hell with them.

You walk your dog
every night at this time?

I like to get back for Johnny Carson.

Oh, sorry.

Go around.

I'm sorry to surprise you,
but tomorrow's the big day,

and I'd like to go over the events
of the night of the murder

just one last time.

- Oh, sure.
- Thank you.

Now, let's see.

You came in from the kitchen
and saw the body from about here.

That's right.

Then you dropped the tray
and screamed

when you saw Mr. Sears
staring at you through the window.

- That's right.
- Okay.

Well, thank you.

And, again, I'm sorry to interrupt.

If I were to call you to the stand
over in Atlanta,

would you tell me this again there?

- Oh, sure.
- Thank you.

Miss Newton, I've got a little
confession to make.

I was apprehensive
about reading your book.

I don't know,
I guess I'm old-fashioned.

There's some pretty
racy stuff in there.

Yes, I know, but it has redeeming
social value.

Well, to tell the truth, I did read it
and I found it very engrossing.

Oh, thank you.

When you write,
do you write on a typewriter?

No, I use a word processor.

I don't know much about these
electronic typing machines.

What, do you just type it all in there
and then punch a few buttons

and the machine prints it up?
Is that about it?

That's about it.

And that's how you wrote
Secret Confessions?

Yes, it is, Mr. Matlock.

Have you ever read
Murder is my Calling?

No.

How about
Now I Lay Her Down to Sleep?

I don't think so.

Did you read
Valley of the Shadow of Death,

or See No Evil, or Adam's Serpent?

No, I didn't.

Neither did I,
and I'm sure nobody else did

except the publisher
who rejected them.

You know who wrote these?

I'm afraid I don't.

They were all written
by the same person.

Reverend DeLuca.

And they were all rejected
by these publishers.

Do you--? Thank you.

Do you recognise this typewriter?

- No, I don't think I do.
- It belonged to Reverend DeLuca.

And I'd like this typewriter marked
Defendant Exhibit A,

and I'd like this manuscript
marked Defence Exhibit B.

So marked.

Secret Confessions,

and it was not written
on a word processor.

It was written on this typewriter
by Reverend DeLuca.

Objection, Your Honour.

Whether or not Miss Newton
wrote Secret Confessions

is irrelevant to this case.

It is, Your Honour,
if it shows motive.

- Overruled.
- Thank you, Your Honour.

Miss Newton, Reverend DeLuca
was a very frustrated writer.

He wrote one mystery after another
and nobody would buy them.

Then he wrote this novel,

but he knew if he sent it in
with his name on it,

it probably wouldn't get published.

Just like the others
didn't get published.

Besides, it was pretty seamy stuff
for a preacher.

And so you and he
came up with the idea:

What if it were written by a little
spinster lady in a small town?

Might get published.

People might find it titillating,
and, in fact, they did.

Now, isn't that why the two of you
put your name on it?

I wrote it.

You know, Miss Newton,
we all have secrets,

and I think yours is that
you came

from being a little spinster lady
in a little town in Georgia

to becoming a big spinster lady
in a little town in Georgia in a big way.

Gee, you're on television, on radio.
People are writing about you.

People recognise you on the street,
and you kind of like that.

Some of them got mad, but...

And you know,
I think it got away from you.

I think somewhere in here
it got away from you

to the point that you never
wanted anybody to know your secret.

The thing that made you so big,

the reason why we're here.

That's it, isn't it?

That you did not want to share
your book with Reverend DeLuca?

- Objection, Your Honour.
- I'll withdraw that question.

Let me...

Let me show it to you
like it was a chapter in your book.

You asked Reverend DeLuca
to come over to your house

a few minutes before 1 1 .
Isn't that right?

Well, yes, but--

And you knew that David Sears
walks his dog every night

a few minutes after 1 1 .

So you waited till you heard
the other dogs in the block barking,

and you asked Reverend DeLuca
if he'd like some tea.

He would.

You went outside, around the house,

to the side window,
where you shot Reverend DeLuca.

I did not!

You know Mr. Sears is elderly
and can't walk fast,

so you had plenty of time
to go back into the house,

pick up the tea tray, walk in,
drop it and look shocked

when Mr. Sears came up
and looked through your window.

That's not true.

I think it is.

I think after you shot
Reverend DeLuca

and before the police started
their full-scale investigation,

you planted the gun in
Phillip Eagen's car perfectly.

You knew he was mad
about the book anyway.

Phillip Eagen
wears a size 1 2 shoe.

You found that out, got a size 1 2 shoe,
made the footprint.

And in an effort
to be truly convincing,

you dropped the tea tray

when you saw Mr. Sears
looking through the window.

But you know, last night
when I was over there,

there was something missing.

It was missing from before,
but I hadn't put it together.

You know what was missing?

Tea stains.

There were no tea stains on the rug.
You know why?

You didn't make any tea.
You didn't have time.

You didn't even have time
to boil water.

That's not true.
You can't prove any of it.

I don't have to.

All I have to do is show this jury
there is reasonable doubt

that Phillip Eagen
shot Reverend DeLuca.

It's my book. I wrote it.

I'm sorry, Miss Newton.

I guess that's all, Your Honour.

It's my book.

It's my book.

It's my book.

We find the defendant not guilty.

Well, congratulations.

- Enjoy the trial, Marjorie?
- Oh, it was very exciting.

I'm sorry I didn't get to call you
as a witness.

That's okay.

It's getting late. The last bus
for Hastings left at 4:00.

Good thing I hung around.

Looks like Marjorie
needs a ride home.

Say, next time you're down
around our part of the town,

we'll finish that game, Ben.
See you later.

- How about some dinner?
- Our treat.

Yeah.