Matlock (1986–1995): Season 1, Episode 5 - The Seduction - full transcript
A football star is accused of killing the owner.
Sergeant!
I killed Se?or Ward.
He had an affair in my house
with my maid.
I always wondered what you looked
like when you woke up in the morning.
Charlene.
Where are all these people
who were so anxious for us to come?
Sonya.
Sonya.
It took a long time
for her to fall asleep.
Hey, here's somebody.
Excuse me.
- Please--
- Excuse me.
Sir, can we get a statement?
- Mother?
- In here.
Excuse me.
Mother, I just heard
the news on the radio.
- Are you all right?
- Yes.
Are you sure?
Anything I can do for you?
- Everything's under control.
- Excuse me.
You the stepson of the deceased?
I guess you could say that I was.
Sergeant.
The press are getting impatient.
Get a statement from him.
I've gotta talk to the press.
I'll be right back.
All right, come on over here.
Come on.
- What happened?
- Hold it, hold it.
Hold it! I'm gonna make this brief.
Richard Ward
was stabbed to death last night
between 1 1 and 2 a.m.
A full investigation
has already begun.
- Any suspects in custody?
- Not at this time.
But we're making enquiries
which we expect will lead to an arrest.
- What does that mean, detective?
- Can you give us any names?
We're not in a position
to make any further comment
on the case at this time.
What can you tell us
about the murder--?
- Hold it!
- I told you--
Sergeant!
Drop that knife.
- Ben.
- Oh, hi, Charlene.
- I've been looking for you.
- Yeah?
Sarah said you weren't
coming to the office.
- No, I'm going home to clean my attic.
- Why bother?
- You never throw anything away.
- Well, it's difficult.
- There's a lot of good stuff there.
- Like what?
A lot of good stuff.
Remember that fence stretcher I got?
You don't have a fence.
If I ever get one
and I want to stretch it,
I've got a fence stretcher.
We have a meeting
with a new client.
I don't want a new client.
I want to go home and clean my attic.
Well, she's just flown in
from Rhode Island.
Yeah?
I asked her to.
Why?
Remember my friend from college,
Clark Harrison?
- He was your boyfriend, wasn't he?
- Just a friend, Ben.
Well, his mother remarried a man
named Richard Ward.
Remember?
- The guy in the paper this morning?
- Yeah.
What does she want with us?
Well, Clark's mother, Mrs. Ward,
wants us to represent the woman
who's been arrested
for killing her husband.
Interesting, huh?
Yeah.
I don't care what it costs,
Mr. Matlock.
What I don't understand, Mrs. Ward,
is why you're willing
to spend all this money
to defend the person who
presumably murdered your husband.
That's my business, Mr. Matlock.
By the way, I prefer that no one
knew that I'd hired you.
I'm afraid I can't do that.
- And why not?
- Well, first of all, I don't work that way.
Second, people know what I get.
They're bound to wonder
how a maid can afford the likes of me.
Besides, if you really
wanna help this woman,
you should let everybody know
you're on her side.
You're very persuasive.
I'm supposed to be.
I've made reservations on this
afternoon's flight for the two of you.
- Clark can't wait to see you.
- I'm looking forward to it.
Excuse me, Mrs. Ward.
I don't think we're quite finished here.
Oh, I'm so sorry. Of course.
- You'll want a retainer.
- It's customary.
How much?
A hundred thousand dollars
should do it.
You're not inexpensive.
When I win,
I'm considered a bargain.
Is there anything else, Mr. Matlock?
- You still haven't told me.
- Told you what?
Why you're defending
your husband's supposed killer.
I have to know,
or I can't take the case.
Dick Ward was never exactly
faithful to me.
I could bear it
as long as he was discreet.
But now I'm in every
gossip column that there is.
He had an affair in my house
with my maid.
And I don't blame her,
but I can't forgive him.
I want everyone to know precisely
what kind of man he really was.
Thank you for telling me, Mrs. Ward.
I'll have my car meet you at the airport.
Bill Ward did all right for himself.
Well, this is the Harrison mansion.
See, he moved in with Christina.
Isn't it magnificent?
Talk about some got it
and some don't.
Ben, don't start. It's gonna be ideal.
Here we are
at the scene of the crime.
- I'm not staying in the maid's room.
- Well...
You're gonna like them.
They're wonderful people.
Hope they got a hard mattress.
- Forbes.
- Miss Matlock, nice to see you.
And you.
- I'm Ben Matlock.
- You're expected, sir.
Please step in.
Wait here, please.
Where are all these people who were
so anxious for us to come?
Yes?
Aunt Harriet.
Hello, Charlene.
This is my father, Ben Matlock.
Christina's Aunt Harriet.
How do you do?
To answer your question,
not all of us
were anxious for you to come.
Some of us think the idea
of your representing the woman
who killed my niece's husband
is extremely distasteful.
I happen to be one of those people.
My niece is not at home
at the moment.
However, we're all dining in
this evening.
The dress is informal.
How informal?
What you're wearing will do.
- Forbes will see you to your rooms.
- I'm sure they're fine.
If it's all the same to you, I'd just
as soon have a talk with my client.
Think you could get us
a lift down to the jailhouse?
The chauffeur is at your disposal.
- Charlene!
- Clark!
Now, let me look at you.
Oh, Clark. You're embarrassing me.
You have nothing
to be embarrassed about.
This is my father, Ben Matlock.
Clark Harrison.
Nice to meet you.
Oh, it's a pleasure to meet you,
Mr. Matlock.
- I've certainly heard a lot about you.
- And vice versa.
- Charlene?
- We're just on our way downtown.
- So...
- Oh, I'll be here.
Okay.
He's a real go-getter, isn't he?
Would you be more comfortable
if I brought a translator in here?
No.
I want you to understand
our line of defence.
We're going to show that
Richard Ward was a bad man,
an immoral man
who had many affairs.
Do you understand?
I understand.
I think he took advantage of you.
You were a servant in his home,
and he pushed you to the limit.
Maybe he was blackmailing you?
No.
I think you were afraid of him,
and when you finally fought back,
there was a fight, and you killed him.
Circumstances might even indicate
it was self-defence.
I killed him.
I killed Se?or Ward.
I remember when you used to
come here when I was little.
I'm surprised you remember
that far back.
Well, I do.
I remember when you used
to read me stories.
And there was one about a little girl
who rode on a tiger.
Oh, that's right.
Mr. Matlock, are you gonna bring
Sonya back from jail?
I'm gonna try.
Come, Lila, it's bedtime.
Say your good nights.
- Good night, Mother.
- Good night, darling.
- Good night, sweetie.
- Good night.
- Good night, everyone.
- Good night.
- Good night.
- Good night.
Thanks, Forbes.
How is Sonya?
Not too cooperative.
Just exactly how do you plan
on defending her?
Well--
- What are they doing here?
- What are you doing here?
This is Richard's son, Daniel.
- Benjamin Matlock.
- Oh, I know who they are.
It's bad enough you hired them
to defend my father's killer,
but you have the gall
to put them up in his home.
First of all, this house belongs
to the Harrison family,
not to you or to your late father.
I know you didn't like it
when my father told you
to quit sponging off the family
and get a job, but why don't you?
Very bad manners. Somebody really
ought to correct them for you.
- Is that a threat?
- Gentlemen.
Just like the good old days.
That's Maria.
Sonya's daughter.
Do you know her?
She lives with her father in Cuba.
Sounds to me
like you know a lot about Sonya.
I don't believe she could ever
do something like this.
I'll never believe it.
You know what?
You look like somebody
who could use a swim.
Yeah.
Thattagirl. Thattagirl. Look at that.
All right.
You're a good swimmer,
you know that?
Sonya taught me how.
A good friend, huh?
She was my best friend.
I wish she hadn't come back
that night.
- Hadn't come back?
- The night my stepfather was killed.
She went out with that man.
What man? When?
A little while after dinner.
He met her at the back gate.
- Do you know his name?
- No.
Would you recognise him
if you saw him again?
Oh, sure.
He came for her lots of times.
Now, this is very important.
Do you remember
when Sonya came back?
It's all right. Just tell the truth.
The police were already here,
and she had the knife in her hand.
Why didn't you tell anyone
you went out the night of the murder?
Well?
Sonya, you've got to help us.
Who was the man
Lila saw you with?
What time did you get home?
You have a possible alibi.
Why won't you use it?
I've defended clients for nearly
25 years, but never one like this.
If they're guilty or innocent,
they always yell their heads off.
I think you're covering for somebody,
and I intend to find out who it is
and why you're doing it,
and I'll do it with or without your help.
- Money.
- Money?
There's a lot around, and somebody's
bought off that poor woman in there.
Ben, I know Christina and Clark.
They're not murderers.
I used to think I could tell who was
capable of murder and who wasn't,
but that was a long time ago.
Charlene, I want you
to check the jail registry.
Get the names of everybody
who's been in to see Sonya.
Maybe we'll get lucky
and get the name of that man.
- Anything else, sir?
- Not just now, thank you.
Very good, sir.
And who might you be?
Oh, I'm with Mr. Matlock.
- I'm sure you are.
- Tyler Hudson at your service.
I don't think that will be necessary.
Good afternoon.
Didn't they feed you on the plane?
Not like this, they didn't.
Don't get too comfortable.
We have a lot of work.
Mr. Matlock?
Oh, Mrs. Ward, let me introduce
our investigator, Tyler Hudson.
How do you do?
We'd like to borrow Lila
for the afternoon.
We have the names and addresses of
four men who visited Sonya in her jail.
Perhaps she could identify
the one man
who took her out
the night of the murder.
Tyler will take good care of her.
Oh, can I, please?
Very well, but please--
- Please be careful.
- She'll be fine.
Shall we dance?
Bye, Mother.
All you have accomplished
is to put this family
on the front page of every newspaper
across the country.
I'm sorry you disapprove, Harriet.
I disapprove, but everyone else I know
thinks that you have lost your mind.
- Mr. Matlock--
- One minute!
I rest my case.
What on earth are you doing?
Oh, I was just attempting
to reconstruct the crime.
Wouldn't Richard have used
the back stairs?
Probably, but what if Sonya
weren't in her room?
What if someone else knew
where your husband was going
and beat him there
by using these stairs?
I was just trying to figure out
how much time it might've taken him.
This someone else...
Who did you have in mind?
Oh, I don't have anyone in mind.
Do you, by any chance, suspect me?
I could make a case for that.
You knew he was seeing the maid,
and you knew where her room was.
But I was asleep.
That'd be hard to prove.
You found the body.
Of course, this is all hypothetical.
- That's the house.
- Where is he?
Well, you know, Lila,
the first thing you learn
in the detective trade is patience.
For example,
that's the first name on this list.
And we could be here for hours.
There he is! That's him!
I'm sure of it.
That's the man
who went out with Sonya.
Get her out of here.
Say, buddy,
could I have a word with you?
Hey, hey!
Rack them up.
Anyone see a guy
come running in here?
Who wants to know?
Not me.
I just want a decent cue stick
to shoot some pool with.
This looks better.
Clark.
- It's a little early for that, isn't it?
- Oh, is it ever too late?
It's nice, but not now, thanks.
I've always wondered what you look
like when you woke up in the morning.
A lot like I do when I go to bed.
Well, I wonder
what you look like then too.
So...
What are you doing
with yourself these days?
Well, it is my job to
distribute my share
of the family fortune
in fine restaurants and clubs
on two continents. And it isn't easy.
But I'm doing my best.
It's very tiring.
Up again all night?
No.
While you've been lying here,
I have been up since the crack
of dawn, planning our entire day.
- What day?
- This day.
It starts off with a nostalgic drive
along the sea coast,
followed by an intimate little luncheon
in a terribly overpriced restaurant.
Well, that's very nice,
but I've already made plans.
You didn't.
Well, there is the small matter
of a murder trial.
Charlene.
- Excuse me.
- It's all right. Clark was just leaving.
In fact, I've left.
No comment.
I didn't ask for one.
I meant from you.
Excuse me.
Hello.
We do have servants, Mr. Matlock.
Oh, they're gonna have to
fix their own breakfast.
This is for my daughter and me.
A joke.
Oh, mild.
- How'd you sleep?
- Great.
Good mattress.
- Been a long time.
- I've still got the knack.
Bacon?
Hash browns?
- You still have the knack, don't you?
- Oh, yes.
Where's Tyler?
Still staked out on Rodriguez.
- I'm waiting.
- For what?
For you to ask me about Clark.
Charlene, you're a grown woman.
I respect your privacy.
What the hell was he doing
in your bedroom?
Nothing. Really.
Just his way of being charming,
I guess.
You know,
he used to have so much promise.
He was bright and talented.
He just never did anything
with himself.
- How old is he?
- Thirty.
Damn near too old to learn
to do anything, isn't he?
Tyler nailed down Sonya's friend.
Oh, I forgot the salsa.
Spanish. Makes them hot.
Sergeant Maguire.
I call your attention to
People's Exhibit One
and ask if you recognise it.
Yes, I do.
Where was this weapon found?
Objection.
The exhibit is identified
as a kitchen knife, not a weapon.
Sustained.
And where was this knife found?
The defendant was holding this knife
when she surrendered to the police.
Were any laboratory tests
performed on this knife?
Yes, there were.
And what were the results
of those tests?
Blood stains and skin particles
found on this knife
were consistent
with those of the decedent.
And where was the decedent found?
In the servant's room,
which was occupied by the defendant.
Now, when the defendant
surrendered to the police,
was she advised of her rights?
Yes, she was.
In Spanish and in English.
And did she make a statement?
She said she killed Mr. Ward.
Thank you, sergeant.
No further questions.
Cross-examine.
Sergeant Maguire,
what was the victim wearing
when you found him?
Pyjamas, slippers, and a robe.
You wear pyjamas?
Objection, Your Honour. Irrelevant.
I'm trying to make a point here,
Your Honour.
Overruled.
Answer the question.
- I wear pyjamas.
- Me, too.
Do you wear slippers?
- Yes.
- How do you remove them?
One at a time.
Actually, what I meant was,
do you sit down
when you take them off?
Yes.
Now, isn't it true
that when you found Mr. Ward's body,
he had on only one slipper?
- Yes.
- Where was the other one?
By the side of the bed.
Isn't it reasonable to assume
from the position of the body
and the placement of the slipper
that Mr. Ward sat
on the edge of the bed,
took off one slipper before
he was stabbed with the knife?
Objection, Your Honour.
This line of questioning calls for
speculation on the part of the witness.
Your Honour,
I am not asking this witness
to speculate,
only to confirm that which is consistent
with the known facts in this case.
This is, that Mr. Ward
was familiar and comfortable enough
in this woman's bedroom
to take off his slippers.
Quiet, please.
Counsel will approach the bench.
Your Honour,
Mr. Matlock is attempting
to put the victim on trial here.
Your Honour,
it is essential for our defence
that the court recognise the
character and behaviour of Mr. Ward.
We intend to show that this
married man in a position of authority
was forcing his attentions
on this frightened,
virtually defenceless foreign national.
I am going to allow
this line of questioning.
I think a full understanding of the
circumstances is important for the jury.
I don't think it will militate against the
prosecution's presentation of fact.
Sergeant Maguire,
what was the defendant wearing
when you arrested her?
Some sort of print dress.
Sergeant Maguire,
are you suggesting
that the defendant got out of bed,
got dressed, took a walk
with the murder weapon in her hand?
No.
I'm not suggesting
anything of the kind.
I'm relieved to hear that.
No further questions.
Your Honour, the prosecution calls
Dr. Milton Osprey to the stand.
Mr. Ward?
Leaving so soon?
I'll come back for the sentencing.
You're never in one place
for very long, are you?
Not if I can help it, no. Why?
I've been trying to reach you, but your
secretary says you're out of town.
Well, that's just what I say
when I don't wanna take a call.
I just wanted to ask you where you
were at the time of the murder.
I was out of town.
I'm not surprised.
Well. Your subpoena.
Rack them.
And give this five-spot
to Mr. Rodriguez.
There's a guy over there
who wants to talk to you.
Who are you?
I'm Sonya's lawyer.
Your wife told me
I might find you here.
You better get out of here
while you can.
You're supposed to be
a friend to Sonya.
Get out.
Mr. Rodriguez,
if you'll tell your friends
to go back to the bar,
their next beer is on me.
I'll say my piece to you,
and then I'll leave.
If you were with Sonya
the night of the murder,
you can stop what's
happening to her.
I don't know what your problem is,
but I'm sure I can help you with it.
I could be a lot of trouble for you too.
You could wind up being charged
as an accessory to murder.
You could go to prison.
Talk to me now or the police later.
I'll leave it up to you.
- Stay close to him.
- I've got him.
People are asking questions.
No.
I wanna talk to you.
Then when?
Okay, bueno. I'll be there.
Tyler?
How is he?
Doctor says he's got
broken bones and a concussion.
- Nothing really serious.
- Can I see him tomorrow?
- He said maybe.
- He'll be okay.
Why don't you leave
my husband alone?
Mrs. Rodriguez, we're very sorry about
what happened to your husband,
but we can help him
if you'll tell us who did this.
Sonya.
Someone tried to kill him.
Next time, they might succeed.
I don't know what hold
this killer has over you,
but it must be powerful,
because in spite of all that's happened,
you're still willing to expose
your friend to danger.
No matter how strong it is,
it can be broken,
if you'd just let me help you.
Let me help you, please.
Thank you.
Sonya.
Why won't you let me help you?
So...
How would you describe
your father?
A self-made man
devoted to his family.
- Devoted?
- Yes.
You are aware he was having
a physical relationship with his maid.
I am now, yes.
But he was devoted to his family?
I don't know why my father was driven
to do what he did, or by whom,
but I do know he was always
devoted to my mother and me.
Your mother was
the late Helen Ward?
Yes.
She became an alcoholic.
Yes.
- Do you blame your father for that?
- No.
Could you specify for the court
when your mother developed
a serious drinking problem?
I don't recall.
Was it after your father left her?
I suppose so, yes.
Isn't it true that your mother
died in an automobile accident
while driving under the influence?
Yes.
Isn't it true that on several occasions
you publicly denounced your father
as being responsible
for your mother's condition?
Objection.
Relevancy.
Sustained.
No further questions.
Court will recess
and reconvene at 2 p.m.
How we doing here?
Well, we're making some progress
on Richard Ward's lack of character,
but if we break through to Rodriguez,
we may establish reasonable doubt.
They took him out of ICU and put him
in a room early this morning.
Let's see if we can talk to him.
Any luck finding the car that hit him?
No plates, but you wouldn't think
it'd be hard
to track down a red '55 Thunderbird.
- Red T-Bird?
- Yeah, the car is a classic.
There can't be that many of them
in this town.
Let's go to the hospital. You coming?
No, I'll meet you back here.
We sure had some good times
tooling around in that, didn't we?
- Where were you yesterday?
- Why?
Because someone used this car
yesterday to run down Sonya's alibi.
And whoever that was
made a deal with Sonya
to take the rap
for Richard Ward's murder.
- And you suspect me?
- I don't want to.
Well, then why would you?
Because you're a rich man's son
who's never given a moment's thought
to anything or anyone but himself.
I was at the symphony.
And I have witnesses,
about 1 500 of them.
- Satisfied?
- I suppose so.
You just eliminated yourself,
the orchestra,
and about 1 500 others as suspects.
Mr. Rodriguez, please listen to me.
The only thing that can save you
and your family is to tell me the truth.
You again?
Can't you leave this family alone?
Don't you understand?
You can't help us.
For God's sakes,
haven't you done enough harm?
I'm sorry for what's happened.
I truly am.
Tyler, what's the matter with me?
It's so simple.
Is the defence ready to proceed?
Could the court have a short delay,
Your Honour?
We're waiting for counsel.
Just how long are we
supposed to wait?
Put me on the stand.
You won't regret it.
Is counsel for the defence deliberately
trying the patience of this court?
Because if you are,
you are succeeding admirably.
I call Clark Harrison to the stand.
It was a quarter of 1 1
on the night of the murder.
I was going to meet someone
for a midnight sail.
I took the back stairs
because that's the fastest way
to get to the garage from my room,
and I noticed that
Sonya's door was open.
She wasn't in her room,
and her bed hadn't been slept in.
How do you know the exact time?
There's a clock
on the kitchen wall.
It's the first thing I saw
when I turned on the lights.
Why didn't you come forward with
this testimony sooner, Mr. Harrison?
Because I'm a rich man's son
who never gave a moment's thought
to anyone or anything but myself.
Why are you coming forward now?
Because I'd like to publicly apologise
to Mrs. Cardenes.
No further questions.
Cross-examine.
Mr. Harrison, sir,
did you check to see if the defendant
had gone to wash up?
No, I didn't.
Did you see
if she was in the living room?
No.
In other words, she could have been
in any room in the house.
Yes, I suppose so.
No further questions.
Mama.
Mr. Matlock.
Your Honour, we have just uncovered
some new evidence
that will have
a significant bearing on this case.
May I have a few moments
with my client?
All right.
Court will recess for ten minutes.
Your daughter's a beautiful little girl.
I'm a father, and I know
I would do anything for my child.
Mr. Rodriguez told me
what you've been through,
and I'll do everything
in my power to see
that you're never separated
from your daughter again.
I want you to trust me.
Go on, Mrs. Cardenes.
Se?or Ward gave me money.
It was not a great deal of money.
But in almost two years,
it was enough for me
to buy my daughter's way to America.
It costs a great deal of money
to smuggle someone
all the way from my country.
Excuse me, Your Honour.
We're going to get into
some pretty sensitive areas.
I'd like to ask my associate
to remove Mrs. Cardenes' daughter
from the courtroom.
Request granted.
It'll be just a moment.
It costs a great deal of money
to smuggle someone into this country.
He knew what I had done.
He told me
that he would call the authorities
and my daughter would be sent back
and never allowed to return
if I said no to him.
If you said no to him?
Mrs. Cardenes,
why did Mr. Ward give you money?
For sleeping with him.
Did you kill Richard Ward?
No.
You've told the police you did.
I agreed to say that.
What happened
the night of the murder?
I was coming home
from seeing my daughter,
who was with my cousin Rodriguez.
He came out of the house.
He had a knife.
Let the record show
the defendant has indicated
one Daniel Ward.
Daniel told me he killed him
for what he did to his mother.
He told me that if I would say I did it,
he would not inform on my daughter.
And he would give me
money to keep her.
How much money?
Twenty-five thousand dollars.
Did he give it to you?
He said I would get it after the trial.
May I see the ring you're wearing?
Beautiful.
Probably an antique. Very valuable.
Have you ever met Mrs. Helen Ward?
No. She had died
before I came to America.
I see.
I'm not very good at reading small print
without my glasses.
Could you read the inscription
for us?
''To Helen.
From Dick.
1 951 .''
Where'd you get that ring?
Daniel Ward gave it to me.
Was it sort of a down payment?
Yes.
Has the jury reached a verdict?
We find the defendant not guilty.
Thank you.
Oh, Clark.
- I'm so proud of you.
- So am I.
- Thank you, Mr. Matlock.
- Yes, sir.
I suppose you were
a bargain after all.
- Well...
- Is this goodbye?
- Yes.
- Good.
Charlene.
Well, Charlene...
Alone again.
Glad we took the case?
You know, about the good old days...
These are the good old days.
I killed Se?or Ward.
He had an affair in my house
with my maid.
I always wondered what you looked
like when you woke up in the morning.
Charlene.
Where are all these people
who were so anxious for us to come?
Sonya.
Sonya.
It took a long time
for her to fall asleep.
Hey, here's somebody.
Excuse me.
- Please--
- Excuse me.
Sir, can we get a statement?
- Mother?
- In here.
Excuse me.
Mother, I just heard
the news on the radio.
- Are you all right?
- Yes.
Are you sure?
Anything I can do for you?
- Everything's under control.
- Excuse me.
You the stepson of the deceased?
I guess you could say that I was.
Sergeant.
The press are getting impatient.
Get a statement from him.
I've gotta talk to the press.
I'll be right back.
All right, come on over here.
Come on.
- What happened?
- Hold it, hold it.
Hold it! I'm gonna make this brief.
Richard Ward
was stabbed to death last night
between 1 1 and 2 a.m.
A full investigation
has already begun.
- Any suspects in custody?
- Not at this time.
But we're making enquiries
which we expect will lead to an arrest.
- What does that mean, detective?
- Can you give us any names?
We're not in a position
to make any further comment
on the case at this time.
What can you tell us
about the murder--?
- Hold it!
- I told you--
Sergeant!
Drop that knife.
- Ben.
- Oh, hi, Charlene.
- I've been looking for you.
- Yeah?
Sarah said you weren't
coming to the office.
- No, I'm going home to clean my attic.
- Why bother?
- You never throw anything away.
- Well, it's difficult.
- There's a lot of good stuff there.
- Like what?
A lot of good stuff.
Remember that fence stretcher I got?
You don't have a fence.
If I ever get one
and I want to stretch it,
I've got a fence stretcher.
We have a meeting
with a new client.
I don't want a new client.
I want to go home and clean my attic.
Well, she's just flown in
from Rhode Island.
Yeah?
I asked her to.
Why?
Remember my friend from college,
Clark Harrison?
- He was your boyfriend, wasn't he?
- Just a friend, Ben.
Well, his mother remarried a man
named Richard Ward.
Remember?
- The guy in the paper this morning?
- Yeah.
What does she want with us?
Well, Clark's mother, Mrs. Ward,
wants us to represent the woman
who's been arrested
for killing her husband.
Interesting, huh?
Yeah.
I don't care what it costs,
Mr. Matlock.
What I don't understand, Mrs. Ward,
is why you're willing
to spend all this money
to defend the person who
presumably murdered your husband.
That's my business, Mr. Matlock.
By the way, I prefer that no one
knew that I'd hired you.
I'm afraid I can't do that.
- And why not?
- Well, first of all, I don't work that way.
Second, people know what I get.
They're bound to wonder
how a maid can afford the likes of me.
Besides, if you really
wanna help this woman,
you should let everybody know
you're on her side.
You're very persuasive.
I'm supposed to be.
I've made reservations on this
afternoon's flight for the two of you.
- Clark can't wait to see you.
- I'm looking forward to it.
Excuse me, Mrs. Ward.
I don't think we're quite finished here.
Oh, I'm so sorry. Of course.
- You'll want a retainer.
- It's customary.
How much?
A hundred thousand dollars
should do it.
You're not inexpensive.
When I win,
I'm considered a bargain.
Is there anything else, Mr. Matlock?
- You still haven't told me.
- Told you what?
Why you're defending
your husband's supposed killer.
I have to know,
or I can't take the case.
Dick Ward was never exactly
faithful to me.
I could bear it
as long as he was discreet.
But now I'm in every
gossip column that there is.
He had an affair in my house
with my maid.
And I don't blame her,
but I can't forgive him.
I want everyone to know precisely
what kind of man he really was.
Thank you for telling me, Mrs. Ward.
I'll have my car meet you at the airport.
Bill Ward did all right for himself.
Well, this is the Harrison mansion.
See, he moved in with Christina.
Isn't it magnificent?
Talk about some got it
and some don't.
Ben, don't start. It's gonna be ideal.
Here we are
at the scene of the crime.
- I'm not staying in the maid's room.
- Well...
You're gonna like them.
They're wonderful people.
Hope they got a hard mattress.
- Forbes.
- Miss Matlock, nice to see you.
And you.
- I'm Ben Matlock.
- You're expected, sir.
Please step in.
Wait here, please.
Where are all these people who were
so anxious for us to come?
Yes?
Aunt Harriet.
Hello, Charlene.
This is my father, Ben Matlock.
Christina's Aunt Harriet.
How do you do?
To answer your question,
not all of us
were anxious for you to come.
Some of us think the idea
of your representing the woman
who killed my niece's husband
is extremely distasteful.
I happen to be one of those people.
My niece is not at home
at the moment.
However, we're all dining in
this evening.
The dress is informal.
How informal?
What you're wearing will do.
- Forbes will see you to your rooms.
- I'm sure they're fine.
If it's all the same to you, I'd just
as soon have a talk with my client.
Think you could get us
a lift down to the jailhouse?
The chauffeur is at your disposal.
- Charlene!
- Clark!
Now, let me look at you.
Oh, Clark. You're embarrassing me.
You have nothing
to be embarrassed about.
This is my father, Ben Matlock.
Clark Harrison.
Nice to meet you.
Oh, it's a pleasure to meet you,
Mr. Matlock.
- I've certainly heard a lot about you.
- And vice versa.
- Charlene?
- We're just on our way downtown.
- So...
- Oh, I'll be here.
Okay.
He's a real go-getter, isn't he?
Would you be more comfortable
if I brought a translator in here?
No.
I want you to understand
our line of defence.
We're going to show that
Richard Ward was a bad man,
an immoral man
who had many affairs.
Do you understand?
I understand.
I think he took advantage of you.
You were a servant in his home,
and he pushed you to the limit.
Maybe he was blackmailing you?
No.
I think you were afraid of him,
and when you finally fought back,
there was a fight, and you killed him.
Circumstances might even indicate
it was self-defence.
I killed him.
I killed Se?or Ward.
I remember when you used to
come here when I was little.
I'm surprised you remember
that far back.
Well, I do.
I remember when you used
to read me stories.
And there was one about a little girl
who rode on a tiger.
Oh, that's right.
Mr. Matlock, are you gonna bring
Sonya back from jail?
I'm gonna try.
Come, Lila, it's bedtime.
Say your good nights.
- Good night, Mother.
- Good night, darling.
- Good night, sweetie.
- Good night.
- Good night, everyone.
- Good night.
- Good night.
- Good night.
Thanks, Forbes.
How is Sonya?
Not too cooperative.
Just exactly how do you plan
on defending her?
Well--
- What are they doing here?
- What are you doing here?
This is Richard's son, Daniel.
- Benjamin Matlock.
- Oh, I know who they are.
It's bad enough you hired them
to defend my father's killer,
but you have the gall
to put them up in his home.
First of all, this house belongs
to the Harrison family,
not to you or to your late father.
I know you didn't like it
when my father told you
to quit sponging off the family
and get a job, but why don't you?
Very bad manners. Somebody really
ought to correct them for you.
- Is that a threat?
- Gentlemen.
Just like the good old days.
That's Maria.
Sonya's daughter.
Do you know her?
She lives with her father in Cuba.
Sounds to me
like you know a lot about Sonya.
I don't believe she could ever
do something like this.
I'll never believe it.
You know what?
You look like somebody
who could use a swim.
Yeah.
Thattagirl. Thattagirl. Look at that.
All right.
You're a good swimmer,
you know that?
Sonya taught me how.
A good friend, huh?
She was my best friend.
I wish she hadn't come back
that night.
- Hadn't come back?
- The night my stepfather was killed.
She went out with that man.
What man? When?
A little while after dinner.
He met her at the back gate.
- Do you know his name?
- No.
Would you recognise him
if you saw him again?
Oh, sure.
He came for her lots of times.
Now, this is very important.
Do you remember
when Sonya came back?
It's all right. Just tell the truth.
The police were already here,
and she had the knife in her hand.
Why didn't you tell anyone
you went out the night of the murder?
Well?
Sonya, you've got to help us.
Who was the man
Lila saw you with?
What time did you get home?
You have a possible alibi.
Why won't you use it?
I've defended clients for nearly
25 years, but never one like this.
If they're guilty or innocent,
they always yell their heads off.
I think you're covering for somebody,
and I intend to find out who it is
and why you're doing it,
and I'll do it with or without your help.
- Money.
- Money?
There's a lot around, and somebody's
bought off that poor woman in there.
Ben, I know Christina and Clark.
They're not murderers.
I used to think I could tell who was
capable of murder and who wasn't,
but that was a long time ago.
Charlene, I want you
to check the jail registry.
Get the names of everybody
who's been in to see Sonya.
Maybe we'll get lucky
and get the name of that man.
- Anything else, sir?
- Not just now, thank you.
Very good, sir.
And who might you be?
Oh, I'm with Mr. Matlock.
- I'm sure you are.
- Tyler Hudson at your service.
I don't think that will be necessary.
Good afternoon.
Didn't they feed you on the plane?
Not like this, they didn't.
Don't get too comfortable.
We have a lot of work.
Mr. Matlock?
Oh, Mrs. Ward, let me introduce
our investigator, Tyler Hudson.
How do you do?
We'd like to borrow Lila
for the afternoon.
We have the names and addresses of
four men who visited Sonya in her jail.
Perhaps she could identify
the one man
who took her out
the night of the murder.
Tyler will take good care of her.
Oh, can I, please?
Very well, but please--
- Please be careful.
- She'll be fine.
Shall we dance?
Bye, Mother.
All you have accomplished
is to put this family
on the front page of every newspaper
across the country.
I'm sorry you disapprove, Harriet.
I disapprove, but everyone else I know
thinks that you have lost your mind.
- Mr. Matlock--
- One minute!
I rest my case.
What on earth are you doing?
Oh, I was just attempting
to reconstruct the crime.
Wouldn't Richard have used
the back stairs?
Probably, but what if Sonya
weren't in her room?
What if someone else knew
where your husband was going
and beat him there
by using these stairs?
I was just trying to figure out
how much time it might've taken him.
This someone else...
Who did you have in mind?
Oh, I don't have anyone in mind.
Do you, by any chance, suspect me?
I could make a case for that.
You knew he was seeing the maid,
and you knew where her room was.
But I was asleep.
That'd be hard to prove.
You found the body.
Of course, this is all hypothetical.
- That's the house.
- Where is he?
Well, you know, Lila,
the first thing you learn
in the detective trade is patience.
For example,
that's the first name on this list.
And we could be here for hours.
There he is! That's him!
I'm sure of it.
That's the man
who went out with Sonya.
Get her out of here.
Say, buddy,
could I have a word with you?
Hey, hey!
Rack them up.
Anyone see a guy
come running in here?
Who wants to know?
Not me.
I just want a decent cue stick
to shoot some pool with.
This looks better.
Clark.
- It's a little early for that, isn't it?
- Oh, is it ever too late?
It's nice, but not now, thanks.
I've always wondered what you look
like when you woke up in the morning.
A lot like I do when I go to bed.
Well, I wonder
what you look like then too.
So...
What are you doing
with yourself these days?
Well, it is my job to
distribute my share
of the family fortune
in fine restaurants and clubs
on two continents. And it isn't easy.
But I'm doing my best.
It's very tiring.
Up again all night?
No.
While you've been lying here,
I have been up since the crack
of dawn, planning our entire day.
- What day?
- This day.
It starts off with a nostalgic drive
along the sea coast,
followed by an intimate little luncheon
in a terribly overpriced restaurant.
Well, that's very nice,
but I've already made plans.
You didn't.
Well, there is the small matter
of a murder trial.
Charlene.
- Excuse me.
- It's all right. Clark was just leaving.
In fact, I've left.
No comment.
I didn't ask for one.
I meant from you.
Excuse me.
Hello.
We do have servants, Mr. Matlock.
Oh, they're gonna have to
fix their own breakfast.
This is for my daughter and me.
A joke.
Oh, mild.
- How'd you sleep?
- Great.
Good mattress.
- Been a long time.
- I've still got the knack.
Bacon?
Hash browns?
- You still have the knack, don't you?
- Oh, yes.
Where's Tyler?
Still staked out on Rodriguez.
- I'm waiting.
- For what?
For you to ask me about Clark.
Charlene, you're a grown woman.
I respect your privacy.
What the hell was he doing
in your bedroom?
Nothing. Really.
Just his way of being charming,
I guess.
You know,
he used to have so much promise.
He was bright and talented.
He just never did anything
with himself.
- How old is he?
- Thirty.
Damn near too old to learn
to do anything, isn't he?
Tyler nailed down Sonya's friend.
Oh, I forgot the salsa.
Spanish. Makes them hot.
Sergeant Maguire.
I call your attention to
People's Exhibit One
and ask if you recognise it.
Yes, I do.
Where was this weapon found?
Objection.
The exhibit is identified
as a kitchen knife, not a weapon.
Sustained.
And where was this knife found?
The defendant was holding this knife
when she surrendered to the police.
Were any laboratory tests
performed on this knife?
Yes, there were.
And what were the results
of those tests?
Blood stains and skin particles
found on this knife
were consistent
with those of the decedent.
And where was the decedent found?
In the servant's room,
which was occupied by the defendant.
Now, when the defendant
surrendered to the police,
was she advised of her rights?
Yes, she was.
In Spanish and in English.
And did she make a statement?
She said she killed Mr. Ward.
Thank you, sergeant.
No further questions.
Cross-examine.
Sergeant Maguire,
what was the victim wearing
when you found him?
Pyjamas, slippers, and a robe.
You wear pyjamas?
Objection, Your Honour. Irrelevant.
I'm trying to make a point here,
Your Honour.
Overruled.
Answer the question.
- I wear pyjamas.
- Me, too.
Do you wear slippers?
- Yes.
- How do you remove them?
One at a time.
Actually, what I meant was,
do you sit down
when you take them off?
Yes.
Now, isn't it true
that when you found Mr. Ward's body,
he had on only one slipper?
- Yes.
- Where was the other one?
By the side of the bed.
Isn't it reasonable to assume
from the position of the body
and the placement of the slipper
that Mr. Ward sat
on the edge of the bed,
took off one slipper before
he was stabbed with the knife?
Objection, Your Honour.
This line of questioning calls for
speculation on the part of the witness.
Your Honour,
I am not asking this witness
to speculate,
only to confirm that which is consistent
with the known facts in this case.
This is, that Mr. Ward
was familiar and comfortable enough
in this woman's bedroom
to take off his slippers.
Quiet, please.
Counsel will approach the bench.
Your Honour,
Mr. Matlock is attempting
to put the victim on trial here.
Your Honour,
it is essential for our defence
that the court recognise the
character and behaviour of Mr. Ward.
We intend to show that this
married man in a position of authority
was forcing his attentions
on this frightened,
virtually defenceless foreign national.
I am going to allow
this line of questioning.
I think a full understanding of the
circumstances is important for the jury.
I don't think it will militate against the
prosecution's presentation of fact.
Sergeant Maguire,
what was the defendant wearing
when you arrested her?
Some sort of print dress.
Sergeant Maguire,
are you suggesting
that the defendant got out of bed,
got dressed, took a walk
with the murder weapon in her hand?
No.
I'm not suggesting
anything of the kind.
I'm relieved to hear that.
No further questions.
Your Honour, the prosecution calls
Dr. Milton Osprey to the stand.
Mr. Ward?
Leaving so soon?
I'll come back for the sentencing.
You're never in one place
for very long, are you?
Not if I can help it, no. Why?
I've been trying to reach you, but your
secretary says you're out of town.
Well, that's just what I say
when I don't wanna take a call.
I just wanted to ask you where you
were at the time of the murder.
I was out of town.
I'm not surprised.
Well. Your subpoena.
Rack them.
And give this five-spot
to Mr. Rodriguez.
There's a guy over there
who wants to talk to you.
Who are you?
I'm Sonya's lawyer.
Your wife told me
I might find you here.
You better get out of here
while you can.
You're supposed to be
a friend to Sonya.
Get out.
Mr. Rodriguez,
if you'll tell your friends
to go back to the bar,
their next beer is on me.
I'll say my piece to you,
and then I'll leave.
If you were with Sonya
the night of the murder,
you can stop what's
happening to her.
I don't know what your problem is,
but I'm sure I can help you with it.
I could be a lot of trouble for you too.
You could wind up being charged
as an accessory to murder.
You could go to prison.
Talk to me now or the police later.
I'll leave it up to you.
- Stay close to him.
- I've got him.
People are asking questions.
No.
I wanna talk to you.
Then when?
Okay, bueno. I'll be there.
Tyler?
How is he?
Doctor says he's got
broken bones and a concussion.
- Nothing really serious.
- Can I see him tomorrow?
- He said maybe.
- He'll be okay.
Why don't you leave
my husband alone?
Mrs. Rodriguez, we're very sorry about
what happened to your husband,
but we can help him
if you'll tell us who did this.
Sonya.
Someone tried to kill him.
Next time, they might succeed.
I don't know what hold
this killer has over you,
but it must be powerful,
because in spite of all that's happened,
you're still willing to expose
your friend to danger.
No matter how strong it is,
it can be broken,
if you'd just let me help you.
Let me help you, please.
Thank you.
Sonya.
Why won't you let me help you?
So...
How would you describe
your father?
A self-made man
devoted to his family.
- Devoted?
- Yes.
You are aware he was having
a physical relationship with his maid.
I am now, yes.
But he was devoted to his family?
I don't know why my father was driven
to do what he did, or by whom,
but I do know he was always
devoted to my mother and me.
Your mother was
the late Helen Ward?
Yes.
She became an alcoholic.
Yes.
- Do you blame your father for that?
- No.
Could you specify for the court
when your mother developed
a serious drinking problem?
I don't recall.
Was it after your father left her?
I suppose so, yes.
Isn't it true that your mother
died in an automobile accident
while driving under the influence?
Yes.
Isn't it true that on several occasions
you publicly denounced your father
as being responsible
for your mother's condition?
Objection.
Relevancy.
Sustained.
No further questions.
Court will recess
and reconvene at 2 p.m.
How we doing here?
Well, we're making some progress
on Richard Ward's lack of character,
but if we break through to Rodriguez,
we may establish reasonable doubt.
They took him out of ICU and put him
in a room early this morning.
Let's see if we can talk to him.
Any luck finding the car that hit him?
No plates, but you wouldn't think
it'd be hard
to track down a red '55 Thunderbird.
- Red T-Bird?
- Yeah, the car is a classic.
There can't be that many of them
in this town.
Let's go to the hospital. You coming?
No, I'll meet you back here.
We sure had some good times
tooling around in that, didn't we?
- Where were you yesterday?
- Why?
Because someone used this car
yesterday to run down Sonya's alibi.
And whoever that was
made a deal with Sonya
to take the rap
for Richard Ward's murder.
- And you suspect me?
- I don't want to.
Well, then why would you?
Because you're a rich man's son
who's never given a moment's thought
to anything or anyone but himself.
I was at the symphony.
And I have witnesses,
about 1 500 of them.
- Satisfied?
- I suppose so.
You just eliminated yourself,
the orchestra,
and about 1 500 others as suspects.
Mr. Rodriguez, please listen to me.
The only thing that can save you
and your family is to tell me the truth.
You again?
Can't you leave this family alone?
Don't you understand?
You can't help us.
For God's sakes,
haven't you done enough harm?
I'm sorry for what's happened.
I truly am.
Tyler, what's the matter with me?
It's so simple.
Is the defence ready to proceed?
Could the court have a short delay,
Your Honour?
We're waiting for counsel.
Just how long are we
supposed to wait?
Put me on the stand.
You won't regret it.
Is counsel for the defence deliberately
trying the patience of this court?
Because if you are,
you are succeeding admirably.
I call Clark Harrison to the stand.
It was a quarter of 1 1
on the night of the murder.
I was going to meet someone
for a midnight sail.
I took the back stairs
because that's the fastest way
to get to the garage from my room,
and I noticed that
Sonya's door was open.
She wasn't in her room,
and her bed hadn't been slept in.
How do you know the exact time?
There's a clock
on the kitchen wall.
It's the first thing I saw
when I turned on the lights.
Why didn't you come forward with
this testimony sooner, Mr. Harrison?
Because I'm a rich man's son
who never gave a moment's thought
to anyone or anything but myself.
Why are you coming forward now?
Because I'd like to publicly apologise
to Mrs. Cardenes.
No further questions.
Cross-examine.
Mr. Harrison, sir,
did you check to see if the defendant
had gone to wash up?
No, I didn't.
Did you see
if she was in the living room?
No.
In other words, she could have been
in any room in the house.
Yes, I suppose so.
No further questions.
Mama.
Mr. Matlock.
Your Honour, we have just uncovered
some new evidence
that will have
a significant bearing on this case.
May I have a few moments
with my client?
All right.
Court will recess for ten minutes.
Your daughter's a beautiful little girl.
I'm a father, and I know
I would do anything for my child.
Mr. Rodriguez told me
what you've been through,
and I'll do everything
in my power to see
that you're never separated
from your daughter again.
I want you to trust me.
Go on, Mrs. Cardenes.
Se?or Ward gave me money.
It was not a great deal of money.
But in almost two years,
it was enough for me
to buy my daughter's way to America.
It costs a great deal of money
to smuggle someone
all the way from my country.
Excuse me, Your Honour.
We're going to get into
some pretty sensitive areas.
I'd like to ask my associate
to remove Mrs. Cardenes' daughter
from the courtroom.
Request granted.
It'll be just a moment.
It costs a great deal of money
to smuggle someone into this country.
He knew what I had done.
He told me
that he would call the authorities
and my daughter would be sent back
and never allowed to return
if I said no to him.
If you said no to him?
Mrs. Cardenes,
why did Mr. Ward give you money?
For sleeping with him.
Did you kill Richard Ward?
No.
You've told the police you did.
I agreed to say that.
What happened
the night of the murder?
I was coming home
from seeing my daughter,
who was with my cousin Rodriguez.
He came out of the house.
He had a knife.
Let the record show
the defendant has indicated
one Daniel Ward.
Daniel told me he killed him
for what he did to his mother.
He told me that if I would say I did it,
he would not inform on my daughter.
And he would give me
money to keep her.
How much money?
Twenty-five thousand dollars.
Did he give it to you?
He said I would get it after the trial.
May I see the ring you're wearing?
Beautiful.
Probably an antique. Very valuable.
Have you ever met Mrs. Helen Ward?
No. She had died
before I came to America.
I see.
I'm not very good at reading small print
without my glasses.
Could you read the inscription
for us?
''To Helen.
From Dick.
1 951 .''
Where'd you get that ring?
Daniel Ward gave it to me.
Was it sort of a down payment?
Yes.
Has the jury reached a verdict?
We find the defendant not guilty.
Thank you.
Oh, Clark.
- I'm so proud of you.
- So am I.
- Thank you, Mr. Matlock.
- Yes, sir.
I suppose you were
a bargain after all.
- Well...
- Is this goodbye?
- Yes.
- Good.
Charlene.
Well, Charlene...
Alone again.
Glad we took the case?
You know, about the good old days...
These are the good old days.