Matlock (1986–1995): Season 2, Episode 13 - The Reunion - full transcript

( upbeat jazz theme playing)

( chorale group singing)

♪ Hail ♪

♪ All hail ♪

♪ Hail to Harvard ♪

♪ Dear old Harvard ♪

♪ Sacred are thy halls ♪

♪ Tower of learning ♪

♪ We are yearning ♪

♪ Still to heed your call ♪

♪ Truth and patience ♪



♪ Youth and ancients ♪

♪ All must meet the test ♪

♪ Hail to Harvard ♪

♪ Dear old Harvard ♪

♪ Always will be best ♪

♪ Best ♪

(dings)

(elevator door closes)

(phone ringing,
typewriter clacking)

MAN: Sooner or later, we're
gonna have to face the fact

that we're not the
only law firm in town.

And somebody else is
gonna snap him up like that

and make a partner out
of him. You're late, Warren.

Sorry, guys. My
car wouldn't start.



This damn cold weather.

Get me a cup of coffee, honey.

So where are we?

We were discussing Skip
Walker's promotion to partner.

It seems as if we're
all in agreement.

I move we vote him in.

Hold on! Hold on!
Nobody asked me.

Thanks, honey.

All right, Warren.
We're asking you.

I'm against it, George.

May we inquire as to why?

Bad timing. He's not ready yet.

Not ready? Look at the
clients he's brought in.

What else has he done
besides bring in clients?

How much business
have you brought in lately?

What is your problem, Warren?

You just don't want to see
Skip getting too successful.

That's it, right? Don't
push me, George.

I'm warning you... Gentlemen!

Whatever Warren's considerations
are, they are his prerogative.

And, I might add,
will become academic

if we can bring this to a vote.

All right, I call a vote.

Wait a minute. We haven't
heard from Victor yet.

What's your take on Skip?

Well, maybe the
timing is bad right now.

I vote no.

(chuckling)

All right.

Since we seem to
be divided on this,

why don't we table it till
the next partners' meeting.

I move to adjourn.

I'll second that.

Well, we don't wanna be late
for the reunion now, do we?

(phone ringing,
typewriter clacking)

Uh. How'd it go?

Not this time, Skip.
But it's going to happen.

Be patient. I don't understand.

Didn't Warren put me
up for the partnership?

Not exactly, no.

What do you mean?

He didn't put you up.

He put you away.

( mysterious theme playing)

Warren?

Oh, sorry, Skip.

I tried, but I couldn't
talk 'em into it.

Maybe next time.

♪ I love you so ♪

ROSS: Don't you remember? We
were walking across the campus,

and you weren't looking
where you were going.

Yes, I know.
(speaks indistinctly)

What was I gonna do? I
couldn't think of anything...

The sign was
right in front of you,

and you walked right
into it. I know, I know.

You got angry with me
because... Excuse me, Mr. Bailey.

Yes? There's a gentleman.

Says he was invited
and lost his invitation.

Oh? Well, we're not dealing

with, uh, national
security matters here,

so I guess it's all right.

Oh, he doesn't look quite right.

Oh?

Let's see him.

I can't wait to
see who it is here.

It's a mystery.

(people chattering,
'50s music playing)

Ben!

Ha-ha. It's good to
see you. Oh, well, Ross.

Good to see you.

Ben Matlock.

George, you're looking
good. Thank you. Thank you.

I think we're catching up
with you on the gray hair.

Uh-huh. MAN: Ben!

W... Warren!

Oh, well, I'll be.
I'll be, myself.

You got my $10? Damn
right. And I'm keeping it.

I knew I could count on you.

Hello, Ben.

Well, Victor, how are you?

Oh, just great. Just great.

Well... here's to all of us.

Wait a minute.
Let's have a drink.

Ben? Uh, uh, thanks. Yeah.

Okay, here's to all of us.

I'll drink to that. You bet.

And here's to Ben Matlock. Yeah.

Glad you could make
it, Ben. You're the best.

Thanks. I'm just
a jailhouse lawyer.

You boys are the big time.

I wonder whether People
magazine would like to know

that Ben Matlock once
nailed my shoes to the floor.

Deny it. Deny it.

Or the time you got
caught in the sorority.

Or when Warren discovered
Ross was colorblind

and mismatched all his socks.

Well, he was making
a move on my girl.

I wanted her to see that
he wasn't all that perfect.

Well, I guess it was a low blow.

Some things never
change, do they, Warren?

Excuse me.

Uh, Ross, just a minute.

I remember that girl.

Was it Grace Coolidge?
Whatever happened to her?

We got married.

Oh. Oh.

How is she?

Grace died last year, Ben.

Oh. I'm sorry.

Well, it's all part
of life, isn't it?

MAN: Hold it, guys.

Hold on.

Thank you. Uh-huh.

Yeah.

Who's that? Gary Springer.

You remember, the...

Oh. The big... Long, wavy hair?

Well, I used to weigh
148 pounds too.

(blows into mike, feedback)

Hear ye, hear ye.

All those who
are still standing...

(men laughing)

and those who aren't.

I hope you're all
enjoying the reunion.

(applause, cheering)

Oh, yeah. Good idea, Victor.

I want to apologize
right now for the cold.

I think the weatherman
went to Yale.

(laughter)

Ooh.

I know you all remember
the cold weather,

but I want you to
remember this reunion.

So I picked up a little souvenir

to help remind you of both.

Wool mufflers.

(cheering, applause)

Good idea, yeah. Yes.

Wear 'em with pride.

Well, thank you for
joining us here today,

and, uh, we'll see you all
at the dinner tomorrow night.

(cheering, applause)

(upbeat music playing)

Really nice. Thank you.

Oh. Blue, okay.

Leave it to you,
Victor. It's a good idea.

Hey. I'm allergic to wool.

Got any polyester?

Uh, sorry, Gary. Maybe
next reunion. Yeah.

It doesn't matter.

Let's... Let's have a
group shot of you guys.

Hold it.

Oh. Yeah. Take it.

Uh. Wait a minute.

I gotta change the batteries.

Hold that pose.

Are you kidding?

Gary. We can't stand
here grinning all day.

Is this really necessary, Gary?

Of course it is.

Where's your sense of history?

Just be a second.

Gary Springer
hasn't changed a bit.

He's still a pest.

That's why he's
so suited to his job.

What's his job?

Collections
attorney for the IRS.

Oh. Okay. Grin.

( mysterious theme playing)

Oh. Glad you could
come over. Come on in.

Hang your coat up.
Make yourself comfortable.

I'll get you a drink.

Must be freezing out there.

I have to admit you were
right about the reunion.

Everybody showed
up. It was great.

Ugh.

Yes, sir?

George Dutton.

Warren Coates is expecting me.

MAN (on TV): A good gain of 30.

And New England's on a roll now.

Yep.

Drive right in.

Thank you.

In field goal range
with time running out.

I think they're gonna
go for the six though...

( ominous theme playing)

( game playing
indistinctly on TV)

MAN: They come
out of the huddle.

Grogan lines up
again under center.

(phone rings)

Gate.

MAN: This is Warren
Coates. Call an ambulance.

George Dutton just shot me.

I think I'm dying.

(loud dance music
playing on speakers)

MATLOCK: There's not one
empty room in the whole hotel?

I know there's a convention.

It's in the next room.

(yelling, glass breaking)

I'll appreciate anything
you could do. All right.

(groans) (applause)

(phone rings)

Find a room?

What?

George, do you
know what time it is?

I'm trying to get some sleep.

There's a party
going on next door.

Is this some kind
of practical joke?

In jail?

For murdering who?

( ominous theme playing)

MATLOCK: The
prosecution's got a strong case.

They can place you at the scene,

and the guard claims that
Warren said you shot him.

Ben, I never even
went inside that house.

Police found the
murder weapon nearby,

and it's registered
in your name.

The gun must've been
stolen out of my house.

Whoever framed
me didn't miss a trick.

I don't blame you, Ben.

If I were in your shoes, I'd...

I'd turn this case
down this second.

I know I couldn't win it.

I didn't say I was
gonna turn it down.

This is gonna be tough.

I am innocent, Ben.

I swear it.

But... there's, uh...

There's something
else you should know.

I'm the one who kept
you out of the law review.

I always wondered who did that.

Why'd you do that?

You were a little older
than the rest of us.

Hell, I was a lot older
than the rest of you.

I had... I worked for
nine years to get up there.

I had to be older
than the rest of you.

Ben, you were different from us.

Oh.

Oh.

You're talking about
my background.

Yeah.

You know what? That's okay.

I noticed then that
everybody was, you know,

pleasant enough, but I just...

Somehow I just never did fit in.

Listen, if we're gonna
get you an acquittal,

we're gonna have to dig.

So, uh, who... Who
knew you were at Warren's

for a meeting that night?

Amy, my wife...

knew I was going to Warren's
to go over some depositions.

And my partners.

Oh, yes, and, uh, Skip Walker.

Skip Walker.

Did he go to school with us?

No, he's a young attorney.

He's almost a
partner in the firm.

Oh. Well... hm.

I guess the firm's a
good place to start.

Blackballed me, huh?

(chuckling)

That's okay.

Yeah, that's all right.

ROSS: We're behind you
all the way on this case.

Anything you want, it's yours.

MATLOCK: Well, thanks.

My associates should
be here pretty soon.

All I need right now is
a desk and a telephone.

You got it. Get me
Skip Walker, please.

WOMAN: Okay. Right away.

Make yourself comfortable, Ben.

Oh-ho. Nice.

You like it? Well...

It makes the right impression
for prospective clients.

They know what
kind of a bill to expect.

(chuckling)

You run the marathon, do you?

Yeah. I haven't missed
one since I started.

Not one year.

That's why I have to
run ten miles every night

just to try to keep in shape.

Ah.

MATLOCK: Oh.

There's you and Warren
and Grace Coolidge.

Yeah. That was taken, uh,

right after I was drafted.

Two months later,
she married Warren.

Now she's gone.

Oh. How did it happen?

(sighs)

Automobile accident.

Oh. Sit down.

Grace had been drinking.

Over the course of the years,

she had turned
into an alcoholic.

Did, uh, Warren have a
problem with drinking too?

Oh, yes. That's
what got her started.

Oh.

Do you hold him responsible?

Yeah. It's no secret.

Of course, he stopped
drinking after Grace died,

but he kept going
downhill anyway.

He used to be a
brilliant litigator.

Brilliant.

Oh, did anyone ask him
to resign from the firm?

Yes, I did.

Of course, uh, he declined
, and my other partners

wouldn't vote him out, so...

How come?

You'd have to ask them.

(intercom buzzes)

Yes? WOMAN: Skip Walker's here.

Send him in.

(door opens)

Ben Matlock, I'd like
you to meet Skip Walker,

one of the bright
young men in the firm.

Nice to meet you.
He'll be available

if you need any help. Okay.

I've put, uh, Mr. Matlock

in Warren Coates' office,

so would you show him
the way, please, Skip?

Sure. Thank you.

Thanks, Ross.
We'll see you, Ben.

Okay.

(clears throat) Hm.

Warren's office is, uh,
right down there at the end.

Okay.

Very nice. Yeah.

Ben? Ben! Ben!

Lucky I ran into you.

Saves me a trip to your hotel.

Oh, G-Gary, w-what
are you doing here?

Distributing the pictures
I took at the reunion.

Here's your set.

Oh, that's very nice of you.

A photograph is
a picture of history.

Oh.

Too bad about Warren.

Yeah.

Oh. By the way, I understand
you're defending George.

Do you have any idea
who the judge will be?

Not yet.

Well, if it's somebody I know,

maybe he'll let me
drop in at the trial

and take a few candid shots.

(elevator dings)
Oh, hold the elevator!

The bill for the pictures
is in the envelope.

Just drop a check in the mail.

What bill? I didn't order these!

(elevator door closes)

Can you beat that? Bill.

I didn't order these.

His office is right down here.

I understand that, uh...

you were almost a
partner in the firm.

Almost.

And Warren blocked it.

That's what they say.

Well, maybe with his being gone,

that will clear the way for you.

(scoffs)

You're not implying that,
uh, I would kill someone

just to be a
partner in this firm.

Besides, George
killed him. Didn't he?

( mysterious theme playing)

Oh, Victor. I'm sorry.

I thought this was
Warren's office.

Oh. Good morning, Ben.

It is. Or was.

(closes drawer)

I was looking for some files
Warren borrowed from me.

Oh. Did you have any luck?

No. No, his secretary
must have them.

So, um, what's your
strategy on George?

Gonna try to plea-bargain him?

I don't know.

Do you think he's guilty too?

Oh, Warren and
George hated each other.

George had a violent temper.

And the evidence.

Who else could've done it?

I don't know.

Of course, there's different
ways of looking at evidence.

The way George
sees it, he was framed.

(knocking on door)

Oh. Oh, wait.

Oh.

Uh, Victor Kendall,
these are my associates,

Michelle Thomas
and Tyler Hudson.

How do you do?

Very nice to meet you.

Thank you.

Tyler? Nice to meet you.

Well, if, uh...

you'll excuse me, I'll
let you all get to work.

Okay, Victor.

(clears throat) Well,
where do we start?

Uh, well... we've
all got our coats.

Let's go outside.

Wait, Ben, now you know
what the temperature was

when we left Atlanta?

Seventy-eight degrees. Tyler.

Yeah, I know. Outside.

Here's what I want you to do.

Ben. Do you know how cold it is?

( mysterious theme playing)

A lot of blood.

Now, the shot
hit an artery. Huh.

I'm Joe Denato,
assistant coroner.

Ben Matlock. Attorney
for the defense.

Hm-hm-hm.

Hm.

(humming)

Can I touch the phone?

Sure. It's been dusted.

( dial tone humming)

Works.

Uh, the deceased paid his bills.

Huh.

Has anything been moved in here

since the murder?

Other than the body, nothing.

Huh.

I don't envy you this case.

It's a real loser... Hm.

And it's all yours.

( mysterious theme playing)

(shivers) (bird cawing)

Hello. I'm here to
see Mrs. Dutton.

I'm Michelle Thomas.
I'm Amy Dutton.

Please, come in. Oh, thank you.

Ooh. Can I take your coat?

No, that's okay. Thank you.

Did, uh, Mr. Matlock say
when George will be released?

Well, the arraignment
is set for tomorrow.

I'm sure they'll
grant bail. Good.

Could I see his gun collection?

Of course.

Here it is.

Ah.

Ooh.

Some of these pistols
are very rare. Hm.

Who knew about this collection?

Well, anyone who'd
ever been in the room.

George is that proud of it.

What about his law partners?

Well, of course they knew.

George often had
business meetings in here.

And I assume this
was kept locked?

Yes, but George keeps
the key in the cabinet.

( mysterious theme playing)

Is there anything else
you'd like to know?

No. Not a thing.

Uh, how long have you
and George been married?

Almost four years.

I met him at the office.

I was his secretary.

Mm. It must've
been terrible for you

when the police
came to arrest him.

Actually, I wasn't here.

I was at Fanueil Hall.

I attend a lecture series there.

I didn't find out
about it until later.

Well... thank you
for your help, Amy.

The counterman at
Arthur's Coffee Shop

remembers seeing
Ross Bailey there.

Said he stopped in
at his regular time.

What about Skip?

Oh, his secretary says
he was at the movies.

What movie?

La Nuit des Mouettes.

(speaking in French)

(Tyler speaking in French)

Just tell me if he
went to the movies.

All right, the usher
and the countergirl

don't remember seeing him there.

Huh.

(sniffs)

What about Amy Dutton?

I don't know. I...

I had the feeling
someone was with her

in the house when I was there.

She have any kind of alibi?

She says she was at a lecture.

Huh.

What do you mean...

you had the feeling somebody
was in the house? Somebody hid?

Well, yeah.

Oh.

Maybe Miss Amy's
up to something.

Tyler.

You want me to
check her out. Yeah.

(speaking in French)

Au revoir. Au revoir.

(Tyler speaking in French)

( ominous theme playing)

I truly believe my husband
didn't kill Warren Coates.

In fact, I'm sure of it.

I agree with you...
but somebody did.

And I'd like to take your name

off the list of suspects.

Me?

Oh, I was at a
lecture that night.

No, ma'am.

The lecture was cancelled.

But... The heating
system went out

in the auditorium, and
there was no lecture.

I know about you
and Victor Kendall.

Mr. Matlock, my
husband is a fine man.

He's a good man. You know him.

He's always been hard to please.

Well, you don't have to give me

an explanation.

I just wanna know where you
were at the time of the murder.

I was with Victor.

I, um, couldn't tell anyone.

You understand?

Yes. I understand.

Uh... I'll see myself out.

( mysterious theme playing)

Oh, Mr. Frazier, you
testified Mr. Dutton drove past

the guard gate to
Warren Coates' house,

and then he drove
out five minutes later.

That's right.

How was he driving? Was it fast?

Slow?

Fast. He was going
hell-bent for leather.

As if he were upset?

Frightened? Objection.

Calls for speculation.

Sustained.

Hm.

So Mr. Dutton drives out.

Then what happened?

About a minute or two later,

Mr. Coates called me
on the phone and said,

"Call an ambulance.
George Dutton just shot me.

I think I'm dying." "George
Dutton just shot me."

You're absolutely sure
that's exactly what he said?

Yes, sir.

Absolutely.

No further questions.

Cross-examine?

(clears throat)

Thank you.

Ah.

I suppose... uh, security gating

wealthy estates
is... Is a good idea.

You keep track of who
drives in and who drives out,

and therefore, there's no crime.

That's the idea.

Of course, that's
not exactly true.

There were two
reported break-ins

at Longridge Estates
last year, weren't there?

Yes.

And the big wall doesn't go
all the way around the grounds.

No. The rear of the development

backs up against some woods.

They left it unwalled
for the view.

So... even though the accused

was the only one seen

driving in at that
time that night,

someone could have walked in

through the woods.

In fact, Warren Coates'
house... The back of it

is right on the woods, isn't it?

Yes.

Hm.

Now, you've testified that, uh,

the night of the murder...

uh, you were watching TV in
the guard shack, is that right?

What was on?

Football game.

Patriots versus the Dolphins.

Oh. And was the television on
when you got that phone call?

Yes, sir. It was.

Uh-huh.

So, uh... over the
noise of the TV,

how can you swear it was
Warren Coates' voice you heard?

Uh, what? I missed that.

I'm sorry. Do you have
a hearing problem?

My ears are fine.

I know it's hard to
admit, but at our age,

that's the kind of thing
you have to expect:

a little hearing loss.

You do have a little
hearing loss, don't you?

Well, sometimes.

And you have been to an
audiologist. A Dr. Royce?

Yes.

You don't always hear

unless you're looking
right at a person, do you?

I don't want one of those
things stuck in my ear.

Doctor says it would help.

Well, I can tell you one thing.

If you had one of those things

stuck in your ear, we
could be a lot more certain

it was Warren Coates'
voice you heard

on the other end of
that phone that night.

Objection. Argumentative.

Withdraw the question.

MATLOCK: That's blood, isn't it?

Yes.

Now... why is
there so much of it?

Well, the bullet
severed a major artery.

He bled profusely.

So... Mr. Coates must've
started bleeding immediately

after he was shot, right?

Yes.

Now, we've been told
that after he was shot...

he went to the telephone

and called the
guard at the gate.

Now, the telephone is over here.

But you didn't find
any blood there, right?

No.

And no blood by any
of the extensions?

That's true.

You checked them all? Yes.

No blood? No, sir.

You still believe
that Mr. Coates called

the guard at the gate from
the phone after he was shot?

Objection.

Withdraw the question.
Nothing further.

( slow, dramatic theme playing)

Hello.

Oh, hi.

What are you doing?

Ah. Victor Kendall was
looking for something

in this office, and I just
wonder if he found it.

Mm.

(forcefully pulling out drawer)

(clears throat)

What is it?

Well, this drawer... won't open

as far as the rest of 'em.

They...

Oh, there's got to be
some way to get in there

without using a crowbar.

(grunts)

I'll bet you...

(click)

( mysterious theme playing)

Secret place.

"The Atkinson
Trust." What's that?

I don't know.

(gasps)

Blackmail. (whistles)

Mr. Coates was
blackmailing somebody.

Excuse me.

( suspenseful theme
playing) (door closes)

(knocks)

Ah. Excuse me.

I'm sorry to interrupt,
but I have to ask you

a couple of questions.

Is that what you were
looking for in Warren's office?

Yes.

May I have them?

He was blackmailing
you, wasn't he?

Yes.

Ben, please.

Where were you at
the time of the murder?

Were you with her?

Ben, you've got to
let me have those.

I'm not finished with them.

( dramatic theme playing)

AMY: Sure I can't
get you something?

Oh, no. Thanks. I'm good.

Uh... Uh... Mrs. Dutton.

Please, Mr. Matlock.
Call me Amy.

Amy. Okay.

Uh, I know you were
not with Victor Kendall

the night of the murder.

What are you talking about?

Because he was with her.

Oh, my God.

(sighs)

Warren was, uh,

blackmailing Victor, wasn't he?

Yes.

And Victor led you to
believe it was because of you.

I'm such a fool.

How could I get
involved with such a man?

Oh, where were you at
the time of the murder?

I was at our house at the Cape.

Anybody see you there?

No.

Victor stood me up.

But I didn't do it, I swear.

I didn't kill Warren.

Oh, I believe you.

I had to ask so...

Do you have to tell
George about Victor?

Oh, no.

I don't think, uh... I
don't think your affair

has any bearing on the case.

I think I know who
did kill Warren.

You know?

Yeah. Yeah.

But I'm daggone if I know
how I'm gonna prove it.

Hi. Hi.

How's it going?

Well, slow. Mm.

These calls came
in while we were out.

(whistles, mumbles)

Gary Springer.

Who's Gary Springer?

Oh, he's a guy.

He's a nerd.

He took some pictures at
our reunion and gave me a set.

Well, that was nice of him.

It came with a bill.

Gary Springer.

I'll hold.

They're awful too.

Oh, they're not so bad.

It's the principle of the thing.

You don't charge people for
something they don't order.

They're not very good, are they?

No. They're out of
focus. Too dark, too light.

Well, this one's nice.

Well... Yeah, you
look great in this one.

Hm... Now, that would
be a nice memento.

Well... It's cute,
actually. Heh-heh.

All of you there,
nice big smiles.

( mysterious theme playing)

Well, I'll be damned.

What?

I'm not sure.

I'll just be damned.

I'm going over to
Warren's house.

You talk to Gary Springer.

What should I tell him?

Tell him the
check's in the mail.

♪ Hail to Harvard
Dear old Harvard ♪

♪ Sacred are thy walls ♪

I gotcha.

(clears throat)

You had known Warren Coates

for more than 30 years,
hadn't you, Mr. Bailey?

Yes, I had.

You went through
college with him,

through Harvard
Law School with him,

and then later went
in business together.

Yes, that's right.

And his death marked
a very sad ending

to our law school
reunion, didn't it?

Yes, it did.

Yeah.

You know, the interesting
thing about, uh, reunions...

is you get a chance to see
how people have changed

over the years.

Y-you and Warren in law
school were best friends.

But that... That
friendship deteriorated

over the years, didn't it?

Yes, uh... But it
wasn't only with me.

Warren alienated
a lot of old friends.

Heh-heh. Particularly
his law partners.

Uh, Warren's work
hadn't been up to snuff

for a very long
time, that right?

Yes, that's true.

Well, as senior partner,

why didn't you push
for him to retire?

Well, you just don't dump
someone after all those years.

Yeah. Yeah.

Your loyalty to Warren
is... Is admirable.

But particularly when
you consider that he...

He married a girl

that you were once in love with.

Ha-ha. That was many years ago.

Yeah, yeah. But it must
have been painful to...

To see the way he neglected her,

and to see the way she
responded to that neglect

by turning to alcohol.

Yes. It was painful.

Maybe that's one of the
reasons you kept Warren on

all those years,
was for his wife.

Objection, Your Honor.

This line of
questioning is irrelevant.

Your Honor, I will
show relevancy

if you will bear with me.

You may continue, Mr. Matlock.

You didn't, uh, keep
Warren on all those years

out of loyalty or out
of concern for his wife.

He was blackmailing
Victor Kendall

and he was blackmailing
you, wasn't he?

Ha. That's absurd. Ha.

Is it?

Have you ever heard
of the Atkinson Trust?

Yes, of course. It's an
estate handled by our firm.

And you're one of the trustees?

Yes.

Did you know that Warren kept...

a special Atkinson Trust
file hidden in his office?

I wouldn't know.

And in that file was an
accounting of that trust

done by a certified public
accountant that showed...

shall we say, certain
creative accounting practices.

I have no idea what
you're talking about.

You had embezzled from
that account, hadn't you?

And Warren found out about
it and was blackmailing you

to force you to
keep him in the firm.

That is entirely false.

That's why you killed him.

And that's why you framed
his murder on George Dutton.

Your Honor, this
is pure speculation.

I did not kill Warren Coates!

Your Honor, I don't speculate
on matters of this importance.

Go ahead, Mr. Matlock.

Now, the way I see it,
this is the way it happened.

You drove your car and
parked it in the vicinity

of the community where
Warren lived, because you knew

the guards only checked the cars

that drove through the gate.

So you walked in...

through the woods in
back of Warren's house.

You went in

and shot him with
a pistol you took

from George's gun collection.

That is absurd.

Then you got rid of the
pistol in a nearby Dumpster,

knowing the
police would find it,

and waited for George to
come for his appointment.

When he knocked on
the door, nobody came.

He left.

You went back in,
picked up the phone...

called the guard,
pretended to be Warren,

said George had
committed the murder,

with Warren's dying breath.

You're forgetting the
fact that I was jogging

at the time of the murder.

And I even stopped at
Arthur's at my regular time.

How about this? How about this?

After you shot Warren,
got rid of the gun,

made the call, you
drove to your house,

put on your jogging outfit,
then drove to the coffee shop

so it appeared you
had been jogging.

No, I'm sorry, but I went

directly home after the reunion.

I never saw Warren
Coates alive again.

Directly home.

Directly. That's what I said.

Okay. All right.

Now... what color...?

What color would you
say this... This muffler is?

What? Blue?

Fine.

Great.

Could I borrow your muffler?

Be my guest.

Okay.

There you go. Thanks. Thank you.

Is this your muffler?

You know it is.

It was given you as a souvenir

at our law school reunion.

Yes. Okay.

Now, tell us... Tell us...

Tell us what the color...

is of this muffler,

and what's the
color of this muffler.

(scoffs)

I am not sure. How come?

Because I'm colorblind.

A slight flaw, Your Honor.

(chuckles)

Yeah, that slight flaw
became a fatal flaw.

You set out to commit
the perfect murder.

And as a lawyer you
should have, but you didn't.

I-I-I don't understand.

Oh, it's really quite simple.

It's... It's quite simple.

Eh... You went up
to Warren's house.

Knocked. He let you in.

He said... Oh, who
knows what he...

He said, "Take off
your coat, have a drink."

Anyway, in your nervousness,
you took off your coat

and green muffler and
hung them on the rack

by Warren's coat
and red muffler.

Then you shot him.

And in your haste
to get rid of the gun...

you picked up Warren's
red muffler by mistake.

Only you didn't know it
'cause you're colorblind.

Oh, that's ridiculous. I...

I never had a green muffler.

Yes, you did. No, I didn't.

Yes, you did.

This... is a photograph.

This is a photograph
that was taken...

at our law school reunion

just after these mufflers
were handed out.

That's Warren.

That's the deceased,
wearing a red muffler.

You are wearing a green muffler.

You can't tell that. But
he's wearing a green muffler.

Now... if you
drove home directly

after the reunion, as you say,

the only time these mufflers

could've gotten mixed up...

was at Warren's house

after you murdered him.

( suspenseful theme playing)

You did murder him, didn't you?

(sighs)

We find the defendant,
George Dutton, not guilty.

Thank you.

This court stands adjourned.

George. Ben.

(exhales)

Thank you, George.

Thank you... for
everything. Yeah.

(clears throat)

Well... what say we
take a little tour of Boston.

Ben, it's 27 degrees out there.

We can start at Harvard
Yard, and then head down

to the Old North Church
where they hung out

the lanterns to Paul Revere.

I want to go home.

We can't leave Boston

without one lobster dinner.

I can.

There's a flight at
4:20. Let's catch it.

♪ Always will be best ♪

( upbeat jazz theme playing)