Matlock (1986–1995): Season 2, Episode 2 - Blind Justice - full transcript

A blind man kills the man who blinded him and frames the man's girlfriend.

Bang.

Oh. This is a great office.

Well, it will be
when I get it fixed up.

Uh. You're still
tilting to the left, I see.

There.

I bet you a quarter
it's still not straight.

I couldn't have done
better if I'd used a level.

Design workshop.
Best class at Smith.

It was the only A I got
the whole semester.

You, uh, going out of town...

or leaving Clay Graham again?



For good this time.

I hope so.

You'll stay with
me. I insist. No, I...

No, I have a lovely new
apartment and I need help fix...

I was thinking that I
should go to a hotel.

Andrea, you were
my favorite roommate.

So it's settled.

Good. Because you know what?

I already sent the trunk over.

She'll be back. Unless
she finds someone else.

You know as well as I
do she's out there looking.

Even as we speak.

I'd call her, Clay. Yeah?

If you want Andrea back,



you'd better do
something about it.

Right now.

I don't even know where she is.

Try Michelle Thomas.

I don't know the number.

It's a new listing.

No. I said goodbye,
and I meant goodbye.

Andrea, you just can't
walk out on me like this.

I just did.

I love you.

I had too much to drink.

I'll change. I promise.

I wish I could believe you.

Come on over tonight.

No, I can't. I can't.

Look, sweetheart,
you left a lot of things.

So just come by and
get what you need.

At least give me a chance
to apologize, all right?

Okay.

Great. Hey, I love you.

Don't do it. Don't go.

I'm just going to pick
up the rest of my things.

Maybe this will help
to get him off my back

and out of my mind
once and for all.

Or it might provoke
him. I'll go with you.

No, no, Michelle.

He's hit me for the last time.

I won't let that happen
again, no matter what it takes.

What the...?

Oh.

Ow. Ow.

Clay?

Arthur?

I'm down here.

Well, the
electricity's gone out.

I wouldn't know.

Yeah, it's... It's
a circuit breaker.

What are you doing here, anyway?

Just taking care of
some old business.

Arthur? Yeah, it's me, Clay.

All alone in the dark.

Oh!

Clay?

Clay.

Clay.

Oh. Clay.

Security patrol.

Uh, hello. Uh, I'd like
to report a gunshot.

Hello?

Ar... Arthur?

Andrea. Arthur, I...
Is something wrong?

Oh, God.

Arthur, Clay's
dead, and there's...

I don't know what happened.

There's blood. He's been
shot. Andrea, calm down.

Arthur, I'm scared.
Now, calm down.

What should I do?
Should I call the police?

No. Listen to me. But Arthur...

Andrea, listen to me.

I want you to leave the
house and come over here.

I'll call a lawyer, and
then we'll call the police.

Have you got that?

Okay. Okay.

Now, get out of there.

Good morning, Cassie.

Good morning.

How's your cat? Cat's fine.

How's your rabbit?
Rabbit's fine.

Your philodendrons?
Philodendrons' fine.

What's that?

It's a present. Hm.

Open it.

Who's it from?

I think it's from Michelle. Huh.

Open it.

Hm.

It's a tie.

Yeah.

I don't like it.

You're gonna tell
Michelle Thomas,

who moved here all the
way from London, England,

that you don't like the tie
she bought for you out of love?

Well, i-it's just...

It's a gift from a person.

You should've seen how excited
she was when she left it here.

And it's very expensive,

And you're going to tell
her that you don't like it?

No.

No, I like it.

Where is she so I can thank her?

Oh, she's down at the jail.

Girlfriend of hers
was just arrested

for murdering Clay
Graham. You hear about that?

No.

Oh, I guess he was
sort of a man about town.

Andrea Morrow is her name.

Is, uh, Michelle thinking
about representing her?

Well, I... I don't think she
really has much choice.

I mean, they've been
friends for a long time,

and it doesn't really
look very good for her.

Andrea, I mean.

Oh.

Oh. That tie
really looks terrific.

You don't think it's too bright?

No. No, I-I think
it makes you look

like a real class act.

It sort of sets off your hair.

Down at the jail, huh? Mm-hm.

Someone grabbed me from behind
and knocked me out somehow.

And then when I came
to, Clay was dead,

and his gun was in my purse.

I-I don't know anything else.

I just wish whoever
had knocked you out

had left a nice bump on
your head, or used chloroform.

Anything that would
substantiate your story.

Good morning. Oh. Hi.

Andrea Morrow,
this is Ben Matlock.

Uh, I was just in
the neighborhood.

Ben, could I speak to
you outside for a second?

Uh, sure. Uh, excuse us.

Ben, she was in
Clay Graham's home

at the time the
murder took place.

Her fingerprints were
found on the murder weapon.

She appeared to be
fleeing the scene of the crime

when she was apprehended.

And she made some damaging
statements to the police

about how Graham
abused her physically.

Hm.

Hm.

Do you think she did it?

Not for an instant.

Well, that's a start.

Ben, she's an old friend.

She doesn't have a lot of money.

Yeah, I heard.

I don't think I'm
ready to take on

a case like this entirely alone.

I mean, what if I should lose?

What an awful prospect.

Oh.

Well... maybe... together.

Oh, thank you.

Thanks for my tie.

You like it? I love it.

If I'd known this was coming
up, I'd have bought you a suit.

Well, let... Let's give
the case our best shot,

and take a long
time about the suit.

Well, how'd the bail hearing go?

Fine.

What's the matter?

Andrea said something to me

before she went to
see Clay Graham.

What?

She said she'd never
let him hit her again.

I can't fault her for that.

"No matter what it takes?"

The DA knows she was with me

just before she
went to see Graham.

What if they call me to
testify to her state of mind?

Well, you could...
You could claim

lawyer-client privilege.

Yeah, but I wasn't
her lawyer then.

Well, the DA doesn't know that,

and you don't have to tell him.

Well, it's a problem.

Well, maybe it
won't turn out to be.

You have to play
those things by ear.

That's odd.

What?

He's left his key in the car.

Uh, digital lock
and alarm system.

You gotta punch in a code.

Yeah.

If Clay Graham left
his keys in the car,

how'd he get in the house?

Hm. Watch your foot.

Ooh.

Well, that explains the cut
on the bottom of his right foot.

Oh, yeah.

What time you got?

Ten forty-five. Uh, me too.

Clock's off. Five minutes slow.

So's the one in here.

Five minutes slow? Strange.

Look at that. Power outage.

Wonder if he was
taping something

the night he was murdered?

Why don't you give it a listen?

I'll see if there
was a power outage

in the whole neighborhood.

Mr. Hampton? Mr. Matlock?

Yes. I-I'm sorry.

I didn't... I didn't
mean to startle you.

You didn't. Please come in.

Make yourself comfortable.

Well... Andrea said

that you were remarkable,

but I never expected this.

You do all this
sculpture? Yes, sir.

'Course I'm not an
expert on art or anything,

but it seems to me

it's downright beautiful.

Well, thank you.

Clay Graham was a good friend.

Yes. Yes, he was.

He was very helpful.

He also had a lot of money,

and most of the
people he knew did too.

Uh, he... also had
a guilty conscience.

I... I don't know.

I assume Andrea
told you the full story.

Well, she said that, uh,

you and Clay had met
about eight years ago

through mutual acquaintances,

and then after you
had become friends

about seven years ago,

you were both in an
automobile accident.

That's right. We
were at a party.

Had been some
drinking, of course.

I-I thought Clay was all right,

but he lost control of the car.

He skidded off
the road, hit a tree.

He got away with
minor scratches.

I... wasn't so lucky.

Hm. And you...
You became an artist

suddenly who had
to... work from memory.

Well, that's not...

entirely accurate, Mr. Matlock.

If you'll step over here,
I'll... I'll demonstrate.

People still pose for me.

Hm.

At first, I hated doing this.

Uh, and then I
realized this gives me

quite an advantage.

People have no idea how
much insight I can gain

into their character
from doing this.

Hm.

Hm. Hm.

Hm.

Hm.

Um... Hm.

I wanted to ask you about
that phone call you made

to Clay Graham's house
the night of the murder.

Yes.

W-what was it about?

Well, I... I knew
that he'd talked

Andrea into coming over,

and I was worried about
what would happen.

With good reason,
as it turned out.

Do you think she did it?

What other explanation is there?

I don't know.

I don't know.

Uh, why did you advise her to
leave the scene of the crime?

That was a mistake.

I know that now.

But she was hysterical.

If she'd talked to the
police in that condition,

uh, God alone knows what
would've come out of her mouth.

I just thought she
should calm down first.

By the way, I'd be happy
to say that on the stand,

if that would help.

Oh, well, thank you.

I don't know that
that'll be necessary.

Uh, I... I'll be going. And
thank you for your time.

Of course. Okay.

♪ Well, you get a line
I'll get a pole, honey ♪

♪ You get a line And
I'll get a pole, babe ♪

♪ You get a line
And I'll get a pole ♪

♪ We'll row down
To the crawdad hole ♪

♪ Honey, baby, mine ♪

♪ Well, get up, Kate
You slept too late, honey ♪

♪ Get up, Kate You
slept too late, babe ♪

Oh, oh.

You know what my
mother used to say.

Them's good eats.

Mm.

When you have a cold like that,

aren't you supposed
to starve it?

Mm-mm.

Feed it. MICHELLE: Hi.

No, thanks.

I went to the radio station.

The one that Clay Graham
was taping off the air.

There's a five-minute
gap in the tape.

Could you establish the time?

Well, I played it for
them. The music cuts off

at what had to
have been 9:59 p.m.,

and then comes back
on again at the end

of the hourly
newsbreak at 10:04 p.m.

Mm.

Okay.

Okay.

There you are.

Yeah.

Highway security
received that night call

about the gunshot at 10:10

and arrived on
the scene at 10:19.

Did Andrea say anything
about the, uh, power being off?

No. Maybe it was turned off

after she was knocked
out, and back on

before she came to.

The lights were off,
what, five minutes?

Yeah.

Are you saying that the
killer put out the lights,

and then he shot Clay
Graham from 20 feet away

in total darkness?

It's sure starting to
be a real possibility.

Ladies.

I understand you have the
need of a private investigator.

That's right. Cassie, uh,

run a background on...
On Arthur Hampton.

You know, property, voter
registration, all that stuff.

And Tyler, this... This
fellow Hampton's an artist.

His studio's downtown. Okay.

See if he was a Green
Beret or into martial arts.

An artist into the martial arts.

We need to know if he
could knock somebody out

without leaving a bruise.

No bruise.

He's blind.

A blind artist into
the martial arts.

Check his alibi for the night
Clay Graham was murdered.

Check his alibi.

Ben, you just said
the man was blind.

How much more of
an alibi do you need?

Hey.

A blind artist into
martial arts. No.

No bruise.

Mr. Hampton?

Mr. Matlock.

Your answering service
said you were down here.

I... I couldn't imagine why.

I've been subpoenaed
by the prosecution.

I came down here to... rehearse.

Oh.

That's very impressive.

Well, the idea of being led to

or stumbling my way
to the witness box...

You understand?

Um, well, I... I
s... I suppose I do.

You wanna see me?

Well, yes.

Um... Uh, this is a...

This is a little awkward.

I'll try not to notice.

Well...

where were you at
the time of the murder?

I was at home all
night, Mr. Matlock.

Alone. Reading.

Braille.

I see.

You don't... seriously
suspect me, do you?

Well, I have reason to believe

that the electricity
was turned off

in Clay Graham's home

just before he was murdered.

Thus giving the killer
the element of surprise.

Or evening up the odds.

Mr. Matlock...

You should be ashamed
for even thinking such a thing.

Clay Graham was my best friend.

I wouldn't have killed
him even if I could. Ah.

Quite obviously... I can't.

I understand that you
were quite a marksman

before you lost your sight.

Mr. Matlock, I ask
you... truthfully...

are these the eyes of a killer?

Don't forget to
turn out the lights.

Uh. Cassie.

Well.

What's this now?

It's a present.

Oh. Open it.

What is it? Open it.

Oh, it's... It's a shirt.

It's beautiful. Mm.

Hm. It's pink.

Oh, it's okay for
men to wear pink.

It'll look great on you.

And it'll also go with that
tie that Michelle bought you.

And suspenders are
really the rage right now.

Who's it from?

From both of us.

Out of love.

Oh.

Is one of you Michelle Thomas?

Not me.

I'm Michelle Thomas.

This is from the
district attorney's office.

Subpoena.

Have a good day.

Well, I guess the DA paid
attention to Andrea's statement.

Well, he's just doing his job.

Oh, boy. I really dread this.

State calls Michelle Thomas.

Uh, Miss Thomas...

the defendant moved in with you

because she just broke
up with Clay Graham.

Is that correct? Yes.

And you spoke with her
on the evening of the murder

before she went over
to Mr. Graham's house.

Is that correct?

Yes. She was going to
get some of her things.

You knew at that
time that Mr. Graham

had a history of violence
towards the defendant?

Yes.

When he'd gotten angry,

he had been known to strike her.

Is that correct? Yes.

And it was Miss Morrow's idea to
move out of Mr. Graham's house?

Yes. That's what I understood.

And Mr. Graham wasn't too
happy about that, was he?

No.

Miss Thomas, did you
discuss with the defendant

the fact that she
might face some danger

in going over to
Mr. Graham's house that night?

Yes.

What did she say?

She said she was
nervous about going.

Is that all?

Uh, you're her friend.

You didn't tell her not to go,

or maybe perhaps
go along with her?

Well, sure, I did.

What did the defendant
say, Miss Thomas?

I don't recall her exact words.

Well, then, would you
paraphrase it for us, please?

She said no... uh,

he'd hit her for the last time,

and she wasn't gonna
let him do it again.

No matter what it takes.

Thank you. No further
questions, Your Honor.

Cross, Mr. Matlock?

I'd like to examine the phrase,

"No matter what it takes."

Seems to me that's a phrase that
most of us use almost every day.

I'll do such and such,
"no matter what it takes."

When I was 11 or 12 years old,

my mother said, "Next
Sunday, you're gonna learn

to make cornbread,
no matter what it takes."

And I don't think
she meant to kill me.

Objection, Your Honor.

Nothing further.

Objection, Your Honor.

Uh, the state calls
Arthur Hampton

to the stand.

Let me give you a hand there.

Thank you. That
won't be necessary.

What was the gist
of the conversation

that Mr. Graham had with
Miss Morrow that afternoon,

when he called her
from your studio?

Do you recall that?

Yes. He asked her
to come by that night

and collect the
rest of her things.

And that they were going
to be there alone, correct?

Yes. Well, that
was the whole idea.

I know that because...

I'm afraid the idea
was mostly mine.

See, I knew that Clay cared
a lot more about Andrea

than he was willing to say.

And as a friend,

I urged him to try
to reconcile with her.

That is advice
that I will always

regret giving.

Andrea, I'm sorry.

I should've known that
Clay would force you

to do what you did.

Objection.

Move to strike that statement.

Assumes facts not in evidence.

Request the jury be admonished.

Sustained.

You will completely disregard
the witness's last remark.

I have no further
questions, Your Honor.

Cross, Mr. Matlock?

Uh, no, Your Honor.

But the defense
reserves the right

to recall this witness
at a future time.

He was very subtle, Mr. Hampton.

Subtle? He buried us.

You got a point.

Thank you, guys.
It was a terrific job.

Lovely perfume, Miss Thomas.

I noticed it the other
day in the courtroom.

And I noticed it here
earlier this evening.

Where are you, Michelle?

At least let me explain.

I have a weapon...

because I often work
here... late at night.

I have it for protection.

Never know when you're
gonna be surprised by an intruder.

Bang.

You're dead.

Andrea said Hampton came
and went here as he pleased.

So he had all the time in the
world to set up the shooting

the way he did in
his studio. Mm-hm.

He must've, um...

Must've set up a
string somewhere.

Somewhere along here. So he
knew the exact angle to shoot at

from the bottom of the stairs.

And then he went
back to his studio

and did some target practice.

Mm.

Are you paying attention?

Yeah.

Yeah. There's something...

Something doesn't quite follow.

What?

Well, the forensics
people estimated

from the trajectory
of the bullet

that the victim was
standing on this third step

when he was hit. Right.

But look at this
little trail of blood...

from that cut on his right foot.

There's blood here
on the landing...

and on this first step,

and none on the second.

And if their
estimate is correct,

there should be blood
on this step, but there isn't.

Someone's in the kitchen.

Oh. I'm sorry.

We didn't mean to startle you.

I'm Ben Matlock. This
is Michelle Thomas.

We represent Andrea Morrow.

Hattie Larson. Um,
Mr. Graham's housekeeper.

I... I came here to clear out
my things and leave the key.

Oh, you go ahead. Don't mind us.

We're just... nosing around.

Ben?

Circuit breakers. Mm.

Excuse me. Oh. I'm sorry.

Miss Larson?

Uh, how often did you come
in and clean for Mr. Graham?

I came in at 10, left at
5, day in and day out.

And how often did you
empty the wastebasket?

Every day.

So the last time
this one was emptied

was the day he was murdered.

That's right.

I recall Arthur
Hampton to the stand.

Mr. Hampton...

under... Under
what circumstances

did you lose your sight?

Uh, I suffered a
severe head injury

uh, several years ago,
when the car I was riding in

swerved off the road
and struck a tree.

Who was driving the car?

Clay was. Clay Graham.

You know, that's a...
That's a horrible thing

for a promising young artist

to be robbed of
his sight like that.

It must... It must've
made you pretty bitter.

No, not really.

If you'll forgive the
cliché, Mr. Matlock,

I honestly think it made
me a better person.

Perhaps, uh, I don't know...

a better artist.

P... Perhaps bitter's
the wrong word.

But you did allow Clay Graham

to do certain things
for you, didn't you?

Like... Like buy
you that studio,

pay the rent on your apartment,

hire a part-time
secretary, things like that.

Uh, I'm sure that under
the circumstances,

Clay felt guilty about
what happened.

But I prefer to
think that he acted,

uh, in the main,
out of friendship.

Uh, I... I suppose,
um... that friendship

would explain

why you spent so
much time at his house.

I understand you'd come
over all... All by yourself.

No seeing eye dog, no
one to guide you, nothing.

Is that right? Yes.

Well, I prefer not to
be a burden to anyone.

I... I take great pride
in my independence.

And I hear he even
gave you a key,

so you could come
and go as you pleased.

Yes.

So you knew his
house pretty well.

Yes.

Um... Mr. Hampton...
do you own a gun?

Yes.

Do you know how to use it?

Yes.

Um... let me, uh...

Let me tell you
something I think.

I think that someone

who knew Miss
Morrow and Mr. Graham

were going to be
in that house alone...

Someone with a key

let himself in that house

and rendered Miss
Morrow unconscious

the instant she came
through the door,

using some form of judo.

You know judo, don't you?

I know... a little.

Now... Now, don't be
modest, Mr. Hampton.

You were a Green
Beret, weren't you?

Yes.

And you were
expert enough at judo

to enter several competitions?

Yes.

So it is possible that you could

render someone unconscious.

It was true, yes.

Years ago.

Uh...

let me go ahead
with what I think here.

I... I think... that
same someone,

who rendered Miss
Morrow unconscious,

placed a certain piece of paper

on the third step from
the top of the stairs...

then hit the
master light switch,

turning out all of the lights,

then took the gun
out of the drawer

where Clay Graham kept it...

then walked to the
bottom of the stairs...

and waited.

It's possible for a person to do

all of that in
the dark, isn't it?

I mean, for someone as
familiar with the house as,

say, you were.

Anything's possible.

And then as Clay Graham
groped his way down those stairs,

someone who knew how
to use a gun in the dark,

such as yourself,

shot him, and then
planted that gun

in Miss Morrow's purse. No.

And that same someone who
had ridden in Clay Graham's car

hundreds of times...

let himself in the car,

picked up the car telephone

and dialed the Graham house.

Absolutely not.

According... to the
mobile phone company,

two calls were
placed from that phone

after he was killed.

That doesn't prove anything.

One to the security company.

Which shows how
they got there so fast.

The second was
your call to Andrea,

telling her to run.

Mr. Matlock...

I was nowhere near that place.

I was at my
apartment that night.

All night.

Uh...

Your Honor, at this time...

I'd like to enter into evidence

Defense Exhibit G:

this piece of paper.

It was found in the wastebasket

in the kitchen of
Clay Graham's home.

Now, Mr. Graham's
housekeeper is certain

that wastebasket was empty

when she left the house at 5:00

the day of the murder,

which means...
this piece of paper

had to be thrown
there by the killer.

You know what's on it?

I have no idea.

Of course you don't.

How could you know?

How could you know...

that Clay Graham would
break a glass that night

and cut his right foot...

leaving a little
trail of blood...

along the hall...
down the stairs,

ending on this piece of paper.

Care to tell the court why?

I have no idea.

Clay Graham...

stepping on this
piece of paper...

was your cue... when
and where to fire.

You had placed this...

on the third step from the top.

And when you heard
Clay Graham's foot...

hit this paper, you shot him.

Then you retrieved
the piece of paper

and threw it away.

How could you know...

it had Clay
Graham's blood on it?

Uh, I'm going to ask...

the assistant district
attorney to read...

what's printed on
this piece of paper.

"Arthur Hampton Studios,

"947 Temple Street,
Atlanta, Georgia.

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry, Mr. Hampton. I...

I don't... understand...

the world of the sightless.

I don't know.

You'd planned
everything so carefully.

I guess you thought this was

a blank piece of drawing paper.

Nothing further.

State moves for a
dismissal, Your Honor.

Oh, boy. Yeah. Ha-ha.

Howdy, Cassie. Hi, Cassie.

Oh-ha.

Oh.

Oh, what's...
What's all this now?

Well, Ben, you needed a new suit

for the Bar Association
dinner next week.

You are the keynote speaker.

Well, what's
wrong with this suit?

Don't you think it's
getting a little threadbare?

I do.

I'm... I'm sorry,
but could you...

Could you take it back?

Look, after all the trouble

we went through
of picking it out,

the least you
can do is look at it.

It's from all of us.

With love.

Oh.

Oh.

Now, that's a suit.