Matlock (1986–1995): Season 2, Episode 23 - The Heiress - full transcript

To you, Allison.

Thank you.

I picked a great weekend

for a coming out
party, didn't I?

Mm. I've lived here

my whole life. I've never
seen a storm like this.

We've never had
anything like this.

Supposed to be the worst series

of storms in the last 100 years.

Oh, boy. Oh, boy.

Oh.



It's cold.

You all right, Allison?

Uh, I'm fine, thanks.

Can I get you anything?

No. Go and sit down.

Listen, I know you're
all too polite to mention it,

but I'm not ashamed of the fact

that I've been in a sanitarium.

And at least not
embarrassed in front of you.

And this time I'm home for good.

And you're doing just fine.

Thanks to you, Dr. Linder.

We all care about you, Allison.

And I'm grateful
for all you've done.



You've taken such
good care of everything.

And I don't mean just the
way you've run the house.

You've been like family to me.

And Uncle Bob,

I don't know what I would
have done without you.

I'll always be there for you.

You know that.

Hello.

Well. It's about time.

Well... made it, finally.

Oh. Sorry I'm late.

Damn roads were flooded.

We were getting
concerned about you.

Yes. I'm sure.

It's lucky I got here.

The state police said they
were gonna close the highway

after they let me through.

Oh, Lordy. You mean we're
gonna have to spend the night here?

Oh, I'm sure we can make
everyone very comfortable.

Well, that's good.

I had thought that we would go
over the estate matters tonight,

but in view of the
circumstances,

I think it can wait
until morning.

That is, if all of you can wait.

Uh, I don't understand.

Allison, in anticipation
of your 21st birthday,

I have been doing an extensive
evaluation of the estate.

I'm going to step
down as trustee.

You're going to be in charge.

I think you should have
a full understanding

of just how things
work around here.

I'm ready for my dinner now.

Mm.

Now, don't let me
interrupt your fun.

Allison?

Allison.

Allison.

Is anybody there?

Mr. Matlock.

Yeah?

Boy. This is some place.

I've heard of this place.

Of course, everybody has.

Well... Yes, sir.

Ah. Now, sir.

Now, about Allison. Yes?

Oh. Would you like one of these?

I don't smoke.

Understood.

Now, about your niece?

Allison isn't really my niece.

But I have been her "Uncle
Bob" ever since she was a baby.

See, her father and I
were in business together,

until he and his
wife were killed.

You may remember. They
surprised a burglar in the act.

Oh, they got the
guy, didn't they?

Yes, they did,
but unfortunately,

Allison was the one who
discovered the bodies.

And I'm afraid
she's had to spend

a great deal of
time here ever since.

Was coming back
to the sanitarium

a condition of her bail?

No. No, no. The judge
released her into my custody.

But Allison and I both felt
that she'd be better off here.

She's very confused.

Mr. Matlock...

she had no reason
to kill Marsha Gold.

She obviously didn't
know what she was doing.

Not guilty by
reason of insanity?

And I want you to understand
that money is not an issue here.

As you know,
Allison is an extremely

wealthy young woman.

Um... Allison?

Uh... I'm, uh, Ben Matlock.

I know.

My Uncle Bob told me about you.

Um... may I sit down?

Well, um... Mm.

Um... why don't we start...

with your telling me

everything you
remember about, um...

that night.

I understand you were
having a dinner party.

It was sort of a coming out.

Dr. Linder arranged it.

Oh, yeah?

Anything... unusual
happen at dinner?

Well, the lights kept going on
and off because of the storm,

and... then the
power finally went out.

And the roads were flooded,

so everyone spent the night.

And then I had the dream.

The dream?

It's always the same.

I go into the library,
and I... I find my mother.

Dead.

Oh, I see.

So the other night
I woke up, and it...

Tsk.

It was like it was
happening all over again.

And then I heard it again.

Um...

Heard what?

My name.

Somebody was calling my name.

Who?

I don't know.

What'd you do?

I-I followed it...

into the library... the voice

and that's...
That's when I saw...

What did you see?

My mother.

I-I know it's impossible.

I know she's dead.
But that's what I saw.

Well...

if the power was off,
it must have been...

very dark.

What made you so sure

it was your mother you saw?

Because I saw the cigarette
holder that she always used,

and the emerald necklace
that she loved to wear.

What happened to those
things after your mother was...?

After she died?

Well, I... I keep the
necklace in my safe,

and... the cigarette holder

in my room in a jewelry
box in my dresser.

I-I just do.

Oh, I-I... I can
understand that.

What about the letter opener?

It... It's always on
the desk in the library.

You remember picking it up?

No.

You certain?

Yes.

Allison... do you remember...

stabbing Marsha Gold?

I... I don't know.

I-I just don't know.

Uh, there's no one at
your reception desk here.

Down at the courthouse.

Hi, how are you.

I'm, uh, Warren
Kreitzer from New York.

We... We spoke
on the phone, right?

Oh, yeah. Yeah.

You talked so fast I couldn't

quite make out what
you were saying.

Ha-ha. Well, our firm,
Stevens, Douglas and Jay,

handles Allison Tate's trust.

And with what's
happened, Mr. Douglas felt

that we should have
someone on the scene.

Ah.

Now, I realize
it's not necessary

with you handling things,

but Mr. Douglas is a
stickler for detail, you know?

Oh. Ha-ha.

I was wondering, um, how
you gonna plead Allison?

I don't know.

I was afraid you might
consider pleading her not guilty

by reason of insanity.

Oh. That's a bad idea?

Yeah. Yes. Yes, it is.

Why?

Well, I've been down here
on and off on estate business,

and I've gotten
to know her a little.

I think she's fragile, yeah,

but I don't think
she's... unbalanced.

You a psychiatrist?

N... No.

But I notice things, you know?

For example, if I came
into the office of a leading

defense attorney and
found him shining his shoes,

I wouldn't necessarily
think he was compulsive.

What would you think?

Uh, maybe it's tough to get
a good shoeshine in Atlanta.

I don't know.

Well, you'd be wrong.

It's not tough.

And I am compulsive.

I like to shine my shoes.

I... I shine them all the time.

Oh. Well, okay.

Well, heh-heh. I guess I
was wrong about your shoes.

They look fantastic, by the way.

Oh. Thank you. Very nice.

Well, Mr. Kreatzer...
That's "Kreitzer."

Yeah, Kreitzer.

If I ever need expert testimony,

I'll keep you in mind.

Heh. You wouldn't be going
out to the Tate place, would you?

Yeah.

You mind if I come along?

I'd like to, you know,
look the place over.

You got a car?

Heh-heh. Do I ever.

Rental.

You can drive.

It was Mrs. Tate's
favorite piece.

Well, I can see why.

It's a real beauty.

May I, uh...

Thanks.

Huh? Huh?

Yeah. You know, uh, according to

the police report,
there were three people

in the house on the
night of the murder,

a-apart from Allison
and Marsha Gold.

W-when did you
see the police report?

I stopped by the station
on my way to your office.

Oh. Did...?

Do you want to
hear the rest of it?

Okay.

That leaves us three suspects.

Uncle Bob, Doctor
Linder and Mrs. Johnson.

You want to hear a motive?

Okay.

I think Mrs. Johnson's
been stealing from the estate.

That emerald
necklace. It was... Fake.

Oh, you... You
spotted that too, huh?

Yeah.

My uncle's a jeweler. Jeweler?

Um...

What?

Tell me about Uncle Bob.

Marsha Gold was doing
an audit of the estate.

Bob Ranier is the
investment counselor, right?

Maybe he's, you
know, getting creative.

Oh. Yeah.

Dr. Linder?

I don't think we
can rule him out.

Where to?

Sanitarium? Okay.

Uh, this is some place
you've got here, Dr. Linder.

Thank you. We're
very proud of it.

I understand that this is
bigger than your first hospital.

Well, we outgrew
our previous facility.

Oh, I'd say.

What is this, 15, 20 acres?

Mm, about. Oh-ho.

Some of the most exclusive

residential property in Atlanta,

no wonder you have
to charge your patients.

We haven't had any complaints.

Our clientele is
very... comfortable.

Yeah, and I bet Allison Tate

is one of the most
comfortable patients you've got.

I really wouldn't know.

You know, the talk around town

is that, uh, right
after she became

your patient, you
were able to...

break ground on it.

I fail to see what one
has to do with the other.

I-I-I-I'm just... I'm just
trying to put this together.

I'm not saying
there's a connection.

But it does seem interesting

that right after one
of the richest people

in the state
became your patient,

you were able to
build this sanitarium.

Well, this place has
been a dream of mine

for years, Mr. Matlock.

Well... that's good.

Uh, that's, uh, Allison's
bungalow over there?

Uh, right over
there, sir. Mm-hm.

I'll tell you one thing.

If I ever lose it,
this is the place.

If I can get a deal.

Warren, I'm just so scared.

Oh. Allison, Ben
Matlock is very good.

Really. You couldn't
be in better hands.

Unless, of course,
they were mine.

Thanks.

It's real nice you came down.

I really appreciate it.

Oh. Oh, that's right.

You know each other.

I was just telling Allison

how lucky she is to have
you representing her.

Oh?

Hang in there, kid. Okay?

Okay. I'll see you later.

Bye.

Allison.

Are you sure...

the cigarette holder
was in the jewelry box?

It... It was there
that afternoon.

It wasn't there this morning.

I... I don't understand.

I think Marsha Gold
was already dead...

before you got to the library.

Somebody used the necklace

and cigarette holder as props.

Was in a hurry to
get the necklace

back into the safe,
put this in there with it.

Somebody else killed her?

Yeah.

Somebody else killed her.

Mr. Matlock.

Allison needs her rest.

Oh.

I'll go now.

Thank you.

Yep. Talk to you later.

I'm sorry, but we pride
ourselves on our discretion.

I'm sure you understand.

Of course. Heh-heh. Of course.

And I'd never ask you to
compromise your position,

Mrs... "Walters."

Oh. Nancy.

And it's "miss."

Nancy.

That's very nice. But
you see, Nancy, uh,

I'm working with Ben Matlock.
We're defending Allison Tate.

Allison? Oh, that poor girl.

So if there's anything
at all you could tell me...

May I help you? Not at all.

Thanks. I'll try
that restaurant.

Thank you. Nancy.

Have a nice day.

Hm. What you been doing?

Well, it occurred to
me it takes major bucks

to fund a setup like this.

And having someone
like Allison Tate

in and out of this
place on a regular basis,

it's almost like
having an annuity. Oh.

I'd like to figure a way
to get a look at his books,

you know what I mean?

Hey, Warren?

I appreciate that you
think Allison's innocent.

I do too.

You do?

Yeah.

Well... that's good news.

Right?

Now we're cooking with gas.

Hi, can I help you?

Who are you?

You must be Tyler Hudson.

You don't know how much I
looked forward to meeting you.

And why is that,
Mr... Warren Kreitzer.

I'm down from New York
helping Ben out on the Tate case.

Oh, really?

Yeah, our firm
handles the Tate trust.

You know what?
The way I hear it,

you're a big part of the reason
for Ben Matlock's success.

Ah, I... I wouldn't
say all that.

Come on, let's face it, Tyler...

I can call you
Tyler, can't I? Yeah.

Well, you and I both
know that in criminal law,

a good investigator
can be a lawyer's

most valuable asset.

Well, I like to feel
like I do my bit.

"My bit." What,
are you kidding me?

What about the...
The Beckerman case?

Yeah, the Beckerman case.

They never could have gotten
an acquittal without the work

you did on that.
That was a tough one.

Yeah.

Speaking of tough ones,

this, uh... This Tate
case is a real problem.

Can I buy you a cup of coffee?

I'd like to talk to you
about a couple things.

Hey. What exactly
are we looking for?

Don't worry about it, man.

All you gotta... Gotta
do is get me inside.

I can take it from there.

I don't know where
you went to school.

Okay, here. Hold this.

I'm sure breaking and entering
wasn't part of the curriculum.

All right, here we go.

Yeah.

Bingo.

Whoa.

Great work, Tyler. Thanks.

Are you absolutely
sure about this?

Go on, go on. Beat it. Be...
Before we both get caught, okay?

All right. You're on your own.

Hi. Heh.

Hi.

About last night, I
just... Now, listen!

When you broke
into that sanitarium,

you were representing
this office and me.

You can be disbarred.

Now, I don't give a
merry damn about that.

But you might have fatally
compromised Allison Tate's case

and what I'm trying to do here.

And I do give a
merry damn about that.

Are they gonna
prosecute...? I don't know.

I talked my head
off to Dr. Linder.

I hope not. For me, not for you.

Well, I appreciate what you...

Now, I've called
Stevens, Douglas and Jay.

They didn't send you
down here to troubleshoot

the Allison Tate murder case.

You're supposed to be
on vacation somewhere.

Why don't you just go there?

Look, I know I screwed
up, and I'm sorry,

but I... I wasn't doing
it just to be cute.

I've known Allison for almost
two years, and although

I've never been in
a position to prove it,

I always thought that
these people around her

were exploiting her.

You and I know that
Mrs. Johnson was doing it.

And I think I can show
you that Dr. Linder

and good old Uncle
Bob had something going.

Here's my report on what
I read in Dr. Linder's office.

Aren't you gonna look at it?

How about now? I mean...

I'll handle it from here.

No appeal, huh?

Okay.

Well, it's been... brief.

I'm sorry I caused
you any problems.

Oh, well. Mr. Matlock.

Would you care for anything?

Oh. No, thank you.

Hm.

This rain. It sure is
something, isn't it?

Yeah.

You said that you had, um...

something important
that you wanted to tell me.

Something that will
help Allison's case.

Well, it might.

It's about Dr. Linder's
sanitarium.

Is something wrong?

I don't know.

Uh, does it strike
you as curious

that the sanitarium happened...

uh, just after Allison
started seeing Dr. Linder?

No, not especially.

Y-you've invested
some of her money

in the sanitarium, haven't you?

Heh. Who have you
been talking to? Didn't you?

It's a good investment.

Well, I guess.

Considering what he charges.

Yeah, wait, wait, wait. Uh...

Do you feel that
there's some sort

of impropriety here?

Well... it's the kind of...

coincidence that bothers me.

Did I tell you I'm gonna
plead her not guilty?

No.

I don't think she
killed anybody.

All packed?

Hey.

Hey. What's wrong?

I don't know if I should go.

Allison... you can't
hide here forever.

Uh, suppose this
is where I belong.

I-I... I don't wanna hear that.

I... I don't even
want you to think it.

Warren, I don't know
what do think anymore.

Sooner or later you're
gonna have to leave here...

because there's nothing
really wrong with you.

Allison, I know you're scared.

We're all scared sometimes.

Even someone as
incredibly brave as myself. I...

I was scared once.

Only once?

Well... maybe twice. I...

Oh, I don't know Warren. I
just want this all to go away.

Well, I'm...

I'm afraid that's not
the way it works, kiddo.

You know? But till
it does... I'll be here.

Thanks.

Shall we dance?

Yeah.

Let's go.

I got it.

Allison.

Allison.

No.

I can't.

You have to.

You do.

It's the only way to find out
what happened that night.

Please, what...?
What did you do next?

I started down the stairs.

Okay.

Let's go.

Everything's gonna
be just fine, okay?

We'll just take it
easy. Can you do this?

You all right?

Come on. Let's get
this done. All right?

Warren, do we have to do this?

Yes. Yes. I think so.

I think it's
important, don't you?

Allison. Are you all right?

We were so worried about you.

I'm fine, really.

What the hell do you
think you're doing?

Who gave you the right to take
Allison out of the sanitarium?

She did. Allison.

I don't believe it.
Get out of here.

Just get out of here.

You have no right to be here.

Allison. Allison, listen to me.

All of these people wanna
keep you institutionalized.

Mrs. Johnson, Dr. Linder
and your Uncle Bob.

It's all very clear, Allison.

They're after your money.

Don't you realize the
harm you're doing her.

Please, stop it!

One of you met with Marsha Gold

in the library that night.

She confronted you with what
she knew, and you killed her.

And then you tried
to frame Allison.

Please, stop it.

No.

Allison, you... You can't
possibly believe him.

I do believe him.

Wh...? Allison.

Well...

Good evening.

Good evening.

You don't give up, do you?

Well, folks, uh,

my client, my associate and I

have some things
we need to discuss.

So if you'll excuse us,

we'll see all of you
in court tomorrow.

Okay. Okay, let's...
Let's... Let's go ahead.

You were retracing
your steps, Allison.

Let's... Let's go ahead.

Yeah. Yeah, Allison.

You're here.

You made it this far, right?

Come on. I know you can do it.

How about it?

I'll... I'll try.

Okay.

All right.

Now, just try and visualize

the room exactly the
way it was that night.

All right?

Now, is...?

Is that about where you stopped

when you came in?

A little further, I think.

Okay.

What did you see?

Nothing at first.

It was too dark.

Oh.

It was raining
hard, like it is now.

Then I started to move forward.

And...

I can't.

I can't.

No.

What did you see in the mirror?

You don't remember.

It was too painful.

It was your Uncle
Bob, wasn't it?

Now... Mr. Ranier.

How long have you known...

Allison Tate, the defendant?

Since she was a little girl.

Her father, David, and I
were business partners.

And you have invested

uh, large amounts of her...

considerable fortune
for her, haven't you?

Yes, I have.

I'm the investment
counselor for the estate.

Oh. Yep.

Now... Now, when... When, uh,

Allison turned 21
a few months ago,

she was supposed to
take over control of her...

Her own inheritance, wasn't she?

Yes.

And that could mean replacing
you as investment counselor.

Yes.

If she were not
institutionalized

and were of, uh, sound mind,

she could, uh, call for auditors
and accountants, couldn't she?

Objection. Relevance,
Your Honor.

Uh... my client's mental state

is crucial to our
defense, Your Honor.

Overruled.

Answer the question.

The answer is yes. Yeah. Yes.

All right, now,
Allison is... 21...

uh, but she has
been incapacitated.

And... we know that she
was in a mental institution.

So your control was
reactivated, wasn't it?

It's true. That's how her
father set up the estate.

Because he trusted
his business associate

to look after his daughter.

That's right.

And Allison has
needed help, hasn't she?

Unfortunately.

But in every case, I've
seen to it that she's had

the very, very best of care.

At her own expense.

At Linder Sanitarium.

Well... her father's
will stipulates

that the payment for it
comes out of her inheritance.

Yeah. Yeah.

Now, also you have invested...

uh, large amounts
of her inheritance

in Linder Sanitarium.

That right? Indeed, I have.

And the return for that
investment was that Dr. Linder

agreed...

to unnecessarily
institutionalize her?

- How dare you?
- Objection.

Argumentative.

Speculative, Your Honor.

Withdraw the question.

Withdraw it.

Mr. Ranier...

I'll bet if a thorough
accounting...

of Allison's
inheritance were called,

it would show that
you've been dipping into it

for your own profit
for a long time.

And that's why you wanted
to keep her institutionalized.

Your Honor.

Your Honor. May I go
ahead with this, please?

Do you have anywhere to go?

Oh, you betcha. Yes, ma'am.

Overruled.

Proceed.

Thank you.

Marsha Gold found
out about it, didn't she?

She discovered that you
were using Allison's money

for your own gain.

It's nonsense.

I would like...

I'd like to submit as
the Defense Exhibit G,

this study of
Allison Tate's estate,

prepared by the accountant
firm of, uh, Longstreet and Bond.

Allison didn't call
for an accounting.

Somebody else did.

And here in the conclusion,

it states, and I quote:

"There is a pattern of
misappropriation of funds

"by the investment
counselor, Robert Ranier,

"whereby Mr. Ranier
used Allison Tate's money

for his own personal
gain." End quote.

Isn't that why you
killed Marsha Gold

and framed Allison
for the murder? What?

Your Honor, objection.

May I please go ahead with this?

Are you sure you
can get somewhere...?

I'll give you $50 if I'm wrong.

I'll cite you.

I'm sorry. I'm sure.

Very well. Go ahead.

Thank you.

This accounting, which I quoted,

was received by Marsha Gold

the day she died.

You killed her,
and I can prove it.

That's absolutely absurd!

I have a witness.

Allison Tate.

Mr. Matlock, why are
you doing this to me?

For years, Allison has been
imagining all sorts of things.

That's why she
was... Was put away?

No, no, no.

But obviously this is just
another one of her delusions.

Oh, no. No-no-no.

No.

Here's the way it happened.

Allison... was asleep...

in her room that night.

She heard a voice
calling her name.

A whispery voice.

In the middle of the night.

Calling her downstairs.

Now, down in the library...

Marsha Gold was already dead.

Propped up in a chair.

Wearing the necklace
Allison's mother always wore.

Holding the cigarette holder
Allison's mother always held.

And when Allison...

already extremely vulnerable,

walked into that library

and saw what she thought

was her dead mother
sitting in a chair...

she fainted.

You stepped out of the shadows,

wiped your fingerprints
off the letter opener

you had used to kill Marsha,

and then placed
it in Allison's hand.

Then you removed the necklace

and cigarette holder
from Marsha's body.

Doesn't prove anything, does it?

No.

The necklace.

Now, we know the
real necklace is gone.

This one...

is a fake.

But it was kept in the
safe in Allison's room.

The cigarette holder is kept

in Allison's jewelry
box, in her drawer.

After the event with
Allison and Marsha...

you put the necklace
back in the safe.

And mistake.

Tsk. You put this
in there with it.

I saw it there.

That doesn't prove
anything, does it?

No.

How about this?

This is the butt...

of one of those rare,
expensive cigars

that you smoke.

I bet you don't remember...

throwing it in a
fireplace a few feet

from Marsha Gold's body.

But that's where it was found.

By the police. And it's yours.

The tobacco is the same...

as one of your fresh ones.

And no one besides
Allison, Marsha Gold,

and whoever smoked this cigar,

went in the library afterwards.

Allison did see your
reflection in the mirror...

in the library that night...

when the lightning flashed.

And this proves it.

Don't you sometimes
wish you didn't smoke?

Ladies and
gentlemen of the jury,

have you reached a verdict?

Yes, we have, Your Honor.

We find the defendant,
Allison Tate, not guilty.

Oh, thank you so much.

Oh, God.

Thank you so much.

Warren? Warren.

Warren.

Well, weren't you
gonna say goodbye?

Ah. I hate saying
goodbye. All right?

I do it so badly. I...

Then will you call?

Yeah.

Okay. I'll do that.

Thanks for everything.

Bye-bye. Take it easy.

How about a hot dog?

I accept. For old times' sake.

All right.

We, uh... We didn't
do too badly together.

You ever think of
relocating up north?