Matlock (1986–1995): Season 2, Episode 9 - The Best Friend - full transcript
( upbeat jazz theme playing)
( upbeat classical
theme playing)
(classical music
playing over stereo)
(increases volume)
(gun cocks)
(gunshot)
MATLOCK: Hey, Julie!
Guess what these are.
Uh, tickets.
And their names are
Gilbert and Sullivan.
Oh, I hear that's
the most fabulous
production. Yeah.
Does this mean one
of these is for me?
Oh, yes.
How about I swing by
your place about 7:15...
Tonight?
Yeah.
Oh, Ben, I've made other plans.
You have?
Yes, dinner plans.
But it's Friday.
I know.
And Friday we... We...
Ben. I'm... I'm really sorry.
Maybe you can trade
those in for another night.
Oh, sure.
Oh... Oh, sure...
Sure. Probably.
Don't worry about it.
Steven Cassidy was
found shot to death
in his house this morning.
Did you hear about that?
I haven't seen the paper.
I was too busy
rounding these up.
Uh, what, uh...?
Have you... Have
you been assigned?
Yeah. Apparently, he was
in the middle of writing a book
about Vanessa Douglas.
Senator Douglas' ex?
Yeah.
The police have taken her in
for questioning.
Evidently, the book
was largely concerned
with her marriage
to the senator,
and the prevailing theory
is that Cassidy got to
know the real Vanessa
and was going to portray her
as something considerably
less than a saint.
I see.
They have a witness too.
Good.
Do you know who
Sylvia Richland is?
No.
She's the one who does
that television interview show.
She says she saw Vanessa
enter Cassidy's house last night
at about the time of the murder.
I was just on my way to...
To, uh, talk to her.
Uh... Oh, I... Heh.
I better get going.
( playful theme plays)
Ahem. I'll have a regular.
I don't suppose you'd
be interested in a couple
of tickets to see Gilbert
and Sullivan tonight?
Where are they fighting?
It's music.
Oh. Heh-heh.
I'm busy tonight.
Mr. Matlock?
Yes, ma'am?
I'm Dr. Sarah Perlman.
I need to talk to you.
Now, if it's all right. Well...
Well, I've got a nice office.
It's air conditioned
and everything.
I'm chief of staff at
St. Andrew's Hospital.
I've gotta be back there
at 10:30 for a meeting.
Well, in that case, doctor,
you'd better talk fast.
I'm a close friend
of Vanessa Douglas.
In fact, we've been best friends
since grade school.
But the police think that she
may have killed Steven Cassidy.
They're wrong.
He was writing a book about her,
that's true, but
she didn't kill him.
No?
However, they have a
witness that says she did.
So, uh,
I've come looking
for you, Mr. Matlock,
because she's going to
need a very good lawyer.
Well, you may
have a point there.
I know the
prosecutor in this case
and she's a very tough cookie.
Vanessa's in jail right now.
How about it?
Oh, thank God.
I was afraid you hadn't
gotten my message,
or if you did, it didn't
make any sense.
SARAH: No, it
made perfect sense.
Are you all right?
Yeah? All right. Vanessa
Douglas, this is Ben Matlock.
He's a lawyer, a very good one.
Hello.
Are you sure you're all right?
I'm fine.
Do you feel like
answering a few questions?
Uh, ahem.
This, uh...
Uh, book that,
uh, Steven Cassidy
was writing about you,
was it, uh, his idea or yours?
VANESSA: It was
the publisher's idea.
I was approached
about four months ago
and offered a
great deal of money
in return for my life story.
I needed the money.
MATLOCK: Well,
you're a public figure.
They don't have
to get permission
to do a biography.
They didn't wanna
do my biography.
I was smart enough
to realize that.
I was being paid
to deliver the dirt
on Georgia's most
fascinating family.
My marrying James Douglas
had nothing to do
with his family's money
or power or
political aspirations.
I loved him.
But Wilson, his... His father,
just couldn't buy that.
They insisted that I stay
at the mansion
away from the press,
and when they
did let me out, it...
It was practically
under armed guard.
I literally had to
beg for money.
The Douglases have millions.
You had to beg?
It was all part of Wilson's plan
to demoralize me.
To push me away, and it worked.
There was a
prenuptial agreement,
so when I left, I
left with nothing.
In, uh, murder cases
where, you know,
somebody's been killed,
there's usually a motive.
Somebody has something to gain
or there's an
emotional upheaval or...
James had a mistress.
Oh.
Who?
I don't know.
Some nights, he'd
come home late.
Some nights, he
wouldn't come home at all.
He said that he was sleeping
on his couch in the office.
I didn't know her name.
I didn't want to.
Well, where were you
between 10:30 and 12 last night?
In my apartment... alone.
I have no alibi.
Dr. Perlman and I have to talk.
Well, what do you think?
That's going to
be a difficult case.
It's purely
circumstantial, but...
You can't... You can't overlook
the popularity of
the Douglas family.
Hell, they're practically
like the Kennedys.
That's gonna affect the jury.
Vanessa could very well sound
like a grasping,
vindictive ex-wife
who killed this fellow when
things weren't going her way.
Are you going to take the case?
I don't know.
I'll pay the fee.
I make a good salary.
I have property,
stocks, bonds...
A hundred thousand?
You are a good friend.
Stop by the hot
dog stand anytime.
Thank you.
(chuckles)
Uh... (clears throat)
Were you looking for me?
Oh, yes.
As a matter of fact, I was.
MATLOCK: Heh. I thought
you'd change your mind.
JULIE: Change?
Oh. Oh, no, no. I've
still got the tickets.
Oh, Ben, I'm really
sorry about that.
I thought you were
looking for me.
Yes. I heard you were down
here talking to Vanessa Douglas.
Well, yeah.
You've agreed to represent her.
You think I made a mistake?
Well, the police just
found the murder weapon
in the trunk of
Vanessa Douglas' car.
( dramatic theme playing)
( suspenseful theme playing)
Bail will be set at $100,000.
As for the preliminary hearing,
it will take place
in this courtroom
on March 7 at 9:00
a.m. (bangs gavel)
Next case?
I don't have $100,000.
I met with the bondsman,
had everything arranged.
Mr. Matlock had a good
idea where bail would be set.
You should be released
in about an hour.
Meet me at my
office around 1:00.
I want you to walk me through
Steven Cassidy's house.
As soon as you're released,
I'll take you to brunch.
I swear, Sarah,
one of these days, you're
gonna be the one to need the help
and I'll come riding
to your rescue.
(talking indistinctly)
I'll have a cup.
Hi. Oh, hi.
Oh, Ben, there's someone
I want you to meet.
Ben, is Jeffrey Lindquist.
He's our newest deputy DA.
Jeffrey, meet Ben Matlock.
How do you do? I'm honored.
You're sort of an
institution around here. Heh.
Uh, I really have to get going.
Julie, I'll call you later.
I'm glad to finally have
the chance to meet you,
Mr. Matlock.
Bye. Bye.
Institution.
Oh, he didn't mean to.
He's really very nice.
He seems like a nice enough boy.
He's 27 years old.
That's hardly a boy.
Twenty-seven?
Mm-hm.
What, did you look at his teeth?
(laughing)
Uh, so, how was, uh,
dinner Friday night?
Oh, it was fine.
Where did you go?
A new place down the street.
It's, uh... It's
called Renoir's.
Mm.
What did you have?
Uh, chicken Kiev.
Everybody have that?
Uh, yeah.
Yeah. I think so.
(elevator dings)
Uh, well, uh, I'll... Me too.
The police are still here.
Oh, you have to knock. Yeah?
Yeah, Steve said that
bell hasn't worked for years.
Oh. Oh.
He live alone?
He had someone come in
and clean once or twice a week,
but that was it.
Very private person,
almost a recluse.
Oh.
Come on in, counselor.
We were just finishing up.
MATLOCK: Okay.
Well, morning, boys.
Good morning, good
morning, good morning.
Good morning.
Hm.
When did Dr. Perlman
give you that pistol?
VANESSA: Last year when
I moved into my apartment.
She insisted I
learn how to use it,
but I never did.
Couldn't stand to even touch it.
When did you notice
the gun was missing?
About a week ago.
I guess I should've
reported it, but...
To tell you the truth, I was
kind of glad it was gone.
Oh.
Burned up his pot, didn't he?
Maybe he was boiling water
at the time he was shot,
maybe to make some tea.
Did a good job on it, didn't he?
Where did he do his writing?
In his study.
This way.
You say he liked to
spend a lot of time alone?
Yeah.
Well, he had plenty of
room to do it in, didn't he?
This is where he'd interview me.
He'd sit there. I'd sit here.
He'd turn his tape
recorder on and we'd talk.
I came here every
day for four weeks.
Kind of therapeutic, actually.
Did he, uh, write anything down?
He put everything
on his word processor.
He said he came
up with some kind
of computerized filing system
that made writing
his books a breeze.
So the, uh...
The manuscript he was
working on is somewhere in here.
Sure would like
to take a look at it.
You know how to operate this?
I don't even know
how to turn it on.
I know a fellow who does.
(chuckles)
( suspenseful theme playing)
Telephone bill.
Might be interesting to know
who Mr. Cassidy was calling.
My filing system.
Tell him I'll do the
animal trainer piece
if I don't have to hold
a baboon or something.
They always either bite you
or upstage you or
both. (knock on door)
Oh, hello.
Is Sylvia Richland here?
Oh. Right this way.
Sylvia?
Hi. Hi.
Uh, Michelle Thomas?
That's right. How do you do?
Good. Have a seat. Thank you.
I'm just getting ready
to go out on location.
Ever watch Eye on Atlanta?
Sometimes.
Would you like some tea?
No, thanks.
I really wanted to ask you
about what you saw the night
Steven Cassidy was murdered.
Well, like I told the police,
at exactly 10:30, I saw
Vanessa Douglas walk up
to his house and go inside.
I was parked out front.
Why were you parked there?
There was this rumor going
around that he was writing
a juicy book on the Douglases.
I thought it might be fun to
interview him for the show.
He wouldn't return
my phone calls,
so I figured I'd
just go over there
and talk to him in person.
Did you talk to him?
No. Vanessa Douglas went inside.
I figured he wouldn't
talk to me with her there,
so I just went home.
Are you sure
that the person you saw
was Vanessa Douglas?
Michelle, I've been
in the news business
for five years.
Six if you count my
stint as a weather girl.
I'm a very
professional observer.
The woman I saw that
night was Vanessa Douglas.
Right now we're at approximately
100 percent employment.
If you add the double jobs, I'd
say we're anywhere from 103
to 104 percent employment.
Inflation is minimal.
Tax rates are declining.
People are spending and saving,
and yet there's this
nervousness going on, and why?
Is it because of a high deficit?
Because the balance of
payments are so out of whack?
Fine boy.
You must be very
proud, Mr. Douglas.
Hello, Ben.
Rumor has it that
he's a contender
for the vice
presidential nomination.
Anything to that?
James is the best
that this country's got.
What brings you around here?
Well, uh, ahem, your son's, uh,
ex-wife is a client of mine,
and, uh, she had
some uncomplimentary
things to say
about you and James.
So what exactly did,
uh, Vanessa have to say?
Generally, that, uh,
nobody around
here liked her much.
Well, he loved her.
Is that why you
kept her virtually
a prisoner here
and why she had
to beg for money?
That's ridiculous.
Precisely the same trash
she told Steve Cassidy.
Yeah?
Well, how did... How
did you know that?
'Cause he was here.
Oh, he's a very good
writer, Mr. Matlock.
He listened to what
Vanessa had to say,
and then he came to
us to check the facts.
And what... What were the facts?
The woman was totally neurotic.
Whether my son loved her
because of it or in spite of it,
I'll never know,
but the fact is he
couldn't trust her
when she left the
house or spent money
or functioned as a responsible
member of this family.
Vanessa has emotional problems.
I... I tried to deal with
them the best I could.
I paid for the
doctors, the clinics.
Nothing helped.
Yes, it's true. We...
We wound up keeping her here.
So she wouldn't go
anywhere and embarrass you.
We couldn't let her
destroy everything
that I spent a
lifetime building up.
And just to keep
the record straight,
after she ran up tabs
of over $20,000 a month,
I cut her off.
Now, what would you
have done, Mr. Matlock?
I get the picture.
That meeting with Steve Cassidy.
Did it really take place?
He recorded the whole thing
and made me a copy of the tape.
I'll send it over
to you tomorrow
with the rest of the things.
How does that sound?
Fine. Thank you, senator. Mm-hm.
Sir.
(knock on door)
( suspenseful theme playing)
Oh, thank God.
May I speak to Vanessa?
Please, come in.
Maybe you can talk
some sense into her.
I stopped by to see if
she wanted to go to dinner
and found her doing this.
Mm.
You taking a little vacation?
I'm leaving for good.
It's the only
sensible thing to do.
SARAH: It is not
sensible, Vanessa.
It really isn't.
Please, tell her.
Skipping out on trial
is the surest way I
know of to conviction.
They'll never find me.
Oh, yes, they will. In
24 hours, guaranteed.
Don't you understand?
It's me against the
Douglases, for God's sakes.
I lived with them for six years.
I know what they can do.
Someone like me just
doesn't stand a chance.
Vanessa, sit down.
Sit down.
Here.
Take these.
What am I gonna do?
Vanessa, you're gonna trust us.
Now, I want you to lay down
for a little while and just relax.
All right? Come on.
Lay down.
If you need anything,
we'll be right outside.
( somber theme playing)
Has this happened before?
She's very high-strung.
Hm.
( mellow theme playing)
"Once activated,
"the computer will
automatically perform
"a variety of diagnostic tests.
"At the termination
of these tests,
the main menu will
appear on the screen."
Okay.
(computer beeps)
Hm. All right, check.
"Press the space bar
"until the cursor is positioned
in front of the desired
menu function."
(computer beeps)
"For an explanation
of each menu function,
see chapter three"?
Oh, no.
MAN: Whoa.
Jeez, I thought I was
gonna be all alone here.
That makes two of us.
Name's Lamont.
Uh, the DA's office sent me over
to see if I could
access the book
that Steven Cassidy was writing.
I guess that's what
you're doing, huh?
I'm trying to.
Name's Tyler Hudson.
I work for an attorney.
You know anything
about computers?
A little bit.
Well, be my guest.
( mellow theme playing)
(computer beeps)
(computer beeps)
(computer beeps)
It's not here.
It's not?
The book must be
stored on another disk.
Mm-hm.
It's gotta be around
here somewhere.
Look, I'm telling you.
I have checked every
file, every drawer,
every cabinet in this house.
It is not here.
Well, then he must have been
the paranoid type and hid it.
(sighs)
Maybe in a... In a
wall safe, floor safe,
something like that.
Or maybe one of those.
( mysterious theme playing)
(sighs)
Well, lookie here.
Douglas manuscript.
(laughs)
Now, do you think
you can get that thing
to print whatever is on here?
It's no problem.
( dramatic theme playing)
(Tyler grunts)
Oh.
( dramatic theme playing)
TYLER: No!
Fine, whiz kid.
Now, that diskette is
gone, but you're not.
Now, it's for damn sure
that you ain't from
the DA's office.
So you know what
you're going to do?
You are going to
tell me who you are
and why you did that and
you are not going to lie to me.
You know why?
Because I hate liars!
Now, who hired you?
I need those figures
as soon as possible.
I have a meeting with the
committee chairman tomorrow.
It's the only leverage I've got.
I appreciate it.
See if you can, uh, dig up
that Coleman file, will you?
(clears throat)
Oh, Mr. Matlock.
Yes, sir, senator.
Did you get a chance to, uh,
take a look at that
information I sent over?
Yeah, and if you're as innocent
as you say you are,
why did you hire
this Lamont Turkel
to destroy that manuscript?
I didn't hire anyone to
do anything of the sort.
Well, somebody using
your name hired him
to destroy material evidence.
You'll never prove that.
Well, it might be
fun to watch me try.
Here's your ticket to the show.
A subpoena.
One for your father too.
Oh, it's a nice day.
( suspenseful theme playing)
Mr. Matlock.
Jeffrey Lindquist.
The deputy DA?
I remember. How are you?
Well, I'm still a little
wet behind the ears,
but I'm getting there.
Julie's been great.
Well, ha-ha. It's
almost lunchtime.
I sure do dread
going downstairs.
Yeah. Those cafeterias
get old real fast.
Yeah.
I hear there's a
new place opened
just down the street called
Renoir's. You ever eat in there?
Yeah. As a matter of
fact, I have. It's pretty good.
I recommend the chicken Kiev.
This is the murder weapon, yes.
It has my initials on it.
Would you please tell the court
where the weapon was found?
I found it in the trunk of
Vanessa Douglas' car.
Thank you.
Nothing further.
Cross-examine?
Uh, thank you.
Uh, m... May I...
May I just? Thank you.
Thank you. Uh...
That's a pretty nice gun,
Lieutenant Brooks.
Who owns it, anyway?
We weren't able to determine
that. It's unregistered.
Did you find any
fingerprints on it?
No, sir.
A .45 is pretty heavy, unwieldy.
Let me ask you something.
In your experience
as an officer of the law,
how often have you known a woman
to use a .45 caliber
gun to commit murder?
Objection.
Improper opinion,
lack of foundation,
relevancy, cause for
a sexist stereotype.
I was merely trying to ascertain
what is usual in cases
involving high-caliber weapons.
Not everyone shares
your obvious enthusiasm
for the usual, counselor.
I submit there are
some acts committed
under some circumstances
that gives some people the right
to examine them under the
somewhat general classification
as something usual.
And I submit that
making those assumptions
in this case calls for
a sexist stereotype.
What about sexist common sense?
(gavel banging)
BEAUMONT: Counsel.
Remember me?
I'm the person to whom
you address your arguments,
not each other.
The people's
objection is sustained.
Let the record reflect
that the witness has
identified the defendant.
JULIE: Miss
Richland, are you sure
it was the defendant
you saw entering
the decedent's home on
the night of the murder?
SYLVIA: As everyone
knows, I'm a reporter.
My job is observing
and recognizing people.
There's no doubt in my mind.
Mrs. Douglas was
the person I saw.
Thank you.
Nothing further.
BEAUMONT: Mr. Matlock?
Uh, Miss Richland,
you just testified that
the reason you went
to see Mr. Cassidy
in person that night
is because he had refused
to answer any of
your phone calls.
Is that right?
That's right.
Well, Steven
Cassidy's phone bills
have been entered into
evidence in this court,
and this bill covers
the three weeks
before his death.
You recognize that
number right there?
Yes. It's the number at
the TV station where I work.
But you said he never returned
any of your calls.
He must have been
calling someone else.
Your receptionist
says otherwise.
She is prepared to testify
that prior to his death,
she put through several calls
to you from Steven Cassidy.
She says that she
put through one call
to you from him the
day he was murdered.
Is that true?
Yes.
You and he had agreed to meet,
hadn't you, at his
house that night?
He was expecting you.
He'd put on water to boil.
You must have told
him you drink tea.
You're making this
sound like I had something
to do with his death.
I can make a case for that.
I didn't kill him.
Why did you lie? Because...
Your meeting with him
was personal, wasn't it?
He wanted to talk
to you that night
because in doing his research
for his book on the Douglases,
he'd found out something
about you, hadn't he?
It had to do with
a man, didn't it,
that you had been
seeing a few years before.
A man who, uh, could exert
a certain influence
on the television
station where you worked
to give you your own show,
a man whose family
owned that television station,
a married man.
And his name is, uh...
Objection. Relevancy.
Overruled. This
is bias and motive.
Thank you. His name is...?
James Douglas.
But that doesn't mean
I killed Steven Cassidy.
But are you sure this doesn't
all tie together somehow?
This man was gonna
expose your affair to the world.
No, no. That doesn't
change the fact
that the woman I saw that
night was Vanessa Douglas.
MATLOCK: Oh, she's the
obvious one to frame for this murder.
She walked up to the
door. She knocked.
She opened the
door and she went in.
That's the truth. I swear it.
( suspenseful theme playing)
Mr. Matlock?
Your Honor... Your Honor, uh,
if it please the court,
I'd like to take a recess
to confer with my client.
Well, since it is
the end of the day,
we'll reconvene
tomorrow morning at 10.
Thank you, counsel.
Sarah was right.
You really are brilliant.
For the first time, I feel
like I've got a chance.
( tense theme playing)
What's wrong?
You did it.
I beg your pardon?
The doorbell.
Anyone coming up to
Steven Cassidy's house
would ring the doorbell.
It's impossible to miss.
The killer knocked
because the killer knew
the doorbell doesn't work.
The prosecution was right.
Steven Cassidy's book
was gonna to deliver
the dirt, all right.
It wasn't the Douglases' dirt.
It was yours, so you killed him.
( ominous theme playing)
Your job is to defend
me no matter what.
Isn't it?
( dramatic theme playing)
MATLOCK: Your Honor,
in accordance with
counsel's discussions
in chambers this morning,
I'd like to reconstruct
as near as possible the
conditions under which
this witness
identified my client.
The people renew
their objection.
Overruled.
Proceed, Mr. Matlock.
Thank you.
The first thing, I'd like to ask
my client to leave the room.
Thank you.
(clears throat)
And, uh, now, Miss Richland,
I'm gonna ask the bailiff
to turn off all the
lights in the room.
Then after my client
has reentered the room,
I'm gonna ask him to turn
the lights back on
slowly, carefully.
And when what
you see by the light
in this room approximates
what you saw by
the light that existed
that night outside
Steven Cassidy's house,
I want you to tell him to stop.
Is that clear? Perfectly.
All right.
I'll ask the bailiff
to turn off the lights.
Now open the door.
( suspenseful theme playing)
Now bring up the lights slowly.
Is that what you saw?
There was a little more light.
There.
That's it right there.
That's approximately
what you saw.
That's exactly what I saw.
So, what you're saying
is the woman you saw
entering Steven Cassidy's house
the night he was murdered
was Dr. Sarah Perlman?
(crowd murmuring)
MATLOCK: I think
what you're really saying
is you saw someone
enter Steven Cassidy's
house that night.
It may have looked
like Vanessa Douglas,
but as we have seen,
it could've been anyone,
even one of Atlanta's
most prominent physicians.
Thank you. No further questions.
Miss March?
No questions, Your Honor.
The witness may step down.
(clears throat)
For my next witness,
I call Dr. Sarah
Perlman to the stand.
First of all, doctor,
I want to thank
you for helping me
with that little demonstration.
I was happy to do it.
Luckily, both you
women are approximately
the same height
and weight, so...
I... I imagine that you
swapped clothes often
when you were in college.
Yes. As a matter
of fact, we did.
Did, uh, Steven
Cassidy interview you
for that book he was, uh,
writing about Vanessa?
Yes, he did. Twice.
And, uh, that's because you
were oldest and best friends.
Yes.
So what did you tell him?
Uh, what Vanessa
was like as a child.
What she's like as an adult.
He wasn't looking for gossip.
He was just doing
research on her.
Uh, did, uh...
Did he do, uh,
very much research on... On you?
What do you mean?
MATLOCK: Well, did
he know that you were
in the habit of
prescribing sedatives
for Vanessa?
I've prescribed for
her on occasion.
Very addictive sedatives.
My patient needed them.
MATLOCK: Addictive?
They have the potential
of being addictive, yes.
That's what he wanted
to hear about, wasn't it?
This unhealthy relationship
you had with Vanessa,
how you kept her dependent
on you through drugs.
No.
MATLOCK: Oh, come on, doctor.
You know that's it.
That's the stuff
bestsellers are made from.
And that's why you
had to make sure
that book was never
published, wasn't it?
What are you trying to say?
Where were you the
night of the murder?
I was in my office working.
The office in the hospital?
No, my office downtown.
Did anyone see you there?
No.
Did anyone call you there?
I don't recall.
So you can't substantiate
where you were
at the time of the
murder, can you?
Wait, this is absurd.
You recognize this gun?
Yes. This is the
gun I gave Vanessa
for protection.
Is it registered?
I don't know.
My ex-husband gave it to me.
Does she know how to fire it?
SARAH: No.
She said she would learn.
But you know how
to fire it, don't you?
To a degree.
Did you know where
Vanessa kept it
in the apartment?
Yes. She showed me.
She kept it in her bed stand.
So someone stole only this gun
from that bed stand, didn't he?
Yes.
She called me
to tell me about it.
You had a key to the apartment?
Yes, I do.
I go over to see how
she is sometimes.
You stole this gun, didn't you?
SARAH: No.
You had a key to the apartment.
You knew where it was
kept, and you stole it.
No. Why would I
go... That, uh... Ahem.
That platinum wig
that you, uh, wore
in court a while ago,
when did you get that?
Three or four years ago...
MATLOCK: Oh, so you had it
the night of the murder?
Yes, but...
And you used it to
impersonate Vanessa that night,
didn't you?
No.
You are saying I
killed Steven Cassidy?
He knew you were
over-prescribing for her.
He was about to
publish that in his book.
That would seriously
have affected your job.
Oh, no. I was not
over-prescribing.
Think of what that
would have done,
how your patients
would have responded
to reading that about you
in that kind of bestseller.
What are you trying to do to me?
You had motive, doctor.
You had access to
the murder weapon.
You have no alibi.
You know what I think?
I think when you found out
that your relationship
with Vanessa
was gonna be exposed
in Steven Cassidy's book,
you stole her gun...
Oh, no. This is ridiculous.
Disguised yourself as Vanessa...
No. That's enough!
Murdered him...
No. That is not true!
Put the gun in the
trunk of her car.
No! Stop it!
BEAUMONT: Order! (banging gavel)
BEAUMONT: This
court will come to order.
Mr. Matlock, please
advise your client
that such outbursts
will not be tolerated.
Yes, sir.
You've got to stop it.
I'm not finished.
You'll destroy her.
( dramatic theme playing)
I think I can convince the court
that she's guilty
of this murder.
Please stop.
Dr. Perlman,
I apologize.
Your Honor, I think my client
wishes to change her plea
from not guilty to guilty.
( dramatic theme playing)
Well, I never thought I'd
see Ben Matlock lose a case.
How does it feel?
It feels fine. I've lost before.
It was sure fascinating
watching you work
over Dr. Perlman.
Jeffrey, he wasn't
working over Dr. Perlman.
Sometimes Ben has to
use extraordinary means
to arrive at the truth.
In this case, a
confession from Vanessa.
Yeah, well, but... Using
extraordinary means.
He wasn't working
over Dr. Perlman.
Well...
Excuse me.
Thanks.
Well, he had no business talking
to you like that.
Well, I...
I did lose.
Yes.
And that means you won.
Yes.
That calls for a victory
dinner this Friday.
( playful theme plays)
( upbeat jazz theme playing)
( upbeat classical
theme playing)
(classical music
playing over stereo)
(increases volume)
(gun cocks)
(gunshot)
MATLOCK: Hey, Julie!
Guess what these are.
Uh, tickets.
And their names are
Gilbert and Sullivan.
Oh, I hear that's
the most fabulous
production. Yeah.
Does this mean one
of these is for me?
Oh, yes.
How about I swing by
your place about 7:15...
Tonight?
Yeah.
Oh, Ben, I've made other plans.
You have?
Yes, dinner plans.
But it's Friday.
I know.
And Friday we... We...
Ben. I'm... I'm really sorry.
Maybe you can trade
those in for another night.
Oh, sure.
Oh... Oh, sure...
Sure. Probably.
Don't worry about it.
Steven Cassidy was
found shot to death
in his house this morning.
Did you hear about that?
I haven't seen the paper.
I was too busy
rounding these up.
Uh, what, uh...?
Have you... Have
you been assigned?
Yeah. Apparently, he was
in the middle of writing a book
about Vanessa Douglas.
Senator Douglas' ex?
Yeah.
The police have taken her in
for questioning.
Evidently, the book
was largely concerned
with her marriage
to the senator,
and the prevailing theory
is that Cassidy got to
know the real Vanessa
and was going to portray her
as something considerably
less than a saint.
I see.
They have a witness too.
Good.
Do you know who
Sylvia Richland is?
No.
She's the one who does
that television interview show.
She says she saw Vanessa
enter Cassidy's house last night
at about the time of the murder.
I was just on my way to...
To, uh, talk to her.
Uh... Oh, I... Heh.
I better get going.
( playful theme plays)
Ahem. I'll have a regular.
I don't suppose you'd
be interested in a couple
of tickets to see Gilbert
and Sullivan tonight?
Where are they fighting?
It's music.
Oh. Heh-heh.
I'm busy tonight.
Mr. Matlock?
Yes, ma'am?
I'm Dr. Sarah Perlman.
I need to talk to you.
Now, if it's all right. Well...
Well, I've got a nice office.
It's air conditioned
and everything.
I'm chief of staff at
St. Andrew's Hospital.
I've gotta be back there
at 10:30 for a meeting.
Well, in that case, doctor,
you'd better talk fast.
I'm a close friend
of Vanessa Douglas.
In fact, we've been best friends
since grade school.
But the police think that she
may have killed Steven Cassidy.
They're wrong.
He was writing a book about her,
that's true, but
she didn't kill him.
No?
However, they have a
witness that says she did.
So, uh,
I've come looking
for you, Mr. Matlock,
because she's going to
need a very good lawyer.
Well, you may
have a point there.
I know the
prosecutor in this case
and she's a very tough cookie.
Vanessa's in jail right now.
How about it?
Oh, thank God.
I was afraid you hadn't
gotten my message,
or if you did, it didn't
make any sense.
SARAH: No, it
made perfect sense.
Are you all right?
Yeah? All right. Vanessa
Douglas, this is Ben Matlock.
He's a lawyer, a very good one.
Hello.
Are you sure you're all right?
I'm fine.
Do you feel like
answering a few questions?
Uh, ahem.
This, uh...
Uh, book that,
uh, Steven Cassidy
was writing about you,
was it, uh, his idea or yours?
VANESSA: It was
the publisher's idea.
I was approached
about four months ago
and offered a
great deal of money
in return for my life story.
I needed the money.
MATLOCK: Well,
you're a public figure.
They don't have
to get permission
to do a biography.
They didn't wanna
do my biography.
I was smart enough
to realize that.
I was being paid
to deliver the dirt
on Georgia's most
fascinating family.
My marrying James Douglas
had nothing to do
with his family's money
or power or
political aspirations.
I loved him.
But Wilson, his... His father,
just couldn't buy that.
They insisted that I stay
at the mansion
away from the press,
and when they
did let me out, it...
It was practically
under armed guard.
I literally had to
beg for money.
The Douglases have millions.
You had to beg?
It was all part of Wilson's plan
to demoralize me.
To push me away, and it worked.
There was a
prenuptial agreement,
so when I left, I
left with nothing.
In, uh, murder cases
where, you know,
somebody's been killed,
there's usually a motive.
Somebody has something to gain
or there's an
emotional upheaval or...
James had a mistress.
Oh.
Who?
I don't know.
Some nights, he'd
come home late.
Some nights, he
wouldn't come home at all.
He said that he was sleeping
on his couch in the office.
I didn't know her name.
I didn't want to.
Well, where were you
between 10:30 and 12 last night?
In my apartment... alone.
I have no alibi.
Dr. Perlman and I have to talk.
Well, what do you think?
That's going to
be a difficult case.
It's purely
circumstantial, but...
You can't... You can't overlook
the popularity of
the Douglas family.
Hell, they're practically
like the Kennedys.
That's gonna affect the jury.
Vanessa could very well sound
like a grasping,
vindictive ex-wife
who killed this fellow when
things weren't going her way.
Are you going to take the case?
I don't know.
I'll pay the fee.
I make a good salary.
I have property,
stocks, bonds...
A hundred thousand?
You are a good friend.
Stop by the hot
dog stand anytime.
Thank you.
(chuckles)
Uh... (clears throat)
Were you looking for me?
Oh, yes.
As a matter of fact, I was.
MATLOCK: Heh. I thought
you'd change your mind.
JULIE: Change?
Oh. Oh, no, no. I've
still got the tickets.
Oh, Ben, I'm really
sorry about that.
I thought you were
looking for me.
Yes. I heard you were down
here talking to Vanessa Douglas.
Well, yeah.
You've agreed to represent her.
You think I made a mistake?
Well, the police just
found the murder weapon
in the trunk of
Vanessa Douglas' car.
( dramatic theme playing)
( suspenseful theme playing)
Bail will be set at $100,000.
As for the preliminary hearing,
it will take place
in this courtroom
on March 7 at 9:00
a.m. (bangs gavel)
Next case?
I don't have $100,000.
I met with the bondsman,
had everything arranged.
Mr. Matlock had a good
idea where bail would be set.
You should be released
in about an hour.
Meet me at my
office around 1:00.
I want you to walk me through
Steven Cassidy's house.
As soon as you're released,
I'll take you to brunch.
I swear, Sarah,
one of these days, you're
gonna be the one to need the help
and I'll come riding
to your rescue.
(talking indistinctly)
I'll have a cup.
Hi. Oh, hi.
Oh, Ben, there's someone
I want you to meet.
Ben, is Jeffrey Lindquist.
He's our newest deputy DA.
Jeffrey, meet Ben Matlock.
How do you do? I'm honored.
You're sort of an
institution around here. Heh.
Uh, I really have to get going.
Julie, I'll call you later.
I'm glad to finally have
the chance to meet you,
Mr. Matlock.
Bye. Bye.
Institution.
Oh, he didn't mean to.
He's really very nice.
He seems like a nice enough boy.
He's 27 years old.
That's hardly a boy.
Twenty-seven?
Mm-hm.
What, did you look at his teeth?
(laughing)
Uh, so, how was, uh,
dinner Friday night?
Oh, it was fine.
Where did you go?
A new place down the street.
It's, uh... It's
called Renoir's.
Mm.
What did you have?
Uh, chicken Kiev.
Everybody have that?
Uh, yeah.
Yeah. I think so.
(elevator dings)
Uh, well, uh, I'll... Me too.
The police are still here.
Oh, you have to knock. Yeah?
Yeah, Steve said that
bell hasn't worked for years.
Oh. Oh.
He live alone?
He had someone come in
and clean once or twice a week,
but that was it.
Very private person,
almost a recluse.
Oh.
Come on in, counselor.
We were just finishing up.
MATLOCK: Okay.
Well, morning, boys.
Good morning, good
morning, good morning.
Good morning.
Hm.
When did Dr. Perlman
give you that pistol?
VANESSA: Last year when
I moved into my apartment.
She insisted I
learn how to use it,
but I never did.
Couldn't stand to even touch it.
When did you notice
the gun was missing?
About a week ago.
I guess I should've
reported it, but...
To tell you the truth, I was
kind of glad it was gone.
Oh.
Burned up his pot, didn't he?
Maybe he was boiling water
at the time he was shot,
maybe to make some tea.
Did a good job on it, didn't he?
Where did he do his writing?
In his study.
This way.
You say he liked to
spend a lot of time alone?
Yeah.
Well, he had plenty of
room to do it in, didn't he?
This is where he'd interview me.
He'd sit there. I'd sit here.
He'd turn his tape
recorder on and we'd talk.
I came here every
day for four weeks.
Kind of therapeutic, actually.
Did he, uh, write anything down?
He put everything
on his word processor.
He said he came
up with some kind
of computerized filing system
that made writing
his books a breeze.
So the, uh...
The manuscript he was
working on is somewhere in here.
Sure would like
to take a look at it.
You know how to operate this?
I don't even know
how to turn it on.
I know a fellow who does.
(chuckles)
( suspenseful theme playing)
Telephone bill.
Might be interesting to know
who Mr. Cassidy was calling.
My filing system.
Tell him I'll do the
animal trainer piece
if I don't have to hold
a baboon or something.
They always either bite you
or upstage you or
both. (knock on door)
Oh, hello.
Is Sylvia Richland here?
Oh. Right this way.
Sylvia?
Hi. Hi.
Uh, Michelle Thomas?
That's right. How do you do?
Good. Have a seat. Thank you.
I'm just getting ready
to go out on location.
Ever watch Eye on Atlanta?
Sometimes.
Would you like some tea?
No, thanks.
I really wanted to ask you
about what you saw the night
Steven Cassidy was murdered.
Well, like I told the police,
at exactly 10:30, I saw
Vanessa Douglas walk up
to his house and go inside.
I was parked out front.
Why were you parked there?
There was this rumor going
around that he was writing
a juicy book on the Douglases.
I thought it might be fun to
interview him for the show.
He wouldn't return
my phone calls,
so I figured I'd
just go over there
and talk to him in person.
Did you talk to him?
No. Vanessa Douglas went inside.
I figured he wouldn't
talk to me with her there,
so I just went home.
Are you sure
that the person you saw
was Vanessa Douglas?
Michelle, I've been
in the news business
for five years.
Six if you count my
stint as a weather girl.
I'm a very
professional observer.
The woman I saw that
night was Vanessa Douglas.
Right now we're at approximately
100 percent employment.
If you add the double jobs, I'd
say we're anywhere from 103
to 104 percent employment.
Inflation is minimal.
Tax rates are declining.
People are spending and saving,
and yet there's this
nervousness going on, and why?
Is it because of a high deficit?
Because the balance of
payments are so out of whack?
Fine boy.
You must be very
proud, Mr. Douglas.
Hello, Ben.
Rumor has it that
he's a contender
for the vice
presidential nomination.
Anything to that?
James is the best
that this country's got.
What brings you around here?
Well, uh, ahem, your son's, uh,
ex-wife is a client of mine,
and, uh, she had
some uncomplimentary
things to say
about you and James.
So what exactly did,
uh, Vanessa have to say?
Generally, that, uh,
nobody around
here liked her much.
Well, he loved her.
Is that why you
kept her virtually
a prisoner here
and why she had
to beg for money?
That's ridiculous.
Precisely the same trash
she told Steve Cassidy.
Yeah?
Well, how did... How
did you know that?
'Cause he was here.
Oh, he's a very good
writer, Mr. Matlock.
He listened to what
Vanessa had to say,
and then he came to
us to check the facts.
And what... What were the facts?
The woman was totally neurotic.
Whether my son loved her
because of it or in spite of it,
I'll never know,
but the fact is he
couldn't trust her
when she left the
house or spent money
or functioned as a responsible
member of this family.
Vanessa has emotional problems.
I... I tried to deal with
them the best I could.
I paid for the
doctors, the clinics.
Nothing helped.
Yes, it's true. We...
We wound up keeping her here.
So she wouldn't go
anywhere and embarrass you.
We couldn't let her
destroy everything
that I spent a
lifetime building up.
And just to keep
the record straight,
after she ran up tabs
of over $20,000 a month,
I cut her off.
Now, what would you
have done, Mr. Matlock?
I get the picture.
That meeting with Steve Cassidy.
Did it really take place?
He recorded the whole thing
and made me a copy of the tape.
I'll send it over
to you tomorrow
with the rest of the things.
How does that sound?
Fine. Thank you, senator. Mm-hm.
Sir.
(knock on door)
( suspenseful theme playing)
Oh, thank God.
May I speak to Vanessa?
Please, come in.
Maybe you can talk
some sense into her.
I stopped by to see if
she wanted to go to dinner
and found her doing this.
Mm.
You taking a little vacation?
I'm leaving for good.
It's the only
sensible thing to do.
SARAH: It is not
sensible, Vanessa.
It really isn't.
Please, tell her.
Skipping out on trial
is the surest way I
know of to conviction.
They'll never find me.
Oh, yes, they will. In
24 hours, guaranteed.
Don't you understand?
It's me against the
Douglases, for God's sakes.
I lived with them for six years.
I know what they can do.
Someone like me just
doesn't stand a chance.
Vanessa, sit down.
Sit down.
Here.
Take these.
What am I gonna do?
Vanessa, you're gonna trust us.
Now, I want you to lay down
for a little while and just relax.
All right? Come on.
Lay down.
If you need anything,
we'll be right outside.
( somber theme playing)
Has this happened before?
She's very high-strung.
Hm.
( mellow theme playing)
"Once activated,
"the computer will
automatically perform
"a variety of diagnostic tests.
"At the termination
of these tests,
the main menu will
appear on the screen."
Okay.
(computer beeps)
Hm. All right, check.
"Press the space bar
"until the cursor is positioned
in front of the desired
menu function."
(computer beeps)
"For an explanation
of each menu function,
see chapter three"?
Oh, no.
MAN: Whoa.
Jeez, I thought I was
gonna be all alone here.
That makes two of us.
Name's Lamont.
Uh, the DA's office sent me over
to see if I could
access the book
that Steven Cassidy was writing.
I guess that's what
you're doing, huh?
I'm trying to.
Name's Tyler Hudson.
I work for an attorney.
You know anything
about computers?
A little bit.
Well, be my guest.
( mellow theme playing)
(computer beeps)
(computer beeps)
(computer beeps)
It's not here.
It's not?
The book must be
stored on another disk.
Mm-hm.
It's gotta be around
here somewhere.
Look, I'm telling you.
I have checked every
file, every drawer,
every cabinet in this house.
It is not here.
Well, then he must have been
the paranoid type and hid it.
(sighs)
Maybe in a... In a
wall safe, floor safe,
something like that.
Or maybe one of those.
( mysterious theme playing)
(sighs)
Well, lookie here.
Douglas manuscript.
(laughs)
Now, do you think
you can get that thing
to print whatever is on here?
It's no problem.
( dramatic theme playing)
(Tyler grunts)
Oh.
( dramatic theme playing)
TYLER: No!
Fine, whiz kid.
Now, that diskette is
gone, but you're not.
Now, it's for damn sure
that you ain't from
the DA's office.
So you know what
you're going to do?
You are going to
tell me who you are
and why you did that and
you are not going to lie to me.
You know why?
Because I hate liars!
Now, who hired you?
I need those figures
as soon as possible.
I have a meeting with the
committee chairman tomorrow.
It's the only leverage I've got.
I appreciate it.
See if you can, uh, dig up
that Coleman file, will you?
(clears throat)
Oh, Mr. Matlock.
Yes, sir, senator.
Did you get a chance to, uh,
take a look at that
information I sent over?
Yeah, and if you're as innocent
as you say you are,
why did you hire
this Lamont Turkel
to destroy that manuscript?
I didn't hire anyone to
do anything of the sort.
Well, somebody using
your name hired him
to destroy material evidence.
You'll never prove that.
Well, it might be
fun to watch me try.
Here's your ticket to the show.
A subpoena.
One for your father too.
Oh, it's a nice day.
( suspenseful theme playing)
Mr. Matlock.
Jeffrey Lindquist.
The deputy DA?
I remember. How are you?
Well, I'm still a little
wet behind the ears,
but I'm getting there.
Julie's been great.
Well, ha-ha. It's
almost lunchtime.
I sure do dread
going downstairs.
Yeah. Those cafeterias
get old real fast.
Yeah.
I hear there's a
new place opened
just down the street called
Renoir's. You ever eat in there?
Yeah. As a matter of
fact, I have. It's pretty good.
I recommend the chicken Kiev.
This is the murder weapon, yes.
It has my initials on it.
Would you please tell the court
where the weapon was found?
I found it in the trunk of
Vanessa Douglas' car.
Thank you.
Nothing further.
Cross-examine?
Uh, thank you.
Uh, m... May I...
May I just? Thank you.
Thank you. Uh...
That's a pretty nice gun,
Lieutenant Brooks.
Who owns it, anyway?
We weren't able to determine
that. It's unregistered.
Did you find any
fingerprints on it?
No, sir.
A .45 is pretty heavy, unwieldy.
Let me ask you something.
In your experience
as an officer of the law,
how often have you known a woman
to use a .45 caliber
gun to commit murder?
Objection.
Improper opinion,
lack of foundation,
relevancy, cause for
a sexist stereotype.
I was merely trying to ascertain
what is usual in cases
involving high-caliber weapons.
Not everyone shares
your obvious enthusiasm
for the usual, counselor.
I submit there are
some acts committed
under some circumstances
that gives some people the right
to examine them under the
somewhat general classification
as something usual.
And I submit that
making those assumptions
in this case calls for
a sexist stereotype.
What about sexist common sense?
(gavel banging)
BEAUMONT: Counsel.
Remember me?
I'm the person to whom
you address your arguments,
not each other.
The people's
objection is sustained.
Let the record reflect
that the witness has
identified the defendant.
JULIE: Miss
Richland, are you sure
it was the defendant
you saw entering
the decedent's home on
the night of the murder?
SYLVIA: As everyone
knows, I'm a reporter.
My job is observing
and recognizing people.
There's no doubt in my mind.
Mrs. Douglas was
the person I saw.
Thank you.
Nothing further.
BEAUMONT: Mr. Matlock?
Uh, Miss Richland,
you just testified that
the reason you went
to see Mr. Cassidy
in person that night
is because he had refused
to answer any of
your phone calls.
Is that right?
That's right.
Well, Steven
Cassidy's phone bills
have been entered into
evidence in this court,
and this bill covers
the three weeks
before his death.
You recognize that
number right there?
Yes. It's the number at
the TV station where I work.
But you said he never returned
any of your calls.
He must have been
calling someone else.
Your receptionist
says otherwise.
She is prepared to testify
that prior to his death,
she put through several calls
to you from Steven Cassidy.
She says that she
put through one call
to you from him the
day he was murdered.
Is that true?
Yes.
You and he had agreed to meet,
hadn't you, at his
house that night?
He was expecting you.
He'd put on water to boil.
You must have told
him you drink tea.
You're making this
sound like I had something
to do with his death.
I can make a case for that.
I didn't kill him.
Why did you lie? Because...
Your meeting with him
was personal, wasn't it?
He wanted to talk
to you that night
because in doing his research
for his book on the Douglases,
he'd found out something
about you, hadn't he?
It had to do with
a man, didn't it,
that you had been
seeing a few years before.
A man who, uh, could exert
a certain influence
on the television
station where you worked
to give you your own show,
a man whose family
owned that television station,
a married man.
And his name is, uh...
Objection. Relevancy.
Overruled. This
is bias and motive.
Thank you. His name is...?
James Douglas.
But that doesn't mean
I killed Steven Cassidy.
But are you sure this doesn't
all tie together somehow?
This man was gonna
expose your affair to the world.
No, no. That doesn't
change the fact
that the woman I saw that
night was Vanessa Douglas.
MATLOCK: Oh, she's the
obvious one to frame for this murder.
She walked up to the
door. She knocked.
She opened the
door and she went in.
That's the truth. I swear it.
( suspenseful theme playing)
Mr. Matlock?
Your Honor... Your Honor, uh,
if it please the court,
I'd like to take a recess
to confer with my client.
Well, since it is
the end of the day,
we'll reconvene
tomorrow morning at 10.
Thank you, counsel.
Sarah was right.
You really are brilliant.
For the first time, I feel
like I've got a chance.
( tense theme playing)
What's wrong?
You did it.
I beg your pardon?
The doorbell.
Anyone coming up to
Steven Cassidy's house
would ring the doorbell.
It's impossible to miss.
The killer knocked
because the killer knew
the doorbell doesn't work.
The prosecution was right.
Steven Cassidy's book
was gonna to deliver
the dirt, all right.
It wasn't the Douglases' dirt.
It was yours, so you killed him.
( ominous theme playing)
Your job is to defend
me no matter what.
Isn't it?
( dramatic theme playing)
MATLOCK: Your Honor,
in accordance with
counsel's discussions
in chambers this morning,
I'd like to reconstruct
as near as possible the
conditions under which
this witness
identified my client.
The people renew
their objection.
Overruled.
Proceed, Mr. Matlock.
Thank you.
The first thing, I'd like to ask
my client to leave the room.
Thank you.
(clears throat)
And, uh, now, Miss Richland,
I'm gonna ask the bailiff
to turn off all the
lights in the room.
Then after my client
has reentered the room,
I'm gonna ask him to turn
the lights back on
slowly, carefully.
And when what
you see by the light
in this room approximates
what you saw by
the light that existed
that night outside
Steven Cassidy's house,
I want you to tell him to stop.
Is that clear? Perfectly.
All right.
I'll ask the bailiff
to turn off the lights.
Now open the door.
( suspenseful theme playing)
Now bring up the lights slowly.
Is that what you saw?
There was a little more light.
There.
That's it right there.
That's approximately
what you saw.
That's exactly what I saw.
So, what you're saying
is the woman you saw
entering Steven Cassidy's house
the night he was murdered
was Dr. Sarah Perlman?
(crowd murmuring)
MATLOCK: I think
what you're really saying
is you saw someone
enter Steven Cassidy's
house that night.
It may have looked
like Vanessa Douglas,
but as we have seen,
it could've been anyone,
even one of Atlanta's
most prominent physicians.
Thank you. No further questions.
Miss March?
No questions, Your Honor.
The witness may step down.
(clears throat)
For my next witness,
I call Dr. Sarah
Perlman to the stand.
First of all, doctor,
I want to thank
you for helping me
with that little demonstration.
I was happy to do it.
Luckily, both you
women are approximately
the same height
and weight, so...
I... I imagine that you
swapped clothes often
when you were in college.
Yes. As a matter
of fact, we did.
Did, uh, Steven
Cassidy interview you
for that book he was, uh,
writing about Vanessa?
Yes, he did. Twice.
And, uh, that's because you
were oldest and best friends.
Yes.
So what did you tell him?
Uh, what Vanessa
was like as a child.
What she's like as an adult.
He wasn't looking for gossip.
He was just doing
research on her.
Uh, did, uh...
Did he do, uh,
very much research on... On you?
What do you mean?
MATLOCK: Well, did
he know that you were
in the habit of
prescribing sedatives
for Vanessa?
I've prescribed for
her on occasion.
Very addictive sedatives.
My patient needed them.
MATLOCK: Addictive?
They have the potential
of being addictive, yes.
That's what he wanted
to hear about, wasn't it?
This unhealthy relationship
you had with Vanessa,
how you kept her dependent
on you through drugs.
No.
MATLOCK: Oh, come on, doctor.
You know that's it.
That's the stuff
bestsellers are made from.
And that's why you
had to make sure
that book was never
published, wasn't it?
What are you trying to say?
Where were you the
night of the murder?
I was in my office working.
The office in the hospital?
No, my office downtown.
Did anyone see you there?
No.
Did anyone call you there?
I don't recall.
So you can't substantiate
where you were
at the time of the
murder, can you?
Wait, this is absurd.
You recognize this gun?
Yes. This is the
gun I gave Vanessa
for protection.
Is it registered?
I don't know.
My ex-husband gave it to me.
Does she know how to fire it?
SARAH: No.
She said she would learn.
But you know how
to fire it, don't you?
To a degree.
Did you know where
Vanessa kept it
in the apartment?
Yes. She showed me.
She kept it in her bed stand.
So someone stole only this gun
from that bed stand, didn't he?
Yes.
She called me
to tell me about it.
You had a key to the apartment?
Yes, I do.
I go over to see how
she is sometimes.
You stole this gun, didn't you?
SARAH: No.
You had a key to the apartment.
You knew where it was
kept, and you stole it.
No. Why would I
go... That, uh... Ahem.
That platinum wig
that you, uh, wore
in court a while ago,
when did you get that?
Three or four years ago...
MATLOCK: Oh, so you had it
the night of the murder?
Yes, but...
And you used it to
impersonate Vanessa that night,
didn't you?
No.
You are saying I
killed Steven Cassidy?
He knew you were
over-prescribing for her.
He was about to
publish that in his book.
That would seriously
have affected your job.
Oh, no. I was not
over-prescribing.
Think of what that
would have done,
how your patients
would have responded
to reading that about you
in that kind of bestseller.
What are you trying to do to me?
You had motive, doctor.
You had access to
the murder weapon.
You have no alibi.
You know what I think?
I think when you found out
that your relationship
with Vanessa
was gonna be exposed
in Steven Cassidy's book,
you stole her gun...
Oh, no. This is ridiculous.
Disguised yourself as Vanessa...
No. That's enough!
Murdered him...
No. That is not true!
Put the gun in the
trunk of her car.
No! Stop it!
BEAUMONT: Order! (banging gavel)
BEAUMONT: This
court will come to order.
Mr. Matlock, please
advise your client
that such outbursts
will not be tolerated.
Yes, sir.
You've got to stop it.
I'm not finished.
You'll destroy her.
( dramatic theme playing)
I think I can convince the court
that she's guilty
of this murder.
Please stop.
Dr. Perlman,
I apologize.
Your Honor, I think my client
wishes to change her plea
from not guilty to guilty.
( dramatic theme playing)
Well, I never thought I'd
see Ben Matlock lose a case.
How does it feel?
It feels fine. I've lost before.
It was sure fascinating
watching you work
over Dr. Perlman.
Jeffrey, he wasn't
working over Dr. Perlman.
Sometimes Ben has to
use extraordinary means
to arrive at the truth.
In this case, a
confession from Vanessa.
Yeah, well, but... Using
extraordinary means.
He wasn't working
over Dr. Perlman.
Well...
Excuse me.
Thanks.
Well, he had no business talking
to you like that.
Well, I...
I did lose.
Yes.
And that means you won.
Yes.
That calls for a victory
dinner this Friday.
( playful theme plays)
( upbeat jazz theme playing)