Matlock (1986–1995): Season 3, Episode 7 - The Vendetta - full transcript
♪ ♪
♪ ♪
♪ ♪
Whew. Oh.
Good morning.
What's going on?
Well, finally.
I've been waiting since 8:30.
Where's Mr. Matlock?
Um... who are you?
I'm Ned Collins with the
Atlanta Digest magazine.
Mr. Matlock didn't tell
you about our interview?
No, he never mentioned it.
That's strange.
An interview with Atlanta
Digest is the kind of thing
Ben would grumble
about but secretly enjoy.
How did you get in here?
Security guard.
Nice guy. Let me stand out in
the rain for a good 20 minutes.
Oh.
Don't.
Are you all right, Mr. Collins?
Yeah, fine.
I, uh, I guess it's the rain.
It gets on my nerves. Yeah.
I didn't mean to
bark at you like that.
I understand.
I guess it's one of those days.
Yeah, it is.
Well, I need coffee.
You want some?
Yeah, about a quart.
So you expect
Mr. Matlock any minute?
Well, ordinarily,
Ben's the first one in.
He gets up at 5:00.
He says early morning's
his thinking time.
I don't even know my
own name at that hour.
But this morning,
Ben had to stop off
at the courthouse.
Courthouse?
When will he be here?
Not long.
And he's worth
waiting for, Mr. Collins.
Ben is the best storyteller.
Yeah, so I've heard.
Of course, he's been
known to embellish
just a little.
I've heard that, too.
You can't do that.
Like hell, I can't.
Ben doesn't allow anyone
to smoke in this office,
not even clients who
are paying him a fortune.
Now, if you light that,
you'll be out on your
ear without an interview.
I wouldn't want that.
Oh, that startled me.
That was so loud, huh?
I like rain, but
thunder, I don't know.
Oh, boy, this is a mess.
Like I said, it's just
one of those days.
Yeah.
Got to get some carpet cleaner.
Where you going?
The janitorial closet has
some cleaning supplies.
The security guard has the key.
Wait.
Oh, the power's going out.
Yeah, it seems that way.
Look, I have an idea.
You work side by
side with Matlock.
Who knows him better?
Till he arrives, why
don't I just interview you?
No. No, no, no.
Well, he can hardly
sit here himself
and talk about how great he is.
But he does, all the time.
And he is.
Well, Ben's not only the best
lawyer I've ever worked with
or the best lawyer
in Atlanta... Mm-hmm.
But the best, period.
To, uh, you know,
to watch him work,
put all the pieces
together, he's amazing.
And in the courtroom,
no one is better.
I remember this one case
when even I wasn't
prepared for what he did.
Members of the jury...
I know we'd all like to get
out of here and go someplace
where the air
conditioning actually works,
so I'm gonna be brief.
Now, I've got to be
fair and recognize,
as do you, that the prosecution
has collected a lot
of circumstantial evidence.
But the problem is,
it is all circumstantial.
Now, they've accused
this man of murder.
But no one saw the crime occur.
No body has ever been found.
No one knows how the
victim died or if he died at all.
In fact, they have never proved
a crime was actually committed.
And now... I'm
gonna count to ten.
And when I'm done,
this supposed
victim's gonna walk
through that door over there.
One... two...
three... four... five...
six... seven...
eight... nine... ten.
So you see, members of the jury,
in fairness,
you must return a
verdict of not guilty.
Each and every one of you
was staring at that door,
because you had
a reasonable doubt
that a crime was even committed.
And you must let
this man go free.
He was staring at that
door as hard as you were.
And so were they.
Dramatic, huh?
Very.
Sounds like he'll
do anything to win.
Mm-hmm.
Ben knows just how
to appeal to a jury.
He's a brilliant lawyer.
And teacher.
And friend.
He's a good friend.
One time, my best
friend from college
Andrea Morrow, was
accused of murder,
and it turned
into the strangest,
most unique case.
♪ ♪
Bang.
The killer was blind
and very, very clever.
Ah.
The electricity's gone out.
I wouldn't know.
It's-it's a circuit breaker.
What are you doing here, anyway?
Just taking care of
some old business.
All alone in the dark.
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.
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?
Well, the evidence
against Andrea
was compelling,
and as I'd feared,
the prosecution
put me on the stand.
Sure, I did.
Well, I was afraid my testimony
would convict my friend.
The defendant say, Miss Thomas?
I don't recall her exact words.
Well, then would you
paraphrase it for us, please?
She said, "No."
Um, 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.
But Ben took what I'd
said and proved otherwise.
Another Ben Matlock con.
Not really.
More like another point of view.
Hmm...
And then in the course
of my investigation,
I uncovered an important clue.
And then he went
back to his studio
and did some target practice.
And then, later, at
the victim's house,
Ben uncovered the one clue
that everyone had overlooked.
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 the cut on his right foot.
There's blood
here on the landing
and on this first step
and then on the second,
and if their
estimate is correct,
there should be blood
on this step, but there isn't.
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, uh,
Mr. Graham's housekeeper.
I-I came here to clear out
my things and to leave the key.
Ms. Larson...
Uh, how often did you come
in and clean for Mr. Graham?
I came in at 10:00, left at
5:00, day in and day out.
Hmm. 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.
Mr. Matlock, I was
nowhere near that place.
I was at my
apartment that night.
All night.
Your Honor, at this time...
I'd like to enter into
evidence defense exhibit "G,"
this piece of paper.
It was found in a 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.
Do you know what's on it?
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.
When you retrieved the piece
of paper and threw it away,
how could you know it had
Clay Graham's blood on it?
You had planned
everything so carefully.
I guess you thought this was
a blank piece of drawing paper.
Nothing further.
So, Matlock got your friend off.
She was innocent.
Well, maybe that's Ben.
I'll tell him you're waiting.
Hello?
Ben.
Yeah, I got soaked, too.
Ben?
Yeah, cats and dogs.
Ben...
They're predicting another
inch before nightfall?
Uh, more lightning
and thunder, too?
You're kidding.
Ben...
Do as I say and
I won't hurt you.
Don't scream, understand?
Tell him to come to the
office right now, got it?
Now.
Ben?
Yes, that
intersection is flooded.
Now! Ben, if you could
come to the office...
Okay. No, that's fine.
Good-bye.
Well?
He'll be here as soon as he can.
That was the best I could do.
No, it wasn't.
All right, Miss Thomas, I
want you to pick up the phone,
call Matlock and tell
him to come here now.
But I don't know
where to call him.
Don't lie to me.
I have been lied to
and lied to. No more.
I'm not lying to
you, Mr. Collins.
When Ben called, he
didn't say where he was.
You said the courthouse.
Well, yes, but the
courthouse is a big place.
He could have called
from almost any office
or from a phone
booth in a corridor or...
I honestly don't know
where to reach him.
I honestly don't.
You're making me
angry, Miss Thomas.
Ooh!
Oh!
One word, one
sound, you're dead.
That wind!
Oh, it's like a
hurricane out there.
Hi, Michelle.
Isn't this weather awful?
Is someone having
their picture taken?
Ben Matlock for the, uh,
the cover of Atlanta Digest.
The cover? Oh,
well, I'm impressed.
That rascal didn't tell me.
Uh, Mr. Matlock's at the
courthouse this morning.
You can find him there.
I just saw him there.
We're going to
meet here to go over
our plans for the Bar
Association meeting.
Last year, we
raised nearly 20...
Uh... is something wrong?
I'll...
I... I'll just go find
Ben at the courthouse.
Don't worry. I'll
see myself out.
I don't think so!
Oh!
Don't scream. Understand?
Sit.
Sit!
Over here, with your friend.
Come on!
Not too close.
You two are smart.
Too smart.
Now we'll all wait for
Ben Matlock together.
We haven't met.
I'm Julie March and you're...?
The man who is going
to kill Ben Matlock.
You sound very angry at Ben.
Angry doesn't half cover it.
Maybe if you talked about it.
Uh... Do you know Ben?
No, I never had the pleasure.
Ben Matlock is the finest
man I've ever known.
Look, lady, I've got no
bone to pick with you.
What are you, his girlfriend?
No, not exac... I
wouldn't exactly say that.
Well, what are you, then?
Well, actually,
our relationship is
very complicated.
Right from the beginning,
we had this marvelous rapport
and absolute
respect for each other.
You don't think for one second,
I'm going to reveal
my strategy, do you?
Give me a break.
You know the D.A.'s office.
I'm up against the toughest,
wildest, most ruthless
prosecutor they've got.
Thank you, Your Honor.
Now, Mr. Frankel,
you have testified
the trajectory of the
bullet into the chair...
Objection!
The chair isn't on trial here.
Let me ask that question again.
Did the chair... Objection.
The chair isn't in the witness
stand, though I'm sure if it
were, Mr. Matlock
would be piercing
in his examination.
Rephrase, Mr. Matlock.
I'd be pleased, Your Honor,
if I could get a gnat's
eye's worth of space
to get my question out.
What the hell
was that all about?
I beg your pardon?
Don't give me
that innocent look.
Of all the unreasonable,
meddlesome objections
I ever heard of.
Ooh, high praise.
And before lunch?
Chair on the witness stand.
I suppose you
thought that was cute?
Oh, come on, Ben.
The jury was falling asleep.
I did you a favor.
Besides, your
client is so guilty,
the only suspense is
when you're going to try
to plea bargain him.
Of course, our
relationship is not
all special moments.
But we are always
the best of friends.
I am merely stating matters
of fact... Your Honor, if you...
If I could... If I could just...
Matters of fact, Your Honor.
Counselors! This
young man's lifestyle...
Are you lecturing me?
No. Counselors!
Will counsel approach the bench?
It isn't always easy.
I mean, I prosecute
the people Ben defends.
So, at times,
we're what you might
call friendly adversaries.
Your Honor, we're just
having a reasoned argument.
Mr. Matlock, that'll be enough.
Back on the record.
As far as bail is concerned,
prosecution's
argument is well-taken.
Bail is denied.
Thank you, Your
Honor. But, Your Honor!
Mr. Matlock, that is all.
I'm sorry, but I do
think that was fair.
Well, I suppose.
Are you coming home for dinner?
Yeah. Good.
I'll make you the best fried
chicken you've ever had.
Yeah? Yeah.
Ben is the most brilliant
legal mind I've
ever encountered.
He's a fraud and a liar.
No, he isn't.
I'm sorry, but you're wrong.
Julie.
It's all right, Michelle.
Ben Matlock is not a
fraud, and he is certainly not
a liar. In fact, there
is only one time
when his integrity has
ever been questioned.
And Mr. Matlock said that
if I would vote not guilty,
and get some of the
other jurors to vote with me,
well, um, he'd make
it worth my while.
Worth your while?
$50,000.
50,000?
I... well, I said yes.
And-And as soon as
I said it, I felt terrible.
I wanted to back out, but
Mr. Matlock wouldn't let me.
Your Honor, I
object to all of this.
It's scurrilous and completely
without foundation.
Mr. Craven has no
corroboration of any kind.
Let him produce
one piece of evidence to
back up his story... just one!
Mr. Craven?
Where'd you get that envelope?
I knew Ben Matlock would
never do such a thing,
but there was evidence.
False evidence.
I've arranged for one
of the best legal minds
in the whole South
to defend you.
Who?
Me.
You?
As I've often heard you say,
you've got yourself
a mouthpiece.
Julie... Now, don't
worry about a thing.
You're in safe hands.
Mr. Craven, is there a reason
why nobody saw you
talking to Mr. Matlock?
Yes, he told me...
I must say, Ben was a little
surprised... and he wasn't
- the easiest client.
- Order!
It is, Your Honor!
It's a damn lie!
Mr. Matlock!
This jackass got
ahold of $50,000
somewhere and somebody's
trying to railroad me in on it, and it's
a damn lie!
Mr. Matlock, you will
sit down immediately,
or I'll cite you for contempt!
But we worked together.
I can't believe it,
losing control like that.
If I was my lawyer, I'd fire me.
I would, too.
But I can't fire you.
You're the only client I have.
I think we got him.
The chair.
Remember... the executive chair?
This chair will straighten
this whole thing out right now.
You remember this chair? Mm-hmm.
Where Dan Keaton was sitting...
when you shot him?
Mr. O'Hara...
would you please
sit in the chair?
There you go!
Ah...
Little low, isn't it?
It's not my chair.
That's right.
This chair was set for somebody
a lot taller.
Thank you, Mr. O'Hara.
Mr. Linford, have a seat.
Looks like a perfect fit.
Has the jury reached a verdict?
We have, Your Honor.
Will the defendant please stand?
May we have the verdict?
We find the defendant,
Benjamin Matlock,
not guilty.
Court is adjourned.
So you see, Ben
Matlock is an honest man.
You think Ben
Matlock is a great guy...
and he's honest and he's loyal.
Well, maybe he
is to his friends.
But what about
the innocent people
whose lives he's destroyed
with his brilliant legal mind?
Answer it.
If it's Matlock, tell him
there's an emergency
and he has to
get here right now.
Move!
Hello?
Hey there.
You managing to
keep your powder dry?
Ben, I'm glad you called.
You must really
have a bad connection
if you think I sound like Ben.
Listen, Ben, you have
to get over to the office
right away; there's
a client waiting.
Understand, Ben?
Something's wrong?
You'll have to see for yourself.
All right, you hang in there...
I'll be there in ten minutes.
Thanks, Ben.
Michelle?
Hello, babe.
Yeah, false alarm.
Yeah, so warm it
up... I'm on my way in.
All right, bye-bye.
Come on, let's go. Move it.
Move it!
Oh, Tyler.
Here. Ooh... Are you all right?
Yeah.
Well, it doesn't look too bad.
Just give me a
minute; I'll be all right.
He wants to kill Ben.
Correction: I'm gonna kill Ben.
Any particular reason?
He didn't say.
It's very peculiar.
First he breaks into the office,
locks us in the closet,
hits you over the head.
Then he says he wants to kill
Ben, but he won't tell us why.
Don't you think we
deserve an explanation?
Do you always talk so much?
Only when I'm nervous.
Baby, relax... nothing's
gonna happen to you.
I can't bear men I don't
know calling me "baby."
Shut up. I'm sorry.
Don't apologize;
just be quiet, okay?
Whatever you say.
Maybe you ought to relax.
I am fine.
You don't look so good.
You're sweating, you're on edge.
Why are you doing
this to yourself?
Why don't you think
about giving it up?
Forget it.
You know, personally,
I can understand someone
wanting to kill Ben Matlock.
I've thought about it
once or twice myself.
Tyler! No, really.
You see, the world sees what
Ben Matlock wants it to see:
the great defense
attorney, man for the people,
willing to fight the
good fight for justice.
Someone's got to do his legwork.
Someone's got
to dig out the facts.
Someone's got to do
the dirt around here.
Ben, now, this is
exactly the reason
why I don't like
investigative work.
Take a look around here.
One... this is the kind of place
where you can catch
death like a cold!
I assume there's a powerful
reason why we're here.
Two...
You never know when
one of these yahoos
is gonna get it in his
skull to mess with you.
Tyler, why are we here?
All right... I put the
word out to some people
that we are looking for
a very special songbird.
I got a message on
my answering machine
that said if we came
here we'd meet somebody.
You think the person we're
looking for could be here now?
Well, either that...
or they sent someone
to scout us out first.
You girls lost?
You see what I mean?
It never fails!
I asked you a question, Leroy.
Of course, you realize
that because of this scholar,
we have blown our meeting.
No one's gonna talk to us now.
Let's you and me get it on, son.
You know, friend, you're
right, you made your point.
We're leaving. Excuse us.
You ain't goin'...
Damn, I hate this business.
Now, I have been beat up,
tied up and locked
up for good old Ben.
You see, he's great
at giving directions.
I'm still following her, Ben.
Well, don't lose her.
Hey, do you tell Julia
Child how to fry an egg?
Is she with somebody?
Can you see?
Not yet.
Get closer.
I'm trying.
Can you see who it is?
I'm working on it, Ben!
Hey, I'm gonna take this
shortcut through the alley,
try to get in front of her.
Tyler?
Tyler?
Tyler?
Tyler?
Tyler?
Tyler, are you all right?
Yeah, yeah, I'm fine.
But I think I lost 'em.
Momentarily.
And he's willing to go to
any length to find the truth.
Ben, I was in the army
once... once is enough.
What do you mean, I have to?
You the new man?
Looks that way.
Name?
Hudson, Tyler.
Rank?
Private.
You get your butt into fatigues!
I'm gonna make you my
special project, Private!
Hear the news?
I died?
Five perfect
inspections in a row.
Everybody's going
in town tonight.
Not me.
You're not? No way.
The last 24 hours...
I've cleaned two latrines,
policed the parade grounds,
run an obstacle course, and...
painted the flagpole.
My back is killing me.
What used to be simple little
blisters on my hands and my feet
are now bleeding sores.
Now, as much as I
hate this little bunk,
when I lay my
head on this pillow,
it will not move until morning.
Ten-hut!
Gentlemen,
there will be no night
on the town tonight.
This platoon will
be in full field gear
at 1800 hours, ready
for a little speed march.
Carry on.
I knew I'd find you
around here someplace.
Don't talk to me.
Tyler... I know how
unpleasant this is,
and I can't tell you how much
I appreciate what you're doing.
But somehow, I'll
make it up to you.
I don't know how
yet, but I will, I swear.
What are you looking at?
You're gonna be mad.
Try me.
Well... you missed a spot.
I told you... I knew
you'd be mad.
There's no one that's
too big or too tough
for Ben Matlock.
You know, he told me
that you was his friend.
I guess I better go
straighten him out about that.
Let's talk.
Mrs. Martinez been in today?
Old Tyler Hudson is
prepared to buy him a drink.
Tequila all around...
courtesy of Tyler Hudson.
Harold was going to fire
you, wasn't he, Jimbo?
He said that you
are a hopeless drunk
and he was going to make sure
that you never got
another job... Why you...
Don't move, Jimbo.
Don't move.
See, I was in 'Nam.
I'm the real thing.
Green Beret, black
belt, Silver Star.
I was a P.O.W. and an M.I.A.
It was so bad where we were,
we slept in body
bags, just in case.
Don't you move, Jimbo.
I'll take you out.
But I want to know, just what
did Ben Matlock do to you?
Ben, you in there?
It's me, Les.
Get rid of him.
I got your mail.
Don't try anything.
Les.
Hi.
Wet enough for you?
I'm kind of busy, Les.
Ben's not in yet?
No. I'll tell him
you stopped by.
Boy, this rain's got the traffic
all snarled up this morning.
You've really got to go, Les.
I know, you're...
you're really busy.
But you go right ahead.
Don't mind me.
Just take me a couple
of minutes to fix this thing.
This isn't a good time, Les.
Aw, Ben's been complaining
about this for months.
You can't do that now.
I already am.
Oh, this filter hasn't been
changed in a blue moon.
You got a piece of
paper or something?
Les?
Oh, thanks.
I'll bring in a new
filter tomorrow.
Tell Ben that I said hello.
Nice to see you.
Come on, let's go.
Sit down!
Tie him up.
Uh, I don't really know how...
You're smart. Figure it out.
What is taking Matlock so long?
He's at the courthouse.
What's the matter, Ned,
you getting nervous?
Not particularly.
Maybe you're getting tired.
You're thinking that
you're getting sloppy
and might make a mistake.
Why else would you tie me up?
You know something else?
I think you got a problem.
Oh, really? What's that?
I think you had
it all figured out.
You knew what
you were going to do
and why you were doing it,
but now, you're not so sure.
Maybe you want a way out.
What makes you say that?
'Cause you won't tell
us why you're here.
You'll know when I'm ready.
Well, what's the big
secret? Tell us. Shut up!
Come on, what happened?
What was this great injustice?
What did Ben Matlock do to you?
Shut up. Come on, I'm waiting.
I'm going to gag
you. Then who, who
did Ben Matlock hurt?
My brother. Your brother?
My brother hanged
himself in jail last week.
Ned, Ben's a defense attorney.
He doesn't put people in jail.
He framed my brother.
That's impossible.
Ned, would you tell us
who you're talking about?
James Billings.
The Erskine Tate case.
Uh-huh.
I'm going to tell
you what happened.
My brother taught law.
He was Professor
Tate's teaching assistant.
He really cared for him.
He even gave him a party
at the end of the semester.
Here's to you, sir.
And that night at the party
Professor Tate had a
little too much to drink,
but he insisted on driving home.
And on the way home, he
ran over and killed a man.
Professor Tate
was as guilty as sin.
And the police had all the
evidence they needed to convict.
But Tate had something
better than the facts,
something better than the truth.
He had Ben Matlock as
his friend and attorney.
Ben. Ben Matlock.
Professor Tate, what happened?
What happened is they've
got me locked up in here
like some common criminal.
Well, Professor,
if they think you've
committed a crime
they'll lock you up whether
you're common or not.
But I haven't
committed any crime.
Not really.
Professor, what
are you doing here?
I don't really know. They...
booked me for driving
under the influence of alcohol,
minor property damage.
Were you driving
under the influence?
Well, I had a few
glasses of champagne.
A few?
You saw the whole thing?
Yeah, yeah, yeah. I
was standing right here.
I ran over to help him,
but he was dead already.
Matlock pulled out a
shabby bag of tricks.
He made witnesses
doubt their own stories.
He made other
witnesses afraid to talk.
Do I... do I know you?
We... We've never met.
Could have sworn
I'd seen you before.
But you're not sure?
A lot of folks come in here.
That's what I thought.
Isn't it true that had
you not gone in there,
the gas station attendant
would have been gone
and would not have
seen the hit-and-run?
I suppose so.
Isn't it true that
you lied to this court
because you're
part of a conspiracy
to frame Professor Tate? No!
Mr. Billings, isn't it
true that you knew
that students Wallace
and Lane had plagiarized
their paper? No.
But you're something
of a legal scholar.
Well, I still didn't spot it.
Instead of throwing
them out of school,
you forced them to
go along with your plan
to drug Professor Tate
and frame him for murder.
Mr. Matlock, you
know as well as I do
that none of this
has any basis in fact.
I know this...
I know you killed
an innocent man
to satisfy your warped need
- for revenge.
- Objection.
Sustained.
And when he was finished,
he had railroaded my brother.
I went to see James a week
before he took his own life.
He told me he didn't do it.
He was lying.
How the hell would you know?
Ned, may I go to
the desk? Sit down.
Are you afraid
to hear the truth?
I know the truth!
Then you have nothing to fear.
Here.
This is a letter
from your brother.
We received it about six
weeks after Erskine Tate's trial.
Ned, your brother
blamed Erskine Tate
for the death of your father.
He hated him so much,
he decided to
frame him for murder.
On the night of the party,
with the help of some students,
James drugged the professor.
I think it is time for...
We've actually done it.
Shut up, Wallace.
Easy, easy, the
party's just begun.
It's okay. Let's go.
Then he put on
Tate's coat and hat.
The students put Tate
in the backseat of his car
while your brother got
in behind the wheel.
They waited at a bus stop
and then, posing
as Erskine Tate,
your brother
intentionally ran over
and killed an innocent man.
This is James' handwriting.
Ned, give me the gun.
I'm with the District
Attorney's office.
I can make it easier for you.
You're not a killer,
and you know it.
You made the right decision.
Oh, I'm sorry I'm late.
My battery went dead, and
I had to call road service,
and on a day like
today they take forever.
Who are you?
Ned Billings, Ben Matlock.
Oh... No clients. Not now.
I have to get back to court.
I don't have time to
look at evidence now.
Just tag it and bag it
and put it on the desk.
Ben...
What are you doing
tied to that chair?
Ben... Tyler, I have to face
a jury in less than an hour.
I don't have time
to fool around.
♪ ♪
♪ ♪
Whew. Oh.
Good morning.
What's going on?
Well, finally.
I've been waiting since 8:30.
Where's Mr. Matlock?
Um... who are you?
I'm Ned Collins with the
Atlanta Digest magazine.
Mr. Matlock didn't tell
you about our interview?
No, he never mentioned it.
That's strange.
An interview with Atlanta
Digest is the kind of thing
Ben would grumble
about but secretly enjoy.
How did you get in here?
Security guard.
Nice guy. Let me stand out in
the rain for a good 20 minutes.
Oh.
Don't.
Are you all right, Mr. Collins?
Yeah, fine.
I, uh, I guess it's the rain.
It gets on my nerves. Yeah.
I didn't mean to
bark at you like that.
I understand.
I guess it's one of those days.
Yeah, it is.
Well, I need coffee.
You want some?
Yeah, about a quart.
So you expect
Mr. Matlock any minute?
Well, ordinarily,
Ben's the first one in.
He gets up at 5:00.
He says early morning's
his thinking time.
I don't even know my
own name at that hour.
But this morning,
Ben had to stop off
at the courthouse.
Courthouse?
When will he be here?
Not long.
And he's worth
waiting for, Mr. Collins.
Ben is the best storyteller.
Yeah, so I've heard.
Of course, he's been
known to embellish
just a little.
I've heard that, too.
You can't do that.
Like hell, I can't.
Ben doesn't allow anyone
to smoke in this office,
not even clients who
are paying him a fortune.
Now, if you light that,
you'll be out on your
ear without an interview.
I wouldn't want that.
Oh, that startled me.
That was so loud, huh?
I like rain, but
thunder, I don't know.
Oh, boy, this is a mess.
Like I said, it's just
one of those days.
Yeah.
Got to get some carpet cleaner.
Where you going?
The janitorial closet has
some cleaning supplies.
The security guard has the key.
Wait.
Oh, the power's going out.
Yeah, it seems that way.
Look, I have an idea.
You work side by
side with Matlock.
Who knows him better?
Till he arrives, why
don't I just interview you?
No. No, no, no.
Well, he can hardly
sit here himself
and talk about how great he is.
But he does, all the time.
And he is.
Well, Ben's not only the best
lawyer I've ever worked with
or the best lawyer
in Atlanta... Mm-hmm.
But the best, period.
To, uh, you know,
to watch him work,
put all the pieces
together, he's amazing.
And in the courtroom,
no one is better.
I remember this one case
when even I wasn't
prepared for what he did.
Members of the jury...
I know we'd all like to get
out of here and go someplace
where the air
conditioning actually works,
so I'm gonna be brief.
Now, I've got to be
fair and recognize,
as do you, that the prosecution
has collected a lot
of circumstantial evidence.
But the problem is,
it is all circumstantial.
Now, they've accused
this man of murder.
But no one saw the crime occur.
No body has ever been found.
No one knows how the
victim died or if he died at all.
In fact, they have never proved
a crime was actually committed.
And now... I'm
gonna count to ten.
And when I'm done,
this supposed
victim's gonna walk
through that door over there.
One... two...
three... four... five...
six... seven...
eight... nine... ten.
So you see, members of the jury,
in fairness,
you must return a
verdict of not guilty.
Each and every one of you
was staring at that door,
because you had
a reasonable doubt
that a crime was even committed.
And you must let
this man go free.
He was staring at that
door as hard as you were.
And so were they.
Dramatic, huh?
Very.
Sounds like he'll
do anything to win.
Mm-hmm.
Ben knows just how
to appeal to a jury.
He's a brilliant lawyer.
And teacher.
And friend.
He's a good friend.
One time, my best
friend from college
Andrea Morrow, was
accused of murder,
and it turned
into the strangest,
most unique case.
♪ ♪
Bang.
The killer was blind
and very, very clever.
Ah.
The electricity's gone out.
I wouldn't know.
It's-it's a circuit breaker.
What are you doing here, anyway?
Just taking care of
some old business.
All alone in the dark.
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.
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?
Well, the evidence
against Andrea
was compelling,
and as I'd feared,
the prosecution
put me on the stand.
Sure, I did.
Well, I was afraid my testimony
would convict my friend.
The defendant say, Miss Thomas?
I don't recall her exact words.
Well, then would you
paraphrase it for us, please?
She said, "No."
Um, 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.
But Ben took what I'd
said and proved otherwise.
Another Ben Matlock con.
Not really.
More like another point of view.
Hmm...
And then in the course
of my investigation,
I uncovered an important clue.
And then he went
back to his studio
and did some target practice.
And then, later, at
the victim's house,
Ben uncovered the one clue
that everyone had overlooked.
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 the cut on his right foot.
There's blood
here on the landing
and on this first step
and then on the second,
and if their
estimate is correct,
there should be blood
on this step, but there isn't.
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, uh,
Mr. Graham's housekeeper.
I-I came here to clear out
my things and to leave the key.
Ms. Larson...
Uh, how often did you come
in and clean for Mr. Graham?
I came in at 10:00, left at
5:00, day in and day out.
Hmm. 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.
Mr. Matlock, I was
nowhere near that place.
I was at my
apartment that night.
All night.
Your Honor, at this time...
I'd like to enter into
evidence defense exhibit "G,"
this piece of paper.
It was found in a 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.
Do you know what's on it?
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.
When you retrieved the piece
of paper and threw it away,
how could you know it had
Clay Graham's blood on it?
You had planned
everything so carefully.
I guess you thought this was
a blank piece of drawing paper.
Nothing further.
So, Matlock got your friend off.
She was innocent.
Well, maybe that's Ben.
I'll tell him you're waiting.
Hello?
Ben.
Yeah, I got soaked, too.
Ben?
Yeah, cats and dogs.
Ben...
They're predicting another
inch before nightfall?
Uh, more lightning
and thunder, too?
You're kidding.
Ben...
Do as I say and
I won't hurt you.
Don't scream, understand?
Tell him to come to the
office right now, got it?
Now.
Ben?
Yes, that
intersection is flooded.
Now! Ben, if you could
come to the office...
Okay. No, that's fine.
Good-bye.
Well?
He'll be here as soon as he can.
That was the best I could do.
No, it wasn't.
All right, Miss Thomas, I
want you to pick up the phone,
call Matlock and tell
him to come here now.
But I don't know
where to call him.
Don't lie to me.
I have been lied to
and lied to. No more.
I'm not lying to
you, Mr. Collins.
When Ben called, he
didn't say where he was.
You said the courthouse.
Well, yes, but the
courthouse is a big place.
He could have called
from almost any office
or from a phone
booth in a corridor or...
I honestly don't know
where to reach him.
I honestly don't.
You're making me
angry, Miss Thomas.
Ooh!
Oh!
One word, one
sound, you're dead.
That wind!
Oh, it's like a
hurricane out there.
Hi, Michelle.
Isn't this weather awful?
Is someone having
their picture taken?
Ben Matlock for the, uh,
the cover of Atlanta Digest.
The cover? Oh,
well, I'm impressed.
That rascal didn't tell me.
Uh, Mr. Matlock's at the
courthouse this morning.
You can find him there.
I just saw him there.
We're going to
meet here to go over
our plans for the Bar
Association meeting.
Last year, we
raised nearly 20...
Uh... is something wrong?
I'll...
I... I'll just go find
Ben at the courthouse.
Don't worry. I'll
see myself out.
I don't think so!
Oh!
Don't scream. Understand?
Sit.
Sit!
Over here, with your friend.
Come on!
Not too close.
You two are smart.
Too smart.
Now we'll all wait for
Ben Matlock together.
We haven't met.
I'm Julie March and you're...?
The man who is going
to kill Ben Matlock.
You sound very angry at Ben.
Angry doesn't half cover it.
Maybe if you talked about it.
Uh... Do you know Ben?
No, I never had the pleasure.
Ben Matlock is the finest
man I've ever known.
Look, lady, I've got no
bone to pick with you.
What are you, his girlfriend?
No, not exac... I
wouldn't exactly say that.
Well, what are you, then?
Well, actually,
our relationship is
very complicated.
Right from the beginning,
we had this marvelous rapport
and absolute
respect for each other.
You don't think for one second,
I'm going to reveal
my strategy, do you?
Give me a break.
You know the D.A.'s office.
I'm up against the toughest,
wildest, most ruthless
prosecutor they've got.
Thank you, Your Honor.
Now, Mr. Frankel,
you have testified
the trajectory of the
bullet into the chair...
Objection!
The chair isn't on trial here.
Let me ask that question again.
Did the chair... Objection.
The chair isn't in the witness
stand, though I'm sure if it
were, Mr. Matlock
would be piercing
in his examination.
Rephrase, Mr. Matlock.
I'd be pleased, Your Honor,
if I could get a gnat's
eye's worth of space
to get my question out.
What the hell
was that all about?
I beg your pardon?
Don't give me
that innocent look.
Of all the unreasonable,
meddlesome objections
I ever heard of.
Ooh, high praise.
And before lunch?
Chair on the witness stand.
I suppose you
thought that was cute?
Oh, come on, Ben.
The jury was falling asleep.
I did you a favor.
Besides, your
client is so guilty,
the only suspense is
when you're going to try
to plea bargain him.
Of course, our
relationship is not
all special moments.
But we are always
the best of friends.
I am merely stating matters
of fact... Your Honor, if you...
If I could... If I could just...
Matters of fact, Your Honor.
Counselors! This
young man's lifestyle...
Are you lecturing me?
No. Counselors!
Will counsel approach the bench?
It isn't always easy.
I mean, I prosecute
the people Ben defends.
So, at times,
we're what you might
call friendly adversaries.
Your Honor, we're just
having a reasoned argument.
Mr. Matlock, that'll be enough.
Back on the record.
As far as bail is concerned,
prosecution's
argument is well-taken.
Bail is denied.
Thank you, Your
Honor. But, Your Honor!
Mr. Matlock, that is all.
I'm sorry, but I do
think that was fair.
Well, I suppose.
Are you coming home for dinner?
Yeah. Good.
I'll make you the best fried
chicken you've ever had.
Yeah? Yeah.
Ben is the most brilliant
legal mind I've
ever encountered.
He's a fraud and a liar.
No, he isn't.
I'm sorry, but you're wrong.
Julie.
It's all right, Michelle.
Ben Matlock is not a
fraud, and he is certainly not
a liar. In fact, there
is only one time
when his integrity has
ever been questioned.
And Mr. Matlock said that
if I would vote not guilty,
and get some of the
other jurors to vote with me,
well, um, he'd make
it worth my while.
Worth your while?
$50,000.
50,000?
I... well, I said yes.
And-And as soon as
I said it, I felt terrible.
I wanted to back out, but
Mr. Matlock wouldn't let me.
Your Honor, I
object to all of this.
It's scurrilous and completely
without foundation.
Mr. Craven has no
corroboration of any kind.
Let him produce
one piece of evidence to
back up his story... just one!
Mr. Craven?
Where'd you get that envelope?
I knew Ben Matlock would
never do such a thing,
but there was evidence.
False evidence.
I've arranged for one
of the best legal minds
in the whole South
to defend you.
Who?
Me.
You?
As I've often heard you say,
you've got yourself
a mouthpiece.
Julie... Now, don't
worry about a thing.
You're in safe hands.
Mr. Craven, is there a reason
why nobody saw you
talking to Mr. Matlock?
Yes, he told me...
I must say, Ben was a little
surprised... and he wasn't
- the easiest client.
- Order!
It is, Your Honor!
It's a damn lie!
Mr. Matlock!
This jackass got
ahold of $50,000
somewhere and somebody's
trying to railroad me in on it, and it's
a damn lie!
Mr. Matlock, you will
sit down immediately,
or I'll cite you for contempt!
But we worked together.
I can't believe it,
losing control like that.
If I was my lawyer, I'd fire me.
I would, too.
But I can't fire you.
You're the only client I have.
I think we got him.
The chair.
Remember... the executive chair?
This chair will straighten
this whole thing out right now.
You remember this chair? Mm-hmm.
Where Dan Keaton was sitting...
when you shot him?
Mr. O'Hara...
would you please
sit in the chair?
There you go!
Ah...
Little low, isn't it?
It's not my chair.
That's right.
This chair was set for somebody
a lot taller.
Thank you, Mr. O'Hara.
Mr. Linford, have a seat.
Looks like a perfect fit.
Has the jury reached a verdict?
We have, Your Honor.
Will the defendant please stand?
May we have the verdict?
We find the defendant,
Benjamin Matlock,
not guilty.
Court is adjourned.
So you see, Ben
Matlock is an honest man.
You think Ben
Matlock is a great guy...
and he's honest and he's loyal.
Well, maybe he
is to his friends.
But what about
the innocent people
whose lives he's destroyed
with his brilliant legal mind?
Answer it.
If it's Matlock, tell him
there's an emergency
and he has to
get here right now.
Move!
Hello?
Hey there.
You managing to
keep your powder dry?
Ben, I'm glad you called.
You must really
have a bad connection
if you think I sound like Ben.
Listen, Ben, you have
to get over to the office
right away; there's
a client waiting.
Understand, Ben?
Something's wrong?
You'll have to see for yourself.
All right, you hang in there...
I'll be there in ten minutes.
Thanks, Ben.
Michelle?
Hello, babe.
Yeah, false alarm.
Yeah, so warm it
up... I'm on my way in.
All right, bye-bye.
Come on, let's go. Move it.
Move it!
Oh, Tyler.
Here. Ooh... Are you all right?
Yeah.
Well, it doesn't look too bad.
Just give me a
minute; I'll be all right.
He wants to kill Ben.
Correction: I'm gonna kill Ben.
Any particular reason?
He didn't say.
It's very peculiar.
First he breaks into the office,
locks us in the closet,
hits you over the head.
Then he says he wants to kill
Ben, but he won't tell us why.
Don't you think we
deserve an explanation?
Do you always talk so much?
Only when I'm nervous.
Baby, relax... nothing's
gonna happen to you.
I can't bear men I don't
know calling me "baby."
Shut up. I'm sorry.
Don't apologize;
just be quiet, okay?
Whatever you say.
Maybe you ought to relax.
I am fine.
You don't look so good.
You're sweating, you're on edge.
Why are you doing
this to yourself?
Why don't you think
about giving it up?
Forget it.
You know, personally,
I can understand someone
wanting to kill Ben Matlock.
I've thought about it
once or twice myself.
Tyler! No, really.
You see, the world sees what
Ben Matlock wants it to see:
the great defense
attorney, man for the people,
willing to fight the
good fight for justice.
Someone's got to do his legwork.
Someone's got
to dig out the facts.
Someone's got to do
the dirt around here.
Ben, now, this is
exactly the reason
why I don't like
investigative work.
Take a look around here.
One... this is the kind of place
where you can catch
death like a cold!
I assume there's a powerful
reason why we're here.
Two...
You never know when
one of these yahoos
is gonna get it in his
skull to mess with you.
Tyler, why are we here?
All right... I put the
word out to some people
that we are looking for
a very special songbird.
I got a message on
my answering machine
that said if we came
here we'd meet somebody.
You think the person we're
looking for could be here now?
Well, either that...
or they sent someone
to scout us out first.
You girls lost?
You see what I mean?
It never fails!
I asked you a question, Leroy.
Of course, you realize
that because of this scholar,
we have blown our meeting.
No one's gonna talk to us now.
Let's you and me get it on, son.
You know, friend, you're
right, you made your point.
We're leaving. Excuse us.
You ain't goin'...
Damn, I hate this business.
Now, I have been beat up,
tied up and locked
up for good old Ben.
You see, he's great
at giving directions.
I'm still following her, Ben.
Well, don't lose her.
Hey, do you tell Julia
Child how to fry an egg?
Is she with somebody?
Can you see?
Not yet.
Get closer.
I'm trying.
Can you see who it is?
I'm working on it, Ben!
Hey, I'm gonna take this
shortcut through the alley,
try to get in front of her.
Tyler?
Tyler?
Tyler?
Tyler?
Tyler?
Tyler, are you all right?
Yeah, yeah, I'm fine.
But I think I lost 'em.
Momentarily.
And he's willing to go to
any length to find the truth.
Ben, I was in the army
once... once is enough.
What do you mean, I have to?
You the new man?
Looks that way.
Name?
Hudson, Tyler.
Rank?
Private.
You get your butt into fatigues!
I'm gonna make you my
special project, Private!
Hear the news?
I died?
Five perfect
inspections in a row.
Everybody's going
in town tonight.
Not me.
You're not? No way.
The last 24 hours...
I've cleaned two latrines,
policed the parade grounds,
run an obstacle course, and...
painted the flagpole.
My back is killing me.
What used to be simple little
blisters on my hands and my feet
are now bleeding sores.
Now, as much as I
hate this little bunk,
when I lay my
head on this pillow,
it will not move until morning.
Ten-hut!
Gentlemen,
there will be no night
on the town tonight.
This platoon will
be in full field gear
at 1800 hours, ready
for a little speed march.
Carry on.
I knew I'd find you
around here someplace.
Don't talk to me.
Tyler... I know how
unpleasant this is,
and I can't tell you how much
I appreciate what you're doing.
But somehow, I'll
make it up to you.
I don't know how
yet, but I will, I swear.
What are you looking at?
You're gonna be mad.
Try me.
Well... you missed a spot.
I told you... I knew
you'd be mad.
There's no one that's
too big or too tough
for Ben Matlock.
You know, he told me
that you was his friend.
I guess I better go
straighten him out about that.
Let's talk.
Mrs. Martinez been in today?
Old Tyler Hudson is
prepared to buy him a drink.
Tequila all around...
courtesy of Tyler Hudson.
Harold was going to fire
you, wasn't he, Jimbo?
He said that you
are a hopeless drunk
and he was going to make sure
that you never got
another job... Why you...
Don't move, Jimbo.
Don't move.
See, I was in 'Nam.
I'm the real thing.
Green Beret, black
belt, Silver Star.
I was a P.O.W. and an M.I.A.
It was so bad where we were,
we slept in body
bags, just in case.
Don't you move, Jimbo.
I'll take you out.
But I want to know, just what
did Ben Matlock do to you?
Ben, you in there?
It's me, Les.
Get rid of him.
I got your mail.
Don't try anything.
Les.
Hi.
Wet enough for you?
I'm kind of busy, Les.
Ben's not in yet?
No. I'll tell him
you stopped by.
Boy, this rain's got the traffic
all snarled up this morning.
You've really got to go, Les.
I know, you're...
you're really busy.
But you go right ahead.
Don't mind me.
Just take me a couple
of minutes to fix this thing.
This isn't a good time, Les.
Aw, Ben's been complaining
about this for months.
You can't do that now.
I already am.
Oh, this filter hasn't been
changed in a blue moon.
You got a piece of
paper or something?
Les?
Oh, thanks.
I'll bring in a new
filter tomorrow.
Tell Ben that I said hello.
Nice to see you.
Come on, let's go.
Sit down!
Tie him up.
Uh, I don't really know how...
You're smart. Figure it out.
What is taking Matlock so long?
He's at the courthouse.
What's the matter, Ned,
you getting nervous?
Not particularly.
Maybe you're getting tired.
You're thinking that
you're getting sloppy
and might make a mistake.
Why else would you tie me up?
You know something else?
I think you got a problem.
Oh, really? What's that?
I think you had
it all figured out.
You knew what
you were going to do
and why you were doing it,
but now, you're not so sure.
Maybe you want a way out.
What makes you say that?
'Cause you won't tell
us why you're here.
You'll know when I'm ready.
Well, what's the big
secret? Tell us. Shut up!
Come on, what happened?
What was this great injustice?
What did Ben Matlock do to you?
Shut up. Come on, I'm waiting.
I'm going to gag
you. Then who, who
did Ben Matlock hurt?
My brother. Your brother?
My brother hanged
himself in jail last week.
Ned, Ben's a defense attorney.
He doesn't put people in jail.
He framed my brother.
That's impossible.
Ned, would you tell us
who you're talking about?
James Billings.
The Erskine Tate case.
Uh-huh.
I'm going to tell
you what happened.
My brother taught law.
He was Professor
Tate's teaching assistant.
He really cared for him.
He even gave him a party
at the end of the semester.
Here's to you, sir.
And that night at the party
Professor Tate had a
little too much to drink,
but he insisted on driving home.
And on the way home, he
ran over and killed a man.
Professor Tate
was as guilty as sin.
And the police had all the
evidence they needed to convict.
But Tate had something
better than the facts,
something better than the truth.
He had Ben Matlock as
his friend and attorney.
Ben. Ben Matlock.
Professor Tate, what happened?
What happened is they've
got me locked up in here
like some common criminal.
Well, Professor,
if they think you've
committed a crime
they'll lock you up whether
you're common or not.
But I haven't
committed any crime.
Not really.
Professor, what
are you doing here?
I don't really know. They...
booked me for driving
under the influence of alcohol,
minor property damage.
Were you driving
under the influence?
Well, I had a few
glasses of champagne.
A few?
You saw the whole thing?
Yeah, yeah, yeah. I
was standing right here.
I ran over to help him,
but he was dead already.
Matlock pulled out a
shabby bag of tricks.
He made witnesses
doubt their own stories.
He made other
witnesses afraid to talk.
Do I... do I know you?
We... We've never met.
Could have sworn
I'd seen you before.
But you're not sure?
A lot of folks come in here.
That's what I thought.
Isn't it true that had
you not gone in there,
the gas station attendant
would have been gone
and would not have
seen the hit-and-run?
I suppose so.
Isn't it true that
you lied to this court
because you're
part of a conspiracy
to frame Professor Tate? No!
Mr. Billings, isn't it
true that you knew
that students Wallace
and Lane had plagiarized
their paper? No.
But you're something
of a legal scholar.
Well, I still didn't spot it.
Instead of throwing
them out of school,
you forced them to
go along with your plan
to drug Professor Tate
and frame him for murder.
Mr. Matlock, you
know as well as I do
that none of this
has any basis in fact.
I know this...
I know you killed
an innocent man
to satisfy your warped need
- for revenge.
- Objection.
Sustained.
And when he was finished,
he had railroaded my brother.
I went to see James a week
before he took his own life.
He told me he didn't do it.
He was lying.
How the hell would you know?
Ned, may I go to
the desk? Sit down.
Are you afraid
to hear the truth?
I know the truth!
Then you have nothing to fear.
Here.
This is a letter
from your brother.
We received it about six
weeks after Erskine Tate's trial.
Ned, your brother
blamed Erskine Tate
for the death of your father.
He hated him so much,
he decided to
frame him for murder.
On the night of the party,
with the help of some students,
James drugged the professor.
I think it is time for...
We've actually done it.
Shut up, Wallace.
Easy, easy, the
party's just begun.
It's okay. Let's go.
Then he put on
Tate's coat and hat.
The students put Tate
in the backseat of his car
while your brother got
in behind the wheel.
They waited at a bus stop
and then, posing
as Erskine Tate,
your brother
intentionally ran over
and killed an innocent man.
This is James' handwriting.
Ned, give me the gun.
I'm with the District
Attorney's office.
I can make it easier for you.
You're not a killer,
and you know it.
You made the right decision.
Oh, I'm sorry I'm late.
My battery went dead, and
I had to call road service,
and on a day like
today they take forever.
Who are you?
Ned Billings, Ben Matlock.
Oh... No clients. Not now.
I have to get back to court.
I don't have time to
look at evidence now.
Just tag it and bag it
and put it on the desk.
Ben...
What are you doing
tied to that chair?
Ben... Tyler, I have to face
a jury in less than an hour.
I don't have time
to fool around.