Matlock (1986–1995): Season 5, Episode 15 - The Man of the Year - full transcript
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Come on!
Mi... Mrs. McCardle?
M-Mrs. McCardle?
Mrs. McCardle, where you going?
Oh, I'm going to St.
Augustine's to light a candle
for my Uncle Hugh
who died this day.
Oh, I'm sorry.
You just found out?
Oh, no. He died this
day 18 years ago.
Oh. Well, M-M-Mrs. McCardle...
He was a darlin' man.
Darlin'.
M-Mrs. McCardle,
some very important
people are honoring me
with a luncheon in Atlanta,
and my car won't start.
I need a lift.
Oh. Well, I'm a Christian
woman, so all right.
But first you'll come
with me to St. Augustine.
Well... well, I'm late already.
Uh... la-later,
I'll-I'll light a candle
for Unc... Uncle Hugh myself.
Oh, that's a darlin'
idea, just darlin'.
Good. I'll work on my
speech on the way.
The Chamber of
Commerce's Man of the Year.
Don't you think?
Oh, yeah.
I'm so happy it's Ben.
He's quite a representative.
Oh, no.
I don't believe this.
How could this happen?
What's wrong?
The master of ceremonies.
"Arthur Saxon."
Didn't you date him?
Date?
Oh, he's such a jerk.
Jerk?
Do you ever listen
to Arthur on the radio?
No.
Oh, you're lucky.
The last time... the only time...
I ever had a date with him,
do you know what he said?
What?
That I was lucky to be with him.
Oh! Jerk.
Oh, man, he
thinks he's so great.
He's insensitive,
he's totally egocentric.
Oh, on a scale of one to
ten, I give myself about a 20.
Hello, Arthur.
Mmm, always
thrilled, aren't you?
Mmm. Hey, listen,
after we get out of here...
Uh, Julie March, Arthur Saxon.
Arthur Saxon, Julie March,
the Assistant District Attorney.
How do you do?
Nice. I'll bet you're
really cute in court.
Well, I like to
think I'm effective.
Well, that's what I mean.
That fire in your
eyes? That's adorable.
You don't even like Ben.
Why are you the
master of ceremonies?
Because I'm Atlanta's
number-one celeb.
Besides, who else
they gonna ask?
So, where is the geezer?
Do you mean Ben?
Are you gonna say
nice things about Ben?
Baby, I'm never nice.
This is not like Ben.
Look, gang, at
3:30, I'm outta here.
I'm starting this, uh,
bash without the geezer.
You can't.
Honey, baby, watch me.
Well, that's peculiar,
very peculiar.
What's peculiar?
Mrs. McCardle!
M-Mrs. McCardle,
where... where are we?!
Oh, now, now, I'll
tell you in a minute.
Now let's see. Am I
not seeing the I-20?
92.
Ah, there we are, Looperwillow.
Ah, I should have taken exit 91.
That was my mistake,
not taking exit 91.
Get in the car!
I'm driving very fast!
Don't you be looking
at me like that.
Do you have a St.
Christopher's medal?
Of course not!
Well, there you are. That's
why we're having trouble.
Do you have a St.
Christopher's medal?
Of course I do.
Didn't do much for you.
You folks need some help?
Oh, young man,
we have a flat tire.
Uh, uh, do you suppose that
you could change it for us?
That's no problem.
You got a spare and a jack?
McCARDLE: Uh, in the trunk.
That's what my St.
Christopher medal did for me.
Wasn't home.
Mrs. McCardle
wasn't there, either.
Maybe I should go over there.
Let's give him
another five minutes.
Ladies and gentlemen,
he's not here yet.
The geezer's
probably gone fishing!
But that's okay,
because what we do have
is his lovely associate,
who just happens to be
the former Miss Legs of the
Universe, Michelle Thomas,
who just happens
to be crazy about me.
I'm not crazy about you.
Working side-by-side
with one of the most incisive
legal minds in the country
has been a tremendous
learning experience for me.
Ben has defended
all kinds of people,
from very wealthy to very poor,
from very intelligent to...
Well, there was this one
very sweet young man,
Tommy Jenks.
Sandra? I fixed your horse.
Hey, Tommy.
Tommy?!
What's wrong?!
You come along, now.
Don't give us any trouble.
Come on.
Easy, now.
Put the cuffs on him!
Take it easy, son!
- No, please stop! What are you doing?!
- Tommy!
- Let me go!
- No!
Tommy, stop it!
Now, stop fighting right now!
Now, Tommy, you do
what the policemen
tell you to do, hear?
Yes, sir.
Put your hands behind your back.
Ben's old friend
Sam Taylor suffered
a terrible personal tragedy
when his daughter
Sandra was murdered.
I, um, I read the paper.
I'm really sorry about Sandra.
Thanks.
Things sure are never
gonna be the same
around here without her.
Is there anything
I can do for you?
Well, yeah, yeah.
The police have
arrested Tommy Jenks.
Yeah, I read about that.
Tommy's retarded.
His father was one
of my best friends.
Can you help, Ben?
It would, it would
mean the world to me.
I knew Miss Sandra was dead
'cause sometimes on the farm,
horses, they get dead.
They get all cold
and they don't move,
and it's just the way she was,
and it made me scared to
see Miss Sandra like that.
Come sit down.
Sit down.
That's why you ran away and hid?
Can I go home now?
No. Not... not yet.
Oh, I forgot to feed the
horses their oats this morning.
Mr. Clint's gonna be so mad!
Tommy, listen to me.
Some people think
you killed Sandra,
and that means there's
going to have to be a trial.
Are you... are you with me?
Do you understand?
I didn't... I didn't clean
out the stalls either.
Tommy, Tommy,
listen to me, listen to me.
We can tell the judge...
He's the man in
charge of the trial...
That you wish to plead
diminished capacity.
Tha-That means that, that
maybe you killed Sandra,
but you didn't know
what you were doing,
and-and you didn't mean to.
That's wrong!
I didn't kill Sandra!
But, Tommy, see, sometimes,
sometimes we have...
Oh, Lord.
Ben was convinced Tommy
hadn't murdered Sandra,
and he fought tooth and
nail to prove his innocence.
Sam, when you take a walk,
you just go ahead and
take one, don't you?
Two miles out, two miles back.
That's supposed to keep me
from getting
another heart attack.
Oh, yeah, yeah.
What's, uh... what's in there?
It's a grave.
The best horse I ever
had is buried there...
Knight's Legend.
Do you remember him?
Oh, that's right.
He won the Triple Crown.
- Yeah.
- Yeah.
Broke his leg winning
the Peachtree Stakes
about four years ago.
I had to put him down.
Oh... couldn't you,
couldn't you patch him up?
Oh, maybe, maybe not.
But I just couldn't
see him go on like that.
Donald, haul a bale of
hay out to the paddock
and break it up.
New mare's out there.
I'll do it, Mr. Clint!
I said Donald.
After all, you're not gonna
be around here much longer.
I'm not going anyplace.
Hell, you're going to prison.
Cut it out, Clint!
No!
What the hell did
you do that for?
Tommy! Tommy, come back here!
What the hell got into him?
Tommy wasn't easy.
At one point, Ben had to send
Tyler Hudson out to find him.
Oh, hey. Whoa, whoa,
where you going?
You guys are teasing me.
No, we're not.
Yes, you are.
Oh. Did you hear that, Jed?
Huh?
I think he just
called me a liar.
Well, now... Now,
you got to understand,
L-Lyle here is my friend.
And I don't like it when
people call him a liar.
I don't like it at all!
Whoa! You captured him.
Good work, gentlemen.
Now, speak very softly.
And watch what you say.
And who are you?
I am Dr. Tyler Hudson,
criminal psychiatrist,
and you, gentlemen,
have just captured
a very dangerous man.
Come on. This halfwit?
Hey, let's put it this way.
There were three of us
escorting him to a violent ward.
Somebody said the wrong thing.
I'm the only one still walking.
Tommy?
Mr. Matlock sent me for you.
Come with me, okay?
Eventually, in court,
Ben proved Tommy innocent
with a very unusual tactic.
Now, Mr. Donovan,
have you ever... have
you ever seen this picture?
No.
Don't you think he looks a
little bit like Knight's Legend?
Yeah, I guess.
Yeah. I do. I do. I, um...
I had that picture blown up.
Look at that. Look at that.
Isn't that nice?
I had it blown up and, uh...
you see, right under
the tote board it says
this race was run
March 19 of this year.
Three months ago.
Guess it can't be a picture
of Knight's Legend,
then, can it?
No, no.
No. It could be a picture
of Knight's Legend's
colt, though, couldn't it?
Well, that's impossible.
You heard Mr. Taylor.
Knight's Legend was destroyed
before he could be
used for breeding.
He was supposed to be.
But was he, Mr. Donovan?
Yes. I buried him myself.
Where?
The edge of the south
pasture where it's fenced off.
That whole area was
dug up this weekend.
There's nothing buried there.
That horse is alive and well.
That's Knight's Legend!
This court will come to order!
Please be seated.
Mr. Matlock, how
long do you intend
to have this animal
in my courtroom?
Your Honor,
this is not a Bengal
tiger or a python snake.
This is just a brown horse
who likes people. See?
Nice horsey.
A few moments, Your Honor.
I'll hold you to that.
Yes, sir.
Mr. Donovan,
perhaps you'd like to
change your testimony.
That is Knight's
Legend, isn't it?
Yes.
And this is a photograph
of Knight's Legend's
offspring, isn't it?
Yes.
You know where
I got this picture?
In Sandra Taylor's briefcase.
I don't know where she
got it. Doesn't matter.
But I am sure the instant
she saw this photograph,
she saw the resemblance
to Knight's Legend.
She showed it
to you, didn't she?
Why would she do that?
When she showed it to you,
you knew it was
only a matter of time
before she put it all together.
And then it would
truly all be over.
So that night,
when Tommy left the bunkhouse,
you put on your work gloves,
took Tommy's knife,
went up to Sandra's
office and killed her.
Working with Ben Matlock
is an honor and a privilege.
I say that not only
because it's true,
but because he said
he'd fire me if I didn't.
Thank you all.
There you go. Good as new.
- Oh, thank you so much.
- Yeah, yeah...
I believe the young
man should be rewarded.
Yeah, yeah.
Um, uh, how does
a five spot sound?
That's fine, but everything
you've got sounds better.
Everything.
And the purse.
Oh...
Now, get back.
He's stealing my car.
Isn't there anything we can do?
What can we do?
He's got your St.
Christopher's medal.
Hello.
And now I'd like
to introduce you
to the prettiest
prosecutor in town.
Don't let the title
scare you guys.
She's all woman, all lips,
and a terrific kisser.
Ms. Julie March.
I've never kissed him, honest.
Why did you say that?
I'm here today to talk
about Ben Matlock,
who, up until now,
has always been
very punctual and,
uh, very cranky
when other people are late.
But aside from that,
ladies and gentlemen,
Ben Matlock is a man
whose world is his courthouse,
and whose courtroom
happens to be
wherever he finds the truth.
One case took him far from home.
You're not going to get
away with this, Forester.
We printed a
retraction, Mr. Gabriel.
You ruined my life, and you
think that three crummy lines
on page 56 are going
to make everything okay?
You want damages?
Go back to court.
Show Mr. Gabriel the way out.
- No!
- Come on, pal.
You can't ruin a person
and then just throw
them out of your office.
Things have a way of turning
around, and you're going
to get yours, Mr. Forester.
You'll get yours.
This was my first time
as a defense attorney,
and Ben had his reservations.
- Ben?
- Oh, hi.
Oh, hi. You'll never guess.
- Ah...
- I'm taking a leave from the D.A.'s office
and I'm going home to Baltimore,
and I'm going to defend a
client on a murder charge.
Oh, well, uh... Uh, how...
When did this all-all happen?
Well, I got a call today
from an old friend from
high school, Penny Gabriel.
She was my very best friend.
And her brother has been
arrested on a murder charge.
But he didn't do it. He
couldn't have done it,
because he was
always a real sweet kid,
so I told her I would come.
Uh, defending someone
isn't any harder or easier
than prosecuting someone.
It's just... It's different.
Hi.
Oh, hi, Julie. How's it going?
Everything is
moving right along.
Oh.
Uh-huh?
You know, Ben,
uh, you were right.
This is... this
is very different.
Uh, I'm used to
having the police
at my disposal for everything...
You know, leg work, and...
All I have to do is
pick up the phone.
Here I am, trying to
do three things at once.
Uh-huh. Well, I
can't do it all, either.
That's why I have
an investigator.
An investigator?
Oh, Ben, that's
just what I need.
Is Conrad busy?
I can... I can ask him.
Well, I'd appreciate that, Ben.
Now-Now-Now,
you don't worry. I'll...
Look, I've got to go, Ben. Bye.
Okay. Bye.
Even long-distance,
Ben's experience
helped me with the case.
I'm sorry, but the car
rental place was jammed.
I'm so s...
Julie?
You're prosecuting this case?
Then Ben helped in a
way I never expected.
Julie?
It's nice to see
you again, Donald.
You look great.
Oh, thank you.
Ben?
Hi.
Conrad's busy,
but I'm not, and I'm
- a pretty good investigator.
- Oh, I...
This is... I didn't...
This is such a surprise.
Julie?
Oh, I'm sorry. Ben Matlock,
this is the
prosecuting attorney,
Donald March.
- Pleased to meet you.
- Ah...
Uh, March? Are you related?
Not anymore.
We used to be married.
Despite his discomfort,
Ben came through.
Now, we need to
find out who knew
that Steve was going
to be there that night.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
- Right.
- Where will you be?
At the courthouse.
Oh, yes. Forester
had a secretary
named Katherine Ellery.
Uh, at, uh... at the courthouse?
Then y-you'll see, uh...
- Donald.
- Yeah.
He's the prosecutor.
Oh, of course. Yeah.
Ben?
Are you asking me if I'm
having dinner with Donald?
Oh, no. No, no, no.
No, it's just...
You see, i-if I find
out something,
I'll want to tell you,
and I wouldn't know...
Excuse me, Mr. McBride,
but what were you doing on
the night Forester was murdered?
I don't believe this.
The man hired me. He
took me under his wing.
He turned me into one of
the best reporters in this city.
You think I killed him?
Hi, Mr. Brady. Ben Matlock.
I don't talk to lawyers.
My lawyers talk to lawyers.
I just want to ask you
a couple of questions.
Sorry. It's lunch
time. I'm out of here.
Uh, well, how... how
about if I go with you?
Have lunch with a lawyer?
No, I don't think so.
My stomach isn't
what it used to be.
Mr. Brady, do you own
your own home free and
clear, or is there
a large mortgage?
Well, it's mortgaged.
Your Honor, for the record,
may I restate my objection
to this entire line
of questioning?
Donald!
Will you let this woman finish
what she's trying to say?
Mr. Matlock,
you're out of order!
Well, how can she
conduct her examination
of this witness if he won't
let her complete a thought?
If you don't sit down,
I'll hold you in contempt!
- Your Honor...
- Your Honor,
may I have a moment, please?
Your Honor, with
the court's permission,
I think it would be in the
best interest of my client
if my co-counsel, Mr. Matlock,
would conclude the
examination of this witness.
Mr. March?
No objection.
Mr. Matlock.
Yes, sir.
Uh... a moment, Your Honor.
You've rattled this woman,
and you did it on purpose,
because you want
to win this case.
But if you try it on me,
I'll put this table
on top of you.
Mr. Matlock?
Yes, sir.
Now, the questions...
my associate was asking
about your house, your car,
the big checks you're writing,
were meant to show that you'd be
in pretty desperate
financial shape
if the Journal dropped
your column, wouldn't you?
If they drop me, another
newspaper'd pick me up.
But you can't be absolutely
sure of that, can you?
Well, no, but, after
all these years...
Abe Forester had decided
that your talent wasn't worth
the lawsuits you provoked
and was about to drop
your column, wasn't he?
- No.
- Didn't he say he was?
Well, he didn't mean that.
He-He used to say it at
meetings just to sound tough.
You were in the
building that night.
Three floors up in my office
at a meeting with Skip
Howard and Danny Lloyd.
Started at 8:00, ended at 9:30.
That's right... with Skip
Howard and Danny Lloyd.
- Right!
- But at some point
during the meeting,
you left the room
to get a folder or something.
Were you aware that Danny
was taping that whole meeting?
Danny always had a
tape recorder going.
- It's his way of keeping notes.
- Ah.
Danny, uh, Danny also wore
one of those wristwatches
that beeps every
half hour, didn't he?
Yeah. It drives me crazy.
And if you listen to that tape,
you can hear Danny's watch beep right at...
- 30.
And you know what?
Your voice is not on that tape
for several minutes before 8:30.
You know what that means?
I have no idea.
8:27.
At 8:27... you went
over to the mail chute
for interoffice
correspondence...
put this memo in a cylinder,
sent it down to the mailroom,
and that's when the
clerk received it, 8:27.
What do you think, Mr. Brady?
I refuse to answer
any further questions
until such time as my
attorney can be present.
That's a good idea.
In closing, I'd
like to remind Ben,
wherever he is,
that actually, I
did beat him once.
And if I ever get him
back in that bowling alley...
I'll beat him again.
Dumb!
My own dumb fault.
I should never
have let you drive.
I never asked to drive.
If you wanted to
drive, you just say so.
I'm missing my luncheon!
I'm missing a car!
You can always get another car.
Where am I gonna
get another luncheon?
And poor Uncle Hugh is
waiting up there for his candle.
I would've let you drive.
Oh, I'm sorry, Mrs. McCardle.
I don't even like to drive!
Let's not fight.
Don't fight.
- Oh! Ms. McCardle, look, look.
- What?
Look. See?
- Telephone lines!
- Oh!
- That means people. P-Peo...
- Oh. Oh.
Look.
Look. Oh.
- It opened!
- Saints preserve us.
- Uh-huh.
- Oh, Mr. Matlock, wha-what if...
Shh... Shh, shh, shh, shh, shh.
- Ambassador East Hotel.
- Yeah, this is Ben Matlock.
Would you hold, please?
No, no, no! You put me on hold,
I'll find you and I'll break
every bone in your
body, you got that?
Excuse me?
Just listen.
I want you to go into
the West Ballroom,
find Conrad McMasters.
Tell him that Ben Matlock
is in a town called
Looperwillow, Georgia.
I'm going to have
to put you on hold.
No!
He put me on hold.
All right, you
two, turn around...
real slow.
Oh, saints preserve us.
I-I...
- Hang it up.
- I-I...
I know how this must look.
Hang it up.
Ben.
Ben? Hello?
There's nobody here.
I-I'm real sorry
about your door,
but i-it was an emergency.
We just had to use the phone.
You broke... you entered.
Yes, ma'am.
Wh-What are you gonna do to us?
The same thing my family's
been doing with trespassers
for nigh on to a
hundred years now.
McCARDLE: Oh,
saints preserve us.
Ben just tried to
call from a little town
about 25 miles east of here.
I'm gonna go out there.
Geez, wish I could get
out of here that early.
Conrad's gone to look for Ben.
Oh, great... The
geezer's wandered off.
He's lost, you idiot.
And he's not a geezer.
Uh, Sheriff?
These people just broke
in to Mrs. Burnett's place.
We didn't break in.
We jiggled the door handle
a few times, and it opened.
Yeah, well, that
doorjamb's broke.
So you did use force.
We just had to use the phone.
Well, Sheriff, they
got no I.D., no car,
no money, no nothin'.
Transients, huh?
- No.
- We're not transients!
One of the good
citizens of Looperwillow
robbed us and stole her car.
I would've let him drive.
I see.
Uh, just what brought you
to Looperwillow
in the first place?
She did.
I didn't insist on driving.
If he had wanted to drive,
he should've said,
"I want to drive."
Thank you!
Now that I have your
attention, I would like to tell you
how I met the
beautiful Ben Matlock.
My day started as usual,
with my fabulous
number-one show.
You all know my show.
Come on, give it up! Yes!
You know my show!
You're all
beautiful. I love you.
Don't change.
WBW Radio, 98.6 FM, Atlanta.
Anybody out there? Talk to me.
Well, if everybody carried
a sawed-off shotgun,
there'd be a lot less crime.
Yeah, and a lot fewer
people, too, dork.
Whippersnapper!
There ought to be
a law against you.
Yeah, well, there is
a law, mush brain...
It's called freedom of speech,
and it's in the Constitution.
You're out of here.
WBW Radio. Arthur
Saxon. Talk to me.
Arthur...
Whilst we ponder that
often burning question...
What do you say to
God when she sneezes?
Think about it, Atlanta.
Unbelievably, someone
hated me enough
to murder my
archrival Robby Moore
and try to frame
me for the evil deed.
Now, your car was seen coming
out of the Moores' driveway
just at the time Moore
stopped broadcasting.
I haven't been anywhere
in this car since 6:00 a.m.
Still warm.
Ben, a friend of
mine's been arrested.
Well, what was he arrested for?
Murder.
Somebody you've
been going out with
was arrested for murder?
Ben, will you
just... Did he do it?
Oh, I can't imagine that he did.
He is such a... gentle...
kind, intelligent person.
Moving toward the
recommendation from both sides,
I hereby set bail for
Mr. Saxon at $150,000.
- Your Honor...
- Pay 'em. I'm out of here.
- Come back here!
- -Arthur?
Bailiff!
- Arthur... please!
- Hold that man!
Man, that judge sure
is a hard-boiled, old...
Try that one more time,
and I'll let you rot in jail.
What's with him?
Of course, I was always
one step ahead
of the old geezer.
Mr. Gilbert?
Ben Matlock.
This is your fault.
If it weren't for you,
that maniac'd be in
jail where he belongs.
This suit cost 800 bucks.
Grape jelly doesn't come out.
So after I'd done
all the legwork,
old Ben finally got it together
long enough to nail the killer
in the courtroom.
Uh... y-you used to
be a... a disc jockey
at, uh, Station WBW,
along with Arthur Saxon
and Robby Moore, is that right?
Yes, I was.
But you were... let go.
Fired, Mr. Matlock, yes.
Well... with, uh...
Robby Moore dead and, uh,
Arthur Saxon out of the running,
why, uh, maybe something
will come up for
you back at WBW.
Objection. I-I fail to see
the relevancy of any of this.
Uh, goes to motive, Your Honor.
Your Honor...
the people have already
established motive.
Uh, for my client, yes,
but not for the person who
actually killed Robby Moore.
Am I correct in
assuming you know better
than to make such an
allegation without proof?
Uh, yes, ma'am...
I'm going for that now.
Proceed.
Thank you.
Uh... uh, when you were at WBW,
did you ever, uh, send
your car out to be washed?
Yes.
Where'd he get the key?
I kept a spare in the
glove compartment.
Just like... all
the other people
who worked at the station.
A lot of people did
that, I believe, yes.
A witness testified that
she saw Arthur Saxon's car
racing away from
Robby Moore's house
right after the murder
had been committed.
She didn't see who was driving.
But you knew about the key.
And you knew where
Arthur parked his car.
So I submit it was you
who was driving
the car that morning.
I was at home, sleeping.
Oh, I don't think so.
No... I don't think so.
Well, if everybody carried
a sawed-off shotgun,
there'd be a lot less crime.
Know who that was?
I have no idea.
That's one of the
voices on the relief tape
we've heard so much about.
The one the prosecution
says that Arthur was playing
when he was not on the air.
So?
All right.
What about this?
Well, Ma, when we're jawing
with our friends at WCPG,
midnight to 6:00 is
just a spit in the wind.
That's me on WCPG.
That's hardly a secret.
No, no.
The secret is...
that you are also
our shotgun-carrying
Mr. Clemens.
Oh, that's ridiculous.
I am not.
You're a very, very
talented woman.
And I have a confession to make.
I'm a fan.
Where you from originally?
Arkansas.
That's it. That's it.
Listening to you all this time,
and I just now figured it out.
It's the "r" sound.
People from Arkansas often
add a little "r"
sound to their words.
"Arkansar."
"Sawred-off shotgun."
It's a beautiful accent,
but it's unmistakable.
And there your voice
is on Arthur's relief tape.
Why would I call
Arthur's show, hmm?
Well, you called
him late Monday,
knowing it would be taped
and played on Tuesday morning.
So, on Tuesday morning,
you got in Arthur's car,
drove over to Robby Moore's
house, turned on the radio
and waited till you
heard your voice,
knowing that Arthur
would not be on the air live
and therefore would
not have an alibi.
Then you went in the house
with the gun you had
taken from Arthur's party
and shot your old
nemesis to death.
Didn't surprise
me she was guilty.
Once that old boy
got his ticker tocking,
it was into the old
jail she was walking.
Sheriff.
I'm entitled to one phone call.
Uh-huh.
Knock yourself out.
Lieutenant Bob Brooks, please.
Bob Brooks, Atlanta P.D.
He'll vouch for me.
Ask him anything you want.
Hello.
Oh, he's not?
Well, thanks anyway.
He's at a roast for Ben Matlock.
I'm Ben Matlock!
Sure.
Uh-uh-uh-uh.
One call.
Pull over! Pull over!
Pu..
Hey, pull over!
Uh-huh.
Uh-huh... Well, good, good.
See you in a few.
Uh, ma'am.
Mm-hmm?
Uh, Deputy Terwilliger
found your car.
Afraid it's been
pretty well totaled.
Totaled?!
My car?
Oh, it was such a darlin' car.
Deputy found your purse, though.
Along with your wallet.
Also found a gun in
the glove compartment.
Looks like your story about
being robbed at
gunpoint checks out.
So we can leave?
Soon as you I.D. the suspect.
Deputy Terwilliger's
bringing him in.
Oh, that's probably
them right now.
- Look... could I...
- Just... just...
Hi, Conrad.
There was one very nice moment
during the whole
miserable experience.
Had nothing to do with
Ben Matlock, of course.
Late one night
in his law office...
Arthur, you can't kiss me here.
All right, I'll kiss you here.
Arthur, no, Ar...
You're making me very nervous.
Since when?
The cleaning crew comes
on Wednesday night.
What time?
10:00.
Got 23 minutes.
She is crazy about me.
Yeah.
Yes, ma'am.
Yes, ma'am, that-that-that-that
sounds fair to me, Mrs. Burnett.
All right. Mm-hmm.
Bye-bye.
Okay, Mr. Murdoch... Matlock.
Since your story checks
out, and since Mrs. Burnett
has agreed not to press charges,
so long as she's adequately
compensated for the
damage you did to her door,
you're all free to go.
Oh.
Oh, that's fine.
How-How's $20 sound?
Try 100.
100?!
100 bucks or she files
criminal and civil charges.
She knows her rights,
too, Mr. Murdoch.
Pay him, Conrad.
Me?!
Well, the man took all my money!
$93... it's all I got.
Close enough.
My car is wrecked,
and so is Conrad's.
And now none of
us have any money.
How are we supposed
to get to Atlanta?
This is good!
Thank you so much.
You're a darlin' person.
Darlin'.
Get your tie.
H-How do I look?
Awful.
Oh.
Okay.
Ladies and gentlemen...
a funny thing happened to
me on the way to this luncheon.
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
Come on!
Mi... Mrs. McCardle?
M-Mrs. McCardle?
Mrs. McCardle, where you going?
Oh, I'm going to St.
Augustine's to light a candle
for my Uncle Hugh
who died this day.
Oh, I'm sorry.
You just found out?
Oh, no. He died this
day 18 years ago.
Oh. Well, M-M-Mrs. McCardle...
He was a darlin' man.
Darlin'.
M-Mrs. McCardle,
some very important
people are honoring me
with a luncheon in Atlanta,
and my car won't start.
I need a lift.
Oh. Well, I'm a Christian
woman, so all right.
But first you'll come
with me to St. Augustine.
Well... well, I'm late already.
Uh... la-later,
I'll-I'll light a candle
for Unc... Uncle Hugh myself.
Oh, that's a darlin'
idea, just darlin'.
Good. I'll work on my
speech on the way.
The Chamber of
Commerce's Man of the Year.
Don't you think?
Oh, yeah.
I'm so happy it's Ben.
He's quite a representative.
Oh, no.
I don't believe this.
How could this happen?
What's wrong?
The master of ceremonies.
"Arthur Saxon."
Didn't you date him?
Date?
Oh, he's such a jerk.
Jerk?
Do you ever listen
to Arthur on the radio?
No.
Oh, you're lucky.
The last time... the only time...
I ever had a date with him,
do you know what he said?
What?
That I was lucky to be with him.
Oh! Jerk.
Oh, man, he
thinks he's so great.
He's insensitive,
he's totally egocentric.
Oh, on a scale of one to
ten, I give myself about a 20.
Hello, Arthur.
Mmm, always
thrilled, aren't you?
Mmm. Hey, listen,
after we get out of here...
Uh, Julie March, Arthur Saxon.
Arthur Saxon, Julie March,
the Assistant District Attorney.
How do you do?
Nice. I'll bet you're
really cute in court.
Well, I like to
think I'm effective.
Well, that's what I mean.
That fire in your
eyes? That's adorable.
You don't even like Ben.
Why are you the
master of ceremonies?
Because I'm Atlanta's
number-one celeb.
Besides, who else
they gonna ask?
So, where is the geezer?
Do you mean Ben?
Are you gonna say
nice things about Ben?
Baby, I'm never nice.
This is not like Ben.
Look, gang, at
3:30, I'm outta here.
I'm starting this, uh,
bash without the geezer.
You can't.
Honey, baby, watch me.
Well, that's peculiar,
very peculiar.
What's peculiar?
Mrs. McCardle!
M-Mrs. McCardle,
where... where are we?!
Oh, now, now, I'll
tell you in a minute.
Now let's see. Am I
not seeing the I-20?
92.
Ah, there we are, Looperwillow.
Ah, I should have taken exit 91.
That was my mistake,
not taking exit 91.
Get in the car!
I'm driving very fast!
Don't you be looking
at me like that.
Do you have a St.
Christopher's medal?
Of course not!
Well, there you are. That's
why we're having trouble.
Do you have a St.
Christopher's medal?
Of course I do.
Didn't do much for you.
You folks need some help?
Oh, young man,
we have a flat tire.
Uh, uh, do you suppose that
you could change it for us?
That's no problem.
You got a spare and a jack?
McCARDLE: Uh, in the trunk.
That's what my St.
Christopher medal did for me.
Wasn't home.
Mrs. McCardle
wasn't there, either.
Maybe I should go over there.
Let's give him
another five minutes.
Ladies and gentlemen,
he's not here yet.
The geezer's
probably gone fishing!
But that's okay,
because what we do have
is his lovely associate,
who just happens to be
the former Miss Legs of the
Universe, Michelle Thomas,
who just happens
to be crazy about me.
I'm not crazy about you.
Working side-by-side
with one of the most incisive
legal minds in the country
has been a tremendous
learning experience for me.
Ben has defended
all kinds of people,
from very wealthy to very poor,
from very intelligent to...
Well, there was this one
very sweet young man,
Tommy Jenks.
Sandra? I fixed your horse.
Hey, Tommy.
Tommy?!
What's wrong?!
You come along, now.
Don't give us any trouble.
Come on.
Easy, now.
Put the cuffs on him!
Take it easy, son!
- No, please stop! What are you doing?!
- Tommy!
- Let me go!
- No!
Tommy, stop it!
Now, stop fighting right now!
Now, Tommy, you do
what the policemen
tell you to do, hear?
Yes, sir.
Put your hands behind your back.
Ben's old friend
Sam Taylor suffered
a terrible personal tragedy
when his daughter
Sandra was murdered.
I, um, I read the paper.
I'm really sorry about Sandra.
Thanks.
Things sure are never
gonna be the same
around here without her.
Is there anything
I can do for you?
Well, yeah, yeah.
The police have
arrested Tommy Jenks.
Yeah, I read about that.
Tommy's retarded.
His father was one
of my best friends.
Can you help, Ben?
It would, it would
mean the world to me.
I knew Miss Sandra was dead
'cause sometimes on the farm,
horses, they get dead.
They get all cold
and they don't move,
and it's just the way she was,
and it made me scared to
see Miss Sandra like that.
Come sit down.
Sit down.
That's why you ran away and hid?
Can I go home now?
No. Not... not yet.
Oh, I forgot to feed the
horses their oats this morning.
Mr. Clint's gonna be so mad!
Tommy, listen to me.
Some people think
you killed Sandra,
and that means there's
going to have to be a trial.
Are you... are you with me?
Do you understand?
I didn't... I didn't clean
out the stalls either.
Tommy, Tommy,
listen to me, listen to me.
We can tell the judge...
He's the man in
charge of the trial...
That you wish to plead
diminished capacity.
Tha-That means that, that
maybe you killed Sandra,
but you didn't know
what you were doing,
and-and you didn't mean to.
That's wrong!
I didn't kill Sandra!
But, Tommy, see, sometimes,
sometimes we have...
Oh, Lord.
Ben was convinced Tommy
hadn't murdered Sandra,
and he fought tooth and
nail to prove his innocence.
Sam, when you take a walk,
you just go ahead and
take one, don't you?
Two miles out, two miles back.
That's supposed to keep me
from getting
another heart attack.
Oh, yeah, yeah.
What's, uh... what's in there?
It's a grave.
The best horse I ever
had is buried there...
Knight's Legend.
Do you remember him?
Oh, that's right.
He won the Triple Crown.
- Yeah.
- Yeah.
Broke his leg winning
the Peachtree Stakes
about four years ago.
I had to put him down.
Oh... couldn't you,
couldn't you patch him up?
Oh, maybe, maybe not.
But I just couldn't
see him go on like that.
Donald, haul a bale of
hay out to the paddock
and break it up.
New mare's out there.
I'll do it, Mr. Clint!
I said Donald.
After all, you're not gonna
be around here much longer.
I'm not going anyplace.
Hell, you're going to prison.
Cut it out, Clint!
No!
What the hell did
you do that for?
Tommy! Tommy, come back here!
What the hell got into him?
Tommy wasn't easy.
At one point, Ben had to send
Tyler Hudson out to find him.
Oh, hey. Whoa, whoa,
where you going?
You guys are teasing me.
No, we're not.
Yes, you are.
Oh. Did you hear that, Jed?
Huh?
I think he just
called me a liar.
Well, now... Now,
you got to understand,
L-Lyle here is my friend.
And I don't like it when
people call him a liar.
I don't like it at all!
Whoa! You captured him.
Good work, gentlemen.
Now, speak very softly.
And watch what you say.
And who are you?
I am Dr. Tyler Hudson,
criminal psychiatrist,
and you, gentlemen,
have just captured
a very dangerous man.
Come on. This halfwit?
Hey, let's put it this way.
There were three of us
escorting him to a violent ward.
Somebody said the wrong thing.
I'm the only one still walking.
Tommy?
Mr. Matlock sent me for you.
Come with me, okay?
Eventually, in court,
Ben proved Tommy innocent
with a very unusual tactic.
Now, Mr. Donovan,
have you ever... have
you ever seen this picture?
No.
Don't you think he looks a
little bit like Knight's Legend?
Yeah, I guess.
Yeah. I do. I do. I, um...
I had that picture blown up.
Look at that. Look at that.
Isn't that nice?
I had it blown up and, uh...
you see, right under
the tote board it says
this race was run
March 19 of this year.
Three months ago.
Guess it can't be a picture
of Knight's Legend,
then, can it?
No, no.
No. It could be a picture
of Knight's Legend's
colt, though, couldn't it?
Well, that's impossible.
You heard Mr. Taylor.
Knight's Legend was destroyed
before he could be
used for breeding.
He was supposed to be.
But was he, Mr. Donovan?
Yes. I buried him myself.
Where?
The edge of the south
pasture where it's fenced off.
That whole area was
dug up this weekend.
There's nothing buried there.
That horse is alive and well.
That's Knight's Legend!
This court will come to order!
Please be seated.
Mr. Matlock, how
long do you intend
to have this animal
in my courtroom?
Your Honor,
this is not a Bengal
tiger or a python snake.
This is just a brown horse
who likes people. See?
Nice horsey.
A few moments, Your Honor.
I'll hold you to that.
Yes, sir.
Mr. Donovan,
perhaps you'd like to
change your testimony.
That is Knight's
Legend, isn't it?
Yes.
And this is a photograph
of Knight's Legend's
offspring, isn't it?
Yes.
You know where
I got this picture?
In Sandra Taylor's briefcase.
I don't know where she
got it. Doesn't matter.
But I am sure the instant
she saw this photograph,
she saw the resemblance
to Knight's Legend.
She showed it
to you, didn't she?
Why would she do that?
When she showed it to you,
you knew it was
only a matter of time
before she put it all together.
And then it would
truly all be over.
So that night,
when Tommy left the bunkhouse,
you put on your work gloves,
took Tommy's knife,
went up to Sandra's
office and killed her.
Working with Ben Matlock
is an honor and a privilege.
I say that not only
because it's true,
but because he said
he'd fire me if I didn't.
Thank you all.
There you go. Good as new.
- Oh, thank you so much.
- Yeah, yeah...
I believe the young
man should be rewarded.
Yeah, yeah.
Um, uh, how does
a five spot sound?
That's fine, but everything
you've got sounds better.
Everything.
And the purse.
Oh...
Now, get back.
He's stealing my car.
Isn't there anything we can do?
What can we do?
He's got your St.
Christopher's medal.
Hello.
And now I'd like
to introduce you
to the prettiest
prosecutor in town.
Don't let the title
scare you guys.
She's all woman, all lips,
and a terrific kisser.
Ms. Julie March.
I've never kissed him, honest.
Why did you say that?
I'm here today to talk
about Ben Matlock,
who, up until now,
has always been
very punctual and,
uh, very cranky
when other people are late.
But aside from that,
ladies and gentlemen,
Ben Matlock is a man
whose world is his courthouse,
and whose courtroom
happens to be
wherever he finds the truth.
One case took him far from home.
You're not going to get
away with this, Forester.
We printed a
retraction, Mr. Gabriel.
You ruined my life, and you
think that three crummy lines
on page 56 are going
to make everything okay?
You want damages?
Go back to court.
Show Mr. Gabriel the way out.
- No!
- Come on, pal.
You can't ruin a person
and then just throw
them out of your office.
Things have a way of turning
around, and you're going
to get yours, Mr. Forester.
You'll get yours.
This was my first time
as a defense attorney,
and Ben had his reservations.
- Ben?
- Oh, hi.
Oh, hi. You'll never guess.
- Ah...
- I'm taking a leave from the D.A.'s office
and I'm going home to Baltimore,
and I'm going to defend a
client on a murder charge.
Oh, well, uh... Uh, how...
When did this all-all happen?
Well, I got a call today
from an old friend from
high school, Penny Gabriel.
She was my very best friend.
And her brother has been
arrested on a murder charge.
But he didn't do it. He
couldn't have done it,
because he was
always a real sweet kid,
so I told her I would come.
Uh, defending someone
isn't any harder or easier
than prosecuting someone.
It's just... It's different.
Hi.
Oh, hi, Julie. How's it going?
Everything is
moving right along.
Oh.
Uh-huh?
You know, Ben,
uh, you were right.
This is... this
is very different.
Uh, I'm used to
having the police
at my disposal for everything...
You know, leg work, and...
All I have to do is
pick up the phone.
Here I am, trying to
do three things at once.
Uh-huh. Well, I
can't do it all, either.
That's why I have
an investigator.
An investigator?
Oh, Ben, that's
just what I need.
Is Conrad busy?
I can... I can ask him.
Well, I'd appreciate that, Ben.
Now-Now-Now,
you don't worry. I'll...
Look, I've got to go, Ben. Bye.
Okay. Bye.
Even long-distance,
Ben's experience
helped me with the case.
I'm sorry, but the car
rental place was jammed.
I'm so s...
Julie?
You're prosecuting this case?
Then Ben helped in a
way I never expected.
Julie?
It's nice to see
you again, Donald.
You look great.
Oh, thank you.
Ben?
Hi.
Conrad's busy,
but I'm not, and I'm
- a pretty good investigator.
- Oh, I...
This is... I didn't...
This is such a surprise.
Julie?
Oh, I'm sorry. Ben Matlock,
this is the
prosecuting attorney,
Donald March.
- Pleased to meet you.
- Ah...
Uh, March? Are you related?
Not anymore.
We used to be married.
Despite his discomfort,
Ben came through.
Now, we need to
find out who knew
that Steve was going
to be there that night.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
- Right.
- Where will you be?
At the courthouse.
Oh, yes. Forester
had a secretary
named Katherine Ellery.
Uh, at, uh... at the courthouse?
Then y-you'll see, uh...
- Donald.
- Yeah.
He's the prosecutor.
Oh, of course. Yeah.
Ben?
Are you asking me if I'm
having dinner with Donald?
Oh, no. No, no, no.
No, it's just...
You see, i-if I find
out something,
I'll want to tell you,
and I wouldn't know...
Excuse me, Mr. McBride,
but what were you doing on
the night Forester was murdered?
I don't believe this.
The man hired me. He
took me under his wing.
He turned me into one of
the best reporters in this city.
You think I killed him?
Hi, Mr. Brady. Ben Matlock.
I don't talk to lawyers.
My lawyers talk to lawyers.
I just want to ask you
a couple of questions.
Sorry. It's lunch
time. I'm out of here.
Uh, well, how... how
about if I go with you?
Have lunch with a lawyer?
No, I don't think so.
My stomach isn't
what it used to be.
Mr. Brady, do you own
your own home free and
clear, or is there
a large mortgage?
Well, it's mortgaged.
Your Honor, for the record,
may I restate my objection
to this entire line
of questioning?
Donald!
Will you let this woman finish
what she's trying to say?
Mr. Matlock,
you're out of order!
Well, how can she
conduct her examination
of this witness if he won't
let her complete a thought?
If you don't sit down,
I'll hold you in contempt!
- Your Honor...
- Your Honor,
may I have a moment, please?
Your Honor, with
the court's permission,
I think it would be in the
best interest of my client
if my co-counsel, Mr. Matlock,
would conclude the
examination of this witness.
Mr. March?
No objection.
Mr. Matlock.
Yes, sir.
Uh... a moment, Your Honor.
You've rattled this woman,
and you did it on purpose,
because you want
to win this case.
But if you try it on me,
I'll put this table
on top of you.
Mr. Matlock?
Yes, sir.
Now, the questions...
my associate was asking
about your house, your car,
the big checks you're writing,
were meant to show that you'd be
in pretty desperate
financial shape
if the Journal dropped
your column, wouldn't you?
If they drop me, another
newspaper'd pick me up.
But you can't be absolutely
sure of that, can you?
Well, no, but, after
all these years...
Abe Forester had decided
that your talent wasn't worth
the lawsuits you provoked
and was about to drop
your column, wasn't he?
- No.
- Didn't he say he was?
Well, he didn't mean that.
He-He used to say it at
meetings just to sound tough.
You were in the
building that night.
Three floors up in my office
at a meeting with Skip
Howard and Danny Lloyd.
Started at 8:00, ended at 9:30.
That's right... with Skip
Howard and Danny Lloyd.
- Right!
- But at some point
during the meeting,
you left the room
to get a folder or something.
Were you aware that Danny
was taping that whole meeting?
Danny always had a
tape recorder going.
- It's his way of keeping notes.
- Ah.
Danny, uh, Danny also wore
one of those wristwatches
that beeps every
half hour, didn't he?
Yeah. It drives me crazy.
And if you listen to that tape,
you can hear Danny's watch beep right at...
- 30.
And you know what?
Your voice is not on that tape
for several minutes before 8:30.
You know what that means?
I have no idea.
8:27.
At 8:27... you went
over to the mail chute
for interoffice
correspondence...
put this memo in a cylinder,
sent it down to the mailroom,
and that's when the
clerk received it, 8:27.
What do you think, Mr. Brady?
I refuse to answer
any further questions
until such time as my
attorney can be present.
That's a good idea.
In closing, I'd
like to remind Ben,
wherever he is,
that actually, I
did beat him once.
And if I ever get him
back in that bowling alley...
I'll beat him again.
Dumb!
My own dumb fault.
I should never
have let you drive.
I never asked to drive.
If you wanted to
drive, you just say so.
I'm missing my luncheon!
I'm missing a car!
You can always get another car.
Where am I gonna
get another luncheon?
And poor Uncle Hugh is
waiting up there for his candle.
I would've let you drive.
Oh, I'm sorry, Mrs. McCardle.
I don't even like to drive!
Let's not fight.
Don't fight.
- Oh! Ms. McCardle, look, look.
- What?
Look. See?
- Telephone lines!
- Oh!
- That means people. P-Peo...
- Oh. Oh.
Look.
Look. Oh.
- It opened!
- Saints preserve us.
- Uh-huh.
- Oh, Mr. Matlock, wha-what if...
Shh... Shh, shh, shh, shh, shh.
- Ambassador East Hotel.
- Yeah, this is Ben Matlock.
Would you hold, please?
No, no, no! You put me on hold,
I'll find you and I'll break
every bone in your
body, you got that?
Excuse me?
Just listen.
I want you to go into
the West Ballroom,
find Conrad McMasters.
Tell him that Ben Matlock
is in a town called
Looperwillow, Georgia.
I'm going to have
to put you on hold.
No!
He put me on hold.
All right, you
two, turn around...
real slow.
Oh, saints preserve us.
I-I...
- Hang it up.
- I-I...
I know how this must look.
Hang it up.
Ben.
Ben? Hello?
There's nobody here.
I-I'm real sorry
about your door,
but i-it was an emergency.
We just had to use the phone.
You broke... you entered.
Yes, ma'am.
Wh-What are you gonna do to us?
The same thing my family's
been doing with trespassers
for nigh on to a
hundred years now.
McCARDLE: Oh,
saints preserve us.
Ben just tried to
call from a little town
about 25 miles east of here.
I'm gonna go out there.
Geez, wish I could get
out of here that early.
Conrad's gone to look for Ben.
Oh, great... The
geezer's wandered off.
He's lost, you idiot.
And he's not a geezer.
Uh, Sheriff?
These people just broke
in to Mrs. Burnett's place.
We didn't break in.
We jiggled the door handle
a few times, and it opened.
Yeah, well, that
doorjamb's broke.
So you did use force.
We just had to use the phone.
Well, Sheriff, they
got no I.D., no car,
no money, no nothin'.
Transients, huh?
- No.
- We're not transients!
One of the good
citizens of Looperwillow
robbed us and stole her car.
I would've let him drive.
I see.
Uh, just what brought you
to Looperwillow
in the first place?
She did.
I didn't insist on driving.
If he had wanted to drive,
he should've said,
"I want to drive."
Thank you!
Now that I have your
attention, I would like to tell you
how I met the
beautiful Ben Matlock.
My day started as usual,
with my fabulous
number-one show.
You all know my show.
Come on, give it up! Yes!
You know my show!
You're all
beautiful. I love you.
Don't change.
WBW Radio, 98.6 FM, Atlanta.
Anybody out there? Talk to me.
Well, if everybody carried
a sawed-off shotgun,
there'd be a lot less crime.
Yeah, and a lot fewer
people, too, dork.
Whippersnapper!
There ought to be
a law against you.
Yeah, well, there is
a law, mush brain...
It's called freedom of speech,
and it's in the Constitution.
You're out of here.
WBW Radio. Arthur
Saxon. Talk to me.
Arthur...
Whilst we ponder that
often burning question...
What do you say to
God when she sneezes?
Think about it, Atlanta.
Unbelievably, someone
hated me enough
to murder my
archrival Robby Moore
and try to frame
me for the evil deed.
Now, your car was seen coming
out of the Moores' driveway
just at the time Moore
stopped broadcasting.
I haven't been anywhere
in this car since 6:00 a.m.
Still warm.
Ben, a friend of
mine's been arrested.
Well, what was he arrested for?
Murder.
Somebody you've
been going out with
was arrested for murder?
Ben, will you
just... Did he do it?
Oh, I can't imagine that he did.
He is such a... gentle...
kind, intelligent person.
Moving toward the
recommendation from both sides,
I hereby set bail for
Mr. Saxon at $150,000.
- Your Honor...
- Pay 'em. I'm out of here.
- Come back here!
- -Arthur?
Bailiff!
- Arthur... please!
- Hold that man!
Man, that judge sure
is a hard-boiled, old...
Try that one more time,
and I'll let you rot in jail.
What's with him?
Of course, I was always
one step ahead
of the old geezer.
Mr. Gilbert?
Ben Matlock.
This is your fault.
If it weren't for you,
that maniac'd be in
jail where he belongs.
This suit cost 800 bucks.
Grape jelly doesn't come out.
So after I'd done
all the legwork,
old Ben finally got it together
long enough to nail the killer
in the courtroom.
Uh... y-you used to
be a... a disc jockey
at, uh, Station WBW,
along with Arthur Saxon
and Robby Moore, is that right?
Yes, I was.
But you were... let go.
Fired, Mr. Matlock, yes.
Well... with, uh...
Robby Moore dead and, uh,
Arthur Saxon out of the running,
why, uh, maybe something
will come up for
you back at WBW.
Objection. I-I fail to see
the relevancy of any of this.
Uh, goes to motive, Your Honor.
Your Honor...
the people have already
established motive.
Uh, for my client, yes,
but not for the person who
actually killed Robby Moore.
Am I correct in
assuming you know better
than to make such an
allegation without proof?
Uh, yes, ma'am...
I'm going for that now.
Proceed.
Thank you.
Uh... uh, when you were at WBW,
did you ever, uh, send
your car out to be washed?
Yes.
Where'd he get the key?
I kept a spare in the
glove compartment.
Just like... all
the other people
who worked at the station.
A lot of people did
that, I believe, yes.
A witness testified that
she saw Arthur Saxon's car
racing away from
Robby Moore's house
right after the murder
had been committed.
She didn't see who was driving.
But you knew about the key.
And you knew where
Arthur parked his car.
So I submit it was you
who was driving
the car that morning.
I was at home, sleeping.
Oh, I don't think so.
No... I don't think so.
Well, if everybody carried
a sawed-off shotgun,
there'd be a lot less crime.
Know who that was?
I have no idea.
That's one of the
voices on the relief tape
we've heard so much about.
The one the prosecution
says that Arthur was playing
when he was not on the air.
So?
All right.
What about this?
Well, Ma, when we're jawing
with our friends at WCPG,
midnight to 6:00 is
just a spit in the wind.
That's me on WCPG.
That's hardly a secret.
No, no.
The secret is...
that you are also
our shotgun-carrying
Mr. Clemens.
Oh, that's ridiculous.
I am not.
You're a very, very
talented woman.
And I have a confession to make.
I'm a fan.
Where you from originally?
Arkansas.
That's it. That's it.
Listening to you all this time,
and I just now figured it out.
It's the "r" sound.
People from Arkansas often
add a little "r"
sound to their words.
"Arkansar."
"Sawred-off shotgun."
It's a beautiful accent,
but it's unmistakable.
And there your voice
is on Arthur's relief tape.
Why would I call
Arthur's show, hmm?
Well, you called
him late Monday,
knowing it would be taped
and played on Tuesday morning.
So, on Tuesday morning,
you got in Arthur's car,
drove over to Robby Moore's
house, turned on the radio
and waited till you
heard your voice,
knowing that Arthur
would not be on the air live
and therefore would
not have an alibi.
Then you went in the house
with the gun you had
taken from Arthur's party
and shot your old
nemesis to death.
Didn't surprise
me she was guilty.
Once that old boy
got his ticker tocking,
it was into the old
jail she was walking.
Sheriff.
I'm entitled to one phone call.
Uh-huh.
Knock yourself out.
Lieutenant Bob Brooks, please.
Bob Brooks, Atlanta P.D.
He'll vouch for me.
Ask him anything you want.
Hello.
Oh, he's not?
Well, thanks anyway.
He's at a roast for Ben Matlock.
I'm Ben Matlock!
Sure.
Uh-uh-uh-uh.
One call.
Pull over! Pull over!
Pu..
Hey, pull over!
Uh-huh.
Uh-huh... Well, good, good.
See you in a few.
Uh, ma'am.
Mm-hmm?
Uh, Deputy Terwilliger
found your car.
Afraid it's been
pretty well totaled.
Totaled?!
My car?
Oh, it was such a darlin' car.
Deputy found your purse, though.
Along with your wallet.
Also found a gun in
the glove compartment.
Looks like your story about
being robbed at
gunpoint checks out.
So we can leave?
Soon as you I.D. the suspect.
Deputy Terwilliger's
bringing him in.
Oh, that's probably
them right now.
- Look... could I...
- Just... just...
Hi, Conrad.
There was one very nice moment
during the whole
miserable experience.
Had nothing to do with
Ben Matlock, of course.
Late one night
in his law office...
Arthur, you can't kiss me here.
All right, I'll kiss you here.
Arthur, no, Ar...
You're making me very nervous.
Since when?
The cleaning crew comes
on Wednesday night.
What time?
10:00.
Got 23 minutes.
She is crazy about me.
Yeah.
Yes, ma'am.
Yes, ma'am, that-that-that-that
sounds fair to me, Mrs. Burnett.
All right. Mm-hmm.
Bye-bye.
Okay, Mr. Murdoch... Matlock.
Since your story checks
out, and since Mrs. Burnett
has agreed not to press charges,
so long as she's adequately
compensated for the
damage you did to her door,
you're all free to go.
Oh.
Oh, that's fine.
How-How's $20 sound?
Try 100.
100?!
100 bucks or she files
criminal and civil charges.
She knows her rights,
too, Mr. Murdoch.
Pay him, Conrad.
Me?!
Well, the man took all my money!
$93... it's all I got.
Close enough.
My car is wrecked,
and so is Conrad's.
And now none of
us have any money.
How are we supposed
to get to Atlanta?
This is good!
Thank you so much.
You're a darlin' person.
Darlin'.
Get your tie.
H-How do I look?
Awful.
Oh.
Okay.
Ladies and gentlemen...
a funny thing happened to
me on the way to this luncheon.