Matlock (1986–1995): Season 5, Episode 18 - The Trial: Part 1 - full transcript
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Hold it right there.
Mr. Wright, your next witness.
And what did you
do with the watch
that came off the
defendant's wrist
during your struggle with him?
I turned it over to the police.
Thank you.
- No further questions.
- Your witness.
Mr. DeCarlo, how
many lights were on
in the hallway that night?
None.
Did you have your flashlight on?
No, I turned it off so I
could sneak up on him.
So, the hallway
was completely dark?
Yeah, pretty much so.
And how long was it after
you grabbed the man's wrist
that he hit you?
Couple of seconds.
- Couple of seconds?
- Yeah.
Mr. DeCarlo, you saw the man
who broke into Maxwell Toys
for two, maybe three
seconds in a hallway
that was practically
pitch black.
Now, can you really say
with absolute certainty
that it was the defendant,
- Jimmy Giles?
- Come on.
- I got the guy's watch.
- Can you say
unequivocally that
the man you saw
in that dark hallway
was the defendant?
Well... no.
- Thank you.
- But I got the guy's watch.
That's all. Thank you.
You may step down.
Next witness.
Sidebar conference, Your Honor.
Uh, Your Honor, my next
witness is the detective
who traced the watch the
guard recovered to the defendant.
You mean the alleged watch.
It's still missing from
the property room.
Your Honor,
as far as the
defense is concerned,
this watch doesn't even exist,
and if this detective
attempts to testify about it,
I'll move to suppress
his testimony.
The watch exists, Your Honor.
It's been misplaced.
Now, if the State could have
- a little more time...
- More time?
My client's right to a
speedy trial is being trampled
all over this
courtroom, Your Honor.
24 hours... that's all I ask.
That's all you're
getting, Mr. Wright.
24 hours.
Not a minute more.
Thank you, Your Honor.
- What the hell is going on?
- Sorry.
I couldn't call you 'cause
I still don't have the watch.
I know you don't, but I
don't like the way you
got everybody at the
precinct thinking it's my fault.
Well, you were the
last person to see it.
The hell I was! You were.
When I opened that envelope,
there was nothing inside it.
There was the
last time I saw it.
Then somebody stole it.
Look, you want to
go back to looking
like an ace
detective, then find it.
Nobody steals a
watch worth $59.95.
Not when it's sitting
in the same room
with a bag of coke worth
100 times that much.
Are you saying I stole it?
So the judge can
dismiss the case
and I can wind up
looking like a jerk?
Use your brain, Doug.
So, what's the problem?
I'm getting some
heat from the detective
who traced that watch to Giles.
Doug Savage.
Good man.
Yeah.
He's not going to let up till
he gets something on me.
I want out.
Then, you're out.
I also want severance pay.
- How much?
- $100,000 cash.
I can resign and be out of
town by the end of the week.
With you gone, what's to keep me
from winding up holding
the proverbial bag?
There's no
connection between us.
I've been very careful.
Getting that much cash together
will take me at least a day.
Bring it to my house
tomorrow night at 8:00.
I'll be out in the shop.
What about your wife?
She'll be at the movies.
I don't want to go by myself.
Call your sister.
Well, what about you?
No.
I just want to be
alone for a while,
do some work out in the shop.
Howard, what's wrong?
Oh, this case I'm working on.
Probably going to lose it.
Well, you lose lots of cases.
Thanks.
Oh, you know what I mean.
I've never seen you
this worried before.
I'm not worried! I'm...
I'm just fed up.
Burnt-out.
Jean, you know how we've
always talked about just packing up
- and moving to Colorado?
- Yeah.
Well, maybe it's time we did
more than just talk about it.
Enjoy the movie.
Love you.
I love you.
Mr. Wright, I believe you were
about to call your next witness.
Sidebar, Your Honor.
Your Honor, the
watch is still missing.
Your Honor, without
that alleged watch,
the State does not
have one shred of proof
that my client
committed the break-in.
I have the testimony
- of the night watchman.
- You have zip.
I ripped his testimony
to shreds yesterday.
I beg to differ.
Your Honor, it's
obvious the State
doesn't have a prayer of proving
the charges brought
against my client.
I therefore move to dismiss.
It would seem you have a point.
And you, Mr. Wright,
you have wasted
three weeks of
this court's time,
not to mention that of the
jurors and the witnesses.
There's no excuse for
this kind of ineptness.
Back to your seats, gentlemen.
As a result of the
prosecution's failure
to produce critical
evidence in this case,
and in the interest of justice,
the court, on its own motion,
is dismissing the charges
against this defendant.
Ladies and gentlemen,
thank you for your service.
You're excused, and
this court is in recess.
♪♪
That you, Tom?
Howard?
Oh...
The attorney
general's coming here?
Yeah. You know Robert Stuart.
Good Lord. His name
is not Robert Stuart.
It's Stuart Roberts.
Oh.
Attorney general...
imagine that.
- I'm here to see Ben Matlock.
- Yes, sir.
We're expecting
you. Uh, come in.
Would you care for anything?
No, I'd just like to
see Ben Matlock.
Okay, well, there he is.
- Oh.
- Yes, sir.
Ben Matlock at your service.
- Hello.
- Nice to meet you,
Mr. Stuart.
- Roberts.
- Roberts.
Oh, this is Conrad McMasters.
We work together.
- A pleasure.
- Yes, sir.
Oh, won't you come in?
Yeah, uh... I'll
see you, Conrad.
- What?
- Uh, the attorney general and I need to...
What?
Talk.
Oh, yeah.
Well, it was a great pleasure
meeting you, Mr. Roberts.
If there's anything,
anything at all that you need,
I will be in the other room.
Well, please sit down.
Uh, you said something
on the phone about, uh,
Howard Wright's murder.
Yes.
As you can imagine,
it would be impossible
for the district
attorney's office
to prosecute this
case without bias.
Yeah.
And that means it falls upon me
to appoint a special
prosecutor for the case.
Uh-huh.
Someone who will
conduct an investigation,
issue an indictment
and take it to trial.
Mmm.
Someone beyond
reproach, highly skilled,
lots of experience
in murder cases.
Mm-hmm.
You talking about me?
Yes.
So have you ever
prosecuted a case before?
No. No.
The police have
any idea who did it?
Naturally, they're
looking into the possibility
that he was
killed in retribution
by someone he
helped put in prison.
- Hmm.
- But I'm more inclined
to think it had something
to do with the case
he recently
prosecuted, or tried to.
Oh, I read about that case.
Maxwell Toys. Yeah.
The police think Howard Wright
may have deliberately misplaced
a critical piece of evidence.
You mean he threw his own case?
They think maybe
he was bought off.
Daggone.
So, what do you think?
Are you interested?
Well, um, would I get, uh,
complete cooperation
from the police department?
Of course.
I could hire my own staff?
Whoever you like.
What do you say?
Well, well, there-there is one
other thing I'm interested in.
What's that?
My fee.
Mr. Matlock... one doesn't take
an appointment
like this for money.
What does one take it for?
One takes it because
one is honored to be asked
and is interested in the case.
And from what I hear,
you don't need the money.
Mrs. Wright.
Uh, I'm Ben Matlock.
This is my associate,
Michelle Thomas.
The attorney general, uh, put...
put me in charge of finding
and prosecuting the man
who murdered your husband.
Could we ask you some questions?
I have to be at the
funeral home soon.
Yes, ma'am.
Uh, the police got a call
yesterday from a Daniel Price.
Howard's friend from Miami?
Your husband, uh,
called Mr. Price yesterday
and told him that if anything
should happen to him
that Mr. Price
should call the police
and they should talk to two men:
Tom O'Hare and David Bennett.
Tom O'Hare the attorney?
Yes, ma'am.
Who's David Bennett?
He's a judge.
Uh, do you have any
idea why y-your husband
wanted the police to
talk to these two men?
No.
Huh.
Um, you went to
a movie last night?
With my sister.
It was Howard's idea.
Hmm.
He said he needed
some time to himself.
He spent a lot of
time in his workshop?
As much as he could.
Did he make this?
Yes.
Nice.
Ooh.
This lamp.
He loved making
things with his hands.
Oh.
He didn't make this.
Uh, no, he bought that.
Whoa, Chihuly.
It's valuable.
Norman Rockwell.
He inherited some money
recently from a distant relative.
You remember
the relative's name?
Right now I can barely
remember my own name.
I'm afraid I have to go.
Oh, of course.
Of course.
Yes.
So, uh... you know
David Bennett?
Uh, yeah, I know him.
Oh.
You know him well?
Pretty well.
Well enough to talk
to him about this stuff?
I used to go out with him.
Oh.
You talk to David, I'll
go talk to Tom O'Hare.
No, I have dibs on Mr. O'Hare.
Why you?
You didn't read the
paper this morning.
I didn't have time.
Yeah.
There's a big article
on Tom O'Hare.
His client is suing
Maxwell Toys for $5 million.
And that's the same company
that the guy Howard Wright
was defending broke into.
Oh.
- Watch your foot.
- Oh.
Oh, somebody's leaking oil.
Oh, it's... transmission fluid.
How do you know
about transmission fluid?
I had a car that leaked
it for years; I'm an expert.
- Oh.
- Yeah.
Well, Mr. Prosecutor.
You heard?
Precinct's all abuzz. Michelle.
Find anything?
Uh, slugs we dug out
of the wall, uh, indicate
the killer was standing
here by the door.
Two bullets, .38 caliber.
Right through the heart.
What's all that?
Well, apparently,
he was covering this piece
of wood with, uh, varnish
when he was shot.
Anything else?
No.
Oh, hey, you know, uh...
now that you're on
the side of the angels,
uh, I can let you in on
a professional secret.
What's that?
Well, when the prosecutor
shows up at the crime scene,
it's sort of traditional
for him or her
to buy the officer
in charge lunch.
Hmm?
Hey.
Hey, are you Jimmy Giles?
Who are you?
Name's Conrad.
Like to talk to you
about Howard Wright.
I'm busy.
What, are you taking a trip?
What's it to you?
I think it's a bad idea, Jimmy.
It makes people think you
got something to hide, huh?
Just want to talk.
Hey, better to me
than the cops, right?
Right. Absolutely.
See you, sucker.
The Moody Mary doll was
an instant hit, was it not?
Yes.
Roughly how big a hit?
It's brought in somewhere
around $15 million so far.
A doll that can
change expressions.
That's very clever.
Where did your company
get the idea for it?
We developed it in-house.
Maxwell Toys' correspondence
file for the year in question
has been subpoenaed
in this court,
and I ask you, sir, to
identify a document from it.
It's a letter.
This sketch
here... what is that?
It-it looks like the
Moody Mary doll.
Who sent this letter?
I've never seen
this before in my life.
Who sent it?
Well, it's signed
James T. Sullivan.
That's my client.
What's the date on it?
Listen, my office never
received this letter.
February 23, 1989.
And it's stamped
"received" by your secretary,
February 25,
nine months before the
Moody Mary doll was introduced.
I'm telling you,
neither I nor anyone
in my office ever saw it.
You didn't develop the
Moody Mary doll in-house.
You stole it from my client.
And now you're
trying to cheat him
out of his fair
share of the profits!
How dare you call me a thief!
I've been with Maxwell
Toys for 20 years,
and I've never stolen
so much as a paper clip!
Gentlemen.
That's enough.
We'll break for lunch here.
It'll give you both a
chance to cool off.
This court is in
recess until 1:30.
Jim, don't worry.
I'll talk to you later.
Uh, Mr. O'Hare?
Ben Matlock. Remember?
We met at a Bar convention
couple years back.
How you doing?
Fine.
What are you
doing in civil court?
I came to see you.
Boy, that was
something just now.
You got that toy manufacturer
dead to rights, huh?
You bet we do.
Yeah.
Actually, I came to see
you about Howard Wright.
The attorney general
appointed me special prosecutor.
Oh, congratulations.
Yeah.
But what's Howard Wright's
murder got to do with me?
Well, h-he told a friend of his
if anything happened to him,
the police should talk to you.
Well, that's odd.
I barely knew him.
Your paths cross lately?
No. I don't do criminal cases.
Wonder why he said that.
Damned if I know.
Of course, you have
one thing in common.
- Yeah?
- Maxwell Toys.
His last case involved
a break-in there.
Yeah. Um, that's a coincidence.
That's what my associate said.
- You married?
- Not anymore.
I just wondered if you
were with somebody
or by yourself two nights ago.
If that was a
question, Counselor,
I'm not going to dignify
it with an answer.
Yes?
Michelle.
Hello, David.
Talk about surprises.
You look fabulous.
Thank you.
How have you been?
Fine, fine.
I see you're doing well.
Presiding judge, is it now?
Please, sit down.
Thanks.
My God.
It's been three years?
Mm-hmm.
How's married life treating you?
Well, my wife and
I are separated.
Oh, I'm sorry.
Just made the wrong
choice three years ago is all.
You know Ben's been
appointed special prosecutor
in the Howard Wright case?
Yes, I read all about
it. Congratulations.
Thank you.
You knew Howard Wright.
Yeah.
Actually, we were
at the same law firm...
eight, ten years ago.
Well, apparently,
he told a friend of his that
if anything happened to him,
you'd somehow be involved.
He what?
When was the last
time you talked to him?
Oh... months ago.
Do you remember what
you talked to him about?
I really don't.
It wasn't anything
earth-shattering,
that's for sure.
Michelle, I'm due in court.
I'd love to talk to you.
Could we have dinner?
Friday night, 8:00, Camille's?
David... You're
living with someone?
No.
Dating someone?
No, that's not it.
Come on. It'll be fun.
Friday, 8:00.
Great.
And the lawyer for Jimmy Giles
said he paid his
fee up front in cash.
And he drove off in a
brand-new $30,000 car.
Huh.
State police put
out an APB on him.
- Anything?
- Nope.
Well, I wouldn't hold my breath.
I expect somebody
paid Jimmy Giles
to get lost and stay
lost for a real long time.
Hello?
Who is this?
Uh, yeah, but
why-why-why won't you...
Wait. Wait. Why won't
you tell me who you are?
Ah. Ah.
Wait. What do you know?
The what aisle?
Where?
Now, let-let... Hey,
I'm-I'm a busy man.
I don't have time to run around
seeing people I don't know
on some kind of joke.
All right.
All right. I can
leave right now.
Yeah, but listen...
Hello? Hello?
I got to go.
What's going on?
I don't know.
Who was it?
I don't know.
What did he say?
He said he could
help me with the case.
I'll go with you.
No. I've got to go alone.
I don't get it.
Otherwise, he won't show.
Well, it could be a crank.
That's right.
What the...
Psst. Mr. Matlock.
Where are you?
Stay in your aisle.
Move down, away from the end.
Sure would be nice
if I could see you.
It would be
better if you didn't.
Who are you?
That's not important.
How do I know I can trust you?
You don't.
Well, then, what the
hell am I doing here?
Tell me what you know
about Howard Wright's murder.
You said you could
help me solve the case.
Tell me what you know.
I'll tell you if you're
on the right track.
Why don't you just give
me the information outright?
Because people would figure
out I was the one who told you.
If word ever got around I
blew the whistle, I'd be finished.
The truth is going to have
to come from you, not me.
Well, Tom O'Hare
and Judge Bennett
are both somehow involved.
Of course they won't admit it.
What else?
This is really dumb.
If you don't tell
me, I can't help you.
It also appears
that Howard Wright
may have lost his
last case on purpose.
The key to this
thing is the money.
Look for the money.
Leave your porch light on
when you want to see me.
W-Wait a minute.
Wait a minute. Whose money?
Whose money? Whose money?!
Shh!
Who do you think he is?
Don't know.
You going to see him again?
♪ Do, do, do, do, do. ♪
I don't know.
Look for what money?
- What was he talking about?
- Don't know.
For heaven's sakes,
you talked to him.
Surely you know something.
Well, I guess he
meant that... eh, boy...
That Howard Wright
was paid to throw his case.
What? So you're going to get
a search warrant for
his financial records?
No.
You see this hot dog?
Yeah.
Mmm.
Bob Brooks and the
Atlanta police got his records.
Michelle and Bob are
going over them now.
Want a hot dog?
No. No, I'm going
to have a sandwich.
Ham sandwich with some mayo.
Yeah, and lettuce
and tomato and pickle.
You know, this being
a prosecutor's all right.
A lot of people
do things for me,
and I don't even
have to pay 'em.
Mmm.
Hello?
My name is Michelle Thomas.
I'm investigating the
murder of Howard Wright.
I'd like to talk to John
McLean if I could.
I'm afraid John is
no longer with us.
I'm Glenn Connor.
Perhaps I can help you.
Your name again?
Oh. Michelle Thomas.
Please, Miss Thomas, come in.
Thank you.
Sit down.
All right.
Forgive my ignorance,
but what exactly does your
company do, Mr. Connor?
We're a holding company.
We own a majority of stock
in a number of
smaller companies.
And Mr. McLean
was your controller?
Yes, he was. Till he resigned.
Moved on to greener
pastures, I guess.
Do you have any idea
where I could find him?
I have no idea.
What did you want to ask him?
I was going over Howard
Wright's financial records,
and discovered that, last week,
he deposited a
check into his account
that was signed by Mr. McLean.
I just wondered why
the Connor Corporation
would be paying an assistant
district attorney $75,000.
We simply paid him for some
legal advice he'd given us.
That's all.
Oh, he was your attorney.
More like a consultant.
He suggested things some
of our companies could do
to steer clear of
potential SEC violations.
$75,000 is a lot of money.
Well, he saved us
20 times that in fines.
It was well worth it.
Anything else
you'd like to ask me?
Yeah.
Where can I sign up to
be one of your consultants?
Yeah? Yeah?
No kidding.
Yeah. Yeah.
Yeah, well, thanks, Michelle.
Yeah. All right, bye.
That's interesting.
What?
Howard Wright came into
a lot of unexplained money.
Why'd you turn on the light?
I'm telling my friend I
want to see him again.
So, what did you find?
Why won't you tell
me who you are?
That doesn't matter.
I'm prosecuting a case
for the first time in my life,
and-and-and I'm supposed
to tell a man I've never
seen everything I know.
I don't get it.
I promise you, I can help you.
You're just going
to have to trust me.
Okay?
I'm sorry. I can't do
this any other way.
Okay.
I know that Howard Wright
got a big check last week
from the Connor Corporation.
And I believe it was his payoff
for losing a vital
piece of evidence
in-in that Maxwell
Toys break-in case.
Huh? Huh?
Go ahead.
Well, I also believe
the man he was
supposed to be prosecuting,
Jimmy Giles, was paid off, too.
Not for stealing
anything from that office,
but for leaving something there,
a letter that Tom
O'Hare's client had written
that made it look like
Maxwell Toys had stolen
his idea and
plans for that doll.
So, what about it?
Think it was all part of a scam
spearheaded by Tom O'Hare
to bilk Maxwell Toys out
of a nice big judgment?
What do you say?
What about David Bennett?
I don't know! You tell me.
Like I said before,
Mr. Matlock, look for the money.
Whose money?
Jimmy Giles? Howard Wright?
Tom O'Hare? Judge Bennett?
The Connor Corporation?
Whose money?
Oh, okay.
Just tell me if I'm right
about this Tom O'Hare stuff.
How 'bout it?
Mr. Matlock... Okay,
okay, okay, okay.
Let's try this.
I saw it in a movie once.
If I'm wrong about Tom
O'Hare paying off Howard Wright
and Jimmy Giles, drop
the book you're holding.
If I'm right about it,
slip it back on the
shelf and go away.
Okay?
Michelle?
- Hi.
- Did you get the warrants?
Judge Parker's in the process
of signing them right now.
His clerk's bringing
them out to me.
Good.
He didn't bat an eye
when I told him I wanted
to look at Tom O'Hare's
financial records.
But when I told him I
wanted David Bennett's,
ooh, he hit the roof.
How dare I question the
integrity of a fellow jurist?
Hmm. The old boy
network's alive and well.
Mmm. I think he's making me
wait out here as punishment.
- Miss Thomas?
- Yes?
- Here you go.
- Thanks.
Oh, Ben, have you met Judge
Parker's clerk, Terry Lasher?
- Nice to meet you.
- Nice to meet you.
Tell Judge Parker
thanks again, okay?
- Sure.
- Bye.
Why don't I take
Tom O'Hare's records
and you take David's.
David's?
Uh, Judge Bennett's.
Hey, hey, hey, good lookin'.
Something going
on with this guy?
Mmm... not anymore.
Well, we used to go out
a couple of years ago.
And then I went out of
town on a case with Ben,
and when I came home,
he'd gotten engaged
to somebody else.
What, he dropped you?
I took it that way.
Man's a fool.
Well, now he and
his wife are separated,
and I agreed to have
dinner with him tonight.
- Uh-oh.
- No, I can
- take care of myself, Conrad.
- No, I'm talking about
this 120 grand David Bennett
put in the bank three months ago.
It's from the
Connor Corporation.
I don't believe it.
No, it's right here.
- Look.
- No, I'm talking about
the check for $120,000 that
Tom O'Hare got three months ago.
It's from the Connor
Corporation, too.
Uh, sure, uh, come on in.
Thank you for seeing me
so quickly, Mr. McLean.
Well, I'm-I'm surprised
you found me.
I just moved in here.
Pardon the mess.
Please, uh, sit down.
Just, uh, working on my résumé.
Oh, you looking for a job?
Unfortunately, yes.
Well, Mr. Connor
gave me the impression
that you quit your job with him
because you'd gotten
something better.
No.
So why did you quit?
Well, uh...
I just didn't feel right
about things over there.
What do you mean?
You know, why don't you, uh,
why don't you ask
Mr. Connor about this?
- You kept the books.
- Yeah, I-I know, but, uh,
I quit, which should make this
Mr. Connor's
problem and not mine.
Mr. McLean,
I believe you have information
pertinent to the murder
of Assistant District
Attorney Howard Wright.
Now, I suggest that you
answer my questions,
or I'm gonna call the police and
have them take you downtown.
Okay.
Good.
So...
why did you quit?
Well, uh...
money would just
appear from out of the blue
from this bank in the Bahamas,
and I was supposed
to enter it into the, uh,
into the books, no
questions asked.
And, uh, I didn't like that.
Was it from one of
Connor's subsidiaries?
Well, their earnings
were nowhere near
what was coming
in to the corporation,
and I'd have to write
these big checks
to, uh, consultants for services
that I'm almost positive
were never rendered.
Consultants like David Bennett
- and Tom O'Hare?
- How did you know?
To whom else did you
write out big checks like that?
There was one other...
one other person, but, uh,
hmm, I can't remember the name.
You know, I just did whatever
Mr. Connor told me to do,
and I tried not
to think about it.
And then I read that Howard
Wright had been murdered.
I'd just written
him a big check,
a one-time-only consultant fee.
That's when I quit.
Well... thank you, Mr. McLean.
I do appreciate
your cooperation.
Eh, yeah.
Oh.
Huh.
Isn't this Judge Levin?
Uh, yeah. She and Glenn
Connor are old friends.
Oh. Is, uh, she the other
person that you wrote checks to?
No, no. That I
would've remembered.
Mmm.
Special prosecutor, huh?
- Lot of exposure.
- Yeah.
You play your cards
right, you could parlay this
into a run at the
governor's mansion.
Oh-ho-ho, I don't think so.
So, what can I do for you?
Okay. Uh, you know Glenn Connor?
He's a friend, yes...
We go way back.
Well, Howard Wright has been
doing consulting work for him,
some very high
paying consulting work.
Good for Howard.
He wasn't exactly
high-paid around here.
Yeah, yeah.
And David Bennett has been
doing consulting work for him,
and so has Tom O'Hare.
In fact, I think you and I are
the only two people in Atlanta
that are not on
Mr. Connor's payroll.
Uh... I-I have a theory...
on-on why Howard
Wright was murdered.
- Want to hear it?
- Of course.
Okay. Okay.
I think... I think Glenn
Connor paid Howard Wright
to... misplace a
piece of evidence
in the Jimmy Giles case.
Remember? The
guy who was accused
of breaking in to Maxwell Toys.
And I think that
Howard Wright was killed
so that no one would
ever find out about it.
Are you saying...
that Glenn Connor murdered him?
No, no, no.
I-I'm more inclined to
think that Tom O'Hare did.
Now, this is pure speculation
and-and off the record,
but I think Tom O'Hare
hired Jimmy Giles
in the first place...
not to steal anything,
but to plant a letter
at the company
so that he could later
get millions of dollars
from Maxwell Toys.
Ben... that's my case.
What you are
saying is prejudicial...
and could force me
to declare a mistrial.
But the case has
already gone to jury.
Moreover, I resent
the implication
that Glenn Connor is involved
in some kind of conspiracy
to obstruct justice.
As far as I know, he has
never even met Tom O'Hare.
But-but they had a mutual
acquaintance, didn't they?
You.
You are way out of line.
You better leave.
Uh, it was just a theory.
It's Diana.
We have to talk.
Ben Matlock came
to see me today.
He knows just about everything.
- Thank you.
- Thank you.
You know, I don't
think I've been here
since the last time
I ate here with you.
My wife wouldn't
set foot in this place.
Didn't like French food?
Didn't like you.
Wouldn't go anywhere
she knew I'd taken you.
Very jealous lady.
They still have that
coq au vin you liked.
Gonna have that?
I'm not ready to
order yet, David.
Okay.
I have to get some
business out of the way first.
Business?
I'm afraid so.
Okay.
You got a check three months
ago from the Connor Corporation
for $120,000.
Mm-hmm.
Why?
I did some consulting
work for them.
How long had it been since
you talked to Howard Wright?
Oh, I told you, uh...
six months at least.
Then why do his phone records
show that he called your office
on three different occasions
in the past month alone?
I don't know.
I didn't talk to him.
Maybe he talked
to one of the clerks.
What was your meeting
about this afternoon?
What meeting?
The one you had with Tom
O'Hare and Diana Levin.
I won't be having
dinner after all.
Thanks, anyway.
Judge Levin, Judge Bennett,
Tom O'Hare are in on it.
Glenn Connor's in on it,
or at least his company is.
Good. You know all the players.
But I don't know what
game they're playing.
Keep following the money...
It'll tell you everything.
Whose money?
I'm gonna be getting Glenn
Connor's ledgers tomorrow.
But if I'm gonna be wasting
my time going through 'em,
I'd like to know about it now.
I tell you what,
let's play the book game again.
If I'm on the wrong
track, drop the book.
If I'm on the right track...
Somebody call 911!
Oh!
Oh, my God!
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
Hold it right there.
Mr. Wright, your next witness.
And what did you
do with the watch
that came off the
defendant's wrist
during your struggle with him?
I turned it over to the police.
Thank you.
- No further questions.
- Your witness.
Mr. DeCarlo, how
many lights were on
in the hallway that night?
None.
Did you have your flashlight on?
No, I turned it off so I
could sneak up on him.
So, the hallway
was completely dark?
Yeah, pretty much so.
And how long was it after
you grabbed the man's wrist
that he hit you?
Couple of seconds.
- Couple of seconds?
- Yeah.
Mr. DeCarlo, you saw the man
who broke into Maxwell Toys
for two, maybe three
seconds in a hallway
that was practically
pitch black.
Now, can you really say
with absolute certainty
that it was the defendant,
- Jimmy Giles?
- Come on.
- I got the guy's watch.
- Can you say
unequivocally that
the man you saw
in that dark hallway
was the defendant?
Well... no.
- Thank you.
- But I got the guy's watch.
That's all. Thank you.
You may step down.
Next witness.
Sidebar conference, Your Honor.
Uh, Your Honor, my next
witness is the detective
who traced the watch the
guard recovered to the defendant.
You mean the alleged watch.
It's still missing from
the property room.
Your Honor,
as far as the
defense is concerned,
this watch doesn't even exist,
and if this detective
attempts to testify about it,
I'll move to suppress
his testimony.
The watch exists, Your Honor.
It's been misplaced.
Now, if the State could have
- a little more time...
- More time?
My client's right to a
speedy trial is being trampled
all over this
courtroom, Your Honor.
24 hours... that's all I ask.
That's all you're
getting, Mr. Wright.
24 hours.
Not a minute more.
Thank you, Your Honor.
- What the hell is going on?
- Sorry.
I couldn't call you 'cause
I still don't have the watch.
I know you don't, but I
don't like the way you
got everybody at the
precinct thinking it's my fault.
Well, you were the
last person to see it.
The hell I was! You were.
When I opened that envelope,
there was nothing inside it.
There was the
last time I saw it.
Then somebody stole it.
Look, you want to
go back to looking
like an ace
detective, then find it.
Nobody steals a
watch worth $59.95.
Not when it's sitting
in the same room
with a bag of coke worth
100 times that much.
Are you saying I stole it?
So the judge can
dismiss the case
and I can wind up
looking like a jerk?
Use your brain, Doug.
So, what's the problem?
I'm getting some
heat from the detective
who traced that watch to Giles.
Doug Savage.
Good man.
Yeah.
He's not going to let up till
he gets something on me.
I want out.
Then, you're out.
I also want severance pay.
- How much?
- $100,000 cash.
I can resign and be out of
town by the end of the week.
With you gone, what's to keep me
from winding up holding
the proverbial bag?
There's no
connection between us.
I've been very careful.
Getting that much cash together
will take me at least a day.
Bring it to my house
tomorrow night at 8:00.
I'll be out in the shop.
What about your wife?
She'll be at the movies.
I don't want to go by myself.
Call your sister.
Well, what about you?
No.
I just want to be
alone for a while,
do some work out in the shop.
Howard, what's wrong?
Oh, this case I'm working on.
Probably going to lose it.
Well, you lose lots of cases.
Thanks.
Oh, you know what I mean.
I've never seen you
this worried before.
I'm not worried! I'm...
I'm just fed up.
Burnt-out.
Jean, you know how we've
always talked about just packing up
- and moving to Colorado?
- Yeah.
Well, maybe it's time we did
more than just talk about it.
Enjoy the movie.
Love you.
I love you.
Mr. Wright, I believe you were
about to call your next witness.
Sidebar, Your Honor.
Your Honor, the
watch is still missing.
Your Honor, without
that alleged watch,
the State does not
have one shred of proof
that my client
committed the break-in.
I have the testimony
- of the night watchman.
- You have zip.
I ripped his testimony
to shreds yesterday.
I beg to differ.
Your Honor, it's
obvious the State
doesn't have a prayer of proving
the charges brought
against my client.
I therefore move to dismiss.
It would seem you have a point.
And you, Mr. Wright,
you have wasted
three weeks of
this court's time,
not to mention that of the
jurors and the witnesses.
There's no excuse for
this kind of ineptness.
Back to your seats, gentlemen.
As a result of the
prosecution's failure
to produce critical
evidence in this case,
and in the interest of justice,
the court, on its own motion,
is dismissing the charges
against this defendant.
Ladies and gentlemen,
thank you for your service.
You're excused, and
this court is in recess.
♪♪
That you, Tom?
Howard?
Oh...
The attorney
general's coming here?
Yeah. You know Robert Stuart.
Good Lord. His name
is not Robert Stuart.
It's Stuart Roberts.
Oh.
Attorney general...
imagine that.
- I'm here to see Ben Matlock.
- Yes, sir.
We're expecting
you. Uh, come in.
Would you care for anything?
No, I'd just like to
see Ben Matlock.
Okay, well, there he is.
- Oh.
- Yes, sir.
Ben Matlock at your service.
- Hello.
- Nice to meet you,
Mr. Stuart.
- Roberts.
- Roberts.
Oh, this is Conrad McMasters.
We work together.
- A pleasure.
- Yes, sir.
Oh, won't you come in?
Yeah, uh... I'll
see you, Conrad.
- What?
- Uh, the attorney general and I need to...
What?
Talk.
Oh, yeah.
Well, it was a great pleasure
meeting you, Mr. Roberts.
If there's anything,
anything at all that you need,
I will be in the other room.
Well, please sit down.
Uh, you said something
on the phone about, uh,
Howard Wright's murder.
Yes.
As you can imagine,
it would be impossible
for the district
attorney's office
to prosecute this
case without bias.
Yeah.
And that means it falls upon me
to appoint a special
prosecutor for the case.
Uh-huh.
Someone who will
conduct an investigation,
issue an indictment
and take it to trial.
Mmm.
Someone beyond
reproach, highly skilled,
lots of experience
in murder cases.
Mm-hmm.
You talking about me?
Yes.
So have you ever
prosecuted a case before?
No. No.
The police have
any idea who did it?
Naturally, they're
looking into the possibility
that he was
killed in retribution
by someone he
helped put in prison.
- Hmm.
- But I'm more inclined
to think it had something
to do with the case
he recently
prosecuted, or tried to.
Oh, I read about that case.
Maxwell Toys. Yeah.
The police think Howard Wright
may have deliberately misplaced
a critical piece of evidence.
You mean he threw his own case?
They think maybe
he was bought off.
Daggone.
So, what do you think?
Are you interested?
Well, um, would I get, uh,
complete cooperation
from the police department?
Of course.
I could hire my own staff?
Whoever you like.
What do you say?
Well, well, there-there is one
other thing I'm interested in.
What's that?
My fee.
Mr. Matlock... one doesn't take
an appointment
like this for money.
What does one take it for?
One takes it because
one is honored to be asked
and is interested in the case.
And from what I hear,
you don't need the money.
Mrs. Wright.
Uh, I'm Ben Matlock.
This is my associate,
Michelle Thomas.
The attorney general, uh, put...
put me in charge of finding
and prosecuting the man
who murdered your husband.
Could we ask you some questions?
I have to be at the
funeral home soon.
Yes, ma'am.
Uh, the police got a call
yesterday from a Daniel Price.
Howard's friend from Miami?
Your husband, uh,
called Mr. Price yesterday
and told him that if anything
should happen to him
that Mr. Price
should call the police
and they should talk to two men:
Tom O'Hare and David Bennett.
Tom O'Hare the attorney?
Yes, ma'am.
Who's David Bennett?
He's a judge.
Uh, do you have any
idea why y-your husband
wanted the police to
talk to these two men?
No.
Huh.
Um, you went to
a movie last night?
With my sister.
It was Howard's idea.
Hmm.
He said he needed
some time to himself.
He spent a lot of
time in his workshop?
As much as he could.
Did he make this?
Yes.
Nice.
Ooh.
This lamp.
He loved making
things with his hands.
Oh.
He didn't make this.
Uh, no, he bought that.
Whoa, Chihuly.
It's valuable.
Norman Rockwell.
He inherited some money
recently from a distant relative.
You remember
the relative's name?
Right now I can barely
remember my own name.
I'm afraid I have to go.
Oh, of course.
Of course.
Yes.
So, uh... you know
David Bennett?
Uh, yeah, I know him.
Oh.
You know him well?
Pretty well.
Well enough to talk
to him about this stuff?
I used to go out with him.
Oh.
You talk to David, I'll
go talk to Tom O'Hare.
No, I have dibs on Mr. O'Hare.
Why you?
You didn't read the
paper this morning.
I didn't have time.
Yeah.
There's a big article
on Tom O'Hare.
His client is suing
Maxwell Toys for $5 million.
And that's the same company
that the guy Howard Wright
was defending broke into.
Oh.
- Watch your foot.
- Oh.
Oh, somebody's leaking oil.
Oh, it's... transmission fluid.
How do you know
about transmission fluid?
I had a car that leaked
it for years; I'm an expert.
- Oh.
- Yeah.
Well, Mr. Prosecutor.
You heard?
Precinct's all abuzz. Michelle.
Find anything?
Uh, slugs we dug out
of the wall, uh, indicate
the killer was standing
here by the door.
Two bullets, .38 caliber.
Right through the heart.
What's all that?
Well, apparently,
he was covering this piece
of wood with, uh, varnish
when he was shot.
Anything else?
No.
Oh, hey, you know, uh...
now that you're on
the side of the angels,
uh, I can let you in on
a professional secret.
What's that?
Well, when the prosecutor
shows up at the crime scene,
it's sort of traditional
for him or her
to buy the officer
in charge lunch.
Hmm?
Hey.
Hey, are you Jimmy Giles?
Who are you?
Name's Conrad.
Like to talk to you
about Howard Wright.
I'm busy.
What, are you taking a trip?
What's it to you?
I think it's a bad idea, Jimmy.
It makes people think you
got something to hide, huh?
Just want to talk.
Hey, better to me
than the cops, right?
Right. Absolutely.
See you, sucker.
The Moody Mary doll was
an instant hit, was it not?
Yes.
Roughly how big a hit?
It's brought in somewhere
around $15 million so far.
A doll that can
change expressions.
That's very clever.
Where did your company
get the idea for it?
We developed it in-house.
Maxwell Toys' correspondence
file for the year in question
has been subpoenaed
in this court,
and I ask you, sir, to
identify a document from it.
It's a letter.
This sketch
here... what is that?
It-it looks like the
Moody Mary doll.
Who sent this letter?
I've never seen
this before in my life.
Who sent it?
Well, it's signed
James T. Sullivan.
That's my client.
What's the date on it?
Listen, my office never
received this letter.
February 23, 1989.
And it's stamped
"received" by your secretary,
February 25,
nine months before the
Moody Mary doll was introduced.
I'm telling you,
neither I nor anyone
in my office ever saw it.
You didn't develop the
Moody Mary doll in-house.
You stole it from my client.
And now you're
trying to cheat him
out of his fair
share of the profits!
How dare you call me a thief!
I've been with Maxwell
Toys for 20 years,
and I've never stolen
so much as a paper clip!
Gentlemen.
That's enough.
We'll break for lunch here.
It'll give you both a
chance to cool off.
This court is in
recess until 1:30.
Jim, don't worry.
I'll talk to you later.
Uh, Mr. O'Hare?
Ben Matlock. Remember?
We met at a Bar convention
couple years back.
How you doing?
Fine.
What are you
doing in civil court?
I came to see you.
Boy, that was
something just now.
You got that toy manufacturer
dead to rights, huh?
You bet we do.
Yeah.
Actually, I came to see
you about Howard Wright.
The attorney general
appointed me special prosecutor.
Oh, congratulations.
Yeah.
But what's Howard Wright's
murder got to do with me?
Well, h-he told a friend of his
if anything happened to him,
the police should talk to you.
Well, that's odd.
I barely knew him.
Your paths cross lately?
No. I don't do criminal cases.
Wonder why he said that.
Damned if I know.
Of course, you have
one thing in common.
- Yeah?
- Maxwell Toys.
His last case involved
a break-in there.
Yeah. Um, that's a coincidence.
That's what my associate said.
- You married?
- Not anymore.
I just wondered if you
were with somebody
or by yourself two nights ago.
If that was a
question, Counselor,
I'm not going to dignify
it with an answer.
Yes?
Michelle.
Hello, David.
Talk about surprises.
You look fabulous.
Thank you.
How have you been?
Fine, fine.
I see you're doing well.
Presiding judge, is it now?
Please, sit down.
Thanks.
My God.
It's been three years?
Mm-hmm.
How's married life treating you?
Well, my wife and
I are separated.
Oh, I'm sorry.
Just made the wrong
choice three years ago is all.
You know Ben's been
appointed special prosecutor
in the Howard Wright case?
Yes, I read all about
it. Congratulations.
Thank you.
You knew Howard Wright.
Yeah.
Actually, we were
at the same law firm...
eight, ten years ago.
Well, apparently,
he told a friend of his that
if anything happened to him,
you'd somehow be involved.
He what?
When was the last
time you talked to him?
Oh... months ago.
Do you remember what
you talked to him about?
I really don't.
It wasn't anything
earth-shattering,
that's for sure.
Michelle, I'm due in court.
I'd love to talk to you.
Could we have dinner?
Friday night, 8:00, Camille's?
David... You're
living with someone?
No.
Dating someone?
No, that's not it.
Come on. It'll be fun.
Friday, 8:00.
Great.
And the lawyer for Jimmy Giles
said he paid his
fee up front in cash.
And he drove off in a
brand-new $30,000 car.
Huh.
State police put
out an APB on him.
- Anything?
- Nope.
Well, I wouldn't hold my breath.
I expect somebody
paid Jimmy Giles
to get lost and stay
lost for a real long time.
Hello?
Who is this?
Uh, yeah, but
why-why-why won't you...
Wait. Wait. Why won't
you tell me who you are?
Ah. Ah.
Wait. What do you know?
The what aisle?
Where?
Now, let-let... Hey,
I'm-I'm a busy man.
I don't have time to run around
seeing people I don't know
on some kind of joke.
All right.
All right. I can
leave right now.
Yeah, but listen...
Hello? Hello?
I got to go.
What's going on?
I don't know.
Who was it?
I don't know.
What did he say?
He said he could
help me with the case.
I'll go with you.
No. I've got to go alone.
I don't get it.
Otherwise, he won't show.
Well, it could be a crank.
That's right.
What the...
Psst. Mr. Matlock.
Where are you?
Stay in your aisle.
Move down, away from the end.
Sure would be nice
if I could see you.
It would be
better if you didn't.
Who are you?
That's not important.
How do I know I can trust you?
You don't.
Well, then, what the
hell am I doing here?
Tell me what you know
about Howard Wright's murder.
You said you could
help me solve the case.
Tell me what you know.
I'll tell you if you're
on the right track.
Why don't you just give
me the information outright?
Because people would figure
out I was the one who told you.
If word ever got around I
blew the whistle, I'd be finished.
The truth is going to have
to come from you, not me.
Well, Tom O'Hare
and Judge Bennett
are both somehow involved.
Of course they won't admit it.
What else?
This is really dumb.
If you don't tell
me, I can't help you.
It also appears
that Howard Wright
may have lost his
last case on purpose.
The key to this
thing is the money.
Look for the money.
Leave your porch light on
when you want to see me.
W-Wait a minute.
Wait a minute. Whose money?
Whose money? Whose money?!
Shh!
Who do you think he is?
Don't know.
You going to see him again?
♪ Do, do, do, do, do. ♪
I don't know.
Look for what money?
- What was he talking about?
- Don't know.
For heaven's sakes,
you talked to him.
Surely you know something.
Well, I guess he
meant that... eh, boy...
That Howard Wright
was paid to throw his case.
What? So you're going to get
a search warrant for
his financial records?
No.
You see this hot dog?
Yeah.
Mmm.
Bob Brooks and the
Atlanta police got his records.
Michelle and Bob are
going over them now.
Want a hot dog?
No. No, I'm going
to have a sandwich.
Ham sandwich with some mayo.
Yeah, and lettuce
and tomato and pickle.
You know, this being
a prosecutor's all right.
A lot of people
do things for me,
and I don't even
have to pay 'em.
Mmm.
Hello?
My name is Michelle Thomas.
I'm investigating the
murder of Howard Wright.
I'd like to talk to John
McLean if I could.
I'm afraid John is
no longer with us.
I'm Glenn Connor.
Perhaps I can help you.
Your name again?
Oh. Michelle Thomas.
Please, Miss Thomas, come in.
Thank you.
Sit down.
All right.
Forgive my ignorance,
but what exactly does your
company do, Mr. Connor?
We're a holding company.
We own a majority of stock
in a number of
smaller companies.
And Mr. McLean
was your controller?
Yes, he was. Till he resigned.
Moved on to greener
pastures, I guess.
Do you have any idea
where I could find him?
I have no idea.
What did you want to ask him?
I was going over Howard
Wright's financial records,
and discovered that, last week,
he deposited a
check into his account
that was signed by Mr. McLean.
I just wondered why
the Connor Corporation
would be paying an assistant
district attorney $75,000.
We simply paid him for some
legal advice he'd given us.
That's all.
Oh, he was your attorney.
More like a consultant.
He suggested things some
of our companies could do
to steer clear of
potential SEC violations.
$75,000 is a lot of money.
Well, he saved us
20 times that in fines.
It was well worth it.
Anything else
you'd like to ask me?
Yeah.
Where can I sign up to
be one of your consultants?
Yeah? Yeah?
No kidding.
Yeah. Yeah.
Yeah, well, thanks, Michelle.
Yeah. All right, bye.
That's interesting.
What?
Howard Wright came into
a lot of unexplained money.
Why'd you turn on the light?
I'm telling my friend I
want to see him again.
So, what did you find?
Why won't you tell
me who you are?
That doesn't matter.
I'm prosecuting a case
for the first time in my life,
and-and-and I'm supposed
to tell a man I've never
seen everything I know.
I don't get it.
I promise you, I can help you.
You're just going
to have to trust me.
Okay?
I'm sorry. I can't do
this any other way.
Okay.
I know that Howard Wright
got a big check last week
from the Connor Corporation.
And I believe it was his payoff
for losing a vital
piece of evidence
in-in that Maxwell
Toys break-in case.
Huh? Huh?
Go ahead.
Well, I also believe
the man he was
supposed to be prosecuting,
Jimmy Giles, was paid off, too.
Not for stealing
anything from that office,
but for leaving something there,
a letter that Tom
O'Hare's client had written
that made it look like
Maxwell Toys had stolen
his idea and
plans for that doll.
So, what about it?
Think it was all part of a scam
spearheaded by Tom O'Hare
to bilk Maxwell Toys out
of a nice big judgment?
What do you say?
What about David Bennett?
I don't know! You tell me.
Like I said before,
Mr. Matlock, look for the money.
Whose money?
Jimmy Giles? Howard Wright?
Tom O'Hare? Judge Bennett?
The Connor Corporation?
Whose money?
Oh, okay.
Just tell me if I'm right
about this Tom O'Hare stuff.
How 'bout it?
Mr. Matlock... Okay,
okay, okay, okay.
Let's try this.
I saw it in a movie once.
If I'm wrong about Tom
O'Hare paying off Howard Wright
and Jimmy Giles, drop
the book you're holding.
If I'm right about it,
slip it back on the
shelf and go away.
Okay?
Michelle?
- Hi.
- Did you get the warrants?
Judge Parker's in the process
of signing them right now.
His clerk's bringing
them out to me.
Good.
He didn't bat an eye
when I told him I wanted
to look at Tom O'Hare's
financial records.
But when I told him I
wanted David Bennett's,
ooh, he hit the roof.
How dare I question the
integrity of a fellow jurist?
Hmm. The old boy
network's alive and well.
Mmm. I think he's making me
wait out here as punishment.
- Miss Thomas?
- Yes?
- Here you go.
- Thanks.
Oh, Ben, have you met Judge
Parker's clerk, Terry Lasher?
- Nice to meet you.
- Nice to meet you.
Tell Judge Parker
thanks again, okay?
- Sure.
- Bye.
Why don't I take
Tom O'Hare's records
and you take David's.
David's?
Uh, Judge Bennett's.
Hey, hey, hey, good lookin'.
Something going
on with this guy?
Mmm... not anymore.
Well, we used to go out
a couple of years ago.
And then I went out of
town on a case with Ben,
and when I came home,
he'd gotten engaged
to somebody else.
What, he dropped you?
I took it that way.
Man's a fool.
Well, now he and
his wife are separated,
and I agreed to have
dinner with him tonight.
- Uh-oh.
- No, I can
- take care of myself, Conrad.
- No, I'm talking about
this 120 grand David Bennett
put in the bank three months ago.
It's from the
Connor Corporation.
I don't believe it.
No, it's right here.
- Look.
- No, I'm talking about
the check for $120,000 that
Tom O'Hare got three months ago.
It's from the Connor
Corporation, too.
Uh, sure, uh, come on in.
Thank you for seeing me
so quickly, Mr. McLean.
Well, I'm-I'm surprised
you found me.
I just moved in here.
Pardon the mess.
Please, uh, sit down.
Just, uh, working on my résumé.
Oh, you looking for a job?
Unfortunately, yes.
Well, Mr. Connor
gave me the impression
that you quit your job with him
because you'd gotten
something better.
No.
So why did you quit?
Well, uh...
I just didn't feel right
about things over there.
What do you mean?
You know, why don't you, uh,
why don't you ask
Mr. Connor about this?
- You kept the books.
- Yeah, I-I know, but, uh,
I quit, which should make this
Mr. Connor's
problem and not mine.
Mr. McLean,
I believe you have information
pertinent to the murder
of Assistant District
Attorney Howard Wright.
Now, I suggest that you
answer my questions,
or I'm gonna call the police and
have them take you downtown.
Okay.
Good.
So...
why did you quit?
Well, uh...
money would just
appear from out of the blue
from this bank in the Bahamas,
and I was supposed
to enter it into the, uh,
into the books, no
questions asked.
And, uh, I didn't like that.
Was it from one of
Connor's subsidiaries?
Well, their earnings
were nowhere near
what was coming
in to the corporation,
and I'd have to write
these big checks
to, uh, consultants for services
that I'm almost positive
were never rendered.
Consultants like David Bennett
- and Tom O'Hare?
- How did you know?
To whom else did you
write out big checks like that?
There was one other...
one other person, but, uh,
hmm, I can't remember the name.
You know, I just did whatever
Mr. Connor told me to do,
and I tried not
to think about it.
And then I read that Howard
Wright had been murdered.
I'd just written
him a big check,
a one-time-only consultant fee.
That's when I quit.
Well... thank you, Mr. McLean.
I do appreciate
your cooperation.
Eh, yeah.
Oh.
Huh.
Isn't this Judge Levin?
Uh, yeah. She and Glenn
Connor are old friends.
Oh. Is, uh, she the other
person that you wrote checks to?
No, no. That I
would've remembered.
Mmm.
Special prosecutor, huh?
- Lot of exposure.
- Yeah.
You play your cards
right, you could parlay this
into a run at the
governor's mansion.
Oh-ho-ho, I don't think so.
So, what can I do for you?
Okay. Uh, you know Glenn Connor?
He's a friend, yes...
We go way back.
Well, Howard Wright has been
doing consulting work for him,
some very high
paying consulting work.
Good for Howard.
He wasn't exactly
high-paid around here.
Yeah, yeah.
And David Bennett has been
doing consulting work for him,
and so has Tom O'Hare.
In fact, I think you and I are
the only two people in Atlanta
that are not on
Mr. Connor's payroll.
Uh... I-I have a theory...
on-on why Howard
Wright was murdered.
- Want to hear it?
- Of course.
Okay. Okay.
I think... I think Glenn
Connor paid Howard Wright
to... misplace a
piece of evidence
in the Jimmy Giles case.
Remember? The
guy who was accused
of breaking in to Maxwell Toys.
And I think that
Howard Wright was killed
so that no one would
ever find out about it.
Are you saying...
that Glenn Connor murdered him?
No, no, no.
I-I'm more inclined to
think that Tom O'Hare did.
Now, this is pure speculation
and-and off the record,
but I think Tom O'Hare
hired Jimmy Giles
in the first place...
not to steal anything,
but to plant a letter
at the company
so that he could later
get millions of dollars
from Maxwell Toys.
Ben... that's my case.
What you are
saying is prejudicial...
and could force me
to declare a mistrial.
But the case has
already gone to jury.
Moreover, I resent
the implication
that Glenn Connor is involved
in some kind of conspiracy
to obstruct justice.
As far as I know, he has
never even met Tom O'Hare.
But-but they had a mutual
acquaintance, didn't they?
You.
You are way out of line.
You better leave.
Uh, it was just a theory.
It's Diana.
We have to talk.
Ben Matlock came
to see me today.
He knows just about everything.
- Thank you.
- Thank you.
You know, I don't
think I've been here
since the last time
I ate here with you.
My wife wouldn't
set foot in this place.
Didn't like French food?
Didn't like you.
Wouldn't go anywhere
she knew I'd taken you.
Very jealous lady.
They still have that
coq au vin you liked.
Gonna have that?
I'm not ready to
order yet, David.
Okay.
I have to get some
business out of the way first.
Business?
I'm afraid so.
Okay.
You got a check three months
ago from the Connor Corporation
for $120,000.
Mm-hmm.
Why?
I did some consulting
work for them.
How long had it been since
you talked to Howard Wright?
Oh, I told you, uh...
six months at least.
Then why do his phone records
show that he called your office
on three different occasions
in the past month alone?
I don't know.
I didn't talk to him.
Maybe he talked
to one of the clerks.
What was your meeting
about this afternoon?
What meeting?
The one you had with Tom
O'Hare and Diana Levin.
I won't be having
dinner after all.
Thanks, anyway.
Judge Levin, Judge Bennett,
Tom O'Hare are in on it.
Glenn Connor's in on it,
or at least his company is.
Good. You know all the players.
But I don't know what
game they're playing.
Keep following the money...
It'll tell you everything.
Whose money?
I'm gonna be getting Glenn
Connor's ledgers tomorrow.
But if I'm gonna be wasting
my time going through 'em,
I'd like to know about it now.
I tell you what,
let's play the book game again.
If I'm on the wrong
track, drop the book.
If I'm on the right track...
Somebody call 911!
Oh!
Oh, my God!