Matlock (1986–1995): Season 5, Episode 20 - The Accident - full transcript
♪♪
♪♪
♪♪
- Quiet, please.
- A-mark.
Why don't we get
him to smile...?
And... action.
The impact of the crash
threw me to the floor of the bus.
No good. Cut, cut.
A-cam.
A-cam four.
Okay, here we go, and action.
The impact of the crash
threw me to the floor of the bus.
- Cut, cut.
- Line, line.
A-cam.
One, take four.
Get ready, single.
Action.
The impact of the crash
threw me to the floor of the bus,
causing permanent
and painful injuries
to my neck and my back.
I was unable to work
and support my family.
All hope was gone...
until my wife suggested
I talk to a lawyer,
so I did.
Now my future is bright...
thanks to this man here...
Eugene Dobbs.
Thank you, Clayton.
Friend, are you
like Mr. Sadowski,
a victim of someone
else's negligence?
Have you suffered
bodily harm, anguish,
lost wages?
Are bill collectors
banging at your door?
We at Wheeler &
Dobbs know how you feel,
and we are ready to help
you get what you deserve,
like the $2 million we got...
Damn it, Eugene, I told
you we can't say "$2 million"!
Cut! Mr. Wheeler?
We only got him $200,000.
He was awarded
$2 million, Nolan.
After the city appealed,
he only got $200,000.
If you don't like the way I
do the commercial, you do it.
I can't.
You know I can't.
Then butt out.
Okay, folks, uh,
this will be a pickup.
Ready?
Roll 'em.
And... action.
We at Wheeler & Dobbs
aren't just attorneys.
We're your friends.
In your time of
need, we'll be there
and we won't let you down.
A-sticks.
Now, remember, this is a
pretrial settlement conference.
It's not a hearing.
You just sit there and relax
while I answer the
judge's questions.
In an hour, I'll be
taking you to lunch.
So the judge is gonna decide
whether I'm gonna get all
this money you're asking for?
I'll tell him your
side of the story,
then the DeMont
company lawyer will tell him
their side of the story.
Then the judge will decide
how much money you'd get
if you went to trial,
and then DeMont's lawyer
is going to rush over to me
and offer us a settlement.
Believe me, DeMont
does not want to go to trial.
You mean, this whole
thing could be over soon?
John, with any luck,
by the end of the day,
you are going to be a
millionaire several times over.
Aha, there you are.
Dr. McNeeley.
How you doing?
Well, I've, uh, just, uh,
reexamined your latest X-rays,
and I'm sorry to say that in
addition to everything else,
you've sustained a hairline
fracture to your left clavicle.
Funny, collarbone's the only
part of me that doesn't hurt.
You gonna be at the
conference, too, Doc?
No, I can't, but,
uh, I'll be here
if Eugene needs
to confer with me.
Good luck.
Thanks a lot.
Well, well, well, Dr. McNeeley.
Still chasing ambulances
with Eugene Dobbs?
Some things never change.
This way.
Uh, am I correct in assuming
that the guardrail that gave way
and caused Mr. Kramer's
fall was inspected
at the same time as
the ride it surrounded?
Yes, sir, that is correct.
Excuse me, Your Honor.
That guardrail was
supposed to be inspected,
but I have depositions
from park employees
that say that it wasn't.
My client cannot be blamed
for the negligence
of state officials.
Al DeMont spends
thousands of dollars every year
advertising that his
water park is safe,
and hardworking families with
innocent children believe him.
And they spend millions at your
park, don't they, Mr. DeMont?
Your Honor...
All right, that's
enough, Mr. Dobbs.
Now, I see that your
expert medical witness
is Dr. Eldon McNeeley.
Expert.
Dr. McNeeley is the
distinguished holder
of the Fontmeyer
Chair in Orthopedics
at Robertson Hospital.
Yes, yes, I know, and,
uh, you, Miss Radovich,
intend to put Dr. James
Liu on the stand.
Yes, sir, and his opinion
of Mr. Kramer's injury
is radically different from
that of Dr. McNeeley's.
Mm-hmm, mm-hmm.
Now, what's this
about lost wages?
My client was a college
football coach, Your Honor.
Like the great Vince Lombardi,
he was an active, physical man.
Like Rockne, Parseghian,
Lou Holtz, Eddie Robinson,
coaching was his life.
But now, due to
constant pain and agony,
this shell of a man...
I get the idea, Mr. Dobbs,
but since when does the coach
of a state junior
college football team
earn $6 million?
That's potential, Your Honor.
At the time of
my client's injury,
he was being pursued
by five major universities.
He would have
accepted one of them,
then gone with the
pros and made millions.
You are lying.
Those schools were
not pursuing him;
he was pursuing those schools.
Your Honor, his client
initiated those job interviews
because he was
afraid he was about
to be fired.
You can't prove that.
The hell, I can't.
Is this true, Mr. Dobbs?
Is what true?
That your client initiated those
interviews and not vice versa?
Mr. Dobbs, answer me.
So Mr. Kramer made the first
calls, but they returned them.
Mr. Dobbs, this
is reprehensible.
Once more, you've
misrepresented the facts.
I have no doubt that you
were injured, Mr. Kramer,
but no matter what your
attorney has led you to believe,
your settlement will be modest.
There'll be just enough money
to cover your medical bills.
We're done here.
Good day.
That's why we call this
judge "Tightwad Artie,"
but he is not a jury,
thank the Lord above.
Juries listen with their hearts.
What's your offer?
Forget it, Dobbs.
Contrary to what you may
think, juries are very smart,
and I want this one
to see you in action.
Because when they hear
how you blow everything
out of proportion
and they watch that trained
seal of an MD out there
perform on the stand,
they are going to
resent the hell out of you,
and your client
will be very lucky
to walk away with half a cent.
See you in court, gentlemen.
John, wait.
John?
Come on.
John, don't worry.
Everything's going to be okay.
Okay?
I heard what the
hell she said in there.
You put me through all
this garbage for nothing.
What's going on?
John, she is wrong, believe me.
See you.
Shall we?
You know what I think?
You're a lying, thieving jerk.
You said my
family'd be set for life.
And they will be, John.
Just calm down.
Hey, hey, hey, what's going on?
The settlement conference
wasn't entirely successful,
and John is just a
little upset, that's all.
It was in the bag.
What went wrong?
It was the lost wages thing.
We went over that.
Didn't you say what
I told you to say?
He lied to 'em, just
like he lied to me.
John, I didn't lie to you.
You'll get your money.
This thing isn't over,
not by a long shot.
My body is a wreck,
my career's ruined, and
because you get greedy,
my family is gonna
wind up with nothing.
John, look... we have
a lot of options left.
You come to my office
tonight and we'll talk.
Okay, 7:00?
John?
Nobody is going to
wind up on welfare here,
I promise you.
Okay?
Okay.
- Damn it, Eugene.
- Oh, shut up.
Why can't you just
do what I tell you to?
- Oh, please. Will you stop?
- No, no "please."
♪♪
Says here you had an argument
with Eugene Dobbs
yesterday afternoon.
He made me think
I'd make a fortune.
But I'll be lucky to
cover my medical bills.
And the police found the murder
weapon in your motel room.
I don't know how it got there.
Hmm.
The janitor at the
office building said
that he saw a man
fitting your description
going into Eugene
Dobbs' office last night.
No, I didn't go to his office.
He called the motel
and told me to meet him
at a sushi place on Peachtree,
but he never showed.
I didn't kill him, Mr. Matlock.
I swear.
Well, I guess we know
why he never showed.
Who else knew
about this meeting?
Everybody who heard us arguing.
Uh, Nolan Wheeler,
Dr. McNeeley, Al DeMont.
They were all listening.
Well, that's a start.
Is that cane, uh, temporary?
No.
This is as good
as I'll ever get.
Hmm.
Well, I'll go bail you out.
How am I going to pay you?
Well... a pro bono
case every now and then
is good for the spirit.
And besides, I can't
let you go around
thinking all lawyers are...
are like the late,
unlamented Eugene Dobbs.
Oh, Les, come on in.
Have some coffee.
There's an extra cup.
But don't be
offended if I leave.
Oh. You in a rush?
Yeah, I'm involved in a case
dealing with an
ambulance-chasing lawyer.
Boy, those guys are
all over, aren't they?
Yeah.
I'm surprised there
wasn't one around
the other day when
I got sideswiped.
Yeah?
Any damage? You get hurt?
No, it's nothing.
Well, that's what
these fellas do...
Make something out of nothing...
Especially in a sideswipe case.
Why, some of them get their
clients thousands of dollars.
They can?
Oh, yeah.
I heard of one case like yours.
This lawyer got his
client a half million bucks.
A half a million?
Mm-hmm.
I wonder if maybe I shouldn't
have had my neck
checked after it happened.
Does it hurt?
Uh, well, they say
that sometimes
whiplash doesn't show
up for a few days after.
That's why you have to report
these accidents right away.
If-If you wait too long,
you don't have a case.
Yeah.
Well, I'd better go, Ben.
Uh, but don't... don't
you want your coffee?
Uh... uh... uh, no, Ben.
I'll-I'll-I'll... I'll
see you later.
Ah, hi, Bob.
Mr. Dobbs did all right
for himself, didn't he?
Yeah. Ever see any
of his TV commercials?
Sold himself like corn flakes.
"Eugene Dobbs,
your friend in need."
Yeah, I've seen
them. I've seen them.
- Is that his office?
- Yeah.
His widow's in there now
picking up a few personal items.
I guess she's pretty upset.
You could say that.
Mm-hmm.
You clumsy moron!
- Sorry, ma'am.
- Sorry?
You klutz!
This vase cost $2,000.
Uh, uh, Mrs. Dobbs?
Hi.
Uh, I'm Ben
Matlock. I'm a lawyer.
Good. Sue the Police Department.
These bozos
destroyed my property.
Oh. Mr. Dobbs made a
lot of money, didn't he?
- You could say that.
- Wheeler & Dobbs
were the hottest team
in personal litigation.
Oh, they were.
But Eugene was the whole
show, if you know what I mean.
Last week, he told me he
was going to dump Nolan.
Oh, did-did-did...
Did he say why?
He didn't have to.
With Eugene, everything
was about money.
Oh, not that I have
anything against money.
I can spend it with
the best of them.
That's going to
cost you, Einstein.
That is going to cost you.
Your Honor, due
to-to the unforeseen
ter-termination of
the par-participation
of co-counsel for the
plaintiff, Ms. Elaine Davison,
we would ask
the court to cons...
You want a continuance
because Mr. Dobbs is dead, right?
That-That would be
correct, Your Honor, yes.
Now, this courtroom,
9:00, Friday the 28th.
Uh, next time, just
spit it out, Mr. Wheeler.
Next case.
Uh, Your Honor, in the
matter of Lock versus Parson...
Mr. Wheeler?
Hello. My name is
Michelle Thomas.
I work with Ben Matlock.
Could I ask you a few questions?
Sure, but outside.
Courtrooms make you nervous?
I break into a sweat
just driving past
the courthouse.
There.
My heart finally
stopped pounding.
What a handicap for a lawyer.
I'm a damn good one, too.
So long as you don't
have to stand up and speak
in front of a bunch
of strangers?
Um, let's walk.
So, that's why you teamed
up with Eugene Dobbs.
He was your front.
He was a brilliant
orator... A star.
He lived for the spotlight.
Unfortunately, he didn't
have a brain in his head.
Oh?
I was Edgar Bergen;
he was Charlie McCarthy.
I'd tell him what to say,
he'd say it in court, and
juries would applaud.
Together, we were
the perfect lawyer...
Brains and blarney.
Then why was he thinking
about leaving the firm?
Uh, who told you that?
His wife.
Some wife.
More like a hood ornament.
Eugene got cocky.
Started thinking he
didn't need me, after all.
Like I said, he was stupid.
His leaving would have
ruined your business.
Well, his murder wasn't
exactly a shot in the arm.
But at least with him
dead, you get to collect
on that million-dollar
insurance policy
you took out on
each other, don't you?
Uh, I'm a suspect?
Well, you did know
he'd be having a meeting
in his office that night
with John Kramer.
So what? I was at home.
Alone?
Yes.
My stomach's killing me.
I'm due in court.
Where's my pills?
Look, I didn't kill him!
Hey, Nolan.
- Leave me alone.
- Hey, Nolan.
- Nolan.
- Just get away from me.
Hey, Nolan, I'll
get away from you.
- Just give me five minutes.
- I don't want to talk to you.
- I don't know you.
- You don't want to...
- Look...
- Just don't call me again.
I'm not going to call you again.
- I...
- Leave me alone.
Look out below!
Hey, watch it! Come on.
Yeah, first time I ever
went to a water park,
when it was time
to leave, I threw a fit.
My father had to carry me out.
And now you own it.
I wouldn't mind owning
something like this.
Yeah, nobody can carry me out.
- It's all mine.
- Yeah.
Uh, I hear you've had quite
a few personal injury cases
brought against you in
the past couple years.
Oh, yeah. Anytime you have
this amount of people
in a place like this,
you're bound to
have some accidents.
That's why they
invented insurance.
Yeah.
12, though... that's a lot.
A lot, and all brought
by Eugene Dobbs.
Well, they were
mostly nuisance cases.
Fight 'em?
Just cost me a lot of
time and not much money.
- Yeah, I did fight 'em.
- Yeah. Yeah.
Well, nuisance or not, I
bet your insurance went up.
Didn't get any lower.
Is that why you filed that, uh,
harassment complaint,
uh, against him
at the State Bar Association?
Well, I can see you're better
at doing your homework
than I ever was.
Yes, I did file a
complaint against him,
and he filed a
counter-complaint against me.
And we both got smart
and called a truce.
And we both agreed to back off
until the Kramer
case was settled.
- We-We put it in writing.
- Oh.
Well, that's, uh...
that's Peter the Penguin.
- He's bucking for a raise.
- Raise.
Listen, I got a meeting, so...
Uh, uh, one-one-one other thing.
Uh, the night Mr... Uh,
Eugene... was killed,
uh, you-you happen to
remember where you were?
Oh, yeah. I was in my office.
I was trying to catch
up on all the work
that I didn't get to because
of the settlement hearing.
Uh-huh.
And no, nobody saw me.
- Ah.
- The park was closed.
Hey, that pass I gave
you is good indefinitely,
so, uh, come back anytime.
Oh, well, thanks. I will.
Yeah.
I believe this is one
of the best hot dogs
I've ever put in my mouth.
I thought you said to meet
you at the white-water ride.
- I got hungry.
- I figured.
I believe this is one
of the best hot dogs
I've ever put in my mouth.
Are we gonna talk about
hot dogs all afternoon?
Well, I'm not dead.
I think I know how Eugene Dobbs
gets so many personal
injury cases from here.
How?
Well, I think somebody who
works here for Al DeMont
also works for Eugene Dobbs.
Any idea who?
No.
But I saw a sign
at the entrance.
Said, "Help wanted."
Have fun.
Hey, little girl.
What's your name?
Elizabeth.
Did you lose your
mommy and daddy?
No.
Well, Les, what happened?
Was I right, or was I right?
That sideswiping
I told you about?
I went to a doctor, and he
took an X-ray of my neck.
Did he find anything?
No. Whiplash doesn't
show up on an X-ray.
But he told me
to wear this thing
to be on the safe side.
- Is there any pain?
- Yeah.
And you know who's
gonna feel the pain?
The guy that sideswiped me.
It's a good thing we
exchanged license numbers.
Well, Les, if there's no
pain, why go through with it?
Why?
Why?! What if I have to wear
this thing the rest of my life?
Well, it... it doesn't
look... too bad.
It kind of gives you
a... an aristocratic look.
A-A-And think of the
money you'll save on ties.
Very funny.
You could be the
resident comedian
at the orthopedic hospital.
Well, Les, I'm
just trying to say,
if the doctor didn't
find anything,
and it doesn't hurt,
why not forget it?
Because I want to
teach this guy a lesson.
Sideswiping is a crime,
and I'm gonna make him pay.
In fact, I'm on my way to
look at some sports cars.
Uh, that's for
after I get paid off.
You keep getting sideswiped,
you can start a collection.
Oh, you're a scream.
A regular Bob Hopeless.
So, you were
working in the hallway
outside the offices of
Wheeler & Dobbs that night?
Yes, sir. I was vacuuming.
What did you see?
I saw that man right there
get out of the elevator and
head towards their offices.
Let the record show
that the witness
pointed to the defendant.
Do you recall what time it was?
About 7:00.
I vacuum the floors
every night between
6:30 and 7:00.
You're positive the man
you saw was the defendant?
He was walking with a cane
and wearing a red
Baxter Bulldogs cap.
I'm a Bulldogs fan myself.
Nothing further, Your Honor.
Mr. Matlock?
Uh... Now, uh... let's see.
Uh, how far would
you say you were
from the elevator when
you saw this person?
About 30, 35 feet.
Uh-huh.
And when he was walking
to, uh, the offices
of Wheeler & Dobbs,
was he walking towards
you or away from you?
- Away from me.
- Uh-huh.
Now, you were... you were...
you were vacuuming the floors?
That's right.
With one of
those big electric...
- Yeah.
- Vacuum cleaners.
Does the noise drive you crazy?
- Yeah.
- Yeah. Yeah.
So-So, uh...
So, when you saw this person
come out of the elevator, you...
it wasn't because you heard
the elevator doors open?
No. No, I-I saw him out
of the corner of my eye.
Mm-hmm. After he
stepped out of the elevator?
Yeah.
And after he turned
his back to you
and headed to the law offices.
No. I-I saw his face.
What, for a second, two?
Long enough.
Besides the cap,
what was he wearing?
- Well, I don't... I don't remember.
- What color
- was his jacket?
- I-I don't remember.
- What color was his cane?
- I don't know.
'Cause you saw him only
for a split second, right?
A-All I know is, I saw
his face long enough
to be positive that that's him.
- Liar!
- John!
- I didn't kill anyone. You
couldn't -That's enough!
Have seen me
because I wasn't there!
Mr. Matlock, restrain
your client, or I'll have
the bailiff remove him.
Sit down, John!
Yes, but he's lying!
John, sit down!
That's enough!
You think somebody
paid off the janitor?
No. He thinks he's
telling the truth.
Human beings make
lousy eyewitnesses.
Have you heard from Conrad?
Oh, no. Would you check
and see if he's called?
- Sure.
- I'm late.
Doctor's appointment.
Eldon McNeeley
had a cancellation.
Ah! Oh... whoa!
Ah... Whoa!
Oh... ho!
Get out, man. You're going in.
- Into the water.
- Hey, check it out, man.
Gonna go help her.
What are you doing?
Lemme give you a hand.
Oh, thank you.
All right.
There we go.
- You got it.
- Oh, what a good boy.
Go sit back in the water.
There you go. There
you go. There you go.
You jerk!
Oh.
Lady, are you okay?
Are you okay?
- Oh...
- Oh, she's all right.
Smile. That's it. That's my boy.
Okay, here we go. Here we go.
Patrick, say thank
you to Mr. Frog.
Well, thanks.
Code Red to Gate Five.
We're on our way.
Did you see her?
Yeah, she's actually stabilized,
and she's ready to move now.
And we did a
search of the vicinity.
- Good.
- Uh-huh.
Okay, now, we're gonna
take you up now real slow.
You ready?
Okay, boys, let's go.
Nice and easy.
It's locked, and I'll
see you over there.
Take it away.
All right, boys, we'll
see you over there.
Take care of her, Joe.
Okay, everybody,
the show's over.
Everybody, be safe.
Let's break it up.
You got to be careful.
Yeah, Nolan? Yeah.
Yeah, it's Nick Burnett.
Look, I got a live one for you.
Yeah, no. I know what you
said, but this one's a lock.
Hey, yeah, fine.
What, I'm fired?
Well, it's your
loss, Mr. Wheeler.
Weasel.
Nolan Wheeler, the attorney?
Yeah. What's it to
you, Frog Breath?
So you're the inside man
for Wheeler & Dobbs?
What are you gonna
do, get me fired?
Not if you answer my questions.
Ladies and gentlemen,
the park will be
closing in 30 minutes.
Please drive safely, and come
back and see us real soon.
♪♪
Hey.
Yeah. What's up?
When I went through
DeMont's office,
I found an itemized credit
card bill from last month.
He lied about the
evening of the murder.
He wasn't in his office.
He was in that hotel.
If he had an
alibi, why'd he lie?
Well, the desk clerk says
he's been coming here
every week for two years.
With her.
You're good.
I know.
Excuse me?
Ah. Whew!
I'm glad I caught you two
before you, uh, you know...
May I come in?
- Uh, Al.
- Yeah, it's all right, honey.
Yeah? Okay.
Yeah, all right. Oh, boy.
Big. Mm.
So, how'd you find out?
Oh, how did Eugene
Dobbs find out?
Who says Eugene knew?
Oh, come on.
You've been carrying
on for two years.
He's been hauling you
into court for two years.
It stands to reason.
But I was so
careful, Mr. Matlock.
I never wanted to hurt Eugene.
You've been seeing Mr. DeMont
here for more than two years.
Why didn't you just dump
Mr. Dobbs and marry Mr. DeMont?
I would have, but...
well, Eugene was
very dependent on me.
Out in the world, he was...
he was a powerful,
almost ruthless man,
but with me, he was
just an innocent little boy.
Oh.
Oh, I guess his money didn't
have anything to do with it.
That's ridiculous.
Amanda is a sensitive woman.
Well, I can see that.
Didn't it ever occur to you
that your husband
knew about your affair,
and that's why he was
suing him every 20 minutes?
Not to mention if the police
knew about your relationship,
it'd make a wonderful
motive for murder.
Oh, Al.
Oh, we were both here
that night, Mr. Matlock.
Deb, hi.
- And she can vouch for it.
- Hi.
She's the hotel masseuse,
my weekly, uh,
present to Amanda.
The poor thing
was so overwrought
with the need to deceive
her husband that, uh...
Well, massage is a
great tension reliever.
She got a massage the
night her husband died?
Yes. We both did.
Uh, excuse me?
Uh, do you keep a record
of the massages you give?
Of course.
Did you give these
two people massages
the night of the 2nd?
Yes, I did.
Two massages... 6:30 to
8:30, Mr. DeMont and guest.
Now, if you'll excuse us.
Any more questions?
Dead end?
Not at all, Conrad.
Not at all.
You're not gonna believe this,
Mr. Matlock. I was at home
working out with
weights when it hit me.
Your weights?
No. My alibi.
The night Eugene was
murdered, I was on the phone
with my shrink, a full hour.
I'm not a calm person.
Ask him.
Don't you want to know his name?
No. I don't need him.
I am a calm person.
But he's proof I
didn't murder Eugene.
Yeah, I know.
Then why'd you ask
me to come down here?
I want to take another
look around the office.
Could you pull the file on what
he had going on, uh, Al DeMont?
Sure.
Oh.
Looks like he had
just gotten a present.
From one of his clients.
I remember seeing
it in his mailbox.
Maybe it was this fancy pen set.
Could be.
Hmm. Fountain pen.
I haven't used one
of these in years.
I hear they're coming back.
Everything comes back.
I saved my Nehru jacket.
Huh.
Signature looks like something
off the Declaration
of Independence.
Look at that. Gee!
Well...
Well, there's a
waiver right on top.
"Eugene Dobbs agrees
"to stop all lawsuits
against Albert DeMont."
Hmm.
Well, I'll be daggone.
I must be daggone.
Eugene Dobbs has brought suit
against you and your water park
12 times in the past two years.
Is that correct?
Yes, he had.
And how much money has
your insurance company paid out,
approximately?
$3 million or so.
Phew! Boy, I...
I bet your premiums
have gone sky-high.
Yes.
Any more suits,
and you'd have been
in a lot of trouble,
wouldn't you?
Which is why I filed a
complaint against him, uh,
with the State Bar Association.
And he eventually agreed
to drop all cases pending.
Yeah, yeah. Yeah, I-I know.
And we'll get into
that in a minute.
Would you tell the court
why he sued you so often?
Well, he liked collecting
big contingency fees.
He was greedy.
Uh-huh. Yeah.
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Uh...
You've been having
an affair with his wife
for the past two
years, haven't you?
Objection. Relevancy.
Relevancy?! Come on!
Man has an affair
with a man's wife,
that man... that husband's...
Liable to get ticked off.
Mr. Matlock.
Well, Your Honor, it's
obvious it's relevant.
May I continue?
One day, you're going
to get in a lot of trouble.
Go ahead.
So?
Yes, it's true.
Mm-hmm. So, how-how many...
How many nights did
you meet her a week?
Once.
Oh. Careful.
Mm-hmm.
What night did you meet her?
Wednesdays.
Why Wednesday?
That was the night
Eugene played racquetball.
Uh-huh.
And were you with her
the night he was murdered?
- Yes.
- But that was a Tuesday.
Well, earlier in the day,
I'd heard Mr. Dobbs
tell your client,
Mr. Kramer, to meet
him in his office that night,
so I called Amanda.
Oh. So, you-you-you moved
your rendezvous up one night?
Correct.
Hmm.
Did, uh... Did you
both get massages?
Yes, we did.
Uh-huh.
So, let's see.
The masseuse was
in the suite from 6:30...
to 8:30.
That right?
- That's correct.
- Yeah.
Each massage takes an hour?
Yes.
Who went first?
- Amanda.
- Amanda.
So while the masseuse was
giving Amanda her massage,
you waited in-in the other
room, and then vice versa.
- Is that right?
- Correct.
You know what that means?
That means that while Amanda
was getting her massage,
between 6:30 and 7:30,
you could have left the hotel,
driven to Mr. Dobbs'
office, shot him,
driven back in plenty of
time for your massage,
and no one would
have been the wiser.
Isn't that right?
I did no such thing.
I'm afraid that's
exactly what you did.
You set the whole thing up.
You called my client, left
a message at his motel,
supposedly from Eugene Dobbs,
telling him to meet
at a sushi bar
instead of his office.
- I did not.
- And then
you selected a
cane from the room
at your... at your park
where you keep
your medical supplies,
and put on a-a Baxter University
red Bulldog cap and jacket
so if anybody saw you,
they'd think you
were John Kramer,
and knowing full well that
the masseuse and Amanda
would give you any
alibi you needed.
- Isn't that right?
- Oh.
Come on, look, I
signed an agreement
to end the lawsuits.
I had no reason to kill him.
None.
Your Honor, I-I object
to this line of questioning.
Where's the proof?
Right here. Right
here. Right here.
Right here.
I'd like to submit as
Defense Exhibit "A,"
uh, this agreement
that, uh, the-the... the
witness was just referring to
that was taken from
Mr. Dobbs' office last night,
and this pen set,
which was also taken
from his office last night,
as Defense Exhibit "B."
Go ahead?
Go ahead.
Now... this-this waiver,
in essence, is a... is a...
an agreement in writing
that you and Mr. Dobbs agreed
to-to stop all lawsuits
against each other,
and it was signed by you
on the 14th of last month,
one week before he was killed.
That's what I've
been telling you.
He didn't sign it. Why?
Well, he agreed to.
That's why I sent it to him.
Eugene Dobbs didn't sign
it and never intended to.
You are wrong!
Dobbs and I had an agreement
to put an end to the
bad blood between us.
Now, my lawyer
drew up that form,
I signed it.
Then we sent it to
him for his signature.
I agree that you wanted a truce.
I agree that your lawyer
made up this waiver.
But you never signed
it before it was mailed.
Now, here's what
I'd like you to do.
I'd like you to write your name
on this blank piece of paper,
just like you did
on this waiver,
first with this ballpoint pen.
Go ahead. Go ahead.
Okay. Now,
with this fountain pen that
I bought in the drugstore.
Okay.
Okay. Fine.
Now... Now with the
pen the police took
from Mr. Dobbs' office.
Go ahead.
Mm-hmm.
Oh... what a
difference a pen makes.
You see...
the ballpoint leaves
a little, thin line.
See there?
And the fountain pen leaves
a kind of a thick, wide mark.
But the pen the police
took from Mr. Dobbs' office...
Look at that. Phew!
Looks almost like an
artist drew your signature.
That's because it has
such a... a good tip,
almost like those that
the calligraphers use.
It's real distinctive-looking.
It's so distinctive
that it wouldn't take an expert
to recognize that that pen
is what you signed
that waiver with.
And what's more,
Mr. Dobbs' partner,
Mr. Wheeler, and his secretary
are ready to testify
that he received this pen
as a gift that day, just hours
before he was murdered.
You knew in your heart
that he would never
sign this waiver,
so you killed him...
to stop the lawsuits
and to get on with
your life with his wife.
You saw this unsigned waiver
on his desk after you
shot him, didn't you?
So you signed
it, dated it, filed it,
knowing the police would find it
and think you had
no reason to kill him.
Then you planted the
gun in John Kramer's room,
knowing the police would find it
and think he had done it.
What you didn't know was,
the only two people who
had access to this pen
that you signed the waiver with
was Mr. Dobbs
and the person who killed him.
That's all. Thank
you, Your Honor.
Hey, Les? Les...
Hey, Les, come... Come on in.
Come on. What...
Where you... Where
you... Where you going?
Where you... Where you
been? I haven't seen you.
I was going for a walk.
Any other questions?
Well, are-are... are
you... are you all right?
I see you're not
wearing the neck brace.
What happened with that case?
Nothing! Nothing happened!
You didn't collect
anything? I mean, I thought...
Well, you thought wrong!
I didn't collect. He collected.
The guy who sideswiped you?
That's right.
He claimed I pulled into
traffic without signaling.
Huh? How do you
like that for justice
in this land of the free?
Well, now, Les, uh...
The guy who did the
sideswiping gets the payoff,
and the guy who gets
sideswiped gets it in the rear.
Well, now...
Little guy hasn't got a chance,
so he shouldn't even try.
You can't fight City Hall,
not if you're a little guy,
because you can't win.
The cards are
stacked against you,
and you are dead in the water.
You're a loser, because
you're a little guy.
You might as well quit.
You can't win.
Step on the little guy!
That's the name of the game.
Beat up on the little guy!
Even when you're
right, you're wrong!
♪♪
♪♪
- Quiet, please.
- A-mark.
Why don't we get
him to smile...?
And... action.
The impact of the crash
threw me to the floor of the bus.
No good. Cut, cut.
A-cam.
A-cam four.
Okay, here we go, and action.
The impact of the crash
threw me to the floor of the bus.
- Cut, cut.
- Line, line.
A-cam.
One, take four.
Get ready, single.
Action.
The impact of the crash
threw me to the floor of the bus,
causing permanent
and painful injuries
to my neck and my back.
I was unable to work
and support my family.
All hope was gone...
until my wife suggested
I talk to a lawyer,
so I did.
Now my future is bright...
thanks to this man here...
Eugene Dobbs.
Thank you, Clayton.
Friend, are you
like Mr. Sadowski,
a victim of someone
else's negligence?
Have you suffered
bodily harm, anguish,
lost wages?
Are bill collectors
banging at your door?
We at Wheeler &
Dobbs know how you feel,
and we are ready to help
you get what you deserve,
like the $2 million we got...
Damn it, Eugene, I told
you we can't say "$2 million"!
Cut! Mr. Wheeler?
We only got him $200,000.
He was awarded
$2 million, Nolan.
After the city appealed,
he only got $200,000.
If you don't like the way I
do the commercial, you do it.
I can't.
You know I can't.
Then butt out.
Okay, folks, uh,
this will be a pickup.
Ready?
Roll 'em.
And... action.
We at Wheeler & Dobbs
aren't just attorneys.
We're your friends.
In your time of
need, we'll be there
and we won't let you down.
A-sticks.
Now, remember, this is a
pretrial settlement conference.
It's not a hearing.
You just sit there and relax
while I answer the
judge's questions.
In an hour, I'll be
taking you to lunch.
So the judge is gonna decide
whether I'm gonna get all
this money you're asking for?
I'll tell him your
side of the story,
then the DeMont
company lawyer will tell him
their side of the story.
Then the judge will decide
how much money you'd get
if you went to trial,
and then DeMont's lawyer
is going to rush over to me
and offer us a settlement.
Believe me, DeMont
does not want to go to trial.
You mean, this whole
thing could be over soon?
John, with any luck,
by the end of the day,
you are going to be a
millionaire several times over.
Aha, there you are.
Dr. McNeeley.
How you doing?
Well, I've, uh, just, uh,
reexamined your latest X-rays,
and I'm sorry to say that in
addition to everything else,
you've sustained a hairline
fracture to your left clavicle.
Funny, collarbone's the only
part of me that doesn't hurt.
You gonna be at the
conference, too, Doc?
No, I can't, but,
uh, I'll be here
if Eugene needs
to confer with me.
Good luck.
Thanks a lot.
Well, well, well, Dr. McNeeley.
Still chasing ambulances
with Eugene Dobbs?
Some things never change.
This way.
Uh, am I correct in assuming
that the guardrail that gave way
and caused Mr. Kramer's
fall was inspected
at the same time as
the ride it surrounded?
Yes, sir, that is correct.
Excuse me, Your Honor.
That guardrail was
supposed to be inspected,
but I have depositions
from park employees
that say that it wasn't.
My client cannot be blamed
for the negligence
of state officials.
Al DeMont spends
thousands of dollars every year
advertising that his
water park is safe,
and hardworking families with
innocent children believe him.
And they spend millions at your
park, don't they, Mr. DeMont?
Your Honor...
All right, that's
enough, Mr. Dobbs.
Now, I see that your
expert medical witness
is Dr. Eldon McNeeley.
Expert.
Dr. McNeeley is the
distinguished holder
of the Fontmeyer
Chair in Orthopedics
at Robertson Hospital.
Yes, yes, I know, and,
uh, you, Miss Radovich,
intend to put Dr. James
Liu on the stand.
Yes, sir, and his opinion
of Mr. Kramer's injury
is radically different from
that of Dr. McNeeley's.
Mm-hmm, mm-hmm.
Now, what's this
about lost wages?
My client was a college
football coach, Your Honor.
Like the great Vince Lombardi,
he was an active, physical man.
Like Rockne, Parseghian,
Lou Holtz, Eddie Robinson,
coaching was his life.
But now, due to
constant pain and agony,
this shell of a man...
I get the idea, Mr. Dobbs,
but since when does the coach
of a state junior
college football team
earn $6 million?
That's potential, Your Honor.
At the time of
my client's injury,
he was being pursued
by five major universities.
He would have
accepted one of them,
then gone with the
pros and made millions.
You are lying.
Those schools were
not pursuing him;
he was pursuing those schools.
Your Honor, his client
initiated those job interviews
because he was
afraid he was about
to be fired.
You can't prove that.
The hell, I can't.
Is this true, Mr. Dobbs?
Is what true?
That your client initiated those
interviews and not vice versa?
Mr. Dobbs, answer me.
So Mr. Kramer made the first
calls, but they returned them.
Mr. Dobbs, this
is reprehensible.
Once more, you've
misrepresented the facts.
I have no doubt that you
were injured, Mr. Kramer,
but no matter what your
attorney has led you to believe,
your settlement will be modest.
There'll be just enough money
to cover your medical bills.
We're done here.
Good day.
That's why we call this
judge "Tightwad Artie,"
but he is not a jury,
thank the Lord above.
Juries listen with their hearts.
What's your offer?
Forget it, Dobbs.
Contrary to what you may
think, juries are very smart,
and I want this one
to see you in action.
Because when they hear
how you blow everything
out of proportion
and they watch that trained
seal of an MD out there
perform on the stand,
they are going to
resent the hell out of you,
and your client
will be very lucky
to walk away with half a cent.
See you in court, gentlemen.
John, wait.
John?
Come on.
John, don't worry.
Everything's going to be okay.
Okay?
I heard what the
hell she said in there.
You put me through all
this garbage for nothing.
What's going on?
John, she is wrong, believe me.
See you.
Shall we?
You know what I think?
You're a lying, thieving jerk.
You said my
family'd be set for life.
And they will be, John.
Just calm down.
Hey, hey, hey, what's going on?
The settlement conference
wasn't entirely successful,
and John is just a
little upset, that's all.
It was in the bag.
What went wrong?
It was the lost wages thing.
We went over that.
Didn't you say what
I told you to say?
He lied to 'em, just
like he lied to me.
John, I didn't lie to you.
You'll get your money.
This thing isn't over,
not by a long shot.
My body is a wreck,
my career's ruined, and
because you get greedy,
my family is gonna
wind up with nothing.
John, look... we have
a lot of options left.
You come to my office
tonight and we'll talk.
Okay, 7:00?
John?
Nobody is going to
wind up on welfare here,
I promise you.
Okay?
Okay.
- Damn it, Eugene.
- Oh, shut up.
Why can't you just
do what I tell you to?
- Oh, please. Will you stop?
- No, no "please."
♪♪
Says here you had an argument
with Eugene Dobbs
yesterday afternoon.
He made me think
I'd make a fortune.
But I'll be lucky to
cover my medical bills.
And the police found the murder
weapon in your motel room.
I don't know how it got there.
Hmm.
The janitor at the
office building said
that he saw a man
fitting your description
going into Eugene
Dobbs' office last night.
No, I didn't go to his office.
He called the motel
and told me to meet him
at a sushi place on Peachtree,
but he never showed.
I didn't kill him, Mr. Matlock.
I swear.
Well, I guess we know
why he never showed.
Who else knew
about this meeting?
Everybody who heard us arguing.
Uh, Nolan Wheeler,
Dr. McNeeley, Al DeMont.
They were all listening.
Well, that's a start.
Is that cane, uh, temporary?
No.
This is as good
as I'll ever get.
Hmm.
Well, I'll go bail you out.
How am I going to pay you?
Well... a pro bono
case every now and then
is good for the spirit.
And besides, I can't
let you go around
thinking all lawyers are...
are like the late,
unlamented Eugene Dobbs.
Oh, Les, come on in.
Have some coffee.
There's an extra cup.
But don't be
offended if I leave.
Oh. You in a rush?
Yeah, I'm involved in a case
dealing with an
ambulance-chasing lawyer.
Boy, those guys are
all over, aren't they?
Yeah.
I'm surprised there
wasn't one around
the other day when
I got sideswiped.
Yeah?
Any damage? You get hurt?
No, it's nothing.
Well, that's what
these fellas do...
Make something out of nothing...
Especially in a sideswipe case.
Why, some of them get their
clients thousands of dollars.
They can?
Oh, yeah.
I heard of one case like yours.
This lawyer got his
client a half million bucks.
A half a million?
Mm-hmm.
I wonder if maybe I shouldn't
have had my neck
checked after it happened.
Does it hurt?
Uh, well, they say
that sometimes
whiplash doesn't show
up for a few days after.
That's why you have to report
these accidents right away.
If-If you wait too long,
you don't have a case.
Yeah.
Well, I'd better go, Ben.
Uh, but don't... don't
you want your coffee?
Uh... uh... uh, no, Ben.
I'll-I'll-I'll... I'll
see you later.
Ah, hi, Bob.
Mr. Dobbs did all right
for himself, didn't he?
Yeah. Ever see any
of his TV commercials?
Sold himself like corn flakes.
"Eugene Dobbs,
your friend in need."
Yeah, I've seen
them. I've seen them.
- Is that his office?
- Yeah.
His widow's in there now
picking up a few personal items.
I guess she's pretty upset.
You could say that.
Mm-hmm.
You clumsy moron!
- Sorry, ma'am.
- Sorry?
You klutz!
This vase cost $2,000.
Uh, uh, Mrs. Dobbs?
Hi.
Uh, I'm Ben
Matlock. I'm a lawyer.
Good. Sue the Police Department.
These bozos
destroyed my property.
Oh. Mr. Dobbs made a
lot of money, didn't he?
- You could say that.
- Wheeler & Dobbs
were the hottest team
in personal litigation.
Oh, they were.
But Eugene was the whole
show, if you know what I mean.
Last week, he told me he
was going to dump Nolan.
Oh, did-did-did...
Did he say why?
He didn't have to.
With Eugene, everything
was about money.
Oh, not that I have
anything against money.
I can spend it with
the best of them.
That's going to
cost you, Einstein.
That is going to cost you.
Your Honor, due
to-to the unforeseen
ter-termination of
the par-participation
of co-counsel for the
plaintiff, Ms. Elaine Davison,
we would ask
the court to cons...
You want a continuance
because Mr. Dobbs is dead, right?
That-That would be
correct, Your Honor, yes.
Now, this courtroom,
9:00, Friday the 28th.
Uh, next time, just
spit it out, Mr. Wheeler.
Next case.
Uh, Your Honor, in the
matter of Lock versus Parson...
Mr. Wheeler?
Hello. My name is
Michelle Thomas.
I work with Ben Matlock.
Could I ask you a few questions?
Sure, but outside.
Courtrooms make you nervous?
I break into a sweat
just driving past
the courthouse.
There.
My heart finally
stopped pounding.
What a handicap for a lawyer.
I'm a damn good one, too.
So long as you don't
have to stand up and speak
in front of a bunch
of strangers?
Um, let's walk.
So, that's why you teamed
up with Eugene Dobbs.
He was your front.
He was a brilliant
orator... A star.
He lived for the spotlight.
Unfortunately, he didn't
have a brain in his head.
Oh?
I was Edgar Bergen;
he was Charlie McCarthy.
I'd tell him what to say,
he'd say it in court, and
juries would applaud.
Together, we were
the perfect lawyer...
Brains and blarney.
Then why was he thinking
about leaving the firm?
Uh, who told you that?
His wife.
Some wife.
More like a hood ornament.
Eugene got cocky.
Started thinking he
didn't need me, after all.
Like I said, he was stupid.
His leaving would have
ruined your business.
Well, his murder wasn't
exactly a shot in the arm.
But at least with him
dead, you get to collect
on that million-dollar
insurance policy
you took out on
each other, don't you?
Uh, I'm a suspect?
Well, you did know
he'd be having a meeting
in his office that night
with John Kramer.
So what? I was at home.
Alone?
Yes.
My stomach's killing me.
I'm due in court.
Where's my pills?
Look, I didn't kill him!
Hey, Nolan.
- Leave me alone.
- Hey, Nolan.
- Nolan.
- Just get away from me.
Hey, Nolan, I'll
get away from you.
- Just give me five minutes.
- I don't want to talk to you.
- I don't know you.
- You don't want to...
- Look...
- Just don't call me again.
I'm not going to call you again.
- I...
- Leave me alone.
Look out below!
Hey, watch it! Come on.
Yeah, first time I ever
went to a water park,
when it was time
to leave, I threw a fit.
My father had to carry me out.
And now you own it.
I wouldn't mind owning
something like this.
Yeah, nobody can carry me out.
- It's all mine.
- Yeah.
Uh, I hear you've had quite
a few personal injury cases
brought against you in
the past couple years.
Oh, yeah. Anytime you have
this amount of people
in a place like this,
you're bound to
have some accidents.
That's why they
invented insurance.
Yeah.
12, though... that's a lot.
A lot, and all brought
by Eugene Dobbs.
Well, they were
mostly nuisance cases.
Fight 'em?
Just cost me a lot of
time and not much money.
- Yeah, I did fight 'em.
- Yeah. Yeah.
Well, nuisance or not, I
bet your insurance went up.
Didn't get any lower.
Is that why you filed that, uh,
harassment complaint,
uh, against him
at the State Bar Association?
Well, I can see you're better
at doing your homework
than I ever was.
Yes, I did file a
complaint against him,
and he filed a
counter-complaint against me.
And we both got smart
and called a truce.
And we both agreed to back off
until the Kramer
case was settled.
- We-We put it in writing.
- Oh.
Well, that's, uh...
that's Peter the Penguin.
- He's bucking for a raise.
- Raise.
Listen, I got a meeting, so...
Uh, uh, one-one-one other thing.
Uh, the night Mr... Uh,
Eugene... was killed,
uh, you-you happen to
remember where you were?
Oh, yeah. I was in my office.
I was trying to catch
up on all the work
that I didn't get to because
of the settlement hearing.
Uh-huh.
And no, nobody saw me.
- Ah.
- The park was closed.
Hey, that pass I gave
you is good indefinitely,
so, uh, come back anytime.
Oh, well, thanks. I will.
Yeah.
I believe this is one
of the best hot dogs
I've ever put in my mouth.
I thought you said to meet
you at the white-water ride.
- I got hungry.
- I figured.
I believe this is one
of the best hot dogs
I've ever put in my mouth.
Are we gonna talk about
hot dogs all afternoon?
Well, I'm not dead.
I think I know how Eugene Dobbs
gets so many personal
injury cases from here.
How?
Well, I think somebody who
works here for Al DeMont
also works for Eugene Dobbs.
Any idea who?
No.
But I saw a sign
at the entrance.
Said, "Help wanted."
Have fun.
Hey, little girl.
What's your name?
Elizabeth.
Did you lose your
mommy and daddy?
No.
Well, Les, what happened?
Was I right, or was I right?
That sideswiping
I told you about?
I went to a doctor, and he
took an X-ray of my neck.
Did he find anything?
No. Whiplash doesn't
show up on an X-ray.
But he told me
to wear this thing
to be on the safe side.
- Is there any pain?
- Yeah.
And you know who's
gonna feel the pain?
The guy that sideswiped me.
It's a good thing we
exchanged license numbers.
Well, Les, if there's no
pain, why go through with it?
Why?
Why?! What if I have to wear
this thing the rest of my life?
Well, it... it doesn't
look... too bad.
It kind of gives you
a... an aristocratic look.
A-A-And think of the
money you'll save on ties.
Very funny.
You could be the
resident comedian
at the orthopedic hospital.
Well, Les, I'm
just trying to say,
if the doctor didn't
find anything,
and it doesn't hurt,
why not forget it?
Because I want to
teach this guy a lesson.
Sideswiping is a crime,
and I'm gonna make him pay.
In fact, I'm on my way to
look at some sports cars.
Uh, that's for
after I get paid off.
You keep getting sideswiped,
you can start a collection.
Oh, you're a scream.
A regular Bob Hopeless.
So, you were
working in the hallway
outside the offices of
Wheeler & Dobbs that night?
Yes, sir. I was vacuuming.
What did you see?
I saw that man right there
get out of the elevator and
head towards their offices.
Let the record show
that the witness
pointed to the defendant.
Do you recall what time it was?
About 7:00.
I vacuum the floors
every night between
6:30 and 7:00.
You're positive the man
you saw was the defendant?
He was walking with a cane
and wearing a red
Baxter Bulldogs cap.
I'm a Bulldogs fan myself.
Nothing further, Your Honor.
Mr. Matlock?
Uh... Now, uh... let's see.
Uh, how far would
you say you were
from the elevator when
you saw this person?
About 30, 35 feet.
Uh-huh.
And when he was walking
to, uh, the offices
of Wheeler & Dobbs,
was he walking towards
you or away from you?
- Away from me.
- Uh-huh.
Now, you were... you were...
you were vacuuming the floors?
That's right.
With one of
those big electric...
- Yeah.
- Vacuum cleaners.
Does the noise drive you crazy?
- Yeah.
- Yeah. Yeah.
So-So, uh...
So, when you saw this person
come out of the elevator, you...
it wasn't because you heard
the elevator doors open?
No. No, I-I saw him out
of the corner of my eye.
Mm-hmm. After he
stepped out of the elevator?
Yeah.
And after he turned
his back to you
and headed to the law offices.
No. I-I saw his face.
What, for a second, two?
Long enough.
Besides the cap,
what was he wearing?
- Well, I don't... I don't remember.
- What color
- was his jacket?
- I-I don't remember.
- What color was his cane?
- I don't know.
'Cause you saw him only
for a split second, right?
A-All I know is, I saw
his face long enough
to be positive that that's him.
- Liar!
- John!
- I didn't kill anyone. You
couldn't -That's enough!
Have seen me
because I wasn't there!
Mr. Matlock, restrain
your client, or I'll have
the bailiff remove him.
Sit down, John!
Yes, but he's lying!
John, sit down!
That's enough!
You think somebody
paid off the janitor?
No. He thinks he's
telling the truth.
Human beings make
lousy eyewitnesses.
Have you heard from Conrad?
Oh, no. Would you check
and see if he's called?
- Sure.
- I'm late.
Doctor's appointment.
Eldon McNeeley
had a cancellation.
Ah! Oh... whoa!
Ah... Whoa!
Oh... ho!
Get out, man. You're going in.
- Into the water.
- Hey, check it out, man.
Gonna go help her.
What are you doing?
Lemme give you a hand.
Oh, thank you.
All right.
There we go.
- You got it.
- Oh, what a good boy.
Go sit back in the water.
There you go. There
you go. There you go.
You jerk!
Oh.
Lady, are you okay?
Are you okay?
- Oh...
- Oh, she's all right.
Smile. That's it. That's my boy.
Okay, here we go. Here we go.
Patrick, say thank
you to Mr. Frog.
Well, thanks.
Code Red to Gate Five.
We're on our way.
Did you see her?
Yeah, she's actually stabilized,
and she's ready to move now.
And we did a
search of the vicinity.
- Good.
- Uh-huh.
Okay, now, we're gonna
take you up now real slow.
You ready?
Okay, boys, let's go.
Nice and easy.
It's locked, and I'll
see you over there.
Take it away.
All right, boys, we'll
see you over there.
Take care of her, Joe.
Okay, everybody,
the show's over.
Everybody, be safe.
Let's break it up.
You got to be careful.
Yeah, Nolan? Yeah.
Yeah, it's Nick Burnett.
Look, I got a live one for you.
Yeah, no. I know what you
said, but this one's a lock.
Hey, yeah, fine.
What, I'm fired?
Well, it's your
loss, Mr. Wheeler.
Weasel.
Nolan Wheeler, the attorney?
Yeah. What's it to
you, Frog Breath?
So you're the inside man
for Wheeler & Dobbs?
What are you gonna
do, get me fired?
Not if you answer my questions.
Ladies and gentlemen,
the park will be
closing in 30 minutes.
Please drive safely, and come
back and see us real soon.
♪♪
Hey.
Yeah. What's up?
When I went through
DeMont's office,
I found an itemized credit
card bill from last month.
He lied about the
evening of the murder.
He wasn't in his office.
He was in that hotel.
If he had an
alibi, why'd he lie?
Well, the desk clerk says
he's been coming here
every week for two years.
With her.
You're good.
I know.
Excuse me?
Ah. Whew!
I'm glad I caught you two
before you, uh, you know...
May I come in?
- Uh, Al.
- Yeah, it's all right, honey.
Yeah? Okay.
Yeah, all right. Oh, boy.
Big. Mm.
So, how'd you find out?
Oh, how did Eugene
Dobbs find out?
Who says Eugene knew?
Oh, come on.
You've been carrying
on for two years.
He's been hauling you
into court for two years.
It stands to reason.
But I was so
careful, Mr. Matlock.
I never wanted to hurt Eugene.
You've been seeing Mr. DeMont
here for more than two years.
Why didn't you just dump
Mr. Dobbs and marry Mr. DeMont?
I would have, but...
well, Eugene was
very dependent on me.
Out in the world, he was...
he was a powerful,
almost ruthless man,
but with me, he was
just an innocent little boy.
Oh.
Oh, I guess his money didn't
have anything to do with it.
That's ridiculous.
Amanda is a sensitive woman.
Well, I can see that.
Didn't it ever occur to you
that your husband
knew about your affair,
and that's why he was
suing him every 20 minutes?
Not to mention if the police
knew about your relationship,
it'd make a wonderful
motive for murder.
Oh, Al.
Oh, we were both here
that night, Mr. Matlock.
Deb, hi.
- And she can vouch for it.
- Hi.
She's the hotel masseuse,
my weekly, uh,
present to Amanda.
The poor thing
was so overwrought
with the need to deceive
her husband that, uh...
Well, massage is a
great tension reliever.
She got a massage the
night her husband died?
Yes. We both did.
Uh, excuse me?
Uh, do you keep a record
of the massages you give?
Of course.
Did you give these
two people massages
the night of the 2nd?
Yes, I did.
Two massages... 6:30 to
8:30, Mr. DeMont and guest.
Now, if you'll excuse us.
Any more questions?
Dead end?
Not at all, Conrad.
Not at all.
You're not gonna believe this,
Mr. Matlock. I was at home
working out with
weights when it hit me.
Your weights?
No. My alibi.
The night Eugene was
murdered, I was on the phone
with my shrink, a full hour.
I'm not a calm person.
Ask him.
Don't you want to know his name?
No. I don't need him.
I am a calm person.
But he's proof I
didn't murder Eugene.
Yeah, I know.
Then why'd you ask
me to come down here?
I want to take another
look around the office.
Could you pull the file on what
he had going on, uh, Al DeMont?
Sure.
Oh.
Looks like he had
just gotten a present.
From one of his clients.
I remember seeing
it in his mailbox.
Maybe it was this fancy pen set.
Could be.
Hmm. Fountain pen.
I haven't used one
of these in years.
I hear they're coming back.
Everything comes back.
I saved my Nehru jacket.
Huh.
Signature looks like something
off the Declaration
of Independence.
Look at that. Gee!
Well...
Well, there's a
waiver right on top.
"Eugene Dobbs agrees
"to stop all lawsuits
against Albert DeMont."
Hmm.
Well, I'll be daggone.
I must be daggone.
Eugene Dobbs has brought suit
against you and your water park
12 times in the past two years.
Is that correct?
Yes, he had.
And how much money has
your insurance company paid out,
approximately?
$3 million or so.
Phew! Boy, I...
I bet your premiums
have gone sky-high.
Yes.
Any more suits,
and you'd have been
in a lot of trouble,
wouldn't you?
Which is why I filed a
complaint against him, uh,
with the State Bar Association.
And he eventually agreed
to drop all cases pending.
Yeah, yeah. Yeah, I-I know.
And we'll get into
that in a minute.
Would you tell the court
why he sued you so often?
Well, he liked collecting
big contingency fees.
He was greedy.
Uh-huh. Yeah.
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Uh...
You've been having
an affair with his wife
for the past two
years, haven't you?
Objection. Relevancy.
Relevancy?! Come on!
Man has an affair
with a man's wife,
that man... that husband's...
Liable to get ticked off.
Mr. Matlock.
Well, Your Honor, it's
obvious it's relevant.
May I continue?
One day, you're going
to get in a lot of trouble.
Go ahead.
So?
Yes, it's true.
Mm-hmm. So, how-how many...
How many nights did
you meet her a week?
Once.
Oh. Careful.
Mm-hmm.
What night did you meet her?
Wednesdays.
Why Wednesday?
That was the night
Eugene played racquetball.
Uh-huh.
And were you with her
the night he was murdered?
- Yes.
- But that was a Tuesday.
Well, earlier in the day,
I'd heard Mr. Dobbs
tell your client,
Mr. Kramer, to meet
him in his office that night,
so I called Amanda.
Oh. So, you-you-you moved
your rendezvous up one night?
Correct.
Hmm.
Did, uh... Did you
both get massages?
Yes, we did.
Uh-huh.
So, let's see.
The masseuse was
in the suite from 6:30...
to 8:30.
That right?
- That's correct.
- Yeah.
Each massage takes an hour?
Yes.
Who went first?
- Amanda.
- Amanda.
So while the masseuse was
giving Amanda her massage,
you waited in-in the other
room, and then vice versa.
- Is that right?
- Correct.
You know what that means?
That means that while Amanda
was getting her massage,
between 6:30 and 7:30,
you could have left the hotel,
driven to Mr. Dobbs'
office, shot him,
driven back in plenty of
time for your massage,
and no one would
have been the wiser.
Isn't that right?
I did no such thing.
I'm afraid that's
exactly what you did.
You set the whole thing up.
You called my client, left
a message at his motel,
supposedly from Eugene Dobbs,
telling him to meet
at a sushi bar
instead of his office.
- I did not.
- And then
you selected a
cane from the room
at your... at your park
where you keep
your medical supplies,
and put on a-a Baxter University
red Bulldog cap and jacket
so if anybody saw you,
they'd think you
were John Kramer,
and knowing full well that
the masseuse and Amanda
would give you any
alibi you needed.
- Isn't that right?
- Oh.
Come on, look, I
signed an agreement
to end the lawsuits.
I had no reason to kill him.
None.
Your Honor, I-I object
to this line of questioning.
Where's the proof?
Right here. Right
here. Right here.
Right here.
I'd like to submit as
Defense Exhibit "A,"
uh, this agreement
that, uh, the-the... the
witness was just referring to
that was taken from
Mr. Dobbs' office last night,
and this pen set,
which was also taken
from his office last night,
as Defense Exhibit "B."
Go ahead?
Go ahead.
Now... this-this waiver,
in essence, is a... is a...
an agreement in writing
that you and Mr. Dobbs agreed
to-to stop all lawsuits
against each other,
and it was signed by you
on the 14th of last month,
one week before he was killed.
That's what I've
been telling you.
He didn't sign it. Why?
Well, he agreed to.
That's why I sent it to him.
Eugene Dobbs didn't sign
it and never intended to.
You are wrong!
Dobbs and I had an agreement
to put an end to the
bad blood between us.
Now, my lawyer
drew up that form,
I signed it.
Then we sent it to
him for his signature.
I agree that you wanted a truce.
I agree that your lawyer
made up this waiver.
But you never signed
it before it was mailed.
Now, here's what
I'd like you to do.
I'd like you to write your name
on this blank piece of paper,
just like you did
on this waiver,
first with this ballpoint pen.
Go ahead. Go ahead.
Okay. Now,
with this fountain pen that
I bought in the drugstore.
Okay.
Okay. Fine.
Now... Now with the
pen the police took
from Mr. Dobbs' office.
Go ahead.
Mm-hmm.
Oh... what a
difference a pen makes.
You see...
the ballpoint leaves
a little, thin line.
See there?
And the fountain pen leaves
a kind of a thick, wide mark.
But the pen the police
took from Mr. Dobbs' office...
Look at that. Phew!
Looks almost like an
artist drew your signature.
That's because it has
such a... a good tip,
almost like those that
the calligraphers use.
It's real distinctive-looking.
It's so distinctive
that it wouldn't take an expert
to recognize that that pen
is what you signed
that waiver with.
And what's more,
Mr. Dobbs' partner,
Mr. Wheeler, and his secretary
are ready to testify
that he received this pen
as a gift that day, just hours
before he was murdered.
You knew in your heart
that he would never
sign this waiver,
so you killed him...
to stop the lawsuits
and to get on with
your life with his wife.
You saw this unsigned waiver
on his desk after you
shot him, didn't you?
So you signed
it, dated it, filed it,
knowing the police would find it
and think you had
no reason to kill him.
Then you planted the
gun in John Kramer's room,
knowing the police would find it
and think he had done it.
What you didn't know was,
the only two people who
had access to this pen
that you signed the waiver with
was Mr. Dobbs
and the person who killed him.
That's all. Thank
you, Your Honor.
Hey, Les? Les...
Hey, Les, come... Come on in.
Come on. What...
Where you... Where
you... Where you going?
Where you... Where you
been? I haven't seen you.
I was going for a walk.
Any other questions?
Well, are-are... are
you... are you all right?
I see you're not
wearing the neck brace.
What happened with that case?
Nothing! Nothing happened!
You didn't collect
anything? I mean, I thought...
Well, you thought wrong!
I didn't collect. He collected.
The guy who sideswiped you?
That's right.
He claimed I pulled into
traffic without signaling.
Huh? How do you
like that for justice
in this land of the free?
Well, now, Les, uh...
The guy who did the
sideswiping gets the payoff,
and the guy who gets
sideswiped gets it in the rear.
Well, now...
Little guy hasn't got a chance,
so he shouldn't even try.
You can't fight City Hall,
not if you're a little guy,
because you can't win.
The cards are
stacked against you,
and you are dead in the water.
You're a loser, because
you're a little guy.
You might as well quit.
You can't win.
Step on the little guy!
That's the name of the game.
Beat up on the little guy!
Even when you're
right, you're wrong!