Matlock (1986–1995): Season 7, Episode 4 - The Class - full transcript
[ALL WHOOPING]
[ROCK MUSIC PLAYING
OVER SPEAKERS]
Thanks.
Oh.
We're gonna be late.
For what?
Law Club.
Who cares? We should never
have joined that thing in the first place.
It takes too much time.
MAN: Didn't you ever get that
urge to just drop out of school?
No. And neither should you. I
mean, you're top of the class.
I break my back
and I barely get by.
Huh. Well, maybe
I could help you.
- Really?
- Sure.
How would you like to
see a good art film tonight?
I don't know.
About going with me
or seeing the movie?
Well, I love good art.
Don't answer now.
Look, I tell you what,
I'll take you to
lunch after Law Club.
Anywhere you want and
we'll talk about it then.
Anywhere I want to go?
Yeah. Yeah. Anywhere.
I mean, practically. I
need tuition money.
Okay.
MATLOCK: I was
cross-examining this widow one time
and I was pretty sure she
had killed her husband.
She was a little, tiny woman. She
kept crying into her handkerchief
and I was afraid if I went straight
at her, the jury might get mad at me.
So I stayed on the slow side
to keep the jury on my side and I
was able to show reasonable doubt.
And that's all a defense
attorney has to do. Yeah, Mark?
Have you ever seen
the perfect murder?
Well, I've seen cases
that were never solved.
- Yeah, but people do get away
with it. MATLOCK: Sometimes.
It happens a lot.
Heh, heh. More than we need.
How do they pull it off?
- What do they do?
- Well, sometimes they get lucky.
But with the
advances in forensics,
the body alone can provide
enough evidence to identify the killer.
MARK: So for a person to
commit the perfect murder,
the first thing they'd have to
do is get rid of the body, right?
Well, I'd say [CHUCKLES]
that would be a start
in the right direction.
But just because there's no body
doesn't mean somebody
won't be convicted,
because there have
been cases like that.
Well, what if you have a motive?
I mean, you really hate somebody
and you want to kill them?
- How do you do it?
- Yeah, how do you do it?
How do you do it?
Um... Is this a
personal question?
[ALL LAUGH]
Well, I guess... I guess
most killers make a mistake.
But I suppose if, theoretically,
if you wanted to kill somebody,
you'd first have
to have a motive.
So you'd want to do it.
Then you'd find
somebody to kill.
And you'd have to
get rid of the body.
Yeah. You'd get rid of the body
and then try to frame somebody else.
But the person you frame
has got to have the motive
and the means and the opportunity
to commit the crime, right?
Yeah. Of course.
CAROL: Well, have you ever
heard of anyone that made a knife
out of ice and then
melted the murder weapon?
No.
DON: So either no
one's ever done it
or it's such a good trick
no one's ever gotten caught.
Spoken like a true lawyer.
[STUDENTS LAUGH]
[POP MUSIC PLAYING ON JUKEBOX]
Ben Matlock, waste of time.
Seems to work for him though.
Let's try to get a beer.
You buy, you're the talker.
It's crowded. Maybe
there's a table in the back.
[SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY]
Hey, Carol. Let's go have lunch.
Thanks, Eddie. I can't.
Oh, you can't? What,
he won't let you?
- I'm having lunch with Mark.
- Okay. We'll have dinner then.
- Eight o'clock.
- Eddie, I told you,
it's over. That's it.
It's over? We're over?
After six months? No.
We had a fight.
Who doesn't fight?
But it's not over.
Hey, you don't seem to get it, do you?
She doesn't want to see you anymore.
Why don't you just
get out of her way?
Hey, look, guys, it talks.
MAN 1: Ooh. MAN 2: Ha, ha.
You've got a really big mouth.
- You're beginning to annoy me.
- I said move it.
[CROWD GASPS]
- See you around.
- Mark.
Leave me alone.
Just leave me alone.
[ROCK MUSIC PLAYING]
What the hell is going on?
Hey, Eddie.
I thought we were
going to the lake early.
Hey, Eddie? Where are you?
Eddie?
Eddie? Eddie?
[CHATTERING]
Well, the papers are to be on Locke,
Hume, any of the English philosophers.
[SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY]
[SCHOOL BELL RINGS]
MATLOCK: You
wanted to talk to me?
RUTLEDGE: Yes. Want to sit down?
- Oh, yeah.
[RUTLEDGE HUMMING]
Since you last spoke
to the Law Club,
one of our students by
the name of Eddie Price
- has disappeared.
- Yeah?
Yes. Eddie Price's roommate
found blood on the floor of the garage
and a broken beer bottle nearby.
You think...? Do you
think he was killed?
I don't know. He's gone.
Police have been searching for him
for five days. They haven't found him.
Huh.
Maybe he just took off.
Yes, but he left behind his glasses
and an uncashed scholarship check.
Without a body,
murder is hard to prove.
So I've been told.
Police were here and we talked.
Ben, I think you
had a hand in this.
What did I do?
Well, from what I hear, heh,
you all but gave your class a blueprint
of how to commit a perfect murder.
Wait a minute. I'm
talking to these freshmen
on criminal law. We talk
about murder, crimes of all kind.
Yes, but if one of your students
took what you said and went out
- and killed him...
- That's garbage and you know it.
Now, just take it easy.
You teach Physics.
Your students don't
build nuclear bombs.
- Well, this is different.
- It's not different.
Look, these are young,
impressionable boys and girls.
Well, I'm just talking
to these kids as a favor.
The police think I'm in on this?
Well, now, I didn't say
you did it intentionally.
I'm saying I
didn't do it at all.
Doggone.
Doggone.
[SIGHS]
[SINGING] Look down, look
down That lonesome road
Before you travel on
Look up, look up See your maker
Before Gabriel blows his horn
Weary...
Doggone.
You sound sad.
Oh, Leanne,
I try to do a public service and I
wind up sticking my foot right in it.
- What in the world did you do?
- Well,
I'm talking to these
freshmen over at the college.
- You know, Law Club?
- Yeah.
And I'm talking to
them about criminal law.
Yeah?
And one of them asks me if
I've ever seen a perfect murder.
- Yeah?
- And I told him that I had.
And one of them, a fellow
named Eddie-something,
nobody said, but I get the
feeling people didn't like him.
- Uh-huh.
- Kind of a jerk.
- Right.
- Well, anyway, he turned up missing
and they found some blood and
a broken beer bottle in his garage.
Do they think he was killed?
Well, they don't know.
They didn't find a body and
he's been gone for five days.
Oh, the perfect murder, no body.
Yeah.
Dean Rutledge says that he
thinks that maybe somebody did it
because of what I said.
And he said the police think
maybe that happened too.
Oh, Dad. I'm so sorry.
Why couldn't I have just said, "Why
don't we talk about something else?"
Or, "Let's sing 'The Sweetheart
of Sigma Chi,"" or something?
How dare they blame this on you?
I mean, here you are
giving your valuable time
trying to teach a bunch
of freshmen about law.
One of them asks you a
question... I mean, Dad,
I know you. You're not
gonna tell them to go fishing,
you're gonna
answer their question.
- Well...
- I mean, you are a citizen
performing a public service.
One of them disappears, they
don't know if he's murdered or not,
and they blame this on you?
- Yeah.
- It's not right.
- No.
- It is just not right.
No, it's not.
When do you see
these kids again?
- Tomorrow, I'm supposed to.
- Yeah?
- Yeah.
- I'm going with you.
I'm Leanne Mclntyre.
And that's my dad.
As some of you may know,
his integrity and his
judgment are being challenged.
That is, one of your fellow
classmates, Eddie Price, is missing.
Some people say that happened
because of something
my father said to you.
Now, we've got
several possibilities.
Mr. Price could have gone
off somewhere. We'll find out.
Or this could be a
practical joke. We'll find out.
By the way, if this is a joke,
whoever pulled it will
be out of this school
faster than you can
say, "Dave Justice."
And last, but certainly not
least, Mr. Price could be dead.
Maybe someone killed him.
Maybe one of you.
We'll find out.
All of you are members
of this Law Club.
I assume that means you want
to learn something about law.
Well, you're going to because
you're going to help us.
When I say, "We'll find out,"
I mean all of us.
Me, my dad and you.
Could you hold your
question for just a second?
Here's what we need you to do.
You're going to do what we do.
You're going to ask questions
and get answers from anybody,
from each other, and
you're gonna start today.
- Now, you had a
question? CAROL: Yeah.
If Eddie is dead,
- when was he killed?
- As near as the police can tell,
around 8:00 on Tuesday night.
You said that your father's integrity
and judgment are being challenged.
It's been suggested that
something my father said to you
in regards to perfect murders
prompted whatever
happened to Eddie Price.
I don't believe that.
Neither do I.
But you think there's
some truth to that.
I don't know.
I get the feeling from your daughter's
speech that we're all suspects.
Oh, you betcha.
Well, that's it for today. We'll meet
tomorrow morning at 10:00 a.m.
at 1015 Willow Springs Road.
I suggest you write this down.
That's my dad's
house and our office.
Oh, and for your information,
we've been in touch with the police
and they know all about this.
So if you don't show up
or decide not to cooperate,
that makes you all
the more suspect.
See you tomorrow.
Thanks.
Well,
kids... Kids as investigators,
that's a first for us.
- Well, they are freshmen in college.
- Yeah.
Makes it that much easier
to keep an eye on them.
[THUNDER CRASHING]
[DOORBELL RINGS]
Hi. I'm Leanne Mclntyre.
Hi.
I'm looking into the
disappearance of Eddie Price.
I spoke to you this morning.
Yes, ma'am.
- You play?
- Yeah.
So you and Eddie
went to school together?
Yeah.
You two were good friends?
Uh-huh.
You ever answer a question
with more than one word?
Sure.
Good. Here's a little test.
How long did you and
Eddie live together?
Two.
- Years.
- Very good.
I understand Eddie
wasn't a very nice guy.
Depends.
- On what?
- Who you ask.
Well, let's just say I was gonna
ask somebody that didn't like him.
What would they say?
- I don't like him.
- Why?
He liked to chase
other guys' girls.
That bother you?
- Why?
- Why what?
Why would it bother me?
Did he ever go after your girl?
No.
Was there ever anyone you knew
who went crazy when
Eddie stole their girl?
- Yeah.
- Who?
Bobby.
- Simpson.
- Bobby Simpson.
What girl did Eddie steal
from Bobby Simpson?
Carol Thompson.
When Eddie stole Carol from Bobby,
what did he do? Did he go what?
Hm.
- Ballistic.
- Ballistic. Great.
It's been wonderful
talking to you.
I may want to talk to you again.
Sure.
Well, thank you anyway. Let me
know if you hear anything, please.
Yeah. Okay.
[VEHICLE APPROACHING]
MARK: What are you doing here?
Taking a look at the scene
of the crime. What about you?
Yeah. I figured that whoever
killed Eddie, if he's even dead,
had to kill him in the
garage and move the body.
And I don't think anybody carried
a dead body down the street,
so I figured that
there had to be a car.
Very good, Sherlock.
Sherlock?
- Got any leads?
- No.
No, I was just going
around house to house,
asking if anybody saw anything.
You know, Mark,
everyone saw Eddie dump
that beer over your head.
I know that. I know. Half the Law
Club was there when that happened.
- Police talk to you?
- Yeah.
I guess you got a good
reason to be nervous.
I'm not nervous, Don.
Look, I'm doing this because I
was told to and because I want to.
[PEOPLE CHEERING AND CLAPPING]
- Hi. CAROL: Hi.
I'd love to play football.
CAROL: No, they don't
let girls in their game.
LEANNE: We ought to
do something about that.
CAROL: Yeah.
But you're not here
to talk about football.
No. I want to know a little
bit more about Eddie Price.
He wasn't the kind of boy
you'd take home to Mother.
My parents hated him.
- Why is that?
- I don't know. He was wild.
Unpredictable.
- And you liked that?
- I guess.
He wanted what he
wanted when he wanted it.
Sounds like trouble to me.
Wasn't there some guy you
knew you shouldn't be with,
but you just kept going back?
Yeah, I guess I've
known a couple of those.
Heh.
Every girl should.
So how did Bobby feel when
you dumped him for Eddie?
He didn't like it.
Why are you looking at me?
Just wondering.
Why would I want to kill Eddie?
I didn't do it.
I was at the library
studying from 6 to 11.
And if you don't believe me,
you can ask Debbie Glazer.
We were together.
He poured beer over my head.
I might have slashed
his tires or keyed his car.
DON: He humiliated
you in front of Carol.
I didn't kill him.
What, would you kill somebody
for pouring beer over your head?
Where were you
the night he died?
I was at home, working out.
- Alone?
- Yes, alone.
No alibi.
Hey, I saw you
at the cafe, Bobby.
For all I know, you might
be trying to frame me.
Bobby, I spoke to Buddy
Hart, Eddie's roommate.
He said you hated Eddie
because he took Carol from you.
Hated? Isn't that
a little overstated?
Bobby, you said
you wanted to kill him.
Time out here. Okay, I was madder
than hell when Carol first dumped me
but that was a long time ago.
You may not believe this,
honey, but guys do get over you.
Huh. Uh...
Say Eddie's dead, if he is
dead, would you be glad?
Know what? I don't like
being treated like a suspect.
Don't you get it?
We're all suspects.
Okay, at the time Eddie was
killed, I was home studying.
- Alone?
- Alone, yes.
And I don't have
an alibi either.
You know what? I'm out of here.
You guys wanna play their
game, that's your problem.
Hey, Bobby.
I can prove he was home.
We live in the same
apartment complex.
My parking space is
right across from Bobby's
and on the night we're talking about,
I went in and out a couple of times
and his car was always there.
- You sure?
- I'm positive.
There were a lot of cars. How
can you be sure Bobby's was there?
Well, it's a '67 Mustang
convertible, cherry.
Does that mean it's in
good shape, or the color?
Heh, heh. Both.
[LEANNE CHUCKLING]
Okay, I think we'd
better stop for today.
Okay.
Wait, wait, wait.
I need to tell you before you find
out. Eddie kind of stole one of my girls.
- Yeah, well...
- Who?
Patty.
- You went out with
Patty? DON: Yeah.
I was gonna break up with her
and then Eddie stepped
in, and she went with him.
- Were you upset?
- No.
And I didn't kill
him, if he's dead.
CAROL: Well, where
were you that night?
Carol, you know
I was in the play.
I was in the Theater Department's
production of a musical called The Ball.
Still am.
- Oh, you act?
- And sing.
LEANNE: Ah. MATLOCK: Oh.
Well, thank you, Don, for that.
And as Leanne said,
tomorrow, hot and heavy.
- Okay. See you later.
- Bye.
- See you.
- Bye.
[MATLOCK HUMMING]
- What do you think?
- Oh, I'd love to see Don act and sing.
MAN [OVER PA]: It's 30
minutes to curtain, everybody.
- Excuse me.
- Yeah?
Could you tell me
if there was a production of
the play last Thursday night?
Yeah, Thursday through
Sunday, four shows a week.
Was Don Hubbard in the
production last Thursday night?
STAGEHAND: I guess.
LEANNE: You guess?
- Is he in the play?
- He's in the chorus.
The chorus? Okay.
Any of them here?
- Yeah, but it's before the show, and...
- I'm Leanne Mclntyre.
I'm investigating the
disappearance of Eddie Price.
Oh.
- Then you haven't seen the show?
- No, I haven't.
Come with me.
There you go.
- The Ball is a masquerade.
- I see.
[MEN SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY]
Hello, I'm looking
for Don Hubbard.
- Leanne. Hi.
- Hi.
Listen, let me take you
out to dinner after the show.
[CHUCKLES]
Do you wear that
mask for the whole play?
- How about coffee?
- Don...
You came to find out
if I was here that night.
Yes. Do you wear the
mask for the whole play?
Yes.
Then how can anyone
know you were here?
I mean, even the person standing
next to you wouldn't know it was you.
I guess that's true.
I've never been in a
police station before.
Look, maybe we
should just leave.
No, come on. You wanted to
talk to him, so let's talk to him.
Let's go.
LEANNE: Hi, Steve.
You remember Carol
Thompson and Mark Randall?
STEVE: Hi.
- Hello.
Uh, hi.
Look, have you finished questioning
everybody in the Law Club?
- Yes.
- Do you have any suspects?
We were hoping you could bring
us up to date on your investigation.
You pretty well
know what we know.
We made an extensive search for the
body and have come up with nothing.
We pieced together
the broken beer bottle
that was found on
the floor of the garage.
There's no identifiable
prints, so far.
LEANNE: And you've
checked the hospitals?
Florida, Georgia
and South Carolina.
You're gonna continue
the investigation?
- Yeah. CAROL: Why
would you pursue this
- when you don't know if he's dead?
- Eddie has been missing for ten days.
He's without his
wallet, his glasses,
and none of his credit
cards have been used.
I think it's fair to assume
that he was murdered.
But without a body,
you can't go to trial.
That's not true. Murder cases
do go to trial without a body.
In Los Angeles, the
Beverly Hills Boys Club case,
they were convicted. No body.
And in San Diego, against a
police officer, they convicted.
No body.
There's another
possibility. Bodies show up.
Weeks, months
later, they're found.
Who are the suspects?
- You asked that already.
- I know. I know.
We have the right to
know if we'll be investigated.
- You'll be told at the appropriate time.
- Okay. Thank you, Steve.
We should go.
MATLOCK: I'm sorry
I lost it the other day.
RUTLEDGE: I could have
handled it better myself.
So I hear you've started
a little investigation?
Yeah. I've got
to look into this.
I know.
The reason I called you is
because I remembered something
that I should have told you.
- How about a hot dog?
- Well...
Two, all the way.
RUTLEDGE: Did you ever hear
of the Charles Lipper Scholarship?
No.
At the end of the first semester we
give it to the most deserving freshman.
Now, Mark Randall was one
of the two finalists for the award.
- Did he get it?
- No.
Eddie Price did.
But I was the one that had
to tell Mark that he lost out.
- How did he take it?
- Badly. He was very upset.
You see, Mark figures that
Eddie had sabotaged his chances
by accusing him of cheating.
Sounds like something
Eddie would do.
Maybe. But it had nothing
to do with our decision.
Now, I tried explaining this to
Mark, but he just wouldn't believe me.
He became very angry.
How angry?
Very. And then later, I heard
there was some kind of fight.
Why didn't you tell us
you had a fight with Eddie?
Because it wasn't a
real fight. I pushed him.
He poured beer over my head.
- I didn't kill him.
- Mark...
No, no, no. Wait, you're putting
together a circumstantial case against me
just because I can't prove where I
was the night that Eddie disappeared?
- Well, neither can Bobby.
- Yes, but we know where his car was.
And Don says that he was in the
play, but who knows that for sure?
The whole chorus wears masks.
Carol, I did what you suggested
and I called your friend Debbie Glazer.
And she told you we
were studying together.
Yes, but she remembers
something you don't.
Well, what?
When you and Debbie came out
of the library that night at 11:00,
your car wasn't in the spot
where you said you'd parked it.
I forgot where I parked my
car. I didn't think it was important.
Was another car parked
where you thought yours was?
CAROL: Well, yeah. I guess.
- Yes or no?
- Yes.
Carol, I mean, I'm not an
overpriced criminal lawyer,
but I doubt you
misplaced your car.
I think it was in the wrong
spot for another reason.
- What reason?
- You moved it.
Are you crazy? I was
in the library studying.
DON: Obviously
only part of the time.
I think you left the library.
You went somewhere,
you came back and found
that someone was in your spot,
so you had to park elsewhere.
Are you calling me a liar?
[CHUCKLES]
How dare you?
DON: Carol, you
hated Eddie Price.
I mean, you dumped Bobby for him
and then Eddie treated you like crap.
Would you look at her?
Do you really think that Carol
could have moved Eddie's body?
Can we stop?
I've had all I can
handle for now.
See you.
LEANNE: Go ahead.
- How could you do that to me?
- Do what?
Where do you get off
accusing me of murder?
- Hey, it was just a joke.
- Oh, yeah. It was really funny.
[SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY]
Hey! Hey, Mark!
Hey! Hey!
Hey, Mark! Hey!
What the hell are you doing?
Whoever killed Eddie,
they had to move the body.
There had to be blood, so
I was just looking to see...
Looking in my car? You were
looking for blood in my car?
- You think I killed Eddie Price? Huh?
- Get off of me! Cut it out!
MATLOCK: Hey, what's going on?
- All right, you two! Hey, hey, hey!
Whoa, whoa, whoa.
What's going on?
He saw me at the cafe and he knew
about the fight over the scholarship.
You knew if anything happened
to Eddie, I'd be the likeliest suspect.
That's really creative, Mark. You know,
you could have a real future in fiction.
If you're up for the show,
I'll leave tickets at the door.
Nobody can confirm that Don
was at the theater that night.
- What do you think?
- I don't like that guy. I really don't.
- Hi.
- Hi.
I'm a friend of Don Hubbard's. Could
you tell me where I might find him?
Sure. Around the back.
- Just follow the yellow brick road.
- Thanks.
LEANNE: Hi, Don.
What are you doing here?
Hi.
- Wow, you must be Karen
Williams. KAREN: Mm-hm.
You're a very lucky guy, Don.
Not only is your friend attractive,
she also pays you $4,000 a month.
- Heh. What are you talking about?
- I went to your bank.
Their friendly computer
shows that Ms. Williams here
makes monthly deposits
into your account.
- What do you do for that money, Don?
- Why don't you leave?
Darling, my honor
doesn't need defending.
See what the lady wants.
What do you want?
I told you where I was
the night Eddie Price died.
But no one can verify that.
KAREN: What night was that?
- The 30th.
- I was on stage.
- He was there.
The 30th was my birthday and I went
to the play and then brought him home.
How would you know
that was Don on stage?
Oh, I'd know Don no
matter what he has on.
Besides, you see that
bracelet? He was wearing it.
I gave it to him
for my birthday.
Ah.
Well, happy belated birthday.
[MATLOCK LAUGHING]
Here she comes.
[MATLOCK CHUCKLING]
CAROL: I got here as
fast as I could. What's up?
I wanna look inside your car.
Inside my car? Why
is he searching my car?
He thinks the reason your car
wasn't where you remembered
that night at the library might have
something to do with the murder.
- Hey, Leanne, look at that.
- What's that?
Something shiny
on that gas pedal.
What's that shiny
spot on your gas pedal?
- I don't know.
- Looks like varnish.
How did varnish
get on my gas pedal?
MATLOCK: Now, this
is not a court of law.
This is just a bunch of us
having a discussion, okay?
BOBBY: Okay.
And so, I'll ask some
questions, and why don't I...?
I'll start with Bobby.
- Fire away.
- Okay, okay.
Now, you and Carol used to date?
Yeah. We went out for a while.
How long is a while?
- A little over a year.
- Oh.
For a fellow your age,
a year is a long time.
You must have
thought quite a lot of her.
I did. I still do.
MATLOCK: Who caused
the break-up between you?
She did.
Could you tell us why Carol
wanted to break it off with you?
[CHUCKLES]
Carol said that she felt that she was
just too young to handle a commitment.
Oh.
That's not what a young man in
love with a girl wants to hear, is it?
BOBBY: I understood.
You understood that the girl
you loved wanted to play the field?
I understood that she felt that she
was too young to tie herself down.
But she did...
didn't she? The day after
you broke up with her,
she started going
out with Eddie Price.
- Yeah.
- Make you mad?
[LAUGHS]
I told you before, I was angry,
yeah. But that went away.
Yeah.
Yeah. Now, the night
Eddie disappeared,
you were in your room studying?
Yes.
The proof we have of that is that
your car was parked down front.
BOBBY: That's right. It was.
Well, how about
Carol's car that night?
- Did you drive it?
- No.
I didn't. I told you, I
was at home. So...
Uh, ahem...
This is the gas
pedal off Carol's car.
See that shiny spot right there?
Yeah, I see it.
I think that's varnish.
What about you?
- Could be.
- Yeah.
And, uh...
- And this is...
- What are you doing with my shoe?
I borrowed it.
What the hell is going on?
I don't have to sit here
and answer your questions.
- I'm out of here.
- Hey, Bob, you got something to hide?
- No.
- Then sit down.
Answer the man's questions.
Who is he to
interrogate me like this?
Look, Bobby, if you
haven't done anything wrong
then you got nothing
to worry about.
It's up to you.
Now,
a lot of this is supposition.
But I think it would be good
for all of you in Law Club
to see how a lawyer
might put a case together,
if you decide to go
ahead and go into law.
So you see this shiny spot here
on the bottom of
your running shoe?
- I see it.
- I think that's varnish too.
I think it's the same varnish that's
on the gas pedal from Carol's car.
Your uncle owns a
speedboat, doesn't he?
- An old mahogany inboard?
- Yeah, he does.
Are you aware that
on September 30th
at 5:00 in the evening
a fresh coat of varnish
was applied to that boat?
No, I wasn't.
I believe the
varnish on that boat
is the same as the varnish
on your running shoe
and the gas pedal
from Carol's car.
That doesn't prove anything.
No. No. No. Maybe not.
But according to your uncle,
that varnish was applied
between 5 and 6:30 that evening,
and would have been
dry by 1:00 in the morning.
And that means that you might
have stepped on that boat that evening.
Did you lie about staying
home and studying, Bobby?
No.
And you said you didn't
drive Carol's car that evening,
but there's that varnish
on the gas pedal.
Did you lie again?
No.
Well...
Well, I think you
might have killed Eddie.
I think you might have slipped
out of your apartment that night.
You didn't take your car,
because you knew that
somebody might notice it was gone.
I think you might have
used the keys to Carol's car
that she gave you
when you were dating.
I think you might have driven her
car out of the parking lot at the library,
over to Eddie's house, killed him, put
him in the car, driven him to the boat,
taken him out to sea, and
dumped his body overboard.
You're dreaming, Mr. Matlock.
I... As we were discussing
in Law Club that day,
I don't think there is such
a thing as a perfect murder.
I mean, usually something
is overlooked, missed,
or sometimes something
unexpected happens,
like maybe when you drove Carol's
car back to the parking lot at the library
somebody was in her spot, so
you had to park somewhere else.
Maybe she came out and
forgot where she had parked.
Nobody would have
thought anything about it,
except that night a murder
may have been committed,
and so everything, everything, no
matter how small, had a spotlight on it.
Did you drive Carol's car with
Eddie's body to the boat that night?
You can't prove that
I killed Eddie Price.
Mr. Matlock, you can't
prove that Eddie's dead.
No.
No, I can't.
There's no body.
There may never be a body.
I was just making suppositions.
But I tell you, as sure
as we're all sitting here,
if I'm making these
suppositions, the police will too.
Well, I guess that's it,
for me and your Law Club.
I can't say it's an
experience that I've enjoyed.
I'll never forget it.
I'm sure you won't either.
Though I wish you all well.
And goodbye.
LEANNE: So, what do you think?
Well, I don't know.
I try to do something good and I
wind up sticking my foot right in it.
You did something good.
Well, yeah. But if the boy died,
then maybe something I said
did have something to do with it.
Maybe not, but I wish I'd just
taught them how to make cornbread.
You don't make good cornbread.
Mm.
- You know what I mean.
- Yeah. Heh, heh.
Oh, I know you, Dad, and I
know what you're gonna do.
You're gonna moan and
groan, and carry on like this.
And the minute somebody asks you
to teach a class or sweep out a school,
you're gonna say yes.
- Well...
- We've had plenty of talks about this.
It's called giving something back
to your community, remember?
Yeah, but this time I did
stick my foot right in it.
Well, maybe next time you won't.
- Yeah. Maybe not.
- Maybe not.
You wanna go back?
No.
[ROCK MUSIC PLAYING
OVER SPEAKERS]
Thanks.
Oh.
We're gonna be late.
For what?
Law Club.
Who cares? We should never
have joined that thing in the first place.
It takes too much time.
MAN: Didn't you ever get that
urge to just drop out of school?
No. And neither should you. I
mean, you're top of the class.
I break my back
and I barely get by.
Huh. Well, maybe
I could help you.
- Really?
- Sure.
How would you like to
see a good art film tonight?
I don't know.
About going with me
or seeing the movie?
Well, I love good art.
Don't answer now.
Look, I tell you what,
I'll take you to
lunch after Law Club.
Anywhere you want and
we'll talk about it then.
Anywhere I want to go?
Yeah. Yeah. Anywhere.
I mean, practically. I
need tuition money.
Okay.
MATLOCK: I was
cross-examining this widow one time
and I was pretty sure she
had killed her husband.
She was a little, tiny woman. She
kept crying into her handkerchief
and I was afraid if I went straight
at her, the jury might get mad at me.
So I stayed on the slow side
to keep the jury on my side and I
was able to show reasonable doubt.
And that's all a defense
attorney has to do. Yeah, Mark?
Have you ever seen
the perfect murder?
Well, I've seen cases
that were never solved.
- Yeah, but people do get away
with it. MATLOCK: Sometimes.
It happens a lot.
Heh, heh. More than we need.
How do they pull it off?
- What do they do?
- Well, sometimes they get lucky.
But with the
advances in forensics,
the body alone can provide
enough evidence to identify the killer.
MARK: So for a person to
commit the perfect murder,
the first thing they'd have to
do is get rid of the body, right?
Well, I'd say [CHUCKLES]
that would be a start
in the right direction.
But just because there's no body
doesn't mean somebody
won't be convicted,
because there have
been cases like that.
Well, what if you have a motive?
I mean, you really hate somebody
and you want to kill them?
- How do you do it?
- Yeah, how do you do it?
How do you do it?
Um... Is this a
personal question?
[ALL LAUGH]
Well, I guess... I guess
most killers make a mistake.
But I suppose if, theoretically,
if you wanted to kill somebody,
you'd first have
to have a motive.
So you'd want to do it.
Then you'd find
somebody to kill.
And you'd have to
get rid of the body.
Yeah. You'd get rid of the body
and then try to frame somebody else.
But the person you frame
has got to have the motive
and the means and the opportunity
to commit the crime, right?
Yeah. Of course.
CAROL: Well, have you ever
heard of anyone that made a knife
out of ice and then
melted the murder weapon?
No.
DON: So either no
one's ever done it
or it's such a good trick
no one's ever gotten caught.
Spoken like a true lawyer.
[STUDENTS LAUGH]
[POP MUSIC PLAYING ON JUKEBOX]
Ben Matlock, waste of time.
Seems to work for him though.
Let's try to get a beer.
You buy, you're the talker.
It's crowded. Maybe
there's a table in the back.
[SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY]
Hey, Carol. Let's go have lunch.
Thanks, Eddie. I can't.
Oh, you can't? What,
he won't let you?
- I'm having lunch with Mark.
- Okay. We'll have dinner then.
- Eight o'clock.
- Eddie, I told you,
it's over. That's it.
It's over? We're over?
After six months? No.
We had a fight.
Who doesn't fight?
But it's not over.
Hey, you don't seem to get it, do you?
She doesn't want to see you anymore.
Why don't you just
get out of her way?
Hey, look, guys, it talks.
MAN 1: Ooh. MAN 2: Ha, ha.
You've got a really big mouth.
- You're beginning to annoy me.
- I said move it.
[CROWD GASPS]
- See you around.
- Mark.
Leave me alone.
Just leave me alone.
[ROCK MUSIC PLAYING]
What the hell is going on?
Hey, Eddie.
I thought we were
going to the lake early.
Hey, Eddie? Where are you?
Eddie?
Eddie? Eddie?
[CHATTERING]
Well, the papers are to be on Locke,
Hume, any of the English philosophers.
[SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY]
[SCHOOL BELL RINGS]
MATLOCK: You
wanted to talk to me?
RUTLEDGE: Yes. Want to sit down?
- Oh, yeah.
[RUTLEDGE HUMMING]
Since you last spoke
to the Law Club,
one of our students by
the name of Eddie Price
- has disappeared.
- Yeah?
Yes. Eddie Price's roommate
found blood on the floor of the garage
and a broken beer bottle nearby.
You think...? Do you
think he was killed?
I don't know. He's gone.
Police have been searching for him
for five days. They haven't found him.
Huh.
Maybe he just took off.
Yes, but he left behind his glasses
and an uncashed scholarship check.
Without a body,
murder is hard to prove.
So I've been told.
Police were here and we talked.
Ben, I think you
had a hand in this.
What did I do?
Well, from what I hear, heh,
you all but gave your class a blueprint
of how to commit a perfect murder.
Wait a minute. I'm
talking to these freshmen
on criminal law. We talk
about murder, crimes of all kind.
Yes, but if one of your students
took what you said and went out
- and killed him...
- That's garbage and you know it.
Now, just take it easy.
You teach Physics.
Your students don't
build nuclear bombs.
- Well, this is different.
- It's not different.
Look, these are young,
impressionable boys and girls.
Well, I'm just talking
to these kids as a favor.
The police think I'm in on this?
Well, now, I didn't say
you did it intentionally.
I'm saying I
didn't do it at all.
Doggone.
Doggone.
[SIGHS]
[SINGING] Look down, look
down That lonesome road
Before you travel on
Look up, look up See your maker
Before Gabriel blows his horn
Weary...
Doggone.
You sound sad.
Oh, Leanne,
I try to do a public service and I
wind up sticking my foot right in it.
- What in the world did you do?
- Well,
I'm talking to these
freshmen over at the college.
- You know, Law Club?
- Yeah.
And I'm talking to
them about criminal law.
Yeah?
And one of them asks me if
I've ever seen a perfect murder.
- Yeah?
- And I told him that I had.
And one of them, a fellow
named Eddie-something,
nobody said, but I get the
feeling people didn't like him.
- Uh-huh.
- Kind of a jerk.
- Right.
- Well, anyway, he turned up missing
and they found some blood and
a broken beer bottle in his garage.
Do they think he was killed?
Well, they don't know.
They didn't find a body and
he's been gone for five days.
Oh, the perfect murder, no body.
Yeah.
Dean Rutledge says that he
thinks that maybe somebody did it
because of what I said.
And he said the police think
maybe that happened too.
Oh, Dad. I'm so sorry.
Why couldn't I have just said, "Why
don't we talk about something else?"
Or, "Let's sing 'The Sweetheart
of Sigma Chi,"" or something?
How dare they blame this on you?
I mean, here you are
giving your valuable time
trying to teach a bunch
of freshmen about law.
One of them asks you a
question... I mean, Dad,
I know you. You're not
gonna tell them to go fishing,
you're gonna
answer their question.
- Well...
- I mean, you are a citizen
performing a public service.
One of them disappears, they
don't know if he's murdered or not,
and they blame this on you?
- Yeah.
- It's not right.
- No.
- It is just not right.
No, it's not.
When do you see
these kids again?
- Tomorrow, I'm supposed to.
- Yeah?
- Yeah.
- I'm going with you.
I'm Leanne Mclntyre.
And that's my dad.
As some of you may know,
his integrity and his
judgment are being challenged.
That is, one of your fellow
classmates, Eddie Price, is missing.
Some people say that happened
because of something
my father said to you.
Now, we've got
several possibilities.
Mr. Price could have gone
off somewhere. We'll find out.
Or this could be a
practical joke. We'll find out.
By the way, if this is a joke,
whoever pulled it will
be out of this school
faster than you can
say, "Dave Justice."
And last, but certainly not
least, Mr. Price could be dead.
Maybe someone killed him.
Maybe one of you.
We'll find out.
All of you are members
of this Law Club.
I assume that means you want
to learn something about law.
Well, you're going to because
you're going to help us.
When I say, "We'll find out,"
I mean all of us.
Me, my dad and you.
Could you hold your
question for just a second?
Here's what we need you to do.
You're going to do what we do.
You're going to ask questions
and get answers from anybody,
from each other, and
you're gonna start today.
- Now, you had a
question? CAROL: Yeah.
If Eddie is dead,
- when was he killed?
- As near as the police can tell,
around 8:00 on Tuesday night.
You said that your father's integrity
and judgment are being challenged.
It's been suggested that
something my father said to you
in regards to perfect murders
prompted whatever
happened to Eddie Price.
I don't believe that.
Neither do I.
But you think there's
some truth to that.
I don't know.
I get the feeling from your daughter's
speech that we're all suspects.
Oh, you betcha.
Well, that's it for today. We'll meet
tomorrow morning at 10:00 a.m.
at 1015 Willow Springs Road.
I suggest you write this down.
That's my dad's
house and our office.
Oh, and for your information,
we've been in touch with the police
and they know all about this.
So if you don't show up
or decide not to cooperate,
that makes you all
the more suspect.
See you tomorrow.
Thanks.
Well,
kids... Kids as investigators,
that's a first for us.
- Well, they are freshmen in college.
- Yeah.
Makes it that much easier
to keep an eye on them.
[THUNDER CRASHING]
[DOORBELL RINGS]
Hi. I'm Leanne Mclntyre.
Hi.
I'm looking into the
disappearance of Eddie Price.
I spoke to you this morning.
Yes, ma'am.
- You play?
- Yeah.
So you and Eddie
went to school together?
Yeah.
You two were good friends?
Uh-huh.
You ever answer a question
with more than one word?
Sure.
Good. Here's a little test.
How long did you and
Eddie live together?
Two.
- Years.
- Very good.
I understand Eddie
wasn't a very nice guy.
Depends.
- On what?
- Who you ask.
Well, let's just say I was gonna
ask somebody that didn't like him.
What would they say?
- I don't like him.
- Why?
He liked to chase
other guys' girls.
That bother you?
- Why?
- Why what?
Why would it bother me?
Did he ever go after your girl?
No.
Was there ever anyone you knew
who went crazy when
Eddie stole their girl?
- Yeah.
- Who?
Bobby.
- Simpson.
- Bobby Simpson.
What girl did Eddie steal
from Bobby Simpson?
Carol Thompson.
When Eddie stole Carol from Bobby,
what did he do? Did he go what?
Hm.
- Ballistic.
- Ballistic. Great.
It's been wonderful
talking to you.
I may want to talk to you again.
Sure.
Well, thank you anyway. Let me
know if you hear anything, please.
Yeah. Okay.
[VEHICLE APPROACHING]
MARK: What are you doing here?
Taking a look at the scene
of the crime. What about you?
Yeah. I figured that whoever
killed Eddie, if he's even dead,
had to kill him in the
garage and move the body.
And I don't think anybody carried
a dead body down the street,
so I figured that
there had to be a car.
Very good, Sherlock.
Sherlock?
- Got any leads?
- No.
No, I was just going
around house to house,
asking if anybody saw anything.
You know, Mark,
everyone saw Eddie dump
that beer over your head.
I know that. I know. Half the Law
Club was there when that happened.
- Police talk to you?
- Yeah.
I guess you got a good
reason to be nervous.
I'm not nervous, Don.
Look, I'm doing this because I
was told to and because I want to.
[PEOPLE CHEERING AND CLAPPING]
- Hi. CAROL: Hi.
I'd love to play football.
CAROL: No, they don't
let girls in their game.
LEANNE: We ought to
do something about that.
CAROL: Yeah.
But you're not here
to talk about football.
No. I want to know a little
bit more about Eddie Price.
He wasn't the kind of boy
you'd take home to Mother.
My parents hated him.
- Why is that?
- I don't know. He was wild.
Unpredictable.
- And you liked that?
- I guess.
He wanted what he
wanted when he wanted it.
Sounds like trouble to me.
Wasn't there some guy you
knew you shouldn't be with,
but you just kept going back?
Yeah, I guess I've
known a couple of those.
Heh.
Every girl should.
So how did Bobby feel when
you dumped him for Eddie?
He didn't like it.
Why are you looking at me?
Just wondering.
Why would I want to kill Eddie?
I didn't do it.
I was at the library
studying from 6 to 11.
And if you don't believe me,
you can ask Debbie Glazer.
We were together.
He poured beer over my head.
I might have slashed
his tires or keyed his car.
DON: He humiliated
you in front of Carol.
I didn't kill him.
What, would you kill somebody
for pouring beer over your head?
Where were you
the night he died?
I was at home, working out.
- Alone?
- Yes, alone.
No alibi.
Hey, I saw you
at the cafe, Bobby.
For all I know, you might
be trying to frame me.
Bobby, I spoke to Buddy
Hart, Eddie's roommate.
He said you hated Eddie
because he took Carol from you.
Hated? Isn't that
a little overstated?
Bobby, you said
you wanted to kill him.
Time out here. Okay, I was madder
than hell when Carol first dumped me
but that was a long time ago.
You may not believe this,
honey, but guys do get over you.
Huh. Uh...
Say Eddie's dead, if he is
dead, would you be glad?
Know what? I don't like
being treated like a suspect.
Don't you get it?
We're all suspects.
Okay, at the time Eddie was
killed, I was home studying.
- Alone?
- Alone, yes.
And I don't have
an alibi either.
You know what? I'm out of here.
You guys wanna play their
game, that's your problem.
Hey, Bobby.
I can prove he was home.
We live in the same
apartment complex.
My parking space is
right across from Bobby's
and on the night we're talking about,
I went in and out a couple of times
and his car was always there.
- You sure?
- I'm positive.
There were a lot of cars. How
can you be sure Bobby's was there?
Well, it's a '67 Mustang
convertible, cherry.
Does that mean it's in
good shape, or the color?
Heh, heh. Both.
[LEANNE CHUCKLING]
Okay, I think we'd
better stop for today.
Okay.
Wait, wait, wait.
I need to tell you before you find
out. Eddie kind of stole one of my girls.
- Yeah, well...
- Who?
Patty.
- You went out with
Patty? DON: Yeah.
I was gonna break up with her
and then Eddie stepped
in, and she went with him.
- Were you upset?
- No.
And I didn't kill
him, if he's dead.
CAROL: Well, where
were you that night?
Carol, you know
I was in the play.
I was in the Theater Department's
production of a musical called The Ball.
Still am.
- Oh, you act?
- And sing.
LEANNE: Ah. MATLOCK: Oh.
Well, thank you, Don, for that.
And as Leanne said,
tomorrow, hot and heavy.
- Okay. See you later.
- Bye.
- See you.
- Bye.
[MATLOCK HUMMING]
- What do you think?
- Oh, I'd love to see Don act and sing.
MAN [OVER PA]: It's 30
minutes to curtain, everybody.
- Excuse me.
- Yeah?
Could you tell me
if there was a production of
the play last Thursday night?
Yeah, Thursday through
Sunday, four shows a week.
Was Don Hubbard in the
production last Thursday night?
STAGEHAND: I guess.
LEANNE: You guess?
- Is he in the play?
- He's in the chorus.
The chorus? Okay.
Any of them here?
- Yeah, but it's before the show, and...
- I'm Leanne Mclntyre.
I'm investigating the
disappearance of Eddie Price.
Oh.
- Then you haven't seen the show?
- No, I haven't.
Come with me.
There you go.
- The Ball is a masquerade.
- I see.
[MEN SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY]
Hello, I'm looking
for Don Hubbard.
- Leanne. Hi.
- Hi.
Listen, let me take you
out to dinner after the show.
[CHUCKLES]
Do you wear that
mask for the whole play?
- How about coffee?
- Don...
You came to find out
if I was here that night.
Yes. Do you wear the
mask for the whole play?
Yes.
Then how can anyone
know you were here?
I mean, even the person standing
next to you wouldn't know it was you.
I guess that's true.
I've never been in a
police station before.
Look, maybe we
should just leave.
No, come on. You wanted to
talk to him, so let's talk to him.
Let's go.
LEANNE: Hi, Steve.
You remember Carol
Thompson and Mark Randall?
STEVE: Hi.
- Hello.
Uh, hi.
Look, have you finished questioning
everybody in the Law Club?
- Yes.
- Do you have any suspects?
We were hoping you could bring
us up to date on your investigation.
You pretty well
know what we know.
We made an extensive search for the
body and have come up with nothing.
We pieced together
the broken beer bottle
that was found on
the floor of the garage.
There's no identifiable
prints, so far.
LEANNE: And you've
checked the hospitals?
Florida, Georgia
and South Carolina.
You're gonna continue
the investigation?
- Yeah. CAROL: Why
would you pursue this
- when you don't know if he's dead?
- Eddie has been missing for ten days.
He's without his
wallet, his glasses,
and none of his credit
cards have been used.
I think it's fair to assume
that he was murdered.
But without a body,
you can't go to trial.
That's not true. Murder cases
do go to trial without a body.
In Los Angeles, the
Beverly Hills Boys Club case,
they were convicted. No body.
And in San Diego, against a
police officer, they convicted.
No body.
There's another
possibility. Bodies show up.
Weeks, months
later, they're found.
Who are the suspects?
- You asked that already.
- I know. I know.
We have the right to
know if we'll be investigated.
- You'll be told at the appropriate time.
- Okay. Thank you, Steve.
We should go.
MATLOCK: I'm sorry
I lost it the other day.
RUTLEDGE: I could have
handled it better myself.
So I hear you've started
a little investigation?
Yeah. I've got
to look into this.
I know.
The reason I called you is
because I remembered something
that I should have told you.
- How about a hot dog?
- Well...
Two, all the way.
RUTLEDGE: Did you ever hear
of the Charles Lipper Scholarship?
No.
At the end of the first semester we
give it to the most deserving freshman.
Now, Mark Randall was one
of the two finalists for the award.
- Did he get it?
- No.
Eddie Price did.
But I was the one that had
to tell Mark that he lost out.
- How did he take it?
- Badly. He was very upset.
You see, Mark figures that
Eddie had sabotaged his chances
by accusing him of cheating.
Sounds like something
Eddie would do.
Maybe. But it had nothing
to do with our decision.
Now, I tried explaining this to
Mark, but he just wouldn't believe me.
He became very angry.
How angry?
Very. And then later, I heard
there was some kind of fight.
Why didn't you tell us
you had a fight with Eddie?
Because it wasn't a
real fight. I pushed him.
He poured beer over my head.
- I didn't kill him.
- Mark...
No, no, no. Wait, you're putting
together a circumstantial case against me
just because I can't prove where I
was the night that Eddie disappeared?
- Well, neither can Bobby.
- Yes, but we know where his car was.
And Don says that he was in the
play, but who knows that for sure?
The whole chorus wears masks.
Carol, I did what you suggested
and I called your friend Debbie Glazer.
And she told you we
were studying together.
Yes, but she remembers
something you don't.
Well, what?
When you and Debbie came out
of the library that night at 11:00,
your car wasn't in the spot
where you said you'd parked it.
I forgot where I parked my
car. I didn't think it was important.
Was another car parked
where you thought yours was?
CAROL: Well, yeah. I guess.
- Yes or no?
- Yes.
Carol, I mean, I'm not an
overpriced criminal lawyer,
but I doubt you
misplaced your car.
I think it was in the wrong
spot for another reason.
- What reason?
- You moved it.
Are you crazy? I was
in the library studying.
DON: Obviously
only part of the time.
I think you left the library.
You went somewhere,
you came back and found
that someone was in your spot,
so you had to park elsewhere.
Are you calling me a liar?
[CHUCKLES]
How dare you?
DON: Carol, you
hated Eddie Price.
I mean, you dumped Bobby for him
and then Eddie treated you like crap.
Would you look at her?
Do you really think that Carol
could have moved Eddie's body?
Can we stop?
I've had all I can
handle for now.
See you.
LEANNE: Go ahead.
- How could you do that to me?
- Do what?
Where do you get off
accusing me of murder?
- Hey, it was just a joke.
- Oh, yeah. It was really funny.
[SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY]
Hey! Hey, Mark!
Hey! Hey!
Hey, Mark! Hey!
What the hell are you doing?
Whoever killed Eddie,
they had to move the body.
There had to be blood, so
I was just looking to see...
Looking in my car? You were
looking for blood in my car?
- You think I killed Eddie Price? Huh?
- Get off of me! Cut it out!
MATLOCK: Hey, what's going on?
- All right, you two! Hey, hey, hey!
Whoa, whoa, whoa.
What's going on?
He saw me at the cafe and he knew
about the fight over the scholarship.
You knew if anything happened
to Eddie, I'd be the likeliest suspect.
That's really creative, Mark. You know,
you could have a real future in fiction.
If you're up for the show,
I'll leave tickets at the door.
Nobody can confirm that Don
was at the theater that night.
- What do you think?
- I don't like that guy. I really don't.
- Hi.
- Hi.
I'm a friend of Don Hubbard's. Could
you tell me where I might find him?
Sure. Around the back.
- Just follow the yellow brick road.
- Thanks.
LEANNE: Hi, Don.
What are you doing here?
Hi.
- Wow, you must be Karen
Williams. KAREN: Mm-hm.
You're a very lucky guy, Don.
Not only is your friend attractive,
she also pays you $4,000 a month.
- Heh. What are you talking about?
- I went to your bank.
Their friendly computer
shows that Ms. Williams here
makes monthly deposits
into your account.
- What do you do for that money, Don?
- Why don't you leave?
Darling, my honor
doesn't need defending.
See what the lady wants.
What do you want?
I told you where I was
the night Eddie Price died.
But no one can verify that.
KAREN: What night was that?
- The 30th.
- I was on stage.
- He was there.
The 30th was my birthday and I went
to the play and then brought him home.
How would you know
that was Don on stage?
Oh, I'd know Don no
matter what he has on.
Besides, you see that
bracelet? He was wearing it.
I gave it to him
for my birthday.
Ah.
Well, happy belated birthday.
[MATLOCK LAUGHING]
Here she comes.
[MATLOCK CHUCKLING]
CAROL: I got here as
fast as I could. What's up?
I wanna look inside your car.
Inside my car? Why
is he searching my car?
He thinks the reason your car
wasn't where you remembered
that night at the library might have
something to do with the murder.
- Hey, Leanne, look at that.
- What's that?
Something shiny
on that gas pedal.
What's that shiny
spot on your gas pedal?
- I don't know.
- Looks like varnish.
How did varnish
get on my gas pedal?
MATLOCK: Now, this
is not a court of law.
This is just a bunch of us
having a discussion, okay?
BOBBY: Okay.
And so, I'll ask some
questions, and why don't I...?
I'll start with Bobby.
- Fire away.
- Okay, okay.
Now, you and Carol used to date?
Yeah. We went out for a while.
How long is a while?
- A little over a year.
- Oh.
For a fellow your age,
a year is a long time.
You must have
thought quite a lot of her.
I did. I still do.
MATLOCK: Who caused
the break-up between you?
She did.
Could you tell us why Carol
wanted to break it off with you?
[CHUCKLES]
Carol said that she felt that she was
just too young to handle a commitment.
Oh.
That's not what a young man in
love with a girl wants to hear, is it?
BOBBY: I understood.
You understood that the girl
you loved wanted to play the field?
I understood that she felt that she
was too young to tie herself down.
But she did...
didn't she? The day after
you broke up with her,
she started going
out with Eddie Price.
- Yeah.
- Make you mad?
[LAUGHS]
I told you before, I was angry,
yeah. But that went away.
Yeah.
Yeah. Now, the night
Eddie disappeared,
you were in your room studying?
Yes.
The proof we have of that is that
your car was parked down front.
BOBBY: That's right. It was.
Well, how about
Carol's car that night?
- Did you drive it?
- No.
I didn't. I told you, I
was at home. So...
Uh, ahem...
This is the gas
pedal off Carol's car.
See that shiny spot right there?
Yeah, I see it.
I think that's varnish.
What about you?
- Could be.
- Yeah.
And, uh...
- And this is...
- What are you doing with my shoe?
I borrowed it.
What the hell is going on?
I don't have to sit here
and answer your questions.
- I'm out of here.
- Hey, Bob, you got something to hide?
- No.
- Then sit down.
Answer the man's questions.
Who is he to
interrogate me like this?
Look, Bobby, if you
haven't done anything wrong
then you got nothing
to worry about.
It's up to you.
Now,
a lot of this is supposition.
But I think it would be good
for all of you in Law Club
to see how a lawyer
might put a case together,
if you decide to go
ahead and go into law.
So you see this shiny spot here
on the bottom of
your running shoe?
- I see it.
- I think that's varnish too.
I think it's the same varnish that's
on the gas pedal from Carol's car.
Your uncle owns a
speedboat, doesn't he?
- An old mahogany inboard?
- Yeah, he does.
Are you aware that
on September 30th
at 5:00 in the evening
a fresh coat of varnish
was applied to that boat?
No, I wasn't.
I believe the
varnish on that boat
is the same as the varnish
on your running shoe
and the gas pedal
from Carol's car.
That doesn't prove anything.
No. No. No. Maybe not.
But according to your uncle,
that varnish was applied
between 5 and 6:30 that evening,
and would have been
dry by 1:00 in the morning.
And that means that you might
have stepped on that boat that evening.
Did you lie about staying
home and studying, Bobby?
No.
And you said you didn't
drive Carol's car that evening,
but there's that varnish
on the gas pedal.
Did you lie again?
No.
Well...
Well, I think you
might have killed Eddie.
I think you might have slipped
out of your apartment that night.
You didn't take your car,
because you knew that
somebody might notice it was gone.
I think you might have
used the keys to Carol's car
that she gave you
when you were dating.
I think you might have driven her
car out of the parking lot at the library,
over to Eddie's house, killed him, put
him in the car, driven him to the boat,
taken him out to sea, and
dumped his body overboard.
You're dreaming, Mr. Matlock.
I... As we were discussing
in Law Club that day,
I don't think there is such
a thing as a perfect murder.
I mean, usually something
is overlooked, missed,
or sometimes something
unexpected happens,
like maybe when you drove Carol's
car back to the parking lot at the library
somebody was in her spot, so
you had to park somewhere else.
Maybe she came out and
forgot where she had parked.
Nobody would have
thought anything about it,
except that night a murder
may have been committed,
and so everything, everything, no
matter how small, had a spotlight on it.
Did you drive Carol's car with
Eddie's body to the boat that night?
You can't prove that
I killed Eddie Price.
Mr. Matlock, you can't
prove that Eddie's dead.
No.
No, I can't.
There's no body.
There may never be a body.
I was just making suppositions.
But I tell you, as sure
as we're all sitting here,
if I'm making these
suppositions, the police will too.
Well, I guess that's it,
for me and your Law Club.
I can't say it's an
experience that I've enjoyed.
I'll never forget it.
I'm sure you won't either.
Though I wish you all well.
And goodbye.
LEANNE: So, what do you think?
Well, I don't know.
I try to do something good and I
wind up sticking my foot right in it.
You did something good.
Well, yeah. But if the boy died,
then maybe something I said
did have something to do with it.
Maybe not, but I wish I'd just
taught them how to make cornbread.
You don't make good cornbread.
Mm.
- You know what I mean.
- Yeah. Heh, heh.
Oh, I know you, Dad, and I
know what you're gonna do.
You're gonna moan and
groan, and carry on like this.
And the minute somebody asks you
to teach a class or sweep out a school,
you're gonna say yes.
- Well...
- We've had plenty of talks about this.
It's called giving something back
to your community, remember?
Yeah, but this time I did
stick my foot right in it.
Well, maybe next time you won't.
- Yeah. Maybe not.
- Maybe not.
You wanna go back?
No.