Matlock (1986–1995): Season 7, Episode 9 - The Debt - full transcript

GLORIA: Oh, there he is.

- This won't take long.
- I have a book.

BRIAN: Peter.

Oh, hi. Brian.

What's it been?
About seven years?

Hard to believe, isn't it?

Sorry to hear about your father.

- Thanks.
- Heart attack?

Died in his sleep.

Well, if he had to go...

Yeah. It was best that way.



Listen, I'm sorry we
had to meet like this,

instead of over
breakfast or something.

Gotta be in Philadelphia
day after tomorrow. The trial...

It's okay, don't worry about it.

I just need to tell
you a couple of things.

I suppose I could have told
you in a letter or over the phone,

but that wouldn't
have been right.

I'm dying, Peter.

My diabetes finally
caught up with me.

Kidneys are failing.

Eyesight is shot.

I got 10 weeks, maybe 12.

I'm sorry, Brian.

I haven't told anyone,
not even Gloria.



I mean, she knows I'm sick,

but I lied about how long I had.

I figured, why worry her when
there's nothing anybody can do.

If you haven't even told your
own wife, why are you telling me?

Because I'm about to petition the
court to reopen the Lloyd Prentice case.

You can't do that.

I don't want to die with that
case on my conscience, Peter.

But I'll be disbarred.
I'll be ruined.

An innocent man has
been in prison for nine years.

Because of you. You
were my boss, remember?

You forced me to
withhold that evidence.

What happened to Lloyd
Prentice was your fault.

I know.

That's why I have to do this.

- I'm sorry.
- Sorry?

You're gonna be dead,

and I'm gonna be paying for
what we did for the rest of my life?

I'm very sorry.

Brian, don't do this.

Brian. Please.

Brian!

Two, please.

Cheryl, Leanne's here.

I'm gonna go over and say hi.

Okay.

Hello, Leanne.

Hello, Peter.

You look good.

You look good too.

- Is that Cheryl?
- Yeah.

LEANNE: She looks good.

- You gonna introduce us?
- You want me to?

Um, ahem. Maybe
another time. Heh.

I was sorry to hear
about your dad.

- Did you get my note?
- Yeah. Thanks.

I've been in town since
Monday settling his affairs.

- Staying at his place?
- Yeah.

Feels strange,
sleeping in my old bed.

Still squeaks.

It was nice to see you.

You look good.

Leanne.

Take care.

You too.

CHERYL: Looks like
Peter's got company.

Peter.

The Willeses are here.
We're gonna have some coffee.

It's not what you
think. I swear.

PETER: Ben.

- I heard you were in jail.
- I just bailed myself out.

- The answer's no.
- Oh, come on. Would you just wait?

- I said no.
- But I didn't do it.

- No.
- How...? I used to be family.

How could you do this to me?

Because I don't like you.

I never have.

I didn't like you before you ran off
with that girl and broke Leanne's heart.

I'll tell you how
much I don't like you.

I'd sooner eat a live
chicken than be your lawyer.

[ELEVATOR BELL DINGS]

LEANNE: So anyway, we'll get
together, we'll have sushi or a barbecue.

MAN: All right. WOMAN: Okay.

LEANNE: Okay. I'll give you a call.
- Okay.

- Bye-bye.
- Bye-bye.

Hi. I'm Cheryl Atkinson.

Hello, Cheryl.

I knew you'd be coming in for a
massage. I checked at the desk.

But can we please
sit down for a minute?

Oh, sure. I'm right here.

Peter would be furious with
me if he knew I was doing this.

Doing what?

He needs a good lawyer.

I mean, a really good lawyer.

He asked your dad,
but he turned him down.

So I heard.

Leanne, Peter has never had anything
but good things to say about you.

Well, he's always said
you're a good person.

And the only attorney he's
ever met who has the ability

to be as passionate about the law
as you are objective about the facts.

Well, that's nice to hear.

He needs you.

I'm really sorry,

but I don't think an ex-wife is the
best lawyer an ex-husband can have.

I know how awful it must
have been when he left you.

And I know that if he
ever left me like that, I...

I don't know what I'd do.

You know, Cheryl, I
would really rather...

What I'm trying to say is
that it was my fault, not his.

If you're gonna blame
somebody, blame me.

I knew he was married.

I knew what we were
doing was wrong.

But I'm the one
that wouldn't let go.

Please don't punish
him for something I did.

PETER: Thanks for
doing this, Leanne.

Wait a minute. I never
said I'd take your case.

- We're just gonna discuss it.
- Okay.

Okay.

- Is your dad home?
- He went to dinner with a neighbor.

He gonna be late?

- We're divorced, Peter.
- I know.

And I know it's my fault.

But I think of you.

And remember.

I suppose we all do.

Remember that time your father
almost caught us? Ha, ha, ha.

When we were upstairs? That
was before we were married.

- I tore my pants going out the window.
- You were so funny.

[BOTH LAUGH]

We did have our
moments, didn't we?

Yeah.

And then they stopped.

Okay. So...

Why don't you tell me
what happened that night?

Well, I had this dinner
meeting with dad's accountant.

Got home around 7:30.

I found Brian Morrell's
car in the driveway

and Brian Morrell's
body in the living room

with one of dad's kitchen
knives stuck in his back.

A few minutes later, Cheryl and
this couple we know walked in,

and right after that,
I called the police.

So Brian was already
dead when you got there.

Someone must have
followed him in and killed him.

Cheryl didn't have a key,
so I left the door unlocked.

What was he doing there, anyway?

I have no idea.

Well, you mean, out of the
blue, after what, seven years,

he all of a sudden got the
urge to go and visit your dad?

Uh, it hadn't been seven years.

I saw him that morning.

Oh, you did.

He found out I was in town. He
called me and asked me to meet.

Only time I could fit in was
right after my morning run.

Why did he wanna meet with you?

He told me he was dying.
Complications from his diabetes.

He had about 10 weeks.

What?

Can we talk about
this over drinks?

My treat. Come on. We'll
go to the Riviera Cafe.

Remember the Riv? Have a
couple of nice, tall, cool margaritas.

You know what?

Don't do this.

What?

What's the problem with
us having a couple of drinks?

Cheryl.

She loves you very much.

So don't do this, okay?

So you'll take my case? Please?

My fee is $80,000.

Plus funeral expenses.

Funeral expenses?

My dad's gonna kill me.

MATLOCK: I can't believe it.

I can't believe it.

Now, you're bright.

Very bright. I know
we've had our differences,

but I've always thought you were
the brightest woman I ever met.

Dad, we didn't meet.
I'm your daughter.

- Well...
- And I don't think he did it.

I mean, God knows, he has a
few less than desirable qualities.

- Yeah.
- But he's no murderer.

He's a jackass.

And a jackass is
capable of anything.

Oh, Dad, come on.

All right.

If Peter had killed
Brian Morrell,

he would have invented the
most elaborate alibi in history.

You know how devious he can be.

Yeah.

You know what I mean.

Dad, I know what I'm doing.

You wanna get
him back, don't you?

- No, I'm not.
- Then, why are you doing it?

Because I think he's innocent,
and I think I can prove it.

He's a liar and a cheat.

He hurt you, and squandered
10 years of your life.

Well, we had a
couple of good years.

It's wrong for you to
go into the courtroom

with this kind of baggage.

It's not healthy for you.

Not even for him.

Something's got to
give, and you know it.

Dad, I know this is awkward,

you turning down the
case, and my taking it.

- But I can handle it.
- He's a bum.

He's a bum.

He's a bum.

He doesn't deserve you.

Will you just try to be civil
for the duration? Please.

Where are you going?
You gotta eat breakfast.

LEANNE: I'm not hungry.

He's a bum!

GLORIA: Please, sit down.
- Thank you.

It was so gracious of you
to let me drop by like this.

Frankly, it's a nice
change of pace.

There's just so much
that needs to be done.

Funerals are so complicated.
So many details to attend to.

Seems like I've been
on the phone all morning.

Brian was used to
dealing with minutiae.

I'm not.

[PHONE RINGING]

No. I'll let the
service answer it.

Let's talk.

We've met before, haven't we?

Yes, we have.

It was about 10 years
ago, at your Christmas party.

Peter and I had
just started dating.

Oh, yes. I remember.
You two were so happy.

It's hard to believe
that it didn't work out.

Well, those things happen.

I don't know what
gets into some men.

Brian was faithful
to me for 33 years.

Mrs. Morrell, did your
husband have any enemies?

Or was there anyone with whom he
wasn't getting along particularly well?

Not that I'm aware of.

Although, he was
a criminal attorney.

I'm sure he was always
ruffling somebody's feathers.

Was he slowing down or easing out
of his practice, in view of his illness?

No, Brian refused to let his
diabetes interfere with his work.

He wasn't planning on retiring
for at least another two years.

He told Peter he only
had 10 weeks to live.

He what?

Mrs. Morrell, your
husband was terminally ill.

The autopsy confirmed that.

Well, he'd been
having some problems,

but he told me it
was nothing serious,

that he had anywhere from
another two to five good years left.

I mean, he hadn't
seen Peter for years.

Why would he tell Peter
he was dying and not me?

I'm just wondering
that same thing.

He was so quiet when he
came back to the car, but I assu...

Came back to the car?

I went with him when the
two of them met in the park,

and he barely said two
words the whole way home.

But I assumed it was because
of the argument they had.

They had an argument?

Yes. I saw it from the car.

What were they arguing about?

I couldn't make out
what they were saying.

But when I asked Brian about it on
the way home, he wouldn't answer me.

But Peter was really upset.

At one point, he even grabbed
Brian by the arm and shook him.

- He did?
- Yes, he did.

He was angry. He was very angry.

[DOORBELL RINGING]

PETER: I got it.

We need to talk.

I'm sorry. This conversation
should be between us.

I don't have any
secrets from Cheryl.

- Apparently, you have some for me.
- I have some errands to run.

You lied to me.

What are you talking about?

You had an argument with Brian.

- Who told you that?
- Gloria.

- Well, she couldn't...
- She was in Brian's car.

She saw you two arguing.

We weren't arguing. We were
having an animated discussion.

About what?

I don't remember.

Well, you damn
well better remember,

because Gloria Morrell
just torpedoed our best

and maybe our only defense
that you had no motive.

I had no motive.

What she saw is going to
suggest to the jury that you did.

So why don't you
just level with me.

Well, it's just that it puts Brian
in such a bad light. That's all.

What does?

Well, he told me he was dying,

and then he asked me to
do him this one final favor.

He told me this good friend of
his in Philadelphia, this accountant,

was being brought up
on embezzlement charges.

He wanted me to do whatever it
took to get the DA to drop the case.

And I mean whatever it took.

- He wanted you to bribe someone?
- Can you believe that?

Go ahead.

Well, I mean, when he asked
me to do that, I just lost it, Leanne.

I blew.

I couldn't believe that he'd think that
I'd even consider bribing someone.

And this was a man who I
used to respect and revere.

That's what you
were arguing about?

I refused.

We argued, and
he ran off in a huff.

Maybe he wasn't
thinking straight

because he was on some
medication or something.

I don't know.

I never said anything about it
before because the guy's dead.

[LEANNE SIGHS]

So this accountant in
Philadelphia, what's his name?

He never told me.

Well, then, Peter, we
have no way of proving

that that was the
reason you were arguing.

Hon, I swear to you, I had
no reason to kill Brian Morrell.

Maybe you should
tell that to the DA,

because he is gonna do everything
in his power to come up with a reason.

Let him.

Hello, Peter.

Hello, Mr. Ross.

No offense, but I was rather
hoping I'd never see you again.

The feeling was mutual.

Brian was planning to
reopen the Prentice case.

- Did you know that?
- Yes.

So you did kill him.

In my own home?

What kind of an idiot
do you think I am?

I heard you were interrupted.

I didn't kill him.

Now, what do you want?

The bottom line here is
neither of us can afford

to have the Prentice
case dredged up.

No one's gonna dredge it up.

What did you do with the
evidence you withheld from the DA?

Brian destroyed it.

What if he didn't,
Peter? What if he kept it?

And what if, in his zeal to find a motive
for Brian's murder, this DA finds it?

It's not gonna happen.

If it does, we'll
both go to prison.

Only, I'll get out
after five years.

You will be lucky
to get out after 20.

What's your point?

My point is if your case goes
to trial, we'll both be destroyed.

But if you disappear before
there can even be a trial,

chances are we'll both
live happily ever after.

- I don't have that kind of money.
- I do.

This will open locker
number 422 at the airport.

In it, you'll find
a million dollars

and a one-way ticket
to the Cayman Islands.

Go with God.

Today.

- Where are you going?
- What are you doing here?

I forgot the dress I was
gonna... What are you doing?

- I gotta go.
- Go?

- Go where?
- I can't tell you.

Well, what about the trial?

- The trial's over.
- The trial's over?

Well, you're running.
They'll think you did it.

What, was I gonna find a note?

It's better you don't know where I am.
You're the first one the police will ask.

Peter, you're innocent.
Why are you doing this?

I'll call.

CHERYL: Peter.

Peter, please don't
do this. It's wrong.

[PHONE RINGING]

Yeah, Matlock house.

What? No, no,
no. She's not here.

Yeah. Yeah, I know who you are.

What?

When?

You betcha I'll tell her.

WOMAN [ON PA]: Agent Merritt,
please contact extension 2100.

Agent Merritt, please
contact extension 2100.

Ladies and gentlemen,

we are now boarding
all seats on Flight 310.

Boarding all seats
on Flight 310.

Come on.

Leanne?

- Leanne, you here?
LEANNE: Dad, where'd you go?

Tell her.

- What's going on?
- Leanne, I screwed up.

What?

What?

Ten years ago,

when I was starting out as
an associate with Brian's firm...

- Do you remember the Prentice case?
- Yes, of course, Peter.

Lloyd Prentice was convicted of
robbing a bank and killing a guard.

Automatic life sentence.
That's how we met.

I was the prosecutor, you
were the defense attorney.

I won, you lost.

I lost that case
intentionally, Leanne.

It was Brian's idea.

I mean, he made
me suppress evidence

that would have
given Prentice an alibi.

I mean, we handed the poor
guy to you on a silver platter.

You suppressed evidence?

That's what Brian and I were
arguing about that morning.

He wanted to die with
a clear conscience,

so he was gonna get
the case reopened.

I was trying to
talk him out of it.

You know me. When I
screw up, I screw up really big.

[SIGHS]

Why did Brian wanna lose the
case? What was in it for him?

The president of the bank
that got robbed, William Ross,

he was an old buddy of Brian's.

He was involved in the robbery. In
fact, Ross planned the whole thing.

Not the killing of the
guard. That wasn't planned.

Suddenly, he had to make sure

that somebody got
arrested and convicted

so that the guy who he hired
for the robbery, the real murderer,

wouldn't be tempted to talk.

So he framed Lloyd Prentice

and then got Brian to get you
to deliberately lose the case.

Right.

Well, how much did they pay you?

A hundred thousand
for me, 200,000 for Brian.

So then, the house we were
able to buy after we got married

and the time-share in Cape Cod?

The money came
from William Ross.

Because of you, an
innocent man went to prison

and a murderer went scot-free.

Oh, well, now I understand why
you wanted me to be your attorney.

You figured if I found
out, I wouldn't tell.

- Leanne...
- You know, I have had enough of this.

- I want you out of this house.
- Leanne, please...

No. Listen. Did you
hear what I said?

I want you out.

[MATLOCK GRUNTS]

Gonna shove over?

Don't tell me you've been
pulling weeds all this time.

Oh, yeah.

Got our weeds, the neighbors'
weeds, weeds from the whole block.

[LEANNE CHUCKLES]

How you doing?

I don't know.

When the Prentice
trial was over,

Peter took me to dinner to
prove he wasn't a sore loser.

Four months later,
we got married.

Our whole life together
was founded on a lie.

I don't know how I married him. I
mean, why didn't I see what he was?

Well, you were young,
and he was good-looking.

You both had the
practice of law in common.

We were great in bed.

Whatever.

That's all there really was.

He was so impulsive
and sneaky. Selfish.

But to me, that made
him boyishly charming.

Where was my brain?

Oh, you probably got an inkling

of what he was really
like every now and then.

But a lot of times when a
person's with another person

for a long time,

it's hard to recognize or even
see what you're looking at.

- You really think so?
- Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah, yeah.

Whenever he acted like the
certifiable jackass he really is,

why, you cared for him,
and you couldn't recognize it.

How could I not see it? I...

Well, it happens to people.

Don't be hard on yourself.

I can't defend him, Dad. At this
point, I can't even look at him.

Oh, that's all right.
There are other lawyers.

[PHONE RINGING]

I'll get that.

Yeah, Ben Matlock.

Yeah, Al, what's up?

- No kidding.
- I'm gonna go on home.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Thanks for the call,
Al. I appreciate it.

- Well, I'll be.
- What?

That was the desk sergeant
at downtown precinct.

Peter's there.

He just confessed.

- To the murder?
- No.

To obstruction of justice
in the Lloyd Prentice case.

Huh, that took guts.

I didn't think he had any.

You heard, huh?

- Did you talk to the DA yet?
- For about an hour.

Well, after ten years,

you finally managed
to impress my dad.

What about you?

I really wanna hate you.

But...

I feel sorry for you.

- Will you still be my attorney?
- Oh, is that why you confessed?

Oh, right, I'm gonna
get myself disbarred,

and I'll probably go to jail,

- to keep you as my lawyer.
- You knew this would come out.

You're making the
most of the inevitable.

I am not trying to impress you.

I'm trying to redeem me.

I saw myself through your
eyes today, and it made me sick.

Oh, what's the use?

You don't believe me,
and I don't blame you a bit.

I'll just get somebody else.

George Knight. Remember him?

He does a lot of criminal
work. I'll just give him a call.

Let me think about it.

CHERYL: Peter.

Mr. Matlock called and
told me. Are you all right?

- I've been so worried about you.
- I'm okay.

The allegation is outrageous,
slanderous and totally unfounded,

and beyond that, I
have no comment.

Hi.

Leanne Mclntyre, Peter
Mclntyre's attorney.

Your assistant was busy.

Well, matter of fact, everybody
out there is pretty busy.

I guess your complicity
in the Prentice case

has caused quite
a stir, hasn't it?

Peter Mclntyre is a
desperate, babbling idiot.

There's not a word of
truth in what he says.

No? Then why did you try to
get him to leave the country?

I don't know what
you're talking about.

Ten years ago, you
framed Lloyd Prentice

to try to protect the man you
hired to rob your own bank.

Now you're trying to
make Peter look guilty

to take the heat off the man
who actually killed Brian Morell.

That would be you.

You're saying I
killed him at Peter's,

knowing it would
eventually lead back to me?

LEANNE: Mm-hm.

You may leave now, Ms. Mclntyre.

Where you were
between 7 and 7:30

on the evening
Mr. Morell was murdered?

You're trespassing.

Where were you, Mr. Ross?

Natalie, send a security
guard to my office immediately.

The DA is going
through Mr. Morell's files

paragraph by paragraph
even as we speak.

It'd be better to own
up to everything now

before he finds
something, believe me.

He's not going to find
anything, believe me.

Bye.

[INDISTINCT DIALOGUE]

Can you believe
William Ross showed up?

Look at him, consoling Mrs.
Morell like everything's hunky-dory.

MATLOCK: He's just trying to
act off like he has nothing to hide.

The DA hasn't found anything

that would justify
reopening the Prentice case.

- He will. LEANNE:
What if he doesn't?

Well, then Peter won't have to
stand trial for obstruction of justice.

Yeah, he'll just stand trial
for murder and be convicted.

Well...

Come have a nice juicy
hot dog. Might cheer you up.

Always cheers me up.

[INAUDIBLE DIALOGUE]

LEANNE: Wonder
what that was all about.

Well, I guess Mrs. Morell didn't
much like that young woman

coming to her husband's funeral.

Pretty too.

Came by herself.

Think she's a relative?

She didn't seem to know anybody.

You think she was his mistress?

Well, it's hard to say.

LEANNE: Mrs. Morell told me
her husband never cheated on her.

MAN 1: That's it, okay.
Now, back to the right.

MAN 2: What? MAN 1: The right.

- How tall was Brian Morell?
- About your height.

Little tight.

Well, anyway,
Mr. Morell gets in his car

and drives over
to Peter's place.

Parks in the
driveway, goes inside.

Peter's at an appointment,
and his girlfriend, Cheryl, is...

- Out to dinner with the Willeses.
- Yeah.

The only person that's
in the house is the killer.

He waits for Mr. Morell
to come in, turn his back,

stabs him, then
the killer leaves.

Then Peter drives up,
sees Mr. Morell's car,

goes in the house and
finds the body and...

We're not getting
anywhere with this, are we?

Wonder if the police saw these.

I don't know.

Hm.

Ugh.

These are Brian Morell's
glasses, aren't they?

His eyesight was
getting pretty bad.

Mm-hm.

But if they were his,

what are they doing
on the passenger side?

MAN: How you doing?

- Well, there's Maple.
- Yeah.

If I were driving back to
the Morells' from Peter's,

I believe I'd go down Woodruff
Avenue to Houston Street.

But if I were walking,

I believe I'd go down Maple.

- What do you think?
- Yup.

Let's go down Maple.

[CAR HORN HONKING]

COP: Hold it. Stop
right there, please.

MATLOCK: What's wrong?

You crossed the street between
two controlled intersections.

- Afraid that's illegal.
- Oh, we were jaywalking.

- Yes, ma'am. Your license, please.
- Oh, for Pete's sake.

Afraid I'll need yours too, sir.

What do you need
our license for?

We were just
jaywalking, not jaydriving.

Dad.

Need to put your
address on the ticket.

- Ticket?
- Thirty-eight-dollar fine.

Thirty-eight dollars for
crossing a lousy street?

- Your license, please?
- Maybe I don't have a license.

Maybe my wallet got stolen

while I was being
robbed and beaten up

by this gang of vicious
thugs who got away

because you were in hot
pursuit of some vicious jaywalkers.

Don't give me a hard time.
We're not doing this just for fun.

Jaywalking on all
these streets is illegal.

You should know that.

Especially this close
to town, with traffic.

That's why it's illegal.

- Illegal?
- Yes.

Cracking down.

Just trying to
enforce the law, sir.

- How much?
- Thirty-eight dollars, Mr. Matlock.

Thirty-eight dollars.

Always proud to give my fair
share to the town of Well Springs.

LEANNE: Did you love
your husband, Mrs. Morell?

Yes, I did.

Did you love him in
spite of his infidelity?

Well, my husband
wasn't unfaithful.

Ms. Corbett, would
you please stand?

You recognize her, don't you?

She'd been having an affair
with your husband, hadn't she?

GLORIA: Yes.

Now...

did you love your husband?

- Yes, I loved him.
- You didn't resent his affair?

GLORIA: Yes,
but I still loved him.

And when you heard that
his health was deteriorating,

that he was sick and
just going to get sicker,

that it was possible that you
would be playing nursemaid

for several years to a
man who had betrayed you,

did you resent that?

- Objection. Relevance?
- Motive and opportunity, Your Honor.

My client wasn't the
only one that had them.

I'll allow it.

Answer the question, please.

No, I did not resent
it. I loved my husband.

A pair of your husband's
glasses was found in the pocket

on the passenger-side
door of his car.

Not on the driver's side.

His eyesight had gotten so bad,

he wasn't allowed to
drive anymore, was he?

No, he wasn't.

How did he get around?

I drove him.

That's why you went
with him that morning

with Peter to his
meeting, isn't it?

- You drove him.
- Yes.

Just like you drove him over to
the Mclntyre house that evening?

No, no, I didn't.

Well, then who did?

His eyes were so bad, he
couldn't have driven himself,

especially at night.

But his car was in the driveway,
so somebody drove him.

I didn't go anywhere that night.

You didn't tell him
that Peter had called,

saying he needed to see your
husband as soon as possible?

- No, I didn't.
- You didn't drive

to the Mclntyre house,
go into the kitchen,

pull out a butcher knife,
and stab your husband?

- No, I did not.
PROSECUTOR: Objection.

LEANNE: You wouldn't have
to take care of a disloyal man...

JUDGE: Sustained.
GLORIA: That is not true.

Proof, Ms. Mclntyre. Now.

Right here, Your Honor.

- You say you were home all evening.
- I was home all night.

My housekeeper will tell
you. I'm sure she heard the TV.

This is a photocopy
of a traffic citation.

It's for jaywalking,

issued at 7:43 p.m. the evening
your husband was murdered.

Issued to Gloria
Katherine Morell.

Your name, your
address, your ticket.

Right, Mrs. Morell?

You were walking
home, weren't you?

You had just killed your
husband, Brian, and framed Peter,

who'd been arguing
with him that morning.

You left Brian's
car in the driveway.

Couldn't very well take a cab,

because somebody
might remember you.

And you walked home.

But along the way,

you got a jaywalking ticket
crossing Woodruff Avenue.

You know what's ironic, Gloria?

Had your husband told you the
truth, that he only had ten weeks to live,

as opposed to two to five years,

none of this would
have happened,

would it?

Nothing further, Your Honor.

The jury finds the defendant,
Peter Mclntyre, not guilty.

JUDGE: Thank you, ladies
and gentlemen of the jury.

Court is adjourned.

Thanks, Leanne. You're ten
times the lawyer I'll ever be.

I know.

Oh, and thank you, Ben.

Don't thank me. It was all
Leanne. I would never have done it.

Be that as it may, it all
worked out for the best.

- So come on, now, be a sport, huh?
- Sure.

Let's go.

Bad news.

Jim just said the DA's on the
verge of reopening the Prentice case.

- What did they find?
- Brian Morell's safe-deposit box,

with records showing
three people were paid to lie

about Lloyd Prentice's
whereabouts the time of the robbery.

- William Ross will get his.
- And Peter. Poor Peter.

[MATLOCK SIGHS]

That mean you're
taking the case?

He confessed.

Is that a no?

- Yes.
- Oh, good.

Let's go home.