Matlock (1986–1995): Season 8, Episode 10 - Matlock's Bad, Bad, Bad Dream - full transcript
BILLY: There's a club
back here? LEANNE: Yep.
- That's it? We're going in there?
- Yep.
You gotta be kidding.
[MATLOCK SNEEZES]
No, I'm not.
What's the matter with you?
You've been doing that all night.
- Hay fever.
- Take something.
I did. It just
didn't kick in yet.
[MATLOCK SIGHS]
LEANNE: Here we go. Come on.
[MATLOCK COUGHS THEN SNEEZES]
Excuse me.
[PEOPLE CHATTERING
$ JAZZ MUSIC PLAYING]
What is this, some
kind of speakeasy?
It's the exact replica of one
that was here 65 years ago.
Doesn't it just take
you back in time?
Gangsters. Bootleg whiskey.
The Charleston. Jazz.
- There's Cliff.
MATLOCK: He's with a girl.
BILLY: He's nuttier
than a fruitcake.
- Hi. CLIFF: Oh, Leanne.
Come here.
- Uh, Leanne Mclntyre. Ben Matlock.
- Hi.
- Darlene Kellogg.
- Hi.
- Hello.
- Dad, you remember Darlene.
Nice meeting you.
- Happy birthday.
- Oh, thank you.
Oh, thank you very much, heh.
Well, do either one of
you have a cigarette?
- No.
- No.
Well, I'm trying to quit.
- Why do you want a cigarette?
- I don't wanna light it.
I just... You know, I need
something to do with my hands.
CLIFF: Do you wanna dance?
DARLENE: My
hands, Cliff, not my feet.
CLIFF: Oh. Um, you know,
we could go over and dance
next to the smoking section.
You could get a whole
lungful of second-hand smoke.
Okay.
Excuse us, heh.
That boy sure knows how
to pick them, doesn't he?
[YAWNING]
Are we keeping you up?
Can I get you folks
something to drink?
Oh.
I know what you should have.
- Uh, what would that be?
WAITER: One of our specials.
Royal English Gin.
Fresh grapefruit
juice. It's pink.
It'll set off those
beautiful eyes you have.
I'll have a Chardonnay.
BILLY: Wild Turkey on the rocks.
I know what I want.
I'm sorry, sir. I'm afraid I'm not allowed
to serve anyone in your condition.
I'm not drunk.
I just took this pill
for hay fever. I...
Leanne told... I
told you, Leanne.
He'll have cup of coffee.
Coming right up, Leanne.
[LEANNE CHUCKLES]
Oh, boy.
[SINGING] It's
raining all the time
I'm going home.
You hate my singing that much?
Oh, no, Billy, it's...
- I'll take a taxi.
- Oh, come on. Don't go.
No, it's not gonna work, Leanne.
I'm miserable.
Tell Cliff I'm sorry, and
look out for that waiter.
He's too slick by half.
Oh, don't worry, Ben.
I'll look after her, heh.
In fact, you wanna dance?
Sure.
- Are you sure you're gonna be okay?
- I'll be fine.
Back in my days in Mount Harlan,
I was pretty much a dancing fool.
[BOTH CHUCKLE]
You got that half right.
Come on.
[GROANING]
[YAWNS]
[MUMBLING INCOHERENTLY]
[DANCE MUSIC PLAYING]
LEANNE [SINGING]: Don't know
why There's no sun up in the sky
Stormy weather
Since my man
and I ain't together
Keeps raining all the
time DARLENE: Cigars?
Cigarettes?
Cigarillos?
Cigars? Cigarettes?
Cigarillos?
What's the matter with you.
You should ask her out.
I just might do that, boss.
[BOTH CHUCKLING]
Hello, Ben.
Mm. Hello, Billy.
I'll tell you the truth.
Leanne sings like an angel.
Sings like one
and acts like one.
Heck, Ben, she is one.
That's why I
married her, ha, ha.
You're really good.
Keeps raining all the time
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]
- Thank you. MAN 1: Yeah!
MAN 2: Yeah!
WOMAN: We want more!
MAN 2: Yeah! MAN 3: All right!
WOMAN: Come on!
MAN 4: Well done.
[MAN WHOOPS]
Ooh.
- Hi, Cliff. Hello, Benjamin.
- Hi.
- Hi.
- How are you?
I'm great.
- So how did I sound?
- You were swell.
- Oh.
- Like always.
- Oh.
- Goes for you too, Slick.
Ah, Leanne makes
us all sound good.
[LEANNE CHUCKLES]
How about a drink, everybody?
On the house. What it will be?
- Uh, scotch and
soda. MAN: You got it.
I'll have one of my specials.
Oh, Ms. Lewis?
I'm always interested
in new libations.
What is your special?
A lot of fresh pink
grapefruit juice
and just a splash
of Royal English Gin.
MATLOCK: Mm. That sounds smooth.
Young gentleman,
I'll have one of those
only reverse the proportions.
A little bit of grapefruit
juice and a lot of gin.
Actually, boss, maybe we
should go back to the office.
Ah. We gotta get that paperwork.
Get it out for Mr. Lewis
first thing in the morning.
One for the road doesn't hurt.
- Come on, boss. MATLOCK: Cliff.
A little toddy won't harm me.
Okay.
Smooth.
Let's go, boss.
Come on. Come on.
Good night, everyone.
Good night, everybody.
- Good night.
- Good night.
- Good night.
- Good night. Good night, everyone.
Did you tell him?
LEANNE: What did you say?
I said, did you tell him?
LEANNE: No, not yet.
Why not? What
are you waiting for?
The right time.
Why don't you just be patient?
One more week, Leanne.
If you don't tell him you
want a divorce by then, I will.
You hear me?
No.
Why don't you come a little
closer and tell me again?
[PLAYING]
MAN 1: That was
good. MAN 2: All right.
MAN 1: You gotta work
on that bit. MAN 2: Okay.
I, um, I have to talk to you.
- When, now?
- Right over here.
What's the matter?
I'm gonna tell him.
- Tonight.
- Well, that's great.
- But why do you have to...?
- I have to be sure, Slick.
Say you love me.
Say it. Please.
Oh, baby.
You know I do.
I told you to keep
your hands off of me.
Get your stuff and clear
out here. You're through.
Oh, he's been
after me for months.
Touching me, saying things.
I didn't know what to do.
Why didn't you tell me?
I just didn't wanna upset you.
Yeah. It's okay.
He won't bother you
anymore. I promise.
[KNOCKING ON DOOR]
LEANNE: Slick.
Baby.
[KNOCKING CONTINUES]
LEANNE: Ah. Oh.
I just had to do
that. I'm so sorry.
You're sorry? Hell,
I'm out of a job.
Oh, Slick.
Don't you see?
If Billy had thought for a second
there was anything between us,
he would have thrown me out too,
and we both would have
wound up in the poor house.
He would have made sure of that.
- Yeah.
- Mm.
- Yeah, you're right, baby.
- Mm.
What you did was smart.
Yeah. Real smart.
[LEANNE MOANING]
LEANNE: Oh, I gotta go.
I just wanted to make
sure you were all right.
[BOTH CHUCKLING]
Ah. So I'll see you
tomorrow at 2:45?
Oh, I'll be here.
[EXHALES]
Well, I intend to
make this up to you.
[LEANNE MOANS]
[KIDS CHATTERING]
[SINGING] I'm with you always
I'm with you rain or shine
I'm with you rain or shine
MAN: All right.
Sounded okay without the sax?
BILLY: It sounded
great, sweetheart.
Mm. I gotta go.
Your mom's mineral bath is
at 2:30. Wanna come with me?
I can't. I got a meeting at 3.
Okay. I'll see you later.
[CHUCKLES]
[MUMBLING]
WOMAN [OVER PA]:
Dr. Thomas. Dr. Thomas.
Dr. Thomas, please
talk to the main desk.
- Hello, Mrs. Lewis.
- Oh, hello.
How are we doing today?
- I'm...
- Oh, not very well, I'm afraid.
She aches all over,
especially her hands.
Well, let's see what
we can do about that.
LEWIS: Oh, yes.
Now, it's gonna take
us about an hour.
That's all right. I have a book.
- Goodbye, Mother Lewis.
LEWIS: Oh, bye-bye.
I'll be right here.
[KNOCK ON DOOR]
Hi.
Oh, you got a haircut.
Yeah. You like it?
I love it.
Um, how about if
we have a drink first?
- Coming right up.
- Heh.
Slick, honey?
Yeah?
[GUNSHOT]
Sorry, baby.
[SIGHS]
[CAR APPROACHING]
[CAR DOOR CLOSES]
[DOOR OPENS]
[KNOCKS ON DOOR]
Slick.
[GUNSHOT]
Oh, hello. Is this the police?
[SIREN WAILING IN DISTANCE]
[MUMBLING]
He didn't do it, Ben.
I mean, he may get
mad every now and then,
but he never stays mad.
He didn't kill Slick.
Will you take his case?
Please?
I'm sorry, Mrs. Lewis, I can't.
But why?
MATLOCK: I have
trials coming up,
writs to write,
hearings, depositions.
My calendar is packed full.
But you've just
got to take his case.
You've just got to.
Mrs. Lewis, there are lots
of good lawyers in town.
Let me write down a few names.
LEANNE: No.
He doesn't want
just any old lawyer.
Mrs. Lewis,
would you excuse
us for one minute?
LEANNE: Certainly.
Shall I wait in the hall?
- That would be
fine. LEANNE: Oh.
[SOBS] Thank you.
You're welcome.
Boss, what are
you talking about?
You don't have
any writs to write.
Billy's life is in danger.
He needs a competent lawyer,
and that sure as hell ain't me.
Yes, it is. You can do it.
I don't know.
You still got what it takes to be the
best defense lawyer in the country, boss.
I know you do.
Deep down inside, I
think you know it too.
The shot those people heard came
from outside the
rooming house, not inside.
I heard it too.
And you didn't fire the pistol?
I found the gun by the body.
When I realized it was
mine, I got scared and ran.
What were you doing at
Slick's apartment to start with?
He left me a note asking
me to come over at 3
so he could explain
about him and Leanne.
- Could I see it?
- See what?
The note.
I don't have it.
I could've sworn I
left it in my office,
but the police said
they couldn't find it.
Doesn't look good, does it?
Hmm.
BILLY: Uh...
At least you're on my side, Ben.
Can't tell you how
good that makes me feel.
Hey, look at this.
Looks like some of
the clothes are missing.
MATLOCK: Mm. Mm-hm.
Something's missing.
CLIFF: What did you say?
Nothing.
I wonder what happened
to this other green pillow.
What are you doing, boss?
I got cobwebs in my
head. I need to flush it out.
- No, you don't.
- Yes, I do.
No, you don't. No,
you don't. No, you don't.
Oh, I'll be damned.
What's the matter?
Well, this is gin.
And grapefruit juice.
Oh, my gosh.
[MUMBLING]
Oh, hi. Come on in.
Hello, Ben.
Sorry it took me so long.
I had a terrible time
finding this place.
Well, thanks for coming.
Well, have a seat.
[CHUCKLES]
Well, we're making progress.
Cliff and I think Slick
had a roommate.
There's a big empty
space in the closet.
Like somebody took a bunch
of clothes out of there recently.
LEANNE: Hmm.
Well, maybe Slick took some
of his things to the laundry.
Well, that's possible.
That's entirely possible.
Uh, Cliff is, uh, looking
into that as we speak.
And there's a bunch of stuff
missing out of the medicine
chest in the bathroom.
And knowing how Slick was
fond of female companionship
leads me to believe that
his roommate was a woman.
That wouldn't surprise me, Ben.
But tell me, why
is that important?
She could be the killer.
The police got two phone
calls about the gunshots,
both women.
One was a neighbor
lady and the other, I think,
the woman who wouldn't
identify herself, is the killer.
Called the police to get
here just in time to catch Billy.
And...
What?
The only thing Slick was wearing
when he was shot was a bathrobe.
I mean, the only thing.
And that leads me to believe
that he was expecting somebody
of the female persuasion.
Well, everything's going good.
I feel like celebrating.
A little party.
How about a drink?
I found the mixings to your
favorite here in Slick's place.
You know, Slick had one
of mine at the club one night.
MATLOCK: Uh-huh.
I, um, guess he got hooked.
Yeah, heh.
Well, I squeezed some
fresh grapefruit juice
while I was
waiting for you, so...
- Here. Oh.
- Aah!
- Oh, I'm...
- Oh, look what you've done.
Oh, I'm so sorry.
This is pure silk. You've
probably just ruined it. Oh.
Now, how did you know that
dish towel was in that drawer?
[CHUCKLES]
I got a few tricks up
my sleeve still, don't I?
All right.
It's true.
We had an affair.
Oh, Ben.
It was just awful.
He just wouldn't
leave me alone, Ben.
He hounded me day
and night, night and day.
Until I finally gave in to him.
Oh.
Oh, Ben.
It only lasted a
couple of weeks.
As a matter of fact,
that fight we had in the
club when Billy slugged Slick,
I was breaking it off
with him, but he just...
He wouldn't accept it.
So that stuff that's
gone is yours?
Yes.
I came over here that
night to get my things.
I never wanted to see him again.
And I didn't.
I didn't have anything to
do with the murder, Ben.
In fact,
I was at the clinic with Billy's
mother when it happened.
I want you to check that out.
Oh, Ben.
Bye.
[DOOR OPENS THEN CLOSES]
[MUMBLING]
Cheer up, Billy.
Your ace lawyer is
here to save the day.
How you doing?
I'm okay.
[SIGHS]
Did you tell anybody you was
going over to Slick's that afternoon?
No.
Did you tell Leanne?
She already thinks
I'm too much of a softie.
I just told her I
had a meeting at 3.
- Billy...
- I already know about her and Slick,
if that's what
you're getting at.
- You do?
- She was just here.
Told me everything.
Poor kid. She felt
terrible about it.
Cried the whole time, heh.
About broke my heart.
You're not mad?
Come on, Ben.
I know I'm too old for her.
I'm not handsome or debonair.
Slick was able to seduce her.
It's my fault, not hers.
So she had a moment of weakness.
I figure, for all the joy she's given me
in the three years we've been married,
heh, I'm still way ahead.
- What if she's lying?
- Lying?
Leanne loved me, Ben.
I saw her push Slick
away with my own eyes.
She was rejecting him for me.
That woman's a saint.
In fact, hiring you to
defend me was her idea.
I thought it'd be too much for
you, but she went to bat for you.
Said we ought to give you
a chance to redeem yourself.
Now here you are
running her down.
You ought to be ashamed.
Ahem, Billy, I was just...
It must be the sauce, Ben.
Maybe, uh...
Maybe you should think
about cutting back for a while.
Here, let me take
your briefcase.
MATLOCK: Hmm.
- Have a seat.
- Oh, thank you.
Would you like a drink?
Is that why you asked me to stop
by, so you could offer me a drink?
Just trying to be polite, Ben.
I'm gonna stay sober
until after Billy's trial.
Oh. Well, good for you.
Mind if I indulge?
No. Help yourself.
I've switched to Scotch.
I just got so tired
of grapefruit juice.
Scotch is your
favorite, as I recall.
Mmm, tsk.
Sure I can't tempt you?
Well, I could use something.
- How about some iced tea?
- No, it's fine.
Ben, I'll get
right to the point.
I know you think I had something
to do with Slick's murder.
I wanted to convince
you that that wasn't true
before you made a
fool of yourself in court.
I know you don't believe it.
But the fact is, I love Billy.
Very much.
And I'm gonna be
in court every day.
And I'm gonna hold
his hand every day,
and I'm gonna
whisper in his ear.
And I'm going to let
the jury see firsthand
just how much I love him.
So
To suggest
that I framed Billy,
well, that would be...
That would be pretty
stupid, don't you think?
All I need to get Billy off is
to plant the seed of doubt
in one juror's mind.
And you think you can do that?
Well, I talked to the nurse at the
clinic where you took his mother,
and you were alone in that
waiting room for an hour at least.
That's what you said.
Thank you for the tea.
That's enough.
I'll see you in...
[GROANING]
You all right, Ben?
MAN: Where is he?
- Where the heck is he?
BAILIFF: All rise.
The Honorable Judge
Caldwell presiding.
Babycakes, I'm so sorry.
Ben Matlock's back at the
club and he's dead drunk.
I tried to keep him from drinking,
but there wasn't anything I could do.
[GAVEL BANGS]
JUDGE: Be seated.
Uh...
Uh, Your Honor, um...
Lead counsel has been delayed.
- Request a brief recess?
- How brief?
Oh, about an hour.
Try 20 minutes, counselor.
Right.
[PEOPLE CLAMORING]
Boss, come on, now.
Boss, you said you
were gonna stay sober.
Wake up, boss. Come on.
- Uh... Cliff, what?
- Cliff, what?
Boss, you sound... You're drunk.
How could you do this?
Billy was depending on you.
- Billy.
- Billy.
Billy.
Oh, my God.
Oh, wait a second.
- Where are you going?
- I'm late.
No. Boss.
Now, boss, you're in no
condition to go anywhere, boss.
Now, hold on. Boss.
- Let go of me.
- No, you are in no condition to go.
I said, let go of me.
I've gotta go to court.
[CLIFF GRUNTS]
MATLOCK: Taxi!
[SIGHS]
Well, in view of the fact
that the defendant now seems
to be without any counsel at all
I hereby order that...
Ben Matlock for the
defense, Your Honor.
JUDGE: Mr. Matlock.
Yeah. Now, if the court
please, a moment with my client.
Mr. Matlock, you
are in contempt.
Yes, sir.
We have to talk.
My, God, Ben, you're loaded.
Bailiff, remove that man.
[GAVEL BANGING]
- You're fired, Ben.
- No, no.
I should never have
hired you in the first place.
Billy, Billy. Billy,
you've got...
You've got to believe me.
Billy, please. You
have to believe me, Billy.
She's... Billy, please.
You have to believe me, Billy.
[GROANING]
[EXHALES]
[KNOCKING ON DOOR]
Wanted to see me, boss?
Ah, Cliff.
[SIGHS]
You're a nice kid, Cliff.
Smart too.
Too smart to let a loser
like me hold you back.
I'm not quite following
your thinking, boss.
I got a couple friends who are lawyers,
and I told them you're the greatest.
You won't have any
trouble getting a job.
- Who said I was quitting?
- Me.
It's over.
It's done.
If I can't keep up with a
small-town broad like Leanne
it's time to call it a day.
I should have known
she was up to something.
I should have seen that
Mickey coming, but I didn't.
Hell, no.
Boss, you were the best.
Yeah.
Yeah, I was.
I was the best.
I got all the big cases.
I've won them too.
Most of them.
I was really something.
And then one day,
this rich college boy
came in my office
charged with murder.
The state has a strong case.
Mine was stronger.
I got my boy off.
I raised my fee.
And then there
was another murder.
And the state charged
my boy with that one,
and they had an air-tight case.
He confessed to that
murder and the first.
[SIGHS]
And the papers blamed
me for the second murder.
Called me a monster.
Everybody's entitled
to representation.
Hell, I'm just doing my job.
You were.
It's not up to us to decide
who's innocent or who's guilty.
I know.
That's the foundation of
this religion we call the law.
But somehow...
Somehow, when that...
When that boy confessed, I...
I couldn't believe anymore.
I lost my faith.
But I found this.
[CHUCKLES]
You may have lost your faith,
boss, but you still got your talent.
- I know that you do.
- Heh.
Come on, you can't
let her do this to you.
You can't let her
get away with this.
Son, she already has.
- Mm.
- No! No.
No. Come on. Come on.
- No. Come on.
- For what?
- Come on. Just...
- What?
- Watch yourself. Come with me.
- Where?
- We're going somewhere.
- Where?
- You'll see when we get there.
- But you don't realize...
Well, where are you...?
CLIFF: Here's more.
Just keep drinking.
[GROANING]
[CLIFF SIGHS]
If Leanne tripped
herself up anywhere,
she did it right here at
the scene of the crime.
We've been over
this place, Cliff.
Yeah, well, you
were soused then.
Now you're sober.
Kind of.
[MATLOCK SIGHS]
[MATLOCK GRUNTS]
Something's missing.
Something's missing.
Good Lord, how long has it
been since I combed my hair?
- Heh.
- Oh.
There's no hairbrush.
That's what's missing.
His hairbrush.
Huh.
Excuse me.
- Where's Billy?
- He's over there.
[INAUDIBLE DIALOGUE]
Be seated. Is the
defense ready to proceed?
Your Honor, my client
would like to make a request.
JUDGE: All right.
I'd like to reinstate Ben
Matlock as my lawyer.
So be it.
Defense calls Miss
Leanne Lewis to the stand.
Giving in to Slick like
that was the stupidest thing
I've ever done in
my whole entire life.
But he was so insistent
and overbearing
that it took me a
couple of weeks
to get up the courage
to break it off with him.
That's what we were fighting
about at the club that night.
You told him it was over?
And that night, when I
knew he wouldn't be there,
I went over to his place and
got my things that I'd left there.
That would have been the
night before he was killed?
- Yes.
- Mm-hm.
Uh, is this one of the articles you
removed from Slick's room that night?
LEANNE: That's my hairbrush.
How did you get it, Ben?
I mean, Mr. Matlock.
MATLOCK: Armed
with a search warrant,
the police removed it from
your home earlier today.
Now, when did you
take it from Slick's room?
- I just said the night before he died.
- Mm-hm.
We examined the strands
of hair that were in this brush.
Some, of course, was your hair.
But there were several
strands of darker hair
matched that of decedent.
That was Slick's hair.
He lost his hairbrush.
As a matter of
fact, he broke it,
and he borrowed mine.
You see, he was too
cheap to buy a new one.
- So what? MATLOCK: Guess what.
Some of those strands of darker
hair were about 3 inches long
and others were
about 1 inch long.
I suppose that's because
Slick just got his hair cut.
Here's a sworn
affidavit from his barber.
[IN LOW VOICE]
I don't understand
what any of this
has to do with me.
[IN LOW VOICE] His barber swears
that he cut Slick's hair
at 10 a.m. the
day he was killed.
[IN NORMAL VOICE] And that means
you could not have removed
your brush from Slick's room
when you said you did.
It had to be after
he got his hair cut.
You took the brush after
you shot him, didn't you?
- Ben.
- You and Slick were having an affair.
Maybe you wanted to end it.
Maybe you realized the
only way you could do that
without jeopardizing your share of
your husband's considerable wealth
was to kill Slick.
Oh, Ben.
So you stole your
husband's gun from his office,
slipped out of the clinic
where you'd taken his mother,
went over to the rooming house,
which was less than 10 minutes away.
- Ben...
- Used the throw cushion
from Slick's sofa to muffle
the sound, shot him to death.
That's when you
took the hairbrush.
Then you went downstairs,
waited for Billy to show up,
thanks to the note you'd left him,
then took the other gun...
Ben, what I've been
trying to tell you is
that's my nephew's hair.
I beg your pardon?
My nephew from
Raleigh is staying with me,
and he forgot his brush
so he's been using mine.
Jeff, darling, stand up
so everybody can
see your precious hair.
[ALL LAUGHING]
I don't... LEANNE:
What's wrong, Ben?
[WHISPERS] This
is your big moment
to nail the killer on the stand.
[LAUGHING]
Oh, you poor darling.
Everybody's laughing at you.
You're making
a fool of yourself.
I mean...
Come on, Bennie.
You didn't even
check the police lab.
What's wrong?
Hmm?
What's wrong?
What's wrong?
Dad?
I can't do it
anymore. It's over.
Dad, what's wrong?
[MATLOCK GRUNTING]
Dad.
Dad.
Is it...?
Is it you?
Well, yes, it's me.
You didn't do it.
I didn't do what?
Oh, sweetheart.
I had this awful dream.
- Oh.
- What are you doing down here?
Why aren't you upstairs in bed?
Well, I sat down.
The histamine hit me
too hard to get that far.
[LEANNE CHUCKLES]
- Oh, Dad, you're hot.
- Oh, no, I'm fine.
It's just that awful dream.
I'm gonna get you
something cool to drink.
- How about a nice glass of iced...?
- No. No.
No, Leanne. No iced tea.
Let's just have a...
A couple glasses
of nice warm milk
and sing "Stormy Weather."
back here? LEANNE: Yep.
- That's it? We're going in there?
- Yep.
You gotta be kidding.
[MATLOCK SNEEZES]
No, I'm not.
What's the matter with you?
You've been doing that all night.
- Hay fever.
- Take something.
I did. It just
didn't kick in yet.
[MATLOCK SIGHS]
LEANNE: Here we go. Come on.
[MATLOCK COUGHS THEN SNEEZES]
Excuse me.
[PEOPLE CHATTERING
$ JAZZ MUSIC PLAYING]
What is this, some
kind of speakeasy?
It's the exact replica of one
that was here 65 years ago.
Doesn't it just take
you back in time?
Gangsters. Bootleg whiskey.
The Charleston. Jazz.
- There's Cliff.
MATLOCK: He's with a girl.
BILLY: He's nuttier
than a fruitcake.
- Hi. CLIFF: Oh, Leanne.
Come here.
- Uh, Leanne Mclntyre. Ben Matlock.
- Hi.
- Darlene Kellogg.
- Hi.
- Hello.
- Dad, you remember Darlene.
Nice meeting you.
- Happy birthday.
- Oh, thank you.
Oh, thank you very much, heh.
Well, do either one of
you have a cigarette?
- No.
- No.
Well, I'm trying to quit.
- Why do you want a cigarette?
- I don't wanna light it.
I just... You know, I need
something to do with my hands.
CLIFF: Do you wanna dance?
DARLENE: My
hands, Cliff, not my feet.
CLIFF: Oh. Um, you know,
we could go over and dance
next to the smoking section.
You could get a whole
lungful of second-hand smoke.
Okay.
Excuse us, heh.
That boy sure knows how
to pick them, doesn't he?
[YAWNING]
Are we keeping you up?
Can I get you folks
something to drink?
Oh.
I know what you should have.
- Uh, what would that be?
WAITER: One of our specials.
Royal English Gin.
Fresh grapefruit
juice. It's pink.
It'll set off those
beautiful eyes you have.
I'll have a Chardonnay.
BILLY: Wild Turkey on the rocks.
I know what I want.
I'm sorry, sir. I'm afraid I'm not allowed
to serve anyone in your condition.
I'm not drunk.
I just took this pill
for hay fever. I...
Leanne told... I
told you, Leanne.
He'll have cup of coffee.
Coming right up, Leanne.
[LEANNE CHUCKLES]
Oh, boy.
[SINGING] It's
raining all the time
I'm going home.
You hate my singing that much?
Oh, no, Billy, it's...
- I'll take a taxi.
- Oh, come on. Don't go.
No, it's not gonna work, Leanne.
I'm miserable.
Tell Cliff I'm sorry, and
look out for that waiter.
He's too slick by half.
Oh, don't worry, Ben.
I'll look after her, heh.
In fact, you wanna dance?
Sure.
- Are you sure you're gonna be okay?
- I'll be fine.
Back in my days in Mount Harlan,
I was pretty much a dancing fool.
[BOTH CHUCKLE]
You got that half right.
Come on.
[GROANING]
[YAWNS]
[MUMBLING INCOHERENTLY]
[DANCE MUSIC PLAYING]
LEANNE [SINGING]: Don't know
why There's no sun up in the sky
Stormy weather
Since my man
and I ain't together
Keeps raining all the
time DARLENE: Cigars?
Cigarettes?
Cigarillos?
Cigars? Cigarettes?
Cigarillos?
What's the matter with you.
You should ask her out.
I just might do that, boss.
[BOTH CHUCKLING]
Hello, Ben.
Mm. Hello, Billy.
I'll tell you the truth.
Leanne sings like an angel.
Sings like one
and acts like one.
Heck, Ben, she is one.
That's why I
married her, ha, ha.
You're really good.
Keeps raining all the time
[AUDIENCE APPLAUDING]
- Thank you. MAN 1: Yeah!
MAN 2: Yeah!
WOMAN: We want more!
MAN 2: Yeah! MAN 3: All right!
WOMAN: Come on!
MAN 4: Well done.
[MAN WHOOPS]
Ooh.
- Hi, Cliff. Hello, Benjamin.
- Hi.
- Hi.
- How are you?
I'm great.
- So how did I sound?
- You were swell.
- Oh.
- Like always.
- Oh.
- Goes for you too, Slick.
Ah, Leanne makes
us all sound good.
[LEANNE CHUCKLES]
How about a drink, everybody?
On the house. What it will be?
- Uh, scotch and
soda. MAN: You got it.
I'll have one of my specials.
Oh, Ms. Lewis?
I'm always interested
in new libations.
What is your special?
A lot of fresh pink
grapefruit juice
and just a splash
of Royal English Gin.
MATLOCK: Mm. That sounds smooth.
Young gentleman,
I'll have one of those
only reverse the proportions.
A little bit of grapefruit
juice and a lot of gin.
Actually, boss, maybe we
should go back to the office.
Ah. We gotta get that paperwork.
Get it out for Mr. Lewis
first thing in the morning.
One for the road doesn't hurt.
- Come on, boss. MATLOCK: Cliff.
A little toddy won't harm me.
Okay.
Smooth.
Let's go, boss.
Come on. Come on.
Good night, everyone.
Good night, everybody.
- Good night.
- Good night.
- Good night.
- Good night. Good night, everyone.
Did you tell him?
LEANNE: What did you say?
I said, did you tell him?
LEANNE: No, not yet.
Why not? What
are you waiting for?
The right time.
Why don't you just be patient?
One more week, Leanne.
If you don't tell him you
want a divorce by then, I will.
You hear me?
No.
Why don't you come a little
closer and tell me again?
[PLAYING]
MAN 1: That was
good. MAN 2: All right.
MAN 1: You gotta work
on that bit. MAN 2: Okay.
I, um, I have to talk to you.
- When, now?
- Right over here.
What's the matter?
I'm gonna tell him.
- Tonight.
- Well, that's great.
- But why do you have to...?
- I have to be sure, Slick.
Say you love me.
Say it. Please.
Oh, baby.
You know I do.
I told you to keep
your hands off of me.
Get your stuff and clear
out here. You're through.
Oh, he's been
after me for months.
Touching me, saying things.
I didn't know what to do.
Why didn't you tell me?
I just didn't wanna upset you.
Yeah. It's okay.
He won't bother you
anymore. I promise.
[KNOCKING ON DOOR]
LEANNE: Slick.
Baby.
[KNOCKING CONTINUES]
LEANNE: Ah. Oh.
I just had to do
that. I'm so sorry.
You're sorry? Hell,
I'm out of a job.
Oh, Slick.
Don't you see?
If Billy had thought for a second
there was anything between us,
he would have thrown me out too,
and we both would have
wound up in the poor house.
He would have made sure of that.
- Yeah.
- Mm.
- Yeah, you're right, baby.
- Mm.
What you did was smart.
Yeah. Real smart.
[LEANNE MOANING]
LEANNE: Oh, I gotta go.
I just wanted to make
sure you were all right.
[BOTH CHUCKLING]
Ah. So I'll see you
tomorrow at 2:45?
Oh, I'll be here.
[EXHALES]
Well, I intend to
make this up to you.
[LEANNE MOANS]
[KIDS CHATTERING]
[SINGING] I'm with you always
I'm with you rain or shine
I'm with you rain or shine
MAN: All right.
Sounded okay without the sax?
BILLY: It sounded
great, sweetheart.
Mm. I gotta go.
Your mom's mineral bath is
at 2:30. Wanna come with me?
I can't. I got a meeting at 3.
Okay. I'll see you later.
[CHUCKLES]
[MUMBLING]
WOMAN [OVER PA]:
Dr. Thomas. Dr. Thomas.
Dr. Thomas, please
talk to the main desk.
- Hello, Mrs. Lewis.
- Oh, hello.
How are we doing today?
- I'm...
- Oh, not very well, I'm afraid.
She aches all over,
especially her hands.
Well, let's see what
we can do about that.
LEWIS: Oh, yes.
Now, it's gonna take
us about an hour.
That's all right. I have a book.
- Goodbye, Mother Lewis.
LEWIS: Oh, bye-bye.
I'll be right here.
[KNOCK ON DOOR]
Hi.
Oh, you got a haircut.
Yeah. You like it?
I love it.
Um, how about if
we have a drink first?
- Coming right up.
- Heh.
Slick, honey?
Yeah?
[GUNSHOT]
Sorry, baby.
[SIGHS]
[CAR APPROACHING]
[CAR DOOR CLOSES]
[DOOR OPENS]
[KNOCKS ON DOOR]
Slick.
[GUNSHOT]
Oh, hello. Is this the police?
[SIREN WAILING IN DISTANCE]
[MUMBLING]
He didn't do it, Ben.
I mean, he may get
mad every now and then,
but he never stays mad.
He didn't kill Slick.
Will you take his case?
Please?
I'm sorry, Mrs. Lewis, I can't.
But why?
MATLOCK: I have
trials coming up,
writs to write,
hearings, depositions.
My calendar is packed full.
But you've just
got to take his case.
You've just got to.
Mrs. Lewis, there are lots
of good lawyers in town.
Let me write down a few names.
LEANNE: No.
He doesn't want
just any old lawyer.
Mrs. Lewis,
would you excuse
us for one minute?
LEANNE: Certainly.
Shall I wait in the hall?
- That would be
fine. LEANNE: Oh.
[SOBS] Thank you.
You're welcome.
Boss, what are
you talking about?
You don't have
any writs to write.
Billy's life is in danger.
He needs a competent lawyer,
and that sure as hell ain't me.
Yes, it is. You can do it.
I don't know.
You still got what it takes to be the
best defense lawyer in the country, boss.
I know you do.
Deep down inside, I
think you know it too.
The shot those people heard came
from outside the
rooming house, not inside.
I heard it too.
And you didn't fire the pistol?
I found the gun by the body.
When I realized it was
mine, I got scared and ran.
What were you doing at
Slick's apartment to start with?
He left me a note asking
me to come over at 3
so he could explain
about him and Leanne.
- Could I see it?
- See what?
The note.
I don't have it.
I could've sworn I
left it in my office,
but the police said
they couldn't find it.
Doesn't look good, does it?
Hmm.
BILLY: Uh...
At least you're on my side, Ben.
Can't tell you how
good that makes me feel.
Hey, look at this.
Looks like some of
the clothes are missing.
MATLOCK: Mm. Mm-hm.
Something's missing.
CLIFF: What did you say?
Nothing.
I wonder what happened
to this other green pillow.
What are you doing, boss?
I got cobwebs in my
head. I need to flush it out.
- No, you don't.
- Yes, I do.
No, you don't. No,
you don't. No, you don't.
Oh, I'll be damned.
What's the matter?
Well, this is gin.
And grapefruit juice.
Oh, my gosh.
[MUMBLING]
Oh, hi. Come on in.
Hello, Ben.
Sorry it took me so long.
I had a terrible time
finding this place.
Well, thanks for coming.
Well, have a seat.
[CHUCKLES]
Well, we're making progress.
Cliff and I think Slick
had a roommate.
There's a big empty
space in the closet.
Like somebody took a bunch
of clothes out of there recently.
LEANNE: Hmm.
Well, maybe Slick took some
of his things to the laundry.
Well, that's possible.
That's entirely possible.
Uh, Cliff is, uh, looking
into that as we speak.
And there's a bunch of stuff
missing out of the medicine
chest in the bathroom.
And knowing how Slick was
fond of female companionship
leads me to believe that
his roommate was a woman.
That wouldn't surprise me, Ben.
But tell me, why
is that important?
She could be the killer.
The police got two phone
calls about the gunshots,
both women.
One was a neighbor
lady and the other, I think,
the woman who wouldn't
identify herself, is the killer.
Called the police to get
here just in time to catch Billy.
And...
What?
The only thing Slick was wearing
when he was shot was a bathrobe.
I mean, the only thing.
And that leads me to believe
that he was expecting somebody
of the female persuasion.
Well, everything's going good.
I feel like celebrating.
A little party.
How about a drink?
I found the mixings to your
favorite here in Slick's place.
You know, Slick had one
of mine at the club one night.
MATLOCK: Uh-huh.
I, um, guess he got hooked.
Yeah, heh.
Well, I squeezed some
fresh grapefruit juice
while I was
waiting for you, so...
- Here. Oh.
- Aah!
- Oh, I'm...
- Oh, look what you've done.
Oh, I'm so sorry.
This is pure silk. You've
probably just ruined it. Oh.
Now, how did you know that
dish towel was in that drawer?
[CHUCKLES]
I got a few tricks up
my sleeve still, don't I?
All right.
It's true.
We had an affair.
Oh, Ben.
It was just awful.
He just wouldn't
leave me alone, Ben.
He hounded me day
and night, night and day.
Until I finally gave in to him.
Oh.
Oh, Ben.
It only lasted a
couple of weeks.
As a matter of fact,
that fight we had in the
club when Billy slugged Slick,
I was breaking it off
with him, but he just...
He wouldn't accept it.
So that stuff that's
gone is yours?
Yes.
I came over here that
night to get my things.
I never wanted to see him again.
And I didn't.
I didn't have anything to
do with the murder, Ben.
In fact,
I was at the clinic with Billy's
mother when it happened.
I want you to check that out.
Oh, Ben.
Bye.
[DOOR OPENS THEN CLOSES]
[MUMBLING]
Cheer up, Billy.
Your ace lawyer is
here to save the day.
How you doing?
I'm okay.
[SIGHS]
Did you tell anybody you was
going over to Slick's that afternoon?
No.
Did you tell Leanne?
She already thinks
I'm too much of a softie.
I just told her I
had a meeting at 3.
- Billy...
- I already know about her and Slick,
if that's what
you're getting at.
- You do?
- She was just here.
Told me everything.
Poor kid. She felt
terrible about it.
Cried the whole time, heh.
About broke my heart.
You're not mad?
Come on, Ben.
I know I'm too old for her.
I'm not handsome or debonair.
Slick was able to seduce her.
It's my fault, not hers.
So she had a moment of weakness.
I figure, for all the joy she's given me
in the three years we've been married,
heh, I'm still way ahead.
- What if she's lying?
- Lying?
Leanne loved me, Ben.
I saw her push Slick
away with my own eyes.
She was rejecting him for me.
That woman's a saint.
In fact, hiring you to
defend me was her idea.
I thought it'd be too much for
you, but she went to bat for you.
Said we ought to give you
a chance to redeem yourself.
Now here you are
running her down.
You ought to be ashamed.
Ahem, Billy, I was just...
It must be the sauce, Ben.
Maybe, uh...
Maybe you should think
about cutting back for a while.
Here, let me take
your briefcase.
MATLOCK: Hmm.
- Have a seat.
- Oh, thank you.
Would you like a drink?
Is that why you asked me to stop
by, so you could offer me a drink?
Just trying to be polite, Ben.
I'm gonna stay sober
until after Billy's trial.
Oh. Well, good for you.
Mind if I indulge?
No. Help yourself.
I've switched to Scotch.
I just got so tired
of grapefruit juice.
Scotch is your
favorite, as I recall.
Mmm, tsk.
Sure I can't tempt you?
Well, I could use something.
- How about some iced tea?
- No, it's fine.
Ben, I'll get
right to the point.
I know you think I had something
to do with Slick's murder.
I wanted to convince
you that that wasn't true
before you made a
fool of yourself in court.
I know you don't believe it.
But the fact is, I love Billy.
Very much.
And I'm gonna be
in court every day.
And I'm gonna hold
his hand every day,
and I'm gonna
whisper in his ear.
And I'm going to let
the jury see firsthand
just how much I love him.
So
To suggest
that I framed Billy,
well, that would be...
That would be pretty
stupid, don't you think?
All I need to get Billy off is
to plant the seed of doubt
in one juror's mind.
And you think you can do that?
Well, I talked to the nurse at the
clinic where you took his mother,
and you were alone in that
waiting room for an hour at least.
That's what you said.
Thank you for the tea.
That's enough.
I'll see you in...
[GROANING]
You all right, Ben?
MAN: Where is he?
- Where the heck is he?
BAILIFF: All rise.
The Honorable Judge
Caldwell presiding.
Babycakes, I'm so sorry.
Ben Matlock's back at the
club and he's dead drunk.
I tried to keep him from drinking,
but there wasn't anything I could do.
[GAVEL BANGS]
JUDGE: Be seated.
Uh...
Uh, Your Honor, um...
Lead counsel has been delayed.
- Request a brief recess?
- How brief?
Oh, about an hour.
Try 20 minutes, counselor.
Right.
[PEOPLE CLAMORING]
Boss, come on, now.
Boss, you said you
were gonna stay sober.
Wake up, boss. Come on.
- Uh... Cliff, what?
- Cliff, what?
Boss, you sound... You're drunk.
How could you do this?
Billy was depending on you.
- Billy.
- Billy.
Billy.
Oh, my God.
Oh, wait a second.
- Where are you going?
- I'm late.
No. Boss.
Now, boss, you're in no
condition to go anywhere, boss.
Now, hold on. Boss.
- Let go of me.
- No, you are in no condition to go.
I said, let go of me.
I've gotta go to court.
[CLIFF GRUNTS]
MATLOCK: Taxi!
[SIGHS]
Well, in view of the fact
that the defendant now seems
to be without any counsel at all
I hereby order that...
Ben Matlock for the
defense, Your Honor.
JUDGE: Mr. Matlock.
Yeah. Now, if the court
please, a moment with my client.
Mr. Matlock, you
are in contempt.
Yes, sir.
We have to talk.
My, God, Ben, you're loaded.
Bailiff, remove that man.
[GAVEL BANGING]
- You're fired, Ben.
- No, no.
I should never have
hired you in the first place.
Billy, Billy. Billy,
you've got...
You've got to believe me.
Billy, please. You
have to believe me, Billy.
She's... Billy, please.
You have to believe me, Billy.
[GROANING]
[EXHALES]
[KNOCKING ON DOOR]
Wanted to see me, boss?
Ah, Cliff.
[SIGHS]
You're a nice kid, Cliff.
Smart too.
Too smart to let a loser
like me hold you back.
I'm not quite following
your thinking, boss.
I got a couple friends who are lawyers,
and I told them you're the greatest.
You won't have any
trouble getting a job.
- Who said I was quitting?
- Me.
It's over.
It's done.
If I can't keep up with a
small-town broad like Leanne
it's time to call it a day.
I should have known
she was up to something.
I should have seen that
Mickey coming, but I didn't.
Hell, no.
Boss, you were the best.
Yeah.
Yeah, I was.
I was the best.
I got all the big cases.
I've won them too.
Most of them.
I was really something.
And then one day,
this rich college boy
came in my office
charged with murder.
The state has a strong case.
Mine was stronger.
I got my boy off.
I raised my fee.
And then there
was another murder.
And the state charged
my boy with that one,
and they had an air-tight case.
He confessed to that
murder and the first.
[SIGHS]
And the papers blamed
me for the second murder.
Called me a monster.
Everybody's entitled
to representation.
Hell, I'm just doing my job.
You were.
It's not up to us to decide
who's innocent or who's guilty.
I know.
That's the foundation of
this religion we call the law.
But somehow...
Somehow, when that...
When that boy confessed, I...
I couldn't believe anymore.
I lost my faith.
But I found this.
[CHUCKLES]
You may have lost your faith,
boss, but you still got your talent.
- I know that you do.
- Heh.
Come on, you can't
let her do this to you.
You can't let her
get away with this.
Son, she already has.
- Mm.
- No! No.
No. Come on. Come on.
- No. Come on.
- For what?
- Come on. Just...
- What?
- Watch yourself. Come with me.
- Where?
- We're going somewhere.
- Where?
- You'll see when we get there.
- But you don't realize...
Well, where are you...?
CLIFF: Here's more.
Just keep drinking.
[GROANING]
[CLIFF SIGHS]
If Leanne tripped
herself up anywhere,
she did it right here at
the scene of the crime.
We've been over
this place, Cliff.
Yeah, well, you
were soused then.
Now you're sober.
Kind of.
[MATLOCK SIGHS]
[MATLOCK GRUNTS]
Something's missing.
Something's missing.
Good Lord, how long has it
been since I combed my hair?
- Heh.
- Oh.
There's no hairbrush.
That's what's missing.
His hairbrush.
Huh.
Excuse me.
- Where's Billy?
- He's over there.
[INAUDIBLE DIALOGUE]
Be seated. Is the
defense ready to proceed?
Your Honor, my client
would like to make a request.
JUDGE: All right.
I'd like to reinstate Ben
Matlock as my lawyer.
So be it.
Defense calls Miss
Leanne Lewis to the stand.
Giving in to Slick like
that was the stupidest thing
I've ever done in
my whole entire life.
But he was so insistent
and overbearing
that it took me a
couple of weeks
to get up the courage
to break it off with him.
That's what we were fighting
about at the club that night.
You told him it was over?
And that night, when I
knew he wouldn't be there,
I went over to his place and
got my things that I'd left there.
That would have been the
night before he was killed?
- Yes.
- Mm-hm.
Uh, is this one of the articles you
removed from Slick's room that night?
LEANNE: That's my hairbrush.
How did you get it, Ben?
I mean, Mr. Matlock.
MATLOCK: Armed
with a search warrant,
the police removed it from
your home earlier today.
Now, when did you
take it from Slick's room?
- I just said the night before he died.
- Mm-hm.
We examined the strands
of hair that were in this brush.
Some, of course, was your hair.
But there were several
strands of darker hair
matched that of decedent.
That was Slick's hair.
He lost his hairbrush.
As a matter of
fact, he broke it,
and he borrowed mine.
You see, he was too
cheap to buy a new one.
- So what? MATLOCK: Guess what.
Some of those strands of darker
hair were about 3 inches long
and others were
about 1 inch long.
I suppose that's because
Slick just got his hair cut.
Here's a sworn
affidavit from his barber.
[IN LOW VOICE]
I don't understand
what any of this
has to do with me.
[IN LOW VOICE] His barber swears
that he cut Slick's hair
at 10 a.m. the
day he was killed.
[IN NORMAL VOICE] And that means
you could not have removed
your brush from Slick's room
when you said you did.
It had to be after
he got his hair cut.
You took the brush after
you shot him, didn't you?
- Ben.
- You and Slick were having an affair.
Maybe you wanted to end it.
Maybe you realized the
only way you could do that
without jeopardizing your share of
your husband's considerable wealth
was to kill Slick.
Oh, Ben.
So you stole your
husband's gun from his office,
slipped out of the clinic
where you'd taken his mother,
went over to the rooming house,
which was less than 10 minutes away.
- Ben...
- Used the throw cushion
from Slick's sofa to muffle
the sound, shot him to death.
That's when you
took the hairbrush.
Then you went downstairs,
waited for Billy to show up,
thanks to the note you'd left him,
then took the other gun...
Ben, what I've been
trying to tell you is
that's my nephew's hair.
I beg your pardon?
My nephew from
Raleigh is staying with me,
and he forgot his brush
so he's been using mine.
Jeff, darling, stand up
so everybody can
see your precious hair.
[ALL LAUGHING]
I don't... LEANNE:
What's wrong, Ben?
[WHISPERS] This
is your big moment
to nail the killer on the stand.
[LAUGHING]
Oh, you poor darling.
Everybody's laughing at you.
You're making
a fool of yourself.
I mean...
Come on, Bennie.
You didn't even
check the police lab.
What's wrong?
Hmm?
What's wrong?
What's wrong?
Dad?
I can't do it
anymore. It's over.
Dad, what's wrong?
[MATLOCK GRUNTING]
Dad.
Dad.
Is it...?
Is it you?
Well, yes, it's me.
You didn't do it.
I didn't do what?
Oh, sweetheart.
I had this awful dream.
- Oh.
- What are you doing down here?
Why aren't you upstairs in bed?
Well, I sat down.
The histamine hit me
too hard to get that far.
[LEANNE CHUCKLES]
- Oh, Dad, you're hot.
- Oh, no, I'm fine.
It's just that awful dream.
I'm gonna get you
something cool to drink.
- How about a nice glass of iced...?
- No. No.
No, Leanne. No iced tea.
Let's just have a...
A couple glasses
of nice warm milk
and sing "Stormy Weather."