Matlock (1986–1995): Season 9, Episode 2 - The Scandal - full transcript

Lisa Swift works as a paralegal for attorney Bruce Parmelee. They go out to dinner with a wealthy Japanese client. Lisa is surprised when Bruce starts fondling her knee under the table. Later, he asks her to drive the client back to his hotel. The client said that Bruce promised she'd sleep with him. Lisa turned him down. She confronted Bruce the next morning. He tells her to come to his house at 9pm that evening to discuss it. Lisa goes to his house, but finds Bruce dead. Someone stabbed him in the chest with a letter opener. Bruce's wife returns, and finds Lisa, who gets arrested. Lisa asks Ben to defend her. Ben, who had been a friend of Bruce's, has a hard time believing that his friend could sexually harass someone.

MAN: Yes, I've
got it on my desk.

LISA: Well, the bank
branches are well-located,

they're firmly established,
but its management,

el stinko.

So are you in favor of
the acquisition or not?

Well, I've drawn up a contract

wherein the Hayworth Fund
will purchase Crestmore Bank

contingent upon the removal

of all middle and upper
management personnel.

Ooh. Tough stance.

But sounds like a prudent one.



Let me look over the contracts
before you formalize anything,

- if you don't mind.
LISA: Of course.

Moving on. David and
the Remlinger case.

Still taking depos, looking to
go to trial on November 22nd.

BRUCE: There goes your Thanksgiving.
- Mm-hm.

That brings us to Harriet and
the status of the Ship case.

The Ship case?

Yeah. I told you
about it last week.

You said you'd be glad
to take it on, remember?

No. I'm sorry.

Send in the Ship file, please.

Harriet, I'm surprised at you.

I thought you realized how
important this case is to us.

-That's "ship" as in
"partnership." ALL: Ha, ha, ha.



MAN 1: Congratulations,
Harriet. MAN 2: Congratulations.

And let me just say that when
it comes to beating the odds,

Harriet here takes the cake.

The carrot cake, to be exact.

Nice going, lady.

BRUCE: She started out as a
paralegal, went back to school,

worked odd jobs and
reared a child all by herself.

Harriet,

you have a great attitude
and a terrific legal instinct.

But, the truth be told,

there's only one reason we
decided to make you a partner.

And that's so that none of us
would ever have to face you in court.

[ALL LAUGH]

- Congratulations.
WOMAN: Here's to you.

MAN 3: Well said. MAN
4: Congratulations, Harriet.

Way to go.

This looks good.

- Nice work, Lisa. Very nice.
- Thank you.

You haven't forgotten our
dinner with Taki Yamamoto,

ComParks Corporation, tonight?

Seven o'clock, The Terrace.

Prying their U.S. legal work
away from Meldrick & Taylor

would be quite a coup.

Heh. I'll bring my crowbar.

Oh, and Lisa, remember that dress
you wore last month to the banquet?

- The red one?
- Yeah?

Wear it tonight.

[PHONE BUZZES]

Yeah?

Put him through.

Nelson, talk to me.

Fifty-one, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56.

Yeah.

[SOFT MUSIC PLAYING ON TV]

BILLY: Ben?

Ben, you here?

[TV TURNS OFF]

MATLOCK: Damn it, Billy.

Don't mess with the TV.

When you turn it off,
it goes back to one.

- I'm sorry.
- Well, don't mess with it.

- What channel did you want?
- Fifty-six. The Godfather's on.

Well, just punch in 56.

Don't mess with the TV.

Works on mine.

Course it's state-of-the-art.

Bought it last week. Paid cash.

Guess what else I just bought?

The Brooklyn Bridge?

The house next door.

- What house next door?
- To you.

I made an offer today on that
house right over there. Heh, heh.

We're gonna be neighbors, Ben.

Oh, no. No.

Oh, no, not that house.

Why not?

Oh, it's... It's jinxed.

- Jinxed?
- Yes.

A lot of people died over there.

- How?
- Oh, I don't know.

They died all kinds of
ways. A lot of them died.

You need to get your offer back.

- No.
- Well, you know... You know...

You know what would be better?

Take that money and get
yourself a nice lady friend.

Spend that money on her, buy
her some candy, some flowers,

take her to the movies.

You could use a
nice lady friend.

No, Ben.

At my age, it's just one
long buildup, and then "pffft."

No, sir, I can't let this
opportunity pass me by.

Why, you know, heh,

we could be sitting here watching
TV together every night. Heh.

Got any salt?

But in order to build such an
amusement park here in your city,

my company needs
local financing.

Well, there's the Hayworth Fund.

[TAKI SPEAKS IN JAPANESE]

[IN ENGLISH] We wish to apply to the
fund for construction completion loans.

We are prepared to pay your
client double the current lending rate.

You'll find all the
specifics in here.

Thank you, Taki. Actually,
Lisa's in charge of the fund.

[SPEAKS IN JAPANESE]

Well, I'll review your
proposal tonight...

and I'll get back
to you tomorrow.

Excellent.

We would like to break
ground immediately.

You know, Taki, I'm
aware of your relationship

with Meldrick &
Taylor in New York,

but retaining
local legal counsel

is something you would
do well to consider.

TAKI: Think it would expedite matters?
- I think it would indeed.

TAKI: Then I shall
indeed consider.

Well, if you two will excuse
me, I have to get home.

My daughter calls from
college every week 9:00 sharp.

Lisa, I'm sure Mr. Yamamoto would
appreciate a ride back to his hotel.

Of course.

- Thank you for a pleasant evening.
- Thank you.

And I will talk to you
tomorrow, Taki. Good night.

- You're a very good driver.
- Thank you.

Not that I'm surprised.

Bruce tells me you're
good at many things.

[LISA CHUCKLES]

I prefer to drink champagne
at this time of night.

Is that all right with you?

Excuse me?

I can call the hotel and
have a bottle waiting.

Or would you prefer to
drink something else?

Oh, that's... I appreciate that,
but I'm just gonna drop you off.

I've gotta get home. I
still have some work to do.

But Bruce indicated that you
would be coming up to my room.

He did?

He said it was just one
of the many services

the law firm of Dixon and Parmelee
would be happy to provide me

now and in the future.

[TIRES SCREECHES]

He said what?

Perhaps I misunderstood.

Yes, I'm afraid you did.

[INTERCOM BUZZES]

BRUCE: Yes?
- It's Lisa Swift. I need to talk to you.

What's wrong?

I just dropped
Mr. Yamamoto off at his hotel.

BRUCE: And?
- Hello, Lisa.

- Hello, Natalie.
- Are you all right?

Yeah, I'm fine.

Can we do this in private?

Sure. Let's go in my
study. It's this way.

[SIGHS]

Mr. Yamamoto wanted
me to go to bed with him.

He expected me to.

In fact, he said that you
said that it was part of my job.

What did you do?

What do you think I did?

Adding a big successful Japanese
firm like ComParks to our client roster

could open a hell of
a lot of doors, Lisa.

What are you saying?

You know what I'm saying.

No. No, I don't get this at all.

First you molest me at dinner,
and then you pimp me out?

I didn't molest you.

Your hand was all over my leg.

My God, Lisa.

What's the matter with you?

I gave you a brief, momentary
pat out of friendship and pride.

No, that is not what it
was, and you know it.

Well, you have your
depiction of events,

- and I have mine.
- Yeah.

Are you no longer happy
at Dixon and Parmelee?

Because if you aren't...

Oh, now, what is that,
some kind of threat?

No, it's not a threat.

I just asked you a question.

Maybe you're just tired.

Why don't you go
home, think things over,

and we'll talk tomorrow.

[KNOCKING]

Here's the tentative contract I drew
up on behalf of the Hayworth Fund

for that ComParks loan.

Good.

I managed to smooth
things out with Taki.

I'm having lunch with
him this afternoon.

I'll show it to him then.

I'm, um...

I'm sorry about what
happened last night.

I would like it if we
could clean the slate

and go on as if
nothing ever happened.

Done.

Good.

Lisa, I want you to come
by my house tonight at 9:00.

What for?

So that I can debrief
you on my lunch with Taki.

I won't have time
to do it before then.

Bruce, I'm not gonna
get involved with you.

I love working here, and I don't mind
wearing my red dress occasionally,

but that is as far as it's gonna
go. I can tell you that right now.

My house, tonight, 9:00.

[SIGHS]

[INTERCOM BUZZES]

BRUCE: Who is it?
- It's Lisa.

[DOORBELL RINGING]

Bruce.

Bruce?

Natalie?

Bruce?

[GASPS]

[DOOR OPENS AND CLOSES]

Ahem. Miss Swift?

Mr. Matlock.

Thank you for coming.

FRANCIS: Give me a yell
when you're ready to go.

MATLOCK: Okay, Francis.

I have to be honest here.

Bruce Parmelee
was a friend of mine

and I only came down
here as, I guess, a curiosity.

That's fine. But if you
were hoping to get a look

at the person who
killed him, it wasn't me.

They say his wife saw you.

Standing over him,
yes, but not stabbing him.

She couldn't have,
he was already dead.

It must've just happened.

I know that he was
alive when I drove up

because he talked to me when
he let me in through the gate.

There were no fingerprints
on the murder weapon.

It was a letter opener
with a carved handle.

The surface was too
uneven to hold prints.

And, as far as I know, there
was nobody else in the house.

They don't have a live-in
maid and his kids are in college.

His wife was at some
play or something.

She parked behind my car, so I
know she wasn't there when I drove up.

- You'd make a good courtroom lawyer.
- Oh. Heh.

I know.

- Bruce was your boss?
- Yes.

You get along?

Yes.

Well, without a motive, the
prosecution doesn't have much of a case.

Except Bruce was harassing me.

He was the ideal boss until
just a couple of days ago.

Out of the blue, he touched
me quite inappropriately,

and told a potential client
that I would sleep with him

as a reward for
signing with the firm.

Bruce Parmelee?

Just yesterday he
propositioned me for himself.

I told him I was not interested,
I would never be interested,

and he insisted, demanded, that
I show up at his house last night.

I don't know why, but I went.

Bruce Parmelee.

Well, uh, did...?

Did anything, uh...?

Definitely not.

Did you fight?

- He was already dead when I got there.
- Oh.

Did any of your co-workers
hear or see any of this?

Bruce was too smart.

It was all very subtle.

I haven't told the police
about this for obvious reasons.

But it's the truth.

Bruce Parmelee.

I had meetings with
him, had lunches with him,

and I saw him all the
time at the courthouse.

- You think she was lying?
- I don't know.

CLIFF: You think she's telling the truth?
- I don't know.

But I knew Bruce Parmelee.

Well, if he was harassing her,
you can bet that there were others.

Maybe one of them killed him.

BILLY: Ben.

Ben, I just came
from my realtor.

Someone else made an
offer on that house next door.

Really?

My realtor said I should give it to
them, but I want us to be neighbors, Ben.

I'm gonna up my offer.

Sure, I think you should go
for it if you like it. Life's too short.

You wanna stay out of it?

Wait, wait, this
could be a trick.

The seller could've found
out how loaded you are,

and made the offer themself
just to jack up the price.

BILLY: Oh.

I'd really hate that.

Oh, sure you would.

Nobody wants to be
taken advantage of.

I'd hate it myself.

So just go on home and
let that other sucker have it.

Don't think about it anymore.

Put a little more
thought into getting a girl.

My friend felt ill and
left at intermission,

so rather than sit through the
whole second act all by myself,

I went home too.

Well, did Bruce tell you that
Lisa was coming over that night?

No.

Was he expecting anybody
else to come over that night?

Well, he was still at work
when I left for the play,

- so I really couldn't say.
- Uh-huh.

Did coworkers, like Lisa, come
over after hours very often?

Not often, no.

But they did whenever
it was necessary.

Did he ever talk
to you about work?

Oh, yes. Yes, he made quite
a point of keeping me informed

with what was going on,
so I wouldn't feel left out.

He was a very considerate man.

Did you ever get
the feeling that he

you know, wasn't
telling you everything?

Bruce gave Amy, David
and me whatever we needed,

as soon as we needed it.

He was a good husband
and a wonderful father.

And he never for a moment
gave me reason to complain.

Now, I have things to do.

- Okay.
- Excuse me.

Michael?

- Michael? MICHAEL: Yeah?

Come in here right now.

You were supposed
to start supper.

I'm sorry. I fell asleep.

You fell asleep

because you stayed up
half the night watching TV.

Look, Michael, I work my
tail off at the office all day long.

I come home, and
what do I get to do?

Start all over again
working my tail off.

I'm sorry, Mom. Okay?

[DOORBELL RINGING]

If it's one of your friends,
tell them you're busy.

- He wants to talk to you.
- Thank you. Thank you.

I'm Cliff Lewis. I
work with Ben Matlock.

- We're representing Lisa Swift.
- Oh, yeah.

Can we talk while I'm fixing
supper? I'm running a little behind.

Sure, whatever you need.

Being an attorney yourself,
you probably have some idea

what I need to ask you.

Probably, if he had any enemies.

[INDISTINCT DIALOGUE ON TV]

Michael, turn off that TV.

And the answer is no.

None that I knew of.

But he was a little
upset with Lisa that day.

He was?

Mm. He said that she'd almost
blown our signing ComParks,

that big Japanese
construction company.

I'd had to stay at work until
almost 8:30 because of it.

So I was a little
miffed with her myself.

Did you know that Mr. Parmelee told
her to come to his house that night?

No. But he did say he was
going to have a talk with her, so...

Excuse me.

How did he treat his
female employees?

Like competent human beings.

He never engaged in any behavior

that might be considered
sexual harassment?

No. Never.

So then it would be a
surprise to you if I told you

that he might have
been harassing Lisa?

Bruce Parmelee?

CLIFF: She was shocked. I
mean, shocked. Just like Ben was.

You know, Jerri,
I hate to say it,

but maybe Lisa's lying
about this harassment stuff.

If she wanted to lie, don't you
think she would invent a story

that made her look
innocent instead of guilty?

All right, then maybe
she's just imagining it.

I don't know.

The more I hear about how
absolutely above reproach

this Bruce Parmelee was,
the more convinced I am

that he was doing exactly
what she says he was.

Yeah.

Everyone engages in sexist
behavior at one time or another.

Even women.

But you show me a guy who hasn't
so much as told a dumb-blond joke,

and I'll show you somebody
who's hiding something.

Whoa. He wired nearly
half a million dollars

to a bank in Mayville,
Louisiana last year.

May...? Mayville?

Hold on a second. Hold on.

Mayville, Louisiana.

Remember that woman
who used to work here?

She resigned. Marilyn Reese?

[THUMP]

That's where she
moved. Mayville.

Shh. I hear something.

You scared me. I thought
you'd all gone home for the night.

- What are you doing?
- My job.

The janitor's already been here
and gone. Left two hours ago.

I know. I'm quality control.
Would you excuse me, please?

You must be the richest
quality-control man around.

You and I have the
same running shoes.

They cost about
140 bucks a pair.

- Get out of the way.
- Who says?

- Get out of my way!
- Hey, wait a second. Whoa, whoa!

Are you all right?
Are you all right?

- You okay?
- Yeah, I'm fine.

What are you, nuts?
You almost got us killed.

- I wonder what he was after.
- Well, let's just take a look and see.

Hm. Well, unless they
changed the alphabet,

shouldn't ComParks come
before Continental Travel?

This file was put back
in the wrong place.

- What are you doing?
- Shadowboxing.

- You a boxer?
- Yeah. Keeps the edge up.

No, no, no.

Sorry.

We had a little run-in tonight
at Parmelee and Dixon.

You're good.

You had a run-in?
What kind of run-in?

Well, we found this guy
messing around with a file

of what could be one of Bruce
Parmelee's biggest clients.

Cliff's gonna check
it out tomorrow.

What happened to the guy?

I kind of stomped on his foot
with my heel and ground it in a little.

Then what?

He pushed me into Cliff and
we fell down and he got away.

You better watch messing with
somebody bigger than you are.

How do you know he
was bigger than I was?

Just a guess.

Well, he was a little bigger.

You better watch.

Okay.

Want a piece of pie?

- Yeah.
- Come on.

I'm sorry these are
late, Your Honor,

but I had to make some
last-minute adjustments.

The People hereby charge
Lisa Swift with murder.

Wait a minute.

I'm sorry to spring it on
you like this, Mr. Matlock,

but I got this from the police
less than 20 minutes ago.

Now, according to their analysis of
the ribbon in the electric typewriter

that Bruce Parmelee
had in his office,

he typed this evaluation of
the defendant's job performance

the day of his murder.

Anybody could've typed this.

Well, the State is
prepared to prove

that Lisa Swift went to
the victim's home that night

enraged about this letter.

And that was her motive.

Mr. Matlock, would
you like a continuance

so that you could confer with
your client before you enter a plea?

Defendant pleads not guilty.

That letter, you didn't
see it the night you...?

No, no.

So you never saw it and
you never destroyed it?

Two days after the murder,
I received it in the mail.

He must have written it after
I rejected him in his office.

- What did you do with it?
- I destroyed it.

Why didn't you tell me?

Well, why? It wouldn't
have changed anything.

Lisa.

I'm sorry I'm late. How
was the arraignment?

They just charged
me with murder.

What?

Ben Matlock.

- Harriet Dern.
- Hello.

Everyone at the office thought that
if they charged you with anything,

it would be some
kind of manslaughter.

They're saying that I killed him

because I found out that
he was going to fire me.

Why on earth would he do that?

Because I wouldn't
go to bed with him.

Harriet, I know what you said
to Mr. Lewis the other night,

but I just cannot believe
that I was the only one.

Bruce never did anything to you?

Oh, no.

He didn't touch you or proposition you
or try to get you to sleep with a client?

Lisa, Bruce wouldn't
do things like that.

Yes, he would.
He did them to me.

MATLOCK: No, don't... Don't...
- Lisa, this won't fly as a defense.

- Why are you saying these things?
- Because it's the truth!

MATLOCK: Don't...
No. Let's go. LISA: Ugh.

Excuse us.

[CAR HORN HONKS]

- Hi.
- Hi.

JERRI: I heard they blindsided
you in the arraignment.

MATLOCK: You might say.

I wanted to talk to you
before I went to Louisiana.

You've been a bad boy, Ben.

Or should I say "Waldo"?

- Waldo?
- Waldo Finney?

The name you used when you
made the offer on the house next door.

I got curious and I
did some digging.

Does Billy know?

No.

At least I didn't tell him.

I think it's something
you should do.

Yeah, you're right.

I'll tell him.

As soon as hell freezes over.

You would've done the
same thing and you know it.

True. But I wouldn't
have gotten caught at it.

Mr. Yamamoto?

Hi, I'm Cliff Lewis.

I work with Ben Matlock.

He's representing the woman
accused of killing Bruce Parmelee.

Horrible tragedy. Senseless.

But, unfortunately, such
things are all too common

in this great country of yours.

Yeah. You had some
business with Mr. Parmelee?

He controlled the Hayworth Fund

and signed the loan that
allowed us to break ground.

- That's funny.
- Why's that?

Well, I talked to his partners.
They were against that loan.

They said they convinced him not to
sign it until he cleared up a few things.

But he signed the contract. I
have a copy, so does the bank.

Yeah, well, so does Dixon-Parmelee.
Actually, it was in this file

that the dozer jockey over there
was going through the other night.

You must be mistaken.

Oh, no, no, I don't
think so. I don't think so.

He was in an awfully big
hurry to get out of there.

He planted the
signature page, didn't he?

We would not be
party to such a thing.

A handwriting expert
went over this file.

Everything in it's okay except the
signature on the signature page.

It's a forgery.

Bruce Parmelee decided
not to authorize that loan,

and when he told you that,

well, let's just say, you
found that news unacceptable.

Are you suggesting I had
something to do with his death?

- Well, it was a thought.
- You're wrong.

And as for any and all
allegedly forged signatures,

my experts will
counter your experts,

my lawyers will
tie up your lawyers,

and this project will be completed
and operating in the black

long before this
matter can come to trial.

You've wasted enough
of my time, Mr. Lewis.

So, please,

get off my land.

Wait for me, please.

- Hi.
- Hi.

- Marilyn Reese.
- Jerri Stone.

- I'm sorry, I don't have an appointment.
- Oh, don't worry about that. Sit down.

You'd be surprised how
much walk-in business we get.

Well, actually, I don't
need an attorney.

Fact is, I work for
one. Ben Matlock.

He's representing Lisa Swift.

Do you remember her from
your Dixon and Parmelee days?

Of course.

She's been accused
of murdering Bruce.

- So I heard.
- Oh.

I understand that he
made a sizable deposit

into your bank account right
after you moved here last year.

That's correct.

Why'd he do that?

Severance pay.

I thought you quit.

What are you getting at?

Sexual harassment.

[SIGHS]

What I have to say
won't help Lisa a bit.

You do realize that, don't you?

So tell me anyway.

[SIGHS]

For about a year after I started
with Dixon and Parmelee,

everything was fine.

Bruce was wonderful.
Always the perfect gentleman.

But all of a sudden, he changed.

He started touching me
and propositioning me

in this very subtle,
very insidious way.

It quickly reached the
point where he made it clear,

either I sleep with
him or lose my job.

I didn't have a lot of
confidence in myself back then.

And I figured he
would lose interest

once he proved to me what a
big, strong, powerful man he was.

But he didn't stop?

No.

No.

It went on and on.

Not that it didn't
have its perks.

I made partner in record time.

And he gave me a silver
picture frame, a Cartier watch,

this lovely crystal doggie.

But the more things he gave me,

the harder it got for me to
look at myself in the mirror.

So, finally, on the
day he gave me this,

I hid a camera in his
bookcase and videotaped him

in action.

And then you blackmailed him.

Quit my job, moved
here, passed the bar,

and took the money he
paid me to start my own firm.

I wasn't the only one he
was harassing, you know?

At least, I'm
pretty sure I wasn't.

How do you know that?

[CHUCKLES]

A little doggie told me.

Of course I remember
where I got it.

Bruce gave it to me.

Oh, well, why did
he give it to you?

I suppose because he liked me.

Did he give you this
picture frame too?

Yes.

I just had a long talk
with Marilyn Reese.

MATLOCK: Bruce gave Marilyn things
too, because she did certain favors.

What's going on?

Michael, this is Ben Matlock.

I know who he is, Mom.

- This about Mr. Parmelee?
HARRIET: It doesn't concern you.

She told me what a creep he was.

HARRIET: Michael, go to your room.
- Mom, stop treating me like a kid.

You think I don't know
why he gave you this?

I honestly thought
he didn't know.

So, what Marilyn said is true?

Bruce did to me what
he had done to her,

only I didn't have the guts
to put an end to it like she did.

I thought that I was home
free when he started in on Lisa,

but then

she blew it for me.

- What did she do?
- She rejected him.

The next thing I knew, he
was making me work late

so he could start
up with me again.

I think your son was
right. The guy was a creep.

He started up with you
again the day of the murder?

Yes.

Well, where did you
go after he, um...?

Home.

I was here from 8:30
on. You can ask Michael.

Oh, please,

don't tell anyone about this.

For Michael's sake.

Life is tough enough
on him already.

Please don't tell anyone.

Okay.

A minute, 28 seconds
for the gates to open,

drive up, park, and
walk into the house.

So if Bruce was alive when
he let Lisa through the gate,

and dead when she came in
here a minute and 28 seconds later,

what would you say?

I guess the killer was in the
house when Bruce let her in.

- That'd be my guess.
- Mine too.

Mine too.

Where do you suppose the
killer went after he stabbed him?

The kitchen door
is locked with a key.

Uh... A window.

They were all closed
and locked from inside.

Uh, maybe the
killer hid in a closet.

- There's one in the hall.
- In the hall. Okay.

Lisa said that his wife called the
police from a phone near the hall,

and stayed there
till they got here.

Go upstairs?

Yes. Try that.

- All right, you wanna start at this end?
- Yeah.

- Boy's room.
- Yeah, I think he's off at college.

Look at this.

- This window could've been opened.
- Mm-hm.

Hey, we used to have a tree like that
outside my window when I was a kid.

Came in real handy when I
wanted to sneak out at night.

I don't know. That'd be quite
a jump to the closest limb.

No, that wouldn't
be any problem.

Hey, look. See?

Someone carved something
in that branch up there.

Probably his kid.

Michael, you love your mother?

Yeah.

- Do you get along?
- Yeah.

I mean, most of the time.

We argue and stuff, but that
doesn't mean I don't love her.

Where's your father?

I haven't seen him in ten years.

He dropped me off at school
one day, and that was it.

Hm.

How did you feel
about Bruce Parmelee?

- He was a creep.
- What makes you say that?

He just was.

Did your mother tell
you he was a creep?

No.

He made her work late
long after the others had left

at least once a week, didn't he?

MICHAEL: Yeah.

Did you think there was
something going on between them?

I mean, I'm not saying there was,
but that is what you thought, isn't it?

Yeah, I guess.

Did you think they
were having an affair?

I thought he was, you
know, making her do stuff

just because he was her boss.

MATLOCK: Well, what
made you think that?

She'd come home from work
real late, upset, you know.

Like she was embarrassed
or ashamed or something.

MATLOCK: And how
did that make you feel?

Useless? Or angry? Or both?

I don't know. I
don't know how I felt.

Your mother had to work late

the night Bruce
Parmelee died, didn't she?

Yeah.

Was she upset when
she came home that night?

Yeah.

How could you tell?

I heard her crying while
she was in the bathroom.

What did you do?

Nothing?

Your mother tells me that
you watch a lot of television.

Is that what you
were doing that night?

Yeah.

There was a big
mini-series on that week.

- Is that what you watched?
- Yeah.

Definitely. They had that, um...

They took it from the
best-selling horror book.

Yeah, that's it. Only it
wasn't on, on Thursday night.

So you didn't watch
television that night.

Unless I missed my guess,

you'd gone over to
Bruce Parmelee's house,

- hadn't you?
- No.

Since your car wasn't parked
out front when Lisa got there,

I imagine you
parked on the street,

then climbed over the fence
and found your way into the house.

Look, the reason why my car
wasn't there is because I wasn't there.

I know you were there, Michael.

You're a good, honest boy

who couldn't allow your
mother to be victimized anymore.

Bruce Parmelee was a bully.

You knew what he was doing,
and it ate at you and ate at you

until finally you couldn't
handle it anymore.

Isn't that the way it happened?

Isn't it true that you
couldn't live with it anymore?

Didn't you go over to
Bruce Parmelee's house

- to protect your mother?
- Yeah.

Yeah, I told him to keep
his dirty hands off her.

He was a creep and
somebody had to make him stop.

MATLOCK: Did you get mad?

When Miss Swift showed up,

he told me to leave
or he'd call the police.

And when I wouldn't
go, he pushed me.

And you lost your temper
altogether, didn't you?

- No.
- And you grabbed

a letter opener off the desk.

And before you knew what
you were doing, you stabbed him.

- No.
- When you saw what you'd done,

you realized Lisa was coming up,
ran up the stairs, opened a window

and made your escape
down the tree outside.

No.

Son,

these blue threads were
found by police technicians

in the tree outside the
Parmelee house yesterday.

And this morning,
with a warrant,

they found this blue
sweater in your closet.

You know they match.

Michael, you're
barely 17 years old.

You were trying to help your mother, I
guess, in the only way you knew how.

I'm sorry.

I'm very sorry, but I can't allow
someone else to take the blame.

I hope someday
you'll understand.

[SNIFFLES]

All right, what do you
mean you solved the case?

I solved the case. Ben,
didn't I solve the case?

- Could not have done it without him.
- Thank you.

So should we go
out and celebrate?

You all go.

I think I'd like to spend a
nice quiet evening by myself.

BILLY: Ben?

Ben, is that you? Oh.

It's about time you got home.

Here. While I was waiting
for you, I fixed your remote.

MATLOCK: Oh, well, good.

Got good news about
that house next door.

You didn't raise your offer?

No, no. I had it inspected.

You were right.
It's a disaster area.

Termites, dry rot,
asbestos ceilings,

lead paint, radon
gas, oil fumes.

This Waldo Finney
guy can have it.

He'll never be able to
live in it, much less sell it,

unless he tears it all
down and starts all over.

Yeah, I figure he must
be really, really rich,

or really, really stupid.