Original subtitles

I didn't kill Cynthia.

The first thing we have to do is find you some privacy.

I mean, there he was, undressing.

And he hadn't even asked me my name.

In fact, I got a bonus for you. Oh, yeah?

Benjamin Matlock for the defense, Your Honor.

You want to fall in love first.

How much is it going to cost me?

Your Honor, I apologize for being late. I was unavoidably detained.

Now, watch this. Bingham had plenty of time. He had two receivers open deep.

he had to do was scramble.

Five years ago, Bingham had the legs to make that play happen. But he just can't

cut it anymore.

Let's cut our losses.

Put him on waivers.

Brad is a star, Vincent.

Cynthia, if it keeps going like this, it'll take years to rebuild the

You've got to let him go.

I'll tell him.

Good.

We have a conference tomorrow morning. Try to be on time.

Goodnight.

Marcia. Cynthia.

Well, I'm going to have to tell them.

Dave and Vincent came down to me pretty hard today.

And they were right.

I'm afraid if I trade them, I'll never see them again.

Brad? Brad, what are you doing?

Marcia, I can't talk now. I'll call you back tomorrow.

Bye.

Did you see the champagne?

Brad?

Brad?

Now, Sergeant Gibbons.

You have testified that you and your partner forcibly entered Mr. Wilkins'

in an attempt to apprehend his brother. Is that correct?

When he obstructed our progress, he was given a verbal warning.

Some force was necessary to continue our search.

During this brief struggle, did Mr. Wilkins have any reason to believe his

was threatened? So he may have been acting in self -defense.

No, sir.

How tall was your partner?

About 6 '3".

About your size?

Yes.

Isn't it true, Sergeant, that during this so -called brief struggle, your

partner struck Mr. Wilkins on the head with his pistol? He barely touched him.

This is a plaster mold of Mr. Wilkins' head.

You wearing your revolver?

Yes.

Demonstrate for the court.

how and where your partner struck it.

No further questions.

No kidding. Well, that is interesting.

Yeah, I'll get right over there.

Yeah, thanks, Sarah. Bye.

Huh? Morning.

Morning.

Judge Cootsie gave me a contingence on the Ramsey case. How about you? Oh,

said he'd take my motion under advisement. I think I caught him a

guard.

Also, I had changed the deposition in the opening matter to Wednesday, so I

Sarah to reschedule your dental appointment.

Charlene, one of the advantages to having your daughter as a law partner is

keen attention is paid to every detail of your life.

At least, I think it's like that.

I don't know how you got through life without me.

Did you hear that Cynthia Holland was murdered?

Yeah. Suspect. It's none other than the dating quarterback, Brad Bingham.

Yeah. He asked you only like a whale ghost or plankton. Only maybe this time

think you went a little too far.

Maybe. I heard.

He was sleeping with her, so she wouldn't trade him. I also heard that

going to trade him anyway.

Want to find out for yourself?

Can't you get me out of here?

I didn't kill Cynthia.

Mr. Bingham, tell us what happened last night.

Nothing. There's nothing to tell. I didn't do anything. Look, I swear to

didn't do anything.

Well, I heard a scream, and I saw Brad Bingham hit some lady at about 5 past 11

last night.

That's when I called the police.

You saw this through your telescope?

Uh -huh. His apartment's one block over from ours.

You know, in the summer, the moon comes up right behind it.

That's how I discovered he lived there, looking for craters and, you know,

through my telescope.

And you were not in your apartment at 11 o 'clock last evening? No.

You're sure? Yes.

If I'd known Cynthia was going to be in my apartment, I would have been there.

So thinking you were going to be alone that night, you went out to a bar.

Listen, there was a brownout that whole afternoon. I went out for some air

conditioning. And you picked up some woman whose name you can't quite

Her name was Carol.

Or Carrie, maybe. Or Corey. Or Candy. Hell, I don't know. I know it started

a C.

He met her at the Peachtree Bar, struck up a conversation, and then... Then we

went back to her hotel, and... One thing led to another?

Yeah. All night?

All night.

You were not in your apartment at any time last night?

No, sir.

Yes, sir. He was right there.

Cynthia interrupted our conversation to say something to him.

Do you remember what time that was, Miss Bond?

Eleven o 'clock.

She was calling to tell me about Brad.

What about him?

She was going to tell Brad they were going to put him on a waiver.

That'd be the end of my career. She wouldn't do that to me.

Well, I guess the first thing I'd do is speak to the police.

See, they talked to that girl you were with last night.

You're going to get me out of here.

I'm going to try.

It's really a shame.

What?

I was at the Super Bowl the year he threw the pass.

60 yards in the air for the winning touchdown. He was really something.

Everybody was crazy over him. Oh, that was then, old farmer.

I figured we'd be seeing you, too.

How's that?

We'd bring in a grossly overpaid professional athlete. I expect to find

an obscenity.

Lieutenant, I understand Brad Bingham told you he was with a young woman last

night at the Somerset Hotel.

He did.

Have you talked with her?

I think it's better to step inside.

As a matter of fact, have a seat.

Have you found the lady?

No.

Believe me, my men tried.

She doesn't exist. He made her up.

What makes you so certain?

Because I got a witness who can place Brad Bingham in his apartment at 11 o

'clock last night with Cynthia Hyde.

And another one who saw him kill her with a blow to the head a few minutes

later. So, if Bingham is your client, I guess congratulations are in order.

I'm about to arrest him for first -degree murder.

Did it cross your mind your football hero might be a liar?

Lieutenant Davis has an eyewitness.

Brad Bingham has an alibi.

So he says.

The first thing we have to do is find use of privacy.

I'm sorry to bargain on you like this, but we've got a small emergency on our

hands. Ben, can we do this some other time?

This is Brad Bingham. Oh, hi.

Look, Ben, I'm busy right now.

Very busy.

Doing what?

Well, even to the untrained eye, it would appear that I'm painting my

Why? Because I finally got Cicely to agree to come over to my place for

and I'm painting the place her favorite color, French vanilla, just to set the

stage. Brad Bingham is one of the all -time football greats. You know him,

you? Of course.

I'm defending him against the charge of murder in the first degree. I need your

help. You're my investigator.

It's as simple as that. Yeah, but why are you here?

He needs a place to lay low for a while. Look, I don't want to be a problem. Oh,

no problem. Come by the office first thing in the morning. I got something I

want you to do.

Help yourself.

What's this?

Isn't he beautiful?

Friend of a friend of mine gave him to me.

She moved to Des Moines.

Oh.

He is so beautiful. What's his name?

P .T. Bridgeport.

What a grand name.

Well, P .T., I wish you Godspeed.

And, of course, Sarah, Godspeed to you, too.

Oh, thank you, Ben.

P .T.

Godspeed, P .T. Well.

Any luck finding the girl Bingham spent the night with? Nope.

He spent the afternoon talking to all the women registered at the Somerset

Hotel, whose name began with C. No luck.

And then I went to the place where he said he picked her up. No luck there

either. Nobody there saw him talking to anybody?

Oh, they saw him talking to everyone.

The waitress said he was gone by 10, but didn't actually see him leave.

Maybe you should try that hotel again.

I suppose so.

He was quite a womanizer, huh?

I'd say so.

Well, just because it's a womanizer doesn't mean he killed anybody.

I think I'll go over to team headquarters in the morning and talk to

people Cynthia Highland worked with.

Mr. Hyland, I'm Ben Matlock, Brad Bingham's lawyer.

Oh, yes.

I know what a tragedy this must be for you.

Your stepmother being killed like this. Yes.

We have strong reason to believe that Brad Bingham is innocent of this crime.

The police don't seem to think so. I know, I know.

What is it you want?

I'd like to take a look at Miss Hyland's appointment book.

And if I say no?

Oh, I'd understand that, but I'd get a subpoena and look at it anyway.

You don't have a personal problem with my looking at you, do you? No, of course

not, please. Thank you.

You know, I've been a loyal fan of this team for 15 years. I sure hope you don't

sell it to somebody that'll move it to another town.

Who said I was gonna sell?

Always probably just talk.

What talk?

Just gossip, how you and Miss Highland didn't get along, how she had demoted

to selling season tickets, and how in your father's will, if anything happened

to her, you'd get her share of the franchise, and how...

You'd sell her interest if you inherited it. Just that sort of thing. I'd pay no

attention to it.

What are you insinuating here?

I'm not insinuating anything.

But I suppose you did have a strong motive to kill Ms. Hyland.

Mr. Matlock, I suggest you get the hell out of here.

I guess I have taken up enough of your time.

Thank you for your cooperation.

I didn't know you were busy.

Oh, I was just leaving.

You must be Dave Edwards.

Ben Matlock. How do you do?

Bingham's attorney.

We were just discussing the case.

If you want to talk to me, you can talk to me through my attorney.

Let's hope that won't be necessary.

Karen Nelson?

That's right.

I'm Charlene Matlock. I'm an attorney representing Brad Bingham, and he says

was with you the other night.

I drove

in that morning.

I've been shopping for clients all afternoon.

Oh, these are nice.

Thanks.

And then I stopped someplace to have a drink.

That's when I... You see, the trouble is, I'm engaged.

And if my fiancé ever finds out, he'll kill me.

Karen, you've got to tell me.

Well,

Brad was there.

And he started hitting on me.

There he was, this famous football player hitting on me.

And then he suggested we go to my hotel room.

And I said, sure.

How could I refuse?

So he was with you?

Well, right up until I realized what a drunken lech he was and what a mistake

I'd made.

So I came to my senses and threw him out the door.

Are you saying he didn't spend the night with you?

No, he was here for all of five minutes.

I mean, there he was undressing.

And he hadn't even asked me my name.

Can you believe it?

She was lying.

I don't know what to say.

Nothing corroborates your story. Not one thing.

Man.

This is a nightmare.

This woman told you she spent the day shopping before she met Brad?

Shopping downtown?

That's what she said, yes.

Wait a minute.

That was the day of the brownout.

The stores downtown were closed.

She may have been in town, but I have serious doubts that she was shopping.

Karen?

I was here less than an hour ago.

She must have packed up and left as soon as I talked to her, almost as if

talking to me is what she intended.

Oh, my God.

She was framing my client.

And I fell for it.

What do you think?

I think you said your mother's a jackass.

Ben, I don't know what to do.

My mother's never been the most secure person in the world anyway, and if she

should stop by and P .T. Said your mother's a jackass.

I think I'd die.

I've asked everybody I know, and nobody will take him.

And if P .T. ended up in the pound... I know.

Is there anyone you know?

Herman Jones thinks his mother -in -law's a jackass.

Leave him. I'll check some of my contacts.

Ben, I'm sorry.

I'm really sorry.

I sent a copy of Karen Nelson's hotel bill to Jimmy down at the phone company.

He's going to track down all the calls she made from her hotel room.

Good.

Oh, Dad.

I feel terrible.

You know, I was defending a fellow named Leroy Harding on a murder charge over

in Athens.

This blue -haired old lady swore she was with Leroy the night of the murder.

She reminded me of your grandmother.

I barely listened to her story. Never bothered to check it out, and it never

occurred to me that she was lying, which she was.

I looked like a red -faced fool when the D .A. impeached her on the stand, so I

guess I know how you were feeling.

Did that really happen?

Charlene, I'm your father.

Hey, Frankie!

Who'll be, sir?

I'm looking for Johnny Mack.

Hey, I just make the drinks, pal. I don't make the introductions.

Look, Brad Bingham said I should come see you.

Hey, I don't care what Brad Bingham said, all right?

You want to see me?

I'll bet you're Johnny Mack.

Tyler Hudson's my name. I work for Brad Bingham's attorney. I'd just like to ask

you a few questions.

About what?

Well, he's in a lot of trouble. He could use your help.

I got trouble on my own.

You know, he told me that you was his friend. I guess I better go straighten

out about that.

I'm afraid Tyler's not here right now.

Actually, I came to see you.

Come in.

Ben, told you about Karen Nelson?

Yeah.

Brad, I'm so sorry.

I should have known she was lying, but her story tracked with all my

preconceptions of you, and that's why I believed her.

Preconceptions?

Remember Ellen Hawley?

Yeah.

She was my friend.

Oh.

Know what she tried to do when you left her?

I tried to call her, and she wouldn't talk to me.

You never heard about that, did you?

No. Well, it's the truth.

You believe me?

Yes. Thank you.

Remember this jacket?

This and this is thanks to your good buddy, Johnny Mac.

Seems Johnny's got a pair of bad knees from blocking for you.

Probably cut two years off his career.

Yeah. He sure doesn't want to be going public about helping you.

Yeah, well, the front office of any kind could try and could drop him. Oh, he

dropped me.

On a table and down a hall.

Tyler, did he say anything?

Yeah. One, Dave Edwards had a thing with Cynthia before you came along.

And two, Dave Edwards want to buy the team real bad.

And three, there's no three. That's all we got.

You know, with Cynthia gone, I'll eventually sell him her interest.

Are you suggesting a motive for murder?

There's a lot of money involved.

I'll check it out in the morning.

I can do that.

I got it.

Anyway, Tyler, you look like you need the rest.

See you tomorrow.

Well, I got to tell you, Bingham, I couldn't have done better myself.

Your mail.

Thanks a lot. Any messages?

One. Cicely called to cancel.

So you were tracing the rings of Saturn for this report.

You heard a scream, turned your telescope around, and saw Mr. Bingham

Mrs. Hyland.

That's right.

Boy, that must be some powerful telescope you have.

Two -inch parabolic mirror, tripod mounted, with 650 -inch focal length.

Is it difficult to operate?

Well, you use the pilot scope to train on a general field of view.

You lock down the tripod head.

And you find focus, and that's all there is to it.

You say you turned this report in after Mrs. Highland was murdered.

Sometime around then, yeah.

I stopped by your school, Gerald.

You turned the report in three weeks before the murder.

Your teacher said you're one of his brightest students.

Kind of shy, though.

Said the other kids don't pay much attention.

I bet they do now.

Now, what is it you really saw, Gerald?

You heard a scream.

Yes. Ran to your telescope.

Yes. Took off the lens cap.

Yes.

Unlocked it?

Yes.

Turned it toward the sound, did all the focusing you described, and then after

you'd done that, you really didn't see him strike her, did you?

Well, she was laying on the ground.

Where was the man?

Going towards the door?

With his back to you?

Yes. So since it was Brad Bingham's apartment, you naturally assumed that's

you saw.

I guess.

You know, Gerald, about all any of us can do in life is just give it our best

shot. Maybe some don't pay attention to you now, but I read your reports. Good.

You'll be okay.

Just give it your best shot no further questions

I'd

like to see David

Your name?

Charlene Matlock.

I'm sorry.

and cartridge.

the elevator.

She was telling me that they were going to have to trade Brad and she was

worried how he'd take it.

And then what happened?

She said, Brad, Brad, what are you doing?

Something like that.

What time did she call you?

11 o 'clock on the dot.

That's about five minutes before whoever was in the apartment with her

bludgeoned her to death.

You're a witness.

As far as you say, the phone rang at 11 o 'clock on the dot.

Were you expecting Cynthia Highland to call you then?

No. The news came on TV while we were talking.

The music's very distinctive.

Did you hear this sound while you were talking with Cynthia over the phone?

I fail to see the relevancy of any of this.

Overruled for now.

The sound you heard was a clock in Brad Bingham's apartment.

If Cynthia had called from there, Ms. Barnes would have heard it strike 11

the phone.

Now, Ms. Barnes, did you also hear this sound while you were talking with

Cynthia?

Maybe it would help if I tell you...

that it's the sound of water running into a bathtub.

I do remember hearing that, because I remember thinking, imagine that, he had

the phone in his bathroom.

Now, Miss Barnes, this is a diagram of Brad Bingham's apartment.

Now, this is the bathroom, this is the bathtub, this is the telephone.

Now, from where Cynthia Hyland had to be in order to use the telephone, she

can't see out into the apartment.

Yes, I see.

What was it you heard her say?

Brad?

Brad, what are you doing?

Kind of a silly thing for her to ask if they were face -to -face, isn't it?

I suppose so. But what if they weren't face -to -face? What if it was her way

asking somebody she could hear but not see to identify himself?

We don't know for a fact that Brad Bingham was in the apartment at all.

Thank you, Miss Barnes. That's all.

Not.

Not. Your mother's not a jackass.

How's it going?

Your mother's a jackass.

About the same.

What do you got?

Well, it took a bit of decoding, but it's all here.

Vincent Highland is selling his share of the team, formerly the property of

Cynthia Highland, to David T. Edwards for the sum of $35 million in cash.

Vince Highland has $35 million. Dave Edwards has the team.

We can't tie either one of them to the girl in the hotel.

Ben, have I got news for you.

I checked the address out on our lady at the hotel, and it's a phony.

But while she was there, she made several calls to an escort service.

And this particular one offers full service if you get my drift.

Karen Nelson is a call girl?

Triple digit.

You have contacts around town, don't you?

Depends on what you want.

A date.

Karen, right?

That's right.

My name's Ben.

Help yourself to a drink, Karen.

Thank you.

Where are you from, Ben?

I'm local.

George, you're born and raised.

No kidding.

How about you?

Oh, I'm from all over.

But you're here in Atlanta now.

Yeah, I'm here now.

And the meter's running, Ben.

That's okay.

I don't mind spending some time.

Warm up.

I want to fall in love first, huh, Ben?

I like to spend a little time with somebody whose voice is higher than

You're new at this, aren't you?

Fairly.

How much is it going to cost me?

Three hundred.

As advertised.

Unless you want something special.

No, I like to keep things simple.

Where is he?

He'll be around.

All rise.

Is the defense ready to proceed?

Your Honor, my partner's been unavoidably detained.

With the court's indulgence, I'd like to begin examination of our next witness

until he arrives.

Does the prosecution object?

No, Your Honor.

I call Karen Nelson to the stand.

Ms. Nelson, you're from out of town?

I have a home in Savannah, but actually I spend much, if not most, of my time

here in Atlanta.

And what have you been doing here in Atlanta?

I'm a personal shopper.

People pay me on an hourly basis to design their wardrobes and buy their

clothes. Women, mostly.

So, on the afternoon that Cynthia Highland was murdered, you were in town?

Yes. Shopping?

Yes.

There was a citywide electrical brownout that day, wasn't there?

I don't... I don't recall.

Your Honor, at this point, defense requests the court take judicial notice

on the afternoon of the 23rd, there was an electrical brownout in the downtown

district and...

All the stores were closed.

Well, I was window shopping.

Knowing which stores carry what is three quarters of my job.

Didn't you have a chance meeting with Brad Bingham later that afternoon at the

Peachtree Bar?

That's right.

Didn't you invite him up to your room?

He invited himself.

Didn't you spend the night with him there?

No.

You sure about that?

I made him leave before anything happened.

I realized that even though he was famous, I really didn't much like him.

Excuse me a minute, Your Honor.

Your Honor, I

apologize. After being late, I was unavoidably detained.

With your permission, I have a few further questions for this witness.

Proceed, Mr. Matlock.

My name's Benjamin Matlock. I'm one of the attorneys for Mr. Bingham.

Have we ever met?

I'm sure I'd remember.

I bet you $300 you'd remember if you tried.

Afraid you'd lose.

It is Miss Nelson, isn't it? That's right.

I remind you, you're under oath.

Were you ever in a hotel room with me?

No.

Weren't you in room 1007 at the Promenade Hotel last night?

No.

And you didn't accept $300 from me?

I was at home.

Are you familiar with something called the gentleman's escort service?

No.

I see.

You know what's really interesting?

Is I called the gentleman's escort service and arranged for a young woman

Karen to come to my hotel room last night.

Now, this Karen left a fingerprint.

On a drinking glass.

I took that fingerprint down to the Atlanta's police department.

And they provided me with a rap sheet on one Caroline

Nathan.

That's your real name, isn't it?

Caroline, don't get in any deeper. It isn't worth it.

You're getting in very deep.

Caroline is your real name, isn't it? Caroline Nathan.

Yes.

And you were convicted of solicitation two times in the last 12 months, isn't

that correct?

Objection. Relevancy.

Sustained.

If I called the gentleman's escort service and asked for a Karen Nelson, I

get you, wouldn't I?

Yes.

And you were in my hotel room last night, weren't you?

Yes.

What all did we do?

Nothing.

But you did pick up that 300 I left on the bed, didn't you?

Yes.

And you're not a personal shopper, are you?

No. And you don't have a home in Savannah?

No.

Miss Nathan, you've lied about your name, your occupation, and having met

Now, I remind you that the penalty for perjury is severe.

And you are under oath.

Let's get back to this Brad Bingham business.

Were you with him all night the night of the murder?

Now, we're not talking about solicitation here.

We are talking about murder.

You know what I think?

I think you were with him all night that night.

during which time a murder was committed.

Then you said you were not with him to make it appear that he was the murderer.

What I don't know is whether you were part of the plan from the beginning or

whether somebody gave you a great deal of money or frightened you into saying

you were not with him by telling you you would be implicated in this murder.

Well,

I will tell you now.

You are implicated in this murder.

Do you understand?

You are implicated in this murder.

Now, were you with Brad Bingham all night that night?

Yes. Well, now.

Well, now that might just very well clear Brad Bingham.

But there's one more thing.

You know, last night when we had our little date, I did something

I shouldn't have done.

But I couldn't help myself.

You know, when you went in the other room just before I left, I looked in

purse.

And I found this little black book.

This is a little black book you carry in your purse, isn't it?

Yes. Think it?

Yeah. And it's got a lot of names in it.

I'm talking a lot of names.

Now, I won't read them off because... But there's one name in here.

Might be just a client.

Or it might be the name of somebody who solicited...

Your perjured testimony.

Now, I'm going to give you an opportunity to just wipe the slate clean

court.

Just start over.

I'll tell you what.

Just whisper his name to me, see if I was right.

I was right.

Tell him.

Dave Edwards.

Order, order, please.

No further questions.

We find the defendant.

Not guilty.

Mr.

Edwards?

Would you mind going down to headquarters?

Ben, can I see that little black book of hers?

Why?

Is it for real?

Does it matter?

See you, Bert.

And... Brad's invited us to dinner.

Yeah?

I think I'll pass.

Oh, why don't you come?

Now, I think I'll go back to the office and see what I can do with that parent.

Have fun.

You too.

Congratulations.

Nice job, Tyler. Thank you. In fact, I got a bonus for you.

Oh, yeah?

Yeah, I don't think a young man like you ought to live alone.

I'm not taking that parrot. Just a dolphin.