Original subtitles

You might hurt your back.

How do you know?

Because I just hurt mine.

What have you gotten here?

Stuff. Stuff?

Yeah.

You'll be with your friends, and I brought some books and some extra suits

some stuff.

Dad, we're going to the beach.

Yeah, but what if there's a dance?

Hurt your back?

Just get in the car.

I'm all right, you.

Yeah. You've done everything you have to do.

Yep. You? Yep.

I guess we're ready.

Oh, this is going to be great.

It's about a five -hour drive. We can figure out who's going to take what

what kind of computer we're going to buy, who's going to do the bookkeeping,

figure out how this partnership is really going to work.

What'd you do that for?

We're lost.

How can we be lost? You got the map right there.

It was printed in 1961, Dad.

Because when you listen to music, you don't pay attention. You weave in and

You speed.

No, I don't.

70 miles an hour, my foot.

Yeah, he had a radar gun. I don't care what he had. I wasn't doing seven.

Hey, do me a favor.

Let's not let this ruin our trip. From here on out, it's going to be smooth

sailing.

Everybody off! We made it!

Welcome to Tropical Surf!

Need a hand with those? I'll get it. I got it. Here you go.

Oh, good.

Here, here.

Don't run more of them.

Thanks. Thank you, Joe.

Thanks.

Let me give you a hand.

I actually appreciate it.

I'll get this.

Got my stuff.

You weren't going to let me in.

Dad, behave yourself.

We are going to have fun, okay?

Hello.

We're here to check in.

Good. Welcome to the Tropical Surf Resort. I'm the manager. My name is

Holloway.

Your name is?

McIntyre.

Reservations under McIntyre.

Why don't you go back to Matlock? You're divorced.

Dad, we're not divorced. We're separated.

You're not going back to that jerk.

Could we talk about this another time? What I don't... Here we are.

McIntyre. Leanne.

Now, I do have the two adjacent rooms that you reserved, but if you're

interested, one of our two -bedroom, two -bath villas just opened up. Oh, that'd

be great.

Cost Norman a leg.

Oh, Dad, but look what you get. A living room and a little kitchenette. We'll

take the adjacent room. We'll take the villa.

Let's split it.

Very good.

Well, could you try room 480, then, please?

Thanks.

What are you looking for?

Food. Dad, you're not going to find any food.

Oh, come on.

What are we paying for this place out to be some cheese or bologna or peanut

butter or something?

I always thought when you checked into a nice hotel, they had a big basket of

fruit and nuts or something waiting for you.

One of my friends is in their room, probably on the beach. I'm going to go

if I can find him. This trip is a real bust.

What I'm talking, a real bust.

I hurt my back.

I got lost.

I got a speeding ticket for $70.

Two new tires, $220.

This villa is $300 a day and nothing to eat.

I have an idea.

Since we have the car back, why don't you go to a store and buy some hot dogs

something?

Well, I could.

It'll make you feel better.

Dad, I know our trip has not gotten off to a rousing start, but things are going

to get better, so let's just start trying to have fun right now.

Okay?

I don't need 12 hot dog buns. I just need six. I'm sorry, sir. We don't carry

packages of six hot dog buns.

Well, why should I buy hot dog buns I'm probably never going to use?

Sir, the buns come in packages of 12 because the hot dogs come in packages of

12.

It's highway robbery.

Sorry. It's highway robbery.

I mean, what if I eat just six hot dogs? Okay, that's six hot dogs wasted, six

hot dog buns wasted.

There's people starving to death all over the world. I'm sorry. I'm sorry,

Take it.

Two blowouts coming in on a hay truck.

I don't call it a fortune.

Nothing to eat in it.

Should have brought something. Oh, there.

Hi. Hey.

12 hot dogs.

Sorry. Say something.

Say something to myself.

Oh.

Say, aren't you Ben Matlock, the famous lawyer?

I'm Ben Matlock.

You really are? Oh, I can't believe that's correct.

I'm standing at the same checkout line with the most famous attorney in the

country. What brings you to Wilmington?

Vacation. Oh, yeah, me too, me too.

Where's my Atlanta?

Me? No, no, from Savannah, actually.

What's the matter?

You remind me of somebody. I can't quite place who.

I get that a lot. Yeah, I get that. Well, one of those faces.

That's 3743.

3743? Yeah.

3743.

Doesn't go as far.

Something wrong?

I must have left my wallet.

In the hotel. Will you hold this up till I go again?

Yeah, all right. No, no, don't. No, don't be silly. Here. Oh, no, no. No,

absolutely not. It would be my pleasure. It would be my pleasure, really. All

right, take it. Oh, well, my pleasure. Well, thank you. I'll pay you back.

Well, where are you staying?

To a tropical surf.

I am, too. What's your name? Cliff. But I don't want you to go out of your way.

I'll find you. How'd that be? Okay, thanks.

Okay.

This might not be such a bad trip after all.

Thank you.

this long again. Here, here.

This time next year I make dad keep the kids.

What are you going to do, Kathleen? Put a gone sunbathing sign in your antique

store window?

Why not?

You know, Laura and I have been here since Tuesday.

No kidding.

Yeah, and I haven't connected.

But I think, Laura. You don't know. I have knocked on your door quite a few

times and you weren't in.

You've been here since Tuesday.

Mm -hmm.

You too can be single, self -employed, and looking around. I am single and self

-employed. Looking around?

Hmm. So where's this father of yours?

He's too old for you. If he's breathing, he's not too old.

Kathleen?

I'll tell you one thing. You get too close to him, he might make you jump.

Is Peter still seeing that bimbo?

I don't know.

You gonna divorce him?

I don't know.

Oh, my gosh, I just remembered something. I gotta go.

You just got here.

Well, if you must know, I promised my attorney I'd call him.

See y 'all later?

Leave your doll. Hey, bye.

Bye.

What?

She's getting a divorce.

Mm -hmm.

I'll tell you what.

Let's go to the bar and see if we can have some fun.

Hi, Dad.

Hi. Oh, good.

You got your dogs.

Enough for a party.

Hi. Adam Baylor, please. It's Leanne McIntyre.

Yeah, I'll hold.

Will you tell him I'm calling one distance?

Thanks.

Adam Baylor is my attorney.

That's all I'm going to tell you, so let's just skip the third degree.

I just wanted to know if you wanted a hot dog.

Oh, yeah.

Did you find your friends?

Yes, and they are dying to meet you.

Oh. I ran into the nicest guy at the grocery store. Oh, yeah?

Yeah. Cliff something.

Oh. He's staying here. Oh. He'll stop by later.

Is he cute?

Um,

not bad.

Hi, Junior.

Come here often? Um, look.

No, actually, I'm kind of near the territory.

Are you going to have to sit down?

Oh, yes.

Yes, I'm sorry.

Please sit down. There you go.

Sure.

A scotch on the rocks for me.

A blended margarita for Laura.

And Beth, a glass of chardonnay.

And you, Junior?

Cliff.

Okay, Cliff, and you.

Um, I'll just have what she's got.

That'll be two scotches on the rocks, please.

Thank you.

So,

Cliff. Tell me about yourself.

I'm a lawyer.

Oh, a lawyer.

So cute.

So young.

Yeah, I'm just down here kind of looking around.

Oh, what a coincidence.

So are Laura and I.

Beth, unfortunately.

Congratulations.

Well, to us.

And to, uh... Right.

He's just looking around like us. Right, Laura.

Right.

Oh,

the check.

How long are you going to be here?

Depends.

Well, like I said, Beth is married, but Laura and I are single.

Want to have some fun?

Oh, yeah.

Yeah, fun would be fun.

That would be a lot of fun.

Mr. Lewis?

We have a problem.

We do?

May I speak to you alone for a moment, please?

Well, it's your credit card.

My credit card.

It's no good.

What?

Mr. Lewis, we have checked and double -checked, and it appears you've already

reached your limit.

Oh, no, no, no, no. That's not possible. I'm sure the credit card company just

made a mistake.

I'll just pay for the drinks with cash.

Okay, no problem.

Except I just lent all the cash I had to someone.

And then, of course, there is the matter of your room.

It's a small room. I'll just... I'll write you a check.

I don't think so.

What can I do?

Beep.

No, no.

Mr. Lewis, I really have no choice in this matter. I'm afraid I must ask you

vacate the premises now.

The credit card company made a mistake. That happens sometimes. Mr. Lewis,

please leave now.

You have no right to do this to me. Would you stop pulling me?

I'll tell you, the only one around here with a problem is you.

Come on.

I said get your hands off me.

You're going to regret this.

pick a baby, but you pick a bulk baby.

Hello?

They, uh, they told me at the desk you checked out. Is everything okay?

Um... My credit's all messed up. Manager gave me the bum's rush.

They threw you out?

Yeah. Oh, no.

Here.

Here's the money you loaned me.

Oh. And let me write you a check. A check? Yeah, for any amount you need. I

mean, you loaned me money, I'll loan you money. No, no. You know what I'm going

to do? This is what I'm going to do. I'm going to go up the street. I'll find a

hotel where the manager's a lot more understanding. I'll be fine, really. You

sure? Yes, I'm sure. I really am. Yeah, no problem.

What do you do for a living?

Well, as a matter of fact...

I'm a lawyer, too.

No kidding.

You're kidding. No, I'm not. No, I just passed the bar two weeks ago. Well,

congratulations. Where are you going to hang your hat?

I don't know yet. I don't know. I've had a lot of offers.

It's a hard decision. Yeah.

Well, you know, that's actually the reason I'm here. I mean, I was at home,

the phone was ringing so much, and I couldn't think straight.

You know, it seems that every firm I interviewed with made me an offer. So

biding my time, and I'm going to choose the right one.

Good. Yeah.

Say, you're not in the market, are you?

Not really.

My daughter and I just joined forces, and there's just about enough work for

Oh. Yeah. Oh.

Oh, well, it was really nice meeting you. Well, yeah, my pleasure. If there's

anything I can do, just let me know.

Okay, I will.

Hi, Teddy.

Hi. I think they like me.

Oh.

there's Beth. Everybody wave.

Ah, jogging, huh?

Yeah. She thinks she's fat.

She's skinny as a rail.

Bad body image.

Well, I'm going to get second.

Third, but who's counting?

Leanne, you're dead super.

You and he are so much alike.

Alike?

We're about as alike as salt and pepper.

Ah,

I bet you wish you had some of this.

We were just talking about how much you and Leanne are alike.

No, no. We're as alike as salt and pepper.

Let's see now about this business. Here.

I was coming.

I don't understand. When I came on duty at five, he was fine.

Did he say where he was going?

No, but I assume that he went home.

Excuse me.

Lieutenant, the lady who discovered the body is pretty upset.

Is she all right? She went back to the hotel?

Yeah, just let me know where she'll be.

Probably somewhere around the lobby.

Excuse me.

Mr. Holloway married?

No, he was single.

How could this have happened?

He was a great swimmer. He almost made the 84 Olympic team.

Yeah, well, even Olympic hopefuls don't usually go swimming with their clothes

on, Mr. Tuggle.

Now, you know anybody who may have argued with him or who might have fought

had an altercation?

No. No, I can't think of anyone.

Police. Open up.

Step out, please.

Boy, you are one hard man to track down, little boy.

Hey,

you need a search warrant to do that.

Got one right here.

I understand you and Roland Holloway had a little altercation today.

Who? Roland Holloway.

You know, the manager of the Tropical Surf.

I need him for a goggle street. Would you just...

Tell me what's going on. Roland Holloway was murdered about five hours ago.

You want to tell me what you were doing late this afternoon?

Lieutenant!

Looks like blood.

After I left the hotel, I drove around for a little while, and then I...

I walked to the side of the road and I went to sleep.

I don't have an alibi. I don't have anything.

I thought you were going to another hotel.

I would have just been kicked out of that one, too.

I haven't exactly been honest with you, Mr. Matlock.

Fact is, nobody's beating down my door to hire me.

Fact.

Took me three times to pass the bar.

Three times?

And I'm broke.

Well,

having to admit that you're strapped is tough, but don't worry. Now that I know

that $37 you loaned me was practically the last money you had on Earth, I think

even more highly of you. I picked your pocket. I mean, the person who...

You loaned money to a perfect stranger, don't you? How's that?

In the store.

I left it in your wallet so that I could loan you the money to pay for your

groceries and you would think I was a really great guy.

The reason the wallet was in the car is because I left it there.

You just met me. How'd you know which car is mine?

I followed you from Atlanta.

You followed me from Atlanta?

And registered at the same hotel and went shopping at the same grocery store

for the opportunity to impress you and make you want to hire me.

You went through all that stuff just to get a job?

I really want to work for you.

I must say, that's a pretty original plan.

It wasn't mine.

My father thought of it.

Your father?

My last name is Lewis.

Lord have mercy.

Lord have mercy. That's who you remind me of.

You're Billy Lewis's boy.

Hello, Ben.

Hello, Billy.

Guess it wasn't such a hard idea after all, huh, son?

I don't care what you say, Billy.

It was a stupid, asinine thing to do. Why didn't you just call me and tell me

give your boy a job?

What would you have done if I had?

I'd have hung up on you. Seems to me you just answered your own question. I

didn't even know you had a son.

Not many people do.

Thanks to Lucy.

Damn it, Billy. When are you going to stop blaming your sister for all the

things that have happened in your life? I don't blame her.

I blame you.

You're the one who dated her for eight years and dropped her like a hot potato.

I didn't suffer, Billy.

I went to law school. I had to stay home with her. She couldn't deal with it.

I took her in.

Lucy got mean, ornery.

Life got hard.

Then life got good. I got married, had a son, Cliff.

About a year later, my wife took Cliff and moved out.

Two years of Lucy's, all she could take.

Life got hard again, Ben.

I stayed in Mount Harlan, but it wasn't the same.

Cliff became a stranger to me. My own son.

All on account of Lucy. Lucy, yeah.

She's gone, you know.

No, I didn't know. I'm sorry. Latched on to some insurance salesman, hightailed

her to St. Petersburg.

Oh. So life's good again.

Not. Not?

Made me sell the farm. Claimed half of it was hers.

Water's right.

She's down in Florida, living off of half the fruit of my life's labors.

Not only a small man glows on life tragedies, Ben. A big man ignores his

misfortune, hauls himself up, and pays off his debt.

Here's the $726 I owe you.

Why, Billy, thank you.

Talking your kind of language now, huh, Ben?

Well, here's some more.

What's that for?

That boy didn't kill anybody, Ben.

He can't even kill a chicken and it's Sunday and company's coming.

Soft -hearted.

Mushy.

What he needs is a good lawyer.

But, since you're already here, what the hell?

That's your retainer. $200?

Do good by him and I'll add to it.

I'm on vacation, Billy.

Haven't you caused enough misery in my family already?

Will you stop that?

He's a good boy, Ben.

I don't want to spend my sunset years visiting him in a state pen.

So, uh, what are you going to do?

Become Cliff's lawyer?

Or be a jackass?

Dad.

Dad, wait a minute.

You are here on vacation and you're going to take this case?

Oh, well... Dad, Dad, Dad.

Dad, there are plenty of lawyers who live right here in Wilmington, and a lot

them are dying for work.

Well, yeah.

There are even lawyers who Billy Lewis wouldn't dislike half as much as he

dislikes you.

And you're going to take this case?

Well, I just don't think the boy killed this fellow.

What's his name?

Holloway? Yeah.

I mean, why would he?

I mean, he's just a kid who doesn't know which end is up.

Billy says he can't even kill a chicken.

Why would he complicate his life by killing a person?

Oh, Dad, I can't fight you for what you believe in.

I was just hoping that we could spend this vacation, you know, doing family

things.

Oh, we can.

Dad. I know how important your work is to you. Mine is to me.

But just this once, couldn't you tell Billy Lewis to get another lawyer?

Well, the first chance I get, I'm going to tell him.

Yesterday, I got a call from Mr. Holloway saying that somebody had found

bracelet with my name engraved on it. He said that he would hold it for me, and

now since he's, you know, dead now, I thought that I should come here and look

for it so that it didn't get thrown out or something.

Your bracelet would be at the front desk, not in here.

Just ask one of the clerks to check in the lost and found drawer.

Oh, okay, okay.

I will. Thanks, I will. But just in case I do find your bracelet, your name is?

Masterson. Laura Masterson.

Yeah, this is Charlie.

Listen, I'm down in Roland's office.

It may be nothing, but someone was just in here snooping around.

No, a guest.

I'm pretty sure she's the girl Roland had an affair with.

Name's Laura Master.

Your Honor, the defendant is from out of town, which means he has no ties to our

community. He's also demonstrated a propensity for fraud.

And this means the fact that he is for all intents and purposes destitute would

not deter him from fleeing jurisdiction.

He'd simply start charging things to invalid credit cards like he's always

Therefore, state recommends bail be set at $100 ,000.

Mr. Matlock.

Your Honor, my client is not in the habit of charging things to invalid

cards. That happened once only because he didn't realize he had reached his

limit. On the contrary.

Cliff Lewis is a fine young man who, in fact, just passed the Georgia Bar with

flying colors.

Tell him how he's a volunteer firefighter in Mount Ireland.

He comes from a small town where things like integrity, hard work, self

-sacrifice still count for something. Tell him how he always donates to the

church's blood drive.

There's no reason why he shouldn't be released on his own recognizance. Tell

he doesn't cuss. Well, you put a sock in it.

I think I've heard enough from everybody.

Bail is hereby set at $20 ,000.

We're adjourned.

What the hell's the matter with you? Did somebody cut the wire between your

brain and your mouth?

Mr. Lewis, may I speak to you in the hall, please?

I suppose.

Mr.

Lewis.

My father told me all about you and your sister Lucy. Doctor like a hot potato,

did he tell you that?

Yes. Anyway, considering the bad blood between you and my dad and the gravity

Cliff's situation, it's obvious to me that my father should not be the one...

Before you go on, there's something I've got to get off my chest. Your mind?

No, go right ahead.

Well, when Cliff called me and told me what happened...

that he was thinking about asking Ben to be his lawyer. I said, well, go ahead

and ask him.

I figured anybody as cold -blooded as Ben Matlock was bound to be a good

Mr. Lewis. But I also warned him.

I said, ask him, but don't get your hopes up.

Ben Matlock doesn't care about anybody but himself.

Mr. Lewis, that is absolutely... You mind letting me finish?

I also told him he'd probably give him some kind of garbage about being on

vacation and to find somebody else.

Well, when Bendis agreed to take the

case, well, I learned something.

Ben Matlock has a heart, after all.

It's not easy for me to say this, but...

Well, for 43 years, I was wrong about him.

My eyes have been opened.

Ben Matlock's a decent man.

Realizing this has given me a whole new outlook on life, given me hope, renewed

my faith in mankind.

Oh, I'm sorry for interrupting. You were saying?

Not important.

The cashier's office is around the corner on the right. I'll meet you

Well, how'd it go?

Let's just say you can keep the retainer. Mr. Matlock.

Thought you might want to know.

They did the autopsy on Roland Holloway.

He sustained a blow to the back of the head, but the cause of death was

drowning. That's not surprising.

Well, what is surprising is the water they found in his lung wasn't seawater.

was chlorinated.

You mean he was drowned someplace else and then dumped in the ocean? That's the

way it looks. What about the swimming pool?

pH doesn't match.

Hotel have a spa?

No. But Roland Hunkaway did.

This thing here is a murder weapon.

pH matches exactly.

Do your men see this?

That's blood.

O negative.

Same as Roland Holloway's, and it's the same as the blood that we found in Cliff

Lewis's car.

So I guess you're saying that Cliff drove over here and got in a fight with

Roland Holloway and then knocked his head against this thing and drowned him

then put him in the car and drove him to the beach and dumped his body in the

ocean. That's pretty much it, yeah.

Oh, come on, Lieutenant.

If Cliff Lewis had wanted to make it look like Roland Holloway had drowned in

the ocean, why wouldn't he have removed Mr. Holloway's clothes?

Why would he have used his own car to transport the body when he could have

Mr. Holloway's van?

And why would he have dumped the body so close to the hotel?

So Cliff Lewis is no Rhodes Scholar.

You don't even know that Cliff was here that night.

Oh, yes, I do.

See, when I got here, I found something very interesting.

It's this.

Now, since there's not a whole lot of people walking around Wilmington with a

Mount Harlan volunteer firefighter's pen, I'd say chances are that's your

client.

And my guess is that he lost it when he was killing Roland Holloway.

Oh, this is so nice.

It's true. The best things in life are free.

Be nicer with a couple of men.

Oh, Kathleen.

So where's your father?

Probably jump at the chance, but as you may or may not know, he's working.

He took Cliff's case?

He took the case. I was hoping we'd have this time together.

Talk about things, have a few laughs, but he's not happy if he isn't working,

so... I heard they found Cliff's firefighter pin.

Yeah, right at the murder scene.

What do you think?

I don't know.

Either Cliff killed Mr. Holloway or somebody else did and planted Cliff's

there to make it look like he did.

What about the blood?

Well, I'm like my father. It's hard for me to believe that Cliff killed that

guy. Maybe somebody found Cliff's car and used something to smear that blood

the seat.

Leanne, what's your guess?

Well, not right now. He'd lose his job.

Maybe tonight.

Where is Laurel?

I don't know.

I think she is having an affair with someone from the hotel.

Really? She's been acting very strange.

We don't see her for hours at a time. And then when we do see her, she's very

vague about where she's been.

Think the guy's married or something?

Who knows?

Hi, Dad.

What are you doing?

Just nosing around.

Want a minute?

No, thank you.

What are you up to?

I'm looking for Laura.

Beth thinks she's having a little affair with somebody here at the hotel.

What's wrong?

I heard that Roland Holloway might have had an affair with a guest here at the

hotel. You don't suppose it was... With Laura? No.

Well, your three friends heard that argument he had with Cliff, so maybe...

Laura is one of my closest friends.

I was just exploring the possibilities. Laura would never have an affair with a

hotel manager.

She's a woman of very discriminating taste.

Hotel owner, yes, but a manager, never.

That's more my style.

Hello, Esther

. .

Oh, uh, Lieutenant, uh, uh, what happened?

Well, it appears the lady was either pushed or shoved from the balcony up on

fourth floor.

Mr. Lewis, since you're, uh, here, you mind telling me where you were about

20 minutes ago?

He doesn't have to answer that till his lawyer's present.

My lawyer is present, Pop.

Oh, yeah. Go ahead.

I was in the coffee shop with my father. I heard a scream. I came running out

here with all these other people.

Lieutenant, you think this death has something to do with the person?

Thought had crossed my mind, but I just ruled it out.

Oh, yeah? How come?

Well, because your client has an alibi.

My boy's not a killer, Billy. My boy didn't have anything to do with this

murder. Not only a jackass would think he had anything to do with the first

You calling me a jackass? No. You splandered my son.

Billy. Put a sock in it. Why, I'm not totally apologizing. This is not Mount

Harlan. This is not your second cousin once removed who somehow got elected

sheriff. He's a police lieutenant who doesn't know you from Adam. He does not

have to apologize.

Thank you.

You best watch yourself.

Go to your room.

Go to your room. Come on, Pop. Let's go. Come on.

Friends all right?

Yeah, I took them back to the bathroom, and then I went back to the bill and

changed.

Dad.

I'm sorry, sweetheart.

I found this note on the floor.

Laura must have left it there.

Come home today.

Well, we're sure into it now. We might as well call Conrad.

No. We're waiting for the coroner to release her body.

We'll fly home then.

With her.

She would have wanted it that way.

No, I don't know. A couple of days, I guess.

I'll call you when I know.

Okay.

I love you, too. Bye.

You two

doing

okay? I didn't matter.

I just called home.

Todd's really upset.

Yeah,

so do I.

I, um... I found this note.

Laura must have left it at our door just before she died.

About age.

The manager?

Holloway's murder? Why would she want to talk to you about that?

I don't know. Maybe she knew something.

I just keep wondering why she said don't tell Beth or Kathleen.

Well, poor Laura and everything was such a secret.

I don't know, maybe she was having an affair with the manager and didn't want

to know.

Yeah.

This is really hard for me to say.

But do you suppose the don't tell Beth or Kathleen part meant that she thought

you two might know something about Holloway's murder?

Leanne, we would tell you. Of course we would. I know, and I know you don't know

anything.

What I meant to say was that if you do, you know, know anything.

I want to help you, and my dad wants to help you, too.

Leanne, we're supposed to be friends. I can't believe you're talking to us like

this.

Put up a pretty good struggle.

Looks like she grabbed for just about anything she could get her hands on.

Is this her room?

No, it's unoccupied.

Well, what's she doing here? Lieutenant?

Yeah.

Well, well.

Looks like one of those cords, you know, the kind you hook to the sunglasses so

they can wear them around the neck.

Yeah.

Wonder what happened to the sunglasses.

That's all we found.

Maybe she was wearing them.

You suppose somebody else was, or maybe the killer?

Excuse me, let me see here.

They didn't move the body yet.

Look there, Lieutenant.

I'll bet you anything one of the last things she grabbed up there when she was

struggling for her life was that orange cord your man found.

She pulled it so hard she made a mark right on her hand.

Bet she jerked the glasses right off the killer's neck.

All right.

Now, let's just say, for the sake of argument, you're right.

Where are the sunglasses?

Well, they weren't up there. They must be down here somewhere.

Yeah, yeah.

Yeah.

Uh... Those are effects?

Yeah. May I?

Okay.

All right, so that orange cord doesn't belong to her.

What? Receipt for some earrings.

She bought some earrings.

Not made out to her. It's made out to Roland Holloway. Senate.

Yeah. We just found these in those bushes over there.

Thanks.

See? This still doesn't prove that these belong to the murderer.

Look at that.

Birdie. Very popular spot.

These glasses could belong to anybody.

For all we know, they could have been in these bushes for weeks.

You will test them. Thank you, Prince.

Oh, yeah. We're going to test them.

And... Can I have a picture of the glasses and of that cord?

Give me some real nice pictures.

Mr.

Medlock, your client has an alibi.

Why are you so interested?

Because I think whoever killed Roland Holloway may have also killed Laura.

Yeah? I think Laura knew too much about Mr. Holloway's murder.

That's an interesting theory.

I think so.

What's Ferdy?

It's a disco. I've written the address on the pad by the phone.

Well, I'm off.

Conrad, you look pretty happy for a guy who's going off to work.

Don't be fooled, Leanne. I mean, this is part of my cover.

I mean, I'm at the beach, surrounded by women with bikinis.

I'm on my way to a disco.

Now, what on earth would I have to be happy about?

Hi.

So, Dad, what kind of computer should we get?

A computer?

Yeah.

These are some of the things we need to talk about.

I know you want to work out of the house, and that's great with me.

I'm telling you, having a computer is going to make both of our lives so much

easier.

I don't know how to work a computer.

Flip the Conrad.

Hello, Ben.

Billy.

Chicken and dumplings.

You ate every last bit.

Like an update on Cliff's case.

Now I'm going to give you one.

What I gave you the other day, that wasn't money, Ben. That was me.

It's all I got to show for 40 -odd years of blood, sweat, tears, and Lucy.

Tell you what, Billy, I'm going to give it back to you.

You're dropping my boy's case?

No, I'm dropping you, Billy. I'm going to defend Cliff for nothing.

My son's no charity case. Billy, you want more, don't you, Ben?

Well, here.

Billy, go somewhere.

You owe me a progress report. I don't owe you anything. Yes, you do, and I

to know what...

Mr. Lewis, why don't you go to the beach or the bar?

Just relax somewhere, okay?

And we'll see you at a time?

Meathead! Mule brain!

So what kind of computer do you want?

I don't want to do it.

Hi. Can I help you?

Uh, checking in. Jackson, Mitchell, Jackson.

Okay.

Okay, everything's in order.

Jackson, if you'll just climb right here for me.

The bellman will follow you up with your bags.

Here's your key. You'll be in room 474. Enjoy your stay.

I asked for a room on the ground floor.

Whoever took your reservation didn't make a note of that. I'll see what I can

do.

I'm sorry, sir. We're all booked. I'm afraid that's the only room we have.

Whenever I come here, I always stay in a ground floor room.

Is there a problem?

Yeah. When I made my reservation, I specifically asked for a room on the

floor, and now he tells me that you don't have any.

And your name is?

Mitchell Jackson.

I'm afraid that he's right, Mr. Jackson.

But here's what I'm going to do. I'm going to let you have room 474 for the

nights you're here and only charge you for one night. How about that?

Well, I guess that'll have to be all right, won't it? Good.

And please accept our apologies for the mix -up.

It's all right. Have a good day.

You too.

The bartender told me they've been selling these sunglasses for years.

But while the sunglasses don't change from year to year, the color of the cord

they sell them with does.

Now, that orange cord the police found in room 474, that was sold three years

ago.

What's that got to do with it?

Well, the people in this picture all have green cords. That's because it was

taken two months ago, and that's the color of the cord this year, green.

This fellow here has an orange coat. Exactly my point.

Now, this picture may not prove that the sunglasses they found belonged to this

guy.

But it's an interesting coincidence.

Right.

Dad, we know him.

This is the guy that took over as manager of the hotel. It's Charlie

This guy works here in the hotel?

Yeah.

So what do you think? Laura somehow found out he killed Roland Holloway, so

killed her too?

That's a possibility.

I've got to take care of something. I'll see you all later.

Morning, Laura.

I talked to the family.

Are they going to come down here? I think so.

Do you want to have lunch in my room? I have to phone home and see how the kids

are.

Hi.

Hi.

Can we talk?

Please?

I am so sorry.

You mean you don't think we're murderers anymore?

Oh, I never said that.

But when I found Laura's note, I wouldn't have thought what you thought.

I jumped to a stupid conclusion, and I am so sorry.

You two mean so much to me, you know that.

Leanne. Everybody makes mistakes.

Where you been all day?

Round.

Did Ben tell you what happened?

Yeah, he told me.

Last thing I want to do is take charity from Ben Matlock.

Charity has nothing to do with it.

He's just sick of you hanging around, butting in where you don't belong.

Trader picked up from Lucy.

Come on, Poppy, not for this Aunt Lucy. I'm sick of it. I'm just, I'm sick of

it. I'm sick of it.

Called home today.

Talked to Mole.

Rained all last week.

Said he's going to have to reseed a couple of his fields.

I'm on trial for my life, Pop. I don't really care about how soggy somebody's

cornfields are.

I'm just saying.

Might be a good idea if I...

Head on home and help him.

That's all.

That's what you want?

I... I don't want you to go.

If you're making a pest of yourself, it's because you care about me.

That's really good to know.

Were lab tests performed on the blood stain you found on the passenger seat of

the defendant's car?

Yes, sir. The lab concluded that the blood and the strand of hair that we

matched those of the victim, Roland Holloway.

Now, you also found a blood stain a few feet away from the jacuzzi at the

victim's house, did you not? Yes, sir. The blood we found there also matched

that of the victim.

Any idea how the blood got there? The autopsy showed that Mr. Holloway

a blow to the back of the head sometime before he drowned.

The head wounds tend to bleed a lot.

Now, Lieutenant, as someone who's served in homicide for eight years, how would

you explain that blood stain in the defendant's car?

Well, I'd say the victim, possibly alive but probably dead, had been in the

defendant's car sometime after suffering the blow to the head. You also found

this pin at the victim's home, did you not?

Yes, sir. That's my tag.

And the lab tests performed on the pen?

Yes, sir. We found the defendant's fingerprints on it.

Now, what does that say right there, Lieutenant?

Mount Harlan Volunteer Fire Department.

Mount Harlan. The defendant's from there, is he not?

Yes, sir, he is.

Your Honor, prosecution would like to enter this into evidence as state's

exhibit number four.

So entered.

Lieutenant, did you find the pen inside or outside the victim's home?

We found it outside, approximately three feet away from the jacuzzi.

Thank you.

All right, Mr. Matlock.

Lieutenant, this blood, you found in my...

Suppose someone went to the trouble to find my client's car.

Suppose that same someone took a rag or something and dabbed some blood.

from the wound on the victim's head and then wiped that blood on the seat of the

car. Would that stain be consistent with the stain you found?

I suppose so. So it's possible that the victim was never in my client's car

after all?

It's possible, yes. Thank you.

Yeah, Conrad.

Hi. Anne, how's it going?

So far, Charlie Tuggle's been to a donut shop, dry cleaners, and a hardware

store, and an outdoor cafe.

That's it?

Afraid so.

Whoa!

Damn!

Heard a teenager just decided to cross the street.

Did you lose it?

I may have. Come on!

Well, don't worry about it. Sounds like having you follow him was a waste of

time. Well, that's weird.

What?

He just pulled off in front of a mailbox.

It's almost like he was waiting for me.

Is he on to you?

Yeah, it looks like it, but why doesn't he just go back to the hotel?

What's with the wild goose chase?

I have to go back to the hotel and make a phone call.

So I'll see you in a bit, okay?

Bye. Bye.

Room 474 please.

Yeah, yeah, I'll call it in.

Okay. Yeah, all right.

Oh, here we go.

Excuse me. Thank you.

Watch it around the corner.

All right.

Oh, please tell me.

Oh, yeah.

Lieutenant?

It's okay. Let him in.

Yes, sir.

Well, you were right. Something was going on in the hotel.

Damn. Who was it?

Mitchell Jackson, executive vice president of Transglobal Airlines.

Somebody shot him through the window.

Somebody with a high -powered rifle.

Probably standing right on top of that rooftop over there.

Yep, two shots right in the heart.

Professional. What in the world is going on here?

Three murders in two weeks.

Man, I'm never booking a room in this place.

Dad, take a look at this.

The desk must have been moved recently.

Oh.

I didn't notice that before.

Before? Yeah, I came up here after Laurel was killed.

474. That guy was shot here. Laurel was pushed off the balcony here. Not the

best room in the house, is it?

Not lately.

I just heard there's been another murder at the hotel.

Some executive from an airline.

Whoever shot him is a professional.

Does this have anything to do with Laurel? Well, nobody really knows yet.

I bet he does.

Hey, that was some kind of fun we had this morning, huh?

I beg your pardon? You know that little scenic tour of Wilmington you took me

on? I don't know what you're talking about. You knew this was going to

just like you knew I was following you, didn't you? Get out of my way. That's

why he deliberately...

It led me away from the hotel so I wouldn't be underfoot when the hit went

That was good.

Al, you know, the thing that bugs me is that it worked.

Escort this man out. He's trespassing. If he gives you any trouble, have him

arrested. It ain't over, pal.

I'm Ben Matlock. Yeah, I know who you are.

The fellow who accosted you earlier in the lobby works for me. But you knew

that, too, didn't you?

Of course not. How could I?

I'd like to talk with you a little bit about murder.

I don't know anything about murder. Well, somebody around here sure does.

Yeah, your client.

Now, if you don't mind, I got a lot of work to catch up. Well, there was one

other thing I wanted to talk with you about. What?

Well, it can wait. It'll give you time to think about it.

We can talk later in court.

Key execute.

And it works the same.

Morning, Lieutenant. May I help you?

As a matter of fact, you can.

I need for you to come downtown with us and answer a few questions.

Concerning? Concerning the murder of one of your guests, Mitchell Jackson.

How'd it go at the police station?

How long have you been sitting in the dark?

A while.

What happened?

They tried to bluff me into thinking that they have something on me, but they

don't.

You didn't tell them anything?

Everything's okay.

Everything's fine, Kathleen.

Bye.

Hi. You're here. We thought you might still be in court. Oh, no. Judge

at noon today. He plays golf on Fridays.

Oh, come on in. Sit down.

How's it going?

Well, nothing sure yet, but we're beginning to think the common

all three of the murders is the hotel manager, Charlie Tuggle.

He killed three people? Well, he's involved somehow.

This latest victim, Mitchell Jackson, was put in room 474, although he asked

a room on the ground floor.

supposedly because there weren't any other rooms. But other rooms were

available. Somebody tampered with the hotel computer, probably the manager.

Room 474 is the room that Laura was pushed from.

It also happens to be the perfect place to put someone if you want a

professional hitman armed with a high -powered rifle sitting across the street

to kill him.

Poor Laura.

What about Laura?

I don't know.

Maybe she was having an affair with Roland Holloway.

And when he was killed, she started looking around and found out something

the murder that she shouldn't have and was killed so she wouldn't talk.

I feel sure, and so does my dad, that Charlie Tuggle is at the bottom of this,

and when we find out some solid evidence, I know he's going to fold. You

sure of that.

Well, we should go. I'll let you get some work done.

I know this is a difficult time for all of us, and...

An odd time for us to try to have fun.

But I really think it's important that we be together.

So what do you say we go to the clam bake?

Might as well.

We'll see you there.

Good. Bye.

Bye.

Did I tell you I got a call from my fourth grade teacher, Miss Luella?

What'd you want?

Oh, she heard what had happened. You know, a lot of people from Mount Harlan

have been offered, you know, to come testify on my behalf.

Did you tell her that character witnesses are not in game plan?

No, I will.

Actually, Ben, if you don't mind me asking, what exactly is the game plan?

Have some.

Come on, if I eat all that, my gallbladder will be talking to me all

Your gallbladder ever talk to you, Ben?

Occasionally, I try not to answer. Dad, we don't have any conversation.

Don't talk with your mouth full of food, son.

What's the matter with you?

Nothing. I'm just waiting for my friends.

I can't believe I left my sunglasses back in my room.

You go on. I'll catch up later.

Hey.

Hi. Hi. Get on, Beth.

Hi. Where's Kathleen?

Oh, she forgot her sunglasses.

Hey, Beth. Hey, Billy.

Looking for the evening show.

One cool drink of water, that lady.

We caught her red -handed.

Had the rifle in her hand.

Same rifle that she used to kill Mitchell Jackson.

Of course, she denies it.

But we all know who she was aiming at tonight, don't we, Mr. Tucker?

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

Yeah, you do, Charlie.

Yeah, you do.

See, those sunglasses that we found in the bushes below room 474 had your

fingerprints all over them.

I lost those sunglasses who knows how long ago. They don't prove anything.

Well... Mr. Matlock came to me yesterday and suggested that we roust you.

I went along with it.

We really weren't trying to rough you up. The idea was to spook whoever you

working with.

And sure enough, as soon as we let you go, who's waiting for you?

Well, it's Miss Shelton.

So we started following her.

We saw her dump the rifle out of that beach house.

She's a pro, Charlie.

You know, pros work for people in high places.

Because you're a threat to her, well, that means you're a threat to them.

That gun is going to be loaded next time.

Make no mistake.

Now, you want to talk?

Charlie Tuggle had no proof that Kathleen killed Roland Holloway?

His word against hers.

But we know she killed Mitchell Jackson, don't we?

Leanne did a good job setting her up, huh?

Yeah.

Yeah, it was hard on her.

But she did it. It was a gamble, you know.

But we figured if Kathleen knew that we thought that Mr.

Tuggle was in on it, why, she'd go for him. And we were right, weren't we?

Leanne all right?

Yeah, she's all right. She's, uh, hard. She's losing two friends, one one way

and one another.

There's got to be something around here somewhere.

I don't know, Ben. She's a pro, and pros don't make mistakes.

Everybody makes mistakes.

Well, how are we going to prove that she killed Roland Holloway if we can't

prove that she was here that night?

I don't know.

Maybe we can, Conner.

Maybe we can.

I understand that you've recently been charged with the murder of Mitchell

Jackson and the attempted murder of Charles Tuggle. Is that right?

That doesn't mean the charges are true.

Unfortunately, in this country, a person is innocent until proven guilty.

Oh, I know that.

I hear you've...

You've been down here vacationing with friends.

That's right. It was your idea to come to Wilmington, wasn't it? I believe it

was. Why Wilmington? Why not Cape Cod or the Catskills?

I like the beach here. You came to Wilmington because you were told that

Mitchell Jackson, an executive vice president of Transglobal Airlines, the

you were hired to kill, would be staying here. Isn't that the reason?

Objection. How can you object to that? She was seen holding the very rifle that

killed the man when she was arrested.

Your Honor. Your Honor, all you want to. Now, Mr. Matlock, watch it.

Sustained? Yes, sir.

Charlie Tubman is prepared to testify that you paid him $100 ,000 to make

sure that Mitchell Jackson stayed in a specific room at the Tropical Surf

Why? I didn't do that.

And I have no idea why Mr. Tuggle would perjure himself like that. $100 ,000 is

a lot of money for a man with not many scruples.

Objection! I object myself. That was uncalled for.

Sustained.

Mitchell Jackson was personally responsible for the purchase of

$420 million of new aircraft for Transglobal Airlines

during a fact -finding trip.

He elected not to buy the Dynatel aviation jets that his associates had

recommended because he felt they were unsafe.

Dynatel aviation stood to gain $420 million in business

if Mr. Jackson were dead.

I believe somebody in that company paid you to kill him.

Is that a question, Mr. Matlock?

Well, it's why you paid Charlie Tuggle $100 ,000, isn't it? You knew if Mr.

Jackson were in room 474, you would have a perfect shot at him from the rooftop

across the street, wouldn't you?

Objection, Your Honor. This is compound.

It's irrelevant.

Sustained. Am I wrong, or is this trial specifically about the murder of Roland

Holloway? I'm coming to him.

Proceed at your own risk, Mr. Matlock.

Roland Holloway.

Found out that somebody bribed Charlie Tuggle to make sure Mr. Jackson stayed

a certain room, didn't he? Only he didn't know it was you.

And when Mr. Tuggle told you Mr. Holloway was causing trouble, well,

weakness with women, you just seduced him. Then you waited for the right

You killed him.

Your Honor. Your Honor.

Are we going anywhere with this? You betcha, sir.

Proceed.

You went over to his house.

Got in his jacuzzi with him, there on his back porch. And when he least

it, you shoved his head against the edge to daze him. Then you pushed his face

down in the water and held it there until he died. Oh, for heaven's sake.

you quickly pulled him out of the water, got him in, dressed, put him in his

van, drove him to the beach, and dumped him.

And having overheard the argument he had with my client, you sought for and

found Cliff Lewis's car.

and spread Roland Holloway's blood all over the seat.

Then you stole his Mount Harlan volunteer firefighter's pen so you could

it at the scene of the crime.

Mr. Matlock, I would never steal anyone's volunteer firefighter's pen

circumstances.

This receipt was found in Laura Matlock's purse.

when she fell to her death from room 474. It shows that Roland Holloway

pair of teardrop gold earrings the day before he died.

I was convinced that Laura was having an affair with him, and I was right.

That's why she was investigating his death.

But I was wrong about the receipt.

Mr. Holloway must have been quite a guy.

He was having an affair with Laura, and he turned right around and had...

An affair with her best friend, you.

These earrings, he didn't buy for Laura. He bought them for you. Just like that

bottle of complimentary wine he sent up to your room the day before he died. And

the roses the day before that.

At least, according to the hotel records.

All right, we had an affair.

A very brief, very shallow affair.

Did you ever go to his house?

Yes, once.

When?

A couple days before he died.

Did you go in his jacuzzi?

Yes. Was it light up?

Yes. Did people see?

Probably. Did you go in naked? What kind of question is that? What did you wear?

A bathing suit.

Yours? Yours?

Well, I don't... You wore one he gave you.

This one, didn't you?

Maybe, yes, I guess I did.

Take a good look. I want you to be sure.

This is the bathing suit you wore in his jacuzzi two days before he died.

As far as I can tell, yes, that's the suit I wore two days before he died.

You're lying, Miss Sheldon.

You were there wearing this bathing suit that day, according to

this receipt.

that Leith found in his bedroom.

He purchased this bikini not days before he died, but hours.

He bought it that morning.

The only time you could have worn this bathing suit, the one he had just

was that afternoon.

It's what you wore when you killed him, isn't it?

Reasonable doubt.

That's all I ask of my clients. Reasonable doubt.

The good officers of the Wilmington police and the FBI will investigate and

out who's behind all this.

And they'll find out who paid you and how much.

Three lives.

Roland Holloway.

Mitchell Jackson.

Laura Masterson.

How much would it work?

Kathleen? Go away.

We were friends for years and years.

What happened?

A lot of things happen.

Some people's lives turn upside down, some don't.

You were never like this.

How could you?

I made a choice.

Aren't you even sorry about Laura?

I don't want to talk anymore.

Just go.

Kathleen! No.

It wasn't much of a vacation, was it?

No. But us, Laura and Kathleen, we'll probably never know why she did this.

Do you think Charlie Tuggle... Tuggle will get his.

I'll give the cats my love.

Of course.

I'll miss you.

Bye -bye.

Safe trip home.

Cliff! Congratulations.

Thank you so much. Thank you.

Well, I've always wanted a chance to see your father in action. I guess I just

did. Up close and personal. Yeah.

Thank you for everything.

Okay.

Pop?

Something you want to say?

Thanks for getting him off.

How about giving him a job? Pop? Well, my money's no good to you. He's flat

-busted broke.

It's only fair to let him work off your fee.

Billy, I...

I can't make any promises.

Sounds like you're ducking it, Ben.

Billy, I've got myself, my daughter, an investigator.

I'll do the best I can.

Dad, could I talk to you for a minute?

Maybe we could use Cliff.

He could do the legwork when Conrad's not around.

Knows how to use the law library.

I bet he even knows how to use a computer.

And look at him.

You know he's going to come cheap.

Like I say, we'll do the best we can.