Original subtitles

Merry Christmas. We wish you a Merry Christmas. We wish you a Merry Christmas

and a Happy New Year.

Merry Christmas, everybody!

We wish you a Merry Christmas. We wish you a Merry Christmas.

We wish you a Merry Christmas. We wish you a Merry Christmas. We wish you a

Merry Christmas.

We wish you a Merry Christmas.

We wish you a Merry Christmas.

We wish you a Merry Christmas.

Hi.

Hi.

Hi.

When are you going to open the restaurant, Peter? I haven't settled on

location yet.

Level with me, sport.

Does Maggie give you an allowance or what?

Why don't you have another drink? I don't think you've had nearly enough.

Peter.

What is it? Could I please have some eggnog?

Did Mommy say it was okay?

Yes.

One eggnog, no alcohol.

Ho, ho, ho.

Hi, Dr. Lawrence.

Have you been a good little girl?

I think so.

You haven't done anything bad?

Well... What have you done, Wendy?

Nothing. We don't believe you.

I'll leave her alone.

You better tell, or I'll tell Maggie.

Oh, no, don't, please.

Stop it, Jim.

What is it, Wendy?

Promise you won't tell?

Santa's honor.

My daddy's coming.

He's coming here?

Mm -hmm, to bring me my Christmas present.

But Maggie said that he couldn't come to this house.

He's going to make -believe he's Santa Claus and sneak in and nobody will know

it's him but me.

Yes, I see.

He'll blend right in.

He'll be here at 10 o 'clock in my room.

It's almost 9 .40 now.

Peter, there's someone I'd like you to meet.

Wendy, I think you should go to your room.

Yeah, that's an excellent idea.

Maggie, you'll never guess what Wendy told me.

Dr. Lawrence. She said that she didn't believe that I was Santa Claus.

Would you come on along?

It's getting late.

Coming, Peter?

Yes, of course.

Christmas is really for kids.

Don't you think, Santa?

It sure isn't for me.

Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way. Oh, what fun it is to ride in a

one -horse open sleigh.

Dashing through the snow, in a one -horse open sleigh. O 'er the fields we

laughing all the way.

Bells on bobtail ring, making spirits bright.

What fun it is to ride in a one -horse open sleigh.

Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way.

Daddy gloves.

Daddy. Hi, baby.

Daddy. Oh, come here.

I missed you. Oh, I missed you, too.

Look, I got you.

Oh, gosh.

Hi.

Ta -da.

What is it? What is it?

It's a present, silly.

Go on, open it up.

Well, it's a night Christmas gift.

Oh, well.

You see, this is our Christmas now, honey, okay?

I mean, do you really love her?

I love her, Daddy.

Oh, good.

Her name is... Emily Amelia.

Emily Amelia?

Merry Christmas, honey.

Merry Christmas, thank you, Dad. Oh, I love you.

I've got your present.

I had to hide it. Oh, okay.

Now you sit right there, Emily.

Thank you, baby.

Help me open it.

Thank

you,

Daddy.

It's beautiful.

I love you.

Me too.

I do.

Let go.

I've got a court order against you.

For God's sake, Maggie. The restraining order says you shall not come within 500

feet of my home until visitation, which doesn't start until next week. Maggie,

please. You are also disturbing the peace, which is what I'm going to tell

police. Maggie, I was trying to give her a Christmas present. It's one minute

past 10, Brian.

The local 911 number takes approximately three minutes to reply, which is

exactly how long you have to vacate the premises.

And as for you, young lady, you're going to stay right here till I get back.

I didn't tell her, Daddy. I know, I know.

It's okay.

I didn't tell her. I know you didn't.

Everything's going to be okay, okay? I promise.

This is Dr. Maggie Crowley at 135 Elmview. I have an intruder on the

Could you send someone over right away, please?

Ron, what are you doing?

Put that down. What are you doing?

She's very upset for her sake.

Maggie.

Look, Mr. Matlock, I didn't do it.

I didn't kill Maggie.

Well, I guess you know about the evidence.

And why did you sneak in the house that way anyhow? Because it was the only way

I could get to see Wendy.

She wouldn't even let you see your own daughter at Christmas time?

That's Maggie.

Excuse me.

Why? How did you marry this woman?

I was in love with her.

She was bright and beautiful.

So determined to become a doctor.

So I put aside my postgraduate studies, used the rest of my trust fund, and I

put her through medical school.

By the time I realized what Maggie was all about, Wendy was born, most of my

money was gone.

She was sleeping with a doctor who had a plastic surgery clinic she wanted to

join.

And then she filed for divorce.

You did fight for custody.

For all the good it did me.

And she even got a court order against me.

Said I was harassing her when all I was trying to do was to see my own daughter.

Mr. Matlock, I don't have much money.

I don't always take cases for money.

And it is almost Christmas.

Your Honor, the defendant has no strong ties to the community, no permanent

employment, no family, except for a small daughter whom he could easily take

should he choose to flee this jurisdiction.

The people believe that is a real possibility and recommend that bail be

Your Honor, there are special circumstances here. The defendant's

sold support of a minor female child.

He will not flee the community. He will remain to take care of his daughter if

the court allows him. I beg you not to compound the emotional damage this child

has already suffered and sentence her to spend Christmas in some dreary

institution.

Bail is set at $250 ,000.

Your Honor, that's excessive. My client can't afford that.

Mr. Matlock, my ruling stands.

Your Honor, may I approach the bench?

Mr. Matlock?

This wouldn't have anything to do with my appeal of Georgia versus Williams

year, would it? Are you accusing me of... Prejudice, Counselor? Oh, no.

Ever since his honor was reversed in that case, he hasn't said a civil word

me. If you don't retract that immediately, I warn you, I'm instituting

proceedings. Your Honor.

I'm sure what counsel meant to say... What I meant to say is if you can't find

it in your heart at this time of year to let that little girl be with her father

instead of some institution, then you really are what the boys in the Old

used to say... And unless your manners improve, I'm going to cite you for

contempt. You got that?

What's the matter with him?

Everything's all right.

We'll work out something.

Sweetheart, your daddy can't be here right now.

My name is Ben.

I used to have a little girl just like you.

Oh, my daddy.

What are you doing?

Can't sleep.

You want some milk?

No.

But if you read me, I'll fall asleep.

I

don't

have any real bedtime stories.

Here's a trade red catalog.

Doesn't matter what it is.

Okay.

Oh,

okay.

Okay, trade red, trade red, trade red, trade red.

Yeah, just different stuff, you see.

Here's a traveler's raincoat special.

You got a special on rain gear this quarter.

This raincoat is 100 % polyurethane,

detachable hood, comes in five colors, blue, brown, green, yellow, and red.

One size fits all, only $50 .50 plus tax, shipping, and handling charges.

Wait a minute.

They don't guarantee you'll get... color you are, so you have to give him a

second choice.

I don't like that.

What do you think?

Okay.

There's a wheelbarrow you put together yourself, huh?

You've never been able to handle this.

Trader Ed's don't have the stuff to hear something.

What are you doing?

Making your breakfast.

What do you usually have for breakfast?

Cereal.

There's your cereal.

Sleep all right?

Yes, thank you.

Did you?

Eventually.

Is my daddy coming for me today?

I'm...

I'm afraid not.

When is he coming?

Well, we're not sure yet.

Why are they keeping him?

Wendy, do you

understand what happened to your mother?

Yeah.

Well, the police think your daddy might have done that.

Oh, no, he wouldn't. Oh, I know he wouldn't. I know he wouldn't, but I have

show other people that he didn't.

So they'll let him go.

That's my job.

You understand?

Yes.

Good.

Ben? In here, Cassie.

You wanted to see me? Oh, yeah. Wendy, this is Cassie. She's going to look

you while I go to work.

go with you? No.

Cassie will bring you down to the office later.

Okay, now turn it nice and slowly and listen for the click.

Hi.

What's going on?

Where's Cassie?

Cassie had to go file some papers down at the county clerk's office. I told her

I'd keep the kid amused until she got back.

You keep the kid amused by teaching her to pick locks?

Ben, that, uh, file cabinet hasn't been locked since I've known you.

No, I don't have a key.

I locked it.

Oh, good.

Sorry, I was trying to open it.

And I'm gonna help.

Oh, good.

Hey, buddy.

Oh.

How you doing, Wendy?

You must be myself.

Oh, isn't she sweet?

But they say down at the police station. Come on in. Come in here.

There.

Nice and slow.

Here's a copy of the tape Lieutenant Daniels gave you.

Martha Crowley.

Got a threatening phone call on her answering machine the afternoon of her

party. Listen to this.

This is Dr. Crowley.

Call back.

Tonight's the night you get what you've been asking for.

Does that sound like our client? Not at all.

Do you suppose there's any connection between Brian being there that night and

the murder?

There sure could be.

We did it! We did it! The cabinet's open!

Oh, good.

Good. Squeehart, sit down here. I want to ask you a couple of questions.

Um, did you tell anybody?

Your father was coming to the party.

Who?

Santa Claus.

Which one?

It's very important.

I told Peter.

There are two other Santas with him.

Do you know who they were?

One was Dr.

Lord, but I can't remember who the other one was.

Is that bad for my daddy?

Don't worry, sweetheart. We're going to find him. In fact, we're going to start

right now.

Let's go over to the Crowley house and look around. And what about me?

Wendy, Michelle is going to stay with you for a while, okay? Just till Kathy

gets back.

Is he okay with you?

Of course it is.

Yeah, we're going to have a really good time.

Dog. Me too.

I found it in her desk. A list of all the guests at the party. Oh, good. Thank

you, Mr. Bowman.

That dog

doesn't like me.

Don't take it personally. He's that way around everybody.

I understand there was a threatening phone call to Maggie the day of the

Yes. There'd been a series of them over the last two months. We notified the

phone company and then the police.

I heard him once myself on the extension.

He sounded very odd, but I didn't recognize the voice.

You have no idea who was making it? None whatever.

Well, that's...

Something we'll have to try to find out.

You and Maggie were going to open a restaurant, I hear.

Quite right, Mr. Matlock. I studied haute cuisine in Zurich.

Oh, you were going to be the cook.

A little bit more than that.

Oh.

What was Maggie's part going to be?

She was going to supply the money.

Oh?

Why not? It was a good investment.

Wendy said that she told you that her father was coming

here to see her that night.

That's right.

And Wendy said that when she told you, you were standing with Dr.

Lord and some other man that she didn't know.

I don't know who he was.

Something else we have to try to find out.

You ready, Tyler?

Yeah, we're all done here.

Thanks for the information.

You know, maybe that third Santa wasn't on the guest list at all.

Maybe he crashed the party. He just snuck in like our client.

I'm going to check with the valet parking service.

Sometimes they write the license plate numbers on the tickets.

Then we can check that, the owner's names, against the guest list.

So anyone that was parked there that night that's not on that guest list

be out there at Santa.

Yes,

Peter's right.

There was another fellow there with us, but I don't know who he was.

Oh,

that's too bad.

Who did your nose?

Brockmeister?

No, I was born with it. What about your eyes?

I recognize Stanley's work.

No, they're my eyes, Dr. Lord.

Now, I'd really like to hear about your relationship with Maggie Crowley.

She was my partner.

I heard you were very close at one time.

Well, Maggie could be very seductive.

I heard it cost you your marriage.

My marriage was already over.

How did you feel when she took up with Peter Bono?

Miss Thomas, Maggie was the powerhouse of this operation.

With her gone, our business is bound to decline, so why would I want her dead?

You didn't answer my question. How did you feel when she took up with another

man? The truth?

I was furious.

But why would I kill the person who was making me rich?

Oh, I can make a case for it, Dr. Lord.

Maggie apparently had the habit of getting rid of people who were no longer

any use to her.

Maybe she was planning to get rid of you.

With her out of the way, why, you'd be boss and half a loaf is better than

Good afternoon.

Are you Philip Tracy?

Yeah.

Do you drive a blue Pontiac, license plate number MSO874?

Yeah. So what?

Do you attend a costume party at Dr. Maggie Crowley's?

I don't know anybody by that name.

You know, the Sunrise Ballet parking people parked that car at Dr. Maggie

Crowley's house the night of her Santa Claus party.

You were there.

I told you. I never heard of her.

That's odd.

Because her whole phone number shows up six times on your last month's phone

bill. You get out of here or I'll call the cops.

Good idea.

Anonymous telephone threats are against the law, and I would like to see how you

handle it.

Are you threatening me? No, I'm just pointing out to you the advantages of

cooperating with me.

Look, I don't want any trouble.

I was there.

Just let me lock up.

I'll tell you what you want to know.

Fine.

Want a hot dog? No. Donut? No. Peanut brittle?

No, thank you. Licorice? No. Cup of coffee? Black.

Black coffee? Please.

So, how's your new roommate?

Oh, she's fine. They got her down at the office.

I can't get over Judge Franklin talking like that. You'd think he would have

forgotten George versus Hilton by now.

Oh, I don't think that's it.

I think his children are spending Christmas with his ex -wife in Miami.

That would do it.

Why don't you invite him to your office Christmas party?

Sort of a gesture of goodwill.

He used up all my goodwill. Oh, come on, Scrooge.

Where's your Christmas spirit?

What if he accepts?

Well, it was merely a suggestion.

Well, I've got to run.

Thanks for the coffee.

Welcome.

Well, he'd frown all over my office.

leave me. I wasn't myself.

I've been under a lot of emotional stress lately.

Yeah? So tell me about it, pal.

It was my wife.

She walked out on me after seven years. I loved her and she left me.

So what the hell has this got to do with Maggie Crowley?

Maggie Crowley was a plastic surgeon.

Supposed to be the best in Atlanta.

Miriam wanted the best.

Maggie Crowley operated on my wife. A complete facial reconstruction.

Here, look at this.

That's how she looked before Maggie Crowley.

Ruined her forever, the butcher.

That bad, huh?

It was a disaster.

My marriage is over.

My life is over.

What am I going to do?

Hey, hey, hey.

You know, sometimes, sometimes it helps when you talk these things over with

somebody, you know?

Come in.

You got a minute, Your Honor?

What for?

Well, I just wanted to wish you a Merry Christmas and see how you're feeling.

Why?

You're not exactly brimming over with Christmas spirit, are you, Elliot?

Why should I be?

We're having a little Christmas party at the office, and I wanted to invite you.

I'll ignore this attempt to influence the outcome of a trial. Now, would you

please leave? I have work to do. I'm not trying to influence anything.

I know your children aren't coming to visit this Christmas, and I know you're

disappointed. Didn't you hear me, Matlock?

I said I'm busy.

I guess I was just so full of Christmas spirit myself, it got away from me. How

about Happy Bah Humbug?

So you made those calls to Maggie Crowley because of what she did to your

Oh, yeah.

I went to the party that night to have it out with her.

I was so crazy I might have killed her myself, but somebody beat me to it.

I saw the guy.

You saw who did it?

I came up the back stairs, so I took a peek down the hallway to make sure it

empty. I saw somebody coming out of Maggie's bedroom, so I ducked into a

And I got a look at him as he went by.

Did you recognize him?

Looked like everybody else, like Santa Claus.

Well, did this Santa Claus have any distinctive features?

What's the difference? They arrested the guy, didn't they?

Maybe they arrested the wrong man.

Look, I don't know anything about that. And I don't want to either.

Leave me out of it, okay?

I got my own problem.

Hey, listen.

Phil.

I got a client who's going to spend Christmas in jail.

And if I don't find the real killer, he may not get to spend another Christmas

at all. And there's more. There's a kid involved.

Little brown -eyed, blonde -haired, hyperactive little girl who absolutely

adores her daddy.

So you see, it does matter.

I didn't see anything, and I don't know anything.

Is that clear enough for you?

Oh, it's clear.

It's clear that you know something, but you're saying nothing.

Don't put words in my mouth.

So leave me out of it, okay?

Sure.

But I'll see you around, Phil.

It's vital that I contact Mrs. Tracy.

Now, you must have a current address.

Patients' records are confidential.

And as I'm sure you're aware, they cannot be subpoenaed by an attorney.

But you can be.

And Ben Matlock is just the guy to open you up on the stand.

Why would he want to do that to me?

To prove reasonable doubt.

You see, our investigation has shown that Maggie Crowley contacted a real

broker about a new office for herself.

Which means she really was going to dump you.

You had motive.

You were dressed as a Santa Claus at that party.

You heard Wendy say her daddy would be there.

Your family life and your professional life had been decimated by Maggie

Crowley. Ben Matlock's going to wonder why you will not cooperate in an

investigation into her murder.

You can't threaten me.

Boy, I love your spirit.

By the way, are you going to be here for the rest of the afternoon?

Because I'm sure we're going to have to subpoena you, and I just want to make

sure where to send the process, sir.

Wait.

Well, thank you, Doctor. I appreciate your cooperation.

Don't mention it.

Mr. Hudson, wouldn't you like to see what she looks like now?

Well, since I'm here, why not?

Maggie Crowley did this to her?

What the hell do you want?

I thought you were supposed to say Merry Christmas.

Merry Christmas.

Now go away.

I brought you a present.

Why did you come here?

He said you still love me But you left me you sent me away.

I thought you didn't want me anymore.

I Thought you didn't want me anymore You're so beautiful you

could have any man in the world You're the man I want

Well, Phil, looks like you and your lovely wife are going to have a Merry

Christmas after all.

We owe you a lot.

Oh, exactly.

And a little more information about Santa Claus is what I want underneath my

tree.

Good boy.

How did you get in here? The butler let me in.

Is this some new development?

Yeah. I have an eyewitness.

Oh, yeah?

Guy was hiding back here behind the door, and he saw the real killer leave

room just before Brian went in.

Killer walked right by.

He got a good look at him.

But everyone was dressed as Santa.

How can your eyewitness get a positive identification?

It was a dimly lit hallway in the middle of the night at a party where at least

20 people were dressed in Santa suits, really.

It's kind of thin.

Very.

Do you mind if I go in the bedroom?

Go ahead.

This is... Let's see.

This is where Dr.

Crowley was found.

Yes.

Why do I get the feeling that you think I killed Maggie?

Oh, must be a guilty conscience.

Sorry about that.

Mr. Bono, when Maggie Kraut placed that call

to the emergency number, both the call and the time it was

received were recorded.

The time was four minutes past ten. That's when she was killed.

Sir, where were you at that time?

In the living room.

Can anyone substantiate that you were there?

Probably not.

All the guests were dressed as Santa Claus and with beards and wigs and

tell who was standing next to whom.

I see.

I've got to hand you a copy of a letter.

Mark this letter, Defense Exhibit G.

You recognize it?

Yes, it's the letter from Clark and Lyons.

What's that?

It acknowledges Maggie's instructions to stop all work on Pietro.

And what's Pietro?

It's the name of the restaurant that we were going to open.

We? Maggie and I.

But this letter from the architects is addressed only to her.

Yes. Why?

Her name was on the papers.

Why is that?

It was her money.

Objection, relevancy.

Your Honor, if the court will just bear with me, the relevancy of this line of

questioning will become apparent.

Are you asking this court to take your word for it, Mr. Matlock?

Yes.

Just for a few more questions?

A few. A few?

All right, proceed.

You?

Now, Mr. Bono, you knew that Maggie Crowley had decided to cancel her

with the architects and terminate the restaurant project, didn't you?

Yes, I did.

You want to tell us about that?

There's nothing to tell. She changed her mind, that's all.

No reason?

No.

Hmm.

Well, how did you feel about that?

Upset or... Angry?

Disappointed.

Did her decision not to go ahead with the restaurant change your relationship

with Dr. Crowley?

Your Honor, I fail to see where this is going.

Straight to the truth, Your Honor.

All right.

Okay. But soon.

Soon. Soon.

You own a little dog named Toto, don't you? Yes, I do.

And it's a cockapoo?

That's right, he is.

They're little bitty dogs, aren't they? Not what you'd call a guard dog type.

Not in the sense that he could harm an attacker, but he's pretty excitable. Not

bad at sounding an alarm.

Barks at everything and everybody, doesn't he?

That's right.

Except...

What about you and Maggie?

Oh, no, no, no. He never barked at us.

Now, the night of the murder, the dog was upstairs, wasn't he?

Yes, we put him in our bedroom.

In the same room where Maggie Crowley was later murdered, right?

Yes. Okay.

Now, I want you to listen to this police emergency tape again.

You want to replay that tape? Yes.

Your Honor, I do.

Police emergency.

This is Dr. Maggie Crowley at 135 Elmview. I have an intruder on the

Could you send someone over right away, please?

Notice anything peculiar about this tape?

No.

Where's Toto?

We don't hear Toto barking his head off like he always does.

Why isn't he barking?

I wouldn't know.

You've told us the dog was in the room.

And you've told us that he barks at everybody.

But you and Maggie Crowley.

Why didn't he bark at the person who killed her, Mr. Bowman?

Tell you what I think.

I think that Maggie Crowley, just for an instant, thought it was Brian

Emerson, the defendant, who entered the room. She expected him.

He was wearing the costume.

She made a mistake. She assumed it was him.

The dog knew better.

The dog never made a sound. He never opened his mouth.

No bark.

Because there were no strangers in the room.

Only two people that he knew so well.

His mistress and the person who killed her.

His master.

Your Honor, under the circumstances, the people see fit to move for

dismissal.

Case is dismissed.

This court is adjourned.

Thank you. Thank you. We're having a little Christmas party in the office. I

didn't want to invite you until I knew you could come. I'll be there.

Thanks. Thanks.

Where's Wendy?

Come here, honey.

Come here.

Come here.

It's going to be even better from now on.

for this. I thought you might like it for your party.

Oh, well, good.

You know what they say.

You can't have too many Christmas trees. Have some eggnog.

Merry Christmas.

Merry Christmas.

Merry Christmas.

Merry Christmas.

Merry Christmas.

Merry Christmas. Merry Christmas and to all a good night.