Original subtitles

Ladies and gentlemen, you've been incredibly patient.

For the last two weeks, you've heard witness after witness say the same

That Dave Travis, world championship tennis player, is a man of violent

that he is angry, and that he is unpredictable, both on the court and off

court. That Dave Travis is volatile, a poor loser.

and holds grudges.

And ladies and gentlemen, that Dave Travis killed his arch rival, Victor

Tomasio. Victor Tomasio was also a top -ranked tennis player, and Dave Travis

was determined to beat him at the Tournament of Champions here in Atlanta.

Advantage Tomasio.

Dave Travis lost to his arch rival.

And once again, he was furious.

But he wasn't furious just because he lost the match.

No. He was furious because he considered Victor Tomasio a rival

off the court as well.

Hold on, Tomasio. We're not finished.

Save it for next time, Travis.

You stay away from my wife.

You're crazy. You hit on her every chance you get, you lousy creep.

Hey, come on, come on.

You come near Debbie again, and you're dead.

A dozen people heard Mr. Travis threaten the decedent that day.

Among them, Gil McDevitt, Peter Southcutt, Sarah McClain.

All... professional tennis players.

All of them have toured with Mr. Travis for years, and all of them have

testified that Dave Travis hated Victor Tomasio.

And there was the testimony of the security guard, Martin Palowski.

Please remember, the only other person the security guard saw

enter the room that day.

It was Carl Spivak, Mr.

Tomasio's coach.

Come on.

Let's go.

You and Sarah got a match. What's the deal?

Motive and opportunity.

Dave Travis had both.

And the murder weapon.

This weight.

You've all heard how it was found in the back of Dave Travis's car.

Ladies and gentlemen, what more do we need?

Again, I thank you for your patience.

And I ask you to do one more thing.

Serve justice.

Find the defendant guilty.

Thank you.

Mr. Matlock?

Ladies and gentlemen, you have heard from the district attorney that Dave

was angry that he doesn't like losing.

Well, I'm with him on that. I don't like to lose either. How about you?

And that Dave Travis took a punch at a man that made a pass at his wife. Made a

pass at his wife. Well, I'm not sure that I wouldn't do the same thing. How

about you?

How about you?

Yeah, that's what I thought. Yeah.

As to the day that Victor Tomasio died, the district attorney has

said that Dave Travis bludgeoned him to death with his hand weight.

Did anybody see it?

No.

Someone did see Dave Travis go in Victor's dressing room, but...

What went on in there?

The district attorney doesn't know. She wasn't there.

She can only suggest.

Well, I can do that, too.

And what I suggest happened in there that day is something entirely

Dave Travis challenged Victor Tomasio, promised to beat him on the tennis

and left him very much alive.

As to the alleged evidence, anyone could have put that weight in Dave Travis's

car. Anyone.

This entire case is built on circumstantial evidence so flimsy it

a verdict of not guilty. I know that maybe some of you have formed a personal

opinion of Dave Travis based on his professional reputation. I suppose

human nature.

But justice calls for facts.

We're here to serve justice.

And to do that, we must render a verdict

of innocence.

Honey,

everything's going to be all right.

Okay. We'll see.

Okay. Thanks.

The jury was only out four hours.

Was that good or bad?

Oh, it's hard to tell.

I have a feeling it all boils down to how much they liked you and whether they

believed you.

Look at them.

A bunch of losers.

Altogether, they won't make as much in their lifetime as they made the last

couple months.

Has the jury reached a verdict?

We have, Your Honor.

The defendant will please rise.

We find the defendant, David Travis, guilty of first -degree murder.

That jury stinks.

The system stinks. You stink, too.

I'm innocent, damn it.

What the hell happened in there? Huh?

They didn't like you.

What's that got to do with anything?

I kept trying to tell you, people who sit on a jury are just people.

And in cases like this, where the evidence is largely circumstantial, they

to go by their gut feeling. And their gut feeling was that you killed Victor

Tomasio. What do you want me to do? Walk into court every day and kiss a baby?

So nobody likes me.

I don't give a damn.

I didn't kill Victor Tomasio.

Well, I... Well, why didn't you prove it?

Well, I'm sorry.

I really am sorry. I feel terrible about it. Good.

Good, and you're going to feel a lot worse.

I told my wife to stop payment on your check.

Guard.

Michelle? In here.

Michelle?

What?

We've got to find a way to...

Get this case retried.

Okay. Okay.

Any ideas how?

No.

But now that Dave's been convicted, maybe whoever killed Victor will relax

we can find whatever we missed the first time.

All the suspects we've investigated, Sarah McClain, Peter Southcott, and Gil

McDevitt will be playing in a tournament in Los Angeles next week.

Oh, I've got that Jefferson case.

I'll get a continuance. You've had three.

I'm not involved in the Jefferson case. I'll go to L .A.

Okay.

And I can take Conrad off the Jefferson case and he wasn't involved with Dave

Travis. Maybe he'll have a fresh eye. Sure.

Yeah. I really appreciate this, Michelle.

Yeah.

You know, Dave Travis isn't easy.

He isn't nice.

He's a real jackass.

But he's right about one thing. I hate losing. Losing stinks.

Did you know he stopped payment on my check?

Jerk. Jackass.

Well, Gil McDevitt is already here.

Sarah McClain and Peter Southcott are due to arrive later.

Anyone suspect hot?

Not yet.

Michelle, this guy Dave Travis has a mean temper.

And he did threaten to kill, what's his name? Victor Tomasio.

You think Ben could be wrong?

Sure, it's possible.

Sure is.

I hope not, though, don't you? Yeah.

See how he got me out here without packing?

No way.

You mean... Yes.

What you see is what I got.

No. Stop.

You look nice.

Right, right. You just stick around me a few days, you'll see.

Stop.

And cut.

Looks like we just found Gala Devitt.

Hello again, Mr. McDevitt.

Michelle Thomas.

What are you doing here?

Let's just say we're not totally satisfied with the jury verdict.

Are you shooting a movie?

It's a commercial.

Oh, you represent a veer wear now?

Exclusively. Oh, I had a pair of veer tennis shoes once.

Never fit, right? Of course, that was back when they were endorsed exclusively

by Victor Tomasio.

Like I told you before, I was in hydrotherapy at the time of the murder.

Alone in hydrotherapy?

You see these teenage girls over there?

They follow me everywhere.

When I'm in hydrotherapy, they're outside the door. And if you think I

have sneaked out, killed the victim, and sneaked back in without being swarmed

by these crazed teenyboppers, well, forget it.

How much did you say of the airport's wear pages?

It's been in the papers. One million very big ones.

You know.

For that kind of money, a smart guy like you could figure out how to elude a few

teenage girls.

Good luck with the tournament, Mr. McDevitt.

Hey, brought you some books.

I don't want to read.

Dave, you're not dead yet.

We found out that Gil McDevitt approached Avere Sportswear

before Victor Tomasio was killed.

Now, is there any reason why this Gil needed a lot of money?

I don't know.

Now, I know you're feeling kind of low.

Work on it.

Louis Castile.

The guy calls himself a coach, but he's a joke.

Why? What's he got to do with this case?

He's Gil's new coach.

Gil fired Carl Spivak? Right after the trial.

Think it'd have anything to do with Victor's murder?

No, no, no, none.

You know why this happened, Ben?

The jury made a mistake.

No, no, no.

They couldn't wait to make this mistake.

You know why?

Because they hate me.

That's right. That's right. Everybody hates me.

I'm too good.

I'm too talented.

I mean, they're like vultures. You know, they can't wait to bring you down.

You made them mad at you.

Don't do that next time.

And you have some friends. Hell, I'm your friend.

You're the man I paid $100 ,000 to, and you got me convicted of murder.

Would a friend do that?

You stopped payment on the check, remember?

But that's okay. I like to earn my money.

And we'll figure this thing out.

I hate losing worse than you do.

Well, you have to read your books.

Talk to the chaplain. Yeah, talk to the chaplain.

Chaplains like everybody.

Hi, I'm Michelle Thomas. I know who you are. I'd like to talk to you. Could I

ask you a couple of questions? The trial's over.

Maybe later?

Forget it.

Bye.

You said that to Elian Stassi? I'd live to talk about it. See, now, I gotta

believe coaching somebody like Gil McDivitt, that's gotta keep you busy.

Suddenly, everybody wants me to be their coach.

But going to the bank, that's what keeps me busy.

See you, pal.

Enjoy your trip.

I thought you were gonna buy some new clothes.

Yeah, I did.

What do you think, huh?

Went to one of those laundromat places.

I got this little room I went in. Read a couple of magazines.

Yeah, you're as good as new.

Thank you.

You were talking to Louis Castile? Yeah. I don't know what it takes to coach

tennis, but I know that windbag does not have it.

Peter Southcott.

He and Victor were doubles, by the way.

He hated Victor.

Remind me.

Well, Peter Southcott's original partner was his brother, Philip.

Only Philip was killed in an automobile accident after the French Open in 84.

Victor Tommasio was at the wheel.

He wasn't charged with anything, but Southcott never forgave him.

Why were they doubles partners?

They were good together.

Doubles is all Peter Southcott can play anymore.

Oh, oh, Ben called. He wants us to look into a house that Gil McDevitt just

bought here in L .A.

Don't tennis players have houses all over?

Yeah, not houses worth over a million.

Deed it to someone else.

Okay, everything's fine in the bedroom.

Now, down here in the living room...

I want you to put the big couch right over there with a chair on either side

it. Hi.

Hello. Hi.

I'm Michelle Thomas. I'm an attorney.

Oh, what a cutie. Hi.

How old? Six months.

Oh. Alexander Timothy Matthews. Hello, Alexander Timothy Matthews. I'm Leslie

Matthews. Hi.

Is something wrong with the paperwork?

Oh, no. As far as I know, everything's fine.

Good. You own this house and everything in it, lock, stock, and barrel.

It's a dream come true.

Not every day someone's just handed the deed to a house in Bel Air, that's for

sure.

Gil is one generous young man.

Is he a relative of yours?

Who'd you say you were again?

Michelle Thomas.

Gil and I have had some dealings recently.

You think you'll be seeing him today?

I might.

Would you tell him I stopped by?

Sure.

Boy, you came a long way.

Did everything make it in one piece?

We made it.

That's all that matters.

What are you doing here?

I heard you bought a new house. Thought I'd drop by and see how the other half

live.

Yeah, I bought this house for my cousin Leslie here.

Oh, your cousin.

Yeah, we're very close.

She just went through a ugly divorce.

Husband left her and the baby without a scent.

So you bought them a new house and furnished it and flew them all the way

here from, uh... Um, New York.

The labels on these boxes say they were shipped from Chicago.

Why don't you just leave?

All right.

But you must know that I am going to check into all this.

I met Leslie in a bar a little over a year ago.

And I, uh, spent the night with her.

Just one night.

Six months later, I get this call from her that she's pregnant with my kid.

Says she's going to go to the papers with the story and the blood test to

it if I don't give her what she wants.

A one -way ticket out of Chicago and a furnished home in L .A.

Listen, if people found out I had an illegitimate son, I could be a million.

I mean, I had to go along with her.

Offensive.

Is that why you started hustling a contract with the Veer? I was just

out feelers.

I had nothing to do with what happened to Victor.

Ask Leslie.

She was right there.

Now, for that matter, you might as well ask Louis Castillo.

What's he got to do with it?

Okay, the afternoon of the murder.

I was sitting in hydrotherapy, like I said.

Except I wasn't alone.

Leslie showed up.

Said that she needed some cash.

It's just enough to get by until they move to California.

So I give her everything I got and she leaves.

Only it turns out, Louis Castile is in the next room this whole time and over

here is everything.

So he starts making threats.

Told you to fire Carl Spivak and hire him or he'd go to the press.

Listen, I know I lied in this trial, but there's no reason this has to go

public, is there?

Do you mean even though you fathered a child out of wedlock, committed perjury,

obstructed justice and gave in to blackmail, since you're not a murderer,

everything's okay, right?

Yeah.

Thank you.

Michelle Thomas.

I'm an attorney. We met briefly during Dave Travis' trial.

Right. So after playing several with Victor Tomasio for almost a decade,

it like being partnered with someone else?

Different. Very different. But Victor's dead. I'll just have to get used to it.

Are you saying that Victor's death is the reason you have a new partner?

Of course.

Well, why were the tournament officials informed that you were playing with Ted

MacArthur and not Victor Tomasio before Tomasio was killed?

All right.

So Victor dumped me. So what?

So why did you lie about it?

Victor said I was losing my game. Let me go shout that from the rooftops. Excuse

me.

Must have made you pretty mad.

Especially considering what happened to your brother.

I know you blame Victor for his death.

But Victor was your meal ticket.

Playing doubles with him was the only way you could make a living.

But when he dumped you, all that changed.

You're way off base, lady.

Where did you say you were at the time of the murder?

Ask my lawyer.

Ms.

McClain? Yeah, that's me.

I'm all tied up in knots.

Especially my neck.

You work in Dr. Morgan's office, aren't you?

Tension. Yeah, we'll get right on that.

Take care of that right now.

Harder. I'm not made out of glass. Okay.

Hey, I hear you.

Won your first match. Nice going.

Piece of cake.

The real competition starts the day after tomorrow.

Yeah, but that's what I figure. You're playing Ingrid Jorgensen, right?

Oh, you follow tennis?

Oh my goodness, are you kidding me? You people are my life.

Victor Tomasio was my main man before he died.

Cat had a forehand like an MX missile.

I miss watching him play. Can I ask you something? I heard that you and, you

know... You and Victor were pretty good friends.

Yeah, where'd you hear that?

I'm a masseur.

I mean, I was talking to Louis.

Castile. Yeah, can he talk?

It's what he does best.

He was saying that you and Victor were an item.

We dated.

When I discovered what a jerk Victor was, I stopped seeing him.

So you were pretty upset when he broke it off, huh?

Hey, I told you I broke it off.

It was a relief.

But you went on playing mixed doubles with him.

Look, your job is to relax me, all right? And you're not doing it.

So either massage with your mouth shut or get out.

Okay. Your cervical lumbar is now aligned with your vertical hold.

Gotta go.

She had a relationship with Victor Tomasi all right, and it did not have a

ending. When I talked to her before the trial, she said she was in the women's

dressing room at the time of the murder.

Alone, of course.

Hey, do you think she's strong enough to fracture a person's skull with a hand

weight? Oh, yeah.

There's no doubt about that.

Let's call Ben.

Look, I'm going to get something straight here.

You're right.

I hated Victor.

And yeah, I even thought about killing him. I daydreamed about it.

But I didn't do it.

Can you prove that?

I was in the steam room.

Look, don't you think if I'd have killed him, I'd have come up with a better

story than that?

Not necessarily. Not if you could frame Dave Travis.

No. Uh -uh.

Dave and I were friends.

Look, look, we roomed together on the tour before we ever married Debbie. We

were buddies. Ask him.

Ask anybody.

I could have killed Victor and never given him the second thought.

I could have never done that to David.

Never.

Chinatown, my Chinatown.

When the lights are low.

Eat bean sprouts with the lobsters. Delicious.

Did you sleep last night?

Some. Off and on.

Well, that's better than nothing.

Of course, sometimes when you sleep like that, you feel like you haven't slept

at all, don't you?

You're right.

Hold it.

Why did you bring this Chinese food in here?

Oh, I know about jailhouse food, and I heard you like Chinese.

Eat some rice with the pork.

I read a piece on a Chinese fellow who lived to be 117.

Said it was because he ate rice three times a day.

Why aren't you having anything?

I had Chinese last night, so I thought I'd settle for a hot dog.

Trying to hold on to my figure.

Do you think Peter Southcott would frame you for murder?

No. No, no. He liked me.

He did?

Were you nice to him?

Not especially, no.

But he liked you?

Huh. That's good.

What about Sarah McClain?

Would Sarah kill a man for jilting her?

She played to win.

Oh.

Conrad and Michelle think it's Sarah.

Hold it a second.

Hey, why did you bring this ukulele in here?

Oh, I stopped by Ray Templin's bar.

Ray plays piano.

We're trying to start a group.

And I thought it would, you know, pick you up, make you feel better.

Well, it's not making me feel better, all right?

That's a shame.

It makes me feel better.

I'm going to rot in here, you know that?

Maybe not.

You know, maybe Sarah could have done it.

I believe I'll go down to the television station and look at those tapes on her

again.

How'd it rot in here?

It won't rot today. You just had a big Chinese meal.

Eat the rest of that rice.

who was in here last month watching this stuff?

Yeah.

So I already know who won.

I'm looking for something else.

Can you find the mixed doubles match Sarah McClain and Victor Tomasio were

supposed to play later that day?

Can you preach it right there? Can you do that? Stop it.

I'll be. That's it.

That's it.

That's it. See?

I knew it. I just knew it. See that?

That's it.

That's it.

What time's checkout?

Ben?

Did I wake you up?

It's 5 .30 out here.

Is that right?

What time's checkout?

Noon.

Well, you and Conrad come on home. You're done.

Why? What's going on?

You're right.

Sarah McClain did it.

I just know it.

Well, do you have enough to move for a new trial?

Yeah, but I need a hearing.

And for the hearing, I need her.

Oh, just subpoena her.

Oh, no, I can't subpoena her while she's out of state.

We'll have to figure out something.

$50 ,000?

Herb, you're not going to actually pay her $50 ,000. You just dangle it in

of her like a carrot on a stick.

Ben. I'm the president of Boldowan Business Machines. I have stockholders

answer to, to say nothing of the SEC.

Herb, if you don't help me out on this, then this woman, guilty of first -degree

murder, is going to get off scot -free while an innocent man spends the rest of

his life in prison. Is that fair?

But I sure as hell don't want to give away $50 ,000.

You're not going to.

Just call Sarah McClain's agent.

Tell him you'll pay her $50 ,000 to come to your convention down here in Atlanta

and give your top salesperson a tennis lesson.

What if her agent insists on a contract?

Send him one. Send him 20.

She'll never render services.

Therefore, you'll never have to pay him or her a red cent.

Swear? Cross my heart.

If you were to sign something that said you'd make good any and all losses a

Boldewan business machine should somehow incur because of this little scheme of

yours, then... A deal.

You're good for the whole 50 ,000?

Okay.

Hello.

Hi. How you doing?

Did you hear the news?

Yep, two sets, 6 -4, 6 -2.

Thanks.

Oh, no, Neil.

No, I don't think so, because I only have four days for the Denver

and I... $50 ,000 for one day?

Where do I go?

Mr. Clayne.

Did you enjoy the flight as much as I did?

Yeah, the flight was fine. Are you with the Boulder One Corporation?

Masters? Yeah. No, excuse me.

Mr.

Payne.

This is a defense motion for a new trial.

Your Honor, Mr. Matlock had his chance to present his case at the time of

If every attorney who was dissatisfied with the verdict did what he's doing,

we'd be here 24 hours a day.

Your Honor, we have significant, newly discovered evidence not available to us

at the time of trial.

If this evidence had been uncovered and presented to the jury, a far different

verdict would have resulted.

Proceed, Mr. Matlock. Thank you.

Defense calls Ms. Sarah McClain to the stand. The first thing I want to do is

apologize for any inconvenience this hearing has caused you. I understand

you had to cancel an appearance at the Bold One corporate convention here in

Atlanta in order to comply with this.

That's all right.

Well, your misfortune is our.

Good fortune.

Had you not returned to Fulton County, we'd never have been able to subpoena

you. You'd been out of the jurisdiction of this court.

Amazing. It is a coincidence.

It is. It is. Now, even though this is just a hearing, you are

under oath. You understand that, do you, Ms. McLean?

Yes.

Now... It has come to my attention that you and Victor Tomasio were lovers.

Is that right? Yes. Were you lovers at the time he was murdered?

No.

We had broken it off about a month earlier.

Wait a minute. You mean he'd broken it off, don't you?

No. Actually, it was a fairly mutual thing.

Oh, I know.

Well, who are Wade Willis and Sandy Rowland?

They're my personal assistants.

They know you well?

Yes.

Didn't you tell them that Victor broke up with you?

All right.

Victor broke up with me. And that you were very upset about it? Yes.

You lied just now.

No, I didn't lie. I forgot.

Come on.

Our relationship was over with. I put it behind me and I went on with my life

and I forgot Victor. I don't think so.

I think you were furious with him breaking it off and humiliating you like

He did humiliate you.

And I don't think you could handle it. And you didn't forget it. And so you

killed Victor Tomasio, didn't you?

No, that's not true. Your Honor, Mr.

Madlock has not produced one shred of evidence newly discovered or otherwise.

Mr. Madlock?

Right here, Your Honor, if the court permits.

Go ahead, Mr. Matlock. Thank you, Conrad.

Just bring it, sir.

Oh, hello,

doctor.

Happy seeing you in a month of Sundays. How's the family? Mr. Matlock.

Sir?

Oh, I'm sorry. I forgot where I was. I guess the mind is a second thing to go.

Mr. Matlock. Yes, sir.

You may thank me, Red.

I'm going to show you a couple of videotapes. Now, don't worry about it.

won't hurt you. This is a device we use often.

Now, I want to show you this first one, and you tell me who these people are

playing.

That's me, and that's Ava Randolph.

Looks like the final for the Atlanta tournament.

That's right, and you won.

Okay, now tell us what this is here in just a moment.

What's that?

The start of the final match for mixed doubles at the same tournament.

That's right.

And that's a match that was never played because at the very moment that

you were walking onto the court, Victor's coach was walking into his

dressing room where he found him murdered.

Were you in Victor's dressing room that day?

No. At no time after you finished your singles match, between this and

when you walked on the court for the doubles match, you didn't visit Victor's

dressing room?

No. Then how did you get this?

That's an Avere wristband.

See, here in your singles, you're not wearing an Avere wristband. In fact,

there's nothing on your left wrist at all.

But here there is. Where'd you get that?

When I changed clothes for the mixed doubles match, I discovered that I was

of clean wristbands, so I used one of Victor's.

Oh.

Oh.

So... you did go to Victor's dressing room that day. Oh,

no. He gave me that wristband while we were still dating.

Oh, no. Oh, no, that's impossible.

That's impossible.

See, Avere has a new logo on the wristband. You see that?

It's so new, it's not even in the stores yet.

And the company didn't supply Victor with these wristbands until the Atlanta

tournament had begun, and he was the only one permitted to wear them.

Now, let's run through that again.

Were you or were you not in Victor's dressing room that day?

Yes, now I remember.

I needed a wristband, so I used one of Victor's. No big deal, I forgot.

You just lied again.

You were in Victor's room that day.

And did you plan it, or did it just happen?

That in your anger, you picked up one of his hand weights and hit him in the

head with it? No.

And Victor, in trying to protect himself, burned you with the cigarette

smoking on your left wrist.

No, that's not true.

You know, I almost forgot that. I almost overlooked it because it seemed so odd

for a fine athlete like Victor Tomasio to smoke.

But he did.

And while you were killing him with that hand weight, he was grinding that

cigarette into your wrist.

No, he wasn't. And when you were done killing him, you wiped your fingerprints

off the hand weight, covered it with a towel till you could put it in Dave

Travis's car, and then you put on one of Victor's wristbands to cover the burn.

I did not.

Yes, you did.

Trouble was, once you put on that wristband, you couldn't take it off.

Because if you did, all that burned skin would come off with it.

But when you were alone, you did take it off.

And that's what happened. It must have hurt like hell. That burned skin coming.

And all it left was a kind of a big, round, red hole.

There's nothing wrong with my wrist.

You remember that man I spoke to a while ago?

I thought I saw a little look of recognition.

Dr. Steinbeck does beautiful work, doesn't he?

You want to tell the judge who Dr. Steinbeck is?

When you realized that that big red burn was going to turn into a

big scar,

You went to see Dr.

Steinbeck, one of the finest plastic surgeons in the country,

and he fixed it up for you.

Now, you want to tell the judge what Dr.

Steinbeck did, or you want the good doctor to do it himself?

I'd just as soon not answer any more questions until I talk. My lawyer.

Oh, no.

Now what?

Thank you. Well, I've been offered a cool name to write my memoirs. I'm not

going to name names, ruin reputations.

Oh, all right.

Yeah, you know, like they say, don't get mad, get even. Yeah.

Come on, honey. We've got a lot of celebrating to do. Thank you, Mr.

Yes, ma 'am.

Thank you all.

Back to his old self.

Arrogant. Yeah.

Did you get your check?

Oh, yeah.

Dinner.

Okay.

Great. Okay, I'll go home and change.

What about you? Fast as I can. I'm sick of these clothes.

You need some new wardrobe?

Oh, yeah.

Tomorrow morning, we'll go stop by and see my tailor.