Original subtitles

Terwilliger, you have five seconds.

One...

Yes, my name is Ellen Barrett.

I'm calling from room 227 of the Seaview Motel.

I think I killed someone.

Uh -huh, yes, I'll be here.

One Barrett, that's two R's and two T's? Yes.

I'm from Atlanta.

I'm a journalist. I write a newspaper column.

And he is?

Was?

He said his name was Adam Easley.

He worked for Vic Barron.

Vic Barron, as in the mobster?

Easley called me about a week ago and said that he heard that I was doing a

story about his boss and...

and that he and Barron had had a falling out, and he'd be more than happy to rat

on his boss.

I thought he was on the level, so I agreed to meet him. And then when I got

here... What happened, Miss Barron?

Well, it was a set -up.

I'd no sooner shut the door, but he grabbed me, and he told me that Barron

wanted me to drop the story or else.

And then he...

He started to throw me around the room and he hit me until finally I... Maybe

should do this someplace else.

Feeling better?

Yeah.

Uh, you mind if I turn this on?

Go ahead.

Now, in as much detail as you can remember, tell me exactly what happened

that motel room tonight.

Well, after I, uh, I told Easley that I wasn't about to

drop the story and that he and Vic Barron could pretty much shove it.

He grabbed me by the hair and he threw me across the room.

I hit a chair on the way down and I knocked it over.

Then I got up pretty fast and I grabbed for the phone to try to call for some

help.

He yanked the receiver out of my hand and he hit me with it.

Hard.

Then what happened?

Then I scratched his face and...

I tried to run for the door, but he pulled me back, and he grabbed my

and he started to slap me.

I thought he was going to kill me.

So that's when I saw the knife. It was sitting on a tray with a

bunch of dirty dishes, and I grabbed the knife, and I stabbed

him.

How many times?

I have no idea.

According to measurements taken by the coroner at the scene, Mr. Easley was

about six feet tall.

How tall are you, Ms. Barrett?

I'm 5 '3".

Why didn't you answer the door?

What are you reading?

Innocent till proven dead. I read that.

Yeah, it's pretty good.

Especially when you find out who the murderer is.

I figured it was the DA.

I mean, who would have ever thought I'd turn out to be the guy's own wife?

Whoops. Billy, you just ruined it for me.

Well... Heck, I didn't mean to.

Leanne sent this to me all the way from Los Angeles.

I'm sorry.

How's she doing, anyway?

Pretty good. Job seems to be working out. Is she going to stay?

I imagine.

She met a fellow.

She didn't take your spark plug wrench with her, did she?

Spark plug wrench?

Yeah, I need it. That's why I came over.

Truck conked out on me again.

Did you ever consider getting your own spark plug wrench?

Why?

We got yours.

You know, you got a message?

Yeah, I'll get it later on.

Don't you want to know who it's from?

Ben, this is Ellen Barrett.

I'm in Wilmington, North Carolina at 910 -555 -7000.

Please call me... as you get this message. It's very important.

Thanks. Save that.

Who's Ellen Barrett?

A woman.

A woman?

Yeah. I used to know her. She was a reporter. Covered the courthouse for the

Atlanta Herald.

Did you, uh... No.

She was married.

Has her own syndicated column, Pulitzer Prize winner, and I just knew her.

Think you might be going to Wilmington?

I don't know.

I got a business there myself.

My truck's on the fritz. I might go along with you.

Businesses... Just so happens that someone's interested in buying the

house that Lucy left me.

Someone by the name of Clarence Litton. Clarence Litton? Clarence Litton, the

billionaire with all the hotels.

What's Clarence Litton want with that dump of yours?

I thank you not to call it a dump. The roof's bad, the wiring's shot, you need

new plumbing, it's termite infested. I've seen roaches. You have not.

It's a dump.

It's a prime piece of beachfront property that's going to make me filthy

It's a dump.

Carrie, what are you doing here?

Dad and I are staying at the beach house.

Kind of a graduation present.

Your hair looks pretty that way. I like it.

You look awful.

Oh, I didn't sleep, that's all.

How did you know I was here?

Well, Dad called your office after he heard what happened.

Well, everything is okay.

Then why is Ben Matlock coming? To make sure that everything stays okay. So just

tell your father that... Tell him everything is okay.

Why won't you let him help you?

Carrie, your father and I are like oil and water. We don't exactly mix.

He still cares about you.

Carrie, don't involve yourself in this. Tell him not to worry. I can handle it.

Come on. Now, as long as you're here, you can meet Ben.

Good to see you. Good to see you. It's been a long time. About seven years.

Yeah. Long enough for you to have acquired an entourage, I see. Oh, no,

We're just traveling together. This is Cliff Lewis.

Honor to meet you. I read your column all the time.

And his father, Billy Lewis.

Hello. Hello. Are you vacationing?

Business. I'm in real estate.

In fact, I'm in the process of hammering out a deal with Clarence Litton.

Really?

Clarence contacted me through the U .S. mail. He said, dear Mr.

Lewis... Just because you're selling one lousy house, it does not give you the

right to tell people that you're in real estate. Does too. Does not. Does too.

It's not a lousy house.

Hi, Peter Haskins.

Come in. Oh, thank you.

Have a seat.

Where?

Oh, sorry.

You are Peter Haskins, the deputy DA.

That's me.

You want me to just hold that for you?

No, that's okay.

You're here to discuss the Ellen Barrett case.

What? Barrett.

Barrett.

Barrett.

Well, why haven't you closed her case up?

Well, there are a couple of inconsistencies in the statement she

police.

Inconsistencies? Yes.

Yes, uh...

ones that tend to call into question her claim that she acted in self -defense.

I can give you specifics just as soon as I find her file.

Is this it?

Okay.

For instance, Adam Easley, the...

The fellow she killed.

She says he said he worked for Vic Barron.

But so far, we haven't been able to find any kind of connection between this

Easley and Barron at all.

Well, if I were Vic Barron and was going to have somebody roughed up, I'd be

sure whoever I sent to do it couldn't be traced back to me.

Hmm.

Second, for instance.

She says Mr. Easley called her at her home in Atlanta last Friday night.

The thing about it is, he was staying at the Seaview Motel then, and their

records show he made no call to her home that night or any other night.

Maybe he called her from somewhere else.

Their records do show that he made other long -distance calls from his motel

room. It seems kind of strange he'd leave just to make that one call.

Not if he didn't want that one call to be traced.

Your point is well taken, Mr. Matlock. It could very well be I'm nitpicking

here.

But before I charge somebody with a crime, I always like to know for sure

what that crime was.

You're not going to lose that file again, are you? Oh, no, no. I'm going to

it right here.

Well, good.

Because the sooner we can get this cleared up, the sooner...

Ellen can get on with her life. You, uh, keep in touch?

Oh, yes. Thank you. Uh -huh.

No, I don't... No, no. No, sir. Let me hear it.

Okay. Go on. Go on.

Hon, I told you not to go out there.

Well, I had to do something.

I mean, she's my mother.

I wanted her to know that I'm worried about her, that I care about her.

She just pushed me away like always.

It's not you, Carrie. It's me.

I'm the one who she doesn't want in her life anymore, which is okay, I

understand. No, it's not okay because I don't understand.

Honey, you don't need to. This is between your mother and me. Dad, if I

understand what happened between you two, how am I going to know that the

thing's not going to happen to me?

How do I know that I'm not going to meet somebody and fall in love and get

married and have a kid only to wind up hating my husband's guts?

Honey, she doesn't hate my guts.

Then what's the deal?

Steve?

Brad, what is the holdup on the editorial?

I don't give a damn. Just run it.

You do not answer to him. You answer to me. You got that? And we're running that

piece tonight.

No. No, no, I want to see the whole page. Just fax it here as soon as it's

Well, that's why the paper's paying you the big bucks, isn't it?

Well, Ben just called.

He talked to the DA, and he should be here in about 15 minutes. Thank you.

You're welcome. Now, are you sure I can't get you something? Oh, no, thanks.

fine. You've got a nice house here, Mr. Lewis.

Yes, I do, don't I? It's a real nice house.

Most people would pay a fortune to own a place like this. Yes, sir, a real

fortune.

I'm a fair man, but when something is of value, I... Have you ever heard the

expression, don't count your chickens before they're hatched? Clarence

a billionaire.

Think he's gonna miss a measly 500 grand?

500 grand? What are you, nuts?

The man's rich.

It's peanuts to him. I can't talk to you when you're like this. Like what?

Delusional.

I'm going to have a swim before it.

Then you would have had your hands full because I'm a lousy swimmer. You know,

you need to get one of those strings that ties under your chin.

Or a smaller hat.

Or a bigger head.

You always dress like this when you come to the beach?

Yeah, you never know who you're going to meet.

I'm Jerry Stone.

Do you live around here?

No, Atlanta, actually. I'm just here helping my father sell a house.

Down there.

On the beach?

Yeah.

Oh, I've always wanted a house on the beach.

Oh, you wouldn't want that one. It's got a lot of problems.

How much would you be asking for it?

Well, if my father was a normal person, he'd ask $375. That way, you know, he

could pay off the mortgage and have a little left over to put in the bank.

But since my father is my father, it's way too much.

Way too much?

Way too much.

So, uh, what do you do?

I'm a nurse.

In fact, my shift starts in an hour.

I'm going to have to go.

Thanks for saving my hat.

You're welcome.

Nice meeting you.

Nice meeting you.

Is that Jerry with the J .R .D.? Jay!

I thought maybe, you know, I might give you a call sometime.

That'd be nice.

I have to stay in town indefinitely just because some deputy DA has trouble with

some gangster's phone bill? That's crazy.

Well, Peter Haskins hadn't had a chance to prosecute somebody famous before, so

I guess he figures the bigger he makes the case, the bigger office he'll get.

I have to get back to Atlanta. I'm on a deadline.

You've been saying that as far back as I can remember.

Well, it goes with the territory.

I thought it would change when you married your editor.

Well, it didn't.

Well, do you see Brad at all anymore?

No.

He's pretty busy now that he's editor -in -chief.

I have seen Carrie, though, right here in Wilmington.

She and Brad are spending the summer at his beach house in Capitol Cove. You

should drop by and say hello.

Maybe I will.

Well... Yeah?

Yeah. Oh.

Yeah, okay.

I see. Yeah.

I understand.

Thanks for the call.

Mr. Haskins, he's found another inconsistency in your story.

Now what?

Well, how did you say you got into Adam Easley's room that night?

I've already told him that. I knocked on the door and he let me in.

Well, the police have found somebody who says that's not quite the case.

Who? Ten -year -old boy standing across the hall. He said he saw you enter Adam

Easley's room, but didn't knock, walked right in, and there was no sign of Mr.

Easley. Well, he's wrong.

I mean, come on, a ten -year -old kid.

He was probably so thrilled to be talking to real live cops that he'd say

anything they wanted to hear.

It happens all the time, Ben.

Well, all I can tell you is that Mr. Hattigan believes him and he thinks

a liar.

You lied about Mr.

Easley and Mr. Barron, the telephone call and all that?

I didn't lie, Ben.

He thinks you did.

Mr. Lewis, it's a pleasure to meet you.

Feelings mutual.

This here is my son, the lawyer, Cliff.

Yes, of course. How are you?

Very fine, thank you.

Well, please, have a seat. I take it Evelyn offered you something to drink.

Yeah, but I told her no.

Told her we were here to talk business, not to have a tea party.

Well, I like your attitude, Mr. Lewis.

I also like your house.

So do I.

Got a lot of sentimental value.

Used to belong to my dear sister, Lucy.

She owned that house for less than six months before she passed away.

But those were the happiest six months of her life.

She loved that house.

The idea of somebody tearing it down just to build something else, like, say,

big, fancy hotel... It would have broken

her heart.

Oh, I don't know.

I'll bet that if I had made her the offer that I'm about to make you, she

have gotten used to the idea in no time.

Here's what I'm prepared to give you for that house, Mr. Lewis.

$105 ,000?

Yep.

I don't believe it. Oh, no.

This is the part you won't believe.

I turned them down.

You turned them down?

Come on. That's just a first offer, Ben. They're bound to go higher.

Even a country bumpkin like you wouldn't know that.

To be honest with you, I wasn't totally sure I could make that murder one charge

stick, even with the kid's testimony.

But now that I've read that forensics report, there's not a doubt in my mind.

Well, I don't see anything so earth -shattering here.

According to your client, Adam Easley hit her on the head with the phone.

Well, according to that report, only the fingerprints of Adam Easley's right

hand were found on the receiver.

Thing about it is, Adam Easley was left -handed. Oh, come on. They were

struggling. Maybe he had to hold her arm with his left hand, pick up the phone

with his right. He just had to.

Maybe. Then there's the matter of Miss Barrett's fingerprints.

What about them? Well, if you'll turn to the next page, you'll see they were

found on virtually every object in that motel room, which just does not square

with her contention she was there for a very brief period of time before killing

Mr. Easley. There was a commotion. He was throwing her from one side of the

to the other. Of course her fingerprints were all over the place. Your client is

lying, Mr. Matlock, and her clincher is right there on the next page.

What neck paid?

Actually something the investigating officer picked up on the night of the

murder

be a fly on the wall when Miss Barrett tries to explain that.

I scratched him during the fight.

He grabbed me and he started slapping me and I remember breaking my fingers down

his face and then I made a run for the door when he let me go.

Mr. Haskins just showed me a police report that indicates the scratch marks

up Adam Easley's face, not down.

What? Skin was curled up near his cheek, not down by his jaw. Somebody went like

that instead of like that.

I just remember clawing at him. I guess my fingers could have gone up instead of

down. Ellen, the man was a good six, eight inches taller than you. It would

been next to impossible.

I don't care. That's what happened.

The police think that you scratched his face after he was dead.

Now, why would I want to do that?

To claim self -defense instead of murder.

I didn't even know Adam Easley. Why would I want to kill him?

I don't know.

Mr. Haskins wants to talk to you.

Talk to me or arrest me?

I'll go with you.

Might as well get it over with.

Good choice.

I cannot believe that I bumped into you again.

You look really nice.

Thank you. So do you.

Thank you.

So, uh, how's the nursing business?

Well, I'm on a floor with 47 patients and two nurses, so it's busy.

What have you been up to?

Oh, arguing with my pop, mostly.

Did he sell the house yet?

Oh, remember how I told you that he wanted too much money for it?

Yeah? Well, they offered him $505 ,000. You're kidding.

And he turned them down.

You're kidding.

No, he figured that if the buyer wanted the house bad enough to offer him that

much money, he was bound to offer more.

Well, how high does he think the guy will go?

Oh, he didn't say.

My dad is, um... Well, I can't imagine that they go much more than six. So if

they make another offer and it's anywhere near six, I'm going to lock him

room until he takes it.

I don't blame you. That's a lot of money.

It's a lot of money.

I'm really glad you didn't have to work today.

Thank you.

Oh, yuck.

Does that stain? Oh, yeah.

I better go home and see if I can get this out.

Do you want me to drive you?

No, no, that's okay. My car's right out in the front.

Not a problem. I don't mind driving.

We'll have to do this another time. I'm sorry.

I'll see you later.

Hi.

Hi. What are you doing here?

Eating.

You're spying on me.

Well, yeah.

What happened?

Oh, she spilled wine on her skirt.

Is she coming back?

Probably not.

Well, you'll see her again.

Why do you say that?

I don't know.

Maybe I'm a mind reader.

Just a feeling.

Don't look so sad.

Of course there are no hard feelings.

I'm a businessman, too, don't forget.

Yes, Mr. Lewis, I'll make sure they validate your parking this time.

Good.

Well, I'll see you and your son here tomorrow at three.

Okay, bye.

You sure about this?

You offer him anything over $600 ,000 and I guarantee Cliff will cram it down

his father's throat.

You better be right.

It's bad enough I have to deal with Hicks.

But when they started one -upping me, I... Well, I just don't like it, Mr.

Jones.

I just don't like that at all.

All of them said that they were going to pull their ads?

Unless we what? Dad!

No, there's no way in hell that I'm going to do that. Forget about it.

Yes, I realize that, but... Listen, let me think about it. I'll call you

tomorrow, okay?

Bye. Bye.

Frank?

Ingrid? How are you guys doing?

Doing a lot better than you are, I think.

Oh, well, some of our advertisers are taking issue with the pro -union

editorials that I've been running. I didn't just hear the U -word, did I,

Ingrid? Cover your ears, darling.

Frank contends that if his mills ever went union, he'd be out of business

a week.

That's not so bad, Frank.

Think about it. All the water skiing you could get done. Hey, you ought to see

my new boat. You saw it, didn't you, Carrie?

Oh, yeah. It's beautiful.

Come on over. Go for a spin.

Taking her to the lake tomorrow will be your last chance. Yes, come over.

I'll put on some steaks and we'll all four have a barbecue.

Except I don't have anything to make salad with.

Or any bread. And roll it a chip.

Be a dear and go raid the refrigerator, would you? Sure.

Kids like her almost, almost make me want to have one.

How are things between Carrie and Ellen?

Well, it's difficult.

You suppose there's something Frank and I can do for Ellen?

I don't think so.

Especially now.

What do you mean?

They just announced on the news she's been arrested for murder.

Well, you're quite right about one thing, Mr. Lewis.

I want to buy your house because I want to tear it down and build a hotel there.

But if you're assuming that I'll pay any amount of money to do so, you're quite

wrong. Because I operate on a budget like everyone else.

And this, therefore, must be considered my final offer.

$620 ,000.

We'll take it.

All right, Pop.

Pop.

Come on, John, let's go.

Whoa, hold on. Thank you.

I could sign on the line. Someone give him a pen. I'm not going to sign that.

just offered you $620 ,000. I heard him.

Let's go. No, I'm not going to let you do this now.

Why don't we just leave you two alone so you can talk it over? No need for talk.

I'm not taking less than $800, and that's final.

$800? And I want the mortgage paid off, too. What?

Not only does that go beyond my budget, it goes beyond common sense.

I'm afraid we have nothing more to say to each other, Mr. Lewis.

These things happen.

Get out the parking ticket so what's -her -name out there can validate it.

$700 ,000.

$775 ,000.

$750 ,000. Plus $350 ,000 for the mortgage.

Plus $350 ,000 for the mortgage.

Well, you draw that up and I'll sign it.

Sit down, son, before you fall.

$1 .1 million?

That's right, Ben. You're looking at a millionaire.

Pop called his bluff. The guy fell for it.

Any idea what yachts go for these days? Oh, what do you care? You get seasick.

Oh, just get me a gross of those little patches you stick behind your ear and

I'll be all set.

I don't know what Dora Dora's like this time of year.

That's Bora Bora Pop.

I'll get it.

Hi, Jerry. What are you doing here?

Can I talk to you?

Yeah, yeah, come in. Sure, of course you can. Come on in.

Um, Ben, Dad, this is Jerry Stone. Jerry Stone, this is Ben Matlock and my

father, Billy Lewis.

I know who you are, Mr. Lewis.

That's why I'm here.

I'm not a nurse.

I'm a private investigator.

Clarence Litton wanted me to find out how much you expected to get for this

house. Everything I did was on purpose, running into you on the beach and...

then finding out how things stood at the restaurant last night.

You're told?

It's okay.

You're an unusual man, Mr. Lewis.

All of the information that I gave to Mr. Litton turned out to be useless

well, that's why he canned me.

But you know what? I don't mind because... you're nice people and...

I started feeling bad about the whole thing, and I just wanted to apologize.

Especially to you.

I'm sorry.

That's all right. I've had to do some underhanded things myself for Ben. I

ask you to do anything underhanded.

Sneaky? Sneaky, maybe, but not underhanded.

Sneaky.

Well, I gotta go.

Hey, congratulations on sticking it to old Lytton like that.

He thought you were just a dumb hick.

I know.

Bye. Bye.

Classy lady.

Got guts, too.

Too bad she can't hold a job.

set at $250 ,000.

As for the trial, it will commence the 3rd of next month at 9 a .m. in this

courtroom.

Court is adjourned until 2 o 'clock.

This is weird.

I've been a spectator in court a hundred times, but sitting here... There are a

couple of dozen reporters outside. When I came in, you might want to go down the

back stairs. I know that's what I'm going to do.

Figure why make their jobs such as they are any easier.

I hate reporters.

Ellen. Yoo -hoo.

Ingrid. Oh, how are you, dear? We have been so worried about you.

Hello, Ellen.

Frank, hi.

Ben Matlock. These are my friends, Frank and Ingrid Jeffries. Hi.

Are you going to be able to raise all that bail money? Oh, I can handle it.

Thank you. The real reason why we came down here is because we heard you're

staying in some dreadful hotel.

Oh, well, I've been in work.

Well, we think you should stay with us.

You'd be near Carrie, and she's very worried about you.

Oh, it's tempting. We've got an extra bedroom. It seems a shame to waste it.

Actually, if you have ideas, then I accept.

Great.

all that racket.

I don't know.

I couldn't decide between red and white so I got black.

Want to go for a ride?

We're cutting a bank.

Sold a house, collateral.

They couldn't loan me the money fast enough.

Pop, deals on houses fall through every day. Oh, take that apron off and get in.

What's it got you doing now, baking cookies?

No, we're making a stew.

Really? Jealous, huh?

No, I'm not jealous. You liked it when I had to come crawling to you all the

time to borrow money, didn't you? Are you crazy?

The worm has turned and you can't stand it. I'm just afraid the worm's going to

do something stupid.

I'm looking over, I'm holding over.

Did I overlook before?

I

think

it's hereditary.

Give me one all the way.

Wise choice, Mr. Matlock.

Oh, hi.

Hi. Mind if I join you?

Sure.

Give me two, please, with the works.

And a bag of chip.

Two? And a root beer.

So, got a couple minutes to talk?

Sure.

I was wondering... Mr. Matlock.

I was just about to call you.

Excuse us for a moment?

Sure.

I've been talking to the police up in Wallace all morning long.

Someone tried to burn Adam Easley's house down. What? Last night, about

midnight. Definitely arson.

Definitely not a professional job.

Made me think that maybe someone who didn't have a lot of experience was

to destroy something inside the house.

You talking about Ellen Barrett?

He is.

So I had the police search the house, and they found something very curious, a

book written in Chinese, published in Shanghai about 20 years ago, titled

of a Criminal. It wasn't exactly a bestseller even then, almost impossible

get, and yet that's the only book they found in that whole house.

So I had somebody down at the library do a quick translation, and bingo.

Oh, sure.

Keep right on going.

What do you care?

Jerk!

Where was I?

Bingo. Oh, yeah.

I guess so.

The book chronicles the life of a real -life serial killer.

From his childhood right up to the execution.

It sounded suspiciously similar in theme to that series of articles your client

did for the Atlanta Herald that won her the Pulitzer Prize.

So I compared the two.

They're the same, Mr. Matlock.

I finally have what I've been looking for.

Motor.

Mr.

Matlock!

You forgot your hot dog.

What? I said, where were you between 11 and 1 last night? I was right here,

sleeping.

Where were you?

We were sleeping, too.

In another room. Of course.

So you can't say for sure where Ellen was.

Ben, what's this about?

Our friend Mr.

Haskins knows about the book.

The police in Wallace retrieved it from Adam Easley's house after you tried to

burn it down last night.

I didn't burn down anybody's house. Ellen.

The district attorney has motive. He's going to contend that you killed Adam

Easley because he was blackmailing you. Because he knew the Pulitzer Prize

winning articles of yours were all plagiarized.

Plagiarized? Dan, please, could we do this somewhere else? What's the

difference? By the end of the day,

everybody's going to know it's over, Ellen. So how about the truth?

The DA's right about the book.

But he's wrong about me. I didn't kill Adam Easley, not in self -defense or

otherwise. He was already dead when I got to his room. Why did you say you

killed him?

I can't tell you that.

How am I going to defend you? Oh, Ben, come on.

Clients lie to their lawyers all the time. You know that. Besides, I'm not

lying. I just can't tell you everything.

Oh, Ben, come on. Please, if you drop me, nobody else is going to touch me.

be convicted for sure.

Ben, I didn't kill him.

Nothing on the news.

I guess the D .A. hasn't told the press about the book.

You know what I feel like doing?

Remember when you and Brad used to come over and we'd play bridge out there till

dawn? Ingrid, they're divorced.

I know.

But this morning in the store when Frank was off skiing, I started talking to

this really nice, very nice -looking man about your age, and he mentioned he

plays bridge.

So why don't I go call him? Now is not the time to be fixing her up. Why not?

Romance strikes when you least expect it.

She has other things on her mind. And I'm trying to get her mind off those

things. I know you are, Ingrid.

But I kind of feel like being alone. I just think I'll take a long walk on the

beach. Want some company?

No, thanks.

Don't wait up for me.

Oh, Ingrid.

What was wrong with that?

What you got there? Who the hell are you?

I'll explain to you in the car. I'm not going anywhere with you. Well, you know,

you got two choices.

Either you can come with me or we can call the cops.

You decide.

Well, who's that?

Somebody bringing your daddy home. Great guy.

Hi. Hi.

Miss Barrett would like to talk to you.

I'll talk to you tomorrow.

Okay.

What's that?

Blood.

Let's sit down. It's going to be a long story.

Oh.

After,

uh...

I wound up winning the Pulitzer for those plagiarized articles 15 years ago.

My conscience started bothering me, and eventually I told Brad what I'd done.

And you'd still married then.

Yeah, and he was my editor.

I never told anybody else, but somehow someone found out, and a couple of weeks

ago, a man called Brad up, and he said that he would make what I had done

unless he was given $100 ,000.

He said his name was Adam Easley.

I wonder why he put the squeeze on Brad instead of you.

Oh, maybe he thought he had more money or more to lose or maybe both. I don't

know.

Anyway, Brad told me about the threat and he said that he'd take care of it.

But knowing that Brad doesn't have a stomach for such things, I got worried

I... At the last minute, I thought that I would go and meet with this Easley,

too.

I went to his room and I knocked.

When no one answered, I tried the door. It was unlocked.

I opened it, walked in, and there was Easley lying

dead on the floor.

The knife was next to him and the briefcase was underneath him. It was

I figured that Brad had gone there, met with Easley, got mad, lost it, and...

Killed him.

I knew that if Brad were arrested, the plagiarism would come out and we'd be

ruined. Brad, me, Carrie, all of us.

I see.

So I decided to make it look like I'd killed him.

I went outside and I buried the briefcase.

It was empty.

But I didn't want anything of Brad's to be found. Then I went back to the room.

I guess that's when the boys saw me.

And I called the police.

And then while you were waiting for him to come, you stayed with me.

I tore my blouse.

Then I wiped the knife clean, and I put my fingerprints on it.

I knocked over some furniture, scratched his face, and I whacked myself with the

phone. And when the police came, you told them that lie about Adam Easley

working for Big Baron. Yeah.

Well, why'd you dig up the briefcase?

So I could get rid of it.

Brad did it.

I think that's a safe assumption.

You haven't talked to him?

We agreed not to contact each other until after he talked to Easley.

We wanted to make sure that Carrie never found out.

You know, that's the first time we agreed on anything in almost 14 years.

the truth after i overheard what the deputy d .a told you in the courthouse i

thought maybe i'd do a little freelancing and follow ellen i figured

i came up with something maybe you'd hire me that's why you came to the

courthouse yeah i know you have cliff but he doesn't strike me as

the kind of person who's particularly good at

Speaking around?

Yeah.

Well, he's, uh... Truth is, I don't have anything for you right now.

This case... Every time I think I got a handle on it, you know, pull the old

rabbit out of the hat, I look in there and there ain't no rabbit.

Well, maybe I could do some more relancing.

No, no.

I don't like that. I don't want people...

Going behind my back.

Basically people who work for me.

So, Ellen thinks that I killed him?

You did, didn't you?

No, no.

Well, she found your briefcase under the body.

I went there that night.

But I did not kill him. He was alive when I looked.

Let's hear it.

All right.

Okay.

This guy easily called me a couple weeks ago and said that he knew Ellen had

gotten the filter by plagiarizing that book.

Said if I didn't pay him a hundred grand, he'd tell.

So, I got him the cash.

and I met him in his room at 9.

I don't want some copy. I want the book.

The book's my insurance policy.

How do I know you're not going to do this again?

I guess you'll just have to trust me.

And that was it. I went straight home.

After Cary went to bed that evening, I threw the copy that he had given me into

the fireplace, and I burned it.

Well, the police estimate the time of death to be about 9 .30. Well, I was

long before then.

Who'd you think had done it?

Ellen. I figured she had gone over there for some reason and gotten into a fight

with the guy and killed him in self -defense, just like she said.

What'd you think had happened to your briefcase and the money? I figured.

Ellen, look at this.

First she said she did it, and then she said she didn't do it, said you did it.

And then you said you didn't do it, said she did it.

I wish you'd get your story straight.

Carrie.

Mom got that prize by cheating.

And you knew about it.

All those years you've been living a lie.

Is that why you divorce?

Because of the lie?

You lectured me about honesty.

Your honesty cost me a mother.

And a father.

Carrie.

Ellen. I figured I might find you here.

Ben Matlock came to see me today.

I know, he told me.

Unfortunately, Carrie was listening, and she overheard everything.

What do you mean, everything?

Everything. Oh, for crying out loud, Brad, how could you let that happen?

She was very upset. She ran out of the house in tears. She ran away?

She got back an hour ago. She's up there now. I sat her down and explained

everything to her. She's handling it.

She's up there listening to music, or at least what she calls music.

Did you tell her that stealing from that book, I've regretted every day of my

life? The best I could.

I love her, Brad.

The last thing in the world I want is for her to be hurt by my stupidity.

That's why I covered for you when I thought that you killed Adam Easley.

I didn't kill Adam Easley. Well, what was I supposed to think? He was lying on

top of your briefcase. I figured you killed him.

And I knew watching you go to prison would break Harry's heart.

Couldn't let that happen.

They almost ready?

A few seconds.

Of course he said Adam Easley was alive when he left. What else was he going to

say? He had to know that incriminates Alan.

Maybe he didn't care.

How did this Adam Easley guy wind up with the book that she plagiarized?

People familiar with obscure Chinese literature generally aren't

Somebody gave it to him.

Maybe that's who killed him.

Yeah, hey, maybe they were partners.

You know, uh...

Instead of settling for half the blackmail money, they could have wanted

whole thing, so they killed him.

You know, there's still a hundred grand missing.

Okay, here you go.

Blueberry pancakes. Oh, yes.

I think we should go for this Adam Eason

guy. Huh?

The police say that he owed two months' background on the house in Wallace, and

he had no visible means of support.

Hadn't filed an income tax return in five years and at this point no one's

forward to claim his body It's hard to know where to begin How about with him?

People who can eat from morning to night without getting fat drive me crazy

Thanks a lot.

So, this is the infamous Adam Easley.

Medical examiner did a real number on him, huh?

Looks like he put everything back pretty much in the right place.

You okay?

Haven't you ever done this before?

Oh, you should sit something.

I used to do this all the time when I was a cop.

I thought it was so cool how you could learn so much from people just by

at their corpses.

For instance, look at that liver.

See how kind of puffy it is?

Beginning stages of cirrhosis.

This guy liked to drink.

Sure was tan.

Take a look at this.

Calluses all across his palm.

See that?

Left hand, too.

Look at that.

Tan lying on his ring finger.

Was he wearing a ring when they bagged him?

Watch wallet, gold necklace, no rings.

Hmm.

Well, if it was a wedding band, looks like he was wearing it till pretty

recently.

Maybe there's an ex -wife somewhere.

Maybe she's the one with all the answers.

Oh, Carrie.

How could you do it?

How many countless times I've asked myself that question.

I was young.

I was ambitious.

And incredibly stupid.

And you thought no one would ever find out?

Well, I thought that I could live with it.

And in time, I thought I had to.

I hope you can forgive me someday, Carrie.

I was dishonest. I lied. I cheated.

I stole.

And I lived with it. And I made your dad live with it.

That's what ruined our marriage.

I lost him, and I lost you.

You didn't lose me.

You just didn't want me. Oh, Carrie, no.

I didn't fight for custody of you because I thought I didn't deserve you.

Mr. Haskins.

Mr.

Haskins.

Ideally, what you hear in a court of law

is the truth.

But I'm afraid that what you're going to hear mostly in this court of law are

lies.

You will hear how Ellen Barrett told the police that she

went to Adam Easley's hotel room to get information on a suspected mobster named

Vic Barrett.

You will hear how Adam Easley greeted her at the door as a friend and how...

How chagrined she was when moments later he told her he'd been sent by Vic

Barron to beat her up.

You'll hear how he pulled her hair and

he tore her clothes and he hit her on the head and how she in turn

scratched his face and ultimately stabbed him to death with a steak

knife.

But these will have all been lies.

Because you will then hear how no connection between Adam Easley and Vic

has ever been found, how in all likelihood the injuries she suffered

self -inflicted, and how the scratch mark on the victim was put there after

was dead.

You will hear.

How Ms. Barrett tried to make it look as if she murdered Adam Easley in self

-defense when in point of fact it was premeditated murder.

Why did she kill him?

Ladies and gentlemen couched in that answer is the biggest lie of all.

Because you will hear how Ellen Barrett, famous reporter and columnist, renowned

for the series of articles she wrote years ago that won her the Pulitzer

how she was being blackmailed by Adam Easley. Why?

Because he found out that that series of articles had in fact been written by

somebody else. Ladies and gentlemen, Adam Easley is dead because he found out

that Ellen Barrett is a plagiarist.

Found him.

Are you sure I can't get you anything?

Oh, no, I'm fine, thank you. Is this you in all these pictures?

Yep. Frank, he's practically every day.

Even when he's making the round of his milk, he comes home by way of Lake

George. But I don't mind.

I like what it does for his pack.

Ingrid, what can we do for you?

I'm just still trying to get a handle on this case.

Hey.

Did you happen to be home that night?

I wasn't.

Tuesday's ladies' night at the Racquet Club. I was home.

You remember if Brad was home?

Is that what you're doing?

You're checking up on Brad.

Well, you're a friend of his, and he lives across the street, and like they

the truth never hurts, so I just... Well, I know he was home at 11, because

there was something about Ellen on the news, and I called him right away to

him. Uh -huh.

You remember seeing him before that?

Yes, as a matter of fact, I do.

I saw him pull into the driveway.

I remember because the headlights shine right into our house whenever he pulls

in. Just between you, me, and the lamppost, it's really annoying.

When would that have been?

Well, it seems to me I was watching Inside the FBI at the time. Oh, he never

misses that show. So it must have been sometime between 9 and 9 .30.

Well, I had a feeling Brad didn't do it.

Well, who do you think did?

Well, I'm damned fine, though.

Mrs. Easley!

Are you in there?

Hello?

You

shouldn't

torment the dog. Hey, if she's in there, she's gonna come out and see what's

going on.

I told him yesterday I wasn't going to have any money till Friday.

No, we don't want any money. We just want to talk to you about your ex

I'm dead, what day?

When was the last time you saw him?

About a week before he died. Was that here or up in Wallace?

Lake George.

He just about lived out there.

Kept a place in Wallace just so he could...

Take a shower once in a while.

I went up there to tell him that the divorce was final and that he owed me

months' child support.

Told him I'd gotten a lawyer and was going to go after his lousy ski boat if

didn't pay up. A water ski boat?

That's why we never had any money.

It all went into hanging around the lake trying to impress those rich dudes out

there.

Parties, beer, wine, whiskey.

That damn ski boat.

The candy man.

Anyway, Adam said he'd have the money for me in a week.

And then the bump goes and dies.

And here I am, hiding in the bathroom every time there's a knock on the door

fear that it's a bill collector.

Did he say where he was going to get the money?

He didn't say.

I didn't ask.

Adam wasn't a man what you call had a whole lot of principles.

Hello. I'm Clarence Litton. Is Mr. Lewis here? Oh, yes. Come on in, please.

Thank you.

Billy. What?

Billy. What?

Hello, Mr. Lewis.

I stopped by because I'm afraid there's... Well, there's a small

I'd like to explain it to you personally.

You're not going to buy the house?

Yes, we're going to buy the house.

But unfortunately, we're not going to be able to do so as soon as we planned.

What do you mean?

Oh, due to some mix -up in our legal department, we're not going to be able

pay off the mortgage until Thursday. Not tomorrow, as we agreed.

Thursday? This Thursday?

Correct. But in the meantime, I brought by a check for what we agreed to pay

you. Well, in hopes that...

It would help you accept our profound apologies for the slight delay.

Yeah, oh, okay.

Of course, I'll have to run this Thursday thing by my son, the lawyer,

he says.

Oh, of course, of course. And if he has any questions, Mr. Lewis, just have him

call me and we'll discuss this. Always a pleasure. Thank you, Mr. Lewis.

Goodbye. Let me see that.

750 ,000 smackers.

I'll just parlay that into a couple of million.

Now, Waterskiing, that could explain Adam Easley's dark tan.

And the calluses on his hand.

Yeah.

You know, I think this is going to work out good.

What? You and me teaming up like this.

You want to have some dinner tonight?

Oh, Cliff, I don't think... You don't think I'm your type, right?

Well,

it's just that I recently broke up with somebody and I'm not really ready to get

involved with somebody else.

You know what I mean?

Yeah.

Good.

I think I saw a phone over by that gas station. I'm going to go call Ben.

I'll just meet you by the boat.

Okay.

I'll see you over there, then.

This ain't your boat, pal.

You know what I've been ripping everybody off down here? Huh?

You're the one that got my radio last week.

Come here.

This is not your boat. I know that. I know that. If you give me one moment,

explain.

I got it. Okay.

Hold on.

Bring it around.

This yours?

Yeah. Thanks. I owe you one.

Don't mention it.

No, really.

How about I buy you a drink?

I'm Carrie Gilardi.

I was coming to see you.

Oh, the last time I saw you, you were as big as a grasshopper.

Doesn't look very good for my mom, does it?

Uh, well... I hope you're not going to try and pin it on my dad.

Well, to tell you the truth... Because he was telling the truth, Mr. Matlock.

was home at 9 .15. I know it because of my car.

Your car?

Yeah, I parked my car in the driveway.

And when I park my car in the driveway, he can't park his car in the garage.

Oh. Well, did you move your car so you could... No.

No, he was too upset.

He was so upset, he said, forget it, and left his car in the street.

I'm really worried about the both of them.

Well, I... Well, thank you for the information.

What's up, Frank?

Mr. Matlock.

What's up?

Remember you told me how you saw Brad's headlight when he turned into his

driveway? Yeah.

I just found out that he didn't turn into his driveway that night.

So you couldn't have seen his headlight.

He caught me.

Why'd you lie?

I've known Brad for 20 years.

He came to my wedding. I saw him through his divorce.

There's no way in hell he could kill anyone.

He's a good guy.

I was just trying to protect him, that's all.

Maybe what I did was wrong, but I did it for the right reason.

I'm sorry.

Okay.

What were you doing out at Lake George?

Oh, Adam Easley's ex -wife said that he was out there water skiing about a week

before he died and that he was about to come into a lot of money.

So we went out there, we found his boat, had a little run -in with his dock mate

who's very strong and not very nice.

Oh, he's nice to me.

He bought me a drink.

Right.

Anyway, we came up empty -handed.

Did you say Adam Easley water skis out at Lake George?

All the time.

Well, that's interesting, because Brad Gilardi is next to our neighbor.

Frank Jeffries does, too.

And she'd bake a cherry pie.

She can bake a cherry pie.

She's the apple of my eye. She's a young thing and cannot leave her mother.

Hey, I'm going to have to tune up the old guitar. Yeah, I got some good news.

What? Well, I went back out to the lake, and I showed the picture of Frank

Jeffries to my new pal.

He recognized you? Yeah.

Didn't know who he was, but he did say that he'd seen him with Adam Easley a

couple of times.

Oh, then we're on the right. Mm -hmm.

How's it going here?

Hmm.

Wonder what happened to all that money?

Here's a passbook.

The last big deposit was made two months before the murder. That won't help us.

Your

maid

let us in, Miss Jeffries.

We have a warrant to search the premises.

Back outside. Come on. Let's go. Let's go. Now, come on. All of you. All of

Right now.

Right now.

or no pizza.

What are you doing here?

Well, just checking bank statements and such. Like I say, we have a warrant.

Are Frank and I suspects?

They're just covering all the bases.

Who are the kids?

Underprivileged children. I throw a beach party for them every summer.

That's nice.

Well, we'll be going and have a nice party.

Pizza's here, Mrs. Jeffries.

Here you go. All right.

I'm sorry, I can't break 100.

You're kidding.

Why not?

I think maybe I can.

Just see.

Here's a 20.

And a 20 and a 2 .5.

And a 50.

Oh, Mr. Matlock, you're a lifesaver.

Thank you.

Is this the briefcase you gave to the decedent that night? Yes, it is.

What was in it when you gave it to him?

$100 ,000 in $100 bills.

What's in it now?

Nothing. Your Honor, we already know that's the briefcase that was found

underneath the decedent's body. It's already entered into evidence.

Mr. Matlock, why didn't you come forward when Ellen was arrested?

I was ashamed.

Nothing further?

No questions.

He told me a lot of things when he and Ellen were going through the divorce.

He needed someone to confide in, and I was it.

How do you make a living, Mr. Jeffries? I own a half -dozen textile mills. Been

in my family for years.

They union or non -union?

Non -union.

What would happen if they went union?

I'd have to shut them down. I couldn't afford to run them.

I don't know.

I don't know. I think you could afford it. It's just that you and your CEOs

wouldn't be able to draw such nice big salaries, which that's the real reason

you scream shut down every time that five -letter word that starts with a U

comes up, isn't it?

I pay my workers well, and I treat them fairly, and they'd be the first to say

so. Well, that may be, but there is a movement.

to unionize mills like yours, isn't there? Like in those editorials in the

Atlanta Herald.

Are they pro or anti -union?

Pro.

They keep fanning the flames, don't they?

Does that bother you?

Of course it bothers me.

Who's editor -in -chief of the Herald?

Brad Gilardi.

Well, he's a friend of yours.

Didn't you talk to him, try to get him to stop...

Publishing that stuff pro -union?

Of course I did, but... He kept fanning the flame. He kept fanning the flame.

Yeah, yeah.

Flames that could ruin your business, maybe.

But certainly your lifestyle.

And so since arguing with him wouldn't help, you decided on a more drastic

You figured out a way to not only get him fired,

But to ruin his character and discredit him and everything he stood for...

Objection!

What in the world do mills and unions have to do with whether or not Alan

Barrett committed first -degree murder?

I just got started, Peter, for heaven's sake.

Mr. Matlock.

I'll tie it up, Your Honor, I promise.

Proceed. Objection overruled.

I understand you like to water -ski, Mr. Jackson.

Yes, I do.

The decedent, Adam Easley, liked to go out and ski. Do you know that?

No. Oh, yeah. He had a ski boat down Lake George and everything.

You got a ski boat?

Yes, I do.

Oh.

You got a ski boat and you got a ski boat. Where do you keep yours?

Lake George.

Did you know Adam Easley?

No.

Well, there's a man here who docked his boat next to... Adam Easley's boat, and

he's prepared to testify that he saw you and Mr. Easley together on numerous

occasions. He's mistaken.

Objection! We got mills and unions and water skiing and boats. Just when does

Mr. Matlock plan to get around to something that is relevant to this case?

Haskins, give me a break.

You did say something about tying all this up, didn't you, Mr. Matlock?

That's right.

Were you aware that Ellen Barrett plagiarized the articles that won her

Pulitzer Prize?

No.

Well, that's odd.

I understood that your friend Brad Gilardi told you they were plagiarized

that he knew it.

Yeah, actually, I think he did tell me. Actually, he's prepared to testify that

in the middle of his divorce, when you were his closest friend...

He told you. I guess I forgot. And you decide to take that knowledge that he

trusted you with and use it to nip this union business in the bud by framing him

for murder and by exposing him as a man who condoned plagiarism. At least that

was the plan, wasn't it?

No. And so you obtained a copy of the Chinese book that Ellen had

plagiarized and gave it...

to your water skiing buddy, Adam Easley, and had him make the call to Brad about

the blackmail money, didn't you? No. You told him to ask for $100 ,000 in cash.

Then you arranged for Mr. Easley to meet Brad at that motel and collect it. Not

one word of this is true.

After Brad left, you showed up wearing gloves.

You did something that Adam Easley didn't expect at all, didn't you?

You picked up the steak knife and killed him. No.

He was holding the briefcase, and good for you, he fell on it. I didn't kill

him. I wasn't there.

You removed the money from the briefcase, put the case back under the

the police would assume that Brad was the killer, and then you left.

That's not true.

What you didn't know is that Brad had told Ellen about the blackmail, and

she was afraid that somehow he might botch the payoff. So after you left a

motel, she showed up, saw the body, and she assumed what you wanted

everybody else to assume, that Brad had done it.

And so to protect Brad and herself, she staged that scene to make it look

like... Self -defense.

When all the time, it was you, wasn't it? No, this is outrageous.

Objection! Proof! Proof! It is obvious to me Mr. Matlock has absolutely no

concept of the word proof.

Mr. Haskins, I've been an officer of the court for my entire adult life. Do you

really think I'd go this far without proof?

How about it?

All right.

Right here.

Right here.

In this little sack.

What does a $100 bill got to do with anything?

He said, what's a $100 bill got to do with anything?

I was just getting to that.

Scouts honor, Your Honor.

Go ahead.

Fast. Okay.

You know why I got this $100 bill, Mr. Jeffries?

I have no idea.

Your wife gave it to me.

Detective Marks saw her give it to me the other day in exchange for some

bills.

It occurred to me that it might be one of the $100 bills

that Brad took to Adam Easley the night of the murder.

And I hope the lab could find fingerprints.

What they found was even better.

Know what it was?

Again, I have no idea.

Traces of Adam Easley's blood.

It was part of the missing blackmail money.

How'd your wife end up with it?

You gave it to her.

How did you end up with it?

It was part of the money you took out of that blood -soaked briefcase.

after you stabbed Adam Easley to death.

Wasn't it, Mr. Jeffrey?

We find the defendant, Ellen Barrett, not guilty.

Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. Bail is exonerated and the defendant is free to

go.

Congratulations.

Thank you.

Okay.

I'm taking both of you to lunch.

Now that you're both unemployed and we have nothing better to do, maybe we can

finally learn how to talk to one another.

Go to lunch?

After whipping my tail like that, making a fool out of me, I'm nearly eating

meat in front of my peers.

I'm fine.

I'm easy.

You think we'll all fit in that car?

It'll be a tight squeeze.

No worse than cheap seats in most airplanes.

Lord knows you're used to them.

I don't know, Ben.

Huh?

Think I should have sold Lucy's house like that.

It's a little late for sellers' remorse, Billy.

Yeah, but she was my sister.

She spent her last years here.

Now, thanks to me, they're going to tear it all down and plow it under like some

big patch of weeds.

Maybe I shouldn't have sold it.

Maybe I should have just let it sit.

Kind of like the Lincoln Memorial.

Yeah.

Billy, I think it's good for you to feel guilty like this.

And I don't wish to speak evil of the dead, but I think you're forgetting

something here.

Lucy was nasty, mean, ornery, hateful,

mule -headed.

And you had to live with her for 40 years.

You gave up 40 years of your life. 40 years!

You hated her, Billy.

Thanks Ben.

I needed that.

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