Original subtitles

To you, Alice.

Thank you.

I picked a great weekend for a coming out party, didn't I?

I've lived here my whole life. I've never seen a storm like this. We've

had anything like this.

It's supposed to be the worst series of storms in the last hundred years.

Oh, boy.

Boy. Oh.

It's cold.

All right, Allison?

Fine, thanks.

Can I get you anything?

No. Listen,

I know you're all too polite to mention that, but...

I'm not ashamed of the fact that I've been in a sanitarium.

And at least not embarrassed in front of you.

And this time I'm home for good.

And you're doing just fine.

Thanks to you, Dr. Linder.

We all care about you, Alice.

And I'm grateful for all you've done. You've taken such good care of

And I don't mean just the way you've run the house.

You've been like family to me.

Uncle Bob, I don't know what I would have done without you.

I'll always be there for you.

You know that.

Hello.

It's about time.

Well, made it, finally.

Sorry I'm late.

Damn roads were flooded.

We were getting concerned about you.

Yes, I'm sure.

It's lucky I got here.

The state police said they were going to close the highway after they let me

through. Oh, Lord, you mean we're going to have to spend the night here?

Oh, I'm sure we can make everyone very comfortable.

Well, that's good.

I had thought that we would go over the estate matters tonight, but in view of

the circumstances, I think it can wait until morning.

That is, if all of you can wait.

I don't understand.

Allison, in anticipation of your 21st birthday, I have been doing an extensive

evaluation of the estate.

I'm going to step down as trustee.

You're going to be in charge.

I think you should have a full understanding of just how things work

here.

I'm ready for my dinner now.

Now, don't let me interrupt your fun.

Thank you.

Is anybody there?

Mr. Mallard.

Yeah.

Boy.

Some place.

I've heard of this place.

Of course, everyone has.

Well.

Yes, sir.

Now, sir.

Now, about Allison. Yes.

Would you like one of these? I don't smoke.

Understood.

How about your knees?

Allison isn't really my niece, but I have been her Uncle Bob ever since she

a baby. See, her father and I were in business together until he and his wife

were killed.

You may remember they surprised a burglar in the act.

Well, they got the guy, didn't they?

Yes, they did, but unfortunately, Allison was the one who discovered the

And I'm afraid she's had to spend a great deal of time here ever since.

Was... Coming back to the sanitarium a condition of rebellion?

No, no, no. The judge released her into my custody.

But Allison and I both felt that she'd be better off here.

She's very confused.

Mr. Matlock, she had no reason to kill Marsha Gold. She obviously didn't know

what she was doing.

I'm not guilty by reason of consent.

And I want you to understand that money is not an issue here.

As you know, Allison is an extremely wealthy young woman.

Allison.

I'm Ben Matlock.

I know.

My Uncle Bob told me about you.

Well, why don't we start with your telling

me everything you remember about that night.

I understand you were having a dinner party.

It was sort of a coming out.

Dr. Linder arranged it. Oh, yeah.

Anything unusual happen at dinner?

Well, the lights kept going on and off because of the storm, and then the power

finally went out, and the roads were flooded, so everyone spent the night.

And I had the dream.

The dream?

It's always the same.

I go into the library and I... I find my mother.

Dead.

Oh, I see.

So the other night I woke up and it... It was like it was happening all over

again.

And then I heard it again.

The library of the voice.

And that's what I saw.

What did you see?

My mother.

I know it's impossible.

I know she's dead, but that's what I saw.

Well, the power was off. It must have been very dark.

What made you so sure it was your mother you saw?

Because I saw the cigarette holder that she always used and the emerald necklace

that she loved to wear.

What happened to those things after your mother was... After she died?

I keep the necklace in my safe and the cigarette holder in my room in a jewelry

box in my dresser.

I just do.

Well, I can understand that.

What about the letter opener?

It's always on the desk in the library.

You remember picking it up?

No.

Are you certain?

Yes.

Allison, do you remember... stabbing?

I just don't know.

Uh, there's no one at your reception desk here.

John's Courthouse.

Hi, how are you? I'm Warren Kreitzer from New York. We spoke on the phone,

right? Oh, yeah.

Yeah, you talked so fast I couldn't.

Quite make out what you were saying.

Well, our firm, Stevens, Douglas & J, handles Allison Tate's trust. And with

what's happened, Mr. Douglas felt that we should have someone on the scene.

Now, I realize it's not necessary with you handling things, but Mr. Douglas is

stickler for detail, you know. I was wondering, how are you going to plead,

Allison?

I don't know. I was afraid you might consider pleading or not guilty by

of insanity.

That's a bad idea?

Yes. Yes, it is.

Why?

Well, I've been down here on and off state business, but I've gotten to know

a little.

I think she's fragile, yeah, but I don't think she's balanced.

You a psychiatrist?

No.

But I notice things. For example, if I came into the office of a leading

attorney and found him shining his shoes, I wouldn't necessarily think he

compulsive.

What would you think?

Maybe it's tough to get a good shoe shine in Atlanta. I don't know.

Well, you'd be wrong.

It's not tough.

And I am compulsive.

I like to shine my shoes. I shine them all the time.

Okay, well, I guess I was wrong about your shoes. They look fantastic, by the

way. Very nice.

Well, Mr. Kreitzer. That's Kreitzer.

Yeah, Christ.

If I ever need expert testimony, I'll keep you in mind.

You wouldn't be going out to the tape place, would you?

Yeah. Mind if I come along? I'd like to, you know, look the place over.

You got a car?

Do I ever.

Rental.

You can drive.

It was Mrs. Tate's favorite piece.

Oh, I can see why.

It's a real beauty.

May I, uh...

Yeah. You know, according to the police report, there were three people in the

house on the night of the murder. Apart from Allison and Marsha Gold.

When did you see the police?

I stopped by the station on my way to your office.

Oh. You want to hear the rest of it?

Okay.

That leaves us three suspects.

Uncle Bob, Dr. Linder, and Mrs. Johnson.

You want to hear a motive?

Okay.

I think Mrs. Johnson's been stealing from the estate.

That emerald necklace.

Thanks.

Oh, you... He spotted that, too. Yeah.

My uncle's a jeweler.

Um... What?

Tell me about Uncle Bob.

Marsha Gold's doing an audit at the state.

Bob Rainier's the investment counselor, right? Maybe he's, you know, getting

creative. Oh.

Dr. Linder?

I don't think we can rule them out.

Where to?

Sanitarium? Okay.

Well, this is some place you've got here, Doctor. Thank you. We're very

it. I understand that this is bigger than your first house. Well, we outgrew

previous facility.

Oh, I say.

What is this, 15, 20 acres? About.

Oh.

It's one of the most exclusive residential property in Atlanta.

No wonder you have to charge the patients.

We haven't had any complaints.

Our clientele is very comfortable.

And I bet Allison Tate is one of the most very comfortable patients you got.

really wouldn't mind.

You know, the talk around town is that right after he became your patient, you

were able to break ground on him. I fail to see what one has to do with the

other. I'm just trying to put this together. I'm not saying there's a

connection, but it does seem interesting that right after one of the richest

people in the state became your patient, you were able to build this town of

town. Well, this place has been a dream of mine for years, Matlock.

Well, that's good.

That's Allison's bungalow over there? Right over there, sir.

I'll tell you one thing.

If I ever lose it, this is the place.

If I can get a deal.

Warren, I'm just so scared.

Oh, Allison, Ben Matlock is very good.

Really, you couldn't be in better hands.

Unless, of course, they were mine.

It's real nice you came down. I really appreciate it.

Well, that's right.

You know each other. I was just telling Allison how lucky she is to have you

representing her.

Oh?

Hang in there, Ken, okay?

Okay. I'll see you later. Bye.

Are you sure the cigarette holder was in the jewelry box?

It was there that afternoon.

It wasn't there this morning.

I don't understand.

I think Marsha Gold was already dead before you got to the library.

Somebody used the necklace and cigarette holder as props.

Was in a hurry to get the necklace back and say, put this in there with it.

Somebody else killed her?

Yeah.

Somebody else killed her.

Mr. Matlock.

Allison needs her rest.

I'll go now.

Thank you.

Yeah.

I'm sorry, but we pride ourselves on our discretion.

I'm sure you understand.

Of course.

Of course. And I'd never ask you to compromise your position, Mrs.

Walters. Oh, Nancy.

And it's Miss.

That's very nice.

But you see, Nancy, I'm working with Ben Matlock. We're defending Allison Tate.

Allison? Oh, that poor girl.

So, if there's anything at all you could tell me about... May I help you? Not at

all, thanks. I'll try that restaurant.

Thank you.

Nancy.

Have a nice day.

What have you been doing?

It occurred to me it takes Major Buck to fund a setup like this.

Having someone like Allison Tate in and out of this place on a regular basis,

it's almost like having an annuity.

I'd like to figure a way to get a look at his books, you know what I mean?

Hey, Juan.

I appreciate that you think Allison's innocent.

I do, too.

You do?

Yeah.

Well, that's good news.

Right?

Now we're cooking with cats.

Hi, can I help you?

Who are you?

You must be Tyler Hudson.

You don't know how much I look forward to meeting you.

And why is that, Mr... Warren Kreitzer. I'm down from New York helping Ben out

on the tape case. Oh, really?

Our firm handles the tape trust.

You know what?

The way I hear it, you're a big part of the reason for Ben Matlock's success.

I wouldn't say all that.

Well, let's face it, Tyler. I can't call you Tyler, can I? Yeah.

You and I both know that in criminal law, a good investigator can be a

most valuable asset.

Well, I like to feel like I do my bit.

What, are you kidding me? What about the Beckerman case?

Yeah, the Beckerman case.

Then never could have gotten an acquittal without the work you did on

was a tough one.

Speaking of tough ones, this Tate case is a real problem.

Can I borrow you a cup of coffee?

I'd like to talk to you about a couple of things.

Don't worry about it, man. All you've got to do is get me inside. I can take

from there.

I don't know where you went to school.

I'll be here all day.

I'm sure breaking an entry wasn't part of the curriculum.

Here we go.

Bingo.

Wow.

Great work, pilot. Thanks.

Are you absolutely sure about this?

Go on, go on. Beat it before we both get caught.

You're on your own.

About last night, I just... Now, listen.

When you broke into that sanitary, you were representing this office and me.

You can be disbarred. Now, I don't give a merry damn about that.

But you might have fatally compromised Allison Tate's case and what I'm trying

to do here, and I do give a merry damn about that. Are they going to prosecute

you? I don't know.

I talked my head off to Dr. Leonard.

I hope not. For me, not for you. I appreciate what you're doing. And I

Stephen Douglas and Jay.

They didn't send you down here to troubleshoot the Allison Tate murder

You're supposed to be on vacation somewhere. Why don't you just go there?

Look, I know I screwed up, and I'm sorry, but I wasn't doing it just to be

I've known Allison for almost two years, and although I've never been in a

position to prove it, I always thought that these people around her were

exploiting her. And you and I know that Mrs. Johnson was doing it, and I think I

can show you that Dr. Linder and good old Uncle Bob had something going.

Here's my report on what I read in Dr. Linder's office.

Aren't you going to look at it?

How about now?

I'll handle it from here.

No appeal, huh?

Okay.

Well, it's been... brief.

I'm sorry I caused you any problems.

Did you care for anything?

Oh, no, thank you.

This rain.

Sure is something, isn't it?

Yeah.

You said that you had something important that you wanted to tell me,

that will help Allison's case.

Well, it might.

It's about Dr.

Lender's sanitary.

Something wrong?

I don't know.

Does it strike you as curious that the sanitarium happened

just after Allison started seeing Dr.

Linda?

No, not especially.

You've invested some of her money in the sanitarium, haven't you?

Who have you been talking to? Didn't you?

That's a good investment.

Well, I guess, considering what he charges.

Wait, wait, wait.

Do you feel that there's some sort of impropriety here?

Well, it's a kind of coincidence that bothers me.

Did I tell you I'm going to plead her not guilty?

No. I don't think she killed anybody.

I can't hide here forever.

I suppose this is where I belong.

I don't want to hear that. I don't even want you to think it.

Warren, I don't know what to think anymore.

Sooner or later, you're going to have to leave here.

Because there's nothing really wrong with you.

House, I know you're scared.

We're all scared sometimes.

Even someone as incredibly brave as myself.

I was scared once.

once. Maybe twice.

Oh, I don't know, Warren. I just want this all to go away.

Well, I'm afraid that's not the way it works, kiddo. But until it does,

I'll be here.

Shall we dance?

You have to.

You do.

It's the only way to find out what happened that night.

Please, what did you do next?

I started down the stairs.

Everything's going to be just fine, okay?

Take it easy.

We'll do this. You all right?

Come on.

Let's get this done, all right?

Warren, do we have to do this? Yes, yes, I think so.

I think it's important, don't you?

Allison! Are you all right?

We were so worried about you.

I'm fine, really.

What the hell do you think you're doing, Kreitzer? Who gave you the right to

take Allison out of the sanitarium? She did.

Allison! I don't believe it.

Get out of here. Just get out of here. You have no right to be here.

Allison, Allison, listen to me. All of these people want to keep you

institutionalized. Mrs. Johnson, Dr.

Linder, and your Uncle Bob.

It's all very clear, Allison.

They're after your money.

Don't you realize the harm you're doing her? Please stop it.

One of you met with Marsha Gold in the library that night. She confronted you

with what you knew when you killed her, and then you tried to frame Allison.

Please stop it. No.

Allison, you...

You can't possibly believe him.

I do believe him.

What? Allison.

Well.

Good evening.

Good evening.

You don't give up, do you?

Well, folks, my client, my associate and I have some things we need to discuss.

So if you'll excuse us, we'll see all of you in court tomorrow.

Let's go ahead. You were retracing your steps, Allison. Let's go ahead.

Yeah, yeah, Allison. Here.

You made it this far, right?

Come on.

I know you can do it. How about this?

I'll try.

Okay.

All right.

Now, just try and visualize the room exactly the way it was that night.

All right?

Is that about where you stopped when you came in?

A little further, I think.

Okay.

What did you see?

Nothing at first. It was too dark.

hard like it is now.

And I started to move forward.

What did you see in America?

Mr. Rainier, how long have you known Allison Tate, the defendant?

Since she was a little girl.

Her father, David, and I were business partners.

And you have invested large amounts of her considerable

fortune for her having.

Yes, I have. I'm the investment counselor for the estate.

Oh, yeah. Now, when Allison turned 21, A few months ago. She was supposed to

take over control of her own inheritance, wasn't she?

Yes. And that could mean replacing you as investment counselor.

Yes. If she were not institutionalized and were of sound mind, she could call

for auditors and accountants, couldn't she?

Objection relevant, Your Honor.

My client's mental state is crucial to our defense, Your Honor.

Overruled. Answer the question.

The answer is yes.

Now, Allison is 21.

But she has been incapacitated. And we know that she

was in a mental institution.

So your control was reactivating, wasn't it?

It's true. That's how her father set up the estate.

Because he trusted his business associate to look after his daughter.

That's right.

And Allison has needed help, hasn't she?

Unfortunately.

But in every case I've seen to it that she's had the very, very best of care.

At her own expense.

At Linder Sanitary.

Well, her father's will stipulates that the payment for it comes out of her

inheritance.

Now, also, you have invested large amounts of her inheritance

in Linda Sanitary. Isn't that right? Indeed, I have.

And the return for that investment was that Dr.

Linda agreed to unnecessarily institutionalize her?

How dare you?

Objection, argumentative, speculative, Your Honor.

Withdraw the question.

Draw.

Mr. Rainier, I'll bet if a thorough accounting

of Allison's inheritance were

called, it would show that you've been dipping into it for your own profit for

long time, and that's why you wanted to keep her institutionalized. Your Honor!

Your Honor, may I go ahead with this, please? Do you have anywhere to go? Oh,

you betcha. Yes, ma 'am.

Overruled. Proceed.

Thank you. Marsha Gold found out about it, didn't she? She discovered that you

were using Allison's money for your own gain.

That's nonsense.

I would like... I'd like to submit as defense exhibit G this study of

Allison Tate's estate prepared by the accountant firm of Longstreet and Barr.

Allison didn't call for an accounting.

Somebody else did.

And here, in the conclusion, it states, and I quote, there is a pattern of

misappropriation of funds by the investment counselor Robert Rainier,

Mr. Rainier used Allison Tate's monies for his own personal gain, end quote.

Isn't that why you killed Marsha Gold and framed Allison for the murder? Your

Honor, objection.

May I please go ahead with this? Are you sure you can get somewhere with it?

I'll give you $50 if I'm wrong. I'll thank you. I'm sorry.

I'm sure.

Very well. Go ahead.

Thank you.

This accounting, which I quoted, was received by Marcia Gold the day she

died.

You killed her, and I can prove it. It's absolutely absurd.

I have a witness.

Allison Tate.

Mr. Martin, why are you doing this to me?

For years, Allison has been imagining all sorts of things. That's why she

Was put away?

No, no, no. But obviously this is just another one of her delusions.

Oh, no.

No, no, no.

Here's the way it happened.

Allison was asleep in her room that

night.

She heard a voice calling her name.

A whispery voice.

in the middle of the night, calling her downstairs.

Now, down in the library, Marsha Gold was already dead,

propped up in a chair, wearing the necklace Allison's mother always wore,

holding the cigarette holder Allison's mother always held.

And when Allison, already extremely vulnerable,

Walked into that library and saw what she thought was her dead mother

sitting in a chair.

She fainted.

You stepped out of the shadows, wiped your fingerprints off the letter opener

you'd used to kill Marsha, and then placed it in Alice's hand.

Then you removed the necklace and cigarette holder.

From Marsha's body.

Doesn't prove anything, does it? No.

The necklace.

Now we know.

The real necklace is gone.

This one is fake.

But it was kept in the safe in Allison's room.

The cigarette holder is kept in Allison's jewelry box in her drawer.

After the event with Allison and Marshall, you put the necklace

back in the safe.

And mistake.

You put this in there with it. I saw it there.

That doesn't prove anything, does it? No.

How about this?

This is a butt.

One of those rare, expensive cigars that you smoke. I bet you don't remember

throwing it in the fireplace a few feet from Marsha Gold's body.

But that's where it was found.

By the police, and it's yours.

The tobacco is the same as one of your fresh ones.

And no one besides Allison, Marsha Gold, and whoever smoked this cigar went in

the library afterwards.

Allison did see your reflection in the mirror in the library that night.

Lightning flashed.

And this proves it.

Don't you sometimes wish you didn't smoke?

Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, have you reached a verdict?

Yes, we have, Your Honor. We find the defendant, Allison Tate, not guilty.

Thank you so much. You're welcome.

Thank you so much.

Aren't you going to say goodbye?

I hate saying goodbye.

I do it so badly.

And will you call?

Yeah. Okay. I'll do that. Thanks for everything.

Bye -bye. Take it easy.

Hello, hot dog.

I accept.

For old time's sake.

We didn't do too badly together.

You ever think of relocating up north?