Original subtitles

It was boring.

We skidded out of control.

I couldn't see Dora. I didn't know where she was.

Somehow I got myself out of the car.

There was nothing I could do.

Nothing I could do. I was helpless.

If Dora hadn't been there...

You'd

have burned to death.

As your dog did.

Two years, Tim.

Can you say it?

Since the fire, Aaron.

Why am I dreaming about it now?

What's happening now that's frightening you, making you feel helpless?

You think I'm having the nightmares because I decided to divorce Adam?

What I think doesn't matter.

What do you think?

Do you think there could be a connection?

Of course there's a connection.

You're angry?

I'll see you next Thursday. You're upset, Aaron. Let's talk about this.

Thursday?

Aaron, if the idea of divorcing Adam is upsetting you this much, you can wait.

You don't have to do it now.

Yes, I do.

Adam, we have to talk.

I'm sorry.

I'm expecting Hilary Benson. We'll talk after our meeting.

Adam, I want a divorce.

Oh.

I see.

Well, let's, um...

Let's suppose I don't stand in your way.

Where will you go?

What will you do?

I'll manage.

Alone?

You will be alone, you know.

Yes.

Without my loving care, my financial support.

I have lawyers who will make certain you will be without my financial support.

Look at you.

You're a cripple.

You're weak.

You can't survive without me.

All right, stop it. Stop your crying.

Aaron, there will not be a divorce.

You will never, never get rid of me.

Do you understand?

Dr. Forbes is behind this.

My diary.

Give that to me.

It's all in here, Erin. Forbes is your lover.

Oh, that's not true.

Oh, yes, it is.

He's urged you to divorce me. Well, the medical review board will take away his

license for that. How dare you threaten Dr.

Forbes? Don't do more than that.

I'll ruin him.

Lovers.

A doctor without a license and a cripple.

Oh, that's...

Nice. Hillary, come in.

Mrs. Whitley is tired.

Would you please take her upstairs?

You wanted to see me, Adam?

Yes. There's been a change in plans.

You're so blissful.

I don't want to live like this anymore.

Take this, honey. You'll sleep.

Then what?

I'll just have to wake up again.

Things will look better in the morning.

No.

It's no use.

You can't do this to me, Adam. I already have.

Now, if it isn't too much trouble, will you see yourself out?

It's Dr. Forbes, Mr. Whitley. Mrs. Whitley called me. It's an emergency.

Hers or yours, Dr.

Forbes?

Come ahead.

What the hell do you want now?

Now, you told the arresting officer you arrived at the house at 10 o 'clock.

Yes.

My radio was on. The 10 o 'clock news was just coming out.

Uh -huh. Uh -huh. And the police got there, called it 10 -10.

Did you call them?

No, I didn't.

Well, Ms. Whitley's companion, Dora, said that when she saw you, you were

running up the stairs. What were you going to do?

Well, I was going to find my patient.

Isn't it unusual for a psychiatrist to make a house call?

It's highly unusual, but Aaron had called me, sounding distraught and, in

opinion, suicidal.

Had she done it before?

Never, but her conflicts are severe enough to cause hysterical paralysis.

Hysterical paralysis?

It means it's psychologically caused, but nonetheless very real.

It's so real that two years ago, in a fire, she suffered severe burns. She

nearly died because she couldn't save herself.

She was suffering hysterical paralysis then.

Well,

how did she get along with her husband?

She was planning to ask him for a divorce.

Oh.

Maybe they argued and she killed him.

No. Aaron is psychologically and physically incapable of killing anyone.

What's your opinion?

He can't.

Lawyer's office.

Benjamin Matlock.

Yes, this is Ben Matlock.

Who is it? Dr. Forbes and Aaron Whitley are lovers.

Dr. Forbes killed Adam Whitley.

Who is this?

Never mind who I am.

Just ask Dr.

Forbes about Aaron's diary.

What diary?

I was in my room down the hall.

And you didn't hear the shots?

No. I told the police I was wearing headphones. I was doing leg lifts.

How's that?

I was exercising to a workout tape. Hips.

Now, why did you come downstairs?

I saw a light on.

And Mr.

Whitley was where?

Right there.

What else did you see?

I saw Dr.

Forbes running up the stairs.

You know him?

No. Mrs. Whitley has talked about him, but I'd never seen him before.

And you don't know who called the police?

No.

Could it have been Mrs. Whitley?

No. She had taken her sleeping pill. I had given it to her myself.

And later when the police had asked me to wake her, it took me five minutes,

even then she was too groggy to talk. Never mind answer questions.

I appreciate your time.

Mrs. Whitley, and I'll be as brief as possible.

I understand you were asleep when your husband was killed and you did not hear

the shots.

Yes, it was a sleeping pill night. I heard nothing.

And when Miss Marquez woke you and told you, you... Shocked.

I didn't feel sad.

I wanted to leave him.

I won't pretend that I feel sad.

Mind telling me why?

Why what?

You wanted to leave him.

He used to taunt me, say that I was helpless and weak.

But that's the way he wanted me to be.

Because if I was weak and helpless, then he could feel stronger and more in

control. Did Dr.

Forbes tell you that?

Dr. Forbes helped me to see it and to see that... Having a handicap isn't the

same thing as being weak.

My husband might have been seeing another woman, Mr. Matlock.

Could it be the lady who visited that evening, Hillary Benson?

No, their relationship was strictly business.

Everything's so cloudy.

Dora told me that... that Adam was getting phone calls from a woman

Shannon. That was the name the woman left on the answering machine.

Shannon.

Did you ever talk to this Shannon?

No.

I don't think so.

No, uh... No, I never did. I'm sorry, Mr. Metlock.

Everything is so confusing lately. It's my memory. I mean, a whole day can go by

and I... I don't remember a single minute of it.

Aaron, you're just tired.

Well, I'll be going.

No, don't.

I want to do anything I can. I want to help Dr. Forbes.

You came to see him after you were burned in a fire.

He's helped me a great deal.

Do you keep a diary?

Yes, I do.

Is there anything in it that would help Dr.

Forbes' case?

Just a journal of my dreams and feelings.

Last time I thought, Adam took it out of his drawer in his library.

He did?

It was very upsetting.

I'm sure.

I got somebody I want you to check out.

You sure you'll clear this with Miss Black?

Look, when she applied for our insurance, she gave us permission to

premises.

I don't understand this.

She looks so neat.

Well, somebody was obviously looking for something.

Mr. Putnam, do you recall Miss Blackwell seeing a middle -aged gentleman by the

name of Adam Whitley?

Can't say that I do.

I don't know any of her friends.

But I have seen her in a neighborhood cocktail lounge.

Durant's. Where's her badge?

I'm not a cop.

Yeah, and I'm not a bartender.

Okay, I've seen her around, but that's all I can tell you.

Well, I'll tell you.

If she comes back in here again, have her call that number.

Why not?

Madlock, huh?

Sure sounds like a cop's name.

Well, Hillary Benson lied to me.

What's that?

Galley proofs for Elegance Magazine's fall issue. A college chum of mine is an

associate editor.

Really?

She said Adam Whitley was featuring her designs in his fall issue. She even had

mock -ups made for an expensive ad campaign based on his promise.

But Hillary Benson's not in the fall issue.

Adam Whitley dumped her.

Hello? Mr. Matlock, this is Shannon Blackwell.

I got your message.

Where are you?

Meet me tonight at 11.

There's a dead end off the parkway at Junction 18 outside Monroe.

I'll find it.

Come alone.

Sorry for the inconvenience, Mr. Matlock.

But my life is in danger.

Mr. Matlock.

Yeah.

Well, I know.

I appreciate this.

Your life's in danger.

Let me start at the beginning. I met Adam Whitley when I interviewed for a

modeling assignment for Elegance.

I wasn't right for the magazine, but I was perfect for Adam.

Well, you were his mistress?

We were lovers.

Adam paid for my apartment, my clothes, and my car. Yes.

I was his mistress.

You didn't want that.

I must have. I did it.

It was a good model. I made a good living.

But once I met Adam, that was that. He didn't want me to work, so I didn't. I

lived for him.

Not very smart, I know.

But I loved him.

And I thought that if I loved him enough, if I was patient enough, I

marry him.

I see.

But now it's too late.

I'm alone and I am in danger.

It was you who called the other night, wasn't it?

What's in that diary?

Everything.

Aaron's affair with Dr.

Forbes. Dr.

Forbes' intention to murder Adam.

Adam intended to use a diary to divorce Aaron and ruin Forbes' career.

And now I am next.

My apartment has been ransacked, Mr. Matlock.

I'm sorry.

But I know that Aaron is trying to kill me.

She is not the innocent that she pretends to be, Mr. Matlock. You've got

me. I don't want to ruin Aaron or Dr.

Forbes. I just want to leave town and forget that this part of my life ever

happened.

How was your meeting with Shannon Blackwell?

Oh, she's kind of weird.

Like Ernie Ford used to say, she's as nervous as a long -tailed cat in a room

full of rocking chairs.

What are you doing?

Oh, it's makeup.

A car came by and scared her, and she damn near jumped in my lap.

Well, you've got to take that to the cleaners. Yeah.

Well.

She told me there's something in Aaron's diary that could

incriminate our client.

Hillary Benton mentioned the diary.

Yeah.

Everybody's mentioned that diary.

Except the one person who should be mentioning it.

I would have come to your office.

Well, I've never been to your office.

I spoke to Aaron lately.

What kind of medication does she take?

Well, she takes a sleeping pill.

Occasionally, but not nightly.

Would it cause her to have memory lapses or forget where she'd been?

Aaron told you she was losing track of time?

Something like that.

She hasn't said anything about it to me.

She hasn't?

I'll tell you something.

You haven't said anything about it to me.

What's that?

Aaron's diary.

Perhaps the most crucial piece of evidence in the whole case, and you

even mentioned it.

I didn't think it was relevant.

People I've talked to say it could convict you.

That's absolutely not true. I read Aaron's diary each month carefully,

it as part of a therapy.

It contains nothing that would be harmful to me.

You've read it?

As recently as ten days ago.

Oh.

Well, you know we'll have to discuss this diary in court.

I can't.

Patient confidentiality.

I cannot discuss this in court.

Dr. Forbes, I have knowledge of this diary.

If I find it, I must be prepared to discuss it in court.

You must, Dr. Forbes.

It's true.

The diary expressed my feelings about my husband, my marriage, even Dr. Forbes.

And some of those feelings are fairly intense.

But I would make it public if it would help you.

I can't ask you to do that.

Then I'll volunteer.

You're always telling me that I'm not as fragile as I think I am.

Well, let me prove you're right.

Well, um...

Is there anything incriminating in the diary?

No. Okay.

I looked in your husband's desk and I couldn't find it. Where is it?

It disappeared.

The library,

the house, it's gone.

Well, that's great.

You both tell me there's nothing incriminating in it, but it's gone.

A good prosecutor would have field day with this one.

This court will come to order.

What's the little day, Counselor?

Your Honor, I'd like to approach the bench.

What's this about, Mr. Burgess?

Your Honor, just three hours ago, the state came into possession of new

evidence.

Aaron Whitley's diary.

Wait a minute, Your Honor. Wait a minute.

The defense objects strenuously to the introduction of evidence not made

available during the process of discovery.

This court will recess for 15 minutes.

I'll see you two in my chamber.

Your Honor, at this stage of the proceedings, the introduction of this

is extremely prejudicial to the defense.

What do you say, Counsel?

Your Honor, all incriminating evidence is prejudicial to the defense.

Now, procedure is important.

But society's right to justice is equally as important.

That diary establishes motive.

How do you know it's authentic?

Handwriting expert John Marshall, whom Mr. Matlock will recognize as an expert

witness, one you've used before.

He compared handwriting samples from Mrs. Whitley to that of the diary, and

is ready, absolutely ready, to testify to its authenticity.

The defense has also been searching for this diary.

Now that it's been found, deserves the time to examine it.

I'll allow defense time to study the contents and we'll resume again this

afternoon.

Call Aaron Whitley to the stand.

Mrs. Whitley, do you recognize this?

Yes.

Would you tell the jury what it is, please?

It's my diary.

I've marked several passages. I'd like you to read the first one to the court,

please. I object, Your Honor.

The defense is extremely prejudiced by the state's last -minute introduction of

this evidence. In addition... We went through that in chambers, Mr. Matlock.

Noted for the record, but overruled.

Proceed, Mrs. Whitley.

After last night, I'm sure Dr.

Forbes... Mrs., excuse me, Mrs. Whitley, we can't hear you.

After last night, I'm sure Dr.

Forbes feels the same... love for me that I feel for

him. Our only obstacle is Adam, but Lucas has promised me that he won't

Adam to stand in our way.

I didn't write this. But this is your diary.

But this is your handwriting.

Yes. Well, then let's go on. Read the second part, if you would, please.

must have lucas i've loved him from the first moment i met him

five days after that terrible please continue

your honor i object the prosecution is harassing a witness who is under

psychiatric care objection overruled please read the passage

Five days after that terrible fire.

And finally, I'll leave the last one, if you would, please.

I didn't write this.

This was written the day Adam Whitley was murdered.

Please read it.

When are you going to fire the gun?

I just did.

Didn't you hear anything?

Only the bird's chirping.

Huh, that's interesting.

Okay, okay, thanks.

All I heard was keep breathing, go for the bird.

Neither Tyler nor you heard anything.

Good. Glad I could be of some help.

She never moved when you fired the shot. Well, you heard him.

Yeah.

Okay.

I meant it.

Yeah, I meant it.

It was the child abuse with the extent I... We just started to talk about it. I

mean, there were hints and dreams, but...

Well, I'm... I'm gonna go ahead with this.

I wish you didn't have to.

You know I do.

Mrs. Whitley, I know how difficult it must be for

you to testify in this trial.

So if there's anything I can do to make it more comfortable... Thank you, Mr.

Metlock.

That's very kind.

You have already testified that on the night of the murder, you were heavily

sedated and did not hear the gunshots.

That's true. I heard nothing.

So I don't believe it's possible you could have called the police, do you?

No.

And your housekeeper testified that she was wearing one of those tape headsets

and heard nothing and did not call the police.

If she said so, then it's true. Dora is absolutely trustworthy.

So no one in the house called the police.

And I made some acoustical tests.

And none of the neighbors heard the shots.

Would you have any idea who might have called the police?

No. So someone else had to have been in the house that night.

And whoever that someone was.

Not only heard the shots, but fired the shots.

Then removed your diary from your husband's desk.

And called the police.

And you have no idea who might have done that.

I wish I did. That same person who did all that. The killer.

Then sent your diary to the police.

Knowing it would incriminate...

Dr. Forbes and implicate you.

That's correct, isn't it?

I suppose.

But those passages in my diary, I didn't write them.

This is your handwriting, isn't it?

Yes.

Your Honor, I ask the court's permission to re -read the passage.

that has already been read into the record.

I object, Your Honor. Court's already heard this.

Your Honor, this is very important.

Objection over. We'll proceed, Mr. Madeline. Thank you.

I must have Lucas.

I've loved him from the first moment I met him.

Five days after that terrible...

right after terrible just breathe that one word

it's true isn't it that ever

since that awful accident you have been unable to speak or even write

the word fire it takes all that's in you to be able to hear it

We need to hear your response, Mrs. Whitley.

Yes.

And yet, here it is.

In your diary, big as day.

The word fire.

Written in your handwriting.

Will you please just read that word for the court?

I'm on your side.

This is going to be very hard.

But I'm on your side.

Your Honor, Mr. Matlock is playing games.

I play games all the time, Your Honor, but not when it comes to life.

Mr. Matlock, please continue, but the court would like to hear it.

Yes, sir.

Ms. Whitley, have you noticed my suit?

You notice this smudge on the arm of my suit?

I wore this suit today for a very special purpose.

This smudge is caused by makeup. It is makeup.

A special makeup. It's used to cover blemishes of some kind or a

burn.

Look. Look.

It's the same shade as yours.

I mean, on your arm, isn't it?

Yes.

But it didn't come from you.

Your Honor, is there any point to this?

Your Honor, I know this is confusing.

I'll tell you, it's the most confusing case that's ever come up against me.

It's taken everything...

I've got in my mind, plus expert advice, opinion, counsel from

several qualified psychiatrists to understand.

Dr. Forbes and I have discussed what I am about to do at first. He thought it

was too dangerous. I hope not. I promised him that at any point he can

and I'll do whatever he says.

The only person...

who can clear up all of our confusion, is the person who

got the makeup on my sleeve.

At this point, I call Shannon Blackwell to the scene.

Mr. Matlock, procedure requires that you dismiss one witness before calling

another. And where is this Miss Blackwell?

A moment, Your Honor.

Shannon?

Can you hear me?

Shannon?

Can you hear me?

Shannon, remember?

The first night we met, you hid from the headlights of a passing car.

That's when the makeup on your arm smudged off on my jacket.

It's the same makeup that Aaron wears.

During that terrible car crash and fire,

Aaron's little dog was killed, burned up.

And so was your dog, Shannon, burned up.

Aaron has many weaknesses.

And though you don't like to admit it, so do you.

And somehow, this little toy dog gives you strength, doesn't it?

I went to your apartment yesterday and got it for you.

You want it, don't you, Shannon?

Yesterday, when Aaron was testifying on the stand, Dr.

Forbes realized for the first time there are two of

you.

Are you here, Shannon?

You are Shannon, aren't you?

Yes, of course.

And who else?

There's me.

Just me.

And Aaron.

And maybe others.

You're a multiple personality, aren't you, Shannon?

I hate Aaron.

She's weak. She let Adam abuse her.

No one abuses me.

Shannon Blackwell has a future.

Is that why you killed Adam Whitley, so that you could start over as Shannon?

I will start over. Dr. Forbes killed Adam.

Aaron was losing more and more time. That's because you, Shannon,

were emerging more and more often. And sooner or later, Dr.

Forbes would diagnose multiple personalities.

Dr. Forbes would have destroyed me to save his precious Aaron.

I'm sure he would have done anything he could to help both of you.

But you did feel more and more threatened by Dr.

Forbes. So you did something about it. You created a little line of lies.

You put your name and address in Adam Whitley's Rolodex.

in your handwriting, which is different from Aaron's.

Yes, it is.

You left messages on his answer machine, and just days before he was killed, you

made those entries in Aaron's diary, in her handwriting, which is different from

yours.

You knew it would cause her trouble.

You hate her so much, Shannon, that you were hoping she would collapse under

your mischief.

You wanted to be rid of Aaron. Rid of her!

You even got your own apartment and created yourself as the other woman.

I am stronger than Aaron. I deserve to be free.

Did you hate your father?

He wasn't my father. He was Aaron's father.

No one hits me. No one beats me. I'd kill anyone who tried.

He'd beat her.

She'd cry and cry and crawl off into some corner and try to hide.

Is that when...

Shannon first emerged during those awful early beatings

when the weaker Aaron could no longer handle it. Is that when the stronger

Shannon emerged?

I didn't emerge.

I am.

Okay, Shannon.

Tell me what happened the night of the murder.

Dora gave Aaron a sleeping pill.

Aaron went to sleep.

But you stayed awake.

I'm going to tell you something that you're going to find hard to believe.

I didn't believe it for a long time.

In some cases, a patient suffering multiple personalities,

can be given a sleeping pill.

One personality will go to sleep while the other personality remains

wide awake, able to take control of their mutual body,

become ambulatory, walk around, conscious.

I know that seems impossible.

But here is data of actual cases.

I swear to you it's true.

I enter this as defense exhibit D.

So that night, Aaron was asleep.

And you were wide awake, furious with Adam.

He had abused Aaron.

just as her father had abused her.

And your anger mounted and mounted till finally you could contain it no

longer and you got up, went downstairs to confront him and he said something or

did something. He shouted at me just the way Aaron's father shouted at her.

He was going to hit me. He was going to take off his belt and hit me. So I went

into the library and I got his gun and...

And I killed him.

Your Honor, in light of these developments,

I move that the case against Dr.

Lucas Forbes be dismissed.

Prosecution joins the motion.

Very well.

Motion to dismiss granted.

The court also orders Shannon Blackwell, that is, Aaron Whitley, held for

psychiatric examination.

Court is adjourned.

Thank you. Thank you, doctor.

Excuse me, I have a patient to see to.