Original subtitles

And now, with Tammy Fields, it's Spotlight 7 on Atlanta.

Our spotlight tonight focuses on Atlanta's most sensational murder, the

glamorous international model Sally Hitchcock.

Sally was murdered at a party given by millionaire socialite Arthur Richardson,

with whom she had a torrid two -year affair.

Among party guests that night were Richardson's current live -in lover,

Miss Georgia, Jan Sinclair.

And Bart Hess, builder of the famed Hess Tower, funded largely by Arthur

Richardson. Perhaps not coincidentally, Hess was also romantically linked with

doomed beauty Sally.

Accused of the murder is noted journalist David Tanney, whose expose of

-level government corruption won him national attention and a Pulitzer

nomination. In addition, Tanney was also rumored to be romantically involved,

with the tragic but certainly popular Sally.

Tanny is being defended by Atlanta's most brilliant and colorful attorney,

Matlock. With Tanny's trial now in its second week, and with the prosecution

continuing to present overwhelming evidence against his client, it's

to look like Ben Matlock is in the process of going down in defeat.

So David Taney was the last person to see her alive.

Yes, that's what our investigation indicates.

And what happened when you arrived on the scene, Lieutenant?

Well, first of all, I saw the defendant standing between two private security

guards. Then I discussed the situation with the patrol officer.

It was decided that a search of the defendant's car should be conducted.

I'll show you this vial. It's marked State Exhibit 22, and it's labeled

sulfate. Do you recognize that?

Yes, sir.

This vial was found under the passenger seat of the defendant's car.

And what did you do with it?

I personally handed it to Randall Davis, head of the crime lab, for analysis.

Your Honor, in pursuant to stipulation with the defense counsel, I place into

evidence States Exhibit 23. It's a toxological report stating that traces

dimethyl sulfate were found in the vial.

No further questions.

Your witness.

Hill.

Lieutenant, my client's car was found behind Mr.

Richards' house. Is that right?

Yes, it was.

Was it unlocked?

Yes, sir, it was.

Oh, so in the dark that way and all those other cars parked back there,

could have put that vial of poison in David Taney's car, couldn't they?

Well, uh... Just answer yes or no, Bob.

I suppose so.

No further questions.

The prosecution claims to have an open and shut case against your client. Are

you worried?

Mr. Matlock, it's not like you to hide your feelings.

Got any of your famous tricks up your sleeve?

If I did, you'd be the last person I'd tell in the universe. Mr. Matlock has

every confidence that his client will be exonerated.

We're missing something.

What? Where are those witnesses' testimonies? In the briefcase. In the

briefcase, yeah. But we've been over and over them. Well, we're missing it.

Whatever it is, we're missing it.

Well, either somebody forgot to tell us something, or we

weren't listening, or we didn't ask, or we weren't bright enough to pick it up.

I'll get the car.

Wait a minute.

Wait a minute.

I don't think you better move him.

Get an ambulance. Right away.

Ben.

How are you feeling?

Feeling very lucky, aren't you, Mr. Matlock?

Nothing's broken, just a sprained shoulder and some bumps and everything.

I was thinking of something, but it got away from me.

You're still in shock.

A little rest and you'll be good as new. How long will he be here? Oh, doctor,

keeping him for a few days' observation.

I'm in the middle of a murder trial.

Did you ask for a continuance? Judge Russell refused.

He said, I'm an attorney of record and we have to go on.

Now just try to relax.

What's your name?

Gertrude.

Gert, you relax.

Take something.

I almost had it. It was almost there and it just...

Caught away, and it would have turned the time.

A good night's sleep, and tomorrow everything will be better. You'll see.

Well, give me the depositions.

Oh, no, no, no, no. No work while we're getting well.

Gert? My name's Gertrude.

Gert!

Give me that briefcase!

Mr. Matlock, you're my patient.

I'm told bed rest, and that's what it'll be. You don't even go to the bathroom.

unless you ring for me and I help you. You got that?

Gert, I know you've got an obligation to your patients.

And I'm sure some of them need to go to the bathroom.

But right now, I don't need to go.

I need this briefcase.

I've got a client, and he's innocent.

And I almost had it figured out how to prove it, but that car knocked it out of

my head.

So I need these depositions.

You're getting upset?

Kurt, I'm getting mad.

Don't overdo.

My name's Gertrude.

At my attorney's request, and for his information only, I, David Tanney,

on the evening of April 12th, I arrived at Arthur Richardson's party,

where Sally Hitchcock had asked me to meet her.

She'd promised to tell me about a scandal.

of which she alone knew the intimate details.

I needed a project.

I sure needed a new girl.

I was hoping to find both in one package.

Thank you.

Glad you could come.

Thanks, Arthur, but you didn't invite me. I'll fire my postal secretary.

James McClare, David Tanney. David used to work for me when I owned the post.

You wrote that book about military contract payoff.

You read it?

No. Arthur told me that you made some very important people very unhappy.

David's what used to be called a muck raker.

Who's muck are you raking these days, David? Well, you caught me between

projects, Arthur. These days, I'm just crashing parties and watching my bank

account shrink.

Well, you're far from poor.

Next to you, Arthur?

Everybody's poor.

Champagne? I'm not drinking.

Nothing serious, I hope.

Allergy medication. For me, it's a choice between champagne and sneezing.

Well, I'm sure you know plenty of people here, David. Why don't you just go and

enjoy yourself?

Shall we dance, darling?

Nice meeting you, Mr. Tan.

And you.

Better ginger ale, please.

Coming up, sir.

There you are.

Even your best friend's walking up.

My instincts told me Sally was bored with men chasing her. She wanted to

roles and become the predator.

Better let her come after me, the willing victim.

Oh, Sally.

You look absolutely gorgeous.

That's what I love about you, David, because you say such clever things.

Oh, you remember Bart, don't you? Oh, yes.

How are you?

Okay, all right.

Didn't know you were on Arthur's A -list, Tammy. He's on my A -list.

Oh, champagne, what a good idea.

Get me a glass, would you, darling?

It's ginger ale, Sal.

Who cares?

We got rid of Bart, didn't we?

Sally?

You want something else?

Oh, I'm just so glad to see you.

Have you checked out Arthur's new girlfriend?

Yeah, she seems pretty nice. Oh, she's a slut.

Well, you have to be to get along with Arthur.

You'd know more about that than I would.

I'm not jealous, but that's what you're thinking.

Oh, no, of course not. You've got Bart.

And here he comes now.

Oh, listen, I will speak to you later on. I'll be waiting.

Oh, thank you, darling.

Cheers.

Cheers. Time was passing, and I was no closer to the story or to Sally.

I looked up and spied her on the landing with Jan in what looked like a heavy

argument.

Richardson stopped it. Not arguing about me, I hope.

You'd just love that, wouldn't you, either?

No.

I moved to intercept her.

Too late.

Bart was already there.

Fortunately, a while later, she caught up with me in the library.

There you are.

I've been waiting for you.

Good.

Um, I noticed you and Jan arguing.

Anything I should be interested in?

I should have known better.

Arthur Owens are the sadist.

That means she's not going to help you with your article?

No.

Don't worry.

I'm working on her.

What's the problem?

She thinks Arthur loves her.

He acts like he does.

Oh, yeah?

Then why did he drag me into his bedroom tonight and tell me he wanted me back

and then try to seduce me?

Arthur did that?

He even gave me this.

Very impressive.

What did you have to do to get that?

Nothing.

He put it around my neck and kissed my cheek, and that was that.

I would think that Arthur would expect a little more in return for his

generosity.

Well, he can expect anything he wants. He won't get it.

But you could, David.

Anything you want.

And you don't need jewelry.

Sally, you are very...

attractive woman, but that's not the reason I came here tonight.

Well, maybe I can give you another reason.

Hello.

I was looking for you. I thought you might be thirsty.

Well, you found me. Again.

First with Arthur, and now with, um, David.

Whatever.

Listen, if you two want to talk, I'll... No, no, no. I'll go. That's what Sally

wants.

Isn't it, Sally?

Enjoy.

Good night, David.

Have a pleasant evening, Sal.

And take me home with you.

I don't think Bart would like that much.

She would.

I promise, Dave.

I'll get the car.

Oh.

I'll meet you out front.

Excuse me.

Right out, please.

Yes, sir.

All right. No story.

But I wasn't going to go home empty -handed.

I felt pretty damn good.

Danny, will you come back inside with us, please?

Mr. Richardson's orders.

killed her.

I didn't.

I can take it if you can, darling.

Art, you're alone.

I'm meeting Sally here.

Sally Hitchcock?

I didn't know she was coming.

You don't mind, do you, darling?

Of course not, darling.

I haven't seen her yet, Bart.

Where's the bar?

Had a kind of day to require some serious unwind.

Sally,

darling.

You know Jan?

I feel as if I do. We have so much in common.

Sally. Behave yourself.

Oh, Arthur, in the old days, you never wanted me to behave myself.

Quite the contrary.

Sally, you look great.

Hello, Bart. Do you know Jan?

Of course.

Bart is my oldest friend in Atlanta.

In fact, she introduced me to Arthur.

Oh, nice.

Yes.

We were living together at the time, weren't we, Bart?

But Arthur wanted me, and Bart wanted funding for Hess Towers, so these two

what businessmen do.

They struck a deal.

Well, that's an interesting version of ancient history. Do you want to hear

more, Jan?

God, no.

You need a drink, darling. I won't argue with that. I need to speak to you in

private for a little while.

All right.

Promise? Promise.

What was that about?

I haven't the faintest idea. Come on, let's dance.

I had a pretty good idea what was on Sally's mind, and I was prepared for it.

What's this about, Sally?

I'm still in love with you, Arthur.

Really? Well, I'm flattered, of course.

But that's all in the past.

I want you back.

Oh, you have heard.

I'm living with Jan.

Jan's no problem.

What do you mean?

I mean I want you.

I don't mind sharing you.

Is that clear enough?

Quite.

But, of course, there's another small problem.

Your affection is no longer reciprocated.

You can feel my body this close to you and still say you don't want me, Arthur?

It's hard to believe, isn't it?

I love Jan very, very much.

And I have no desire to cheat on her.

At least not yet.

And not with someone I've already had.

A very charming way of expressing yourself, Arthur.

Now, don't be offended, Sally.

I've got a little something for you.

A souvenir of our relationship.

Final souvenir.

Oh, this is a payoff, Arthur?

Trinket?

Well, have a look before you turn your nose up at it.

Arthur.

Here.

A little something to remember us by.

Let's see what it looks like on you.

Oh, Arthur, it's beautiful.

It's almost as beautiful as you are, my dear.

And now I think it's time that we get back to the party.

Mr. Matlock.

Oh, hello, Gert.

Oh, look at this.

You're into mischief.

Just working.

You have been to the bathroom without calling for me, haven't you?

Well, I went just a little bit.

How'd you know?

I know the type.

Earth, don't do that. I have those depositions just the way I need them.

it's going to take hours to get them back the way they were. Don't you have

sick people's tattoos?

I told the doctor about you when he said no work or else.

Or else what?

Or else a little of this or a little of that.

Maybe even a little shot.

You tell that doctor.

To bring anything he wants to in here. I'll take him to his knees, and I'll

him every way from Sunday, and then we'll see about no work.

Mr. Matlock.

Gert, I'm working on a murder case.

Murder one.

The only thing standing between my client and the maximum sentence is the

defense I can prepare, and that's what I'm doing. Okay, Gert?

Would you like...

Pineapple juice or non -fat eggless custard.

Custard.

Hey, Gert.

Two scoops.

Not arguing about me, I hope. Oh, you would just love that, wouldn't you,

What was that all about?

Just Sally being a bitch.

Sally was being Sally.

And Bart, who should have known better, he was clearly furious.

My God, she's dead.

Call the police.

Where's Tammy? He was just in here with her.

Find him.

Light's out.

Oh, come on, Gert.

You need your sleep. Gert, give me a break.

Your doctor ordered complete rest. He'll be very unhappy with you.

Gert, you bring that doctor in here. I'll throw his hand in through that

and he'll be very unhappy with you.

Well, maybe tomorrow, but tonight it's lights out.

Oh, Gert.

No. Good night, Mr.

Matlock. Good night, Gert.

Gertrude.

Turn that lock.

You're in deep trouble, Gert.

I, Barton Hess, do solemnly swear and affirm that the following statement is

true and correct.

I couldn't wait to see Sally. We were getting along so well.

Like old times, only better.

Bart.

You're alone?

Uh, I'm meeting Sally here.

Sally Hitchcock?

I didn't know she was coming.

Well, yes.

You don't mind, do you, darling?

Of course not, darling.

She hasn't arrived yet, Bart.

Tell her I'm here, will you, aren't I?

Nice to see you, Jan.

Hi, sir.

Sally. How are you?

Sweetheart. You look delicious.

Oh, do you know Jan? Of course.

Bart is my oldest friend in Atlanta.

In fact, he introduced me to Arthur.

It's ancient history. Do you want to hear more, Jan?

Not really.

Except he's also my dearest friend.

Well, thank you, sweetheart. Deserves champagne.

No, I'd love to.

In the old days, I would have been uneasy seeing them together, but I

aside any doubt.

What was that all about?

What? Arthur.

What do you want?

He said he wanted to talk to me later.

Oh? About what?

I don't know.

It is over between you and him, isn't it? Of course it is, darling. Don't be

silly.

I am right where I belong.

With you.

I won't be long, darling.

I knew she was going to see Arthur. Some men would have been angry, but I prided

myself on my equanimity.

Besides, I trusted Sally completely.

I noticed there was something different immediately.

A necklace.

I decided not to ask Sally about it, but to let her tell me.

Hi. I need some champagne.

What did he want?

You won't believe.

About Arthur? I'd believe anything.

He made a pass at me.

Isn't that bizarre?

What do you mean?

I mean, he tried to seduce me, darling. The full treatment.

He said he missed me, that he thought about me constantly, wished we were

together.

Oh, then he kissed me.

And how do I put this? He wouldn't let me go.

What did you say?

I said I loved you.

And that our relationship was serious and I'd never do anything to jeopardize

him. How did he take that?

Pretty well, actually.

But then what did he do?

I mean, he knew exactly what I said.

And just to prove there were no hard feelings, he gave me this.

That's a parting gift, I hope.

For old times' sake.

Well, ours has got style. I'll give him that.

Sally.

Hello, David.

Excuse me. Sally, you look absolutely gorgeous.

Thank you. You run into Bart, don't you?

Oh, yes. Hi. How are you? Fine. How about you?

Just fine.

Sally, we must talk.

That's my cue for champagne.

Thank you, sweetheart. Hurry back.

I wondered what they were talking about, and then I reminded myself.

I trust Sally completely.

Here you are, darling.

David was just telling me about an investigative reporter.

Oh, the fine art of the expose. Whose trail are you hot on now?

No one.

But I am open to suggestions.

Well, it's time for me to mingle.

I'll see you later.

Abrupt, isn't he? Yeah, somewhat of a hustler. Oh, is he hustling you?

No, not really. He was just asking me reporter -type questions.

I suspect he thinks I have secrets to tell.

You're joking.

Yes.

Shall we dance?

Not arguing about me, I hope.

You'd just love that, wouldn't you, Arthur?

Sally?

What's the matter?

Nothing.

I think it's something.

Jan's jealous and taking it out on me.

Why is she jealous?

Jealousy is a way of life when you live with a man as unfaithful as Arthur. Ah,

whatever you say, darling.

What's this?

Another little gift from Arthur.

He scratched me when he was putting on the necklace and then he insisted on a

bandage. Well, you know how phobic he is about germs. Yes, Arthur does have

his...

Idiosyncrasies. Tell me about it.

Hi. Thought you might be thirsty. I brought along some of my private stock.

thank you, sweetheart. That's so sweet.

Where's your glass, David?

Actually, Sally and I were just talking.

Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt.

You didn't, David. Just being rude.

No, no. I understand completely.

Enjoy the champagne.

And the evening.

See you later, Sally.

Call the police.

David, Tammy. He was just in here with her.

Get him.

You killed her.

Good morning.

Oh, hi, Gert.

Gertrude. How did you sleep?

Fine, fine, fine, fine, fine. Well, you sound a little more chipper today.

Oh, yeah.

A little headache, but... Oh, well, we can take care of that.

Yeah?

What's that, a musk blaster? It's a patch.

Don't you have any headache pills?

This is better than a pill. It doesn't upset your stomach, and it keeps working

much longer.

The medication is in the bandage, and it leaches into the skin a little at a

time by osmosis.

You know what osmosis is, don't you?

I did it in high school.

Give me your arm.

Now, do this, Michelle.

Catch her the minute she gets to the courthouse.

Get her off by herself, because she won't talk to you if Arthur Richardson's

around. Okay?

Okay.

Oh, hi, Charlie.

I thought maybe you'd get in early today.

Morning, Ben. What happened to you? I got hit by a car. Damn crazy drugs. You

know, a cousin of mine just got... No, no, it was my fault. I got absent

-minded, and I wasn't watching where I was going.

You got to be careful, Ben. I wouldn't like to see you in here as a customer.

Yeah.

Yeah.

What?

You're running out of space.

Dead people leave a lot of stuff behind.

Now, the corpus delecti go in an icebox down the hall.

Everything else winds up in here.

Well, that's why I stopped by, Charlie.

You want to turn around?

I, uh, I'm stuck on a case, and I think there may be a piece of evidence

I missed.

Well, the DA's office keeps the real evidence. All I got in here is odds and

ends and leftover junk.

Well, that may be just exactly what I'm looking for. Here, here's the case.

Here's the case number.

Can I turn around? Turn around.

I do.

That's terrible.

Did you talk to Jan?

Yeah, you were right.

Yeah? Yeah. Do you know what I was trying to think of when that car hit me?

Yeah, did you figure it out? Yeah.

In the hospital, I had such a headache from the accident and from reading all

those depositions, and this nurse cured it for me.

Wonderful woman. Oh. Yeah, and that's what did it. Beautiful.

Yeah.

Did what?

Court will come to order.

Court is pleased to see Mr. Matlock back with us so soon.

Glad to be back, Your Honor. Apologize for my appearance.

If you're ready to proceed, you may call your first witness.

Thank you. I call Arthur Richardson to the stand, and since he's already

testified for the prosecution...

I request permission to examine him as a hostile witness during his testimony.

Permission granted. Proceed, Mr. Matlock.

Miss Richardson, for several months before she was killed, you were having

affair with Sally Hitchcock. Isn't that right?

It was no secret, yes.

Yep. And even after the affair was over, you, as they say, kept in touch?

Oh, yes.

I even invited her to my parties.

Why did you invite her to your parties?

She was beautiful, charming, and I was very fond of her.

Did you know that she was planning to write one of those

magazine articles on you?

Sally, right.

Obviously, you didn't know Sally. No, no, I didn't, but lesser lights than

Hitchcock have been published.

All she needed was a ghostwriter and something to say.

Objection. Relevant.

She had plenty to say.

She was with you all the time. She knew all about you, didn't she?

I resent the insinuation.

Well, there's no insinuation.

There's no insinuation.

You keep a very high profile.

A lot of good -looking women.

A lot of money.

A lot of powerful people.

She knew all about your exploits and

idiosyncrasies, didn't she? Mr. Matlock, I may be rich and I may throw

extravagant parties, but I'm a very ordinary person with a very

personal life.

Anybody who suggests otherwise may find themselves constrained to prove those

allegations in court.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

And that's what David Taney told her, wasn't it?

He told her that she had to have all her stories on you independently

corroborated or no publisher would touch them. And that's what she was talking

with Jan about.

Corroboration, wasn't it?

Well, you'll have to ask Jan about that. Didn't Jan tell you that she was trying

to get corroboration on her?

Jan said no such thing.

She didn't?

Huh. Good.

My associate subpoenaed her just this morning after you had come

in the courthouse before you had a chance to speak with her. Are you sure

wouldn't say?

Well, she might have mentioned something along those lines. Along what lines?

Something about some of the things that happened. I don't know. I didn't pay

that much attention.

No.

No, you didn't.

You didn't have to.

Because you knew.

Sally Hitchcock was blackmailing you, wasn't she?

I don't know what you're talking about. And that's why she was at the party.

She was there because she had a pretty face.

That's what the meeting was about up in your bedroom, wasn't it? Blackmail.

No. And the big payoff was that expensive necklace, wasn't it?

Objection. Relevancy badgering the witness.

Sustained? Your Honor, I have gone through every

piece of testimony by every witness in this trial.

And they're all partly the truth. Some are complete, some are incomplete.

Some are partial, some are impartial. But they're all inconsistent with one

another.

We will find out what happened that night.

The court's indulgence, please.

Proceed. Thank you.

Now, that meeting, talk that you had with Sally

up in your bedroom, you were the only witness to that conversation, right?

Sadly. Why did you give her that necklace?

Just a little memento for old time's sake.

Oh, boy, that's gallant.

I'm talking about Gallant.

Gallant. Hey, did you put it around her neck?

Yes, as a matter of fact.

And when you put it on her, you scratched her neck a little bit, didn't

No.

Well, people at the party saw her when she came down from the bedroom, said

she had a little patch on the back of her neck.

I don't remember that.

Well, it's right here in the people's...

Autopsy report, see right here, a small laceration on the back of the deceased's

neck. I just don't recall that.

Do you remember

being in the bathroom with her

while she was admiring the necklace in the mirror?

You told the police that you were, and it was in your deposition.

Well, she wanted to look at the necklace in the mirror.

Of course, you had a big mirror in the bedroom and plenty of light.

You took her in the bathroom because you wanted to put a bandage on that

scratch, didn't you?

Oh, yes, yes.

I didn't recall that at the time. You're right. I did, indeed.

Your Honor, I have a continuing relevancy objection to all of these

Your Honor, please.

We need to move on, Mr. Matlock.

We are, Your Honor. We are.

Traces of poison were found in the decedent's champagne glass.

And the police assumed that's what killed her.

But that poison could have been put in that glass.

By people who entered the room after she had collapsed.

And you were one of them, weren't you? Yes.

But why would I do something like that?

To cover your tracks.

To throw off the police. Because, in fact, you had poisoned her

several hours before, hadn't you? That's impossible.

I know. I thought so, too.

I thought so, too. I couldn't figure it out. I just couldn't figure it out. I

brooded over it.

Finally, I was hit by a car.

I had to go to the hospital.

See? I had this awful headache.

And this nurse, this wonderful, beautiful nurse,

Gertrude, she cured it for me.

She gave me what she called...

A medication patch. I've never seen anything like that before.

It's like a bandage that's impregnated with medication.

And you put it on, and it goes through your system slowly over a long period

of time.

Finally, it finds the pain and takes it away.

Your Honor, now Mr. Matlock is testifying for us. But, Your Honor, my

headache's gone. Isn't that wonderful?

What does that have to do with this case?

It has everything to do with it, Your Honor.

Don't you see that Mr. Richardson was able to kill Sally

Hitchcock by delayed reaction?

And it shows me that you were able to put yourself in the

clear.

when the poison took effect.

This is ridiculous. I don't know what you're talking about.

The bandage. The bandage.

You put poison in the bandage, and it's right here.

I got it at the coroner's office.

See?

See? There.

Nobody paid any attention to it because they didn't think it was important.

Thank God they didn't throw it away.

Or we would never have known, would we?

You put dimethyl sulfate on that bandage.

And you put it on the back of her neck.

Then you took her by the arm, smiled at her, took her back to the party.

And when she walked away from you, you knew.

The poison was seeping slowly through her body.

And it was getting stronger and stronger and stronger.

And when you were in a whole other part of the house, it seized her,

collapsed her breathing, and she collapsed

and died.

You killed her.

And this proves it.

Nothing further.

We find the defendant, David Tanney, not guilty.

Thank you, ladies and gentlemen.

This court is adjourned.

Well,

good job, Ben.

Michelle, do me a favor.

Take this hospital gown and give it to Gert.

She'll know what it means.