Original subtitles

Now you're the first person to see it finished, so I want you to be honest.

Oh, Amy, it's perfect.

Do you really think so? Oh, it is the prettiest nursery I've ever seen.

And, Amy, embroider this. Oh, yeah, it helps the time go faster.

Wow, this will be one very lucky baby.

I'm so happy for both of you.

Go ahead and ask her.

No, you go ahead. What?

Howard and I would like it if you... Would you be the baby's godmother?

Is that a yes?

I'm honored.

Yes.

How do you feel?

Like I'm about to explode.

How do I look?

Tired.

I brought the vitamins.

Oh, I'm going to need the final payment for the doctor.

Is there anything else we can do for you? No, I'm fine. Oh, what is it?

Nothing, just a really hard kick.

I think she's a dancer.

She?

Well, boy or girl, as long as the baby's healthy.

If you need anything else, give us a call. I will.

And let us know what the doctor says.

Of course.

Honey.

Right, okay.

You take care, and I'll call you tomorrow.

Thanks, Amy. Okay.

Bye -bye.

Want to know how I really feel?

Rotten. Like a dumb machine.

Like an incubator hatching a baby for somebody else.

Will you get me some milk?

Yeah.

Actually, no. Never mind.

Are you sure? Yeah.

Is it kicking again? No.

I'm in labor cramps.

I'm having a baby.

Hang on.

It'll be okay.

John, this is a very common occurrence with newborns. The doctor assured me

it will clear up in no time.

How long?

Three, four days at the most.

We've waited this long. It's a few more days.

It's a beautiful baby.

Thank you.

I'm Howard Boggs. This is my wife, Amy.

We're adopting her.

Yes, I know.

You are?

John Franklin. I'm Jill's boss.

How do you do, Mr. Franklin?

Harry Neiman.

I'm the attorney handling the adoption.

Honey,

the baby is just adorable.

How are you feeling?

Empty.

Isn't she wonderful?

I need to talk to you. Okay.

Are you okay, honey?

No, I'm not okay.

She's my baby. I'm not giving her up.

Jill, let's talk about this later. What are you talking about?

She's my baby, not yours.

But you let us on.

You agreed.

Howard, listen, I've seen this before.

She's just had a baby. She's very emotional.

She's made up her mind.

I will talk to her.

She won't listen to you. Look, let's just calm down. Will you stop telling me

calm down? You can't do this, damn it. You made a contract.

You took our money. She's my baby. I can do whatever I want.

Look, you're upset. You need some rest. Now, come on. Wait, wait.

You don't know what my wife... Now, both of us have gone through.

Come on.

Let's talk.

You know, I'm going to change my mind.

and I'm taking her home.

I'm not going to try and talk you into anything you don't want to do.

But I must remind you, you did sign a declaration of intent.

Don't you think I know that?

When I signed that, I was two months pregnant.

I wasn't even wearing maternity clothes yet.

The baby hadn't moved.

It just didn't seem real. But now I've carried her for nine months and I felt

her move and kick.

And I've dreamt about her every night.

Don't you understand?

I can't give up the baby.

Jill, I understand how you feel.

But let's look at it from their point of view.

Mr. and Mrs. Boggs have invested a lot of hope and a lot of money in this.

I'll find some way to repay them.

I feel sorry for the Boggs. They're nice people, but I'm keeping Corey.

I can do that, can't I?

Legally, yes.

But morally... Morally, I'd like to see everyone satisfied.

The Boggs have been good to you, haven't they?

Yes, very good.

Then let's all sit down and talk about it.

Just once.

I'm not saying you have to change your mind.

It's just the right thing to do.

How about it?

I'm afraid

Jill is very serious about her decision.

Can't you talk to her?

It's her decision.

Jill is willing to sit down and discuss this.

But please, don't push her.

We won't.

Seven o 'clock tomorrow night, her apartment. Okay with you?

Yeah.

We'll be there.

Now remember, honey, we want to stay calm.

How you doing?

Too soon to tell.

Jill?

Jill? Jill, are you here?

Jill?

No pulse?

I think she's dead.

What?

We better get out of here.

Why?

Come on, let's go.

patient. Ben's probably talking to the assistant DA right now.

What's the point?

Well, the point is to get him to drop the charges so this doesn't go any

further. You think you can get him to do that?

Ben is surprising.

In his own quiet way, he gets things done.

Well, give a damn, Carl.

Howard and Amy Boggs didn't kill anybody, and you know that. I have a

Oh, you have a case. You agree that somebody killed this girl? Unless she

slipped and fell, which she could have. We know that somebody killed her. And

why aren't you out looking for whoever really did it instead of trying to lay

on this nice couple who only wanted a baby and couldn't kill anybody?

I'm telling you, Ben, they had motive, opportunity. They were found at the

of the crime. I get so sick of hearing that.

Under the circumstances, I strongly suggest you consider a deal.

A deal? Oh, come on, Carl.

The lawyer, Mr. Neiman... I know Mr. Neiman. ...says that the adoption

provided that if Jill didn't survive, the baby would go directly to the

Carl, we're lawyers too, you know. That's meant to mean that they get the

if Jill dies in childbirth.

He also said that Jill didn't sign the paper withdrawing her consent for the

adoption. I... I can't believe that you believe. I believe what I have to

believe.

Now, here's the deal.

I suggest you listen to it and bring it to them.

We're in a lot of trouble, aren't we?

Well... Oh, God.

Honey, it's okay.

I have to tell you the deal the assistant D .A. wants to make with you.

What sort of deal?

Well, first, It's an insult.

He says that he understands that Jill's murder might have been an act of anger

or passion and he's willing to prosecute only whomever actually hit her as long

as the other is willing to agree to what happened.

He wants them to accuse each other?

It's an insult. I know.

It's an insult to even discuss such a deal with him. They really think we did

it, don't they? It's going to be okay.

It's an insult.

I told him, and we're not going to accept his stupid deal. It's an insult.

Yes, it is.

Yes, it is.

And we're going to get you out of this cage and into your home and prove to the

assistant DA that he never should have made his stupid deal.

Okay?

So as I got to the door, the Boggs came running out.

Jill was laying right there.

So you never saw Howard or Amy Boggs near the body?

No. Oh, Bob.

Ben.

Michelle Thomas, Ben Matlock, this is Harry Neiman. How do you do? Oh, you

adopted. That's right.

The girl was over here, Ben.

Somebody must have hit her or pushed her. She fell backwards and smashed her

head on this marble slab, fraction or skull.

The painter out in the hall says your clients was the only people he saw come

and go all evening.

Who was supposed to be at this meeting?

Just Chris Miller, biological father.

Did anybody else know about it?

Yes, John Franklin. He's the attorney Jill worked for.

What, did you tell anybody?

No.

Matt Grayson, my golf partner.

Why'd you tell him?

Well, he referred Jill to me.

Of course, the way it's turned out, I may never forgive him.

I understand you were a little late to the meeting.

Yeah, we got caught in traffic.

We? My son and I. I picked him up from a Cub Scout meeting about 6 .30.

He was going to wait in the car and do his homework.

You're not thinking... Oh.

Not particularly.

We're done, Bob.

Okay.

You mean one of these?

Chris Miller?

You know, Chris isn't in any of those pictures.

Well, that's peculiar.

You know, I never saw him so much as hold her hand.

It wasn't much of a love match.

Maybe that's why they were willing to give up the baby.

Well, give it up, Bob.

Come to think of it, I never saw them touch.

There didn't seem to be any chemistry between them. You know, if I didn't know

better, I'd say they'd never even slept together.

Did he seem surprised when she changed her mind about giving up the baby?

I didn't think so. Well, maybe they'd already discussed it and he knew what

was planning to do.

I don't know.

It was as if Jill's decision had nothing to do with him.

Hmm.

There's a cop here to see you.

I'm not a policeman. I've been in that locker. I'm Howard and Amy Boggs'

Come in.

Oh, you're a musician.

When I get work.

Good.

I've been expecting you.

Yeah?

Why is that?

I was living at Jill's apartment.

I thought you'd be around asking questions.

Well, yeah.

Did you find it strange or were you surprised when Jill decided to give

up the baby?

I saw it coming.

How's that?

For the past couple of months, the baby was all she talked about.

What it would look like, how it would feel to hold it.

I could see she was becoming very attached.

How about you? Were you becoming attached to the baby?

I'm not the baby's father.

I lived with Jill, but that's all.

You never... No.

Jill was pregnant when I met her.

When was that?

About six months ago at a party.

She wasn't showing then.

I ran into her about three months later. She was showing pretty good then.

I hadn't had many gigs and didn't have a place to stay.

She let me stay with her.

I guess she thought it would look better, her being big and all.

I ran some errands for her and fixed things around her place.

I got out of the rain.

I guess I'm what you call a drifter.

Oh.

Oh.

So, um, the meeting that the Boggers and their lawyer were going to have with

Jill that night, I wasn't there. Yeah. Looked like I said, I had nothing to do

with it.

Director.

Yeah.

Jill took you in. Didn't you care for her a little?

Yeah.

Whoever did this, I hope you get them.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Ms. McCartney.

Uh, Miss Carter, I have to go to work. Now, you know where everything is. I do.

But you're not going off without your breakfast, surely?

Oh, I don't have time.

Oh, but you must make time.

Did your former housekeeper let you go off without breakfast? Well, I... My

mother, God rest her soul, my mother used to say that you gotta have

in you in the morning to get the plumbing started.

Now, you come along. I'll make you some toast and coffee.

Couldn't help overhearing you on the telephone this morning talking about

adoption. Ah, yes, I'm having an adoption case.

Speaking of adoption, I've got to tell you this story.

Now, you will appreciate it, not just as a lawyer, but as a human being.

It happened to a couple that I knew back home in Pennsylvania, Bert and Ethel

Steinkamp.

Darling people, darling.

They owned a dry cleaning business, and they wanted to have a child.

but they couldn't.

They tried desperately to have a baby, but it just didn't happen.

They hoped, they prayed, but it didn't happen.

They tried different doctors, but no one could help them. Butter, they were

truly desperate.

They tried all the time.

Even at lunchtime, they used to close up shop and go home.

Still nothing.

Coffee's done.

Fine. Finally, they gave up and decided to adopt.

They wanted a child real bad, so why not adopt one, they said.

So they applied for one, and they got it.

I take cream with mine.

And now, what do you think?

No sooner did they adopt a child than, thanks be praised, Ethel got pregnant.

That's right. And she got pregnant a second and a third time.

And all of it because of an adopted child.

They renamed him Adam because he was the start of it all.

Oh,

it's a darling story.

Isn't it a darling story? Oh, yes, it is.

I'm done.

Oh, all right.

But don't you ever go running out of this house without my getting you some

breakfast. Oh, no, I won't.

Mr. Grayson.

Hi. Hi.

I'm Michelle Thomas. I'm an attorney. I'm representing the people accused of

murdering Jill Lambert.

Right.

Some mess that turned out to be. Yeah.

Were you and Jill close?

She was a friend of a friend. But you put her in touch with Harry Neiman and

kept you informed about the adoption.

That's right.

He says he told you about the adoption falling apart in the meeting that was

up to try and save it.

He called me, Miss Thomas, to give me a very bad time about sending him a flake.

But you knew about the meeting.

Wait a minute.

I was out and about the night Jill was killed.

Doing what?

Will she give me a break here?

Doing what?

Taking an aerobics class at the downtown athletic club, if you must know.

I do that three or four times a week.

Hi, darling.

This is Michelle Thomas.

She's representing the couple accused of killing Jill Lambert. My wife, Barbara

DeWitt Grayson.

How do you do? Hello.

We're meeting the Parkers for drinks in ten minutes, darling.

Right. I'll get changed and I'll meet you up there. Well, nice talking to you,

Miss Thomas.

Good luck with the case.

Thank you.

Is all this stuff original?

Oh, yes.

So, uh,

Jill worked for you?

Jill was our receptionist.

I knew her since she was 18.

Watched her grow up.

She was a very fine young lady. Is that why you visited her in the hospital?

Oh, well, I'm...

I'm afraid there was a little bit of guilt involved, too.

Guilt? Well, I was concerned about how it would look.

Having an unwed mother receiving my client, so I... I asked Jill if she

take an early maternity leave.

That scene at the hospital... Oh, yes.

So you heard them set up the meeting?

I heard them arrange it, yes.

Did you talk to Jill about it?

No. I left.

With everybody else.

She didn't ask you for your advice or anything?

No.

Yes? Mr. Franklin, Mr. Currit here.

Thank you.

I'm afraid my 230 has arrived. I hope that I've been able to be of some help

you. Oh, yes, yes.

Just out of curiosity.

If Jill had asked you to come to that meeting just for advice, would you have

been able to make it or were you busy?

I would have done anything to help Jill.

But she didn't ask.

And I was at a charity dinner, the Autistic Children's Foundation.

Oh, that's a good call. Yes. Yeah, good call.

Oh, well.

Well?

Well, goodbye.

Yes. If there's anything else, just call me. Oh, I will. Thank you.

Tonight, seven o 'clock.

All right, what can I do for you?

Oh, Mr. Matlock, why didn't you call me? I would have brought the paper to you.

Oh, no, that's okay.

Well, you oughtn't to go out in just your robe. I mean, what if I wasn't

The same thing could happen to you that happened to a man I knew back home, Fred

Trimble. He was a darling man.

Darling. Uh, Mrs. Carl, Mrs.

Carl, I have my coffee, see?

And so you can just go about what you were doing.

This Fred Trimble went out one morning to get the morning paper and discovered

that he had locked himself out. Oh, well, that happens.

Well, now, the windows were locked.

His neighbor wasn't at home. So he decided to go to the corner filling

to telephone the locksmith.

Just then, a patrol car was passing.

And they saw Fred in just his robe and slippers.

And immediately felt that he was an escapee from a mental institution.

They pulled over.

Ms.

McArdle, that won't happen.

See, if you're not here, I have a key hidden outside the house.

Oh, but that's really dangerous, because they'll find it. It happened to a

friend of mine, Eric Lane.

He thought he had found the perfect hiding place, but they found it, and one

night he came home to an empty house. Come in. They even took the Bible that

mother gave him.

Oh, and now you have it. So I'll leave you.

Remind me to tell you the rest of the story about Fred Trimble.

A darling story.

Darling.

You need a housekeeper.

She likes to talk. And talk and talk and talk. So why are you keeping her?

Because she's a good housekeeper.

And she's a darling person.

Darling.

Hey, Mr.

Franklin, wait up.

Mr. Landlock, what can I do for you?

I'll show you something.

You can go a long ways for a hamburger, don't you?

Make your point, Mr. Landlock.

I think you're the father of Jill Lambert's baby.

That's why you're paying off Chris Miller.

She must have told him about you.

Interesting motive, isn't it?

My God, man, are you suggesting that I murdered Jill Lambert to prevent her

naming me the father of her child?

I'm saying you had reason.

Your biggest client is the Holy Archdiocese.

How would they feel if they knew they were being represented by a married man

who had fathered an illegitimate child?

Mr. Madlock, listen to me carefully.

I am a highly respected and accomplished attorney.

My reputation is impeccable, and barring a blood test to which I would never

submit, you have nothing to tie me to Jill Lambert, except as a friendly

employer.

And if you insist on bringing this nonsense into court, I'd be delighted to

you for an indecent amount of money.

Now, would you excuse me? I have an appointment with his eminence.

You may call your first witness.

The prosecution calls Harvey Lang to the stand.

Mr. Lang, you are a house painter, is that correct?

Yes, it is.

And on the day that Jill Lambert was murdered, where were you working?

I was painting the hallway right outside her apartment.

Did you take a lunch or a dinner break that day?

No, I got there at noon, worked straight through till 7 .30.

Mr. Lang, during the time that you were working in that hallway, did you see

anyone enter or exit Jill Lambert's apartment?

Yes, I did.

Do you see that person or persons in this courtroom today? Yes, right there,

defendants. And did you see anyone else enter or exit Jill Lambert's apartment

while you were there?

No, nobody else. Thank you.

Your witness.

Uh, Mr. Lang, uh, how long have you been on your, uh, present job?

Three months.

And before that, how long were you on your previous job?

Maybe four months. And the job before that?

About, uh, two months. I can, uh, I can have Mike Foley, Dave Palmer, and Richie

Morgan come up here and explain why they fired you.

Or would you like to save us a lot of time and explain it to yourself?

They think maybe I have a drinking problem.

Have you been drinking on this current job?

No. You're under oath.

Okay, so maybe I had a beer or two.

Where do you get this beer?

There's a market on a corner a couple blocks away.

How long do you figure it takes you to...

Go to that market and back.

Back and forth, 10, 15 minutes tops?

So, the evening of the murder, you made one of your 10, 15 minute beer runs,

didn't you?

If you say so. No, sir. If you say so.

Okay, I was there.

You left the hallway, were gone for 10 or 15 minutes.

And during that 10 or 15 minutes, anybody...

Could have gone into Jill Lambert's apartment before the Boggs's got there,

couldn't he?

Objection. Compound argumentative calls for speculation.

Withdraw the question.

Mr. Lang, you couldn't tell the assistant D .A. that you left that

and why?

Because you were afraid you'd get fired, isn't that true?

Hmm?

further question.

Handing the outcome of the trial, Corey's awarded the state.

What a factor, Holmes.

What do you mean, handing the outcome of the trial?

Well, if you're not convicted, no.

When you're not convicted, the baby's yours.

Well, all we always found was a child.

I mean, even this would be worth it if we could get her.

Did Jill ever say or do anything to make you suspect she might change her mind?

Well, she was never really warm to either of us, but no.

Well, I never thought she was the type that could give a child a home.

Well, her place was always a bit messy.

Well, half the stuff in it was stolen.

Stolen? Not half. There was some soap and a shopping cart in the hall and some

towels, that sort of thing. She stole soap?

Yes. I think it was from that little French hotel downtown.

The Chateau de... Chateau de Fleur?

Yes. I think that was it.

Who's throwing me down?

Au revoir. I was wondering if you could help me.

Avec plaisir, madame.

Do you, uh... Do you know this woman?

Oui.

Oui, je la connais.

She has been a guest here many times.

Though not for a little while. Perhaps seven or eight months.

Would she come in with a man?

Always.

No.

No, no. He was younger.

Do you remember his name?

Monsieur Smith.

And he always paid cash.

Mr. Grayson didn't attend his robber's class that day.

How can you be so sure?

All the classes that day were canceled.

Air conditioning went out.

Are you sure it was that day?

Believe me, I remember the complaining. You'd think I broke it myself.

Not great.

Do I know you?

No. And what's this garbage you're spouting on the phone?

Well, this garbage wouldn't be here. Have a seat.

What do you want?

What would your wife think if she knew you were the father of Joe Lambert's

baby?

That's a lie.

I think you and I know better. And I think you're going to come up with $20

to keep it quiet.

Look, boy, you're out of your league.

Okay.

I'll see you in the National Informant.

Wait.

I can't get that kind of money.

Yes, you can.

All right.

All right. I'll get it.

Fine. Smart move.

How do I know this will be the end?

You don't.

Six o 'clock tomorrow, Dave's Burgers down on Peach Street.

So which one of them do you think is the father?

Oh, I don't know.

John Franklin and Matt Grayson both think they are.

And they both have a lot to lose if Chris starts making accusations in

Well, one of them must have been here that night.

Yeah.

Oh.

Brand new baby blanket.

Shouldn't even have time to take the tags off.

Baby.

Cory's a girl, isn't she?

Yeah.

Well, now, Mr. Grace, what was your relationship with the deceased?

No relationship, really.

A friend introduced us at a party.

Miss Lambert was distressed and very open about the reason.

She said she was pregnant out of wedlock and had decided it was best to give the

baby up for adoption. I referred her to an attorney friend who specializes in

adoption. Harry Neiman. That's right.

And so after that party, you never saw Jill Lambert again?

No.

So what business are you in, Mr. Grayson?

I'm a real estate developer.

Real estate's in kind of a slump right now, isn't it?

Well... That depends on the real estate. Well, of course. See, you still need a

lot of money, a lot of cash up front. Do you have partners?

Not exactly.

Is that a yes or no?

My wife and I are partners.

Your Honor, this is all very interesting but hardly relevant.

Your Honor, if you'll bear with me, I'll show you that this direction is much

more than relevant.

Overruled. Continue, Mr. Matlock, but get to the point.

Yes, sir. Must be interesting having your wife as a partner. Is everything

50 -50 right down the middle?

Not exactly.

Oh, you mean it's your business and you take the larger share?

I don't take a larger share, and it's my wife's company.

Uh -huh.

Your wife is Barbara DeWitt Grayson, the heiress.

That's right.

At the time, Jill Lambert...

was murdered.

You were taking anaerobics class at the downtown athletic club. That's right.

As I told your associate.

Yeah, but that wasn't quite true, was it?

Because that day the air conditioning broke down and they canceled all

so you couldn't have been there that day, could you? Maybe I got my days

up. Yeah, maybe you did. Maybe you did.

Do you recognize this man?

Yeah?

I don't know him, no.

If I told you that he is the desk clerk at the Chateau de Fleurs Hotel downtown,

would you recognize him then?

No. Well, he's prepared to testify that you were a frequent guest

for a lengthy interval at his hotel, only you used the name Smith.

Who was your companion during those days?

It was Jill Lambert, wasn't it?

He's prepared to testify.

So were you having an affair with Jill Lambert?

Yes, I was.

Affairs outside of marriage can cause a world of trouble inside the marriage,

can't they? My marriage to Barbara is solid, if it's any of your business.

Oh.

Would it have remained solid?

When the word came out that you were the father of Jill Lambert's baby? You

don't know I was the father. No, I don't. But you had good reason to

were.

And when she changed her mind and decided to keep that baby, would she ask

for child support?

Doesn't mean I'd kill her.

It still made for a sticky situation, didn't it? I mean, how would you explain

that money away to your heiress wife?

When Jill was prepared to do the right thing, For you.

And give up the baby. You were happy.

But when she decided to keep it, you were in trouble.

No, I wasn't. Didn't your friend Harry Neiman call you and tell you about the

meeting at her apartment that evening at 7 o 'clock with the Bogsys?

I suppose.

Yeah. The only choice you had was to get to her apartment before they did and

try to convince her to go ahead with the adoption.

So you went to her apartment.

By now, she really wanted to keep that baby. She wouldn't listen to you.

You pled with her. She wouldn't listen. You argued with her. She wouldn't

listen. You got angry. You pushed her or you hit her. And she fell on the apron

of that fireplace and fractured her skull. Died just like that. And you did

only thing any red -blooded coward could do. You ran and left the Boggs's to

take the blame. You're wrong!

I wasn't even there. Are you sure? Yeah, I'm sure.

Do you recognize this?

No, I don't.

I found this in Jill Lambert's apartment.

The name of the store is on the tag.

And their records show that this was bought an hour before Jill Lambert was

murdered. You bought this blanket and took it to her as a peace offering,

to show that you were sincere and to convince her to go ahead with the

Correct? No.

Your Honor, this man's making all this up.

Almost done, Your Honor, almost done.

Proceed.

Everybody who knew about that meeting was at the hospital but

you.

Everybody at that hospital knew that baby was a girl named Corey,

except you.

Only somebody who wasn't at that hospital.

would think Corey was a boy's name and buy a blue blanket.

You bought this blanket and you murdered Jill Lambert.

That's a lie.

And here is the receipt for the blanket purchased on your credit card.

Connor?

Yeah, Carl?

Reasonable doubt, ladies and gentlemen. Can any of you say beyond

a reasonable doubt that my clients murdered Jill Lambert? I don't think so.

When the Atlanta police finish their investigation, I think we'll find the

person who killed Jill Lambert is sitting right there.

I can't tell you how happy we are.

And how wonderful you've been, both of you. Well, I'm so glad we could help.

I told Ben I was going to take us all out to lunch. Where is he?

He's running an errand.

He said he has something to pick up.

We can have her?

Right now? Absolutely.

How can we ever thank you? Why don't you just go ahead and take her? She's a

little wet.