Original subtitles

Joe, I'm certain you know how difficult it must have been for Ginny to tell you

that your lovemaking, well, bores her.

Difficult for her? What about me?

Well, we've made a real breakthrough here.

Next time, we'll build on it.

Ginny, hug Joe.

Kiss Ginny.

Don't start snoring.

Really, your humor, Joe, is marvelous.

And Ginny's honesty?

Well, I have to say, you kids make one heck of a couple.

Now, I know you probably don't realize this, but there was an awful lot of love

in this room.

See what I'm saying?

I'm having a crisis, Doctor.

I need your help.

No, Laura. Not here.

Laura, not now.

I checked your book.

You're clear for three hours.

No, stop it.

Someone might come in.

My place?

In 20 minutes?

Okay, Ben. Here we go. Your life insurance needs.

Now, are you aware that your coverage should provide one to seven times your

annual income?

Not to mention your estate liquidity.

Ben, you made a bundle since my last review. You're going to need additional

coverage. But remember, I'm not selling insurance.

I'm selling peace of mind.

How can you sleep knowing your assets are uncovered?

I didn't know they were.

Do you have a copy of your parent policy? We'll go over it line by line.

know, I might even have one in here. No, I've got mine. I've got mine.

You stay here and keep talking.

I think I saw it in here yesterday.

Please, dear God, cut his tongue out.

You want to maximize your retirement benefits, Ben.

Then there's our new disability coverage.

Chronic illness and severe injury can strike men in your age group every day.

With our policy, you can break every bone in your body. Even lose your

My members?

Arms, legs, you know.

Members? Well, you can go deaf, dumb, and blind and get paid for it.

My member?

How's your wife?

Oh, uh, Laura?

She's great.

Well, actually, we've been having a little trouble. Started seeing a

counselor. Dr. Fletcher, terrific guy. He got right to the heart of the

You see, Ben, Laura needs to talk about her feelings. And I, well, I have

trouble expressing myself.

You do?

Oh,

you

were wonderful. full -hearted.

Do you love me?

Can't you tell?

What was that?

It's Alan.

Aren't you supposed to be in your group session at the clinic?

Aren't you supposed to be selling insurance?

Well, I did.

Ben Matlock just bought and bought and bought.

Why aren't you dressed?

I'm...

H .F.? H .F.? Harding Fletcher?

Laura?

Laura?

Laura? What is it?

Harding Fletcher.

I can explain.

I only tried it once.

You only tried it once?

Tobacco.

Wait, wait. I'm spending a fortune on a therapist so you can try his tobacco?

He's saving our marriage. He's sleeping with my wife.

Where are you going?

Where a crazy person goes. See a shrink.

Fletcher. Alan?

You've been sleeping with my wife.

Alan, what are you talking about? You know doggone well what I'm talking

You've been sleeping with my wife. I found this under the bed.

What a breakthrough, Alan.

What? You finally confronted the rage you have against your father.

Oh, come on. And even in this bizarre situation, you are expressing it.

Bravo. You've been sleeping with my wife. This calls for a private session.

Yeah, well, you got that right.

No, Tuesday is no good. Thursday, 6 .30 p .m.? Yeah, 6 .30, yeah. Here, I hope

you get cancer.

That's good. No, that is very good. Anger, anger.

Now, this is what I want you to do.

Hold on to that thought until I see you Thursday.

Next Wednesday, we'll begin divorce counseling.

Marshal.

No, no, no, wait a minute.

Doesn't look too good for me, does it?

You came flying out of an office where a man had just been murdered and then ran

from the security guard. Could be worse, but I don't know how.

Well, what about that guy that was there just after me? Maybe he killed

Fletcher. A fellow named Turner.

The guard already verified that Dr. Fletcher was alive when he left.

So I guess I'm the main suspect.

You're the only suspect, Alan.

Look at this arrest report.

What?

They read you your rights.

Told you you didn't have to say anything.

Told you that whatever you said would be used against you. Yeah, I remember

that. The officer even asked me if I understood what he was saying. It's

he couldn't believe what you were saying.

You told him that Dr. Fletcher was having an affair with your wife and you

into his office furious and had words with him and now they're using what you

said against you. I don't know why I said all that.

Alan, your mouth is a big... Problem? Just when I'm nervous.

You're nervous 25 hours a day.

Why did you panic and run?

When I saw Dr. Fletcher dead, I remembered this insurance seminar on

where it was pointed out that after the scene of a shooting, the culprit is

often still lying in wait. I remember this clearly because it was either late

May or early June of 87. Maybe it was 88, but it was right after I was

Alan!

Who's there?

When you burst into the doctor's office? A couple in session and a woman in the

waiting room. And they're the only ones who knew that you were coming back on

Thursday at 6 .30?

Yeah, and Laura.

You told Laura?

You're not going to take my case, are you?

Boys, I don't want to.

I guess you will.

You will?

Yeah, as aggravating as you are, you couldn't kill anybody unless you bored

to death.

I'll make bail.

How are you going to pay me?

Oh, I don't know.

Selling insurance policies.

It'll take a car loan.

was worried about you.

Thanks for posting bail.

You could have just sent some tobacco over.

Alan, I know you're upset. It's okay if you take it out on me. Well, that's

hostile. You're hostile.

Oh, I'm not hostile. Hold it. Hold it. Hold it. I'm hurt, but I'm not hostile.

Hold it.

What's the matter with you?

You're about to go on trial for murder and all you can think about is being

and hostile and fighting with your wife. Now stop it. But I... Stop it!

I want to ask you some questions alone.

But I... Alone?

Okay.

I'm not hostile.

I'm hurt, but I'm not hostile.

Did you have an affair with Harding Fletcher?

No.

Of course you wouldn't tell me if you did.

Of course I would.

You're Alan's lawyer. I can't help Alan if I don't tell you the truth.

You want to help Alan?

Of course.

My relationship with Harding Fletcher was strictly professional.

He was a wonderful therapist, warm and caring and empathetic.

Alan doesn't share your opinion.

I was at a For Wives Only seminar at the clinic the night Harding died.

You should have seen the outpouring of feelings. It was amazing.

Anything else?

Alan, be nice to Alan.

No yelling, no fighting until this thing's over.

I understand.

Alan arrested for murder.

Well, he's under a terrible strain.

I'll be very supportive, Mr. Matlock.

He needs to concentrate on what's important.

His trial.

Yeah, his trial.

And insurance.

He needs to sell insurance. A lot of insurance.

Why didn't anybody hear the shots?

Oh, all the rooms in the clinic are soundproofed.

Oh, well, I guess that makes sense.

Well, you know, these people paid this Dr. Fletcher a lot of money to have him

listen to them scream at each other.

That's how they worked out their differences.

Do you believe that?

I don't know.

You know, my parents did that.

Yeah, they'd have a fight, and he'd slam out the door, and an hour later he'd be

back bringing her some ice cream.

Who needs a doctor, huh? I guess that makes sense. You know, Dr. Fletcher had

lot of patients, so where are his files and his notes?

Well, uh, we didn't find any. Not one note.

Hmm. No note.

Hmm.

Oh, yeah.

No,

no. No.

Doctor.

Uh, Relkin, I'm Ben Matlock.

Oh, yes.

You're Alan Corning's attorney.

How may I help you?

Tell him to stop that.

See you on Thursday, Fred.

Sorry. They think you're a new patient, and they're welcoming you to the group.

No, I don't think I'd fit in.

I just want to ask a couple of questions.

You heard that Alan Corning broke into Dr. Fletcher's office a few days before

the murder.

Everyone knew about that.

I understand there was a couple in session and a woman in the waiting room.

Would you happen to know who they are?

I should. I keep a master appointment list for billing purposes.

Let's see.

Dr. Fletcher's patients.

Here. The couple in session were the Morell, Ginny and Joe.

And the next patient, the woman in the waiting room, was Claudette Hertz.

Oh, see? The Morell's and Mrs. Hertz are scheduled today.

Oh.

Thank you. My pleasure.

Is this a martial arts class?

No, this is therapy.

I heard that you and your husband knew that Alan Corny was going to be in Dr.

Fletcher's office at 6 .30 the night of the murder. Correct?

Yes, okay. We knew that he had an appointment with Dr.

Fletcher. If we'd only known that he was going to murder Dr.

Fletcher, Joe would have never...

I would not have gone to the For Wives Only seminar.

I mean, Dr.

Fletcher saved our marriage, Mr. Matlock, and I don't know what we're

do without him. Well, maybe you'll find another Dr.

Fletcher. There's only one Dr.

Fletcher.

Well, just keep plenty of these things and just kick the living.

It's primal screaming.

Oh, oh, oh.

Does your husband scream with you?

My husband's gone.

Oh, I'm sorry. How old was he? He's not dead. We're divorcing.

Dr.

Fletcher showed us that we didn't belong together.

So we parted.

But Dr. Fletcher stood by me.

He gave me strength, support, self -esteem.

I have to ask you. No, don't do that. I have to. No, you can't. I'm asked.

I have to ask you where you were.

I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I don't mean to upset you.

Can we stop screaming? It's starting to hurt my throat.

I was at the Y's only seminar.

Thank you for sharing.

Ben,

I just got the doctor to pledge his health.

Yeah, I'll let you know what I find.

Bye.

And when I got to Dr. Fletcher's house, I knew someone was already there.

And sure enough, out comes this blonde carrying a leather and rhinestone jacket

and a diamond bracelet.

Blonde, huh? Yeah. Uh, yay tall, beautiful, haircut to about here.

That's Laura, Alan's wife.

Right.

So then I followed her to this fancy apartment where this great -looking

brunette comes to the door.

Kind of curvy?

Yeah. That's Claudette Hirsch. Then what?

Then the tall blonde gave the diamond bracelet to the curvy brunette.

Then what?

That's it.

Now what?

I like Dr.

Blonde.

How did you know I was at Dr. Fletcher's house?

You were having me followed.

Well, certainly.

What was going on between you and Dr. Fletcher?

I already told you.

Nothing. I don't believe you.

Then why don't you tell me?

I think you and Dr. Fletcher were having an affair.

And you took the incriminating evidence from his house. A jacket and a bracelet.

I'm not talking to you, Mr. Mellon. Then I'll just talk to your husband.

You would tell Alan?

Most certainly.

I have to be honest with him that Alan already knows.

All right.

I was having an affair with Harding Fletcher.

I was feeling alienated and vulnerable.

And Harding had a need to nurture.

Do you understand?

Sure, you were hot for each other.

The affair was a mistake.

I love Alan. I wouldn't want to hurt him.

So I went to Harding's place and got my things.

You took a jacket and a bracelet from his place and then went to Claudette

Hurt's apartment and gave her the bracelet. Why would you do that?

Claudette's a dear friend of mine, and the bracelet had sad memories for me, so

I gave it to her.

Well, if you and Claudette are such dear friends, why didn't Alan recognize her

in the waiting room?

Claudette and I became friends at a woman's group.

Alan never met her.

Okay.

I know you have to defend him, but you don't have to cause him any additional

pain. You don't have to tell him.

Well, Alan... Well, we'll see.

Here you go. Oh, thank you.

Oh, that's a beautiful bracelet.

Yes, it is. Nice of Laura to give it to you. How many carats?

Five -something.

Women don't give other women $10 ,000 bracelets.

Actually, she just loaned it to me.

Oh.

Well, that doesn't make sense either.

I mean, if she didn't want to wear it or even look at it, it's too valuable. She

would have put it away or...

Like in a safety deposit box.

Unless it's yours.

What are you talking about?

Well, suppose you left that bracelet at Dr. Fletcher's house and Laura picked it

up for you when she went to get her jacket.

I've never been to Dr. Fletcher's house.

And I resent the insinuation.

Well, I'm sure you do.

But when things don't make sense to me, like Laura giving you that brace that

aren't loaning it to you, then my mind goes to explanations that do make sense.

I'll show you out, Mr. Matlock.

Okay.

Oh, that's a shame.

Something wrong?

I've got a carpet cleaner that can lift that right out of your rug.

I've already called one.

Oh, good.

Have a nice day.

Laura Corning and Claudette Hertz both lied to me.

Both of them? Yeah.

Laura Corning had an affair with Dr.

Fletcher.

Oh.

Alan's wife was having an affair with her marriage counselor.

Yeah. And I'm sure that Claudette Hertz did too, but she wouldn't admit it.

Wow.

Dr. Fletcher knew about what comes naturally.

Yeah. He was giving out a little more than advice, wasn't he?

So I guess one of the ladies figured it out and... You think that's what

happened? They both lied to me, Conrad, about everything. So I expect they lied

about their alibis.

Doing what comes naturally with two?

Put a man on thin ice.

Yeah.

How about tomorrow we stop by that marriage counseling place?

So good to see you, Mr. Matlock. Conrad, this is Dr. Relkin.

You're no stranger to hugging.

No, I'm not. Everybody in my family hugs everybody else all the time.

How healthy. How wonderful.

Has your family always hugged, or was there a significant event that

precipitated the behavior?

Well, let me see.

While Conrad tries to remember, I'd like to ask some questions.

Laura Corning and Claudette Hertz.

said that they were in your For Wives Only seminar at the time Dr.

Fletcher was murdered. Is that your recollection?

That seminar was packed.

I was worried I hadn't mimeoed enough questionnaires to go around, but I

definitely remember seeing Claudette and Laura there.

If you gentlemen will excuse me, I have to start a group session.

Oh, Doctor, we always hug.

Good. Yeah.

Good.

Very good.

See, man, hugging's why I grew up to be so nice.

You fit right in here.

Where's the jacket?

What jacket?

That's the jacket I saw Laura Corning carrying from Dr. Fletcher's house.

That's Jane Morrell.

That makes three of them. Three? Yeah.

Give me a minute.

You're wearing Laura Corning's jacket.

It's my jacket.

Laura told me she left that jacket at Dr. Fletcher's house. I loaned it to

before Dr. Fletcher was murdered.

You sure you didn't leave it there yourself?

And look, I spent four years and $50 ,000 in therapy because my father was a

nosy old coot like you. So I'm not answering any more of your questions,

Like it or lump it. Move.

I'm late for my sensitivity class.

Hi. Hi yourself.

How'd it go?

That woman you were so nice to just called me Pops.

That's awful.

That's just awful, Pops.

I think that is her jacket, and I think she left it at Dr. Fletcher's house.

You really think he was having affairs with Three Winter?

Laura said he was nurturing.

I think he nurtured like a big bunny rabbit.

One of them killed him.

Maybe each of them found out about the others. Yeah.

A woman scorned.

More than that.

Three patients scorned and manipulated in a very unethical way by a doctor who

had sworn to try to help them.

And all this jerk did was use them.

Doing what comes natural.

He did a little too well, didn't he?

like three times.

We're not going to find those notes. Yeah, I guess you're right.

Might as well go. I got a feeling those notes would make all the...

all the difference.

There's Dr.

Fletcher in his office.

Mrs. Murrell, you and your husband were in marriage counseling with Dr.

Fletcher, correct?

Yes, we were. And you also saw him alone?

No, only with Joe. You never once went alone to his house?

No, of course not.

Do you deny that you left an expensive jacket at his house?

I never left any jacket because I was never there. Do you deny the jacket was

there?

No, I loaned the jacket to somebody. I can only assume that she left it there.

Laura Corning?

Yes.

Mrs.

Morrell, is this your jacket?

Yes. It's very beautiful.

Very good. Very expensive.

Look at that.

What size would you say this is? Oh.

It's right here on the label, size 6.

Petite.

You're a very small woman, aren't you?

Petite. Of course.

You say you loaned this jacket to Laura Corning?

Yes. Is Mrs. Corning in the courtroom today?

Yes. Would you point her out, please?

Mrs. Corning, would you please stand up?

Thank you.

Miss Corning is a fairly tall lady.

A little larger than you. Why would she borrow a jacket that was too small for

her?

I don't know.

Mrs. Corning didn't wear this jacket and didn't leave it at Dr. Fletcher's

house. You must have. You were there and you left the jacket, didn't you?

Objection. Your Honor, this is irrelevant.

Sustained. Mr. Matlow. But, Your Honor... Objection sustained.

Now, please move on.

No further questions.

Mrs. Corning, you and your husband were in marriage counseling with the late Dr.

Fletcher. Is that correct?

Yes. And at the same time, you were having an affair with the late Dr.

Fletcher, weren't you?

Yes.

And when you found out that Jenny Murrell and Claudette Hertz were also

affairs with the late Dr.

Fletcher, did that make you feel angry and deceived?

I don't know anything about Jenny or Claudette. But if you're saying that I

jealous and killed him, I have witnessed it. Oh, I know. You were at the For

Wives Only seminar.

But sometime after that, didn't you break into Dr.

Fletcher's house and remove a... A jacket and a bracelet?

I didn't break in. I had a key.

I don't get it.

You had a key.

You let yourself in to Dr. Fletcher's house after the murder and removed a

jacket belonging to Mrs. Murrell and an expensive bracelet belonging to

Claudette Hertz.

Why would you risk going back into that house?

After the murder, to remove evidence that obviously incriminated people other

than yourself.

Well, I wasn't sure that I had all of my things out of there or not.

And so when I discovered that I had, I found Jenny's jacket and

Claudette's bracelet. Well, they're very dear friends of mine. I don't think

either one of them had an affair with Dr. Fletcher.

And so I decided to remove their things, you know, so they wouldn't be

compromised.

Oh, I see. I think.

But nothing further.

Mrs. Hertz, did you leave a diamond bracelet at Dr. Fletcher's house?

You know I did.

Laura Corning says that she removed that bracelet from his house so that you

wouldn't be compromised.

She said she did it out of her deep and everlasting friendship with you and

Ginny Morell. Is that true?

Yes. The three of us are very close.

Yeah, well, you had a lot in common.

You were all having marital problems, you were all in the clinic, and you were

all having affairs with Dr. Fletcher, weren't you?

That's a lie.

You didn't know of one another's affairs with him until the morning Alan Corning

came bursting into the office, yelling at... the good doctor for fooling around

with his wife.

That's the day that you and Ginny Morrell found out the doctor had been

on you, wasn't it?

That's absurd.

Did you feel a little angry when you found out you'd been deceived?

I'm not stupid, Mr. Matlock. I know what you were leading up to.

I did not kill Dr. Fletcher. I was at the wives -only seminar. Yeah, yeah. The

three of you are each other's witnesses, but somebody's lying.

Objection. Counsel has ceased asking questions and begun ruminating.

Your Honor, the questions are coming. I promise, they're coming, Your Honor.

Well, let's hear them then, Mr. Matlock.

Objection overruled. Thank you. Who could be lying? Who killed Dr. Fletcher?

And it took me a while to figure it out, but I finally realized the only

way I could know was to find Dr.

Fletcher's... Personal notes.

Now, you have any idea what happened to those personal notes?

None at all.

Neither does anybody else, seemingly. I looked for them and looked for them and

looked for them and I couldn't find them.

But I finally, I finally figured out where they had been.

In a safe in Dr. Fletcher's office.

Now, you know where that safe turned up?

I have no idea.

Huh. It was in your apartment, wasn't it?

That's ridiculous. There's no safe in my apartment.

No, no, no.

There's no safe in your apartment. Now.

It was.

Not now.

Now. It's here.

Thank you, Mr. McMaster. Your Honor, could we mark this safe defense exhibit

Is this the safe that was in your apartment?

I never saw it before.

And you were in my apartment. You didn't see it there either. No, I didn't. I

didn't.

But I know it had been there.

You know how I know?

By the rust indentations on your brand new rug. I got thinking, here you are in

a new apartment with a new rug, and yet something had already been moved out.

Now, how did those rust indentations get in your rug? I don't know. Dr. Fletcher

had the same rust indentations.

On a rug in the corner of his office. See there?

See that?

See that?

Let's see. Let's mark this picture, Defense Exhibit D.

It was hanging in Dr. Fletcher's office. See, this is a picture of Dr. Fletcher,

his office furniture, including the safe.

See?

There. Now, let's mark this photo.

Defense exhibit E, taken at the scene of the crime after the murder.

Now, see, same office furniture, no safe.

See?

No safe.

What happened to the safe, Mrs. Hertz?

I don't know what you're talking about.

Your building superintendent, Mr.

Anthony Giarelli.

You do remember slipping him $100 to get that safe out of your apartment in a

hurry the day you found out I was coming over for a visit, don't you?

No.

Well, Laura Corning called you and told you, didn't she?

Absolutely not.

If I told you that Mr.

Giarelli's in the courtroom today, would that improve your recollection? Would

you stand up, Mr. Giarelli?

Now, do you remember?

Not what you think.

You don't know what I think.

So I'll tell you.

I think you, Jenna Morrell, Laura Corning, got together and realized

that Dr. Fletcher had probably kept notes on his affairs with you.

Now, Jenna Morrell and Laura Corning have husbands. That's bad enough, but

you're being divorced.

Looking for a nice settlement.

One word of your adultery got out, that would hurt your cause pretty good,

wouldn't it?

I am still in the middle of a divorce. I know, I know, I know. You have the most

to lose.

That's why I think you killed Dr. Fletcher. You wanted to destroy those

but you didn't have time to open the safe there.

So you took the safe to your apartment, got it open, and destroyed the files,

didn't you? No, I told you. I was at the Y's only seminar that night.

I know, I know.

You were there for a while, but you left.

When everybody came back after coffee break at the seminar, Dr. Aylkin

passed out these questionnaires.

Everybody filled them out and signed them.

Your name appears nowhere on these questionnaires. Why?

Dr. Rolkin must have lost it.

Miss Powell, You can remove the safe now.

Dr. Aylkin told me that she picked up and numbered all of these

Why isn't your name on there? Well, how should I know? It could have fallen on

the floor.

Oh, I'm sorry. Probably you need help. Could you...

Officer...

It's interesting.

It takes not one, not two, but three women to move that safe.

You can put it down now, thank you.

You couldn't possibly have moved that safe by yourself, could you?

It took three women to move that safe.

Dr. Fletcher was shot three times.

Three women killed him.

You, Jenny Murrell, Laura Corning. Your Honor.

Besides your questionnaire?

But two other questionnaires are missing.

Jenny Morrell and Laura Corning.

You left early, didn't you?

Went over to Dr. Fletcher's, killed him, and then you removed the safe.

Objection, Your Honor.

Mr. Matlock. One more question.

Are you going to take the blame for this murder alone, or are you going to admit

that what I just said really happened?

It's up to you, Mrs. Hertz.

I can't thank you enough, Ben. Just keep selling insurance.

Well, I can't for a while.

Why the hell not?

You gotta understand, Ben. My wife was deceiving me with her therapist, and

been tried for murder, and she did it. My new therapist says that anyone else

would be dead from the stress, and I will be, too, if I don't... What?

Go away for a while.

A long while.

Nature.

Don't get me wrong, Ben. I'll pay you.

Good. May take me years. Maybe the rest of my life.

the rest of your life.

And people are living longer and longer. I was at a seminar last year. No, wait,

two years ago. It was in June. No, wait, July.

And they said that men are living into their 90s. No, wait, wait, wait. Women

are living into their 90s. Men into their 80s. And, you know, if you're a

-smoker like you, well, then, you know, it's going to go on forever.

Yeah, you know, there was a very funny story.