Original subtitles

You want to dance?

Sorry, I'm with someone.

Who? The invisible man?

He went to powder his nose.

We'll wait for him up there.

Seems sunny tonight.

Yeah.

Try to be there.

We need to talk.

Not now.

Hello, Sonny. Glad you came in.

Let's talk.

I'm trying to concentrate here.

Look, you've been putting us off for a week, Sonny boy.

Don't make us do something you'll regret.

Tonight, my place.

Eight o 'clock.

What can I say? I don't have it. Why the hell not?

It happens.

When will you have it?

A couple of days.

We're partners. Why do I detect a lack of trust here? Because you owe us 50

grand. Forget it. That's not good enough.

You put us off for the last time. We want that money tonight. You listen to

you little punk.

Popular guy.

Carla's a kid. She OD'd.

I just came from the hospital.

What are you doing here?

I haven't seen Carla in months.

You gave her drugs.

You turned her into a junkie. And when you were done with her, you threw her

into the street.

She was an okay kid. I'm sorry she's dead.

But hey, I'm no magician.

I didn't turn her into anything she wasn't already.

You son of a...

the problem with going out with 20 year olds and their fathers still pack a mean

punch

Now,

now there's a chance that maybe, just maybe...

Get this whole thing dismissed right here and now, okay?

Uh -oh. What's wrong? Your Honor, this is my client's first offense. Judge

he hates me. Bell denied. The defendant will remain in custody until her trial.

Next case.

Case number 30679. State of Georgia versus Matthew Tidyman.

Your Honor, we waive the formal reading of the charges.

How does your client plead?

Not guilty.

But more to the point, I submit that since the evidence the state had planned

present no longer exists, that the charges against him be dismissed.

What is he talking about?

Well, unfortunately, some of the documents we plan to use to show that

Tidyman had gained illegal access to the university computers have been... They

were incinerated.

There's some indication that the janitorial staff may have made a growth

yes, but... Your Honor, the only thing the state has is testimony of people who

contend they saw these alleged documents. The university has provided

another set of printouts of the records in question. These records are recreated

after the fact, Your Honor. But more importantly, Mr. Tideman has admitted to

the dean that he broke into the university computer and made it appear

He and his friends had already paid their tuition and fees for the year.

Mr. Matlock, why is nothing ever simple when you come into this courtroom?

Your Honor, the court must understand that all computer errors have been

corrected and all appropriate fees have been paid. And the state has no

admissible evidence for this crime.

Your Honor, the state is confident it can win a conviction in this case. Your

Honor... the state would only waste the court's time.

Case dismissed.

Next case.

Case number 47063.

State of Georgia versus Walter Padilla.

That's it? I'm free?

Yes.

Your days of computer hacking are over. You got that?

And you tell your father the next time I buy a car from him, I want a big

discount. I don't understand. Why should I plead guilty when I'm innocent?

We waive formal reading of the charges, Your Honor.

How does your client plead?

Guilty, Your Honor. But I'm not guilty.

Walter, be quiet.

I thought you were supposed to tell the truth in court.

May I have a word with my client, Your Honor?

I didn't do anything. Why are you saying I'm guilty?

Mr.

Hornsby. What's going on here?

My client is just a little confused, that's all. You're supposed to be on my

side. Walter, shut up.

Walter, stop it.

Walter, stop it. My nose is bleeding, you dumb jerk.

Slow down, settle down, or I'll throw you both in jail for contempt.

Mr. Padilla, can I assume you no longer wish to be represented by Mr.

Hornsby? The baboon could do a better job.

Mr. Hornsby, I take it the feeling is mutual?

He deserves a baboon.

Oh, Mr. Matlock.

Would you be so kind as to approach the bench, please?

Mr. Matlock, since you and I both have problems, mine finding a new lawyer for

Mr. Padilla, yours finding something to do with your spare time.

Spare time? Since I dismissed one of your cases.

Oh. And this is murder one, your specialty, and I thought we could kill

birds with one stone, as it were.

But he just decked his lawyer. I saw him.

I know.

Now you're his lawyer.

Your Honor.

You're his lawyer.

Okay.

I guess I better have a few words with my new client, Mr... Padilla. Padilla.

You two can confer over there someplace.

After lunch? No.

The bailiff will bring your lunch.

Your daughter was only 18?

Sonny was twice her age.

Any idea how his blood got all over the wrench the police found in your toolbox?

No.

That wrench isn't mine.

Well, the toolbox was in your van.

I'm a plumber. All my tools are in my van.

Why did you go to Sonny's house the night she died?

He got her hooked.

It was all his fault.

You hit him? If David hadn't have grabbed me, I would have probably never

stopped. Don't say that, not even to me. Eat your pickle.

Who is this David who grabbed you?

David Hope.

He and two other people were at Sonny's when I got there.

You know?

Well, we'll get you a range.

Keep your fists to yourself.

You're pleading innocent.

But if I do something that you disagree with and you hit me, I'm going to knock

the living tar out of you. You got that?

I eat your hot dog.

Okay.

Hi.

Hey. Where have you been?

Ah, busy day.

Good news is I got the tidy man case dismissed. Well, there's a picture of

inn. Yeah, the Roanoke Island Inn. Yeah, I stayed there.

I liked that.

Yeah, you go down to the living room in the morning, get a bran muffin and a cup

of coffee.

Oh, the girl that served that coffee was so pretty.

Did anybody ever tell you you're girl crazy?

I'm not girl crazy. You're girl crazy. I simply like the ladies.

If I see a pretty lady, I can't help myself. I take a look.

I take a look at you.

I don't say much because you're kind of like family.

I like that. That's a pretty girl.

Don't you want to hear the bad news?

Yeah, what's the bad news? Some girl slapped you?

No. We got a new client.

What's that, sandwiches?

No, mouse traps.

Oh, good.

Oh, yeah.

That mouse has gotten so bold, he comes out and waves at me when I'm having a

snack.

Well, did you put all your perishables in glass jars? Oh, yeah.

Cereal, crackers, everything.

Doesn't bother him.

He gnawed his way through a can of soup.

And a mouth trap's the only way.

Yeah.

So what's so bad about getting a new client?

It's pro bono.

Oh, a charity's good for the soul.

That's what they say.

You should have moved out when you had a chance.

I got you now, you little pet.

The killer entered the bedroom.

Went to the bed.

Delivered multiple blows to the skull.

Sonny fell to the floor dead.

Looks like he put up a fight.

A coroner estimates the time of death to be between 10 p .m. and midnight.

And a cleaning lady found him.

How'd she get in?

He kept a key under the rug in the hallway.

Apparently everybody and his uncle knew it was there.

My client didn't know.

Unless his daughter told him.

Okay, I've got to go.

Where'd he get his money?

The manager of this place says he was heavy into the stock market.

Ben, I've really got to go.

Who do you suppose he got this for?

The man was a womanizer, Ben. It could have been any one of a dozen women.

Now, look, stay here if you like, but I've really got to be going.

Why?

I was supposed to be over at the Windermere estate.

You know John Windermere?

He was found dead this morning. It hasn't hit the news yet.

What did I know?

Anaphylactic shock.

Apparently he was diabetic.

He'd just given himself his daily shot of insulin.

The coroner thinks it was doctored with something he was allergic to.

The richest man in Atlanta murdered.

That's what I said.

Looking for David Holt? Right here.

Thanks.

Hi.

I'm Michelle Palman.

You're a lawyer?

Yeah.

Do you have a minute to answer a few questions?

You bet.

You want a drink? No, thanks.

Oh, this is quite a place you've got here.

You need to see it with the lights.

How well did you know Sonny Harlow?

We hung out together.

Walter Padilla said that you were at Sonny's the night Carla OD'd.

I thought for sure Walter was going to kill him.

There were two other people there.

Yeah.

Let's see.

Tanya Bergen and Nick Sadler.

And who are they?

They're friends of Sonny's. Tanya owns a health club. Nick's in the auto

wrecking business.

Walter says that he overheard the four of you arguing about something.

No, we weren't arguing. We were just raising a little hell because of a hit

taken in the markets. Sonny gave us a bad tip.

Oh, I don't lose a lot of money?

No, just enough to give him a hard time. Yeah.

Well, thanks.

Anytime.

Why don't you come back tonight when we're open?

I'll leave your name at the door.

Thanks, but dancing's really not my thing.

Oh?

So what is your thing?

Asking questions.

Michelle!

Oh, I'm sorry.

Oh.

Oh. Oh, I'm sorry. I just heard something incredible on the radio.

Guess who was murdered this morning? John Windermere.

How did you know?

Bob Brooks told me. What did the police find in his insulin?

Penicillin. He was deathly allergic to it.

Apparently his wife is a prime suspect.

His second wife?

30 years his junior.

How'd your meeting go with David Hoke? Fine.

Found out who those other two people were.

I have a meeting with them tomorrow.

Why another mouth trap?

The same one. Damn mouth stole the cheese.

Mr. Matlock, Jonathan Ayers of Greenberg, Brown & Levinsky. Do you have

to talk?

Well, yes.

One of our clients, Roxanne Windermere, her husband passed away this morning.

I heard.

Well, then let me go right to the point.

Our sources downtown tell us they're drawing up a warrant for the arrest of

Windermere and the charge will be first -degree murder. So you see, Mr. Matlock,

she no longer needs general counsel. She needs you.

Well, I just took on a major case.

Mr. Matlock, only someone like you can keep the press from absolutely

her. I really don't have the time.

Mr. Matlock, she's innocent.

I can't.

Please, Mr. Matlock, I truly am innocent.

I'm sorry, Jonathan. I was just too nervous to wait in the car.

Mr. Matlock, I know this is very bad manners, but I'm desperate.

My husband, whom I loved very much, is dead.

And on top of that, the police think that I killed him.

I just don't have any world to turn.

Don't cry.

Don't cry.

Don't cry. There, there, there.

There, there, there. There, there, now.

Maybe,

maybe, maybe, Mrs.

Windermere, maybe I can help.

Au revoir.

Au revoir.

Tomorrow.

Well, Michelle, want to have some coffee?

Yeah, sure. I'll just get the cups, and you take cream and sugar, and I'll get a

couple spoons.

You're going to ask me to take Walter's case, so you can take her case, aren't

you?

What? It's okay. Just admit it. You think she's pretty?

Well, yeah, but that's not why I'm taking her case.

I'm taking her case because it's right up my alley.

Oh, that's right. Her case is right up your alley.

I'm taking her case because I think she's innocent.

And Walter Ruthens?

No, I think Walter's innocent, too.

Well, great. Then I'll take Mrs. Windermere's case and you take Walter's.

Michelle! No, right?

Because she's prettier than Walter, that's why.

Okay, she's prettier than Walter, but that's not why.

We can't.

Who? I've only seen one.

He stole the cheese from both traps.

Mr. Matlock, how nice to see you. This is really beautiful.

Thank you.

John and I love living here.

I miss him dreadfully.

I'm sure you must. I'm sorry.

Thank you.

Well, shall we get to work?

Okay. Come in.

Well, did your husband always give himself his

shots in here?

Yes, he knew I couldn't stand needles, so he always did it in here where I

wouldn't see him.

He kept the insulin in a small refrigerator in our bathroom.

He kept the syringes in his desk.

Your fingerprints... Yes, I know.

They were on the ampule that was found in here.

I put it in the refrigerator after the pharmacy delivered it.

So, um... Who else knew that your

husband was allergic to insulin?

Well, everyone knew. He wore one of those medical alert bracelets.

And how many people knew where the insulin was kept?

Well, let's see.

Rosa knew.

That's our maid.

and Alice, John's former wife, and John Jr., their son.

Okay.

Could we... Oh, yes.

And how did you and your husband meet?

We met three years ago in San Diego at a charity banquet his foundation helped

sponsor. Oh.

I understand he was...

Quite a bit older than you.

About like you.

I like older men.

Always have.

I'm sorry. I have to get to the mortuary.

Oh, sure. We can talk later.

Could I speak with your maid?

Of course.

You know, you are a very sweet man, mister.

Ben.

Ben. Ben.

Roxanne.

Rosa, I'd like you to meet Mr. Ben Matlock. He's my attorney. He wants to

to you. Be as helpful as you can. Yes, ma 'am.

Oh, uh, Le Paragord.

I've been meaning to try that. Is it good?

What's that?

That new restaurant, Le Perricourt.

Oh, I don't know. John and I never had the chance to try it.

I'll call you this afternoon.

Okay. Au revoir.

Au revoir.

So, how long have you worked here?

Nine years.

The other Mrs. Windermere hired me.

Oh. How do you like working for this Mrs. Windermere?

Oh, fine.

I mean, she's not snooty, and she's good to me. When my back went out, she made

the beds and did the vacuuming herself.

Said it would be our little secret.

She's a nice lady.

How'd you like working for the first Mrs.

Windermere? Oh, very much.

Sounds like the mister had good taste in wives.

Well, thank you for your time.

Oh.

Sonny was a regular here. That's how I knew him.

What about you?

Yes, I met him a couple years ago through friends.

I don't really remember.

Here he was pretty good at playing the stock market.

He was incredible.

Like the guy with the psychic.

Walter Padilla claims that just before he came barging into Sonny's condo, he

heard you two and David arguing.

No,

they weren't arguing.

Really? Oh.

And David remembers it differently.

He says you had a real Donnybrook over a bet on a Falcons game.

Sonny was trying to welch on a bet.

Yeah, he said we gave him five points instead of seven.

Well, thanks.

Somebody better keep an eye on her.

Call David.

Hey, John Jr.

It's JJ.

What do you want?

I'm going to ask some questions.

I couldn't hear you.

Roxanne married my father for his money, and she murdered him. What else do you

want to know?

Well, you stand to get a good deal of money out of this, don't you? Yeah, of

course I do. Yeah, and like that real estate deal in, where was it, Phoenix?

went belly up. I imagine you could use the money.

Is that your mother?

Yeah. I wanted to talk to her. She's on her way to a children's hospital. She

does volunteer work there twice a week.

She doesn't deserve what Roxanne did to her.

Yeah? Yeah, she ruined her life.

Doesn't look like that to me.

No, I'm talking about dignity and self -respect.

How do you think Mom felt being dumped for a younger woman after 24 years of

marriage?

Why do you blame Roxanne for all of this and not your father?

My father was a fool.

But I loved him.

And because he's dead and she's not.

Good Lord, how many traps did you set?

Twelve.

That ought to do it.

How was your meeting? Fine.

How about yours?

Michelle.

Walter was right.

Sonny and those other three were arguing that night about something they won't

talk about.

Hello, sports fans.

Hi.

You're right. Yeah.

I need you to find out where a guy named Sonny Harlow got all his money.

Didn't he play in the stock market?

I went over every square inch of his place today and didn't find one thing

suggested he'd been buying and selling stocks.

Think he was dealing drugs?

He must have been. And from the looks of his lifestyle, we're talking big time.

If he was moving weight, I could find him. Don't you guys have anything to eat

around here? I'm starving.

No!

Of course, I know.

The age difference means nothing.

You love a man, not a number. And all you want is to be by his side for the

of your life.

I'll just come back later.

Oh, Michelle, Michelle, I was just preparing Roxanne for her testimony. We

were talking about the day Mr.

Windermere proposed to her.

Oh. Ben's so empathetic. It's like he was there.

Are you saying you're putting Mrs. Windermere on the stand?

Oh, ordinarily I wouldn't consider it, but I think she'd impress the hell out

a jury, don't you?

I think she'd impress the hell out of a turnip.

I just saw Conrad.

He's pretty sure Sonny was not a player. He's got one more source to check out.

Good, good.

Anything else?

No, nothing that can't wait. I wouldn't want to keep you and your client from

anything.

Well, freshen up your tea.

All right.

You almost caught my toes.

I wish I had.

I'm Alice Windermere.

How dare you insinuate that I had something to do with John's death?

Excuse me? You called Children's Hospital.

You asked them if I had access to any antibiotics there, specifically

penicillin, as if I were some kind of a thief.

Oh, for what it's worth, they said if any had been missing, you'd be

the last person they'd suspect.

However stupid your accusations were, people have started to talk.

And that hurts.

We're thinking about suing. You're doing my job.

Suing people's lives is your job?

You lawyers live with yourselves.

Mrs. Windermere, did you love your husband?

Yes, very much.

Even though he was considerably older than you?

I think I loved him because he was so much older.

He was very wise, very patient.

Men my own age usually aren't either of those things.

Mrs.

Windermere.

Did you kill your husband?

No, I did not.

Mrs.

Windermere, do you stand to inherit a lot of money

from your late husband's estate?

I'll be well taken care of, yes.

And then his life I was well taken care of.

John knew I wasn't interested in his money. Not interested?

Not at all interested?

I loved John.

All I wanted was to be by his side for the rest of my life. Oh, come on. He was

old enough to be your father. You married him for the status.

You married him for his money. And you got tired of an old man. Then you got

tired of waiting for an old man to die, didn't you? So you decided you'd just

speed the process up a little bit, didn't you?

No. You knew he was a diabetic.

Yes. And you knew that he was allergic to penicillin.

Yes. And knowing that the insulin was kept in the refrigerator, you knew that

you could tamper with it without any problem, didn't you? Just answer yes or

Mrs. Wendemere.

There's no problem in tainting the insulin with the penicillin that you

would be poisonous to him, right?

I did not do that.

But you cannot deny...

No further questions, Your Honor.

Mrs. Windermere, let me finish what Mr. Burgess decided not to let you explain.

Objection, Your Honor. Counsel is beginning his argument.

Sustained.

Why were your fingerprints on the ampule of insulin?

Because when the pharmacy delivered it, I'm the one who took it out of the box

and put it away.

Did you tamper with it No, and I most certainly did not

kill my husband

Hi. What are you doing here?

Is Rosie in?

Of course. Is everything all right?

Everything is perfect.

I bet you were pretty surprised when John Windermere asked you for a divorce.

Yes, I was.

I mean, 24 years of marriage down the drain, all because his head was turned

a younger woman.

I imagine it made you pretty mad.

I was angry at first, but life goes on. Yeah.

I got over it. Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah, but didn't you tell a would -be suitor, Arthur Warren, that

you couldn't develop a relationship with him because you still hadn't gotten

over your ex -husband?

No. Well, I mean, yes, I told Arthur that, but that was because I...

Well, I wasn't attracted to him, and I didn't want to hurt his feelings.

So you and Arthur Warren are good friends?

Yes. He recently had a bout with pneumonia, didn't he?

Yes. And for that pneumonia, he was given penicillin, wasn't he?

I don't know. Well, you did visit him while he was recuperating, did you?

Didn't you?

I did once, yes.

How long has it been since you've been in John Windermere's home? I moved out

two weeks before the divorce was finalized.

About two years ago. And you never went back?

No.

Three weeks ago, you took Rosa Marina, your ex -husband's maid and your

former maid, out to lunch to that new place, Le...

Paragord, didn't you? I know you did because I called them after I saw a stub

from their parking lot on your windshield.

Now, Rosa doesn't want to say anything that would hurt you, but if I call her

to the stand, she's going to have to testify that you did come in the house

a few minutes after you dropped her off.

To use the bathroom, yes.

So it hasn't been two years since you were in his house. You were there less

than a week before the murder.

I forgot.

I was only there for two minutes. You lied because you put that penicillin in

that ampule of insulin, didn't you?

No. You lied because you saw a chance to avenge yourself on your ex -husband and

the woman who took him away from her. That's not true.

Then why are your fingerprints all over this prescription bottle of penicillin

which the police took from your friend Arthur Warren's home?

You stole this penicillin on the spur of the moment, didn't you?

And you weren't wearing gloves.

And you took your maid out to lunch, brought her home, went inside, went to

upstairs bathroom, this time wearing gloves.

You injected this liquid penicillin into the ampule of insulin, knowing where

your husband kept it.

You got even with your husband, all right.

But there's always a price, and yours is you're guilty of premeditated murder.

We find the defendant, Roxanne Windermere, not guilty.

Order.

We'll have order in this court.

Maybe at least three times, maybe five.

you would have told me, okay? We don't get any more stuff unless we've got cash

in hand.

I'm supposed to meet him at 5 o 'clock at A &B Records.

We deliver, he delivers, okay?

You were set up?

Yeah, that rendezvous thing was just a ploy to get me over that wrecking yard

they could kill me.

Damn. Yeah, well, at least you got your girl off.

Roxanne is not my girl.

Mrs. Windermere is not my girl.

She's just a client.

She's a very nice lady, but she's just a client.

Now, they must have known you were eavesdropping back at the health club.

Yeah, they must have.

But they can't have known who you are.

Sure they could.

I obviously shook them up. If they had someone watching me, they would have

known I talked to Conrad.

Well, you better lie low for a couple of days and make them think the coast is

clear. You can punch them out later.

I guess much later.

And what did you do with this wrench you found in the back of Mr. Padilla's van,

Lieutenant? We sent it to the lab for testing.

And what did the lab find?

They found traces of hair and blood on one end of it. Were they able to

determine whose?

The defeated, Sonny Harlow.

Thank you, Lieutenant.

That's all.

Miss Thomas?

Whose fingerprints did they find on the wrench?

They didn't find any fingerprints on it. None?

Not even Walter Padilla's?

The handle appeared to have been wiped clean.

So, are we to believe, Lieutenant Brooks, that Mr. Padilla killed Sonny

with that wrench, left it covered with Mr. Harlow's blood, but wiped his own

fingerprints from it, and then put it in a toolbox where the police were sure to

find it?

Objection, Your Honor.

Argumentative.

Sustained.

Thank you, Lieutenant.

Hi.

Where'd you come from?

I was in there. Yeah?

Yeah. I thought you did a terrific job.

Thank you.

Right in there. Oh, there's the lovely Roxanne. Ben!

Hi! What are you doing here?

Signing papers. Papers and more papers. They're dispersing John's estate.

Ben, I've decided to throw myself a little birthday party tomorrow night,

want you to come.

Both of you. Tomorrow night?

Well, thanks, Roxanne, but I have a date.

Well, if you'll both excuse me.

I insist that you come.

You'll have a good time. I promise.

Birthdays only come around once a year.

You got time for lunch? With you? Of course.

We don't need a reservation.

Well, of course not. You're so famous.

You never need a reservation at Charlie's. You just have to decide

want your dog plain or with chili.

My dog?

Yeah, sometimes you can have sauerkraut or those little red peppers that make

you cry.

Hey, Charlie, two hot dogs all the way.

Rhymes. Let's hit it.

Oh, thank you. It's so good to see you. Please help yourself.

Captain.

Oh,

nice to see you.

See you in a little bit. Enjoy yourself.

Amanda. I can't wait to hear about your... Oh, it's divine. We'll talk.

good. Thanks for coming.

Hi. Good to see you.

There you are.

I was afraid you might have left.

Oh, no.

I think we're all terrible snobs, don't you?

No, not all of you.

So you like Polo, huh?

Not particularly.

John did. I didn't want him to play anymore. I was afraid he'd get hurt, but

insisted on going to all the matches.

Know what I've been dying to do all evening?

No.

Open my presents.

Come on.

Absolutely beautiful.

And the emerald green happens to be my favorite color.

Thank you.

Here, dear.

Let's see.

This one is from... My dear friend.

Thank you. An absolutely fabulous lawyer, Ben Matlock.

I get it.

It's a fan.

That's what I keep telling him. I've become his biggest fan.

Aren't you clever?

And this is for you, dear. Oh, Amanda, what have you done?

Oh,

fleur de plume. Oh, my absolute favorite.

You could only get this in Gros.

Oh, come here, you.

back from Europe and not keeping it for yourself, you get a kiss.

irony or what.

While you were stealing from them, I was stealing from you.

Let me help you.

Come on.

Step out of the car.

Out of the car, man. Put your hands up.

On top of the car.

Detective Borey.

What'd they say?

They copped any of the other burglaries?

They wouldn't even cop to the one they pulled tonight.

When do you think they'll be arraigned?

That hot shot lawyer of theirs will probably have them out of here by

Well, you still have time.

appetizer. Bye.

Burglary. Sergeant Coppola here.

Hello again, Sergeant.

Check out what I told you yet?

Yeah, as a matter of fact, I did.

Hey, they don't do that.

It was just getting good.

Get out, or I will call the cops.

Go ahead, bug. You people swarming and taping all the calls is illegal.

I tried to pat them. I thought it was destroying evidence.

Or did David just tell you to hide that tape when he called you just now?

What are you talking about?

Yes, you do.

David's in trouble.

He may be even involved in Sonny Harlow's murder. Now, unless you want to

becoming an accessory after the fact, I'd suggest you give me that tape.

Well, thanks, Bob. I owe you one.

I thought you turned this case over to Michelle.

I did.

So what are you doing here?

Sonny Harlow, 1990 championship team, Westbrook Polo Club.

How would you characterize your relationship with Sonny Harlow?

We were friends.

And business partners?

Just friends.

What business are you in?

I own a dance club called the Caravelle.

You're also paying off several rather sizable loans, aren't you?

I suppose you could say that.

Isn't it also true that you and Tanya Bergen and Nick Sadler have all been

indicted for more than a dozen burglaries in the Atlanta area?

Objection. Relevance, Your Honor? Your Honor, please bear with me. This line of

questioning is critical to my client's defense. It bears directly on the real

motive for the killing of Sonny Harlow.

I'll overrule for now.

The witness may answer.

Okay.

We've been indicted.

Was Sonny Harlow your offense?

I refuse to answer on the grounds it might incriminate me.

You were thieves together.

You conspired together and stole together, didn't you?

Objection. Argumentative.

Sustained.

But you and Sonny had a falling out.

And he betrayed you.

He called the police, didn't he? I don't know what you're talking about,

Counselor. Well, in that case, let me play an audio tape that might refresh

memory.

I just told you what they stole.

Now I'm going to tell you where you can find them. You listening?

Yeah.

9863 Cotillion Way.

Tomorrow night.

There's three of them.

Two men and a woman.

You're about to become a hero, Sergeant.

Recognize it now, Mr. Hope?

That's the tape that you instructed your bartender, Betsy Rhodes, to remove from

your office at the dance club the night you were arrested, remember?

At least that's what she's prepared to testify.

That was Sonny's voice, wasn't it?

Well, come on, you said you were his friend. Was that his voice or not? Yes,

that was Sonny.

You tapped his phone, didn't you?

Maybe for money, maybe for spite.

Sonny was selling you out, wasn't he?

Well, you canceled your plans to burglarize that house on Cotillion Way

you killed him, didn't you? No!

I did not, Jill Sonny! Then who did?

I have no idea.

I know it was one of you, Mr. Hoke. Well, a counselor, a man can't be in two

places at once, can he?

Are you saying you were somewhere else?

I'm not saying anything.

Your Honor, may I have a 20 -minute recess?

We'll reconvene in 20 minutes.

Here's a list of robberies if you want. Thanks, Bob.

I've got to go. Thanks a lot.

Bad news?

Please remain seated.

This court is now in session.

Walter, I'm sorry.

It looks like Tonya Bergen, Nick Sadler, and David Hope were all burglarizing a

house at the other end of town the night Sonny was murdered.

None of them could have committed the murder.

Miss Thomas, you may resume.

I have no more questions, Your Honor.

No questions, Your Honor. Very well. The witness may step down.

Uh, we'll adjourn here for today and resume tomorrow morning at 9 o 'clock.

Hey, uh... How'd it go?

Horrible. David Hope didn't do it, neither did the two cronies.

Oh.

Um...

I got a bar of that cassette, you know, with a funny voice on it. You did say

there are a couple of days of calls.

Yeah, but what do you want it for?

I can't tell you.

Why not?

I can't tell you that either.

Well, excuse me for asking. No, thanks.

Come in.

Hi, Rosie. Is Mrs.

Windermere in?

Yes. Right there.

Hello, Ben.

Oh, what a pleasant surprise.

Are you on your way out?

No, just dinner with friends.

Come in.

Come in.

Sit down.

Do you want to get you a drink?

No, thanks.

I didn't know you knew Sonny Harlow.

Is that important?

Well, did you meet him at a polo match?

Well, as a matter of fact, I did.

How did you know that?

That perfume you like so much, there's a bottle of it in his apartment, all gift

-wrapped, like he was going to give it to somebody who never got a chance.

He gonna give it to you?

Well, for my birthday, perhaps.

I mean, we were good friends.

He was involved in a burglary ring.

Sonny, no.

Yeah, yeah, one of his partners in crime suspected he might be double

-crossing them, so they tapped his phone, made tape recordings of all his

I just listened to it.

I know you were having an affair with him.

I don't know whether my associate recognized your voice or not, but I did.

Oh, Ben.

Something I'm not proud of.

He was with a habit I just couldn't seem to break.

The person Michelle thought... Committed the murder.

Didn't do it.

He has an alibi for that night.

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry, too.

I've always hated asking this question.

But I have to ask you where you were that night.

I'm a suspect?

Not if you answer my question.

Well, as much as I love this big old house, I hate being here alone.

So I did what I always did when John was out of town and Rosa had the night off.

I stayed at a hotel.

The Collier.

Well, I'll just... I'll go before your friends get here.

Ben?

I thought we were friends.

You sure are pretty.

What's up, Roy?

Ben, good to see you. Welcome to my chamber. Sit down.

What, no hot dog?

I've been kind of off my feet lately.

It's not like you've been. What's going on?

You were on the ethics committee of the state board for what, five years? Five

years. Yeah.

I want to ask you something. Okay.

Well, hypothetically speaking, let's say I'm a lawyer.

I have two different clients, both charged on two separate murder counts.

You following me, sir? Yeah. All right. Let's say that I get the first client

off. Not guilty.

Sometime during the trial of the second client, I find out something that makes

me believe that the first client committed the murder that the second

charged on.

I've never heard of such a thing.

Well, it's just hypothetical.

Okay. The issue is attorney -client privilege.

Now, your client has the right to assume that everything that he says and

everything that you learn while you're defending him will remain confidential.

You can't turn around and point your finger to form a client then.

See, I didn't learn what I learned while the trial was going on. I learned it

after the case was over.

Would you have recognized the significance of what you had learned if

defended this person?

That's hard to say.

And your hands are tied. And you better drop that second client.

He has a constitutional right.

to the best possible defense, and you can't give it to him. I'm not going to

fold. She hired me because she knew if I found out the truth, I wouldn't be able

to do a damn thing about it. But she's not going to get away with this

hypothetical person.

But there is nothing you can do about it, Ben. Yeah, but what if I came up

irrefutable evidence that had nothing whatsoever to do with my former lawyer

-client relationship with this person?

Give it up, Ben.

Well, thank you, Roy.

I just wanted to know where I stood.

Where have you been?

Are you all right?

Yeah, I'm fine.

You don't look fine.

What was all that about the tape?

I can't tell you.

What is it, Ben? What's going on?

I can't tell you.

Can't or just don't want to bother?

I can't.

Here, take this since you're here.

I'd rather you just tell me why you wanted it in the first place. I can't.

you last night. I had to take a friend to the emergency room, I swear.

I couldn't call because they wouldn't let me use the phone. Yeah, oh, go to

hell!

Sunny here.

Sunny, it's me.

About tomorrow. What about tomorrow?

I'm really very busy.

We're all busy, honey, but you don't want to disappoint me, do you?

Sunny... Rose well in at noon.

If you say so.

What a good...

Au revoir.

We're all busy, honey, but you don't want to disappoint me, do you? Honey.

Rose will end at noon.

If you say so.

What a good girl.

Au revoir.

What do you mean?

Where was my van?

It has all my equipment.

It was with me.

Exactly where was it? From, say, two that morning until you were arrested.

If we can pinpoint where and when the murder weapon was planted in your

it could help us figure out who framed you.

Now, can you remember what you did that day?

Around eight, I went out to Central Grove.

to finish a job I'd started the day before.

And around noon, I went downtown to do a job there.

And where was your van prior to that?

Locked in my garage.

All right. Now, those jobs you did, I need names and addresses.

Well, the first job was out on Dunhill Road.

Mr. and Mrs.

Weintraub, I think.

Replaced a bunch of old pipes with copper ones.

And the second job was on the fourth floor of the Redding Tower.

Drain in the woman's restroom was clogged. Who called you on that one?

Some secretary.

She didn't give me her name.

Just told me to send the bill to the building manager.

Well, he should have just bought himself a bottle of drain cleaner and done it

himself. Easy job?

Took me five minutes.

Where did you leave your van?

Down in the garage.

Visitor parking.

It's something else. Yeah.

I came home last night and was too tired to fix anything, so I just took some

cheese and crackers up to bed.

Fell asleep reading the paper about 3 o 'clock in the morning. I heard this

chomp, chomp, chomp. Turned on the lights.

There he was, sitting on the bed stand, eating my cheese and crackers.

I threw my shoe at him. He come down off there like grease lightning. But he

stopped at the door and looked at me like I was the biggest jackass he ever

It's none of my business, but what are you going to do with him?

Well, like you say, it really is none of your business.

Go, Mel.

Yeah.

I know a farm.

About 12 miles from here.

And the man that owns it's got a big herd of Holsteins and a silo full of

The man hates cats.

I'm going to take you out there and drop you off.

Now, I don't care what you say. You're an animal. You're supposed to hunt your

food.

You're outsmarting me, Mouse.

I don't like being outsmarted.

So I got a lot of respect for you.

Yeah? Vince, you don't have to say a word.

Roxanne Windermere was having an affair with Sonny Harlow. Her voice is on this

tape.

And I just checked with Walter Padilla.

The day after the murder, he got a call to fix a clogged drain in a commercial

building downtown, which just happens to be owned by the Windermere Corporation.

Roxanne must have lured him there so she could slip that wrench into a toolbox

while his van was parked in the visitor's area.

I knew this was going to be a good day. Well, not for Walter Padilla.

We're going to have to drop his cape.

No, no, no, no. You recognize Roxanne's voice on your own. It had nothing to do

with my prior relationship with her. You and I are partners.

You know I had no contact with Roxanne, and I know I had no contact with her,

but how's anybody else going to know that?

I mean, ethically, we're on very thin ice.

But we're right.

Roxanne put me in this predicament on purpose. She used me. She manipulated

She lied to me since the minute I took this case.

She knows how pretty she is, and she knew I'd respond. You were right when

said that I took her case because she's prettier than Walter, and I've done

nothing for Walter, and I'll get her for that.

But you could be disbarred.

It's a chance I'll have to take.

I could be disbarred, too.

The truth is...

We haven't and won't do anything unethical.

We're so close.

All we need is one little bit of proof, and Roxanne will get what she deserves.

I guess I could always find work as an exterminator.

Don't knock it. You should see the check I wrote that fellow that just left.

That ain't damn good money.

Yes, in the heart of your case.

It should be, you know, like the brown paper box. Roll that.

Two rings, bracelet, silver chain.

My Lord, the man wore more jewelry to bed than I wear to work.

All right.

Here are the items that were lying on the floor next to Sonny's bed. Must have

fallen off his nightstand.

All right, one prescription for sleeping pills is about due to be repealed.

Yeah. One battery -operated clock.

One more silver chain.

Three rings, all silver.

And another bracelet.

Go.

I think we can safely say five days.

See you then.

Hi.

Thanks for stopping by to brighten up the place.

How can I make you happy?

Well, I understand Sonny Harlow bought a lot of jewelry from you.

Who? I represent the man who's been accused of murdering him.

I found several receipts from your store in Sonny's condo.

You're a lawyer?

Surprise.

I wonder if you could tell me if you sold Sonny any of the jewelry in these

pictures. Nope. Sorry. Anything else I can help you with?

Oh.

Well, that's odd.

According to this receipt, Sonny bought a silver ID bracelet with a

shamrock outlined in diamonds, and look, here it is.

Maybe. According to this receipt...

He paid you $700 in cash.

What a bargain.

No wonder he bought so much jewelry from you.

Unless... No, no, he wouldn't do that.

Do what? Well, say this bauble costs $7 ,000.

You charge Sonny $3 ,500 in cash, then write a receipt that says $700.

Sonny gets half price, you get away with $2 ,200 tax -free, and everybody's

happy.

But you wouldn't do that.

Hey, I sold the guy some jewelry, that's all. Of course.

Now, please, look at the pictures.

Okay, I sold him this stuff.

Except the bracelet.

Sonny wouldn't have bought that.

Why not?

He was allergic to gold.

Gave him a rash like chicken pox.

Funny, huh?

She'll be cool as a cucumber up there. So you've got to be cool, too.

Got it. And try to keep her off her guard.

Otherwise, she'll be miles ahead of you.

Got it.

Okay.

Good luck.

It's all yours.

Oh, no, no, no, no.

You're the one she tried to compromise.

And besides, she thinks she's pulled this off. Otherwise, she wouldn't have

shown up. When you step up, she'll know that she didn't.

Then let her try to stay cool as a cucumber.

Shall we?

Your Honor, if it please the court, my co -counsel, Mr. Ben Matlock, will

spearhead Mr. Padilla's defense for the duration of the trial.

Very well. Mr. Matlock, you may call your next witness.

Your Honor, I call Mrs.

Roxanne Windermere to stand.

Mr. Matlock, Miss Thomas, Mr. Ferber, my chamber, right now.

Mr. Matlock, I would have had to have been in a coma for the past month not to

know that you just finished representing Mrs. Windermere in another case.

That's right, Your Honor.

Well, how do you expect to use her in this case?

She murdered Sonny Harlow, and I intend to prove it.

Mr. Matlock, you will be in breach of attorney -client privilege.

No, ma 'am.

Everything that I will say in court was uncovered after my relationship

with Mrs. Windermere ended.

And I'm supposed to just sit here and take your word for that?

No. I hope you'll take the word of Judge Roy Marcus.

In anticipation of this problem, Ms. Thomas and I took the liberty of

our entire line of questioning and submitting it to him. We also submitted

breakdown detailing where, when, and how everything that we will touch on in

this trial came to our knowledge.

I'm handing you a list of our entire line of questioning and...

a transcript certified from Judge Marcus saying what he thought about it.

He reviewed it? Yes, and he is convinced that our entire line of questioning

does not breach the attorney -client relationship that I had with Mrs.

Windermere.

Remain seated and come to order. The Honorable Cynthia Judson presiding.

Mrs. Windermere, you may now take the stand, please.

What was your relationship with the late Sonny Harlow?

Your Honor, until just recently, Mr.

Matlock was my attorney. I was under the impression that that meant whatever he

knew about me was to be kept strictly confidential.

Well, that's true, Mrs.

Windermere. You're talking about attorney -client privilege.

Yes. So anything he knows about me is confidential, and I don't have to answer

his question.

Well, madam, I will tell you after conferring with Mr. Matlock and Chambers

reading the transcript from Judge Marcus on the subject that this court is

satisfied that the questions that will be asked do not invade the sanctity of

the attorney -client privilege.

So you may now answer that last question.

Sonny and I were lovers for a very, very short time.

Starting when?

About three months before he died.

And how often would you meet?

We'd rendezvous up in Roswell.

Once every two weeks or so.

And you never spent the night in his condominium?

Never. Never? I was married to the wealthiest man in Atlanta, Mr. Matlock.

to be discreet.

I never set foot in Sonny's condo.

What did Sonny do for a living?

I don't know.

Did he ever introduce you to a man named David Hoke? Who?

Or Tanya Bergen or Nick Sadler?

Never heard of them.

They're three friends of Sonny's who have recently been arrested for

In fact, they are suspects.

Burglarizing a house at 9745 Broadmoor Road.

I believe you know the woman who lives there.

Sally Friedlander. She's a friend of yours.

Yes. Did you ever visit that home?

Of course.

I hear it's quite spectacular.

Did you ever tell Sonny about it?

Not that I remember.

So it's just a coincidence that Sonny's three friends are the prime suspects in

a burglary.

And the burglary that took place at that house last month.

I... I don't know what he means, Your Honor, and I'm sure I don't have to

his question. He's my lawyer, for God's sake.

Madam, the court instructs you to answer this question.

I don't know anything about Sonny's friends robbing Sally Freelander.

Are you aware that Richard and Diane Herman's house at 3704...

Wrightwood Road was burglarized three weeks ago.

Yes. You know the Hermans? Yes.

And your friends Kathy and Charles Edwards were robbed in the last month.

All coincidences?

Didn't you know what Sonny was up to? He was using his affair with

you to find out about your friends.

When they took trips, when they took vacation, the layout of their houses.

Then he'd pass that information along to his cat burglar friends.

Then they would rob your friends.

And then Sonny would dispose of the loot. And they were making quite a good

living.

He didn't love you.

He wasn't even infatuated with you. as I'm sure many men have been.

He was using you over and over again.

Sonny used you.

He must have made you furious.

Is that why you killed him?

Ben, how can you do this to me?

Your Honor, would you instruct the witness to answer the last question? The

witness will answer the question.

All right.

As you well know, I was at the Collier Hotel that night.

I couldn't have killed anyone.

Yes.

According to the records I subpoenaed from the Collier Hotel, you've spent

than...

Twelve nights there in the past six months.

Is that about right?

Yes. But why were you charged for overnight parking every visit except the

night Sonny Harlow was murdered?

I found a parking spot on the street that night.

Felt a need to be frugal?

I just didn't want the valets to put any more dings in my car.

Are you sure you didn't want to be seen driving to Sonny's house and back?

I was in my room all night, Mr. Matlock.

Why don't you ask the maid that turned down my bed?

I did. She said... She said she saw you there about 9 .30, but she had run out

of those little, you know, chocolate things he put on the pillow.

And when she returned 15 minutes later with a fresh supply, you were gone.

Must have gone down the hall to get some ice.

Collier doesn't have ice machines. You have to call room service.

You slipped down the back stairs and drove to Sonny's condominium.

Want to know how I know?

Next morning, the police

found this.

The floor by its bed.

Do you recognize it?

Do you recognize the bracelet?

No.

Here's a photograph taken by your insurance agents of this same antique

bracelet. You see, they're identical, even to these little marks on the side

here. The jeweler who sold it to you said there's probably not another

like it in the city.

So tell me, how did your bracelet wind up on the floor of a condominium you

never set foot in?

It came off one night when I was with him and he put it in his pocket. You

I'd forgotten all about that.

How long before his death was then?

A couple of weeks.

You periodically have your jewelry cleaned, don't you?

Yes.

Here's a copy of a receipt that shows that you had this bracelet cleaned

October 25th, the day before Sonny was murdered.

You're getting all tangled up in your own lies.

Let me... Let me see if I can...

When you found out that Sonny was using you to rip off your friends,

that he cared nothing whatsoever for you.

You wanted revenge.

He told you how Walter Padilla beat him up that time.

You saw your chance. You found out who Walter is.

You bought a wrench.

Checked in.

At the collier.

For an alibi, just in case.

Then you drove to Sonny.

Using the key under the mat, you let yourself in. And there was Sonny asleep

the bed.

And you hit him with that wrench.

But you couldn't die right away.

And a struggle followed.

And your bracelet fell off your wrist.

You didn't think about it or even miss it till the next day when you lured

Walter Padilla to a building downtown.

There you planted that wrench in his van, the murder weapon.

You knew Sonny wore a lot of jewelry.

And the police would probably believe that this bracelet

was his.

So it was no big deal. You were home free.

And then something you never thought in a million years would happen, happened.

Somebody murdered your husband, and you were accused of that murder, and you

hired me.

I was already representing Walter Padilla. So if I happened on anything

might implicate...

You and Sonny's murder.

I couldn't say anything because it would be... privileged information.

Roxanne, I... I can't tell you how sorry

I am.

Thanks to you, Walter, the free man, and it's time to celebrate.

I'm buying.

I can't thank you enough, Mr. Medlock.

I just wish I could pay you.

Mrs. Windermere paid enough for both of you.

This was difficult, wasn't it?

Very.

Well, it's over.

Not quite.

I can't keep this check from Roxanne.

I'm going to donate it to a halfway house for drug -addicted teenagers in

daughter's name.

I don't know what to say. Don't say anything to anybody.

If you're buying, I'm eating.

I'm hungry.

And I'm not girl crazy.

Maybe a little.