Original subtitles

Bulletin from the fire -ravaged community of Southgate.

For most of Atlanta, this day started out with the promise of a clear and

spring day.

But in the Southgate community, that calm was shattered by the scream of fire

trucks and ambulances when a four -alarm fire erupted just hours before dawn.

Engine companies from all over the city raced to the scene of the fire, but

sadly were not able to prevent extensive property damage.

The pictures of devastation that you are seeing are the first to be authorized

for release by the police and fire departments due to unusually tight

in the area.

This is the third large -scale fire in the Southgate area in the last month,

like the previous cases, this fire spread extremely quickly, hopping from

to house with terrifying speed.

Many residents of the area were forced to flee, leaving all possessions behind.

Most of the residents we were able to speak with were still in a state of

Several others were undergoing treatment at Thompson Memorial Hospital for

symptoms of shock, smoke inhalation, and minor injuries.

Many expressed anger at what they called outside influences and gangs whom they

blamed for the fate of recent fires.

A number of residents expressed their intention to leave the area permanently.

Police officials have cordoned off the entire area.

It pains me to say this, your honor, but your ruling clearly indicates to me

that you are a jackass. You said that to his face? Right to his face. My gosh,

what did he do?

Oh, he turned as red as a radish, charged me with contempt, threw me in

hoosk out for the night, and reversed his ruling.

No kidding? No kidding.

Uh, is it okay to say jackass on TV?

You're kidding.

Ever since those confirmation hearings, you can say practically anything.

Jackass, jackass, jackass.

Okay, let's talk about the Peabody case.

Who case?

The Professor Peabody triple murder case.

You know, the one where you represented the geneticist who was trying to breed

the world's first talking dog?

You don't remember?

No, and I'm sure I would.

Let's talk about the time you represented those two Russian spies,

Russian spy?

Yeah, Boris and Natasha.

Last name Badenov.

I don't remember them either.

They were accused of murdering two people, an R .J. Squirrel and a B .W.

Boris and Squirrel.

Yes, and... Wait a minute.

A B .W. Moose?

Damn it.

Doug.

You made me look like a jackass in front of Ben Matlock. Relax, Bill. It's a

joke. Damn you.

Where's your sense of humor?

You don't get it, Doug.

You and your practical jokes are going to ruin the credibility of this

entire news operation.

If you checked out your stories, I wouldn't have been able to trick you.

don't. So I did.

Doug.

Don't do that again.

Okay?

Okay, back to work.

The contents of the overturned truck caught fire immediately, but the driver

able to escape with only minor injuries.

In Washington, the president, at a fundraising event, reiterated his desire

sweep... Come in. Close the door. The president proposed to cut the capital...

Latest audience research.

Diane's ratings are thinking like the Titanic.

Maybe if we team her up with somebody young and fresh.

Dump her.

She's been with the state for more than 12 years.

You're going to have to sooner or later, Howard.

Get some new blood, dump her. A woman her age in this business, what's she

to do?

There's one thing this lady knows how to do.

It's land on her feet. Locally, after a three -day hiatus, the zoning commission

reassembles tomorrow.

When it convenes, the commission will consider rezoning an eight -mile stretch

of farmland located between State Route 96 and McKenzie Highway to allow for the

development of high -density, multifamily dwellings.

I can no longer sit idly by and watch as thousands of my fellow citizens fall

victim to political inertia, ineptitude, and just plain apathy.

I therefore hereby declare that as of this moment, I seek to be the next duly

elected representative...

of the 11th Congressional District of the great state of Georgia.

Does anybody have any questions?

Will yours be a positive or a negative campaign?

Well, let's just say I owe it to the good citizens of this state to do

it takes to beat the incumbents.

Here? Yes.

How do you respond to the charges the Atlanta Nature Society has leveled

you? The Atlanta Nature Society?

They released a statement today charging you with being anti -environment.

That's ridiculous. If anything, I'm just the opposite.

Next question. It's right here in their press release, Mr. Bivens. They say

you're so deeply indebted to big business and heavy industry that you

possibly address environmental issues with any degree of objectivity. Mr.

Finley, that is slander. I'm simply repeating what is in this press release.

Everyone in this room got one of these.

You happy now?

I'm fired.

I had nothing to do with that press release.

The hell you didn't. You dummied it up and left it on my desk. It was somebody

else this time.

Not me?

Yeah, Doug.

Well, just remember, what goes around, comes around.

Doug!

Can I see you a minute?

Gouts, Honor, Howard, I had nothing to do with that Bevins fiasco. Good.

The last... Last thing I want is to have to fire someone else around here.

You know, if the kid had just made one phone call, he'd have known that that

press release was a phony. But as usual, he just barged straight ahead without

checking his facts. I know. I know. That's not what I want to talk to you

I just got a call from the zoning commissioner.

We got our facts wrong in a story we aired last night.

The one about the proposed rezoning of some farmland south of Route 96.

We said the property goes all the way to McKenzie Highway. It doesn't.

Is that a big deal?

It is to Nelson Adelson.

He owns that property and it quadrupled in value overnight.

Wow. A bunch of speculators snapped it up. Adelson made a killing which really

fried the commissioner's frijoles. He hates Nelson Adelson's gut.

Well, I don't know how it happened, but I'll find out.

Do that.

And run a correction and an apology at the top of tonight's broadcast.

You got it?

You and the lady are about to get canned.

I figured.

My numbers are down.

Did Howard tell you?

Yeah, Howard.

He knows about the little gap you made on the air last night.

The zoning commissioner called him.

And he found out about the killing that Nelson's making.

Wants us to broadcast a correction ASAP.

Are we going to? On a day or two. The longer we wait, the more money we make.

I get what you said. Set up two accounts at the Royal Bank of Bermuda. Down

there you are now known as Kevin Galloway, and I'm Vicki Davis.

Cute. How are you going to explain the gas?

One of our writers got his facts wrong.

It happens all the time.

I hope we get away with it.

Hey, you're the one who cut yourself in on this deal.

Yeah.

I found out what you two are up to. I'm sure I should have just blown the

whistle on you then.

Hey, come on.

Unemployment can be fun if you're rich.

Nelson? Nelson, no, you listen to me.

It's not long enough.

Okay, one more day. But that's it.

Not that fellow who was interviewing me the other day.

No, no, no, that was Bill Finley. I fired him.

Why? Was that Rocky moving for business?

I fired him because there's so much air between his ears. It's a wonder he

doesn't float away.

I'm talking about the producer, Doug Levitt. Oh, here.

Thank you.

Popcorn? No.

Good. From the health food store?

No.

Moves everything around?

No.

So what's this Doug, what's his name?

Levitt. Levitt. What'd he do?

Two nights ago, we aired a story that made it sound like some worthless land

about to be rezoned for a big residential development.

As it turns out, the story wasn't true.

But in the meantime, the value of the land quadrupled, and Nelson Adelson made

fortune selling it to speculators.

I think Doug falsified the story because he and Nelson Adelson are in cahoots.

You prove that?

That's why I'm here. You tell me.

Today, I overheard part of a telephone conversation between Doug Levitt and

Nelson Adelson.

So I checked Doug's car phone bills.

The station pays them, so he always turns them in.

Foolish.

Dumb. She's up to something, isn't she?

Look at that.

Nine calls in the past two weeks to Nelson Adelson.

So, can I nail the little weasel to the wall or what?

Don't you talk to him?

No.

Why don't you talk to him? Maybe he's got a logical explanation.

What's the nature of your relationship to Nelson Adelson?

I don't have a relationship with Nelson Adelson.

You never see him, you never talk to him?

No, why would I?

You're fired, Doug.

I want your death cleared out by the end of the day.

Wait a minute. I may press charges, I may not, depending upon what the

say. But in any case, you just looked me straight in the eye and lied to me.

I won't have liars working for me now. Get out.

You look awful.

What happened?

I got the axe.

Ah, coffee.

Did it have anything to do with Nelson Adelson?

Yeah.

Yeah, Howard found out.

Oh, my God.

Well, not about you.

At least not yet.

What the hell is that supposed to mean?

Well, Howard might decide to press charges.

If I stand trial, anything might come out.

What is that, some kind of threat?

No, of course not. It's just a statement of fact.

Besides, what do you care?

All this was about to end anyway.

Or were you just worried about your money?

Well, aren't you?

What's this?

Oh. It was mixed in with all the stuff I brought home from work. I don't know

where it came from. You played that trick on Bill Finley.

No, practical jokes aren't my style, and you know it.

Well, I'd get out of town for a while, but I don't want to give Nelson an

not to pay me my cut.

Well, I could go to Nelson and ask him for your share as well as my own, and

then wire it to you in Bermuda.

No.

Now, first I get my money, then I get out of the country.

Well, then why can't I meet you somewhere and give it to you there?

Your cottage at Sydney Lake.

When? Tuesday afternoon.

Three.

Thank you, Diane.

Would you mind turning around?

What? I just want to get a look at you.

Please, take off your hat.

You a cop?

Would you take off your hat?

How'd you like to make a couple hundred bucks doing nothing?

Yeah.

Good evening, everyone. At the top of tonight's news, a story that has sent

shockwaves through the local broadcasting community.

Doug Levitt, former producer of the 5 o 'clock news hour here at WDRN -TV, died

earlier this afternoon in an explosion that destroyed his cottage at Sydney

Lake.

Police have just identified the charred remains found at the scene through

dental records and by tracing jewelry the victim was wearing.

They say it appears that the explosion was the result of a remote -controlled

bomb.

Which means they're treating this case as a homicide.

Police have arrested Bill Finley, a former station employee, who was fired

week.

Bail will be set at $200 ,000.

Please see the cashier on the second floor west wing.

Where am I supposed to get $200 ,000?

It'll be taken care of.

You're paying for my lawyer and my bail? It's as clear as the nose on my face

you're innocent, Bill.

And I feel like this is all my fault. If I hadn't fired you, you wouldn't be

here.

Next case.

People versus Callahan.

What do you think?

Well, I got my work cut out for me.

I mean, the police found that detonator in your garbage can. Anybody could have

put that there.

Yeah, the tire tracks at the scene didn't help. Come on, a lot of people

the same kind of car I do.

If you had an alibi, it would help. That's all I'm saying.

I told you. I was at home working on a book that is going to blow the lid off

this town. You uncovered some corruption in Atlanta.

Well, I'm working on it.

What's next?

Well, I guess I'll go see Nelson Adelson.

Let's go.

No. No, no, no.

You go home and stay there.

Ben, I want to question him. No, no, right?

Go home and work on your book.

Go on.

Sure you won't join me, Mr. Matlock?

Isn't just any scotch flint rock. It's over 40 years old. Oh, no, thanks.

That stuff all tastes like liar fluid to me.

So, what is this about?

Well, it's about all those...

Phone calls Doug Levitt made to you just before he died.

Was there a law against calling a friend?

You and he were friends?

Yes.

He told Howard Price he didn't know you.

Really?

I wonder why he did that.

Howard's sure that it has something to do with that false information that was

broadcast on Doug Levitt's news show.

You know, that stuff about all that farmland south of Route 96. They were

supposedly up for rezoning. Yeah, of course.

The station made a mistake and you made a killing.

Yeah. Well, what was I supposed to do? It's America. Something like that

happens. You go with it. Yeah.

Doug Leavitt's phone calls had nothing to do with it. No, of course not.

What are you trying to say, that he and I were some kind of co -conspirators?

I'm just trying to figure out why he lied about knowing you.

With him gone, it's everybody's guess.

You know, there's a fine line between speculation and libel, and my lawyers,

they know where it is.

Yeah, I imagine they do.

But since I'm so close to that fine line, anyhow, how about telling me where

were the afternoon he died?

I was with a woman named Jody Pfeiffer. Here's her phone number.

I'd appreciate you keeping that under your hat. It wasn't exactly a business

meeting, and I'm not exactly single.

You like walking those fine lines, too.

run through stop signs what stop sign back there 100 feet where you mind if i

get out the car keep your hands where i can see them sir where is it

there's a bush in front of that stop sign i didn't

see it you can see enough of it how much does that take 61 sign here please

That stop sign's obscured. I won't pay it. Well, that's up to you, sir. Pay it

or fight it. Sign here.

Only eight days to prepare my case?

Prepare your case?

You're going through a lot of trouble for $61.

It's a principle.

Finally. Come on in.

What's up?

Look at this.

Somebody found it in Diane Becker's office this morning.

I don't understand. Somebody found this in here?

Mr. Price's assistant found it when she dropped the ratings off this morning.

Don't know anything about it. Kind of looks like you pulled that prank on Bill

Finley knowing he'd be fired.

No, I didn't know such a thing. I hate practical jokes. Ask anybody.

Well, maybe you didn't do it as a joke. Maybe you did it knowing for sure that

Bill would be fired and would automatically blame Doug Levitt.

What are you saying? That I tried to frame him? That I really killed Doug?

I'm just commenting on the way things lie.

I'm busy trying to make an honest living here, all right?

How about the afternoon of the murder? Were you busy then?

I was right here.

Editing copy. Again, just ask anybody.

Okay.

Was your door open or closed?

Closed.

Diane faked that press release?

Maybe. Diane doesn't play practical jokes. It's the only thing I like about

Maybe it wasn't a practical joke.

Maybe she knew you'd get fired and blow up at Doug Levitt.

Maybe she was setting you up.

You mean Diane killed Doug?

Is she having a reason?

Not that I know of. They seem to get along.

What now?

Well, I'll go over to Doug's place and see if I can dig up some connection

between the two of them.

I'll go with you. Let me get my stuff.

No. No, no, no, no, no. I know you've got that magnifying glass and

set and stuff, Bill, but you better work on your ball.

Somebody frame me, Ben.

You don't expect me to just sit on my thumbs, do you? Yeah.

Yeah, but what I don't understand is, is why bomb? Why don't you just shoot?

I'm trying to frame Bill Finley.

What does he know about explosives? He's no rocket scientist.

He's lucky enough to come in out of the rain.

Well, he did a story on some local demolition experts who hire out to the

when they're not doing construction.

What was that?

It never aired. They didn't have the proof.

Got caught in the rain again. Yeah, but the police think that Bill Finley hired

one of those guys to bomb Doug Levin.

Poor sucker.

Diane knew about the story. It could just as easily have been her.

What's a wrap, man?

Blood pressure medicine.

A lot of people take that.

Well, we figure out which demolition expert made that bomb and get him to say

who hired him in open court.

Dan.

How nice.

Sit down, Nelson.

Problems, Dan?

Somebody's trying to frame me for Doug's murder.

Dan, come on. They arrested Bill Finley. Who would want to frame you?

I don't know, but somebody does.

Ben Matlock came to see me.

Yeah, me too, and he got nowhere.

Relax.

I want my money, Nelson.

You'll get it.

I want it by the end of the week.

And I want Doug's cut, too.

Excuse me?

Doug's cut.

Or what? You'll go to the police? You truly are out of your mind.

I don't like being framed, Nelson.

If that money isn't in my account in Bermuda by Friday, you're not going to

it much either.

No, Conrad, not from there. You can see the sign fine from there. You've got to

get back where I was.

You're too close. You've got to get farther in the street.

Well, I can see the sign fine.

You want to shoot this yourself? Just back up.

Back on up. Back up.

Back,

back, back, back on.

You hurt yourself? Sure I hurt

myself. You think I fell down for fun?

Rub it a little.

Your cup.

Do not hurt that Betty, you know.

I'm a doctor.

How much does it cost?

None of your business.

Well, why are you going through all this trouble anyway? I told you, it's the

principal.

The eight -year -old was wounded when a bullet passed through the open window of

the car driving by and struck him in the chest.

He was taken to Children's Hospital and is in satisfactory condition.

None of the gang members involved in the incident have been apprehended.

When we return... A look at the early morning fire that destroyed an Atlanta

landmark. Stay with us.

And we're clear.

30 seconds, people. Where's that new copy? Rob, Rob, Rob, Rob, Rob. How's it

going, Diane?

Oh, hi, Bill. How are you doing? Not too well, actually. Being framed for murder

is a real pain.

Why'd you do it, anyway? What are you talking about, Bill? 15 seconds.

I know about that press release, Diane. What I want to know is why. Bill, I did

not dummy up that release. I don't know what that form is doing in my office.

Stop lying.

Okay? Why'd you kill him, Diane? What was going on between you two? Somebody

please get him out of here. I'm not leaving here until I get the truth.

Get your hands off of me.

For God's sake, get Howard!

Somebody!

The Peachtree Museum was the scene of a three -alarm fire, which broke out about

4 .30 this morning.

Right on time.

Let's do it.

Yeah.

Everything under control? Yeah, it is.

Yeah, Ben, I followed Adelson down south.

Okay,

I gotta go.

Gentlemen, it's Petey.

Oh,

yeah.

Hey, hey, hey, hey. Shut up.

Don't be stupid, man. Yo, what's up, man?

My brother got cut last night.

Did he say it was us? He can't. He cut his throat.

Wasn't us.

I say it was.

Wait a minute.

You didn't kill nobody. He was in jail last night. Everybody knew that, right?

Get in there, man.

If my brother dies, one of you dies.

The exact same way.

Chill.

What's the problem, man?

Yeah, right.

Ben, guess what I found out.

Howard Price called.

Didn't I tell you I'd handle this? Yes. Then why did you go down to that station

and make an even bigger jackass out of yourself than you already are?

Ben, shut up.

She wasn't there.

Who wasn't where?

Diane wasn't in her office.

She doesn't have an alibi after all.

Chinese food?

Yeah. Yeah, you ordered Chinese food from your office the afternoon Doug was

killed. But when the boy tried to deliver it at 325, he couldn't because

weren't there. I did not order Chinese food that day.

Well, yes, you did. Because one of the fellows that worked down at the station

remembered. Because when you weren't there to accept delivery, he did.

Mr. Matlock, if I did, as you contend, slip out of my office.

so I could drive up to Sydney Lake and blow Doug to smithereens, why in God's

name would I have ordered Chinese food?

Well, my guess is that you figured you'd be back before it was delivered. And if

it had worked, it'd been a good idea, but it didn't.

I've got to get ready for work.

Here's your paper.

Thank you very much. Oh, and your subpoena.

I didn't mean it scary.

Who are you?

Conrad McMasters. I work for Ben Matlock, the attorney.

I want to ask you some questions.

About?

You mind my asking what you're working on there?

A birdhouse.

In view of how you make your living, you can understand why I had to ask. I

don't know what you're talking about.

I'm investigating the explosion that killed Doug Levitt last week.

And I have reason to believe that you're the one that rigged the bomb.

The police have already been here.

They didn't get anywhere, and neither will you.

Yeah, but they don't know who hired you. I do.

Diane Becker.

Never heard of her. I understand usually in these jobs you just blow up

property, but here somebody died.

You're talking about an accident.

I'm talking about murder.

What, Diane didn't tell you that somebody was in that cottage when you

up? Nobody's ever died in any of your explosions before, Mr. Krause. And she

lied to you, didn't she?

I don't know what you're talking about, and that's all I'm going to say.

Now get out!

Well, you were right.

She did lie to me.

The more I think about it, the madder I get.

So you listen up.

I'm not... I didn't push the button.

She did.

I always do it that way.

I rig the explosives, and I order a detonator from a buddy.

The client picks it up and uses it.

Safer for me that way.

Now, I'm going to give you my buddy's name.

Then I'm going to hang up.

Then I'm going on a long vacation.

All right, Hank.

Go ahead.

Do you recognize this, Ms. Becker?

Of course.

The device that triggered the bomb that killed Doug Leavitt.

The police found it in Mr. Finley's garage. I watched the assistant DA enter

into evidence.

Did you see it before that?

Of course not.

No?

Isn't this the device you bought from Jake Lubenthal?

Excuse me?

You do know Jake Lubenthal, don't you?

I've never heard of him.

Well, he knows you.

Well, a lot of people know me whom I don't know.

Well, he does.

Jake? No, no.

Yeah.

Recognize him now?

No. Well, the reason I keep asking is that he had a long talk with the judge

this morning and with the assistant district attorney, and he's been granted

immunity. And that means when he comes up here and testifies that he sold you

this detonator on March 25th, just two days before the murder, he won't be

prosecuted as an accessory. You bought this.

from Jake Lubenthal and used it to set off the bomb that was made by Trevor

Krause. You murdered Doug Leavitt, didn't you?

Your Honor, I just assume I'd answer any more questions until I've spoken with

my attorney.

I object, Your Honor. She's been sworn to tell the truth. Please direct her to

answer my question.

Overruled, Mr. Matlock.

The witness is entitled to confer with counsel.

This court will reconvene tomorrow morning at 9 a .m.

I'm a busy man. This better be good.

One of your guys shot an eight -year -old kid.

Accident.

It happens. This was the first and the last accident.

Injured bystanders attract too much attention. Okay.

No more gun talk.

Okay.

Still running that scam with Reggie, huh? That's good.

You're in business. I'm in business.

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

Dad? That's right.

Then they found your body. No.

Just some poor old bum.

You screwed up, Melvin.

What do you mean?

You don't expect me to believe that Diane set me up all by herself, do you?

Diane tried to kill you?

I want my cut of that land deal, and I want it now.

I haven't got it. I gave it to Diane. Why would you do that?

Because she said she'd go to the cops if I didn't give it to her.

It's okay, Diane. It's taken care of. What do you mean?

I've been making her sweat.

The cops will nail her for my murder.

I've been leaving little clues.

You're the one?

Yeah, I thought the Chinese food was a nice touch.

What are you, an idiot? If she goes down, we all go down.

I thought that you were in on this killing me business with Diane.

You stupid.

It's okay. No, it's not okay. It's okay.

I'll fix it.

You know, thanks.

Doesn't death become me?

No, no, no!

When I saw those blank press releases from the Atlanta Nature Society, in

I started to follow you.

No!

And when you met with that guy at the construction site, I

remember that story we investigated about the demolition scam.

And suddenly it hit me.

You wanted me to meet you at the cottage so you could blow me to kingdom come.

Well, I hate to tell you, Diane, but the guy you killed was just some poor old

drifter. I'm still very much alive.

What are you going to do?

Well, the thing is, Diane, back then I was very angry with you.

So I started setting you up. You remember the Chinese food?

The blank press releases in your office?

That was you.

Yeah.

But I made a mistake, Diane.

I forgot that the trail leads from you to Nelson Adelson.

And now that I'm dead, Nelson's my sole source of support.

If you talk, he goes down, and so do I.

Oh, my word.

Really? Really, Diane?

Yeah. I can trust you. You can trust me. You can trust me. I wish I could

believe that.

But I don't.

So you're going to commit suicide.

No one will hear you.

It won't be bad.

Sweet dreams, Diane.