Original subtitles

See you.

There he is.

This won't take long.

I have a book.

Peter. Oh, hi, Brian.

What's it been, about seven years? Hard to believe, isn't it?

Sorry to hear about your father. Thank you. Heart attack?

Died in his sleep.

Well, if he had to go... Yeah, it was best that way.

Listen, I'm sorry we had to meet like this instead of over breakfast or

something. I got to be in Philadelphia the day after tomorrow for trial. Okay,

don't worry about it. I just need to tell you a couple of things.

I suppose I could have told you in a letter or over the phone, but...

That wouldn't have been right.

I'm dying, Peter.

My diabetes finally caught up with me.

Kidneys are failing.

Eyesight's shot.

I got ten weeks, maybe twelve.

I'm sorry, Bryant.

I haven't told anyone.

Not even Gloria.

I mean...

She knows I'm sick, but I lied about how long I had. I figured, why worry her

when there's nothing anybody can do?

If you haven't even told your own wife, why are you telling me?

Because I'm about to petition the court to reopen the Lloyd Prentiss case.

You can't do that.

I don't want to die with that case on my conscience.

I'll be disbarred. I'll be ruined.

The innocent man has been in prison for nine years. Because of you. You were my

boss, remember?

You forced me to withhold that evidence. What happened to Lloyd Prentiss was

your fault. I know.

That's why I have to do this.

I'm sorry.

Sorry?

You're going to be dead and I'm going to be paying for what we did for the rest

of my life?

I'm very sorry.

Brian, don't do this.

Brian, please.

Two, please.

Cheryl, Leanne's here.

We're going to go over and say hi.

Okay.

Hello, Leanne.

Hello, Peter.

You look good.

You look good, too.

Is that Cheryl?

Yeah.

She looks good.

You gonna introduce us?

You want me to?

Um, maybe another time.

I was sorry to hear about your dad.

Did you get my note?

Yeah, thanks.

I've been in town since Monday settling his affairs.

Staying at his place?

Yeah. I feel strange sleeping in my old bed.

Still squeaks.

Nice to see you.

You look good.

Thank you.

Peter's got company.

Peter? The Willis's are here. We're going to have some coffee.

It's not what you think. I swear.

Ben?

I heard you're in jail. I just bailed myself out. The answer's no.

Come on, would you just wait? I said no. But I didn't do it. No. I used to be

family. How could you do this to me?

Because I don't like you.

I never have.

I didn't like you before you ran off with that girl and broke Leanne's heart.

I'll tell you how much I don't like you. I'd sooner eat a live chicken than be

your lawyer.

Bye -bye. Hi,

I'm Cheryl Atkinson.

Hello, Cheryl.

I knew you'd be coming in for a massage. I checked at the desk.

Can we please sit down for a minute?

Oh, sure. I'm right here.

Peter would be furious with me if he knew I was doing this.

Doing what?

He needs a good lawyer.

I mean, a really good lawyer.

He asked your dad, but he turned him down.

So I heard.

Leanne, Peter has never had anything but good things to say about you.

Well, he's always said you're a good person and the only attorney he's ever

who has the ability to be as passionate about the law as you are objective about

the facts.

Well, that's nice to hear.

He needs you.

You know, I'm really sorry, but I don't think an ex -wife is the best lawyer an

ex -husband can have. I know how awful it must have been when he left you.

And I know that if he ever left me like that, I... I don't know what I'd do.

You know, Cheryl, I would really rather... What I'm trying to say is that

my fault, not his. And if you're going to blame somebody, blame me.

I knew he was married.

I knew what we were doing was wrong.

But I'm the one that wouldn't let go.

Please don't punish him for something I did.

Thanks for doing this, Leanne.

Wait a minute. I never said I'd take your case. We're just going to discuss

Okay. Okay.

Is your dad home?

He went to dinner with a neighbor.

Is he going to be late?

We're divorced, Peter.

I know.

And I know it's my fault.

But I think of you.

And remember.

I suppose we all do.

Remember that time your father almost caught us?

That was before we were married. I tore my pants going out the window.

You were so funny.

We did have our moments, didn't we?

Yeah.

And then they stopped.

Okay, so... Why don't you tell me what

happened that night?

Well, I had this dinner meeting with Dad's accountant.

I got home around 7 .30.

I found Brian Morrell's car in the driveway and Brian Morrell's body in the

living room with one of Dad's kitchen knives stuck in his back.

A few minutes later, Cheryl and this couple we know walked in, and right

that, I called the police.

So Brian was already dead when you got there?

Someone must have followed him in and killed him.

Cheryl didn't have a key, so I left the door unlocked.

What was he doing there anyway?

I have no idea.

Well, you mean, out of the blue, after, what, seven years, he all of a sudden

got the urge to go and visit your dad?

It hadn't been seven years.

I saw him that morning.

Oh, you did?

He found out I was in town. He called me and asked me to meet with him. Only

time I could fit in was right after my morning run.

Why did he want to meet with you? He told me he was dying.

Complications from his diabetes.

He had about ten weeks.

What?

Listen, can we talk about this over drinks? My treat.

Come on, we'll go to the Riviera Cafe.

Remember the Riv? Have a couple of nice, tall, cool margaritas.

You know what?

Don't do this.

What?

What's the problem with us having a couple of drinks?

Cheryl, she loves you very much.

So don't do this, okay?

Say you'll take my case, please.

My fee is $80 ,000, plus funeral expenses.

Funeral expenses.

My dad's going to kill me.

I can't believe it.

I can't believe it.

You're bright.

Very bright. I know we've had our differences.

But I've always thought you're the brightest woman I ever met.

Dad, we didn't meet. I'm your daughter.

And I don't think he did it. I mean, God knows he has a few less than desirable

qualities, but he's no murderer.

He's a jackass. And a jackass is capable of anything.

Oh, Dad, come on.

All right.

If Peter had killed Brian Murrell, he would have invented the most elaborate

alibi in history. You know how devious he can be.

Yeah.

You know what I mean.

That I know what I'm doing.

You want to get him back, don't you?

No, I'm not.

Then why are you doing it? Because I think he's innocent and I think I can

it. He's a liar and a cheat.

He hurt you and squandered ten years of your life.

We had a couple of good years.

It's wrong for you to go into the courtroom with this kind of baggage.

healthy for you.

Not even for him.

Something's got to give, and you know it.

Dad, I know this is awkward, you turning down the case and my taking it.

But we can handle it. He's a bum.

He's a bum.

He's a bum.

He doesn't deserve you.

Will you just try to be civil for the duration, please?

Where are you going? You've got to eat breakfast.

I'm not hungry.

He's a bum.

Please, Tom.

Thank you.

It was so gracious of you to let me drop by like this.

Frankly, it's a nice change of pace.

There's just so much that needs to be done.

Funerals are so complicated, so many details to attend to.

It seems like I've been on the phone all morning.

Brian was used to dealing with minutiae. I'm not.

No, I'll let the service answer it.

We've met before, haven't we?

Yes, we have.

It was about ten years ago at your Christmas party.

Peter and I had just started dating.

Oh, yes, I remember.

You two were so happy.

It's hard to believe that it didn't work out.

Well, those things happen.

I don't know what gets into some men.

Brian was faithful to me for 33 years.

Mrs. Murrell.

Did your husband have any enemies, or was there anyone with whom he wasn't

getting along particularly well?

Not that I'm aware of.

Although he was a criminal attorney, I'm sure he was always ruffling somebody's

feathers.

Was he slowing down or easing out of his practice in view of his illness?

Brian refused to let his diabetes interfere with his work.

He wasn't planning on retiring for at least another two years.

He told Peter he only had ten weeks to live.

He what?

Mrs. Morrell, your husband was terminally ill. The autopsy confirmed

Well, he'd been having some problems, but he told me it was nothing serious,

that he had anywhere from another two to five good years left.

I mean, he hadn't seen Peter for years. Why would he tell Peter he was dying and

not me?

I'm just wondering that same thing.

He was...

So quiet when he came back to the car, but I... Came back to the car?

I went with him when the two of them met in the park, and he barely said two

words the whole way home, but I assumed it was because of the argument they had.

They had an argument?

Yes, I saw it from the car.

What were they arguing about?

I couldn't make out what they were saying, but when I asked Brian about it

the way home, he wouldn't answer me.

But Peter was really upset.

At one point, he even grabbed Brian by the arm and shook him.

He did?

Yes, he did. He was angry. He was very angry.

I got it.

We need to talk.

I'm sorry. This conversation should be between us.

I don't have any secrets from Cheryl. Apparently, you have some from me. I

some errands to run.

You lied to me.

What are you talking about?

We had an argument with Brian.

Who told you that? Gloria.

She couldn't... She was in Brian's car. She saw you two arguing.

We weren't arguing. We were having an animated discussion.

About what?

I don't remember.

Well, you damn well better remember.

Because Gloria Morrell just torpedoed our best and maybe our only defense that

you had no motive.

I had no motive. What she saw is going to suggest to the jury that you did. So

why don't you just level with me?

Well, it's just that it puts Brian in such a bad light, that's all.

What does?

Well, he told me he was dying.

And then he asked me to do him this one final favor. He told me this good friend

of his in Philadelphia, this accountant, was being brought up on embezzlement

charges.

He wanted me to do whatever it took to get the DA to drop the case.

And I mean whatever it took.

He wanted you to bribe someone?

Can you believe that?

Go ahead.

Well, I mean, when he asked me to do that, I just lost it, Leanne. I blew.

I couldn't believe that he'd think that I'd even consider bribing someone.

And this was a man...

Who I used to respect were here.

That's what you were arguing about.

I refused.

We argued. Then he ran off and off.

Maybe he... Wasn't thinking straight because he was on some medication or

something. I don't know.

I never said anything about it before because the guy's dead.

So this accountant in Philadelphia, what's his name?

He never told me.

Well, then, Peter, we have no way of proving that that was the reason you

arguing. Hon, I swear to you, I had no reason to kill Brian Morrell.

Maybe you should tell that to the DA, because he is going to do everything in

his power to come up with a reason.

Let him.

Hello, Peter.

Hello, Mr. Ross.

No offense, but I was rather hoping I'd never see you again.

The feeling was mutual.

Brian was planning to reopen the Prentiss case. Did you know that?

Yes. So you did kill him.

In my own home?

What kind of an idiot do you think I am?

I heard you were interrupted.

I didn't kill him.

Now, who do you want?

The bottom line here is neither of us can afford to have the Prentiss case

dredged up.

No one's going to dredge it up.

What did you do with the evidence you withheld from the DA?

Brian destroyed it. What if he didn't, Peter? What if he kept it? And what if,

in his zeal to find a motive for Brian's murder, this DA finds it?

That's not going to happen.

If it does, we'll both go to prison.

Only I'll get out after five years.

You will be lucky to get out after 20.

What's your point? My point is, if your case goes to trial, we'll both be

destroyed.

But if you disappear before there can even be a trial, chances are we'll both

live happily ever after.

I don't have that kind of money.

I do.

This will open locker number 422 at the airport.

In it you'll find a million dollars and a one -way ticket to the Cayman Islands.

Go with God.

Today.

Where are you going? What are you doing here?

Well, I forgot the dress I was going to... You said you were going to... What

are you doing?

I gotta go.

Go?

Go where?

I can't tell you. Well, what about the trial?

The trial's over. The trial's over?

Well, you're running. They'll think you did it.

When was I going to find a note? Cheryl, it's better that you don't know where I

am. You're the first one the police will ask.

Peter, you're innocent. Why are you doing this?

I'll call.

Peter?

Peter?

It's wrong!

Uh,

yeah. I'm at Matlock House.

What? No, no, no.

She's not here.

Yeah. Yeah, I know who you are.

What?

Where?

You betcha I'll tell her.

What's going on?

Leanne, I screwed up.

What?

What?

Ten years ago, when I was starting out as an associate with Brian's firm.

Do you remember the Prentiss case?

Yes, of course, Peter. Lloyd Prentiss was convicted of robbing a bank and

killing a guard.

Automatic life sentence.

That's how we met. I was the prosecutor, you were the defense attorney.

I won, you lost.

I lost that case intentionally, Leanne.

It was Brian's idea.

I mean, he made me suppress evidence that would have given Prentiss an alibi.

mean, we handed the poor guy to you on a silver platter.

You suppressed evidence?

That's what Brian and I were arguing about that morning.

He wanted to die with a clear conscience, so he was going to get the

reopened. I was trying to talk him out of it.

You know me, when I screw up, I screw up really big.

Why did Brian want to lose the case? What was in it for him?

The president of the bank that got robbed, William Ross.

He was an old buddy of Brian's.

He was involved in the robbery.

In fact, Ross planned the whole thing.

Not the killing of the guard. That wasn't planned.

Suddenly, he had to make sure that somebody got arrested and convicted so

the guy who he hired for the robbery, the real murderer, wouldn't be tempted

talk. So he framed Lloyd Prentiss and then got Brian to get you to

lose the case.

Right.

Well, how much did they pay you?

$100 ,000 for me, $200 ,000 for Brian.

So then the house we were able to buy after we got married and the timeshare

Cape Cod... The money came from William Ross.

Because of you, an innocent man went to prison and a murderer went scot -free.

Oh, well, now I understand why you wanted me to be your attorney. You

I found out, I wouldn't tell. You know, I have had enough of this. I want you

out of this house.

No, listen, did you hear what I said?

I want you.

I'll shove over.

Well, tell me you've been pulling weeds all this time.

Oh, yeah.

Got our weeds, neighbor's weeds, weeds from the whole block.

How you doing?

I don't know.

When the Prentiss trial was over, Peter took me to dinner to prove he wasn't a

sore loser.

Four months later, we got married.

Our whole life together was founded on a lie.

I don't know how I married him. I mean, why didn't I see what he was?

Well, you were young. He was good -looking.

You both had to practice the law in common.

We were great in bed.

That's all there really was.

He was so impulsive and sneaky.

Selfish.

But to me, that made him boyishly charming.

Where was my brain?

You probably got an inkling of what he was really like every now and then, but

a lot of times when a person...

with another person for a long time, it's hard to recognize or even

see what you're looking at.

You really think so?

Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah, yeah.

Whenever he acted like the third viable jackass he really is, you cared

for him and you couldn't recognize him.

How could I not see it?

Well, it happens to people.

Don't be hard on yourself.

Can't defend him, Dad.

At this point, I can't even look at him.

That's all right.

Other lawyers.

Yeah, been that long.

Yeah, Al, what's up?

No kidding.

I'm going to go on home.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Thanks for the call, Al. I appreciate it.

Well, I'll be.

What?

That was the desk sergeant at downtown precinct.

Peter's there.

He's just been fast.

To the murder?

No.

To obstruction of justice in the Lloyd Prince case.

Two guts.

I didn't think he had any.

You heard, huh?

Did you talk to the DA yet?

For about an hour.

Well, after ten years, you finally managed to impress my dad.

What about you?

I really want to hate you.

I feel sorry for you.

Will you still be my attorney?

Oh, is that why you confessed?

Oh, right. I'm going to get myself disbarred and I'll probably go to jail

to keep you as my lawyer. You knew this would come out. You're just making the

most of what was inevitable, aren't you? I am not trying to impress you.

I'm trying to redeem me.

I saw myself through your eyes today and it made me sick.

Oh, what's the use? You don't believe me, and I don't blame you a bit.

I'll just get somebody else.

George Knight, remember him?

He does a lot of criminal work. I'll just give him a call.

Let me think about it.

called and told me, are you all right?

I've been so worried about you.

I'm okay.

The allegation is outrageous, slanderous, and totally

unfounded. And beyond that, I have no comment.

Hi. Leanne McIntyre, Peter McIntyre's attorney.

Your assistant was busy.

Well, matter of fact, everybody out there is pretty busy. I guess your

complicity in the Prentiss case has caused quite a stir, hasn't it? Peter

McIntyre is a desperate, babbling idiot.

There's not a word of truth in what he says.

No? Then why did you try to get him to leave the country?

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

Ten years ago, you framed Lloyd Prentiss to try to protect the man you hired to

rob your own bank. Now you're trying to make Peter look guilty to take the heat

off the man who actually killed Brian Murrell.

That would be you.

You're saying I killed him at Peter's, knowing it would eventually lead back to

me? Uh -huh.

You may leave now, Ms.

McIntyre. Where were you between 7 and 7 .30 on the evening Mr. Morrell was

murdered? You're trespassing.

Where were you, Mr. Ross?

Natalie, send a security guard to my office immediately.

The DA is going through Mr. Morrell's files paragraph by paragraph, even as we

speak. Be better to own up to everything now before he finds something.

Believe me.

He's not going to find anything.

Believe me.

Can you believe William Ross showed up?

Look at him consoling Mrs. Morrell like everything's hunky -dory.

He's just trying to act off like he has nothing to hide.

The D .A. hasn't found anything that would justify reopening the Prentiss

He will.

What if he doesn't?

Well, then Peter won't have to stand trial for obstruction of justice.

Yeah, and just stand trial for murder and be convicted.

Well...

Come have a nice juicy hot dog. I cheer you up. Always cheers me up.

I

wonder

what that was all about.

Well, I guess Miss Morrell didn't much like that young woman coming to her

husband's show.

Pretty, too.

Came by herself.

Think she's a relative?

She didn't seem to know anybody.

You think she was his mistress?

Well, it's hard to say.

Mrs. Morrell told me her husband never cheated on her.

It's all a run, Ro.

That's your height.

I'm tight.

Well, anyway, Mr. Morrell gets in his car and drives over to Peter's place.

Parks in the driveway, goes inside.

Peter's at an apartment and his girlfriend Cheryl is... At the dinner

Willises.

The only person that's in the house is the killer.

He waits for Mr. Morrell to come in, turn his back.

stabs him, and the killer leaves.

Peter drives up, sees Miss Morrell's car, goes in the house, finds the body.

We're not getting anywhere with this, are we?

I wonder if the police saw these.

I don't know.

These are Brian Morrell's glasses, aren't they?

His eyesight was getting pretty bad.

Uh -huh.

But if they were his, what are they doing on the passenger side?

Well,

there's Maple.

Bye. Bye, we're driving back.

or else computers, I believe I'd go down Woodruff Avenue to Houston. But if I

were walking, I believe I'd go down Maple. What do you think?

Yep.

Right there, please.

What's wrong?

You crossed the street between two controlled intersections.

Afraid that's illegal.

Oh, we were jaywalking. Yes, ma 'am. Your license, please.

Oh, for Pete's sake.

Afraid I'll need yours, too, sir.

What do you need our license for? We were just jaywalking, not jaydriving.

Dad. You need to put your address on the ticket.

Ticket?

$38 fine.

$38 for crossing a lousy street?

Your license, please.

Maybe I don't have a license.

Maybe my wallet got stolen while I was being robbed and beaten up by this gang

of vicious thugs who got away because you were in hot pursuit of some vicious

jaywalk.

Don't give me a hard time. We're not doing this just for fun.

Jaywalking on all these streets is illegal. You should know that.

Especially this close to town with traffic.

That's why it's illegal.

Illegal? Yes.

Cracking down?

Just trying to enforce the law, sir.

How much?

$38, Mr. Medlock.

$38.

Always proud to give my fair share to the town of Willisburg.

Did you love your husband, Mrs. Morrell?

Yes, I did.

Did you love him in spite of his infidelity?

Well, my husband wasn't unfaithful.

Miss Corbett, would you please stand?

You recognize her, don't you?

She's been having an affair with your husband, hasn't she?

Yes.

Did you love your husband?

Yes, I loved him.

You didn't resent his affair?

Yes, but I still loved him. And when you heard that his health was

deteriorating, that he was sick and just going to get sicker, that it was

possible that you would be playing nursemaid for several years to a man who

betrayed you, did you resent that?

Objection. Relevance?

Motive and opportunity, Your Honor.

My client wasn't the only one that had them.

I'll allow it.

Answer the question, please.

No, I did not resent it.

I loved my husband.

A pair of your husband's glasses was found in the pocket on the passenger

door of his car.

Not on the driver's side.

His eyesight had gotten so bad he wasn't allowed to drive anymore, was he? No,

he wasn't.

How did he get around?

I drove him.

That's why you went with him that morning with Peter to his meeting.

Isn't it? You drove him? Yes.

Just like you drove him over to the McIntyre house that evening?

No, no, I didn't.

Well, then who did?

His eyes were so bad he couldn't have driven himself, especially at night.

But his car was in the driveway, so somebody drove him. I didn't go anywhere

that night. You didn't tell him that?

Peter had called saying he needed to see your husband as soon as possible.

No, I didn't. You didn't drive over to the McIntyre house, go into the kitchen,

pull out a butcher knife and stab your husband? No, I did not. Check in your

eyes. I did not.

That is not true.

Proof, Ms.

McIntyre. Now.

Right here, Your Honor.

Say you were home all evening.

I was home all night.

My housekeeper will tell you. I'm sure she heard the TV.

It's a photocopy of a traffic citation.

It's for jaywalking.

Issued at 7 .43 p .m. the evening your husband was murdered. Issued to Gloria

Catherine Morrell.

Your name, your address.

Right,

Mrs. Morrell?

You were walking home, weren't you?

You just killed your husband, Brian.

And frame Peter, who'd been arguing with him that morning.

He left Brian's car in the driveway.

Couldn't very well take a cab because somebody might remember you.

And you walked home.

But along the way, you got a jaywalking ticket crossing Woodruff Avenue.

You know what's ironic, Gloria?

That your husband told you the truth.

That he only had ten weeks to live.

As opposed to two to five years.

None of this would have happened.

Would it?

Nothing further, Your Honor.

The jury finds the defendant, Peter McIntyre, not guilty.

Thank you, ladies and gentlemen of the jury.

Court is adjourned.

Thanks, Leanne.

You're ten times the lawyer I'll ever be.

I know.

And thank you, Ben.

Don't thank me.

It was all Leanne. I would never have done it. Well, be that as it may, it all

worked out for the best. So come on, now be a sport. Sure.

Bad news. Jim just said the DA is on the verge of reopening the Prentiss case.

What if I... Brian Morrell's safe deposit box with records showing three

were paid to lie about Lloyd Prentiss's whereabouts at the time of the robbery.

William Ross will get his.

And Peter.

Poor Peter.

Does that mean you're taking the case?

He confessed.

Is that a no?

Yes.