Original subtitles

SARAH: Thank you, Elena. - Mm-hm.

SARAH: I've decided to redo the living room.

The living room is fine.

Cecil assured me that if he gets started right away,

he'll have it done in time for the wedding.

We're not redoing the living room, Sarah.

Cecil is coming here first thing in the morning.

I will not allow that man or anyone else

to waste my money indulging your silly whims.

The living room is a dump.

The living room is fine.

It was your idea to hold the reception...

I said no! No!

You hear me? No!

Cecil wants to go with teal this time.

Teal, salmon and beige.

He can't wait to get rid of that hideous burgundy carpet.

You enjoy doing this to me, don't you?

Doing what, darling?

I spend ten hours a day at the office with my stomach in knots,

trying to keep my competitors from eating me alive,

and what do I get when I come home? More aggravation.

More aggravation and a splitting headache.

Damn you, Sarah.

Damn you.

[GROANS]

Justin. Oh, my God.

Elena, call 911. Something's happened to Justin.

Oh, my God.

MATLOCK: Well, I'll be.

What?

Justin Kerns died last night. Keeled over at dinner. Stroke.

Friend of yours?

No. I used to run into him once in a while.

CLIFF: Morning.

- Front door was open. - Hi. Come on in.

- You want some coffee? - Uh...

No. Oh, I see you've already got the paper.

- Want the comics? - No, already read them.

What are you doing?

I'm looking to see what page you're on.

Why?

Ahem. Because, uh, before you get to Page 15,

you gotta let me explain something.

No, just don't go right, Ben. Don't...

"For all your legal needs, call Clifford R. Lewis, attorney-at-law.

Your local legal beagle."

Cute picture, Cliff. Whose dogs?

My neighbors'.

You ran an ad.

CLIFF: Yeah, but it was... - I hate it when lawyers run ads.

- I know. I do too. - It's demeaning, undignified.

CLIFF: It was my father's idea. - Oh.

He thought it was time that I started acting more like a lawyer

instead of a glorified law clerk. His words, not mine.

You don't wanna work with us anymore?

Oh, yeah. Oh, I do. Oh, absolutely, I do.

It's just that I wanna work for myself too.

In fact, I've got a meeting with a potential client this morning.

- Malpractice suit. - Your ad paid off already?

Well, actually, my picture paid off.

This lady said that I was strong- and dependable-looking.

Cliff, are you sure you wanna do this?

Gotta try it sometime.

- But there's a lot you don't know. CLIFF: Yeah.

A lot that doesn't have anything to do with law.

- I know. MATLOCK: There are courtroom tricks

that you can pull that can swing the verdict your way.

Ben...

MATLOCK: You don't know those tricks.

I know. I just gotta try sometime. Ben, I just gotta try.

Okay.

Well, Leanne, I guess we'll be out of business pretty soon.

A simple blepharoplasty, that's all I wanted.

[CLIFF STAMMERS]

A what?

- Oh, eye job. - Oh.

My upper lids were sagging, and my lower ones were puffy.

He said he could fix them.

Well, he fixed them, all right.

Look at them now.

[CLIFF CHUCKLES]

They look okay to me.

Oh, you're just being polite.

[BOTH CHUCKLE]

- No. Really, they... - You've gotta look closer.

Come here.

Now, look again and be brutally honest.

I can take it.

I do see little lines here and there.

Little lines?

Those are full-fledged wrinkles, and you know it.

And they were not there before that butcher operated on me.

Are you sure?

Well, yeah. Um, well, see for yourself.

Now, here.

Now, that was me less than two years ago.

Do you see any wrinkles?

Well, no, but the picture's kind of out of focus.

Oh, that's because my idiot husband took it.

Are you divorced?

He dumped me for a younger woman.

But I fixed him.

I took him and his hyperactive libido for every cent he had.

Do you know what?

[JACKIE GASPS]

He not only gave me wrinkles,

he made my eyes smaller.

I mean, look at this.

See how large my eyes are here, and look at them now.

Look how small they are now.

[SIGHS]

Well, actually, you know, you just...

You look a little older, that's all, heh.

- That's all? - Yeah.

That's all?

Ahh, that's what I mean.

Instead of making me look younger, he made me look older.

I can't live like this.

He's butchered me.

Mrs. Westmore, you know, I really, I...

Oh, please,

call me Jackie.

[CHUCKLES]

Jackie.

I think you need a more experienced lawyer.

Oh, no, Cliff, no.

What I need is a lawyer who's young and hungry

and willing to fight to the death for a just cause.

- I don't even know that we have a... - Cliff.

Case. Yes?

You can do it.

What's the name of the plastic surgeon that butchered you?

Levinson.

Albert Levinson.

MAN: What do you think?

LEVINSON: About what?

MAN: Can you do it?

Of course I can do it, but, uh...

ROD: How soon?

Well, surely, the question must be "How much?"

ROD: Money's no object, doctor.

I'll pay you up front in full and in cash.

Well, in that case, I think we can probably schedule you in right away.

Want me to fix the hairline while I'm at it?

Oh, yeah.

Dr. Levinson.

Can you come out here for a minute, please? It's important.

Oh. Yes. Excuse me. Be right back.

This was just delivered. You're being sued.

- Oh, not again. - Yeah.

- Who? - Jackie Westmore.

Ahh. For crying out loud, she's a total flake. She's nuts.

She may be a flake,

but she's got a lawyer who's gonna take you to court.

[LEVINSON SIGHS]

Damn.

CLIFF: Ahem. As the judge has explained to all of you potential jurors,

this case involves plastic surgery.

How do you feel about plastic surgery, uh, Mr. Webster?

I don't know. It's okay, I guess.

CLIFF: Have, um...? Have you ever, uh, undergone plastic surgery?

- No. CLIFF: Have you ever

thought about undergoing plastic surgery?

WEBSTER: No. - Why not?

[WOMAN CHUCKLES]

Oh. Oh, no, no, no. Oh, no.

No, not that I was implying, uh, that you need plastic surgery,

I was merely trying to, uh, discern your attitude towards it.

My attitude is I like myself just the way I am,

and if other people don't like it, well, that's their tough luck.

Well, how do you feel about people who have nose jobs

or have their eyes done?

[CLEARS THROAT]

Uh, oh, um...

Your Honor, may I just have one moment?

Excuse me.

- What are you doing here? - I'm passing by.

Listen, this guy doesn't like you. Write him off.

CLIFF: I know, but I figure if I don't make him like me, he's gonna...

It'll make things worse. Write him off. Move on.

- Ben, I think that I know what I'm... - Cliff, write him off.

No further questions, Your Honor. Uh, pass for cause.

You're dismissed.

Oh, Cliff, you're doing so well.

SARAH: Elena, what are you doing with Mr. Kerns' clothes?

How dare you? Put those back immediately.

ELENA: But, Mrs. Kerns, your daughter told me...

SARAH: I know what you're up to, Elena.

I'm no fool. Now, put them back.

- Oh, Mrs. Kerns. - Mother, what's going on?

Elena is fired.

I just caught her sneaking Justin's things out of the closet.

No doubt she was going to sell them.

I was just doing what you asked me to do, Miss...

I know, I know, Elena. It's okay.

Now, just go downstairs.

Makes me wonder what else is missing around here.

Ahh, Mother, she was following my orders.

I told her to clean out Father's clothes so we could give them to charity.

Without consulting me?

I thought it might upset you.

What upsets me is you sneaking around my back all the time.

His things are my things now, young lady.

I'll decide what's to be done with them. Do you hear me?

Yes, Mother, now just relax.

Did you take your pill today?

- That's none of your business. MELANIE: Mother.

Why aren't you at work?

Because my car broke down.

I had to have it towed to the garage.

I need a new car.

Just get this one fixed and then don't drive it so much.

That's all you young people do nowadays is drive, drive, drive.

Father left you millions of dollars.

All I'm asking for is 20-, maybe 25,000.

Your father didn't work himself to death

just to indulge your every silly whim.

Silly whim? I've had that car for nearly ten years.

First you want a big wedding.

Now you want a new car.

Next you'll want a house.

- I want a new car, Mother. SARAH: No.

- I need a new car. - N-O. No.

- Struck out, huh? - Surprise, surprise.

Just take me back to the office.

All right.

MELANIE: When do those things come off?

Two more days.

Good.

WOMAN: And you've been Dr. Levinson's scrub nurse

- for how long? - Seven years.

So when he moved his practice from Dallas, you moved with him?

That's right.

He's not just a brilliant surgeon,

he's also a wonderful man to work for.

[MATLOCK CLEARS THROAT]

Uh, objection, non-response.

Sustained.

Just answer the question, please.

Don't editorialize.

I'm sorry.

Would you identify these photos for us, please?

JUDY: Certainly.

The first one is a photo Dr. Levinson took of Jackie Westmore

the day before her blepharoplasty.

And that one he took several weeks after the procedure.

You are somewhat of an expert on this subject.

How would you rate the results?

JUDY: Well, the suture lines are all but invisible.

There's no puckering of the lids.

No unevenness of skin tone.

It's a masterful job,

very typical of Dr. Levinson's work. It's always excellent.

[MATLOCK CLEARS THROAT]

Objection.

Sustained.

You're doing it again.

I'm sorry.

You've helped Dr. Levinson perform this procedure on exactly 97 patients.

- Have you not? - Sounds right.

And exactly 96 of them were satisfied?

Yes, they were.

In fact, they weren't just satisfied,

they were delighted, were they not?

[MATLOCK CLEARS THROAT]

Objection.

Leading the witness.

[SIGHS]

Sustained.

Mr. Matlock, Mr. Lewis, approach the bench.

- Cut it out. - Cut what out?

Coaching Mr. Lewis from the gallery.

Why, Your Honor...

Mr. Lewis wears long pants,

appears to shave, and his voice has changed.

So I must assume he has a law degree

and is old enough to argue his own case.

- Um, Your Honor... - Did I ask for you to speak?

No, Your Honor.

Mr. Matlock, cut out the cough.

Oh, Your Honor, I have this little tickle.

Stifle the tickle or get out of the courtroom.

Do you understand?

Ahem. Your Honor, may I speak?

Yes, Mr. Lewis.

Your Honor, if I might have a minute with Mr. Matlock out in the hall,

I think that I might be able to help him with his tickle.

Do that, Mr. Lewis.

And if Mr. Matlock's tickle persists,

both of you may be headed to the hoosegow.

One minute.

One minute.

Cliff. Cliff. What's wrong?

Don't worry. Everything's all right.

Oh, I can't tell you how glad I am you took my case.

[CLIFF CHUCKLES]

Cliff, you're doing great in there, just great.

Now, in your cross...

CLIFF: Ben. Ben. Ben, this has gotta stop.

Please, could you just butt out?

- Butt out? - I know you're trying to help in there,

and I really appreciate it,

but you gotta let me make my own mistakes.

Not that I wanna make mistakes.

But if I do, well, that's how I'm gonna learn.

You know what I mean?

[SIGHS]

Yeah.

You're right.

It's your case.

Win or lose.

Win or lose. Right.

Yeah. Yeah.

I'll just, uh, butt out.

Oh. You don't have to leave.

- I can stay? - Yes, you can stay.

You just have to sit in the back row.

[CROWD CHATTERING]

CALDWELL: Proceed.

Dr. Levinson, have any of your patients ever come to you and said:

"I want a smaller nose so I can get a better job"?

Or "I need a tummy tuck so my husband won't leave me"?

Have they ever said that?

Anyone? No. Never.

- Never? - I screen my patients very carefully.

If anyone comes to my office

expecting that a little plastic surgery's gonna somehow solve

all their personal problems, I show them right out the door.

So in other words, you only operate on people

with realistic expectations,

who don't appear to be neurotic in any way.

- That's correct. - People like my client.

LEVINSON: Heh, well... - You did operate on her, didn't you?

Uh, yes, but she...

So in your opinion, she's a rational, emotionally stable woman.

- Is that correct? - She was before the surgery. Yes.

Very interestingly put, doctor.

Very interestingly put.

You stated earlier that you moved your practice

from Dallas to Atlanta 18 months ago. Why?

LEVINSON: I felt like it.

Oh, it didn't have anything to do with the fact

that the people in Dallas were starting to sue you

with what would be termed an annoying frequency?

SIMPSON: Objection.

- Relevancy. - Sustained.

Dr. Levinson, is it true that during your last two years in Dallas,

five malpractice suits were brought against you?

- Yes. But I had... - No further questions, Your Honor.

CALDWELL: Ms. Simpson? - Redirect, Your Honor.

CALDWELL: Proceed.

Were any of these five suits settled out of court, doctor?

LEVINSON: No, they all went to trial.

They all went before juries such as this one. Is that correct?

That's correct.

SIMPSON: What was the outcome of those trials, Dr. Levinson?

The jury found in my favor in every single case.

SIMPSON: Thank you. No further questions.

[CROWD MURMURING]

Sorry to have to bring you in this late.

My life has been a little hectic these days.

ROD: So I heard.

Jury still out?

Well, my attorney says the longer they're out, the better it is for me.

Let's see this.

ROD: Well?

Well,

you tell me.

[ROD CHUCKLES]

You're some kind of genius, you know that?

Wait a minute. Whoa, what are you doing?

Well, uh, how about a smile?

I'm gonna take a little picture, you know.

I want it to go with the one I took before the operation.

All right. Well, okay, just one, okay?

One's all I need.

[SHUTTER CLICKS]

I can't believe it.

You look just like him.

Well, that was the whole idea, wasn't it?

Yeah, but, Rod, I mean, this is incredible.

From now on, just call me Justin.

And you just call me Daddy.

I can't believe it.

In the case of Westmore v. Levinson,

we, the jury, find for the defendant, Dr. Albert Levinson.

CALDWELL: Thank you, ladies and gentlemen.

This court is adjourned.

I'm really sorry.

I could file an appeal for you or you could get another lawyer.

[CROWD CHATTERING]

[JACKIE SCREECHES]

No!

[ALL SHOUTING]

LEVINSON: Get her off me.

CLIFF: Grab her arm. Grab her arm.

MAN 1: Get her off, come on.

MAN 2: Grab her arm. MAN 3: Hey.

ROD: Hi.

Mr. Greenwood. Did you have an appointment?

Uh, no, I didn't, but something's going on with my nose.

It just... It kind of hurts right up in here.

It might be an infection. Come on back and I'll take a look.

Oh, no offense, miss, but I'd much rather have the main man look at it.

I understand. Have a seat. He just called from the courthouse,

and he said he'd be here in about 20 minutes.

Something wrong?

I just hadn't seen your face since you had surgery. It looks good.

- You must be pleased. - You have no idea.

Oh, by the way, do you happen to know who owns that red Beretta

- that's always parked by the elevator? - Yeah, I do.

- Uh-oh. - What?

Well, just as I was getting on the elevator to come up here,

- I saw somebody back into it. - No, not again.

Have a seat. I'll be right back.

Sorry about that.

[DOOR OPENS THEN CLOSES]

[ENGINE STOPS]

- Hey, hey, hey. JUDY: Hey, congratulations.

- Another win for you. - Ha, ha.

Levinson, six. Fruitcakes, nothing.

[BOTH CHUCKLE]

- Oh. What...? - Oh, yeah, she was a bad loser,

tried to take my face off with her nails.

Let me put peroxide on that.

[LEVINSON CHUCKLES]

You know, when I was coming in,

I thought I saw Rod Greenwood driving out.

Yeah, you did. He wanted you to look at his nose.

He was having some sort of postoperative discomfort.

- His nose? - Mm-hm.

He shouldn't have any problems with his nose.

- Let me see his chart. Here. - Okay.

- That's odd. - What?

His pre- and post-op pictures are gone.

You sure they were there?

Yeah, you can see the holes where I stapled them.

You know, Mr. Greenwood told me somebody backed into my car.

I went down, but it was somebody else's.

And when I got back up here, he was gone.

Do you think he stole them?

Why would he do something like that?

Another nutcase. Who knows?

[SIGHS]

Give him a call tomorrow. Tell him I want to see him.

Mm.

[HUMMING]

- Morning. - Hi, come on in. Have breakfast.

No, thanks.

Get to Page 7 yet?

Oh, you didn't learn anything after that first ad?

It's not an ad.

It's worse.

MATLOCK: Hmm.

[SIGHS]

Not only do I lose my first case,

but the gory details wind up in the morning paper.

Well, did Ms. Westmore calm down?

Yeah. The movie seemed to do the trick.

- Movie? - Yeah.

- I took her to a movie after dinner. - Dinner?

I took her out for a bite to eat. It was the least I could do.

Oh.

At least it's over. Have some breakfast.

No.

Have some eggs, sausage, grits, pancakes.

I got a pot of baked beans with hot dogs and onions cut up in them.

Mm, good.

No, Ben. No, I can't.

I gotta go to the courthouse.

Jackie... Uh, Ms. Westmore wants me to make a motion for a new trial.

You're not.

Well, I gotta at least try.

- See you later. - Hmm.

[HUMMING]

I think you're gonna be very happy.

PATIENT: I hope so. - And I'll see you next week.

PATIENT: Thank you, doctor.

The information Rod Greenwood gave us is phony.

- What do you mean, phony? - The address and phone number

on the forms he filled out don't exist.

- He lied? - He must have.

Do you think he's in some sort of trouble?

I mean, he paid cash for everything.

Maybe he's trying to get away from an ex-wife.

Or he's a criminal looking for a new face.

Maybe we should call the police.

Let's not.

I mean, after all, he did pay us.

Those cameras that security uses to keep an eye on the parking garage,

are they connected to recorders?

Yeah, they are.

That's how they caught the guy that nabbed my car last month.

Good.

[KNOCKING ON DOOR]

ROD: It's open.

Hello?

ROD: Be right there, Billy boy. Help yourself to a beer.

I haven't slept this late since...

What the hell are you doing here?

Who's this Justin Kerns?

You'd better leave.

- Why'd you wanna look like him? - I said, leave.

Why did I have to trace your license plate

- to figure out where you lived? - Get out of here.

I wanna know what's going on here.

It doesn't concern you, doctor. Now, get out of here.

Go away and stay away.

Damn it.

[KNOCKING]

- The police are searching her house. - The police are searching your house?

Oh, it was horrible watching them tear through my things like that.

Oh, I just had to leave the house.

Thank God I was able to reach Cliff.

I told the police she'd be over here.

- They had a warrant? CLIFF: Oh, yeah.

They think I'm a murderer.

Just because you threatened Dr. Levinson

and a few people happened to see.

Threatened?

She was beating the living hell out of him

and there was a gang watching.

Well, I was angry. Anyone would've been.

But I got over it.

By bedtime that night, I was fine.

- Wasn't I, Cliff? - I beg your pardon?

Oh. Oh, no, we went to dinner and a movie.

No, what she means is by the time I dropped her off

to go to bed, she was fine.

- I see. - We had had such a good time.

I forgot about that fiend and what he had done to me.

Oh, we did have a good time, didn't we, Cliff?

- Oh. - Ha, ha.

We had a wonderful time.

I could never have gotten through all this without him.

[JACKIE GIGGLES]

You're so sweet.

[CLIFF $ JACKIE CHUCKLE]

I think I will go into the kitchen and get us some lemonade.

Dad, would you like to help?

- Um... - Oh, no, no, you stay.

Dad's up.

What is going on in there? That woman is all over him.

Yeah, I saw that.

She's his client.

What do you want me to do about it?

Dad, this woman is a little nuts,

and Cliff doesn't have a lot of experience in a lot of ways,

if you know what I mean.

No. He doesn't.

[SIGHS]

[JACKIE LAUGHING]

[CLIFF CHUCKLES]

You always know exactly what to say to make me feel better.

[DOORBELL RINGS]

Oh, excuse me. I better go get that.

All right.

Mr. Lewis, I believe you indicated I could find Ms. Westmore here.

Yes. She's right here. Jackie?

What's going on?

Mrs. Westmore, we've just found what we're pretty sure

is the murder weapon in your garage.

- What? CAVALLO: A blood-stained scalpel

wrapped up in a towel with a pair of latex gloves in a bucket

with some old rags.

Oh. Why, I never put them there.

Of course you didn't.

Well, we can talk about that downtown

after Sergeant Donnelly here reads you your rights.

Oh, Cliff.

Uh, just go with them.

I'll be right there. I'll be right behind. It's okay. I'll be right behind you.

Cliff, you're the only one I can depend on.

CLIFF: I'll be there. JACKIE: Promise?

CLIFF: I promise.

DONNELLY: Anything you say can be used against you in a court of law.

Say you'll help me.

Uh, no, I don't think it's a good idea.

What do you want me to do? Just bail out on her?

She'd be devastated.

Cliff, I don't think you're aware of this,

but that woman is very emotionally attached to you.

You're playing with fire.

Then help me.

MELANIE: Mother. SARAH: Ah!

Oh, damn it, Melanie, don't startle me like that.

I'm sorry. I didn't mean to.

Look what you've done.

My heart is just racing.

My head feels like it's about to float off my shoulders.

Well, here, I picked up your refills. Maybe you ought to take one.

The people that were going to cater the reception called me this morning.

They said you decided to go with someone else.

Yes, I found someone who's cheaper.

[MELANIE SCOFFS]

MELANIE: For God's sakes, Mother, this is my wedding.

I don't want whoever's cheapest. I want the best.

Don't you want the best for me?

If you think I'm going to spend a fortune on your wedding,

knowing full well your marriage won't last out the year, think again.

[SCOFFS]

How can you say that?

Because I know you and I know Bill.

You don't love each other. You just like the way you look together.

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

Oh, you're two peas in a pod.

You'll tear each other apart trying to get what you want.

You don't know how to love, Melanie.

You and Bill will never come close to having what your father and I had.

Ever.

He hated you, Mother.

He absolutely hated you.

That is not true.

[MELANIE SIGHS]

How's your pulse?

Is it back to normal?

Yes.

Those pills work like magic.

Good. Well, um, I've gotta get back to work.

I didn't mean what I said just now.

I guess I'm just, um, nervous about the wedding, that's all.

The night janitor found him lying there about 9:30.

Thank God he found him and not me.

I can certainly understand that.

I had left the office early, I guess about 4.

Dr. Levinson wasn't here. He was gone somewhere.

Is it true that his face was all cut up?

Yes. That's why the police were so quick to call it an act of revenge.

How can you defend someone who would do something like this?

Mrs. Westmore didn't do it.

And even if she had, she'd still be entitled to an attorney.

Did Dr. Levinson have any relatives?

Yeah. A sister in California.

How about ex-wives, girlfriends?

His wife died about two years ago, and he hadn't been out with anyone since.

- So he was pretty much alone, then? - Yeah, alone.

Was he troubled or upset about anything?

Did he get a phone call, a letter, anything?

I don't think so.

Was there anything at all unusual that happened prior to his death?

The thing with Rod Greenwood was sort of unusual.

In fact, that's the last time I saw the doctor,

was when he left the office to go talk to him.

- Rod Greenwood. Is that a patient? - Yeah.

Yeah. Yeah, Dr. Levinson did some work on me.

It's nice.

Well, thank you.

I mean, I didn't know you before Dr. Levinson worked on you,

but you really can't even tell.

[CHUCKLES]

I thought he did a good job.

- Did you ever have, um...? - Not yet.

[CHUCKLES]

I didn't think so. You don't need it.

Well, thank you.

[CHUCKLES]

I understand Dr. Levinson came by here.

No. Uh-uh.

I mean, I never saw him, anyway.

- You stopped by his office? - Yeah.

The nurse said you left unexpectedly.

Well, I hung out for a while, he didn't show, and so I left.

Dr. Levinson and his nurse discovered that your before-and-after pictures

from your file were missing.

Did you take them?

[SCOFFS]

Why would I do that?

The nurse also says that the address

and phone number you gave were phony.

Has this woman got a problem with me or something?

I paid all my bills, I kept my appointments.

Why in the hell would I lie about where I live?

I don't know.

Well, you know, maybe Dr. Levinson's nurse just, uh...

Maybe she lost my address or got it mixed up.

May I ask you something?

Why did you have all that surgery done anyway?

Because I hated the way I looked.

And now I love it.

Men can be vain too, you know.

Well, I've taken up too much of your time.

I enjoyed it.

LEANNE: Oh.

Just one more question.

Oh, yes, ma'am.

Anything.

Where you last night from, say, 6 to 10?

[CHUCKLES]

Well, uh, I was with a friend,

just, uh, drinking beer and barbecuing steaks.

BILLY: Why did you tell her you were with me?

I needed an alibi. What was I supposed to say?

- Oh, you killed him? - No, Billy boy, I thought you did.

No, wasn't me.

Well, surely you're not suggesting that Miss Melanie here did it, are you?

I guess none of us did.

Just knowing someone's snooping around has just got me nervous.

I mean, maybe we should just hold off a while.

Oh, no, no, no, Billy boy.

I can't hang around here looking like this.

What's one more week?

My mother gets more insufferable by the day.

If we wait another week, I'll probably blow,

and she'll end up disinheriting me.

Uh-uh. We gotta get going.

Okay.

[THUNDER CRASHING]

Sarah.

[GASPS]

It's your fault I'm dead, Sarah.

MELANIE: He hated you.

He hated you. He absolutely hated you.

Absolutely hated you.

My only daughter's getting married, and I won't be there.

All because of you.

You drove me to my grave, Sarah.

[WHIMPERING]

[PILLS CLATTER]

I'm not going to rest till I do the very same to you, Sarah.

[SARAH SCREAMS]

Well, that doesn't necessarily mean she called him that night.

Oh, I see. Okay.

I'll tell him. Thanks. Thanks. Bye.

- Who was that? LEANNE: Detective Cavallo.

Oh, so Ms. Westmore.

LEANNE: This is not gonna make Cliff happy.

CLIFF: Ben.

In the kitchen. Speak of the devil.

LEANNE: I've got some bad news.

- Bad news? LEANNE: Yes.

- Detective Cavallo called... - Morning.

- Morning. CLIFF: Morning.

My arraignment's today, and Cliff stopped by.

He's so concerned.

I made cheese crepes.

- Which were to die for. - Ha, ha.

He's, um, uh... What's the best way of saying?

Fueled up.

[BOTH LAUGH]

Oh, he's the best thing that ever happened to me.

I don't know what I'd do without him.

What did the police say?

Maybe you two should sit down.

Yeah. Cliff, you sit over here, and you sit over here, out of the draft.

LEANNE: Mrs. Westmore, since you're here, I was wondering,

did you make any calls from your home

the night Dr. Levinson was murdered?

- I don't think so. - You sure?

Uh, well, no, no, I didn't.

I knew Cliff was working on my appeal, and who else would I have called?

Apparently, Dr. Levinson was wearing one of those beepers

that stores numbers when people call.

It indicates that one of the calls he got that night was from you.

I never called him.

He was the last person I would call.

The district attorney considers it additional proof that you're the killer.

Well, how does that prove anything?

Well, the district attorney believes

that you called and left your number on his beeper

so that when he returned your call, you could make arrangements

to meet him and, uh, khh.

I never made that call. You believe me, don't you, Cliff?

Of course I do. Of course I do.

Anybody could've called Dr. Levinson and left her number on his beeper.

It's not proof.

Not solid proof, anyway.

SARAH: I appreciate your coming on such short notice.

It was very nice of you to do that.

- Mother? - Thank you very much.

What's going on?

- Who's that? SARAH: Someone from Korbel Realty.

I forget her name.

- I decided to sell the house. - Why?

We've been through this before, Melanie. It's my house now.

- I get to do with it whatever I please. - But you love this house.

Just last week, you said you'd never sell it.

- Well, I changed my mind. MELANIE: Why?

- I just did! That's all. - I'm not leaving until you tell me why.

Your father was here last night.

I woke up out of a sound sleep, and he was standing at the foot of the bed.

- Heh. Mother, you were dreaming. SARAH: No.

He was there, and he said...

He said things to me.

He said terrible things.

I've never been so scared in all my life,

and my heart, it was pounding so hard it hurt.

And then I tried to take my pills, but they weren't there.

- The ones I just brought you? - He kept coming toward me,

and then he touched me.

And his hands were like ice.

And the next thing I knew, I was lying on the floor, and he was gone.

I couldn't get to sleep the rest of the night.

I just can't stay in this house anymore. I just have to sell it.

Mother, listen to me. You were dreaming.

- There is no ghost. SARAH: It was not a dream.

Mother, please, Father's been dead for more than two months.

Why didn't this ghost of his appear sooner, hmm?

- Why did it wait until last night? - I don't know.

MELANIE: Because there is no ghost, that's why.

It was just a dream.

Now, come on, let's go find those pills.

Just a few more reps and I'll be done.

MATLOCK: A few more what? - Reps.

MATLOCK: Reps. - Short for repetitions.

MATLOCK: Oh. - Yeah.

MATLOCK: All these pictures are of you.

Yep, that's right.

I'm a model.

- Ever have plastic surgery? - No, heh.

I don't intend to, either. That's why I do this.

What do you think about Rod Greenwood

having all that plastic surgery?

Rod?

Huh.

- You didn't know? - No.

Then again, it's not like we're best friends or anything.

[BILL CHUCKLES]

- Do you want a mineral water? - No, thanks.

Uh, wait a minute, I am a little thirsty. Um...

Um, what's that?

Oh, that's a concentrated protein drink.

MATLOCK: Oh.

- How about that? - Asparagus juice.

MATLOCK: Oh.

- Tap water will do. - All right.

So how'd you and Rod Greenwood get to be friends?

Oh, I met him in, uh, a softball league.

Only known him a couple of weeks. There you go.

Oh, thanks. What'd he do?

Some kind of aerospace engineer or something.

- Just got laid off. - Hmm.

Huh.

Ah.

Well, thanks for the water and for talking to me.

You're a big help, big.

Uh, what do you mean?

- What do you mean, what do I mean? - I just mean, what do you mean?

Oh, I just mean that every little bit of information counts, that's all I mean.

- Well, I'll let you get back to your reps. - Reps.

MATLOCK: Reps. Ha, ha. - Ha, ha.

MATLOCK: I'll remember that. - See you.

[SIGHS]

- Aerospace engineer? - Well, I had to call him something.

I mean, "two-bit hood" didn't have quite the right ring to it.

Hmm.

- Who are you calling? - Rod.

- Oh, he's not at home. - And how do you know?

Heh, because he's never at home at 5:00 in the afternoon.

He runs in the park.

Honestly, Bill, you can be so unobservant.

I'm gonna go talk to him.

Make sure he knows that this is his last chance.

All right.

Tell him to ice his whole body this time.

Whatever it takes to get it right.

[ENGINE STARTS]

[CAR ENGINE STARTS]

[ENGINE STOPS]

[ENGINE STOPS]

What's up?

The partner of that lady you talked to yesterday,

Ben Matlock, came by to see me.

ROD: Yeah? What'd you tell him?

[BILL SIGHS]

Told him we'd met on a softball team.

Told him you were some kind of aerospace engineer.

ROD: They can check that, man. - What was I supposed to say?

Think! That's what you're supposed to do!

You're supposed to think! God.

Bill Parker's a vegetarian?

Yeah, he's a vegetarian.

He had all those meatless cookbooks, and I looked in his refrigerator,

there's no meat in there, not even a piece of bologna,

just oranges and apples and carrots and squash and juice

and stuff like belonged to some kind of big rabbit.

[CHUCKLES]

- So, what do you think? - What do you think I think?

You think Rod Greenwood was lying about going over there

for a steak barbecue the night Dr. Levinson was murdered.

And guess what? Mr. Parker, I followed him,

and the man he was talking to in the park looked exactly like Justin Kerns.

- Justin Kerns. - That's that businessman

that I used to know, died a couple of months ago.

Right, I remember, had a stroke.

Anyway, this guy looked exactly like him.

I swear, Leanne, it was like seeing a ghost.

Well, you know what they say: Somewhere everybody's got a double.

He's Justin Kerns' double, and he was real nervous.

He kept looking around, wringing his hands,

and he'd talk loud every now and then.

- I was too far to hear. - Huh.

And he started chewing on a toothpick.

- It was habit, I guess. - That's funny.

Rod Greenwood chews on a toothpick.

[POPCORN POPPING]

Shake it.

LEANNE: What are you doing?

I wanna show you something.

- Recognize him? - Yeah. Rod Greenwood.

No. Justin Kerns.

You think Rod Greenwood had Dr. Levinson do plastic surgery on him

so he'd look like Justin Kerns?

- Hmm. - Ah.

Why would somebody wanna look like a dead man?

I don't know.

[POPCORN SIZZLES]

Oh.

[THUNDER RUMBLING]

[ENGINE STOPS]

Dad, you know, it's late. Maybe we should do this tomorrow.

No. She's still up, see?

SARAH: No! Justin, no!

LEANNE: Mrs. Kerns?

Dad, you go this way, I'll go this way.

- Dad. - Yeah?

Come on. I broke in.

Mrs. Kerns? Hello?

Hello?

Mrs. Kerns?

Uh, ahem.

Mrs. Kerns?

Woo-hoo.

LEANNE: Hello? MATLOCK: Mrs. Kerns!

Hello?

Mrs. Kerns?

Mrs. Kerns!

Anybody home?

Anybody here?

- Mrs. Kerns? LEANNE: Hello?

[DOOR SLAMS]

What was that?

Is that Mrs. Kerns?

It was.

She's dead.

CAVALLO: Medical examiner says it looks like a heart attack, Ben.

I'm telling you, somebody was up here with her.

LEANNE: We heard her yell at somebody right before we found her.

We heard a door slam downstairs like somebody was leaving.

[ELENA GASPS]

- Oh, no, no. - Oh, Elena.

Mrs. Kerns is dead?

It's her heart.

Oh, I should've come home sooner.

No. You couldn't have done anything. She, um...

She tried to take a pill, but it was too late.

Excuse me, Miss Kerns, your mother was on medication?

Mm-hm, for cardiac arrhythmia. That's what was in her hand.

I see. It was a heart attack.

I'm telling you, Steve, somebody was up here with her.

We heard her screaming, and that's why we broke in.

CAVALLO: But you didn't see anyone. MATLOCK: No.

- He must have come back. - Elena, stop it.

- Who must have come back? - Mr. Kerns.

Mrs. Kerns said he came to her the other night.

Seeing him again must have been too much for her.

Mrs. Kerns thought she saw her dead husband?

It was just this dream she had.

Well, maybe not.

So she was up here with a ghost when the two of you arrived?

Not a ghost, a real person, Rod Greenwood.

Rod Greenwood had plastic surgery done by Dr. Albert Levinson

- so he would look like Justin Kerns. - Dr. Levinson's tied up in this?

That's why we came here, so we could talk to Mrs. Kerns,

- see if she knew anything about it. - Maybe I'd better have a talk

- with Rod Greenwood. - Come on.

CAVALLO: I'm not sure what we'll find, but it's worth checking.

You know the way?

Okay. I'll meet you at Greenwood's motel.

MATLOCK: Hmm.

- Wait a minute. - What?

I saw this car in Bill Parker's driveway yesterday.

[KNOCKING]

CONCIERGE: Mr. Greenwood?

Mr. Greenwood.

CAVALLO: Do you happen to know if he was home today?

Beats me.

You're sure that's him?

CONCIERGE: That's Rod Greenwood, all right.

All his things are gone.

He never said anything to me about moving out.

If you hear from him, let me know. You too.

Yeah.

There. Father's things go to the church and Mother's things go to the shelter.

Yes, ma'am, I'll take care of it right away.

[CHUCKLES]

[MELANIE GASPS]

Allow me.

Whew.

Very nice.

Goes with your new car.

You shouldn't be here. Someone might see you.

Maid's gone. Billy boy's flexing his pecs.

I knew you'd be alone.

I still have my key.

Ah. Oh, no, no, no. Uh-uh.

You're supposed to be in hiding.

I got bored.

And a little broke.

I need another 20 grand.

I don't have any money, not until the estate gets out of probate.

- Borrow it. - That wasn't our deal.

Okay.

Let's see, then. Uh...

Why don't we hawk some of this stuff?

For your information, the cops are onto you.

And so is that lawyer Matlock.

So if I were you, I'd crawl under a rock and stay there

until this whole thing cools down, just like we planned.

[GASPS THEN GRUNTS]

You're forgetting something, pretty little doll.

The closer they get to me, the closer they get to you.

I want that money.

All right.

Come back tomorrow night and I'll have it for you.

Of course, it's not like money is the only thing I'm interested in.

Oh, that can probably be arranged too.

Good.

[JACKIE WHISPERING INDISTINCTLY]

Good morning.

- Excuse me. You're in my chair. JACKIE: I am?

Tradition. The lead attorney always sits in the middle.

- He does? - Yes, Cliff, he does.

[MATLOCK GRUNTS]

[MATLOCK HUMS]

LANE: Detective Cavallo, I show you this scalpel,

people's exhibit H, which the defense has stipulated is the weapon

that killed Dr. Levinson. Do you recognize it?

Yes, sir. I do. It has my mark.

LANE: Did you find this scalpel? CAVALLO: Yes, I did.

Wrapped in a bloody towel in the defendant's garage.

[GASPS]

Somebody put that in my garage. Can't you do something?

Not now, honey. Don't worry. It'll be all right.

Aw.

Ahem. Ben, uh... Ben thought that you and I should have this talk.

About what? How he's blowing my case?

Oh, no, no, no. He's not... No, he's not blowing your case.

Oh, honestly, Cliff, I'd feel so much better if you were in charge.

He's got so much more experience than I do.

Experience? Experience?

I mean, he does everything by rote.

He lacks your youthful exuberance and passion.

Just because he has a track record. I mean, what's that?

That doesn't mean he's better than you are.

No. Oh, no, no, no. See, no, no, you know what? This...

Jackie, this is exactly the kind of thing that we have to talk about.

Uh, ahem. I get the feeling,

as does Ben, as does everyone else,

that you're, um...

I don't know how to say this. That you're, uh...

- You're fond of me. - Fond of you?

Cliff, I'm in love with you,

head over heels in love with you.

Oh.

No, no, no, that's not good either. No, no, that's worse.

Well, I can't help what I feel.

Well, I'm your attorney. We have a professional relationship.

The fact... Thank you very much.

The fact of the matter is,

I'm not gonna have a personal relationship with you right now.

It's unethical. It's unprincipled. It's wrong.

- Do you know what I mean? - Oh, a man of principle.

Ooh, you have no idea how that turns me on.

Jackie. Jackie.

I understand. I understand. All right.

I promise, from now on,

I'll keep my feelings in check and my hands to myself.

Okay.

But the instant the trial is over,

you are mine.

[CHUCKLES]

Check, please.

[THUNDER CRASHING]

ROD: Melanie! MELANIE: Up here in the bedroom!

What the hell happened here?

You were interrupted the night that Mother died,

so you came back tonight to finish the job.

But this time I interrupted you.

Only I had a gun.

Melanie, what are you doing?

I enjoyed you for a while,

but I had to stop you from committing this robbery.

Oh, come on, baby.

Come on, you're no killer. That's my job, remember?

[GROANING]

[GUNSHOT]

[PANTING]

Yes, help me, please! Oh, God.

I just shot somebody, and I think I might have killed him.

I came by so I could pick up more clothes to take to the shelter

first thing in the morning. But when I turned on the light,

he was standing next to the bed, holding Mother's jewelry box.

And I screamed, and then he came towards me,

so I pulled the gun out of my purse and I shot him.

You, uh, carry a gun in your purse?

It's my fiancé's idea.

He wants me to be able to defend myself.

When I saw his face, I thought I shot my father.

CAVALLO: You wouldn't think plastic surgery could do that.

We won't know for sure until we run some prints,

but I'll bet that that is Rod Greenwood.

Poor Mother.

She really thought she saw a ghost.

Did either of your parents know Rod Greenwood?

No. Not at all.

Why would someone wanna change his face

so he could look like my father?

I really don't know.

Do you mind if my men and I have a look around here?

Oh, no. Uh, please, by all means.

[HUMMING]

CLIFF: Ben? - Kitchen!

[MATLOCK CLEARS THROAT]

- Ben. - Hmm?

The police found threatening letters.

Threatening letters?

Yeah. They were locked inside Justin Kerns' desk, unsigned.

They think they're from Rod Greenwood?

Well, they were written by someone who accused Justin Kerns

of having an affair with their mother.

I don't know.

They were angry,

and they said that the family was destroyed

and the parents got divorced,

and, well, eventually, the mother committed suicide.

Rod Greenwood's mother kill herself?

Well, yeah, as a matter of fact, she did,

right before the letters were written.

I can't figure out why he changed his face.

I don't know.

- Maybe, um... May I? - Yeah.

Maybe to scare her to death, you know, or to get revenge

while he was stealing the family jewels,

which is what he was doing when Melanie Kerns shot him to death.

MATLOCK: Hmm.

Hmm.

That's, um...

That's weird, isn't it?

Yeah. It's really weird.

Oh, um...

By the way, I had that little talk with Mrs. Westmore.

- Good. - I don't think it really went that well.

I don't think that she, you know, um...

MATLOCK: Sumptuous. Just sumptuous.

[MATLOCK CHUCKLES]

So this is all yours now.

MELANIE: Yeah, I guess. - Yeah.

Yours and Bill Parker.

- We're getting married next May. - Oh, I heard. I heard.

That, uh... Ahem.

That old BMW that I saw parked in his driveway is yours.

I mean, it used to be before you got the new one out there.

- It's a beauty. - Thanks.

- Uh, did you know Rod Greenwood? - No, I didn't.

Well, Bill did. Is that possible?

I don't know.

He never did tell you

that Rod Greenwood looked exactly like your father?

As a matter of fact, he did tell me once that he met a guy playing softball

who looked a lot like Dad, but I didn't think much of it.

Huh. No, I guess not, huh?

You know, sometimes my job just bores me to death.

[BOTH CHUCKLE]

I just hate to ask all these questions.

But I have to find out who actually killed Albert Levinson.

Of course. When did he die, again?

It was the 17th, a Thursday, between 6 and 9 p.m.

The maid has Thursday nights off, so when Mother was alive,

- I used to keep her company. - So you would have been here then.

Yes.

[SIGHS]

- Poor Mother. - Yes, I'm sorry.

Well, hi to Bill, and good luck with all this.

Just sumptuous. Sumptuous.

Damn it, Melanie, why did you have to kill him?

Because he was blackmailing us. Relax, Bill.

Oh, relax. Right.

Oh, God.

I mean, Ben Matlock knows we're engaged.

He knows I knew Rod.

He knows Rod's responsible for your mother's death.

He knows you inherit everything. This whole thing's falling apart.

Ben Matlock is not a cop.

And even if he were, he can't prove anything.

Now, just take it easy.

The only thing that's falling apart is you.

Well, maybe I should just get out of town.

Oh. That's a good idea.

That'll make you look real innocent, won't it?

I just don't have the stomach for this kind of thing. You like it.

I mean, you get a rush from living on the edge. I don't.

We're in this together, kiddo.

And as long as we both remember that,

everything will be fine.

[KNOCKING]

[GASPS]

Hi, I'm Ben Matlock, an attorney.

I was here the night Mrs. Kerns, you know...

Well, what are you doing out there?

Oh, just poking around.

I do that a lot.

I saw you in here, and I thought maybe we could talk a while,

if you got time.

- I suppose. - Okay.

Terrible thing that happened to Mrs. Kerns.

How long had she been having heart trouble?

- Couple of years. - Mm-hm.

The night she died, was that your night off?

Yeah. Thursdays are my night off.

I understand that usually on Thursdays,

you go to your daughter's house.

- Most of the time. - Most of the time.

MATLOCK: We just heard Dr. Levinson's nurse testify

that a few months prior to his murder,

he performed plastic surgery on a man named Rod Greenwood,

made him look just like your late father.

- Did you know Rod Greenwood? MELANIE: No.

Did you ever see Rod Greenwood?

- Yes. MATLOCK: When?

I caught him burglarizing my mother's house.

I shot him to death in self-defense.

- How did your mother die? MELANIE: Heart attack.

The police are fairly certain that Rod Greenwood

got into her house and surprised her,

and the shock of seeing what she thought was my father's ghost

was apparently too much for her heart.

She suffered from arrhythmia.

Oh.

So the police think that Rod Greenwood

had plastic surgery done

so he could look like your father and scare your mother to death.

- Is that right? - Yes.

- Who inherits her estate? - I do.

MATLOCK: Any idea how much it's worth?

Somewhere between 20 and 30 million dollars.

MATLOCK: That's a lot of money, even when you say it fast.

Makes me kind of think that maybe, just maybe,

you did know Rod Greenwood, and maybe, just maybe,

you convinced him to transform himself into your father,

knowing the sight of him would scare your mother to death.

Objection. Calls for speculation, assumes facts not in evidence.

Sustained. Mr. Matlock.

MATLOCK: What's the matter with that?

You heard Mr. Lane.

Speculation assumes facts not in evidence?

That's what he said.

Well, I said, it kind of makes me think.

If I have to count to three...

Miss Kerns, uh,

why would you say Rod Greenwood wanted to scare your mother to death?

For revenge.

The police found threatening letters apparently from him

locked away in your father's desk, didn't they?

MELANIE: Yes. - Mm-hm.

This is one of those letters. Have you ever seen it before?

- Yes. - Did Rod Greenwood ever tell you

that his mother committed suicide?

I told you that I didn't know him.

- Then how did you write these letters? LANE: Objection. No foundation.

Sustained. Mr. Matlock,

would you care to make an offer of proof?

Uh, ahem, Your Honor,

I can't prove this witness actually wrote these letters.

But I do know for a fact they were not written three years ago

as they're dated.

Hold this letter against the light and read the watermark on the paper.

"Finley Bond 7."

According to Finley Paper Company, their Number 7 bond paper

was first produced three months ago.

So how do you think these letters got typed

and placed in your father's den?

- I have no idea. MATLOCK: And are you aware

that your father's brokerage firm, where you work,

uses Finley bond paper?

And you did know Rod Greenwood, didn't you?

If these questions are uncomfortable, try this.

- Did you know Dr. Albert Levinson? - No.

MATLOCK: Ever go to his office? - No.

MATLOCK: His office is in a medical building at 1903 West Selby.

- Ever go there? MELANIE: No.

You used to drive a Silver 1984 BMW,

license plate BKO248, did you not?

- Yes. MATLOCK: Mm-hm.

Uh...

This photograph was taken off a tape that was made by a security camera

in the parking garage at 1903 West Selby.

See, right here.

Seven forty-nine p.m. the 17th.

Anyway, at the time Dr. Levinson was murdered,

the night he was murdered,

the approximate time he was murdered,

your car was parked in the parking garage beneath his office.

- That is your car, isn't it? - Yes, but...

Albert Levinson grew suspicious of Rod Greenwood,

and in order to keep your plan on track,

you killed him

and made it look like Jackie Westmore had done it, didn't you?

- No. - Where were you that night?

I was at my mother's.

No. Try again.

Your mother's maid, Elena,

didn't sleep over at her daughter's house that night.

Her daughter had the flu.

So Elena stayed home, and she's prepared to testify

that you were nowhere near your mother's house that night.

You were afraid that Dr. Levinson would wreck the whole thing.

If he spilled the beans, your mother would make sure

that you never inherited a penny.

So you killed him, didn't you?

[CHUCKLES]

Where were you, Melanie?

I was at the Parkside Hotel.

[CROWD MURMURING]

- Say again? - I was at the Parkside Hotel.

Would you like to see my credit card receipt?

Anybody see you there?

Yes, uh, a maid.

She walked into my room while I was preoccupied.

- Who were you with? - It's none of your business.

You were with Rod Greenwood, weren't you?

MATLOCK: Mm, mm, mm.

Well, this is the capper, isn't it?

This caps the capper.

Sleeps with a man that looks like her father,

and then she kills him.

Yep. Caps the stack.

When I think of all the times that you accused me of being wild,

heh, I was a piece of milquetoast.

You had your times.

Okay, so if Melanie was with Rod Greenwood that night,

- she didn't kill Dr. Levinson. - No.

- Guess Mr. Greenwood didn't either. - Guess not.

- Guess that leaves one. - Yep.

What was in this box that was next to the body?

Well, let's see, he was, um...

He'd just gotten a bunch of samples from a pharmaceutical company,

and he was putting them away in that cupboard right there.

It's all here in the police report.

They say one of the boxes was empty. I guess it was this one.

- What's Dermazin? - Skin ointment prescription.

Mostly for acne, but a lot of people use it to get rid of wrinkles.

Oh, yeah.

I hear that you and Melanie Kerns are engaged to be married, Mr. Parker.

BILL: That's right. - When's the big day?

BILL: Well, we're not quite sure right now.

Oh, that's right, she's been arrested and charged

with Rod Greenwood's murder, hasn't she?

- You must be very disappointed. - I am.

- I love Melanie very much. - And how about that $30 million

you were gonna inherit along with her?

Saying goodbye to that must have hurt a little too.

Well, I make plenty of money as a model.

What we would or wouldn't have inherited

was never a big deal to me.

Course, just cause you make a lot of money now,

what about ten years from now?

Five years from now? Tastes change.

People change.

Age creeps up on men just like it does on women.

I mean, look at me.

[ALL CHUCKLE]

So that 30 million would have made quite a soft landing

in case you had to fall back on something else, wouldn't it?

I never gave it much thought.

Huh.

I understand that you and Rod Greenwood were friends.

Acquaintances.

I knew him from a softball league we both played in.

Kind of got a kick out of how much he looked like Melanie's old man.

Did you know him before the plastic surgery

that made him look like that?

No, I didn't.

Oh, come on, now.

You must have met him somewhere and realized

that he's not what you'd call an upstanding citizen

and talked him into becoming Justin Kerns

so that you and Melanie could use him to kill Sarah Kerns

and inherit that $30 million.

- No. - You didn't pay to have him

do all that, pay his medical expenses

using some of that big modeling money you're talking about?

BILL: No. - Objection.

JUDGE $ MATLOCK: Sustained.

Your Honor, I'll move to another line of questioning.

Thank you. Um...

I know you ride a motorcycle, Mr. Parker.

Did you ever drive that old '84 BMW your fiancée used to own?

- Of course. - Heh.

It must have been a hassle

borrowing the keys from her all the time.

BILL: No. I had my own set.

Oh. Oh.

Oh, yeah.

So that's how her car got in the parking lot

by Dr. Levinson's office.

She didn't drive it there, you did.

No. I have no idea how that car got there.

Oh, yeah, you drove it there.

You knew that Dr. Levinson could blow your plan

to get your hands on that 30 million,

so you drove the car there, picked up a scalpel,

- stabbed him to death. - No.

MATLOCK: And when you saw this in the paper,

you knew just who to frame.

- Jackie Westmore. BILL: That's not true.

MATLOCK: You had everything you needed.

Just drive over to her house, go in the garage,

take the scalpel, the gloves you used to commit the murder,

throw them in that bucket,

used the telephone in the garage to call Dr. Levinson's office,

leave her number on his beeper.

I was home all night. I never left the house.

Okay. Okay.

Then how did this

wind up in your medicine cabinet?

Yeah, I had a nice long talk with Detective Cavallo this morning.

The upshot of it was he got a warrant to search your house.

I told him to look for this. He found it.

Would you tell the good people what it is?

It's a tube of Dermazin.

- What's it for? BILL: It gets rid of wrinkles.

My dermatologist gave it to me.

Hmm.

A box of Dermazin was found on the floor by Dr. Levinson's body.

Apparently, he had been stacking these away in a cabinet.

Some pharmaceutical company had delivered them that afternoon.

The box on the floor was empty.

But it did have a lot number on it.

It's right here in the police report.

Would you just read that number aloud?

[SIGHS]

It's lot number A76944.

Now read the lot number on the tube that came from your medicine cabinet.

It's A76944.

The same. Your dermatologist didn't give you this.

You saw it on the floor after you had murdered Albert Levinson.

You thought:

"Well, nobody's ever gonna miss this," so you stole it.

[CHUCKLES]

Greed, Mr. Parker.

And vanity.

Greed and vanity.

You can't let them get out of control. They'll get the best of you every time.

[SIGHS]

What's ironic is that Dermazin is not a sure-fire cure for wrinkles at all.

It can cause severe redness and swelling,

and it makes your skin extremely sensitive to the sun.

Oh, you've tried it?

Well, I think it's safe to say that I have tried just about everything.

[ALL LAUGHING]

JACKIE: Thank you again, Mr. Matlock. Mwah.

Well, Cliff.

Um, excuse us.

Well, I guess now the trial's over,

we don't have a professional relationship anymore, do we?

I guess not.

- Wanna go to lunch with me today? - Oh, Cliff.

I've been thinking a lot since we had that talk at dinner,

and, uh, well, dumb me,

I finally realized that what I thought was love

wasn't really love at all.

My life was in turmoil, and, well, you were my lifeline,

so I clung to you.

But I wasn't in love with you.

I met the most marvelous plastic surgeon,

and when he's done,

he will have corrected all the mistakes that monster made.

Oh. And then, Cliff, I am going to the Caribbean for two weeks

and then maybe Cancun.

I guess you need a vacation after all that.

Oh, darling Cliff, thank you for understanding.

Mwah.

You will always be in my heart.

- Bye-bye. Bye. - Bye.

LEANNE: Well... MATLOCK: Yeah.

- Looking for men. - Well, what's the matter with me?

Too old.

- I'm too old for her? - Yep.

She said she liked me.

I thought she meant it.

I figured for once in my life, I had a sure thing.

Done deal, fait accompli.

How do I wind up? Too old for her.

- I just don't get it. - Well, just forget it, Cliff.

- Come to lunch with us. - Really?

[CLIFF SIGHS]

Hey, how about those personal ads in the newspaper, you know?

Like "Shy young man seeks outgoing woman, age unimportant."

No.

LEANNE $ MATLOCK: Don't even think about it.