All language subtitles for 15Matlock.S09e17&e18 The Scam-eng

WOMAN 1: And did you
go alone? MAN 1: No.

WOMAN 2: Thank you.

So old Mark here just all of a
sudden looks up at me and says,

"Walnut Grove Textiles."

Next thing I know, we're buying half
a million shares at 13 and a quarter.

- Thirteen and three-eights.
- I almost had him committed.

I mean, who the hell has even
heard of Walnut Grove Textiles?

But one week later,

guess who gets bought
out by Value-Rite.

Tripled our money, just
like that. The guy's a genius.

Or maybe he just has
access to the right information.

There's no need to break the
law to be a player in this business.

The information's out there.

Who's making money,
who's losing money,

who's smart, who's on the make.

You just have to
know how to digest it.

CAMERON: Actually, it's
those glasses he wears.

They make it so he can read
between the lines. Don't they, Mark?

Tell you what, let's trade.

Your glasses for my wife here.

- That's my wife, Cameron.
- Oops. Sorry about that, John. Heh.

Now, what did I do with my wife?

I believe you divorced her.

Oh. So I did.

In that case, quick. Will you marry
me? I'll buy you your very own company.

You like insurance?

I'll buy you this guy's
company. Ashfield Life.

- It's doing very well.
WOMAN 1: I know.

- He's my husband.
- Oh.

I need another drink.

- What was that?
- I don't know.

Ah, John throws a heck
of a party, doesn't he?

- Mm-hm.
- Anything look interesting?

Stuffed mushrooms look good.

So does Ashfield
Life. All kidding aside.

So when are you gonna
make me a rich man?

Soon as I'm sure I'll
wind up even richer.

[CAMERON CHUCKLES]

[TIRES SCREECHING]

[POP MUSIC PLAYING ON RADIO]

[HUMMING]

[TIRES SCREECHING]

[SCREAMING]

OPERATOR: 91 1 emergency.

DISPATCHER [OVER
RADIO]: 275... Go ahead.

MAN 1: So it was
you who managed...

Oh, God, he's dead, isn't he?

Well, they're doing
everything they can, sir.

Why don't you tell me
what happened here?

I don't know, I was
just driving along.

Next thing I knew, he
was right in front of me.

Sir, have you been drinking?

Glass of champagne,
maybe two. That's all.

Okay, I have to ask you to
step over here with me, please.

Now, I need you to stand
with your feet together

and close your eyes.

Come on, I'm not drunk.

Sir, are you refusing
to cooperate?

Now, tilt your head back,
place your arms out to the side,

and with your right forefinger,

reach out and touch
the tip of your nose.

Can you do that for me?

My client may have
had some champagne

before he got behind the wheel
of his car that night, Your Honor,

and, tragically, he may have struck
and killed someone on his way home.

But I'm going to show you in
the course of these proceedings

that those two facts are
not necessarily related.

I'm going to show you that
the charge of vehicular homicide

is unwarranted,

that Mr. Ivers does
not deserve to go to jail,

for I am going to show
that hitting that poor man

was something no one, drunk
or sober, could've avoided.

That man died not because
my client had been drinking,

but because he had the
misfortune of wandering out

onto a dark, winding road,

and being struck by a car

that any one of us here
could've been driving.

Thank you, Your Honor.

Thank you, Mr. Browning.

Is the state ready to
call its first witness?

Yes, Your Honor.

We call Sergeant Travis
Farrow to the stand.

MATLOCK [SINGING]:
Goodbye my Coney Island, baby

Farewell my own true love, true

Not bad, huh? Ha-ha-ha.

Ah. I don't know.

Of course, I got it. It's
upstairs in my closet.

Yeah. Okay, count me in.

All right, I'll see you then.

Who was that?

That's an old
friend from school.

He's drumming up some people to
come to our class reunion. Fortieth.

Well, what was all that
"Coney Island, baby... "?

I used to be a member
of a barbershop quartet.

- Yeah?
- Yeah, yeah.

There's me and Gus
and George and Chuck.

- Fairview Fair Tones.
- Yeah.

Fairview was the
name of our dormitory.

- Are they all coming to the reunion?
- Yeah, yeah.

We're gonna wear the outfits
we used to wear and everything.

- Ha, ha. That's great.
- Yeah. Yeah.

You know, we have to
have this filed by 5:00.

Oh, yeah, yeah. Where were we?

Well, what we were trying to figure out
if we want a jury trial or a bench trial.

Yeah.

Ben?

Ben?

I'll be right back.

[HUMMING]

Hmm.

CLIFF: Ben, what are you doing?

Um...

CLIFF: Come on, Ben,
we gotta get this done.

[KNOCK ON DOOR]

[SIGHS]

- Craig.
- Hey, Cliff.

Uh, do you have a
moment? I need to talk to you.

- You alone?
- Well, uh, Ben's upstairs.

Oh. Then let's talk out here.

All right.

Hey, that's some great
press you're getting

- on the Cameron Ivers case.
- Yeah.

- Listen, uh, I've got a problem.
- What's up?

I'm being blackmailed.

You see, I met this
woman recently and, uh...

Well, she and I have
gotten real close real fast.

Oh, Craig, I thought
you were happily married.

Well, I thought so too, but
then I met Rachel, and, uh...

[CHUCKLES]

Cliff, it's like I never
had sex before.

I mean, with her,
it's just incredible.

The more I'm with her, the
more I wanna be with her.

I mean, it's like I'm addicted.
You know what I mean?

No, not really, but go ahead.

Yeah, well, anyway, I
thought we were being discreet,

but yesterday I got some rather
graphic photos of us along with a note

saying the news media
would get copies next

if I didn't do as I was told.

Cliff, my wife is running
for a state assembly seat.

This kind of publicity
could ruin her.

I mean, I may not love her, but
I certainly don't wanna hurt her.

She's a good person.

Well, how much does
the blackmailer want?

I don't know yet. I'm supposed to meet
with him this afternoon at Kelbo's Bar.

I need a favor.

No, no. On second thought,
Cliff, I'm gonna do this right.

- I wanna hire you.
- What for?

Go to Kelbo's in my place.

You want me to meet
with the blackmailer?

Well, I can't meet with him
in a public place like that.

Everybody knows me.

Jeez, Craig, I don't know. I
mean, it's really weird, you know?

Cliff, I don't have
anyone else to ask.

Now, this is a really
delicate situation.

- I have to have someone I can trust.
- Yeah.

But I don't want you to do it if it
makes you feel uncomfortable.

I'll figure out something
else. Thanks, anyway.

Well, hold, hold... Hold on.

How am I supposed
to recognize the guy?

He'll be sitting at a table by
himself with a pin in his lapel.

The American flag.

Thanks, Cliff.

[JAZZY MUSIC PLAYING
OVER SPEAKERS]

[PATRONS CHATTERING]

WOMAN 1: Can we get a pitcher?

Yeah, yeah, great.

Waiting for Craig
Browning, right?

- Who the hell are you?
- Cliff Lewis.

He sent me in his place.

Aw, he shouldn't have done that.

Wait... Oh, I'm sorry.
I'm sorry, I'm sorry.

I'm sorry. Let me...

I'm not a cop or anything.

I'm Craig's lawyer.

He just didn't wanna risk being
seen in public with you, that's all.

So how much do you want?

Oh, I don't want money.

I want Cameron
Ivers to go to prison.

Cam... Cameron,
his client? Ivers...

That's right.

I want Craig Browning
to throw the case.

If Cameron Ivers goes to prison,

then I tear up the
negatives of those pictures,

and everybody's happy.

Ivers walks,

and I send those
pictures to the press

and they have a field day.

So all Browning's
gotta do to win is to lose.

It's that simple.

Tell him that, Mr. Lawyer.

[ENGINE STARTS]

[ENGINE STARTS]

[INAUDlBLE DIALOGUE]

[CAMERA CLICKING]

WOMAN: Taxi. Taxi!

MAN: Yeah?

Yeah, it's Cliff Lewis.
I wanna talk to you.

MAN: Get lost.

[KNOCKS ON DOOR]

Cliff Lewis. I'm not leaving
here until I talk to you.

Let me guess.

You want your handkerchief back.

No, I came here to make a deal.

You got pictures, I got pictures. I
got pictures of you and two guys.

Their names are John
Robinson and Mark Reeves.

- Does that ring a bell?
- Who?

"Who?" The two guys
who put you up to do this.

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

You take Craig Browning
down, I'll take you all down.

Is that understood, Mr. Aston?

My, my, how clever you
are. You know my name.

And where I'm staying.

But I wonder how clever
Craig Browning will think you are

when his picture appears
in all those papers.

Now, get out.

Housekeeping.

[GASPS]

- Hey, Ben. MATLOCK: Yeah.

Got some doughnuts.
Glazed or jelly filled.

You eat them.

- Hey, when's your reunion?
- Twenty-third.

- Oh, getting excited?
- Can't wait.

Oh, great.

Glazed or jelly filled?

- Is that all you're having?
- Yeah.

What, are you on some
kind of diet or something?

I look like I need
to be on a diet?

[KNOCK ON DOOR]

No. No, no. I, uh... Just,
you know, was asking.

I'll get that.

- Norman.
- Hello, Cliff.

Hi, hi.

What can I do for you?

I'm investigating the murder

of a private investigator
from Savannah.

Recognize him?

I can't tell you that.

- Why not?
- I can't tell you that either.

MATLOCK: Oh, hi, Norm.

- Morning, Ben.
- What's going on?

A maid at the hotel
where this man was staying

saw somebody pounding on
the door to his room last night

about an hour before
she found him dead.

Heard the guy say his name
was Cliff or Clark or something.

So when we found
Cliff's business card

in one of the dead
man's pockets,

we naturally thought
we should check it out.

You fit the description
she gave of the guy to a T.

I'm sorry.

I can't say anything
more about any of this.

I really am sorry, Norm.

There will be a next time.

Right.

Sorry for the wasted trip.

What's going on?

Ben, I'm so sorry. I can't
tell you about this either.

I gotta go.

- Hi. Who was that?
- Hi.

We got some work to do.

Bye.

CRAIG: What I'm trying to say

is we're gonna have to
cool it for a little while.

- You mean not see each other?
- Just for a couple of weeks.

Why?

A few complications
have arisen, that's all.

What complications?
What happened?

Rachel, believe
me, I wanna see you.

As soon as things
calm down, I'll call you.

I promise.

Craig, I love you.

I want us to be together.

I can't, I gotta be in court.

Three weeks tops.

I swear.

Am I okay?

What's the lighting like on the
road where the accident occurred?

TROOPER: There is no lighting.

So if a person was driving
along that road at 11:15 at night,

how easy would it
be to see something

outside the beam of
his or her headlights?

It wouldn't be easy,

but it'd be even harder if
that person were speeding.

CRAIG: Are you suggesting that
my client was speeding that night?

TROOPER: Well, from
the length of the skid marks,

the damage done to the car

and the injuries
sustained by the victim,

we estimate he was
doing 50 miles an hour.

- Posted speed limit's
35. CRAIG: You estimate?

You mean, it's
possible Mr. Ivers

- may had been going less than 50?
- Yeah, but it's also possible...

Now, about those skid
marks you just mentioned,

on what part of the
road did you find them?

On a straightaway or a curve?

Both. They began on a curve
and ended on a straightaway.

Okay, so Mr. Ivers
came around the curve,

saw the victim standing in the
road, and slammed on his brakes?

- That's correct.
CRAIG: All right, now,

taking into consideration

the length of the skid marks
and the point of impact,

when did Mr. Ivers
start braking?

As soon as he saw the victim or
an intoxicated moment or two later?

Well, it's hard to say without
knowing how fast he was going.

I thought you knew
how fast he was going.

Oh, no, that's right.

That was just an
estimate, wasn't it?

Uh, one more thing, lieutenant.

I understand you
found a set of footprints

at the side of the road that
were not made by the victim.

- Is that right?
- That's correct.

Have you been able to determine

- who did make those footprints?
- No.

Yet one of them was
found directly on top

of one of the victim's
footprints, wasn't it?

- That's correct. CRAIG:
Which indicates what?

It's possible that someone
else was there that night.

Well, it's possible that this
as yet unidentified person

may have pushed
the victim onto the road

- and caused the accident, isn't it?
- Objection.

Calls for rampant speculation.

Sustained.

Nothing further, Your Honor.

Next witness, Mr. Gerard.

DORIS: I'm sorry.

Seeing Mr. Robinson
without an appointment

is out of the question.

Oh, but can't I just slip in after
he's done with, uh, Mr. Herman?

No, you may not.

[PHONE RINGS]

Yes? Hello.

Mm-hm. Mm... Mm-hm.

Sure. I'll bring them right in.

[MEN SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY]

Thank you, Doris.

Where the hell
did this come from?

JERRI: From me.

I'm sorry, Mr. Robinson.

She's been pestering
me to let her see you.

I told her... I'll
call Security.

No, no, no, that's all right.

Roger, we're gonna
have to continue this later.

Oh, that's no problem.

You can go too, Doris.

Hi. I'm Jerri Stone, I'm
a private investigator.

I was just wondering
what you and Mr. Reeves

were talking to Scott
Aston about in the park.

I don't think that's any of
your business, Miss Stone.

Well, it's just so obvious

that you were meeting
with him on the sly,

and since Mr. Aston
is so dead now...

As you undoubtedly know,

my partner and I are what is
known as corporate raiders.

Sometimes we buy whole
companies. But before we do that,

we check those companies
out from top to bottom.

And to do that,

we hire private
investigators like Scott Aston.

And if you ask me what company
he was checking out, I won't tell you.

You know, that's so interesting

because that's not at all
what Mr. Reeves told me

when I showed him the picture.

When did you talk to him?

This morning. About an hour ago.

It's a nice try, Miss Stone.

Mark's in L.A. on business.

I just talked to him
about an hour ago.

Why did you take
this picture anyway?

Why, Mr. Robinson,

I don't think that's
any of your business,

but thanks for your time.

[DOOR OPENS THEN CLOSES]

[CLEARS THROAT]

- Hey.
- Hey.

- Hey, I gotta talk to you.
- Yeah.

Uh, did you hear about this
private investigator, Scott Aston,

- who got murdered last night?
- Yeah, it was on the news.

Well, that's the guy who
was blackmailing you.

- You're kidding.
- No, and it gets worse than that.

I went to see him last night.

And the police found out, so
I'm kind of on their suspect list.

You went to see him?

Yeah, well, I had him
followed from Kelbo's.

And, you know, once I found out

who he was and
where he was staying,

I confronted him.

You did all this
without telling me?

Jeez, Cliff, I hired you to meet
with the guy, and that was it.

Well, I'm going the extra
mile. Now, don't worry.

I didn't say anything to
the police, I don't intend to.

It falls under the
lawyer-client privilege.

All right. Keep me
posted, in private.

Yeah, well, that's a problem.

I don't know where
it's safe to contact you.

- Try me at the office.
- What if you're not at the office?

Try me at the Mayfield Hotel.
Mr. and Mrs. William Gillespie.

- William Gillespie?
- Yeah.

Mayfield Hotel. Right.

- Hey. Just the person I wanna see.
- Hey.

Jerri Stone, Craig
Browning. Craig, Jerri.

- Hi, Craig.
- Hi.

Did you have a chance
to talk to John Robinson?

Yep.

CLIFF: They paid Scott
Aston to spy for them?

- That's what he said.
- I don't buy that for a moment.

Rachel, what are you doing here?

It's okay. Cliff Lewis, Jerri Stone,
this is my friend Rachel Bauer.

- Hi.
- Hi.

- Hi.
- This will just take a minute.

What're you doing?

RACHEL: I'm sorry. I know
I wasn't supposed to come,

but I don't like this.

I need to talk to you.

CRAIG: Not now.
I'll call you, I promise.

I miss you.

I'll speak to you later, okay?

[ENGINE STARTS]

So that was her, huh?

Yeah. Remember, keep me posted.

[ENGINE STARTS]

What?

His car.

It was outside Kelbo's when
you went to meet with Scott Aston.

It was parked right next to me.

Who was at the door?

Lieutenant Bigelow.

- He's in the living room.
- What for?

Well, a handkerchief
with your initials on it

and Scott Aston's blood was
found at the scene of the crime.

He wants to take you downtown.

[CAMERA CLICKING]

CRAIG: Mr. Matlock.

Hi. Craig Browning.

I know who you are.

- I just heard that Cliff's been arrested.
- Suspicion of murder.

Oh, my God.

- Are you gonna represent him?
- Yeah.

And as his lawyer,

I have to keep whatever
he tells me a secret.

He told me everything.

You mean about me?

And now you're gonna
tell me everything,

starting with why you were at
Kelbo's the afternoon you sent Cliff

- to see that blackmailer.
- What makes you think I was there?

And whatever you do, don't lie.

I hate that.

I just wanted to get a look
at the blackmailer, that's all.

- Why?
- I was curious.

You sure you didn't follow
him back to his hotel room?

What are you trying to
say, that I killed Scott Aston?

Cliff didn't.

The only one I know who
benefits from Scott Aston's murder

and from this
lawyer-client relationship

that prevents Cliff
from telling the police

anything he knows is you.

You think I set
this whole thing up?

It wouldn't be the first time
somebody's taken advantage of Cliff.

Well, you're wrong.

Then prove it.

Go in there and release him
from any and all obligations to you.

Let him tell the truth.

The person who hired Scott Aston

to make sure I threw
Cameron Ivers' case,

that's who you should
be trying to nail, not me.

I'm no murderer.

A coward, maybe,

but not a murderer.

Excuse me.

Uh, this man, Scott Aston,
came in here two days ago

around 4:00 in the afternoon.

Do either of you remember him?

Yeah, as a matter of fact, I do.

I'm investigating his murder. Do you
happen to remember what he wanted?

Well, that's why I remember him.

He came in here claiming that
we'd run some obituaries last month

on some people who
weren't really dead.

Made us give him copies
of their death certificates.

You keep copies of
death certificates in here?

Well, Legal Department won't
let us publish an obit without one.

Do you happen to remember
which ones you showed him?

No, but the computer will.

Having previously found the
defendant guilty of the lesser charge

of vehicular homicide,

I sentence him to five
years formal probation,

order him to pay a $10,000 fine,

and to complete 1,000
hours of community service.

This court is now in recess.

[ALL CHATTERING]

WOMAN 1: How can I not?
WOMAN 2: I think so too.

Good job.

- Uh, Mr. Ivers.
- Yeah.

- Ben Matlock.
- How do you do?

Could I speak with
you for a moment?

- I suppose.
- Okay, come on in here.

This may seem like
a strange question,

but, uh, who would benefit
from your going to prison?

What is this?

Craig asked me the
same thing two days ago.

- What'd you tell him?
- That I had no idea.

Now, what's this about?
Craig wouldn't say.

Somebody tried to blackmail
him into throwing your case

so you'd wind up in prison.

- Are you joking?
- No.

It was this man here. Private
investigator Scott Aston.

- You know him?
- No.

But I sure as hell
know these other two.

But, Mr. Ivers...?

Mr. Ivers, stop.
You can't go in there.

What's the matter?

Were you afraid I was
gonna buy some company

out from under your
snotty little noses?

That why you wanted
me out of the way?

- Take it easy. What's the problem?
- Right here.

This is the problem.

That's you.

And that's you, meeting with
the guy who tried to get my lawyer

- to send me up the river.
- I don't know

- what you're talking
about. MARK: He was doing

- some investigating for us,
that's all. CAMERON: Liar.

- You're both liars!
- Mr. Ivers, please.

JOHN: Calm down, Cameron.

That meeting had
nothing to do with you.

I think it did.

In fact, I know it did.

You two still have a 28 percent
stake in Lavinia Enterprises?

[CHUCKLES]

Good.

Because I just got through
dumping 250,000 shares of it.

Don't look now, boys,
but you're bleeding.

[DOOR SLAMS]

[JOHN CLEARS THROAT]

Thanks for paying my bail,
Pop. I'll pay you back, I swear.

I don't know, Cliff.
Two hundred grand.

You may have to
get a paper route.

[BILLY LAUGHS]

Besides, I'm gonna get it back.

Unless you're thinking about making
a run for the border or something.

Tell you what I'm thinking about.
I'm thinking it was stupid of me

to let Craig Browning
set me up like that.

Now, you don't know for
sure that he set you up.

You trusted him,
that's not stupid.

Having faith in your fellow
man, that's not stupid.

That's an admirable quality.

Oh, Pop, I was trying to
impress him, you know?

I just went overboard
on this case

because I wanted him to
respect me and like me and...

I wanted him to
think I was cool.

Yeah, that's stupid.

[DOORBELL CHIMES]

JERRI: I'll get it.

[FRONT DOOR OPENS]

JERRI: Ben, there's
somebody here to see you.

- Oh, hi.
- Hello, again, Mr. Matlock.

I'm sorry I took off like
that. I'm a bit impulsive.

Where'd you go?

Oh, hey, everyone.

- Mr. Ivers.
- Hello.

I went to see John
Robinson and Mark Reeves.

They're up to something,
no doubt about it.

But while I was in their office,

- something very odd
happened. MATLOCK: What?

Well, there was a
young woman there.

I'd never seen her before,
and yet she knew who I was,

which is very surprising.
I keep a very low profile.

- Maybe she works for
them. CAMERON: Mm-mm.

I've been to their
offices dozens of times.

I've been to parties
at both their houses.

I've never seen
her before. I'm sure.

What did she look like?

CAMERON: Mid
to late 20s, 5'6, 5'7,

dark brown hair,
about shoulder length,

trim, very pretty.

- Fair skin?
- Yeah.

Rachel Bauer.

I promise you,

as soon as the election
is over, I'll tell her.

Even if you did, you
wouldn't wind up with me.

I can't handle this anymore,
Craig. It hurts too much.

[KNOCKING ON DOOR]

CLIFF: Craig,
it's Cliff. Open up.

- Hey. CRAIG: Hey.

I'm really sorry to
barge in on you like this.

Hi, Rachel. I see you're
still on the job here.

I guess no one told you.

The blackmailer's dead and
Cameron Ivers was acquitted,

so you can go home.

What are you talking about?

Well, Rachel here
was seen this morning

at the offices of John
Robinson and Mark Reeves.

I'm pretty sure those are the guys
who hired Aston to blackmail you.

Which, if you think about it,

he couldn't have
done without her help.

So that's why you're
blowing me off?

All along, you were
working with Scott Aston,

leading me on so he
could take those pictures.

I don't have to listen to this.

Rachel, listen.

Here is something
you do have to listen to.

Chances are that one
or both of those men

you met with this
morning killed Scott Aston

because I found a connection
between them and him.

And now I've found a
connection between them and you.

So, what do you
suppose they're gonna do

when they figure that out?

Rachel, go to the DA

and get these guys
before they get you.

There is nothing to tell the DA.

John Robinson and Mark Reeves
paid me to seduce Craig, that's it.

I don't know why they
wanted to blackmail him,

and I know nothing
of the murders.

Well, how long did
you know Scott Aston?

I talked to him once, the
day before he was murdered.

He was in a big hurry
to get down to Florida.

You and me,

the whole thing was an act?

[SCOFFS]

You used me for
fun away from home.

I used you in a different way.

Oh, if it's any consolation,

I intend to vote for your wife.

I'm not sure I follow you.

Somebody wanted
Cameron Ivers to go to prison?

Is that what you're saying?

And I can't help but believe it
had something to do with business.

Like, say, maybe he wanted
to buy somebody's company,

say, yours, only somebody
else wanted him out of the way

so they could buy your company.

Say, John Robinson
and Mark Reeves.

- I just met with John the other day.
- I know.

He planning on buying you out?

Mr. Matlock, answering that
question could land me in prison.

You're asking for what
the SEC refers to as...

That's insider information.

I know, and I'm not looking to
make a fortune in the stock market.

The police think my
associate's a murderer

and I'm just trying
to prove he's not.

What I'm about to say is
completely off the record.

If anybody asks, I'll deny
that I ever said a thing.

Of course.

The only person of late
who has shown any interest

in acquiring Ashfield
Life is Cameron Ivers.

I was talking to John about
something else entirely.

Have John Robinson
and Mark Reeves

ever expressed an interest
in buying your company?

Never. Never.

Although I don't know why not.

Our sales for the past two
years have been monumental.

Oh, long as we're
on the subject,

have you heard about the
flexible, premium adjustable policy

that we've just begun offering?

[DOORBELL RINGS]

[GRUNTS]

Ugh!

Hello?

[DANCE MUSIC PLAYING ON STEREO]

TRAINER: Right, left,
right, left, walk it out.

Right, left, watch my
feet. Watch my feet.

Now, we're gonna
get into the Monster.

Okay, here we go. Here we go.

That's it. Now we
get the arms into it.

- Ready?
- This is like when I tried to learn

to do the foxtrot.

Yeah, what happened?

- I broke this woman's foot.
- Oh, yeah?

- Let's do something else.
- Okay.

- That's enough aerobics.
- Okay.

- Good job.
- Yeah.

[MUSIC STOPS]

Okay, we're gonna move
into some resistance training.

Resistance.

- There you go.
- Okay. Ugh.

I don't wanna look like
Arnold Schwarzenegger.

I just wanna lose 20
pounds by the 23rd.

Let me tell you something.
If you wanna lose weight,

the proper way to do it is to eat
right and increase your metabolism.

- You got it?
- Yeah.

Okay, you stick with me, Mr. M.,

and you're gonna
be looking and feeling

like a million bucks in no time.

Sometimes I feel
that's what I'm paying.

[TRAINER LAUGHS]

- You're a pretty funny guy.
- Ha-ha-ha.

Okay, one-arm dumbbell
curls. Just like this:

Shoulders back, chest out,

right arm first.

Bring it up, go ahead.

Bring it up, you exhale.

- Go ahead, right arm.
- Huff.

That's it, get it up.

That's it, keep going.

That's it. That's
the way to breathe.

Okay, and down slowly.

There you go. Left arm up.

- Come on, keep going.
- These are heavy.

You're darned right they're
heavy. No pain, no gain.

Come on now, squeeze.

Keep it going, keep it going.

Pretty soon your arms are
gonna feel like hot, molten lead.

Yeah, they do.

JERRI: Ben?

Oh, here, she might
wanna talk to me.

Shh.

[SIGHS]

What have you been doing?

- Uh, moving furniture.
- Why?

You could've asked
me to help you.

I just felt like doing it.

Oh.

Well, I went over
to Cain Mortuary,

you know, the place that
issued the death certificates

to the three dead people that
Scott Aston was so interested in

- at The Atlanta Herald?
- Yeah.

Well, the place was
completely abandoned.

I mean, really eerie.

Like nobody'd been there
for months, maybe even years.

Well, they could've gone
out of business. Unh.

Not according to the
Better Business Bureau.

[PANTS]

Are you okay?

Oh, yeah, yeah. I'm fine.

Well, they're still listed
in the phone book,

and when you call,
you get a machine.

But get this one,

those people whose names
were on the death certificates?

They're not dead.

They're not?

I traced them down through
their Social Security numbers.

They're all very much alive.

Which is what
Scott Aston thought.

I wonder what he was on to.

I don't know, but
maybe we better find out.

[ENGINE STARTS]

[GASPS]

[TIRES SCREECHING]

[SIGHS]

Maybe a little onion.

[SIGHS]

[SNIFFS]

[SIGHS]

BILLY: Ben, you here?
- In the kitchen.

- This place stinks like onions.
- Onions stink.

They make you cry too.

Did you talk to the DA yet?

- About what?
- Cameron Ivers.

- What about him?
- Someone hit him with a car last night

- and killed him.
- I know that.

Well, that proves that
Cliff didn't kill Scott Aston.

- I don't get it.
- Use your noggin, Ben.

Somebody hires Scott Aston to
blackmail Cameron Ivers' lawyer,

so this fellow Ivers would
go to jail for hitting that guy

when he was driving drunk.

You told him Craig Browning

- was being blackmailed?
- Ben, I didn't...

What happened to
privileged information?

You might as well
put it in the newspaper.

- I didn't tell him.
- So when this fella Ivers went free,

this somebody killed him
just like they killed Scott Aston.

It's probably John Robinson
or, uh, Mark Reeves.

Maybe even both.

- Where'd you get all this stuff?
- I didn't tell him.

- I heard you two talking the other day.
- You were eavesdropping.

I just heard you.

The only place Cliff and
I talked about this stuff

was right here in the
kitchen. Where were you?

Right there in that dining room.

You were hiding in the
dining room listening to us.

Daggone you, Billy.

CLIFF: Pop, Ben is my lawyer.

Any conversations we
have are confidential.

Can I help it if I
got all my faculties?

Doctor said I got
ears like a fruit bat.

- Like a what?
- Fruit bat.

Now, listen, Ben, Cliff
was with me last night.

We had dinner, pot
roast and dumplings.

Then we played gin
rummy till 10, and I won.

So he couldn't have
killed Cameron Ivers,

and that means he
didn't kill Scott Aston.

Billy, I can't say anything to
the DA till Cliff says it's okay.

- Tell him.
- I can't.

They think you're
a murderer, tell him.

It is the principle of the
thing, Dad. I can't tell him.

Principle? The
heck with principle.

They're destroying your reputation,
you don't even have one yet.

Well, if he's not gonna do anything,
isn't there something you can do?

- Yep.
- Well, what?

I'm not telling you.

I'm sorry, but I'm afraid seeing
Mr. Robinson and Mr. Reeves

without an appointment is
absolutely out of the question.

Well, just tell them that
I'm here, see what happens.

Ben Matlock.

They are in conference.

Well, give it a shot.
What the heck?

Yeah, I'm sorry to bother you,
but there's a Ben Matlock here,

and he'd like to see you.

I've already told
him that that's...

[SIGHS]

All right.

- This way, please.
- Mm-hm.

- Well, it really is Ben Matlock.
- Yeah.

- I'm John Robinson.
- Hello, John.

- This is my partner, Mark Reeves.
- Mr. Reeves.

Thank you, Doris.

Well, I guess I'm
interrupting you fellows

just as you're trying to decide

what company you're
going to take over next.

No, I was rather hoping
you had a hot tip for us.

Oh, you could put what I
know about the stock market

on the head of a pin.

Now, I wanted to talk to
you about Cameron Ivers.

- That's a terrible tragedy.
- Yeah.

Yeah, yeah.

He came to see you yesterday.

JOHN: Yes. Yes, he did.
- Yeah.

I talked with him
afterwards, and he said

that there was a young
woman in here with you.

The same young woman
that helped Scott Aston

blackmail Cameron Ivers'
lawyer, Craig Browning.

I'm afraid you've lost me.

Ha, ha. Oh, well. Well,
at first when you arranged

for this private detective

to blackmail Craig Browning
into throwing Cameron Ivers' case,

all you wanted was
Mr. Ivers to go to jail.

But when that didn't work,
and then he came in here

and confronted
you the way he did,

well, you figured more
drastic action should be taken.

How about it?

We may be sharks in business,
but we do not kill people.

And Cameron Ivers
was no threat to us.

MATLOCK: Oh, yes, he was.

I don't know how
yet, but I know he was.

JOHN: I hate to burst
your bubble, Mr. Matlock,

but Mark and I were
attending a black-tie fundraiser

- at the Ritz Carlton last
night. MATLOCK: Oh.

Well, how about the night
Scott Aston was murdered?

Between 7 and 8.

- What night was that?
- Say, that'd be... Let's see...

Tuesday, the 3rd.

- It was Tuesday.
- Playing racquetball at The Spa Club.

With each other, I guess.

MARK: Yes.
- Yeah.

Well, maybe this whole thing
is just one big coincidence.

The blackmail, the girl,

Mr. Ivers getting
run down like that.

I assure you, Mr. Matlock,
that's exactly what it is.

Mm-hm. Well,
thanks for your time.

And, uh, now that
we've had our little talk,

I sure hope nothing happens

to that girl, Rachel
Bauer, don't you?

[DOOR CLOSES]

MARK: Your friend Ben Matlock
is an alarmingly smart fellow.

He's not my friend.

And he only looks smart
compared to you two.

What's that supposed to mean?

Killing Cameron
Ivers was stupid.

That's what it means.

What makes you
think we'd kill him?

The man had enemies
all over the world.

One of whom happened to be you.

MATLOCK: All that stuff
was in Scott Aston's pockets?

CLERK: Yes, it was.

- A real pack rat, huh?
- Yeah.

I wonder why he went to Florida
the day before he was killed.

CLIFF: What, you find something?

Sack of peanuts.

I can smell them
through the wrapper.

- Fat. Just fat, see?
- Mm.

Probably why they smell so good.

[CLIFF LAUGHS]

Shame to let them
go to waste, though.

Starvation in the world...

Let's see what we got here.

Uh, driver's
license, library card,

ATM card, car
rental, video club...

"Top of the Line Car Rental."

They say if you use their credit card,
you can get a free rental sometime.

Mm.

If he rented a car from
them down in Florida,

he'd have to leave a local address
and phone number, wouldn't he?

Right.

- Find out, will you?
- Okay.

- Uh, I got to go home. CLIFF:
What's over at the house?

Uh, I got to meet a fellow

and, uh, move some furniture.

TRAINER: Come on,
fight it, fight it. Get up.

Good, good, good,
keep breathing.

Keep breathing.
Good, good, good.

Attaboy, keep going.
Couple more, couple more.

- Good job.
- My stomach's on fire.

That's good, that's good.
That's what we want.

Burn those abs, blast them.

Oh! I can't do any more.

All right, good job.

You went to failure.
That's what we want.

Okay, Mr. M., hop up.
We're gonna do some squats.

- Some what?
- Squats. Watch.

Three sets of 15 reps,
holding 20 pounds.

Maybe we'll pyramid up
to 30. We'll see how it goes.

[EXHALES]

You know, half the time, I don't
know if you're talking English.

[LAUGHS]

You're a riot, you know
that? Here, grab them.

Oh, no more dumbbells.
Just make me sweat.

That's something I do
real good. Make me sweat.

The name of the
game is muscle mass.

All this exercise and all I've
lost is a pound and a half.

You have got to stop measuring
your progress by the scale.

It's how you look and how you
feel, not how much you weigh.

I hired you because
I need to lose this

by the 23rd.

Now, give it to me straight.
Is it possible? Yes or no?

- Well, that depends.
- On what?

On how you feel
about liposuction.

So all Cain Mortuary does is
issue phony death certificates?

It sure looks that way.

So far I've located seven
people who are dead

according to Cain Mortuary,

but are, without a doubt, alive.

They either live out
of town or out of state.

They know they're
supposed to be dead?

None of them had any
idea that they were dead,

but their obituaries had
appeared in The Atlanta Herald.

CLIFF: This is good.

- This is good. JERRI: Mm.

CLIFF: Mm.

I used to eat like that.

Why'd you quit?

Couldn't buy pants.

What do you mean
you couldn't buy pants?

I couldn't buy pants with
a 33-inch waist that fit.

Well, no wonder.
Heh-heh. Look at the gut.

[BILLY LAUGHING]

Well, he's not so big.

[BILLY LAUGHS]

Get the tape. Ha-ha-ha.

Dad.

JERRI: Well, anyway, um, I
thought the best way to find out

if these fake death
certificates had anything to do

with Scott Aston's murder would
be to get all the people together

and find out if they have
anything in common.

How are you gonna do that?

Well, I have an idea.

But it could be expensive.

[CROWD CHATTERING]

- I came on a 747.
- Really?

JERRI: Excuse me.

[ALL CHATTERING]

JERRI: Excuse me.

Excuse me.

[WHISTLES]

Hi.

We need to get started.
Welcome to Atlanta.

Again, I'm Jerri Stone, and
this man over here is Billy Lewis.

He's the one that
paid to fly you out here

and put you up
at the nice hotel.

MAN 1: Hey. MAN
2: How you doing?

BILLY: That's okay. I
did it for my boy here.

JERRI: Now, as I explained
to all of you on the phone,

I've reason to believe that you
all have something in common,

and we're here to
discover what that might be.

Okay, how many of you know
a man named John Robinson?

MAN: Never heard
of him. WOMAN 1: No.

- Uh, Mark Reeves?
- The guy who played Superman?

- You're thinking of Steve Reeves.
- No, that was George Reeves.

You mean Christopher Reeve.

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

Okay. Okay, okay.

Okay, how about a man
named Cameron Ivers?

Hey, I've heard of him.

I think I have.

What about this? Have any of
you ever lived here in Atlanta?

MAN 1: No. MAN 2: No.

- My grandson lived here once.
WOMAN 1: When I was, like, 8.

Where was everybody born?

- Oklahoma City.
WOMAN 1: Minnesota.

You know, you
look really familiar.

Weren't you on that cruise I
took last year to St. Thomas?

Are you kidding?

I throw up just looking
at pictures of boats.

No, that wasn't me.

CLIFF: Well, what
religion is everybody?

WOMAN 2: I'm Episcopalian,

but now I go to
Presbyterian church often.

How many of you think Atlanta
would have won the pennant

- if there hadn't been a strike?
WOMAN 1: All right. Yeah, sure.

MAN 1: Yeah, yeah. MAN 2: Great.

Well, guess I'm going to Miami.

BILLY: Let me get that.
MATLOCK: No, I got it.

- Well, let me drive you to the airport.
- I got a taxi coming.

- Well, I'm a good driver.
- Fair.

I'll take you for free.

No, Billy.

What's the matter with you?
"Free" is your favorite word.

- You say it in ten different languages.
- It wouldn't wind up being free.

You'd keep butting in
and trying to take over.

Ben, Cliff's my only child.

My sole heir, and he's
in trouble right now.

Well, he's pretty smart.

I know he doesn't
seem it sometimes,

especially now with this
lawyer-client, can't-talk-about-it stuff,

but I wanna help.

I'll pay for the plane tickets.

No, Billy.

Come on, Ben. I'll
stay out of your way.

I won't say a single word
the whole time, I promise.

I'll just go with you and
hear what people have to say.

- You'll butt in, Billy.
- You won't even know I'm there.

I know, except for the
colorful way you're dressed.

I'll buy you a colorful
suit. That way we'll blend.

MATLOCK: No, Billy.

- Car, meals, hotel, I'll pay everything.
- No.

- And anything else that comes up too.
- No.

I'll buy presents for everybody
at the airport on the way home.

MATLOCK: Well, since
you put it that way...

No.

- Mr. Matlock. MATLOCK: Yes.

- Hi. Welcome to Miami Beach.
- Thank you.

What can I do for you?

Well, I called from Atlanta
about a man named Scott Aston.

The Top of the Line
Car Rental company

said he stayed here on the 2nd.

- That's right.
- Yeah.

- You said he was murdered?
- Yeah, the next day.

You got a warrant that
allows me to look at his bill?

Oh, yes.

[PRINTER WHIRRING]

There you go.
It's pretty minimal.

Sure is.

Paid for one night,
and that's about it.

No meals, no parking, no calls.

Only charge was for a
one-page fax he received.

Want me to see if we
still have a copy of it?

You keep copies of
all the faxes you get?

In this day and age, it pays
to make backups of everything.

- I'll be right back.
- Okay.

RATNER: Hi. MATLOCK: Hi.

- Chuck Ratner.
- Yeah.

So you found the
place okay, huh?

I just followed the
directions on that fax you sent

to Scott Aston when
he came to see you.

Oh, you hungry? My wife
just made some cookies.

In fact, I can smell
them all the way out here.

Oh, yeah. Oh,
I'd better not, I...

I got my 40th college
reunion coming up,

and I'm trying to lose
a little weight. Heh-heh.

Well, why don't we
just take a walk, then?

- That way I can show off the place.
- That sounds good. Yeah.

Boy, this is a pretty place.

- I bet you like living here.
RATNER: Oh, yes, sir.

So you said you had some
questions about Scott Aston?

MATLOCK: Yeah, I wanted to know
why he came all the way down here

from Atlanta to see you.

RATNER: I needed
a private investigator.

- I was thinking about hiring
him. MATLOCK: To do what?

RATNER: Mind my asking
why you wanna know?

MATLOCK: He was
murdered the next day.

RATNER: He's dead?
MATLOCK: Yeah.

I'm trying to find out who
killed him and, you know, why.

[RATNER SIGHS]

RATNER: My wife
and I have two children.

My youngest is a little
boy who's 5 years old,

and he was born
with severe disabilities.

Now, we love him dearly,
but it's hard caring for him.

It's hard on my wife and
me, it's hard on our daughter.

It's hard on our marriage.

I imagine.

Anyway, somehow I got it in my
brain that my wife was having an affair,

so I flew Scott Aston down
here to find out if it was true.

Oh, you wanted him
to, uh... To spy on her?

Well, I just wanted to know.

But talking to him was...

Turned out to be kind
of therapeutic for me.

I finally realized that I was
probably just overreacting,

so I sent him home

and told him I'd call him
after I thought things over.

Well, why him? Why didn't
you get somebody local?

Well, a friend of mine used him,

and I wasn't about to
use the Yellow Pages.

- Did you call him back?
- No.

I decided I was overreacting.

Now, that is what
we call a preschool.

MAN: Come on, giddap. Come on.

It's where we work
out all our yearlings.

MATLOCK: Mm.

How long you had this place?

Well, let's see,
I retired in '92.

It's been going on
about three years.

You're awful young.

How could you retire?
How could you afford it?

Well, I was in the right
business at the right time.

Computer software.

Oh, I made more money
than I knew what to do with.

But when our son was born, I...

- I decided enough was enough.
- Yeah.

I just... I wanted
to stay at home

and make sure that he got
off to the best possible start.

- Well, that's good. Smart,
smart. MAN: Come on. Giddap.

Well, you've answered all
my questions. I appreciate it.

Well, don't you wanna
see the rest of the farm?

Well, no. Heh. Horses
and I don't really...

RATNER: I'll get
something to wipe that off.

CLIFF: Scott Aston
went all the way to Florida

to talk to some
potential client, that's all?

MATLOCK: Well, that squares
with the mileage on the car he rented.

He drove from the
airport to the hotel,

drove down to the farm.

Drove back to the
hotel, spent the night,

drove to the
airport and flew out.

CLIFF: So it's a dead end, huh?

Well, I don't know.

See what you can
find out about this fella.

Chuck Ratner's his name.

He owns a horse farm
down near Hialeah.

He used to work for some kind
of computer software company.

- Ratner, right. I'll do that. Pop...
- You should have taken me with you.

I would have gotten something
out of the guy right there and then.

Pop.

Yeah, I'm sorry. So when
are you coming home?

Well, the plane gets in at 4:05,

but I'm not coming
straight home.

Uh, I gotta make a stop.

Can't you do something?

I think maybe you came
to the wrong place, Ben.

You don't need a tailor.

- You need an engineer. Ha, ha!
- Oh, come on, Marv.

Everybody puts on a little
weight as they get older.

What are you doing?

I'm holding my stomach in.

- You are?
- Yes.

- Where you putting it?
- Come on, Marv.

Oh, don't worry. I'm just
making a little small talk

while I get a lay
of the land here.

Can't you just let it out some?

Well, there's not
enough material.

Well, maybe if I can find
some to match the coat

and put it here in the back
and sort of widen it out a little bit.

Move the buttons over
here on the trousers

and fix the zipper,
well, then, you'll be set.

Thanks, Marv. I
thought you could do it.

[PANTS RIP]

I can fix that too.

Okay, I know you're all a little
anxious to get home. Cookie?

This is worse than jury duty.

I'd like to see my grandkids.

Everybody's got something to do.

Please, whatever it is you
people have in common,

two men may be
dead because of it.

Now, we've gotta
figure this out.

[CROWD CHATTERING]

Hello, everybody.

Just keep talking to each
other. Talk about, uh, school,

siblings, hobbies,
clubs, jobs, something.

You've gotta have
something in common.

- Hi.
- Hi. Where's Ben?

He went over to the courthouse.

Well, I've been
doing a little research.

You know the guy he
went to see down in Florida?

- Uh, Chuck Ratner?
- Yeah.

Well, the guy said that he worked
for a computer software company.

He lied.

He worked for Roger
Herman's company,

- Ashfield Life Insurance.
- Ashfield Life?

- Yeah. MAN 1: Ashfield Life.

I know that company.

I almost bought a policy
from them. Then I discovered

I could get the same thing
for less somewhere else.

- Me too.
- At least they give you a free pen

when you sign up an application.

Hold the phone.

How many of you, at
one time or another,

have applied for life
insurance from Ashfield Life?

- Yeah, I did.
- I did.

- I did.
- I did.

Oh, good, good, good.
The gang's all here.

This better be as
urgent as you indicated.

Oh, it's pretty complicated.

- Maybe everybody better sit down.
- Just get to the point.

Okay.

I know what you've
all been up to.

And I know that Mr. Herman here

has been using information
on application forms of people

who decided not to buy
Ashfield Life insurance.

They filled out the forms,

but they didn't buy.

And he used the information
on those applications

to issue a lot of phony
life-insurance policies.

Now, why in the
world would I do that?

MATLOCK: Money.
- That's ridiculous.

How can I make any money if
there's no one to pay the premiums?

MATLOCK: Well, according to
the state insurance commissioner,

you could sell those
phony-insurance policies

to another company.

You'd remain the administrator

and you could pay the
premiums for, oh, a year or two,

and then one by one
issue fake death certificates.

That way you'd collect
all the death benefits

from the second insurance company,
keeping all the money for yourself.

Huh?

Of course, in order to
issue fake death certificates,

you'd have to own a mortuary.

Which you do.

Cain Mortuary.

Am I to understand...?

Am I to understand that you've
discussed all of this already

with the state commissioner?

Oh, yeah, yeah.

Yeah. He said it's a
very ingenious idea.

Highly illegal but
very ingenious.

He wants to talk to you.

Oh, and, uh, since
the partnership

of Mr. Robinson and
Mr. Reeves owns the bulk

of Ashfield Insurance stock,

outside, of course,
of Mr. Herman,

I also spoke with the Securities
and Exchange Commission.

Wait a minute. Ahem, we
bought that stock on good faith.

If what you're saying
is true, it's news to us.

Well, maybe you didn't
know about the fraud

when you bought the stock,

but you found out about it.

And that's why Mr. Ivers
was such a threat to you.

The... According to the
agreement, which you signed,

you were not permitted to
sell that stock for five months.

And if in that time
Mr. Ivers got interested,

started sniffing
around, found the fraud,

Ashfield Life would
be out of business.

And you'd be out,
what, $300 million?

And so to be sure

that Mr. Ivers
was out of the way

for at least five months,

you made sure he
had plenty to drink

at Mr. Robinson's party.

Remember Mr. Robinson's party?

And then you hired
somebody to shove a bum,

that nobody would
ever remember anyway,

out in front of his car when
he was on his way home.

And then you hired that
investigator, Scott Aston,

to blackmail his lawyer

and to throw in his case so
Mr. Ivers would wind up in jail.

But... But then, the
investigator, Aston,

he got curious about the fraud.

And he wound up in Florida,

talking to an
ex-Ashfield employee,

a fella named Chuck
Ratner, remember him,

about these fake
life-insurance policies.

The upshot of it

was you knew you
had to do something

about Scott Aston.

So one of you went
over to his hotel room

and hit him over the
head and killed him.

I repeat, John and I
played racquetball that night

from 6 to 8 at The Spa Club.

ROGER: And I was in a
meeting with Chuck Ratner.

He came to see me
the day after Scott Aston

went to see him in Florida.

Yeah, I know. I
called him this morning

after I realized he had lied
to me the last time I saw him.

I hate it when people
do that, don't you?

Any other wild accusations
you'd like to hurl in our direction?

No, that about does it.

I'd talk to my
lawyers, gentlemen.

I'll see you in court.

[DOOR CLOSES]

- Hey, Cliff.
- Oh, hi, Craig.

Can I talk to you for
a second in private?

Yeah, sure.

I'll meet you inside.

Oh, thanks. Uh, yeah, what's up?

Look, forget all that lawyer-client
privileged information stuff, okay?

- Oh, no, no, no, I...
- No, no, I mean it.

You tell the police or
whomever else you need to

that I was being blackmailed
because I was cheating on my wife.

It's okay. Whatever
happens, I can deal with it.

Okay.

- Oh, you got guts.
- Heh-heh.

Cliff, wait. Um...

[SIGHS]

I don't have guts.

The police called my house
yesterday and talked to my wife.

She knows everything
and she wants a divorce.

What about the election?

She doesn't care whether
she wins or loses anymore.

She's pretty mad.

I wanted you to think that
I was taking the high road

because I do it so infrequently.

You're the one
with the guts, pal.

Good luck in there.

I'll be pulling for you.

Thanks.

I understand the
decedent, Scott Aston,

had a talk with you last month
the day before he was murdered,

on your horse farm
down there in Florida.

- Is that right?
- Yes, it is.

What did he wanna talk about?

He, uh...

He suspected

that Ashfield Life Insurance
Company was creating

fake life-insurance policies,
selling them to other companies

in order to defraud them
out of millions of dollars

in death benefits.

MATLOCK: The last
time I talked with you,

you told me something
else altogether.

RATNER: Yes, sir. And
I apologize for that, sir.

- This is the truth. Yes, sir.
MATLOCK: This is the truth.

Well, why'd he come to you?

Because I used to work
at Ashfield Life, I guess.

Well, when you worked there,

did you know that fraudulent policies
were being sold to other companies?

I suspected it.

Is that why you quit
or, should I say, retired?

Yes.

And you retired with a very
generous pension, didn't you?

You mean, was I being
paid to keep quiet? No.

But you did keep quiet.

My son is
developmentally disabled.

Roger Herman, the
president of Ashfield Life,

has always shown nothing
but the utmost concern

and compassion for
my son and my family.

I didn't report my
suspicions because I...

I felt I owed him.

What did you tell Scott Aston?

Nothing. I told him I didn't
know what he was talking about.

- What did he do?
- He got angry and left.

- What did you do?
- Called Mr. Herman.

He didn't wanna talk on the phone,
so I flew up to Atlanta the next evening

and then I met him
at his club for drinks.

The next evening
would have been the 3rd,

the night of the murder.

Yes, yes. And I was...
I was with Mr. Herman

from about 6:45 to
about 8:30 that night.

Mm-hm, mm-hm.

Well, uh, during your
meeting with Mr. Aston,

did, uh, he mention Cliff Lewis?

- Who?
- The defendant.

Oh. No, he didn't. Never.

MATLOCK: Did he
mention Craig Browning?

RATNER: No. MATLOCK:
How about Cameron Ivers?

RATNER: Never.
- Did he give you the impression

that since he wasn't gonna
get anything out of you

about the fraud going
on at Ashfield Life,

he was gonna let
the matter drop?

He told me that, uh...

He said something like he
was gonna keep rattling cages

until either the truth or
somebody's head fell out in his lap.

And less than 24 hours
later, he was dead.

No more questions.

Well, it seems
Mr. Herman has an alibi.

One of them?

[SPEAKING INDISTINCTLY]

MANAGER: There
they are, right on time.

They play racquetball
between 6 and 8

every Tuesday
and Thursday night,

and they have for
the past four years.

- Can I see them leaving?
- Yeah, right there.

There.

Twenty-twenty-two.
Twenty-two minutes after 8.

Good-looking guys.

Too bad one of them's so weird
and the other one's so married.

[CHUCKLES]

Well, thanks.

Would you mind if I
took a look around?

Sure.

Hi, sir. Have you
ever seen these men?

No.

MAN: Same as always.

Gentlemen, do you
know of a John Robinson?

MAN 1: No. MAN 2: No.

Oh, what the heck.

MAN 1: So how many
minutes did you end up playing?

Really?

JERRI: Hey, buddy.

MAN 2: Excuse me.

JERRI: Female coming through.
Hide them if you got them.

MAN 3: Whoa! Hello!
- I'm sorry, I gotta ask you a question.

You know these two guys?

[SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE]

Never mind.

You should dry your
hair. You'll catch a cold.

Yeah, well, the wet look's in, lady.
Hair dryers went out with perms.

MAN 1: Hey!

- I'm back. One more
time. MAN 1: Whoa!

Cover them up.

[SPEAKING IN FOREIGN LANGUAGE]

MATLOCK: Here you are entering
the club two weeks before the murder.

And here you are
leaving the club.

And here you are entering the
club one week before the murder.

And here you are
leaving the club.

Now, in those pictures,

when you entered the club,
was your hair wet or dry?

It's dry.

How about when
you left the club?

JOHN: Wet.
- How come?

Well, we take
showers after we play.

MATLOCK: How come you don't dry?

The club doesn't
provide hair dryers.

Oh, so you just towel dry
it and leave it a little wet.

That's fashionable.

Now, here you are entering
the club January 3rd,

the night of the murder.

And here you are
leaving the club.

Now, how could that be?

You left the club with dry hair.

How could that be?

Well, um...

Oh, I know. That was
the night I hurt my knee.

We, uh, only played for about an
hour, and, uh, then we had a drink.

There's no record
of your buying a drink

or anything else at
the club that night.

You rented a
court, and that's it.

Only you didn't play
racquetball that night, did you?

You or Mr. Reeves or both
slipped out the back door,

went over to Mr. Aston's
hotel room, killed him,

slipped back in the club so
it'd look like you had an alibi.

- That's not true.
- It's already been established

that you stood to lose
hundreds of millions of dollars

if he lived to tell about the
fraud going on at Ashfield Life.

Right, Mr. Robinson?

[CROWD MURMURING]

I need to talk to my attorney.

Sounds like a good idea to me.

This court's in recess
till 9 a.m. tomorrow.

And because we are so successful,
people who are eager to get rich

try to do so by finding out
about our investment plans

and then acting on
them even before we do.

Our phones have been
tapped, our employees bribed,

our cars have been followed.

Secrecy has become an
absolute necessity for us,

and not just out
of self-interest.

- Federal law demands
it. MATLOCK: Federal law.

When do you get so law-abiding?
You've been indicted for fraud.

Yes, but we're not murderers.

You were right. We did use
the sports club as a cover.

But were we to say where
we really went that night,

the SEC could very easily consider
it a violation of insider trading laws.

Wait a minute.

JUDGE: If there's a
problem with the SEC,

I'll handle it.

Now, where were you?

With Carl Gottlieb, the
CEO of the VSN Corporation,

discussing a possible takeover.

Here's his sworn affidavit.

Mr. Matlock, do you mind?

Well, whoever
killed Scott Aston,

we know it wasn't John
Robinson or Mark Reeves.

That's what you said
before about Roger Herman.

Well, we'll just have to prove that
he got Chuck Ratner to lie for him.

What if you can't prove
it? Ben, what if you can't?

The DA's case against
me is pretty circumstantial,

but it's, you know, some
strong circumstance.

They got the maid who overheard
me arguing with Scott Aston.

They got my hankie
stuffed in the toilet.

- The jury likes you.
- Really? Do they?

Yeah, I think Juror Number
8 has a crush on you.

- That's very funny.
- No, honestly.

[MATLOCK HUMMING]

Was Juror Number 8
the blond or the brunette?

Um...

What do people
need with all this stuff?

I mean, who uses bath
gel or shower caps?

When's the last time
you wore a shower cap?

Yeah. Heh.

How long was Scott
Aston in this room?

Oh, uh, since about
noon on the day he died.

They gave him a new room
when he got back from Florida.

Call Housekeeping and ask them

if a little sewing kit
comes in these baskets.

- Sewing kit?
- Yeah.

- Call them and ask them.
- Right.

RATNER: I had drinks
with Mr. Herman that night,

but I left around 7.

Before, under oath, you
said you left around 8:30.

Yes, sir, I know, I...

Mr. Herman told me to.

He threatened to
cut off my pension.

Without it, I can't care
for my son, so I lied.

I see.

Uh, one more thing, do
you happen to remember

what Mr. Herman was
wearing that evening?

Oh, gosh, I... Um...

I think he was wearing
light-brown pants

and a yellow striped shirt.

Uh-huh. No jacket?

It was warm that night. I
wasn't wearing a jacket either.

No more questions.

MATLOCK: I understand you've
been indicted for fraud, Mr. Herman.

I've been indicted, yes.

Well, I'm gonna ask
you some questions.

Some of it has to do with fraud.

Now, there's a large
cast of characters.

Like they used to
say about the movies,

cast of thousands.

So you think carefully
before you answer

so you don't, you
know, wind up in trouble.

You ready?

[MATLOCK CHUCKLES]

Was, uh, Cameron Ivers
interested in buying your business?

He never talked to me about it.

I hear that he was the kind of fellow
that, when he took over a company,

he went through that thing with
a fine-tooth comb. Is that right?

- I suppose.
- So if there'd been any fraud going on

at Ashfield Life, he'd
have found it, wouldn't he?

I wouldn't know.

Oh, come on, Mr. Herman.

I'm talking major fraud.

What if Mr. Ivers found out

that you were creating
fake life-insurance policies

and selling them to other
insurance companies?

And what if he found
out that you were creating

fake death certificates

and then collecting
all the death benefits

from these other
companies for yourself?

[WHISTLES]

That's a scheme amounting to
hundreds of millions of dollars.

What if he found out about that?

I, uh... I refuse
to answer that.

I don't blame you. Heh.

Are you following all this?

If Craig Browning had
thrown Mr. Ivers' case,

well, Mr. Ivers
would've gone to jail,

and that probably
would've been the end of it.

But he didn't throw his case.

He didn't go to jail.

What he did,

Craig Browning got my
associate, Cliff Lewis,

to intercede for him
and go to a meeting

at a bar with this private investigator
about this blackmail business.

He met him. He had him followed.

He got pictures of Mr. Aston,
Mr. Robinson, Mr. Reeves.

He went up to Mr. Aston's
hotel room and confronted him.

He said, "You take my man
down, I'll take your man down."

Cliff was thrown
out of the room.

Sometime later,
about, oh, 10:00,

the maid that worked there at the
hotel discovered Mr. Aston's body.

There had been a fight.

He was dead, hit over the
head with a bottle of champagne.

Dinner was knocked
over, stuff all over the floor.

It was a mess.

And then she remembered Cliff

pounding on Mr. Aston's door,

shouting to be let in.

Then they found
Cliff's handkerchief.

Somebody would've tried
to flush it down the toilet.

The upshot of it

is the police charged Cliff
with Scott Aston's murder.

I know this man.

He didn't do it.

What he did,

he went the extra
mile for his client.

He respected
lawyer-client confidentiality,

and I respect him for that.

He didn't do it.

You did.

[SCOFFS]

You're out of your mind.

Remember your
ex-employee, Chuck Ratner?

He called you, met
you at your club,

told you that Scott Aston was
about to find out about your fraud.

You knew you had to
do something, and now.

So you went up to his
room and did it, didn't you?

No.

Mr. Ratner just testified

that you bullied him
into perjuring himself

by saying that you were with
him at the time of the murder.

I did it because I knew the
truth would make me look bad.

What kind of truth?

I left the club,

and I walked around
for a couple of hours.

I needed time to think.

And when it became apparent
that I'd be better off with an alibi,

I asked Chuck to give me one.

MATLOCK: Would you say his
description of what you were wearing

that evening was pretty correct?

I don't remember
what I was wearing.

Well, could you have
been wearing, uh, these?

- Yes, those are mine.
- Yeah, those are yours.

The police got them,
with a warrant, of course.

Cliff and I were looking
around the scene of the crime

trying to, you know,
see what we could find.

And what we couldn't find
were those little sewing kits

that Housekeeping
puts in all the rooms.

You know where I'm
heading, don't you?

No, no, no, I don't.

Well, like I said before,
there was a fight,

and this man, I'm sure, was
doing all he could do to save his life.

I bet grabbing at anything he
could, even the killer's shirt, huh?

Rich man couldn't
go out on the street

with his hair all messed
up like that after a fight,

with his shirt
hanging half off of him.

He couldn't go home to
his wife like that, could he?

Your Honor, this
is preposterous.

- Mr. Matlock.
- Yes, ma'am, we'll cut to the chase.

Now, there was a fight.

He was strong, but
you were younger.

And you won the fight.

And you killed him.

You hit him over the head
with this champagne bottle.

Then you grabbed the
handkerchief off the dresser,

Cliff's handkerchief, wiped
the blood off your hands.

Then you went in the bathroom,
tried to flush it down the toilet.

Then you saw the sewing kit,

and you used it
to sew the buttons

that had been torn
off back onto your shirt

before you went
outside, didn't you?

No.

MATLOCK: Okay, here we have it.

When the police forensics
got done with this shirt,

they found that not
only was the thread

that were holding these three
buttons on the shirt different

from the thread holding
the other buttons,

but it was identical
in weight and dye lot

to the thread in
this little sewing kit.

You know, this is
really something.

Here's a man

who dealt with millions
of dollars every day,

a lot of it illegal, but
millions of dollars.

Often there's just
a little mistake,

and one piece of thread

worth, oh...

What, a penny, two at the most,

ties you to Scott Aston's death
for as long as you might live.

Thank you, Your
Honor, that's all.

QUARTET [SINGING]:
On a Sunday morn

Sat a maid forlorn

With her sweetheart by her side

Through the windowpane

She looked at the rain

"We must stay
home, Joe" She cried

She cried

There's a picnic too
At the old Point View

It's a shame it
rained today Today

Then the boy drew near

Kissed away each tear

And she heard him softly say

Wait till the sun shines, Nellie

When the clouds go drifting by

We will be happy...

- They're so wonderful.
- They still got it.

Ben sounds a lot better with
them than he ever did by himself,

- that's for sure.
- Ha, ha!

You know, I can't believe
he still fits in the costume.

He had it let out.

- How do you know?
- Heard him talking to his tailor.

Bye and bye Bye and
- Bye - Yes, bye and

Bye [ALL CHEERING]

[PANTS RIP]