Matlock s01e15 Episode Script

Hello.
I'm Carl Burke, and today we're visiting Hastings, Georgia.
Hastings is small-town America, typical in many ways.
Quiet, conservative, church-going.
But recently, Hastings has been rocked with controversy.
That's when this book, Secret Confessions, was published a few weeks ago and became an instant national bestseller.
Not since Grace Metalious wrote her thinly-disguised expos‚ of a small town called Peyton Place has a book like this caused such a furore.
This is the home of the author of Secret Confessions, Mary Ann Newton, a widow whose first book is a local sensation.
Miss Newton, I'm Carl Burke, and we'd like to ask you a few questions about Secret Confessions.
Well, I don't think I should be talking to you.
You'll have to talk to my publisher first.
If you'll excuse me.
This is the home of Barbara Gleason, who some say bears a strong resemblance to one of the three leading characters in this steamy drama.
Mrs.
Gleason, I'm Carl Burke, and we'd like to ask you a few questions about-- Hastings is the kind of town where everybody knows everybody else, and you can still find a parking place here on Main Street, like right in front of Mark Douglas' jewellery store.
Mark Douglas may very well be portrayed in Secret Confessions as a compulsive gambler, local rou‚.
Dr.
Phillip Eagen is a resident at the local hospital, and many raise the question/ ''ls he the model for the third leading character in Secret Confessions?'' A young doctor caught stealing drugs from his own hospital.
Dr.
Eagen? Dr.
Eagen, I'm Carl Burke.
- I know who you are.
- I'd like to ask a few questions.
- Go right ahead.
- Could we stop? - I'm sorry.
I'm in kind of a hurry.
- Well, Dr.
Eagen, is the character Dr.
Clark Laszlo based on yourself? No, it's not.
Unfortunately, a lot of people think otherwise.
Are you going to sue Mrs.
Newton? A lawsuit would be very expensive and could take years.
Besides, it won't restore the damage done to my medical career.
No, a lawsuit's too good for Mary Ann Newton, and someone ought to repay her in kind for the damage she's done to this town and people like myself.
Mary Ann Newton is a coward and a liar, and should be deeply ashamed of what she's done.
I wish she'd had the integrity to refrain from this slander campaign.
Thank you, doctor.
Well, things seem to be heating up here in Has-- - Cliff.
- Mary Ann.
There are eggs all over my car again.
- I will fill out a report.
- This is the third time.
Well, let's hope it's the last.
Say, the waitress in here, the one with the: ''Bedroom eyes that always say yes, no matter what the utterance.
'' Is that Rosemary Sawyer? I wanna know if you're gonna provide me with protection.
Oh, Mary Ann, it's hard to believe anybody means you any real harm.
I saw that Phillip Eagen on TV this morning.
He was practically threatening.
Well, if and when at such time as person or persons known or unknown attempt to cause you bodily harm, I will personally conduct a full-scale investigation.
Till then, I can't do anything.
So you go on home and don't write any more dirty books.
You know, that is Marjorie Sawyer.
I'm gonna have to spend more time down there at the Coffee Cup Caf‚.
Mary Ann? It's Reverend DeLuca.
Good evening.
- Oh, Reverend, come in.
- Thank you.
Are you all right? Oh, well, the nerves are a little frayed, I suppose.
Perhaps that book should never have been written.
I'm worried about you, Mary Ann.
Yeah.
Everything will calm down eventually.
- How about a nice cup of tea? - That'd be lovely.
- Good morning, Ben.
- Cliff.
- Come on in.
- Morning.
Guess you heard about the excitement we've had down here.
Oh, yes.
It's all over the TV and the radio.
Well, that's not the way I remember it.
It's your move.
Well, don't rush me, it's been three months.
- So how's the investigation coming? - Oh, we made an arrest.
- Young doctor.
- What you got on him? Footprints outside the window where the shot was fired match his, and the murder weapon was found in his car.
Why do you think he killed this reverend? I don't think that the reverend was the target.
Oh, you think he was after the author.
Certainly appears that way.
- Why'd you wanna see me? - Well, got the doctor in custody.
He needs a good lawyer.
When did you start soliciting lawyers for your suspects? I don't think he did it, Ben.
How's that? Oh, I've known Phil Eagen since he was a boy.
I know how he was raised.
Just doesn't feel right.
Well, he sure had reason to be mad, the way she wrote him up in her book.
You read that book? Well, somebody had it down at the courthouse and I glanced at it.
Pretty racy stuff.
I gotta charge him, Ben.
Well, I guess we could finish this another time.
Hey, hey, the-- The waitress in that book, would that be, uh? - Marjorie Sawyer? - Yeah.
I sincerely doubt it.
- What are you in for? - You.
- Lawyer? - That's right.
Court appoint you? No, I'm a friend of Chief Johnson's.
Oh, well, no offence, but I need a top gun here.
- Well, who you got in mind? - Well, there's Herman Wilkinson.
Herman's all right.
- He's not too good, huh? - No, he's all right.
- How about Luther Jarvis? - Luther can be good.
- He's in and out? - No, he can be good.
What about Ben Matlock? - Did you do it? - Hell, no.
- You got an alibi? - I was home reading.
- Aware of the evidence? - It's a frame.
Look, I'm a doctor.
I'm supposed to save lives, not take them.
- This lady's done you a lot of damage.
- Not as much as this will.
You never answered my question about Ben Matlock.
- Sounds like his kind of case.
- I hear he's expensive.
He's flexible.
I think I'll try him.
Thanks for the advice.
Please, no offence.
Oh, I'm rarely offended.
- I'll tell Chief Johnson you've decided.
- Thanks.
I'm ready.
The waitress in that book, that wouldn't be--? Marjorie Sawyer.
Dr.
Phillip Eagen has no prior criminal record.
He is totally dedicated to his medical work at Hastings Community Hospital, and we respectfully submit that he's no threat to society.
In fact, there's no real danger of flight.
Defence hopes that the court will release him on his own recognizance.
Bail is set at $25,000.
Court will take a 1 5 minute recess.
I thought I hired Ben Matlock.
- You did.
- Morning.
- You're Ben Matlock? - Yeah.
I got a videotape from the TV station.
We'll go to the office and look at it.
Why didn't you tell me? I didn't want to unduly influence you.
I'll post bail and then we'Il: I wish she'd had the integrity to refrain from this slander campaign.
Thank you, doctor.
So everybody thinks you're this Dr.
Laszlo in Miss Newton's book.
Of course they do.
The physical description fits and the character was involved in a theft of drugs from the hospital.
Did you read that book? Well, yeah.
To prepare for the case.
Were you? - What? - Involved in drug theft.
No formal charges were filed.
- Don't hedge with me.
- I didn't do it, another resident did.
Uppers, mostly, to keep up with the hours.
I didn't turn him in.
Who are you? Oh, I'm sorry.
I'm Ben Matlock, Phillip Eagen's lawyer.
What do you want? I was just looking through your window.
I noticed.
Well, since everybody assumes you were the one who was shot at, I was just trying to see if I could figure out how whoever did it could make that big a mistake.
And? It's possible.
Is that where they found the footprint? Yes, I think so.
Well, can you think of why anybody would wanna shoot this Reverend DeLuca? Mr.
Matlock, Reverend DeLuca is a man who devoted his entire life to the Church.
I can't imagine why anyone would wanna do him any harm.
What was he doing here? Well, he was concerned about me, and he came to get a donation I'd promised.
See, I pledged to give a percentage of my royalties to the Church.
Very generous.
Mr.
Matlock, I didn't write this book because I wanted to stir up trouble or hurt anyone.
I wrote it because I wanted to use a small town like this one as a moral example.
It never occurred to you that people might be upset? Never occurred to me it would ever get published.
I not only dislike Mary Ann Newton, Miss Matlock.
I hold her responsible for the breakup of my marriage.
Because of the character she patterned after you in her book? A character that slept with half a dozen men in her town.
- Try explaining that to a husband.
- Did you? Yes.
But what was it to her? Mrs.
Gleason, where were you the night of the murder? - I was alone, why? - I have to ask.
- What are you insinuating? - Just part of my job.
Asking, not insinuating.
That's a very lovely flower arrangement.
Look, my husband is the manager of the bank in town.
He wasn't coming home till 1 0 or 1 1 :00 at night.
I got bored.
I like TV, but night after night, seven nights a week But whatever I did, it was personal.
It was private, and she had no right.
Mary Ann Newton is like a plague or worse.
- Excuse me.
- Of course.
Excuse me.
How much is this watch right here? The round--? That's 200.
I remember when they used to go for 20.
Maybe you should try the drugstore.
I guess Mary Ann Newton's book didn't help business much.
What do you think? She writes about the only jeweller in a small town who winds up owing everybody because of his gambling problem.
Now, I am the only jeweller in this small town, so who else would everybody think she was writing about? So business just dropped right off.
Let me put it this way, you're my best customer.
Boy, being in a book like that sure would make me mad.
You got it.
I guess you'd like to get back at Mary Ann Newton.
Who the hell are you? Ben Matlock.
I represent Phillip Eagen in this murder case.
I don't suppose you'd remember where you were the night Reverend DeLuca was shot.
I'm not answering any of your questions.
Well, you have to answer.
Either here or I can send you a written invitation to a beautifully-carved wooden chair just a few feet from the judge.
I spent the whole night with my girlfriend.
Her name is Jessie Peters.
Now, please, would you just leave the store? Oh, you got it.
Thank you.
Appreciate it.
Keep an eye on him.
His girlfriend's named Jessie Peters.
He used her as an alibi.
What are you gonna do? I gotta go over to the Coffee Cup Caf‚ to see somebody, then I'll be over with Cliff Johnson at the jailhouse.
Hi, Mrs.
Peters.
I'm sorry I'm late.
- Who are you? - Tyler Hudson.
- You did get my letter.
- I don't think so.
Well, look, since I'm here, I'd be glad to take a look around.
- Look around what? - Your house.
- You did want an appraisal.
- Oh, my house is not for sale.
Nobody's house on this block was for sale until they found out that the expressway is coming through here.
- I've never heard anything about that.
- See what I mean? A lot of these people are selling their houses now before the official announcement is made and the values go down.
- How much is this gonna cost? - No, no, no.
This doesn't cost you anything.
The Real Estate Association will get my bill.
Look, let me help you with these.
- Look, l-- - Come along.
- How many square feet do you have? - You know that's for after lunch.
I really don't know.
Well, do you mind if I take a little look around? - Sure, go ahead.
- Hey, you know what? I bet you're gonna ask me if I'd like to have a cup of tea.
- Yeah.
Would you like a cup of tea? - I would love a cup of tea.
I'm gonna take a look around.
- Okay.
- All right.
When are they gonna make the announcement? - What announcement? - The expressway.
Oh, they're not sure, but soon.
Very, very soon.
Oh, I'll be right back.
Jessie, if you hear from a guy named Matlock, tell him I spent all night Wednesday with you.
I'll explain later.
Mr.
Hudson? Mr.
Hudson? Jessie, if you hear from a guy named Matlock, tell him I spent all night Wednesday with you.
I'll explain later.
Let me speak to Mr.
Douglas.
Well, where is he? Would you tell him to call me as soon as possible? It's very important.
What are you doing here? The florist gave me directions.
The man who sent you flowers.
Bill.
One of your gentleman friends.
You read the note? Is that Bill over there? He sent me flowers.
He's very thoughtful.
But is he the last of the red-hot lovers? Barbara, you've been working here three nights a week for the past 1 8 months.
This is very honourable, but you lied to me.
You gave me some long story about how you were at home and Ionely all the time.
I have my reasons.
But you weren't at home and you weren't bored.
It's almost as though you wanted to have people think you're having affairs.
Could we talk outside? - This stays between us, okay? - What if I need it in court? I don't think you would.
Everything I told you about my husband was true.
I tried everything.
I lost weight, I gained weight, I used makeup, no makeup.
I had black hair, I dyed it red.
I walked around with clothes on, I walked around with some clothes on, I walked around with no clothes on.
He was just losing interest in me.
Well, I certainly don't understand that.
But it happened, so I decided to try and make him jealous.
I know it's stupid, but what the hell? So you mean you weren't really having any? I tried.
I mean, I really tried, but it's a small town and So, Barbara, you weren't very upset about Mary Ann writing about you in her book? No.
I've become a very desirable woman.
I show you People's Exhibit 6 and I ask if you recognise it.
Yes, sir.
We found that weapon in the glove compartment of Phillip Eagen's car.
And the Hastings Police Department ballistics laboratory performed tests on this weapon? Why, sir, I am the Hastings Police Department Ballistics Department.
- Yes, I did.
- Tell us the results of the tests.
In my opinion, that's the weapon that killed Reverend DeLuca.
And were any other physical evidence secured from the scene of the crime? The angle and trajectory of the shots indicated that they were fired through the side window.
Outside that window, we found some freshly-made footprints in the flowerbed.
What did you ascertain about those footprints? That they were made by a man, size 1 2 shoe.
- The same size as the defendant's.
- Yes, sir.
No further questions.
Thank you, chief.
Cross-examine? You know, chief, I'm impressed with the forensics work police departments do nowadays.
They can find a thread of hair and they can tell you the colour of the person's hair, how old he is, when he had his last haircut, probably what he had for breakfast.
Not quite what he had for breakfast.
Well, what if? What if I made a footprint in this box of sand? Could you tell me from that footprint what my shoe size is? Well, surely.
I'd need a tape measure and a scrap of paper.
Okay.
There you go.
There.
And here I go.
Let's see.
Okay, that's it.
Now, this is not exact, but you are wearing a size 1 2 shoe, probably leather-soled.
The shoe I'm wearing does have a leather sole and it's exactly a size 1 2.
But my foot size is a 1 0.
So, what I did, I shoved cotton in there to make up the difference.
Now, chief, the only thing we know about the person we believe shot through that window is that he wore a size 1 2 shoe.
Is that right? That's right.
So it could be that somebody other than Phillip Eagen did what I just did to throw off the police.
- Is that right? - That's right.
Thank you, chief.
No further questions.
Redirect? No, Your Honour.
This court will be in recess until 9 a.
m.
tomorrow.
I remind the jury that they are admonished not to discuss this case, nor form any opinions.
Miss Peters? Would you step outside here with me just a second? What do you want? Mark Daniels was not with you the night of the murder.
Can you prove that? My associate tells me that you have an 8-year-old son, and that you have an ex-husband in California who wants custody of the boy.
Now, I'm not trying to blackmail you or intimidate you, but if you commit perjury on the stand, I have no choice but to go after you, and that could provide your ex-husband with ammunition in any custody battle.
- What do you want me to do? - Well Now, Mark Douglas has brought you into this to do him a favour, and I think you'd be much better advised to do yourself a favour and cooperate with me.
Do you think Mark did it? I think Mark has a lot of explaining to do.
If I tell you what you wanna know, do I have to testify? Maybe not.
Mark was with a guy Wednesday night.
Some kind of business.
- What's the big secret? - I don't know, but it was a big secret.
He was a guy from Atlanta.
Funny-sounding name.
- Hey, Tyler? - Yeah? Some guy from Atlanta, maybe deals in jewellery, maybe hot, funny-sounding name.
- Schimmelburger.
- Funnier.
- Grock.
- Grock.
Grock.
You were supposed to sell this stuff.
I will.
Things are a little tight right now, so just take it away for a couple of weeks, and then when things cool down, it'll be business as usual.
- Who's this? - I don't know.
A customer, I hope.
Hey, come on, open up.
Look, I wanna match a ring with this watch.
- No, it's too early to open right now.
- I can't hear what you're saying.
It'll be about an hour and-- What are you--? What--? - Hello, Grock.
- What the hell is this? We're not here in any official capacity, Mr.
Grock.
- You're not? - No.
All we're after is some information on your associate here and where he was last Wednesday night.
Look, you have no right to come barging into this shop.
Shut up, Mark.
I'm a businessman.
We know what your business is, Grock.
All we wanna know is were you and Mr.
Douglas doing business last Wednesday night while a murder was being committed? Look, Mr.
Matlock-- You have a reputation too, you know.
--maybe I move a few pieces of jewellery from time to time, but I am not in on a murder ticket.
Oh, that's why you faked your alibi.
Because at the time Reverend DeLuca was murdered, you and Mr.
Grock here were trafficking in stolen merchandise.
What did you want me to do? Come out, tell you what I was doing so I could go to jail? Are we supposed to believe this? Well, he made up an alibi that backfired.
You will go to jail, but you won't go to jail for murder.
Congratulations, and to you, Mr.
Grock.
You two look terrible.
What happened in there? Douglas is guilty of a crime, but it's not the right crime.
Well If Douglas didn't commit the murder, and neither did Barbara Gleason, who did? Well, as far as I can tell, Charlene, nobody.
I hear you've been hanging around the Coffee Cup Caf‚.
Well, a person has to eat somewhere.
You going to subpoena Marjorie Sawyer? Who? You know who.
I might.
Yeah, you get old Marjorie Sawyer over there in Atlanta, and the court will let out, it'll be late, she won't have anyplace to stay, and you'll be standing there like ready money.
You know, police work has given you an unduly suspicious nature.
What say, Tyler? How's it going? - Ben, I've been snooping.
- Snoop, huh? I snooped around Reverend DeLuca's office over at the rectory, and look what I found.
- Well, I'll be.
- Ain't that something? - Hang on to that.
- Sure will.
- What's that mean? - I don't know yet.
King me.
Mr.
Sears? Mr.
Sears? Ben Matlock.
- You mind if I walk along? - Help yourself.
- Nice dog.
- I know.
The neighbours don't mind all this ruckus? Oh, the hell with them.
You walk your dog every night at this time? I like to get back for Johnny Carson.
Oh, sorry.
Go around.
I'm sorry to surprise you, but tomorrow's the big day, and I'd like to go over the events of the night of the murder just one last time.
- Oh, sure.
- Thank you.
Now, let's see.
You came in from the kitchen and saw the body from about here.
That's right.
Then you dropped the tray and screamed when you saw Mr.
Sears staring at you through the window.
- That's right.
- Okay.
Well, thank you.
And, again, I'm sorry to interrupt.
If I were to call you to the stand over in Atlanta, would you tell me this again there? - Oh, sure.
- Thank you.
Miss Newton, I've got a little confession to make.
I was apprehensive about reading your book.
I don't know, I guess I'm old-fashioned.
There's some pretty racy stuff in there.
Yes, I know, but it has redeeming social value.
Well, to tell the truth, I did read it and I found it very engrossing.
Oh, thank you.
When you write, do you write on a typewriter? No, I use a word processor.
I don't know much about these electronic typing machines.
What, do you just type it all in there and then punch a few buttons and the machine prints it up? Is that about it? That's about it.
And that's how you wrote Secret Confessions? Yes, it is, Mr.
Matlock.
Have you ever read Murder is my Calling? No.
How about Now I Lay Her Down to Sleep? I don't think so.
Did you read Valley of the Shadow of Death, or See No Evil, or Adam's Serpent? No, I didn't.
Neither did I, and I'm sure nobody else did except the publisher who rejected them.
You know who wrote these? I'm afraid I don't.
They were all written by the same person.
Reverend DeLuca.
And they were all rejected by these publishers.
Do you--? Thank you.
Do you recognise this typewriter? - No, I don't think I do.
- It belonged to Reverend DeLuca.
And I'd like this typewriter marked Defendant Exhibit A, and I'd like this manuscript marked Defence Exhibit B.
So marked.
Secret Confessions, and it was not written on a word processor.
It was written on this typewriter by Reverend DeLuca.
Objection, Your Honour.
Whether or not Miss Newton wrote Secret Confessions is irrelevant to this case.
It is, Your Honour, if it shows motive.
- Overruled.
- Thank you, Your Honour.
Miss Newton, Reverend DeLuca was a very frustrated writer.
He wrote one mystery after another and nobody would buy them.
Then he wrote this novel, but he knew if he sent it in with his name on it, it probably wouldn't get published.
Just like the others didn't get published.
Besides, it was pretty seamy stuff for a preacher.
And so you and he came up with the idea: What if it were written by a little spinster lady in a small town? Might get published.
People might find it titillating, and, in fact, they did.
Now, isn't that why the two of you put your name on it? I wrote it.
You know, Miss Newton, we all have secrets, and I think yours is that you came from being a little spinster lady in a little town in Georgia to becoming a big spinster lady in a little town in Georgia in a big way.
Gee, you're on television, on radio.
People are writing about you.
People recognise you on the street, and you kind of like that.
Some of them got mad, but And you know, I think it got away from you.
I think somewhere in here it got away from you to the point that you never wanted anybody to know your secret.
The thing that made you so big, the reason why we're here.
That's it, isn't it? That you did not want to share your book with Reverend DeLuca? - Objection, Your Honour.
- I'll withdraw that question.
Let me Let me show it to you like it was a chapter in your book.
You asked Reverend DeLuca to come over to your house a few minutes before 1 1 .
Isn't that right? Well, yes, but-- And you knew that David Sears walks his dog every night a few minutes after 1 1 .
So you waited till you heard the other dogs in the block barking, and you asked Reverend DeLuca if he'd like some tea.
He would.
You went outside, around the house, to the side window, where you shot Reverend DeLuca.
I did not! You know Mr.
Sears is elderly and can't walk fast, so you had plenty of time to go back into the house, pick up the tea tray, walk in, drop it and look shocked when Mr.
Sears came up and looked through your window.
That's not true.
I think it is.
I think after you shot Reverend DeLuca and before the police started their full-scale investigation, you planted the gun in Phillip Eagen's car perfectly.
You knew he was mad about the book anyway.
Phillip Eagen wears a size 1 2 shoe.
You found that out, got a size 1 2 shoe, made the footprint.
And in an effort to be truly convincing, you dropped the tea tray when you saw Mr.
Sears looking through the window.
But you know, last night when I was over there, there was something missing.
It was missing from before, but I hadn't put it together.
You know what was missing? Tea stains.
There were no tea stains on the rug.
You know why? You didn't make any tea.
You didn't have time.
You didn't even have time to boil water.
That's not true.
You can't prove any of it.
I don't have to.
All I have to do is show this jury there is reasonable doubt that Phillip Eagen shot Reverend DeLuca.
It's my book.
I wrote it.
I'm sorry, Miss Newton.
I guess that's all, Your Honour.
It's my book.
It's my book.
It's my book.
We find the defendant not guilty.
Well, congratulations.
- Enjoy the trial, Marjorie? - Oh, it was very exciting.
I'm sorry I didn't get to call you as a witness.
That's okay.
It's getting late.
The last bus for Hastings left at 4:00.
Good thing I hung around.
Looks like Marjorie needs a ride home.
Say, next time you're down around our part of the town, we'll finish that game, Ben.
See you later.
- How about some dinner? - Our treat.
Yeah.