Matlock

It's a line drive to center field.

Hey, I know... we can go over to Skipper's and see his new dog.

Well, what happened to his last one?

Ah, it died.

The way I figure, somebody poisoned it.

Probably. That dog was mean.

And he throws him out at home plate.

I say we go mess around at my Uncle Bernie's store.

Nah, he'll ask us to work.

Well, it's about time somebody in your family had a job.

Hey!

You want it?

Go get it.

I was kidding, you idiot.

No, you're the idiot, Gary.

Somebody shot him.

I wonder who he is.

Look at his arm.

We'd better go get the sheriff.

- All right. - Down here.

- Where is it? - Right there.

He's over here.

Well?

He's gone.

He was right here.

Gone, my eye. There never was a body here.

Now you kids listen to me.

I'm tired of you playing these pranks.

The next time this happens, I'm going to arrest you all.

You hear me?

But, Sheriff...

This time, I'm just going to tell your parents.

I hope they blister your hind ends.

Sheriff, wait.

Right. He was right there.

Mr. Matlock?

Your Honor.

Before we begin, I'd like to say what an honor it is

to have an attorney of your reputation and skill here in small claims court.

Well, thank you, Your Honor.

You remember Billy Joe Pollard?

Well, yes.

He was accused of killing his business partner and he didn't do it.

And you proved it.

- He's my cousin. - Oh.

Okay, that's it.

I want a change of venue.

Pardon?

Well, you and him... You're practically related.

I can't get a fair trial in this court.

This isn't a trial. This is a small claims hearing.

I'll hear both sides of the story and make an impartial, objective decision.

Now, is that clear, Mrs. Maloney?

Yes, sir.

Mr. Matlock, you may proceed.

Yes, Your Honor.

I needed a refrigerator to put in my garage for soda and stuff like that, see?

And I bought Mrs. Maloney's.

Well, the second day I had it, I heard this terrible noise,

and I ran out to the garage,

and the smoke was just pouring out of the back of this refrigerator.

The second day... And I want my money back.

Okay, Mrs. Maloney, your turn.

Okay.

This bozo here shows up with the ad

that I pinned on the bulletin board at the supermarket.

He looked at my refrigerator, said he wanted it, and he bought it.

That's it.

The refrigerator was running when you bought it?

Oh, like a clock.

The cord was a little frayed.

I told him to get a new one.

- Did you get a new cord? - No, I taped it up.

You can't tape a cord that's frayed from end to...

Your Honor, if I'd known he was going to be such a jerk,

I wouldn't have loaded that refrigerator onto his rent-a-truck.

You let Mrs. Maloney load the truck?

I have a bad back.

Anything else, Mrs. Maloney?

Yes, sir.

That refrigerator was built in 1962.

It's a collector's item.

Even broke it's worth something.

1962?

Mr. Matlock, how much did you pay for the refrigerator?

67 dollars and 48 cents.

67?

You came to court for $67.48?

Certainly.

You charged my cousin, Billy Joe Pollard, $100,000.

- Well, that's my fee. - He borrowed most of it from me.

- Well, I... - Mr. Matlock,

anybody who buys a 1962 refrigerator with a frayed cord which he doesn't replace

deserves what he gets.

- But, Your Honor... - I find for the defendant Mrs. Maloney.

- Next case. - But, Your Honor...

Dismissed.

Nice try.

- Ben? - Hey.

Hi. Ready to be taken to dinner?

Yeah.

Oh, is that you?

Yeah. Eighth birthday... first bike.

Is that your family?

Yeah, cousin Bink, Cousin Jane, Uncle Roy, Uncle Joe,

Great-Aunt Kate, my mom, Grandma, Grandpa, and Aunt Elsie.

She called me today.

- From Mt. Harlan? - Yeah.

Everybody in this picture who's still alive lives in Mt. Harlan but me.

Did Aunt Elsie call you with bad news?

Oh, no, no.

She invited me to a family reunion;

part of Mt. Harlan's bicentennial celebration.

- How fun. - Yeah.

I'm not going.

You're not?

No.

They don't like me.

Why?

Well, after I graduated from law school,

everybody just figured that I was going to come back to Mt. Harlan

and be the town lawyer.

They even got me up a shingle... The town lawyer...

And when I went to Atlanta, they all thought I'd let them down,

and the last time I was there, they still felt the same way.

- How long ago was that? - Twenty years.

Oh, Ben, that's ancient history.

Who'd carry a grudge for over 20 years?

Well, I bet everybody who is old enough to remember still does... all but Aunt Elsie.

I know one that still does... Billy Lewis.

I dated his sister, and he got mad, and he's been mad ever since.

He didn't want you dating his sister?

No, that was all right.

That was all right, but she started looking for wedding rings.

Oh, so you dropped her?

I got another girl.

And then I went off to college

and went with another girl and another girl and Billy got mad.

- Hmm, a real Don Juan. - Well...

So whatever happened to Billy's sister?

Lucy.

She's mad, too.

Last time I heard, she's still single and lives with Billy.

That's why he's mad.

Elsie wants me to bring you.

Me?

Well, I write to her all the time,

and I guess I write to her a lot about you, and she wants to meet you.

- Well, I'm flattered. - Hmm.

- And I do have some time coming. - Mm-hmm.

Of course, I wouldn't know anybody there except you and Aunt Elsie.

Oh, and Lucy, if you'll introduce me.

- You want to go? - Yes.

Well...

It's a long high fly into left field.

Come on, Gary, let's go. Let's get something to eat.

And it's a line drive right into his glove.

- Noel? - Max.

Noel Ferguson.

Get out here.

- Hey. - Hey.

Is this what city slickers are wearing these days?

This is what writers are wearing.

I liked your book. Who wrote it for you?

I'm glad you did. Who read it to you?

Whoo.

Watch the glasses.

It takes me back.

So what are you doing here?

Oh, another book.

The first one was a boy's memory of home,

and this one is about a man who goes home again, or tries to.

It's no secret the man is me.

So, here I am, just chasing my book, asking questions.

People are talking to you?

I hope so.

I think the only thing people in this town like better than holding a grudge

is gossiping about each other.

You guys remember that time when we were about 12

and we saw that guy get killed?

Hi, guys.

Hey.

- It was hot in the car. - Aw.

Wow. So what we heard is true.

You and Noel are...?

Living together.

So have you seen Russ Gifford yet?

I stopped being his girl three years ago, Gary.

It was just a question.

Come on. Let's go get something to eat.

Max is starving,

and I haven't had cornmeal-fried catfish since I left this town.

So are you really going to write about that time when we were kids?

Well, Gary, we saw somebody get killed,

and it was covered up like it never happened.

I mean, it sounds like a story to me.

- Well... - I'm just trying to write a book.

That's not what the town is going to think.

Noel, your car.

See what I mean?