The. Pelican. Brief. 1993
The Pelican Brief
Any signs got my name on them?
Quite a few.
What do they say?
The usual.
"Death to Rosenberg. "
"Retire Rosenberg. "
"Cut off the oxygen. "
That's my favorite.
Of course, you, Mr. Grantham...
...did pretty good by me
your last time out.
"Rosenberg equals the government
over business...
...the individual over government,
the environment over everything...
...and the Indians, oh,
give them whatever they want. "
With all due respect,
that wasn't my line, that was a quote.
From one of your unnamed
Senior White House officials.
Senior White House bastard,
you should have said.
Got in there by...
...stirring up these people,
one against the other.
Never fails to amaze me...
...what a man will do
to get an oval office.
Yes?
Looking for Mr. Sneller.
Mr. Sneller?
Yes, Mr. Edwin F. Sneller.
Hello.
Everything is in place.
All the money must be there
when I arrive in Zurich.
It will be there
if the job is finished.
It will be finished.
May I help you?
I'd like to order room service.
- What would you like?
- Coffee...
...scrambled eggs, whole-wheat toast
and orange juice, please.
It'll be about 15 minutes.
Thank you.
When we substitute
threat for an argument...
...violence for principle,
we allow our passion...
...to overcome our capacity for reason.
Passion and self-interest
are threats to liberty...
...which brings us
to Bowers against Hardwick.
A police officer entered Mr. Hardwick's
apartment to serve him a warrant...
...for an unpaid violation
for drinking in public.
They caught him with an open beer.
When he entered
Mr. Hardwick's bedroom...
...he found him in bed with a man.
The officer arrested Hardwick...
...for violating Georgia's statute
which outlaws sodomy.
Even though Georgia dropped the case...
...Hardwick challenged
the constitutionality of the statute.
Now, what was his claim?
- That it violates the right of privacy.
Why?
He's got the right to do
as he pleases in his home.
But what if he decided to sell drugs
at his home or engage in child abuse?
Those actions don't fit
within the right of privacy.
The court, beginning with Griswold...
...has limited the right of privacy
to actions which are intimate...
...which are deeply personal,
which allow us to control our lives...
...to define who we are.
But is that a constitutional claim?
There's no...
...right to define oneself
written into the Constitution.
It's not even in the Bill of Rights.
If the State of Georgia can regulate
Hardwick's sexuality...
...engaged in private with consenting
adults, Hardwick cannot be free.
The Constitution ensures
limited government.
If there's no right of privacy
and Georgia can enforce the statute...
...we sacrifice the liberty the framers
thought they'd guaranteed us.
The Supreme Court disagreed with you.
They found that the statute
did not violate the right of privacy.
Why?
They're wrong.
So all three of you girls
find him irresistible. Why?
Sexual attraction.
You mean he's just got it?
Does he ever!
What you're saying...
...is that if you could clone
three of him, you'd all be happy.
Okay, tell us, what is your secret?
I'm not sure I can say on TV.
But what I can say is
it's a big secret.
A very big secret.
My goodness gracious!
I can't believe my ears!
Hope my mom's not watching.
She hopes so too!
Ma, I was just kidding.
Ladies, have you changed
your opinion about our stud?
You still like him?
I like big guys!
I think your fan club has increased.
Everything has increased!
They found Rosenberg around 1 A.M.
His nurse was also murdered.
Jensen was found two hours later
in some queer club.
Voyles called me, wildly upset.
It's hardly good for FBI's reputation.
He and Giminski are on the way.
Giminski?
Yes. The CIA should be involved,
at least for now.
You must wait two hours to address
the nation if we want an audience.
A coat and tie may seem a bit rehearsed.
How about a cardigan?
You want me to talk to the nation in a
time of crisis wearing a sweater?
Mr. President...
...I've already told Justice
to put together a list of nominees.
Restructuring the court
will be your legacy.
Mr. President.
Mr. Voyles,
does the FBI have any suspects?
It's too soon.
We'll have ballistics
and autopsies later.
I would like to have a report
on your security and where it broke down.
You're assuming it broke down.
We have two dead judges, both of whom
were being protected by the FBI.
Bob, I'd like a straight answer.
Are these killings in any way
linked to the CIA...
...or to any other agency
of the United States government?
I'm shocked you'd think that.
Bob, just look into it, okay?
I suggest we meet back here at five.
Five, gentlemen.
Thank you.
It's rally-around-the-leader time.
Your approval ratings will go
through the roof.
That's the weather
in New Orleans. This is Tim Bellew.
We interrupt our program now
for a special bulletin.
In a special address,
live from the White House...
...the president of the United States.
My fellow Americans...
...our country has suffered
a grievous loss.
Last night...
...Supreme Court Justices
Rosenberg and Jensen...
...were assassinated.
These assassinations may be an
attempt to strike at the very fabric...
...of our government.
But I can assure each...
...and every American...
...that these dastardly acts
will not go unpunished.
Everything...
...is being and will be done
to bring the culprit...
...or culprits to justice.
For justice must...
...and shall prevail.
I wish you could have known him
when I used to clerk for him.
Last time I saw him,
only the mind was left.
That's why they killed him.
That mind was still a threat.
But why kill him now,
when he had so little time left?
Maybe they couldn't take a chance
he'd last till the elections.
So why Jensen?
This president nominated him.
He and Rosenberg had almost
nothing in common.
That's what they should look for.
Decisions on which they both agreed.
Boy, if there ever was a moment
for a drink...
One day at a time, right?
We're talking a conspiracy,
then who are the conspirators?
If we've let foreign terrorists in,
there'll be hell to pay politically.
The intelligence community can't be
blamed for a weakness in immigration.
Denton, who are your suspects?
This has to be kept very quiet.
Of course.
This is the Oval Office.
At least 11 Underground Army members
have been in the D.C. area...
...and we suspect them in at least
...porno houses,
gay clubs all over the country.
The truth is,
you don't have a suspect.
Correct?
Watch your claws.
Gray Grantham covers the
Supreme Court for the Washington Herald.
You actually interviewed
Justice Rosenberg...
...before he was shot on,
as it turned out, the day he died.
Did he say anything that might shed
some light on these dreadful events?
Yes. He spoke about things...
...off the record,
appropriately for a sitting justice.
But I think it would be appropriate
to quote him now.
He said, "The campaign waged
by the president was so ruthless...
...in its manipulation of the
middle-class fears of minorities...
...had been so exploitive and divisive
that it created a climate of distrust. "
You know, that Grantham's
a man after my own heart.
Everyone wants to know
when you're starting classes again.
That includes me.
You know what they say:
Drinking makes depression worse.
What do they recommend for anguish?
Where've you been?
The library. I studied a printout
of the Supreme Court docket.
I even made a list of possible suspects.
And then threw it away
because they'd be obvious to everyone.
Then you looked for areas
Jensen and Rosenberg had in common.
Exactly.
Jensen generally protected the rights
of criminal defendants.
Some notable exceptions.
He wrote 3 majority opinions
protective of the environment.
And almost always supported
tax protestors.
So they might have been assassinated
by an insatiable tax collector?
As yet, I rule no one out.
Everyone is assuming the motive
is hatred or revenge.
Or an attempt to influence
the social agenda of the court.
What if the issue involved
old-fashioned material greed?
A case that involves
a great deal of money?
- Can I help you?
- I'd like to see this file, please.
Why?
It's public record, isn't it?
Semi-public.
Are you familiar with
the Freedom of Information Act?
This file has the pleading...
...and correspondence.
The rest is discovery and the trial.
When was the trial?
Last summer.
Went on for 2 months.
Where's the appeal?
Not perfected yet.
I think the deadline is August 1st.
So, who done it?
You have some obscure suspect unknown
to the FBI and the CIA and...
...Secret Service
and 10,000 police departments?
I had one...
...which I have now discarded.
You skipped class, ignored me for a
week, just to throw it away?
Let me see it.
Don't laugh. It was ludicrous of me
to think I could solve it.
Hubris of the young, huh?
Don't knock the hubris that I love.
I'm leaving tomorrow.
I'm going up to Rosenberg's memorial
in Washington.
I went through Rosenberg's decisions
the other night...
...and in the back of my mind
there's an idea...
...to do a book on him.
No one could do it better.
I started making notes...
...about what he meant to me:
surrogate father, mentor, you know.
I started to get very thirsty.
I deserted you this week.
Not the greatest timing.
You're here to study law,
not keep me sober.
It's Alice.
Want to come out with me for a burger?
No, thanks.
It might do you good to get out.
I'm fine, thanks.
You sure?
Yes.
Okay, bye.
Hey, Sarge.
Hey, son.
Dark coffee, three sugars.
So how's the president?
Which one?
Not Coal, the real one.
Cool and mellow.
Would you believe he's all tore up
about Rosenberg?
And all fired up about...
...restructuring the court.
Thinks it'll make his place in history.
Sounds like Coal.
What'd you get me?
There's a short list of nominees.
The original had 20 or so names,
then they cut it to 8. I gave you 2.
What about the investigation?
I haven't heard much...
...but I'll keep my ears open.
- I know you will. Thanks.
- I got that.
I'll see you later.
Mellow, mellow, mellow.
Martini, please.
Good day.
Good to see you.
Another coffee, please.
You read the Grantham article.
It had me running around all day.
Coal blasted the director, saying the
judges' names were leaked by the FBI.
The director said Coal had leaked them
himself to test the waters.
Coal ran the most divisive campaign
in 20 years...
...and the president did nothing.
I'd like to have seen your name
on this list of judges.
We all voted you
most likely to make the court.
These days, it's hard enough
just to make my class.
How old is she, this time?
Twenty-four. But she's...
...extremely mature.
At 24, she's mature.
I don't know if I believe that.
Do you have a photo?
No, I don't. She's not a puppy dog
or a grandchild.
Thank God.
Who killed them, Gavin?
I'm just a lawyer with the Bureau,
I'm not an agent.
But, as I recall, you have great ears.
To be honest, we don't have a clue.
My girlfriend wrote
a very interesting essay...
...on who might have ordered
the assassinations.
Your girlfriend has a theory?
Here, take a look at it. You'll get
a kick out of the way her mind works.
Is this Gray Grantham?
- Yes, it is.
Sorry to call at such a crazy hour.
I'm at a pay phone on my way to work.
I can't call from home or the office.
What kind of office?
I'm an attorney.
Private or government?
I'd rather not say.
I may know something
about Rosenberg and Jensen.
Are you recording this?
Can this call be traced?
I'm not recording it or tracing it.
I promise you.
I may know who killed them.
What's your name?
Garcia.
That's not your real name.
I think I saw something at the office
I wasn't supposed to see.
Do you have a copy?
I need to think about this.
- I understand.
- I'm not thinking rationally.
Listen, I promise you...
...I will protect you
as a confidential source.
Hello.
Got you.
Mr. Grantham's not here,
but he left his car number for you.
It's Garcia.
I still don't know what to do.
Mr. Garcia...
...I've gone to jail
rather than reveal a source.
I know what kind of hell
this must be for you.
You're clearly a decent human being,
a good citizen.
But could you live with yourself
if you don't reveal what you know?
MORGAN
I'll get back to you.
Taxi!
French authorities reviewed footage
from the airport cameras in Paris...
...and think they recognized a face
that might be Khamel's, the terrorist.
He may have arrived here on a flight
Anything else?
Maybe a small new wrinkle.
What's the wrinkle?
It's a theory that surfaced
in the last 24 hours.
Voyles is really intrigued by it.
He's afraid it might be damaging
to the president.
How's that?
It's all there in the brief.
It's amateur stuff...
...but how often does something make
Coal sweat and run for cover?
He didn't exactly sweat in front of us.
But his stone face showed
he wasn't happy.
Did he have any symptoms?
As I told you, the president
is here for his annual checkup.
I wish I was in as good shape.
Was this timed to counter
the age issue in the next election?
Why didn't I think of that?
He hasn't decided whether to run again.
When will he decide?
Do you really expect me to answer that?
One rumor I can deny is
that he checked in to get away from you.
Although could you blame him?
Thank you again.
Commander, go downstairs and tell them
I have a date for golf this afternoon.
Yes, sir!
It's killing the press
you're so healthy.
Good.
Now, what's so important?
This is...
...a brief...
...written by an eager-beaver
law student.
It's a theory about the assassinations.
And indirectly...
...it implicates the White House.
The premise is so far-fetched
it's absurd.
But Director Voyles, for reasons
both you and I can guess...
...is going after it.
Well, we...
We can't interfere
with his investigation.
You should ask Giminski
to have the CIA investigate.
When we confirm that this is garbage,
you can ask Voyles to back off.
It's domestic.
The CIA can't go nosing around.
It's illegal.
Yes, technically.
What about...
...your friend...
...Barr, and the Unit,
I think you call it.
I've spoken to Barr.
They're very good
for small specific missions...
...but they aren't the CIA.
How does it implicate the White House?
What are there, names?
One name.
Someone we both know?
Mr. President...
I've decided my agenda for the future.
I'll stay in bed...
...drink...
...make love...
...and forget the whole damn business.
You don't approve.
What about the book on Rosenberg?
You should write it.
- Let's go.
- You should.
You have the youth, the energy,
the certitude.
You'd be perfect.
Can I have the keys?
I'm perfectly capable of driving.
You've drunk too much.
Give me the keys.
Remember the Mashed Potato?
Give me the keys.
- You're too young.
- I know it.
Do you remember the Fishback?
- The Slide?
- No. Please.
- Please what?
- Give me the keys.
Give me the keys.
I'll drive or I'll walk.
You'll walk?
Yes.
Have a nice stroll.
Miss Shaw!
You take my breath away!
Thomas!
Oh, my God!
Watch the door.
I'm Sergeant Rupert, NOPD.
You'll be safe in my car.
Your name?
Darby Shaw.
Let's go.
Is this your car?
Come here.
I'm Lieutenant Olsen, NOPD.
I'm taking you to the hospital.
Check the plates.
Did you know the man in the car?
Thomas Callahan.
It'll be a few minutes.
Are you sure that the man who
called himself Rupert said he was a cop?
We don't have a record of a cop
named Rupert. The computer...
...has no record of the tag numbers of
the car you were in. Must be fake.
I'll go move the car.
I'll be back.
All right?
Gavin Verheek?
This is Darby Shaw.
Do you know who I am?
We have a mutual friend.
Thomas gave you a copy of my theory.
Yes, he did.
Where is it?
I read it and I showed it
to some folks at the Bureau...
...who sent it to Director Voyles.
Has it been seen outside of the FBI?
I can't answer that.
Then I won't tell you
what's happened to Thomas.
Okay, yes.
It's been seen outside the FBI,
but by whom I don't know.
He's dead, Gavin.
He was murdered. Someone planted
a car bomb for both of us.
I got lucky, but they're after me.
What's your phone number?
Where are you?
Not so fast.
Come on! Thomas Callahan
was my best friend.
I'll have agents pick you up.
You can't stay on the street.
Thomas is dead because he talked
to you. Tell that to Voyles.
VERHEEK'S WIFE: Turn up the TV,
I can't hear Regis and Kathie Lee.
Down.
Mr. President.
Sit down. You must see this.
We've been working on this all morning.
You have your first audience.
Over. Roll over.
Roll over.
How serious is this Pelican thing?
I've assigned 14 agents in New Orleans.
I doubt if there's anything to it,
but we must check it out.
I don't have to tell you...
...how much trouble and pain
this nonsense could cause...
...if the press gets wind of it.
Oh, well, you got half of it.
Good boy.
I just wish...
...that you'd...
...back off the thing...
I mean...
...it's a goose chase.
Are you asking me to ignore a suspect,
Mr. President?
If the press...
...gets wind of what you're after
and starts digging, I'll be-
We'll be crucified.
So you're asking me to back off?
Back off and chase the real suspects.
Ignore it for a few weeks, that's all.
Your hatchet man did a real number on me
with the press. They ate my lunch...
...over the security...
...we provided Jensen and Rosenberg.
Get that pit bull off my ass and
I'll forget the Pelican theory a while.
May I have your card?
I'll pay with cash.
Verheek.
Yes.
What did Voyles say?
Mr. Voyles has been unavailable.
But I will try to speak to him
later this afternoon.
I expected more.
There's a memorial service tomorrow.
I'll be there tonight.
I think we should meet.
Darby, I can save your life.
You can't even talk to the director.
Where will you stay?
At the Westin, by the river.
Okay.
She's watching TV.
GIMINSKl: They've been looking under
rocks. She's using credit cards.
She'll be dead in 48 hours.
I'll give her 72.
GIMINSKl:
We'll meet at 6 A.M.
All right, Bob.
Hooten, stay.
This means her little brief
is right on point.
Will you notify the president?
GIMINSKY:
Notifying the president...
...means notifying Coal.
Gray Grantham's article
in tomorrow's Washington Herald...
...maintains that, according
to unnamed White House sources...
...the Mid-Eastern terrorist, Khamel...
...may be among those who assassinated
Justices Rosenberg and Jensen.
Those sources say that a country known
for sponsoring terrorist activity...
...may have hired Khamel.
It's Garcia.
I'm on the corner of
Pennsylvania Avenue and First.
Take down my license number;
there's a lot of gray Volvos out there.
...V-N-N.
Right.
Ten minutes.
GARCIA: Yes.
My keys!
GARCIA:
I can't do it.
Let's get together anyway.
You'll feel better if we meet
and you don't have to reveal anything.
I have a wife and daughter.
There's a chance they know that I know.
The guys at the firm?
I didn't tell you I was in a firm.
You go to work too early
to be a government lawyer.
You must work at a firm
where they expect people...
...to work at least 100 hours a week.
Garcia, we can work this thing out
if you just get together with me.
Garcia?
Who's this?
Is this Gray Grantham?
Yes. Who's this?
Have you heard of the Pelican Brief?
The what?
Pelican Brief.
No. Never heard of it.
It's an unlikely little theory
about who killed Rosenberg and Jensen.
A friend of mine took it to Washington.
He gave it to a friend in the FBI
and it was passed around.
My friend was killed in a car bomb.
Wait now.
Your friend took it to the FBI...
...and then he was killed?
What's his name?
I can't tell you that.
How do you know all this?
I wrote the brief.
Are you a lawyer?
No.
Where are you calling from?
I'd rather you not
ask me any more questions.
You called me.
What's your name?
- Alice.
- You called me, Alice.
Can you get a list of the major
presidential campaign contributors?
Yes. Sure.
I can have it tomorrow.
You know who did these killings?
Yes.
Let's cut to the chase.
Who did it?
Let's take it slow.
I'll be in touch.
When?
Hi.
How are you?
How are you?
Did you get into my apartment?
Your computer's gone.
So are your floppy disks.
And your red expandable files.
I need you to do me a favor.
Go to the memorial service tomorrow...
...and spread the word I called to say
I'm staying with an aunt in Denver.
And I won't be back until fall.
What is going on?
Are you okay about money?
I have the money my father left me.
Who are you hiding from?
I think you better go now, Alice.
It would be better for me if you go now.
That's not fair.
The prettiest girl in the Quarter,
the saddest girl in the Quarter.
I can't get you to give me a smile?
I saw that.
That's something.
Just one beer?
No.
I've found my mission in life.
To make you smile.
You must find another mission.
Wait!
Will you marry me,
just for 5 minutes?
I know it's stupid,
but I think we're fated for each other.
I must go now.
Please, you're not going to
walk out on me, are you?
I'd walk a million miles
For one of your smiles
You beautiful
You wonderful girl
From the laundry
You've got the wrong girl.
Go get her.
Please, help me!
Looking for Mr. Sneller.
Mr. Sneller?
Yes, Mr. Edwin F. Sneller.
FRIEND:
Have you heard from Darby?
Yes, I did.
I got a note from her.
She's staying with an aunt in Colorado.
But she's going to
be back next semester.
I'll see you later.
Gavin, it's Darby.
I'd just about given up on you.
Tell me where you want to meet
and I'll come with 3 agents.
I thought the FBI was not involved.
It's not involved, not yet.
I have friends.
We can get you out of the city tonight,
in Washington tomorrow.
I promise you'll meet Voyles.
We'll go from there.
At noon tomorrow,
take the trolley to Riverwalk.
Wait, Riverwalk?
Wear a long sleeve shirt
and a red baseball cap.
Wait on the riverside
at the bandstand...
...and I'll find you.
The riverside bandstand.
- How tall are you?
-5'10".
Your weight?
About 180,
but I'm planning on losing it.
I'll see you tomorrow.
Tomorrow.
Gavin, it's Darby.
I'd just about given up on you.
Tell me where you want to meet
and I'll come with 3 agents.
I thought the FBI was not involved.
It's not involved, not yet.
I have friends.
We'll get you out of the city tonight,
in Washington tomorrow.
I promise you'll meet Voyles.
We'll go from there.
At noon tomorrow,
take the trolley to Riverwalk.
Wear a long sleeve shirt
and a red baseball cap.
Wait on the riverside at the bandstand
and I'll find you.
The riverside bandstand?
- How tall are you?
-5'10".
Your weight?
About 180,
but I'm planning on losing it.
All right.
Tell me where you want to meet...
Tell me where you want to meet...
...and within an hour
I'll come get you with 3 agents.
Mr. Sneller on line 2.
Khamel is dead.
We don't know who did it.
- And the girl?
- She's running.
We lost her.
We'll find her.
There's been another murder.
You remember my friend gave
the brief to a friend at the FBI?
The FBI friend was killed yesterday.
How do you know?
I was holding his hand.
He was shot...
...in broad daylight
in a crowd.
I'm very sorry.
I'm in New York now.
When can you come?
You'll have to give me
something I can confirm.
We get crank calls from people claiming
to know who killed Rosenberg and Jensen.
Something you can confirm?
Please.
Such as?
The name of the friend
that was murdered in the car explosion.
Take your time.
Callahan.
His first name?
Thomas.
Where did it happen?
In New Orleans.
I think that should be enough.
All right.
What's the name of the friend
that worked at the FBI?
Verheek.
Gavin Verheek.
Voyles' Chief Counsel.
I think that's more than enough.
I'll be on a plane this afternoon.
You must follow my instructions.
This is Gray Grantham.
That's right.
Got it.
Did you follow my instructions?
Yes.
You must think I'm crazy.
Yes, I did...
...till I checked New Orleans.
Callahan was...
...killed exactly as you said.
I also checked Verheek.
According to the FBI...
...they found his body 2 days ago...
...in a hotel room early in the morning.
He'd been dead for at least 8 hours.
That can't be.
Want to talk about the brief?
Everyone I've told
about the brief is dead.
I'll take my chances.
You can't, under any circumstances,
use my name...
...or reveal how you got
the information.
Or publish anything until
I've left the country. Agreed?
Unless I can convince you otherwise.
You can't.
May I sit down?
Mind if I use a tape recorder?
Interesting read, isn't it?
What'd the president say?
He spoke to Voyles...
...who will leave it alone for a while.
The president asked Voyles to back off?
We thought it was just another shot
in the dark. Now I'm not sure.
That's obstruction of justice.
Assuming the brief turns out to be true.
If it does, you'll be the fall guy.
I won't be the only one.
The old Nixon two-step.
Don't even think that name.
Look at the hopeful side,
Irangate, Iraqgate...
Good chance it won't come out.
What's up with Grantham?
We got his car phone.
We haven't been inside the home yet.
Why not?
We almost got caught
by the cleaning lady.
Grantham knows about the brief.
He called 3 White House aides today...
...and God knows who else.
What made you hone in
on this particular case so quickly?
I remembered this piece
that "Frontline" did a year ago...
...about the young lawyer
who originally filed the suit.
They said he'd committed suicide,
but his family thought it was foul play.
After the assassinations,
I called his family.
They said he had
a depressive problem years before...
...but medication had taken care of it.
His doctor confirmed
what the family said.
They told the police
they were not convinced it was suicide.
But the police
closed the investigation.
Exactly.
That's it.
That's the brief.
Maybe we could...
...finish up in the morning?
I'll be up late going over my notes...
...while they're fresh in my head.
Call me when you wake up.
Try and get some sleep.
Mr. Grantham.
I know it sounds silly, but...
...would you sleep on the sofa?
No problem.
Good night.
Listen...
At the risk of sounding old-fashioned...
...isn't it time I knew your real name?
Darby Shaw.
What made you pick me,
Darby Shaw?
Callahan was a fan.
Does the name Victor Mattiece
mean anything to you?
Money.
Power.
Influence.
He's made and lost several
fortunes drilling oil in Louisiana.
In 1979...
...his oil company punched some holes
in Terrebonne Parish and hit oil.
A lot of oil.
He needed governmental permission...
...to dredge a channel though
the marshlands to get the oil out.
Enter Mattiece,
the great campaign contributor...
...and as night follows day...
...government permission
to gouge through the endangered marshes.
Mattiece is that close
to at least a billion dollars...
...when Green Fund...
...an obscure environmental outfit...
...trots down to the U.S. District court
in Lafayette and files a lawsuit...
...to stop the entire operation.
Of course, Mattiece spares no expense
to win the lawsuit.
I don't think there's a top law firm
between Houston and New Orleans...
...that he hasn't hired.
Fucking PBS!
By the time the Green Fund lawyers...
...all two of them...
...wade in, the joint ventures...
...limited partnerships
and corporate associations...
...form an impenetrable maze
that makes Mattiece invisible.
Luckily for the Green Fund's lawsuit...
...the heart of the new oil reserve
is near a natural refuge for waterfowl:
Osprey, egrets, pelicans,
ducks, cranes, geese.
The pelican becomes the hero.
After 30 years of contamination
by DDT and other pesticides...
...the Louisiana brown pelican is
on the brink of extinction.
Green Fund seizes the bird
and enlists experts...
...from around the country
to testify on its behalf.
It takes 7 years for the pelican suit
to go to trial in Lake Charles.
The 3-man jury, caring less
about the pelicans than jobs...
...votes in favor of Mattiece.
But the judge rules to keep the
injunction against drilling because...
...he thinks Green Fund has proven
its point about the pelican...
...a federally-protected species,
and that it will appeal.
What's the lawsuit's status?
From the trial level...
...it will be appealed to the Court
of Appeals in New Orleans in a month.
Any idea what the court will do?
It could be reversed.
Then the fun starts. If either side
is unhappy with the court...
...they can appeal
to the Supreme Court.
From today, how long would it take
for a decision by the Supreme Court?
Anywhere from 3 to 5 years.
Rosenberg would have died.
But another president could be
in the White House when he died.
So if you're Mattiece...
...and you don't mind killing
a couple of Supremes...
...now's the time to kill them,
when you can predict their replacement.
But why Jensen?
He shared one piece
of common ground with Rosenberg:
Protecting the environment.
I didn't mean to wake you.
You said that Mattiece hired law firms
from Houston to New Orleans.
Were there any in Washington?
Maybe two.
White & Blazevich...
...and Brim, Stearns & Somebody.
Great!
I got a call from a lawyer in D.C...
...who saw something
concerning Rosenberg and Jensen.
He backed out of our meeting.
I never heard from him again.
He gave me a phony name,
but I got his picture.
How?
Long story. If he works at one of these
law firms, he could be our confirmation.
I hope you find him.
Come with me to Washington.
I've had enough.
If you're right about Mattiece,
then there'll be a cover-up.
It'll probably work.
How do you know?
I called the Herald morgue last night.
Two years ago, a reporter
did a piece...
...on "Violations of
Campaign Financing Laws. "
He found out that, hidden under
a lot of other names of individuals...
...and PAC's and corporations,
Mattiece was the biggest contributor...
...by far...
...to the president's campaign.
We ran a picture, with the article,
of the president and Mattiece.
It was taken unbeknownst to either one.
In it, the president and Mattiece are
in front of Mattiece's hunting lodge...
...sipping on some bourbon,
having a good laugh.
The best of pals.
The captions said:
"The President's Most Secret...
...and Generous Contributor. "
Now if your brief is right
and it ever reaches the light of day...
...the president loses
any chance of reelection.
The men around the president
won't let that happen.
I checked with my sources.
The Bureau, Langley, the White House...
...all said the brief doesn't exist.
You may be the only witness to the fact
there is a brief. If you disappear...
...so does justice.
Is that what Callahan would want?
He'd want me to see my 25th birthday.
Darby.
If this thing reaches as deep
and goes as high as we think it does...
...they'll do anything
not to be exposed.
Where can you hide?
Go back to Washington.
They're all shook up
about you asking about something.
I expected that.
It's like the Gestapo over there.
Coal clears everything.
They put me on medical leave
for 90 days.
- What's wrong with you?
- I don't know.
One thing I do know,
I've never seen it this bad.
I'm worried about you, son.
Gray, it's Darby.
When you hear this, I'll be in the air
on my way to nowhere.
Try to understand.
I can't keep you on that story.
I'm sending you to Arkansas.
The Times, the networks...
...are there checking out the judge
they're about to nominate.
I need more time.
For what?
You lost your White House sources,
you've lost Garcia and the girl.
Not your best week.
You can't take me off this story.
What do you know for fact?
An unidentified guy says
he knows about the assassinations.
He works in a law firm, you don't know
which one. He's cut off all contact.
That's not very promising.
There's something there, I can smell it.
Evidence based on olfactory prowess is
inadmissible, in case you didn't know.
Then there's a girl...
...with her bird brief for which
you can't get confirmation.
Not yet.
She also cut off contact, something
that's reaching epidemic proportions.
They're waiting for you upstairs.
Everything she said about
the two deaths has been confirmed.
The FBI says Verheek was killed
in some hotel mugging.
- That's what you told me.
- That's what they told me.
And they said they knew of
no connection with the assassinations.
What else would they say?
I'm interested in what they did say.
Let's look at what I have confirmed.
Callahan was killed.
He was a professor. They had an affair.
Give it to the Times-Picayune.
Maybe they want some gossip.
I also found that Callahan clerked
for Rosenberg 20 years ago.
Life is filled with odd coincidence.
Not a coincidence if the brief-
You have no confirmation
there is a brief.
I confirmed Verheek and Callahan
were friends.
They met here a few weeks ago,
when he must have given him the brief.
- Supposition again.
- I've confirmed the pelican lawsuit.
On which she has based her suppositions.
It's all just suppositions.
You know what Mattiece could do?
I know what he has done already.
He has a bizarre history.
So do I, according to my ex-wife. It
doesn't mean that I killed the Justices.
But it means it's worth exploring.
Go down to that crappy cabin of yours
on the weekend, hole up, retrench.
Prove you have a way to revitalize
this story, and I might keep you on it.
But if I were you, I'd check
where to eat in Little Rock.
This is the story of
a mystery that may never be solved.
The story of a brilliant young lawyer
who loved this land...
...and wanted to fight to preserve it
from the inroads of man...
...until his abrupt death...
...a few months ago.
His body was found in a lonely cottage,
near the Louisiana bayou he loved.
There was a bullet in his head...
...and a gun beside him.
The coroner and police
have deemed it a suicide.
But he died sitting at a computer,
surrounded by his notes...
...for what he called
the case he was born to win.
His friends and family ask...
...would anyone commit suicide
in such a manner...
...at such a time?
Tonight, Frontline explores
a young idealist's death.
Who's there?
It's Darby!
I got your message.
If they bugged your phone,
they'd think I'd left the country.
Did you find that lawyer in D.C.?
Not yet.
My editor wants to take me
off the story.
I could help you find him.
How'd you find me?
I called your editor.
He told you?
I told him I was your sister Mary
from out of town and couldn't find you.
How'd you know I had a sister Mary?
You're not the only one doing research.
It was a beautiful service.
Thank you, Mr. President.
I'll have an announcement
after the weekend.
It was the right thing to do,
no matter where the body was found.
You can't announce
the nominations next week.
You said they'd be vetted this weekend.
There must be a change in plans.
I don't understand.
The Pelican Brief.
What about the Pelican Brief?
I thought that was ancient history.
We believe that Grantham's
gotten ahold of it.
Mattiece will sue them
if they try to publish that.
Not if it's true.
You think it's true?
I know what Grantham will write:
"A man who gave
the president millions...
...had two Supreme Court Justices killed
so the president...
...could appoint
more reasonable judges...
...so his oil could be harvested. "
If Voyles says you told him to back off
the case, we face an obstruction charge.
Oh, Jesus!
There's a way to handle this.
Handle it how?
We appoint two nature-lovers
to the court.
Good environmentalists
who'd kill Mattiece and his oil field.
Meet with Voyles, in the presence
of the Attorney General...
...and demand an investigation
into Mattiece.
I'll leak the brief
to every reporter in town.
Then we ride out the storm.
But there has to be some way to keep
this information from coming out.
I'm working on it.
What?
How?
Mr. President...
...you don't want to know.
What's this all about?
A trip to Mt. Vernon will do you good.
Are you losing it?
First I order you to go to Little Rock,
you refuse to go.
You refuse to tell me why,
then you order me...
...your boss, I might add...
...to drop everything
and meet you at George's place.
I thought of making you unemployed...
...but you'd sue me for discrimination.
She's here.
- The bird girl?
- She's here.
- You could've told me.
- Not wise.
By the way, refusing to tell me
where you could be reached...
...didn't leave a good impression.
It's too risky to go to my apartment
or to the job.
- Where have you been?
- In a little hotel.
This is a hell of a time
to punch notches in your belt.
We're not in the same hotel.
She's helping me find Garcia.
It sounds like she's in control.
It's the only way she'd play.
So what if you can't find Garcia?
We go to plan B.
What's that?
We attack the lawyers directly.
What if it's another firm?
We go to plan C.
What's that?
We didn't go that far.
What if you do?
I must be able to get in touch with you.
I'm at the Marbury Hotel, room 833.
Don't use my name.
Write it down.
You mind getting off at the next exit?
Why?
A tan car's been two cars behind us...
...since we got on the parkway.
I thought it was following us.
Right.
Georgetown Law School, please.
Hurry.
Meet me by the stacks.
Someone was in my room.
Did you tell anyone where you were?
Smith Keen, but he'd never repeat it.
Did you tell him by phone?
No.
We were...
We were in his car.
Georgetown Law Center.
Placement Office, please.
One moment, please.
Placement Office.
This is Susan Johnson.
I'm a partner with White & Blazevich.
We're trying to reconstruct
some payroll records.
May I have the names of your students
that clerked here last summer?
I'm from White & Blazevich.
You have something for me?
Would you sign this, please?
- Thank you, Mr. Stevens.
- You're welcome.
I'll call these five and see who's home.
I'll take the two with no phone number
and get their class schedules.
See you later.
I'm from the Washington Herald.
I'm looking for...
- ... Robert Akers and Laura Kaas.
- Is there a problem?
No.
Just a few questions I want to ask.
Are they in class this morning?
One moment, please.
Excuse me.
Do you have ID?
Could I speak to Dennis Maylor, please?
KEITH:
No, I'm Keith Maylor.
I'm sorry to bother you.
Akers has Criminal Procedure,
Kaas has Administrative Law.
I'll try to find them. Maylor,
Reinhart and Wilson were all at home.
I can go to Maylor's.
Excuse me.
- Do you know Laura Kaas?
- She's the girl with the red backpack.
Do you recognize this man?
He's a lawyer at White & Blazevich.
We're down to Akers and Linney.
Linney's phone was disconnected.
I'll get his class schedule.
I'll keep looking for Akers.
It's me again.
I need the class schedule
for Edward Linney.
I'm sorry, Mr. Grantham.
A student you talked to called
White & Blazevich, who called the Dean.
No more class schedules for reporters.
Mr. Grantham.
I know Edward.
He's dropped out of school for a while.
Personal problems.
Where is he?
His parents put him
in a private hospital.
He's being detoxified.
Look, he's a good guy.
Parklane Hospital.
Good afternoon.
May I see Edward Linney?
- What room is he in?
- What's your name?
Gray Grantham, Washington Herald.
The law school said I could see him.
RECEPTIONIST:
I'm sorry they did.
We run this hospital
and they run their law school.
May I see your administrator?
I'll see if I can find him.
Mr. Grantham.
Great architecture.
I'm sorry, Mr. Grantham.
ADMINISTRATOR: Visitation
is only allowed on the weekend...
...and then only family.
When will he be discharged?
ADMINISTRATOR:
I'm afraid that's confidential.
Perhaps when his insurance expires?
Do you recognize that man?
What's his name?
That's the point, I don't know.
What is his name?
He works in the oil and gas section
on the 9th floor.
Morgan.
Yes. Morgan.
His first name's something like...
...Charles, but that's not it.
I can't tell you how grateful I am.
When you opened the door...
...I thought I was hallucinating.
I'm sorry.
I'll take a hallucination like that...
...anytime.
Take care of yourself.
SECURITY:
Excuse me, miss. What are you doing?
Visiting my brother.
Who is your brother?
Edward Linney.
This your sister?
Yes.
Leave her alone.
Mom will come on the weekend.
Sis?
Come back soon.
I'll try.
I know you'd agree with me about
the horrendous cost of health care.
ADMINISTRATOR:
Of course, of course.
We pride ourselves on our
enlightened policy regarding payment.
Thank you very much for your time.
We'll be happy to have you back
on any of our normal visiting days.
Curtis Morgan, oil and gas.
White & Blazevich, please.
Second floor.
Use the escalator.
RECEPTIONIST:
May I help you?
Dorothy Blythe, to see Curtis Morgan.
Have a seat.
I'll be right with you.
- You have a meeting with Mr. Morgan?
- Yes. At 5.
- When was your appointment?
- Two weeks ago.
May I ask why?
Obviously, I need an oil and gas lawyer.
Curtis Morgan is dead.
Why didn't anyone call me?
We have no record of your appointment.
What happened?
He was mugged a week ago.
Shot by street punks, we believe.
Do you have some identification?
He's Security.
Security for what?
Come with us,
you should see someone else.
After this treatment, I have no interest
in talking to anyone in this firm.
They killed him!
I can't breathe!
It's all right.
Just let it go.
Let it go.
It's all right.
We ran the story about a week ago.
It's just another mugging.
Didn't make the Metro front page.
Curtis Morgan...
...225 Willow Road, Bethesda.
...Bethesda.
That's what I wanted.
Report in before noon tomorrow.
We're nervous over here.
You know...
...good help is hard to find.
I'm going with you.
Look at me.
I want you to leave.
And if you need confirmation
for your story?
I'm on my own.
What's changed your mind?
I want you to reach 25.
I'm coming.
Good evening.
I'm Grantham of the Herald.
This is my assistant.
- Could we see Mrs. Morgan?
- I'm her father. She won't talk.
I respect her privacy.
I know she's been through an ordeal.
When did you people
ever respect anyone's privacy?
I feel that way about most reporters.
But her husband called me...
...3 times before he died.
I believe his death
wasn't accidental.
She doesn't want to talk.
Get the hell out of here.
You change your mind...
...I'll be at this number.
Mr. Grantham?
Yes.
This is Mrs. Morgan.
Do you still want to see me?
Did you know your husband called me?
No. How would he know
anything about those dead judges?
I have no idea.
Did he keep any...
...unusual documents...
...or papers?
We have a lock box at the bank
for deed and wills.
I looked at it last Thursday.
There was nothing unusual in it.
On Saturday morning...
...I was going through his...
...desk in the bedroom.
I found something a bit unusual.
A key.
A key to what?
Another lock box.
Which bank?
Riggs Bank.
We've never banked there.
And you knew nothing
about this other...
...box?
Not until Saturday morning.
I figured...
...I'll run by when I felt up to it.
Maybe you should check it, Mrs. Morgan.
Could be a clue to who killed him.
Are you saying Curtis was killed...
...because he knew something
about the assassinations?
That's exactly what I'm saying.
Do you think there
may be papers in the safe-deposit box...
...that may reveal what Curtis knew
about the assassinations?
There could be.
My child's lost one parent.
I can't let her lose another.
I'll check it for you.
No one has to know you have the key.
They will only give it to his wife.
My partner's a woman.
She's trustworthy.
I would have one condition.
If you find something that disparages
my husband in any way, you can't use it.
You have my word, Mrs. Morgan.
Where are the safe-deposit boxes?
SECURITY:
Down those steps.
I need access to a box, please.
- The number, please?
-616.
- This box was rented two weeks ago.
- Yes.
- I assume you're Mrs. Morgan?
- Sara Ann Morgan.
- The address?
-225 Willow Road, Bethesda.
- Phone number?
-301-555-7128.
Who rented this box?
- My husband, Curtis D. Morgan.
- And his social security number?
Will you sign here, please?
May I help you?
I'd like to rent a box.
Will you have a seat?
I'll be with you in a minute.
You have a key?
Yes, I do.
Follow me.
It's a four-page affidavit...
...signed under oath.
It's dated the day before
the last time he called me.
He worked at White & Blazevich
in the oil and gas section for 5 years.
Listen to this!
During that time...
...he worked for a client who
was engaged in a lawsuit in Louisiana.
The client was a man
named Victor Mattiece...
...who he's never met.
Lots about the lawsuit,
how desperate Mattiece was to win it.
Just as if you wrote it.
A partner named Sims Wakefield...
...supervised the case for W & B.
Morgan worked on a peripherated case.
He took files and documents
that Wakefield left for him...
...not related to the case.
When he got back to his own office, he
found a memo on the bottom of the stack.
He'd inadvertently taken it
from Wakefield's desk.
A copy of the memo
is attached to the affidavit.
He copied the memo and left the memo
under the files on his desk.
Next stop, Washington Herald!
No! Stop!
Get out of the car!
EDITOR: There was a car explosion
in a garage near the Riggs Bank.
The police traced the car
to a leasing agency.
It was rented yesterday by Grantham.
Have you heard from Grantham?
Not since yesterday.
I should've taken him off that story.
What story?
See what you can find.
Smith Keen...
...meet Darby Shaw.
So, Mr. Grantham...
...what the hell is going on?
Sweetheart, I'm down here
in the basement.
It's about two in the morning.
This is...
...an affidavit...
...concerning a memo
I found on my desk.
I'm going to trust you
to do with it what you will.
The memo's from Velmano,
he's a senior partner.
It was dated September 28th...
...addressed to Wakefield and it read:
"Sims, advise client
research is complete.
The bench will sit much softer
if the old man is retired.
The second retirement is a bit unusual.
Jensen, of all people.
Advise further that the pelican
should arrive here in 4 years...
...assuming other factors. "
There's no signature.
Then Justices Rosenberg and Jensen
were killed.
I firmly believe that this is
the work of Mattiece and his associates.
Memo doesn't mention Mattiece,
but it refers to a client.
Wakefield had no other clients.
And no client had as much to gain
from the new court.
I thought that I was protecting us
by not revealing what I found.
You'll only see this if I'm gone,
so I will have failed.
I'm sorry, sweetheart.
I'll always be with you.
Always.
This is Marty Velmano. What a pleasure!
What can I do for you?
We're doing a story
about Victor Mattiece...
...and his involvement in the deaths
of Rosenberg and Jensen.
Great! We'll sue you for the next 20
years. You'll be named as a defendant.
Oh, this will be great.
Victor Mattiece will own the Herald.
Have you heard of the Pelican Brief?
We have a copy of it.
We also have a copy of a memo
sent by you to Sims Wakefield...
...in which you suggest your client's
position would be greatly improved...
...by the removal of Rosenberg
and Jensen from the court.
I noticed you waited till five.
An hour earlier, we could've
run to court, stopped this.
You deny you wrote the memo?
It's a fabrication.
You have no lawsuit, Mr. Velmano.
You know it.
You son of a bitch!
Mr. Coal?
Have you read the Pelican Brief?
I have.
We're running a story which verifies
the facts set forth in that brief.
We've confirmed Mattiece
contributed over $4 million...
...to the president's last campaign.
That's right.
We believe the White House tried
to obstruct the FBI investigation...
...and we wonder
if there are any comments.
The White House denies
any direct or indirect involvement...
...in this investigation.
You've received some bad information.
Mr. Voyles, it's Grantham.
We're running a story
detailing a conspiracy...
...in the murders of
Rosenberg and Jensen.
We're naming Mattiece, an oil
speculator, and two of his lawyers.
We believe the FBI knew about Mattiece,
but didn't investigate...
...at the urging of the White House.
Any comments?
I think we'll have great
success with these people.
They were really very pleased...
...and genuinely cooperative.
What's up?
You know Gray Grantham.
And this is Darby Shaw.
So you're the little lady
who started this great brouhaha.
I think you have me confused
with the president's friend.
I have some comments,
for the record.
First, we got the Pelican Brief
two weeks ago...
...and submitted it to the White House
on the same day.
It was not considered high priority in
the investigation until Gavin Verheek...
...Special Counsel to the Director,
was found murdered.
Did the White House interfere
in the FBI investigation of Mattiece?
I'll discuss it...
...off the record.
Last Wednesday the president asked me
to ignore Victor Mattiece as a suspect.
In his words...
...he asked me to "back off. "
I have a tape...
...which I will allow no one to hear...
...unless the president
first denies this.
So what do you do now?
There'll be a grand jury by
noon tomorrow. Quick indictments.
And we'll find Mattiece.
I'd like a few minutes alone
with Ms. Shaw.
If she doesn't mind.
It's her call.
I'd like Mr. Grantham to stay.
What's next for you?
Who killed the man disguised as Verheek?
Oh, you mean the assassin, Khamel.
Off the record, Khamel was killed
by a contract operative...
...hired independently by the CIA.
Rupert?
He probably has 20 names.
Why was he following her?
I think the brief initially
scared Giminski more than anyone.
And he probably...
...sent Rupert...
...to trail Darby...
...in part to watch,
and in part to protect.
We can help.
What do you want?
To leave the country, alone.
All right.
We'll get you out of here,
put you on my plane.
We'll fly you anywhere you want
and you can disappear.
But you must allow me to contact you...
...through Mr. Grantham...
...if, and only if,
it becomes urgently necessary.
That's fine.
I want no one on the plane but me,
Gray and the pilots.
After takeoff, I'll tell the pilot
where to go.
He has to file a flight plan
before he can leave.
You're the director of the FBI.
Set it up.
Our guest today is Gray Grantham...
...who has, as just about everyone
in America knows...
...revealed the plot behind the
assassinations of Rosenberg and Jensen.
The ripple effects of this story
just don't seem to stop.
As of this broadcast, Victor Mattiece,
one of the country's richest men...
...has been indicted, along with
Fletcher Coal, the president's Chief
of Staff, has resigned.
And we're getting strong indications
that the president himself...
...will not run again.
That's what we know.
Let's get to what we don't.
We know the Pelican Brief was written
by a woman named Darby Shaw...
...but we don't know who that is.
Who is Darby Shaw?
That's a question for Darby Shaw.
Next question.
Speaking for many of our colleagues...
...who are in a feeding frenzy to
interview her...
...where is Darby Shaw?
That's also a question for Darby Shaw.
But she's not available...
...to answer questions
until the feeding frenzy stops.
Does that mean
you don't know where she is?
I didn't say that.
Then you do know.
I take it this cryptic smile means...
...you're not answering.
In view of all this, you know that...
...there's speculation...
...that this woman is a figment
of your imagination.
That you created her
from a lot of different sources.
Just as there are people who believe
there was no Deep Throat...
...there are those who believe
there is no Darby Shaw.
In other words,
she's just too good to be true.
She almost is.