The Pelican Brief Page #5

...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?

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