Professor Erskine Tate wakes from a drunken stupor behind the wheel of his car. He doesn't know how he got there or what happened. When he's accused of having hit a mailman during his drunken joyride, he goes to a former student, Ben Matlock, for help, and Ben investigates two students and a teaching assistant.

When a rare coin dealer is charged with murdering a thieving employee, he hires Matlock to defend him. Tyler is less than thrilled when Matlock temporarily hires a female investigator, and has his own suspicions of her motives.

Matlock and Tyler realise that part of Linda's deception is routed in the recent kidnapping of her son. While Tyler helps her locate the child, Matlock finds the rare coin he needs to put the finish on the case.