The Rockford Files (1974–1980): Season 1, Episode 17 - Claire - full transcript

Is this on the level, Claire?

Jim, they're
trying to kill me.
Please, in one hour.

You care to answer that...

or you want to
get stuffed in a bag
and planted here?

I think I'd rather answer.

I need you to find someone.
His name is Charlie Manning.

Tail him.
He'll be looking for it,
Captain.

He's a maniac in a car.
I'll never stay with him.

How do you know till you try?
I have tried
two or three times.

Try again!

Now that he's dead,
I have a pretty good motive
for killing him.



Unless the police don't know
you were his snitch.

I got city and county statutes
you never heard of.

I'll end up sending you
to the showers. You got it?

You got style, Captain.
I know.

[Telephone ringing]

(Rockford on
answering machine)
This is Jim Rockford.

At the tone, leave your name
and message.

I'll get back to you.

[Beeps]

(woman)
Mr. Rockford, this is
the Thomas Crown School.

Of Dance
and Contemporary Etiquette.

We aren't going to call again.
Now you want these
free lessons, or what?

[Tires screeching]

Good afternoon, Miss Prescott.
Bit of a hurry today.



(Claire)
If anybody asks for me,
you don't know me. Please.

(Ted)
All right.

(Stone)
Claire Prescott,
what's her apartment number?

I don't know. We don't have
a Claire Prescott here.

Now, come on, pop, or I'm
gonna spread your teeth
all over the sidewalk.

I'm very sorry, sir, but...
Come on,
let's check the boxes.

[Phone buzzing]

Yes?

Miss Prescott,
there are two men here.

They're inside
looking at the mailboxes
for your apartment number.

I'm going to call the police.

No. No police, please.
I'll take care of it.

[Keys dropping]

What's this check
made out to me for $225.66?

That one was a loan.

Remember, Jimbo, you was
all jammed up.

I loaned you that
for your car payments.
I'm deducting it.

Yeah, but this check bounced,
Rocky. You remember I had to
get the money from L. J?

By golly, I think
it did bounce. You know,
you're right, Jim.

You can't deduct it
if it bounced.

[Rings]

No wonder you got
tax problems.

James Rockford,
private investigation
and tax specialist.

Jim, thank goodness.

Who is this?
It's Claire.

What do you want?
I'm in trouble. I need help.

Where are you?

We've got to meet
where we used to go
in one hour.

Is this on the level, Claire?

I remember getting
some very strange phone calls.

Jim, they're
trying to kill me.
Please, in one hour.

You don't have to tell me
who that was.

Come off it, Rocky.

It was Claire Prescott,
wasn't it? Wasn't it?

Yeah, yeah.
How long has it been?

I don't know. You tell me.
What? Three years, maybe.

Just when you was beginning
to act like maybe you was
gonna get married...

she up and dropped you
like you were on fire.

No explanation, no nothing.
It took you six months to
get back on your pivot again.

I'm intellectually
more mature now.

What makes you think
you are?

I didn't used to be able
to unscramble
your tax problems.

[Scoffing]
You still can't.

I can handle it now, Rocky.
See you.

[Door closes]

[Water splashing]

Hi, Claire.

[Children squealing]

You changed your hair.

I even did six months
as a brunette.

You look good, Jim.

I wanted to call you.

At least 20 times I had
that phone in my hand.

[Seal crying]

I guess I really
messed us up, didn't I?

Can we walk?

[Elephant trumpeting]

(Claire)
Hi, ladies. Remember us?

I don't think they do.
I don't think
they're the same ones.

Three years is a long time.

It's good, isn't it?

It feels so good
being together again.

Yeah.

It feels good.

How's your father?
Fine.

He never liked me.
Yeah...

probably had his reasons.

It was hard on me, too, Jim.

I didn't want to end us.
I had to.

Claire, let's
get to the point.
Why did you call?

Who's trying to kill you?
Or is anybody
trying to kill you?

You've changed.
You used to be
a hopeless romantic.

I'm willing to let you
off the hook for old times.

Something went wrong.
It didn't work out for us.

We both bled a little,
and now it's over.

You want my help.
Just tell me what's going on.

That's pretty direct.
That's the best way.

That's how
we got derailed last time.

And you're really not mad,
are you?

Not anymore.

I need you to find someone.
His name is Charlie Manning.

Why?
Is that important?

You said on the phone
they were trying to kill you.

Experience tells me that
when people are
trying to kill other people...

it's usually best
to get plugged
into the problem up front.

I just said that.
I was afraid
you wouldn't come.

That was charitable of you.

I do need help.

Go to the cops.
I can't.

Then I can't help you.

I'm not asking much.
I have an address.

All I want you to do is
go there and ask for Charlie.

He may be there.
He's 6 feet tall.

He has long brown hair
with a beard.

If he's not,
talk to the bartender.
He can get in touch with him.

But you can't tell him it's me
who's looking for him.

You give him
your phone number.

When he calls you,
have him call me at my hotel.

I have the number right here.

What are you into, Claire?

I'm in trouble
with a loan shark,

but I can get out.
I really can.

But you've got to get Charlie
in touch with me.

I'd say "please,"
but maybe that would
make you mad.

I don't want to
trade on anything.

I just don't know
who else to call.

If you're being juiced
by a shark,
you should call a cop.

I can't, and you've got to
promise me you won't either.

Do you promise?

Okay, I promise.

Will you go to the bar
and try and find Charlie?

Let me think about it.

Please. There's no time.
I know what I'm doing.

I'll take you back
to your hotel.

No police. You promised.
(Rockford)
I'll call you.

[Rings]

Becker.
(Rockford)
Becker, this is Jim Rockford.

Can't help you, Jim.

How do you know
I want anything?

It's not the cocktail hour,
Jim. What, did you call
to buy me a drink?

Not exactly.

Then you want something.

Yeah. You guys
got anything on a lady
named Claire Prescott...

and a guy
named Charles Manning?

What's the guy's name again?
Manning, Charles Manning.

Jim, let me run this
through a computer.
Hold on a moment, okay?

[People chattering]

Jim?

Yeah.

On the woman
Claire Prescott.

No wants, no warrants.

Manning?
The same.

Jim, what's this all about?
I don't know yet.

Thanks, Dennis. I give you
a rain check on the drink.

Yeah.

[Phone buzzing]

(Capt. Highland)
Yeah.

Captain Highland?
This is Sgt. Becker.

What's up?
I had a call
from a PI friend of mine.

Had me run a couple of names
through the computer.

He was asking about
Charles Manning and a woman
named Claire Prescott.

I thought you'd want to know.

You got an address on this,
what's his name?

Rockford.
Rockford.

Yeah, we got a rap sheet
on him. He did some time.

Get out to where he's at.
Pick him up,
and get his butt in here.

I don't want to wait too long.
He might not be at home.

He might have called
from a pay phone.

Then if he calls back,
find out where he is,
pick him up.

I want him in here.
I don't want any excuses.

Yes, sir. Captain,
keep your shirt on.

Hi.

What are you having?
(Rockford)
Scotch and water, tall glass.

[Ice clinking]

I'm trying to run down
a friend of mine.
So buy a truck.

That's really funny
when Hoover was President.

I'm trying to bring it
back again. Who's your friend?

His name is Charlie Manning.

He's about 6 foot tall,
long brown hair, beard.

Know him?
That'll be 90 cents.

The name was Charles Manning
and that's $20.

So he comes in here.
Was he in tonight?

I don't remember.
Push yourself.

Yeah, I think he was.
What time?

A couple of hours ago.
Did he come in alone?

Yep.
Leave alone?

If he should come back,
would you have him
give me a call?

$20 doesn't buy much
these days, does it?

[Waves breaking]

[Engine starting up]

[Engine starting up]

[Tires squealing]

[Honking]

Out!

(Rockford)
I beg your pardon.

I said, out.
All right, I'm getting out.
I'm getting out.

Evening.

You were asking
about Charlie Manning.
I was.

[Gun cocking]

I said, I was.
Who are you, speedy?

I guess there's no harm
in telling.

Usually, I don't like to
spread my name around
when I'm on a collection.

But I guess it's okay
with you guys...

since we're probably
in the same line of work,
more or less.

I don't know you 10 seconds,
already I got
a stomach-full of you.

Number one, he asked you
who you were...

and why you was asking
about Charlie Manning.

You care to answer that...

or you want to get stuffed
in a canvas bag
and planted here?

I think I'd rather answer.

I'm a PI.

When things get a little slow,
I do some collection work
for certain loan companies.

Which ones?

You don't find these guys
in the Yellow Pages.

Are you trying to tell us
Charlie Manning was
into a loan shark?

That's about the size of it.

[Grunts]

[Sighs]

You're all through
lying to us, Rockford.

We know that's
a bunch of bull...

'cause there's no vice cop
in with a Ione shy.

Charlie Manning is a vice cop?
Nobody's perfect.

Right.
Okay, Rockford,
let's try again.

Why were you
asking about Manning?

You're not going to like this
at all. I don't know why.

[Grunts]

I don't feel too well.

Let's take him to Tony.

Come on.
Let's get in the car.

Move, move, move.

[Grunts]

[Groans]

[Coughing]

(Rockford)
All right. Up, up.
Come on, up.

[Sighs]

Come on.

[Grunts]

My, my.
What a refreshing change.

[Groans]

Here, catch.
Right-handed?

Reach in with your left hand.
Give me your gun.

Come on.

Okay. Now both of you,
give me your wallets.

Come on.

Okay, now, you,
reach into the car
and get the keys. Move it.

[Keys rattling]

Now see how far you can
throw them over that fence.
Make sure you clear it. Go on.

That's a pretty good arm.

Okay, now, you first.
Get under the car.

Come on. You gotta be kidding.

Under or I'm gonna take you
off at the knees.

Now, you, go on.
Get under there.

Keep going.

If it's not going to
tax your brains too much...

I want you to close your eyes
and count to 100.

No peeking.

[Engine revving]

(Sgt. Becker)
What the hell are these?

Charlie Manning is a cop.
Where did you get them?

From two guys
who chased me, caught me,
and tried to kill me...

because I was asking about
a cop named Manning
who you never heard of before.

Now I know you've got
a good explanation.

Capt. Highland?
This is Sgt. Becker.

I got Jim Rockford
in the office.

A couple of Sawtell's goons
leaned on him, tipped him
about Manning.

Yeah, we'll be right down.
Come on.

You better start coming
clean with me, or I'm gonna
press you flat.

I've told you all I'm
gonna tell you. You come clean
with me, I will with you.

What could be fairer?

Who's your client?
That's privileged.

Lock him up.
On what charge?

We don't need a charge
for 24 hours.

All right, Captain,
you go ahead and roust me...

I've done five years.
Jails don't frighten me.

I'll check into your hotel.
You can deal with my attorney.

Listen to me, hotshot.

Charlie Manning's
on a very important
undercover mission.

He's supposed to check in
with me every hour.

Right now, he's two hours
overdue and that can mean
a lot of things...

all of them bad.

If he's dead, and I can prove
that you knew something
that could have saved him...

you'll be an accessory
after the fact in his murder.

No, I'm not.
I'm not even gonna be
a material witness...

unless the DA can establish me
on preliminary,
which he can't.

There's no foundation.

And he can't get me
into cross-examination
for the same reason.

So thanks for the invitation,
I think I'll go fishing.

He's been around, Captain.

[Bangs on table]

Look, Rockford.

Manning's more than just
a cop to me, you see.

I picked him out when he was
a rookie. I broke him in,
and I don't want to lose him.

I'm sorry, Captain.

Who's Claire Prescott?
Is she your client?

What's Manning involved in?
What's the gig?

I can't tell you!

Where is she?
I just want to talk to her.

I'm sorry, Captain.
Lock him up.

Wait.

I'll tell you what I'll do.
I'll meet you halfway.

I'll get her to come in,
but I won't take you to her.

What's the difference?

To me there's
a big difference.
Take it or leave it.

Then you get her here fast.

That's up to her,
but I'll try.

Tail him.
He'll be looking for it,
Captain.

He's a maniac in a car.
I'll never stay with him.

How do you know till you try?
I have tried
two or three times.

Try again!

[Dialing]

(Capt. Highland)
Yeah.

Highland, this is
Jim Rockford.

Where are you?
At the Crest Hotel
near the zoo.

You were gonna
bring her back here.

Not possible.
Why not?

She skipped.
Stay where you are.
You're under arrest.

You came back here,
tipped her, and she took off.

That can't make sense
even to you.

Yes, it does.
It makes a lot of sense.

Look, I told you
how it went down.

I wanna get out of here.
You're not gonna arrest me...

because you haven't
got a charge.

I'm gonna give you a tip,
buster.

You go home,
and if she calls you,
you call me.

You understand? If you don't,
I'll find something
for you, anything.

I got city and county statutes
you never heard of.

I'll end up sending you
to the showers. You got it?

You got style, Captain.
I know.

He reminds me
of my high-school gym coach.

He's okay.

He's just worried
about Manning, that's all.

For all he knows,
Charlie could be dead
right now.

We don't know
who Claire Prescott is.

We don't know
what her connection
with Manning is.

But if she's looking for him,
then she may know something.

Jim, you gotta help us
with this.

You gonna be following me
or what?

No. We got a couple a guys
from patrol who are
working off duty.

That's great.

Tell them I'm on my way home.
I'll try not to lose them.

Be careful.

(Rocky)
Where have you been?

Did Claire call?
You've been with her,
ain't you?

Rocky, when you
answer a question...
Look, I've been taking a nap.

I don't know.
Maybe the phone rang.
I don't remember.

Rocky.

All right. She called
about an hour ago.

[Phone rings]

Hello?
(Rockford)
Claire, where are you?

Did you find Manning?

No, but I found out about him.
He's a cop, Claire.

He's an undercover cop,
and he's missing.

How did you find out?

Never mind how I found out.
Why didn't you tell me?

I don't know. For a lot
of reasons, most of them
sentimental.

There's not a lot of room
for sentiment in this.

I got knocked around
by a couple of goons...

who work for some guy
named Sawtell.

I got a couple of cops
outside here watching me
through binoculars.

And there's a police captain
named Highland who is
right out of a '40s movie...

breathing all over me. So
let's forget about
the sentiment and clue me in.

I'm sorry. I didn't want to
get you in trouble.

I know.

I believe that, Claire,
but somehow with us...

it always ends up with me
sucking air into my pump.

I suppose it does.

Why don't you tell me
what's going on?
Why are you in trouble?

I will, but you won't like it.
Where are you?

You've got to promise
not to bring the police.

That may take a little doing,
but I think I can arrange it.

I'm at the White Owl Lounge.

It's about 10 miles south
of the marina
on the Coast Highway.

All right, I'll be there
as soon as I can.

I guess you know
how dumb that was.

Yeah, I know.

Rocky, you're gonna have to
help me get those two
blue suits off my back.

How do I do that?
Run them out of here
with a rolling pin?

I want you to put on
this blue blazer and go out
and get in my car.

Don't let them recognize you,
and then take them
on a tour of Santa Monica.

It's that serious?

Yeah, for a lot of reasons
and none of them have anything
to do with love.

You're sure about that?
Who's sure of anything?

There's just an answer
I never got, and I want to
get it.

Looky here, Son.

Don't forget
about that little room
on the 5th floor...

with the wire on the window,
with that lousy two-way phone
we had to talk through.

I'm not gonna get beefed
on this, Rocky. Trust me.

What about all my notes?
I gotta take them in
Wednesday.

When I get back,
we'll finish up.

You be careful.
Take care of yourself, too.

[Engine starting]

[Engine starts up]

[Phone rings]

Hello.
(Sgt. Becker)
Jim, this is Becker.

I thought
you'd like to know.

Charles Manning was found
shot to death in a hotel room.

Jim?
Yeah, I'm here.

Did you hear from the girl?

No.

[Sighs]

Jim, you better be
straight on this.

You could end up an accessory
to murder. Highland thinks
she killed him.

Thanks, Dennis.

(Claire)
Hi.

Nothing for me, thank you.

Manning is dead.

The cops found him
shot to death in a hotel
about an hour ago.

I suppose the police think
I killed him.

I don't know
what the police think.

All I know is you
sucked me into this thing,
whatever it is...

and you're playing me off
against the cops.

If you're guilty of anything,
I'm an accessory
after the fact.

I'd like some answers, Claire.

I'm sorry, Jim. I didn't mean
to get you hooked up
in my problems.

That sounds nice, honey,
but it's pure baloney.

Can't you have
a little faith in me?

I'm not even sure I know you
anymore. Three years ago
I thought I did.

But I don't think I knew you
even then.

Three years ago, when I called
to break up, he was
in the room with me.

He made me call.
Manning?

Let's move.

Why did Manning
make you call me?

[Sighing]
It's hard to know
where to begin.

I was working
at the restaurant
and Mr. Harris had...

just made me the hostess.

Do you remember?
Yeah.

He wanted me to
run some errands for him.

Don't tell me you were
hustling shoe boxes
around town.

Yes, stupid, huh?

Didn't you ever look inside?
No.

No, he told me
they were cash receipts.

What was it?
Numbers or narcotics?

Narcotics.

Charlie Manning was
working the restaurant
undercover as a waiter...

and he caught me.

Jim, I came so close to
calling you and telling you.

But he had me cold on
a transporting narcotics
charge.

He said if I didn't
work undercover for him,
that he'd have me arrested...

and I'd go to jail
for five years.

What's the matter?

You should have called me.
I could have saved you
a lot of grief.

But he had...
Nothing, nothing.
It's an old police trick.

He didn't have a good case
against you.

Maybe he didn't have
probable cause
before he arrested you...

or he violated your rights.
But you can bet one thing...

if he had
a prosecutable case...

he would have ended up
booking you
and fingerprinting you.

And now that he's dead,
I guess I have
a pretty good motive...

for killing him.

Unless the police don't know
you were his snitch.
Did he ever tell them?

I don't know.

He was strange.

He didn't talk to me like
I was a person, more like
I was property of his.

He wouldn't let me be
around anyone...

unless it was people he
wanted me to find out
something about.

That's why he wouldn't
let me see you.

I guess it doesn't make
any difference, anyway.

I've helped him arrest
at least 30 people. If they
ever found out, I'd be dead.

If the police found out,
they'd want me to testify...

and I wouldn't
live through the trial.

What do you want me to do?

I don't know.

I really don't know.

I guess I want you
to believe in me.

Do you have any money?

I think I can get about $500.

I want you to leave town
and not come back.

I'll call my dad.
He'll bring the money.

How come you believe me?

I don't know, Claire.

But I do.

(Rocky)
Hello?
Yeah, hello. Dad?

Rockford.
Who is this?

It's get-even time, Rockford.
Who is this?

You got my wallet.
I got your old man.

Do you hear me, Rockford?
Yeah, I hear you.

Good. Now here's how it goes.

You want your old man.
We want the girl.

I don't know where she is.

Then we might as well
shoot him and get out
of here, right?

Look, I'd like to help you...
Drop it, Rockford.

Either we get the girl now,
or you never see your
old man breathing again.

Now what's it gonna be?

Okay. She's with me.

[Sighs]

I'm about 10 miles
up the coast.
Where?

You want to make an exchange,
we'll pick a neutral spot.

Okay.

There's a parking lot
on the north side
of the Santa Monica Pier.

We'll see you there
in half an hour.
Half an hour.

And Rockford, we see
one blue suit, we're gonna put
a bullet in this old jerk.

Come on.
What's wrong?

Jim, what is it?

The two goons who work
for Sawtell have my father.

They told me that if I
didn't turn you over to them,
they're gonna kill him.

Jim, I'm so sorry.
Here, there's about $40 here.

Catch the first bus south.
Get into Mexico.

Maybe I should stay.
Maybe I should...

What? Trade yourself
for my father?

Would you do that, Claire?

Here. You take the next bus.

[Paper rustling]

[Footsteps receding]

[Engine humming]

[Metallic clanking]

[Metallic clinking]

[Door closes]

You got the girl?
She's in the truck.

Bring her here!
You go get her.

I want to see my old man.
Put your hands
where I can see them.

Hold it right there, Rockford.

How you doing, Rocky?
I'm okay.

(Stone)
Okay, out.

Come on, Rocky.

[Glass shattering]

[Air escaping]

Come on, Rocky.

[Engine starting]

Watch it, Rocky.

Come on, Rocky.

[Radio chattering]

(Capt. Highland)
Becker.

We've picked up Cassell.
These guys ain't
talking much, Captain.

(Capt. Highland)
We'll turn it all over
to the DA.

Give them the evidence.
They'll all start talking.

We'll need the girl, Rockford.
I can't help you, Captain.

She's a material witness
in Manning's murder.

She didn't see it.

I'd like to hear that
from her.
You just heard it from me.

I'm gonna bust you, hotshot.

Everything
from breaking into a store,
stealing a dummy...

aiding and abetting
a fugitive...
Hotshot...

you do that and I'll just let
the papers in this town know
about Claire Prescott...

and how Manning
turned her out.
And just how was that?

He conned her.

We'll look at his logs. We'll
see just what kind of case
he had on her.

[Sighs]

You're in some big trouble,
Rockford.
I don't think so.

Where is she? Where is she?
Rockford!

Where is she?

Where is she?

If you don't tell me...

Where is she?

I'm telling you,
I'm going to have
charges against you.

Rockford, where is she?

I don't know.