The Rockford Files (1974–1980): Season 2, Episode 16 - A Portrait of Elizabeth - full transcript
A client of Beth's hires Jim misleadingly to check on his company.
Say, are you absolutely
certain that those checks
are in the ledger?
And I'm telling you,
we're gonna drop the hammer
on this guy tonight.
This is the last time
I'll ever go
to a concert with you.
That's great.
We'll just stick to
the Rams and the Dodgers.
You're under arrest.
Would you come
with us, please?
What's the charge?
Suspicion of attempt
to defraud
the Federal Government,
suspicion of federal
banking fraud,
suspicion of grand theft
and murder.
(PHONE RINGING)
ROCKFORD:
(ON ANSWERING MACHINE)
This is Jim Rockford.
At the tone, leave your name
and message.
I'll get back to you.
(BEEPS)
Jim, it's Harry.
We've been waiting on you
two hours.
The forks. Where's the forks?
Lasagna ain't no finger food.
I don't know what happened.
Jim is usually very punctual.
Well, that's all right.
I just hope he can help me.
Oh, he's the best, Dave.
You used to date him.
Isn't that right?
Date Jim?
Jim Rockford?
Oh, just every
once in a while.
Hi, honey. I'm sorry.
I'm Jim Rockford.
You must be Beth's client.
Right. David Delaroux.
Pleased to meet you.
Gee, Jim, didn't have
to get all dressed up.
Is anything wrong, honey?
Stop calling me "honey."
Yeah, well, okay...
Come on in.
Uh-oh. Hey, I...
I left my keys over
at Rocky's, but it's okay.
I got another one here.
We were pulling
the engine on Rocky's truck
and putting in a new cam,
working on the fuel injection.
When we get
that thing finished,
it's really gonna be hot.
Go ahead, Miss Davenport.
Thank you.
You know, I don't know
why Rocky wants to soup
that truck up, but he does.
We had to rent a winch from
over at Farmer's gas station.
Took us a long time
to get the engine out.
We were unhooking the linkage,
and when we're working
on the motor mount...
This is fascinating.
Yeah. Just let me
wash my hands, will you?
What kind of an engine is it?
It's a 350.
It's fuel injected,
bored out a little,
and Rocky put double shocks
all the way around, you know.
Do you mind, Jim?
Yeah, all right,
I'll be right with you.
Just let me finish
washing my hands.
He's usually
very neat and punctual.
Cars are just sort
of a hobby for him,
that's all.
It's all right, Beth. Relax.
I may hire him.
I'm not gonna marry him.
Here.
Forehead.
What?
You've got...
On your forehead, it's dirty.
Is that all right, Mommy?
Hey, here, come on.
Sit down. Sit down.
Beth tells me you've got
a little problem, huh, Dave?
That's right. I hired Beth
to give me some legal advice.
Which he hardly needs.
He's one of the finest lawyers
I've ever met.
You should see him
in court, Jim.
He can turn a jury around
like nobody you ever met.
Yeah? Well, how about that?
You've known Beth long, Dave?
Yeah.
David hasn't practiced law
for a while.
He joined a company back east
called Biometrics.
He's their comptroller.
What's the problem?
There's a strong possibility
that the head of our LA office
is stealing
company cashier checks.
One of the secretaries there
is an old friend of mine,
and he had let me in on it.
Okay. Okay, so?
Well, if I go in there
and start asking questions,
everything is gonna freeze up,
and I don't know
how many people are involved,
if at all.
I want to find out
without alerting anyone.
I haven't practiced law
for five years.
That's why I hired Beth,
to get me current with
the legal responsibilities
of Biometrics
in the event that
there are any bogus checks
which have been cashed.
What I need is someone
to get into the branch office
to take a look
at the cashier's ledger.
The checks are numbered,
and I have a list of the ones
that are possibly stolen.
If those checks
are still there,
then I'm afraid all this
has been a waste of time.
If they're not,
I think we should call
the DA's office
and start
more formal proceedings.
Let me ask you
a question, Dave.
Sure, Jim.
Why don't you just get a key
and go into the office
late at night
and take a look for yourself?
That's a good question, Jim.
I thought so, too.
The answer is I don't want to.
That's not much
of an answer, Dave.
You can tell him, David.
We can trust him.
Well, the reason
I don't want to go in there
is because the head
of the LA office
is a man named Tom Hanson.
He's my first cousin,
and he resents
my interference,
and he takes
the cashier ledger
home with him every evening.
He does, huh?
That's right, Jim.
Well, look,
I'm a little busy right now.
I have made all my payments
on everything for the month,
and I really
don't know too much
about cashier's checks,
so I'd just as soon skip it.
Could you excuse us
for a minute?
Look, Beth, it's all right.
If he doesn't want to,
we'll just find someone else.
Do you mind, just,
could you go outside
just for a second?
Thanks anyway.
Yeah.
I promised him.
He's a friend,
and he needs help.
You're gonna help him.
Uh-uh.
Please?
Nope.
(TYPEWRITERS CLACKING)
ROCKFORD: We have a very nice
seascape engraved
on a field of green,
very subtle, very good taste.
We supplied the whole
General Delaware
Life Insurance Company
with that design
on their stock certificates
when they went public
last August.
It's quite handsome,
very understated.
Yeah, well, you see,
I don't understand
what you're talking about,
Mr. Diederinghouse.
Now, you say
you were asked to look us up
by Mr. Jurgins
from our central office?
No, Mr. Swerling
from the central office.
Mr. Jurgins is with
Seagren, Foote and Hall.
Our public relations firm,
but why would they...
Look, I'm afraid
I don't quite understand
what's bothering you,
Mr. Hanson.
It's all very clear.
Yeah. But why
would Mr. Swerling
from the public relations firm
want us to redesign
our checks and bank notes?
Because Mr. Temple
was in Jamaica last week,
and he saw the engravings
that Mr. Hall did
for Biometrics, Incorporated,
and then he called Mr. Sherman
in New York,
who called Swerling,
who called Jurgins...
Yeah, but, see,
Mr. Temple is semi-retired.
I mean, he's on the board,
but he's consulting.
Look, why don't we
just forget about it, huh?
I'll go back to Chicago,
and you can get it sorted out
through your corporate maze.
I'm sorry I bothered you.
No, no, no, no, no!
No, wait a minute.
Wait a minute.
Look,
if you don't understand...
I don't.
Well, then I suggest
that you check it out.
That's fair enough, huh?
I just don't have time
to play around.
I have to see
the B of A people,
and I have to see
three airlines by 4:00.
No, see... You see,
it's just that...
Wait. Wait, see...
All right, if Mr...
If Mr. Temple and Mr. Jurgins
want us to redesign
our checks and bank notes...
It's just...
It's just progress,
Mr. Hanson.
Marketing and promotion,
those are the watchwords
of today's
progressive businessman,
Mr. Hanson.
How can I help you?
I suppose I should get a look
at the current checks,
and we'll go from there.
You mean,
the cashier's checkbook.
That's what it's all about,
Mr. Hanson, yes.
All right.
(TYPEWRITERS CLACKING)
(PHONE RINGING)
I'll have to stay with you
while you look
at the cashier's checkbook.
Yes, yes.
(OFFICE STAFF CHATTERING)
Really tacky, isn't it?
I beg your pardon?
Tacky.
I mean, old English 1930...
Ah, there's just
no definition.
ROCKFORD: You know,
it's amazing to me how some
of these engravers get by.
Frightening.
Somebody just hit our line.
Yeah.
Well, he's looking
at the cashier's checkbook.
No, haven't got his name,
but you better come on down
here and sniff this guy.
Yeah, okay,
we'll put a tail on him.
Right.
Yes, sir, and thank you.
Jim Rockford.
I'm meeting Mr. Delaroux.
You'll need a tie, sir.
What for?
In order to be seated.
We can loan you one.
We do have
a limited selection.
This way, please.
Hi, I'm sorry, Jim.
We went ahead and ordered.
David doesn't have
much time.
No, that's all right.
I can make a telephone call
and put off my appointments.
But you shouldn't
have to, Dave.
Howdy, folks.
I'm sorry I'm late.
How's the tuna fish
salad in this place?
Is something wrong?
Blue doesn't exactly
go with yellow and brown.
Oh, really?
I'll have to write that
on a card
and stick it in my locker.
I don't suppose
you've made any headway yet.
As a matter of fact, I've made
quite a bit of headway.
All the check numbers
you gave me
are in the cashier's book.
Are you sure?
Yeah, I'm sure.
That's wonderful.
Then your cousin
didn't steal from Biometrics.
Boy, that's a load
off my mind.
Waiter.
Thanks, Jim.
It's nothing.
Would you tell a waiter
to come over here, please?
I'd like to order now.
That changes everything.
I was so sure
that he was dipping
into the company
that I put off
doing business with him
until all this was resolved.
Now, now I think I should
really take care of
a couple of accounting items
which shouldn't be put off.
Of course.
Yeah, but it's gonna
cut into our plans
for this evening.
Oh?
Say, I've got a great idea.
Why doesn't Jim take you?
They're great seats,
really great, Jim.
Shostakovich is a marvelous
composer. It would be
a shame to waste them.
Well...
Please, Jim.
Beth really had
her heart set on going.
Well...
So did I, but...
I mean, I would be neglecting
my responsibilities
if I went along.
I've got two new computer
programs that I should really
discuss with him,
now that I can trust him.
Look...
Say, are you absolutely
certain that those checks
are in the ledger?
I mean, you're sure you didn't
make a mistake
or misread them, did you?
Yeah, I'm sure.
You know something, Dave?
You're beginning
to get on my nerves.
Well, what I meant was...
I said they're there.
They're there.
Now, I will give you
a signed affidavit.
Beth here can notarize it
in the presence
of one of the waiters
if we can get one
to come to the table, okay?
Would you take this
gentleman's order, please?
Forget it.
Lost my appetite.
What on earth
is wrong with you?
Nothing.
You made a scene in front
of David like some kind
of six-year-old.
Look, I'm sorry.
I tell you what, Beth.
Do me a favor, will you?
Be sure and get
my check from David
before you let him
out of your sight.
Just what does that mean?
That means I think Dave
is a little slick.
I think he's trying to job us.
Sir?
Yeah?
What do you want?
The tie. May I have
the tie back, please?
Thanks. I had nothing
but compliments.
Mr. Delaroux,
I hope the meal
was acceptable.
Marvelous, Harold.
Tell Ren? he still has the
best kitchen in Los Angeles.
Thank you, Mr. Delaroux.
He'll be happy to hear it.
KAREN: I hope you're gonna be
in town for a while, Dave.
Just two days this time.
(DOOR OPENING)
ALMA: I'm sorry, sir.
You can't go in.
Mrs. Silver is entertaining.
MICKEY: You bet
she's entertaining.
Get out of my way, Alma.
You're the guy, huh?
I don't have the slightest
idea what you're talking
about. Who are you?
Just get out of here,
Mickey.
Get out of this house
before I call the police.
Yeah?
Is that what you're gonna do,
Karen, honey?
You're gonna call the cops?
What's the charge
gonna be, huh?
Just get out of here.
This is my house!
You ain't got no divorce yet,
so you ain't got spit.
You
must be Mickey Silver.
That's right, pal.
You got 10 seconds to pick up
your gold cigarette case
and get out the front door.
He is my guest.
That's right, honey,
and he's leaving.
You've got
a big mouth, mister.
You're looking to
start some trouble, huh?
Is that what you want to do,
Mr. Delaroux?
How do you know my name?
I got more than
your name, pal.
You're a backbiting
cocktail party hors d'oeuvre
with too many silk robes
in closets
where they don't belong.
You got
something in mind?
Where you wanna do it?
Oh, I hate to bust up
my own furniture.
Fine.
How about out back?
Go.
Mickey, stop this.
Shut up!
(GRUNTS)
Come on.
Come on. Come and get it.
You're dead, mister.
Right now,
you're dead.
Sure, sure.
You better get out of here
while you can still walk.
Look at that.
Take it easy, Mick.
How long has she been
seeing this guy?
I don't know, Mick.
As soon as I heard about it,
I called you.
He's dead.
Look, Mick. I mean,
you threatened him.
You take him off
and people are gonna know.
I got us set up all night.
We've got an alibi
nobody's gonna crack.
Let him settle in a little,
get into his silk pajamas,
then we'll take him.
Whose place is this?
How should I know?
He's alone.
That's all that counts.
We could at least
have stayed till intermission.
I was falling asleep, Beth.
It was a beautiful concert.
I told you
I'd leave you cab money.
You know,
sometimes you make Dave
look pretty wonderful.
Well, he is wonderful.
You put a tennis racket
in his hand,
you could stand him
in the window of any
sporting goods store in town.
You're jealous.
You're right.
Ever since Dave showed up,
I have been taking seconds.
I'm on a second-hand date,
listening to
second-hand music.
Now I'm getting cussed out
in second-hand legal terms,
most of which
I don't understand.
This is the last time
I'll ever go
to a concert with you.
That's great.
We'll just stick to
the Rams and the Dodgers.
Brother!
I'll take you home,
and would you let me know
when you get Dave's check?
He'll pay you.
Sure, sure.
(CAR DOORS SLAMMING)
ADAMS: Now!
Close it!
Put the lights on.
Look at him. Ten years
I've been his bodyguard
and look at him now.
I shouldn't have let you
talk me into this.
Why? It's clean.
He threatened my life.
If the cops ever do
put it together, it's gonna
look like self-defense.
Yeah, I know. It's just...
Don't worry.
We used Mickey's MO.
He never knew it.
The law was beginning
to suspect him.
We've crossed him off,
which leaves them
with a lot of questions
and no answers. It's perfect.
It's just that...
There's one more little detail
we gotta take care of.
What?
Come here, I'll show you.
That's fine, thanks.
(PHONE RINGING)
Hello?
Beth.
Oh, David,
I'm so glad you called.
The concert was brilliant.
It's Jim.
Strap yourself in, honey,
I got a nightcap for you.
I just got home,
and I found two guys
in my trailer,
and both of them
have been shot dead.
The place has been ransacked,
and looks like they used
my gun.
You're kidding.
Oh yeah, Beth,
this is one
of my funniest routines.
Jim, you're not serious.
I'm gonna call Becker.
If I know
the homicide dicks,
well, I'm gonna be
in a lot of trouble.
So tell Solly I'll need bail,
and I'll put up my car
just like last time.
Wait a minute.
Okay, I'll meet you
at the police station.
I'll see what they have
and try and get
an OR release.
Good luck on that one.
Later, Beth.
Sergeant Becker, please.
Hey, Dennis, Jim.
Guess what.
What?
Look, Dennis,
I don't like it any better
than you do.
If you never saw them before,
why were they killed
in your trailer?
What were they doing there?
I don't know.
Look, Rockford,
CID is running a make
on those two stiffs right now.
In 20 minutes,
we're gonna know
who they are.
That means, in 20 minutes
we just might find out that
you owed one of them money,
that you threatened one,
that you got some kind
of spooky connection with one.
Whenever that happens,
we're gonna pin it Murder One,
and you're through.
That's absolute bull,
but go ahead,
make me an offer.
Okay.
I call the DA.
I get him in here. You cop
involuntary manslaughter.
The way it reads is,
you came home,
you found two guys
ransacking your trailer,
one a them pulls a gun,
you blow them both away.
'Course, I overlook the fact
you're not supposed
to carry a pistol,
and I overlook the fact
I got you on
Murder One.
We get your attorney in here,
sign some papers,
get if off the books,
bang, bang.
How about that?
Involuntary Manslaughter, huh?
That's right.
Okay. Who were they?
I already told you,
we don't know.
Sure you do.
You already ran
a check on them,
and you don't think
you can tie it to me.
Otherwise, you wouldn't
bargain it down
to something
I can walk away from
in six months.
That's the offer.
Take it or leave it.
Well, I think you know what
you can do with your offer,
don't you, Lieutenant?
What?
Becker, book him
as a material witness
and get him out of here.
Take him over
to West Hollywood.
I don't want him to connect up
with a bail bondsman
for a couple of hours.
Listen, Lieutenant.
We could OR him.
We've done it before.
He won't skip town.
No way, Sergeant.
He's gonna eat county food
for a couple a days.
All expenses paid.
(PHONE RINGING)
Lieutenant Diehl. Yeah.
Oh, Beth. Hey, great.
Hi, Solly.
Why don't you just
reserve a room
down here, Jim?
Funny, Solly. Really funny.
We've always
got Rocky's truck.
Of course,
the engine's out of it.
Diehl wants me to bicycle Jim
from precinct to precinct,
so you better push
that arraignment.
Otherwise, he's gonna be
buried so deep in paper,
it's gonna take a month
to find out what can he's in.
Something's in the air,
and I don't know what it is.
Well, go on, Sergeant.
Get him out of here.
Hi, Rockford.
Agent Shore,
Federal Bureau
of Investigation.
You're under arrest.
Would you come
with us, please?
You gonna let him
get away with that?
Wait a minute.
This man is our prisoner.
Not anymore.
We're taking him
to 2357 Wilshire.
You can have a little time
with him after we're through,
but he'll probably get moved
to the Federal facility
in Oxnard by tomorrow.
Now, wait a minute.
Hold the phone, buddy.
You can't just walk in here
and take this guy.
Sure we can.
Wanna bet?
No offense,
but I wasn't talking to you.
No offense,
but I'm his attorney,
and if you aren't absolutely
straight about the way
you handle this,
I'm gonna hit you with
half a dozen technicalities
starting with failure
to inform prisoner
of his rights,
and failure to grant
consultation with counsel,
and harassment.
Don't throw the Miranda
up at me, lady.
I don't ask incriminating
questions until all
the technicalities
have been observed
and witnessed.
Just back off.
You can't have him.
We got him in here
as a material witness
on a murder.
You're gonna subjugate
the charge until
were through with him.
You know what you
can do with that, buddy.
What are the charges?
Suspicion of attempt
to defraud
the Federal Government,
suspicion of federal
banking fraud,
suspicion of grand theft
and murder.
See you around, Jim.
(DOOR CLOSING)
You sure you didn't
forget anything?
Look, Shore,
you can have him when
I'm finished with him,
which might be in about
30 years depending
on the disposition
of the murder case.
Do yourself a favor,
Sergeant...
Lieutenant.
Whatever.
Check it with somebody
a little higher up the line.
I'll do just that.
Let's go.
Just a minute, Shore.
I'd like to speak
with my client, gentlemen.
Now, what is going on?
I don't know,
but I'm beginning to get
a little suspicious.
About what?
Dave Delaroux.
Now wait a minute.
Suspicion to
defraud the government.
That's an accounting crime,
right?
And old David
is an accountant.
Oh, come on.
Suspicion of
federal banking fraud.
That wouldn't have
anything to do
with Biometrics'
cashier's checks,
now would it?
Huh?
You're darn right, it would.
And murder.
That would be the two guys
with the glassy stares
they found in my trailer.
How did they get in there?
I mean,
the door wasn't sprung.
Somebody just let
themselves in.
And as I recall,
Dave had a pretty good idea
that we were gonna be
at that concert,
and he also saw
where I hide the key.
You know, all of this
is circumstantial.
You think?
I know.
Okay, Beth.
Okay, but I'm gonna
need you to verify
what he wanted me to do
and the fact that
I never had any knowledge
of Dave Delaroux before today.
I think the Feds
are gonna want to know
a lot about old Dave.
I'm gonna need you
to back me up.
What is it?
What's wrong?
I'll do what I can,
but if you're right,
I'm afraid there isn't much
I can do to help you.
That's great.
That's wonderful. Why not?
Because David hired me.
I am technically
his attorney.
I can't do anything
that would incriminate him.
If I did, it would be
inadmissible in court anyway.
I never liked him, you know.
You remember?
Remember the...
I said from the beginning
I had a hunch about him,
he's tricky.
You remember that?
I remember.
Why don't we just go to
the Federal building downtown?
Why a garage in the Valley?
Because we'd just as soon
keep you out of reach
of the local authorities
for a little while.
Oh, yeah.
You guys wouldn't
be pulling my wings,
now would you?
You're in a pile
of trouble, Rockford.
The LAPD is about
to hang a jacket on you,
and the way I see it,
you just might take the fall.
But your best bet is
to come clean with us,
and maybe we can screen them
off you for a little while.
That's my best bet, huh?
That's it.
What do you want to know?
Let's start
with something easy.
Tell us about the
First Federal Bank
in San Diego.
What do you want
to know about it?
Everything you know,
and don't leave out anything.
Okay, it's a bank.
It's in San Diego.
Until about 10 seconds ago,
I never heard of it.
I think that covers
about everything.
Comedian. How about that?
Look, I got a very bad case
of confusion.
Why don't you just
run some of this past me,
and maybe I can help.
I suppose you don't know
anything about the $2 million.
That's right.
Okay, maybe you're a patsy,
maybe not, so just for drill,
I'm gonna go through it
for you.
And if I can tie you
into any of it,
you're gonna get your palm
slapped with a ruler,
and I'm gonna see to it
that you have to
go stand in the corner
for 20 years.
That's a joke?
That's a fact.
A month ago, a guy named
Rod Fitzpatrick walked into
the First Federal in San Diego
and set up
a banking relationship.
He got real friendly
with the bank manager,
told him he was
an advance man
for Biometrics,
which was gonna put in
a huge sewage disposal plant
in San Diego.
He passed a lot of money
in and out of the account.
And then one day,
about two weeks ago,
he walked into the bank
with $2 million
in cashier's checks
from Biometrics.
He cashed them
and walked out the front door
with the cash.
Checks turned out
to be stolen.
And guess what?
He's never been
heard from again.
Wrong.
He dropped out of sight
for two weeks
and six days
and then miraculously
turned up tonight,
a little worse for wear.
You wanna guess where?
On the floor
of my trailer?
Bingo.
Which one was he?
One of the guys was named
Mickey Silver.
He's masterminded a lot
of federal banking swindles
over the last 10 years,
and he set this one up.
The other guy
was Arnold Adams,
alias, Rod Fitzpatrick.
He's been Mickey Silver's
bodyguard for almost 10 years.
Where does Dave Delaroux
fit in?
That's a good question,
and the answer is gonna
determine whether
you pull the 20 years or not.
Well, I don't have
the answers,
but can I take a guess?
Dave Delaroux is
the comptroller of Biometrics,
and he's the inside man,
and he's probably got
the $2 million.
Or you have.
Come on.
Even you don't believe that.
Why did you go into Biometrics
yesterday and look through
the cashier's checkbook?
Dave Delaroux hired me
to see if any of the checks
were missing.
So you think
he sent you in as a decoy
to pull us out of the way
while he got the chance
to dust off Silver and Adams?
That's what I think.
Okay, how do we
confirm all this?
Well, I'm a little jammed up
in the alibi department.
What a bad break for you.
Yeah, well, my attorney
is my alibi for tonight,
but Dave Delaroux hired her
on a related matter,
which means
that she can't
testify to anything
that might incriminate him.
Okay.
How about we put you
on the box?
A lie detector?
Okay, but...
but if I pass,
you gotta give me a promise
that you'll get
the locals off my back, okay?
Okay, I'll do what I can.
Let's go.
I don't want you
to take it too hard.
I think you figured a way
to beat the machine, Rockford.
Hey, maybe I'm just
telling the truth.
You ever think of that?
From now on, you stay
out of this or I'm gonna
drop down on you like Batman.
Yeah. See you.
BETH: If you say,
"I told you so" one more time,
I swear, Jim, I'm gonna
throw this dish at you.
Besides, they haven't proved
that he killed anybody
or stole anything.
Whatever happened
to the concept of innocent
until proven guilty?
Well, let's look at
the facts, Beth.
Now, two weeks ago,
Arnold Adams rips off
a San Diego bank for $2 mil.
Now, the feds seem to think
that Mickey Silver set it up,
but I'm not so sure.
Why?
Well, it just doesn't figure.
I mean, if he set it up,
why would he use his
bodyguard to bluff the bank?
I don't follow you.
Well, the Feds seem to think
that there's an inside man
somewhere,
so they take pictures of all
the Biometrics executives
who have the resources
to pull the strings
from the inside.
Then they take those pictures
along with one
of Arnold Adams,
and they show them to all
the restaurant owners
within a two block radius
of the Biometrics building
in New York.
Well, it turns out
that one of those
restaurant owners
identifies dear old Dave
as a frequent lunch companion
of Arnold Adams,
now tragically deceased.
That makes Biometrics
very nervous,
so they fire him.
Now, I think that Dave
set the whole thing up
and got the Feds interested
in Mickey Silver
by using his bodyguard.
They fired him?
Yeah.
When? How long ago?
Last week.
He never said
anything about it.
How about that?
Here.
Well, don't take it out on me.
He's your friend, not mine.
I'm not...
Beth, the guy is
a first-class thief
and probably a murderer.
I liked him.
Okay, so I'm a jerk!
I liked him!
Oh, Beth.
Hey.
Forget it.
Hey, Beth,
I'm sorry.
Me, too.
Did you love him?
I don't know.
You gotta give me a little bit
of a pass, though, huh?
I'm jealous,
and jealous people
do and say things
they don't mean.
Are you jealous, Jim?
Mmm-hmm.
Really?
Really.
You know,
two years ago,
when I first met you,
I thought, "This is the one."
And I took out
my little lariat,
and I swung it over my head.
I took dead aim,
and I tossed.
I must have thrown it
50 times since then,
but I gotta hand it to you, Jim.
You're a tough catch.
Sometime,
I don't know,
last year, I guess,
I sort of settled for friend.
And I started looking
for someone with more
long-range possibilities.
David looked
like a good candidate.
Thanks,
but still jealous.
You still need a lawyer?
Yeah.
And a friend.
We're gonna have to get
a line on what else
he's been doing in LA.
Why don't you see
what you can get
from the LA cops,
and I'll go back
to Biometrics
and get on Tom Hanson.
Okay.
"Dear Beth, I'm sorry.
"I know what you must think,
but I had no other choice.
"I borrowed your car."
This just isn't my day.
"I'll leave it in the airport
parking near the western
terminal. Dave."
Well, it's a lead anyway.
What do you mean, a lead?
You think we ought to go out
to the airport to try and find
your car?
Well, sure.
All we have to do
is find out how long
it's been in the lot,
and then we can pin down
the flight by checking
the airlines
near where it's parked.
I think we'd be
wasting our time.
There's one thing
I've learned about old Dave.
He is a master
of misdirection.
Watch the bouncing ball.
Which shell has the pea?
Nothing in the hand
and nothing up the sleeve.
What on earth
are you talking about?
He's still in town.
Why steal a car?
Why not just take a cab
or the airport bus?
The car is a diversion
just to keep us all
moving in circles
and asking a lot
of dumb questions
at the airport
while he makes
his last move.
Which is?
I don't know.
I suppose he's gonna try
to get that $2 million
out of the country,
which could pose a problem
since every customs agent
from Toronto to Tijuana
has probably already
been alerted.
Who else does he know in town?
Well,
nobody.
What's her name?
Look, that was over
at least a year ago.
Oh, yeah, yeah.
Dave's true blue.
Anybody can see that.
All right, Beth, I'm sorry.
Look,
I'll try not to step
on your feelings,
but I'm afraid I won't be able
to hide mine completely.
It's okay.
What's her name?
Susan Valero.
She's a real estate broker
in the valley.
Hi.
Hi. I'm Jim Rockford.
This is Miss Davenport.
Beth, isn't it?
Yes, how did...
Dave mentioned you.
How can I help you, Jim?
Well, we're...
Looking for Dave.
Did you try his apartment?
Apartment?
I sold him an apartment
complex about two years ago.
That's how I met him.
Mr. Garvey,
the former owner, lives
in one of the other units
on a leaseback
and manages the apartment.
It's a nice deal.
I didn't know he had
an apartment. He never told me
anything about it.
Oh, well, what would you
like me to say?
Is he yours?
That's right. Hands off.
Well, we seem to be sharing
the same men,
so why break up the pattern?
I'm in the book,
or you can always reach me
here during working hours.
In case he's interested
in real estate.
Miss Valero, if you could
put away your little
seduction kit for a minute,
maybe you wouldn't mind
telling us
where Dave's apartment is.
It's on Valley Street. 2416.
He bought it
because it has a nice
northern light.
He uses it more as a studio,
I think, than a residence.
Studio?
Oh, Dave's a truly
fine artist, portraits.
That's right. He's done
several paintings of me.
Full figure.
Big deal. Let's go, Jim.
Nice meeting you.
Don't be a stranger.
Lets go, Jim.
Bye.
Ciao.
I think that's David's car.
Oh, yeah?
I don't know.
Maybe we should've
called in the police.
I'm sure that's David's car.
Yeah, and he's all packed up
and ready to leave.
DAVID: Beth?
David, I've gotta see you.
Uh...
Please, I'm alone.
Okay.
Well, well,
what do we have here?
You pulling up stakes?
Is that it, Dave?
That's right.
I'm running a little late.
I hope you don't mind.
Yeah, I do.
You got me
in a whole pile of trouble.
Is that so?
Yeah.
You know, if you take off,
there's gonna be a lot
of unhappy gunslingers around.
Half the LA Federal Office
is out looking, not to mention
a bunch of local prowlies.
So if you disappear,
I just get the strange feeling
they're gonna drop down
and kick me to death.
I don't know
what you're talking about.
We know, David.
We know everything.
Look, Beth,
we had a few laughs.
We had a good time.
What do you want?
A little honesty.
Well, old Dave
doesn't deal in honesty.
I think I've had
about as much of you
as I can stand.
Where you gonna go,
David, huh?
You gonna hit
Canada or Mexico?
Or you just gonna
curl up under a rock
till it all blows over?
I'm leaving.
No, you're not.
You wanna bet?
Yeah.
I was sort of hoping
it would come to this.
Me, too.
Hey, now, wait, wait a minute.
Let's discuss the rules, huh?
Rules? There are no rules.
Oh, well, good.
(DAVE SCREAMING)
All right.
Go get the cops
while I hold this guy.
Nobody's gonna
get that money.
I got that money.
Nobody's ever gonna get it.
Well, go on. Get going.
You just sit tight, slick.
You're all right.
BETH: I guess there's
something to be learned
from everything.
I have such a mixture
of feelings.
He killed two people,
stole $2 million,
which nobody can find.
He'll go to prison
and in seven years
be up for parole.
And I feel like such a...
Look, Beth...
No, let me finish.
It's not so much
that Dave was what he was
as it is that...
That you didn't see?
Yeah, I guess.
No, no, it's not that at all.
It's that I really
did like him.
And somewhere
deep down inside,
I still do.
Well, you know, honey,
when you take a chance
on someone you gotta be ready
to get hurt,
but that doesn't mean
you should stop
taking chances.
If you stop,
you're really through.
You wanna hear something
really funny?
I mean, this will show you
how silly it all is.
I felt bad there wasn't
a portrait of me.
All those other girls
he was seeing,
and no portrait of Elizabeth.
Isn't that crazy,
something like that
should bother me?
Maybe you were too special.
Maybe.
Hey, hey, Beth, I forgot.
I want to thank you
for all the help
with the authorities.
I needed
a character reference.
Oh, they didn't have
anything on you,
and Diehl was willing
to accept a lie detector test.
You may still
have to go to court,
but you're probably
gonna enjoy that part.
What? What are you thinking?
What did you say
Dave's legal specialty was?
Didn't you say he was involved
in federal banking
for a while?
Yeah.
And he would be familiar with
federal banking instruments.
He needed a way to get
$2 million out of the country,
and he was a painter, right?
Yeah, but...
Come on.
What are you thinking?
Just come on.
Yeah.
What did you say
this guy's name was?
Garvey, I think.
Right. Here it is.
Mr. Garvey?
Yes.
My name is Jim Rockford.
This is Miss Davenport.
We're here
about Dave Delaroux.
Oh, I just got home.
I heard he was arrested.
Well, Miss Davenport
has been hired
as Mr. Delaroux's attorney.
I was wondering,
did he give you
anything to hold for him?
Well, yes,
as a matter of fact, he did.
He wanted me to send it to him
sometime later.
He was gonna call
and give me the address,
but I guess
he won't be needing it now.
Well, do you mind
if we see it?
No, no.
Thank you.
What is it?
It's a Federal bearer's bond.
He painted your portrait
on the face
of a federal bearer's bond
in watercolor.
It may be
the most expensive portrait
ever painted.
It's worth $2 million.
You see, you were special.
You are.
certain that those checks
are in the ledger?
And I'm telling you,
we're gonna drop the hammer
on this guy tonight.
This is the last time
I'll ever go
to a concert with you.
That's great.
We'll just stick to
the Rams and the Dodgers.
You're under arrest.
Would you come
with us, please?
What's the charge?
Suspicion of attempt
to defraud
the Federal Government,
suspicion of federal
banking fraud,
suspicion of grand theft
and murder.
(PHONE RINGING)
ROCKFORD:
(ON ANSWERING MACHINE)
This is Jim Rockford.
At the tone, leave your name
and message.
I'll get back to you.
(BEEPS)
Jim, it's Harry.
We've been waiting on you
two hours.
The forks. Where's the forks?
Lasagna ain't no finger food.
I don't know what happened.
Jim is usually very punctual.
Well, that's all right.
I just hope he can help me.
Oh, he's the best, Dave.
You used to date him.
Isn't that right?
Date Jim?
Jim Rockford?
Oh, just every
once in a while.
Hi, honey. I'm sorry.
I'm Jim Rockford.
You must be Beth's client.
Right. David Delaroux.
Pleased to meet you.
Gee, Jim, didn't have
to get all dressed up.
Is anything wrong, honey?
Stop calling me "honey."
Yeah, well, okay...
Come on in.
Uh-oh. Hey, I...
I left my keys over
at Rocky's, but it's okay.
I got another one here.
We were pulling
the engine on Rocky's truck
and putting in a new cam,
working on the fuel injection.
When we get
that thing finished,
it's really gonna be hot.
Go ahead, Miss Davenport.
Thank you.
You know, I don't know
why Rocky wants to soup
that truck up, but he does.
We had to rent a winch from
over at Farmer's gas station.
Took us a long time
to get the engine out.
We were unhooking the linkage,
and when we're working
on the motor mount...
This is fascinating.
Yeah. Just let me
wash my hands, will you?
What kind of an engine is it?
It's a 350.
It's fuel injected,
bored out a little,
and Rocky put double shocks
all the way around, you know.
Do you mind, Jim?
Yeah, all right,
I'll be right with you.
Just let me finish
washing my hands.
He's usually
very neat and punctual.
Cars are just sort
of a hobby for him,
that's all.
It's all right, Beth. Relax.
I may hire him.
I'm not gonna marry him.
Here.
Forehead.
What?
You've got...
On your forehead, it's dirty.
Is that all right, Mommy?
Hey, here, come on.
Sit down. Sit down.
Beth tells me you've got
a little problem, huh, Dave?
That's right. I hired Beth
to give me some legal advice.
Which he hardly needs.
He's one of the finest lawyers
I've ever met.
You should see him
in court, Jim.
He can turn a jury around
like nobody you ever met.
Yeah? Well, how about that?
You've known Beth long, Dave?
Yeah.
David hasn't practiced law
for a while.
He joined a company back east
called Biometrics.
He's their comptroller.
What's the problem?
There's a strong possibility
that the head of our LA office
is stealing
company cashier checks.
One of the secretaries there
is an old friend of mine,
and he had let me in on it.
Okay. Okay, so?
Well, if I go in there
and start asking questions,
everything is gonna freeze up,
and I don't know
how many people are involved,
if at all.
I want to find out
without alerting anyone.
I haven't practiced law
for five years.
That's why I hired Beth,
to get me current with
the legal responsibilities
of Biometrics
in the event that
there are any bogus checks
which have been cashed.
What I need is someone
to get into the branch office
to take a look
at the cashier's ledger.
The checks are numbered,
and I have a list of the ones
that are possibly stolen.
If those checks
are still there,
then I'm afraid all this
has been a waste of time.
If they're not,
I think we should call
the DA's office
and start
more formal proceedings.
Let me ask you
a question, Dave.
Sure, Jim.
Why don't you just get a key
and go into the office
late at night
and take a look for yourself?
That's a good question, Jim.
I thought so, too.
The answer is I don't want to.
That's not much
of an answer, Dave.
You can tell him, David.
We can trust him.
Well, the reason
I don't want to go in there
is because the head
of the LA office
is a man named Tom Hanson.
He's my first cousin,
and he resents
my interference,
and he takes
the cashier ledger
home with him every evening.
He does, huh?
That's right, Jim.
Well, look,
I'm a little busy right now.
I have made all my payments
on everything for the month,
and I really
don't know too much
about cashier's checks,
so I'd just as soon skip it.
Could you excuse us
for a minute?
Look, Beth, it's all right.
If he doesn't want to,
we'll just find someone else.
Do you mind, just,
could you go outside
just for a second?
Thanks anyway.
Yeah.
I promised him.
He's a friend,
and he needs help.
You're gonna help him.
Uh-uh.
Please?
Nope.
(TYPEWRITERS CLACKING)
ROCKFORD: We have a very nice
seascape engraved
on a field of green,
very subtle, very good taste.
We supplied the whole
General Delaware
Life Insurance Company
with that design
on their stock certificates
when they went public
last August.
It's quite handsome,
very understated.
Yeah, well, you see,
I don't understand
what you're talking about,
Mr. Diederinghouse.
Now, you say
you were asked to look us up
by Mr. Jurgins
from our central office?
No, Mr. Swerling
from the central office.
Mr. Jurgins is with
Seagren, Foote and Hall.
Our public relations firm,
but why would they...
Look, I'm afraid
I don't quite understand
what's bothering you,
Mr. Hanson.
It's all very clear.
Yeah. But why
would Mr. Swerling
from the public relations firm
want us to redesign
our checks and bank notes?
Because Mr. Temple
was in Jamaica last week,
and he saw the engravings
that Mr. Hall did
for Biometrics, Incorporated,
and then he called Mr. Sherman
in New York,
who called Swerling,
who called Jurgins...
Yeah, but, see,
Mr. Temple is semi-retired.
I mean, he's on the board,
but he's consulting.
Look, why don't we
just forget about it, huh?
I'll go back to Chicago,
and you can get it sorted out
through your corporate maze.
I'm sorry I bothered you.
No, no, no, no, no!
No, wait a minute.
Wait a minute.
Look,
if you don't understand...
I don't.
Well, then I suggest
that you check it out.
That's fair enough, huh?
I just don't have time
to play around.
I have to see
the B of A people,
and I have to see
three airlines by 4:00.
No, see... You see,
it's just that...
Wait. Wait, see...
All right, if Mr...
If Mr. Temple and Mr. Jurgins
want us to redesign
our checks and bank notes...
It's just...
It's just progress,
Mr. Hanson.
Marketing and promotion,
those are the watchwords
of today's
progressive businessman,
Mr. Hanson.
How can I help you?
I suppose I should get a look
at the current checks,
and we'll go from there.
You mean,
the cashier's checkbook.
That's what it's all about,
Mr. Hanson, yes.
All right.
(TYPEWRITERS CLACKING)
(PHONE RINGING)
I'll have to stay with you
while you look
at the cashier's checkbook.
Yes, yes.
(OFFICE STAFF CHATTERING)
Really tacky, isn't it?
I beg your pardon?
Tacky.
I mean, old English 1930...
Ah, there's just
no definition.
ROCKFORD: You know,
it's amazing to me how some
of these engravers get by.
Frightening.
Somebody just hit our line.
Yeah.
Well, he's looking
at the cashier's checkbook.
No, haven't got his name,
but you better come on down
here and sniff this guy.
Yeah, okay,
we'll put a tail on him.
Right.
Yes, sir, and thank you.
Jim Rockford.
I'm meeting Mr. Delaroux.
You'll need a tie, sir.
What for?
In order to be seated.
We can loan you one.
We do have
a limited selection.
This way, please.
Hi, I'm sorry, Jim.
We went ahead and ordered.
David doesn't have
much time.
No, that's all right.
I can make a telephone call
and put off my appointments.
But you shouldn't
have to, Dave.
Howdy, folks.
I'm sorry I'm late.
How's the tuna fish
salad in this place?
Is something wrong?
Blue doesn't exactly
go with yellow and brown.
Oh, really?
I'll have to write that
on a card
and stick it in my locker.
I don't suppose
you've made any headway yet.
As a matter of fact, I've made
quite a bit of headway.
All the check numbers
you gave me
are in the cashier's book.
Are you sure?
Yeah, I'm sure.
That's wonderful.
Then your cousin
didn't steal from Biometrics.
Boy, that's a load
off my mind.
Waiter.
Thanks, Jim.
It's nothing.
Would you tell a waiter
to come over here, please?
I'd like to order now.
That changes everything.
I was so sure
that he was dipping
into the company
that I put off
doing business with him
until all this was resolved.
Now, now I think I should
really take care of
a couple of accounting items
which shouldn't be put off.
Of course.
Yeah, but it's gonna
cut into our plans
for this evening.
Oh?
Say, I've got a great idea.
Why doesn't Jim take you?
They're great seats,
really great, Jim.
Shostakovich is a marvelous
composer. It would be
a shame to waste them.
Well...
Please, Jim.
Beth really had
her heart set on going.
Well...
So did I, but...
I mean, I would be neglecting
my responsibilities
if I went along.
I've got two new computer
programs that I should really
discuss with him,
now that I can trust him.
Look...
Say, are you absolutely
certain that those checks
are in the ledger?
I mean, you're sure you didn't
make a mistake
or misread them, did you?
Yeah, I'm sure.
You know something, Dave?
You're beginning
to get on my nerves.
Well, what I meant was...
I said they're there.
They're there.
Now, I will give you
a signed affidavit.
Beth here can notarize it
in the presence
of one of the waiters
if we can get one
to come to the table, okay?
Would you take this
gentleman's order, please?
Forget it.
Lost my appetite.
What on earth
is wrong with you?
Nothing.
You made a scene in front
of David like some kind
of six-year-old.
Look, I'm sorry.
I tell you what, Beth.
Do me a favor, will you?
Be sure and get
my check from David
before you let him
out of your sight.
Just what does that mean?
That means I think Dave
is a little slick.
I think he's trying to job us.
Sir?
Yeah?
What do you want?
The tie. May I have
the tie back, please?
Thanks. I had nothing
but compliments.
Mr. Delaroux,
I hope the meal
was acceptable.
Marvelous, Harold.
Tell Ren? he still has the
best kitchen in Los Angeles.
Thank you, Mr. Delaroux.
He'll be happy to hear it.
KAREN: I hope you're gonna be
in town for a while, Dave.
Just two days this time.
(DOOR OPENING)
ALMA: I'm sorry, sir.
You can't go in.
Mrs. Silver is entertaining.
MICKEY: You bet
she's entertaining.
Get out of my way, Alma.
You're the guy, huh?
I don't have the slightest
idea what you're talking
about. Who are you?
Just get out of here,
Mickey.
Get out of this house
before I call the police.
Yeah?
Is that what you're gonna do,
Karen, honey?
You're gonna call the cops?
What's the charge
gonna be, huh?
Just get out of here.
This is my house!
You ain't got no divorce yet,
so you ain't got spit.
You
must be Mickey Silver.
That's right, pal.
You got 10 seconds to pick up
your gold cigarette case
and get out the front door.
He is my guest.
That's right, honey,
and he's leaving.
You've got
a big mouth, mister.
You're looking to
start some trouble, huh?
Is that what you want to do,
Mr. Delaroux?
How do you know my name?
I got more than
your name, pal.
You're a backbiting
cocktail party hors d'oeuvre
with too many silk robes
in closets
where they don't belong.
You got
something in mind?
Where you wanna do it?
Oh, I hate to bust up
my own furniture.
Fine.
How about out back?
Go.
Mickey, stop this.
Shut up!
(GRUNTS)
Come on.
Come on. Come and get it.
You're dead, mister.
Right now,
you're dead.
Sure, sure.
You better get out of here
while you can still walk.
Look at that.
Take it easy, Mick.
How long has she been
seeing this guy?
I don't know, Mick.
As soon as I heard about it,
I called you.
He's dead.
Look, Mick. I mean,
you threatened him.
You take him off
and people are gonna know.
I got us set up all night.
We've got an alibi
nobody's gonna crack.
Let him settle in a little,
get into his silk pajamas,
then we'll take him.
Whose place is this?
How should I know?
He's alone.
That's all that counts.
We could at least
have stayed till intermission.
I was falling asleep, Beth.
It was a beautiful concert.
I told you
I'd leave you cab money.
You know,
sometimes you make Dave
look pretty wonderful.
Well, he is wonderful.
You put a tennis racket
in his hand,
you could stand him
in the window of any
sporting goods store in town.
You're jealous.
You're right.
Ever since Dave showed up,
I have been taking seconds.
I'm on a second-hand date,
listening to
second-hand music.
Now I'm getting cussed out
in second-hand legal terms,
most of which
I don't understand.
This is the last time
I'll ever go
to a concert with you.
That's great.
We'll just stick to
the Rams and the Dodgers.
Brother!
I'll take you home,
and would you let me know
when you get Dave's check?
He'll pay you.
Sure, sure.
(CAR DOORS SLAMMING)
ADAMS: Now!
Close it!
Put the lights on.
Look at him. Ten years
I've been his bodyguard
and look at him now.
I shouldn't have let you
talk me into this.
Why? It's clean.
He threatened my life.
If the cops ever do
put it together, it's gonna
look like self-defense.
Yeah, I know. It's just...
Don't worry.
We used Mickey's MO.
He never knew it.
The law was beginning
to suspect him.
We've crossed him off,
which leaves them
with a lot of questions
and no answers. It's perfect.
It's just that...
There's one more little detail
we gotta take care of.
What?
Come here, I'll show you.
That's fine, thanks.
(PHONE RINGING)
Hello?
Beth.
Oh, David,
I'm so glad you called.
The concert was brilliant.
It's Jim.
Strap yourself in, honey,
I got a nightcap for you.
I just got home,
and I found two guys
in my trailer,
and both of them
have been shot dead.
The place has been ransacked,
and looks like they used
my gun.
You're kidding.
Oh yeah, Beth,
this is one
of my funniest routines.
Jim, you're not serious.
I'm gonna call Becker.
If I know
the homicide dicks,
well, I'm gonna be
in a lot of trouble.
So tell Solly I'll need bail,
and I'll put up my car
just like last time.
Wait a minute.
Okay, I'll meet you
at the police station.
I'll see what they have
and try and get
an OR release.
Good luck on that one.
Later, Beth.
Sergeant Becker, please.
Hey, Dennis, Jim.
Guess what.
What?
Look, Dennis,
I don't like it any better
than you do.
If you never saw them before,
why were they killed
in your trailer?
What were they doing there?
I don't know.
Look, Rockford,
CID is running a make
on those two stiffs right now.
In 20 minutes,
we're gonna know
who they are.
That means, in 20 minutes
we just might find out that
you owed one of them money,
that you threatened one,
that you got some kind
of spooky connection with one.
Whenever that happens,
we're gonna pin it Murder One,
and you're through.
That's absolute bull,
but go ahead,
make me an offer.
Okay.
I call the DA.
I get him in here. You cop
involuntary manslaughter.
The way it reads is,
you came home,
you found two guys
ransacking your trailer,
one a them pulls a gun,
you blow them both away.
'Course, I overlook the fact
you're not supposed
to carry a pistol,
and I overlook the fact
I got you on
Murder One.
We get your attorney in here,
sign some papers,
get if off the books,
bang, bang.
How about that?
Involuntary Manslaughter, huh?
That's right.
Okay. Who were they?
I already told you,
we don't know.
Sure you do.
You already ran
a check on them,
and you don't think
you can tie it to me.
Otherwise, you wouldn't
bargain it down
to something
I can walk away from
in six months.
That's the offer.
Take it or leave it.
Well, I think you know what
you can do with your offer,
don't you, Lieutenant?
What?
Becker, book him
as a material witness
and get him out of here.
Take him over
to West Hollywood.
I don't want him to connect up
with a bail bondsman
for a couple of hours.
Listen, Lieutenant.
We could OR him.
We've done it before.
He won't skip town.
No way, Sergeant.
He's gonna eat county food
for a couple a days.
All expenses paid.
(PHONE RINGING)
Lieutenant Diehl. Yeah.
Oh, Beth. Hey, great.
Hi, Solly.
Why don't you just
reserve a room
down here, Jim?
Funny, Solly. Really funny.
We've always
got Rocky's truck.
Of course,
the engine's out of it.
Diehl wants me to bicycle Jim
from precinct to precinct,
so you better push
that arraignment.
Otherwise, he's gonna be
buried so deep in paper,
it's gonna take a month
to find out what can he's in.
Something's in the air,
and I don't know what it is.
Well, go on, Sergeant.
Get him out of here.
Hi, Rockford.
Agent Shore,
Federal Bureau
of Investigation.
You're under arrest.
Would you come
with us, please?
You gonna let him
get away with that?
Wait a minute.
This man is our prisoner.
Not anymore.
We're taking him
to 2357 Wilshire.
You can have a little time
with him after we're through,
but he'll probably get moved
to the Federal facility
in Oxnard by tomorrow.
Now, wait a minute.
Hold the phone, buddy.
You can't just walk in here
and take this guy.
Sure we can.
Wanna bet?
No offense,
but I wasn't talking to you.
No offense,
but I'm his attorney,
and if you aren't absolutely
straight about the way
you handle this,
I'm gonna hit you with
half a dozen technicalities
starting with failure
to inform prisoner
of his rights,
and failure to grant
consultation with counsel,
and harassment.
Don't throw the Miranda
up at me, lady.
I don't ask incriminating
questions until all
the technicalities
have been observed
and witnessed.
Just back off.
You can't have him.
We got him in here
as a material witness
on a murder.
You're gonna subjugate
the charge until
were through with him.
You know what you
can do with that, buddy.
What are the charges?
Suspicion of attempt
to defraud
the Federal Government,
suspicion of federal
banking fraud,
suspicion of grand theft
and murder.
See you around, Jim.
(DOOR CLOSING)
You sure you didn't
forget anything?
Look, Shore,
you can have him when
I'm finished with him,
which might be in about
30 years depending
on the disposition
of the murder case.
Do yourself a favor,
Sergeant...
Lieutenant.
Whatever.
Check it with somebody
a little higher up the line.
I'll do just that.
Let's go.
Just a minute, Shore.
I'd like to speak
with my client, gentlemen.
Now, what is going on?
I don't know,
but I'm beginning to get
a little suspicious.
About what?
Dave Delaroux.
Now wait a minute.
Suspicion to
defraud the government.
That's an accounting crime,
right?
And old David
is an accountant.
Oh, come on.
Suspicion of
federal banking fraud.
That wouldn't have
anything to do
with Biometrics'
cashier's checks,
now would it?
Huh?
You're darn right, it would.
And murder.
That would be the two guys
with the glassy stares
they found in my trailer.
How did they get in there?
I mean,
the door wasn't sprung.
Somebody just let
themselves in.
And as I recall,
Dave had a pretty good idea
that we were gonna be
at that concert,
and he also saw
where I hide the key.
You know, all of this
is circumstantial.
You think?
I know.
Okay, Beth.
Okay, but I'm gonna
need you to verify
what he wanted me to do
and the fact that
I never had any knowledge
of Dave Delaroux before today.
I think the Feds
are gonna want to know
a lot about old Dave.
I'm gonna need you
to back me up.
What is it?
What's wrong?
I'll do what I can,
but if you're right,
I'm afraid there isn't much
I can do to help you.
That's great.
That's wonderful. Why not?
Because David hired me.
I am technically
his attorney.
I can't do anything
that would incriminate him.
If I did, it would be
inadmissible in court anyway.
I never liked him, you know.
You remember?
Remember the...
I said from the beginning
I had a hunch about him,
he's tricky.
You remember that?
I remember.
Why don't we just go to
the Federal building downtown?
Why a garage in the Valley?
Because we'd just as soon
keep you out of reach
of the local authorities
for a little while.
Oh, yeah.
You guys wouldn't
be pulling my wings,
now would you?
You're in a pile
of trouble, Rockford.
The LAPD is about
to hang a jacket on you,
and the way I see it,
you just might take the fall.
But your best bet is
to come clean with us,
and maybe we can screen them
off you for a little while.
That's my best bet, huh?
That's it.
What do you want to know?
Let's start
with something easy.
Tell us about the
First Federal Bank
in San Diego.
What do you want
to know about it?
Everything you know,
and don't leave out anything.
Okay, it's a bank.
It's in San Diego.
Until about 10 seconds ago,
I never heard of it.
I think that covers
about everything.
Comedian. How about that?
Look, I got a very bad case
of confusion.
Why don't you just
run some of this past me,
and maybe I can help.
I suppose you don't know
anything about the $2 million.
That's right.
Okay, maybe you're a patsy,
maybe not, so just for drill,
I'm gonna go through it
for you.
And if I can tie you
into any of it,
you're gonna get your palm
slapped with a ruler,
and I'm gonna see to it
that you have to
go stand in the corner
for 20 years.
That's a joke?
That's a fact.
A month ago, a guy named
Rod Fitzpatrick walked into
the First Federal in San Diego
and set up
a banking relationship.
He got real friendly
with the bank manager,
told him he was
an advance man
for Biometrics,
which was gonna put in
a huge sewage disposal plant
in San Diego.
He passed a lot of money
in and out of the account.
And then one day,
about two weeks ago,
he walked into the bank
with $2 million
in cashier's checks
from Biometrics.
He cashed them
and walked out the front door
with the cash.
Checks turned out
to be stolen.
And guess what?
He's never been
heard from again.
Wrong.
He dropped out of sight
for two weeks
and six days
and then miraculously
turned up tonight,
a little worse for wear.
You wanna guess where?
On the floor
of my trailer?
Bingo.
Which one was he?
One of the guys was named
Mickey Silver.
He's masterminded a lot
of federal banking swindles
over the last 10 years,
and he set this one up.
The other guy
was Arnold Adams,
alias, Rod Fitzpatrick.
He's been Mickey Silver's
bodyguard for almost 10 years.
Where does Dave Delaroux
fit in?
That's a good question,
and the answer is gonna
determine whether
you pull the 20 years or not.
Well, I don't have
the answers,
but can I take a guess?
Dave Delaroux is
the comptroller of Biometrics,
and he's the inside man,
and he's probably got
the $2 million.
Or you have.
Come on.
Even you don't believe that.
Why did you go into Biometrics
yesterday and look through
the cashier's checkbook?
Dave Delaroux hired me
to see if any of the checks
were missing.
So you think
he sent you in as a decoy
to pull us out of the way
while he got the chance
to dust off Silver and Adams?
That's what I think.
Okay, how do we
confirm all this?
Well, I'm a little jammed up
in the alibi department.
What a bad break for you.
Yeah, well, my attorney
is my alibi for tonight,
but Dave Delaroux hired her
on a related matter,
which means
that she can't
testify to anything
that might incriminate him.
Okay.
How about we put you
on the box?
A lie detector?
Okay, but...
but if I pass,
you gotta give me a promise
that you'll get
the locals off my back, okay?
Okay, I'll do what I can.
Let's go.
I don't want you
to take it too hard.
I think you figured a way
to beat the machine, Rockford.
Hey, maybe I'm just
telling the truth.
You ever think of that?
From now on, you stay
out of this or I'm gonna
drop down on you like Batman.
Yeah. See you.
BETH: If you say,
"I told you so" one more time,
I swear, Jim, I'm gonna
throw this dish at you.
Besides, they haven't proved
that he killed anybody
or stole anything.
Whatever happened
to the concept of innocent
until proven guilty?
Well, let's look at
the facts, Beth.
Now, two weeks ago,
Arnold Adams rips off
a San Diego bank for $2 mil.
Now, the feds seem to think
that Mickey Silver set it up,
but I'm not so sure.
Why?
Well, it just doesn't figure.
I mean, if he set it up,
why would he use his
bodyguard to bluff the bank?
I don't follow you.
Well, the Feds seem to think
that there's an inside man
somewhere,
so they take pictures of all
the Biometrics executives
who have the resources
to pull the strings
from the inside.
Then they take those pictures
along with one
of Arnold Adams,
and they show them to all
the restaurant owners
within a two block radius
of the Biometrics building
in New York.
Well, it turns out
that one of those
restaurant owners
identifies dear old Dave
as a frequent lunch companion
of Arnold Adams,
now tragically deceased.
That makes Biometrics
very nervous,
so they fire him.
Now, I think that Dave
set the whole thing up
and got the Feds interested
in Mickey Silver
by using his bodyguard.
They fired him?
Yeah.
When? How long ago?
Last week.
He never said
anything about it.
How about that?
Here.
Well, don't take it out on me.
He's your friend, not mine.
I'm not...
Beth, the guy is
a first-class thief
and probably a murderer.
I liked him.
Okay, so I'm a jerk!
I liked him!
Oh, Beth.
Hey.
Forget it.
Hey, Beth,
I'm sorry.
Me, too.
Did you love him?
I don't know.
You gotta give me a little bit
of a pass, though, huh?
I'm jealous,
and jealous people
do and say things
they don't mean.
Are you jealous, Jim?
Mmm-hmm.
Really?
Really.
You know,
two years ago,
when I first met you,
I thought, "This is the one."
And I took out
my little lariat,
and I swung it over my head.
I took dead aim,
and I tossed.
I must have thrown it
50 times since then,
but I gotta hand it to you, Jim.
You're a tough catch.
Sometime,
I don't know,
last year, I guess,
I sort of settled for friend.
And I started looking
for someone with more
long-range possibilities.
David looked
like a good candidate.
Thanks,
but still jealous.
You still need a lawyer?
Yeah.
And a friend.
We're gonna have to get
a line on what else
he's been doing in LA.
Why don't you see
what you can get
from the LA cops,
and I'll go back
to Biometrics
and get on Tom Hanson.
Okay.
"Dear Beth, I'm sorry.
"I know what you must think,
but I had no other choice.
"I borrowed your car."
This just isn't my day.
"I'll leave it in the airport
parking near the western
terminal. Dave."
Well, it's a lead anyway.
What do you mean, a lead?
You think we ought to go out
to the airport to try and find
your car?
Well, sure.
All we have to do
is find out how long
it's been in the lot,
and then we can pin down
the flight by checking
the airlines
near where it's parked.
I think we'd be
wasting our time.
There's one thing
I've learned about old Dave.
He is a master
of misdirection.
Watch the bouncing ball.
Which shell has the pea?
Nothing in the hand
and nothing up the sleeve.
What on earth
are you talking about?
He's still in town.
Why steal a car?
Why not just take a cab
or the airport bus?
The car is a diversion
just to keep us all
moving in circles
and asking a lot
of dumb questions
at the airport
while he makes
his last move.
Which is?
I don't know.
I suppose he's gonna try
to get that $2 million
out of the country,
which could pose a problem
since every customs agent
from Toronto to Tijuana
has probably already
been alerted.
Who else does he know in town?
Well,
nobody.
What's her name?
Look, that was over
at least a year ago.
Oh, yeah, yeah.
Dave's true blue.
Anybody can see that.
All right, Beth, I'm sorry.
Look,
I'll try not to step
on your feelings,
but I'm afraid I won't be able
to hide mine completely.
It's okay.
What's her name?
Susan Valero.
She's a real estate broker
in the valley.
Hi.
Hi. I'm Jim Rockford.
This is Miss Davenport.
Beth, isn't it?
Yes, how did...
Dave mentioned you.
How can I help you, Jim?
Well, we're...
Looking for Dave.
Did you try his apartment?
Apartment?
I sold him an apartment
complex about two years ago.
That's how I met him.
Mr. Garvey,
the former owner, lives
in one of the other units
on a leaseback
and manages the apartment.
It's a nice deal.
I didn't know he had
an apartment. He never told me
anything about it.
Oh, well, what would you
like me to say?
Is he yours?
That's right. Hands off.
Well, we seem to be sharing
the same men,
so why break up the pattern?
I'm in the book,
or you can always reach me
here during working hours.
In case he's interested
in real estate.
Miss Valero, if you could
put away your little
seduction kit for a minute,
maybe you wouldn't mind
telling us
where Dave's apartment is.
It's on Valley Street. 2416.
He bought it
because it has a nice
northern light.
He uses it more as a studio,
I think, than a residence.
Studio?
Oh, Dave's a truly
fine artist, portraits.
That's right. He's done
several paintings of me.
Full figure.
Big deal. Let's go, Jim.
Nice meeting you.
Don't be a stranger.
Lets go, Jim.
Bye.
Ciao.
I think that's David's car.
Oh, yeah?
I don't know.
Maybe we should've
called in the police.
I'm sure that's David's car.
Yeah, and he's all packed up
and ready to leave.
DAVID: Beth?
David, I've gotta see you.
Uh...
Please, I'm alone.
Okay.
Well, well,
what do we have here?
You pulling up stakes?
Is that it, Dave?
That's right.
I'm running a little late.
I hope you don't mind.
Yeah, I do.
You got me
in a whole pile of trouble.
Is that so?
Yeah.
You know, if you take off,
there's gonna be a lot
of unhappy gunslingers around.
Half the LA Federal Office
is out looking, not to mention
a bunch of local prowlies.
So if you disappear,
I just get the strange feeling
they're gonna drop down
and kick me to death.
I don't know
what you're talking about.
We know, David.
We know everything.
Look, Beth,
we had a few laughs.
We had a good time.
What do you want?
A little honesty.
Well, old Dave
doesn't deal in honesty.
I think I've had
about as much of you
as I can stand.
Where you gonna go,
David, huh?
You gonna hit
Canada or Mexico?
Or you just gonna
curl up under a rock
till it all blows over?
I'm leaving.
No, you're not.
You wanna bet?
Yeah.
I was sort of hoping
it would come to this.
Me, too.
Hey, now, wait, wait a minute.
Let's discuss the rules, huh?
Rules? There are no rules.
Oh, well, good.
(DAVE SCREAMING)
All right.
Go get the cops
while I hold this guy.
Nobody's gonna
get that money.
I got that money.
Nobody's ever gonna get it.
Well, go on. Get going.
You just sit tight, slick.
You're all right.
BETH: I guess there's
something to be learned
from everything.
I have such a mixture
of feelings.
He killed two people,
stole $2 million,
which nobody can find.
He'll go to prison
and in seven years
be up for parole.
And I feel like such a...
Look, Beth...
No, let me finish.
It's not so much
that Dave was what he was
as it is that...
That you didn't see?
Yeah, I guess.
No, no, it's not that at all.
It's that I really
did like him.
And somewhere
deep down inside,
I still do.
Well, you know, honey,
when you take a chance
on someone you gotta be ready
to get hurt,
but that doesn't mean
you should stop
taking chances.
If you stop,
you're really through.
You wanna hear something
really funny?
I mean, this will show you
how silly it all is.
I felt bad there wasn't
a portrait of me.
All those other girls
he was seeing,
and no portrait of Elizabeth.
Isn't that crazy,
something like that
should bother me?
Maybe you were too special.
Maybe.
Hey, hey, Beth, I forgot.
I want to thank you
for all the help
with the authorities.
I needed
a character reference.
Oh, they didn't have
anything on you,
and Diehl was willing
to accept a lie detector test.
You may still
have to go to court,
but you're probably
gonna enjoy that part.
What? What are you thinking?
What did you say
Dave's legal specialty was?
Didn't you say he was involved
in federal banking
for a while?
Yeah.
And he would be familiar with
federal banking instruments.
He needed a way to get
$2 million out of the country,
and he was a painter, right?
Yeah, but...
Come on.
What are you thinking?
Just come on.
Yeah.
What did you say
this guy's name was?
Garvey, I think.
Right. Here it is.
Mr. Garvey?
Yes.
My name is Jim Rockford.
This is Miss Davenport.
We're here
about Dave Delaroux.
Oh, I just got home.
I heard he was arrested.
Well, Miss Davenport
has been hired
as Mr. Delaroux's attorney.
I was wondering,
did he give you
anything to hold for him?
Well, yes,
as a matter of fact, he did.
He wanted me to send it to him
sometime later.
He was gonna call
and give me the address,
but I guess
he won't be needing it now.
Well, do you mind
if we see it?
No, no.
Thank you.
What is it?
It's a Federal bearer's bond.
He painted your portrait
on the face
of a federal bearer's bond
in watercolor.
It may be
the most expensive portrait
ever painted.
It's worth $2 million.
You see, you were special.
You are.