The Rockford Files (1974–1980): Season 2, Episode 7 - The Real Easy Red Dog - full transcript
Christine Dusseau, a female private eye, first blindsides Rockford, then joins him in tracking down the murderer in a case the police have dismissed as a suicide.
This is Lieutenant Diehl
speaking, Sergeant.
I got a body out here
in the junkyard.
He's been shot twice.
We're looking
for a James Rockford.
You know, Rockford,
for a guy who's such
a stickler for details,
you play very sloppy ball.
Alice Sandstrom?
I don't think
she committed suicide,
Mr. Rockford.
We're calling it suicide,
because it was a suicide.
See how neat that works out?
I'm gonna jerk your ticket,
Rockford.
You're gonna be
doing laundry for the County.
(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 Shirley
at the cleaners.
You know that brown jacket?
The one I said
looked so great on you?
Your favorite?
We lost it.
MAN: (ON TV) The teams are
heading back on the field
for the second half.
The Rams have been
particularly effective during
the first two quarters.
Their pass defense
has been spectacular.
Hey, Solly.
Solly, what do you got
for odds in the second half?
I didn't say
I wanted to press,
I just want to know
what the odds are.
(KNOCKING ON DOOR)
Come in.
MAN: (ON TV) And the
linebackers have been...
Hi.
I'll be right with you.
Fourteen and a half points!
Solly, they came
into the game an underdog.
They're only six points up.
Well, what are you running,
a book or a bucket shop?
No bet.
Fourteen and a half points,
he thinks
somebody's gonna take it.
I'm sorry.
My name is Jim Rockford.
Jennifer Sandstrom.
I hope you're available
for employment.
I'm in need of
a private investigator.
Hey, that's gonna
work out real great.
That's what I do
for a living.
I'm sorry.
That's just a little joke.
Sit down.
I don't know if
there's anything
you can do.
She may have
killed herself.
It certainly is possible.
It just doesn't
seem like her.
She was always
such a happy person.
Even when we were children,
she was always the most...
(STAMMERING)
Miss Sandstrom.
Could you just start
at the beginning, please?
Oh, I'm sorry, of course.
You don't know
what on earth
I'm talking about.
Here.
Alice Sandstrom?
My sister.
Well, it says the body
was discovered
on the beach near
the Santa Monica Pier
two days ago.
Her car was found
two blocks away,
with a suicide note
written in her hand.
I don't think
she committed suicide,
Mr. Rockford.
Look, Miss Sandstrom,
if the police
have it down as a suicide,
that's probably
just what it was.
No. You see,
she was afraid of the water.
Ever since we were children,
she was always
afraid of the water.
She would never
have chosen drowning
as a way to commit suicide.
I have a friend
who is a psychiatrist
and he said
it would be most unlikely.
Yeah, unlikely,
but possible.
Oh no, she was not
a suicidal person.
I don't care what
the police say.
She was a happy person.
She loved life.
I think she was killed,
and I want you
to look into it.
Miss Sandstrom, it says here
that you are
the sole survivor?
How much do you charge,
Mr. Rockford?
Look, I think you
ought to let the police
handle this.
I really do.
I mean, they're good.
Maybe they're not
telling you everything
they know.
It's $200 a day
plus expenses.
But I'm trying to
tell you to let
the police handle it.
Look, maybe the police
found out she had
a psychiatrist that
you didn't know about.
Maybe that psychiatrist
knows something
you don't know.
Are you listening
to me or not?
Miss Sandstrom,
I don't take cases
that don't seem real to me.
Now, you could
triple that stack of money,
it wouldn't change anything.
Well, it probably wouldn't.
Please.
I need your help.
Even if it turns out
she killed herself.
I need to know for sure.
Please.
All right.
All right. All right.
Look, I'II...
I'll look around
for one day, huh?
I'll go up there.
I'll look around.
I'll see if I can
turn up something.
You'll find her address
in that newspaper article.
And here is mine.
I'm there most of the time.
Mandeville Canyon.
That's a nice area.
Daddy left us some money,
Mr. Rockford.
Jim. Just call me Jim.
Oh, I almost forgot this.
I got into her bedroom
and I found some things
that weren't there before.
Look. It's in here somewhere.
I don't know who J.M. Is.
We used to trade off jewelry
quite a bit, and I know she
didn't have that last month.
Also, there are these.
They're love letters,
but the bottom's been cut off.
That's pretty strange,
isn't it?
Yeah, yeah...
Almost as if she
didn't want anyone
to know who it was.
Okay. Yeah, thank you.
I wonder if
you'd do me a favor.
Would you keep those on you?
I'd hate to lose them.
Can you go up
to the house now?
I mean,
can you start right now?
Oh, well...
Yeah. Sure. Sure.
Just let me get my coat.
What do you mean,
it's Lieutenant Diehl's case?
Can't you check on it?
Sure I can check on it.
I just don't want to.
Come on, Dennis.
She was a floater on
the beach in Santa Monica.
There's gotta be some reason
you guys are
calling it suicide.
There is.
Okay, what is it?
We're calling it suicide,
because it was a suicide.
See how neat that works out?
What about an autopsy?
I don't know.
Look, Jimbo, it's not my case.
It's Lieutenant Diehl's.
Call Diehl up and
ask him to read you
the R.O. Report.
Okay.
Okay, I'm officially
notifying you
that I'm working on the case.
Why tell me? Tell Diehl.
I'm telling you
because I'm talking to you.
You see how neat
that works out?
Oh, hi.
Say, is there
anybody in the house?
That filter, I'm gonna have to
take it down to the shop
and get some parts for it.
I said,
is anybody in the house?
Oh, yeah. I think so.
I think there's a guy
in there.
Why don't you
try the front door?
Thanks.
What is going on here?
I don't know.
Let's wait and see.
(DOOR CLOSING)
May I ask
what you think
you're doing?
Oh. It's all right.
Oh, my name is...
Yes, I know your name.
You're Tom Brice.
I called Friedler,
Pike and Morris.
They said you'd be here.
You know we haven't
done the inventory.
You... Who are you?
Jay Volaro,
County Assessors Office.
You know, Mr. Brice,
that removing an item,
like that jewelry box,
is a tax crime.
You start messing around with
the County Assessors Office,
you won't
get into heaven, son.
Well, we were told
the tax people had
already done the audit.
We were authorized
to remove the items
that were special bequests
in the will.
Who told you that?
I think...
Well, come on.
I'd like to know.
Who told you that?
It was Mr. Talbot.
He's in your office.
Yeah.
Mr. Friedler spoke
to him, I think.
Talbot told you that?
All right,
I've had it with him.
He makes
too many mistakes.
He's too old.
He told you that?
When did he tell you that?
I'd really like to know.
Was it before
10:30 this morning, huh?
Look, I don't
want to get anyone
into any trouble.
I'm gonna find out, anyway.
Look, I don't know.
You see, you'd have
to ask Mr. Friedler.
He spoke to him.
Okay, I will.
You just might
as well clear out, son.
I'll forget that
you were in here illegally.
Oh, you...
You found the keys
to the safe-deposit box,
I suppose.
Safe-deposit box?
Didn't know she had
a safe-deposit box.
But I did find some keys.
Here.
Which bank?
Bank. I don't know.
But her checking account,
that's at
City Savings & Trust
on Sunset.
Okay, I'll return these
to you
after the inventory
and the audit.
Okay. You can go, son.
Yes, sir.
(MACHINE WHIRRING)
(MACHINE STOPS)
Sergeant Becker, please.
WOMAN: (ON PHONE)
I'm sorry. He's not in.
Yeah. Give me
Lieutenant Diehl then.
This is Lieutenant Diehl
speaking.
Hello, Lieutenant.
This is Jim Rockford.
Hello.
I said this is...
What do you want?
Lieutenant, I understand
that you're handling
the Alice Sandstrom
drowning case.
What do you want, Rockford?
I think maybe you ought
to go up to her house
and check the pool filter.
Why would I want to do that?
And then
I think you ought to get
the autopsy report back
and check and see
if anybody bothered to look,
see what kind of water
was in her lungs.
I think maybe she was
drowned in her own pool
then taken out
and pushed in the ocean.
This is not a murder,
Rockford.
I closed this case.
And I damn well
don't appreciate
you digging around in it.
I just said...
I know what you said.
Get off my back,
get off my case.
You understand?
Diehl, you get off your butt
and come up here
and look at this pool filter,
or I'm gonna go
to the City Attorney!
I'm gonna jerk your ticket,
Rockford.
You're gonna be doing laundry
for the County.
You do yourself a favor,
Lieutenant.
You loosen up
just long enough
to check that autopsy report
and get up here
and look at this pool filter.
(DOORBELL RINGING)
I'm here to see
Jennifer Sandstrom.
Is she expecting you,
Mr. Rockford?
Yes.
One moment,
while I check.
I'm sorry.
There must be some mistake.
I was looking for
Jennifer Sandstrom.
You found her.
If you're here
investigating Alice's death
for the insurance company,
I've already told Mr. Dreikurs
we're not filing a claim.
It was a suicide.
I don't understand
what it is you people
want to investigate.
Oh, I'm working for
Friedler, Pike and Morris.
Tom Brice hired me
this afternoon.
There's some legal matters
that need to be concluded.
Such as?
Well...
There was the whole matter
about your sister's investment
in the Lake Oswego
Real Estate Corporation.
She was a general partner
on that
and had some
general partnership
liabilities.
Then there was,
of course, the matter about
the civil misconduct case
we were handling for her.
What the devil are
you talking about?
Well, I guess I shouldn't
have said anything at all.
I just assumed that you knew
about your sister's affairs.
I mean, Mr. Brice
didn't say anything
about maintaining
any confidentiality.
I do.
And I've never heard
of any of those things.
Well, it does seem strange,
doesn't it?
Well, to begin with,
my sister was
in no mental condition
to be a general partner
or to assume
any liabilities.
After all, she'd been
in and out of Lynhaven
for the last two years.
Well, Lynhaven was
some sort of hospital?
It's a mental institution.
Surely Mr. Brice told you
that my sister
had been deeply suicidal
for the last
two or three years.
Oh, yes, yes.
We went into that
very thoroughly. Yes.
What is all this malarkey
about my sister
being a general partner
in some sort of investment?
Well, it's just that.
What?
Malarkey. It's all malarkey.
I guess I'll just be
on my way. Thank you.
What took you so long?
Hey, I had to go
all the way back
to the gas station.
Okay.
We shouldn't have
to use our own cars.
Well, what did Sherman say?
He said go ahead
and stick on this guy.
His name turns out
to be Rockford and he's a P.I.
That's great.
What about the girl?
He's got two other guys
on her now,
but he says it may have
already gone down.
Hello. Let me speak
with Mr. Friedler, please.
Well, when he gets in,
tell him to call
Jennifer Sandstrom.
It's urgent.
Cops.
Yes, this is Mr. Smith
in Room 24.
I'm gonna take a little nap.
Could you wake me
at 7:30, please?
WOMAN: Yes, sir.
Thank you.
Well?
He's taking a nap.
He left a wake-up call
for 7:30 tonight.
Let's go. We can
check back here at 7:30
if that's what
Sherman wants.
Oh, hi.
You ought to be able
to do better than that.
You're upset.
I can appreciate that.
Why don't you
let me put a little extra
in the pot?
Would you stay
for lunch?
Yeah.
Where you going?
Now, wait a minute.
What the hell
do you think
you're doing?
I am going
to call the police.
Just open the front door
and call out in a loud voice.
What are you
talking about?
Oh, come on, Tina,
don't tell me
you don't know
there's four of L.A.'s finest
sitting outside,
drinking cold coffee.
Well, well.
What have we here?
You got paid.
What more do you want?
That's just
about priceless.
Wait a minute.
Oh, so you think
I won't call the police, huh?
Well...
All right,
so I won't call the police.
But that doesn't
give you any right
to go prowling through
someone's personal effects.
What are you doing?
Just earning my money.
(SIGHING)
Well, well.
Here we have the solution
to the mystery of the letters
and the bracelet.
Fascinating. I'm enthralled.
Now would you
please get out of here?
Oh, I could be
persuaded to leave.
Of course, I have
a few conditions.
I was sure you would.
Don't get too salty,
Miss Dusseau.
Remember, I'm the guy
that got red-dogged.
Red-dogged?
Yeah.
It's a football term.
That's where
the line opens up a hole
and they shoot a linebacker
through to sack
the unsuspecting quarterback.
Oh, my stew. It's burning.
Aren't you coming?
You didn't put it
on the stove.
I notice little things
like that.
I'm a detective, remember?
If you want to get rid of me,
you'll have to do
better than that.
It's just that
everything around here
is so messy. You know...
Well, now,
don't feel too bad.
What were you gonna do?
Get a chill,
come in to get a sweater,
and then pick up
your cute little
chrome-plated cannon,
chase me out into the street?
I saved you a lot of trouble.
You know,
I could get very tired
of all this clever chatter.
You know,
that makes my palms
just all sweaty.
Where we going?
First we're gonna
get out of here
and then...
Then you're gonna
tell me why you sent me
to the Sandstrom house.
Although I have
a pretty fair idea,
I'd like to hear
all the gory little details.
Now, wait a minute. Just...
Wait, wait a minute.
Okay, so you just selected
the Alice Sandstrom drowning
out of the paper at random,
sent me up there.
Then you gave me the envelope
so that when I left my trailer
I'd take the two cops
off you.
Now, I want to know
why they're interested
in you
and I want to know
what I got myself
involved in.
Hello.
Okay, you're on.
Make it good honey, huh?
Aunt Elizabeth always said
you could dance.
Funny.
Well, I guess
it won't hurt to tell you.
Pacific Trust insures
the Delany jewelry collection.
It's worth maybe $3,000,000.
Anyway,
the whole collection
was stolen from
the Delany house
about two weeks ago.
Pacific Trust was contacted
by the thieves
and offered a chance
to buy back the collection
at half the price,
which was a lot cheaper
than paying off
the insurance claim.
No. But they wanted
the cops kept on the outside
of the deal.
And they wanted me
to be the go-between.
'Cause they figured
I was a girl and I wouldn't be
much of a threat to them.
Oh, but they didn't know
that you keep
a chrome-plated.38
right next to
your pearl drop earrings.
You're determined to be flip,
aren't you?
Hey, come on now.
Give me a break, huh?
I'm trying to walk off
a big emotional
disappointment.
TINA: Anyway, somehow
the cops must have gotten wind
of the exchange
that took place at 2:00
this afternoon.
I was on my way
to the insurance company
to pick up the money
that came
in a manila envelope.
I looked out
the front of my house
and I saw two cops.
So I decided to make
a duplicate envelope.
$3 worth, please.
So you...
You smuggled it
out to your car,
you went to
the insurance company,
you picked up the money
and then on your way
to make the switch,
you dropped by my place
with the phony envelope.
And I walked out of my trailer
waving it like a flag,
and I've had those two cops
following me ever since.
I don't see what harm it did.
I made the switch.
The insurance company
has the jewelry.
And you have $200.
Well, the only thing wrong
with all that is
I think that Alice Sandstrom
was really murdered.
You're kidding.
I told you
I was a good detective.
I think that she was drowned
in her own swimming pool,
taken out
and thrown in the ocean.
Hmm.
I called Lieutenant Diehl
down at the police station...
Lieutenant Thomas Diehl?
...and climbed his tree.
Yeah. You know him?
Do I!
He hates me.
Yeah, me, too.
Well, anyway, we're going
down there, and you're gonna
clear me with Diehl.
You're gonna tell him
you sent me off
on a wild goose chase
to get those
two cops off of me
that were following you.
Oh, no. I'm not going to
the police station
to scrub you clean with Diehl.
Not on your life.
You got a permit
to carry this thing?
Oh, come on.
Lieutenant Diehl will
pull your ticket
for carrying
an unauthorized weapon.
Why, I never saw that gun
before in my life.
Well, you're gonna be
wearing it when we see Diehl
just the same.
You wouldn't.
We're colleagues.
I'm just thinning out
the field.
It's good for business.
(GROANS)
All right.
But if I go in there
and I get you straight
with Diehl, that's it, right?
Right.
MAN: That's $3.
Right.
Thank you.
You bet.
The thing is
that Diehl is
such a cluck.
Yeah.
You got any idea
what this cost the County?
You got the faintest idea?
I just thought
it'd be a good idea
if you looked...
Okay, we checked.
This lady got no pool water
in her lungs.
She jumped off
the Santa Monica Pier.
She left a suicide note.
She's been in deep analysis
for over two years.
Her psychiatrist says
she was suicidal.
What does it take
to satisfy you, Rockford?
Oh, I'd say
that right about now
I'm satisfied.
What do you got
to do with this?
She's the one that hired me
to investigate the drowning.
She's my client.
I have been dreading the day
when you two would
get together on anything.
Miss Dusseau,
if it wouldn't be
too much trouble,
would you mind
explaining to me
why you hired Rockford?
I was trying to get
the two detectives who work
for Sergeant Vince Sherman
to follow Rockford
instead of me.
I see.
I see,
and why would you
want to do that?
That is privileged
client information.
Come on.
It is police business.
Lieutenant,
I'm not gonna tell you.
If you're that curious,
you can ask Sergeant Sherman.
He knows.
Look, Lieutenant,
why stand around
yammering with us, huh?
What do you expect to
get out of a couple
of jerk private eyes?
Why don't we just say
we made a big mistake
and Tina and I'll
get out of your life, huh?
In the two and a half years
I've known you,
that's the first thing
you've ever said
I can get behind.
Hey.
What?
On the way back,
I want to drop by
the Sandstrom house
for a minute. Do you mind?
Of course I mind.
I don't want to get in trouble
with Lieutenant Diehl.
If we go there,
we're just asking for it.
Yeah. Yeah, well,
it'll only take a minute.
Oh, come on, Jim.
I'm not impressed
with this sort of thing.
Either you know something
or you don't.
There was no pool truck.
The door in the back
of the house was jimmied,
but there was no pool truck
out front.
Oh, that sheds
a lot of light
on everything.
You know,
you have a tendency
for flip remarks yourself.
You know that pool man.
He said he didn't have
parts to fix the filter.
You'd just think
they'd always carry parts
to fix a filter.
Yeah, you'd think
they would.
All right, I give up.
What are we looking for?
The guy was carrying
a pool skimmer.
You know the little thing
you fish the leaves
and bugs out of the pool.
See if you can find it.
Seems strange
you wouldn't notice that truck
was missing before.
Well, I just assumed
that there was a back exit
to this place
and he was parked
in the back.
There's no back road here,
and there's no pool skimmer.
Guy just picked it up
and carried it off.
Guy in his shirtsleeves,
carrying a pool skimmer
just looks like a pool man.
It's an instant disguise.
I wouldn't break in there
if I were you.
I'm not breaking in.
It's been jimmied.
I told you that.
"Police, fire,
"pool service."
This is Mr. Brice.
And we're handling the estate
of Alice Sandstrom
and I'm sorry, but I'm afraid
we're going to have to
terminate the pool service.
Yes. Yes,
it was a terrible shame.
Look, for our records,
could you tell me
when the last time
that the pool was serviced?
Uh-huh, and that was
the last time?
No. No. No problem,
just send us
a final statement,
please.
Yes. Thank you.
Come and take
a look at this.
Now, who would paint a room
and put on new curtains,
if they intended
to commit suicide?
Hmm. Taking a little
busman's holiday, I see.
It is pretty strange,
don't you think?
Yeah. Yeah.
It turns out the pool man
was a phony.
The last time
they had anybody up here
was Tuesday.
Do you think
it really was him
that jimmied the door?
I suppose
he has to be considered.
What would he want
inside the house?
Well, maybe it was these.
Safe-deposit box?
Yup.
Where did you get these?
Well, I'd rather not say.
Do you want to
call Lieutenant Diehl
and let him in on this?
Do you?
No.
We could send him
an anonymous letter.
Hmm. He'd know.
Yeah.
We could forget
the whole thing.
After all, we don't owe
any of these people anything.
(CLICKING TONGUE)
Now, don't go heroic on me.
You're right.
Let's get out of here.
Look at it this way.
It probably was a suicide.
I mean, Diehl wouldn't lie
about her psychiatrist
saying she was suicidal.
Yeah. I know.
Her sister Jennifer said
she was in and out
of a mental institute
for two years.
You see,
that corroborates it.
So she painted a room
and went out
and jumped off a pier.
What about the pool man?
What about him?
A friendly neighbor
who didn't want to see
the filter get clogged.
I know,
it's a little strange.
But I'm sure
if we thought about it
long enough,
we could come up
with at least a dozen reasons
for the pool man.
Yeah, I suppose.
Where do you want me
to drop you off?
At home.
Oh, say, I've got
some of that stew left.
Do you want to
stay for dinner?
Hmm.
(GUN FIRING)
ROCKFORD: Get your head down.
Quick!
(CAR ENGINE STARTING)
(CAR ACCELERATING)
If you hadn't taken
the bullets out of my gun,
we could have shot back.
Well, you can't shoot
what you can't see.
So much
for the suicide theory.
All right.
Come on,
let's go up there
and get the spare on
and get out of here.
I can do it.
All right.
Stay where you are.
I'll check and see
if it's clear.
"Brice. Thomas A."
Brice?
Sandstrom.
Lieutenant,
Sergeant Sherman's
on the patch-through
on your car right now.
Thanks.
This is Lieutenant Diehl
speaking, Sergeant.
I got a body out here
in the junkyard.
He's been shot twice.
The guy's name is Tom Brice.
He's an attorney
for Alice Sandstrom.
You got anything
that ties Rockford
or Tina Dusseau into this?
SHERMAN: Yeah.
I've just been reading
through Deek's report.
We got a match-up.
Rockford was up
at that house about the time
Brice was there.
Maybe he followed him out
and dropped the hammer on him.
Okay. If we can put
Rockford with Brice
this morning,
I want a warrant
put out on him.
Suspicion of murder.
We better get a time of death
from the M.E.
We need a match-up
on the time.
We need motive.
It's a little thin.
Suspicion is just
what it says.
Suspicion, Sergeant.
Pick him up.
Well, this is Sunday,
so we can't get into
that safe-deposit box
until tomorrow.
What are we gonna do?
Well, ordinarily,
I'd go to the police,
but we just can't prove
anybody tried to kill us.
And I get the feeling
Lieutenant Diehl would have
a rooting interest
in the killer. So that
doesn't make much sense.
How are we gonna get in
that safe-deposit box?
Well, first we go back
to Alice's house,
get something with
her signature on it,
and then we'll do
what we can tomorrow
to make you look like Alice.
Oh, no. The lady
who lets the people
in the safe-deposit box area
is not gonna be fooled.
She probably knows what
Alice Sandstrom looks like.
Well, that's why we wait
until she goes to lunch.
Then we hit on the substitute
during the lunch hour.
It's a gamble,
but it's the best chance
we got.
Oh, by the way,
we don't have to go
back to the house.
Well, we gotta get something
with her signature on it,
so you can learn
how to sign her name.
I stole these canceled checks
from off her desk.
I figured
if we look through them
we might find something
that was interesting.
"We don't know these people.
"We don't need
to get involved."
Forget it.
(ROCKFORD CHUCKLING)
Oh, you're a bigger sucker
than I am.
ROCKFORD: I just don't see
anything in here
that's gonna help us.
How you doing?
Not bad.
Look.
Yeah. Yeah.
That's not too bad.
Only I'd broaden
the "A" in Sandstrom.
Really?
I think it's all right.
She did have
a sort of a cramped hand.
Typical of the paranoid.
You know, Jim,
maybe she did commit suicide.
Maybe the man that shot at us
this afternoon was really
after something else.
Well,
I think she was murdered.
There's just too much
that can't be explained.
(KNOCKING ON DOOR)
Yes?
We're looking
for a James Rockford.
We thought you might have
some idea of his whereabouts.
No. Why?
We have a warrant
for his arrest.
Suspicion of murder.
Who was killed?
OFFICER: An attorney
named Tom Brice.
Is he here,
or do you know where he is?
No, I don't.
But you're welcome
to come in and have a look.
OFFICER: You understand
we don't have
a search warrant.
Well, that's all right.
If you want to have a look,
you have my permission.
Well,
that won't be necessary.
Have you tried his trailer
at the beach?
Yes, we have.
Well, thank you.
It was a nice job.
You heard?
Yeah.
Now, who would want
to kill Tom Brice?
Well, look,
let's just put this together
with some structure
that fits, huh?
There is a safe-deposit box
with something in it.
Something that
somebody's willing
to kill for, huh?
Now, Tom Brice went up
to that house
to look for some jewelry,
but he found a key,
which he didn't know
was there.
But somebody else did.
They went up there,
they jimmied the door.
Tom Brice interrupted them.
So the guy went
out by the pool
and just puttered around.
And that's when I arrived.
So he decided
to get the hell out of there.
Now, I bluffed Tom Brice
out of the key,
but the killer
didn't know that.
He followed Tom Brice
to a spot where
they could have
a little conversation.
Things got rough.
He wound up killing Brice
and he looked for the key,
but it wasn't there.
He still hasn't found it.
And he made a try
for us this afternoon.
It's a theory.
It's a good one.
Hey,
I better get out of here.
They're liable to come back.
Wait a minute.
I'm going with you.
We're gonna have to
get rid of this car
and get a rental.
I'd better rent it.
Okay. Then we'll check
into a motel.
We'll wait until 12:00 noon.
Are you trying to corrupt me?
Yeah. Yeah.
I think maybe I am.
You know, this is funny.
Here we are,
hotter than Bonnie and Clyde
and it's...
It's funny.
Hello. May I help you?
Yes. My name
is Alice Sandstrom.
I'd like to get into
my safe-deposit box.
Thank you.
Right this way,
Miss Sandstrom.
(SECURITY DOOR BUZZING)
WOMAN: Friedler, Pike
and Morris.
Let me speak to
Mr. Friedler, please.
Yes?
You can use this booth
if you like.
Thank you.
It's getting out of control,
Pete.
There's somebody at the bank
trying to get at that box.
If the authorities
get that box, we're cooked.
Look, I had to do it.
You didn't need to kill her.
You didn't need
to kill Brice.
Now, look here.
This is
a tough business.
There's a lot
of bread in it.
You don't like the risk,
you don't get involved.
You'd better take care of it.
She had a baby.
Yeah. This is
the birth certificate.
That explains
the baby blue room
with the new curtains.
It also says she was afraid
she might be murdered.
She certainly was psychotic.
Look how it rambles.
It looks like she had a baby
and gave it over to some guy
named Pete Finch.
Then she had a change of mind,
tried to get it back
and threatened to expose
the whole baby racket,
and they killed her.
The pool man?
Well, we won't know that
until we can get a look
at this guy Pete Finch.
It says here Attorney
Aaron Friedler set up
the whole deal.
And her sister Jennifer
was in on it, huh?
Yeah, probably.
Probably Jennifer didn't want
her sister to have an heir.
You said it best.
What do you mean?
"Daddy left us
a lot of money."
My house is only
a couple of blocks from here.
Why don't we go there
and call Lieutenant Diehl?
The cops are probably
staking out your place.
TINA: Where are you going?
You going toward my house?
There are cops there.
ROCKFORD: I know.
That's the whole idea.
(CAR HONKING)
(SIREN WAILING)
OFFICER: Get out of the car.
ROCKFORD: All right.
All right. I'm getting out.
Feet apart.
Hands on top of the car.
(WOMAN CHATTERING ON RADIO)
Put your hands
behind your back.
Hey!
My briefcase,
get my briefcase, will you?
Move it!
You must be Pete Finch.
Well, I'm not talking
to anyone until I see
my lawyer.
Hey, Pete.
You're a lousy shot.
DIEHL: Book Finch
and pick up Friedler.
Yeah, the charge is
the murder of Alice Sandstrom
and Tom Brice.
And get somebody
to check way back on Finch.
I think we just might have
the tip of a big baby racket
going here.
And tell the D.A.
I want to see him at 4:00.
And get his whole staff
involved in this.
Yup. Could be a biggie.
Right.
Hey, Lieutenant, I hate to be
a stickler for details,
but you forgot to add
two counts of attempted murder
to those charges.
I mean, he did try to kill
Miss Dusseau and myself.
No kidding?
Hmm. Sorry I missed that.
Can we go now?
Why didn't you
come right to us
when you turned up the key?
Well...
And why didn't you call us
when you found out
she had a safe-deposit box?
Well, now, on that one...
How come you broke
into the house?
Well,
I didn't really break in...
You know, Rockford,
for a guy who's such
a stickler for details,
you play very sloppy ball.
Yeah.
Yeah, I guess if you want to
overlook the fact
that I took a suicide out of
your wastebasket and put it on
the D.A.'s murder docket.
I can't figure out
what Becker likes about you.
Well, I think he likes me
because he can beat me
at handball.
Sign the statement,
keep yourselves handy.
We'll need you
for the preliminary hearing.
You were in there
playing a great game
of catch-up with Diehl.
I appreciate
all your help.
What do you mean?
You were doing fine.
You did say to tell him
what he wanted to hear,
and I figured he didn't want
to hear from me.
Oh, I see.
You're a real princess.
You know,
I feel great.
We stuck to this thing
because our instincts told us
we were right.
And we ended up
catching a murderer,
exposing a multimillion dollar
baby plot,
and we may have gotten
a little boy his heritage.
Real heroic stuff.
You rented it.
It's your ticket.
Look,
you don't quite understand.
You see,
the police impounded this car.
Then they drove it around here
and they parked it here.
We don't deserve a ticket.
I'm sorry.
But... Wait a minute.
I just said
that I didn't park it.
The police did.
You can ask them.
Go right in there
and ask them.
I'm sorry.
You know, I try.
I really try, Jim.
But, damn it,
I hate cops.
speaking, Sergeant.
I got a body out here
in the junkyard.
He's been shot twice.
We're looking
for a James Rockford.
You know, Rockford,
for a guy who's such
a stickler for details,
you play very sloppy ball.
Alice Sandstrom?
I don't think
she committed suicide,
Mr. Rockford.
We're calling it suicide,
because it was a suicide.
See how neat that works out?
I'm gonna jerk your ticket,
Rockford.
You're gonna be
doing laundry for the County.
(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 Shirley
at the cleaners.
You know that brown jacket?
The one I said
looked so great on you?
Your favorite?
We lost it.
MAN: (ON TV) The teams are
heading back on the field
for the second half.
The Rams have been
particularly effective during
the first two quarters.
Their pass defense
has been spectacular.
Hey, Solly.
Solly, what do you got
for odds in the second half?
I didn't say
I wanted to press,
I just want to know
what the odds are.
(KNOCKING ON DOOR)
Come in.
MAN: (ON TV) And the
linebackers have been...
Hi.
I'll be right with you.
Fourteen and a half points!
Solly, they came
into the game an underdog.
They're only six points up.
Well, what are you running,
a book or a bucket shop?
No bet.
Fourteen and a half points,
he thinks
somebody's gonna take it.
I'm sorry.
My name is Jim Rockford.
Jennifer Sandstrom.
I hope you're available
for employment.
I'm in need of
a private investigator.
Hey, that's gonna
work out real great.
That's what I do
for a living.
I'm sorry.
That's just a little joke.
Sit down.
I don't know if
there's anything
you can do.
She may have
killed herself.
It certainly is possible.
It just doesn't
seem like her.
She was always
such a happy person.
Even when we were children,
she was always the most...
(STAMMERING)
Miss Sandstrom.
Could you just start
at the beginning, please?
Oh, I'm sorry, of course.
You don't know
what on earth
I'm talking about.
Here.
Alice Sandstrom?
My sister.
Well, it says the body
was discovered
on the beach near
the Santa Monica Pier
two days ago.
Her car was found
two blocks away,
with a suicide note
written in her hand.
I don't think
she committed suicide,
Mr. Rockford.
Look, Miss Sandstrom,
if the police
have it down as a suicide,
that's probably
just what it was.
No. You see,
she was afraid of the water.
Ever since we were children,
she was always
afraid of the water.
She would never
have chosen drowning
as a way to commit suicide.
I have a friend
who is a psychiatrist
and he said
it would be most unlikely.
Yeah, unlikely,
but possible.
Oh no, she was not
a suicidal person.
I don't care what
the police say.
She was a happy person.
She loved life.
I think she was killed,
and I want you
to look into it.
Miss Sandstrom, it says here
that you are
the sole survivor?
How much do you charge,
Mr. Rockford?
Look, I think you
ought to let the police
handle this.
I really do.
I mean, they're good.
Maybe they're not
telling you everything
they know.
It's $200 a day
plus expenses.
But I'm trying to
tell you to let
the police handle it.
Look, maybe the police
found out she had
a psychiatrist that
you didn't know about.
Maybe that psychiatrist
knows something
you don't know.
Are you listening
to me or not?
Miss Sandstrom,
I don't take cases
that don't seem real to me.
Now, you could
triple that stack of money,
it wouldn't change anything.
Well, it probably wouldn't.
Please.
I need your help.
Even if it turns out
she killed herself.
I need to know for sure.
Please.
All right.
All right. All right.
Look, I'II...
I'll look around
for one day, huh?
I'll go up there.
I'll look around.
I'll see if I can
turn up something.
You'll find her address
in that newspaper article.
And here is mine.
I'm there most of the time.
Mandeville Canyon.
That's a nice area.
Daddy left us some money,
Mr. Rockford.
Jim. Just call me Jim.
Oh, I almost forgot this.
I got into her bedroom
and I found some things
that weren't there before.
Look. It's in here somewhere.
I don't know who J.M. Is.
We used to trade off jewelry
quite a bit, and I know she
didn't have that last month.
Also, there are these.
They're love letters,
but the bottom's been cut off.
That's pretty strange,
isn't it?
Yeah, yeah...
Almost as if she
didn't want anyone
to know who it was.
Okay. Yeah, thank you.
I wonder if
you'd do me a favor.
Would you keep those on you?
I'd hate to lose them.
Can you go up
to the house now?
I mean,
can you start right now?
Oh, well...
Yeah. Sure. Sure.
Just let me get my coat.
What do you mean,
it's Lieutenant Diehl's case?
Can't you check on it?
Sure I can check on it.
I just don't want to.
Come on, Dennis.
She was a floater on
the beach in Santa Monica.
There's gotta be some reason
you guys are
calling it suicide.
There is.
Okay, what is it?
We're calling it suicide,
because it was a suicide.
See how neat that works out?
What about an autopsy?
I don't know.
Look, Jimbo, it's not my case.
It's Lieutenant Diehl's.
Call Diehl up and
ask him to read you
the R.O. Report.
Okay.
Okay, I'm officially
notifying you
that I'm working on the case.
Why tell me? Tell Diehl.
I'm telling you
because I'm talking to you.
You see how neat
that works out?
Oh, hi.
Say, is there
anybody in the house?
That filter, I'm gonna have to
take it down to the shop
and get some parts for it.
I said,
is anybody in the house?
Oh, yeah. I think so.
I think there's a guy
in there.
Why don't you
try the front door?
Thanks.
What is going on here?
I don't know.
Let's wait and see.
(DOOR CLOSING)
May I ask
what you think
you're doing?
Oh. It's all right.
Oh, my name is...
Yes, I know your name.
You're Tom Brice.
I called Friedler,
Pike and Morris.
They said you'd be here.
You know we haven't
done the inventory.
You... Who are you?
Jay Volaro,
County Assessors Office.
You know, Mr. Brice,
that removing an item,
like that jewelry box,
is a tax crime.
You start messing around with
the County Assessors Office,
you won't
get into heaven, son.
Well, we were told
the tax people had
already done the audit.
We were authorized
to remove the items
that were special bequests
in the will.
Who told you that?
I think...
Well, come on.
I'd like to know.
Who told you that?
It was Mr. Talbot.
He's in your office.
Yeah.
Mr. Friedler spoke
to him, I think.
Talbot told you that?
All right,
I've had it with him.
He makes
too many mistakes.
He's too old.
He told you that?
When did he tell you that?
I'd really like to know.
Was it before
10:30 this morning, huh?
Look, I don't
want to get anyone
into any trouble.
I'm gonna find out, anyway.
Look, I don't know.
You see, you'd have
to ask Mr. Friedler.
He spoke to him.
Okay, I will.
You just might
as well clear out, son.
I'll forget that
you were in here illegally.
Oh, you...
You found the keys
to the safe-deposit box,
I suppose.
Safe-deposit box?
Didn't know she had
a safe-deposit box.
But I did find some keys.
Here.
Which bank?
Bank. I don't know.
But her checking account,
that's at
City Savings & Trust
on Sunset.
Okay, I'll return these
to you
after the inventory
and the audit.
Okay. You can go, son.
Yes, sir.
(MACHINE WHIRRING)
(MACHINE STOPS)
Sergeant Becker, please.
WOMAN: (ON PHONE)
I'm sorry. He's not in.
Yeah. Give me
Lieutenant Diehl then.
This is Lieutenant Diehl
speaking.
Hello, Lieutenant.
This is Jim Rockford.
Hello.
I said this is...
What do you want?
Lieutenant, I understand
that you're handling
the Alice Sandstrom
drowning case.
What do you want, Rockford?
I think maybe you ought
to go up to her house
and check the pool filter.
Why would I want to do that?
And then
I think you ought to get
the autopsy report back
and check and see
if anybody bothered to look,
see what kind of water
was in her lungs.
I think maybe she was
drowned in her own pool
then taken out
and pushed in the ocean.
This is not a murder,
Rockford.
I closed this case.
And I damn well
don't appreciate
you digging around in it.
I just said...
I know what you said.
Get off my back,
get off my case.
You understand?
Diehl, you get off your butt
and come up here
and look at this pool filter,
or I'm gonna go
to the City Attorney!
I'm gonna jerk your ticket,
Rockford.
You're gonna be doing laundry
for the County.
You do yourself a favor,
Lieutenant.
You loosen up
just long enough
to check that autopsy report
and get up here
and look at this pool filter.
(DOORBELL RINGING)
I'm here to see
Jennifer Sandstrom.
Is she expecting you,
Mr. Rockford?
Yes.
One moment,
while I check.
I'm sorry.
There must be some mistake.
I was looking for
Jennifer Sandstrom.
You found her.
If you're here
investigating Alice's death
for the insurance company,
I've already told Mr. Dreikurs
we're not filing a claim.
It was a suicide.
I don't understand
what it is you people
want to investigate.
Oh, I'm working for
Friedler, Pike and Morris.
Tom Brice hired me
this afternoon.
There's some legal matters
that need to be concluded.
Such as?
Well...
There was the whole matter
about your sister's investment
in the Lake Oswego
Real Estate Corporation.
She was a general partner
on that
and had some
general partnership
liabilities.
Then there was,
of course, the matter about
the civil misconduct case
we were handling for her.
What the devil are
you talking about?
Well, I guess I shouldn't
have said anything at all.
I just assumed that you knew
about your sister's affairs.
I mean, Mr. Brice
didn't say anything
about maintaining
any confidentiality.
I do.
And I've never heard
of any of those things.
Well, it does seem strange,
doesn't it?
Well, to begin with,
my sister was
in no mental condition
to be a general partner
or to assume
any liabilities.
After all, she'd been
in and out of Lynhaven
for the last two years.
Well, Lynhaven was
some sort of hospital?
It's a mental institution.
Surely Mr. Brice told you
that my sister
had been deeply suicidal
for the last
two or three years.
Oh, yes, yes.
We went into that
very thoroughly. Yes.
What is all this malarkey
about my sister
being a general partner
in some sort of investment?
Well, it's just that.
What?
Malarkey. It's all malarkey.
I guess I'll just be
on my way. Thank you.
What took you so long?
Hey, I had to go
all the way back
to the gas station.
Okay.
We shouldn't have
to use our own cars.
Well, what did Sherman say?
He said go ahead
and stick on this guy.
His name turns out
to be Rockford and he's a P.I.
That's great.
What about the girl?
He's got two other guys
on her now,
but he says it may have
already gone down.
Hello. Let me speak
with Mr. Friedler, please.
Well, when he gets in,
tell him to call
Jennifer Sandstrom.
It's urgent.
Cops.
Yes, this is Mr. Smith
in Room 24.
I'm gonna take a little nap.
Could you wake me
at 7:30, please?
WOMAN: Yes, sir.
Thank you.
Well?
He's taking a nap.
He left a wake-up call
for 7:30 tonight.
Let's go. We can
check back here at 7:30
if that's what
Sherman wants.
Oh, hi.
You ought to be able
to do better than that.
You're upset.
I can appreciate that.
Why don't you
let me put a little extra
in the pot?
Would you stay
for lunch?
Yeah.
Where you going?
Now, wait a minute.
What the hell
do you think
you're doing?
I am going
to call the police.
Just open the front door
and call out in a loud voice.
What are you
talking about?
Oh, come on, Tina,
don't tell me
you don't know
there's four of L.A.'s finest
sitting outside,
drinking cold coffee.
Well, well.
What have we here?
You got paid.
What more do you want?
That's just
about priceless.
Wait a minute.
Oh, so you think
I won't call the police, huh?
Well...
All right,
so I won't call the police.
But that doesn't
give you any right
to go prowling through
someone's personal effects.
What are you doing?
Just earning my money.
(SIGHING)
Well, well.
Here we have the solution
to the mystery of the letters
and the bracelet.
Fascinating. I'm enthralled.
Now would you
please get out of here?
Oh, I could be
persuaded to leave.
Of course, I have
a few conditions.
I was sure you would.
Don't get too salty,
Miss Dusseau.
Remember, I'm the guy
that got red-dogged.
Red-dogged?
Yeah.
It's a football term.
That's where
the line opens up a hole
and they shoot a linebacker
through to sack
the unsuspecting quarterback.
Oh, my stew. It's burning.
Aren't you coming?
You didn't put it
on the stove.
I notice little things
like that.
I'm a detective, remember?
If you want to get rid of me,
you'll have to do
better than that.
It's just that
everything around here
is so messy. You know...
Well, now,
don't feel too bad.
What were you gonna do?
Get a chill,
come in to get a sweater,
and then pick up
your cute little
chrome-plated cannon,
chase me out into the street?
I saved you a lot of trouble.
You know,
I could get very tired
of all this clever chatter.
You know,
that makes my palms
just all sweaty.
Where we going?
First we're gonna
get out of here
and then...
Then you're gonna
tell me why you sent me
to the Sandstrom house.
Although I have
a pretty fair idea,
I'd like to hear
all the gory little details.
Now, wait a minute. Just...
Wait, wait a minute.
Okay, so you just selected
the Alice Sandstrom drowning
out of the paper at random,
sent me up there.
Then you gave me the envelope
so that when I left my trailer
I'd take the two cops
off you.
Now, I want to know
why they're interested
in you
and I want to know
what I got myself
involved in.
Hello.
Okay, you're on.
Make it good honey, huh?
Aunt Elizabeth always said
you could dance.
Funny.
Well, I guess
it won't hurt to tell you.
Pacific Trust insures
the Delany jewelry collection.
It's worth maybe $3,000,000.
Anyway,
the whole collection
was stolen from
the Delany house
about two weeks ago.
Pacific Trust was contacted
by the thieves
and offered a chance
to buy back the collection
at half the price,
which was a lot cheaper
than paying off
the insurance claim.
No. But they wanted
the cops kept on the outside
of the deal.
And they wanted me
to be the go-between.
'Cause they figured
I was a girl and I wouldn't be
much of a threat to them.
Oh, but they didn't know
that you keep
a chrome-plated.38
right next to
your pearl drop earrings.
You're determined to be flip,
aren't you?
Hey, come on now.
Give me a break, huh?
I'm trying to walk off
a big emotional
disappointment.
TINA: Anyway, somehow
the cops must have gotten wind
of the exchange
that took place at 2:00
this afternoon.
I was on my way
to the insurance company
to pick up the money
that came
in a manila envelope.
I looked out
the front of my house
and I saw two cops.
So I decided to make
a duplicate envelope.
$3 worth, please.
So you...
You smuggled it
out to your car,
you went to
the insurance company,
you picked up the money
and then on your way
to make the switch,
you dropped by my place
with the phony envelope.
And I walked out of my trailer
waving it like a flag,
and I've had those two cops
following me ever since.
I don't see what harm it did.
I made the switch.
The insurance company
has the jewelry.
And you have $200.
Well, the only thing wrong
with all that is
I think that Alice Sandstrom
was really murdered.
You're kidding.
I told you
I was a good detective.
I think that she was drowned
in her own swimming pool,
taken out
and thrown in the ocean.
Hmm.
I called Lieutenant Diehl
down at the police station...
Lieutenant Thomas Diehl?
...and climbed his tree.
Yeah. You know him?
Do I!
He hates me.
Yeah, me, too.
Well, anyway, we're going
down there, and you're gonna
clear me with Diehl.
You're gonna tell him
you sent me off
on a wild goose chase
to get those
two cops off of me
that were following you.
Oh, no. I'm not going to
the police station
to scrub you clean with Diehl.
Not on your life.
You got a permit
to carry this thing?
Oh, come on.
Lieutenant Diehl will
pull your ticket
for carrying
an unauthorized weapon.
Why, I never saw that gun
before in my life.
Well, you're gonna be
wearing it when we see Diehl
just the same.
You wouldn't.
We're colleagues.
I'm just thinning out
the field.
It's good for business.
(GROANS)
All right.
But if I go in there
and I get you straight
with Diehl, that's it, right?
Right.
MAN: That's $3.
Right.
Thank you.
You bet.
The thing is
that Diehl is
such a cluck.
Yeah.
You got any idea
what this cost the County?
You got the faintest idea?
I just thought
it'd be a good idea
if you looked...
Okay, we checked.
This lady got no pool water
in her lungs.
She jumped off
the Santa Monica Pier.
She left a suicide note.
She's been in deep analysis
for over two years.
Her psychiatrist says
she was suicidal.
What does it take
to satisfy you, Rockford?
Oh, I'd say
that right about now
I'm satisfied.
What do you got
to do with this?
She's the one that hired me
to investigate the drowning.
She's my client.
I have been dreading the day
when you two would
get together on anything.
Miss Dusseau,
if it wouldn't be
too much trouble,
would you mind
explaining to me
why you hired Rockford?
I was trying to get
the two detectives who work
for Sergeant Vince Sherman
to follow Rockford
instead of me.
I see.
I see,
and why would you
want to do that?
That is privileged
client information.
Come on.
It is police business.
Lieutenant,
I'm not gonna tell you.
If you're that curious,
you can ask Sergeant Sherman.
He knows.
Look, Lieutenant,
why stand around
yammering with us, huh?
What do you expect to
get out of a couple
of jerk private eyes?
Why don't we just say
we made a big mistake
and Tina and I'll
get out of your life, huh?
In the two and a half years
I've known you,
that's the first thing
you've ever said
I can get behind.
Hey.
What?
On the way back,
I want to drop by
the Sandstrom house
for a minute. Do you mind?
Of course I mind.
I don't want to get in trouble
with Lieutenant Diehl.
If we go there,
we're just asking for it.
Yeah. Yeah, well,
it'll only take a minute.
Oh, come on, Jim.
I'm not impressed
with this sort of thing.
Either you know something
or you don't.
There was no pool truck.
The door in the back
of the house was jimmied,
but there was no pool truck
out front.
Oh, that sheds
a lot of light
on everything.
You know,
you have a tendency
for flip remarks yourself.
You know that pool man.
He said he didn't have
parts to fix the filter.
You'd just think
they'd always carry parts
to fix a filter.
Yeah, you'd think
they would.
All right, I give up.
What are we looking for?
The guy was carrying
a pool skimmer.
You know the little thing
you fish the leaves
and bugs out of the pool.
See if you can find it.
Seems strange
you wouldn't notice that truck
was missing before.
Well, I just assumed
that there was a back exit
to this place
and he was parked
in the back.
There's no back road here,
and there's no pool skimmer.
Guy just picked it up
and carried it off.
Guy in his shirtsleeves,
carrying a pool skimmer
just looks like a pool man.
It's an instant disguise.
I wouldn't break in there
if I were you.
I'm not breaking in.
It's been jimmied.
I told you that.
"Police, fire,
"pool service."
This is Mr. Brice.
And we're handling the estate
of Alice Sandstrom
and I'm sorry, but I'm afraid
we're going to have to
terminate the pool service.
Yes. Yes,
it was a terrible shame.
Look, for our records,
could you tell me
when the last time
that the pool was serviced?
Uh-huh, and that was
the last time?
No. No. No problem,
just send us
a final statement,
please.
Yes. Thank you.
Come and take
a look at this.
Now, who would paint a room
and put on new curtains,
if they intended
to commit suicide?
Hmm. Taking a little
busman's holiday, I see.
It is pretty strange,
don't you think?
Yeah. Yeah.
It turns out the pool man
was a phony.
The last time
they had anybody up here
was Tuesday.
Do you think
it really was him
that jimmied the door?
I suppose
he has to be considered.
What would he want
inside the house?
Well, maybe it was these.
Safe-deposit box?
Yup.
Where did you get these?
Well, I'd rather not say.
Do you want to
call Lieutenant Diehl
and let him in on this?
Do you?
No.
We could send him
an anonymous letter.
Hmm. He'd know.
Yeah.
We could forget
the whole thing.
After all, we don't owe
any of these people anything.
(CLICKING TONGUE)
Now, don't go heroic on me.
You're right.
Let's get out of here.
Look at it this way.
It probably was a suicide.
I mean, Diehl wouldn't lie
about her psychiatrist
saying she was suicidal.
Yeah. I know.
Her sister Jennifer said
she was in and out
of a mental institute
for two years.
You see,
that corroborates it.
So she painted a room
and went out
and jumped off a pier.
What about the pool man?
What about him?
A friendly neighbor
who didn't want to see
the filter get clogged.
I know,
it's a little strange.
But I'm sure
if we thought about it
long enough,
we could come up
with at least a dozen reasons
for the pool man.
Yeah, I suppose.
Where do you want me
to drop you off?
At home.
Oh, say, I've got
some of that stew left.
Do you want to
stay for dinner?
Hmm.
(GUN FIRING)
ROCKFORD: Get your head down.
Quick!
(CAR ENGINE STARTING)
(CAR ACCELERATING)
If you hadn't taken
the bullets out of my gun,
we could have shot back.
Well, you can't shoot
what you can't see.
So much
for the suicide theory.
All right.
Come on,
let's go up there
and get the spare on
and get out of here.
I can do it.
All right.
Stay where you are.
I'll check and see
if it's clear.
"Brice. Thomas A."
Brice?
Sandstrom.
Lieutenant,
Sergeant Sherman's
on the patch-through
on your car right now.
Thanks.
This is Lieutenant Diehl
speaking, Sergeant.
I got a body out here
in the junkyard.
He's been shot twice.
The guy's name is Tom Brice.
He's an attorney
for Alice Sandstrom.
You got anything
that ties Rockford
or Tina Dusseau into this?
SHERMAN: Yeah.
I've just been reading
through Deek's report.
We got a match-up.
Rockford was up
at that house about the time
Brice was there.
Maybe he followed him out
and dropped the hammer on him.
Okay. If we can put
Rockford with Brice
this morning,
I want a warrant
put out on him.
Suspicion of murder.
We better get a time of death
from the M.E.
We need a match-up
on the time.
We need motive.
It's a little thin.
Suspicion is just
what it says.
Suspicion, Sergeant.
Pick him up.
Well, this is Sunday,
so we can't get into
that safe-deposit box
until tomorrow.
What are we gonna do?
Well, ordinarily,
I'd go to the police,
but we just can't prove
anybody tried to kill us.
And I get the feeling
Lieutenant Diehl would have
a rooting interest
in the killer. So that
doesn't make much sense.
How are we gonna get in
that safe-deposit box?
Well, first we go back
to Alice's house,
get something with
her signature on it,
and then we'll do
what we can tomorrow
to make you look like Alice.
Oh, no. The lady
who lets the people
in the safe-deposit box area
is not gonna be fooled.
She probably knows what
Alice Sandstrom looks like.
Well, that's why we wait
until she goes to lunch.
Then we hit on the substitute
during the lunch hour.
It's a gamble,
but it's the best chance
we got.
Oh, by the way,
we don't have to go
back to the house.
Well, we gotta get something
with her signature on it,
so you can learn
how to sign her name.
I stole these canceled checks
from off her desk.
I figured
if we look through them
we might find something
that was interesting.
"We don't know these people.
"We don't need
to get involved."
Forget it.
(ROCKFORD CHUCKLING)
Oh, you're a bigger sucker
than I am.
ROCKFORD: I just don't see
anything in here
that's gonna help us.
How you doing?
Not bad.
Look.
Yeah. Yeah.
That's not too bad.
Only I'd broaden
the "A" in Sandstrom.
Really?
I think it's all right.
She did have
a sort of a cramped hand.
Typical of the paranoid.
You know, Jim,
maybe she did commit suicide.
Maybe the man that shot at us
this afternoon was really
after something else.
Well,
I think she was murdered.
There's just too much
that can't be explained.
(KNOCKING ON DOOR)
Yes?
We're looking
for a James Rockford.
We thought you might have
some idea of his whereabouts.
No. Why?
We have a warrant
for his arrest.
Suspicion of murder.
Who was killed?
OFFICER: An attorney
named Tom Brice.
Is he here,
or do you know where he is?
No, I don't.
But you're welcome
to come in and have a look.
OFFICER: You understand
we don't have
a search warrant.
Well, that's all right.
If you want to have a look,
you have my permission.
Well,
that won't be necessary.
Have you tried his trailer
at the beach?
Yes, we have.
Well, thank you.
It was a nice job.
You heard?
Yeah.
Now, who would want
to kill Tom Brice?
Well, look,
let's just put this together
with some structure
that fits, huh?
There is a safe-deposit box
with something in it.
Something that
somebody's willing
to kill for, huh?
Now, Tom Brice went up
to that house
to look for some jewelry,
but he found a key,
which he didn't know
was there.
But somebody else did.
They went up there,
they jimmied the door.
Tom Brice interrupted them.
So the guy went
out by the pool
and just puttered around.
And that's when I arrived.
So he decided
to get the hell out of there.
Now, I bluffed Tom Brice
out of the key,
but the killer
didn't know that.
He followed Tom Brice
to a spot where
they could have
a little conversation.
Things got rough.
He wound up killing Brice
and he looked for the key,
but it wasn't there.
He still hasn't found it.
And he made a try
for us this afternoon.
It's a theory.
It's a good one.
Hey,
I better get out of here.
They're liable to come back.
Wait a minute.
I'm going with you.
We're gonna have to
get rid of this car
and get a rental.
I'd better rent it.
Okay. Then we'll check
into a motel.
We'll wait until 12:00 noon.
Are you trying to corrupt me?
Yeah. Yeah.
I think maybe I am.
You know, this is funny.
Here we are,
hotter than Bonnie and Clyde
and it's...
It's funny.
Hello. May I help you?
Yes. My name
is Alice Sandstrom.
I'd like to get into
my safe-deposit box.
Thank you.
Right this way,
Miss Sandstrom.
(SECURITY DOOR BUZZING)
WOMAN: Friedler, Pike
and Morris.
Let me speak to
Mr. Friedler, please.
Yes?
You can use this booth
if you like.
Thank you.
It's getting out of control,
Pete.
There's somebody at the bank
trying to get at that box.
If the authorities
get that box, we're cooked.
Look, I had to do it.
You didn't need to kill her.
You didn't need
to kill Brice.
Now, look here.
This is
a tough business.
There's a lot
of bread in it.
You don't like the risk,
you don't get involved.
You'd better take care of it.
She had a baby.
Yeah. This is
the birth certificate.
That explains
the baby blue room
with the new curtains.
It also says she was afraid
she might be murdered.
She certainly was psychotic.
Look how it rambles.
It looks like she had a baby
and gave it over to some guy
named Pete Finch.
Then she had a change of mind,
tried to get it back
and threatened to expose
the whole baby racket,
and they killed her.
The pool man?
Well, we won't know that
until we can get a look
at this guy Pete Finch.
It says here Attorney
Aaron Friedler set up
the whole deal.
And her sister Jennifer
was in on it, huh?
Yeah, probably.
Probably Jennifer didn't want
her sister to have an heir.
You said it best.
What do you mean?
"Daddy left us
a lot of money."
My house is only
a couple of blocks from here.
Why don't we go there
and call Lieutenant Diehl?
The cops are probably
staking out your place.
TINA: Where are you going?
You going toward my house?
There are cops there.
ROCKFORD: I know.
That's the whole idea.
(CAR HONKING)
(SIREN WAILING)
OFFICER: Get out of the car.
ROCKFORD: All right.
All right. I'm getting out.
Feet apart.
Hands on top of the car.
(WOMAN CHATTERING ON RADIO)
Put your hands
behind your back.
Hey!
My briefcase,
get my briefcase, will you?
Move it!
You must be Pete Finch.
Well, I'm not talking
to anyone until I see
my lawyer.
Hey, Pete.
You're a lousy shot.
DIEHL: Book Finch
and pick up Friedler.
Yeah, the charge is
the murder of Alice Sandstrom
and Tom Brice.
And get somebody
to check way back on Finch.
I think we just might have
the tip of a big baby racket
going here.
And tell the D.A.
I want to see him at 4:00.
And get his whole staff
involved in this.
Yup. Could be a biggie.
Right.
Hey, Lieutenant, I hate to be
a stickler for details,
but you forgot to add
two counts of attempted murder
to those charges.
I mean, he did try to kill
Miss Dusseau and myself.
No kidding?
Hmm. Sorry I missed that.
Can we go now?
Why didn't you
come right to us
when you turned up the key?
Well...
And why didn't you call us
when you found out
she had a safe-deposit box?
Well, now, on that one...
How come you broke
into the house?
Well,
I didn't really break in...
You know, Rockford,
for a guy who's such
a stickler for details,
you play very sloppy ball.
Yeah.
Yeah, I guess if you want to
overlook the fact
that I took a suicide out of
your wastebasket and put it on
the D.A.'s murder docket.
I can't figure out
what Becker likes about you.
Well, I think he likes me
because he can beat me
at handball.
Sign the statement,
keep yourselves handy.
We'll need you
for the preliminary hearing.
You were in there
playing a great game
of catch-up with Diehl.
I appreciate
all your help.
What do you mean?
You were doing fine.
You did say to tell him
what he wanted to hear,
and I figured he didn't want
to hear from me.
Oh, I see.
You're a real princess.
You know,
I feel great.
We stuck to this thing
because our instincts told us
we were right.
And we ended up
catching a murderer,
exposing a multimillion dollar
baby plot,
and we may have gotten
a little boy his heritage.
Real heroic stuff.
You rented it.
It's your ticket.
Look,
you don't quite understand.
You see,
the police impounded this car.
Then they drove it around here
and they parked it here.
We don't deserve a ticket.
I'm sorry.
But... Wait a minute.
I just said
that I didn't park it.
The police did.
You can ask them.
Go right in there
and ask them.
I'm sorry.
You know, I try.
I really try, Jim.
But, damn it,
I hate cops.