All language subtitles for The Rockford Files - 00x03 - I Still Love L.A.

(PEOPLE CHATTERING)

(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 Benny. I know your sewer's backed up,

but I can't get out there today.
Maybe your buyers won't notice.

Oh, great.

(CAR APPROACHING)

(GRUNTS) Where
do you want it?

What are you doing here?

What's it look like I'm
doing? I brought you your car.

Tomorrow, Gus. I asked you to
bring it tomorrow. I don't want it today.

I don't know why
you want this at all.

Gus, do me a favor,
would you?

Would you go back and
check your paperwork?

I think you'll find that I specifically
requested delivery on the 30th.

This is the 29th.

Could you bring it
back tomorrow? Please?

Okay.

Thank you.
It's your money.

(EXCLAIMS) Hey! Wait,
wait, wait, wait! Wait!

What do you mean,
"It's my money"?

I'm not paying for today. This
is your mistake, Gus, not mine.

I don't make mistakes. I make
deliveries and this is a delivery.

Now, if you want me to
deliver again tomorrow, fine.

But you pay for today
and you pay for tomorrow.

So what's it gonna be?

Leave it!

(ENGINE STARTS)

(MECHANICAL WHIRRING)

Gus! Don't
leave it there!

I'm tr yin' to
sell this place!

Oh, Gus!

(CAR BACKFIRING)

Not there, Angel!
Not there!

What?
Move it!

Well, I'd love to,
Jimmy. I got a little problem with reverse.

Move it!
All right.

(EXCLAIMING) Angel!

Told you I had a problem.

(ENGINE GRINDING)

Well, you've got more
than a problem with reverse.

At least I have reverse.
Where'd they find it?

Oh, a chop shop in El Segundo. Angel,
this is not a good time.

You're gonna have to excuse me,
but I'm expecting a guest.

Well, what am I?

Uninvited. Hey, you should have
called first, you shouldn't just drop by.

Now, that's the trouble
with living at the beach.

Everybody just thinks
they can drop by.

Use your towels, run up your
phone bill, eat your food.

Hey, any time I'm not
welcome around here,

all you got to do
is say the word.

Go home, Angel.

Angel, I told you
this is not a good time.

For sitting?

I don't want you to sit.
I don't want you to stay.

Jimmy, we can't always have
what we want. This is an emergency.

Angel!

Jimmy, I am about this far from a complete,
total rubber room breakdown.

(CAR APPROACHING)

Oh, damn.

This trail mix?

Hey, no! No! No!

(COUGHING)

Oh! I'm sorry,
Jimmy. I couldn't help myself.

Oh, man, do yourself a favor.
Get rid of this stuff. It is nasty!

Well,
not if you don't eat it. It's potpourri.

Who are you expecting?
Princess Di?

I'm having a meeting here,
Angel. It's very important.

I don't want you to say anything.
I don't want you to do anything.

Except clean up the mess
you've made. Understood?

Understood?

Oh,
my God! ROCKFORD: Mr. Emmenthaler!

I thought we'd
never make it.

Oh! A couple of minutes
late. No problem.

Ed. Ed.

Oh, Mrs. Emmenthaler! I've been
looking forward to meeting you.

I am going to throw up.
What?

I am going to throw up!
Oh! Oh!

(GROANING)

She doesn't seem
to be feeling too well.

No.
The excitement, I guess.

I guess. Oh,
wait till she sees the closets.

Great closets. Can't
seem to fill 'em up.

That's one of the first things that
women want to see, you know.

(STAMMERING) Well,
maybe a glass of water.

Oh, of course. I should
have thought about that.

Uh, Angel!

Angel, could you bring Mrs.
Emmenthaler a glass of water, please?

ED: (STAMMERING) Got some glass
of water coming, Myrna. Just hold on.

That's a friend of mine,
just dropped by.

It's one of the great things
about living at the beach.

People just drop by.

(CHUCKLES) You'll never spend
a lonely day. I can guarantee that.

Ed, what are you doing? You
told me you'd get me out of here!

Get me out of here! Please! All right,
Myrna.

All right. Look,
we've gotta get going.

What do you mean, "going"?

(SIGHS)
You can't go.

(STAMMERS) You said on the phone
that you were ready to sign the papers.

Uh, your exact word,
"It's a done deal."

You said you were ready
to buy the trailer.

Well, wait a minute now,
don't throw my words back at me.

That was before we took a
couple of bricks through the window.

We could have
been killed.

I mean, we drove right
through the middle of this thing.

Now, don't you think they'd
have had somebody out there

to like warn us
off or something?

We drove right through
the middle of it.

Ed, get me out of here!

Myrna, will you shut up?

(MYRNA MOANING)
In the middle of what?

The riot, or whatever
it's supposed to be.

The whole damn town's
going up in smoke.

People are running around with guns,
they're looting, they're burning.

I don't know how we
got out of there alive.

(STAMMERING) Now, listen,
I only came by because

it seemed like the
right thing to do.

Now, we have
nothing on paper,

so, if you're thinking
about suing me...

No, I'm not thinking about suing.
I'm just trying to get a handle on this.

Oh, no! Never mind. All right.
Let me tell you something,

we're getting the hell out of here,
Rockford. MYRNA: Never mind!

And I would suggest
that you do the same.

(TIRES SCREECHING)

MYRNA: (SOBBING) No!
ED: I'm going.

What'd he think I was gonna do with
his money? Open a lemonade stand?

(CAR TIRES SCREECHING)

(PHONE RINGING)

Oh, Angel! Angel,
don't you go anywhere!

You stay right here!

I gotta answer the phone!
Don't leave.

(ENGINE STALLING)
Angel!

Angel!

(ENGINE STARTING)

Yeah. Yeah. Hi, Rocky.

Yeah, I just heard.

Angel! Angel,
don't you even think about leaving here!

Yeah, Rocky. Hey, no,
don't worry about me. No, I'm home.

I'm fine, I'm not
going anywhere.

(GEARS GRINDING)

Yeah. Okay. Okay.
I'll talk to you later.

Angel? Angel, what is
the matter with you?

Didn't you hear what
Emmenthaler said about the riots?

Yeah. I got
the whole earful.

You checkin' out, Jimmy?
You leaving town maybe?

Well, maybe. Well,
all right, I'm leaving town.

At least I'm trying to.
Didn't I mention that?

No. You did not.
My old buddy.

I gotta hear it from some stranger!
Some lame named after a cheese!

(CAR BACKFIRING)

FEMALE NEWSCASTER: ...smoke
has obliterated the surrounding area.

ROCKFORD: Oh,
God. We can see a number of buildings

that are fully
engulfed in flame.

No word yet as to
fire department response.

It is our understanding,
as yet unconfirmed,

that there has been
some difficulty

in delivering crews
to the troubled spots.

(SIGHS) A number of reports,
also unconfirmed,

of crews coming
under attack.

There has been gunfire.
There have been casualties.

It's been a long day,

and it looks like it's going
to be an even longer night.

MALE NEWSCASTER: Los
Angeles is truly a city under siege.

The mayor has declared
a state of emergency

and there is a possibility that a
curfew may be imposed tonight

in an effort to contain the
violence which continues to erupt.

(PHONE RINGING) The National
Guard has been deployed by the governor.

Residents are
being warned...

ANGEL: (ON ANSWERING MACHINE)
This is Angel, at the beep speak.

(PHONE BEEPS)

Um, Angel. This is Jim.

Now,
I know you're probably still sore at me,

but would you call me back
anyway so I know you got home?

I really don't like what's happening
out there. Now you call me!

MALE NEWSCASTER: The mood of
the mob seems to change by the moment.

There is still a great deal of anger,
but there is also fear.

Looting is widespread

and has been reported at
points across Los Angeles County,

including Compton, South Central
Los Angeles and Westwood Village.

At this moment,
several downtown structures

are being damaged
by rampaging vandals.

Cars have been smashed
in the intersections

and abandoned
by their owners.

MAN ON RADIO: Trouble erupted almost
immediately upon delivery of the King verdict.

At the moment,
the courthouse,

federal and state
office buildings...

(JAZZ PLAYING)

(GUN COCKING)

(GUN FIRES)

(CAR APPROACHING)

(CHATTERING ON POLICE RADIO)

May I help you, ma'am?

I'm Halley Kittredge,
Mrs. Lansing's attorney.

Her children called and
asked me to meet them here.

All right, follow me.

MAN: Can we get a photographer over here,
please?

(SIGHING) Oh, God,
where is she? I called her hours ago.

It's more like 20 minutes,
Dorie. She'll be here.

(CRYING)

Come on,
sis. That's just gonna make you feel worse.

I just couldn't
feel any worse.

(EXCLAIMS) Oh! My eyes are so hot. Oh,
God, they're swollen, aren't they?

I practically can't see.

POLICEMAN: Excuse me,
ma'am. May I help you?

KIT: I'm the family
attorney, it's okay.

Yeah. Right over there. (SIGHS) Oh,
I got here as fast as I could.

I don't know what to say.

She's been like
that ever since...

(DORIE SOBBING)

She didn't see anything.
I made sure of that.

But I had to tell
her how it was.

What happened, Josh?

I don't know!

I heard a shot.
Oh!

I ran outside and Mom
was just lying there.

(DORIE CRYING)

They did it for the car.
They didn't have to shoot her.

They could have
just taken it.

You saw them?
Can you identify them?

No, no. They were, uh... They were
wearing some kind of ski mask thing.

And when I came outside,
they just jumped in the car and took off.

I ran after them, but...

Can you believe it?
I ran after them.

Like I could catch
an eight cylinder car.

I just want to go to bed. Why
do they keep us sitting here?

I mean, we've told them
everything that happened.

Yeah. As you can see,
they really ran with it.

(CHATTERING)

What's the matter with them,
anyway? What, are they

standing around waiting
for their pensions to kick in?

(CRYING)

Josh. Josh,
look. I know you're distraught, but...

But what?

They're not doing anything.
They're not doing a damn thing.

Mom is dead, okay?

And we've got a
bunch of brown shoes

who are more interested in
what's going down in South Central

than what happened here.

Look at 'em. They're
not even second string.

No! They don't care
who killed her!

They're not even gonna
look for the two bastards.

Josh, please. Just...

We're going private.
What?

The cops aren't gonna do anything,
so we'll hire someone who will.

You probably have people
you work with all the time, right?

Well, yeah, occasionally,
I do. The best.

I want the best,
and I'll pay for it.

Why don't we discuss
this in the morning? No. I...

I want this guy,
whoever he is,

to be working on this
in the morning, okay?

(SIGHS)

(STAMMERS) Look,
I'm sorry, uh...

You took care of Mom for as
long as I can remember, all right?

Not just negotiating
contracts and stuff like that,

but any problems she had,
she depended on you.

This is the last thing you can do for her,
and the most important.

We got to find those guys.
We've got to make 'em pay.

Okay.

(CHATTERING)

Sir?

No, thank you.
I see my party.

Okay. Great.

Hello, Jim.
How are you?

Have any trouble
getting here? Not really.

The riot's a mess, isn't it?

ROCKFORD: Yeah. Big time. But
you'd never know it to look around here.

Business as usual.

Yeah. Thanks for the tie.
You didn't have to wear one.

Well, let's call it
a sense of occasion.

It's good to see you again. How
long has it been? Six months?

More like eight.

Are you limping a little?

No. I'm limping a lot.

What happened?

Oh, a couple of months ago,
uh, some guy thought my car

would look better in his
driveway than it did in mine.

So, he screwed
a .38 in my left ear

and I gave him
my car keys.

As a way of saying
thanks, he shot me.

Oh, Jim.

Well, it's not
without its upside.

I mean, what
I've lost in mobility

I've more than made up
with my ability to predict rain.

I'd say the barometer right
now was about 29.95 and steady.

I don't know how you can make
a joke out of something like that.

You could have
been killed.

Oh, not a chance. The guy was a
lousier shot than he was a driver.

You should see what
he did to the Fire bird.

You know what
a great car that was?

I mean,
he trashed the engine. Just trashed it.

Lila Lansing's car
was stolen last night.

Oh?

Why, well, you've probably
never heard of her.

(LAUGHS) Lila Lansing? She
was married to Mickey Ryder.

I got to see him play once.
Rocky took me to the game.

I'll never forget it. The
man was a legend. Still is.

I'm not here to talk
about Mickey Ryder.

He was out of her life years ago.
I'm here to talk about Lila Lansing.

Not just a client of the office,
but also a close, personal friend.

I don't remember
meeting her.

Well, you didn't meet all of my
friends. Did I meet all of yours?

Yeah. All my
close friends.

(CLEARS THROAT) Well...

(STAMMERS) I'm
sorry you never met Lila.

She was killed last night in front of
her house. Her kids heard the shot.

Oh, I'm sorry.
They're devastated, Jim.

Dorie never stopped crying. And Josh,
he kept raging about the police, and...

He's convinced that they're not
even gonna try and find the killers.

What?
Oh, because of the riots.

That's why he wants
to hire you,

so that somebody
will be working on it.

Well, that's ridiculous. I mean,
a case involving a major star?

The cops are going to be
falling all over themselves

to solve a headline-grabber
like that.

Well, I know,
but when kids lose a parent,

they're reacting from
emotion, not from logic.

How old are the children?

We're talking about a murder. What
difference does it make how old they are?

Lila Lansing was
a star in the '50s.

Let's say she was 20 something then,
that's 40 years ago.

You keep talking
about the kids

like they just came in from
rolling their hoops on the lawn.

Say I'm interested in the job,
are they old enough to hire me?

You know what,
why don't we just forget the whole thing?

Including breakfast?
I mean, you invited me.

Go ahead and order.

Something heavy
and indigestible.

(SIGHING) What are
you having?

Flashbacks.

Now I remember
why I divorced you.

Josh!

Josh?
What?

(DOORBELL RINGING)

Josh. Sorry if we're
a little late, honey.

This is Jim Rockford, Josh.

Halley says you're
the best Pl in town.

If you're not,
you're out.

I'm not in yet.

You're here. Miss
Kittredge asked me to come.

I have a great deal of respect
for her and for her judgment.

We don't always agree,
but we're in synch on the basics.

That's... That's terrific.

I'm going to use that.

I don't know if Halley mentioned it,
but I'm a writer.

Just been working
on my mom's eulogy.

You're going to use that
in your mother's eulogy?

Yeah. Well, uh,
I'll have to make a couple of changes.

Uh, personalize it?

Josh, Mr. Rockford would like
to talk to you about last night.

Oh, God! How... How many
times do I have to tell it?

(SIGHS) Okay.

Last night Dorie
and I were at home.

Mom had gone out to
dinner with some friends.

We heard a shot,
I ran outside

and Mom had just
opened the gates, and, uh,

was lying there
in the driveway.

The gates aren't electronic?

JOSH: Oh,
yeah. But they were on manual last night.

The motors keep rusting out
from the sprinkler system.

Anyways, these two
south-of-the-border types in ski masks

jump in her car and
they're out of here.

Well, if they were
wearing ski masks,

how do you know
they were Latino?

They were talking,
yelling back and forth.

You're sure it was
Spanish they were speaking?

I was born in LA,
Rockford. It was Spanish.

Mr. Rockford, can ...
Can I ask you a question?

If a police officer says that he
may have more questions for you

and yet he doesn't come right out
and say that you can't leave town...

Dorie, we've already
had this conversation.

We had it.
We didn't have it.

KIT: You want to
leave town, Dorie?

She wants to
leave the country.

That is a lie. Look...

Look, my friend, Cindy, has
a house in Cabo San Lucas.

I mean, it's actually
her father's house,

but she has it
for a whole month.

I mean, she asked me
to go weeks ago, and,

I mean, after what happened last night,
I really need to get away.

(STAMMERING) I mean,
I'll stay for the funeral,

but after that,
I just have to go somewhere

and not have to
think about things.

I don't even see
what the big deal is.

I mean, would anybody even
care if I went to Pasadena?

Pasadena is part
of the United States.

So is Cabo.

It's Mexico, Dorie!

No. It is Baja,
California. If it was in Mexico,

it would be called
Baja Mexico.

If it was in Mexico,
I would need a passport, right?

You need a passport for Cabo.

Oh, bummer.

Mercury is so
in retrograde.

Well, I think that Mr. Rockford
has probably heard enough.

More than enough.

Well, uh, we'll talk,
and then I will talk with you later.

(SIGHS)

Bye, Dorie.

(CHUCKLING)

(SIGHS)
All right! What?

Was that really your
idea of distraught?

Dorie came close there
when we nixed her trip to Cabo,

but that was about it.

Well, what do you think
they're gonna do?

Prostrate themselves with grief
in front of you, a total stranger?

Oh, and you're such good friends,
that's why they call you Halley?

Nobody calls you Halley.

Only those who are
very, very close to me.

Well, that lets me out.
I'm just an ex-husband.

You know, I just
can't believe that

those two could have Mickey
Ryder as a father. I just...

He was their stepfather
for five fast years.

Mickey Ryder has nothing to do with this,
Jim. Leave him out of it.

The next thing I know
you'll be giving me his stats.

What are you doing
with these people?

I mean, Dorie's
all right, I guess.

She's just out there,
somewhere, circling Jupiter.

But,
Josh! There's a real piece of work.

Look. If you want
to pass, fine.

If you're not prepared to work for
them based solely on my judgment,

a judgment for which
you recently expressed

such deep and
abiding respect...

All right! All right!
I'll check it out.

If I find anything,
I'll let you know.

(POLICE SIRENS WAILING)

MAN 1: I've never seen anything
like it. MAN 2: It was something else.

(LAUGHS)
He was right there.

Over there. I got
those two boxes aside.

ANGEL: (LAUGHING)
Hey! Jimmy. Hey!

Did you get my message? What am
I saying? Duh! You're here, ain't you?

Wait'll you see what
I got going. Paco!

Hey, since I'm
paying by the hour,

do you think I might see
somebody work up a small sweat?

Now get that stuff inventoried
and into the garage.

Yes, boss.

He calls me "boss."
They all do.

Jimmy, my life's
in turn around.

And it's all because of you.

If you'd loaned me
that money yesterday...

All right! I came to
put the bite on you,

I'm gonna admit that,
but if you'd have given me that money,

none of this
would've happened!

How about some
designer water, huh?

Paco! Some water!
No.

I don't want your water.
Yeah. Yeah. A little thank you,

you know, you like
gas or no gas?

Neither one.
Oh, come on.

You can have both of them.
I really don't want any water.

Here's your water.
No, thank you, Paco.

Okay. Okay. Okay. Yeah.

I don't want any water, Angel.
Why not?

Because it's
hot water, Angel.

I mean, your little thank you
makes me an accessory after the fact.

I invite you down here to share in my joy,
and this is what I get?

(SIGHS)

What are you...
Are you suggesting

that I'm a dealer in some
kind of stolen merchandise?

I'm not suggesting it,
Angel. I'm coming right out and saying it.

You were on the late
night news, buddy. You!

You were taking three
shopping carts out of a store.

What, shopping's illegal?

It is if you do it
after the store is closed.

Well, when I got there,
it was wide open!

If the shop was closed,
what were the other people doing in there?

The same thing
you were doing, Angel.

All right. Some of us have to look for
our bargains where we can find 'em.

Is it my fault
I'm out of a job?

Well, yes
Yes?

Well, you... And whose
fault did you think it was?

Aaron.
Your brother-in-law?

Aaron sold the newspaper
right out from under me.

All right! I wasn't gettin' rich,
but I was doing okay.

He just stopped
my career short.

You never had a career. You punched in,
you punched out and you got paid.

Aaron retired a year ago, and he gave
you a very generous severance check.

(EXCLAIMING) Hey! Hey! I saw it,
remember?

You showed it to me.

He gave you enough money to
last until you could find another job.

You haven't even
looked for one!

(LAUGHS) Now I don't have
to! Come here. Look! Come here.

(HELICOPTER WHIRRING)

MAN 1: Yeah. Put that
with the stuff, Will.

MAN 2: See that?
Looks real good there.

You couldn't have
walked off with all this stuff.

You didn't even get
started till late afternoon.

I'll tell you, Jimmy,
this is a legitimate enterprise.

Most of this stuff is
on consignment, anyway.

I got three holding
areas bigger than this.

All I'm in for is
a straight 10 percent.

Plus handling. Plus advertising.
Carrying charges, the usual.

You know, I'm thinking about
maybe getting an 800 number,

buying some time on
the Shopping Network.

You're gonna sell hot
merchandise on television?

Would you quit
calling it hot?

The only difference between
me and any other retailer

is I sell this stuff
at a righteous price

and I don't give away
little warranty cards.

If you can come up with
a brain-dead idea like this,

I'm not even gonna try
to talk you out of it.

You don't know everything, Jimmy.
There's nothing wrong with this plan.

Come on, Jimmy!

What'd you come down
here for, anyway?

You invited me. And I wanted
to see if you were all right.

You aren't.

But there's not a damned
thing I can do about it,

so I'm gonna go to work.

Oh,
if a 1971 silver Corniche convertible

happens to turn up in one of
your holding areas, give me a call.

(SIREN WAILING)

ROCKFORD: I want to thank you,
Dennis. BECKER: Yeah, sure.

ROCKFORD: Well,
I know how busy you guys must be

with what's been
going down.

Dennis, did you find...

Oh, hi, Sally.
Uh, you here to confess?

Yes, but if this
is a bad time...

Oh, well,
we're a little bit swamped today.

I don't mind waiting.
I'll tell you what.

Uh, we'll do it tomorrow.
I'll write up the report myself

and we'll have a nice
cup of coffee, okay?

Tomorrow. Thank you.
All right. Goodbye.

Yeah, so what
do you want?

Ah, it's about the
Lansing murder.

I'm doing a little work on it.

What do you mean you're doing
a little work on it? You crazy?

It's a very hot case.
The brass is all over it.

Well, I'm not interfering
with the police in any way.

I'm just asking a few
questions as a favor to Kit.

Oh.

(LAUGHING) You teasing!

Look at that. Like he owns it. Well,
I guess he does.

It's about the
surveillance I was...

Let me ask you
a question, Jim.

Yesterday when the verdict comes in,
what did you think was gonna happen?

I mean, some people are gonna get sore,
right? Real sore.

Some windows are gonna get broken,
maybe some heads.

Hey, nothing we
can't deal with.

That's what we're
trained to do.

Is that the way
you read it?

Well, I didn't hear about
it till late afternoon.

I didn't read it
one way or another.

Well, that's the
way I read it.

Dennis, give me a minute,
I'll get out of your hair.

Guess what his name is?

I don't even know what
you're talking about.

Gig McCool. I mean,
what kind of a name is that for a cop?

And I'll tell you something else,
he doesn't have seniority.

I have seniority.

All settled in? Oh,
no. No. No. Not yet.

(LAUGHS) I haven't even
got my files set up yet.

But, man, that is a
great office in there!

You've been in there?
Oh, of course you have.

You know how stuffy
it gets in here?

But that being a corner office,
you just open the windows

you got cross ventilation.

You open up the windows,
you screw up the air-conditioning.

That's why
it gets stuffy in here!

It's my office now, Becker.
Learn to live with it.

Oh, hey, listen, Dennis,
what I have to say...

Ah, McCool. I heard about
your performance yesterday

and they're talking
about it upstairs.

You read the signs absolutely
right. Good police work, son.

Good police work.
Thank you, sir.

Some of our other officers
could take a page from your book.

Got to pay attention.
You've got to read the signs.

Dennis, listen,
... Do you know how long I've waited

for Henderson to get
kicked upstairs?

I mean, that office had
my name on it for five years.

I mean, I painted the whole
thing myself two months ago.

Why'd they give
it to McCool?

Well, because yesterday he
kept saying all of the right things.

"It's the tip of the iceberg.
It's going ballistic.

"The governor should
call out the Guard."

I think the guy's
going dramatic on me.

I mean, he's got
the name for it.

Well, they gave
the office to McCool

because you disagreed
with him and he was right.

Yeah, well, yesterday I...

(INHALING)

I let the afternoon shift go and we
had a hell of a time rounding 'em up!

Who knew we were
gonna need 'em?

I mean, they're always talking about
no overtime. I took 'em at their word.

Could you get that
for me, Becker?

Sure.

MEN: Hey!

I'm a sore loser.
Learn to live with it.

(CHUCKLES)

Feel better?

Yes! It helps to
kick something.

Dennis, uh,
you think you can handle a question now?

Shoot.

What'd they get on
the surveillance tape?

What tape?

Well, you know,
the one covering the Lansing driveway.

There was no camera.

Sure there is. It's not
on the Lansing property.

It's across the street. But
it's mounted up on the fence.

It covers the tennis court,
but when it sweeps around,

it also takes in
the Lansing driveway.

Now, if your guys missed it,
chances are the tape's still in it.

Yeah?

Well, get your
butt over there.

You got some objection
to being a hero?

You could wrap this whole thing
up without ever having to go to trial.

You could have the killers
dead bang in action, on tape.

(ROCKFORD GROANS)

(SIGHS)

Where have you been? I've
been looking all over town for you.

Your office said you were at the Church
of the Perpetual something or other. I...

Well, we started
there, but...

(EXCLAIMS IN DISGUST)
It was way too small.

You wouldn't bury
your dog out of there.

No. No. This is gonna be
an industry-wide event.

I mean, Lila Lansing
was a golden oldie.

Come on.
I'm gonna pick the music.

We've been looking at
churches and chapels.

You want to know the truth?
They've all been too small.

If you went al fresco,
there's always the Hollywood Bowl.

Was there something
you wanted, Jim?

I'm thinking of
using show tunes.

Oh, no. The Bowl's too big. I
don't want a bunch of empty seats.

KIT: Josh, I'm almost sure
that Jim has something to say.

Yeah. And I don't
want to miss it.

Hey, I used that line of
yours in my mom's eulogy.

It works great. Oh,
I used it in my new screenplay, too.

(LAUGHS) You're
gonna love this.

I took
The Maltese Falcon, okay?

Gave it a haircut. You know,
kind of brought it into the '90s.

It's my homage
to Raymond Chandler.

Dashiell Hammett wrote
The Maltese Falcon.

(STAMMERS) Yeah. It's my homage to him,
too.

KIT: Josh, please! If Mr. Rockford
chased us all over town,

the least we can do is
listen to what he has to say.

Who knows? It might
even be important.

(POLICE CARS APPROACHING)

What's Becker doing here?

Hi, Dennis.
Hi, Jim.

Hi, Counselor,
long time no see. KIT: Hi. Good to see you.

Uh, this is Josh,
Dorie Lansing.

This is Lieutenant Becker.
How'd you find us?

Was there a break
in the case?

Well, this really isn't
the place to get into it.

I'd like for you and your sister
to come down to the station.

You, too, Counselor.

I'll fill you in on what we've
got and we'll take it from there.

Just get in your cars
and fall in behind me.

Al right.

Well, congratulations,
Dennis.

Surveillance tape
must have paid off, huh?

The fat lady is
about to sing.

And you just bought yourself
a ringside seat if you want it.

(CHATTERING)

That's my agent.

What's she doing here?

Karen, hey.

What are you doing here?
I don't know.

But it better have
nothing to do with you!

Do you know that
20 minutes ago

I was in Oliver Stone's outer
office with an appointment,

not just hanging around,
and a cop shows up?

And I swear, a cop!

Do you know how long it took
me to get that appointment?

You think Stone's right
for my screenplay?

I have other
clients, you know.

Lieutenant Becker. Sorry
for the inconvenience.

But if you'll have a seat,
I'll be with you in a few minutes.

Oh, no! You'll be
with me right now.

If you think that I'm gonna let
you screw up the rest of my day,

no, no, no, no.

A few minutes or a
whole lot longer. Your call.

You guys are all on
power trips, aren't you?

Hey, you shouldn't talk to
her like she's a junior agent.

She's practically
a partner.

What'd you get her
down here for, anyway?

If you'd just shut up for a minute,
maybe he'll tell us.

Now why doesn't everybody just sit down,
let the man do his job?

Thank you.

Okay, this is what
I was looking for.

Now, before we
go any further,

I'm gonna have to
Mirandize them.

You're gonna what?

Read 'em their rights.

I don't want a translation,
I want an explanation.

We could all use
one of those, Dennis.

Well, let's see. "You have
the right to remain silent.

"If you give up the right to remain
silent..." Halley, what's he doing?

I don't know.
I don't understand this.

He's gonna arrest us. This is what they
always do when they arrest people, Josh.

"...and to have an attorney
present during questioning."

Could you kick it
into high, Dennis?

"If you so desire
and cannot afford one,

"an attorney will be appointed for
you without charge before questioning.”

There, that's it!

Before you go any further,
let me get something straight.

Are you seriously
considering charging my clients

with murdering
their own mother?

Because if you are,
brace yourself.

I'm gonna hit you
with a wrongful arrest suit

before you're even
finished booking 'em.

Maybe if we heard
what he's got, Kit.

What can he have?
BECKER: Well, for openers,

we recovered Mrs. Lansing's
car with his prints all over it.

Oh, go... So, what
does that prove?

Mom let me drive
her car all the time.

Miss Kupfer!
KIT: This is ridiculous.

Did you receive
a telephone call

from Josh Lansing
the night of the 29th?

The night that
Lila Lansing was killed?

Yeah. He wanted to know what
the action was on a script of his

that I've been shopping.
There wasn't any.

Do you remember what
time you received that call?

Not really. But, uh,
it must have been after 10:00.

I'd just started
watching the news.

Thank you. That's all.

That'll be all?

You dragged me out of Oliver
Stone's office for this? Oh.

Great.
Now she's sore at me.

I fail to see the significance
of his call to Mrs. Kupfer.

She's his agent, he was
concerned about the sale of his script.

BECKER: An hour after
his mother was killed?

(SCOFFS)
He was in shock. Denial.

The call came from
Lila Lansing's car.

Now we've got
confirmation on that.

We also got tape from surveillance
cameras that covered the driveway.

Mom didn't have
surveillance cameras!

No. But there was one
directly across the street.

Oh! So, what are you saying?
That that tape shows us killing Mom?

It couldn't. BECKER: No.
It shows you driving off.

JOSH: Why would we do that?

To make it look
like a carjacking.

When you backed the
Corniche out into the street,

the tape shows your mother
lying there in the driveway.

Now, there was nothing the
matter with the motors on the gate.

Your clients put
the gate on manual

so that their mother would
have to get out of the car.

Now, that makes
it pre-meditated.

That makes it murder one.

JOSH: I've been in
here for 19 months.

You ever been
in jail, Halley?

It's nothing like
I thought it would be.

I thought it would
be like, you know,

trying not to get
raped in the laundry,

or guys making shivs
out of silverware.

It's just boring. I feel like
I've been here forever.

I know. But with all the
postponements and everything...

But we are going to go
to court on Tuesday,

and that's what I wanted
to talk to you about.

Dorie's been...
What?

She's not sick
again, is she?

No. No, but she's upset.

Understandably. And...

She's not talking, right?

God! Ever since we were kids,
when she gets really upset, she clams up.

You can't get
a word out of her.

I'm worried about going into
court with her this way, Josh.

They're going to ask
for the death penalty

and I don't know what
that's going to do to her.

I do. She'll freak!

How can they ask for the death
penalty when we didn't do it?

The evidence is... I don't
care about the evidence!

We didn't kill Mom, okay?

All right. We moved
the car. I don't know why.

I don't remember doing it. I
don't remember phoning my agent,

but I'll tell you
something, Halley,

I would sure as hell remember
shooting my own mother!

KIT: Look.

Excuse me, ma'am. We just got word that
you're wanted over at the hospital ward.

They say it's urgent.
Dorie.

It's Dorie, isn't it?
What happened to her?

They found her in her cell.
She tried to commit suicide.

No! Get out of my way!

(GRUNTING) Get back!
KIT: Josh!

JOSH: Get out of my way!
Josh, please! Stop!

(MEN GRUNTING)

Dorie!

Dorie! Dorie!

Hi, Mattie.
MATTIE: Hey!

Well, looking
pretty good, huh?

Oh,
who cares? Benson isn't gonna live here.

He wants it as
a fishing shack.

Probably keep live
bait in the bathtub.

(LAUGHS) (LAUGHS) He'll
have to keep it in the sink.

I only have a shower.

It may not be top of the line,
but, hey, it's hardly a shack.

He called it a shack?

Who cares what he called it? He's
willing to pay 50 percent over market

and he's got
the cash to do it.

Don't go all sensitive
on me, Jim.

I'm just trying to save you
a lot of unnecessary work.

Thanks, Mattie.

He's driving up
from San Diego.

He'll be here
600, 6:30.

It gets dark at 6:00. He
won't be able to see anything.

He's already
seen the place.

He's just coming by
to sign the papers!

(LAUGHS)

You've got one of the
best lots in Malibu.

And you're really just
gonna walk away from it?

As soon as
the check clears.

(LAUGHS) Why? I mean,
what's wrong with LA?

The quality of life.
There isn't any.

(LAUGHING)

I'll see you at 6:00.

If I'm a little late,
don't worry.

Um, I've got an open
house in Panorama City

and who knows what the fire's
gonna do to the valley traffic.

What fire?

Is that one of
the canyons?

No. It's way out in Agoura,
someplace like that. I'll see you later.

(PHONE RINGING)

Oh!

Yeah. All right.
All right. All right.

(PHONE CONTINUES RINGING)

Hello? Hello?
KIT: Hello, Jim.

ROCKFORD ON ANSWERING
MACHINE: This is Jim Rockford.

At the tone, leave your
name and message.

KIT: Turn that thing off!
I'll get back to you.

(BEEPS) It'll be
over in a minute.

Is that you, Kit?

What do you mean,
"is it me"? Of course it's me.

Uh, what do you mean, "of course"? I
haven't heard from you since August.

Well,
I know. But I've been meaning to call

but I've been trying
to prepare for this trial.

Look, I don't have time
to get into that right now.

Just get yourself down to the
Metropolitan Detention Center.

The hospital ward.

What's going on?

Look, I'll fill you
in when you get here.

But it's big, it's dirty and it's the
answer to a defense attorney's prayers.

I'm bending the rules here.
You understand that.

Now, I'm only going to allow you in
the room for a few minutes to observe.

Under no circumstances
are you to speak,

cry out,
or make your presence known to the patient.

It could have
an adverse effect,

and after all,
we are here to help her.

We're not here to add
any additional pain.

Uh, were her injuries from
the suicide attempt that bad?

I was referring to psychic
pain, Mr. Rockford.

That, I'm afraid,
is very bad.

And very deep.

(DOOR BUZZING)

Dorie. Dorie, it's Dr. Ezso.

I'm here to
help you, Dorie.

I think we should talk

like we talked
this morning?

No. No.

You want me to
remember. I won't.

He can't hurt you
any more, Dorie.

(BREATHING HEAVILY)
I'm here. I won't let him.

Mommy. Mommy.
Mommy, let him...

(WHIMPERING)

She let him
take us down there.

The basement.

(GROANS)

She let him.
She didn't...

(BREATHING HEAVILY)

She didn't even try
and stop him. And she...

She let him... No! She
let him do all those things.

She... She watched!
And she said...

She... She said...

She said, "You do
what your father says."

(MOANING) No! But
Mickey wasn't my father!

(CRYING)

(DOOR BUZZES)

Well, what do you think?

What the devil was
that all about?

I should probably wait
for the doctor to explain

but this is very
exciting, Jim.

Because of the suicide attempt,
they hired this psychiatrist,

this Dr. Ezso,
to look at Dorie.

What was all that
business about Mickey?

Would you please
listen to me?

Maybe it was because she was
particularly vulnerable. Who knows?

But anyway,
he managed to uncover this repressed memory

which explains everything
including Lila's death.

What repressed memory?

Both Josh and Dorie
were sexually abused,

habitually abused by Mickey
while he was married to Lila.

Come on!

Yes! Yes! That he repeatedly
took her in the basement

and did unspeakable things.

I can't even repeat
what she said. Oh!

And also, Dorie described a
pentagram drawn on the floor.

Mickey Ryder's a Satanist.

In a pig's eye!

Well, either you can check it out for me,
or I'll get someone

who isn't quite as in awe
of a Cooperstown idol.

Well, they're not
gonna find anything.

Especially not the stuff
you're looking for.

He was one of the real
gentlemen of baseball.

He was not just
a great player,

he was a great role model.

I'll bet he's never
even had a parking ticket.

I don't care about
his driving record, Jim.

Mickey Ryder is
not a Satanist.

And he damn sure isn't
a child molester.

Prove it.

All right, I will.

I'm afraid you won't be able to
see her today, Miss Kittredge.

I've had to sedate her.

Call me in the morning and
we'll see how she feels then.

Thank you,
Doctor. I know it's been very rough on you.

Things could be rougher. I
could still own my house in Malibu.

Unloaded it just in time.

What does that mean?

That fire that
started in Agoura?

It's just jumped
the coast highway.

It's burning all
the way to the ocean.

(EXCLAIMING)

(SIRENS WAILING)

Hold it,
sir. You're not gonna get through here.

It's all right, Officer.
I live right here.

My name is Jim Rockford.

POLICEMAN:
All right, go ahead.

(CAR HORN BLARING)

MAN 1: Come on,
let's get out of here! Hey!

You guys! What, are you
thievin' little rats?

Well... Oh, look at my TV!
MAN 2: Load it up!

(BOAT ENGINE RUNNING)

Anymore of you in there?
You little, thievin"...

(HELICOPTER WHIRRING)

My God, it's right in
your face, isn't it?

You think you're
gonna make it?

Oh, the way things have been going,
probably not.

Your buyer backed
out of the deal.

You believe in astrology?

(SIGHS) I don't know. Why?

I was just wondering
if it's possible

for Mercury to go
permanently into retrograde.

I'm sorry,
Jim. Mr. Benson really wanted the place.

It's just this has been all over
television and it scared him.

It scares me.

Well, I... I'll give you a call tomorrow,
okay?

All right.
Thanks for comin'.

Good luck.

ROCKFORD: You be careful now.

You, too.

FIREMAN 1: Okay.

FIREMAN 2: All right.
We got it under control.

(KNOCKING AT DOOR)

Yeah!

Jimmy! Jimmy!

You're not gonna believe what
happened to me. I've been robbed.

Three guys in a boat?

Robbed. Pitted and spit.

My whole operation
wiped out. History.

I didn't know you still
had an operation.

All right. Maybe I could've
moved a little faster.

But you think I'm slow,
try dealing with the government.

You see, when the Shopping
Network idea went belly up,

it took me a long
time to figure out

that a loan was the way
to go with this thing.

You applied for
a government loan?

Oh, they got
a whole program

where they help the little
guy get back in business.

You were never
in business, Angel.

Unless you consider a garage
full of hot merchandise business.

Not a garage.

Four! Four holding areas.

That ain't holding
nothin' any more!

You know who got my
inventory? That stinking Paco.

I treated him
like family, man.

I treated him
like my own brother.

You remember him, Paco,
don't you, Jimmy?

Paco? Yeah. The one
that called you boss.

Out of respect. Out of affection. I mean,
like a nickname.

What? You never heard
anybody use "boss" like that?

Just you and Springsteen.

All right, well, he calls me boss,
but he steals me blind.

Oh, he says, "Oh,
I don't know nothing about it."

Swears on his dead mother's head who,
even as we speak,

is dealing seconds in some cheesy
card palace down in Garden a.

Snakes, the whole family.
Crooked as snakes.

I just... I just wish that Paco was
an illegal, so I could turn him in.

Born in Eagle Rock.

(LAUGHS)

All right,
I'll tell you what, Angel,

I won't say
it serves you right.

I won't go Billy Graham
on you. I'll give you a job.

A job?

Well, it's not anything
I can't do myself.

But you could
save me some time.

You came in here not too
long ago with a sample case?

You had a lot of different
things in that case.

You had an ice cube
with a fly in it.

That's a pretty big seller.

Yeah, and then you had
this fertility mojo...

Looked like it was made
out of chicken feathers.

You said you sold 'em to shops
that specialize in the occult.

So?

So, tomorrow, we're
gonna make the rounds.

ROCKFORD: Are you sure
this is the right street?

I'm sure.

Hecate's Habitat?

Jimmy, when you're
talking black arts,

these dudes got
this skinny down.

I could take you
a half a dozen places,

you'd just be
wasting your time.

Now, you got that
photo of the guy?

Yeah. I don't think we ought
to use his picture, I really don't.

All right, all right.
Let's see.

Well,
we'll try something a little more casual.

Have you got
some of his hair?

Angel.

All right, we'll get
'em in a conversation.

A little of this,
a little of that.

I look for an opening,
then I'll say,

"Has Mickey Ryder been
comin' in here lately?"

We definitely shouldn't
use his name.

Baseball. Could I
mention baseball?

No, this wasn't
a good idea.

I'll tell you...
Do you realize

what these guys could do if they had
any idea we're talkin' about Mickey Ryder?

I mean, they could
turn right around

and sell it to the
National Enquirer. Oh.

Next time you go in
to get a chicken pot pie,

there's Mickey's picture on the front
page with "Satanist" written under it.

I mean, you can't do that. Jimmy,
would you chill?

What? You don't think
I can be discreet?

Now just follow my lead.

Angel! Angel!

Hey, Dave.
What a delight!

Dave? You're on
pretty friendly terms.

You only had that sales
job a fast 15 minutes?

He's watching us. Pick
something up. Look like a customer.

(WHISPERING) I was hoping
Frank would be here.

He's a lot easier
to talk to.

Angel, would you
look at this?

Great display, Dave.
Very tasteful.

Give me a minute, Jimmy.

All right. here it is. Is
that Paco or is that Paco?

Where's the pins?
Where's the pins?

Let's get out of here,
Angel. Come on.

We just got here.

I have seen enough
of this. This is pathetic.

I mean, this is for people

who think a shot of bat juice and a
plastic mojo are gonna give 'em a life.

Keep it down, Jimmy.

These are not the kind of
people you want to tick off.

What,
you think Dave's gonna turn me into a frog?

You're making me
very nervous.

Angel, if Dave is such
a hotshot at spells,

don't you think he'd own a boutique
on Rodeo Drive instead of this dump?

Don't you think
he'd have hair?

(DOOR OPENS) (LAUGHS) Dave. Thanks,
Dave. Thanks.

You just closed my account at
Hecate's Habitat. I hope you know that.

You have an
account there?

Well, I don't use
it that often.

I mean, every now and then
when I'm running a little low...

On what?
On eye of newt?

I can't believe you'd
go in that joint.

Can't you recognize
a con when you see one?

And I'll tell you
something else.

Mickey Ryder wouldn't get
within a mile of that joint.

He's about as much of
a Satanist as Rocky is.

(SIGHING)

I just can't stop Kit.

She's convinced she's
doing the right thing.

She isn't, but
she thinks she is.

She's gonna throw
those charges at Mickey,

and a lot of people out there
are gonna believe 'em.

You know, Mickey Ryder
is a decent man.

He doesn't deserve to be
blindsided like this.

I'd love to warn him.

I haven't got time
to find him.

Aaron used to do one of those
"Where Are They Now" features.

They did one
on Mickey Ryder.

They had pictures of him up at the
Desert Palms Hotel in Las Vegas.

Big Al Minette used to use
him as a celebrity greeter.

He'd fly him into town,

play golf with all the big honchos,
that kind of thing.

Aaron had some pictures from
the honeymoon mansion with Lila.

And Mickey still lives
in the same crib.

And you know where it is?

For a Hamilton.
A what?

Jackson?
A Jackson?

That's cheap at 20.
Where is it?

Brent wood.

I won't help you,
Mr. Rockford.

Funny thing is,
Lila would want me to.

She wouldn't want her children to suffer,
even for her own murder.

Well, I'm not that forgiving.
I hope they fry in hell.

I'm sorry.

Did you know Lila?

Well, I never had
the pleasure. No, sir.

Well, make no mistake,
it would have been a pleasure.

She was a remarkable woman.

Ever since it happened,
I... I keep wondering how they could do it.

Why? For money?

She gave them everything
they needed or wanted.

They would have
had it all in time.

I hope she didn't
know who did it.

I pray to God she didn't die
knowing her children wanted her dead.

You'll have to forgive
me, Mr. Rockford.

I'm not handling
this very well.

If you'll excuse
me, I'd like...

I know this is an intrusion,
but it's important to you.

I'm not here on behalf
of Josh and Dorie.

You said... That I was
engaged by their attorney.

I was.

But something has
happened, and well...

This is gonna be
a whole lot harder

than I thought
it would be.

I'm very tired, Mr. Rockford.

If you have something to say,
would you please say it.

The defense is going to blame you,
indirectly, for Lila Lansing's murder.

What?

Dorie claims to have uncovered a
repressed memory from her childhood.

From the years that
you and Lila were married.

She says that you
forced her and Josh

into repellent and
perverted sexual practices.

She says I molested them?

She says you're a Satanist.

That you practiced devil
worship in the basement,

you took them down
there and performed

unspeakable acts with
Lila's tacit permission.

When they remembered,
they turned on their mother

and killed her
for not protecting them.

Come with me.

Here it is.
What do you think?

Oh, wow! Look at that.

MICKEY: Doesn't look much like a
temple for the Prince of Darkness, does it?

Of course,
I'd have things hidden. I'd...

(CHUCKLES) Like the whips,
the chains, the sacrificial altar.

Look around,
see what you can find. Go ahead.

Hey, come on. You don't think
I believed any of that, do you?

Look around!
Not out here in the open.

Come on! Hey! How
about the desk drawer?

I bet I got things
hidden... ROCKFORD: No!

...in the damn desk
drawer! Look at that!

Now. Now, look.
Don't do that.

The bookcase,
I've got books here.

There might be a secret
panel behind the desk.

Stop it!
Damn it!

You can handle this.
No!

Come on, come on.

When they told me
Lila was dead,

I didn't think it
could get any worse.

But this...

They want people to believe
that Lila was some kind of monster.

That I'm some
kind of monster.

They make me ashamed.

Not because I abused them.
I swear before God I didn't.

But because I...
I loved them.

I loved those kids.

They were part of Lila,
so I loved them.

ROCKFORD: I've been leaving
messages for you all over town.

I left the first message
yesterday afternoon.

I've been busy.
What is it, Jim?

I went to see
Mickey Ryder yesterday.

What? I don't think
I find that acceptable.

Well, I don't think I care.

There's an ethical consideration here,
Jim, you're working for me.

I quit. Just before
I went to see him.

If you'd called me back,
you'd have known that.

Well, then we have
nothing to discuss.

Kit, Mickey Ryder
is a nice man.

He's not the Marquis
De Sade. Not even close.

He's simple,
straight from the shoulder, honest.

Now, I'm not gonna let you take
him into court and smear him.

What do you mean,
you're not going to let me?

Let me ask you something.

Doesn't it strike you
as strangely convenient

that Dorie's repressed
memory stayed repressed

until she needed it
to get past a murder rap?

No. It doesn't.

It doesn't?

(INTERCOM BEEPING)
Yes.

WOMAN ON INTERCOM: The
Ryder press conference is about to start.

Okay. Thank you.

Kit. Kit, you've known them
since they were kids.

You don't want to believe
they killed their mother.

But they've sold you
a bill of goods.

WOMAN ON TV:
We're bringing you the...

Now, if you go through with this,
you're gonna regret it.

I know you and you don't
want to win a case on lies.

And you're going to be defaming
a man with an unblemished record.

Jim, it's already out
in the newspapers.

They'll drop it if you don't
pursue it in court. Stonewall it.

WOMAN ON TV:
...his stepchildren.

If I could have your attention,
please. I'm Sidney Kornblum.

I'd like to thank you all
for being here today.

On behalf of my client,
Mickey Ryder,

I'd like to read
a short statement.

We will not
take any questions.

"Certain allegations have
been made regarding Mr. Ryder

"and his behavior toward the
minor children of Lila Lansing

"during the period of
their marriage.

"Mr. Ryder would like
to take this opportunity

"to confirm that the behavior,
as alleged, did indeed occur.”

What?

(REPORTERS CLAMORING)

"Mr. Ryder... Mr. Ryder
deeply regrets the pain

"he has caused his step children
through his involvement in Satanism.

"He has since renounced
such involvement

"and asks the understanding and prayers
of his friends and his fans. Thank you."

REPORTER: What does the
district attorney have to say?

What does the district
attorney have to say?

What does the district
attorney have to say?

(KNOCKING AT DOOR)

Hi. I wasn't
in the neighborhood,

but I decided to
come by anyway.

I suppose I should
have called first.

I know it makes you angry
when people just drop by.

No problem.
You want a cup of coffee?

Yeah. Thanks.

I'm sorry about Mickey, Jim.

I know how much
he meant to you.

Childhood idol,
that sort of thing.

Press conference
rocked me, too.

Well, that's it.
I'm sorry.

I was thinking about it
and I wanted to talk to you.

You've been thinking about it?
For two months?

The press conference
was two months ago.

All right. So I didn't rush over
here. Don't be unreasonable.

I had to get another
postponement for the trial.

I had to rethink
my entire defense.

That revelation
changed everything.

Didn't it?

This isn't like you. You're
usually my cheering section.

I hope you lose.

What?

You heard me.
I hope you lose.

Why? Just because you
don't like Josh and Dorie?

I particularly
don't like Josh.

I'm a non-violent man,
you know that for a fact,

but every time I look at that kid,
I want to deck him.

I'm seeing a whole
new side to you tonight.

(PHONE RINGING)
And not an attractive one.

Hello.

Mr. Rockford?
Mickey Ryder.

I've gotta see you.
It's urgent.

Can you come over? There are
a couple of people here right now,

but they'll be
leaving any minute.

ROCKFORD: Yeah, sure...

Look, I... I don't know
how to put this but...

I don't know if it'll make
any difference at this point,

but I... I've gotta go
on record with the truth.

I can't let that
confession stand. I...

I don't care what they do.

Are you saying you were coerced
into making that confession?

They threatened
a lot of things

they're fully prepared
to deliver on.

Now, for the past two months,
I've been trying to live down what I did,

caving in that way.
Well, I can't any longer.

(STAMMERING) I just can't.

When you came here that day,
that was the truth.

What I said then.
That was the truth.

Not what Kornblum read
off that piece of paper.

He's the one that talked me
into this mess in the first place.

It goes way back
before all this.

He said, you know,
"Do a favor for a friend."

That's how he put it
at the time.

It just sounded so simple.

I'll be right over.

Oh, thanks, Mr. Rockford.

(CHUCKLING) Funny, isn't it?

I mean, I...
We barely know each other,

and you seem to be
the only real friend I have.

I'll see you.

You'll have to excuse me.
I have an emergency.

That was about
the case, huh?

Who was it?

That was Mickey Ryder,
wasn't it?

I'm gonna go with you.

ROCKFORD: No, you're not.

Get back in the truck, Kit,
and lock the door.

Something wrong here.
I'm gonna have a look.

(EXCLAIMS)

Kit.

I'm not gonna stay
out here alone. I'm not.

I knew I shouldn't have brought
you along. Just stay out of the way.

I don't hear anything.

(SHUSHING)

I don't think
anybody's home.

Mickey sure as
hell ought to be.

What are we doing?
There's nothing down here.

Well, the whole room's gone.

When I was here before,
I mean, this whole...

(SIGHS)

Kit, go upstairs.
Get a phone.

Tell Becker
to get over here.

I just found Mickey Ryder.

KIT: What is it?

Go, go.

(CHATTERING ON POLICE RADIO)

You found the deceased
at what time?

Did they log the call
in at the station?

Yeah, sure.

Okay. Two minutes
before the log time.

I didn't look
at my watch, Dennis.

And why didn't you
cut him down?

It wouldn't have done
any good. He was dead.

I didn't want to
contaminate the crime scene.

Well, it's pretty
obvious what happened.

Oh, really?

Well, it is to those of us whose
minds are not clouded with emotion.

He committed suicide, Jim.

Sure, overcome with
remorse and pain.

I mean, everybody knows what happened,
he can't live with it.

The basement.
It's a logical choice.

Symbolic. It's where he
did the kids, you know.

He didn't do
the kids, Dennis.

Don't even try
and argue with him.

He called a press
conference to confess.

And he called me to say that the
confession was strong-armed out of him.

And that he was
forced to make it.

And there was no truth
in the accusation,

there was no truth
in the confession.

(SCOFFS)

I've heard of people turning
their basements into dens.

But when was the last time
you heard of anybody

turning their den
back into a basement?

And if they're going to
kill themselves, why bother?

The guy went over the edge.

He tried to put the place
back like it was years ago.

It's like he wrote
a note saying,

"This is where I did it,
this where I die."

This was not a suicide,
Becker. This was murder.

Give me a name.
Give me a motive.

Oh, I don't have
one at the moment.

Look, let me
tell you something.

When I was here
a couple of months ago,

there was a photograph
right over there.

It was taken in Vegas
at the Desert Palms.

And right next to Mickey was
Sidney Kornblum on one side

and Big Al Minette
on the other.

Two very forceful
personalities.

They don't call him
Big Al since he went legit.

What makes you think he
went legit? Because he said so?

Mickey told me Sidney Kornblum
asked him to do a favor for a friend.

That's how he got
into this mess.

Now, say that friend
was Al Minette?

Jim, Sidney Kornblum is
a highly respected attorney

and Al Minette
operates legitimate

and profitable enterprises
in Las Vegas.

Why would either one of those
men try and kill Mickey Ryder?

I don't know. I don't know.
But I'm gonna find out.

And you watch how
you write this one up, Dennis.

Don't close the book on it. You
never will get into that corner office.

Why do you always have
to complicate everything?

Why can't you just accept
the fact that it's over?

It's not over, Kit. Not as long as
the cops are calling it a suicide.

You're the only one that's
calling it anything else.

You know, you accused me
of having a blind spot.

You're the one that has
a blind spot in this, Jim.

You bought the whole package, peanuts
and Cracker Jack and 30 years of hype.

You're really sore at me,
aren't you? You're royally ticked off.

As a matter of fact,
yes. Yes, I am.

Well, fine, this is probably as
good a time as any to tell you.

It's been on my mind.
I've been thinking about it.

I'm the one that found
the surveillance camera

that put your clients
in the slammer.

You found it?

Yeah, I told Dennis and the rest,
as they say, is history.

You mean to tell me the
whole time I was paying you,

you were working
to convict my clients?

That's an oversimplification.

I want my money back.
Every cent of it.

(LAUGHING) Oh,
you're not gonna get it.

I was scrupulous
in my performance of duty.

That camera was a by-product
of my investigation.

I didn't set out to find it. I wasn't
looking for damning evidence.

It's not my fault that
your clients are guilty.

Not only do I want my money back,
but I want your license.

As a matter of fact,
I might just call the licensing bureau.

I'm sure you're in
violation of some statute.

You always are.

This is gonna be
a fun ride home.

Hey, slow down, will you?

I gotta make a phone call,
then I'll follow you home.

I don't need to
be followed home.

Well, whether you
need it or not.

Look, I have to get Kornblum's
home address from Becker.

That is if he's still talkin'
to me. Unless you have it.

Kit,
you know I'm gonna get it somewhere.

Why make it any more
difficult than it has to be?

Then again, why not?

Kit, you said earlier that I
was your cheering section.

Well, I was.
It was easy.

You were always fighting for
truth and justice wearing a white hat.

That doesn't apply
any more, does it?

Now, you just want to win.

That is a rotten
thing to say.

You didn't talk to
Mickey Ryder. I did.

He loved your friend, Lila. He loved
those two miserable kids of hers.

(SIGHING) What'd he get
out of it? Hmm?

Humiliation,
shame and dead.

Well, I don't like it. I'm gonna
find out who killed him and why.

If I uncover anything in
my investigation

that has a negative impact on your case,
that's just too damn bad.

Jim!

Sidney Kornblum's
at the Landale Country Club.

It's a party for his
son's Bar Mitzvah.

Half the LA bar
association's gonna be there.

I sent regrets.

(CAR STARTING)

ANGEL: Hey, Jimmy...

What...

What are you doing?
You trying to kill me?

Well, I could say
the same about you.

My heart almost stopped.
What are you doing back there?

Wait till you hear.

Well, first...

Well, first,
I get two flats.

Jimmy, I gotta
have new tires.

Go on.

Well, naturally,
with two flats, I can't drive.

So far none of this is
putting you in my backseat.

Okay, I pulled off the side of
the highway and I started walkin'.

Three miles, easy.

I figure I'd get to your place,
I'd call the auto club.

You're a member,
ain't you?

Anyway, you're not there.

Well, I'm tired, I'm thirsty,
my feet are killing me.

I can't go anywhere. I know
you gotta come back sometime.

So, I might as well
be comfortable.

I saw some tires...

(PEOPLE CHATTERING)

Hey, where you going?

To the party.

We're not invited.

Jimmy, look at the place.
Look at all the cars.

There's over
100 people here.

You think they're gonna
notice a couple more?

It's a Bar Mitzvah, man.

I could be the visiting rabbi
from the old neighborhood.

What old neighborhood?

Everybody's from
some old neighborhood.

Who's gonna get technical?

There's whitefish
right through that door.

Forget it. I'm gonna sit
here until the host leaves.

Then I'm gonna follow
him home and talk to him.

Now, that's the plan.

You could talk
to him right here

and have something to eat
at the same time?

I need privacy
when I talk to him.

Now, you can sit here with me,
or you can leave.

I really don't care.

And how am I supposed
to get home?

Take the bus.
This time of night?

Cab fare would be
a little more like it.

Unless you don't care
when or if I get home.

(SIGHS) Al right.

Take the cab.

No, no, no,
no. I'll take you to a cab, come on.

MAN: Mark, come on.

What about the tires?

Oh, it'll come with tires.

My tires. For my car.

I don't carry that
kind of money on me.

Okay. I'll borrow
your credit card.

(LAUGHING)

You'll have to
shoot me to get it.

Oh, yeah! All the way from
Minette Motors in Vegas.

Uncle Al sure does
give expensive gifts.

Big Al Minette?
Yeah.

Here,
you wanna take him where he wants to go

and you can
keep the change.

If Minette's involved,
you might as well give me your credit card.

You ain't gonna
be needing it.

ROCKFORD: I'm sorry
it's so late, Mr. Kornblum.

I don't receive strangers
in my home, Mr. Rockford.

Yeah, well,
I wasn't a stranger to Mickey Ryder.

Oh, hey! Last time I saw this,
it was in Mickey's den.

Last time I saw his den,
it was a basement.

Mickey was hanging from
one of the rafters.

I've spoken with the police.

Mickey's suicide was tragic
but not unexpected.

He was in a deep state of
depression for some time.

It was murder, not suicide.

And he didn't sound
too depressed

when I talked with him
earlier this evening.

As a matter of fact,
he sounded mad.

Well, I'm mad too,
and I want some answers.

I want to know how you hammered
a confession out of Mickey

and I want to know why.

I want to know about
the Vegas connection

and how Al Minette
fit into this.

I want to know why
Mickey's basement

was stripped down
to the bare concrete.

And I want to know what
else you took out of there

besides that baseball.

Is there an implied
threat in all that?

No, no. No, those
are the questions.

This is the threat.

I know you had something
to do with Mickey's murder,

and I'm gonna keep digging
till I find out what it is.

I'm gonna give all this
to a friend of mine

down at the department
in the morning.

So, don't be surprised if
the cops start digging, too.

(DOOR CLOSES)

Yeah. Get me Sanders.

Well, find him.

Jim, I can't believe
you're this stupid.

Oh, sure you can, Dennis.

I do dumb things
all the time.

Yeah. Not this dumb. You
set yourself up for a hit?

Well, if I'm right
about Kornblum, I did.

But how else am I
gonna smoke him out?

You're the one that's
liable to get smoked.

Dennis, I don't have time to do
a verse and two choruses on this.

If you're not in...

Yeah? If I'm not in? You never
thought about that, did you?

I'm in.

Ah, good, good.
Now, what we gotta do

is you move your car
over near the sand castle.

Get a good, clear
view of the trailer.

And then when Kornblum's
gorillas show up...

You sure he has gorillas?

Well, he has to.

They're gonna be our leverage. And
don't make any premature moves, huh?

We don't wanna get 'em
for spitting on the sidewalk.

We want "em
for attempted murder.

Oh, Jim, how many times
do I let 'em shoot you?

(LAUGHS) There's the
keys to the Fire bird.

It is running great.

That government issue
you're driving is a joke.

I don't want you losing me.
Shall we go?

I don't know why I don't just
don't take an early retirement.

Hi. Hi, Dennis.

She was just leaving.

He was just leaving.

Actually,
I was just leaving.

Where are you going
this time of night?

Well...

Was this something
that couldn't wait?

An apology. I know I
should have called first.

Nobody ever does. Look,
there's no apology necessary, Kit.

Thank you for coming by.
I'll call you in the morning.

You want me out
of here, don't you?

Well, no.

Well, hey, hey,
it's a little late.

And it has been
a long day.

KIT: Expecting someone?

Kit, I can't explain
right now.

Mr. Rockford...

ROCKFORD: Oh,
yes. I'll be with you in a minute.

My friend was
just leaving.

Let's not play
any games, okay?

Who are these people?

My late date.

Come on, come on,
let's move it.

Move it. KIT: Why
didn't you tell me?

This is who you
were expecting?

SANDERS: Put
a cork in it, lady.

Get in.

The trunk? I will not.

Yeah. I'm gonna have
a little trouble, too.

You know, I took
a bullet in this leg.

How'd you like to take
a bullet in the other one?

Make it a set.

I'll get in first. I'll sort
of cushion it for you.

I'm gonna need a little help. I'm sorry,
Kit.

But I asked you to leave.

Hey!

Jim!

Jim?

Oh, gosh!

I'm gonna suffocate
in here!

ROCKFORD: No.
There's plenty of air.

Would you move
your foot?

KIT: Life is just one big
adventure with you, isn't it?

(EXCLAIMING)
What are you doing?

I moved my foot.

Shut up in there!

ROCKFORD: That was
your foot?

KIT: That's my foot.
Oh, come on.

KIT: This reminds
me of Marin.

You remember when
we drove up to Marin?

When was that? '85?
ROCKFORD: '84.

To go fishing with
those friends of yours.

They were
friends of yours, too.

They were never my
friends. I hated 'em.

What the...

Okay.

(HELICOPTER WHIRRING)

Let's go, come on.

Easy, easy.
Okay, okay.

(GRUNTING)

Come on, Rockford.

I can't move.

What the hell you
talking about? Your leg?

No, it's my back.

(GROANING) I've
thrown my back out.

If you guys are gonna do me,
you're gonna have to do me right here.

In my car?

If it's the only way.

Are you crazy?
Hey!

I'm supposed to drive around
with a stiff in my trunk?

Till when? It gets a little
warmer? He gets a little ripe?

Help him out of there.

Yeah. Help me.

(GROANING) Oh, easy.

I'm going to need a little help here,
Sanders.

He does need
a little help.

SANDERS: Come on.

ROCKFORD: Easy, easy,
easy, easy.

Get that leg.
Bring him over.

Ah, no...

Oh, that hurts.
That hurts.

Oh, I can't move.

Oh, I can't straighten up.
Put him over here.

Wait a minute.
Run, Kit!

(GROANS)

ROCKFORD: Run!

KIT: Oh, no! Jim!

(GROANING)

Jim!

(GUN COCKING)
Get up! Get up!

I'm gonna tell Mr. Kornblum
this one's on the house.

This one's my pleasure.

Police! Drop it! Now!

Face down!

What'd you do?
Stop for a hamburger?

That hotshot car of yours
is missing two wheels.

Angel! Damn!

I had to call in
for air support.

Helicopter spotted you
and just in time.

Oh, thanks, Dennis.

Are you all right?

Am I all right?
(LAUGHING) You're just fine.

Mr. Kornblum, right? I'm
Detective Becker. This, you know...

I know Miss Kittredge
and Mr. Rockford.

What is it you want,
Detective Becker?

You said something on the
phone about a Mr. Sanders...

I don't recall
the other name.

ROCKFORD: Oh, well,
it's worse than we thought, Dennis.

He's hired so many hits he can't
remember the names of the mechanics.

Jim, let me
handle this, okay?

Unless Mr. Rockford is a
member of the police department,

I'd like him
out of here, please.

You can't remove me,
Kornblum. No, I'm the hitee.

I'm the one that's filing
the charges against you,

and before you go
pulling on your forelock

and getting all
bewildered on us,

I have to warn you that Sanders
and Warsche have talked.

You ordered the hit on Mickey
Ryder. You ordered the hit on me.

So we can start
from there.

I was at last night's
festivities, Mr. Kornblum.

I was also at the
police interrogation.

Now, Mr. Rockford
is not bluffing.

Sanders and Warsche are
probably still talking.

Mickey's death
was not my doing.

Those were not my orders.

Oh, so, the hired hands
just went crazy, huh?

Come on! What did you
send them out there for?

What were your orders?

(CLEARING THROAT)

It was a question of a
favor for a client. A friend.

Oh, Big Al Minette?

I'm gonna say this much regarding
my involvement, which was minimal.

I did arrange to put the
material in the basement.

What material?

Sensitive material.

That concerned certain parties,
certain operations.

The reason Mickey
pleaded guilty to Satanic acts

was he couldn't let the
police search his basement.

Will you testify to that in
court? At the Lansing trial?

Of course, without in any way
compromising client confidentiality.

Now, listen,
about this sensitive material? What is it?

I don't know.

Sanders gave me what
he found in the basement.

A large sealed envelope.
I didn't open it.

I put it in the safe.

You've got it here?
Yes.

Well, get it.

Yeah.
Oh, I'm sorry, Dennis.

I know. I over-stepped
my bounds, Dennis,

but do you believe
how we've lucked out?

I mean, this could be
the Minette connection.

It could have drugs.
What do you think?

Drug dealing.
Maybe pipeline?

Well, Minette's
out of Vegas.

It could be the
skimming operation.

Or money laundering.

Counterfeit! Counterfeit's
a growth industry today.

Minette's got the perfect
operation to pass bad paper.

Mr. Kornblum... Sorry to intrude,
Mr. Kornblum.

We interrogated Lloyd
Sanders and Phillip Warsche.

You questioned
my prisoners?

Who are you?

I busted 'em. Brought
them in. Lieutenant Becker.

Well done, Becker.

Mr. Sanders stated that
he retrieved an envelope

from the basement of
Mickey Ryder's house

and subsequently
gave that envelope to you.

Yes. I just took it
out of my safe.

Thank you, Mr. Kornblum. We'll
leave a receipt with your secretary.

He got that out of the safe
for Lieutenant Becker.

BECKER: That's right.

This is federal, sir.
I'm sure you understand.

Frankly,
I never understood that.

Federal.

JOSH: They're making a TV movie
about my life. They want my cooperation.

Unless it's someone like Johnny Depp,
I've got some concerns.

Josh, you have some very serious
concerns but that's not one of them.

Sidney Kornblum,
Mickey Ryder's attorney,

is going to testify in court
that Mickey's admission of guilt

to your charges was a lie.

So, that pretty well takes care of
the recovered memory defense.

I told you
it wouldn't work.

Shut up, Dorie!

Look, I never heard of Sidney
Kornblum. Who's gonna believe him?

I am. You lied to me.
You lied under oath.

And I am not willing
to deal with liars.

Your mother was my friend.

For her sake I tried
to believe you.

Every time a damning piece
of evidence showed up,

I tried to explain it away.

But you not only killed her,
you defamed her.

You defamed Mickey Ryder,
a decent man who loved you.

You're beneath contempt.

Halley...

Look, it wasn't my idea. I
didn't even want to do it.

Shut up, Dorie!

No! You're always saying that, like I
don't have a right to say what I want to.

It was Josh who didn't
want to wait for the money.

I kept telling him Mom was old,
it wouldn't be all that long,

but you know
how impatient he is.

And then he comes up with
that dumb story about Mickey.

So, now, what do we do?

I don't know, Dorie.

Innocent or guilty, you're both
entitled to the best defense possible.

But I'm not gonna be
the one to provide it.

I'll have my office submit
appropriate names.

(DOOR BUZZES)

(DOOR CLOSES)

ROCKFORD: Yeah.
I told you, Dad.

Mattie's got a real
interested customer.

She's gonna bring her
around tomorrow.

Mattie, the real estate agent.

I'm not really
hoping for much.

You know,
the market's down.

Well, yeah.
I know it's late.

I'm talking to you. What
are you doing up so late?

All right, Dad.
Dad, I'm...

I had a pretty long day. I'll give
you a call tomorrow, all right?

You go to sleep.
Yeah, good night.

(KNOCKING AT DOOR)

Hi. I did it again.
I didn't call first.

Mind if I come in anyway?

Well, I want to
apologize, Jim.

Well, no, that's not
altogether true.

I don't want
to apologize, but...

'Cause I hate to be wrong,
but I have to apologize.

I've been snapping
and snipping at you

ever since
this thing started.

I'm sorry.

I met with Josh and Dorie and
told them I couldn't represent them.

Good. They don't
deserve you.

I didn't want them
to be guilty.

I know.

Whenever I had any doubts,
I'd think,

"If they were really guilty,
why would they hire a private detective?"”

Which is exactly what you
were supposed to think.

It was a nice touch, really.

I'll just never understand
how they could do that.

Never.

(KIT SIGHING)

God, I'm tired, Jim.

Do you mind if I stay
here for the night?

Sort of take
over your couch?

You can take over the bed.
I'll bunk out here.

I don't want to
take the bed, Jim.

Do we have to argue
about everything?

Take the bed.

Take the couch.

Thank you.

(RUMBLING)

(GROANING)

ROCKFORD: Kit! I'm coming.
Hold on, hold on!

I'll be right there!

Kit, grab your shoes!

Let's get out. Come on.
Come on, let's go, let's go.

Oh, my God!
Open the door!

(CAR ALARM BLARING)

Wow!

It's all right,
we're out in the open now.

Oh, let's go.

All right, all right, fine.

(SIGHING)

(SIGHS) That was
just an aftershock.

Oh, again?

(HOUSE CREAKING)

It's all right,
it's all right.

(KIT GASPING)

(GLASS SHATTERING)

(GROANING)

Oh, honey...

ROCKFORD: Feel better?

KIT: (LAUGHING) Anybody
tries to tell me that

that wasn't the big one,
I'll hit 'em.

Yeah. It felt different,
didn't it?

It felt mean.

Did you call Rocky?

I tried to when I
dragged the chairs out,

but phone lines
are down.

I hate earthquakes.

I don't know
many who like 'em.

They always make me
wanna repent.

Would you like to know
why you never met Lila?

Yeah.

She was a very special lady.
She would have liked you.

And more importantly,
you would have liked her.

I didn't forget to introduce
you. I did it deliberately.

I was afraid that you'd both like
each other more than you liked me.

Fat chance.

Well, I guess you'll be hitting
the freeway after breakfast, huh?

Well, I've kind of changed
my mind about the move.

I don't believe you!

You hate the crime,
the traffic, the smog.

We've had everything
but a plague of locusts.

We've had a full-scale riot,
a fire, an earthquake...

Yeah. But where else would
you find that kind of variety?

You know, to tell you the truth,
I'd be afraid to move.

Who knows what I'd miss?

(BOTH LAUGHING)