All language subtitles for The.Rockford.Files.S01E08.The.Big.Ripoff.1080p.SKST.WEB-DL.DD+2.0.H.264-playWEB_track5_[eng]

I hired you to find out

if Virginia Nelson
killed her husband,

and you come back with a crazy
theory that he isn't dead.

Bus leaves at 11:00.

I never ride on buses.

I get car sick.

A ride on a bus or
six months in traction.

I'm afraid we got a problem.

I've already told 'em
that you're alive.

Is there anything
you won't do for money?

I--I won't kill for it,
and I won't marry for it.

Other than that, I'm
open to about anything.

(phone ringing)

This is Jim Rockford.

At the tone, leave
your name and message.

I'll get back to you.

(machine beeps)

It's Aundra, remember
last summer at Pat's?

I've got a 12-hour layover
before I go to Chicago.

How 'bout it?

(car horns honking)

Please fasten your seat belts.

Fasten your seat belts, please.

We'll be landing in
approximately five minutes.

Please fasten your seat belts.

Fasten your seat belts, please.

We'll be landing in
approximately five minutes.

Please fasten your seat belts.

You had yourself a nice
vacation, didn't you?

You ought to write a book.

How to see Europe on
$200 a day plus expenses.

Look, Ms. Frazer.

I've been sitting
in tourist class

on a bumpy flight for 12 hours,

and I'm suffering from
a case of terminal jet lag.

So you can skip the jokes.

I hired you to find out

if Virginia Nelson
killed her husband,

and you come back with a crazy
theory that he isn't dead.

And all that's left to discuss
are these outrageous expenses.

But now those expenses are
legitimate and reasonable.

Reasonable?

No, no, no, not reasonable.

Cheap.

Now, I flew tourist class.

I stayed in a pension
where the toilet

was a half a mile down the hall,

and I came back with
a professional conclusion,

which may not be what
you wanted to hear,

but it's what
we're both stuck with.

You really expect me to believe

Steve Nelson staged
that plane crash

so he and his wife could
rip off the insurance company?

It happens all the time.

And those giant
insurance companies

with all their resources just
sit there and let it happen.

If it's done with style, there's
not much they can do about it

but payoff and
raise their rates.

Well, I can't accept that.

If he were still alive,

he'd have found some
way to let me know.

I know it must be hard to take,

but all kinds of
relationships wear out.

Marriages end
and so do romances.

Maybe you're right.

Maybe that's the one
thing I couldn't accept.

And even if you're wrong,

I guess I ought to forget it.

Shouldn't I, Mr. Rockford?

Either way, it's over.

Then that's all,
isn't it, Mr. Rockford?

I guess so.

Yeah, except for
the balance of my--

Oh, yes, of course.

If you'll just leave a bill,

I'll get a check
right out to you.

If you don't mind, I'd just as
soon take the check with me now.

You see, I--I'm having
a little cash flow problem,

and I'll be stopping at
the bank on my way back to--

(phone ringing)

Excuse me.

And there's really
no point in waiting.

I'll send you a check.

Good-bye, Mr. Rockford.

Yes.

No.

No, I'll make it.

I'll be there in a few minutes.

Someone's here.

Don't worry.

I won't...

The plane doesn't
leave for two hours.

All right.

Yes, ma'am, I'm still waiting.

Oh, hello, Mr. Moss?

Yeah, this is Jim Rockford.

You remember?

The Sprague case last January?

That wasn't a case, Rockford.

It was a shakedown.

Smile, Mr. Moss, I'm calling
with good news this time.

That's a statistical
improbability;

47 percent of all phone
calls are for favors,

36 percent are disasters,

and barely 11 percent have
anything to do with good news.

You're missing 6 or 7 percent.

Those are wrong numbers,

which is what you
have right now.

Now, wait a minute.

Don't hang up, don't hang up.

I'm calling you about $400,000.

All right, you've got
a minute and a half.

I'll call you later.

TransGlobal sky cap
to baggage area.

TransGlobal Airlines Flight 487
to Santa Barbara, Monterey,

Mendocino, Almeria,
Eureka, and Seattle-Tacoma

now boarding at Gate 20.

Mr. Johnson, please report

to the insurance counter,
concourse four.

Mr. Abelson, meet your party
at customs exit on the--

(indistinct P.A. announcement)

- Can I help you?
- I sure hope so.

I just dropped a fare off here,
and she left this in the cab.

If she hasn't left yet,

maybe there's still time
to give it back to her.

She was blonde
and about so high,

and she had hair kinda
swept back under here,

and she was wearing
a brown dress and--

Oh, yes, I remember her.

Yeah.

I'm sorry, her plane
just took off.

Oh, that's too bad,
that's too bad.

Maybe there's something
valuable in here.

You know, people
do that all the time.

I mean, they're in such
a hurry to get the airplane

that they run off and
leave something behind.

The company's got a special
service just to handle it all.

If you'll just give me
her name and destination,

the company'll send her a wire,

and they'll ask her where
she wants us to send it.

Well, I guess
it'll be all right.

Her name is Nancy Frazer,

and her destination
is Almeria, California.

Almeria, oh, that's fine.

Thank you, thank you.

The company'll have
a wire waiting for her

when she steps off the plane.

You're really very kind.

Thank you.

Hey, excuse me, uh, you
got change for a quarter?

All I got is 14 cents.

Thank you.

You really expect us to pay

a 25 percent recovery
fee and your expenses?

I'm talking about getting
$400,000 back for you.

Why quibble over a
few bucks expense money?

Don't you think we have
staff investigators?

We spend an average
of 61 man hours

investigating every claim
before we pay one dollar.

What makes you think you
can turn something up

when our own people couldn't?

Well, there's an answer to that,

but I'm afraid I'll have to
protect its confidentiality.

We had four of our best men
working on this claim.

Two of them did turn
in negative reports,

advised us not to settle.

Yes, but you're a
company of sweethearts,

so you decided to
pay off anyway, huh?

It wasn't an easy decision,

but in a case like this when
a loved one has been lost,

we give every consideration
to the beneficiary.

Oh, that's why Mrs. Nelson
had to sue to collect.

That's not too uncommon
in a situation like this.

It was an unusual death.

But I'm satisfied
the case is legitimate.

After all, the plane went
down five miles out to sea.

Mrs. Nelson was very lucky.

She managed to swim ashore.

Mr. Nelson wasn't so lucky.

Well, I never knew
luck had anything to do

with actuarial charts
and statistics.

Do you know how often
a body is recovered

from that far out in the ocean?

Almost never, and
that's a statistic.

Let's just forget about
statistics and odds.

I'm talking about a lead.

And that's all it is so far.

Talk.

You haven't given me
anything concrete

on this lead you say you have.

It's concrete.

Well, if you want to go ahead

and investigate this
on speculation, fine.

But if you expect us to come up
with any money in advance,

forget it.

I'll need $1,500 expenses,
and you stand a chance

of getting back $400,000 that
you've already kissed good-bye.

No, it's impossible.

All right, $1,000.

It's practically petty cash.

You'd have to tell me a lot
more before I could even think

about that kind of a figure.

All I can tell you is
I'm sure Nelson's alive,

And I think I know
where to find him.

If I tell you any more, well,

you'd just go out
and do it yourself.

Helen, is my 4:00
appointment here?

All right, all right.

I'll tell you this much.

Hold my 4:00, please.

Mr. Nelson had a girlfriend

who decided he didn't
die by accident,

that he was
murdered by his wife.

So she hired me to look into it,
and I found out that Mrs. Nelson

is living on the interest
from $200,000 invested

at 8 or 9 percent.

You follow me, Mr. Moss?

Yes, I see what
you're trying to sell,

that she's living off the income

from exactly 50 percent
of what we paid out.

You're very good
at figures, Mr. Moss.

Now that means that someone
has the rest of the money,

probably Mr. Nelson.

When I told my client
this, she acted, well,

a little off center.

It made me think that maybe
Mr. Nelson had contacted her

since she'd hired me
while I was--

well, while I was
out of the country

checking out her theory.

I'll authorize $500
in expense money.

$500?

Plus 5 percent of
any money recovered.

Well, 20 percent.

- Five.
- Ten.

Five percent,
take it or leave it.

Put it in writing.

You're sure no woman
fitting that description

has registered here
the last two days?

That's right.

Ever seen him?

Sorry.

Did you try the Almeria Inn?

Yeah.

- Silver King?
- Yeah.

- Surf?
- Yeah.

You've been to every
hotel in Almeria.

Try the motels north
of town on Highway 1.

You going into Almeria?

Yeah.

I'd really appreciate a ride.

You got one.

I'm just coming from work.

If I'm not being too personal,

what kind of work do you do?

I'm a model.

I just had a rough time
with an occupational hazard.

By the way, thanks for the ride.

My name's Marilyn Polonski.

Jim Rockford.

Most of the artists I pose for
are interested in their work.

This one today was
a real grope freak.

I grabbed my clothes, I ran
so fast, I didn't get my $23.

That's my modeling fee,

$20 an hour with the clothes on,

$23 for the real me.

Is there enough business around
to keep the real you busy?

Almeria's bulging with artists.

Yeah, maybe you can help me.

Do you know many of 'em?

Yeah, I got fingerprints
all over me to prove it.

Good, maybe you can help me,
I'm looking for a man.

A man?

You a cop?

No.

No, never seen him.

What are you?

I mean, what do you do?

I'm the national
advertising manager

for the Avocado
Growers of America.

What'd he do?

Steal a crate of avocadoes?

He's our top animator.

Yeah, he took off, and we
can't seem to find anybody

who can draw the
Avocado Bandito.

You kidding?

Yeah.

I ask too many
questions, don't I?

I really appreciate
the ride and all.

I wish there was some
way I could thank you.

Hey, how 'bout letting me
cook dinner for you tonight?

Well, why don't we let somebody
cook dinner for both of us?

Where do you get
the best food in town?

My place.

Besides your place.

Sea Cliff, I guess.

Okay, I'll pick you up at 8:00.

Come early.

(indistinct radio transmissions)

- Sheriff Neal?
- Yeah.

Your office told me
I could find you here.

I'd like to talk to you.

So talk.

I was hoping for a
little more privacy.

L.A. city limits are back
there about 500 miles.

Well, this license was
issued in Sacramento.

It's good all over the state.

Do you mind?

Where's your gun?

It's back home, buried up to
its hammer in a coffee pot.

You're a funny man,
that's it.

That's where it is, Sheriff,
freeze-dried coffee.

It soaks up to the moisture,
keeps it from rusting

in the ocean climate.

How's that for a household tip?

What do you want, Rockford?

His name is Steve Nelson.

Of course, he won't
be using that name,

but you seen him around?

Hmm.

I'll see you around.

Do you mind if I ask
one of your deputies?

Maybe they know him.

I said I'll see you around.

It'll only take a minute.

I have a piece of good advice
for you, Mr. Rockford.

You bother any of my people,
and you'll wind up in jail

for obstructing justice
and creating a public nuisance.

Now look, Sheriff--

Shall we get in the car?

I'll just be moving along.

Wonderful.

I think it's really exciting,
walking straight up to everyone

and saying, "Have
you seen this man?"

Well, I'd say on
the excitement scale,

it rates somewhere between a
haircut and root canal work.

Mr. Rockford.

Yeah?

Sheriff Neal figures you've
been in town too long.

Oh, he does?

Yes, he does.

Why?

He just asked us to
help you get moving.

Oh, well, tell him not to worry.

I'll be leaving any day now.

Tonight is what he had in mind.

Well, I guess
that'd be all right,

only there's not any flights

out of here till
tomorrow morning.

Bus leaves at 11:00.

We reserved you a ticket.

Oh, well, that's really nice.

That's nice, fellows,
except I never ride on buses.

I get car sick.

That's real good, huh, Floyd?

Car sick.

Tell me, Rockford,
what's funnier?

A ride on a bus
or six months in traction?

That's not much
of a choice, is it?

It's the best one you've got.

Well, I--I'll take
the bus, I guess.

Sheriff's department, please.

Just tell him that
Jim Rockford called.

I'll be calling again.

Thank you.

I was beginning
to think you'd split

and stiffed me with the check.

Come on, I wouldn't do that
to you on the first date.

Something wrong?

Well, not unless you think
there's something wrong

with a free bus ticket
and an invitation to leave town.

Oh, from who?

I don't know.

Maybe the sheriff.

I'm not sure.

Did you see a couple of guys
follow me when I left the table?

No.

Are you going to?

Hmm?

Oh, leave?

No, not as soon as they think.

I can't afford to.

Our sheriff is--

well, he could cause
a lot of trouble for you.

I know.

Yeah.

Maybe you better quit
the Avocado Growers.

Go into something
a little less hazardous.

I mean, I know I shouldn't care
if you get your head split open.

I mean, what's it to me, right?

Marilyn.

No, let me finish.

I'm a sucker for strays.

Sheriff Neal is
a very popular man.

He gets his way
mostly 'cause he keeps

the crime rate down
if you know what I mean.

I'll be careful.

Please.

You're going places,
Mr. Rockford.

(grunting)

You missed the bus.

All you gotta do is wave,
it'll stop for you.

You'll do that, won't you?

Good, it's a nice,
pleasant bus ride.

Don't try to move.

Not yet.

Just lie still.

That's right.

Marilyn?

You ever been
thumped by experts?

Not so far.

Well, I have.

It happened to me again.

How'd you know where to find me?

You left the keys in your car.

I just followed.

Well, then you saw what
happened back at the apartment.

Did you recognize anyone?

Well, it was pretty dark.

I couldn't see too well.

Yeah, but you saw two
guys force me in the car.

Did you know 'em?

Yeah, I knew one of them.

I don't know his name, but I
think I know where he works.

Yeah, well, they told
me where they work.

The sheriff's department.

Not the one I recognized.

Never believe anything
you hear in the men's room.

Where you going?

Now, you should stay here
and rest for a while.

Is there anything
you won't do for money?

Well, there's two things.

I--I won't kill for it,

and I won't marry for it.

Other than that, I'm
open to about anything.

(smack)

(groaning)

Now, let's talk.

About what?

I just want a few answers.

You know the questions.

Someone's paying for all the
trouble that's coming my way.

Who is it?

You just go on and beat
on me as much as you want.

It won't do you any good.

I'd be worse off
if I told you who.

How much was I worth?

I got $200.

$200, that's all?

But I had to split
with the other guy.

How'd you like another $200?

This time it's all for you.

I'm gonna get it out of
you one way or another.

Come on.

Who hired you to
scare me out of here?

That $200, that's
right now money?

I'd tell you in a second
if I could trust you.

How you found out, I mean.

There's no need for me
to say anything to anybody.

If you're thinking
about your choices,

you haven't got any.

His name's Carl Lemay.

Lemay's Gallery
up on Summit Street.

Is that an art gallery?

Is this Lemay?

Have you ever seen him around?

No.

Hey, how 'bout my dough?

Oh, you'll get it if
you've told me the truth.

Like hell I will.

And I did tell you the truth!

Now I believe you.

And what are you selling, Mr...?

Mr. Rockford.

Oh, services, information.

What are you buying?

What are you getting at?

Well, you paid a couple
of guys $200 to scare me,

and they did.

I'd just like to know why.

Of course if you don't want
to say, it's all right with me.

I'm easy to get along with,
but I got business here that's--

oh, could add up to $20,000.

I'm willing to settle for less.

Just make me an offer,

and I'll be on
my way back to L.A.

I give up, Mr. Rockford.

This is some kind
of joke, isn't it?

Maybe it was, yeah.

Nobody seems to
be laughing anymore.

I think you should just leave.

Otherwise, I'll call the sheriff
and have you taken away.

Oh, I don't think
you should do that.

Then I'd have to tell him
about you hiring two guys

to impersonate peace officers
and commit aggravated assault

and kidnapping with intent
to do bodily harm.

I'll just close the gallery
a little early today.

Now, Mr. Rockford,

what business do you think
we have to talk about?

Well, all you have to do is tell
me where I can find this man.

I'll pay you $2,000.

$2,000.

I have never seen him before.

Now maybe you should
give me some good reasons

why I shouldn't call
the sheriff myself.

(dialing)

Please hang up.

I paid them.

Why?

A friend, someone
I knew a long time ago,

asked me to do it as a favor.

Him?

I don't even know him.

It was a girl, someone
I almost married once.

What was her name?

Nancy Frazer.

She came in here yesterday,
said you had been bothering her,

said you had followed her
all the way from Los Angeles.

She asked me to
get you out of town.

I promised I'd give it a try.

Maybe now I'll stick to
something I'm good at.

What was she wearing?

A red slack suit.

Where would I find her?

I don't know.

And even if I did know,
I wouldn't tell you.

You're getting stupid again.

Who's smart all the time?

You're not even smart
some of the time.

You don't really think a
couple of goons beating me up

is gonna scare me
out of town, do you?

Yes, 99 men out
of 100, it would.

Never heard those
statistics before.

And relax.

I'd be afraid to
call the sheriff.

He doesn't like me at all.

Oh, and Mr. Lemay,

you really shouldn't keep
things like this around.

We should stop making
a habit of this.

It brings us together.

He lied.

He lied.

A girl leaves
Los Angeles in a hurry.

She goes to a small
out-of-the-way town,

and then when I show up,
she just manages to run

into an old boyfriend
to help her out.

That doesn't make sense.

- It could happen.
- Not a chance.

She came here because
she knew Nelson was here.

That means Lemay
must know Nelson.

It all adds up.

How long has Lemay
run that gallery?

Years, as long
as I can remember.

Here, take another
look at this, huh?

You sure you never seen him?

Is this man a painter?

No.

I'm not sure.

- I think you're wrong.
- Hey, wait a minute.

No, that's the
only copy I've got.

That's too bad if I'm wrong.

I know this man.

This is Dennis Rains.

He's a painter.

How long has he been here?

Uh, six, seven months, and
Lemay handles his paintings.

Is he any good?

I don't think so.

Half the painters in
town think he's great.

They call him a
primitive or something.

Anyway, his paintings go

for a couple of
thousand dollars apiece,

and he must sell at least
four or five a month, I think.

(laughs)

What's so funny?

That guy steals $400,000,

and he decides to hide
behind long hair and a beard.

And he figures
he needs some props

to go along with the beard,

so he buys paints and canvas
and does the best he can.

And people are willing
to pay him two grand a picture

just because he never
learned how to paint.

Don't you think that's funny?

No.

Ah.

Please stay right where you are.

You're dead if you don't.

No, no fast moves.

I really don't want to use this.

You ever shoot
that thing before?

Uh-uh.

It came with the house.

Now go on inside.

All right, all right,

no problem.

Nancy!

You shouldn't have followed me.

You had no right to do that.

Well, you should've paid me
for services rendered.

But relax, I'm here to help you.

Give me the rope.

Over here.

I told you I was
here to help you.

Sit down.

All right, now you--
you keep this right on him.

I bet she's never used
one of those before either.

Hey, listen, I can really
appreciate a good hustle,

and I don't like those stiffs
at the insurance company

any better than you do,

but I'm afraid
we've got a problem.

I've already told them
that you're alive.

I apologize.

I mean, at the time,
I was sort of scratching

around for an angle.

I'm afraid I've
blown it for you.

I mean, once they've got the
scent, they'll find you.

Do you realize that if
that bird gun goes off,

she's gonna blow
both of us away?

I got an idea.

You've still got that insurance
money invested someplace, right?

Now, what if I act
as a go-between,

so, say 15 percent
of the recovery.

And I'll make a deal
with the insurance company.

They get all their money back,
and you two get away free.

No jail sentence or anything.

You can stay right
here and paint.

You don't need
the insurance money,

and you're a regular
paint-stained gold mine.

Now, how 'bout it, huh?

I think I can make it work.

As a matter of fact,
I know I can.

And what happens to me, huh?

I get ten years in jail.

No, if they have to make
a deal to get their money back,

they'll make it.

And even if you were tried

and you've already
given the money back,

well, the court'll just
give you a suspended sent--

That's right,

I said no more expense money.

Maybe you didn't hear me.

I said I've seen
Steve Nelson alive.

Now, okay, so he got away, huh?

But I found him once,
I can find him again.

I know more about him now.

It's gonna be a lot easier
the second time around.

Loosen up, Mr. Moss.

All I need's another $500.

I'm afraid I made
a mistake, Mr. Rockford.

I got carried away
with your initial enthusiasm

and became a little too free
with the company's money.

But that doesn't mean it
should get to be a habit.

I'll just chalk the
$500 up to experience.

- Mr. Moss.
- Mr. Rockford,

the company is
no longer interested

in anything you have to say.

Well, he took my
advice, didn't he?

He took my advice and
made a deal with you.

Right.

You got all your money back,
and I'm out 5 percent, right?

If you're finished,
I'm running a little behind.

Okay, okay.

So I've been had, but I'm
out $200 of my own money.

Can I at least have that back?

Mr. Rockford, I'm keeping
a board meeting waiting.

You don't mind, do you?

Mr. Moss, do you
know what you are?

Yeah, you know, don't you?

Well, you're right on time.

I caught us a free dinner.

(groans)

Sorry, Rocky,
but I'm not hungry.

You're not hu--

You know what
this stuff'd cost you

if you was to
buy it in a market?

A buck sixty a pound--frozen.

What I need is a drink.

Oh, a scotch, huh?

Hemlock.

What's the matter?

I don't want to talk
about it, Rocky, okay?

You don't want to talk.

You don't want to eat.

You don't want a drink.

You look like you've
been used for a trampoline.

When are you gonna
get smart and quit?

When you make
your first million.

Oh, say, where do you want
that junk put that you ordered?

- What junk?
- Well, I don't know.

Some guy delivered
about an hour ago,

didn't look like anything
you'd want inside.

I had him put it in my truck.

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

What kind of junk?

Well, you tell me.

Come on.

Fellow just drove
up here and left 'em.

How many of 'em are there, Rock?

Oh, there's ten of 'em.

I hope you didn't
pay much for that junk.

Don't you know that art is a
great hedge against inflation?

(scoffs)

You call that art?

Ha!

Here, help me with these.

I don't want the salt
air to foul 'em up.

You don't want the salt air to--

you can't foul up
junk like that.

Rocky, this is
an original Nelson.

He's a primitive.

Does that mean he
swings from tree to tree

and eats bananas?

What is a primitive?

A primitive is a guy who
can paint nonsense like this

then turn it around and
sell it for $2,000 apiece.

Two th--

(chuckles)

He does have sort of a nice
sense of color, don't he?

You're damn right he has.