The Rockford Files (1974) s02e05 Episode Script
The Deep Blue Sleep
$200 a day plus expenses.
Do you want the job or not? There are other PI's in the book.
Seven cents a mile? I wanna know who killed her.
Well, give them a little time.
I wanna know now.
He does not believe it is an accident.
Did you know you were being backed by organized crime? I told you, I didn't ask.
Hey, I wouldn't do that if I were you.
They're liable to be back any minute now.
When they do, you tell them I borrowed their car.
What are you, crazy? This is Jim Rockford.
At the tone, leave your name and message.
I'll get back to you.
Hi, Jim.
Thanks for the dinner invitation.
I'd love to, but does it have to be the taco stand? Hello.
Mr.
Rockford, this is Margo Adams.
Hello.
Listen, Jim.
There's something wrong with your phone.
I had to ask the operator to clear the line.
Whatever happened to "hello"? Jim, I got a call from a friend of mine.
Her name is Margo Adams.
So did I.
She's in some kind of trouble, isn't she? I could tell by her voice.
I asked her what it was, but all she wanted was your phone number, and then she hung up.
She hung up on me, too.
You didn't talk to her? She just gave me her name and hung up.
I called her house, and either she's not answering her phone or she's not there.
She sounded frightened, didn't she? I've never met the lady.
Well, she was terrified.
I'll take your word for it.
What kind of an attitude is that? Don't you think you ought to do something? Like what? Well, like find out what happened to her.
Hey, come on, let's not run off in a blind panic.
I've gotta know what happened to her.
All right, I'll hire you.
When you say "hire" $200 a day plus expenses.
Do you want the job or not? There are other PI's in the book.
Seven cents a mile? Jim Yeah.
All right.
All right.
What's her address? I'll meet you there.
If you're there before I am, and she's not there, there's an extra key under the doormat.
That's the first place I was gonna look.
1-L-10.
Roger.
6- A-11.
6-A-11.
Ambulance injury.
1760 Sycamore.
Code 2.
All right.
Where is he? Inside.
Hi, Dennis.
"Hi, Dennis.
" Check the other rooms.
It doesn't look too bad.
Well, you won't be hurt if I get another medical opinion.
Listen, Jim, I'm in no mood.
I was checking out when Beth's call came in.
I had to come halfway across town.
Peggy spent $20 on a standing rib roast, which is gonna taste like something out of the Petrified Forest by the time I get home.
Well, that kind of devotion to duty makes us all proud of you, Dennis.
Now, will you try to find out who clobbered me? Check the other houses.
Maybe we got a little old white-haired lady who's keeping her eye on the neighborhood.
You don't know who hit you.
Do you know why? About an hour ago, a friend of mine, Margo Adams, called me up.
Then she called Jim.
She's in some kind of trouble, but we don't know what, because she hung up on both of us.
That's why we came over here.
How did you get in? She leaves an extra key under the doormat.
So you're in here without her knowledge or her permission.
Well, we werert the first.
The place had been tossed when I got here.
Or she's a lousy housekeeper.
It's been tossed, Dennis, and I got rapped on the head when I came in.
Maybe the one who did the rapping was Margo Adams.
You werert expected.
You could have scared her.
Dennis, something has happened to Margo.
I want to file a missing persors report.
And a John Doe assault and battery complaint.
You can't file a missing persors report until someone's been missing for 24 hours.
Right, Counselor? The key.
And I'll file the A and B, check the place out, and if she hasn't shown up by tomorrow afternoon, I'll put through the report.
Thanks, Dennis.
Why is Margo Adams so important to you? She's an old friend of mine, has been since we were 10 years old.
Well, you never talk about her.
I talk about her all the time.
Susie.
Susie? She changed her name to Margo when she started to model.
Oh! She doesn't have any family or anything.
Jim, if I don't help her, nobody will.
You've gotta find out what happened to her.
Well, maybe she doesn't want to be found.
No, I don't believe that.
Well, I don't know.
Margo's been living in New York.
She only moved back out here a few months ago.
I've been so busy.
We try to get together, but I've only ended up seeing her about four times.
Doesrt give you much to go on, does it? Not much.
Where does she work? Clarke Fashions.
Talk to Adrienne Clarke.
Margo's her top model.
All right.
I'll check it out in the morning.
Come on, I'll follow you home.
I don't mind being alone.
I mind.
Do something about that music, Darren.
If it's that loud at the show It won't be.
I wanna run the lights when we break.
Okay.
Who is that? I don't know.
I'll find out.
You'll have to leave.
This is a closed rehearsal.
I'd like to speak to Miss Clarke, please.
No, you have to leave.
If you want an appointment, speak to Miss Clarke's secretary.
Her office is Yeah, down at the end of the corridor.
I've already talked to her.
She said an appointment's out of the question, but I'm gonna have one just the same, sonny.
But, but Miss Clarke? Give the girls 15 minutes.
Didrt the gentleman explain to you that I'm busy? I'd just like a couple of minutes.
I'm in the middle of rehearsal.
My name is Jim Rockford.
I'm a private investigator.
I'd like to ask you a few questions about Margo Adams.
I don't care to answer any questions about Margo Adams.
Well, it's important.
I couldn't care less.
Oh, you're so busy being Coco Chanel, you just don't have time for other people.
Right, Miss Clarke? No time at all.
I'm working for Beth Davenport.
She's a friend of Margo's, and Margo's disappeared.
Yes, I was aware of that at 9:00 this morning.
Margo's my lead model, and I had to replace her at the last minute.
Now if she's off somewhere nursing a hangover or a broken heart, I'm afraid I'm a little short on sympathy.
I can tell you all I have to say about Margo Adams in two words.
She's fired.
Hi, Dennis.
I'm glad you got my message.
What've you got? We found Margo Adams.
You got a positive ID? Driver's license, credit cards, it's her car.
This place is off-limits for skin diving, but we got a couple of kids who don't believe in signs.
They found the wreck, called it in.
Body is still in the car.
She must have really been traveling to end up that far in the water.
Accident? Could be.
We gotta check the car for mechanical trouble, check the body for alcohol.
We need Beth to verify identification.
You'll tell her.
Yeah.
Yeah, I'll tell her.
See you.
So she's in the county refrigerator with a tag on her big toe, and that's the end of it? Why don't the police do something? Come on.
The police don't buy the coroner's report any more than I do.
Two frantic telephone calls, her apartment ransacked, and she accidentally ends up in 20 feet of water.
Now, for now they're just throwing a blanket over it and calling it an accident, or suicide.
Margo would never have killed herself.
I said "for now.
" They're gonna be chewing around the edges of this thing until they end up calling it murder, if they haven't already.
I wanna know who killed her.
Well, give them a little time.
I wanna know now.
Beth, the cops are on it.
That makes it an open case.
They're not gonna pull your ticket for asking a few questions.
I'd like to help you, but Okay.
If the department gives you any kind of flak, you get my legal services for free.
Now would I offer that if I thought you had a chance of taking me up on it? Please, Jim.
All right.
I'll ask a few questions.
Mr.
Rockford.
Miss Clarke didn't want to see you this morning, she doesn't want to see you this afternoon.
Well, I have some information I think she'll want to hear.
I doubt it.
Is she in her office? It's really academic, Mr.
Rockford, because you're not gonna see her.
Yes, Miss Clarke.
Did you try the New York call? You can't go in there.
What? You can't go in there! Millie? Stop! What is going on? Now sign that in two places.
Yes? I'm sorry, Miss Clarke.
I tried to stop him.
Well, who is he? That's all right, Millie.
Bob, call the police! What? Margo Adams is dead.
Well, that was pretty blunt.
Miss Clarke has so little time.
You all right, Adrienne? Yeah.
All right.
You're very dramatic and more than a little brutal.
Now why don't you get out of here? No.
I wanna know what's going on.
That'll be all, Millie.
It's all right, Millie.
It's all right.
Mr.
Rockford.
Margo and her car were fished out of a reservoir about an hour after I talked to you this morning.
Time of death was late last night.
I'm sorry.
I'm honestly very sorry.
Is there anything I can do to help? Well, you might answer some of the questions that we didn't get around to this morning.
Of course.
Well, there's not very much I can tell you.
I didn't know Margo well.
In fact, I don't suppose I knew her at all.
She was an employee.
She did her job, and she did it well.
Didrt you know anything about her personal life? Nothing.
And Mister Oh, this is Bob Coleman.
He's a friend and business associate.
Mr.
Coleman, what do you know? I knew most of the girls around here by sight.
Beyond that, nothing.
I suppose I shouldn't have said those things about her today, but I was upset, worried about the show.
There was nothing you could have done about it.
Now why don't you take it easy.
Go get some rest, huh? Would you mind if I talked to some of the other models? Well, not today.
They've got a show.
Maybe we should postpone it.
Let him postpone the questions.
I mean, the girl is dead.
There's nothing we can do about that.
Now 24 hours isn't gonna make a lot of difference.
Business as usual.
Well, of course.
I'll be back tomorrow.
Are you all right? Yeah, well, an accident like that's pretty hard to accept.
Miss Clarke's pretty upset, but Colemars taking it well.
Course, he didn't know her.
He knew her, in the biblical sense of the word.
Oh, I just got the impression that Coleman and Adrienne Clarke were close.
Does she know about his relationship with Margo? I've said too much already.
If you'll excuse me, I have a lot of work to do.
"The quick brown fox " Hey, I always keep my sources confidential.
What the Oh, you sure have a talent for being where you're not wanted.
Where did you get my address? The phone book.
All right.
Well, get your car out of here.
It'll take a minute.
Get it out! That's okay.
It's just a courtesy call, anyway.
I thought you might want to explain why you claimed not to know Margo Adams when, in fact, you were having an affair with her.
But Miss Clarke's being very cooperative.
She'll fill me in.
You say one word about that to Adrienne, and they'll be scraping you up in six counties.
Six? Why not just one neat little package like Margo? I don't know what you're trying to imply, but I'll tell you one thing.
I don't know anything about Margo's accident, but I'm sure gonna know about yours.
Well, before you take a bite out of something, you make sure it's something that won't bite you back.
Really? You wanna bite back? Now I want you to stay away from Clarke Fashions.
I want you to stay away from this house, and I don't wanna ever have this conversation again.
Good, let's keep in touch.
Hurry up.
Mr.
Coleman, Mr.
Davidson called a half a dozen times.
He wants to hear from you right away.
Well, get in touch with him, tell him I'll call him this evening.
He said right away.
It's a good deal.
I wouldn't want you to lose it.
We can lay off $3 million in that company, easy.
I can get him for you.
I told you I will call him this evening.
Now leave me alone for a few minutes.
This is Coleman.
I want you to deliver a message for me.
No, I don't mean tomorrow.
I am talking about right now.
Shut up and listen.
I'm gonna say this once.
There is a new player in the game, a PI named Rockford.
He's nosing around Clarke Fashions, asking questions about Margo Adams.
He does not believe it is an accident.
He wants to know who killed her and why.
Now you guys are blowing it.
If I can't trust the guys I'm working with, maybe I'll work with somebody else.
You gonna tell Dennis about Bob Coleman? What would I tell him? That he lied about knowing Margo.
Well, that doesn't prove anything.
I'd have lied, too, under the circumstances.
Adrienne Clarke has a lot of spirit and a lot of self-respect.
If she knew Bob Colemars idea of fun on the side, she'd take him off at the knees, I think.
You mean, he lied to protect himself with Adrienne? It's a possibility.
He had something to hide.
That's also a possibility.
Coleman wants to keep the relationship secret.
What if Margo threatened to tell Adrienne? No, she wouldn't do that.
On the other hand, she might.
People in love do crazy things.
Maybe Coleman killed her just to keep things quiet.
Well, killing usually has the reverse effect.
You're being logical.
Logic has nothing to do with a crime of passion.
I'd heard that.
Jim.
No.
You stay right here.
Let me check it out.
It's clean.
Can you tell if anything's missing? In this mess? Beth, did Margo give you anything to hold for her? No.
Beth, I want you out of here.
I live here.
You also live in Pasadena.
Dennis Becker, please.
Your parents back from Europe? Yeah.
A couple of weeks ago.
We'll stash you with them for a while.
Now wait a minute.
Beth, your friend is dead.
Somebody's looking for something, and they don't care how they get it.
You're going to Pasadena.
Hey, Dennis? Dennis, did you get a make on that license number? Yeah.
When are you gonna start giving your business to the DMV? Come on, Dennis.
Who owns the car? It's a company car.
It belongs to George Macklan, Macklan Produce.
Produce? Yeah, like cantaloupes, string beans.
I don't need a definition.
It just doesn't make sense.
So what else is new? Somebody searched Beth's apartment.
Oh.
She all right? Yeah.
She's fine.
You want to check it out? Yeah.
I want to check it out.
All right.
I'm gonna drop her off in Pasadena, and I'll leave the key with the manager.
All right.
Right.
Where's your phone book? Behind the bar.
What are you looking for? Got it.
Jim! It's okay.
I'll return it.
Miss Clarke.
I'm not going to ask you to sit down, Mr.
Rockford, because I don't want you to stay.
Now, if that is less than gracious, I'm sorry, but I've had a long day.
Thought you wanted to help.
I do, but I've already told you everything I know about Margo.
Well, Miss Clarke, I just left my client.
Her apartment's been ransacked.
Why tell me? You're the only one who knows who my client is.
You're not suggesting that I had anything to do with it? What would I be looking for? Whatever got Margo killed.
Her death was an accident.
It was murder.
Murder? But who? Let's talk about Bob Coleman.
Let's not talk at all.
Did he ask you who my client was? Did you tell him? No, I did not.
Now you've been crashing around here like a bull elephant, asking questions and making accusations.
Bob has no more interest in your client than I have.
Well, he was having an affair with Margo.
You say that with a great deal of authority.
And you don't seem particularly surprised.
It would be unrealistic for me to believe that Bob leads a monastic life, but it's not something we've ever discussed, and I certainly have no intention of discussing it with you.
I resent your prying, and I resent these personal questions.
I don't like it any better than you do, Miss Clarke.
I'm looking for a motive for murder.
Then look someplace else.
I have a feeling I'm looking in exactly the right place.
All right.
You pulled me out of a very important meeting.
I've gotta get back.
What is it? Yesterday you asked me who hired Jim Rockford, and I told you.
Yeah.
Davenport or something.
So? So yesterday, somebody took her place apart.
And? What were they looking for? How should I know? Bob, I don't like what I'm thinking, but I know that if you wanted an apartment searched You could have it done like "that.
" Well, what reason would I have? Margo and Beth Davenport were very good friends.
And you and Margo were even closer.
When did you find that out? The day it started.
I may work 24 hours a day, but I'm still a woman.
I'll take your word for it.
Okay, Bob, I understand and I'm not angry, but I don't know what's happening.
Jim Rockford said Margo was murdered.
Well, am I supposed to have the answers? You always have.
Was she murdered? Honey, just keep control, will you? It's bad for your image.
Besides, you're gonna wanna make a nice impression on the new owners.
What are you talking about? We're selling Clarke Fashions.
You can't! The deal is made.
What was it you think I had you sign yesterday? You told me they were contracts.
Ah, you see the mistake you made? You should always, always read the fine print.
Don't ever take anybody's word for it in business.
I built this company.
You can't sell it.
You built it on my money, and I can.
Well, at least give me a chance to buy it.
Hey, it's an open market.
All you have to do is come up with $3.
5 million dollars by next Tuesday.
I can't raise that much.
Well, it's not as if you wouldn't be a part of the business.
We've sold your services for the next five years.
I don't understand.
It's all part of the deal, your contract.
But why? Why didn't you tell me? Any questions you have to ask, you should have asked three years ago.
I'm asking now.
You're like a baseball player, baby.
You've been sold to another club.
May I come in? You can even sit down.
There's very little reason for you to be nice to me.
Well, when somebody comes charging into your life like a bull elephant, there's even less reason to be gracious.
If you'd reacted any differently, I'd be wondering why.
I suppose that takes care of the apologies.
Why did you come to see me last night? You didn't learn anything.
Oh, sure I did.
I learned I was wrong.
I thought you might go quick-stepping right over to Bob Coleman, but I sat outside your apartment for two hours, you never showed.
I had my hat and coat on for about a minute and a half.
No.
Have a seat.
What is it you want, Miss Clarke? I want to hire you.
I already have a client.
Can't you have two? We're both interested in the same thing, who killed Margo.
No.
Beth wants the truth.
And you want to clear Bob Coleman.
I want the truth, too.
All right.
Tell me what Bob Coleman has to do with your company.
You want my help, that's part of the deal.
Now what does he do? What difference does it make? Whatever happened to Margo is tied into Coleman and Clarke Fashions.
He handles the bookkeeping.
Oh, come on.
Are you trying to sell me that? You want me to buy Bob Coleman as a CPA? I made a mistake coming here.
Then leave.
I don't have anybody else to go to.
Then level.
I don't want to be an accessory to murder.
I think Bob killed Margo.
Why? I don't know.
Who is he? Come on.
Come on, jump in.
You got something you're afraid to say, say it.
Come on.
Just let it go.
Say it! Three years ago, I had a shop on West Adams.
Just me and a rebuilt sewing machine that took a year and a half to pay off.
That bobbin tension was never any good.
I'm a woman.
I'm black.
That doesn't change inside the ghetto or out.
I had talent.
I had ambition.
I pushed and shoved and worked until there wasrt any part of me that didn't hurt, but I just couldn't make it.
Then I met Bob Coleman.
I was whipped.
I wasrt going anywhere.
Then, one day, he backed a green station wagon up to the rear door.
You know what was in it? Cash.
As much as I needed.
And you didn't ask where it came from? You bet I didn't.
I wanted out, and it got me out.
Well, you're gonna have to ask the question now.
What's Bob Coleman into? He finances companies.
In cash? Did you know you were being backed by organized crime? I told you, I didn't ask.
Well, you're gonna have to turn over the rock.
There are billions of dollars in syndicate operations, but it's dirty money, and it's traceable.
So they make cash investments in legitimate businesses, hang on to them for a while, then sell them, then the money's clean.
They're taking $2.
5 million dollars out of Clarke Fashions.
Bob sold the company, but I think I know how to make him change his mind.
He made the mistake of telling me about his insurance policy.
He keeps a written record of all his transactions: Names, dates, how much they put into a company, how much they get out.
There's a cardinal rule in the mob.
"You put nothing in writing.
" Well, he did.
It's a lever.
Are you interested in pinning a murder rap on Bob Coleman or saving your company? Am I supposed to let it go without a fight? In this case, yes.
We go to the police.
No! I don't wanna go to the police.
If I do, that's the end of everything.
What other choice do you have? We go to Bob Colemars house and confront him.
He can't afford to let that information out, that he's been keeping records.
We go to the police.
If we do, I don't say anything.
I'm gonna see Bob.
If you don't wanna come with me, I'll go alone.
If Coleman told you about his book, he could have told Margo.
Now let's say she found it and took it.
It would give her something to hold over his head and keep him in line.
And he killed her in order to recover it? Then why was your client's place searched? Because the book obviously wasrt at Margo's.
Beth is her one close friend.
What better place to put it for safekeeping? Look, if we're gonna do this thing, we're gonna do it carefully.
We're not going in threatening.
Coleman has all the answers, so if we play it right, we might end up with a few.
Whatever you say.
You always get your way? I always try.
What's happened? I don't know.
All right.
I'll check it out.
You stay right where you are.
Stay put.
Time of death? Last couple of hours, no more than that.
One bullet in the throat, one in the mouth.
What does that tell you? That he was a talker.
His friends didn't like it.
They signed their name, so nobody else gets ideas.
All right.
Thanks, Doc.
I'll punch in with you soon as I get the report from the autopsy.
Hi, Dennis.
What's happening? Who's that? Why don't you wait until the investigation is over? I'll copy you along with the Lieutenant.
What are you doing here? I came to see Coleman.
Why? I got some questions I'd like to ask him.
He's fresh out of answers.
That's him on the way to the meat wagon now.
Let's try this over again.
What are you doing here? Look, Coleman was having an affair with Margo Adams.
I think he killed her.
At least, I thought he killed her.
What else do you know about him? I know he was financing companies out of the back of a station wagon in cash.
Now, Dennis, if I were you, I'd check on his background.
He's connected.
What would we do without you? Bunch of stumblebums running the department, and you're always right around there, saving us.
You knew.
Did you find a record book? What record book? Well, the book that Coleman kept all his transactions in.
You didn't know.
Where'd you get this information? Well, I don't know, Dennis.
I just talk to so many people, I can't remember where I heard that.
I'm asking as a cop.
And I'm answering as a citizen, a cooperative citizen.
It'll come back to me, but there is a record.
It's probably what they were looking for when they searched Margo's place and Beth's.
Who is "they"? Oh, come on, Dennis.
I gotta leave something for you guys to do.
Where you going? Home, take a shower.
Stay out of it.
Stay out of it.
You're a very nice lady.
No fuss and nobody gets hurt.
We will pay you to cooperate.
I don't have much choice.
Oh, yeah, you got a choice.
What are you going to do to me? What are we gonna do to you? Nothing.
Not a thing.
Just gonna put you on ice for a while till your company's sold.
No talking to cops, to private investigators, to nobody.
Oh, yeah, we got some papers you forgot to sign.
There were police at Bob's house.
Did something happen to him? Hey! Hey! Right now you're an asset.
Like "that" you become a liability.
Macklan Produce Company.
Yeah.
I'd like to speak to George Macklan, please.
I'm afraid that's impossible, sir.
Well, this is, this is Captain Perkins from the LA Fire Department.
A brush fire broke out behind his house.
It's urgent I talk to him.
In that case, just a moment, sir.
I'll trace him for you.
I think I can get him on his car phone.
One moment, Captain, I'll patch you through.
Thank you.
Yeah.
Is this Mr.
Macklan? Who's calling? Well, I'm a friend of Adrienne Clarke's.
I don't have conversations with people who don't identify themselves.
You're about to make an exception.
Bob Coleman kept a record of all his financial transactions, a written record.
I see.
Is that all? No, no.
Colemars dead.
Now my guess is that you had to make a choice between the records and a guy that was unraveling and ready to go to the DA, but I can help you.
The cops are gonna go through Colemars house.
I know that he kept the book hidden there.
There's a safe.
Now it seems to me that if the cops find those records, you and your friends stand a chance to lose a lot of money, not to mention, a half a dozen tax fraud cases.
Of course, I don't know what you're talking about.
Of course.
Look, why are you so anxious to help me? Well, you I could care less about, but Adrienne Clarke is a dear friend.
If the cops find the records, she goes down the drain with everything else.
Okay.
You told me.
Goodbye.
Ray.
I know you broke up everybody's apartment looking for those records, but did you ever go through Colemars house? Yeah, but I had to do it very carefully.
I didn't want to tip him.
He have a safe in that house? I don't think so.
I never saw one.
Well, I just talked to a guy who says those records are in a safe in Colemars house.
If he had a safe, Mr.
Macklan, I'd know about it.
Yeah? Well, you worked for him five years, and you didn't know he was keeping records of all our transactions.
Maybe you didn't know he had a safe.
Now it seems to me that you did a damn poor job of watching him.
Now get over there and go through that house thoroughly! find anything, huh? I told you, I went through that place front and back, nothing.
There's no safe.
I told you there was no safe.
I don't like it.
I don't like it.
There's something rotten here.
I don't like it.
I'm telling you, nobody followed me back.
Well, if there's no safe, somebody is setting us up.
Now let's get her in the car.
Nobody followed me back, Mr.
Macklan.
I was very careful.
Get her in the car.
On the double, Dennis.
I don't think there's much time.
They may move her.
You got a gun, Jim? No.
So get a move on.
And don't come in here like it's a New Year's Eve party.
Any sign of those cops? Oh, yeah.
They're chasing some kid down the street.
Hey, I wouldn't do that if I were you.
They're liable to be back any minute now.
Well, when they do, you tell them I borrowed their car.
What are you, crazy? Just tell them Sergeant Becker said it was okay.
Sergeant who? Officer in trouble.
Will somebody get the hell over here? I'm out-numbered.
All right, this is Sergeant Becker.
Move those three units down the other end of the building.
Set up a CP.
Get a couple of snipers across the street.
We have two male Caucasians, one female hostage.
Go through the warehouse! Out of the car! Out! Out! Out! They were gonna kill me.
They said they were gonna kill me.
I know.
I know.
It's all right.
Come on.
Come on.
It's all right.
Oh, Adrienne, it's beautiful.
Well, it's not Clarke Fashions, but then it's not West Adams, either.
How's business? Oh, keeps getting better.
A lot of my old customers have looked me up.
Do you know I'm even selling to my probation officer? I've said before, there should never have been any probationary period.
Porter's down on two counts of murder, and Macklars an accessory before the fact.
You had nothing to do with it all.
Beth, I built my company on dirty money.
I had a lot of questions to ask three years ago, and I didn't ask them.
They could have put me away.
Oh, not a chance.
Not a chance.
You had a good attorney.
I know.
I think I'm gonna browse, okay? You know, I still find it hard to believe that Ray Porter tried to take over Bob's territory.
Well, Coleman never should have kept that record book, even if he did keep it in a safety deposit box.
It made him a weak link.
If Porter hadrt taken him off, someone else would have.
Porter swears that Margo's death was accidental.
Do you think it was? The only thing accidental about it was killing her before he found the record book.
Hey, you're gonna make it on your own this time? I'm gonna try.
And if a green station wagon comes backing into your life? I slam the door.
Right.
Of course now, if it's something in a baby blue
Do you want the job or not? There are other PI's in the book.
Seven cents a mile? I wanna know who killed her.
Well, give them a little time.
I wanna know now.
He does not believe it is an accident.
Did you know you were being backed by organized crime? I told you, I didn't ask.
Hey, I wouldn't do that if I were you.
They're liable to be back any minute now.
When they do, you tell them I borrowed their car.
What are you, crazy? This is Jim Rockford.
At the tone, leave your name and message.
I'll get back to you.
Hi, Jim.
Thanks for the dinner invitation.
I'd love to, but does it have to be the taco stand? Hello.
Mr.
Rockford, this is Margo Adams.
Hello.
Listen, Jim.
There's something wrong with your phone.
I had to ask the operator to clear the line.
Whatever happened to "hello"? Jim, I got a call from a friend of mine.
Her name is Margo Adams.
So did I.
She's in some kind of trouble, isn't she? I could tell by her voice.
I asked her what it was, but all she wanted was your phone number, and then she hung up.
She hung up on me, too.
You didn't talk to her? She just gave me her name and hung up.
I called her house, and either she's not answering her phone or she's not there.
She sounded frightened, didn't she? I've never met the lady.
Well, she was terrified.
I'll take your word for it.
What kind of an attitude is that? Don't you think you ought to do something? Like what? Well, like find out what happened to her.
Hey, come on, let's not run off in a blind panic.
I've gotta know what happened to her.
All right, I'll hire you.
When you say "hire" $200 a day plus expenses.
Do you want the job or not? There are other PI's in the book.
Seven cents a mile? Jim Yeah.
All right.
All right.
What's her address? I'll meet you there.
If you're there before I am, and she's not there, there's an extra key under the doormat.
That's the first place I was gonna look.
1-L-10.
Roger.
6- A-11.
6-A-11.
Ambulance injury.
1760 Sycamore.
Code 2.
All right.
Where is he? Inside.
Hi, Dennis.
"Hi, Dennis.
" Check the other rooms.
It doesn't look too bad.
Well, you won't be hurt if I get another medical opinion.
Listen, Jim, I'm in no mood.
I was checking out when Beth's call came in.
I had to come halfway across town.
Peggy spent $20 on a standing rib roast, which is gonna taste like something out of the Petrified Forest by the time I get home.
Well, that kind of devotion to duty makes us all proud of you, Dennis.
Now, will you try to find out who clobbered me? Check the other houses.
Maybe we got a little old white-haired lady who's keeping her eye on the neighborhood.
You don't know who hit you.
Do you know why? About an hour ago, a friend of mine, Margo Adams, called me up.
Then she called Jim.
She's in some kind of trouble, but we don't know what, because she hung up on both of us.
That's why we came over here.
How did you get in? She leaves an extra key under the doormat.
So you're in here without her knowledge or her permission.
Well, we werert the first.
The place had been tossed when I got here.
Or she's a lousy housekeeper.
It's been tossed, Dennis, and I got rapped on the head when I came in.
Maybe the one who did the rapping was Margo Adams.
You werert expected.
You could have scared her.
Dennis, something has happened to Margo.
I want to file a missing persors report.
And a John Doe assault and battery complaint.
You can't file a missing persors report until someone's been missing for 24 hours.
Right, Counselor? The key.
And I'll file the A and B, check the place out, and if she hasn't shown up by tomorrow afternoon, I'll put through the report.
Thanks, Dennis.
Why is Margo Adams so important to you? She's an old friend of mine, has been since we were 10 years old.
Well, you never talk about her.
I talk about her all the time.
Susie.
Susie? She changed her name to Margo when she started to model.
Oh! She doesn't have any family or anything.
Jim, if I don't help her, nobody will.
You've gotta find out what happened to her.
Well, maybe she doesn't want to be found.
No, I don't believe that.
Well, I don't know.
Margo's been living in New York.
She only moved back out here a few months ago.
I've been so busy.
We try to get together, but I've only ended up seeing her about four times.
Doesrt give you much to go on, does it? Not much.
Where does she work? Clarke Fashions.
Talk to Adrienne Clarke.
Margo's her top model.
All right.
I'll check it out in the morning.
Come on, I'll follow you home.
I don't mind being alone.
I mind.
Do something about that music, Darren.
If it's that loud at the show It won't be.
I wanna run the lights when we break.
Okay.
Who is that? I don't know.
I'll find out.
You'll have to leave.
This is a closed rehearsal.
I'd like to speak to Miss Clarke, please.
No, you have to leave.
If you want an appointment, speak to Miss Clarke's secretary.
Her office is Yeah, down at the end of the corridor.
I've already talked to her.
She said an appointment's out of the question, but I'm gonna have one just the same, sonny.
But, but Miss Clarke? Give the girls 15 minutes.
Didrt the gentleman explain to you that I'm busy? I'd just like a couple of minutes.
I'm in the middle of rehearsal.
My name is Jim Rockford.
I'm a private investigator.
I'd like to ask you a few questions about Margo Adams.
I don't care to answer any questions about Margo Adams.
Well, it's important.
I couldn't care less.
Oh, you're so busy being Coco Chanel, you just don't have time for other people.
Right, Miss Clarke? No time at all.
I'm working for Beth Davenport.
She's a friend of Margo's, and Margo's disappeared.
Yes, I was aware of that at 9:00 this morning.
Margo's my lead model, and I had to replace her at the last minute.
Now if she's off somewhere nursing a hangover or a broken heart, I'm afraid I'm a little short on sympathy.
I can tell you all I have to say about Margo Adams in two words.
She's fired.
Hi, Dennis.
I'm glad you got my message.
What've you got? We found Margo Adams.
You got a positive ID? Driver's license, credit cards, it's her car.
This place is off-limits for skin diving, but we got a couple of kids who don't believe in signs.
They found the wreck, called it in.
Body is still in the car.
She must have really been traveling to end up that far in the water.
Accident? Could be.
We gotta check the car for mechanical trouble, check the body for alcohol.
We need Beth to verify identification.
You'll tell her.
Yeah.
Yeah, I'll tell her.
See you.
So she's in the county refrigerator with a tag on her big toe, and that's the end of it? Why don't the police do something? Come on.
The police don't buy the coroner's report any more than I do.
Two frantic telephone calls, her apartment ransacked, and she accidentally ends up in 20 feet of water.
Now, for now they're just throwing a blanket over it and calling it an accident, or suicide.
Margo would never have killed herself.
I said "for now.
" They're gonna be chewing around the edges of this thing until they end up calling it murder, if they haven't already.
I wanna know who killed her.
Well, give them a little time.
I wanna know now.
Beth, the cops are on it.
That makes it an open case.
They're not gonna pull your ticket for asking a few questions.
I'd like to help you, but Okay.
If the department gives you any kind of flak, you get my legal services for free.
Now would I offer that if I thought you had a chance of taking me up on it? Please, Jim.
All right.
I'll ask a few questions.
Mr.
Rockford.
Miss Clarke didn't want to see you this morning, she doesn't want to see you this afternoon.
Well, I have some information I think she'll want to hear.
I doubt it.
Is she in her office? It's really academic, Mr.
Rockford, because you're not gonna see her.
Yes, Miss Clarke.
Did you try the New York call? You can't go in there.
What? You can't go in there! Millie? Stop! What is going on? Now sign that in two places.
Yes? I'm sorry, Miss Clarke.
I tried to stop him.
Well, who is he? That's all right, Millie.
Bob, call the police! What? Margo Adams is dead.
Well, that was pretty blunt.
Miss Clarke has so little time.
You all right, Adrienne? Yeah.
All right.
You're very dramatic and more than a little brutal.
Now why don't you get out of here? No.
I wanna know what's going on.
That'll be all, Millie.
It's all right, Millie.
It's all right.
Mr.
Rockford.
Margo and her car were fished out of a reservoir about an hour after I talked to you this morning.
Time of death was late last night.
I'm sorry.
I'm honestly very sorry.
Is there anything I can do to help? Well, you might answer some of the questions that we didn't get around to this morning.
Of course.
Well, there's not very much I can tell you.
I didn't know Margo well.
In fact, I don't suppose I knew her at all.
She was an employee.
She did her job, and she did it well.
Didrt you know anything about her personal life? Nothing.
And Mister Oh, this is Bob Coleman.
He's a friend and business associate.
Mr.
Coleman, what do you know? I knew most of the girls around here by sight.
Beyond that, nothing.
I suppose I shouldn't have said those things about her today, but I was upset, worried about the show.
There was nothing you could have done about it.
Now why don't you take it easy.
Go get some rest, huh? Would you mind if I talked to some of the other models? Well, not today.
They've got a show.
Maybe we should postpone it.
Let him postpone the questions.
I mean, the girl is dead.
There's nothing we can do about that.
Now 24 hours isn't gonna make a lot of difference.
Business as usual.
Well, of course.
I'll be back tomorrow.
Are you all right? Yeah, well, an accident like that's pretty hard to accept.
Miss Clarke's pretty upset, but Colemars taking it well.
Course, he didn't know her.
He knew her, in the biblical sense of the word.
Oh, I just got the impression that Coleman and Adrienne Clarke were close.
Does she know about his relationship with Margo? I've said too much already.
If you'll excuse me, I have a lot of work to do.
"The quick brown fox " Hey, I always keep my sources confidential.
What the Oh, you sure have a talent for being where you're not wanted.
Where did you get my address? The phone book.
All right.
Well, get your car out of here.
It'll take a minute.
Get it out! That's okay.
It's just a courtesy call, anyway.
I thought you might want to explain why you claimed not to know Margo Adams when, in fact, you were having an affair with her.
But Miss Clarke's being very cooperative.
She'll fill me in.
You say one word about that to Adrienne, and they'll be scraping you up in six counties.
Six? Why not just one neat little package like Margo? I don't know what you're trying to imply, but I'll tell you one thing.
I don't know anything about Margo's accident, but I'm sure gonna know about yours.
Well, before you take a bite out of something, you make sure it's something that won't bite you back.
Really? You wanna bite back? Now I want you to stay away from Clarke Fashions.
I want you to stay away from this house, and I don't wanna ever have this conversation again.
Good, let's keep in touch.
Hurry up.
Mr.
Coleman, Mr.
Davidson called a half a dozen times.
He wants to hear from you right away.
Well, get in touch with him, tell him I'll call him this evening.
He said right away.
It's a good deal.
I wouldn't want you to lose it.
We can lay off $3 million in that company, easy.
I can get him for you.
I told you I will call him this evening.
Now leave me alone for a few minutes.
This is Coleman.
I want you to deliver a message for me.
No, I don't mean tomorrow.
I am talking about right now.
Shut up and listen.
I'm gonna say this once.
There is a new player in the game, a PI named Rockford.
He's nosing around Clarke Fashions, asking questions about Margo Adams.
He does not believe it is an accident.
He wants to know who killed her and why.
Now you guys are blowing it.
If I can't trust the guys I'm working with, maybe I'll work with somebody else.
You gonna tell Dennis about Bob Coleman? What would I tell him? That he lied about knowing Margo.
Well, that doesn't prove anything.
I'd have lied, too, under the circumstances.
Adrienne Clarke has a lot of spirit and a lot of self-respect.
If she knew Bob Colemars idea of fun on the side, she'd take him off at the knees, I think.
You mean, he lied to protect himself with Adrienne? It's a possibility.
He had something to hide.
That's also a possibility.
Coleman wants to keep the relationship secret.
What if Margo threatened to tell Adrienne? No, she wouldn't do that.
On the other hand, she might.
People in love do crazy things.
Maybe Coleman killed her just to keep things quiet.
Well, killing usually has the reverse effect.
You're being logical.
Logic has nothing to do with a crime of passion.
I'd heard that.
Jim.
No.
You stay right here.
Let me check it out.
It's clean.
Can you tell if anything's missing? In this mess? Beth, did Margo give you anything to hold for her? No.
Beth, I want you out of here.
I live here.
You also live in Pasadena.
Dennis Becker, please.
Your parents back from Europe? Yeah.
A couple of weeks ago.
We'll stash you with them for a while.
Now wait a minute.
Beth, your friend is dead.
Somebody's looking for something, and they don't care how they get it.
You're going to Pasadena.
Hey, Dennis? Dennis, did you get a make on that license number? Yeah.
When are you gonna start giving your business to the DMV? Come on, Dennis.
Who owns the car? It's a company car.
It belongs to George Macklan, Macklan Produce.
Produce? Yeah, like cantaloupes, string beans.
I don't need a definition.
It just doesn't make sense.
So what else is new? Somebody searched Beth's apartment.
Oh.
She all right? Yeah.
She's fine.
You want to check it out? Yeah.
I want to check it out.
All right.
I'm gonna drop her off in Pasadena, and I'll leave the key with the manager.
All right.
Right.
Where's your phone book? Behind the bar.
What are you looking for? Got it.
Jim! It's okay.
I'll return it.
Miss Clarke.
I'm not going to ask you to sit down, Mr.
Rockford, because I don't want you to stay.
Now, if that is less than gracious, I'm sorry, but I've had a long day.
Thought you wanted to help.
I do, but I've already told you everything I know about Margo.
Well, Miss Clarke, I just left my client.
Her apartment's been ransacked.
Why tell me? You're the only one who knows who my client is.
You're not suggesting that I had anything to do with it? What would I be looking for? Whatever got Margo killed.
Her death was an accident.
It was murder.
Murder? But who? Let's talk about Bob Coleman.
Let's not talk at all.
Did he ask you who my client was? Did you tell him? No, I did not.
Now you've been crashing around here like a bull elephant, asking questions and making accusations.
Bob has no more interest in your client than I have.
Well, he was having an affair with Margo.
You say that with a great deal of authority.
And you don't seem particularly surprised.
It would be unrealistic for me to believe that Bob leads a monastic life, but it's not something we've ever discussed, and I certainly have no intention of discussing it with you.
I resent your prying, and I resent these personal questions.
I don't like it any better than you do, Miss Clarke.
I'm looking for a motive for murder.
Then look someplace else.
I have a feeling I'm looking in exactly the right place.
All right.
You pulled me out of a very important meeting.
I've gotta get back.
What is it? Yesterday you asked me who hired Jim Rockford, and I told you.
Yeah.
Davenport or something.
So? So yesterday, somebody took her place apart.
And? What were they looking for? How should I know? Bob, I don't like what I'm thinking, but I know that if you wanted an apartment searched You could have it done like "that.
" Well, what reason would I have? Margo and Beth Davenport were very good friends.
And you and Margo were even closer.
When did you find that out? The day it started.
I may work 24 hours a day, but I'm still a woman.
I'll take your word for it.
Okay, Bob, I understand and I'm not angry, but I don't know what's happening.
Jim Rockford said Margo was murdered.
Well, am I supposed to have the answers? You always have.
Was she murdered? Honey, just keep control, will you? It's bad for your image.
Besides, you're gonna wanna make a nice impression on the new owners.
What are you talking about? We're selling Clarke Fashions.
You can't! The deal is made.
What was it you think I had you sign yesterday? You told me they were contracts.
Ah, you see the mistake you made? You should always, always read the fine print.
Don't ever take anybody's word for it in business.
I built this company.
You can't sell it.
You built it on my money, and I can.
Well, at least give me a chance to buy it.
Hey, it's an open market.
All you have to do is come up with $3.
5 million dollars by next Tuesday.
I can't raise that much.
Well, it's not as if you wouldn't be a part of the business.
We've sold your services for the next five years.
I don't understand.
It's all part of the deal, your contract.
But why? Why didn't you tell me? Any questions you have to ask, you should have asked three years ago.
I'm asking now.
You're like a baseball player, baby.
You've been sold to another club.
May I come in? You can even sit down.
There's very little reason for you to be nice to me.
Well, when somebody comes charging into your life like a bull elephant, there's even less reason to be gracious.
If you'd reacted any differently, I'd be wondering why.
I suppose that takes care of the apologies.
Why did you come to see me last night? You didn't learn anything.
Oh, sure I did.
I learned I was wrong.
I thought you might go quick-stepping right over to Bob Coleman, but I sat outside your apartment for two hours, you never showed.
I had my hat and coat on for about a minute and a half.
No.
Have a seat.
What is it you want, Miss Clarke? I want to hire you.
I already have a client.
Can't you have two? We're both interested in the same thing, who killed Margo.
No.
Beth wants the truth.
And you want to clear Bob Coleman.
I want the truth, too.
All right.
Tell me what Bob Coleman has to do with your company.
You want my help, that's part of the deal.
Now what does he do? What difference does it make? Whatever happened to Margo is tied into Coleman and Clarke Fashions.
He handles the bookkeeping.
Oh, come on.
Are you trying to sell me that? You want me to buy Bob Coleman as a CPA? I made a mistake coming here.
Then leave.
I don't have anybody else to go to.
Then level.
I don't want to be an accessory to murder.
I think Bob killed Margo.
Why? I don't know.
Who is he? Come on.
Come on, jump in.
You got something you're afraid to say, say it.
Come on.
Just let it go.
Say it! Three years ago, I had a shop on West Adams.
Just me and a rebuilt sewing machine that took a year and a half to pay off.
That bobbin tension was never any good.
I'm a woman.
I'm black.
That doesn't change inside the ghetto or out.
I had talent.
I had ambition.
I pushed and shoved and worked until there wasrt any part of me that didn't hurt, but I just couldn't make it.
Then I met Bob Coleman.
I was whipped.
I wasrt going anywhere.
Then, one day, he backed a green station wagon up to the rear door.
You know what was in it? Cash.
As much as I needed.
And you didn't ask where it came from? You bet I didn't.
I wanted out, and it got me out.
Well, you're gonna have to ask the question now.
What's Bob Coleman into? He finances companies.
In cash? Did you know you were being backed by organized crime? I told you, I didn't ask.
Well, you're gonna have to turn over the rock.
There are billions of dollars in syndicate operations, but it's dirty money, and it's traceable.
So they make cash investments in legitimate businesses, hang on to them for a while, then sell them, then the money's clean.
They're taking $2.
5 million dollars out of Clarke Fashions.
Bob sold the company, but I think I know how to make him change his mind.
He made the mistake of telling me about his insurance policy.
He keeps a written record of all his transactions: Names, dates, how much they put into a company, how much they get out.
There's a cardinal rule in the mob.
"You put nothing in writing.
" Well, he did.
It's a lever.
Are you interested in pinning a murder rap on Bob Coleman or saving your company? Am I supposed to let it go without a fight? In this case, yes.
We go to the police.
No! I don't wanna go to the police.
If I do, that's the end of everything.
What other choice do you have? We go to Bob Colemars house and confront him.
He can't afford to let that information out, that he's been keeping records.
We go to the police.
If we do, I don't say anything.
I'm gonna see Bob.
If you don't wanna come with me, I'll go alone.
If Coleman told you about his book, he could have told Margo.
Now let's say she found it and took it.
It would give her something to hold over his head and keep him in line.
And he killed her in order to recover it? Then why was your client's place searched? Because the book obviously wasrt at Margo's.
Beth is her one close friend.
What better place to put it for safekeeping? Look, if we're gonna do this thing, we're gonna do it carefully.
We're not going in threatening.
Coleman has all the answers, so if we play it right, we might end up with a few.
Whatever you say.
You always get your way? I always try.
What's happened? I don't know.
All right.
I'll check it out.
You stay right where you are.
Stay put.
Time of death? Last couple of hours, no more than that.
One bullet in the throat, one in the mouth.
What does that tell you? That he was a talker.
His friends didn't like it.
They signed their name, so nobody else gets ideas.
All right.
Thanks, Doc.
I'll punch in with you soon as I get the report from the autopsy.
Hi, Dennis.
What's happening? Who's that? Why don't you wait until the investigation is over? I'll copy you along with the Lieutenant.
What are you doing here? I came to see Coleman.
Why? I got some questions I'd like to ask him.
He's fresh out of answers.
That's him on the way to the meat wagon now.
Let's try this over again.
What are you doing here? Look, Coleman was having an affair with Margo Adams.
I think he killed her.
At least, I thought he killed her.
What else do you know about him? I know he was financing companies out of the back of a station wagon in cash.
Now, Dennis, if I were you, I'd check on his background.
He's connected.
What would we do without you? Bunch of stumblebums running the department, and you're always right around there, saving us.
You knew.
Did you find a record book? What record book? Well, the book that Coleman kept all his transactions in.
You didn't know.
Where'd you get this information? Well, I don't know, Dennis.
I just talk to so many people, I can't remember where I heard that.
I'm asking as a cop.
And I'm answering as a citizen, a cooperative citizen.
It'll come back to me, but there is a record.
It's probably what they were looking for when they searched Margo's place and Beth's.
Who is "they"? Oh, come on, Dennis.
I gotta leave something for you guys to do.
Where you going? Home, take a shower.
Stay out of it.
Stay out of it.
You're a very nice lady.
No fuss and nobody gets hurt.
We will pay you to cooperate.
I don't have much choice.
Oh, yeah, you got a choice.
What are you going to do to me? What are we gonna do to you? Nothing.
Not a thing.
Just gonna put you on ice for a while till your company's sold.
No talking to cops, to private investigators, to nobody.
Oh, yeah, we got some papers you forgot to sign.
There were police at Bob's house.
Did something happen to him? Hey! Hey! Right now you're an asset.
Like "that" you become a liability.
Macklan Produce Company.
Yeah.
I'd like to speak to George Macklan, please.
I'm afraid that's impossible, sir.
Well, this is, this is Captain Perkins from the LA Fire Department.
A brush fire broke out behind his house.
It's urgent I talk to him.
In that case, just a moment, sir.
I'll trace him for you.
I think I can get him on his car phone.
One moment, Captain, I'll patch you through.
Thank you.
Yeah.
Is this Mr.
Macklan? Who's calling? Well, I'm a friend of Adrienne Clarke's.
I don't have conversations with people who don't identify themselves.
You're about to make an exception.
Bob Coleman kept a record of all his financial transactions, a written record.
I see.
Is that all? No, no.
Colemars dead.
Now my guess is that you had to make a choice between the records and a guy that was unraveling and ready to go to the DA, but I can help you.
The cops are gonna go through Colemars house.
I know that he kept the book hidden there.
There's a safe.
Now it seems to me that if the cops find those records, you and your friends stand a chance to lose a lot of money, not to mention, a half a dozen tax fraud cases.
Of course, I don't know what you're talking about.
Of course.
Look, why are you so anxious to help me? Well, you I could care less about, but Adrienne Clarke is a dear friend.
If the cops find the records, she goes down the drain with everything else.
Okay.
You told me.
Goodbye.
Ray.
I know you broke up everybody's apartment looking for those records, but did you ever go through Colemars house? Yeah, but I had to do it very carefully.
I didn't want to tip him.
He have a safe in that house? I don't think so.
I never saw one.
Well, I just talked to a guy who says those records are in a safe in Colemars house.
If he had a safe, Mr.
Macklan, I'd know about it.
Yeah? Well, you worked for him five years, and you didn't know he was keeping records of all our transactions.
Maybe you didn't know he had a safe.
Now it seems to me that you did a damn poor job of watching him.
Now get over there and go through that house thoroughly! find anything, huh? I told you, I went through that place front and back, nothing.
There's no safe.
I told you there was no safe.
I don't like it.
I don't like it.
There's something rotten here.
I don't like it.
I'm telling you, nobody followed me back.
Well, if there's no safe, somebody is setting us up.
Now let's get her in the car.
Nobody followed me back, Mr.
Macklan.
I was very careful.
Get her in the car.
On the double, Dennis.
I don't think there's much time.
They may move her.
You got a gun, Jim? No.
So get a move on.
And don't come in here like it's a New Year's Eve party.
Any sign of those cops? Oh, yeah.
They're chasing some kid down the street.
Hey, I wouldn't do that if I were you.
They're liable to be back any minute now.
Well, when they do, you tell them I borrowed their car.
What are you, crazy? Just tell them Sergeant Becker said it was okay.
Sergeant who? Officer in trouble.
Will somebody get the hell over here? I'm out-numbered.
All right, this is Sergeant Becker.
Move those three units down the other end of the building.
Set up a CP.
Get a couple of snipers across the street.
We have two male Caucasians, one female hostage.
Go through the warehouse! Out of the car! Out! Out! Out! They were gonna kill me.
They said they were gonna kill me.
I know.
I know.
It's all right.
Come on.
Come on.
It's all right.
Oh, Adrienne, it's beautiful.
Well, it's not Clarke Fashions, but then it's not West Adams, either.
How's business? Oh, keeps getting better.
A lot of my old customers have looked me up.
Do you know I'm even selling to my probation officer? I've said before, there should never have been any probationary period.
Porter's down on two counts of murder, and Macklars an accessory before the fact.
You had nothing to do with it all.
Beth, I built my company on dirty money.
I had a lot of questions to ask three years ago, and I didn't ask them.
They could have put me away.
Oh, not a chance.
Not a chance.
You had a good attorney.
I know.
I think I'm gonna browse, okay? You know, I still find it hard to believe that Ray Porter tried to take over Bob's territory.
Well, Coleman never should have kept that record book, even if he did keep it in a safety deposit box.
It made him a weak link.
If Porter hadrt taken him off, someone else would have.
Porter swears that Margo's death was accidental.
Do you think it was? The only thing accidental about it was killing her before he found the record book.
Hey, you're gonna make it on your own this time? I'm gonna try.
And if a green station wagon comes backing into your life? I slam the door.
Right.
Of course now, if it's something in a baby blue