The Rockford Files (1974) s05e08 Episode Script

That Falcone is not the guy on the screen.
That's just an actor playing Falcone.
The street, she's like a lady.
She can kiss you or kill you, but she'll never bore you.
He's got a TV series, books.
I think you ought to look on him as more of a celebrity rather than just a cop.
Two men tried to kill me a couple of hours ago.
They were serious and so am I.
Is this 25,000 reward legitimate? They pay off.
ROCKFORD This is Jim Rockford.
At the tone, leave your name and message.
I'll get back to you.
Jim, I have to thank you for talking over my problems with me last Tuesday night.
I love you for it, but can you have lunch tomorrow and talk about the divorce? I'm real bummed out.
Next, Falcone over most of these same stations.
Here it comes.
Sonny, hurry up, you're gonna miss it.
Yeah, all right, all right.
Come on.
Now wait till you see this.
Come on, come on, come on.
I'll be right there! Freeze, turkey! There! Oh, I'm sorry.
Anyway, that's the part that I really like.
Ain't that something the way he says, "Freeze, turkey," out real loud like that.
"Freeze, turkey!" Ain't that rich, though, huh? Oh, yeah, yeah.
A good frozen turkey cost you about $18 if it's corn fed.
I'm sorry you ruined your dinner, but Well, you were the one said you never seen Frank Falcone's TV show.
So I figured that as long as you and the real Falcone is gonna be friends, the least you could do is see his TV show.
Supposing he came up to you and said, "Did you ever see my TV show?" Yeah, well, I'll just tell him I've been re-reading lbsen and Proust and back him down with a lot of intellectual gobbledygook.
A world-famous policeman and a world-famous private eye, you guys are gonna have a ball.
Dad, that's not Falcone on the screen.
That's just an actor playing Falcone.
Maybe it's news to you, but real cops don't tend to get all choked up over private I's.
Well, he ain't no ordinary run-of-the-mill cop.
He's retired for one thing, he's got a movie, he's got a TV series, he's got books.
Well, I think you ought to look on him as Well, more like a celebrity than just a cop.
I don't even know what I'm really supposed to be doing.
The insurance.
You're supposed to palsy-walsy around with him.
That don't seem too difficult to understand to me.
No.
What Bob Parsons said was I'm supposed to baby-sit Falcone.
He doesn't seem like the kind of guy that needs much baby-sitting.
Yeah, come to think of it, I can't think of nothing he couldn't do.
You could put him in any situation and he don't need no one.
He don't need you to help him out.
Dad Because he has got the guts of a burglar and nerves of steel.
Dad And when he is on a case, he is gonna end up bringing them bad guys because he is relentless and he stalks the night.
Freeze, turkey! That's it! That's just the way he says it.
"Freeze, turkey!" I didn't figure on this, Jim.
I can't believe that you're turning me down.
Bob, we've always had an understanding about the type of work I do and don't do.
Yes, I know, I know.
But Fun Toys is a big account.
The problem came up in a meeting.
Your name was mentioned.
Before I could get control of the ball, they were sold on you, moving to the next case.
I couldn't pull you out of this and keep our relationship intact.
Are you telling me either I do this job or forget about Boston Casualty? More.
I'm putting this on a personal basis, Jim.
I want you to do it for me.
You're really pushing on this one, Bob.
I have to.
The pressure's coming from all levels.
Our company's heavily into a mutual fund that owns a lot of Fun Toys stock.
Now if that stock drops, it pulls the mutual's performance down.
Frank Falcone can affect the stock market? Mmm-hmm, his image is on the next toy line.
Falcone is something of a How should I put it? A Peck's bad boy.
They have to keep him clean for the launching of the toy show.
Falcone's his own worst enemy.
In a highly competitive field.
Will you listen to the toy maker's side, please? Jeff Seals, their PR man, will just step the whole thing out for you.
Look, we could be agonizing over nothing.
I mean, there's a chance Falcone won't even go along with the plan.
Is everything all right, Mr.
Falcone? Oh, it's beautiful, kid, beautiful.
Oh, good, good.
Thank you.
Oh, thank you.
Thank you.
Lohan, it's good to see you.
Falcone is at the hospitality showing.
Did Parsons connect the dots for you? No, no, no, just the overview, Jeff.
I see.
Jim, toys are the hardware of a child's dreams.
I guess Welles said it all in Citizen Kane with the Rosebud ending.
Well, he said it all for me, anyway.
Jim, we are scrutinized by special interest groups, we're victimized by the whims of children.
And our forecasters saw a backlash on the horizon.
A reaction to the liberal, passive, permissive attitude towards crime.
It looked like vigilante time was just up the pass.
So we signed Falcone and we built a line of toys around him.
And in a few days, we're going to launch that line of toys and sit back and watch the buyers for heavy breathing.
But, as you know, the Falcone legend has been told many different ways and this last time it was by his former partner, Walt Wexler.
And, unfortunately, the toys and the man are closely identified.
There's a complete line of police toys under his name.
Oh, and I'm supposed to keep the name and the legend clean? Yes.
If you could low-profile Falcone just until we get the toy line launched.
Nothing more.
Just your being with him will have a calming affect.
Just like a steer with a fighting bull.
That could be the worst analogy I have ever heard.
Well, Jim knows what I mean.
Don't you, Jim? Falcone is not an unreasonable man.
He's Impulsive? You got it.
Why don't you put it back on the street, honey? Who is this This person? What's the problem, Frank? She was hustling johns at the showroom.
We're aware of Linda's one-on-one hospitality program.
See me later, Linda.
I didn't get the tie-in.
I figured with toys and kids.
You guys worry about images.
How would you explain a hooker? This is Jim Rockford, a private investigator.
I told you before, no bodyguards.
It wouldn't look right.
Well, I have to agree.
The Falcone image is a man alone by himself, without help.
That's right.
That's TV.
We're toys.
Frank, it's in your contract.
Now, why don't you two just have a couple of drinks together? I'm sure you could become pals.
You mind if I ask you a personal question? Well, it depends.
How personal? You like that guy they got playing me on TV? That's not too personal.
Well, it's personal to me.
I think I should have played it.
But they wanted to go along with this guy 'cause he played me in the movie.
I think he's kind of wooden.
What do you think? Well, to tell you the truth, Mr.
Falcone, I don't really watch too much television.
Listen, I know, spare me, spare me.
You've probably been home reading Hamlet or something.
I hear that all the time.
Nobody likes to admit they watch TV, everybody's an intellectual.
Well, personally, I think the guy stinks.
That's my personal, for damn sure, opinion.
How are the ratings? That Seals is some PR man.
The hooker didn't even know who I was.
She does now.
How'd you spot her? She didn't come on to you, did she? I got the eyes.
How long were you down, man? Down where? Down home, man.
Five years.
I didn't know it showed.
Not to your average cop, but I told you, I got the eyes.
Hey, Frank.
It's Augie! Augie! The Hollywood outfit threw me, Augie.
Oh, well.
I'm back into movie producing now.
Oh.
Frank.
Can I talk to you a minute? Hi.
Hi.
I'm Jim Rockford.
I'm Debbi, with an "i.
" One "b" or two? Two.
What would you like to do? Would you care to sit down and talk? Great.
I'm exhausted.
Yeah, I guess movie producers are pretty demanding, huh? Yeah, really! It's a demanding industry.
Augie and Frank seem like they're close friends.
Really.
From Chicago.
Augie's film credits are all from back there.
He, like, really needs local connections.
Is that why the secrets? No, it's something else.
Augie said Frank would want to know about it right away.
I needed this.
Wexler's your ex-partner.
I figured you should know.
It doesn't fit.
It comes from an impeachable source.
Your cousin Leo? Listen, Frank, I need some intros.
I got the experience.
Experience? Come on, you held a floodlight and steadied a tripod.
There's no market for that kind of film anymore, Augie.
I'm talking about big screen.
I learned one thing out here.
Film is film.
Thanks, Augie.
I gotta get out of here.
Debbi? I'll be in touch, Frank.
Right.
Was that bad news? No, he's just a flake from the cop days.
Everybody wants something, you know.
Why don't we get something to eat, huh? No, listen, why don't we get away from all this vinyl.
Let's take a walk.
Let's hit the city.
No, no.
That's exercise.
The fresh air's at the beach.
How long we gonna keep walking? Well, I got a tip on a joint that has some great chili just a few blocks away.
You're really wound up.
It's the street, she's like a lady.
She can kiss you or kill you, but she'll never bore you.
You got that straight from Falcone.
I thought maybe that stoolie gave you some bad news.
Augie? You figured him for a stoolie? I got the eyes.
I think this is the joint.
Bowl and a beer.
Two, huh? All right.
All right, let's go.
Break, come on.
What's bugging you? What's got you so wired? It's life, man.
Look around.
You see a couple of bums here sucking on beer, hanging around this toilet, hustling tables.
Hey, Tommy, you see what I see? Yeah.
You think maybe the Friars are in town, or these two bozos fall out of the sky all dressed up for Sunday school? Hey! Hey! You're talking to me, fathead? Hey, now, Frank, I'm sure he's just making a general observation about somebody we don't even know.
Maybe that I was, maybe that I wasn't.
Aren't you gonna make up your mind? You're just gonna hit reverse? Huh? You see, Jimmy, what we got here is a couple of inner-city nitwits.
They're too stupid for the parks and the pigeons were beating them out of their bread crumbs, so they snuck up here to have some beer and belch and burp and Put a stopper in it, will you, Frank? No, man, say it again! Where do you get off, anyway? Oh, you're beautiful.
Ain't they a stitch, these two guys? "Where do you get off, anyway?" You see, this Now this guy, see, he thinks he's tough.
He cuts off his sleeves 'cause he thinks he's tough.
And then his partner over here, he's the drooler, he's the big intellectual.
"Where do you get off, anyway?" That's terrific, they're really beautiful.
All right, where are we, here? You're not gonna believe this, pal.
Follow that cab? Yeah.
Yes, sir.
Keep it.
The guy that just came in here, where'd he go? Upstairs.
Well, what room? Wexler's, 314.
You're turning into a crud! I can't believe it! All right, now, you had your say, I want you to leave, now! No Now listen to me.
You're an idiot, you know that? Oh, really? Is that why I've never done your TV show? That's right, they don't use idiots on TV.
Right, Frank? All right, just listen to me.
No, you listen to me! Two years.
Two years, I don't hear nothing from you.
Oh, all of a sudden I'm supposed to grow points on my ears, huh? Well, I'll tell you something, you get out now.
Go! Frank, what the hell are you doing? Want to listen to Walter now.
You're crazy, Falcone, you know that? Crazy! Okay, are you gonna stop now, huh? Break it up, Frank! Frank! Okay, okay.
Easy.
Now, I want it understood that this man here had absolutely nothing to do with it.
Frank, you have no statement to make at this time.
We're prepared to set bond.
We're working on it.
You're free to leave, Jim.
Has Wexler signed a complaint? No, he's under sedation at the hospital.
A broken thumb and dislocated shoulder can be very painful.
This whole thing has blown way out of proportion.
Now, I've known Wexler for years.
What you have here is a domestic dispute.
Frank.
Since you have no complaint and Mr.
Falcone is obviously a man of prominence I'm aware of that and I'm doing everything I can to expedite his release.
Now, the man is doing all he can, Mr.
Seals.
If it was just my decision.
What's the problem here? Oh, Captain Gene Lindner, this is Frank Falcone.
I know who he is and I know what happened.
I want to know why these men aren't being booked.
Well, Mr.
Rockford is not involved and I'm trying to set bond for Mr.
Falcone since the third party involved is unable to confirm what actually happened.
We have the arresting officer's statements? Only on Mr.
Falcone.
Rockford's been cleared.
Then book Mr.
Falcone and get Rockford out of here.
What's going on? They're booking Falcone.
What? Rockford had nothing to do with it.
Did you get that? Nothing.
What happened, Jim? Falcone slipped away from me.
Before I could catch up with him, it was all over.
You see? Nothing.
The National Guard couldn't keep up with Falcone if he was running loose.
Well, you know the type of man he is, Bob.
You signed him.
That's a good angle, in case I have to talk to the press.
If you take a man out of his natural environment, the gutter, and you deny him an outlet for his deep-rooted hostility No, that's not good.
We'll have to get something as juicy as the real story.
Which is? Toy company hero beats up former partner in a brutal act of vengeance.
Listen, I am not holding you responsible entirely, Bob.
But let's not compound the disaster.
Bob? Yeah? There is more to this than just a simple beating.
Not for you, Jim.
Wait a minute.
I'm out of it? You heard Seals.
Quite honestly, I have to agree.
You did nothing.
Well, what was I supposed to do? Chain him to a lamppost? What you were paid to do, that's all.
You need a fall guy for the account.
Well, I hope that's enough.
In the meantime, I'll send you a check.
It'll be a final check.
Final? Final, after all the lumps I've taken for good old Boston Casualty? One strike and I'm out? If I were to use you again, the second strikeout would be mine.
Sorry, Jim.
Well, wake him up.
Scotty'll love it.
I've been talking to his hero, Frank Falcone, the real Frank Falcone.
Right, the TV program.
Lost your best friend, Jim? Close.
That account was good for five or six grand a year, every year.
Well, you shouldn't take those personal protection cases.
They're dynamite.
Hey, Scotty, you'll never guess who we got in here tonight.
And he's a personal friend of mine.
Frank Falcone! That terrific? No, not the TV actor, the real guy.
Yeah, the real detective.
I'm not kidding.
Yeah, look, I'm in a county hospital.
Falcone busted me up.
He must know the whole story.
He's running around with some guy named Rockford.
Yeah, Rockford.
I don't know.
He's some kind of private cop.
Okay, right.
Hey, what is it? Fish stew.
Where'd you get the recipe? It's my own recipe.
And it's a lot better than Frank Falcone's eating right now.
Well, you're acting like it's my fault Falcone's in jail.
No, I'm not.
I just Well, it seems to me like someone ought to find out the real reason for that fight.
They think they got the reason.
Anyway, I am out of it.
I'm also out of Boston Casualty.
I'll make up the loss somehow.
My only consolation is that I am through with Falcone.
And that ends the discussion.
Gives it flavor.
Oh, I thought we would never get out of that jail building.
What a night.
It wasn't an escape, turkey.
You posted bond.
What's the big deal? Listen, I have been up all night catching flak.
I've got all ten fingers in the dike.
What's the worst that can happen? You went to jail, Frank.
Jail.
You know, Fun Toys could scuttle the whole Falcone line.
They could cancel your participation in the profits.
Your salary, your expenses.
What about our contract? Null.
Abrogated.
Once that board meets, that's it.
Now, you've violated the responsible behavior clause.
You went out and beat up an ex-partner, who had written a critical book about you.
Wexler couldn't write a police report.
He didn't write that book.
He spilled it out to some guy who wrote it out for him.
I am trying to come up with some reason that we can make that fight into a sort of macho-camaraderie thing.
You got an idea? Wexler won't press charges.
Believe me.
That's not the point.
There's a chance that I can glue this thing together.
Well, Rockford's gone.
At least we hired a reputable security man this time.
Keep those news hawks off your back.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Whatever.
Some day, right? Yeah.
What's going on here? Tell my partner on the beach to get out here! Look over there.
He's caught on the fly.
Hey, what's going on? What happened? Did he jump? Is he all right? Is anybody hurt? As I was saying before, you're all under arrest.
Now, there are thousands of guys all over the country, crazy, wonderful bums.
Yeah, people like me, just doing the job because somebody's got to.
You dig, now? I've got an edge.
I've Would you excuse us a minute? Excuse us.
Sorry.
Listen, I'm sorry you blew the job.
Two men tried to kill me a couple of hours ago.
They were serious and so am I.
I can see that.
I want some answers from you.
I'm promoting toys.
Did you notice? Don't push me.
Right now I want you to do everything you can to make me happy.
All right, Frank.
Let's start with Augie.
What did he tell you in the room yesterday? Uh-uh.
Frank! All right.
You know I can't start a beef in here.
Then start with Augie.
You call me on this, I deny everything.
Augie told me Wexler was in town on a contract.
Well, what are we going to do? Play Dick and Jane here? A contract on who? Augie didn't know.
He said he'd check it out.
I tried to get it out of Wexler, but he wouldn't cop to anything.
You know the rest.
You broke him up bad enough to get him out of his contract.
He made me disgusted over how we fell apart.
He made me want to puke.
Walt used to be something.
Not much maybe, but something.
He was my partner for years.
I worked with the man.
That goes deep, you know.
That's all of it.
Well, I'm not into anything worth getting killed over.
Now, somebody, maybe Wexler, figures we're a team, huh? They could have spread the word that we scrambled the contract.
Augie's always a good snitch.
He may have something by now.
Come on, let's take the fire exit.
I'm up to here with toy people.
"You were supposed to look out for me.
"I could have been a contender, Charley, "instead of what I am, a bum.
" Read the girl's part.
"You're a strange man, Terry.
"You really love those pigeons, don't you?" You're standing in the sun.
You're really standing in the sun.
Hey, Frank.
We already met.
Rockford here's got a lot of local juice.
And I figure we can all work together like the old days, huh? I've learned that all businesses have certain similarities.
Not only who you know, sometimes who you don't know.
I like your thinking.
Frank tells me you got a line into Calumet City, Illinois.
Did you get anything more on Wexler's contract? Yeah, yeah.
I heard from my cousin Leo.
This comes straight from Cal City.
The Chicago prosecutor's got a strong witness stashed in LA.
The contract is on that witness.
Are you sure? When it comes from Cal City, it's like it's on tablets.
It's the word.
You know how I'm connected there.
If it's an important witness, they're gonna send someone else.
No.
Too much heat on that deal.
They're going to let it cool off.
Hey, Frank, I'm ready to roll.
I've been reading this script, see.
Now, I've read better storylines in massage parlors.
Describe those two guys, Jimmy.
Yeah, well, I got a good look at one.
He was about 6'4", That sounds like Sammy Cassell.
But I personally happen to know he's in Chicago right now for the wedding.
You know, Tommy Talaferro.
Hey, Frankie's gonna fly in for it.
He's probably gonna sing.
Now, listen, I would have been there myself, if it weren't for these scripts here, see, and Can you give me some help, Frank? You short? Oh, no.
Money's no problem.
Look at this place here.
Now, Debbi's getting a little restless.
Listen, I know I can make it.
I got a feeling for this material.
Listen to this.
It's supposed to be a pilot of a B-52.
"This is it, boys.
"Nuclear combat, toe-to-toe with the Russkies.
" Now, pilots don't talk like that.
I mean, these people don't understand character exposition, right? Augie, I'm working on it with the studios.
But you can't push too hard.
You know, it's like a bag drop.
It takes time.
Be careful in the sun.
Yeah, yeah.
I'll put iodine in the baby oil.
Who's Sam Cassell? He's an enforcer with an outfit in Calumet City.
I think he's related to Augie's cousin.
You know, I'd like to take this whole thing to a friend of mine on the force.
If you do, you do it alone.
My story puts Augie and Wexler on the spot.
Which is exactly where I am.
Did you see my show last Tuesday? Well, in the plot, I send a witness off to Acapulco for a week to cool off.
Why don't you go to Tijuana until this settles down? What happened to Acapulco? Hey, this is real life.
How would you know? I think you're working yourself up to a big identity crisis.
I'll talk to Wexler.
He wouldn't talk to me.
Why should he talk to you? Well, for openers, I won't be breaking his arm.
Funny.
I'll drop you at the hotel.
You keep your eye out for that Cassell look-alike and his partner.
Frank, am I glad I caught you.
I want to tell you that that hospitality suite is a PR minefield.
What now? The ultimate kids.
There are reps from three different consumer groups that monitor the effects of toys on children.
They almost went for the throat on that SWAT versus the Terrorists game.
Frank, they are asking questions about your arrest, Wexler Listen, I'm telling you, if this gets out, it's lifeboat time.
Listen, Seals, I've uncovered something that could blow this whole mess away.
I could get it tied up in a week.
Yeah? Tell me.
I can't talk about it now.
What do you mean you can't talk about it now? There's nothing you can't talk about.
Don't get excited.
Mr.
Falcone? Wait a minute.
They cut through the wire.
Now, let me handle this.
We have some questions for you, Mr.
Falcone.
Shoot.
Exactly what I'd expect you to say.
Who are these dumpy broads? Fake a heart attack.
We represent the Anti-Violence Ambiance Association.
We are against you and all your toys, your TV image I don't care what you think.
Kids are my big concern.
We all have children, Mr.
Falcone.
Oh, yeah? Well, who's watching them, lady? What time you got there, huh? They should be out of school.
I mean, you're down here at the convention hall doing your concerned parent number, and who's taking care of them? We're addressing ourselves to larger issues.
What's larger than what's happening to your kids? What are they eating? Huh? What are they putting into their mouths while you're working yours? Huh? Where are they now, right this minute? Can you tell me that, lady, huh? You know what's on afternoon reruns? Godzappa Eats Wolfman.
You think that's good for children? You think they're not watching? Who's home to tell them no? My show's on at 10:00 p.
m.
Kids should be in bed by 10:00 p.
m.
Your toys Our toys have a psychological counter-violent quality I'd like to point out to you.
Now, if you'd just follow me, ladies, I would like to explain to you this psychological design that is built into the toys.
No, I just got a quick look at you back in the hotel room.
Yeah, well, I was hired to keep Falcone out of the headlines.
But he got away from me and I blew the job.
Now the job's gone and I've got some problems with some people who figure that Frank and I were partners.
Hey, man.
You took the job.
No, hey, I'm not crying.
I'm not even hot at Frank.
I've known the guy a couple of days is all, but Well, I can see something in the guy.
Oh, he's something, all right.
I rode with him four years and I had to use a clothespin.
I'll tell you what I really saw.
A self-centered, shaft-your-buddy slob.
Oh, a real grandstander.
What's the use? I can prove you wrong.
Frank dummied up on your contract.
He put you in here just to keep you clean.
I know the story is that he bounced you around because of the book, but no, no.
Frank went on the line for you.
I can't buy that.
He's got to have an angle.
Don't tell me.
I was with him.
We talked about it.
We talked about you.
Yeah? What'd he say? Oh, you know, he just talked about the old days riding with you.
Yeah, he was pretty upset about some of the bad breaks you've had and he was really worried about this big contract.
Big? No, the hit's nothing, man.
It's a small-time flake.
Frank ever tell you about some of the tricks we did? Oh, yeah, yeah.
But mostly we just talked about the contract.
I mean, that TV show, it's something, him being alone.
'Cause I'll tell you, back in the streets in Chicago, I was there.
And, you know, when you got a guy's life in your pocket, you really get close.
I mean, you know, we went through some rough times, me and Frank.
Movies, TV, that stuff, you know, that was Frank's score, but I don't want no piece of that.
You know, if he could've only just said I was there, I mean, just that.
Well, maybe he's trying to make it up to you.
You know, by getting you out of the contract.
Who's the hit on? He's a small change This is a real tearjerker.
Frank! Frank! Don't believe anything that lush tells you.
Oh, I get the score, I see, huh? Mr.
Nice Guy and Mr.
Hard Guy and I'm in the middle.
Oh, no, no.
I don't go for that play.
Now, you get out of here.
Come on, get out of here, now! Frank! Move.
He was telling you a bunch of lies.
He's a bitter, envious person.
We were just getting to who the hit was on.
I heard.
He said the contract was on nobody.
No, no, no.
He said a small-change flake.
To Wexler, everyone's a small-change flake.
The tears really got to you, huh? No, your timing is what got to me.
You were getting nowhere.
When a crook like that breaks down, he's looking for sympathy.
It's an old act.
It happens 30 times a day at the station house.
They slobber, "Oh, come on, Officer, I didn't mean nothing.
"Give me a break, give me a break.
" Give me a break.
The same guy will blow his brother away with a smile.
Keep talking, but take a look at that blue sedan over there.
I can't tell the driver.
The other guy's Sam Cassell.
They're the ones from the pier.
What are we gonna do? We got nothing.
Oh, we got something.
That was slick.
Oh, not really.
Local drivers do it all the time.
Here's your iced tea, Mr.
Falcone.
Say it for me one more time, will you? Nah.
Go on, go on, say it, please? Freeze, turkey! That's it, that's it.
Freeze, turkey.
You know, I read your book three times, Mr.
Falcone.
Frank, Frank.
Call me Frank.
You want me to write something in it for you, huh? I loaned it to a friend of mine.
A book is a very personal thing.
Everyone should buy his own copy.
Oh, I'll sure remember that, Frank.
Why don't you fellas stay for lunch? Well, no, no.
We've got some problems, Dad.
I can't go back to the trailer.
Frank's got to be careful around the hotel.
So why don't I go get us turkeys some chicken, huh? We can figure out our next move.
I can fry you up some chicken right here.
No, Dad.
I like that crispy, crackly kind, you know.
I'll be right back.
Hey.
Hey, I'll bet there's lots of good stories that wasn't in your book, huh? The best ones never get told.
That's the way I figured it.
Freeze, turkey.
This is the man with Sam Cassell.
Manny Axel, AKA Axel Manning, AKA Alexander Maxwell, AKA Canning J.
Barlow.
Is this 25,000 reward legitimate? Well, police officers don't qualify, but it's a legal offer.
They pay off.
Calumet City Businessmen's Association.
They really want Axel put away.
So do I.
It goes right on the hot sheet.
Oh, and you got a bad lead on that witness story, Jim.
There's no one from Illinois undercover in this area.
There's got to be.
I checked it out.
I checked every level.
We got no witness undercover out here.
Would Chicago hold out on you? Well, let's look at it from their standpoint.
If they had a witness out here, they'd want him to be protected, right? Then what are Axel and Cassell doing here? This goes right out on the wire.
Hello.
Rocky, let me speak to Frank, will you? He ain't here.
Where did he go? Well, a little while after you left, he called the hotel.
Something about some special meeting about the toys.
I don't know.
He ought to be there about now.
Is everything all right, sonny? You gotta be kidding, Dad.
Talk to you later.
Well, the testing shows resistance from the distributors.
A battery of pressure groups.
Am I reading this correctly, Jeff? Frank Falcone is currently out on bail? Well, the man has no sense of responsibility.
I can't predict what he's going to do.
The last few days have been cliffhangers media-wise.
Terrific.
It goes back further than that, Jeff.
That's an agency report on Falcone.
He was slated for a police board inquiry when his book came out.
The Chicago police like heroes, especially when they quit.
Look, this is a private meeting, Mr.
Falcone.
Yes, of course.
I'm sorry.
Don't let me interrupt.
I won't.
Well, can anyone see a turnaround in the line? The Falcone line? Please, Frank.
Does anyone have a positive approach? The Hostage and Terrorist game should go into the European markets.
That's salvage.
I am talking about this toy show.
I have some suggestions.
Look, will you please stop interrupting, Mr.
Falcone? Please.
Yes, of course, I'm sorry.
I think we got lost, swept up in the marvels of science, the technology of the space age.
We have to find our way back.
Solar-powered.
No batteries.
Listen, we had market tests on these a few years ago.
Yeah, but that was before the energy crisis, before the non-biodegradable nature of the expensive dry cell battery became an issue.
Now, the play value is there, but we're showing the kids something else.
The practical application of a new and clean source of energy, the sun.
We're preparing them for the future, a clean atmosphere.
That takes us out of violence and pollution.
Excuse me.
You call this non-violent? Huh? Look, if you don't stop interrupting, Mr.
Falcone, I'm going to have you thrown out.
Are you talking to me, honey? Frank What do the kids do on rainy days? You ever think of that? Frank, listen, this meeting, we are gonna have it for a few days.
No decisions have been made yet.
Now, please.
They're flushing the whole line! Would you please leave? No problems, please leave.
Yeah, I get it.
I get it, sweetheart.
I'm going to get some fresh air.
Oh, brother.
A little solar energy.
We like the solar toys, Jeff.
I do, too.
Well, then, it's unanimous.
Bury the Falcone line, hmm? Frank, you got some sort of a suicidal thing standing out in front of the hotel like that? You don't believe what they're doing to that toy line.
All right, I think I can take your mind off the toys for a while.
Get in.
You don't wonder how a stoolie like Augie comes up with a big house, a pool and no cash problems? What do you want to bet that that means Augie is the small-change flake being set up? It never occurred to me to wonder how a small-time stoolie like Augie comes up with the house, no cash problems.
And Debbi.
That toy business killed my instincts.
Augie, Augie! You guys don't look like good news.
Do you know Manny Axel? No.
Axel Manning? I knew a guy named Canning once.
Canning J.
Barlow? Yeah.
But he's not one of my people.
Sammy Cassell? Yeah, he's my man.
Yeah, he's related to my cousin Leo.
Axel and Cassell are in LA together.
They tried to kill me together.
We figured it out on the way over here.
The first tip you got was right.
Wexler was here on a contract.
From then on, all your information was wrong.
There's no big witness in LA under wraps.
I got it from Leo.
Why would Leo Tumblers beginning to fall into place, Augie? Were you bleeding Axel's people a little? The contract's on me? Is Debbi here? Upstairs.
That's Cassell.
He's gonna be out here in a minute.
What do we do? Could always try the "Freeze, turkey" routine.
We need a distraction.
How long can you hold your breath? As long as I have to.
Hey, Manny.
Yeah? Come here.
Get a load of this.
Canning J.
Barlow.
Hey, Augie? Augie! Come on.
Come on, buddy.
Come on, it's all over.
Let's go.
You can start breathing now.
Yeah, hang on.
There you go.
I'll call the police.
There's a reward on Axel.
That was a good bust, Jim.
I think I'll write a sequel to my book.
Jimmy! Hey, how are you, Frank? Not good, not good.
You heard about the show, huh? Yeah.
Well, you know, nothing lasts forever.
Did you collect the $25,000 on Axel? Oh, yeah.
The IRS got a bite.
I stashed the rest in a time deposit account, makes up for some income I lost.
You don't feel guilty about not sharing it with me? We did it together, remember? Well, I gotta stick with the Calumet City decision.
You did impede the investigation, withhold evidence.
No, that's history.
I'm talking about you and me.
I'm flexible on the split.
Frank, it's over.
There is no split.
Okay.
Just remember.
None of this would have happened to you without me.
I'll always remember.
Hey, Frank.
How about I buy you a beer? Freeze, turkey.