The Rockford Files (1974) s05e16 Episode Script
The Deuce
You're not dropping the case, are you? Well, I don't have much choice.
(GUN FIRES) I still cannot accept the fact that that maniac escapes conviction all because of some has-been gumshoe.
He does seem like a flake.
Do you have any idea who's behind it? No, but whoever it is, is trying to cover their tracks with a backhoe.
I can get your PI ticket pulled in 60 seconds flat! (PHONE RINGING) ROCKFORD ON ANSWERING MACHINE: This is Jim Rockford.
At the tone, leave your name and message.
I'll get back to you.
(BEEPS) WOMAN: Mr.
Rockford, Arthur's Hi-Fi.
Your stereo is ready.
But since your warranty expired in the two months it was in our shop, you'll have to pay the $60 on the repair.
Connors, he didn't even play for the Padres.
Connors was an Angel! Don't you remember? The old Padre's first baseman was Luke Easter.
I should never bet with you, George.
Hey, Pete! Give me one for the road, will you? Yeah.
All right, another dollar says you can't tell me who was center fielder for the LA Angels, late '40s.
Gotcha! Dom Dallesandro! Uh-uh, close, he played left field.
The old center fielder, Cecil Garriott.
Remember, they used to call him the Rabbit? Easy money, Johnson, that's you, huh? Oh, jeez, the Angels were so good in them days.
Shuster at short, Terwilliger at second.
Remember the Twig, huh? (CHUCKLES) (GEORGE CHUCKLES) All right, good night, Johnson.
See you tomorrow.
So long, George.
Drive carefully.
It's six blocks.
I can do that blind! That's how he usually does it, too.
Bird Dog to Home Plate.
MAN: Yeah, Bird Dog.
The Deuce is on the way, right on schedule and looking real good.
Bring him home.
Grunwald? Did you copy? All right, honey.
You're on.
ANNOUNCER ON RADIO: Now we move on to the Angels, bottom half of inning number four in a scoreless game in Anaheim.
Big first baseman, Tony Montoya.
Montoya now swinging a healthy back, completely recovered from knee surgery last winter.
Steve Butler's on the mound for the Royals.
Windup pitch for Montoya.
A slider high and inside.
Been a pitcher's duel so far.
Butler has struck out four, hasn't walked anybody, has allowed but two base runners.
Here's the next pitch on the way (TIRES SCREECHING) Here's the next windup by Butler.
Fastball grounded at third Oop, Bridges bobbles, throws Too late! Montoya's safe on first (CAR HORN BLARING) (HORN BLARES) Jack Finney's on deck.
Nobody out.
The go ahead run now at first base.
Beautiful starry night here at the Big A.
No score, fourth inning.
A check of the runner at first by Butler, the pitch Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, a man with a serious drinking problem sits before you now.
A man with four previous 502 arrests, a man with two previous 502 convictions, a man who was driving without insurance, on a suspended license, with a.
19 blood alcohol count.
The evidence against George Bassett is not only conclusive, it is downright overwhelming.
Maybe if he had gone to jail the last time, Betsy Pruitt would be alive today.
If we are ever going to put a stop to this wanton slaughter on our highways, then the first step is in your capable hands.
There is only one rational verdict, and that is guilty, not of involuntary manslaughter, not even of manslaughter, but guilty as charged, of murder in the second degree.
Murder in the second degree? There's something wrong somewhere.
Look, I have a nose for this kind of thing.
It's my business! Mr.
Rockford, how many times do we have to go through this? There is no reasonable doubt.
Please sit down.
We'll take another vote.
No doubt? I mean, no doubt? Look.
Look.
The natural way to get out of a car would put me in a position with my back to the door, facing the oncoming traffic.
So what? She was hit from behind.
So she saw his headlights at the last minute, turned just before he hit her.
Reflex action I think they call it.
Well, that is a possibility.
It's a good one, too.
JURY FOREMAN: Okay, that's settled.
I think we can safely say that we're going for our final ballot.
Another thing.
Another thing Look If she was getting out of the car to deal with a flat tire, why did she leave the keys in the ignition? Huh? She'd need them to get to the jack.
Well, I doubt that she intended to change it herself.
She was probably gonna knock on a door and use somebody's phone and call the Auto Club.
Then she would take her Auto Club card.
But she didn't, she left it in her purse, which was on the front seat, remember? Hey! Now I don't care if she was standing in the middle of the road nude, juggling little blue and white balls.
Come on, the cretin ran over her.
Now there's no dispute about that.
He ran over her all right.
Then you got no choice but to vote guilty.
Come on! You've already taken up more time than that man's worth.
Oh, is that right? Yeah, that's right! Well, I I have a reasonable doubt.
(SIGHS) And I'm not changing my mind.
(ALL SIGHING) Tough! I'm sorry.
(PEOPLE CHATTERING) Your Honor, I move that a mistrial be declared and that all charges against the defendant be dismissed.
A dismissal would be a grievous injustice to the deceased, Your Honor.
I'm inclined to agree with you, Mr.
Wheeler.
The motion for dismissal is denied.
A new trial date will be set and hopefully, at that time, a jury can be impaneled that will not find itself hopelessly deadlocked by the irresponsible and unyielding decision of one of its members.
A decision, I might add, that I consider an affront to these chambers.
To mock justice and decency with the willful disregard for the Your Honor.
You're out of order, Mr.
Rockford.
Your Honor, in your instructions to the jury, you included the phrase, "Beyond a reasonable doubt.
" There are facts in this case One more word out of you, Mr.
Rockford, and you are in contempt.
I would like to commend the rest of the jury for their time and their diligence in the deliberation of this case.
Court is adjourned.
He's not gonna like this, Al.
He sure isn't.
I don't think that bozo put a bug up anybody's nose, but we'd better keep our eye on this situation.
All right.
ROCKY: (SINGING) In a churchyard near the canyon Where the myrtle doth entwine There grow roses and other posies Fertilized by Clementine I used to hug her Now she's dead, I draw the line Listen, boy scouts Heed the warning to this tragic tale of mine Artificial respiration Could have saved my Clementine ROCKY: Who's there? Supercitizen.
I'm back from the battle-scarred corridors of civic obligation.
Oh, hi, sonny.
I almost didn't hear you come in.
Yeah, well, I would have knocked, but without a door, it seemed rather pointless.
Oh, yeah, I'm taking them off and planing them down.
That front door come off real easy and this door did, but this one here, I'm working on, is a real killer.
Dad, do you mind if I ask you something? Huh? Why? Oh, you're getting that tone in your voice.
Don't you remember last rainy season when the only way you could get these doors open was to kick 'em open and how mad it made you? Yeah, the only trouble with that is when you performed the same surgery over at your place, the doors never did hang right.
They were binding till the guy from A-1 came over and replaced the hinges.
Well, that ain't gonna happen this time.
And besides, it seems to me that anytime a person does something nice for another person, without being asked, then that other person ought to show some small signs of gratitude and not walk around with a nose out of joint first shot out of the box.
Dad, I'm sorry.
I'm really sorry.
It's just partly this jury duty the last couple of weeks.
I've had no cash flow, I had to leave the Collins case hanging fire You don't have to worry about that thing.
The batteries leaked and gummed the whole thing up.
How many times do I have to tell you if you're going away, take the batteries out of the flashlights and radios? Oh, swell! That's just swell! Well, it don't matter anyways.
Mr.
Collins called a couple of days ago.
It was bad news, sonny.
He said he couldn't wait no longer.
He had to go with another detective agency.
Well, Dad, if you had to fix something, why didn't you fix that? Well, now, it seems to me that you're just a little too teed off about your jury duties.
And frankly, it ain't too pleasant to see neither.
It is your duty to accept your responsibilities as a citizen, and it is your privilege to sit on a jury.
It's your God-given right! Dad, I take it seriously.
I just wish I could say the same about my 11 peers.
And since I'm getting this civics lecture, why don't we talk about the last three elections in which you didn't vote? (STAMMERING) Well, the The The first one I had the grip.
Yes, sir! And the second one, that was the presidential election and Don't you remember how it was raining and my tires is bald? You remember everything.
And then the third election Well, you wouldn't want me to tell L.
J.
That I couldn't come to his birthday party, would you? Hello? I'm going back to work.
Oh, Mrs.
Bassett, Mr.
Bassett, come in.
Just have a seat on the couch, if you like.
Mr.
Rockford, we're sorry to barge in on you like this, but we wanted to tell you how grateful we are for what you did.
You saved him from jail.
I think I just postponed it a while.
Not if you'll help us.
You're a private investigator.
You know something, don't you? You saw something that could clear George once and for all? I just couldn't go along with second degree murder, that's all.
They should have tried you for manslaughter.
(SIGHS) See, I told you, Fran.
Let's go, huh? Why wouldn't you go along with it? The rest of the jury did.
Well, Mrs.
Bassett You're the only hope George has.
Oh, come on, Franny, huh? Well, it's the truth, and you might as well face up to it.
Mr.
Rockford's our only real hope now.
Can you tell us now why you held out for not guilty? Oh, mainly because you swore that Betsy Pruitt's back was turned to you.
They couldn't shake you from that.
Yeah, like I said, it all happened so fast, and yet it was kind of in slow motion.
She just sort of floated in front of my car and her back was turned.
Well, nine times out of ten, people will turn to face danger.
It's a reflex action, self-protective.
Are you saying this was a set-up? You went into the same bar every night, The Ramp Bar.
You'd roll in there about 5:00, you would chew the fat till 8:00 or so, by which time you were drunk, and then you would drive on home.
I mean, it's a schedule you could set your watch by.
So maybe you could have been set-up.
And maybe we can find someone with a motive to kill Betsy Pruitt.
Hello.
Can I help you? Yeah, well, the manager sent me up.
I was thinking about renting and she said this unit was gonna become available as soon as some estate is settled.
But, hey, if you're interested, you were here first.
Oh, no, I was just leaving.
Oh, yeah? I don't know, maybe you know how the apartment situation is in this town.
What with the price of houses going up and everything.
Do you have any idea what a two-bedroom and a den goes for over on the West side? Have you any idea how completely full of it you are? What? You're Rockford.
Look, I managed to get to LA the last day of George Bassett's trial, and they pointed you out to me after you hung the jury.
How could you? Well, look, Miss Bonnie Pruitt is my name.
And how dare you come around here after letting that creep get away with killing my sister? Yeah, well, actually, he hasn't gotten away with anything yet.
You better leave, or I'm calling the cops.
Well, now, the fact is, miss, there's a couple of things about your sister's death that just don't add up.
Now.
Look, I think you ought to take it easy.
I'm sorry we had to meet like this.
I bet if you tried, you'd have a very attractive smile.
That's probably one of the most original lines anyone's ever used on me.
Well, it's true.
And there's something else that's true, is that there is something strange about your sister's death.
I came over here looking for some kind of lead.
Would you happen to know anyone who would want to do this to your sister? No.
But then I haven't seen Betsy in over five years.
We weren't very close.
Mom and Dad couldn't stand the thought of going through her things, so I flew out here to take care of it for them.
And I am running a little late, as usual.
Oh, yeah, where are you going? Back to Tulsa.
Tulsa, huh? Did you sell Betsy's car? No, the attorneys must have handled it.
That receipt copy was in her mail.
Oh.
Oh, my plane leaves in two hours.
I'd better call a cab.
Oh, no, I'll drive you.
The cabs are very expensive in LA.
That is if you can even get one.
Now, I would like to go over and take a look at Betsy's car.
Kabalkov is over in Inglewood, isn't that what it says? Okay.
Thanks.
Maybe I should take a look at it, too, and see if we got a fair price.
Jim.
Jim.
I've got a plane to catch.
Just a minute.
There's something here I don't understand.
I found this pebble lodged between the valve and the tire stem And see this door? This door latch is jammed in an open position.
Well, couldn't that have happened during the accident? Well, yeah, it could have, but you see this armrest here? It's got kind of a Well, it looks like a burn, where somebody had looped a rope through it under pressure.
I really don't understand what you're getting at.
Yeah, I'll show you.
Now, let's just assume that I'm not barking at the moon and somebody really wanted to make it look like your sister was killed by a drunk driver, how would I go about it, huh? First, I would park the car and I would get out, help myself to a flat tire, then I'd jam the door latch open.
I'd put Betsy behind the wheel.
She's either unconscious or just been Here, you get in.
You be Betsy.
I've been trying not to be Betsy all my life.
Now, I'm gonna need some rope Yeah, here.
Now I'd get in this side.
Now, close the door.
Oh, oh, yeah, all right, we'll just have to pretend that it is closed.
Here.
Now loop this through the armrest and then give it back to me.
That's right.
Now, if that door were closed, you'd be pinned right up against it, right? Yes.
Jim, what about my plane? Now, all right, it's only gonna be a minute.
Now, you see, timing is crucial.
I'd be working on a On a radio cue, or I'd have that mirror in exactly that position.
Hey, I'm getting into this thing.
Yeah, well, is detective work always like this? No, as a matter of fact, it usually is not anywhere near like this.
Usually, I'm just sitting outside of somebody's house.
But every once in a while, you get one of these physical layout things.
You know, you kind of recharge your battery.
But anyway, anyway, here comes George, right? And just at the right time, one of my cohorts will pull his car out from the curb, making George swerve, and that is my cue to let go of the end of the rope.
The door will fly open with the weight of your body against it as I shove you out.
Oh! I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
Yeah, you know a powerful man, especially if he used both feet instead of his hand, could push you three feet high and four feet out.
George couldn't have missed.
Okay, let's go.
Listen, I have an idea.
Why don't you postpone your trip back to Tulsa? Why? Well, you're Betsy's sister.
You knew her well.
A lot of useful information might occur to you along the way.
No, I really couldn't.
But, I'll sure call you if I do think of anything else.
Bye for now.
He walked in on me.
I had to run a game on him.
What does he know? Well, he doesn't know who or why, but he's sure got how nailed.
Oh, terrific! Was the apartment dirty? Was it! Betsy kept a diary on the whole thing.
I'm just glad I got it packed before he showed.
We gotta do something about him, and fast.
What's his next move? Well, he's going to talk to Betsy's employers tomorrow morning.
Then he's going our way.
MARTIN: I'm afraid that you're talking to the wrong Horvath.
Betsy was my brother's secretary.
Let me just see if he's available.
Arthur, I wonder if you could come in here for a moment, please? Thanks a lot.
I really appreciate it.
The info on the policy app only said Horvath and Horvath.
Yes, Martin.
Arthur, this is Gary Osheroff, he's with Fidelity Mutual.
It seems that poor Betsy had a policy which no one was aware of, and he's got to ask a few questions before they can pay off.
It's just routine.
Background stuff.
It won't take more than five minutes.
All right.
Come this way, please? Thank you very much.
Would you have a seat here, Mr.
Osheroff? I'm afraid you're going to have to excuse the condition of this room.
I have not had a chance to office-break my new secretary.
(CHUCKLES) And it's chaos around here.
Oh, that's perfectly all right.
A messy office is the mark of a busy man.
My office looks just like it.
(CHUCKLES) You know, Betsy's death came as quite a shock to me.
I mean, that was a waste.
I still cannot accept the fact that that maniac escaped conviction, all because of some has-been gumshoe on the jury trying to act like Sherlock Holmes and toot his own tin horn.
Yeah, well, he does seem like a flake.
Yeah, but, you know, in the course of my investigation, I've uncovered a few things that strongly suggest her death wasn't what it appeared to be.
Really? What are you getting at? I think she might have been murdered.
You bet your life she was, by a drunk driver! ON SPEAKER: And as soon as he's convicted, I'll tell you something, we are, on behalf of the family, suing Bassett, The Ramp Bar, and that bartender.
Ah, you're going to be very busy.
Yeah, but I don't think that Bassett is completely responsible, and if it wasn't an accidental death, my company's position is going to be somewhat modified, payment-wise.
You know, Mr.
Osheroff, I was very familiar with Betsy's financial affairs, and I don't seem to recall any policy issued by Fidelity Casual.
Well, it was a recent one.
That's the reason for our suspicions.
You know, at first we suspected the beneficiary, Betsy's sister, she lives out of state.
BONNIE: That sounds like Rockford! Betsy doesn't have a sister.
I think we better pull this guy's drapes.
Medium height, kind of reddish hair? She has a very attractive smile.
She's very attractive.
Lives in Tulsa, name's Bonnie.
I'm afraid you have your wires crossed, Betsy was from Michigan.
(PHONE BUZZES) Excuse me just a minute.
Yes, Martin, what is it? Rockford? Oh, yeah, look, I can explain this.
I don't know what your game is, Mr.
Rockford, but I'm gonna report you to the D.
A.
Now you get out of here! Yeah, well that seems like very sound legal advice.
Yeah.
All right, you better put that thing down and get out of my car.
My name is Ed Chandler, and I'm connected in this city, all the way up to the Mayor's office.
Well, you're about to be connected to some weights that are going off Point Mugu.
Hey, you guys got the wrong man! I'm a cop! Really, I'm a deputy chief.
You're a fourth-rate PI.
Well, let me take a shot in the dark.
Bonnie Pruitt told you that, right? Don't know any Bonnies.
Get in.
Yeah, that's probably not her real name anyway.
Any woman who wouldn't stick around to help clear her own sister's death Divorce or no divorce, I really have to learn to listen to those little voices I hear.
That's between you and them.
Personally, I don't even know what you're talking about.
Yeah, well, either she was in this car, or you both wear the same perfume, Mary.
Shut up! One false move out of you and I'll blow your head off.
(SIGHS) Well, I'll tell you guys, I guess I better level with you.
You know, I wouldn't even be in this whole thing if it wasn't for this guy Bassett.
Hey, really, really, I did some checking on this lush.
You're not going to believe it, this guy is worth over a million and a half bucks! Yeah, he's like one of these guys you read about in the paper.
You know, he lives in a little hole-in-the-wall like a squirrel.
He's got all this money and nobody knows it.
Well, you're not gonna believe what I found out.
I guess I could share this with somebody if really had to, but you gotta promise me one thing.
Look out! (TIRES SCREECHING) (ROCKFORD RUNNING) Hey, you all right, man? Check this ride out! Hey, you got a driver's license? Now, wait Wait a minute! (ALL CLAMORING) Just Hey, hey.
It's a little accident.
ROCKFORD: It was a big accident.
I didn't even have a chance to get their license number.
I would have gone to the cops, but I didn't have a whole lot of proof, so as soon as I picked up my car, I called you.
I figured you'd want to know.
Do you have any idea who's behind it? No, but whoever it is, is trying to cover their tracks with a backhoe.
If they don't reopen their investigation soon, there's not gonna be any evidence left.
(SIGHS) I seriously doubt if it'll be reopened, Mr.
Rockford, and the new trial's been set for next Wednesday.
Can't you get a continuance? I'll try.
But George Bassett was voted example of the month, and the D.
A.
's office is going for the throat.
I even feel a little sorry for poor Norman.
Poor Norman? The prosecutor.
It was supposed to be a lock, and he's really been on the carpet for blowing it.
I'm lucky you were on the jury.
Well, I'm not.
I mean, I've been on a thousand complex cases, but this one has just too many slamming doors and mean people! NORMAN: I heard you were in the building.
I also heard from Arthur Horvath that you were "on the case," whatever that means.
Seems self-explanatory.
How dare you hang a jury on me, then turn around and work the case? Now, wait just a minute, Norman.
He has an interesting theory, and I think you should listen to it.
Rockford, I may not be able to get you for jury tampering, I may not be able to get you for obstructing justice, but I can get your PI ticket pulled in 60 seconds flat! Which is how long you have to get out of the building and off the case! Is that clear? (DOOR SLAMS) There, you see? Another slamming door.
Hey! Mr.
Rockford! Wait up! You're not dropping the case, are you? Well, I don't have much choice.
Either I lose my life or I lose my license.
I'm sorry, Karen.
It just isn't worth it.
What isn't worth it? George Bassett? Oh, come on now, don't put that on me.
I'm sorry.
But you do think he's innocent, don't you? He's an unwitting accomplice.
Which makes him innocent.
Look, I'm a public defender, and my caseload includes a lot of people that the system is really ripping off.
And I was bugged that I even got assigned such a deserving loser as George Bassett.
I mean, I really believed he was guilty.
You put up a good defense.
No.
He got due process and that's all.
Look, what I'm trying to say is, I'd like to help you on this.
We could work together.
You could lose your job.
If I can lose my job for trying to prove my client's innocence, then it isn't worth much.
You could lose your life.
With you around? I gotta tell you, Karen, I am nowhere on this thing.
Will you stick with it? CORBETT: You sure this is the place? Yeah.
29, Cove Road.
Okay.
How's it handle? Oh, no guts.
Lousy front end.
The mechanic really worked it over.
Perfect! Now, let's go get good old George Bassett and put this thing on ice once and for all.
I knew Mr.
Rockford would come through.
Franny! This lady works for Mr.
Rockford.
He's cracked the case.
He wants to see me at The Ramp right away! Mr.
Rockford didn't have a secretary.
I'm not his secretary, Mrs.
Bassett.
I'm one of his operatives.
He sent me out to pick up your husband so he can verify his theory of time relative to the distance ratio.
And I am running a little late.
What're we waiting for? But you remember what the judge said when he granted bail.
Are you really sure you ought to be going to a bar? Franny, there's nothing to worry about.
I've been on the wagon a whole nine days now! (HINGES SQUEAKING) Come on.
Hey, watch it! Get me out of here! (GRUNTING) Jim, what is Don't ask.
I'll tell you one thing, though, if my dad wasn't such a lousy handyman, I'd have an air-conditioned head.
Who is that? Oh, it's one of the guys that jumped me in the underground garage.
Let's see if we can get him inside.
Help me.
Come on, Mary.
Here we go.
(MUSIC PLAYING ON STEREO) I sure never thought I'd be sitting in this place drinking coffee.
What do you think has happened to Mr.
Rockford? Oh, he had to pick up Mr.
Noble first, Mr.
Rockford's chief operative, and then they were going to the D.
A.
's office to try and convince Wheeler to come here for the demonstration.
I sure owe that man a lot.
Mr.
Rockford? BARMAN: Is there a Bonnie in here? Yes! Excuse me.
Here you go.
Hello.
Yeah, we've been here ten minutes.
Look, I can't handle him alone, now get over here! He won't drink the coffee.
He wants another bourbon.
Okay.
Make it fast.
Double bourbon, please.
Oh, go a little easy on it, honey.
This isn't our first stop.
That was Mr.
Rockford.
And? He did it, Mr.
Bassett.
He convinced the D.
A.
To open a new investigation.
You mean I'm out of it? I'm out of this mess? You're on your way.
Phew.
Oh, the D.
A.
Said you'd have to do a couple of weeks in detox.
Well, that's great 'cause I'm not drinking anyway.
Well, I am! I know what Mr.
Rockford went through to pull this off.
Yeah.
Believe me, it's a real triumph.
He and Mr.
Noble will be over in a few minutes, and they'll explain all the details.
But, as far as I'm concerned, the celebration starts right now.
(CHUCKLES) Oh, I'm sorry.
I didn't think.
Oh, no, that's all right.
It really doesn't bother me.
Honest.
Are you sure? Yeah.
I'm sure.
(CHUCKLES) Let me out! Let me out! Who killed Betsy Pruitt? Let me out! I can't breathe! Who killed Betsy Pruitt? You know, Gene Krupa was always a big idol of mine when I was a kid.
I'm pretty sure that I remember some of those great licks.
I think Cherokee went something like this.
Cut it out! Cut it out! I swear I'll kill you! And then there was Stompin' At The Savoy, remember that? I'm getting sick! I'm gonna throw up! Then who killed her? (GROANING) Al Corbett.
All right.
Here we go.
(GASPING) (COUGHS) Now, what was Betsy, the lookout at The Off Ramp Bar, huh? Do you want to wear that thing again No, no, no, no! until your memory comes back? No, I was the lookout.
She drove the other car that forced him to swerve.
She also did the research to find the perfect drunk for it.
But it was Corbett who planned it all.
For Horvath.
Horvath, huh? What did he have against his secretary? No, no.
Not him.
We're working for the older brother, Martin.
He keeps Corbett's PI firm on retainer.
We do all kinds of things for him, odd jobs All right, all right, but what did Martin have against Arthur's secretary? And make it fast, huh? I'm getting the urge to play Big Noise from Winnetka.
She was having an affair with Arthur.
Well, anyway, the affair went sour and she started blackmailing him.
That's when Martin called Corbett in and they decided to kill her.
Now that's it! Honest! That's all! Why was she blackmailing Arthur? I don't know! I swear I don't know! Corbett probably does.
Where's Corbett? He's with George Bassett by now.
They're gonna take him to The Ramp Bar, get him drunk and kill him.
I gotta get over there.
Oh, look, I hate to say this, but that wasn't the most admissible confession I've ever witnessed.
Confession? What confession? I haven't confessed to anything! You know how to handle a gun? Point and shoot, right? That's right.
If he gets salty, you get on the phone, call the police.
They'll be here to pick this turkey up in five minutes.
Are you sure this doesn't bother you, Mr.
Bassett? Oh, yeah, I'm sure.
Well, I'll have one little pull with you.
I mean, what would that hurt, right? Right.
No! I'm sorry, it's just I I've I got a real problem with this and I gotta face it.
I'm not gonna face it right here, so I better leave.
Oh Mr.
Noble, what happened? Where's Mr We got some real big trouble.
What do you mean trouble? Where's Mr.
Rockford? We were jumped! They know Rockford's the only one who can testify against them.
What've they done to him? Said they were gonna take him up to Decker's Point, get rid of him.
Who did? We better call the cops! I did! They said they'll roll a unit, but I don't know how long it'll take 'em.
There's a 40-car pileup on the Foothill Freeway.
And they probably won't be able to spring a unit for at least an hour.
Well, we gotta do something! What? Well, I'll tell you the truth, pal.
I got a wife and a couple of kids, you know? Oh, sure.
I'll go myself.
No, you stay put, I'll go.
How many were there and what are they driving? Three or four in a big, green car.
That's all I need to know.
You should have stopped him.
He's in no condition to be driving.
But you heard him.
He's driving up to Decker's Point.
You should have stopped him.
Has George Bassett been in here today? Who? He was sitting over there with a couple of people.
Just left.
Do you know where they went? Well, he was on some kind of a toot, driving up to Decker's Point.
Do you have a phone I can use? Yeah, sure.
Um Come on, come on! Hey, Dennis, this is Jim.
There's gonna be a killing up at Decker's Point.
Now I want you to call the nearest station and get somebody up there as soon as you can, and I mean soon! I'll try to stall them as long as I can.
Yeah, right.
Thanks, pal.
CORBETT: There he is.
We'll nail him when he hits the crest.
There's a bottle in the glove compartment.
He'll just be another drunk in a canyon.
Okay, let's drop-kick this deuce into the next canyon.
BONNIE: It didn't go over! CORBETT: I know.
One more push ought to do it.
(CAR DOORS CLOSING) Let's go! (BONNIE SCREAMS) (POLICE SIRENS WAILING) (CHATTERING ON POLICE RADIO) Easy, George.
I'll help you.
ROCKFORD: Arthur Horvath got so mad when he heard Martin had his girlfriend killed, he hasn't stopped talking since.
Well, why was she blackmailing Martin? Martin handled the legal work for a ring of professional thieves.
When Betsy Pruitt found out about it, Martin called in Corbett for a little preventive homicide.
(SCOFFS) Nice guys.
Oh, Mr.
Rockford, before we go, about your fee Oh, hey, hey, don't worry.
You'll pay me, I'll see to that, but after you get your life a little more reorganized.
Well, you saved my bacon, mister, and I'm grateful.
Yeah, I know, George.
No, I mean it.
I'm never gonna touch another drop as long as I live.
One day at a time, huh? Well, that's what they say at the meetings.
One day at a time.
You're a saint.
Thank you for all you've done.
George is very grateful.
Fran's right.
Well, we'll say goodbye, and thanks for coming over.
Thank you.
Good night, George.
My dad fixed the door.
(CHUCKLES) Thanks again.
One day at a time, George.
Nice people, really.
Yeah, they are.
You know something, I deal with juries all the time, and a lot of jurors are really vacant in the courtroom.
Well, they're thinking about something else.
To find someone like you who really takes jury duty seriously, it's a pretty rare thing.
Well, you know, it's a couple of weeks out of your life.
It's no big deal.
When you think about it, you know people's lives are being decided down in that courtroom.
(SIGHS) If I could tell you the number of people who try to weasel out of it Boy, you know, I think that really stinks.
Hey, you know, I'm hungry.
I could go for dinner, a couple of cocktails.
How about you? Well, thank you.
I think that would be very nice.
All right, all right.
Hey, do you like football? I got a couple of tickets to the UCLA game on Saturday.
Ah, my alma mater.
Actually, I hate football Oh.
but it might be very nice also.
ROCKY: Oh, sonny! You're on.
Sonny! Oh, yeah, Dad.
Open the door.
Hey.
Yeah, hey, come Oh, give me it.
Give me that.
Come on in.
Oh, Dad, this is Karen Hathaway.
This is my dad, Joseph Rockford.
Hi.
Karen was the public defender on George Bassett's case.
Oh, is that so? They were nice folks.
I'm glad it turned out okay for them.
Hey, what's with the toolbox? Well, I was down at the Do-Right Builder's supply and I seen they was having a sale on these here smoke detectors.
(STAMMERING) Did you get the new hinges? Oh, no, they didn't have the right size.
You know, I was talking to a salesman down there, and he was telling me how people are always getting trapped by the flames.
Burned in their bed or overcome by smoke.
So I got four of them.
These two are for you and I got two for me.
Dad, I really don't want any of these smoke detectors.
I mean, really, the place is too small.
I'm gonna cook bacon over there, they're both gonna go off.
Did Jim here ever tell you how he almost didn't sit on that jury? No.
(LAUGHING) Oh, he was screaming like a banshee.
He was telling about all the important work he couldn't give up, and, of course, there was that fishing trip, too.
Dad, now there's something I want to tell you.
Are you listening to me? Can I get your attention? I do not want any holes in the ceiling.
Do you hear me? But Jim here, he tried to get a note from his doctor saying it would be bad for his back sitting in a jury box.
(LAUGHING) An old war injury.
Yeah, well, I do have a bad back from Korea.
I mean, there's nothing strange about that.
Oh, how terribly awful for you.
'Course, when he did find out that he was gonna have to sit in the jury anyway, you should have been here to hear the yelling.
He was stomping around and kicking the bureau and Yeah, Karen, you want to go? The restaurant up the highway is gonna be jammed.
Oh, do you really think we should? I mean, I'd hate to think of your suffering in a booth with your back in that condition.
It don't bother him, really.
It don't bother him at all.
He got it falling out of the back end of a truck in school.
That's how he got it.
'Course, what really turned Jim around was when I explained to him how his very own ancestors fought and struggled for others to have the right to vote.
Why, do you know that Josiah Rockford, that's Jim's great uncle, he was even wounded in the Spanish-American War fighting for the rights of others to vote and sit on juries and so forth like that? Now, of course, if you can't vote because (BEEPING)
(GUN FIRES) I still cannot accept the fact that that maniac escapes conviction all because of some has-been gumshoe.
He does seem like a flake.
Do you have any idea who's behind it? No, but whoever it is, is trying to cover their tracks with a backhoe.
I can get your PI ticket pulled in 60 seconds flat! (PHONE RINGING) ROCKFORD ON ANSWERING MACHINE: This is Jim Rockford.
At the tone, leave your name and message.
I'll get back to you.
(BEEPS) WOMAN: Mr.
Rockford, Arthur's Hi-Fi.
Your stereo is ready.
But since your warranty expired in the two months it was in our shop, you'll have to pay the $60 on the repair.
Connors, he didn't even play for the Padres.
Connors was an Angel! Don't you remember? The old Padre's first baseman was Luke Easter.
I should never bet with you, George.
Hey, Pete! Give me one for the road, will you? Yeah.
All right, another dollar says you can't tell me who was center fielder for the LA Angels, late '40s.
Gotcha! Dom Dallesandro! Uh-uh, close, he played left field.
The old center fielder, Cecil Garriott.
Remember, they used to call him the Rabbit? Easy money, Johnson, that's you, huh? Oh, jeez, the Angels were so good in them days.
Shuster at short, Terwilliger at second.
Remember the Twig, huh? (CHUCKLES) (GEORGE CHUCKLES) All right, good night, Johnson.
See you tomorrow.
So long, George.
Drive carefully.
It's six blocks.
I can do that blind! That's how he usually does it, too.
Bird Dog to Home Plate.
MAN: Yeah, Bird Dog.
The Deuce is on the way, right on schedule and looking real good.
Bring him home.
Grunwald? Did you copy? All right, honey.
You're on.
ANNOUNCER ON RADIO: Now we move on to the Angels, bottom half of inning number four in a scoreless game in Anaheim.
Big first baseman, Tony Montoya.
Montoya now swinging a healthy back, completely recovered from knee surgery last winter.
Steve Butler's on the mound for the Royals.
Windup pitch for Montoya.
A slider high and inside.
Been a pitcher's duel so far.
Butler has struck out four, hasn't walked anybody, has allowed but two base runners.
Here's the next pitch on the way (TIRES SCREECHING) Here's the next windup by Butler.
Fastball grounded at third Oop, Bridges bobbles, throws Too late! Montoya's safe on first (CAR HORN BLARING) (HORN BLARES) Jack Finney's on deck.
Nobody out.
The go ahead run now at first base.
Beautiful starry night here at the Big A.
No score, fourth inning.
A check of the runner at first by Butler, the pitch Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, a man with a serious drinking problem sits before you now.
A man with four previous 502 arrests, a man with two previous 502 convictions, a man who was driving without insurance, on a suspended license, with a.
19 blood alcohol count.
The evidence against George Bassett is not only conclusive, it is downright overwhelming.
Maybe if he had gone to jail the last time, Betsy Pruitt would be alive today.
If we are ever going to put a stop to this wanton slaughter on our highways, then the first step is in your capable hands.
There is only one rational verdict, and that is guilty, not of involuntary manslaughter, not even of manslaughter, but guilty as charged, of murder in the second degree.
Murder in the second degree? There's something wrong somewhere.
Look, I have a nose for this kind of thing.
It's my business! Mr.
Rockford, how many times do we have to go through this? There is no reasonable doubt.
Please sit down.
We'll take another vote.
No doubt? I mean, no doubt? Look.
Look.
The natural way to get out of a car would put me in a position with my back to the door, facing the oncoming traffic.
So what? She was hit from behind.
So she saw his headlights at the last minute, turned just before he hit her.
Reflex action I think they call it.
Well, that is a possibility.
It's a good one, too.
JURY FOREMAN: Okay, that's settled.
I think we can safely say that we're going for our final ballot.
Another thing.
Another thing Look If she was getting out of the car to deal with a flat tire, why did she leave the keys in the ignition? Huh? She'd need them to get to the jack.
Well, I doubt that she intended to change it herself.
She was probably gonna knock on a door and use somebody's phone and call the Auto Club.
Then she would take her Auto Club card.
But she didn't, she left it in her purse, which was on the front seat, remember? Hey! Now I don't care if she was standing in the middle of the road nude, juggling little blue and white balls.
Come on, the cretin ran over her.
Now there's no dispute about that.
He ran over her all right.
Then you got no choice but to vote guilty.
Come on! You've already taken up more time than that man's worth.
Oh, is that right? Yeah, that's right! Well, I I have a reasonable doubt.
(SIGHS) And I'm not changing my mind.
(ALL SIGHING) Tough! I'm sorry.
(PEOPLE CHATTERING) Your Honor, I move that a mistrial be declared and that all charges against the defendant be dismissed.
A dismissal would be a grievous injustice to the deceased, Your Honor.
I'm inclined to agree with you, Mr.
Wheeler.
The motion for dismissal is denied.
A new trial date will be set and hopefully, at that time, a jury can be impaneled that will not find itself hopelessly deadlocked by the irresponsible and unyielding decision of one of its members.
A decision, I might add, that I consider an affront to these chambers.
To mock justice and decency with the willful disregard for the Your Honor.
You're out of order, Mr.
Rockford.
Your Honor, in your instructions to the jury, you included the phrase, "Beyond a reasonable doubt.
" There are facts in this case One more word out of you, Mr.
Rockford, and you are in contempt.
I would like to commend the rest of the jury for their time and their diligence in the deliberation of this case.
Court is adjourned.
He's not gonna like this, Al.
He sure isn't.
I don't think that bozo put a bug up anybody's nose, but we'd better keep our eye on this situation.
All right.
ROCKY: (SINGING) In a churchyard near the canyon Where the myrtle doth entwine There grow roses and other posies Fertilized by Clementine I used to hug her Now she's dead, I draw the line Listen, boy scouts Heed the warning to this tragic tale of mine Artificial respiration Could have saved my Clementine ROCKY: Who's there? Supercitizen.
I'm back from the battle-scarred corridors of civic obligation.
Oh, hi, sonny.
I almost didn't hear you come in.
Yeah, well, I would have knocked, but without a door, it seemed rather pointless.
Oh, yeah, I'm taking them off and planing them down.
That front door come off real easy and this door did, but this one here, I'm working on, is a real killer.
Dad, do you mind if I ask you something? Huh? Why? Oh, you're getting that tone in your voice.
Don't you remember last rainy season when the only way you could get these doors open was to kick 'em open and how mad it made you? Yeah, the only trouble with that is when you performed the same surgery over at your place, the doors never did hang right.
They were binding till the guy from A-1 came over and replaced the hinges.
Well, that ain't gonna happen this time.
And besides, it seems to me that anytime a person does something nice for another person, without being asked, then that other person ought to show some small signs of gratitude and not walk around with a nose out of joint first shot out of the box.
Dad, I'm sorry.
I'm really sorry.
It's just partly this jury duty the last couple of weeks.
I've had no cash flow, I had to leave the Collins case hanging fire You don't have to worry about that thing.
The batteries leaked and gummed the whole thing up.
How many times do I have to tell you if you're going away, take the batteries out of the flashlights and radios? Oh, swell! That's just swell! Well, it don't matter anyways.
Mr.
Collins called a couple of days ago.
It was bad news, sonny.
He said he couldn't wait no longer.
He had to go with another detective agency.
Well, Dad, if you had to fix something, why didn't you fix that? Well, now, it seems to me that you're just a little too teed off about your jury duties.
And frankly, it ain't too pleasant to see neither.
It is your duty to accept your responsibilities as a citizen, and it is your privilege to sit on a jury.
It's your God-given right! Dad, I take it seriously.
I just wish I could say the same about my 11 peers.
And since I'm getting this civics lecture, why don't we talk about the last three elections in which you didn't vote? (STAMMERING) Well, the The The first one I had the grip.
Yes, sir! And the second one, that was the presidential election and Don't you remember how it was raining and my tires is bald? You remember everything.
And then the third election Well, you wouldn't want me to tell L.
J.
That I couldn't come to his birthday party, would you? Hello? I'm going back to work.
Oh, Mrs.
Bassett, Mr.
Bassett, come in.
Just have a seat on the couch, if you like.
Mr.
Rockford, we're sorry to barge in on you like this, but we wanted to tell you how grateful we are for what you did.
You saved him from jail.
I think I just postponed it a while.
Not if you'll help us.
You're a private investigator.
You know something, don't you? You saw something that could clear George once and for all? I just couldn't go along with second degree murder, that's all.
They should have tried you for manslaughter.
(SIGHS) See, I told you, Fran.
Let's go, huh? Why wouldn't you go along with it? The rest of the jury did.
Well, Mrs.
Bassett You're the only hope George has.
Oh, come on, Franny, huh? Well, it's the truth, and you might as well face up to it.
Mr.
Rockford's our only real hope now.
Can you tell us now why you held out for not guilty? Oh, mainly because you swore that Betsy Pruitt's back was turned to you.
They couldn't shake you from that.
Yeah, like I said, it all happened so fast, and yet it was kind of in slow motion.
She just sort of floated in front of my car and her back was turned.
Well, nine times out of ten, people will turn to face danger.
It's a reflex action, self-protective.
Are you saying this was a set-up? You went into the same bar every night, The Ramp Bar.
You'd roll in there about 5:00, you would chew the fat till 8:00 or so, by which time you were drunk, and then you would drive on home.
I mean, it's a schedule you could set your watch by.
So maybe you could have been set-up.
And maybe we can find someone with a motive to kill Betsy Pruitt.
Hello.
Can I help you? Yeah, well, the manager sent me up.
I was thinking about renting and she said this unit was gonna become available as soon as some estate is settled.
But, hey, if you're interested, you were here first.
Oh, no, I was just leaving.
Oh, yeah? I don't know, maybe you know how the apartment situation is in this town.
What with the price of houses going up and everything.
Do you have any idea what a two-bedroom and a den goes for over on the West side? Have you any idea how completely full of it you are? What? You're Rockford.
Look, I managed to get to LA the last day of George Bassett's trial, and they pointed you out to me after you hung the jury.
How could you? Well, look, Miss Bonnie Pruitt is my name.
And how dare you come around here after letting that creep get away with killing my sister? Yeah, well, actually, he hasn't gotten away with anything yet.
You better leave, or I'm calling the cops.
Well, now, the fact is, miss, there's a couple of things about your sister's death that just don't add up.
Now.
Look, I think you ought to take it easy.
I'm sorry we had to meet like this.
I bet if you tried, you'd have a very attractive smile.
That's probably one of the most original lines anyone's ever used on me.
Well, it's true.
And there's something else that's true, is that there is something strange about your sister's death.
I came over here looking for some kind of lead.
Would you happen to know anyone who would want to do this to your sister? No.
But then I haven't seen Betsy in over five years.
We weren't very close.
Mom and Dad couldn't stand the thought of going through her things, so I flew out here to take care of it for them.
And I am running a little late, as usual.
Oh, yeah, where are you going? Back to Tulsa.
Tulsa, huh? Did you sell Betsy's car? No, the attorneys must have handled it.
That receipt copy was in her mail.
Oh.
Oh, my plane leaves in two hours.
I'd better call a cab.
Oh, no, I'll drive you.
The cabs are very expensive in LA.
That is if you can even get one.
Now, I would like to go over and take a look at Betsy's car.
Kabalkov is over in Inglewood, isn't that what it says? Okay.
Thanks.
Maybe I should take a look at it, too, and see if we got a fair price.
Jim.
Jim.
I've got a plane to catch.
Just a minute.
There's something here I don't understand.
I found this pebble lodged between the valve and the tire stem And see this door? This door latch is jammed in an open position.
Well, couldn't that have happened during the accident? Well, yeah, it could have, but you see this armrest here? It's got kind of a Well, it looks like a burn, where somebody had looped a rope through it under pressure.
I really don't understand what you're getting at.
Yeah, I'll show you.
Now, let's just assume that I'm not barking at the moon and somebody really wanted to make it look like your sister was killed by a drunk driver, how would I go about it, huh? First, I would park the car and I would get out, help myself to a flat tire, then I'd jam the door latch open.
I'd put Betsy behind the wheel.
She's either unconscious or just been Here, you get in.
You be Betsy.
I've been trying not to be Betsy all my life.
Now, I'm gonna need some rope Yeah, here.
Now I'd get in this side.
Now, close the door.
Oh, oh, yeah, all right, we'll just have to pretend that it is closed.
Here.
Now loop this through the armrest and then give it back to me.
That's right.
Now, if that door were closed, you'd be pinned right up against it, right? Yes.
Jim, what about my plane? Now, all right, it's only gonna be a minute.
Now, you see, timing is crucial.
I'd be working on a On a radio cue, or I'd have that mirror in exactly that position.
Hey, I'm getting into this thing.
Yeah, well, is detective work always like this? No, as a matter of fact, it usually is not anywhere near like this.
Usually, I'm just sitting outside of somebody's house.
But every once in a while, you get one of these physical layout things.
You know, you kind of recharge your battery.
But anyway, anyway, here comes George, right? And just at the right time, one of my cohorts will pull his car out from the curb, making George swerve, and that is my cue to let go of the end of the rope.
The door will fly open with the weight of your body against it as I shove you out.
Oh! I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
Yeah, you know a powerful man, especially if he used both feet instead of his hand, could push you three feet high and four feet out.
George couldn't have missed.
Okay, let's go.
Listen, I have an idea.
Why don't you postpone your trip back to Tulsa? Why? Well, you're Betsy's sister.
You knew her well.
A lot of useful information might occur to you along the way.
No, I really couldn't.
But, I'll sure call you if I do think of anything else.
Bye for now.
He walked in on me.
I had to run a game on him.
What does he know? Well, he doesn't know who or why, but he's sure got how nailed.
Oh, terrific! Was the apartment dirty? Was it! Betsy kept a diary on the whole thing.
I'm just glad I got it packed before he showed.
We gotta do something about him, and fast.
What's his next move? Well, he's going to talk to Betsy's employers tomorrow morning.
Then he's going our way.
MARTIN: I'm afraid that you're talking to the wrong Horvath.
Betsy was my brother's secretary.
Let me just see if he's available.
Arthur, I wonder if you could come in here for a moment, please? Thanks a lot.
I really appreciate it.
The info on the policy app only said Horvath and Horvath.
Yes, Martin.
Arthur, this is Gary Osheroff, he's with Fidelity Mutual.
It seems that poor Betsy had a policy which no one was aware of, and he's got to ask a few questions before they can pay off.
It's just routine.
Background stuff.
It won't take more than five minutes.
All right.
Come this way, please? Thank you very much.
Would you have a seat here, Mr.
Osheroff? I'm afraid you're going to have to excuse the condition of this room.
I have not had a chance to office-break my new secretary.
(CHUCKLES) And it's chaos around here.
Oh, that's perfectly all right.
A messy office is the mark of a busy man.
My office looks just like it.
(CHUCKLES) You know, Betsy's death came as quite a shock to me.
I mean, that was a waste.
I still cannot accept the fact that that maniac escaped conviction, all because of some has-been gumshoe on the jury trying to act like Sherlock Holmes and toot his own tin horn.
Yeah, well, he does seem like a flake.
Yeah, but, you know, in the course of my investigation, I've uncovered a few things that strongly suggest her death wasn't what it appeared to be.
Really? What are you getting at? I think she might have been murdered.
You bet your life she was, by a drunk driver! ON SPEAKER: And as soon as he's convicted, I'll tell you something, we are, on behalf of the family, suing Bassett, The Ramp Bar, and that bartender.
Ah, you're going to be very busy.
Yeah, but I don't think that Bassett is completely responsible, and if it wasn't an accidental death, my company's position is going to be somewhat modified, payment-wise.
You know, Mr.
Osheroff, I was very familiar with Betsy's financial affairs, and I don't seem to recall any policy issued by Fidelity Casual.
Well, it was a recent one.
That's the reason for our suspicions.
You know, at first we suspected the beneficiary, Betsy's sister, she lives out of state.
BONNIE: That sounds like Rockford! Betsy doesn't have a sister.
I think we better pull this guy's drapes.
Medium height, kind of reddish hair? She has a very attractive smile.
She's very attractive.
Lives in Tulsa, name's Bonnie.
I'm afraid you have your wires crossed, Betsy was from Michigan.
(PHONE BUZZES) Excuse me just a minute.
Yes, Martin, what is it? Rockford? Oh, yeah, look, I can explain this.
I don't know what your game is, Mr.
Rockford, but I'm gonna report you to the D.
A.
Now you get out of here! Yeah, well that seems like very sound legal advice.
Yeah.
All right, you better put that thing down and get out of my car.
My name is Ed Chandler, and I'm connected in this city, all the way up to the Mayor's office.
Well, you're about to be connected to some weights that are going off Point Mugu.
Hey, you guys got the wrong man! I'm a cop! Really, I'm a deputy chief.
You're a fourth-rate PI.
Well, let me take a shot in the dark.
Bonnie Pruitt told you that, right? Don't know any Bonnies.
Get in.
Yeah, that's probably not her real name anyway.
Any woman who wouldn't stick around to help clear her own sister's death Divorce or no divorce, I really have to learn to listen to those little voices I hear.
That's between you and them.
Personally, I don't even know what you're talking about.
Yeah, well, either she was in this car, or you both wear the same perfume, Mary.
Shut up! One false move out of you and I'll blow your head off.
(SIGHS) Well, I'll tell you guys, I guess I better level with you.
You know, I wouldn't even be in this whole thing if it wasn't for this guy Bassett.
Hey, really, really, I did some checking on this lush.
You're not going to believe it, this guy is worth over a million and a half bucks! Yeah, he's like one of these guys you read about in the paper.
You know, he lives in a little hole-in-the-wall like a squirrel.
He's got all this money and nobody knows it.
Well, you're not gonna believe what I found out.
I guess I could share this with somebody if really had to, but you gotta promise me one thing.
Look out! (TIRES SCREECHING) (ROCKFORD RUNNING) Hey, you all right, man? Check this ride out! Hey, you got a driver's license? Now, wait Wait a minute! (ALL CLAMORING) Just Hey, hey.
It's a little accident.
ROCKFORD: It was a big accident.
I didn't even have a chance to get their license number.
I would have gone to the cops, but I didn't have a whole lot of proof, so as soon as I picked up my car, I called you.
I figured you'd want to know.
Do you have any idea who's behind it? No, but whoever it is, is trying to cover their tracks with a backhoe.
If they don't reopen their investigation soon, there's not gonna be any evidence left.
(SIGHS) I seriously doubt if it'll be reopened, Mr.
Rockford, and the new trial's been set for next Wednesday.
Can't you get a continuance? I'll try.
But George Bassett was voted example of the month, and the D.
A.
's office is going for the throat.
I even feel a little sorry for poor Norman.
Poor Norman? The prosecutor.
It was supposed to be a lock, and he's really been on the carpet for blowing it.
I'm lucky you were on the jury.
Well, I'm not.
I mean, I've been on a thousand complex cases, but this one has just too many slamming doors and mean people! NORMAN: I heard you were in the building.
I also heard from Arthur Horvath that you were "on the case," whatever that means.
Seems self-explanatory.
How dare you hang a jury on me, then turn around and work the case? Now, wait just a minute, Norman.
He has an interesting theory, and I think you should listen to it.
Rockford, I may not be able to get you for jury tampering, I may not be able to get you for obstructing justice, but I can get your PI ticket pulled in 60 seconds flat! Which is how long you have to get out of the building and off the case! Is that clear? (DOOR SLAMS) There, you see? Another slamming door.
Hey! Mr.
Rockford! Wait up! You're not dropping the case, are you? Well, I don't have much choice.
Either I lose my life or I lose my license.
I'm sorry, Karen.
It just isn't worth it.
What isn't worth it? George Bassett? Oh, come on now, don't put that on me.
I'm sorry.
But you do think he's innocent, don't you? He's an unwitting accomplice.
Which makes him innocent.
Look, I'm a public defender, and my caseload includes a lot of people that the system is really ripping off.
And I was bugged that I even got assigned such a deserving loser as George Bassett.
I mean, I really believed he was guilty.
You put up a good defense.
No.
He got due process and that's all.
Look, what I'm trying to say is, I'd like to help you on this.
We could work together.
You could lose your job.
If I can lose my job for trying to prove my client's innocence, then it isn't worth much.
You could lose your life.
With you around? I gotta tell you, Karen, I am nowhere on this thing.
Will you stick with it? CORBETT: You sure this is the place? Yeah.
29, Cove Road.
Okay.
How's it handle? Oh, no guts.
Lousy front end.
The mechanic really worked it over.
Perfect! Now, let's go get good old George Bassett and put this thing on ice once and for all.
I knew Mr.
Rockford would come through.
Franny! This lady works for Mr.
Rockford.
He's cracked the case.
He wants to see me at The Ramp right away! Mr.
Rockford didn't have a secretary.
I'm not his secretary, Mrs.
Bassett.
I'm one of his operatives.
He sent me out to pick up your husband so he can verify his theory of time relative to the distance ratio.
And I am running a little late.
What're we waiting for? But you remember what the judge said when he granted bail.
Are you really sure you ought to be going to a bar? Franny, there's nothing to worry about.
I've been on the wagon a whole nine days now! (HINGES SQUEAKING) Come on.
Hey, watch it! Get me out of here! (GRUNTING) Jim, what is Don't ask.
I'll tell you one thing, though, if my dad wasn't such a lousy handyman, I'd have an air-conditioned head.
Who is that? Oh, it's one of the guys that jumped me in the underground garage.
Let's see if we can get him inside.
Help me.
Come on, Mary.
Here we go.
(MUSIC PLAYING ON STEREO) I sure never thought I'd be sitting in this place drinking coffee.
What do you think has happened to Mr.
Rockford? Oh, he had to pick up Mr.
Noble first, Mr.
Rockford's chief operative, and then they were going to the D.
A.
's office to try and convince Wheeler to come here for the demonstration.
I sure owe that man a lot.
Mr.
Rockford? BARMAN: Is there a Bonnie in here? Yes! Excuse me.
Here you go.
Hello.
Yeah, we've been here ten minutes.
Look, I can't handle him alone, now get over here! He won't drink the coffee.
He wants another bourbon.
Okay.
Make it fast.
Double bourbon, please.
Oh, go a little easy on it, honey.
This isn't our first stop.
That was Mr.
Rockford.
And? He did it, Mr.
Bassett.
He convinced the D.
A.
To open a new investigation.
You mean I'm out of it? I'm out of this mess? You're on your way.
Phew.
Oh, the D.
A.
Said you'd have to do a couple of weeks in detox.
Well, that's great 'cause I'm not drinking anyway.
Well, I am! I know what Mr.
Rockford went through to pull this off.
Yeah.
Believe me, it's a real triumph.
He and Mr.
Noble will be over in a few minutes, and they'll explain all the details.
But, as far as I'm concerned, the celebration starts right now.
(CHUCKLES) Oh, I'm sorry.
I didn't think.
Oh, no, that's all right.
It really doesn't bother me.
Honest.
Are you sure? Yeah.
I'm sure.
(CHUCKLES) Let me out! Let me out! Who killed Betsy Pruitt? Let me out! I can't breathe! Who killed Betsy Pruitt? You know, Gene Krupa was always a big idol of mine when I was a kid.
I'm pretty sure that I remember some of those great licks.
I think Cherokee went something like this.
Cut it out! Cut it out! I swear I'll kill you! And then there was Stompin' At The Savoy, remember that? I'm getting sick! I'm gonna throw up! Then who killed her? (GROANING) Al Corbett.
All right.
Here we go.
(GASPING) (COUGHS) Now, what was Betsy, the lookout at The Off Ramp Bar, huh? Do you want to wear that thing again No, no, no, no! until your memory comes back? No, I was the lookout.
She drove the other car that forced him to swerve.
She also did the research to find the perfect drunk for it.
But it was Corbett who planned it all.
For Horvath.
Horvath, huh? What did he have against his secretary? No, no.
Not him.
We're working for the older brother, Martin.
He keeps Corbett's PI firm on retainer.
We do all kinds of things for him, odd jobs All right, all right, but what did Martin have against Arthur's secretary? And make it fast, huh? I'm getting the urge to play Big Noise from Winnetka.
She was having an affair with Arthur.
Well, anyway, the affair went sour and she started blackmailing him.
That's when Martin called Corbett in and they decided to kill her.
Now that's it! Honest! That's all! Why was she blackmailing Arthur? I don't know! I swear I don't know! Corbett probably does.
Where's Corbett? He's with George Bassett by now.
They're gonna take him to The Ramp Bar, get him drunk and kill him.
I gotta get over there.
Oh, look, I hate to say this, but that wasn't the most admissible confession I've ever witnessed.
Confession? What confession? I haven't confessed to anything! You know how to handle a gun? Point and shoot, right? That's right.
If he gets salty, you get on the phone, call the police.
They'll be here to pick this turkey up in five minutes.
Are you sure this doesn't bother you, Mr.
Bassett? Oh, yeah, I'm sure.
Well, I'll have one little pull with you.
I mean, what would that hurt, right? Right.
No! I'm sorry, it's just I I've I got a real problem with this and I gotta face it.
I'm not gonna face it right here, so I better leave.
Oh Mr.
Noble, what happened? Where's Mr We got some real big trouble.
What do you mean trouble? Where's Mr.
Rockford? We were jumped! They know Rockford's the only one who can testify against them.
What've they done to him? Said they were gonna take him up to Decker's Point, get rid of him.
Who did? We better call the cops! I did! They said they'll roll a unit, but I don't know how long it'll take 'em.
There's a 40-car pileup on the Foothill Freeway.
And they probably won't be able to spring a unit for at least an hour.
Well, we gotta do something! What? Well, I'll tell you the truth, pal.
I got a wife and a couple of kids, you know? Oh, sure.
I'll go myself.
No, you stay put, I'll go.
How many were there and what are they driving? Three or four in a big, green car.
That's all I need to know.
You should have stopped him.
He's in no condition to be driving.
But you heard him.
He's driving up to Decker's Point.
You should have stopped him.
Has George Bassett been in here today? Who? He was sitting over there with a couple of people.
Just left.
Do you know where they went? Well, he was on some kind of a toot, driving up to Decker's Point.
Do you have a phone I can use? Yeah, sure.
Um Come on, come on! Hey, Dennis, this is Jim.
There's gonna be a killing up at Decker's Point.
Now I want you to call the nearest station and get somebody up there as soon as you can, and I mean soon! I'll try to stall them as long as I can.
Yeah, right.
Thanks, pal.
CORBETT: There he is.
We'll nail him when he hits the crest.
There's a bottle in the glove compartment.
He'll just be another drunk in a canyon.
Okay, let's drop-kick this deuce into the next canyon.
BONNIE: It didn't go over! CORBETT: I know.
One more push ought to do it.
(CAR DOORS CLOSING) Let's go! (BONNIE SCREAMS) (POLICE SIRENS WAILING) (CHATTERING ON POLICE RADIO) Easy, George.
I'll help you.
ROCKFORD: Arthur Horvath got so mad when he heard Martin had his girlfriend killed, he hasn't stopped talking since.
Well, why was she blackmailing Martin? Martin handled the legal work for a ring of professional thieves.
When Betsy Pruitt found out about it, Martin called in Corbett for a little preventive homicide.
(SCOFFS) Nice guys.
Oh, Mr.
Rockford, before we go, about your fee Oh, hey, hey, don't worry.
You'll pay me, I'll see to that, but after you get your life a little more reorganized.
Well, you saved my bacon, mister, and I'm grateful.
Yeah, I know, George.
No, I mean it.
I'm never gonna touch another drop as long as I live.
One day at a time, huh? Well, that's what they say at the meetings.
One day at a time.
You're a saint.
Thank you for all you've done.
George is very grateful.
Fran's right.
Well, we'll say goodbye, and thanks for coming over.
Thank you.
Good night, George.
My dad fixed the door.
(CHUCKLES) Thanks again.
One day at a time, George.
Nice people, really.
Yeah, they are.
You know something, I deal with juries all the time, and a lot of jurors are really vacant in the courtroom.
Well, they're thinking about something else.
To find someone like you who really takes jury duty seriously, it's a pretty rare thing.
Well, you know, it's a couple of weeks out of your life.
It's no big deal.
When you think about it, you know people's lives are being decided down in that courtroom.
(SIGHS) If I could tell you the number of people who try to weasel out of it Boy, you know, I think that really stinks.
Hey, you know, I'm hungry.
I could go for dinner, a couple of cocktails.
How about you? Well, thank you.
I think that would be very nice.
All right, all right.
Hey, do you like football? I got a couple of tickets to the UCLA game on Saturday.
Ah, my alma mater.
Actually, I hate football Oh.
but it might be very nice also.
ROCKY: Oh, sonny! You're on.
Sonny! Oh, yeah, Dad.
Open the door.
Hey.
Yeah, hey, come Oh, give me it.
Give me that.
Come on in.
Oh, Dad, this is Karen Hathaway.
This is my dad, Joseph Rockford.
Hi.
Karen was the public defender on George Bassett's case.
Oh, is that so? They were nice folks.
I'm glad it turned out okay for them.
Hey, what's with the toolbox? Well, I was down at the Do-Right Builder's supply and I seen they was having a sale on these here smoke detectors.
(STAMMERING) Did you get the new hinges? Oh, no, they didn't have the right size.
You know, I was talking to a salesman down there, and he was telling me how people are always getting trapped by the flames.
Burned in their bed or overcome by smoke.
So I got four of them.
These two are for you and I got two for me.
Dad, I really don't want any of these smoke detectors.
I mean, really, the place is too small.
I'm gonna cook bacon over there, they're both gonna go off.
Did Jim here ever tell you how he almost didn't sit on that jury? No.
(LAUGHING) Oh, he was screaming like a banshee.
He was telling about all the important work he couldn't give up, and, of course, there was that fishing trip, too.
Dad, now there's something I want to tell you.
Are you listening to me? Can I get your attention? I do not want any holes in the ceiling.
Do you hear me? But Jim here, he tried to get a note from his doctor saying it would be bad for his back sitting in a jury box.
(LAUGHING) An old war injury.
Yeah, well, I do have a bad back from Korea.
I mean, there's nothing strange about that.
Oh, how terribly awful for you.
'Course, when he did find out that he was gonna have to sit in the jury anyway, you should have been here to hear the yelling.
He was stomping around and kicking the bureau and Yeah, Karen, you want to go? The restaurant up the highway is gonna be jammed.
Oh, do you really think we should? I mean, I'd hate to think of your suffering in a booth with your back in that condition.
It don't bother him, really.
It don't bother him at all.
He got it falling out of the back end of a truck in school.
That's how he got it.
'Course, what really turned Jim around was when I explained to him how his very own ancestors fought and struggled for others to have the right to vote.
Why, do you know that Josiah Rockford, that's Jim's great uncle, he was even wounded in the Spanish-American War fighting for the rights of others to vote and sit on juries and so forth like that? Now, of course, if you can't vote because (BEEPING)