03x05 - Drought at Indianhead River

[bunniefuu]

Now, who'd want to k*ll me?

You want the names
alphabetically
or in order of importance?

He's gonna end up
in the flower business,
as a soil additive.

Now, you keep monkeying around
with those fellows that are
in trouble with the law

and some of that trouble's
gonna rub off on you.

(POLICE SIREN WAILING)

I guess we're
going down, huh?

You make any noise
and Skipper, here,
parks a b*llet in your head.

The cops.
There's supposed to be cops.
Where are the cops?

Come on, cop.

(TIRES SCREECHING)

(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.. Jim, thanks for
taking little Billy fishing.
He had a great time.

It turns out he wasn't even
really seasick.

Have you ever had
chicken pox?

(SIGHS)

Well, thanks for lunch, David.

My pleasure.

Well, I guess now is
as good a time as any, Jim.

What?

I'm remembering
last Wednesday

you having a couple of
fleabags which was...

How do you say?

Ran out of the money.

(SPEAKING ITALIAN)

How's the book going?

Just like
last year's Belmont.

We've been laying off
half our action
on East Coast.

Except for you
and two or three
of my old clients,

I don't write the action
anymore, I administrate.

I'm upwardly mobile.

You're also related.

That, too.

(CAR APPROACHING)

Hey, David, have you seen
Angel Martin around?

I haven't seen him
in the last three months.

He d*ed.

When?
Tomorrow.

Wednesday, at the latest.

I'll see you, Jim.

Hey, where's Angel?

Oh. He moved out.

He's living
at the Sunset Arms Apartment,
top floor.

He got a penthouse.

I'm selling his stuff
on consignment.
I get to keep 20o/o.

How's business?

Those are my first
real prospects all day.

They're not buying anything.

They're cops.

Look, if I were you,
I would give
some serious thought

to the idea that
some of this stuff
might be stolen.

Hey, did you go look at it?
Did you see what I mean?

NORMA: I'm a decorator,
I don't go look at sets

in the Hollywood Wax Museum
and copy them.

Listen, Manny,
have I ever before said no?

I mean, not even that freak
from Detroit last year,

the aluminum siding guy.

Yeah, I know Dom set it up,
but this guy is a bug.

Come on, Manny.

Look, how about Vicki
or Clarise.

Clarise said she was just
messing around this week.

Is this Angel Martin's place?

Is it ever.

Okay, Manny,
I'm saying it, no!

I wouldn't take this trick
if you threw in the whole
St. Laurent collection.

I'll send you a bill
for my time.

Hey, Angel.

Hey, babe.

Angel, I got to talk to you.
Later, later.

Hey.
How you doing, babe?

This is sweet pea.

This pad is gonna be a gas.

But it's moving a little
too fast.

You're gonna run into
a case of the big ''O.''

Like, over extended.

Angel...
Oh, yeah. I'd like you
to meet somebody.

Brad Charlette,
this is...

Jim.
Jim Rockford,
yeah, yeah.

Hi, puss.

Listen, you got
the qualifications
for what you do, okay.

But I just don't think
I'm gonna need anybody
in your capacity.

You got a chauffeur's license?
I need a driver, Jim.
Look...

Angel, I think you better
talk to me.

And it can't wait.
It's a matter of
life or death. Yours.

Yeah. Dig it, dig it.
Listen, I was just leaving.
It's okay.

Hey, babe.

You know, I don't think
we're gonna need
the floor downstairs.

I looked at it,
but you've got plenty of room
up here, so...

We won't need
the elevator.

Hey, wait a minute.
Man, I want the elevator.

Look, we're gonna have
a meeting with Tony at 5:00.

We'll run it by him.

All right. But you tell him
that I want the elevator.

They got one like that
at Marineland.

Right...
It's got a little aquarium.

I need that elevator.
It's got neon lights.

You turn them on and off,
and the fish change colors.

When you're going up,
I like company in an elevator.

Will you shut up, Angel?

Don't do that, Jim.

What?

Don't talk to me like that.

And I don't go
by Angel anymore.

Well, just who are you,
the Arch Duke of Guacamole?

Angelo.

Angelo.

Just call me Angelo.
Or babe.

Yeah, well, I picked up
a rumor I think you ought
to know about.

I'm having lunch with these
two gentlemen at LaRue.

Would you like
to tell me there?

That looks like
my old toaster.

It is.

(ANGEL LAUGHS)

Now who'd want to k*ll me?

Do you want the names
alphabetically
or in order of importance?

David told you that, huh?
That's right.

I don't like him.

Look, Angel.

Angelo.

Or babe. See, Angel,
it's not an important name.

Okay, I delivered the message.

If you don't want
to take it seriously,
that's fine with me.

Wait a minute.
Wait, wait, Jim, Jim.

Now, listen to me,
listen to me.

David is just jealous,
that's all it is to it.

You see, he's running around
making his little book

and I'm into
millions of dollars.

And that's what happens,
when you hit the big time,

people get jealous of you.

It's a lesson
I've had to learn it.

It's tough, it's tough.

I'll bet you, even you're
a little bit jealous,
aren't you?

Monsieur.

What is going on?

I hit it this time,
didn't I, Jimmy?
Didn't I hit it?

(LAUGHS) Did you see
the pad I got, huh?

I'm gonna go through
to the floor below,

and I'm gonna put
in my elevator.

You remember that movie
with Al Capone?

That great big pad he had
on the South Side of Chicago,

and Frank Nitti came
over there

and he told Big AI
that he wanted him out
and he's gonna take over.

And Al,
he just throws him out.
Do you remember that?

Yeah, I think I saw it.

Well, I'm gonna have a pad
just like Al had.

Except Al had these
kind of oil paintings.

I'm gonna do it
a little differently in there.

I'm gonna get me some
telephones everywhere.

Suitcase, drawer,
bathroom, car.

All I'm gonna have to do
is go like that

and there'll be
telephones in my fingers.

Telephone, please.

Well, sir, there is no
phone jack at this table.
I'm sorry.

It's not bad.

They'll get one.
They'll get one.

ROCKFORD:
Angel, for the last time.

What is going on?

I'm into property, Jim.

But when I say property,
I mean with a capital ''P.''

Real estate.

I'm 60o/o owner of
the Indian Head River
Land Development Company.

How did that happen?

Brad says that I got this,
like, natural talent
for real estate.

Imagine that. All these years
here I've been working
the low-angle cons

trying to b*at the bobtails,

in the back of my subconscious
is like this

giant talent for real estate.

Yeah, well, Angel,
if I were you,
I would be careful.

You see, I think David knows
what he's talking about.

He's moving up in the family
and he has good information.

All right.

Okay, Jim,
I'll tell you what you do.

I'll make a call, you see?

But my partners are big.
David calls them ''sir.''

And you call them ''babe''.

Don't laugh.

I thank you for the tip,
but I'm cool.

From now on,
everything's coming my way.

Yeah, well,
speaking of that,

here comes
your toaster again.

Check!

(PHONE RINGING)

Hello.

Jim, thank God I got you.
I've been calling
all afternoon.

Oh, David,
I was just gonna call you.

I can't talk, man.
I gotta make this quick.

What I told you
this afternoon about Angel
was a big mistake.

You got that, Jim?
You and me,
we talked about horses,

Ferraris and girls.

And we never said
anything about Angel
or his coming departure.

David, just what's going on?

Plenty.

You get me off this hook
I'm on, I'll treat you right.

I gotta go.

(PHONE RINGING)

Hello.

Yeah. I'd like to speak
to Angel, please.

He's not here.

This is Jim Rockford.
I'd like to leave
a message for Angel.

Would you tell him to
call me when he comes in?
It's important.

I don't take messages, honey.

Hey, Angel's not home.

I guess we're
going down, huh?

You make any noise
and Skipper, here,
parks a b*llet in your head.

DANNY:
You play golf, Rockford?

ROCKFORD: I play anything
you want me to.

No toys, no trouble.

I'm Dominic Marcon,
Davy's uncle.

This is Lance,
our club pro.

Hey, Lance,
I got a good idea.

Why don't you drop out
a couple of holes?

Let Mr. Rockford pick up
your game for you.

We're on five,
Lance is five over.

20 a hole, 20 a point.
Is that okay with you?

I couldn't argue with that.

So you and my nephew, David,
are buddy-buddy, right?

Well, David writes
some of my action.

I'm an old customer,
Mr. Marcon.

Hey, Dom, right?

Out here on the gold course
there are no formalities.

Everybody's equal.

It's a time when there are
no big sh*ts, no buttons.

I mean, Tony or Lance,
or anybody,

they take me down at golf,
I smile.

I say that's life.

(SPEAKING ITALIAN)

Hey, Jim,

are you familiar
with this golf course?

No, I'm not.
Okay.

If you get any distance
on your driver,
you cut across that dog-leg.

You're gonna
pick yourself up a sh*t.

Thanks. Thanks a lot.

Hey, Phil, watch this.

(MAN COUGHS)

Now,
that's some kind of stroke.

You see what
I'm doing, Jimmy?

I'm giving my nephew,
David, a kind of
physical examination.

But first, I wanna
check him out completely

so that I can make sure
exactly where he's at.

It's a routine.

It's like I wanna know
what he's up to,

what he talks about.

But most of all,
I wanna know,
can he be trusted?

Oh, I think so, Dom.
I trust him.

Hey, that's good.

'Cause, right now,
I'm gonna trust you

to tell me everything
he told you at lunch today.

Why don't you ask David?

I already did,
and I got it on tape.

Now, I ask you,
and I want everything
to come out the same.

That way I know
if he can be trusted.

You see, when we make
these checkups,

we gotta make sure
that all the reports tally.

It's good hospital procedure.

Yeah, well,
we talked about the horses

and about a guy
down in Orlando, Florida
that we both know.

My ball.

All right,
nice, nice sh*t.

So what else?

Well, we talked about
some girls,

and then we talked
about the new car
David was gonna buy,

and then we split up.

David told me
the other thing
you discussed.

The big thing.

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

You're holding out on me,
Jim, and I don't like that.

We're trusting each other.

And when I trust a guy
I expect him to tell me
the truth.

If he doesn't, he's gonna
end up in the flower business,
as a soil additive.

You forgot to tell me
about that water hazard.

There's all kinds of
water hazards
in Los Angeles, Jimmy.

There's the ocean,
there's the river.

I even heard of a guy
who fell in the main t*nk
at Sea World.

Now, if I was you,
I'd drop a new ball,

take a penalty.

Oh, I can stand the penalty.

It's the threats
I don't like.

There's a lot of things
in life we don't like.

And I'm gonna ask you
one more time,

I wanna hear about
the other thing David
discussed with you.

I want the whole story.

There's nothing else.

All right, Jim.
I'm gonna let it go this time.

But I promise you,
if I find out you're lying

I'm gonna have to
settle the score.

And I always
keep my promises.

You seem to be chock-full
of redeeming qualities.

(LAUGHS)

You're a funny man, Jimmy.

You gonna get in the water
and look for your ball?

I think I'll take the penalty.

This is close enough.

I got a three.
Tony's got a three.
How're you and Jim doing?

I'm a two.
Jim's a three.

Hey, don't we
finish off the game?

No, we pick up here
and go over to
the seventh tee.

You owe 40 bucks.

Maybe we'll
square it up later.

Depends on whether or not
you stay healthy.

Get in.

That's the damndest golf game
I ever played.

We never finish out
the fifth green
or six or seven.

They run next to the freeway.
Somebody could get sh*t.

He...

He's a real breath
of stale air, isn't he?

He's a winner,
what are you,
Mr. Rockford?

I'll let you know.

ROCKY: Hi, Jim.

What's wrong?

I had a bad golf game.

(LAUGHS)
Oh, come on, now.

What's wrong?
You're not gonna get
all stewed up like that

over a silly golf game,
are you?

I got a problem, Dad.

Well, tell it to me.

I had lunch with
David Marcon today and...
Hey.

Now, I told you
about that guy.
He's a crook.

Now, you keep monkeying around
with those fellows that are
in trouble with the law

and some of that trouble's
gonna rub off on you.

Yeah. Point's becoming
very clear to me, like Angel.

Hey, did you hear
about old Angel?

He called me up
yesterday.

He wants me to
go to work for him.

He saw some cabinet work
I did on my own place.

He wants me to work for him,
make him some fancy frames

for some of them
new paintings he's bought.

Hey, look, Dad, I don't want
you to go to work over there.

I think somebody's
trying to k*ll him.

Angel?
Yeah.

He bought all
that land up there
at Indianhead River,

he's gonna develop it,
that's all.

Yeah, well, you're not
gonna go to work for him
and that's final.

Now, look here,
I don't mind the suggestion,

but I'm fighting the tone.

All right. Please?

(LAUGHS)

I don't like them
old paintings much, anyway.

You know, they're
all that funny stuff,

the landscapes painted
on velvet.

Naked girls on velvet
and they change color
in the light.

It's the kind of stuff
you get in a carnival.

Yeah, I guess art's
a mighty personal thing,
though anyway.

Well, I appreciate it anyway.

Hey, listen,
what are you gonna do?

I don't know. I guess
I'll just get hold of David,
blow him clean.

At least, then I'll know
what's going on.

This one's going down.
Take the next one, Chief.
Come on.

(TIRES SCREECHING)

DAVID: What does Uncle Dom
want with me?

Uncle Dom, how are you?

I don't know, Davy.

Maybe I'm lousy.

You know, Davy, sometimes,
when things go wrong,

I got to go down
to St. Mark's

and I get down
on my knees

and I talk to your father.

There is a bond between us
that can't be separated by

six feet of compacted soiI
and a marble marker.

You are his son.

I treated you well,
didn't I?

Uncle Dom,
you don't have to...
Is it true or isn't?

Yes, sir.

That's good.

So, maybe it's time
you begin to earn

what I already
give you for nothing.

Anything you want
me to do, sir, I'll do it.

This afternoon I asked you
if you blabbed to anybody

about our plans
for Angel Martin,
you said no.

It's true, I didn't.

Well, somebody did,

because Angel called Brad.

He said he heard a rumor
that somebody was
gunning for him.

Brad said
where did you hear
that from.

He said Rockford.

This afternoon you had
lunch with Rockford.

I swear, Uncle Dom, I don't
discuss company business
with outsiders.

You know, Davy,

sometimes when you
got a secret, it's fun.

Just to tell somebody,
see what kind of a reaction
it will get.

I would never...

Two years,
I've been setting it up.

Brad finds this guy
three months ago,
he's a perfect dodo.

Five million dollars
to the company,

if we don't louse it up.

So, if somebody was
to talk about the hit,

the pigeon was to fly.

That's gonna be
a major disaster.

I didn't tell Jim anything.

Angel's a creep.
I've done business with him.

He must owe money
to 15 or 20 people.

If there's a rumor that
somebody's gonna k*ll him,

maybe it's a shark
talking tough
or some guy he stiffed.

Probably has
nothing to do with this.

Okay.

You're my brother's son,

I'm not gonna challenge you.

But I got to
take precautions.

Whatever you want me to do.

k*ll Angel Martin.

k*ll him?

Yeah.

You see, Davy,
I think you told Rockford.

But only you will be able
to know whether you did
or you didn't.

And only you can judge
the risk for us.

So I'll throw this
in your hands.

You do it or you're gonna
lose everything.

But, Uncle Dom, l...

My father,
may he rest in peace,

he k*lled a man in a dispute
over a wheelbarrow
full of vegetables.

Your father and me,
we k*ll to protect
what he gave us!

Okay.

But in the meantime,

it's important that Angel
or Rockford don't go to
the police.

'Cause if they do,
we're finito.

You understand that?
We're finished.

But how do I manage that?
Don't worry about that.

I got a plan for that.

Sammy's gonna back you up.
He's gonna make sure that
everything goes all right.

You got 10 hours.

(WOMAN CHATTERING
ON POLICE RADIO)

Where were you?
On the 1 4th floor.

Mr. Martin's got
lots of art up there

and I'm supposed
to keep an eye on it

till his place is redecorated
and the alarms are in.

You heard a disturbance?

Yeah, a big beef, you know.

I mean, Mr. Martin yelling,
whacking the broad around.

What about the other guy?

I don't know his name.
But then the door flew open

and Mr. Martin
and the tall, dark-haired guy
come running out.

I duck into
the janitor's closet,
they get in the elevator,

I run downstairs,

I get to the parking area just
in time to see them pull away.

I get the license number
then I went back up
and found the girI's body.

See if they got a make
on that car.

Yes, sir.

Is she a working girI?

Yeah. So, it ain't no reason
to k*ll her.

Sarge, here's the guy that
the car was registered to.

See if the lieutenant wants
to try for a warrant.

Thought those plates
were familiar.

(KNOCKING ON DOOR)

Oh, Angel.
Hey, where you been?
I've been looking for you.

Jimmy, I think you're right,
man. I mean,
they're all denying it,

but things are beginning
to add up.

I mean, why all that
life insurance?

I mean, you know,
what I mean?
What insurance?

My question exactly.
But, man, they got me covered
like a filly with the flu.

I didn't know about this,
you see, and then I get this
call from this guy...

Talmadge Mutual, he didn't
know it's me, you know.

And he's talking about me
like I'm already dead.

Well, I say something
to Brad about it, and Brad
gives me this snow job.

And get this, Jimmy,
nobody wants to ride
in my car with me, huh?

What about that,
you know what I mean?

I mean, my chauffeur,
he spent so much time looking
in the rearview mirror,

I think he got his head
on backwards.

I was supposed to have dinner
at LaRue's with Fast Harry,
Little Mo...

Who?
Some real estate guys.
Business associates.

And suddenly...
I'm like Typhoid Mary.

All I know is somebody,
somewhere sure stops
trading in my stock.

Angel, oh, Angel,
slow down, will you?

Slow down? Man, I got
the whole mob looking for me
with Tommy g*ns.

I just had to run.
I slipped into some rags
and I just dove for cover.

Yeah, well,
it's a nice choice.

You look something like
Prince Philip
at Churchill Downs.

What are you,
the fashion editor
on the parolees' pick at you?

Okay, Angel, look.

I got a few questions
of my own.

Now, why don't you give me
the facts on this big
real estate k*lling?

Look, Jimmy,
it's not that I'm trying
to avoid your questions,

I just got this
overriding interest
in trying to stay alive.

You know what I mean?
I think these bozos are trying
to flush me down the drain.

What I don't know is why?

(TIRES SCREECHING)

Who is that?
I don't know.

What are we gonna do?

Take this and get in there.
What are we gonna do?

When I yell,
''Let me get my coat,''
you come out f*ring.

I'll hit the deck.
Jimmy, I don't like g*ns,
you know that.

I mean, I don't mind
holding it,

but sh**ting, that goes
against my very core nature.

You don't have to hit anybody.
Just create a diversion.

(KNOCKING ON DOOR)

How you doing, Jim?
Can I talk to you?

Yeah, come in.

I'm kind of jammed up
on account of what I let
slip this afternoon.

Yeah, what's that?

Where's Angel?
I don't know.

Come on.
I know you went to see him.

Now he's running
around punching alarms.
I gotta find him.

Listen, David...

Oh. Come on, pal. Really.

Ten years I've been
on a gravy train, Jim.

Tonight I got
a whole new look at things.

My grandfather k*lled
some guy for a wheelbarrow
of vegetables

and he parlayed that noble act
into a fortune.

How's that for
family heritage?

David, what's going on?

Things get complicated, Jim.

I gotta take Angel.

And once it all unravels,
you're gonna know
why he was hit

and that's gonna
cost my people a lot.

So you gotta take
the gaff, too.

I'm sorry. I don't like this,
but I got no choice.

You're not a k*ller, David.

We're going to have to see
if I am or not.

Let's go.

Let me get my coat.
You won't need one.

Let me get my coat.

I said forget it.
Let's go!

Oh, David, David.

(g*n f*ring)

(ENGINE STARTING)

(TIRES SCREECHING)

I didn't hear you, Jimmy.

I mean, you gonna give
a code word, you gotta
shout it out.

Get out of here.
Listen, I have
trouble with my ears.

The doc said something
about a ruptured disc.

That's in your back.

Yeah, well, it's been
affecting my hearing.

MAN ON RADIO..
Two x-ray, zebra,
pick up on 187 P.C.

Two male Caucasians,
a possible location,
at 29 Cove Road.

Suspects named
Angel Evelyn Martin,

five-eleven, medium build,
black and black.

James Rockford.
Six-two, black and brown.
Medium build.

Suspects wanted
in the m*rder of
Delores Townsend.

(SIREN WAILING)
Two x-ray, zebra,
your call is code two,

any available units
respond and backup.

ANGEL: It's a ways.

ROCKFORD:
How much further
is this place?

Could you fill it up,
please.

Full service.

Look, Angel, just where is
this big land deal. Huh?

Well, see now, Jimmy,
in real estate,

you don't actually
have to see the dirt.

The important thing is like
cost projections, escrow,
interest...

See, interest is the real key
to a land deal, you see.

Terms like that,
you just wouldn't understand.

What I don't understand,
Angel,

is how come you can't
give me directions.

Well, I've never
seen it before.

Let me have
a small jalapeño pizza.

Just a coke, please.

Let me get this straight.

You and Brad Charlette
got together

and Brad told you
all about this Indianhead
Land Development.

And that Tony Christiani
and Dominic Marcon
developed this deaI

and are counting on the water
from the Indianhead River,
is that right?

Exactly.
You're getting the hang of
this real estate deal, Jimmy.

You see, what these two
honchos didn't know is

the State of California
was planning on damming up
the Indianhead river,

diverting the water
to Los Angeles.

Well, here they got
all their dough

and the deaI
ain't got enough water
to make lemonade.

And then Brad Charlette
just plucks you out

of whatever seedy bar
you're currently
hanging out in

and offers you a chance
to cut yourself in.

Listen, Jimmy, you can
talk down the deaI
all you want to

but I don't see you living
in any penthouse apartment.

Being driven around
in a chauffeur-driven
limousine.

Having telephones coming out
of everywhere you wanna touch.

I got it, I got it.

And then, good old Brad,

he tells you about this
little farm down
in the natural river bed

which adjoins the property
that can supply
the development with water.

Is that right?
That's right.

$500 option for this
whole farm, you see.

And Christiani and Marcon,
well, they ain't got
no H2O, you know.

So they come to Angelo

and Angelo just shakes
them down for about
half the deal.

I mean, we signed the papers
and I became a partner.

And the cash flow just
comes to me immediately.

Cash flow, now that's a term
that we real estate people
use,

meaning money.

Really?

Have you ever heard
of a mark or a pigeon?

That's a term we use
in criminal science.

It means a yuck who
gets sucked into a con
and loses everything.

Except, Jimmy,
I didn't have anything.

Now I got everything.

(CHUCKLES)

Well, Angel,
when you're right,
you're right.

I gotta admit, it is weird.
Come on, take it with you.

Yeah, well, it may seem
weird to you, friend.

But you're traveling
with the land baron
of this entire valley.

Oh, really?
Yep.

You think this is the valley?
You think this is the one,
huh?

Jimmy, I told you,
I never saw it before.

I was packed in
riding in the limo
a couple of times

but we just never got past
Belle Meadow Park.

My chauffeur, he liked
to get down a couple of bets

we'd have a few drinks
and the day'd just fly by.

Here, here.
No, I got that.

But, Jimmy,
I'm telling you, there ain't
nothing to worry about.

Just keep the change.
I've seen
the geologist's report,

I've seen the photographs
of the dam.

And that development
is dryer than a bottle
of old French wine.

They ain't got no water.

Angelo's got the water.

And when you got the wa-wa.
You got the deal.

Well, well.

Really a big water shortage,
huh?

This can't be it.

I mean, they showed me
photographs and land charts.

It's supposed to be a desert.

Yeah, they gave you
a chauffeur who
liked the ponies.

So you could never
come out here
and take a look at it.

Yeah, but why, Jimmy? I mean,
if they got all the water,
why are they gonna cut me in?

That don't make sense.

Yeah, you're right again.

Maybe we ought to
take a look at your property.
Somebody's farm, right?

Yeah, there's some old
duffer named Miller owns it.

He calls it Miller's Farm.

I renamed it.

I can hardly wait.

Yeah, dig this.
Rancho Angelo.

Rancho Angelo.

Sort of takes your
breath away, doesn't it?

It's a dump!
What a dump!

I don't know. Once you get
the orange groves in

and riding stables,
won't look too bad.

Think it's funny?

No, Angel.
I don't think it's funny.

As a matter of fact,
it scares me to death.

I think it's about time
we take this to the cops.

Now, wait a second, Jimmy,
I don't want to
go to the police.

Now listen, this could be
some kind of con,
I'd be the patsy.

I'd end up being guilty
of a crime I didn't
even know I committed.

And how do you know,
going to the cops will
solve anything, you know?

We can't prove anybody
was trying to k*ll me,

we could file a complaint

with the cops,
they'd turn right around
to be hanging both of us

for something we
didn't even understand.

And you'd be in it
right up to your neck
along with me.

Well, you see, in a deaI
like this, Angel, you gotta
evaluate all the risks.

Now, I'd rather see you
take your chances on
conspiracy or fraud

than see me take
any chance at all of getting
myself k*lled.

Big hero, huh?

I didn't sign up
on any flaky real estate deal.

You did. Your name's
on the dotted line.

What about your friend,
David Marcon, huh? Huh?

What about your friend that's
trying to give you the pole?
What about that?

You want to talk about risk.
I'll give you risk.

If we go to the police,
and they don't want us to,
which they don't.

Well then,
what's gonna happen?

'Cause we're talking
about the mob.

Oh, I think I can handle that.
I'm going to the cops.

Just take care
old numero uno, huh?

What do you care about Angelo?

No one cares about Angelo.
Up one day, down the next.

Yep, Angelo's gonna end up
in some white linen.

Like I said, Angel,
when you're right,
you're right.

Hold on, hold on.
Just a second.

''James Rockford
and Angel Martin
are sought for

''questioning in the death
of Delores Townsend.

''Caretaker Carl Dorado
saw the pair exit
the scene of the crime

''and drive off
in Rockford's tan coupe.

''Police have stated that
both Rockford and Martin
have criminal records

''and are dangerous.''

Now, who is Delores Townsend?

Jimmy, we're in it now.
Son of a g*n!

Come on, Angel,
who is she?

You know how it is
when you get
rich and famous?

There's girls hanging
around all the time,
you know what I mean?

She wanted to be around me.
She wanted to touch me.

I tried to b*at her off
with a stick, Jimmy...

Is she a tall blonde,
a red sweater, low-cut,

short skirt.
That's Dee. That's Dee.

Let's get out of here.

Who'd wanna k*ll her?

Well, how should I know.
I know I didn't!

And who's Carl Dorado?

Oh, I don't know.
How am I supposed to know?

I'm supposed to have
answers for everything?

So far, you haven't had
the answers to anything!

I don't suppose you're
still planning on going
to the police, are you?

What should we do?

Just give me a minute
to think.

(SIGHS)

What did I do
to get into this?

I mean, so I got some
giant talent for real estate.

Everybody wants to
hang around.

Chicks, hoods,
everybody wants to hang out
with old Angelo.

Angel, shut up!

You got an idea?

Where're the contracts
you signed?

I haven't got them.
Brad keeps them in the office.

Did you bother to read them?

You ain't taking this
too well.

Really?

I think,
under the circumstances,
I'm remarkably under control.

(TIRES SQUEALING)

ROCKFORD: Do you think it
could be filed under something
besides Angel Martin?

Like what?

I don't know. Maybe it's
in the ''stupidity'' file.

It's not funny.

Hey.

Maybe it's under
Indianhead Development?
Yeah.

(BUZZING)

Got it.

Put your hands up!

(GRUNTS)

Come on.
We're goners now, Jimmy.

Get in.

Get in the car. Get in!

(TIRES SQUEALING)

It's not good, huh?

Angel, why didn't you
let me have a look at this?

''Angel, why didn't
you let me have
a look at this?''

''Angel, shut up!'' ''Angel,
you're the Stupidity file.''
I've about had it!

You've about had it?

Yesterday I picked up a rumor
and I tried to warn you.

You two guys wanna shut up
and listen to me?

Now...

As near as I can figure it,
the idea was to get Angel
involved in this

and then direct all of
the cash flow towards him.

When he dies, they inherit.

Why?

I don't know.
Unless it's some
kind of a tax gimmick.

Angel never pays his taxes.

Hey, wait a minute.
Taxes, taxes. Those guys
were into taxes.

Brad, Tony and Dom.
I mean,
they're all tax felons.

They insured you, right?
Uh-huh.

Okay, Beth, try this.

Suppose they're
trying to convert
straight income tax,

which is 50o/o,
into inheritance tax,
which is 25o/o.

Now, Brad puffs up Angel
for a couple of months

and then he lays this
turkey on him.

BETH: They pick Angel
because he doesn't have

any friends or family
to ask any questions.

They give him the money.
And then they k*ll him.

His insurance
pays the taxes,

which comes to them
as inheritors at 25o/o
instead of 50o/o.

And Angel, he's got a list
of natural enemies,

the suspect list would
run about 10 pages.

Brad, Tony and Dom,
they're all alibied and clean.

Yeah, well when I die?
I die?

How we get out of it, Beth?

We've gotta figure
some way to freeze
all of Angel's assets.

Who? Freeze what?

There's one way
that might work.

How's that?
He's not gonna like it.

I'm a tax dodge, that's all.

We commit him.
Commit him?

And I become
the conservator.

Hey, wait a minute.
Hold the phone.

Now, look, Beth, I can't go
to the police.

Listen, I gotta figure out
a way to get Angel and me
out of this mess.

Which means I'm gonna
have to make a deal with
Dominic Marcon.

In the meantime,
whoever's the conservator
could be in some danger.

Now we're not talking about
the nut house, are we?

Draw up the papers,
I'll find a nice place
in the Yellow Pages.

Are you out of your mind?

Listen to me, I'm not
going to the sanitarium.

I've been in jaiI
and every time I go
they give me

these psychological tests.

Twice, they told me
I've had unstable personality.

I'm talking about
these doctors,

go shuffling around
and rubbing their hands
together,

talking German,
and I'm an unstable
personality.

I had to burn down
the rec room just to get them

to put me back
in the normal stir.

You'd rather die?

Right.

And you are the conservator.
Is that right, Mr. Rockford?

Yes, that's correct, Doctor.

Look, Doc,
I think there's something
you ought to understand.

You know,
this is just a ploy.

I'm not really crazy.
Of course, I know.

I got involved in this
real estate deal.

I'm the land baron
of the Indianhead River.
Really?

Look, would you mind
coming with me, Mr. Martin?

Yeah, we thought that
Tony and Dom
were normal guys,

but they turned out
to be in the mob.
The mob.

And they were
trying to k*ll me.

Why would they
want to do that?

Well, to save
the five million dollars
in taxes.

You got TVs in the rooms here?
Yeah.

Here's your copy. You sure
you want me to do this?

Hey, look, Beth,
one way or another,
this thing's gotta go down.

We can't leave it hanging.

You make your call at 1 :00.
That's two hours.

What are you gonna do?

I've got my meeting set up
with Dominic Marcon

in half an hour at his house.

Be careful, Jim.

Those are my sentiments
exactly.

You're a very troublesome man,
Mr. Rockford.

Well, that sentiment
goes both ways.

You know, I heard that

last night somebody broke into
Brad Charlette's office,

they stole
the Indianhead file.

Yeah, I figured out
your tax angle.
That's pretty clever.

And you're here
to make some kind of an offer.

Yeah.
You're not gonna like it.

But it's the only way
that you're gonna
get out of this thing

without losing
the whole bundle.

Go ahead.

First, I want you to take
Angel and me off the hook.

We're hanging on downtown.

What else?

Then we transfer
the ownership of the deaI
back to you.

You pay all costs,
including your taxes.

And take Angel
out of the middle.

Hey, are you kidding?

That's gonna cost me
two and a half
million dollars.

Plus I have to get one of
my own people to take the fall
for hitting the hooker.

I told you,
you wouldn't like it.

Anything else?

Yeah.

Yeah, I want you
to write a letter

stating that we
made this agreement,

so in case at some point
in the future you decide
to eliminate me,

I'll have something
to bargain with.

Are you kidding?

You could blackmail me
with a letter like that.

I'll agree to a clause
in the letter
incriminating myself.

Stalemate.

I'll let you know.

Fine. You do that.

You've got untiI
10:00 tomorrow.

See, Dom, I stay healthy

and I pay my debts.

Follow him.

I want Angel
and Rockford dead.

I don't care how
you do it, but you do it.

And take Davy with you.

Tell him this is his mess.

He blows it,
he owns the m*rder rap.

(WOMAN CHATTERING
ON PA S YSTEM)

ANGEL: Hey, it's you.
Look at that.

Yeah, let's go.

The race?
Come on, let's go.

Where are we going?
Just go.

(g*n f*ring)

The cops.
There's supposed to be cops.
Where are the cops?

(SIRENS WAILING)

There! Come on, cop.

POLICE ON SPEAKER..
Stay where you are!
You're surrounded.

Drop your weapons,
put your hands up.
It's all over.

(GRUNTS)

Jim, let me go.
Please. Let me go.

I got a hunch you're gonna
take a m*rder fall, David.
No.

I didn't k*ll the girl,
honest. Sammy did.

Hey, don't tell me,
tell them.

Hands up against the wall.
Against the wall.

How's the book going now,
David, huh?

(ANGEL LAUGHS)

ANGEL: Jimmy, tell them
it was just a plan.

Tell them that.
Tell them it was a plan,
Jimmy.

Jimmy, I'd rather go to jaiI!
You don't understand!

Jimmy! Jimmy! Jimmy!

ANGEL: Oh, Jimmy,
am I glad to see you.

How you doing, Angelo?
Not too good.

Did you get the papers
for me to get out of here?

Did you see the newspapers
this morning?

Do you know
what's going on?

Come here, come here.

You wouldn't believe
what's happened to me
in the past three days.

They give you these little
plugs, tell you to stick
them in a hole.

I mean, a guy came into
my room with a sheet of paper,
he spills some ink on it,

slapped it together,
he held it up, he said,
''What do you see?''

I said, ''What do you think
I see, sucker?
It's ink on paper.''

That's what it is, isn't it?
I mean, they're getting goofy.

I think they got it in for me.

You're off the hook, Angel.

David pulled the plug
and Dom, Tony, Brad,
all your partners

are gonna do time
for m*rder and fraud.

Unfortunately, the State has
frozen the Indianhead Land
Development deal.

Doesn't look like
you're gonna come out
with anything.

As a matter of fact,
you may even have to pay
some of the court costs.

But Beth is working on that.

Are you working on
getting me out of here?

I talked to Dr. Sager,
he said there's some
kind of final review board.

It sounds like a formality.

Honey, there's no such thing
as formality here.

They believe in all this
mumbo-jumbo.

Excuse me.
Yeah?

I hope we'll have
a few minutes
this afternoon, Angelo.

Oh, sure, sure.
Give me a while.

I've got a tape recorder
today.

Hey, that's great.

That's the only
right guy around here.

He's a behavioral scientist,
or something like that.

Anyway, he asks me, I tell him
what I think about things,

I've been telling him
what it's like
to k*ll for money.

I been putting that turkey on.

Hey, Angel. I wouldn't put
these guys on.

Well, you gotta do
something for laughs.

He's a scientist, he's not
a psychiatrist. A world
of difference.

A behavioral scientist
is a psychiatrist.

It's another name
for it, Angel.

No, I don't think
you're right, Beth.

I mean, when it comes
to guys in white coats,

I got some
practical experience.

You know what gets to them
is when I refuse to eat.

You know what I mean,
I go on a hunger strike.
It kills them.

Angel, I think
that's a bad idea.

No, a lot of guys
around here do it.

Does he?

(LAUGHS)

No, no.

He's being a shadow.
He's cool.

He's just being a shadow.

Do you think you can
get him out of here?

I'll try, Jim.

Really, I'll try.