03x09 - Return to the 38th Parallel

[bunniefuu]

Stop a train
with 300 people on it?

You're a cop, Dennis.
You can stop the whole
Ventura Freeway at rush hour.

You told me
it wasn't even your case.

Now you already
got guys sh**ting at you.

Are you a connoisseur of art?

I had a painted turtle
when I was a kid.

Listen, you know,
he looked a little kinky,

so before he could
try something,
I coldcocked him.

You coldcocked him?

(DOG BARKING)
(STAMMERING) Nice dog.

It wouldn't be hard
to convince the police

that I caught you
breaking into my house
and had to k*ll you.

(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)

MAN.. Tomkins
at Guarantee Insurance.

About your burglary claim?

Major loss, all right.

Funny, you remembered to file,

but you didn't remember
to pay your premium.

NEJMAN: I had no idea
you had this one.

This is still
a cause clebre in Paris.
Very clever thieves.

They came in through
the museum skylight,
I believe.

How'd you manage
to get it
out of the country?

I wanna sell all of these
as soon as possible
and at a good price.

(CHUCKLES) Unfortunately,
not for what they're worth,
Mr. Stabila.

I'm sure you're aware
that the authorities
have become much more severe

in prosecuting collectors
of stolen art.

Save the fright stories
for your Texas suckers,
Nejman.

Bring me a good deaI
or I get another dealer.

Why are you selling,
if I may ask?

Perhaps other investments?

The Shang-Yin vase?

There've been rumors.
The Shang-Yin
was grabbed by clowns.

They k*lled a guard,

brought in all kinds
of trouble I don't need.

It's so beautiful,
Mr. Stabila.

Three thousand years old.

I'm just looking
to make sixty.

Are you here
for business or gossip?

Don't move, Rockford.
End of the line.

All right now, easy.
Hold it.
Let's talk, pal.

You've made a mistake.

Wouldn't be my first one.

Brennan? Brennan!

In the flesh.
And then some.
How you been, Jimmy?

What are you doing here?

It's the Christmas trees.
We want them back.

Oh, well, I think
the statute of limitations
ran out about 25 years ago.

Come on in.
(LAUGHING) Okay.

(MAN CHATTERING)

Colonel Willoughby. Yeah.

''It behooves you men
to remember

''that South Korea
is a state of freedom

''and the 38th parallel
is only a state of mind.''
Of mind. That's it.

Yeah, I remember him.

Oh, yeah.

I'm telling you,

when a guy realizes
that the high point
of his life

is going to w*r...

Oh, come on, now.
It's not all that bad.

Oh, no, no.
No, there's been some
real good years in there.

For about eight years,
I worked
for a collection agency.

I was climbing
right up the ladder

and the company went bankrupt.

So Brennan was on the streets.

Is that when
you became an auctioneer?

No, no. There was...

five or six years in there
that I was a freelance
insurance company flunky.

(CHUCKLING) What happened
to that one?

Couldn't pay
my racetrack bets.

So they locked my door and...

I was on the streets again.

Well, you know what I think?

I think all you need
is a little R and R.

You know,
get a few days of sun,

get rid of that New York
whitefish look.

Yeah.

Hey, I know what you can do.
You can stay here.

I'm gonna be gone
for a few days.
You can use my place.

(STAMMERING) Well,
where you going?

Oh, well, it's something
I've been putting off
too long.

My dad and I
are going fishing,

camping up
in the high country.

Hey, come on now.
Hey, pal, I owe you one.

Boy, I admired your style.

I mean,
any 20-year-old CorporaI

who will smuggle in
a Christmas party

and disguise himself
as an Intelligence Officer,

you can't bust a guy
like that!

Hey, I'm gratefuI
that you didn't.
I really am, all right?

The guard house in SeouI
would've really put a damper
on my Christmas.

Oh, I'm telling you, Al.
Hey, I've gotta
get some sleep.

Really, I am bushed.
Come on.

(KNOCKING ON DOOR)

Come on.
That could be opportunity.

Al, hey, Al, don't.

Mr. Rockford?

He d*ed in the big one, honey.

I'm Jim Rockford, miss.

MARCY: I need your help.

My sister, Linda.
Something's happened to her.

It's awfully early
in the morning.

Do you think you could
come back just a little later
this morning?

Never mind him, honey.
Come on. Come on in.

Come on.
You're just in time
for the sunrise services.

She just went in the trailer.

Now you got
the license number?

WOMAN ON PHONE..
Right, Mr. Aarons.
PCE 178.

Right. Okay.

ROCKFORD: Your sister's
very attractive.

It's the only
recent one I've got.
Taken about four months ago.

Yeah. Well, look, Marcy,
why don't you give it
a couple of days, huh?

Your sister'll probably
show up.

Maybe she just ducked away
with a boyfriend.

Linda have a boyfriend?
John Stabila.

You must know him.
Main man type, big and rich.

When I talked to her last,
she'd found out he was
doing something illegal.

Like what?
I don't know.

But I do know I haven't heard
from her since.

And Linda's
a real phone freak.
She calls me every day.

This guy, Stabila.
You think he k*lled her?

(STAMMERING) Brennan's seen
too many movies.

Have you been
to Stabila's house and asked
where your sister is?

I was afraid to.

I figured it would be bad
for him to know somebody
was looking.

You did the right thing. Yeah.

Oh, listen, don't worry now.
You're among friends here.

Marcy, you know,
most missing persons

are people who don't
wanna be found.

That's why I don't ordinarily
take on this kind of work.

But there are a lot
of good investigators who do.

My partner
won't take the case,
I will.

Well, I don't know.
I didn't realize
you had a partner.

We work together
all the time.

Brennan, could I talk to you
for a minute, huh?

Would you excuse us, Marcy?

Brennan, this lady came here
with some bad dreams.
She's not just another score.

I know that.

You also know as much
about PI work as I know
about open heart surgery.

So lay off.
Is that an order, CorporaI?

Now listen, don't start
feeling sorry for me, pal.

It's something, Jim.
I need something.

I've looked through
a lot of keyholes in my time.

I mean, what's the difference?
Back in Brooklyn...

In this city,
you need a license.

How'd you come by yours?

We all got to start
someplace, don't we?

Listen, I'm just
gonna talk to her.

Maybe I can help her.

Rockford?
Yeah?

IRS, huh?

BRENNAN: Yeah. Well, yeah.
It takes time, you know.

I can't get too close
or he takes my picture.
That'd blow everything.

(KNOCKING ON DOOR)
Yeah. Yeah, I gotta go.

I'm gonna work it out.
Trust me.

Okay.

I've been trying
to get in touch with you
for two hours.

Oh, I had a lot
of phone calls to make.

Yeah. Like to the IRS, huh?

Checking on John Stabila
using my name
and my PI license number.

They came
back on you, huh?

Oh, you might say that, yeah.
They threatened to audit me
for the past seven years.

Ooh! You're clean,
aren't you, Jim?

Brennan, nobody is clean.

If the auditor
doesn't find anything,
they take his pencils away.

But that's not really
the point.
I'm very sorry, Jimmy.

But that girl needs help.
Yeah. Well, so do you.

I'm not particularly
interested in standing
around in the stable

while you go to the FBI
and the CIA, saying,

''Hi, I'm Jim Rockford.''

Has that girI
paid you anything yet?
Yes.

$1,000 in advance
plus fringe benefits.

Yeah. Well, you're giving it
back to her.

I can't. I lost it.
On the horses.

Oh, Brennan,
you are a sweetheart.

You get on your little
white charger,
you grab her purse,

and then you head
for the $100 window.

Oh, now hold it, now. Come on.
It's not exactly like that.

It was an old debt
to my bookie.

I had to give him something.
He would've had me
on crutches.

I'm going to earn it.

You know, I'm not exactly
what you would call
a total greenie

when it comes
to investigatory experience.
Oh?

I'll find Linda.
How?

Well, uh, the direct
approach, maybe.

I'll stake out Stabila's house
and I'll move in for a little
night reconnaissance.

In peacetime,
they call that breaking
and entering.

Not to mention the fact
that's exactly

what your client
asked you not to do.

Well, what're you
gonna do now?

I'm gonna get you out of this,
and quickly.
Like the good buddy I am.

In 48 hours from now,
I plan to be sitting
by a campfire,

not in the slammer.

I'm gonna wrap
this whole thing up
once and for all.

County Courthouse.

Yeah, the Title Certificate
Transfer Department, please.

You know, you're only
doing this because
you feel like you owe me.

I don't like that.
You don't have to like it.

Just stay out
from under my feet.
Sure. Sure.

But you know, I'm really
gonna try to learn
everything I can.

MARKELL: ''KLEU TV.''
I'm sorry, Mr. Rockton,

but our customers' records
are confidential.

Mr. Markell,
John Stabila
is under investigation

by the SEC, the FTC,

FHA, SBA, and every
other letter in the alphabet
including KLEU TV.

Well, this is a real estate
company.

We have nothing
to do with that.
We just sold him a house.

And next you tell me
you unload a $750,000 palace

without ever checking
the client's every dime
and penny, right?

His financial statement.
That's all we want.

Oh, I can't do that,
Mr. Rockton.

And if you want,
I'll be glad

to call your superior
and tell him the same thing.

You do that.

As a matter of fact, let me.
Do you mind?

I tell you,
these assignment editors,

they stay awake at night
keeping you busy.

(PHONE RINGING)

Hi, Marge.

You sound a little testy
this morning.

Yeah, well, burn the memo
and let me talk
to the Gargoyle, will you?

Yeah, well,
that's what he says.

Yeah, he can't
give us anything.
You wanna talk to him?

ROCKFORD
ON ANSWERING MACHINE..
This is Jim Rockford.

At the tone,
leave your name and...

Yeah. Oh, hey...

Les, give me a break,
will you?

How many stories
do you want
out of one day, huh?

Yeah. All right.
What do I care?

Right. Okay. Right.

Go load up
your camera, Brennan.
Huh?

Yeah. And tell Tony
to spool up his little
sound box and bring it in.

This is just a job.
I hope you understand that.

Come on.
Move it, Brennan! Move it!
You bet.

Spool and everything. Yeah.
That's what you want.

We have our quotas
just like you do,
I'm sure.

While I'm here,
Les wants me to ask
a few questions.

About what?

Oh, in general,
the real estate business.

In specific, that...

redevelopment project
you're into over
on the east side.

That's a city project.
Yeah.

But it's all
those cost overruns.

Oh, that's good stuff
for the 1 1 :00.

I won't allow an interview.

Well, you just suit yourself.

We'll do the story, anyway.
And then we'll end
the whole thing

with ''Mr. Markell
had no comment.''

I'll call your editor myself.
What's his name?

Oh, Les Carter.
It's the same number
as on the card there.

Mr. Markell, if I could
give you a little advice.

Do not come on righteous.

He is a bear
with a nose for beehives.

If I give you
the Stabila file,

will you promise me
confidentiality?

I'll try.
Oh, no, you'll have
to do better than try.

You'll have to promise me
that you won't mention me
or this company by name.

You got it.

You'll be termed
a reliable source.

(SIGHS)

Barbara?
Yes, Mr. Markell.

Bring in
the John Stabila file, please.
Right away, sir.

I still can't get over it.
It was beautiful.
Beautiful.

Well, try, will you?

I'm due in the Sierras
tomorrow night.

Now, all this bouquet tossing
is nice,

but it's starting to eat
into my time.

Now, the Bureau of Records
and Vital Statistics
is on the third floor,

just give my name to Teddy.
And give him at least fifty.

He's got pride.

Yeah. Okay.
But you know,
I wish you'd give me

something more challenging
to do than just gather papers
on Stabila.

Al, what do you think
private investigating is, huh?

Ninety percent
of it is papers,

libraries, government offices.
It is?

Yeah. Now you just earn
your paper gathering
merit badge,

then we'll talk
about challenges.

Now I'll meet you tonight
at the Paddock Club Restaurant
at 9:00

and bring Marcy, huh?
Okay. Where you gonna be?

Well...

we know that Stabila
has a 50 foot boat. Right?

A girl like Linda,

she might get lost on there.
Somewhere.

This John Stabila's boat?

Is he around?

Permission to come aboard.
MAN: Skipper!

Hey, no visitors, mister!
Off the boat!

Jim Telford.
Neptune Insurance.

Pleasure to meet you,
Captain...

Hulette.
Ah.

What's your business here?
I'm an appraiser.

Mr. Stabila has applied
for additional coverage
on the boat.

Never said anything
to me about it.

This a 48 foot Pace, huh?

It's the best craft
they ever made.

That's correct.

Yeah. Hey, I like
the modification
of the bridge up here.

Very nice. Yes, sir.

Days like this
make my job worthwhile.

They're all too rare.
Thank you.

They got twin Cummins
down below?
Yeah.

It's a beautiful power plant.
Yeah.

Oh, well, some people
prefer the Vincent, but...
No comparison.

None. Not in a big blow.
No, sir.

Well, what do you
have to look at?

Oh, the general conditions
of the quarters,

your log for the past year
to determine usage,

and whatever trips you may
be planning so we'll have
some input to the possibles.

Well, step this way.

Yeah, well, it doesn't look
like there's any trouble
here, Captain. No, sir.

Beautiful vessel.
Everything looks ship-shape.

Take a right up here
on the next corner.

You said Allied
Insurance Tower.
It's the other way.

Who's paying this fare?

We got a tail on us...

I didn't notice nobody.

Pal, back where I come from,

they'd take your horn away
and give you 10 years
to South Bronx.

Don't worry, I can lose him.

I can't afford the gas.

Hey, pull up
at this building right here.

Okay, pal.

You got exactly twelve stories
to tell me yours.

Why was this guy
following you?
He wouldn't say.

I couldn't get
anything out of him.

Listen, you know,
he looked a little kinky,

so before he could
try something,
I coldcocked him.

You coldcocked him?
Yeah.

What about his ID?

He didn't have
anything on him.

Anyway, that's the reason
I'm late. I'm sorry, Jim.

It was Stabila.

He tumbled on to the fact
that you're after him.

(STUTTERING) No, no.
Believe me, it wasn't him.

What's this about
Stabila's boat heading
for Mexico on Saturday?

Oh, the captain's log
shows it's just another
fishing trip.

But what makes you so sure
that it wasn't Stabila
on your taiI?

Look at the picture.
On the license here.

All that stuff I got
from your friend, Teddy
at City Hall.

Did you give him the fifty?

(HESITATING) Yeah.

There's nothing here more
than what Markell gave us.

Other than the fact that
maybe Stabila's a lot richer
than we thought he was.

Who's Markell?
He's a guy who owns
a real estate company.

Sold Stabila a house
for three quarters
of a million dollars cash,

50o/o down.
And the collateraI
was a boat

that's worth $250,000
and some kind
of art collection.

How did you find
all that out?

It's part of the business.

Excuse me.
I'll just freshen up.

I'm glad I was lucky
to find you both.
For Linda's sake.

She is a nice lady.

Does she sound
like Switzerland to you?

Hmm?

Well, before you got here,
she was telling me

how she and Linda
went to Switzerland
for schooling.

So?
Maybe it doesn't mean
anything, but...

I don't know.
A girl who went
to Switzerland,

she comes on
with a lot of terms

like ''tumbling''
and ''main man type.''

You want her to yodel?

I mean, come on, Jim.
You know, I mean,
it's a new world out there.

These rich kids today,
they want to sound
like street folks.

Hey, here's something new.

Stabila's a citizen
of Canada.

You want my opinion?
No.

Okay. That's it.

I've had it.
What's the matter with you?

You give me nothing
but busy work to do.

You send me down
to the courthouse to get
the papers from Teddy.

You say, ''Wait at the motel.''
You say, ''Meet me at the
Paddock Club Restaurant!''

You may be a pro, buddy,
but I am no klutz!
Al, will you sit down, huh?

Just sit down.

Okay, okay,
maybe I'm nowhere,
professionally speaking.

You got a program?

I think it's time
we hit Stabila with a patrol.

I'll handle it.

Right idea, wrong man.
I know you, Al.

You'll start lobbing grenades
just to stir things up.

Now, I'm not exactly
tossing you into a featherbed.

I want you to check out
what Marcy said.

Linda, Switzerland,
their whole background.

Maybe it'll give us
some clues
on Linda's behavior, huh?

Yeah, I could sink
my teeth into that.

MAN ON SPEAKER.. Yo, Stabila,
there's a guy just sitting
out front in his car.

Fair, but not good.

The Picasso, the Matisse,
I expect much more.

The market, Mr. Stabila,
as I told you...

Find a better market.

For the Shang-Yin,
I could get at least
three million.

Sell what you've got.
Okay.

That man out in the car
watching the house?

His name's Rockford.
He's a private investigator.

Bring him out
to the workshop.

Mr. Stabila would like
to see you.
Who?

Don't try and be funny,
Mr. Rockford.

Believe me,
I'm not laughing.

All right. All right.
Nice dog.

(DOG BARKING)
(STAMMERING) Nice dog.

No, Tristan! No!

He won't hurt you,
Mr. Rockford,

as long as you don't
move suddenly.

Well, you're looking
at a rock.

You make those decoys?
It's nice work.

Why are you spying
on my house?

Oh, well, I was trying
to explain that
to your pal here.

I was just parked
on a public street.

(GRUNTS)

Stay, Tristan.

You're Jim Rockford,
private investigator
with a prison record.

It wouldn't be hard
to convince the police

that I caught you
breaking into my house
and had to k*ll you.

How'd you get
to know me so personally?

This estate is rigged
with video cameras.
Very sophisticated.

A zoom-in to the license,
then a check
with certain agencies.

I'm a fair man.
I answered your question
to demonstrate that.

Now what are you after?

I might as well
level with you.
Linda Brownell.

That's a very stupid answer.

Well, I sure hope not,
it's the only one I got.

Linda's sister, Marcy,
hired me.

Linda doesn't
have a sister.

Oh, I'm afraid
you're wrong there.
I've met her.

All right.
How much are they paying you?

Oh, the usual.
$200 a day,
plus expenses.

(CHUCKLING)
I don't believe that
for a minute.

Hey, look, I'm going
on vacation, huh?

You know,
hunting, fishing,
all those good things.

I'm looking to
wrap this thing up
as fast as I can.

Now Linda's missing
and her whole family
is worried.

Linda's sister, Marcy,
hired me to find her.

Well, Linda worked for you.
I figured this would be a good
place to get started.

It's not.

But I hope you do find her.
And ask her for my tape deck
while you're at it.

That girI
was a disappointment.

She worked for me
for four months

and two weeks ago,
she ups and disappears,

bag and baggage and tape deck.

(SIGHS)
Without giving notice,
I might add.

You know where she went?
And I don't care.

I'll say goodbye only once,
Mr. Rockford.

Lindsey will show you out.

I appreciate that.
It's a nice dog.

LINDSEY: Next time,
Rockford, I won't miss!

WOMAN ON PHONE.. Mr. Aarons,
will you check in, please?

ROCKFORD: Now you see?
See the focus is different.
Linda's face is a lot sharper.

I think it's a composite.

You told me
it wasn't even your case.

Now you already
got guys sh**ting at you.

Yeah. Well, they missed,
didn't they?

That's because
they were aiming to miss.

I think there's something
a little funny about that,
don't you?

Well, now, I never thought
I'd raise a son

that figured people
should be able to hit him.

Rocky, they were just
trying to scare me away
from that place.

I'd like to know why.

I wanna know everything
AI's got me into before
the whole thing falls on me.

Oh, Barney's not in the shop.
He's probably at the track.

Now who is Barney?
Where you going?

Barney's an old friend.
He's a photographer.
He knows his business.

Well, I never saw a man
so anxious to find
a weigh station.

Well, I'll tell you
something.

Come 6:00 in the morning,
I am packed.
r*fle, rod and reel.

Rocky, if you leave here
without me,

your truck is gonna
blow up in your face
about two miles out.

Now, Leonard, you know
how I feel about you.
But I'm busy tonight.

(KNOCKING ON DOOR)

My bath's running, honey,
I gotta go.

Sure. It's my favorite hotel.
I'll meet you there tomorrow.

Room 516. Right. Bye.

Hi, Marcy.
Hey, I've got some important
news about your sister, Linda.

What is it?
Is she in trouble?

Oh, no, she's doing
great, actually.

She doesn't have you
as a sister.

What?

I don't understand
what you mean.

Oh, now, you stop
batting your eyes like that.

You're gonna get
a muscle spasm.

Come on now.
Who hired you to set me up?

Hired me?

Well, the doorman
tells me that men hire you
all the time.

I am just assuming that
this acting job is a whole
career move for you.

Where the hell do you come off
talking to me like that?

Oh, hey,
that's what I wanna hear.

I wanna hear some more
of that Swiss schooling.

Just... Just get out of here.

You suckered me
and you suckered
my pal, Brennan, too.

Now, I found out
that the photo

you gave me of you
and your sister was a phony.

And I managed to locate
Linda Brownell's parents
in Mill Valley.

Mommy and Daddy
never heard of you.

MARCY: I should have never
let you talk me into this job.

Give me my money, Brennan.
I want out!

Yes, Mr. Brennan
has done some work for us,

but he's not on salary.

Strictly freelance.
Finder's fee, you might say.

Ten percent, you might say?

But the corporation
has no legal liability
for his actions.

Yeah. What's the prize?

Mr. Rockford,
I can appreciate
your concern,

but in a personal matter
between you and Mr. Brennan...

It's a personal matter
for all of us,
wouldn't you say?

Marcy Brownell?
Wasn't that personaI?

Marcy Brownell?

Oh, well, that's right.
I keep forgetting.
She has another last name.

But you remember her.
She was a friend of Brennan's?

Looks great in pajamas?

We had some business meetings.

Of course you did.

Mr. Thomas, I'm a licensed
private investigator.

There's no reason
why I can't have a sh*t
at the same goods as Brennan.

Well...

Well, we've given severaI
investigators sh*ts.

In addition to Brennan,
who seems to be a bit erratic,

there's another freelancer
named Aarons supposed
to be working on it.

I can never get in touch
with Brennan.

Aarons, I was supposed to meet
for breakfast this morning.
No show.

And now his secretary tells me
that she hasn't heard from him
in over 18 hours.

I can't believe the way
you people operate.

Well, Marcy seems punctuaI
and well-organized.

I'm more like her.

Mr. Rockford,
are you a connoisseur
of art?

I had a painted turtle
when I was a kid.

Have you ever heard
of the Shang-Yin vase?

ROCKFORD: Go on.
How much do you think?
Take a guess.

Well, it's a vase.
It's not a vase,
it's the Shang-Yin vase.

Three thousand years old,
worth three million dollars.

Well, it's insured
for that much, anyway.

I'll tell you, sonny,
you can talk to me
in the millions

and it don't mean
nothing to me.
But $55 a day,

that's what that cabin
costs us. That does.

Now I'm gonna use
every penny of it.

I'm leaving tonight at 6:00.
And I thought you was, too.

Dad, if I pull this thing off,
10o/o of three million
is three hundred thousand.

And I'll buy you your own lake
and your own fish hatchery.

What about them guys
who are already
looking for it?

They got a big leg up on you.

You're the one who's always
telling me I should have
more ambition.

And it's not just
the money either.

I want Brennan.
I want him more
than 10o/o worth.

All right.
This is Stabila's street
right here.

You're gonna have to park
around the corner,
or you'll become a TV star.

If I don't come out of here
in a half hour,
call the cops. Okay?

(FIRE ENGINE HORN BLARING)

What about
the Fire Department?

(POLICE RADIO CHATTERING)

POLICEMAN: Put him in the car.

According to his people,
Stabila was in the workshop
by himself.

Nobody saw the flames
until the whole place
was French fries.

It's hard to say
what happened, Dennis.

We'll know more
when we sift it out,
find the source.

Ben, I'm not asking you
to check a minefield
with your toes,

just an opinion.

BEN: Straight case
of spontaneous combustion,
I'd say.

A roomfuI
of sawdust like that,
no ventilation,

Stabila hits
a jigsaw switch,

and whoosh, it all goes up
like the 4th of July.

He wouldn't have a chance.

Did you get a positive ID?

Stabila's ring, a locket,
and the dog's collar.

Have your men
fine-comb the whole place.
But I don't think it's there.

The Shang-Yin?

Jim Rockford.

Lieutenant Hayes,
New York Police, Burglary.

Jim's a local PI.

Working for Allied Insurance?
Well, not by choice, no.

This guy's name
is Nejman, right?

What do you got on him?

You know him?
Well, only through
his license plate.

Nejman's scared.
Swears he hasn't got the vase.

I'm having some of your people
search his place anyway.

You mind checking with me
before you order my people
around?

Time is crucial.
I'll want them to search
these grounds, too.

Anything else
we could do for you?
How about a sedan chair?

We're talking about
a three million dollar
burglary, Sergeant.

Then go find your own vase.
This is my town.
We're doing you a favor.

Hey, you're right, Dennis.
We're all looking
for the same thing.

Unfortunately,
our prime A-1 suspect
just went up in flames.

Say, Hayes, what else
you got on this guy?

As a private citizen,
it doesn't concern you,
Mr. Rockford.

The Shang-Yin vase was stolen
from the New York Museum
about two months ago.

Hayes and his people
knew it was going underground,

that's the only market
for something that special.

Nejman here is a dealer,
more like a mole
when it comes to hot stuff.

Anyway, a five and dimer.
He may be a candidate.

Nejman's in trouble
and he knows it.

If he had the Shang-Yin,
he'd have told us.

Now what about Al Brennan?
Did you check him out?
Who's that?

I know him.
He's with the FBI.

He's a Cub Scout.
Where'd you meet him?

He was here, earlier.
He went down to the gallery
with me and Nejman.

Then where? Where'd he go?
I don't know.

He seemed upset
when we didn't find
the vase, but...

Bet he did.
Come on, Dennis.

Shake it.
We gotta go stop a boat.

A what?
A boat.

(BOAT ENGINE STARTING)

(POLICE SIREN BLARING)

Hey, come on,
hurry up with those lines.

Hey, you up there!
Hold it! LAPD!

What's the meaning of this?
BECKER: LAPD. We wanna search
the vessel.

I've got orders
to sail immediately.

Now what grounds
have you got for a search?

Here's the warrant.
We'll talk about
the grounds later.

Let's get to work.

Who's this guy?

He misrepresented himself
to me as a maritime
insurance appraiser.

Me?

You know very well
you did.

Hey, that's ridiculous,
Dennis.

What do I know
about boats, huh?

You start up at the bow,

or the front,
or the pointy part,
you know.

Nothing. Nobody.
Even checked the bilges.
Let's go.

As I said,
we were just going
on a cruise.

Well, what's the big rush?
You know your boss is dead.

Why are you so anxious
to get to Mexico?

My orders were to take
this boat out
with or without Mr. Stabila.

Who gave you the orders?
Lindsey.

Mr. Stabila's
personal secretary.

Now doesn't that strike you
as a little odd, Dennis?

I'll tell you,
I would tear this thing apart
top to bottom.

That vase
is on here somewhere.
No!

No, there is nothing here.

Now, Sergeant, I've cooperated
to the limit. But no more.

Now if I'm not allowed
to cast off immediately,
I'm gonna report this

to your superiors
and to the United States
Coast Guard.

Thank you, Captain Hulette.
We appreciate your help.

Dennis, Dennis,
if you let him skip...

I got enough explaining
to do.

When I wanna walk the plank,
I'll walk it on my own time.

ROCKFORD: Captain?

Hey, I don't know what
you're getting out of this,
but it's not enough.

Now you turn over
the Shang-Yin vase,

the insurance company
will give you half the reward.

That's $100,000.

I'm gonna give you
the same thing
I gave your partner.

Brennan?
Yeah.

When did you see him?

About an hour
before you got here.

Well, he's not my partner,
and you can't trust him.

What kind of deaI
did you make with him?

Same one I'm gonna
make with you.
Permission to go ashore.

Where is Lindsey, Captain?
Do you know?

Get off.
Just answer a simple question!

He's taking care
of Stabila's body and personaI
effects as I understand it.

Now...
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know.

Get off. Get off.

I believe that you have
John Stabila here?

His remains were shipped
to Canada.

Would you tell me
the nature of your inquiry?

(STAMMERING) Well,
I'm John's brother.

I'm very sorry.

Yes. Well, I flew in
for the services

and I was hoping to take
that long, last journey home.

I understand.
The remains
were sent by train.

We felt that
there was a certain...

Well, there were a lot
of personal effects

of John's that he was
very fond of.

Were those shipped, too?
I believe so, yes.

And the train's leaving
from Union Station?

Yes. The Sunset Special.

But I'm afraid you're too late
if you're thinking
of catching it.

It was scheduled to leave
a half an hour ago.

Oh.

Oh, come on.
Stop a train
with 300 people on it?

You're a cop, Dennis.

You can stop the whole
Ventura Freeway at rush hour
if you want to.

I've seen it happen.

BECKER ON PHONE..
It's a big move, Jimbo.
And I'm gonna pass on that.

Down here at the station,
you have a great big
credibility crisis going on.

I'm already on the griddle
for calling that Code Three
on the boat!

ROCKFORD.. It's the only way
it fits, Dennis.

The vase wasn't at the house,
it wasn't on the boat,
and Nejman didn't have it.

Where else could it be?

I got something on Nejman.

Apparently, Stabila
was rumored to have
hidden stashes

behind the walls
in various parts of the house.

I got crews out there
right now ripping into them.

Dennis, times like these
that make me proud
to be a taxpayer.

(BECKER SIGHS)

You got the schedule?
Yeah. Right here.

And where's my g*n?
It's on the seat of the car.

Oh, now, sonny,
you don't need to...
Rocky, just get in.

You're gonna have
to drive my car back.

Look, if you wanna
go around sh**ting,

why don't you come
hunting with me

like we said we was gonna do?
Rocky, Rocky, not now.
Okay?

(TRAIN HORN BLARING)

ROCKY: Well, the next stop
is Thousand Oaks, 4:10.

We can't make
that one, either.
What's next?

Well, that'd be
Oxnard, 4:50.

That's possible.
Not alive, it ain't.

How come you're doing
this anyway, Jim?

You don't even know
if the vase is on the train.

You go with what
you got, Rocky.

And even more than the vase,
I'm just hoping that Brennan's
on that train.

I'd go a long way to see
an old buddy like him.

(TRAIN HORN BLARING)

Hi, Al.

(SIGHS)

I'm really sorry, Al,
but I couldn't make it
to the funeral.

I had a bad headache.

There were reasons, Jimmy.

Yeah. I know, I know.
Three million of them.

The Shang-Yin vase.
Or, vah-se.

We're gonna
be partners, buddy,
fifty-fifty.

Did you find it?
Not yet.

There's only a couple
of crates left here.

It's here.

I sure hope so, Al.
I'm looking forward to doing
to you what you did to me.

I figure Allied Insurance
is gonna pay me about
three hundred thousand,

you're gonna get a pogo stick.

Okay. All right.
Then you just do
your own digging.

You see, the only reason
that I ever came to you...

I know, Al.
You were on hard times.

You knew the territory.
All I had was a New York crumb

that said that Stabila
made the deal.
I needed your contacts.

You didn't wanna
split the profits.

From now on,
we're gonna play square.

From now on, you don't
play at all, Brennan.

Get up. Come over here.

Come on, Jim.

Come on.

You're a genius!

Don't let your admiration
overwhelm you.

Jim, I still think
we should split
the profits from this deal.

I mean, it's only fair.

Al...
Drop the crowbar.

Turn around.

All right. Drop the g*n.

Get away from the crate.

I don't understand.
Oh, Al, you really
do need help.

See, I have a hunch
that the inhabitant
of this vase

is a freelancer like yourself
named Aarons.

The guy I suckered
into the elevator?

Yeah, and the one
Mr. Stabila suckered
into an urn.

The man trespassed
into my property
and entered my workshop.

It was an accident.

I think I would take
a creative writing course

before I gave my statement
to the police.

(GROANING)

ROCKFORD: Forget it, Brennan.
We've been walking
all morning.

Now this here's the place.
No. No.

Right here.
Brennan, there was a pond.

(STUTTERING)
You see that warehouse?

Now I remember seeing it...
Will you stop saying that?

That's the 25th building
we've seen in the last
five miles, Brennan.

Hold it!
Will you hold it?
I mean, this one's different.

You see, the garbage cans?
I remember seeing
those garbage cans

right before you knocked
the vase out of my hand.
You dropped the vase.

And if you hadn't been
playing it cute at the time,

that never would
have happened.

Okay, you don't wanna look,
do you?

Then go on home then.
I'll do it by myself.

Okay, go on out there.

Just wander around
and keep looking.

It's right down there.

Brennan, you're never
gonna find it.

You're looking
on the wrong side.

I can't. I just can't look
anymore, Jimmy.

If I look anymore,
they're gonna have
to fit me with a rubber hat.

I told you, Al.

If the police can't find
that crate with a whole team
of men and a helicopter,

you and I have
no chance at all.

It's gotta be somewhere
in this 10 or 1 2 mile
section here.

We were very near San Luis...

Obispo.

Obispo.
Well, don't worry.
Someone'll find it.

Some laborer.
And the shnook's wife
will stuff it with flowers.

I put a lot of work
in on this thing.

We almost grabbed it though,
didn't we, Jimmy?

The brass ring.

We worked
like gangbusters together.

Oh, sure. Hey, listen,
we had some problems, sure.

But out of conflict
comes strength.

Hey, say, listen, have you
ever thought about taking on
a partner in your business?

Yeah. Yeah.
Yeah.

Well, I've been
thinking it over.
I'm willing.

Well, thanks. Thanks.

I think I'll buy a dog.

Come on.
After what we've
been through together?

Remember the time
at Panmunjom, huh?

When we borrowed the t*nk?

(CHUCKLING) To bring back
the grain alcohol for
the Korean kid's bar mitzvah.

Boy, that was a beautifuI
touch on your part.
Any excuse for a party.

Yeah, I remember, Al.

And we were surrounded
by the Red Chinese regulars.

We are in a Patton t*nk
and it is full of booze

and we are pinned down
for 1 2 hours!
Al, Al,

your string as
an insurance investigator
has run out.

You know that.

And you're not gonna
be my partner.

Okay, now, whatever happened
this week,

it's nothing when you put it
up against what we had
going on the 38th Parallel.

I will never forget the story
that we cooked up

when we called
on the radio for help.
You said...

Yeah. Al,
be a good old soldier.

Don't die, just fade away.