The Rockford Files (1974) s01e11 Episode Script
The Dexter Crisis
1
Private eye?
Well, that translates into
a lot of things. Mostly bad.
You have
a very irritating manner.
So do you.
So you're
a professional gambler.
That's fascinating.
Yeah, it is, isn't it?
You can't protect Susan
from herself.
'Cause that's
not called protection.
What's it called?
Meddling.
This is Jim Rockford,
At the tone leave your name
and message.
I'll get back to you.
staked out that guy,
only, it didn't work out
like you said,
Please call me.
Room 234, County Hospital.
What are you doing?
Opera glasses.
Susie, write this down.
"A-Z-I 656."
If you must smoke,
use an ash tray, please.
There aren't any.
Now, to answer your question.
Yes, the case is closed.
The police
aren't working on it.
Don't use that.
That's a Rostov plate.
Miss Adams, would you come
in here for a moment, please?
Give it to her.
Excuse me.
Dirty, filthy habit,
isn't it?
Okay, Miss Susan Parsons
disappeared two days ago
and the police
aren't working on it.
Maybe she just
got tired of LA. and left.
Some of the things she left behind
are valuable and dear to us.
I think we can eliminate
that possibility.
You say Miss Parsons
was a friend of yours?
What kind of friend?
Just what is that
supposed to mean?
Well,
did you have a mutual hobby?
Say, making model airplanes
or what?
Are you trying to be funny,
Mr. Rockford?
If I'm gonna be helpful
in finding her
I'm gonna have to know the
nature of your relationship.
I think you can assume the
nature of our relationship.
Fine, then I can also assume that
you're paying the rent on her apartment?
You have
a very irritating manner.
So do you.
Okay, Mr. Rockford.
I'm told
that you're trustworthy.
And I'm going
to rely on that trait.
No, I do not pay
the rent on her apartment.
She has a roommate
and they share that expense.
However,
I did rent
a place at the beach
and we meet there
twice a week.
I hope you understand that I
have a reputation and a family.
And I don't need
any complications.
So I will count on
your discretion.
I met Susan at a Beverly Hills
department store. She was a salesgirl.
We started
seeing one another
and after a time,
I persuaded her to enroll in UCLA.
Why?
I was also interested
in her mind.
Well, you're full
of unique characteristics.
How much do you cost?
$200 a day, plus expenses.
That's absurd.
I'll give you $50 and no expenses.
Mr. Dexter, I don't know what
you think is going on here
but I sell a service.
If you want the service,
you pay what I think it's worth
if you think it's too high, you can go to
Main Street and deal with one of those guys.
You're a little touchy there.
Right. I'm a little touchy.
Okay, I'll pay it.
For a couple of days.
Do you have
a picture of Miss Parsons?
Yes, I do.
Miss Adams
has an envelope for you.
It contains the keys
to the beach house.
However, I don't think you'll
find anything helpful there.
Thank you.
For your collection.
Louise Anderson?
Are you here about Susan?
That's right. May I come in?
Can I get you a drink?
Soft, I mean. Of course,
I know you cops don't drink on duty.
I'm a private cop. We're practically
required to drink on the job.
You read that, or you just
use it for posture exercises?
I read it.
Sometimes I swear at it.
It's a law book.
I'm a law student.
Private eye?
Well, that translates into
a lot of things. Mostly bad.
I'm not sure
I want to talk to you.
I'm trying to find out
what happened to Susan.
I talked to a police
sergeant named Freeman.
He has Susan's file,
but his only interest in the case
seemed to be getting it into his
out-basket as quickly as possible.
He did say
that you were throwing
most of the heavy dust
in the air
so I thought, maybe we could
get together and compare notes.
Who are you working for,
Mister
Rockford.
I don't wanna seem stuffy,
but that is confidential.
She would never tell me this,
of course
but Susan had a boyfriend.
Somebody important.
Since she has no family, I guess you're
working for her boyfriend. Right?
Well, if that's the way you want
it, I'm working for her boyfriend.
Think I'll get you
that drink, after all.
Did Sgt. Freeman tell you
about the license?
Yeah, he mentioned it.
What did he say?
Well,
I'd rather hear it from you.
All right.
He didn't tell me anything.
As a matter of fact,
we didn't get along at all.
I go on my hunches
about people.
I got a hunch about you
that says maybe you're okay.
But I don't know
who you're working for.
And I don't know
how good your judgment is.
So, if I'm gonna give you
what I have
we have to come to
some sort of arrangement.
Win $50 cover it?
I'll give you what I have,
and you let me help you look for Susan.
In person help, I mean.
Teamwork.
No, I'm sorry.
For three or four days,
before Susan disappeared
a man was hanging around
in a car.
I saw him two times at school,
three times right up the street.
I have the license number.
When Susie disappeared,
he disappeared.
Pretty good?
Well, if the police aren't on
it, it's probably a dead end.
The police are convinced
she just split
because she took her bags and
there's no evidence of foul play.
They probably haven't even
checked it out.
And if I'm gonna get the
number, we got to be a team.
That's the deal.
Besides, I think I can be a lot of help.
I know Susie, how she thinks.
Are you getting a little bored
with law school, or what?
I happen to be Susie's best friend.
And I think she's in trouble.
You're the only way I can
find out what happened to her.
All right. Give me the license
number and I'll see who owns it.
Nothing doing.
The information goes with me.
It's in my purse.
So, let's go do
whatever it is you do.
What kind of law
are you studying?
I'm gonna be
a public defender.
Or consumer advocate.
Nothing but pro Bono publico.
Real bare-knuckle stuff.
Sounds great.
Did your friend in Motor
Vehicles come through?
Yeah.
Well, who was it?
Louise, you said you wanted to
help, maybe you can.
Jim, who was it?
Another private eye.
A guy named Kermit Higby.
Do you know him?
Well, we don't get along.
As a matter of fact, we came to blows once.
He broke my nose.
And you put him in traction,
I suppose?
Somebody separated us
before he killed me.
I was recovering from the flu.
I was a little off my game.
If we're gonna get anything out of
Higby, you're gonna have to get it.
I think you should do that.
If I was on fire,
I wouldn't hire him to throw water.
We don't get along.
He wouldn't tell me anything anyway.
You wanted team work,
I'm offering you team work.
He wouldn't hit a lady,
would he?
No, of course not.
At least,
I don't think so.
You ought to keep your eye on
his secretary, she'd hit anybody.
I'm sorry, sir.
But all of our hostesses require a
deposit at the beginning of the date.
And then, of course, each girl is on
her own to do whatever she wants to do.
If you don't feel you got
your money's worth
there really is nothing
I can do about it.
Of course, sir.
The same to you.
I thought Mr. Higby was
a private detective.
That's right.
We share the office.
I run the Hollywood Escort
Service and type his letters.
I hate to sound indelicate
but it sounded like you were running
something more than a dating service.
Well, a dating service
is a little seedy.
So I decided to get into
the hostess business.
Well, I sort of
expected something else.
The trust officer at the bank said
I should seek professional help.
They authorized
the expenditure, but
Trust officer?
Which trust officer?
Which bank is that?
Well, I'm sorry.
Wait a minute, honey.
I think you've got a problem
and I'm sure
that Kerm can help you.
If he can't,
well, I probably can.
Kerm is out of town.
But I promise you,
I can get him back within 24 hours.
Your deposit
will guarantee his service.
Where is he?
He's in Vegas on business.
But I'm sure I can get him back.
I really don't like it here.
I'm sorry I bothered you.
I can see why
you didn't want to go in.
That's some service
they got going in there.
Did you find out?
If I tell you, how do I know
you're not going to kick me out
and work the lead yourself?
You know I won't
because I say I won't.
I'd feel better
if I had some leverage.
Would you like to hold my driver's
license till this is all over?
I'm not gonna tell you
what I found out.
At least, not yet.
I'll give you directions.
Which way?
I've got to pack a few things,
then get on the San Bernardino Freeway.
Las Vegas?
Paging Mr. Johnson,
Mr. Charles Johnson,.
Telephone please,.
Paging Miss Bisset.
Miss Andrea Bisset, telephone please,.
Well, our luck's consistent,
anyway.
He's not registered here,
either.
Are there any hotels left?
No. There's BI motels.
We could split them up between us.
What's wrong?
That's Susan.
Where?
At the roulette table.
The one with the dark hair and
the tinted glasses. That's Susan.
Paging Mr. Angelo.
Mr. Nick Angelo.
This is where
we cool the teamwork.
If she sees you,
we've blown it.
"Cool the teamwork?" Are
you telling me to go home?
Just go to the motel, now.
Paging Mr. Angelo. Mr. Nick Angelo.
Cashier's window, please,.
Yeah, operator,
I'd like to call Los Angeles, please.
Mr. Charles Dexter
at 555-8000.
And operator, that's collect.
Yeah, I can see her right now.
Is she all right?
Seems to be.
You want to talk to her?
No, I want you
to make contact with her.
That could take a lot of time.
I could come up empty.
Just keep in touch with me.
Paging Mr. Beretti.
Mr. Carlo Beretti, telephone please,.
Number five.
Red and odd.
Place your bets,
ladies and gentlemen.
Paging Mr. Angelo.
Mr. Nick Angelo.
Telephone please,.
Number 17. Black and odd.
Paging Mr. Beretti.
Mr. Carlo Beretti, telephone please,.
Place your bets,
ladies and gentlemen.
Excuse me.
May I ask what kind of
system you're using?
Well, it's too complex
to explain, I'm afraid.
If it weren't,
I'd be happy to.
Well, it seems to be working.
Yeah. It usually does.
If you play black and red,
and odd and even
you're bound to lose.
Really? Why?
The house percentages are gonna chip
away at you till you lose it all.
Paging Mr. Johnson.
Mr. Charles Johnson, Telephone please,.
I was just gonna cash in my chips
and go get something to eat.
Care to join me?
If zero or double-zero
comes up, you lose
on red, black,
odd, or even.
That's a 6.2% advantage
for the house.
You can win in a short run
if you get hot,
but in along run,
they'll pick you clean.
But I lose even worse
at blackjack or dice
because I don't understand
how to play.
At least roulette is simple.
I suppose your system's complicated.
Yeah. No, you see, no roulette
wheel is ever in perfect balance.
Just figure out the bias
and keep playing
till they catch on
what you're doing.
That gives you
a 6 or 7% advantage.
If you can keep them from figuring
your action, you can rip them good.
I hit one of the strip hotels
for $50,000 last August.
Before they caught on.
You sat right there in front of
them, making all those notes?
That's just stage craft.
Makes them think I'm a system's better.
They love system's bettors.
They always lose.
No. If they figure that I'm
even casing the wheel
well, they'll close the
table down and re-balance it.
So
you're a professional gambler.
That's fascinating.
♪♪
Yeah.
Yeah, it is, isn't it?
Will I see you again,
tomorrow maybe?
Same time, same wheel.
It's a date,
I want to learn your system.
I had a wonderful time
tonight.
I've been sort of loner
here, until tonight.
Goodnight.
Goodnight.
I heard you come in,
but I had to wait. Right?
A cool private investigator
like you,
you might have had
Susan on your arm.
Is she okay?
Did you get anything to eat?
Yeah.
I had a tuna fish sandwich.
Did you find out what's wrong?
Is she running from something, or what?
I don't think so.
But she doesn't enjoy gambling
or she'd be playing the numbers.
She's got a new name.
Her name is Donna Weston.
She's here waiting for
her divorce to come through.
Not a very original
cover story, is it?
Maybe she's hiding
from somebody.
I don't think so.
She's been hanging around
that casino for hours on end.
Anybody with any brains is not gonna
hide out in that popcorn machine.
Well, what do we do now?
You should go home.
We found her.
Nobody's holding her against her will.
Whatever she's doing,
she's doing for her own reasons.
She's running from something.
I want to know what it is and why.
What business is it of yours
what she does?
'Cause I know
she's in trouble. I can tell.
How?
When people are in trouble,
you can see it in their eyes
and the way they move.
Especially people you know.
You some kind of expert
on the human condition?
I grew up in a tenement house
in Philadelphia.
My parents spent their lives getting
fleeced by semi-legitimate salesmen.
I'm gonna be an attorney and protect
people against the scavengers.
And I've got
some commitments to myself.
I don't care if they're important to you.
But they're important to me.
Susan is a starting point,
and I'm not gonna turn my back on her.
Or on myself.
I'll see you in the morning.
A speech like that
deserves more of a comment.
Okay.
There's a big difference between protecting
people from semi-legitimate salesmen
and protecting people
from themselves.
You can't protect Susan
from herself.
'Cause that's
not called protection.
What's it called?
Meddling.
Goodnight.
Goodnight.
Louise.
Mr. Arthur
Abelman, telephone please,.
Paging Mr. Stevens.
Mr. Mike Stevens, telephone please,.
Mr. Angelo. Mr. Nick Angelo.
Cashier's window, please,.
What are you doing here?
I was looking for you.
What are you doing here?
Who hit us?
I don't know.
How'd you get in?
I saw Susan at the roulette
table, so I went to the desk
and I told them I was Donna
Weston and I forgot my key.
They made me a new one.
This place looks like bargain
day at the drug store.
I wonder if they found
what they were looking for?
I don't think so.
How can you tell?
Well, this whole room
is wiped out.
Usually, when somebody's looking for
something, they stop when they find it.
We better get out of here
before Susan gets back.
Hey, you never answered my question.
What were you doing in there?
Trying to help you.
We don't know
what Susan is running from,
I decided to
have a look in her room.
I'm not lying.
When this elevator stops,
I'm gonna get out.
I'll expect you to stay in
it, go down to the basement
get into your car and go home.
In other words, get lost.
Paging Mr. Angelo.
Mr. Nick Angelo.
Cashier's window, please,.
Mr. Nick Angelo.
Excuse me. You see that
red-headed girl back there?
She's been following me
around all night.
I never saw her before tonight,
and she keeps saying
that she's the divine spirit
and I'm the Iris of her psyche.
Whatever that is.
Either you get rid of her or
I'll move out of this hotel.
I mean, come on, really.
The rates you guys charge.
I shouldn't have to play tag
with some adolescent acid-head.
We'll take care of it,
sir.
Thank you.
Appreciate that.
Paging Mr. Stevens.
Mr. Michael Stevens, telephone please,.
Paging Mr. Johnson.
Mr. Charles Johnson, telephone please,.
Donna. It was you.
I saw you down in the lobby.
I thought
you went to bed.
Jim, hi.
I went out for some fresh air.
I thought you went to bed.
I got a call.
There's a seat open at the Shamanda
Pair, so I went down
but there weren't enough
players, so I passed.
I hate to play cards
with shills.
Well, goodnight again.
Goodnight.
What's wrong?
I'll call down to the desk
and report this.
No, don't.
Why not?
I think
it must've been my husband.
I don't want
to get into trouble.
Whoever did this
was looking for something.
They tore the paper lining
out of the drawers.
Would your husband
do that?
I don't know,
I just don't understand it at all.
If you could use some help, I'm ready,
willing and within reason, able.
No, I just Yes.
I want to leave here
right now.
But I suppose that's asking too
much, isn't it?
Just tell me
where you want to go.
I have to stay in Nevada for
my residence requirement
but could you drive me
to Reno?
When do we leave?
Thank you.
The airline misplaced my other
suitcase when I flew out here,
but they found it.
Could we stop and pick it up
on the way out of town?
Yeah.
Thank you.
You keep looking into that mirror.
Are we being followed?
I think so.
There's no one back there.
He's back there.
I don't understand why anybody
would want to follow me.
Well, if your husband had hired
somebody to ransack your room
maybe he'd hire somebody
to follow you.
I guess you're right.
Hi, Kerm.
It's good to see you climbing
out from underneath your rock
from time to time.
I thought I gave you a good
lesson last time. What's wrong?
Don't you remember
how I spread your nose out?
I remember.
That lucky punch.
I'm not worried. Generally,
you can't hit the ground with both feet.
Maybe you got to be
taught another lesson.
Looks that way.
Let me help you.
Open it.
Clumsy, Kerm.
Looks like
you got a couple of choices.
Either you can tell me,
what you're doing following me
and why you knocked me out
in Susan's room
or you can sit here with
your hand in the door
while I sharpen up my right cross.
Which is it?
I didn't knock you out.
Okay' Kenn.
I'm gonna let your dentist
rebuild your whole mouth.
Suit yourself.
Damn!
If it had been me,
I'd have beat you to death.
Yeah, I know.
Who is it?
It's a man
named Kermit Higby.
You ever heard of him?
Never.
Hello?
Hi.
Hope you weren't worried about me.
Well, no, of course not.
Why would I worry?
I only called your room
ten times since we checked in,
I'm sorry.
There were a few personal
things I couldn't find
in that mess
back in Las Vegas.
So, I went to the drug store.
I'm back now, come on over.
That knocking
you hear on your door is me.
Hi.
I feel safe now,
thanks to you.
I registered under a false name.
I hope that's not illegal.
Only in Kentucky.
Are you going to stay in Reno
for awhile, I hope?
I have two more weeks until
the divorce comes through.
Well there's not ' gonna be a
divorce, 'cause you're not married.
I've been thinking it over.
We ought to get a few things straight.
Higby's not the only private
detective that's been following you.
There's another one.
Who? Where is he?
Right here. It's me.
Charles Dexter
hired me to find you.
I don't believe you.
He wouldn't.
You mean,
he wouldn't because
he wouldn't admit that
he had a reason to find you?
He did.
He also told me about the place
down at the beach. The whole story.
I talked to him on the phone.
He's flying here and wants to talk to you.
Did he tell you that I ran away
from him because he is insane?
That he started thinking I was cheating
on him and he began to threaten me?
It was horrible.
I was afraid he might kill me.
Now, why don't you just start
telling the truth for a change?
Look, Dexter isn't the only one
who put a private cop on you.
Somebody hired Higby.
I don't have any idea who that is.
Somebody went through
your room in Vegas.
What do you think they
were looking for? A key?
Maybe a key to a locker
with a suitcase in it?
When we went to the airport, I didn't
stay in the car. I was watching you.
And you took that suitcase
out of a locker.
You didn't take it out of
the airline's luggage room.
That's why you think
I'm lying.
You think that I'm running off
with a bag of jewels or something.
I'd like to check on it.
Where's the suitcase now?
In another locker?
No, it's right in there.
That's him, Officer.
That's the one. Arrest him.
Louise!
Honey, are you all right?
Was he hurting you?
What?
Shut up.
You're going downtown for questioning.
What's the charge?
Kidnapping and attempted rape.
As a matter of fact,
he was holding me against my will.
If you'd like
to look at my ID
you'll see that I'm a
licensed private investigator.
You don't want to say nothing
till I read you your rights.
This woman is the subject
of an official L.A. wanted
and I'm authorized by City Statuette
12 to take her in. Now, Officer
if you don't take us all in together,
you'll never see them again.
We'll be right behind you,
Officer.
If you go for that, Officer,
you'll be making a mistake.
Why don't you let me
worry about that, buster?
I hope you appreciate the fact
that I haven't once said,
"I told you so."
I did appreciate it.
Till you just said it.
They've gone, Lieutenant.
I think they drove off out of town.
Well, I already told you that.
They're headed back to LA.
This fellow
still could be guilty.
The girls maybe didn't
want to get stuck here as witnesses.
I don't think so.
There's a guy outside
says his name's
Albert Frost
claims Rockford here,
was working for him.
And that Susan Parsons?
She's an LA. missing person.
Okay, you can go,
Mr. Rockford.
The watch commander has a receipt
for your car. It's right out front.
That's all? You guys don't want to
say anything to me before I leave?
Like what?
Well, I think
somebody ought to apologize.
What for?
For treating me like some kind of
sex-creep for the last two hours.
Move it, Rockford, before I decide
to book you as a troublemaker.
Thank you, Lieutenant.
I accept your apology.
Hey, that's mine.
Here's a receipt signed by the Lieutenant.
Thank you.
You said
they were headed for LA.
Albert Frost?
It's a little risky using phoney
names with the cops, isn't it?
I could've blown your cover
by mistake.
When I employ people,
Mr. Rockford,
I expect a certain level
of competence.
If you still want
to employ me, Mr. Dexter
you're gonna have to come up
with some fresh material.
What are you talking about?
What's Susan got, that you and
everybody else is chasing after?
I don't know
what you're talking about.
Then we got a jump-ball,
Mr. Dexter. Goodbye.
Wait a minute.
You know where she went,
don't you?
Maybe.
There's a great deal
involved here.
You've got to tell me
what you know.
Well, I know that Susan
bought another suitcase
and whatever you're all after
is in it.
I lost her for about
a half-hour at the hotel
gave her enough time
to buy another bag.
And then her roommate stiffed
me with the Reno bulls
and now you're still trying to hang
on to this jealous boyfriend routine.
Frankly, Mr. Dexter,
I just don't have time
to stand around
and listen to it any longer.
Okay.
If I tell you,
you've got to promise me
that whatever you recover,
you bring back to me.
I'll pay you your fee,
plus a 10% finders fee.
Okay. What's in the bag?
My corporation ran into a very
serious problem a week or so ago.
Sol negotiated with a man who
could fix the trouble for us.
I was to meet him one night
with $250,000 in cash.
I showed up with the money in a
suitcase, he wasn't there.
So I went to the beach house that I
rent for Susan to stash the money there.
When I went back to get it,
Susan was gone and so was the suitcase.
Well, if that's true,
why was Susan in Las Vegas
playing the roulette wheels?
I don't understand.
Well, she wasn't gambling.
She was buying several hundred
dollars worth of chips
sitting at the roulette wheel for
a few minutes, then cashing it in.
If it's the money you were using for
a bribe, she was trying to launder it.
I didn't say it was a bribe.
I didn't just parachute in,
Mr. Dexter.
Now, let's stop
kidding ourselves.
I swear to you that everything
I've told you is true.
Will you help?
I'll let you know
what I decide.
Who is it?
How should I know?
Every time I speed up,
he speeds up.
Every time I slow down,
he slows down.
I think it's Jim.
It can't be.
Look out!
You all right?
I don't think anything's broken.
Susie, are you all right?
I'm okay.
You sure?
Yeah.
All right, where is it?
I don't know
what you're talking about.
Whatever happened to that nice
girl I met less than a week ago?
The one who was gonna be
a consumer advocate
and never turn her back
on herself.
What I do with my life
is my business.
When did you get to be
my spiritual advisor, anyway?
And who are you to talk
about public service?
I bet you haven't thought
about anybody but Jim Rockford
since you were 14.
Your share of $250,000
isn't gonna do one thing
but mess up
your opinion of yourself.
Tell me
what you get out of it,
if I hand over
Susan's money to you.
I get $25,000.
I'll tell you what:
I'll split it with you two.
How about it, Susan?
Louise told me
to let her handle it.
She's my lawyer.
I'm letting her handle it.
You both better get a lawyer.
And quick.
I don't think so.
I may not be too bright,
but I know Charles Dexter.
He's not making any public
charges against anybody.
You're gonna need a ride.
Pick them up.
I've got an excuse,
you know.
Everybody does.
It's really a rotten world.
I mean, in general, it really is.
It makes it kind of easy to have temporary
setbacks in the ethics department.
Were you serious about
splitting the reward three ways?
We're talking about
your life.
You want to stand out in the
highway and quibble over money?
I just wanted to make sure
we understand each other.
Yeah, I was serious.
It's at a locker at the bus
depot, next to the hotel in Reno.
Let's go.
Higby, I couldn't hit you before,
but you just changed all that.
What the hell.
I knew there's a reason
I didn't do that before
I think I broke my hand.
There we are.
$200 per day,
plus lavish expenses.
Do you plan
to pay the bonus
with a separate check,
Mr. Dexter?
Bonus?
Yeah, the bonus.
The one we agreed on in Reno.
Ten percent of whatever I got back for you.
It comes to exactly $24,822.
For one week's work?
Well, that's the agreement, Mr. Dexter.
It could've taken me a year.
Mr. Rockford, I wouldn't agree
to pay a private investigator
$24,000
for even a year's work.
Mr. Dexter, we had a deal. If I have
to give you trouble to get it, I will.
Did you say trouble,
Mr. Rockford?
Let me tell you something:
The reason that fellow didn't
show up for his payoff
is because
he decided not to go along.
As a result, my corporation
is going to lose a suit
that's going to cost me
$10 million.
And that private investigator?
Kermit Higby? I found out who hired him.
My wife hired him.
She's suing me for divorce.
And you think
you can give me trouble?
Private eye?
Well, that translates into
a lot of things. Mostly bad.
You have
a very irritating manner.
So do you.
So you're
a professional gambler.
That's fascinating.
Yeah, it is, isn't it?
You can't protect Susan
from herself.
'Cause that's
not called protection.
What's it called?
Meddling.
This is Jim Rockford,
At the tone leave your name
and message.
I'll get back to you.
staked out that guy,
only, it didn't work out
like you said,
Please call me.
Room 234, County Hospital.
What are you doing?
Opera glasses.
Susie, write this down.
"A-Z-I 656."
If you must smoke,
use an ash tray, please.
There aren't any.
Now, to answer your question.
Yes, the case is closed.
The police
aren't working on it.
Don't use that.
That's a Rostov plate.
Miss Adams, would you come
in here for a moment, please?
Give it to her.
Excuse me.
Dirty, filthy habit,
isn't it?
Okay, Miss Susan Parsons
disappeared two days ago
and the police
aren't working on it.
Maybe she just
got tired of LA. and left.
Some of the things she left behind
are valuable and dear to us.
I think we can eliminate
that possibility.
You say Miss Parsons
was a friend of yours?
What kind of friend?
Just what is that
supposed to mean?
Well,
did you have a mutual hobby?
Say, making model airplanes
or what?
Are you trying to be funny,
Mr. Rockford?
If I'm gonna be helpful
in finding her
I'm gonna have to know the
nature of your relationship.
I think you can assume the
nature of our relationship.
Fine, then I can also assume that
you're paying the rent on her apartment?
You have
a very irritating manner.
So do you.
Okay, Mr. Rockford.
I'm told
that you're trustworthy.
And I'm going
to rely on that trait.
No, I do not pay
the rent on her apartment.
She has a roommate
and they share that expense.
However,
I did rent
a place at the beach
and we meet there
twice a week.
I hope you understand that I
have a reputation and a family.
And I don't need
any complications.
So I will count on
your discretion.
I met Susan at a Beverly Hills
department store. She was a salesgirl.
We started
seeing one another
and after a time,
I persuaded her to enroll in UCLA.
Why?
I was also interested
in her mind.
Well, you're full
of unique characteristics.
How much do you cost?
$200 a day, plus expenses.
That's absurd.
I'll give you $50 and no expenses.
Mr. Dexter, I don't know what
you think is going on here
but I sell a service.
If you want the service,
you pay what I think it's worth
if you think it's too high, you can go to
Main Street and deal with one of those guys.
You're a little touchy there.
Right. I'm a little touchy.
Okay, I'll pay it.
For a couple of days.
Do you have
a picture of Miss Parsons?
Yes, I do.
Miss Adams
has an envelope for you.
It contains the keys
to the beach house.
However, I don't think you'll
find anything helpful there.
Thank you.
For your collection.
Louise Anderson?
Are you here about Susan?
That's right. May I come in?
Can I get you a drink?
Soft, I mean. Of course,
I know you cops don't drink on duty.
I'm a private cop. We're practically
required to drink on the job.
You read that, or you just
use it for posture exercises?
I read it.
Sometimes I swear at it.
It's a law book.
I'm a law student.
Private eye?
Well, that translates into
a lot of things. Mostly bad.
I'm not sure
I want to talk to you.
I'm trying to find out
what happened to Susan.
I talked to a police
sergeant named Freeman.
He has Susan's file,
but his only interest in the case
seemed to be getting it into his
out-basket as quickly as possible.
He did say
that you were throwing
most of the heavy dust
in the air
so I thought, maybe we could
get together and compare notes.
Who are you working for,
Mister
Rockford.
I don't wanna seem stuffy,
but that is confidential.
She would never tell me this,
of course
but Susan had a boyfriend.
Somebody important.
Since she has no family, I guess you're
working for her boyfriend. Right?
Well, if that's the way you want
it, I'm working for her boyfriend.
Think I'll get you
that drink, after all.
Did Sgt. Freeman tell you
about the license?
Yeah, he mentioned it.
What did he say?
Well,
I'd rather hear it from you.
All right.
He didn't tell me anything.
As a matter of fact,
we didn't get along at all.
I go on my hunches
about people.
I got a hunch about you
that says maybe you're okay.
But I don't know
who you're working for.
And I don't know
how good your judgment is.
So, if I'm gonna give you
what I have
we have to come to
some sort of arrangement.
Win $50 cover it?
I'll give you what I have,
and you let me help you look for Susan.
In person help, I mean.
Teamwork.
No, I'm sorry.
For three or four days,
before Susan disappeared
a man was hanging around
in a car.
I saw him two times at school,
three times right up the street.
I have the license number.
When Susie disappeared,
he disappeared.
Pretty good?
Well, if the police aren't on
it, it's probably a dead end.
The police are convinced
she just split
because she took her bags and
there's no evidence of foul play.
They probably haven't even
checked it out.
And if I'm gonna get the
number, we got to be a team.
That's the deal.
Besides, I think I can be a lot of help.
I know Susie, how she thinks.
Are you getting a little bored
with law school, or what?
I happen to be Susie's best friend.
And I think she's in trouble.
You're the only way I can
find out what happened to her.
All right. Give me the license
number and I'll see who owns it.
Nothing doing.
The information goes with me.
It's in my purse.
So, let's go do
whatever it is you do.
What kind of law
are you studying?
I'm gonna be
a public defender.
Or consumer advocate.
Nothing but pro Bono publico.
Real bare-knuckle stuff.
Sounds great.
Did your friend in Motor
Vehicles come through?
Yeah.
Well, who was it?
Louise, you said you wanted to
help, maybe you can.
Jim, who was it?
Another private eye.
A guy named Kermit Higby.
Do you know him?
Well, we don't get along.
As a matter of fact, we came to blows once.
He broke my nose.
And you put him in traction,
I suppose?
Somebody separated us
before he killed me.
I was recovering from the flu.
I was a little off my game.
If we're gonna get anything out of
Higby, you're gonna have to get it.
I think you should do that.
If I was on fire,
I wouldn't hire him to throw water.
We don't get along.
He wouldn't tell me anything anyway.
You wanted team work,
I'm offering you team work.
He wouldn't hit a lady,
would he?
No, of course not.
At least,
I don't think so.
You ought to keep your eye on
his secretary, she'd hit anybody.
I'm sorry, sir.
But all of our hostesses require a
deposit at the beginning of the date.
And then, of course, each girl is on
her own to do whatever she wants to do.
If you don't feel you got
your money's worth
there really is nothing
I can do about it.
Of course, sir.
The same to you.
I thought Mr. Higby was
a private detective.
That's right.
We share the office.
I run the Hollywood Escort
Service and type his letters.
I hate to sound indelicate
but it sounded like you were running
something more than a dating service.
Well, a dating service
is a little seedy.
So I decided to get into
the hostess business.
Well, I sort of
expected something else.
The trust officer at the bank said
I should seek professional help.
They authorized
the expenditure, but
Trust officer?
Which trust officer?
Which bank is that?
Well, I'm sorry.
Wait a minute, honey.
I think you've got a problem
and I'm sure
that Kerm can help you.
If he can't,
well, I probably can.
Kerm is out of town.
But I promise you,
I can get him back within 24 hours.
Your deposit
will guarantee his service.
Where is he?
He's in Vegas on business.
But I'm sure I can get him back.
I really don't like it here.
I'm sorry I bothered you.
I can see why
you didn't want to go in.
That's some service
they got going in there.
Did you find out?
If I tell you, how do I know
you're not going to kick me out
and work the lead yourself?
You know I won't
because I say I won't.
I'd feel better
if I had some leverage.
Would you like to hold my driver's
license till this is all over?
I'm not gonna tell you
what I found out.
At least, not yet.
I'll give you directions.
Which way?
I've got to pack a few things,
then get on the San Bernardino Freeway.
Las Vegas?
Paging Mr. Johnson,
Mr. Charles Johnson,.
Telephone please,.
Paging Miss Bisset.
Miss Andrea Bisset, telephone please,.
Well, our luck's consistent,
anyway.
He's not registered here,
either.
Are there any hotels left?
No. There's BI motels.
We could split them up between us.
What's wrong?
That's Susan.
Where?
At the roulette table.
The one with the dark hair and
the tinted glasses. That's Susan.
Paging Mr. Angelo.
Mr. Nick Angelo.
This is where
we cool the teamwork.
If she sees you,
we've blown it.
"Cool the teamwork?" Are
you telling me to go home?
Just go to the motel, now.
Paging Mr. Angelo. Mr. Nick Angelo.
Cashier's window, please,.
Yeah, operator,
I'd like to call Los Angeles, please.
Mr. Charles Dexter
at 555-8000.
And operator, that's collect.
Yeah, I can see her right now.
Is she all right?
Seems to be.
You want to talk to her?
No, I want you
to make contact with her.
That could take a lot of time.
I could come up empty.
Just keep in touch with me.
Paging Mr. Beretti.
Mr. Carlo Beretti, telephone please,.
Number five.
Red and odd.
Place your bets,
ladies and gentlemen.
Paging Mr. Angelo.
Mr. Nick Angelo.
Telephone please,.
Number 17. Black and odd.
Paging Mr. Beretti.
Mr. Carlo Beretti, telephone please,.
Place your bets,
ladies and gentlemen.
Excuse me.
May I ask what kind of
system you're using?
Well, it's too complex
to explain, I'm afraid.
If it weren't,
I'd be happy to.
Well, it seems to be working.
Yeah. It usually does.
If you play black and red,
and odd and even
you're bound to lose.
Really? Why?
The house percentages are gonna chip
away at you till you lose it all.
Paging Mr. Johnson.
Mr. Charles Johnson, Telephone please,.
I was just gonna cash in my chips
and go get something to eat.
Care to join me?
If zero or double-zero
comes up, you lose
on red, black,
odd, or even.
That's a 6.2% advantage
for the house.
You can win in a short run
if you get hot,
but in along run,
they'll pick you clean.
But I lose even worse
at blackjack or dice
because I don't understand
how to play.
At least roulette is simple.
I suppose your system's complicated.
Yeah. No, you see, no roulette
wheel is ever in perfect balance.
Just figure out the bias
and keep playing
till they catch on
what you're doing.
That gives you
a 6 or 7% advantage.
If you can keep them from figuring
your action, you can rip them good.
I hit one of the strip hotels
for $50,000 last August.
Before they caught on.
You sat right there in front of
them, making all those notes?
That's just stage craft.
Makes them think I'm a system's better.
They love system's bettors.
They always lose.
No. If they figure that I'm
even casing the wheel
well, they'll close the
table down and re-balance it.
So
you're a professional gambler.
That's fascinating.
♪♪
Yeah.
Yeah, it is, isn't it?
Will I see you again,
tomorrow maybe?
Same time, same wheel.
It's a date,
I want to learn your system.
I had a wonderful time
tonight.
I've been sort of loner
here, until tonight.
Goodnight.
Goodnight.
I heard you come in,
but I had to wait. Right?
A cool private investigator
like you,
you might have had
Susan on your arm.
Is she okay?
Did you get anything to eat?
Yeah.
I had a tuna fish sandwich.
Did you find out what's wrong?
Is she running from something, or what?
I don't think so.
But she doesn't enjoy gambling
or she'd be playing the numbers.
She's got a new name.
Her name is Donna Weston.
She's here waiting for
her divorce to come through.
Not a very original
cover story, is it?
Maybe she's hiding
from somebody.
I don't think so.
She's been hanging around
that casino for hours on end.
Anybody with any brains is not gonna
hide out in that popcorn machine.
Well, what do we do now?
You should go home.
We found her.
Nobody's holding her against her will.
Whatever she's doing,
she's doing for her own reasons.
She's running from something.
I want to know what it is and why.
What business is it of yours
what she does?
'Cause I know
she's in trouble. I can tell.
How?
When people are in trouble,
you can see it in their eyes
and the way they move.
Especially people you know.
You some kind of expert
on the human condition?
I grew up in a tenement house
in Philadelphia.
My parents spent their lives getting
fleeced by semi-legitimate salesmen.
I'm gonna be an attorney and protect
people against the scavengers.
And I've got
some commitments to myself.
I don't care if they're important to you.
But they're important to me.
Susan is a starting point,
and I'm not gonna turn my back on her.
Or on myself.
I'll see you in the morning.
A speech like that
deserves more of a comment.
Okay.
There's a big difference between protecting
people from semi-legitimate salesmen
and protecting people
from themselves.
You can't protect Susan
from herself.
'Cause that's
not called protection.
What's it called?
Meddling.
Goodnight.
Goodnight.
Louise.
Mr. Arthur
Abelman, telephone please,.
Paging Mr. Stevens.
Mr. Mike Stevens, telephone please,.
Mr. Angelo. Mr. Nick Angelo.
Cashier's window, please,.
What are you doing here?
I was looking for you.
What are you doing here?
Who hit us?
I don't know.
How'd you get in?
I saw Susan at the roulette
table, so I went to the desk
and I told them I was Donna
Weston and I forgot my key.
They made me a new one.
This place looks like bargain
day at the drug store.
I wonder if they found
what they were looking for?
I don't think so.
How can you tell?
Well, this whole room
is wiped out.
Usually, when somebody's looking for
something, they stop when they find it.
We better get out of here
before Susan gets back.
Hey, you never answered my question.
What were you doing in there?
Trying to help you.
We don't know
what Susan is running from,
I decided to
have a look in her room.
I'm not lying.
When this elevator stops,
I'm gonna get out.
I'll expect you to stay in
it, go down to the basement
get into your car and go home.
In other words, get lost.
Paging Mr. Angelo.
Mr. Nick Angelo.
Cashier's window, please,.
Mr. Nick Angelo.
Excuse me. You see that
red-headed girl back there?
She's been following me
around all night.
I never saw her before tonight,
and she keeps saying
that she's the divine spirit
and I'm the Iris of her psyche.
Whatever that is.
Either you get rid of her or
I'll move out of this hotel.
I mean, come on, really.
The rates you guys charge.
I shouldn't have to play tag
with some adolescent acid-head.
We'll take care of it,
sir.
Thank you.
Appreciate that.
Paging Mr. Stevens.
Mr. Michael Stevens, telephone please,.
Paging Mr. Johnson.
Mr. Charles Johnson, telephone please,.
Donna. It was you.
I saw you down in the lobby.
I thought
you went to bed.
Jim, hi.
I went out for some fresh air.
I thought you went to bed.
I got a call.
There's a seat open at the Shamanda
Pair, so I went down
but there weren't enough
players, so I passed.
I hate to play cards
with shills.
Well, goodnight again.
Goodnight.
What's wrong?
I'll call down to the desk
and report this.
No, don't.
Why not?
I think
it must've been my husband.
I don't want
to get into trouble.
Whoever did this
was looking for something.
They tore the paper lining
out of the drawers.
Would your husband
do that?
I don't know,
I just don't understand it at all.
If you could use some help, I'm ready,
willing and within reason, able.
No, I just Yes.
I want to leave here
right now.
But I suppose that's asking too
much, isn't it?
Just tell me
where you want to go.
I have to stay in Nevada for
my residence requirement
but could you drive me
to Reno?
When do we leave?
Thank you.
The airline misplaced my other
suitcase when I flew out here,
but they found it.
Could we stop and pick it up
on the way out of town?
Yeah.
Thank you.
You keep looking into that mirror.
Are we being followed?
I think so.
There's no one back there.
He's back there.
I don't understand why anybody
would want to follow me.
Well, if your husband had hired
somebody to ransack your room
maybe he'd hire somebody
to follow you.
I guess you're right.
Hi, Kerm.
It's good to see you climbing
out from underneath your rock
from time to time.
I thought I gave you a good
lesson last time. What's wrong?
Don't you remember
how I spread your nose out?
I remember.
That lucky punch.
I'm not worried. Generally,
you can't hit the ground with both feet.
Maybe you got to be
taught another lesson.
Looks that way.
Let me help you.
Open it.
Clumsy, Kerm.
Looks like
you got a couple of choices.
Either you can tell me,
what you're doing following me
and why you knocked me out
in Susan's room
or you can sit here with
your hand in the door
while I sharpen up my right cross.
Which is it?
I didn't knock you out.
Okay' Kenn.
I'm gonna let your dentist
rebuild your whole mouth.
Suit yourself.
Damn!
If it had been me,
I'd have beat you to death.
Yeah, I know.
Who is it?
It's a man
named Kermit Higby.
You ever heard of him?
Never.
Hello?
Hi.
Hope you weren't worried about me.
Well, no, of course not.
Why would I worry?
I only called your room
ten times since we checked in,
I'm sorry.
There were a few personal
things I couldn't find
in that mess
back in Las Vegas.
So, I went to the drug store.
I'm back now, come on over.
That knocking
you hear on your door is me.
Hi.
I feel safe now,
thanks to you.
I registered under a false name.
I hope that's not illegal.
Only in Kentucky.
Are you going to stay in Reno
for awhile, I hope?
I have two more weeks until
the divorce comes through.
Well there's not ' gonna be a
divorce, 'cause you're not married.
I've been thinking it over.
We ought to get a few things straight.
Higby's not the only private
detective that's been following you.
There's another one.
Who? Where is he?
Right here. It's me.
Charles Dexter
hired me to find you.
I don't believe you.
He wouldn't.
You mean,
he wouldn't because
he wouldn't admit that
he had a reason to find you?
He did.
He also told me about the place
down at the beach. The whole story.
I talked to him on the phone.
He's flying here and wants to talk to you.
Did he tell you that I ran away
from him because he is insane?
That he started thinking I was cheating
on him and he began to threaten me?
It was horrible.
I was afraid he might kill me.
Now, why don't you just start
telling the truth for a change?
Look, Dexter isn't the only one
who put a private cop on you.
Somebody hired Higby.
I don't have any idea who that is.
Somebody went through
your room in Vegas.
What do you think they
were looking for? A key?
Maybe a key to a locker
with a suitcase in it?
When we went to the airport, I didn't
stay in the car. I was watching you.
And you took that suitcase
out of a locker.
You didn't take it out of
the airline's luggage room.
That's why you think
I'm lying.
You think that I'm running off
with a bag of jewels or something.
I'd like to check on it.
Where's the suitcase now?
In another locker?
No, it's right in there.
That's him, Officer.
That's the one. Arrest him.
Louise!
Honey, are you all right?
Was he hurting you?
What?
Shut up.
You're going downtown for questioning.
What's the charge?
Kidnapping and attempted rape.
As a matter of fact,
he was holding me against my will.
If you'd like
to look at my ID
you'll see that I'm a
licensed private investigator.
You don't want to say nothing
till I read you your rights.
This woman is the subject
of an official L.A. wanted
and I'm authorized by City Statuette
12 to take her in. Now, Officer
if you don't take us all in together,
you'll never see them again.
We'll be right behind you,
Officer.
If you go for that, Officer,
you'll be making a mistake.
Why don't you let me
worry about that, buster?
I hope you appreciate the fact
that I haven't once said,
"I told you so."
I did appreciate it.
Till you just said it.
They've gone, Lieutenant.
I think they drove off out of town.
Well, I already told you that.
They're headed back to LA.
This fellow
still could be guilty.
The girls maybe didn't
want to get stuck here as witnesses.
I don't think so.
There's a guy outside
says his name's
Albert Frost
claims Rockford here,
was working for him.
And that Susan Parsons?
She's an LA. missing person.
Okay, you can go,
Mr. Rockford.
The watch commander has a receipt
for your car. It's right out front.
That's all? You guys don't want to
say anything to me before I leave?
Like what?
Well, I think
somebody ought to apologize.
What for?
For treating me like some kind of
sex-creep for the last two hours.
Move it, Rockford, before I decide
to book you as a troublemaker.
Thank you, Lieutenant.
I accept your apology.
Hey, that's mine.
Here's a receipt signed by the Lieutenant.
Thank you.
You said
they were headed for LA.
Albert Frost?
It's a little risky using phoney
names with the cops, isn't it?
I could've blown your cover
by mistake.
When I employ people,
Mr. Rockford,
I expect a certain level
of competence.
If you still want
to employ me, Mr. Dexter
you're gonna have to come up
with some fresh material.
What are you talking about?
What's Susan got, that you and
everybody else is chasing after?
I don't know
what you're talking about.
Then we got a jump-ball,
Mr. Dexter. Goodbye.
Wait a minute.
You know where she went,
don't you?
Maybe.
There's a great deal
involved here.
You've got to tell me
what you know.
Well, I know that Susan
bought another suitcase
and whatever you're all after
is in it.
I lost her for about
a half-hour at the hotel
gave her enough time
to buy another bag.
And then her roommate stiffed
me with the Reno bulls
and now you're still trying to hang
on to this jealous boyfriend routine.
Frankly, Mr. Dexter,
I just don't have time
to stand around
and listen to it any longer.
Okay.
If I tell you,
you've got to promise me
that whatever you recover,
you bring back to me.
I'll pay you your fee,
plus a 10% finders fee.
Okay. What's in the bag?
My corporation ran into a very
serious problem a week or so ago.
Sol negotiated with a man who
could fix the trouble for us.
I was to meet him one night
with $250,000 in cash.
I showed up with the money in a
suitcase, he wasn't there.
So I went to the beach house that I
rent for Susan to stash the money there.
When I went back to get it,
Susan was gone and so was the suitcase.
Well, if that's true,
why was Susan in Las Vegas
playing the roulette wheels?
I don't understand.
Well, she wasn't gambling.
She was buying several hundred
dollars worth of chips
sitting at the roulette wheel for
a few minutes, then cashing it in.
If it's the money you were using for
a bribe, she was trying to launder it.
I didn't say it was a bribe.
I didn't just parachute in,
Mr. Dexter.
Now, let's stop
kidding ourselves.
I swear to you that everything
I've told you is true.
Will you help?
I'll let you know
what I decide.
Who is it?
How should I know?
Every time I speed up,
he speeds up.
Every time I slow down,
he slows down.
I think it's Jim.
It can't be.
Look out!
You all right?
I don't think anything's broken.
Susie, are you all right?
I'm okay.
You sure?
Yeah.
All right, where is it?
I don't know
what you're talking about.
Whatever happened to that nice
girl I met less than a week ago?
The one who was gonna be
a consumer advocate
and never turn her back
on herself.
What I do with my life
is my business.
When did you get to be
my spiritual advisor, anyway?
And who are you to talk
about public service?
I bet you haven't thought
about anybody but Jim Rockford
since you were 14.
Your share of $250,000
isn't gonna do one thing
but mess up
your opinion of yourself.
Tell me
what you get out of it,
if I hand over
Susan's money to you.
I get $25,000.
I'll tell you what:
I'll split it with you two.
How about it, Susan?
Louise told me
to let her handle it.
She's my lawyer.
I'm letting her handle it.
You both better get a lawyer.
And quick.
I don't think so.
I may not be too bright,
but I know Charles Dexter.
He's not making any public
charges against anybody.
You're gonna need a ride.
Pick them up.
I've got an excuse,
you know.
Everybody does.
It's really a rotten world.
I mean, in general, it really is.
It makes it kind of easy to have temporary
setbacks in the ethics department.
Were you serious about
splitting the reward three ways?
We're talking about
your life.
You want to stand out in the
highway and quibble over money?
I just wanted to make sure
we understand each other.
Yeah, I was serious.
It's at a locker at the bus
depot, next to the hotel in Reno.
Let's go.
Higby, I couldn't hit you before,
but you just changed all that.
What the hell.
I knew there's a reason
I didn't do that before
I think I broke my hand.
There we are.
$200 per day,
plus lavish expenses.
Do you plan
to pay the bonus
with a separate check,
Mr. Dexter?
Bonus?
Yeah, the bonus.
The one we agreed on in Reno.
Ten percent of whatever I got back for you.
It comes to exactly $24,822.
For one week's work?
Well, that's the agreement, Mr. Dexter.
It could've taken me a year.
Mr. Rockford, I wouldn't agree
to pay a private investigator
$24,000
for even a year's work.
Mr. Dexter, we had a deal. If I have
to give you trouble to get it, I will.
Did you say trouble,
Mr. Rockford?
Let me tell you something:
The reason that fellow didn't
show up for his payoff
is because
he decided not to go along.
As a result, my corporation
is going to lose a suit
that's going to cost me
$10 million.
And that private investigator?
Kermit Higby? I found out who hired him.
My wife hired him.
She's suing me for divorce.
And you think
you can give me trouble?