The Rockford Files (1974) s01e16 Episode Script

1
A woman named
Karen Mills lives here.
She's disappeared.
I've gone without sleep
for 24 hours.
I've lost both my girl
and my patience
and I'm looking for someone
to take it out on.
You better send a couple of
ambulances and the fire department.
Hello, police?
There's a holdup
at the Buena Vista Inn.
You better hurry,
there's three or four of them.
We are in pursuit
of a white two-door sedan
This is Jim Rockford,
At the tone, leave your name
and message.
I'll get back to you.
Rockford, this is Mr. Dowel,
If you think I'm going to pay to
have your car repainted, you're nuts.
You can take your expense bill
and stuff it.
Jimmy?
I made you
some fresh coffee here.
Man, I hope you don't feel
as bad as you look.
I'm sorry. What?
I said,
you don't look so hot.
No snappy answers?
I guess that means
there's no news.
There's no news,
no clues
traces, no nothing.
You know, I'm
a pretty good listener, son.
You want to tell me
about it?
Talk to me about it?
Maybe something
that happened
when the three of you
was in San Francisco
or maybe on the way back.
It could be something that just
completely slipped your mind.
How's she doing?
She's sound asleep.
Jim, could we come
back up again?
It was fun.
Julie really loved it.
But I could forego getting up
at 6:30 in the morning.
Is that necessary?
Sure,
it's necessary.
You gotta get off
with the tide.
The tide
goes out at 7:30.
It does?
Yeah.
Boy, what kind of sailor
are you?
Where did you learn sailing,
in the dictionary?
In the Army.
No, it's true.
I used to sell contraband Japanese
radios to the Navy guys
at Terminal Island. We had to
sail underneath the radar.
I don't believe you.
What did you get for them?
$17.95 for the two-band.
$20 for the earplug.
The ear plugs were big because they used
to play them at night after lights out.
I bet you did.
It's a buck.
I'm serious. Can we
come back up here again?
You got a deal.
Boy, I'm getting tired.
I might end up going to sleep on you.
Always the back seat.
Little crowded,
but there's a back seat.
Karen, we're home.
You want to go up and open the front door?
I'll take Julie in.
There's my girl.
Karen?
There we go.
Karen?
Karen?
Karen?
Karen?
Karen?
Karen!
Yeah.
At 2:30 in the morning?
Okay, which line?
What do you say, Jimbo? What is it
this time, aggravated assault
or a common 502?
Knock it off, Dennis. I want you to
come to this address. Write it down.
450, North Blanchard Street.
What's the problem?
Bring a matron with you.
A little girl here may have to
be taken to her father's house.
Yeah, I'm on my way.
What's going on, Jim?
I wish I knew. A woman named
Karen Mills lives here.
She's disappeared.
Yeah, we went to San
Francisco for the weekend
drove back tonight.
We left at 6:30 and got in
here less than a half hour ago.
Karen was asleep
in the back seat of the car.
She went up to unlock the front door of
the house, so I could carry Julie in.
And she wasn't ahead of me
more than 20 seconds.
When I got inside,
she was gone.
Did you check the whole house?
What do you think, Dennis?
What did she look like?
She has light brown hair.
She's 5 foot 6.
She's wearing a brown coat
with a fur collar.
Take a look around,
guys.
Now, you and this girl
more than just friends?
Yes.
She ever do anything like this before? I
mean, is she whacko or anything like that?
No. I've known her for about six
months, ever since she was divorced.
She's as sane as
any human being I've ever met.
How sane is that?
Anything happen over the weekend?
Quarrel maybe?
No. We had a great time.
Doing what?
Stealing soup
from the Salvation Army.
Why do you think I got
rubber pockets in my coat?
Jim, I gotta ask.
You know that.
Sergeant.
Yeah, what is it?
I think you better come
see for yourself.
You better call the coroner's
office and homicide.
Do you know him?
No.
You know the routine.
You better come down to the
station and give us a statement.
What for? Think there's some connection
between this and Karen's disappearance?
This guy's only been dead
for a short time.
And there's an old cop saying:
Never believe in coincidence.
But it was
a good clean bust.
Wonderful.
What about the report?
What kind of a 211
is this?
I want it in English
next time. Here, do it right.
I warn you. I'm going to
ask you some questions.
Anything you say
can be
used against you. You have the right
to an attorney. One will be provided--
Wait a minute.
What the hell's going on?
An interrogation
into a homicide.
I've heard Sgt. Becker's recap
of your story.
You sure you haven't got
anything to add to it?
I told him all there was.
I don't see where it adds up
to you reading me
my rights.
I'll be glad
to tell you.
The matron who took the little
girl to her father's house
is a good policewoman.
She asked the little girl
a good question.
The question was, "Did your mother
come home with you tonight?"
Wanna know
what the little girl answered?
I know what she answered.
She said no.
Her exact words were:
"Mommy didn't come home
with us."
And that makes me
a homicide suspect
something from a 3-year-old child
who was asleep when we got home?
Take it easy.
What do you mean?
You guys are trying to pull my chain.
You want me to take it easy?
Lieutenant, we just got
another call on Vince Minnette.
They sound like
the others?
No. Some guy saw him
going into Mexico.
Who saw him?
Johnny Orton,
used to be Minnette's runner.
Talk with Orton.
See what you can get.
Right.
If I told you a woman walked out of
her home and left her purse behind
would you believe me?
I'd wonder why,
but I wouldn't call you a liar.
The dead man was her next-door neighbor.
He was out for a walk.
Time of death was roughly the same time
you claim you lost your girlfriend.
There was no visible signs
of foul play in that house.
You walked in there 20 seconds
after her, and she was gone.
You're asking us to believe
she just walked out the back
door for no reason at all?
I'm not asking you
to believe anything.
I reported what I saw,
the way I saw it.
I don't claim
to understand it.
Either she was grabbed
by somebody
which is impossible if we're
to believe your story
or she just
walked out the door. Lt. Diel.
I can't handle that now. Check with Olson.
I'll get back to you later.
What I'm saying is
no woman would walk out,
leave her purse
not to mention
her 3-year-old child.
You're also saying that I'm a liar.
Now what do you think happened?
I think it's possible
Karen Mills
didn't make it home that night,
something happened on the way.
And to cover my story
I killed a man who happened to see
she wasn't with me when we got home?
Is that how it goes?
It's a theory.
When you make it a charge, you let me
know and I'll jam it down your throat.
Very tough man,
this friend of yours.
You're the one with spit on his chin.
I'm just hanging out.
I wanna search your car.
You want me to get a warrant?
You search it,
Lieutenant.
I also want a list of the stops you
made on the way down from San Francisco.
We left San Francisco
at 6:30.
There's a dozen witnesses
to that.
We stopped for dinner in Paso
Robles and gas in San Luis Obispo.
At midnight, we stopped
just north of Santa Barbara
at a little place called the
Buena Vista Inn for coffee.
We were seen
in all those places.
No stops after midnight?
No.
That leaves two hours
when nobody saw you.
That's right, Lieutenant.
Okay, you're free to go.
Don't leave this jurisdiction
without checking with me first.
I'm not going anyplace until I
find out what's gone down.
When do I get my car?
About an hour.
Rockford, do us both a favor.
Stay out of the way.
I don't get involved
in open police cases.
You don't believe me,
ask Sgt. Becker.
What I'm saying is
no woman would do that,
and leave her purse behind
not to mention
her 3-year-old child,.
She ever do
anything like this before?
I mean, is she
whacko or anything like that?
If! told you a
woman walked out of her home
and left her purse behind
would you believe me?
You and this
girl more than just friends?
Why ask me?
You some kind of heat or something?
No, I'm just looking for
this girl.
She's a personal friend.
You should have this
encased in plastic.
That way it doesn't get
all worn out in your wallet.
On your 2:00 run,
did you pick her up at Rosewood and Third?
I could have.
Do you think it was her?
I don't know
if it was her.
Maybe it was,
maybe it wasn't.
Was she wearing
a tan suede coat?
Look, mac
I quit checking out that kind
of talent almost 10 years ago.
Like I said, maybe it was
her, maybe it wasn't.
She was young
and I think
she was blond.
One other thing,
she didn't have a purse.
She had to go through her pockets
for the money for the fare.
Do you remember
where you let her off?
Yeah, at a cab stand
on Hoover Street.
Thanks.
Anytime, pal.
This is a residential hotel, and the people
who live here, their lives are private.
You know, private.
She was wearing a brown coat
with a fur collar.
She got out of a cab at this
address at 3:41 this morning.
All I want to know is,
is she staying here?
Did she just walk in the front
door and walk out the back?
You're not a cop or you
would have flashed a badge.
So as far as I'm concerned,
you ain't getting zilch from me.
How much zilch are you
willing to give for $20?
You're not getting
the message.
The people who live here have a
right to privacy, and they get it.
You're right.
People are entitled
to privacy.
That's probably the only
thing that keeps me
from coming across this
desk and climbing your tree.
You really think
you can scare me?
Pal, I don't want to bother
you with all my troubles
but I've gone without sleep
for 24 hours.
I've lost both my girl
and my patience
and I'm looking for someone
to take it out on.
Your last chance.
All right, look, a woman came in
here late last night. I don't know
if it's the woman that you
showed me the picture of
because I didn't get
a good look at the picture.
Where did she go?
304 and she's registered here
as Diana Lewis.
Sorry I had to
get rough.
You picked the wrong time
to be right.
Are you Diana Lewis?
Yeah.
I'm a big disappointment
to you, right? Why?
May I come in?
I'd like to talk to you.
What about?
It'll only take a minute of your time,
and it would be a great help to me.
You got a minute
of my time.
You want to look
my bedroom over, too?
I understand that you came
in at 3:41 this morning.
Maybe. I don't punch
a time clock.
The cab driver's trip sheet says
that he let you out here at 3:41.
You took a bus from West
Hollywood to the end of the line.
You got out and went across
the street to a cab stand
took a five-mile cab ride,
then got into another cab and came here.
I'm curious about that.
Who are you?
I'm investigating the disappearance of
a woman who lives in West Hollywood.
I think I've answered just about
all the questions I care to--
Why the cab switch?
Who were you trying to shake?
Look, if you're a cop,
let me see some ID.
I just happen to be looking for
a girl that I like very much.
I can't help you.
I'm sorry.
One of the cab drivers said that
you weren't carrying a purse.
Why not?
He's wrong.
I had this
one right here.
You really care about her,
whoever she is.
Yes, I did. I do.
That's a revealing
slip of the tongue.
You took a bus from
West Hollywood and two cabs?
I'm afraid I did.
It doesn't matter
too much now, I guess.
But would you
tell me why?
Yeah, I'm having an affair
with a married man.
We both thought his wife
was in Seattle.
Last night,
we heard a noise
and she's coming up
the driveway.
And I walked two miles to West
Hollywood, and I caught the bus.
Why two cabs?
I don't know.
I got scared for him.
I decided to take
a little extra precaution.
Look, you don't have to
believe it.
And like you said
it really doesn't matter,
does it?
There's something you could do
that would help me believe you.
Tell you the name of the man?
Not a chance.
Show me the coat
you were wearing last night.
That I'm willing to do.
Are you always
this impulsive?
What are you
looking for?
I'm looking for a brown
suede coat with a fur collar.
I don't have one,
but I'd sure like to.
So keep looking,
maybe we'll both get lucky.
I'm sorry.
Stop by again
sometime
when you're not
on a downer.
Is that your boyfriend?
Yeah.
Not the one
you mean.
Look, I didn't mind you being here
before, but now you're a problem.
That's okay. Okay.
Just tell him I'm a cop. Go ahead.
What do you know.
He's a cop.
He's been asking me
some questions
about some woman
who disappeared.
A cop?
That's more original
than the meter man.
I was just leaving,
okay?
Could I see
your badge?
Thanks
for the help.
Be nice.
I wanna know
what you're doing here.
She told you.
I don't buy it.
Could I hear something else?
I came
to read the meter.
I just can't
accept that dead-end.
I was so sure that when I
opened that door
that there'd be Karen, and with
her, some kind of an answer.
I don't know, Dad.
I got nothing.
I'm right back
where I started.
That was
about noon yesterday.
What have you
been doing since then?
Walking on the beach,
thinking.
I was on a case
not too long ago.
Maybe you remember.
There was
a beautiful girl
who was missing
and I found her
on the beach, dead.
She'd been murdered.
Homicide took over.
I don't even know
how it ended.
I keep thinking
about that girl.
Thinking I'm gonna find Karen
the same way, dead
washed up on the beach.
A crowd of people standing
around, staring at her body.
Will you have some coffee?
You know, I don't know if
you want my help or not
but you're going to
get it anyway.
There's one thing about that
story of yours that's wrong.
Something you'd never have missed,
if you weren't so personally involved.
What?
You're trying to keep
from thinking about it.
Come on, Dad, just say it.
What is it?
The little girl said,
"Mommy didn't come home with us."
You gonna make
something out of that?
You would, if you
were sitting where I am.
You're trying to ignore it because you
were there, and you know it didn't happen.
But the little girl said it.
So she said it.
Maybe you better stop a minute
and think what that could mean.
When did Karen decide to go to
sleep in the back seat of the car?
We stopped at the Buena
Vista Inn for coffee
and to get Julie
some milk.
Karen went
to the ladies' room
and when the waiter
brought me the check
he said that Karen had asked him to tell me
she was tired and went directly to the car.
And I carried Julie
out to the car.
Karen was already asleep
in the back seat.
I put Julie down next to her.
I got in the front seat and drove home.
Now I know why I come to you
when I'm in trouble.
Because I'm your pa and
'cause I'm smarter than you.
'Cause once or twice a year,
you're right.
Maybe not this time.
Maybe this time the little girl is right.
Maybe you did drive home
with another woman.
And I know
right where to find her.
♪♪
Sergeant Becker, please.
Where have you been? You weren't
supposed to leave town, remember?
You want to hear what I have to say,
or you want to play room mother?
All that bull about not getting
involved in open police cases?
"If you don't believe me,
ask Sgt. Becker."
Come on, Dennis. Will you put a
cork in it for a minute and listen?
How do you think it makes me look?
You're burning the case for us.
Every lead that we come across,
you've already been there.
Have you come amass 3 gm
by the name of Nana Law's?
About an hour after you did.
Why?
I just found her in her
apartment a few minutes ago.
She was hit
on the back of the head
same style as Karen's neighbor.
She's dead.
Okay, let me
have the rest of it.
I've decided Diel was right.
There is some connection between
Karen's disappearance,
and her neighbor's murder, and this one.
What made you
change your mind?
I just took a look through
Diana Lewis' apartment
and I found a book of matches
from the Buena Vista Inn.
You're disturbing evidence at the
scene of a crime. That's really great.
You got any more goodies
for me?
No, but I'll give you
a little advice.
If I were you, I'd get some
of my girl scouts together
and go to
the Buena Vista Inn
and shake that place by its heels.
You might find an answer.
Did you call the local police to
report that you found a dead woman?
No, Dennis. I thought I'd let you
have that. What are friends for?
If you're planning
to stay out there
you better
keep your head down.
Lt. Diel put out
a warrant for your arrest
and I signed it.
No, Dennis. Really?
What are friends for, Jimbo?
What are you doing here?
Who are you, anyway?
I'm a man looking for a missing
woman, and there's a connection
between the missing woman
and this dead one.
You know
what that connection is.
Like he” I do.
I'm gonna call
the cops.
No, I already did that.
They'll be here any minute.
Come on. Make up your mind. You gonna talk
to me or you're gonna talk to the cops?
So suppose I don't want
to talk to the heat.
That doesn't mean
I know anything about this.
Sure it does.
What is this missing woman
to you? Who is she anyway?
You're wasting time, pal.
You know, you're gonna look
good for this killing.
This girl was messing around.
You found out about it. You went bananas.
You came over here and started pounding
on her with a well-known blunt instrument.
Now what did you do?
You forget a piece of evidence?
Something that would tie you and
Diana into what I was working on?
Like, maybe
a book of matches
from the Buena Vista Inn?
Michael Cordeen.
Oak Grove, California. Oak Grove.
The Buena Vista Inn's only about
six miles south of Oak Grove
isn't it, Mike?
Isn't it, Mike?
Just tell me,
and you're out of here.
If you don't, I'm gonna hold
you till the cops walk in.
You're gonna turn me over to
the cops no matter what I do.
Take a chance, Mike.
You won't like what I know.
It isn't much.
Just stick to the truth.
Diana and I worked at
the Buena Vista Inn.
She sang with the combo,
and I tended bar.
The woman that you
were looking for, she came in.
She went
to the ladies' room
and then when she came out,
she went the wrong way
and she opened a door that was
supposed to be locked.
She saw something that she
wasn't supposed to see.
They're gonna be in the lobby
in about half a minute.
Then they grabbed her,
your girlfriend.
Then the manager gave Diana
your friend's coat
and she was told to get back
into the backseat of your car.
She was to get out of the car
the first chance she got
once you were away
from the Inn.
What did she see?
Diana told me she didn't know
what the woman saw.
The people that own the place,
they're syndicate types.
And Diana was just doing
what she was told to do.
You're almost out of the tunnel.
Don't blow it now.
That's all Diana told me.
What did she see?
I don't know.
The place is clean.
There's no gambling.
There's no nothing.
I don't know
what she could have seen.
If I told you this much,
I'd tell you everything, wouldn't I?
Come on,
let me out of here!
There you are.
Hope you know a back way out.
But even with
a trade agreement unlikely
the President is expected
to sign the bill when it
reaches his desk.
In local news,
police still have no clues
to the murder of Walter Miller of
452, North Blanchard Street.
The police are leaning
to the theory
that the mysterious
disappearance
of Karen Mills, a neighbor of Miller,
is somehow connected to his murder,
State, federal and local authorities
are still frustrated in their search
for reputed underworld boss
Vincent Minnette.
There is growing speculation among law
enforcement officials that Minnette
whose face is familiar to millions of
Americans, has taken refuge in Mexico,
Good evening, Mr. Cordeen.
He's waiting to see you now.
Anything I can do
for you, sir?
I was just checking in for the night.
I had a little drink in the bar.
I just tried to get lucky. You know
how it is. I was looking for my room.
This happens to be a private wing.
Now I'd suggest
that you go to the lobby desk,
and I'm sure they'll help you out.
Right out that door,
they're around the corner of the building.
That where it is?
Thank you.
This is an emergency.
Could I have the police,
please?
Yeah, I was driving down Highway 101,
and there's been a big accident
at that motel,
the Buena Vista Inn.
You better send a couple of
ambulances and the fire department.
Hello, police?
There's a holdup
at the Buena Vista Inn.
You better hurry,
there's three or four of them. Right.
Mr. Minnette.
Hey, Jimbo, what's up?
Damn it, Rockford,
didn't I tell you to stay out of this?
You better get moving
Vince Minnette's in the white
sedan right in front of you.
All units, all frequencies,
this is 2-Baker-7.
We are in pursuit
of a white two-door sedan
proceeding
south on Highway 101
about five miles
from Buena Vista junction.
Vehicle contains felony
fugitive Vincent Minnette.
All units intercept.
10-4, we read you.
By the way,
you're under arrest.
You're out of
your jurisdiction.
Could I ask how you got switched off from
looking for your girl to Vincent Minnette?
She made a mistake at the Buena Vista
Inn, saw Minnette.
They grabbed her.
She in that car?
No. There's Minnette,
one man I don't know, and Mike Cordeen.
I think he's
a hitman for Minnette.
When I left the Buena
Vista Inn that night
with the wrong woman
Cordeen followed us to make
sure nothing went wrong.
You get Cordeen,
you get the answer to two murders.
What about Karen Mills?
I don't know.
I'd like to think
Minnette hasn't killed her.
Don't move.
Everybody out.
Okay, everybody out. Come on, out.
Okay. Come on, out. Move.
All right, get your hands up.
Faster. Come on, move.
Stay where you are.
Don't move.
Sonny,
you know who called me this morning?
Old Virgil Peterson.
Remember him? The fellow that
had the cabin up at Big Bear?
The boat?
The big refrigerator?
Right.
He told me he was going
back east for a few weeks.
He wanted to know if I'd look after
the place for him while he was gone.
Said the trout was biting on everything
from belt buckles to bran muffins.
Sounds good, Rocky.
But I can't go.
You haven't had
a vacation.
We haven't been
trout fishing.
Man, you could use that vacation, too.
Believe me.
Bran muffins.
We've tried that once, Rocky, remember?
You ate up the bait. We had to hike
five miles to that little fishing store.
I ain't gonna eat no belt
buckles, I'll tell you that.
Come on. How about it, son?
Why don't we try it?
Look, Rocky, why don't you go
out, stake out all the good holes?
Maybe I'll come up
in a couple of days.
What are you
gonna do?
I don't know,
just want to sort things out.
Hey, Jim.
It ain't your fault
Karen's dead.
I know.