The Rockford Files (1974) s01e19 Episode Script

1
I want to know
what's happened to her.
She's a prime suspect
in a murder case.
Then there's no question
that this is Jennifer Ryburn?
There's no question.
According to the coroner, Jennifer is dead.
She's in the morgue.
Sol hope you've been
straight with me.
'Cause if I find out
different
I'm going to come after you
with a pack of dogs.
I think I just met
the Godfather.
It could get dangerous.
This is Jim Rockford,
At the tone, leave your name
and message.
I'll get back to you.
This is Mrs, Lindis.
Three times this month,
come to clean
and it always looks like
people been fighting in there.
Furniture broke, things tipped over.
I'm sorry
but! quit,.
Believe me
I can explain.
Now, look.
I don't care what you heard.
I can explain.
Give me two minutes!
Two minutes--
There were two shots fired.
Only one of them ended up
in Ricky Pont,
Jennifer Ryburn was with him.
Either she bought the other
bullet, or she pulled the trigger.
No, 1 don't believe it.
You don't have to believe it.
The cops do. They have
a "wanted" out on her.
They don't know Jennifer.
You don't know her.
She could never kill anyone.
She was with Ricky Pont.
Okay, she was with him.
She saw what happened
she panicked, she ran.
What's wrong with that
for a theory?
The cops don't buy it.
They're not always right,
you know,.
And they' re not always wrong,.
Is he in there? Can I go in?
Is it okay?
You sure everybody's
got their clothes on?
Too bad.
For somebody who's known me
for 20 years
how come you keep forgetting
that I hate home movies?
You kidding? I've still got
that reel from Korea.
When're you gonna break down
and look at it?
When are you going to start
taking no for an answer?
We go through this twice,
three times a year, every year.
What's it going to hurt to have a look?
You'd get a kick out of it.
No, I wouldn't.
Sure you would.
Seeing the two of us
the way we were.
You know what it cost me to buy
that film off the guy who shot it?
Yes, $65 and I'm
not going to look at it.
You looked at the tape?
I ran it.
And?
I still don't like
home movies.
So will you quit dropping
them off on my doorstep?
I thought
if you saw Jennifer
if you saw more than
what's on the wall here
Mitch, you only knew her
for six months.
You're climbing out on a limb
and asking me to chop it off.
I won't do it.
I won't accept that.
You're gonna have to
accept it.
I don't deal in open cases.
I particularly don't deal
in them when
my poking around can get an
old friend in a lot of trouble.
I want to know
what's happened to her.
What's happened to her is on
the front page of the papers.
She's a prime suspect
in a murder case.
She didn't kill Ricky Pont.
I know her.
When the cops find out
how well you know her
they're going to be
taking your picture.
They're gonna think I killed
him because I was jealous?
That's right, that's what
they're going to think.
And it sure is gonna get
Jennifer off the spot.
Jealousy is a classic motive.
For your sake, I hope
they find her. Fast.
What made you think
it might be Jennifer Ryburn?
The description on the news.
I was going to a dinner party,
listening to the car radio.
What about the man
she was with?
He couldn't tell us very much.
He picked her up hitchhiking a
few miles south of Santa Barbara.
He never even knew her name.
He died a few hours ago.
Is it Jennifer Ryburn?
I'm not sure.
Dr. Stuart
when a body is
this badly burned
the dental ID is
all we have to go on.
I said I am not sure.
I'll have to check my records.
I have a great many patients.
I don't go to dinner parties
and carry their records with me.
We can arrange a car,
you can pick up the charts
and we can have you back
at your party within the hour.
Back at my party?
This may be routine to you
but Jennifer Ryburn is my patient.
And if that in there is
I'm going to be ”I.
All right. Take it easy.
Why don't you go home,
get a good night's rest
and come back and bring
the charts in the morning.
She's not going to
go anywhere.
I'm leaving.
Why? I told you I'd fix your truck.
I'm not through.
I am. I'm an old man.
What little time I got left, I ain't
gonna spend waiting around for you.
You been using
that phone again?
I came in to get a cigarette.
Now, do you want me to fix your truck,
or do you want me to buy you a beer?
Well
Yeah, well
Here.
It's that Mitch guy
you got on your mind?
You wouldn't believe him,
Rocky.
He's running around like an adolescent
with a crush on the homecoming queen.
He's 40 years old.
He thinks he's 14.
Forty's got nothing
to do with it.
It ought to. You ever see me
mooning around like that?
That was different.
Well, it was.
All right, it wasn't.
Hold on a minute.
Jennifer Ryburn is dead.
Two days after
I talked to Mitch
it was in all the papers and
he just disappeared. Hello?
Mitch, where have you been?
You don't know how many times
Yeah.
Sure, I can.
Okay, I'm on my way.
See you, Rock.
What about my truck?
Where are we going?
I'm gonna buy you
a plane ticket to Seattle.
Jennifer was born there.
Her parents are gone,
but there's an uncle.
He lives in a little town about
15 miles outside the city.
I talked to him
but she hasn't been in touch.
Mitch
Now, she's alive.
Mitch, I understand
how you feel.
No, you don't.
You never met her.
In the time I had with her,
I didn't want to share.
Especially with a talent scout
like you, old buddy.
I want you to know her.
You're going to love her.
You're going to like her.
Mitch
Listen, I saw her.
I was in downtown Seattle.
It was outside one of those
big, high-rise office buildings.
The Puget Building.
All of a sudden, there she was.
You saw somebody
who looked like her.
That's not a face that I'd
mistake for anybody else.
Her hair was
a little longer
she'd lost a few pounds, but it was
Jennifer. I wasn't more than 25 feet away.
She went into the building.
I followed, but I lost her.
When I went into the lobby she was gone.
I hung around for about four days
but she didn't show up again.
She's there, Jim. Somewhere.
I want you to find her.
I don't believe in ghosts.
Neither do I.
It was Jennifer.
According to the coroner
Jennifer is dead.
She's in the morgue. All right.
Check the coroner.
Prove I'm wrong.
This is the chart
Dr. Vernon made up.
Forensic dentist?
That's right.
What happened to Philbin?
Retired.
Vernon itemized and typed the
fillings, inlays, porcelain crowns
diagrammed and x-rayed
the jaws and teeth.
Do you want copies?
No. This chart we got
from Dr. Stuart
the decedent's
personal dentist. Take a look.
There's no difference.
Then there's no question
that this is Jennifer Ryburn?
Officially, we have to wait
for the coroner's inquest.
Unofficially,
there's no question.
That's an official
police vehicle. Don't lean.
What are you sore about?
Your hot tips. Double check,
maybe they got the wrong stiff.
It's happened.
How often?
Do you know
who they got in there?
Jennifer Ryburn?
Are you sure?
I was sure before I came here.
In making
a positive identification
teeth are as good
as fingerprints.
Only if you got something
to check them against.
Is that a fact?
Hey, Dennis
come on, you know
what I'm saying.
I know what you're asking.
Dr. Evan Stuart, her dentist, he came over.
He counted the teeth.
Thirty-two, the fillings,
4, 1 gold crown.
The front ones capped,
so she'd look nice when she said cheese.
Thanks a lot, Dennis.
Which reminds me
it's my lunch hour.
I appreciate it.
Your turn to buy.
Rain check, Dennis.
Just a minute.
What makes you think
it wasn't Jennifer Ryburn?
I never thought it wasn't.
Whatever gave you that idea?
Mitch?
Yo!
Yo?
It's one of those things
I've always wanted to say.
How are you, pal?
What will you have?
It's a little early, isn't it?
It's got to be 5:00 somewhere.
That's something else
I've always wanted to say.
No.
You saw the coroner?
No, but I had a friend of mine, Det.
Becker, check it out.
All very official,
all the details.
And, of course,
they say it's Jennifer.
It is.
Wrong. She's in Seattle.
You've got the plane ticket
I'll give you a $1,000 now,
and more if you need it.
They have her dental charts.
They check out.
I'd go myself, but with me,
it'd be a question of luck.
You're trained. I mean,
you do this for a living.
I'm not going to Seattle.
You won't go?
That's right. I won't go.
All right.
Come on.
What do you think
you're doing?
I'm going to do what you won't, pal.
I'm going to find Jennifer.
Mitch, just
put the suitcase up.
Wait, Mitch! Damn it, wait.
Come on, we talked enough about it.
Jim
I've got to find her,
you understand?
All right,
I'll make you a deal.
No, you're not going to stop me.
A deal, Mitch.
I want you think
for a couple of days.
No, you're not gonna stop me.
I want you to think about it
for a few days.
The coroner's report,
the dental charts.
If after a week,
you're still sure
that that was Jennifer
you saw in Seattle, I'll go.
Rocky.
I didn't know you were here.
I didn't see the truck.
You didn't see the truck?
No.
Imagine that.
You didn't see the truck.
All right, what is it, Rocky?
You got any objections to
your old man calling on you?
When you're in a bad mood,
yeah.
Maybe I ought to call first.
How much does here
phone-answering gadget cost you?
I got the payments down
to about $17.50 a month.
How many months?
What difference does it make?
I'm paying for it.
Then why don't you use it?
Hey, Jimmy, it's Rocky,
I got the truck over here
at Harry's Garage.
You can pick me up anytime,
Son, if you ain't gonna pick me
up, would you give me a call?
You got the number,
I've been waiting on you
three hours,
Harry don't give loaners.
I'm sorry, Rocky. I forgot.
Harry don't give loaners.
You sat there for three hours getting sore
because you wouldn't spring for a cab?
I took a cab. It cost me $10.
Not from Harry's, it didn't.
Would you mind letting me sit down,
Rocky, so I can go through my mail?
There ain't nothing. I already went
through it. Just a few bills
and somebody is suing you.
Suing me?
Irwin, Bailey & Stope.
Attorneys at law.
What's it say?
We have a client
interested in your services.
Mr. Rockford,
I'm Carl Birrell.
How do you do, Mr. Birrell?
Sit down.
You're working for somebody who
thinks Jennifer Ryburn is still alive.
Who?
I'm not working for anybody.
I understood you wanted to hire me.
You understood wrong.
What I want is information.
In that case, I'm afraid--
Sit down.
You're going to give me that information,
or I'm going to take you off.
You've been sniffing around the coroner's
office, asking a lot of questions.
If the stiff they got down
there is not Jennifer Ryburn
I want to know.
You mind telling me why?
Yes, I mind.
Who hired you?
That's confidential.
Under the circumstances
I never met the man.
He called. Said he read about
the accident in the papers
he didn't believe
she was dead.
He saw a picture of her once in a
magazine, fell in love with her.
World's full of yo-yos.
This yo-yo have a name?
G.W. Frawley, Indianapolis.
That's it?
That's it.
Mr. Rockford
Jennifer Ryburn
killed Ricky Pont.
She was a suspect
in a murder case, but--
She killed him.
I'm going to tell you something
so you know I'm serious.
I know you're serious.
Ricky was family.
You know how I found him?
He picked my pocket.
Twelve years old,
that's all he was.
I reach for my wallet,
come outwith his hand.
Punk kid. Gutsy.
He didn't have no family,
so I took him in.
He was like my own.
Like my son.
Sol hope you've been
straight with me.
'Cause if I find out
different
I'm going to come after you
with a pack of dogs.
Okay, now,
can you lean back just a little more?
No.
Come on, now, sure you can.
Sorry about that.
Just a little more.
Like that. Lovely.
Just beautiful.
Right there. Hold it now.
Lovely.
Don't move.
Mitch!
All right, move. Hello?
Mitch, I'm taking
that trip to Seattle.
What changed your mind?
It's too complicated
to explain
but I think I better
get out of town for a while.
I'll take a flight out
first thing in the morning.
I'll call the travel agency.
No, Mitch, wait a minute.
This is important.
There's somebody new
in the picture.
I think I just met
the Godfather.
It could get dangerous.
So I want you to stay out of it.
Whatever you do,
don't talk to anybody about Jennifer.
And don't talk to anybody
about me.
As far as we're concerned,
we don't know each other. You got that?
No.
Well, don't forget it.
I'll be in touch.
Who is it?
It's Mitch. Open up.
What? You're going to
shoot me?
I ought to. What are you doing here?
I told you to stay away.
Relax, now. I'm only going to
stay a minute.
You don't even know me,
remember?
You're going to need money
and you're going to need this.
Now, I worked on it all night.
Remember I told you that
there were some changes?
Her hair's different, her makeup--
I airbrushed in all
the changes-- Mitch.
You can show this around and you-- Mitch!
Jennifer's dead.
If you believe that,
why are you going to Seattle?
Because I got a plane ticket, and it's
1,300 miles away from Los Angeles.
Did you see anybody
hanging around out there?
What's the matter with you?
What the hell's going on?
I told you, if I start poking
around there's gonna be trouble.
Well, there's trouble:
Carl Birrell.
She never should've gotten
tied up with Ricky Pont.
When she told me about him I--
That's history.
We're into current events.
Birrell called me in today.
He knows somebody thinks
that Jennifer's alive.
I gave him a phony name.
That was at 5:00
this afternoon.
He can't check it out
till tomorrow, but then
he's going to come
looking for me.
So that's why
you're running away?
You bet.
For how long?
Till I can figure out
how to handle to this.
You never really planned
to look for her, did you?
You've got the plane ticket
and a picture.
There's $1,000
in the envelope.
You're going to be
in Seattle anyway.
I'm an eccentric. Humor me.
All right. I'll look for her.
Thanks.
What time's your flight
tomorrow?
I'm on standby for 7:00
in the morning.
Call me before you leave.
Yes.
I mean it.
You call me before you leave.
I want to make sure
that you're all right.
I'll call.
You find her, Jim
and I'll give you big bonus.
I'll buy you a hamburger.
Not after you get my bill.
Hey, Mitch?
Hey, Mitch.
Mitch?
Mitch?
Det. Becker, please.
This joint has
got the best veal in town
you know that?
Why don't you have some?
You're eating enough
for both of us.
When are you going to
eat your lunch?
Aren't you ever going to
pick up Carl Birrell?
When we get something on him.
Mitch is dead
because of Birrell.
You don't know that.
I know it,
I just can't prove it.
Birrell had a couple of his
goons staking out my place.
And when Mitch showed up last
night, they picked up on him.
Followed him, tried to beat
some answers out of him. Like
how could they find
Jennifer Ryburn.
They know where to find her.
At the County Morgue.
What if she's alive, Dennis?
Phone call, Mr. Rockford.
They said they tried to call your home
and your father referred them here.
It's a Dr. Stuart's office.
Tell him I'll call him back.
No, go ahead, take it.
It's not important, Dennis,
forget it.
Dr. Evan Stuart, the dentist,
calling for Mr. Rockford?
No. But Mr. Rockford
is right here.
Dr. Evan Stuart
calling for you.
Hello? This is Jim Rockford.
Thank you for calling back.
No, that's what
the problem is. You see
I have a family dentist
back home in Florida.
Florida.
What happened is,
I bit down on an olive pit.
I wonder if I could
bring the bridge
by Dr. Stuart's office
around 6:30 tonight?
Would he mind waiting?
I have meetings all day.
I'll try to get there sooner
if I can.
Thank you. I appreciate that
very much. Yes.
6:30.
He has
an excellent reputation.
You hear about him all the
way back home in Florida?
You have to be inventive.
You know how hard it is
to get an appointment.
I bet you do this
all the time.
No. Not all the time.
Let's see your bridgework.
Come on, open up.
I have 32 just like
everybody else.
That's it. Two nurses, a secretary,
x-ray technician and a bookkeeper.
He's alone.
You sure he don't have
no patients in there?
You've been watching.
What do you say?
Hey, don't talk to me like
I'm some dummy.
What happened,
that was a mistake.
Birrell don't like mistakes.
I hit a lot of guys a lot harder.
They didn't die on me.
This one, I handle. Come on.
Doctor?
Dr. Stuart?
Doctor?
Dr. Stuart?
Don't move.
You move
and I'm going to kill you.
I'm not moving.
Who are you?
I said don't move.
I've got a gun.
Who are you?
My name is Jim Rockford. I called
this afternoon for an appointment.
If you think I'm here to hurt you,
call the police. I won't try to stop you.
I couldn't if I wanted to.
You have the gun.
What do you want?
I just want to ask you
a few questions.
I'm a private detective.
I have some identification
I could reach it
with my left hand.
Slowly.
You better sit down.
I could have killed you.
I know.
They came in here
asking a lot of questions.
About Jennifer Ryburn?
Did you tell them anything?
The last time they started
asking questions, a man died.
You know who they are?
No.
But I know who sent them.
File a complaint with the police,
let them take it from there.
No,
I'm going to handle this my way.
Handling it your way will get
Jennifer Ryburn killed.
She's dead.
Doctor
a few years ago, I was going
with a girl. She was a model.
We had
the damnedest argument
when she told me she wanted to
have all her back teeth pulled.
She wanted that gaunt look.
She got it.
Jennifer has it, too.
But the girl in the morgue
has 32 teeth.
I could give the information to the
police and let them check it out.
You're here to help her?
Yes.
I've known Jennifer since
she moved to Los Angeles.
I was her friend.
The morning after
Ricky Pont was murdered
she came to me
terrified.
She said she had to disappear.
That's why you made
the false identification?
She said, if ever
I could bury her, to do it.
Then I heard about the
accident on the freeway.
Young girl, same age
hitchhiker, no name.
Body virtually incinerated.
So I
went into the coroner's
office, viewed the remains
and offered to bring Jennifer's
charts in the next morning.
Then you made a chart that coincides
with the dental work you'd seen.
That's right.
As far as I know
Jennifer is still alive.
But
I don't know where she is.
I do.
You buying or selling?
I'm buying.
Come on in.
Sit down.
What can I do for you?
My name is Jim Rockford.
I'm from Los Angeles.
Somebody recommend me?
No, I picked you
out of the phone book.
Why me?
It said, "Discreet service
at discreet prices."
How discreet?
$150 a day, expenses.
Why? What do you charge?
$125.
We could split the difference.
Professional courtesy.
I said sit down,
that's professional courtesy.
The going rate
in Seattle's $175.
I know. I checked.
So, what are you buying?
I want you to help me
find someone.
What took you so long?
It was a rush job.
Most places take 24 hours, minimum.
But I happen to know this guy.
How much?
It'll be on the expense sheet.
How much?
As a favor, $25 bucks.
For one picture?
You're the guy in a hurry.
All right.
I want you to start
with the garage attendants work
your way up to the 5th floor
and I'll start with the 6th.
Work myself up
to the penthouse.
You know the head
of security here?
Introduce yourself,
it'll probably save you some time.
Probably'll have to slip him
a few bucks.
What are you trying to do,
make your nut for the whole year
on this one gig?
Information costs.
You spending your own dough?
Okay. But only if you have to.
And only a few bucks.
We'll meet down here on the hour,
just in case one of us turns up something.
You want a cup?
Depends on what you
charge for it.
It's on the house.
Then I want a cup.
You got your money's worth.
I feel like I've talked to half the
people in the state of Washington.
The wrong half.
That ain't my fault.
She don't work
in the building.
She don't do
any business there.
It's like you said
when we started.
Chances are it's a bank.
We stake it out.
I stake it out.
That's a two-man job.
Nice try.
Don't you want any company?
Not at $150 a day,
plus expenses.
You're going to need
some help.
How you going to watch a bank five
hours a day and eight on Friday?
I'm not.
Then what?
Most companies pay their
employees on the 1st and 15th.
On the 15th, I'll be waiting.
Okay, bye.
Jennifer.
I'm a friend of John Micelli.
He sent me to find you.
Mitch?
What's your name?
Jim Rockford.
Where did you meet him?
In Korea.
What outfit?
5th Regimental combat team.
This where you live?
Yes.
Could we talk inside?
Okay.
Feeling better?
I'm sorry. I guess
I was overreacting.
I thought
Thought I was a cop?
Or one of Birrell's gorillas?
Please, I know that Mitch is
trying to help, but he isn't.
Tell him that I'm fine.
Tell him that
I don't want to be found.
I can't do that.
Mitch is dead.
No.
What happened?
Birrell had him worked over.
He thought Mitch knew
where you were.
He didn't tell them
I was in Seattle, did he?
What do you think?
No.
No, he wouldn't.
Let me fix you a drink.
I don't know what to say.
I'm sorry about Mitch.
He was a very good friend
to me.
He was in love with you.
That doesn't seem to be a particularly
safe thing to be, does it?
Mitch is dead
because Birrell's goons
got a little too enthusiastic
in their work.
Ricky Pont is dead
because somebody murdered him.
Who?
Jennifer?
Mitch died trying to
keep you alive.
I can't help you if you don't tell me
the truth. What happened that night?
Who killed Ricky?
Carl Birrell.
Birrell? That doesn't make
any sense.
Look, I was there. I saw it.
He killed Ricky
and he tried to kill me.
It was dark and I got away.
Ricky was like a son
to Birrell.
Why would he kill him?
I don't know.
It had something to do
with business.
Birrell found out that Ricky
was double-crossing him
and he felt betrayed.
I don't know.
He was like a wild man.
I'll charter a plane.
We can leave tonight.
What are you talking about?
I'm not going back to LA.
You have to.
I'm not going back.
Birrell would have me killed.
He won't have the chance.
I'll phone ahead, the cops
will meet us at the plane.
They'll put you into protective
custody, take your statement.
Once they have your statement,
you're safe.
You obviously
don't know Birrell.
Do you want to spend your life
leaving the lights on
double-locking every door?
I can't.
I'll phone the charter service.
You go pack.
You're going to force me
to go?
If that's what it takes.
Go pack a bag.
This is Jim Rockford.
I have an account
with you people.
Do you have
a twin-engine plane
charter tonight?
Los Angeles.
Yes, I'll hold.
7:46 and 50 seconds,
At the tone,
the time will be
7:47 exactly.
Jennifer
I'll kill you.
I swear I'll kill you.
You go away.
I'll kill you.
I will.
All right.
That's it, little lady.
That thing holds six shots.
You used five here,
and one back at the apartment.
Look, I was afraid.
You kept insisting that I go
to LA and I can't do that.
You mean it doesn't get easier
the second time around?
What are you talking about?
Birrell didn't kill
Ricky Pont, you did.
That's not true.
Ballistics will run a check on that thing.
We'll see if it's the murder weapon.
It was an accident.
I didn't mean to murder him.
I was just trying to frighten him.
He was seeing somebody else.
He was going to leave me.
He used people.
You wouldn't know
anything about using people?
A doctor's going to lose his license.
Mitch is dead.
When I told you that, all you wanted
to know was "Did he talk first?"
You wanted to know
if you were in trouble.
Lady, you put
a high price on yourself.
But
Mitch wanted you to help me.
He wanted you to help me.
Can't you do that for him?
Sure, Jennifer, I'll help.
You have your lawyer call me
as a character witness.
Is that it?
That's it. Thanks
for the help, Dennis.
That's okay.
It's my day off.
Besides, I owe you.
For Jennifer Ryburn?
Yeah.
And Carl Birrell
and two goons
who killed Micelli.
I'm up for a commendation.
Why not a promotion?
Yes, it looks good
on the record.
You leaving soon?
Not right now.
Got something I want to do.
What's that?
Something I've been putting
off for about 20 years.
See you later.