That's a proxy vote from John Traynor.
Traynor is a city council member.
The whole thing is corrupt and the whole council is in on it.
I'd like to see Proposition 46D.
The deciding vote is number five.
My vote now.
How you voting?
Probably for.
Definitely for.
Get out of town, Rockford.
Out?
And don't come back.
(PHONE RINGING)
ROCKFORD ON ANSWERING MACHINE: This is Jim Rockford.
At the tone, leave your name and message.
I'll get back to you.
(BEEPS)
WOMAN: Because where you live says so much about you,
your home has been selected by Royal Imperial Roofing and Siding
as our neighborhood showcase.
A bonded representative will call on you.
All right. All right.
Hello! Hello out there.
You got a minute?
I hope I'm not interrupting anything.
I'm Carrie Osgood with INS, Independent News Service.
And I'm doing a feature article on trout fishing.
Oh, I understand. A lot of people freeze up when they see these things.
Okay if I take notes?
I don't care what you do as long as you don't do it here.
I'm sorry.
I guess I did interrupt.
I've been here since dawn.
If you'd heard of the fisherman's ethic, you'd just keep moving along.
Okay, okay. No need to call the shore patrol.
Someone else who doesn't understand the ethic of the stream or whatever.
Jim. John.
Did I interrupt something?
No, no, not a thing. I was just thinking about dinner.
Yeah?
Oh, no. You just got the one, huh?
John, I don't suppose you'd tell a flatlander where you caught those?
(CHUCKLES)
Jim, you're not a typical tourist like we usually get up here.
You got a feel for the land.
I could tell that as soon as I saw you yesterday.
I'll tell you.
Downstream a little ways, you'll find a beaver dam just beyond Beaver Fork there.
You'll find the best fishing ever.
Hey, here, try some of these.
This stuff is delicious, naturally.
Nice, huh? Yeah. Oh, yeah.
You interested in a little dinner?
You're on. Let's go.
All right.
You close your eyes and that malva weed will taste just like watercress.
You won't take it personally if I pass on the yucca blooms?
No, that's all right by me.
But you'd better get as much nature as you can, Jim.
The public's got their back up against the wall, Jim.
It's too late to have a home on the range,
but there is a chance that they can have a place
where they can see nature as it was before man got to it.
How do you like that trout?
Hey, delicious.
Good.
John, what did you mean when you said
"the public's last chance to see nature"?
Jim...
Tomorrow, Jim, I get a chance to be
a part of something that could be meaningful
to generations of kids that haven't even been born.
You're staying in Parma, aren't you?
Yeah. Look.
Now, look. Just east of town, right around here,
there's a little piece of city land...
(EXCLAIMS IN PAIN)
What's the matter, John? You all right?
You all right, John? Yeah, yeah.
Just a little pain I've been having off and on for a couple days.
(CHUCKLES) Yeah.
I'm all right.
Now, you see,
I'm on the Parma city council.
Now, tomorrow, we're going to vote on Proposition 46D.
And if that proposition passes,
this little piece of land becomes a preserve.
You see, it's got a playground and a campground...
(GROANS)
John, John, hey, you all right?
Where is it? Your stomach?
Where? There? Yeah. Yeah.
You had your appendix out?
Uh-uh.
Okay, John, you rest easy. We're gonna have you looked at.
Jim, I can't miss that meeting tomorrow.
My vote could be the one to save that land.
All right, all right. You just try to relax, John.
We'll be at the hospital soon.
WOMAN ON PA: The volunteer meeting is now in Mrs. Wayne's office
at 2:00 p.m.
All right, tell me where it hurts.
(GRUNTS)
Right there, right there, right there. When you let the pressure off.
Rebound tenderness. We'll keep him here for a while.
I've got to get back to Parma.
You better listen to the doctor, John.
If I were you, Doc, I think I'd check his diet.
He's into some very unusual health foods.
What did you have for dinner?
Malva, yucca blooms,
yerba buena tea and trout.
Are you a relative?
No, no, no. I'm a friend.
Hmm.
Jim.
Jim, take this to Mayor Sindell.
He runs the Parma Pharmacy.
ROCKFORD: Your proxy vote?
Yeah.
The nurse and the doctor here can be the witnesses.
It's just in case I don't make it back in time.
John, I can't take this. I'm leaving town tomorrow.
Listen, I'll be back on my feet in no time.
But, John, I can't take it. I...
Call us in a few hours.
Help you? Yeah. Mayor Sindell?
That's right.
Fill these all the time. Pick it up before 6:00.
That's a proxy vote from John Traynor.
What's the matter? The proxy is in order, isn't it?
Traynor is a city council member.
The document is apparently in order
and subject to the limitations affecting the original voter. Notwithstanding...
All right, Hy. We don't need one of your filibusters.
What's with John?
He developed stomach cramps. I took him to the hospital.
He was really worried about the vote tomorrow.
And you agreed to vote in his place?
(MUMBLES)
James Rockford.
Staying over at the motel?
Yeah, that's right.
Look...
Well...
See you tomorrow.
Hi, I'm sorry if I was rude this morning.
I am here after a trout story.
And I'm here after trout.
Well, it looks like we're going to be neighbors.
Oh?
You caused a lot of excitement at the pharmacy.
It's a small town.
What's the proposition about?
Preserving city-owned land.
I'll check it out.
What for? I thought trout was your beat.
(MOANS)
Trout!
I'm really sick of softies.
What? Softies.
You know, fillers.
I started out with column enders,
you know, the contractor who painted the wrong house,
the babysitter who got stuck to the freshly painted bathroom fixtures.
I have had some minor success, though.
My feature, "When the Buzzards Come Back to Hinckley,"
was picked up by The Washington Post.
(CHUCKLING) What buzzards?
Well, every spring they migrate back to Hinckley, Ohio.
Like the swallows to Capistrano.
The trout story, here, was my editor's idea.
Well, it's... I better get on it.
It's been nice talking to you.
Yeah.
Somebody wants to talk to you.
In the limo, right?
Right. Yeah.
This is Belding. Run a license plate for me.
That's right.
It's the Portola Bell. Famous local landmark.
Here's Rockford. This is Mr. Gersh. Say hello to Mr. Gersh.
Mr. Gersh. How are you?
You want to eat?
No, thank you.
No place to eat in that crummy Parma.
You could die of mayonnaise poisoning.
I had some nice trout this afternoon.
Oh, yeah?
You got Traynor's proxy, right?
Mmm-hmm.
How you voting?
Well, I was expecting Traynor to get back in time to cast his vote.
If not, I'll vote the way he was expected.
For or against?
Probably for.
Why don't you make it definitely for?
Definitely for.
So we understand each other.
You're probably wondering why a businessman like me
is involved in a jerk-water operation like this.
Well, you've got a right to know. Kids and fresh air.
That says it all.
I don't come on like some kind of a nature freak.
I just happen to know from personal experience
what it's like to grow up in the streets.
I think a nice little park out here for kids to play in
might just turn a street kid around. You know what I mean?
Keep him from a life of crime.
Yeah, that, too. But what I'm talking about is phobias.
Mental problems. Now take me.
I was brought up in a railroad flat.
Today, I'm afraid to fly.
I've got to travel in this thing.
Now, I also happen to do a little business for my construction company.
You know, put in roads and concession buildings...
(LAUGHING)
But competitive bidding, right? I mean, why not me?
So, we understand each other?
Yeah, I understand completely.
I don't have to worry about how you vote,
or you deciding to leave town?
No, no, no, nothing to worry about at all.
That's nice.
Now why don't you get out of here?
(KNOCKING AT DOOR)
(KNOCKING CONTINUES)
BELDING: I'd like to talk to you.
The limousine license is issued to a Newark, New Jersey firm.
Outdoor Construction Company.
I have a great deal of information, Rockford.
Like your private investigator's license number,
your prison record,
along with every legal problem you've ever had,
including parking violations.
I can have that license reviewed.
I'm a little tired of being threatened. Just who are you, pal?
I'm not one of those cretins you sold that proxy to.
I didn't sell anything to anybody.
Now just what is it you want, exactly?
Get out of town, Rockford.
Out?
You heard me. Out of town.
And don't come back.
I thought I might as well read Prop 46,
but the records section is closed until 4:00.
What's wrong?
I took a ride out to Marion Davies' old motor home and now my car's gone.
I just saw it at the garage across from city hall.
At the garage?
Where's the carburetor?
It's being exchanged for a rebuilt one.
Put it back in the way it is.
It's on its way to Santa Barbara.
It'll be ready tomorrow night, like I told you on the phone.
That was not me on the phone!
Well, how was I supposed to know? I never talked to you before.
(CAR ENGINE STARTING)
Where's city hall?
It's right down that way. Take a left on Main Street and straight across.
Thanks.
Excuse me.
Yeah, I'd like to see Proposition 46D.
The hours are 4:00 to 5:00.
Yeah, well, this is kind of a special case.
I was hoping maybe you could bend the rules, just a touch.
Forget it, sonny.
The hours are 4:00 to 5:00.
It's only a couple of hours. You mind if I wait?
What did he want?
He wanted to see Proposition 46D.
(HONKING)
Get in the car, son. Please.
Why? Where are we going?
I'm putting you on the bus for Santa Barbara.
You can make your way home from there, right?
What about my car?
Oh, don't worry about that.
Once we get it fixed, we'll truck it on down to LA for you.
That's going to cost a lot of money.
Yeah, well, that's between you and the tow service, ain't it?
Now get in the car, please.
You mind telling me why you're running me out of town?
Well, say it's more like protective custody.
Look, son, I'm just a simple peace officer, trying to keep the peace.
Now do me a favor.
We told you not to leave town.
I didn't have any choice.
You pull anything out of that coat, I'm going to jam it down your throat.
Everybody just stay calm. Whatever you like.
Hey, you were right. That is an interesting bell.
I'm about touristed out.
Well, I got rid of Rockford.
What did you do?
Put him on the bus. He's halfway to Santa Barbara by now.
(GROANS)
Isn't that what you wanted?
Get Rockford out of the way so you could vote the tie-breaker?
This was supposed to be a low-profile operation.
For what I'm paying you, you ought to be able to follow the game plan.
$5,000, that's all I'm seeing.
And I'm not sure it's worth risking my professional reputation
for that kind of money.
Especially when you're not telling me how much they're paying you!
Hey, what are we arguing for?
It may be all right. I'll check it out.
Listen, stick around the office and watch me for signals.
I thought you were gone.
Some places are really hard to leave.
(KNOCKING AT DOOR)
CARRIE: Jim. Unlock the door.
Do you know who that was? Stan Belding.
Chief hatchet man for the Chroma Corporation.
What would a company like that be doing here?
Exactly.
I have been doing some reading on Proposition 46D.
Now, the interesting part about the prop
is that the city council is divided two and two over it.
The deciding vote is number five. Traynor's.
My vote now.
Are you sure about Belding and the Chroma Corporation?
My news service just ran a series on who's in power there.
Belding is near the top.
I'm going to go take a look at that proposition.
You stay here. These people are serious.
Come on. I'm a reporter.
On a trout deadline.
Well, it's 4:00.
Clock's fast.
It's 3:55.
Would you care to let me know when you start the official countdown?
I'll let you know.
How would I find the proposition?
You'd find it by looking for it.
Over there.
Well, Ms. Osgood, I think we have it right here.
The series you were planning to do on fat on city payrolls.
You know, employees sitting on their chops waiting for retirement.
Oh, yeah, thank you for bringing it to my attention.
Did you get her name?
I couldn't even get her to tell me what ledger to look in.
Proposition 46D, right?
Right.
It's right here.
It's the Atlantic City amendment almost word for word.
The one that made gambling legal there? And they're doing it here.
That's right. Only hidden in legalese.
You got to look through about 16 amendments and 20 books to find it.
Yes, I'm calling about a patient. John Traynor.
He did?
Thank you.
He left the hospital after his examination, four or five hours ago.
Then he should have been back here by now.
ROCKFORD: You know, it all makes sense.
Parma is a natural for a Vegas-style gambling center.
It's only half the driving distance from the LA population center.
They could add some goodies that Vegas and Reno can't offer.
Clean air, low crime rate.
Trout fishing.
They're gonna have to do something about the food
before they make it fly, though.
I mean, Gersh was right. This food stin...
Hi. Sorry, miss, seems like we're all out of veal cutlet.
Oh, that's okay. I wasn't in the mood for a regular meal anyway.
Um...
I'll have a hot fudge sundae.
With nuts.
Why don't you try our special chicken dinner?
You get a free wig.
Oh...
Just the sundae, thanks.
So that's it. Belding was here to put up casinos.
No, I don't think so.
No, Gersh and the Jersey delegation, they build casinos.
I think Belding is here to stop that.
You know, protect Chroma's interests in Vegas.
That's right. They must have at least five major hotels.
I don't know. The whole thing is corrupt, start to finish,
and the whole council is in on it.
Yeah. Yeah, you know,
the gambling part of the proposition, Rider 337,
has been tacked onto every bill in front of the council for the last two years.
Nobody could ever get a proposition together that the council agreed on.
One proposition provided for widening the white lines
on crosswalks for school children.
Rider 337 was tacked on right in the middle.
The council still deadlocked.
There's some local opposition, it's a pretty hot issue,
but I don't think half the townspeople know what's going on.
Oh, check this out.
There has been a procedural change in the way the council works.
The mayor votes in case of a tie.
Well, that puts him in a strong position. It means no more deadlocks.
That's exactly what Traynor created when he disappeared.
Traynor was voting for the bill. Gersh bought him off.
(ROCKFORD SIGHS)
There's only one reason I can think of that would explain why he ducked out.
He sold out to both sides.
Yeah. Maybe that'll explain why he was headed upstream with a loaded backpack.
He was running out, planning to set me up as a fall guy all along.
And you took that proxy for humanitarian reasons.
Noble reasons.
Noble's good.
Stupid is how I feel.
ROCKFORD: You know, Carrie, if Traynor was moving to a hideout,
he had enough supplies to last him a month.
I mean, I saw him.
He conned me into the proxy,
then he faked the appendix attack and took off.
But back up the stream?
Why not? I mean, this is a guy who makes French pastries
out of acorns and jack-in-the-pulpits.
I'll bet he's sitting up there right now,
waiting for the whole thing to blow over.
Hey, can I borrow your car?
What? To go after Traynor?
Yeah, and bring him back. He was talking about a place called Beaver Fork.
That puts everything back to start. Puts Traynor in the city council and me in LA.
Uh...
I think they're a little ahead of me.
Thank you.
Keep these out of sight.
Good likeness, Mr. Belding.
Chroma is trying to maintain a low profile. Rockford's back.
Can he use his proxy vote from jail?
Not if he can't get to the council meeting.
Then arrest him.
Arrest him and hold him until the vote's completed.
Arrest him on a reasonable charge.
Right. Right.
Smart move, Mr. Belding.
It's just a little joke I want to play on a friend.
I mean, he is going to fall apart when he sees me in this jacket and holding that pizza.
Where's the humor?
It'll be funny, Virgil. Believe me.
You ain't playing no joke on nobody.
You just want to sneak out of here without you getting seen.
All right, all right, you got me.
Just give me the jacket and I'll leave your truck around the corner.
That's $6.50 for the pizza, without the tip.
Call me, right?
Mmm-hmm.
John?
Traynor's body is up there in a tent. It's not far from the stream.
Near Beaver Fork? That's right. That's right.
The trail leads right down to the road, but it's a killer getting up there.
I'll radio this to Sheriff Neal. He's out on patrol.
I guess you want me to wait over at the motel?
I've grown so fond of the place.
I'm sorry the man is dead, but I just can't believe this.
An actual hard news story.
I've gotta phone this in to my LA office.
Yeah, well, we're all sorry.
But I'll tell you,
if I thought I could buy a bottle of champagne in this town
that wasn't labeled Chateau Hatfield, I'd celebrate.
Traynor's death cancels the proxy. I am out.
(KNOCKING AT DOOR)
I have to ask you to show us where the body was.
Sheriff Neal's up where you said and it ain't there.
We took care of Traynor, Mr. Gersh.
Oh, that's nice.
What did you do with the body?
We left it in the tent by the stream.
People say to me, "Why don't the leaders in your industry retire? Why do they work?"
They work until... Or maybe...
Every business I ever heard of had some kind of a management training program.
What do I have? I got you.
Hey, we didn't know where to dump him.
The river's like a couple feet deep.
So they find Traynor's body.
That cancels Rockford's proxy and the crooked mayor
votes down the proposition. That's all.
And we go back to Jersey with cheese on our face.
I'll take care of it, Mr. Gersh, huh?
Like your life depended on it.
ROCKFORD: Well, now, you can see right here.
I mean, this is the imprint of where the tent was,
right there is the shotgun blast, right there.
Now if you sift through that,
you're gonna find some shot pellets.
It's been a campsite, all right.
Yeah, well, it's all just like you said it was, except for the body.
We arrived here minutes after we got the call.
So if anybody tried to clear anything away,
they can't be too long gone.
You're right, Sheriff.
Murray, you get the reserves with the hound dogs and all.
Handle it just like a lost hiker case.
Me and Chet will take care of things in town.
And you, you're under arrest.
On what charge?
Filing a false police report.
Oh, that charge.
Well, I got Rockford under lock and key and on a charge that sticks,
at least until the council votes tomorrow.
I think you did it.
How about you know I did it?
Course, if Traynor's body turns up, all bets are off.
How could it? You've got him.
That's right. I do.
And as long as I do, your vote counts for something.
I'd say that makes my part in this worth a little more than 5,000.
Well, I don't know about that.
How much is Belding paying you for the vote?
That has nothing to do with our arrangement. It's my vote.
How much?
(MUMBLING)
What's that you say?
100,000.
And you were going to pay me a whole 5,000?
Let's change those figures around a little bit.
Let's make my share 50%.
They gave up the search.
The dogs came up blank. We better go tell Gersh.
Dad, now that he's in there,
what are we going to do with the... You know.
(COUNTRY MUSIC PLAYING ON CAR RADIO)
Don't act suspicious.
Park it over in the motor pool,
back it up against the wall and bring me the keys. Check.
And if anybody should ask, tell them it's engine trouble.
And turn down that music.
And park it out of the sun.
If the dogs didn't find him, then Traynor wasn't there.
Maybe a bear drove them off.
Wait a minute, without a body, Rockford's proxy is good.
We've got to spring him before the vote.
How can you be sure of his vote, huh?
How about we get somebody from his family and put him in the back row?
Let Rockford see him just before he votes.
No, no, no, too theatrical. Don't worry.
Rockford saw Traynor's body. He'll think about that when it's his time to vote.
Get out of here, will you? I got work to do.
Well, you don't want me to call anyone?
That's right. I'm exactly where I want to be.
(DOGS YELPING)
Well, I thought you'd want to help clean up some of this mess, huh?
Really?
Well...
How about when both sides look wrong and I'm not even on a team?
Who am I supposed to put my head on the line for?
The cobra from Chroma or the trash bag from Jersey?
Or maybe the little people of Parma
who don't even know or care what Proposition 46D,
AKA 377, is all about?
So you're not even concerned over finding Traynor's murderer?
Right now, I'm a little preoccupied with survival.
(DOGS CONTINUE YELPING)
Good night, Jim.
Good night.
Guard!
Thanks for lunch.
(YELPING)
Those dogs going to yap all night?
They're all excited over today's tracking.
They're barking at something.
Maybe a squirrel or a cat in the motor pool.
Nothing else there but some impounded cars and old number one.
Oh, let me take a guess.
The sheriff's cruiser.
Yeah. His kid, Chet, blew a gasket on it. It's deadlined.
I'll try to run them off.
Thanks.
(DOGS BARKING)
(DOGS CONTINUE BARKING)
Lee Melvin. He's here?
With a writ. You'll be at the city council meeting, voting.
Gersh got him here to make sure I'd be out.
Oh, hey, I think I know where Traynor's body is and it's your story.
Great!
You're gonna have to take this on faith.
I'm a believer.
I want it on record that my presence here
is being witnessed by a duly elected member of the city council.
Get some names in case this cracker gives me any trouble.
Chet, bring the prisoner out, will you?
CHET: Yes, sir.
Thank you.
Stall them as long as you can, Jim.
I'd planned on it.
Take some advice, kid. Move with the tide.
Live a long and fruitful life.
You have no right to remain in that cell.
I would if I popped you in your fat mouth.
The ballots for the voting on Proposition 46D are now being submitted to the council.
I move we cast ballots in order.
MAN: Order? What kind of order?
ROCKFORD: Seniority. It's the basis of our senate committee system.
It's primary.
Isn't that right, Mr. Newman?
Seniority has always been accorded a special privilege,
as far back as the Roman senate.
Would you quit chattering, Hy?
Let's just vote and get it over with.
I'd like to hear Mr. Newman's thoughts.
Mr. Newman, isn't it true that in the United States Senate...
Yes, as I was just about to say, the seniority system there is...
Quit stalling! Let's vote!
Seconded.
Hold it. Everybody stay put.
MAN: What's going on?
WOMAN: It's the state police.
OFFICER: Freeze. Freeze. Hands behind your head! Behind your head.
(PEOPLE CLAMORING)
Hold it.
Traynor's body was just where you said it was,
in the trunk of Sheriff Neal's car.
That got the cops here quick.
I'll get Belding in print.
There's one more in the grove north of town.
Officer, the man who set up Traynor's death is pulling out in a few minutes.
But, Jim, Gersh is... Hold it, Rockford.
I suggest you don't make any further statements at this time.
You have the right to remain silent, you have the right to...
See? See? See?
Hey!
Hold it.
Hey, come back. He's getting away.
(SIRENS BLARING)
Hold it, you.
Got that fuel pump cleaned up real good for you.
Fine. You through here?
I just gotta write it up.
Seems wrong for you to have to pay the bill.
I mean, Gersh must have been the one who ordered the repairs.
I don't really care. I just want to get out of here.
You make me feel so guilty.
I mean, everything's turned out so great for me.
Did I tell you that my editor thinks I'll get a byline in The New York Times?
No kidding.
Yeah. I mean, it's a big story, you know.
Thank you for letting me have it.
Well, what would I have done with it? Change professions?
I'm just happy that everything worked out so well.
Do you want me to stay around and see if everything is all right?
No, no. I'll just pay up and get out.
See you.
$187?
Parts and labor.
What is this? What's with the air filter?
I didn't order an air filter.
I couldn't let you drive away with what you had.
Would have been downright irresponsible.
You know, I put a new filter in there three weeks ago.
Yeah. They just don't build them like they used to.
(ENGINE SPUTTERS)
It's cold.
(ENGINE STARTS)
You're gonna notice a real difference in that machine, mister.
A real difference.
Yeah, yeah. I'll bet.