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.
So I 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.
[Telephone ringing]
(Rockford on answering machine) This is Jim Rockford.
At the tone, leave your name and message.
I'll get back to you.
[Beeps]
(Mrs. Lindis) This is Mrs. Lindis.
Three times this month, I come to clean...
And it always looks like people been fighting in there.
Furniture broke, things tipped over. I'm sorry,
But I quit.
Believe me...
I can explain.
Now, look.
I don't care what you heard.
I can explain. Give me two minutes!
[Gun fires] Two minutes...
[gun continues firing]
[Glass shattering]
(Rockford) 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.
(Mitch) No, I 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.
[Camera clicking]
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.
[Tires screeching]
[Sirens wailing]
[People yelling]
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 ill. All right. Take it easy.
[Elevator bell dings]
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.
(Rocky) 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...
[clinking]
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.
[Telephone ringing]
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?
(Rockford) 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?
(Rockford) 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.
[Waves crashing]
[Sighs]
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?
[Beeps]
(Rocky) Hey, Jimmy, it's Rocky.
I got the truck over here at Harry's Garage.
You can pick me up anytime.
[Dial tone buzzing]
[Beeps]
Son, if you ain't gonna pick me up, would you give me a call?
You got the number.
[Dial tone buzzing]
[Beeps]
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.
[Door closes]
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 out with his hand.
Punk kid. Gutsy.
He didn't have no family, so I took him in.
He was like my own.
Like my son.
So I 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.
[Camera clicking]
(Mitch) 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.
[Grunts]
Just beautiful.
[Clicking] Right there. Hold it now.
Lovely.
[Phone ringing]
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.
[Knocking on door]
[Knocking continues]
Who is it?
(Mitch) 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.
[Sighs]
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.
[Waves crashing]
[Door closes]
[Phone ringing]
[Phone continues ringing]
Hey, Mitch?
[Metallic clinking]
Hey, Mitch.
Mitch?
[Dialing telephone]
[Phone ringing]
Det. Becker, please.
[People chattering]
(Sgt. Becker) 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?
(waiter) 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.
[Hanging up]
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?
[Gun cocks]
(man) 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.
(Rockford) 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.
[Water running] 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.
[Plane engine roaring]
[Thunder clapping]
[Rain pattering]
[Inaudible]
You buying or selling?
I'm buying. Come on in.
(Ross) Sit down. What can I do for you?
(Rockford) 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? No.
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.
[Engine starting]
Okay, bye.
[Car door closing]
(Rockford) 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.
[Keys rattling]
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.
(Rockford) He was in love with you.
That doesn't seem to be a particularly safe thing to be, does it?
[Clattering]
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-Iocking every door?
I can't.
I'll phone the charter service. You go pack.
You're going to force me to go?
[Dial tone buzzing]
If that's what it takes.
Go pack a bag.
[Jennifer sighs]
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.
(woman on phone) 7:46 and 50 seconds.
At the tone, the time will be...
7:47 exactly.
[Beeps]
Jennifer...
[car starting]
[Car honking]
[Tires screeching]
[Honking]
[Tires squealing]
I'll kill you. I swear I'll kill you.
You go away.
[Gun fires]
I'll kill you.
I will.
[Bullet ricocheting]
All right. That's it, little lady.
That thing holds six shots.
You used five here, and one back at the apartment.
[Clicks]
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.
[Siren approaching]
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.