All language subtitles for Rockford Files S06E11 Deadlock in Parma.DVDRip.NonHI.en.UNVSL

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.

ROCKFORD ON ANSWERING
MACHINE: This is Jim Rockford.

At the tone, leave your
name and message.

I'll get back to you.

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?

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...

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.

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...

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.

The volunteer meeting is
now in Mrs. Wayne's office

at 2:00 p.m.

All right, tell me
where it hurts.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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...

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

John?

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.

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

Good night, Jim.

Good night.

Guard!

Thanks for lunch.

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.

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?

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.

Order? What kind of order?

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.

What's going on?

It's the state police.

Freeze. Freeze. Hands behind
your head! Behind your head.

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.

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.

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.

It's cold.

You're gonna notice a real
difference in that machine, mister.

A real difference.

Yeah, yeah. I'll bet.