Rolling Thunder

Disclaimer: I have NO claim to the characters NOR am I associated in any way to the show. The characters were created by Stephen J. Cannell and belong to him and Columbia Tristar Television Distribution.

Location beach, outdoor restaurant. Sitting at the table are "Flip" Johnson and Mark McCormick. Mark's looking at car schematics.

"FLIP": Well, you're gonna. Look Martin Cody is going to manufacture this car, and I don't have to tell you the juice that Cody automotive has in this state. You're on parole, but with the right guys pulling strings, I think I can arrange for you to drive this thing for us. I'm meeting with Cody tonight. The Coyote's not ready for you to drive yet, but I've made arrangements for you to do some practice laps in a Camero at the track.

"FLIP": (Bringing up his own glass) Hey, you and me, we're the best team of dirt track drivers ever. (Takes a drink, looks at watch) Don't you have a parole meeting at five o'clock?

MARK: (Examining watch again) Aw, my watch stopped. My P.O.'s a gorilla, the toughest guy down there. I'm in trouble Flip.

MARK: No, these guys don't understand anything, and on top of that, I got this crazy judge breathing down my throat.

MARK: Yeah, now there's a guy who definitely wants to put me back inside. (looking at his watch again which reads 4:58) I'll never make it. Pull up here at this phone booth. I'm going to try something.

MARK exits the car and goes to the phone booth. He calls time and records it. Change to the Parole Officer, John Dalem's, office.

SARA(Hardcastle's secretary): I suppose I can't talk you out of saving these old files. You know, Your Honor, we're going to run out of room in the basement

HARDCASTLE: You know what I want done with those files, Sara. Now you index them according to name, age and crime. (Harcastle answers the phone and scene shows a two way conversation between him and the parole officer.) Harcastle.

HARDCASTLE: (looking at watch) Give him a couple of minutes. If he show's up, hold him and I'll be right over. Sara, pull McCormick's file out of there. I might be needing it sooner than I thought.

MARK: Melinda, do me a favor all right? I'm going to call you on this extension. When I do I want you to play this tape into the receiver.

MARK: You're looking very good. You know that. (Entering office) Good to see you, Mr. Dalem. Traffic was a little tough, but as usual I made it.

DALEM: (putting on his coat) Office is closed, McCormick, but you can uh stick around and talk to Judge Hardcastle. He's on his way over.

MARK: (feigning innocence) It's closed? Oh Mr. Dalem, you're kidding. I'm on (glancing at his watch showing it to Dalem). Look for yourself, it's only 5:01.

MARK: No, well here wait, listen(Mark picks up the phone and dials Melinda's extension). I'll call time. Here listen for yourself.

MARK: You listen to me, I haven't stolen any cars and I haven't missed any parole appointments so why don't you go chew on some other guys leg okay. (doors close).

HARDCASTLE: Well he could be just right for a little project I got in mind. I hope he keeps his nose clean. I don't know. A guy like that sometimes they can't seem to do it without help.

Change scene. Nighttime. Show Episode Title and some credits. Car driving down a street in the city containing "Flip" Johnson and his lawyer on the way to meet with Martin Cody.

LAWYER: I don't believe this. He wants to see us in the middle of the night to review the deal. Who is this guy? Howard Hughes.

"FLIP": That's the way he is. Big automotive industrialist like Martin Cody works around the clock. When he says come, we come.

LAWYER: Yeah, and he's going to improve your deal, right? Gonna make it better? And how is he going to make it better? The Cody Coyote is going to be bigger than the Corvette and the Mustang, and you've got thirty percent of it already. How do you improve on that, Flip?

The second car forces Flip and his lawyer's car off the road. It overturns and the second car stops. Thug two shoots at the overturned car causing it to explode.

Second car drives away. Change scenes to the next day. The setting is a race track. See two cars running the track. A man is sitting in a truck watching the race when the news comes on the radio.

2nd Voice: Thanks Ted(or could be Tim). The world of auto sport is saddened this morning with the news of the death of Johnny "Flip" Johnson, race car driver, designer, and builder. Johnson was a passenger in a car that overturned early this morning. No comment from industrialist Martin Cody on the death of Johnson. Cody Enterprises was to mass produce the Cody Coyote, the Johnson designed sports car. Again Johnny "Flip" Johnson, dead at the age of 52. And in local news...

MARK: What did you pull me in for? I was just getting it dialed in.(Mark exits car) Listen she's pushing a little up front. I want to take a couple of turns off the front sway bar, all right?

VETROMILE: Flip set the Coyote up for me. I was gonna race it on the circuit for him. It was my car to drive, put me back on the front grid. I won't drive it now, couldn't drive it with Flip gone. This is horrible. How could this be happening?

CODY: (to woman in car with him) Just shut up. I have to do this. Try to show a little class. We'll be in Vegas tonight.

CODY: Please, please. Mr. Johnson was a personal friend. His tragic death completely overshadows anything to do with Cody Enterprises.

REPORTER 1: (hear her voice as Cody approaches Mark and Barbara) Industrialist Martin Cody just arrived. Whether the Cody Coyote will make it's automotive debut in Las Vegas is now in question.

CODY: Ms. Johnson, your father was more than just a business associate. He became a friend., a close friend. If there is anything I can do...You're upset. I'm sorry.

Mark and Barbara walk away. Cody stares after them. Change scene to the bleachers at the race track. Mark and Barbara are talking.

MARK: Barbara, you were going to go to law school. I think you should still go. I think it's a good idea. It will keep you busy. Look, we can't change what happened to your dad. Dwelling on it sure doesn't help.

BARBARA: You know when that happened. When you got that crazy judge, dad cried. He did. He said that you were innocent. That you never should have gone to jail. He wanted you to drive the Coyote with him next year. He was arranging it with Martin Cody.

BARBARA: Well that's a lie. Dad would never let Vetromile drive that car. He was gonna drive it, and he wanted you to be right there with him. It was like a dream for him, like having a second chance.

MARK: Barbara, when somebody dies, you want to make somebody responsible for it. Take my word for it, it's easier when you have somebody to hate.

BARBARA: No, that's not what I'm doing, Mark. Listen to me, two weeks ago, our house was broken into. Someone ransacked my father's desk. Now I can't prove it, but I think they were looking for dad's partnership contract with Cody Automotive. And this new deal, does it make any sense at all to you that Martin Cody would want to up dad's deal? You've met him. What do you think?

BARBARA: He would never upgrade dad's deal. And then dad and his attorney are killed, and all the contracts are conveniently burned in the fire.

BARBARA: Please, come on, Mark. You used to repossess cars. If what I'm saying is true then the Coyote is legally mine anyway.

Change scene. It's nighttime. See Mark climbing a chainlink fence with barbed-wire strung around the top. See him avoiding a police car. He finds the Coyote and steals it. The alarm goes off and the police chase him. A police car overturns and he stops to help the officer out of the wreck.

Mark gets back in the Coyote and drives away. Change scene. Same night at a Cocktail Lounge. It's a party for Judge Hardcastle's retirement.

COP: Come on, I'm trying to make a toast. All right, I know just like me all you guys and gals(stops to kiss a nearby woman) Wow...are going to find it kind of tough to say goodbye to Judge Hardcastle

COP: Everybody, shut up and let me do this. Anyway, it's not like we're losing the toughest piece of gristle that ever sat the bench. Anyway, Milt, all the guys and gals voted and we want to give you this. You got your own honorary gold shield, Judge. Come on up here.

HARDCASTLE: (wearing a T-shirt that reads "There's no plea bargain in Heaven") Well, it's about time. You're all under arrest for disorderly conduct. Shut up, shut up, let me read you your rights.

HARDCASTLE: You have the right to remain silent. If you give up the right to remain silent...all right all right. I'll let you off with a warning. All right, that's nice. (testing the badge) Real...

HARDCASTLE: I don't make speeches to rooms full of drunks, Madison. And you're not kidding me cause I know why you gave the party. You're anxious to get rid of me. Shut up, shut up, listen, listen now. I'm not officially retired 'til the end of the week so you guys keep reading your mirandas, bringing in your cases airtight and squeaky clean or I'm throwing them out 'til Friday.

DETECTIVE: Cuff him. You're under arrest for grand theft auto, breaking and entering, and flight to avoid arrest.

MARK: No. (To uniformed cop) Tell me something, Judge Hardcastle, he's retired right. He's still not sitting on that bench is he?

MARK: (to himself) Friday...today's Wednesday...Oh, I'm on a cold streak here. Please, please don't let it be Hardcastle, not Hardcastle.

HARDCASTLE: We've got a couple of new guys hanging around the park. One of 'em used to jump center for Fremont. Want to come around after work?

LAWYER: Uh, uh, Your Honor, I'm Steve Miller. I'm council for the accused. I'd like to file two pretrial motions.

MILLER: Uh, Your Honor, I apologize for my impudence, and I'd like to take this occasion to assure the bench that I will not again transgress...

HARDCASTLE: All right, all right, don't slobber on me. We all do it once. Don't do it again. You want to sit down now please?

HARDCASTLE: To be exact it's been five months, twenty-six days, thirteen hours, and (looking at his watch) about sixteen minutes.

HARDCASTLE: No there's nothing unusual about it, Mr. Miller. Before I send Mr. McCormick here off to camp again, I'd like to know what's been going on.

MARK: Well, uh, my little brother, Timmy's doing fine, and uh, ma had her appendix taken out. Uncle Zeke, he's still up in Sawgus picking lettuce, and you're still about the biggest donkey in America.

HARDCASTLE: That's all right, Sid. You don't have to cuff him. If he tries to take off on me, I'll give him a new hole to look out of.

HARDCASTLE: Reversible, my sweet ass. There can't be any reversible 'til the trial starts, and the trial won't start until I say it starts. Hartford McNeer Connecticut. That's the precedent in case you're interested. Huh, put one of you guys in the pokey, you come out Clarence Darrow, don't ya. How'd you like it in there?

MARK: They had a pretty good baseball team, but they never could get the lumps outta the mashed potatoes, ya know.

HARDCASTLE: Um hmm. Well, I've been kinda interested in you, McCormick for quite some time. At least long enough for me to get a nice little run down here of some of your past activities. Some of it's guesswork, but it's pretty accurate too. For instance, we got Florida 1978, looks like you avoided arrest for two days. Stealing cars again weren't you?

HARDCASTLE: No, what I got here, wise guy are 200 cases that came in and out of this courthouse. Everyone of 'em was guilty and everyone of 'em just walked away clean because of legal technicalities. Sometimes witnesses disappeared, sometimes they died. Want a peanut?

HARDCASTLE: Case in point, James Buchanan-Smith. Cocaine dealer. Now this guy's got more white lady coming across the border than anybody in the country. (chucking another peanut shell) Two. L.A. cops catch him dirty, but when the cop gives him his miranda, he neglects to read it from the card. So the defense attorney gets the cop to admit that in court. Seems that if he gave the miranda from memory, maybe he left out a phrase or two. The cop can't swear he didn't so the miranda doesn't stand up and the case gets thrown out of court. Jean Pershette, mob killer...

MARK: Here's one for you Judge. Mark McCormick, car repossesser. He buys himself a Porsche, but he puts it in his girlfriend's name because the insurance is cheaper that way, but they have a beef and she throws him out. Then poor Mark goes and gets his own car back, but she has him arrested for grand theft auto. Then lucky Mark gets an eccentric judge who puts him in prison for two long years.

HARDCASTLE: Lady justice is a tough old broad. Besides that joy riding beef you had when you were a kid didn't help you any. Now, I want these guys, see. They escaped justice, and I know good and well they're on the outside now committing new crimes. So that's where you come in, see. Now what we're gonna do. We're gonna hunt them down. We're gonna find out what they're doing now, and we're gonna bust 'em. You're gonna be my fast gun.

HARDCASTLE: Now don't get me wrong, McCormick. I'm not looking for us to be buddies. I just figure it takes one to catch one, and the research I did on you tells me you're my best candidate.

MARK: Indefinitely? I have trouble putting up with you for half an hour. I gotta take orders from you indefinitely?

HARDCASTLE: Now, I'm getting a little heat from this Cody guy that you stole the car from. So, you're gonna make restitution. Making restitution means you got to give the car back.

HARDCASTLE: Well, it's either that or it's off you go to the house of many doors and start forking down the lumpy mashed potatoes. Two.

MARK: Now you listen to me, I think this Martin Cody had my best friend, Flip Johnson killed. He stole Flip's design. Now I'm gonna get out of here. I'm gonna beat this rap, and I'm gonna prove that he killed Flip.

HARDCASTLE: Just in case the fact has slipped your mind, kiddo, I'm the judge that's hearing this case. Now you stole that car. I got a cop who's an eyewitness which means in a nutshell that your future is more or less in my hands.

MARK: That's a very interesting offer, Judge. You and me shooting life's peanut shells into the wastebasket of justice, right?

HARDCASTLE: (on phone) Listen, get Kline, Kline in records and ID. Tell him I want a national check on this car guy, Martin Cody.

HARDCASTLE: I looked up Martin Cody. Ran him through the federal computer and that's what came out. Now it's kind of technical, but a big jailhouse lawyer like you ought to be able to figure it out, right?

HARDCASTLE: Now boiled down what that says is that Cody ought to be right on top of that file in my office. He's been in and out of courtrooms all over this country. Ten years ago he owned a big real estate development firm, and his partner died. Mysterious causes. Now the DA was trying him for murder one, but the widow suddenly decided she wasn't going to testify.

HARDCASTLE: I believe one thing. Criminals commit the same crime over and over and over. He killed one partner. He can kill another one. Now there's some other stuff in there. He's semi mobbed up if you know what I mean.

HARDCASTLE: Wrong. The difference is Cody's our first case. We're gonna snap his coattails in the jaws of justice. Well what do you say, McCormick. You want him or don't ya?

HARDCASTLE: Yes sir, got precedents all over the place expanding the discretionary power of judges which is lucky for you.

HARDCASTLE: Sure. Tonto and the Lone Ranger riding the plain dispensing justice. Aw you didn't see Billy the Kid getting off on a technicality. Hunt 'em, hear 'em, and hang 'em. That's the way.

HARDCASTLE: Listen, they had respect for the law back then, ya know. Wise guys rule the world today, but we're gonna step in and sling some lead, kid.

HARDCASTLE: Well it was my wife's house. She died about ten years ago, and I guess you could say she was wealthy, but my folks were sharecroppers in Kansas, a sharecropper's a farmer.

MARK: Well, here you are living at Gulls Way, seven acres of topiary trees, Grecian fountains, and yet you run around dressed like a referee at a girl's hockey match. You feel guilty about living here, huh? Take it from me. I studied psychology with Charlie Manson at San Quentin. That's what you learn when you get sent to the joint for driving your own car.

HARDCASTLE: Gate house. (to Mark) You don't get any ideas about taking off. Now, the only way you're gonna get Cody is if I help ya. We catch him. We do it square. No legal loopholes. Tomorrow morning we run our priorities.

MARK: God keep that man? God should keep that man. God should lock that man up. Letting him run loose is a big mistake.

SARA: Well we've seen our share of your type around here, Gulls Way in the last ten years since the judge's wife died.

SARA: Not by a long shot, Sonny. (opening door to gate house) Everything in this house has been inventoried so if something disappears we'll have no difficulty in charging the thief. Will we?

SARA: Mrs. Hardcastle's favorite. The judge didn't like it so he moved it down here. This has been the weekend residence of two presidents, four ambassadors, and now it appears it has come down to you.

SARA: (to herself) Ex-cons in the gate house. What's wrong with the gardener's trailer? I think the judge has lost his mind.

MARK: I see it, Sara. I see it, but I tell you what. I've had a very strange two days so if it's all the same to you, I'd like to get some sleep. I'm very tired. Look, I'll get it. (referring to turning down the bed) I'll do it.

HARDCASTLE: I'm shooting my baskets. I do a hundred free throws and a hundred lay ups and a hundred jump shots every night before I go to bed.

MARK: Listen Judge, listen, see that, that's my bedroom. It's right behind the backboard. I can't sleep if you're out here shooting baskets.

Change scene. Show's someone breaking into the gate house. Mark's asleep. Two bad guys sneak into his room, shove a sock in his mouth and put a gun to his head.

Thug 2 comes up and grabs him from behind. They hit him a couple of times. Hardcastle kicks open the french doors and blasts the chandelier and the Picasso with his shotgun. More fighting ensues. The two thugs take off.

HARDCASTLE: Come on, come on, come on, come on. (running for the garage, pulling it open and exposing a sleek, black Corvette) Here, here, here(pushing the shotgun toward Mark, grabbing a handgun and more shells)

HARDCASTLE: (brandishing the handgun)Get your hands on top of your heads and get out of there. Come on out of there, boys, real easy. Hands on top of your heads. On top of your heads! Over here on the hood. Come on you know what to do. Spread 'em.

HARDCASTLE: Don't you guys know this bust can get thrown out if you don't read 'em the miranda from the card? What's the matter with you?

ED(COP 2): Oh, thank you, Judge. (reading from card) You, uh, you have the right to remain silent. If you give up the right to remain silent, anything you say can...

HARDCASTLE: (to Lou(COP 1)) You take 'em in, and tell Sargeant Miller to call me at my house and let me know what you get out 'em. (to McCormick) All right, I want a shot at my twenty. What do you got?

Change scene to a parking garage. A man exits a car and climbs into the back of a black Rolls Royce. We recognize Martin Cody from part one.

MAN: I just talked to our man on the inside. Those two goons blew it. Don't worry, Mr. Cody. I hired 'em out of Detroit. They can't connect us.

CODY: This thing's getting so sloppy, we're gonna have to serve it with a spoon. My whole manufacturing arrangement goes into the toilet in unless I have the Coyote to show my investors.

HARDCASTLE: (to Mark)That call came from the precinct. The two guys are just guns so they don't even know who hired 'em. They had orders to take you down to the docks and leave you in the trunk of the car.

HARDCASTLE: Which I guess is the truth. It checked out on a polygraph. Now listen, Cody wants his car back. He knows you stole it. He hires those two guys to kidnap you. What does that say?

HARDCASTLE: Right and he wants it bad enough so he's gonna commit an assault and a kidnapping. Which brings us back to you. Where is the Cody Coyote?

HARDCASTLE: Think of the car as bait will ya? Okay, if he's desperate enought to do what he did last night, then he's gonna step over the line again, and we're ready for him, and we grab him.

MARK: Judge, the trouble with that is, if I give you the car back, you're a judge, it's stolen property. You have to keep it. You have to turn it over to the state, and we don't see it again.

HARDCASTLE: It's a material exhibit in a pending case, yours. If we can prove Cody stole it from Flip then it gets returned back over to Flip's estate.

MARK: Okay, I'll do it. Sara. Saara(draws the word out). Look. Look, how come it's okay for old Hardcastle to put his feet up on the coffee table, but when I do it you break my ankle?

HARDCASTLE: (standing outside driver's side window) The very same Ms. Johnson. Now he did commit the crime. That Porsche was registered to Melinda Marshall. The fact that they were cohabitating at the time was irrelevent. The fact that he signed it over to her is plain stupid.

HARDCASTLE: Listen, I understand you think this uh this Cody guy might have had something to do with what happened to your father.

MARK: The judge and I made kind of a unique arrangement. He lets me find out about Cody, and in return I have to agree to work for him in a kind of slave labor program for the rest of my life.

HARDCASTLE: (uncovering the Coyote)Now is that a street monster or not. Listen we haven't got a whole lot of time. Cody's in Vegas if we're gonna catch him, we have to go up there.

HARDCASTLE: That piece of iron's got a government plate and a police sticker on the bumper which will come in handy in case the Highway Patrol wants to pull us over. Now get that chain off of there.

HARDCASTLE: Well, I think this Vetromile will be our best bet. He lied to you(pointing at Mark) about driving that car which was a dumb lie cause you(pointing at Barbara) knew better. Now dumb people make easy mistakes. Now maybe we can just jam him up.

MARK: Aw come on Judge, I mean don't you have a court calendar and cases and things like that? An important guy like you can't be running around. You got important work to do, right? Uh hunt 'em, hear 'em, and hang 'em, Hardcastle.

HARDCASTLE: Forget honesty, let's talk legal. Now you're a two time loser with a third case hanging fire which means if you leave the state your in violatation of my judicial stay, and you're back in the county cooker by lunch. However, as the Judge hearing the case, I could fix it with your probation officer so's I take personal responsibility and guarantee your presence in his office at 5 o'clock on Friday. I might do that. I can, and I will if you don't give me too much heat about going to Vegas. Okay, sport. Now pick your poison.

BARBARA: (voice heard) We were up here last June for a meeting with the potential investors. Cody has a house out by the lake. Rick Vetromile has a small farm here. He likes to gamble at the Sahara. He's a real dice player.

HARDCASTLE: (voice heard)I was thinking I may have a way to snare 'im. Look for a drug store. I wanna buy a camera.

Show Hardcastle and Barbara in Hardcastle's truck a little ways away. He's taking pictures with a Polaroid camera.

HARDCASTLE: (sneakily trying to take pictures of Vetromile leaning over the car) Say cheese. (snaps pictures) Gotcha.

VETROMILE: Forget it, "Skid". I'm not touching anything that's got to do with Cody. He stuck it to me, man. I was going to drive the Coyote on the circuit, right? Cody backed out of that.

MARK: What am I talking about? If you could get this car back for Cody, you might be able to negotiate your way right back into the driver's seat. Look Rabbit, let's face it. My ripping this car off was a bad idea. I've got my third federal rap hanging over my head. Cody already had a couple of goons drop in on me, and I'll I've got to show is a stolen car that everyone in the world is looking for. I'm hot. It's hot, and I wanna sell it back to him.

MARK: All right, that's where you come in. I want you to go back to Cody, and tell him I want to make a deal. Tell him that if he gives me the same arrangement that Flip Johnson had with the Coyote, it's his. I'll give it back to him.

MARK: Then I'm gone, long gone, out of the country. You get to be a hero with Cody. Just tell him you won't arrange the deal unless you can race the car. Simple, huh?

MARK: Think about it. Just think about it. (climbing in the car) She does ride nice, Rabbit. I'll be in touch, all right.

Scene changes to the following day to the race track with a grand stand with banners that read Cody Coyote. Cody's talking to Vetromile.

CODY: McCormick wants the same deal as Flip Johnson? Give it to him. I got people coming in from all over, all I got to show them is a slideshow. I need that car.

VETROMILE: You'll get the Coyote, but you have to guarantee I get a chance to race it. I want all the legal stuff signed this time. That's my deal.

HARDCASTLE: Well, these pictures better work, kid. You just blew whatever case we had on Vetromile with an entrapment beef.

MARK: Oh I get it. I get it. You know, you kill me. You really do. You've got all these rules and technicalities coming out the wazoo, and yet who has to go out and do all the dirty work? Me right?

HARDCASTLE: That's not illegal. Vetromile's not gonna be a defendent. He's gonna be a witness. He's turning state's evidence. See how this is coming together? (to Barbara) Now you know where Vetromile's place is don't ya.

HARDCASTLE: Good. Then hot shot's gonna pick up a rental car, and he's gonna have a nice little talk with Martin Cody. Now these(hands over the pictures to Mark) are the only cards we got. Don't play 'em 'til you need 'em.

MARK: Geez you take lousy pictures. (to Barbara) Look at this, out of focus, this one's too much head room, over exposed. Look at this.

Scene changes to Martin Cody leaving his house in a Mercedes, and Mark following in a rental. Mark pushes him off the road.

MARK: Rick and I stole the Coyote together. How do you think I jumped your security at your Tusten plant? I wasn't just lucky. Rick gave me the layout.

MARK: Because you promised him he could drive it on the circuit then you backed out on it. See Rick's not a very smart guy. He got a little angry. Dumb and angry tends to be a fatal combination.

MARK: I'll be straight with you, Mr. Cody. I wanted in on the act because I thought you ripped off Flip Johnson. I wasn't counting on the cops fingering me. If I get prosecuted for stealing that car, I'm going inside for a long, long time.

MARK: Whatever it sounds like the fact is, Rick and I stole the Coyote together so we could sell it back to you, but I got a feeling he's doubling back on me now trying to force me out telling you that I want the same deal Flip had. That it? It was a lie.

CODY: I think you're playing games with me. You don't have any proof that Rick was involved in that theft. I mean it could all be some sort of scam.

MARK: (pulling the pictures from his pocket) There he is, alone with the Coyote. Now that sign went up what, yesterday? Now if I'm lyin', how do you explain those photographs?

Scene changes to an hour later. Mark's waiting in front of the Sahara. Three white cars approach. A man gives instructions by CB to the other cars.

The three white cars drive out to Rick Vetromile's farm. Hardcastle and Barbara park on the road and watch. Mark's led to Vetromile's door at gunpoint.

VETROMILE: Hey Joey, now listen to me. I don't have...I don't know what he's talking about. I wouldn't mess with you, Joey. There's nothin' out there. You gotta believe me. There's nothing out there, Joey. I'm tellin' ya.

VETROMILE: (hear voice as other two thugs head their direction) Hey Joey, now take it easy will ya. Come on I wouldn't mess with you guys. See there's no car out here. I wouldn't double cross you, Joey. There's nothing out here. Kid tell him. This is all junk cars, Joey. Just junk cars. (Mark pulls a tarp off the Coyote) You gotta believe me, Joey. I don't know how this got here. I wouldn't mess around with you guys. Joey, believe me.

JOEY: (to other thugs) You and me are gonna take Vetromile out in the desert along with this creep and drop them in a gopher hole.

The three thugs jump into their cars and try to escape. Hardcastle shoots out two of the cars tires with a shotgun. Joey gets away. Hardcastle and cops are rounding the others up.

HARDCASTLE: Go get him. Go get him. (snapping his fingers after Mark takes off) Should have deputized him. Hey (makes like he's crossing himself. Barbara laughs.)

Mark jumps into the Coyote and takes off after Morgan and Cody. Morgan drives to the track where Cody is having his meeting with the investors.

CODY: I assure you. I assure you that the Cody Coyote will be here in just a few minutes. You'll be delighted with its design. It's quite fantastic really.

JOEY: It's over. The cops gpt Vetromile. He knows we tried to kill him, and he's gonna spill the whole deal. We got to get out of here. Come on, get in.

The two cars fly around the track, and end up on the road. Joey's car flips. Cop cars pull up to the scene followed by Judge Hardcastle. Mark jumps out and pulls Cody from the wreck.

MARK: Hold it, hey, hold it. Hardcastle, you got your card on ya? Give me the card. (hands Hardcastle the twenty, takes the card and hands it to the cop) Here, here, read it off of the card pal. We don't want this one thrown out of court.

Mark and the judge walk away. Scene changes to the Sahara. Hardcastle's truck in parked in front. Mark, Barbara and Hardcastle are inside the casino.

HARDCASTLE: (on phone) Just tell Judge Robinson Judge Hardcastle wants the writs filed right away. No we'll extradite Cody back to L.A. for murder one. After that, you guys can roust him back here for whatever we dig up on him. Right. No. Goodbye.

BARBARA: No he's on the phone with a local judge. I can't believe it. He knows everybody. He's sort of a judicial celebrity.

HARDCASTLE: I heard that one, kiddo. You better start showing a little respect for the bench or we're gonna be settin' a new precedent here--McCormick vs. Hardcastle, and you haven't got a chance.

HARDCASTLE: (to Barbara) Cody's gonna be shipped back to L.A. to stand trial for your dad's murder. (to Mark) Vetromile's turned state's evidence just like I told you. Well we got a great case, no loopholes.

BARBARA: Mark, I want you to have it. I want you to have something to remember me by when I go to law school. (She kisses him)

HARDCASTLE: (rolls his eyes) You've got an appointment with your probation officer at 5 o'clock. You don't make it, you're going back in the slammer.

HARDCASTLE: Not my end of the rope, kid. We got a whole system here. It's gonna work, we gotta stick by the rules. Now the Judge rides the bench. Prosecutor squeezes the trash, and a probation officer sits on it.

HARDCASTLE: (looks at watch) Well, you got three hours for a five hour drive. You're not gonna do that without breaking a double nickel.

HARDCASTLE: I got a whole stack of new cases. I think we'll start with that guy up in 'Frisco. He threw his partner out the window to take over a shopping mall.