On the Fortuna, Maxie Maden comes aboard and Lucky greets his friend. They talk inside and Maxie admits that his luck changed when he was gambling down in Miami. He asks to use Lucky's car to pick up the money for a bounced check from a woman. He lost all of his money in Miami so he needs Lucky's car. Andamo has tagged along and says that personal things need to stay personal. Lucky agrees, loans him money to rent a car, and Maxie asks him to hold onto the bounced check and the photo of the woman just in case.
That night, Maxie and a man, Harvey, drive the woman, Iris, out to a deserted stretch of Canyon Drive. Once Maxie and the man step to the side to talk, Iris starts the car and Harvey shoves Maxie in front of the car and then smiles in satisfaction. He then gets into the car with Iris and drives off with her.
The next day, Rovacs calls Lucky out of bed. He introduces Lucky to Sgt. Hopkins with the hit-and-run detail. Hopkins asks if Lucky can verify he was aboard the Fortuna at 2:30 that morning, and says that Lucky's car was involved in a hit-and-run. Holden admits that they don't know who was hit yet, and Rovacs says that the deputy DA wants to talk to Lucky even though there's no victim. Lucky has no choice but to agree and goes downtown with Rovacs to talk to the DA, Allan Christian. Allan asks what happened, and says that they have a witness who says that he saw Lucky get out of the car and walk away in a hurry. Lucky refuses to say who was in the car, and says that he'll provide an alibi once Allan has a case. He explains that Maxie asked to borrow his car and he refused, and Maxie isn't staying at the suit he has at a hotel, the Greystone. Allan asks if Maxie owed him any money, and Lucky says that he loaned Maxie $100 the day before and wouldn't try to get it back the same night.
Andamo arrives with a package for Lucky when he goes to prison. Lucky asks Allan if he has anything else, and Allan says that he doesn't but they'll meet soon. As they go, Rovacs asks Lucky why Maxie wanted the car. Lucky tells him about the check and the photo, and they take him to the Fortuna to see it. The name on the check is phony and Rovacs doesn't recognize the woman from the photo. Once Rovacs leaves, Lucky figures that Maxie is the dead man and now they need to find out where.
Lucky and Andamo go to the garage to pick up Lucky's car, and the owner Ed Boyle says that the police are asking questions. Ed gets them a street map and a divider, and Lucky works out from the mileage that it was driven 8.5 miles away and back. There's only one area that isn't in the ocean or in a heavily populated area: Canyon Drive. When they get there, they find the police taking away Maxie's body. Allan and Rovacs are there, and Lucky explains how he got there. Rovacs says that Maxie would have been alive if they'd gotten to him in time, and he crawled back to the road before he died.
Later, Lucky, Andamo, and Rovacs drive to the estate of David Bullitt, someone who was in contact with Maxie via the phone, after they post bail for Lucky after Allan books him for felonious hit-and-run. Iris, the woman from the photo, sees them coming and greets them at the door. She takes them to David, who in his study with his wife June and Iris' husband Harvey. Rovacs says that they're about Maxie, and Lucky explains why they're there. They all claim not to know who Maxie is, but June says the name sounds familiar. Lucky dismisses it as a mistake and says that Maxie had an accident and he's dead.
Once Lucky and Rovacs leave, June remembers that Maxie is a gambler. Once she leaves, Iris tells Harvey that they have to go. Harvey says that he's not leaving until he trades a certified check for cash, and assures his wife that the police can't connect them to Maxie's death.
At the station, Rovacs confirms that Iris doesn't have a record. Lucky warns that the Boones won't fold until Rovacs has some evidence, and figures that the Boones are conning Harvey. Both men realize that Harvey will pay David with a certified check and get the difference back in cash, just like they did with Maxie. Lucky suggests that Andamo go to the manor because the Boones haven't seen him, and tell David what they suspect. When the Boones give him a certified check, they should call the police. Andamo isn't fond of the idea but agrees anyway.
Andamo arrives at the manor and Iris leaves him alone in David's study while she gets him. Harvey comes in posing as David, and Andamo says that the Boones are crooks and explains their scam. He says that the police don't have proof against the Boones until they give David the check. Harvey chokes Andamo unconscious when his back is turned. Iris comes in and says that she was lucky she spotted Andamo in the car when Lucky came by earlier.
Lucky and Rovacs wait outside, and Lucky figures that something has happened. They decide to wait another ten minutes.
Harvey gives David the check for the losses, with a difference of $7,550. He offers him cash when Harvey points out that it's Saturday and the banks aren't open.
After ten minutes, Lucky tells Rovacs that he's going in. The two couples come out as the Boones prepare to depart, and Lucky calls to Harvey. Harvey knocks him down, gets into the car, and tries to run Lucky down. Lucky rolls out of the way just in time, and Rovacs cuts off the Boones. When Harvey runs, knocks him out.
David calls the police and then finds Lucky and Rovacs at his door. He explains that he spotted a burglar coming out of his study and knocked him out with a vase, and then called the police. Lucky helps Andamo up and Andamo glares at him.
Written by Gadfly on Aug 26, 2018