Summaries

Synopsis

In Phoenix, Arizona, the Roadrunner, a mysterious car thief dressed in black, steals a Jensen Interceptor from a suburban garage and is pursued by a police car, which is run off a bridge and crashes on impact. A couple good Samaritans, who witnessed and followed the chase, arrive to pull the officer to safety, before the car explodes. Later that day, at the police station, police captain Hogan is besieged by a mob of reporters asking about the Roadrunner's activities, but he offers no comment. Hogan is also not happy that the commissioner has recruited outside help to aide the police into catching the Roadrunner, which is private investigator Pete Novick, who Hogan despises because of his laid-back attitude. On the way to the station, Novick playfully leads one officer on a chase, but the officer apprehends him once they reach the location. Having no choice but to accept Novick's help, Hogan pairs him with motorcycle cop Nifty Nolan, who is also Novick's ex-girlfriend.

For the next few days, the Roadrunner steals various car, leading the police on wild chases, and Novick's mechanic pal Billy introduces him to his friend, New Blossom, a flaky psychic who, one evening, has a one-night stand with Novick at his house. Novick discovers the car thefts may be linked to Spillano, a drug kingpin who has serious clout with Hogan and the police department. One night, Pete and Billy go investigate a car at an abandoned factory, but Novick ends up getting chased by one of Spillano's men. When Novick manages to ram his pursuer's car, Novick escapes the scene before both of the vehicles explode. He also runs into Spillano's right-hand man, Loomis, but knocks him out and is forced to steal a pimp's Cadillac to get away. He goes to a nearby party and meets up with Nifty, who tells him a story about how Hogan is actually her stepfather and had roped her uncle into his shady dealings. When he gets back into the car, he is spooked by Loomis, in the back seat, who instructs him to drive to Spillano's house, where he and Loomis grill Novick about a bag of heroin that was stolen from Spillano. Novick plays dumb by never seeing it and Spillano decides to send him on his way.

The next day, at a car show, Novick notices the Roadrunner and gives chase throughout the city. When Novick finally corners him on the highway, he is shocked to learn the thief was Nifty, all along. That night, when they return to the city, they go to a warehouse where Pete notices all the cars she stole. She is forced to hide when Hogan arrives to congratulate Novick for exposing the thefts, but Novick learns about the stolen drugs, as well as Hogan's true colors. After a scuffle, Novick knocks out Hogan and puts him in one of the cars he plans to take to the station. Before Nifty and Novick can leave, they notice Spillano and Loomis arriving, who open fire on them. Hogan regains consciousness and orders them to stop, but Loomis, mistaking Hogan for Novick, kills him. Spillano orders Loomis to go and get the drugs, but is shot dead by Novick as he approaches. Outnumbered, Spillano gets ready to take off in his car, but is shot in the neck, causing the car to crash through a concrete barrier and exploding. Novick tells Nifty to take off, before the cops arrive. After Novick is free to go, after a long session of questioning from the police, he meets up with Nifty at a cocktail lounge. They begin to have feelings for each other and decide to go on a tropical vacation.