The Firm

Joey Morolto arrives in Florida and gathers over 60 men to hunt for Mitch. At the same time, the FBI assembles in Florida and begins a search for Mitch as well. When they receive word that the car Abby rented was discovered in Panama City Beach, they all move their operations there. The manager of the U-Haul rental office where Mitch rented the truck looks up his ID and calls the police, adding the U-Haul to their search. At the same time, Mitch calls Tammy and gives her instructions on where to send the fake IDs he ordered.

The FBI puts eyes on Mitch and Ray’s mother, hoping they’ll show up at her home. Lou and Joey get confirmation that Abby made copies of Avery’s keys in the Caymans and learn of the wire transfer Mitch made from one of their accounts. At the same time, the police locate the U-Haul truck and learn about Abby’s purchase of two rooms at the Holiday Inn. When the cops don’t find Abby and Ray at the Holiday Inn, they begin canvassing all the small motels in the area. When a cop visits the Sea Gull’s Rest, the night manager, Andy Patrick, lies and tells him he hasn’t seen any of the McDeeres. However, he recognizes Mitch and goes to his room. Andy makes a deal with Mitch to keep his presence at the motel quiet.

Lou and Joey agree that the McDeeres are in Panama City Beach. They plan to get rid of the FBI by reporting false sightings in Tallahassee and Ocala, and then search the small motels themselves. They will have their men saturate the city, including the waterfront. The FBI falls for the false sightings and moves north.

Andy asks Mitch if he’d be interested in allowing him to drive them out of the area. Mitch politely refuses. He goes back inside the motel room and continues recording a deposition on the camcorder Tammy bought for him. At the same time, Lou sends his men to the hotels to ask the maids about the McDeeres. They discover that Abby rented rooms at the Blue Tide Motel but have no luck finding them. Later that afternoon, Andy sees several men harassing his maids and knocking on doors. He calls Mitch to warn him. At the same time, Wayne gets a call from Tammy telling him that the McDeeres are not where he thinks they are, but that Mitch has decided to hand over the files. Tammy tells Wayne to remain in his hotel room and wait for her to call back with information on where to get the files.

DeVasher’s men are pulled back because the small motels complain to the cops. They send some of the associates from the firm around town to watch for Mitch, hoping they will recognize him. Lamar recognizes Ray when he goes into a convenience store, but he doesn’t tell anyone.

Abby, Mitch, and Ray make their way to the beach via the Dan Russell Pier. Abby arrives first and begins flashing a flashlight toward the water but receives no response. One of DeVasher’s men spots her and attacks her. Mitch pulls him off Abby, but the man lands a punch to Mitch’s eye. Ray comes running and manages to knock the man out. He quickly ties a rope around his neck and strangles him, then lowers him to the water. Abby, Mitch, and Ray climb down onto the braces under the pier and wait, still receiving no response to their signal. After more than an hour, Barry Abanks arrives in a small boat. They board and Barry takes them to a “forty-foot schooner” (483) he bought with Mitch’s money. As they sail to the Caymans, Tammy tells Wayne where he can find the files and the deposition.

Mitch reads in papers sent to him by Tammy that more than half of Bendini, Lambert & Locke’s lawyers have been arrested along with several of Morolto’s people. Mitch feels bad for Lamar and a few of the others, but not enough to regret his actions. He and Abby are worried about their uncertain future, one they plan to spend mostly on their new schooner but are optimistic just the same.