Frank is, however, willing to budge on one point of his parole; if Max can find a job and a place to live by the end of the week, he will not require him to live at a halfway house.  Max is successful at both and in the process meets a beautiful, innocent girl Jenny Mercer (Theresa Russell) who works at the employment office where Max finds a lead for a job. They slowly begin a relationship. Meanwhile, Max reconnects with one of his old criminal buddies, the loyal but cowardly and weak Willy Darin (Gary Busey).

 

Willy genuinely loves Max like a brother and welcomes him into his home with open arms. Willy’s wife Thelma (a young Kathy Bates) however is blunt and honest with Max. She does NOT want him around her husband for fear of negatively influencing him back into a life of crime. At the time, it is the furthest thing from Max’s mind; he just wants to be part of a family and loved, something that is mentioned frequently throughout that Max has never had. Willy doesn’t need any help from Max as far as bad influences go. Willy is a heroin addict and carelessly fixes up in Max’s room at a fleabag hotel.

 

Frank pays him an unexpected visit and finds evidence that clearly suggests someone shot up in the room. Even though it wasn’t Max and we know that, Frank STILL arrests him and makes him go through the humiliating and degrading process of being booked and processed into L.A. County Jail. From this point on, everything shifts. Max reverts to his true calling and after being released by Frank a few days later, takes his revenge on Frank, breaks his parole and goes right back to crime.

 

He reconnects with Jenny and his honest about what is going on and the danger that she is risking by letting him stay with her. She says she’s willing to take her chances. Max gets back involved with the criminal underworld and starts pulling off robberies “scores” some by himself, some with his trusted friend Jerry Schue (Harry Dean Stanton).