Suppose Jerry's scheme had worked?

Irrelevant, I know. It had no chance, really. But, on a recent viewing, I assumed Jerry's fraud was recent, not something that had taken place over years or months, otherwise the GMAC guy would have been on to him long before then. So Jerry's debt was also of recent origin. Gambling? Maybe. Doesn't matter.

It certainly confounds things, because I think Jerry's only recourse, had his plan worked, was to use the money to disappear. He can't just proceed with the parking lot deal because there's still the issue of the missing financed cars. His FIL isn't just going to forgive that. Is there any way he can use part of the money to make the embezzlement good? I don't see how. The cars he financed never existed. Even if he paid back the money that would mean a slightly lesser sentence. No way would the father let him off unprosecuted. Remember, he tells Jerry "Marge & [the son] never have to worry..." Jerry is most explicitly not included in that assurance.

But then if Jerry's planning to abscond from a life & family he doesn't appear to care particularly about, why get into trouble over the embezzlement? He could hope the old man would lend him the $750 thou for the deal (which I believed he never had any intention of going through), or take the proceeds from the kidnapping.

What was the $320 thousand for?

Obviously, we'll never know. Is Deckard really a replicant sort of thing.

I suppose the most plausible explanation is that Jerry got in over his head gambling, or some other unseen vice, then decided to skedaddle with either the parking lot investment or ransom payment.

Or maybe the writers didn't quite think it all the way through....