The Missing Person

I could have lied there forever, but the phone rang.

Hello?

Hello?

Good morning. Is this Mr. Rosow?

Mr. Rosow?

Yeah.

Yeah, hi. I'm Drexler Hewitt, an attorney.

Shit, I'll pay your bill tomorrow. Promise.

No, it's not that kind, not that kind of attorney.

You're Mr. John Rosow, aren't you? Private Investigator?

ROSOW MUMBLES

Yeah? Okay. I want you to board the California Zephyr at 7 o'clock this morning.

There will be a middle- aged man on board.

We've had someone tailing him from the East Coast and... well, it doesn't matter.

Now we need a fresh face.

You mean your spy got spied.

Yeah, I guess. Now, we have reasons to believe the middle-aged man,

or the Subject, let's call him, is on his way to Los Angeles.

I'd like you to follow him, wherever he goes, whatever he does, you report. Understood?

Zephyr is wind, right?

I think it is, yeah. Wind.

My secretary will be coming by your office in ten minutes.

And you can reach me here at this number twenty-four hours a day.

I get paid for this?

Five hundred dollars a day. Plus expenses. Not including gin.

It says Banquo on my buzzer.

But I thought you were Rosow?

And I thought you needed a P.I.

Touch?. Miss Charley will have a retainer and some expense money for you.

Hey, coach, how did you get my name and number?

Oh, a business associate of ours with the NYPD.

A buddy of yours from your past life. Gus Papitos. A good guy.

Gus?

Yeah.

Pappy.

Pappy.

What exactly did he say?

We know your history, Officer Rosow.

He was very complimentary. Gus. Pappy. Funny guy. But

Hang on.

Who's there?

Miss Charley.

Miss Charley who?

Miss Charley, an associate of Drexler Hewitt.

May I come in?

Take it easy, Drexler.

How did you get here so quick?

You were on a conference call. I know how to keep quiet.

Some guy the your building opened the front door for me.

I bet he did.

It's a little early in the morning for flirting.

Hey, you got a good arm.

You're pretty now, but you used to be a tomboy.

You got three older brothers.

Perceptive.

No. I played with dolls and was an only child.

Open the envelope.

He's got an okay face.

Chicago L.A. Any other questions?

Yeah. What makes this Drexler Hewitt think I'll tail this guy without any more information?

Good day, Mr. Rosow.

So far, I guess.

Where's Drexler?

I'm sorry, Mr. Hewitt is in a meeting. May I take a message?

Who's the kid?

I'm sorry?

Yeah, me too. Who's the kid?

I don't know what you're talking about.

You should've told me this was one of those.

You'll have to talk to Mr. Hewitt about this. I can't help you.

Yeah. I would've charged more if I knew.

He's hiding in plain sight, his door is open.

Like he's no more on the lam than I am.

I'll have Mr. Hewitt call you.

Yeah, right. Thanks.

What can I get you? Sir? Sir?

Chicken, fish or vegetable lasagna?

You pick one.

Chicken.

Martinis any good?

Well, you mix them yourself. We have mini-bottles.

One gin one vermouth, with olives and ice.

Everything but the olives, sir. Sorry about that.

The 8 o'clock dinner is now being served.

8 o'clock dinner in the dining car is now being served.

And here's your pennant race of date.

Manny Ramirez has tied the game with a home run.

Um... ok, why don't you go this... go on.

Excuse me.

Hey, you can't smoke in here.

Sorry about that. I'm almost done.

No, no, no. We have to follow someone.

He's friend of yours?

What's the difference?

We don't do that kind of thing in L.A., you know.

It's too much hassle.

Look.

Ok but I have to report all this to the dispatcher,

and the dispatcher, he has to report it to the police. Okay?

All right. My guy's cab is pulling out. You see it?

Yeah, I see it.

Hey, you think twenty dollars buys you smoking privileges?

I don't hear you on the radio reporting any of this.

I pick my spots. No hurry.

Looks to me like your friend is going to Saint Monica.

Do you know Saint Monica?

No.

She's the patron saint of widows, unhappy wives, and mothers of wayward children.

Rosow, does your cell phone have a camera?

A camera? In my phone?

Please purchase one. Go to a cell phone store, get a cell phone with a camera,

and send us photographs of the man you are following.

I don't have a computer.

You don't need one. You send it through the cell phone,

the one you're going to buy.

And make sure to keep the receipt.

Can I just transmit an image of the receipt back to you

instead of keeping little pieces of paper all over the place?

All right, Rosow, transmit an image of the receipt.

Will my new cell phone receive images?

Why?

I don't know. You spark my imagination, Charley.

Hi.

Hi. I hear you have rooms here.

Do you have a reservation?

Unexpected visit.

How many in your party?

No parties.

How long will you be staying with us?

As long as he does.

As long as who does?

That man who just checked in. He had a little boy with him.

So you know the man? Or you know the kid?

All right. You know what? I'm just going to be honest with you, Missy.

My name's not Missy.

Oh, I see. What's your name?

Mabel.

Mabel. This man, the man who just checked in, he's my best friend.

So?

I'm worried about him. He drinks too much.

I see.

Yeah. See what?

I have a friend in AA is all.

Yeah.

I just want to be close to him so I can hear if he needs some help.

I mean, really, I don't want to get you into.

Trouble's my middle name.

Room 101. Right next door.

Thanks a lot. I mean really. It's an ugly thing.

Hey, I'm gonna' need a rental car. Can you arrange that?

Done.

The merciless pressure of warfare has developed highly specialized types of planes.

The dropping of grenades and hand bombs

led to a new and terrible instrument of war: the bomber.

Javier, do you mind if I play some music?

Do you like jazz?

I love jazz.

When I traveled, on business,

every city I'd go to had a jazz club, and I'd stay up all night.

I couldn't go when I was home, because my wife was only interested in classical music.

Ah, just listen to him play. Bud Powell.

He loves Stravinsky.

Who doesn't?

You know Stravinsky?

Yeah, I do now. But you're still strangers.

Strangers? No. Chambers. Special Agent Anne Chambers.

This is my partner. Special Agent Tom R. Craig. We've been watching you.

You have a sad disposition, Mr. Rosow.

Sit still and let them examine you. That's what I always say.

That's a really funny motto for a guy who's always running from everything.

You know, you're gonna' need some sunglasses out here.

We have a couple of extras from our 7-11 excursion. Would you like a pair?

You're not trying to bug me, are you?

No. We just got carried away at 7-11.

It's the Slurpees, right?

No, for you, it's the beer!

Be nice.

Here.

Yeah, I got them for two dollars. They shine in the dark.

Oh, brilliant! Sunglasses that shine in the dark!

Two dollars though! It's a hard deal to pass up.

Well gee, I get paid a thousand dollars a day to tail this guy. How about you?

You know, some of us in here, Rosow, aren't really doing it for the money.

So, are you really a private detective?

That's what they tell me.

We were just talking about that.

We didn't know they still had those private detectives.

Well, you know what? If I call 911 and tell them I got a couple of peeping toms in my alley

we could make a really big scene, scare someone away.

You know, the thing is, you really just don't know what you're dealing with yet, is all.

My partner is right.

You better stay sober for this one.

Well, I'll drink to that. When you two vamoose.

Good evening.

Hi, how are you?

Pretty good. I hear they got phones that take pictures.

Oh yeah, we've got plenty of those.

Oh yeah?

You saw the special that we're having, right?

No, I didn't.