The Missing Person (2009) Movie Script
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.
Okay, we got plenty.
You sell balloons?
We've got balloons. We've got a
special every day especially for you.
All right, let's get some phones
out for you.
Do you have anything in mind
specifically?
Yeah, a phone that takes
pictures.
Okay. Now, I'd be cheating you if I didn't
tell you that we have top of the line phones.
George Lucas bought this one
right here.
George Lucas?
He's a famous guy, a director or
producer, or something like that.
What's your name?
Me? Boogle.
Boogle?
Yeah.
I just want a phone that takes
pictures, Boogle.
Okay.
Hey, don't you see the walkway
there?
What?
There's a walkway over there.
You can't just cross wherever you want.
I could give you a ticket for jaywalking.
A ticket for jaywalking?
You mocking my job, dude?
No. I mean, you're a cop, right?
Let me see your I.D., please.
You're from New York?
Originally, yeah.
We do things different here.
Because of the earthquakes,
right?
Okay, lay off the jokes, guy.
Is that supposed to be a joke?
Sure.
Well we're in Hollywood, okay? We
leave the entertainment to Soupy Sales.
I suggest you go home.
There's no smoking on the
Promenade, fuck wad!
From a woman at the bar. She
wants you to know her name is Lana.
May I?
Hey. Hey, you're not one of those gals
that uses sex as a weapon, are you?
No. I don't like violence.
That's good.
Are you like everyone else here?
You in show business?
No. I'm in the hide and seek
business.
No. That is a game that kids
play.
Yeah but if you add some money
to it, it's for adults.
Well, what are you doing right
now, hiding or seeking?
Right now I'm drinking.
Do you want another drink?
No, come on. Come on.
I got to go to the bathroom.
What's wrong, lover?
Are these the kind of games
you're into?
No, they're for work.
Come on. It's alright.
You want me to cuff you up, huh?
You want to cuff me up?
Slow dance.
May I have this dance?
Lana. I never did figure out if
that was her real name.
Maybe it was, just for the
night.
She ended up passing out on her
pillow, and sleep-talking into the dawn.
She was asking her mother for the
extra-special blueberry pancakes.
There was a lot of cursing.
Hello, Drexler Hewitt's office.
Hey, Charley. Is Hewitt in?
No, Rosow, he is not.
I would've told him I am still in
contact with the Subject and the Boy.
Am presently tailing them south
to Mexico, I'm guessing.
Guessing, Rosow?
Guessing, Miss Charley.
I haven't received the image
yet.
Oh, yeah. I forgot.
I'll do it right now.
This is instantaneous, huh?
What is this? Who is this?
It's just a trial run, Charley.
I just want to make sure the new
technology really works.
Don't hang up on me, okay?
You're always hanging up on me.
What do you want, Rosow?
See, I just want you to talk to
me for a little while.
And why would I do that?
I'm out here on this old spooky
desert highway,
following some defective bastard
with a poor little Mexican boy.
You and me, we work together.
I figure you could find a couple of
moments to tell me something about yourself.
Tell you about myself?
Nothing too personal.
I'll tell you one thing about
myself, Rosow...
Goodie.
and one thing only
What is it?
I'm hanging up the phone now.
Your loss. Your loss.
This is some prime real estate.
Hey, baby.
Hey.
Looks like you need a light,
huh?
There.
Hero Furillo. Hello.
Yeah.
That's nice.
I already got customers.
I know.
So, what do you want?
Where are you taking them? Here.
See? Mine.
No, you keep it. You might want
to call me sometime.
I got my cell phone on there.
Look, I got this new cell phone.
It takes pictures.
What do you want with those two?
An American man, a Mexican boy.
You see what I mean?
Yeah. But I'm not allowed to
talk about destinations.
I can get in big trouble.
I don't know you.
Where are you from?
What do you care?
What's a guy from New York doing
all the way out here, huh?
If you must know, because
New York is crazy now.
I used to have a place on West 4th
Street for four hundred bucks a month!
You can't even get a place in
Red Hook for that much anymore.
It's crazy. The guppies took
over.
You lived on West 4th?
By the cage?
Yeah, why? You been there?
I grew up on Minetta Lane.
Get the fuck out of here!
Get the fuck out of here!
Yeah.
No shit? You know, that's where
they shot the movie "Serpico".
My dad knew Serpico.
The real Serpico.
Yeah, he grew up on Perry and
Greenwich.
Get the fuck out of here!
Get the fuck out of here!
Get out of here! No shit?
Yeah.
Let me ask you something. Did he really
have one of them big dogs like in the movie?
Oh, yeah, right. I can't
remember. I was just a baby.
Because in the movie, Serpico's
got one of them big dogs, you know?
Like the kind in Peter Pan that goes
flying through the air with Wendy.
No, that's a flying Saint
Bernard.
Saint Bernard. Saint Bernard.
Yeah, but Serpico's dog was one of them
shaggy dogs with the hair in its eyes.
What, are you telling me that's
not a Saint Bernard?
I don't think so.
I think you might be wrong. I'll
google it.
Yeah, I'm gonna' google that
shit.
Look, I'd love to talk movies,
and New York, and dogs,
and googleplex configurations
all day long,
but you got to make a decision
here, all right?
I'm not going to get you into
any trouble.
I just want to know where this
man and the little boy are going.
You looking to hurt somebody,
man?
No, no, I'm trying to help
somebody.
Here, take this money and tell
me where they're going.
Santa Reyes, through the hills
and down by the ocean.
But the only way to get there is
to follow me.
That's what I had in mind.
Yeah, but everybody's gonna' see
you.
I mean, everybody's gonna' see
you.
You stick out like a broken
nose.
Hey, you make money at this
shit?
Oh yeah? Well, this five hundred
dollar bill says that I'm smashing.
Five hundred?
Yeah, or is that against the
rules, too?
I'm no cabbagehead. I know that
cabs are expensive in L.A.
You get this half, and I'll give you the
other half when we get to our destination.
Now, come on, pop the trunk.
What? What are you, crazy?
Come on. The trunk!
You're putting me in a very
idiosyncratic spot here.
I hope you can breathe in there.
I've had apartments smaller than
this in New York.
I heard that.
Here's the other half.
Which way did they go?
I can't see anything.
The glasses.
Oh, right.
Doggy. Okay. Good. Good boy.
How are you doing, my friend?
How's your stomach?
It hurts.
Can I offer you some coffee?
Delicious.
Sure.
How's the coffee coming?
It's coming, sir.
In the meantime, if I may
inquire.
what are you doing sneaking around
in the dark on private property?
You upset my dog.
Are you with the FBI?
The FBI? No, I'm with myself.
I'm not after you or your dog.
So it's Harold?
Harold? Yeah, right, Harold.
I'm just trying to figure out
what Harold's doing.
He works for us.
For the orphanage.
He goes out and he finds children who
are in trouble and he brings them here.
He has saved the lives of
countless children.
Harold could be the only saint
I've ever met.
Saint?
That's correct, my friend.
So that's all?
That's why you're here?
That's it.
Would you like some sugar or
some cream?
No. No, thanks.
This is good, right?
Having coffee together?
I'm in a good mood. What can I
say? I went surfing tonight.
Oh?
It was great. Over at a place
called Punta Abreojos.
Punta. I know what that means.
What's Abreojos?
It means "open eyes".
Means I can see you, man.
Oh, man. I like you, brother.
Well, that's great, I like you,
too.
I don't have any reason to, but
I just like you.
Sometimes that's just the way it
goes.
Sometimes you meet somebody, you don't
like them. That ever happen to you?
Sometimes.
That's why I don't go out a lot,
you know?
People, they can hurt you.
My wife... I'm having some
trouble with her, you know?
So I stay by myself a lot of
times. It's okay.
Oh, man. You're a nice guy.
I'm going to have to take your phone
and delete the photos in the gallery.
Fine.
You know, if I didn't like you, I'd take this
phone and I'd just smash it into the wall.
I appreciate that you don't.
Hey, that's a good shot of me!
Too bad.
Everything all right, don Edgar?
I think so. Our friend here was
just leaving.
Take care, my friend. And please
tell whoever is wondering about Harold
that he is doing fantastic.
He is a very virtuous man.
Do you know where that diner is
out of town? The truck stop?
Let me talk to Coach Hewitt.
Please.
Hold on.
Drexler Hewitt.
His name is Harold. He's not a
pederast.
Why am I finding out things that
other people already know?
You have to give me more
information before I go any further.
Of course I will. And some more
money, too.
Where is Harold Fullmer now?
Harold Fullmer? That's his name?
Yes.
Well, why don't you tell me why
I'm following Harold Fullmer,
and I'll tell you where I'm
following him.
Okay, okay. I have a counter
offer, Mr. Rosow.
Why don't you retrieve him, and
deliver him to New York.
New York?
No. No, thanks.
There is more money in it than
you've ever earned.
I don't do that sort of thing.
How does $500,000 sound?
I can wire the money into your checking
account when the Subject is delivered.
Delivered to whom?
His wife. She's my client. She
loves him. She misses him.
She just wants to talk to him.
She must want to talk to him
real bad. That's a lot of money.
He might turn tail and run again
after a couple of words.
Well, Mr. Rosow, that's not
your problem.
Maybe it is, and maybe it isn't.
We thought that with your history,
you would comprehend the situation.
You could sympathize.
You would understand.
I don't understand anything.
Okay, he's coming back now, I get
it. What do you want me to say to him?
Just say hello.
Hi, Rosow, I just decided to stay in
your motel room for twenty-four hours
waiting for you to come back to
my loving arms.
There you go.
I convinced him that I was
lonely and desperate.
I don't think even he believed
that I was that lonely but...
Just pour him a drink.
Are these the kind of games you
like to play?
No, it's not what you think.
Hey, I promise, I have no idea
at all.
I don't know what you're doing
or who you're working for.
I work for myself.
Who was on the phone?
Ex-boyfriend.
How long have you been here?
You work for Harold? Hewitt? Don
Edgar? The Feds?
No, no, no and no.
You're hurting me!
Yeah, come on, Miss Lonely hearts.
Tell me something I don't know.
Papitos.
Gus?
Let go.
You work for Gus?
Let me go.
Pappy. Oh, shit.
Care for a cocktail? I sure do.
It's been a long night.
Gus.
Oh, damn! That hurt!
All right, all right.
Hello?
It's Hero Furillo. I just dropped off
your guy at Union Station. You need a ride?
You saved my bacon.
You better be doing the right
thing, you know.
Yeah.
I mean it. You know, I'll
probably never see you again,
so it's not like I'll ever
really know.
But you better be doing the
right thing, homes. You know?
I like to think that you're on
the right side. The Serpico side.
Because that's the side I want
to get on.
I wish it was that simple.
Oh, don't give me that, man.
Come on, don't give me that.
I won't let you down, Hero.
Aren't you a little tired of
trains?
Do I know you?
You recognize me all right.
I've been following you.
Why?
I'm getting paid.
Oh. For the money.
Why is the FBI tailing you?
I don't know.
I'll try another question. You
ready to come back with me, Harold?
Back to your wife?
Absolutely no.
If you don't come with me,
I'll cause a ruckus.
I'll scream that you robbed me, or
propositioned me, I'll probably punch you,
the miso soup will go flying everywhere,
the little waitress will call the police,
and we'll both get arrested.
Which is fine for me, but not
for you.
If I were you, I'd rather talk to
my wife than to the authorities.
And you could start by talking
to me.
I find children that are in distress,
and I take them to a safe haven.
Doesn't anybody miss these kids?
The world is filled with
children no one wants.
This last kid, from Chicago, he
seemed okay enough.
Javier? He was in twenty porno
films before I found him.
He tried to kill himself twice.
His mother had eight children,
husband gone.
Someone offered her a thousand
dollars to take Javier to America,
to feed him, clothe him, enroll
him in a good Catholic...
All right, all right, that's
enough. We got a plane to catch.
I can't fly.
What?
You heard me.
No, we're not taking a train
back to New York.
Those sleeping cars are like
coffins.
New York?
Yeah. You're going back to her.
She's worried about you.
I don't like flying myself. I'm
not a big fan of New York either.
Why? What happened in New York?
Sometimes when you try to make things
better, you end up just making them worse.
That's bullshit. Harold, what about
your wife, huh? You don't just drop out.
The life I lead now is the very
contrary of dropping out.
Most people can't wait to get home
to their house, their apartment,
shut the door and turn on the
TV.
To me, that's dropping out.
Right.
I've never felt myself as a
civilian.
This kind of life, being
missing, it suits me.
It all changed so fast.
One day I was one person, then came the
explosions, then I was another person.
Some things are too terrible to
be true.
Explosions?
Didn't they tell you?
No. What? Tell me what?
I worked in the World Trade Center.
I barely made it out in time.
I ran down those steps out of
the north tower.
I haven't seen my wife since.
You were a missing person?
I am a missing person.
I thought of calling home and trying to tell
her I was all right, but I couldn't do it.
I didn't know why. The next day it occurred
to me that she probably thought I was dead.
I was relieved.
She'd always think of me as a
hero of sorts. A reluctant hero.
How the hell do you do that? How
do you leave your wife like that?
We lost a child, Megan and I.
A kidnapping.
It changed everything. Nothing
was right after that.
Well, I'm sorry. That's
terrible, but still... still...
Ladies and gentlemen, if you'll
look outside your window,
you'll see the lights of New
York City coming up.
We're about a half hour outside
of JFK. The weather is beautiful.
Baby, what floor are you on?
We're on the fiftieth floor.
Fiftieth floor?
We have seven people here, and
we can't get out.
Babe, don't worry. The guys are on their way
there now, and I'm gonna' be running up there, too.
You're gonna' see me before you
know it. Okay?
Okay, baby.
The line's on Broadway! Bryant
and Broadway, Doug!
Stand back! The tower is coming
down!
The towers are coming down!
They're coming down!
The second tower is down!
Does my wife know what I've been
doing?
How much is she paying you?
Hey, do you have any idea what it's
like to be abandoned by somebody?
I have an idea what it's like.
Hey just shut the fuck up!
I'm tired of you.
Excuse me.
Can I have another bloody mary?
Sorry, we're on our descent.
Better make it a double.
Charley!
I didn't know you'd be
accompanying us. Terrific!
Trust me, it wasn't my idea.
Oh, I'm sorry to hear that.
The Seymour Hotel, midtown.
That's not what the lady said,
boss.
Well, are you gonna' listen to the
lady or are you gonna' listen to me?
What are you up to?
You cannot smoke in here, boss.
It was a long flight. Give me a
break, Kit-Kat.
I thought we were going straight
to my wife.
Why the Seymour?
There's some business to take care
of. I want to make sure it goes right.
Sorry boss, you cannot smoke in
here, boss.
Okay.
I'm glad you're here, Charley.
I could use your help. Closing out the
ninth inning has never been my strong suit.
I'm still trying to find your
strong suit.
Oh, but I forgot. You never
played baseball.
If you insist on smoking, boss,
I will have to ask...
No, okay, okay. See?
Thank you, boss.
Oh, you're most welcome. And please stop
calling me boss. I am not Bruce Springsteen.
You can drive now.
So, this your first time in New
York, buddy?
Who's there?
Who? Whooo? Don't cry.
It's just me.
Yeah.
They made you a lieutenant?
Lieutenant Pappy?
Yeah. It's crazy, huh?
It's crazy.
Do my eyes deceive me?
Gus.
Harold.
The homecoming gets larger.
How did you know?
Little birdie.
Lana sends her love.
What love?
I know, I owe you an explanation.
Give me a drink, will you?
I was responsible for you, John.
You were my recommendation, so I
had to send Lana down to keep an eye.
Oh, she learned some weird
stories about you.
I had to make sure you were still
compis mentis. You blockhead.
God, it's good to see you!
Why are you so serious? Move
along. Shove off, sailor.
Who's Lana?
You weren't in on that?
No. Who is she?
This lady. She dropped Gus's name, I didn't
see a connection, so I did some googling.
You found out that Gus worked on
our case, the kidnapping.
I did.
And then Gus called me and volunteered
to help out when we got to New York.
It didn't work out the way we wanted,
but Gus was a good man. Throughout.
I still have some bad nights
about that, Harold. You know I do.
I'm sorry it's going down like this,
but Miss Megan, she's beside herself.
And then she finds out you're still
alive, I mean, you can imagine...
What are you doing here, Gus?
I'm gonna' baby sit you, Harold,
while John and Miss Smiley over there
take care of some business.
Whose side you on?
Whose side am I on? I'm on your wife's side.
Don't you think she's been through enough?
Besides, I got a soft spot for
New Yorkers who stay in New York.
Hey, Miss Charley.
Yes?
Do me a favor?
Yeah, well.
Hello?
Mr. Rosow, I presume.
Sit down, please.
I'm sorry about the darkness.
I'm afraid I've become quite a bit of
a cave dweller over the past few years.
Please don't smoke that in here.
I'm sorry.
No, that's all right. It's a
nasty habit, I should quit.
I like your place.
It's very nice.
Thank you. Can I get you
anything? Some water? Coffee?
No that's all right. I don't
think your maid likes me very much.
What makes you say that?
I was just kidding, I guess.
I'm sorry. I'm not sure I got
your joke.
I've never had any dealings with
private detectives, Mr. Rosow.
I've seen them in Bogart films
though.
Was that one of those kind of jokes?
Those dry and sardonic detective jokes?
It was my sad attempt.
So you make jokes and you smoke
cigarettes.
Do those ancient customs make
you a more efficient, detective?
Probably not, but I'm not really a
detective on this case anymore, am I?
I'm more what you'd call a
delivery boy.
Don't underestimate your value,
Mr. Rosow.
How did you find out Harold was
alive?
A friend ran into him in Mexico.
Of all places.
Some small village on the west
coast of Mexico.
Impossible, I thought.
She was certain.
She swore it was Harold despite the fact that
the medical examiner had just ruled him...
Where is he?
Where is my husband?
He's close by. He's ok.
But I gotta' tell you...
Why is he not here? With you?
That was the agreement.
It's about the money.
We can arrange for more.
I don't want more money. I want what
I'm owed, up front, now, beforehand.
Paid on delivery is what I
understood.
Mrs. Fullmer, Harold's not the
same man. He's different, you know?
I mean, I didn't know him
before...
Everything is different. Of
course Harold is different.
I just want to make sure he is okay. And
I know when he sees me, he'll remember.
He'll remember himself.
So I'll write you a check.
I understand you. I really do, but sometimes
when you try and make things better...
I know you do understand.
Because they told me about you.
Oh.
About your wife. They told me about her
and, Mr. Rosow, I'm very sorry for your loss.
Yes, thanks.
Sorry.
You know, thanks.
Whatever my chances are,
I need to take them.
Could you make the check out to
cash?
I'll deliver Harold tomorrow
morning after this check clears.
Yes. And tell him one thing for
me, Mr. Rosow. Will you?
Sure.
Tell him I can't wait to be with
him.
Bad news.
Want a hit?
That kid blocks the plate like
Thurman Munson.
I drank too much. Harold's gone.
No. You think I drink too much, too
much to bring this guy back to his wife.
You were banking on that. Lana
almost pulled it off.
You always did like your
conspiracy theories, John.
You sure you don't want a pop?
No. Can I have a couple of
scallion pancakes though?
Knock yourself out.
Don't forget the sauce.
Yum. I do miss the take-out
Chinese.
There's no place good in Chicago
that delivers.
I could've told you that, and
I've never even been in Chicago.
What about the pizza? They got
that Chicago style, right?
Yeah, they got your Chicago style
pizza, sure, but you know what that is?
And I just found this out
myself. It's just Sicilian style.
It's just a different name for
Sicilian.
We went over to Difara's the
other night and got seven pies.
I think he's still making them.
The boys miss you, John.
We all miss you.
How long have you been on
Drexler Hewitt's payroll?
Here we go.
You get paid by Miss Fullmer to
find Harold,
but you get paid even more by
Hewitt not to find him.
Is that it? So you hire me to
bring him back to Miss Fullmer,
but you hire me more for Drexler,
because you figure I'll muck it up.
You got a napkin?
I earn my money.
You get the medex to forge
Harold's death certificate.
With Harold officially dead,
case closed.
All the insurance and
compensation money gets collected,
and the estate gets divvied up, and Drexler
Hewitt gets his piece of the Fullmer pie.
I'm sure you got your crumb. But then, oh,
a friend of the missus sees Harold in Mexico.
Harold wasn't coming back. He was
gone, might as well have been dead.
It was high time she figured
that out for herself.
Why do you care?
9/11 families were paid by the
government
according to how much the victim
would have earned in a lifetime.
I know. And Harold was a big
deal broker.
That's a lot of money. Enough for a greedy
lawyer to want to make sure he stays dead.
So Drexler bought you to help
him.
He knew how much Miss Fullmer
trusted you.
Listen, John. Harold wasn't
going to stay home. He's nuts.
His old lady is a kookjob. All
that money, for what?
It's crazy. People like that,
they're not like us.
She just wanted to talk to him,
Gus.
I'm gonna' need you to leave
your cell phone.
It's got all those nice pictures
on it.
Oh well. I had the feeling it
was gonna' get old anyway.
Oh, John, one more thing.
Your old buddy, Don Edgar?
Taking care of all the little
kiddie widdies down Mexico way?
What about him?
That orphanage is a front.
Don Edgar, the most major dope
dealer in Tijuana.
Yeah, that's right. Whether Harold knew it or
not, he was in cahoots with a very bad hombre.
I don't believe you.
No? It's true. Why do you think
the FBI was snooping around?
Christ, what happened to those
kids?
Don Edgar says he sends them
back to their families.
Right. And I'm Tinkerbell.
You seem upset, John.
What are you thinking?
You thinking you want to come
over here and hit me?
No. I'm just trying to remember
what I ever saw in you.
Did he give you any trouble?
No. He was very nice.
No trouble at all.
Put your hands under the table.
Yeah.
He plays like an angel,
doesn't he?
Tomorrow morning, you go back to
her.
The gig is up. This is the old
reality, Harold.
You're in New York. You ain't
dead, there aren't any angels,
and the missus wants to see you.
Matter of fact, she said she
can't wait to see you.
You know about angels, Rosow.
Oh, I do?
I saw you listening to the song.
Did you see him, Miss Charley?
No, I did not.
You know the music is okay, but
the service stinks.
We're empty here.
Where's the waitress?
Good morning.
What the fuck are you doing,
you idiot?
Who's the saint who looks after
money?
I can't hear ya.
Never mind.
Do you have a problem with me
smoking?
NO!
Come on!
I appreciate this, Charley.
Oh, that's okay.
No, I really do.
You want me to go up with you?
I think I should go alone.
Okay. Well, I have some business
with Drexler Hewitt, so...
Good luck.
Good luck.
Memories flooding you right
about now, huh?
No, not really.
Hey, listen. There's no way you're going
in with this kind of attitude, okay?
You stand up straight and look
happy to see her. Come on.
Remember me, darling?
Is that you, sir?
Don't be rude to the lady.
I need to use the bathroom.
Hey, this is what, one of those
recreations of a famous painting?
Yeah.
Kind of funky looking, isn't it?
Julian, Mr. and Mrs. Fullmer's
son.
He won the contest at school
with that piece.
The theme was Masterpieces of
American Art.
Julian was only eight years old
when he painted it.
Pretty good for an eight year
old, I guess.
Don't touch it.
John?
John?
Let me go, please.
Please let me go.
You wake up one day and you're
an adult.
And all the people you were just
dreaming about have gone or changed.
So you shake the sleep dust
from your eyes and you say,
was it really so long ago that
you and I sat together in fun?
No. Not so long ago. But life
goes by in the blink of an eye.
Sobriety, after all this time, isn't
as bitter as I thought it would be.
Recently, for a second or two, I almost
felt like things were okay with the world.
Strange to feel that way, when
you know there are wars everywhere,
and everything is going to hell
in a hand basket.
But still, I must admit, for a
moment, I felt some kind of peace.
Charley, she finally said yes
to a date with me.
I have a confession. I lied.
You were right.
I have four older brothers.
And I was an All-Star shortstop in the
boy's little league three years in a row.
Till they kicked me out.
Remember when it was like that?
When we were all together? And I
figured we'd play forever.
I had no idea.
She's not a half bad girl,
Charley.
She's looking for a job now.
I told her she could be my secretary
once I got a few more assignments,
but she said she didn't mix
business with pleasure.
I promised her I was no
pleasure. Yuk, yuk, yuk.
Sometimes I think back to that day at
Miss Fullmer's place, and I ask myself,
did you do the right thing?
I don't know.
What is that, the right thing?
A police reporter once said that when we
pass beyond the lights of a precinct station,
we go into another world, a
place beyond right and wrong.
I don't really mind living this
way. Quiet.
Not much to say.
But sometimes, every once in a
while,
I remember back to when I had
you.
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.
Okay, we got plenty.
You sell balloons?
We've got balloons. We've got a
special every day especially for you.
All right, let's get some phones
out for you.
Do you have anything in mind
specifically?
Yeah, a phone that takes
pictures.
Okay. Now, I'd be cheating you if I didn't
tell you that we have top of the line phones.
George Lucas bought this one
right here.
George Lucas?
He's a famous guy, a director or
producer, or something like that.
What's your name?
Me? Boogle.
Boogle?
Yeah.
I just want a phone that takes
pictures, Boogle.
Okay.
Hey, don't you see the walkway
there?
What?
There's a walkway over there.
You can't just cross wherever you want.
I could give you a ticket for jaywalking.
A ticket for jaywalking?
You mocking my job, dude?
No. I mean, you're a cop, right?
Let me see your I.D., please.
You're from New York?
Originally, yeah.
We do things different here.
Because of the earthquakes,
right?
Okay, lay off the jokes, guy.
Is that supposed to be a joke?
Sure.
Well we're in Hollywood, okay? We
leave the entertainment to Soupy Sales.
I suggest you go home.
There's no smoking on the
Promenade, fuck wad!
From a woman at the bar. She
wants you to know her name is Lana.
May I?
Hey. Hey, you're not one of those gals
that uses sex as a weapon, are you?
No. I don't like violence.
That's good.
Are you like everyone else here?
You in show business?
No. I'm in the hide and seek
business.
No. That is a game that kids
play.
Yeah but if you add some money
to it, it's for adults.
Well, what are you doing right
now, hiding or seeking?
Right now I'm drinking.
Do you want another drink?
No, come on. Come on.
I got to go to the bathroom.
What's wrong, lover?
Are these the kind of games
you're into?
No, they're for work.
Come on. It's alright.
You want me to cuff you up, huh?
You want to cuff me up?
Slow dance.
May I have this dance?
Lana. I never did figure out if
that was her real name.
Maybe it was, just for the
night.
She ended up passing out on her
pillow, and sleep-talking into the dawn.
She was asking her mother for the
extra-special blueberry pancakes.
There was a lot of cursing.
Hello, Drexler Hewitt's office.
Hey, Charley. Is Hewitt in?
No, Rosow, he is not.
I would've told him I am still in
contact with the Subject and the Boy.
Am presently tailing them south
to Mexico, I'm guessing.
Guessing, Rosow?
Guessing, Miss Charley.
I haven't received the image
yet.
Oh, yeah. I forgot.
I'll do it right now.
This is instantaneous, huh?
What is this? Who is this?
It's just a trial run, Charley.
I just want to make sure the new
technology really works.
Don't hang up on me, okay?
You're always hanging up on me.
What do you want, Rosow?
See, I just want you to talk to
me for a little while.
And why would I do that?
I'm out here on this old spooky
desert highway,
following some defective bastard
with a poor little Mexican boy.
You and me, we work together.
I figure you could find a couple of
moments to tell me something about yourself.
Tell you about myself?
Nothing too personal.
I'll tell you one thing about
myself, Rosow...
Goodie.
and one thing only
What is it?
I'm hanging up the phone now.
Your loss. Your loss.
This is some prime real estate.
Hey, baby.
Hey.
Looks like you need a light,
huh?
There.
Hero Furillo. Hello.
Yeah.
That's nice.
I already got customers.
I know.
So, what do you want?
Where are you taking them? Here.
See? Mine.
No, you keep it. You might want
to call me sometime.
I got my cell phone on there.
Look, I got this new cell phone.
It takes pictures.
What do you want with those two?
An American man, a Mexican boy.
You see what I mean?
Yeah. But I'm not allowed to
talk about destinations.
I can get in big trouble.
I don't know you.
Where are you from?
What do you care?
What's a guy from New York doing
all the way out here, huh?
If you must know, because
New York is crazy now.
I used to have a place on West 4th
Street for four hundred bucks a month!
You can't even get a place in
Red Hook for that much anymore.
It's crazy. The guppies took
over.
You lived on West 4th?
By the cage?
Yeah, why? You been there?
I grew up on Minetta Lane.
Get the fuck out of here!
Get the fuck out of here!
Yeah.
No shit? You know, that's where
they shot the movie "Serpico".
My dad knew Serpico.
The real Serpico.
Yeah, he grew up on Perry and
Greenwich.
Get the fuck out of here!
Get the fuck out of here!
Get out of here! No shit?
Yeah.
Let me ask you something. Did he really
have one of them big dogs like in the movie?
Oh, yeah, right. I can't
remember. I was just a baby.
Because in the movie, Serpico's
got one of them big dogs, you know?
Like the kind in Peter Pan that goes
flying through the air with Wendy.
No, that's a flying Saint
Bernard.
Saint Bernard. Saint Bernard.
Yeah, but Serpico's dog was one of them
shaggy dogs with the hair in its eyes.
What, are you telling me that's
not a Saint Bernard?
I don't think so.
I think you might be wrong. I'll
google it.
Yeah, I'm gonna' google that
shit.
Look, I'd love to talk movies,
and New York, and dogs,
and googleplex configurations
all day long,
but you got to make a decision
here, all right?
I'm not going to get you into
any trouble.
I just want to know where this
man and the little boy are going.
You looking to hurt somebody,
man?
No, no, I'm trying to help
somebody.
Here, take this money and tell
me where they're going.
Santa Reyes, through the hills
and down by the ocean.
But the only way to get there is
to follow me.
That's what I had in mind.
Yeah, but everybody's gonna' see
you.
I mean, everybody's gonna' see
you.
You stick out like a broken
nose.
Hey, you make money at this
shit?
Oh yeah? Well, this five hundred
dollar bill says that I'm smashing.
Five hundred?
Yeah, or is that against the
rules, too?
I'm no cabbagehead. I know that
cabs are expensive in L.A.
You get this half, and I'll give you the
other half when we get to our destination.
Now, come on, pop the trunk.
What? What are you, crazy?
Come on. The trunk!
You're putting me in a very
idiosyncratic spot here.
I hope you can breathe in there.
I've had apartments smaller than
this in New York.
I heard that.
Here's the other half.
Which way did they go?
I can't see anything.
The glasses.
Oh, right.
Doggy. Okay. Good. Good boy.
How are you doing, my friend?
How's your stomach?
It hurts.
Can I offer you some coffee?
Delicious.
Sure.
How's the coffee coming?
It's coming, sir.
In the meantime, if I may
inquire.
what are you doing sneaking around
in the dark on private property?
You upset my dog.
Are you with the FBI?
The FBI? No, I'm with myself.
I'm not after you or your dog.
So it's Harold?
Harold? Yeah, right, Harold.
I'm just trying to figure out
what Harold's doing.
He works for us.
For the orphanage.
He goes out and he finds children who
are in trouble and he brings them here.
He has saved the lives of
countless children.
Harold could be the only saint
I've ever met.
Saint?
That's correct, my friend.
So that's all?
That's why you're here?
That's it.
Would you like some sugar or
some cream?
No. No, thanks.
This is good, right?
Having coffee together?
I'm in a good mood. What can I
say? I went surfing tonight.
Oh?
It was great. Over at a place
called Punta Abreojos.
Punta. I know what that means.
What's Abreojos?
It means "open eyes".
Means I can see you, man.
Oh, man. I like you, brother.
Well, that's great, I like you,
too.
I don't have any reason to, but
I just like you.
Sometimes that's just the way it
goes.
Sometimes you meet somebody, you don't
like them. That ever happen to you?
Sometimes.
That's why I don't go out a lot,
you know?
People, they can hurt you.
My wife... I'm having some
trouble with her, you know?
So I stay by myself a lot of
times. It's okay.
Oh, man. You're a nice guy.
I'm going to have to take your phone
and delete the photos in the gallery.
Fine.
You know, if I didn't like you, I'd take this
phone and I'd just smash it into the wall.
I appreciate that you don't.
Hey, that's a good shot of me!
Too bad.
Everything all right, don Edgar?
I think so. Our friend here was
just leaving.
Take care, my friend. And please
tell whoever is wondering about Harold
that he is doing fantastic.
He is a very virtuous man.
Do you know where that diner is
out of town? The truck stop?
Let me talk to Coach Hewitt.
Please.
Hold on.
Drexler Hewitt.
His name is Harold. He's not a
pederast.
Why am I finding out things that
other people already know?
You have to give me more
information before I go any further.
Of course I will. And some more
money, too.
Where is Harold Fullmer now?
Harold Fullmer? That's his name?
Yes.
Well, why don't you tell me why
I'm following Harold Fullmer,
and I'll tell you where I'm
following him.
Okay, okay. I have a counter
offer, Mr. Rosow.
Why don't you retrieve him, and
deliver him to New York.
New York?
No. No, thanks.
There is more money in it than
you've ever earned.
I don't do that sort of thing.
How does $500,000 sound?
I can wire the money into your checking
account when the Subject is delivered.
Delivered to whom?
His wife. She's my client. She
loves him. She misses him.
She just wants to talk to him.
She must want to talk to him
real bad. That's a lot of money.
He might turn tail and run again
after a couple of words.
Well, Mr. Rosow, that's not
your problem.
Maybe it is, and maybe it isn't.
We thought that with your history,
you would comprehend the situation.
You could sympathize.
You would understand.
I don't understand anything.
Okay, he's coming back now, I get
it. What do you want me to say to him?
Just say hello.
Hi, Rosow, I just decided to stay in
your motel room for twenty-four hours
waiting for you to come back to
my loving arms.
There you go.
I convinced him that I was
lonely and desperate.
I don't think even he believed
that I was that lonely but...
Just pour him a drink.
Are these the kind of games you
like to play?
No, it's not what you think.
Hey, I promise, I have no idea
at all.
I don't know what you're doing
or who you're working for.
I work for myself.
Who was on the phone?
Ex-boyfriend.
How long have you been here?
You work for Harold? Hewitt? Don
Edgar? The Feds?
No, no, no and no.
You're hurting me!
Yeah, come on, Miss Lonely hearts.
Tell me something I don't know.
Papitos.
Gus?
Let go.
You work for Gus?
Let me go.
Pappy. Oh, shit.
Care for a cocktail? I sure do.
It's been a long night.
Gus.
Oh, damn! That hurt!
All right, all right.
Hello?
It's Hero Furillo. I just dropped off
your guy at Union Station. You need a ride?
You saved my bacon.
You better be doing the right
thing, you know.
Yeah.
I mean it. You know, I'll
probably never see you again,
so it's not like I'll ever
really know.
But you better be doing the
right thing, homes. You know?
I like to think that you're on
the right side. The Serpico side.
Because that's the side I want
to get on.
I wish it was that simple.
Oh, don't give me that, man.
Come on, don't give me that.
I won't let you down, Hero.
Aren't you a little tired of
trains?
Do I know you?
You recognize me all right.
I've been following you.
Why?
I'm getting paid.
Oh. For the money.
Why is the FBI tailing you?
I don't know.
I'll try another question. You
ready to come back with me, Harold?
Back to your wife?
Absolutely no.
If you don't come with me,
I'll cause a ruckus.
I'll scream that you robbed me, or
propositioned me, I'll probably punch you,
the miso soup will go flying everywhere,
the little waitress will call the police,
and we'll both get arrested.
Which is fine for me, but not
for you.
If I were you, I'd rather talk to
my wife than to the authorities.
And you could start by talking
to me.
I find children that are in distress,
and I take them to a safe haven.
Doesn't anybody miss these kids?
The world is filled with
children no one wants.
This last kid, from Chicago, he
seemed okay enough.
Javier? He was in twenty porno
films before I found him.
He tried to kill himself twice.
His mother had eight children,
husband gone.
Someone offered her a thousand
dollars to take Javier to America,
to feed him, clothe him, enroll
him in a good Catholic...
All right, all right, that's
enough. We got a plane to catch.
I can't fly.
What?
You heard me.
No, we're not taking a train
back to New York.
Those sleeping cars are like
coffins.
New York?
Yeah. You're going back to her.
She's worried about you.
I don't like flying myself. I'm
not a big fan of New York either.
Why? What happened in New York?
Sometimes when you try to make things
better, you end up just making them worse.
That's bullshit. Harold, what about
your wife, huh? You don't just drop out.
The life I lead now is the very
contrary of dropping out.
Most people can't wait to get home
to their house, their apartment,
shut the door and turn on the
TV.
To me, that's dropping out.
Right.
I've never felt myself as a
civilian.
This kind of life, being
missing, it suits me.
It all changed so fast.
One day I was one person, then came the
explosions, then I was another person.
Some things are too terrible to
be true.
Explosions?
Didn't they tell you?
No. What? Tell me what?
I worked in the World Trade Center.
I barely made it out in time.
I ran down those steps out of
the north tower.
I haven't seen my wife since.
You were a missing person?
I am a missing person.
I thought of calling home and trying to tell
her I was all right, but I couldn't do it.
I didn't know why. The next day it occurred
to me that she probably thought I was dead.
I was relieved.
She'd always think of me as a
hero of sorts. A reluctant hero.
How the hell do you do that? How
do you leave your wife like that?
We lost a child, Megan and I.
A kidnapping.
It changed everything. Nothing
was right after that.
Well, I'm sorry. That's
terrible, but still... still...
Ladies and gentlemen, if you'll
look outside your window,
you'll see the lights of New
York City coming up.
We're about a half hour outside
of JFK. The weather is beautiful.
Baby, what floor are you on?
We're on the fiftieth floor.
Fiftieth floor?
We have seven people here, and
we can't get out.
Babe, don't worry. The guys are on their way
there now, and I'm gonna' be running up there, too.
You're gonna' see me before you
know it. Okay?
Okay, baby.
The line's on Broadway! Bryant
and Broadway, Doug!
Stand back! The tower is coming
down!
The towers are coming down!
They're coming down!
The second tower is down!
Does my wife know what I've been
doing?
How much is she paying you?
Hey, do you have any idea what it's
like to be abandoned by somebody?
I have an idea what it's like.
Hey just shut the fuck up!
I'm tired of you.
Excuse me.
Can I have another bloody mary?
Sorry, we're on our descent.
Better make it a double.
Charley!
I didn't know you'd be
accompanying us. Terrific!
Trust me, it wasn't my idea.
Oh, I'm sorry to hear that.
The Seymour Hotel, midtown.
That's not what the lady said,
boss.
Well, are you gonna' listen to the
lady or are you gonna' listen to me?
What are you up to?
You cannot smoke in here, boss.
It was a long flight. Give me a
break, Kit-Kat.
I thought we were going straight
to my wife.
Why the Seymour?
There's some business to take care
of. I want to make sure it goes right.
Sorry boss, you cannot smoke in
here, boss.
Okay.
I'm glad you're here, Charley.
I could use your help. Closing out the
ninth inning has never been my strong suit.
I'm still trying to find your
strong suit.
Oh, but I forgot. You never
played baseball.
If you insist on smoking, boss,
I will have to ask...
No, okay, okay. See?
Thank you, boss.
Oh, you're most welcome. And please stop
calling me boss. I am not Bruce Springsteen.
You can drive now.
So, this your first time in New
York, buddy?
Who's there?
Who? Whooo? Don't cry.
It's just me.
Yeah.
They made you a lieutenant?
Lieutenant Pappy?
Yeah. It's crazy, huh?
It's crazy.
Do my eyes deceive me?
Gus.
Harold.
The homecoming gets larger.
How did you know?
Little birdie.
Lana sends her love.
What love?
I know, I owe you an explanation.
Give me a drink, will you?
I was responsible for you, John.
You were my recommendation, so I
had to send Lana down to keep an eye.
Oh, she learned some weird
stories about you.
I had to make sure you were still
compis mentis. You blockhead.
God, it's good to see you!
Why are you so serious? Move
along. Shove off, sailor.
Who's Lana?
You weren't in on that?
No. Who is she?
This lady. She dropped Gus's name, I didn't
see a connection, so I did some googling.
You found out that Gus worked on
our case, the kidnapping.
I did.
And then Gus called me and volunteered
to help out when we got to New York.
It didn't work out the way we wanted,
but Gus was a good man. Throughout.
I still have some bad nights
about that, Harold. You know I do.
I'm sorry it's going down like this,
but Miss Megan, she's beside herself.
And then she finds out you're still
alive, I mean, you can imagine...
What are you doing here, Gus?
I'm gonna' baby sit you, Harold,
while John and Miss Smiley over there
take care of some business.
Whose side you on?
Whose side am I on? I'm on your wife's side.
Don't you think she's been through enough?
Besides, I got a soft spot for
New Yorkers who stay in New York.
Hey, Miss Charley.
Yes?
Do me a favor?
Yeah, well.
Hello?
Mr. Rosow, I presume.
Sit down, please.
I'm sorry about the darkness.
I'm afraid I've become quite a bit of
a cave dweller over the past few years.
Please don't smoke that in here.
I'm sorry.
No, that's all right. It's a
nasty habit, I should quit.
I like your place.
It's very nice.
Thank you. Can I get you
anything? Some water? Coffee?
No that's all right. I don't
think your maid likes me very much.
What makes you say that?
I was just kidding, I guess.
I'm sorry. I'm not sure I got
your joke.
I've never had any dealings with
private detectives, Mr. Rosow.
I've seen them in Bogart films
though.
Was that one of those kind of jokes?
Those dry and sardonic detective jokes?
It was my sad attempt.
So you make jokes and you smoke
cigarettes.
Do those ancient customs make
you a more efficient, detective?
Probably not, but I'm not really a
detective on this case anymore, am I?
I'm more what you'd call a
delivery boy.
Don't underestimate your value,
Mr. Rosow.
How did you find out Harold was
alive?
A friend ran into him in Mexico.
Of all places.
Some small village on the west
coast of Mexico.
Impossible, I thought.
She was certain.
She swore it was Harold despite the fact that
the medical examiner had just ruled him...
Where is he?
Where is my husband?
He's close by. He's ok.
But I gotta' tell you...
Why is he not here? With you?
That was the agreement.
It's about the money.
We can arrange for more.
I don't want more money. I want what
I'm owed, up front, now, beforehand.
Paid on delivery is what I
understood.
Mrs. Fullmer, Harold's not the
same man. He's different, you know?
I mean, I didn't know him
before...
Everything is different. Of
course Harold is different.
I just want to make sure he is okay. And
I know when he sees me, he'll remember.
He'll remember himself.
So I'll write you a check.
I understand you. I really do, but sometimes
when you try and make things better...
I know you do understand.
Because they told me about you.
Oh.
About your wife. They told me about her
and, Mr. Rosow, I'm very sorry for your loss.
Yes, thanks.
Sorry.
You know, thanks.
Whatever my chances are,
I need to take them.
Could you make the check out to
cash?
I'll deliver Harold tomorrow
morning after this check clears.
Yes. And tell him one thing for
me, Mr. Rosow. Will you?
Sure.
Tell him I can't wait to be with
him.
Bad news.
Want a hit?
That kid blocks the plate like
Thurman Munson.
I drank too much. Harold's gone.
No. You think I drink too much, too
much to bring this guy back to his wife.
You were banking on that. Lana
almost pulled it off.
You always did like your
conspiracy theories, John.
You sure you don't want a pop?
No. Can I have a couple of
scallion pancakes though?
Knock yourself out.
Don't forget the sauce.
Yum. I do miss the take-out
Chinese.
There's no place good in Chicago
that delivers.
I could've told you that, and
I've never even been in Chicago.
What about the pizza? They got
that Chicago style, right?
Yeah, they got your Chicago style
pizza, sure, but you know what that is?
And I just found this out
myself. It's just Sicilian style.
It's just a different name for
Sicilian.
We went over to Difara's the
other night and got seven pies.
I think he's still making them.
The boys miss you, John.
We all miss you.
How long have you been on
Drexler Hewitt's payroll?
Here we go.
You get paid by Miss Fullmer to
find Harold,
but you get paid even more by
Hewitt not to find him.
Is that it? So you hire me to
bring him back to Miss Fullmer,
but you hire me more for Drexler,
because you figure I'll muck it up.
You got a napkin?
I earn my money.
You get the medex to forge
Harold's death certificate.
With Harold officially dead,
case closed.
All the insurance and
compensation money gets collected,
and the estate gets divvied up, and Drexler
Hewitt gets his piece of the Fullmer pie.
I'm sure you got your crumb. But then, oh,
a friend of the missus sees Harold in Mexico.
Harold wasn't coming back. He was
gone, might as well have been dead.
It was high time she figured
that out for herself.
Why do you care?
9/11 families were paid by the
government
according to how much the victim
would have earned in a lifetime.
I know. And Harold was a big
deal broker.
That's a lot of money. Enough for a greedy
lawyer to want to make sure he stays dead.
So Drexler bought you to help
him.
He knew how much Miss Fullmer
trusted you.
Listen, John. Harold wasn't
going to stay home. He's nuts.
His old lady is a kookjob. All
that money, for what?
It's crazy. People like that,
they're not like us.
She just wanted to talk to him,
Gus.
I'm gonna' need you to leave
your cell phone.
It's got all those nice pictures
on it.
Oh well. I had the feeling it
was gonna' get old anyway.
Oh, John, one more thing.
Your old buddy, Don Edgar?
Taking care of all the little
kiddie widdies down Mexico way?
What about him?
That orphanage is a front.
Don Edgar, the most major dope
dealer in Tijuana.
Yeah, that's right. Whether Harold knew it or
not, he was in cahoots with a very bad hombre.
I don't believe you.
No? It's true. Why do you think
the FBI was snooping around?
Christ, what happened to those
kids?
Don Edgar says he sends them
back to their families.
Right. And I'm Tinkerbell.
You seem upset, John.
What are you thinking?
You thinking you want to come
over here and hit me?
No. I'm just trying to remember
what I ever saw in you.
Did he give you any trouble?
No. He was very nice.
No trouble at all.
Put your hands under the table.
Yeah.
He plays like an angel,
doesn't he?
Tomorrow morning, you go back to
her.
The gig is up. This is the old
reality, Harold.
You're in New York. You ain't
dead, there aren't any angels,
and the missus wants to see you.
Matter of fact, she said she
can't wait to see you.
You know about angels, Rosow.
Oh, I do?
I saw you listening to the song.
Did you see him, Miss Charley?
No, I did not.
You know the music is okay, but
the service stinks.
We're empty here.
Where's the waitress?
Good morning.
What the fuck are you doing,
you idiot?
Who's the saint who looks after
money?
I can't hear ya.
Never mind.
Do you have a problem with me
smoking?
NO!
Come on!
I appreciate this, Charley.
Oh, that's okay.
No, I really do.
You want me to go up with you?
I think I should go alone.
Okay. Well, I have some business
with Drexler Hewitt, so...
Good luck.
Good luck.
Memories flooding you right
about now, huh?
No, not really.
Hey, listen. There's no way you're going
in with this kind of attitude, okay?
You stand up straight and look
happy to see her. Come on.
Remember me, darling?
Is that you, sir?
Don't be rude to the lady.
I need to use the bathroom.
Hey, this is what, one of those
recreations of a famous painting?
Yeah.
Kind of funky looking, isn't it?
Julian, Mr. and Mrs. Fullmer's
son.
He won the contest at school
with that piece.
The theme was Masterpieces of
American Art.
Julian was only eight years old
when he painted it.
Pretty good for an eight year
old, I guess.
Don't touch it.
John?
John?
Let me go, please.
Please let me go.
You wake up one day and you're
an adult.
And all the people you were just
dreaming about have gone or changed.
So you shake the sleep dust
from your eyes and you say,
was it really so long ago that
you and I sat together in fun?
No. Not so long ago. But life
goes by in the blink of an eye.
Sobriety, after all this time, isn't
as bitter as I thought it would be.
Recently, for a second or two, I almost
felt like things were okay with the world.
Strange to feel that way, when
you know there are wars everywhere,
and everything is going to hell
in a hand basket.
But still, I must admit, for a
moment, I felt some kind of peace.
Charley, she finally said yes
to a date with me.
I have a confession. I lied.
You were right.
I have four older brothers.
And I was an All-Star shortstop in the
boy's little league three years in a row.
Till they kicked me out.
Remember when it was like that?
When we were all together? And I
figured we'd play forever.
I had no idea.
She's not a half bad girl,
Charley.
She's looking for a job now.
I told her she could be my secretary
once I got a few more assignments,
but she said she didn't mix
business with pleasure.
I promised her I was no
pleasure. Yuk, yuk, yuk.
Sometimes I think back to that day at
Miss Fullmer's place, and I ask myself,
did you do the right thing?
I don't know.
What is that, the right thing?
A police reporter once said that when we
pass beyond the lights of a precinct station,
we go into another world, a
place beyond right and wrong.
I don't really mind living this
way. Quiet.
Not much to say.
But sometimes, every once in a
while,
I remember back to when I had
you.