Thefilmisamodern-dayfilmnoirinwhichthesardonic,ginsoakeddetectivecontendswithanoddcastofcharacterswhiletailingamysterious,middle-agedmantravelingwithaMexicanboyfromChicagotoLosAngeles.JohnRosowisaChicagogumshoewhoseskillforcrackingacaseoftencomeswithaprice;hehasapenchantforgettinginoverhishead,butheneverloseshiscool.ContactedbyinfluentiallawyerDrexlerHewittandaskedtoshadowamanwhoiscurrentlyenroutetoLosAngeleswithayoungboy,RosowcollectshiscashandinstructionsfromHewitt’sgruffassistantMissCharley,andsetsoutonhislatestassignment.UponarrivinginSantaMonica,however,Rosowiscaughtoffguardtolearnthathisobjectivehasbeenupdated.HeisnowtobringthemanbacktoNewYork.Forhisefforts,Rosowwillreceivethetidysumofahalf-a-milliondollars.