An old-fashioned style private investigator from New York City takes a missing person case that brings him to Los Angeles. Living like the old movie detectives, John Rosow (Michael Shannon) finds himself thrown into the tawdry present while looking for Harold Fullmer (Frank Wood) who has changed his life dramatically after surviving the Twin Towers collapse at the World Trade Center catastrophe. Living in existential squalor and listening to cool jazz appeal to Rosow's nature. His friends include smart-aleck cab drivers like Hero Furillo (John Ventimiglia). With his hard-bitten cynicism, Rosow is not at all convinced that he should bring the missing man back to New York, even with a handsome reward attached.