Samuel Taylor

Gavin Elster attempts to hire his old friend Scottie, a retired detective with acrophobia, to follow his wife. Elster reveals a disturbing supernatural concern, claiming his wife is being possessed by someone from the past, leading to a tense negotiation over Scottie's return to investigative work.

Scottie investigates the mysterious movements of Madeleine Elster at a quiet hotel, only to be met with a confusing denial from the manageress. The scene builds tension through the contradiction between Scottie's visual evidence and the manageress's insistence that the woman he followed never arrived.

Scottie visits his long-time friend Midge as he recovers from the physical and psychological trauma of a rooftop chase that left him with severe acrophobia. They discuss his decision to leave the police force and his lingering guilt, while Scottie attempts to mask his vulnerability with playful banter about her career in lingerie design.

Scottie and Midge visit an old bookstore to consult with Pop Leibel about a mysterious woman from San Francisco's past. Pop recounts the tragic history of Carlotta Valdes, a woman who was discarded by a powerful man and driven to madness and suicide after her child was taken from her.