Norman Oppenheimer is a small-time "fixer" in New York City who makes money by doing favors for and arranging access to politicos and other power brokers. He befriends Micha Eshel, an Israeli politician, buying him an expensive pair of shoes and using him to wrangle an invitation to the home of Arthur Taub, an important businessman. Taub quickly recognizes Norman as an opportunist and tells him to leave. On a train, Norman meets Alex Green, an Israeli criminal investigator, telling her all about his business and his relationship to Eshel, even diagramming his connections on a piece of paper. She pays close attention and keeps the paper.