A woman named Ellie and her husband, Alan, leave the house to attend a repertory production they were invited to by their daughter-in-law, Kathleen. Ellie muses about Kathleen, who is a part of the production, and about how Kathleen underwent little grief during the death of their son, Jay, a soldier who went missing in war. Ellie remembers the dynamic of her son’s secretive relationship with Kathleen and how they last saw him fly away in his helicopter. Suddenly, Ellie notices that Alan is not by her side anymore and goes to a nearby policeman directing traffic who is not helpful. The scene shifts to Ellie describing her husband to a sergeant at the police station. After taking notes, the sergeant tells Ellie that he is not authorized to put up a missing persons sign on the police bulletin yet. Back in the church where the play has started, Ellie talks to a young man waiting in the lobby, one of the actors in the play who informs her that Kathleen had actually left town for a family emergency. Ellie remains unable to enter the theater without her ticket, and she watches as the play ends and people file out. She goes to the parking lot to look for her car and sees two intimidating young men on the hood of a Edsel car next to her own. Startled, she hurries away in fear of getting mugged and goes to the subway station. She passes time in the subway car until she gets off again to check if the men are still by her car in the parking lot. Realizing that they are gone, she starts up her car and goes to the police station to inform the new sergeant about her missing husband. Once finished, she drives back home wondering if and when she will have to hear the news that her husband has died.