During the final scene of the movie, Gittes is taking Cross to find his daughter(s). When they arrive in Chinatown, Gittes finds that the police are already there and have handcuffed his two associates. My question is: why are the police already there? How did they know where Evelyn was hiding?
shareTwo words: Jake Gittes.
It's not stated in the film outright, and this is one of many instances in the script where viewers have to put two and two together for themselves.
When Jake calls his office from the house where Katherine was staying, he tells Walsh to meet him at the Chinatown address in two hours. After Jake has given Escobar the slip at Curly's house, the reasonable assumption is that Escobar staked out Jake's office and simply followed Walsh and Duffy to Chinatown.
Poe! You are...avenged!
Thanks for the response. I missed where Jake had told his associates to meet him in Chinatown in "two hours". I was thinking that since he had called prior to the police arriving, his associates would leave prior to the cops having a chance to tail them. This makes sense to me, thanks!
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Here's the relevant portion of dialogue just for reference:
JAKE: "Listen pal, Escobar's gonna try and book me in about five minutes."
WALSH (on phone): "What's the matter?"
JAKE: "Relax and I'll tell you. If you don't hear from me in two hours, you and Duffy come to 1712 Alameda."
WALSH: "Jesus, that's in Chinatown, ain't it?"
JAKE: "I know where it is. Just do it."
Poe! You are...avenged!