ColbertNotion

Saw this film again the other day on AMC and remembered all the reasons I loved it back in the 80's, but (hopefully) being a little wiser [or perhaps just more cynical] a question came to mind. When Stanwyck first approaches "Mr. Nugent" on the beach to set up the sub-plot of the film, he does so with the thought that he is just another beach junkie who could disappear and no one would miss. With this impression of him in mind, why would Stanwyck even entertain the thought that Fletch (remember, someone he thinks of as a beach bum/junkie) has [or could get in just a few days!] a passport? Getting a passport takes weeks (recent experience) or months in some cases. Of course, Stanwyck isn't exactly the brightest bulb in the fridge...