The Night Clerk

In the midst of his mundane routine as a night desk clerk at a hotel, Bart Bromley (Bart Bromley) finds solace in his peculiar coping mechanism - observing and mimicking the mannerisms of guests through hidden cameras. This ritualistic behavior allows him to temporarily overcome his social awkwardness, which is rooted in his diagnosis with Asperger syndrome. He works the night shift, where he becomes fixated on Karen, a guest who has recently checked in. After his shift, Bart's nocturnal tendencies propel him to indulge in ice cream and continue monitoring Karen's room from the comfort of his own home.

As he observes Karen, Bart witnesses an unsettling scene unfold - an unknown man entering her room, followed by a violent altercation that culminates with the man beating her mercilessly. The sound of a gun falling from Karen's purse serves as a catalyst for Bart to spring into action, rushing to the hotel in a desperate attempt to rescue her. He enters via a side door, and shortly after, his coworker Jack stumbles upon the gruesome scene - Karen lying lifeless on the bed, with Bart sitting beside her. While Jack calls 911, Bart frantically removes the hidden cameras, inadvertently leaving behind a crucial storage card.

The next day, Detective Espada questions Bart about his whereabouts during the fateful night, and he claims to have gone home after buying ice cream before returning to the hotel due to his forgotten wallet. However, Espada's keen instincts detect Bart's deception, as it would be impossible for him to purchase ice cream without a wallet. Undeterred by this revelation, Bart re-watches the recording of Karen's room and discovers that the mysterious man she met harbors a distinctive tattoo - a bird on his arm.

The consequences of Bart's actions unfold as he is reassigned to a new hotel by his boss. On his first shift at the new location, he encounters Andrea Rivera, who astutely recognizes his Asperger's diagnosis and playfully flirts with him. She checks into a room, setting the stage for Bart's next move. The following day, Bart discovers that a storage card is missing from his collection, which eventually finds its way into Espada's hands.

Bart responds to this setback by re-establishing his surveillance network in Andrea's room and sharing a romantic moment with her by the hotel pool. However, his newfound happiness is short-lived as he awakens the next day to find himself sporting a fresh haircut, suit, car, and cologne. In an attempt to visit Andrea at the hotel, Bart is met with a shocking discovery - she has rekindled her relationship with the same unknown man from Karen's room, recognizable by his bird tattoo.

As the authorities descend upon his home, confiscating all of his computer equipment and camera gear, Bart claims that his hard drives are empty because he had deleted all the recordings before their arrival. Following Espada's departure, Bart retrieves a hidden hard drive containing a copy of the recording from Karen's room, hinting at a deeper understanding of the events that have transpired.

As Bart's gaze lingers on the enigmatic figure accompanying Andrea, he's shocked to discover that this unknown man is none other than Karen's husband Nick, a detective with a sordid secret: he's been carrying on an illicit affair with Andrea. What's more, Nick has a sinister motive for wanting Bart silenced - he'll stop at nothing to ensure the latter doesn't reveal his true identity to the authorities. Meanwhile, Bart is oblivious to the impending danger lurking in the shadows.

As the days pass, Bart finds himself drawn into a web of deceit and betrayal when he observes Nick's volatile argument with Andrea via the surveillance cameras installed in her hotel room. The detective's brutal behavior towards her sends shivers down Bart's spine, prompting him to rush to the hotel and burst into Andrea's room just as Nick is leaving. Confronting Andrea with the evidence from the hidden cameras, Bart reveals the shocking truth: Nick has been leading a double life, one that's replete with secrets and lies.

Back at his residence, Bart shares the incriminating footage from Karen's room with Andrea, and her eyes widen in horror as she realizes the horrifying truth - Nick is responsible for Karen's demise. Overwhelmed by grief and despair, Andrea dissolves into tears and collapses onto Bart's bed, where he gently lies down beside her, eventually succumbing to exhaustion.

The next morning, Bart awakens to find that Andrea has vanished, taking with her the crucial evidence in the form of the hard drive containing the recording from Karen's room. Moreover, she's left behind a disturbing reminder of their tumultuous encounter - the gun she'd retrieved from Karen's purse now rests on his bed.

As Nick and Andrea make their escape, driving out of town with the incriminating evidence, they're eventually pulled over by the authorities, who discover the duo's ill-gotten gains. Meanwhile, Bart decides to blend in with the local crowd at a nearby mall, rehearsing the conversational nuances and body language he's observed through his recordings, all while keeping a watchful eye out for any signs of Espada's presence.

The narrative takes a dramatic turn as Nick's world begins to unravel, leaving him trapped in a web of deceit and lies.