it sounds very much like they only go for people with no contact whatsoever with their parents (the two protagonists, the black couple and the earlier tenants (Roth or something like that)).
How do the old people find out about that?!
It isn't explained properly in the movie, which might be an editing decisions or simply "suspension of disbelief" - because it sure does seem like the old people are made unrealistically omnipotent in that respect.
My theory is, they seek out potential victims for their mugging while jogging routine, someone young and healthy. Then they gain the victim's trust by being nice and get him to talk about himself. If that persoen suits them, they offer him an appartment, if not they seek out someone else.
shareWill have to read the book to see if it explains it but...
Also highly possible that they have that cop guy check regular runners out to see if they are good candidates... Remember that the mugger was working for them, Jackie found the wallet and stuff from the mugging, so I bet they already planned it.
Anyone who read the book care to comment on this?
That kind of bugged me because: (1) there's only so much a retired cop CAN do. Sure they can maybe call in favors but over time fellow cops who knew them would retire or die and they wouldn't have favors to call in. From the call the wife made (and why leave a card with the REAL police station number on it anyway) people there didn't even really know him (the guy she talked to had to look him up to know who he was). (2) Why the hell did they keep that stuff? Were they just doing it so long they got cocky and sloppy or what? Why not get rid of the evidence right away? I mean it was months between the time the husband gets mugged and the end of the movie and they still had his stuff.
For that matter why take that one woman's distinctive necklace when all they did was push her out a window? Where they collecting trophies like regular serial killers?