Jasper "Buddy" Noone is the main antagonist of the 2002 action film Blood Work based on the book of the same name by mystery author Micheal Connelly. He is portrayed by Jeff Daniels, who also played Zartog.
In the film, he at first appears to be a neighbor of protagonist, Terry McCaleb but at the end of the film he is revealed to be a sadistic serial killer nicknamed "The code killer". His name is an anagram for "NO ONE", referring to a code that McCaleb couldn't break.
Film
Buddy Noone was originally McCaleb's neighbor after he moved onto his houseboat, "The following sea" after narrowly surviving a heart attack while chasing a suspected killer. He is seemingly very friendly to McCaleb, even driving him around due to the fact that McCaleb cannot drive. In the film, McCaleb is trying to find the killer who murdered the woman whose heart McCaleb was given after her death. Towards the end of the film, McCaleb leaves the murdered woman's sister, Gracella and her son, Raymond, who he has become acquainted with, in the care of Buddy. When he returns, he not only discovers that the two are missing but a check he had written for Buddy pinned to his corkboard signed "NO/ONE". McCaleb hear's Buddy's harmonica and walks into Buddy's own houseboat asking him if he's seen them. Buddy replies that they got tired of waiting and left.
However, at that moment, McCaleb spots jewelry belonging to the victim and pulls his gun on Buddy, ordering him to lift his shirt. He complies, revealing a scar where McCaleb had shot him before...he was the killer McCaleb was chasing at the start of the film. Buddy then gleefully reveals that he killed the woman (and others) to "save McCaleb" and that he has kidnapped Gracella and Raymond. He also hacked into medical computers to determine McCaleb's rare blood type.
Buddy then tries to escape but McCaleb shoots him in the arm, gives him a belt to use as a touriqite, takes him hostage and orders him to take McCaleb to the place where they are being held, which is eventually revealed to be a half-sunken ship that is slated for demolition, which he calls his "own little shop of horrors". McCaleb successfully rescues Gracella and Raymond but Buddy escapes and grabs a machine gun. McCaleb and Buddy then begin a tense cat and mouse game, culminating in McCaleb shooting Buddy in the chest.
Novel
In the novel, Buddy's role is completely different. He remains both an ally and a close friend to McCaleb. He appears in all three Terry McCaleb novels including: Blood Work, A Darkness more than night, and The Narrows. Humorously, he expresses annoyance that he was portrayed as a villain in the film. He and McCaleb also ran a boat charter service. After McCaleb's mysterious death, he continues his role as an ally and even briefly helps the current protagonist, Harry Bosch investigate after Buddy's GPS was stolen by recurring villain and serial killer, Bob Backus in The Narrows.