Jack sleeps with a waitress, who's later murdered. Did Jack's usual lover do it? Palm Beach detectives Jack and Steve investigate. Twists follow.
Jack, a Palm Beach detective, becomes involved in a case of multiple murders. All the women can be linked to Jack in some way. Jack and his partner have no leads, but numerous suspects. The murders continue, along with anonymous letters from the killer.—Rob Hartill
Jack Dobson (James Belushi) is lying down, bleeding and dead, in a deserted clearing in the woods: "Yeah, that's me. No wife, no kid. Just one 9-millimeter bullet lodged in my chest." The voice from the corpse then introduces the audience to the area of his demise --Palm Beach, a town where everyone "leads three lives: public, private, and secret." Dobson is a homicide detective in Palm Beach who takes advantage of his position to bed a variety of women, while his brother Michael (William Russ) prepares to run for public office. One of Dobson's lovers is imported New Yorker Ellen (Lorraine Bracco). She sees Dobson leave a parking lot with a waitress and before long the waitress turns up dead. Dobson investigates the murder and determines that a serial killer is on the loose. When more women turn up dead with connections to Dobson, the finger of guilt points not only to Jack but also to his partner Steve (Tony Goldwyn), Steve's wife Beth (Faye Grant), and even his respectable senatorial candidate brother.—waomdb.blogspot.com
Jack, a Florida detective, becomes involved in a case of multiple murders; all can be linked to Jack in some way. Jack and his partner have no leads, but numerous suspects. The murders continue, along with anonymous letters from the killer.—Rob Hartill
In Palm Beach, Florida, mortally-wounded homicide detective Jack Dobson (Jim Belushi) recounts the events leading to his demise in a voice-over narration.
Surrounded by friends and family at an elegant restaurant, Jack's older brother, Michael Dobson (William Russ), announces his candidacy for the Florida State Senate. On his way home, Jack offers a ride to waitress Morgan Cassidy (Michelle Joyner), unaware that he is being watched by his lover, the wealthy widow Ellen Schofield (Lorraine Bracco). After spending the night with Morgan, Jack testifies in court against Tony Garidi (Mario Ernest Sanchez), owner of an "escort service," who is on trial for the murder of prostitute Kimberly Davis.
Prior to entering the courtroom, Jack receives an anonymous note, which reads: "A dead whore is nothing new, go into court and you'll die too." Jack dismisses the rhyme as a threat from Garidi, and testifies that he happened to be present when the gangster entered the victim's hotel room, moments before she was killed. Afterward, Jack finds his car vandalized and blames the defendant's brother, Rudy "Minnesota" Garidi (Joseph C. Hess). However, after questioning Minnesota, they realize he has no knowledge of the note or the vandalism.
Jack returns home to spend the evening with Ellen Schofield, who leaves early the next morning after discovering Morgan Cassidy's panties in the bedroom. Jack receives another note, which says: "You only do it to hurt me more, live by your lies, die by my cord." The envelope bears a red lip print on the seal, suggesting a woman may be the author.
That evening, Morgan Cassidy is strangled by an unseen intruder, who smears her mouth with red lipstick. Aware of Jack's tryst with the victim, police lieutenant J. C. Hooks (Joe Lisi) questions him about the possibility of the killer being a romantic rival. Jack assures the lieutenant that Ellen Schofield is not "the jealous type," and Morgan's musician boyfriend has been in Europe for several months. The police laboratory determines the brand and shade of lipstick, and identifies the daisy wheel used to type the threatening rhymes, noting that the capital letters "D" and "L" are damaged.
Jack and his partner, Steve Frayn, visit Ellen Schofield under the pretext of a social call. Steve engages Ellen in conversation while Jack sneaks away to test her typewriter. As the detectives leave, Jack kisses Ellen to obtain a lipstick sample. Although Ellen's lipstick matches that on the victim, her typewriter contains no damaged letters.
At a nursing home, Michael Dobson admonishes Jack for not spending more time with their invalid mother, Louise, while Jack argues that she is oblivious to her surroundings.
Later, during a fund raising event for Michael's campaign, Jack questions guests about the death of Ellen Schofield's husband and learns that he died of natural causes. Satisfied that Ellen is above suspicion, Jack pursues another lead after receiving the message: "Now you know how much it hurts, prepare to die for Gloria Wurtz." Jack informs Steve that the late Gloria Wurtz was his first-grade teacher. He accused her of locking him in a closet, putting lipstick on him, and molesting him. J. C. Hooks assigns Steve Frayn to question the teacher's son in nearby Key West, Florida, and orders Jack to see a psychologist to address his childhood trauma. Before Steve leaves town, Ellen Schofield attempts to seduce him, then sends him home to his wife, Beth.
Upon arriving in Key West, Steve discovers Ellen in the adjoining hotel room. After they have sex, Ellen Schofield admits that she merely wants to "corrupt" him, and leaves before morning. Steve ends the investigation upon learning that Gloria Wurtz's son died a year earlier.
Meanwhile, Jack connects the murders of Kimberly Davis and Morgan Cassidy, noting that both were found naked and smeared with the same lipstick. After Steve's return, he and Jack question the imprisoned Tony Garidi, who swears that on the day of the murder, Kimberly Davis canceled her meeting with him for another appointment. When Jack mentions that he was at the hotel bar with his brother that day, Steve Frayn suspects Michael Dobson's involvement, infuriating Jack.
Steve Frayn and Jack are summoned by Beth Frayn, who delivers an urgent message from Ellen Schofield, and confronts them with a box of women's clothing she found in the garage. Identifying the clothes as property of the murder victims, Jack fears that Beth may be in danger and takes her to his "country house," a modest cabin on a neighboring island. Steve Frayn drives to Ellen Schofield's home and finds her dead, then follows a car leaving the scene, driven by Michael Dobson's bodyguard, Tommy Hawkins.
Upon arriving at Michael's house, both Tommy and his employer claim ignorance of Ellen Schofield's murder. However, Michael Dobson reveals that Jack was molested by his mother, Louise Dobson, but was instructed to blame Gloria Wurtz to protect the family. Michael implies that Jack may be the killer and takes Steve Frayn to his brother's home, where they find the incriminating typewriter, the murder weapon, and a typed confession. Realizing Beth may be the next victim, Steve Frayn drives to the country house and shoots his partner. Michael guards his family's reputation by arranging a hero's funeral for Jack.
Some time later, Michael visits Amanda (Melanie Tomlin), another of his brother's girl friends, and tries to strangle her. Steve Frayn bursts through the front door and holds Michael at gunpoint. Jack enters from the garden, revealing his death was a hoax. He asks to be alone with Michael, then berates his brother for trying to frame him. Michael reacts by grabbing Jack's gun and shooting himself in the head. Steve comforts his partner while police examine the crime scene.
