Walter Williams (Brian Donlevy) is a take-charge captain of industry who has worked his way up in a San Francisco steel company from a position as a sheet metal worker. He loves his wife Irene (Helen Walker) very much and they have planned a vacation drive together. Irene cancels at the last minute claiming a toothache, but asks that Walter drive her cousin Jim Torrance (Tony Barrett) as far as Illinois. Walter agrees and he and Jim take off together but later Jim knocks Walter unconscious and takes the car only to be hit himself by a truck and killed, his body burned beyond recognition. Walter comes to and suffering a concussion and deep confusion from feeling betrayed by Irene hides out in a small Midwest town until guilt and peer pressure force him to go back to San Francisco and tell his story to the Police. But by the time Walter returns to San Francisco a clever detective Lieutenant Quincy (Charles Coburn) has uncovered some facts about Irene and her cousin' Jim. The police have been holding Irene for the murder of her husband Walter but release her considering that Walter was hiding out because he had killed Jim. Along the way to uncovering the truth in Court Walter realizes some hard fact about what he holds valuable and the trust he has put in those around him.
退休摇滚明星强尼·博兹(Bill Cable 饰)在性行为的过程中被人用白丝巾捆绑双手后用冰锥残忍刺死。其女友凯瑟琳·特拉梅尔(Sharon Stone 饰)是一名作家,去年出版的小说中就有双手被白丝巾捆绑的退休摇滚明星被女友用冰锥刺死的情节。虽然特拉梅尔通过了谎言测试,但曾枪杀两位游客却被判无罪的尼克·柯兰警探(Michael Douglas 饰)坚持认为特拉梅尔在说谎。因为他自己也曾接受过谎言测试,并且通过了……