Detective Mervin Pratt is enjoying a quiet dinner at his favorite Italian restaurant when he's called in to assist at a murder scene at a popular downtown nightclub. The manager has been stabbed to death in his office. The lead investigator, Detective Gordon, no friend of Pratt's, sees it as an open-and-shut case. He has the suspect, motive and even the murder weapon. But Pratt is unwilling to jump to conclusions.

When Pratt's young partner, Dave Ellis, arrives on the scene uninvited and quietly tells Pratt that the suspect is his half brother, Pratt finds himself in an ethical dilemma. Ellis can have nothing to do with the investigation, and his connection to the case should be reported. On the other hand, Gordon's attempt to railroad the suspect and his outright antagonism to Pratt's involvement rub the detective the wrong way. The only solution, of course, is to solve the crime.