A navy officer unwittingly has an affair with a politician's mistress, and becomes involved in the investigation after she is murdered. However, he soon suspects the plan is to find a scapegoat rather than the real killer - and that he is the most likely candidate to take the fall. Political thriller, starring Kevin Costner, Gene Hackman, Sean Young, Iman and George Dzundza.

Navy Lt. Tom Farrell meets a young woman, Susan Atwell , and they share a passionate fling. Farrell then finds out that his superior, Defense Secretary David Brice, is also romantically involved with Atwell. When the young woman turns up dead, Farrell is put in charge of the murder investigation. He begins to uncover shocking clues about the case, but when details of his encounter with Susan surface, he becomes a suspect as well.