User:Coder Dan/Sandbox

Plot

The story describes the conflict that arises after a thief witnesses a drunken rendezvous between a billionaire's wife and the fictional President of the United States in which the woman is killed by Secret Service agents. The thief is Luther Whitney (Eastwood), one of the most skilled jewel thieves in the United States. The President is Alan Richmond (Hackman), a notorious philanderer. The billionaire is Walter Sullivan (Marshall), an old man who financed Richmond's political career, and his beautiful young wife is Christy (Hardin). Luther has a daughter, Kate (Linney), who grew up while he was in prison. She has a successful legal career as a prosectutor, and she has been estranged from Luther for years.

While Whitney is robbing Sullivan's mansion, Christy comes home with Richmond. Luther hides behind a one-way mirror and watches them engage in rough sex. When Richmond tries to strangle Christy, she attacks him with a letter opener, he screams, and two Secret Service agents, Bill Burton (Glenn) and Tim Collin (Haysbert), shoot her to death. They and Chief of Staff Gloria Russell (Davis) then make the scene appear as if a burglar killed her. Luther is discovered, but escapes with some valuables and the bloody letter opener.

Detective Seth Frank (Harris), who is investigating the crime, identifies Luther as one of the few criminals able to commit such a complex burglary. Luther is not Frank's prime suspect in Christy's murder. Luther starts to flee the country, but he changes his mind at the airport after seeing the President make a hypocritical speech about the murderer, his incenses Luther and he vows to bring the President to justice.

At Frank's office, Burton asks Frank to keep him informed about the case as a Secret Service agent bugs Frank's telephone.

Together with Kate, for whom he feels a growing attraction, Frank enters Luther's town house and Kate sees numerous photos of her, indicately that Luther has secretly been watching her as she grew up. But Kate still suspects him of killing Christy Sullivan, so she agrees to Frank's request that she meet with Luther after Frank guarantees Luther's safety. Burton learns about the plan through the wiretap, and Richmond or his staff alert Sullivan, who hires a sniper to kill Luther. At the meeting, Collin and Sullivan's hit man try to shoot Luther, but they both miss, and Luther escapes through the police cordon by posing as a security guard.

Frank accompanies Kate back to her apartment, where Kate discovers, but does not tell Frank, that her father has stocked the refrigerator with food and drink. After Frank leaves, Luther comes out of hiding in the apartment, explains to Kate how Christy was killed, and leaves.

The next morning, Luther delivers Christy's necklace to Gloria Russell, with a forged message in Richmond's handwriting, which, unknown to her, Christy was wearing when she was killed. When Russell wears it to a White House dinner party later that evening, the President recognizes the necklace, and subsequently he instructs Collin and Burton to kill Kate, as he suspects (it turns out accurately) that she might know the truth as well.

When Frank tells Luther that the Secret Service has taken over surveillance of Kate, Luther races back to DC to protect her. He arrives at her customary jogging area just moments after Collin pushes her off a cliff by ramming her car. Collin tries to kill her again at the hospital, but Luther stops him, injects him with poison, and disposes of his body.

After visiting Frank to ask him what Sullivan said about Christy's reason for not going on vacation, Luther incapacitates Sullivan's chauffeur and drives Sullivan around Washington, explaining to him what really went on the night of the murder and handing over the bloodied letter opener, sealed in an evidence bag. Luther then drops Sullivan off outside the White House, and Sullivan sneaks the letter opener through White House security and meets the President.

Meanwhile, alerted by Luther that his phones are bugged, Frank arrives at Agent Burton's office. In remorse for the attempt on Kate, Burton has committed suicide and left evidence, which Frank uses to arrest Russell.

Breaking news reports claim that the President has apparently committed suicide by stabbing himself to death. Sullivan is interviewed and appears to support this interpretation of events, but the implication is clearly that he avenged his wife's death by killing the President himself.

The film ends with Luther in Kate's hospital room, sitting by her bedside and sketching her. Detective Frank drops in briefly, and Luther suggests to Kate that she invite Frank over for dinner.