Police chief Joe Conroy (Hayden) is relieved of his police duties after he accuses a "respected community man" Al Willis (Barry) of murdering a group of police officers. Despite his lack of authority, Conroy puts so much heat on Willis that the latter, making the excuse to his wife Helen (Marcia Henderson) that he needs time to clear his head, skips town for Border City, where he's living a double life as a hoodlum with bar-singer mistress Marianna (Grahame), whom he treats abusively.