| Director | John Dahl |
|---|---|
| Genre | thriller film |
| Runtime | 94 min |
| Country | United States |
| Budget | $4 million |
| Box office | $283,694 |
In Nevada, criminal couple Vince Miller and Fay Forrester steal $850,000 from mobsters at a Winnemucca casino, killing one in the process. During their getaway to Hells Canyon in Idaho, the two get into an argument. Fay knocks out the controlling Vince at a rest stop and escapes with the money. Jack Andrews, a widowed Reno private investigator drowning in $10,000 of gambling debt, is approached by Fay. She poses as an abused wife and offers him $10,000 to fake her death. Though skeptical, Jack agrees to help, eager to pay off his debts. He gives her the false identity of Vera Billings, a woman from West Virginia.
After staging Fay's death, Jack discovers she has fled to Las Vegas with half his payment. Police briefly arrest him for her "murder" but release him due to insufficient evidence. Meanwhile, Vince learns of Jack's involvement through newspaper reports. When loan sharks take the remainder of Jack's advance payment, he decides to follow Fay to Vegas. Before he can leave, Vince attacks him demanding Fay's whereabouts, but Jack escapes. The mob also targets Jack, believing he has their money.
In Vegas, Jack locates Fay gambling with the stolen money. Before he can get answers, mobsters confront them in her hotel room. Fay shoots one dead while the other escapes. As they flee, Fay admits she stole the money from Vince after he stole it from the mob. The pair hide at a lakeside motel where they become intimate. Jack suggests starting a new life in Maine, and Fay agrees. When they learn police are seeking them for the mobster's murder, Fay suggests they fake their deaths to escape.
Jack calls his partner Alan to say goodbye, accidentally revealing their location. He then explains his plan to Fay: they'll stage a boat explosion to fake their deaths, then retrieve the hidden money before fleeing to Maine. Meanwhile, Vince tortures and kills Alan to discover their whereabouts.
Jack leaves Fay at the motel while he buries the money and supplies on an Indian reservation. Upon returning, he finds Vince holding Fay at gunpoint. Jack negotiates, offering half the money in exchange for their freedom. Vince restrains Jack in a closet, then assaults Fay, who manages to grab the gun and shoot him.
The couple flee to retrieve the money, but Vince appears, revealing Fay's betrayal. Fay shoots Jack, who falls into the lake. Fay and Vince take the briefcase and escape in Jack's car, only to discover it's empty. Police chase them to the border where they die in a fiery crash. Jack, wounded but alive and in possession of the money, is rescued from the lake by two Native Americans who drive him to safety.