Doug Wilson is a reformed small time hood who hits LA after a 3 year absence. He has just heard about the death of his younger brother in an accident. He wants to go to the funeral and make peace with his mother.
Because Wilson had been a real hard-case in the past, no one swallows that he is on the straight and narrow now. Not his, mother, not his ex-girlfriend, not the cops, and not the local mob.
After a sit down with the ex, Jeanne Braid, Wilson discovers that his little brother's death had been anything but an accident. He decides to dig into it and see what he can find out.
Wilson first questions the bartender and waitress at the bar where his brother met his untimely end. They of course, saw nothing. Wilson then decides to look up the two former members of his hold-up crew. He hits the bars and bookie joints till he finds the first, Lee Kross. Kross now runs a small time crew that make a living doing break-ins of liquor stores. He has just gotten out of prison on a 2 year bit.
Wilson grills him on his brother's death. Kross tells him he knows nothing about it, but that Tony Louis, the third member of Wilson's old crew, might. Louis has moved up in the world and is now a made guy in the mob. Kross gives Wilson the address of a bar and bookie joint Louis now runs. Kross also warns Wilson not to trust Louis anymore, "He runs with a new crowd," he tells Wilson.
Wilson hits the bookie joint where he runs into Marilyn O'Connor. O'Connor was a hanger on in the old days, but is now married to Louis. It takes all of 10 seconds for O'Connor to offer Wilson a taste. Wilson pretends to be interested but just wants to know where her husband is.
Louis finally shows and seems somewhat rattled that Wilson is there. Louis invites Wilson up to his apartment for a talk. He tells Wilson that he likewise knows nothing about the brother's death, but offers to help. "We have an interest in the bar where he died, maybe I can get them to talk." The two have a talk with the bar staff but nothing new is learned. Louis says goodnight and heads home. Wilson goes off for a walk and a smoke. Several minutes later a car pulls up. Three large men with a definite anti-social bent, pile out of the auto and proceed to pummel Wilson.
Five minutes later, a bloodied Wilson picks himself up and staggers off to the ex's place to recover. "I must have upset someone", he mutters to himself.
The next day, a couple of Police detectives, Frank Harding and Steve Bradley, grab Wilson up. There had been a robbery the night before that fits his m.o. The ex gives him an alibi. Harding and Bradley tell Wilson he best be on the train out of town a hour after his brother's funeral.
Later that morning, Wilson goes to have another word with Kross at his warehouse. He gets there just in time to see Kross and his boys being hauled away by the Police. As Kross passes Wilson on the way to the paddy wagon, he asks for a light. He then whispers to Wilson that his brother was involved in a mob hit.
Wilson now beats the feet over to the Louis apartment. No Louis, but O'Connor is willing to go a couple of rounds of clutch and grab if Wilson wants. Wilson complies hoping to get some info on Louis. He sees there is a packed suitcase by the front door. He has a quick look-see while O'Connor is fixing a drink. "Louis is going out of town on business" O'Connor says.
Louis now shows. He sees Wilson and pulls a piece out of his suitcase. Louis waves the piece towards the door and Wilson takes the hint. Needless to say that Wilson now knows who killed his brother.
Louis takes Wilson over to Braid's apartment. Louis intends to kill Wilson and Braid and make it look like a murder suicide. Wilson asks why Louis killed his brother. Louis tells him that he had used his brother, a mechanic, to build him a trigger for a bomb. Louis wanted to move up in the mob and had pulled a hit on a rival. When the hit went wrong, Wilson's brother was simply a loose end that needed to be tidied up.
Louis points the automatic and pulls the trigger. Nothing happens. Wilson steps up and decks Louis. Wilson then pulls the pistol's magazine from his own coat pocket. "I lifted it from the gun when I looked through your suitcase." Louis now breaks down and admits he sent the men to give him the beating. Louis just wanted to scare Wilson off. Louis begs Wilson to let him go. He needs to grab a train and leave town before the mob figures out the botched hit was his doing.
Wilson loads the gun and hands it back to to Louis. Louis says thanks and heads out the door and down the stairs. Waiting at the bottom are Detectives, Harding and Bradley. Louis starts blasting with the Police returning fire. Louis loses the exchange and is left in a heap on the stairs.
Wilson, listening upstairs, just smiles. He knew the Police had been following him.
A quick and to the point 62 minute quickie! Some really nice location shooting here with nary a sound stage in sight. The whole cast and crew rises above the low-low budget.
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