Rickie Wilson, a young circular delivery boy, witnesses a fatal beating by a local slumlord, Sonny Roper. Det/Lt Lonnie Jamison and Sgt Luanne Corbin investigate, but the incident is in county territory under Sheriff Will McComb's jurisdiction. Ricky eludes Lonnie and Luanne and flees the scene, and McComb is incensed, escalating the bad blood between the sheriff's office and the Sparta police. When Roper serves an eviction notice on a young widow, Sarah Hallisey, Harriet DeLong gets involved, against the strong advice of Chief Bill Gillespie.
—richardann