May 1940, the last days of the Great Depression, and private investigator Benjamin Wade isn't exactly rolling in the dough. He doesn't even have a secretary. So he's in the unenviable position of taking any client that walks in his office. Elmer Smith, a local farmer, has a problem: all of his chickens are scheduled for slaughter. He's desperate to save his livelihood. He got a court injunction to slow the process, but time is running out. Instead of laughing Smith out the door, Wade suppresses his pride to take the case. It seems like a simple, straight-forward paycheck. He zeroes in on a central question: What really happened the night police chased someone through Smith's farm? Wade isn't the only one asking that question, but he could be the only one who might die for it.