Deadline

Matt Harper is dispatched from Nashville to Amos, Alabama to cover the murder of the town's police chief. He sees Amos as a small, divided town ripe for a hard-hitting investigation. In Amos, he is introduced to Trey Hall, a wealthy local who believes justice for a long-buried crime should come to light.

Trey urges Matt to investigate the nearly twenty-year-old murder of Wallace Sampson, arguing that solving it could define his career as a reporter who does the right thing. Matt agrees that the case could make his name, despite the personal cost. The pursuit of the truth begins to overshadow his personal life and engagement with Delana.

Matt asks editor Walker Burns for permission to pursue the story, and Burns allows it with one condition: Ronnie Bullock accompanies him. The arrangement pairs Matt with a blunt, politically incorrect partner, setting up potential tension as the investigation progresses. The assignment marks the start of a high-stakes, collaborative hunt for answers.

They uncover old police files pointing to a Klansman who operated 'The Store' near the murder site. The day before Wallace's murder, someone attempted to firebomb The Store during a civil rights protest, hinting at motive and danger. The new lead deepens the case and compels the reporters to push harder.

Just as progress is made, Delana tells Matt that his father Lucas Harper has cancer. Matt and Delana visit the ailing father, but their relationship worsens when Matt avoids telling him about the broken engagement and criticizes his father. The investigation kernels into Matt's personal life, testing his priorities.

Ignoring Burns's orders, Matt and Bullock press on with interviews and file reviews. They interview Mary Pell Sampson, Wallace's mother, who is initially reluctant but eventually shares critical context about The Store. Delana reluctantly helps with the interview, driven by a sense that someone is getting away with murder.

Mary Pell confirms The Store was a front for prostitution, shedding light on motives behind the firebombing. The revelation casts a darker motive for the murder and supports the investigators' angle. Delana's persistence helps keep the interview alive.

The publisher discovers the ongoing investigation and confronts Matt publicly, prompting Matt to rethink. Matt seeks his father's advice; using Lucas's counsel, Matt and Bullock renew their pursuit and realign their approach. The team solidifies as they commit to the truth.

Matt and Bullock enlist Delana to help interview Wallace's girlfriend Vanessa, who reveals a clue about someone running from the scene. Vanessa's information helps narrow the list of suspects and ties recent activity to the old murder. The team grows tighter as Delana proves to be an indispensable ally.

They locate Billy 'Possum' Baker, an anti-Klan informer who is dying but willing to come forward. Baker's information confirms a hidden network and links to the original murder. The urgency heightens as Baker's condition worsens and his testimony becomes crucial.

Just as the story is published, Matt's father Lucas dies, giving Matt a personal deadline to finish the work. The reporting ties the Wallace Sampson murder to the police chief's murder, prompting indictments and accountability. The town braces for a hearing, and Mary Pell reveals a final shocking truth about the killer that stuns everyone.

With indictments secured and the killer exposed, the town of Amos begins to change. Matt earns a reputation as a principled journalist, while Delana rekindles their relationship. The editors award them a prize for investigative reporting, signaling a new conscience-driven era for Amos and for Matt.