Impact

Torrence and Irene hatch a murder plot to remove Walt Williams. Torrence uses a lug wrench to strike Walt, then rolls his body down a steep embankment. They intend to pass the incident off as a random fatal accident, counting on no witnesses.

Spooked by two moving-van attendants who stop to offer help, he races off in Walt's roadster and slams into a gasoline tanker. He survives the wreck and begins to vanish, unaware that Irene is already heading to Oakland to rendezvous with Torrence under false names.

The next morning, Walt crawls from the wreck and sees a newspaper declaring him dead. He travels on, eventually reaching the small town of Larkspur, Idaho, where a new life begins to take shape.

In Larkspur, Walt finds work as a skilled mechanic at a local service station owned by Marsha Peters, a young war widow. He keeps his true identity hidden as he rebuilds his life and finds a degree of stability.

Back in San Francisco, Detective Quincy begins piecing together the murder and slowly links Irene to the plot. His investigation gains momentum as new clues surface.

Irene is arrested as an accomplice, facing potential death penalty. The arrest becomes a turning point, shifting attention to the wider conspiracy.

Walt lives with Marsha and her mother in Larkspur, recovering and watching developments in San Francisco from afar. Marsha's kindness deepens his resolve, and he begins to see a possible future with her.

Marsha convinces Walt that he must go back to San Francisco to tell his side and clear Irene, arguing it is the only way to secure a future. He reluctantly agrees, setting his plan in motion.

Walt returns to San Francisco to present his truth, but Irene uses his absence to frame him as the mastermind. She accuses him of plotting to murder her and Torrence, turning the situation against him.

The district attorney questions Walt's amnesia defense to explain his three-month disappearance. As the trial proceeds, Irene's version gains traction and threatens his freedom.

Su Lin, Williams's former housekeeper, is found and provides a crucial lead. Clippings about Irene's trial are discovered in Walt's room in Larkspur, lending credibility to Irene's claims.

Marsha and Quincy locate a hotel key Irene left in a jacket pocket, leading them to Torrence's suitcase still at the Oakland hotel. The find reveals Torrence's Jack Burns alias and his connection to Irene.

With the new, definitive evidence, Walt is freed and Irene is rearrested. The case finally tilts in Walt’s favor as his truth is established.