Pitfall

Forbes, a bored insurance man, is told by MacDonald that the company holds a potential recovery in the form of gifts to the imprisoned embezzler's girlfriend. He resolves to pursue the money himself, driven by a taste for danger and adventure. This decision sets him on a path that will soon threaten his marriage and safety.

Forbes visits Mona Stevens to review the gifts and learns about a boat among them. They share a flirtatious, uneasy chemistry as they talk and drive together to see the boat, ending the evening with a drink and dinner. The attraction between them begins to complicate Forbes's resolve.

In the shadows of the case, MacDonald confesses he is attracted to Mona, creating distrust for Forbes about keeping business separate from personal desire. Forbes grows wary of MacDonald's motives and reliability. The personal tension adds a dangerous edge to what began as a routine stakeout.

Forbes and Mona drive out to see the boat, and their time together on the water deepens their bond. They talk and flirt as the risk of exposure grows, and Forbes weighs how far he’s willing to go for excitement over stability. The night ends with the sense that Forbes has crossed a line.

That evening, Mona reveals MacDonald has been pounding on her door. The following day, MacDonald tails Forbes to his office and presses him about the boat, hinting at trouble if Forbes stays connected to Mona. The threat to Forbes's personal life intensifies.

When Forbes returns home, MacDonald is waiting, taunting and then beating him up to send a warning. The brutal assault shakes Forbes and forces him to confront how far others will go to derail his plans. The incident marks a turning point for his sense of safety.

The next morning, Mona drives to Forbes's home after discovering he called in sick. She overhears his wife Sue in conversation with the doctor and their son, realizing that Forbes is a devoted husband. This moment cools the affair and shifts her perspective.

Forbes visits Mona again and the affair ends. He reconsiders his life and comes to value his wife and family, resolving to repair his relationships and focus on stability over danger. The emotional pivot sets up the next phase of the story.

MacDonald keeps harassing Stevens at work and outside her apartment, threatening to expose Forbes's affair to his wife. Forbes confronts MacDonald at his apartment and warns him to stop interfering, signaling a willingness to fight back for his family.

Smiley is released from prison and shows up at Stevens's apartment with a gun given by MacDonald, pressing Mona about Forbes. Mona admits the affair but says it is over, and she warns Forbes about Smiley's threat. The tension escalates as the danger moves closer to home.

That night, Forbes retrieves his gun and, after turning off the lights, shoots Smiley when he tries to break in. He kills Smiley in what he claims is self-defense and to shield his wife and child from further harm. The act cements the story's moral complexity about justice and protection.

The district attorney rules Smiley's killing justifiable homicide, while Stevens has shot MacDonald and is arrested. Forbes confesses everything to Sue, who agrees to give their marriage another try, and she comes to pick him up from the DA's office. The couple faces a uncertain but renewed path together.