Ruby Cairo

When Bessie Faro's husband, Johnny, dies in a plane crash in Veracruz, Mexico, she discovers his air cargo business is deeply in the red. At the Veracruz airline terminal she finds a packet of baseball cards Johnny marked to track bets; she decodes these as indicators of a bank account. Her first attempt to withdraw the money fails, revealing that the account is in the name of the player on the card, Onix Concepción.

Back home, Bessie uses an international bank directory at the local library to decode Manny Sanguillén's Pirates card and identify another bank account in Panama. The discovery broadens her search from one account to a network of accounts tied to Johnny's money. This marks the start of a worldwide quest to locate all the funds.

She obtains durable power of attorney, allowing her to act on Johnny's assets. With legal authority in hand, she launches a whirlwind trek to recover the money. Her pursuit quickly spans multiple countries and bank accounts.

In Panama, she locates the account identified by Manny Sanguillén's card and begins withdrawing funds. She navigates bank procedures and recognizes the first tangible payout from Johnny's scheme. The success spurs her to keep digging for all the hidden funds.

The trek continues to the Bahamas, where she recovers tens of thousands of dollars from another account. Each withdrawal strengthens her resolve to uncover the full extent of Johnny's operations. The money recovered adds to the growing total she is pursuing.

Next, the Cayman Islands yield more funds as another account is drained. Her relentless pursuit continues to build a larger cash reserve. The pattern of offshore accounts reinforces the breadth of Johnny's scheme.

In Berlin, she closes Don Mueller's Berliner Bank account, but the cashier hands over only 750 DM. The cashier explains that 74,000 DM worth of cashier's checks have been paid to EDK Technik in East Berlin. An EDK Technik manager also reveals they manufacture ink for ballpoint pens, hinting at the company's secretive cover.

In Athens, Johnny's account has already been closed. A teller takes Bessie to a safe deposit box that contains only a Bill Mazeroski card. The card convinces her that Johnny may still be alive.

The teller reveals that a local shipping company cashed out part of Johnny's money and wired the rest to Cairo. This clue confirms that a larger network is involved in Johnny's disappearance. Bessie resolves to follow the trail to Egypt.

She learns that Kolatos Shipping Company has a boat headed to Cairo with grain for a food aid effort. Following the cargo, she travels to Egypt and discovers a smuggling operation tied to the grain shipments. The involvement of the shipping company ties the money trail to the weapons-smuggling network.

On the cargo truck bound for Cairo, she sneaks a look inside the grain bags and uncovers containers of thionyl chloride. The containers are manufactured by EDK Technik, tying the shipments to Johnny's money and the weapon-smuggling network. The discovery deepens her resolve to confront those involved.

Bessie befriends Fergus Lamb, the relief-effort coordinator, and explains what she found in Egypt. Fergus confronts his Operations Manager about the plot and vows to stop the smuggling. The two quickly bond over their shared goal, fueling a growing romance.

A local Immigration Agent teams up with Bessie to locate Johnny. Johnny admits he had been skimming from chemical-weapon traders and had to disappear. The confession leaves Bessie shaken but determined to bring him back, if possible.

When Bessie leaves, Johnny runs after her and tries to make her stay, holding her at gunpoint in a crowded square. The men who have been following Bessie close in and kill him. The confrontation ends with Johnny's death, altering Bessie's pursuit and forcing her to confront the truth.

The film ends with Bessie back home with her family. Fergus arrives to reunite with her, signaling a new beginning and the possibility of healing. Bessie's journey closes with her choosing her future and the people she loves.