The Temp

On his first day back from treatment, Peter finds the baked goods company has been taken over by a major food conglomerate. Charlene Towne, his ruthless boss, demands a complete report by the next day and signals sweeping cutbacks. The new corporate pressure leaves him anxious about meeting an impossible deadline.

The company assigns Kris Bolin as a temporary worker to help with the looming deadline. She quickly resolves product issues and proves relentlessly loyal and quick-witted. Peter starts to warm to her as a capable ally in a hostile corporate environment.

Unsettling accidents start piling up around the office. Lance is maimed by a paper shredder and forced to take extended leave. The muttered whispers of foul play begin to shadow Peter as the incidents escalate.

Peter's rival Jack Hartsell is found dead from a wasp sting in his stalled car on the Marquam Bridge. The death appears suspicious and fuels a sense that danger surrounds the company. The incident deepens Peter's sense that something is deeply wrong with the corporate machinations around him.

Vice President Roger Jasser is found hanging in his office in an apparent suicide. The sudden loss compounds the perception of peril in the company. Peter begins to feel that sabotage is closing in on him from within the organization.

With each death, Peter receives an unearned promotion within the company, inflating his authority. Kris remains a loyal ally, quietly influencing decisions behind the scenes. The string of successes heightens Peter's paranoia and sense of being manipulated.

In a candid conversation, Kris explains she prefers temp roles to see how she fits within a corporation and that she has not yet found the 'right fit.' She also reveals a photo of a man and child on her desk, hinting at a personal history. Peter remains wary but is drawn to her loyalty nonetheless.

Peter enlists Sara Meinhold to help dig into Kris's past. He discovers that Kris's former boss died mysteriously and that Kris never attended Stanford. The discoveries challenge his trust and push him toward a confrontation.

Peter confronts Kris with his findings, but she denies the accusations. The next morning, someone frames him for leaking confidential information, and he is shunned by colleagues. Kris finally takes responsibility for the 'computer error,' enabling Peter to be promoted to vice president while she becomes marketing executive.

Charlene sends Peter and Kris on a weekend retreat to the company's bakery. En route, Kris's brakes are tampered with, signaling more danger. The trip ends with a sense that nothing is as it seems and a warning of Charlene's influence.

After checking into the hotel near the bakery, Peter receives an urgent message about a problem at the bakery. They arrive to find a dead security guard and Kris with a mild concussion. Peter is knocked unconscious by an unseen assailant, heightening the danger around the retreat.

In a chaotic confrontation on a catwalk, Peter intervenes to stop Charlene from strangling Kris. Charlene falls from a plank and dies, uttering the words 'The picture' as a final clue. Peter realizes Kris's duplicity, but cannot prove it at that moment.

Months later, Peter has rebuilt his life and becomes president of the company. He discovers identical framed photos left behind; Rosemary, Charlene's secretary, explains the frames contain stock photos. Realizing Kris's manipulation, Peter fires her and has her detained until the police can escort her out, acknowledging he cannot prove her guilt earlier.