This Side of the Law

David lies trapped in a dry cistern, staring up at the faint light and weighing the possibility of dying there. The claustrophobic fear pushes him to replay the events that led to his predicament. A flashback to a week earlier unfolds, showing how a chance encounter spiraled into this trap.

A week earlier, David, a bright but down-and-out vagrant, is spotted by a police officer loitering near a revolver in a pawn shop window. He delivers a sharp retort, and he is carted off to jail for no visible means of support. The arrest seeds the trouble that will push him toward a dangerous plan.

The following day he is sentenced to $50 or 30 days. Lawyer Philip Cagle pays the fine and invites him into his office, where the missing-man case is explained. The counselor reveals that Malcolm Taylor, a wealthy man, has been missing for years and could be declared dead; David is offered to impersonate him for a fee, launching a high-stakes estate claim.

Cagle explains the terms: if David impersonates the missing man, he will be paid, and they negotiate the amount. They then drive to the missing man's mansion near a cliff, where he must fool three relatives. The plan hinges on David's ability to pass as Malcolm Taylor for an extended period.

The party arrives at the estate, where the dog Angel snarls at David until he proves himself. Evelyn, Calder, and Nadine begin to assess the newcomer, while the deception starts to take shape. David must maintain the impersonation while navigating the wary tolerance of the family.

Nadine notices that David's wrists are scarred, revealing the ruse. She offers to stay quiet for a share of the estate, signaling a shadowy alliance with Cagle. David informs Cagle by phone, and Cagle takes steps to keep Nadine in line.

At a lonely spot on the estate, Nadine confronts David about the conspiracy and pressure to stay silent. David, fearing exposure, kills her and hurls her body off the cliff into the ocean. The murder solidifies the danger surrounding the impersonation.

The police declare Nadine's death an accident, allowing the impersonation scheme to continue unchecked. The estate's secrets remain largely hidden as the main deception persists. David contemplates the precarious luck that has sustained him thus far.

Cagle offers David a ride, but knocks him out and leaves him in a dry cistern. When he awakens, David discovers Malcolm Taylor's skeletal remains beside him, a grim reminder that the impersonation has become a deadly trap. The escape seems far more dangerous than any payoff.

David manages to climb out of the cistern and steps back into freedom, still entangled in the estate's perilous web. He realizes the depth of the conspiracy and the costs of his deception. The next moves will depend on the shifting loyalties around him.

Calder invites Evelyn to Nadine's favorite cliff-side spot, accuses her of murder, and tries to push her off. David, just escaped from the cistern, hears Evelyn's screams and races to her defense. Tension mounts as the truth edges closer to the surface.

David confronts Cagle, who pulls a gun as police sirens approach. David uses a distraction to blot out the shots, and Angel the dog corners Cagle near the cistern, forcing him to fall in during the struggle. The true intent behind the plan is finally exposed.

With the truth revealed, all is confessed to the puzzled police. Evelyn chooses not to press charges, and she and David acknowledge a rekindled mutual feeling. The estate's tangled web is resolved, though the cost remains in memory.