Ulterior Motives

A US radio broadcast announces the upcoming vote on a major trade bill, signaling a potential drastic cut on Japanese imports. The political pressure creates a tense backdrop for the investigation that follows. The broadcast frames the economic stakes driving later conspiracies.

Erica Boswell travels from New York to California to pursue the story about a businessman allegedly selling aerospace secrets to Japan. She meets Elizabeth Walthrop, who claims to work with the man and hints that a critical meeting will take place the next day. This encounter sets Erica on a path toward gathering evidence.

Erica hires private detective Jack Blaylock to photograph Sakagami’s meeting and to document the exchange. They break into the contact’s hotel room to seize potential documents, but the contact returns and a fight ensues. The clash destroys the photos, leaving them with little concrete proof.

Despite the setback, Erica publishes the story, using whatever corroboration she can assemble. The article inflames public opinion and heightens the stakes for Sakagami and his associates. The move marks a turning point that accelerates the conspiracy.

Erica visits Sakagami’s home for an interview and finds him dead, apparently by suicide. She suspects foul play, especially since the money from the exchange is missing. The death deepens the mystery and personal danger surrounding the case.

Erica learns that Elizabeth Walthrop may not exist, or at least isn’t who she claimed to be, casting doubt on the initial source. The discovery forces a deeper investigation into Malcolm’s network and the Sakagami connection. Erica realizes a larger conspiracy may be at play.

Erica rehired Jack, and the two grow closer as they work the case. They discuss a legend that true lovers are re-encountered in a new life, and Jack hints that their own reunion might be fated. The relationship adds tension as danger closes in.

Elizabeth Walthrop is revealed to be aligned with Malcolm, a public relations operator who manipulates public opinion. The group orchestrates the Sakagami deception to influence the trade bill vote. Erica’s investigation begins to threaten their carefully constructed plot.

Jack visits Malcolm’s office, and Malcolm orders him to kill Erica and remove the obstacle. That night, Jack tries to push Erica off her apartment roof, but an interruption diverts the murder attempt. The display foreshadows the lengths to which the conspirators will go.

Erica realizes she’s been set up after hearing a message from Malcolm on Jack’s answering machine. She hurries to book a flight to New York and returns to her apartment to gather evidence. The danger intensifies as Malcolm’s web closes in.

In a staged confrontation, Erica is seized by Malcolm’s henchmen while Jack drags her into the bedroom. Malcolm arrives and declares that Jack will be killed to tie up loose ends. But the deception is revealed when Jack reveals the death was faked using a cadaver and pigs' blood, and Erica is alive.

Jack explains the 'lovers across lifetimes' idea and why he spared her, reinforcing the myth of their destined reunion. Malcolm and Elizabeth realize Erica and Jack are still alive and pursue documented proof of the real story. The two reconcile their bond while staying ahead of the conspiracy.

Malcolm and Elizabeth close in on the pair at the building where the documents are kept, triggering a tense gun standoff. The confrontation tests Erica’s resolve to publish the full truth regardless of danger. Jack fights to protect the evidence and his love for Erica.

Jack defeats Malcolm and Elizabeth, killing both, and urges Erica to run away with him. She refuses, prioritizing publication of the full story. Jack accepts her decision and vows to find her again in the next life.

In the aftermath, Jack leaves to pursue their destinies across lifetimes, promising to catch Erica on the next time around. Erica continues her work, determined to bring the full truth to light despite the danger. The story ends with a bittersweet sense that their romance will endure only as a memory until the next life.