 Matt Whitlock (Denzel Washington) is the Chief of Police in a small town outside of Miami, Florida, living and working in a place that is normally reserved for those who have retired and spend the rest of their days relaxing in the sun. Although he enjoys his job, his drinking whilst on duty is an obvious flaw in his character, brought about in ways by his recent divorce from wife Alex (Eva Mendes). Whitlock is currently having an affair with a local resident, Ann Merai Harrison (Sanaa Lathan), whose abusive husband Chris (Dean Cain) has driven her to adultery. Recently diagnosed with terminal cancer, Ann Merai plans on rewarding Whitlock s loyalty to her with a handsome payout from her life insurance. After an apparent arson attack on their house kills Ann Merai and Chris, Alex arrives back on the scene as the detective in charge of the case - and Whitlock soon finds himself the prime suspect...