When Catherine Ducane, the daughter of the Governor of Louisiana, disappears, the cops react quickly. But the case takes a strange turn when her bodyguard is found mutilated in the trunk of a vintage car. The kidnapper contacts the authorities, and he doesn't demand money; instead, he wants time alone with Ray Hartmann, a minor functionary from a Washington-based organized crime task force.

Ray Hartmann's only desire is to resolve this swiftly so he can return home to mend his broken marriage. However, he is compelled to listen to the mysterious kidnapper, an elderly Cuban named Ernesto Perez, who insists on sharing his life story. As Ray listens, he discovers that Ernesto has been a brutal hitman for the Mob since the 1950s. The pieces of this intricate puzzle start to come together, but by the time Ray understands the full picture, it is already too late...