Plot

A bright assistant D.A. investigates a gruesome hatchet murder and hides a clue he found at the crime scene. Under professional threats and an attempt on his life, he goes on heartbroken because evidence point to the woman he still loves.

Someone does a nasty hatchet job on a San Fransisco big noise and the Assistant D.A. takes charge of the investigation. Through a web of blackmail and prostitution involving the Governor, an old lover of the lawman emerges as a prime suspect and he has to deal with his personal feelings as well as the case.—Jeremy Perkins {J-26}

In San Francisco, Assistant D.A. David Corelli, the lawyer Matt Gavin and his wife, the psychologist Trina Gavin, are friends since the university and David still loves Trina. When the millionaire Kyle Medford is murdered with several strokes of an ancient hatchet, the police find fingerprints in the hatchet and Det. Bob Hargrove and Petey Vasko find several photos of the Governor Edwards having sex with a woman. Soon they identify the woman, Patrice Jacinto, and she tells David that Medford used to pay her and other women to gave sex with powerful men at his beach house in Pacifica. Further, their favorite woman is Jade. David visits the governor in his office, who is with his sidekick Bill Barrett, and he warns David to not expose the photos to the public. Soon David almost dies, when the brake of his car is sabotaged. Then a car kills Patrice, when she is going to a cafeteria to meet David. The evidence points to Trina, but David refuses to believe that his beloved woman is a killer. But soon they identify the fingerprints in the hatchet and who Jade is.—Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

When the assistant district attorney of San Francisco investigates the mysterious death of an important millionaire he discovers that the first suspect in this case is a friend of his who is married to an important lawyer. Now it is difficult for him to distinguish between what is reality and what should be reality.—Volker Boehm

San Francisco Assistant District Attorney David Corelli (David Caruso) is called to the murder scene of prominent businessman Kyle Medford, found bludgeoned to death in his home by an antique hatchet. Police detectives Bob Hargrove (Michael Biehn) and Petey Vesko (Ken King) find photographs in Medford's safe of Governor Lew Edwards (Richard Crenna) having sex with a prostitute, later identified as Patrice Jacinto (Angie Everhart). During questioning, Patrice reveals that other women and she were paid by Medford to have sex with wealthy men at his beach house in Pacifica. She also informs them that the most desired prostitute among the clients was a woman known only as "Jade".

In a private meeting with Governor Edwards and aide Bill Barrett (Holt McCallany), Corelli is warned not to make the photographs public. Corelli is then almost killed when his brake line is deliberately cut and his vehicle goes out of control while driving down a steep hill.

The detectives find fingerprints on the hatchet belonging to Katrina 'Trina' Gavin (Linda Fiorentino), a clinical psychologist and former lover of Corelli's who eventually got married to his close friend, defense attorney Matt Gavin (Chazz Palminteri). When interviewed at a police station, Katrina explains that Medford gave her a tour of his antique collection on the day in question, but claims that she had nothing to do with his death.

At Medford's beach house, Corelli and the detectives find various drugs, alcohol, and sex toys, as well as hidden video cameras. They conclude Medford was recording the sex sessions to blackmail the men. Corelli is shocked to discover Katrina on one of the tapes; the revelation renews the detectives' interest in her as a suspect.

Patrice arranges to meet Corelli at a restaurant to discuss Jade's identity, but she is murdered in a hit-and-run attack by an unknown assailant driving a black 1993 Ford Thunderbird. Corelli, witnessing the murder first-hand, chases the assailants' vehicle in vain. The detectives discover the Gavins own a similar Thunderbird, so they suspect Katrina of killing Patrice, but when they find the actual vehicle used in the hit-and-run abandoned, someone appears to be trying to frame Katrina.

Katrina is again brought in for questioning and this time is shown the sex tape. Matt, in his capacity as her attorney, ends the interrogation before she fully explains her involvement. When confronted at their home, Katrina admits to her husband that she did have sex with the man on the tape, due in part to her knowledge of Matt's many affairs of his own with various women.

Katrina visits Corelli at his apartment and tries unsuccessfully to seduce him. She admits having felt sexually liberated by sleeping with several men at the beach house. Meanwhile, the only witness to identify Katrina at the Pacifica beach house, a man named Henderson, is found murdered. Corelli informs the detectives at the crime scene that Katrina could not have killed Henderson because Corelli and she were together at the time.

Back at his apartment, Corelli is met by Matt, who holds him at gunpoint and angrily accuses him of having sex with Katrina. He denies it and persuades Matt that his wife's life is in danger. They hurry to the Gavin home, where Detective Hargrove, Pat Callendar (David Hunt) and governor's aide Barrett have come to kill Katrina and search for the incriminating photos of the governor. Callendar is shot by Matt, but Barrett manages to escape. In the meantime, Hargrove is trying to rape and kill Katrina, but Corelli and Matt arrive and Hargrove is shot and killed by Matt.

Corelli goes to Governor Edwards for a guarantee of Katrina's safety by leveraging his possession of the photographs. The governor denies any knowledge of Hargrove or Callendar's actions, but insinuates they were both acting on his behalf.

In the final scene, as she gets ready for bed at home, Katrina finds photographs laid out in her bathroom of her having sex at the beach house. Matt admits to Katrina that he was the one who killed Medford, certain that Medford eventually would blackmail them both. He then tells Katrina to "introduce me to Jade" the next time they "make love".