June,1976: Crime reporter Wat Tyler is plunged into Washington DC's political shark-tank when his pal Johnny Tedstone and Pentagon big-shot Keith Zetchik are murdered on the same night, in the same neighbourhood.
The prime suspect is General Joseph "Holy Joe" Tedstone - Johnny's dad and Zetchik's bitter rival.
Still worse, Johnny had told Tyler the previous evening that his dad was planning the double murder. However, Tyler ignored the prediction because Johnny was drunk and stoned.
Filled with self-recrimination, Tyler - a Special Forces veteran - discovers Holy Joe and Zetchik served together as friends in Vietnam but became implacable enemies over war crime allegations.