After an inner city family is shot and killed by a young boy, the police commence a search for the person who supplied the gun to the boy. Milo Krantz is one of the first to be arrested. As a rent collector for a notorious slumlord, he is one of the most despised people in the neighborhood. Milo is no stranger to police stations and actually seems happy when he is arrested, knowing that his boss always gives him a raise whenever he gets harassed by the police. But later, when appearing in front of the judge, Milo does an abrupt about-face: he not only confesses to the crime, he refuses to say anything in his own defense. This sudden change in attitude baffles Gunther Mulvaney, the detective who arrested Milo. Suspicious that Milo is taking the fall for someone else, a stubborn Gunther continues his investigation. He begins digging into Milo's life and discovers a man quite different from the hated rent collector who is now the frequent subject of radio talk-shows.

This investigation eventually intersects with one being conducted by a private investigator secretly hired to explore the mysterious circumstances surrounding the hospitalization five years earlier of the judge in Milo's case. But not until Gunther uncovers Milo's past connection with the judge does he begin to learn the real story behind Milo's confession.