The Big Heat

Homicide bureau Det. Sgt. Dave Bannion is assigned to the case when a policeman, Tom Duncan who was head of the records bureau, commits suicide. It seems like an open and shut case until the police get a call from Lucy Chapman. She says she was Tom's girlfriend and there is no way he would have committed suicide. Bannion dismisses her story out of hand, but when Chapman is found the next day, beaten and tortured to death, he begins to think there may be something to what she said. Despite warnings to back off, Bannion continues investigating but it leads to his wife's death. He quits the force and pursues mobster Mike Lagana and his henchman Vince Stone.