***SPOLIERS*** After Low-Cost Housing Commissioner Jules Rhinelander, Richard Eastham, was shot and killed while resisting being kidnapped by a trio of thugs lead by the impeccably dressed and groomed looking Dennis Hailey, Robert Foxworth, it's suspected by the higher ups in the city government including the mayor that it was a political assassination not a plain garden verity robbery/murder. With the mayor's top aid Skowlownowski, Ramon Bieri, put in charge it's determined that Rhinelander being a target of many persons on both sides of of the issue in the rent wars going on in San Francisco, the poor guy just couldn't please everyone, one side or the other went as far as knocking him off. With Det. Let. Mike Stone, Karl Malden, as Inspector Steve Keller, Michael Douglas, put on the case they get help from an unlikely source local newspaper boy or man, he's well into his 40's, Wally Sensibaugh, David Wayne, who not only happened to be the eye witness in Rhinelander's kidnapping but was later also a victim of the gang that did him in.
While taking out his life savings, $3,000.00 in cash, from the bank one of the kidnappers, Dennis Redfield, who was casing the place out spotted him and while on his way home whacked him over the head taking off with the loot. It was later that Wally recognized his assailant, by his shoes not face, that he tailed him to this hotel and ended up getting shot by him when he noticed him there snooping around the place. Getting in touch with both Set. Let. Stone & Insp. Keller Wally fills them in on what happened and confirmed that Rhielandler's murder had nothing to do with local city politics but just plain old street crime.
****SPOILERS**** With their cover now blown, thanks to Wally, the three thugs try to make their escape via the Golden Gate Bridge only to be trapped at Fort Point at the base of the bridge! It's there where they put up a last stand not only against Det. Let. Stone & Insp. Keller but a squad of SFPD finest who surrounded the place. Not much of a fight, they were out numbered and out gunned by something like 20 to 1, the entire gang, minus Redfield who was shot and killed by Keller, were put out of commission with Wally, the real hero in all this, getting back his stolen $3,000.00. So that now he and his old lady-wife-Harriet, Louise Latham, can finally take that European vacation that they've been saving for the last 20 years.