Suicide or murder? The mystery is set in 1948 in a rural village on the eve of the Truman-Dewey election. An aging recluse is found dead in his bedroom from a gunshot wound.  Ed Troutman, a high strung and volatile WWII veteran, is charged with murder. Suffering from shell shock, he turns abusive and loses his job in the coal mines. His wife Millie seeks shelter with their son at the home of Aunt Elsie. Meanwhile, a childhood friend, Air Corps Captain Danny Austin, sets out to prove Ed’s innocence. Injured during the D-Day landing, he has returned home to manage his father’s farm. His new bride warns him to keep his distance from Ed.