Ex-Fire Chief Rudy Pardo, a curmudgeon if ever there was one, has come home to find a young black man rifling through his house and possessions. The intrusion brings out Rudy's blatant racial prejudices. But as he grapples to maneuver the scales of justice the older man comes to realize that the break-in has more to do with his conscience than his house. Reluctantly, he allows himself to be drawn into a polarized relationship with the bright young burglar, risking the integrity of his fast-held biases.