Two characters, a father and a son, are estranged. Late at night in his auto body shop, the father Sam calls his son Frank, asking for help. Sam is involved in a serious crime and his immediate situation is desperate. Sam, though basically decent, compromised himself and his values once too often, and now is in too deep to get out with his life. His son is on the edge of walking that same path. Already Frank has taken a step or two toward selling out his principles. During the course of the story, we see Frank start to cross the line. He becomes aware of the moral swamp around him and sees, maybe too late, that he is on the brink of falling as his father did. The story has a texture of gritty naturalism, confrontation and suspense.