Devil in a Blue Dress 1995

As the sweltering summer heat of 1948 envelops Los Angeles, Ezekiel “Easy” Rawlins finds himself laid off from his job at Champion Aircraft, leaving him scrambling to keep up with the mortgage payments. The sudden turn of events sets him on a collision course with financial uncertainty, as he relies on the good graces of his bartender friend Joppy to introduce him to DeWitt Albright, a seasoned white private investigator with a peculiar request.

As Easy and Albright part ways, the former can’t help but feel an eerie sense of unease, reminiscent of his tumultuous past in Houston. It’s a lingering memory that continues to haunt him, tied to the enigmatic figure of Mouse, whose involvement in a murder and car theft incident left an indelible mark on Easy’s conscience. Albright, meanwhile, is driven by a singular focus: finding Daphne Monet, a high-society woman who has gone missing, prompting her fiancé Todd Carter to drop out of the mayoral race.

With the promise of a lucrative payday in tow, Easy embarks on a perilous journey to uncover Daphne’s whereabouts. His investigation takes him to an illicit club on Central Avenue, where he witnesses Junior Fornay, the burly bouncer, ejecting a white patron. This chance encounter sets off a chain reaction that leads Easy to Coretta James, Dupree Brouchard’s girlfriend and confidant of Daphne. As they spend the night together, Easy uncovers a web of deceit surrounding Daphne’s involvement with notorious gangster Frank Green.

The stakes escalate as Albright arranges a clandestine meeting at the Malibu pier, where Easy is confronted by a group of racist youths. The situation becomes increasingly volatile until Albright intervenes, disarming the would-be thugs with his unyielding presence. With the encounter concluded, Easy returns home to find himself entangled in a police dragnet, accused of Coretta’s murder. The grueling interrogation and brutal physical abuse take their toll on Easy, leaving him shaken and humiliated.

As he struggles to come to terms with the trauma he has endured, Easy is approached by Matthew Terell, the remaining mayoral candidate, who appears alongside a young boy claiming to be his adopted son. Terell’s inquiry about Daphne sparks a mix of curiosity and wariness in Easy, who remains tight-lipped. The nightmarish visions that plague him after Coretta’s murder are only alleviated by a call from Daphne herself, inviting him to meet her at the Ambassador Hotel.

Their conversation revolves around the tragic fate that befell Coretta, whose final words were a desperate plea for help. Daphne then reveals her plan to meet Richard McGee, the white man who was ejected from the club earlier in their investigation. Upon arriving at McGee’s residence, they are met with a gruesome discovery: the lifeless body of McGee, his home ransacked and littered with Mexican cigarettes – the same brand smoked by Junior Fornay. Traumatized by the horrific scene, Daphne flees in panic, abandoning Easy as she speeds away in McGee’s car, leaving him to pick up the shattered pieces of his life.

As Easy pulls up to his driveway, he’s met with an ominous sense of unease. Albright and his cohorts are hot on his heels, demanding that he once again track down Daphne or face the very real possibility of a gruesome demise. With no choice but to comply, Easy reaches out to his old friend Raymond ‘Mouse’ Alexander, and the two engage in a heated confrontation with Joppy, who unwittingly led Daphne straight to their doorstep.

Easy then turns his attention to Todd Carter, finally piecing together the truth about Albright’s true employer: the ruthless Terell. A fresh payment is secured, and Easy sets off once more to locate Daphne, this time visiting a seedy bar where he knows Frank Green peddles stolen liquor - but under an assumed identity, of course.

Returning home, Easy finds himself ambushed by none other than Frank Green, only to be rescued by Mouse, whose trigger-happy nature has him shooting Frank in the shoulder before making his escape. A missed call from Daphne serves as a bitter reminder that time is running out for our embattled hero.

As the authorities continue to scrutinize Easy’s every move, he and Mouse pay a visit to Junior, the owner of those incriminating cigarettes, who confesses to driving McGee home and passing on a letter intended for Coretta - with one condition: that it be delivered directly to Daphne.

The stakes grow even higher as Easy and Mouse make their way to Dupree’s Compton stronghold, where they uncover the contents of a cryptic letter and some disturbing photographs featuring Terell alongside naked children. Back at his own home, Easy is shocked to find Daphne waiting patiently in his living room - but her revelation about Frank being her half-brother, courtesy of their Creole mother and their respective fathers (one black, one white), only scratches the surface of a complex web of deceit.

As it turns out, Terell’s discovery of Daphne’s heritage sparked a panic that forced Carter to abandon his political campaign - but Daphne herself had already bought those incriminating photographs from McGee in an effort to blackmail Terell into silence. The consequences were devastating: Albright’s subsequent murder of McGee was the direct result of his desperate hunt for Daphne and the damning evidence.

Meanwhile, Coretta’s threat to sell the pictures to Terell had Daphne scrambling to intervene - but Joppy’s brutal intimidation tactics ultimately led to Coretta’s untimely demise.

As Albright and his cohorts descend upon the scene, they swiftly overpower Easy, snatching away the captivating Daphne from her grasp. With Mouse by his side, Easy launches a daring rescue mission to liberate Daphne, their quest leading them to the secluded cabin in Malibu where Albright’s goons await. After a tense and brutal confrontation, Easy and Mouse emerge victorious, dispatching Albright’s henchmen and freeing Daphne from her captivity. As they make their way back to the vehicle, Easy is met with a shocking revelation: Mouse had taken it upon himself to eliminate Joppy, perceiving him as a liability in their mission.

With Daphne safely by his side, Easy receives a substantial payment of $7,000 for the compromising photographs, while Mouse departs for Houston, his share of the spoils in hand. However, as they prepare to part ways, Daphne discloses that Carter’s family had offered her a staggering $30,000 to vacate the premises, but she remains convinced that the incriminating pictures will guarantee Carter’s victory and their impending nuptials.

As Easy chauffeurs Daphne to meet Carter, only to be met with a crushing rejection, he is presented with the remainder of his payment in exchange for the photographs. With her brother by her side, Daphne exits town, leaving behind the tumultuous events that had unfolded. Meanwhile, Carter’s electoral prospects appear increasingly favorable, securing his position as a victor.

No longer burdened by law enforcement woes, Easy begins to contemplate a new career path, one where he can utilize his skills as a private investigator to forge a lucrative and exciting future for himself.