Jade 1995

As Assistant District Attorney David Corelli (David Caruso) arrives at the crime scene, he’s met with a gruesome discovery: prominent businessman Kyle Medford has been brutally bludgeoned to death in his San Francisco home by an antique hatchet. Detectives Bob Hargrove (Michael Biehn) and Petey Vesko (Ken King) begin scouring the premises for clues, stumbling upon a collection of incriminating photographs in Medford’s safe. The images reveal Governor Lew Edwards (Richard Crenna) in compromising positions with a string of high-priced prostitutes, including Patrice Jacinto (Angie Everhart), who eventually becomes a key witness.

As Corelli delves deeper into the case, he’s summoned to a private meeting with Governor Edwards and aide Bill Barrett (Holt McCallany). There, they warn him to keep the scandalous photographs under wraps, citing the potential fallout on their political careers. But Corelli’s own life is put in peril when his brake line is mysteriously cut, sending his vehicle careening out of control down a steep hill.

The detectives’ investigation leads them to Katrina ‘Trina’ Gavin (Linda Fiorentino), a clinical psychologist and former lover of Corelli’s who has since married his close friend, defense attorney Matt Gavin (Chazz Palminteri). Trina’s fingerprints are found on the hatchet used in Medford’s murder, sparking suspicion. During an interview at the police station, Trina claims she was simply giving Medford a tour of his antique collection on the day of the killing and denies any involvement.

The discovery of Medford’s beach house, replete with drugs, alcohol, sex toys, and hidden video cameras, reveals a web of deceit and blackmail. Corelli is shocked to find Trina appearing in one of the compromising tapes, reigniting the detectives’ interest in her as a suspect. As the investigation unfolds, Patrice agrees to meet with Corelli to discuss the identity of the enigmatic “Jade,” but she’s brutally murdered in a hit-and-run attack by an unknown assailant driving a black 1993 Ford Thunderbird.

Corelli witnesses the murder firsthand and gives chase, only to be thwarted. The detectives discover that the Gavins own a similar vehicle, prompting them to suspect Trina of committing the crime. However, when they locate the actual vehicle used in the hit-and-run, abandoned and seemingly planted as evidence, it becomes clear that someone is trying to frame Katrina for the murder.

As Katrina’s predicament intensifies, she’s once more hauled in for questioning, this time confronted with the incriminating sex tape. Matt, her attorney and husband, swiftly terminates the interrogation before she can fully recount her involvement, opting instead to shield her from further scrutiny. Later, at their home, Katrina candidly confesses to her husband that she had indeed engaged in intimate relations with the man on the tape, driven in part by her knowledge of Matt’s own numerous infidelities.

In a bold move, Katrina pays Corelli an unsolicited visit at his apartment, attempting to entice him with her charms. Though unsuccessful, she does confess to feeling liberated from societal constraints during her brief fling with multiple men at the beach house. Meanwhile, Henderson, the sole witness who could implicate Katrina at Pacifica, is found brutally murdered. Corelli, coincidentally present at the crime scene, vouches for Katrina’s alibi, claiming they were together at the time of Henderson’s demise.

As tensions escalate, Matt pays Corelli an unannounced visit at his apartment, brandishing a firearm and accusatorially demanding to know if Corelli had indeed slept with his wife. Corelli vehemently denies any involvement, instead warning Matt that Katrina’s life hangs precariously in the balance. Together, they hasten to the Gavin residence, where Detective Hargrove, Pat Callendar (David Hunt), and Governor’s aide Barrett have converged to eliminate Katrina and recover incriminating photos of the governor. During the chaos, Callendar falls victim to Matt’s gunfire, while Barrett manages to escape. As Hargrove attempts to brutalize and kill Katrina, Corelli and Matt intervene, ultimately felling the detective with a fatal shot.

In a bid to secure Katrina’s safety, Corelli approaches Governor Edwards, threatening to expose compromising photographs unless he guarantees her protection. The governor feigns ignorance of Hargrove and Callendar’s actions, but subtly implies they were acting on his behalf.

As the curtain closes, Katrina prepares for bed at home only to discover a disturbing array of photographs laid out in her bathroom, graphically depicting her intimate escapades at the beach house. Matt subsequently confesses that he was responsible for Medford’s murder, convinced that Medford would eventually seek leverage over them both through these compromising images. In a chilling conclusion, Matt instructs Katrina to “introduce me to Jade” whenever they next indulge in their illicit affairs.