Circumstantial evidence has tied Princeton-educated, textile company heir Walter Wayland to the murder of a prostitute named Elizabeth whose body was found cut in two at a local park. A heavy absinthe drinker and compulsive liar who suffers from epileptic fits, Wayland has occasional memory loss and is prone to periods of trance-like violence. With access to information through his wealth and connections, Wayland begins to turn the questions around on his interrogators, Detective Kennesaw and Detective Braxton, by digging up dirt on both men which puts their own ability to tell the truth in question.