 Council member Holly Colmer heatedly insists that Chief Forbes separate Virgil Tibbs from the Sparta Police Department. Virgil is now an attorney in the law firm of Ben Taylor. At a party given by Taylor, Abby Booker fights with her husband Chuck. On their way home Chuck purposely unbuckles Abby s seat belt and drives into a tree, killing his wife. A moonshiner, Goody Tate, witnesses the incident. Virgil is suspicious and, much to Taylor s chagrin, assists the police in their investigation. Virgil refuses to represent Booker and resigns from the firm. He must decide if he is a detective or a lawyer.