 Cafe owner Bernie Sills hates motorcyclists because of injuries to his wife and damages to his property during a renegade biker attack months earlier. When he threatens non-violent cyclists Joe Keeley and Nick West with a shotgun, a minor altercation ensues and Mrs. Sills calls the Highway Patrol. The responding officer is killed in an accident while pursuing Keeley and West. Sills blames the cyclists for the officer s death and wildly exaggerates their behavior in his statements. When Keeley and West are located, Dan Mathews learns of the shotgun threat for the first time. He decides to test Sills  veracity by watching from a distance while an unshaven motorcycle officer wearing black leather gear visits the cafe. Sills  actions leave no doubt as to who was telling the truth.