Having just returned from a much needed vacation to recharge her juices, Christy Colleran walks into the offices of the Chicago-based Satellite News Network (SNN), where she is a star on-air investigative reporter, to tell her boss, news director John Sullivan - Sully - that she is quitting. Sully also happens to be her ex-husband. Christy divorced Sully largely because she saw him as treating their relationship as news first, marriage second. She has also come to tell Sully that she is marrying New York sporting goods baron Blaine Bingham, the two who will be flying to New York City that afternoon to start their new life, and where Christy will work as a morning talk show host.
Sully doesn't want to lose Christy, either as a reporter or a wife, and believes she truly will miss her investigative reporting life. Sully does whatever he can at least to delay Christy and Blaine's trip, long enough to persuade Christy to stay for good. His plan includes dangling a big story under her nose, namely getting an exclusive interview with Ike Roscoe, who is on death row and is scheduled to be executed at midnight. Ike admits to committing the murder of a police officer for which he was convicted, but that that officer was a drug dealer who sold to teenagers, including Ike's son, who died of a drug overdose. Ike did not know of him being a police officer, which may not have made any difference in his actions.
Sully hopes that Christy's interview will lead to the hapless Governor issuing a pardon. They know Ike has been used as a pawn between the Governor and Roy Ridnitz, the state attorney who is running for Governor in the upcoming election. Regardless of if Christy is able to get the interview and if so what its effect is, she will have to decide if the thrill of the chase will change her mind about her upcoming more staid life.