Morris Rives, scion of a politically prominent Washington DC family, is mired in the 'all but dissertation' limbo of a Ph.D. and carrying on an affair with Karen, trophy wife of the business school dean. When Karen drives home drunk from one of their trysts, she hits a hitchhiker. She drives on, reporting to the police next day she must have been a deer. Morris gets roped into a cover-up and abruptly leaves town. In DC, Uncle Jack Rives finds Morris some work--counter-oppo research for Minder Associates, known to insiders as ruthlessly effective. The subject is Larry Weldon, former lieutenant...