On the day of his retirement, Nevada homicide detective Jerry Black (JACK NICHOLSON) lingers in his office one last time before putting on a brave face at the surprise party thrown in his honor. Humbled by the generosity of his colleagues, Jerry accepts their gift — an airline ticket for his dream fishing trip to Mexico with grace. But when the body of a murdered eight-year-old girl is discovered in the snow-blanketed mountains, the reluctant retiree is unable to step aside. Jerry offers his expertise at the crime scene, and takes it upon himself to deliver the devastating news to the victim's parents.

The grieving mother begs Jerry for answers. Faced with the tragic nature of the crime, the parents' suffering and his own uncertainty about life after the police force, Jerry swears on his soul to find the killer.

When an ambitious younger cop wrenches a dubious confession from a simple minded suspect, the case is closed... but not for Jerry. Despite the skepticism of his peers, Jerry follows his hunch that the real killer is still at large and set to strike again.

But how far will Jerry go to fulfill his promise? And at what cost?