Editing Absence of Malice (section)

==Plot==
Miami liquor wholesaler Michael Gallagher, the son of a deceased criminal, awakens to find himself a front-page story in the local newspaper. The paper indicates that he is being investigated in the disappearance and presumed murder of a longshoremans' union official, Joey Diaz.

The story was written by ''Miami Standard'' newspaper reporter Megan Carter. She acquired it from reading a file left intentionally on the desktop of federal prosecutor Elliot Rosen, who is doing a bogus investigation. He leaked it in order to squeeze Gallagher for information.

Gallagher comes to the newspaper's office trying to discover Carter's basis for the story, but the reporter does not reveal her source. Gallagher's business is shut down by union officials, who are suspicious of him since he has been implicated in Diaz's murder. Gallagher's uncle, local crime boss Malderone, has him followed in case he talks to the government.

Teresa Perrone, a friend of Gallagher, tells Carter that Gallagher could not have killed Diaz because he took her out of town to get an abortion that weekend. A devout Catholic, she does not want Carter to reveal the abortion, but she includes it in the story anyway.

The paper's editor tells Carter that Perrone has died by suicide. Carter goes to Gallagher to apologize, but he physically assaults her. She attempts to make it up to him by revealing Rosen's role in the investigation.

Gallagher hatches a plan for revenge. He arranges a secret meeting with District Attorney Quinn, offering to use his organized-crime contacts to give Quinn information on Diaz's murder in exchange for the D.A. calling off the investigation and issuing a statement clearing him. He also makes anonymous contributions to one of Quinn's political action committee backers and then he and Carter begin a love affair.

Rosen is mystified by Quinn's exoneration of Gallagher, so he places phone taps on both and surveils their movements. He and federal agent Bob Waddell obtain evidence of Gallagher's donations to Quinn's political committee. They also find out about Gallagher and Carter's relationship. Waddell, as a friend, warns Carter about the investigation, but she breaks the story that the federal strike force is investigating Gallagher's attempt to bribe the D.A.

The story makes the front page again and causes an uproar over the investigation of the district attorney. Assistant [[US Attorney General]] Wells 
calls the principals together and offers them a choice between going before a grand jury or informally making their case to him. Rosen questions Gallagher but it becomes apparent that he has no case, and Carter reveals that Rosen left Gallagher's file open on his desk for her to read.

Wells suggests that Quinn resign because Gallagher's legal donations to Quinn’s  political committee cast suspicions on his motives in issuing his statement clearing Gallagher. Wells also suspects that Gallagher set everything up but cannot prove it, so he will not investigate further. Finally, he fires Rosen for malfeasance. The newspaper prints a story written by a different reporter revealing details of the incidents.

The final scene shows Carter and Gallagher having a cordial conversation on the wharf where Gallagher's boat is docked before he sails away and leaves the city.