The story opens on a stormy night, with Joe Paris (William Bendix), a down-on-his-luck ex-cabbie, stumbling into a deserted roadside diner. He’s soaked, hungry, and clearly rattled. The waitress, a quiet woman with watchful eyes, offers him coffee, and asks where he’s headed. Joe doesn’t know. He’s running — not just from the rain, but from something much more dangerous.