San Francisco jazz pianist Evan Horne takes a gig in Los Angeles, where he’s offered his most unusual job yet. Movie megastar Ryan Stiles hires Evan to teach him to look like he’s playing piano for an upcoming role. Evan stays at Stiles’ lush Malibu home for the tutoring, but things suddenly go wrong for the arrogant, spoiled star.

Stiles’ adversarial relationship with the paparazzi explodes when a photographer is killed. Was it an accident, or is Stiles himself a suspect? Evan wants out, but Stiles’ manager entices him to stay by dangling the opportunity to score the film. Stiles is cleared, but when the film begins, another mysterious death occurs, and somebody is blackmailing the star.

With help from his FBI girlfriend, Andie Lawrence, and Lieutenant Danny Cooper, Evan launches his own investigation to help clear Stiles. But now, to further complicate things, a serial killer has escaped from prison—and it’s Gillian Sims, Evan’s old nemesis.