Lorimer Black is an insurance loss adjuster working for a ruthless employer. He investigates fires and gets on the wrong side of policyholders who do not receive full payouts as a result of his decisions. He has a sleep disorder and regularly goes to a sleep clinic. He has a gypsy background and seems ashamed of his family, so has changed his name. He falls in love with a woman he first sees on TV and then in a cab.
