Guy Haines (Strangers on a Train) is the main protagonist in the story. On his way to Texas from his home in New York, he meets a man named Bruno. They both have issues with various people in their lives. Bruno is wealthy and belongs to a powerful family. He asks Guy if he's ever considered murdering anyone. Guy plays along thinking it is just a hypothetical question. It is not. Later, Guy finds out that his wife, Miriam, has been murdered. Bruno stalks Guy trying to force him to reciprocate by murdering Bruno's father. Guy gives in to the pressure and kills Bruno's father. Eventually, the police begin to close in and Bruno kills himself. Guy confesses.
