The Spreading Ground (R)

synopsis

When five little girls turn up dead in the river, Detective Ed Delongpre is quickly put in charge of a full-scale investigation to track down the killer. Under pressure from Mayor Hackett to solve the case quickly, Captain Neiman hounds Ed constantly. Unbeknownst to Ed, Neiman bribed the local mafia to find and execute the killer before the police can bring him in. Hit man Johnnie Gault is assigned to lead the mafia's hunt. Ed discovers that his interest in this case will be more than personal: the mayor's right-hand helper is none other than his estranged daughter Leslie.