Blood Work

Still recovering from a heart transplant, a retired FBI profiler returns to service when his own blood analysis offers clues to the identity of a serial killer.



Retired FBI profiler Terry McCaleb (Eastwood), who has recently had a heart transplant, is hired by Graciela Rivers (De Jesus), to investigate the death of her sister, Gloria, who happens to have given McCaleb his heart. On the case, he soon deduces that the killer, who staged the murder to look like a random robbery, may actually be a serial killer Terry was trailing for years in the FBI. Can the elderly and feeble McCaleb, who had intended to spend his retirement living on his boat in the Los Angeles harbor, and who can't drive, and has to nap regularly, muster up the endurance to find the killer.
Written by Amir Al-Kourainy



SYNOPSIS

Terry McCaleb (Clint Eastwood) is summoned to a crime scene, where Detectives Waller (Dylan Walsh) and Arrango (Paul Rodriquez) tell him the victims are numbers 5 and 6. Arrango cracks jokes throughout, and they show Terry a wall, where, written in blood, is "McCaleb Catch Me", and a code number. As Terry works his way through the reporters, he spots a figure with blood on his shoes and gives chase. He almost nabs the figure, but has a heart attack. The suspect comes back to check on him, and Terry fires at him, possibly hitting him as the figure flees.

2 years later, Terry is undergoing a check-up following a heart transplant. His doctor, Dr. Fox (Angelica Huston) gives him a clean bill of health. Terry goes to his boat, and meets Graciella Rivers (Wanda De Jesus), who wants to hire him. She tells him that Terry's heart transplant came from her sister and leaves. He agrees to look into the disappearance of her nephew, Raymond.

The next day, Terry meets up with Arrango and Waller, and after some creative bribery with donuts, and they show Terry a convenience store security tape of the murder. Terry makes some deductions, but the detectives won't give him more details. Terry goes to the convenience store and starts asking questions, then does some research online.

He goes to the FBI station to see his old partner, Jaye Winston (Tina Lifford). He charms her into seeing the ATM video of a similar robber, and thinks it's the same guy. He goes to visit a witness from the ATM murder, James Lockridge (Rick Hoffman). James is angry because the ambulance didn't respond to the 911 call quickly enough. Terry then goes to the ATM where the shooting occurred, and a man in sunglasses asks him to move, so he can use the ATM.

Terry has nightmares, and enlists the aid of his boat-neighbor, Jasper Noone (Jeff Daniels) to drive him around. Terry argues with Dr. Fox about morality - she's concerned that he'll reject his transplant due to stress, and quits as his doctor. Terry calls Graciella, and she offers to bring Raymond over and cook dinner later. Later, Terry and Jasper go to a metal plant, tracing a Mikhail Bolotov, who Terry thinks may be involved. He questions Bolotov (Igor Jijikine), and Bolotov attacks him. Jasper comes in as Bolotov leaps out a window. Back at the FBI, Jaye tells Terry the shooter at the ATM mouthed "happy valentine's day" on the videotape.

Terry watches the convenience store tape, trying to decide if that killer is saying the same thing. Graciella bring Raymond (Mason Lucero) over, and she sees the video he was watching. They walk along the shore, and Terry tries to establish a link between Graciella's sister and the ATM victim. Graciella mentions a special earring that her sister wore, and Terry remembers the man he saw at the ATM with the same earring.

The next day, Jasper and Terry drive out to see the wife of the ATM victim, Mrs. Cordell (Alix Koromzay). He finds out the victim's sunglasses are missing, and remembers the same man wearing them from the ATM. He goes back to the see Jaye, and she tells him Bolotov has been found, dead. Terry explains his theory of the ATM man, but Arrango has the missing earring and sunglasses. The coroner finds a .38 bullet in Bolotov's mouth. Everyone remarks on how tired Terry looks.

As Graciella talks about her sister, a reference to giving blood triggers a memory - there was a "I gave blood" sticker in Cordell's truck as well. They go to Dr. Fox and explain their theory. Terry's temperature is elevated, and Dr. Fox complains to Graciella that she is making Terry sick. Graciella is worried about Terry's health, and asks him to stop, but he refuses. Terry realizes that the killer wanted the victim's organs, since their blood type (and Terry's) is rare. Recordings of the convenience store camera and 911 call confirms that the killer called 911 BEFORE he killed Graciella's sister. The ATM victim would have been saved by the ambulance, except for the mistake mentioned by Lockridge.

Terry and Jaye go back to the ATM, and Terry chases a man in sunglasses, but he drives away. They go to visit Lockridge and find his wife, dead. When Terry returns to his boat, Graciella and Raymond are cooking dinner. Raymond finds the code from Terry's first case, and notices there's no "1". They spend the night on the boat, and Graciella sleeps with Terry. Terry hears footsteps on the deck, and knocks Waller and Arrango into the water.

Waller and Arrango take Terry to Lockridge, who has been shot, and there's another message for Terry, with the same code, and the words "McCaleb, happy valentine's day". He realizes the same killer is back, and the .38 slug found in Bolotov's mouth is one Terry fired at the victim years ago. He thinks the killer was trying to get Terry a new heart, so they could continue the sick chess game.

Terry returns to his boat, and Graciella and Raymond are gone. Terry drops off a check to Jasper, and realizes his last name is Noone ("no 1"). He threatens him, and Jasper confesses to be the killer. Jasper tells Terry that he has Graciella and Raymond hidden, and wants Terry to resume his work. Jasper leaves to set up in a new location, and Terry shoots him. He puts a tourniquet on Jasper and has Jasper take him to Graciella and Raymond. They go to a grounded military boat, where Jasper takes Terry down below, then jumps overboard. Terry rescues Graciella and Raymond, and Jasper fires on them. Terry gets Graciella and Raymond onto his boat and stalks Jasper, holding his heart. Graciella sees Jasper on Terry's boat, and rams it into the wreck. Terry shoots Jasper, and Graciella holds his head under water, finishing the job.

Later, Jaye and Terry wrap things up on the dock, and Terry takes Graciella and Raymond fishing.