It was a story that should have been left alone. Unfortunately for journalist Bartholomew Reed, the story will be his last. After the bullet-laden body of Reed is found in an upscale Chicago neighborhood, homicide detective Jolene Hartley is set as lead investigator in a case that will prove to push her to the limit, personally and professionally. Amidst the evidence that swirls just beyond her reach, the name of her estranged brother appears in the dead journalist's appointment book, forcing Hartley to face the man she calls family, something she has not had to do in years. Hartley and her new partner, Jacoby Ratliff, a homicide rookie, brush through the journalistic and financial web surrounding Reed's demise, coming ever closer to the truth behind a cold-blooded murderer and an embezzling scheme that goes deeper than the greed of a few.