Now that Thoroughbred Investigations is defunct and Ranger O'Leary is living in San Diego, Bill Shannon has settled into the easy going life style of a horse owner. No stress, no guns, no violence. Just the thrill of betting horses and watching them race. Life is good. Then he runs into a high school sweetheart who begs him to find her missing son. He declines at first, but then he decides to do a little cursory research. As he peels away the layers of family intrigue, he runs into a wall only Ranger can get through. He calls him for help and he eagerly flies back to Chicago. That's when the events began to snowball out of control and, what was once a simple missing person, became a matter of life and death. Fifth in the series.