Bess Choi is proud of what she's accomplished. Owner of Strange Brew, a popular coffee shop in Silence, she's worked hard and has overcome many obstacles to build the life she has. It's a good life, one that includes work she loves, an apartment to call her own, and plenty of good friends. But an unexpected phone call comes as a brutal reminder of a time she thought she'd left far behind. Suddenly, she's faced with the choice to turn her back on the beautiful life she created, or break her guilty silence. Chief Deputy Hugo Alexander isn't sure when exactly he started seeing the quiet coffee shop owner as more than simply a good friend. It's hard to pinpoint the moment when she went from a supportive friend to him and his teenage son, to the woman who features in his dreams and fantasies. Unfortunately, Bess Choi seems to have him firmly locked in the friend zone, and it's not until worrisome things start happening around her, she cautiously starts lowering the barriers. But when he discovers she might be in far more danger than she's been willing to let on, he's done tiptoeing around.