"Daddy did it," says seven-year-old Amber Pyle. She's a rape victim, the worst her nurse, Sophia Burgess, can imagine. But, unlike her murdered mother and little brother, Amber might survive. Detective Ray Stone, Sophia's live-in boyfriend, is assigned the case and is more distressed than usual over the hideous crime, but he won't say why. As a former cop, Sophia is suspicious by nature. She may have left the force after getting shot, but she kept her independent outlook, keen mind, and adventurous nature--and she kept her sassy attitude, too. At odds with Ray over the secrets he keeps, Sophia investigates and ends up face-to-face with a murderer.