Nick Polo-San Francisco-based, smart and slick private eye-sometimes bends the rules to get what he wants. But now he's in prison for bending the rules a bit too far, and he is given an ultimatum: The mayor of San Francisco is being blackmailed and no one can help her because even the cops may be involved. If Polo wants to get out of jail-and get his P.I. license back-he's got to find out who's behind the scam, stop it, and tell no one. His investigation takes him from the luxurious resort areas of Sonoma County to the dangerous drug-and-pornography underworld of San Francisco's inner city. His suspects range from the seediest petty criminals and hit men to the most powerful men in the municipal government. As the investigation intensifies, and the pieces fall into place, there becomes only one thing Polo is sure of: he'd gladly go back to jail-if he could only get there alive.