It's 1966. Hal and his little brother, newly arrived in Moorabool with their parents, are exploring the creek near their new home when they find the body of a dog, mutilated. Constable Mick Goodenough, recently demoted from his city job as a detective, is also new in town - and one of his dogs has gone missing. He's experienced enough to know what it means when someone tortures an animal to death: it means they're practising. So when Hal's mother starts getting anonymous, threatening calls, Goodenough, alone among the Moorabool cops, takes her seriously. The question is: will that be enough to keep her safe?