An overheard conversation in the governor's office, a shredded photograph and mysterious list of names pulls Coral Svenson and her daughter, Tara McLean, into the world of nefarious backroom politics. Once their involvement is discovered, they become targets themselves. The mother, a wealthy party volunteer, wants to protect her friends; the daughter, a fledgling reporter, is driven to break the story; and the police chief who struggles to keep himself and the two recalcitrant women alive.