When the body of an 11-year-old boy is found in the Georgia woods, detective Ralph Anderson launches an investigation into the gruesome murder. With eyewitnesses and physical evidence pointing to local teacher and baseball coach Terry Maitland, Ralph makes a very public arrest but is perplexed by Terry's seeming indifference to hiding his crime. After Terry's wife Glory calls their attorney Howie Salomon for assistance, a bewildered Terry produces an ironclad alibi during interrogation. Meanwhile, Howie calls in his PI Alec Pelley to look into Terry's side of the story.

Despite being on mandatory leave, Ralph continues to scrutinize the confounding circumstances surrounding the night of the murder. Frustrated by their lack of progress, Ralph and GBI detective Yunis Sablo meet with Alec and Howie, who suggest bringing in unorthodox PI Holly Gibney. Jack has a hair-raising experience at a remote barn where key evidence and a mysterious substance have been found. Glory deals with fallout at her daughters' school and with Jessa's increasingly concerning nightmares.