In present day, Scarpetta and Marino enlist Lucy to track down their former prime suspect from 28 years ago, Matt Petersen, due to a possible link between the cases; while in the past, the two investigate Petersen's potential involvement in his wife's murder.

Present Scarpetta and Marino uncover troubling similarities between their murder victim and the 'accidental' death of a jogger six months earlier; while in the past, Scarpetta suspects that someone from within her own office is attempting to sabotage her, and she makes a huge discovery in the case.