The Major Case Squad team investigate the murder of Lois Romney, a pregnant woman who has given up her drug addiction and is struggling to stay clean. It initially appears that the murderer is the victim's unstable junkie boyfriend, Dale van Acker, and Captain Deakins tells Goren and Eames to close the case. Deciding that the death of a pregnant woman deserves more attention, their investigation leads them to the boyfriend's wealthy and domineering socialite mother, Priscilla van Acker, and his stepfather. Goren suspects that Priscilla is a sociopath, who disapproved of her son's girlfriend, plotted to kill her and framed her son.

Detectives Goren and Eames investigate the murder of a pretty, petite woman found drowned in her bathtub. Days later, a second petite woman is found naked and washed up on shore, and this is followed by the discovery of a strangled third female, and then a fourth victim. They discover that the second victim was also drowned in a bathtub, and they find a link between all four – Henry Talbott, an abusive, drug-addicted lawyer was their boyfriend who was taking money from them to help feed his gambling addictions. Unable to get assistance from his disbelieving wife, the detectives have to work against the clock to gather their evidence before he kills a fifth woman.