While planning a surprise birthday party for Seth, Jessica gets involved with a murder investigation when a hitman from Chicago appears to be killed by a local fisherman. Things then get trickier when it appears her friend Charlie Garrett is also somehow involved in the crime.

Jessica's teen writing class has two promising students, Alida and Chris. But when Chris' loan-shark stepfather turns up dead after pursuing Alida and fleeing a hit-and-run, Chris is the prime suspect.