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.

After arriving at Seth's office and discovering it in disarray and the good doctor nowhere to be found, Jessica and Sheriff Metzger fear the worst – especially after finding fresh bloodstains at various spots in the office. Their relief at finding Seth perfectly safe soon turns to befuddlement when a mysterious man turns up dead in the nearby woods. Upon investigating, they soon discover the man's connection to a local businessman's past in Boston, and that with the recent influx of newcomers to town; they have plenty of murder suspects.