A decapitated body is discovered on some train tracks. To solve the case, Lt. Joe Kenda must listen to a voice from beyond the grave. Then, a young girl's body is found in basement. To find her killer, Kenda must expose a family secret.

When the lifeless body of Willie McCarty is found at the base of a staircase, neighbors direct Kenda to a mysterious truck spotted fleeing the scene. Then... Kenda must solve a bizarre case of poisoning at a busy downtown hospital.