A sharp-dressed pedestrian is shot in the back for unknown reasons. Chasing a promising lead, Kenda realizes he's barking up the wrong tree. Then when an impromptu argument turns fatal, a suspect's guilt boils down to his skill with deadly weapons.

Hikers stumble onto the brutalized corpse of amateur boxer Johnnie Wilson, hidden beneath a pile of branches. Plagued by false starts and blind alleys, the case finally gains traction when investigators get their hands dirty.