One September Friday evening in Cachet Junction, football coach Bob White hosts the players for a team spirit-building session.
Only players are invited, but they can each bring a girlfriend.
Things get out of hand when three players under the influence of alcohol sexually assault a twelve year-old girl, Tori.
However, the normal reactions readers would expect in this type of situation do not occur.
In fact, quite the opposite happens. The sheriff is summoned by Tori's mother Diana Gibbons, but seems disinclined to act.
Only after Diana pushes hard enough does Sheriff Porter call the coach, who also happens to be the minister of the largest church in Cachet Junction.
Bob White also has a strange reaction. Instead of helping Tori, he too seems disinclined to act and, over the course of the evening, a mysterious plan is devised to which both Tori's parents agree.
Desmond Carter is an immigration enforcement officer with the Tampa police.
During a raid on a poultry processing plant, a very young, pregnant white girl is found without papers.
She claims her name is Victoria Gibson and is working to make ends meet.
Victoria is taken back to the police station and Desmond promptly forgets about her.
However, Victoria winds up in a temporary foster home where Shonelle Carter, Desmond's wife and school teacher meets her.
Shonelle is moved by Victoria's story and by what Shonelle imagines could really have happened to Victoria.
One evening during a discussion with Shonelle, Desmond finally realizes it was him who arrested Victoria.
Shonelle is furious that Desmond would not mention such a unique event.
She convinces him to look into the girl's past. Desmond enlists the help of his friends - Larry (a financial investment counselor), Shannon (a middle manager at the Department of Homeland Security), and Yosif (a restaurant owner).
They quickly join Shonelle and Desmond with unconditional support for Victoria.
Yosif's mother and professor of social work at a local university, Clarice, also unhesitatingly joins the search and takes the lead in helping Victoria.
Based on heartbreaking information gathered from Victoria, Desmond continues attempts to find out more about her.
Finally, the use of a private investigator reveals that Victoria Gibson is really Tori Gibbons, but the mystery remains concerning the absurd behavior of the sheriff and the reverend.
Desmond's friends continue to help and revealing information on Bob White is finally uncovered.
Another private investigator is sent to Cachet Junction, while more and more connections are made concerning the largest employer in the town - a pharmaceutical manufacturing plant for a revolutionary drug delivery system.
As it turns out, the factory manager (Steve McKewan) and the head of the research and development unit connected to the factory (Sergey Vascovitch) know each other quite well indeed.
Sergey is a brilliant researcher, but also happens to be related to New York City's Romanoff crime family.
The last pieces of the puzzle fall into place. The reasons behind the sheriff's apathy are uncovered and a high-profile legal firm takes Tori's case on.
A settlement is reached with the pharmaceutical giant, for whom the local factory is a dedicated sub-contractor.
The factory is then abruptly closed and production sent outside of the country.
Warning: this is no ordinary mystery novel and reading it may provoke thoughts that disturb your inner peace.
This book will appeal to many people. First, it is an intriguing mystery as to why a heinous crime would not be dealt with by numerous adults in positions of responsibility.
Second, the book contains numerous secondary themes that are current in the news.
Amongst them are:- sexual abuse and sexual abuse by sports team players- post-traumatic stress disorder- problems faced by abused children- efforts by criminal organizations to develop and market illegal drug products- secondary effects of stress on caregivers - more
