Gabriel Birdsong is found in the basement of his house, with his throat cut. The killer left no evidence, no weapon, and the police can't determine the motive for the killing. What they do know is that his granddaughter, Lena, who has been living with him since the death of her parents, is missing. Her aunt hires Al Pennyback to find her, but offers no clues to where she might be, or with whom. As Al searches the city for the missing girl, he begins to uncover secrets about the reclusive Gabriel Birdsong that shake him to his very core, so much so that he's not even sure he wants to find Lena.