Maria Buscombe was a housewife in British Colombia until she abandoned her family seven years ago. Now she's returned—just in time to be murdered. What made her leave? What made her return? And who was sending her money and photos of her daughter? These are the questions nagging Sergeant Karl Alberg as he searches for Maria's killer. Meanwhile, Alberg's longtime love is doing some nagging of her own. After all, Alberg had promised to hang up his policeman's hat.