A mysterious accident on Christmas Eve leaves Tony Holden with a fatal neck injury, but the case goes unsolved; when Rod Demery reopens the investigation, he discovers a conspiracy between unlikely accomplices.

A 911 dispatcher is found slumped behind the wheel of a wrecked sedan with a bullet through his torso; to catch the killer, Rod Demery must retrace the victim's steps and untangle a web of accusation and innuendo spun by a shady cast of characters.