When the wife of a respected pharmacist dies in her sleep, it seems like natural causes-except for the amount of chloroform in her system. Helen's by-the-book boss wants her to move on, and even her boyfriend, Bailey, dismisses her suspicions. But Helen won't let go and pursues the truth on her own time.

A street-sweeper and a lowlife, Lycett makes many court appearances, often charged with lewd acts but acquitted for lack of evidence. Out of court, he obsesses about his missing daughter-the only reason, he claims, he's so interested in children. Back in the offices of the Crime Prosecution Service, files keep disappearing.

Helen's life is falling apart. Witnesses won't testify, her romance with Bailey is on the rocks, and her apartment desperately needs a spring cleaning. When a friend convinces her to hire help, Helen gets more than she bargained for. The new cleaning lady's husband is Bailey's prime suspect in a murder investigation. Helen finds that justice can be an uphill battle, but Bailey comes through in more ways than one.