When Heidi Sternberg, a military contracting clerk during Erica Jensen's deployment, is found dead the day the two were supposed to meet for lunch, this gives Erica reason enough to find Heidi's death suspicious. While the police conclude the death was by suicide or OD, Heidi's widow questions the ruling. With few leads forthcoming from the top-level military contractor, Erica's search for the truth is thwarted by national security issues and lack of access to highly-sensitive intel.

Meanwhile, Erica's father nearly begs Erica to find the source of a blackmail note he received. It contains a cryptic message and specifies a five-day deadline for payment. Erica encounters all the difficulties one would expect of investigating matters that took place decades ago, including fading memories, lack of online records, and flat-out lies. And, unfortunately, the further she digs, the uglier the truth gets. In both cases, Erica confronts a reality that's neither pretty nor comforting..