The sudden death of research scientist Mary Clare Ryan shatters the already fragile world of her sister, Nicole. A reticent scholar of mythology, Nicole had long felt estranged from her exuberant younger sister. Using Mary's ticket to a scientific conference in Los Angeles, Nicole flees her stifling life in Georgetown to try to come to grips with her grief and answer disturbing questions about her sister's last days. Once there, Nicole learns that just before she died Mary made a major scientific discovery, which she had gone to great lengths to conceal. Alarmed by the strange behavior of Mary's colleagues and distraught at the apparent duplicity of the sisters' close friend, mercurial Dan Rossi, Nicole realizes that Mary's death was no accident. Furthermore, those who stand to profit from her discovery have now targeted Nicole as the one most likely to have been in Mary's confidence. Desperately trying to defend a secret she does not comprehend, Nicole stumbles upon the malevolent connection between a ruthless West Coast pharmaceutical conglomerate and a political powerhouse back in Washington. Fearing for her own safety, Nicole accepts protection from a charming corporate executive, Jack Blake. When Dan warns her against Jack, and Jack raises questions about Dan, Nicole doesn't know whom to trust. Her life depends on making the right choice, but Nicole has had a tragic track record when it comes to judging men, ever since she was a little girl...