Despite Lionel Hampstead's father's lack of cooperation, Polly and Handgraves have found an ally in Detective Geoffrey Fiske. A local cop who is believes young Hampstead's death was not a suicide. But there are others, including those on Fiske's very own police force who wish to hush up Polly and stop her investigations in it's tracks. By any means possible. Polly has also gained allies in Ivy Proust, Lionel Hampstead's fiancŽe as well as his own mother. Who makes an unusual request in order to find her son. One which Polly finds herself uncertain she can fufill.