John Roth, a senior detective with the N.O.P.D. looks forward to his imminent retirement with apprehension. Reflecting on his past and its successes and failures, he attempts to solve the final cases of his career. A young black man is accused of murdering his father. A young black woman is murdered with few clues or suspects. Both cases draw Roth to Patrick Murphy, his godson and the son of his former partner. With the patience and diligence developed during forty years of service to the citizens of New Orleans, Roth pieces together the shadows of evidence and exposes the truth.