Mickie Stevens gets an unexpected extra when she visits an old friend at a waterfront dive. Her friend is killed while she witnesses the professional hit so cleverly committed that it almost passes as an unfortunate accident. The criminals were motivated to kill Mickie's friend to keep her friend from exposing them. Now, there is another tenacious detective, driven by strong personal motives, who is far more dangerous to their operations. As a medically retired police detective, Mickie begins to search for the murderer, even though it requires her to take the role of a woman-of-easy virtue. Along the way, she renews friendships with other old friends, meets new allies, finds a new love, awakens the hatred of an old foe, makes new enemies, and uncovers international smuggling.