Escaping to America from the turmoil of her life in Edinburgh, DI Jim Meldrum's daughter, Betty, is lonely and vulnerable. When she meets a witty, charming stranger with an accent that reminds her of home, she is swept into a whirlwind romance that ends in marriage. But why does her new husband evade any question about his background? What secret is he hiding?<BR>Meanwhile, back in Edinburgh, Jim Meldrum has become involved in the search for the missing wife of prominent local businessman Barry Croft. Though none of his colleagues can be persuaded to take her disappearance seriously, Meldrum is convinced the case will end in the revelation of a violent death.<BR>As his investigation of Croft begins to uncover the reality of a complex man addicted to sex, Meldrum is disturbed by Betty's return alone from America. Shortly afterwards, Meldrum gets a visit from two federal marshals, who tell him that Betty's husband has fled to Edinburgh and they have come to find him and take him back. As Meldrum strives to protect his daughter, questions of guilt and redemption confront him with the hardest choices of his life.