Charlie and Drake attend a gala event for the helicopter industry, where an old friend of Drake’s presents Charlie with a mystery to solve. One of his company vehicles has gone missing. Charlie is puzzled as to why he didn’t report it to the police or his insurance company, but must admit the fat retainer he pays and the obvious success of his business overrides her initial concerns. When the van is found in an empty field near the small town of Santa Rosa, New Mexico, it would seem the case is closed. But rather than solving the mystery, the questions only become more complex. The leads take Charlie across the state, and she has no way of knowing that several lives will hang in the balance before she figures out this one.