Claire Marshall is delighted when Tony Burke hires her little construction company to restore his childhood home. Tony is a race car driver who has lived in Italy for years. Why he decided to return to New Orleans is a mystery, but anything Tony does is news, and working for him is an opportunity for some good publicity.Claire learns that Tony's father was an artist and convinces him to open the old studio. Maybe they can find some art to hang in the restored house. They do, but they also find a skeleton with its skull bashed in.Tony was a child when the studio was boarded up, but he thinks he knows what happened. Within 24 hours there is another, apparently related, murder. The police suspect Tony. He admits that he has a motive and no alibi but insists the motive lies in the past, not with him. Claire is drawn into the investigation—and drawn to the prime suspect. Surely, she knows better. Tony is as famous for his romantic exploits as for his racing victories. He could be a killer. Even her cat views him with suspicion. Tony asks Claire to help him find an old land deal he thinks will solve the old murder. They follow a twisted money trail and uncover evidence of a spectacular swindle. When they come too close to the truth, the killer comes after them.