In '68, the hot smoke and cold eyes of 'Nam stalked Elvin Suggs. Now, Shelby Swain, a blonde in a tight dress and a silver Cadillac, has captured his heart. Elvin falls for a woman he will never know, and he doesn't want to run. Vivacious and sultry, Shelby is working at a St. Louis nightclub when her ex-husband, Myles LaMour, informs her that a potential client, sleazy Ronald “JUPE"Jupiter, solicited his defense in a mysterious murder charge. A ghost from her shady past, Shelby knows Jupiter well. When she returns to the Galaxy Apartments, managed by parolee, NESTER ARSENEAUX, she discovers her look-alike friend, Claire Ireland, dead in her living room. Was the bullet intended for Shelby? Shelby decides to run from St. Louis. In fact, she has been running from Arturo Primo, and his two hombres, EDUARDO RUIZ AND SANTOS (Santy) COREJOS for months. When she stole enough cash from Arturo's safe to start a new life, she killed Arturo's brother, HECTOR, and ran, first to Reno, then to Chicago, and finally, St. Louis. She thought she would stay, but now, decides to hide out at her Mama's trailer in Memphis. That's when the Caddy broke down—and Elvin showed up. Lonely and eager, he trails the temptress with a shady past, rife with corruption and lies—the girl with the Tennessee Plates.