Wedgewood, Minnesota Police Detective Renee Brown has a murder case to solve with the help of rookie police officer Jeff Briceson. When Alice Hutson dies in her country home, Renee and Briceson take over the investigation to help the county sheriff department. At first glance since Alice Hutson is in bed with her pistol in her hand, an educated guess by Briceson was suicide. Alice's son, Bill Hutson, is adamant that his mother would never kill herself. Mabel Baxter, a neighbor across the road from the Hutson farm, tells Renee about several cars with unknown drivers that came and went the night of Alice's murder. Now it's up to Renee and Briceson to match people to the cars. The one thing that proves helpful in the investigation is checking Alice's incoming calls the night of her death. You see The Answering Machine Knew.