On January 23, 1978, Dave Wallin arrived home from work to find his wife, Terry, brutally murdered. Her body was mutilated. Terry was the second victim of the serial killer who would come to be known as The Vampire Killer of Sacramento, Richard Trenton Chase.

This true story begins on the next day when Dave is joined by his friend Randy Fandrich. Randy, in his effort to help Dave, walks through the crime scene with homicide detectives. Then together, they visit the home of Terry's family. There, they have the task of informing her family of the details of Terry's death. Dave and Randy are then joined by friend Mike Pearce. Together they attend gathering after gathering with those mourning Terry, all the while making arrangements for her funeral. The story takes you with them for the first seven days after Terry's death. As one life ends a new one begins, all told through Randy's eyes.

The story finishes with a day 33 years later as Dave takes Randy (still best friends) to a place he'd never been before, concluding with a photo essay. Taken from a collection/series of short stories written and photographed by Randy.