Rasmussen Carter is grooming Lily Miller, a young jazz singer, to be a star. She's singing at the Greenwood—the new incarnation of the Esposito—now owned and managed by Baron Loftus, the nephew of Sweetie Bogan, an aging jazz diva. The night Lily debuts, Carter is stabbed in a fight by Sweetie Bogan's lover, Alfonso Deal-Jones. Lily then abandons Rasmussen Carter for Edward Dare, who promises to make her a real star.

Carter is killed in the hospital, and Marina asks Elder Darrow, now retired from the bar business, to investigate—since his pal and Marina's soon-to-be husband, Boston Police detective Dan Burton, is still jealous of Carter and Marina's brief fling. Deal-Jones is found beaten to death, and Burton discovers Alfonso was setting up a cocaine deal with Edward Dare, the lieutenant to a major New Orleans gangster, who also happens to be "death" on drug dealing.

On their own time, Elder and Burton must solve the murders of the low-rent impressario and the New Orleans gangster's right-hand man. Burton is sure there's a connection. And in the process, Elder discovers he may not be cut out for a life of leisure just yet . . .