Rep and Melissa Pennyworth attend a reenactment of a Civil War battle in Kansas City, Missouri, while seeking a cutting-edge copyright case for attorney Rep—and find a corpse instead. Melissa's best friend from girlhood, Linda Damon, worked for the victim before his death and, on one regrettable occasion, got a bit too intimately involved in her job. Linda's husband, Peter, an enthusiastic Civil War hobbyist, had a motive, an opportunity, and a Civil War saber that now turns out to be drenched in the victim's blood. It would seem logical that this is a job for the police and that Rep's knowledge of trademark and copyright law, Melissa's PhD in literature, and the passionate Anglomania of Peter's boss would be of no help to the investigation. But when Rep and Melissa are involved, logic is seldom a reliable guide. Their contribution ends up being essential to the solution of a crime whose roots go back to an execution during World War II and a contemporary hatred that has grown way out of bounds.