Penny Conley is still recovering from the untimely death of her husband. But she and her five-year-old daughter, Willow, seem to be thriving in their West Virginia suburb. Penny's boss, noted archeologist Simon Van Etton, and his niece, Diana, have become like family to her.

Late one night Diana receives a phone call from a distraught Penny. Just as Diana arrives at her friend's house, it explodes, leaving Penny in a coma.

Diana and Simon vow to figure out what happened, but they are deeply shaken when new facts about Penny's dark past start to come to light. Determined to help her friend, Diana keeps digging for clues. But someone is following her every move, ready to act if she gets too close to the truth.