In Portland, Oregon, the wives of several prominent businessmen disappear without a trace, leaving behind only a single black rose and a note with the words: Gone, but not forgotten. An identical series of disappearances occurred in Hunter's Point, New York, ten years ago - but the killer was caught, the case closed, and the special "rose killer" task force disbanded.
Betsy Tannenbaum, a Portland wife and mother with national recognition as a feminist defense attorney is retained by multi-millionaire Portland developer Martin Darius - for no apparent reason. Nancy Gordon, a homicide detective for the Hunter's Point Police Department and an original member of the "rose killer" task force, hasn't slept a full night in 10 years, haunted by nightmares of a sadistic killer whom, she swears, is still out there...
Alan Page, the Portland District Attorney, trying to make sense of the disappearances, opens his front door one evening to find Nancy Gordon on his doorstep - determined to tell him a story he won't soon forget.
Across the country, in Washington, D.C., the President of the United States has just selected United States Senator Raymond Colby to be the next Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. In a private meeting, Colby assures the President there are no skeletons in his closet. Or are there?
