Ethan Faulkner is a precocious child with a brilliant but troublesome sister, a war vet for a father, and a weary mother trying to manage their family. One night a woman rings their doorbell, desperate to hide from two men pursuing her, when one of the two barges in after her. The struggle leaves both of Ethan's parents dead. Years later, Ethan has a successful teaching career and a budding relationship with a coworker. But he hasn't quite followed through on his promise to his dying father --- to take care of his sister. Susannah is not an easy person to keep tabs on, and quite frankly, Ethan wants her to suffer for preventing him from getting to his dad before he died all those years ago. It was a long time ago and Ethan tries to put all of it behind him. But when news of a brutal murder breaks with evidence pointing to Ethan as the prime suspect, the painful memories of his past come rushing to meet him.