An elderly woman has asked private investigator Paul Whelan to look into the disappearance of Tony Blanchard-a young man she'd taken in after his parents died. Instead, Whelan discovers a string of murders, all tied to a car-theft ring. All the evidence suggests that Tony is dead as well, but Whelan keeps digging until he finds himself surrounded by a dangerous maze of silent witnesses, crooked cops, and people willing to kill to keep the truth from...

Chicago private eye Paul Whelan is hired by an elderly jazz musician to find a missing street hustler named Sam Burwell. As Whelan delves into Burwell's past, in the world of sidewalk vendors and corner musicians, he uncovers old enmities and love affairs, but his search for Burwell comes up empty. That is, until Burwell is found murdered-and Whelan is swept up into a whirlwind of old feuds, dark pasts, unlikely romances . . . and a killer hiding...