A deranged derelict, a crazed Vietnam vet, has been arrested for gunning down successful young lawyer Glenn Holtzmann at a corner phone booth on Eleventh Avenue — and the suspect's brother wants p.i. Matthew Scudder to prove the man innocent. But Scudder's curiosity and dedication are leading him to dark, unexplored places in his own heart...and to ions and secrets that could destroy everything be loves.