During the summer of city riots, a perplexing murder occurs on the campus of the University of Cincinnati far away from the site of downtown civil unrest. Clues ultimately lead the detectives, Ron Looney and Gene Novalchek, to settle on a Special Operations veteran as the prime suspect. They consult with Ron's old friend from Air Force times, Tom Bolling, U.S.A.F (ret.) General Officer and orthopedic surgeon, now the Chief of Staff at New City Hospital in Cincinnati . Using some inside information, the detectives begin to close in on their suspect. The Cincinnati police are at the same time involved in a fentanyl overdose crisis in the city that is affecting elderly individuals and causing several deaths. The dealers in this epidemic do not seem connected to the streets in any way and the Drug Unit cannot find a toehold to deal with the issue. The potential and reality of street riots plus the need for increased manpower to chase leads in the drug epidemic hampers the murder investigation with manpower shortages. Only when the detectives redirect their suspicions and the two investigation skeins ultimately twist together, that progress seems possible. That progress requires Tom Boiling's insight to unravel an innovative drug operation and identify the campus killer.