Jessica attends a lecture in Virginia given by Cassandra Hawkins, who is trying to clear the name of her ancestor, Samuel Pinckney. Samuel, a slave, was killed by a mob who accused him of murdering a white plantation owner on his wedding night in 1860. Jessica's investigation reveals that she herself is a descendant of Samuel's owner, Sarah McCullough. As Jessica and Cassandra search for clues in the present to discover who really committed the crime, flashbacks reveal that Sarah was quite a detective herself.moreless