Private eye Andy Hayes confronts his personal prejudices and assumptions when an unorthodox case comes his way. Tim Watkins is a young drag artist performing under the name Tiara Treatwell and facing online abuse and in-person stalking from anti-LGBTQIA crusaders. While Andy suspects the attacks are connected to a protest outside a drag story hour Tim attended weeks earlier in suburban Columbus, he has no direct evidence of a link. Tim’s concerns unfold against a groundswell of right-wing activism in the Ohio Statehouse, led by a failed state senate candidate who insists his opponent, a Somali American woman, stole the election.

Bail bondsman Otto Mulligan—Tim’s cousin and Andy’s closest friend—persuades Tim it’s in his best interest to accept Andy as bodyguard and escort until they can figure out who is behind the threats. Tim, who is Black and queer, is reluctant to work with Andy, dismissing him as an insensitive and macho ex–football star. Andy doesn’t do himself any favors by acknowledging he’s never attended a drag performance or even bothered to learn anything about the culture.

As Tim and Andy’s relationship is tested, Tim comes under attack by a pair of masked assailants, and only with the help of a concerned passerby does Andy manage to save both their lives. As Andy and the police search for clues to the assault, Andy follows a lead to an Ohio white supremacist group called the Promise Lords, which orchestrated the protest at the drag story hour. Andy enlists an old ally, Ronald J. McQuillen, a freelance analyst who helps law enforcement track and prosecute hate groups. Meanwhile, Andy’s investigation leads to conflict with Henrietta Millner, a nightside Columbus police detective who’s not happy to have Andy on her turf. Caught in the middle of this skirmish is Andy’s grown daughter, Alex Rutledge, who’s training to be a Columbus police officer. Andy and Henrietta’s uneasy partnership deteriorates when Andy, spurred by a cryptic comment from Alex, questions why a veteran investigator like Millner is stuck on the night shift.

As Andy’s search for the identity of Tim’s stalkers ramps up, increasingly bizarre clues emerge that may have connections to a broader plot. With time running out, Andy must put the pieces together to save Tim, and many others, from a violent and potentially deadly confrontation.