When a beloved instructor at Mojave Mesa Community College is found dead in his classroom, Rex Redondo and Vivienne Rose find themselves entangled in a case that hits close to home. The victim, retired cop and part-time professor Wally Walker had secrets that someone was desperate to bury—secrets tied to the infamous Section 14 incident that scarred Palm Springs decades ago.

As Rex and Viv dive into the college’s bustling halls, they discover more than just academic drama. Wally’s connection to a local pawn shop, a suspicious pill trade on campus, and his strained relationship with his grandson Jax create a tangled web of clues. With time running out and suspicion falling on more than one unlikely culprit, Rex, and Viv must navigate old grudges and new deceptions to unmask a killer hiding in plain sight.