Leo Dalton investigates the death of a young boy whose body is found in the river. He was badly abused and his hands and feet were severed. The child is found to have been HIV positive and the pathologists determine that he may have been the victim of a ritual killing., perhaps as part of an exorcism that went too far. When the skeletal remains of another child are found, Leo believes the police have focused their investigation on the wrong man. Nikki Alexander investigates the apparent suicide of Father Anthony Reid who appears to have jumped from his apartment window on the grounds of a well-known Catholic school. He had colon cancer but those who knew him question that he would take his own life. Harry Cunningham looks into the case of Austin Chambers who is found floating in his swimming pool with an obvious ligature mark on his throat.

When a second person, Vincent Fricks, is found dead with ligature marks around his neck, Nikki and Harry not only find a connection between the two dead men but also with the school where Father Reid committed suicide. They also find another common link between the three. Leo Dalton continues his investigation into a local church that combines Christian with African beliefs and customs. He manages to find physical evidence linking one of the dead boys to the church.