Sally is asked to assist in an ongoing undercover operation investigating shipping magnate Jock Varney. All she has to do is slip away to Phoenix for a few days to fill in as caregiver to Varney's elderly mother, Elizabeth. And while doing that, carry out her primary assignment. It all goes smoothly.So why, less than two weeks later, is Mrs. Varney's regular companion standing at Sally's front door with a suspicious mind and a lot of questions? One reason: her employer is dead and the loyal Vera Riley isn't convinced it was natural causes.And no wonder. The Varney family has experienced more that its share of sudden deaths. Sally and her two loyal assistants travel to California where they team up with Mrs. Riley to find out the truth. Who or what is behind the dark events plaguing the Varneys?