In celestial mechanics, there is no exact solution to the class of problems of calculating the orbits of three bodies circling each other. Frank Sladek, a private investigator on Star City, a hollowed out asteroid orbiting a brown dwarf, has a different kind of problem to solve. With three bodies on his hands, he has to find a solution to dealing with the aftermath in a way that will get him off the hook and won't get him killed. Whether it's a body with four arms, a body that won't stay dead, or the body of a murdered friend who has left him a package, his task won't be easy, but whether by his wits or good aim with a laser pistol, Sladek must find a solution to survive.