"The slightly retarded fifteen-year-old daughter of a diplomat dies on a school field trip - forced or lured into a deserted corner of the Santa Monica mountains and killed in cold blood. Her father adamantly denies the possibility of a political motive, which leaves LAPD detective Milo Sturgis and his longtime friend psychologist Alex Delaware to pose the question: Why? There are no signs of struggle, no evidence of sexual assault - and there are no easy answers. Just one innocent youngster...dead."--BOOK JACKET. "The victim's father is so intent on controlling the investigation that Alex and Milo start to wonder if he wants to bring out the truth - or make sure it stays buried. Then there is another killing, and within days Alex finds himself ensnared in one of the darkest, most menacing cases of his career."--BOOK JACKET.