"The canal has been turned into a bike trail, stretching thirty-two miles through the center of rural Henry County. Traffic on the trail is at its heaviest in the fall when bikers from all over Illinois travel the pathway to enjoy the beautiful countryside. But county residents ride the trail with apprehension for they believe the scattered remains of Katie Karver lie hidden somewhere beneath the canal's murky waters. Amid the splendor of autumn colors and the apprehensions of the citizenry, freshman Sheriff Mike Armstrong plans his political campaign and aspires to become Henry County's longest serving law officer. But with startling abruptness, unresolved questions concerning Katie's murder rise to torment the sheriff and her ghost becomes a major obstacle to the sheriff's re-election dream"