A prominent surgeon at New City Hospital undergoes serious upheaval in his life, personal and professional. His son leaves home and his whereabouts are unknown. The surgeon is involved in an operative death and his operating privileges are removed. The death endangers the hospital's accreditation and academic affiliation. When the surgeon also loses his research funding, he loses control and accuses his chairman and Tom Bolling, chief of staff, of ruining his career. He storms out of the hospital and goes missing. When the head of research is murdered, suspicion immediately falls on the missing surgeon for several forensic reasons. Bodies of other individuals who have had troubled relations with the surgeon begin to pile up. The primary investigator, Detective Ron 'Walker' Looney is a long-time friend of Tom Bolling as they were both in the air force, Looney as a Master Sargent and Bolling as a Brigadier General. These two different men, together with a former medical examiner, piece together a credible case against the missing surgeon. That case is blown apart when hard evidence is found that proves otherwise. When another attack occurs with no connection to the surgeon, the detectives revise the list of "Knowns' and get on the right track. But, they discover another assault is planned at the Great American Baseball Park, and they have a race against time or another murder will occur.