Two seemingly unrelated phone calls send Private Investigator Pete Pepper on a dual quest. Find the murderer of caller number one, his friend George Gianotti, and locate the missing husband of caller number two, reclusive millionaire Emily Bradshaw. Pete is shocked when he eventually discovers that both calls originated from the Bradshaw mansion. Even more shocking are the five brutal murders heencounters along the way. Ultimately, a box of cigars, a can of paint and a drawing by his precocious nephew Gianni lead Pete to a chilling climax on a frozen Belleville lake.