Our Fathers

Terry Eason, a man with a career crisis, is spending some time at his girlfriend's beach cottage. Walking on the beach, he meets Matt Carlsberg, a man who asks many questions, but reveals little of himself. Several days later, Terry finds him, stabbed to death.Harry Chervenic, a detective who has seen too much of the nasty side of life, leads the investigation. He is assisted by Mickie Wilder - young, ambitious, eager to learn from Harry's experience. They find that Matt had left home eighteen years ago, had never kept in touch, and had only recently returned. Robert, Matt's brother, tells them that he believes Matt had made a living smuggling guns to trouble spots around the world. From Robert's ex-wife they learn that their father had been murdered just before Matt had left. She also reveals that Robert held a long-standing grudge against Matt.Just before his death, Matt had made out a will, as if he knew what would happen, leaving large sums to his brother and sister. A note accompanying the will invites his nephew and nieces, along with Terry Eason, on a sort of treasure hunt. It is presented as a challenge, the prize unspecified.Chervenic soon learns that to discover who killed Matt, he must first find out why he was killed. The hunt for the killer, the hunt for the prize, and the eighteen year old murder all draw together to lead to the killer's identity.