It’s a hot October in 1946, and L.A. has become ground zero in America's anti-Red crusade. Russians are the last thing on PI's Kit and Henry's minds, however, when they accept a job finding a rare first edition of a Jules Verne novel. Client Donald Dreiland, a pulp magazine editor, believes his assistant Marlene stole the book, then did a runner. To find the book then, Kit and Henry must find Marlene. But Marlene, a former child prodigy and secret Code Girl, has dropped from sight. The detectives soon discover they aren’t the only ones on the hunt, and their relentless Russian competitors are deadly serious about finding Marlene first. As subterfuge and secrets pile up, Kit and Henry are forced to question the nature of their mission and who exactly is paying their fees.