Fifteen-year-old Mike McGill has lived with his Uncle Billy since his mother's death. Only ten years older than Mike, Billy loves to party, and he doesn't pay much attention when Mike starts getting in trouble. But nothing gets by Mike's history teacher, an ex-cop named Riel especially not long-hidden information about Mike's mother. Her death might not have been an accident after all!

Mike's lies are spinning out of control and now he's the prime suspect in a murder. He can't explain his bruised and skinned knuckles, and he can't explain why he was seen near the park where Robbie was killed. But he insists he's not a murderer. Still, if Mike really is innocent, why doesn't his alibi check out, and why are the police so sure that he's guilty?

Mike gets involved with a girl whose mother was murdered years ago and ends up helping to solve an old murder case—the very one in which Riel's partner was killed and Riel injured. Some outside the bounds sleuthing by Mike and Riel lets them both flush out the real killer this time—but not before the accused murderer almost kills them both.

Vin swears he had nothing to do with the robbery—or the two people who were shot. But Sal saw Vin running from the scene. Even after Vin is arrested, Mike isn't sure who to believe. He's caught between his two friends—and believing one might mean losing the other . . .

After Mike skips out on meeting his friend Sal, he is stunned to find out that Sal has been stabbed to death near his high school. Even though there were lots of kids nearby, nobody will come forward to say what they really saw. So Mike starts asking some questions of his own and finds out that Sal was hanging around a girl who recently left a gang. Are they responsible for killing Sal? How can Mike find out the truth when nobody will talk?