On the Fourth of July, Tess and her friends find a mysterious red, white, and blue brooch in the curio cabinet at Wayfarers Inn. Who could have left it there, and why? When Tess takes it to a local jeweler for appraisal, it is stolen out of his hands before they can find a single clue about its origins. As the friends dig in to the mystery, they learn tidbits about the brooch's colorful history, including the fact that among their current guests are descendants of a man suspected, one hundred and fifty years ago, of stealing this same brooch. As their search for answers progresses, their friend and handyman, Tory "Thorn" Thornton seems distracted and out of sorts. Can Tess uncover why he's acting this way and help him work through the difficulties he is so reticent to share?