A small girl brings Joe Gunther a bird's nest-made partially of human hair. In the search to match a body-and an identity-to the hair's owner, Joe comes across an unexplained death, a grisly murder, and a sudden disappearance. All seem to be entangled in a puzzling web of municipal corruption, blackmail, and industrial espionage. A shell-shocked World War II veteran nicknamed the Ragman may hold the key to it all-but only if Joe can get him to talk before the murderer strikes again.