Rand Kenzie watches the runaway stage race through the streets, its driver wounded, the reins held by lively Benita Ellison, and realizes he's reached Palo Pinto too late. Benita's father sent an appeal to the Kenzies for help; but he's been dead a week - murdered - leaving no clue to the nature of the trouble or the identity of his enemies, and the bullets are still flying. Though Rand has no idea where to begin, he is determined to solve the mystery. He soon finds there are many men in Palo Pinto whose actions need explaining - and when an attempt is made to frame him for the murder, he's sure he's on the right trail. But danger and double dealing are never far away, and Rand must unravel many threads of crime and treachery before he can unmask the real killers.