Student David Buckley was hospitalised for mental illness as a result of his infatuation with Alison Tindell, a fellow student. After thirty years, Buckley, who is now a renowned journalist, gets a call from Alison unexpectedly urging him to come visit.

The same night, a murder takes place; Buckley is charged, and Alison, his only possible witness, disappears. Police officers don’t think she ever existed. As the law closes in, Buckley flees and uses a canal boat to search the entire country for her. But Buckley is more afraid of this person than anybody else, and they plan to locate him first.