In 1984, the former mayor of a small upstate New York town was found dead in his car with a young girl. In the aftermath, his wife and his adopted daughter have to make sense of this situation, while a detective from out of town tries to solve the case.
Sally comes home from college to the news her adopted father and ex-mayor Jason had died in a mysterious and suspicious circumstance. Her adopted mother Denise seemingly in a good mood unbothered by the sudden death of her husband. Town sheriff Johnathan and state detective Aida pay them a visit, revealing that a local high school girl Megan was also found dead at the scene with Jason. Sally seems sickened to learn of this fact, throws up and passes out.
Throughout the course of the investigation, the sheriff and the detective did not see eye to eye with each other, culminating to the disagreement of arresting Megan's mother Amy who is angered by the lack of news she has received from police so far. In the process of arresting Amy, Aida notices Sally running down the street, and decides to chase after her, leaving Amy and her car with Johnathan. At the diner Aida questions Sally about her father, although emotional Sally seems believable in her defense of her father's innocence.
At the police station, Aida receives her car key back from Christine, a younger officer working the front desk. Aida interviews Amy discovering the fact that Megan was unaccounted for the day before her death. Amy's husband Jake visits her at the station, tired of the sheriff's interference Aida releases Amy.Later that day at the motel where Aida is staying she listens to a recording of her interviews while taking off her wig. At night in her dreams, she runs towards two trees and a brick wall, just as the wall falls down. She wakes up from the dream and begins to read a journal written by Megan given to her by Jake. She learns through the journey that Megan had a recent breakup with a schoolmate named Brandon.
The next day at Megan's school Aida questions the principal Reid and his connection with Jason, as he reveals that Jason and the sheriff served together in Vietnam. In a routine interview Brandon tries to escape and is captured by Aida. Distrust of the police Amy and Jake break into Jason's house in order to discover evidence against him. At the station Sally speaks to Christine while waiting to give Aida some writings from her father.
At their own house, Amy and Jake are interviewed by Aida alone, and suddenly the sheriff bursts through the door with a search warrant. The sheriff found incriminating evidence against Amy and Jake resulting in their arrest as Amy protested she discovered it at Jason's place. Back at the station, Amy steals Johnathan's gun and kidnaps him. As Aida tries to calm her down, she shoots her in the shoulder before Christine shoots Amy.
A day later. Aida reappears at the station with a cast around her shoulder to thank Christine for saving her life. Aida is angered by the sheriff's lack of interest in continuing the investigation, but is convinced to stop the investigation by her superior's clear signal to drop the case. Aida gives Sally the writing from her father back to her before heading out of town. Sally invites Aida to have a conversation about their past, the two connect in their shared experiences as outsiders but Sally decides to hide the truth regarding the abuse she suffered from Jason. Aida leaves and cries in her car alone.
The next morning Denise cooks up a lavish meal to send off Sally but is interrupted by a phone call revealing Denise's involvement in Megan's death. Sally, shocked by this, reveals her involvement in Jason's death. They argue before Sally runs out of the house.
