Jill Tyler and her minister husband Rob Tyler adopt two children, Catherine and Eric. Eric is a sweet and timid child. Catherine initially seems to be the same but soon displays outbursts of violent rage for no apparent reason. At first, some of her violent acts go unnoticed; when they progress to stabbing the family dog with a needle, Jill and Rob realize something is wrong. They ask Doris, the children's caseworker, about Catherine's past, but Doris cites confidentiality laws.