Evan Birch is a family man and esteemed professor of philosophy at a distinguished college. When a female student at a nearby high school, Joyce, goes missing, Evan's previous off-campus dalliances cause his wife to question his alibi. Meticulous police detective Malloy has even more reason to be suspicious when crucial evidence makes Evan the prime suspect in Joyce's disappearance. Suddenly, the questions Evan faces aren't merely academic – they're a matter of life or death.