Detective Inspector Irene Huss hasn't seen Sophie Malmborg for over fifteen years, but she's still haunted by the strange young ballerina's role in the fire that killed her stepfather. Why had she refused to speak to Irene and the other case workers? Could an eleven-year-old—even one as disturbed and aloof as Sophie—truly be capable of setting her own house on fire?

Irene's questions resurface fifteen years later, when Sophie disappears and the charred remains of a dancer are found in an abandoned warehouse. Irene has a startling realization that could shed light on the case that has been lingering in the back of her mind since the beginning of her career.