Albert Romano is an avid hiker, bicyclist, and snow skier. He is also a career staff sergeant with the 319th Signal Battalion, a Sacramento U.S. Army Reserve unit. He’s been to Iraq twice and faces a third overseas tour of duty to Afghanistan. He hates the war and fears he will be killed if he goes back. Perhaps that fear made him take one last hike before winter against his wife’s advice. Several miles into the Desolation Wilderness above Lake Tahoe an early storm dampened the trail. Albert's misstep caused a rock slide which trapped his left leg to the knee. He could not dig himself free nor could he bring himself to amputate his leg above the knee. He decided freezing to death would be less painful. The storm made searching for Albert impossible, and animals ate all but his trapped lower leg before hikers found it the following spring. Albert’s widow, Patti, identified the tattooed leg and claimed Albert’s million dollar life insurance money. But Ed Logan, the insurance adjuster handling Patti's claim, discovers Albert only bought the policy two months before he took his hike. And the Romanos’ shaky family finances would not have let them make a third premium payment. Logan sends private investigator Dan Ballantine to Placerville. Ballantine learns the tattoo on Albert’s leg, like the life insurance policy, was fresh. Patti tells Dan of Albert’s dread of a third tour of military duty, but she cannot explain the new passport or the South American travel brochures found in Albert’s desk.While Ballantine investigates, he finds himself attracted to Patti Romano. Though he has many unanswered questions, he hopes to spend more time with her and the million dollars she will receive unless something goes wrong.
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