In Reno, Nevada, a 35-year-old adult entertainer named Kimmy Dale is woken by her doorbell. Her visitor is a young woman who reveals she is the adopted daughter of Candace Potter, a fellow entertainer and Kimmy’s close friend who was murdered 10 years prior. The daughter, who recently learned of her adoption and her mother’s murder, wants to find the killer, a man named Clyde Rangor.

Kimmy remembers the case and the original investigating detective, Max Darrow, who was initially uninterested in resolving the case. She recalls how she pushed Darrow to investigate, certain that Clyde and his partner, Emma Lemay, were responsible for Candace’s death. Kimmy gives the girl a photograph of Candace and urges her to abandon her search for her own safety, explaining that her being adopted and living a better life was her mother’s “win.” After the girl leaves, Kimmy drives to Candace’s grave, which she paid for herself, and silently promises to keep her late friend’s daughter safe.

The narrative returns to Matt in Irvington, New Jersey, as he looks up at the giant rusted Pabst Blue Ribbon bottle that marks the skyline of his urban neighborhood. Shortly after entering a contract to buy their suburban dream house, Matt and his wife, Olivia, learn that Olivia has successfully become pregnant, a development that has brought them immense joy after a year of trying to conceive. They purchase new camera phones to celebrate the occasion. A few days later, Olivia leaves for a business trip to Boston. While Matt is at his office at the Carter Sturgis law firm, he receives a message on his new phone from Olivia’s number, which informs him he is receiving an incoming image. It is a photograph of a smirking man with dark hair whom he does not recognize.

Immediately after, a second message from her number delivers a shaky, 15-second video. The video shows a hotel room where a woman wearing a platinum-blonde wig is sitting on the bed. Matt is horrified as he recognizes the woman’s walk and mannerisms as Olivia’s. The video ends as the man from the photograph enters the frame and approaches her. Matt’s assistant, Rolanda, sees his disturbed reaction.

Essex County homicide investigator Loren Muse is called into the office of her boss, prosecutor Ed Steinberg. He assigns her to investigate what was initially considered the natural death of Sister Mary Rose, a 62-year-old nun at St. Margaret’s School for Girls. The case is sensitive because the Mother Superior, Mother Katherine, attempted chest compressions and discovered that the nun had breast implants. Loren, who was a rebellious student at St. Margaret’s, has been personally requested for the case by Mother Katherine, her former principal. Steinberg instructs Loren to be discreet and to report directly to him. Mother Katherine is waiting in the next room to speak with her privately.

Mother Katherine explains that Sister Mary Rose came to the convent at 15 years old. The discovery of her breast implants leaves Mother Katherine suspicious of the backstory she gave upon becoming a nun. She urges Loren to find out the truth about Sister Mary Rose’s past.

Still reeling from the video, Matt struggles to find a rational explanation for what he saw. He reminds himself of the poor image quality and the fact that Olivia is not a blonde, but he cannot shake the certainty that it was her. He reflects on their deep love and her choice to be with him despite his past incarceration. He tries calling Olivia’s cell phone, but the call goes directly to voicemail. He leaves a brief message, asking her to call back. He omits his usual “love you.” Overwhelmed and uncertain, he takes a photograph of his own stoic face with his new phone and sends it to Olivia.

Two hours later, Matt still hasn’t heard from Olivia. At his law firm, he works with a senior partner, Ike “Midlife” Kier, on a corporate fraud case. In the parking lot after work, he notices a gray Ford Taurus with the license plate MLH-472, which catches his eye because the letters are similar to his own initials. He tries to find out which hotel Olivia is staying at by calling her assistant, Jamie Suh, but she is evasive and unhelpful.

On his way to a home inspection in Livingston, Matt is called to help a client, Eva, who is being illegally evicted. At the scene, he sees the same gray Ford Taurus idling nearby. When he walks toward the car, it accelerates and speeds away, clipping his ankle in the process. Realizing he is being followed, Matt decides he needs professional help. He calls a detective named Cingle Shaker and tells her he is visiting her office.

Investigator Loren Muse returns to her apartment to find her mother, Carmen, smoking on the couch. Her phone rings; it is Eldon Teak, the Essex County medical examiner. He informs her that Sister Mary Rose did not die of natural causes. The cause of death was suffocation, likely from a pillow being pressed over her face. Loren leaves again for the office.

A flashback recounts Matt and Olivia’s first meeting during spring break in Las Vegas 11 years earlier, when both were college freshmen. They shared an immediate and intense connection, spending the entire night talking and kissing but not having sex. They parted ways without exchanging numbers, as Olivia had a serious boyfriend. Years later, after his release from prison, Matt looked Olivia up online. In a remarkable coincidence, her company was hired to overhaul the computer system at his law firm. They reconnected, their old feelings instantly rekindled. They fell in love, and Matt eventually told her about his past. She accepted him, and they got married. 

The chapter returns to the present, contrasting this idyllic history with the pain of the mysterious video that suggests Olivia is cheating on him. Matt arrives at the offices of Most Valuable Detection (MVD), a private detective agency his law firm regularly works with. He meets with Cingle Shaker, a tall female detective. He tells Cingle about the car that’s been following him, which leads Cingle to deduce that he suspects his wife of infidelity. Matt is reticent to confirm her theory. Cingle nevertheless agrees to look into the car.

On his way to meet a home inspector at the house he and Olivia are buying, Matt gets a call from Jamie, who admits that she doesn’t know where Olivia is staying on her trip since Olivia booked the hotel herself. After the meeting with the home inspector, two police officers pull up on the road. Matt recognizes one of them as Lance Banner, someone he has known since childhood. Lance, who lives on the same street, antagonizes Matt over the death of Stephen McGrath, indicating his concern that someone with Matt’s criminal record is going to be his neighbor.

Matt proceeds to the house of his late brother’s widow, Marsha Hunter. There, his nephews are playing with their babysitter, Kyra Walsh, a college freshman who has rented a room at Marsha’s house. After Matt offers to take over looking after his nephews from Kyra, he gets a phone call from Cingle, who traces the car’s plate number to a man named Charles Talley. Soon after, Matt gets a second phone call, this time from Olivia.

At the morgue, medical examiner Eldon Teak gives Loren Muse more details about Sister Mary Rose’s murder. He believes the killer, likely a strong and knowledgeable man, pinned the nun’s arms down with his knees before smothering her. Eldon also found faint burn marks, suggesting the killer used a one-pronged stun gun on her internally. He has located serial numbers on the victim’s old silicone breast implants. The original manufacturer, SurgiCo, was acquired by the Lockwood Corporation, which is refusing to release the deceased’s identity. Eldon also recovered partial fingerprints from the victim’s temples, which might be enough to confirm a suspect if one is found.

Over the phone, Olivia claims she was in a seminar and didn’t know Matt was calling. When Matt asks where she is staying, she says the Ritz-Carlton in Boston but adds that she will be busy and is best reached on her cell. Matt confronts her about the photo and video, mentioning the man with dark hair and the platinum-blonde wig. After a moment of silence, Olivia dismisses it, suggesting a colleague at the seminar must have taken her phone from her purse and played a prank on her. She says she will be home on Friday and ends the call.

Matt takes his nephews, Paul and Ethan, out for Chinese food at Cathay restaurant and then puts them to bed at their house. Later that evening, Marsha calls and confesses that she was out on a date. She asks Matt to stay the night, as she will be home late. He agrees and sleeps on the couch. Staring at a photograph of his late brother, Bernie, on the refrigerator, Matt feels a deep sense of loss.

Matt sleeps on the couch. At 7 am, Cingle calls to say she has found Charles Talley and needs to speak in person. 

First, Matt attends his regular bi-weekly meeting at the Newark Museum with Sonya McGrath, the mother of Stephen McGrath. They have formed a unique, supportive bond. Matt confides in her about the mysterious video, his suspicions about Olivia, and the fact that he called both Ritz-Carlton hotels in Boston and learned Olivia was not registered at either one. Sonya reveals that her own husband, Clark, is having an affair. She suggests that the call from the camera phone has awakened Matt from the “good dream” of his new life, forcing him to confront a nightmarish reality.

Matt returns to his office and meets with Cingle. He shows her the photograph and video from his phone, and she downloads the files to enhance them. He asks her to find out everything she can about Charles Talley and to look for a connection to Olivia. Cingle then shows Matt Talley’s mug shots from a prior assault conviction. Matt is shocked to see that Charles Talley is the same smirking man from the photograph on his phone.

Loren goes to St. Margaret’s, where Mother Katherine gives her Sister Mary Rose’s phone records. One call stands out: a six-minute conversation to an unlisted number in Livingston. 

Eldon calls Loren and informs her that the company that manufactured Sister Mary Rose’s breast implants is unwilling to release information on her. Loren promises to get a court order to force them to comply. After viewing the nun’s stark, impersonal room, Loren has the unlisted number traced and discovers it belongs to Marsha Hunter.

Back at his office, Matt and Cingle discuss what they know about Charles Talley. Cingle proposes investigating Olivia to find a connection between her and Talley. 

Midlife interrupts their meeting to get Matt’s help on a case. After three hours of work, Matt’s phone rings with the number of a blocked caller. A man whispers a taunt, asking Matt to guess what he is doing to his wife.

Loren goes to Marsha’s home in Livingston. Marsha claims she doesn’t know anyone named Sister Mary Rose. Loren sees a photograph of Matt on the refrigerator; Loren knows Matt from her elementary school and is aware of his criminal record. Marsha becomes defensive for Matt’s sake and ends the interview. 

Outside, Loren briefly questions the babysitter, Kyra, who confirms Matt visits frequently and stayed over the previous night. As Loren gets to her car, she is confronted by Detective Lance Banner, who has been watching the house. He knows she is investigating something connected to Matt and expresses his interest in the case.