When Althea Boatright dies alone in her locked room, it looks like the natural death of a sickly old woman. But Althea's friend thinks there's something suspicious about it, based on her walking stick. Since this friend is a friend of the mother of Henry Huckabee, the Chief of Police in Ogeechee, Georgia, it must be investigated. Hen assigns his cousin, Officer Trudy Roundtree, to look into it. Trudy finds several people with grudges against the victim. Who could have gotten into Althea's room and gotten away with the wrong walking stick - and why did it lead to murder?