Olivia Lowell always believed her mother had died in childbirth. Now she learns that her mother has just died and left her a substantial fortune. Apparently, her mother robbed a bank when she was younger and parlayed her ill-gotten gains into a booming mail-order business. Once she found out she was terminally ill, she finally felt some regret and an urge to right her wrongs. This is what she asks Olivia to do. Whether or not to honor her absent mother's wishes is a huge issue for Olivia.