When adoptee Lucille Jones comes to town researching her roots, Betsy notices that she bears a remarkable resemblance to local Jan Henderson. Betsy introduces the look-alikes, and they quickly hit it off. But then Jan's wealthy great-aunt is found dead in her bed, and Jan is the prime suspect. Lucille begs Betsy to help clear her new friend's name.

And while going through her aunt's effects, Jan finds an old embroidered pillow featuring a flag with 49 stars-an odd error for a woman so sharp at figures. Stranger still, the lining is stitched with a map of Lake Minnetonka. Betsy intends to follow the threads. Who knows-it could just possibly lead to buried treasure. Or, perhaps, to a secret that someone would kill to conceal.