From the moment he sees the blue flag in Joe Landry's driveway, Detective "Tibby" Thibodaux begins to have premonitions. Landry's license plate has been identified by a witness to a hit-and-run in New Orleans, but when Tibby arrives at his house in Cajun country, the car is undamaged, and Landry has an alibi. Still, Tibby - a veteran detective of Cajun and African heritage - feels that Landry's explanation has been "a good performance." Although the hit-and-run remains unsolved and the victim succumbs to his injuries, Landry is forgotten as new murders take precedence. Landry's name, however, has appeared on a list of possible right-wing extremists, and the FBI wants Tibby to investigate. Tibby's efforts to track Landry down take him into the bayou and beyond. As the truth slowly emerges, Tibby comes to the realization: it's worse than anybody thinks.