Irene Moore, a small-town police chief, must overcome personal grief to break up a “super-weed” marijuana ring before the perpetrators or their weed kills another person.

SYNOPSIS:

Theme: Let go of the past to forge your future.

Synopsis: Irene Moore, San Francisco police officer, struggles with terrible grief. Her teenage son accidentally kills her husband in a house fire during Christmas. At his graduation reception in June, the son kills himself by driving a car off a cliff in front of everyone.

Irene moves with her fifteen-year-old daughter, Casey, to a small coastal town in the Pacific Northwest to forget the tragedies. As the new police chief, she butts heads with Jerry Hubble, the owner of a run-down motel, and Billy Thurber, a young drifter that reminds her of her son. When Billy takes a liking to Casey, Irene forbids her daughter to see him.

A string of escalating crimes baffles Irene and the small town--Jerry's smashed Corvette, a fire at Jerry’s motel, a "super-weed" marijuana scheme, and two deaths. Billy seems to be involved with each, especially after he positively identifies one of the dead bodies as his father's. However, Irene's investigations are hampered by her aversion to strong smells brought on by the recent tragedies. She must wear a mask, gloves, and a poncho to avoid breathing smoke, smelling blood and other strong odors, and getting them on her clothing.

Irene gets help from Tim Brody, a hardware store owner, who is interested in starting a relationship with her. She brushes off his romantic overtures, but makes him a volunteer deputy to assist in solving some of the crimes.

While Irene runs from and buries her grief, Casey wallows in it by erecting a huge shrine to their dead loved ones. Irene's previous strained relationship with her son transfers onto her daughter. When Casey arrives home with bruises, cuts, and torn clothing, Irene thinks Billy raped her. Because she can't prove it, she can only threaten him.

When Jerry blames the motel fire on Billy as well as many of the other crimes, Irene must step in to calm the townspeople. When a bullet is discovered in Billy's father's body, Irene suspects Billy. But when he is accused of child molestation, Irene proves he is innocent. She also discovers he could not have set the motel fire.

Despite Irene's efforts, Jerry garners support for a scheme to kidnap Billy and dump his body in the ocean. Irene saves Billy and in the process, releases bottled-up grief for her husband and son. She arrests Jerry for attempted murder and discovers he is behind the "super weed" marijuana farm.

The next Christmas, Irene and Casey are able to celebrate the holiday with Christmas lights, candles, and a fresh Christmas tree. Tim and Billy are invited to participate in the festivities. Irene's aversion to strong smells is gone and mother and daughter are able to move on with their lives.