High school student Lou Dunlop is an average guy with above average problems. His father, a police officer, is keeping an extremely close eye on him. His best friend, Eric, has lots of money and wants the two of them to travel around the world. And the famous fictional detective, Philip Marlowe, often talks to him - but only in his mind. But Lou's world gets even more complicated when a girl disappears without a trace from his school. When Jessie Phillips, the missing girl's best friend, and a strange case in her own right, recruits Lou to help search for her friend, they both get more than they bargained for. Lou discovers that sometimes the people you think you can count on let you down, while the least likely people come through for you.