Shannon Whirry stars as Carrie and Terrie, a pair of twins who were separated in youth when their father murdered their mother and was in turn killed by his own bad twin daughter. Now the sweet-natured "good" sister has grown up to marry an abusive louse. Trapped in a sexless relationship, she seeks solace with a therapist (Kristine Kelly), but her problems are about to be compounded when her wicked sister arrives in town, intent on avenging herself on her double for past wrongs. Even the help of a private detective on her side may not be enough when her sister becomes allied with her own husband.

In 1973, 7-year-old Steven Stayner is kidnapped by pedophile Kenneth Parnell. Under the belief that Parnell has been given legal custody of him, and that his family has moved away, he stays with Parnell for seven years, enduring repetitive sexual abuse the entire time. Finally, in 1980, when Parnell kidnaps another young boy, Steven finds a way for them both to escape and return home.

Columbo is a friendly, verbose, disheveled-looking police detective who is consistently underestimated by his suspects. Despite his unprepossessing appearance and apparent absentmindedness, he shrewdly solves all of his cases and secures all evidence needed for indictment. His formidable eye for detail and meticulously dedicated approach often become clear to the killer only late in the storyline.