Thirty miles east of San Diego, in the dusty heart of the California desert, lies the Barona Ranch Indian Reservation. This is desolate country, marked by lone pines, winding canyons, and granite hills. It is here that the boy was found, tied to a matress in an abandoned mountain shack. The case has been assigned to Bo Bradley, a child-abuse investigator with San Diego's juvenile court system. It is a meaningful job, and it pays for Bo's few indulgences, like her books on Indian lore and the huge canvases for her paintings, based on ancient Native American rock drawings. Bo loves her profession, and she abides by its cardinal rule: never get involved with the child-victim. This has not always been easy for a sensitive woman whose emotions ride perilously close to the surface. Now, with this four-year-old boy, it proves almost impossible.