In 1923, it is almost impossible for a Chinese laundryman in a small town to find someone to watch his daughter for a few hours while he takes care of an "urgent business matter".  Newspaper reporter Nora Finnegan agrees to help her friend, Ki Mee.  But when he is found dead the next morning with a spent opium pipe nearby, Nora quickly becomes entangled in a web of uncertain responsibility. Her maternal instincts tell her she could be the child's parent. However, it's not an easy decision.  Nora's job at the Carmel Pine Cone demands that she focus on the breaking story. Weaving through the story are pieces of history from the early days of Carmel-by-the-Sea and the Monterey peninsula.