A transient invades the home of the Lewis family as Emma Lewis peels potatoes for dinner. She does not hear the man, she smells him. Emma turns to find him only a few feet away from her and a struggle begins. Her young daughter Jane is coloring in her bedroom and hears a strange man's voice coming from the kitchen. Jane goes to the kitchen and observes the struggle. She sneaks behind the man and pushes the intercom button that links the house to the family's garage. Their auto repair business is only a few hundred feet away. Jane turns and runs to the garage for help and the man chases her. When he realizes he cannot catch her, he returns to finish with Emma. The family, a Heinz 57 ancestral mix, lives in a small town about 60 miles north of San Francisco. The parents are a solid couple; daughter Jane is bright and challenging; her brothers are a handful. The family survives the horrific event with the help of Jane's Aunt Gladys and their employee and friend, Henry. Though the intruder had terrible plans for Emma, a private detective helps her discover there are reasons why he behaved that way. She also learns that no one is simply good and no one is simply evil.