Like most children brought up Roman Catholic, Richard regularly attended confession. He never quite know why but until he was in high school, he never questioned the purpose, if not the substance of the sacrament. An incident involving a priestly vestment, a confession in a cathedral, overhearing an admission by an elderly lady in an adjacent confessional, the surprising registration for a universe theology course, and Richard leads to a renewal of his faith and an obsession with confession. Further, he accidentally overhears an elderly lady's admission in an adjacent confessional, prompting an investigation into the balance between the harm caused by the sin and the absolution provided by confessors. Over several months, he finds himself investigating misdeeds that would give rise to exceptional measures issued by priests sitting in darkened booths in which divine forgiveness is furnished. A homeless man without a name is murdered and Richard has found the misdeed that he hopes will be absolved by confession. Although his pursuit does not result in anything approaching exoneration, it does provide the murdered man with a name and a mystery with a conclusion.
