Psychology professor Wilma Tuttle finds herself caught in a perilous situation when she accidentally kills a student, Bill Perry, in self-defense. After a brief struggle atop seaside cliffs where Perry had tried to assault her, Wilma panics and decides to cover up the incident, making it appear as though his death was accidental. She carefully returns to her life while grappling with fear and guilt, hoping that this dark secret remains undiscovered. However, her troubles intensify when Lieutenant Ted Dorgan is assigned to the case. Dorgan is methodical and highly determined, sensing that there's more to Perry's demise than meets the eye. He begins a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death, as Wilma grows increasingly anxious about its outcome.

As Dorgan delves deeper, piecing together clues and interviewing witnesses, Wilma's composure is tested. Her professional life becomes strained as she endeavors to continue teaching without drawing suspicion while simultaneously coping with her internal turmoil. Complicating matters further, she develops an unexpected romantic interest in Warren Ford, Perry’s guardian, who remains unaware of her involvement in Perry's death. As the investigation progresses, tension mounts for Wilma, who finds herself confronting a moral dilemma that could unravel both her personal and professional world. The pursuit of truth by Dorgan places her on the precipice of exposure as she weighs the consequences of revealing the truth against living with the burden of secrecy.