Guerrieri had fallen in love decades earlier with Lorenza, a beautiful older woman who was in his eyes sophisticated and intellectual, but ultimately treated him as a plaything and discarded him. One spring afternoon Lorenza shows up in Guerrieri's office. Her son stands convicted of the first-degree murder of a local drug dealer. Her trial lawyer has died, so for the appeal, she turns to Guerrieri. Despite his misgivings, he accepts the case; perhaps to pay a melancholy homage to the ghosts of his youth.