In 1946, Dave Levitan investigates the murder of an atomic scientist and computer pioneer who'd been strangled in an Atlantic City hotel room. An ex-ACPD cop working as a civilian Coast Guard investigator, Levitan struggles against the interference of the Secretary of State, a 3-star General, and the FBI Director. A combat veteran of the Spanish Civil War, Levitan discovers the perfect spy hidden inside the Manhattan Project. When the killer's lover is unjustly arrested, Levitan challenges J. Edgar Hoover of the FBI to obtain her freedom. Through it all, he struggles to win the loyalty of his extraordinary wife, a gifted musician seduced by the allure of success.