ld West of 1930s Hollywood when retired silent film star William S. Hart hires him to recover a valuable painting stolen from Hart's home and held for ransom. Trouble is, the art-napper's a dead man-a B-Western day player killed in an on-set shooting the cops aren't convinced was an accident. His death has caused bitter division among the movie cowboys, even between Nate's pal Dusty and his business partner, Pooter.

To solve his own case, Nate's forced to travel on the edge of an investigation he wants no part of, landing him in more hot water than usual with the L.A. police. And when Dusty's shot in a burglary, Nate's pulled in yet another direction as he looks for the culprit, with help from an unexpected source.