Dr. Alec Mercer receives a voicemail from Renee Franklin, a respected English professor, who urgently seeks his help. Since her heart transplant, she has been experiencing vivid nightmares where she finds herself in a car in the woods, holding a gun, with a crow flying overhead. The dream always ends before anything happens, but the last time, she pulled the trigger, and there was blood everywhere. When she wakes up in her car outside her house with no memory of how she got there, she fears the nightmare might be real.
Alec reassures her that vivid dreams are common after surgery, but when they analyze her descriptions, they discover an unsettling connection. A deputy named Johnny Crow was shot and killed off Round Hill Road, the very place Renee recalls. Even more disturbing, Johnny died six months ago—the exact day Renee received her heart transplant. This raises the question of cellular memory, the controversial idea that organ recipients can inherit memories or traits from their donors. Renee herself has noticed unexpected shifts in her behavior, such as a newfound interest in Western films, something Johnny enjoyed.
Determined to find answers, Renee and Alec visit Hemlock County, where Johnny died. His widow, Megan, tells them he was a devoted husband who never worked nights, contradicting official records stating he died in the line of duty past midnight. The sheriff admits he altered Johnny’s schedule on paper so Megan could collect benefits, but this does not explain why Johnny was out there. A deeper search of the crime scene reveals a bullet casing outside his car, suggesting someone else shot him.
Their investigation leads them to Cookie, a local drug dealer running a meth operation near the crime scene. Renee and Alec suspect Johnny was watching him the night he died. However, Cookie reveals he was the one who called 911 after hearing gunshots and spoke to a dispatcher named Linda. Yet, when they check with the sheriff’s department, they are told no dispatcher by that name exists, suggesting a cover-up.
Meanwhile, Renee’s health suddenly deteriorates, with tremors and dehydration setting in. Alec discovers her heart medication has been swapped with amphetamine salts. The only place she had been before falling ill was Cookie’s trailer, implying someone wanted to silence her.
As Alec and his team dig deeper, they uncover a web of corruption within the sheriff’s department. Cookie had been paying off deputies to ignore his drug operation, and Johnny wasn’t targeting him—he was waiting to see which officers were involved in the payouts. Deputy Ron McDaniel, stationed near the crime scene, was left out of the official report. When Johnny confronted McDaniel about the corruption, McDaniel silenced him. The sheriff covered it up by falsifying records and firing Linda Noble, the only dispatcher who could have verified the truth.
To take them down, Alec orchestrates a sting operation. Cookie, desperate for a way out, pretends to demand a break on his protection payments in exchange for his silence about what he “saw” the night Johnny died. He falsely claims he witnessed McDaniel shoot Johnny and overheard him calling the sheriff to say it was done. The sheriff, believing the lie, panics and admits to the crime. The moment he does, the FBI moves in, arresting both the sheriff and McDaniel. Their corruption is exposed, and a new sheriff will take over.
With the case closed, Renee finally sleeps peacefully for the first time since her transplant. While Alec suggests she may have subconsciously read about Johnny’s death and stored the details without realizing it, the case of Linda remains unexplained. Renee never saw her name, yet she knew she existed. Whether cellular memory played a role remains uncertain, but what matters is that she has found peace. Her health is improving, and she looks forward to returning to teaching next semester, eager to reclaim her life.
Meanwhile, Marissa, a senior FBI agent, faces her own personal revelation. Throughout the case, she has struggled with the knowledge that Cam, a young lawyer she met during an FBI consultation, is the son she gave up for adoption over twenty years ago. Initially too overwhelmed to say anything, she finally gathers the courage to tell him the truth. Cam, who grew up with loving adoptive parents, assures her he always felt wanted but still has questions. Marissa promises to tell him everything, but before she does, she embraces her son and holds on tight, knowing that while the past cannot be changed, their future is just beginning.
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