When a man dies unexpectedly in the office of a noted California doctor, police begin what they think will be a routine investigation. What they find throws doubt on the identity of the dead man and raises questions about the doctor's role in his death. Soon they uncover a bizarre story of corpse stealing, faked identities, and sexual perversion - all part of an elaborate insurance case that will centre on what actually caused the victim's death: a sex act gone wrong, or premeditated murder.