When the police discover that a man who has been shot has been keeping a file of her entire life, sixteen-year-old Kristi, an aspiring artist, suspects a connection with the possible theft of a painting from a museum. When police detectives tell Kristi Evans and her parents that a man named Douglas Merson has been shot in his home, it means nothing to them. But it becomes significant when they learn that Mr. Merson has kept a secret file on Kristi for years. Suddenly Kristi finds herself trying to discover who he is and why he has intruded into her life. When Kristi visits Mr. Merson in the hospital, she learns that he's a professional artist. He wants to help her pursue her own dream of going to art school. Kristi's parents have never understood her passion; they want her to do something practical. Now this stranger seems to be offering her the piece that has been missing from her life all along, but at what cost to her family? Who is this man who seems too good to be true?