Cathy Ferris is sitting at her lunch table with her friends minding her own business when all of a sudden another student, Tommy, approaches her calling her by the name Murielle and insisting that she is his lost cousin. The story comes out that five years ago Tommy's aunt and uncle had swindled millions of dollars from their clients five years ago and had fled the country before being apprehended. They left behind their only daughter, Murielle, Tommy's cousin. While the aunt and uncle remain at large, Murielle, age 10 at the time, was bundled off into foster care and hasn't been heard from or seen since.
Upon hearing the story, the students all wonder what kind of parents would prefer money over their own child, would leave that child behind. Did they sit down over dinner one evening and discuss the pros and cons of taking Murielle with them and decide it would be too much trouble? Where was Murielle? What did she think about the crimes her parents had committed and why they left her behind?
Cathy would just like to ignore the whole situation but the persistance of her classmates forces her to face her past and her feelings for her parents.
To find out if Cathy is really Murielle or just a look alike who also has parent issues read They Never Came Back by Caroline B. Cooney.