Donald "Sleepy" Carter was once the most decorated detective in the New Orleans Police Department. At the height of his career - which had reached legendary status - he disappeared. His disappearance was attributed to foul play - payback by someone he put in jail years earlier. Ten years later, he's back solving the city's toughest murder cases, but only one person knows he's alive - newly minted Detective, Lizzy Silverman.

What caused Sleepy's ten year disappearance? His own guilt. Late one night, Sleepy made the terrible mistake of driving while drunk. He took a wrong turn down a one-way street and murdered a couple. With no witnesses to the crime, Sleepy panicked and fled the scene. Haunted by his transgression, Sleepy spiraled into depression and quickly found himself homeless and living on the streets of New Orleans. But now he's back to confess his sins to Detective Silverman - the daughter of the couple he killed. 

Sleepy struggles to find the courage to tell the still grieving detective he's the person who caused her parent's fatal crash (their "cold case" became her motivation for joining the police force). Until he can find the nerve to tell her the truth, Sleepy decides to repay his debt to Lizzy by helping her solve the cases she's assigned. Lizzy gladly accepts his help, but Sleepy makes her promise to do one thing - she can never tell anyone he's alive.