1961, Illinois. Alex Poliac buries his wife Alice. That evening, he and his son flee their home. Not because he is a suspect in Alice's death, but because a serial killer – The Clown – is prowling the state, and Alex knows how he picks his victims. A rough meeting with Laura, a friend of his wife, brings more questions: was Alice hiding something, with her mysterious phone calls and unexplained absences? Was her death really an accident?