Thirteen-year-old Jake Harvard is less than thrilled when he learns he has to spend the summer in suburban Washington, D.C., with his uncle Benny, an unmotivated, middle-aged detective. On his way to Uncle Benny's office during his first day in the nation's capital, Jake befriends an inquisitive young girl named Kat Adams who has a passion for American history and God-given freedoms. When Uncle Benny turns away a distraught client named Lola Meanorswho needs help finding her missing husband, Jake and Kat hold their own secret investigation to help solve the case.