Detective Joe Garvey is called in to investigate a strange case: a ballerina has been murdered on stage during a performance, and it appears she did not even fight. Garvey discovers her 14-year-old precocious sister Tinsel at her home. She's uncooperative, so he arranges for her to be sent to an orphanage – until she, too, is attacked. He takes her under his wing, and they soon attract the attention of a mysterious organization.