He is a college professor, was once a promising writer, made his name and is secure in his tenure, but he has spent the last four years going through the motions and playing it safe.

This, coupled with the depressing Christmas season, unseasonably hot weather, and a pending divorce from his estranged wife, Gail, whom he suspects was having an affair with Lang, leads Cornell to seek out the local bars for a night of heavy drinking.

The next morning, Cornell, feeling his sickness is more than just a hangover, stops by the campus medical clinic for a checkup.

Aided by Fuller, whom he kidnaps by super-gluing himself to her arm, he attempts to recreate the events of the previous night hoping to discover who could have murdered him.

The list of suspects includes his wife, who is also the victim of a murder, which the police make half-hearted efforts to pin on Cornell.

Later, after a skirmish with Bernard results in Cookie's unfortunate death, Fitzwaring finally reveals to Cornell that Lang was her son from a previous marriage she walked away from to marry her wealthy late husband, without actually finalizing the divorce from her former spouse.

The tragic irony for Cornell is that due to weariness, he instead gave Lang's novel a pass without ever having read it.

Petersham shows no remorse, callously stating it was Cornell's own fault that he believed he had.