Seventeen-year old Ronald Wilby is an introverted young man with a protective single mother.

Walking home one evening, Ronald stumbles into young Carol Mathews; in the encounter, Carol ends up assaulted and dead. Ronald leaves his jacket at the scene.

Elaine Wilby is convinced that Carol's death was an accident, and converts a small part of the old house to a secret room where Ronald must hide-until she saves enough that they can move, and start over. She tells everyone that her son ran away.

The plan works until Mrs. Wilby is taken by sudden illness. The house is sold to another family-a family with three pretty daughters...

Lurking behind the walls, Ronald is tempted more than he can bear.