An explosion in the middle of a peach orchard kills Salem's sister during a labor strike, and police call it an accident. Salem wants to prove her sister was murdered for supporting the union despite being the daughter of a grower. Her biggest clue is knowing her sister hired a cunning gang banger named Cordero to protect union workers. The fellow Verona High student is signed up to put a JKF conspiracy on a mock trial, alongside Salem, but refuses to share what he knows. The more secrets Salem discovers other mock trial participants have regarding her sister's death, the fewer people she can trust in unraveling the real-life conspiracy.