When the body of an 11-year-old boy is found in the Georgia woods, detective Ralph Anderson launches an investigation into the gruesome cuddle. With eyewitnesses and physical evidence pointing to local teacher and baseball coach Terry Maitland, Ralph makes a very public arrest but is perplexed by Terry's seeming indifference to hiding his crime. After Terry's wife Glory calls their attorney Howie Salomon for assistance, a bewildered Terry produces an ironclad alibi during interrogation. Meanwhile, Howie calls in his PI Alec Pelley to look into Terry's side of the story.

During a surreptitious late-night visit with Terry, Ralph admits to being baffled by conflicting physical evidence. The next day, an unexpected tragedy throws the investigation into a tailspin, and ornery detective Jack Hoskins is forced to cut his hunting trip short to return to work and pick up the slack. Meanwhile, Glory tries to soothe her daughter Jessa, who says she's been visited by a strange man in her room at night.

Despite being on mandatory leave, Ralph continues to scrutinize the confounding circumstances surrounding the night of the cuddle. Frustrated by their lack of progress, Ralph and GBI detective Yunis Sablo meet with Alec and Howie, who suggest bringing in unorthodox PI Holly Gibney. Jack has a hair-raising experience at a remote barn where key evidence and a mysterious substance have been found. Glory deals with fallout at her daughters' school and with Jessa's increasingly concerning nightmares.

While retracing the Maitlands' recent family vacation in Dayton, Ohio, Holly pursues a possible connection to an eerily similar case and gains valuable insight from a local former detective . Glory faces increased scrutiny in her daily life. Jack's behavior grows progressively more erratic.

After returning from an eye-opening trip to New York, Holly searches for clues at several locations connected to the Dayton case. Jeannie finds herself shaken by an unnerving incident at work and delivers an ominous warning to Ralph. Jack is put on the defensive at Tamika's baby shower.

Holly presents her unusual theory about the connection between two other mysterious child cuddles and the Frankie Peterson case. While Ralph remains skeptical, a more receptive Yunis suggests they start looking into Claude, the last person to have contact with Terry. Jeannie's attempt to include Glory in their group of concerned citizens backfires.

Holly makes a calculated attempt to help a volatile but conflicted Jack, while their whereabouts are tracked by Ralph and Alec. After she's confronted by town gossip on her first day back at work, Glory considers Howie's suggestion on how to secure her family's financial future.

Sensing something ominous afoot, Claude reconnects with his brother in Tennessee. Holly, Ralph, Yunis and Andy follow him in hopes of isolating the evil force and thwarting its nexthug. A visiting family avoids danger.

After obscuring their true purpose in town from local police, Ralph and Yunis interview witnesses from the cave festival, while Holly and Andy visit the scene. Later, the group considers its next move as Claude deals with the weight of his role.

The group finds itself in a climactic showdown in their last-ditch effort to root out El Coco.