Michael Carlin, a teacher, has been having an affair with a much younger fellow teacher Carolyn Warmus. When his wife is murdered, the police suspect him due to inconsistencies in his alibi, and no evidence points to anyone else.

Matt falls for Casey, the new girl in school. She's fun-loving and eccentric, but there's a darkness to her whimsy that Matt can't begin to comprehend. When Casey attempts to commit suicide, her parents place her in a mental institution. Matt springs her out, and together the young lovers head on a road trip. They believe their love can "cure" Casey's problems. Matt starts to wonder, though, if are they inspired or misguided.