Deputy Sheriff Ben Stockman, his wife and two children are headed for Myrtle Beach for two weeks in the surf and sun. In addition to the beach, they plan to take in a few shows and play some putt-putt golf—and eat out a lot.

Mrs. Stockman’s brother, Gunter, will stay behind to house-sit and feed the pets while they’re gone. Never mind that Deputy Stockman doesn’t approve of Gunter’s life-style, but to keep peace in the family, he agrees to let his brother-in-law stay at the house. "Just tell him to stay out of my stuff and keep his seedy friends away from this house,"Stockman tells his wife.

Now the Stockmans are gone and Gunter is moved in. After a few days, the sheriff’s chief deputy gets a call from one of Deputy Stockman’s neighbors.

"There’s something funny going on at the Stockman house," says the caller. "All kinds of weird people coming and going at all hours."

The call is enough for the chief to order a low-level surveillance of the Stockman’s house. After nearly three days there’s enough cause for the chief to telephone Deputy Stockman and ask for permission to search his house.

Within a few hours Stockman faxes authorization for a search. Deputies raiding the Stockman house find all the windows covered on the inside with aluminum foil. The kitchen is rearranged to accommodate the necessary equipment to set up a professional methamphetamine lab.

Of course, when the raiding party arrives the house is empty. Too much spying by neighbors makes brother-in-law Gunter suspicious, so he takes off for parts unknown.

Deputy Stockman cuts short his vacation and drives home — stopped three times by state troopers who give him warnings.

The chief deputy won’t let Stockman enter his home. "It’s a crime scene now," says the chief. "Sorry, I know it’s your home, but your brother-in-law did a job on you."

So far there’ve been no arrests. Deputy Stockman wants to be assigned to the case, but chief says, "No way. We want your brother-in-law—alive."