Matthias "Matt" Lee Whitlock is the respected Chief of Police of the fictional Florida Keys small town of Banyan Key, Florida. Recently separated, soon-to-be divorced Whitlock is currently seeing local resident Anne Merai-Harrison, an old flame from high school whose husband Chris, a former professional quarterback seemingly oblivious to the relationship, abuses her. While attending Anne to the doctor, Whitlock finds out she has just been diagnosed with terminal cancer. Whitlock is also going through a divorce from his wife, homicide detective Alex.