Ned the piemaker brings things back to life if he touches them once. If he touches the now living being (person, animal, or plant) a second time, it becomes dead again but this time for good. And if he lets something come back to life for more than 60 seconds, something nearby of comparable "value" will die instead. Now he works with private investigator Emerson Cod as they investigate strange deaths (by talking to the corpse for 60 seconds) in order to claim rewards. They're assisted by Chuck, Ned's formerly deceased childhood sweetheart that he can no longer touch, even as waitress Olive is desperately in love with Ned and trying to figure out just what the deal is with Chuck.