Albert lives with his mother Elly in small-town Mountain View, Idaho. She toils as a late-night waitress and he craves a life more adventurous than the one he's living now. One day, Elly's estranged father Wendell shows up with his Stradivarius case and takes Albert on a three-day trip through Oregon to Seattle. In Seattle, Albert learns that Wendell is a con man who's about to pull off his biggest and last con on a longtime adversary, Reo Bascom. Albert meets Wendell's cronies who are all in on the act. Albert himself gets involved by directly trading the violin case for $200,000 from Reo. The adventure and friendship with his grandfather gives Albert a confidence that helps him understand his mother better and a fresh new perspective on his future.