Ned, also known as the Pie Maker, is a man with the unique magical ability to bring back any living thing back to life with his touch. Unfortunately, this ability comes with a couple of catches: If he brings someone or something back to life, then some other living thing within close proximity will die after 60 seconds, to reestablish the balance & replace the restored life. And, if he touches the body of the life he restored a second time, then that living thing dies for good. He uses this ability to solve criminal cases by bringing victims temporarily to life and learning from them the circumstances of their death, a nifty little advantage exploited by private investigator Emerson Cod, who managed to discover Ned's gift. Turning his inadvertent exposure into his financial advantage by way of a financial arrangement with Emerson Cod, this skill allowed him to finance his successful pie restaurant, The Pie Hole. The restaurant becomes a huge success, not just because the pies are good, but because Ned's ability works on spoiled fruit; he buys his supplies of fresh fruit in bulk, knowing it won't matter if the fruit goes bad: All he has to do is touch it & it can be used. It also worked on his dead dog, whom he has kept with him, but is unable to pet ever again.The ability allowed Ned to be reunited with his childhood sweetheart, Chuck, who he resurrected after discovering she was murdered. Both have strong feelings for each other, but Ned is unable to touch Chuck again, or she will die forever.