In a small village on the edge of a cliff near an overgrown pond, the body of a beautiful young woman is found. That night, Maria, happy and dressed up, was in a hurry to go on a date with her groom, but she never came. As usual, there are no witnesses to the crime, and even the district police officer, it seems, is only obstructing the city investigative team. How can you order to look for the killer if the local residents do not want to cooperate with the investigation, and the only evidence is an antique gold pendant with an emerald, which Maria was clutching in her hand? I wonder where Masha, who is barely making ends meet, got such an expensive item? And why is it the local librarian who grieves most for her, and not her betrothed?..