The work is written in the detective genre with elements of science fiction. The events described in the novel take place in California. Criminal police lieutenant Peter Summers, at the end of his career, is investigating a bank robbery, which at first glance seems quite banal - a security guard steals a large sum of money from a vault at night, transfers it to his accomplice and, returning to his workplace, commits suicide. Numerous examinations indicate Only one person was found to be involved in the crime - a bank security guard. However, a review of the bank's CCTV footage taken at the time the crime was committed leads to the conclusion that the security guard was forced to steal money and then shoot himself. Moreover, this was done relatively quickly and extremely cruelly. Somehow the man's will was broken in a matter of minutes.