On a dank, rainy day in May, recently retired politician Ingemar Lerberg was found unconscious in his own home in the suburbs of Stockholm. His body bears traces of monstrous torture. Annika Bengtzon, a reporter for a major metropolitan newspaper, known for her incisive reporting and investigations, became interested in the incident. Professional intuition tells her that the case promises to be interesting and confusing. Lerberg is in a coma and is unlikely to survive, and the disappearance of his wife is surprisingly reminiscent of a story that happened to another woman many years ago...