Psychiatrist Dr. Joe Jessen can't believe his ears when he gets a desperate call from Inspector Vincent Ruiz. A few days earlier Ruiz was shot and fished out of the Elbe unconscious. It is assumed that he fell off a cargo ship on which two corpses were found. The problem is that Ruiz has no recollection of the night in question, and puts his faith in morphine – and Joe Jessen. Joe plunges not only into Ruiz' dark past but also into an old, unresolved case that has never let go of him. It is about a child that was allegedly murdered, and whose body was never found. Had Ruiz received a sign of life from someone in this case? The search for the truth not only nearly costs Ruiz his job, but also the life of a policewoman. For whatever it is that connected the two corpses on the ship, it is worth enough for someone to keep it under lock and key forever.
