Of course Chief Inspector Wexford remembered the Painter case. It might have seemed a bit run of the mill to some, but to Wexford it had been remarkable-because it was the first murder he'd ever handled on his own. It had certainly been remarkable to Painter, because it hanged him. There had been no real mystery, no tricky red herrings. Painter had done it all right. There had never been any doubt in anyone's mind. Until now. Over fifteen years later, the case is to be dug up again. For some the past has been only shallowly buried and for others it hasn't been buried at all. But now there is someone who wants it retraced and re-examined, someone who wants history changed, the universe disturbed-and Chief Inspector Wexford proved wrong.