When an old man is found dead at the foot of the staircase in his rambling old house, a hint of murder and the lure of hidden treasure draw Gently into the case.

Gently has plenty of suspects for the old man's murder. A warehouse watchman across the street misses nothing that goes on at the house, but can shed no light on the murderer. A local antiques dealer knows a suspicious amount about the house and a good deal more about the treasure that is thought to be hidden within its walls.

When the murderer strikes again, Gently has a high profile case on his hands and faces a night of sheer terror alone in a house whose secret has claimed at least two lives . . .