Fiona Ross, who had just flown in from Australia, entered divisional HQ in Carnford to report the disappearance of her close friend, Gillian Harvey. The police were far from satisfied that this was an incident which concerned them. But when they learned Gillian was wealthy while her husband, a dairy farmer, was not; that he had wanted her to spend her money on building a feed barn and she had refused; that he had little love left for her, but possessed a great deal for a widow; then their attitude changed. And as each newly discovered fact interlocked with those already known, they became certain they were looking at a picture of murder.