On a sea shore near Lisbon, the body of a young girl is found. While investigating her death, Inspector Zé Coelho discovers that the murdered high school senior led by no means a virtuous life. However, it turns out that neither the suspicious friends nor the local drug addicts have anything to do with Katerina Oliveira’s death. The roots of the crime reach far back into the distant past; in some mysterious way, the family Abrantes is connected to it—back in the era of dictator Salazar, they enriched themselves through trade with the Germans.
But when the perpetrator is behind bars, and all the media unanimously praise Zé Coelho, the inspector comes to the conclusion that the real killer is a completely different person…