The fates of film director Natalia Voronova, investigator Igor Mashchenko, and Siberian journalist Ruslan Nilysky are interwoven in an intricate pattern. A native Muscovite, Natalia lives in a communal apartment and looks after everyone who needs her help—from an elderly lonely neighbor to a girl who has lost her parents early. Raised in a prosperous, comfortable family, Igor becomes an investigator and, by chance, is brought into contact with a mysterious murder involving Ruslan Nilysky’s older brother. Meanwhile, Ruslan devotes his life to figuring out the secret behind his brother’s death and learning the truth about what happened. Love, hatred, chance encounters, mutual suspicions, and sincere sympathies connect these people. And only the truth—revealed at last—puts everything in its proper place.