It is cold in Basel. Inspector Peter Hunkeler is thinking of his impending retirement. In fact his boss, prosecuting attorney Suter, has already written him off and sends him to Alsace to research a study about youth crime. However, Hunkeler prefers to bide his time sulking at the local spa. Even when a beautiful young Turkish woman is found beaten to death in her apartment, Hunkeler takes his time. His ambitious colleage Madörin has already made investigations and arrested a suspect, the victim’s husband. But Hunkeler doesn’t believe the man’s jealousy to be a strong enough motive and cannot help but interfere in the case. But then a second murder, which seems to have no connection to the first one complicates matters even further.