As every year, police superintendent Paul Bellamy goes to stay in Nîmes at the family house of his wife Françoise, who dreams of cruises to the other side of the world. Paul can’t live without Françoise but he hates travelling. Two reasons keep him where he is: the unexpected arrival of his half-brother Jacques, a small-time adventurer who is fond of the bottle, and the appearance of a man at bay who asks for his protection. In his empathetic desire to help these people – if possible whilst remaining where he is – Paul devotes his time and effort to them. He pays the price for his natural investigative curiosity. His position as older brother makes life even more difficult for him.