When a young girl is raped and murdered and her body left in a deserted house, it is not discovered for two days and there are few clues at the scene of the crime to incriminate her killer. When a second murder follows, it becomes obvious that the hunt is for a serial killer, who is almost certain to kill again. Moreover, the way the bodies are laid out seems to indicate not only a warped mind but a wish to taunt the police. In the quiet country town of Oldford, a whole community is struck with terror as it waits for the nocturnal killer to strike again. The police machine throws up several suspects, but the fact that there is no obvious motive for the killings makes the investigation more than usually complex—especially when it is suggested that the murder may come from the ranks of the police themselves.