Abel finds himself in Bruges, with his friend and mentor Ignaz Bouts. Soon he is on the prowl again for skins with tattoos for his Cosmic Travels, now with Ignaz's help. In a Sleep Inn in Bez Valley, Ella Neser finds his tracks. But she also has her hands full with the murder of a corrupt official from Home Affairs, found frozen and naked, with his throat cut. A journalist suspects that he supplied South African documents to Muslim militants and other customers willing to pay.