In 1981, all of Germany fears for the life of Johannes Erlemann, the eleven-year-old son of entrepreneur Jochem Erlemann, who was in custody on suspicion of fraud at the time of his son's abduction. The boy was snatched off his bicycle by his kidnappers, put into a van and then spend two terrible weeks in a shed in the forest fighting for his life having been chained to a wall and left without daylight, while the kidnappers try to extort a large ransom from his wealthy parents.

Shortly before his 75th birthday, Wilhelm Schürmann has no desire to adapt his lifestyle even a little to suit his age and his health problems. When, after a bout of weakness, he was told to stop driving - at least for the time being - and move in with his daughter Bettina, the headstrong old man suddenly decided to run away.

The dead woman is the controversial family court judge Sophie Nöll. Chief Inspector Moritz Herbst therefore doubts that it was an accident. Mala quickly recognizes signs of a crime. Those who were severely affected by Nöll's judgments are now suspects.