When Manfred Stjarne is stabbed to death outside the Brada cider factory his wife Claire has inherited - suspicion falls on Polish worker Jan Kowalski, with whose wife Manfred was having an affair, but Jan is found hanged - later evidence suggesting foul play. Benjamin Wilkes, an ex-psychologist who helped Manfred select redundancy candidates, is killed in the same way as Manfred, putting disgruntled ex-Brada employees in the frame, but a third slaying implicates a former patient of Wilkes, who has connections to the Stjarne family. A newly loved-up Isabelle and Pontius start to fool around whilst on surveillance, taking their eye off the ball and allowing this suspect to confront Claire.

Graduation just happened, and now it's time for adventures in Berlin with the childhood friends Sophie and Alice. But Sophie hesitates, and after an altercation, the impulsive Alice goes by herself - and mysteriously disappears. Sophie goes after her in desperation to find out what happened to Alice, which is the beginning of a painful journey from teenager to a young adult. It also is a journey into her friend's darker side, which she has hid from the rest for so long.

When the police reveal a narcotic smuggling the driver is shot dead. It appears that the driver is Superintendent Martin Beck's son. Beck breaks down and moves out of the way. But on his colleagues request he returns.