Contemporary genre-painting of a Hungarian "middle class" family of four. The scene is the villa apartment almost finished, where the tourist guide mother, father who also works for the second economy and the lonely big girl preparing for her maturity examination turn up alternatively. It is only the teen-ager boy who really "lives" in this place: instead of attending school he stays home all day and observes the life of the surrounding by a self-made periscope. Internal communication of the family is accomplished in writing, on the pin-up board in the kitchen.

János is present at one of Tamás's concerts in the country. After the concert, he takes Tamás's son home in his car, while the couple worry about their son's whereabouts. Later they meet again. Once they played together and were good friends, but János left the band and they had to find a new pianist. The new pianist, Zsuzsa, also meets János. The two of them go to see the amateur film made of the one-time band.

Based on the true story of a Russian serial killer who, over many years, claimed victim to over 50 people. His victims were mostly under the age of 17. In what was then a communists state, the police investigations were hampered by bureaucracy, incompetence and those in power. The story is told from the viewpoint of the detective in charge of the case.