ThedisappearanceofSirJuliusHanbury-andthetheftofseveralofhiseroticpaintings-provideanewpuzzleforMorsetosolve.AssistedbyDSLewis,MorseinterviewseveryoneatHanburyHouseanditisinthecourseofsearchingthegroundsthathefindsSirJulius'body,appropriatelyenough,inthefamilymausoleum.Thepathologistnotesthathewasthevictimofafrenziedattackbutthelackofbloodatsceneleavesthepolicetoconcludethathemurderedelsewhere.SirJuliuswasacandidatetobecometheMasterofanOxfordcollegeandwasknowntohaveahavehadabitterrivalrywithanothercandidatefortheposition.WhenRogerMeadows,afriendoftheHanbury'saupair,iskilledinacaraccident,Morseconcludesthatthathetoowasmurdered.Jealousy,revengeandgreedallplaypartinthedeaths.
