The body of a missing prostitute is found, and the circumstances recall an unsolved murder from twenty years before. Rebus is convinced that the prime suspect from the earlier case has struck again.

The detective angers his superiors when he tries to connect a member of Edinburgh's criminal fraternity to the shooting of two boys and a teacher at a local college. One of the victims turns out to be the son of Rebus's cousin, giving Templar the perfect reason to take him off the case. However, the copper is determined to trace a schoolgirl he is certain holds the key to the mystery.

A charity campaigner is caught with a prostitute during a raid on a brothel. Rebus heads a double murder enquiry when the man's wife and another woman are found dead in connected incidents.