Amanda, a young student, walks into the police station & reports her mother Julia missing. Amanda & Julia are very close; The fact that Julia doesn’t answer the phone is odd, something must have happened. The next day, Julia’s burned body is found buried in the sand close to the family’s house. Amanda is taken to the hospital, in shock. When Kurt Wallander visits Amanda for questioning, he immediately gets fond of her. Wallander’s daughter Linda finds this very peculiar. Erik, Amanda’s absent father, shows up & asks for Amanda’s forgiveness. Kurt accuses him, both for being a bad father but most of all for the murder of Julia. Kurt Wallander however does not know that Erik is being blackmailed by someone who knows who killed Julia. Erik does everything to cover up the tracks. Who does he protect? Meanwhile, Wallander’s close colleague Martinsson notices that Kurt tends to forget more & more of what he’s doing, but Linda just laughs it away.