When an old man is found dead at the foot of the staircase in his rambling old house a hint of murder & the lure of hidden treasure draw Gently into the case Gently has plenty of suspects for the old man's murder A warehouse watchman across the street misses nothing that goes on at the house but can shed no light on the murderer A local antiques dealer knows a suspicious amount about the house & a good deal more about the treasure that is thought to be hidden within its walls When the murderer strikes again Gently has a high profile case on his hands & faces a night of sheer terror alone in a house whose secret has claimed at least two lives