A prominent country-house patriarch vanishes from his rural home, prompting a careful investigation that unravels staged evidence, false leads, and suggestions of blackmail. The narrative proceeds through phases of suspicion, misdirection, and renewed certainty as household staff and outsiders exchange information and investigators reassess motives. A perceptive young woman plays a decisive role in reinterpreting clues, and a tense pursuit culminates in the recovery of important evidence in the property’s boathouse, which exposes the schemes behind the disappearance and brings the case to its resolution.