Toronto, November 1895. When the body of Constable Oliver Wicken is found in an abandoned house on his beat, first appearances suggest suicide, but Detective William Murdoch is not convinced. His doubts increase when he meets the constable's mother and invalid sister, for whom Wicken was the sole support. Further enquiries lead to the Eakin family, who live near the abandoned house. Murdoch happened to witness Mrs. Eakin being committed to a lunatic asylum. But is she really insane or has she been deliberately driven over the edge? And, Murdoch wonders, is the constable's death connected?