Bruno Courrèges - policeman, gourmet, sports coach and the most desirable bachelor in Saint-Denis - is called to the scene of a murder. An Algerian immigrant whose children live in the village has been found dead. The victim is a war veteran, bearer of the Croix de Guerre, and because the crime apparently has a racist background, national police authorities are also involved, who want to exclude Bruno from the investigation. But he uses his local knowledge and connections, investigates on his own initiative and uncovers the causes of the crime which are rooted in the distant past.