September 1910: In Berlin-Moabit, coal workers are on strike. This leads to unrest and violent confrontations with the police. After a fire at a coal yard, the body of worker Paul Tilkowski is found in the smoldering remains. However, it quickly becomes clear that he was shot beforehand. The case seems straightforward, as Tilkowski was despised among the coal workers for being a strikebreaker. But soon, more suspects emerge. The charred body marks the first murder case for the young criminal inspector Hermann Kappe.