The past returns, bringing death with it. 1976 - The summer heat hangs heavily over the Münsterland when the body of a young woman is found on the edge of a lonely country road. For Police Chief Anton Hellmann, it initially seems like just another traffic accident - but soon, inconsistencies begin to pile up. The woman was carrying false identification. And someone from the village of Düsterholz seems to know more about her than they are willing to admit. As Hellmann tries to uncover the truth amidst stubborn farmers, quarrelsome hippies, and an arrogant criminal inspector, his niece Christa struggles with her own past. She recognizes in the deceased a person she had hoped never to encounter again. The deeper Hellmann digs, the darker the picture becomes of a village that hides a web of lies, guilt, and violence behind its rural idyll. Soon, he realizes that this death was no accident - and that the murderer is very close by.