At the small vineyard that Josefine Laux runs with her husband, the charismatic Dr. Hans-Peter Thiel, head of the Institute for Holistic Time Management in Landau, delivers an inspiring lecture. Josefine's friend, the bookseller Charlotte Messerschmidt, is also captivated by the unconventional thinking and working style of the coach. When the two friends visit him the next morning, they find him lying on a chaise lounge in his study. One could have mistaken him for someone asleep, were it not for the rust-colored stain. The deceased was revered by some clients like a guru, while others describe him as manipulative and intimidating. It’s no easy task for Chief Inspector Hilzendegen, especially since almost everyone connected to the victim seems to be living in more than one reality.