The place is Trieste. The year is 1906. The Austrio-Hungarian Empire controls this turbulent city but their control is tenuous. Its secret police are everywhere. This is where Sandor Seymour is sent when the British Consul to that city goes missing. Did he have a love affair that went wrong? Did his unofficial business matters cause trouble? The possibilities are many as are the number of people who do not want Seymour to find the truth.