A young man has been found murdered and the Beck group's work with the murder points in the direction of a drug network. Klas Fredén has been spying on this network for a long time, and he does not want his investigation, which is in a critical phase, to be jeopardized. However, he allows the Beck group, led by Alex Beijer, to work with the murder investigation in parallel with the reconnaissance. This causes Alex to end up on a constant collision course with Fredén. The conflict causes Martin Beck, now Rotel chief, to become involved in the work of his former group, something that enlivens him. Steinar is having a harder time, torn between work and longing for his children in Oslo. The pressure on the Beck group becomes fierce during the season, both with tough investigations and emotional changes in the group.