The inspectors Fritz Dellwo and Charlotte Sänger are called to their old presidium. The body of a young woman is said to have been found in the empty building. But the two colleagues who reported the body found cannot be found at the alleged crime scene. Dellwo and Sänger set out to search the old headquarters, but no trace of the woman's corpse can be found either. Instead, they are confronted with the situation that the two police officers have been taken hostage. The kidnapper's demand is conveyed to them by an accomplice: Charlotte Sänger is to bring Alexander Kern into the deserted headquarters. Kern - convicted of kidnapping in a circumstantial trial only - was recently released from prison for his retrial.
When Singer refuses to lure Kern to the police station, they learn that Kern's lawyer is also in the kidnapper's power. Dellwo and singers realize that they are in an almost hopeless situation. Whatever you decide, it's wrong - every cop's nightmare...