At the police headquarters, Chief Inspector Paul Brix (Wolfram Koch) receives a visit from his former partner in vice, Simon Finger (Dominique Horwitz). This is on the run from the Russian mafia, Brix should help him. Although deeply indebted to Finger, he refuses. Chief Inspector Anna Janneke (Margarita Broich) witnesses the conversation and begins to wonder who Brix really is. However, a new case takes hold of both of them: a politician is born in his apartmentfound hanged. Everything points to suicide, but Janneke doubts this. Suddenly Simon Finger disappeared without a trace. Brix starts looking for his buddy. And Janneke researches Brix's past in the train station environment. Here she meets the smart Wolfgang Preiss (Justus von Dohnányi), Brix' former district chief. A deadly game of loyalty and trust begins for Janneke and Brix. In the end she gets to know him and herself anew.