Superintendent Hanslet smells a rat, and, despite the coroner’s report, isn’t convinced that the death was an accident. And when another member of the board of directors “accidently” burns to death in bed, his suspicions seem to be confirmed. With the help of Dr Priestley and Inspector Jimmy Waghorn, he finds himself on the trail of a cold-blooded killer who goes by the name of Shillingstone, a name that seems to strike terror in the surviving members of the board. But is Shilingstone closer than anyone suspects?