A masterpiece in the crime genre by one of the world's masters of the field, where a simple murder case challenges the notions of good and evil, guilt and salvation.

A corpse has been found on a riverbank in Central Tokyo, and Detective Gonda from the Tokyo Police Department takes on the investigation. The victim is identified as lawyer Kensuke Shiraisi, and Gonda's inquiries lead him to Tatsuhiro Kuraki, who ultimately confesses not only to the murder of the lawyer but also to another case from thirty years ago – for which another man had been arrested and died in prison before the trial.

Kuraki's confession solves two cases, but there is a problem: Detective Gonda doesn't believe him.

Additionally, there are two other people who cannot accept Kuraki's confession. One is Kuraki's son, the suspected murderer; the other is Shiraisi's daughter, the victim.

As they get closer to the truth, it becomes clear that the connection between the two murders is more blurred and complicated than they could have imagined – and the same applies to the line between innocence and guilt.