A peaceful atmosphere reigned in the provincial Russian town of Peretop. To the locals, even the disappearance of a piglet would have seemed the most serious crime. Everything was under the control of the local police officer, Nikolai Zabotin. The townspeople held Captain Petrovich in high regard; perhaps that was precisely why no serious offences were observed.

He was assigned a new assistant, Dmitry Stechkin, the general’s son, who had graduated from the capital’s police academy. From the moment he arrived, everything suddenly changed. The trainee began actively restoring order in the area. The lieutenant scrutinised every incident in detail, which did not please Petrovich. He regarded his behaviour as inappropriate. By the end of the working day, a considerable number of local residents had been taken into custody.

Dmytro sought out facts and questioned people in the most awkward situations in order to find evidence. His assistant’s determination often led to rash actions. And it was Mykola Petrovych who had to deal with the consequences.