On the day Jean Gabin dies, a kidnaper who also takes a fortune in jewels heisted from Cartiers murders Simon Verini's wife. (Simon was fencing the jewels for a youthful gang who robbed Cartiers; he suspects them of the murder.) He's framed for the theft and spends ten years in prison, writing to his daughter, Marie-Sophie, who's 11 when he's sent away. Released, he reconnects to Marie-Sophie and to the young thieves, seeks revenge, and is quickly arrested again. She doesn't know what to make of her father, retreats to her Swiss fiancé, and is flummoxed when one of the young thieves falls for her. Is resolution possible when crime cuts across families and romance?

In Paris , Commissioner Stan Jalard and Inspector Simon Lecache plan to quit the police to go and enjoy a more peaceful life in the West Indies. In a nightclub, during a routine visit, they spot Schneider, a dreaded gangster and public enemy. At the time of his arrest, Simon is killed at close range by the criminal. Stan then decides to stay in the police to avenge Simon. Being the godfather of Christian, Simon's son, who sometimes lives in a boarding school, sometimes at home, he takes charge of his education. Two years later, Stan has been promoted, and he's told that Schneider had resurfaced in the capital. A long hunt begins.