In 1930s Berlin, Dr. Jakob Fabian, who works by day in advertising for a cigarette company and by night wanders the streets of the city, falls in love with an actress. As her career begins to blossom, prospects for his future begin to wane.

A burglar hangs dead in St. Andreasberg from the roof of a holiday home that a mysterious art restorer lives in. This time, the village policeman Frank Koops received unwelcome support in his investigations: The ministerial official Kramer sent from the state capital did not leave his side to critically examine the capacity utilization of the remote police station.