The 47-year-old business manager Kurt Wiedemann became unemployed due to the decline of his company. Because of his age, he cannot find a comparable position. Wiedemann fears that, as his financial difficulties grow, he will not be able to maintain his standard of living and therefore his younger, attractive wife.

Karin Wiedemann is actually having an affair with the up-and-comer Christian Zehle. Wiedemann lies in wait for his rival, murders him and arranges the circumstances so that it appears as if he had surprised Zehle and an "accomplice" during a break-in and shot Zehle while the second man escaped with the loot. To the murderer's great surprise, however, Inspector Haferkamp tracks down a certain Roll, who could well be the "accomplice" that Wiedemann had only invented.