Lieutenant Colonel of the Ministry of Internal Affairs Alexey Yartsev arrives in the small town of Lesnogorsk. He is sure that he will not stay long in the provincial backwater - soon a new round of a successful career in the regional center awaits him. But for now, why not get bored in a town where nothing happens? A forestry employee is found murdered in the taiga. At first glance, all the circumstances of the crime point to domestic reasons. But what was the deceased mortally afraid of? And what are the mysterious lights appearing near the scene of the murder?