When Mr. Thomas Tapley, a respectable but somewhat decayed gentleman, is found beaten to death in his living room, his neighbor, inspector Scotland Yard Benjamin Ross, immediately rushes to the crime scene. Tapley has recently returned from abroad, but otherwise little is known about this man. As soon as the royal court council Jonathan Tapley learns about Thomas's death, he enrolls as a witness and begins to sail the truth about the tragic past of the man who was his cousin. Ben's wife Lizzie is convinced that Tapley was watching on the day of his death, and after a short search, she discovers that he had accepted a mysterious visit to a beautiful carriage a few days before his death. The list of suspects begins to grow and Ben must reveal who could have the most of Tapley's unfortunate end.