As the auction at High Gates House in Borrowdale nears, Christopher Henderson bumps into Jennifer Reade, the expected recipient of the proceeds of the house clearance sale. She discovers a dead man in the cellar of the house but threatens Christopher into remaining silent about it until after the auction to avoid delays. <p/>The auction is halted by the police with the news that a murder has been committed. Simmy, Christopher's wife and amateur sleuth, applies herself to the mystery of the deaths but she will have to contend with a ruthless and determined killer in her fight for the truth.