 A ruthless court bailiff is found dead, and a young lawyer is the prime suspect. Told in a series of flashbacks, Jacob Katadreuffe tells the tale leading to the events of his final confrontation with bailiff Dreverhaven. What unfolds is the man s life story ... of his strained relationship with his mother, of his strong desire to make a better life for himself (largely self-taught), of his obsession with his father, and the bizarre battle of wills with Dreverhaven.