The unexpected disappearance of Daivd, a boy of just nine years old, makes the town of Lafferton remember its worst nightmares ("The various lairs of men"). It is evident from the moment that David has been kidnapped first thing in the morning at the door of his house, but the most dire hypotheses about the motives and purposes of whoever carried out such a crime do not take long to circulate. little seems to be strangely linked to high-end car theft and smuggling.