DCI Marcus Priestley is feeling bored with mundane police work. The presumed suicide of an artist is re-evaluated when a toxicology report suggests foul play. Priestley takes the case and sets about understanding art and artists, in order to apply his psychological approach to finding the perpetrator. He has dinner with beautiful art expert Anna, where she explains in some detail her unconventional views on modern art. She shows a personal interest in him, but Priestley is happily married and fully intends to remain so; nevertheless, he cannot avoid being attracted to her. Being a moral man, he strives to remain faithful to his wife in the face of mounting pressure.