In post-war Flanders, Adelais de Wolf's family is slowly but surely coming apart after an event nobody will talk about: her mother evermore lost to religious devotion, her father to alcohol. But with the death of a beloved uncle, Adelais finds herself in receipt of an unexpected legacy: a shuttered house in a rundown district and its contents - contents which hold the promise of wealth and independence. All that is required is application, nerve, and a willingness to operate outside of the law. Adelais takes the plunge, and her fortunes are transformed. But with her rise comes complications: her victimless crimes may not be as victimless as she supposed. Nor has she counted on the singular fanaticism of Major de Smet of the Federal Gendarmerie, a brutal man who never forgives and never forgets. Embroiled in a dangerous game of cat and mouse, will Adelais find that her new life comes at too high a price?