In 1919, Scotland Yard Inspector Ian Rutledge finds himself the target of a mysterious person, who is relentless in their quest to hunt him down and who is leaving oddly engraved cartridge casings around that seem to point to unfinished business involving the Great War New Year's Eve, 1919. Called away from dinner at the home of friends, Scotland Yard Inspector Ian Rutledge finds a brass cartridge casing on the steps outside. While it looks identical to the countless others he'd seen during the war, this one has a mysterious engraving. Curious, he pockets it.