The body of Philip Kapranov, released from prison just two days ago, was discovered in the botanical garden. Suspicion falls on the sister of the deceased, Lika Khmelnitskaya, who changed not only her surname, but also her appearance. Unrolling the tangled tangle of fraud with the money that Lika got from Kapranov, the detectives go to a ghost-man, whose life can hardly be called real.