It's the kind of news item you read at least a dozen times a year, wonder about briefly, and then promptly forget about. The real story is the one that an actor turned sleuth is able to uncover - to his peril! The story is a unique combination of mystery and time travel by one of the giants in the field of sci-fi.

An actor and a policeman investigate when a number of elderly people are found dead of starvation. The strange things is they all had large bank accounts and a great deal of money in their pockets. The investigation is complicated by the appearance of a beautiful but evil woman who tries to thwart their efforts to find the truth. A clever and creative tale.