A fairground in a small town in northern Germany: a young woman named Margret Winter enjoys herself there with a friend. She has 900 D-Mark in her pocket, which she should pay in for her superior. Paul Lohmann, one of three clowns, addresses the two ladies and invites them together with his colleagues Heino and Kallweit to visit the show. While Margret's girlfriend refuses, the later murder victim joins them. Afterwards there is no trace of her. The police interrogate Kallweit, who saw her last. One day later Margret is found dead in the forest, the money has disappeared without a trace together with a piece of jewellery. Is one of three clowns from the circus the murderer? Commissioner Bergmann investigates and scrutinises the three men...