Quincy investigates the death of an eccentric millionaire, whose lavish penthouse was protected by a supposedly impenetrable security system.

A young boy, Tim, goes to do some welding at his workplace and ends up dying in an explosion. One of Asten's top field investigators, Arnold Chatham, thinks that it should not have happened. He discovers that Tim couldn't read and continues his investigation while Quincy tries to find out how someone who couldn't read managed to get through school.