It's June 1945 and Detective Chief Superintendent Foyle is still on duty as they are unable to find a replacement for him. He's approached by Brigadier Timothy Wilson, his former commanding officer from his own military service in World War I, who is looking for a Russian POW, Ivan Spiakov, who has escaped and is believed to have been seen in the Hastings area.

August 1945. DCS Foyle is replaced and is free at last - he's resigned his position and planning to travel to the United States for an extended tour. Before departing however, he's asked to look into the case of James Devereaux, a young man who joined the Nazi British Free Corps during the war.