January 1970. Morse, on holiday in Venice, strikes up a sexual relationship with Violetta Talenti. During Morse's two-week absence, Thursday investigates the murder of Molly Andrews on a towpath and suspects her boyfriend, Carl Sturgis, but he has an alibi. Come April, Morse is asked by Chief Superintendent Bright to take a second look at the case, and he is led to scientists researching "latent brain activity" (ESP) using volunteers, one of whom was Andrews. Soon, one of the researchers, Dr. Benford, is found dead; Benford had a highly gifted volunteer, Jenny Tate, who saw the murder in her mind. Morse is pickpocketed for his wallet in the street and an old Oxford classmate, Ludo, comes to his aid; Ludo later turns out to be Violetta's husband.