Detective John Davenport, known for his eccentric "method" and the chaos he typically brings with him, faces a new case that initially seems straightforward: a murder in a historical clock museum in the heart of London. The victim, a collector and scholar, is found with a piece of an antique clock in his hand and an enigmatic smile on his face. Everything would appear fairly straightforward until Davenport discovers that a valuable clock dating back to the Victorian era has mysteriously disappeared from the crime scene.