

The police apprehend a gang of opium smugglers on the banks of the Thames, but as he stands at the water's edge, Inspector John Marlott makes a shocking discovery. The body of a dead child is washed up on the shore, but further examination of the corpse reveals a grotesque state of mutilation. Home Secretary Sir Robert Peel orders Marlott to lead the investigation, while details of the investigation must remain confidential.
The police apprehend a gang of opium smugglers on the banks of the Thames, but as he stands at the water's edge, Inspector John Marlott makes a shocking discovery. The body of a dead child is washed up on the shore, but further examination of the corpse reveals a grotesque state of mutilation. Home Secretary Sir Robert Peel orders Marlott to lead the investigation, while details of the investigation must remain confidential.

After his discovery on the banks of the Thames, Inspector Marlott visits the house of artist and printmaker William Blake, who is on his deathbed. Later, Marlott confers with Nightingale, a local policeman who has been keeping watch on The Fortune of War, a public house where body snatchers are known to gather. The pair create a plan to capture a person of interest who may be able to aid them with their investigation.