Plot synopsis: In November 1980, the widow of A. Tolstoy was robbed. Antiques are taken out of the apartment, but, most importantly, the Royal Lily brooch, made for Louis XV, disappears of extraordinary beauty. Since Tolstoy's widow has extensive connections both in the USSR and abroad, the case receives a wide resonance, the most serious forces of the Ministry of Internal Affairs are involved in the investigation, the Interior Minister Shchelokov personally monitors the progress of the investigation.