The corpse of a man, a bovine tag attached to his neck with the words "Can they suffer? "is found in a large slaughterhouse and meat packing plant in the Manosque region. The suspicions of the young inspector Samira Masson, whose first investigation this is, naturally lead her to an association for the defence of the animal condition which had been orchestrating a media hype against the company for some time. But the corpse turns out to be that of an undercover cop, belonging to a genuine and little-known division of the police, specialising in national veterinary surveillance. Etienne Barjac, commander of the IGPN, the police force, is sent to investigate.