Gifford Tate, well-known Falmouth painter, and Edwin Garland, a local businessman, had been inseparable companions until Tate’s death several years ago. Now his paintings are much in demand, and each year, a work not previously shown is sold at a London gallery. When Garland dies of a heart attack, no one is suspicious—until the evening of the funeral, when his son is shot dead and Wycliffe is faced with a seemingly motiveless killing. Then another relative disappears, and the most promising clue is an artists’ pigment called Winsor Blue. Wycliffe finally identifies the motive behind the crimes—but is it too late to prevent another death?