Fort Denison rises from Sydney Harbour—once a colonial prison, now a tourist attraction. Beneath its historic façade lies a grim secret: behind a false wall are the skeletal remains of Cassandra Cornell, missing since 2008, presumed to have fled her controlling father’s influence.

When renovations reveal this makeshift tomb, Detective Inspector Gary Haddock and Sergeant Natalie Campbell face a cold case with deteriorating evidence and faded memories. The victim’s father, Bernie Cornell, one of Australia’s wealthiest tycoons, ensures intense scrutiny and political pressure.

Cornell, now cancer-stricken in his Point Piper mansion, demands justice with the same tyrannical approach that built his empire. His influence reaches the highest levels of government, complicating an already complex investigation.

The detectives uncover a woman desperate to escape her father’s control—one who threatened to reveal secrets that could destroy the Cornell dynasty. Suspects multiply: resentful step-siblings with inheritance motives; her former fiancé whose career Bernie destroyed; the family’s loyal security chief; even Bernie himself.

The isolated fort—accessible only by boat—narrows the field to those with access during the 2008 renovation. Haddock and Campbell navigate treacherous waters pursuing justice for a woman whose body remained hidden in plain sight at one of Sydney’s most visited landmarks.