It's an election year in Togo, where Africa's longest serving ruler is hanging on to power. Marius, amateur philosopher and jazz enthusiast, has left his life as a Ghanaian intelligence officer and is living in Lomé. He likes nothing better than a beer at his friend Mibou's jazz bar, especially when Louis plays trumpet.But Louis is found hacked to death on a beach near Lomé. Police assume he was dealing drugs, but Marius and his friends know better. They decide to try to clear Louis' name and find the real killer. Marius pieces together Louis' last hours; one minute he was talking on his mobile, the next he seems to vanish into thin air. Could there be a connection with two other shootings? Witnesses talk about a mysterious grey car and Marius and his friends determine to track down the car and its driver. Lomé is under the surveillance of a dictatorial government and Marius and friends have been careful not to attract attention. But menacing things start to happen, then Mibou is arrested for Louis' murder and thrown into the notorious Prison Civile. Finding Louis' killer is no longer a choice; it's the only way to get Mibou out of jail. Marius establishes the identity of the car and its driver and guesses that the President's half-brother Paulie is behind the murders. Helped by a police captain and some camouflage gear, Marius extracts a confession from the driver of the car. Armed with the confession and other evidence he persuades a high court judge to take up the case. Louis' name is cleared, a potential coup is uncovered and the killers arrested. A more reflective Mibou is released from jail and Marius and friends celebrate at the jazz bar.