Inspector Jouin must solve a double murder involving Marguerite Meg Steinheil, the socialite nicknamed La Pompe Funèbre after the death of Félix Faure.
Marguerite Steinheil is found tied up, her husband and mother murdered in the next room. The case captures the attention of the press, particularly Labruyère, editor-in-chief of *Le Matin*. Inspector Jouin is put in charge of the investigation, and Meg becomes the prime suspect.
The attempted assassination of Dreyfus during Émile Zola’s induction into the Panthéon did not serve as a distraction for long. The public and the press remained just as fascinated by the double homicide on Impasse Ronsin. The case was beginning to cause embarrassment for Prefect Lépine.
Meg, manipulated by Le Matin, accuses her valet, Rémy Couillard, of stealing a piece of jewelry that went missing on the night of the murder. He is arrested and makes the perfect scapegoat. Jouin is on the trail of Julien Fiersi and reveals his suspicions to Commissioner Cochefert. Fiersi is now willing to do anything to save his son…
While searching for Fiersi and his son, Jouin is seriously wounded. Meanwhile, Meg is arrested and thrown in jail. Labruyère is ecstatic: sales of *Le Matin* are skyrocketing.
Several months pass during which Jouin gradually recovers from his injuries and returns to the prefecture. In prison, Meg prepares her defense with the help of her lawyer, Jeanne Chauvin. Fiersi is sentenced to death by guillotine.
With Jeanne and Jouin’s help, Meg’s trial, against all odds, turns out in her favor…
