Jacob Katadreuffe, a young lawyer, is accused after Court bailiff Dreverhaven's death. Flashbacks reveal Jacob's troubled life - strained maternal ties, self-taught aspirations, paternal fixation, and strange rivalry with Dreverhaven.

A ruthless court bailiff is found dead, and a young lawyer is the prime suspect. Told in a series of flashbacks, Jacob Katadreuffe tells the tale leading to the events of his final confrontation with bailiff Dreverhaven. What unfolds is the man's life story - of his strained relationship with his mother, of his strong desire to make a better life for himself (largely self-taught), of his obsession with his father, and the bizarre battle of wills with Dreverhaven.—[email protected]