Peter Egermann visits and murders a
prostitute named Ka, committing an act of
necrophilia. The coroner interrogates Peter's friends for an explanation. Mogens Jensen, a psychiatrist, tells the coroner he is shocked by the murder, claiming there were no signs this could happen. Peter is married to career woman Katarina; they have no children. Twenty days earlier, Peter confides in Jensen that he was plagued with homicidal thoughts, primarily aimed against Katarina. Jensen considers the thoughts likely not serious, but advised Katarina to leave town. Katarina dismisses the warning as preposterous, and given it was a busy season for work, she decided it was impossible for her to leave. She also dismisses Mogens' sexual advances towards her. Five days before the murder, after a sleepless night, the couple gets up in the middle of the night and drinks alcohol. Peter at his workplace dictates a business deal at his office. Four days before, Katarina skips a meal with her mother in law and goes to the house of Tim, a
gay man. He is a business partner of Katarina and her friend, and by extension, he also knew Peter. He entertains her with philosophical discussions and she rewards him by gifting him a scarf originally meant for Peter. The interrogator questions Tim. The interrogator asks if Tim ever had an affair with Peter; Tim hesitates before replying no. Agitated, Tim reveals he had desires for Peter, and is suffering a guilty conscience after having introduced Peter to Ka. Ka was one of Tim's friends. Tim blames his homosexuality for bringing Peter and Ka together, saying he had difficulties with Katarina and liked the idea that Peter would cheat on her with a prostitute. Slowly, he thought, he would lure Peter to him. Two days before the murder, Peter stands on a high balcony and nearly throws himself from the building, and Katarina calls a friend to calm him down. Peter comes back inside, where he quarrels with Katarina. The two claim that they share an open relationship, as Katarina seeks other lovers. Peter claims he is the one who knows how to sexually satisfy Katarina. Katarina responds she sometimes had orgasms with Peter, but also that she sometimes faked them and left the bedroom to masturbate, and that on other occasions she only had small convulsions. The night of the murder, Peter meets Ka at a Munich
peep show. Ka told Peter her real name was Katarina, the same as his wife. She takes him to her residence and locks all the doors. She pleads with him to take off his coat. Jensen concludes that Peter, having grown up under an aggressive mother and then lived with a similarly aggressive wife, was unaware of his own
latent homosexuality and that meeting Ka disrupted Peter's daily routine and triggered an emotional blackout. Peter is confined to a mental institution, where he cradles a teddy bear at night. ==Cast==