Police Inspector Pascal Manise finds himself entangled in a web of addiction, crime, and betrayal. Upon entering a bar, he acquires morphine from Freddy, a former dealer associated with the drug lord Jacquillat. This encounter is interrupted by a fleeting phone call. Manise provides the drugs to his wife, Agnès Manise, who has battled addiction for the past 20 years without ever needing to procure her own supplies, thanks to her husband's support. Despite his reluctance, Manise agrees to attend a party hosted by Agnès' friend, Cécile Coste, after she promises to buy him a suit.
As the drama unfolds, the police are on the hunt for Bruno Le Roux, a former leftist revolutionary who has escaped from prison. This investigation leads them to Jeanne Rivet, a colleague of Agnès at their shared school. In a visit to the home of Mme. Guiot, Jean-Jean's mother, they learn Le Roux is looking for work outside the city.
Later that evening, when Manise returns home, he finds Agnès ready for the party, but he insists on skipping out, promising to join her next time. That night, he is drawn into an investigation concerning Freddy's murder, during which Jacquillat approaches him. He hints that Le Roux could be framed for the crime, recalling a past betrayal involving the leaders of the People's Army. While Manise's dedication to the case remains steadfast, Jacquillat leverages Manise's desperation by withholding morphine for Agnès until he complies with their dark demands.
Amidst this turmoil, Manise receives alarming news: Agnès has fainted at the party. Rushing her home, he administers her last dose himself as she offers a heartfelt apology before dozing off.
The next day, he participates in a school debate about drug issues, projecting the image of a hardline cop. Dr. Colinet, a friend of Cécile, discusses alternatives for drug users, leading Cécile to request Manise's assistance in following her possibly deceptive husband, Alain Coste. As he investigates Alain, his focus begins to drift toward Cécile, prompting him to sift through the records of the People’s Army, which ultimately yield no alarming findings aside from minor violations.
As the investigation intensifies, another lead surfaces—there has been a fire linked to Le Roux that reveals an extensive cache of weapons. Witnesses help flesh out the case. However, when Manise follows Alain only to discover he is meeting his own daughter, he finds himself back at square one. Meanwhile, Agnès struggles with her withdrawal symptoms, and tension escalates as she expresses despair over his refusal to procure drugs, arguing that his love for her is faltering.
When a bomb explosion at the courthouse erupts, the police mobilize. In the days that follow, Manise takes drastically intensifying actions, leading to Jeanne’s arrest under strained circumstances. Agnès, meanwhile, faces severe emotional and physical distress as her cravings spiral, causing her to wander the streets seeking help. In a desperate bid, she encounters Banane, a low-level dealer, and amidst escalating desperation, she contemplates exchanging herself for drugs, a decision halted by an intervention from an unknown man.
As the plot thickens, the intertwining fates of Manise, Agnès, and Le Roux complicate further. Manise juggles between his police duties and passionate commitments to his wife, leading him down a path fraught with moral dilemmas. His subsequent crisis escalates as he finds out that Agnès has resorted to clandestine meetings with Le Roux, further jeopardizing their fragile relationship.
In a series of heart-wrenching events, Manise attempts to balance the clogging weight of his commitments as Agnès grapples with her addiction and infidelity. As tensions rise, they confront their mutual pain and struggles in a final act of desperation and emotional confrontation on a terrace overlooking the city. Agnès implores him not to abandon her, leading to a tragic climax as Manise contemplates his own existence in light of their complexities.
Thus unfolds a tale woven with addiction, loyalty, and the dire consequences of choices made in the shadows, challenging the characters to confront their limits and the realities of their lives.
