When the symbol of a Satanic cult is left at the murder scene of a young Catholic priest, the cops of the 87th Precinct must keep it from becoming the spark which ignites the racial and ethnic tensions smoldering in the city.
During a sweltering heat wave, Detectives Carella and Kling try to make sense of an artist who turned off his air conditioning to commit suicide, but Kling has an even deadlier problem on his hands.