The Eve of the First World War. In his one-man newspaper "Het Vrije Meerse" printer-publisher-journalist Constant Reynaert criticizes the policy of Ridder de Bellicourt, mayor of Houtegem. The mayor rules as a feudal ruler, supported by his vassals. The romance of Ridder de Bellicourt and his noble neighbor Marie-Ange van Hoeylandt is disrupted by the war. The frivolous Marie-Ange is too busy with the billeted German officers. De Bellicourt seeks revenge and tries to eliminate the troublesome Constant Reynaert.

While Constant Reynaert is a prisoner of war in Germany, Gerard continues to publish Het Vrije Meerse from Holland. De Bellicourt fails to win back Marie-Ange and is ridiculed by her husband. The Baron disappears in dark circumstances. Forester Gentiel Smessaert also does not return from an inspection trip. In Houtegem it is rumored that Gentiel knew more about the disappearance of the baron. A body is found in the forest. Mayor de Bellicourt immediately shows that it is an unknown person ...

After the conviction, Houtegem remains under the spell of the other, unsolved murders. Constant Reynaert laboriously tries to reconstruct the events and receives opposition from unexpected quarters. When the convicts are released very early, Reynaert uses the crude means. Mother Mertens is now ready to talk. The dark affairs are already becoming a lot clearer. And when the nobility starts talking, it seems as if the mystery is solved ...

After the war, Constant Reynaert bites himself into the mysterious disappearances of Houtegem. De Bellicourt succeeds in having his German rivals convicted of murder in absentia. The unknown corpse is now officially recognized as that of the Baron. To the mayor's anger, Constant Reynaert effortlessly manages to track down one of the 'untraceable' murderers. Of course he reports about it in Het Vrije Meerse. The body of a newborn is found in the forest. The mother is Julia Goegebuer, a maid from the Bellicourt. The rebellious workman Karel Tanghe shows that he knows more about the murder of the baron. And the spirited Victo De Jonghe claims to know who the dead child's father is. Their indolence is fatal to them ...

The young farmer's son Eugène Mertens disappears after a drunken night with members of the clan de Bellicourt. As always, the dish reacts very lax. Constant Reynaert decides to investigate himself. Eugène's body is found and Constant Reynaert reports about the curious autopsy. The investigation is now being dealt with more seriously. Three men are charged with the murder of Eugène Mertens. However, they are acquitted. Constant Reynaert decides to mobilize the general public. The dish is under very heavy pressure ...

In the trial of constable Cesar Priem and his brother-in-law Valère Blanckaert, the two clans of Houtegem clearly face each other. The events in Houtegem receive international attention. Constant Reynaert and Ridder de Bellicourt each try to dominate the process in their own way. As always, the specialists contradict each other. But finally the people of Houtegem dare to talk ...