Prague of the 1930s. A pretty young girl boards a crowded tram. Suddenly she catches the attention of a young man who not only appreciates the girl's charm, but also tries to steal her handbag. And so we are introduced to one of the main characters in Death of the Black King, Josef Korínek alias Pépi, a swindler, pickpocket and all round strange existence. Apart from him, the story is populated with other characters from the Prague periphery. Of course, the film also features the dashing councilor Vacátko and his inseparable investigators Bruzek and Bouse. They have a sad duty - to track down the murderer of the collector Král, who was found dead and who lost a sum of money on his way out of the bank that could be of interest to many people in his neighborhood.