The story revolves around Colonel Lebedev, who is investigating the murder of a senior investigator, Kostitsky, and a petty thief, Shilov. Their heads were cut off, and their bodies were found in a waste lot. As the investigation unfolds, Lebedev discovers that Kostitsky was looking into a case involving a woman named Chernyshova, who was murdered, and her killer was released due to lack of evidence. Lebedev suspects that the killer, Komarov, was involved in Kostitsky's murder, but Komarov is later found dead, and the main suspect becomes Captain Shevtsov from the 47th police station.
Lebedev discovers that Shevtsov is actually a ghost, who assumed the identity of a deceased sergeant. He is revealed to be involved in a series of murders, where he would take defendants who were released due to lack of evidence and kill them. The story ends with Lebedev trying to capture Shevtsov, who is shot and taken to the hospital.
Throughout the story, Lebedev is also shown to be dealing with his personal life, including his relationships with his colleagues and his wife. The investigation is complex, and Lebedev has to navigate through various twists and turns to uncover the truth.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. Two men, Kostitsky Leonid Petrovich, a senior investigator, and Shilov Petr Valeriyevich, a petty thief, were found dead with gunshot injuries and their heads cut off.
2. Kostitsky and Shilov were at a waste lot behind garages when they were killed.
3. Shilov had a pretrial immunity agreement with Kostitsky, allowing him to testify against Komarov in exchange for a milder sentence.
4. Komarov was suspected of killing Chernyshova Marina Viktorovna, but was released due to lack of evidence.
5. Kostitsky was reprimanded for losing the case against Komarov.
6. Shilov claimed to have information about Chernyshova's murder case and agreed to testify against Komarov.
7. The police found a briefcase belonging to one of the victims with latex paint, sand, and a smell of documents or papers.
8. The killer cut off the heads of the victims and took them with him.
9. The police found the ID of Kostitsky in his pocket, but no documents on the second victim.
10. The second victim, Shilov, was identified through his fingerprints.
11. Shilov was twice convicted for theft and robbery and had been released from prison eight months prior to his death.
12. Kostitsky's wife, Svetlana, reported that her husband had conflicts with his boss, who was afraid of being replaced by Kostitsky.
13. The police found a note in Kostitsky's safe with the name "Komarov" and a phone number.
14. The police identified the main suspect as Komarov, but later found that Komarov was also a victim of the killer.
15. The police discovered that the killer was a police captain named Shevtsov, who had been using a false identity.
16. Shevtsov was wanted for questioning and was later found to have been involved in four similar cases.
17. The police found a bullet extracted from Shevtsov's chest and matched it to the bullets found in the victims' heads.
18. Shevtsov's real identity was revealed, and it was discovered that he had been serving under a false name.
19. The police discovered that Shevtsov had been involved in the murder of Chernyshova and had been using his position to cover his tracks.
These facts are presented in a straightforward and concise manner, without any interpretation or opinion.