Daniel Lemaitre, an architect, is heading to his car from the construction site of his new hotel project Le Sommet, which he is working on with developer Lucas Caron. The hotel is being built at the site of an old sanatorium, which Lucas Caron owns, but the construction itself has been controversial. Daniel finds a copper bracelet near his car, then a figure in a grotesque black mask accosts him.

A press release about the opening of Le Sommet boasts about the 5-star hotel that is set to open in the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana. The original building, the article states, was designed by Lucas Caron’s great-grandfather Pierre Caron and earned him a posthumous Swiss Art Award in 1942. Notably, the press release does not mention Daniel Lemaitre or his disappearance.

In January 2020, Elin Warner and her boyfriend Will take a funicular up a mountain to visit Le Sommet. Elin struggles with anxiety, and the crowded and enclosed funicular triggers a panic attack. She is struggling to cope after the death of her mother and after a particularly traumatic incident during a case. She is a detective in the UK, and she has taken a leave of absence after working the Hayler case, which left her with PTSD-like symptoms.