After 9 years apart, John Reginald Christie and his estranged wife Ethel reunite and move into 10 Rillington Place. As war breaks out, the fractures in their relationship reappear beneath the thin veneer of married respectability.

Newlyweds Tim and Beryl Evans arrive at 10 Rillington Place. As time passes and the young couple's relationship hits difficulties, Christie's interest and influence over them takes a much more sinister turn.

Following the strain of Evans's trial, Christie finds it increasingly difficult to maintain the charade. As his marriage breaks down, he embarks upon a course of action that will finally reveal his true nature to the world.