▁and ▁Ren ko ▁rel uct antly ▁agre es ▁to ▁investigate ▁after ▁the ▁ship ' s ▁political ▁comm iss ar ▁gives ▁him ▁no ▁choice . ▁But ▁Ren ko ' s ▁ins istence ▁on ▁learning ▁the ▁truth ▁behind ▁her ▁death , ▁rather ▁than ▁allowing ▁her ▁murder ▁to ▁be ▁covered ▁up ▁as ▁a ▁suic ide , ▁results ▁in ▁thre ats ▁by ▁the ▁comm iss ar ▁to ▁block ▁the ▁visit ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁which ▁in ▁turn ▁causes ▁the ▁workers ▁to ▁threaten ▁Ren ko . ▁ ▁Plot ▁Ark ady ▁Ren ko , ▁former ▁Chief ▁Investig ator ▁of ▁the ▁Moscow ▁Town ▁Pro sec utor ' s ▁Office , ▁is ▁serving ▁a ▁self - im posed ▁ex ile ▁in ▁Si ber ia ▁to ▁avoid ▁being ▁det ained ▁for ▁his ▁actions ▁in ▁G ork y ▁Park ▁several ▁years ▁earlier , ▁despite ▁the ▁Soviet ▁Union ' s ▁ost ens ibly ▁increasing ▁liberal ization . ▁He ▁proc ures ▁men ial ▁employ ment ▁as ▁a ▁fish ▁g utter ▁on ▁the ▁" sl ime ▁line " ▁of ▁a ▁large ▁Ar ctic ▁Sea ▁factory ▁ship ▁called ▁the ▁Pol ar ▁Star , ▁part ▁of ▁a ▁joint ▁Soviet - American ▁fish ing ▁exercise ▁within ▁det ente . ▁ ▁He ▁is ▁brought ▁to ▁the ▁attention ▁of ▁Vik tor ▁March uk , ▁the ▁ship ' s ▁captain , ▁after ▁a ▁young ▁woman ▁named ▁Z ina ▁P ati ash v ili ▁is ▁found ▁dead ▁in ▁a ▁net ▁full ▁of ▁fresh ly - caught ▁fish . ▁Due ▁to ▁his ▁past ▁as ▁a ▁hom ic ide ▁investig ator , ▁he ▁is