On a much needed vacation with his daughter Regan and close friend Oz, in Puerto Rico, John Bekker, the reluctant private investigator from the Nero Award winning mystery novel With 6 You Get Wally finds his vacation cut short when on a hot night he can’t sleep and takes some fresh air on the balcony of his hotel room.
Bekker’s hotel is directly across the street from famed Luquillo Beach. The ocean is invisible in the dark, but street lights illuminate the sidewalks. A man is calmly smoking a cigarette on the sidewalk, seemingly minding his own business. After a few minutes, a second man joins the smoker. They speak for a few seconds and then walk down to the beach and into total darkness.
The following morning, Bekker is surprised to see dozens of police officers on the beach. A newspaper story details the murder of one of Puerto Rico’s most famous and beloved businessmen and philanthropist, a man they call Joe Italiano. Bekker decides to speak with the detective in charge of the investigation, Gerardo Escalante, and tell him what he witnessed from his hotel room balcony.
Bekker decides to stay in Puerto Rico and help Escalante with the investigation. He meets the governor who sheds some light on Joe Italiano’s political ambitions. Joe Italiano believed that Puerto Rico should achieve statehood and was a vocal member of an organization with the same goal.