Don Pablo Ortega's skewered corpse replaces the wax figure in a museum during a Spanish festival. The historic plaza is in danger of being demolished for ""progress"" and suspects (pro and con in the matter) include the guide at the museum, a fiery female matador, the head of the rival clan, Don Pablo's old-world mother (who reveals many secrets to Les but hides many others) and Don Pablo's aggressive business partner. With the help of a flirtatious librarian and an elderly monk, Burke uncovers centuries-old secrets (not to mention a secret passage) that lead him to the killer.