On a stormy night in October in the Panama Canal Zone, a mundane and quiet life in paradise is about to be shattered. When murder takes place at the Tivoli Hotel, Chief Inspector Leopold "Lep" Burnside is assigned to the case. Security around one of the world's most important waterways is tight, but no one suspected that a murder would happen at the Tivoli, the favorite haunt of presidents, policemen, and ordinary civilians. With no sign of forced entry, the list of suspects shrinks to include only those known to the victim. The detectives soon discover the victim's identity as John W. O'Brien, of Pinkerton Consulting & Investigations. What was he investigating that someone had to kill to keep him quiet? What is puzzling is the "how" of the murder. With merely a small bruise behind the victim's ear, there is no obvious sign of how the murder was committed. The questions are many but one thing is clear, with Chief Inspector Lep Burnside on the case, the perpetrators had best start looking for cover.