This narrative centers on Commissario Brunetti, a Venetian police officer, who investigates suspicious deaths at a nursing home managed by the Order of the Sacred Cross. A former nun, Maria Testa (formerly Suor'Immacolata), alerts him to unusual fatalities among residents. As Brunetti probes deeper, he encounters resistance from Dottor Fabio Messini, who directs several nursing homes linked to the religious order, and learns about the powerful and secretive organization Opus Dei, which may be involved. The investigation touches on the wealth of prominent Venetian families like the Crivonis and the Lerinis, who had family members in the nursing home. The story concludes with the fates of Maria and a problematic priest, Padre Luciano Benevento, leaving Brunetti to reflect on the complex interplay of faith, power, and justice.