After trading his desire to write for a life as a secret policeman, former crime reporter Evaristo Reyes finds himself immersed in the thuggish mire of Mexico’s law enforcement. He justifies the sacrifice of his artistic integrity as a necessary evil aimed at creative research—all the while enjoying the salary and perks of his squalid position. When his brutish boss orders him to kill a marginal literary critic who has insulted the president in print, he identifies with the scribe instead, and is soon incriminated for a murder he fails to commit. This narrative eloquently depicts the difficulties of having a social conscience in a world where corruption, censorship, and back-stabbing are a way of life.