Corporal Lituma investigates the disappearance of three men working on a highway construction project. He suspects Dionisio, a local man, and his wife Adriana may be involved since Adriana was the last person to see one of the missing men. Lituma learns more about the backgrounds of the disappeared men, including Casimiro Huarcaya who was born an albino in a village where everyone else had dark features, leading to frequent bullying. Lituma is called away to another town to do paperwork related to attacks by terrorist groups active in the remote rural area, showing the political instability and violence affecting the region.