In this the second novel in the Dominic and Barbara series their admiration of finely carved ivory statues prompts an unsatisfactory explanation of their lightly documented provenance by the respected Rome based art dealer Mr. Argoni who is equally skeptical of the seller's tale. He requests the assistance of EACD officers to document the origin of the pieces and the actual suppliers. As the young art majors have previously discovered the criminal art world is well financed, deeply embedded in society's inner workings and interconnected across countries, ethnicities and continents; while also being highly protective of their lucrative enterprise.