Daphne is the beautiful daughter of the Pontescuro land owner and townsfolk employer. She lets herself be adored by the men, earning her the ire of the town's women. Then there is Ciaccio, the orphan close in age to her, whom she befriends. The story is lyrically told by unusual witnesses: the river, fog, a bird, an insect. When Daphne dies, her father brings in a retiring inspector. But even the experienced detective Euginio Romanelli gets caught up in the romance of the scenery and doesn't quite want to face what has transpired.