When the president of the brand new Republic of Italy, Luigi Einaudi decides in 1946 he wants to exercise his right to select 5 illustrious Italians to be senators for life, one of his choices falls on world famous conductor Arturo Toscanini. The candidates, however, must have a spotless reputation and the check into the conductors life soon reveals that he was present in the small sleepy Tuscan of Piazze at the time of an infamous murder, that of a famous doctor, Alberto Rinaldi.

Retired Colonel Luigi Mari is assigned to investigate and soon discovers that the truth to the murder and subseuiqnt trial is very different from the official story and may go to the very top of the Fascist Regime.