Paul, an American composer, arrives in the desert town of Real de Catorce where his father recently died. For the past ten years, Paul has been consumed with the task of composing an ending for the masterpiece of an early twentieth century musician. Being isolated from the world, he sees an opportunity to finish the symphony. However, Paul is caught up in a new mystery, the disappearance thirty years ago of a woman named Marianne.

Two stories unfold over the same long, hot day in Acapulco. The first involves Fernanda, who is forced to deal with the emergence of her ex-lover. Her boyfriend must compete with the sexual tension they share. The second concerns Jamie, a worker attempting suicide, until a girl disrupts his plan.