Why did someone murder a local museum staffer during a theft of seemingly valueless artifacts? A Key West broadcast news boss persuades ex-investigative reporter Milo Bird to find out. The killer is a phantom and facts are few, but Milo slowly joins together pieces of a puzzle that appears to track back to the early days of sound recording and a long-forgotten connection between Key West and Thomas Edison. Milo calls upon the unique talents of his league of drinking buddies, and together they unearth an astounding secret concealed since the time of Prohibition. Danger escalates as Milo races against unknown killers to be first to unearth a hidden object that has silently awaited discovery for nearly a century. Still, he has to wonder-Is a prize that may be worth a fortune worth his life?

The writer is Chicago veteran newsman and broadcast essayist Dave McBride, who migrated from Midwest frigid Februarys to the tropical breezes of South Florida. Here, he continues to soak up local lore and lifestyle. Which includes, for purposes of this story, a comprehensive history of the connection between Thomas Edison and South Florida and an exhaustive acquaintanceship with the excellent bars of Key West.