The hero of this black comedy is Wormald, a vacuum-cleaner salesman in pre-revolutionary Cuba, which is beset by power cuts. Milly, his sixteen year-old beautiful, devoutly Catholic but materialistic and manipulative daughter spends his money with a skill that amazes him, so when a mysterious Englishman offers him an extra income he's tempted. In return all he has to do is carry out a little espionage and file a few reports. But when his fake reports start coming true, things suddenly get more complicated and Havana becomes a threatening place.