Pontecorvo is named Mayor of the City. His mission is to restore order in the city and to subdue the underworld. For this he will use the skills of Mateo and the help of Baeza, an infiltrated ruffian.
Baeza informs Mateo of Conrado's hiding place, the leader of La Garduña. They are very close to catching him but Pontecorvo fails to legislate against La Garduña.
The plague devastates the city. Mateo and Valerio find the missing lover of Ignacio Azuaga, Carmen Galvez. She confirms to them that Ledesma - the Protestants's secret leader - seems to be behind all the murders.
