A rich woman and a calculating insurance agent plot to kill her unsuspecting husband after he signs a double indemnity policy. Against a backdrop of distinctly Californian settings, the partners in crime plan the perfect murder to collect the insurance, which pays double if the death is accidental.

In the border town of San Pablo, preparing for an annual ‘Mexican Fiesta,’ the tough, mysterious and laconic Gagin arrives. His mission is to find the equally mysterious Frank Hugo, evidently for revenge, or is it for blackmail? FBI agent Retz is also after the elusive Hugo. Everyone in town is enigmatic, especially Pila, a mystical young woman who follows Gagin around after premonitions of his death. The story includes a classic femme fatale and an antique carousel with a pink horse.

A classical musician from a working class background is sidetracked by his love for a wealthy, neurotic socialite.