The plot involves three crime-solving characters from three of the writers' previous, non-parody, mystery/thriller works – Les Standiford's John Deal, Paul Levine's Jake Lassiter, and Edna Buchanan's Britt Montero – coming together to help an elderly environmentalist and her granddaughter investigate the mystery behind a package delivered by a precocious Miami-area manatee named Booger.

Two petty thugs, Hector and Phil, after retrieving a mysterious package from a courier off the coast of Cuba, begin arguing over the wheel of their skiff, and collide with "Booger", a manatee that favors the waters near Coconut Grove.

Booger, distressed by Fay's abduction, swims to the waters near Marion's home, where she cuts away a variety of debris snagged on his hide, including an identical silver package.

After checking the city morgue for headless bodies, Britt remembers that one of Castro's former lovers, Lilia Sands, lives in Miami, and is rumored to have saved a lock of his hair, which could be used for a DNA comparison.

Britt reluctantly has lunch with Hollywood actor Dash Brandon, who is "researching" a role as an undercover agent masquerading as a news reporter.

Britt is shocked to hear from Brandon that a fake Castro head is a prop in his upcoming film and has gone missing, but he received a call saying he can retrieve it at an exclusive club in South Beach that evening.

They inadvertently let the clamoring crowd into the club, under which the glass dance floor breaks and dumps dozens of hapless guests, and the head, into a pool filled with real sharks.

Coconut Grove police officer Joe Sereno observes two crime scene cleaners at work in a hotel room where two males were gruesomely killed.

Fay, Britt, Lilia, and the last remaining Castro head are taken to Juan Carlos Reyes's yacht off Bimini by Hector (during the boat ride, Joey G. accidentally chokes to death on conch salad).

He has Fay and Britt held incommunicado in the Bahamas while he returns to Miami to triumphantly announce Castro's death and his own candidacy as Cuba's next President.

Juan Carlos Reyes's televised rally to display the head is interrupted by a live broadcast from Havana, in which the real Castro appears.