Pennsylvania Antiquarian Society president Nell Pratt has something to smile about thanks to a generous donation from a major developer to help update their museum. But renovations have barely begun when a man is struck and killed by a car in front of the building. The victim is a construction worker who found a curious metal object while excavating an old museum privy. Nell thinks the death is somehow connected, and her suspicions are confirmed when an expert reveals a link between the object and a fellow staff member's family.