- At his posh soirée, a publisher sneaks off into the garden to conspire with a sleazy PI. Hiding in the bushes, a man in gloves plugs the publisher, tosses the revolver, then splits. The PI picks it up, just in time for the party-goers to spot him holding the gat, which turns out to be his. The PI hires Peter Gunn to clear him, but is too afraid to level with Gunn.—David Stevens
- Prologue: A Dodge pulls up outside a manse with a reception, driver has a gun drawn, shoots the host through the bushes, kills him, a private detective with the victim, chases after the shooter, he retrieves the gun, returns, where guests witness him with gun, host dead. Jacoby and Gunn discuss the recent deceased's reception, Jacoby didn't like the accused PI, neither does Pete, but Pete owes him a favor, visits him in jail, Sam Hayes says he didn't do it. Pete goes to the party, which is still going, despite the killing of the host. Pete is greeted at the door by an eccentric man spouting astrological data, named Waldo, once inside, is greeted by the dead man's attorney, Paul Denner, who dismisses Waldo, tells Pete Mrs. Sinclair said you were coming. As Pete is lead to another room, he spots Abel Kinnard at the piano holding a playing record, he excuses himself from Denner, greeting Kinnard, complimenting him on the sound of his music on the record, Kinnard is apparently blind, and very old. Denner prompts Pete, as Mrs. Sinclair is waiting, he enters the room alone, there she stands at the bar, greets Pete, she has been drinking, says Sam would not have been the murderer. She says to Pete another time to talk would be better, goes into the party room, where guests walk away from her, and is finally escorted by Denner. Pete is at a bar, has shots set up on currency bills for Fuzzy Crane, a man entering the room with a horn case, recognizing the filled shots, greets Pete, partakes of the booze, as Pete asks if he still plays, he responds if somebody asks, it has been about two years. Pete asks if he remembers Kinnard, he says that's like remembering WW II. Kinnard was on top at one time in his career, then he flipped, was in a sanitarium, Pete tells him he saw Kinnard tonight, at Arthur Sinclair's. Fuzzy says Sinclair was known to keep Kinnard, Pete finds the horn case empty, Fuzzy said he had to hock it, Pete slips him money to get it back. In Jacoby's office, Pete is staring out the window, the lieutenant is adamantly saying it was Hayes who called the murder, it was his gun, the phones rings, it is Hayes, on the top floor, having grabbed a cop's gun is locked in the interrogation room on the top floor. A policeman shoots a hole in the door, Jacoby talks through the door to Hayes, Hayes opens the window, Jacoby shoots at the door lock, bursts into the room as Hayes shoots back and falls to his death out the window, gun in hand. Returning to the lieutenant's office, Jacoby is on the phone to his superior justifying Hayes death, Pete enters the office, now Jacoby is staring out of the window, a prisoner dies in custody, doesn't look good, says Jacoby. Denner and Waldo were having dinner in another room when Sinclair was killed, making it cozy, each having their own alibi. Pete goes to Hayes' office, opens the door, finds the place ransacked, is slugged on the head, the assailant escapes, Pete finds an envelope under Hayes desk labeled File on Bernie Lutz, he looks at the contents, goes to Waldo's apartment, accuses Waldo he is Bernie Lutz, a con-man, swindler, and was just in Sam's office hitting Pete with a gun butt. Choking Waldo to get information, then exiting. He enters the Sinclair house through a side entry, finds Mrs. Sinclair, packed for a trip, then Denner comes into the room, gun in hand, while Pete exposes all the secrets. Denner confesses to the killing, in love with Louise Sinclair, putting up with Arthur Sinclair's scandal sheet publication. Denner says he was going to put it in your name, let you get run through the courts. She approaches Denner, stating she loved Arthur all these years, slaps Paul for killing Arthur, Paul puts the gun in Pete's outstretched hand, exits, while Louise cries.
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