In late September 1948, LA private detective Michael Garrett is hired to find another detective who has apparently gone missing. Garrett soon finds the missing man alone in his office, sitting behind his desk with a bullet hole in his chest. The search for the killer takes Garrett into the wealthy suburbs north of LA. There he meets a rich and powerful attorney, who is often called "a friend of the underworld" and who is written about on the society pages as much as on the crime beat. Complicating matters further, the attorney's wife and his secretary both become interested in Garrett, but not just for professional reasons.

I stood there and looked at her, a bright young girl who had no more idea of what it took to be a detective than I had about raising elephants. Only, she wanted to tag along with me. It didn't make good sense, but not much else did either. I leaned against the door and pushed my hat back on my head. "All right, get dressed. We're going to a party."