Suspected crime boss Nate Girard beats a murder rap, and newspaper photographer Kent Murdock is on the story. Girard and lawyer Redfield throw a party for the news men where Murdock romances a mystery woman who confronted Girard in front of him, but Murdock's fiance Hester shows up. After they return to his apartment, have a fight, and she leaves, the mystery woman slips in and begs for his help. Police Inspector Bacon and the cops show up, looking for the mystery woman; Murdock hides her. Murdock goes with the cops to discuss the murder the woman is suspected of. Bacon explains (in flashback) how some photographers were setting up a shot with Girard and Redfield. When the flashbulbs popped, Redfield keeled over dead and the woman, Meg Archer, fled while the newsmen ran out to phone their papers. The newsmen (who were rounded up later as thoroughly as possible) are taken into police custody, except for Murdock (who wasn't at the scene), who is given a cap on the sly by rival McGoogin. Although evidence suggests Meg is guilty, Murdock returns to his apartment and pledges to help her. She drugs his drink, but in the middle of the night, someone breaks in, knocks her out, and ransacks Murdock's photography equipment. They awaken in the morning and Murdock finds a photo plate in the cap McGoogin gave him. It's a picture taken by one of the photographers from behind Redfield and probably shows the killer preparing to murder him. Girard arrives and tries to bribe Murdock. The cops arrive, with McGoogin, and McGoogin pockets the photo plate. Girard threatens Murdock and Meg, implying that he staged Meg's father's suicide; they have to get the photo plate back and try to clear Meg's name - and get out of his engagement to Hester. The story becomes more and more convoluted, with the shooting of McGoogin and then Meg, the arrival of the brother of the man Girard was on trial for killing, and Murdock's decision to confront Girard on his own terms.