 At the Los Angeles airport parking lot, Lucy Stevens puts a briefcase in a car and telephones Hugo Burnette in New York to report a successful delivery of $60,000, which will be a bribe to secure favorable zoning for developer John Rushkin. Marjorie Ralston drives the car to meet her boss, Whitney Locke, and hand over the briefcase, which proves to be stuffed with newspaper rather than cash. Burnette thinks Lucy stole the money. She disguises herself as a blond, writes a note and sends money to her cousin, Carol Morgan. Then she drives her car into the ocean, faking suicide. Pretending to be Carol, Lucy asks Perry Mason to look for Lucy. When Lucy s car is recovered, there is a woman s body inside, which is identified at first as Lucy, but later a Marjorie. Carol is a sham, and Lucy is arrested for murder. Perry must defend a duplicitous client.