 Publisher Harry Mordecai, a San Francisco newspaper s new owner, is such a meddler -but doesn t insist with his ideas to make Jessica s new book spicier- that editor John Galloway quits, but accepts to stay on a month. Wall Street reporter Max Charles hears his grumpy colleague Loretta Lee -in fact a passed-on pen name for Claire Hogan-, who runs a very popular letters column, found out his game to write a glowing column about a stock till it rises enough, then cash in and talk in down again. After Loretta had an argument with Harry, a man shoots her in the arm in the lobby while standing next to John and Jessica. SFPD Lt. Evans doesn t make much progress, till he suddenly arrests as -correct- suspect T.D. because of his coat; when John and Jessica go tell her the news, they find her knocked dead at home; John s name is carved in a glass table with Loretta s diamond ring, but the position on her finger means she probably didn t write it. Jessica guesses Max s problem, after journalist Alexis Hill, who was assigned by Harry to write a saucy article about  stalker victim Loretta, told him she knew about his scam too and excepts his career support. John is formally charged after his prints are found; Jessica guesses however he really was Loretta s ghost writer. When Jessica finds out Loretta had her new hearing aid delivered late by mail-boy Troy Higgins, she makes striking deductions...