Harry Labar is lazy—at least he thinks so, and so do his peers in the Grape Street division. His boss has alluded to early retirement for Harry unless he can improve his clear-up rate. But Harry’s rate is impeded by Larry Hughes, an untouchable criminal kingpin suspected of being behind most of the local crime.

When a millionaire, Solly Gertstein, is robbed of precious jewels and objets d’art, the crime carries all the hallmarks of Larry Hughes. Hughes isn’t one to get his hands dirty; consequently Harry needs to be industrious to gather enough evidence to link the crime to Hughes, all the while trying to control his romantic feelings for one of the witnesses, Miss Penelope Noelson …