Arthur West, a disreputable private investigator, has found J. J. Stanley in a cheap motel. He knows Mr. Stanley and his partner Ned Bain were involved in the embezzlement of the Texas National Bank. He wants to blackmail Ned Bain into giving him money to keep quiet. Harriet Bain, Ned Bain's daughter, answers the call from Arthur West and agrees to meet him. After hearing a taped conversation between J. J. Stanley and Ned Bain talking about the blackmail offer, she hires Perry Mason. Ned Bain decides to pay and meets with J. J. Stanley. The next morning J. J. Stanley is found dead in Arthur West's hotel room. Harriet Bain is accused of the murder when her fingerprints are found on the murder weapon.