George Mitchell was concerned that his wife was in terrible danger and contacts Brad Runyon aka The Fat Man, for help. Mr Mitchell had received a letter saying "he'd got a nice wife and if he wanted to keep it that way bring ten thousand dollars to the pier at one am in the morning or his wife would come home in a box". If he goes to the police he fears his wife would be killed so he gives The Fat Man the ransom money to deliver along with a five hundred dollars fee. Before handing the money over private detective Brad Runyon investigates further and finds this is more than a simple blackmail case especially when George Mitchell is the one that turns up dead.