Overeager cub reporter Chick Brian (Eric Linden) thinks he has the story that will land him the front-page byline of his dreams when he snaps a picture of a diamond smuggler in a most candid situation. Unfortunately for the hapless Chick, it only lands him in hot water with his editor, Jeff Dale (Roscoe Karns), because the smuggler is the mistress of their publisher. With his story killed, Chick heads to the countryside with his girlfriend, Mary (Dorothy Jordan), but the couple becomes stranded by a sudden rainstorm, causing them to seek shelter inside the Lame Dog Inn. While drying off, they hear a gunshot and come across a murder scene, where they confront criminal Fred Dykes (Bruce Cabot) and his moll, Louise (Phyllis Clare). Louise convinces the deadly Dykes to spare the couple but leaves her handbag behind. Armed with evidence of the killer's identity, Chick conceives a foolhardy scheme to frame himself for the murders for the sake of a sensational scoop. What could possibly go wrong?