Phil Campbell and Alicia Foster are in love, but won't act on it until her dying elderly husband, Phil's employer, passes. Franklin Foster saved Alicia from addiction and Phil from poverty or worse, but when he is mysteriously assaulted he responds strangely. His oddball relatives appear to be involved and after his fortune. Phil and Alicia start some amateur detecting, but it strains their relationship to the breaking point when two young lovers become entangled in their efforts and one of Franklin's devious nieces disappears at sea. Their sleuthing leads Phil and Alicia to family confrontations and a bizarre gold smuggling scheme. The gold changes hands several times, and the Foster clan is in a mess of trouble. Only Phil can get everyone involved out of danger undamaged and make things right for Alicia. It will require a single-minded focus that has never been his strong point.