Two people have been murdered in Clayton by a mysterious killer using a blow-gun. Socialite club-leader Phoebe Witherspoon comments that "the town needs another Ma Pilkington, the best police chief the town ever had", and the town's newspaper editor, Henry Wright sends reporter Breezy to find the late Ma Pilkington's daughter, Jane "Pilky" Pilkington. She is given the job of tracking down the killer and policeman Mulligan is assigned to assist her. But after two more unsolved murders, Wright buys "Pilky" a ticket back to Horsetrot, the town in which they found her, and summons a Chicago detective to take over the case. "Pilky" is depressed by this turn of events and more so when she learns that Breezy is engaged to Maybelle, an actress. Mulligan is also fired. The killer strikes again by killing stage producer Tommy-Gun Tucker and the Chicago detective decides to go back to the safe confines of the Windy City, leaving "Pilky" again in charge.