A Gentleman After Dark

On New Year's Eve 1923, the editor of the New York Chronicle sits waiting for news about the theft of Mrs. Reginald Thorndyke's bracelet. The jewel is valued at about $50,000, and the atmosphere is tense as the year closes. The waiting game sets the stage for the detective work to come.

Tom Gaynor uncovers that the thief is Harry Melton, famous for wearing heliotrope flowers on his lapel. He suspects that Harry's surface flaws mask a fundamental goodness inside him. The pursuit now centers on whether he can be steered toward redemption.

Flo is at a hospital about to give birth when Harry arrives with a bracelet as a gift of love. The gesture underscores Harry's claim that he intends to reform now that he is a father. The moment binds his personal stakes to his criminal past.

Gaynor explains that the Insurance Companies Protective Association has posted a reward for information leading to the thief and the bracelet's return. He tells Harry that redemption might be possible if he helps seize the case. The offer plants the seed for a possible change in Harry's life.

Harry denies any role in the bracelet's disappearance and asserts he will become a better man now that he has a child. He hopes to leave the past behind, sensing the detective's sympathy but aware of his own pull toward crime. The exchange heightens the tension between duty and desire for a new life.

Flo makes clear she has no intention of moving to the country or starting anew as a citizen with Harry. She resists the reforming life Harry envisions, complicating their fragile partnership. The couple remains divided as they consider their future.

Harry agrees to one last job with Eddie and Flo: a jewel theft at a socialite party hosted by Pamela Cartwright. The plan teems with glamour and danger as they prepare to move against high society. The looming heist marks a turning point in both their futures.

After the heist, Eddie tries to frame Harry for the crime, setting a trap to claim the reward. Harry manages to hide the stolen jewelry before Detective Gaynor's visit spoils Eddie's scheme. The tension among the trio deepens as suspicion grows.

Harry discovers Eddie and Flo are lovers, a betrayal that erupts into a gunfight. In the ensuing violence, Harry kills Eddie and tells Flo he will stop seeing their daughter forever. The act seals a grim breakup with Flo and a hard line for Diana's fate.

To protect his daughter, Harry turns himself in to the police, and Diana is placed in Detective Gaynor's custody. Gaynor's custody over Diana lasts for many years while Harry serves his prison sentence. The act marks a permanent separation driven by sacrifice and law.

Years later, Flo reads Diana's engagement announcement in the newspaper and knows Diana is still in Gaynor's custody. She resolves to use Diana as leverage to coerce Gaynor into helping her. The plan exposes the enduring tug of power, custody, and desire.

While still in prison, Harry learns of Flo's plan and decides to act. He engineers a breakout and heads out to locate Flo and end her bid for control. The act showcases his determination to protect his daughter at any cost.

Harry finds Flo with her new partner Enzo Calibra. A brawl erupts, and one of Enzo's bodyguards accidentally kills him. Flo escapes, but Harry closes in on her at her hotel room. The pursuit tightens around a final confrontation.

Harry corners Flo in her hotel room, and when she tries to flee, she slips over the balcony to her death. The confrontation ends Flo's schemes and leaves Diana's fate unresolved for the moment. Justice and tragedy intertwine in the aftermath.

Years after the events, Diana's wedding takes place, and Harry sends her a box of heliotrope flowers—the symbol of his signature—the scent of romance and regret. The final gesture recalls the thief's signature and the fragile, persistent connection between father and daughter. The story closes with a poignant note of memory.