Danger Signal

Ronnie Mason, a mysterious pulp writer and psychopath, steals a dead woman's wedding ring and her money. He also leaves a fake suicide note to mislead investigators. The crime sets the stage for his future deception.

Thomas Turner suspects his wife may have been seeing Mason and possibly murdered. He confronts authorities, who at first share his suspicions. Without conclusive evidence, the case is officially ruled a suicide.

Mason leaves town, changes his name to Marsh, and reveals a limp from a jump from the bedroom window. He also flaunts a veteran's pin stolen from a fellow bus passenger to bolster his disguise. Using the persona of a wounded veteran, he rents a room in Mrs. Fenchurch's house with Hilda and Anne.

The three women are easily swayed by Marsh's charm, to the consternation of Professor Andrew Lang who secretly loves Hilda. Marsh becomes a fixture in their lives, drawing them in with his stories and persona. Their gullibility makes them overlook the danger he's creating.

Marsh and Hilda spend a weekend retreat together, a quiet escape funded by Hilda's earnest frugality. He pretends to be broke, heightening her trust until he reveals his true motives. The retreat accelerates their complicated relationship.

MacLellen Publishing pays Marsh $200 for his short story 'Dark Island,' to be published in Adventure Tales. The cash reassures Marsh's constructed image of a struggling yet talented author. He conceals this income, keeping up the image of a needy veteran.

Marsh learns Anne might inherit a great fortune, and he shuns Hilda in favor of Anne's potential money. He dumps Hilda and courts Anne, revealing the manipulation at the heart of his con. This shift threatens the fragile trust of everyone around him.

As Marsh's deception expands, the truth about his intentions and relationships surfaces. Hilda grows increasingly jealous and suspicious, realizing she has been manipulated. The revelation destabilizes the household and compounds the danger of his con.

Blinded by jealousy, Hilda hatches a plan to lure Marsh to a beach house and poison him. She struggles with carrying out the plan, showing the moral complexity and fear behind her actions. The plan foreshadows a dramatic confrontation.

Marsh cannot be poisoned, and he bolts from the planned trap. Turner, who has tracked him down, closes in as Marsh flees toward the coast. The pursuit sets the stage for the final, fatal confrontation.

Turner corners Marsh at a steep cliff, and Marsh plunges to his death. The killer's end arrives as the locals realize his crimes are over. The case is closed with an abrupt, fatal verdict.

The town reels from the string of deceptions, and the surviving characters pick up the pieces. Hilda's jealousy, Anne's inheritance, and Lang's unrequited love leave emotional scars. The story closes with the consequences of Mason's and Marsh's manipulations.