Fly Away Baby

Milton Devereux is murdered and his diamond collection is stolen. Crime reporter Torchy Blane is assigned to the case, while her detective boyfriend Steve McBride investigates the weapon. Torchy vows to tag along to uncover clues the police may miss.

Torchy discovers a gun hidden in a drainpipe in the alley behind the store, a potential murder weapon. The find sharpens the connection between the crime scene and possible suspects. She brings the clue back to Steve for analysis.

Milton had a confrontation with Sonny Croy, a rival reporter with gambling debts. Sonny becomes a prime suspect, but an alibi surfaces from the victim's business partner, Guy Allister. They claim Milton and Allister were lunching together at the time of the murder.

Torchy and Steve question the restaurant waiter and find a clue on the menu that points to Sonny. The clue leads them to Ila Sayre, a nightclub dancer's apartment, widening the investigation beyond the initial suspect list. The search expands to another potential link to the diamonds.

Ila Sayre claims Sonny was on the phone with her at the time of the murder, but her story begins to unravel under scrutiny. Torchy remains skeptical and keeps tracing Sonny through his public appearances. The tension between leads grows as new inconsistencies emerge.

Sonny explains that the notes on the menu indicate an aircraft and Zeppelin world flight as a publicity stunt. The explanation clarifies his motive and suggests a link to the ongoing investigation. Torchy decides to follow him, convinced there are more clues to uncover.

Torchy convinces her newspaper to bankroll a race around the world to chase Sonny, competing with Hughie Sprague of the Daily Journal. Steve joins her, turning the pursuit into a high-profile investigative expedition. Rivalry with the other reporters adds urgency to the case.

The journey takes them across the Pacific, Asia, and Europe with planned stops in Honolulu, San Francisco, Hong Kong, and Stuttgart. The airship route becomes a moving mystery where clues can hide in any city. The team stays vigilant for signs of the killer or the stolen diamonds.

When the airship lands in Hawaii, Torchy searches Sonny's room and finds a note indicating that some items will be exchanged in Stuttgart. The discovery raises the stakes and broadens the exchange network surrounding the diamonds. Sonny becomes increasingly aware that he is being investigated.

Sonny discovers the lipstick Torchy accidentally dropped in his room, triggering his own pursuit of Torchy's investigation. The chase sharpens as both sides dig deeper into the exchange plans and the diamonds’ fate. Tension rises with every new clue uncovered.

Ila admits she did not talk to Sonny on the phone, undermining her earlier claim. Steve boards the airship with Torchy and they press the case, using the conflicting alibi and other clues to tighten their position. The investigation continues as the journey for answers persists.

Before a formal arrest, Sonny is found dead aboard the airship. Investigators discover that the diamonds hidden in the false bottom of his suitcase are not real, overturning essential assumptions about the crime. The event pivots the investigation toward a mastermind manipulating the chase.

Torchy pieces together the evidence and determines that Guy Allister was the true murderer, while Sonny was working for him to pay off his gambling debts. The motive and the earlier alibis align to reveal Allister's role in the crime. Her deductions shift the focus onto the mastermind behind the diamonds' fate.

Allister had boarded the airship using a false name, allowing him to blend in with travelers. The revelation ties his actions to the lunch alibi and the overall scheme. Investigators close in as the net tightens around him.

Allister attempts to parachute from the airship to escape, but his parachute fails to open and he dies. The death ends the pursuit and confirms Torchy's deductions about the killer's identity. The case closes with the murderer eliminated, even as consequences linger for the others involved.