Footsteps in the Dark

Francis Warren publicly handles investments but secretly writes lurid detective novels under the pseudonym F.X. Pettijohn. This second career is known only to Inspector Mason, not to his wife Rita or the others around them. The dual life sets up the central tension between appearance and hidden passions.

Francis's latest book parodies members of The Thursday Club, disguising real names including his wife and mother-in-law. He sends copies of the libelous work to every woman in the club, triggering outrage and threats of a lawsuit. Rita and her mother decide to sue for libel, escalating the conflict.

Francis counsels lawyer Wellington Carruthers to lie to the women and delay any legal action, arguing that publicity would help sell more books. Carruthers balks at deceit, but Francis counters that a happy marriage depends on keeping secrets from one's wife. The scene exposes Francis's cynicism about marriage and honesty.

Leopold Fissue tries to blackmail Francis to help convert uncut diamonds into cash, threatening to reveal his secret life. Fissue is found dead on a yacht, and the coroner and police initially rule it a heart failure caused by alcoholism. Francis insists Fissue was murdered for diamonds, prompting Mason and Hoppy to challenge him to solve the case before the police.

Ticket stubs in Fissue's jacket point to Blondie White, a burlesque dancer, making her the leading suspect in the case. Francis adopts the guise of Tex to romance Blondie in hopes of extracting information. Blondie’s dentist, Dr. Davis, provides a solid alibi that muddies the trail.

Rita catches Francis sneaking home at 2:30 from a supposed business meeting and hires a private detective. The detective reveals that Blondie is involved and that Francis maintains a secret studio used for liaisons. Rita then goes to Blondie’s burlesque show to confront her directly.

Blondie asks Tex to retrieve a suitcase from a locker, fueling Francis's undercover investigation. Inspector Mason receives a call from the FBI linking Fissue to a diamond-smuggling ring and orders a second autopsy, but the corpse has already been cremated. The FBI development deepens the stakes and drives the mystery forward.

Francis locates the locker and discovers diamonds hidden in the suitcase. Blondie fails to appear for a rendezvous or rehearsal, prompting Francis, Mason, and Hoppy to converge on Blondie’s apartment where Blondie is found murdered. Dr. Davis arrives with an alibi, while witnesses recall a woman leaving Blondie’s place who later disappears near Lake Drive.

Hoppy arrives with a taxi driver and reveals that Francis is the crime-writer F.X. Pettijohn, shocking Rita and her mother and threatening their social standing. The revelation reframes the investigation and raises the stakes for everyone involved.

Mason accuses Francis and Rita of killing Blondie and Fissue for diamonds, but Francis manages to evade arrest as he resolves to find the real killer. The accusation pits the couple against the police and fans of Pettijohn’s books alike, intensifying the pursuit.

Davis attempts to kill Francis, and Mason and Hoppy manage to arrest Francis despite his protests. Davis slips away in a car after the attempt, hinting at a larger conspiracy surrounding Blondie and Fissue.

During the escape, Francis allegedly falls from a roof, dying in the eyes of the investigators. The police regroup as they reassess who the real killer is and how the diamonds are connected to Blondie’s murder and Fissue’s death.

Mason calls Francis to help out on a new murder case, signaling a continuing professional partnership. Rita insists on joining him in the investigation, doing so without her mother’s knowledge and setting up further tension and collaboration.