Jail Bait

Don Gregor is arrested for carrying an unlicensed handgun and is taken to the police station. Marilyn Gregor meets Inspectors Johns and Lawrence during the proceedings. After bail for Don is posted, the police refuse to return his handgun, and Johns suspects Don is connected to gangster Vic Brady.

Don returns home and opens a book to reveal a hidden revolver. The discovery confirms his secret involvement in past criminal activity. He then has a chance encounter with his father, Boris, at the front door.

Boris heads for the book safe and discovers that the revolver is missing. The discovery heightens the sense that the family is entangled in a dangerous web. The missing weapon sets the stage for later confrontations.

Don and Brady meet in a bar where Don receives his share from a recent job. Brady reminds him of the plan to rob the Monterey Theatre payroll, though Don expresses doubts. The atmosphere is tense as they consider the risk.

Brady and Don break into the Monterey Theatre and ambush the nightwatchman, forcing him to open the safe. Don shoots the nightwatchman, while Brady shoots the fleeing Miss Willis in the back. They grab the loot and flee as police sirens are heard approaching.

The criminals escape the theatre just as sirens grow closer. Miss Willis survives and later identifies Don as the killer, complicating the investigation and foreshadowing further trouble for the Gregors.

Brady leads Don to the residence of his girlfriend, Loretta. Don leaves unnoticed while Brady heads off to search for him, sparking a new round of pursuit and tension.

Don visits his father's office and confesses the murder. Boris urges his son to surrender to the police, arguing for accountability. The father helps Don escape the arriving authorities, creating a fragile chance for a clean break.

Brady captures Don and drives him back toward Loretta's residence. They hear on the radio that they are both suspects for the robbery and murder. Don insists on surrendering, but Brady, fearing for his safety, kills his partner and hides the corpse behind a kitchen curtain.

Brady decides to undergo plastic surgery to assume Don's identity and contacts Boris, claiming that he is holding Don hostage until the procedure. Boris enlists Marilyn to assist him, knowing she is a trained nurse. The group prepares to move ahead with the operation.

A few days later, Brady, Boris, Loretta, and Marilyn gather for the operation. Brady is sedated, while Boris searches Loretta's kitchen for a water basin and discovers Don's corpse hidden nearby. He keeps the discovery secret and maintains a calm exterior while the plan proceeds, insisting bandages stay on for two weeks.

Two weeks later, Brady's bandages are removed to reveal a face identical to Don's. Everyone assumes the bandaged man is the wanted killer, and Boris claims the man is his son. The ruse holds, and the true identities blur under the weight of deception.

Brady, now with Don's face, attempts to flee but is shot dead by the police. His dying body falls into a swimming pool, marking the collapse of the elaborate disguise and the tragic end of the conspiracy.