The Prowler

Webb Garwood, a disgruntled cop, is dispatched to investigate a report of a peeping Tom by Susan Gilvray. Susan's husband works nights as a radio personality, which makes Webb's first encounter with her tinged with personal interest. The call sets the events of the night in motion.

Webb falls in love with the young, married Susan. He woos her and, despite her initial reluctance, they begin an adulterous affair. The relationship pulls Webb away from his professional duties and drags him into dangerous territory.

Webb discovers that Susan's husband holds a life insurance policy. He hatches a plan to cash in on the policy by manipulating events to make a death appear natural or accidental. The motive hardens as their affair deepens and the risk grows.

One night, Webb creates noises outside Susan's house to simulate a prowler, feeding the illusion of danger while keeping suspicion off himself. He then leaves and later hears a report of a prowler from Susan's address in his police car. The setup foreshadows the murder to come.

Webb returns as a police officer and creates another disturbance, prompting Susan's husband to come outside armed. Webb, hiding in the bushes, shoots the husband with his service revolver and then wounds himself with the husband's pistol to fake a gunfight. The crime is staged to look like a confrontation.

The ruse fools the coroner's jury, with Webb and Susan testifying that they did not know each other before the death. Webb's partner knows the truth, complicating the deception. The verdict helps Webb and Susan move forward with their lives.

Although Susan initially suspects foul play, Webb convinces her of his innocence, and the couple marries. The union cements their secret and shields their past from public scrutiny. They begin a new chapter together.

Susan reveals she is four months pregnant, and given her husband was infertile, Webb is the likely father. The pregnancy threatens to expose their concealed past and the earlier murder. The stakes grow as the truth inches closer to the surface.

To avoid discovery, Webb and Susan flee to Calico, a ghost town, planning to have the baby there away from prying eyes. The move marks a drastic break from their former life and signals their desperation to keep the secret intact. They begin a precarious, isolated life.

In Calico, Susan goes into premature labor, testing their fragile happiness under harsh conditions. The isolation of the town amplifies the tension as they await the birth. The situation becomes a critical test for their relationship.

Webb drives to a nearby town and forces Dr. William James to come to Calico to assist with the delivery. This action reveals Webb's willingness to kill again in order to protect the secret. The doctor arrives under duress and is put in mortal danger.

Susan realizes Webb intends to kill Dr. James, and she warns the doctor. The doctor escapes with the newborn and Webb's Cadillac keys, enabling him and the child to survive. Webb's plan to erase the last loose end is thwarted by Susan's intervention.

Susan confronts Webb with the truth about his intent to kill and about murdering her husband. Realizing the doctor will summon the police, Webb abandons the car and flees on foot, abandoning the cover he had relied on. The couple's fragile bond collapses under the weight of their lies.

Webb encounters his former partner at a blocked exit, and two police cars close in. He tries to push through and escapes into the hills on foot, but a sheriff's deputy shoots him from afar. The pursuit ends with Webb dying at the edge of the town.