Tiger in the Smoke

Meg receives a photograph of her missing husband, a war hero believed to be in France, which rekindles hope that he is alive. Now engaged to Geoffrey Leavitt, she is determined to confirm his status and arranges a meeting at a London railway station with the police in tow.

At the station, Meg spots a man in an old coat who bears a resemblance to her husband. Geoffrey Leavitt accompanies her as they try to verify his identity. The tense moment sets off a chain of events that draws the attention of Duds Morrison.

The man in the coat is revealed to be Duds Morrison, a former soldier and recently released prisoner. He refuses to reveal anything about his appearance or his connection to Meg's husband. With nothing concrete to charge him with, the police release Morrison, leaving the mystery unresolved.

Geoffrey Leavitt questions Morrison about the sighting, but Morrison refuses and tries to flee. He darts into a London alley where a group of street musicians—ex-commandos—set upon him and fatally beat him. Leavitt is captured by the musicians in the melee.

The musicians reveal themselves as Morrison's former comrades who had served on a Brittany raid. They survive as street performers while hunting for their missing sergeant, Jack Havoc, whom they believe knows the treasure's location. They suspect Leavitt might be Havoc and keep him prisoner as a precaution.

To avoid liability for Morrison's murder and being charged themselves, the musicians bind Leavitt and hold him captive in their squat. They realize that releasing him could expose them to punishment and jeopardize their chance to locate Havoc and the treasure.

A beat constable, dispatched by the CID to investigate the squat, rescues Leavitt while the musicians are away. The rescue ends Leavitt's immediate captivity, but the larger mystery—about the missing husband and the treasure—remains unresolved.

Meg and Leavitt reunite and decide to follow Major Elgin's trail to Brittany, where a message from Elgin points to the treasure's location. The plan shifts them from London to the European mainland as they pursue answers.

Jack Havoc, the escaped sergeant, has joined with his former comrades and learns the treasure's location. He travels to France to pursue it, driven by vengeance and a desire to settle old scores.

Havoc discovers that Major Elgin's prized treasure is not wealth but an artistic Madonna statue, revealing a value rooted in beauty rather than money. This revelation deepens the conflict and reframes the motive for the confrontation.

A climactic confrontation unfolds on the Brittany coast cliffs as Havoc confronts Leavitt, provoking a confrontation with the French police. The authorities intervene, and Havoc is apprehended in the dramatic cliff-side standoff.

With Havoc in custody and the Madonna statue secured, the treasure's true worth reshapes the characters' fates and questions about Major Elgin's legacy linger unresolved. The story closes with a sense of ambiguity about greed, art, and justice.