Barbara Carlin (June Lockhart) attends her own funeral and returns home suspecting that her husband,Rod Carlin (Mark Daniels), had tried to do away with her, and is also (rightfully) curious as to just who was the woman buried under her name. She learns that the victim was glamour girl Helen Lawrence (Sonia Darren), with whom her husband had been having an affair. Complications come from her sister Rusty (Cathy O'Donnell), who, it turns out, is not her real sister and also doesn't like her a whole lot, and from a dim-witted prize fighter,George Mandley (Greg McClure). The family attorney, Michael Dunn (Hugh Beaumont), stands around and provides little in the way of help or reason for being there, until...

When a diamond necklace and inscribed compact belonging to wealthy heiress Barbara Carlin are found in the burnt remains of a stable fire on her estate, she is assumed dead, and a body is buried. Barbara attends her own funeral, however, and returns home to confront her husband Rod, after informing her lawyer, Michael Dunn, that she is still alive. Among those suspected of setting the fire are Rod, who was estranged from Barbara; Rod's mistress, Helen Lawrence; Helen's employer, prizefighter George Mandley, who had been seeing Barbara; and Barbara's younger adopted sister Rusty, who resented Barbara because her adoptive father left her out of his will. Although Rusty is in love with Rod, she dated George before Barbara ended their relationship. As the investigation continues, Rod confesses that Helen was anxious for him to marry her and wanted him to kill Barbara. After it is learned that it was Helen who was killed in the fire, George confesses that he loved Helen and that his interest in Rusty and Barbara was a subterfuge to get Barbara's money. Then Rod discovers that Barbara was dating George just to spite him. After a fight with George, Rod leaves the house and Rusty takes him in. While tending Rod's wounds, Rusty swears her love and confesses that she repeatedly tried to break up Rod and Barbara's marriage. After Rod rejects her advances, she goes to the police to accuse him of the murder. Meanwhile, the lights go out in the house, and Barbara is attacked with a fire iron. The assailant flees before Rod returns to ask Barbara for another chance at their marriage. The police arrive with Rusty and, despite her weak testimony, take Rod in for questioning, leaving Barbara alone with Mike. When Mike tells Barbara that Helen was murdered with a hammer--a fact that has not yet been revealed by the police--she realizes that he is the murderer. Rod, meanwhile, determines that Mike, who handles Barbara's money as well as her insurance policy, had the most concrete motive for the crime, and convinces the police to rescue Barbara. Mike chases Barbara into her bedroom and drenches her bed in kerosene. He is about to strike her when Rusty enters and grabs his gun. Barbara attacks Mike with a pair of scissors, and Rusty fires the gun as the police shoot Mike. Rod comforts Barbara and Rusty. Rusty assures them she has lost her persecution complex, while Barbara agrees to be less domineering and Rod promises to be less selfish.