After receiving his commission on Christmas Eve, Lt. Charles Mason learns that Mona, his longtime girl friend, has married another man. When his plane from North Carolina to San Francisco is forced by bad weather to land in New Orleans, the heartbroken Charles meets alcoholic reporter Simon Fenimore, who takes him to a brothel run by Valerie De Merode. There Charles is introduced to hostess/singer Jackie Lamont, and agrees to take her to a midnight mass. After the church services, the two go to a diner, where Jackie tells Charles that her real name is Abigail and that she is the wife of convicted murderer Robert Manette. At the diner, and the next morning in his hotel room, Abigail tells Charles the story of her relationship with Robert: Abigail meets her future husband at a concert, and despite Robert's chronic unemployment and complaints about his inability to live up to his eminent family's expectations, she quickly falls in love with him. Later, at Robert's family home, she meets his overly possessive mother, who hopes Abigail will help reform Robert. Abigail and Robert are soon married and move into his mother's home. After six months of blissful marriage, Robert, unknown to Abigail, kills bookmaker Teddy Jordan. His mother, however, is aware of Robert's psychopathic nature, and Abigail sees her burn his bloodstained pants. After the police come by looking for Robert, Abigail questions her husband, and he orders her to lie about his missing pants and newfound money. Shortly thereafter, Robert is arrested, and Abigail sees his mother hide the bookmaker's money in the lining of a curtain. Later, the police arrive with a search warrant, but they do not find the money, as Abigail has taken it out of the curtain and burned it. After the police leave, though, Robert's mother chastises Abigail for her failure to support Robert, no matter what his flaws. Robert is found guilty of Jordan's murder, and his mother blames Abigail for the verdict. Abigail concludes her story and leaves Charles' hotel room, after which Charles learns that Robert has broken out of prison. He rushes to the brothel to warn Abigail but learns from Valerie that the police have already staked out the premises. Robert slips by their trap, however, and Abigail, still in love with her husband, rushes into his arms. Robert, however, rejects her because of her new occupation. She tells him that she began working at the brothel to punish herself for the guilt she feels toward him. Robert is then shot by the police before he can kill Abigail, and dies in her arms. With Robert dead, Abigail is finally able to "let go" of her past and start a new life.
