The Pay Off

As prosecutor Lloyd Pearson completes his final report on a major crime ring, he is shot and killed by an unknown gunman. Later, crack newspaper reporter Brad McKay refuses to interrupt his poker game to respond to his publisher Lester Norris' calls until he learns of Pearson's murder. Brad, who has been following Pearson's work, immediately goes to the scene of the crime and gets a full report from police inspector Thomas. Thomas is convinced that gangster Vince Moroni is involved, although he knows that Moroni had been playing poker with Brad all night. As Brad leaves the building, a hunchbacked beggar tells him that he saw Moroni enter the building before the murder. When Brad later questions Moroni, Moroni mentions that Pearson's assistant, Hugh Walker, was disbarred for bribery after he took the rap for Pearson in exchange for a $100,000 pay off. When Moroni's boss, gambling joint owner John Angus, learns that the beggar identified Moroni to Brad, he kills the beggar and goes after Brad. Just as Moroni enters Brad's apartment through a window, Hugh's daughter Phyllis arrives, having been sent by her father. When Phyllis sees Moroni, she hides in a closet, where Brad finds her after discovering Moroni's dead body in his bedroom. Phyllis, who has no idea who killed Moroni, explains that her father, who fears for his life, asked her to give Brad a key to a locker which contains $100,000 in marked bills. Norris' son Guy, who has been assisting Brad, then arrives and the three go to Hugh's apartment. Hugh is missing, however, and his apartment has been ransacked. Phyllis gives Brad the key to the locker, and explains that after his disbarment, her father continued to work undercover for Pearson at Angus' nightclub. After escaping a near-kidnap by Angus' thugs, Brad speculates that the same person who ordered Pearson's death murdered Moroni. Brad retrieves Hugh's money and uses one of the marked bills at Angus' roulette table, where he meets Alma Dorn, a "shady lady" whom Brad finds irresistibly attractive. Brad is nevertheless suspicious of Alma, and secretly watches her go into Angus' office. Later that night, Brad finds Alma in his apartment looking for the money. After Alma fires a gun at him, Brad pretends to be dying, and tricks her into admitting that Angus sent her. Brad then reveals he is unharmed, and Alma agrees to work with him. True to her word, Alma later calls Brad with news that Hugh is being held hostage at a warehouse. Brad extracts Alma's bullet from the apartment wall and discovers that it is nicked in the same manner as the bullet that killed Pearson. Brad is then called to see Norris, and discovers that Norris is the head of the racketeers. Norris becomes alarmed when he learns that his son Guy is accompanying Phyllis to the warehouse, as he has ordered his thugs to shoot the first people who arrive. As Norris calls Angus for help, Angus is shot by police raiding his club. Norris then rushes to the warehouse with Brad, and is killed by his own men. Guy and Phyllis arrive shortly after with the police, and the remaining criminals are arrested. In order to shield Guy from his father's criminal past, Brad prints a story in which he claims that Norris gave his life in the pursuit of justice. While Hugh recuperates, Phyllis consoles Guy, and Brad proposes to Alma.