When real estate tycoon Gregory Maybanks is found bludgeoned to death in the study of his Manhattan residence, the murder weapon is believed to be a missing bronze bookend in the shape of a winged dragon. Suspicion centers on members of the Maybanks family and their servants. Liz Rooney's amateur sleuthing skills go into action in an effort to find the weapon so that her friend, Homicide Detective Ike Eichle, can check it for the murderer's fingerprints and the victim's blood. Her snooping attracts the attention of a drug dealer, resulting in her botched kidnapping, a narrow escape from death in a hot pursuit car crash, and a case of temporary amnesia.
Her restored memory provides Ike with information which points to one of the suspects. When she stumbles upon a clue leading to the hiding place of the missing dragon bookend, Ike has all he needs to make an arrest and close the case.
With another homicide solved together, the relationship between Liz and Ike progresses to a new level.