conniving owner of the boarding house where Vivian lived, tracks down and tries to blackmail a wealthy married man Vivian called from her boarding house, James Harkley (Edmon Ryan). Snooping in the man's desk when he is called out of his office, Smerrling goes so far as to steal his gun during her visit. Soon after, Moralas, working at that point in Boston with a partner assigned to him by the Boston Police Department, tracks down the stolen car from police records and questions Henry Shanway. Local authorities on the Cape eventually finds Shanway's car in the pond, and he's identified in a police lineup by a variety of figures he encountered during his drunken foray and afterwards, when trying to locate Vivian at her boarding house. Mrs. Smerrling, who was present at the lineup, never mentions the gun, Mr. Harkley, or, obviously, her blackmail attempt. As a result the innocent Shanway is arrested and charged with murder. Grace can only wonder what her husband had gotten himself involved in, evidently killing his pregnant lover while she was hospitalized after losing their baby. Still trying to wring more out of his evidence, Dr. McAdoo discovers with Moralas' help a bullet stuck in the car that had shattered one of the skeleton's ribs. As the case develops, Moralas begins to reconsider his conviction of Shanway's guilt. Later, Smerrling shows Harkley's gun to Jackie Elcott (Betsy Blair), a tenant in her building, who is familiar with firearms. Elcott subsequently reads in the paper the killer used a .45 caliber automatic and informs Lt. Moralas that Smerrling has the same type of gun. Smerrling cleverly hides the .45 in a carpet bag and checks it at a nearby train station. Before Moralas can question her she again attempts to blackmail Mr. Harkley, this time for $20,000, setting up a rendezvous at her home. He arrives and threatens to kill her unless she gives him back his gun. Terrified, she discloses where the gun is, but not its claim check. He strikes her over the head with a candlestick and she's killed. Moralas shows up, but loses Harkley in a car chase. The next morning, Moralas gets a phone call telling him Shanway has escaped. While at Smerrling's home He comes across the baggage claim check hidden in her birdcage, which sends Moralas racing to catch the killer at Trinity Station before he can