On Homacide detail, Joe Friday investigates the murder of a wife. His first mission is to find the body of the missing woman. Frank Smith joins Joe as he makes the rounds to interview witnesses.

The couple in love have a problem. He wants to marry a woman who is still pending her divorce. Words are spoken that indicate a motive for a murder. Friday and Smith find a steemer trunk with the body inside, but there’s still more qquestioning to do. Using every technology he can, lab work, coroner reports, hand writing analysis, and more, Friday sorts through all the clues surrounding the trunk. Where did it come from? There’s evidence that it might involve a sailor.

Plod along through police procedure, listen to the suspects tell their stories, until the bad guy is brought to light.