Uncle Am is kidnapped!
Ed Hunter's partner-in-crime was just out on a routine case, a man who'd skipped out on some car payments, when the old fellow vanishes. There's also a fortuneteller who claims to know how to pick the daily "number," a gangster who'd like more info about same, a love interest for young Ed, and a Fortean collector of Ambroses, who might just be responsible for Uncle Am's disappearance.