Private eye Paul Lomax knew it meant trouble when Velma Hartman said she needed a big, strong man. But when a woman's scared and alone, male pride kicks in and it's hard to say no. And the formidable Mrs. Pearson is demanding intimate pictures of her husband with his lover—another unwanted case taking up time Lomax needs to cultivate his relationship with the irresistibly glamorous Melody Brown. The police are watching, paying visits, trying to find out what Lomax knows. Two killings later, Lomax makes the connection between Velma and Mrs. Pearson and the corruption that blights the town. By that time he's staring death in the eye himself, and there seems to be no way out.