When Hooky Hefferman, playboy and private detective, does a chance favour for wealthy Waveney Rolffe, he is rewarded with a lucrative position as Rolffe's personal bodyguard. The job is easy: entertain Rolffe and live harmoniously with the other members of the household - pleasant Mrs Fitzroy, who directs Rolffe's future with her crystal ball; Dempster Childers, Rolffe's aloof private secretary; and Cooper, the gardener. Hooky's luck has never been better.But when ex-con Barney Phillips shows up in the local tavern and becomes friendly with Cooper, Hooky begins to suspect that trouble is brewing. After all, Rolffe's vast financial empire and the curiosities of his daily routine provide tempting possibilities - like illegal personal gain and international thievery - and a motive for murder.