by Edward Childs Carpenter and Laurence Gross
[Starring] Peter Sallis, Petra Davies and John Phillips

(Peter Sallis is appearing in 'Look after Lulu!' at the Royal Court Theatre, London)
(See facing page)

Times are bad for gangsters and racketeers in New York, and Jake Dillon's gang are going through a particularly bad period; their most profitable ventures are being surprised by police raids; and some of their ablest thugs have been killed in gun-battles or have been given long prison sentences. Behind all these setbacks they sense the work of one man - John B. McFarren, head of the Crime Commission. So Jake calls a conference of his gang to plan McFarren's murder - without much hope of success, because their intended victim is known to be cautious as well as tough, and besides the job must be done without incurring further police retaliation.
At this point chance brings Walter Porter, a best-selling crime novelist, and his fiancee to the house where the gang are meeting. On discovering Porter's identity, Jake threatens him and his fiancee with death if he does not devise a foolproof way of murdering McFarren. And so Wallace sits down to plot the most ingenious murder of his career.