- Out scuba diving, Tony Blake rescues a ditzy librarian he met earlier, whose boyfriend tossed her off his yacht with intention to kill. An antique Machiavelli book becomes the pivotal point of Blake's investigation.
- While Tony is at the Buchman Library doing research, a blackout in the building occurs. In the aftermath when the lights come back on, the assistant curator, Stacy McGranahan, notices that a new acquisition, a rare and valuable book, a Machiavelli, has gone missing. Two of the perpetrators are apprehended, but they refuse to talk, including not telling the location of the missing book, which she figures must still be somewhere in the building as no one would have been able to get it past security in the current lock-down. Stacy learns the hard way that the book has indeed made it out of the building - in her bag in a secret compartment - as the mastermind behind the theft is Ralph Turner, her supposed boyfriend who believes he has killed her. Tony however manages to save her. Tony and Stacy have to figure out why Ralph stole this particular book when there are seemingly much more valuable ones in the library, which may lead them to where and to who the book is intended. Tony may have a bigger problem in Stacy, who is determined to clear her good name doing whatever required without Tony as she is somewhat implicated in the book's disappearance.—Huggo
- Tony arrives at the Buchman Library and asks the receptionist if he can speak with the curator. She tells him that the curator is out to lunch and directs Tony to Stacy McGranahan, the assistant curator. Tony tells Stacy that he's looking for a rare copy of a book on magic, Farnsworth's Principles of Legerdemain and Simple Deception. Stacy says that the library doesn't have a copy, but they do have a later reprint. She tells him that they require a reason and references before they can let him read it, and Tony explains that he's a magician. He demonstrated with a trick, and says that Stacy can't reach him because he'll be scuba diving at Malibu later that afternoon.
Stacy mentions that she'll be going to Malibu, and walks him out past a book on exhibit. Two men are taking notes on the book, a Machiavelli, and Stacy notices one in glasses as both thieves walk off. Tony compliments Stacy on the book. She shows Tony another book in the library's collection, and admits that she's passionate about old books. Tony thanks her for her help and starts to leave, and the first of the two thieves checks his watch. At a precise time, the third thief knocks out the power and the two men who were looking at the Machiavelli open the case and steal the book, substituting a fake, then close the case.
The third turns the lights back on, and Stacy checks the rare books on display. She notices the fake Machiavelli and calls to a security guard. Stacy has the guard open the case, setting off the powered alarm, and another guard stops Tony from leaving. Meanwhile, Stacy notices that the two men at the case are gone.
One of the two men hides the Machiavelli in a locker in the basement, while the third man who knocked out the power goes out to the thieves' getaway car. Meanwhile, Stacy calls the main door guard and describes the two thieves, including the one in the glasses.
The thief in the glasses joins his partner, and Stacy meets them as she comes down the stairs. She recognizes them and tells them to stop, and the door guard draws his gun and tells them to freeze. They run and the guard shoots the second thief, wounding him, and captures the one in glasses. The getaway driver hears the gunshot and drives away.
Stacy goes the locker room and opens her locker. The thief in glasses hid the book in her handbag in the locker, unaware of who owned it. Stacy joins the line of people going out past the searching guards, and finds Tony there. She says that they haven't found the Machiavelli and the two captured thieves refuse to say where it is. Tony is later for his scuba diving session, and Stacy says that her and her date will be anchored off the area and invites Tony to join them. The guards search them but don't find the Machiavelli.
The getaway driver, Ralph Turner, goes to Malibu and gets onto a rented boat.
Jerry is waiting for Tony, who tells his pilot that he got an invitation to drinks.
Stacy joins her date--Ralph--on the boat and tells him about the robbery and how it made her late. She says that they didn't find the book, and he digs in her handbag. When Ralph takes out the Machiavelli, Stacy notices and realizes that he's in with the thieves as Ralph takes the boat out on the water.
Tony and Jerry dive on a sunken ship, while on the surface Ralph tosses Stacy overboard with an anchor around her ankle. The two men rescue her, providing air from their respirators, remove the anchor, and take her to their boat. Back at his jet, Tony gets Stacy some tea and checks her handbag, and she says that Ralph gave it to her. Stacy explains how Ralph was just wandering through the library and hit on her. Tony says that they should go to the police, and Stacy worries that they'll think she had something to do with the robbery. Her rescuer points out that the police probably already figure that, and says that his friend Max might be able to help.
At his desk, Tony calls Max. Max, in the middle of a column, answers and immediately hangs up. Tony calls him back and asks where he would fence a stolen Machiavelli. Max tells him that the Machiavelli isn't particularly valuable compared to the other books that the Buchman has, and says that he'll check it out. Tony goes to check on Stacy and finds her trying to leave the jet. She admits that she was going to confront Ralph and demand the book back. Tony says that they should go to see Ralph and then the police. When Tony points out that Ralph might use violence, Stacy gives him Ralph's address.
A man, Sanders, arrives at Ralph's address and goes inside. Ralph is taking a bath and playing solitaire, and isn't surprised to see Sanders. He assures Sanders that his two accomplices know nothing about Sanders, and tells him that the Machiavelli is in the bedroom. When Ralph demands his payment, Sanders drowns him in the tub.
Tony and Stacy arrive at the address a few minutes later and go inside. Sanders sees them coming and hides in a closet. Tony finds Ralph's jacket and a note on it saying the Machiavelli was at the Buchman Library. Stacy looks in the bathroom and finds Ralph's corpse, and calls to Tony in shock. Sanders steps out of the closet and shoots at them, and Tony sees him in a mirror, gets into the bathroom with Stacy, and closes the door, locking it behind them.
Sanders shoots the lock out, but Tony sprays cards in his face and slams the door on the gun. When Sanders runs off, Tony goes after him but Sanders escapes in his car. Tony chases after him in the Corvette, and Sanders takes out a spare gun from his glove compartment and shoots at his pursuer. The Corvette goes off the road, and Tony calls the police.
Back at the house, Tony and Stacy meet with the police. The officer in charge, Lt. Moore, points out that she's an accomplice in the robbery and a material witness in the murder. Moore tells Tony that he's free to go, and tells Stacy that he's going to arrest her. Tony says that he'll put up Stacy's bail. Meanwhile, Moore calls the local sheriff: Sanders. Sanders takes the call and agrees to check out Ralph. Once he hangs up, Sanders the Machiavelli out of his desk drawer for a moment.
Sanders meets with a real estate agent, Arthur Zellman, who asks where the Machiavelli is. The sheriff claims that he hasn't got it yet and there's been problems. He assures Zellman that he'll have the Machiavelli in a day.
Max meets with Tony on Tony's jet and says that the Machiavelli is unique because of Machiavelli's dedication, and the book belongs to a philanthropist, Samuel Davidson. Davidson deeded the book to the library after he's dead, but he isn't dead yet. Jerry comes in and says that Stacy went home but she didn't stay there. Now she's at the Paradise Motel in the same town where Davidson lives, looking for Davidson. Jerry flies the jet to the town, and Tony drives to Davidson's office. He asks for Davidson, but Davidson's partner Zellman is working there and isn't interested.
Next, Tony goes to the Paradise Motel and tricks Stacy into letting him in. She complains that Tony got her into jail, and tells him to leave. Tony asks her to get dressed or they'll bust her for exposure. Stacy thanks him for posting bail, and finally explains that she's there looking for the Machiavelli. Before she can say why she came, two deputies come in and arrest Tony, handcuffing him. Tony tells Stacy that he didn't call in the deputies, and they leave with him.
At the sheriff's station, Sanders tells Tony to empty his pockets. Tony recognizes Sanders from Ralph's house and slips something a lockpick with three balloon on it to the back of a deputy's jacket. Sanders says that there's no charge, and the deputies frisk Tony down. Sanders says that he became sheriff after shooting a prisoner trying to escape, and Tony recovers the pick.
A deputy locks Tony in a cell. Sanders then goes to Davidson's real estate office and tells Zellman about Tony, and lets slip that he has the Machiavelli. The sheriff covers for his slip and Zellman tells him to leave. Zellman then has Stacy come in and she says that she's looking for Davidson. Zellman says that Davidson disappeared six months on his own, and everyone is looking for him. He explains that due to the partnership agreement, he should be a rich man because his money is tied up in land. A judge has to eventually rule that Davidson is dead, and that won't be for six and a half more years. Stacy says that she has to find Davidson because she's responsible for the Machiavelli, Zellman asks her for more information about the book.
Sanders checks on Tony to tell him letting him go and finds himself apparently sleeping beneath a blanket on his cot. He opens the cell and discovers Tony inflated the three balloons and used them to create a dummy while Tony has escaped. Sanders goes to his office and finds Tony waiting for him, apparently holding a rifle under the desk and training it on Sanders. Tony has Sanders carefully put his gun on the desk and cuff himself to a radiator pipe. Once Tony gets the handcuff keys, he sits back to reveal he doesn't have a rifle and he was bluffing. He asks where the Machiavelli is, but Sanders say nothing. Tony figures that Sanders hit it in his office by reading his micro-expressions, gets the book, and leaves.
Back on his jet, Tony finds Stacy there with a Max and Jerry. Tony produces the Machiavelli from a newspaper. He explains that Sanders murdered Ralph, and Max explains that Zellman was a loan shark in Chicago and a big collector. Zellman fronted Davidson the money to buy the land, and Max has confirmed that the man who delivered the Machiavelli to the library is now dead, tortured and tossed in an alley three weeks earlier. Tony figures that there's something in the book, and notes that some of the pages have pinholes in them. The pinholes spell out a message from the dead messenger with a set of decorations to where Davidson is buried, along with the weapon used to kill him.
Zellman arrives at Sanders office with his thug Teddy, and Sanders says that Tony took the Machiavelli with him. Teddy shoots Sanders dead with his own gun, making sure not to get his fingerprints on it. Sanders says that Zellman needs him because the messenger, Angelo Naples, came to him originally and told Sanders about the Machiavelli in case something happened to him. He says that he knows where the book is, and Zellman has Teddy free Sanders.
The next day on the jet, Tony goes to find Davidson's body because they have no other evidence. Stacy warns that it might be dangerous, and Jerry prepares to take off. However, he can't get clearance from the control tower. Zellman, Sanders, and Teddy come in and Sanders says that he had the jet officially grounded. Max says that Tony is going to the FBI, but Zellman finds the Machiavelli and the coded message.
Tony follows the directions to an abandoned winery in the desert. He goes inside and finds Davidson's corpse.
Zellman doesn't believe Max's claim, but Max and the others refuse to tell him the truth. They warn Zellman that he's going to prison, and Zellman says that he's going to the winery. Stacy eats the paper with the translation before Zellman can get the complete directions, and Zellman leaves Teddy to watch Jerry and Max while he and Sanders take Stacy to the winery.
Tony finds Davidson's body buried beneath a slab of concrete.
On the jet, the phone rings. Max tells Teddy that it's the police, and they'll storm the plane if he doesn't answer. The thug has Max answer the phone, and Tony tells him that he found the body. Max tries to tell Tony that Zellman is on his way, and Teddy fires a warning shot. Jerry jumps the thug and subdues him, and Max calls Tony back and says that Zellman and Sanders are on their way to the winery and have Stacy. Tony tells Max to call the state police while he sets up a delaying action.
Zellman and Sanders arrive with Stacy, and Zellman yells to Tony. He has Stacy tell Tony that she's there, and Tony steps out. Zellman demands the body, and Tony motions Zellman and Sanders in. Zellman sends Sanders in, and Sanders has Tony lead the way. Once they're alone, Stacy tells Zellman that she knows he'll kill her and Tony once they have Davidson's body. Zellman says that he set Tony up for imprisonment in South America, and he figures that Tony is stir crazy as a result.
Tony takes Sanders to the chamber that Davidson's body is in. Firecrackers go off as Tony walks through the doorway, and Tony runs off while Sanders is distracted. Sanders corners Tony on an upstairs floor, and Tony disappears in a puff of smoke. Tony climbs down a nearby rope, and he pulls the stairs down when Sanders tries to descend.
Stacy yells a warning to Tony, and then runs while Zellman is distracted. He goes after her, shooting, and corners Stacy at a gate. Tony arrives and Stacy sees him as Tony circles around behind Zellman and gets in his Corvette. He then drives over, picking up Stacy, and the state police arrive and arrest Zellman. Tony and Stacy watch, and Tony tells Stacy that she'll soon have her Machiavelli back. Stacy thanks him and says that she'll get him full access to the book, and Tony thanks her and kisses her on the cheek.
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