- When an attractive blonde claims to be the granddaughter of his recluse movie star friend, Tony Blake suspects an impostor, but still joins her in investigating Irene Denore's bizarre self-imposed isolation.
- Tony is approached by a young woman named Victoria Hunter, who claims to be the long lost granddaughter of Tony's friend, retired and reclusive movie star Irene Denore. Victoria is looking to meet her grandmother. The official records indicate that Irene's only daughter, Gloria, never had any children, but Tony is aware, based on Gloria's history, that anything is possible. When Tony tries to contact Irene, he gets word from her business manager, Brad Nicholson who Tony has never met, that she is not speaking to anyone at the present time except him as she is in ill health. Tony can tell that something is not quite right, and purportedly not just with Irene's health. So he has to figure out what is happening with Irene, while determining if Victoria's story is fact or fiction, and if fiction what Victoria wants to get out of contact with Irene.—Huggo
- At the manor of Irene Denore, John Booker takes photos of the exterior and spots Irene sitting next to a window. He zooms in his camera and snaps picture of her, then sees someone shoving the bricks out of a bricked-out upstairs window. Booker zooms in with his camera and sees that it's Irene, chipping away at the mortar. even though Irene is motionless in the downstairs window at the same time.
A hulking man drags Booker in and ties him to a chair, and Booker tells the thug's boss, Brad Nicholson, that he's a freelance photographer and claims he didn't see the "no trespassing" sign. He asks for his cameras back, saying he doesn't care about the film, and he'll leave. Brad asks the thug, Hubbard, where Jacob Ward is. Hubbard says that Jacob is asleep, and Brad tells Hubbard to take Booker out to the old mill, take some shots like Booker would make, and then make Booker's death look like an accident. Booker realizes that they plan to kill him and asks Brad what harm there is in his photos of Irene, and Brad tells him that they wanted Booker to take the photos but what else Booker saw is the harm.
Victoria Hunter and Ted Winters look at slides of Tony, and Victoria says that Tony is perfect. Winters warns that she's picked easier targets, and Victoria tells him that she'll be gentle with Tony. He says that he's seen the people left after Victoria's operations, and she tells Winters that he'd better start rooting for her because she can get big money from Tony and Irene.
At the Castle, Tony is performing his show while Victoria watches him from the audience. After the show, Dominick points out Victoria to Tony and says that she wants to talk to Tony. Tony goes over and Victoria congratulates him on his performance, introduces herself, and says that she's there about Tony's friend Irene. She knows that Irene got Tony his first big break back in '61, and she has to see him. Tony points out that Irene doesn't want to see people, and Victoria claims that she's Irene's granddaughter. The magician points out that Irene had one child, Gloria, and Gloria had no children.
Tony has lunch with Victoria in his apartment, and Dominick secretly tells Tony that there's no record of Gloria having any children. Once Dominick and the waiter leave, Victoria insists that she's Irene's granddaughter and confirms that Tony last talked to Irene 4-5 months ago. The woman explains that Irene has been incommunicado for the last four months and she's worried about her. Tony calls Irene's phone number and asks for Jacob, and Brad answers the phone and says that he's Irene's business manager. He claims that Irene hasn't been taking calls for the last few weeks. Brad calls to Irene, and Irene's voice from the other room says that she doesn't want to talk to anyone. Tony hears Irene and asks if she's ill, and Brad says that Irene is shutting off. Irene calls him over, and Brad excuses himself and hangs up.
Tony tells Victoria that Irene wouldn't come on the phone, and points out that Irene didn't respond to his name or to anything. He asks Victoria if she's doing anything that afternoon, and Victoria tells him that she's at his disposal.
At Irene' manor, Jacob is coming down the hall and sees Brad talking to Irene in her bedroom. Brad says that her wishes will be carried out, and Jacob hears Irene tell Brad to close the door because it's drafty. Once the agent does so, Jacob asks if Irene is feeling any better and Brad says he brought it up again. He claims that Irene still doesn't want to see Jacob, or anyone. The agents assures Jacob that Irene's mood can't go on forever, Once Jacob leaves, Brad enters a secret passage and goes to an attic room. A repairman Foley shows Brad a prop spoon that Irene used to chip at the mortar, and Brad tells the serving woman, Miss Pitts, to use plastic spoons from now on. Irene doesn't say anything to Brad, and Brad tells her to sign a letter to a friend asking about her health, and a few more checks.
Irene tells Brad that she's not signing anything else. Brad smiles and sarcastically congratulates her on her performance as a defiant woman, and tells her to sign. When Irene still refuses, Brad reminds her what happened the last time she refused him. He looks at a now-empty bird cage. Irene says that she once thought Brad understood her, and Brad tells Foley to take Irene's cat Moffit out to the back yard. Foley takes the cat, and Irene grabs the papers and quickly signs them. Brad tells Foley to put Moffit down, and Irene calls him a leach. The agent tells her that she's wasting her energy, and points out that Irene wanted to be left alone and now she's lonely. Irene says that she wanted to be alone, and orders Brad out, and as Brad leaves she breaks into tears.
Tony and Victoria to the manor and Hubbard, manning the gate, tells Tony to get out because he's not expected or wanted. When Tony hesitates, Hubbard opens the gate and comes out. He reaches for Tony's neck through the window, and Tony rolls the window up and drives through the gate with Hubbard still stuck in the window. Hubbard finally pulls himself free and watches as Tony drives on to the manor.
Foley is teasing a rattlesnake in a box on the roof, and sees Tony pull up. Victoria and Tony go to the front door, and Jacob answers the door. He and Tony recognize each other and embrace, and Jacob invites them in. Jacob says that in two hours he's taking a vacation trip to Hawaii, and Tony introduces Victoria and then asks how Irene is. Jacob says that she barely eats or sees anyone, not even her doctors, and just sits in her rooms. Occasionally he waves to her through the window but Irene doesn't respond.
Brad comes in and apologizes for Hubbard's lack of tact. He says that he's encouraged Irene to see her old friends, and takes them to Irene's room. As they go and Brad lights a cigarette, he explains that Irene fired the other servant in a fit of rage, then called Brad and asked him to take over. She's thrown things at the doctors who pay her a house call, and at the bedroom door Miss Pits comes out and says that Irene didn't take any food.
Knocking at the door, Brad calls to Irene. She says she doesn't want to see anyone, and Brad opens the door to reveal Irene sitting in a wheelchair, her back to the door. Irene doesn't respond directly to Tony, and just says that she wants them to all go so she can live in peace. As Tony and Victoria go back to the Corvette, Tony tells Victoria that it was odd that Irene wouldn't look at him. Brad smokes, and Tony says that Irene hates cigarettes. They look up and see Irene in the window, but Irene doesn't respond when Tony waves. Tony says that he plans to stay there for a while, and helps Victoria into the Corvette.
Inside the house, Brad tells Foley to follow Tony and see where he goes and what he does. Tony drives with Victoria to a nearby hotel, the Pinewood Inn, and Tony tells the manager that they'll take adjoining rooms while Victoria says that they'll take a single. The manager notes that they don't have any luggage and overcharges them. Meanwhile Foley talks to the switchboard operator, Shirley, and pays her.
Victoria and Tony go to their adjoining rooms. Tony then calls Jerry at the Castle and asks him to check up on Irene's financial situation. Shirley listens in and takes notes, as Tony also asks Jerry to get him all the information he can on Brad. After Jerry hangs up, Tony hears the operator on the line and realizes that she's been listening in. He then ties a string from the4 adjoining door to a nearby lamp and then to a water jug.
In her room, Victoria calls Winters and tells him that they found Irene but she didn't talk to her. She suggests that Winters come up there. There's a knock at the door, and Tony "magically" opens the door from his bed, using the water jug as a counterweight. Tony invites her to dinner that night, and Victoria accepts. He says that before then, he has to go to the library to do some research on Irene. Victoria suggests that they find something to kill the time until dinner.
Foley reports back to Brad about the call Tony made, and how Tony went to the local library and checked out a book on historical houses in the area... including Irene's manor. He's also done some checking on Victoria and gives Brad his notes. Brad says that it's time to close down the operation and he'll have Irene sign some final checks while Foley "takes care" of Blake.
When Irene sees the amount of the final checks, she realizes that Brad is leaving. She asks if Brad intends to kill her, and Brad admits that he hasn't decided yet. Irene asks what harm she can do him, and Brad figures that she'd come after him with a butcher knife if she had the chance. As Irene signs the checks, Brad sits down behind her and says that he has a certain fondness for her. He hands her a note and says that that, plus his fondness, might save Irene's life, Brad then takes out a typewriter and tells Irene to read it exactly as written.
In his hotel room, Tony is going over the book on architecture when Irene calls. She says that she wants Tony to come to the manor and they'll talk, and then abruptly hangs up before Tony can say anything. As Tony leaves, he hears Victoria and Winters arguing in Victoria's room. He listens at the door, and hears Winters telling Victoria that she's not working on "it" anymore. Winters figures that Victoria will go in on her own.
Tony knocks at the door and Victoria claims that Winters is an old college friend. Winters plays along and excuses himself, and once he leaves Victoria kisses Tony. Tony kisses her back and secretly looks at her wallet in her purse. He finds her press pass, smiles, and continues kissing Victoria. Tony then tells her that dinner is off something came off, and he'll be back in a couple of hours. Once Tony leaves, Victoria notices her open purse and Tony's card inside.
Victoria goes after Tony as he leaves the hotel, and he figures Victoria wanted to use him to get to Irene and obtain a personal interview with the actress. Victoria claims that her feelings weren't a performance, but Tony gets in his car and drives off. The reporter yells after him, saying that she doesn't need anyone's help. Winters pulls up and Victoria tells him not to gloat, and half-jokingly says that she might kill him as her editor. The editor chuckles and says that he never imagined being there when Victoria's charms failed her. Winters offers her a ride back, but Victoria refuses and goes back into the hotel. Winters laughs and drives off.
As night falls, Tony drives back the manor The rattler Foley was teasing earlier crawls over the front seat from the back. It slithers fully onto the passenger and Tony remains as motionless as possible while pulling the Corvette over. Tony then uses a red silk to draw the snake's bite, and grabs it behind the head. and tosses it out the window. Foley pulls up in his truck and Tony plays dead. Satisfied, Foley drives off.
Victoria breaks into the manor.
Tony calls Jerry and says that the direct approach to Irene is wrong. He notes that Irene's manor was built by a Prohibition mobster, and he had a unique way of running booze into his basement. Tony tells Jerry to call in help if Tony doesn't call him back in 30 minutes.
Hubbard finds Victoria and captures her.
Tony finds the outside end of the prohibition tunnel and enters the manor basement.
Hubbard takes Victoria to Brad, who finds her press pass. She claims that she's a police woman, but Brad says that they know who she is and what she wants.
Tony comes up from the basement and hears Irene playing her beloved harpsichord. Her goes to her bedroom, overhearing Brad saying that the accident will look better. Tony picks the lock the bedroom door and lets himself in. Irene asks if it's Brad and says that doesn't want to see anyone. Irene doesn't respond to him when he asks if she's all right, and he realizes that "Irene" is a masked robot with a pre-programmed motion-activated voice. Tony follows a cord from the robot into the next room, where there's an elaborate control room with a recording of Irene's voice playing on one console.
Tony hears Miss Pitts and looks out in the corridor, and sees Miss Pitts taking the secret passage up to the attic. Going over, Tony finds the trigger for the concealed door and goes up to the attic. Miss Pitts comes back down the stairs and Tony hides. Once the servant leaves, Tony goes up to the attic and finds Irene on her bed.
It makes no sense that Brad has Miss Pitts continue taking food to Irene when a) it was earlier stated that Irene refuses to eat, and b) he has already decided to cut and run, either leaving Irene behind or killing her. She realizes that it is him, not a hallucination, and hugs him in relief. Tony tells her that he's going to get her out.
Miss Pitts tells Brad that she left the food with Irene, and tells Foley to bring Irene down and they'll leave. The tied-up Victoria asks where they're going, and Brad tells her that Victoria is taking Irene to a nearby quarry. Originally he planned for Irene to seemingly drive off the road, but the "accident" will be easier to explain now that Victoria will be behind the wheel.
Foley goes up to the attic and finds Irene gone. Tony swings down from the rafters, closes the4 door, and locks it. He runs downstairs, and Brad sees him and sends Hubbard after Tony. Hubbard corners Tony on the stairs, and advances on Tony. He grabs Tony's legs and drags him down the stairs, then throws him into a piece of furniture. Brad runs up the stairs to the attic, while Tony grabs a fireplaces ash shovel and tries to find Hubbard off. the two men struggle and Hubbard gets Tony in a bear hug, and Tony pulls Hubbard's jacket over his head and ties in place with the thug's own belt. Tony slams the blinded Hubbard into a wall, knocking him out.
Brad goes to Irene's bedroom to get his gun. The Irene robot opens her eyes, revealing that the real Irene has taken her duplicate's place. She says that she hid the gun, and police cars pull up in response to Jerry's call. Irene cheerfully says that they have company and tells Brad to go down and welcome them.
Later, Tony checks on Irene. She says that she's been a foolish woman and Tony suggests that she leave her manor. Irene admits that she hasn't left the manor for years and it won't be easy, and Tony tells her that escape never is.
Later at the Castle, Dominick tells Tony that Victoria is at a table. Tony goes over, and Victoria replays their conversation from earlier. When Tony asks her if she lunches, Victoria smiles and says "Perfect", just like she did earlier. They go up to Tony's apartment, hand-in-hand.
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