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Richard Diamond is sitting in his office as a man walks in. The man asks "Is uh, this the Diamond Detective Agency?" Rick says "Well, what does the sign on the door say?" The man says the Diamond Detective Agency". Rick says "Then, take a guess". The man asks "Are you Mr. Richard Diamond?" Rick says "It depends. How much does he owe you?" The man says" Uh, nothing". Rick says "You just want to speak to him?" The man says "I do". Rick asks "Do you come as a client?" The man says "Yes, I do". Rick asks "Do you have a hundred a day in expenses?" The man says "Yeah, I do". Rick says "Then, I now pronounce us as man and client. Your name, please?" The man says "Uh, my name is Thomas Jason". Rick says "The stock broker? You better pay cash". Thomas says "Oh, I'm retired now, Mr. Diamond, and to end this nonsense, here's your hundred dollars". Rick says "Oh, thank you. Now, what's your trouble?" Thomas says "It's Carole, my adopted daughter. We adopted her when she was twelve years old, but my wife died shortly after. Frankly, Carole has been in trouble ever since". Rick asks "And, now?" Thomas says "I'm afraid it is no longer a matter of delinquency. There have been several incidents that make me suspect that she's trying to do away with me". Rick says "Oh, sweet girl. What's her reason?" Thomas says "My money. In my will, she is my only heir". Rick asks "Why not change the will?" Thomas says "Ah, I said I suspected her, but I'm not certain, Mr. Diamond. You understand, it would be terrible to disinherit her, if I am wrong about my suspicions. I simply must be sure before I change my will".

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Johnny receives a call from his friend, Earl Pourmand of Tri-State Life and Casualty Company, in Sarasota, Florida. Johnny says "Well, hi Earl. How are things in the land of infernal sunshine?" Earl says "What do you mean infernal?" Johnny says "Well, it's got pretty hot down there these days, isn't it?" Earl says "It makes good fishing weather". Johnny says "Yeah, but without a case to work on, what possible excuse would I have?" Earl says "Maybe I have one for you". Johnny says "Oh, yeah?" Earl says "And maybe it's murder". Johnny says "Earl, I'll be down on the next plane". Later, when his plane arrived, Johnny took a cab to Earl's office in the Conroy Building. Tall, lanky, easygoing, Earl welcomed Johnny like a long-lost brother. He says "Johnny, you're looking great. And I'm glad you're here because you can clear up this case in a hurry and then you and I can get out in the Gulf and do some real serious fishing". Johnny says "Oh, well, that's okay by me". Earl says "I see you've got your bags with you. That's good, because you're going to stay with us out the house. I told that old battle axe wife of mine to hang out an extra towel for you". Johnny asks "How is Mike (real name, Gertrude)?" Earl says "Oh, she's great. Just great. I never did understand how I was lucky enough to grab that dame, Johnny. Hey, maybe she'll go fishing with us". Johnny says "Anything over ten pounds will pull her right out of the boat". Earl says "Well, she's been getting pretty good with a rod and reel". Johnny says "Look, this fishing talk is just making my mouth water. First, we'd better discuss the case". Earl says "All right. Do you know where Lido Key is? It's a mile or so offshore. Just beyond St. Armand's Key, where we live. Well, a retired client of mine named Parley Barron, a man I've known for years, built a nice little home on it. Friday morning, the day before yesterday, he went to run some errands, and hadn't been seen since".

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On a particularly hot evening in Cairo, Rocky Jordan left his place of business, the Cafe Tambourine, in hopes of finding a cool breeze near the banks of the River Nile. As he walks along the streets, he stops to look at a poster advertising a rally for a politician named El Marmot Bey. Suddenly, Rocky hears the voice of the Muezzin in the minaret above him calling the Muslims to prayer. As a foreigner wishing to pay his respects, Rocky ducks into a narrow passage off the street that happened to lead to the winding stairs of the minaret. He waited there until sounds from the street told him prayers were over. Rocky was about to be on his way when a loud scream come from the minaret. As he looked up, he saw the bearded Muezzin in his flowing robe stagger out of the tower and tumble down the stairway. Rocky rushed over to him, noticing the red splotches of stab wounds on his white robe. Rocky says "Try not to move. Who did this?" As he was trying to stop the bleeding, another man wearing a Muezzin's robe with black field boots appeared. Rocky says "Hurry up. Help me with this man". The man with the boots pulls out a pistol says "Shut up and get back. Don't touch him. You've stepped in where it doesn't concern you". Rocky says "Since when does a Muezzin carry a luger?"

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Spring was only three weeks old, but the sun bore down on Los Angeles with a middle of a summer vengeance. At noon, it was 102 degrees in the shade, and by 3:30, with doors, window, and shirt collars all open as far as they would go. Marlowe tried to make sense from the words of a telegram he just received. It was from one Karen Driscoll Jr., no less, of Knob Hill, San Francisco. It told him to go to the Palace Theater of Burlesque House on Main Street, watch the performance of the featured dancer, get backstage and take a close look at her face, then meet the 7:00 PM plane from San Francisco, and report what I'd seen to Miss Driscoll, uh, Junior. It was a strange request coming from Knob Hill, but the enclosed 50 dollar money order wasn't kidding. So, Marlowe perspired my way down to the Palace Theater. There, he saw a 50 foot gold banner that screamed "The Heatwave, Who is She?" The showcase card was a circle of question marks that centered around a woman wearing a gold mask and little else. Marlowe bought a ticket and went inside. Marlowe sat down in time to see the end of the matinee, which was a baggy pants, south of the border comedian doing his routine. The comedian says "Ah, but there was Manuel, my brother, Manuel Labor". He was the laziest man in all Mexico. Yeah, until he got a job, shooting bulls for the government. He shot 800 bulls a day. You heard? That made him the biggest bull shooter in Mexico City". Then, an announcer came out and says "Ladies and gentlemen, you're now privileged to witness one of the most unusual and breathtaking spectacles ever presented on any stage. In a moment, you will see her, the woman of mystery, performing for you the exotic dance to the sun god of the Incas, exactly as they were performed 3,000 years ago. The Palace Theater presents the masked marvelous, the beautiful, the dazzling, the mysterious, Heathway".

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At a local Communist cell meeting, Matt Cvetic was asked to remain afterward by comrade Harden. When the meeting was over, Harden comes up to Matt and says "It was quite a meeting, comrade Cvetic". Matt says "You didn't ask me to wait until the others had left just to tell me that, comrade Harden". He laughs and says "No. You have no time for anything except party business, do your comrade Cvetic?" Matt says "When I joined the party, I put everything else behind me, just as you advised the new members of tonight's cell meeting". Harden says "Of course. Unfortunately, some members forget that advice". Matt says "The party knows how to handle those termites". Harden says "Yes, and now we've reached the reason for asking you to wait. it's a matter of termite exterminating". Matt asks "What do you mean, comrade?" Harden says "I don't know the details. I know only that you have been ordered to Los Angeles to cooperate with the MVD in a matter of termite exterminating. You'll go by train, tomorrow". On his way home that night, Matt stops at a phone booth to call his FBI contact. He dials the number and a man answers by saying "Hello, Juan speaking". Matt says "This is your phone booth man again, get me?" The contact says "Got you, go ahead". Matt says "I'm taking the train to Los Angeles tomorrow". Contact says "Alone?" Matt says "Yeah". Contact asks "What's the deal?" Matt says "Termite exterminating, they called it". Contact asks "Who's the termite?" Matt says "No one here knows. I'll find that out in Los Angeles". Contact says "Okay. We'll pick you up in LA. If it turns out that you're the termite, call that Hempstead number we gave you". Matt says "Right". Contact says "Good luck". As Matt walked away from the phone booth, it hadn't occurred to him that he might be the termite of her extermination.

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George Valentine receives a letter that reads "My dear Mr. Valentine, my name is Lou Mendel. I own a nightclub named The Club Top Hat, which I'm sure if you've ever been there, you'll admit it's a very high class place. It's not the type place where we have any trouble and everything is strictly above board, which is where you fit into the picture puzzle, Mr. Valentine. There is this girl whose name is Dove. She's a new dancer, on account of she can't dance, but I like to be big-hearted. But as of today, my big heart has got me nothing but a blow on the head. This is the essence of the puzzle. Who hit me? Even more important is, what about Dove? She is somehow in the middle of the trouble, and for such a nice girl, I don't like it. Oh yes, this is a lot more than just what you may be thinking, because poor little Dove, you understand, looks upon me as a big brother. Signed, Lou Mendel". Soon, George and Brooksie arrive at the nightclub, and Mendel is giving them a tour of the place, while Dove is on the stage. Brooksie asks "How do you look upon her, Mr. Mendel?" He says "To me she's nothing, except I think I should help". George asks "You think she's in trouble?" Mendel says "I do not think very much, but there are some I know. Uh, the dressing rooms are down this way. We'll wait". George says "Suppose you start at the beginning. Oh...." Just then, they see a man with flowers standing near the dressing rooms. Mendel says "Good evening, sir. I think you're in the wrong place". Brooksie says "Oh, no he's not, Mr. Mendel. What beautiful flowers". The man says "Oh yes, thank you. Uh, I'm sorry I was in your way. Just waiting, that's all". George says "Haven't I seen you someplace before?"

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Nick Carter and his assistant, Patsy, are being escorted on a small motorboat to Tory Island, a small island just off the Long Island shore. Nick says "If I had known the weather was going to be like this, I never would have accepted this job". Patsy asks "Why are you doing it, Nick?" He says "Oh, as a special favor to Colonel Howard. A friend of his, Andrew Jessup, asked him to find the best code expert he knew. And he said I was the man for the job. So, when the colonel called me, I agreed to do it". Patsy asks "Just what is it you're going to do?" Nick says "Well, it seems that back in 1776, four wealthy Tories, who were afraid that Washington was going to capture Manhattan Island, got all their valuables together, and went to this little island where we're going to now. They buried everything somewhere on the island and recorded the burial place in a secret code, a cipher. They lived there for a while, then later were lost in a storm while trying to get back to the mainland". Patsy says "That sounds pretty fantastic, Nick. Is there any real truth in it?" Nick says "His lawyer, Andrew Jessup, recently came across something that convinced him the story is true. So, he rounded up the heirs of the four original Tories and arranged for them to meet on the island this afternoon. If I can decipher the code, they'll dig up the treasure and divide it". Patsy says "This is some night to dig up anything, I'd say". A few minutes later, the boat reaches the island. Nick and Patsy exit, and their escort heads back toward the mainland. Patsy says "Oh gosh, Nick. I wish you hadn't let that boat leave us here like this. This is the loneliest looking island I ever saw". Nick says "It's all right, Patsy. We'll go back with Jessup when he goes. Ah, that must be the house up there". As they begin walking toward it, they suddenly hear a man yelling! Then, a shot is fired! Nick says "Wait here, Patsy. I'm going to see what's wrong!"

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Captain Taggert knew something was up when Colonel Palmer met Corporal Barnes and me at the dock that night. He hadn't come down from London just to wish us bon voyage. There wasn't time for such formalities in the OSS, even when a couple of its agents are embarking for the coast of Nazi occupied France. When the colonel's jeep pulls up to a stop, he steps out and says "Captain Taggert?" The Captain says "Yes, sir". Palmer says "This is the radio operator, Captain?" Taggert says "That's right, sir". The radio operator says "I'm Lance Corporal Barnes, sir, of the Sussex Guards". Palmer says "You men are all set?" They say "Yes, sir". Palmer says "You shove off in twenty minutes. That will put you ashore below Saint-Nazaire just before dawn. After you've been landed, you'll move inland exactly 6 km. You'll be met there by an agent of the Marquee. You understand?" They say "Yes, sir". At that point, the Colonel starting giving Taggert and Barnes a lecture about the importance of the mission. They didn't need it, because they already knew. German submarines have been hitting the allied convoys hard in the Atlantic, and shipping losses had to be cut. It was Taggert's job to locate the Nazi submarine bases, and it was Barne's job to radio the information to the Allied Air Forces back in England. As the Colonel continued lecturing, he looks at Taggert and says "You're not listening". Taggert says "Oh, I'm sorry, Colonel. I heard it all in London two days ago. Sir, I was wondering why you came down here to say it again". Colonel Palmer says "I may have had another reason for coming down". Barnes says "There's been a change in plans, sir?" Palmer says "A slight one, yes. Originally, you two would have taken on this mission alone. I've decided now to send a third man with you". Taggert says "Oh, who is he, sir?" Palmer says "I rather say nothing about it until you see him. He's already on the boat. He'll be something of a surprise to you, but your reaction to him may well determine the success of your mission".