John Harman (played by George Brent), the manager of a bookstore on Oxford Street, rebukes a charming young clerk named Ruby Bruce (played by Diana Dors) for being late for work. On the same day, Ruby discovered that Jeff Hart (played by Peter Reynolds) had stolen a rare book, but instead of reporting him, she accepted a date with him. That night, before the date, Ruby and Harman worked together very late, and Harman kissed her during a brief intimate moment. He apologized, but later Jeff forced Ruby to extort Haman. When he refused to pay, Jeff told Ruby to write a letter to Harman's wife, which led to her death from a heart attack. This tragedy surprised Haman greatly, and when Ruby made another request, Haman gave her ￡ 400. Jeff caught Ruby and hid some money, killed her, and hid her body in a packaging box. Harman discovered Ruby's body and realized that he would be suspected. He panicked and ran away.