Attorney's daughter falls for one of his gangster clients.
Jean Latimer is a member of the Lexington, KY social set as the daughter of famed criminal trial lawyer, long widowed Steve Latimer. He was largely an absent father in what were her formative years in his focus on work, but is now trying to make up for it, the two, the only family each has in the world, treating each other as friends - she his drinking companion in he being around the liquor cabinet a little too frequently - rather than daughter and father in Steve not wanting to control her but still being concerned about some of the choices she's recently made. The one choice of which he approves is her boyfriend, Vance Court. While Jean and Vance are unofficially engaged, Vance feels in limbo in her stating that she is not ready for marriage. He believes that she may just not think him the right person for her, and is holding on until who she believes is her true Mr. Right comes along, as such he no longer accepting "maybe" as an answer to his marriage proposal, but only "yes", "no" or "yes, but not yet". He gets his indirect answer when she meets Victor Ramondi, one of Steve's high profile clients, Steve having just represented him in Congressional hearings in probes into his organization, his illegal activities purported to be centered on a gambling syndicate. The two fall in love and plan to get married, Vic vowing to live "her" life in giving up his business. The problem may be that in doing so, Vic will lose the excitement that attracted her to him without realizing it, or conversely she does not fully understand the extent of his life if he were to remain in the business. Regardless, Steve, knowing Vic's true nature including he having eliminated people who got in his way, is determined do whatever needed for them not to get married despite where Jean believes her heart lies.—Huggo
During a broadcast of the television evening news, commentator Elmer Peterson announces that the Senate will investigate Victor Y. Ramondi, head of a large gambling syndicate, then cuts to a live interview with Ramondi and his attorney, John Ashmond. Pretty, free-spirited Jean Latimer, who is watching the interview with her father Steve in their Lexington, Kentucky home, is impressed by the suave Ramondi's good looks.
Later that evening, while Jean is out on a date with her boyfriend, Vance Court, Ashmond, who is Steve's law partner, pays a visit and persuades him to represent Ramondi during the investigation. Vance proposes to Jean, as he has many times before, but she tells him she is not ready to settle down.
After six days of testimony, the Senate investigation ends without a conviction. Jean goes to Washington to attend the final hearing, and joins her father and Ramondi for a drink afterward. While Steve is away from the table, Jean and Ramondi flirt, and she admits that her father's drinking worries her.
Back in Kentucky, Jean is at a horse auction with Steve and Vance when Ramondi shows up and extravagantly outbids Vance for a colt. He reveals that he has taken a lease on a lavish plantation in the area sight unseen, and while Jean gives him a tour of the place, he kisses her. Vance is waiting outside when Jean gets home, having just put the drunken Steve to bed, and she openly tells him she is interested in getting to know Ramondi better.
Jean and Ramondi begin dating, and one evening, after dancing at the country club, they return to his house and kiss passionately. The next day, Jean joins Steve and Vance at the racetrack and tells them Ramondi gave her the $20,000 colt he bought at the auction. Vance warns Jean to end her relationship with Ramondi and walks away. When her father expresses his disapproval, Jean insists that Ramondi loves her, but Steve replies that a man who does not respect himself does not care about anyone else. At her father's insistence, Jean returns the colt, and tells Ramondi she now knows about his shady past. Ramondi vows that he will change, and requests a meeting with Steve.
Late that night, Steve shows up unexpectedly at Ramondi's house and insults him when he speaks of marrying Jean, then is shocked to see his daughter come downstairs from the bedroom. Jean reluctantly goes home with Steve, and after an ugly quarrel, agrees to join him for a vacation in the Big Smokies. After four days, however, Jean grows restless and returns to Ramondi, and the couple drives to New York to be married.
In New York, Ramondi tells his close associate Charles "Chico" Menlow, that he plans to retire and settle down in Lexington, despite Chico's warning that quitting will bring trouble. Later, Chico calls Ramondi to a meeting with the syndicate and shows him a newspaper headline announcing that the Senate might reopen the investigation, as a "mystery witness" is expected to provide new evidence. Chico says the witness is Steve, but Ramondi dismisses this as a bluff. After Ramondi leaves, his associates agree that he is a liability to their organization, and Chico muses on how his old friend's "accidental" demise would solve a lot of problems. Steve is waiting at the hotel when Ramondi returns, and says that although he cannot testify against a former client, he can produce witnesses who will attest to Ramondi's past crimes, adding that a warrant is being issued for the murder of two mobsters. In a rage, Ramondi strikes Steve and threatens his life. Jean angrily tells Ramondi they are through, despite his attempts to intimidate her into staying with him. Ramondi gets in his car and drives away, but while stopped at a light, he is shot to death.
The next day, at a press conference, Jean comes forward and says she broke the engagement when she learned her father was right about Ramondi. Jean asks Steve to take her home, and they embrace.
