Shorty's wife throws him out of the house for lying around reading detective thrillers and letting his boss Pigmeat get away with not paying him for the work he does at Pigmeat's barber shop in Harlem. He runs into Pigmeat on the street and asks for the money he's owed, but Pigmeat winds up convincing him that not only does he not owe Shorty any salary, but he actually overpays Shorty $1.25 a week. Later, Shorty reads about a jewel thief on the loose in Harlem and that there's a reward of $1,000 for his capture. He convinces Pigmeat that the two of them can catch this guy, collect the reward and then become famous detectives. Complications ensue.