John J. Malone is a Chicago-based lawyer. He's a bit of a shyster, always owing people money, and is a skirt-chaser, with the reluctant skirts being chased, more often than not, luckily being able to outrun him. One of his clients convicted of robbery, Steve Kepplar, has just been released from prison. While Kepplar still owes Malone $10,000, the $100,000 that Kepplar stole in the robbery has never been recovered. Malone doesn't care if his fee comes out of that stolen money, while Inspector Tim Marino is determined to recover all the money, even at Malone's expense. Malone catches wind that Kepplar is leaving town for good, most-likely with the stolen money. As such, Malone hops on the same purported non-stop train to New York in pursuit. Malone discovers that others also on the train include: Marino; Connie Kepplar, Kepplar's soon to be ex-wife, she who is also looking for Kepplar in she not wanting him to stiff her of her alimony, she also not caring if it comes out of that stolen money; and Lola Gillway, the voluptuous girlfriend of Kepplar's associate, Myron Brynk. Also on the train is Hattie O'Malley, a straight-talking broad of a Montana farm widow, she who is on her way to New York having won $50,000 in a radio "name that tune" contest. Mrs. O'Malley and Malone met earlier in Chicago when Malone was chasing after Mrs. O'Malley's pretty niece, Joanie. Mrs. O'Malley, who has read a few too many detective magazines in her life, is more than happy to get involved in Malone's search for Kepplar. Their search gets combined with what ends up being a murder investigation, the dead body which they know is associated with Kepplar being on the train, and which they have to hide in part in fear of they being circumstantially accused of murder.
—Huggo