Plot

A man is caught on camera killing his wife by pushing her over a cliff in a car. The photographer blackmails the man, bleeding him dry, as the man cons others by overselling ownership in a wildcat well. The con man is then murdered.

Freelance photographer Roger Byrd takes movie clips of oil wildcatter Charles Houston pushing a car over a cliff with his wife Evelyn in it. Houston pays Byrd blackmail over several payments bleeding him dry, then offers a share in a prospective well, but Byrd refuses. Houston then reluctantly sells big-time gambler Lucky Sterling 50% of the action for $20,000 to pay off Byrd. Byrd double-crosses Houston and offers to sell the incriminating photos to Paula Wallace, Evelyn's sister, who intends to pay Byrd with money from her 50% of Houston's well. Paula consults Perry Mason but does not tell him the whole truth. Incredibly, the 180% oversold wildcat well comes in a huge producer. Charles flees and is found dead in Byrd's apartment by Paula, shot with Evelyn's gun. Someone locks her in the apartment and turns out the lights forcing her to escape via the fire escape but she is caught by the police. Paula is charged with murder, and Perry has to sort things out.—richardann / edited by Rob

Charles Houston is a wife killer who was photographed doing the deed by Roger Byrd who has been blackmailing him ever since. Houston is an oil promoter who has been selling a percentage of his latest well to raise the cash. In fact, he has sold ownership in the well several times over with portions going to his sister-in-law Paula Wallace, a girlfriend Madelyn Terry and club owner Lucky Sterling. His working partner on the site, Floyd Gordon, is only just beginning to realize what is going on. Paula Wallace had been to see Perry Mason claiming her brother-in-law had killed her sister. She knew this as Roger Byrd had tried to sell her a set of the incriminating photos as well. When Paula Wallace is arrested for murder, it's left to Perry to sort it out.—garykmcd