California housewife Lucia Harper (Joan Bennett) attempts to cover up what she believes to be her daughter (Geraldine Brooks)'s accidental killing of an undesirable ex-lover Darby (Shepperd Strudwick). Martin Donnelly (James Mason), a clean-shaven smooth-talker involved in organized crime, tries to blackmail Lucia by threatening to take Bea and Darby's correspondence to the police. Complications arise when he realizes his true feelings for Lucia and learns the truth. Donnelly's associate Nagel (Roy Roberts), initially a mysterious figure, fights with Donnelly, who later is reported to have died in a car crash. Normalcy appears to return for Lucia, but not for long.
Who does Martin threaten to take Darby and Bea's correspondence to?
The police