An up and coming politician is caught in a compromising photograph taken by a maid, who turns out to be part of a sophisticated blackmail ring. When the girl is found murdered, he holds an incriminating old dueling pistol.

A happily married couple plan a vacation in the city to see several stage plays, as the wife is an ex-actress. They arrange to temporarily swap residences with an older couple who want to visit the country. The older couple are actually part of a team of antiques thieves but are interrupted by a friend of the actress-wife. When the cottage couple find there is no city residence, and are told they are probably being robbed, they return home to find everything intact....except their pets and plants were poisoned. Someone seems to be taking advantage of the situation to upset their lives.