Bumbling reporter Larry Elliot (Jack Haley) is trapped in a conspiracy of theft and murder, and held at the mercy of the most wanted criminal in the state. Elliot's routine article about a county fair is forgotten when he stumbles onto a battle for a priceless chess set. When a man is killed in pursuit of the treasure, the suspects are locked in their hotel rooms until the sheriff arrives. The inn's guests include a pestering child prodigy, an underhanded femme fatale, and the beautiful antique dealer that Elliot falls in love with. Everyone seems to have a motive to steal the jeweled chess pieces, but when the notorious killer Deacon Markham claims to be the rightful owner, the sheriff is certain he's found the murderer. Elliot doubts the sheriff's suspicions and a wild chase through the lodge's wine cellars and secret passageways unveils the real killer's identity.