George Darwin paces around his office nervously, and finally complains that his brother-in-law has done it to him. His chief accountant, Tobias Foss, whispers to George to be quiet since the brother-in-law is in the next room. Irritated, George points out that they've been keeping two sets of books and Tobias gave the tax examiner the wrong set. The secretary calls to tell Xxx that there's a phone call about the sales convention on the Fortuna. George gets an idea and figures that he needs time to get the books back, and then calls the tax bureau and reports Lucky for tax evasion.
The tax examiner, Fenton Lorimer, soon tells George that he's had an emergency call from his superiors to investigate Lucky on a hot case. Fenton insists on taking his notes with him.
On the Fortuna, Maggie gets Lucky a martini and finds him going over a report. He complains that it's not dry enough, and she kisses him. He says that it's business and says that he can't go out with her that night because he has to run the party. As they kiss, Andamo comes in to get Lucky to see something.
Rovacs brings Fenton out on the water taxi, and Rovacs explains that Fenton is interested in Lucky and the Fortuna. Fenton says that he's a tax examiner and Rovacs tells them to show Fenton their books. Andamo brings up the shoeboxes with the accounts payable and receivable, and Lucky gives Fenton the complete records. As they leave, Fenton says that he has no idea how long it will take for his investigation. Lucky warns that they have a loud party that night, but Fenton assures him that it won't bother him.
At the bar, Maggie pours drinks for the worried Lucky and Andamo. Lucky has already called their accountant and lawyer, and Rovacs comes in and figures that they're scared. He warns that the government is as good-natured as he is and leaves, smiling.
Later, George and Tobias come out to the Fortuna to make sure that Fenton is aboard. Tobias worries that Fenton still has their tax records, and George says that they'll figure out a way to get them back rather than pay someone who could blackmail them later. Lucky and Andamo greet them and George asks about the party. He tells them to send the bills to Tobias, and asks if Lucky is having trouble with the government. George claims that he's heard a rumor about a tax scandal, and then he and Tobias go back to the launch. The executive figures that Fenton is aboard and tells Tobias that we have to get the evidence back.
Fenton continue going through the records, and Lucky comes in to find Fenton complaining about criminal fraud. The examiner explains that he was looking at George's files and says that he hasn't found anything in Lucky's book to match the case he was working on. Fenton jokingly assures Lucky that he worked out a deal with a violator and they'll be out in two more years.
That night, George's guests arrive for the sales convention, which is debuting his company's new female swimwear line. Lucky is talking with George and assures him that everything is set up. Rovacs is there with a drink in his hand, and asks how Fenton is doing. Once Lucky and Andamo go to get champagne, Andamo continues worrying about what Fenton might find.
George slips away, puts on a pair of gloves, draws a gun, and goes into Lucky's office where Fenton is working. He pistol-whips Fenton from behind, takes the files for his company along with Lucky's ledger, and leaves. He hears Lucky and Andamo coming and quickly ditches the gloves, and Lucky finds him and says that it's time for the pitch.
Maggie goes to Lucky's cabin and finds Fenton dead.
George calls everyone to attention, and Lucky and Andamo go out on the deck. Maggie finds them and assumes that Lucky killed Fenton, and tells them that he's dead. They go down and check the body, and Lucky realizes that the tax papers Fenton was looking at are gone. Rovacs comes in and asks what's going on, and assumes that Lucky killed him. Lucky tells him that someone else had a better motive and explains what Fenton said about the previous case and the missing papers. He discovers that their ledger is gone, and Rovacs warns that he has to take them all in. Andamo points out their ledger in the next room, and then locks Rovacs in so they can look for the missing papers.
George calls up his sales manager, Roscoe Farris, who presents the swimsuits on the mannequins. Once George begins, George goes to get the evidence. As he comes out, Lucky and Andamo see him and give chase. Meanwhile, Rovacs breaks down the door and goes to look for Lucky.
Lucky chases George to the boiler room and jumps him as he prepares to toss the papers in the boiler. They fight and George manages to get the drop on Lucky, but Andamo arrives and knocks him out. Rovacs comes in and Lucky gives the lieutenant the evidence.
The next day, Andamo is pacing nervously. Maggie comes in and Lucky tells her that George confessed. However, Andamo has learned that the government has more than one tax examiner. The new examiner, Orval Whitley, comes in and tells them that they made a serious error in last year's report. He gives the report to Lucky, who says that the government owes them a $2,000 refund. Andamo insists that he wasn't worried and shows Whitley to the taxi.
Written by Gadfly on Feb 11, 2018