After the restaurant closes, Lucky joins Andamo on the deck. Andamo is reading a newspaper story about the recent string of serial killers. In each of the three cases, a wealthy young blonde was killed near the waterfront. As they go in, Andamo suggests that they offer sanctuary for beautiful blondes. A woman, Margot, comes out of hiding and goes to the upper deck.
The next day, a man calls Lucky from a phone booth and tells him that Margot is on the boat and Lucky should tell her to be at his date with her that night or he'll blow up the Fortuna. The man hangs up and the operator confirms that the call came from a phone booth near a beatnik coffee pad on the waterfront.
Lucky goes to the coffee house, the Cosmic Pad, and the man, Conrad, sits down and makes small talk. The man, Conrad, asks Lucky if he gave Margot his news. Lucky tells him that he made a mistake and there's no girl on his boat. Conrad doesn't believe him but says that someone might have steered him wrong, and Lucky leaves.
That night, Andamo points out to Lucky that Conrad is seating at a table. Lucky asks Conrad what he wants. Conrad insists that Margot is there and Lucky says that the minimum is $10 and he'd better order.
Andamo gets a sandwich and goes out on the deck. Margot tries to steal his sandwich from where he set it down, but Andamo sees her and asks when she came aboard. Margot, cagy, flirts with him.
Conrad goes over to pick up a menu and pulls out the phone line.
Margot brings up Lucky and then tells Andamo that she doesn't know him. Andamo claims that he owns the Fortuna and says that he's considered going to Jamaica. As Andamo waxes on about Jamaica, Margot takes his plate and leaves. He finally realizes that he's left.
Lucky notices that Conrad has disappeared, and Andamo comes in and tells him about Margot. When he says that Margot was blonde and expensively dressed, Lucky points out that she sounds like the dead girls. Andamo tells him that Rovacs is in Lucky's office and wants to see him, and has a woman with him. Lucky goes to his office and Rovacs introduces the woman, Sheila Wells. Rovacs says that they have information that Lucky is hiding a woman onboard. The lieutenant explains that Sheila's niece left home a couple of weeks ago after an argument, and one of her friends said that she was coming to the Fortuna. Sheila demands that Rovacs arrest Lucky, and Lucky tells them about Conrad and how he was looking for Margot. Sheila figures that Lucky is planning some kind of blackmail, and Lucky invites her to search the boat. He throws open his stateroom door and finds Margot inside. Closing the door, Lucky abruptly says that his word should be good enough. Rovacs agrees and takes Sheila to check the Cosmic Pad again.
Once Rovacs and Sheila leaves, Lucky demands answers from Margot. She says that she's protected on the Fortuna, and threatens to claim Lucky held her against her will. Lucky doesn't care, but Margot says that she's 17 and he leaves.
The guests are departing and Lucky tells Andamo that Margot is in his cabin and is 17. Conrad overhears them and draws a gun, and says that he can't trust Margot or Lucky. He rants about young blonde girls with too much money and says that he "eliminates" them, and escorts them to Lucky's cabin. Andamo slams the door shut in Conrad's face and locks it, and Lucky discovers that Conrad has sabotaged the radio and taken his hidden gun.
Conrad shoots the lock out with Lucky's gun, and Lucky tells Andamo to go into the stateroom with Margot. Conrad bursts in and Lucky tries to run but fails. He discovers that the stateroom door is locked. Lucky knows how many bullets that he keeps in his gun, but Conrad has found his extra ammo and has his own gun in reserve. Conrad yells through the door, telling Margot that she has two minutes to come out. Andamo starts to open the door, but Margot stops him.
Lucky warns Conrad that if he kills Margot then he'll go to jail. Andamo tells Margot to go out because it's the only chance they have, and Margot admits that she's 21. She warns that Conrad won't listen to her, but agrees to try. When they go out, Conrad grabs her and orders Andamo over with Lucky. Margot claims that her parents disinherited her and she dies her hair, and then yanks his glasses off. Margot, Lucky, and Andamo run out before Conrad can get his glasses.
The trio take refuge in the restaurant and Lucky has Margot hide behind the bar. Andamo turns off the lights and Lucky discovers that Conrad has both doors out of the restaurant covered. Andamo suggests that they blink the lights, and Lucky goes to the check room where the switch is to flash the boat's sign and signal shore.
Conrad enters the restaurant and says that he can sense them hiding. When Andamo prepares to go after him, Margot stops him and knocks over a glass. Conrad fires on them, and Lucky tosses out a hanger to distract him. When the intruder orders him to come out, Lucky does so and Conrad orders Andamo and Margot to join him. They step out and Conrad says that he has to wipe out girls like Margot. Lucky yells to Rovacs, explaining that he's been signaling for help, and Conrad is surrounded. Conrad says that the sign is neon and flickers. Rovacs comes in and guns Conrad down, and tells Lucky that he just came back to check Lucky's story. Andamo holds Margot, and mouths to Lucky that she's 21.
Written by Gadfly on Sep 2, 2018