On Fortuna, Andamo approaches a woman sitting alone. The woman, "Honeybird", says that she recognizes him and says that her escort is 18 months late. Honeybird says that she's suffering on the inside and points out Lucky coming in. She says that the rumors have it that he's very selective, and Andamo assures her that Lucky is a confirmed bachelor. Honeybird asks Andamo to have Lucky come over after she's done eating, saying that she isn't going to pay for her meal because she'll be dead before Lucky can collect.
Later, Honeybird goes out on the deck and climbs up on the restaurant. Lucky spots her and goes over, and feigns disinterest. He figures that she knows how to swim and has no intention of killing herself. Lucky has Honeybird get down and she says that she wanted to know how the other half lived by ordering expensive food. Honeybird tells Lucky that she's a manicurist and borrowed her clothes from her boss, and Lucky gives her money to pay for a taxi home. She kisses him in thanks, and Lucky sends her to the launch. Andamo comes out, complaining about losing the money, and figures that Honeybird conned Lucky. They wonder what she was up to and figures that it was more than a free meal.
A man, Joe Azevedo, comes out and asks where Honeybird went. Lucky knows Joe and says that he left orders for him to never be brought aboard Fortuna. Joe says that he used his own boat and repeats his questions, and Lucky denies knowing her. When Joe goes for his gun, Lucky and Andamo easily knock him out and has a crewman take Joe back to shore and pilot his boat back separately.
Lucky and Andamo go to Lucky's office and Lucky realizes that he doesn't have the key. The door is open, and they hear Honeybird singing in the stateroom. Andamo hides behind the desk to act as a witness, and Lucky tells Honeybird to come out. She's wearing his robe, and Lucky figures that she took his key when she kissed him earlier. Lucky suggests that she's trying to blackmail him, and Honeybird claims that she just came to take a shower. She says that she lied and she's a rich heiress, but Lucky chuckles. Honeybird says that she's going to blackmail him for $25,000, and refuses to say why she needs the money.
Honeybird kisses Lucky and Andamo emerges from hiding. He interrupts and Honeybird claims that Lucky clutched her. Andamo explains that he was hiding and heard everything, and Lucky jokingly suggests that she try to blackmail Andamo. Honeybird says that Andamo doesn't have $25,000, just as there's a knock at the door. She threatens to slit her wrists if they say that she's there, and goes back into the stateroom. Joe is knocking at the door, and says that Rovacs is at the bar looking for information.
Lucky and Andamo join Rovacs at the bar. He says that he's looking for a girl and describes Honeybird. Rovacs explains that he just wants her for questioning, and knows that she's aboard Fortuna. Lucky refuses to cooperate and Rovacs goes off to search for Honeybird. Later, Rovacs tells Lucky and Andamo that he didn't find Honeybird but he did find the crewman guarding Joe. Lucky tells him what happened without mentioning Honeybird, and Rovacs goes to search Lucky's quarters. The two men follow Rovacs and stand suspiciously in front of the stateroom door. Rovacs motions them aside and looks inside, but there's no sign of Honeybird. Her dress is on the couch, and Andamo quickly hides it.
Joe wakes up in the liquor closet and smashes a crate. When the crewman, John, comes in to check it out, Joe hits him over the head with a bottle, takes his gun, and leaves.
Andamo and Lucky escort Rovacs to the launch, and he makes it clear that he knows they're hiding something. Once the lieutenant leaves, Honeybird calls down from the upper deck and they help her down. Lucky tells her that she's leaving, and she threatens to claim they were concealing her if Lucky doesn't give her the $25,000. Andamo asks her what she knows that might interest the police, and Honeybird says that they think she can lead them to a certain man. She explains that she's hiding from the man because she went through $25,000 of his money, and if she doesn't get it back then he'll kill her. When Lucky refuses to let her hide on Fortuna, Honeybird threatens to fight and scream in the restaurant. Lucky believes that her life is in danger and agrees to let her stay the night.
Lucky and Andamo go to the liquor closet and find John, and realize that Joe has his gun. Joe arrives and shoots at them, and the two men run off. Lucky lures Joe to the boiler room and gets the drop on him, but Joe runs to the deck and jumps overboard. There's a waiting boat, and Joe heads for shore. Andamo arrives and Lucky tells him that they need Joe back because he can tell them what's going on with Honeybird.
Andamo and Lucky go ashore and track down Steve Quinn in a bar. Steve is drinking and Lucky tells Lucky that Steve is one of the town's leading informers. He pays Steve $20 about Honeybird, and Steve claims that he doesn't know her but advises Lucky to stay away from her. Lucky and Andamo step outside, and Lucky says that he gave Steve more info then he got because Steve works for Joe. Steve calls Joe and Lucky goes to call Rovacs.
Later, a man named Carl Kruger enters Lucky's cabin with a drawn gun. He calls to Honeybird, who is in the stateroom. She makes up the bed to make it look like she's beneath the blankets and then climbs out the porthole.
Lucky and Andamo return to Fortuna and find Honeybird climbing up from the porthole. She tells them that Kruger is looking for her, and Lucky has them all hide in the closed restaurant as he hears a boat coming. Joe and his hoods come aboard and enter the restaurant, guns drawn. Lucky and Andamo fire warning shots and Lucky orders the intruders to surrender. Joe says that he has more men waiting on shore, and Honeybird says that Joe used to hang around with her husband. Kruger comes in as Joe says that Kruger would head for Honeybird after he escaped prison.
Kruger forces Lucky to drop his gun, and Honeybird confirms that Kruger is her husband. Lucky says that the money is gone, and Joe explains that Kruger stole the $25,000 and didn't give them their cut. Kruger tells Joe that Honeybird found where he hid the money and spent it all. Honeybird says that she tried to get it back, even blackmailing Lucky, and Kruger says that he imagined killing her every night in her cell.
Rovacs and his men come in and Kruger runs off. The police arrest Joe and his thugs, and Lucky and Andamo go after Kruger. Kruger gives them the slip, but Rovacs shoots him dead as Kruger goes back to the deck. Rovacs has Honeybird come down and get dressed, and doesn't fall for Honeybird when she claims Lucky lured her into his cabin.
A few minutes later, Rovacs, Lucky, and Andamo come in to check on Honeybird. Honeybird jumps out the porthole and Rovacs goes to pick her up from the launch. Lucky and Andamo go up on deck and Andamo complains that things will be dull without Honeybird around. A girl approaches them and Lucky claims that Andamo is him, and leaves him to deal with the girl. When she says that she's in trouble, Andamo kisses her.
Written by Gadfly on Sep 3, 2018