The heir to a wealthy family in Corpus Christi, Texas, Patricia (Tricia) Tracy anticipates receiving a substantial inheritance in four months. She may not live that long after she accuses Lupe Garcia of murdering his wife in her newspaper column, "Tracy's Tidbits." He stalks her and attacks her, her life saved by Bill, a mysterious sailor she just met at a socialite party.

Tricia falls madly in love with Bill and breaks up with her boyfriend, Mel Sweeney, the police detective. Soon Tricia and Mel are independently investigating a surge in cocaine use, the mysterious death of one of...