Failed singer Marian Washburn confesses she shot her friend, successful singer Susan Caldwell, but her manager Luke Jordan and Detective Fowler doubt her story and cannot establish a reasonable motive.

Susan is in the hospital with a bullet near her heart. Marian has told the police that she shot Susan in a rage as Susan was giving up singing. Marian and Luke found Susan when she was a failure. A singer with a limited range, she was a diamond in the rough which Marian and Luke taught how to walk, dress and talk. With the singing lessons, Marian had hoped that she would have the career that Marian would have had if she had not lost her voice. Even though Susan is a scatterbrain girl, Luke does not believe that Marian would have been capable of shooting her. Luke hopes that Detective Fowler will be able to find out the truth and free Marian.—Tony Fontana <[email protected]>

Marian Washburn, with her accompanist and composer friend Luke Jordan by her side, was on the brink of singing stardom when illness permanently destroyed her singing voice. Unwilling to reenter the career not feeling like she could ever achieve what she wanted, she, with Luke still by her side, decided to focus her energies on transforming a young singer, Susan Caldwell, into what she could have been. Marian and Luke met Susan by chance, she, what many would call a proverbial diamond in the rough, who was a struggling dancer at the time on the verge of starvation and had a natural albeit limited singing voice. Marian has largely controlled Susan's career and life since, Susan having moved in with Marian. Susan, now with the Luke-derived stage name Estrellita, is at that same stage in her singing career that Marian was at before the illness. While Susan wanted that professional success, she has been unable to cope with the overall demands of the life and wants to quit. With Marian's housekeeper Mollie having heard the resulting argument between the two women, a gunshot is heard behind the closed door of Susan's bedroom, Mollie running in to see Susan shot with Marian standing atop her. While Susan clings to life in the hospital, Marian confesses to shooting Susan not willing to lose the investment she has put into transforming Susan into Estrellita. Luke does not believe Marian's confession. The lead police detective, Inspector Jim Fowler, is also somewhat skeptical. As Luke and Inspector Fowler discuss the case, they may or may not be able to come to the truth, with Inspector Fowler's wife, Mary Fowler, arguably more determined to find out what happened in her general inquisitiveness.—Huggo