Fast and Loose

Joel Sloane + Co. Rare Books, Joel Sloane, proprietor, "+ Co." his wife, Garda Sloane. The business can be lucrative, but they are currently cash poor in the rare book business hitting hard times in the depression. Their cash flow problems could be solved with the commission by wealthy, elderly, absentminded grocer Christopher Oates to handle the purchase of a William Shakespeare original manuscript, cost not an issue, from collector Nicholas Torrent, who Oates is aware is facing financial issues in needing to sell for some quick cash. After some finagling, Joel is able to set-up a weekend gathering at the Torrents' mansion to discuss the deal. Including the Sloanes and Oates, people in the mansion are members of the Torrent family - Nicholas, his wife, and their two adult offspring, Christina and Gerald - members of the staff including two of those dealing with Torrent's collection - secretary Phil Sergeant, who was Joel's protege, and Wilkes the librarian - Dave Hilliard, a representative of Torrent's insurance company, he who believes there is some shady dealings going on in the house, and Vincent Charlton, Torrent's broker. The weekend takes a turn when one in this collective is found murdered and the Shakespeare manuscript goes missing. As the police descend on the property to investigate, others are also called in in the investigation including illegal casino proprietor Lucky Nolan and his female associate Bobby Neville, who are both owed money by someone at the mansion, and investor Victor Stockton who would also be interested in the manuscript. By happenstance, Joel does investigative work for the insurance company on the side and thus can't help but try to find out who the killer is and what happened to the manuscript, much to Garda's chagrin as she knows it places their lives in danger, again as it has in the past.