It's 1947, and hard-boiled private investigator Charlie Nickels' client is murdered and her priceless diamond stolen. The investigation forces him to do the one thing he vowed never to do again: trust a dame.

The Gates family dream house turns quickly into a nightmare when their life is disturbed by the deranged previous owner who plots to retake his home and the Gates children for his own - hiding in the house attic and methodically taking out all those that stand in his way.