A town is shocked when a high school girl commits suicide. A reporter and a cop team up to investigate and find out exactly what is going on among the youth of the town.

Rival reporters Sam and Tess fall in love and get married, only to find their relationship strained when Sam comes to resent Tess' hectic lifestyle.

Although young and beautiful, schoolteacher Anne Gladden fears a dull future. She finally decides to take a walk on the wild side, splurging on some fashionable new clothes and setting off to find adventure. Her new confidence inspires her to flirt with complete strangers. When a gangster pays unwanted attention to her, she ditches him and flees in his car, unaware that there's a corpse in the trunk. Determined to recover his stolen vehicle and its incriminating cargo the thug begins a desperate search. The oblivious Anne, comes to the aid of a handsome young man stranded alongside the road. Romance blooms, but after the shocking discovery of a body in the trunk, the duo decide they have to return the car. The bickering lovebirds head back to the city, trailed by both the angry gangster and the cops, who suspect the young couple of murder.

The Jones family patriarch, also mayor, is swindled into thinking the town swamp is a rich mineral deposit.

A female journalist travels to a new neighborhood after getting a (false) lead and is surprised by what she finds.

Inspector Steve Trent tracks the stolen Cortez emerald, last pilfered by a murdered gangster.

Carter Brace is out to murder Belden. Collins who was sent to bring in the border gang led by Brace, saves Belden's life in San Francisco. When they all reach the border, Brace tries again.