It should have been a simple case.

When EMILY DAVIES, a dangerously attractive wife, hires ELVIN SUGGS to trail her philandering husband, NICK, infidelities and murders abound. Elvin and his friends, Dimond “Di” Redding and Cobra Glynes, must find the killer – before the killer finds them.

The threesome, new owners of Grapevine Investigations, agree to take Emily’s case. They soon find themselves snooping around the Coral Reef Motel, a famous St. Louis “no tell motel.” The mousy desk clerk, WALDO E., knows of Nick and his young lover, ANGEL CLEARY, but refuses to talk. Nick drives to Angel’s apartment, and discovers her bludgeoned corpse, as well as an irate landlord, OTTO PENNZEL. REGGIE COMBS, a St. Louis police detective, launches an official murder investigation.

Di distrusts Emily, who works as a nurse at People’s Hospital. Emily begins an affair at the motel with LEON MORGAN, a married plastic surgeon. When a maid is mysteriously smothered in their motel room, FLORENCE PODOWSKY, the Davies’ babysitter, alerts her drinking buddy, MAISY. MAISY is promptly murdered.

Elvin suspects Waldo E. Through him, he learns that PENNZEL owns a significant portion of the city’s properties. Otto supplies Waldo E. with painkillers to ensure his loyalty. Reggie visits Grapevine Investigations to collaborate with Elvin, Di and Cobra in solving the three murders.

A showdown explodes at the motel. Emily and Leon die in their room. Nick meets a prostitute named VALERIE GAINS, who is also Cobra’s ex-girlfriend. When Elvin, Di, Cobra and Reggie arrive at the scene, they find that WALDO E. has hung himself. Otto Pennzel is waiting for them – with a gun. Though he corners all of them, Cobra shoots him and he dies. Cobra and Valerie are reunited. The Coral Reef Motel must find a new owner, but the detectives at Grapevine Investigations have solved their first case.