At a society wedding, Lovejoy overhears a row between a landowner and his new son-in-law. Then he discovers the groom has been murdered, but nobody believes him because the body has disappeared.

Lovejoy smells a rat when he meets Lady Jane's husband's new business partner.

Lovejoy discovers that an unscrupulous antique dealer has swindled nearly two million pounds from an American widow and a rich Japanese businessman. He plans to retrieve their money with an elaborate 'sting'.