Tom Barton was a New Yorker, aged 38, and an ex-FBI agent. He came to London for a holiday plus business venture. Checked into the Hilton Hotel, and whilst waiting for the room service waiter to bring coffee and sandwiches, he glanced at the daily newspaper, and on the front of it, he saw a photograph of Maria Fantini, the Opera singer, who was giving a performance of 'La Boheme' the following evening at Covent Garden. Tom noticed the necklace of sapphires and diamonds she was wearing, and decided to try and steal it, in a daring gesture. He visited a nightclub and met a beautiful socialite, who was the cause of his undoing. In Paris, and on to the Cote d'Azure, exciting events developed, with the entrance of a rich French widow.