When Mark McPherson first falls in love with Laura, he knows he’s in love with a phantom – for Laura is dead, and he’s in charge of her murder investigation. From her portrait, her letters, her personal effects, and from his contacts with the three men who loved her, Mark has created an image of a woman tantalizingly alive and real. In the midst of a thunderstorm, Laura turns up very much alive, and its revealed that Laura’s best friend (and rival) was the true victim of the crime. But now, all evidence seems to point to Laura’s guilt. Struggling with his growing love for Laura, he is about to pin the crime on her, when the real murderer appears and tries to do away with the girl he meant to kill in the first place -- Laura.