While awaiting the verdict in her murder trial, Ann Gray, charged with killing gangster Ted Arnold, flirts with attorney Tony Baxter across the courthouse light well. After Ann is found guilty of first-degree murder she is taken to jail, but she manages to escape with the help of gang leader Smiley, who wants to keep her out of jail because he believes that she posesses information that is of value to his operation. Though Ann escapes from the police, she does not fall into the hands of Smiley as planned, but instead finds a ride with Tony, who is unaware that Ann was on trial or that she is a fugitive. While an all-points bulletin is issued for Ann's capture, Tony takes her back to his apartment. Sweeney, the house detective in Tony's building, takes notice of Ann's picture in the newspaper and realizes that it was she who accompanied Tony to his apartment. Before Sweeney is able to call the police and accuse Tony of harboring the fugitive, Betty Randolph, Tony's fiancée, arrives, and with the help of Peedles, his personal valet, Tony makes it appear as if Sweeney mistook Betty for the fugitive. After the detectives and Betty leave, Tony, convinced of Ann's innocence, offers to help her. Ann explains that she was naive when she arrived in New York and unwittingly fell in with the racketeers. She also admits that she was taken advantage of by gangster Monk Shelby. When Shelby calls Ann at Tony's and asks her to meet him, Tony agrees to drive her to him. Unknown to Ann and Tony, Shelby was forced to place the call by Smiley, who then shot the caller. Once they arrive at the designated rendezvous point, Ann and Tony are taken hostage by Smiley, but they soon escape by crashing their car through a wall. They then flee to Ma Purdy's, a deserted roadside diner, where they pose as the proprieters of the place when the constable shows up. The constable arrests Ann and Tony for breaking into Ma Purdy's, but before he can haul them off, they ply him with applejack and get him drunk. As soon as the constable passes out, Ann and Tony steal his car and kiss. When they return to Tony's, Peedles informs his boss that the police had been by inquiring about his car. Later, Tony is called into district attorney Martin's office, where he is told that Monk Shelby's body was found in a ditch near his car. Meanwhile, Ann, realizing that Tony may get into trouble on her account, calls Martin to surrender, and then prepares to commit suicide. Just as she is about to shoot herself, a hand reaches from behind to stop her and a shot rings out. When Martin arrives at Tony's to collect Ann, he finds Ann gone and Peedles on the ground with a shotgun wound. Acting on the only clue he has, Tony suggests that Martin go to Smiley's nightclub, the Show Boat Cafe, where he thinks that they will find the mobsters and Ann. Tony, Martin and the police arrive, and a fistfight ensues, followed by a shootout. Smiley is arrested and Tony is told that Shelby, who is still alive, has confessed to Arnold's murder. Ann, now vindicated, speeds away in a motor boat with Tony.