Fred Scheske

Malice in Waukegan Fred Scheske

Allen Schmidt and his best friend, Dan Cellars, discuss a business opportunity one evening in their hometown of Waukegan. Next day Dan turns up missing. In his quest to help find his friend, Allen encounters situations that baffle him and the police. He begins putting two-and-two together gathering information about Dan's disappearance and discovers Dan was getting involved with an illicit call girl operation. Meanwhile, Allen's longtime friend, Larry Hecht, arranges a double date to introduce him to gorgeous Marie Rothmann. Try as he might, Allen cannot meet Marie's parents expectations for a son-in-law. Trying to find why, Allen meets with a Chicago bank employee, Lucille Walsh, to learn about her former supervisor, who is the Rothmann's choice to be Marie's husband. The meeting and lunch with the beautiful Lucille eventually leads to a steamy romance. Allen encounters problems, including a phony assault charge, as police peel away layers in the investigation of Dan's absence. After the not guilty verdict in his assault trial, Allen discovers shocking facts about his romantic partner that leave him devastated.