A writer of children's stories is popular in his field but not at home, where he is a calculating sadist. His wife turns to another man for affection, and eventually the two of them devise a fool-proof plan to do away with the husband.

Unfortunately, however, the writer's frustrated secretary learns of it and uses her information to trap the other man into marriage after he has killed the husband. They go away together and the police are led to believe that the husband drowned chasing a prowler. But some weeks later there is a surprise in store when the husband turns up hale and hearty -- having been warned in time by his secretary. True to form, he takes a brutal delight in tormenting his wife, and later goes up for a bath.

Meanwhile, the secretary could not go through with the wedding, and the paramour returns. The Husband is still in the way. Or is he? According to the law, he died three weeks ago.