The time: 10:00 pm, New Year's Eve, 1947. The place: The ballroom of the Hotel Astor. The victim: Mr. Marcus Halliday. And the suspects (all the usual ones): the son (and his gold-digging girlfriend), the untrusted nephew, the long-time secretary (and her brand new fiance), and the new business partner (of course, stealing from the company behind the victim's back). The soon-to-be victim has just announced that he plans to disinherit all of the above before the night is out - only to be found minutes later, slumped over in a nearby phone booth. Can Ellery figure out the clues as they play out? Of course, he can. But can you?

Ellery's old college chum, Linville Hagen, is accused of murdering mobster Nick Danello and Ellery must find a missing witness who can prove his innocence. This missing witness was a woman wearing a green dress. This description, of course, could fit any woman in New York. Ole Frank Flannigan comes along for the ride too and this time he's not quite so antagonistic towards Ellery.