Cross Channel

In England, Tex Parker and Soapy, partners in a small charter boat service, are hired to take a passenger, Carrick, to meet a French fishing boat at sea. Before Carrick transfers to the fishing boat, he asks Tex to deliver a small parcel to his friend Hugo Platt. When Tex attempts to make the delivery, however, he finds that Platt has died. After returning to his office, Tex opens the parcel and discovers that it contains jewels. Otto Dagoff, Platt's partner, contacts Tex and explains that Platt was expecting to receive smuggled jewels that had been recut and reset in Europe, and then smuggled back into England. After Tex informs him that Platt is dead, Dagoff instructs him to deliver the jewels to the captain of the S. S. Cypriota , a ship that is sailing the English Channel, who will give Tex an envelope containing American currency to deliver to Dagoff. Tex is now a suspect in the murder investigation of Platt, and when he rendezvous with the Cypriota , he is surprised to find Platt alive. Tex accuses Platt of double-crossing Dagoff, which prompts a fight in which Tex is thrown overboard. The crew of a French fishing boat, L'Orchis Bleu , rescue Tex and take him to the French village of Porte Solaire, where the Moreau family, Papa, Jean-Pierre and Jacqueline, lives. From the village, Tex telephones Soapy, who informs him that Dagoff has been waiting for him to return the money and that his boat has washed ashore, prompting the police to make inquiries about him. Tex tries to contact Dagoff, but instead reaches his secretary Kitty, unaware that she and Platt are in league to double-cross Dagoff. In Solaire, Tex encounters Carrick, who is arranging for the L'Orchis crew to take him to a ship in the Channel. Tex attacks Carrick, who escapes and returns to England, where he informs Dagoff that Tex is in Solaire. Believing Tex has deceived him, Dagoff sends Platt to kill Tex, unaware that Platt is the real betrayer. In Solaire, Platt shoots Tex, but only wounds him. While the L'Orchis crew tend Tex's wounds, Dagoff, back in England, begins to doubt Platt's honesty. Meanwhile, Carrick, who has discovered that Platt has the money, threatens to expose him unless he gives him half. Pretending to cooperate with Carrick, Platt brings the money to him, but then kills him. Tex, who has returned to England, goes to Carrick's apartment to sort out their misunderstandings and finds that the police are there investigating Carrick's death. He avoids being arrested and visits Dagoff to tell him that Platt has the money. At first, Dagoff refuses to believe him, but, upon learning that Carrick is dead, realizes that Platt might have killed Carrick to silence him about the money. To prove his story, Tex offers to contact the Cypriota captain, who can confirm that Platt took the money. While Tex and Dagoff are conversing, Kitty and Platt arrive and overhear them. Platt shoots Dagoff, and while Platt and Tex fight, Kitty gets a gun and aims at Tex, but kills Platt by mistake. Later, Tex is cleared of all murders and returns to Solaire to be with Jacqueline.