Man from Headquarters

Fast-talking Chicago Record reporter Larry Doyle receives a service revolver from the police commission as a reward for his help in solving the Padroni and Upshaw cases. After Editor E. A. Jonas then hands Larry a $50 bonus, he and some fellow reporters retire to a bar to celebrate. Unfortunately, Jonas overhears Larry criticizing him and fires him. Louis Padroni, one of the gangsters whom Larry helped to catch, has been released on bail and tells his henchmen, Goldie and Knucks, to make sure that Larry will not be able to testify at his trial. However, they get nervous about killing Larry and, instead, kidnap him, knock him out and put him on a train to St. Louis, unaware that Padroni has gone there to commit some robberies to finance his defense. While in the railroad station in St. Louis, Larry sends a telegram to Jonas saying that he has a story lead and needs cash. He then meets Ann Weston, who is trying to wire her mother, collect, in Montana to have her fare sent so she can return home, but the clerk refuses to send the telegram. Larry offers to help Ann, who at first refuses, but then relents. Using Larry's press credentials, they check into a hotel suite with separate rooms, and Ann poses as his secretary. Over a meal, Larry tells Ann that he is expecting cash from his newspaper which will cover their bill and will help both of them on their respective ways. However, the hotel manager receives a wire from Jonas stating that he does not know Larry and will not send money, but Larry tells him the wire is a practical joke and cons the manager into letting them stay for twenty-four hours. After Jonas tells Larry's reporter pals what he has done, they decide to try to help him. Larry, meanwhile, reads a newspaper report about a masked hold-up man operating in St. Louis, and tries to persuade Marvin, the editor, to hire him to investigate, but when Marvin phones Jonas for confirmation, Jonas tells him that Larry is a fake. Meanwhile, Goldie and Knucks discover Padroni is in St. Louis and, realizing that if he and Larry meet up, they will be in big trouble, they hurry there by plane. Larry receives $50 cabled by his pals and is able to pay the hotel bill, but in order to raise more money, he pawns his police revolver. Meanwhile, Goldie and Knucks have tailed Larry and Ann from the hotel to the pawn shop, which is run by Nate, a fence, whom they know. They buy Larry's revolver to present to Padroni, and Nate tells them where he is staying. While Larry and Ann try to increase their cash at a gambling house, Goldie and Knucks explain to Padroni that Larry is in St. Louis and suggest to him that he commit a robbery and plant Larry's gun at the scene so that his arrest will prevent him from testifying in Chicago. Padroni decides to rob the same club Larry and Ann are visiting, and when Larry sees the masked man enter the club, he sends Ann back to the hotel, then witnesses a shootout between Goldie and a policeman. Larry replaces Goldie as the driver of the getaway car, anticipating that Padroni will use it but, after dropping the loot in the car and shooting another officer, Padroni simply walks away and Larry drives off. Later, Larry persuades Marvin to let him cover the robbery at the club and helps District Attorney Johnson to find the gun, only to learn that it is his own. After Johnson arrests Larry for the robberies and shootings, Larry pleads with Jonas to tell Johnson that he is Larry Doyle, reporter, and Jonas agrees. Pressured by Marvin, Johnson allows Larry to try to apprehend the gunman. Larry and Ann return to the pawn shop, where Larry demands the gun from Nate, who says he no longer has it. Just then, Padroni shows up and draws a gun on Larry, but Ann crowns him with a guitar. After Padroni is arrested once again, Larry and Ann get married.