Scottie Ferguson, a San Francisco police detective is forced to retire when a freak accident gives him a severe case of acrophobia. Ferguson is hired by a rich shipbuilder to follow his wife who is behaving suspiciously and might be planning suicide. He falls in love with her, she is later murdered and Ferguson becomes demonic in his desire to re-create her in another woman.

San Francisco police detective Scottie Ferguson is forced to retire when a freak accident gives him a severe fear of heights. When a rich shipbuilder hires Scottie to follow his wife, who may be suicidal, Scottie finds himself falling in love with her. Eventually Ferguson becomes obsessed with the chance to re-create her in another woman.