Lured by imploring letters from the beautiful siren Charlotte, handsome, hard-nosed reporter Ward James and his partner, Yardley Acheman, return to Ward's hometown of Lately, Florida, to investigate the seemingly unjust imprisonment of Charlotte's lover, alligator hunter Hillary Van Wetter. Hardened backwoods criminal Van Wetter has been stewing in a cell for four years, convicted - without conclusive evidence or even a fair trial - of killing the town's sheriff. The investigative trio is made a quartet with the addition of Ward's younger brother, Jack, who quickly confuses Charlotte's maternal nature with love, and vows to protect her from Van Wetter.