Richard Diamond is hired by an insurance company to recover the "Empress Jewels" from a jewelry store worker who has hijacked them. Mr. Twinkham was told by the store owner to clean the jewels. After working for 20 years in the jewelry store, Twinkham feels entitled to more than just his normal wages. Now he'll only give them back to the owner Mr. Waldron if Waldron pays him a $50,000 cleaning fee. While Diamond tries to figure out where Twinkham hid the jewels, complications ensue.