On the Fortuna, Lucky is hosting a charity event. Danny Devlin announces that in few minutes they will have a drawing for a date with actress Laura Lawrence. Andamo is with Laura and says that he's buying more tickets for himself and Lucky. As she puts the tickets in, Laura palms Lucky's ticket. A minute later, she "draws" Lucky's ticket and Lucky reluctantly admits that he won. When he goes up, Lucky whispers to Danny to have Laura draw another ticket. Danny refuses, saying that the publicity would ruin him. Lucky meets with Laura, who says that someone is trying to murder her as she poses with him for the press.
Later, Laura shows Lucky the note that a blackmailer sent her, telling her to pay or die. She admits that she palmed the ticket and she's been blackmailed for a year. Lucky isn't interested, and Laura talks about how she came from a poor family. Her and her husband robbed an armored truck and the judge gave her a year suspended sentence. Laura has paid $20,000 in the last year to maintain her career, and Lucky agrees to help her as long as it isn't a publicity statement. Danny comes over and says that just doing his job.
Once Danny and Laura leave, Lucky asks Andamo to call Rovacs and meet him at the High Five Club. He meets Laura there, and the maître d' brings her a note telling Laura to bring $5,000 in cash to a carnival. Andamo and Rovacs arrive and Lucky explains that Rovacs is a cop. He tells Rovacs that Laura is being blackmailed and shows him the notes. Andamo remembers that the carnival is a circus that died, and the sideshow is still open on weekends. Rovacs advises Laura to follow the instructions and have Lucky paid. Once Rovacs leaves, Lucky warns Laura that Rovacs won't laugh off a publicity stunt even if he might. He has Andamo take Laura back to her hotel.
At the carnival, Lucky looks around but finds no one. He's unaware that a midget, Tommy, is watching to him. Lucky returns to the hotel and tells Rovacs and Laura that no one was there. Laura explains that Rovacs sent Andamo to the Fortuna. Rovacs calls his men and then tells Lucky that he had his men follow Lucky to the carnival. They searched the place and found no blackmailers. Lucky makes it clear that he doesn't believe Laura's story and leaves with Rovacs.
When Lucky drives back to his garage, a thug grabs him and says that the note told him to come alone. Another man comes in and beats Lucky unconscious, and the two men leave.
Later, Lucky returns to the Fortuna where Rovacs is meeting with him. Rovacs suggests that Lucky call Laura and apologize to her for his lack of belief. Lucky tells Rovacs to handle it, and Rovacs says that he needs Lucky to pay off the money since the blackmailers know him. Andamo is glad to do it since he'll be with Laura, but Rovacs refuses.
Lucky goes to Laura's hotel room, and the blackmailer calls her and tells her that if anyone follows Lucky then she'll be killed. Lucky wants to call Rovacs, but she refuses. The club owner says that she can't pay off the blackmailers forever. Danny comes in and complains that Lucky didn't stay long enough at the club to get any publicity. Laura points out that Danny spends a lot of his time at the club gambling.
Laura and Lucky go down to the car, and find Andamo sitting in the back seat with a woman. Andamo introduces his date, Janet, and Lucky invites them to come to the club with them for dinner. After a moment, Andamo admits that Janet is a cop and he's her assignment.
At the club, Laura tells Lucky that she can get used to anything except poverty. Andamo is busy flirting with Janet, and Lucky reminds him that she's a cop. The maître d' brings Laura a phone, and the blackmailer tells her to have Lucky brings the money to the carnival and come alone. Andamo admits that he stole the money from Laura's purse and insists on coming.
When the two men arrive at the carnival, the blackmailer calls to them from the shadows and tells them to put the envelope with the money on a nearby stand. Lucky goes to search for him while Andamo watches the money. Tommy grabs the envelope and runs, and Andamo chases after him. A circus strongman is waiting, and shrugs off Andamo's first two punches. He then grabs Andamo as Tommy runs off past Lucky. Lucky chases him into a tent, and a knife thrower throws knives at Lucky. Lucky grabs a knife and pins the man's sleeve to a crate, and continues chasing after Tommy.
Tommy ducks into a trailer where Danny is waiting. Danny complains that Tommy took the money, and Lucky comes in as Tommy says that they need the money bad. Danny says that he just wanted the thugs to scare Lucky off, just as Rovacs and his men pull up. Laura is with Rovacs, and Danny starts to confess. Laura asks why, and Tommy explains that Danny was pouring money into the carnival so they could make it again. Danny explains that he was with the circus 20 years ago, and it was his chance to get something for himself rather than work for Laura. Tommy says that they'll work for anyone who will give them a break, and Laura asks Lucky if she has to press charges. Lucky has Danny sell the carnival to Tommy, and Laura confirms that Danny still has job and he'll work for her rather than the state.
Outside, Lucky tells Rovacs that he isn't going to press an assault charge. He warns Rovacs that Laura won't press charges, and goes to find Andamo. Andamo is hanging from a tent pole where the strongman hung him.
Written by Gadfly on Aug 26, 2018