Pay-Off #1 (1948)

Jo, a former convict, is haunted by fear after betraying his criminal partners, Frankie Gates and Knuckles Fenton, to the authorities in exchange for his release. Now free but branded a stool pigeon, he lives in constant terror, convinced his former associates are hunting him down. As he tries to stay one step ahead, paranoia sets in—every sound, every shadow, feels like a threat from the past he can’t escape.

Five years after her youthful run-in with the law, Diamond Lil—now the owner of a bustling roadhouse—finds herself in a precarious situation when her handyman, Henry, grows restless and demands a fortune to marry her. With a sudden idea, she takes out life insurance policies on him, setting a plan in motion that hinges on making his death look like a tragic accident.

Jo and Mrs. Dell plan a midnight swim at the Dell house, where Jo, unaware the pool has been drained, steps onto the dry diving board and falls, screaming. The next day, Mrs. Dell tries to comfort Jo, recounting the accident, but the strange timing and sudden emptiness of the pool hint at something more than a simple mishap.