With the complicity of his beautiful but treacherous secretary, Miss Piecemeal (Sigrid Valdis), Governor Bradford (Henry Beckman) is secretly abducted and replaced with a double. Fortunately he had already become suspicious and dispatched a letter to President Grant, who in turn has sent West and Gordon to investigate. Miss Piecemeal and the imposter, who is growing increasingly nervous, attempt to dispose of the agents without arousing their suspicions, while the brains behind the operation, Professor Horatio Bolt (Alfred Ryder), continues with his plans to bleed the state treasury dry... all for the sake of art.
Disguises used by Artie: Gaston LaRusse, Art Critic
(32:15)
Tropes present in this episode:
- Identical Stranger: The governor is kidnapped and replaced with an actor who happens to look exactly like him.
- Impostor Forgot One Detail: In fairness to Sam, it would be very tough to hide the fact that unlike Governor Bradford, he isn't left-handed.
- It Must Be Mine!: Professor Bolt is dead set on building up the world's most spectacular art collection, no matter what it takes, all for public display — except The Mona Lisa. That one's going to be for his eyes only.
- Obfuscating Disability: Among the gang of toughs who attack Jim and Artie at one point are ones disguised as cripples.
- Stealing from the Till: The entire point of the kidnapping and subsequent masquerade is so that Professor Bolt can appropriate state funds.
- The Walls Are Closing In: A variation—the Death Trap of the week is a wine press whose ceiling closes in on Jim, Artie and Miss Piecemeal until they escape.
- A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing: Governor Bradford's double. The agents don't realize he's an imposter until he (or rather, Miss Piecemeal) has taken advantage of their ignorance several times.
- You Have Failed Me: Professor Bolt makes it very clear that death is the penalty for failure in his organization. Miss Piecemeal seems to be accepting of this fact—right up until given an opportunity to escape her punishment, at which point she chooses life and switches sides.
