Synopsis

Dr. Lucy Marshall has developed a food for fish that causes them to grow to an enormous size with the goal of, one day, solving world hunger. Her test subject is a fish that she names Muriel. She has the full backing of the company she works for (Aquatic Scientifics) and they are well into trials and studies to make sure the results provide a safe and healthy result. They stand to make billions.

Their competitor, Walter Kelp of Nautical Foods, wants to bring it to a halt. He enlists the help of a greedy real estate broker named Louise Smurge, who enlists the help of a “Save the Animals” Society and they each go to work to serve their own agendas.

While all this is going on, there is a major diamond theft on the other side of town involving Bud, the janitor at Aquatic Scientifics, who happens to also be a book maker for whatever you care to make a wager on. Dr. Marshall’s Lab Assistant, Will, has been making use of Bud’s services and has run up a rather large gambling debt in the process, so Bud enlists his help to hide the diamonds as a way of getting his debts expunged.

There is a break in at the Lab and the next morning Muriel is found dead, floating at the top of her fish tank.

Who could have done such a thing?

Was it her boss?
(The fish was insured for fifty million dollars.)

Was it the competitor?
(If the fish dies during the trials, it stands to shut the whole thing down.)

Was it the real estate broker?
(That fish is standing in the way of selling the building and making a huge profit.) But…She turns up dead too! (Uh Oh!)

Was it the head of the animal rights organization?
(Doesn’t seem right, does it? But…Who knows?)

Did Bud and Will accidentally do it when they decided to hide the diamonds in the fish tank?
(What were they thinking?)

Find out as the case is solved by two detectives, with the reluctant help of the city coroner. (She doesn’t do fish).

Oh yes! And the insurance company sends a veterinary coroner to keep an eye on things and protect their interests too… What next?