When Carol comes to work for Alan Hoyt, he shows her his collection of valuable objects. He is particularly proud of a rare Watteau fan, The Twelve Apostle Spoons, and also the Thirteenth Spoon, the Master Spoon, which is worth as much as the other twelve combined. But as soon as she moves into the Hoyt home she experiences strange events: she awakens to see a face peering in at her window; she notices a curious mark on the ledge of the tower window; and the actions she discovers that the previous secretary, Claire, did mysterious and disquieting things. One night, Carol is awakened and discovers discovers Mr. Hoyt unconscious, and the spoons and fan gone. Later, while in New York, she finds a duplicate of the fan for sale in a jewelry store. She tells Hoyt's friend Major Walton about the fan, and together they trace it to Princess Bulona, but they fail to solve the mystery. Determined, Carol picks up the trail of the spoons, and tries to solve the mystery alone.