Music journalist Stanley Mitchell befriends The Louis Lester Band and helps its rise to fame from playing in a basement jazz club to the illustrious Imperial Hotel. At first, the band is treated with hostility by the hotel's elderly audience, most of whom have never heard jazz music nor seen black musicians before. However, one table of young aristocrats love their new music and invite them to play at a garden party.

The Louis Lester Band has yet to reach the fame it so desires, and is stuck playing children's birthdayparties at the Imperial Ballroom. Louis is frustrated. However, the band is introduced to wealthy recluse Lady Lavinia Cremone and she may be able to change its fortunes.

Louis is interviewed by police about events on the night of Jessie's attack, telling them he saw Julian when he should have been on a train to Paris. The band are unsettled when a table of racist Germans walks out during a performance at the Imperial Hotel's Christmas Lunch, but Stanley later engineers a fitting revenge. Lady Cremone host a New Year's Eve party on her estate and everybody is surprised when Julian turns up, announcing he has been in France exploring a new business idea.

After the band play at the funeral and Mr Masterson holds a wake, the police intrerrupt Louis and Sarah in her bedroom. He is subjected to intense questioning at the police station, which results in himbecoming confused about what he saw on the night of the murder.

Louis can no longer hide out at the Music Express Office so Stanley takes him to a suburban flat to escape the manhunt. He is to wait until nightfall, whilst Stanley goes to find his passport as they plan hisescape out of the country.