Late one night at the Russell Square tube station in the London Underground, university students Patricia and her American Student exchange program boyfriend Alex find an unconscious man collapsed on the stairwell. Fearing the man may be Diabetic hypoglycemia, Patricia checks his wallet and finds a card that reads James Manfred, Order of the British Empire. Alex and Patricia inform a police officer about Manfred, Alex and the officer return to the stairwell to Alex's surprise find that Manfred has vanished. Inspector Calhoun is assigned to look into the disappearance. Calhoun antagonistically questions Alex, who asserts the man was a drunk, and suggests he and Patricia robbed the man.