Alan Markham's Ten Kings, an antique coin collection (insured for 2.3 million dollars) is stolen. Worse it was stolen from an impregnable hotel room complete with sealed windows, tempered glass, steel core doors, and solid walls. Also, the safe in which the Kings were placed in is on a timer and rigged every time it opens to set off an alarm at the police station.

Roland and Oliver Garson for being gaga over the coins and willing to get them at any price. Heritage and roots obsessed Matthew Donniger who was wronged into over-bidding on an item with Markham several years back and wants the coins as well. Markham and his wife because they are broke and a past love affair between Mr. Donniger and Mrs. Markham could complicate things.

Banacek, prefers Miss to Ms. Takes things as they come. Is a difficult man to dress for. Doesn't think about money all the time. Wears the dreaded neck scarf again. Reveals his father came from Poland in 1924 when he was seventeen. Doesn't take kindly to offers from married women.

Through an encounter with the Garsons which leads to thinking of copies, and an irregular towel count, Banacek is able to figure out how the crime was done. Banacek leads the players to the vacationing Mr. Blazedale's room which is 1120, an exact copy of 920 which is where the Markhams were staying. Since floorplans and furniture for a hotel are basically the same throughout the hotel, this is not an impossible thing, but was ensured to be exactly the same by the chief of security, Ballinger. Ballinger was in cahoots with the mastermind of the crime, Mrs. Markham. Mrs. Lydia Markham liked living the high life that her and her husband were both accustomed to, but didn't like being virtually broke and going to auctions all the time. When the Markhams checked into the hotel, they did go to 920. During the night thought, Allen Markham was drugged and carried up to the duplicate room by Ballinger via the fire stairs. Meanwhile Lydia took pictures of the room and helped to carry essentials up to the duplicate room, to make it look like the real deal to Allen when he woke up. The phone in 1120 was set up through the hotel's phone system to be an extension of 920, so when Allen called down to alert the hotel security and the police he was opening his safe it showed up on the switchboard as 920. Allen then opened the duplicate safe which was of course empty but more importantly through a transmitter radioed the real combination to Ballinger who was waiting below to open the real safe and get the Kings. Finally, Ballinger had taken the phone off the hook in 920 so Allen would be unable to make a call out of 1120 since it was an extension and thus forcing Allen to run to the lobby to alert the authorities and bring them back to 920 which of course was cleared of the real coins and reset to look like they had stayed there the whole night.