:18:01
And now I think
they ought to be isolated.
:18:03
We can have them watched.
We know who they are... all but one...
:18:06
the man who killed him.
:18:08
- Or men.
- Mr. Mayor, this man was shot.
:18:10
The killer wasn't within 10 feet of him.
I can prove it.
:18:12
- Was he shot on that riverbank, Captain?
- Of course not.
:18:15
He was dumped off the Canal Street Pier
about 5:00, 5:30.
:18:18
- How did he get to the Canal Street Pier?
- How do I know?
:18:20
Somebody must have...
:18:23
The point is that whoever dumped him there
may very well be walking around...
:18:27
with incipient plague
at this moment.
:18:29
- Oh, now, wait a moment.
- No. We've got to work on the supposition
the doctor's right.
:18:33
Dan, looks like your job.
:18:36
All right, sir.
I'll do what I can.
:18:39
But after all,
we don't know the identity of the dead man.
:18:42
- We have no possible idea of the motivation.
- And you haven't got much time.
:18:47
- Also, we haven't got the body.
- Did you empty out his pockets?
:18:51
- I had everything burned.
- Great.
:18:54
If the killer is incubating pneumonic plague,
he can start spreading it within 48 hours.
:18:58
- Forty-eight hours?
- Yes. We have 48 hours.
:19:00
Shortly after that,
you'll have the makings of an epidemic.
:19:03
Commissioner, what's the use
of kidding ourselves?
:19:05
We can't turn up
an unknown killer in two days.
:19:07
He's absolutely right,
Mr. Mayor.
:19:09
The police department
can't be held responsible for this.
:19:12
Now, if you want to believe
the doctor here...
:19:14
I'm sorry, sir, but frankly,
I honestly don't...
:19:18
but if you want to believe him,
there's only one way to handle this.
:19:21
Give the story to the press.
You get on the radio...
:19:24
And have everybody who was
in contact with the dead man leave town?
:19:27
You can't give it to the press!
:19:29
I may be an alarmist.
I may be entirely wrong about the whole matter.
:19:32
But I've seen
this disease work...
:19:34
and I'm telling you if it ever gets loose
it can spread over the entire country...
:19:37
and the result will be more horrible
than any of you can imagine.
:19:40
And the key to the whole thing lies right here,
now, in the next 48 hours.
:19:47
You can take me at my word.
Whatever you like.
:19:52
What can we do?
:19:54
Find this man.
:19:56
Dan, put your best men on it.
:19:59
Yes, sir.
Tom, you work with the doctor.