Dan Mathews stops for breakfast in the small, isolated town of Larchmont. He finds that the residents are unwilling to do any business with him (or even talk to him) and that they are obviously anxious to see him leave. Even the county medical officer is behaving secretively and gives evasive answers to Dan's routine questions. Dan decides to investigate further when an inquiry to headquarters reveals that local farmer Charlie Barrett was attempting to drive away in a stolen convertible.
—Sam Spear